Unexpected Boundaries

Twilight had to fight to wake up as her body demanded more sleep.

"You're finally awake! Yippee!" The pink pony cheered as she bounced around the room.

"Pinkie? I thought I changed the locks." Twilight yawned as she snuggled deeper into the bed.

"You're not home silly! You're in the hospital!" Pinkie gleefully shouted getting an angry hush from Nurse Redheart.

"Hospital?" The bleary eyed unicorn asked as she tried to look around the room. Once her vision cleared up she noticed that she was in fact inside the hospital.

"Twilight! It took you long enough. You sleep even more than me." Rainbow Dash smiled as she came in to relieve Pinkie of watch duty.

You had us worried there for a minute."

"What happened?" Twilight asked, her mind still in a haze. A familiar squeek from behind the dividing curtains piqued her interest. She pulled the curtains back to see a yellow filly looking helplessly at a black unicorn who was still asleep.

"We're a little fuzzy on the details ourself." Dashie nervously admitted.

"By that she means we have no idea!" Pinkie blurted out.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow hissed.

"What?" The oblivious party pony asked.

Rainbow sighed before looking at the yellow filly. "You two probably owe her your lives."

"Maple?" Twilight asked, getting the little filly to look up at her with her tiny eyes full of worry.

"She screamed herself hoarse until help arrived, if it weren't for her you two would probably still be laying outside that mountain." Rainbow genty smiled as she ruffled the pony's mane. Twilight scooted over and patted the side of her bed, Maple gladly accepted and jumped into the bed beside Twilight. Close up it was aparrent that the little filly had missed a lot of sleep and was exhausted.

"Awww." Pinkie sighed as Maple crawled under the covers and snuggled up to Twilight. She put her hooves around Twilight as the gift of sleep was immediately given to her.

"When did you become so motherly?" Dashie asked feeling that there was something that Twilight was withholding.

"I'll tell you later. How's Star?" Twilight asked trying to change the subject.

"Poor pony, he still hasn't woken up. But the doctors said that you'd wake up first, so he should be along any day now."

"I know what would wake him up! A party! And it could be a wake up sleepyhead and a welcome back to Ponyville party!" Pinkie cheered as she excitedly ran out of the building barely avoiding the white alicorn that had just entered.

"Twilight! I'm pleased to see that you are awake." Celestia said in her typical motherly tone.

"How long was I asleep?" Twilight asked her mentor.

Celestia paused to count the days before replying, "About three days. Now could you please fill me in on what exactly happened on your little adventure?"

Twilight began to retell the story and everything that she'd remembered, leaving just enough detail out so nopony could figure out her crush on Star.

"Wow. You took out a dragon using something from a Daring Do novel? That must have been so awesome!" Dash was estatic about Twilight's adventure, "I've gotta tell everypony about this!"

"Now hold on a minute," Celestia warned the rainbow maned pegasus, "I still think Twilight needs some more rest. And we don't want ponies barging in here and asking her questions when she supposed to be resting, right? Dash opened her mouth to protest but a stern look from the mighty alicorn stopped it in its tracks.

"Yes ma'am." Rainbow sighed in defeat.

"Good, now I must head back to Canterlot. I hope you feel better soon." Celestia excused herself.

"That leave me with only one question. Why did she refuse to leave your side?" Rainbow inquired pointing her hoof at Maple who was still sleeping soundly.

"I'll tell you later." Twilght yawned as she lay back down in bed and wrapped her hooves around Maple.

"We're not done talking! Don't make me sic Pinkie pie on you!" Rainbow threatened, but it was already too late. Twilight was off in dreamland.

Star's eyes flew open as a surge of pain shot through his leg. He looked around the dimly lit room where the only source of light was from a single moonbeam that shone in from the window. He gazed down at his aching leg and saw Maple giving it the biggest hug she could manage.

"Maple? Where are we?" Star asked the little filly.

"We are in the hospital." A purple unicorn said as she stepped into the moonlight. Star was awesruck at the sight. The silver moonlight fell on her silky lavender coat as those flawless amythests stared straight into his soul.

"Twilight? We made it out alive? But how?" Star whispered almost in shock.

"Our little Maple stayed by our side and kept calling for help until it arrived." Twilight said slowly walking towards the two ponies.

"You did a very good job Maple." Star praised her as he pulled the filly into a hug of his own. Twilight silently glided over and put her hooves around them, as the happy family was reunited once more. Maple had on a smile that would've make Pinkie proud as she looked up at her parents. That night the two unicorns made a silent vow to never let that smile disappear from the world, they crossed their hearts and hoped to fly, sick a cupcake in their eyes.