Author's Note: What's up, everypony? I'm trying out something sorta new in two respects; First, a romance story. Second, a Rarity story. I can't help but feel that Rarity and romance go hoof and hoof, and I can only picture the Element of Generosity falling for one pony. Hope you likes. Review, please, and tell me how to do better. See you at the end. Farewell!

---

I awoke to the singing of songbirds, most likely Fluttershy's. I had ordered a sort of wake-up call, and Fluttershy delivered in a way unlike anypony else. Rainbow and Applejack would have no courtesy for my room or mental state, and Celestia only knows what Pinkie would do. Twilight was no good for this, either, but not because of her own apparent shortcomings. Apparently, I mutter in my sleep, and I can only imagine what I say. I'd die of embarrassment if I let slip the truth to Twilight.

I rose from my bed blindly, my sleep mask still protecting my delicate blue eyes from the heinous sun. My protection would be short-lived, and I removed it at once. My fingers combed through my mane, my messy, sleepy blue mane. I gently rose to my hooves and draped myself in my robe, then headed for the bathroom. I showered, brushed my mane and teeth, and got dressed in a white blouse and black skirt, my glasses hanging on a chain around my neck. The glasses chain made me look much older, but I made a habit of losing them otherwise. Sweetie Belle would tease me, but I could survive my little sister's mocking.

I made my way downstairs and prepared breakfast for me and my sister. I was just plating the eggs and toast when Sweetie Belle ran in, her school uniform untidy and untucked. I rolled my eyes and adjusted her skirt and blouse with my magic, using my hands to pour orange juice.

"Good morning, Sweetie Belle." I said.

"Morning, sis! Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!" said Sweetie Belle, hugging me tightly.

"And a Happy Hearts and Hooves Day to you, darling." I said absentmindedly. I didn't realize it was that time of the year already. Hearts and Hooves Day truly snuck up on me this year.

"So, who is it?" asked Sweetie Belle, sitting and nibbling on her toast.

"Who is who?" I asked as I poured myself a cup of black coffee.

"Your special somepony! You must have one!"

"I do not."

"That's impossible!" squeaked Sweetie in outrage. "How could you not have a special somepony? You're the prettiest, nicest pony ever!"

"Why, thank you, but that does not change a thing." I said, stifling a yawn. "I do not have a special somepony."

"Why not?"

"Where is all of this coming from? This is hardly the first Hearts and Hooves Day I've spent single."

"Rarity, you're getting old. Old enough to get married and have kids." said Sweetie Belle brutally.

"You always know how to raise my spirits." I said bleakly.

"I just meant that maybe it's time you've found somepony to marry. Nopony deserves to be alone, especially not somepony as special as you."

"Sweetie Belle, I'm not looking for a relationship right now." I explained. "And I'm not alone. I have you, do I not?"

"Well, there's things you can do with a boyfriend that you can't do with me." pointed out Sweetie Belle.

"I would hazard to think." I muttered.

"Rarity, I know that you always dreamed of having your big Canterlot wedding, but there are plenty of great stallions right here in Ponyville. Maybe you should start looking."

"I appreciate your concern, darling, but don't you know that I'm already married?" I said.

"To who?" asked my sister dubiously.

"To Carousel Boutique, of course. Work is all I can really focus on as of now. I'm not interested in dating anypony." I lied. Of course I lied; it was all lies. I could never tell my sister the truth. I could barely tell myself the truth.

"You work too much." said Sweetie Belle.

"Are you proud of me?" I asked.

"Of course!"

"Then it's all worth it." I answered. I hugged my little sister tightly, hoping the hug would make up for the lies. It did not, of course. Nothing would make the lie better. I really should tell Sweetie Belle the truth. If anypony could accept it, it'd be my little sister. Yet I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"It's time for school, Sweetie Belle." I said. I wrapped her breakfast in a plastic container and stored it in her backpack. "You can finish your breakfast at school. Have a good day."

"You too, sis." said Sweetie Belle. She took her backpack over her shoulder, hugged me one last time, and set off for the schoolhouse. How I envied her. At the time, I thought my days at primary and secondary school were difficult, yet they paled in comparison to being an adult. It was so simple before; pay attention in class, make friends, try to refrain from getting pregnant. That last part was easy for me, of course. I'd likely never have children. My mother would have a conniption if I told her that sad, scary truth.

The time was eight o'clock, which meant it was time to get to work. I walked downstairs, grabbing measuring tapes and needles and threads with my magic along the way. I paused to take in my workshop, my favorite place in the Boutique. The only place I ever felt sure of myself.

I lost myself in my work, hypnotized by the rhythmic pounding of my sewing machine against the fabric. I moved mechanically, dressing mannequins and mending rips in dresses. Every now and then I'd get a customer and I could switch into a bright, cheery pony, somepony who was happy to see you. It was all an act, obviously. I wasn't happy to see Bon-Bon with her ripped skirt. I was only slightly happy to see Applejack, when she came with her torn hat. There was only one pony who could truly make me happy, and it wasn't until lunch that I got to see her.

At the stroke of noon, I turned down all my lights, powered off any and all electrical equipment, and left my shop, flipping the sign out front to say "Out for Lunch". I strolled through Ponyville, looking at booths and vendors, all selling some manner of Hearts and Hooves Day product. I thought about purchasing one, a little heart pendant, but disregarded it. I couldn't give that to her, what would she say? And besides, I could do better.

I smiled as I approached the large oak tree, Golden Oak Library. I knocked lightly once and let myself in. I saw her immediately, mane long, straight, and purple with a light pink highlight. Her coat, the softest lavender, her eyes, the prettiest purple. She was dressed in her favorite violet sweater vest, her wings poking out the back, and a pair navy blue dress pants. Twilight didn't seem to notice me, as if that didn't feel terribly familiar. She was too busy throwing books around with her magic, slamming them into suitcases.

"Hello, darling." I said, snapping her from her stupor.

"Huh? Oh, hi, Rarity." she said, not looking back at me. "What brings you here?"

"I was under the impression that we'd be going to lunch today, At the new restaurant that just opened." I said. Twilight often had moments of disorganization of thoughts such as this. It was nothing new, and I found it endearing. So focused and serious, yet so easily flustered. Simply adorable.

"That was today? Ugh! Damn you, Shining Armor!" groaned Twilight, slamming her books onto the ground. I bent to the ground to help gather her things.

"Is everything alright, darling?" I asked. "You seem upset."

"I'm sorry, Rarity. I just got a letter from my parents." explained Twilight, a hint of bitterness in her normally calm voice. "Shining Armor, in his infinite wisdom, somehow let slip to my parents that I'm still single! They thought that, since I became an alicorn, that I'd be having stallions line up outside my door! My parents won't let me spend Hearts and Hooves Day alone, not their little alicorn princess."

"What exactly are they going to do?" I asked.

"They're dragging me down to Canterlot to set me up with a my father's friend's son. Ugh! I was really looking forward to lunch, Rarity, I promise. Can I make it up to you?"

"Would you go out with me? On a date?" I said, words forcing themselves from my mouth. Twilight stared at me as if I spit up on myself, then laughed shrilly.

"Are you serious? That's sad, Rarity, really pathetic!" cackled Twilight. "Has it really gotten that bad? Have you been rejected by that many stallions that you're willing to try mares? That's too much! You can forget about lunch, faggot. In fact, I don't think we should be friends at all."

I shook my head vigorously, whisking away the bad thoughts. Twilight would never say that. Would she? She was far too kind, too understanding to spit bigotry like that. Right?

"I'll give you a raincheck." said Twilight, somehow not noticing my lack of attention. "How about tomorrow?"

"Do you promise?" I asked.

"It'll take Celestia herself to stop me. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Not twice, anyway."

"Then I look forward to it." I said with a small smile. Twilight shoved the last of her books into her suitcase, closed it up, and levitated it to the door. She glanced at her watch and shrieked in panic.

"I'm going to be late! Rarity, can you please wake up Spike?" asked Twilight. "I have to go now, and he's supposed to be watching the library until I come back."

"Of course, Twilight. You go catch your train." I said. Twilight smiled and threw a thanks over her shoulder before bustling out of the library. As the door closed, I felt as if I could just about kick myself. I was so close! I could have just said it, it would have been simple to ask. Will you go on a date with me? Eight tiny little words, eight insignificant syllables.

I sighed at my inability to say those eight small, gigantic, mundane, life-changing words, then headed upstairs. Right in Twilight's bedroom, to the left of her bed, was Spike, snoring away in his little bed. I hoped he'd be happy to see me. I was positive he would. I was not ignorant to his crush on me, but I wasn't sure how to let him down easily.

I ignored the thoughts in my own head and dropped onto Twilight's bed. I buried my face in her pillow, taking in the scent. Old and woody, like ancient books. Beneath it was a little something else. It smelled of coconut, the shampoo I gave her in her birthday beauty basket. I couldn't get enough of the smell. I ripped myself away from the drug of Twilight's intoxicating aroma, and gently nudged my favorite baby dragon awake.

"Spikey!" I whispered. "Wake up, darling."

"Five more minutes, Twilight." muttered Spike.

"Not quite, darling. Twilight just went out." I said, a tad louder this time. Spike opened his eyes widely, then sat up in his bed like a pole.

"Twilight left? Where'd she go? Is she coming back?" asked Spike in panic. "Is there an emergency?"

"If you were to ask her, she'd likely say yes. Everything is fine, Spikey. She had to meet with her parents, and she asked me to wake you."

"Oh. Okay. So, how are you doing?"

"I can hardly complain. I do wish I had somepony to have lunch with me." I said. "Say, would you like to join me? Eating alone is a terribly lonely endeavor."

"Sure thing, Rarity." agreed Spike eagerly. I really wish I could have told him. It would save him so much heartache later. I just didn't have the strength to say it outloud. I couldn't say it to even myself; That little "L" word. A word that had changed my life. I wasn't even entirely sure what word it was. Was it "lesbian"? The more I thought about it, the less I believed that. No, the word was much scarier than lesbian. I could get away with being a lesbian. It wasn't that uncommon in these days, was it?

No, this was far more terrifying. I was sure I could deal with being a lesbian. I wasn't quite so confident in my abilities to survive being in love.

I stared at Spike blindly as we ate our lunch. He ordered a hay burger and fries, while I myself divulged in eggplant parmesan. We chatted as we ate, although most of the conversation was lost by me. All I could think about was Twilight.

"Spikey?" I asked. "Have you ever seen Twilight with somepony?"

"Of course. I see her with you and the rest of the girls all the time." said Spike. It was hard sometimes to remember that he was still a baby, and was not guaranteed to grasp a subject like that.

"I meant in a romantic way." I explained. "Has she ever had a girlfriend?" I added quickly, "Or a boyfriend?"

"Um… Oh! She had this one admirer in Canterlot, before we came to Ponyville." said Spike. "A mare named… Brazen Gruff, I think. They worked together on a project for the princess, and Brazen sorta flirted with Twilight."

"Did Twilight notice?" I asked, on the edge of my seat.

"I don't think Twilight even realized she was a mare." sighed Spike. "Twilight was really oblivious to things like that in those days."

"So, Twilight is straight, then?"

"I doubt it. I'm pretty sure she swings both ways." said Spike, finishing off his meal. In that moment, I felt as if I could fly. Nothing else mattered; Twilight liked girls. That's all that mattered. It was irrelevant how I would come out to her. I had a chance, and a chance was all I needed.

"What did Brazen look like?" I asked. I was pushing my food around my plate, my appetite waning.

"She was a punk-type girl. Lots of piercings and those big gauge things in her ears." explained Spike. "Wore tons of black, and she had this huge trench coat that she would wear all the time."

"And Twilight never noticed her?"

"Nope."

"So don't dress like that." I muttered to myself. "That's fine. That was never part of my plan, anyway."

"What was that?" asked Spike.

"Would you look at the time! I truly hate to leave you like this, but I have to go to work!" I said, jumping to my hooves. I left a pile of bits on the table and took Spike's hand in my own. When we were halfway to the library, he coughed out a spiral of green fire, and a scroll fell into his hand. He broke the seal and unrolled it.

"'Coming home early, make sure nopony is at the library." read Spike. "Major emergency. Keep everypony away. Go someplace safe. Signed- Twilight Sparkle.' Hm. That's weird. The letter has tons of sentence fragments, and Twilight's handwriting is terrible. Something must be wrong."

I gripped Spikey's hand even tighter and broke into a full-on sprint. We arrived at the library in half the time we should have, and the tree was still deserted. As we walked in, I took the letter from Spike and inspected it. He was correct, of course, in saying that Twilight was acting strangely. Her handwriting, which was normally elegant and looping, was suddenly jagged and scratchy. It looked as if she was in a hurry when she wrote the letter.

"Why don't you head to the Boutique?" suggested Spike. "I'm sure there's no need to worry."

"Twilight said that there was a major emergency." I said in worry. "I would like to be here to help her."

"Don't tell me you really believe that. Twilight's idea of a 'major emergency' is when they run out of her favorite encyclopedia at the bookstore." said Spike. "One time, she dragged me all the way to Fillydelphia because the shop at Canterlot was out of swallow quills. And then, when she got the quills, she hated them!"

"Even still, I do not feel right leaving her to combat any sort of emergency alone." I said stubbornly. "Do you not recall what happened last time we took Twilight's turmoil for a joke?"

"You mean the time she sent Ponyville into chaos and Celestia had to come down to fix things? Nope, I totally forgot." said Spike sarcastically. "Don't you think we should at least get the girls?"

He had a fair point. If I was only staying to put help Twilight with her emergency, it would only be natural to alert the rest of the group. But, of course, I was not just there to help Twilight. I was there to show her that I was a good friend, and that good friends make good lovers. I was using her emergency to boost myself up and make her fall for me. Some Element of Generosity I am.

"You're right." I said. "I'll get Applejack and Rainbow Dash, if you get Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie."

Spike nodded and took a step for the door. He stopped in mid-step, surrounded by a purple light. He struggled futilely; He was not moving anytime soon. As I went to grab him from his prison, her disappeared into a flash of light, replaced by Twilight.

My love was not in good shape. She seemed sickly and greyish, her eyes were yellowing and jaundiced, and she looked around crazily. Her horn began to glow brightly, and the entire tree house shook. When whatever spell she was casting was done, she collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. I covered my mouth to hold in the scream, then ran for the door. I opened it and stepped out.

PING!

I bounced off a wall of lavender light with a slight headache. I pounded on the purple barrier, barely noticing Spike doing the same on the other side. I pushed and pushed, cast the minimal spells in my repertoire, anything I could think of, all with the same result; The barrier would not budge.

"Rarity!" called Spike. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, darling!" I answered. "Send for Princess Celestia! Tell her that Twilight has fallen ill, then gather the girls."

With a horrified look on his face, Spike ran through the streets, scribbling on a borrowed piece of parchment. I turned my attention to Twilight, who was breathing shallowly on the floor. I surrounded her with the light blue glow of my horn and hefted her into the air. With a bit of effort, I heaved Twilight up the stairs and to her bed. I tucked her in and fell onto my butt in exhaustion. Contrary to the belief of many ignorant Earth Ponies and pegasi (namely Rainbow and Applejack), unicorn levitation is not limitless. In fact, most unicorns could only levitate that which they can lift without aid. Mathematically, a levitation spell is proportional 1.05 times to a unicorn's actual strength. Twilight would've been so proud of me for remembering that.

I stared at Twilight, my beautiful, fantastic Twilight with worry. I'd never seen Twilight sick before; Illness was for lesser ponies than her. Perfect ponies like Twilight never got sick. She'd laugh at that, me calling her perfect. She'd probably deny it, claiming that she was far from perfect. Her humility, of course, made her even more perfect.

"Rarity…" groaned Twilight before falling back into nothingness.

"It's okay, darling." I said. I grabbed her hand and flinched. Her skin was burning, the worst fever I had ever seen. I grit my teeth and clasped her hand in my own, begging anypony who would listen to let her be okay.

It was ten minutes before I heard Princess Celestia call my name. I begrudgingly left Twilight in her bedroom, and hurried down the stairs to the front door. Princess Celestia, surrounded by my friends, stood there, her horn glowing bright yellow and her face displaying a disturbing amount of fear.

"Hello, Princess." I said, looking over my shoulder. I could hear Twilight calling out to me.

"Is she going to be okay?" asked Fluttershy.

"What is even happenin?" asked Applejack.

"Twilight is sick." said Princess Celestia. "Very, very sick. In fact, if it wasn't for Twilight's own quick thinking, I would not be very hopeful for her recovery."

"What do you mean?" asked Rainbow. "Twilight's not gonna let herself die to some cold. Even though she's a nerd, she's still a nerd made of tougher stuff than that."

"Rarity, can you describe Twilight's symptoms?" asked Celestia.

"She seemed very grey, and her eyes are jaundicing. Also, she has a very high temperature. I didn't check properly, but I would guess at one-hundred ten." I reported. I heard a retching sound from the room upstairs. "And she is apparently nauseous." I added.

"I was afraid of this. I'm sorry to say, but Twilight had Horn Bane." said Celestia.

"What does comic books have to do with anything?" asked Pinkie. "And Bane doesn't have a horn. He has Venom."

"Horn Bane is a terribly strange, terribly potent unicorn virus that I thought died off years ago." explained Celestia. "It is unique from any other disease I've ever seen."

"In what way?" I asked.

"It infects one pony (mostly non lethally), interferes with their magic, and uses their body to reproduce more of the virus. These reproductions are many time stronger, and will kill any infected. The virus will kill off any life in the vicinity and be forced to use a dead body as a place of propagation, which leads to a much weaker virus. This virus infects a new unicorn and the process is repeated."

"It kills all who are infected." I repeated. "Am I infected?"

"Well… yes, but that brings me to the next oddity of Horn Bane." said Celestia. "It is classified as a unicorn illness, but it can only infect one unicorn at a time. It is right now tailored to Twilight's body and all reproductions will follow the schematics as if they were in Twilight's body. Your horn already subconsciously defended you from the virus."

"Wait just a second." said Applejack. "Ya'll heard her when she said 'mostly non lethally', right?"

"It is a very rare virus that I've only actually seen once before." said Celestia. "But, the reports of ponies surviving Horn Bane greatly outweigh the reports of ponies dying from it. About four in every five cases end in recovery. Considering that I only know of five cases, I think her odds are quite good."

"The time you saw it, did the pony make it?" asked Rainbow.

"Well… no. But, Starswirl the Bearded was not as resilient as Twilight is. I have no doubt that she will make a full recovery."

"Princess, I cannot leave the library." I said.

"No, I wouldn't expect you to be able to. Twilight knew she was sick, which is why she teleported Spike outside and conjured this barrier." said Celestia. "She knew you'd be immune, and she knew that she had to quarantine the library. When she is all better, she will remove the barrier."

"I know we ain't really supposed to think like this, but what if she don't?" asked Applejack. "What if she don't get better?"

"The longest recorded time for a spell holding it's form after the caster's death was a minute. I give Twilight five as a corpse before her shield disintegrates. But I doubt it will come to that, especially with Rarity by her side."

"Me? What am I to do?" I asked.

"You need to look after her." said the princess. "Give her medicine, feed her, help her in any way you can. The symptoms only get worse, and she will need your help."

"How much worse?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"In the best situation, Twilight will suffer from dementia, temporary blindness, deafness, and paralysis, not to mention rashes, blisters, nausea, fever, stomach ache, and loss of magic, over a seven-day period. Maybe longer."

"And in not the best situation?" asked Pinkie.

"She will suffer all of that and then stop breathing." said Princess Celestia.

"That won't happen. Twilight will fight through it." I said. "I will make sure of it."

"I'm sure she is in capable hands." said Celestia. "Twilight had the foresight and quick-thinking to make this barrier ineffective against non-living entities. That means that I will be able to supply you with food, water, and medication. I do not think I can stress this enough, nor do I think I have to, but you could be the difference between life and death for Twilight."

"Then I shall return to her side at once." I nodded. "Do not worry about her. She is in good hands."

"Do ya need anythin?" asked Applejack.

"Actually, yes. I need somepony to watch the Boutique, and to pick up Sweetie Belle. And, of course, I need a babysitter." I said.

"We'll handle it." said Rainbow Dash. "We'll split the work, right girls?" They all nodded, and I felt at least one weight rise off of my shoulders. I bid the girls and the princess farewell, then turned for the stairs. Twilight was yelling unintelligibly, making pathetic yelps of pain.

After I cleaned her vomit, I grasped her hand in my own, her burning, scorching hand. I couldn't do much more than stare at her. She kept whispering, words I couldn't quite catch. I leaned forward, but still couldn't pick it up. I brought my face even closer, barely three inches between us. What was she saying?

"Shining Armor!" she shouted. I fell onto my butt with a finger in my ear.

"There's no need to shout, my dear." I sighed.

Twilight's screaming did not subside, nor did her delusions that I was her older brother. I tried to make her as comfortable as possible, covering her with a nice blanket, fluffing her pillows, and elevating her hooves.

"Shining Armor." she groaned.

"I am not Shining Armor." I said softly. She was starting to scare me. "It's me, Rarity."

"Of course. I'm sorry." said Twilight, her eyes screwed up in pain. "Shining Armor!"

"I am not Shining Armor, darling. Shining Armor is in the Crystal Empire."

"Shining Armor, please answer me." she whispered. Her groans of pain nearly stopped my heart.

"Okay, okay. It's me, darling. Shining Armor." I said. "How can I help you?"

"Shining, my tummy hurts." she said.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Would you like some tea? Or some soup?" I offered.

"Please, Shiny, help me. I think I'm going to die." whispered Twilight. I froze immediately in terror. I put my hand to stomach and rubbed it slowly.

"Please don't say that, darling." I whimpered. "You'll be okay, I promise."

"Am I dying?" she asked.

"No! I promise, you will be okay. It will pass. If you want, I could make you some soup. Would you like that? Would you like some hot soup?"

"Where are my friends, Shiny? Why aren't they here?" she asked. I could feel her heart pounding in her chest, hard and quick and heavy.

"I'm here, Twilight. Rarity is here for you." I whispered. I felt like I could cry, in fear and worry. Twilight tensed up and flinched slightly upon hearing my name.

"Rarity? Rarity is here?" she asked, energy crackling in her voice. "Where is she? I have to tell her something."

"I'm right here, darling!" I said with a teary smile. "What do you need to tell me?"

"I-I I have to… Whatsgoingon?" muttered Twilight. She dropped limp, her heart beating much slower. I heard a quiet rumbling coming from my darling, her tiny snoring soothing in a way. She was finally done with her screaming, her pain had taken a break. She would be okay. I sighed in absolute relief that she had fallen asleep. She would need all the rest she could get, of course. I left her alone for just a moment to start a kettle of tea. When I had two cups poured and a dish of cookies, I took them to her on a tray. I sat it on her bedside table and stared at her.

"R-rarity?" she whispered finally. I jumped to her side, gripping her hand in my own. Still burning, even hotter somehow.

"I'm right here, darling." I said.

"What happened?"

"You are ill, my dear. Princess Celestia said that it is something called Horn Bane." I explained. "I'll be looking after you until you get better. I hope that your moment of madness has subsided."

"Madness? What do you mean?" asked Twilight, sitting up in her bed meekly.

"You somehow got into your head that I was Shining Armor." I passed her a cup of tea, which she accepted gratefully.

"Sorry. I don't know what got into me." she apologized. Her eyes fluttered slightly as she apologized, as if she knew how cute she was. That was impossible, of course. Beauty like Twilight's could not be put into words or mortal understanding.

"It's perfectly fine, darling. Though I admit I am curious of what you meant to tell me." I said.

"Hm?" asked Twilight, sipping from her mug.

"You said that you had something to tell me. Then, you fell asleep."

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember any of that." said Twilight, retiring her cup to the dresser.

"Did I make it too strong? I can fix you up a new batch, if you'd like." I offered.

"The tea? No, the tea was perfect. I'm roasting in here, is all." she said. No wonder she was hot; a hand to her fevered forehead nearly burned me. I removed her quilt and leaned her back onto her bed. She started to sweat slightly, and her temperature seemed to rise.

"I'm sorry if this makes you feel awkward," I said, pulling off her sweater. "but I can't have you over-heating." I expected her to have a shirt of some sort beneath the sweater, but she was in nothing but a lacey, black bra. Forget butterflies; I felt as if I had a whole wasp's nest in my stomach. There was some growling hunger in my gut, and it was spreading downwards.

My fingers traced the outline of Twilight's body, from her horn to her thighs. My lips pressed against hers, my tongue lashing and exploring the inside of her mouth. Her breathing dropped to a heavy panting; She was loving it as much as I was. I planted soft, wet kisses down her lovely purple stomach. With a bit of aid from my horn, I was able to drag her pants down her leg, showing me her heavenly indigo panties, with lighter blue stripes. One look from me asked permission, and one returned from her granted it. I brought the panties down to her knees and pressed my tongue against her warm, soft, succulent, wet…

I snapped out of my daydream before I lost myself in it completely. Anger filled my being, anger at myself. Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting, irredeemable behavior! Here she was, sick and with threat of death looming over her, and I was fantasizing about her!

"Is everything okay, Rarity?" asked Twilight, with a perplexed look on her face. She seemed to notice my self-hatred, but probably took it as anger towards her. As if I could ever be angry with her: My perfect Princess Twilight. Well, not "My" perfect Princess. I still did not muster up the courage.

"Nothing at all, dear. Just… bad eggplant for lunch." I fibbed. I wasn't totally lying. That eggplant parm was less than stellar.

"I'm the one who's supposed to be sick." chuckled Twilight. "Not you." She squinted her eyes in concentration, and her horn shot off sparks of white light.

"Princess Celestia said that you would be without your magic for a while." I said. "Anything you need done, I will be right here to do it for you."

"Thank you, Rarity. I appreciate the help." she said. Twilight straightened herself up, and stretched out her arms. I tried to think of a way to offer her a massage, but with each attempt, the massage ended in something a little more. In my head, at least.

"Ugh. My back is killing me." said Twilight. She cupped her hands around her breasts and pushed up. "These things are ridiculous." She was not wrong. They were quite large, larger than mine (Her giant "D"s to my humble "B"s). I caught myself staring more than once, sometimes in longing, sometimes in envy.

"At least you have them, dear." I said. "I'm as flat as a board."

"Some ponies would find that attractive. A lot, actually." reported Twilight, matter-of-factly. "Statistically, fifty-nine percent of stallions look for mares with smaller breasts. Apparently, a C-cup is terrifying."

"I can think of a few who would prefer larger breasts. I suppose it's a matter of preference." I said.

"Which do you prefer?" joked Twilight. Without thinking, I answered her question honestly.

"Larger." I said. We looked at each other with mirrored looks of embarrassment. Well, she looked embarrassed. I think "terrified" would be a better way to describe how I felt.

"Rarity? Are you… are you gay?" asked Twilight gently.

"I-I-I'm…" I stammered.

"It's perfectly fine if you are." she said. "I don't discriminate against anypony for anything. Besides, that would make me a hypocrite."

"What? Do you mean to say that you are also a lesbian?" I asked.

"Well, technically, no. I am, however, a pansexual."

"A what?"

"I don't blame you for not knowing. Most ponies see sexual orientation as strictly black and white." said Twilight grumpily. "It's not that simple. There's gay and straight, but there's much more than that. What about ponies who are gender-fluid? Let's say that, biologically, they're a mare, but they identify as a stallion. If they are attracted to men, does that make them gay or straight? Answer: Neither. It makes them pansexual; somepony who is attracted to others based on them, not their gender or lack thereof."

"I'd never even heard of such a thing." I said. "Fascinating."

"Try telling my parents that." grumbled my princess. Silence reigned over us both as we tried to decide where to go from there.

"I'm sorry, darling, I made it awkward." I apologized. "You're sick, you don't want to talk about your sexual orientation."

"No, no, it's okay. Feels good to say it." she huffed. "The only person besides you who knows is Shining Armor, and probably Spike."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have not come out to anypony myself." I said. "I've thought about telling Sweetie Belle, but I can't bring myself to do it."

"Maybe, one day, we'll get the strength within us, and we can come out together." said Twilight. It was moments like those that made me understand how hopelessly in love I was. She didn't need to say that, nor did she have to mean it, yet I knew she was serious. If I needed the support to come out of the closet, Twilight would be willing to help me. It took all of my willpower to refrain from confessing my love then and there. I told myself that there was a time and place, and that this was not it. Some part of me knew the truth; I was scared. How could I not be?

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked.

"A bit of a stomach ache, but nothing I can't handle." she said with a smile. "Please, stop worrying about me. I'll be fine."

"I know, I know." I whispered. "I can't help but be worried. Twilight, I couldn't bear to lose you. The girls and I, we'd be devastated." My heart was pounding like a piston in my chest. My lips moved on their own, and I added "I love you, Twilight."

"I love you guys, too." said Twilight. "You five are my best friends."

"Happy Hearts and Hooves Day." I said, trying my best not to be hurt. Of course she took my affection as plectonic. Why wouldn't she?

"And to you, as well. To think that this all started because my dad wouldn't leave me be when I said I didn't want to date Flash!" said Twilight. "I couldn't tell him that I'm not looking for stallions right now."

"I thought you said that it didn't matter." I pointed out.

"Well, it doesn't. But, for now, I'm searching for mares. If I come across a guy who I like, that's a different story."

"Why not?" I asked.

"There's likely a more scientific and proper way of saying this," said Twilight with a small grin. "But boobs are fun." Shortly after we were finished laughing, I cleared up Twilight's room. When I returned from washing dishes, Twilight was snoring quietly on her bed. On her stomach was a small cardboard box, with Princess Celestia's Cutie Mark plastered across the side. I curiously grabbed it up and read the note attached. Inside of the box was a syringe filled with bright green liquid, laying on a bed of foam peanuts.

"Twilight." I whispered, shaking her gently. She opened her eyes in a half-comatose state and muttered something I couldn't catch. It sounded oddly as if she were saying "five more minutes", which would explain her baby dragon's behavior.

"Twilight, darling, Princess Celestia sent you some medicine." I said. "It says I have to give it to you every six hours."

"Where's the pill?" muttered Twilight.

"There is no pill. Princess Celestia gave me a needle." I explained. Twilight shot upright at the word "needle", faster than I'd ever seen anypony move before.

"No!" she cried. "No needles!"

"Why ever not?" I asked.

"Promise not to tell anypony?" she said.

"Darling, just earlier today, we came out of the closet to each other." I said, rolling my eyes. "I do not think that your fear of needles is your biggest secret."

"I'm not scared of needles!" insisted Twilight. "I have a healthy caution and a reasonable hatred for them. Everypony in my family to ever take medication via needle has had terrible things happen."

"Like what?"

"Shining Armor, aged 17, took a trip to Saddle Arabia and had to be vaccinated for malaria." listed Twilight. "Now suffers from swollen veins and is at a huge risk of developing fibromyalgia. Twilight Velvet, aged 34, went in for a routine tetanus shot. The nurse missed her vein seventeen times before finally hitting the mark. When he did, they realised they gave her the wrong shot. Night Light, aged 35, was given a shot of novocain when getting a root canal. On his way home, he was struck by a steel I-beam being carried by two construction workers."

"I never took you as superstitious." I said, when I was sure she was done raving and ranting.

"I'm not superstitious! I know how to detect a pattern!" exclaimed Twilight.

"Even still, I need to give this to you. Will you hold still for me?" I asked. She eyed the needle nervously before shoving her wrist beneath my eyes. I re-read the directions on the side of the vial to make sure I was not missing anything important. Sure enough, there was a little sentence I overlooked.

"Twilight, darling? I have to inject you either on your inner thigh or right beneath your horn." I said. "Which would you prefer?"

"Eep! You have to stab me in the face?" she asked in horror.

"Or on the thigh."

"Easiest decision I've ever had to make." said Twilight. She rolled her pants down to her ankles and spread her legs apart slightly. Oh my…

"Twilight? Are you aware that you are not wearing any panties?" I asked. It took all of my power, but I averted my eyes and avoided leaping on her to have her right there. Twilight yanked her pants up quickly, blushing almost as furiously as I was.

"Of all the days to go commando." she said awkwardly.

"You didn't even put on underwear to visit your parents?" I asked in slight disappointment at her lack of class.

"I was rushing! Don't act like you've never been so busy that you forgot panties." she said.

"I do not believe I have."

"What about last year, with the whole Photo Finish debacle?" asked Twilight. "You forgot to wear panties then." I froze for a second, trying to remember. She was correct, but that wasn't important. How did she know?

"How… Nevermind. Under the horn it is, then." I said. I took an alcohol wipe and prepared the area of injection. I grasped Twilight's horn as gently as I could. As a unicorn, I understood how sensitive they were; I once brushed my horn against a doorway, and I was sore for weeks to come.

"On the count of three?" suggested Twilight. I nodded in agreement.

"One." I said. I quickly jabbed the needle just beneath the base of her horn, emptied the syringe, and pulled it out. "Three."

"Ah! Rarity!" yelped Twilight.

"I'm sorry, darling, but you would have found a way to put it off. The sooner I got it over with, the better." I said. "Please don't be too cross with me. I was just trying to be helpful."

"No, I appreciate it. That wasn't too terrible." she admitted. "You actually made that bearable. You could have Red Heart for her job."

"When I was a filly, I wanted to be a nurse." I said. "Then, I discovered I could sew. The rest, as they say, is history."

"I used to tell Shining that I wanted to be an Astronomical Marine Biologist." giggled Twilight.

"A what?" I asked, holding back a chuckle. Twilight had one of those laughs, small, quick, and nervous, a laugh that was impossible to hear without laughing at least a little yourself.

"It was something I made up. I would get into a spaceship, go into space, and study the animals that lived under water. In space." she explained, laughing still. "Shining was behind me the whole time. It was my dad who put an end to that fantasy."

"Why is it that I've never met your father?" I asked. "We've all been friends for ages, and I've never met any of your family." Twilight stopped laughing immediately, and took on a more serious expression.

"I haven't introduced you guys to my parents to ensure that we'd remain friends." she said. "I doubt that my dad would approve of you. Well, not you, but the others."

"Why would he not approve?" I asked.

"My dad is sort of old fashioned. He thinks a woman should sit with her legs crossed, and they should wear long dresses and skirts, and that they should be in the kitchen, or tend to the children. Looking at our friends, we have a workhorse in Applejack, an athlete in Rainbow, Fluttershy who works in the woods, and we don't have a word for what Pinkie Pie is yet. The only reason he let me leave the house and get a job is because my 'job' was learning from Princess Celestia."

"That doesn't seem very fair." I said. Just hearing about it made my feminism rise to the surface. "You don't agree with him, do you? I thought that thinking like that died off sixty years ago. Gender roles are ridiculous."

"Of course I disagree with my father, but what do you want me to do?" asked Twilight defensively. No, defensive doesn't do it justice. She was angry, furious, even. "He's my dad, Rarity. You can't change the way people think. Saying that he's wrong for thinking that way is just as bad as somepony saying you're wrong for liking girls."

As I let that sink in, Twilight turned over to her side and closed her eyes. Within minutes, she was snoring. I dragged myself from her room (watching one's crush sleep classifies as "creepy", right?) and took a seat in her living room.

"Just had to open your mouth." I muttered to myself. "You were having a moment, and you ruined it." I closed my eyes and took a little nap myself. My normally peaceful sleep was interrupted by a terrible dream. Princess Luna must've been trying to tell me something, but I didn't like the message.

In my dream, Twilight and I were standing in the middle of nowhere. I confessed my love, a trope of my dreams involving her, and she stared at me, just as normal. This time, however, she turned away and flew into the air. I followed her, walking through the sky of nothing. I grasped my love to bring her down to me, and she faded into dust.

Nothing of any consequence happened that first night. I served my darling Twilight a bowl of hot soup as provided by Princess Celestia. I informed the princess of Twilight's apparent recovery, but she didn't seem too convinced. According to her, the symptoms had a habit of playing possum for a while. She decided that Twilight and I would remain quarantined for several days even after we thought she was cured. If the contagion managed to spread, the casualties would be as plentiful as they'd be instantaneous.

When I informed Twilight of this on that first night, she agreed that it was the best course. If Twilight remembered our little spat, she hid the fact from me, which I was eternally grateful for. I brought it up once when she woke from her nap. I apologized and she just nodded as if nothing had happened at all.

We talked throughout the rest of the day, about anything and everything. We shared stories of our past, dreams for our future. We spoke of the moment we realized who we were, of our first crush.

"There was this filly." I said. "Her name was Infernal. Infernal Desire. She was just divine! Smart and funny, not to mention classy and sophisticated. She had these eyes, orange like the sunset. But, that was in secondary school. I realized quite soon that she was no good for me. You know how teenagers are; So much drama."

"I never even told mine." said Twilight. "Her name was Rainy. She was so sweet. She made me so nervous whenever I was around her. I actually had to get classes changed because she distracted me so much." I spared a glance out the open window. Through Twilight's glowing barrier of light, I could see that Celestia's sun had disappeared, and Luna's moon was claiming the sky.

"I think you could do with some sleep." I said. "What do you say?"

"I am sort of tired." said Twilight, stifling a yawn. She curled up in her bed, then shot me a strange sort of look. It seemed like she wanted to ask something, but couldn't get the words out.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Y-yeah. Sorry. Must be the Horn Bane." she said, yawning again. "I'm feeling light-headed."

"Plenty of rest, that's what you need. Doctor's orders." I said. I flashed my darling a small smile. "Good night, Twilight."

"Good night, Doctor Rarity." answered Twilight, giving me a smile herself. I laughed inwardly. She had bested me in the unofficial contest of "Who Has The Cutest Smile?". It goes without saying, but I never stood a chance.

---

I awoke at the crack of dawn the next day. I rose from Twilight's sofa and drowsily trudged into her kitchen. To my surprise, another box from Princess Celestia sat on the table. I opened it up and removed it's contents; a hot, steaming, cinnamon-fragrant bowl of oatmeal. Twilight absolutely loved cinnamon. She put it in almost everything, sometimes even ate it on it's own. She conquered that cinnamon challenge three times over without so much as coughing.

I brought the oatmeal to her bedroom, where she was still sleeping. I laid the bowl on her bedside table and took a seat at the foot of her bed. Twilight needed sleep, so sleep she would. I let my mind wander, flashing from thoughts of my sister, to thoughts of Twilight, to thoughts of what my sister would think if she knew I was having these thoughts.

"Mmmm! Do I smell cinnamon?" said Twilight drowsily. She propped herself up and opened her eyes. She looked around in surprise, and she pressed her hands against the bed in search of something.

"Haha, very funny." said Twilight, although she did not seem very amused. "Care to take the blindfold off?"

"Blindfold? There is no blindfold, darling." I said. My heart dropped into my stomach and slowly began to stew. "Twilight?"

"Oh my God! Rarity! I can't see!" yelped Twilight, grasping at her face. Her breathing grew more ragged with each breath. She seemed to be on the brink of an anxiety attack, which she is so famous for.

"Twilight, darling, it'll be okay." I said, grasping her hand. It was still burning hot. "Princess Celestia warned us. She said that temporary blindness was one of the symptoms."

"I can't see! Oh my…. Rarity, what am I going to do?" asked Twilight. "What if I don't make it?"

"Don't speak like that! You will make it, I promise you!" Hearing her talk like that froze my blood. I felt as if I had swallowed a bundle of snakes that were slithering around my gut.

"I'm not so sure. I've never felt sick like this before. Rarity, I think you should start preparing the girls for the worst."

"I promise you, Twilight, that you will make it." I said. I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince, her or myself.

"We all die someday, Rarity. Maybe today is my day." She slumped down onto her bed, laying limp. I could see the tears welling in her eyes. "There's so much I haven't done in my life. I've never been to Los Pegasus, I've never been able to see Halley's Comet. I've never even had my first kiss. I'm going to die before I get to live."

"I won't let you die, Twilight." I said. She chuckled darkly, and it was obvious that she had her doubt.

"I thought I appreciated my life, but I really didn't." she said. "I took so much for granted. It's funny, really. You go through life assuming that you'll see the light of the next day, but there's no way for you to know that. What if your end is tomorrow? There's so little time to say so many things that need to be said. Not enough room for all of the 'I love you's or the 'you make me smile's. You never tell another pony how you feel because you think you have another day."

Her words reverberated in my head, and I knew she was right. Something overtook me, and I grabbed her hand as tightly as I could. I brought her palm to my chest, right over my heart.

"Twilight Sparkle, you are my best friend in the entire world." I said. "I love you, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. You're right; There's not enough time to say everything you need to say. That is why people have friends, because a true friend knows what is going to be said without anypony opening their mouths. It's not about the words that you never said, but the words you did say, and what you know to be true."

Twilight's entire body began to tremble slightly. I was afraid that I had hurt her feelings, and my mind instantly started racing to find a way to make it up to her. However, it soon became apparent that her shaking was from laughter.

"You are amazing." she said with a huge grin. "Not many people can lift the spirits of the terminally ill." She grabbed my hand in hers and pressed my palm against her heart, which was beating like Pinkie on the drums.

"You're completely right." she continued. "It's about what is said. It's about the seconds that we experience, not the hours that could have been."

"Now, I am not going to let you die. I am going to make sure you are comfortable and cared for until you are all better." I said. "I am going to feed you your oatmeal, then we are going to do something that makes you happy. What would you like to do?"

"Honestly? I just want to read." admitted Twilight. "Obvious issues."

"I will read to you. But that's only after you eat your breakfast." I took the bowl back (it was miraculously still warm) and brought a spoonful to Twilight's mouth. "Open up."

She popped open her mouth, and I tipped the spoonful into her mouth. Although Twilight always tried to seem indifferent and serious, she did an awful job of it. One spoonful of cinnamon goop was enough to visibly paint joy onto her face.

"Rarity, I really appreciate your doing this." said Twilight between mouthfuls. "Not many people would put up with me for this long."

"I would walk to the ends of Equestria and back, twice over on my hands, if that's what it took to make you better." I said.

"Why can't I find a guy or girl more like you?" she asked brainlessly. "I want to date somepony just like you. Are you the last of your kind?"

"Hehe." I chuckled nervously. Twilight was a certifiable genius, but for the love of Celestia, she could be an oblivious idiot. Dear lord, I wanted to cry when I heard that. She completely ignored me as anything more than a friend. I know I should've been grateful that she even saw me as that, but it still hurt.

"Are you okay, Rarity?" asked Twilight after she finished breakfast. "You seem off."

"I'm fine." I lied. "I didn't sleep very well. Oh, I had this dream, and it's been keeping me up for a while now."

"What sort of dreams?" she asked seriously.

"Oh, it's nothing. I don't want to worry you." I said. I stood up and, somehow, Twilight managed to grab both of my wrists with her burning, blistering hands.

"I have studied Oneirology and Psychoanalysis. I could've gotten a doctorate in both, but I was too focused on my studies of Sorcery, Alchemy, and the Arcane Arts. In three years, you'll start calling me 'Doctor' Twilight." explained Twilight. "I can easily help you explain the meaning of your dreams. It'll be no trouble to me, and it'll help you sleep easier. So just talk to me about it."

"It's silly. It's about this girl, and I don't want to talk about her." I muttered.

"You don't have to say any names if you don't want to." she promised. "And I won't tell anypony else, obviously. Doctor/patient confidentiality." I let out a sigh. Perhaps Twilight was correct. I'd never talked about how I felt to anypony, and who better than her, the cause of the problem?

"I have this dream all the time." I said. "Ever since I met the girl, I've been having this dream. We're standing there, in a field of nothing. We always look each other in the eyes, and we smile at each other. Nopony speaks at first, and then I drop to my knees. I tell her how much I love her, and then she turns and walks away."

"Hm… It likely means that you're afraid of being rejected. Also, the fact that you always speak first symbolizes your desire to work up the courage to say something." said Twilight. "Her silence before walking away probably means that you are afraid that she'll completely ignore you. Either that or you're afraid of ruining the relationship you already have."

"It changed last night. This time, I followed her when she flew away. I grabbed her hand, and poof." I said. "She vanished into dust."

"Interesting. For some reason, you're afraid of losing her forever. Is she sick or something?" asked Twilight. "Or is she involved in some… less than safe activities?"

I stood quiet for a second. She had reasoned out all of that, but still didn't know who I was referring to? I thought that perhaps she was humoring me, that this was her way of saying she wasn't interested. It was what I did to Spike, after all. It was much easier than just coming out and saying it, but easy is not always best. At that moment, I decided that I would come clean with Spike next time I saw him.

"Rarity? Is this girl doing things that could get you or her in trouble with the law?" asked Twilight. Her voice was heavy with concern. "Please don't lie to me. If she might get you in trouble, I need to know."

"It's nothing like that." I said, although I sounded rather unconvincing.

"If she is breaking the law, I don't want you to get swept up into it. Please, if you ever think that you might be getting in over your head, please tell me." said Twilight. "I'm your friend, and I want to help you."

"I know, and I promise that I would tell you if that was the case." I said. "Twilight, I don't want you worrying about me while you're sick like this. How about that book, then? Anything in particular?"

Twilight didn't seem to believe me, but she dropped the subject nonetheless. She pointed out a book, which I grabbed and pulled open. I hopped up on the bed next to her and read to her whatever story she had asked me. One book turned into two, then three and four, and, before I knew it, the sun had begun to set. At some point into the fifth book, I caught her stifling a yawn.

"Bed for you, darling." I said. "There's no point in keeping yourself up."

"Okay." she yawned. "I guess I am pretty tired." She curled up to her side and closed her eyes. I jumped to my hooves, hugged her, and went for the door.

"Goodnight, darling." I said. I turned to head downstairs when Twilight finally decided to speak up.

"Wait!" she called. "Please don't go!" I stopped in the doorway and stared at her. She seemed very upset and flustered, but I couldn't imagine why.

"I'll only be downstairs." I said.

"Can I ask you a favor?" said Twilight. "Would you mind… Can you please… Sleep in my bed? With me?"

I fell away from the world, slipping into a universe which consisted of nothing more than Twilight and I, neither of whom wanted to do much more than snuggle for all of eternity. I could almost smell her spellbinding aroma of books and freshness, of things both old and new. I wanted to scream "Yes!", to jump onto the bed with her and hug her and squeeze her and kiss her forever… There is such a thing as too eager, isn't there?

"I know it's silly, and I understand if it makes you uncomfortable." said Twilight sadly. "It's just that without my eyes, I feel really vulnerable. I know that I'd be sleeping, but I wake up all the time and look around, and I would feel much safer if somepony was right here with me."

"Are you sure that I wouldn't be intruding or anything of that sort?" I asked.

"No, of course not! I asked you, after all. Is it too much to ask?" asked Twilight. I slipped into bed next to her, spooning against her warmly so that her hair was right against my nose. It was at that moment that I realized how thankful I was for being born a mare. If I were a stallion in this predicament, things might have started heading south.

"Goodnight, Rarity." said Twilight. I placed my hand against her shoulder, her boiling hot shoulder. She grabbed my hand firmly and brought it around her completely. She rested my palm against her pillow and nuzzled her nose against my hand. She fell asleep almost immediately, but I didn't sleep a wink that night. I wanted to savor every beautiful, peaceful moment of that night. For just a moment, I forgot that Twilight was sick and that she had shoved me into what they call the "friend-zone". I was able to forget that I would be trapped there for a week, or more. I forgot that my best friend, and the love of my life, might be dead soon. The bliss of forgetting was liberating. I was able to sit there for hours, listening just listening to my blind love breathe. The perfection of the moment stirred some longing deep in me; I wanted every night to be like this.

"I love you, Twilight." I whispered. "I love you."

She snored lightly, oblivious to my continued presence.

"I thought you'd say that." I muttered before falling back into the hypnosis of her calm, rhythmic breathing.

I moved to the kitchen before I was truly awake. I didn't remember leaving my darling, or why I would ever want to. But, before I knew it, I was in the kitchen, holding another care package from Princess Celestia. In this box was a half dozen eggs, a pack of vegetarian bacon, and other little bits and bobs for breakfast. There was also a note, which read: "Only the whites. Yolks can upset one's stomach". Obvious, but not everypony knew that.

I separated the yolks from the whites and carefully threw them into a pan. I added salt, pepper, spinach, and cheese before folding it into an omelette. Meanwhile, I fried up the bacon and toasted some bread. Soon enough, when breakfast was finished, I plated it and put it on a tray. I set a kettle on the stove and grabbed the tray with a smile.

"I can be so thoughtful." I said to myself. I thought about last night, how warm and comforting it felt curled up against Twilight. It was the best sleepless night I'd ever had, and I hoped that there would be more nights like them coming.

By the time I reached the top of the stairs, Twilight was already sitting up and clumsily brushing her mane. I grabbed the brush with magic and aided her while I sat the tray of food on her bedside dresser, sitting myself at the foot of her bed.

"Good morning, darling." I said. "I hope you slept well last night."

"I did indeed, thanks to you. I really do appreciate your doing that." said Twilight brightly. "Not many people would do something so silly for me. You're a good friend, Rarity."

"You mustn't paint me out to be a hero. I am just trying to make sure you get better as soon as possible." I said modestly. "I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

"Of course." She sniffed the air deeply. "Ooh! Did you make eggs?"

"Open wide." I said, smiling at the almost childish way she complied. I fed her a small bite of egg, which she swallowed immediately. In less than a minute, she had eaten half of her plate, much to my shock.

"I'm not sure you should be eating so fast, Twilight." I said, although I shoveled food into her mouth as fast as she could consume it. "So much food in such a short period of time could hurt your stomach. Especially since you're sick."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on, but I'm starving." she said through a mouthful of omelette. "Normally, I'd say my eyes were bigger than my stomach, but I can't exactly see it."

"So your eyes are still failing?" I felt a pang of pity. I hadn't noticed how dull her eyes were, how they stared and stared but saw nothing. It was horrifying, seeing her blank expression. Even worse than her former hopelessness was her gaze of blankness.

"They're getting better. I'm able to see shadows now." said Twilight. She sat up slightly straighter. "What's that sound?"

"What sound?" I asked. I placed the plate on her lap and listened, straining my ears to catch any sound in the house. After a few moments of concentration, I heard the tiny, faint whistling of the kettle downstairs.

"It's the tea." I said. "How did you hear that?" Twilight shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess my brain spent all the energy that I'd normally use on seeing for hearing." said Twilight. She picked the plate from her lap and slowly started feeding herself.

"I'm going to go check the kettle. Will you be okay?" I asked. Twilight nodded, grunting out an "Uh-huh" through a mouthful of egg. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Twilight wasn't exactly tiny, but she didn't look like she could eat like a stallion twice her size, either. Which she could. The trips to The Hay Burger still manage to baffle me.

I bustled downstairs, making a cup of tea for Twilight and, after a second of thought, a cup of coffee for myself. I was no stranger to "all-nighters", but I needed to be as alert as possible in order to care for Twilight. Just as I took a sip of my scalding, black coffee, I heard a strange, almost metallic PING!

"What in the world?" I asked nopony.

PING!

PING!

"Rarity, I would like to speak to you." called Princess Celestia. "Please come to the door at once." I took another sip and hurriedly made my way to the door. I pulled it open and smiled at Princess Celestia. She didn't return my smile. To the contrary, she looked rather grim.

"Hello, Princess." I said, sipping my coffee.

"How is Twilight doing?" asked Celestia, wasting no time. The way she spoke made it seem as if she had no time to waste.

"It's hard to say. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, but her eyesight hasn't returned." I reported. "She said that it's coming back slowly, but I don't know how much I believe that. She's eating quite a bit, so that's a good sign, right?"

"No. That's a terrible sign." groaned Celestia. She began pacing back and forth, running her fingers over her temples. "That most likely means that the virus is mutating. The virus is going to either sap Twilight of her nutrients to try and kill her through malnutrition or trick her into thinking she needs more nutrients to kill her through hyperalimentation."

"That's overnutrition, correct?" Celestia nodded. "Well, those are both problems that could be solved rather easily. We have to either feed her more or less."

"Yes, except we do not know which is happening. We won't know until the autopsy. Perhaps I'm overreacting, but I cannot see any reason why the virus would mutate other than to kill Twilight." said Celestia. She stopped her pacing and dropped her hands to the side. "I have an idea, but neither of you will be very keen for it."

"I will do anything to make Twilight feel better." I said.

"You have to starve her, and then draw her blood. I might be able to check her plasma and decide from there. It is of the utmost importance that you do not feed her anything but room-temperature water for the next two days." said Celestia. "Has she eaten yet today?"

"Yes. I cooked those eggs you sent us."

"I was hoping that I'd make it here before the package." said Celestia angrily. "Definitely starve her until sunset, two days from now. No food at all, and the water should be warm. That will help her digest anything she already has in her and it will help blood circulation, so I get a more average vial of plasma."

"Okay. I don't think Twilight will be very happy with me, though." I said.

"Twilight's temporary, minor annoyance with you is far better than her death, is it not?" asked Celestia, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course! I'm sure I can handle it, and make it tolerable for her in some way. Is there anything else I should be doing for her?"

"I will be sending a package shortly, containing another dose of medication for Twilight." said Celestia. "This syringe is slightly larger, and Twilight will likely resist. It is imperative that you get the medicine into her before sunset, no matter how hard you have to fight her."

I nodded and turned for the stairs. Something stopped me before I took a step, something about Princess Celestia. The princess normally was powerful to the point of intimidation, and always level-headed and placid. However, something was off about her.

"Princess Celestia?" I asked. "Are you worried?" Celestia chuckled darkly.

"Worried? Not the word I would have used, but I suppose you are rather close." she said.

"You're afraid. Is that it? You're scared." I said.

"Twilight is the closest thing to a daughter that I will ever be able to have. Ever since I found her, she has looked up to me. In her eyes, I do not have a concept of fear." said Celestia. "But, oh yes. I am terrified. I have not eaten or slept since her she fell ill. Even my magic is suffering. Every second of the day, I am waiting for the letter saying that Twilight has finally passed, with nopony able to do anything for her. Not even myself."

"Even if worst comes to worst, you did all you could do." I said. I felt bad for Celestia, and pity was not something I thought I would ever feel for the powerful Princess of Equestria. I turned back to face her and gasped; Tears silently ran down her face.

"Rarity, I understand that you and I have never been especially close. Our relationship has always been that of worker and her employer." said Celestia. "If I were not who I am, I am sure we would be the closest of friends. But this is not the case, unfortunately. I think what I am trying to say is that I appreciate your efforts to comfort me. I appreciate it enough to save you the trouble by telling you to stop. I will not be at peace until Twilight has recovered."

"And I promise you, Princess, I promise that she will." I said firmly. I was almost scolding Celestia. "I swear to you that I will make sure Twilight survives this." She choked out a laugh, masked by a sob.

"Don't tell her I was here." said Celestia. "If she asks, tell her… I don't even know. I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out. Just don't let her know I spoke to you, okay?"

I nodded obediently, although I couldn't imagine why Celestia would ask me to conceal such information. Still, it wasn't my place to question her; Princess Celestia most likely knew what she was doing. Princess Celestia smiled sadly at me before turning and flapping her wings, rising into the air. A dozen or so feathers fell to the ground gently. I grabbed one with my magic and lifted it through the barrier and into my palm. I gripped it tightly before closing the front door.

"This entire situation is getting rather strange." I muttered. I pocketed the feather and set off to return to my darling Twilight. When I made it to her room, I found her sitting quietly with her eyes closed.

"Sorry about that." I said. "Somepony was at the door."

"And who was that?" asked Twilight, her eyes still clamped shut. Her tone was cold and sharp, nothing at all like I expected from her.

"Nopony, really. It was just somepony who wanted to know about the quarantine." I lied. "I didn't catch their name."

"What did they look like? Was it a mare or a stallion?" she asked.

"Uh… She was a mare." I said uneasily. "It isn't important. Let's just-"

"What race was she? Unicorn? Pegasus? Earth Pony?"

"Unicorn, I'd say." I said cautiously. Twilight sounded very untrusting, as if everything I was saying was under investigation. I tried again to change the subject, but Twilight refused to leave it alone.

"Was she a white unicorn?" asked Twilight. "We have a few here in Ponyville."

"Yes." I said.

"Well, that narrows it down. Was it Fleur? Fleur Dis Lee?" asked Twilight. "Or was it Black Marble? Vinyl Scratch?"

"No. It wasn't any of them. Is there something you'd like to-"

"Or perhaps it was Princess Celestia." said Twilight. I froze in place, confirming Twilight's suspicions. "I'm going to ask you once, and please, don't lie to me any more. Why was Princess Celestia here?"

"I… How did you know?" I asked.

"Don't dodge the question. What was Celestia doing here?" asked Twilight again, but far sterner this time.

"She was checking on you, and giving me instructions. She told me not to tell you that she came." I admitted.

"I just asked you not to lie to me, Rarity. I was hoping that you would listen." said Twilight in disappointment.

"I'm not lying!"

"Funnily enough, almost every liar says that after a lie."

"I swear, Twilight, I'm not lying to you. I would never-" I stopped myself before I lied again.

"You would never what? Never lie to me twice in the same day? Look, Rarity, I can't take anything you say for gospel anymore. You have to prove to me that you're capable of telling the truth. Until you do, I'll treat everything you say as if it were a lie."

"If you assume that I'm lying, how will I prove that I'm being honest?" I asked.

"Exactly. The point, Rarity, is not to lie. You really should know this by now. We've been friends with Aj for how long?"

"I'm sorry, but what did you want me to do? Princess Celestia herself as good as ordered me not to tell you." I said. "Is it just okay for me to start disobeying Celestia now?"

"Rarity, I'm too tired to argue with you over what is morally acceptable. Just tell me why Celestia decided to drop in." said Twilight, slumping down in her bed. I sighed and ran my hand through my mane.

"She wanted to see how you were doing. She said that I have to starve you until tomorrow and then draw your blood."

"She's afraid of overnutrition?" asked Twilight. "Impossible. I'm starving, so I need something in me."

"She thinks it might be the Horn Bane." I said. "Apparently, it's mutating. She needs a blood sample tomorrow and she's going to deliver another dose of medicine. Please don't fight me when I give it to you."

"I won't. Or maybe I'm lying." grumbled Twilight. She rolled to her side, putting her back towards me.

"Do you know why she had me lie?" I asked, finally understanding it myself. "She thinks that you're going to die. No, she doesn't think so. She knows it. She knows that you're going to die, but she doesn't know when. It's driving her mad."

"Well, it's no secret that my survival would be against the odds." said Twilight.

"I expect that this means the odds are stacked against you even more. And she didn't want you to know. She wanted you to die brainlessly and at peace." I choked.

"And what makes you say that?"

"She's molting. That's not normal for pegasi, is it? For about twelve feathers to fall out for no reason?" I asked. "It's stress, isn't it? She doesn't think you have long. She doesn't want you to think about it."

She stayed silent, feigning sleep. I let out a sigh and pressed the feather into Twilight's hand before departing for the sofa, where I let myself fall into a deep, comfortable sleep.

I sat in darkness, twirling my battered, dented crown around my finger. The formerly shining crown was dull and faded, and the gem of a six-point star, my Cutie Mark, was cracked down the middle. The gold melted in my hands, puddling on the floor, as feathers and dust rained from the sky. I coughed and sputtered, flapping into the air to get away from the filth. I shrouded my horn in lavender light, teleporting away. More dust fell from the sky, sticking to my skin, coating my lungs. I fell to the ground, laying on my back. Then, Rarity's trembling white hand gripped the lid of my casket and slammed it shut.

I awoke midway through my scream, with terror plaguing my body. I'd never screamed as loud or as long as I did just then, not once in my life. I'd never been so scared ever, and I wasn't sure why this dream was so terrifying. I'd had nightmares that were far more intense and scary in the conventional sense, but this hit me hard, and in an unexpected way. It was so gut-wrenching that I felt slightly ill. Perhaps it was the way the dream took place, with me looking through my darling's eyes. I felt her hacking and coughing as if it was my own. Her fear, her pain, all were shared with me. Tears from nowhere broke through my eyes and ran down my face. I shook and sobbed silently, trying to get a grasp of my mind. My evil, terrible, rude mind. It wouldn't let me stop worrying. If I could, I'd make my brain stop worrying. I'd make it stop being in love with Twilight. If I could, I'd make myself a normal mare who could fall for a normal stallion who was within my league. But alas…

"Rarity!" Twilight called. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, dear." I answered. I rested my face in my palms. "Don't worry."

"Rarity, I'm coming down there. Something is wrong about you." she said. I heard her struggle to pull herself to her hooves, and a tiny gasp of pain that she thought she could hide.

"Don't hurt yourself, darling. I'm on my way up anyway." I said quickly. I dried my face and ran to the kitchen. I grabbed a jug and filled it with water, then brought it with me up to Twilight's room.

She was halfway to her door by the time I got there. I hovered the jug over to her dresser and grasped her wrists gently. I walked her back to her bed and settled her down.

"You wanted to see me, Twilight?" I asked.

"Yes. I've been thinking. You said that Celestia thinks that the virus is mutating." said Twilight. "I'm worried about what that could mean. Not just for me, but for you."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Twilight tensed slightly, so small a movement that I almost missed it.

"Celestia says it's mutating and then that same day you wake up screaming bloody murder." she said. "I don't think this is coincidence. I don't want to scare you or anything, but I think you might be infected."

"We already knew I was infected, darling." I said, ignoring the growing discomfort and nausea in my stomach. "Princess Celestia said that it was harmless to me. My body was able to defend itself."

"Well, what if she's wrong? I want you to give in a sample of your blood as well. The last thing we need is for you to be sick and us not know it."

"Alright, Twilight. Whatever it will take to calms your nerves." I said. She reached over and picked up the jug, taking a sip. "I take it you can see again?"

"Well, it's not black, which is good. Everything is kinda hazy, though." she said. She drained half of the gallon in a second.

"Somepony's thirsty." I noted. I pressed my hand against her forehead, and recoiled immediately. Her temperature was through the roof, hotter than anything I'd ever felt before.

"Something like that. Can you go into my medicine cabinet and grab me an aspirin? I have a splitting headache." said Twilight. I got to my hooves and headed to the bathroom, returning a short second with an unlabeled orange pill bottle. I popped it open and handed Twilight one of the little white tablets. She brought it to her eyes and studied it for a minute before blushing vibrantly.

"Um… The other bottle, please." she said sheepishly. "Although I should probably take this one, too. I mean, I haven't needed it yet, but you can't be too careful."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Uh… This is birth control."

I sincerely hoped that Twilight couldn't see how ruby red I blushed. She chuckled nervously as she popped the pill into her mouth while I went and retrieved the other bottle, with the aspirin that she asked for.

"I hope this is the right one." I said nervously, handing her the bottle. She gazed at the pill for a moment, then shook her head.

"This is Spike's hemorrhoid medication." said Twilight. I verbally yelped, and Twilight laughed loudly before tossing the pill into her mouth.

"Joking, joking." giggled Twilight. She drowned the aspirin in more water and leaned back. "I can't believe you couldn't tell the difference between the pills."

"Well, darling, I've never had hemorrhoids before." I said. Twilight laughed and spewed water from her mouth. If it had been anypony else, I would've been disgusted. However, something about how delicately she showed her impolite, mannerless side just added to her charm.

"I meant the birth control! How come you didn't know the difference?" asked Twilight. "I know the pills are similar, but any mare could've told you the difference."

"I've hardly had any reason to take it." I said. Twilight looked befuddled. I suppose she was trying to understand what I meant. This was another classic example of the genius Twilight managing not to grasp the obvious.

"How is that possible? As gorgeous as you are, you're telling me that you've never… Uh… You've never needed it?" asked Twilight in confusion. "I mean, I look okay, and even I have almost needed to take the pill. How could somepony as pretty as you-. Oh!"

"Yes." I said simply. I smiled, mostly because Twilight thought I was pretty. Almost everypony thought I was pretty, but hearing it from somepony who truly was beautiful was spirit-lifting.

"Yeah, right. I guess you wouldn't need it. Geez, I don't know how I forgot." chuckled Twilight. "I guess I'm still getting used to the idea."

"You and me both." I muttered.

"Hey, I just thought of something. If you've known this about yourself since high school, what was that whole thing with Blueblood? And Trenderhoof?"

"Blueblood was a prince, and I've always dreamed of being a princess, ever since I was a filly. I saw a chance to be one, and I suppose my desire was stronger than what I knew to be the truth." I said. "As for Trend, I was trying to force myself to be attracted to stallions. He just happened to be in town, and he seemed to be a pony I could fall for. As you can see, it didn't quite pan out."

"Why would you try to force something like that?" asked Twilight.

"You know how emotional I can get. I got depressed, and I wanted to be…" I began, struggling to find the right words.

"Normal? Yeah, I know the feeling. I try to act normal whenever I'm talking to my dad." said Twilight.

"It's not fair. Why do we have to try to be normal? What makes us so different?" I asked. "Some ponies like mares, and some like stallions. I just happen to like mares, and that somehow makes me odd?"

"I agree. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Maybe one of these days, people will start to understand that we're all cut from the same cloth." said Twilight. She chugged the last of the water and dropped the jug onto the dresser. I grabbed it up and brought it downstairs to the kitchen where I filled it with more water. I chuckled slightly at the events that transpired upstairs.

"Thank lord for birth control." I said to myself. Whatever arguments we had earlier had vanished into jokes about birth control and hemorrhoids which, while not my favorite subjects, were favorable to my lie.

PING!

PING!

"Owie!" I heard a tiny little voice yelp. I dropped the jug and ran to the entrance, ripping the door open widely. Sweetie Belle was standing just outside the quarantine wall, gripping her finger in pain. I wanted to lean forward and hug her through the glass, and I could tell she wanted to do the same.

"Sweetie Belle!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, sis! How are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here? Did you sneak away from the girls? They're supposed to be watching you! Is today Rainbow Dash's day to watch you? I bet you it is. Ooh, that mare makes me so angry sometimes! Next time I see her, I'm going to-"

"Relax, sis! It's not even Rainbow Dash. I just came to ask you a few things." said Sweetie Belle. "Where do you keep the silver thread?"

"Why do you ask?" I said fearfully.

"An order just came in for silver accents on a dress, and I can't find that thread anywhere."

"You're taking orders? Sweetie Belle! We've talked about this!" I said in exasperation. Whenever my little sister picked up a sewing needle, calamity ensued. "You're not supposed to start doing Boutique work yet! You're not ready! Oh, I probably have so much work to do when I get home! I have corrections to make, apologies to write-"

"Give me a little credit! I know that I'm not the best at dressmaking-" said Sweetie Belle. I scoffed, but she ignored it. "Which is why I thought you'd be happy to know that Ms. Fluttershy picked up your extra work."

"Oh, thank goodness. The silver thread is under my bed, in a black, metal box." I said.

"The one that says 'Stay out Sweetie Belle' or the one that says 'Stay out everypony!'?" she asked.

"The one that says 'Stay out Sweetie Belle'!" I said quickly. "Nopony is allowed into that other box, regardless of anything. Sweetie Belle, if you look in that box, I'll know, and you'll be in deep trouble. Stay out of that box!"

"Alright, geez! The other thing I came to ask you was about Princess Twilight." said Sweetie. "Do you know what her favorite type of flower is?"

"She likes Casablanca Lilies and Night Bloom Water Lilies." I answered, as if the knowledge was basic. "Why?"

"I had this great idea to make her a little care package! Scootaloo and Applebloom are helping, too." said my little sister excitedly. "We're gathering her favorite flowers, candles, chocolates and stuff to give to her. We have the card done, we just need some goodies."

"She likes lavender and coconut candles, skip any chocolates with caramel, and she likes almonds." I listed. "Also, pretty much anything with cinnamon."

"Thanks, sis." said Sweetie Belle. She pulled a pen from her pocket and scribbled onto her palm, regardless of how often I told her not to. "Uh… One last question. When are you coming home?"

"I'm not sure. You understand what is going on, right?" I asked.

"No! Nopony told me anything!" whined Sweetie. "Ms. Applejack picked me up from school and they said you weren't going to be coming home for a while. Nopony said anything else, just that they would take care of me until you came back. The only reason I know Twilight is sick is because of Spike."

"How is Spikey? I know this must be hard on him." I said guiltily. I had hardly spared the poor baby a thought during this entire ordeal.

"He's… He's worried. He won't stop writing letters. I think it helps him keep from crying." said Sweetie Belle. "He just writes these letters to nopony. Never lets anypony read them, either."

"Could you keep a watch out for him?" I asked. "I think it would make both Twilight and myself feel a little better if you could raise his spirits."

"Of course! Me and the girls have been keeping him company." she said with a smile. "He's been making cookies with us! Oh, I'll bring you a batch later."

"I appreciate it, but I shouldn't be eating anything for a day or two." I said. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.

"I swear, they're not terrible! Spike taught me how to cook really well. The third batch was hardly burnt at all!"

"No, no, it's not that. I'm supposed to be fasting until day after tomorrow." I said. "Twilight thinks I might be ill as well."

"Oh my god... Are you okay?" she asked. She pressed her hand against the barrier. "Is it bad?"

"Of course not. I don't think I'm sick at all." I answered. "It's Twilight I'm worried about."

"She's getting better, right?" I didn't answer immediately. The truth is, I wasn't positive that she was getting better. Of course, there was nothing to suggest that she was getting worse. The more I thought about it, the less certain I was. I felt as if a rock had fallen and landed in my stomach.

"I'm sure she is." I said finally. "Go on, Sweetie. You'll have to move quickly if you want to finish your gift by tonight."

"Right! Bye, Rarity! I'll be sure to visit you more!" she said. She turned and ran, dropping her pen in the process. I tried to grab it with my horn, but couldn't quite get a grip on it. I felt like I was trying to lift an anvil. Sparks surged from my horn as my magic failed again and again. I turned to return to Twilight and heaved vomit onto the floor.

I was infected. I didn't know how, but I was infected. I couldn't stop throwing up. I vomited for… Minutes? Hours? I couldn't be sure. It must've been a while, because Twilight had time to get down to me before I had finished.

"Oh my god! Rarity!" she yelped. I felt her hand press against my shoulder. It wasn't nearly as hot as before.

"What's happening?" I mumbled. I doubt that Twilight understood me; Instead, she grabbed my arm and hooked it over the back of her neck. She guided me upstairs, I assume. I could barely keep my eyes open. My blood became sharp stones, scraping and scratching at my veins.

"Rarity. Rarity!" said somepony. I think it was Twilight. Or maybe it was Sweetie Belle. "How are you feeling? What are you feeling?"

"TIred." is all I could manage to say. Applejack leaned me back onto her bed softly. I felt myself melt into the soft blankets. They smelled like lavender. That was odd. Fluttershy hates lavender.

"It's okay, Rarity. Sleep. Get some rest." Pinkie said softly. "I'll talk to Celestia…" I'm sure she said more, but I couldn't grasp it. I must've blacked out, because I heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing, for the next few hours. It was as if I were dead. Maybe I was.

---

I sat up sharply in bed. There was some sort of jackhammer slamming against the inside of my skull. Other than the splitting headache, I felt fine. Then I realised that I was in Twilight's bed, which couldn't be good.

"Are you alright?" A pained, straining whisper. It took me a moment to discern the speaker, she sounded so off-color.

"Twilight?" I asked frightfully. She took in a deep rattling breath from my right. I was almost too afraid to look. As soon as I did, I wished I hadn't. Her eyes were waxy and yellow, with pus dripping from the corners. Each breath was obviously a battle, one that Twilight won by the skin of her teeth. There was a splattered stain of something acrid and yellow on her shirt, as well as on the corners of her mouth.

"What happened?" asked Twilight. She tried to push herself from her seat, but fell back almost immediately. "Tell me exactly what happened."

"I was talking to Sweetie Belle…" I started, interrupted by the sudden fit of Twilight's coughs.

"Go on! We don't have time to worry about me. Keep going." she urged.

"Right. Sweetie left and then I threw up. That's about all I can remember." I said. Twilight screwed her eyes shut, either in pain or in concentration. I suspected a bit of both.

"This is not good. Quite the opposite, really." she muttered, thinking that I wouldn't hear.

"How long have I been unconscious?" I asked. I couldn't imagine what she was so worried about. Once I pushed past my headache and the stomach ache, I was perfectly healthy.

"I don't know. An hour? Two? At least two. I blacked out, too." she said, just as quietly as before.

"Have you spoken to Princess Celestia?" I asked. She shook her head sullenly.

"I sent her a letter with the blood, but I don't know if she noticed. I don't know if she could even read it. My penmanship is going straight to hell." Twilight seemed to be grumbling more to herself than anypony.

"Relax, dear, I think you're getting yourself worked up." I said. "Come on. Let's get you into bed."

"I don't want to get into bed. I want to figure out why you're all of a sudden being swept with Horn Bane symptoms." said Twilight. "Before my legs gave out, I managed to draw my blood for Celestia. I gave her a pint of yours as well. Be careful when you try to stand. The last thing we need is for you to faint, especially now."

"Twilight, I-"

PING!
PING!
PING!

"Rarity! This is urgent!" Princess Celestia's voice, rife with fear, echoed through the house. "Please see me at once!"

"You heard her. Any questions you could ask me, she could answer better." said Twilight, her eyes fluttering closed. I nervously worked myself to my hooves, trembling slightly. I felt fine, besides the migraine, stomach pain, and inability to walk properly. I hobbled from Twilight's room and down the stairs. I gripped the door with my magic and pulled, but the door seemed to be nailed in place. I pulled the handle with my hands and smiled slightly at Princess Celestia. I tried to smile, at least. It may have come out as more of a grimace.

"Hello, Princess Celestia." I said. I ignored her tears, and how badly she was trembling.

"Rarity… Oh, Rarity…" she said softly. "I'm so sorry. So, so sorry. I was wrong. I told you that you'd be safe… I'm so sorry."

"I honestly don't feel that awful." I half-lied. "Are you sure we should be worrying?"

"The virus has accelerated. You are now just as sick as Twilight." said Celestia. I just noticed the box at her hooves.

"What's that?" I asked.

"I have news." Celestia avoided my question.

"Good news? Or bad news?" The question sprung to my lips before I could even think about what the answers could mean.

"It is news." said Celestia. "The box in front of me contains the cure. One dose will cure and immunize one pony of Horn Bane. The trouble is, there is only one dose."

"What do you mean? Surely there's more…"

"No. There is one dose of the cure, and there will never be another in time. One component in particular only blooms every three decades. If you are not cured soon, you will be dead by tonight."

"What do I do?" I asked, terrified of the answer. Celestia bowed her head, in shame. She was ashamed of herself. She blamed herself for Twilight and myself, which wasn't fair. I wanted to tell her, but how? That seemed to be a recurring issue in my life.

"I do not know. I truly don't. There's one cure, two who need it. You need the full dose…" said Celestia. "The only thing you can do is choose. There's no point in you both dying, is there?"

"I'm going to give it to her." I said immediately. I didn't have to think. It was a simple solution. I would die so she could live.

"I am truly ashamed to admit that some part of me was hoping you'd choose Twilight, over yourself." said Celestia, bowing her head even more. "Without Twilight, I have nopony. It'll be just Luna and I, and we can't get along forever. I-"

"Do not defend yourself, Princess Celestia. I understand. Besides, I couldn't live with myself if it came at the cost of Twilight's well-being." I said. There were tears dripping from my eyes, but I hardly noticed.

"Thank you, Rarity." Celestia slid the box through the barrier. "I will wait here for Twilight. Do not worry about Sweetie Belle. I will make sure she is looked after."

"Thank you." I opened the box. Sitting on a bed of packing peanuts was a small syringe, filled with glowing, pulsating red liquid. It looked like cherries, glowing cherry liquid, like something that Pinkie would drizzle over a bowl of ice cream. I wished I had ice cream. Just one last bowl.

"Goodbye." I said finally. There was something ominous about that very word.

"I cannot put into words how much I appreciate this." said Celestia. "I will remember you. As hard as it may be to believe, I will not forget what you are doing here. For thousands of years to come, I promise, I will remember you."

I couldn't work up a response. I think my calmness made Celestia feel worse about the whole thing. I should've been fighting my hardest, yelling, shouting, blaming Celestia, but I couldn't. Not without crying. All I could do is slowly saunter back upstairs with the syringe in my hand.

Twilight had moved back onto her bed. She looked rather peaceful on her back, blanket brought up to her nose. She cracked her eyes opened slightly, just wide enough to see who had entered.

"What did she want? Princess Celestia? What did she want to tell you?" she croaked. Twilight let out a cough, then grimaced in pain.

"She brought you something." I said, trying my best to smile. I raised the syringe. "The cure. Come on, I have to give it to you immediately."

"The cure? That's a rather small amount for the both of us to share." coughed Twilight.

"This is all for you, darling."

"Then where's yours?" asked Twilight, sitting up in her bed.

"It's… It's coming." I lied. "You have to take yours first. You've been sick for longer." Twilight looked me up and down, reading me like a book.

"There's… only one dose, for whatever reason. She can only cure one of us." said Twilight. It wasn't a question, she was explaining it to me. "And you want it to be me. I want it to be you. There's obviously a problem here."

"Twilight, don't argue. Just take the cure." I urged. I couldn't believe how easily she saw through my lies.

"We're going to talk about this a little. More than not at all." said Twilight. Again, not a question. This was a demand. "What are the pros of you dying to save me? I can think of none."

"You have Spike to live for." I said.

"And you have Sweetie Belle."

"The girls would be devastated if you were to die." I argued.

"And you think they won't be if you died? Don't be ridiculous." scoffed Twilight. "Face it, Rarity. There's no reason for you to die, just so I can live."

"Twilight, you're a princess. You've studied concepts I can't even fathom." I said, holding back the tears. "Meanwhile, I make dresses. Dresses that truthfully aren't all that amazing."

"You actually give something worthwhile. Me? I'm a librarian. Princess of dusty books, maybe, but easily replaced. You actually have a worthwhile talent." said Twilight. She coughed violently, gripping her neck in pain. "You're capable of reaching your goals, achieving your dreams. I'm not."

"All the more reason you should live. What about your doctorates?" I asked.

"I'm not living if you have to die, and that's that." said Twilight stubbornly. I wanted to scream. It couldn't be happening! I was offering her life, and she was refusing!

"Fine. If you won't take it, I won't either." I said. "We'll both die."

"Don't be ridiculous, Rarity. What's the point in us both dying?"

"Absolutely none. But I refuse to take this cure. Either you can take it and save one of us, or the girls will have to pay for two caskets. Your choice."

Twilight clenched her fists in anger, then bit her lip in thought. I stared her in the eye and she returned my glare. I could tell by her look that she understood. I wasn't bluffing.

"If you refuse the cure, I will smash the vial against the wall." I said firmly. "Now come here so that I can give it to you."

Twilight let out a deep puff of breath, barely managing not to cough. Her hands trembled violently as she reached forward, her outstretched palm shaking despite her best efforts to still it. It was obvious that she was in massive amounts of physical pain, but I'm not sure if it was worse than her emotional trauma.

"Give it to me." she said quietly. "I'll do it myself. Please."

I nodded my agreement and pressed the syringe into Twilight's grasp. She tilted it over in her hand, inspecting it.

"My cure. Also a murder weapon." said Twilight. She curled up a fist in her left hand and bent the arm. The needle danced at her thin arm, struggling to stay in one place.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, regretting it as soon as I did. Of course it wasn't okay. Foolish of me to even ask.

"Will you… Can you please hold my hand?" asked Twilight. I intertwined the fingers on my right hand with the fingers on Twilight's left and gripped. For the first time since she fell ill, she didn't feel hot. Quite the contrary, her skin felt as cold as clay.

"3." counted Twilight, closing her eyes. I did the same. "2. 1."

Something sharp pierced my arm. By the time I opened my eyes, the entire vial had been emptied into my vein. I opened my mouth but no words came out, which seemed to bring a pained smile to Twilight's face.

"It had to be you." she whispered. "It had to be… Rarity, I don't have much time. We both know that. Now… Spike. I want somepony to look after him. You, or Fluttershy, and if all else fails, bring him to Shining Armor."

I could barely process her words. She had tricked me. Ripped the life from her own hands and shoved it into me.

"Now as for what to do with my body." she coughed. "I'd always wanted my body to be donated to science, but that can't happen as it is right now, since I never actually signed the necessary paperwork. My alternative is cremation."

"You tricked me." I said quietly.

"Rarity, I need you to listen to me. I don't have a will written, so it is imperative that you listen closely." said Twilight firmly. "My worldly possessions. Split them six ways. You, the other girls, and Spike. I know it's not much, but I have to be fair."

I stared at her blankly as she continued, shocked that she managed to be so calm with one hoof in the grave.

"Make sure that my parents are alerted of my passing, please." rasped Twilight. She was struggling for breath. "Shining Armor may not tell them. When he gets under pressure, he tends to argue with Daddy, and he may choose to eliminate that situation altogether. It is very important to me that they are informed."

"Twilight…" My mind stopped. I couldn't move, couldn't think. I could do nothing but repeat her name.

"Rarity, I don't want this to be all for naught." she said. "I need you to promise me that you'll take care of yourself. Please."

"I can't believe you… Why?" I asked. "Why me? Why save me?!"

"The same reason you'd save me. I hope you won't be upset for too long." coughed Twilight. "Take care of yourself, Rarity. You remember what I asked you, right? What to do with my body and my possessions?"

"Twilight, stop…"

"Stop what? Stop dying? If I could, I would, darling." Twilight smirked slightly. "Heh. Never thought I'd call you that to your face. I tease you a bit with the girls. I hope you're not mad."

"You've killed yourself. And for what?" My voice was getting louder, sharper. I was scolding her, halfway into her coffin. I had no time to be angry with myself.

"For you…" Twilight smiled before turning to her side. I stared at her back, with my heart dropping into an abyss. Slowly, Twilight stopped moving. I couldn't see any trembling, I heard no breathing. My love… Twilight Sparkle simply stopped.

"Twilight! Twilight Sparkle!" I yelled. "Twilight! Look at me! Wake up!"

Nothing. Twilight was limp, nonmoving.

"Wake up! Get up right now!" Tears were rolling down my face. "Read me a book! Give me a lecture! Something!"

I swallowed a shaky sob. She had to get up. She had to! But she didn't. Didn't move, didn't speak. Didn't breathe.

"Damn you, Twilight Sparkle! Damn you!" I shrieked. I yelled loudly at nothing, saying nothing. "Don't you understand? You can't die! I-I need you!" My face burned. My fingers curled up into a fist, but I wasn't sure who I was upset with. I couldn't possibly be mad at her, could I? She refused to wake up. She had to be pulling a prank on me, some sick joke. But, no… She wouldn't do that to me. Would she?

"Twilight! Stop it immediately!" I sobbed. I dropped to me knees, trembling and shaking. "I love you! There! Is that what you wanted to hear? I love you, Twilight Sparkle! Not just as your friend. I am in love with you! Do you understand? I need you! I need you in my life, Twilight Sparkle, I don't know what to do without you! Please! Please, wake up!"

I yelled and I yelled before dropping onto the floor to yell some more. I heard Celestia's knocking, her calls, but I ignored them. Nothing mattered. Celestia? She could march down to hell for all I cared. Soon, I heard the voices of my friends, Pinkie's yells, Rainbow's sneers, even Fluttershy's soft whispers. And I hated every single sound they made. Even if I wanted to stand up, to leave her side, I couldn't. My legs had given out with no sign of return. I sat by her side for a while. I wasn't sure how long, but it was definitely several minutes.

"Twilight?" called Celestia. "Rarity? One of you, please tell me that all is well."

All is well?

I found some hidden strength and rose to my hooves, almost robotically. The suggestion that anything was well, that anything could be well... I stomped my way downstairs, part of me staying with her. I pulled the door open.

"What happened?" asked Celestia. "I heard shouting. Did… Did you give it to her?"

"She tricked me." I whispered. I couldn't see the girls, but I heard their gasps. "I tried to give it to her. You have to believe me. I tried to give it to her, I promise. She tricked me."

"She is… gone." said Celestia quietly. She turned away, showing me her wings. They were even more bare now.

"I tried to give it to her!" I shouted. "She injected me when I wasn't looking! I never wanted this! I wanted it to be her!"

"I believe you." lied Celestia.

"She wouldn't let me! I tried!" I insisted. "I tried."

"I'm sure you did." She managed to refrain from adding "But not hard enough". As if I needed a reminder that I had failed.

"You still don't believe me." I said quietly. "I don't care. Just get me out of this damned bubble."

"I cannot. Only Twilight would be able to pull down the quarantine." said Celestia quietly. "How long has it been?"

"I don't know. Does it matter?" I sighed, wiping my tears. "She was gone before I heard you knocking." Celestia perked up, then turned to face me. Something painted her face, something that looked like a smile.

"I got here about ten minutes ago." said Celestia.

"So?"

"I said that the longest recorded time for a spell holding form after a caster's death is two minutes. Twilight could probably hold it for five." She gave in to a full smile. "It's been ten."

"So, she's still-"

"Rarity, we need to talk." Her voice. My eyes grew wide, as soon as I heard her voice.

"Good-bye." I said before running away. I ran up the stairs, scaling three at a time. This was the joke. It had to be. I saw her die.

Yet, sitting upright in bed and looking perfectly healthy, was Twilight Sparkle. She had cleaned herself up and was hovering books from her lap with her horn, a look of concern scrawled across her face.

"Oh my god!" I jumped onto her and squeezed her in a tight hug. She was okay, getting better even! She smiled and hugged me back, when I caught what sounded like a sniff. Like she was crying.

"You probably want to know what happened." said Twilight. I nodded. "I guess I owe you at least that much. It was you who saved me."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"It's just a theory at this point, but I'm pretty confident." she said. I could see her bite down slightly on her tongue. "It has to do with your… Your confession, for want of a better term."

My heart stopped beating. My skin seemed to bunch up, pulling off of my body. Even with the cure, I felt like I would die. To think I'd rather have Horn Bane.

"I… So, you heard that?" I asked sheepishly. "I-"

"We'll talk about that in a second." said Twilight. "It'll give you time to get your story together. So, I gave you the cure, which you're probably upset about. We'll work through that, but it's for the best that you took it."

"I still don't get it." My tongue managed to untie itself.

"The cure mutated when it was bombarded with your hormones." explained Twilight. "The straw that broke the camel's back was your confession. You admitting your feelings released so many hormones, your body was a chemical battleground. That mutated the cure and Horn Bane, until they were one in the same. You fused the cure with Horn Bane, and then I was infected with the new virus, which killed the previous virus. In other words, your confession of love cured me."

"What now?" I asked.

"Well, we take some of your blood and send it to Celestia. She can hold onto it and synthesize a new version of the cure. We'll have to remain quarantined until we are positive that we're all better, and then I can remove the bubble."

"That's not what I meant." I said.

"I know. You have to make the first move." she said. "It'll be better for you to initiate whatever you want to happen next."

"Come on, now. You already know. It would be easier for you to just tell me what you think." I complained.

"But what kind of doctor would I be if I let my patient take the easy way out?" Twilight said, unbearably smugly. "Go ahead. Tell me how you feel."

"You are the worst." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Am I? Do you really think that?"

"Fine. You want to hear me say it while you are awake?" I asked. "Very well. I'm in love with you, Twilight. I have been ever since we met. You want to know why? You're pretty, you're smart, you make me laugh, you have this… This energy that… I can't put it into words. This je ne sais quois, and it drives me mad because I can't explain it, but I can't stop feeling it either. Was that supposed to make me feel better? It didn't. I feel more confused and foolish than before."

"Good. That means your feelings are genuine." said Twilight with a smile. I tilted my head slightly.

"I'm afraid I don't understand. You want me to feel like a fool?" Twilight laughed.

"Well, yes, I suppose. If suddenly saying it made you feel like you had a weight lifted off of you, I don't think that would be true love."

"I guess that makes sense." I muttered. My face must've been glowing. "So? What do you have to say?"

"Not many people would be willing to surrender their lives for me." said Twilight. "Even still, life isn't a fairy tail. You can't just kiss the sleeping beauty and live happily ever after."

I didn't respond at first. Somehow, back before when I imagined being rejected, it was better. Being yelled at, insulted, disrespected, I vastly prefered the hateful bigotry over Twilight's calm, clean, factual statements. This was far worse.

"I suppose that's true." I said quietly.

"It's a bit more complex than that. It's not a single cause to a single effect. It takes years of close relations to build a foundation for a romantic relationship." said Twilight. "We've known each other for a while, haven't we?" Now I was confused.

"What are you saying?" I asked. Twilight shook her head, smiling slightly. Her eyes twinkled with this teasing superiority that was out of character for her. If I didn't know any better, I'd say…

"I'm saying maybe we can build off of that." she said, batting her eyelashes. Ah. Exactly as I thought. She was flirting with me.

"I… I don't understand…" I said stupidly. I had rehearsed this exact scenario for years, and I thought I knew exactly what I would say. Now that the situation was upon me, my mind went blank.

"I know I sometimes start talking too fast about some complicated topics, but I thought this would be rather simple." teased Twilight. "You've read the books, haven't you? At least you've seen the movies. This is the part where you come in close and do your thing."

"And my thing is… What, exactly?" My brain refused to function properly. She's right there! Asking you to kiss her! What are you doing, Rarity?!

"You're so shy." laughed Twilight. "Is that you, Fluttershy?"

"Haha…" I laughed shakily. Twilight rolled her eyes and jumped to her hooves. She stood in front of me, a few inches shorter than myself. She took my hand in hers and led it to her cheek. Her face was warm, but not like before. She was radiating health.

"I'm not going to walk you through the entire process." said Twilight. "Come on. You did all that work, fought so hard. Collect your prize."

"Did you always…" I started before losing my train of thought. Why was I still just sitting there?!

"Part of me, yes. I never really understood how I felt until… I think when this whole thing started." she mused. "You're so tender, loving. You truly have my best interests at heart. If nothing else, we could at least give it a shot. I mean, since you're going to be living here for another week or so… Let's give this a little test run?"

I pressed my lips against hers, a thousand times better than I could ever imagine. Electricity shot between us, and soon we had to break to catch our breath.

"What are we going to tell the girls?" she asked with a smile.

"We'll figure it out when we raise the quarantine next week." I said.

"Two weeks." Twilight said, shaking her head.

"Two?"

"Three, realistically. I still think there may be some contagion in the air." Twilight leaned against me softly. "It would be irresponsible to go out into the open before a month's time, honestly. Until then, I guess we're stuck enjoying each other's company."

I smiled and kissed my darling Twilight again. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I thought I might actually be healthy.

---

Author's Note: The end of another journey. As I said before, this is my first attempt at making a "romance" story. Not sure how I did, considering how little of this is actually centered around Rarity's feelings for Twilight. I think I learned a bit from this, though, which was the point. Maybe next time I'll be able to just write something about love without shoving in a dramatic sub-plot which actually became the main storyline. Anyway, shoot me a review and help me out with future projects like this. I'd appreciate it. See you next time. Farewell!