Needless to say Twilight slept in the next morning. Fluttershy never left her side. She was still concerned and hoped that as the months progressed that this would not be a recurring event. She suspected things would only be getting harder for Twilight though. Eventually the purple unicorn began to stir and she groggily opened her eyes. The first thing she saw when she awoke was Fluttershy's smiling face so of course Twilight couldn't help but smile as well.
"Good morning." The unicorn whispered.
"Good morning, Twilight." Fluttershy leaned down to softly kiss her marefriend's forehead.
At first Twilight was confused. Not that she'd woken up with Fluttershy, more on how they were arranged. She expected to awake holding the peagsus, or have the pegasus holding her. Not being cradled to her chest as though something were wrong. Then Twilight remembered something was wrong. The events of the previous night came rushing back to her. Quickly Twilight sat up with wide eyes as she realized Fluttershy must have been awake the entire night.
"Fluttershy I'm so sorry!" Twilight was panicking. "I didn't mean for that to happen, I wanted a nice night with you. I promise I didn't ask you to stay just so you'd make me feel bett-" Twilight stopped herself before she said too much. She knew that wasn't why she'd ask Fluttershy to stay. She also knew that Fluttershy knew that too. The unicorn was letting what that monster said get to her.
"Oh my. Twilight what would ever make you think I felt like that?" Fluttershy was sincerely confused. Of course she knew Twilight had nothing but good intentions.
"Let's just say I had a talk with myself and it didn't go very well..." A sigh escaped the unicorn's lips.
"I'm sorry Twilight, I, um, don't exactly understand."
Twilight shook her head. It was time to get off of that particular subject. "Don't worry about it. Everything's okay. I can't thank you enough for last night."
Fluttershy felt as though the roles had been reversed. Twilight was looking down at her hoofs, fumbling with the sheets. She wouldn't look Fluttershy in the eye. A small shade of crimson graced each of her purple cheeks as she remembered Fluttershy softly singing her to sleep. Gently stroking her horn to take the pain away. These memories were precious to Twilight now. She'd hold onto them until the day she died.
Twilight didn't want things to get sappy. She hoped today would be a good day. Her goal was to focus only on the good and to have one entire day spent in joy. Perhaps she would go and catch up with the rest of her friends maybe grab a bite to eat with Fluttershy. At the end of the day if everything had gone well she would ask Spike to send her letter off to Shining Armour. It was time for her number one assistant to move back in. At that exact moment though it was time to regain control of the situation.
"Well, if you'll excuse me Fluttershy I'm going to go take a shower." Twilight expertly changed the subject. "Make yourself at home."
"Okay. You're sure there's nothing I can do for you."
"Well if you wanted to you could always join me." Twilight gave her marefriend a playful grin. "A sunday morning shower together."
The effect was instant. Fluttershy's eyes widened as she realized what Twilight had said. Immediately her cheeks flushed and she began muttering gibberish. "I, um...Oh my. Twilight, I don't think that...Um, well..."
Twilight giggled. Adorable she thought fondly to herself. "Fluttershy."
"Y-yes?"
"I'm kidding." She surprised the peagsus with a quick peck on the lips and quickly sauntered off towards her bathroom giggling the entire time.
Fluttershy was left there wide-eyed and blushing. She did smile though and thought to herself If you're joking around then you're feeling a lot better.
**
Twilight groaned when she spotted herself in the mirror. Her mane was a complete mess. She hadn't exactly cared about the style of her mane in the last few days; now things were looking up thought and the unicorn did not want to be viewed as a slob. Twilight turned the water on for her bath. Then She opened the cabinet which was concealed by the mirror to pull out a few necessities. Her toothbrush, toothpaste and other various items. When she shut the cabinet door she gasped and dropped everything. Her doppelgänger was there in there mirror, taunting her with a cocky grin.
The unicorn's immediate reaction was to panic. Then she realized there was nothing to be scared of. It was time to take back control of her life and make what remaining time she had happy. Twilight watched her other; eye-to-eye. Neither moved nor blinked for several seconds. Then with a huge grin Twilight stuck her tongue out towards the physical manifestation of her sickness. "Not today." she said and turned around. She lowered herself into the water and allowed a relaxed sigh to leave her lips.
**
Fluttershy didn't feel like just sitting there waiting for Twilight to finish bathing. She decided to keep herself busy by helping her marefriend out a little. She pulled all the blankets and sheets from Twilight's bed and brought them down to the washing machine. Twilight must have been really uncomfortable last night...The sheets were soaked. the pegasus thought to herself. She pushed them into the machine and started the wash cycle. "At least now Twilight will have clean sheets for tonight." Fluttershy said to nopony in particular. She fluttered into the kitchen and to keep herself busy started making lunch for herself and Twilight. Twilight clearly hadn't gone shopping in several days so another salad would have to suffice.
It was as Fluttershy was preparing lunch she heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the bathroom. Fluttershy dropped everything she was doing and ran back upstairs. She burst into the bathroom to find a soaked Twilight climbing out of the tub. The lavender mare was coughing violently and was clearly in a panic. The unicorn slipped as she was climbing over the bath. She smashed into the ground with a large thud. Fluttershy knelt in front of her and Twilight wrapped her forelegs around the peagsus' neck.
"She's there! Fluttershy she tried to drown me!" Twilight was barely speaking clearly, her words interrupted with coughs every now and then.
Fluttershy looked around the bathroom, nopony was there other than them. "Who tried to kill you Twilight?"
"Me! No, not me, the other me! She was there! I ducked my head into the water and I saw her looming over me. Fluttershy she held me down!" Twilight looked towards the tub, also realizing nopony was there. She turned back to her marefriend. "I swear she was there..."
Fluttershy could only nod. She had no doubt in her mind Twilight believed what she was saying. Twilight had seen something, that didn't necessarily make it real. This is bad... Fluttershy thought Twilight might become a danger to herself in her current condition. Still the pegasus kept her mouth shut, running a hoof through the lavender mane of her marefriend.
Twilight understood how crazy what she said had sounded. I felt it though...Her hoofs holding me down, or maybe I... Twilight looked down, embarrassed. Of course there was nopony there. More progression in her sickness was the only thing that made sense. It seemed as though she was going to be in for a difficult few months. With the beautiful mare holding her though, the student of Celestia was sure she would be able to handle it. She looked back up to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy I'm sorry. I was just...Seeing things. I didn't mean to worry you."
"It was no trouble at all." Fluttershy nuzzled her muzzle against Twilight's. It brought a smile to the unicorn's lips.
"I'm going to dry up okay?"
"Sure."
Fluttershy headed downstairs and several minutes later Twilight joined her. Her coat was mostly dry but a few drops of water still dripped down her mane. The unicorn pranced towards her house guest. She nuzzled her muzzle against hers, as Fluttershy had done to her earlier and asked "So what are our plans for today?"
"Well, I think we should go shopping. You're running out of food." Fluttershy gestured towards Twilight's fridge.
Twilight glanced at it only briefly. "Yeah, haven't really felt like shopping."
"And then if you want to get that letter out we should go see Spike." Fluttershy continued.
"Yeah, I'd like to see him. It's been a while...I'm sure he's worried." Twilight sighed, another reminder of her neglected responsibilities.
"And then I have to be home tonight for Angel and the rest of my animal friends."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Do you have to!?" She called out without thinking. The unicorn was more scared than she realized.
Fluttershy felt horrible. "I, um...Yes.I can come back first thing tomorrow morning okay?" She gave the unicorn a smile, hoping she hadn't upset her too much.
If Twilight were honest she would tell Fluttershy how scared she was. She didn't want to be alone, not after what had happened. She now knew it had all been in her head but if she had another "episode" like that she wanted Fluttershy nearby. Her doppelgänger's words came back to her. No, I'll show her...I'm not just using Fluttershy for myself. She locked her gaze with Fluttershy's, determined.
"Of course, I understand." Her voice gave her away though.
"Ohhh...I'll come back tonight." Fluttershy couldn't bear to leave Twilight alone in her state. "Tomorrow I really do have to go back though, okay?"
Twilight nodded and hugged Fluttershy tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best marefriend ever!"
Fluttershy blinked a few times. Best marefriend ever...Me? "I- really?" Twilight nodded with a smile glued to her lips.
Seeing the joy that staying had brought Twilight made Fluttershy feel warm and fuzzy. It seemed a little cheesy but it was really how it made her feel. Everytime Twilight smiled, or every time Fluttershy was able to take her mind off her pain it made her feel good. Apparently Twilight wanted to make Fluttershy feel good too. Without warning the unicorn crushed her lips against the pegasus'. Of course Fluttershy was extremely embarrassed but quickly fell in line with the kiss. For several minutes they locked lips, over and and over again. Eventually they had to pull away, lack of oxygen getting to them. Neither let go of the other though, and even thought Fluttershy was extremely embarrassed she whispered into Twilight's ear.
"I can't be with you every second of everyday but I'll do my best. I want to spend as much time with you as I can. Even if I can't be with you all the time I at least promise every Sunday we'll be together." Fluttershy moved back a little to be able to look into Twilight's violet gaze. "It'll be like...Our special day. A day for only the two of us." When Twilight didn't say anything after what Fluttershy had said the pegasus blushed. "Oh my, I bet that sounded awfully corny, I'm sorry..."
Twilight shook her head. "Don't apologize. I'd love that, I was just getting a little...Emotional." A small peck was given to the yellow mare. "Now let's go, before I start crying again!" Twilight giggled softly, already having forgotten the events from earlier. As they left the library Twilight couldn't help but think about how perfect every Sunday was going to be from then on.