PSYCHOPATH - Well, read on and you'll find out.

INGENman - I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it, and don't worry, you'll be able to keep enjoying it for a long time to come.

UnknownHero55 - Lol you're welcome ;) The force must be strong with you then.

digimonxpony - I guess the only way you'll find out is to read on!

knightofstories141912 - Lol I seem to have thrown a lot of my readers for a loop, though I'd be lying if I said that wasn't my intention.

GhostChris - I wouldn't say that, but things are definitely messed up for him right now.

Deepfreeze222 - Come on now, you should know me better than that by now! When I end this story, you'll definitely know it. (Especially since there'll be a sequel)

Zelfra1234 - Read on and find out my friend.

A Revanchist - You'll get to find out exactly what I did in just a few moments.

khdudeable - I think you said it best: NOOOO! it's not over, and it won't be for awhile.

DragonLovingBrony - Well, you won't have to accept it, because it's not reality at all.

frytrix - Lol depends on your definition of crazy...

HYBRID BATTLESHIP INFINITY210 - Your wait is over my friend.

Guest - Guess the only way to find out is to read on ;)

A/N - Ok, so I'll admit I ended the way I did to kind of mess with people, but I never expected it would make people think the story had ended (guess I should have seen that coming though). It was probably also a bad idea to announce my idea for during that chapter too. I've decided to leave the poll open on my page until the end of the year, and if I get at least 100 positive votes, I'll open it at the beginning of next year. Even if its to say 'no', please pay a visit to my page and give it a vote, your input is important to me. Remember; I can't put things from this story directly on , so I'll be posting videos of several other topics, many of which will pertain to the story in some way or another. As always, don't forget to follow/favorite, review, and most importantly; enjoy!

I gave the doctor an abridged version of my experience, since he didn't have time to listen to the entire thing in one sitting. My wife on the other hand, refused to leave until she had heard everything. The entire time I was recounting my 'adventure', I couldn't help but wonder if any of it really happened, or if it really was just an elaborate dream cooked up by my comatose mind as I lay in bed, unconscious.

"So let me get this straight… there were a bunch of talking ponies that basically used you as a test subject… and you not only befriended them, but actually fell in love with some?"

I sighed. "Well, it sounds kind of strange when you put it like that, but yeah, that's the gist of it."

"It sounds strange no matter how you say it!" I guess I couldn't blame her for being upset. "I just don't understand how you could fall in love with animals…"

I shrugged. "Think of it like all those sci-fi movies you like to watch, where the hero ends up falling for some alien chick; they aren't exactly human, but you don't have a problem with that."

"That's different, at least they're humanoid, you're talking about miniature horses for Christ's sake!"

"I'm not trying to say it's right or wrong, I'm just saying it's what happened in the dream. You know how I am, I prefer to judge based on personality rather than anything else, and I did the same in the dream; I just asked myself what I would do if they were humans instead of ponies."

Lauren sighed and leaned in to kiss me. "I know, and I love you for that, but that kind of open mind is going to get you in trouble some day. Now, it's getting late and I have to work in the morning, but I'll ask the doctor how long you'll need to stay on my way out. Hopefully they'll let you come home soon. I love you sweetheart."

I bid her goodnight and she left the room, waving at me until she had disappeared through the door. My sleep was troubled by dreams of Equestria… or maybe memories or visions, I couldn't tell. The lines between fantasy and reality were blurred; a part of me wanted to believe that this was the real thing, but I had no way of knowing which was which.

The following day, Lauren showed up in the early afternoon to visit, still clad in her burgundy business suit and carrying her briefcase. After we had spent some time together, I shared my concerns with her. "I can see how you would be confused, especially if your dreams were so vivid that you felt pain… I think that's why that neural specialist came by yesterday, to see how best to help you through this. I imagine you'll need to see a therapist for awhile until things get sorted out."

I sighed and looked down at the sheets. The rest of her visit was spent in relative silence as I thought about what she said. Do I really want therapy… to forget about everything? It may have just been a dream, but that doesn't change how real it felt; what if it really did happen somehow?

Lauren suddenly perked up. "Oh! I almost forgot, the doctor said that you should be cleared to leave by tomorrow afternoon." She paused. "But… then you'll have to undergo some physical therapy to get you back on your feet after everything that's happened."

"I figured as much. Though I've been curious about something… where exactly did I get hit? It felt like it hit my heart."

She sighed. "Technically, he did. The bullet ricocheted off one of your ribs and nicked your left ventricle. The surgeon said if it had been a few millimeters to the right, they wouldn't have been able to save you."

There was a knock at the door. "Good afternoon, it's time for Mister Marshall here to eat and take his medications." A pleasant voice rang out as a nurse wheeled a small cart into the room, presumably holding food and whatever medication I was supposed to take.

Lauren looked over to me. "Alright, I'll be going now so you can eat in peace. I love you sweetheart." She kissed me and walked around the nurse and out the door.

The nurse wheeled the cart over to me and placed the tray in front of me, pulling off the lid to reveal some rather generic looking mystery meat and mashed potatoes with what I assumed was chocolate pudding and a box of apple juice. There was also a cup with a small pill in it. "It's an antibiotic, to make sure there are no lingering infections." The nurse explained before leaving me to it.

I ate my meal in silence and lay down to sleep for the night.

Twilight

As I raced through the palace, my mind kept turning back to the events of the day, events that started out so happy and suddenly crashed and burned, becoming a waking nightmare for everypony.

I woke up to another sunny day in Ponyville, the light of my mentor's sun shining through the curtains and into my eyes, beckoning me awake. I stretched and yawned before hopping out of bed and trotting over to my dresser, humming a little tune to myself. I kept humming the tune as I brushed my mane and tail for the day. When I was done, I opened the door to Blake's room and trotted over to the bed and the sleeping lump bundled under the covers.

"Rise and shine sleepy-head!" I said in a singsong voice.

"Mmh… juzz five more minnuzz…" Was the response.

I giggled as I lit my horn and used the levitation spell to draw back the curtains, letting Celestia's sun flow freely through the room. The lump drew itself even tighter into the covers, forming a ball in the middle of the bed. "Come on Scootaloo, it's time to get up. You don't want to be late for school do you?" My new coltfriend's soon-to-be adoptive daughter groaned and poked her disheveled head out of the covers.

Scootaloo had been staying with me in Blake's room since the night Nightmare Moon attacked Canterlot since Blake was unable to care for her due to his injuries. She finally pulled her flank out of bed and groggily made her way down the stairs where Spike no doubt had breakfast ready for the three of us. Scootaloo seemed to perk up as she ate, no doubt happy that Blake would finally be coming home soon, as were we all. I would be lying if I said I wasn't also a little nervous; Blake was my first coltfriend, and while I had been dreaming of this for awhile, I was unsure of what the future might hold.

Shortly after we finished breakfast, there was a knock at the door. "I got it Twilight!" Spike chirped before hopping down from the table and jogging over to the door. "Oh hi Rarity! What brings you here?"

"Good morning Spike dear. Today's my day to escort Sweetie Belle and her friends to school, and I'm here to pick up young Scootaloo."

"Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are here?! Awesome!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she hopped down from the table and rushed to the door.

Rarity giggled and turned to follow her out the door. "Oh, Twilight?" She called to me. "Would you care to join me for tea at the boutique later?" She asked when she was sure she had my attention.

I smiled at my fashionable friend and shook my head slightly. "I'd love to Rarity, but I'm planning to visit Blake today, they're supposed to be releasing him to complete his healing in the castle today."

She smiled back at me. "Oh, that's wonderful news! I'm so glad to hear he's finally going to be able to leave that stuffy hospital."She looked back to the three fillies waiting for her. "Well, I must be going; wouldn't want these three being late, would we? Tata for now Darling!"

After waving her and the fillies off, I turned back into the library, to see an irate-looking Spike glaring at me with his arms crossed. "So, going to see him are you?" He practically growled.

"What's that supposed to mean Spike?" I asked as I took a step back from him.

"It means that I don't like the way you've been acting when it comes to him lately!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms up in exasperation as he turned away from me. "Ever since he got hurt, he's all you talk about, like you're forgetting everypony else in your life!"

"Oh Spike, I'm not forgetting anypony, this is just all new to me, and I'm adjusting to something I've never experienced before. I just need you to be a little patient with me, that's all; I promise you that he's not taking me away or making me forget about anypony." I said, trying to soothe his young heart.

It seemed to work, as he sagged a little before turning back to face me. "Really?" He asked with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

I trotted over to him and wrapped him in a hug. "I promise. Remember when Owlicious first came around and started helping me at night?" I felt him nodding into my shoulder. "Well, it's just like that; it'll take a little time, but things will go back to normal before you know it."

He pulled back and looked into my eyes. "Ok Twilight… I guess I just got a little jealous is all."

I wrapped him back in a hug. "It's ok Spike, I understand. Just remember; no matter what, you'll always be my number one assistant…" I squeezed him a little tighter. "And my best friend."

He tightened his claws around me for a moment before suddenly letting go and dashing off and out the door, I could only guess to start his chores for the day. My ears twitched as I felt a wetness on my shoulder, and a small smile came to my face as I touched the twin spots with a hoof.

I sighed and turned around to grab the saddlebag I had packed for this trip. I hadn't planned to stay longer than dinnertime, but not knowing what might happen, I packed a few overnight essentials anyway, just to be safe. I had also packed a few puzzles and board games Blake and I could play together once I got to either the hospital or the palace, depending on whether or not he had been moved by the time I got there.

I headed out the door and made my way to Ponyville's train station, where I purchased a ticket and sat on a bench to await the train. I got a few confused looks when I decided to try an experiment and sat on the bench with my hind legs hanging off the edge as Lyra often does, but that didn't last very long as the position was both uncomfortable and seemed to be drawing some attention to me. With a nervous grin, I righted myself and sat on the wooden bench as most other ponies did. I wonder how Lyra can sit like that and not have some sort of back problem…

My ears perked up as they picked up the distant sound of a train approaching the station. Looking down at my ticket and then at the clock, I determined that either the train was either rather early, or this wasn't the train I was meant to take. My suspicion of the latter was confirmed when the train pulled up from the wrong direction with a sign indicating that it was destined for Appleloosa.

I huffed and settled in for the wait for the train headed to Canterlot, my eyes wandering and observing the different ponies getting on and off the train to help pass the time.

My head shot up instantly as I noticed something that definitely wasn't a pony getting off the train. I held my breath in the hopes that somehow the bipedal form disembarking the train was Blake. My hopes were quickly dashed as the form ducked and revealed it's horned head. I physically sagged as I recognized the Minotaur stepping onto the platform. "Iron Will wonders if Iron Will's new program will work on that little cream puff Fluttershy this time."

I face-hoofed at Iron Will's third-person speech mannerisms and tried to ignore him as he talked in an overly boisterous fashion to his goat cronies. He soon moved on and I was alone on the platform, waiting for the train headed for Canterlot. Eventually, I felt the bench next to me shift as somepony sat next to me. I didn't bother looking over, assuming it was just another pony waiting on the train.

There was a sigh next to me. "So, nice weather huh?"

I perked up. "Applejack? What're you doing here?" I asked as I looked over and confirmed that it was indeed Applejack's country accent I had heard.

She gave me a sidelong smirk. "What, a mare can't visit 'er coltfriend?"

I felt a shiver work its way through my body as I realized that I had probably offended her. "O-oh, I um… I-I didn't mean it like that!" I stuttered in an attempt to apologize.

She chuckled and tipped her hat back. "It's alright Twi, Ah know what y'all meant. Ah guess we're headed to tha same place though."

I smiled and looked down at the wooden planks of the platform. "Yeah…" I looked over to her. "It still feels strange to me though, having a coltfriend I mean."

"Ah know what ya mean." She looked up at the sky. "Ah still wake up some mornings and think Ah dreamed it all up. We ain't been together long, but Ah c'n feel somethin' different about him, somethin' Ah ain't felt in any other stallion Ah've ever known."

I nodded, though I doubted she saw it. "I know what you mean. I've had feelings for him for awhile, but I was too scared to say anything to him, especially after I found out he was dating you and Princess Luna."

I felt Applejack wrap a hoof around my shoulder. "Well, now y'all feel kinda silly fer waitin', doncha?" I giggled and nodded. "Ah felt tha same way after Ah finally managed ta work up tha gumption ta say somethin' to 'im."

We chatted like that for some time until we both heard the telltale sounds of another train coming along the tracks, this time from the right direction to take us to Canterlot. As we stood to board the approaching train, a flood of ponies swarmed the previously empty platform and filled the air with sound as they all began chatting excitedly all at once. Applejack and I groaned in unison and started working our way through the mass of excited ponies towards the edge of the platform. I couldn't help but find it strange that there were so many ponies disembarking in Ponyville.

We eventually made our way to the train's doors and hoofed our tickets to the conductor before boarding and heading to one of the train's many private rooms. I sat down on the bench on one side of the small room while Applejack did the same on the other, the two of us quickly settling into a comfortable silence as we watched the world outside through the relatively small window.

The all-aboard was sounded and the train lurched into motion shortly after that. Applejack and I continued to watch as the world began rushing by out the window and quickly changed from the familiar buildings of Ponyville to the open plains of the unsettled lands between our small town and Canterlot. I had often wondered why these areas hadn't been turned into more small towns, but I was also grateful they hadn't, as such small towns in close proximity often tended to group together over time and form into larger cities, which would spell the end of quiet little Ponyville.

"Y'all alright Sugarcube?" Applejack asked, breaking my train of thought.

I shook my head to clear it and bring myself back to the present. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine… just thinking."

She sighed. "Yeah… we've all been doin' a lot a that lately…"

"So how's Rainbow Dash been? I haven't seen much of her since Blake got hurt." There was as much genuine curiosity in my question as there was a desire to break the tension building in the room.

Applejack sighed again. "She's been trainin' practically non-stop since we got back ta Ponyville. Ah think she blames herself fer Blake getting' hurt."

I shook my head in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense though. Even the princesses couldn't stop her, so it only makes sense we couldn't do anything without the Elements of Harmony to help us."

"You know that and Ah know that Twi, but Rainbow don't see it that way. She thinks if'n she'd been stronger or faster, none a this woulda happened." I gave her a look of disbelief, but she continued before I could say anything. "Ah know it's crazy, but y'all know how she is when it comes ta protectin' her friends."

I looked back out the window in thought for a moment. "I know… but, I can't exactly blame her; I've been asking myself 'what ifs' for awhile, like 'what if I had studied harder and knew a few combat spells?' or 'what if I knew a spell to bring the Elements to us when we needed them?'"

"Ah know what ya mean Sugarcube. There ain't much Ah coulda done, but Ah wouldn't mind buckin' her flank from here ta Las Pegasus and back a couple a times." We both laughed at the image that brought up before settling into a comfortable silence.

The rest of the trip was spent with the two of us simply staring out the window, watching the mountain that Canterlot rested upon growing steadily larger as we grew closer to it.

As we pulled up to the Canterlot train station, Applejack and I looked to one another briefly and nodded in silent agreement to wait for the rush to die down before disembarking ourselves. Once we felt most of the ponies were off the train and we wouldn't have to fight the crowd, we did just that.

Applejack looked around." Y'know, Ah never get used ta this place. Every time Ah come here, I feel overwhelmed by just how… hoity toity it is."

Somepony cleared their throat behind us. We whirled around to see a pony with a blue-tinged grey coat and two-tone silver mane wearing shaded glasses and a fashionable looking collar. "Oh… uh, heh heh, sorry 'bout that Hoity Toity…"

Hoity Toity Harrumphed and trotted off without a word. "Is it just me, or does that happen surprisingly often?" I asked as we turned back to continue our walk towards the hospital.

Applejack shrugged. "Seems like a lotta weird stuff goes on 'round here. Ah try not ta think too hard about it; gives me a headache."

We eventually made our way to the hospital and trotted up to the reception desk. "Excuse me; I'm looking for a patient by the name of Blake Marshall, could you tell me if he's been released yet?"

The mare at the desk looked up from her magazine. "One moment." She began looking through the records to find him. "Oh, the human. He's still in room-"

I cut her off with a hoof. "We know where it is." Applejack and I left before the insulting mare could say anything else. "Well, she was certainly unpleasant." I looked over to see Applejack fuming… quite literally.

"Ah can't believe tha nerve of her! Tha way she said it, ya'd think Blake was some kinda… animal! Ah tell ya, ponies like that really soil mah oats!"

"I know what you mean… we'll say something to the management around here on our way out."

My apple farming friend nodded and seemed to calm down a little. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." She started doing some of the controlled breathing exercises I had taught her. "What? Ah don't wanna be in a bad mood when we visit our coltfriend." She stated when she noticed the look I was giving her.

Less than a minute later, we arrived at Blake's room; the door was shut, likely to give him some privacy. I raised a hoof and knocked lightly on the door. When there was no answer, I knocked again, a little louder. When there was again no answer, I sparked my horn to life and opened the door a crack to peek inside. When it was open far enough, I could see that our coltfriend was still resting in his bed, sleeping from the look of it.

I giggled and opened the door further to allow us entrance. "Looks like he's being a lazy-bones today." I said quietly.

Applejack tip-hoofed over to the bed. "Well, Ah didn't shove all mah chores on Big Mac fer tha day ta watch 'im sleep." She whispered loudly.

"Don't do anything rash AJ, you don't wanna hurt him!" I whispered as loudly as I could.

"Don't worry Sugarcube I'm… just gonna…"

I trotted over to the bedside as she trailed off. "Applejack? What's wrong?" I followed her slack-jawed gaze to the middle of Blake's chest.

Gingerly placing my forehooves on the bed, I gently poked at the pink, knotty tissue of the new scar on his chest. "Wow… it healed better than I thought it would. I was sure there would be a lot more damage than this. I wonder if it has something to do with that transfusion of Princess Luna's blood."

I turned back to Applejack to ask her opinion, only to be met with her audibly grinding her teeth in fury. "That no good, jackalope buckin', hog lickin', pile a manticore scat! She did that ta mah Blake?! Ah'll buck her flank straight to tha moon mahself!" She shouted, loosing a gout of steam from her nostrils.

I blinked several times at her outburst before turning back to Blake to calm him down after Applejack's outburst no doubt woke him from his slumber. Oddly enough though, he didn't so much as stir. I leaned in and placed an ear to his chest, listening for any change to his heart rate or breathing. Finding none, I turned to the still fuming mare. "Strange, that didn't budge him… normally he's a pretty light sleeper."

AJ instantly calmed down and began rubbing her chin with a hoof in thought. "Hmm… maybe it's some kinda new medication?"

I thought for a moment. "That's possible, maybe one of the doctor's would know. AJ, you stay here with Blake, I'm going to go find a physician and see if they know anything."

She nodded and I left. I found one practically right outside the door to Blake's room. After explaining the situation to him, I convinced him to do a magical scan for anything unusual. We trotted back into the room and the doctor's horn lit up.

After several moments, his horn went out, sweat pouring down his face. "That's odd… There seems to be some kind of magic there, but I can't seem to identify it, and every time I try to analyze it, it… fights back, for lack of a better term."

"What d' ya reckon it might be Doc?" AJ asked.

The doctor sighed. "It's only a guess, but I've heard stories of magics… forbidden magics, that can entrap the victim's mind, imprisoning them until their body withers and eventually… dies."

"What d' y'all mean 'imprison'?"

The doctor removed his glasses and began cleaning them on his lab coat. "Well… again, this is based on old stories… the victim is trapped in a dream-like state, which can be either a living nightmare, or a paradise that they wouldn't want to leave, or any number of other things. It's all based on the will of the one who cast the spell, and since the origin of the magic seems to be the area surrounding that scar-"

I bolted out of the door before the doctor could say more, nearly knocking over a nurse by accident in my haste. There's only one pony I know of that can help us now…