Sick Week

by CosmicAfro


?

As much as her heart was screaming to open the door, something pushed her through that protest raging inside her. She was risking a lot... a lot! It was the easiest way for her to put it; simply, a lot. She didn’t have the knowledge of what other side effects her mentors were capable of nor her own unused symptoms. She could ask them for stories, but that would be sly and underhoofted. Plus it would raise suspicions from them and eventually they’d interrogate her. If she fled, and she knew they couldn’t give chase, it would terminate all doubt.

It wasn’t worth putting Canterlot Castle or even Equestria at risk. She could harbor this choice, this knowledge. If Discord did pull a fast one on her and use this situation to his advantage, she’d just have to evoke some sympathy she had no choice in the matter.

Twilight knew they’d be upset, but everything passes. Even if it does take one thousand years sometimes.

It was a crummy situation she had been put it. She was powerless. The press knew her as the princess who helped keep Canterlot Castle secure just hours ago from the unknown disaster. But she knew the truth. What did that make her?

She was tired of thinking. Thinking. Thinking! I’ve thought too long about this decision and now where am I!? Nowhere, stuck in front of a door. She backed away from the infirmary into the middle of the hallway.

“Decided not to tell them?” a hideously familiar voice sympathised with her. The frustrated princess turned to the source and saw Equestria’s very own Dr. Discord. But he wasn’t wearing a cheesy grin or hyped by coffee, his face was solemn and he looked exhausted.

She pulled her face back in disgust.

“Come now, Twilight, let’s not be so cruel to the doctor who just finished twenty surgerys on the crew during your pony rubber bowling ball incident.”

She rotated her head slowly and her ears perked up. “You... what?”

“I’ve told you, Twilight, I’ve been at work fixing your mistakes. When you were asleep and with that fever... I had to structure chaos magic, let’s put it like that.” He started walking past her and as he looked over his shoulder, he lightly jerked his head. Twilight raised an eyebrow and followed the draconequues in disguise.

For what seemed like the longest time, the two casually strolled through the hallways of Canterlot Castle. It was... unusually empty today. There was the occasional noble or servant, but it was the two of them for anywhere else. Everytime Twilight attempted to speak up and ask where they were headed, he simply shushed her in a near indescribable way; it was a shush that promised all would be explained.

And for his sake, Twilight hoped he did.

They climbed up a spiral staircase at the end of one hallway. At the end was a tiny ladder to a trapdoor in the ceiling which he pushed open with a hoof. He instructed the young Alicorn to ascend before he did with a “Ladies first” motive. Twilight did not immediately approach the ladder. She sidestepped around Discord as much as she could and then made her way up.

She was met with the always awe inspiring view of Canterlot Castle and the infinite horizon. She smirked as she saw two massage chairs, aimed at the impending sunset. Knowing immediately where this conversation was headed, she sat herself in the left chair and Discord sat himself in the right after shutting the trap.

“So, here we are, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Why exactly are we here?”

He pressed the light massage button on his armrest and yawned. “To congratulate you, of course.”

“Forgive me if I missed something.”

“Hmm? Oh, right.” He pulled the lever on his chair and balloons filled with confetti rose out from underneath the rising leg flap. They ceremoniously popped just above them, showering them with a rainbow of paper scraps. Twilight caught one in her hoof and saw they were in the shape of her if she were to stand to the side and raise her wings. “You passed the test.”

“A test? What test!?”

“You were willing to face the consequences and not get others dragged into your problem.”

The testee furiously shook her head. “So the fires, the gravity, the symptoms of mass destruction, that was all a ruse!?”

“They were very much real, but the environment was controlled. Nopony actually ever got hurt. I needed to see what kind of princess you are, Twilight. You’ve shown me how a princess faces a threat to her kingdom.” He summoned a glass of coffee and offered her a cup to which she declined with a gentle wave of her hoof. “Do Celestia and Luna deserve to know?” He slurped some coffee. “Yes. Would the extremely increased have caused mass damage? Absolutely.”

“H-how much?”

“If you thought Luna’s killing plant life was horrible, at least that grows back once my connection is broken. I can’t say the same for any meteors she may cough up.”

Twilight’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “She coughs up meteors?”

“Well, her coughs bring meteors. Celestia has a really fun symptom as well. When she sneezes, everything on the visible color spectrum changes. All blues become orange, or maybe purple. If she sneezes again, maybe all the reds turn to greens.”

She reclined in her chair and looked up at the sky. “So, if I had told them, it would have ended badly.”

“In a matter of speaking. But you don’t have to worry, I’m not going to act that way. I told you this was to teach you Alicorns how to interact with your subjects. Since you can’t get sick on your own, I have to remind you of how terrible it can feel. You’d be surprised how much your sympathy fades when you cannot feel it for yourself.”

The bottom of the sun touched the horizon. “So, what happens now?”

“Your disease will run its course. When I feel you have forgotten your way, I’ll help you again with a fresh dose of Nullam Contantium. For now, let’s enjoy this sunset.”

Twilight wanted to ask more... but she didn’t. Discord didn’t ever make sense. He poisons three Alicorns, reveals himself unnecessarily just to force her into a decision, and then when he gets his way, he doesn’t do anything with it. Maybe he really did want to keep the princesses in line. Maybe it was just for fun. There wasn’t any understanding to Discord.

She’d keep an eye on him, prevent him from doing any more tricks. But for now, she’d eye the sunset and wonder what the next few days had in store for her. She couldn’t say she felt relieved that she didn’t alert the princesses of the disease, but knowing that if she had the world could have very well ended... or at least have been repainted, she figured that was the best option now. Every princess has her secrets.

The sun would set. A midnight rainbow would form. Twilight would stand. Discord would not be in his chair. She would stare at the beauty, and then she would leave.

She would walk. She’d pretend nothing was amiss.

It was peaceful up there. Twilight would return to that spot.

And at the end of the day, which it was, a little annoyance in favor of doom was ok. She could put up with Discord.












































But one thing bugged her the most. What happened during that fever?