Sunday, August 30, 2015

2015
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Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will forge deeper connections with those close to you.

Morning

I don't really understand why people complain about hospital food. These pancakes are pretty good, and the sausage is a bit milder than I like, but it still tastes like what you'd have at home.

The little tub of orange juice is kind of a let-down, though.

Breakfast was half an hour ago, and they already cleared out my tray. Nurses have been in to poke and prod me and change my IV. I'm trying to find something halfway decent to watch on television when Twilight shows up. She's carrying my laptop bag. "Hey Twilight," I say.

"How are you feeling today?" she asks.

"Better. Mostly bored out of my mind."

"I have a solution to that." She unpacks my laptop and sets it up on the little hospital bed table. "I've asked all your teachers to send you notes and assignments over Canterbook so you won't be behind and have to catch up when you get back to school."

"Thanks," I say. Studying and homework isn't exactly my idea of fun, but Twilight has a point. Better to get it over with. "You'll help me catch up, right?"

"Of course!"

For the next hour, I feel like I'm in school, but I don't mind. Twilight is lecturing me on history, calculus, biology, and literature, moving from topic to topic so fast it's a blur. I don't mind that either, because her obvious enthusiasm for study and learning is...well...adorable.

"Hey egghead, you're supposed to be helpin' him get better, not puttin' him in a coma!"

Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack just walked in.

"Some of us care about our grade point average and proper study habits, Rainbow Dash," Twilight scoffs.

"Y'all settle down now," Applejack says. "Ain't no call for friends t' be fightin'. Especially not in a hospital." She plops herself down next to my bed with a grin. "How ya feelin', pardner?"

"I've never missed school so much in my life," I say. "Or anywhere else. I can't wait to get out of here."

Applejack chuckles. "Well, Ah've got just th' thing," she says. She produces a brown paper bag and pulls an assortment of items out of it: a ripe, shiny red apple, a bottle of apple juice, and some kind of...pastry or something? Whatever it is, it's all wrapped up in plastic wrap. "A nice juicy apple, some of mah family's best apple juice, an' an apple brown betty!"

That's a heck of a lot of apple.

"So when are they lettin' you out of this lame place?" Rainbow asks.

"Probably tomorrow or the day after," I say. "So, have I been missing much at school?"

"Not really," Rainbow says. She doesn't quite look directly at me.

"School's...school," Applejack says. Her eyes are wandering all over the room.

I turn to Pinkie. She isn't smiling. "What aren't they telling me?" I ask her.

Pinkie sighs. "Sunset Shimmer's trying to spread a rumor that you caught an STD from one of us."

Rainbow coughs. Applejack facepalms. Twilight looks upset.

I roll my eyes. "Wow, that's pathetic." I frown. "Why's she even trying to spread rumors about me? I haven't even been at Canterlot High a week yet. I've never even talked to her!"

Twilight shrugs. "That's just how she is. She doesn't need an excuse to hurt people."

"That's really sad," I say. "Well, I'm not gonna let it bother me. I've got good friends who care about me, and she's got a bad attitude and two little trolls that are probably only hanging around with her thinking maybe they'll get laid."

Rainbow snickers. "Heheh, that's so true!"

"That ain't very nice," Applejack says. After a pause, she adds, "You're probably right though."

"You're right," Pinkie says. "She's not worth worrying about." She beams. "I'll have to throw a party when you come back to the dorm!"

The girls all stay and chat for a bit. After a while, they all leave...except Twilight. She seems subdued as she sits next to the bed.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I think I'm the reason Sunset Shimmer is trying to hurt you," she says.

"What makes you say that?"

Twilight sighs. "Sunset wants to be valedictorian when we graduate, but my GPA is higher and I'm taking more honors classes. She'd need to take two more honors credits and score higher than me on every test for the rest of this year and next. But she knows that'll never happen because I ace every test. I always have." She looks at her lap. "She's always hated being second best. She always wins at everything...usually by playing dirty. But this is one thing she can't win. So..." Twilight looks up at me, and her eyes are sad. "She's made it so...nobody wants to be my friend."

"She's been trashing your rep? Just because you're smarter than her?"

"Yeah..."

"That sucks! Why do you put up with it?"

Twilight looks away. "Because...up until recently, I didn't really care. I've never had many friends to begin with. I'd always rather study than spend time with people." She looks at me. "The girls in the dorm...I guess they've been my friends, more or less, for a while. Even Rainbow, in her own way. But I never...really made an effort to get to know any of them.

"And then you came. And you wanted to be my friend." She blushes. "Well, okay, you want to be my boyfriend, and..."

"Being your friend is enough," I say with a smile.

She smiles at me. "You're a bad liar," she says. "But thanks. Anyway...spending time with you has made me realize...I want to have friends. I want more out of life than just studying. Don't get me wrong, I'll never stop studying and learning and reading, and I'm still shooting for valedictorian, but..." She brushes a lock of hair out of her face. "I think I'm starting to understand something my brother and Cadance have been telling me for years. I'm starting to see how important having friends is." She reaches out and touches my hand. "And it's all thanks to you."

"Twilight..."

For a moment, the world freezes. The television, which has been on and muted in the background, goes still. Twilight's hair stops moving in mid-swing. Everything dims, and for a moment, I wonder if I'm being pulled into Zodiac.

But instead of the terror of that night, I feel a warmth. Behind Twilight, I see a faint image...and hear a voice, whispering in my mind...

And then, just as suddenly as it began, everything returns to normal. The television is working again, Twilight's hair is swinging as she leans forward, I can feel the warmth of her hand on mine, and hear her breathing.

What WAS that?

"Anyway, I'd better get going," Twilight says. "I've got chores back at the dorm, and I need to spend some time with Spike. He gets lonely without me. Talk to you later!"

"Later," I say.

Evening

Cadance drops by after dinner.

"Sorry I haven't been in today," she says. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I think," I say. "I spent the morning catching up on some schoolwork with Twilight."

I tell her about the things Twilight told me about Sunset Shimmer.

Cadance sighs. "Yeah, I thought that's what was happening."

"Why isn't anybody doing anything about her?" I ask. The more I think about it, the more it upsets me.

"It's not that simple," Cadance says. "Apart from having very little proof..." She runs her hands through her hair. "Sunset Shimmer's father owns Canterbook. Their family has connections that run deeper than just Canterlot High School."

I groan. "You mean the real reason she hasn't been punished for bullying is because..."

"Yeah." Cadance shakes her head. "And Principal Celestia still thinks there's good in her. She still believes someone as talented and intelligent as Sunset Shimmer has to have merit." She throws her hands up. "She can be...a little blind sometimes."

"Wonderful."

"But the thing is...Sunset Shimmer only has as much power over you as you let her. That goes for your friends too. So...just don't let her hatemongering get the better of you, okay? You're better than that. So are the girls. Just live your lives and do your own thing...everyone else will see what you really are, and see that she's just trying to make trouble for you, and they'll stop paying attention to her." She smiles and pats my shoulder. "Anyway...I talked to the doctor before I came in, and they're discharging you on Tuesday. So just keep your chin up and catch up on your lessons. I've already asked your teachers to stream all of tomorrow's classes to your Canterbook account."

"Great, so I'll be in the hospital and at school at the same time."

Cadance laughs. "At least it's one less day of make-up work."

Once she leaves, I decide to get some sleep. I can't help but think about what happened earlier...

As I drift off to sleep, I wonder if it has anything to do with what Igor keeps telling me about friendship being my strength...