//------------------------------//
// Recovery 
// Story: Unavailing 
// by FaelaArts 
//------------------------------//

Eyes opening, Twilight groaned as a dull pain laced through her body. Memories flew past her eyes, catching up to the present and she glanced around the room, noticing it was a hospital ward. A dull sound came from her left, and she turned her head to see her assistant’s face.

“Spike…I’m glad you’re safe. What happened after the explosion?” Her voice so weak, even to her own ears. Seeing Spike’s mouth moving, but not hearing any sound she groaned.

“I can’t hear you…” Spike seemed troubled by her words, but one of the doctors approached and said something that seemed to reassure him. Feeling the edge of darkness approach once more, Twilight closed her eyes.




Twilight was walking through a vast desert, she couldn’t remember how she got here but she knew it didn’t matter. Each step was slow and methodical, purposeless. Occasionally she would see some sort of object in the distance, but she could never quite look at them for some reason. It was almost as if she was a passenger, and not in control.

Concentrating, she realised it was true. It was almost as if somepony exactly like her, but not her, was controlling the body. Realising she could read this pony’s thoughts, she suddenly felt the crushing loneliness and weary ache that rolled over the body. If she had been in control, she would have probably cried. 

This was a mare who had no reason to live, and yet forced herself to continue. A sigh escaped her lips, and for a brief moment the desire to just collapse filled her entire being. The mare couldn’t live like this a moment longer. She was close to simply falling, and sleeping forever. She stopped walking, standing in place as the desire to give in crushed the little resistance the mare had left, and she fell.

Twilight felt all this, and frowned. Gritting her teeth she pushed against the consciousness, the wall she could feel and tried to help the mare. She had to get up. If she lived there was a chance! There was always a chance! But not if she let herself die! The mare sighed once more in response, and stood up. It seemed she had heard Twilight, for she began walking again. 

There was one more thing she felt as she began to fall unconscious. The mare was holding onto reality with a scrap of hope. Without that hope, that mare would easily fall and simply die where she landed. Twilight hoped the mare found something more to cling to. She had only been there for a few minutes, but she could tell how lonely it would be, all alone with nothing to live for. It’s a pity she would never learn the mare’s face.




“Welcome back Twilight, I was starting to get worried.” Opening her eyes, Twilight was greeted by the face of Spike leaning over, face beaming with a smile.  Twilight reached out and pushed his face out of her view.

“Come on Spike, I wouldn’t die that easily.” Sitting up she saw she was still in the hospital. The doctor was currently moving a machine out of her room.

“Oh good, you can hear me,” sighed Spike. Twilight vaguely remembered she hadn’t been able to hear the last time she had woken up. Turning to face Spike, she gave him a big hug.

“Yes, and I’m glad to see you’re still alive too Spike. What happened after I blacked out?” After a few moments, Twilight removed herself from the hug, and awaited Spike’s answer.

“Well, I woke up and the building was on fire, but it was already burning out. Somehow the roof had collapsed and hadn’t hit me, so other than a few bruises I was ok to move. I found you passed out with your leg facing the wrong way and saw someone run into the building to find us. I think I was gasping for breath, or coughing from the smoke. I told him to get the hospital, and he dashed away and I carried you out. When I got outside a few ponies came and helped me get you a good distance away. After that emergency ponies arrived and got the blaze under control and took us to the hospital.”

Twilight nodded, absorbing the information. She had a few more questions, but she doubted Spike had an answer. Why had that princess looked exactly like her? And why did she try to kill Twilight? Was it a changeling? But from what Twilight knew changelings had died out long ago, they were mere myth. But it was the only logical answer.

“Thinking about who booby trapped the package huh?” Flinching at Spike’s words, Twilight turned and smiled apologetically.

“I remember you said ‘you thought’ it was the princess. What did you mean?” Spike wanted answers too, Twilight didn’t blame him.

“Well it was an Alicorn, and being an Alicorn means you’re a princess right? However…,” she trailed off, frowning in confusion.

“This Alicorn looked exactly like me except much older.” Hearing Spike’s intake of breath, she turned in shock. He quickly recovered, but Twilight could tell he was hiding something.

“I-I see, that’s very confusing.” Spike’s answer left much to explain, but she let it go for the moment. Turning so her back legs hung off the bed, she glanced to the door.

“So when are we allowed to leave?” The sooner they were out, the sooner she could dig for clues.

“Well as soon as you are awake, you healed up quite some time ago.” Nodding as Spike spoke, she carefully got off her bed, testing her legs. Spike was right, she felt fit as a fiddle.

“Alright, lets go back to the house and see what we can salvage, and then head to a friend’s house to spend the night.” As Twilight walked toward the door, Spike followed behind. He glanced toward the window, eyes narrowing for a brief moment. Following Twilight out the door, they headed toward their old home.

“I am not cleaning that up.” Spike remarked as they looked upon the charred remains.