Twilight was now being guided into a separate room, where she was waiting to get her blood drained out. The thought of helping to save Trixie brought a smile into the unicorns face, although she wasn't sure why. It didn't take too long until a nurse with a long needle came in. Twilight felt a short pain in her upper hoof where the needle got injected, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
"We are going to examine your blood first. Security measures, so we can be sure that you don't have any contagious illnesses before we infuse your blood into your little marefriend." Twilight blushed slightly at that last comment. She liked the thought of them being a couple, but those were quickly banished by her mind.
She made her way back into Fluttershy´s room. Upon her arrival she realized that Celestia was nowhere around. She looked around the room and spotted Dash laying on the ground. The wall in front of her was marked with red spots. It was then when Twilight saw the injury on the pegasus forehead.
"What happened? Where is the princess?" Dash looked up to her and their eyes met.
"She can't cure her, Twilight. Too much of her blood is intoxicated. There is nothing left to do." Dash said quietly. She was too tired to speak up, the pain she felt in her heart was overwhelming. She never understood all those romantic novels Rarity read, with all the pain they talk about if someone they love died, but now she knew the feeling was unbearable. She just wanted it to stop but it didn't.
"Don't say that Dash, there is always a way. We just have to find it." Twilight tried to cheer her up. Some tears were dropping down from Twilight's face, but she tried hard to hold back others that might be coming out of her wet eyes. But in all honesty, what could THEY do even the princess can't? "Wallowing in sadness wont help anypony. We have to keep calm and find a way to save her" Twilight wasn't just trying to convince Dash that there was another way to save her. She was also trying to convince herself.
"You're right Twi" Dash answered. She stopped crying now and her voice regained some of its strength. "After all, were getting used to making the impossible possible, right?" She added with a small smile.
"We sure are, but first you need to rest. You should come to the library with me, your cloudhouse is farther away from here, and I can tell you faster about anything if you are close to me." That was only half her motivations though. Twilight also wanted to keep an eye on Dash. She knew how reckless that pony could be, and in a situation like this, she was pretty much unpredictable.
Back at her home, Twilight quickly set up a guest bed next to hers. She told Dash to go to sleep. She wanted to complain but then she realized how tired she actually was; besides she would just stand in her way while researching anyway. She laid down on the bed. It wasn't as comfortable as a cloud, but for an earth pony sleeping device, it was rather nice. She laid there and thought about Fluttershy. She didn't know why, but all that came to her mind was her kind, cute little smile. Dash was sure of it at this point. She wanted to be more than just friends with Fluttershy. It didn't take too long until she fell asleep with that thought.
=================
Dash woke up with a yawn. It wasn't the best sleep she had, but it took away her exhaustion and that was enough for her. She walked down into the main hall. When she stepped down the last step, she froze there for a second. The room was covered in books, hundreds of them were lying on the ground. "Twilight?" Dash shouted, tiredness slightly infiltrating her voice.
"Oh, you're awake already." The unicorn walked toward her, carefully avoiding to damage any of the books on her way.
"Already? It's nearly noon!" Dash responded.
"Yep! Time always flies by so fast when I’m studying" Twilight said with a little smile.
"Well, did you find out anything?"
"Mhm, not really, aside from the fact that NONE of my spellbooks have a spell in them that could be remotely useful for our purpose."
"That's at least something" Dash smiled back. After a brief moment someone knocked on Twilight's door. Dash flew above the mess and opened up.
"Twilight? I was just checking on Fluttershy in the hospital, and Trixie was awake. I figured I should call you. Maybe she can clarify what happened or what we can do." Rarity said without making any effort to come in.
"Thank you Rarity.” Twilight said. “I’ll go see her right now. I’m willing to bet she knows something useful. Dash, are you coming too?" Twilight asked.
"Yea. There’s nothing to do for me here anyway." Dash answered while flying out of the library. Twilight trotted out as well, closing the door behind her. All of them walked towards the hospital, hoping that Trixie might be able to help them out.
============
The whole way to the hospital, Twilight's thoughts were miles away. She tried to hide her desperation to not panic Dash even more. But the truth of the matter is, there were no spells in her spell books which could be at least a little helpful. She could create a new spell but that would take years, maybe even decades. Twilight concluded in her mind that, if Trixie wont be able to help them out with some information, Flutershy’s chances of surviving were anything but high. When they finally arrived at the hospital Twilight gulped down her thoughts and walked the same way they already walked a hundred times. They entered Fluttershy’s room. She was still in a coma, as expected. Trixie, on the other hand was awake. Her eyes were open. She looked tired and exhausted, but she was conscious. Twilight slowly walked towards her.
"Are you feeling any better yet?" she asked the other unicorn. Trixie didn't respond. Rarity tried her luck with the recovering unicorn.
"Can you tell us what happened, darling?" But again there was no answer given. Dash was at the end of her patience.
"Hey! Answer us! Its the least thing you could do for bringing us.. no, for bringing Fluttershy so much trouble!" The pegasus couldn't hold back her anger against Trixie anymore. It was HER fault that they were in this mess to begin with, and now she refused to cooperate? Dash angrily stomped right next to her bed. "Now, listen! You are the reason were in this mess, now stop being such an egomaniac and tell us what the fudge you know!" She burst out. Trixie didn't respond once again, she simply looked away from her and bit down on her lip. "I should’ve just let you die." Dash said before walking out of the room. Twilight saw the despair on Trixie’s face and tried to cheer her up a little.
"She didn't mean it. I am certain that she was just blinded by her anger" Rarity added "I’ll go and talk to her, before she tries something stupid" the white unicorn said before walking out of the hospital.
The room was now silent. The only thing to be heard were some occasional footsteps when a nurse passed the room.
Twilight made an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence "Is there anything you wanna tell me now?" she asked the blue mare again.
What happened next was the last thing Twilight would have predicted. Trixie burst into tears right in front of her. Twilight was shocked at first, but then slowly wrapped her hooves around the crying mare, trying to comfort her as well as she could.
"There, there. Just let it all out." Twilight said. She wasn't sure what she was actually doing, being in this situation for the first time. Everything she said and did was out of pure instinct. They sat there for quite a while, until Trixie released herself from Twilight's grip. The purple unicorn gave her a concerned look, but Trixie did everything to avoid her gaze.
"What's the matter?" Twilight asked her.
"No one is supposed to see Trixie like this ..." the other unicorn responded in a quiet tone.
"And why is that?" Twilight was about to lose her temper. THAT was worrying her?
"Trixie was an independent pony, who didn't need anypony and could take care of herself. Now look at her! She would have died without you and your little pegasus friend, and on top of all that, Trixie can't even keep my emotions for herself." Trixie cried out. She was angry, sad and annoyed at the same time. ‘Why are these ponies helping me?’ Trixie thought, ‘What do they want from me in return? I certainly would have left them to their fate.’
"Oh, you're so stupid, Trixie." Twilight said, while shaking her head. Trixie was about to say something, but the purple unicorn continued. "Needing help once in a while doesn't make you weak. In fact, it makes you stronger. You can form bonds with ponies, and those bonds can turn into friendship. And nothing is stronger than that." She said, smiling at Trixie. That smile. What was up with that smile? Trixie's tense muscles relaxed at the sight of that smile. She had a strange feeling in her stomach, a feeling she wasn't familiar with. She felt safe when Twilight was around. She felt like she was understood.
"Before my time in Ponyville, I was a lot like you. I hated the idea of having a relationship of any kind with another pony. I guess that's because I thought it was just a waste of time. But boy was I wrong. Its was not and is not a waste of time. The sensation I experienced when I knew I had friends who cared about me was unlike everything I have ever felt. It may be why I think about you that much since you arrived in Ponyville. I want us to have a binding like that as well." Twilight finished with a timid smile on her face, afraid that she may crossed a line with that last sentence.
"Trixie might consider your offer. It seems like you know what you are talking about," Trixie replied with what seemed to be a smile.
"That’s great! But for now you should get some rest, and ehm... uhm... if you haven't found a place to, you know ehm, stay yet, uhm, just so you know the library is pretty big for a single pony and ... I have a spare bed if you happen to, well, want to stay with me for your recovery?" Twilight closed her eyes, what was she thinking? Its way to early to ask things like this. Trixie must think she is a creeper now. Oh goodness, what had she done?
"I suppose Trixie could do that, but for now lets rest."
"Imsorryishouldnthaveaskedthat, uhm what? Oh... oh yeah we should. Goodnight then" Twilight replied before she stood up and made her way out of the hospital, trying to contain her excitement to not make a fool out of herself. As she closed the library door behind her she did some joyous jumps before lying down on her bed. She did it! She asked her to stay with her and she said yes. This made the whole situation with Fluttershy easier to bear. When the thoughts of her friend crossed her mind again, it instantly destroyed her good mood. Oh Fluttershy, I hope I can find a cure ... she thought before drifting into her dreams.