Nothing made sense to Twilight. She felt her back hit the ground with a loud thud. What happened? she thought to herself. She remembered being happy, but now she was anything but. Darklight had pushed a knife into her hoof and she'd brought it up to her throat to...Oh no! That was why Fluttershy was screaming louder than the others. Why her voice had sounded different. Fluttershy had not been screaming for Twilight to approach her but to return. To stop whatever Fluttershy could see her doing. Twilight had just attempted to kill herself.
I couldn't have! Twilight was almost convinced she'd killed herself. She realized now everything was dark, and she panicked. She then became aware of a pressure on her entire body. Both her hooves were being held above her on each side of her head. There was pain on her throat and it felt wet, probably blood. All around here there was sobbing, three distinct voices. Obviously Fluttershy, Cadance and her brother. Twilight was relieved she hadn't done it, she hadn't wanted to. It was like something had taken control of her body and to prevent her from fighting it was showing her a good outcome. Telling her exactly what she wanted to hear. Darklight was responsible for this. She'd manipulated Twilight and Twilight had believed her like a fool.
Twilight was scared to open her eyes but she knew she had to. There was no choice in the matter. Slowly she forced her lids upwards to reveal the world to her. The first thing she saw was Fluttershy's tearful face. When she saw Twilight's eyes open instead of a relieved sigh like Twilight thought she might release Fluttershy only began to sob harder. Her head practically bashed itself into the crook between Twilight's neck and shoulder. She sobbed out, almost incoherently "H-how could you T-Twilight?"
Twilight couldn't find the words to respond to her sobbing marefriend. Instead she turned her head to the side a little. Cadance wore a horrified expression whereas her brother had a stern expression. He shook his head, Twilight wasn't sure with which emotion. The unicorn just wished that they knew this wasn't her fault. She opened her mouth to speak but it hurt her throat to do so. She groaned.
Shining Armour had obviously become aware of her pain because his horn began to glow and an aura surrounded it. A cool sensation came to the wound on Twilight's neck and she felt it close. It didn't hurt but it was certainly unpleasant. It wasn't perfect, Shining Armour's magic was mostly used in the Royal Guard not for healing.
"It's not perfect but it'll get the job done. At the very least it won't hurt." He swallowed hard and turned around. He went back into the dining area and resumed his seat as though nothing had happened. As though his sister hadn't just inexplicably tried to take her own life. Cadance followed her husband and wrapped a leg around his shoulder, cuddling into him. It was the only thing she could think to do to offer support.
Meanwhile Fluttershy hadn't stopped crying. Twilight tried saying something several times but Fluttershy simply wasn't ready to listen to anything. She wanted to keep holding onto Twilight. She thought that by holding Twilight against her she would be able to keep her there, prevent her from trying to leave her again. Eventually though Fluttershy's tears ran out and her sobs came less often. Finally she'd calmed down, even if only a little and was ready to listen to Twilight. Fluttershy whispered only one word. "Why?"
Twilight swallowed and turned her head away. She was more ashamed than she'd ever been even if it wasn't her fault. How could she have put Fluttershy through that? "Wasn't my fault." Twilight croaked out and Fluttershy raised her head to get a look at her marefriend. "It was her, Darklight is what I call her now. She made me do it, she tricked me and manipulated me. I didn't even know what I was doing Fluttershy, I swear." Twilight kept her tears at bay. She'd been so weak recently, now she had to be strong for Fluttershy.
Fluttershy started sobbing again, she didn't think she'd be able sure. She was so certain her tears had run dry but apparently she had a few more. "Oh Twilight, thank goodness." She managed to get out between sobs.
"Huh?" Twilight didn't understand.
"I-I thought that I wasn't doing a good enough job. I thought you tried to kill yourself because I wasn't keeping you happy enough. I thought it was my fault. I know it's probably bad of me to be happy right now but I am. I'm sorry."
"No, Fluttershy. I'm sorry." Twilight brought Fluttershy's head back down into the area between her neck and shoulder and stroked her mane softly. "I didn't do it on purpose but I can't even imagine what that must have been like for you. Forgive me, please."
"O-of course. Just please don't do something like that again Twilight, you h-have to fight her." Fluttershy crushed Twilight tighter.
"I will, but I have to get up." Twilight said. She didn't want to but she had to explain herself to her brother. She would have all the time she needed with Fluttershy later. No, that wasn't true but she would have enough time to comfort her from recent events.
"O-okay..." Fluttershy squeaked out before unwillingly letting go of Twilight.
Twilight forced herself to climb to her hooves and peeked her head into the dining area. "Shining..." she called out. Her brother didn't even turn to face her. Cadance briefly glanced at her but she was focused mainly on her husband. Fluttershy followed Twilight as she made her way to her brother and former foalsitter. Fluttershy stuck to Twilight like glue. No way was she going to let Twilight out of her sight after what had just occurred.
"Shi-" Twilight was brutally cut off.
Shining Armour rose from the chair, angrier than he'd ever looked before. "What were you thinking Twilight! I know you're smarter than this because I know my sister isn't stupid enough to try and kill herself!"
"I-I didn'-"
"Don't pull that crap on me! I know what I just saw Twilight!"
"Dear, give her a chance to explain..." Cadance ran a hoof over his shoulders.
Everypony was disappointed in her. Twilight looked down. She wanted to cry. Again. Only one tear fell and hit the ground before Twilight got a hold of herself. She looked up and even though she wasn't crying she seemed so distressed that Shining actually looked surprise. "I'm going to die."
Shining advanced now. "Don't say that!"
He didn't understand. "You don't understand!" Twilight sighed in frustration. This was already hard enough without these types of reactions. "I'm going to die!"
Cadance stepped in this time. She didn't understand either. "Twilight, please stop. That's such an awful thing to say."
Twilight was about to snap and Fluttershy could tell so she stepped in front of her marefriend. "Please, um, listen if you don't mind....You actually don't understand."
All the attention was on Fluttershy but this was too important to shy out. "You see Twilight's contracted a disease from studying dark magic. Princess Celestia told us she only has a little while longer to live. She wanted to tell the two of you in person...And she didn't try to kill herself. Part of her sickness made her do it. It's some kind of manifestation of it in her head. It made her do what she just did, Twilight would never do that." It all came out so wrong to Fluttershy. She was doing her best though.
Both Cadance and Shining Armour directed their gaze back to Twilight. They both looked aghast, shocked. Neither could believe what they had just heard. Surely they would have been told before hand. If Princess Celestia knew she would have informed them, wouldn't she? Unless Twilight really did want to tell them in person, which made sense.
"Is...Is this true?" Shining Armour asked, even though he already knew it was. Nopony would joke about something as serious as a fatal illness.
Twilight nodded. Her gaze was kept down because she couldn't bear to look at her brother as he broke down, as she knew he would. Cadance broke her though. Twilight heard her soft sob first and it was quickly followed but a husky, broken sound by Shining Armour.
"Why...Why didn't you tell me sooner, Twily?" Shining Armour was fighting his emotions but they were kicking his flank.
"I've only known for a few days. Fluttershy's been taking care of me. I spent the first few days alone, then Fluttershy came to cheer me up. She never left, she's been with me this entire time. Sometimes my horn hurts so badly I can't even move. Fluttershy makes it better. When Darklight tries to hurt me Fluttershy is there to keep her at bay. Princess Celestia offered to tell you, but I wanted to do it myself. It was important..." Twilight trailed off. That was a poor recap of everything that had happened, but it would have to do.
"What's wrong with your horn, Twilight?" Cadance asked. "Maybe I can help, maybe I can fix it... Maybe, maybe..." Cadance started repeating, desperate for an answer.
Twilight still wouldn't look up. It now dawned on Twilight that they'd never asked what was wrong with her horn and she wondered why that was. It wasn't that important but if she'd walked in to Shining Armour having a bandaged horn she would definitely be worried. "Why didn't you ask about it earlier." She pitifully spit out.
"We assumed you just hurt yourself practising magic. I mean, it wasn't too far-fetched. You study and practise so hard we didn't think it was a big deal." Shining Armour didn't understand how that was relevant.
That made sense. Still her gaze would not rise. "You asked what was wrong..." Twilight raised her hooves up to her horn and carefully removed the bandages. She would occasionally bump her horn and she would wince in pain. Fluttershy's wing found it's way around her as it always did whenever she needed comfort. Twilight discarded the bandage. Shocked gasps came from Cadance and Shining Armour.
"Twilight, your horn..." Cadance said. Just like the others she'd never seen anything like that. "There has to be something we can do. Maybe we can mend and that will make you better. There has to be some way. The Crystal Empire has tons of books on diseases. I'll head back and see if I can fin-"
"Cadance, stop." Twilight raised her gaze finally. It was awful. Seeing the broken gaze of her brother and sister-in-law. "If there were a cure Princess Celestia would have told me. I know it's hard but...I've kind of come to terms with this."
"Twily, there has to be something we can do..."
"There is, Shining Armour..." Twilight swallowed. "Cadance and you. You guys can be here for me. I just want to spend my last little while with you and the ponies I care about. Please, Shining Armour, Cadance...Don't go looking for something you won't find." It was a desperate plea from Twilight. She didn't want those she cared about wasting their time on things like that. Instead of wasting their time searching for a cure that wasn't there they could spend more time with her. Any moment they had free from then on Twilight wanted them to spend it in Ponyville. Or she would go visit them in the Crystal Empire. Hopefully her friends could come, or at least Fluttershy.
Shining Armour and his wife exchanged a glance. There was nothing they could do. They approached Twilight at the same time and they pulled her into a hug. Of course they broke down, all of them. How could they not? They held Twilight as though she were dying right there. They felt as though if they let go everything would shatter, nothing would be the same because they would have to deal with the situation. After an undetermined amount of time they grew apart and seemed to remember a certain yellow mare was there too. Fluttershy stood awkwardly, she couldn't bring herself to interrupt something like that.
"Fluttershy..." Shining Armour called. Fluttershy's ears perked up and she turned towards the white stallion. "You...You helped my sister through all of this."
The pegasus' cheeks turned red. "I, um, tried my best sir."
Shining Armour ignored the 'sir' comment. "Well you've done a good job. And my sister is obviously very fond of you. I always knew you, her and the rest of your group of friends were close but now you're more. I can never thank you enough for what you've done for my sister, Fluttershy. You're part of the family now." He gestured her over with his hoof.
For once Fluttershy didn't feel shy at such words or that invitation. She made her way to the rest of them and her hooves found their way around Twilight as well. She joined the little group hug of the family she was now a part of and she felt like she belonged. Her relationship with her own family had never been great and she hadn't seen her parents in years. She had no siblings. Now though she had Twilight. She had Shining Armour and Cadance as well. It wasn't the best of circumstances but maybe the little family could pull through everything if they stuck together.
For Twilight things definitely weren't ideal. The hard part was over though. She wouldn't need to have this conversation again. It was done with, and Shining Armour and Cadance knew. They would be there for her, just like Fluttershy and the rest of Twilight's friends. No, it wasn't ideal but it was a glimmer of light when everything seemed dark.