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Description
     "Symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal vary greatly depending on the individual.  The most common  symptoms can be divided into two categories:  physical and mental/emotional.  The physical impairments include nausea, headaches, tremors, and cold sweats, while the mental are characterized by depression, anxiety, memory laps, inability to think clearly, emotional overreactions, and general problems managing stress.  More severe cases include hallucinations and seizures, some of which could become life threatening."  Spike sighed as he closed the hefty medical textbook.  He placed the book on the table and walked over to the purple unicorn shivering in the corner.

     Twilight was sitting on the floor wrapped tightly in a ragged blanket as she peered out wide eyed at her assistant.  Crumpled papers and half open books lay strewn about her general vicinity.  "This was a baaaad idea, Spike.  Can't I just have one little drinky sip?  You know what they say about going cold turkey."  She nodded her head slowly as her eyes unblinkingly followed her worried assistant's approach.

     "Actually I have no idea what that means, but you said it yourself Twi.  No more.  Not so much as one single drop."

     "That was yesterday!  Stop living in the past Spike.  You know what happens when you do that?  Bad stuff!  It's about to happen even now."  The words shot from her mouth at a rapid pace as she rushed forward, throwing off the blanket and wrapping her forelegs around Spike's shoulders.  He barely had time to lean away from her as she moved in to stare him down at eye level.  "Bad.  Stuff."

     Twilight suddenly stood bolt upright, her ears perked and eyes narrowing as she stared again towards one of the bookshelves against the far wall.  "It's happening.  Can you hear them Spike?"

     The little dragon's expression was growing intensely worried, and his voice trembled as he spoke.  "Twilight, you're scaring me."

     "Oh, you should be scared, Spike.  Something horrible is about to happen.  Can you?  You can, yes?"  She spoke slower now, more quietly, but all the while continuing her staring contest with the bookcase.  When she spoke again her words came out in a singsong rhythm.  "Everything's gonna be aaaall riiiight.  Everything's gonna be juuust fiiiinne.  Until we aaaall diiiie toon-eye-eee-iiiiight."  As she finished, a spasm in her neck caused her head to quickly execute a quarter turn to the right.

     She dropped her hold on Spike and roughly sat onto the wooden floorboards.  "But seriously, Spike.  Where's the rest of the booze.  I know I told you to hide it, and not tell me under any circumstances, but … these are different circumstances.  I really need just a small one to get me through this.  Just a gulp.  Little sippy sip."  She put on a crooked smile as she looked into her minion's eyes.

     Spike gulped down the lump in his throat and eyed the nearest exit before giving his answer.  "Well, after that really inspiring speech you gave about no more drinking and wanting to be a better pony and all ..."

     "Spike!  Cut to the chase.  Where's my joy-joy juice?"  She was immediately near him again, hooves wrapped around his tiny form.

     He answered in a sudden rush, and cringed as he did so.  "I dumped it all down the drain."  He was about to say something more when he noticed Twilight's pupils being pulled into tiny pinprick specs.

     Her sparkling smile remained, but Spike could clearly hear the scraping of her teeth as they slid over one another.  Twice she repeated his words back to him, both times in the form of a question, and twice he was too scared to do anything but nod.  Twilight slowly sat back onto her haunches, her gaze fixed on some point of space near the library's ceiling.  At length Spike tired to elaborate.  "I just thought that you wouldn't-"

     A sharp hissing sound stifled any further explanation from the little dragon.  The sound continued as Twilight slowly reached a hoof up to place against her lips in a 'shushing' gesture.  "Anything else you could say … would ruin this perfect moment."

     Spike continued to stare up at her, waiting for her to continue.  After a few seconds he realized she wasn't going to, and he ventured a question.  "Were we having a moment?"

     Twilight suddenly jerked to attention, seemingly snapped out of some revelry.  She blinked a him with the expression of someone woken up too early.  Then she answered.  "You see, Spike, this is the moment where I realized what true agony is, and this is the moment I've decided to terminate your services."

     "Twilight?  You mean you aren't going to have me around any more?  I'm being fired?"  Tears welled in his eyes as he spoke.

     "Far from it Spike.  I'm going to kill you."  She stood as she spoke, and began stalking toward the surprised little reptile, her voice rising in anger all the while.  "I'm going to break off those stumpy little sprouts you call legs, and tie you upside down like a pinata, to beat you with a poll until candy falls out!  Then I'm going to stomp down on your beady little head, remove that useless gelatin you call a brain, and snort it like pixie sticks!"

     Spike was now laying in a ball on the floor, cowering as his master shouted over him.  He blubbered and muttered incoherent apologies as tears rolled down his cheeks.  Twilight towered over him for a moment,scowling down at the shrinking baby dragon.  She threw her head back and barked out a single shout, a mixture of rage, frustration, and disgust.  Raising herself up onto her back hooves she reared and stomped down full force, bringing her front legs smashing down onto the hard wood floor of her home.

     Spike covered his head as his Mistress let out a final infuriating snort, exhaling hot breath close enough to make him flinch.  Without another word she turned to storm up into her loft bedroom, leaving her petrified assistant laying on the floor, wondering how he was going to survive in the days to come.