Teardrops and Snowflakes

Chapter 10

The hospital room was dark when Twilight woke up. She lay there, motionless, as she allowed herself to become fully awake. The only sounds in the room were the constant beeping of the heart monitor and the breathing of a sleeping mare. Twilight gazed at the sleeping pony next to her and felt her heart swell with love; Trixie lay beside her, her hooves wrapped around Twilight lovingly.

The showmare mumbled Twilight’s name in her sleep and Twilight smiled, kissing her gently. Trixie shifted slightly and hugged Twilight closer, a dreamy smile on her face. Twilight returned the gesture, feeling her heart skipping beats; she still couldn’t believe how things had turned out. She had to be the luckiest pony in Equestria.

Over the past three days Trixie had only left Twilight’s side to use the restroom, much to the doctor’s agitation. He believed that Twilight needed bed rest and that Trixie was preventing that. Twilight told him that she preferred Trixie being with her but he refused to listen. Twilight stifled a small giggle as she recalled what had happened when he tried to make Trixie leave her side. The glare Trixie had given him would have frozen Celestia’s sun and Twilight had learned some new words that day. Needless to say, it wasn’t a problem after that.

Her gaze lingered on Trixie for a moment before finding its way to the wall clock suspended above the door. Illuminated by Luna’s moon, Twilight read the clock and sighed quietly. It was three in the morning. She had been in the hospital for three days and every night she had woken up at some insane hour. She had no idea why, but she didn’t mention it to the doctors or to Trixie. They would only worry and she was tired of making ponies worry.

Not that their worrying was unjustified. It’s not often that a pony dies and comes back to life, especially when said pony comes back to life seemingly unscathed. Test after test had been run on Twilight just to see if she had suffered any damage to her body or brain, but they had all come back saying she was fine. Her last test was supposed to run today, and if it came back clean he would decide when she could go home.

Home. The word made tears form at the corners of Twilight’s eyes. She missed Ponyville and her friends so much. She missed Rainbow crashing into her house on an almost daily basis. She missed Applejack’s down-to-earth attitude and Fluttershy’s timid kindness. She missed talking with Rarity about Canterlot. She even missed Pinkie Pie’s…randomness. Most of all, though, she missed Spike. She wanted to go back to Ponyville and lie in her own bed and never leave. She wanted to start some kind of life with Trixie, even if that meant just lying with her in her bed all day every day.

A dark part of her mind whispered evilly, ‘What if she doesn’t want to stay in Ponyville?’ Twilight frowned. Of course she would want to stay in Ponyville...right? The dark part of her mind whispered again: ‘She wants to become a world-famous magician; she can’t do that if she stays in Ponyville.’ Twilight looked at the serene face of her sleeping love, denying it. Trixie would want to stay with her. Trixie loved her...didn’t she?

The dark part of her mind had one, final point: ‘You can’t give her the dream she’s always wanted. She may be happy for a few months, or even a few years, but eventually she’ll want to be back on the road and she will leave you!’

Twilight stared at Trixie, watching her chest rise and fall. It wasn’t true…she could make Trixie happy. She could do shows in Ponyville or…or find something else that made her happy. She wouldn’t leave Twilight...she...she couldn’t.

Twilight fell back into a troubled sleep, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks. She knew that she was lying to herself. Trixie would want to go back on the road eventually, and Twilight would have to choose between the love of her life and her friends.

She didn’t want to make that choice.

When Twilight woke again, a bright and blinding light was shining onto her face and she could hear voices. As she became more aware of her surroundings: the first thing she noticed was that she was alone in the hospital bed. Trixie was gone.

Twilight’s eyes shot open and she rose quickly, giving herself a headache. The light blinded her unprepared eyes. “Trixie!?” She called out, fear creeping into her voice. She wouldn’t have left already…would she? Maybe she decided it was too much trouble…

A hoof touched her foreleg and a familiar voice answered her, soothing her fears. “Twilight! Shh…I’m right here. What’s wrong?” Twilight almost sobbed in relief and threw her forelegs around Trixie, her eyes slowly adjusting to the light.

“I…I thought you had left. I was…scared.” Twilight could feel tears running down her face but she didn’t care. She hugged Trixie tightly and inhaled the intoxicating fragrance of jasmine and mint that she had come to adore.

Trixie held Twilight as she sobbed into Trixie’s mane. She didn’t understand why Twilight was so upset, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Twilight was upset. Trixie cooed into Twilight’s ear soothingly, and when the sobs subsided, Twilight pulled away.

Twilight sniffed, wiping away the final traces of her tears. “I...I’m sorry Trixie.” She mumbled, embarrassed by her behavior. “I shouldn’t have overre—” Trixie’s hoof stopped her from saying any more.

“Hush. It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize to me,” Trixie said tenderly. She smiled and pulled Twilight into a gentle kiss. A kiss that promised she would always be there, no matter what. Twilight melted into the kiss, her heart soaring.

The deep sound of a stallion clearing his throat startled both of them, causing them to jerk apart. Deep blushes warmed both of their faces.

The doctor coughed, clearly embarrassed himself. “Sorry ladies, this will only take a moment.” He walked forward and drew a needle from his jacket pocket. “I need another sample of blood, Twilight. It’s for the last test we need to run.”

Trixie’s eyes narrowed and she stepped between the doctor and Twilight. “You’ve already taken blood from her twice. What happened to all of that?” she demanded. Nopony was going to hurt Twilight without a good reason, not as long as Trixie could do anything about it.

The doctor sighed. “We need fresh blood. This test only works on blood that has been out of the body for less than an hour. I’ll have to hurry just to get it to the lab in time for the test. I promise that this will be the last time I need to take anything, alright?”

Trixie wasn’t going to give up so easily. “What’s the test for? I’ve never heard of a test that needs fresh blood.”

The doctor closed his eyes in frustration. “I would really rather not talk about it until I have the results. It would only worry both of you. I admit that it’s probably a useless test but I would still feel better if we ran it. She did die, remember?”

Trixie tensed her muscles. She didn’t like being reminded of how she had almost lost Twilight and she definitely didn’t like having secrets kept from her. She inhaled to tell the doctor exactly where he could shove his needle and his test but a hoof on her shoulder stopped her.

“It’s alright Trixie; the needle doesn’t hurt that much anyway. I’ll be fine, okay?” Twilight’s voice was quiet but insistent. She knew how close Trixie was to the edge, and she really didn’t want her getting thrown out of the hospital. Looking at the doctor, she held out a foreleg. “Just…make it quick, okay?”

The doctor nodded. He was a fourteen year veteran and he was an expert at giving shots. The process was quick and efficient, not that it made it hurt any less. As the needle pierced her skin, Twilight let out a small cry of pain that almost broke Trixie’s heart. It took all of Trixie’s will to not slam the doctor against the wall with her magic.

After he was finished, he nodded to the two mares and trotted out of the room at a brisk pace: he hadn’t been kidding about needing to hurry to the lab.

Trixie closed the door with magic as soon as the doctor had left and turned to Twilight, concern in her eyes. “Are you okay Twilight? I know you don’t like needles.”

Twilight rubbed her foreleg gently. “Yeah, I’m alright.” She smiled at Trixie, laughter in her eyes. “I thought you were going to kill the doctor. He’s just trying to help, you know.”

Trixie grinned wryly. “Well, he needs to find a way to help that doesn’t involve hurting you, then. Nopony is going to hurt you without good reason as long as I’m around.” She noticed that Twilight was still rubbing her foreleg and smirked. “You want me to kiss it and make it better?”

Twilight gave her a sidelong glance and grinned mischievously. “No. I want you to kiss me and make me feel better.”

Trixie returned the grin and climbed onto the bed, pushing Twilight onto her back. Twilight squeaked in surprise, but was quickly silenced by Trixie’s lips on hers. Trixie kissed her passionately, hungrily. She needed Twilight. She needed Twilight right now. After a moment, Twilight broke the kiss, needing air, and Trixie moved to her neck, kissing and nibbling gently. She smiled when she heard Twilight’s gasp and felt her hooves tangle themselves in her mane.

Twilight had lost all ability to think. All she could do was lie there and let Trixie do as she pleased. Not that she had a problem doing that: she was in a world of bliss. All she could see were stars as Trixie slowly worked her way down Twilight’s neck. She moaned softly. She wanted this… she needed this.

Then the door to the room opened and a nurse stepped through, pushing a cart of steaming food. “Breakfa—whoa! I’ll uh…um…I’ll just…just leave this here.” She hastily left the room, an extremely embarrassed blush heating up her face.

Trixie stopped kissing Twilight and looked towards the already closed door. Twilight let out a small sound of annoyance at Trixie’s sudden stop, but then realized what had happened and looked towards the door with Trixie. Trixie looked down at her lover and examined the position they were in. Then she started giggling. Twilight watched her for a moment, and then joined in. Soon they were both laughing uncontrollably, tears running down their faces.

Trixie attempted to speak through her laughter. “I...I guess we shouldn’t be…shouldn’t be doing this in a hospital!” Twilight couldn’t speak; she was laughing too hard. She simply nodded her agreement.

After a moment both mares were only chuckling sporadically. Trixie magically pulled the cart over to the bed and set up breakfast for herself and Twilight. This morning it was scrambled eggs with a piece of toast and a muffin. The aroma of the delicious food made Twilight’s stomach rumble. She was starving and began eating quickly, barely tasting the food.

After a few minutes of silence, Twilight glanced up and found Trixie staring at her, amusement and passion in her eyes. Twilight held her gaze for a few seconds then looked away, the heat rising in her face. She heard Trixie giggle softly.

“You were certainly enjoying yourself!” Trixie teased. “But then, that’s to be expected when you’re being pleasured by The Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Twilight’s blush deepened at the word “pleasured” but she kept silent, choosing instead to continue eating her breakfast. Trixie simply giggled and let Twilight finish in peace.

After the plate was cleared, Twilight placed it on the cart and looked out the window wistfully. The sun was shining brightly and, as far as she could see, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. She was so tired of this hospital room. She was tired of the wires connecting her to various machines; she was tired of being watched all day and night by strangers; most of all, she was tired of having absolutely no privacy. Trixie, of course, noticed.

“You know,” she began nonchalantly, “there’s a balcony on this floor that looks out over the city park. We could leave a note for the doctor and head over there. If you wanted to, I mean.”

Twilight beamed at Trixie. The idea of getting out of this room, even if they were still in the hospital, excited her more than it probably should have. “I would love to! This room makes me feel so…constricted.”

Trixie nodded, happy that she could make Twilight happy. She found a pad and pencil and began writing down their plans. She hoped that it wouldn’t cause too much fuss; the doctor did say there was nothing wrong with her physically or mentally. A thought crossed her mind and she frowned. “Twilight…can you walk?”

Twilight looked at Trixie then at her own legs. “I…I don’t know. I should be able to but…well, only one way to find out.” She braced herself and slid out of the bed, shaking her head when Trixie tried to help. If she couldn’t walk on her own, there was no point in going out there.

As she slowly put weight on each leg she grimaced: every leg was stiff from inactivity and each one protested, giving Twilight a burning, tingling sensation. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but eventually she was standing completely on her own, tensing and relaxing her muscles to work out the kinks. She grinned at Trixie. “See!? I’m fine. I feel even better than I did before I—” She cut herself off, the smile falling from her face.

Trixie’s expression turned into one of stony nonchalance. At least, that’s what she was going for. What it actually looked like was an expression of deep emotional sadness. The time right after Twilight had saved her had scarred Trixie more than she cared to admit.

Twilight looked away, ashamed. “Trixie…I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking and—” Trixie cut her off.

“It’s fine, Twilight.” She leaned forward and kissed Twilight softly. “All that matters is that you’re okay now.”

Twilight blinked. She would never get over how Trixie could make her mind go blank and her tongue twist itself into a knot just by kissing her. She loved that feeling. Shaking her head slightly to clear it, she smiled at Trixie. “So…uh…about that balcony?”

Trixie giggled. “Follow me.” Her expression became somber. “Oh, and Twilight? If you need to rest or slow down, please say something…okay?” Trixie’s gaze was imploring.

Twilight nodded, throwing her forelegs around Trixie’s neck and whispering into her ear. “I will, Trixie... thank you for worrying.”

Trixie flushed, and then led Twilight down the cream-colored corridors of the hospital. Pictures of Manehattan, flowers, and rural landscapes dotted the walls every few feet. Every so often Trixie would glance back, making sure that Twilight was okay. Knowing how much Trixie cared made Twilight’s heart swell with love. She really was the luckiest pony in Equestria.

Eventually they reached a set of heavy glass doors that led onto a large, open balcony that looked over the city. They were on the sixth floor, so the view stretched over nearly the entire city. Twilight walked over to the railing and inhaled deeply, relishing the scent of fresh air and basking in the warmth of the sun. The air itself was chilly but Twilight hardly noticed; she was intoxicated by this small freedom. Laughing, she turned to Trixie. “This is great! I didn’t realize how much that room was affecting me.”

Trixie smiled but stayed silent. She was content to just watch Twilight enjoy herself. She magically pulled over one of the larger chairs that was sitting on the balcony and took a seat, relaxing. After a final glace at the cityscape, Twilight joined her. Silently, the two embraced each other and watched the world go by. Minutes turned into hours, and Celestia’s sun moved slowly across the sky, painting it with brilliant streaks of orange and pink.

Twilight sighed contentedly and snuggled into Trixie, yawning. “I…I love you Trixie,” she said sleepily. Trixie smiled, glancing down at the drowsy unicorn and kissed the top of her head.

“I love you too, Twilight,” she said, gently stroking Twilight’s mane with a hoof. Twilight replied, but it became more of a mumble as sleep finally took her. Trixie gently lifted Twilight with magic and carried her back to her hospital room, tucking her in carefully. She gazed at Twilight’s face, watching as her eyes fluttered. Trixie wondered what Twilight was dreaming about. Was it her? Ponyville? She would have to ask one day.

The door to the room opened quietly as the doctor walked in. Trixie glanced at him sidelong as he joined her by Twilight’s bed. “Did your test reveal anything?” she asked quietly, almost whispering.

He nodded, a grim look on his face. He turned back towards the door and motioned for Trixie to follow him. Minutes later she walked back into the room, tears running down her face. She gazed at Twilight again. Her love was so peaceful and happy…she didn’t want to ruin it…not right now. She quietly climbed into bed, being careful to not wake Twilight up. She smiled as Twilight wrapped her hooves around her body and mumbled something.

The news could wait until tomorrow. For now, she would just lay here and listen to Twilight’s steady breathing. She would dream about the life she would have with Twilight and think about how Twilight would take the news tomorrow. She had no definite answers, but what she did know was that no matter what, she would be there for Twilight.

Always and forever.