Author's Note
This is a collaborative addition to the original 'Yosh's Ail-Icorn Thermometer Short Story' brought to you by my talented friend, Fabulous Diva rarity'.
It only felt right to have Cloe handle the more tender part of the tale and provide the ending that was asked for.
Again, due to having no physical eyesight, I cannot personally respond to any comment. However I can add a comment in response to what everyone may ask, say, etc. I can read and reply to messages, though.
Togetherness
As a new day dawned over The School Of Friendship, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Flurrtershy, and Pinkie Pie felt a collective chill down their spines. After much discussion the evening before, they had all agreed to keep Twilight’s current condition a secret, to take care of things in her absence at the school, and had informed the other teachers at the school that Twilight was away on a trip to help improve the diplomacy in the kingdoms surrounding Equestria. They had also sent word of what had happened to Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadence so that they could corroborate the story when asked. Included in the letter was a separate note to Cadence from Starlight, asking if she might be willing to send Sunburst down to Ponyville for a few days to test out a cure. Cadence, of course, had agreed. Starlight had taken the day off from her job as the School of Friendship’s counselor, claiming illness, and had gone to the train station early that morning.
That was how Sunburst had found himself on a train from his home in the Crystal Empire going to Ponyville upon Cadence’s orders, to assist Starlight with something. He’d asked for details, but as princess, he could not ask for more when she refused to give them, so he found he would have to go on what little he had. He met with Starlight at the station, where she promptly yanked him into a nearby little alcove by the train station where nopony was.
“What’s this about, Starlight? Princess Cadence didn’t tell me much, just that you needed me to come down here.” He said.
“I need your help.” She asked. “I’ll tell you everything when we get to the castle, but I think you need to see this for yourself.”
A little taken aback, but more satisfied with her explanation, he nodded, and allowed her to lead the way.
As Starlight had been writing to the princesses, Spike had written a letter of his own, asking for Gabby’s assistance in the situation. Her optimism, cheer, and sunny disposition would most certainly be welcome in Twilight’s current condition. Gabby, of course, had responded with enthusiasm and rushed right over. Currently, she was keeping Twilight entertained while Spike prepared lunch. Currently, Gabby was reading her a story, as Twilight lay down on the floor. After Starlight’s attempted yet failed spell to cure the princess, she had her grown body back, and her memories, but her muscle function was not there, nor was her magical control. With an inhibitor ring on her horn, there wasn’t much for the princess to do except lay on the floor and listen to the story.
Spike had nearly finished blending up a medley of Twilight’s favorite foods to feed her when he heard the castle doors open, and immediately hurried toward them. He relaxed when he saw it was just Starlight and Sunburst.
“Hey guys. She’s in the library with Gabby right now.” He said.
“How is she?” Starlight asked.
“Fine. Hungry. I’m making lunch for her now.” He said.
“Okay. Thanks, Spike.” Starlight smiled.
“No problem.” He said, and went back to it.
Starlight looked to her best friend. “Don’t freak out. At least not while we’re in there. When we get far away, that’s when it’s okay to lose it.” She instructed.
Sunburst was highly confused by that point, but nodded.
When Starlight opened the door to the library, Sunburst could have sworn his jaw hit the floor.
He saw Princess Twilight laying in a playpen, wearing a diaper, surrounded by toys, as Gabby the Griffon tried to tell her a story. The sight was so bizarre that he had to blink to make sure he really was seeing what he was. He blinked several times, but it didn’t go away. He wasn’t dreaming. This was real.
Starlight shut the door after a moment and dragged Sunburst away by his cloak into another room. What he’d seen had left him frozen, and that certainly did not surprise her. The look on his face would have been comical if she weren’t so afraid in that moment. It took him a moment to regain himself.
“Wha… How the… I mean what the… How did… WHAT?!” He managed, looking like his eyes were about to pop out of his skull.
“I promised I would explain, and I will.” She said, and launched into the story of Twilight’s cold, Zecora’s supposed cure, the side effect of the infancy, and her own attempt to fix it that didn’t go quite right. The more of the story she told, the more Sunburst seemed to calm down. She wasn’t sure what might have been going through his head before, but apparently the explanation had satisfied his shock and his curiosity.
“Okay, so what do you need me here for?” He asked. “Magical guidance?”
“Not quite.” She said, looking nervous and a bit sheepish. “I was um… I was wondering if you might consent to be a test subject so that I can try and get it right with Twilight this time? You’ve been through the age spell I’ve made before, so you were the only pony I could think of who might be willing to help me and not think this is a crazy idea.”
Very slowly, Sunburst blinked, obviously not expecting that.
“Well, I do think this is a crazy idea.” He began, and Starlight’s ears drooped in response. “But I will help you. You and Twilight are both my friends. I’d be honored to help.”
A crushing weight was lifted from Starlight’s shoulders, and she wrapped her hooves around Sunburst and hugged the stuffing out of him.
Meanwhile, Spike came into the library, apron still on, as he announced it was lunch time for Twilight. Gabby paused in the story, earning a whine from Twilight, who wanted to see how it ended.
“Sorry, Twilight! But we’ll get to the end after lunch!” Gabby promised.
Spike, meanwhile, flew over the playpen’s edge, in order to feed Twilight her lunch. A daffodil and daisy sandwich, applesauce, and some oats, all blended together into a kind of paste. It looked the color of swamp water and was about as appetizing. Twilight wrinkled her nose at it. It did not sound good.
“Come on Twi, I made your favorites. I know it looks… Not so great, but I promise it tastes good.” He swore. He took a bite himself, and smiled, showing that it tasted perfectly fine. Twilight, knowing that Spike was not a good actor, nodded her consent to be fed. When he gave her a bite, she attempted a smile, but her muscles still weren’t obeying her entirely, so it came out more as a wobbly attempt at a blank face. That didn’t change the fact that it tasted delicious.
Ever since Starlight’s spell hadn’t quite worked and she’d gotten her body back but without the muscle control she so needed, Twilight had taken to not talking. It was just… too embarrassing. Besides, if she didn’t talk, she could almost pretend this wasn’t all happening, like she had a sore throat instead of… this. More so, it felt awkward for Spike to be taking care of her in such a way when the roles had been reversed their whole lives. Even though he didn’t seem to mind it, she couldn’t help feeling her own inadequacy in that moment.
Spike fed her the mashed up food, spoonful by spoonful, as he occasionally wiped her muzzle with a washcloth to keep her clean, until it was gone. When that was done, he gave her one last wipe, before he declared lunch over. After a quick check to make sure that she wasn’t in need of a change (she wasn’t), he allowed Gabby to get back to the story while he cleaned up the kitchen and got himself a bite to eat.
As Spike did the dishes and Gabby read to Twilight, Starlight was busy in one of the many spare rooms, working with Sunburst to try and get Twilight back to normal. After four tries and four fails to match it, she was beginning to get frustrated. Sunburst had suggested looking for spells that enhance muscular coordination, motor skill function, as well as ones that help with bowel and bladder control, and particularly facial muscle enhancement so she could speak. He helped her look through several books, found one of each, and then decided to see if it would work.
In rapid succession she casted the spells, and hoped there would not be a fifth failure to match her fifth attempt. To her relief, it seemed that this time, it was not a failure at all. Sunburst was back in his regular body, walking and talking without any issue. When he complimented her on a job well done, she couldn’t help thinking that it wasn’t over yet.
By the time the two of them made their exit, Spike was back in the library, entertaining Twilight with some music. He knew she loved it when he sang, even if she never said anything. When Starlight entered and said she thought she could manage it, Spike stopped mid-song, and let her have at it, helping Twilight to a sitting position.
Starlight took in a deep breath, and then fired spells in rapid succession. One for motor skill function, one for facial muscle enhancement, one for muscular coordination, and one that strengthened bladder and bowel control. By the time they were all cast, her horn was smoking a little, and she had to blow on it to cool it down. Then, She took a look over at Twilight.
It had worked.
Twilight was standing on her own four hooves, gleefully tearing the diaper off of herself, and crushing Starlight in a hug.
“I knew you could do it.” She said. When she said that, Starlight was at last able to fully relax.
“I’m glad you did because I didn’t.” She said, giving her mentor a hug, and smiling.
When Twilight broke away from her, she looked to Gabby and Sunburst. “Thank you both so much for helping me. I know it couldn’t have been easy to leave your homes that way, but I’m so grateful for your help.” She said.
“No problem, Twilight!” Gabby cheered. “Anything for a friend!”
“It was no problem at all, Princess Twilight.” Sunburst said.
She smiled at them, and Starlight offered to get the three of them lunch at the Ponyville Cafe, giving Twilight and Spike some time alone.
Wordlessly, she picked up Spike into her hooves and gave him the biggest hug. “Thank you, Spike. You were an amazing caregiver. I’m so glad you were there to help me. I couldn’t have made it back without you.”
Spike blushed. “It’s no problem, Twilight. You would have done the same for me.” He said, trying to shrug it off.
“It was a problem, I’m sure. I’ve been around Flurry and her magic. I know what I was probably capable of. But the fact that you didn’t give up on me… That’s priceless. I love you, Spike.”
“I love you too, Twilight.” He said softly.
That evening, after the School of Friendship let out, Twilight was overjoyed to see her friends again. In celebration of her return to normal, Pinkie threw a grand party, complete with cake and ice cream and punch. Sunburst and Gabby stayed until sunset, where Gabby had to fly home, and Sunburst had to catch a train to the Crystal Empire or else he’d be stuck in Ponyville for the night. Starlight walked him back. The rest of her friends all decided to stay at the castle for the night, wanting to bask in the normalcy just a little while longer. As Twilight went to bed that night, she felt unimaginably relieved. Through the most incredible challenge, and through the most difficult times, her friends hadn’t let her down.
Though the last few days were full of changes, she was grateful that they were always unchanged.
