//------------------------------// // Chapter Five // Story: Dreams of Loss // by KalenNighteyes //------------------------------// **One Hour Before Luna Speaks To Twilight** The doctor had been gone for five hours, and it worried Rainbow Dash. What if he found out something horrible? Like, what if the Canterlot hospital told him that there was no saving Twilight from this coma? What if she really was going to die? Thoughts like this had been eating away at Rainbow for the last three hours. She just couldn't shake them. “Uh, Rainbow, you might want to stop biting at your hooves. You'll have nothing left of them if you don't,” Rarity said with a nervous, yet sympathetic smile. Dash looked at her hooves, then placed them back down onto the floor. “I can't help it. Waiting for the doctor is making this really hard. We haven't heard anything for a long time!” “Don't worry, Rainbow, I'm sure Pinkie and Applejack will be back with him soon. He can't have gone far,” Rarity said. “Actually, he did! He went all the way to Canterlot!” Pinkie Pie said, walking into Twilight's room. “What!” Rainbow exclaimed. “He decided to take a vacation while a princess is in this kind of condition?” “Not exactly,” Applejack said, pushing the door open all the way to reveal not only the doctor, but Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as well. Rainbow and Rarity immediately bowed respectfully to the princesses. “I'm sorry if I sounded rude, but he's been gone for so long. It was really beginning to worry me,” Rainbow said, feeling a little better now that Luna and Celestia were here. “It's alright–,” said the doctor. “I decided that a letter would just take too long. You can never be too sure with the mail systems. I went to Canterlot personally and spoke with not only the hospital, but with the Princesses. I'm sorry it took me this long.” Celestia walked to Twilight's bedside, and lowered her head slightly. “Oh, my poor Twilight. What has happened?” “I took the liberty of returning home and getting the letter Spike sent to me earlier today. It explains what has been going on for her these past few weeks,” Rarity said, pointing her hoof at the scroll on the bedside table. Celestia's horn glowed as she used her magic to pick up the letter. Luna went to her sister's side and read the letter as well. “This is a most troubling dream. How was I unaware that her dreams had come to this one sad and painful one?” Luna said, her head lowering. “You can't possibly be in everypony's dreams at once. That's a lot of work for just one pony, even if you are a princess,” Celestia said, attempting to comfort her sister. “I am aware of this, but Twilight Sparkle is a princess. Perhaps I should watch her dreams more closely,” Luna said. Celestia looked back to the letter and finished reading it. With a sigh, and a warm smile, she looked at Rainbow Dash. “I am happy to hear that Twilight has grown fond of you, Rainbow Dash. How do you feel about this?” Dash looked at Twilight and smiled. “I'm glad she has and I care for her too, but...” “You are afraid she won't make it back out of this dream? Is this correct?” Luna said, placing a hoof on Dash's shoulder. Dash nodded slowly. “Fear not. I will see to it that she makes it out of this dream. It is, after all, my duty as princess of the night,” Luna said, giving Rainbow a reassuring smile. “How? I mean, do you even know how this happened?” Dash asked. “I believe that her refusal to tell you her feelings has somehow trapped her in that awful dream,” Celestia said. “But how? I don't understand,” Rainbow said. “I wish I could say. The mind is a hard thing to know. I do not think we will ever know exactly why things like this happen,” Celestia said. Luna looked to the doctor, “Do you have a quiet place I could go? To enter her dream, I must be able to focus my mind and magic.” “Of course. Follow me,” the doctor said, leaving the room with Luna. Dash looked back to Twilight and felt a fresh wave of tears coming on. No. No more crying. Princess Luna and Princess Celestia are here. If there's anyone who can get Twilight back to me, it's them. To her relief, the feeling of tears faded, and she could feel hope return to her. * * * * * Fluttershy sat at a table inside the hospital cafeteria with Spike. The dragon's anger had subsided, and he and the yellow pegasus were enjoying a nice apple cider. “You know you don't have to stay with me out here, Fluttershy. I'm sure you'd like to be up in Twilight's room, especially since Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are here,” Spike said. “Oh, don't worry, Spike. We spoke with them before they went up there. Just knowing they are here is enough to ease my worries. Well, a little anyway,” Fluttershy said. “No, you know what? We should probably go back. I don't care what Rainbow wants. Twilight and I have been friends for a long time. It doesn't feel right that I haven't been up there,” Spike said, hopping off his chair. Fluttershy gave him a hesitant look. “A-are you sure? What if she just starts yelling at you again?” “With the princesses up there? She won't. Besides, we've been gone long enough. Let's go see what's going on,” Spike said. Fluttershy gave the dragon a smile, and followed him. “You don't hate Rainbow Dash, do you?” Spike thought on the question for a moment, then shook his head. “No, I don't hate her. We're all feeling the stress and worry of not knowing what's going on with Twilight. How could I be mad at her for caring like that?” “I'm so glad to hear that. I'm sure she doesn't hate you either. Friends have arguments, but that doesn't mean they have to stop being friends.” After a few minutes, they reached Twilight's room. Two Royal Guard ponies stood outside of it. “Halt!” both guards called at once. Not expecting the sudden loudness of the guards, Fluttershy jumped and cowered down behind Spike, which didn't really hide her at all. “We're sorry! We'll go!” “No we won't! We're friends of Twilight's. I'm Spike and this is Fluttershy. Will you please let us pass?” Spike said. One guard disappeared into the room for a moment, then returned. “Alright. You can go in.” “Thank you,” Spike said, walking through the door, Fluttershy still cowering behind him as he walked. Applejack noticed Fluttershy hiding, unsuccessfully, behind Spike. “What in the world are ya doin', sugar cube?” “The guards scared me. I wasn't expecting them to be so loud,” she said, finally coming out from behind Spike. Applejack couldn't help but smile and pulled Fluttershy into a hug. “I'm glad ya got Spike to come back finally. How'd ya manage it?” “Actually, I decided on my own to come back,” Spike said, turning to Rainbow. “I'm sorry I lost my temper with you, Dash. This is hard on all of us and this is no one's fault.” Rainbow walked over to Spike and looked down at him. This made the purple dragon feel a little uncomfortable, but then a smile formed on Dash's face. “I'm glad you came back, Spike. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have blamed this on you. Friends?” she said, extending her hoof. Spike smiled and took her hoof in his hand. “Friends!”