“Tw…Twilight?” Spike whispered as he took a few steps towards his surrogate big sister.

The hybrid stalked slowly towards the young dragon and the soldiers, the sounds of cracking glass echoing throughout the room. Spike trembled at the sight of his former caretaker. He’d only heard a few whispers here and there of what Twilight’s final form actually looked like, but most of the time, he forced himself not to listen. It was too painful for him to think of Twilight like that. These attempts were all for naught, however, as here she was before him in all her monstrous glory. His view was suddenly obscured by the commander, as he stepped in front of him. The soldier’s subordinates each flanked Spike, creating a wall between him and the beast. They began moving back in unison as Twilight approached them. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the stallions.

“When I give you the signal, you both get Spike out of here! I…I’m going to try and buy you some time!” the commander said.

“But…but sir, are you sure?!?” the lieutenant to his right asked.

“Yes! Now, you have your orders! On my mark…one…two…GAHH!” the officer screamed as he felt mandibles suddenly crush his muzzle.

Spike was knocked backwards, tripping over his own tail, and smacking his skull against the tile floor. He shook his head and tried to stand up as quickly as he could. He was once again shadowed by one of the guards.

“We have to hurry! Let’s move!” the lieutenant shouted as he, Spike and his comrade dashed towards the exit.

Spike may have grown a bit since moving back to the castle, but his legs were still too short to run quickly, or much less to keep up with a few stallions. They could hear Twilight ripping the commander apart as they approached the entryway.

‘Almost there…’ Spike’s mind echoed.

Just as the dragon reached the door, a mass of flesh and armor came crashing down in front of the exit. He screamed as the face of the now dead commander greeted his, forcing him to shuffle backwards. The other two guards turned to face their attacker, charging at Twilight with everything they had. Spike turned around to watch the melee. His eyes widened at the sight. He’d never been more scared in his life. The Twilight/fly hybrid let out another ethereal moan as she used her hooves to strike one of the guards in the temple, knocking him to the ground. She quickly vomited a stream of acid onto the downed fighter, causing him to wail as the corrosive liquid melted away his armor and splashed onto his skin and into his eyes. He rolled away, covering his face with his hooves, thrashing from side to side, screaming at the top of his lungs. Just as the second guard was about to attack, the unicorn’s deformed horn sparked to life. Magic enveloped the soldier, lifting him off the ground. The trapped stallion squirmed in the creature’s grip as his limbs began turning unnaturally. He whimpered as his eyes went wide. Spike was mortified at what he was seeing. He got up, walking slowly over to his big sister.

“Tw…Twilight, please…please stop!” he whispered.

The plea fell on deaf ears as she continued her assault unabated. Tears were flowing from the royal guard’s eyes now as he felt his skin beginning to tear like cloth. Sickening pops began to echo throughout the room, as joints became visibly displaced. The dragon once again begged for the madness to stop.

“Twilight, stop! YOU’RE HURTING HIM! STOP IT!” he shouted.

Again, Twilight didn’t even look in his direction and instead pitched her head forward, leaning into her stance as she continued to torture her captive. The trapped pegasus arched his back as he opened his mouth slowly. He tried forming words, but the pain was too intense. Finally, he was able to utter a single phrase.

“H…help…me…” he rasped, as he shut his eyes tight.

Spike couldn’t take any more. His fear had finally reached its breaking point. After all the anger and frustration that had built up inside him over the past weeks began to come back, overflowing. He had to let it out. His eyes narrowed, as he reared up, acting on pure instinct.

“STOP IT!” he screamed as he let a ball of fire well up from his belly and careen towards Twilight.

The hybrid did her best to dodge, but since she was concentrating on her domination of the royal guard, she didn’t escape unscathed as the blast hit the ground before her, singing her right leg. She yelped as she released the soldier. Armor clanged against the marble floor as the warrior was mercifully released from his magical torture chamber, and dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Once the ping of metal on stone dissipated, silence reigned as Twilight and Spike stared at each other. The youngling’s eyes widened as he realized what he’d just done. He’d done the one thing he swore he’d never do. He hurt Twilight. He gasped as tears streamed down his face, taking a step towards his big sister.

“Tw…Twilight, I…I’m sorry!” Spike Stammered.

The creature let out another moan, different than the ones before. This one held the strain of betrayal, as did the look the hybrid gave him as she stared at her younger brother intently.

“Twilight, please, I…” Spike started before the deformed unicorn turned around, leaping towards the window, leaving Spike to cry among the broken and burned bodies of the royal guards.
-

As Celestia opened the doors of the throne room, she hesitated a moment before crossing the threshold. She stared at the telepods set up by her royal seat. They were every evil that science could imagine, yet they were her only hope of saving her beloved student. A voice rang out behind the elder alicorn, startling her.

“Are you alright, sister?” Luna asked quietly.

“Y…yes. Let’s go. We don’t have much time, Luna,” she answered as she led her sibling into the chamber.

“You said you had a plan. Since time is obviously of the essence, perhaps you should let me in on it,” the moon princess stated.

Celestia sighed as she used her back hoof to close the door. This action caused her sister to eye her curiously.

‘Why close the door with your hoof? Why not just use magic?’ Luna mused as she followed her elder into the room towards the computer.

“I…I know you are probably going to disagree with this idea, but I want you to hear me out. Can you do that for me?” Celestia pleaded.

“Enough with the cryptic tones, Celestia!” Luna shouted at her elder sibling.

Just as Princess Luna finished her sentence, the large doors to the throne room burst open as a unicorn guard ran towards the sisters, levitating a large tome. He skidded to a halt right in front of them, taking a moment to catch his breath.

“Your Highness, here is the book you requested from your quarters!” he announced.

“Thank you. Now, this is very important…” Celestia began before her sister interrupted her.

“Tia, that’s not…please, tell me that’s not what I think it is!” she exclaimed, as she examined the book floating before them.

“LUNA!” Celestia shouted, causing the younger alicorn to stiffen.

Celestia sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. Once she had regained her composure, she turned to the guard.

“I need you to get a team of pegasi guards here with a chariot, the largest you can find. Once that is complete, I need you to find every unicorn on the castle grounds that you can. Not just royal guards, but staff, and even doctors as well. I need you to get them here as soon as possible. Now go!” she stated urgently.

The guard gave a salute as he exited the chamber quickly, leaving a very confused moon princess and a perturbed older sister staring at each other.

“Celestia, what…” Luna began again before her sibling cut her off again.

“Just hear me out! Look, do you remember what the doctor said about the transformation spell when Twilight was officially diagnosed?” the white alicorn asked.

“Yes, he said it would be one of the most dangerous spells anyone could ever cast, even if one were actually written!” Luna answered, her tone getting more excited by the second.

“No, I’m talking about why he said it was dangerous,” Celestia continued.

Luna brought her right hoof to her chin, doing her best to remember back to the conversation from weeks ago. After a few moments, she let her hoof hit the floor as she stared back up at her sister.

“Well, he said that the amount of magic needed would be dangerous, as casting it could kill the caster. Is that it?” she inquired.

“Yes. Now, I think I have a way to ensure the safety of the caster,” the elder alicorn stated as she made her way over to the telepod computer.

“I don’t like where this is going,” Luna muttered as she followed her fellow princess.

“There was a device that I experimented with, which I felt held the key to making the telepods work. It was a matter buffer. I won’t bother with the more long-winded, scientific explanation, but basically, it served as a storage center that copied the genetic material and made a copy before transporting the structures to the next pod. Now, while this didn’t work, I believe the unit itself could have another use,” Celestia continued.

“What do you mean?” Luna pressed.

“I can convert the unit into a magic storage device. I’ve done the research on the spell itself, and I believe I have enough to write it. The issue was always, however, the power needed. If I can convert it so it stores pure magic, the magic of multiple unicorns, and even you and me, we should have more than enough power to commit to the spell,” the white-coated monarch explained.

“I see several problems with this. First off, we have no idea what that… pattern unit, or whatever you call it…can even be transitioned in such a way. We also don’t know how much magic it can consume. What you’re talking about…that much magic…contained in one spot. Celestia, there could be an explosion that would consume the entire castle! Even Canterlot proper could be damaged! Tia, please, think about this! What about the danger to you?!?” Luna countered worriedly.

“The unit was designed to hold and duplicate millions of strands of DNA structures and transfer them. That means it has a tremendous amount of space for storage, and can break the magic down to controllable levels. It was designed to be able to compartmentalize, and it can do the same thing with magic. It just requires some tweaking,” Celestia said evenly.

“But…but what about you?!? Tia, that’s a huge amount of magic! You’d be wielding enough power to take out half the city in one shot! It’s too dangerous!” she retorted.

“Really? You do remember we can lift planets, right?” the elder sibling inquired with a confident smile.

“This isn’t funny! You could die!” Luna shouted, turning away from her sister.

Celestia frowned as she eyed the younger mare. After a few moments of silence, she heard a faint sniffling. Luna was crying. The moon princess shut her eyes tight, as droplets of water squeezed out falling to the floor.

“I’m frightened for you! I’m scared for you, and you’re making jokes?!? How…how dare you!” Luna scolded.

The senior royal walked forward, placing a hoof on her sibling’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I…I know that you are worried about me. I…I don’t know why I said that. I…I guess I was trying to…I don’t know. Look, I know the risks, but I believe this will work. I won’t be using just my own magic, so I’d be minimizing the danger to myself on that front. And, all kidding aside, I was only half joking when I said that we can move planets. I raise the sun and you the moon. That’s no small feat, Luna. If…if we can do that, then I should be able to caste such a spell. If anything, I can leave the unit plugged into the telepod and try boosting the power output on it. If…if we can do that, then maybe the machine will be able to do the work for me,” she said.

Luna turned around to face her sister, brushing the hoof off of her shoulder. She wiped the tears from her eyes, as she straightened up. Celestia had made some very valid arguments, but, Luna still was not convinced. She sighed as she stared deeply into her sibling’s eyes.

“Alright, Tia. I…I will help you, but…but under one condition,” Luna stated.

“Name it, sister,” Celestia answered.

“You will teach me both the spell, and how to operate the telepods,” she demanded.

“What?!? No! Luna, you can’t just…” she began before the dark-coated mare cut her off.

“Those are my conditions, Tia, and they are final. I…look, I know how much she means to you, so to go over all of that again would just be a waste of time. The bottom line is, we need to look at this objectively. Equestria needs its princesses. You cannot risk yourself so utterly without taking into consideration the consequences of those actions. You’re right. We raise the sun and the moon. Those are the most important jobs in all of Equestria, and they need to continue, regardless of what happens tonight, for the continued safety of our citizens. I…I know that I’m hardly the most scientifically literate pony in the country, but, I don’t need to understand how the mechanisms work to use the machine, correct? I’d just be activating it?” she asked.

Princess Celestia turned away from her sister, staring at the telepods. She was right. The sun princess could not help loosing perspective when it came to Twilight. She just loved her so much, that it was hard to keep her focus on the big picture. Her sibling’s compromise was actually rather adequate. She was right about just needing to know the activation process of the telepods and not its inner mechanics, and Luna was still one of the best magic users in all of Equestria, and a fellow alicorn. She had the tools and abilities required for the spell if needed. She didn’t like the idea of putting her little sister in danger, but there was no longer any time to discuss the matter. She needed help, and her sibling was the only one who could provide it.

“Alright, Luna. I agree. Thank you. Now, let’s get to work,” Celestia said as she made her way over to the telepods.
-

“DARN IT, PINKIE, WILL YOU GET BACK HERE!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she ran down yet another hallway after the pink party mare.

Pinkie Pie didn’t hear her, however. The earth pony had a singular concern. She needed to find her. She needed to find Twilight. Whatever she was on the outside didn’t matter to her. She was still Twilight, and she needed to be protected from everyone who was trying to harm her. If no one else was willing to be in the scholar’s corner, then she would. Twilight Sparkle needed a friend. She needed someone to be there for her, even if she couldn’t understand what was going on herself, and Pinkie Pie swore that she would see Twilight smile again, no matter what. Her legs were getting tired, however. She’d been running at full speed for a few minutes now, and she was starting to feel the burning sensation in her muscles. Rainbow Dash seized the opportunity and took to the air, gaining ground on her.

“OH, NO YOU DON’T!” the pegasus yelled as she leapt at her prey, tackling the mare to the ground.

Pinkie Pie yelped under the sudden weight of the young flyer forcing her into the ornate tile beneath them. She twisted her body at the last moment before her torso made contact, as the two ponies tumbled to the side before crashing into the wall. They struggled for a moment, but, luckily for Rainbow Dash, she ended up on top of her fellow element. She used her front hooves to pin the squirming mare beneath her, as they both took in gulps of air.

“What the hay is the matter with you, Pinkie?!? Are you out of your mind, running off like that?!?” she scolded, bringing her muzzle to hers.

“Get off me, Rainbow Dash! I have…to find…Twilight!” Pinkie Pie retorted.

“Pinkie, that’s too dangerous, and you know it! Now come on, we should get back to the infirmary or the rendezvous point, like the princesses want!” the pegasus countered.

“GET OFF OF ME! I’M GOING TO…FIND TWILIGHT, AND…AND…” the pink earth pony screamed.

“AND WHAT, PINKIE?!? THERE ISN’T ANYTHING YOU CAN DO! SHE’LL KILL YOU, DON’T YOU SEE THAT?!?” Rainbow Dash bellowed back.

“SHUT UP, RAINBOW! YOU…YOU JUST HATE HER! YOU…YOU DON’T WANT HER TO GET BETTER, YOU NEVER DID!” Pinkie Pie shouted back.

“THAT’S A LIE, AND YOU KNOW IT! I’M JUST FACING REALITY, PINKIE! THE TWILIGHT WE KNEW IS GONE, AND SHE’S NOT COMING BACK!” the pegasus shrieked.

“NO!” Pinkie Pie screamed at the top of her lungs, as she struck Rainbow Dash in the face with her right hoof, knocking the flyer off of her.

The former element of loyalty, shook her head, as she steadied herself. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the earth mare. She was clearly delusional. Pinkie Pie had always been on a different plane of thought when it came to the world around her, but Rainbow Dash never knew just how large the gap was until now. She straightened up, spitting to the side, as a red streak exited her mouth.

“You really are crazy! And I’ve had it with you! You wanna fight?!? FINE! THEN LET’S GO YOU DELUSIONAL, STUPID JERK!” she shouted as she charged at Pinkie Pie with everything she had.

Her adversary let out a guttural cry, as she leapt at the young flyer. They rolled to the side, each vying hard for position. All of the anger the two had for each other translated out into furious strikes as they struggled. Pinkie Pie lashed out with a furious barrage of blows, as her hoof connected with Rainbow Dash’s side multiple times, causing the pegasus to yelp. The flyer answered in turn, head-butting the earth mare viciously, square in her muzzle. She turned to the side, as blood began to drip from her newly acquired wound. Rainbow Dash seized the opportunity, bringing her left hoof across the party pony’s neck, wrenching it tightly. Pinkie Pie spluttered more blood as a small pool began to form beneath her. She could feel the pegasus’ hot breath on her neck as she leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“I am not gonna let you get us all killed, you crazy, stupid…” she began softly before Pinkie Pie let out a loud scream.

The earth pony turned over, and pushed herself to her hooves, and immediately heaved her back against the wall, smashing Rainbow Dash’s wings and spine into the ornate stone. Rainbow Dash cried out, as she felt her still slightly injured wing seize up in pain. The pegasus saw red. Still grasping Pinkie Pie, she let her anger control her, as she bit down wildly on her ear. Pinkie Pie shrieked, as she thrashed from side to side, pounding and grinding the pegasus into the wall behind her. The young flier cried out as each hit loosened her grip on the party planner. After two more blows to her back, Rainbow Dash finally released her grip on the former element of laughter, as Pinkie Pie scurried away to the other side of the hallway, tumbling to the ground. She turned around, breathing heavily, as she leaned her back against the wall. Rainbow Dash did the same as they just stared at each other. Their eyes and their present condition said everything. Anger, sadness, and betrayal were plastered all over their faces. They each whimpered as they stood up, keeping an eye on each other’s movements, just in case the other tried something. Once they were on their hooves again, they each lowered their head, and began stomping at the ground. Neither would give in. It was time to end this. They charged at each other again, colliding with tremendous force, as they crashed to the ground, rolling from wall to wall in the corridor. They didn’t even hear the squad approaching, as they began to separate. Their rage burned so deeply, that they barely felt the other hooves dragging them apart.

“Ms. Dash, Ms. Pie, calm down at once!” the lieutenant scolded, as he and two other soldiers dragged Pinkie Pie away from her adversary.

“I HATE YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME, PINKIE PIE?!? I HATE YOU!” Rainbow Dash screamed as the three other guards secured her.

“YOU HATE ME?!? I HATE YOU! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN, YOU TRAITOR!” Pinkie Pie retorted as the pegasus disappeared from sight down the other end of the hallway.

-

Rarity carefully lifted the two cups of tea with her magic, as she gingerly turned towards the doorway leading towards the lounge area. She stopped for a moment to wipe a hoof across her face. She’d been crying so much that her puffy eyes began to distort her vision. After holding Moonbow and letting her wail into her shoulder, the fashion designer used the moment to think of something to do to soothe the poor mare. She felt guilty, however. She was supposed to be mourning her loss, but instead she was making plans. She didn’t know what to do from here. Halberd had cheated on his wife, and had used her for the affair. Why had he done it? Perhaps being away from his wife for months on end made it difficult to keep his libido in check? Had he strayed before? Had she tempted him? She huffed at the questions permeating her mind. She steadied the cups in front of her, as she studied her prepared beverage.

‘Three parts tea, one part milk. Should probably be three parts guilt, one part betrayal,’ she mused as her ears flattened.

They had both been through so much over the past hour or so. Rarity needed to focus on something. Anything, to get her mind off of this horrible event. She decided to do the only thing she could think of. She decided to befriend Moonbow. It was one of the riskiest decisions she’d ever made. One slip, especially in her state, and she risked devastating the mare even further. She had to do something for her. Deep down in her soul, she felt she owed her fellow unicorn. Using her front leg, she gently pushed the door open, as she made her way to the sniffling mother. She was grateful to the guards for escorting them to the lounge area. After all, Halberd was one of them, so they wanted to make sure his spouse was as comfortable as possible, regardless of how little good they knew it would do. They even allowed them some time alone and offered to guard the entrance.

“I…I was able to whip up some tea in the kitchen. I’m not sure how you take it, but there is sugar on the table,” she said as she approached the mare, setting the steaming beverage down in front of her.

Making her way to her seat on the other side of their table, Rarity heard a barely audible sigh come from Moonbow. She sat down, as she eyed the grieving widow. She was barely paying attention, but nodded, Rarity thought, out of sheer instinct.

“Be careful, it’s hot,” Rarity whispered, staring down at the table in front of them.

For the next few minutes, the only sound that could be heard was the occasional blowing to cool to the hot liquid in front of them. Neither wanted to say anything. They already cried on each other’s shoulders, so what more was there to say? Finally, in an attempt to break the awkward silence, Rarity spoke up.

“So, would you like to tell me about your daughter?” she asked, putting on her best smile.

“We…we really don’t have to talk about that,” Moonbow replied.

Rarity frowned, cursing herself for such a thoughtless question. Bringing the cup to her lips, she took a sip, using the opportunity to try and think of something to say. Nothing came, except an apology.

“You…you’re right. I’m sorry, I…I guess I just…I want to make you feel better, but…” she stammered before Moonbow cut her off.

“How,” she whispered, her eyes narrowing.

“Pardon me?” her fellow unicorn asked, leaning forward.

“How did…Halberd…” she said, her volume slightly increased.

Rarity’s eyes widened. She was asking about how Halberd passed away. How he was murdered in front of her eyes. She hadn’t expected to have to explain that to Moonbow, at least so soon. She looked away, sighing.

“Are…are you sure you want to talk about this right now?” the mare questioned cautiously.

“My husband is dead, and I want to know how! What happened?!?” Moonbow answered, looking up at her.

“W…well, I was in my chambers, asleep, when I was startled by a noise from the hallway. I…I got up, and went into the hall, and there he was, pinned beneath…a…a monster. I screamed. Probably louder than I ever had in my life. The creature noticed me, and…Halberd said to run. When he did, the creature, she…she…” Rarity explained as the tears welled up in her eyes again.

The sound of Moonbow’s tea cup shattering startled her as she gasped, looking at the desperate mare in front of her. She buried her face in her hooves, as she cried softly. The thought of her husband being killed in such a way infuriated her.

“I hope they kill it! Whatever it is, I hope they kill it!” she shouted through the tears.

Rarity made her way over to the young widow, nuzzling her softly. She was determined to be there for her, not matter what. She wanted to confess her guilt, but she knew it would only hurt her more. Soon, Rarity was crying as well, as they both turned to hug each other deeply. Moonbow suddenly spoke up, whispering in her ear.

“I…I’m sorry…” she said.

Rarity’s eyes once again widened.

“You…you have nothing to be sorry for, Moonbow!” she countered.

“No, I…I mean, having to see that. This…this wasn’t your fault! You didn’t deserve to see such a horrible thing, Rarity!” she said.

Rarity bit her lip, as she held the mare tighter. The guilt began to peak within her soul, as her heart began to race. She’d spent so long trying to figure out what she was going to do about Twilight, and the unicorn never thought that the situation could become more complicated. The burden was becoming too much to bear. As she continued to stroke Moonbow’s mane, she heard the clacking of hooves behind her. She quickly broke the hug as she turned to greet their visitor. They found a royal guard standing before them.

“Sir? Has…has there been a development?” Rarity asked.

“Yes. The Princess is asking for help from all of the unicorns in the palace. She…she needs you both to report to the throne room immediately,” he stated.

“Sir, I will go, but I do not believe that Moonbow is…” Rarity began before the soldier cut her off.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Rarity, but she has to come as well. This is Princess Celestia’s express orders,” he insisted.

“Does…does this have anything to do with stopping that…that monster who killed my husband?!?” Moonbow hissed.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Moonbow, but I cannot be certain. If I had to guess, however, I’d say that Princess Celestia has a plan. She and Princess Luna are in the throne room. We will escort you. Please, we don’t have much time,” he said.

-

Applejack continued to pace nervously as she turned towards the beeping monitors. It had been a few hours now, and she still wasn’t awake. With each passing second, the earth mare grew more anxious. She wanted desperately to make sure that Fluttershy was going to be alright, but she couldn’t be convinced of that until the pegasus was awake and talking. The farmer felt nothing but guilt since she heard what happened. The argument that they’d had was coming back to haunt her. Fluttershy accused her of being a bully. The accusation made her so angry that she couldn’t see straight. The more she thought about it, however, the more she began to believe that the animal caretaker may have been right. At the very least, she felt selfish. She wanted Fluttershy and her other friends to stay because she was scared. Was that right? Was it right for her to demand such a thing, especially if Fluttershy truly wanted something else? She shook her head as she continued pacing. Suddenly, a voice rang out behind her, startling the mare.

“Hey sis. Any news?” Big Mac said.

“Oh, Hi, Big Mac. Nah, nothin’ yet. I really wish she’d just wake up already,” Applejack said as she made her way back to the hospital bed.

The stallion frowned as he entered the room slowly. He tried to walk gingerly, but his large hooves made that impossible. His hoofsteps clacked, as he approached his sister, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

“She’ll be ok, A.J. Ya heard what the doctor said,” he whispered, attempting to reassure her.

“Ah’ll know that when she’s awake and talkin’ and not a moment before!” she hissed.

“Hey, ease up, sis. Ah…Ah know yer still feelin’ guilty, but that ain’t no reason to make yerself crazy. Ya need to calm down. Be strong, like you always are, so that when she does wake up, you can be here for her, ok?” he said.

“Ah’m sorry, Big Mac, Ah didn’t mean to snap. Yer right. Ah need to calm down. The doctor did say that she was gonna be ok, and that she’s just sleepin’ but Ah guess…Ah don’t know, Ah…” Applejack stammered.

“Sis, just talk to her about it when she wakes up. Ah’m sure ya’ll can clear the air. Just like ya always do,” the stallion suggested.

“Yeah…Ah guess…” she whispered, her ears flattening.

Big Mac was about speak, when an eerie creak sounded throughout the room. The siblings each looked around, trying to find the source, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

“What the hay is that?” Applejack questioned aloud.

“Not sure, sis,” Big Mac answered as he walked to the other side of the room.

Once again, they heard another strained sound, as dust fell from the ceiling. The elder farmer walked over to inspect the particles, finding small chunks of stone on the ground by the entrance.

“What the…” he said as he looked up at the ceiling.

He gasped at the sight. There was a crack forming by the doorway. It began stretching from one side of the room to the other. They could both hear the stone beginning to give way.

“A.J. GET BACK!” Big Mac shouted.

Droplets of liquid began to seep through the large crack, falling to the floor. As they hit the ground, they sizzled and crackled like a cooking egg. Applejack’s eyes widened as she brought a hoof to her face covering her mouth.

“No…no, it can’t be!” whispered as she trembled.

The ceiling finally gave way, as large slabs of stone fell to the ground shattering. Big Mac and Applejack shielded their eyes with their hooves, as they heard a massive thump from the doorway. The mare whimpered at the sound. She knew what was in front of them. She didn’t want to bring her hoof down from her face. She was too scared to look. She gulped as she slowly dropped her leg to the floor, revealing Twilight’s monstrous form. She shivered at the sight of it. All of the memories, the fight she lost, almost being killed by her best friend, came flooding back to her. In front of her was the beast from her worst nightmares. This time, however, it wasn’t just a nightmare. It was real. Applejack did the only thing her nerves would allow. She screamed. She shrieked at the top of her lungs, as she shuffled away, her back striking the wall behind her. She kept shuffling out of pure terror, eventually making her way to the corner. She hugged herself tightly staring up at the beast as it slowly stalked towards her.

“Please, please, please, please…” the farm mare blubbered as tears streamed down her face.

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” a voice bellowed from the other side of the room.

Big Mac was many things. A farmer, a friend, a stallion. But, he was also a big brother and the strongest earth pony in his village. And if this creature was about to attack his sister, he’d show her just how strong he really was, whether it was really Twilight Sparkle or not. Leaping over the bed, he tackled the monster, both of them crashing to the ground in a heap. The beast let out an eerie howl as the two struggled.

“A.J. TAKE FLUTTERSHY AND GET OUTTA HERE!” he screamed, as he did his best to dodge the hybrid’s attacks.

Applejack wanted nothing more than to get up and run out of the room with her friend. But no matter how hard she willed her legs to move, they didn’t. She stayed there, petrified in fear, watching her brother do his best to fend off what was once her best friend. She’d never felt so small. She’d always thought of herself as brave and strong, but right now, those traits failed her miserably. She shut her eyes, doing her best to will herself to move.

‘Get up, sugarcube, get up, get up!’ her mind screamed.

“OH NO YOU DON’T!” Big Mac shouted as he used his hoof to strike Twilight’s now glowing horn making the light dissipate.

The hybrid’s eyes narrowed at the maneuver. She let out another moan, as she used her deformed hoof to shove the stallion off of her. His eyes widened at her strength, as he soon found himself sailing over the bed, his back smashing against the wall. He didn’t utter a sound as he slumped to the ground unconscious. Applejack opened her eyes just in time to see her sibling’s impact. Her heart stopped. As she eyed him closer, he wasn’t moving. Suddenly, she felt herself being hoisted into the air, and slammed against the wall next to Fluttershy’s bed. She wailed as she felt the pain of the pressure now against her chest. Twilight’s mandibles were now inches from her muzzle, as she whimpered. She tried to squirm, but she was too frightened. She couldn’t move, as the hybrid stared into her eyes. Twilight turned her head towards the bed, eyeing the sleeping Fluttershy. She let out a moan as her mandibles began to open. Applejack whimpered, knowing what was coming next.

“Tw…Twilight, please! She’s yer friend! Ah’m yer friend! Please, please don’t hurt us!” she begged.

The monster ignored her, however, and continued slowly opening her mouth. A sound from behind her startled the mutated unicorn, as she turned around. The clacking of hooves, no doubt more soldiers were making their way towards the room quickly. She dropped Applejack, and sprang for the door, pushing her way past the guards, knocking them over as she made her way down the hallway, out of sight. Applejack took in gulps of air, as she tried to regain her composure. She felt the hooves of one of the soldiers wrap around her body, and a voice asking if she was alright. Her adrenalin would not let her speak, so she did the only thing she could. She hugged the royal guard with all her might, and cried. She screamed and wailed as loud as she could. After a few minutes her breathing slowed.

‘It’s ok now, it’s ok, it’s ok,” her mind repeated.

“This isn’t good. I NEED A STRETCHER IN HERE IMMEDIATELY!” one of the doctor’s shouted.

Applejack pushed the guard away from her, standing up as quickly as she could. She looked around the room, and found a doctor and nurse crowding her brother.

“No, no, no, no…” she wimpered as she ran towards them.

The nurse stopped her immediately, grabbing her shoulders.

“He’s suffered head trauma. We need to get him to another room for treatment immediately,” she said calmly.

More medical personnel came in with the ordered stretcher and soon Big Mac was lifted magically and placed on top. The nurses and doctors went to work immediately, as they pushed the stretcher out of the room. Applejack just stood there. She’d never been more scared in her life. Once again, Twilight had almost taken her life, and now Big Mac seemed gravely injured. Just as she was about to run out of the room after her brother, she heard a groan from the other side of the room. She gasped turning around to see the source. It was Fluttershy. She was finally coming around. She ran over to the pegasus, taking the mare’s hoof in hers.

“Fluttershy, Fluttershy, it’s ok, yer ok…” she stammered, wiping away the tears from before.

The animal lover’s eyes fluttered open, as her head lolled from side to side. Her eyes made contact with Applejack’s. She moved her mouth, but only a harsh rasp came out. She looked down, seeing the hospital attire, and hearing the beeps from the machines. She looked to her sides, and then back up at the farmer.

“Wh…what?” she whispered.

“Tw…Twilight attacked ya, and ya had an…an incident. Yer gonna be ok, though, just get some rest, ok?” the earth pony reassured her.

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed, as she turned her head to the side, away from Applejack. She mumbled a phrase, but it was too low for the orange mare to hear.

“What’s that, sugarcube?” she asked, leaning in.

Fluttershy turned her head back towards Applejack’s ear, whispering into it. The farmer’s eyes widened, as she stepped back. Fluttershy let her head fall to the side once again away from the former element of honesty. Applejack couldn’t take anymore. She ran from the bed and out the door, tears streaming from her face as she went to find her brother, Fluttershy’s words echoing through her mind.

‘I hate you.’
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Well, that’s it for this chapter! If I don’t get the next one out in time, I hope everyone has a great holiday season! Enjoy!