Heart Pains
Chapter 2: Heart Pains
Her breathing was labored as her eyelids began to crack open. Her mouth felt dry with the aftertaste of several chemicals and the oxygen mask covering her face. The world spun around her, blurring the painfully white room she was in. Her limbs and head felt like lead as she struggled to get up on the soft hospital bed she had been placed on. She suddenly felt as if she lost breath as she felt something push her back down and call her name.
"Twily!"
Her eyes lazily looked to the side of the bed where a more pearlescent blur of white with several blotches of dark navy blue called out to her. Her mind was foggy and her her vocal cords felt paralyzed with her limbs, but she still recognized the figure.
"Shining," she thought.
A suddenly slam came as the door was thrust open and her eyes shut tightly in pain as the vibrations shot through her head. In an instant multiple voices were calling her and asking about her. She winced at all the overloud sounds that were assaulting her eardrums at this moment. The light was aggravating as well and she tried squinting past it until her pupils could accept it.
"Twily," he said again, taking her hoof into his and clenching it softly. She let out a huff of air, irritated that she was too weak to move her hoof tighter around his. Still, the fluttering of her eyelids and the short breath outtake was reassuring enough for him.
She winced as the vibrations of several footsteps started throbbing in her head. And lo, the rest of her friends, Spike, her parents, and, to her surprise, all three princesses came into the room. She shut her eyes tightly as the sounds scraped through her brain. When they finally subsided a little, she looked from behind the gas mask at the worried eyes and faces of her dearest friends and family. Cadance was right besides Shining. Her eyes were bloodshot, clearly from lack of sleep. Tears began flooding the corners of her eyes and wetting her eyelashes as she took her hoof from Shining's into hers. She managed a weak smile at her, just to reassure her new sister-in-law that she was okay.
Just then, she realized something. The wedding! The images of what happened came flooding towards her all at once. She tried to sit up, but her heavy limbs and the sudden pricking everywhere made her let out a scream of pain. Several nurses came in and forced her gently down back onto the gurney. An earth pony nurse gently soothed her back down while the two other unicorn nurse checked over the equipment and while another one cast a spell over her chest. She almost choked for a moment, but then relaxed as the soothing warmth of the healing magic flooded over her.
Cadance gently squeezed her hoof together and a few tears escaped down her cheeks. Twilight's eyes noticed a box of tissues beside the bed and she squeezed her eyes close in order to concentrate enough magic to bring one over to her. Instantly, another wave of pain flooded her senses, breaking her control on her power. Shining gripped her hoof tighter and used his opposite to stroke it.
"Twily. Please don't try to move or use magic. You took a lot of damage from the fight," Shining pleaded. His eyes suddenly widened with memory and he dipped his head and pressed his face on her hoof. His shoulders suddenly shook and his breathing became ragged. "I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry, L.S.B.F.F," he cried out. His voice was broken as he cried hot tears and begged her forgiveness. Spike and her parents explained to the others what it meant while her focus never left him.
"W-w," she tried to call out. Her vocal cords felt stuck, as if she had swallowed a tube of glue. He looked up past a veil of blurred tears at the sound of her voice.
"Wha," he whispered quietly.
"W-w-w," she tried again, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Wedding," Cadance asked. The tiny nod confirmed it. "Oh Twilight." A fresh set of tears came down her face. "You saved us from Chrysalis's plans. You saved all of Canterlot, maybe even Equestria. Your sacrifice saved us." She leaned in and gently cupped Twilight's face. "The wedding can wait. All that matters now is that you recover and rest so that you can get better," she let out a shaky breath and smiled warmly at her, "so you can be my best mare."
Twilight's eyes widened again as a feeling of hope came over her. Shining looked up and wiped away the tears wetting his face. He managed a smile and nodded. "Yes. We would love for you to be our best mare again." He sighed again and wiped more tears from his face. "It was something I should've never taken from you in the first place. I was a foolish, foalish, pathetic, idiotic, stupid, dumb-," he stopped when Cadance touched his shoulder, "stallion that had no right hurting you like that." He knelt down more by the side of the bed. "That's why I'm asking, no, begging for forgiveness and that I hope to mend our relationship again by letting you be my best mare at my wedding. When you get better though."
She took in his appearance. His eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep, much like everyone else, and from all the tears shed. His mane was messy from lack of attention. Dark bags hung under his eyes and his fur was dishevelled. The look on his face had her heart breaking with forgiveness and sympathy for him. He had hurt her, yes. He had verbally abused her right to her face, yes. He had broken their sibling trust and openly denied her help when he needed it most, but... he was her brother. Despite the Tartarus-awful things he had done to her before the sabotaged wedding, she couldn't be mad at him, or her friends for that matter.
She couldn't move much, but her hoof twitched in his. He stared at her face. It took a lot of effort, but the sides of her lips cracked up into a smile and her eyes twinkled with a look that spoke to him, "I forgive you, B.B.B.F.F."
He gave out a ragged breath of air and lurched towards her. Minding the many wires, tubes and bandages, he wrapped his hooves around her gently squeezed her in a firm embrace. She winced as he was a little tight around her aching ribs and she couldn't move her tied up limbs and to return the hug, but her head moved down just the littlest bit onto his head and her eyes dropped close as the warmth from his body flowed through her.
Her friends and family then came up to her, one by one. Her parents cried and presented her with get-well cards and flowers. Each one of her friends gave their own cards, flowers or little presents to apologize.
Applejack gave her a crate of apple juice, applesauce and some apple brown betties for her to eat when she was able to. The farm pony had taken off her stetson hat and apologized with her sincerest sorry.
Rainbow Dash handed her a well-done card of her with a picture filled with rainbows and lightning bolts and such, but with a certain, purple unicorn on a pedestal in the midst of it all. Rainbow also openly cried in front of her as she apologized, something she wouldn't normally do. She told her that she could punch in the face repeatedly to 'make it even' before going to sit down.
Fluttershy had wept right beside her. When the flow of tears had went down a bit, she presented a bouquet of wildflowers and lovely mobile with pink, glass butterflies. She practically screamed that she was sorry before sobbing on Rainbow Dash's shoulder, who, by the way, joined in on the crying.
Rarity had presented a fancy card with several gems, fabrics and designs worked into it. She had dabbed her eyes and blown her nose a few times into her embroidered handkerchief. After putting up some glittery bows on her cast and bandages, she had given her a firm Pinkie promise to redo her bridesmaid gown and make another one for her for special occasions.
Pinkie Pie was a sad sight. Her once bouncy, curled mane and tail fell limply down. She had presented her with several balloons, an extravagant card that even topped Rarity's, a huge gift basket with candy, games, toys and party favors, and lastly, a simple, lavender cake with the words "I'm sorry" scrawled on top with violet and fuchsia icing. She too joined in with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy by crying on Applejack's firm shoulder.
Spike was next. The look on the baby dragon's face sent her heart aching. He apologized profusely and begged her forgiveness. He then presented her with several short novels. After an explanation that he would come over and read them to her anytime she felt bored, he joined in on the group.
Shining and Cadence gave her a special book. A first-edition, mega-collector's edition of "Advanced Magic Spells", signed by none other than Starswirl the Bearded. Cadance also brought a bouquet of pink and red roses with a few lilies in a magenta vase, which she put alongside the others on the bedside table.
The princesses were last. Luna smiled softly at her and gave her a star. An actual star. The other ponies were amazed by the gently glowing sphere. It was small enough to fit in Twilight's hooves and Luna explained that it would grow bigger or smaller and brighter or dimmer if she wanted it to be just by willing it. A dear gift and a perfect, late-night, reading light.
Celestia. Her dear teacher and mentor Celestia. Ruler of the Day. Monarch of the Sun. Princess of Equestria. Regal, unwavering, benevolent, kind, pristine and all-powerful.
She looked like a wreck. She seriously looked worse then Shining Armor. Dark bags hung under her eyes and her face was stained with tears. Though Twilight knew not how, strands of her ethereal-flowing mane stuck out everywhere. The princess stood stoically, though the look on her face and her quivering form made her look as if she was to break down sobbing at any moment.
She said nothing at first. Her horn then glowed a light yellow and she lifted something up from her sun-enblazed saddlebags. A scroll came out and unfurled itself before her line of vision. She had to squint at the words, but once she read through it, she gasped.
It was one of the friendship letters she had and her friends had sent to the princess.
Dear Princess Celestia,
We're writin' to you because today we all learned a little somethin' about friendship.
We learned that you should take your friends' worries seriously.
Even if you don't think that she has anything to worry about.
And that you shouldn't let your worries turn a small problem...
...into an enormously huge entire-town-in-total-chaos Princess-has-to-come-and-save-the-day problem.
Signed, your loyal subjects.
Once she read through, she looked up and froze. Celestia's form was shaking with sobs that escaped the alicorn's throat. Tears fell in rivers down the sun goddess's face before dripping off her chin and landing with loud plinks on the floor. Her pained magenta eyes focused on her, filled to the brim with sorrow and guilt.
"Please forgive me, dear student," she choked out between sobs. "I-I have failed you," she whispered before fleeing the room and down the hall crying, followed by her sister in pursuit. She started as she left. Her mouth opened the tiniest bit, to try and call after her. She suddenly realized that her mouth stretched out all the way open without her wanting it to go and her eyes fluttered shut as she let something out from her voice.
A yawn.
She looked over to her intent audience of ponies and a baby dragon. She blushed and, much to her annoyance, let out another yawn. Just then, the doctor, a tan, male unicorn, came in and asked the party kindly to leave to allow her to receive some sleep. After several protests and some minor threats, he succeeded in escorting them all out, but not before the majority of the group apologized one last time and promising to come visit her when she awoke.
The light switch had magically been switched off, leaving her alone in the darkness. Her eyes fell to the star Luna had given her, glowing dimly on the bedside table. Staring at it, she wished it would lift up. The star heeded her silent command. It slowly floated up and came to a halt in the middle of Fluttershy's mobile that she had hung on the ceiling. The pink, glass butterflies gently swayed as the star came in the midst of them and, as the star grew just the tiniest bit brighter, the light shone through their translucent, colored wings, sending an array of light speckles on the walls, ceiling and bed.
She admired the small light show for a few minutes more, before her eyes began to feel heavy with sleep. Gently fluttering them close, she let her body began to drift and she entered the land of sleep.
"You sure you want me to do this sister," Luna asked. The two regal alicorn sisters were alone in Celestia's private study. Celestia had stripped off her royal regalia and now lay in bed with Luna standing right at the foot. She would still be awake for the night to guard it, but matters between siblings came first.
"You know as well as I do that you are the only one to access the realm of dreams, dear sister." She sighed and look guilty towards the floor. "And you are well aware that I will not feel any redemption of my guilt until I have received her forgiveness."
The princess of the night sighed and nodded. The guilt of becoming Nightmare Moon, though had faded and was just a dim memory inside her now, it still came up every once in awhile to haunt her. Guilt was a feeling she knew all too well.
Celestia's eyes fluttered close and soon her breathing became steady. Luna waited until she sensed her sister was fully asleep before she lit up her horn in white light. A thin, smooth tentacle extended from the tip and slowly snaked down to Celestia's face. It touched her forehead and connected Celestia's mind to Luna's magic as the younger alicorn sent her sister's subconsciousness to the realm of dreams.
Celestia followed the path of clustered stars, guided by a gentle glowing light. Eventually, she came across a set of doors on either side of the path. The orb of light kept flying down the way, so she continued following it. Eventually, the orb stopped in front of a door. On further examination, she saw that Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark had been engraved on it. The orb pulsed a few times before dissipating into nothingness. Luna had left her on her own now,
Hesitantly, she reached out and touched the doorknob. A chill spread up her spine as she gently turned the cold metal. She took a deep breath before she pushed the door open and walked into the light.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a strange sight come into mind. It was a dark cavern with the only light coming from several cracks and holes in the ceiling. As she walked down the smooth path, she realized she was walking on crystal. She saw gleaming and sparkling from all angles. And suddenly, she realized what this place was.
A couple hundred years ago, an earthquake had opened a hole in Canterlot. Several brave ponies who had decided to investigate the hole further had stumbled upon a cavern of naturally growing crystals beneath the city. It was only a matter of time that greed had taken root into their hearts and many had tried to claim and collect the gems that grew underneath in order to gain wealth. Word about it got out, fights and stake claims broke out, and if she hadn't intervened then perhaps there wouldn't even be a Canterlot anymore. The hole was sealed up, the whereabouts hidden or destroyed and the crystal cavern soon fell out of memory.
She flinched as the white, glowing orb suddenly appeared before her face again. She narrowed her eyes to glare at her sister's doing before it pulsed and flew over around the corner. Knowing better then to quarrel with her sister's power, she galloped after it.
Rounding the corner, she was met with an unnerving, horrifying sight. Twilight Sparkle was standing on a crystal platform, legs spread apart, horn aglow and head lowered in a defensive, protective position. Princess Cadance laid unconscious right underneath her, and surrounding the both of them was hoards and hoards of changelings.
Twilight fired beams upon beams of magic at them, knocking them back to defend the both of them. But the insectoid equines kept approaching, licking their lips hungrily with the prospect of fresh love to suck from their bodies until they were nothing more the emotionless, shriveled husks. Still, even as her energy drained her muscles drew fatigued and sweat poured in bucket loads down her body, she kept firing.
All of a sudden, a changeling, clad in a blue helmet and breastplate, flew up and began charging straight down at them. Their horn drew aglow with green energy, forming around his head and body like a green blade. Twilight's eyes fluttered close as she no longer had the strength to repel them. Just as the changeling was about to reach her head, a sudden burst of light shot him back. A huge burst of energy appeared around them and expanded further, throwing back all of the changeling down the dark tunnels of the cave.
Twilight threw her head back up to Celestia, gazing in awe at her mentor as she flew down before her. In an instant, the crystal cavern began melting away. The glittering gems turned into orbs of light and soon clustered to the floor to form the starry path beneath them. Twilight watched in awe at the fantastic scene, only to realize Cadance was no longer beneath her, or anywhere for that matter. However Celestia was before her.
"She is just a figment of your imagination Twilight Sparkle. You are in the realm of dreams now," she explained. The unicorn looked puzzled before her.
"The realm of dreams? As in the dimension where ponies allow their minds to wander and take place in the form of imagination and/or memories" she asked. Celestia nodded. Her eyes widened in startled surprise before she stared confusedly at her. "Wait. If this is the realm of dreams, then aren't you a figment of my imagination too, just like Cadance?"
Celestia looked surprised at the sudden question. She then threw up her head a bit and a soft, tinkling laugh came up from her throat. "I suppose, in a way, yes," she replied. "However, my sister has ways of projecting the subconsciouses of others in a way that they may communicate with one another, even when asleep."
Twilight's eyes grew wide with surprise, but then softened with curiosity and wonder. "That's amazing. I must read about it when I get the time. I also might want to ask her about it as well." Celestia nodded before her expression grew more stoic.
"Luna also saved you mid-flight," she said before sighing deeply in relief. "Bless her heart."
"Oh," Twilight said surprised. "I didn't know. I'll have to get her a thank you card when I get the chance as well." A silence then came between the two ponies. Twilight awkwardly rubbed her front legs before speaking.
"Chrysalis had me and Cadance locked in the crystal caverns before the wedding," she explained. Celestia nodded.
"Cadance told me," she replied.
"Oh," Twilight said again as she looked down at her hooves.
"She also told me the major role you had in helping her escape that place," Celestia continued. Twilight's head slowly rose and she gave a small smile.
"Yeah," she whispered back.
Twilight flinched suddenly as she looked up an saw her mentor come before her. To her astonishment, she saw the great goddess of the sun bow down before her, coming down to her level and dipping her head solemnly in shame and repentance.
"Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student," she began, "not more then a week ago, I dismissed your worries for your brother's safety. I completely disregarded the first lesson you and your friends ever wrote together to me. I walked down a path of ignorance and disgust for your actions, only to find that mine nearly cost us Canterlot and possibly Equestria."
Her eyes looked up at Twilight's, sparkling with unshed tears. "That is why I bow down before you, ashamed of what my actions have wrought. I caused you and a whole city of ponies suffering because I chose to follow the other's beliefs and make them my own without examining the possibilities of the actual truth." Tears poured down the sides of her face like rushing rivers as she continued and bowed her head even lower. "Now, I, Princess Celestia, your failed mentor, bow before you, begging you for your forgiveness on the conduct of my actions."
Twilight Sparkle stood shocked before her princes, teacher and idol, now reduced to a pony guilt-wracked and pained of her past mistakes. She stared at her mentor for a moment longer before finding just the right words in her heart to say to her.
"Dear Princess Celestia," she started slowly, making the princess's head look up at her in shock and surprise, "Almost a week ago I learned to trust my instincts and to do what I feel in my heart is right."
She paused for a moment, looking down at Celestia's grief-stricken face before continuing. "But today I learned that holding onto the past is never something you should do. Looking back onto past mistakes and not choosing to move on and learn from them to do better is dangerous, but also is not letting go of grudges. Friendships are beautiful things, but fragile as well. Forgiveness and mercy are two beautiful things too, though neither of them always comes so easily. And yet-," she looked down and smiled at the alicorn princess, "they help mend broken hearts and soothe soul aching for repentance. Today I learned that showing mercy and forgiveness towards other not only mends their hearts and friendships, but it also help the pony giving it feel better too. And that is why, friendships rely on forgiveness, for it not only helps the pony suffering from guilt, but also helps the pony giving it feel better as well."
The unicorn then leaned down and made full eye contact with her teacher. "I'm sorry too," she whispered quietly. Celestia's head rose back and her mane almost poofed out in surprise like Pinkie Pie's.
"What?! What for," the surprised alicorn almost shouted. Twilight sighed and gave a small smile at her teacher.
"For acting poorly before you and the others. I should've gathered more proof of the the truth and acted in a more civilized, discrete manner then acting aggressively and selfishly before you, my brother and the others." Her grinned grew wider till it threatened to split her face. "So that is why, I, Twilight Sparkle, your most faithful students, ask you, Princess Celestia, for your forgiveness on the conduct of my actions."
Both mares stared at each other, just looking at one another in silence. All of a sudden, Celestia's lips pursed together and her cheeks puffed out like a fish. Finally, she let out a giggle. Then another giggle. Then another. Celestia could no longer keep in her laughter and let out a hearty guffaw. Twilight joined in and together, the two mares hugged, each while laughing their heads off. In their hearts, the guilt and sorrow had been erased as their friendship mended.
In Celestia's bedroom, Luna still kept the spell going. She would soon put it down so that the two mares could let their psyches rest for the night and so Twilight could recover more.
As she slowly lowered the spell after a few more minutes, her mind went to ponder what the two had said to each other in the realm of dreams. Mercy and forgiveness help mend friendships. A smile crossed her face as she felt comforted by these thoughts and wise words. She finally cut off her connection with Celestia, letting her older sister rest for the night. She took one last look over her sister's now smiling face before she opened the window to her room, spread out her wings and took to the night sky.
In Canterlot hospital, a slumbering unicorn had the same expression as she slumbered peacefully and had sweet, pain-free dreams for the rest of the night.
Stats
Page generated in 0.024 seconds
Total duration
646 users online
1,206,712 hits today, 2,921,617 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Yummy.
Take my like already!
Another forgiveness fic? I'm bailing, good luck mate.
I like what you have so far hope to read more soon
hmmmmm good so far
There's another chapter after this?
Yep, me too.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/126499/the-canterlot-healing-process
A story by a guy with the same kind of idea.
It still amazes me how so many people still like ACW and they still consider it a master piece despite it's obvious flaws right in front of people. Just because 'This Day Aria' has been a good song, it isn't enough to save the rest of the poorly structured, unfocused and inconsistently written mess of a two parter.
See, this is how it should've ended. This even beats my fan fic by a mile
(Which I should start finishing soon)
*Looks at Author's Note*
Now you know why I hate Canterlot Wedding with the fury of a thousand suns. Seriously! A freaking apology from everyone other than Applejack would be nice, thank you very much.
7463553 Reason why so many people like it, is because they hate it.
I know it sounds weird, but what I mean is that its one of the most annoying episodes of the series* Minus the season 6 finale, cuz that only served to please the fanboys of Starlight, Trixie, and Discord* , but its one of the most interesting of the show too.
7459350
And that apology was half assed XD
Rainbow (before leaving):
Oh sorry I didn't know we bored you so much. 
Let's hope that star Luna gave Twilight doesn't die (unless it is a white dwarf star).