An Ailing Alicorn?
Kibitz, the royal scheduling advisor who has served in Canterlot castle for most his years, glanced out one of the magnificent castle windows. Perched at the tallest tower, Princess Luna concentrated as she magically lowered the moon. As the mighty celestial body slowly descended, Kibitz huffed to himself. He pulled out his pocket watch, which matched his cutie mark, and mumbled.
"Where is she? She should be up by now... Unacceptable... In all my years, I have never..." Continuing on his way, but accelerating his pace, he neared the grandiose doorway to Princess Celestia's bedroom. Two burly guards glanced quietly at him, each bowing slightly. Ignoring them, Kibitz knocked forcefully on the doors.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I really must insist you come out this instant! We have much to do today and we simply cannot have a late start!" The doors glowed yellow with powerful magic and Kibitz took a step back. A small crack appeared as Celestia opened the doors slightly, then wide enough for a pony. The two guards watched as Kibitz poked his head through the gap.
"Come in, Kibitz," Celestia called softly from within. Kibitz took a few steps inside before the doors closed behind him. He glanced back in shock before kneeling and addressing the Princess.
"Your Majesty. It is good to see you awake. As usual, I have your full day scheduled and I- Good Heavens!" Kibitz stopped his lecture when he saw Celestia sitting upright on her mattress, but still covered in an elegant blanket. "You're not even out of bed! Do you have any idea what time it is? Her Majesty, Princess Luna, has already lowered the moon and you're- you're sleeping in!? Princess, this is most unsatisfactory!" Kibitz trotted over to Celestia who watched him approach with a solemn expression. "Please, put your crown on, and come with me." Magically, he levitated Celestia's nearby crown from its pillow-laden pedestal and placed it gently atop her head. He then turned to leave, expecting the Princess to follow. Celestia looked up towards the crown with heavy thoughts in her heart. She looked around at the vacancy of her chambers and out the window and twilight outside. She sighed deeply and slowly.
"Cancel all my appointments for today," Celestia said as she levitated her crown off.
"What what WHAT!?" Kibitz spun around with disbelief. He watched helplessly as Celestia placed her royal crown gingerly back on the pedestal. "C-c-cancel!? Unheard of!"
"Kibitz, please," Celestia said as the elderly stallion rushed up to her.
"You must perform your duties! There are delegations! There are meetings! There are long form parchments to be signed!"
"Kibitz-"
"Without you- Canterlot will come to a halt! Equestria will shut down!"
"It will be fine-"
"Fields will rot! Rivers will run dry! Society will crash and burn! It's all over! Oh, the ponymanity!"
"STOP!!!" Celestia's thunderous voice echoed throughout her chambers and shook the castle. Terrified, Kibitz collapsed trembling to the floor. Surprised and a little embarrassed at her own outburst, Celestia raised a hoof to her lips and cleared her throat. "I am sorry, Kibitz, but see to it my schedule is clear. And send for Princess Luna." After brief consideration, she quickly added, "Please."
Still shaking and hugging the stone floor, Kibitz nodded nervously and backed up to the doorway. He bolted outside as soon as he could and slammed the doors shut. Leaning up against the massive doors, he breathed heavily as the two guards exchanged concerned glances.
"What is the meaning of all this commotion?" Princess Luna asked as she appeared down the hall. She walked towards them, wings open with regality. The two guards immediately kneeled, but Kibitz zipped over and began begging before the Princess.
"Y-your Majesty! It's your sister!"
An Ailing Alicorn?
By: GeneralSnaz
Yawning, Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes and stretched her aching wings.
"Good morning, library!" Twilight cheerfully said aloud as she looked around the Golden Oak Library. "Good morning, books!" She scooped up and hugged the many volumes from the previous night that were still spread out on her bed. She opened one at random and magically skimmed through it. "Good morning, knowledge! Ooh! A fully grown Kraken can live up to 10 hours on land! Fascinating!" After tossing the book aside, she snuck up to her pet owl, who was nodding off on his perch, and whispered, "Good morning, Owlowiscious. Sleep tight." Rushing downstairs quickly, she trotted over to Spike who was staring out the front door. "Good morning, Spike." Passing the dragon, she stepped outside, spread open her hooves and said, "And good morning, Ponyvi- Huh?"
Her "good morning" was cut short when she beheld the crowd of ponies all staring off in the same direction just outside her home. Twilight quickly deduced the angle of observation and joined them. She gasped slightly as she witnessed the sun shaking horribly as it crept over Ponyville's skyline of straw rooftops. It swayed and wobbled for a moment, then quickly dropped down past the horizon, causing brief darkness, and all the ponies gasped in unison. With a great chugging sound, the sun slowly came back, spreading its light again, but was in the wrong part of the sky. Like a failing machine, it spit, stuttered and wheezed as it struggled to climb higher and over to its proper position.
"It's been like this for 5 minutes," Spike mentioned to Twilight as the two watched. "You think something's wrong?"
"I... I don't know," Twilight responded, as the shivering sun finally came to the appropriate mid-morning resting place. A great relief swept over the on-lookers. After the sun was still, the Ponyville citizens murmured amongst themselves as some stopped watching and went on their way.
"Should we...?" Spike asked, pulling out his quill and parchment, knowing Twilight was aware of what he meant.
Twilight contemplated for a few short moments. "Yes, I think that's a good idea. Just to be safe." Twilight paced as she began to dictate. "Dear Princess Celestia-" Before she could proceed any further, Spike's cheeks puffed up and he unceremoniously burped out a sealed parchment. "Oh! She wrote to us first?"
Spike caught the note, coughed and then opened it, only to exclaim, "What the-!?" The paper wasn't the typical light brown, but instead was a dark, almost black, violet. It shimmered and sparkled with glittering lights as Spike held it at different angles and squinted, trying to make sense of it.
"Wowie! They look just like stars!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Twilight and Spike both jumped back at the sudden, but not entirely unexpected, appearance of their friend who now stood between them.
"Pinkie Pie! What are you doing here?" Twilight asked, as more of a natural response than an actual question.
"No no no! Not what am I doing here, silly. What are we doing here." Pinkie pointed to the four ponies coming towards them. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy all trotted up to Twilight. Rainbow Dash flew over, of course.
"Twilight, you catch that crazy sunrise?" Rainbow shouted as she landed and the friends all formed a conference circle.
"I especially enjoyed the part when it was doing figure eights," Rarity commented. "A most impressive display."
"No, I just saw the end of it," Twilight said, checking over her shoulder to make sure the sun was still in place.
"Well, it sure was somethin'. The roosters didn't know what the hay to do," Applejack added. "They crowed so darn much, I think they all lost their voice." To demonstrate, she pointed to Fluttershy who was nursing an exhausted rooster, who coughed and hacked as she held it her hooves. Turning back to Twilight, Applejack asked, "Have you heard anythin' from Princess Celestia? It's not like her to make the sunrise so... uh. What's the word I'm looking for?"
"Extravagant," Rarity answered as she flipped her mane up.
"Right. That."
"Actually, Applejack, I just got a letter," Twilight pointed out. She magically took the parchment from Spike and brought it over to read, squinting as she did. "Wait a minute, this isn't from Celestia," Twilight realized after a moment. "This is from Princess Luna!"
"Princess Luna?" the other ponies exclaimed together.
"I didn't even know Princess Luna could send messages to Spike," Fluttershy admitted as she cradled the rooster. They all looked at the dragon who nervously glanced around and pointed to himself with confusion.
"You got like, a dragon address that all the Princesses know or something?" Rainbow teased, smirking at the thought.
"I have no idea," Spike said as he shrugged. "This is the first time this has happened."
"Well, there's not much point in fussin' about it. What's it say, Twilight?" Applejack pressed.
"Hmm... Dearest Princess Twilight..." Twilight mumbled as she read. The ponies all waited impatiently as she continued. Upon finishing, Twilight gasped and exclaimed, "Princess Celestia is sick!"
"What!?" all the ponies cried out.
"Sick!?" Pinkie shouted. "Like she's got the sniffles? Or a rumbly tummy? Or the chicken pox? Or the chicken-snake-hybrid-also-known-as-a-Cockatrice pox!?!?" With each condition, she pulled a screen down from nowhere with a crudely drawn illustration of Celestia with each illness. How she knew to have these prepared, no one would ever know.
"It doesn't say!" Twilight clarified as she began to panic. "Princess Luna just says she 'fears her sister may be ill!'"
"That must be why it look her so long to raise the sun," Rarity concluded. "I know I take longer than expected to work on my ensembles when I'm... feeling under the weather." She raised a hoof to her forehead dramatically to demonstrate.
"Maybe! I don't know! I didn't think it was even possible for her to get sick!" Twilight exclaimed, becoming more panicked every second, pacing back and forth.
"Why would you think that?" Applejack asked after exchanging doubtful glances with Rainbow Dash.
"All the years I spent as Celestia's student, she never felt unwell. Heck, I've never even heard her COUGH!"
Fluttershy let out a small gasp and asked, "Do you think she caught something powerful? Something that could affect even her?"
"I don't know! I don't know! I don't know!" Twilight repeated.
"And she hates not knowing," Spike joked as an aside to Rainbow, who snickered in agreement.
"This isn't funny, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight lectured angrily, interrupting the two comedians.
"I wasn't laughing at-" Rainbow tried to explain, but Twilight promptly shoved the letter in her face.
"See!? Look, Luna needs me in Canterlot! Cadence is too far away and I'm the only other Princess!" Twilight began nervously tip-toeing on her hooftips and spinning around in a circle. "If Celestia doesn't get better, then somepony will have to take her place on the throne! GASP! What if that pony is me!? I'm not ready to rule Equestria! I don't even want to!"
"Now, calm down Sugarcube," Applejack comforted as she stopped Twilight's maniacal twirling with a hoof wrap around her neck. "It won't come to all that, if'n we can get Celestia back on her hooves. Why I'd reckon, if we all came with ya, we could figure out a way to make her feel better."
"Really!? You'd all come along and help me?" Twilight asked as she turned to her friends, eyes sparkling with love and friendship.
"Why of course, darling! I'd never turn down an opportunity to visit Canterlot," Rarity admitted. "Even if the circumstances are dire."
"Sure, why not?" Rainbow asked rhetorically.
"We'd love to help," Fluttershy added.
"SHOUTING SOMETHING EXCITING!" Pinkie screamed.
"Alright girls. Every-" Twilight paused in order to give Pinkie a momentarily confused look before continuing. "Uh... everypony gather up anything you think can help and meet me at the station." The pony friends all gave various acknowledgements and galloped off, back to their abodes. Twilight ran back inside the library and hollered, "Spike, help me find every single medical book we have!" However, Spike stayed at the door and gave Twilight a skeptical look.
"Twilight, you think everypony might be overreacting a bit?" Spike asked as he grabbed his tail nervously. "If Celestia is sick, shouldn't we just let her rest?"
"No, Spike! Alicorns shouldn't be able to get normal sicknesses. They're much too powerful," Twilight explained as she checked several book covers for anything of value. "I'm fairly certain of that. Whatever Celestia has, it must be serious!"
Spike gasped and bit his claws anxiously. "Serious!? What could it be!?"
"Like I said: I don't know." Twilight turned to Spike, filled with both purpose and concern. "But we're going to find out!"
Princess Luna tensely paced just steps from Celestia's door. The hallway was now vacant except for her. But the emptiness was soon filled by a clattering of hooves and a call from down the corridor which caught her attention.
"Princess Luna!" Twilight called out as she flew over to the Princess and clumsily landed.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle, it is good to see you here!" Luna said with relief and a small courteous bow. Twilight was taken aback slightly and responded awkwardly with a similar gesture. "It is fortunate you could so quickly responded to my summons. I fear something is terribly amiss with my sister."
"We got here as fast as we could," Twilight said, gesturing to her friends coming up behind her. They all kneeled after they approached Luna. "What happened? When did this all start? How is Celestia feeling!?"
Luna held up a hoof to silence the new Princess. "Please, allow me to explain. My sister has always raised the sun promptly after I lower the moon. This is how it has been done for thousands of years before my imprisonment, and we resumed this practice upon my return. However, this morning, after I performed my duty, my sister did not perform hers. Upon questioning her, she confessed that she 'did not feel like it' and tasked me with commanding the sun in her stead. She has also refused to tend to any of her royal responsibilities and has kept to her chamber."
"Woah woah woah! Back it up a second," Rainbow blurted out, garnering everyone's attention. "It wasn't Celestia that raised the sun; it was you!? Why'd you make it look so ridiculous!?"
The coarse accusation caught Luna off guard. Appearing nervous, she covered her mouth with a foreleg. "I... I was..."
"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity lightly bonked Rainbow's head with a folded fan. "Don't be so rude. I think it's very admirable for Princess Luna to take on her elder sister's responsibilities."
"But she shouldn't have to. This is so unlike Celestia," Twilight contemplated as she looked over the intimidating doors. "The Princess always does whatever she can for everypony. She would never let anything stop her."
"Indeed, Twilight Sparkle. I once witnessed my sister stand against an onslaught of dragons with depleted magic and a broken wing for the sake of her subjects," Luna added with admiration. "To abandon her duty... I fear I am at a loss to what this means."
"It means it's time to investigate!" Twilight declared before calling her assistant. "Spike!"
"Right here!" the little purple dragon piped up as he pushed his way through the rows of pony legs. He held up a folded white article of clothing which Twilight encased in magic. The material disappeared in a flash, reappearing on Twilight. The intelligent pony now wore a doctor's labcoat, a small black tie and glasses. She also curled her hair up into a bun to look more the part.
"Ooo! So fashionable!" Rarity commented.
"Are we playing dress up!?" Pinkie asked excitedly.
"Nooooo," Twilight answered with irritation. "Everypony wait out here while I do my best to diagnose the Princess," Twilight implored. "Come on, Spike." Using her magic, Twilight carefully opened the massive, intricate doors. She walked inside as Spike followed behind, carrying a large black bag.
The doors shut and the remaining ponies stared anxiously for a moment before Rainbow turned to Luna. "So, you're gonna tell us how Celestia beat those dragons, right?"
Inside the royal bedroom, Twilight quickly spotted Celestia. She was sitting daintily on a stool in front of an antique dresser looking into the pristine mirror atop it. The graceful Princess was resting her head and forelegs on the dresser as she solemnly gazed into her reflection. However, she immediately turned at the sound of Twilight's entrance.
"Princess!? What are you doing out of bed?" Twilight exclaimed immediately.
"Twilight Sparkle? What are you doing here?" Celestia asked quizzically as she stood up to greet her student.
"I'm here to heal you of course!" Twilight said with a know-it-all smile.
"Heal me? Whatever do- Aaah!" Celestia tried to question, but Twilight forcefully levitated the powerful Princess into the air, startling her. Eyes wide with confusion, Celestia stayed still as the magic brought her to her bed and tucked her comfortably under the sheets.
"Forgive me," Twilight said sheepishly at her blasphemous handling of the Princess. "But for the time being, I think I should take charge. You need to stay in bed if you want to get better."
"Get better? Twilight, I'm-" Twilight interrupted her teacher by putting a hoof to her mouth, amusingly scrunching up Celestia's muzzle.
"Ah! You shouldn't talk, it just wastes energy. Don't worry, Princess! I'll get to the bottom of this!" Twilight promised with a broad smile and a cheerful wink. "Spike, thermometer please."
"Check!" Spike replied after he dug through the large black medic's bag and pulled out the item.
"Flashlight."
"Check!"
"Stethoscope."
"Stethawhat now?"
"Ugh," Twilight groaned. "The metal heart hearing thingy."
"Oh! Right! Check!" Spike pulled out the stethoscope and Twilight equipped the item, as it added the final touch to her costume.
"What is all this about?" Celestia managed to say before Twilight shoved the thermometer in her mouth.
"Now, while I'm getting your temperature, I want you to follow this light." Twilight pointed the small flashlight at her patient's face and clicked it on. Celestia, getting swept up in the moment, obeyed. Her shrunken eyes traced the movements of the floating flashlight as Twilight observed intently. "Good! Your pupils are dilating perfectly." Twilight praised when she was pleased with the Princess's performance. After the light was clicked off, Celestia recovered from her daze and shook her head. Twilight removed the thermometer and gave it a serious examination.
"What's it say, Twilight?" Spike asked, peaking over the edge of the bed.
"It looks normal. You don't have a fever?" Twilight asked with concern as she placed her hoof to Celestia's head. "What are your symptoms then?"
"I don't have any symptoms," Celestia replied. Despite her calm voice, her brows were furrowed with worry.
"You don't?" Twilight and Spike both exclaimed in unison.
"No. That's what I've been trying to tell you, Twilight." Celestia sat up on her bed to try to address her student properly.
"Oh, what a relief," Spike said, wiping his sweat-less forehead.
"No symptoms..." Twilight pondered deeply, as the statement didn't seem right. As an epiphany struck her, she almost screamed. "THAT'S TERRIBLE!!!"
"It is?" Celestia and Spike both asked, shocked.
"Of course it is!!! This is worse than I thought! Come on, Spike!" Twilight put Spike on her back, per usual, and galloped over to the exit, turning once to say a few last words. "It's so so SO important that you recover quickly, so stay here and get some rest! Err-!" She recoiled a bit with embarrassment, then gracefully added, "Your Majesty." Closing the door, Twilight turned to her friends who awaited her return.
"Well, how'd it go?" Applejack asked with heartfelt concern.
"Does she have the chicken pox!?" Pinkie blurted out. "Did you catch it too!?"
"How was it decorated in there!?" Rarity jumped in. "I've heard her bedchamber is glorious and magnificent and! Oh-" The fashion-obsessed pony stopped her rhetoric after receiving various un-amused looks from her friends.
"She has no symptoms!" Twilight explained, once she could get a word in.
"OH NOOO!!!" Pinkie exclaimed in horror. "She lost her symptoms!? Hurry you guys, we gotta get Celestia to the hospital so she can get a symptom transplant! Who here's a donor!?" Pinkie grabbed a very startled Fluttershy and shook her aggressively. "You! GIVE YOUR SYMPTOMS TO THE PRINCESS!!!"
"No, Pinkie!" Rainbow shouted as she tugged on Pinkie and dragged her away from Fluttershy. "Symptoms are things that are wrong with you!"
"Oh." Pinkie plopped onto the cold castle floor after Rainbow dropped her. "That's good, then."
"No, it's actually BAD," Twilight continued to explain as she paced with anxiety. "Every illness has some sort of indicator, some noticeable effect on the body. If Celestia isn't showing any symptoms, then we have no way of identifying what's wrong with her!"
"That is bad!" Pinkie screamed. "Oh! Sorry for shaking you, Fluttershy," she added as she handed a pink balloon with I'm Sorry printed on it to her pegasus friend, who took it with confusion.
"Um... Are we sure she's sick at all?" Spike asked, speaking his concerns. "If she has no symptoms then..."
"She told me she was not feeling well, Spike," Luna recalled. "And I can see no other explanation as to why she has kept to herself."
"Right, this is going to require some research," Twilight said. "Princess Luna, would you accompany me to the library?"
"But of course, Twilight Sparkle."
"Rainbow!" Twilight said suddenly, pointing to her friend.
"Yo!"
"We should probably get a second opinion," Twilight admitted. "You're quick, so fly back to Ponyville and find Zecora. Maybe she'll have an idea or a remedy that will help."
"On it, your Princessness!" Rainbow replied, giving a salute and zipping down the hallway and out of sight.
"What can we do to help, Twilight?" Rarity asked.
"Granny always says warm soup is the best cure for what ails ya. I could whip up some in the kitchen," Applejack offered with her southern charm.
"Ooo! And CUPcakes!" Pinkie added, excitedly.
"Oh! That gives me an idea! I could make her a robe so she doesn't get too cold!" Rarity decided.
"When I'm not feeling well, I always find cuddling with a cute little animal makes me feel all better." Fluttershy pulled out a displeased-looking Angel Bunny who had a nice pink bow fashioned on his head for some reason.
"That sounds great! Alright everypony! Let's do it! Let's cure this Princess!" Twilight put her hoof out as her friends all joined hooves, giving their own exclamations of excitement.
"Are we gonna sing a song about it!?" Pinkie asked.
"No time! Go go go!!!" Twilight ordered.
Carrying Spike, Twilight and Luna flew down the hall in one direction, while Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie galloped down the other. Fluttershy and Angel stood alone in front of the doors. "Oh, I hope Celestia feels better when she hugs your oh-so cuddly soft fur Angel Bunny," Fluttershy said as she held up her favorite pet. Angel just grimaced and crossed his arms in response. "Well, we shouldn't keep her waiting. I'll just open the door and-" Fluttershy's eager demeanor dropped as she came to a realization when she reached for the doorknob. "I'll open the door and walk into her room... ...without her permission..." Her ears dropped down in worry and she lowered her head. She didn't move, but instead stared at the doors with a blank expression. Annoyed with her delay, Angel patted her cheek. "Oh, right! She knows me. We're friends. Right? She won't mind. Right?" She still didn't move. "Ah, but maybe I should knock first? It's more polite. I mean, it's not like she's expecting me. After all, she is the Prin-ceeeessss!" Fluttershy's voice became hoarse as she was struck with her own inferiority before the immensity of Celestia. She backed up slowly and whimpered, losing to her fear.
Elsewhere, Twilight kicked open the doors to the royal library urgently and was greeted by an unexpected sight. The library was filled with young unicorn colts and fillies. The ones closest to the doors witnessed the appearance of Princesses Luna and Twilight and quickly crowded up to them with delight.
"What the-? Who are all these ponies?" Twilight asked as the fans began to clamor for her attention.
"I believe there was an excursion planned by my sister's school to the library today," Luna answered as she awkwardly fended off the ponies with faux smiles.
"Well, they're in the way. I'm sorry everypony, but this is an emergency! I have to ask you to leave!" Twilight shouted, but the mob became bigger and more intense as ponies began to beg for autographs.
"It's not working, Twilight!" Spike said nervously from the safety of Twilight's back.
Becoming irritated, Twilight magically grabbed hold of Spike. She pried open his mouth, and with a burst of magic on his chest, a mighty ROAR!!! echoed through the chamber from the tiny dragon's mouth.
In the dumbfounded silence that followed, Twilight yelled, "Everyyyponyyy- OUT!!!" The terrified hordes scrambled for the exit in a flash of dust. "Okay, you two!" Twilight pointed to two librarian ponies who were cowering behind a desk; she actually knew their names, but didn't use them. "We need all the books on medicine, disease, illness, alicorns, biographies on Celestia... in fact, bring me every book ever! I need to check them ALL!!!"
In another part of the castle, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had arrived at the vacant royal kitchen. Applejack pulled out a large soup pot from a cabinet and placed it on the stove.
"Wow, you sure know where everything is, huh?" Pinkie pointed out as she took out a large bowl from the same place.
"Sure do! Remember I worked on Cadence's wedding from here," Applejack recalled, turning the stove on.
"Oh, yeah! I was having fun putting up balloons and streamers and confetti and all sorts of fun stuff while you were working away in this kitchen!" Pinkie Pie remembered as she pulled out a box of cake mix, a carton of eggs, a bottle of oil, and a gallon of milk and dropped it all in her bowl without opening any of it.
"Yeah, that sounds like a fun time for you," Applejack added, a little irritated, as she turned on the faucet to fill the pot.
The tip of Pinkie's hair moved on its own, reaching into her mane and pulling out a whisk. "I know! The best part was when-!" As the hair began to vigorously stir the bowl, creating a loud machine-like mixer sound, Pinkie's own voice became drowned out. As her ingredients quickly turned to batter, the furious spinning flung bits of the mixture around the kitchen, splattering walls and oven tops. However, Pinkie continued to prattle on, regardless.
Applejack watched with amazement and concern until one of the globs fell right into her soup pot. The mush sunk down and spread out, ruining the water. Pinkie stopped spinning and babbling when Applejack shot her a disgusted squint.
"Please, step aside! This is a fashion emergency!" Rarity's extravagant entrance attracted the attention of a few customers at the fabric store that she just burst in to.
An employee trotted over and pointed out, "Uh, ma'am? There's no pony in your way."
"I meant that figuratively," Rarity responded with haste and a dismissive hoof gesture. "I require your most elegant, most exquisite, most EXPENSIVE wool you have to create a robe fit for a," Rarity covered her mouth and softly said, "sickly," before continuing at full volume, "Princess!"
"Expensive, you say! Right away ma'am!" The employee dashed off and quickly returned with a pile of fabric of varying colors.
"Aha! Excellent!" Rarity hummed with delight as she pulled out a sheet and inspected it. "Tough and sturdy... hardy, but not soft enough." She pulled out another. "It's comfortable, but not the right color. Not for Celestia." Tossing it aside, she grabbed another one. "Very plush... a little too plush. It's too dainty!" Rarity quickly scanned several more before discarding them all. "No! No! No! None of these are good enough for the Princess! I need more! Bring me more fabric!"
"Hmmm... I have heard your plea, and understand why you have come seeking me," Zecora rhymed as she turned from her conversation with Rainbow to browse her collection of remedies. Her exotically decorated home was warmed by a bubbling cauldron in the center.
"So you'll help!?" Rainbow asked, exhausted after flying the great distance back and explaining the situation.
"Many remedies in this hut I have brewed, but without seeing the patient, I know not which to choose," Zecora explained as she pointed to various unlabeled containers.
"No offense, but Twilight said there didn't seem to be a thing wrong with her," Rainbow said as she gestured in some direction, as if Twilight was standing there. "I doubt you'd notice anything different."
"Ha ha," Zecora chuckled slightly in her deep voice. "I have much faith in Twilight's magical skill, but I am not sure she knows best when it comes to the ill."
"Oh, come on Zecora! They're counting on me to bring back something useful! I can't let them down!"
Zecora pondered as Rainbow continued to plead. She concluded after some thought, "Though I am still reluctant to agree, I owe Twilight for all she has done for me. I will help you, but please take heed: these potions are only for those in need."
"Whaaaat does that mean?"
"I do not know what illness Celestia has, so you must take many different antidotes back," Zecora rhymed as she addressed Rainbow in a serious tone. "But if she does not have the disease when she takes a sip, the results could be wild and catastrophic!"
"Meeeeeaning???" Rainbow asked again, beginning to get worried.
"You must know what each medicine is for; if she takes the wrong one it will be a disaster!"
"No!" Twilight exclaimed as she tossed a book behind her onto a massive pile of discarded volumes that towered to the library's ceiling. "No! No! None of these books has a cure for a deadly disease with no symptoms!" One of the librarians brought over a new selection of literature and placed them before the frantic Princess. Without even acknowledging the pony, Twilight began to check the new books.
Spike looked down at her from a balcony with skepticism, before turning back to the book in front of him. He turned a page and halfheartedly glanced over it. Across from him, Princess Luna was checking books herself.
"So... have you ever gotten sick?" Spike asked, trying to strike up a conversation, as the two had not spoken a word since arriving.
Startled by the sudden question for a moment, the Princess of the Night tapped her chin as she tried to remember. She finally answered with simplicity, "I do not know."
"What'dya mean, you don't know?" Spike asked, confounded.
"I have lived thousands of moons, Spike. Even I cannot remember such minute details about my life. The same with my sister, I would presume. Although, we do not speak much about the past."
"Well, maybe you should," Spike offered. "You might not remember something, but maybe Celestia does! And you might have a memory of something she has forgotten."
Luna was taken aback by the suggestion. Her eyes darted across the floor as she considered the advice. However, she was interrupted by a loud cry from below. "THAT'S IT!? THAT'S ALL OF THEM!?!?" Twilight had finished looking over every book in Canterlot library, much to her disgust. "This can't be! I've checked them all, and there's nothing! There's no mention of anything Celestia could have! She was counting on me and I've- I've failed! I've failed my mentor! I've failed Canterlot! I've failed Equestria!"
Luna gracefully flew down to join Twilight with Spike riding on her back. "Don't give up yet, Twilight," Spike reassured as he hopped off Luna. "I'm sure there is something we can still do."
"And do not forget your friends," Luna pointed out. "We are not in this alone."
"My friends... You're right. Maybe one of them has had better luck..." Twilight wondered with false enthusiasm.
"I see..." Fluttershy said nervously. "So you're saying I should... knock first, call her name, say who I am and then open the door." She looked to Angel for confirmation, and he nodded in agreement. "Alright! This sounds like a plan even Twilight would approve of. I think I'm ready!" Fluttershy triumphantly marched up to the doors. She raised her foreleg up swiftly and brought it down to knock, but her hoof screeched to a halt just inches above the wood. "OH! On second thought, maybe I should wait for her to answer before I open the door!?" She quickly backed up to the other side of the hall and scrunched up against the stone in defeat. "That was close, Angel! I almost made a terrible mistake! Twilight wouldn't approve of that plan at all!"
Angel just rolled his eyes and tore off the bow on his head. "Don't worry Angel Bunny, I'll get this right. I can't mess up my entrance. I'm going into the Princess's private room, after all. Now let's see..." Fluttershy pondered as she picked up the bow and put it back on Angel lackadaisically. "So I'll knock, call her name, introduce myself, wait for a response, then open the door." Fluttershy smiled with confidence, before being struck with horror again. "But wait! What if she doesn't answer!? What if she doesn't hear me!? What if she just hears the knock and doesn't know who it is!? GASP!! What if I'm too loud and she's trying to sleep and I wake her up!?" Angel facepalmed with disappointment.
"Oh! Mmm. I'll just- think about it some more..." Fluttershy mumbled, cheeks lighting up red.
"One sec, Applejack!" Pinkie said playfully as she stuck her head underneath Applejack's torso and lifted the farm pony up with ease.
"Woah!" Applejack exclaimed at the sudden motion, dropping the ladle that was in her mouth. She dangled helplessly as Pinkie opened the oven that Applejack had been standing in front of.
"Just need to put the cupcakes in the oven!" Pinkie hummed as she popped the delectable goods in to be cooked. She lowered her head and set Applejack down, but stayed standing directly next to her.
"Uh. Heh. Heh," Applejack laughed nervously with a fake smile after being put back. She picked up the ladle and returned to stirring the soup that was heating up on the stove. Turning to get something, she became blocked by Pinkie, who was sticking out her tongue goofily. "Uh, sugarcube? Think you can move? I'm trying to cook here."
"Aw, but I want to watch the cupcakes bake!" Pinkie exclaimed as she pressed her face up against the oven window. "Which one will rise first!? It's like a race! Heeheehaahaa!!"
"Well, that sounds like a mighty good time, but you're kinda in the way."
"But I have to watch this!" Pinkie whined. "You don't mind going around me, do you?"
"Ugh. Fine," Applejack groaned. She tried to circle around Pinkie's rear, but the party pony waved her flank back and forth as she giggled and stared into the oven. Applejack had to recoil to avoid getting struck by her friend's rump with every step. Finally reaching the other side, she bent down to grab a half-barrel of apples, but Pinkie bumped her forcibly from behind. The collision knocked Applejack into the apples, spilling them around the kitchen.
"Oh, sorry Applejack!" Pinkie apologized quickly, genuinely concerned.
"Grrr..." Applejack growled through gritted teeth. "I don't even know why yer makin' cupcakes!" she yelled as she got up.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, they ain't exactly the healthiest thing to feed a sick pony," Applejack pointed out as she grumpily put the apples back in the basket.
"Not healthy!?" Pinkie exclaimed, flabbergasted. "Cupcakes make you cheerful and happy! What could be healthier than that?"
"Just about anything with less sugar," Applejack grumbled.
Pinkie gasped in horror. "NO SUGAR!?"
"That's right, no sugar!" Applejack stomped her hoof down. "Like my delicious, nutritious homemade apple soup!"
"Bleh!" Pinkie stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Apple soup? That won't make the Princess happy. No offense, but it doesn't sound very tasty."
"Aw, it's plenty tasty! I'm sure the Princess will love it," Applejack said as she went back to her pot, turning her nose up at the conversation.
"I think she'll love my cupcakes more!" Pinkie challenged as she bounced over to Applejack. "Everypony loves cupcakes!"
"She's not gonna want any cupcakes after she drinks the soup," Applejack muttered, clenching her jaw.
"What? If she drinks your soup first, it'll leave a funny taste in her mouth and cupcakes won't be as good. She should definitely eat the cupcakes first," Pinkie said nonchalantly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"No! She should drink the apple soup first!" Applejack proclaimed angrily.
"No no no! The cupcakes first," Pinkie said, becoming confrontational as well.
"Apple soup!"
"Cupcakes!"
"APPLES!"
"CUPCAKES!!!"
"No, you don't understand!" Rarity screamed at the fabric store employees. A group of them stood around four textiles laying before them. Rarity pointed at each one as she made her demands. "I need fabric that has the texture of this one, is woven like this one, but shimmers like that one and has the color of this one! If it doesn't have all these qualities, then its not perfect and I simply couldn't give it to Princess Celestia!"
"Ohhhh, I think I get it now," one of the female employees said as the others glanced at her.
"You do!?" Rarity nearly jumped in excitement. "Do you have anything that matches these qualities?"
"Actually, yeah. Right over there." The employee pointed to the register where an elderly posh looking unicorn mare placed down a bolt of fabric, ready to make her purchase.
Rarity zipped over and picked up the roll, starling the elderly mare. "Yes, yes! This is perfect! This is exactly what I need. Do you have any more!?" she hollered at the employees.
"Actually, this was the last one," the elderly mare said, addressing Rarity.
"What!?"
"It's true ma'am," the employee behind the counter confirmed. "We won't get anymore until next week."
"But I need this fabric today!" Rarity turned and pleaded to the elderly mare. "Madame, I beg of you, could you postpone your purchase and allow me to take this fabric instead?"
"Absolutely not, I need this for my granddaughter's birthday in two days. I'm sewing her a shawl."
"Oh, that sounds lovely, I'm sure she'll look beautiful in it!" Rarity complimented.
"Why, thank you!" the mare replied. Rarity beamed as the two shared a brief smile.
"But I need it more! It's for the Princess!" Rarity suddenly proclaimed, magically tugging at the fabric.
"Hooves off, you ruffian!" the mare shouted as she tugged as well, wresting it from Rarity's grip. Rarity fell backwards as a result of pulling too hard and crashed into the fabric she had piled up.
Poking her head out from the textiles, Rarity demanded, "Give me that fabric! Now!"
"Never!" The mare responded. She levitated a lengthy nearby ruler and pointed it at Rarity with determination. "En garde!"
Rarity gasped and quickly looked around for a weapon. She levitated a right angle ruler off a shelf and took a defensive stance with it. "Prêts!" she responded, readying for combat.
"Allez!" the elderly mare declared as the two charged. They swung at each other and their measuring sticks made contact. They traded blows, each only able to strike the other's weapon. As they dueled, Rarity made use of parry and riposte with her odd-shaped weapon and caught the mare off guard with her unconventionality. Employees screamed and ran for cover as the ponies battled across the store. The swashbuckling moved to the countertop when the elderly mare retreated onto it in an attempt to gain the high ground. Rarity instantly followed and they continued to fight.
"Ladies, please!" one of the employees hiding under the counter pleaded, to no avail.
Rainbow Dash slowly flew alongside the train tracks leading to Canterlot. She carried a large leather tarp full of bottles, jars and jugs hanging below her that were conveniently strapped to her back. Sweating profusely, she struggled to stay airborne, barely a foot off the ground, and looked at a piece of parchment.
"Okay, sooooo... The yellow jar with two handles is the antidote for Star Spider poisoning. But if she hasn't been bit by a Star Spider, she'll turn green for two weeks," Rainbow said to herself as she reviewed the paper. "No wait, does that say two months?" She squinted as she struggled to read the hastily written notes. "Aaaand the bottle with the purple liquid is for Foto... Fotosha... What's that say? ...shapia? If she doesn't have that, it'll sprout a tentacle from her hooves. Or maybe that's her horn? Gaaaaaah! I can't read this! Who wrote this mess!?" Rainbow waited for a response to her angry outburst, but there was none as she was alone. "Ugh. I did..." Rainbow hung her head in defeat, but continued to fly along. "Alright, what's next? ...the yellow jug with two handles... for Unicoarse Throat? I thought the yellow jug was for Star Spider poisoning?" Confused, Rainbow frantically skimmed through all her notes, trying to find it. "Here it is... Wait, there's a yellow jar and a yellow jug? What's the difference! Gaaaaaahhh!!!" Rainbow tossed the papers up in frustration.
Back in the hallway, Angel pulled with all his might on Fluttershy's hoof towards Celestia's door, actually succeeding in dragging her that direction. Resisting furiously, Fluttershy cried, "No, Angel! Wait! Please, I'm not ready! I need to go over it one more time! No, two more times! Three more times but no more, I promise!"
"Fluttershy!" Twilight called as she arrived on the scene, prompting Angel to stop. "Where is everypony? How's Celestia doing?"
"I don't know, I... haven't gone in yet..." Fluttershy admitted, patting the ground with her hoof in shame.
"What do you mean you haven't gone in!? We've been gone for hours!" Twilight yelled in a panic. Luna and Spike came up behind her and exchanged concerned looks.
"I know, but I've been so nervous, I..." Fluttershy explained, looking to Angel for support, but the bunny just crossed his tiny arms and shook his head in disappointment.
"I thought I told you to keep those sprinkles outta my soup!" Applejack snapped suddenly, voice echoing in the hall. She and Pinkie came down the other direction, both pushing a cart with their respective meals placed on them. "Now I gotta scoop them out! You'd better hope this doesn't spoil the broth!"
"Well, you spilt your gross soupy stuff on my frosting!" Pinkie retorted, holding up the treat to demonstrate. She then tossed the cupcake into her mouth and proceeded to talk while chewing it. "I'm still gonna eat it, but it's nasty!"
"What in Equestria are you two arguing about?" Twilight asked, dumbfounded, as they came up to her. Applejack and Pinkie both started recalling the events and complaining to Twilight at the same time, making neither one understandable.
Rarity added her voice to the cacophony when she screamed, "Help! HEEEELP!!!" She galloped over to her friends and jumped behind Twilight, utilizing her as a shield. Her mane and tail were disheveled and she had a few bruises on her face and torso as she clenched desperately to the bolt of fabric.
"Rarity!? What happened!?" Twilight asked upon seeing her injured friend.
"I finally got it away from her, meheHAHA!!! I thought I'd be safe inside the castle! But she's followed me here! She'll find me Twilight! She'll find me! We have to hide it!"
"WHAT!?" Twilight exclaimed, understanding none of what Rarity just said.
"What's going on!?" Spike asked in a panic as he hid behind Luna's hind leg.
"Alright! I admit it!" Rainbow cried as she flew through the open window and dropped the large tarp in the hallway, spilling the containers around. They rattled and rolled in various directions. "I don't know what any of this stuff does! I don't know what it's for! I'm not even sure what it's in! I tried to pay attention, Twilight! I really did, but she talks in rhyme! RHYME! She's trying to explain medicine and she's rhyming!"
Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow and even Fluttershy kept clamoring on without stopping and Twilight couldn't absorb all the information. She felt like she was spinning around as the voices got louder and louder until she finally screamed herself.
"ENOUGH!!!" A thunderous roar came from Celestia's room, stopping all the arguing immediately. The doors burst open with yellow magic and Princess Celestia stood, wings open in glorious regality, with a furious expression upon her face.
"Sister!" Luna cried.
"Princess!" all the lesser ponies exclaimed together.
"What are you all doing out here causing so much noise!?" Celestia demanded, slamming her hoof against the floor, causing a mild quake. All the ponies, except Luna, recoiled and fell to fetal positions. After she was greeted with silence, she spoke again. "Well!?"
All the ponies looked to Twilight and Rainbow even nudged her. Having no choice, Twilight got to her hooves, but still kept low in submission. She wasn't used to seeing Celestia so angry. "I'm sorry Princess... I'm so sorry... We were just trying to help you... I thought I could find a way to cure you, and we wanted to make you feel better but... I just now realized we may have been a bit in over our heads..."
Princess Celestia put a hoof to her forehead and sighed, returning to her more calm demeanor. "You may have also rushed to judgment, Twilight. I am not ill."
"You're not!?" all the ponies, including Luna, said with surprise.
"Ha! I knew it!" Spike piped up.
"No, I'm not. I did not feel like coming out, not because I was sick, but... because I was upset," Celestia admitted, retracting her wings. Everyone's eyes widened in shock. They all looked to each other in confusion.
"Huh? Really? You're just... sad about something?" Twilight asked, perplexed by this information.
"Yes. I was feeling troubled and I just wanted some time to myself. I hope you can understand that?"
"Well, yeah. That's pretty simple," Rainbow answered as she sneakily slid her notes from Zecora under the tarp behind her to hide them.
"Is- is there anything we can do to help?" Fluttershy managed to say.
"No, I'm afraid not," Celestia said. "It is something none of you could ever understand." She glanced at Twilight. "At least not yet," she added softly. "Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, Celestia returned to her chamber somberly and slowly closed the door. There was silence as the ponies all tried to figure out what to say or do next.
"Wow! We sure were wrong!" Pinkie said cheerfully to her friends as she pulled out another I'm Sorry balloon and handed it to Applejack.
"Indeed," Rarity added as she messed with her irregular hair. "I fear we may have been a bit misguided in our efforts." She gasped to herself as she remembered the fabric. She quickly added before hastily trotting off, "Excuse me, girls. I- I need to return this."
"We didn't help Celestia at all..." Fluttershy mumbled as she watched Rarity leave. She then took the bow off Angel for the final time. "We just made it harder on her." She hugged her bunny and he returned the gesture.
"Ugh!" Rainbow complained as she face palmed. "What a waste! I can't believe I tried to memorize all that!"
"I know what you mean," Applejack said as she still hung on to her apology balloon. "It's past noon and we spent all that time worrying for nothing. I can't help but feel like a fool."
"You and me, both," Twilight muttered.
Luna gasped when she heard the time. "Did you say it was midday? I have not moved the sun since dawn!" All the ponies looked outside curiously and saw that the sun was still hanging out near the horizon when it should be near its highest point. "I- I must correct this." Luna said. She went to the open window and concentrated. Her horn glowed as she magically grasped the sun. Even with her power, she began to sweat and twitch. She let out some very un-royal like grunts as she struggled to budge the massive celestial body. The ponies all watched with awe and worry as she dragged the sun slowly upward. It suddenly shifted west and Luna nearly fell over. Gasping, the ponies all looked at each other.
Twilight thought for a moment and stepped up beside Luna. Her horn glowed as she concentrated on the sun. Her teeth clenched as she surged with power. Luna turned to briefly look at her in shock, then continued trying to work the sun. The two Princesses struggled, but together were able to drag the sun to the highest point in the sky without any mishaps. When it was in place, they collapsed from exhaustion and their friends rushed over.
"Are you guys alright?" Rainbow asked.
"I- uh... I think so... Phew..." Twilight said with relief.
"Thank... thank you, Princess Twilight Sparkle," Princess Luna said blushing in embarrassment at her shortcoming.
"You're welcome," Twilight replied with a smile.
"You all can see it now, can't you?" Luna asked dishearteningly, addressing the ponies. "The sun is much larger and farther away than the moon and I... I am not as powerful as my sister." The ponies all exchanged glances. "I could never handle my sister's duty, yet she so easily claimed mine when I was imprisoned. This is one of my great shames."
"You shouldn't fret 'bout somethin' like that," Applejack comforted.
"Applejack's right. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Princess," Rarity added as she arrived back on the scene, having delivered the stolen fabric back to the agitated elderly mare.
"Yeah, it doesn't matter to us that you're not as powerful as Celestia." Rainbow said confidently. "You're still awesome."
"Hmmhmm!" Fluttershy nodded.
"But I am supposed to be a respected ruler of Equestria," Luna continued. "Yet, I have this great weakness within me."
"Every pony has weakness, Princess," Twilight explained with a soft voice. "Even the greatest and strongest amongst us. And it's okay to share that with friends who understand you." As she spoke to the Princess of the Night, Twilight had an epiphany. "Wait a minute... Celestia said we could never understand the problem that was bothering her."
"Yeah, that's why we need to give her space!" Pinkie said as she ate another cupcake. "I learned that lesson from Cranky once."
"Right, but I think there's a pony here who could understand," Twilight pointed to Luna, who was taken aback. "Princess, you're Celestia's sister and you've lived almost as long as she has. She might confide her troubles in you, if you ask."
"I am not so sure of that, Twilight Sparkle," Luna responded with despondence. "My sister and I have not spoken so candidly in a long time."
"It couldn't hurt to try," Spike pointed out kindly with a wink. Luna shared a smile with the dragon and then faced Celestia's door. Breathing deeply, she approached it. With confidence, she opened it and stepped inside.
Celestia sighed as her sister entered and, without facing her, said, "I believe I asked to be alone."
"I am aware, but I cannot let that continue," Luna responded with conviction.
Celestia turned to her, not with anger, but with weariness. "Did you bring Twilight and her friends here? I asked you to do no such thing."
"I know. And I am sorry, my sister. I believed they could solve this problem for me, but I realize now I shouldn't have placed this burden on them."
"What burden? This has nothing to do with any of you."
"But it does. It was my responsibility to confront you this morning." Luna walked up to Celestia and placed a hoof gently on her shoulder. "I should have confronted you, not as a fellow Princess, but as your sister... and your friend. Please, tell me, Celestia. What's wrong?"
Celestia's expression had turned to shock at the offer, but it slowly morphed into tearful relief. The Princess tried to hold back the tears, but she could no longer resist it; she had been holding back all morning. Her bottom lip trembled and she collapsed to the floor and began to sob. Luna bent down and embraced her tightly.
Back outside, Twilight smiled and carefully closed the door.
"She's crying? Oh no! That means she's feeling even worse!" Fluttershy exclaimed nervously.
"No, Fluttershy. I think it means she's going to be okay," Twilight said confidently as she led her friends away. The ponies all began to chat amongst themselves cheerfully after realizing that their part was done and Celestia would be fine. Twilight didn't speak, but smiled and thought about the diary entry she would write:
Our experience today taught us all a lesson. Actually, several lessons! The first being, don't assume you know what's happening in another pony's life, or you could make a big mistake. We also learned that even the strongest of ponies, like Celestia or Luna, can have their moments of weakness. It's up to you as a friend to help them when they need you. But sometimes, the pony they need isn't yourself, and that's okay.
The ponies made themselves comfortable in another part of the castle as they wound down. Pinkie downed an entire bowl of the soup with one gulp, licking her lips in approval afterward. Applejack laughed and took a bite of a cupcake. Fluttershy flinched when Spike dumped his cupcake into a bowl of soup and swished it around. Rarity levitated Angel's bow and stroked her chin in thought as she glanced at the bunny himself and the bow. Rainbow flew slowly in to the room, dragging the tarp of potions with her. She set it down and fell to the floor exhausted. Twilight just watched her friends and smiled.
And then Twilight coughed.