As Applejack lay in bed, she couldn’t help but sigh as she felt another tear stream down her face. Turning over on her back, she sighed deeply as she stared up into the darkness of her room. Her conversation with Twilight had been less than fruitful. The unicorn accused her of insincerity when it came to her current state, and at first, it infuriated the farmer to think that someone called her a liar. What made it hurt more, however, was the fact that the more she thought about it, the more she realized that her fellow element was right. Why had she really gone down there? Was she there for Twilight or herself? As she asked these questions, the realization quickly came. She has a large family, and she’d been to her share of funerals. With Twilight’s demise hanging over the whole castle, she couldn’t help thinking about the ones that she attended over the years. Determined to get deeper into the truth of the matter, she asked herself the same inquiries. Why go to a funeral? No one likes to go to a funeral. No one wants to go to a funeral, so then why does one go?

‘Because you gotta, Ah guess,’ she answered mentally as she turned over in her posh bed.

You went because you had to. You went because family honor demanded that you show respect to the ones who are no longer with us. But, do you want to be there? In her mind, there was only one true and sane answer to that question.

‘No. No, Ah guess Ah was only there ‘cause Ah thought Ah had to be,’ she thought to herself as she took in another deep breath.

The realization made her feel horrible, like she was betraying someone who was sick and didn’t know any better. It was as though she was playing a cruel trick on Twilight and herself, and that thought shook her to the core. It sickened her to think that she’d become so selfish, and all because of fear. Maybe even hatred. It never occurred to her that she could hate someone else. Especially not someone who was her best friend. She’d always thought of herself as above it somehow, but when she dwelled on it, it seemed that she was just like everybody else. Perhaps she had a bit too much pride to let herself feel what was truly in her heart, just like Princess Luna had warned? She sighed again as she turned over. Her confusion just kept building with each passing thought.

‘Maybe Ah can try again tomorrow. Get all my thoughts in order before Ah go see her again,’ she mused as knock from her door caught her attention.

She huffed in frustration as she rose to answer it. She didn’t really feel like talking to anyone, but with royalty around, it was always possible that one of the princesses were calling on her. Besides, everyone pretty much knew where she was, so it wasn’t as though she was hiding. She opened the door slowly, as the light from the hallway blinded her slightly. As her vision returned, her eyes widened at the sight of her big brother standing in her doorway.

“Oh, uh, hi, Big Mac,” she said softly.

“Hey, sis,” he answered.

For a moment the two of them just stood there. Their last meeting had been quite tense, and neither of them was looking for a fight. Finally, Big Mac cleared his throat before he spoke again.

“Can…can Ah come in?” he asked.

“Oh, uh, yeah, o’course you can, Big Mac,” she said as she turned back into the bedchamber.

“Look, Ah…Ah’m sorry for blowin’ up at ya before. Ah wasn’t really mad at ya. Ah was just concerned, is all,” he stated as he walked behind her.

“Look, it…it was somthin’ Ah had to do. Ah was hopin’ that you’d support me! Yer mah brother! We’re supposed to stick together!” the mare scolded.

“A.J. Ah ain’t lookin’ for a fight, alright? But, it’s my responsibility to look out for ya, and Ah ain’t gonna apologize for that,” Big Mac countered sternly.

“And Ah’m responsible for myself. Twilight was my friend a lot more than she was yours. Ah…Ah had to see it through. Can’t you understand that?” she inquired turning towards him, a look of sadness plastered on her face.

“Ah know, A.J. Look, Ah’m yer big brother, and Ah’m gonna worry about ya whether ya like it or not. Ah just hope you can understand that, too,” he said.

Silence reigned again, as the two siblings looked away. They were getting nowhere like this. They each had valid points, and to continue fighting would be pointless, as they’d just be going around in circles. It was time to change the subject. Once again, Big Mac cleared his throat and spoke up.

“So? How did it go?” he inquired.

“How did what go?” Applejack questioned in confusion.

“Yer meetin’ with Twilight. Were ya able to say what you wanted to say?” he pressed.

Applejack sighed at the mention of her rendezvous with the scholar. She closed her eyes as she sat down. She could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes as she thought about what they talked about, and what the unicorn accused her of. She looked away as she began to speak.

“Big Mac, do…do you think…Do you think Ah’m…” she stammered, doing her best to form her words as a plethora of thoughts invaded her mind.

“What, A.J.?” he pushed.

“Selfish? Like, do ya think that maybe Ah’m…not respectable?” she asked.

“Ah’m sorry, Ah…Ah don’t follow, sis. Yer the most honorable gal Ah know, and Ah ain’t just sayin’ that ‘cause yer my sister,” he said offering a smile.

Applejack’s frown deepened at the statement. Big Mac was officially confused. He was certain that the words he spoke would lighten his sibling’s spirits, but instead they seemed to dampen them. He approached her gingerly, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

“What happened, sis?” he asked softly.

“It’s…it’s somthin’ that Twilight said when Ah went to see her. She…she said that Ah was only there out of a sense of obligation, and…and that Ah didn’t really wanna be there. To her, Ah guess it cheapened the experience, like Ah was lyin’ to her and to myself when Ah said that Ah wanted to be there for her though this whole thing,” she answered.

“And…you think that just bein’ there because yer supposed to be there makes you bad? On the inside?” the stallion pressed.

“Well…yeah. Ah…Ah’ve been doin’ a lot of thinkin’. Like about when we were younger. How many Apple family funerals did we attend growin’ up? It was quite a few, right? So…did we wanna be there, or did we go just ‘cause we were supposed to? Ah mean…if…if we only went because we were supposed to, do you think that…that maybe we dishonored everyone we went to pay our respects to?” she said.

Big Mac sighed as his head drooped. His sister was asking some esoteric questions, ones that he hadn’t been prepared to deal with. He needed to take a moment to collect his thoughts. He looked up into his sister’s eyes, before sitting down next to her.

“Look, A.J. Ah wouldn’t fret over that kinda thing too much. Nobody likes death. It scares us, ‘cause…well, it’s scary. Do you know anyone who’d be happy to deal with not ever seein’ a loved one again? Ah sure don’t. This kinda sadness affects everybody, no matter who you are. Do…do ya think Twilight would be happy going to yer funeral? Or seein’ you on yer deathbed? We don’t like to see the ones we love in pain, Applejack. That’s just normal. And…when we do have to deal with it, it’s not that we don’t wanna be there, it’s that we don’t like seein’ someone we love suffer. There’s a difference. Do…do you get what Ah’m sayin’?” he answered.

Applejack’s eyes went wide as she pulled her brother into a hug, gripping his neck tight. He returned the hug, as they just stood there for a few minutes and the only sound they heard was the mare’s soft sniffling. She thought back to when she first arrived at the castle. She’d never felt so vulnerable in her life. She’d always thought of herself as strong. Independent. But, after their ordeal back in Ponyville, that strong core that she relied on had been smashed to pieces. She felt like a child who realized just how scary the darkness could be, even in your own room. It was a long hard road of barely eating or sleeping, bouts of crying, and arguments with the ones she loved the most. And just as she was making progress, Twilight Sparkle showed up out of nowhere, and all of her work came crashing down. She didn’t know what to say to her, or how to deal with her. She’d tried to push her feelings deep inside her, but after her meeting with the unicorn, it was useless to keep them bottled up any longer. She finally let them out. She cried, hugging her brother even tighter.

“Ah’m sorry Ah made you worry, Big Mac. Ah…Ah’m sorry for everything! Everything Ah did back home! Ah love you! Ah love you so much!” she sobbed into her elder sibling’s shoulder.

“Ah know, A.J. And Ah love you too. Ah’ll always be there for ya, no matter how hard a time yer havin’,” he assured her as he used his other hoof to stroke her mane gently.

A loud knock at the door startled them, as they both turned, staring at the entrance. Applejack took a minute to compose herself while Big Mac walked over to the door opening it slightly. Before him stood three royal guards. He studied them for a moment, and he could tell by their expressions that something happened. The one in front of him then spoke up.

“Please come with us, both of you. There’s been a development,” he said.

-

“Where are patrols five and six?” Princess Celestia asked urgently.

“They are in Sectors A and B, your highness,” the commander answered.

The princess of the sun gave her subordinate a nod as she studied the blueprints of the castle. She’s been mobilizing teams as soon as she left Twilight’s room. Once she’d recalled as many royal guards as she could, she sent teams to go fetch her sister and the other elements. She needed to make sure they were safe. Pinkie Pie was already with them, sitting quietly in the corner. The look of melancholy on her face was disturbing to say the least. The royal alicorn hoped the others would be here soon. As that thought entered her mind, fate seemed to comply with her wishes. Her sibling and Rainbow Dash were the first to arrive, and Luna had immediately taken her place at the elder alicorn’s right side. She did her best not to let her worry show, and for now, her façade was working. She focused on the task at hand, finding her student and making sure everyone else was safe. Activating her magic, she moved one set of plans off to the side of her large table, and grabbed another set, laying them down in front of her and the rest of the commanders.

“What about this ventilation system?” she asked pointing to a section of the parchment.

“We can have teams at every access point in ten minutes, your highness,” one of the soldiers answered.

“Good. Make preparations for the royal gardens as well. We cannot afford to let Twilight go into Canterlot proper. That is our second highest priority,” she stated urgently.

“Yes, your highness!” the three commanders said in unison as they saluted their princess.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a squad of royal guards, Applejack and Big Mac. Rainbow Dash was at the farm mare’s side immediately, pulling her into a hug. The action took Applejack by surprise, as Big Mac walked over to Princess Luna. They eyed each other, but let go of any malcontent they had for each other. Now simply wasn’t the time for personal drama.

“What happened?” the stallion asked flatly.

“Twilight Sparkle has fully transformed. She is now a hybrid of unicorn and insect,” the moon princess answered softly.

“What?!? When…when did that happen?!?” Applejack asked as her voice began to crack.

“It happened about an hour ago. Look, it’ll be ok, A.J. We’re safe here. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are on this. Right?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I can assure you, we will not let any harm come to you or the other elements. However, it is imperative that we find Twilight. There is no telling what kind of damage she could do in her state,” Luna said doing her best to remain confident.

The door burst open suddenly, startling everyone in the room. Three royal guards and Rarity collapsed in the center as one of the other soldiers closed the door quickly. Taking in gulps of air, the guards soon steadied themselves, making their way to the princess of the sun. She was immediately worried. They looked as though they’d been through a battle. Without wasting any time, Princess Celestia approached the main guard of the squad, steadying him as she spoke.

“Easy. You’re safe now. Report,” she commanded.

“We…we fought her, princess. I…I can tell you that…that three guards aren’t enough. We were barely able to get Ms. Rarity back here safely,” he stated, still taking in gulps of breath.

“Is anyone hurt?” Princess Luna chimed in.

The four ponies stiffened at the question as they each hung their heads low. Everyone else’s eyes went wide at the implication. Something had happened. Princess Celestia stepped away from the guard, after she was sure he’d regained his footing.

“What happened?” she inquired.

“He…he was one of ours, your highness…from the nightshift…his name was…” he started before a feminine voice cut him off.

“Halberd,” Rarity whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

They all turned towards Rarity. She knew she had to keep her façade up, and she panicked at her moment of weakness. She cleared her throat before speaking again, taking her time to think about how to relay how she’d know his name.

“Yes, he…he saved me. Twilight…was right outside my door, when…when, the guard held her off before the others could arrive. I…I owe him my life,” she said softly.

“Well? Where is he? He should be either here or in the infirmary if he’s injured,” Luna said.

“No, your highness…Halberd is…he’s…” one of the other guards started.

“Dead. He’s…he’s dead, your highness,” Rarity stated softly as her voice began to crack.

Everyone gasped as Princess Celestia hung her head. This was her worst nightmare coming true in front of her eyes. She’d failed to save Twilight from her gruesome fate and now her very own guards were paying the price in blood. She wanted to scream, but she knew she couldn’t. She needed to be strong, now. Stronger than she’s ever been before. She straightened up, taking a moment to compose herself before speaking.

“I’m…sorry. Right now, however, our priority must be bringing Twilight in, especially that now we know she’s acting with deadly force. The squads will now double in number. Six to a squad, each one led by a lieutenant. Use…use whatever force you can,” Princess Celestia said softly, as tears filled her eyes.

“Princess? Are…are you sure?” one of the guards asked approaching her tentatively.

“Princess, please, no! That’s…that’s still Twilight out there!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she ran up to the royal alicorn.

“Pinkie, please, the guards need to be able to defend themselves. I…I don’t want to hurt Twilight either…believe me, but I have to protect all of my subjects. Besides, I do have a plan, which hopefully will save her,” she explained.

“Plan?” Princess Luna said, tilting her head slightly.

“Yes. But it’s going to take both of us to work,” she advised.

Just as Luna was about to ask for further details, one of the royal guards spoke, as everyone turned to face him.

“Halberd. Where have I heard…oh no!” he said.

“What is it?” Princess Celestia pressed.

The stallion approached her, whispering in her ear. The monarch’s eyes widened as she brought her hoof to her face. This was bad. She couldn’t afford to lose a squad to body recovery right now, but from what she’d just heard, she’d need to make preparations.

“Very well. Take a new squad and retrieve the body. But, be on your guard, as we still don’t have a location on Twilight Sparkle yet,” she warned.

“We’ll be careful, your highness,” he said as he bowed slightly. He nodded to his two companions, as they made their way to the door.

“May…may I…” Rarity stuttered as she approached the guards as they were leaving.

“Yes, Ms. Rarity? What is it?” the stallion said.

Rarity’s eyes widened as she realized that now all eyes were on her. Once again, she’d acted without thinking, and her rash behavior once again forced her onto a corner on the subject of her lover. She straightened up, doing her best to keep her composure. She cleared her throat as she sighed deeply.

“I’d…I’d like to accompany you…if…if that’s alright. Halberd…he…he saved my life, so I…I’d like to pay my respects,” she said softly, bringing a hoof to her chest.

“No. It’s not safe for you out there right now, Rarity. You are to stay her with us. That goes for the rest of you as well,” Princess Celestia said sternly.

The unicorn’s head drooped as tears fell from her eyes. She wished so badly that he could be here with her right now. He’d only been gone for a few minutes, and she could already feel the burning in her stomach and chest. She missed him already. She gasped at the touch of feathers across her back, as she looked up. Celestia had draped her wing over the fashion designer, pulling her close.

“I understand. He did save you, and you wish to show your gratitude and pay your respects. But, if you get hurt, his sacrifice will be in vain. Give it some time, and if I feel it is safe enough, I will allow you to be escorted to the infirmary to see him, alright?” she said, nuzzling Rarity gently.

Rarity nodded as the door burst open again. Three stallions walked in swiftly, closing the door behind them. They approached the royal alicorn, bowing slightly.

“Princess, we saw Ms. Sparkle! She’s headed to the north side of the castle!” he said.

‘That’s where Spike is!’ she thought to herself as her eyes went wide.

“Alright, take a squad in that direction. Luna, you’re with me. I told you I have a plan, and we need to get started as soon as possible. Anything else you can tell us about your encounter?” Celestia inquired.

The leader closed his eyes as he sighed deeply. Opening them, he composed himself, and answered the alicorn.

“Yes. Un…unfortunately, we were sent to retrieve Ms. Fluttershy. How…however, Ms. Sparkle got to her before we did. She’s…she’s been hurt, and is now in the infirmary. I’m…I’m so sorry, your highness!” he explained bowing as low as he could.

“NO! No, no, no, no…” Applejack shouted as she pushed passed the guards, throwing the door open and dashing down the hall as fast as she could.

“A.J. STOP!” Big Mac yelled, running after her.

-

Applejack continued to lay her head onto Fluttershy’s sheets, a wet spot forming around the space where her eyes pressed against the fabric. It had been over a half hour, and she couldn’t stop crying. Every time she thought she’d calmed down enough, she’d look up, and the sight of her friend hooked up to monitors and a breathing mask would simply trigger a new bout of wailing. She’d gotten the story from the nurse when she got there, but she was so worried, that she only took in every other word. Apparently, the squad fought Twilight, and was temporarily dispatched. They recovered quickly, however, and raced into Fluttershy’s room. The deformed hybrid then sped past them, and made its way down the hall towards the northern part of the castle. As they were about to go after her, the lieutenant leading the squad noticed a shape out of the corner of his eye. They found Fluttershy passed out in the bathtub, taking shallow breaths. They rushed her to the infirmary as fast as they could. Applejack was still waiting for the doctor’s report. Each passing second was slow torture, as her worry increased exponentially. She was startled when she felt a hoof graze her shoulder. Turning immediately, she found her brother staring back at her. She was able to see his frown through her water filled eyes.

“She’ll be alright, A.J.” he whispered softly.

“How do you know that?!?” she hissed back.

“Applejack, Ah know yer worried. It’s hard seein’ her like this, Ah know. Let’s just wait for the doctors to run their tests, so we can find out what’s goin’ on,” he retorted calmly.

The farm mare sighed, turning back towards the unconscious pegasus. She laid her head back on Fluttershy’s bed as more tears streamed down her face.

“This…this is my fault, Big Mac! Ah’m the reason she’s here!” she sobbed quietly.

“That’s not true,” the stallion countered.

“Yeah, it is! She was ready to leave, Big Mac! She was out the door, on her way outta this nightmare, and Ah pulled her back in! Ah…ah practically forced her!” Applejack said.

“A.J. ya thought you and the princess were bein’ watched. You did what you thought was right,” he whispered.

“That…that ain’t the whole story, Big Mac,” she stammered.

“What…what do you mean?” the elder sibling inquired.

“After…after Ah tackled her and we talked, she wanted to get outta there because she was scared, but Ah…Ah convinced her to stay because, well…because Ah was scared! Ah…Ah didn’t want to be without my friends, and the thought of losing Fluttershy was unbearable, even if she were to just get away from here. Ah…Ah guilted her into stayin’! It’s my fault!” Applejack sobbed.

Big Mac was stunned. She knew his sister was scared, but he never knew to what degree. He thought that she was more sad than frightened, but with his sibling’s admission, he saw her for what she really was; his scared, frightened, little sister. He pulled her into a hug, which she accepted without hesitation, continuing to cry as she buried her head in her big brother’s shoulder. A voice clearing itself from behind them startled the pair as they eased out of their embrace. Turning, they saw one of the doctors in front of them, levitating a chart in front of him. Applejack approached him quickly. She needed information, and she needed it now.

“Is she alright? Is…is she gonna be ok, Doc? What…what happened?!?” she stammered as she rubbed her puffy, tear stained cheeks.

“We believe that she will be alright, yes. It seems as though she suffered from what’s known as angina. Since she is very healthy otherwise, we believe that the stress she was under while in Ms. Sparkle’s presence caused the condition. It’s a chest constriction, usually due to plaque build-up in the arteries. However, it can also be caused by tremendous or prolonged amounts of stress. This is what we believe happened to Fluttershy in this case, especially given her timid nature. Don’t worry, she didn’t have a heart attack, but we will need to check further for any coronary disease. She also may need to be on medication, but that has yet to be determined,” the doctor explained.

Applejack’s frown deepened, as she turned away from the unicorn physician. The doctor, sensing her pain, put a hoof on her shoulder, rubbing it gently.

“You have no need to worry. She’s stable, and she’s safe. There are guards posted outside. All she needs right now is some rest and then we can talk about treatment options. Her condition is rather common, believe it or not. So, treating it will not be difficult. She’s going to be fine,” he assured.

“Thanks, Doc,” she whispered as she walked back over to the bed.

“Well, I’ll leave you alone for a bit. We…we have to prepare another room right now. Ms. Fluttershy should wake up on her own in due time. If you need anything, the guards are right outside as I said before, and there are nurses about as well,” the doctor said as he turned to leave.

Applejack didn’t give the physician a good bye. She was too preoccupied with watching the pegasus sleep. It didn’t take long for the sobs to return and for her brother to embrace her again.

-

“What do you mean, she’s changed?!? What happened?!?” Spike shouted at the guard at the front door.

“Spike, we don’t have time for this! Ms. Twilight went through the metamorphosis not long ago! The Princess has dispatched squads to escort you and the rest of the elements of harmony to the rendezvous point! We have to move, now!” the guard answered sternly.

Spike grumbled as he nodded towards the stallion. He’d been cooped up in his old quarters for a few weeks. As much as it pained him, he decided to comply with Twilight’s wishes and stay away from her while she and the princess worked. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done. The idea of her suffering down there without him being able to help filled him with a rage he didn’t know he was capable of. The pieces of shattered furniture locked in the closet proved it, however. Luckily, with everything that had been going on, that section of the castle was unoccupied, so Spike was free to be as loud as he wanted. He used that fact to his advantage as he let his anger, generally taking it out on a broom stick or a table. It was getting old, however. He wanted to see Twilight. He wanted to see his friends. He’d just began taking steps towards forgiving Princess Celestia for her insensitivity, but as time went on, the feeling of hatred he had at the beginning of this nightmare began to fester again. Princess Luna had been up to see him, and he could tell that she was worried about him, and he did his best to keep his aggression in check. He didn’t want to risk another altercation with the younger monarch, although in his current state, he couldn’t help but push her away whenever she tried to get close. He was just angry that he wasn’t allowed to be there for Twilight. And now, with the situation becoming even direr considering the news he just heard, the walls holding in his anger began to break. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold on without snapping.

“Fine! Then let’s move! What are we waiting for?!?” the young dragon spat.

“I have a team securing the stairs. Once we get the go ahead, we can move,” the guard answered.

“What do you mean by ‘securing?!?’ We need to get to the princess and we need to get there now! If what you’re saying is true, then we don’t have any time to waste on protocols!” Spike shouted while pushing past the soldier.

Just as he was about to reach the edge of the lavish steps, a scream emanated from the bottom of the staircase, followed by an ethereal moan. The scream was clearly male, and most likely came from one of the royal guards who were supposed to be protecting the exit. The dragon froze at the sounds, as the reality of the situation hit him in the face like a fist. Twilight was down there. Twilight, the mare that raised him, his surrogate big sister, was just below him attacking and seemingly defeating royal guards. He heard another scream, and then another, along with more moaning, as the three guards who were on the main platform approached him quickly, surrounding him.

“Move away from there now!” the main guard shouted as he pulled him away from the edge of the steps, flanking him with his colleagues.

They moved back slowly, the sounds of the fighting growing fainter as they made it back to the entryway. The lead guard turned his head slightly, nodding at Spike to open the door. Taking the hint, he opened the door slowly, as they entered the room. One of the other guards closed the door, locking it, as he turned around, awaiting orders from his commanding officer. The head soldier stepped forward, addressing his fellow warriors.

“We’ve been tasked with Spike’s safe escort to the princess. That’s our mission and we will carry it out. You need to take Spike through the window, and over to the command center. I will hold Twilight off, and check on the condition of our men,” he stated urgently.

“Sir, we can’t just let you fight that thing alone!” one of the soldiers exclaimed.

Spike was livid. Twilight was not a ‘thing’ no matter what she looked like on the outside, and the fact that this guard would refer to her so disrespectfully made him bear his fangs in rage. He stomped forward, and was about to open his mouth to put this guard in his place, when the Lieutenant raised a hoof stopping him.

“You have your orders, now carry them out! I’ll be fine! Now go, quickly, before she realizes we’re…” he said as a crash from the library room startled them all.

Spike shielded his eyes with his forearm as shards of glass rained down upon him and the other guards. He heard the same ethereal moan from before, as he brought his arm down. He gasped at the sight before him. The Twilight hybrid stared at him menacingly as she crept forward approaching the dragon slowly.

-

“How is she?!?” Rainbow Dash shouted as she, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity burst through the door of the infirmary room.

Applejack rubbed her eyes, as she sat up from Fluttershy’s hospital bed. She was too exhausted to be startled, as she turned to face her fellow element bearers.

“Girls, what are ya doin’ here? Ah thought Princess Celestia said that no one was supposed to leave that room?” she inquired.

“Well, I won’t lie, it took everything I had to stay put. Same goes for these two. Believe me, if it wasn’t for the princess’ orders, we woulda been right behind you,” the pegasus answered.

“Luckily there was a shift change in the guard rotation, so, we were able to go with them. It…wasn’t an easy case to make, but as you know, Rainbow Dash can be…rather convincing,” Rarity added.

“How is she?!? Is she ok?!? Is she awake?!?” Pinkie Pie asked nervously, as she made her way over to the bed, nuzzling Fluttershy’s unconscious form.

“Yeah, she’s ok. She had some sorta heart episode. Don’t worry, Ah talked to the doc, and he said that it wasn’t a heart attack, but she has to be monitored for a while. They…they’re still runnin’ some tests, though, to make sure there ain’t no lastin’ damage or anything. They said that she should be fine, though. She’s just gotta take it easy,” the farm mare stated.

“How the hay is she supposed to take it easy in here?!? They don’t even know where Twilight is right now! They need to get Fluttershy out of here!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Ah wish we could, Rainbow. Ah really do,” Applejack said.

“What do you mean?” Rarity pressed.

“Look, they can’t move her right now. Not like this. She’s probably gonna need a few days. Believe me Ah tried talkin’ to the doctors about it, but they insisted. We gotta give it a few days, at least,” she answered.

Applejack sighed as she walked over to one of the monitors. The dull beep frustrated her. It was like a constant reminder of her role in the events that led to Fluttershy’s current condition.

“Dang it, Ah just can’t help thinkin’ that this is my fault!” she said.

“There is nothing for you to feel guilty about, dear. Twilight attacked her, and that’s why she’s in this state. No use blaming yourself,” the unicorn stated.

“That’s…nice of you to say, Rarity, but, Ah…ah told her how scared Ah was to be without my friends. To be without any of ya, and…yeah, Ah kinda guilted her into stayin’ and Ah shouldn’t have done that,” the earth pony said.

“You’re scared, A.J. We…we all are. Even...me,” Rainbow Dash whispered.

Everyone turned around, staring wide-eyed at the young flyer. They couldn’t believe their ears. Pinkie Pie tore herself away from the hospital bed and slowly walked over to Rainbow Dash, pulling her in a hug. The pegasus was surprised at first, but sighed deeply, as she returned the embrace.

“Sugarcube…” Applejack whispered, as she put a hoof on the rainbow-maned pony’s shoulder.

“I know right? It’s…it’s hard for me to admit, I’m not gonna lie. But, I’ve been doing a lot of talking with Princess Luna, and…and it’s ok for me to be scared. It’s ok for us to be scared. We…we just gotta acknowledge it, ya know? We...we can’t let it control us,” Rainbow Dash stammered, as she broke the hug with Pinkie Pie.

“Big Mac is outside, A.J. Why don’t I take the next watch over Fluttershy? Give you a break?” the pegasus offered.

“Thanks, Rainbow, but Ah wanna be here when she wakes up, so Ah think Ah’ll stick it out. Yer all welcome to wait with me, though. It…it ain’t like we can go anywhere anyway,” Applejack said dejectedly.

They all stared at the ground as thoughts of Twilight Sparkle entered their minds. The best friend that brought them together was out there now, a beast of unfathomable strength, holding them all prisoners by her mere presence. Even though Princess Celestia said that she had a plan, they couldn’t help doubting her. Everything she’d tried thus far had failed miserably. There seemed to be no endgame in sight, and that fact only increased their uneasiness. Pinkie Pie walked over to Fluttershy’s bed once more, stroking the pegasus’ leg gently with her hoof. It was wrong. All wrong. Twilight couldn’t do this. Not to her friends. Tears formed in the earth mare’s eyes as she turned around.

“No…not like this…it’s not supposed to be like this!” she whispered as she ran out of the room as fast as her legs would allow.

“Pinkie! Oh, that…Pinkie, wait up! Sorry, A.J. I gotta go get her!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she flapped her wings, taking off after the party planner.

She was gone in a flash, leaving Rarity and Applejack alone. For a few moments they just stared at each other, until Rarity decided to break the silence.

“Well, I…I have to go. There is…someone I have to say good bye to,” the unicorn said with a frown.

“Ah understand. Go ahead. We’ll be here when you get back. Ah heard some commotion comin’ from the other side of the hallway, so Ah think that’s where he might be. Ah’m…Ah’m sorry, Rarity. For you to see that. It…it musta been horrible!” the farmer said.

“More than you know,” Rarity answered.

“Are you gonna be ok, sugarcube?”Applejack said.

“I…I’m not sure, Applejack. But, I know I have to do this,” she said as she turned to leave.

Applejack went back towards the bed, taking her place at Fluttershy’s side. Just as she sat down, she heard the clacking of Rarity’s hooves stop. She looked up, seeing the fashionista standing in the doorway, sadness etched onto her face.

“Take care of her, Applejack. Just…take care of her,” she said as she walked out the door.

-

Rarity felt her heart pound as she approached the entryway. She wasn’t sure if she was prepared for what she was about to see. She wanted to break down and cry right there, but she knew she couldn’t. She needed to see him. Even though he was no longer alive, she needed to be with him. She hadn’t been sure about her true feelings towards the stallion. She loved his touch, but her mind and her feelings were a bedlam of confusion thanks to Twilight’s actions. None of that mattered now, however. She needed to say good bye, and with everything that was happening, she wasn’t sure she’d get another chance.

‘Maybe…maybe I really did love him,’ she thought to herself as she approached the guard at the door.

“Ms. Rarity?” he said.

“Yes, I…I’m here to pay my respects to Halberd,” she said plainly.

“Ms. Rarity, I…I don’t think right now is a very good time,” he stated.

“Please, I…I owe him my life, sir. He…he died saving me. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t pay my respects to him,” she said bowing towards the guard.

“Very well, Ms. Rarity. But, please don’t stay too long,” he said, stepping aside to let the unicorn pass.

“Thank you, sir. I promise I won’t be long,” she answered as tears began streaming down her face.

She cursed herself for not being able to contain her emotions, at least until she got into the room with him and had some privacy. She took in a deep breath as she slowly made her way into the chamber.

‘Stop it, Rarity! Give yourself a moment to…wait, what’s that?’ she thought to herself as she entered the room.

She’d heard sniffling ever since the guard let her pass. She was so focused on her own thoughts that she hadn’t realized the crying she was hearing wasn’t her own. She gulped as the white sheet came into view. Her blood ran cold as she gazed at the mound that was once her lover. Just as she was about to break down, however, a voice startled her.

“You…you think you have so much time left,” a feminine voice rang out from behind the mound.

Rarity’s eyes went wide as she walked around the table. Sitting at the edge was a unicorn mare, about her age. Her light blue mane was mangled, as she used her hoof to remove some of it from her field of vision. The mare’s cutie mark glistened in the moonlight. It looked like a silver rainbow. Rarity was legitimately confused. She was prepared to be alone with Halberd to be able to say good bye, but she hadn’t expected this.

“I…I’m sorry?” Rarity asked.

“It’s just…well…you make plans…have…have dreams…and…and then something like this happens,” she said, her voice cracking as she rubbed her puffy eyes.

“WHY?!? WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN?!?” she screamed, as she lunged at Rarity, pulling her into a hug.

The unicorn was even more confused than she was before. She returned the hug, stroking the blubbering mare’s mane. She could feel the sadness emanate from her. Rarity finally became overwhelmed as she too began crying again while she held the mare.

“I…I know…” she stammered.

For a few moments, they simply held each other, pouring out their emotions. Finally, the mare broke the hug, sniffling, as she tried to calm herself down.

“I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to force myself on you like that…umm…” she said.

“Rarity. Halberd, he…he saved my life. I…I thought the least I could do was come here and pay my respects,” she said sadly, as she looked over the white sheet.

“He…he was a good stallion. I’m going to miss him terribly. I…I already miss him so much! I…I don’t know how I’m going to tell Comet!” she said.

“Comet?” Rarity questioned.

“What? Oh, forgive me, I…I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Moonbow, Halberd’s wife. Comet is our daughter. She…she was born right before he was assigned to the castle. He…he thought it would be an easy assignment…no danger…but, now…now he’ll never get to see our little filly grow up!” she wailed as she hugged Rarity again.

The unicorn returned the hug out of pure instinct. Her eyes went wide, as she felt the familiar feeling returned to the pit of her stomach. As Rarity took in Moonbow’s words, she only had one thought echo through her mind.

‘What am I going to do?!? Oh, what am I going to do?!?’

-

Sorry about the late chapter. Between work, life and writers’ block, I had a tough time with this chapter. Well, I hope you all enjoy!