//------------------------------//
// It Affects Your Family 
// Story: Don't be the end. 
// by TwiPON3 
//------------------------------//

Room 527 in the southern-wing was not a pretty sight.

On the bed was a comatose and dangerously hot Luna.

The doctors combated this by turning the thermostat in the room down to 55 degrees, as low as it would go.

There were multiple IVs connected to Luna, who now had a little bit of blood on the corner of her mouth, along with a whole slew of medical devices to monitor her.

The numbers were uncomfortably low.

Celestia was asleep in a chair next to Luna's bed, twitching and cringing near constantly with Redheart offering to be a night aid for Luna and a few other patients.

At around 6:30 the next morning, Celestia woke up to her phone ringing.

"CanterlotCityHigh," she slurred, waking up.

"Principal Celestia?" a familiar voice said before gulping a liquid, "Ow! Hothothothotnot! Do you know where Luna is?"

"Who's -POP- calling?" she said, stretching and popping her back.

"Uh, this is Midnight. You know, from school?"

"No...?" she replied, stumped as the caller drank the rest of the liquid, drawing air in with it.

"Luna's friend, the one that carries Christ-knows-how-much tech around?"

"Oh, sorry! I just had a long night," Celestia looked to her sick younger sister, "She did too, I think."

It wasn't a complete lie, but what happened next with the student/friend was more important than being completely honest.

He'd hopefully forgive her.

"Oh. I'll try again later. Thanks for letting me know!"

"No problem."

No problem, she thought, But it is a problem.

Meanwhile at Midnight and Sunburst's house, Midnight was standing next to the coffee maker, his trademark I Don't Give a Damn coffee mug on the counter when he hung up the phone so he could refill it for something after the tenth time.

She must've had a hell of a Friday night.

"Morning, sleepyhead," a familiar voice said, so he turned around and saw Sunburst's girlfriend, Starlight Glimmer, fresh out of the shower.

"Sunburst!" he said, "We may be brothers, but that won't stop me from murdering her before I've had my coffee!"

Sunburst almost immediately ran into the kitchen to try to stop what would have otherwise ended up in a bloody mess.

"She's staying here for a few weeks while her parents are out of town!

"Just don't piss me before my coffee. And we'll be fine."

"I was gonna make breakfast for us all," she said as Seth quickly gulped down yet another mug of coffee, eyes tearing up a little.

"It's a motherfucking Saturday for Christ's sakes," Midnight replied, yawning, "Can't we just go to the diner or something? I know they're so-damn-chipper in the morning, just like you two halves-or-a-sex-machine."

"Hey!" Sunburst said, "We don't do it that often! Plus, we only have two bedrooms."

"Starlight," Midnight said, "Sleep in my room tonight, I'll sleep on the couch."

Sunburst became extremely uncomfortable at the thought of that. Whether it was the perpetual odor, possibly illegal tech, or the maybe toxic thing on a table next to the door, nobody would ever know. What it was, though was a successful guilt trip.

"Okay, yes, we do like each other more than what I said, but what happens in the bedroom, STAYS in the bedroom. Especially yours, unless it's going to the toxic waste dump."

"I'm good enough to drive," Midnight replied, pushing up the sleeves on his messy jacket and pushing his blue glasses back to his face.

"Are you sure?" Starlight asked as Midnight picked up a set of keys with the letters pc on the keyhead of one of the keys.

"Yeah, I'm-" he looked at the keyhead, "I drive a Yugo, not a People's Car."

"Sure?"

He reached in his pockets and found his keys, "Yes, I'm sure."

They all got their phones and went out to his Yugo, then left.

A few minutes in, he turned onto the freeway.

"Why are you going like this?" Sunburst said.

"It's before seven in the frackin' morning. No-damn-body is on the freeway," he replied as he floored the tiny hatchback to make the posted speed, continuing for several miles before tapering off at Exit 16C to US-416 North, two before the needed 16A to Starswirl Boulevard Northeast.

"That was too soon, Sunburst said."

"I know," he replied, "I just... have a bad feeling, you know?"

"No...?" he said as Midnight, even more frighteningly than usual, drove like a sane person to the hospital parking lot.

"I swear, that's Celestia's car," Midnight noted, parking a few spaces down so the trio could get out.