//------------------------------// // II. Pathology // Story: Sanctuary // by Kaidan //------------------------------// Chapter II: Pathology Twilight lay in the corner trying to recollect today's events. In the hospital, there had only been books to keep her company. That knowledge should prove useful now, if she looked at her situation logically. She had read that hallucinations were visual or auditory, so they were ruled out. Being able to touch, smell, and even be injured, meant it could not be a dream. The doctors had often told her that she had delusions, that her brain was causing her to believe something that wasn't real. Twilight would have been happy with this, but a new possibility had presented itself. Her memories of a life lived in a hospital seemed more like a dream now than a reality. Could Spike have been telling the truth, and this was just some unknown illness? Crawling out of the quilt she felt a tugging at her leg, and a twinge of pain. Where the glass had cut the crook of her leg, a scab had formed. Several blue fibers from the quilt had gotten stuck in it, and a dark brown stain now saturated the quilt. Pulling them apart gently allowed her to examine the wound. Small canyons ran through the scab, thinning out the clotted blood and allowing stray purple hairs to poke through. The cut was only a couple inches long, but the bleeding had saturated her coat. The bed frame and mattress were still standing on their side. The rest of the blankets, the pillow, and a small Smarty Pants doll, were scattered in the corner. Reaching her hooves up, she knocked the bed back over onto four legs. Twilight recoiled and flinched at the loud noise the bed made as it landed. Grabbing the blankets in her mouth, she threw them back up on the bed. While grabbing the quilt she noticed it tasted like dust. Shaking the quilt out in the air caused more dust to fly off it. Twilight never thought she would miss the orderlies, but having them to do her laundry would have been nice. Beams of sunlight reflected off the dust, drawing her eyes to the window. Beyond the window was the familiar sight of Ponyville. Had she passed the entrance exam, she would have lived in this friendly village with the Elements of Harmony. Her life would have been perfect, and her name known across Equestria. A couple dozen ponies walked through the streets. There were manes composed of every shade of the rainbow, and many coats with yellow and orange hues. Signs hung on the side of each building, gently rocking in the wind. The nearest house had a bird feeder where two hummingbirds fed. It was everything she had imagined it could be, and more. "So that settles it, this is real." Twilight sighed, and watched as her breath fogged the window pane, then slowly disappeared. A faint reflection of Twilight in the window posed a question. "Real you say? So I suppose the stress of saving the world four times caused you to dream of being a psychiatric inpatient?" "That's not at all what I'm saying. I'm sure it's all related to this disease somehow." "Oh, now I understand. The disease you know nothing about caused you to have delusions of a miserable, lonely life in a hospital. When you put it that way, even I believe this is real. In fact, I knew a pony who dreamed of being a bald, middle-aged bowler.” "Come on, you can't just mock my hypothesis without any facts of your own. Who do you think you are to boss me around in my own head?” "I'm the rational side of you. I'm the side of you that is not fooled by delusions of grandeur. I'm the better half that is always there, pushing you to accept the truth: You are a sick pony." Twilight turned away from the window and glanced down at the floor. She fixated on a small knot in the wood for a moment, and then trotted away. "It's Colton's Razor, the simplest solution is usually the correct one. It'd be convoluted to think I'm stuck in a delusion. It’s simple to believe I’m sick." A reflection in a nearby mirror made a counter-point. "Colton's Razor? You're carrying on a conversation with your reflection. You're crazy. 'Quod erat demonstrandum' as they say." Glancing at the nearby cheval mirror, Twilight saw her reflection sporting a smug grin. Growling, she spun the mirror to face the wall. "I hate mirrors." The voice in her head was finally silent. Spike would be back soon, and if she put the shattered picture frame away he would be none the wiser. The door to the supply closet swung open revealing dozens of brooms, buckets, and mops. The library was often the center of every disaster in Ponyville. Apparently it was her destiny to endlessly clean and organize a library. It would be a quick matter to grab a broom and dustpan with her magic. A simple levitation spell would also reveal the extent of her illness. Energy seeped into the core of her being, and channeled towards her horn. The magic funneled to the base of the horn, waiting to be used. She began to feel a sharp pain, like needles pushing into her temples. Focusing on the broom, it began hovering in the air. It felt like it was taking twice the energy it should to levitate it. Releasing the broom, the headache quickly faded. Having lived her life with no fine magic control, Twilight was used to complicated spells backfiring. She had isolated herself from others to study and practice magic. The spells continued to fail, and she would withdraw further. Twilight had become one of the very rare ponies to never gain a cutie mark. Even the hundreds of books and scrolls she read had not granted her a librarian cutie mark. "Maybe insane ponies don't get cutie marks, or maybe you'll get a strait jacket cutie mark." Ignoring the voice, she glanced back at her flank. It was adorned with the cutie mark she spent her childhood chasing: the six pointed star of a unicorn whose talent was magic. Twilight smiled, and redoubled her hopes that this was reality. In that moment an idea came to her. The quickest way to prove this world was real, would be to cast a spell she could never have cast in the other world. Twilight decided to turn the wooden broom into rubber. It was the first transmutation spell that came to mind from the dozens she had read about. Imagining an intricate pattern of circles and triangles, an image began to form. A series of equations, magical constants, and sigils blazed into existence in her mind's eye. Ignoring the pins and needles, her focus shifted to the broom. The wood rippled as waves passed up and down its length. The pain in her temples was causing her to lose focus on the spell. Waves began to ripple through the wooden wall behind the broom. Realizing the spell should not take the massive amount of energy she was using, Twilight tried to cancel the spell. Something splintered as a wall of pressure threw her against a wall. Her back ached and her ears were ringing from the sudden shockwave. Rolling off of her back, Twilight looked at the closet. The broom was in dozens of pieces and still had wisps of smoke coming off it. Rubbing her temples eased the tingling sensation, and a frown crept back onto her face. The spell had destroyed the broom along with her pride. Instead of proving this reality was real, her magic failed just like it always had. Sitting back down with a loud thump, Twilight deflated and started kneading the floor. If only one of her real friends were here to help answer her many questions. Every memory of her old life, and everything about this life, contradicted each other. When she talked to Pinkie Pie, was she talking to Pinkie the inpatient, or Pinkie the party pony? When thinking of her friend, both of those memories were equally real to her. Each citizen of Ponyville was both an acquaintance and complete stranger. Twilight's train of thought derailed as Rainbow Dash took a seat next to her. "Hey champ, why the long face?" "I'm just doing some thinking. Have you ever had a dream that you thought was real? If you were unable to wake up, how would you know the difference between the dream and reality?" Dash rested her chin in her hooves. "Whoa Twilight, that sounds like something straight out of one of your crazy sci-fi novels. Me, I'll take Daring Do any day. This wouldn't have anything to do with what the psychologist has been telling you?" Twilight leaned back with widening eyes. "What? I'm seeing a psychologist here too?" "Of course you are champ, why else would you be in a hospital?" "No Dash, here in Ponyville!" Twilight pointed to the nearest window. Dash spoke with a gentle confidence. "Twilight, what's the matter? It has been months since you mentioned Ponyville. Did they change your meds? Are you—having delusions again?" "What? No I. . ." Slumping forward she stared straight down at the floor. How could Dash know about the hospital? "I'm scared. I can't decide what is real. I know one set of memories is false, but both sets of memories feel like they are correct." Dash raised Twilight's chin with a hoof. "I know you're scared, and I'll let you in on a little secret. Being brave doesn't mean having no fear; it means acting through the fear. I know it scares you to let go of Ponyville. If you do, it means you can never be the perfect unicorn you dreamed of. Be brave, trust the doctors and get well. You can visit your parents and brother; you can get back to looking for your cutie mark. You are a brave pony; you have no reason to be scared." "Thanks Dash, I'll try to be brave." A gentle breeze passed through the library, causing Dash to vanish. Twilight had barely registered the ghost's departure when the library door opened. "Twilight where are you?" "Over here Spike." Twilight sat just behind his line of sight. She had time to put on a fake smile before he opened the door wide enough to see her. Behind him was Zecora, a zebra shaman from a distant land. "Actually, she is a pharmacist. Not a very good one," A voice chuckled. "The meds don't seem to be working." "Twilight, you're alright." Spike flashed a grin and his eyes lit up. She was sitting there without a mess of books or a singed mane. Spike wasn't able to see the splinters of wood in the broom closet. She slowly walked across the room and closed the door to the closet. "Of course I'm all right, you weren't gone long enough for me to start experimenting with transmutation." Her face flushed slightly as she avoided eye contact. "Heh, sure thing. So Zecora is here! She brought you some medicine." "Twilight do not linger there, come near and let me fix your hair." Zecora began to unpack her saddlebags in the middle of the room. Twilight tried to run a hoof through her mane, and it immediately got stuck. Realizing how horribly tangled her mane was she accepted the offer. Sitting down, her first thought was to examine Zecora more closely. The zebra had black and white hairs in her coat, with several grey hairs scattered among them. Her grey eyes were surrounded by wrinkles that seemed to branch across her entire face. She carried herself with an air of authority, and must have great wisdom. Zecora started to comb her mane and perform a physical examination discretely. "When I heard that you were ill, I did not know you'd go downhill. Instead of consulting shamans far away, I should have seen you that first day." Zecora tugged on an ear and looked inside. "What could possibly be in my ear that explains this? Zecora, how long have I been sick?" "A couple weeks, give or take, since you had that first headache." With practiced ease she looked in Twilight's mouth, and then checked her pupils. "I can't stand rhymes." "Spike says I have miasma, and he seems to think you'd know all about it?" Just saying the word seemed to bring another wave of pain from her horn. Wearily she rubbed her temples with her hooves, drawing a little magic in to ease the pain. "Through study and ritual from far and wide, I'll share with you all I have plied. Miasma is an ancient malaise, dating back to forgotten days. Long before the time of Nightmare Moon, before the Empire Sombra did consume. Shaman lore tells us of a disease most tragic, feeding hungrily off unicorn magic." "How could I be sick with some long lost disease? Surely I couldn't have gotten it with such ease." Twilight slapped a hoof to her forehead when she realized she had rhymed too. Her facehoof was the reason her pain now grew. "Cut it out Twilight! If you keep rhyming I swear to Celestia I'll hold our breath!" "Oh be quiet, I have been hearing enough voices lately without you mouthing off." "Maybe if you took my advice I'd shut up." "Yeah right—" Twilight was interrupted by a hoof gently placed on her chin. "Twilight, whom are you talking to? There’s nopony in front of you." Zecora took another quick glance around the room. Realizing she was talking to herself in front of Zecora snapped her back to the present. She mumbled, "No one, please continue." "As I was saying, I don't know how, but surely you have gotten it now. Perhaps it was the Crystal Kingdom? Or maybe the overthrow of Discord's fiefdom? Were you not Celestia's student, quarantine would have been most prudent. Now listen closely to what I say, your life depends on holding this at bay." Zecora had stopped combing her hair and had locked eyes with Twilight. Her stare was intense and absolute. Her mind drifted to memories of a scared filly being scolded by her father. "Yes ma'am." "It is magic miasma hungers and craves, and has led to many a unicorn's graves. You absolutely must not feed it, or a grievous error you would commit. Starving it is the only way it can be beat, otherwise a painful demise you will meet. Wrack your body with withdrawal, this disease will resist its own downfall." "So you're saying I can't use magic or it'll get stronger and kill me? And that it's going to get worse before it gets better?" "That is correct Twilight Sparkle. . . whose lovely mane looks dyed by archil." "Wow she's good. Annoying—But good." Twilight coughed, clearing her throat. "Spike said you brought me some medicine? What is it supposed to do if the only cure is to not use magic?" "Of side effects I have learned a few: fever, paranoia, and delusions too. I believe the disease could drive somepony mad, until they would not recognize their own dad. So I have prepared for you this fortifying brew, to help resist it happening to you." "What if I've already gone mad? What if I thought this whole world was a delusion, and that I was really in a hospital right now?" "That I think would be most troubling, are these thoughts in your mind bubbling?" Twilight lost herself in her thoughts and stared into the distance. If she told her the truth, Zecora would think she had already gone mad. Zecora might have Celestia banish her before she hurt anypony. Celestia could send her to the moon. . . If she lied, she wouldn't get the help she needed. She would continue to get worse because she was afraid to ask for help. "Bravery is acting through the fear," a voice reminded her. Twilight decided the best course of action was to take any help she could get. "Yes. Before this morning this was all just a delusion, a place I went to escape my real life. My real home is a hospital; I was getting better so I could go home to my family. . ." "Twilight dear this disease is poorly documented, who knows what false memories it has fermented. Now please hurry and drink my potion, it may help to dispel this notion." Twilight took the wooden cup in her hooves and examined it. Steam rose from the liquid, but the cup felt cool in her hooves. As she looked closer she could see it fizzing, and it had a scent of citrus. Swallowing the medicine, it left a sweet aftertaste of oranges. A tingling accompanied the unique art of shaman magic as it diffused through her system. At first, warmth and calmness spread through her abdomen. Soon her lungs felt clear and each breath revitalized her. Muscles she hadn't realized were sore had their aches soothed. Her limbs tingled, and the cut on her leg seemed to shrink. Twilight would have sworn her purple coat had begun to shine a little more. The warmth reached her head, where it was rebuked by a wall of agony. The blissful feelings throughout her body vanished instantly. Her horn felt as if it was burrowing through her skull, pressing on her every nerve. Falling to the floor screaming, she grasped her horn and tried to tear it off. The warmth in her body had turned into an agonizing fire that threatened to consume her. The aftertaste in her throat went bitter, and she began to suffocate. Twilight could feel the magic all around her, and the only thing she could think of was the hunger. Just a little magic to appease the hunger could end all this pain. Seeing the easy path ahead of her, she tried to resist the urge to call upon magic. An increasing weight collapsed on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Her muscles tensed and refused to relax, quickly cramping throughout her body. Wanting more than anything to end the pain before it got any worse, she called upon magic to satiate the hunger. "Twilight! Are you ok?" Spike and Zecora were standing over her with wide eyes. "Yes." Twilight nearly choked on the word. It felt like an anvil had crushed her. "This illness is more resilient than I thought, I'm sorry for the pain I wrought." Twilight's eyes widened. "Wait, you didn't know what was going to happen?" She swallowed to soothe her dry throat, and stood up to glare at Zecora. "I thought the whole point of this was to ease my symptoms!" "Twilight dear I am filled with regret, that potion surely was our best bet. Perhaps if I could get some echinacea and ginseng, then a new potion I would start brewing." "What? No. There's no way I'm letting you do that again, it could kill me! Medicine is supposed to make you better, not hurt you. That's not medicine, it is witchcraft." "Twilight dear, your words do insult. I assure you shamanism is not occult." "Out." Her forehead wrinkled and her eyes narrowed as she gazed at Zecora. "You don't just experiment on ponies like that. Do you have any idea how bad that felt? Just leave!" "Once you have unwound, in my hut I can be found." Zecora turned and said something to Spike before gathering her belongings and heading for the door. Once she was gone, Spike approached her and put a claw on her shoulder. "That was rude. She just wants to help." "Rude? Did you see what she did to me? Zecora tried to cure something she doesn't understand, and caused me all that pain. All I have to do is not use magic and I'll be fine. Every time I use magic it seems to backfire anyway, so how hard can it be to not use any for a week or two?" Twilight paced in circles fuming, and then noticed Spike staring at her. "But Twilight, you've been using magic all day. Just a second ago your horn lit up, and you got better. Are you sure you can do this all by yourself?" Twilight moaned at her defeat, flopping back onto the ground. "How am I going to beat this? I'm sure not going to be trying potions again anytime soon." After an hour of cleaning, all the broken glass was gone. Twilight's bed was once again made, and the last stray books had been put away. Spike had opened the windows to get a fresh breeze, while Twilight lay on the bed nursing her self-pity. There was surely a piece of literature somewhere in the library that would prove helpful. Just one remedy or cure in the many old tomes that would help her sort this out without resorting to shamanism. Twilight nearly leapt out of her skin as a blur of color impacted the shelves in front of her, scattering books everywhere. Once she returned to her senses, she saw a dizzy Rainbow Dash rubbing her head. All around her friend lay the books she had spent so much time earlier organizing. "So, I guess the inverted possum trick is a bust. Oh Twilight, how's it going?" Dash stood up and began examining her limbs for injuries. When she looked back up, Twilight was standing directly in front of her with a raised eyebrow. With a quick movement, Twilight poked her friend in the nose to make sure she wasn't seeing things again. To her great surprise, Dash poked her back. "Equestria to egghead!" Twilight flashed a sheepish smile at Dash. "It's good that you're real. . . I mean, it's good to see you." "Of course it is, but it's better to see you. It's not every day your best friend gets a rare magical disease. So how's your research going?" Dash looked around expecting to find a pile of parchment, multiple quills, and jars of ink. Instead she saw a trashcan full of glass, stray books, and a dragon that looked like he had been through Tartarus. "I see . . . so Spike are we talking 'forgot a friendship letter' bad, or 'visited by myself from the future' bad?" Spike gestured past the fresh mess that Dash had made. "We cleaned up most of it. Twilight's been having some . . . side effects from being sick." "Oh, well that's not good. If anypony can figure it out, I bet Twilight can! After all, you're pretty cool for an egghead." "Do you really think so Dash?" Twilight had a wide smile on her face reminiscent of Pinkie Pie when you mentioned cupcakes. "Uh. . . Yes. I mean, you'd have to be pretty smart to save the world four times, even with my help." Dash fell backwards as Twilight tackled her in a hug. Dash wanted to tell her to stop, but Twilight's legs were compressing her ribs. "Oh thank you! Thank you! I couldn't ask for a better friend!" Dash started tapping her hoof on the ground as her face turned from cyan to purple. Twilight let go when she was done singing her praises. With a sharp intake of air, Dash inhaled and rolled away from Twilight. "Wow—I don't think—I've ever had—a hug like that." Dash looked over at Spike who was re-shelving the books and had an idea. "Hey Spike, how about I take Twilight out for a walk so you can clean in peace? At least with us gone, no more stuff will be knocked over!" "That's a great idea Dash!" Twilight galloped to the dresser to grab her saddlebags. "Rainbow, she's been acting weird today. Like, Pinkie Pie when she thought you hated her and were throwing her a going away party. Keep an eye on her, especially if she starts talking about how nopony is real." "Sure thing Spike, you sure it isn't just Twilight being Twilight?” Dash spun a hoof around her ear. "She nearly knocked me out in a tornado of books earlier.” "Wow." Dash smirked. "I wish I had seen that." "Also, I think she might be afraid of going outside, she's been staying inside a lot." "Hmm, just give me a couple days and I can cure her of that habit! Have her ready to go at noon Friday." Rainbow winked at Spike before shouting at Twilight. "Hey slowpoke, hurry up we've got to go!" Rainbow and Twilight walked out of the library into the afternoon sun. Twilight was like a filly with a schoolyard crush, happily trotting alongside Dash. Each time she tried to get a little more space, Twilight would catch up. Dash looked back at the library. They had only gone two houses down and already it felt like they were attached at the hip. Twilight had a different perspective than her friend. The sun was shining brightly, revealing just how open everything was. She had tried to close her eyes and stay next to Dash. With the sea of ponies and dozens of houses it would be easy for her to get lost. When Twilight did open her eyes and glance around, everypony acted as if a single glance could infect them with her illness. "So Dash how's the weather?" Twilight glanced at the ground reflecting on how dumb that question sounded. "Um. . . Sunny? We are only scheduling rain at night this week. Why do you ask? Want me to whip up some shade?" "No that's ok, though I have always wanted to see a sonic rainboom. I've always imagined what they must look like." Twilight smiled, and took time to appreciate her friend's mane. Spending most of her life indoors, she had forgotten just how many colors comprised a rainbow. Twilight could make out dozens of colors blending seamlessly together in her hair. From a distance, it appeared to change from red to orange. Up close, she could make out hairs of every hue fading them together. Dash tilted her head and raised an eyebrow as she analyzed Twilight. "You've seen me do it twice Twilight, are you planning to join my fan club or something?" "You have a fan club! Oh that's wonderful, when's the next meeting? Do they sell little dolls of you?" Twilight brushed right up against Dash. "Whoa there, you're headed straight for creepy town. Why don't we just enjoy the walk? And if you really want to join, talk to Scootaloo." Dash smiled and tried to get a little further from Twilight. "Oh Scootaloon is here? That's the filly that chewed her wings off in the hospital." Dash took a step away to glance at her. "And you've passed creepy town. Where'd that come from? Scootaloo is fine, in fact I've taken her under my wing." Dash put a hoof up to Twilight's forehead. "Well you don't feel like you have a fever." "I'm fine, let's just enjoy each other. . . I mean the sunlight." Twilight grinned and brushed her mane away from her ears. She resumed glancing nervously at all the ponies around her. Several of them were carrying on conversations with each other, and Twilight was able to hear bits and pieces of them. "It's a good thing they locked her up, crippling her own brother? Any sane pony would have known better." Bon Bon chatted with Lyra, shooting Twilight a venomous glare when she saw her eavesdropping. "I think she's gone into a coma . . ." A stallion walked around a corner and out of ear shot. "I heard she killed everypony at the entrance exam, went mad and only Celestia could stop her." Octavia glanced over at Twilight, and quickly walked away. Twilight had come to a complete stop as everypony around her was saying mean things. She was in the middle of the road with nothing to hide behind, and Rainbow Dash was nowhere in sight. Her knees began to quiver, and she fought to keep them from turning to jelly. Every single pony in the street was staring straight at her. "Stop it now or I'm calling the orderlies!" Twilight began backing up as ponies leered at her and whispered hateful things. The ponies either didn't hear her words, or they didn't care. "Get the doctor now! And have the orderlies bring the restraints!" Mayor Mare was approaching with 2 police officers. Her eyebrows were slanted and she marched forward with grim determination. Twilight turned and ran towards the nearest two houses, diving into the narrow alley between them. It was dark enough nopony would be able to find her. She quickly examined the alleyway; aside from some trash cans it was empty. Her head fell back onto the wall with a dull thud. Breathing in the aroma of rotting trash, she tried to relax. Slowing her rapid breathing took some effort. While she waited for the nausea to dissipate, she willed her muscles to relax one at a time. As the adrenaline filtered out of her system, her heart resumed a more normal rhythm. She knew there had to be a perfectly logical explanation for all of this. The ponies around town were saying things they couldn’t possibly know. How would Bon Bon know she had hurt her brother? Why would the Mayor be trying to capture her? Creeping to the edge of the alleyway, Twilight glanced out to see what everypony was doing now. “Bon Bon, come on! We’re going to be late again. We can gossip later after my recital.” A mint green mare tugged on a pale yellow pony, while levitating a lyre. Twilight looked further down the road and saw the mayor and the 2 police officers checking alleyways. “Ma’am, are you sure there is an orphan hiding in Ponyville? I know that a Pegasus filly escaped from the orphanage in Canterlot, but I doubt they could make it all the way to Ponyville on their own.” The police colt pulled out a flash light, shined it in the alley, and walked off towards the next one. Twilight decided she was over-reacting. The ponies seemed to be acting normally now, it would probably be best to just pretend none of it happened. She decided to look for Dash and head home. "Rainbow Dash?" Twilight called out in a weak voice. "Nope, it's just me Pinkie Pie!" Twilight looked around for the source of the voice but couldn't see Pinkie anywhere. "Oh another hallucination, are you here to laugh at me too?" "Why would I do that? Did you tell a joke? I love jokes! Is it the one about the pony who took a changeling as a pet? Or maybe one of Lyra's jokes about humans?" "No, I didn't tell a joke. I'm just the same pathetic mare who is scared to go outside, and failed everypony she ever loved." "That's awfully mopey of you. You're one of the best friends I've ever had and you've never failed me. There was the time you guys left me in Dodge Junction, but that was actually tons of fun! Rarity and I got to chat for hours. Did I ever tell you how we ran into Captain Jack on the railroad tracks?" Twilight sighed, hoping to be spared one of Pinkie's infamous tangents into her absurd little world. There had been enough absurdity today to last her a lifetime. "No, I'd rather you not Pinkie. What I'd really like is to have my old room back. It was small with no windows, and was painted white. I had a bookshelf, desk, and a bed. I could study quietly with nopony bothering me, and I felt safe there." "Oh, well why didn't you say so silly? I'll get right on it!" Twilight felt a breeze and smelled something reminiscent of cotton candy. "Pinkie?" There was no answer. Another ghost from her past must have abandoned her before offering any helpful insight. Standing up, she crept further out of the alleyway. Across the street was Rainbow Dash, looking around frantically. "Dash, over here!" Twilight raised a hoof and waved at her. "Oh thank Celestia!" Rainbow Dash crossed the street in one beat of her wings. "I turned around when I couldn't feel you bumping into me anymore and you were gone. Are you ok?" Twilight walked alongside Dash towards the library. “I was hearing voices and I got scared, that’s when I realized you weren’t there anymore.” Dash glanced around, wondering what the best thing to say was. “Well, you’re sick so that’s probably all it was. You know you can count on me if you ever get scared?” Twilight nuzzled Dash’s neck. “Yeah, I’ve always wanted a friend like you.” Dash had never been good at the ‘touchy-feely’ stuff, deciding to excuse herself as they neared the library. “Well, it’s getting late, and I’ve got to get some clouds ready for a light rain tonight.” Dash took off with a flap of her wings. “Thanks for the walk.” Approaching the library, Twilight noticed for the first time how vibrant and alive the tree was. Lush green foliage crowned the upper third of the tree. Golden brown bark covered the ancient oak, giving way to smoothed wood near the windows and door. A family of squirrels skittered along the upper branches, and funneled into a hollow in a branch. The door pushed open easily with a faint squeak, and she stepped inside. Closing the door, she saw Spike with a duster, whistling a tune. “Spike, I’m back." Looking around there was no sign of debris, nor any fallen books. "The library looks amazing, even better than this morning.” Spike hopped off the third step of the ladder, landing with a soft clunk. “Hey Twi, I was hoping you’d feel better if it’s clean. Are you feelin' better?” “I guess so.” Twilight thought of the voices and hallucinations. “Just some symptoms from being sick, but I have you to take care of me.” Spike smiled wide, revealing his bright white teeth. “It’s cool; you always took care of me when I was sick. What is family for?” "Yeah Twilight, your family dumped you in a hospital and stopped visiting after only two years." “Family is supposed to love and support each other. Can anypony blame me for wanting that?” “Uh. . . no. You've got family and friends that love you, so you won’t ever be alone. Pinkie Pie even stopped by to see you.” "Pinkie is here! Oh no, she's going to jump out at any second! Where is she? Is she in the potted plant? The bookshelf? My desk? The stove?" Twilight backed up to the wall to make sure Pinkie didn’t sneak up from behind. “Calm down Twi, she isn’t here anymore. She said something about two by fours and nails, and left. She left you some cupcakes, though I have already eaten a few.” Spike knew he wasn't allowed to have sweets before bed. Noticing a bit of frosting on his elbow, he tried to lick it off but couldn’t quite reach. He rubbed the icing off with his other claw. “Thanks Spike, I think I’ll have one and then head to bed. You’re probably tired too, you don’t need to clean anymore.” “Whew, about time. I can hear my blanket calling out to me.” Spike tossed the duster into the supply closet and closed the door. Slowly climbing the steps, he stretched his arms up high and let out a long yawn. He grinned at the fact he'd just gotten away with eating 3 cupcakes before bed. As soon as he had curled up in his bed, he fell asleep and began to snore. Twilight walked into the kitchen and spotted the baked goods in a pink box. Each cupcake had its own style, and they all looked delicious. Grabbing a black one with pink frosting, she lifted it to her nose. It smelled like cinnamon and chocolate. On the top of the cupcake was a purple star resembling Twilight’s cutie mark. She tossed the cupcake in her mouth and began to chew. It was so sweet that she could feel her teeth tingling, almost aching, from the rush of sugar. The chocolate melted, spreading the sweet taste around her tongue. No imagination could ever dream of such an exquisite cupcake, and yet here they were. Grabbing a red cupcake with yellow icing and a green apple, Twilight scarfed it down. It also tasted of chocolate, but of a more velvety texture. It was mixed with a slightly sour apple taste. Next she ate a pink cupcake, and then a yellow one. She tossed another in her mouth; it was one with every color of the rainbow baked into it. Reaching back into the box, it was empty. Frowning, she looked around the box for any stray icing. "That sucks. Maybe tomorrow I can get some more cupcakes." Twilight headed upstairs, licking the bits of icing from between her teeth on the way. She stopped on the way to bed to brush her teeth. Glancing in the mirror, she noticed her eyes were blood shot. Small red veins were weaving their way around her sclera. Puffy violet bags rested beneath her eyes, and just seeing them made her feel exhausted from a long day. Reaching for a tissue, she tried to clear her sinuses. Green bits of phlegm and yellow mucus stained the tissue. Just what I need, yet another illness that turns my sinuses into an endless factory of snot. Tossing the tissue into the trash, she inhaled and noticed only one side of her nose had been cleared. Twilight began to brush her teeth with her hooves, which was easy since she had done it this way all her life. Or have I done it with magic before? It didn’t take long for her to finish brushing and spit out the minty foam. Smiling widely, she saw several pristine white teeth on a lavender mare smiling back. ”I bet Colgate would be proud, brushing your teeth all by yourself! Bravo Twilight!” “Not you again, why can’t you be content to just stay in my head like a good voice? This whole mirror deal is getting old.” Twilight was no longer smiling, yet the mare in the mirror was. ”Where is the fun in that? Being a conscience can get quite boring, especially when you never listen to reason! Remember, we told you not to try and cast that time dilation spell. It was well beyond our abilities!” “Don’t you dare pretend to be blameless for my mistakes. Maybe I could control my magic better without you always second guessing me. Do you have any idea what it’s like to have somepony always ignoring your wishes and telling you what to do?” ”I know exactly what that’s like!” The mare in the mirror began laughing and grasping her ribs. “That’s—haha—every day—haha—of our life!” Twilight slammed a hoof against the light switch, causing the mirror to fall into darkness. Turning to leave the bathroom, she heard one last taunt behind her. ”Oh Twilight! Say ‘bloody mare!’ three times into the dark mirror, it’ll be fun!” Twilight continued walking away from the bathroom. Now that she had a moment alone, she gazed over the many books nearest to her bed for some light reading. Of all the literature in the library, there were few on medicine. Even fewer of them had to do with ancient diseases. Taking a book off the shelf, she skimmed through the glossary. There was no mention of miasma, though it did have a section on opportunistic pathogens she might read later. An ancient looking tome named Magical Maladies sat at the end of the lowest shelf. Flipping through the worn glossary was no more helpful then the last book. It was likely she would have to cross-reference all the medical books in the hopes of identifying an illness that had stumped doctors for centuries. Twilight jerked her head back up for what felt like the hundredth time. How long have I been standing here lost in my thoughts? Letting a long yawn escape, she looked around the dim bedroom. Her eyelids were beginning to feel like lead. Both eyes focused on the soft pillow and cool, smooth sheets. Whatever breakthrough she was going to make had to wait. She set the book down on the nightstand, and then released the fireflies from the bedside lamp. The comfortable bed quickly lulled Twilight to sleep. She slept so deeply that it seemed like only seconds had passed when a harsh bright light woke her up. Her mind still groggy, it took her several minutes to realize she was back in the hospital.