An unknown sensation

Twilight saw her.

"Glimmer?" The question once again shocked both parts of the unicorn.

"If you say I am..."

"That was awfully quick."

"Well, what can I say, seeing the future is apparently another of your talents. Since it's magic and so on."

"But why didn't I receive any visions before?"

"You never asked. Or you never did. Neither of us know if it's not just your fantasy, remember. Don't take me for a guaranteed image of how Glimmer - if that's HER name - will look."

"As if I cared..." The unicorn breathed, this time directly jumping into her love's forelegs and embracing into a deep kiss.

It lasted. When Twilight finally broke it, she wondered if there was a bigger purpose to Glimmer's visit, and quickly asked the image said question.

"Huh? What do you expect me to say? That the world will end tomorrow?"

"No, but... When will I meet the real you?"

"Ask yourself. If I was to know it, so are you."

With those words, the dream world began to fade again. Twilight found herself in her old bedroom, where she had spent the night with her parents. She remembered.

Although she also did feel a warmth both around her face and near her Cutie Mark. Looking around, she saw that she had apparently turned many times in her sleep.

Looking back to her dreams of the last two days which she somehow remembered perfectly, she found the explanation for all of her observations.

As she looked out the window, she saw the sun Celestia had only recently raised from the horizon. In Ponyville, she'd have gone back to bed now, but her parents had a habit of rising early, and she didn't want to miss any minute with them.

When she went down for breakfast, she saw her parents sitting at the kitchen table, along with...

"Princess Celestia!"

"Greetings, my faithful student! I came to congratulate you on your 105% at the finish exam. And because the coffee your mother makes is simply delicious." The last sentence she murmured, so that only the pony it was meant for could pick it up.

"That's our Twilight. Perfect is not good enough for you, is it?"

"You heard?" Twilight was instantly reminded of the words the second princess had directed at her, intensifying the blush she already had on her face. She lowered her head in hope for nopony to see it.

"Indeed. And I must say, I didn't expect even you to be able to cast my sister's spell successfully. Your talent never ceases to amaze me."

Later that day, Twilight levitated her bags into the carriage Celestia had insisted she used and was about to take off, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Miss Sparkle, you're not going to leave without saying goodbye, are you?" She turned around, looking for the owner of the voice. It was Midnight calling for her.

Even after seeing the real self of her gifted friend, Midnight had insisted on calling her Sparkle.

"Er... to be honest, I forgot."

"Well, then I've got good news. I went to Celestia and she got me a job in Ponyville, near you!"

"Awesome. That village really could use more sophisticated ponies like you..." she joked, making both of them laugh.

"Well, still space in that carriage of yours?"

"Don't you want to pack?"

"I already did!" Midnight said and lowered the intensity of her invisibility spell.

Twilight could see the shimmer of two saddlebags on the pony's back, hidden to save Midnight the shame if Twilight wouldn't take her along. "Hop on then!"

Midnight joyfully obliged.

"Aw, horseapples!"

Twilight awoke, only to find that her symptoms had gone worse.

"How's my personal little patient doing?"

"Feeling better. Don't you have anypony else to care for?" Twilight hated lying, but she really wanted to get back to her normal life.

"Nope. All of Ponyville's healthy. Well... Except for you. Don't worry about me, the Nurse can handle herself with anything that could come up." As she turned, Twilight couldn't resist coughing hard. "And that's why I'm staying with you."

Twilight felt embarassed that the simplest flu was something she couldn't fix herself with her magic. But then her thinking was interrupted by somepony knocking onto the library's door. Instictively, she got up and want to open it, but Midnight was faster than her.

"Oh, um, hello, Midnight..." Fluttershy, despite knowing Midnight for two weeks now, was still in her careful, low voice and behaviour for people she didn't know well enough yet. "I'm just looking for a guide on treating sick animals. Angel's developed a cough and I'm not sure which herbs to use."

Twilight's raspy voice came from within the library, where she was standing in the main room, trying to speak. "That's Disease and Cure for the Smallest Creatures. It's..."

"Right over here." Midnight really did know the library well for only having been there two days now, treating Twilight. Almost a little too well. Twilight still wasn't used to her doing all of the work.

Fluttershy was about to leave, the book in her saddlebags. As she had just walked out through the door, a loud sneeze reminded her of something. "Oh, and, I have some herbs for Twilight. Just drink their extract like tea."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it. If she finally accepts being sick!" The healthy one of the unicorns said when accepting the herbs.

"Can't I at least continue studying?"

"Aw, fine. But you have to drink Fluttershy's tea." Midnight made a tradeoff, knowing very well that Twilight would never miss out on reading books about anything.

Twilight attempted to bring down the book she had last read from the shelf magically, but was caught coughing midway, the book dropping to the floor.

"I hate this! Why does this have to be one of the few things magic CAN'T fix?"

Midnight just shook her head and grabbed a matress, a blanket, the book Twilight dropped, a cup and the tea pot with the herb extract in it magically, neatly arranging them for Twilight to lie on the floor reading. She wasn't going to get her back into bed anyway, so she didn't try.

Her magical powers had really started to bloom from living in Ponyville, the sick unicorn thought. But then a question she had long meant to ask her friend came into her mind, interrupting her search for possible reasons for Midnight's increasing powers.

"You're a nurse. What would you use your magic for, anyway?"

"Levitation. Some teleportation, too." Midnight briefly stated from under her blue mane. "For dealing with patients like you where not even three ponies would be quick enough."

"Ah, sorry. I'm just frustrated about, like, not being able to work?" Twilight apologised, seeing her friend's face brighten.

"Accepted. You're running out of supplies, by the way. Since you're not by far able to get some yourself, I suppose I'll better go shopping now, right?"

"If you'd like..." Twilight answered, already half dug into her book.

After Midnight had left the building, Twilight noticed how empty her house was. Spike was, in lack of a better replacement, serving as the royal mailmaster after Celestia's dragon became too ill to work. He'd be gone for some time now, she thought.

After buying the groceries needed, Midnight walked back home, and noticed she was passing Sugarcube Corner. Why not, she thought.

"Oh hey Midnight! How's Twilight doing?"

"Not so well. But she should be back on track end of the week."

Pinkie Pie's mind drifted off, trying to find the perfect date for a 'Congratulations for getting healthy'-party. The fact that she was currently the cashier in the bakery brought her back into reality. "So, what can I get you?"

"I'll have two of Twilight's favorite cupcake sort, please."

"Coming right up!" Pinkie thought what cupcake sort might be Twilight's favorite, as she usually ate them all with the same delight. In the end, she settled for citron.

When she came back into the library, Midnight saw her patient sleeping soundly with her face laying on the book she had been reading. A closer inspection of the herbs Fluttershy had brought led to the simple explanation.

"Blue Thistle! Enough to send a healthy pony sleeping..." She quietly said to herself, unpacking her saddlebags.

As peacefully as she looked, Twilight didn't find her involuntary nap very relaxing. All she could remember was three moments - or was it hours? - of different states of her mind, connected by a burning pain.

When her personal nurse woke her up, Twilight only groaned at first. The pain that had tortured her through her sleep was beginning to take shape.

"Ungh..." Her sore throat made it hard to speak. "How long have I been sleeping now?"

"Few hours. I found you like that when I came back from shopping." Midnight tried to feign a tone of surprise at her discovery, but couldn't completely hide that it was what she had tried to accomplish with making her friend so comfortable. "How are you feeling?"

"Part of me's better, but you can probably guess my new problem."

Indeed she could. Luckily, Midnight's study had brought her to expect it, so she had collected some soothing herbs. "Chew those. They should help."

Twilight had tried to stand up from her stomach, but a wave of pain sent her right back onto the matress, lying on her back with all four of her legs stretched into the air. "Awesome!"

Midnight just chuckled and stepped over to Twilight, putting the bushel down next to her and readjusting the blanket.

"You want some?"

"No thanks. I don't think my stomach could handle it..." Twilight declined the meal Midnight had cooked for the two of them. She was confirmed by a grumble, followed by a sudden wave of pain. At least the pain in her throat had lessened.

It didn't stop her coughing, though.

"You really should get to bed soon."

She was right. As Midnight cleaned up the library from her influence of the day, the walking misery in form of an unicorn trotted upwards into her bedroom. Twilight couldn't help but wonder why Midnight was going through so much effort to bring her back to health.

Sure, she was a nurse and her friend, but she was basically living together with Twilight during the day. She didn't want to think about that, though. The second she stepped into the bedroom, she only wanted to jump onto her bed and sleep.

Before she went home for the day, Midnight checked back on her patient one last time, finding her in deep sleep, not even tucked in properly. After fixing that problem, Midnight briefly kissed her on the forehead and mumbled, "I love you." A little shocked by what she had said, she turned and quickly went out of the house without making a noise.