33: Settling In
Twilight kept her eyes closed, relishing every moment she spent locked against Chrysalis’ cold skin. Even her lips carried a wintery chill that sent shivers through Twilight. Her lungs burned for air, but she refused to pull away.
Armored steps rumbled through the doorway behind them. Though Twilight cared little, she could hear them stop only a few feet from where she lay atop Chrysalis.
“All right. Show’s over.” Something about Cadance’s arrival prodded at Twilight’s mind, but she ignored it. “Split into teams, I want every inch of this castle searched before sundown. You, go fetch Doctor Heart. Have him gather a medical team for each wounded princess.”
A chorus of affirmations met her orders.
“In the meantime--” Her voice cut out with a shrill shriek. “Twilight, what in Equestria are you doing?” A rough hoof took Twilight by the chin, forcing her to break the kiss. Her eyes lazed open to meet Cadance’s.
“Cadance? What are you doing in my bedroom?” Twilight asked, wrinkling her muzzle. She felt so tired. She needed to sleep. She couldn’t do that with Cadance visiting.
“What? Twilight? Twilight!”
Any further discussion ended as Twilight crumpled to the floor and passed out.
Twilight blinked. The only indication that time had passed was the fact she was now in her own room, staring at an unfamiliar permutation of her ceiling. Everything in the room seemed backwards to how it normally sat.
With a groan of exertion, Twilight tried to sit up, only for a hoof to press down on her shoulder, keeping her pinned in the bed with a gentle, yet unrelenting force. Twilight’s eyes trailed along the orange fur, up the long, slender leg of a mare. Before she could see her face, the tip of a blonde ponytail fell over her shoulder, tickling Twilight’s nose.
“Easy there, Twilight. You ain’t supposed to be sittin’ up yet.”
“Applejack?” Twilight rasped.
Through the thick haze in her head, Twilight tried to focus on her friend’s face.
“I’m right here. Don’t you worry none.”
“Where’s Chrysalis?”
“She . . .” Applejack shook her head. “She’s fine. Luna’s fine, too. They’ve got doctors takin care of them right now.”
“What . . . happened?” Twilight tried to move her hoof to her cheek, but it caught on some sort of string wrapped around her leg. “I can’t . . . I can’t think straight.”
“Yeah, the doctor said you might feel that way. He put a spell on ya. Supposed to help with the pain, but leaves you a bit . . . unfocused.”
“Oh,” Twilight said. She could feel her parched lips sputter each word. She tried to wet them, but her tongue was just as dry. “I don’t suppose you could fetch me a drink.”
Applejack glanced over her shoulder.
“Alright. But you have to promise me you ain’t gonna try to move.”
“I promise,” Twilight coughed.
The hoof on her shoulder released her, hovering away slowly. Applejack disappeared for a moment before returning with a glass of water. She tapped something on the side of the bed, prompting the cushions of the bed to incline and propping the top half of Twilight’s body up just far enough to drink.
“Do you need help with it?” Applejack asked, holding out the glass.
Twilight tried to reach out with her magic to take it, but nothing happened. Not even a fizzle of magic sprouted from her horn. She thought that was odd.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Twilight muttered.
Applejack leaned forward slowly, pressing the rim of the glass to Twilight’s mouth. Slowly, she tipped the bottom of the glass upward, spilling a few drops at a time. Despite being plain water, it tasted sweet, almost like honey. It took several minutes for Twilight to gulp down the whole thing. Applejack set the empty glass down somewhere out of sight.
“Thanks, Applejack.” She accepted the appreciation with a humble nod. Twilight could feel her eyelids growing heavy again. The fog in her thoughts thickened, until nothing but static remained. “I’m really sorry, but I-I think I’m . . . going to . . .”
Before she could finish, Twilight’s world faded out again.
Another blink. Another transition. At least this time, when Twilight opened her eyes, she hadn’t changed rooms. She sat up in her bed, feeling the thin sheets collect in her lap. Pain bit at her core beneath a somewhat uncomfortable linen hospital gown.
On the opposite side of the room, she could see her bed, her shelves, her tables and chairs. Everything seemed to be normal. Even a fire in the hearth to keep the winter at bay. A stripe of light filtered through the crack beneath the bathroom door. She could hear the faucet running inside.
“Hello?” Twilight called out. Her sore throat reduced the sound to a whisper.
The door opened to reveal a snow-white unicorn dressed in a powdered-silver and gem-adorned scarf. Before stepping out of the bathroom, she took a moment to straighten one of her purple curls in the mirror.
“Good morning, Twilight. Did you sleep well?”
“Rarity? Did something happen?” Twilight scrunched her face as she gazed down at herself. “And why am I dressed in a hospital gown and lying on a hospital bed?”
“I’m sorry about that scratchy thing, Darling. I tried to get them to let me pick out something more comfortable, but apparently those hideous gowns are just a part of normal operating procedures.” Rarity strutted across the room and lowered herself into one of the open chairs facing Twilight’s bed. “It’s simply dreadful, isn’t it? I don’t know how they expect anyone to rest in such a thing.”
Twilight shook her head.
“That’s not exactly what I meant.”
“Of course. How rude of me. How are you feeling today?”
“Like I got hit by a carriage,” Twilight muttered, rubbing at her temple. She tried to stand, but rails on either side kept her from climbing out of bed. “Would you mind helping me up?”
“Are you sure you should be standing yet?”
“I’m not feeling that bad. Besides, it’s cold, and I’d like to sit by the fire,” Twilight said. With Rarity’s help, they managed to find the lever to release the locks. The rails swung down, allowing Twilight to toss her legs over the edge of the bed and sit up fully.
“Here. Give me your hoof,” Rarity said, offering her own. Twilight grabbed on, using her friends as an anchor to pull herself upright. Her hooves buckled under the sudden weight as she landed, sending her sprawling into Rarity’s embrace.
“Easy, darling. I’ve got you.”
It took a moment, but Twilight managed to steady herself on her own four hooves. Regardless, Rarity refused to let go. Together, they limped across the room. When they were close enough, Rarity helped lower Twilight into a seat before returning to her own.
“What happened to me?” Twilight asked, rubbing sleep from her eye.
“I don’t quite know. I’m sure the doctor will be able to tell you more. I received a message a few minutes ago that he’ll be stopping as soon as he’s finished checking on his other patients.”
“His other patients?” Several of Twilight’s memories shook loose. She shot forward in her chair, eyes wide. “Chrysalis? Luna? Are they okay?”
Rarity flinched, startled by the sudden outburst. “As far as I’m aware, they’re fine. A little worse for wear, but alive.”
Relief washed over Twilight, allowing her to slide back into a comfortable position with a long sigh. “Good. I was worried. Does that have something to do with why you’re here? And . . . was Applejack here earlier?”
“All the girls are here. We received a letter from Princess Cadance that you were in trouble. We came running as quickly as we could. I didn’t even have time to pack extra outfits in my suitcase. I had to have them delivered.”
“Delivered?”
“Of course. If I’m going to be staying in Canterlot for a while, I need to bring my work here. But I’m off track again. I’m sure you must have more questions.”
“How . . . How much do you know?”
“Everything, dear.” Rarity crossed her legs. “Cadance told us about Chrysalis and Celestia. I simply cannot believe that you didn’t think to call on us. You know we would have dropped everything to help.” She waved her hoofs wildly as she talked.
“I know you would.” Twilight glanced away. “That’s why I didn’t. You guys have your own lives to deal with. I didn’t need to drag you into my problem.”
“Twilight Sparkle!” Rarity put a hoof over her heart, wounded. “Do you think my business is as important as making sure one of my best friends isn’t going crazy overworking herself? Especially when her work is saving another princess?”
Twilight sighed. When said out loud like that, it sounded insane. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“You should be,” Rarity humphed, crossing her forelegs over her chest. “And now that we’ve properly established that, The girls and I are here to help.”
“All of you?”
“Yes. They’re currently hard at work helping to rebuild the rest of the castle. But we’ve been coming down to see you on our breaks. Luckily, I was the one who got to be here when you woke up.”
The two shared a quiet, dignified chuckle before a knock at the door silenced them.
“That must be the doctor,” Rarity explained. “Come on in.”
Doctor Heart opened the door and stepped inside. He made it a few steps before noticing Twilight sitting at the lounge near the fire. His gaze flicked silently between the two mares.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked.
“No. In fact, I was just getting ready to head back to work. The castle won’t clean itself.” Rarity retrieved her hat from a stand and waved goodbye to Twilight. “Take care of yourself, darling. I’ll be back later to help you get dressed.” With that, she left.
“Get dressed?” Twilight asked, raising her brow at the doctor.
“Don’t look at me, I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
The old stallion unstrapped his saddlebag and set it beside Rarity’s chair. He drew several instruments from inside to check Twilight’s vitals. “How do you feel?” he asked, putting the end of a stethoscope to her chest.
“I’m alright. A bit of pain, but nothing too bad.”
“Good to hear. How long have you been up?”
“Only a few minutes. Rarity helped me out of bed.”
“I see.” The doctor nodded and put his scope away. He ran his hooves along Twilight’s leg, examining the muscles and occasionally prodding at whatever caught his eye. “You remember Rarity?”
The question caught Twilight off guard.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I?”
Doctor Heart moved to the other side of her body, bending and straightening her foreleg. “Can you tell me where you are?”
“I’m in my room in Canterlot. Why are you asking me these questions?”
“Just a quick psychological examination. Making sure you’re not delirious. You seem to be alright. A little bit of muscle degradation, but nothing to be worried about. Heart sounds fine. Did you feel any pain when I touched you?”
Twilight shook her head. “The only thing that hurts is my chest. And that’s just a bit sore. Really, Doctor, there’s nothing to worry about--”
Her words were interrupted by a sharp gasp as Doctor Heart pressed a hoof into Twilight’s chest. Several seconds of wheezing went by before she could breathe normally again.
“Ouch!” She yelled, pushing the doctor’s hoof away.
“Looks like you’ve still got a broken rib or two. Still better than yesterday, though.”
“A broken rib?” Twilight pressed the same spot the doctor had. Even grazing the spot took her breath away. “What happened to me, Doctor?”
Clearing his throat, he gathered his tools back into his bag. He levitated the chart from the foot of Twilight’s hospital bed over and grabbed it before sitting in Rarity’s chair. “Alright. I’ll try my best, but I doubt I could tell you more than you’d know. What’s the last thing you remember?”
Closing her eyes, Twilight retraced her memories. She remembered the dream, her fight with Chrysalis, the Nightmare, Tirek. But the reel stopped at Chrysalis’ sacrifice and the subsequent explosion.
“Chrysalis sacrificed herself to save me,” Twilight's chest tightened again, but this time had nothing to do with her broken bones.
“That would certainly explain her condition.”
“What condition? Is something wrong with her? Rarity said she was fine.” In her haste, Twilight nearly toppled her chair. The doctor’s magic caught her and settled her back into her seat.
“You, Chrysalis, and Luna came crashing out of a portal from wherever that Nightmare creature had taken you. Luna wasn’t conscious. You . . .” he cleared his throat again. “You had a moment with Chrysalis before you passed out, too. Chrysalis was the only one to remain conscious throughout.”
“She’s awake? Can I talk to her?” Twilight tried to stand, but the doctor raised his hoof to stop her.
“I don’t think she’s in the mood to talk.” He massaged the nape of his neck. “I’ve visited her several times since her return. She isn’t too keen on speaking terms with anyone. And Princess Cadance didn’t really help the situation.”
“What did she do?” Twilight grumbled.
“She . . . she’s rather upset with Chrysalis at the moment.” The doctor bit his tongue, unsure if he should continue. “And she’s not thrilled about your actions, either. She’s ordered her guards not to let you two near one another.”
“What? She can’t do that . . . Wait, what did I do?”
“You . . . don’t remember . . .” He paused, trying to find the right words. “You don’t remember your ‘moment’ with Chrysalis?”
Twilight blushed. A ‘moment’ with Chrysalis? Based on the way he said it, it could only mean a few things. She had of course had ‘moments’ with Chrysalis before, but that was in her dream world. Unless . . . if she hadn’t been fully conscious . . .
“What did I do?” Twilight asked, wide-eyed.
“Look, let me preface this by saying: your love life is only a part of my concern as long as it helps me help you. It isn’t my place to make a judgment about--”
“What did I do?” Twilight repeated, her voice a low growl.
“You kissed Chrysalis. In front of . . . everyone.”
“I what?” Twilight squealed. “I don’t . . . I didn’t . . . Why would I . . .” Twilight’s cheeks burned red. But deep inside, she was much less certain. Kissing was far from the worst thing she’d ever done to her dream Chrysalis. Why did she feel so awkward about it this time?
“Like I said, that’s not my concern.”
“I can’t imagine Luna was happy about that, either,” Twilight lamented, hiding her face behind her hooves. “She’s going to kill me.”
“About Princess Luna.” His words tore Twilight from her circular thoughts. “She hasn’t woken up yet.”
“What do you mean? Is she going to be okay?”
Doctor Heart nodded. “Physically, she’s fine. But her mind is exhausted. There’s no way of knowing how long it will take for her to wake up.”
“Then why are we just sitting here? Take me to them, let me see them.”
“I can’t do that, Princess.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes at the doctor. “What do you mean?”
“You’re still wounded. I won’t let you go traipsing around the castle in your current state. I would suggest you return to your bed and rest until you’re fully healed. Assuming your body is anything like the other princesses, a break like that should only take another day or two.”
“No.” Twilight shook her head. The sharp movement aggravated her ache. “I can’t just sit here. I don’t have time . . .” Twilight paused. “Doctor, you said you’ve visited Chrysalis several times?” He nodded. “How long have I been asleep?”
The doctor frowned. “You were missing for seventy-two hours. After your return, you slept for around another sixty.”
“Seventy-two? Sixty?” Twilight ran a series of calculations in her head. “”I’ve been asleep for six days?” she screamed.
“Five and a half,” Doctor Heart corrected.
“Then I don’t have time to sit around. I need to see Chrysalis. I-I need to get back to work on my cure for Celestia.” Twilight jumped up from her seat, but her hooves couldn’t handle the sudden move. She stumbled, falling flat on the floor and knocking the wind out of her.
“Like I said, you’re not going anywhere.” The doctor rose from his chair. His joints popped as he helped Twilight off the floor. “Now, I suggest we get you back into bed.”
“No. I can’t.”
“You can. And you will.”
“I won’t.”
Before Twilight could argue further, Doctor Heart’s horn ignited. Pressure sank into her chest, taking her breath away. What small strength Twilight had left fled. She slumped against his shoulder, paralyzed.
“I don’t like having to do this, Princess, but if you’re not going to listen to me, then I don’t have much of a choice.”
“T-They need my help,” Twilight growled.
“And you will help them. But you won’t be of any use to them if you don’t take care of yourself first,” the doctor said, his voice calm. He lifted Twilight back into her bed and set the rails back up.
“How dare you disobey me, Doctor. I am a Princess of Equestria. I demand that you--”
“That’s enough out of you, Princess,” the doctor snapped. After ensuring Twilight was secure, he pulled a seat up beside the bed and sat, sounding like a balloon hissing out air. “You princesses are some of the worst patients I’ve ever had.”
Twilight fumed.“I could take you to court over this. I have rights.”
“You want to know something, Princess Twilight?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I never wanted this job. I absolutely hate it.”
“Why are you telling me this? You’re wasting time,” Twilight huffed. A lump of guilt formed in her throat as soon as the words passed her lips, but she was too angry to apologize or uncross her forearms.
“Then by all means, Princess. Go ahead and walk away.” He waved a hoof towards the door. “If you can. If you can’t, you’re going to sit right there until I trust that you’re capable of standing on your own four hooves.”
Twilight sat upright in defiance, her gaze toward the windows. Even then, she could still see the doctor’s reflection. Currently, he was rifling through his bag. With the slightest hint of a smile, he pulled out a paperback book.
“If you hate your job, why are you here?”
“Because someone has to take care of all of these reckless Princesses.” For a moment, the only sound came from the snowflakes tapping against the frosted windows. “That's why I turned Celestia down originally. Alicorns aren’t exactly known as willing to take orders. Even from a doctor. But she was persistent. Figured if someone had to do the job, it should be someone who would cut right through the crap.”
Twilight frowned, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be difficult. But I hate just sitting here and doing nothing. Especially while everyone else is working so hard.” Twilight uncrossed her arms and leaned her head back against her pillow. Despite just waking up, she still felt tired.
“You’re lucky to be alive. Do you know that?”
She cracked one eye open. “Really? Was it that bad?” Twilight straightened up, turning her gaze upward to the ceiling. “I remember an explosion. Chrysalis pushed me out of the way and sacrificed herself to save me. But it wasn’t enough. I . . . I thought I was going to die.”
Doctor Heart earmarked his page and closed the book. “All three of you can’t have been beaten. Otherwise you wouldn’t have come back.”
“I don’t remember what happened after that. It’s all just so . . . foggy.”
“It’s alright. The important thing is that you got back in time for help. When we brought you up here, you were barely breathing. Completely covered in bruises and cuts. The burns were more serious.” His voice took on a hard edge. “But worst of all was just how exhausted your body was. Whatever you did took a lot of energy. Almost too much. I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised it only took you three days to wake up.”
Twilight squirmed in her bed.“I had no idea. Thank you for saving me, Doctor.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank your genes. Alicorns are exceptionally durable and heal quickly. That’s probably the only reason you survived.”
Another pause. The wind outside howled. The snow storm was on the cusp of becoming a full-blown blizzard. Chips of ice hit the glass like small pebbles.
“What happened while I was gone?” Twilight asked.
Doctor Heart set his book back down. “Things were nasty for a while. We lost a lot of good ponies to those creatures. Had to pull Captain Armor off the frontline to get him patched up.”
“Shining’s hurt?” Twilight shot up. Sharp pain in her chest sent her crashing back down.
Doctor Heart shook his head. “Don’t worry. His wounds aren’t serious. I’ve seen soldiers survive worse.”
“That’s a relief. What about Celestia? Has anything happened to her?”
Surprisingly, Doctor Heart smiled.
“Yeah. I almost forgot to tell you. I had a medical team examine her once the coast was clear. She didn’t seem to be affected by whatever dark magic took you. But they did notice something that will interest you.”
“Oh?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.
“Your potion? The one that caused Luna to panic? Turns out, it wasn’t as ineffective as we thought. It has slowed down the poison’s progression. It wasn’t much, but you probably bought her another week.”
Twilight took a deep breath, feeling the weight lift from her shoulders.
“Really? That’s amazing. It means I’m on the right track, right?”
The doctor shrugged. “I couldn’t say. You’re a bit beyond my field of expertise.”
“Well, I suppose I can come up with some ways to boost the potion’s effectiveness.” She scratched at her chin. “Maybe if I can refine the process and find the right synthesizer, I might be able to make a potion that will completely negate the poison.” She sat up, slower this time. “I need to get to my lab.”
Doctor Heart shot her a glare over the top of his book.
“I mean, once I recover, I’ll start testing. Alright?”
Shaking his head, Doctor Heart groaned.
“Sure thing, Princess. I suppose that I could have some aides bring you some paper and ink to write out your hypothesis. But only if you get some sleep first.”
Twilight smiled. “Thank you.”
He bowed his head in return.
“Oh, by the way, I was speaking with Cadance earlier. She wanted me to inform her when you woke up. I’ll go ahead and give you a few hours of peace before I tell her.” The pages of the book crinkled as he opened back up to his bookmark. “Apparently, she has something planned for you and your friends tonight.”
“Of course she does. Thanks for the heads up. You know, I actually am feeling a little tired right now. I think I might lay down a bit longer.” Still staring up at the ceiling, Twilight closed her eyes. As she listened to the lullaby of rustling paper and snow, she drifted off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
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I hope the doctor isn't lying to her. I hope everyone is alive. Ffs, she still has to cure Celestia. The worst has to be behind them, right?
11798190
depends on your definition of "the worst"
I'm curious of what do you assume nightmares to be in your story? I would think killing him wouldn't really fix the problem. He would this return back to what he was? I thought you were going to go the selling him route.
On top of that he was given a body, but did that change his level of power or skills as a magician?
11798728
Killing him just pushed him away for a little bit. He's banished, not gone. Basically, returned to his own world, the Dreamscape that Luna mentioned. That will eventually become relevant later in the series, and I also had a sort of spin-off story planned that would involve the Dreamscape and finally defeating the Nightmare. Him being forced into a physical form would not change up his magic all too much, but would make it so that he wouldn't be able to reform himself from Midnight's attacks.
Candace can be mad at Twilight all she likes but she has no idea Twilight mentally spent 20 year's living out her ideal dream. A dream that might have effected her judgement after returning to normal from giving into her deepest desires and embracing her dark side
11798811
How Long Do You Plan On Having Story? At Least Roughly?
11801243
Not quite sure what you’re asking. If you’re talking about this story, we’re about halfway.
11801769
Yeah, That's Pretty What I Was Asking, Cool.