Princess Celestia and the Mane 5 experience heartbreak as their friend Twilight enters a potentially fatal coma.
Even in the shadow of death, love and friendship will always prevail . . . or does it? Find out when a monstrous beast invades Ponyville and injures Equestria's favorite new princess - Twilight Sparkle - which sends her into a coma that could take her away from her friends. Will Twilight succumb to her injuries, or will her friends succumb to their depression even quicker?
Note: This fanfic borrows elements from a previous story similarly titled "My Faithful Student", which was taken down from this site for unknown reasons. I would certainly credit the original author of the story if I could remember their username. If they are out there somewhere, this is just to show how much I appreciated their amazing storytelling.
So excited that I get to spend next Tuesday with you, it's been so long since I've seen my favorite teacher! Can't wait for next week to come around! Your student and fellow Princess, Twilight Sparkle
Despite its punctuality, Princess Celestia had to have read this same letter over a hundred times just in the last week. It had only been a month or so since Twilight left for Yakyakistan to calm Prince Rutherford's threat of war, but it had seemed like ages to the pale alicorn. Now, with their relations successfully restored, Princess Celestia was able to spend an entire day with whom she easily considered her favorite former student. As she awaited Twilight's arrival, Celestia became lost in her own thoughts. Whenever Twilight was around, Celestia could be seen with an extra hop and skip to her stride, as if she were living her younger years again. When asked about it, Celestia found herself unable to explain her change in demeanor other than her happiness to be around her closest friend, which were occasions that seemed to be dwindling in recent years. The princess was soon taken out of her thoughts when she noticed a purple streak approaching in the distance and the familiar whistle of the Friendship Express; the princess smiled and flew away to the Canterlot train station to greet her faithful student.
As Celestia landed on the platform, she peered over the departing crowd and spied Twilight Sparkle, who was already racing through the throngs of ponies to greet her former teacher. They embraced in a heartfelt hug and made their way down from the platform, with Celestia helping Twilight with her bags.
"How was Yakyakistan?" Princess Celestia asked her fellow princess.
"Ugh, tiring," Twilight responded with a sigh, "If only we'd been able to please them while they were still in Ponyville, things would've been a lot easier," she stated.
Celestia chuckled, "You shouldn't have to handle everything on your own all at once."
"Says the pony who stayed here and left her student to fend for herself in Yakyakistan," Twilight responded jokingly.
Princess Celestia gave a hearty laugh before responding, "Touche."
As the day wore on, the two princesses enjoyed some of their favorite pastimes from their yester-years; from indulging on their favorite delicacies at Donut Joe's, to commenting on the get-ups and outfits that adorned the windows of various clothing shops. After visiting Sassy Saddles at Canterlot Boutique, Celestia talked to Twilight about some of her fondest memories.
"I can still remember the look on your face the day I made you my personal student," Celestia remembered with a chuckle, "You nearly destroyed the Astronomy wing of my academy."
"Come on, Princess," Twilight said, blushing with embarrassment, "I apologized to you and the instructors! And it wasn't exactly my fault, if you can remember the part about the 'Sonic Rainboom'."
"Of course," Celestia admitted, "Oh, and remember the time when you hid in the labyrinth after one of our lessons turned sour? It took the guards and I ages to find you again!"
"Again, I apologized to them and you. And if I remember correctly," Twilight recalled, "you certainly made up for it with the lecture afterwards!"
Princess Celestia laughed heartily, "Indeed I did! Oh, where has the time gone, my dear Twilight?" she added rhetorically.
"Having fun, Twily?" a voice came from behind the pair. Shining Armor trotted towards them and bowed to Celestia before embracing his younger sister in a heartfelt hug.
"Shining Armor! What are you doing here?" Twilight asked enthusiastically.
"Well, we heard that you were on your way back from Yakyakistan, so we decided to surprise you!" Shining Armor replied.
"That's great!" Twilight exclaimed, "Wait, what do you mean, 'we'?" she asked. Her brother gestured behind her, and as she turned around, Princess Cadence, Twilight's former foal-sitter and Shining's wife, glided over to the trio.
"Cadence!" Twilight exclaimed and pulled her sister-in-law into a tight embrace.
"Careful, Twilight," Cadence chuckled jokingly, "I'm not as strong as I used to be."
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked. Then, as they pulled away, Twilight noticed something very different about her fellow Princess; her stomach looked to be about the size of a bowling ball. "Wait, are you . . . ?!" Twilight begin, but Shining Armor interrupted her.
"That's right, Twily. You're going to be an aunt soon!" he said enthusiastically, but Princess Celestia soon butted in.
"You shouldn't have told her, she's too young to understand!" she said to the couple.
'It's alright, Celestia, I'm not your student anymore, you don't always have to protect me. I'm actually glad you told me face-to-face," she directed to Shining Armor, "unlike your wedding invitation," she added mockingly.
"Aw, come on, you're not still sore about that, are you?" her brother chuckled, "That was ages ago; plus, I made it up to you, remember?"
"Yeah, you're right," Twilight finally agreed. "Well, I'm very happy for both of you," she said, "congratulations, and I can't wait to meet my first niece - or nephew, whichever one it turns out to be," and she hugged them both.
Soon, Twilight, her brother, and his wife left Celestia to visit with Twilight and Shining's parents before she headed off to Ponyville. As Celestia returned to her castle, she could not help but mull over something Twilight had said to her: "You're not my teacher anymore, you don't always have to protect me." Celestia, of course, knew this wasn't anything too out of the ordinary, yet she could not avoid the feeling that Twilight may not cherish the bond they used to share when they were student and mentor as much as Celestia herself did. Although she would never directly admit it, the pale alicorn had always felt protective over Twilight, almost as a mother watches over her child. While she knew perfectly well that Twilight had her own mother, she liked to care for and help Twilight as if she were one of her own. To think that Twilight no longer appreciated their friendship brought a slight tear to her eye, but not long enough to be anything significant. Celestia returned to her study, filled out some paperwork, and began preparations for an early night's slumber when Shining Armor suddenly burst into the room.
"Forgive me. . .your Highness," he panted, "but I've heard. . .trouble in. . .Ursa Major. . .attacking Ponyville."
"What?!" Princess Celestia exclaimed incredulously, "That's impossible, it must be some kind of prank."
Never in his time as Captain of the Royal Guard had Shining Armor seen the regal Princess Celestia soar out of a room as quickly as she did that night as soon as those last words left his mouth.
Princess Celestia flew towards Ponyville faster than any Wonderbolt ever had before and wished they could in their wildest dreams. Only one solitary thought coursed through her mind the entire way: what has happened to Twilight??? She tried to keep an open mind, but deep down she felt a terrible, nagging feeling that it was not anything good; after all, an Ursa Major was quite the formidable opponent, even for a full-grown alicorn. Princess Celestia had fended off attacks from griffons, chimera, and countless other mysterious creatures during her tenure; yet with all of her years of experience, even she would hesitate to square off with an Ursa Minor, let alone the Major. She was well aware that Twilight had defended Ponyville from an Ursa Minor before, but an Ursa Major was more ferocious a beast and possessed a significantly more aggressive drive; how in Equestria had Twilight stood up to such a creature?
As Celestia approached Ponyville's boundaries, she saw the Ursa Major, which covered almost half the night sky, being swarmed and corralled by several Royal Guard pegasi. She also noticed that, while Ponyville possessed no physical borders, a large ring encircled the general perimeter of the town, leading Princess Celestia to wonder how such a shape had taken form on the ground. When she finally landed, several ponies clustered around her, shaking and seeking comfort and answers.
"Listen, everypony," she bellowed to the crowd, "I am not certain of the events that unfolded here this evening, but I can assure you all that there is no further threat to the town of Ponyville," she finished, to which they all breathe collective sighs of relief; a couple even cheer. But Celestia cannot be relieved; not yet, at least, not without knowing what had become of her faithful student Twilight. She looked around the town for signs of Twilight's friends; she eventually found Applejack and Pinkie Pie talking amongst themselves within the crowd.
"Applejack! Pinkie Pie!" Celestia shouted to the pair. They bowed in respect, but Celestia waves her hoof hastily, "There's no time for that, where's Twilight? She's not hurt, is she?" The two earth ponies looked at each other uneasily and Applejack stepped forward to address the princess.
"Well, Princess," Applejack replied, "I reckon we head on over to Ponyville Hospital and find out."
* * * *
The trio arrived at Ponyville Hospital, which was unnaturally quiet considering the crisis that occurred not far from town. Princess Celestia rushed towards the receptionist, demanding information regarding her former student's location.
"Well, she's being kept in the Emergency Wing for critical conditions, but I don't think. . ." was all the poor pony behind her desk was able to get out before Celestia galloped away, with Applejack and Pinkie Pie following closely at her hooves.
When they entered the Emergency Wing, they saw a cluster of doctors preparing to enter one particular room at the end of the hallway. Princess Celestia trotted over to them, but they hurried inside before she got the chance to speak to them. She attempted to follow them in, but they prevented her from entering.
"I am one of the regal rulers of Equestria," she said impatiently, "I need to see how my child - er, student - is doing," she stumbled over her words. She hadn't meant to say "child", but her flustered state prevented her from containing her true feelings.
"And you will, once we are done here," one of the doctors responded, "but for now, please let us do our work. We are very skilled at what we do here, and will make sure nothing else happens to your - student," he added. Princess Celestia looked at the doctor as if to argue with him further, but she eventually gave up the fight, recognizing the trust and experience in the doctor's voice. She walked back over to Applejack and Pinkie Pie, who met up with the rest of their friends already at the hospital. Rarity was trying to console Fluttershy, who was visibly upset about Twilight's condition; Rainbow Dash stood off to the side and, while remaining stoic, Princess Celestia could sense the heartbreak beneath the pegasus mare's quivering expression. Rarity took Fluttershy to the nearest bathroom to wash away her tears while the rest took up seats on benches outside of Twilight's room.
Despite the circumstances, Celestia refused to believe that Twilight was seriously hurt. Though the Ursa Major tended to be formidable, Twilight has proven herself to be just as formidable and incredibly gifted with magical talent; she still clung onto the chance that Twilight would make it through just fine. Despite her external optimism, deep in her thoughts and her heart, she sensed the sinking feeling that things would only be worse from here on out. This tense tug of war between her emotions aggravated her beyond sensible action, and when Rainbow asked for the princess' attention, she snapped in frustration of herself.
"What?" she replied with annoyed frustration. She immediately wished she could take it back when she heard what the rainbow-colored pegasus had to say.
"What happens when a unicorn's horn breaks off?" Rainbow Dash asked innocently.
Princess Celestia was thrown for a loop, and the feeling of hopelessness she faintly felt before made its way to the forefront of her mind. If Twilight truly lost her horn in the fight with the Ursa Major, then...
"What happened when the Ursa Major attacked tonight?" she asked the three ponies sitting next to her. She felt it would be the only way she would be able to keep her emotions from taking control of her actions.
"Well, it wasn't really an attack, your Highess," Applejack explained, "At least, it wasn't meant to be. The Ursa Major was brought to Ponyville by...Trixie Lulamoon."
Princess Celestia recognized the name; Twilight had told her about her encounters with the deceptive magician in the past. Why Trixie had the idea to try and contain an Ursa Major was beyond the princess' comprehension, so she inquired for more details.
"Trixie brought the beast into Ponyville and bragged that she was so revolutionary for using a Dragon-Binding Collar on the Ursa Major," Rainbow Dash continued. Princess Celestia was also familiar with that item; as the name suggested, Dragon-Binding Collars were used to keep dragons at bay while being transported by poachers or wildlife experts, but only for a few hours at most. To use one of these collars on the Ursa Major for any period of time...Princess Celestia was amazed that Trixie was able to keep it contained at all.
"Fluttershy could sense that it was agitated, so she flew up and tried to calm it down," Pinkie Pie said, "Trixie saw and shot magic at her, but it missed and hit the Ursa Major instead, which went berserk and broke the collar."
"It started advancing on the town, but Twilight conjured up a massive shield spell, which protected Ponyville from that creature," Applejack continued, "But it didn't back down; it started hitting the shield bubble with all of its force, but Twilight remained as steady as she could." Princess Celestia was impressed with Twilight's actions; she had never seen her student try a shield spell similar to that of her brother, but she could only imagine how powerful it must have been.
"None of us really saw what happened next," Rainbow Dash said, "Twilight stayed connected to the shield to keep it up, so she wanted us to make sure everypony was indoors, so we didn't pay much attention to her because we were too busy. As Applejack and I were herding the schoolponies inside the schoolhouse, we felt the entire town shudder and saw the shield disappear."
"We knew something was wrong, so the five of us rushed back to the center of town," Rarity, who had just returned from the bathroom with a visibly more calm Fluttershy, explained, "We were lucky that the Royal Guard showed up and forced the Ursa Major out of town. When we saw Twilight . . . well, we weren't sure what to think. She was lying on the ground, unconscious, with her horn a few feet away." Princess Celestia surmised that, since Twilight was connected to the shield bubble, she felt the reverberations of the Ursa Major's fierce pounding on the shield until it the strain combined with the force was eventually too much for her to handle and Twilight's horn broke off. She vowed that if she ever finds the Ursa Major again, she would inflict as much pain and suffering upon it as it did this night to Twilight.
"I took Twilight's horn and Fluttershy, Rarity, and I carried her here, while AJ and Pinkie stayed in Ponyville to make sure everypony was safe," Rainbow Dash finished.
Princess Celestia did not know what to think; she had heard stories about unicorns who only damaged their horns, and even they were not able to make a full recovery. Twilight, however, had her horn completely broken off, which was a much rarer condition and, therefore, had an even rarer possibility of recovery. All the princess could do for the time being was hope and pray for the best as they awaited further news from the doctors.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, one of the doctors stepped out of the room and magically wiped his glasses on his coat before addressing the group. "Well, I've got some good new and bad news," the doctor began solemnly.
"What's the good news?" Princess Celestia asked desperately.
"Your 'student' Twilight, your Highness, is stable for the time being," the doctor answered, "It's still too early to tell, but we're confident in our abilities that she'll find a way through this."
Celestia breathed a sigh of relief; at least Twilight was still alive. "What's the bad news, Doc?" Rainbow Dash asked in an uncharacteristic worried tone of voice.
"Well..." the doctor paused before continuing, "she has succumbed to her injuries and has entered a coma. We've done all we're capable of here, so now we can only pray for the best."
The sigh caught in Celestia's throat; upon hearing the news, the rest of Twilight friends offered their own responses. Fluttershy looked almost ready to burst into tears again, Pinkie's mane and tail lost their natural bounce, and a general sense of dread and depression falls across their faces. "Thank you, doctor," Rarity eventually offered her thanks to the doctor as he trotted away down the hall. "We should probably go home and get some rest," she suggested to her friends, "I'm sure these next few weeks will be long for all of us." They agreed and made their way back into Ponyville, leaving Princess Celestia alone on the bench with her thoughts.
How could I have let this happen? Celestia thinks to herself, the words spinning around in her mind as she replayed the events that led up to this disaster. Her best student, her best friend, forced into a coma because Celestia had not done enough to make sure she was safe. No, stop blaming yourself, even you could not have seen this coming, she told herself as she flew back to Canterlot, knowing that she would have to pray hard for Twilight's full recovery. As she got ready for bed, a random thought suddenly crossed her mind: If ponies pray to Celestia, then who do I pray to?
After a rough night's slumber, Princess Celestia awoke, believing she had the craziest dream, but as soon as she remembered Twilight, the sudden realization of the previous night's events came rushing back to her memory like a tidal wave of emotion. She fought back tears as she trotted wearily into her bathroom and clambered into the bathtub to take a shower. As she turned the water on, she just sat in the tub, letting the water rush right over her, wishing the weight of the incident with the Ursa Major would follow it down the drain. Minutes pass before a frantic knocking came from the door.
"Sister, please hurry up," Princess Luna called from the other side, "You're not the only pony who needs to use the lavatory, you know!" Princess Celestia turned the water off and stepped out of the tub; curling her mane into a towel, she trotted out of the bathroom soaking wet. "Celestia, I understand you're worried about Twilight," Luna said consolingly before trotting into the bathroom, "but acting like a dejected orphan is not the proper way to handle the situation. We all need to just carry on with our days and hope for the best outcome."
Princess Celestia was not so sure about Luna's advice, but she tried to act like nothing was wrong for the day. As she began with her monotonous meetings with various delegates coming to her with their problems or proposing new laws, however, her mind constantly went back to Twilight and how difficult it had to be to fend off the Ursa Major. Simply thinking about her faithful student nearly brought fresh tears to Celestia's eyes, and her heightened emotional state prevented her from making appropriate judgments.
"CELESTIA!!" Princess Luna barged into Celestia's study in the afternoon shortly after she sent out several signed bills. "I know you're upset about Twilight, but that certainly does not give you the right to legalize the poaching of GRIFFONS!!"
"Oh, dear me!" Celestia exclaimed surprised, like she just awoke from some sort of stupor, "I didn't know that was in there. Did I really sign that?"
"Yes, you did!" Princess Luna shouted as she held up the document, "You're lucky one of these guards was smart enough to check this in with me! Listen, why don't you just go and visit Twilight, and let me take care of affairs here before you start a freaking WAR?!"
Princess Celestia could not argue with that, so she notified one of her guards to ready her carriage when suddenly, a scroll appeared in green smoke in front of Celestia, surprising her. Before she left Ponyville, she had asked Spike to notify her of any updates to Twilight's condition, but she certainly hadn't expected anything so soon. She opened it and it simply read, "Twilight being moved to Canterlot Hospital, transport team should be here this afternoon"
Princess Celestia gave a small sigh of relief; the hospital facility in Canterlot was more advanced than the one in Ponyville, as it possessed more technologically-advanced equipment, monitors, and specializes in unicorn injuries. Ponyville Hospital was a very good facility, but she knew Twilight would be receiving the best care possible at Canterlot Hospital. Added to that, they also had highly-appraised transportation services, who took the best of care in moving patients in or out of the hospital. She bade her sister farewell and good luck as she made her way over to the Canterlot Hospital.
When Celestia arrived, she went to the receptionist to ask for Twilight Sparkle's whereabouts. She gave the regal figure the location of Twilight's room and Celestia promptly followed her directions to find Twilight's room. When she eventually found it, she was met with several members of Twilight's family; her parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, Shining Armor and his wife, Princess Cadence, who looked almost ready to pop any day now.
"Your Highness!" Night Light exclaimed in shock as Celestia approached. He and his wife bent down on their knees, which Shining Armor and Cadence simply bowed their heads in respect.
"Greetings, Twilight Velvet and Night Light," Princess Celestia greeted them warmly, "I didn't expect to see you here today, though I am certainly not disappointed."
"The doctors are only letting her family visit her while they run a couple of more tests," Twilight Velvet replied, "They said we can go in when they are finished." Celestia noticed that Twilight Velvet and Cadence's eyes were bloodshot and red, no doubt overworked with tears from mourning over Twilight's condition.
"When can we see her?" Shining Armor asked when one of the doctors stepped out of the room.
"Not much longer now, just taking some blood for examination," she replied as she trotted away, leaving the group to wait for a little bit longer.
Finally, another doctor exited out of the room to greet the waiting family members and Princess Celestia. "Okay," he said, "you can go in now, but I would like to warn you - she's not a pretty sight."
"Thank you, doctor," Princess Cadence said as they piled into the room and surrounded the lone bed in the room that contained their beloved friend and family member. One of the doctors walked over to them and prepared to lift the sheet covering her body.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked apprehensively, to which everypony nodded earnestly. "Alright," she responded and lifted the sheet to unveil Twilight. Everypony gasped in angst at the sight that lay before their eyes. Twilight Velvet fell into Night Light's hooves, sobbing uncontrollably; Princess Cadence cried silently and leaned against Shining Armor for support, while he stood rooted to his spot, eventually turning his head away from the bed and closing his eyes. Princess Celestia could only look upon the bed in anguish as she saw Twilight in a completely different light; bandages heavily covering her face and horn, held together by clips, and suction cups attached to various places on her head and forelegs that were connected to a heart-rate monitor.
What in Equestria have I done to deserve this? is all Celestia could think as she gazed upon the limp body of her best student and friend.
Several minutes passed by in relative silence, broken only by Twilight Velvet's occasional emotional outbursts, as everypony in the room mourned for Twilight Sparkle. Eventually, Twilight Velvet managed to stop sniffling long enough to trot over to her daughter and gently caress her immobile, bandage-wrapped head while occasionally whispering "My poor baby," with Night Light in return patting her on the back, trying to calm his wife. Shining Armor trotted briskly out of the room and Princess Cadence followed him; Princess Celesita could hear that they were getting into some kind of argument. After a short while, she stepped outside to see Shining Armor donning his Royal Guard Captain helmet with Cadence standing aside, looking forlorn and defeated. In an instant, Celestia understood what Shining Armor was planning to do, and she tried her best to persuade him the other way.
"Shining Armor, I know what you're planning, and it's not the right way to handle this situation," she said firmly.
"What other choice do we have?" he asked incredulously, "Just sit around here and wait for Twilight to-" he suddenly choked on a sob.
"I understand how you feel, but surely there is some other diplomatic solution other than seeking the culprit out and - well, you know what I mean," Celestia said soothingly.
After a pause, Shining Armor replied, "No. I have to do this. Not just for me, but for my family. They want and need answers as much as I do, and knowing this potential murderer is still at large - puts me at unease, to say the least."
Princess Celestia continued to plead with him, but she saw the fire in his eyes and realized it would be in vain; he had his mind set on one task, and one task alone, and would see to it that it was completed, no matter the cost.
"Fine," she finally said, "but please try not to hurt her too much," she added as Shining walked towards the door.
Shining Armor looks back at the two princesses and replied, in a very confident yet slightly aggressive tone, "I'm not making any promises," and with that, he galloped away to find his victim of poor circumstance.
Princess Celestia returned to the room, where she found Cadence helping her mother and father-in-law to head back home. Knowing Cadence should not be so active in her last stages of foal-bearing, she requested that a few of her guards escorted them home. Thanking the pale alicorn, the trio headed off for Twilight's parents' house. Princess Celestia realized that, while Twilight remained in her coma, the emotional stress would be too much for her if she were to return to her royal duties. Despite this, she could not let Equestria suffer in her absence, so she had a scroll sent to her sister asking for the favor of keeping her affairs in order while Twilight recovered. Almost instantly, she received a scroll from Luna, stating that she understood Celestia's mentality and would be more than willing to help her dear sister with such a task. Relieved that there was still some good on the world, Princess Celestia sat down on one of the benches in the room. Twilight can stay in her coma as long as she wants to, she thought to herself, because no matter what, I will never desert my most faithful student.
* * * *
Celestia awoke to the sound of beeping emitting from Twilight's heart-rate monitor; she did not realize that she had fallen asleep until she peered out of the lone window in the hospital room and realized that it was just past daybreak. She yawned and stretched rather loudly, not realizing there was another pony in the room besides herself and Twilight. A unicorn nurse mare had entered to draw some more blood from Twilight for testing, but stopped rather abruptly at the sight of their graceful princess stretching in awkward positions. Flustered, Princess Celestia righted herself and reclaimed her seat back on the bench as the doctor took more blood. Celestia wondered how much blood the doctors would draw from Twilight before she woke up from her coma as she watched the nurse work.
"No too much more, now," the nurse reassured the regal alicorn, almost as if she had read her mind. "This is so we can determine the right medication to get her to coax her out of this coma."
"Of course," Princess Celestia replied with a downcast expression.
"Now, don't go looking like that, hun," the nurse said to Celestia, noticing her sunken features, "I hear a bunch of her friends are trying to get in to see her; once we're done with these tests, we'll let them in, so you won't be alone for much longer."
Celestia did not consider herself 'alone' in the room with Twilight, but she became slightly more relaxed at hearing that Twilight's friends would be in latter today. She thought that, maybe, if Twilight's friends came to visit and talk to her, then hearing her friends' voices would lift her out of her reverie.
As the morning slowly turned into the afternoon, Celestia simply sat on her bench and watched for any signs of life from Twilight, other than the steady beeping of her monitor, with the occasional visit from a doctor or nurse. Fortunately for her, she did not have to wait long for company to arrive; there was soon a knock on the door. The nurse in the room at the time opened it and allowed a frantic-looking Spike to hurry into the room.
"Spike?" Princess Celestia exclaimed in surprise as Spike got down on his knees and bowed to the pale alicorn, "What are you doing here by yourself? Are the others here, too?"
"They're on their way," Spike replied, "I just wanted to get here a little early, spend some more time...with her," he added after a pause. He walked over to Twilight and looked at her longingly, almost as if he were waiting for her to wake up right there and then.
"Try talking to her, Spike," Princess Celestia offered, "Maybe she can hear your voice."
"Um, ok," Spike replied, and he scooted a little closer to the bed. "Hey, Twilight," he said in a timid voice, "H-how's it going? Well, actually, never mind. I-I was cleaning the library, just like you do every week - actually more like every few days," he said with a chuckle that sounded more like a choked sob. "A-anyways, as I was cleaning, I started thinking of other things I could do to get the castle ready for you, but then I started thinking about all the things we used to do when we cleaned, and then I felt a little sad that you're...that you're..." Spike could barely go on; he crawled up into the bed and hugged Twilight hard, his eyes watering fiercely. Seeing somepony as young as Spike having his emotions destroyed by such an event broke Celestia's heart. Luckily for the both of them, the rest of Twilight's friends, as well as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, barged into the room at the same time, ready to greet their comatose friend.
"Hello, your Highness," they greeted as they all bowed in unison to Celestia.
"Princess Luna told us that you'd be here," Applejack explained.
Princess Celestia nodded, "I couldn't leave her here alone. . .b-because she was my student, of course," she added rather hastily; she had almost let her emotions take control of her again. Spike crawled off the bed to allow the rest of Twilight's friends to greet her.
"Hey, egghead," Rainbow Dash said jokingly, trying to fight back tears, "I thought you might like this," she said as she pulled a leather-bound book from her saddlebag, "A.K. Yearling just released the next installment of Daring Do, and she made this copy especially for you for when, you know, you wake up." In that moment, Princess Celestia noticed a hint of a different Rainbow Dash flash in her eyes; sensitive, caring, and above all else, crying for help on the inside. It only lasted for a second, though; she was soon back to her blank expression.
"Hi Twilight," Pinkie said semi-cheerfully, despite her mane remaining flat and the usual bounce in her step gone. "Hope you get better soon, I've got the biggest 'Welcome Home' party ever planned at Sugarcube Corner! There'll be food, music, and everypony will be there waiting for you to come back."
"Yes, certainly," Rarity agreed, "And Twilight darling, be sure to stop by Carousel Boutique before the party; I'll have pieced together the best dress you eyes have ever laid upon. You'll be the envy of the entire party - won't that be smashing?" she asked, pretending for a moment Twilight was awake; there was no response, however. Rarity and Pinkie Pie silently shed tears together; as they did so, Applejack and the CMC walked up to her bedside, and Applejack removed her hat in respect.
"Twilight, I'll never forget the first time we met in Ponyville," she started off, "You musta' been the strangest pony I'd ever laid my eyes upon, but you've been helping me and all of us ever since the very beginning, and I want to thank you properly for that when you wake up. The rest of the fam' sends their blessings to your full recovery, Granny says it would be a crying shame to see such a young pony like yourself outlive some pony like herself." She puts her hat back on and keeps her head bowed as she makes room for Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom.
"Did ya bring it, Scoot?" Applebloom asked her friend.
"Of course, couldn't have possibly forgotten it," Scootaloo answered as she pulled a sheet of paper out of her saddlebag, which turned out to be a "get well" card.
"Twilight," Applebloom started, "we all hope for the best, but, if there's any chance that - you know - we want to know you'll be watching down over us as we try to get our cutie marks." Princess Celestia looked on the cover of the card and almost lost her cool when she saw the illustration; three little fillies with their cutie marks and a lavender alicorn with white wings and a golden halo above her head, looking down from a cloud. To get her mind off of that image, Princess Celestia looked around the room and noticed that, since their arrival, Fluttershy had slunk to one corner of the room, whimpering and not speaking to anypony around her.
"It's alright, dear," Princess Celestia tried to console the timid pegasus, "I know how you feel, none of us meant for this to happen, nor prevent it from happening." Fluttershy only curled further into a ball and mumbled something incoherent. "What was that?" Celestia asked calmly; Fluttershy mumbled again. "What, my dear?" Celestia asked again.
Suddenly, Fluttershy exploded in a fit of anger and sadness, "THAT'S NOT TRUE!" The pale ailcorn was quite taken aback, and even the rest of her friends turned on a dime to see what made Fluttershy so upset.
"Whatever do you mean, Fluttershy?" Princess Celestia asked; what in Equestria could have gotten the calmest mare she knew to scream in a fit of rage?
"B-because,' Fluttershy stammered, fresh tears coming to her eyes, "I d-didn't do enough to s-save her." Every pony looked on with a confused look, so she continued, "That night, the one when the Ursa Major attacked, I knew something was wrong, I knew it was angry and frustrated and confused for being dragged out of its home. So I flew up and tried to calm it down with some soothing lullabies, but then Trixie shot at me, a-and I dodged it, but it hit the Ursa Major instead.". Fluttershy was almost in hysterics, "It's m-my f-fault the Ursa Major attacked t-that night, my fault that T-Twilight got h-hurt, my fault. . ."
Soon, the emotional strain became too much for Fluttershy to handle any longer; she completely broke down on the floor, sobs wracking her her whole body, as if she wanted to wash away the guilt with her tears. Her friends immediately rushed to her side, trying to calm her down, while Princess Celestia remained rooted in her spot, shocked by the yellow pegasus' internal torment. She could not believe that Fluttershy had been blaming herself for the incident and ruminating over how it could have been prevented without telling any pony else. Then, she remembered back to when the attack happened; I was feeling the same way she feels right now, Celestia realized, and walked over to join the group of grieving friends. She removed one of her golden horseshoes and placed her hoof on Fluttershy's head, gently stroking her mane, helping her friends to calm her down, while she stared over at the bed with Twilight's immobile body. If there were anytime for you to wake up, Twilight, now is the time, she tried to convey to her faithful student, regardless of the response she would never receive.
Somewhere in a town on the outskirts of Equestria, a lone, weary stallion hauled an extravagant and fabulously decorated carriage through the streets, as the lone passenger - a cerulean mare with a purple magician's hat - contemplated everything that had happened in the past few days. . .
Of course she knew that the Ursa Major was an uncontainable beast; that was why she had chosen it as her prize. After the humiliation she had experienced in Ponyville and beyond on numerous occasions, she could not afford to have her reputation tarnished. So, with the last of her bits, she had purchased a Dragon-Binding Collar, snuck into the Ursa's lair while it was sleeping, and placed the collar around its neck, which she used to drag it to various towns and show off her "prize". Of course, she had not planned for it to escape the collar; unfortunately for her, though, her plans did not always work out in the end.
"It's not my fault the Ursa Major escaped," she said to herself as she sipped a glass of water, "That pegasus was probably trying to let it loose, anyways, so I had to do something to stop her." Nevertheless, the worst that could happen had happened, and she fled the town before things got too out of hoof; she has been on the run from authorities ever since, who are all trying to capture the magician that had nearly killed a royal princess of Equestria.
In truth, she actually commended Twilight for her efforts in fending off the Ursa like she did that night. She had seen the lavender pony defeat an Ursa Minor before, but the Ursa Major was a different story. She had never seen nor heard of anypony conjuring up a shield spell like the one Twilight used, except for maybe Starswirl the Bearded; she refused, however, to believe that Twilight was even more powerful than the greatest wizard of all time.
"Well, she may be good with the shield spell, but she still has a lot to learn if she is to defeat 'the Grrreat, and Powerful--'" the carriage came to an abrupt stop before she could finish her sentence. The blue mare bounced off her seat and onto the floor of the carriage. "Jorge, why have we stopped? You know quite well that we have to--" she began to say, but was interrupted when the door opened violently and a well-armored stallion entered.
"Please, finish what you were saying," the stallion said, tauntingly. The mare gulped and scrambled into the corner of the carriage; she had just been addressed by the Captain of the Royal Guard.
"You know," the stallion began, contempt filling his speech, "I was promoted to 'Captain' because of my passion for keeping others safe. That's how I got my cutie mark, in fact; I vowed to never harm a single pony unless the situation demands it." He then leaned down closer to the magician so she could visibly see the menacing glare in his eyes. "But, when it comes to my family," he continued, "I may just be content with breaking those rules." The mare suddenly realized that the stallion speaking to her was Twilight's older brother, which only made her even more petrified.
He ordered her to hold out her hoofs, to which she willingly obeyed; he placed handcuffs on her and leaned down again; "You should be thankful that I've made this choice, but cross me or my family again, I may not be so considerate next time. Understand?" he said vehemently. The mare nodded fiercely as she was thrown into a barred carriage by more members of the Royal Guard. As the prison carriage pulled away, she peered out through the bars and saw one of the guards giving her driver a sack of bits. She sighed heavily; luck just was not on her side lately.
* * * *
When Princess Celestia heard about Trixie's safe yet forceful capture, she felt relieved but at the same time concerned for what Shining Armor had planned for her. Although she wished that recent events had not happened, she had never wished for harm upon any of her enemies, whether they be fierce dragons or accident-prone mares. She did not spend much time thinking about it, though; Twilight's friends had recently gone back to Ponyville, leaving her alone with her faithful student. One of the nursed enters the room and summoned the princess to join her out in the hallway.
"What is it?" Princess Celestia asked, slightly concerned.
"Well," the nurse began, "I don't exactly know how to put this, so I'll just say it - we've done everything that we physically can to help Twilight Sparkle. If she hasn't waken up by now, then. . ."
"No, please," Celestia pleaded desperately with the nurse, "There must be something else you can do, some other medication, right?"
The nurse shook her head, "I'm sorry, but to be honest, we've seen all sorts of terrible injuries to unicorns, but none quite like this. Usually, when a unicorn cracks its horn, it can take days, weeks, maybe even months for it to heal properly, and the chances of a full recovery are - well, spotty, at best. We'll continue to do what we can, but at this stage in the game, it's all up to her will to push through, I'm afraid."
Princess Celestia remained rooted to her spot as the nurse left to check on other patients; the thought of never speaking to Twilight again tore her apart inside, but she realized there was nothing she could do about the situation. As she re-entered the room, she gazed at Twilight's limp form, her chest rising and falling steadily with each sacred breath of life that she may never experience again. While waiting these past few days for Twilight to come out of her coma, Princess Celestia had had plenty of time to think; usually, her mind wandered to her relationship between herself and Twilight. After all that they had been through together, Celestia wished that she could have expressed her true feelings to her former student and best friend sooner. Now, Twilight may never wake up, and she may never know how close Celestia considered herself to Twilight.
Suddenly, an idea flew into Celestia's mind; maybe there is nothing the doctors can physically do to fix her, but what about mentally? . . . In an instant, she wrote a quick scroll with some spare parchment and sent it away to the one being she believed could still help Twilight now. As she watched the scroll float away in a cloud of magic, she turned back towards Twilight and rested a hoof on Twilight's shoulder; I haven't given up hope on you, Twilight. I know you can pull through this, but this is just a precaution. Then she lay on the bench that had become her home for the past few days and tried to get some sleep.
Pricness Celestia bolted upright as the voice in her head, which sounded remarkably like Twilight's, echoed in her mind. She whipped her head around to the lone bed in the room; Twilight remained unmoved on top. Celestia pondered over what just happened; she thought that it was just a dream, but it had been way too loud and clear to have been a dream - almost as if it had been in the same room as her. She rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and remained awake for the rest of the night, one thought constantly running through her mind;
A couple of days later, Princess Celestia tried to shake off a nauseous feeling she got from refusing to sleep for the past few days, but she had felt a need to stay awake in case Twilight tried to connect telepathically with her again. She had told Twilight's family and friends what the nurse told her, and despite their despair and heartbreak, she had not given up hope for Twilight's recovery, despite the solemn looks the doctors and nurses would give her when they popped in and out of the room. Within these past few days, Princess Luna had managed to find a space between her appointments and meetings to visit the hospital and see Twilight for the first time since the accident.
"Oh, Twilight," she had said sorrowfully, "Whatever happened in the world to make you deserve this kind of fate?" Princess Celestia told her younger sister about hearing Twilight's voice during their visit; she also asked if she could do anything to help with Twilight's condition.
"I'm sorry, dear sister," Luna had said to Celestia, "I can enter the dream world fairly easily, as it is my duty, but the world of a comatose patient is quite different. Tampering with it might make the condition worse, and, potentially, have fatal side effects." She bowed her head in dismay, "I'm truly sorry that I cannot help; I would certainly give my life to save the pony who had saved mine." Princess Celestia had taken Luna into her arms and comforted her as she used to when they were both younger alicorns.
Now, Celestia continued to wait for a response to the letter she had sent the same night she heard Twilight; she just hoped that Zecora, the loner zebra of the Everfree Forest, had received it by now. Twilight's friends were supposed to visit again today, so at least Celestia had something to look forward to while she waited. When they arrived, Princess Celestia greeted them warmly and they went to the bed to greet Twilight. Soon, Rainbow Dash started reading Twilight's new book to her; Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike started playing board games; and Rarity and Fluttershy discussed various topics regarding fashion. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a hooded figure wearing lots of jewelry and a saddlebag entered; Princess Celestia was ecstatic that the figure before them received her letter.
"Zecora," Princess Celestia greeted the elusive zebra, "I'm pleased you could make it; I was beginning to worry that you hadn't received my letter."
"Alas, there was a slight delay," Zecora replied in her rhymed speech, "but I hope it has not spoiled your day."
"Zecora?" Rarity acknowledged her presence, and everypony turned to see, "What are you doing here? And what letter are you talking about, your Highness?"
"Princess Celestia sent me a letter of worry," Zecora responded, "and that I come here in a hurry. She has heard calls from beyond, and wishes that I explore this extraterrestrial bond."
"Uh, come again?" Applejack asked, clearly confused.
"A couple of nights ago, I heard Twilight trying to communicate with me in my head," Princess Celestia confessed, "It was clear as day, as if she were standing right next to me. I thought, since the doctors here cannot enter the minds of other ponies, I contacted Zecora in hopes that she can tell us more about what Twilight is going through."
"Are you sure it will work?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"The business of entering the mind of another is indeed risky," Zecora says mysteriously, "but, if done correctly, it can certainly be very nifty."
"Will you please try it?' Princess Celestia pleaded with Zecora, "I'm not sure what else to do, who else I can go to for help."
"Calm yourself, you Highness," Zecora said soothingly, "I will help, but I require complete silence." Everypony moved aside and stood quietly nearby as Zecora prepared for some sort of ritual around Twilight's bed. She lighted a few candles and began speaking in a foreign dialect that nopony else was able to recognize; she then placed her hooves on Twilight's head and whispered to her in various languages. After a little while, nothing happened; suddenly, Zecora's expression started to change from peaceful to confused and then to panicked. She spoke more hurried than before, but it did nothing to change her expression; all of a sudden, she started to sob and released her grasp on Twilight's head.
"No, Twilight!" Zecora exclaimed in an exasperated tone, not bothering with her usual rhymes, "You must fight back! Don't give in!"
"What's happened?" Princess Celestia asked desperately, "What did you see, Zecora?"
Zecora caught her breath before responding, "Twilight is trapped in her own mind, my friends; she tries to run, but I believe this might be her end."
All of Twilight's friends gasped as sorrow crept upon their faces; Princess Celestia, on the other hand, simply stared at Zecora before barging out of the room and galloping down the hallway. Twilight's friends chased after her as she barreled through the hospital in a fit of emotional rage. Eventually, she found herself on the roof, rain clouds starting to form as a result of her connection to the sky. She inhaled and exhaled quickly and sharply, considering for a moment what she just did. As one of the rulers of Equestria, she could not let her enemies nor her subjects see her express extreme emotion. She had to calm herself down before. . .
"Princess Celestia!" The rest of Twilight's friends appeared on the roof just behind her, "What happened, what's wrong?" Applejack asked innocently; Celestia could no longer contain herself.
"WHAT'S WRONG?!" she screamed in anger and desperation, "Look up - see that? I am a royal princess of Equestria, the ruler of these lands; I can make rain clouds appear out of thin air, yet I can't even save let alone help the ONE PONY I TRUELY CARE ABOUT?!"
Everypony just stared; Celestia did not care, however. Days and days of emotional torment and turmoil was unleashing itself in its purest form; painful agony. "When ponies see this crown," she continued shouting as rain began to fall around them, "they expect that all of the problems and issues in the world will be solved just like that," she said as she stomped her hooves violently on the roof, "WELL GUESS WHAT - I can do amazing things with the power invested in me, but LOOK HOW FREAKING USEFUL IT IS NOW!!" she screamed and collapsed on the ground, letting the emotional strain she internalized for so long break free as fierce sobs wracked her frame. The other ponies on the roof felt sorry for the princess' suffering and trotted over to console her, surrounding her on all sides and comforting their royal figurehead who had been reduced to a scared and tormented pony in a matter of minutes.
Soon, Zecora appeared on the rooftop with the other ponies; "I beg pardon, to interrupt this heart-breaking sight," she said, getting back into her rhyming mannerisms, "but something terrible has happened to Twilight." Soon after, Spike arrived behind Zecora, "Guys, not long after you left, Twilight started convulsing and her monitor stopped beeping. The doctors say she's gone into cardiac arrest!" Princess Celestia bolted up and raced back down to Twilight's room, with the rest of the group hot on her hooves. As soon as they screeched to a halt in the hallway leading to Twilight's room, they saw doctors rushing in and out of the room, carrying all sorts of equipment to try and wake Twilight up; when they refused the others entrance into the room, they were forced to sit outside and wait for the doctors' approval that everything was alright. As they waited, Princess Celestia continued to sob, no longer concerned with keeping up appearances; all she wanted was her faithful student returned to her.
After what seemed like an eternity, the doctors finally managed to stabilize Twilight's condition; her monitor was beeping regularly, and her body has stopped convulsing and shaking. Nothing could be done, however, for Princess Celestia's spirit; her last ditch effort to bring Twilight back had failed, and she almost lost her best friend and student because she couldn't control her emotions. Despite Twilight's friends trying to comfort her, Celestia felt personally responsible for Twilight's condition going over the deep end; she had never gone into cardiac arrest as long as the pale alicorn was in the room with her. When she left, it had happened, and she could not forgive herself as long as Twilight was still in a coma.
Eventually, Rarity stepped away and had Spike send a scroll to Princess Luna; in no time, Luna appeared at the hospital in her royal chariot and raced up to the floor Twilight's rom was located on. Upon seeing her sister in her messy and sniveling state, she wrapped her wings around the older alicorn in a warm embrace. Celestia was slightly comforted by the gesture, but even the sight of her dear sister was not enough to rid her of the pain she felt inside of her.
"Listen to me, dear sister," Luna said soothingly, "why don't you come back to Canterlot with me and have a rest? Our friends have told me that you haven't slept at all since Twilight entered her coma, and I am sure this recent event has not helped your morale. Trust me, you'll feel a better pony after some sleep." Princess Celestia grudgingly complied, requesting that Twilight's friends did not leave Twilight's side until she returned; they agreed instantly and Luna helped her grieving sister into her chariot.
As they left the hospital complex, Celestia curled into a ball like a filly on the floor while Luna consoled her. "It is alright, my sister," she said, "Yes, we are all saddened, but you shouldn't have to handle all of this pain and torment on your own." This, of course, brought fresh tears to Celestia's eyes, as she remembered telling Twilight the exact same thing before Ponyville was attacked. "There, there, let it all out," Luna said as she wrapped a wing over Celestia, "Don't feel like you must carry the burden for all of us."
When they arrive in Canterlot, Princess Luna helped Celestia up to her bedroom, prepared her for bed, and tucked her in like their mother used to do for them. "Thank you, my dear sister," Princess Celestia thanked Luna as she made towards the door, "I'm glad I have such a caring sister like you." Princess Luna blushed, flattered, and left to let her sister sleep. Celestia closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly. . .
She stands in the hospital room, her faithful student lying motionless in the bed; the only other pony in the room is a doctor.
"Alright, we're about to take the bandages off to see how the healing process has progressed," the doctor explained, "If the horn looks normal, then it has healed properly. If the body has not re-accepted the connection, then..." the doctor hesitated to continue, yet she knew what he meant. A horn was a unicorn's lifeline; if it were damaged beyond repair, then she would know that Twilight had left and would never return.
The doctor began unraveling the gauze that covered Twilight's head and horn; Celestia could only hope and pray for the best as more and more of Twilight's face was revealed. Looking at her student, she could see that a lot had changed about her appearance; her fur had turned a pale bluish color from being covered for a long time, and her eyelids were crusted over and expressionless. The closer the doctor got to her horn, the more anxious she felt herself becoming.
Eventually, the doctor reached the horn; he gingerly lifted off the bandage to reveal a hardened, shriveled, grey lump on top of Twilight's head. Celestia felt all hope of getting her best friend back washing out of her like a tidal wave as she watched the horn fall from its perch and land on the pristine floor, crumbling to ashes upon impact. . . .
Princess Celestia bolted upright from her resting position and fell out of her bed. She gasped and surveyed her surroundings; she was in her bedroom in Canterlot, the bright morning sun poking through the curtains shielding her windows. She breathed a sigh of relief; the nightmare in the hospital was only a dream, nothing more. As she stretched away the last of her sleepiness, she realized that Princess Luna was right in bringing her back to the castle; after finally getting some sleep, she felt in better spirits and believed that anything was possible, including Twilight's recovery.
After cleaning up, she trotted to her office to see what she could help Luna with in regards to political business. When she arrived, however, she was surprised to find her desk was as she left it so long ago, albeit cleared of her paperwork. Puzzled, she asked a passing guard about Princess Luna's whereabouts; "She's in Maretonia, meeting with the duke and duchess about trade business," he responded obediently.
"But, I don't believe that's scheduled until next week, why has she left this early," Princess Celestia asked.
"Your Highness. . .this is 'next week'" the guard replied warily.
Princess Celestia's jaw dropped; "How long was I asleep for?" she demanded of the guard, her voice rising a few decibels.
"I believe it's been at least five or six days, your Highness," the guard responded, a little unsettled. Princess Celestia cannot believe she slept for that long, yet it had felt like it was only hours.
"Why didn't anypony wake me?" she asked the guard again.
"Princess Luna ordered us to leave you alone so you could get your rest," the guard explained, edging back from the exasperated princess slightly.
Princess Celestia suddenly realized that Twilight's condition could have changed significantly in five or six days. "Prepare my chariot at once, please," she ordered the guard, who willingly complied.
When the chariot reached Canterlot Hospital, she practically soared through the various hallways to get to Twilight's room. When she finally located it, she barged in to see a relieving sight; Twilight's friends were all asleep in various spots around the room. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were resting their heads on Twilight's shoulders by her bedside, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were huddled together for comfort, and Spike and Rarity were holding hoof and claw on the bench. Celestia was glad to see that they had not abandoned their friend, as Celestia had requested; she also noticed that the doctors had indeed removed Twilight's bandages, and to her surprise and relief, she looked nothing like what she saw in her dream.
Celestia strode over to Fluttershy and Pinkie and nudged them awake, "Hello, my friends," she greeted them as they rubbed the sleep from their eyes.
"Hello, Princess," Fluttershy greeted in return; she yawned before continuing, "It's been a while since we saw you last."
"I lost track of time," Princess Celestia said innocently despite the guilt she held onto deep down, "I'm sorry that you all had to stay here this long, I didn't expect to be gone for quite that long."
"It's quite alright, darling," Rarity commented as she awoke to the sound of their voices, "We're just glad that you seem to be in better spirits."
"That's right," Applejack, who was startled into waking up after getting hoof-kicked in the stomach by a slumbering Rainbow Dash, agreed. "Oh, we meant to tell you that the doctors removed Twilight's bandages, but Princess Luna said it was best if we didn't disturb you."
"Ah, what would I do without my dear sister still looking out for me?" Princess Celestia said reminiscently. Just then, a nursepony trotted into the room to check on Twilight.
"Oh, greetings, your Majesty," she said to Celestia, "I was wondering when you would be coming back."
"Yes, indeed," Princess Celestia replied, "How is Twilight doing now?"
"A little better, actually," the nurse responded optimistically, "She's more responsive to the medication we're giving her. It's as if that incident almost a week ago was like a - cleansing, of sorts, for her condition."
"That's interesting," Princess Celestia said, "Thank you," she added as the nurse continued her check-up of Twilight. After she leaves, the rest of Twilight's friends eventually trickled out, needing to attend to their daily lives, as well, leaving Princess Celestia to her thoughts again. To think that Twilight going into cardiac arrest actually helped her condition was crazy, but at this point, Celestia was desperate for a miracle. She walked over to Twilight's bedside and stroked her faithful student's mane and head, which had both retained their original, youthful hues. "At least you're still technically with us, Twilight," Celestia said aloud to Twilight, hoping she would at least hear her, "but I don't know how much more anypony can suffer in your absence. If you can hear me, then I want to tell you that--"
Suddenly, a nurse barged into the room, looking very frantic; when she spotted Princess Celestia, she raced over and addressed her rather hastily. "Forgive me, your Highness," she began to say, "but we've just received urgent news from the Crystal Empire; Princess Cadence has gone into labor and she and Shining Armor will be here any minute!"
"Oh my goodness!" Princess Celestia gasped and began moving towards the door; just before crossing the threshold, she suddenly came to a halt. She feared that if she left, then Twilight would enter cardiac arrest like she did several days ago; however, her great-niece or nephew was about to be born, an honorary milestone for any aunt. She hesitated for a little bit while the nurse waited at the door.
"What's the matter?" she asked the doubtful alicorn. Princess Celestia looks at her, slightly pained to leave her best friend. "Oh, come now, dear," the nurse said comfortingly, "This is your niece's daughter we're talking about! Don't you fret about Twilight, she's in good hooves now." Princess Celestia looked one more time at the pony she considered very close to her heart.
"I will be back, my faithful student," she said firmly as she followed the nurse out of the room and down the hallway to greet Shining Armor and Cadence's foal.
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;
