‘4:30AM,’ Twilight thought to herself as she stared at the clock on the wall.

The room was still dark, only illuminated slightly by Luna’s moon. The only sound she could hear was the quiet snoring of her prisoner and the stallion that lay next to her on the posh bed. Her lips curled in a smile as she managed to stifle a giggle. The last few hours were wonderful. Rarity’s lover had more than satisfied her, even though he was exhausted. She thought perhaps that she had pushed him too far, but quickly dismissed the thought. After all, he was a Royal Guard of Princess Celestia. He was young. Strong. Virile. Everything she had needed at that moment. What surprised her the most was how still Rarity was though the whole thing. She never made a sound. She just sat there and watched. Occasionally, Twilight would flash her former friend a smile just to show the unicorn how good of a time she was having. She was met with a glare that did nothing more than encourage her. She was in control, regardless of the fashion designer’s incessant scowling.

‘I could do more. I want to do more, but it is getting late…or early rather. I should probably get back to my room soon. It’ll be time to head on up to see Spike in a little while,’ Twilight thought to herself as she got to her hooves.

She walked over to her fellow unicorn and used her magic to undo her bonds. Rarity moaned as she crumpled to the ground. Her joints were sore from being in such an awkward position for so long. A small whimper escaped her throat as she tried to get up, only to wince in pain. Twilight had to suppress another chuckle. After the beating Rarity gave her when she first came back, the fashion expert’s current pain left Twilight with a sense of contentment. As much as she would have liked to muse on these thoughts, however, it was time make her exit. She just needed to do a few things before she left.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, shall we?” The former element of magic whispered as she lifted Rarity in the air towards the bathroom.

Rarity was awake by now, but too bleary eyed and sore to move. Once entering the ornate bathroom, Twilight closed the door quietly. Using her magic, she turned on the shower, waiting for the water to become hot. After a minute or so, steam began to fill the room, as she levitated Rarity’s beaten form into the tub before them. Twilight watched as the water cascaded down her former friend’s body and mane. She used her magic to undo the rope around the fashion expert’s mouth. As much as she hated her, she didn’t want her to drown. Just like before, Rarity didn’t move. The more awake she became the more existent the memories of the last few hours became. She shuddered, a combination of her thoughts and the brush that gently scrubbed her coat and mane. They didn’t say a word to each other, as Twilight cleaned her like an unruly child in need of bathing. Rarity closed her eyes tightly as she wished with all her might to be anywhere but where she was right now. Satisfied with her fellow unicorn’s more rejuvenated look, Princess Celestia’s student activated her magic again, lifting a towel over to them, using it to dry her former friend slowly yet gently. Rarity felt herself lifted from her position again. She couldn’t move, regardless of the magic. Her joints were so stiff that she could barely stand in the tub. As they made their way gingerly back to the bed, Twilight walked slowly, being careful not to wake the sleeping stallion. Not that she was worried, really. After the romp they had, it would take a thundercloud going off right next to his ear to wake him. She placed Rarity in the bed on her side, facing her lover. The action would have confused the fashion expert if her mind hadn’t already been racing with questions. What came next? Was this inescapable nightmare finally over? Would Twilight let her go? She just stared at the back of the sleeping stallion’s head as she felt the bed move slightly. She felt her mane brushed to the side. It was still a bit damp from the shower. The sensation of Twilight’s body against hers above the covers sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn’t hide the shudder, as she whimpered. Twilight was lying down next to her. Why? What other sick thing did she have planned? The unicorn felt a hoof begin to caress her belly, and hot breath tease her neck.

‘Not again! Please, please, not again!’ Rarity’s mind screamed.

“I had a perfectly wonderful time tonight, Rarity. Thanks for letting me in. By the way, just so you don’t get any ideas, if you tell anyone what happened last night, I will personally go to Princess Celestia and tell her about lover-boy here. And I’ll tell her who was responsible for almost taking her student away from her again. Do you understand?” Twilight said just above a whisper.

“Y…Yes, Twilight. I…I understand,” Rarity replied without hesitation.

Twilight just smiled knowing her victory was complete. She tilted her head towards the clock on the other side of the room. Princess Celestia’s sun had begun to creep over the horizon. It was time to take her leave.

“It’s time for me to go. We should do this again sometime, don’t you think?” Twilight whispered again.

Rarity’s eyes went wide. She thought that it would be over. She already gave up. She submitted in every way, what more could Twilight want from her? She shut her eyes tightly as tears started to form.

“Celestia, help me,” she said under her breath.

The giggle that emanated from Twilight’s throat cut to the core of Rarity’s soul like a knife. The former element of magic leaned in closer, her muzzle just behind the fashion expert’s ear.

“No, Rarity. I’m your princess now,” She said.

Rarity was in awe. Frozen by fear and the helplessness she felt at that last statement. She was so horrified that she barely even noticed when Twilight kissed her on the cheek. Getting up, Twilight slowly made her way out of the bedroom. Her fellow unicorn just lay there, not moving as the sound of her conqueror’s footsteps echoed slightly throughout the room. Once she heard the door close, Rarity did the only thing she could. She cried. She wailed into her pillow, a mixture of rage, sadness, fear and disgust pouring through her tears. What was she going to do? Whom could she tell? Who would help her? Even though it began as a carnal affair, she had begun to develop feelings for the stallion to her side. Even if she didn’t, she would never forgive herself if he suffered because of something she initiated. And what about Twilight? They were having group sessions now, as well as individual therapy. How could she face her? How could she hold in the pain and the humiliation while being around the others? These questions attacked her mind like an army besieging a fortress. Her train of thought was broken, however, when she heard a strained groan come from the Royal Guard next to her.

“Hmmm… Rarity? That must have been quite a night we had! I don’t even remember it! Wait, I remember seeing Twilight. Is she alright?” He said in a raspy voice as he turned to look at his lover.

Rarity’s eyes went wide, as she was barely able to contain a gasp at the question. She gulped, as she looked him the eye. She was going to have to lie. It was the only thing she could do now. She couldn’t tell him what really happened: That he was forced to have relations with another mare. Rarity had always been a good actress, and as much as she hated herself for doing what she was about to do, she knew it was for the best at the moment.

“O…Oh, it was quite a night! Twilight is just fine! She just came by to… see how I was doing,” Rarity said while putting on her best smile.

Looking at the clock, the stallion grunted a response and turned over. Rarity went back to her thoughts as soon as the stallion’s back was turned.

‘I…I have to figure this out! I…I will figure this out! I have to!’ Her mind screamed.

Soon, his snoring permeated the room again, leaving Rarity to cry softly to herself as the morning sun began to rise.

-

Princess Luna sat in front of the mirror as she once again examined her features. It had been quite a week, and a proper grooming was the best way she thought to relieve the stress. She knew that some ponies loved to gab when getting themselves groomed, but not her. She was always too relaxed to say anything. She felt like a new princess, as she once again examined her make-up and accessories. She could have it professionally done, of course. After all, she was royalty, and co-ruler of the land. However, she took a special pride in being able to prepare herself, and not have to rely on the professionals constantly. The talent proved quite useful, especially when receiving guests. A small smile crept onto her face at the thought of today’s visitor. She was so lost in thought that her sister’s voice startled her.

“Well, someone seems quite happy today. Care to share, little sister?” Princess Celestia inquired while walking into her sister’s bedchambers.

“Tia! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” The princess of the night retorted.

Princess Celestia let out a small laugh. She knew what day it was and who would be coming by. The white alicorn’s smile grew as she sat next to her sibling. It was so nice having her back. She loved her citizens very much, but there was always a distance she had to keep with them, since she was their ruler. Even as close as she was with Twilight Sparkle, she was at best a mother figure and still an authority figure for the young mare. Her sister was family, however. She could just be herself around her fellow alicorn, and it was a feeling she cherished, especially having forgotten it for so long. As much as she had a duty to the denizens of Equestria, she also had the charge of giving her little sister a hard time now and again.

“My apologies, Luna. So, do you have something special planned for today? You seem to be taking your time getting ready,” she said.

Princess Luna stiffened at the inquiry. She turned to give her sibling a faux glare, while trying to suppress the redness working its way onto her cheeks. She knew what her sister was doing.

‘The more things change, the more they stay the same, I see!’ The darker coated alicorn thought to herself.

“As you know, we are scheduled to have a guest in the castle today, and I wanted to look my best, that’s all,” she answered gruffly.

Princess Celestia did her best to stifle a giggle. She always took great joy at ribbing her sister. She brought a hoof to her chin, as though she was pretending to ponder something.

“Hmmm, whoever could we be receiving today? Oh, that’s right, isn’t that stallion coming by? What’s his name?” She exaggerated.

Luna huffed as she returned the inquiry, “His name is Big Mackinto…Big Mac,” she said, correcting herself.

Luna was getting more nervous talking about the stallion. Whenever he was around her, she got butterflies in her stomach. His quiet gentleness, his hard stare. It affected her more than she was willing to admit to herself. She levitated a glass of water to herself, as her sister began to speak again.

‘That’s it… take a nice big gulp…’ Celestia thought to herself as she opened her mouth to speak.

“Oh! That’s right, I remember now! The red stallion with the cute tush!” The sun princess said exuberantly.

The stream of water that jetted from Luna’s mouth splashed all over her mirror, and began cascading down. The princess of the moon turned around, her cheeks now crimson with a wide-eyed look of exasperation.

“TIA!” Luna exclaimed.

The older alicorn stopped paying attention, however. She was too busy rolling on her back, holding her stomach and laughing so hard, tears were starting to form in the corners of her eyes. Her sibling stood and huffed loudly, not that Celestia heard her over her own laughing.

“Tia, that was mean! Why would you do that?!?” Luna inquired heatedly.

“Oh, oh, Luna, I-I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist!” She stammered through her laughing.

Luna stared at her sister flatly, waiting for her to calm down. Why did she have to tease her like this? With everything that has happened, did she really think it was appropriate to give her little sister a hard time? She shook her head and turned back to the water splash on the ornate mirror in front of her. Using her magic, she levitated a tissue and began cleaning her mess.

“And she says I need to be more mature,” the moon princess muttered a bit more loudly than she originally intended.

Princess Celestia did her best to control herself. She was starting to reign in her laughter until that last statement started it up all over again. She hadn’t laughed like this in so long, and as much as she didn’t want it to end, she did have something important to discuss with her younger sibling. It took her another minute, but finally she caught her breath and regained her composure. Luna’s scowl remained as she began to speak again.

“Sister, I know you like him, but we do have to talk about his visit today,” the larger alicorn stated.

“What do you mean?” Luna asked curiously, as she turned to face her.

“With the events of the past week….with Twilight coming back…we have to discuss how we are going to proceed with Big Mackintosh’s visit,” Celestia stated seriously.

“Tia, are you suggesting that-“the princess of the night stammered before being cut off.

“No, I’m not suggesting that we lie to him. However, we have to make him understand the gravity of this situation, and how important it is that no one knows about what has occurred outside the castle. Twilight was almost taken away from me…from us again, and until we have more information on what we are dealing with, it is simply better to keep these events within the confines of the grounds. After observing him, I do believe he is trustworthy, I just hope that he is also complicit,” the sun princess stated.

Luna turned from her sister’s gaze as she thought hard about her elder’s statement. She weighed the choices carefully. She could invite him to stay here while everything was sorted out. To say she would love his company would be an understatement, and it would give him a chance to get closer to his sister and the others, possibly helping them with their recovery. However, no one knew what his reaction was going to be. After all, Twilight may have died that night, but she was the reason his sister was suffering so much in the first place. Princess Celestia’s student had gone insane and tried to kill them that night in a fanatical act of self-preservation. Understandably, Big Mac may harbor some ill will towards the mare, and who could blame him. As gentle as he was, he was also one of the strongest ponies in his town. He was a physical powerhouse, and who knows what he would be capable of if he became angry and irrational, especially if he viewed such a hypothetical assault as defending a family member. Luna also knew of his responsibilities back in Ponyville at Sweet Apple Acres. She would have to find a way to break the news to him gently. She was fairly certain that if she entrusted the stallion with such information and asked him to keep it to himself he would comply.

“I…I understand, sister. I believe that if I just talked with him, he will keep the knowledge of Twilight Sparkle’s return to himself,” Luna answered.

Princess Celestia sighed in relief. She was uncertain as to how her little sister would take to talking to Big Mackintosh about such a sensitive subject, but the look on Luna’s face told her everything she needed to know. Her little sister has shown a remarkable increase in taking responsibility over the past six months. She smiled before levitating a glass of water to her own lips and taking a drink. She was so proud of her sibling.

“It’ll be nice to get some alone time with that cute tush of his anyway,” Luna stated with her own devious smile.

Princess Celestia immediately began choking on her water, as her eyes went wide. She needed to relieve her mouth of its contents, but her sister was right in front of her. Panicking, she turned her head to the side as a spray of liquid left her throat and rained onto the posh floor by the doorway.

“Luna!” Celestia exclaimed while catching her breath.

Now it was the princess of the night’s turn to laugh. She laughed so hard she fell off the stool she was sitting on in front of her mirror. It didn’t take long for her big sister to join in, as they both were practically snorting. Suddenly the door burst open as one of the Royal Guards entered.

“Your Majesty, are you all-WAHH!” The stallion shouted as he slipped on the wet floor in front of him.

Luna and Celestia both looked up for a moment just in time to see the poor pegasus slide on his belly across the room his backside slamming into the moon princess’s bed. For a moment, there was silence, as the alicorns stared at the guard. He just started back at them blankly. He blinked a few times, showing that he was alright, just confused. This brought a torrent of laughter even greater than before as the sisters rolled into each other. After a few moments, the siblings finally settled down and smiled at each other. There were tears in each other’s eyes, as they appeared to be thinking about the same thing.

“Thank you, Luna. I needed that in the worst way. With everything that’s been going on, I never thought I would laugh again. I love you little sister,” she said.

“I love you too, big sister,” Luna answered hugging her sibling.

The two shared an embrace for a few moments, as the perplexed stallion continued to look on in confusion.

-

Pinkie Pie’s stomach grumbled again as she made her way down the hallway, her hooves echoing with each step. She had been so upset when Princess Luna had informed her of the attack on Twilight. It hurt her to the core. How could anyone do this? She knew Twilight had made mistakes to say the least, but how was beating her half to death going to solve anything? Twilight was right about one thing: she came to her friends with her tail literally tucked between her legs, humble and begging for forgiveness. How could the rest of her friends just turn their backs on her? After all they had been though together, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and even Applejack, just wanted to throw all of that away. Just thinking about it made her heart break. It was ok though. She would make everything alright again. They’ll see! If they weren’t going to be friends with Twilight, then she would. She owed it to her. Rainbow Dash may have screamed her head off, but that didn’t make any of the dark coated unicorn’s points any less valid. Not to mention, after Twilight’s admission of her time in Tartarus, how could anyone turn away from her, no matter what she had done? She owed her an apology. Her friends owed Twilight an apology, and if they weren’t going to give it, then she would, no matter what they thought. Her stomach growled again, as she knocked on the room that was supposed to be her old quarters. She had heard that Twilight went right back to her studies with Spike after she was discharged from the doctors’ care. Hopefully some breakfast would get her out of the library and start interacting with others of her own volition again. Within a minute, Spike came to the door, opening it slowly. He smiled as he met Pinkie Pie’s gaze.

“Oh, Hi Pinkie Pie. I’m guessing you’re here to see Twilight?” He inquired.

“Hi Spike. Yes, I wanted to see if she was up for some breakfast. Is she here?” The pink party mare asked.

Spike’s manner changed after hearing the question. He had a look of uncertainty on his face. Pinkie Pie eyed him curiously, as she pressed him for answers.

“Spike? I…Is everything alright?” She said.

“W…well, yeah…kinda,” he stated.

“What do you mean?” She asked, as she began walking into the room behind the young dragon.

“Go see for yourself,” he stated flatly.

Before Spike even finished his statement, the pink party mare began to hear muttering. It seemed to be coming from the second level of the quarters. She ascended the stairs her curiosity growing with each step. The muttering became louder the closer she got to the top. Finally, she gasped at what she saw when Twilight came into view. The unicorn was like a whirlwind. There were books and papers scattered about as Twilight ran from bookshelf to bookshelf taking what seemed like random texts and reading a few lines and tossing them about. For a moment, Pinkie Pie could do nothing but stare. She had seen Twilight like this once before, during that whole time travel debacle. While her behavior in that instance seemed at least congruent with what was facing her at the time, this just seemed… well, random! The pink earth pony just shook her head. This must have been bad for her of all ponies to call it random. Maybe she could snap Twilight out of it.

“Hi, Twilight! It’s me, Pinkie Pie!” She announced cheerfully.

“Pinkie! Good, I’m glad you’re here! I think that the possibilities are endless, especially if we assume that me coming back had a purifying effect! It…it’s like when you put ore in a fire, you’re from a rock farm so you understand that, but, anyway, it’s after heat purifies the metal, it becomes stronger, and that’s the main point, because if we take into account Mitosis, which is the process by which a eukaryotic cell separates the chromosomes in its cell nucleus into two identical sets, in two separate nuclei, which is also a form of karyokinesis, or, you know, nuclear division, it is generally followed immediately by cytokinesis, which divides the nuclei, and cytoplasm, and organelles, and cell membrane into two cells containing roughly equal shares of these cellular components, and that’s where understanding comes from, you see Pinkie Pie? That’s the key by which the forge purifies its creation!” Twilight rambled.

Pinkie Pie just stood there blinking, trying to process what her friend was talking about. She thought it best to try to change the subject.

“Umm…are you hungry? Would you like to get some breakfast?” Pinkie Pie inquired sweetly.

“There is a lot to do, Pinkie, but, yes, I need sustenance. I’ve been up all night, and I didn’t have any food up here,” Twilight answered in a much calmer tone.

Pinkie let out a sigh of relief as she turned to go down the stairs. She barely had time to move as she felt Twilight’s fur brush against her.

“RACE YA!” Twilight yelled as she barreled down the staircase.

Pinkie Pie just stared, wide-eyed. Twilight was taking the steps a few at a time. She was so fast and graceful. She looked better than even the most polished of athletes. Something was clearly going wrong. Had Discord made some sort of error? She had to get to the bottom of this. Between how she acted around the rest of the former elements and her wild behavior today, she knew this was a recipe for disaster.

-

Pinkie Pie nibbled quietly on her muffin as she studied Twilight Sparkle carefully. They had made it down to the dining hall without too much of an issue. No one else was around, which made it a bit easier, considering how high the tension had been the last few days. They did get some coarse looks from the royal guards, which perturbed her a bit, but they did nothing to disturb their foraging. Twilight had chosen ice cream, and was scooping yet another helping into her bowl. It was her third in fifteen minutes, and throughout the whole meal she kept uttering to herself, while occasionally bringing her left hoof to her face. Twilight was beginning to scare her. She didn’t seem to be making any sense. What could have happened? She seemed relatively fine a few days ago, or at least coherent. She spoke up trying to get the unicorn’s attention.

“Umm…Twilight? Is…is there something wrong with your face?” Pinkie Pie asked quietly.

“What? Oh, yes. I think I just have some sort of scab, that’s all. This ice cream is lacking. It needs… AHA!” The unicorn shouted as she jumped to her hooves, startling her friend.

Twilight Sparkle walked over to a shelf on the other side of the polished royal kitchen and levitated another bowl towards them. She placed it on the counter and undid the top, as she used her magic to levitate a spoon. Pinkie Pie looked on curiously, and gasped at the contents of the jar. It was sugar. Twilight was sprinkling sugar onto her ice cream. Something was definitely wrong. The pink earth mare had the biggest sweet tooth of any pony she knew, and even she gagged at the idea of adding sugar to ice cream. It pained her to do it, but she had to go to the princess. She sighed and turned away from her friend as she thought over her options. What would she tell the princess? Would she lie again? Could she lie again? It tore her apart to have to lie to the princesses, but what else could she do? She was so lost in thought that she barely heard the squeak that came from behind them.

-

“I’m very happy you have decided to do this, Fluttershy. This is most certainly a breakthrough,” Princess Luna said.

The dark-coated alicorn smiled at the timid pegasus next to her as they walked down the hallway. Fluttershy had come to her early this morning. Apparently, Twilight Sparkle had been by to visit her and to apologize about everything that happened. She was so scared of her, however, that she locked herself in the bathroom and told her former friend to go away because she was scared of her. The pegasus said that she heard Twilight break down in tears and leave, and that broke her heart. She wanted to apologize to the former element of magic, but she didn’t know if she could do it alone. Princess Luna was more than happy to escort her down to see Twilight. After checking in with Spike, they found out that Pinkie Pie and Twilight were going to the main dining hall to get some breakfast. Luna was excited at the prospect. This was a big step for Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie being there should ease the tension even more. When Fluttershy first came to the castle for treatment after the initial incident, she was almost catatonic. For the first two weeks, she didn’t stop shivering. She wouldn’t eat, and she just kept crying. Even when she had calmed down enough to talk, the mere mention of the incident or Twilight Sparkle would send her into a panic attack. For her to be here now walking with the princess determined to find Twilight to talk to her was nothing less than a minor miracle. They hadn’t made much small talk since they started their journey. Fluttershy wore a pensive look as she seemed to be thinking hard about what she was going to say to Twilight. As they rounded the corner and entered the main dining hall, it was empty except for Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle, who had found a corner table. As they got closer, Fluttershy gasped. She was so lost in thought, she hadn’t even realized how close her and the princess had gotten to her fellow elements. The timid pegasus could not help but utter a small squeak at Twilight’s presence. Pinkie Pie turned at the sound and immediately stood up from her breakfast at the first sight of Princess Luna.

“Oh, good morning, Princess Luna! Hi Fluttershy!” The pink party pony said with a small smile while giving a quick bow towards the princess.

“Good morning, Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy had asked to speak to Twilight Sparkle for a moment,” the princess said.

They all turned around to look at the unicorn in question. Her face was practically buried in her bowl of ice cream, and hadn’t even acknowledged the princess and Fluttershy when they had arrived. It was very peculiar. She wasn’t like Rarity when it came to proper etiquette, but she had been practically raised around royalty since she began studying under Princess Celestia as a filly. How could she not at least give a quick bow? After a few moments, the princess of the moon decided to intervene. She knew that she needed to have patience. Twilight was still not herself yet and scolding her for not showing proper respect would undo this chance for Fluttershy to get some peace, and that was more important than manners.

“Twilight Sparkle. It is Princess Luna and Fluttershy. Fluttershy has something she would like to say to you,” the princess stated while stepping aside, letting the animal lover come forward.

Twilight eyed the two of them curiously. She looked deep in thought as she rose from the table and made her way around it cautiously. Fluttershy’s heart was beating faster and faster with each step the unicorn took towards her. She had to keep focused.

‘you can do this, you can do this, you can do this…’ echoed through her mind as Twilight stepped forward.

The two mares were face to face now. Neither of them said a word. Fluttershy looked down and away from Twilight. For what seemed like an eternity, there was just silence. As the tension mounted, the pegasus finally sighed as she spoke.

“Um, Twilight, I just wanted to um, apol…apologize for what happened yesterday. I didn’t mean to make you cry,” she stated meekly, while finally looking up at her former friend.

Twilight Sparkle leaned in, causing Fluttershy to become even more uncomfortable. She had so many thoughts racing through her head at the moment, it was hard to think straight.

“You were so afraid. It hurt me so much,” Twilight answered.

Fluttershy shut her eyes tightly as she took in the unicorn’s words. She knew that she had made a mistake letting her fear take control of her as she did. She knew what it was like. She had felt the same anger during the first Grand Galloping Gala. She was so nice and sweet, how the animals in the garden could be frightened of her confused her. As her confusion grew, however, so did her anger. She had let her feelings take over her being then, just as she did when Twilight came to apologize. While she was still scared, she knew she needed to at least try and make it right. Having someone out there who was crying over her direct actions made her feel horrible. It made her feel like she was one of the bullies who used to make fun of her because of her flying skills. Their methods may have differed, but the results were the same: tears. She also had some time to think about Twilight, herself. She hated being scared all the time, and even though there were unanswered questions, she wanted the madness and sadness behind her. Twilight was clearly sorry for what she had done, and even though she had not fully forgiven the former element of magic, she had carefully considered Twilight’s points made during the last group session. She tried to be as empathetic as possible, and when she really thought about it, she had been in a similar situation. She remembered how she treated Rarity and Pinkie Pie after the Iron Will seminar. She was power drunk and angry. She hadn’t been thinking straight, just as Twilight wasn’t when she was going through her changes. Rarity and Pinkie Pie hadn’t given up on her, however. Instead, they kept trying to talk to her, and it was her own meanness towards her friends that finally snapped her out of it. The circumstances were the same regardless of the deadly variables that were introduced. Could she really hold Twilight responsible for her actions while she was changing into a different creature? Could she judge her for the same mistakes that she herself had made? It was time to bury the hatchet and move on. The doctors have been telling her that is how the healing begins.

“I know, I know, I was just so scared, but I know now that is no excuse for how rude I was. So, I wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry Twi…” Fluttershy said just above a whisper before the former element of magic cut her off.

“You had a chance. It was right there. The Plasma Pool! You could have jumped in and you would have been purified! Everything you hated about yourself would have been gone!” Twilight shouted as she put her front hooves on the pegasus’ shoulders.

The former element of kindness stiffened at the action but held her ground. She was trying to analyze Twilight’s words, but they weren’t making any sense. What was she talking about?

“Um, Twilight? What do you mean? Wh…what’s a Plasma Pool?” the timid mare stammered.

“We could have been IT, Fluttershy! You and me and Pinkie, and A.J. All of us together, we would have been closer than any friends in Equestrian history! Why?!? Why did you throw it away?!?” Twilight shouted even louder.

Princess Luna could see that Fluttershy was beginning to get uncomfortable. It was time to end this. She needed to ensure Fluttershy’s safety as well as her mental state. The princess of the moon refused to allow another setback. This behavior was odd as well, since Twilight Sparkle had always appeared lucid after she returned. She needed more information, possibly a private conversation. Big Mac was also set to arrive soon, and she had no more time to spare.

“Twilight Sparkle, that’s enough,” the princess advised sternly.

“Twilight, please I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Fluttershy said in exasperation.

The pegasus brought her front right hoof to meet her former friend’s. She was about to move away when the unicorn used her strength to push her against the wall. A wild look of madness plastered itself onto Twilight’s face as she took a low stance.

“DON’T TOUCH MY HOOVES! DON’T YOU EVER TOUCH MY HOOVES!” Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs.

Luna needed to act quickly. She barely had time to act, but managed to get Twilight trapped in a magic bubble before she leapt at Fluttershy. As Twilight floated in the bubble, she became increasingly exasperated. She began bucking the slightly invisible walls. Luna’s eyes widened at the display. She could feel the pressure on her magic prison. Twilight’s physical strength was off the charts. Not even the strongest earth pony was capable of hitting with that much force. Something was wrong. She needed to calm Twilight down before she could do anything else. The mare was in a frenzy while Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy looked on helplessly.

“YOU WON’T GET ME! I’M STRONG NOW! YOU WON’T EVER TAKE MY HOOVES AGAIN, DO YOU HEAR ME?!? I’LL KILL YOU IF YOU TRY!! I’LL KILL YOU!!” The former element of magic bellowed as loud as she could.

“Twilight, please! Calm down! Fluttershy is your friend! No one wants to hurt you here!” Princess Luna said.

The bucking continued and the princess of the night was forced to increase her own magic output. As a result, the makeshift prison constricted. Twilight Sparkled began to panic at the development.

“NO, NO, NO, PLEASE DON’T DO THIS TO ME AGAIN!!! I’LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST PLEASE LET ME GO!! DON’T TAKE MY HOOVES AGAIN!!! PLEASE DON’T TAKE MY HOOVES AGAIN!!!” She screamed again, this time with tears streaming down her face.

“NO ONE IS TRYING TO TAKE YOUR HOOVES, TWILIGHT! YOU’RE IN THE CASTLE! IT’S ME, PRINCESS LUNA! CAN’T YOU SEE ME? PINKIE PIE AND FLUTTERSHY ARE HERE TOO! YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS!” The moon princess yelled back desperately.

Twilight’s eyes and horn began to glow as she started building up her magic. She let out guttural cry as she lashed out with her power. There was a bright flash as the bubble was broken and Twilight Sparkle crashed to the ground. For a moment, there was silence. Princess Luna was immediately at the unicorn’s side as she lay on her side, moaning. She was shivering as tears continued to fall, creating a wet spot on the ornate marble floor. Two royal guards were quickly at the princess’ side, ready to attack. The alicorn held up her left hoof, waving them off. They both stood down, as ordered.

“Wh…what happened?!?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I do not know, Pinkie Pie. But right now, Twilight is in shock. We have to get her to the infirmary this instant,” Princess Luna answered.

As the pink earth pony watched the princess once again activate her magic, and lift a seemingly unconscious Twilight Sparkle out of the dining hall, Discord’s words again echoed through her mind.

‘Be careful what you wish for…’

-

Hi, everyone! Another chapter in the books! Please review!