Twilight Sparkle had been breathing heavy for the last hour, but she pushed through the fatigue, as she used her magic to grip the wrench and twist the next bolt into place. She and Princess Celestia had been at it all night, and were slowly inching closer and closer to a test run. So much of the equipment had been damaged in the initial event that she was surprised any of it was working at all. After the tense meeting with Spike and rest, the unicorn did her best to concentrate on her work. She was only momentarily distracted when a few work ponies showed up to talk to the princess, but that was several hours ago. Since then, she’d kept her nose to the grindstone, using it to block out the emotional turmoil going on inside her. After securing the bolt to her satisfaction, she levitated the tool back to the tool box. Before it could reach, however, Twilight’s magic faltered, and the wrench fell to the ground, bouncing up striking across the mare’s right hoof. The edge raked across the appendage, causing her to squeal.

“Ahhh!” she cried as she winced in pain.

“Twilight, are you alright?” Princess Celestia called out from behind one of the telepods.

“Yes, I’m fine, Princess. I just dropped a tool, that’s all,” she answered in a frustrated tone.

The royal alicorn slowly trotted to her pupil’s side and leaned in to inspect the damage. There didn’t seem to be a laceration or contusion. Granted, it was much harder to tell if Twilight was injured due to her grotesque form. She frowned at the thought as she turned to her student. She was tired. She may not have needed sleep in the same way as before, but the unicorn was burning out and needed a respite.

“Twilight, you’ve been working very hard, and I’m so proud of you for doing so, despite the circumstances. But, I believe it’s time you get some rest,” she said.

Twilight’s head drooped as she started at the ground. She didn’t want to admit it, but her teacher was right. Her new physiology may have allowed her to work longer and harder, but even it had a breaking point. She’d been obsessive about her work before, and by now she knew what kind of result she’d yield if she pushed herself too hard. This time, she was going to be smart about it and take her mentor’s advice.

“You…you’re right, Princess. I am very tired, and if I worked any longer, I’m afraid I’d just get in the way,” she whispered.

“Nonsense, Twilight. You just need some time to recharge. I…I’ve had some of the workers prepare a special room for you. It’s…different from what you’re used to, but I ask that you keep an open mind,” the sun goddess said, looking away from her pupil.

“Different?” Twilight asked, tilting her head up.

-

Fluttershy continued to stare at the bottle of wine as she sat at the desk in her quarters. She’d been up all night, and her eyes were heavy. She couldn’t sleep, not with knowing the telepods were in the same building being remade even as she thought. Her restlessness finally got the better of her when she went down to the mess hall to see if she could get something to eat. No one was there, and although she didn’t want to intrude, her stomach betrayed her as she rummaged through some of the smaller items. A chamber in the corner of the kitchen had caught her eye, and when she opened the door, there they were. Adorning shelves upon shelves were bottles of wine. She still didn’t know what possessed her to take it. She wasn’t a thief, and both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna told her to make herself at home when it came to getting a meal or something to drink. Granted, she didn’t think this was the kind of drink they meant, but she just kept telling herself it was alright based on what the royal alicorns deemed fit. She tilted her head slightly, still eyeing the bottle curiously. She’d never really imbibed alcohol before. Of course she’d been of age for a few years or so now, and she’d tried a sip here and there when forced upon her, but with being away for as long as she had, she didn’t exactly have a lot of time to experiment. That wasn’t the real reason though. It was just the surface lie that she told herself. In reality, she was scared to try it. To really try it, not just give in when someone forced her to try it. Just like everything else in her life she was scared of it. She sighed heavily, as she used her right hoof to caress the glass container lightly. She’d been around others that had consumed the substance before. After a while, they all had one thing in common.

They all looked happy.

And they certainly didn’t look afraid. She was so tired of the fear. It was like a burning in her blood that would never leave her. She wanted so badly to leave this place, but she’d made a promise to Applejack, which she couldn’t break. Now back in her room, however, she started to think about why she wanted to leave in the first place. The fear was inside her. It was a part of her. So, even if she left, would the fear leave also?

‘Probably not,’ she thought heavily, answering her own question.

It amazed her really. Just drinking a few drops of this, and no matter how shy or timid someone was, their issues would just melt away. It was like some magic elixir that turned you into Pinkie Pie. She’d seen it happen before with plenty of other ponies.

‘Maybe this is my answer. If I can’t escape physically, then maybe…just maybe, I can get out of my own head, at least for a little while,’ she mused.

She took the bottle in her front hooves and used her mouth to pull the cork off. The popping noise it made scared her a bit, as she jumped slightly. She cursed herself silently as she looked away. Again, even with the simple act of opening a bottle, fear still found its way into her heart. She’d had it. She needed to make it go away before she lost herself in it.

‘Well, a little sip won’t hurt, right?’

She took a deep breath, as she gave a light sniff over the neck of the bottle. It smelled good, almost fruity. This was it. She wrapped her lips around the bottle and leaned her head back, letting the liquid slide down her throat. She let the taste permeate her mouth as she swallowed.

‘It’s…it’s good!’ the pegasus thought as her lips curled in a smile.

She was smiling. The mere taste was making her smile. It was like some miracle. Finally a reprieve of the horror that she faced was filling her belly. She was finally feeling different. She was feeling good.

‘O…ok. Let me try another sip,’ she thought, as she tilted her head back again.

-

The stallion fell to the side, collapsing on the posh blankets and sheets that adorned Rarity’s bed. Their labored breaths filled the room as Rarity turned over to face her lover. She forced a smile as he turned towards her, using his hoof to caress her cheek lightly. This was their first rendezvous in a while, so he’d been quite excited to get back under the covers with the unicorn. She could tell that he missed her, which broke her heart. She had so much on her mind as of late that she couldn’t even count on these activities to provide a distraction. The only reason she even let the liaisons continue was to keep her cover. It’s not that she didn’t find him hansom, it was just that she couldn’t let him know that something was wrong. Despite whatever feelings he may have had towards her, he was still a member of the royal guard, and loyal to the princesses. She’d never dare tell him of her secret meetings with Twilight Sparkle, nor that it was very possible that she was the reason for her fellow unicorn’s plight at the moment. The mere thought made her frown and turn away from the stallion, her back now to him. Once their breathing calmed down, she felt a hoof lightly stroke her side.

“Rarity, are…are you alright? Did…did I do something wrong?” he whispered worriedly.

“Oh, no darling, not at all. You’re just as…well…spirited as ever. I simply have a lot on my mind right now,” she answered.

“Yeah. I…I heard about Ms. Sparkle. I’m really sorry about your friend,” he said.

Rarity winced at the comment, her eyes widening. She couldn’t tell him the truth about her feelings towards Twilight, but the words had made her façade falter for a brief moment. The unicorn took a deep breath, before putting on her best face, and turning over. She soon regained her composure, as she looked back into his eyes and smiled.

“Thank you for your concern. It has been a…difficult time for her…and for the rest of us,” she said.

The stallion smiled, as he got up from the bed and began putting on his armor. They didn’t say anything to each other, as the unicorn just watched the royal guard get ready silently. She willed herself to smile a bit wider, letting him know how much she appreciated his presence, even though she couldn’t tell him the reason she was happy for it. For a brief moment in time, when their bodies were intertwined during their lovemaking, her mind drifted away from the anxiety that encompassed her life now. She could escape it, even if it was only for a short time, and for that she was grateful for him. Soon, he was fully adorned in his military garb, and he turned to face Rarity, greeting her with a smile. He truly was a fine example of manhood. Perhaps once this whole thing is over, they could discuss their future together, but not now. There was too much going on to even think about it, but maybe someday. For now, the fashion expert would have to settle for the status quo, and she was alright with that.

“So, I can be by in another two days, Rarity. Is…is that alright?” he whispered.

Rarity couldn’t help but chuckle. It amazed her how bashful he could especially right after such intimate relations they had with one another. It added a dimension of boyish charm to their relationship, which the unicorn couldn’t help but find adorable.

‘He really is cute when he blushes,’ she thought to herself as she got up and made her way over to him.

She stood in front of him for a moment before bringing her lips to his in a deep kiss. She broke the kiss, and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“I believe you have the answer to your question, sir,” she purred.

He kissed her cheek gently before making his way towards the bathroom. He needed to clean himself up a bit, and in a few minutes he was back in the mare’s bedroom. Rarity was once again lying on the bed, giving him a teasing gaze. She seemed to love playing with him like that, but by now, he was used to it. He shook his head and smiled as he turned to leave. Before he could open the door, however, he heard his lover’s voice once again.

“Wait,” she said, sitting up.

“Yes?” he asked while looking over his shoulder at her.

“Well, I…I wanted to know if we could disc…you know what? Never mind,” she said, waving her hoof casually.

“Is there something…” the stallion pressed before being cut off.

“No. Not at all. Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing. Now, it’s time to go serve your country, so get back out there and make me proud,” she said quickly changing the subject.

Smiling and nodding the stallion turned and opened the door. Within a few moments, the door creaked closed, and he was gone. As soon as the door shut, the feelings of anxiety returned. Rarity turned over in bed, pulling her pillow closer, as her brow furrowed in worry. As the seconds ticked by, she sighed and slowly got up, making her way to the shower, thoughts of her lover weighing on her mind. More questions made their way into her mind as she stepped into the shower, letting the water cascade down her form. Perhaps there was something between them, but if anyone found out what she did, how would it affect them? If she were in his position and someone told her of such a crime, she’d break if off with him on the spot. Would he do the same? Not to mention, he is a royal guard. If their affair was brought to light along with her crimes, would he be prosecuted? Their meetings were already secret, so, it was possible that he could be looked at as some sort of co-conspirator, or at the very least as concealing evidence. She whimpered at the thought as she turned around letting the water cleans her. The unicorn’s stomach once again tied itself in knots over such contemplations. The more she thought about the consequences, the more confused and nervous she became. Only one questions echoed through her mind, the same question she’d been asking herself for weeks.

‘What am I going to do?’ she thought to herself as tears streamed down her face.

After drying off, the unicorn made her way back towards her bed, still deep in thought over her recent predicaments. She leapt up onto the ornate mattress, lying down above her covers, resting her head down gently on her pillow. The sound of knocking startled her, as she shot up from her bed with a gasp. Her lover had already left, but had he forgotten something? It seemed unlikely, as she remembered seeing him in his full regalia. Within moments, Rarity leapt from her bed and dashed towards the door, opening it slightly. She was surprised to find Applejack and Rainbow Dash standing by her entrance. She immediately noticed the looks on their faces. Something happened.

“Rainbow Dash? Applejack? What’s wrong?” she asked, pulling the door wide.

“We need to talk, Rar,” Applejack stated.

-

The look of apprehension on Princess Celestia’s face was quite overt as Twilight Sparkle eyed her curiously. They’d been walking for a full ten minutes, and in the opposite direction of her usual quarters. They also weren’t headed towards the unicorn’s library home either. Wherever this ‘special room’ was, it was much father into the castle than she had originally thought. Finally, as they were about to turn a corner, the royal alicorn stopped and sighed. She turned to face her student, and knelt down to speak.

“Twilight, before you see this, I want you to listen to me. Can…can you do that?” she asked.

“Of course, Princess,” the unicorn answered, giving her teacher a puzzled look.

“Twilight, first and foremost, you are not being punished. However, due to your…changes…we have to take certain precautions now. We…we need to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, or anyone else. You are far stronger than an earth pony, and have a monumental amount of magical ability. In your…state…we need to keep an eye on you…at….at all times. Do you understand?” Princess Celestia said.

Twilight Sparkle bit what was left of her bottom lip nervously. She didn’t like the way that any of this sounded. Usually when her parents would start a conversation with ‘you aren’t being punished,’ whatever task or action that came next would most certainly look or feel like a punishment. She shrank back from her mentor as she struggled to speak.

“Wh…what do you…Princess, what do you mean?!?” she uttered nervously, quickly standing straight and running past her teacher, rounding the corner.

As she did, she stopped dead in her tracks, as her eyes widened in confusion. Before her was one of the royal suites, but it seemed like the wall facing her had been removed. Every ten feet or so, there was a royal guard standing at attention. There must have been about ten in total, all wearing their usual stoic faces. Her deformed jaw worked up and down, as she tried to will out a sound, but nothing came out. She shivered in surprise as she felt Princess Celestia’s wing stroke her back lightly. She turned to her teacher, her face yearning for an explanation.

“We’ve prepared this special room for you. As you can see, the main wall has been removed, and a special glass has been put in its place. I cast a few spells on the glass and the room itself. You’ll be able to talk and hear others like they were right in front of you, so you won’t have to step outside. It has all the amenities that any other suite in the castle has,” she said.

Twilight turned her head to again gaze into the room. Sure enough, once she studied it further, she saw the princess was telling her the truth. There was a bed, a desk, bathroom, and everything else that all of the other rooms in the castle had, just exposed. That’s what frightened her, however. She’d be exposed to the world, her horrid deformity on display for anyone who was walking by. She turned back towards her mentor, eyeing her suspiciously.

“Why? Why would you do this? Am I your student, or some sort of criminal?!?” she shouted angrily, while backing away from her teacher.

“Twilight, please, as I just explained, with your condition, we just need to keep an eye on you, that’s all,” the royal alicorn answered.

Twilight backed away from the princess slowly, her face twisting in anger. Almost at once, theory upon theory of why her teacher wanted to lock her away exploded in her mind. Becoming more nervous by the second, she let instinct take over, as she ran as fast as she could around the corner away from the princess.

“TWILGHT! WAIT!” Princess Celestia shouted as she turned in pursuit of her student.

She didn’t know where she was going, but her mind and instinct told her to get away from that room as fast as she could. Her newfound power was making her much faster than she has ever been before, and the elder mare was having trouble keeping up.

‘I…I can’t believe how fast she is! I need to put a stop to this right now!’ Celestia thought as she activated her magic to put up a barrier.

Twilight almost slammed into the glowing wall, but was able to skid to a halt just in time. She took a low stance as she turned to face her captor.

“What is it, Princess?!? What is the real reason you want me in that room?!?” the unicorn shouted.

“Please, Twilight, calm down! No one is trying to hurt you!” the alicorn answered, doing her best to keep her voice calm.

“NO! NO, I DON’T BELIEVE YOU! IT’S BECAUSE I FAILED ISN’T IT?!? I DISOBEYED YOU, SO NOW YOU WANT TO LOCK ME AWAY, AND PUT ME ON DISPLAY! YOU…YOU WANT ME TO BE A REMINDER JUST IN CASE ANYONE ELSE EVER THINKS ABOUT GETTING OUT OF LINE!! IS THAT IT?!?” Twilight screamed.

“Twilight, no, that’s not it at all! You…you aren’t yourself right now, please just calm down!” Princess Celestia said, her voice beginning to crack as she slowly approached the mare.

“NO, YOU’RE RIGHT, HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID?!? YOU…YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT MAKES ME TICK! YOU…YOU’RE A SCIENTIST! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO GAVE ME MY LOVE OF SCIENCE, SO IT’S JUST LOGICAL THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW ALL MY LITTLE SECRETS! I BET YOU ARE JUST WAITING FOR ME TO DIE SO YOU CAN SLICE ME OPEN AND EXPERIMENT ON ME! THAT’S WHAT I AM TO YOU NOW, HUH? I DISOBEYED THE BIG, BAD RULER OF EQUESTRIA, SO ALL I’M GOOD FOR IS CHEAP ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR SOLDIERS AND SOME RESEARCH NOTES!” Twilight bellowed, as she stomped forward.

“Twilight, you know me better than that! I just want you to rest, please!” Princess Celestia begged, as she slowly walked towards her pupil.

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes narrowed as the princess approached her. She clenched her jaw, bearing her now jagged teeth.

“STAY BACK! I’M…I’M WARNING YOU!” the unicorn shouted, lowering her stance even more.

“Twilight, stop, I-AHHGG!” Celestia screamed as her student tackled her to the ground.

The two mares wrestled, the royal alicorn doing her best to restrain her student, but it was much more difficult than she thought. Twilight’s strength was astounding especially for a unicorn, and the wild attack took Princess Celestia by surprise. The hallway echoed with the sounds of struggle, as grunts forced their way out of each of their throats. After a few moments, the princess strained as she heaved herself on top of Twilight, bringing down half of her weight onto her student’s back, pinning her. Twilight still struggled beneath her, squirming and twisting wildly.

“Twilight…please…you have to calm down…I…I…don’t want to hurt you! I just…want you to get…some rest! I…I swear!” Celestia huffed through labored breaths.

Twilight Sparkle was still struggling violently underneath the larger mare. Her face twisted in anger, as she squirmed. The princess could not believe Twilight’s energy. It was very possible that if it wasn’t for her sheer girth, she would have been overtaken. If she wasn’t so scared, she would have been amazed. Suddenly, Twilight turned violently, her back now to the floor. Using her front hooves she began striking the alicorn’s chest and shoulders, forcing the princess to wince.

“I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, DO YOU HEAR ME?!? I WISH I NEVER CAME BACK HERE! I WISH YOU NEVER SENT ME TO PONYVILLE! I WISH I NEVER MET ANY OF MY SO-CALLED FRIENDS, AND I WISH YOU NEVER TOOK ME ON AS YOUR PERSONAL STUDENT! THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO DO THIS TO MYSELF, AND THEN YOU GOT RID OF ME! YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT ME! I COULD NEVER BE THE DAUGHTER YOU ALWAYS WANTED, COULD I?!? I HOPE YOUR SISTER BANISHES YOU TO THE SUN, JUST LIKE YOU DID TO HER!” Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs as she thrashed about wildly.

Tears flowed freely from Princess Celestia’s eyes, the cause of her crying a mixture of the physical pain she was enduring under Twilight’s assault combined with her harsh words. She kept telling herself that she didn’t mean it. That she was just confused and that her paranoia was just a symptom of her transformation, but that didn’t make the words sting any less.

“Twilight…Nghh! Please…Ahh! Calm down! I’m…Ngh…begging you!” she said, doing her best to quell the unicorn’s rage.

Slowly, Twilight’s struggling ceased, as she squirmed again, turning herself onto her belly, her screams transforming into sobs. It broke the princess’ heart to see her like this. Even though she wasn’t facing her anymore, Celestia could hear what kinds of cries they were. They were cries of fear, and she was now the focal point of that fear. Her student was now deathly afraid of her.

“Please…someone, help me! She’s…she’s going to kill me, please….PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!” Twilight cried in between her body wracking sobs.

“Twilight…I love you! I love you, and I would never hurt you! Please, calm down! Please…please!” the alicorn choked through tears of her own.

“LIAR! YOU DON’T LOVE ME! AND I DON’T LOVE YOU, YOU WITCH!” Twilight shouted, as she tried desperately to crawl away.

“It’s ok, Twilight! I know you don’t mean it! You’re scared and confused, but please, I love you and I always will!” the princess retorted.

Using her wings, she surrounded her pupil, and standing up quickly, she used her front hooves to hook around Twilight’s body pulling the blubbering mare to her chest as she leaned up against the wall. The unicorn was still kicking every few moments, but the strikes were feeble now as she finally began to tire. The princess just cradled her like a foal holding her tight, rocking her back and forth.

“Shhh…it’s ok, Twilight….it’s ok now…” the princess whispered in her ear.

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes finally became heavy, as she continued to mutter to herself. She was drifting, her exhaustion finally getting the better of her. Right before the darkness took her, she was able to mutter a single phrase.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered before drifting to sleep.

Celestia’s body finally relaxed, as she sighed deeply. Her face was still wet from the tears, and she continued to cry. The words were so hurtful, but they didn’t matter. All that mattered was helping Twilight, whether her broken psyche accepted it or not. For a few more moments, the hallway was silent, as Celestia continued to hold her student rocking her gently. Once she was able to collect herself, she used her magic to levitate the sleeping unicorn back down the hallway, and into her new quarters. The royal guards were at her side in an instant upon seeing the bruises that adorned their ruler’s shoulders and chest.

“Princess, are you alright?!?” the main guard asked worriedly.

“Yes, I’m fine. As you all know by now, Twilight Sparkle is…not herself. I was forced to…restrain her. She’s calm now, and the spells I’ve set up in her new chambers will ensure that she stays there,” she answered, as she walked into the room.

She levitated her pupil into the new bed, and used her mouth to pull the covers over the unicorn. She just stared at her for a moment, watching her disfigured chest rise and fall.

“I love you so much, Twilight!” she whispered, her voice cracking again.

After a few moments of watching Twilight sleep, she made her way out of the room, using her magic to seal the door, leaving the scholar to get some rest.

-

“That’s ridiculous! You mean to tell me that we aren’t even allowed inside?!?” Rarity practically shouted as she walked down the corridor with Rainbow Dash and Applejack beside her.

“Ah know, sugarcube, but there ain’t much we can do about it. Ah mean this is Princess Celestia’s direct order. How exactly do we one-up that?” Applejack asked.

It’d been the same conversation for the past half hour or so. To say Rarity was livid at the use of the telepods would be an understatement. It enraged her to think of those horrible things being used again, especially by the princess. She’d heard Applejack and Rainbow Dash play devil’s advocate, but it did nothing to convince the unicorn that using the machines was the right decision.

“Look, Rar, we’re all upset about it, believe me, but what the princess says makes sense. If anyone can handle this, it’s Princess Celestia,” Applejack said.

Rarity huffed as she stopped walking for a moment, looking to the floor. This was getting out of control, even for the princess. Although, as much as she was pained to admit it, her friend did have a point. Reversing the polarity of the telepods may be the only way out of this mess. The doctors have already said that magic is almost completely out of the question, unless they want to put another life in danger. She looked up and over at Rainbow Dash. The pegasus’ expression was blank, which piqued Rarity’s curiosity.

“Rainbow Dash, if you’ll beg my pardon, how exactly do you feel about all this? You’ve barely said a word since you and Applejack came to talk to me,” she inquired.

The flyer let out an annoyed grunt as she sat down and turned her head away from her fellow elements. It was a good question. Once she got over the shock of knowing that the telepods were reactivated, she never bothered to actually think about where she stood on the whole thing. She was still coming to terms with Twilight Sparkle being back and everything that’s happened since has been like a whirlwind to her. She needed some time to figure out where she stood on everything, but right now, she needed to answer the question, so she did, in the most honest way she knew how.

“I gotta be honest, I’m not really sure how I feel about it. A.J.’s right, it does make sense, but at the same time, I mean, come on, it’s the telepods, for Equestria’s sake! I still don’t trust them, and I don’t trust Twilight, but…well, I guess I trust the princess. Even before I knew about the telepods coming back into this, I thought the best course for me was to stay out of the princess’ way, let her handle things, and focus on my rehab,” she answered.

“Oh,” Applejack said, as she looked around nervously.

Rainbow Dash frowned at the farm mare’s reaction. She knew that it wasn’t the answer that she wanted to hear, but it was the truth, nonetheless. The pegasus stood, and walked over to her friend, placing her right hoof on Applejack’s shoulder.

“Look, A.J., I know maybe that isn’t the answer you were looking for from me, but I’m just trying to be honest here. When…when everything happened before, I flew my tail off trying to get to Princess Celestia, because down in that basement you were right, A.J. You said that we should have gone to the princess in the first place. You were right then, and I think you’re right now, ok?” the flyer said.

“Ah know, Rainbow, Ah just…Ah hate bein’ on the sidelines, ya know? Ah…Ah wanna do somthin’ but what can ya do when they start talkin’ about atoms and stuff? Ah don’t understand any of that, Ah’m just a good ol’ farm gal from Ponyville,” she said.

Rarity eyed Rainbow Dash suspiciously. She may have been mistaken, but it seemed to her that the rainbow-maned mare was holding something back. She decided to let it go, though. After all, she had plenty of secrets to keep herself. It wouldn’t exactly be ladylike to pry anyway.

‘Besides, she’s right. If anyone can figure out a way out of this nightmare, it’s Princess Celestia. Even still, do we really want to hedge our bets on one mare? Even if that mare is a princess?’ she thought to herself.

Suddenly, her ears perked up as she heard a faint sound coming from the other end of the hallway. She couldn’t make it out at first, but whatever it was, it was getting closer.

“What the hay is that?” Applejack asked with a look of confusion on her face.

“Shh. I think it’s coming this way,” Rarity whispered, as the three mares turned to see who was approaching them.

After a few moments, the group was able to make out a figure in the distance. As it got closer to their location, they were finally able to view the source of the laughter. It was Fluttershy. She was smiling and laughing as she stumbled down the hallway, humming a happy tune to herself. Her friends just stared at her wide-eyed. The animal lover finally came to a halt in front of them, still swaying softly from side to side.

“Hi, girls! Wanna come sing with me?” Fluttershy asked in an exaggerated tone.

“Fluttershy, what on earth has happened to you?!?” Rarity exclaimed running up to the mare in concern.

She stopped short and turned her head away from the stench that radiated from the timid pegasus’ being. It was alcohol, and she wore the smell on her breath as well as the rest of her.

“Oh, my goodness, Fluttershy, dear, have you been drinking?!?” Rarity demanded.

“I…I most certainly have, my dear, dear, dear Rarity!” she stammered before letting out a fit of giggles.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other in surprise before making their way over to the other pair. This was not good. From the looks of it, Fluttershy had consumed quite a substantial amount of whatever it was that she’d been drinking.

“Fluttershy, of all the…where did ya even find alcohol in this place?!?” Applejack inquired.

“Well, Applejack, that’s my…little..secret!” the pegasus answered while poking the farm mare’s nose a few times.

“Fluttershy, how much have you had exactly?” Rarity asked.

“Ohhhhhhh…just a bottle, that’s all! One little bottle,” she answered.

“One bottle? Fluttershy, what I smell coming from you is wine. Are…are you telling me that you had an ENTIRE bottle of wine?!?” the unicorn shouted.

“Betcha didn’t think I had it in me did ya?!?” Fluttershy said puffing her chest out proudly.

“Seriously, Flutters, what possessed you to drink in the first place?!? This isn’t like you at all!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Because, Rainbow….BECAUSE, RAINBOW…I’m much more vigil…vigil…vigilant than you might realize. And when EVERYONE was having a good time, and laughing, and smiling, I was there too, ya know! Watching…waiting…and now, it’s my turn!” she said while throwing her front hooves in the air.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity all turned to each other with looks of confusion plastered on their faces. They had no idea what to do. The fact that Fluttershy would do this to herself was completely unreal to them. Finally, after a few moments, Rarity spoke up again.

“Listen, Fluttershy. While I’m sure you’re having a good time, why don’t we get you back to your room. Let’s get you into bed, where you can relax and get some rest, alright?” she said soothingly.

Fluttershy frowned as she eyed the unicorn warily. Without warning, she shoved Rarity into Applejack and Rainbow Dash as she took to the air, hovering above them.

“Oh, no you don’t! You are NOT gonna ruin the most fun I’ve had in over seven months!” she shouted as she started to sway clumsily.

“Fluttershy, get down! Yer gonna hurt yourself!” Applejack yelled as she helped Rarity up.

“Oh yeah? Why? ‘Cause I’m not as good of a pegasus as Dashie?!?” she retorted in an biting tone.

“Fluttershy, even I wouldn’t fly if I was drunk! Even I’m not that reckless! Now come down right now!” Rainbow Dash said sternly.

“Ya don’t believe me?!? Fine! I’ll…I’ll just have to prove it to you that’s all!” she countered, as she began to sway and turn in the air.

“Fluttershy, wait!” Applejack cried.

Before anyone could say anything else, Fluttershy swayed heavily to her right, crashing right through one of the stained glass windows that lined the hallway. The three landlocked mares gasped at the sight and ran towards the accident scene, shrieking. They made it over to the window, minding the glass that had fell onto the floor, while struggling to get a look at the pegasus.

“FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!?” Rarity screamed as loud as she could.

Luckily, they had only been on the first floor of the castle, so the pegasus didn’t fall very far. However, they could tell that Fluttershy was in pain. Cuts adorned her body and face, as small pools of blood began to form underneath her.

“Go get Princess Luna, Applejack! Rarity and I can get out there easier than you can!” Rainbow Dash commanded.

“But, Rainbow, what about your wing?” Applejack countered worriedly.

“I’ll be fine! Go! Now!” she shouted as she watched her friend race down the hallway as fast as she could.

“Rarity, can you steady me? I can’t really fly yet, but I think I can maybe glide out there. It’s not too far,” Rainbow Dash concluded.

“Of course,” she answered, activating her magic.

Rainbow Dash propelled herself skywards, extending her wings and doing her best to capture the air currents beneath her. It definitely hurt, as the strain of using her wings for the first time since her injury took its toll. Thankfully, it wasn’t a far flight, and she was back on the ground outside in a few seconds. Rarity followed, levitating herself as well, landing next to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, gasping for breath. She was spent after such an effort. Generally, she didn’t move anything bigger than a fabric spool, and the effort needed to move the both of them was quite considerable. She pushed the exhaustion away, however, as they both went to check on Fluttershy. The poor pegasus just laid there, moaning.

“It’ll be ok, Fluttershy,” Rarity whispered trying to calm the mare down.

“Don’t worry, Applejack went to get Princess Luna. You’re gonna be ok, Flutters,” Rainbow Dash said leaning down to nuzzle her childhood friend.

“I…I…I just didn’t want to be scared anymore!” Fluttershy droned through the tears.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash just stared at the mare blankly, their hearts breaking at the sight of how far their friend had fallen.

-

Well, here is the next chapter, folks! Hope everyone enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think!