Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Please note that this chapter is a filler, not meant to be meaningful in any way to the actual story but I just want to give the readers something to read for the sake of reading. Once I come up with some inspiration to bring the plot line forward, I'll get down to it ASAP.

Twinkle Star was sleepy. She wasn't sure why she would be so damn sleepy on such a fine day. Yesterday she had gone into the Everfree Forest to help Zecora with some herb collecting which the zebra was very thankful for. It also gave her some first-hoof experience with the plant known as poison joke. An owl had landed amidst the plants and for it's intrusion it was given a pair of bulbous pieces of blue stuff that stuck to the tips of its wings. It looked like as if it was carrying grocery bags. She had laughed at the bird's dilemma for a second before Zecora reminded her of how easily it could have been her with something happening to herself, which made her quickly shut her muzzle before apologizing to the bird.

There were also some weird mushrooms that Zecora said they should avoid. Though, in truth, Twinkle had taken one of the mushrooms with her. She had seen her mother make mushroom soup before and thought that this could be a great addition. In the end, aside from the poison joke, the trip to the forest was rather uneventful. The pony, the zebra and the owl all had a herbal bath at the spa which Zecora had arranged in advance, but it seemed like the poison joke did something to Twinkle, even though she didn't get in contact with the plant. And it was not a prank-like feeling either.

She felt like she was going to pass out, like her brain was slowly turning off.

She looked at the mirror. Nothing wrong. She turned to the side, her flank presented to the image-reflecting glass. Nope. Her hind-leg had a magnificent ribbon, made from golden thread according to Rarity, that she had gotten from the fashionista after she had gotten out of the herbal bath yesterday following her trip to the forest.

She scratched her head confusedly but a bit wearily. Perhaps her mother could help her? Stepping out of her room and going down the stairs, Twinkle entered the living room where Fluttershy was grooming Angel, who was enjoying his treatment.

'Mom?' Twinkle said, her voice a bit weak.

'Hmm?' The cream-colored mare with the pink mane said, not diverting her gaze from Angel.

'I... I don't feel so good.' The mare said as her vision was blurrying rapidly.

Fluttershy was a bit worried now, looking at her daughter who's legs were shaking. She was trying her absolute best to keep herself standing.

'Oh my! Come lay down here honey!' She said, taking Angel away from the couch, causing the rabbit to pout a bit before accepting the fact that his grooming session was now officially over.

'Can I get you something to drink? A wet towel?' Fluttershy said as her daughter was wobbling towards the couch.

'I... I dont...' It was the last thing she said before she went completely unconcious, falling to the couch almost like Rarity during her drama queen moments.

'Twinkle!? TWINKLE!' Fluttershy almost began to panic as the words left her lips but she soon regained composure and put a hoof on her daughter's head to feel it almost burning. One could have cooked an egg on her head without a problem.

'Oh my...' She said, her eyes so open they looked like they would have popped out if she would have been looking at the ground.

Acting on experience, Fluttershy took a towel and put it under cold water for a while before laying it on her head. As she managed to do so, the door was knocked upon. A familiar face appeared when she got to the door.

'Greetings Fluttershy, may I ask where is Twinkle Star? I am guessing by your presence she must not be far.' Zecora said, smiling as she finished her sentence.

'Oh, hello Zecora. Twinkle... Well, she isn't feeling too well. You see, she just passed out on the couch, she's got a fever.'

Stepping inside, Zecora could only nod as she saw the mare lying on the couch, one of her hind legs slightly drooping out.

'Well well well, what have we here?' Zecora said, laying her own hoof on a part of her head that wasn't covered by the towel.

She quickly recoiled as she realized how hot she was.

'A fever hot enough to have your hoof almost seared?'

She turned her gaze to Fluttershy, determination on her face for some reason.

'If you would let me, I could be of assistance. After all, natural remedies are easiest to apply when there is no resistance.'

'You mean herbal medicine? Is there anything that can help with this kind of fever?' Fluttershy said, somewhat skeptical but eager to have any and all assistance she could get.

'Many cures exist for many ills. Some for fever, some for chills.'

'Umm... Okay.' Fluttershy said, nodding slightly. Zecora nodded back before rising and going for the door.

'Then I shall momentarily return to my abode, to prepare the ingredients for her long and weary road.'

Twinkle felt like she was drifting through the air, a very comforting feeling and very unlike what it felt like when she was soaring through the air. She had to put no effort into staying afloat, she just was. She didn't want to move at all, yet when she tried, she couldn't muster the strength for it.

It was her surroundings that gave her the chills. A purplish background with blobs of blackness here and there.

She could see hazy images of ponies looking at her, the enviroment around them or at eachother. Were those other ponies trapped here as well?

Suddenly one of the black blobs started moving towards one of the hazy ponies. A stallion. He didn't see it coming but when the blob came into contact with him his cry for help was so loud that Twinkle would have had her ears cut off if it would have meant she wouldn't have to hear that noise anymore. More cries followed as more ponies were swallowed by the blackness, causing the blobs to swell in size with each pony. Eventually she was swallowed also as she still couldn't move. She cried for help like all the others, hoping for somepony to help her, but it was in vain. She fell into a dark hole and could see flashing images. Her 10th birthday... The picture was taken when she was about to blow the candles, her muzzle almost bursting from the inside with all the air in it. She couldn't do anything but manage a fond smile.

Next came the day when she got her cutie mark. This was far after her father had died, but she didn't have the amulet on her neck at the time. She had watched an angry pair have an argument before the mare stormed off in the other direction, crying as she disappeared behind a corner. Her crying was still heard for about 2 minutes after that before it faded. It made her feel like she wanted to make sure that it happens to nopony. Nopony deserves to have their hearts crushed like that.

Twinkle was surprised, nopony had taken a picture of her at that time. Perhaps she was seeing images of her memories?

Back in the "real world", Fluttershy opened the door hastily as Zecora stepped inside, a certain cyan pony following her.

'Oh, Rainbow Dash. I didn't expect to see you today.'

'I heard what happened to Twinkle so I decided to help Zecora out with her "natural cures". And I also thought I should check on her. How is she?' Rainbow said, looking at the mare lying on the couch, her face twisted in a mixture of fear and confusion.

'It must be indeed a sickness of great magnitude for our mare, to be under such distress in her nightmare.' Zecora said as she went towards the kitchen and started grinding some of her ingredients with Fluttershy's mortar and pestle.

'Shouldn't we wake her up?' Rainbow Dash said, stepping towards Twinkle's recumbent form. Fluttershy held her hoof in front of her which stopped the rainbow-maned pony's advance.

'Oh no no, don't you know what happens to ponies that are waken while they are having nightmares?' Fluttershy said, her eyes looking to the sides warily before she leaned closer to whisper something to Rainbow Dash.

The athlete rolled her eyes at whatever she heard before blowing some air at her mane, a "pfft" noise coming forth as she did so.

'Yea right, Flutters. You still believe in those old mare's tales?'

'There's a gem of truth in every story.'

'Except those kinds of stories.'

As the two were arguing, Zecora was finished with her potion, which she made Twinkle drink, unbeknownst to the two.

Twinkle felt like she was drowning. She tried to catch her breath, but something liquid-y forced itself down her mouth, which she had to swallow before she tried to breathe again. Once more she had to swallow. In the blackness she could see a flickering light, slowly growing in size when it came closer. She had to squint to look at it, but when it came close she saw the images she had seen before, along with other images, passing before her eyes faster than she could see. Eventually the light encompassed her whole field of vision and she had to close her over-agitated eyes, the light leaving a color-shifting blob in the same manner as you would get when you look directly at the sun for too long. She felt like thrashing about.

She heard voices in the distance, slowly growing closer. The light became more and more unbearable, but she forced herself to open her eyes. It was then that she realized she had woken up. The light she saw was the lamp in the ceiling of her mother's living room.

'Twinkle!' Fluttershy said before hugging her like a bear.

'I'm so happy you're awake!'

'It's just a fever, Fluttershy, not something to get so riled up about.' Dash said, before waving at Twinkle who noticed her.

'The fever is lowering, that I can see. But until it is gone, outside you must not be.' Zecora said, before replacing her towel with a fresh one.

'How long was I out?' Twinkle said, looking at Fluttershy.

'The sun is going down soon, so not too long, I presume.' The zebra said, planting the new towel on Twinkle's head, which made her slightly recoil at the coldness, but soon enough she adjusted.

'But for now you have a deep rest. By the end of the week you should be at your best.' Zecora said as she walked out the door, her left-over ingredients in her bag.

'A whole week!?' Twinkle pouted, a bit angry at the unfairness of her fever.

'Don't worry sweetie, I'll make sure you have the best week ever until you get better!' Fluttershy said, clapping her fore-hooves together a couple of times.

'That's what I'm afraid of...' The feverish mare muttered under her breath, smirking at herself. She predicted that her mother would probably have a tea-party in the living room so she could join in with all her animal friends. They were nice when you had them once in a week or two, but a whole week of having to be around all the animals when she was sick was not something she was looking forward to.

Ah well, at least she won't have to help Zecora with anything for a week. And if she was completely honest, she looked forward to the party Pinkie Pie was surely going to throw for her. Even as she thought of this, she drifted into sleep.

'She's still asleep? Aww, but I wanted to give her the card right now!' Pinkie Pie said, right behind the door which she had knocked on.

'I'm sorry Pinkie. But if you want, you could stay here until she wakes up.' Fluttershy said, who had come to open the door before informing Pinkie that Twinkle was still asleep.

'Really!?' Pinkie exclaimed, hopping up as if a spring had been unloaded beneath her.

'I don't mind really, I think she would like the company. Harry has not been much of a talking partner to her apparently.'

'Harry?'

'Yes, Harry the bear.'

'Mom? Who's at the door?'

Looking back into the living room, Fluttershy was surprised to see Twinkle up and about, looking a lot better than she did two days ago.

'Oh, Twinkle! Pinkie just wanted to bring you-'

'A GET-WELL CARD!' Pinkie said into a megaphone which she had impossibly stored in her mane. Twinkle had to rub her ears a bit to get her hearing back.

'Eheh, you don't need to make such a big deal about it, Pinkie. It's just a fever, not like I'm going to die or anything.'

'But you could be! And if not today, then you might tomorrow! Hopefully not though. Enjoy life to the fullest while you can!' She said, before hopping back towards the village. Twinkle was astonished at how casually she could bring up things like that and still have her trademark demeanor about.

The card was pink, with glitter all over it, some of which stuck to her hooves when she took it from Pinkie.

Inside the card was a small picture of a cake with letters forming "Get well soon!"

There were signatures from everypony. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Octavia, Bon Bon, even Braeburn. Twinkle was amazed that they had managed to put all their signatures on to the single piece of paper the card was made from.

She looked outside, speaking more to herself than anypony in particular.

'Thank you everypony. Thank you so much.'

The rest of the week was rather uneventful, though Twinkle had completed the process of counting the amount of hairs in her fur one night when she was bored and sleep just wouldn't come. In other circumstances she would have been interested in hearing how many hairs on average a pony has, but at that time it was as if it was obvious.

When the week had come to an end and Twinkle had given herself the green light to step outside, the first order of business was to get herself to Pinkie's place. She had been waiting to get to the inevitable party that Pinkie had arranged.

Stepping inside Sugarcube Corner, she braced herself for anything. Strangely, nothing happened. She saw a note on the table, which she picked up and read.

'Meet me in the animal den! Come alone!'

'Huh. Weird.' Twinkle said, looking to her sides before stepping out of the store. Carrot Cake and Cup Cake were visible in the distance,  some fresh ingredients for their famous pastries in tow. Deciding to let the party be for now, Twinkle got back towards the cottage.

She was a bit disappointed that there was no party. Perhaps she was just used to Pinkie having parties whenever she could.

Stepping inside, she was scared to half-death.

'SURPRIIIIIIIIISE!' Pinkie Pie yelled, everypony echoing her. Twinkle could feel a tear coming up before she burst laughing.

'Thank you everypony!'

Even Zecora had managed to make it to the party.

'Good to see you, Zecora! Hope you're having fun.'

'Indeed I am, Twinkle dear. But there is something I must tell you. Something sincere.'

Twinkle had no other response than raise her eyebrow at that.

'Huh?'

'It was my fault that you got into this mess, hopefully this won't reduce our friendship to anything less.' The zebra said, her golden piercings jingling slightly as she lowered her head. Twinkle raised it back up with her hoof.

'Zecora, without this I wouldn't be having this much fun. This party is something I needed after all this bedridden time. You have nothing to be sorry about! And... well, it was kinda my fault anyway.' She said before explaining how she had taken one of those mushrooms in the forest. This made the zebra chuckle.

'Oh Twinkle, I knew of that mushroom you picked. But I thought you knew the ill effects it would inflict.'

'I didn't know what kind of mushroom it was. I just saw it and thought it would be great in a stew.'

'The Chilishroom is not so simple to eat. Once it is consumed, it's effects are not easily beat. A fever of great magnitude, only fixed by a week of solitude. But when used as a material for soap, not a single stain will be left, oh nope.' Zecora said, giggling a bit. 'Helps with clothes shrinking too. Rarity is very dependant of that little clue.'

'What? But... But mom had some of that-' Twinkle said, before her pupils shrunk. Quickly storming towards Fluttershy's bedroom, she found a sleeping mare with a thermometer on her mouth. It was heated to the max. A blue towel was on her head.

'Oh boy...' She said, facehoofing. Now it was her turn.