Back to Life

_{a short story}

^{inspired by "Back to Life" by Sam Synthis}

 

A light blue pegasus fell from the sky. The atmosphere was partly cloudy sunny skies, but the stallion seemed lifeless and immobile. His eyes were closed and his wings unfolded, only being moved by the air around him as he plummeted. No one else was around. It's not understood why he is falling. Was he knocked out? Did he fall asleep? The ground kept growing nearer and nearer underneath him, without a sign of safety being realized or even hoped for. He remained unconscious as the clouds held their space above his trajectory. Colliding with the earth becoming an inevitability, still no one was around to even witness his fall. And the few seconds that remained began to calculate the damage to his body that would soon come to fruition. With no sign of life, he reached the point where he could fall no more.

 

He wakes up. A dream? Wow, a dream. The pegasus exhales a few times to catch his breath from what seemed to be a nightmare of him falling to his death. Falling to your death, what a way for a pegasus to go. It was a good thing he had wings that worked. He sat up in his bed and flapped his wings a little, just to make sure that they were still in working condition. All was good. A little stiffness here or there, but that was normal. Any other day it would have been overlooked, but after such a vivid dream he thought about how often his wings suffered from mild aches and pains when he woke up in the morning.

 

He rolled out of his bed and made a few quick stretches. A turn of the neck each way and he would venture into his home's kitchen for a little breakfast. But as he was walking out of his bedroom, he noticed something on his dresser. A picture frame, ordinary in color and shape, but carefully positioned to illustrate its significance. He trotted backward to get a closer look at it. The photo in the frame had two ponies in it. One was him. The other was a white pegasus mare with a black and red mane. He looked confused for only a moment and then remembered who she was. He smiled and rolled his eyes. How could he forget, he must have been really ensconced in his dream, so much so that he had removed himself from the reality that he always knew of. You know what? Skip breakfast. This mare was very important to him. He needed to see her right away. For some reason, he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her.

 

If only you could see what holds you close to me, following my heart.

 

He opened his front door and looked outside. He was in Cloudsdale. Several pegasus ponies already getting on with their day, some wearing work uniforms to help at the factories, some wearing more casual suits for whatever errands they needed to run. He closed the door behind him, took a deep breath of the high altitude air and took flight. He remembered where she lived, but he didn't understand how. He couldn't seem to remember anything else. What was wrong with him? Was he dealing with some sort of amnesia? Hopefully he could remember how to get back home. He soared above the residential zones of the city in the sky, looking for the colorful signs of the place he found so familiar. When he recognized it, he flew down towards the mare's front door and knocked.

 

Beyond this empty view is something waiting for you. Resurrect me now, forever.

 

He only needed to wait a few seconds for her to open the door. There she was, cute as ever, with a smile that turned wider once she noticed who she was answering to. This was love. They looked at each other warmly for a few seconds before giving each other a hug. Nothing really needed to be said. No words were spoken, not even accidentally. They both read each other's body language and everything was understood. Harmony at it's finest. She motioned to him to leave with her. She closed her door behind her and took off, and he followed. She didn't care where they were going. A park? A show? Who care's, let's just go. They flew in tandem with each other, occasionally flying an orbit around the other, a typical playful expression, evidence of a true pegasus bond. The two were flying passed rogue clouds that escape the factories but paid them no mind. Enamored with her presence in his life at this moment, he wanted this moment to last forever.

 

When I stare into your eyes, tell me what you believe. Comfort me with your lies, I need you next to me.

 

As he meditated on how much he enjoyed this moment, he let her fly forward a little, and when he attempted to catch up, his wings locked up. Immediately he began to lose altitude. He couldn't move his wings. He looked up as he swirled downward, looking up at her astonished face. She couldn't save him, she couldn't fly that fast, but she looked horrified about what was happening to him. No pony else was around to help him. He continued to fall, just like in his dream. Was that dream a prediction? Was it a precursor? His mind raced at what brought him here, and regardless of the reasons he began to blame himself. He figured somehow that it was something he must have done to ruin things. The moment he wanted to last forever now seemed to have a bitter and bleak end, all too soon. Just like in his dream, he fell faster and faster until he hit terminal velocity, and less than a minute later, was meeting the ground with deadly force.

 

You bring me back to life.

 

He wakes up. What? A another dream? A dream within a dream. How awful. The blue pegasus shook himself from his mental wear, not minding the minor aches his body probably had for however long he had been sleeping. He got up and tried to recollect everything that had happened, but it seemed harder and harder to retain memories. He staggered a few steps after getting off his bed, but was able to stabilize. The picture frame on his dresser was sitting there as normal. But there was something frighteningly worrying about it. He approached the dresser and picked up the frame and gave it a closer look. It was a picture of him and his friend from school. What? Where was the mare? He remembered this colt, he was friends with him for many years during his foalhood, and they stayed close to each other for his entire life up to this point. But there was no sign of his lover. He looked frantically across his bedroom looking for signs of his significant other. Did she not exist? Had she been a figment of his imagination this whole time?

 

Mend my broken ways with love that lasts for days. Keep me close at heart, if only.

 

He needed answers. So he left his home and flew as fast as he could towards where he knew she lived. Once again, like a moment of dejavu, he knocked on her door. This time, a stallion opens the door. He was big, purple, and scruffy. He did not look pleased to see him. Behind him was the white mare, looking innocent and curious at who was knocking. He reached out for her, telling her to come with her, but the large stallion held onto the mare. They both gave the blue pegasus a look of disapproval. She was taken? Did she even know who he was? The large pegasus motioned him to leave. He had no choice, and fled to a stray cloud.

 

When I'm feeling lost, I see you in my thoughts. Memories I miss.

 

He sat on the stray cloud contemplating what had just happened. Was this another dream? No, this was a nightmare. How could he not be with her? He could not imagine life without her, but appeared to be living in a universe where that seemed to be the case. Was this some sort of alternate dimension that he was not graced for? Would he wake again if he fell to his death?

 

When I stare into your eyes, tell me what you believe. Comfort me with your lies, I need you next to me

 

He looked over the edge of the cloud he sat on and looked at the length of fall to the patchwork farmland that he was floating over. There was no way this life was his, he figured. He needed to wake up and find out what was going on in his mind. So he folded his wings to his side and fell downwards. As he fell he closed his eyes, tears streaking upward passed his yellow mane. Reluctantly, he kept his wings locked and eventually made peace with himself and the ground below.

 

You bring me back to life.

 

He wakes up. Of course. He had a different tactic this time. He was going to go straight for her and find a way to speak with her about everything that was going on. He had to be honest and put his heart on the line. Then, and only then, would he know if he was truly awake from whatever dream cycle he was being tortured with. He flew fast towards her place and knocked on her door. There was no answer. He took flight to the Cloudsdale marketplace where she often visited and he scanned the area for the white pelt he was so familiar with. And then, he spotted her. She was next to a suspended water fountain. He landed quickly next to her. She was stunned, but then happy to see him.

 

Madness in my mind of what I've left behind. Wake me from this dream!

 

Before she could hug him or react sweetly, he began pouring out his heart, explaining to her everything that had been happening to him, in his dreams, in his nightmares, and whether he was dreaming right now or not. He asked for her to explain how she felt and she reciprocated. She loved him very much, she always had. She affirmed to him that this was real life and that nothing was going to stop their love, and anything that would happen to him would also happen to her. She motioned to take flight again. He was unsure at first, but decided to follow her again. As they flew, they began loving each other with their words, explaining in great detail how they felt about each other. It was pure and it felt real. Everything around them seemed to stop. Nothing else mattered.

 

Even if you're wrong, you'll miss me when I'm gone. Close my eyes again.

 

They spent the rest of the day together, sharing moments during meals and visiting different sights around Equestria's mountaintops. Through joy and honesty they strengthened their bond as the two spent quality time, explaining their flaws, sharing their worries, and comforting each other with their pain. It seemed clear to him that it was not always going to be bright, but she would always be by his side when times got tough. He was thankful to be rid of what seemed like an endless cycle.

 

But I can't breathe anymore, tell me what I'm fighting for. Help me see the truth before I'm blinded again.

 

Eventually, she flew with him to his home. They needed to go their separate ways for the evening and she was dropping him off where he resided. She and him gave each other a long loving stare. Everything was going to be fine. He believed it, because she believed it. Through perseverance and trust, she was able to breathe life back into him, and help him deal with his lack of confidence in reality. They kissed goodbye, and she flew away.

 

When I stare into your eyes, tell me what you believe. Comfort me with your lies, I need you next to me

 

He ventured into his home feeling much better. He was standing tall and was nimbly thinking about his day. It couldn't have gotten any better. And the best part? No one fell to their deaths. This was it. He was finally awake. If he didn't dream for a while, he wouldn't mind. Knowing he could rest in reality was the best form of comfort to his mind anything could bring. When he walked into his bedroom he glanced at the photo on his dresser. His smile fell immediately. He walked towards the dresser and stared in thought at the picture. Something about it began to churn a new page of worry in his mind. He saw something in the photo that made no sense. But instead of accepting the reality of a photo, he rejected it. He grabbed the frame with a hoof and put it face down.

 

You bring me back to life