Twilight watched Celestia and Luna as they spoke. They were talking to each other in hushed voices. They stood in the corner with their backs to her. From what she could tell, they didn't want her to overhear them, but she found it strange since they could have simply stepped outside to speak privately. She wasn't paying attention to what they said, despite the words carrying to her. They went in one ear and out the other.
Their conversation was drawing to a close. She sighed and tilted her head further to the side so that she could look out of the lone window. The bright morning light streaming through it made her feel better. Being stuck in an underground room for over a week wasn't good for one's health, mental, physical, or emotional. She glanced at Princess Celestia as she walked over to her, she looked as beautiful as ever. It was almost as if just seeing Twilight awake and healing was enough to completely restore Princess Celestia's sheen. Her coat was as white as ever, and her mane almost sparkled like Luna's. Maybe it was the way the morning sunlight hit her coat. She wasn't sure.
Princess Celestia smiled brightly at her, "Good morning, Twilight," she said in her sweet motherly tone she was known for.
Twilight decided that they hadn't realized she was awake when they were talking. When she had awoken, they were in the corner, talking. It explained why they had their backs to her and were talking quietly, but still in the room. "Good morning, Celestia, Luna," she replied.
Luna strode over to them. She looked weary. Tired, even. Her mesmerizing mane and tail slowly flowed in an unseen wind, almost like they were fluids, but it looked a little slower than normal. Twilight felt like she should know why, but the reason eluded her. "It is good to see you are well, Twilight Sparkle."
"Well..." Twilight started. She paused to take stock of how she felt. It was nice, not feeling like she would vomit if she ate something. She was still nauseous, but it was tolerable. Her headache, for the most part, was just a dull throb in the back of her mind. Two days of actually being able to eat solid food did wonders for her condition, or so the doctors said. If she were honest with herself, she would agree, at least physically. She could even feel her magic getting stronger. Twilight sighed. It was definitely worse than when Lord Tirek stole her magic. Back then, she couldn't even feel her magic, so she didn't instinctually try to use it. She could still feel her magic now, and it was stronger than ever. She just couldn't use it.
It was torture.
And then there was the loneliness. Two days since she had awoken, her friends had been with her for a few hours, but most of the time was spent alone. She knew it was her own fault for not asking them to stay, but how could she? They had their own lives to take care of. Rarity had to manage her stores, Applejack had her farm, Pinkie Pie had her job at the bakery and unofficial job making sure Ponyville was happy, and Fluttershy had to take care of her animals. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had to deal with running Equestria and handling the political fallout of what happened, Princess Cadance and her brother had to manage the Crystal empire, her student and Spike had to take care of the castle and other things she would have if she wasn't in the hospital. Rainbow Dash was a Wonderbolt and still helped out with Ponyville's weather.
Celestia and Luna exchanged a worried look. "Twilight?"
Twilight blinked and looked up at her. She swallowed to compose herself before speaking. "Yes?" she asked simply. She blinked again. "Sorry... Just thinking."
Celestia bit her lip and sighed. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off when the door opened. She turned to regard whoever entered. It was a Royal Guard. He looked around uncomfortably before bowing. Celestia looked at Luna, who nodded at her before walking over to the guard and exiting the room. The door silently shut behind her. Celestia stood in silence for a few seconds before walking around closer to Twilight and sitting down on her haunches. "I am sorry, Twilight. I know you didn't want this... I did not want to lose you."
Twilight met her gaze evenly, "Princess, I already told you, it's fine. I don't hate you. I know you did it to save my life..." She sat up, supporting herself with one of her arms and turned to face Princess Celestia. Celestia bit her lip but made no move to stop her. Twilight tentatively removed her hoof from the bed and rested it against her forehead. It still hurt the same as before when she touched the bandage.
Twilight moved to slid out of the bed, "Twilight..." Celestia said in a slightly warning voice. She slowly stood up and took a step back, giving Twilight room despite wanting her to stay put.
Twilight ignored her and slid off the bed. She felt dizzy from standing up, and she spread her wings out to help balance herself. She clenched her eyes closed as her stomach became queasy from the movement. After a few seconds, it settled. She tentatively stepped forwards. It took more effort to stay upright than she would have admitted. She stood there for a few minutes before slowly walking over to the window and looking outside. Celestia moved beside her to join her.
Twilight sighed. It was a beautiful day outside, the day hadn't even really begun, and already she was bored of being stuck in the hospital. A few minutes passed, both of them just stood there, watching the day as it slowly passed, until Princess Luna returned to the room after conversing with the Royal Guard for several minutes. Celestia and Luna regarded each other evenly for a few seconds before Luna walked over to join them. A few more minutes passed, and Twilight found herself leaning on Celestia to support her weight. Eventually, Twilight pulled away and turned to walk back to bed. She wobbled slightly. Celestia wrapped a wing around her and escorted her back to her bed, then helped her back in it. Twilight laid her head down with a sigh.
She thought that since she had slept for over a week, being in a coma, she wouldn't feel the need to sleep as much afterward. She was wrong. Eventually, the call of sleep became too strong for her to resist in her weakened state, and she lost consciousness. Princess Celestia and Luna watched her sleep for several minutes before the former left, leaving Princess Luna to watch over her in her sleep.
Twilight jerked awake, her eyes darted around the room, and her breathing was quick, shallow breathes. It was dark. A quick glance out the window told her it was night, and the lights were off inside her room. She tentatively forced herself up into a sitting position and rested a hoof against her temple, massaging it gently. She forced herself to take a deep breath and she held it for several seconds before slowly exhaling. She turned to the table beside her bed and reached out with her magic levitate the glass of water over to herself.
She gritted her teeth as she was reminded of what was taken from her. She shifted her weight and slid across her bed until she managed to reach out with her hooves and grasp the cup of water. She carefully lifted it from the table and brought it over to herself. She sat up and brought the straw to her lips to drink from. As soon as she had her fill, she put the cup back and sat still in the darkness for what felt like an eternity before she shifted her weight and looked around the dark room once more. The door was shut, and the window was, unsurprisingly, closed.
The room felt cold and stuffy, and while her body was warm beneath the bedsheets, it was uncomfortable. A quick check told her that nopony else was present. She was alone. She sighed and rubbed her temple harder. After a few seconds, she tentatively touched her hoof to the bandage replacing her horn. She winced. She suspected it would always be a sensitive spot for the rest of her life, however long that was. She looked around the room again, then slid out of the bed and stood on shaky hooves.
She walked over to the window and propped herself against the wall to help support herself. Looking out over the town during the night, it looked absolutely beautiful. The view still didn't compare to the view from her own castle, but it was pleasant. She looked at the sky, the dark blues and purples broke only by the moon and the countless millions of stars. Each one, a jewel adorning the beautiful night sky. She looked towards the ground, the soft moonlight cast everything in a pale light. Just looking at it made her drowsy again, and she felt relaxed. It would have been a lovely night for a stroll or a flight. She looked back towards the sky, not a single cloud was in sight. She couldn't remember the weather schedule, but it was probably supposed to be this clear. It was a perfect night for stargazing too. There were so many things she would have loved to be doing, and she was stuck in a hospital room, wasting away while she 'recovered' from the 'accident.'
It would have been a nice night to spend with Rainbow Dash. The thought turned bitter in her throat, and she swallowed before forcing back tears. Rainbow Dash didn't hate her, but she didn't return her feelings. As much as she told herself that would be what happened, it still didn't prepare her for rejection, and it hurt. She had always hoped to be wrong when it came to that, but at least she didn't ruin their friendship. She didn't know what she would have done if she had. No, actually she did know what she did because of thinking she ruined their friendship. She clenched her eyes shut and focused on her breathing.
She stood against the wall for a few more minutes before cautiously walking into the bathroom. She instinctually tried to turn on the light and close the door with her magic. She exhaled sharply and bucked the door closed. Her leg hurt from the effort, but it served to take her mind off of other pain. She turned to the mirror and looked at her reflection. Her mane had been cut shorter. It still looked like her mane, but it'd be a few weeks before it was back to the length she liked. Most of her attention was drawn to the white bandage which replaced her horn.
She stepped forward and rested against the sink before lifting a hoof to nudge the bandage. As expected, it hurt, and she winced. She withdrew her hoof and trailed along the medical tape which wrapped under her ears and connected behind her head. The back of her mane was still like it should have been, much to her pleasure. The tape wouldn't hurt when it was removed, and she looked forwards to it being gone. It'd still be a while before it was gone. Her accelerated healing was getting back to a more normal rate for her, but where her horn had been was taking a while to heal.
She reached out with her hoof and turned the cold water faucet on to its highest setting, then picked up a washcloth with her wing and wetted it before closing her eyes and throwing it over her muzzle, letting the cold cloth cool her already chilly fur even further. After a few seconds, water ran down her muzzle, then her neck, and down her chest. She ignored it and turned off the water, then dropped the cloth to the floor. She wiped the water from her face with her other wing and flapped both of them to get the water off of them. She turned to the door and opened it then slowly made her way back over to the window. It felt like the air had more bite to it because of her wet fur, but she ignored it.
She spread her wings and looked at them in turn before looking back out the window and letting them fall to her sides. She shook her head and walked back to her bed and slid under the covers. She laid her head down on the pillow and pulled the covers tight around her neck to trap in heat. She stared at the ceiling until she eventually fell back to sleep.
Twilight groaned as she woke up. She blinked several times to clear her vision and then stretched out her body before relaxing it. After a few seconds, she turned to look out the window and frowned. It was the middle of the day. Normally, she had a lot of things to do or occupy her time with. Now that she didn't, it was boring, and getting on her nerves. She didn't have anything to occupy her time with. She looked back at the ceiling and scowled. It felt like the white ceiling was mocking her for being stuck under it.
She had the power, not magically, but authoritatively, to fix that. A simple royal decree and the ceiling wouldn't be white. Though the fumes would probably get to her if she stayed in the room while they painted it, and that wouldn't be good. She grunted and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She gave the ceiling one last stern glare before deciding to have mercy on it. It would have been a waste of her time to issue such a decree.
Then again, she didn't really have anything better to do.
She massaged her temples with her hooves and forced the rogue thought away. She looked towards the door, it was cracked open slightly, but for the most part closed. A quick glance around the room confirmed that she was once more, unsurprisingly, alone. She was growing acquainted to being alone, though, and she didn't blame anypony for it. For one, it would supposedly help her recover faster. Resting, not having to deal with other ponies. Her friends still came by in the evening, and she relished that time, but during the afternoon or morning, she was generally alone since Celestia and Luna had to go back to Canterlot, and her brother, sister-in-law, and neice had to go back to the Crystal Empire. They had all apologized profusely, but she waved it off. They had more important things to take care of, after all, it wasn't like she was dying now.
She shook the thought away and looked at her body. She wasn't exactly a mess, but she wasn't exactly well groomed either. She extended her right wing out and looked it over. In particular, it looked worse than the rest of her body. That probably had something to do with it being close to two weeks since she last preened. She folded her wing back to her side and groaned, "So bored..." She sat in silence for several minutes, just thinking, before finally sliding her body out of bed.
She was a little too eager to get out of bed and found herself sprawled out on the floor. She would have sworn she saw specks of white light darting around in her vision, but when she blinked they were gone. She laid on the floor for a few seconds while the new pains set in, then tentatively pushed her body into a standing position. She must have fallen hard on her left arm, because she found herself half-limping over to the window, wincing each time she put her weight on her injured arm. When she reached the window, she rested some of her weight against the wall to make it easier for her to stand up.
She was supposed to be stronger than that. She was an alicorn, she was supposed to be strong. She was strong before, though granted, Applejack was still stronger than her because she wasn't very physically active. The radiation hadn't just robbed her horn and magic from her, it even robbed her strength. 'So now I'm just a pegasus,' she shook her head at the thought and mulled it over. There wasn't anything wrong with being a pegasus, but she had been born a unicorn, then ascended into an alicorn. She had her magic her entire life, being born a unicorn. When she ascended into an alicorn, her magic grew even stronger. And now that she was a pegasus, she couldn't use magic. She deserved an award of some kind. 'Most transformations into other kinds of ponies in three years' sounded about right. She smiled a little at the thought.
Eventually, she found herself zoning out as she watched the day go by. After a while, the door opened. She tilted her head back to see who it was. "Doctor Manner," she casually acknowledged.
Doctor Manner pursed his lips at seeing Twilight out of her bed. For a few seconds, he just stood in the doorway. "Princess... You should be in bed, resting," he said softly. She could hear concern and pity in his voice.
Twilight turned her head to face him. She wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure what she wanted to say. After a few seconds, she relented and pushed away from the wall and walked back to her bed. Doctor Manner walked over to her intending to her her back into the bed, but Twilight managed to pull herself back onto the bed and laid down before he reached her.
Doctor Manner stopped beside the bed, "I'll have one of the nurses bring you lunch in a few minutes... Anything, in particular, you'd like?" he asked as he laid a hoof over Twilight's heart. Each time it beat, he made note of it and how it felt.
Twilight mulled it over. Her appetite was still recovering, though she was eating like normal. It just didn't taste as good as before. Then again, it was hospital food, so maybe that was why it didn't taste as good. "Not really," she answered.
Doctor Manner nodded and withdrew his hoof away from Twilight's heart. He ran it down her stomach and pressed, earning an uncomfortable grunt from Twilight. He levitated a clipboard from one of his white coat's pockets, along with a pen, and quickly scribbled a note down. "Still hurts?"
"Yes..." Twilight hissed.
"Sorry," Doctor Manner apologized as he let up on the pressure. He ran his hoof to the other side of her abdomen and pressed, "What about this?"
"No," Twilight answered.
The doctor nodded, mostly to himself, and pulled his hoof back and pressed on her side closest to him, "This?"
Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. It was a little uncomfortable, but she wouldn't say it actually hurt. "Maybe a little," she tentatively replied.
Doctor Manner scribbled another note down. After he finished, he ran his hoof along Twilight's side, pressing against her at what seemed like random intervals. He paid close attention to her facial expression each time he pressed, noting any reactions or lack or reactions. "You seem to be healing nicely if that wasn't that painful," he commented. He slid his hoof over her chest and started pressing at random spots, watching her reaction. It was mostly even, and it never really looked like she was in pain, just uncomfortable at times. He levitated a stethoscope over to her and pressed it against her right lung, "Deep breath," he ordered.
Twilight did as instructed and took a deep breath. "Good," he said, "exhale." Twilight exhaled and Doctor Manner listened intently to her lungs as the air passed out of it, then he slid the stethoscope to the other side of her chest, "Deep breath." Twilight once more inhaled deeply, letting the doctor listen to her breathing. "Exhale," he said. "Breath normally."
After a few seconds, he levitated the stethoscope away. "Your lungs seem to be fine now," he said with a smile.
Twilight was glad to hear her lungs were fine. Coughing up blood wasn't very fun. She tilted her head towards Doctor Manner and watched him for a few seconds. "So when do I get released?" she asked.
Doctor Manner smiled sadly, "Sorry, Princess. It'll be a while."
Twilight sighed, then winced as Doctor Manner lightly touched the bandage. He grimaced at her reaction. After a few seconds to think, he turned his head towards the door and shut it, then looked back at Twilight and gently undid the tape around it, pulled back her mane and levitated the bandage away from her forehead. He squinted at it and rubbed his chin with a hoof. After a few seconds, he pressed it back down on Twilight's head and held it there with his magic, then pulled out another bandage. "Your friend Rainbow Dash came by last night after you fell asleep," he said as he levitated the bandage off of her head and opened the plastic bag holding the fresh one. He quickly pulled the medical tape off of her and pulled out a clean roll, then levitated the old bandage into the plastic bag and set it aside. "Are you two very close?" he asked while placing the fresh bandage over where her horn once was.
Twilight winced briefly from the contact before numbness set in. "I... don't know. Sort of..." she answered while Doctor Manner wrapped the medical tape around her head to hold the bandage to her.
"She seemed disappointed that you were asleep," he said as he walked over to the trashcan and dropped the plastic bag along with old medical tape into it. He walked back over to her, Twilight gave him a wry expression. Doctor Manner smiled sadly as he pulled out a syringe, Twilight eyed the needle. "Sorry about this," he said as he came to a stop beside her bed. He levitated out a sterile cleaning pad and sterilized a spot on Twilight's arm. "I know it's not really any of my business, but she was wearing your regalia that first day after..." he trailed off as he stuck the needle into her arm. Twilight winced at the sharp pain as he injected the medicine. She could feel the cold fluid being forced into her arm, and it made her queasy. When he finished, the pain was replaced with a dull tingling sensation, and then he pulled the needle out with his magic. "After you two... slept together..." he said tentatively. He levitated a small bandage over to Twilight and held it against her arm where the needle went in.
Twilight sighed longingly, "I did sleep well that night," she mused. She shook her head, "I asked her out on a date a few hours before the reactor..." Doctor Manner grimaced. "She said no, which... really wasn't surprising... Disappointing yes, but..."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Doctor Manner said while disposing of the empty syringe.
Twilight bobbed her head, "I knew she would say no, but... I just needed to ask her." She thought back to that morning, then the previous night. "If... I had not recovered, I wanted her to have it..."
"Your regalia means a lot to you, doesn't it?" the doctor asked.
Twilight thought about it for a few seconds, "I... guess it does. I know it's just jewelry, but... It's special. It's almost a part of me..." she trailed off.
Doctor Manner pulled the cloth away from her arm and scrutinized it for any sign of bleeding. No signs were forthcoming. "Well... you don't need to worry about any of this leaving this room or hospital... I just felt like I should say so."
"Thank you," Twilight replied.
"You know, I think you're doing well enough that we could let a friend or two spend the night... in your room... with you, if you wanted," Doctor Manner replied.
Twilight smiled wryly, "They're probably all busy anyway."
Doctor Manner sighed at that. "Surely it couldn't hurt to ask? They might be busy, but you never know. They are your friends." He shook his head sadly, then took Twilight's wing in his magic and examined her feathers for any signs of damage. He carefully ran over each feather in his magic, then moved on to the next, until he went over each feather. "Well, your feathers look fine... Any pain while I was doing that?"
Twilight shook her head, "No."
"Good," he replied. He once more scrutinized her wings and feathers. "It does look like you could stand to preen your wings, but other than that, they seem healthy." Twilight grimaced as he walked around to the other side of the bed and repeated the process with her other wing. Doctor Manner nodded to himself, "Well, despite being exposed to that much radiation, you're one of the healthiest pegasi I've ever seen," he said with a smile. Twilight smiled back at him. "Alright, well... Anything else you need?" Twilight shook her head. Doctor Manner nodded and turned to leave, "I'll have the nurse bring you something to eat... It should be here in a few minutes. I hope you have a nice day, Princess," he said with a smile as he opened the door and then walked out of the room.
True to his word, a few minutes later a nurse brought in food for her to eat. As usual, the nurse stayed to help her eat it. Or, more accurately, to feed her. It still felt demeaning, but she wasn't going to complain, she didn't feel like making a fool of herself again. At least not until she was home with Spike and Starlight and with nopony else around.
She would be a burden to them when she was released, more than before. She didn't really know how to take care of herself without her magic. It was a frightening and overwhelming thought.
Princess Celestia groaned and lifted a hoof to her temple, then firmly massaged it. It came as no surprise that ever since the accident with the reactor, which clearly wasn't an accident, there had been a backlash against all things nuclear. She opened her eyes and re-read the paper. It was the tenth complaint about reactors she had seen that day. One isolated case of sabotage, and suddenly everypony wants every reactor in Equestria shut down. Not that they actually knew it was sabotaged. She wasn't going to let that information escape, nor was she going to let whoever was responsible escape. She could understand their concern, but it was ludicrous.
She reached out with her magic and grasped the bottle of wine and wine glass sitting on her nightstand in her bedchambers, then levitated it all the way through the room and into her study, then over to herself and poured a generous quantity of the liquid into the glass. She tilted the glass around briefly while contemplating what to do. The wine was good, a replica of some of the finest wine from before her sister descended into madness. A perfect replica, if she were to be asked, but of course, she was the one who replicated it, so pride might have influenced her reply. It even tasted a thousand years old. She sighed, then levitated the glass to her mouth and took a quick drink, letting a small quantity of the liquid flow through her lips and caress her tongue. She levitated the glass down and then swallowed. The taste it left in her mouth was nostalgic, bringing back memories, some good, and others she would rather forget.
She forced the thoughts away and teleported the paper into the sun. If anyone asked her, she would say she misplaced it. They were getting on her nerves, using her valuable time she could have been using in better ways. Every second she spent going over another complaint could have been spent figuring out who, or what, was responsible for the sabotage, and the pain caused to Twilight. Shining Armor and Luna were working on it, along with half the Royal Guard, and some of the brightest minds Equestria had to offer. It was still slow going.
And it weighed heavily on her mind. She wanted to be with Twilight right then, but she couldn't, she had royal duties. One of the drawbacks of her position, and spending so much time in Ponyville really cut into her schedule. And it cut into Luna's schedule also. And Cadance's schedule. Things were hectic in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, which was unsurprising, considering that she had not released a lot of information about Twilight's condition.
The media was going crazy because of that. Every time a news outlet ran a story about a rumor that Twilight had died, everypony panicked and she had to reassure them, not that she didn't want to. She just explained what she had explained before, that Twilight stopped the reactor meltdown but was exposed to high levels of radiation, and that she was recovering. She never mentioned the details, especially where she was. A lot of the ponies in Ponyville knew she was in the hospital, but they didn't talk about it or say anything. Twilight was their friend, they weren't about to make life harder for her by spreading rumors or talking to news outlets in other cities.
There was a knock at her door, a welcomed reprieve. "Enter," she called out calmly as she stood up and turned towards the door.
The door glowed in a familiar light blue aura, and Princess Luna strode into her room, then silently closed the door behind her. Luna briefly surveyed the room before looking into Celestia's bedchambers. From Celestia's magnificently large and plush bed, with red velvet silk covers and pillows, to the cold marble floor, shiny enough to see one's own reflection, each aspect of the room proudly displayed their wealth and the work and love put into her chambers, like her own. She briefly traced over the golden designs set in the marble before meeting her sister's gaze, "The Yaks heard about what happened," she said evenly.
Celestia visibly winced at hearing about that. After a second to compose herself, she spoke, "Did they-"
"They send their condolences, and hope Twilight gets well soon," Luna answered.
Celestia levitated her glass of wine back to her lips and took another small drink before setting it back down. "Perhaps we should have sent Twilight to negotiate with them instead of both of us going... They actually like her."
Luna grimaced and tilted her head side to side, contemplating her response. "Perhaps that would have been wiser, but considering she almost started a war with them..." Celestia grimaced at that reminder. Luna shook her head and then walked over to the balcony door. Celestia followed her, and Luna opened the door with her magic, then stepped outside, followed by Celestia.
Celestia walked to the railing and rested a hoof atop it, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For several seconds, neither of them said anything, choosing instead to enjoy the view or the feeling of wind blowing through their manes and coats. When Celestia opened her eyes, she looked out at Ponyville. "Do you think we were wrong to embrace the technology?"
Luna glanced at Celestia and considered it. "I do not know, sister. Equestria has always been prosperous, and unlike other nations, we have not mindlessly destroyed the environment in the name of progress. The reactor technology is still new, and perhaps Ponyville wasn't the best choice for a reactor to be built, being so close to the Everfree Forest, along with being a prime target for..."
Celestia smiled wryly, "In hindsight, I have to agree. Twilight wanted it, though, she was excited at the prospect."
"She used to be so curious... She still is, but the likeness of a foal's curiosity has left her," Luna replied. "She has seen a lot and done a lot in these past years. She is not as young and naive as she once was, but she is stronger and wiser for it..." she trailed off. "In a few centuries, perhaps all three of us will look back and laugh at our stupidity," Luna said with a smile, eliciting one from Celestia as well. Silence reigned between the pair for several seconds, both of them just watching the growing shadow cast by Canterlot as the sun traveled to the west. "The decontamination is progressing quickly," Luna said.
Celestia nodded, "That is good news."
"Indeed it is, sister," Luna agreed.
"I worry about her, Luna," Celestia said.
Luna walked over to her sister and nuzzled her neck, "She will be fine, 'Tia. She is a strong pony. It will just take time."
"What if her horn never grows back?" Celestia asked as she turned to face Luna. "I don't want to see her so unhappy... I know how much her magic means to her..."
Luna sighed. "Maybe it will never grow back. If it does not, she will adjust."
Celestia smiled half-heartedly. It was one thing she missed during Luna's thousand year imprisonment, her support, and her reassurance. While Luna wasn't always the most optimistic pony, she could lean on her to support her, and Luna could lean on her for support. It was one of the benefits of having a sister you could share everything with. Though their relationship had been strained after her return. Both of them fought through it and reunited. She liked to think they were closer than ever now. "You still have not told me what Twilight said to you when you entered her mind..."
Luna sighed, "Sister, I promised I would not speak a word of it... Losing her horn was hard on her, and it still is. Every night, I can sense her pain. Her dreams are troubled..."
"Perhaps you should talk to her?"
Luna smiled softly, "I have tried. Most of the time she does not even acknowledge my presence in the dreamscape. I am not sure if it is intentional or not. Her mind is very... preoccupied right now." Celestia looked back at Ponyville. "She has her friends to help her, sister. I know you want to be with her, but she will do better with them than with us."
Celestia sighed. "I hope you're right, Lulu...."
Twilight grunted as she opened her eyes. The soft rays of moonlight flooding through the window painted the room in a serene glow that felt almost like a dream. She knew it wasn't a dream. For one, if it had been, either somepony would have been with her or it would have been a nightmare.
She stared up at the ceiling. For once, it didn't mock her. Instead, it looked almost sorry for her. Getting a solid night's rest was impossible, she concluded after her experiences the past four nights. She knew four nights was too small of a sample to scientifically conclude it was accurate, but she didn't care. She would always wake up in the middle of the night at least once, sometimes more than once. Sometimes she would fall back to sleep easily enough, other times it took a while.
Considering that she still slept a large portion of the days, she was surprised it annoyed her that she couldn't sleep through the entire night. Generally, she awoke from a dream or nightmare. Once or twice it had been from pain, but that was the first night after she woke up from the coma.
She tilted her head to look out of the window, the moon stared back at her. She slid her hooves beneath the covers of the bed and rested them on her abdomen before gently massaging her stomach, hoping to relieve some of the pain. After a few minutes, she sighed and pushed the covers off of herself with her wings, immediately the heat they trapped in was lost to the cool hospital air. She shivered lightly, then scooted over to the edge of the bed and carefully stepped down.
She turned to look at the heart rate monitor and smiled. She was very glad the accursed device was no longer needed, the incessant beeping was driving her mad. She had made herself a Pinkie Pie Promise that if it drove her insane, she would take somepony with her. Fortunately, the doctors, mostly Doctor Manner, decided that she was well enough that it wasn't necessary. Her status as an alicorn and a princess might have influenced their decision more than a little bit.
She walked over to the window and listened as her hooves clopped against the tiled floor. The gentle rhythm was relaxing and ended all too soon. When she reached the window, she just stared out of it, spacing out, letting her thoughts wander. After a few minutes, she turned around and sat on her haunches. The cold floor bit into her flanks, but she ignored it and leaned against the cold wall. She brought her forehooves to her temples and rubbed them gently. After a few seconds, she winced. One of her hooves had made its way up to the bandage where her horn was supposed to be. She didn't remember telling her hoof to do that.
She shivered as the cool air circulated around the room. She glanced at the clock, it read three in the morning. She grimaced not knowing how long she had been awake for. She shook the thought aside and forced her body back onto her hooves. She looked around the room briefly, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Her gaze was drawn to the balloons Pinkie Pie left her, along with the cards and streamers decorating the chair closest to her bed. The sight caused her to smile.
Eventually, she walked back over to the bed and laid down again. She pulled the covers back over herself and rested one hoof on her chest and the other on her abdomen. She laid like that for a few minutes before rolling over onto her side to face the window. She unfurled her right wing and let it hang over her body, trapping more warmth to her chest than before. She slid her hoof away from her abdomen and put it underneath the pillow she laid on. Eventually, she curled up and fell asleep again. She wished Rainbow Dash was with her, with her warm body pressed against hers, like her first night in the hospital.
If anypony had been present and looking, they would have seen a tear roll down her muzzle as she slept.
Spike nearly tackled Twilight to the floor as he jumped up to hug her. Twilight wrapped an arm around him and squeezed him firmly as she sat down on her haunches. She nuzzled his cheek and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I missed you the last time you were here, Spike..."
Spike squeezed her neck tighter, "It's okay... I know you need to sleep to get better and all that..."
"You should still be in bed, Princess," Doctor Manner said in his well-known, kind yet stern, warning voice.
Twilight rolled her eyes at him, "Thank you, Doctor, but I am doing fine."
Doctor Manner sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with her, and in actuality, she was correct. She was well enough to be out of bed, but that didn't mean he liked it. "I will be back in half an hour to check on you," he said as he left the room.
Starlight smiled wryly as he left, "I tried convincing the others to come, but they were preoccupied..."
Twilight loosened her grip on Spike and lowered him to the floor, then she nuzzled the top of his head, rubbing against his spines. She looked at Starlight and sighed, "It's fine. I'm not surprised. I mean, it's not like I'm dying now or anything." Starlight and Spike exchanged a worried look, Twilight's tone said something was wrong.
"You don't... sound like it's fine..." Starlight said softly. She looked back at the door, then closed it with her magic and walked over to Twilight. Twilight stepped forwards and met her with an embrace, they hugged each other tightly, showing their support and friendship, not as teacher and student, but as friend and friend.
Twilight broke the hug, looked away and sighed. "It's just... It feels like we've been drifting apart for a few months. Everypony's so busy now, I mean, I don't blame them, and it's not all their fault. I'm as much to blame as any of them, between my princess duties and... well... It's just... hard."
Starlight nodded sympathetically, she knew from personal experience what it was like to drift apart from friends. "Hey," she said reassuringly, "It'll be okay, alright? You'll be out of here in no time, and when that happens, you can spend all the time in the world with them." She smiled.
Twilight's ears drooped to her head and she sighed again. "I doubt that," she said softly.
"Cheer up, Twilight!" Spike said as he hopped onto her back and latched around her neck. Twilight smiled at his antics. "You're the Princess of Friendship, you have all sorts of friends, and none of them will ever abandon you!"
Twilight's mind wandered at that. She put on a forced smile in an attempt to appease the young dragon, though it was difficult when her mind was wandering into territory she tried her hardest to avoid. For whatever reason, the thoughts weren't as depressing when she first realized, compared to now. Starlight squinted at her, she clearly saw through the forced smile. Twilight sighed, "Maybe I should just..." She shook her head. "I know they care about me..." Twilight was cut off by Starlight pulling her into another hug. Twilight leaned into the hug and rested against Starlight's shoulder.
They stayed like that for several minutes. Eventually Twilight pulled back, and they separated after Starlight squeezed her again.
Silence reigned between the trio, none of them were sure what to say. Eventually, Starlight broke the silence, "I talked to Rainbow yesterday... She was doing well and wanted to know how you were doing. I told her you were doing better... She wanted me to tell you she's sorry she is so busy right now, and she said to tell you she promises to make it up to you." Twilight felt a smile tug at her lower lip.
"Is there anything we can get you, Twilight?" Spike asked.
Twilight bobbed her head. "The hospital food isn't that great, and it's been a while since... certain alicorn dietary requirements... have been... met..." she trailed off absently. She almost found herself salivating as she thought about it. Both of them knew what she was talking about, so she didn't need to actually say what she needed, which, she preferred. She didn't like talking about it, nor did any of the other princesses.
Starlight and Spike both nodded, the former nodded absently. "When you get released to the castle I'll fix up that dish you really like," Spike said.
Twilight looked at him with a sheepish smile, "Thanks, Spike... But it could still be a while before they let me out of... this... place..." She didn't even try to mask her distaste.
Starlight and Spike smiled wryly.
Twilight opened her eyes and squinted in the darkness. She thought she had heard a sound. It was a soft sound, almost like a door opening. Upon closer inspection, she saw a fading beam of light falling on the wall. The door closed with a soft click. She groaned and pushed herself up and looked towards the source of the sound. She blinked in surprise, thinking her eyes were deceiving her. She was still standing there, watching her. "Rainbow Dash..."
Rainbow smiled sheepishly at her as she flew over to the bed and landed on the floor before sitting down. She was still wearing her Wonderbolt's uniform, hiding most of her body, but her unkempt Rainbow mane and deep, magenta eyes gave her away. "Hey..." she said softly. "I uh... didn't mean to wake you."
Twilight smiled and pushed herself all the way up, "It's fine."
Rainbow shifted her weight uncomfortably. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much... I've been... busy..." she thought back to her Wonderbolt training. All of the Wonderbolts heard about what happened, and they doubled down on their training because of it. Instead of getting a holiday, they redoubled their effort, they needed to be in their best shape should anything else happen, especially if whatever happened necessitated their deployment. Spitfire, however, cut her some slack, she knew Rainbow was one of Twilight's friends.
"I know you're busy..." Twilight trailed off. After a few seconds, she shifted her weight to the side and motioned Rainbow to join her on the bed.
Rainbow ruffled her wings, shifted her weight, and looked away from Twilight, "I just got back from training... so I haven't had a shower or anything."
Twilight looked at her in mock surprise, "You mean you actually take showers?" Rainbow snorted, Twilight smiled. "Please?" she asked softly. Rainbow relented and stood up, then pulled herself onto the bed and sat beside Twilight. Both of them looked out the window at the rising moon, watching as it slowly rose into the sky.
"Starlight said you were feeling better," Rainbow commented idly.
Twilight nodded, "Yeah... Coughing up blood isn't as fun as it sounds..." her face scrunched up at the memory of the taste.
"It doesn't sound fun anyway..." Rainbow said with a frown.
Twilight shifted her weight away from Rainbow and turned her head to face her. "How are things with the Wonderbolts?" she asked.
Rainbow set her forehooves back on the bed behind her and leaned back slightly while taking a deep breath. "Really busy. The princesses have kept the fact that the reactor was sabotaged away from the public, but we know. So we're training our flanks off now. Captain Spitfire wants us to be ready for anything. She seems to think it was intended as a prelude to a full-scale invasion," she said with a roll of her eyes.
Twilight snorted at that, "Anypony foolish enough to do that isn't a threat."
Rainbow shook her head, "Yeah, but she has a point, though. We should be ready to respond to anything..." she trailed off with a grimace, hoping that the 'anything' Spitfire referred to didn't mean the death of one of the princesses. Especially not the death of the princess sitting beside her, her friend. "And considering that the Wonderbolts haven't had the best track record lately..." Both of them grimaced.
"Well... I'm sure we can handle anything the Wonderbolts can't..." Twilight trailed off, she wasn't sure if she believed that now. Sure, her friends and herself had a great track record, but that could have been pure luck. She couldn't help but worry that their luck was running out, and in her condition, her ability to help them was diminished. Maybe Starlight could help make up for that, so maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she worried it would be.
Rainbow looked at her and halfway smiled. After a few seconds, her smile left her. "So when are they letting you go?"
Twilight sighed, "I don't know."
Rainbow looked at her seriously, "What's wrong?"
Twilight waved her concern away with a hoof, "I'm just... I'm still recovering, that's all." She paused, then added, "The expect me to make a full recovery... with a few... exceptions..."
Rainbow looked at the bandage on Twilight's forehead. She grimaced at the sight and remembered her conversation with Starlight. "Your horn?" she cautiously asked in a soft voice.
Twilight sighed and nodded. Her ears folded back down, she didn't like it when others mentioned it. "Among... other things..."
Rainbow let the words hang in the air for several seconds before speaking again, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I don't know..." Twilight answered.
Rainbow shifted her weight and sat normally. She watched Twilight intently, making sure she hadn't pressed too hard. Twilight eventually shook her head. She grimaced and looked away from Twilight and out the window. They sat in silence for a few minutes, and the cold air eventually got to her since she was no longer moving. She shivered and fidgeted on the bed. She hated hospitals.
Twilight leaned on her and wrapped her wing around Rainbow's back. She was surprised by how cold she felt, and she was sure that the damp suit didn't help that any. She thought about asking how hard they were pushing her, or how hard she was pushing herself, but decided against it. Twilight pulled her closer to her and felt her cold, damp suit press against her side.
Rainbow squirmed for a second before stopping and letting herself relax. "Thanks..." she said awkwardly. In the quiet stillness, she soon found her thoughts focused on the alicorn beside her. Her gentle heartbeat, her breathing, her warmth, the softness of her fur and feathers pressed against her unprotected wings. She wondered what it would feel like if she didn't have the suit on, but pushed the thought aside. Twilight herself felt a little cold but still warmer than herself. She still welcomed her warmth, even if it felt awkward to her. Twilight wanted to rest her head against Rainbow's shoulder but decided not to push her luck. Rainbow just sitting beside her was enough for her, knowing that they were still friends and that she hadn't ruined their friendship.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Rainbow looked at the clock and grimaced. She looked at Twilight and smiled apologetically, "I should go and let you get some sleep..."
Twilight bit her lip. "You can... stay here, you know. I wouldn't... mind..." 'No, I would actually prefer that...'
Rainbow winced. "Uh... Sorry, I still have to go to the academy in the morning... I really should get going... My stuff's at my house and all that..."
Twilight nodded and held in a sigh as she retracted her wing from around Rainbow's back. For a few seconds, both of them just sat there. Eventually, Rainbow slid off the bed and flew towards the door. Twilight watched her evenly as she flew away. Rainbow paused once she reached the door and looked back at Twilight. She smiled apologetically. "Hey... uh... I'll... try to stop by again tomorrow night..." she said. After a few seconds of silence, Twilight nodded and smiled. Rainbow opened the door and slid out into the hallway, watching Twilight watching her leave.
Twilight sat in silence for a few seconds before laying back down and pulling the covers back over herself.
Rainbow groaned as she landed on her cloud yard and walked to the front door of her cloud house. She pushed it open with a sighed and immediately closed it, then stripped off her Wonderbolt uniform before picking it up in her mouth. She ignored the darkness and walked towards the stairs at the end of the hallway, paying her kitchen and living room no mind. She stopped before the stairs and then lifted off and flew to the top of the stairs and landed. She immediately turned to her right and walked the rest of the way to her bedroom.
She ignored her large cloud bed and headed straight for the master bathroom. The second she was inside, she closed the door behind her with a swift kick, then deposited the dirty Wonderbolt uniform into the laundry hamper and flipped on the lights with her wings, flooding the room with light. She looked at the hamper wryly for a few seconds before turning her attention to her reflection in the mirror.
She barely gave it a second glance before she stepped into the shower and turned it on hot. At first, she winced as cold water came rushing out through the metal shower head and shivered, then she slowly relaxed as it quickly heated up. She sat down on her haunches and hung her head, just let the hot water run over her body for several minutes. The hot water was relaxing and helped her tense muscles recover from their vigorous workout. One perk of her own shower, it could get hotter than the ones at the academy, and she welcomed it. She would never say so to Spitfire.
She turned her head and grabbed the bottle of shampoo in her mouth, then squirted some on her hooves and went to work on her mane. After lathering it up, she closed her eyes and ducked her head back under the stream of water and massaged her head, getting the soap suds out of her mane and cleaning it.
She repeated the process with her tail and then spent several minutes washing the rest of her body before turning off the water. She stood in the shower for a few minutes, just thinking while the excess water drained from her coat, mane, and tail. Eventually, she stepped out, grabbed a towel and dried herself off, then walked back in front of the full body mirror.
She extended her wings and scrutinized them in the mirror, then she carefully eyed over each feather. There were a few feathers out of place. She quickly corrected each one, bringing her wing up and tilting it so she could access it with her mouth. One of the feathers was damaged, and she pulled it out quickly, then spit it out in the trash. After repeating the process with her other wing, she opened the door and walked back into her bedroom.
She looked around briefly, it felt so empty. There were posters of the Wonderbolts on her walls and shelves with trophies, but it still felt empty. She looked at her nightstand and smiled at the picture sitting on it. It was one with all of her friends, the day of Twilight's coronation. "Good times..." she sighed fondly at the memory.
She flew over to her bed and landed. Immediately, she slid under the blanket and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to take her.
She was exhausted, so very, very exhausted, physically. Mentally, her mind was wandering against her will. It made her groan and roll over. After a few minutes, she sat up and slid out of bed, then walked out of her room, flew down the stairs and into the kitchen. She knew her kitchen like the back of her hoof, and she skillfully navigated her way to the refrigerator, then pulled out a carton of milk and took a long drink.
She put the milk back and stood in the darkness for a few seconds, then turned around and headed through the cloud hallway and into the living room. She walked over to the couch and lied down, laying her head on the armrest and kicking her hooves off the end. She let her wings go limp at her sides, and just stared at the ceiling, doing nothing, and thinking about nothing.
She felt bad about leaving Twilight so suddenly, but she hadn't lied. And since Spitfire going easy on her meant she had to fly from Ponyville to the Wonderbolts Academy twice a day, she really had needed to go. Besides, she had promised to stop by again tomorrow. She closed her eyes and let her mind go blank again. After a few minutes, she felt the draw of sleep, and slowly made her way back to her own bed before sliding under the covers and falling asleep.
Rainbow groaned as the incessant beeping of her alarm clock jarred her from her peaceful slumber. She curled up under the covers before extending her limbs and stretching. The act of stretching relaxed her further, threatening to send her back to sleep. She fought off the urge, there was no way she was going to let Spitfire get after her for being late. She rolled over to face the clock sitting on her nightstand, then slapped it off with her wing. She laid there in silence for a few seconds before she pushed herself up and stood from her bed. She glided to the floor, rubbing her eyes with her hooves before landing. She immediately walked over to her bedroom window and looked outside. The window faced Cloudsdale, but the distance from Ponyville to Cloudsdale was too far for her to see it in the early morning twilight.
She shook the thought from her mind and pushed on the window until it parted open, letting a cool morning breeze fill the room. She sighed contently as the fresh air rolled over her body. She turned her attention away from the window and flew to the door, then exited her room and flew down to her kitchen. She quickly made her way to the fridge and withdrew milk, then she flew to the island counter and pulled out a box of cereal. She sat both items on the counter and then retrieved a ceramic bowl and sat it on the table. She took the box of cereal and filled the bowl, then poured milk into it until it reached the top of the cereal, filling the bowl about three-fourths of the way full.
She retrieved a silver spoon from the silverware drawer, then sat down and took the spoon in her wing. She ate in silence for several minutes until she finished the oats, then tipped the bowl up and drank the last of the milk. The milk was sweetened with a hint of honey, and the bowl was emptied far sooner than she would have liked. She sighed and flew the bowl over to the sink and sat it down, then ran water into it before quickly cleaning it and putting it away.
She glanced at the clock and then quickly flew back upstairs, through her room and into her bathroom. After a few minutes, she turned on the shower and let it warm up until it was a pleasant temperature, warm, but not hot. She quickly stepped into the shower and cleaned her body and mane, then washed the soap out of her fur. She was careful with her mane and tail, she didn't want to pull too tightly and knot her prismatic mane, and she was not about to show up at the academy looking like a mess.
After she finished, she turned off the water and quickly dried off. She walked over to the sink and withdrew her toothbrush and toothpaste from the cabinet. The toothbrush was fairly average, it was transparent in the center, and slowly tinted to sky blue as it approached the edge. She squeezed out an inch long strip of the toothpaste onto her toothbrush, nearly covering all the bristles, then picked the brush with her wing and opened her mouth.
She vigorously brushed her teeth, the minty flavor of the toothpaste was refreshing. After two minutes, she pulled the toothbrush out, turned on the faucet and rinsed out her mouth and washed off the toothbrush. She put the toothbrush and toothpaste back in the cabinet, then pulled out her mane brush. Even she took care of her mane and tail, but she was careful never to let Rarity hear about it. She'd never hear the end of her about it. She shivered at the thought, then took the handle in her mouth and quickly brushed the back of her mane, carefully working out the kinks and knots formed when she showered.
Her mane quickly went back to looking normal, she spat out the handle and took it with her wing, then went over the top of her head. She briefly wondered how much of a hassle it was for a unicorn to groom their manes around their horns. She pushed the thought aside and turned her attention to her tail.
As soon as she finished, she stuffed the brush back into the cabinet and looked around. Despite knowing she was alone, it never hurt to double check. She extended her wings and looked over both of them, it wouldn't do to show up at the academy with messy wings. She nudged a few feathers back into place with her muzzle, then opened the bathroom door and flew back into her room. She ignored the messy state her bed was in and flew straight to her closet.
She quickly found a fresh uniform and donned it. She flew back into the bathroom to sort out a few problems caused by putting it on in a rush and tidied it up until it hugged her sleek form. The uniform wasn't exactly tight, but it wasn't loose either. She quickly reached up to the goggles over her head and pulled them down over her eyes. She smiled brashly and gave a salute to the mare staring back at her in the mirror.
She flew back out into her bedroom and glanced at the clock. She had plenty of time to get to the academy, especially considering how fast she could be when needed. Although it was a bit of a flight, and she still didn't have the endurance some of the Wonderbolts had. She was quickly reaching their level, but she would do better if she paced herself. At least that's what Spitfire said. Constantly. She shook her head, then flew over to her window and quickly jumped outside. She caught herself as she fell, then closed the window as best she could from the outside.
She took off towards the academy at a leisurely pace. It wouldn't be good to tire herself out so soon in the day after getting so little rest like she had been, considering what Spitfire would probably make her do. She groaned at the thought. She would get there early, but early was good. If she flew at the same speed until she got there, she estimated she'd be half an hour early. She briefly considered adjusting her schedule so she could get more sleep, but pushed it off. She could rest when she got there, and it was best not to push her luck, even if she was the fastest pony in Equestria.
Doctor Manner knocked his hoof on the door twice before pushing it open and looking towards the window. He expected Twilight to be standing, looking out of the window, much to his surprise, she wasn't. A quick glance around revealed her in bed, looking at him. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, "You're not standing by the window for once? What happened?" he asked with a smile.
Twilight rolled her eyes and sat up on the bed, "There's only so much time you can spend looking out of a single window before it gets boring," she explained. "Believe me, I tested it," she said dryly.
Doctor Manner chuckled lightly and walked over to her bed. "Perhaps you should publish your research in a paper?" he suggested lightly.
Twilight bobbed her head and shrugged. "I don't think anypony would actually care about that... It wouldn't be a very interesting read."
He sighed, "True." After a few seconds, he shook his head, then pulled out his stethoscope, clipboard, and pen. "How are you doing today?"
Twilight smiled wryly, "A little nauseous, but other than that I'm feeling fine."
Doctor Manner smiled at that, "That's good," he said softly as he scribbled a note down. He put a hoof on the bed and levitated the stethoscope over to Twilight and put it on her chest, over her lungs. He listened quietly while she breathed. Everything sounded normal. He slid them over to her other lung and listened. It sounded fine too. "Lungs still sound like they're fine." He scribbled down another note. She was recovering quite nicely indeed. "Please lie down on your stomach," he said.
Twilight laid back down and rolled over onto her stomach, resting her head on her hooves. Doctor Manner ran a hoof over her back, pressing along the length of her spine, then gently pressing at the base of each of her wings. "Any pain?"
"No," Twilight replied.
Doctor Manner shifted his hoof to just under her ribcage and pressed, "Anything?"
Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. She wasn't sure. Doctor Manner moved his hoof and pressed in another spot nearby. She could definitely feel the pressure, and it was uncomfortable, but she wasn't sure she'd call it pain. "It's a little uncomfortable from the pressure."
Doctor Manner nodded to himself and walked around to the other side of her. "Rainbow Dash stopped by last night," he said.
"She didn't stay very long," Twilight replied.
Doctor Manner nodded absently and pressed his hoof against her side. "Any pain?"
"Just a little discomfort," Twilight answered.
"That's to be expected..." Doctor Manner trailed off. He walked towards the head of the bed and enveloped Twilight's right arm in his magic. Twilight lifted her head, and the doctor pulled it out. He looked over her hoof, then let go of it. "How was she doing?"
Twilight pulled her hoof back beneath her head. "She was doing okay. Just a little tired, Wonderbolt training and all that."
"Mmm," Doctor Taker nodded at that. "I've heard it's very rigorous," he commented as he walked around to her other side. "Roll over onto your back," he said.
Twilight quickly turned over so that her back was on the bed. "It's very rigorous. I've seen her when she was training for it, and I've visited the academy before."
Doctor Manner turned his attention to the bandage on her head. He reached out with a hoof and nudged it. Twilight's face immediately contorted in pain. He winced at her reaction. "Sorry," he apologized.
"It's... fine..." Twilight replied. "It goes away pretty fast, and really only hurts when... touched..."
He shook his head, "Horns aren't that sensitive, I don't know why it would be hurting you so much." He frowned and brought a hoof to his chin, "It... could have something to do with you being an alicorn... but... I'm not sure. All I can say is time will tell." He shook his head, then pulled out another bag with a bandage inside of it. He tore the bag opened as he unwrapped the medical tape from her mane, then he gently lifted the bandage from her head. "It's looking better," he commented. "Still no signs of infection, either." He gently lowered the fresh bandage over her missing horn, then tied medical tape to hold it in place. He walked over to the trashcan and dropped the waste away. "You might be sensitive there for the rest of your life, with any luck the pain will be manageable..."
Twilight grimaced. "The pain... isn't... that bad..."
"Does it feel like it's fading as it heals? Or does it feel like it's getting worse?" he asked.
Twilight bobbed her head. "It feels like it's getting better," she said. Doctor Manner pulled out a needle and pulled the cap off of it. He smiled apologetically, seeing her gaze drawn entirely to the needle. "You still have to do that?" she asked dryly.
"Sorry, Princess, but-"
Twilight groaned, "I don't need that. I'm fine, really. I just want to go home..."
Doctor manner pursed his lips, then sighed. "If you think you can properly take care of yourself, or that Starlight Glimmer and Spike are capable of it, then depending on tomorrow, I may consider releasing you in a few days. You are healing quite nicely, but you still have problems. If you push it and wind up back in the hospital, however, you're going to be staying here until whatever problems you still have are fixed." Twilight visibly lit up at that and nodded her head eagerly, completely ignoring his warnings. "I still will want to check up with you every month to make sure you're doing okay and aren't developing any life-threatening illnesses as a result of your exposure to enough radiation to kill a normal pony three times over," he said with a warning glare.
"I can take care of... myself..." she lied. "Besides, Starlight and Spike can keep an eye on me..." she replied. She had to force herself to stay composed. She didn't want to be a burden to anypony, not even Starlight or Spike. She knew she was going to be a burden on them. They would help her willingly, she knew they would, but it didn't make it hurt worse, knowing that she wouldn't be able to help them as much as they were going to help her. She wasn't sure she wanted their help, despite knowing she needed it.
She could walk, she wasn't sure if she could run, but she could stand for extended periods of time. She hadn't flown in a while, and she was still weak, but she was sure she could fly. Maybe she wouldn't try flying from Ponyville to Canterlot for a while, but she was sure she could fly. She still had her superior alicorn traits, at least according to Princess Celestia, so she should be fine. Although she wasn't sure she wanted to test those traits now. She hadn't even had a chance to see what her life would be like once she was released, and already she wanted things to go back to what it was like before being hospitalized.
But, without her magic, she couldn't, not that with her magic she could have. And without her magic, how was she going to take care of herself? The question was one she didn't want to face but needed to. She already knew the answer, she couldn't. At least not until she learned how to again. She had used her magic for almost everything. Brushing her mane and coat, showering, eating, writing, holding books and turning pages, taking care of her wings, putting on dresses whenever she wore one, and carrying things. She couldn't do any of that now and she would have to learn how to do it all over again. She was an alicorn without a horn, her magic was still there, she could feel it, and it felt stronger than ever before, but that could have been because she hadn't used it for a while. Had it already been so long that she forgot what it felt like? She felt a tinge of panic at that thought.
"Princess?" Doctor Manner asked. Twilight blinked rapidly and looked back at the doctor. He looked worried for her, a frown pulling on his muzzle, and concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"
Twilight nodded, "Y-yes... I'm fine, I was just... thinking..."
He grimaced and slowly nodded. The fear and concern slowly left his expression, but he was still worried. "Are you sure you're fine?" Twilight nodded but said nothing. "I can get you something if you'd like..."
"No, thank you. Please just... if you're done... Please... please leave."
Doctor Manner hesitantly nodded before making his way over to the door. He paused at it and looked back at her, "Do you want me to get somepony for you?"
"No," she answered quickly.
He sighed and nodded reluctantly before opening the door and leaving the room. He silently closed the door behind him, leaving Twilight alone. He knew what was bothering her, and unfortunately, he knew he couldn't help her with that.
Twilight took a deep breath. There was a chance her horn would grow back. She hoped Celestia was right and that it would. She hoped Celestia hadn't lied to spare her from more pain. How long would it take for her horn to grow back if it was going to grow back? Years? Decades? Centuries? She swallowed. There was a chance she wouldn't be able to do magic again during her friends' lives. What if they needed her to be able to do magic to save them from something? What if Equestria needed her, and she couldn't help because she had acted like a foal?
No, she hadn't acted like a foal. She did what she had to stop the reactor from melting down and poisoning thousands of ponies. She had paid the price willingly. When she paid it, she didn't expect to survive, and she didn't care if she was going to survive or not. All she cared about was saving Ponyville, her friends, and Rainbow Dash. The cost of her surviving might turn out to be worse than if she had just died. If she had just died, nothing. But she was alive, and because she survived, she knew she'd suffer for it for her whole life unless her body somehow managed to repair itself completely. But, even that was impossible. The radiation would have done things to her that couldn't be fixed by any means. Some things can't be healed or fixed, even if she was an alicorn.
She clenched her eyes shut and fought back tears. It was a futile effort. She rested her hoof on her stomach.
Rainbow Dash gently knocked on the door to Twilight's room. After hesitating a second, and hearing nothing, she pushed it open and stepped inside before quietly closing it behind her. She looked around the dark room briefly before seeing Twilight lying in bed. The soft moonlight hit her just so, bathing her in a pale white light that was just enough for her to tell Twilight was awake and watching her. "I didn't wake you, did I? The doctor said you wanted me to come by even if you were asleep..."
Twilight shook her head, "No, I wasn't asleep..." she trailed off as she pushed herself into a sitting position and then hunched over a little. Rainbow stood where she was for a few seconds before flying over to a chair. She wrapped her hooves around it and then put more effort into her wings, then carried it over beside Twilight's bed, sat it down, and landed on it. Twilight smiled at her, and Rainbow grinned.
"You doing okay?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight sighed, then let herself fall backward. When her back hit the bed, she let her wings fall out at her sides, and she leaned back into the pillow. "Yeah... I'm fine, just a little stir crazy."
Rainbow snickered. "I guess you know why I hate hospitals now, don't you?"
Twilight rolled her eyes at that. "Oh please, you were in the hospital for all of three days, I've been here for nearly three weeks."
Neither of them said anything for several seconds following that. Both of them just enjoyed the light silence hanging between them. Twilight stared at the ceiling. While she still disliked it, she never regretted forging a truce with it. It didn't mock her, and she didn't have it painted red. Rainbow just watched Twilight on the bed. Eventually, the stillness got to her. "So... the doctor said that they might release you this week? I guess that means you're doing really good!"
Twilight grimaced and turned her head to look at Rainbow. "Well, Rainbow. Not good. The proper word to use in that situation is well." Rainbow rolled her eyes at that. After a few seconds, Twilight continued, "I'm doing... better... I still have a whole host of problems, but I am not about to stay cooped up in this hospital with nothing to do for several months like he wants."
Rainbow clenched her jaw at that. After a few seconds, she relaxed it and spoke. "You're not going to be in any danger, though, right? If they let you out early?"
Twilight looked through the window at the moon, which was almost out of view. "Well... maybe. The radiation damaged my organs, some worse than others, but they're healing faster than they expected."
"That's... good right?" Rainbow asked. Twilight nodded. "But isn't organ damage like... really bad?"
"Yes," Twilight answered. "I probably shouldn't run any marathons or fly to Canterlot... or stay outside for prolonged periods of time... But if I don't push myself too hard, I should be fine. My accelerated healing has... recovered... as much as it can... for the moment. Because of that, the damage is mostly being repaired. "
"Mostly?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight slowly turned her head back to face the ceiling. "Some of the... side effects... of getting exposed to that much radiation are... permanent..." she trailed off, feeling the familiar sensation of an oncoming breakdown. 'Rainbow, I love you, but why did you have to ask... that?' She clenched her eyes shut.
Rainbow frowned. Twilight was clearly distressed. Her ears were folded back against her head and her eyes were tightly shut. She looked like she was in pain. She wasn't sure why, but she suspected it was her question rather than a physical pain. She assumed she was referring to her horn. She flew out of the chair and landed on the bed beside her. Twilight tentatively opened and eye and looked at her. "It'll be okay, alright?" Rainbow wanted to say something more, like 'it was just your horn and not your life,' but she had the feeling that would make things worse. If she had been in Twilight's position and lost her wings, she was pretty sure she wouldn't like being told that, even if it was the truth.
Twilight sighed and tentatively nodded. Despite her attempts to keep the tears away, she felt moisture run down her cheek. She closed her eyes again at that.
Rainbow sighed, then wrapped her hooves around Twilight's neck and pulled her up into a hug. Twilight was either heavier than she looked, or resisting, making it harder. Even with the added weight or resistance, she easily pulled Twilight up into the hug. She lowered her arms and wrapped them around Twilight's back. After a few seconds, Twilight stopped resisting and cautiously returned the hug. She leaned into Rainbow more and rested her head on top of Rainbow's shoulder. She felt like she was going to cry. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry or not. She didn't want to be a burden to Rainbow, and that's exactly what she was going to be if she cried. She was already a burden to her, just like she was going to be a burden to Starlight and Spike. And the rest of her friends. And Equestria. A disabled alicorn. She felt nothing towards the thought, instead, she just let herself relax. The tears she dreaded never came, but she wasn't sure any peace came either. She still felt on the verge of tears even after ten minutes had passed in silence. "Feel better?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight sighed. "I don't know..." She closed her eyes and she felt Rainbow's grip on her tighten and then loosen. For a few seconds, she let everything fade away, letting her worries, thoughts, fears, and the rest of the world fade away. All of it was replaced by Rainbow Dash. Her fur was surprisingly soft. She wasn't sure what she had expected. She had felt Rainbow's coat before, but she hadn't been in the position she was in now. Now she could feel more of her body, and her chest was pressed against hers. She could feel the gentle rhythm of Rainbow's heart pulsing against her chest. She could feel the steady rise and fall of her chest with her breathing. Her warm body heat, radiating off of her and into her own body. It felt wonderful, and she felt her heart stuttering. She wanted to press herself against her more, but she knew she shouldn't. She wasn't going to jeopardize her friendship with her, no matter what her heart desired. She smiled and nuzzled against her neck, then opened her eyes. "Kind of..."
Rainbow took a deep breath and pulled back a little bit, testing Twilight's reaction. Twilight made no move to pull back, nor did she try to stop her. She frowned at that, not sure what to do. She brushed it off and pulled her in closer for a second, holding her tighter, then released her and pulled all the way back. Twilight lifted her head from her shoulder and smiled weakly. Rainbow smiled at her reassuringly. She glanced at the clock and hid a grimace. She really, really needed to go, but she didn't want to leave Twilight alone. She would have gone and got one of her friends to keep her company, but they'd all be asleep by now. "Listen... uh... Twilight... I... really... I need to go. I would stay but uh... Spitfire would..."
Twilight sighed. "Yeah... I wouldn't want you to be too tired to..." she trailed off, disappointment evident in her voice. "I'll be fine, just... go..."
Rainbow eyed Twilight cautiously for several seconds, searching for signs that told her to stay. She decided the alicorn was going to be okay. She still didn't like it. "I'll try to come back again tomorrow night..." Rainbow said as she slid off the bed. "This was probably nicer since I had a shower, right?" she said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Twilight smiled weakly and nodded her head slowly. Rainbow watched her for a few seconds then turned and flew towards the door. She stopped at the door, then opened it.
"Um... when I get out of the hospital..." Twilight trailed off as Rainbow looked back at her. She swallowed nervously. Her heartbeat quickened at what she considered asking. She closed her eyes and took a breath. In reality, it was such a simple question, one which shouldn't have caused her as much hesitation as it was. It was simple, yes, but it said a lot. "Do you think... you could... spend a night at the castle with me? Like a sleepover..?" she asked hesitantly.
Rainbow landed on the floor, and her expression was unreadable. Through the cold hospital air, Twilight thought she felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead. Rainbow slowly nodded, then quickened. "Yeah... I... guess I could... sometime..." Twilight closed her eyes and bowed her head, silently sighing in relief before laying back down on the bed. "Good night, Twilight," Rainbow said as she stepped out of the room.
"Good night, Rainbow..." Twilight whispered as she closed her eyes.
Princess Luna looked around. It was night, the sky was clear, the moon shone brightly, and countless thousands of stars were visible. She blinked in surprise. The beautiful dark blues and purples of the sky melded together, painting a picture she could hardly describe. "Princess Luna..." Twilight's voice called in surprise. Luna turned her attention away from the sky and to Twilight. She smiled at the sight of the alicorn. She stood beside a large telescope pointed at the sky. Twilight smiled at her, then she went back to looking through the telescope.
Luna walked up the hill, taking note of the blue colored grass covering the hill. She found it strange, it was a deep shade of blue, like the blue of her mane, but darker. She pushed it aside as she strode to a stop beside Twilight and followed the telescope to where it was pointed. "I see you are feeling better," she said as she searched for the target of the telescope. Try as she did, she couldn't see anything, but she was sure Twilight was able to see whatever it was she was looking at.
Twilight pulled away from the telescope and fidgeted on her hooves. "S-sorry I was... ignoring you. I... had a lot on my mind."
Luna nodded as she sat down on her haunches, "That is understandable, Twilight Sparkle."
After a few seconds, Twilight sat down beside her, and just looked at the sky, not through the glass lenses of the telescope, but with her own eyes. It was beautiful, and as far back as she remembered, the night sky was beautiful. Its beauty was only rivaled by a few things, most of them were ponies she knew, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. Each of them easily rivaled the beauty of the vast expanse of space. "How are things going in Canterlot?"
Luna barely suppressed a groan. "You would not believe how difficult dealing with the media is... A thousand years ago, that wasn't the case. It gives us a royal headache..." she said evenly. "And my sister is the one dealing with them," she added dryly.
Twilight turned to Luna and looked at her thoughtfully. "I don't know that I've ever thanked you or Celestia for keeping the media away from me and my friends for what we've done. So, thank you."
Luna smiled, "Think nothing of it, we would not wish to deal with them either... Although a few of your friends would likely... eat the attention right up..."
Twilight nodded her head in agreement. "Rarity and Rainbow would love the attention... None of the rest of us would like it though... I'm not really sure about Pinkie."
"The pink one is indeed a mystery. Such is laughter," Luna replied.
Twilight snorted and smiled. Several seconds of silence passed between them. "Have you... made any progress with the investigation?" she asked at length.
Luna pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "My sister... wishes to not involve you in it..." she replied softly. "I believe she wishes to protect you," she added.
Twilight licked her lips and nodded. "I guess I can understand that... I think I have the right to know, but I think that is probably for the best."
"How are you doing?" Luna asked.
Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled through her mouth, letting the air blow over her lips. "I'm... I'm doing okay. I think... I'm... alone most of the time now, but that's... that's fine."
"You do not sound like it is actually fine," Luna commented.
Twilight smiled wryly, "That obvious, huh?"
Luna nodded seriously. "Do you wish to speak about it?"
Twilight groaned and let herself fall forwards to the ground. "Why does everypony keep asking me questions..?"
"Because we care about you?" Luna asked.
"Not helping, Luna," Twilight responded. Luna looked at her evenly. After a few seconds, Twilight tilted her head towards Luna, who was still looking at her evenly. Twilight groaned again, then laid her head on her hooves. "You know I feel like my friends and myself are drifting apart. We spend less time with each other now than back when we just met. It's silly of me, I know they all have their own lives, but I can't help but feel-"
"Betrayed?" Luna asked.
Twilight turned to look at her. Neither of their faces betrayed a hint of emotion. Twilight blinked and closed her mouth. "I'm... not sure I would use that word, but..."
Luna nodded, then looked up at the sky. "They will not betray you, Twilight. They are your friends. Keep them close, and they will stay close. Even if you drift apart, you six are forever connected through your bonds. You all got your cutie marks because of the same event. Your friendship was forged by hardship and trial, and that bond is not easily broken. Your destinies are forever intertwined, through your powerful friendships and the Elements of Harmony. Even Discord could only temporarily break those bonds."
"Well, I guess Discord should have just waited a few years then since time is doing a better job than him..." Twilight deadpanned.
"Twilight, you may drift apart from them, but you will forever be friends with them. Nothing can break that bond, not even time can." Twilight sighed. Luna laid a wing over her back. "There will be ups and there will be downs, but your friendship will survive."
"I hope you're right, Luna," Twilight replied as she looked at the grass in front of her hooves.