Princess Celestia vs. the Shingles Virusby twilightsparkle3562ChaptersChapter 1: "Signs of Pain"Chapter 2: "Have You Ever Thought of Relaxing?"Chapter 3: "Stepping Aside"Chapter 1: "Signs of Pain"Princess Celestia may be a Princess and an Alicorn, but she was just as faliable and vulnerable as any other pony in Equestria. She was frequently subjected to being defeated quite easily at the behest of Queen Chrysalis and thrown into the basement of Equestria like a piece of trash by Tirek But, out of all the times she had been put through the wringer the most, it was during a brief period of her life that came to define Celestia's tolerance for her own health. In fact, it seemed like came without warning for Princess Celestia. She had faced many enemies in the past that had intentions of harming Equestria's way of life. But, this enemy that she would face now was not an enemy that walked on four or two legs; it didn't have wings and could fly; it didn't even have magic and it didn't have a horn. It wasn't even a pony, but it was an enemy that lived deep inside of her since she was a filly. … It all started one morning after the Crystalling of Flurry Heart, daughter of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. Celestia rose from her slumber and stood out over a balcony facing out to the east of Canterlot Castle, not far from the Crystal Empire. In the distance, she could also see her sister, Princess Luna, completing her duties as Princess of the Night. Taking in a deep breath, Celestia prepared to activate her magic to raise the sun. Once her magic was activated, the sun rose like a giant ball of fire as it rose over the eastern horizon. Then, all of a sudden, she felt the first sign of a sharp pain. "Ow!" she winced, rubbing her back with the back of her right wing. "What is…? Ugh! What is going on with me?" But, Celestia couldn't be concerned with her current crisis for very long. As a matter of fact, she had far more important matters to attend to, such as paying a visit to her former student and fellow princess, Twilight Sparkle with Luna. "Good morning, big sister," said Luna, exhausted from her night duties, but aware enough to see that Celestia was caressing her back with her wing. "Sister, is something wrong? You look pained." "It's nothing, really," replied Celestia, hastily trying to not let the pain of her back cause any concerns. "Nothing more. Just a pain in my back. Let's get over to Twilight's, we don't want to keep her waiting." Luna raised a questionable eyebrow at her older sister's strange behavior. Even during the short journey to Twilight's castle, the Princess of the Night continued to question why Celestia would act this way? There was no doubt in her mind that Celestia was hiding her pain, which was beginning to prove unsuccessful as the pain grew bigger and bigger and bigger. "Sister, I know something is troubling you," cautioned Luna. "We should have Dr. Mohs look at your back." "It's nothing, Luna!" cried Celestia, sharply turning around to face Luna crossly. "Please stop worrying about me, understand? It's just a ordinary back problem and nothing that will give me greater consequences." "I'm afraid that it's more than a back problem," whispered Luna, who had a sharp premonition of her sister's condition. "Why are you being so stubborn? Are you trying to relive the days of when you had the Horsey Hives?" As she thought of these words, Luna began to think back to when she and Celestia were fillies and how Celestia was forced to spend time in the hospital while diagnosed with Horsey Hives. "Doctor," asked a younger Luna. "What is wrong with my big sister? What are those spots?" "I'm afraid your sister has what we shall cautiously describe as Horsey Hives," he answered. "It's a virus that activates from deep within your skin and causes you to develop spots that are painful and itchy." The younger Luna then looked back to see her older sister lying in bed, her body covered in painful spots. "Is she going to be okay?" Luna asked worriedly and the doctor turned to face her. "She will be fine, Princess Luna," comforted the doctor. "But, there is a slight chance that she might get a reoccurrence called Shingles or as its medically named called Herpes Zoster, which is a virus that is worse than ." The young Luna let out a gulp, nervously dreading the thought of something far more worse for Celestia. … When they arrived at Twilight's castle, Celestia's stubbornness continued to increase and the sharp pain was growing more problematic and Luna didn't want to suffer her sister's angry wrath once again. Still, Celestia remained stubborn and continued to cloak her condition, not wanting to let her situation get the better of her. "I'm so glad you two could come," said Twilight as they began their visit. "Of course," replied Luna, trying to put on a smile. "We so rarely get a chance to relax and just visit." "There is usually some crisis we have to deal with," Celestia said proudly. "Somepony always needs our help. But today…" However, before Celestia could finish her sentence, her back's pain shot up and she couldn't hold it in any longer. A sharp scream came out of her mouth causing both Twilight and Luna to be concerned greatly. "Celestia, what's wrong?!" cried Twilight leaping over to her mentor's side. "It's my back," cried Celestia, painfully falling to her front knees. "Something's wrong with my back!" Twilight carefully looked at Celestia's back and she gasped when she saw a orangish red rash on the white alicorn's back. The blisters in the area were large and white. Seeing this made Twilight feel very uncomfortable. "Princess Celestia," cried Twilight, mortified at what she saw. "What happened to you?" "I don't know, Twilight!" sobbed Celestia, crying tears of pain. "But, it hurts! It hurts!" At that moment, Luna realized that something needed to be done and fast. Trusting her instincts, she motioned for several of Celestia's guards to come forward. "Sister," Luna said, firmly but calmly. "We are going to have Dr. Mohs take a look at your back. You need to understand that this is something that cannot be overlooked and I am saying that because I love you!" But, Celestia was too emotional to speak and soon, they left Twilight's castle and hastily made their way back to Canterlot with Twilight not far behind. Once they returned, Celestia was immediately brought into an examination room and carefully put down on a table while lying on her stomach. Suddenly, no sooner did they arrive did a caramel colored pony come in wearing a white lab coat. "Thanks heavens you're here, Dr. Mohs," cried Luna. "It's something that I have feared for some time." The young dermatologist took a dermescope out of his coat pocket and immediately took a good look at Celestia's back. "Mother of Equestria," he gasped before turning over to the panicked Princess Luna. "The Shingles Virus. Princess Celestia has the Shingles Virus." Both Luna and Twilight gasped for they now knew that the Princess of the Day now had a painful virus in her system… Chapter 2: "Have You Ever Thought of Relaxing?"Dr. Mohs could not believe what he was seeing in front of him. Princess Celestia, one of the four benevolent rulers of Equestria, had a painful virus in her system that had been planted in her body since her fillyhood. Sighing heavily, he stepped away from the pained Celestia and looked over towards Luna and Twilight, who had concerned looks on their faces. "Well, what is it, doctor?" cried Twilight, giving the dermatologist a concerned look. "Come on, we need to know." "Well, your highnesses," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I can say this. Princess Celestia does appear to have a very large red rash on her back. I would strongly recommend to give her some medication to help her rest and reduce the pain." "But, it wasn't any ordinary rash, doctor," replied Luna. "If it was a normal rash, she wouldn't be screaming like this and you wouldn't be discussing about giving her medication to ease the pain." "And I am very much aware of that," said Dr. Mohs, taking off his glasses. "However, I'm afraid that this is no ordinary rash. The rash that is on her back is what we shall cautiously term as a case of Herpes Zoster." Both Twilight and Luna looked at each other with concerned looks. "Now, if you don't mind my asking," he said, taking off his glasses for a brief moment while looking directly at Celestia. "Did you have the Horsey Hives as a filly, Princess?" "Well, yes," replied Celestia, nervously. "I did have the Horsey Hives. Both Luna and I did. Why do you ask?" "When foals have the horsey hives," answered Dr. Mohs. "The virus does not go away entirely. It goes into a dormant period where it doesn't activate unless something happens to the body's immune system. If you don't mind my asking, Princess, have you been involved in anything particularly stressful lately?" This caused the three alicorns to glance over at Dr. Mohs with a shocked expression on their faces. "Why do you ask?" remarked Celestia, who was now letting out sharp groans. "Being a princess is never easy, Dr. Mohs. You know that." "I do know that," he said. "However, in the short time that I have known you, Princess Celestia. I know that there have been times that you have found yourself in situations that were indeed stressful. Was there anything that had happened to you that caused you to become more stressful than you already have?" Celestia merely turned away from her dermatologist and sighed heavily. In her mind, she knew where this was possibly going towards and she wasn't going to like it. But, for her own health and for the sake of her fellow princesses that were in the room with her, she had to open up. "Well," sighed Celestia, as she felt another sharp pain in her back. "I still have been nightmares of when Tirek threw me, Luna and Cadence into Tartarus during his rampage. Apparently, those memories have not gone away and every day, I continue stressing about whether something like this will happen again." Both Luna and Twilight were stunned to hear that Celestia was still feeling troubled by the events with Tirek. Even though those events were long ago, the memories appeared to still be there. "Why didn't you tell me about this, big sister?" cried Luna, walking over to her sister. "Because it was my burden to bear, Luna," answered Celestia. "I made horrible decisions during that time and I feel like I am being punished because of it, just like all the other times." "What other times, Celestia?" asked Twilight, as Celestia lowered her head in exhaustion and said nothing. "It's no use, Twilight Sparkle," advised Luna, draping a wing over the Princess of Friendship. "It appears that my sister doesn't want to talk about anything that has been stressful to her." … At that moment, Dr. Mohs sighed and looked back down at the virus that now rested on Celestia's back. He knew that Celestia had to do something that she didn't want to do, but it was going to be the only way if she was ever going to beat this virus. "I'm not going to get into your personal matters, your highness," he said, sitting in a doctor's chair. "However, I will ask you this: have you ever thought of stepping away and taking a break from your royal duties?" This caused Celestia to weakly turn her head over to Dr. Mohs. "I'm a princess of Equestria," she said, weakly. "I can't take a break from my duties. I need to raise and lower the sun every day for one." "Which you can still do," replied Dr. Mohs. "But, I am also talking about just doing anything that is stressful for you. From what I see, your immune system has been severely weakened as a result of these stressful events. I know for one that the events with Tirek might have been the nail in the coffin for your high stress level, princess. I'm afraid that I am going to have to recommend possibly stepping aside from your royal duties." "I can't do that, Dr. Mohs," moaned Celestia, who was too weak to react in a shocked manner. "You know that I can't just step down from my royal duties. Do you even know that…?" "Listen to him, sister," pleaded Luna. "If your stress level caused you to have Shingles, then you must step down for not only your benefit, but for ours too!" Celestia fell silent and as much as she didn't want to face the possibility of stepping away from her duties for a brief period of time, she had no other choice. "Let us do your work for a few days," suggested Twilight, walking over to her fallen mentor. "We care far too deeply about you and you being better from the Shingles virus is what you should be focused on right now." Celestia simply let out a small cry and rested her head on the table, not wanting to believe that she had to possibly do something like this: stepping down from her schedule of overseeing Equestria and its subjects. She was tired, she was exhausted, she couldn't think straight. But, this was all a sign, a sign that she needed to do just that. It wouldn't be an easy transition, but it would be something that was going to indeed help her get better in the long run… Chapter 3: "Stepping Aside"When Princess Celestia returned to her quarters that night, the pain in her back was almost unbearable, but she wasn't in any pain in the moment. In fact, her mind was so weakened from all that was going on that she couldn't even think of the painful virus that was on her back. All that she could think of was stepping away from her duties of being Equestria's main princess. "It's for your own benefit, sister," said Luna, as Celestia climbed into her bed. "You need to let myself and Princess Twilight take charge while you deal with the Shingles virus. If you don't, then the pain is only going to get worse." "Why did this happen to me, sister?" moaned Celestia. "I am the leader of an entire nation, responsible for the well-being of all our subjects." "Because we are all fallible to anything," answered Luna, wisely. "We may be alicorns, but we are ponies nonetheless and we are vulnerable to any illness that is out there, even Shingles. All that matters right now is you getting better." No matter what her younger sister said, Celestia realized that no words would ever take away the pain she was feeling right now. "How long will I have this, sister?" asked Celestia, looking at Luna with tender eyes. "Please tell me that it won't be forever." "It will not be forever," replied Luna, chuckling slightly. "However, the process may be easier if you just relax and focus on your health, big sister. Everypony will understand what you are going through and have I ever let you down since I was freed from being Nightmare Moon?" Celestia produced a small smile upon hearing this and feeling exhausted, turned on her side and fell asleep as Luna began her duties. Next morning, Celestia awoke and with the pain in her back still throbbing, did the one duty that she could never ignore: raise the sun to start a new day. But, the shingles virus in her back made that more difficult than it already was. "Sister, why don't I…?" asked Celestia as Luna walked by exhausted from her night duties. But, Luna stood steadfast. "Remember," interrupted Luna, firmly. "Just relax, big sister and leave everything to me and Twilight Sparkle." "I know," sighed Celestia. "I know. Focus on getting better." Watching Luna leave, Celestia returned to her room and went back to lying down on her bed. For the next hour, she stayed in the position that she was in, growing bored that she had to be confined in this manner. Then, suddenly, her solitude was interrupted by the flashes of white light and a mismatched creature appeared rubbing on her back where the rash was. "Ow, Discord!" moaned Celestia, hissing like a wounded animal and glaring at the creature. "What are you doing? Don't touch my back!" "Sor…ry, Celestia!" gasped Discord, jumping back slightly before donning a doctor's outfit. "But, a little birdie told me that you were…how should I say it...indisposed. What do you have? The horsey hives? I thought only fillies could get that." "I did have the horsey hives as a filly," sighed Celestia, looking at Discord. "But, the virus that causes it never went away and now I have the other kind of virus." Turning on the light that was on his head, Discord carefully looked at the painful rash on Celestia's back and almost immediately, couldn't help but feel sympathetic for his former enemy turned friend. "It looks painful," he said. "Even for somepony as centuries old as yourself." "Is that a joke or not?" grunted Celestia. "It's not meant to be a joke," replied Discord, snapping out of his doctor's garb. "I'm just reacting to the pain that you find yourself in. In fact, I was overhearing your conversation with Princess Luna and perhaps maybe taking some time off might be a good thing. Get a chance to reconnect with that other side of you, that other side who is begging you to come out and play." As she listened, Celestia knew that Discord was right in terms of reconnecting with that other side of her. Celestia did have a playful side that needed to be brought out once again, a side that her subjects found somewhat amusing. "What do you say?" asked Discord, floating in front of Celestia. "Just do some low key things that will take your mind off of the virus that plagues your back." "I suppose you are right," sighed Celestia. "It won't be easy, but it will help me get better sooner rather than later. But, I don't know where to start." "Start at something that you are good at," suggested Discord, transforming into a tea cup. "Weren't you known for playing tricks whenever you drank tea? You'd pretend to sip the tea, only for the poor soul pouring the tea to overfill the teacup?" As Discord spoke, Celestia began to think back to that time at Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville when she played a trick on the Cakes with the teacup she was drinking out of. In fact, Celestia couldn't help but slightly chuckle to herself when she began to think of that time. "I didn't expect you to be chuckling at this," remarked Discord, raising an eyebrow. "This is what can help you get over this virus, Celestia. Show off your fun side to everypony, do something charitable like spending time with sick ponies. Something low key and that it demonstrates character that you probably never even knew you had." To get his point across, Discord showed off several flashbacks of Celestia showing off her fun side. "But, I can't decide for you, Celly," he remarked. "You have to make the decision of either doing so, or just lay here feeling sorry for yourself and letting this mean old nasty virus get to you." With those words, Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash, leaving Celestia to contemplate with what had been said. "Maybe, just maybe, that they are right," Celestia thought to herself, as she collapsed back onto her bed. "I do need to lighten up a bit and if that is what it takes to beat the Shingles virus, then so be it."
Chapter 1: "Signs of Pain"Princess Celestia may be a Princess and an Alicorn, but she was just as faliable and vulnerable as any other pony in Equestria. She was frequently subjected to being defeated quite easily at the behest of Queen Chrysalis and thrown into the basement of Equestria like a piece of trash by Tirek But, out of all the times she had been put through the wringer the most, it was during a brief period of her life that came to define Celestia's tolerance for her own health. In fact, it seemed like came without warning for Princess Celestia. She had faced many enemies in the past that had intentions of harming Equestria's way of life. But, this enemy that she would face now was not an enemy that walked on four or two legs; it didn't have wings and could fly; it didn't even have magic and it didn't have a horn. It wasn't even a pony, but it was an enemy that lived deep inside of her since she was a filly. … It all started one morning after the Crystalling of Flurry Heart, daughter of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. Celestia rose from her slumber and stood out over a balcony facing out to the east of Canterlot Castle, not far from the Crystal Empire. In the distance, she could also see her sister, Princess Luna, completing her duties as Princess of the Night. Taking in a deep breath, Celestia prepared to activate her magic to raise the sun. Once her magic was activated, the sun rose like a giant ball of fire as it rose over the eastern horizon. Then, all of a sudden, she felt the first sign of a sharp pain. "Ow!" she winced, rubbing her back with the back of her right wing. "What is…? Ugh! What is going on with me?" But, Celestia couldn't be concerned with her current crisis for very long. As a matter of fact, she had far more important matters to attend to, such as paying a visit to her former student and fellow princess, Twilight Sparkle with Luna. "Good morning, big sister," said Luna, exhausted from her night duties, but aware enough to see that Celestia was caressing her back with her wing. "Sister, is something wrong? You look pained." "It's nothing, really," replied Celestia, hastily trying to not let the pain of her back cause any concerns. "Nothing more. Just a pain in my back. Let's get over to Twilight's, we don't want to keep her waiting." Luna raised a questionable eyebrow at her older sister's strange behavior. Even during the short journey to Twilight's castle, the Princess of the Night continued to question why Celestia would act this way? There was no doubt in her mind that Celestia was hiding her pain, which was beginning to prove unsuccessful as the pain grew bigger and bigger and bigger. "Sister, I know something is troubling you," cautioned Luna. "We should have Dr. Mohs look at your back." "It's nothing, Luna!" cried Celestia, sharply turning around to face Luna crossly. "Please stop worrying about me, understand? It's just a ordinary back problem and nothing that will give me greater consequences." "I'm afraid that it's more than a back problem," whispered Luna, who had a sharp premonition of her sister's condition. "Why are you being so stubborn? Are you trying to relive the days of when you had the Horsey Hives?" As she thought of these words, Luna began to think back to when she and Celestia were fillies and how Celestia was forced to spend time in the hospital while diagnosed with Horsey Hives. "Doctor," asked a younger Luna. "What is wrong with my big sister? What are those spots?" "I'm afraid your sister has what we shall cautiously describe as Horsey Hives," he answered. "It's a virus that activates from deep within your skin and causes you to develop spots that are painful and itchy." The younger Luna then looked back to see her older sister lying in bed, her body covered in painful spots. "Is she going to be okay?" Luna asked worriedly and the doctor turned to face her. "She will be fine, Princess Luna," comforted the doctor. "But, there is a slight chance that she might get a reoccurrence called Shingles or as its medically named called Herpes Zoster, which is a virus that is worse than ." The young Luna let out a gulp, nervously dreading the thought of something far more worse for Celestia. … When they arrived at Twilight's castle, Celestia's stubbornness continued to increase and the sharp pain was growing more problematic and Luna didn't want to suffer her sister's angry wrath once again. Still, Celestia remained stubborn and continued to cloak her condition, not wanting to let her situation get the better of her. "I'm so glad you two could come," said Twilight as they began their visit. "Of course," replied Luna, trying to put on a smile. "We so rarely get a chance to relax and just visit." "There is usually some crisis we have to deal with," Celestia said proudly. "Somepony always needs our help. But today…" However, before Celestia could finish her sentence, her back's pain shot up and she couldn't hold it in any longer. A sharp scream came out of her mouth causing both Twilight and Luna to be concerned greatly. "Celestia, what's wrong?!" cried Twilight leaping over to her mentor's side. "It's my back," cried Celestia, painfully falling to her front knees. "Something's wrong with my back!" Twilight carefully looked at Celestia's back and she gasped when she saw a orangish red rash on the white alicorn's back. The blisters in the area were large and white. Seeing this made Twilight feel very uncomfortable. "Princess Celestia," cried Twilight, mortified at what she saw. "What happened to you?" "I don't know, Twilight!" sobbed Celestia, crying tears of pain. "But, it hurts! It hurts!" At that moment, Luna realized that something needed to be done and fast. Trusting her instincts, she motioned for several of Celestia's guards to come forward. "Sister," Luna said, firmly but calmly. "We are going to have Dr. Mohs take a look at your back. You need to understand that this is something that cannot be overlooked and I am saying that because I love you!" But, Celestia was too emotional to speak and soon, they left Twilight's castle and hastily made their way back to Canterlot with Twilight not far behind. Once they returned, Celestia was immediately brought into an examination room and carefully put down on a table while lying on her stomach. Suddenly, no sooner did they arrive did a caramel colored pony come in wearing a white lab coat. "Thanks heavens you're here, Dr. Mohs," cried Luna. "It's something that I have feared for some time." The young dermatologist took a dermescope out of his coat pocket and immediately took a good look at Celestia's back. "Mother of Equestria," he gasped before turning over to the panicked Princess Luna. "The Shingles Virus. Princess Celestia has the Shingles Virus." Both Luna and Twilight gasped for they now knew that the Princess of the Day now had a painful virus in her system…
Chapter 2: "Have You Ever Thought of Relaxing?"Dr. Mohs could not believe what he was seeing in front of him. Princess Celestia, one of the four benevolent rulers of Equestria, had a painful virus in her system that had been planted in her body since her fillyhood. Sighing heavily, he stepped away from the pained Celestia and looked over towards Luna and Twilight, who had concerned looks on their faces. "Well, what is it, doctor?" cried Twilight, giving the dermatologist a concerned look. "Come on, we need to know." "Well, your highnesses," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I can say this. Princess Celestia does appear to have a very large red rash on her back. I would strongly recommend to give her some medication to help her rest and reduce the pain." "But, it wasn't any ordinary rash, doctor," replied Luna. "If it was a normal rash, she wouldn't be screaming like this and you wouldn't be discussing about giving her medication to ease the pain." "And I am very much aware of that," said Dr. Mohs, taking off his glasses. "However, I'm afraid that this is no ordinary rash. The rash that is on her back is what we shall cautiously term as a case of Herpes Zoster." Both Twilight and Luna looked at each other with concerned looks. "Now, if you don't mind my asking," he said, taking off his glasses for a brief moment while looking directly at Celestia. "Did you have the Horsey Hives as a filly, Princess?" "Well, yes," replied Celestia, nervously. "I did have the Horsey Hives. Both Luna and I did. Why do you ask?" "When foals have the horsey hives," answered Dr. Mohs. "The virus does not go away entirely. It goes into a dormant period where it doesn't activate unless something happens to the body's immune system. If you don't mind my asking, Princess, have you been involved in anything particularly stressful lately?" This caused the three alicorns to glance over at Dr. Mohs with a shocked expression on their faces. "Why do you ask?" remarked Celestia, who was now letting out sharp groans. "Being a princess is never easy, Dr. Mohs. You know that." "I do know that," he said. "However, in the short time that I have known you, Princess Celestia. I know that there have been times that you have found yourself in situations that were indeed stressful. Was there anything that had happened to you that caused you to become more stressful than you already have?" Celestia merely turned away from her dermatologist and sighed heavily. In her mind, she knew where this was possibly going towards and she wasn't going to like it. But, for her own health and for the sake of her fellow princesses that were in the room with her, she had to open up. "Well," sighed Celestia, as she felt another sharp pain in her back. "I still have been nightmares of when Tirek threw me, Luna and Cadence into Tartarus during his rampage. Apparently, those memories have not gone away and every day, I continue stressing about whether something like this will happen again." Both Luna and Twilight were stunned to hear that Celestia was still feeling troubled by the events with Tirek. Even though those events were long ago, the memories appeared to still be there. "Why didn't you tell me about this, big sister?" cried Luna, walking over to her sister. "Because it was my burden to bear, Luna," answered Celestia. "I made horrible decisions during that time and I feel like I am being punished because of it, just like all the other times." "What other times, Celestia?" asked Twilight, as Celestia lowered her head in exhaustion and said nothing. "It's no use, Twilight Sparkle," advised Luna, draping a wing over the Princess of Friendship. "It appears that my sister doesn't want to talk about anything that has been stressful to her." … At that moment, Dr. Mohs sighed and looked back down at the virus that now rested on Celestia's back. He knew that Celestia had to do something that she didn't want to do, but it was going to be the only way if she was ever going to beat this virus. "I'm not going to get into your personal matters, your highness," he said, sitting in a doctor's chair. "However, I will ask you this: have you ever thought of stepping away and taking a break from your royal duties?" This caused Celestia to weakly turn her head over to Dr. Mohs. "I'm a princess of Equestria," she said, weakly. "I can't take a break from my duties. I need to raise and lower the sun every day for one." "Which you can still do," replied Dr. Mohs. "But, I am also talking about just doing anything that is stressful for you. From what I see, your immune system has been severely weakened as a result of these stressful events. I know for one that the events with Tirek might have been the nail in the coffin for your high stress level, princess. I'm afraid that I am going to have to recommend possibly stepping aside from your royal duties." "I can't do that, Dr. Mohs," moaned Celestia, who was too weak to react in a shocked manner. "You know that I can't just step down from my royal duties. Do you even know that…?" "Listen to him, sister," pleaded Luna. "If your stress level caused you to have Shingles, then you must step down for not only your benefit, but for ours too!" Celestia fell silent and as much as she didn't want to face the possibility of stepping away from her duties for a brief period of time, she had no other choice. "Let us do your work for a few days," suggested Twilight, walking over to her fallen mentor. "We care far too deeply about you and you being better from the Shingles virus is what you should be focused on right now." Celestia simply let out a small cry and rested her head on the table, not wanting to believe that she had to possibly do something like this: stepping down from her schedule of overseeing Equestria and its subjects. She was tired, she was exhausted, she couldn't think straight. But, this was all a sign, a sign that she needed to do just that. It wouldn't be an easy transition, but it would be something that was going to indeed help her get better in the long run…
Chapter 3: "Stepping Aside"When Princess Celestia returned to her quarters that night, the pain in her back was almost unbearable, but she wasn't in any pain in the moment. In fact, her mind was so weakened from all that was going on that she couldn't even think of the painful virus that was on her back. All that she could think of was stepping away from her duties of being Equestria's main princess. "It's for your own benefit, sister," said Luna, as Celestia climbed into her bed. "You need to let myself and Princess Twilight take charge while you deal with the Shingles virus. If you don't, then the pain is only going to get worse." "Why did this happen to me, sister?" moaned Celestia. "I am the leader of an entire nation, responsible for the well-being of all our subjects." "Because we are all fallible to anything," answered Luna, wisely. "We may be alicorns, but we are ponies nonetheless and we are vulnerable to any illness that is out there, even Shingles. All that matters right now is you getting better." No matter what her younger sister said, Celestia realized that no words would ever take away the pain she was feeling right now. "How long will I have this, sister?" asked Celestia, looking at Luna with tender eyes. "Please tell me that it won't be forever." "It will not be forever," replied Luna, chuckling slightly. "However, the process may be easier if you just relax and focus on your health, big sister. Everypony will understand what you are going through and have I ever let you down since I was freed from being Nightmare Moon?" Celestia produced a small smile upon hearing this and feeling exhausted, turned on her side and fell asleep as Luna began her duties. Next morning, Celestia awoke and with the pain in her back still throbbing, did the one duty that she could never ignore: raise the sun to start a new day. But, the shingles virus in her back made that more difficult than it already was. "Sister, why don't I…?" asked Celestia as Luna walked by exhausted from her night duties. But, Luna stood steadfast. "Remember," interrupted Luna, firmly. "Just relax, big sister and leave everything to me and Twilight Sparkle." "I know," sighed Celestia. "I know. Focus on getting better." Watching Luna leave, Celestia returned to her room and went back to lying down on her bed. For the next hour, she stayed in the position that she was in, growing bored that she had to be confined in this manner. Then, suddenly, her solitude was interrupted by the flashes of white light and a mismatched creature appeared rubbing on her back where the rash was. "Ow, Discord!" moaned Celestia, hissing like a wounded animal and glaring at the creature. "What are you doing? Don't touch my back!" "Sor…ry, Celestia!" gasped Discord, jumping back slightly before donning a doctor's outfit. "But, a little birdie told me that you were…how should I say it...indisposed. What do you have? The horsey hives? I thought only fillies could get that." "I did have the horsey hives as a filly," sighed Celestia, looking at Discord. "But, the virus that causes it never went away and now I have the other kind of virus." Turning on the light that was on his head, Discord carefully looked at the painful rash on Celestia's back and almost immediately, couldn't help but feel sympathetic for his former enemy turned friend. "It looks painful," he said. "Even for somepony as centuries old as yourself." "Is that a joke or not?" grunted Celestia. "It's not meant to be a joke," replied Discord, snapping out of his doctor's garb. "I'm just reacting to the pain that you find yourself in. In fact, I was overhearing your conversation with Princess Luna and perhaps maybe taking some time off might be a good thing. Get a chance to reconnect with that other side of you, that other side who is begging you to come out and play." As she listened, Celestia knew that Discord was right in terms of reconnecting with that other side of her. Celestia did have a playful side that needed to be brought out once again, a side that her subjects found somewhat amusing. "What do you say?" asked Discord, floating in front of Celestia. "Just do some low key things that will take your mind off of the virus that plagues your back." "I suppose you are right," sighed Celestia. "It won't be easy, but it will help me get better sooner rather than later. But, I don't know where to start." "Start at something that you are good at," suggested Discord, transforming into a tea cup. "Weren't you known for playing tricks whenever you drank tea? You'd pretend to sip the tea, only for the poor soul pouring the tea to overfill the teacup?" As Discord spoke, Celestia began to think back to that time at Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville when she played a trick on the Cakes with the teacup she was drinking out of. In fact, Celestia couldn't help but slightly chuckle to herself when she began to think of that time. "I didn't expect you to be chuckling at this," remarked Discord, raising an eyebrow. "This is what can help you get over this virus, Celestia. Show off your fun side to everypony, do something charitable like spending time with sick ponies. Something low key and that it demonstrates character that you probably never even knew you had." To get his point across, Discord showed off several flashbacks of Celestia showing off her fun side. "But, I can't decide for you, Celly," he remarked. "You have to make the decision of either doing so, or just lay here feeling sorry for yourself and letting this mean old nasty virus get to you." With those words, Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash, leaving Celestia to contemplate with what had been said. "Maybe, just maybe, that they are right," Celestia thought to herself, as she collapsed back onto her bed. "I do need to lighten up a bit and if that is what it takes to beat the Shingles virus, then so be it."
