//------------------------------//
// 2 Breakdown 
// Story: Leaving the Rainbow to Fade 
// by Bronyxy 
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It was dark inside as Twilight tiptoed uncertainly into the opulent apartment, a few errant shafts of light bouncing chaotically off an architectural feature or some random glittery artefact. Although the themes were white and gold, the ambience exuded an air of melancholy bordering on the oppressive. She navigated her way around the different rooms, finding random items of clothing laying scattered about the floor, cracking open doors and peering around to see what lay behind, dreading what she may find.

“Princess?” she called softly, striking a self-conscious balance between announcing her presence and feeling she was intruding, “Princess?”
A trail of casually discarded bottles laying on their sides across the carpet showed her she was finally on the right path, and shortly found herself at Celestia’s bedchamber. 
She knocked gently on the door. 
There was no answer, so she nudged it open and peered round cautiously.

The sight that greeted her was shocking. Her mentor, the Princess of the Sun and omnipotent ruler of Equestria was sprawled across a rumpled bed, mane and tail draped lifelessly around her and a bottle of red wine on its side atop a pillow from where it had spilled, leaving a damp trail like blood all over the white sheets. Yet, something else assaulted her senses. She felt a wave of nausea as she realised that in her drunken stupor, Celestia had not always managed to get to the bathroom when she had needed over the last few days, and everything would need to be deep cleaned if not replaced.

Twilight felt a tear of pity run down her muzzle on seeing the shocking and sudden decline of the one pony she had always looked up to above any other.
“Oh, Princess” she whispered to herself sadly, “What has happened to you?”

She picked her way carefully through the field of debris that littered every square inch of the floor and reached down to confirm she was still breathing. She knew Celestia was immortal, but that didn’t stop her checking anyway, and the reward of finding her still alive gave her something positive to build on; it was a start.

Next, Twilight set about clearing a safe space around the unconscious alicorn, so she knew whichever way she rolled over, she would come to no harm. Then, she leaned over to check her breathing again and gave her a tender kiss before proceeding to tidy up the mess on the floor.

Finally satisfied that Celestia was as safe as she could make her, she climbed carefully up onto the bed and snuggled down next to her, stroking her tenderly and weeping sadly as she whispered the ways she promised to pay back the love she had always seen her Princess show others.

They lay together for hours; it was not possible to tell the passage of time as the sun was transfixed in space. Twilight had fallen asleep holding Celestia in a gentle cuddle and suddenly found the Princess starting to twitch under her embrace, so pulled back not wishing to crowd her. The white alicorn rolled her neck so that her muzzle hung over the bed just as a series of heaving coughs convulsed through her body, followed shortly afterwards by a sorrowful groan.
“It’s alright, Princess” whispered Twilight as she leaned forward, ignoring the fresh acrid stench that rose up to assault her nostrils, “It’s OK, I’m with you now.”

“Rainbow …?” she answered blearily, vaguely aware that she wasn’t alone.
“No. It’s me, Twilight.” 
“Rainbow, I love you …”
Twilight took in the surprise revelation and gave her lovelorn Princess another gentle hug to reassure her, then settled down with her once more as the excess alcohol worked its way through her system.

When Celestia stirred again a few hours later, she started to reach out with her magic to find another full bottle to drown her sorrows, but Twilight had been ahead of her and hidden them in a different room, sealing the door magically behind her. There was nothing for it, but Celestia was just going to have to go cold turkey until she could return to her true self. It wasn’t going to be fun, but she was ready to help out as much as she could; it was the least she felt she could do for somepony who had always shown her such personal compassion.

Celestia was becoming more agitated and reaching out with increasingly strong magic to find more alcohol, but her self-appointed keeper would have none of it, and realised that she had to take a firm line to ensure her patient’s recovery.
“Twilight” acknowledged Celestia through the swirling fog in her mind.
“Yes, Princess?”
“Get me wine or anything else I can drink. We’ve run out.”
“No, Princess. It’s not good for you.”
“What? Are you challenging me? How dare you intrude and presume to tell me what’s good for me?”
“Princess …” began Twilight in a calm and level tone.
“I can crush you like a bug! Now get me something to drink!”
“Fine, but nothing alcoholic” she replied calmly.
“You do not understand!” raged Celestia, an angry contorted look across her face showing Twilight that she wasn’t in control of herself.
“Then tell me” she replied, mustering all of her courage to face up to the demon that currently inhabited the white mare’s body.
“Get me a drink first!” Celestia demanded.
“Water is all you’re going to get.”

The Sun Princess rose up to her full height and stared menacingly down at her prized student, her savage glare piercing straight through Twilight’s eyes. She stood firmly like a demon from Tartarus waiting to unleash retribution for such impertinence, then her legs shook and she collapsed onto the floor with a groan.

Twilight trembled with a mixture of delayed shock and pity, but made her way over to comfort the grieving alicorn. She now knew it was something to do with Rainbow Dash, but had no idea of where she could have gotten any idea of a romantic liaison from; Rainbow had never, as far as she was aware, even been alone with her. There was clearly something she had to get to the bottom of before Celestia could recover and resume her role as the ruler of Equestria.

Twilight levitated a glass of water and summoned it over to where she sat with her mentor, tipping some between her lips.

“Drink up, Princess” she coaxed softly, “And tell me all about it.”