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.