Life is Beautiful

A blade whistled just past Shadow’s cheek, and he ducked under it as it cut across just over his head, though it ended up taking a bit of his mane with it. I am going to need a buzz cut on my mane after all of this, he muttered to himself bringing a wooden stave to cross the sword, before bringing the end of the stave up to slam into the other stallion’s chest.

Shadow had to throw up heavy shield to deflect an axe coming down for his side, spinning to retaliate with a kick to the other pony’s head, though the other pony managed to dodge to the side, swinging the axe heavily again.

This dance was familiar, Shadow was the only one that didn’t have a dangerous weapon, and he was trying to fend off three other ponies with a combination of a magically wielded stave, his magic, and his own body. The other soldiers refused to spar with him after a few injuries had resulted unless Shadow was restricted to a staff, and even so, it took promises of a few extra days of leave, and a bonus in their salary in order to get enough volunteers every day to keep up with the ebon stallion.

The training exercises took up almost all of Shadow’s day, he was being pushed hard, brutally hard, so hard that he had trouble just limping back to his room in the evening, but even so, after he had a chance to wash up, he limped his way to Princess Cadance’s apartment to see Glorious Dawn. A smile slipped onto Shadow’s face as he remembered the previous night.

Shadow knocked on the door to the Princess’s apartment, washed up and well groomed, looking almost like any other guard, except he was out of uniform. A moment later, the door opened, and Princess Cadance stood there, smiling, “Welcome Shadow, Dawn is waiting for you,” as the door swung open further.

Shadow bowed his head respectfully to the princess, and stepped into the room, only to be hit in the chest by a brightly colored speeding bullet about the size of a yearly pony. Shadow sat back with a thud and an oof and a laugh as he had Glorious Dawn hanging from his neck, bringing a hoof up to wrap around her, “Hello little one, how was your day?”

“Uncle Shadow! ImadeanewfriendwhoisnamedGeraldthegryphon and and and Mommywokeup! Shesawakeandshesokay!” came the high pitched squeal so fast that Shadow had to take a moment to piece together what she said. When he realized it, it hit him like a piercing pain right in his shoulder, striking bone.

Shadow cried out as he stumbled aside, blood gushing from a deep gash in his right shoulder, his stave coming up to bash away the weapon. The sergeant nearby bellowed out, “Where the hoof is your head Shadow! Pay attention! Your head is in the clouds, stop daydreaming of that filly’s flank and get your act back together! Let’s take a break, boys. Hammer, go get the medic!”

One of the ponies nodded, dropping his hammer, and turned to canter off. Shadow sat back, looking a bit embarrassed as he looked to the bleeding wound on his shoulder. It wasn’t the only wound he had, but it might be the deepest. The sergeant stomped up to Shadow, standing in front of him, “So what is your malfunction solider? What had you distracted?”

Shadow cleared his throat, looking embarrassed, “Sir, I was thinking about Glorious Dawn, her mother woke up yesterday. I was hoping to get to visit her soon, sir.”

“That isn’t in the cards son, your orders haven’t changed, and you are not getting any time off for getting yourself hurt. You get lunch, and then you are giving me three hundred laps of the training grounds before dinner.”

Shadow stifled an internal groan, but he nodded, “Sir yes sir!” He saluted the sergeant, who nodded sharply in return, and turned to trot off as two medical ponies trotted over, and started cleaning, dressing, and stitching Shadow’s shoulder injury. Shadow thought about lunch, and wrinkled his nose in pain and distaste, looking forwards to the same lean rations he had been kept on for the past several weeks, bread and water. He was getting sick to his stomach of bread and water. Ugh. Ow.

***

The wheelchair rolled into the physical therapist’s office, Twilight riding along in the seat, looking around nervously. Glorious Dawn was trotting along besides her, her little wings fluttering every few steps, giving a bit of bounce to her. Applejack was behind the wheelchair, pushing it, “Relax Sugarcube, you’ll do fine. Big Mac had to do this a few years back after he hurt his neck and broke his leg when that tree came down wrong, ya remember? Just do what the doctor tells ya, and ya’ll be walking around again in no time. If ya need us, the girls and Spike and I will be waiting outside for ya.”

Twilight offered Rainbow a weak smile, but nodded, “I’ll do my best, thank you AJ.” Twilight locked over the side of the chair at Dawn, “You should go with her Dawn, this is going to be boring.”

“Awww, but Mooooom!” Dawn whined, “I wanted to help!”

“Yer momma is right little one, come on and maybe Spike can go take you for some icecream. Ah think there’s one just down the block.”

Dawn perked up a little at that, but she shifted from hoof to hoof, looking worriedly to her mother, “You’ll be right here when I come back, won’t you mommy?”

Twilight nodded to Dawn, “Of course sweetheart, I’ll be fine, go on, have some fun.”

Dawn nodded reluctantly, her wings tucking in against her side as she turned to walk out with AppleJack.

Twilight looked after her daughter and sighed, but shook her head after a moment, it was only for a little while after all. She went back to looking around the office for a bit, taking notes of the weights, the rails, and the treadmill, and the other tools of the trade around. She also noticed the desk, and the nameplate of it. Doctor Hard. That was a funny name. Twilight shrugged after a moment to wait.

A couple of minutes later, a donkey walked into the room, carrying a file in his teeth which he set on the desk, opening it open to look through it a moment, before looking over to Twilight. “Miss Sparkle I presume?” trotting over to her.

Twilight nodded, “Yes, that’s me.”

“Hmm, your file said that you have severely atrophied muscles, can you walk at all? When was the last time you walked?”

Twilight bit her lip, “um… nearly a year ago,” she said, a little timidly as she glanced over the heavily built donkey. “I have not had a lot of a chance to try, I had to be helped into the wheelchair however. I… I tried to stand up when I woke up the first time yesterday, the best I could do was push myself around a bit…”

The doctor nodded, “I should check your range of motion, and I will give you some excersizes to do. If you stick to the excersizes, we should be able to see some improvement within a week, but if you are this badly off, it could be a month or more before you can get around on your own, and three to five months before you are back to full strength. Recover is not always a quick process.”

Twilight nodded with a furrowed brow, and biting her lower lip while the doctor moved behind the Wheelchair and pushed her over to a low examination table. Once there, Twilight reached her hooves out to the table while the doctor locked the wheels of the chair. Twilight started slowly struggling to pull herself onto the table.

The doctor just watched for a few moments, judging, before he moved to the side of the chair, and moved his hooves under Twilight’s shoulders, lifting her up almost like she weighed nothing, and moving her onto the table, “alright, onto your back,” he said, helping Twilight get there.

Once the doctor had Twilight on her back, he took a hoof, slowly stretching it out full length, “Let me know when it hurts,” he said. He got the hoof almost fully extended before Twilight whimpered a little, so the doctor moved it in another direction, checking out how limber Twilight was. After each hoof and leg, the Doctor took some notes, feeling the muscle tone.

When the doctor was done he stepped away, and Twilight rolled to her side with a little wince. “You are in just as bad shape as you said, you have a low range of mobility, and very low muscle tone. I am afraid you might be in for a rough time ahead of you, but we will get you back on your feet soon. Now, I am going to show you a series of excersizes, and give you a few two pound weights that I want you to do them with. I want you to try and do them every hour or two the very least.”

Twilight let out a little whine, but nodded, tucking her hooves closer in, and rubbing her shoulders where muscles were feeling a bit stretched.

The doctor came back over, “Alright, from your side here, and you need to do this on both sides, is take your left hooves, and bring them slowly up into the air like this, take them as far as you can, an hold them there for a count of then, then slowly bring them back down. Do this three times, and then roll to your other side, and do the same thing. While you are on your back, I want you to stretch your front legs up towards your head, and your back legs down towards your tail like you were running, hold there for a ten count, and bring them the other way, stretch your front hooves back, and your back hooves forwards, and do this three times.”

“After you have done all that, you can rest, after the third day, you should do it with these weights,” he said, carrying over a set of small bands with weights in them, “and I will see you again in a week to check your progress, and give you some more exercises to do.”

“’All That’ Doctor? That hardly seems like anything at all!” Twilight said, slowly rolling back to her front, and struggling to move into a sitting position.

The doctor smiled a little condescendingly, “Of course not, for a pony in good health. I am sure you remember doing all that easily. I would recommend some pain killers for you… but after reading your file… it would be unethical for me to prescribe anything that would really help. The best I can tell you is that if you are having a lot of trouble, have some willow bark tea, but only a glass or two a day, any more than that and I will have the palace kitchens cut you off, and you will have to go without,” he said sternly.

Twilight cringed under those words, looking down, her ears lying back in a bit of distress, “yes Doctor.”

The doctor frowned, and sighed, “I’m sorry, but the patients wellbeing comes first, you will be fine, but it is going to be rough to get there. Let’s get you back into the wheelchair, and you can head back to the castle, you should stay in the infirmary until you are able to make it around on your own, and take care of your own… needs.”

Twilight blushed a bit, embarrassed by being reminded of those unavoidable biological needs, but she nodded, starting to work on pulling herself back into the wheelchair, though the doctor walked up besides her and helped her into it, before unlocking the wheels, and rolling Twilight to the door. Twilight opened the door with her magic, and the wheelchair rolled out into the waiting room.

True to their word, all of Twilight’s friends were waiting in the waiting room, and Twilight smiled brightly as the doctor rolled her out. Dawn was getting her face cleaned by a damp cloth by Rarity, who was fussing over her, but Dawn looked up as Twilight came out, and scampered over, leaping up to give Twilight a big sticky hug, “Momma!”

Twilight laughed, hugging Dawn, “You look like you got more on you than in you,” taking a lick at some icecream on Dawn’s nose, “Mmmm, mint! That’s a good kind!”

Dawn wrinkled her nose and whined, “Mommmyyyy!”

That drew a big round of laughter from all the adults present.

***

There was a scream of fury from Twilight’s room as Fluttershy and Rarity walked in to visit, followed by the sound of glass shattering, and one of the nurses came running out of the room, ducking as a hairbrush came flying low over her head, “NO! I don’t want any more tea! It doesn’t help! You know what I need and you won’t give it to me! Why won’t you let me have any more?” The sound of sobbing broke through the air as Fluttershy and Rarity exchanged looks, and hurried past the nurse who tried to stop them with a warning.

It had been two days since Twilight had started her physical therapy, and when Rarity and Fluttershy entered the room, they saw the place looked like a disaster area. There was a cart that had previously held food and tea toppled over, shattering the teacups all over the floor, and all the chairs had been knocked over from a burst of magical energy in Twilight’s tantrum. Twilight herself was lying on her side in her bed, her body shivering in sobs as she looked up, first with a deadly glare, expecting the nurse had come back, but then with horror as she saw Rarity and Fluttershy standing there, both of whom looked a little shell-shocked.

“Go away! I don’t want to see anypony right now! I don’t feel good!” Twilight said, starting off yelling, but her voice dropping into sobs as she turned away, burying her face in her pillow.

Fluttershy slowly made her way to the bed, stepping carefully around the broken glass and steaming liquid, “Oh… oh my, I, I think that now might be the time you really do need to see somepony, Twilight, what’s wrong?”

Twilight started sobbing into the pillow, “I’m tired, and I can’t sleep! I just hurt so badly, and that… STUPID tea doesn’t help! And it tastes bad!” she lifted her head to glare at Fluttershy with red rimmed and bloodshot eyes. “They won’t give me anything to help me sleep! Or Moon Sugar! That would… that would…” Twilights voice started trailing off, before she shook herself and buried her face again into her pillow, breaking down into sobs again.

Fluttershy didn’t back down under the glare, though her ears flattened back worriedly. The words of the Moon Sugar struck her pretty hard however, and she looked about ready to start crying, “Oh nonono, you don’t need that hun, just lay your head down… and take a little rest from the exercises.”

Rarity had retrieved the hairbrush and moved around to the other side of the bed, putting her hooves on the side of the bed, “Fluttershy is right darling, you don’t need any of that stuff, just breathe, and try to relax. “ She used her magic to start moving the brush through Twilight’s mane, starting to brush it out gently.

Twilight sobbed into her pillow for a few minutes more, her body shaking in pain and tiredness, but the brushing of her mane started to slowly soothe her. After a few minutes she slowly peeked out, looking to Fluttershy, “I’m… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have… I know better… I…”

Fluttershy smiled, and reached over to hug Twilight’s neck gingerly, “I know Twilight, we all do… we understand what you are going through, please… just close your eyes and relax for a bit.”

Twilight whimpered softly, but she did as Fluttershy told her, slowly relaxing there on the bed, her body trembling and shaking from soft sobs. Fluttershy slowly stroked Twilight’s neck, and down her shoulder, soothing the lavender mare with soft sounds.

After about twenty minutes, Twilight slowly opened her eyes again, still red from crying, but her shaking had gotten under control. “What are you two doing here this early?” she asked in a bit of a shaky voice.

Fluttershy sighed, “I need to go back to Ponyville. This um… my baby is due in a few days, and as much as I love Canterlot, and I want to stay with you to help you through this, I need to be home to have my baby, I am leaving on the noon train to go home.”

Twilight nodded, sniffling a bit, her ears laid back, “I understand… Hopefully I will be there too in a little while. Who is the father anyways? You never said.”

Fluttershy blushed a bit, and lowered her head a bit, her wings giving an uncertain flap, before she lifted her head again, “Its um, Big Mac. He is just the sweetest stallion around, so kind and gentle… we were married a little over a year ago. It was a hard time, you know…” Fluttershy said softly, her voice dipping. “I so much wanted you to be there, you were… in everything Twilight, I wanted you to be my mare of honor but…” Fluttershy’s voice started getting thick, an she wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s neck, “We missed you so much Twilight.”

Twilight started to cry again too, pressing her head into Fluttershy’s neck, her horn laying against the back of her neck as she slowly reached a quavering hoof up to rest on Fluttershy’s back, the action excruciatingly painful from how sore her muscles were, but she got over that as she hugged Fluttershy, “I’m so sorry Fluttershy… I wish I was there, I bet it was the most beautiful little ceremony ever.”

“Oh it was, it was absolutely gorgeous… there are a few pictures, when you get home, come by, I’ll show you everything.”

All too soon, the other ponies, and dragon, and gryphon were walking in, looking around at the mess in shock. Rarity looked over, and then at the time, “That’s our queue darling, we should be on our way.”

Fluttershy nodded, “Oh alright… You take things easy Twilight, just close your eyes and breathe if you start getting worked up.”

Twilight nodded, “I will, thank you Fluttershy, and congratulations on everything.

Little Dawn had gotten over the shock of the mess, and started galloping across the floor when Rarity picked her up just before she hit a puddle of spilled tea, “Watch your hooves dear, tea stains don’t come out of sheets very well,” playing the little filly on the bed, “And be gentle with your mother, she is having a rough morning.”

Dawn looked over, and nodded, “Okie Dokie Lokie!” mimicking Pinkie’s like, as Pinkie beamed a moment. Dawn however promptly forgot, and pounced her mother, hugging her head, and drawing a bit of a groan of pain from Twilight, though Twilight just hugged the little filly with her head, settling her head down to rest while she talked with her friends. Applejack snuck off, and returned with some stuff to start cleaning the mess up, much to the relief of the nurses.

***

Twilight lay awake in the middle of the night in her own bed, in her own chambers at the castle. It was about a week and a half after she had started her rehabilitation, and she could just start to make her way around, and take care of herself again. Dawn was still staying with Cadance, despite begging and pleading to stay with her mother, but it was decided that Twilight needed a few nights alone to worry about herself.

Twilight couldn’t sleep though, she was wide awake after a nightmare had set her screaming awake. Her eyes closed, and a violent shudder slipped through her as she remembered, as she felt those barbs raking inside her, forcing spasms of pleasure and pain to shoot up her spine, she felt the hot breath on her ear, and that claw slicing across her…

Twilight opened her eyes again, gasping for breath. She couldn’t breathe. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t breathe, all that came out was a gurgling sound, and bubbles, bubbles that tasted coppery. Her hooves went to her throat, and her body twitched in agony, her hooves coming away soaked in blood…

Twilight’s eyes shot open as she sat up with a scream again, gasping and panting for breath that blessedly came. She touched her hooves to her throat, and looked… they were dry. She breathed a sigh of relief, and slowly slid out of the bed.

Landing on her hooves, they almost gave out beneath her, wobbling unsteadily for a moment, before she managed to stabilize herself. Very slowly, Twilight made her way to the door, her magic opening it up, and she slipped outside.

“is there something I can help you with, Miss Sparkle?” the sudden voice, soft as it was made Twilight jump, though she didn’t make three feet this time, only an inch before she went crashing down to the floor, letting out a soft groan.

“My apologies Miss Sparkle, I didn’t mean to startle you,” the stallion replied, a guard that had been down the hallway.

“I-it’s alright,” Twilight replied sheepishly, though she was having the weirdest sense of déjà-vu.

“Is there anything I can get for you?” the stallion repeated softly.

Twilight shook her head, “n-No, thank you, I just felt the need for… for some fresh air.”

“Would you like an escort Miss Sparkle?” the stallion asked helpfully.

Twilight shook her head after a moment, “No thank you sir, I have been roaming these halls since I was a little filly myself.”

The guard frowned after a moment, “I must insist, Miss Sparkle. I remember very well what happened after the last time I let you roam free.”

Twilight gaped at the guard for a moment, “I remember you! You are the same guard that was here after the… After my brother’s funeral.”

The stallion nodded, “You still have my condolences, but I must escort you Miss Sparkle,” he offered her a smile however.

Twilight nodded, “Very well, maybe you will get to carry me back to my room after I slip somewhere and I can’t get up.” She slowly got her hooves underneath herself, and very slowly pushed herself to a stand,

“If you are wanting some fresh air, might I suggest Luna’s gardens? They are rather spectacular at this hour of the night,” the guard suggested, “And they are not that far.”

Twilight smiled and nodded, “that sounds wonderful, thank you.”

“My pleasure Miss Sparkle, you can lean on me if you would like.”

Twilight smiled, and as the stallion moved up besides her, she shifted to lean against him, and he slowly helped her down the hallway.

“Just don’t tell Shadow that I am doing this, he might buck me clear out of Canterlot,” he said with a chuckle.

That caught Twilight a bit off guard, “Shadow? I haven’t seen him since I got here, where is he?” a little concerned.

“Down in the dungeon for the night I imagine. He is on a rather harsh punishment. Hard cot down in the dungeon, and the most brutal training regimen I have ever seen. If I didn’t know better, and I hadn’t seen how he fought, I would dare say that the captain was trying to work him to death.”

Twilight’s ears laid back as her eyes widened, getting a bit freaked out over that, her voice strained, “is... is he alright? I want to go see him.”

“He’s fine, don’t worry your pretty little horn, um… ahem, Miss Sparkle,” the guard cleared his throat as he tried to put back on his professional demeanor, though the slip made Twilight blush, and snicker a bit. “He is handling the training like a real fighter, but unless I am mistaken, he is forbidden on penalty of death from seeing you, or that might just be a rumor.”

Twilight paled at that, her eyes widened as she missed a step and stumbled, falling down towards the floor as the guard shifted suddenly, reaching a hoof to help catch her, “Careful there Miss Sparkle.”

“s-Sorry, I am just worried about Shadow, he is my friend and I miss seeing him,” Twilight replied, using the guard’s leg and strength to get back to her feet.

The guard nodded, “He is a decent pony from what I have seen, a bit rough around the edges, but a good guy.”

They finally reached the arched doorways that led out into Luna’s gardens, and the guard opened the door for Twilight, and Twilight stepped through, letting out a soft gasp of wonder.

The gardens were gorgeous, little fireflies flittering through the air, winking on and off in unison, trees dotted with them. Twilight looked to the plants themselves, trying to name them, there were so many rare and exotic species, many of them glowing and shimmering in the moonlight, or from their own inner bioluminescence. There was the towering tree of twinkling tulips, the Moonblossoms of the endless plains, the Wind Chimes of the Crescent Moon, which were said to tinkle softly underneath the light of the slimmest crescent moon of the month, though they were silent as a huge full moon hung in the sky. There was the creeping Jupiter moss, glowing a fiery red beneath the pale glittering of the Starstruck Spruce. And that was just what Twilight could name!

Twilight started to slowly make her way through the gardens in absolute awe of them, naming what plants and flowers and even the moths and other insects flying around. A Lunar Moth landed on Twilight Sparkle’s nose for a moment, causing her to go stock still as she looked at it cross-eyed as its wings slowly beat for a moment, before it fluttered off, and she let out a breathless, “Wow…”

The guard stayed back a little bit, watching the lavender male with an amused little smile, though he did take in the beauty of the place himself. This was supposed to be Luna’s private gardens, but he did not think that the princess would mind allowing a friend of the family such as Twilight Sparkle have a short midnight walk through it.

He was mistaken however, as a few minutes later, the sound of wing beats and heavy hooves sounded sharply behind the stallion, “Guardspony, what are you doing here?”

The guard looked to Princess Luna startled, his ears laid back, realizing that she MIGHT actually mind, “I um, Miss Twilight Sparkle was restless, I thought I would escort her on a walk through your garden. I did not think you would mind, as it was close to the guest wing, and it is beautiful out here.”

“Normally I would not, but tonight…” Luna’s head shot up, “Oh no…” Twilight was out of sight… and heading right for the…

“Moonlight Glory!” Twilight murmured to herself, smelling the beautiful flowers, broad five petal flowers that glowed iridescently beneath the shimmering full moon, but suddenly something caught her attention about the scent, and Twilight leaned closer, taking a deep sniff of the flowers, even as the sound of hooves started to thunder over the cobblestone walk a distance behind her.

A dim voice called out over the quiet night, desperate, “Twilight!” but the lavender unicorn was enthralled, enraptured by the scent of the flowers, something that drew up a desire that she new so well, a desire she couldn’t fight… she had to have more! Just before a navy blue glow wrapped around Twilight, she plunged her muzzle down around the flower, biting it off, and swallowing it before she could think about it.

Princess Luna rushed towards the lavender mare, her power wrapping around her and pulling her away just as she saw Twilight swallow something. Luna cringed as she came to a stop, her eyes wide as she watched Twilight. Twilight just smiled sleepily, held there in the embrace of Luna’s magic, as her eyes started to close. “That plant is toxic to ponies, especially to ones who have suffered the addiction! I have to get her to the infirmary!” Luna placed Twilight on her back, holding her there with magic as she leapt away, just as Twilight Sparkle started going into convulsions on the moon princess’s back.

***

Twilight drifted slowly in a peaceful calm, though suddenly it was jarred apart as something jabbed itself down her throat, and her eyes fluttered open, her back arching as she lost her dinner, before everything faded again.

***

It felt like an eternity was swallowing her whole as she slipped deeper into the blackness, it felt so welcoming… power shocked through Twilight suddenly, ripping away the void of blackness beneath her as she screamed.

***

Her body ached, she felt sore, but her eyes couldn’t open. She slept restlessly, drifting in a cloud of indecision and doubt that seemed to stretch on for miles and seconds around her. She couldn’t make out the sounds whistling around her, but they seemed familiar… one voice came through finally, a high pitched, childish one… it was her daughter! “Please come back to us mommy!”

***

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open, and she let out a low groan, her body shaking a bit as she lifted her head. The world swam around her, and she laid it back down, though there were voices around her. Finally she managed to make sense of them, her eyes opening to focus on Spike’s face in front of her, “Look, she’s coming around again!”

“Shh Spike! Dawnie is sleeping!” Pinkie Pie hissed, sitting in a chair, rocking the tired child in her arms.

“Oops, sorry…” Spike whispered softly, glancing back, before looking back to Twilight, “How are you feeling Twilight?”

Twilight groaned, “Like I got hit by a carriage… what happened?”

“You ate a Moonlit Glory, at least that is what Princess Luna said. She said it is the kind of plant used to produce Moon Sugar, and you um, she thinks your addiction took control of you when you smelled it under the full moon.”

Twilight groaned, and covered her face with her hooves, “The Moonlit Glory… it smelled so good! I… I can’t believe I ate one, those things are poisonous! How could I be so stupid?” she groaned, bopping herself in the head repeatedly until Spike grabbed her hoof.

“Look, don’t blame yourself, accidents happen, right? You weren’t expecting that to happen, you didn’t even go looking for it, you just… stumbled into it, it’ll be alright Twilight.”

“It will! You are alright! It was close for a while… I was reeeaallly scared and worried,” Pinkie said, though she kept her voice soft, “But you made it! That’s what matters!”

Twilight laid her head back down to rest. “I guess so…” she sounded a bit unconvinced. “How long have I been asleep?”

“About three days. Princess Celestia wants to have a private audience with you as soon as you can walk again.”

Twilight groaned, and pulled a pillow over her head at that, “Princess Celestia is going to be furious with me…”

“I’d be more worried about Princess Luna if I were you, you did eat one of her flowers after all… I’m just kidding! Lighten up! She was more worried about you,” Pinkie Pie Whispered.

Twilight groaned again, and hid her head under the pillow for a minute, before peeking out, and looking to Pinkie Pie and Dawn. After a minute, she drew her magic around Dawn, and gently picked her up, carrying her over to the infirmary bed, wrapping her hooves gently around her, snuggling into her tiny daughter, “I’m sorry Dawn…”

“I love you too mommy,” came the sleepy response as Dawn shifted a moment, her wings wrapping around Twilight’s head a bit, but she was back asleep again quickly, and Twilight decided that looked like a good idea.

***

Twilight rested, doing some of her exercises for most of the rest of the day. As night started to fall though, a tremor started in Twilight’s legs, and it started getting worse the lower the sun sank. Twilight made Spike take Dawn back to Princess Cadance. Things just got worst from there.

Within an hour after sunset, Twilight’s whole body was shaking, and now that she was conscious, she started begging for Moon Sugar, just a taste. When no one brought her anything, she started getting angry, and throwing things and ponies around, and the doctors were forced to bring in a magic suppression band, fixing it down to the base of Twilight’s horn.

This just made things worse, and Twilight dissolved into screaming fits pierced by moments of clarity where she broke down sobbing and apologizing for everything under the sun, and sometimes for the sun itself. Twilight’s friend stayed up with her, one or two at a time throughout the night, keeping her company, and being there for her when she woke up from short naps, screaming and sobbing.

Nopony got much sleep that night.

The next day was just as bad, the nightmares and screaming stopped, but Twilight laid there listlessly for most of it, except for the few times when she was trying to fight and kick her way out of the bed. The only real peace was the few hours that Dawn and Gerald visited, though by the end of that, Twilight had started to shake again, and begged her friends to take the two back home so they wouldn’t see her in worse shape than she already was.

That night was the worst night of all. As the sun started to fall, Twilight started to tense up, dissolving into seizures as waking nightmares flashed before her eyes, sending her screaming, and shaking her head. Nightmares of the rapes she had suffered seemed most prevalent, her body arching as her friends tried to hold her down. Twilight begged and pleaded for release, for death, for someone just to finish her off, but there was no relief through the whole long night.

When morning came, there was finally some peace. As the first rays of the sun brightened the horizon, Twilight’s body finally fell still, falling into a deep dreamless slumber. The nurses moved Twilight into a wheelchair, and took the bed away, changing sheets that were soaked in sexual juices and some flecks of blood from Twilight’s struggles. All of Twilight’s friends were laying on various pieces of furniture as they watched their friend worriedly.

After a while, the two nurses returned, and took Twilight off to bathe her while she slept, returning her a while later washed and damp, and with fresh bandages over her shoulder, and urged the other ponies to find their own beds. Most of them argued among themselves over not going, but finally Rarity insisted that they do, and that she would take first watch over Twilight.

The others reluctantly left for the day, while Rarity settled on a chair besides Twilight’s bed, singing a soft, soothing lullaby to the lavender mare while she ran a brush through Twilight’s damp mane, bringing some blessed comfort to the worn out mare.

Shifts changed every few hours, granting Twilight some peace and company when she finally woke near late afternoon

Twilight let out a low groan, her eyes flickering open slowly, “Ugh… what time is it? Is it morning yet?”

Rainbow Dash looked up, and grinned, “Hey there tough stuff, you missed morning by a long shot, but I am not surprised,” her grin fading, and giving Twilight a worried look, “You had a rough night.”

Twilight groaned, her body aching from the activities, and she nodded, though she started trying to sit up, and found she couldn’t, straps holding her down. She tried using her magic, only to find that she couldn’t, and her eyes widened with fear, starting to struggle, “Help! Let me up!”

“Whoa whoa Twilight, calm down,” Rainbow Dash said, putting a hoof on the mare’s shoulder, “You had to be tied down, you were gonna hurt yourself.”

“It’s not just that! It’s my magic!” Twilight said in a panic, realizing her voice sounded quite hoarse and rough.

“That too, you were starting to throw some spells yesterday, calm down, and let me go get a nurse, I’ll be back before you can say Princess Celestia’s Purple Horseshoe!” Rainbow boasted, before zipping out with a flutter of wings.

Twilight blinked after Rainbow Dash, “Princess Celestia’s Purple Horse-“

Rainbow Dash cut off Twilight’s question as she zipped back into the room, “told ya!” A nurse mare walking in after Rainbow Dash.

“Really Miss Dash, you should go slower in the halls,” the mare said, chiding the cyan pegasus.

“Pfft, slower’s for… well everyone else! Twilight looks a lot better; can you take off her horn ring and her straps?”

The nurse looked over the lavender mare as she walked over, while Twilight followed her with her eyes. The nurse pulled out a little light, shining it in Twilight’s eyes, who complied with only a little wincing, before she nodded, “She seems over the worst of it, though I suspect tonight might be a little rough. If you want to have some visitors, the next few hours before moonrise are the best bet.” The mare moved to the side of the bed, starting to loosen the straps.

“Alright! Applejack should be here in like ten minutes, but I’ll go get Princess Cadance and let her know! And she can bring by the kids!” Rainbow Dash said, her wings buzzing as she took into the air, before they slowed, looking at Twilight, “If… If you want me to that is? Are you up for it?” a bit of concern showing through.

Twilight smiled as she slowly sat up, “I would love that Dash, and the rest of the girls?” She lowered her head to the nurse, and the nurse slipped off the magic inhibiting ring, setting it aside on the table.

“Gotcha! This might take me a few minutes longer,” Rainbow Dash said, before zipping out of the room.

The nurse looked over and yelled after her, “Slow down in the infirmary at least! Blasted speed demons,” she muttered, before looking to Twilight, “I will bring you some dinner, I might as well have some brought up for all of your friends as well.”

Twilight smiled a bit shakily, “Thank you, thank you very much.”

The nurse smiled at Twilight, and slipped out.

***

They had a rather nice little quiet dinner party of sorts, though Pinkie Pie was rather reluctant to call it a party without any streamers or fireworks or even cake, but Twilight liked it, resting curled up on the bed for the most part with Gerald and Dawn.

As night began to fall however, Twilight started to feel the familiar itching clawing at her, though it was not as bad as the prior night. She finally asked that Dawn and Gerald get taken home, as she settled in to rest. The night was rough, that was for certain, but she managed to make it through with only waking up screaming a few times, and without restraints or a magic restrictor, instead just falling into the arms of whoever was with her at the time, sobbing.

The next morning had Twilight heading back to her own quarters, over the worst of the withdrawal, and she managed to make it through a few more nights without going crazy, though the guards wouldn’t let her out of her room after night.

***

The morning of the fifth day saw Twilight Sparkle making her way to the royal apartments by herself, about half an hour after breakfast. Twilight’s legs hurt from the prior days exercises, but they were growing steadier. Two guards escorted Twilight, standing a bit behind her, though as she reached the doorway to the royal apartment complex, they moved past her, and opened them up.

Twilight stepped nervously through the doors, and glanced around, her ears back a bit. She did not expect to see two guards standing on either side of the door, dressed in full royal guard regalia, and holding spears besides themselves, but her gaze quickly found its way to the two princesses, Luna and Celestia, sitting around a cleared breakfast table, talking about affairs of the country.

The conversation ceased as the two noticed Twilight Sparkle had entered, and Celestia smiled, motioning her over, “Come join us Twilight Sparkle, how have you been?”

Twilight looked a bit nervous, but made her way to the table, climbing a bit laboriously into a chair to sit, and face the two alicorns, “I have been better Princess Celestia, but I have also been much worse.”

Celestia smiled a bit sadly at that, an nodded, “It is a shame about that. Do you know why you are here today?”

Twilight swallowed back a nervous lump in her throat, glancing back to the two guards, before looking back to Celestia, “Because you are going to have me thrown in the dungeon for assaulting Fluttershy, and for using Moon Sugar, and for stealing from my friends and for… I am sure I am forgetting something.”

Luna chuckled softly, a bit of amusement on her lips, “Perhaps for eating a flower from my garden?”

Twilight blanched a bit, and scuffed her hoof on the edge of the chair she was on a little, “Yeah, for that too. Can I get to see Glorious Dawn at least while I am in there?”

Celestia looked between the two, and then shook her head with a soft laugh, “Sister, please, you mustn’t be so cruel. Twilight, we are not going to lock you up, if you have committed any crimes of consequence, they are forgiven; you have suffered enough through your own actions, and the actions of others.

Twilight slowly lifted her head, “Really? I don’t have to go to prison? So you aren’t mad at me?”

“Mad? No my dear student. Disappointed… yes, I am. I had hoped you would have known enough to turn to your friends in your time of need, instead of running away from your problems. You hurt a great many friends with your absence, do you realize this?”

Twilight’s expression wilted again, and she looked down, deeply upsetting her that she had disappointed Celestia so much, but she nodded, “Yes Princess, and I have a lot more to think about now than just my friends, I have Dawn to think about. That is why I am so mad at myself for… eating one of those flowers. I could have died, I wanted to die for a bit there, these past few days. After all of this however… I have Dawn… beautiful little Glorious Dawn… and every time I see her,” she lifted her head, looking at Celestia, some tears in her eyes, “I don’t regret anything, she is the most wonderful thing in my life, and I am looking forwards to being the mother she deserves.”

The two princesses exchanged a bit of a look, nodding knowingly as Celestia turned back to Twilight, “We have met Dawn, she is a beautiful little filly, and we know you will do your best to be the best mother she can be. However, it has come to our attention that you are still having a great deal of trouble in some areas. Ponyville is near the edge of Everfree Forest, and you are intending to return there soon, correct?”

Twilight nodded, her ears splayed, not sure she liked where this was going, “yes Princess.”

Luna nodded, continuing, “The Moonlit Glory grows within the Everfree Forest, even though it is rare, it presents a danger to you if you let yourself slip again. We have a proposal, but first, we have some things we would like to know about your last few years. To start off with, can you tell us who supplied you with the Moon Sugar?”

Twlight’s ears laid back, and she looked away, biting her lip, but she answered, “Dawn’s father, a pegasus by the name of Hot Shot.”

Luna frowned a bit, but she nodded, “Good, he has been in custody for several weeks, he will be punished accordingly. Next, do you know the fate of one… Bull Dozer? He was alleged to have run the gang that controlled that factory in which you were found, no sign has been found of him however.”

Twilight paled at that name, her head lowering as she let out a little squeak, trying to answer. Princess Celestia looked over worried, “Breathe Twilight, take your time, he hurt you?”

Twilight nodded, and swallowed, and took a slow, shaky breath, before she finally managed to answer, “Yes Your Majesty. I think I um… squished him with something… when… just before I…”

“I understand Twilight,” Celestia said, “I saw the power of magic, you were not fully in control, nothing will be done to you because of it.”

Twilight let out a soft breath, and nodded, “Thank you Princess.”

Luna spoke up then, “That leaves one more issue, are you familiar with one former sergeant Shadow Hoof?”

Twilight looked up at Luna, her ears perking up, before laying back, worry on her face, “Yes, I know him.”

Luna nodded, her voice coming out cold and hard, “Are you aware that he is a wanted fugitive, and he is facing charges of high treason, mutiny, and murder of a superior officer?”

Twilight cringed at that, her ears plastering against her head, as she nodded, “He’s not like that! He’s a-“

“Answer the question Twilight, are you aware of these charges?” Princess Luna asked pointedly.

Twilight cringed as she was cut off, lowering her head, but nodded, “I am aware Princess.”

“And what do you think of the former sergeant? You have had a great deal of interaction with him, have you not?”

Twilight nodded in response, looking up, “I did… We became friends after a few of my visits there, he would always step out and say hi to me. After I… ran away, we saw a lot more of eachother, we had tea together a lot, and he told me what really happened. His squad was set up! The officer he killed had dealings with the gryphon army, and was sending squads out to die. Maybe what Shadow did wasn’t right, but what he did saved the lives of a lot of soldiers! You can’t hang him Princesses, please!”

The two princesses exchanged another look, before Luna looked back to Twilight, “We are aware of his excuses, but let me ask you, do you trust him? Would you trust him with your life?”

Twilight’s ears lifted a little at the question, and she nodded without hesitation, “In a moment Princess. I know he did not intend for me to get captured by the gang like I was, and he was there for me, he protected my daughter, and he looked after me. He saved my life in the end, didn’t he? He was my only real friend while I was there, the only one that I felt I had at any rate…”

Princess Luna nodded, a smile slipping onto her features as she looked over Twilight Sparkle, judging her sincerity, “He did save your life, and he risked his for it. It was a brave and noble act if there ever was one, and he will not be punished for it.” Luna moved to rise from her chair, stepping away, her voice bellowing strongly, “PRIVATE SHADOW HOOF, present yourself!”

Twilight looked up surprised, then looked over as one of the guards at the door marched forwards. The solider removed his helm with a fluid motion of his hoof, and dropped into a low kneeling bow before the princess. Beneath the helm was none other than Shadow, his mane trimmed neatly, and his eyes forwards. Twilight could only stare on disbelief for a moment, her muscles frozen in shock to see him there.

“Private, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Special Operative, with the salary and benefits of that rank. Your assignment is as follows, to begin immediately. You are assigned as Twilight’s personal bodyguard and assistant. You are to safeguard her life at all costs, even your own, you are to accompany her, and follow her directions should she require aid, and above all, you are to keep her safe. You will be expected to make reports to us once a month, or immediately if there are any problems of consequence. Do you understand your orders?”

Shadow’s gruff voice sounded quite formal as he nodded his head, “Yes Your Majesty, I will do my best.”

“Good Special Operative Shadow, At ease,” Luna barked, before she relaxed, glancing towards Twilight with a smile.

Twilight just stared at Shadow as he stood up, and the moment he looked at Twilight, he suddenly found himself with a lavender torpedo taking him in the chest, causing him to fall back to a sit with a heavy grunt, his helmet that he had been picking up clattering down on the floor.

“Well hello to you too Miss Sparkle,” Shadow said, looking down a little awkwardly at the filly clinging to his chest.

Twilight thumped Shadow in the chest plate with a hoof, “Don’t you ‘Miss Sparkle’ me!” she almost yelled at him, pulling her head back, and Shadow was shocked to see tears in her eyes, “I missed you! I was worried sick about you! I thought they were going to execute you!”

Shadow slowly moved a hoof around Twilight, before he started hugging her against him, lowering his head down against hers, “I missed you too Twilight, I wanted to see you every day, but I was under strict orders. You have no idea how much I was worried about you, and how eagerly I awaited news of your recovery. I am so glad you are alright.”

Twilight shook her head, shaking as she pressed her head back into the armored unicorn’s shoulder, “I’m not alright, I’m not sure I will ever be alright, but maybe with you… maybe I will be.”

Shadow ran a hoof down Twilight’s back a little, trying to comfort the lavender mare, “You will be fine, I will make sure of it, I think the princesses might have me executed anyways if I failed to do that.”

Princess Celestia let out a soft chuckle and shook her head; however Princess Luna looked to Celestia, “He’s right, I would! What, don’t look at me like that.”

Princess Celestia shook her head again, and looked to Twilight, “I have spoken with the doctors, and the physical therapist, after your therapy appointment tomorrow, you should be ready to return to Ponyville. I think we can all agree that as much as we love you here, you have spent too much time in Canterlot, and you need to go home.”

Twilight slowly let go of Shadow’s neck, and got her hooves underneath herself again, looking back to Celestia, “So soon Princess?”

“Yes my niece, you need to get on with your own life. I will try to visit you, and you can always come back to visit us here, but you have your own life to lead, you haven’t been living much at all these past years.”

Twilight nodded, her ears splayed worriedly. Shadow noticed the worry, and touched Twilight’s shoulder gently, “You will be fine, I will be there to make sure of it.”

Twilight looked up, and nodded, smiling weakly to the princesses as Celestia rose from her chair, “Thank you princesses, thank you for everything.”

Princess Celestia smiled, and nodded, “You are welcome Twilight. Now I need to get ready for a day in court, and I believe my sister is heading for bed, so we must bid you good day for now, we will see you before you leave.”

Twilight nodded, turning a little, before she paused, "Oh! I have one more thing, if I could princesses," she said as she turned back towards them, bowing her head.

Princess Celestia looked up, her brow quirked curiously, "Of course Twilight, what is it?"

Twilight looked up, "I um. Gerald, what is going to happen to him?"

Princess Celestia smiled a bit, "We have begun interviews in pegasus families to see if we can find a proper home that is willing to take him in and adopt him, or foster him. His father was sadly... executed by the King of the Gryphons for high treason and sedition." Celestia glanced to a decoration at the edge of the room that seemed to be made up of a headdress of gryphon feathers and bones, with a beak an claw talons decorating it.

Twilight glanced to it in horror as she noticed in, while Luna spoke up, "I believe they took your suggestion of making a gift out of his punishment... far too literally."

Princess Celestia nodded, "Sadly they did, but I am not surprised with the outcome."

Twilight paled a bit, but cleared her throat, yanking her eyes away from the gruesome trophy, and looking back to Celestia, "I was um.. I wanted to ask if I could adopt him. He is a wonderful child, and he is getting along very well with my daughter, I would love to be able to give him a home."

Celestia smiled warmly as she considered Twilight, nodded, "Very well, I shall see about drawing up the adoption papers. Are you sure you are willing to taken on this extra burden, Twilight? One child is a handful, two can be downright draining."

Twilight nodded, "If I have trouble, I will be able to ask Shadow for help, or any of my other friends in Ponyville. I will be fine."

Celestia nodded with a wide, warm smile as she looked over Twilight, "You make me proud still Twilight. Just don't tell Gerald about... this. I do not think he will handle it well."

Twilight nodded, glancing to the trophy again with a shudder, "I won't." Twilight started turning for the door, “Thank you for everything, again.” As she turned, she found Shadow was there, offering his strength that she took, leaning on him. Noticing his helm on the floor, Twilight smiled, and picked it up with her magic, bringing it over and putting it on Shadow’s head with a smile as they started to walk out of the royal apartments, the guard remaining opening the door for them.

“They make such a cute couple,” Princess Luna said in a loud sort of whisper to her sister, “You think they will-“

“Luna! Leave them be!” Princess Celestia said, cuffing Luna in the shoulder, which only drew a light laugh from the dark princess.

Twilight’s cheeks burned as the doors closed behind them, but she looked up to Shadow… and she realizes that Luna was right, they did make a cute couple.

Author's Notes

Ugh! i always got the rest cranked out in one session! I just waited until too late last night to get started, and this ended up a day later than i expected!

I am not sure i have much to say about this chapter, however, one thing did cross my mind.

I believe I will dedicate the character Shadow to my fallen dog of the same name. Shadow was a German Shepard, which is a common name for them i believe, but he was one of the best dogs i had ever had. He was loyal, he was loving, and at times he was a frickin' moron. Not the brightest dog in the world, but I loved him. He died a few years ago over christmas, after i had broken up with my girlfriend, who kept him. She ended up having to rehome him after we separated due to a degenerative spinal disorder whose name i've forgotten that can affect german shepards. He lived a few years at the new home, getting the medical care he needed, running around with a doggy wheelchair and chasing tennis balls, until he peacefully died in his sleep. I will miss you Shadow. Good Boy.