Deus Ex Magicina

Now, let's recap the past hour. Firstly, I'm told that the school building was on fire. Then, I'm told that two fillies who I'd grown rather attached to were still inside said building. Then, with no regard to my own safety whatsoever, I dive head first into that very same building in a heroic yet moronic attempt at rescuing them. I'm happy to say that I did just that. However, this did not come without a rather steep cost. Whilst I'd managed to ensure their safety, I found myself almost buried under the collapsing entrance of the school, with my legs being pinned under a rather sizeable chunk of rubble. To add insult to injury, the fire that had caused the collapse was still spreading, and slowly but surely making it's way towards me. And finally, when I thought it just couldn't get any worse, the rest of the building gave way and collapsed on top of me.

So of course, imagine my surprise when I woke up to find myself feeling...well...alive. Taking in a sharp intake of breath, I shot up from where I'd been lying for whoever knows how long, before the fact that I was still alive kicked in.'Wh-wh-no-no-ju-a-w-WHAT!?'

"Wh-wh-wh-wha?" I sputter, unable to comprehend just how in the actual hell I was still breathing. Taking a quick look over my body, my eyes quickly come to settle on my legs, which I realise were no longer pinned under any sort of rubble. I was even more surprised to find that I could actually move them with no pain whatsoever. 'No way...No fucking way.'

"H-h-how!? What the fuck is this!? I was just in the sch- wait, where in the fuck am I!?" I'd been so focused on the fact that I was neither dead nor crippled that I hadn't noticed where I was. Rising to my feet, and taking notice that even though my legs had been crushed by rubble they weren't broken, I take a look at my surroundings.

Or, more accurately, my lack of surroundings. There was nothing around me whatsoever. No fire, no rubble, no screaming ponies or anything. There was just me, and the vast emptiness of wherever I was. "Hello?" I call out, hoping for an answer. I got none. Shouting out a few more times, I receive the same outcome of only my own echoing voice answering me. Giving up for now, I once more look myself, checking one more time that I was actually alive. Content that, for all intents and purposes, I was very much still alive, a smile slowly etches itself onto my face, followed by a loud, jovial laugh.

"I'm alive! I'M A-FUCKIN'-LIVE! AHA!" I cheer, pumping my fist into the air in triumph. This victorious screaming went on for a minute, before I eventually calmed down, deciding that my next course of action was to now figure out where I was. "Right, first things first: where am I?" I murmur, inspecting my surroundings. "Evidently, this isn't Ponyville. Hell, I don't even know if I'm even in Equestria for that matter. Last thing I remember was the rest of the school crashing down on...me..." Suddenly, my eyes widened as a horrifying realisation made itself known. Could it be that I had in fact died, and that where I was currently was some form of afterlife "Wait a second...is... is this...Purgatory? It...it makes sense, right? I mean, the fire? The collapsing roof? I couldn't have survived that... Oh fucking hell, am I...Am I actually dead?... Huh...Well fuck me, then."

Suddenly, I heard something that both filled me with dread and relief. A voice calling my name, and whilst I didn't know where from, I know that I'd at least heard it. Looking around for the source, I was confused to find that there was nobody around. I was about to sum it up to my ears playing tricks on me, before I heard it again, albeit closer this time. Calling out to the voice, I'm unprepared by the sudden appearance of a near-blinding light appearing before me. 'Oh my fucking God... It's God!'

"Well, took you long enough, big man! Not gonna lie, mate. I didn't think you existed, to be honest." I admit, the light beginning to recede. "I mean, I've said your name a lot, usually followed by something that probably offends you or something, but uhh...I did kinda just save the lives of two ponies?" At this point, I could just about make out a figure in the light, making its way towards me. "Talking, magical ponies? I kinda died for them, y'know? A-and some fillies named me as Pope! Yea! I introduced you to a whole new species! That makes me, like, a Saint, right? So...uhh...maybe cut me some slack and let me up into Disneyland up there? Does that sound fair? Please?"

"As much as I would love to send you to this 'Disneyland', Alexander Ian Greyson, that is beyond even my power." '...Oh you have to be taking the piss.'

"...You're not God." I finally say, finding my voice and narrowing my eyes at the equine before me.

"An astute observation. No, I am not your 'God', but as soon as my sister gets her hooves on you, you may find my name in your prayers." Celestia replies, her eyes narrowing just like mine. "And I doubt that I'll be in the mood to answer them."

"I can't help but get the feeling that I've done something to upset you." I reply, smirking at the solar monarch before me. My grin quickly drops, however, when Celestia's eyes move to something behind me, and another familiar, yet even angrier voice makes itself known.

"ALEXANDER! WHAT WERE THOU THINKING!?" Reeling around, I find myself face-to-muzzle with an absolutely livid looking Luna. 'Well, if I didn't die in that school, I'm most likely about to now.'

"Okay, calm down Luna. I can explai-" She doesn't give me the chance. Hitting the ground hard, I'm still shaking away the disorientation that Luna's hoof had given me when the mare herself is standing over me, poised to strike again. 'Well today's becoming a bigger clusterfuck by the second.'

"So hows your day goi-OW, ALRIGHT, SORRY!" It would seem that my natural charm wasn't going to get me out of this, unfortunately. Worming my way out from underneath the smaller of the two Alicorns, I raise my hands in surrender, hoping that Luna would stop trying to hit me. Thankfully, she did, though I didn't think this would last for long if how she was looking at me said anything. 'Hoo boy, she's pissed.'

"Sister? Perhaps we should let him speak before we attack him?" Celestia says, though I'm positive that sounded more like a suggestion than a demand. Taking one look at her sister, Luna sighs and nods, stepping away and allowing me to lower my hands.

"Cheers, Sunshine. Don't know where I'd be without you." I joke, trying to lighten the mood. Judging by their expressions, I wasn't doing a very good job of it. 'Shit, I've really pissed them of it seems. Christ, all I did was nearly die. I've done that about a dozen times already, and they were probably there for half of them.'

"Dead, most likely." '...Come again?'

"Dead?" I repeated, my joking demeanour having all but vanished. Sighing, Celestia's gaze softens as she steps towards me, her horn lighting up. All of a sudden, the once emptiness that had surrounded us changed, forming into something entirely different. Coming to stand beside the alabaster Alicorn, it only takes me a moment to realise just what it was I was looking at. "Is...is that-"

"Yes," she answers, unconsciously wrapping a wing around me, "this is you. Or, more accurately, your body after it had been recovered from the wreckage of the school building and rushed into Ponyville Hospital." Exactly as she'd said, I was looking upon my own body, and I did not look good. My head was covered in cuts and bruising, with what seemed to be some sort of breathing apparatus placed over my mouth. On top of that, my right arm was being held up in a sling, with my left being covered in a multitude of bruises. What concerned me the most, however, were my legs. It didn't take a genius to realise that they were most definitely broken, with my right one being twisted in a rather disturbing angle. Overall, I wasn't the prettiest of sights. "When Twilight sent me a letter about what had happened, almost demanding me to come and help, both myself and my sister came as quick as we could. When we found ourselves in the hospital, it was a scene of chaos. The staff were so hard-pressed in trying to keep you alive that they didn't even realise that we were amongst them until we'd helped to stabilise your condition." She explained. Nodding, I looked over my broken body again, before something struck me.

"But wait a second. If that's me there," I point to the image in front of us, "then, what about now? Why aren't I in a hospital be-actually, where in the hell even are we!?" This time, it wasn't Celestia who answered. Coming to stand on my other side was Luna, who mimicked her sister in wrapping a wing around me. Whether this was done to comfort me or to calm me down, I didn't know.

"As of right now, both myself and my sister are in the castle, whilst you are lying comatose in a hospital bed." Seeing the disbelieving look I was sending her way, Luna explains further. "When we finally arrived at the room in which you were being tended to, you were on the verge of death itself. It was a miracle that you had survived the building falling down upon you, let alone the journey to the hospital itself. The doctor is charge, Nurse Redheart, said...said that...that...-"

"She said that it was highly unlikely that you would make it through the next hour. If it wasn't for the healing spell we casted and the magically induced coma you've been placed in, you most certainly wouldn't have." Celestia answers for her, giving her sister an understanding look. Following her gaze, I found myself looking upon a tearful Luna, who was trying her hardest not to burst into tears. Placing a hand under her muzzle, forcing her to look at me, I smile.

"Well obviously she doesn't know who I am, else she'd have known that I'm an indestructible bastard with a habit of almost getting himself killed." I joke, eliciting a giggle from the lunar monarch, who wipes away her tears. With Luna now sorted out, I turn back to Celestia, who was smiling at me as well. "What?"

"I don't know how you do it. You've had a very close brush with death, and yet you're still able to joke about it. I've never met such a peculiar creature such as you, Greyson." She says, getting another cocky smirk from me. 'Screw it, I'm apparently on the verge of death. What've I got left to lose?'

"Probably because you've spent most of it cooped up inside that bigass castle of yours, eating all the goddamn cake, you old hag." Whilst Luna was busy laughing her arse off at what I'd just said, Celestia merely rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Never change, Alexander." She says, before looking to her still giggling sister. "Luna, I do believe that it is time." Hearing this, Luna looks to her sister, to me, and back to her sister, before nervously biting her lip.

"Art thou sure, sister? What if he's not ready? What if-"

"Luna, you're speaking in dialect again."

"Oh, sorry. But what if his body isn't ready yet? It co-"

"We've talked about this, sister. The fact that we've finally managed to talk to Alex proves that both his body and mind have recovered enough to bring him out of this coma." The exchange between the two sisters went on for a few more moments, before Luna nodded in resignation, the two sisters turning to me.

"So, what happens now?" I ask, looking between the two of them for answers.

"As I said, Alex, we had to place you into a magically induced coma. This was done so that if your body were to react negatively to our healing spell, you wouldn't suddenly wake up in excruciating pain. The consequence of this is that you've been unconscious now for just about two weeks, and-"

"TWO WEEKS?" I all but shout, interrupting Celestia and startling Luna. Holding up a hoof to stop me from continuing with my outburst, Celestia continues.

"Yes, two weeks. The process has taken time, but now that we've finally managed to access your, well, 'dream'," she says, gesturing to the blank landscape, "it shows that the healing spell has done its work, and that I should be able to bring you out of your coma." She finishes, smiling at me. Shaking away my shock at the news that I'd been comatose for two weeks, I nod. 'Next time I run into a burning building, I want overpay. Hell, I don't even need the money, but still. "What worries me, however, is that we shouldn't even be talking to you right now." Celestia adds, her smile vanishing. 'Oh, cheers. Thanks for that. Any more encouraging statements?'

"What do you mean?" I ask, cocking my head, eyes narrowing. Looking over towards the image of my body from two weeks prior, she gestures to her horn.

"I'm an Alicorn, whose magic surpasses most, if not all beings on this world. The spell that I performed on you wasn't as advanced as you might think. It should have done the job within a few days, whilst allowing you to remain conscious and in a state of painlessness." She says, turning back towards me. She appeared confused and worried at the same time. "Instead, your body reacted negatively to the spell, and I was forced to place you into this coma to keep your body from shutting down." This came as a shock. My body was refusing her magic? Magic that, by her own words, was meant to heal me?

"So, what, my body just, told your magic to fuck off and almost ended me because of it?"

"That's not how I would have phrased it, but...yes, in a manner of speaking, it told my magic to 'fuck off'." I can't help but laugh at this, Luna giggling at her sisters sigh of annoyance.

"Well it's nice to know my body is as stubborn as I am. So, when am I waking up then? Now?"

"Preferably, yes." She answers, her horn already shimmering with magic. "If I'm right, and I'm quite positive that I am, this spell should bring you out of this world and back into ours. Are you ready?" She asks, her horn getting brighter and brighter by the second. 'Do I have a choice in the matter?'

"Ready when you are, Sunshine." I finally answer, cracking my shoulders and bracing myself for whatever it was that she was about to do to wake me up. Force my soul back into my body? Raise me from the dead like a zombie? Slap me? Who knows.

"Then hold still, this'll only take a moment." She says, closing her eyes and pointing her horn towards me. Just before she could do whatever it was that she about to do, I suddenly found myself being embraced by Luna, who had quickly ran up to me and thrown her forelegs around my neck, thankfully not snapping it in the process.

"Sometime after the Gala, we-I plan to visit Ponyville. Will you be there?" She asks, her eyes full of hope. Smiling, I nod, much to her delight.

"Why the hell not? It'll be fun. See you then, Luna." I say, just in time to see her move out of the way of Celestia's oncoming spell. The second it hit, the dream began to collapse, and the last thing I saw of the two Alicorns was of them waving goodbye, before I could neither see nor feel anything.

For the second time in a day, I awoke in an unfamiliar setting. Opening my eyes, the first thing I did was immediately shut them due to the blinding light that was the hospital room. Opening them slowly this time, my eyes are able to adjust to the lighting. With that done, I'm able to get a good look at the room around me, and my body. Unlike how it looked in the dreamworld, my body seemed more or less normal, except from my bare torso being covered in bandages still. Running a hand over them, I chuckle.

"A dragon? An Ursa Major? A sociopath hellbent on eternal night? A burning building collapsing right on top of me? Pfft. Aint nothing gonna kill me, but me, and nothing else." Taking a deep breath, and feeling no pain whatsoever in my chest, I take one of the bandages into my hand and begin to pull, unwrapping them one by one. Finally, my chest was completely exposed, revealing only my bare skin. Amazed, I prod at my chest, feeling nothing out of the ordinary. 'Fuck me, magic is the shit! Two weeks and I'm perfectly fine? Mate, the NHS would fucking kill for this.'

With my body all right, and a quick check on my arms showing them to be exactly like my chest, I take a look at my legs. Throwing the bed cover off of me, I'm even more amazed at how my legs looked. Unlike my chest, there was a large bruise on my right leg, which was to be expected. 'A chunk of the building crushed them. I doubt even magic can fix that completely.' Stretching them out, I wince in pain. 'Yep, thought so.' Whilst my left leg looked and felt fine, my right leg was evidently still recovering. 'Gonna have to be careful with that one.'

With my body now looked over, I take a look around the room. Except for the pony designed chairs and other things, it was surprisingly similar to how a hospital room on Earth might look. What did catch my attention, though, were a number of x-ray sheets, dated two weeks back. As expected, my right leg had been absolutely shattered, and it was a wonder that there was anything left of it. It would seem that I definitely owed the royal sisters and the medical staff greatly. Along with right leg, my left had been dislocated as well, and I'd received a number of injuries elsewhere. When a doctor arrived, I'd have to ask about them.

On the other side of me, was a table. What surprised me, though, was what on it. A number of Get-Well-Soon cards, a new set of clothes, cupcakes, flowers and many more things. 'Huh, it's not the statue I was hoping for, or a whole fuckton of alcohol, but it'll do I suppose.' Deciding to take a look at the cards first, I reach other and pick up a bunch of them, placing them onto my lap. Opening the grey one first, I can't help but laugh at seeing who it was addressed to.

Dear Mr Greyson Pope Alexander,

We're very, very, very, very, very, very sorry that we burnt down the school, and you had to run in and save us! We still need to find your cutie mark, sorry, we forgot humans can't get cutie marks. But you can still help us find ours, right? You're an honorary member, so you have to. No wimping out! Oh, and when you do wake up, we visit at around 12:30 every day. We'd come to see you sooner but Mrs Sparkle and her friends usually visit at 12:00, so we aren't all allowed in at once. Hope you wake up soon!

-Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Applebloom, the Cutie Mark Crusaders

"Damn, I love those kids. I really do. Right, whose next?" Placing the CMC's card back on the table, I grab another card, this one being blue. Like the CMC, I could already tell who'd written this, just by looking at the scruffy handwriting and the familiar nickname.

Dear Alex,

Hey big guy. It's been a week and a half and there still isn't any sign of you coming out of it. One of the docs said that you might not ever wake up. We didn't really take that very well. Pinkie's not been as happy as she usually is, but she's trying to keep us smiling. And Twilight? Well, she's...well...I don't know. She's just been out of it recently. I'm not really good with all the sappy stuff, so I'll just leave that to the rest of the girls. The whole town thinks you're a hero. They aren't wrong, you know. But please, wake up soon, big guy. We miss you. I still need to pay you back for that morning when you pinned me, you cheating ape.

-Rainbow

"Shit, has this really hit them that hard? I'd best go see them soon." Moving Rainbow's card next to the CMC's, I turn once more to the pile of cards on my lap. Grabbing and opening a card at random, I'm genuinely surprised at who'd written this one. 'Well, well, well. Long time no see.'

"Dear Alexander,

What in Celestia's name were you thinking? You stupid, stupid idiot! You're not a guard, you big dolt! Now I hear that you're in a coma? Again? What is it with you and being in trouble all the time? Flash says hello, by the way. Oh, and you still owe him for those drinks you stole. Get well soon!

-Spring Cleaning and Flash Sentry.

P.S Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armour wanted to send you a card as well, but they were worried that somepony named 'Twilight Sparkle?' would recognise the seal on the envelope, so they wanted to ensure that this unicorn wouldn't find out about their wedding before invitations were sent out. "We wish you well and hope for speedy recovery. We also wanted to let you know that our wedding planning is going along smoothly, and it shouldn't be too long before we send out invitations. You'll be invited, of course. Wear something nice!" - PC and SA"

"Well damn, I haven't talked to those two in a while. Gonna need to catch up at the Gala. And the wedding, eh? Twilight's gonna go mental when she realises her brother's marrying her babysitter, and that I'd known for ages. Actually, I wonder how she'll react to me being awake." The process of going from card to card went on for a few more minutes, and I was actually surprised at the number of cards I'd received. In fact, I'd gotten a number of cards from ponies I didn't even know, most of them mares. I didn't know whether to be worried or delighted. Pocketing the rest of the cards, I decide that I'd been in bed for far too long. "Well, can't stay here all day. I'll have to sort the rest of these gifts later. But for now, let's get gone."

Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I carefully get to my feet, giving myself a moment to reacquaint myself with standing up. Feeling the blood rush to my legs, I give it a minute before I begin moving. Taking it one step at a time, I hold onto the bed for support. By the time I ran out of bed to hold onto, I didn't need any support. Whilst I had an obvious limp that would most likely remain for the next few days, I was very happy with the fact that I wasn't crippled. Moving back towards the table, I throw on the set of clothes that Rarity had evidently remade for me, and made my way towards the door.

Opening it, I step outside of the hospital room, and begin making my way down the corridor, looking for some sort of reception where I could sign myself out of the hospital. Along the way, I passed a number of doctors and nurses, who were all staring at me in shock and disbelief. Giving them a wave, I kept moving forward, ignoring the shocked faces and unbelieving whispers that they were giving me.

A few minutes of walking later, I arrived at what must have been the front of the hospital. Moving towards the receptionist, I notice how the mare had yet to realise just who was walking towards her, and was busy writing something on some sort of form. Coughing so as to get her attention, her eyebrows furrow in slight annoyance.

"One moment, I'll be with you in a minute." She says, unaware that the human who'd they'd had in their hospital for a fortnight, was now standing in front of her. Wanting to get out of here as fast as I can, I simply reach over and grab a piece of paper conveniently titled 'Signing Out'. Startled, the mare jumped slightly, her eyes darting away from the form on which she was writing on and towards me. "Sir, you can't ju-" Her voice instantly died out when she sees just who it was she was talking to. 'Sue me.'

"Yea, sorry sweetheart. I can see that you're busy, so I just thought I'd save you the hassle and sign myself out." I say, unable to hold back the smirk at her shocked expression. "Cheers for taking care of me, you lot." I then say, sparing a glance to the number of doctors and nurses who I'd passed in the corridor, who were now standing in the lobby with me. "There's a bunch of cupcakes and other nice things in my room. You lot can have them. Least I can do in return for you lot saving my sorry arse."

Writing my signature at the bottom of the form, I place it back down on the front of the desk, the mare still staring wide eyed at me. Booping her on the nose, she's brought back to reality as I make my way towards the front entrance. "I'll see you lot later. Have a good one!" I shout back towards the ponies, who could only watch as I, the human who had been subjected to a two week long coma, courtesy of a falling building and the magic of their monarchs, casually danced his way out of the hospital and towards Ponyville.

"~Sun is shinin' in the sky, there ain't a cloud in sight~" Walking down the road away from the hospital, and towards Ponyville itself, I found myself in a rather jovial mood. I'd most likely attribute this to the fact that for the past two weeks, I'd apparently been in a coma whilst a healing spell repaired my body. Within the hour of waking up from said coma, I was already happily making my way into town, both excited and anxious to see everypony. For now, however, I just wanted to get home first. 'Wonder how she'll react. Probably throw a book at my head, or hug the everlasting shit out of me. Hell, probably both, knowing Sparky.'

I arrived at the library a few minutes later than I would've hoped, both my limp and greeting a number of shocked ponies slowing me down. Well, I say that it was them slowing me down, but it was more of me being a proud bastard. A group of fillies, who weren't the CMC for once, had ran up to me and, after recovering from their initial surprise at seeing the resident human alive and well, asked for my autograph. I was more than happy to oblige, signing a number of toys and scraps of paper. I even signed some foals game joystick. 'Why some kid was running around with a game controller outside, I'll never know. Better question is: why does he not have an Xbox controller? Keep up, kid.'

Gripping the door handle, taking a deep breath, I open the door. Stepping inside, I'm not greeted by a screaming Twilight, or Spike, or anything for that matter. It was silent, except for my own breathing. 'Huh. Weird.' Closing the door behind me, I decide to take a risk, calling out their names. I received no answer. "Maybe nobody's home?" I murmur, raising an eyebrow at the state of the library. It wasn't as organised as it used to be, with some books strewn about across the floor. Leaving the room as it was for now, I step into the kitchen, also taking note of how the room seemed to also be as disorganised. Biting my lip, I can't help but wonder if what had happened to me has caused the pair to fall into some sort of depression, as I'd learnt from living with them both that Twilight was detested things being unorganised. 'Shit, I've really hit them hard haven't I?'

"Damn, is this what Rainbow meant about Twilight?" I mutter, shocked at just how badly Twilight seems to have taken it. "What about Spike? Where's he in all of this?" Blinking my surprise away, I take one more look around the library before what I'd read back at the hospital came to mind. Looking to the clock, I saw how the time was currently 11:45. 'Hmm...Okay, idea!'

"The Crusaders said that whilst they usually visited around half 12, the rest of the girls came 30 minutes before they did...So I've got about 15 minutes before they get to that hospital, are told that I've fucked off, and then most likely peg it over here looking for me? I got time." With this information in mind, I decide on my next course of action. Looking to the disorganised mess that was the library, I smile. "Best get this place presentable, then. It's my home as well, you know."

Within those 15 minutes, I'd managed to replace all the books into their respective shelves, cleaned the dishes in the kitchen, and gotten a quick shower to boot. All in all, I'd done very well for time, as the clock now read 12:29. Taking one last look in the mirror, whistling in appreciation at how clean I now looked, I make my way back downstairs and into the front room, looking out of the window. Within seconds, I could already see a rather sizeable group of mares hurriedly coming towards the library, with a certain lavender unicorn at the head of them. 'Time to face the music.'

Making my self comfortable on the couch, I prepare myself for the inevitable. Sure enough, the door slammed open moments later, and 6 familiar ponies came to a sudden halt, all facing towards one person in particular. Me. They all shared the same open mouthed, wide eyed expression. 'I'm so handsome, they're mesmerised.'

"How you doin', girls?" I smirk, getting no response from any of them. Eventually, Twilight stepped forward, raising a tentative hoof towards me. 'And if it isn't the mare of the hour herself.'

"Alex?" She whispers, her voice a mixture of disbelief and happiness. Looking to the rest of the girls, who were as shocked as Twilight appeared to be, I chuckle and nod, watching a series of smiles sprout across their muzzles as I did so.

"Were you expecting some other handsomely heroic human?" I reply, crossing my arms behind my head. This proved to be a mistake, as when a certain pink pony dive bombed into my chest, I had no way of protecting myself. 'Aaand there goes my ribs. Didn't need them anyway.'

"You're alive you're alive you're alive you're alive you're alive you're alive you're ali-" 'And my windpipe is going as well.'

"PINKIE!"

"You're al- yea?" 'CAN'TBREATHCAN'TBREATH!'

"Ah don't think the boy can breathe." Applejack points out, pointing to my face. Following her hoof, and seeing at how I was beginning to turn ever so slightly blue, Pinkie sheepishly giggles and lessens her hold, yet still keeps herself firmly attached to my abdomen. 'Thank god for Applejack. Didn't think I was gonna make it.' "Now make room, will ya'? The rest of us wanna turn!" 'Oh fucking hell I take it back!'

Before I could react, the rest of the girls took this chance to follow in Pinkie's hoofsteps, and I was once more being smothered to death, this time by all of the mares in the room. Managing to wiggle my head out from underneath them all, I try my best to pry them off of me, but to no avail. What chance did I have? My arms were literally pinned underneath the mountain of fur. A full minute passed, and it looked as if the mares had no plans on letting go any time soon.

"So do you lot plan on letting go anyti-"

"No." Was their unanimous response.

"...Fair enough."

Eventually, the mares let go of me, though with great reluctance from a certain few. After being berated by a number of them, and by a number I mean all of them, and then praised for my heroic yet stupidly idiotic actions, I told them just what exactly had happened between myself and the two Alicorns an hour prior. Whilst they had been there when Celestia had cast her healing spell on me, and they'd seen just what state my body was in, I'm not sure that they knew the full extent of my injuries. Judging from their immediate reactions, I had to guess that they hadn't all exactly been told how close to death I had really been, and how Celestia's magic had almost killed me the first time around.

Eventually, however, the girls began to disperse. Applejack and Rarity had their businesses to run, Pinkie said she was planning to host my 'Still-Alive' party, Rainbow to do whatever it was she was doing beforehand, and Fluttershy to her animals. One by one they vacated the library, getting in one or two final hugs before hand. Releasing Fluttershy and watching her leave, waving her and the rest of the girls goodbye, I turn around to face the last pony to leave: Rarity. Kneeling down, she immediately takes her chance to throw herself around me, wrapping her forelegs around my neck before I even had a chance to blink. Whilst initially surprised at this break from the dignified ladylike persona of hers, I quickly recover and return the hug. 'Give me a chance, would you?'

"Thank you," she says, her voice cracking slightly, "for saving my sister." Moving her head out from under my chin, I'm shocked to find tears coming from her eyes. Smiling down at the mare, I shake my head, wiping her tears away.

"You don't need to thank me for anything, Snowflake. I'd have done it in a heartbeat. Hell, I did." I joke, eliciting a smile from the mare and an even tighter hug in response. I wasn't complaining. Out of the corner of my eye, however, I noticed Twilight giving Rarity a rather strange look. She was just...staring. Like, blankly staring at her, with her right eye twitching slightly. What was wrong with her? 'Meh, who knows. Enjoy the hug, you bastard. You've got two weeks worth to catch up on.'

All good things must come to an end, unfortunately, and the fashionista eventually let go and, after telling me to come talk to her later on about a favour she needed from me, bid goodbye to both Twilight and myself and departed, heading of back to her boutique. Shutting the door, I then make my way towards Twilight, who was also moving towards me. Meeting her halfway, I promptly mimic my previous action and kneel down, coming to Twilight's height. Unlike Rarity, however, she doesn't immediately throw herself onto me, instead shaking her head and letting out an exasperated sigh. 'What've I done now? Apart from almost getting myself burnt to a crisp, of course.'

"Is it possible for you to go for a week without getting into trouble?" She says, a smile beginning to form on her muzzle. Laughing, I shake my head, grinning at the mare.

"Pfft, that'd be a miracle now wouldn't it?" I joke, eliciting a laugh from the mare, who then promptly dived forwards and latched herself onto me, forcing her head into the crook of my neck. Now, I like hugs as much as the next guy, especially when they're from fuzzy ponies. But Twilight's hugs were something else. They were...well, what's the word to describe them. Calming? Affectionate? Dare I say, loving? 'Who cares? Hugs are hugs. They're all welcome in this Kingdom o' mine.'

"I missed you." Twilight cries into my shoulder. This confirmed my earlier suspicions of Twilight most likely being depressed with what had happened to me. Tightening my hold on the mare, I bring her over to the couch, taking a seat on it and running my hand through her mane in a calming manner. Eventually, her crying subsided, and she moved her head out from under my own, staring up at me with bloodshot eyes. "Why?" Is all she said.

"Why what?" I respond, unsure as to what she was getting at. Wiggling out of my arms, she jumps off of the couch and onto her hooves, turning on the spot and facing me one more. This time, she looked angry. 'Oh yay, more angry ponies. Joy to the world.'

"What in Tartarus possessed you to run into a burning building!? You could have died, Greyson! You almost very nearly did!" She screams. 'Seriously? You're going to ask me that question of all questions? Isn't it obvious by now?' Sighing, I reach into my pocket and pull out a familiar badge. Whilst the original had been damaged beyond repair, this new and improved one had been fashioned by Rarity at Sweetie's behest, and left as one of the presents at my bedside table at the hospital.

"Do you see this?" I say, staring blankly at the fuming mare. Whilst she still appeared to be livid, her anger subsided for a moment, and was replaced with curiosity. "This is why. On that day, Sweetie Belle gave me a badge just like this. It was to commemorate me being a part of their little group. And whilst it may not seem that big of a deal to you, or to any other pony for that matter, it damn well means a whole lot to me."

"But you could have died!" She says yet again, earning an annoyed sigh from me. 'Yea, trust me, I heard.' "The weather team was already in the process of forming a rain cloud large enough to extinguish the fires, and there were already firefighters ready to help evacuate the fillies inside! It's their job to be the hero, not yours! Why couldn't you just let them do their job!?"

"Because I care about those fillies a whole damn lot more than they do." I calmly answer, attaching the badge to my coat once more, where it belonged.

"And I can believe that. Heck, I think everypony believes that. When we pulled you out of the wreckage, they were begging for us to save you, and, at first, refused to leave you alone, believing that it was their fault for what had happened to you. They stayed in that hospital overnight with me. They care about you much more than you realise."

"Then you can understand why I did what I did."

"But we almost lost you! I almost lost you!" Noting how her eyes widen slightly upon saying this, I'm positive that she didn't mean to say that out loud. Either way, I didn't get a chance to comment on that, as the mare carried on with her rant. "Didn't you think about how the rest of us would feel if you died? The staff very nearly had to remove Rainbow from the hospital after she punched one of the doctors who'd said that you might never wake up. Pinkie hadn't been the same, exuberant pony that we were all used to." She finally stopped, taking in slow, deep breaths, whilst I merely sat there and waited for her to finish. "Don't you understand?" She continued, all of her anger vanishing. "You mean so much to all of us, and the thought of losing you-"

"I know, Sparky. I get it." I interrupt, pinching my forehead. I didn't realise that what had happened had such a profound effect on my friends. And whilst I was most definitely feeling some guilt at what I'd put them through, it didn't change anything. If it meant saving even one of those fillies, or one of the six mares for that matter, I'd gladly do it all over again.
Seeing the guilt on my face brought a sad smile to Twilight's muzzle, as she jumped back onto the couch and hugged me yet again, rubbing her head against mine.

"I didn't mean to shout, Alex. I just...well..." She trails of, biting her lip and looking away from me. Smirking, throw my arms around her and pull her towards me chest, chuckling at the startled *eep* sound that she gave off as I did so. 'Why must she be so adorable?'

"I get it, Sparky. The Crusaders care about me, the rest of the girls care about me, and you care about me."

"More than you know." 'What was that?'

"Hmm?"

"Nothing!" She blurts out, trying to escape from my grasp. Unsurprisingly, she was unable to do so, seeing as how I was much stronger than she was. Whilst I'm positive she could have simply used her magic to teleport away, or she could have thrown a book or two at me like she usually does, she simply let out a resigned sigh and got comfortable, snuggling into my shirt.

We remained like this for some time, just the two of us snuggled on the couch, before the door slammed open and I was subjected to, quite possibly, the loudest, yet most happiest screaming I'd ever heard in my life. 'Oh fuck me it's the Cutieatholic Church!"

"ALEX!" Before I could react, Twilight vanished from my arms, appearing a few metres away from where I was. Her sheepish grin was the last I saw of her, before three simultaneous impacts to my chest sent the couch tipping over backwards, and I ended up on my back with three familiar fillies squeezing the life out of my chest/neck. "YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" They cried, joyous tears streaming from their eyes.

"Of course I am. Don't you know who I am?" I laugh, pulling Sweetie, Scootaloo and Applebloom into one, massive hug.

"Alexander Greyson, Honorary Member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Comes the unanimous cheer from the three fillies.

"You forgot the Pope part at the start."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Pope Alexander Greyson, Honorary Member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"That's more like it."

Author's Notes:

'Building falls on him, falls into two week coma.'

Yep, that's right! He's not dead yet!

So quite a bit has happened in this chapter. Firstly, Greyson is told what had happened to him in the immediate aftermath of the fire, and how he's been stuck in a coma for the past fortnight. Then, Luna tells him that she plans on visiting in the near future, so he'll have to prepare for that. And then, he meets back up with the girls, receives many hugs, and is then chewed out and hugged again by Twilight , who seems a bit more affectionate than the other girls. What a day for our boy Alex, huh?

And What's up with Celestia magic being rejected by Greyson's body, and almost dying because of it? Does it have something to with the magic inside Greyson? Is it something as of yet undiscovered by the characters? Is it because I'm a lazy bastard who threw it in there for the purpose of justifying how he's not dead and only comatose? Most likely the latter. Find out later in the story!

See you in the next chapter, folks! Peace.

EDIT
Oh, by the way. Have I ever mentioned how goddamn awesome you lot are? I hit over 50+ followers a few days ago, and this story reached 300+ likes and 30K+ a day before that. Keep doing what your doing, boys. Love you all.