Book 2: Equestria Lost
Chapter 5
Instead of 'Ponyville librarian', Twilight Sparkle's new career seemed to now be 'professional moper'. And mope she did. For days she stayed in bed... even though she was pretty sure she was well enough to get up... but why get up? What would she do? She spent most of her time thoughtlessly watching the strange behavior of the sky. Her window faced east, giving her a fine view of the stationary moon, both in day and night... The sun was still behaving strangely, still circling around the horizon, regularly dipping above and below it every few hours... making most of the day perpetual sunrise or sunset. Twilight had – as most ponies – began counting days by considering the daily eclipse as 'sunrise'. By chance or someone's design, the sun was eclipsed by the stationary moon about once in the period of time that used to be known as a day.
Twilight missed the stars though... She had loved to look at the stars back in what she was already thinking of as 'the old days'. Now though, all the constellations she had learned laid broken, only a few stars left barely above the horizon in any direction... most of them had fallen below it. Thinking about that loss would inevitably remind her of her other losses, leading to yet more morose –”
A loud banging on the door snapped her out of her thoughts.
Sunny Daze burst through the door, apparently after having decided that five seconds was too long to wait for an answer. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” The little filly literally bounced with joy, “Big Mac says you're healthy enough to come out! We can finally go play!”
The only response Sunny received though, was a groan as Twilight rolled over, pulling the covers over her head.
Sunny's enthusiasm carried her over for a short time. She continued, prodding and cajoling the stubbornly sorrowful lavender unicorn... but after a time, even Sunny could see that it wasn't going to have any effect.
Twilight felt only relief as the annoying little yellow filly dejectedly left the room. She couldn't stand to be around such cheerfulness. It grated on her decidedly un-cheerful mood.
* * *
Twilight's next visitor was Big Macintosh, who, though he brought in some food for her, just stood there next to the bed with a disapproving look on his face. She contemplated giving him the same treatment she had given Sunny, despite her hunger... but deep down, she knew, that would only make things worse.
With a sigh, she looked up at him, still very tall, even though he was much thinner now. “I suppose you think it's time for me to get out of bed, huh?”
“Eeyup.”
“But there's nothing left for me out there... anywhere.”
“Enope.” He responded, “You're forgettin' somthin'”
Twilight thought for a moment, and later she would feel completely awful about how long it took her to remember, or that she even forgot in the first place. “My Friends!”
“Eeyup.”
Twilight jumped out of bed, surprisingly agile, only to wince in pain upon getting to the floor.
“You're not quite ready to go get em just yet though.” Big Macintosh said, “Can y'all use your magic again yet?”
Twilight focused on an apple slice on the tray, her horn aching a little as it glowed, but the apple slice did rise up, and did move towards her... before falling to the floor.
“Eeyup. Didn't think so. Y'all still need to rest up, but it's time to get movin' some.”
* * *