Twilight had fled the hospital...
And maybe she was overreacting, and maybe she should have known better and maybe we could have expected better from one of the most rational ponies in Equestria.
But she had fled nonetheless and couldn’t find the will anywhere to go back right at that instant. She wasn’t even fleeing the location itself, but the whole world altogether. There were just so many thoughts going through her mind like so many anvils dropping in a chaotic symphony, from which only the idea of running away seemed to be consistent. Her head was heavy, her eyes, covered in tears, were being hurt each time she opened them and saw the slightest bit of the lights from her surroundings. Her throat was dry, feeling the same way a cold would. Lower, her stomach was hurting, like it was trying to compete with the overbeating heart by twisting itself and dissolve in the most painful possible way.
Finally, she couldn’t feel her legs anymore. She knew she was ordering them to run, as fast and as far as they could bring her, but she just had no connection with them anymore and didn’t even care about that fact. She didn’t feel the ground when she finally fell.
She just stood there, on the ground, crying, having momentarily lost the capacity to stand up again. She wasn’t even sick, she was just sad, and overreacting. She should have known better and quite honestly, she would have expected better from herself.
But for a pony like Twilight who had always lived in a very rational and scientific vision of the world, the flow of emotion was something she wasn’t really good at handling.
She had come back to Ponyville after her journey to the city and had thought, at the time, that it was great to be home again, where everything is always so happy and peaceful. Pretty much always, but still.
However, she didn’t expect what had happened next and would have had no way to have expected it anyway. She didn’t expect to be brought to the hospital, she didn’t expect to see all of her friends there, she didn’t expect their sad faces and she didn’t expect that it would be as serious as it was.
But more problematic was the fact that each and every one of the looks of her friends was also saying: “She still doesn’t know…”
From that very moment, guilt began to develop in Twilight, because whatever had happened did when she was away. She was too late, coming after the storm to just acknowledge the damages.
So when she understood that Rainbow Dash was dying, not only did her whole perfect and happy world exploded in a million sharp painful pieces, but she irrationally felt it was somehow her fault. Because she hadn’t been there when it happened.
Twilight had been stupid. Twilight was still being stupid, sitting in the dirt, overreacting as she was. And under the sun of that day in Equestria, her flowing stupidity was creating tiny rainbows as each drop was falling from her cheek to join the other before her.
It took a while, but she calmed down eventually. She slowly remembered that she wasn't the only one suffering. She took upon herself to do what was right and finally found the needed strength to go back and see her dying friend.
Once back at the hospital, and after having said to Rainbow Dash how sorry she was, she asked the doctor to explain to her, for the twentieth time at least, why she couldn’t be cured.
Understanding the pain, the doctor just explained once again, without any anger or impatience, ready to say the same things another hundred times if necessary:
“Your friend hurt her head very badly. The damage has created multiple clots that will slowly but surely create a pocket of blood that will eventually crush her brain.”
She didn’t have to add that there was no hope in any operation or healing magic. She had already said that part enough times for Twilight to understand it. And the alicorn wasn’t even asking about that anymore.
“How much time?” asked Twilight, who had evaded that question for a while.
“One day.” answered the doctor. “If she is lucky, she shouldn’t feel much until the very end, when the pain will trigger a stress reaction and raise the blood pressure which should be the final blow. Due to the part of the brain that is being touched, she will very probably get blind a minute or two before she dies.”
The doctor lowered her head and added:
“I’m really sorry. All we can do is try to keep her blood pressure as low as possible and ease the pain when it comes.”
Twilight wasn’t satisfied, but she understood the doctor had already done everything she could. She decided to go back at Rainbow Dash’s bedside and try to comfort her friend. Unfortunately, the cyan pegasus didn’t seem to need much comforting.
Rainbow Dash had had more than two days to accept the situation and had received all the support she could have needed from her friends during that time. So, even if she was just pulling an act, for the others or for herself, she was smiling and laughing and overall behaving like it wasn’t the end of the world.
“Come on Twilight, you won’t be able to comfort me looking as sad as you’re doing right now!” joked the pegasus, seeing how depressed her friend was looking. As it wasn’t working very well, she tried another approach and added, with a much gentler tone: “Please Twilight, I feel bad for making you feel so bad. Couldn’t you try to smile? I assure you I’m fine.”
This was a very poor choice of words in such circumstances, but Rainbow Dash hadn’t really been used to choose her words carefully and hadn’t had the time to learn that trick in the last two days. She was just saying what her mind was telling her to say, forgetting to put any filter in between. That was who she was, a part of the awesome her that was about to disappear.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” asked Twilight, for whom it was still very hard to accept. “Just ask me anything and I’ll do it.”
Another part of the less awesome but still Rainbow Dash woke up at those words. In normal times, she would have only taken the idea of asking for anything as a mere joke. But those weren’t normal times and during the process of having to accept her own end, she had lost a part of her grown up inhibitions. So, with a laugh, not caring if she would be taken seriously or not, she replied:
“Anything?”
“Absolutely anything. Just ask.” answered Twilight, who was suddenly smiling, comforting Rainbow Dash in the idea that she should actually ask.
“Alright.” said the pegasus. “Then I want a chocolate and fudge mountain with a slide, candy bars as trees and marshmallow and coconut icing as snow.”
Is it necessary to say she had been feeling a little hungry when inventing that wish? So the idea of a big sweet dessert was kind of appealing. Once again, she didn’t really expect Twilight to do it.
Twilight, on the other side, was trying to decide if she should take the wish seriously or not. She wanted to help, of course, but she couldn’t see how such a chocolate mountain could do any good at all. Just as well, a part of her was reminding her just how crazy the idea was to begin with.
Two other thoughts, however, changed everything. First, she had promised to do anything. Those were her exact words. Coupled with the guilt she had been feeling and her will to help, that was a very strong argument. And second and probably the most important one, she was Twilight Sparkle, the royal princess of Equestria. And even if she had never abused of her power before, or maybe because she had never abused her power before, that meant she was able to fulfill that wish.
Wanting as well as being able to do it, she kicked any logic out and went to fetch Pinkie Pie.
Two hours later, Twilight came back to Rainbow Dash and gently levitated her bed to the window, assuring her that she shouldn’t worry and that she had a surprise to show her. Which was, of course, a huge pile of chocolate and fudge in the shape of a mountain, with candy trees and marshmallow and everything. A lot of fillies and foals had come to see the dessert and were asking themselves if they would be invited to play in it and take a bite.
“Here you are.” said Twilight, happily, just like those children who don’t care if what they have done is good or bad, but just enjoy having done it.
Rainbow Dash had some difficulties believing her eyes. That was a little crazy. And scary as well. She looked at Twilight and saw how dedicated her friend was. She understood it wasn’t Twilight she found crazy or was afraid of, but herself.
And at that precise moment, Twilight let that craziness loose, with some very simple but unfortunate words:
“Is there anything else, anything at all that I can do to help you?”
Those were the words of a friend willing to sacrifice pretty much everything in the universe for the sake of the one she cared for. A genuine, pure and innocent will to help.
Not believing what she was about to say, regretting it in advance, knowing how selfish, stupid, horrible it was, Rainbow Dash breathed a little and then told Twilight:
“Yes. Actually, there is something else you could do for me. I want to go down there and have fun.”
The alicorn gulped. Her mind shouted not to obey. She could hear every logical part of her screaming at the idea and yelling how dangerous it would be, that Rainbow Dash needed to stay as quiet as possible, that this was everything that just shouldn’t be done. At the same time, a very simple and calm voice repeated what she already knew: “You’ve promised and you can do it. Why do you hesitate?”
“Are you sure you want that?” asked Twilight, with a pathetic tone, trying to get herself out of her promise.
And for a moment, Rainbow Dash thought that the joke had gone far enough. For a moment only, because she knew she would never again have such an opportunity. So, ignoring any sense of honor, she just answered, as the words burned her mouth:
“Yes, that is what I want.”
And just to drive in the nail, she added:
“Please Twilight, do that for me.”
And for the first time since the last great epic pony war, actual soldiers in armor came into the hospital, because Twilight had had to order them to restrain the doctors and nurses who were anything but willing to let the alicorn pursue her whim. Under the threat of the spears and understanding the princess wouldn’t hear the voice of reason, they reluctantly let Rainbow Dash come out of the hospital.
As soon as she got out, the pegasus went to the big dessert Twilight had had created for her, went to the top of it and just enjoyed the slide, just for the hell of it. Twilight could almost hear Rainbow Dash’s heart beating quicker under the rise of the adrenaline, and somewhere in her head, the blood that was accumulating, but she could also see the smile on Rainbow Dash’s face. And that smile was enough of a reason to make it worth it. As long as she was ignoring all the reprobating face behind her.
It seemed like Rainbow Dash had had quite a good time with Twilight’s gift as were all the fillies and foal who had joined her in the fun.
When she finally came back to Twilight, she just began to look at the alicorn in silence, with two very easily readable eyes. The look became unbearable to Twilight who felt she had no choice but to ask, once again:
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Oh the triumph on Rainbow Dash’s face.
“Yes. I want you to paint every building of Ponyville in pink. I’ve always loved pink.”
Twilight felt her heart ceasing to beat for a second. She tried to convince herself she still could go back, refuse and leave, but her heart refused to. The worst thing was that she really was feeling the need to do anything Rainbow Dash was asking, even if she knew she shouldn’t do it for just so many reasons.
She ignored the righteous complains of the ponies and gave the orders. Slowly, every building of Ponyville covered itself in pink.
But already, Rainbow Dash wasn’t paying attention anymore.
“I want a statue of me, a big one showing how awesome I am.” she told Twilight. “I also want a swimming pool full of bits to bath into, and a crowd shouting how wonderful I am. I want a law that forbids any pegasus to fly faster than me and another one that prevents unicorns from using magic period.”
Twilight was living a nightmare. She saw no escape between her will to just blindly do what she was asked and refuse as strongly as she knew she had to. But once again, she gave up and accepted. She gave the orders. All that she was able to add, with a broken voice and a broken mind, was:
“Is there anything else?”
Rainbow Dash looked at her in disdain and stayed silent for a moment. In fact, it seemed to last for an eternity, as if the pegasus was enjoying every second of what she was going to ask. Even so, Twilight waited for it, ready to take the blow, ready for anything, ready beyond reason.
“There is something else.” Rainbow Dash said, looking at the sky and the glorious sun. “I’m tired of the sun, I want the night.”
Twilight almost fainted. But as if it wasn’t enough, Rainbow Dash added:
“Oh, and don’t bring up the moon. I wish my night to have only stars.”
Twilight sighed. At least now, that was something that only Celestial and Luna could do. She felt some sort of relief at the idea she wasn’t able to do it anymore. But at the same time, that thought hurt her even more, because that meant she couldn’t help her friend anymore. She was suddenly feeling powerless, useless, and a failure just in front of the one she had done everything for.
Then, the anger came, anger against Rainbow Dash, for having asked for all the things she had asked for, anger against her pegasus friend for asking her something she wasn’t able to do and finally, anger against herself, for being so weak.
She refused to lose. And before Rainbow Dash’s eyes, Twilight began to cast all the magical power that she was able to find. The air got hotter, and Twilight’s horn began to burst in a purple magical aura. Her eyes disappeared behind two incredibly intense purple flames and soon, her whole body got caught into the magical wave she was casting. The ground began to vibrate under Rainbow Dash’s hooves, and for the first time in her life, the pegasus could feel what magic felt like as it was almost taking a tangible form. The grass was changing form in chaotic fashion and the air transformed into clouds that rained ice cubes pretty much all at the same time, as Twilight was trying to control everything that was.
Then, to Rainbow Dash’s horror, the alicorn began to scream, as the pain of holding so much magical power had become too great to bear. But Twilight still wasn’t giving up and, as her screams went from horrifying to soul breaking, the light of the sun disappeared, letting only a big empty black sky behind it.
Having exhausted everything she had, Twilight fainted and the magic evaporated as violently as it had come, leaving no trace behind.
When she opened her eyes again, Twilight was in a bed, at the hospital, in front of a giant window from where she could see Ponyville and the whole sky. It was the royal suit, for the very important guests. And she felt ashamed that, after everything she had done, they would have still considered she should be brought there.
She turned her head and saw her friends, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. And even if she could see in their eyes that they weren’t satisfied at all with all that had happened, would it only be Rarity for the pink on the carousel boutique, they all looked very friendly and concerned with her well being. At that very moment, she could have hugged them all, probably begging for their forgiveness, but a more urgent matter came into her mind.
“Where is Rainbow Dash?” she asked, with fear.
“I’m here.” answered the voice of the pegasus, coming from before the window.
Looking over the bed, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash, quietly lying on the floor, watching the stars. Scootaloo was there too, under her wings, but had fallen asleep.
Twilight slowly went out of the bed and came near her friend, as the other just quietly watched, having already said everything there was to be said.
“I’m sorry.” began Twilight.
But she got interrupted by Rainbow Dash as soon as she had opened her mouth.
“Don’t you dare.” said the pegasus. “I’m the one apologizing here. I’ve been so stupid, I’ve been so mean to you and everypony else, I just wish I would die of shame. Which is quite practical, knowing the circumstances.”
“Stop that!” almost shouted Twilight, unable to accept the idea her friend would take the blame for what had happened. “I don’t care what you think, you didn’t do anything wrong. I did.”
But she understood there was no point in arguing over what had happened, of whose fault it was, or just arguing at all. It wasn’t going to change anything anymore. So she just said:
“Look… all I want to say is that you’re the best friend a pony could hope for.”
And she knew all of her friends were thinking the same thing as she was saying those words.
“Whatever you may think, you’re really awesome Rainbow Dash.” Twilight continued, “And nothing will ever change that fact. I’m proud to be your friend. I’m honored to be your friend. We all are.”
“Thanks Twilight.” replied the pegasus. “You are a wonderful friend too. You all are. I’ve been the luckiest mare in Equestria to have been able to hang around with you.”
Both the mares stayed silent, and then Twilight asked:
“Are you afraid?”
“I don’t know.” answered Rainbow Dash. “I’m nervous, yes, but, you know, in the end I think I’ve never really been afraid of dying.”
That answer surprised Twilight, but Rainbow Dash then added:
“I think I’ve always been, on the other hoof, very afraid not to live.”
She then smiled and said:
“Good thing you were all there so it never happened.”
A new silence came, during which Twilight just didn’t know what she should answer, or just say, or even if she should be saying anything at all. But as she just felt like she did want to cheer her friend up, she decided to change the subject:
“At least we can still enjoy the night together. Those stars are beautiful.”
“I believe you.” replied Rainbow Dash.
Twilight didn’t understand right away.
“What?” she asked.
“I believe you when you say the stars are beautiful.” repeated Rainbow Dash.
And only now Twilight noticed that her friend hadn’t been looking at anything during the whole conversation. Because her friend couldn’t look at anything anymore. She had gone blind. And the treatments were beginning to be unable to block all the pain.
“Can I be a jerk one last time Twilight?” asked the pegasus, with a tear in her eye.
“Be whatever you want, you’re my friend, you are our friend, you will always be.” answered Twilight, trying her best not to cry too as the others had come nearer.
“I’ve wished for a lot of crazy things today, but I think, I actually had only one wish, one I couldn’t ask you, you or anypony else.”
“What was it?” asked Twilight, already knowing the answer, or thinking she already knew the answer.
“I wish I could stay alive. To spend some more time with you all.”
They all hugged, trying to comfort each other, as Rainbow Dash was now almost crushing her teeth as she was trying to fight the pain, but then all of her muscles suddenly stopped fighting, a shiver went through her whole body and she expired one last breath through a smile, her eyes fixed on a point very far away.
The whole night passed and in the morning, both Celestia and Luna came to see Twilight. They had brought flowers for the lost friend, but had actually come to ask about certain events that had made some weird rumors. In fact, it let Celestia to ask, quite literally:
“I would like to know why Ponyville has been painted in pink, why I was asked to approve two of the strangest laws I’ve ever seen, one asking to forbid unicorns to use magic, and why we only had an eight hours long day yesterday.”
Luna smiled at that last part, because she had, on her side, quite enjoyed the agitation, and having been woken up to raise the moon and the missing stars.
And both princesses were, actually, a little impressed by Twilight’s feat there.
The purple alicorn explained everything and even if it wasn’t excusing what she had done, at least it reassured the princesses that she hadn’t gone mad with power. But after a lot of explanation, Twilight told Celestia:
“I tried so hard to help my friend. But in the end, I was just totally unable to. And I know it’s stupid, but I still wonder why the world is made so that it was impossible for me to help her.”
Luna, thinking it was logical, began to answer by saying a:
“Because she…”
But she suddenly understood, by her big sister’s look and silence, that it wasn’t a time to be logical. So, trying to make for it, she adopted another look on the whole thing and just answered:
“Sometimes, you just can’t help. But I’m sure your friend is very proud that you tried. It shows how much you cared for her.”
It wasn’t exactly the right words, but it was good enough for Twilight to be comforted. Still, there was a long way to go until she could fully accept the departure of her dear friend.
And before that, she was going to have to go and make some apologies to a lot of ponies for all the decisions she had taken the day before.
Because life was going on.
THE END