A (literal) change of heart
It was the start of the winter semester at The School of Friendship, Headmare Twilight sat at her desk writing on some parchment before gently setting down her quill and walking out the door. Out in the halls students walked and talked while some hurried to their next class. Walking down the stairs into the foyer, Twilight carried the parchment rolled into a scroll. "it'll be nice to give the students an advanced warning." she pondered, as she approached the bulletin board. The bulletin board was open for both staff and students to use so it was littered with announcements and adverts.
Twilight unrolled the parchment and pinned it to the board. The parchment read Big test on the entirety of friendship coming up three weeks from today. Be sure to study, worth half of your grade.
Immediately after Twilight had hung the announcement the students gathered around to read it. Among the cluster of students, Smolder read over the announcement while a look of nervousness spread across her face.
Taking the advice of the announcement, at the end of the day Smolder quickly heads to her room to study. "I better focus, if this test in on the entirety of friendship I'm not gonna do well on some of the portions." She thought to herself aloud as she gathered a mountain of books and flash cards. She knew she wouldn't have time to cook so she decided to step out for an hour or so and stock up on cups of soup.
A few days pass and Smolder still attends her morning classes, she has bags under her eyes but has said she at least gets an hour of sleep. In her free time she studies with her friends who try and console her.
"Smolder, you should really get some z's and relax." Sandbar said with a hint of worry in his tone.
"Yeah, and get a decent meal, when I peeked into your ajar door I saw empty instant noodle cups littered on the floor. That's not healthy for you." Gallus chimed in as he and Silverstream shared a book to study.
"I'm fine guys, as soon as this test is over I'll get some sleep and some healthy food, but now I don't have the time." Smolder said in defiance as she read through her book chugging an energy drink to stay awake.
A few more days pass, only one more day until the test, Smolder has been sluggish getting to her classes and grease stains from deep fried gems and haybugers and fries can be seen on her gamboge scales. Her eyes are bloodshot and heavy with bags.
After her classes she spends her free time in the library with her friends to study, her friends can't help but notice that she's breathing heavily as they study, considering the amount of unhealthy foods she's consumed the past few weeks, she hasn't gained a pound, but still one look in her room and you'll see a mountain of energy drink cans and coffee cups, instant noodle cup of various flavors scattered across the floor as well as bags from fast food restaurants.
"Smolder, you really need to stop all this, it not best for you." Yona said looking up from the book her and Sandbar were sharing.
"I'll stop after the test, If I pass I pass, if I fail I fail. I'm struggling in some areas." Smolder replied wired and twitchy from the caffeine.
"Why didn't you say so, we would have helped you." Silverstream asked as she and Gallus took a break from the book and moved on to flash cards.
"Please, just relax. You're putting unnecessary pressure on yourself." Ocellus spoke up trying to persuade Smolder to take it easy.
Smolder just took another sip of her energy drink and continued to study.
The day of the test Smolder arrived earlier than everyone else, she sat in her seat and waited for the others. Since this was a big test, it was being held in the lecture hall for all the school to take.
Twilight passed out the test to each student and hovered above the lecture hall to make sure that no creature was cheating. The young dragoness opened the test booklet and started the test as she filled in the bubbles with her answers and wrote her answers in the written answer portion. It was cool in the auditorium, but Smolder couldn't help but sweat, probably due to nerves.
A few minutes passed when Smolder took a break to massage her neck due to some discomfort. When she went back to taking the test, her chest kinda hurt and she had some indigestion. She still wrote it off until she felt light-headed and dizzy that she couldn't see in front of her causing her to rub her eyes to no avail.
All of a sudden Smolder's left arm seared with pain as she clutched her chest with her right claw and let out an audible groan that echoed throughout the auditorium.
Twilight's voice rang through as she yelled "Call the hospital now!" As she flew down to the young dragoness to keep her stable. The students were freaking out, Smolder's friends the most on edge leaving their seats to check on her as she lay on the ground gasping for breath as her skin began to look and feel clammy.
Twilight used her magic to amplify her voice announcing that the test will be put on hold and that the students should leave, she told them she'll notify them when everything has settled down.
All the students leave the auditorium except for Smolder's friends who stick by her side waiting for the paramedics to arrive.
The paramedics approached and placed the female dragon in the ambulance as the bell on the cart rang out to clear the way.
Once the ambulance arrived at the hospital the hurried the young dragoness to the operating room and startled checking for what was wrong.
Twilight along with the rest of The Student Six and the rest of her friends came rushing in only to be stopped by a doctor and told to wait it the waiting room.
While in the waiting room, the purple alicorn flew in circles thinking of what could have happened and hoped it wasn't to serious. Smolder's friends sat together in a deafening silence until a doctor entered the room and broke it.
"I have good news and bad news. The good news is the operation was a complete success. The bad news is she had a heart attack where the widow maker artery was clogged. We had to remove the heart and place a Total Artificial Heart inside to keep your scaly student alive." The doctor said as he looked through some papers.
Twilight flew down with a sigh of relief, "how long until she gets a new heart?" the purple alicorn asked.
The doctor hung his head low. "I can't say, we don't have any hearts in standby. Although she is lucky, her heart was really clogged, not only that, but she hadn't slept well in three weeks. Not to mention her system was rife with junk, energy drinks, instant noodles, fried foods, coffee, you name it. The total artificial hear should keep her alive for at least a few months, but if we can't get a replacement heart, we'll have to let her pass on to the afterlife.
Twilight gasped hearing this, while Smolder's friends started crying blaming themselves. "We should have done more to stop her." Sandbar said as he hugged Yona.
"We should've told you, Twilight." Silverstream said shaking with fear as Gallus and Ocellus started praying for Smolder's recovery.
As they waited for visiting time Garble came rushing on only to be held back my doctor's saying he can't see her right now. "Please, I have to know she's alright." Garble shouted as Twilight put a hoof on him.
Twilight was able to calm Garble down and filled him in on the situation. Tears filled his eyes as he fell to his knees and prayed for a miracle.
Hours pass before anyone is allowed to visit her, her friends gather by her bedside to wish her well, most of her friends bringing her sunflowers. "Hehe, looks like I should've heeded your advice guys." Smolder said smiling trying not to cry, even though she was scared.
"Don't worry, we know you'll pull through." Sandbar replied as he held her claw.
As her friends and brother hung around to keep her company, Garble spoke. "I really hope you'll pull through, sis." Garble spoked choking back tears.
"I'm sure I will Gar-Gar, I'm a fighter remember?" Smolder replied with a smile as she caressed his cheek.
Twilight watched them talk when she suddenly remembered something she had read about alicorns, she had recently learned that alicorns practically have the DNA of every creature in the world and that they can regenerate organs. Remembering this information Twilight stepped out to talk to the doctor.
"Are you sure miss Sparkle, even though you may have the same DNA your blood type may not be the same." The head doctor warned Twilight.
"I'm willing to at least try, test my blood and if it matches, prep me for surgery.
"The doctor's reluctantly took Twilight to test her blood and sure enough, she had the same blood type as Smolder. The doctor's came into the room and politely asked the others to leave as the wheeled Smolder out for surgery.
The doctors transported Smolder and Twilight into an operating room. With enough strength there Smolder saw her former mentor. Her eyes widened.
"H-headmare Twilight, what are you doing here?" The dragoness stammered, but before she could get an answer, the doctors began giving them the anesthetics.
Once unconscious the doctors began working on the transplant. Carefully cutting into Twilight's chest and opening up the ribcage, they gently removed the heart and placed it in Smolder while hooking Twilight up to the Total Artificial Heart.
Working on attaching the hear to Smolder a faint magical glow surrounded the heart and changed it into a dragon heart.
Looking into the book Twilight mentioned before going into surgery, the doctor's read that an alicorn matches the DNA of all species, but the blood type and organs are still different, but if taken out of the original host and put in to a new host, the organ will magically change itself to be a perfect fit.
The doctors transfer the two patients into a room after the surgery is complete and inform their friends that the operation was a big success, but that they're still asleep. The doctor's allow them to wait in their room for them to wake up.
A few hours pass until Smolder opens her eyes slowly, her vision blurred until it adjusts to the environment. When he vision had cleared she sees her friends and brother, along with two royal guards, one of them being Shining Armor, the captain.
Looking over to her side, she sees Twilight now hooked up to the Total Artificial Heart and unresponsive. "Is Twilight okay?" Smolder questioned as she shifted in her bed."
Shining Armor was the one to answer. "My sister has graciously offered to donate her heart to you, she was persistent and wouldn't take to for an answer.
Fearing the worst, she started to cry while calling out her name. The young dragoness, tried desperately to get up so she could touch her mentor. The brother of the purple alicorn gently pushed her back down on her bed. "No, it can't be. Twilight can't die." Smolder cried out.
"She's not dead, that's why we have her hooked up to the Total Artificial Heart. My friend, Alicorns are carrying the DNA of every creature, and even though their hearts are like any other ponies' the heart once removed, magically changes to that of the one it's donated to. And the alicorns can regenerate body parts."
Smolder started breathing heavily as she looked over to Twilight. "If I wasn't so careless this wouldn't have happened." Smolder admitted with tears in her eyes. "How long will it take for her to regenerate her heart?"
"Based on the book she gave me to read about it, it'll take eight weeks for her to regenerate a heart." The white stallion said and sat on the corner of the orange dragoness' bed.
Through bated breath, Smolder slowly calmed down. "Ok, I understand, I'm just really sorry she had to do this. If I hadn't done what I did, she wouldn't need to be here right now." Smolder lamented..
Unbeknownst to Smolder and everyone else, Twilight had woken up. "Don't blame yourself, Smolder. I'm glad you wanted to pass, but just don't do anything that reckless again. I'm not mad, I'm just glad you're ok, I would do this for any one of my friends or students." Twilight assured Smolder with a smile.
After a loving visit with their family and friends, night fell and their visitors had to leave. That night Smolder was trying to sleep, but it being the beginning of winter it was colder than what she was use to, she wasn't hooked up to anything and was able to move around freely, but she did have a bandage on her chest covering up the stitches so she could heal. Twilight had the same thing on her chest for the same reason.
Looking over to Twilight who was soundly sleeping, the young dragoness got out of bed and slowly approached her bed. Poking the purple Alicorn gently, she managed to wake her up.
"M-miss Twilight, may I sleep with you tonight, my blankets aren't keeping me warm enough." Smolder asked shyly.
"Sure, come on in." The purple alicorn gladly welcomed her student on the free half of the bed. Twilight knew how cold it was and how dragons need excessive amounts of warmth in the winter.
"I'm still sorry this has to happen Twilight, if I hadn't-" Smolder began to apologise again only to be stopped by a hoof.
"You don't have to apologise, I'm just glad you're safe. I would much rather give up my own heart to save someone rather than have them on the wait list."
Hearing this Smolder trembled. Twilight pulled her into a soft hug. Feeling how cold her student was, Twilight wrapped both wings around the dragon as they fell into a blissful sleep.
