Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes, her gaze meeting the white marble floor beneath her. She blinked as her vision went out of focus being so close to the ornate stone walkway. The pegasus tried to shift, but soon realized that her hooves wouldn’t listen to the commands her brain was giving them. As she struggled, she could feel rope cutting into her fur. She was bound. The animal lover whimpered as she realized her predicament and used her weight to shift her body over on its side. Her front hooves were fastened behind her back tight, capturing her wings under them. She looked down at her hind legs and saw that they were secured with rope as well. She began her struggle again, as panic slowly set in.

“Oh, you’re awake!” a voice rang out beside her.

Fluttershy looked up and screamed as she realized where she was. She was in the throne room with Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle. She could hear the low hum of the telepods as they were now active. She shivered as the royal alicorn and her former friend approached her.

“Hi Fluttershy! We’re almost ready! Don’t hurt yourself too much, we don’t want you get rope burn or anything!” Twilight giggled cheerfully, as her disfigured lips curled into a smile.

“Please, Twilight, we’re friends, please let me go!” Fluttershy pleaded with tears forming in her eyes.

“Let you go? Dear Fluttershy, you’re the element of kindness. We thought you would be happy to assist Twilight in returning to normal,” Princess Celestia chimed in as she read over some notes.

Fluttershy gasped as her eyes widened. The few seconds she was conscious, she started to fear the worst, but the princess’ words confirmed why she was here. They were going to use her to reverse Twilight’s condition. They were going to sacrifice her. They were going to kill her. She redoubled her efforts in a vain attempt to get free, her crying and whimpering increasing with each passing second. Twilight and Princess Celestia seemed to ignore her attempts at release, as they continued working. After a few more minutes, Fluttershy heard her former friend’s voice ring out again.

“O.K. Princess! I’m ready! Bye, Fluttershy! Thanks so much for doing this!” the unicorn shouted as she ran into one of the telepods.

The yellow mare’s mind raced as she wretched about using every ounce of strength she could to undo her bonds. She heard the door of the telepod now occupied by Twilight close and lock. She looked up, still struggling, and saw Princess Celestia activate her magic, as the large computer in the middle of the room came to life. The alicorn of the sun slowly walked towards her, standing at full height above the helpless pegasus.

“Well, most of my magic is being used to power the machines right now. I guess I’ll just have to get you into pod two the old fashioned way,” she stated evenly, as she took Fluttershy’s mane in her teeth and began dragging her towards her doom.

The mare screamed as she felt her scalp burn, still tossing and turning wildly, like a panicked worm. As they were almost to the telepod, the princess released her mane and came back around facing her with an annoyed look.

“This is hard with you struggling so much, Fluttershy. It would be easier to just lift you with magic, but my power is otherwise preoccupied. Hmmm. Well, I guess, I could use my horn in a different way than usual, given the circumstances. We only need you semi-alive anyway, not that it’s going to matter in a few moments,” the princess mused aloud.

“Horn? Wh…what do you mean by-AAUGH!” Fluttershy screamed as she felt the royal alicorn’s horn pierce her belly.

She looked down just in time to see the horn slide out of her stomach, a pool of blood forming beside her. Her fight with the ropes that bound her ceased immediately thanks to the shock and pain of being stabbed through the gut. Now paralyzed by pain and blood loss, Princess Celestia once again took the pegasus’ mane in her mouth and soon Flutteshy found herself inside the telepod. She felt the bonds disappear as she slumped in the corner of the machine. She lifted her head slowly and her vision began to blur, as she tried to make out Celestia’s smiling face.

“That was much better! Well, goodbye, dear Fluttershy. We’ll never forget you for this sacrifice,” the princess said as she was about to close the door.

She was going to die. They were going to kill her and there was nothing she could do about it. She was helpless, as tears streamed down her face in frustration, sadness and fright. Suddenly, just as the door was closing, the princess spoke once more, as Fluttershy saw her own blood trickle down the royal alicorn’s horn.

“And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone I had to stab you to make you comply. It’ll be our little secret,” she whispered as the door locked.

Fluttershy tried to scream as she heard the pod activate, but she only released a guttural sputter, as she felt a warm syrupy substance invade her throat and drip down the sides of her mouth. The metallic taste sent her mind into a frenzy.

‘No,no,no,no,no…’ she repeated over and over in her head as a white light enveloped her.

Fluttershy screamed as she shot up out of bed, almost ripping out her IV. She breathed hard as the sweat poured off her, wetting the sheets that covered her. She needed to calm down. She needed to keep telling herself that it was just a dream, that it wasn’t real. She shut her eyes tight as she concentrated on her breathing, forcing it to slow down. After a few moments, she felt calm enough to once again open her eyes and take in her surroundings. She was in one of the infirmary rooms at the castle. She concentrated, thinking back to how she could have gotten here. Finally, her last conscious memory came back to her. They brought back the telepods. The princess had actually sanctioned the use of those monstrosities. How could she do that? They are what caused all of this to begin with, and here she was tinkering with them. Scenario after scenario flooded her mind, none of which ended well. She couldn’t be here anymore. She needed to leave. Not the room, but the castle. Canterlot. Maybe even Equestria, if necessary. She had to get away from this. The palace was supposed to be a safe haven. A place where she could heal from the horrible wounds, both emotional and physical that plagued her ever since the incident. Now, with the knowledge of those things being just a few rooms away, and Twilight being in the state she was in, she knew she needed to leave. She unhooked her IV and tiptoed out of the room, praying that no one would notice her.

-

Applejack walked slowly over the grass in the garden as night fell over Equestria. She spent most of the day crying after hearing the doctor’s diagnosis. It hurt her so much to think of someone she once called a friend suffering like that. Finally, as the sun went down, she knew she needed to get some fresh air. The mare thought a walk in the gardens would help her process the horrid information she received earlier that day. She needed to figure things out. Where did she stand on all of this? Her first thought was that Twilight brought it on herself and should have known better than to mess with such reckless technology. She soon cursed herself for letting a notion like that enter her mind, but as she examined it further, it began to frighten her. She was always more instinctual that the rest of her friends. She trusted her gut, and usually her gut was right. What did that say then that her first thought about her former friend was essentially ‘serves you right?’ She never thought that she hated Twilight, but maybe there was more anger there than she realized. But, could she even afford to be angry now? Twilight was practically dying and here she was, blaming her for it. And yet, it was technically her fault, since she decided to experiment on herself. Applejack stopped dead in her tracks and gritted her teeth, as she sighed loudly.

‘Why the hay is this so dang confusin’?!? Ah never waste time figuring out how Ah feel, but Ah can’t help it! Ah don’t even know what Ah’m supposed to think!’ Applejack thought to herself as she closed her eyes tight.

“Taking in my night, Applejack?” a voice chimed in from behind her.

Applejack whirled around, the words snapping her back to reality. It was Princess Luna. From the tone, Applejack expected the alicorn to greet her with a smile, but as she got closer, she saw nothing but melancholy etched on the royal’s face.

“Oh, hi, Princess. Ah’m sorry, Ah didn’t see ya there,” Applejack answered softly.

They both stood in awkward silence for a few moments, as a soft breeze tickled their fur. After all that’s happened, the last think Applejack wanted to talk about was Twilight. She had some thinking to do, and she needed to do that by herself. What could she say to break the tension? She was curious about a few things on another front, and since they were alone, now seemed like a good time to ask.

“So, you and mah brother, huh?” Applejack stammered, as her gaze met the soft grass under her hooves.

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise at the inquiry. As obvious as the question was, considering what’s happened between her and the stallion as of late, she didn’t expect Applejack to be so forward. Seeing the mare in front of her so nervous however, almost made her giggle, a much needed feeling after the last few weeks. She smiled softly as she walked closer to the earth pony.

“Yes. I know it sounds cliché, but it sort of just…happened,” she said as she sat down next to the earth pony.

Applejack joined her as they both stared at the moon. The farmer searched for the words, as she turned to eye Princess Luna curiously.

“How? If ya don’t mind me askin’?” she inquired.

“Applejack, I know that you all think of me as above such things, but the truth is, this has been hard on me too. We didn’t want you to know this, but we had no idea how to help you and your friends when you came back to the castle after that terrible tragedy. And my sister was a shadow of herself for months. It was up to me to hold everything together. I’d been back barely two years, Applejack. I was already dealing with issues stemming from my own…transformation. I’d barely begun to speak modern Equestrian! And suddenly, I was thrust into this entirely new situation. It’s hard for me to admit this, but I was scared. I didn’t know what to do, and I couldn’t even ask my big sister for help because she was one of the ones who needed helping!” Luna said, as her eyes became misty.

“Ah…Ah had no idea, princess,” Applejack whispered.

“Well, through all of it, there was only one pony I could talk to, and that was Big Mackintosh. He was the only one who I felt comfortable discussing these things with. He was kind, sweet, warm and gentle, all wrapped up in a strong outer shell. He gave good advice, and most importantly, I felt at ease around him. I…I needed a rock, Applejack. I needed to have a shoulder to lean on, and he was always there for me, even if he didn’t realize it until a few weeks ago,”

“Yeah, stallions can sure be thick headed sometimes,” Applejack said.

This time, the princess couldn’t hide her chuckle, and soon, Applejack joined in, as they shared a hearty laugh together. The two mares smiled at each other, as they gradually calmed down.

“Well, that’s a good enough reason, Ah guess. Ah am his sister, after all, so Ah had to ask, Princess. Yer intentions seem honorable, so Ah guess Ah can allow it,” the earth mare said as she posed with one hoof over her chest, eliciting another laugh from the princess.

“Well, not entirely. Has anyone ever told you your brother has the cutest tush?” Princess Luna asked jokingly, raising her eyebrows a few times.

“Princess! That’s mah brother! Ah don’t even wanna…oh, heh, ya got me good there, yer highness,” Applejack stammered in between giggles.

“Seriously, though, I like him Applejack. Very much. I can assure you, I would never play with a stallion’s heart in such a way, especially one as warm as his,” Luna stated sweetly.

“Oh, ah know that, princess. Ah was just curious. Ah don’t think he could do any better in the whole wide world than bein’ with you, and Ah mean that,” Applejack said.

“Thank you, Applejack. That’s very kind of you. Well, I have some duties to take care of. Will you be turning in?” the princess asked.

“Nah. Ah need to clear mah head a little, so Ah think Ah’ll stay out here for a bit longer,” the earth pony answered.

The princess nodded as she turned to leave. Suddenly, a voice stopped her.

“Hey, Princess. Ah just wanted to say thanks. For everything,” Applejack said.

Luna smiled and nodded as she turned back around, making her way into the night, leaving Applejack among the flowers and bush once again to contemplate. Just as the princess of the night disappeared from sight, Applejack stiffened as she heard a rustling behind her. She turned and made her way towards the sound slowly and carefully. She didn’t want to spook whomever, or whatever was making the noise. The orange mare was more curious than scared. After all, this was the Cantelot Royal Gardens. There weren’t any dangerous creatures here like in the Everfree forest. Just as she was about to call out to whoever was there, she jumped back, startled as a figure ran out of the bush, making a mad dash across the grass.

“H-Hey! Wait!” Applejack shouted as she gave chase.

Whoever it was, didn’t seem to be that quick, and the farm mare easily gained ground over what was clearly another pony. Was it a changling? Someone spying on Princess Luna? The more she thought about someone eavesdropping on her private conversation with the alicorn, the angrier she became, and she used that anger as fuel for her legs. She was right behind the pony now, and after a few moments, she made a mad leap, tackling the pony to the ground. From the grunt she heard when their bodies made contact, she was dealing with a female. The voice seemed familiar, and as the mystery mare fought to free herself from Applejack’s grip, the farm girl decided enough was enough, and used her front hooves to pin her prey to the ground.

“Alright, now! Who are ya, and what were ya doin’ spyin’ on me and Princess… Fluttershy?!?” Applejack exclaimed.

Staring up at her, shaking, was the element of kindness herself. For a few moments, they didn’t move. They just looked at each other, until Applejack finally realized what kind of position they were in. She got up off her friend, and with a smile, extended a hoof. Fluttershy, however, looked away from the earth pony, still shivering violently. Applejack became more concerned by the second.

“Sugarcube, what’s wrong? Why are you out here, and why did ya run from me?” Applejack asked softly, doing her best to calm the pegasus down.

“I…I was…I was running away, Applejack! I can’t stand it here anymore! With Twilight, and…and…” Fluttershy stammered, doing her best to control her fear.

Applejack couldn’t help but feel for her timid friend. She frowned as she sat next to the pegasus, who was lying on the grass. Fluttershy sat up, as Applejack put a hoof on her shoulder.

“Fluttershy, look, Ah…Ah know this is tough. Ah gotta admit, one of the main reasons Ah’m out her right now is to figure out how to deal with all this…new information. But Twilight needs us. You know it, and Ah know it. This is the toughest thing she’ll ever face. Ah…Ah know she’s done wrong by us, but can we really just sit back and let all this happen to her? After everything else we’ve been through together?” Applejack whispered, while caressing the mare’s back.

“Applejack, you don’t understand…” Fluttershy started before she was cut off.

“Of course Ah do. Ah was there too, ya know. It’s been hard on all of us. The nightmares, not sleepin’ or eatin’ right, not bein’ able to get those images outta yer head, like they haunt ya even in the daylight. Ah get it sugarcube, but we’ve gotta stick together,” the earth pony said softly.

“Applejack, no, you don’t…” Fluttershy started again, but was interrupted.

“Please, Fluttershy…” Applejack began.

APPLEJACK, LISTEN TO ME! YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME! THEY BROUGHT THEM BACK!!! THE PRINCESS BROUGHT THEM BACK!!! AND NOW…AND NOW…” Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs, almost knocking her friend over.

“Fluttershy, what is it?” Applejack asked cautiously.

“The telepods. The princess brought them back. Princess Celestia and Tw…Twilight are working on them right now. I…I saw them Applejack. They…they are set up in the throne room. The princess isn’t letting anyone in,” Fluttershy answered.

Time seemed to stop for Applejack as she absorbed the words that Fluttershy just uttered. How could Princess Celestia do this? To bring back those monstrosities, the ones that made Twilight the way she was, starting the whole ordeal, just seemed wrong. Now she understood Fluttershy’s extreme reaction. Applejack thought of herself as quite courageous, but even she shuddered when she turned to look at the castle. They were in there. The objects that started this nightmare were really in there. Her bravery began to falter, as she thought more about the prospect of being in the same building as those things. Fluttershy’s whisper snapped her train of thought.

“Applejack, she…she’s going to kill us…isn’t she? If we stay, I mean. We…we’ll die, A.J. and…and I don’t want to die! I’m scared!” she said, as she cried into her hooves.

Applejack’s eyes widened at the statement. This event had hurt all of them, but it wasn’t until now that she realized just how badly Futtershy was affected. She was the element of kindness, and even though she had strength, this new development drained her of any inner fortitude she may have regained over the last six months. It crushed her to see her friend this way. What could she even say to such a statement? She needed to reassure her. It was the only thing she could think of right now.

“Fluttershy, you know that the princess will never let that happen. Besides, we’re surrounded by guards, and…and Princess Luna. Even mah brother is stayin’ for a spell. We’ll be ok, sugarcube. Now come on, let’s go back to our rooms, ok?” Applejack stated softly, as she stood up.

“Please…please don’t make me go back in there, Applejack. I…I just want to leave and never come back!” the pegasus stammered in between sniffles.

“Now, look here, Fluttershy! We’re in this together, whether you like it or not! Now come on, Ah know yer stronger than this, so get on yer hooves and let’s go back inside,” Applejack stated forcefully.

Fluttershy eyed her friend warily. She could tell that the news of the telepods being active again bothered her more than she was letting on. It was a good performance, but the farm mare’s voice was shaky.

“Who…who are you trying to convince, A.J.? Me or yourself?” Fluttershy snapped, tears still rolling down her face.

The startling realization hit the farm pony in the gut like a sledgehammer. Fluttershy was right. She needed to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince her friend, and she wasn’t doing a very good job of either. Finally, she sat down, while letting out a long sigh. She needed to be more honest than she’d ever been in her life. Honesty may have been her element, but she wasn’t exactly the best as sharing her feelings. She needed to try, though. She needed Fluttershy, just as she needed Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was scared to be alone.

“Look, Ah…Ah’m scared, alright? Mah…mah brother is in there, and so are all mah friends! Ah’m scared to be alone, ok? Ah know it sounds crazy comin’ from me, but it’s the truth. With…with all that’s happenin’ right now, Ah…ah can’t bear the thought of losing another friend, even if it’s just to the wind. So, please Fluttershy. Please stay. For me?” Applejack pleaded.

Fluttershy just stared at the ground as she listened to Applejack’s words. They rang true to her, as she also felt alone. It always seemed like the others didn’t have the same emotional scars as she did, but now she understood that they just didn’t wear them on their sleeves like she did. She still wanted to leave. Applejack, being an earth pony, wouldn’t be able to follow her, if she took to the air. Her wings wouldn’t follow her commands, however. The pegasus whimpered at the realization that her fear was still holding her back. Fluttershy let out an exasperated huff as she thought about what to do. She really didn’t want to go back in there, but here was Applejack, begging her to stay. She never thought of her friends needing her in the same way that she needed them. Rather than relieve her fears, however, such a notion simply added to it. Applejack, the most dependable pony she knew just told her that she depended on her. It was a startling realization. She wanted so badly to stop feeling so frightened. She needed to take a first step towards courage. She stood up, doing her best to still the tremors in her knees.

“O…ok, Applejack. I…I’ll stay. For you. And for Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash,” she turned to walk back to the castle, but before she could turn around, she was grabbed into a tight hug by Applejack.

Fluttershy returned the hug, as they just stood there, basking in the moonlight, doing their best to comfort each other. Applejack could feel the mare shivering as she held her. Applejack’s thoughts began to focus on this recent development as they embraced.

‘Ah…Ah gotta find out why the princess decided to bring those…things…back. Fluttershy said that no one’s allowed in to see them. Maybe Ah can try somethin’ else,’ she thought to herself.

-

“Are you finished with those equations yet?” Princess Celestia inquired as she connected more wires into the large computer that now sat in the middle of the throne room.

“Not…not yet, Princess. I should be done with them soon,” Twilight answered.

It was night now, and all of the other scientists and workers were gone, leaving just the two of them to their work. Twilight was surprised how normal they were with each other. Once she got past the situation and they started concentrating on each individual task, the words that passed between them were nothing like the tearful exchanges from the past few conversations. Twilight had to admit that she started to feel relieved at the development. She found herself more focused, as long as she didn’t think about the big picture and she kept her head buried in her notes and books, going out of her way to not let the telepods enter her field of vision.

“They’re done, Princess. I’ll get some more tools,” Twilight said, as she made her way over to a large metallic box.

Using her magic, Twilight opened the container, and used her magic to lift out a wrench. As she looked up, she dropped the tool instantly causing a heavy clang to reverberate throughout the room. The sheen on the inside of the box had a reflective surface. She gasped as her own grotesque features startled her. She frightened herself with her own face. The unicorn collapsed as pain once again filled her heart, and the reality of the situation literally reared its ugly head. Her reflection told her that she was one step closer to the grave, and possibly going back to the place she feared more than anywhere else. Princess Celestia was at her side in a heartbeat after she heard the tool fall back into the metal box.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?!? Are you alright?!?” Celestia asked, as she began checking her pupil for signs of injury.

“I…I’m sorry, Princess. I just…I saw what I looked like, and…” she trailed off as she got up and turned away from her teacher.

“Twilight, what is it? Please, tell me,” the elder alicorn whispered.

“I started thinking about what would happen to me if this doesn’t work. About…where I’d have to go,” Twilight answered.

“What do you mean, Twilight?” her mentor inquired as she sat next to the now shaking mare.

“You…you mean…they didn’t tell you? About… about the session?” Twilight said as she looked at Celestia nervously.

“Twilight, please. What’s wrong?” the alicorn pressed on in the calmest voice she could muster.

“When…when I… died… I was sent to Tartarus!” Twilight exclaimed as she broke into sobs.

Princess Celestia’s eyes widened at the statement. She felt knots twist in her stomach as she had to stop herself from whimpering. How could she have been so stupid? She remembered Luna telling her about Twilight’s time in Tartarus, but never pressed her sister for any further information on the matter, as Luna told her how much it hurt Twilight to talk about it. She never asked the unicorn either. She wanted to let her open up about it on her own. The elder alicorn had so many thoughts running through her head at the moment, she didn’t know where to begin. Finally, she uttered a single question.

“What happened, Twilight?” she whispered.

“I…I really don’t want to talk about this!” Twilight shouted as she ran back to her books.

The sun princess eyed her student sorrowfully. She’d pitied Twilight for what she went through as a hybrid creature and now with her struggle for normalcy. She decided not to press her student any further. She could only imagine how much pain would be wretched up if she continued asking any questions. Princess Celestia stood up and made her way back to the telepods to continue her work.

“Alright, Twilight. I won’t press the matter any further. Just know that if you want to talk about it, I am here for you like always,” she said softly.

For the next few minutes, the only sounds heard throughout the room were Princess Celestia’s tinkering and a page turning here and there, as Twilight Sparkle went back to her computations. The tension was back, and Twilight cursed herself for her reaction. After finally getting a break from this horrible nightmare, it was back to the forefront of her mind. She sighed as she turned to her teacher. Maybe it was time to talk about it, just as the doctors had been telling her since she first arrived.

“Laughing,” Twilight whispered.

“Laughing?” Princess Celestia asked as she put down her tools, and sat in front of her apprentice.

“The first thing I remember was laughing. I couldn’t see anything, it was total darkness. It…it was like my eyes were closed. But, I could hear laughing. Its sounded female. For a brief moment, I got excited. The laughter…it sounded…like Pinkie Pie. Was it all a dream? When I opened my eyes, would I see my friends? I started thinking maybe I just nodded off, and they would all be there smiling at me when I woke up. I opened my eyes, and that’s when I saw them. It’s hard to describe what they looked like. They were spirits, and not quite tangible. They were large, though. Almost the size of you, princess. Then I…I looked down at myself. It was the strangest sensation I’ve ever felt. I looked totally different, but I could still recognize myself. It…it took me a moment to say anything. I didn’t even realize that I could, until I tried. I tried to say ‘hello’ and that’s when…that’s when…” Twilight stammered.

“It’s ok, Twilight,” Princess Celestia encouraged.

“That’s when they attacked me. In this…new body, I…I didn’t know how to move. I couldn’t…I couldn’t defend myself! They…they just…princess, they tore me apart! It…it felt like my flesh was being ripped like cheap cloth! I tried to scream, but…but nothing came out! Finally, after they were done with me, and I heard the laughing again. I looked down at myself, and…and I saw holes and rips! But…but I was still alive. I… I was aware of everything! That’s…that’s when I realized…I must be in some sort of afterlife. Once I figured out how, I screamed and cried. They…they just kept laughing at me!” Twilight sobbed, as she turned to hug her mentor, shaking.

“When I looked down again, I could…I could see that my…my wounds were healing! I tried to crawl away, once I was fully healed, but then…they…they just pounced on me again! I couldn’t believe that I was being torn apart a second time! I…I…” she cried.

“Shhh, it’s ok, Twilight,” Princess Celestia whispered.

“Eventually, they left me alone. I…I guess they got bored of me, so…so they left. That’s…that’s when I figured out how to move. How to ‘walk’, for lack of a better term. My…wounds healed each time I was hurt, so I got away from there as fast as I could. After what seemed like days, I…I found some sort of gate. I ran up to it, thinking that it was the exit. That’s when I heard the barking,” the unicorn stated closing her eyes as her teacher held her.

“Barking?” Princess Celestia asked.

“I…I turned around, and there he was. Cerberus. I’d almost made it to the gate, but when I saw him, that’s when it hit me. I was in Tartarus! Those…things that attacked me were evil spirits, and…and fate deemed me an evil spirit, just like them! I…I tried talking to him! I…called out to him, but…he…he didn’t recognize me! To him, I was just another evil entity trying to get away from him and leave the realm. I couldn’t move that well, and I…I didn’t have any magic, so…I had no choice but to go back into the darkness that I wanted so desperately to escape. That’s when…when…they found me again! I tried to run, but they would catch me so easily, since I couldn’t move anywhere near as well as they could! I…I tried to communicate, but all it did was make them laugh harder and hurt me more!” Twilight screamed as tears streamed down her face.

“What?!?” Princess Celestia asked angrily.

“A…After I tried communicating with them, it looked like they understood me, but…but they didn’t care! I begged them to stop, princess! I pleaded with them to leave me alone, but it didn’t matter! It would just encourage them to hurt me worse than the last time! Eventually, they would get bored with me and let me go, but only until I healed completely! Then they would find me again! It hurt so much, princess!” the unicorn stammered, as her fresh tears matted the princess’ fur.

Celestia felt tears of anger and sadness leave her own eyes, as she stroked the unicorn's back, trying to keep her calm. She’d never felt more powerless in her life than she did right now. Twilight’s story enraged her, and yet, she couldn’t do anything about it. It infuriated her that she could move an entire star, but she couldn’t help Twilight in what was literally her darkest hour, even if it was on another plane of existence.

“That…that wasn’t even the worst part, princess!” Twilight uttered, making her teacher’s body stiffen.

‘What could be worse that what she just told me?!?’ the royal alicorn thought as her pupil continued.

“What do you mean, Twilight?” Princess Celestia asked.

“After…after being there for so long, I…I thought I…deserved what was happening to me!” the unicorn said.

“Twilight!” the princess gasped.

“It’s just…I…I started to think about why I ended up there. I mean, I…I kidnapped my friends’ pets, and I…I put them through horrible pain! I knew it was wrong! And they way they looked at me, I…They knew what I was doing to them, I know they did! But, I did it anyway! And…and when I went to get Tank, I beat Rainbow Dash! I split Fluttershy’s head open! I…I picked a fight with Trixie, and ended up…I tortured another pony, princess! I crippled her! I hurt Applejack, too! I…I even threatened her family! I threatened Granny Smith, and…and even Applebloom! I threatened to kill a foal! Then, I…I tried to kill my best friends! I deserved this, didn’t I?!? This was my punishment, wasn’t it?!?” Twilight screamed.

“No, Twilight! Those things you did… you weren’t yourself! Why would you even say…” Princess Celestia stammered, but was interrupted by her pupil.

“I would have done anything, princess! I would have done anything…anything to escape. I had already sacrificed my morals and ethics, but, I would have done anything they would have asked me, and I was so ashamed of that! I wished so hard for even a moment of relief from the pain and fear of being hurt, but…but I knew it wasn’t coming! I was dead, and there was on hope…there was nothing for me so I…I…” Twilight choked out, as she pushed her mentor away.

Princess Celestia was taken aback by the action, but slowly approached her student again. She didn’t say anything and decided instead to let the unicorn get everything out.

“I GAVE UP!” Twilight Sparkle screamed as her head drooped forward.

“What?” Princess Celestia whispered.

“I gave up, princess. Before…before I came back, the last few attacks, I…I didn’t run, I didn’t even try to fight back, I…I just…I just… I let them do whatever they wanted to me,” Twilight wept quietly as her tears dripped to the ornate marble floor.

The princess didn’t say anything. She was flabbergasted with what she just heard. She pitied her poor student like never before. She wanted to take the pain away, to make her feel better, but she knew that there was nothing she could do. These were a part of her memories now, and there was nothing she could do about it. The alicorn made her way over to her student and pulled her tight into a hug, with Twilight still crying her eyes out, her body wracked with sobs.

“No matter what happens, Twilight, I will never let you go back there, do you hear me? As the very sun as my witness, I will never let you feel pain like that again,” she whispered, holding her pupil.

-

As Big Mac shut the light and made his way out of the bathroom, he turned towards the windows of the princess’ quarters. Luna was out on the balcony staring up at her moon. He could tell something was on her mind. As he made his way out towards the balcony window, he couldn’t help thinking how lucky he was to be with a mare like Luna. She was beautiful, strong, everything he wanted in a mare. It did surprise him, however, how quickly he became accustomed to Canterlot living. He never stayed during his visits, as he often thought the city was too stuffy for his tastes. After being here for a while, however, he had to admit that the atmosphere was beginning to grow on him. Granted, it helped that he was a guest of the princess and therefore got to share in the royal treatment. He just assumed that since he was used to such hard physical labor his entire life, that he would get bored or frustrated being waited on, but to be honest, deep down, he rather enjoyed it. After all, he worked so hard, it was nice to have a break, even though it was under the absolute worst of circumstances. He shook his head at the thought, as he met his lover outside.

“Luna? Is there something wrong?” he asked quietly, as he sat down next to her.

“I…I don’t know what to do, Big Mac. I may have completed my royal duties for the night, but I can tell you my mind was somewhere else entirely,” she stated.

“Twilight Sparkle?” he guessed.

“Yes. With her condition, I…I guess I just don’t know what to do. I…we’ve tried so hard to heal the emotional scars of your sister and her friends, but…but how do we keep the progress we’ve made? And how do we help Twilight? There has to be something we can do for her,” Luna said, as she moved closer to the stallion.

Big Mac sighed as he put his hoof around her. She leaned into him, letting her lips curl into a soft smile. Regardless of the situation, it just felt so nice being held by a lover. It was something she hadn’t experienced in a very long time, and it wasn’t until she began experiencing it again did she realize just how much she missed it. They just stared at the moon for a few minutes before being startled by a sound from behind them.

“Ahem,” a voice uttered loudly.

They both turned to see Applejack and Spike standing by the entrance. Luna and Big Mac both gave them puzzled looks as they walked over to the pair.

“A.J. what’s wrong?” the stallion inquired.

“We need to talk,” she answered.

-

Well, here is the next chapter! I hope everyone enjoys it!