Twilight was alone. So very alone. She couldn’t see anyone or anything. She couldn’t hear anything. Light and sound were so far away she couldn’t find them.

“Am I dead…?”

“Where am I?”

“What happened?”

She started walking. Any direction, it didn’t matter. There had to be something. She wouldn’t stop until she found it.

It felt like months. She hadn’t had to stop for food and water even once on her journey, but she wasn’t getting any closer to anything, if there was anything. Her mouth was dry, and she felt like she was choking. Her only indication she was still alive. She needed food and water.

More months. She’d stopped counting really but it had to be much longer. She was certain she was starving to death. Or dehydrating to death. She hadn’t touched food or water in so long.

She finally stopped. She’d made no progress in however long it had been. There was no point in continuing to try and make progress if there was no progress to be made. She was resigned to accept her fate.

Water. There was water. It was raining down from above. Twilight tipped her head back and opened her mouth. What few drops she got quenched her thirst. Her throat was no longer dry, but she was starving.

What was she looking for? She couldn’t even remember now. It had to have been much more time than before, because her mane was longer. Still, she kept searching. She’d forgotten what food tasted like, but the rain was constant now and kept her hydrated. Was she getting closer to something?

Those were trees. Only a few yards ahead, but she could see trees. Where there were trees, there was fruit. And grass. Food. She hastened her steps.

The trees were her saving grace. Weak though she was, she managed to kick one and it dropped a watermelon. Too weary to question why, she broke it open by stepping on it and feasted. It helped her thirst more than her hunger, but at least it was something. Another tree dropped a peach, another dropped an apple. Her fourth tree dropped a potato. She stopped, thought to question it now that she had food, and walked to the stream nearby. Fresh water. It was still black everywhere, but there was food and water here.

No longer was she hungry or thirsty, but she was still lost. Her mental map formed; she made the oasis she’d found her central point. She would adventure out from here, mark where she’d been, and return. Even if that meant not much progress was made, she’d at least have a direction.

It was gone. Twilight looked around everywhere, but the oasis was gone. All that remained of it was the fruit she’d harvested before to feed her on her trek. Not even the water remained.

Voices. Her mane was much, much longer than before, but she could hear voices. She’d forgotten what those were. Her step quickened as she ran towards them. Voices meant ponies. Ponies meant home.

She gasped awake. The sounds of beeping filled the room, an uncomfortable pressure greeted her foreleg and her stomach felt horrible. Looking around, she could barely make out shapes. The beeping was coming from her left, a blurry grey and black box. More sounds. She looked around and saw more blurs approaching her in a myriad of colors ranging from pink to… a sky with a rainbow? She couldn’t hear and couldn’t see clearly. Another shape pushed through the others. This one felt familiar. Soft purple with purple on top of it.

Her eyes focused as the shape hugged her. Her mother. She wanted to hug her mother. She wanted to hold another pony. Her limbs wouldn’t move. Her mother stepped away and turned to another shape. Doctor Stable. Voices were exchanged, she couldn’t quite make out the words.

The doors burst open as four other shapes walked into the room. A shape as dark as the place she’d been reached her first. His scent washed over her, and tears came to her eyes. He’d been with her the entire time. She was never really alone. The tall white shape behind him gently moved him to the side but not away. The moving colors stop the shape brought tears to her eyes again. She was home. She couldn’t hear their words, but she was home.

Five hours later, Twilight was thankful she could tell time again, she was sitting up in the bed. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow were both in it with her, passed out near her legs. They’d been up the entire time, trying to find the thing that had done this to her. Her child. The infant that had been born from her because of a demon. Her words still didn’t work, the water she’d drank in the dark place had been an IV drip they had given her. The food had all been in her mind.

A hayburger, some fries, several frosties, and even some cookies her own mother had made sat on the table nearby, untouched. She was too occupied. Her brush with death had awoken something in her. She had to have her lips busy with something, and Arcane had been available. They were trying not to wake up Pinkie or Rainbow, but her lips ached for his. He’d been with her in that dark place, watching after her, taking care of her.

She was sure if her friends weren’t there, he’d be in that bed with her. She was also sure she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from doing something… naughty with him. They stopped kissing just to catch each other’s breath and the doors swung open. Celestia and Luna walked in followed by her mother. Arcane stepped back but remained close enough that all she’d have to do is reach out to touch him as the three mares walked over to her.

They didn’t want much. Celestia wanted to know what she’d seen, Luna wanted to know if she could feel any connection to dreams or anypony. Her mother just wanted to know her baby was ok. All she could say was she wasn’t sure. She didn’t know what she’d seen, she didn’t know if she felt dreams while she was there, and above all she didn’t know if she was ok.

Her heart was heavy, her head still hurt but not as much as before, and she felt alone. Even now, with everypony around her, she felt alone. She did admit to one thing. Having Arcane with her the entire time made her feel safe. Celestia wanted to take him away to ask him how in private, but Twilight wouldn’t let him leave. She couldn’t. He was her anchor now. Her reason and means of even being there. If he left, she felt like she’d float away.

The Princesses and her mother left soon after, her mother promising to come back soon after scolding her for not eating. The first thing she ate was a cookie. That had made her mother beam with joy. Her cookies had always been her baby’s favorite. Twilight’s eyes closed while she chewed, enjoying the taste of her favorite sweet as the Princesses and her mother left. When she finished the cookie, she sat in silence before turning to look at Arcane.

She knew what she needed from him. Her mind, heart and soul knew it. But some things came first. She stared at him for a moment before he nodded, moved to the foot of her bed and looked at her. She stared right back, swallowed, and nodded, closing her eyes. The blanket moved from her hind legs, which were gently pried apart, and she twitched as she felt his magic touch her. It slid around on her sex slowly, examining the outer most lips, before delving inside. His magic snaked its way into her, touching her innermost core.

She bit her lower lip, trying her best not to enjoy it. This wasn’t a sexual thing; this was an actual magical examination. Over the course of just a few hours, she gone from having a flat belly, to being, for all appearances, several months along with at least six foals, to giving birth to a fully grown pony that shot off into the distance like a rocket. She felt his magic numbing her lower lips and knew what was coming next. He was going to stretch her so he could see inside.

Closing her eyes, she let him work as she felt her body stretching. It wasn’t much, enough that a foal could slide through the opening easily, but it was enough. He looked inside her, looking for any damage or any indication of a spell or a curse.

His searching was interrupted soon. The doors swung open, and five ponies stood in the doorway. “What in the buck are ya doin’!?” a southern drawl shouted, and he looked up, his magic still stretching Twilight open as her five friends marched towards him ready to beat him bloody.

Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait, been kinda busy with stuff. Hope ya'll like this one. Wanted to go with a sort of "lost and alone in the bridge between life and death" thing.