Author's Notes:

Christmas vacation - the one thing that fucked me over last year with Writer's Block. Hopefully, that doesn't become the case this year.

Also, eyy, someone makes a comeback but don't call it that. LL Cool J said so. :(

Sorry if the ending of the chapter is rushed. Did this during work (work study). Also didn't want to hold this off anymore.

Have a fun read. Also, the part where the MC is falling asleep was done as I was falling asleep. Funny. lel

Also, if the title threw you off, sorry. I'm really not. :)

The day had gone as fast as it had come. So many things happened that, now that you look back, felt so short of an experience.

Before you knew it, it had been time for Twilight and Dash to head on home and get some rest. The doctors only assured them - Dash, especially - that you'd be still here in the morning.

But the look on Dash's face...she seemed so reluctant to go, and you couldn't truly blame her. This was the first time in a long, long time that she was able to talk to you, to...see you open your eyes again.

And she had to leave?

All you could do was add to the doctors' statements - they were right, you would be here again in the morning. But you hoped that everything would be much less hectic than it had been today. You had only been awake for a single day, and they were insistent that you were up to date on everything - in such a short time span.

Of course, you didn't mind it. After waking up with no clear idea of who you were or where you've been or what the hell's been going on for the past few months - it was nice that someone at least gave you some words, as if to prepare you, in its own special way.

You were still curious about current events and the ponies who claimed they were your friends - but perhaps things could be a bit...slower tomorrow?

That would be nice.

An hour after the two had gone, it was almost eleven o'clock. You didn't want to do anything for the rest of the night but either listen to songs on the radio or maybe just listen to the news. It was no surprise that most of what you'd hear was going to be grim details about what's going on here and there, up and down, this and that.

But even then, you couldn't help but just listen in on that kind of stuff. It was obvious you had missed so much since your accident - could you even call it that, really? - and you did plan on getting in as much information as you could.

Eventually, however, you did switch the station after they started repeating news about things happening in Seaddle. You didn't care for now.

Right now, you just wanted to listen to some music. As soon as you laid down back into bed, the songs started to play into your ears - tunes of gentle melody.

Almost immediately, it put you at ease. Or perhaps it was the softness of the bed. Could be both, perhaps.

You didn't care what it was, you just wanted to enjoy the comfort you had.

As you looked up at the ceiling, your mind started to drift off. It was slow, but you could tell it was happening. A part of you wanted to fight it, just stay up a little longer...at least until the song is done.

But the other part of you wanted to simply roll off to bed and deal with whatever the next day would give or gift you.

You were curious - but all the same, you were definitely unsure. Who knows how things could turn out, especially now that you're...well - awake? The doctors practically said you were ready to leave by tomorrow, as long as you had someone to take care of you with whatever problems you had or could have.

Like the fact that you breakdance on the floor if you take in too much anything. The last thing you want is that happening again.

Or ever.

At this point, you were too tired to think further of it. By then, the song was over and moving on to the next one.

But you were off to dreamland before it started right.

The morning came quickly for you. It was strange, it felt as if you had only closed your eyes for a few seconds at most - when you opened them up again, the sun was shining in the sky, and the hospital had come to life all around you. It felt sudden - but that was probably to be expected at times, you assumed.

It wasn't long before Redheart walked into your room and greeted you good morning. You smiled and greeted her back before getting out of bed carefully to start.

For you, the morning went by almost as it had yesterday, the only difference having been your friends not being there straight away. They didn't get to the hospital until at least a half hour after breakfast. Couldn't blame them, they were probably doing the same thing too.

Rainbow was the first to arrive, a bit more positive than she was yesterday, it seemed. When she walked into your room and noticed you, you could see her face warm up.

"Hey," she said softly.

You thought it was interesting how she went from cocky to soft at any given moment. Was she always like that?

"Hey," you said back to her with your own smile.

"How'd you sleep?"

Your head leaned a bit as you answered her, "Good, I guess. It was weird going to sleep and waking up and...you know..."

"Remembering it?"

With a quick nod, you reply, "Yeah. I just don't exactly know that feeling all that much, I guess."

A small exhale from her nose, Dash added, "Must've been strange."

"A little...in a good way though," you said back with a brief flick of your wrist.

Dash smiled at you for a moment, seemingly trying to think of something else to say or maybe ask, so you were a little patient in that case.

And then suddenly, she...just starts laughing a little bit, even covering her mouth a little with a hoof.

You wanted to ask her what was funny.

"You okay?"

That came out instead.

Even then, she still answered that.

"It's just...weird, that's all. I've been waiting for months for you to wake up - I never thought you would, and now..."

What was her smile and laugh faded away as she looked at you intently.

"You're back."

"Well...sort of."

Now you kind of felt bad correcting her like that. Well, technically, she was right, but on the other hoof...

Well, you weren't exactly all...there.

But that would get better with time.

You hoped.

Would it?

An hour passed with you and Rainbow doing nothing but conversing about...whatever you haven't discussed yet. Anything from a swim in a pool to a tsunami killing thousands in some other country - believe it or not, that was a thing - was your topic. It was a strange sense of conversation, but at least it just informed you a bit more on goings on in other places or just a casual this-and-that shtick.

When the hour had passed, Redheart came back. Sure enough, you were leaving today. They readied you for checkout and everything. You found it a bit odd, considering how you were convulsing just yesterday and they weren't sure about you leaving so soon.

But - after all, they are the doctors.

However, before you were able to check out, they wanted to introduce to you your own...nurse, are they calling it? Specialist?

So Redheart guided you down the hall to a nearby room. The room wasn't all too spiffy, but it wasn't empty, either. A few historical paintings, some color on the walls, maybe a radio somewhere. The music had to have been coming from somewhere.

Redheart walked out of the room and simply instructed you to wait for a couple of minutes. Once she left, it was just you, Dash, and the music playing over the loudspeakers, you can see now.

Hmm. Catchy already.

"You nervous?" Rainbow asked you.

Nervous?

Confused, you turned your head to her.

"About what?"

With a calm lift of a hoof, she simply stated, "About going back out there...you know, for the first time."

It'd make sense. In a way, you were a little nervous. With how your brain seemingly reacted to just having lunch in a place other than your room, who knew how bad it'd be going out into a town, across a mountain scape, full of all kinds of ponies of all races? Sure, you'd have this 'specialist' with you, but would that even be enough?

...

Guess you'll have to find out.

"No," you lied.

A few moments later, the knob clicked open, and the door slowly started to open up.

Then a mare's head gently peaked in before walking in entirely. The mare was a brighter blue color, but a bit darker than Rainbow. She seemed to be an earth pony, if the lack of wings and a horn were any indication. Unlike the other 'specialists' you had apparently seen before, this one wasn't dressed up in a certain uniform or anything. If anything, you'd think she was just a regular pony.

At the first glance, she noticed you.

But her eyes saw you differently - you could tell.

Like she maybe...saw you before?

You were still a bit hesitant on that kind of detail, but you took it casually.

Rainbow didn't.

"...Aqua Lilly?"

And the mare turned her head to the Pegasus, almost on cue.

That was her name, then?

Wait, they know each other?

At first, the apparent mare Aqua - or just Lilly - looked at Dash a bit hesitantly, like she was trying to figure it out. Soon enough, though, she did, but slowly.

"Rainbow...right? You're Rainbow?"

"Yeah...yeah, it's me, Rainbow!"

They both looked at each other like they were old friends or they simply hadn't seen each other in a long time. You weren't sure which one was more the case, but you didn't decide to ask.

The two of them briefly hugged for a moment before parting. Rainbow had this look of surprise and confusion, maybe even a bit of curiosity.

"Where've you been all this time? We thought you moved here months ago."

But the mare shook her head.

"I was...but something came up. Had to move back in with my family."

Lilly laughed - or rather, it was more of a chuckle - but Dash could tell it couldn't have been anything positive. That laugh alone gave off the wrong signals, the wrong signs.

"What happened?" She was curious to know.

Lilly, though, waved a hoof, shaking off the question.

"I'll tell you later."

Dash wanted to ask her again. She didn't know Lilly all too much - in fact, she was nothing more than a stranger to her - but she didn't like being unable to help or understand. But at the same time, she decided it wasn't necessary at the moment. So she let it go for now.

You, on the other hoof, didn't know this Lilly mare at all, except for what she just said, which - to you - wasn't very much. But it made you think, if you knew Rainbow, then you clearly had to have had some affiliation with this mare as well.

It was too early to assume that though, so you never bothered to ask about it.

Lilly walked up to you and introduced herself, holding out a hoof to shake your own. You both shook hooves, introducing yourself - even if she did happen to know you - and pulled away.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked nicely as she held a stethoscope in one hoof.

You hesitated for a moment. How exactly were you feeling? Happy? Sad? Confused and maybe a bit upset?

"Fine right now, I guess."

Close enough.

She held the stethoscope up to your chest - as doctors and nurses usually tend to do - and checks for your heartbeat. After a few moments, she nods casually to herself and pulls it away, assuring you that your heart is just fine.

Next was the lungs. The first time, she brings it up to the left, then to the right, telling you to inhale and exhale for both. When she did the back, she instructed the same thing - and you did the same thing.

Breathe in, breathe out.

After about a minute or so, she said that everything seemed to be in order. Initially, you thought that meant you were able to leave - even if you had only been here a day - well, for the moment - it was already boring.

But Lilly had some questions to ask you - questions about yesterday.

"The other doctors here said you seized, correct?"

With a nod, you answer, "Yeah. Kinda...collapsed onto the floor. Don't remember any of it, really."

Lilly tilted her head slightly.

"Nothing?"

You shook your head.

"No. Well...I remember up to when we got into the elevator," you answer while looking towards Dash.

"How far?"

"Well...we got into the elevator...it started going up. I remember...Twilight, I think - asking me if I was okay."

"And?"

You were silent for a second, trying to dig deeper into your mind.

But all you did was shake your head and go, "That's it. That's all I remember. The next thing I knew, I was laying back in my bed. I think it was an hour later or something...wasn't it?"

That question went to Dash, who promptly nodded. She seemed a bit upset now, obviously thinking back to it.

"When did it happen yesterday?"

Dash spoke in, "I think it was around lunch."

For a few minutes, it was questions followed by answers followed by more questions - in turn, followed by more answers. Lilly wanted to be sure she knew everything about what happened and what she needed to do that she didn't yet already know about - at least, that's what you were assuming.

When Lilly had enough answers, she allowed you to step off from the table. To be honest, you very nearly forgot you were even sitting down.

Funny how things like that manage to happen and you don't even know it.

Lilly opened up a cabinet drawer and took out, a moment later, a small bottle of what appeared to be pills. She made her way back over to you and started to open it up. You took a glance at the bottle.

"Phabril," you say out loud. You remember Cobalt mentioning it, but you wanted to be sure exactly what it did before taking a single one of them.

"What exactly does it do? Just want to be sure, that's all."

When the nurse was able to open the contents, she took out a single pill and hoofed it over to you, putting the rest of the bottle onto the table.

"It's a suppression tablet. It holds back some of the initial seizure - some of its effects. Sometimes, you might have a seizure and you wouldn't even think you did."

Okay, so the same thing Cobalt said. Got it.

You looked at the pill. It was oval-shaped, with a mix of red and blue. It was an odd way to colorize them, but...

If it helped...

"How many of these do I need to take?"

"Doctor Cobalt never informed you?"

You and Dash nodded, unknowingly in unison.

"You just have to take one every day for the next month, maybe two. With these pills, the seizures will eventually go away after about a month, but to be sure - and safe - take the extra month."

She eyes the pill still in your hoof, minding you to take it.

You reluctantly do so - some part of you tells you that you hate taking pills.

But if it helped...

You place the pill in your mouth and get ready to swallow.

"Hold on," Dash says.

She hurries her way over to the sink, grabs a cup sitting nearby, and fills it with just enough water. She walks back over and gives it to you.

"Just in case."

You smile. "Thank you."

Pill still in mouth, you take a small drink of water, mix the pill in with it, and swallow both down your throat. You clear your throat a couple times to be sure that it went down properly.

"That was uncomfortable," you say to yourself. Dash and Lilly laugh a tiny bit.

"You'll get used to it, trust me," Lilly says to you.

"Blegh, I hope so."

The taste was finally starting to get to you.

No wonder you hated pills.

At least, if you didn't before - you do now.

Another minute of last checks passes before Lilly finally concludes:

"Alright! Everything seems to be normal."

She smiled and headed to the door, opening it up.

"Head over to the front desk and you can sign right out. I'll be with you in a moment."

"Wait...I can leave now?" you ask.

She nodded. "You're clear to leave. All you have to do is sign out and you're free to go."

You smiled at her. "Thank you."

"Of course."

Walking out the door, Dash follows right behind you. Lilly closes the door once Dash passes through the doorway. The two of you walk down the hall for a few moments before Rainbow notices your face. You were in a bit of thought, but the mare may have taken it a different way.

"Are you okay?" she asked you.

You look over to her and nod. "Yeah - I'm fine...it's just..."

Initially, you slow down a bit until you stop to the side.

You grew curious.

"Do I know her? I mean...did I know her?"

Dash seemed cautious - was there something she didn't want you to know? Or was it just a wrong look of the face that got you thinking?

In the end, she nodded.

"Yeah."

You looked at her.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

It was such a sudden thing to ask, and you never asked it with the intent of being mean.

She just seemed worried. In a way, you wanted to help, memories or not.

Dash looked at you.

"I just...don't want anything bad...happening to you...you know, because I said the wrong thing or told you too much or...whatever that crap Cobalt was talking about...I just kinda wanna...ease you in...that's all. I don't want you rushing into things or your past and getting yourself hurt."

You were confused. "How could I-...?"

Then you remembered yesterday.

"Oh."

It got quiet for a moment, but you piped up before she did.

"Um...listen, I'll be okay. As long as I take these pills, I should be okay, right?"

She smiled. "Yeah...right."

Dash walked over to you and hugged you for a moment. You couldn't blame her. She was probably more distraught than you ever could be right now.

You hugged her right back.

When you both pulled away, that was when you saw it.

Her eyes were a little wet.

"Are you...crying?"

Even after all the stories she told, the tales and the feats she pulled off - she wasn't afraid to admit it.

"Yeah."

"...Why?"

And she just looked right at you.

"You're here."

You smiled.

"...And I'm not going anywhere this time."

You admitted, it was a bit cheesy and cliche - at least, you think that's what it was - but you were...right.

This time, you weren't going anywhere.

You won't.

She tilted her head in one direction.

"Let's get you out of here. Come on."

With a nod and a faint smile, the two of you started walking again.

You rested a single hoof on Rainbow's shoulder.

She embraced it.

And rightfully so.