//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: My Faithful Student // Story: My Faithful Student // by Darkblaze15 //------------------------------// "AAUUUGGGHHHH!!!!" Princess Celestia could hear Cadence's moan from the other end of the hallway to the Maternity Wing as she and the nurse hurried past doctors and patients to get to her. When they arrived, Cadence looked slightly relieved to see Celestia. "Auntie Celestia!" she greeted through gritted teeth, "I'm so glad you could make it in time." "How could I possibly miss the birth of my great-niece or nephew?" Princess Celestia said rhetorically. "How's Twilight doing?" Shining Armor asked, who held onto his wife's hoof affectionately. "She's stable, but still in a coma," Princess Celestia said. "Right," he said tersely; Celestia can tell that, though he's trying to hide it, the ordeal with Twilight had taken a toll on his emotions. Eventually, doctors arrived and carried Cadence away on a gurney; Shining Armor tried to follow, but the nurses prevented him from entering her room. "But she's my wife!" he said in protest, but the nurses refused him entry. "It's alright, Shining," Princess Celestia said as she wraps a wing across his back, "she'll be fine, they're the best here." Shining Armor gruffly crawled out from under her wing; "Only two ponies in Equestria get to call me 'Shining'," he replied as the pair sat down on a bench just outside. After several minutes of listening to Princess Cadence screaming in pain and the doctors coaxing her to stay calm, Princess Celestia and Shining Armor were allowed into the room to see the newest addition to the royal family. When they entered, Shining Armor immediately went to his wife's side, who was lying comfortably on the bed holding a small bundle of blankets containing their new foal. When she saw them, Cadence lifted a flap of the blanket to reveal the face of their niece; a tiny pale purple unicorn with a flat purple mane with streaks of pink and dark blue. Princess Celestia cooed at the sight, but Shining Armor backed away from his foal slightly. "What's the matter, honey?" Cadence asked, surprised by her husband's reaction. "Nothing...it's just, for a minute there," he began with a strained voice, "Nevermind," he said hastily. "Shining..." Cadence continued, not fooled by his response. Suddenly, tears started welling up in Shining's eyes. "It's just...she. . .she almost...looks like...Twilight," at that point, he could not contain himself anymore; he began sobbing like a colt who had just sprained his hoof, yet more heart-broken. Cadence sighed and closed her eyes as tears rose to her face; Princess Celestia wrapped her wing around Shining Armor in comfort, and this time, he did not reject it, but instead curled into Celestia's embrace, letting the emotional torment of the past few weeks roll over him. For only a moment, what was meant to be a time for celebration had turned to a time of pained remembrance of their friend upstairs, still waiting to wake up. * * * * Princess Cadence needed to stay in the hospital for a couple of days to ensure there were no complications with the delivery, so Princess Celestia returned to Twilight's room, happy yet saddened that nothing had changed since she had been gone. She walked over to Twilight's bedside and looked longingly at her faithful student; "Oh Twilight," Princess Celestia said, "I wish you could have been there, too; your niece is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen - well, apart from you." She chuckled in spite of herself, she could not believe she just voiced her true feelings yet she felt no regret letting them be known as she briefly touched the tip of her horn to Twilight's. Suddenly, something amazing happened; Princess Celestia sensed Twilight's joints twitch, then her eyelids fluttered open. Celestia gasped and stood frozen in her spot as Twilight finally woke up, after so many days of motionlessness. Twilight turned her head and groggily said "Celestia?" - before she knew it, she was pulled into a tight and emotional embrace by the pale alicorn, who cried in delight over the return of her best friend and student. * * * * News quickly spread about Twilight's safe and full recovery, but the first ponies to visit her upon hearing the news were, of course, her closest friends and family. Spike, who was the happiest to see her awake and alive again, could not contain his emotions and practically jumped on Twilight in greeting; Twilight's friends, who were a little more reserved but ecstatic nonetheless, pulled her into a warm group hug. Shining Armor and Cadence heard about Twilight's return and made their way up to her room as soon as they could to greet her. Twilight instantly fell in love with their foal, whom she got to name "Flurry Heart", but was even more emotional when her parents came by to see their daughter was alive and well. "We've missed you so much, honey," Twilight Velvet said with tears in her eyes as she and her husband hugged their daughter. "I've missed you too, Mom. You too, Dad," Twilight responded with tears in her eyes as well, "I love you both!" Princess Celestia, of course, never left her student's side while everypony welcomed her back to the world of the living. Despite the immense joy and happiness she felt inside of her, she managed to keep her regal composure in front of her fellow subjects. Yet somehow, Twilight was able to sense how much Celestia cared about her recovery, and the two looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment of mutual understanding. After a few days of trying to regain her ability to walk, Twilight was allowed to leave the hospital and return to Ponyville. As Celestia helped her get to the train station, she asked, "So, what happened while I was out?" "Oh, nothing much, actually," the pale alicorn responded, "The Royal guard managed to catch Trixie before she could hurt anypony else." "Well, that's good at least," Twilight said. "How much do you remember about that night?" Celestia asked Twilight, "And after that?" "Well, I remember casting the spell, feeling the Ursa Major pounding on my shield," Twilight reminisced, "Then I felt a really sharp, constant pain on my forehead, and then I kinda blacked out. After that, everything's a little fuzzy, like I was in some crazy dream." She suddenly squinted her eyes and chuckles, "One thing I do vividly remember, though, is trying to call out to you..." Princess Celestia inhaled sharply and looked over at Twilight. "But I couldn't have, right?" Twilight said, brushing it off, "I mean, from what you guys told me, I was out cold." "Yes..." Princess Celestia replied slowly, "quite strange, indeed. How does your horn feel, having been reattached and everything?" she asked, eager to change the subject. "Well, the pain's pretty much gone, but I can't seem to remember how to use any spells I've learned," Twilight replied, "I think I'll need to relearn everything I knew about using magic." "Well, I look forward to teaching you...again," Princess Celestia said in a slightly lighter tone, which prompted Twilight to chuckle softly. A shrill whistle and a beam of light approaching from down the tracks signaled the approach of the Friendship Express bound for Ponyville. "Well, here's my ride," Twilight said, "Pinkie's got this great big party planned for my return, and I know I'll never hear the end of it if I miss it." "Of course, my dear," Princess Celestia said as she leaned down and pulled her former student into a warm embrace, "I've missed you, Twilight," she added before letting go. "I've missed you, too," Twilight responded as she pulled away and trotted aboard. Just like that, Twilight was gone in an instant, ready to greet her friends in Ponyville. Again, Celestia found that she could not help but think about how Twilight had brushed off the possibility of communicating with her while comatose. She realized that this experience and ordeal had opened her eyes to the realization that not everything in life could be infinite, that with no warning at all, she could lose those she cared about the very next day. With this thought at the forefront of her mind, Celestia galloped away to her study to compose a letter. * * * * Deep below Canterlot Castle, Trixie Lulamoon sat in her dreary dungeon cell as punishment for her actions against Ponyville and Twilight Sparkle. She began to have regrets for her behavior, having spent almost two weeks in the worst conditions she could imagine, yet she was still adamant on proving she was the best magician in Equestria. "With Twilight out of the way for the time being," she said to herself, "I can show everypony that I am more powerful than she could ever be, and they will all bow down to the 'Grrreat and Powerful--'" "Hey, pipe down in there!" one of the patrolling guards said as he banged on the bars of her door, "Prisoners aren't allowed to speak!" Trixie snarled at the guard, but he paid no attention to her and continued on his way; when he was out of sight, however, Trixie fired a spell - one she had been perfecting since her capture - at the barred metal door, which caused it to bend and twist to create an opening large enough for her to escape through. Priding herself at her work, she galloped along the numerous hallways of the Canterlot underground to find a way back to the surface. Suddenly, she screeched to a halt when she heard guards' voices trotting towards her; she ducked quickly behind a pile of rocks just as two members of the Royal guard round the corner. "Hey, did you hear?" one of them asked the other, "Princess Twilight came out of her coma a few days ago. Sounds like she's made a full recovery, too." "That's great news!" the other guard answered, "I wonder if we should tell the 'Great and Powerful' Inmate of Cell Block 42?" he added, which cracks the both of them up as they exit the hallway. Trixie pondered over the information she just found out; "So, Twilight Sparkle is out of her coma?" she said slyly to herself again, "Maybe my plans will have to hold off for a while; besides, I'm looking forwards to a rematch. After all, who else can bend metal like the 'Grrreat and Powerful--'" "Hey, how did you get out here?!" a prison guard exclaimed as he rounded the corner into the hallway, prompting Trixie to panic and flee the scene. "Prison break! Prison break!" he shouted an alarm to some other guards standing by, who all gave chase to the deceptive yet bumbling magician through the tunnels of Canterlot. * * * * When Twilight Sparkle returned to Ponyville from her ordeal in Canterlot, she was given the biggest and warmest reception she had ever received from any of her friends. As promised, Pinkie Pie put together a grand "Welcome Home" party for Twilight's return, which turned out to be one for the history books. Rarity kept her promise of making a magnificent and stunning dress for the guest of honor to wear, which attracted attention from far and wide. Twilight could not have felt more grateful that she had such caring and faithful ponies to call her friends. Once the party dissipated, Twilight and Spike returned to her castle, where, to her surprise, Spike had indeed cleaned and spiffed the entire castle to her liking for her return. "I know I kinda went overboard, but I just wanted to make you happy," Spike said with a sheepish smile. "Spike, it's perfect," Twilight reassured him and hugged him tightly, "It's exactly as I would have cleaned it. Have you been picking up tips from me or something?" she added sarcastically. Before Spike could reply, however, he suddenly received a letter in green smoke, meaning it came from Princess Celestia. "What does it say?" Twilight asked. Spike takes one look at it and gasped; "Um, this is pretty long, and I'm really tired, soooo. . . ." he began to say, trying to get out of having to read the letter. "Oh, alright, I can read it on my own," Twilight chuckled, to which Spike breathed a sigh of relief and went off to prepare for bed. Twilight opened up the letter and began reading; To My Faithful Student, I have been trying for ages to figure out how to write this letter, because there is not quite one way to tell you. I've been sitting at my desk for a few hours now, trying to find the words to explain my true feelings about you, but now I think I now how to begin. . . I can still remember the day I first met you and asked you to be my student; not because of the damage you'd caused, but because of your extraordinary magical abilities. While the days of trying to teach you proper magic and behavior were - stressful, to say the least - I still look back on them as the fondest memories of my entire life. Some days I wish times were simpler like those we spent in my study so many years ago; just you and me, not a care in the world. Watching you grow up and lead your own life lifts my spirit and saddens me at the same time. This experience has shown me, above all else, how fragile life can be; even though I will never experience it myself, I was deeply pained by your near brush with death. It gave me despair to think that I would not be able to tell you this in person; as evident by this letter, I still cannot, but I hope this will suffice. Even though we have gone our separate ways, I see you as my little filly, Twilight; your smile and spirit bring joy to my life and give me the energy to get through even the toughest of days - especially these past few weeks. I know you might be confused, or curious - or even furious that I withheld my feelings from some pony I considered to be so special, but I've wanted to tell you for quite some time how I truly felt about our relationship. I know we each have our own lives to live, but I hope that someday, you will be able to understand and appreciate my feelings for you. Until then, I take every moment I spend with you as the happiest moments in my life. Your teacher, mentor, and adopted mother, Celestia When Twilight finished reading the touching letter from her former teacher, she found that tears stained her eyes and cheeks. She smiles at the thought that Celestia considered herself as her "adopted mother;" in truth, Twilight herself had felt the same way about the pale alicorn being her mother, but had not realized it until now. With tears of joy and excitement still in her eyes, she took a quill and a piece of parchment and began to write a letter in response; Dear Princess Celestia. . . . . .