Rainbow Dash blinked and found herself staring at the door to Twilight's hospital room. The sole guard completely ignored her and remained stoic. She wasn't sure how she ended up there. She remembered leaving the Academy and flying to Ponyville, but she didn't remember going to the hospital. She shivered in the cold air, remembering she was still wearing her flight suit. She lifted a hoof and looked at the damp fabric. She grimaced. She lowered her hoof to the ground and looked at the door. It wasn't completely shut, and she could see a single ray of light falling on the wall. She stood there for a few minutes, arguing with herself about whether she should go home and shower or just stop by and see Twilight. 'I... really don't feel like flying home, taking a shower, flying back to the hospital, and then flying back home again...' She grunted and made her decision. It was the most efficient and logical decision, one Twilight probably would have made.
She hung her head in defeat, stepped over to the door and knocked on it. Silence greeted her as she expected. After a few seconds, she tentatively pushed open the door, stepped inside and closed the door. The door clicked shut, basking the room in near total darkness, with only the light of the moon to break the darkness. She briefly looked around the now familiar room, then turned her gaze to Twilight. She was asleep, curled up, almost in a ball, lying beneath the cover. She smiled and flew over to the chair beside the bed and silently touched down.
Twilight was facing her, and she saw the shadow cast by the chair she sat in laying across the bed over Twilight, breaking the soft illumination of the moon. She sat there, watching Twilight as she slept for half a minute before the chill of the air got to her. She pressed herself against the back cushion and curled up. 'What am I doing here?' she asked herself. She laid in silence for several seconds, half expecting an answer from somewhere, something, or herself. Nothing was forthcoming, and she was drawing a blank. She could have been home, in a nice warm shower, erasing the day from her coat and mind, instead, she was curled up in a ball, laying in a chair, watching Twilight sleep. Twilight shifted in her sleep, nuzzling the pillow.
'She asked me out on a date...' She looked down at the seat cushion and took a deep breath. 'Why did I say no?' she asked. The answer was almost immediate, 'I'm busy. I didn't think I had time for that. I didn't think...' She grimaced. She wasn't sure what Twilight had in mind for a date, and now she was curious. Twilight cared about her, but how deep did her feelings run? 'She asked me out on a date.'
She still had a hard time believing Twilight had asked her out on a date. She still had a hard time believing what happened to her. She still couldn't believe she slept with her. She had been weak and not thinking right. She swallowed as she thought about it. The more she thought about it, the more divided she found herself. She still didn't know what to think. She knew she cared about Twilight, but as a friend. Love wasn't her thing, that was Rarity's, and apparently Twilight's.
'Does she love me?' she wondered. She shifted her position and pressed herself into the chair firmer. She didn't know what to think about that if Twilight actually loved her. It made her feel weird and awkward, knowing that one of her best friends might love her. She never felt feelings like that for another pony. The only thing that came close was her dad, but that wasn't the same by a long shot. How many ponies could say that an alicorn loved them? Shining Armor was the only one she was sure of. She felt a smirk at that, then it left as quickly as it appeared. Bragging about something like that would have been wrong. Even if it was true and she was one of two ponies that could say that, she knew Twilight would hate her bragging about that. She knew better than to brag about something like that anyway.
It would have attracted attention to herself that she didn't want, she could already picture Rarity squealing in delight and giving her advice on how to woo a princess. She shivered, but not from the cold. And then Pinkie, she would plan a party and probably embarrass both Twilight and herself. Fluttershy and Applejack would have been happy for them. But in the end, it wouldn't work out.
She didn't think it would, at least. They were polar opposites. Twilight was a nerd, she was an athlete. Twilight was smart, intelligent, and thought things through. She didn't. She snorted at that. Twilight was nervous, and yet at the same time she had the courage to ask her out on a date. She grimaced at that. She had done many daring things before, but going out and asking somepony on a date wasn't one of those things. Love and romance weren't awesome or even cool, they were mushy things that weren't her style. Although she had never given it much thought or tried it out.
'Could it work out..?' she wondered. The thought didn't really stir any emotions in her, one way or another. Twilight was her friend, and under different circumstances, she might have enjoyed sleeping with her. That thought made her shift her weight. Twilight had been looking away from her when she woke up that morning. Maybe she didn't want that, or maybe she was embarrassed about it too. She had been embarrassed about falling asleep on Twilight, and at the same time, she hadn't care. She doubted anypony would actually blame her for that if they knew what Twilight asked her, though they would have bombarded her with questions that she couldn't answer.
She sighed as she shivered again from the cold. After a few seconds, she shook her head and looked at Twilight. It didn't look like she was going to wake up anytime soon. She shook her head and slid out of the chair, then made her way back to the door, but hesitated. For a few seconds, she hovered there, debating on staying the night. She turned back around and looked at Twilight. She looked peaceful, lying on the bed, curled up in a ball. She hoped she was having good dreams and sleeping as peacefully as she looked. She mulled over the idea of spending the night. She could sleep in one of the chairs, like the one beside Twilight's bed. Then, maybe Twilight would wake up to a friendly face. She would appreciate that, she was sure.
She shivered from the cold and wondered if Twilight would let her sleep with her. She shook the thought aside, not quite knowing what to think about that idea. She wasn't against it, but it felt too presumptuous. Maybe Twilight would like it. Regardless, she was cold and damp because of sweating profusely from her intense Wonderbolt training. She snorted and shook her head before leaving the room.
Twilight tentatively opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. She yawned, and then sighed. "Finally wake up?" Starlight asked. Twilight turned her attention to the unicorn sitting in the corner of the room. She looked around, searching for Spike or anypony else with her. "Spike's still at the castle," she said.
Twilight stifled another yawn and forced herself up. "What time is..." she trailed off. Looking out the window, the bright lighting told her it was sometime around noon. She shook her head and rubbed her temple with a hoof. She sighed, and then winced as her hoof nudged the bandage on her forehead.
Starlight jumped out of the chair and walked over to the bed. "I overheard the doctors talking about you," she said with a smile. "It sounded like they were discussing releasing you today or tomorrow."
Twilight's heart raced at that. She was gleeful to hear it, and at the same time, scared to death of that. She wanted to get out of the hospital badly, but at the same time, she knew things wouldn't go back to how they had been. On one hoof, she would be able to do more things, things she wanted to do, like read, because nopony had bothered to bring her a book. She knew it was her own fault for not asking, but there had been no sense in being any more of a burden. That's how she looked at it anyway. On the other hoof, she couldn't do everything she wanted to do, and what she could do would be more difficult now. She'd have to deal with losing her horn. She swallowed and searched for something else to occupy her mind, anything else. She squinted at Starlight, "You... you do know you're not supposed to eavesdrop, right? Especially when it comes to something of that nature?"
Starlight chuckled lightly, failing to see Twilight's fear and worry. "Okay, I actually asked Doctor Manner."
Twilight looked at her blankly. "He's not supposed to discuss matters of my... condition... with anypony..." Twilight frowned at her and eyed her sharply. "You didn't use a spell, did you?"
Starlight opened her mouth and slumped down, exasperated, "I use that spell one time, and suddenly everypony thinks..." she trailed off with a sigh.
Twilight looked down at the bed and then slid off and walked over to Starlight. The pair stared at each other for a few seconds before Twilight pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, I..."
"It's okay... I know you must be stressed out, and that you have a lot on your mind..." Starlight pulled back and Twilight shook her head. "You feeling okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Twilight answered. "Just... you know..." Starlight grimaced.
There was a short knock on the door, and Doctor Manner walked in, he smiled at the two mares. "Good to see you awake, Princess. Starlight. I'm glad you're both here, too," he said in a kind voice. He pulled out a clipboard and walked over to Twilight, who was eyeing him carefully. He hadn't brought up her being out of bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'm... well," Twilight said cautiously, not willing to appear too eager, fearing it would make him suspicious.
Doctor Manner nodded absently and scribbled something down on the paper attached to the clipboard. "Good, good..." He looked up from the clipboard and met Twilight's gaze. "Normally there's a whole list of procedures for releasing you, but... Well, let's just say Princess Celestia heard that you wanted to be released and that you were... doing... well..." he eyed Twilight carefully, clearing unhappy about that turn of events. "You know, I have more authority than her with this issue. At least in theory..." he frowned and shook his head. "I'm willing to release you, but only because your recovery is progressing so smoothly. And if I find out you pushed yourself too hard because I released you, I will not be happy, Princess," he glared lightly at her.
"I'm being released? Just like that?" Twilight asked. She felt a surge of excitement and relief flow through her body, momentarily replacing her concern and lifting her mood. She would finally be able to do everything that she wanted. Almost everything. She would appreciate having some of her independence back, even if she couldn't do everything she wanted.
He smiled and pulled out another form and levitated it over to Twilight, along with a pen, "Just sign... here..." he said.
Twilight instinctively reached out with her magic to grasp the pen and paper, only to fail. She looked at the pen and paper blankly. Both Starlight and Doctor Manner realized what had happened, and their expressions were strained at that. Doctor Manner winced and felt terrible, realizing his mistake and seeing Twilight start to break under the strain. Twilight swallowed back the growing emotional turmoil and forced a weak smile. She turned to Starlight and looked at her in an almost pleading fashion, Starlight thought she looked on the verge of tears. "Starlight, can you..."
Starlight opened her mouth to say something, then stopped and looked at Doctor Manner. He was grimacing and wasn't sure what to say either. After a few seconds, he slowly levitated the paper and pen over to Starlight, who took it in her magic and held it in front of Twilight for her to read. Twilight took far longer to read the paper than she should have. Doctor Manner didn't know, but he suspected, and Starlight could tell. Her eyes lingered on each word for too long, and her eyes didn't have the same gleam as normal. Twilight didn't really find the document as interesting as she had hoped. She didn't pay much attention to it either. She just wanted it over with. She knew she should have taken the time to read it, but she faked it. After she finished looking over the paper she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "Please sign it for me," she said in a dull voice, directed at Starlight.
Starlight looked at Doctor Manner, who reluctantly nodded. She pulled the paper and pen closer to herself, skimmed the document, and then positioned the pen over the signature line. She found herself hesitating, and she found her gaze drawn back to Twilight, who was looking at the floor. She was so still, almost lifeless. It was painful to watch. She looked back at the paper and signed her name on it, then signed Twilight's name, and filled out the relevant blanks. After she finished, she clicked the pen with her magic and levitated it back over to Doctor Manner.
"I... probably should have gone over this before, but..." Doctor Manner trailed off, grimacing. "Your organs are still healing, and they will likely be healing for a while. Do not push yourself, Princess. You could end up hurting yourself worse. Avoid strenuous activities, heavy exercise, prolonged exertion... Eat a healthy diet... I'd recommend avoiding Pinkie Pie's diet..." Starlight wanted to interrupt and make a comment about that being impossible, but she didn't think it would make Twilight feel any better. "Stay hydrated... Try to avoid getting sick or getting exposed to any diseases. Get plenty of sleep, and take it easy." He paused to take a breath. "I still want to check up with you every week to see how you're doing... You may want to see a specialist for... other problems related to your condition..." He looked at the paper and then back at Twilight, who was still looking at the tiled floor. He turned towards the door and started to leave, "I'll... go file this and have a nurse come by with a wheelchair-"
"I'd rather walk out," Twilight said emotionlessly.
He paused and looked back at her, "Princess..."
Twilight swallowed and looked up at him, "Please?"
He clenched his jaw and grimaced but nodded. "Alright..." He waited for a few seconds before leaving and closing the door shut behind him. He took a deep breath and waited outside the door for a few seconds before starting off down the hallway.
Twilight took a deep breath and fell to her haunches, then lifted a hoof to her temple and massaged it firmly. She clenched her eyes shut and exhaled sharply. She let her head hang limply, facing the floor. She felt tears at the edge of her eyes, but she fought them. She couldn't be seen walking around Ponyville, having just been released from the hospital, a sobbing mess. She wasn't just a pony, she was a princess. Despite her insistence, her body disagreed with her. But maybe that was fine. She had lost something important to her, it was a part of her. But she was still a symbol, even if she wasn't truly an alicorn.
Starlight sat down beside Twilight and wrapped her arm around her before rubbing up and down, attempting to comfort her. She wanted to say something reassuring, but she didn't know what to say. She wasn't good when it came to comforting ponies. Twilight tentatively rested her weight against Starlight as tears overflowed from her eyes and ran down her muzzle, despite her eyelids being closed. She took a shaky breath before raggedly exhaling.
Twilight had forgotten how nice it was to be outside, even if it was just outside of the hospital doors. The warm sun hitting her coat warmed her to her core, and she stood there with her eyes closed. She welcomed the warmth of the sun, it reminded her of Princess Celestia, and it made her feel better. She took a deep breath and then sighed contently, the fresh air felt wonderful and smelt wonderful, much better than the artificially freshened hospital air.
Fighting off the breakdown had been taxing, but she had managed to do it, but she didn't want to deal with anypony now, nor did she want to try flying. She still felt too weak to try flying, even if it was just from the hospital to her castle. On instinct, she prepared her magic to teleport herself and Starlight back to the castle. She clenched her jaw, just like that, her mood fell once again. The nice day suddenly didn't feel quite so nice.
Seeing Twilight's mood fall, Starlight walked over to her. "Are you doing okay?" she asked. Twilight looked back at her and nodded absently. "Do you want to walk back to the castle or..?"
Twilight ran her tongue over her bottom lip. She would have liked to stay outside and enjoy the day, but she didn't feel like it. She didn't even feel like walking back to the castle. "Please just teleport us there... I want to be alone right now," she said.
Starlight grimaced but nodded. She was reluctant to leave her alone, she felt like she needed to be with her, but she understood why Twilight wanted to be alone. "Okay..." She lit her horn and powered up the spell. She smiled at Twilight reassuringly, then cast the spell, teleporting them both back to the castle immediately.
Twilight immediately missed the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze. And now that it was gone, she missed feeling the dirt street beneath her hooves. The enchanted dirt still didn't have the same feel to it as unenchanted dirt, but she still found herself missing it. She wasn't paying attention, and Starlight pulled her into a hug and held her tightly for a few seconds. "If you need me, I'll be in the library... I'll tell Spike you're back and..."
"Thanks..." Twilight forced a smile as she pulled out of the hug. "Listen... if you see anypony... just... tell them that I'm out of the hospital, but that I don't want to see anypony for the time being...."
Starlight opened her mouth, then closed it and nodded sadly. "You know, Pinkie Pie won't be happy to hear that you don't want her to come and throw you a party immediately..."
Twilight looked down at the floor. "I... I know, but..."
"They'll probably come anyway, Twilight," Starlight said. "It would be better if you were there to talk to them rather than just hiding from everypony."
Twilight's ears folded back. "I-I'm not... hiding from anypony, I just... want time to think."
Starlight watched her sadly for a few seconds. When it became apparent Twilight wasn't going to say anything more or look back at her, she hesitantly turned and left, giving Twilight plenty of time to say something. Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, Starlight was gone and she was left alone in the foyer. She mulled over her predicament for several seconds. She wanted to get to her room as quickly as possible, but she didn't want to injure herself in the process. She couldn't just teleport herself there, and she wasn't about to go find Starlight just to ask her to teleport her back to her room. She grimaced and cautiously extended her wings out.
She gave an experimental flap to them and lifted herself into the air half a foot. She was more sluggish than she remembered, and it was harder than she remembered to lift off the ground, but she wasn't surprised considering what she had been through. She had been born a unicorn, not a pegasus, and she figured that factored into it somehow too. She pushed the thought away and looked back at her wings. She clenched her jaw and swallowed, she would have to be careful. And find a book about preening. 'Maybe I should ask Cadance...' The thought brought a smile to her face, but it was fleeting. 'No... she'd say that she would have to come and show me, and she would, and that would take time... I'd just be a burden to her... I can figure it out from a book...' She sighed.
She tentatively flapped her wings again and with more force, lifting herself off the ground, then she hovered in the air for a few seconds, gauging how much effort it was taking her. After a quick calculation and a few seconds to make sure she felt up to it, she reangled her wings and propelled herself down the hallways, up the stairwells, and through the castle until she reached her room. She was quite happy she didn't run into anyone when flying to her room. She was also glad that she ordered the guard who was supposed to be following her to go back to Canterlot and report to Princess Celestia. She didn't want to deal with him, let alone anypony else for the rest of the day.
She landed and pushed her door open with a hoof, then immediately turned around to face the door as she closed it. She lowered her head and sat down. Her strength hadn't returned as much as she or Doctor Manner thought, if how tired she was from the short flight was any indication. She stifled a yawn and turned around. Her plush bed looked so welcoming and inviting to her. She just wanted to lay down and sleep, but at the same time it was the middle of the day and she had no desire to go back to an irregular sleep schedule.
Having a solid sleep schedule would be good for her, she would have to endure the exhaustion for the moment. She was sure it would go away if she did something interesting, but unfortunately, she didn't know what she wanted to do. Normally she would find a good book to read or practice magic, but the former didn't sound as appealing as normal, and the latter wasn't possible anymore.
She slowly stood up and walked across her room, then gently pushed against the balcony door. It opened silently, and she closed it behind her. The warmth of the sun was relaxing, and the cool breeze flying through her mane and across her coat felt wonderful. It created the perfect mixture of cool and warm that lulled her into a state of relaxation. She closed her eyes and focused on her senses. The gentle breeze barely made a sound, but she could feel its presence tickling her mane and tail. The cool, hard crystal floor sapped heat from her hooves, from experiment and study, she had determined that it had to do with nothing insulating below the crystal balcony, along with the castle having a natural tendency to stay a pleasant temperature, regardless of the season. She suspected that the castle's ability to retain a pleasant temperature had something to do with its connection to the Tree of Harmony, but she had no concrete proof.
She coaxed the thought away and then opened her eyes before walking out to the crystal half-wall that served as railing preventing anypony from accidently falling off. She rested her forehooves on top of the wall and leaned against it. The vibrant pink crystal seemed to catch the sun's rays and shimmer, while the outer blue crystal covering and hiding the pink crystal from anypony looking at the castle still shone, but less brilliantly.
She closed her eyes and laid her head on her hooves. Unless anypony was looking, nopony would have spotted the lone princess resting on the balcony. It was peaceful, serene even. The lack of distraction meant her mind could wonder like it had for the past few weeks. She was finally out of the hospital, and she was glad about that, but at the same time, she wasn't. She was alive, and she was glad that she was, but at the same time, she wasn't. She lost a part of herself. It was her sacrifice to protect her home, her friends, and her 'little ponies,' as Princess Celestia would have said. She smiled sadly at the thought.
She spread her front hooves apart and rested her head against the wall, letting the cool crystal caress her muzzle. She pressed her hooves back against her head but was careful not to nudge the bandage on her head. She sat like that for a few minutes, then stood up and walked further back from the wall and laid down. She folded her forehooves and laid her head flat against the floor. She looked up at the blue sky and sighed.
"Twilight's home?" Spike repeated with a growing smile, happy that she was back at the castle. Starlight nodded. Spike could tell something was wrong. She didn't nod as enthusiastically as she should have, instead, it was more subdued. "She's doing okay, right?"
Starlight took a deep breath and looked away from Spike. "Well..." she grimaced. "She's going through a lot... I know you know that Spike, but..."
Spike sighed, "Yeah... I guess I shoulda expected that. Did she go lock herself in her room or something?" he asked in a deadpan voice. Starlight looked at him wryly and bobbed her head. Spike folded his arms, tilted his head away from Starlight, and looked at the floor. "Figures..." he sighed sadly. He shook his head and unfolded his arms, then turned his attention back to the book he held. "Think she'll want any dinner? Or maybe a late lunch? Or an early dinner?" he asked.
Starlight shook her head, "I don't know... I kinda doubt it, but maybe you could make her a sandwich just in case she gets hungry..." she trailed off. She slowly smiled, "I think she'd appreciate that, actually," she said with a nod of her head. Even if Twilight didn't eat it, it would comfort her, but considering that she hadn't eaten anything other than hospital food in nearly four weeks, she doubted Twilight would pass it up.
Spike nodded and joined her in smiling. "I'll go take care of that if you can take care of the library for me while I'm gone."
Starlight walked further into the room and levitated the book he held with her magic and nodded. "I can do that," she said simply.
It was terrible what had happened to Twilight. Just thinking about it hurt. Spike sighed as he put the slice of bread on top of the sandwich, finishing his creation. A simple daisy sandwich, something Twilight always liked. He wasn't sure it would make her feel any better given the circumstances, but he was trying, and that was what counted. It looked so bland, it reminded him of Twilight from years ago when she was the simple antisocial bookworm she had been before she moved to Ponyville. It certainly was bland compared to what most ponies expected a princess to eat.
He shook the thought aside and picked up the plate, then made his way out of the kitchen and down the long hallway. He skillfully navigated his way through the halls and up the stairs until he reached Twilight's room. The sight of the closed crystal door intimidated him a little bit. It was nothing new, but since she had just returned home, it felt wrong. He took a deep breath and then knocked on the crystal door. He stood there for a quarter of a minute, waiting in silence for a response. He knocked again, and as he expected, was greeted by silence again.
He pushed the door apart and stepped into the room, "Twilight?" he called out. "I brought you a sandwich. It's your favorite kind!" he said in a singsong voice, attempting to lure her out of hiding. He walked over to the bed while looking for her, then jumped onto it, expecting to see her lying down and sleeping. She wasn't in bed. He sighed and looked at the bathroom door, which was open. He looked towards the closed balcony door, jumped down and walked over to it. He pushed it opened and walked out onto the balcony. "Twilight..?"
She lifted her head from the floor and looked back at him. "Spike..." she smiled as his name rolled off her tongue. "I'm happy to see you again..." She trailed off and looked away, then unfolded her hooves and wiped her eyes. She felt silly for saying that since she had seen Spike a lot while in the hospital, but it wasn't as often as she was used to.
Spike stared at her for a few seconds before walking over to her and sitting down. He sat the plate down and rubbed her side reassuringly. "It'll be okay, alright? Your horn will grow back, it just might take a while..." he trailed off, not wanting to remind her how long that while would be. If it grew back at all, that was. Twilight sighed and her ears fell to the sides of her head. "I brought you a sandwich," he said as he pushed the plate in front of her.
Twilight looked at the sandwich blankly for a few seconds before smiling and looking back at him, "Thank you, Spike." She turned back to the sandwich and tentatively picked it up with her hooves, then brought it to her mouth and took a bite of it. She closed her eyes and savored the delicate flavor. Most ponies wouldn't think twice about how a daisy sandwich tasted, but she thought it was wonderful. She had only eaten hospital food for weeks, and her taste buds felt like they were finally waking up from a coma. She swallowed and put the sandwich back down on the plate, dropping it from her hooves. "That'll take some getting used to..." she mused dryly, then she sighed. Halfway in the middle of her sigh, Spike wrapped his arms around her neck. Twilight pulled him closer with her wing and nuzzled his cheek.
Starlight knocked on the door to Carousel Boutique. "Just a minute!" Rarity called from inside. Starlight shifted her weight on her hooves, debating how best to inform her of Twilight's release and tell her how she was doing. She squinted, then quickly looked at the door normally as she heard hoofsteps approaching from the other side. A few seconds later, and the door was thrown open. Rarity stood on the other side, looking as sublime as normal. "Starlight, darling, what can I... do for you?" Rarity asked with a smile that was genuine enough but wasn't quite right.
"I just came by to tell you that Twilight was released earlier today. She's back at the castle, and I just wanted to tell you all before you showed up at the hospital only to find she wasn't there..." she trailed off with an awkward smile.
"She's been released? Why, darling, that's wonderful news! That must mean she's doing much better, right? Oh, I'd simply hate for them to have released her before she was ready. Why I can just imagine how dreadful that would be for her!" she turned to the side, looked towards the ceiling and draped a hoof over her head. "Why, that would simply be horrible, darling!" She paused and frowned, "Although, considering how drab that room was..." she visibly shuddered at the memory, "It's probably for the best she was released regardless of how she is doing..."
"Uh... right..." Starlight cautiously agreed. "She's... doing well..." she trailed off, earning a curious look from Rarity. "She's still recovering, but she's doing well enough that they released her. She's just... really tired..." 'Among other things,' she added mentally.
"Have you already told the others?" Rarity asked.
Starlight shook her head, "No, you're the first."
"Oh, darling, you really should have told Pinkie first." She looked back at the ceiling and tapped her chin with her hoof. "Or at the very least don't tell her last..." She shook her head and looked back at Starlight. "You really must tell the others! In fact, I think I'll come with you. This is simply splendid news!" she smiled.
"Thank you, Rarity," Starlight said with a smile. "But don't you have things to take care of here?"
Rarity waved a hoof in the air and made a series of disgusted sounds, "Twilight was released from the hospital, this can wait!"
"Uh... well... She doesn't... really feel like seeing anypony right now," Starlight replied nervously. "She's... uh... tired... Surely you know how exhausting it is, staying in a hospital for over three weeks, lying around all day doing nothing! It really drains your strength!"
Rarity squinted at her. For several seconds, Starlight held her breath, afraid Rarity wouldn't buy the excuse. "I... suppose.... I had never really thought about it that way before. But I guess recovering from something like that would take time and would be simply exhausting... Do be sure she gets enough sleep, darling."
Starlight nodded, "I don't think I'll have a problem with that..." she mused. She thought about it for a few seconds. Spike said that Twilight fell asleep shortly after finishing her sandwich. She didn't think that the crystal floor was that comfortable to sleep on, but Spike also said she looked peaceful. She reasoned it was because she was sleeping outside rather than in a cold hospital room. She just hoped Twilight didn't wake up sore, that wouldn't be fun.
Starlight felt a deep sense of foreboding as she approached the ominous bakery that looked like something out of a foal's storybook. The stark contrast sent a shiver down her spine. Starlight and Rarity walked side by side to the door, then Rarity opened the door for her, and she walked inside followed closely behind by Rarity. The same second the door closed, Pinkie Pie was right in front of the two mares. "Hi, Starlight! Hi, Rarity! What brings you two here? Do you want some cake? Cupcakes? Muffins? Did you come for an early dinner? A late lunch? Dinch? That doesn't sound right... Lunner? Ha, that sounds like Lunar!" the pink mare rambled off, losing both Rarity and Starlight, both of whom blinked.
"Ah, Pinkie dear, Starlight has just told me the most wonderful news!" Rarity beamed.
Pinkie's muzzle slowly grew into a massive smile. "Twilight got released from the hospital!?" she guessed. Even before they answered, she could tell that she was right, and immediately she jumped for joy into the air. "Twilight got released from the hospital! Yippie! That's wonderful news, Rarity! AHHH! Do you know what this calls for!?" she rushed over to Rarity and pressed their faces together and wrapped her hooves around the back of her head.
Rarity smiled awkwardly, knowing what was coming, but not wanting it. Although she had to admit, a party was definitely needed, but not over the top like Pinkie normally did. "A par-"
"A party!" Pinkie exclaimed, pulling back from Rarity and half jumping into the air, throwing her forehooves up and standing on two legs. Confetti exploded seemingly out of nowhere and filled the air, and streamers leisurely floated down. "This is great news! I'll throw her a party like she's never seen before, there'll be cake, ice cream," Starlight and Rarity exchanged a nervous glance, "games, partying, and ponies! Lots and lots of ponies! I could probably invite all of Canterlot and-"
Rarity rested a hoof on her shoulder. "Pinkie, darling, please... She's still recovering and I don't think something on that scale is what she needs..."
Pinkie deflated and fell back to standing on all four hooves. "O-oh... okay... I... guess that makes sense, Rarity." She sighed sadly. "B-but, we're still going to throw her a party, right? This demands celebration!"
Rarity glanced at Starlight and then looked back at Pinkie. "Of course, dear, but... I think it should wait for a while. Twilight's still exhausted from recovering, but I'm sure she'd love a party... in... a week or two?" Pinkie nodded. It wasn't an overly eager nod, but it was still enthusiastic. Rarity could tell she was still disappointed, but her mood was lifted by still getting to throw Twilight a party for getting out of the hospital. Starlight smiled at Rarity. "Oh, um, right. We were going to go and let Fluttershy and Applejack know next. We were wondering if you'd like to join us. A late afternoon stroll would be quite nice, I do believe."
"Okay, sure!" Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. "And we can tell Fluttershy to tell Rainbow Dash so that she knows that Twilight's not at the hospital because she's been released and that she'll be at home!" Pinkie bounced passed both of them and out the door, pastries could wait, and the Cakes would understand!
Pinkie popped her head from out of the branches of the tree Fluttershy was hovering beside while tending to a nest of birds. "Hiya Fluttershy!" Pinkie shouted. Fluttershy's wings clamped shut against her body and a second later she found herself sprawled out on the ground. Pinkie slid down the tree and offered her a hoof to stand up.
"H-hi, Pinkie..." Fluttershy said as she took Pinkie's hoof and stood up. She brushed the dirt off of her coat and looked at Angel. The white rabbit glared at her and pointed at a leaf of lettuce lying in the dirt while stomping his paw impatiently. Fluttershy blushed and mumbled a quick apology to him too quiet for anypony to hear.
"Pinkie, that was rather rude, don't you think?" Rarity asked with a hint of annoyance. "Scaring poor Fluttershy like that... You're almost as bad as Rainbow Dash!"
Pinkie smiled nervously and squeaked. "I guess I got a little carried away... But it's just soooo exciting, Rarity!" She jumped over to the white unicorn and pulled her into a tight hug. Rarity felt like she was going to pop if Pinkie squeezed her any tighter. As if testing that theory, Pinkie tightened her grip before releasing her and zooming back to Fluttershy. "Twilight's out of the hospital!"
Fluttershy perked up at that and her eyes lit up. "She was released so soon? That's good... But I thought she was hurt really badly by the radiation and that she would have been in the hospital for longer..."
"She's back at the castle right now," Starlight explained in a more subdued tone than Pinkie.
"Oh, I'm happy to hear that, Starlight..." she trailed off and looked at Angel as the bunny tugged on her tail. She frowned and then looked back at Starlight sheepishly. "S-sorry, but... I'd go see her, but I need to fix Angel a new bowl of salad... Maybe after that I'll go and see her," she finished with a smile. Though it pained her to have to delay visiting Twilight, she knew Twilight was a grown mare who could wait. Angel Bunny on the other hoof wasn't. The little bunny just couldn't take care of himself without her constant attention. "Maybe I can bring Angel with me?"
Starlight smiled at her sadly, "Sorry, Fluttershy... Twilight's... pretty worn out. I don't think she really wants any visitors right now."
"O-oh..." Fluttershy shrunk back slightly at hearing that. She should have known Twilight was going to be tired, but she just didn't think about it. "I... guess I'll have to see her another time, then..."
"Yeah, Fluttershy! I'm going to throw her a party in a few weeks, and you're invited. Which I mean, of course you're invited, you're Twilight's friend, and you're my friend too." Pinkie sat down on her haunches and looked off into the sky, "Although, you should probably visit Twilight sometime before the party if it's going to be in a few weeks..."
"Oh, don't worry, Pinkie, I'll make it a point to visit her sometime tomorrow... or the next day, if she's still tired..." Fluttershy said empathetically. "Make sure you tell her that I'll try to see her tomorrow and that I hope she gets feeling better soon..."
Starlight nodded, "I'll make sure she knows, and I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." She actually believed that. Twilight always enjoyed Fluttershy's company. She didn't think she enjoyed it as much as Rainbow's company, but with Fluttershy Twilight wasn't as nervous, although ever since Twilight asked Rainbow on a date she hadn't seemed quite as nervous around Rainbow. Though granted, she hadn't been around the pair as much as before, which really wasn't a lot to begin with. "Oh, and if you run into Rainbow Dash, can you tell her that Twilight was released?" she asked as an afterthought.
Fluttershy nodded, "Yes, of course. If I run into her I can let her know..."
Starlight smiled. "Thanks, Fluttershy." She wasted no time before turning and making her way towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Starlight sighed as she closed the castle's door behind her. They had searched for Applejack for over an hour, and hadn't managed to find her. In the end, they resorted to telling Applebloom to tell Applejack that they needed to talk to her. Applebloom had nodded enthusiastically, and they were sure that Applejack would get their message, but they didn't know when she'd find out. None of them had managed to find Rainbow Dash either, which wasn't surprising considering that she was a Wonderbolt, but she wasn't happy they didn't find her.
Starlight shook her head and forced the thought away. Twilight hadn't asked her to go and tell them that she was out of the hospital. She had only said that if she ran into them to tell them. She knew that going out and telling them was the better idea, she didn't want Rarity or Applejack to chastise her for not immediately informing them about her being released. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, she wasn't sure how she would react to not being told. She just hoped the brash pegasus thought before she acted.
She channeled magic into her horn and cast a quick teleportation spell, appearing outside of Twilight's door. She lifted a hoof and knocked on the door before pushing it open and walking inside. Twilight shifted on her bed and held the blanket to herself and pushed herself up with her spare hoof. Twilight watched her as she closed the door behind her with her magic. "Still tired, huh?" Starlight asked empathetically.
Twilight sighed and her ears folded back. "I'm still recovering. You heard what Doctor Manner said, I need to get plenty of rest, my body is still healing..."
Starlight slowly walked across the room and over to the bed. "Do you need me to get you anything?" she asked.
Twiligth shook her head, "No, thank you..." She forced a weak smile before looking back down at the deep blue blanket she halfway clutched to her chest with one hoof. She bobbed her head. "Well... actually, could you bring me a... book?" she asked.
Starlight thought she sounded more nervous than normal, but she pushed the thought aside and nodded, "Sure," she smiled. "Which one?"
Twilight sighed and let go of the blanket and massaged her temple. "I... I don't know... Just..." The words died on her tongue. There were several things she needed to study up on, but they were all daunting. Preening, and how to take care of her mane and tail without magic were just a couple of the most pressing ones. She didn't want to attempt to study up on either of those, though. She felt like if she did, she was admitting that her horn would never grow back. Princess Celestia said it might. She wanted to believe it would, and the sensitivity where her horn had been was a good sign, or at least that's what she wanted to believe. "Just..." She paused again. 'My indecision is a burden to her... What would...' "A... Daring Do... book... would be nice..."
Starlight smiled, "Do you have a specific one in mind, or do you just want any one of them?"
Twilight shook her head, "It doesn't matter..."
"I'll go get you one..." Starlight trailed off as she turned around and walked across the room and out the door.
Twilight heard the telltale crack of magic as Starlight teleported away. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Silence filled the air. She laid back down and pulled the covers back up to her neck and held them there firmly. She laid like that for a few seconds before returning her hoof to her temple and rubbing it. The growing headache she felt told her she wouldn't be able to read for long, if at all. She nudged the medical tape gently and felt it pull on the bandage. She winced and immediately pulled her hoof away, then groaned and threw the blanket off of herself with her wings. She kicked the covers further away with her legs and let her wings sprawl out from her sides, she didn't feel like folding them back against herself. Her earlier flight, brief as it had been, left them throbbing when she awoke from her short nap.
"Maybe I should have asked her to bring me some painkillers too," she mused dryly. She slid her hooves back underneath the plush pillow and then pressed it against the sides of her head. Even with the care she took not to nudge the medical tape or the bandage, it was inevitable that it would happen. She clenched her eyes and jaw shut tightly until the wave of pain rolled away. When she opened her eyes, she found the pillow still pressed against the sides of her head. She released it and stared up at the crystal ceiling. It looked down at her in a pitying manner, like it was sad to see her sad. She wondered if the Tree of Harmony was saddened by the loss of her horn too, and if it was, how much it actually cared.
The thought turned bitter. She was the Princess of Friendship and practically the Princess of Magic. Her special talent was magic, and she was the bearer of the Element of magic. How was she supposed to fulfill her role of spreading friendship, magic, and harmony if she couldn't access her own magic? How was she supposed to help Princess Celestia and Princess Luna rule Equestria if she couldn't use her magic? How was she supposed to help her friends and, if need be, protect them from harm without her magic?
Princess Luna wasn't going to be happy when they talked that night if she found out what she had been thinking. She could already see her visit devolving into an argument, and she didn't want that. Luna would keep insisting that she wasn't useless, and she should be right, but she didn't feel that way. She snorted, 'I guess I still have the option of blocking her out...' She grimaced, 'She'd think something was wrong then... so I can't do that.'
Another crack of magic broke the silence, followed closely behind by a knock on the door. Starlight pushed the door open without a second thought or any hesitation, and she strode across the room, carrying a Daring Do novel in her magic. Twilight briefly glanced over the title and smiled as Starlight sat it down on the nightstand, it was the same book that Rainbow had read that got her into the series. "Thanks," she said as she pushed herself back up into a sitting position.
"You're welcome," Starlight replied. "I went out and told all of our friends that I could find that you were released from the hospital."
Twilight grimaced and slowly turned to face the door to the balcony. "You... didn't have to do that..."
Despite the fact that Twilight wasn't looking at her, Starlight looked at her sharply. "You know that they needed to know, Twilight."
Twilight looked over the crystal door to the balcony for a few seconds. "Thank you," she finally replied in an even voice.
"We didn't find Applejack or Rainbow Dash, though."
Twilight let her head droop and she sighed. "I... guess that shouldn't be a surprise, Applejack has to run the farm, and Rainbow's so busy with the Wonderbolts, after all." She shook her head and then looked back at Starlight.
"I told Applebloom to tell Applejack, so I'm sure she'll find out sooner rather than later... And Fluttershy said she'd try to stop by tomorrow or the next day to see you."
Twilight sighed, "I'm not sure I really want to see anypony..."
"What about Rainbow Dash?" Starlight pursed her lips, "I'm sure she'll figure out that you were released and where you are... If not, well, we'll be able to tell her sometime. Actually, I can probably go and tell Doctor Manner to expect her to show up and to tell her where you are when she does show up." She paused and tilted her head to the side, "You know, you've never actually said why you wanted to ask her out on a date. Why her?"
Twilight swallowed and averted her gaze from Starlight while slowly tilting her head back towards the balcony door. "She's..." The words caught in her throat. She licked her lips, thinking about her. Her beautiful prismatic mane and tail, her deep magenta eyes, her courage, her bravery, her agility, her desire to be the best that she can be, her ability to shake off almost anything and push on. She felt her heart beat irregularly as she thought about her, although the thoughts only made her heart hurt more. She wanted to be closer to the pegasus, but Rainbow had made it clear that wasn't going to happen. It hurt, but she took comfort in knowing that Rainbow was still her friend, despite her blunder and making things awkward between them. She sighed longingly as she remembered waking up with Rainbow beside her, resting against her chest.
Starlight bit her lip. "I... guess it really isn't any of my business..." she trailed off as Twilight looked back at her. "I'll... leave you alone, unless you want me to stay."
Twilight nodded, "Go, you have things you need to do..."
"Do you need me to get you anything else?" Starlight asked.
Twilight shook her head, "No, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Starlight pressed.
Twilight sighed and fell back down onto the bed. She instinctively reached out to take the book in her magic and grit her teeth when it failed to do anything. "I'm fine..." she said again, more firmly than the first time. She watched Starlight stare at her for a few seconds before she turned around and left. She closed her eyes and sighed after Starlight was gone, then rolled over and grabbed the book with a hoof and pulled it across the table, only for it to fall on the floor. She stared at the nightstand blankly for several seconds, just processing the book falling to the floor, then she rolled off the bed and picked it up with her wings and sat back down on her stomach on the bed.
She relaxed her wings and let them lay spread out across the bed, taking up nearly the entire width as she laid in the middle of the bed. She folded her forehooves underneath her chest and stared at the cover page of the book. It stared back at her, and she could almost hear Rainbow saying, "I'm an egghead," all over again. The memory brought a smile to her face
She shook her head and slid her wing forward and opened the book cover, then read the preface. It wasn't as invigorating as it was normally, but she wasn't surprised. She turned the page and skimmed the chapter list before turning the page again and starting at chapter one.
She read the page slowly, taking in each word before moving onto the next. When she finished the page, she slid a feather between the next two pages and parted them, and read over the pages. After finishing the fifth chapter, she found her eyes heavy, and her head was lying on the bed. She was constantly stifling yawns and her eyes were watering. She had to constantly wipe away the tears with her hooves so that she could see, but even that wasn't helping as much as it should have. With the fading light of the sun, the room grew darker. Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem.
Normally, she had her horn and was holding the book in her magic, so the glow from her aura offered enough light for her to continue to read. She sighed and closed the book, then sat up and took the book in her forehooves and placed it on the nightstand, nearly falling off the bed in the process. She laid back down on her back and stared at the ceiling before she shivered. She grunted and pushed herself back up, slid forwards, grabbed the blanket with her wings and pulled it back. After looking at it for a few seconds, she bit down on the blanket with her mouth and laid back down, pulling the blanket tight around herself with her hooves.
She laid in the silent stillness for several minutes, but sleep refused to come to her, despite her exhaustion. She rolled over and laid on her side for a few minutes before rolling over to her other side. She regretted taking a nap earlier. She huffed and pushed the covers off of herself, she still wanted to read, but she couldn't. She didn't have a source of light, and she wasn't about to go ask Starlight to give her some light or ask Spike for some candles.
She laid on the bed, uncovered for several seconds before she slid off the bed and stood on her hooves. Almost immediately, her stomach revolted against her. She stood there for a few seconds attempting to fight the rising bile in her stomach. When she realized it was a losing battle, she quickly made her way to the bathroom and propped herself up over the sink. For a few seconds, she leaned against the sink with her eyes closed before she expelled the limited contents of her stomach.
She stood there for several seconds before moving to make sure her stomach had settled. 'I thought I was done with this...' she thought dejectedly. She turned on the faucet and wiped her mouth with the back of her hoof, then rinsed her hoof off and washed the sink out before sticking her muzzle beneath the faucet and rinsing her mouth out. After she was sure that her mouth was clean, she gulped down three mouthfuls of water, then turned off the faucet. She almost jumped when the cold water hit her stomach.
She leaned against one hoof and rubbed her temple with the other. She opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. Her gaze was drawn to the bandage and her shortened mane. The face that looked back at her was so foreign to her. She closed her eyes and looked away. 'I'll... get used to it...' she reasoned as she pulled away from the sink and walked back into her bedroom. She looked at her bed and sighed, then walked out onto the balcony to watch the stars.
Rainbow Dash flew through the hallways of the hospital, ignoring all of the doors she passed, along with all of the ponies she passed. The bright overhead lights placed equidistant from each other illuminated the white walls, making their purity rival that of Princess Celestia's coat. "Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow paused in the air, hovering. She recognized the voice, Doctor Manner. She spun around and flew over to him. He smiled at her, "I assume you're here to see Princess Twilight?"
Rainbow nodded and smiled, "Yeah, did she say anything about-"
"Ah, let me stop you right there. She was released earlier today. Starlight Glimmer told me you'd be stopping by to check on the princess, but she's back at her castle."
Rainbow landed on the floor and folded her wings, "That's great news, right? That means she's doing better?"
Doctor Manner bobbed his head, "Mmm... yes, well, for the most part." He looked down the hall to his left and then to his right. "She's still recovering, but she's doing... well enough... that I'm letting her recover in the comforts of home," he explained.
Rainbow looked at the floor for a second, going over what he said. It was good news that meant Twilight wouldn't be alone all the time, and that she could go out and do things other than just lay in bed or pace around her hospital room. She looked back up and smiled at him, "Alright, thanks!" she said as she jumped into the air and raced down the hallways, her energy renewed from the good news. Doctor Manner smiled and shook his head as the pegasus rushed off and left his vision.
Rainbow circled around the castle for several minutes, trying to remember which balcony went to Twilight's room. It didn't help that most of the balconies looked the same and that there was over a hundred of them. Twilight's castle was by no means gigantic, but it wasn't small either. It was like searching for a needle in a needle stack, except less pokey. With each pass, she grew more and more discouraged, but she wasn't going to give up, not yet at least. She wanted to talk to Twilight and congratulate her.
"This isn't working..." she groaned. She hovered in the air for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to do. She briefly contemplated doing a Sonic Rainboom, but she didn't want to wake up all of Ponyville just to find Twilight. She flew to one of the balconies and squinted at the crystal window, but she couldn't see anything inside. She grunted and flew over to another balcony and looked inside, again she saw nothing.
She flew back and looked over the tree shaped castle, "Okay, think... It was... towards the top, wasn't it?" She flew up towards the top of the castle, "And... it faced Ponyville..." She flew around to the side facing Ponyville. It didn't really help much, there were still a dozen balconies, but it wouldn't take as long to check a dozen as it would to check a hundred.
Rainbow flew around, looking over each balcony, trying to decide where to start. After a few seconds and flying passed several of the balconies, she did a double take and flew back to the last one she had looked over. She hovered in the air for a few seconds, watching the alicorn lying on the crystal floor. As she slowly approached the balcony, she realized Twilight was asleep. She half-smiled and half-grimaced at the sight, Twilight was a princess who should have been sleeping in her bed, not outside and on the floor, especially in her condition!
She quietly landed on the balcony and walked over to Twilight, then leaned in closer to her and listened to her for any sign that she wasn't doing okay, or that she was awake. She showed no signs that something was wrong, which made her smile, but she showed no signs of waking up either. She leaned in a little closer and nudged her shoulder with her muzzle, "Twilight?" she whispered. No response. She pulled back and looked at her, the soft light of the moon cast her coat in softer shades than the bright light of day did. Her wings were loosely folded against her body, and she was lying flat on her stomach. Her front hooves were crossed and supporting her head, which was lying at an angle.
"Twilight?" she said a bit louder. She leaned in again and nudged her neck, earning a soft groan from the alicorn. "Twilight," she said, starting to grow annoyed that the alicorn wasn't paying any attention to her. Twilight nuzzled her hooves and shifted her weight slightly before becoming still again. Rainbow looked around, making sure that they were alone and that nopony was watching, then she leaned down and nuzzled her cheek. A smile brushed Twilight's lips as Rainbow's soft fur rubbed against her own. "Twilight, wake up," Rainbow said in a conversational tone.
Twilight groaned and mumbled something inaudible, still clearly not awake. Rainbow pulled back and nudged her with her hoof. Twilight didn't react. Rainbow poked her again in the same spot on her back, above her shoulder. Twilight's wing tried to swat her hoof away, but failed, then folded back to her side. Rainbow poked her again, Twilight clenched her eyes before opening them and groaning. "Stop that, Rai-" Twilight trailed off and swallowed, seeing Rainbow Dash sitting beside her, smiling.
"Hey," Rainbow greeted her with a soft smile.
Twilight blinked, making sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. When she saw that Rainbow was still there, she smiled and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Rainbow Dash..." The change in tone in Twilight's voice caught Rainbow off-guard, but she didn't let it show. Twilight wanted to say something more, but she had no idea of what to say.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight looked at her indignantly. "Hey, I was sleeping until you woke me up!"
Rainbow smiled at her but rolled her eyes. "I said in bed, not asleep." Twilight opened her mouth to refute her but merely shook her head. Rainbow looked away from her and watched the starry sky. "So why were you sleeping out here anyway?" she asked.
"Oh, you know... it's just such a nice night..." Twilight trailed off, looking at the moon, not wanting to talk about the real reason.
Rainbow nodded, "Yeah, I guess." A cool breeze pushed her mane to the other side of her neck. Rainbow tilted her head back to Twilight, "Aren't you a little cold, though?"
Twilight shifted her weight. "I... could ask you the same question?" She turned to Rainbow and smiled awkwardly. Rainbow blinked and looked at her blankly. "Um... well... now... that you mention it..." Twilight trailed off and smiled sheepishly. "I guess... sleeping outside probably wasn't the best idea, but I'm-" Rainbow extended a wing and draped it over Twilight's back. Twilight's face paled at the gesture, and her mind stuttered while her heart pounded. She just watched Rainbow Dash for a few minutes before realizing Rainbow was watching the stars. She blinked and closed her eyes, letting herself relax enjoy the moment, even though it felt like a lie.
"Are you doing okay?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight nodded, "I'm fine."
Rainbow turned towards her, "You sure?" Twilight nodded again. Rainbow's gaze trailed over Twilight's face before she averted her gaze and looked back at the moon.
"So how are things with the Wonderbolts going?" Twilight asked.
Rainbow snorted. "Spitfire's still insistent that the sabotage was a prelude to an invasion... She's still pushing us, but after getting a letter from Princess Celestia, she's not as... tense."
"She isn't pushing you too hard, is she?" Twilight asked in a worried tone.
Rainbow quickly shook her head, "No, I can handle it."
Twilight nodded absently. Twilight shivered as another cool breeze blew over the balcony, despite Rainbow's body blocking most of it, and her wing sheltering her other side. Sleeping out on the cold crystal floor probably wasn't the best idea, even if it was summer, although it had not been her intention to fall asleep outside. She found it strange, though. Inside the castle, even the rooms closest to the outside were well insulated, and yet the balcony floor was cold. She pushed the thought aside when she realized she was shaking a little bit. She didn't remember being that cold when she woke up, nor did she remember the floor being that cold when she laid down on it.
"You sure you're doing okay? You feel pretty cold, Twilight." Rainbow said as she pulled Twilight closer to her.
"I uh... I may have pushed myself a little too hard today..." Twilight said absently, thinking back to her short flight. It was a scary thought, if that short flight was pushing herself too hard, then she'd have to be very careful. She was sure her strength would come back quickly now, though, since she wasn't laying in bed all day and was actually doing things.
Rainbow rubbed Twilight's side and wing with her own wing, generating warmth from the friction. Twilight's heart stuttered at the sensation, and she felt like she was going to pass out. "Maybe we should go inside... It wouldn't be good if you got sick from the cold," Rainbow suggested with a warm smile.
"Y-yeah..." Twilight tentatively agreed, feeling her heart beat a little faster.
Rainbow stood up but kept her wing laid across Twilight's back. "You coming?" she asked after Twilight just sat there, unmoving, for a few seconds.
Twilight blinked and nodded, then stood up. Rainbow's wing moved with her as she stood up, and the pegasus made no move to remove it from its position. Twilight opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. She smiled quickly before turning around. Rainbow removed her wing from her back briefly as she turned around, causing Twilight to shiver and whimper softly. Rainbow felt awkward, hearing her whimper when she removed her wing. She moved closer to Twilight and slid her wing over her back as soon as she had turned back around, and Twilight sighed internally at the contact. 'Do I really mean that much to her..?' Rainbow wondered.
Rainbow took the lead and Twilight walked close beside her as they returned to the door. Rainbow pushed it open with a hoof and they walked inside in unison. As soon as they were inside, Rainbow removed her wing from Twilight's back and shut the door. Twilight just stood there for a few seconds, not sure what to do or say. The warmer air felt nice, but she was still cold. She made her way over to her bed and pulled herself on top of it, and then turned around to look at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow watched Twilight for a few seconds. She was the first to move, she slowly crossed the room and stopped beside the bed. "You doing okay? Want me to get you something?" she asked, ignoring the discomfort she felt being alone with Twilight in her room. Just a few weeks ago, she wouldn't have given it a second thought, but then Twilight had asked her out on a date. She was still curious about that.
Twilight swallowed, blinked, and shook her head. "N-no... I..." she trailed off. 'I... I can't ask you to do that...' She closed her eyes, lowered her head and sighed. As much as she wanted to ask her to sit with her for a few minutes, she wasn't going to do that. She felt like it would be abusing her condition to get what she wanted. She knew that was wrong, and didn't want that. She didn't want Rainbow to do something like that to make her feel better just because she wasn't doing well. "I-I'm fine," she said.
Rainbow grimaced as Twilight's ears folded back, and she could tell something was wrong. "Uh... you don't look fine, Twilight."
"No, really, I'm fine," Twilight smiled softly. For a few seconds, she held the smile, just watching Rainbow, then she sighed and looked over the bed for the edge of the blanket. "What time is it..?" she asked as she looked towards her clock. "Midnight..." she groaned. "It's going to take me forever to get back on anything resembling a normal sleep schedule..."
"I wouldn't worry so much about that. I mean, I used to take naps all the time during the day, and you didn't see me complaining about not sleeping at night," Rainbow commented lightly.
"You didn't have a rigorous schedule that you adhered to, I do!" Twilight huffed.
Rainbow laughed at that, "Oh come on, Twilight! Do you even have a schedule now? I mean you were in the hospital for almost four weeks, and unless you've made a new schedule, anything you had planned is outdated by a lot."
Twilight's eyes widened as realization donned on her. "Oh... no... No. No no no... No... I... No." She shook her head and let herself fall backward onto the pillow, then clutched her head with her hooves. "I... don't have any... schedules... Ugh!" she groaned. "How am I supposed to..." she trailed off. "I... I can't even make a schedule... and... I..." she swallowed and closed her eyes, feeling like she was going to cry. She was organized, and for most of her teen and adult life, schedules are what she lived by, and now she couldn't make them on her own. Her writing with her mouth was illegible.
Rainbow grimaced, regretting bringing up Twilight's lack of organization as of recent. "Uh... I think you're making too big of a deal out of that..."
"It's a part of me, Rainbow... It's like my horn, but..." Twilight trailed off.
Rainbow grimaced and searched for something to say to cheer her up. She winced internally, "Uh... tomorrow night, I can help you make a checklist thingy if... you want." 'Never in a million years did I think I would ever say that to her...' She shivered at the thought. Twilight's checklists and schedules were infamous for their length. She didn't have a problem with checklists, she was a pegasus, former manager of the Ponyville Weather Department, and a Wonderbolt. She was used to checklists, but Twilight's checklists were ginormous. If she put together all of the checklists she had used, not each one individually, but the items on them, and compared it to one of Twilight's checklists, Twilight's single checklist would easily be twice as long as her checklist. Twilight even had a checklist for making a checklist.
Twilight sighed and let her body go limp, her hooves fell onto the pillow beside her, her wings and hind legs sprawled out, and she looked at Rainbow and half-heartedly smiled. "I don't actually have anything to do for the foreseeable future... So... I don't actually need a schedule..." she said in a heavy voice. "I can't really help Princess Celestia and Princess Luna run Equestria right now..." She grimaced and looked off in the distance longingly.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You can't be seriously telling me that you actually enjoyed that! Seriously, it's like... all paperwork..." she blinked. "You actually enjoyed that, didn't you?" she accused.
Twilight smiled sheepishly, "It's... really interesting, Rainbow. I think you-"
"Nope!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Not happening."
Twilight sighed, sad to hear Rainbow brushing her off so easily, but part of her was happy just seeing Rainbow being herself. "Right..."
Silence hung in the air for several seconds before Rainbow spoke, "So... no plans for tomorrow, huh?"
Twilight grimaced. "I'll... probably just end up staying in the castle all day..."
Rainbow snorted. "Sounds boring."
Twilight smiled at her and nodded. "What about you? Wonderbolt stuff?" she asked.
Rainbow nodded vigorously. "Yep..."
Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. It was the middle of the night, and Rainbow likely had a big day tomorrow, and here she was, wasting time she should have been asleep, staying with her. It made her chest feel heavy. "Thank you for waking me up..." she trailed off and swallowed.
Rainbow smiled at her, it was a gentle smile, one which made Twilight's heart melt. It momentarily made her forget about how cold her body was. "No problem... Listen, I uh... want to help you get better, okay? I don't... like seeing you like..." she paused and bobbed her head, "this."
Twilight frowned, "This?" she asked.
Rainbow nodded, "Yeah... Unhappy and mopey. It reminds me of Pinkie Pie back when she thought we abandoned her..."
"O-oh..." Twilight shifted her weight, then slid her hind legs beneath the blanket and reached for the cover with her wings and pulled it over her body. The blankets were cold when they touched her chest, but it would warm up quickly from her body heat, although it would have been faster with Rainbow Dash lying beside her. The thought made her heart pound and her chest tingled. "I um... shouldn't... you be... really tired? And shouldn't you be in bed right now? I know you have to get up really early, and the longer you stay here the less sleep you're going to get..."
Rainbow grimaced. "I... I can handle it. It's nothing I'm not used to."
Twilight frowned. "I thought you said you didn't have trouble sleeping at night?"
"I don't," Rainbow answered. "Just... you know, I might have actually trained as intense before I became a Wonderbolt as I do now that I am a Wonderbolt." She rubbed the back of her mane with a hoof.
"Oh... Really?" Twilight pushed her head up, interested in hearing what Rainbow had to say about that.
"Eh... it's no big deal," Rainbow brushed it off with a wave of her hoof. "But um... I probably... should go... Uh..." She felt torn, she did need to leave, but originally she was going to ask if she could stay in one of the guest rooms of the castle, but she felt nervous when she thought about asking that, plus she didn't have any of her stuff with her, so she would have to fly to her home in the morning to get ready. "I... could... stay here until you fall asleep if you'd like?" She wasn't sure if Twilight could tell, but she could hear the nervousness in her own voice.
Twilight opened her mouth, then closed it and blinked. 'Why would she... No.' "I... would like that, Rainbow... I would like that..." 'Very much,' she thought. Rainbow smiled brightly, and she returned the smile. After a few seconds, she looked back at the ceiling and closed her eyes. The warmth from her trapped body heat nearly lulled her to sleep, but her mind still raced and her heart pounded from knowing Rainbow was watching her. 'Why is she staying here until I fall asleep..?' The thought consumed her mind, even if Rainbow had already told her why. 'Because she wants to help me feel better... Because she doesn't like seeing me unhappy...'
Twilight yawned and rubbed her cheek against the pillow until she found a comfortable position. Her breathing and heartbeat finally calmed down after what seemed like an hour. She made sure not to open her eyes and look at the clock, it would have sent her mind racing again, and she didn't want to keep Rainbow Dash any longer than she needed to be.
As Twilight slid into sleep, Rainbow watched her and mulled over her own thoughts. She smiled, 'She appreciated my staying here...' It didn't surprise her that it did. She didn't think she was as smart as Twilight was, but she was still intelligent. She suspected Twilight didn't want to date her just for the sake of going out on a date with somepony, even if it was somepony as awesome as her. She decided she would ask Twilight about it sometime, they needed to talk anyway. She dreaded that conversation, but they needed to have it, or at least she felt like they needed to talk about it.
"Twilight?" she whispered softly. The alicorn showed no signs to indicate she was awake. Rainbow pulled herself up onto the bed and watched Twilight closely for a few seconds. When she was sure Twilight was asleep, she slid back off the bed and silently made her way over to the balcony door. She fulfilled her promise of staying with her until she fell asleep, but she still didn't think leaving was the right thing to do. She shook the feeling off and pushed the door open with a hoof and stepped out onto the balcony. She flared her wings and took off into the night sky, flying home.
"And how are you doing tonight, young Twilight Sparkle?" Princess Luna asked as she strode over to the alicorn lying on the bed with her muzzle in a book.
Twilight pulled back from the book she was reading. For a few seconds, she just sat there, looking at the book, but not reading it. Finally, she turned and looked at Princess Luna. "Oh... I'm... doing fine..." she halfway smiled.
Princess Luna absently nodded and watched the pegasus lying beside her. She was unsurprised by seeing Rainbow Dash there, she was a common sight in Twilight's dreams before she was hospitalized. Normally, however, Rainbow Dash was flying around and Twilight was either watching her or flying with her. Instead, Rainbow Dash was asleep, lying with her stomach facing away from Twilight. She found it a curious sight, but she suspected she knew the reason why Rainbow was such a prominant pony in her dreams. She looked away from Rainbow Dash and met Twilight's gaze, "Celestia wished me to give you her regards when I spoke to you tonight."
Twilight's smiled brightened. "Well, she could always send a letter..." she trailed off.
Luna nodded, "Yes, she could, but a letter is so much less personable than having her sister to tell you that she hopes that you are doing well."
"Thank you, Luna. How is... how are you two doing?" Twilight asked as she teleported the book away.
"We are doing well enough. Celestia still wishes you would come to Canterlot, but she accepts your decision to remain in Ponyville. I have been..." she bobbed her head, "rather busy with the investigation..." she trailed off, not wanting to go into detail.
Twilight scooted her body around to face Princess Luna. "Have you found anything?" she asked.
Luna shook her head, "Twilight, my sister still does not wish you to concern yourself with the investigation... We are making... some progress, but it is slow going."
Twilight nodded sadly. "I understand..." She looked away from Princess Luna and watched Rainbow Dash sleep.
"You seem troubled," Luna said softly. It was a tone that was her imitation of her sister's calm, motherly voice. It sounded like it had improved since the last time, but Twilight wasn't sure. Luna walked over closer to Twilight, turned around, and sat down on her haunches.
Twilight watched Princess Luna for a few seconds. "Well... I guess you could put it that way..." she shook her head. "I flew from the lobby to my bedroom today when I got home... Thank you for intervening with that, by the way."
Princess Luna nodded, "Think nothing of it, 'twas mostly my sister's doing."
Twilight looked at her blankly. "I'm sure you talked to her about it, though. You've been visiting my dreams... every night, or at least that's what it seems like."
"I want to make sure you are feeling alright. I can keep you company while you sleep, at least for a little bit... And yes, I did talk to my sister about it..." she trailed off, looking at Twilight with a sly smile.
Twilight smiled and shook her head. After shaking her head, she paused for a few seconds to figure out what to say. "Flying from the lobby to my room exhausted me..."
Luna frowned and looked at her with an expression of worry. "You have not pushed yourself too hard, have you?"
Twilight grimaced and bobbed her head. "I... think I did push myself too hard... I'm fine now, but..." she shook her head. "I vomited earlier..." her face scrunched up in disgust at the memory. "I took a nap outside on my balcony after I got home and talked to Spike... Read a few chapters of a Daring Do book, but had to stop because of not having a source of light..." She sighed and her ears drooped. "Tried sleeping in my bed, but couldn't fall asleep. Went back outside to watch the sky and calm down, ended up falling asleep on the balcony... again."
Luna's frown deepened. "You're not still asleep on the balcony, are you?"
Twilight shook her head, "No. I'm in bed... Rainbow Dash made sure of that. She stopped by, found me asleep on the balcony, woke me up, convinced me that sleeping outside wasn't something I should do, then we talked for a little bit and I laid down while she watched me fall asleep..." she trailed off, feeling emotionally lifeless when talking about Rainbow staying with her while she fell asleep. It warmed her heart knowing that she did, but it hurt knowing Rainbow lost sleep over her.
Luna nodded absently. If she was going to ask about Rainbow Dash, now would be the time. "You care about Rainbow Dash deeply, do you not?"
Twilight half expected Luna's accusation to cause her heart to race, but it didn't. She hesitated for a few seconds, pondering her response, then nodded. "I do, yes," she said simply. "I asked her out on a date," she added. "She said no, which didn't surprise me, but... It still hurt."
Luna grimaced. "I... will not pretend to understand the complexities of the heart. As it is, my experience with such matters is... very limited. I am unable to offer you advice on this matter, other than that by sitting around doing nothing, you will reap nothing."
Twilight smiled and turned to Luna. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained..." Luna nodded. "I... She..." Twilight shook her head and took a deep breath. She opened her mouth to continue, but hesitated. "Nevermind..."
"I may not be an expert in this, Twilight, but if you need to talk, I will listen," Luna said as she wrapped a wing around Twilight's back in a comforting manner.
Luna's wing wrapped around her back reminded her of Rainbow's wing, but it felt wrong. Twilight looked at Luna and smiled softly, "No, it's fine. Besides, I'm sure there's countless other ponies who need your help more than I do," she said.
Luna tilted her head away from Twilight. "While it is true there are others I need to see... you are my friend, Twilight Sparkle."
"I'll be fine..." Twilight brushed off her concern.
Luna hesitated. "Twilight, if I leave I will be unable to know whether or not you need my help with anything. I... Very well, I will leave you alone, if that is what you wish, but I will check on you again later." She tentatively stood up and folded her wing back. Twilight smiled and nodded. "Sleep well, young Twilight."
"Goodnight, Luna," Twilight replied.