Twilight Sparkle examined the light wood bookshelves before her, as she slowly lifted a hoof to caress the spines of the tomes facing her. She was back in Ponyville at her home, in the library. She used the rest of her senses to examine her surroundings. The smell of wood and paper tickled her nostrils as she continued to walk tentatively about her former domicile. Everything was perfect. Her books were in order and the table in the center of the room seemed to shine. A smile made its way onto her face as she sighed. She was home. She was finally home, after everything that happened. She had wished for this moment for over six months, and here she was, back where she should be. Suddenly, her eyes went wide as she gasped. What about her friends? Were they here as well? The questions kept coming as her eyes darted around nervously. The last thing she remembered was talking to Fluttershy, and suddenly she was back here. Was this right? How did she get here? Whatever fantasy this was began to unravel in her mind quickly. Before she could think about the matter further, however, there was a knock on the door. Snapping out of her trance, she galloped towards her entrance and quickly threw the door open. Before she could react, she found herself pinned to the ground by a blur of pink.

“Surprise!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, nose to nose with her friend.

“Pinkie? What are you…Where are we? Why are we back in Ponyville? I…I thought were supposed to be in Canterlot!” She asked.

The sounds of hoof steps made her ears perk up, as she tilted her head to the side. She soon found herself surrounded by her fellow elements of harmony. They all offered her smiles, as Pinkie Pie continued straddling her.

“We wanted to give you a proper welcome back, sugarcube!” Applejack stated cheerfully.

“Yeah! You’re back here with us, just the way it should be, right?” Rainbow Dash reinforced.

“You…you mean…you forgive me? All of you? I… I thought you all hated me.” Twilight asked as she shut her eyes tightly.

“Oh, there’s no need for that, darling. You’re here and we’re here, and that’s all that matters, Twilight,” Rarity said.

Applejack walked over to the corner of the room. A record player stood there with a record spinning on it. Twilight twisted her head to see where Applejack was going, and eyed the phonograph curiously.

‘When did I get a record player?’ She thought to herself as the sound of musical tones filled the air.

Twilight twisted her neck back around to face Pinkie Pie once again, her lips curling in a smile. They forgave her. She could feel tears forming in her eyes as she looked into the pink earth pony’s eyes. Her heart filled with happiness at the notion of getting back to a sense of normalcy. Lunch dates with her friends, pony pet play dates, even writing letters to the princess and getting back to her research seemed possible again.

“Thank you so much, girls! Thank you so-AGH!” a hoof striking the side of her head cut off her statement.

“Come on, girls! It’s time to have some fun!” Applejack said, as she walked over to the group.

Twilight’s thought process was brought to a standstill, as she looked back up at Pinkie Pie, whose right hoof was raised above her, ready to strike another blow.

“Girls? What? What are you doing?” Twilight asked, her voice cracking in fear.

“Aw, we’re just having some fun, egghead! Relax!” Rainbow Dash huffed.

Suddenly, blow after blow began to rain down upon the unicorn. Pinkie Pie had gotten up off her, as Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and even Fluttershy kicked her over and over again. Pinkie Pie turned around and joined in. Twilight felt nothing but pain as hooves struck her face, belly and sides repeatedly. She grunted and yelped as the pain increased. She rolled from side to side as she was struck again just above her ribcage. The music in the air mixed with Twilight’s howls of pain, as she curled into a ball trying desperately to get away from the invading hooves. Twilight began to cry. How could they do this to her? They just said that they forgave her, and here they were, beating the life out of her. At last, her former friends ceased their attack, leaving Twilight Sparkle bruised with a pool of blood forming under her head. Her muzzle had taken quite a few blows as the deep crimson liquid flowed freely from the newly opened wounds. Her eyes went wide and she froze terrified at the next sound she heard. They were laughing. They giggled incessantly, looking at each other before speaking again.

“Oh, my! That was quite enjoyable!” Fluttershy stated excitedly.

“Ah know, right? Havin’ fun there Twilight?” Applejack inquired, turning her gaze towards her former friend.

Twilight just answered with a strained groan. She began to reach out with her left hoof. She desperately tried to crawl away, her thoughts reduced to simple survival instincts.

“Guess what Twilight?!? We have a great surprise for you!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

Twilight felt herself picked up by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Hear head lolled from side to side as she strained to see where her former friends were taking her. Her vision was blurry, as she was beginning to lose consciousness. The group made their way down to the basement of the Library. Twilight again struggled to see where she was and what was happening. As they reached the base of the staircase, she gasped inwardly, as her adrenaline began to flow freely throughout her body. Before them was what seemed to be an elaborate pulley system? Ropes and gears littered the basement floor, with some of the ropes looped together as nooses. The pegasi let her drop to the floor unceremoniously. The unicorn groaned as she tried to move her sore flesh. Rarity’s horn activated as the nooses that the former element of magic saw on the ground came alive and fastened themselves around each of her hooves. Twilight’s heart began to beat faster as she realized her compromising position. What were they going to do to her?

“Please…please let me go! I’m sorry for what I did! Don’t hurt me anymore, I’m begging you!” Twilight stammered through fresh tears.

Her fellow elements ignored her pleas. Suddenly, Twilight felt a harsh pulling sensation on all four of her hooves at the same time. She tried to cry out, but the pain was so intense, nothing escaped her throat. She looked over to see Applejack and Rainbow Dash pulling down hard on a large wheel with spokes. Twilight screamed at the realization of what they were trying to do to her. They wanted to take her hooves. The unicorn began to scream and thrash as loud and hard as her beaten body would allow her. She could feel her muscles and tendons begin to pull apart. Her socket joints began to pop and crack as deep red blotches became visible through her fur. Her blood vessels were rupturing under the strain. After a few moments, the pegasus and the earth pony ceased their efforts. Twilight Sparkle crashed to the ground crying loudly as she did.

“Please stop, please…please…” she blubbered repeatedly through the tears.

“Aw, hay! This ain’t workin’!” Applejack huffed as she stomped her right front hoof down against the basement floor, a clopping sound echoing through the chamber.

“I know, I know!” Pinkie Pie shouted exuberantly as she bounced over to the group.

They huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. Twilight strained to hear what they were saying, but she couldn’t hear anything. After a few moments, they all looked up with smiles on their faces.

“That’s a great idea, Pinkie!” Applejack shouted.

Twilight Sparkle grimaced at the thought of what other torture they had planned next. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie all made their way over to where Twilight lay. The purple unicorn gave them a confused and terrified look. Their only response was cheery smiles.

“Alright, ladies! One…two…three!” Applejack shouted as she turned the wheel hard again.

Twilight screamed as her torture continued. This time, however, her other former friends took positions at the base of each of her hooves. Thoughts raced through Twilight’s head as she gazed at the ponies that surrounded her. What were they going to do now? Her answer came in the form of bites. She screamed louder as she felt four ponies sink their teeth into her soft flesh. Princess Celestia’s prized student was spared no sensation, as the mares she once called friends hungrily chewed on her flesh. She swayed back and forth as each pony pulled on her skin, ripping her epidermis like wrapping paper. Once through her top layer, the former elements of harmony attacked her muscle tissue and ligaments like hungry wolves.

“Come…on…just a little bit…more…” Applejack grunted as she kept the pressure on the wheel.

Suddenly, Twilight’s upper right hoof gave way under the constant pressure and tearing of her flesh. It snapped off making a ripping sound as Twilight’s body once again fell to the floor. For a moment, there was silence as the friends all stared at each other. Pinkie Pie was at the base of the snapped limb as she turned her gaze towards a wailing Twilight Sparkle with a look of surprise on her face.

“I WIN, I WIN!” She shouted as she bounced up and down, giddy with excitement.

She continued to hop in place, as the others groaned in response. Blood and flesh matted the fur around their muzzles, as they looked towards Applejack.

“Come on, A.J. We gotta see who takes second place here!” Rainbow Dash hurried.

“Allright, allright. Get ready for round two, ‘cause here we go!” The earth pony shouted as she once again pushed hard against the wheel.

Twilight’s vision became blurry at the loss of so much blood that her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she let out a moan of pain. After a few moments more of strain and the mandibles tearing into her flesh, the other three hooves gave way at the same time. Twilight’s body once again crashed to the ground. She looked through the tears at the four stumps that remained of her hooves. She wretched back and forth as her own blood matted the fur on her back. Her former friends walked over to her, examining their handiwork.

“Well, Ah guess that’s that. Looks like everyone’s a winner today!” Applejack said.

“You said it! I worked up an appetite though,” Rainbow Dash stated.

“Well then what the hay are we standin’ around for? Let’s get over to Sugarcube Corner. I have a hankering for a treat mahself,” Applejack said as her and the rest of her friends trotted towards the stairs, blood and flesh still dripping from their maws.

“Wh...why…why did you do this to me?!?” Twilight whispered softly.

Her answer was the sound of the basement door shutting. They left her there. They left her there to die, and there was nothing she could to about it. As she looked back down at the bloody stumps that were once her hooves, her adrenaline once again began pumping through her veins. She screamed in terror as she shut her eyes tightly.

-

Fluttershy sat outside the infirmary room on the verge of tears. How could she have been so wrong? She completely misjudged her former friend. When she first saw her, she thought that the unicorn was some monster out to get her. The pegasus didn’t mean to hurt feelings; it was just that she thought the whole thing was so…unnatural. Once a creature passed on, that was supposed to be it. Even with magic, there was no bringing back the dead. Looking at Twilight also brought back the vivid memories of that night. She lifted her left hoof to her head and began rubbing the small scar that remained from her injury. It was a constant reminder of the horrors she and the rest of her friends faced. Even though it was mostly hidden from view under her mane, she couldn’t help staring at it whenever she looked in the mirror. It was like a metaphor for the scars on her soul. The injuries may have healed, but the scars will always remain. After what she just saw, however, her opinion of the purple unicorn changed dramatically. Applejack had said it after the first few months they were at the castle for their treatment. Everyone came down on her for looking at Twilight as sick and not being able to help herself. Rarity and Rainbow Dash scoffed at such an idea. They blamed Twilight Sparkle for her actions through and through. The timid pegasus admitted that she was skeptical of Applejack’s position as well. Now that she got a good glimpse of just how broken the poor mare was she couldn’t bring herself to hate her or even be scared of her anymore. She pitied her. It would take time, but she wanted to help her former friend. She owed it to her after the way she treated the former element of magic. A blood-curdling scream snapped her back into reality from her introspection. She jumped off the bench and galloped to the door, throwing it open. What she saw made her heart break, as she cowered low letting out a slight gasp. The covers on the sterile hospital bed were disheveled as Twilight Sparkle cowered in a corner of the white room. Princess Celestia was with her, and galloped around the bed, kneeling at her student’s side in a heartbeat. She used her wings to envelope the shivering unicorn, trying her best to calm her down. Her former friend locked eyes with her and whispered something over and over. Fluttershy took a step forward to try to hear what Twilight was muttering. What the timid mare heard made her thoughts grind to a halt.

“Please don’t hurt me, I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me, I’m sorry…” Twilight Sparkle cried her teeth chattering.

It was too much for the pegasus to take. She felt tears stream down her own face as she turned to run. She just couldn’t be there anymore. When she looked into her former friend’s eyes all she saw was fear. She felt lower than she had ever felt in her life. Princess Celestia just held the unicorn and rocked her back and forth like a foul. It took some time, but after a few minutes of whispering reassuring words into her student’s ears, she finally calmed down.

“Let’s get you back into bed, ok?” The alicorn whispered.

Twilight just nodded, as she gingerly stood up of her own accord and slipped beneath the covers again. Her breathing was still slightly heavy, as she shut her eyes tightly. Princess Celestia didn’t say a word. She thought that after what Twilight had just gone through that silence was best for now. She would wait until her student spoke up. It didn’t take long for Twilight to turn to her teacher, despair written all over her face.

“I…I can’t stop it, Princess! My head feels like it’s on fire! It feels like there are a thousand thoughts trying to escape, and I can’t control my own mind! I can’t even…make a coherent sentence sometimes! I…I’m having…urges…that I can’t control at all! I’m confused and frightened and scared! Wh…what’s happening to me?!?” Twilight cried as she reached out to her mentor.

Tears began to form themselves in the sun alicorn’s eyes. She embraced her pupil again, hugging her tightly, and wrapping her wings around the unicorn. Even with all of her power, she couldn’t help her student. Whatever was going on in her head, it was outside of her realm to help. She thought Luna may be able to go into the unicorn’s mind, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Whatever was going on in her mind was so intense that she couldn’t risk her sister’s safety. If the dreams she had were enough to sever her connection to reality, even Luna would be overwhelmed. As much as she wanted to ask her student about her vivid nightmare, she didn’t want to upset her again. Therefore, instead, she did what she could. She comforted the mare.

“We’re going to help you, Twilight. We’re going to help you,” the princess whispered into the unicorn’s ear.

-

Big Mac was worried. It had been over an hour, and he was still standing outside the main door of the palace. Usually, Princess Luna would be out to meet him promptly. The two royal guards in front of the ornate entrance way were tight lipped, and would not share any information with the stallion. Something was wrong. That could be the only explanation for the moon princess’ tardiness. He perished the thought of anything happening to his sister, especially here. This was supposed to be her safe haven, her sanctuary. If she was being hurt here, there was nowhere for her to truly be safe. He tried desperately to put such thoughts out of his mind, as he knew that without proper information they would only add to his rising anxiousness. Finally, the door opened revealing the dark-coated alicorn.

“Luna, is everything…” he started as her rushed to meet her.

“Applejack is fine, do not worry. However, there has been a development. Please, come inside. We must talk,” she said calmly.

Big Mac complied as he followed Princess Luna into the castle. She could see the worry etched onto his face. She knew it was her job to break the news about Twilight’s resurrection to him. She had hoped to delay the conversation to at least until after a simple exchange of pleasantries, but that wish died with her excessive lateness.

“What kind of development? What the hay’s goin’ on, Luna?” Big Mac inquired.

Normally, Luna would scold him for his tone, as well as his choice of language when addressing royalty. However, she understood his exasperation. He was simply worried about his family and starting a fight with him over simple etiquette would have been counterproductive. They had made their way down one of the ornate hallways, as she had led him into one of the many palace lounges on the grounds before the main hall. He became more curious when she sighed and shut the door behind them. What was going on? She had said that Applejack was all right, which he was grateful for, but that didn’t answer any of the questions that were swirling around in his mind. The alicorn turned to face him, sighing again as she did.

“About a week ago, something happened that you need to know. However, after I tell you, you must promise me that you will not tell another soul outside of these castle walls. Do you understand?” She asked.

Big Mac was even more confused. Her tone was sweet and understanding. It felt like she was making a request of him, rather than giving him an order. His expression softened, as he answered the princess.

“You know you can count on me, Luna. What’s this about?” He inquired again.

“Twilight Sparkle is alive. She appeared out of nowhere, and is currently residing here in the castle,” she said.

Big Mac’s eyes widened at the statement. How can she be alive? From what he was told, Applejack and her friends were there when Twilight was killed. Applejack was a terrible liar, so he was able to rule out any deception there. The more he his mind processed the information given the more questions he had. So stunned was he by the development, however, that he could only vocalize a simple question.

“H…how?” He muttered.

“We…we aren’t sure, actually,” Luna answered sparsely.

The princess of the moon had a difficult time reading the stallion. What was he thinking? She had to be ready in case things got out of control. As she studied the apple farmer, his demeanor changed. The look on his face morphed, and he no longer looked like the gentle giant that Luna had become so fond of spending time with on his visits. This is exactly what she was afraid of.

“Ah wanna see her,” he stated coldly as his eyes narrowed.

“Big Mac, please. She isn’t the same…her mind…trust me when I tell you, she is suffering,” Luna said trying to calm the farmer.

“Luna, Ah don’t…” he started.

“You must understand…”she said cutting him off.

“SHE TRIED TA KILL MAH SISTER!” He bellowed.

“DO NOT RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME! She screamed back.

They looked into each other’s eyes intensely. No more words were spoken, but the tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. They seemed to have reached an impasse. She knew that he was angry, but she was still a princess, and it was very disrespectful for him to have raised his voice to her like that. She wanted to be as cordial to him as possible, especially as their relationship had grown over the past several months, but if it took reminding him who was in charge to calm him down, then that is what she would do. In his mind, however, family was everything. He didn’t care who was ordering him around. The stallion may regret his actions later, but for now, a royal title meant nothing to him when it came to facing the mare that tried to take his sister away from him. After a minute, however, Princess Luna closed her eyes, ending the standoff.

“No,” Luna said softly. Her expression softened as well, as she turned away from him.

“Big Mac, I know you’re angry. You have every right to be. I… I don’t want us to fight. Not after everything we… I just don’t want us to argue, please,” she begged him as droplets of water fell from her eyes.

The sudden change in the alicorn’s mood caught the stallion off-guard. He was country through and through, and the mere thought of his actions making a mare cry caused him to cringe visibly. Confusion and regret began to replace his anger. He took a few steps towards the princess and put his hoof on her shoulder. He would never have thought of making such a gesture before his weekly trips. After all, she was royalty, and he was a plain old farmer from Ponyville. It was simply his instinct to do what he could to comfort the crying princess in front of him. She made no attempt to stop him and instead moved closer to his embrace.

“I… I spent a thousand years trapped on the moon. I missed so much. In many eyes, I have been back awhile, but for me it still seems like I’ve just returned, and I am trying so hard to keep everything from falling apart! The elements of harmony… their scars run so deeply, no doctor has ever seen anything like this! And my sister…she…she was so depressed for so long. I… I never told anyone this, but…but that first week after the incident, I had to raise both the sun and the moon! She didn’t even want to get out of bed! I…I’ve been trying to run a castle, a country, provide the elements of harmony with therapy, with those I love fighting me every step of the way!” She stammered through her tears.

The moon princess was openly sobbing now, as she turned to Big Mac and hugged him tightly. He returned the embrace, feeling even guiltier for his earlier actions. How could he have been so stupid? Everything she said made sense, and she continued to pour her heart out to the stallion.

“Everyone just assumes that I can handle it! They… they all just think, “Oh, she’s an ailcorn, she’s a princess, she’ll get it done!’ And…and I can’t! I’ve tried to do what I can, to do what I think is right, but It’s just me! I…I can’t do this alone! I may be a princess, but I’m still just one mare!”

Big Mac hugged her even tighter, as she lightly sobbed into his coat. She was right. Even he had made the same mistake. In all the times he came here, he never thought of what this situation could be doing to her. How stressful it must have been for her. He never realized any of the other factors involved in this arrangement, since he was so focused on his sibling. He felt small. He felt even worse than he had before. Finally, she looked up at him with puffy eyes and tears streaming down her face. The feeling was back. That feeling in the pit of her stomach when she looked into his eyes.

“You…you’re the only one, Big Mac. You’re the only one I can talk to, the only one I can go to! Please…please stay calm! For me!” She begged.

“Ah…Ah’m sorry, Luna. Ah…Ah never recognized what kinda stress you’ve been under. Ah shoulda realized that this whole thing was affecting you too. Ah…Ah’m sorry, please forgive…” He whispered, until the mare’s lips interrupted him.

She kissed him deeply, as time seemed to stop. She felt his heartbeat begin to race in his chest. He didn’t turn away, much to Luna’s relief. Instead, he fully embraced her in his hooves as they continued the kiss.

Finally, Princess Luna broke the kiss, and began to whisper in the stallion’s ear.

“Please stay with me tonight. I…I don’t want to be alone. You…you can visit your sister in the morning, and then I will take you to see Twilight, I promise. It’s just that right now, I…I don’t want to be alone. Please,” she said softly.

A small smile crept its way onto Big Mac’s face as he looked into the mare’s eyes. He weighed his options in his mind, but there really wasn’t a choice here at all. She had let him in emotionally, and there was no way he could betray that trust by rejecting her invitation. It also seemed that she felt the same way about him as he did about her. He never thought anything of it, but he had regular visits with a beautiful princess. He remembered the first few visits to the castle. He had never been so thankful for having a red coat, as he could not help himself from blushing every time the princess flashed him a smile. There were things to be worked out, of that, he was certain, but he believed the farm could survive a night without old Big Mac.

“Yer wish is my command, yer highness,” he answered softly.

The moon princess let out a small giggle. It felt like a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. There was a lot to think about, of course, but tonight was going to be about her for a change. She could attend to her normal duties tomorrow night. She hugged the stallion her excitement growing at the wonderful night ahead of them.

-

Twilight Sparkle stared out the window as the warm colors of dusk began to settle over the palace gardens. After crying her eyes out wrapped in Princess Celestia’s wings, she finally opened up about the nightmare she had. The violent nature of it clearly disturbed the sun princess, although she was masterful at not showing it. She had simply nodded and continued to use her hoof to stroke the unicorn’s mane. After awhile, she had convinced the princess to let her go back to her quarters. It’s not that she wasn’t grateful for the help that she got at the infirmary, it was just the environment there was so clinical, that it made her feel uncomfortable. The princess weighed the options before letting her go, but in the end, after such an ordeal, she wanted to make sure her student was as relaxed as possible, and she knew that being away from such a sterile room was probably the best remedy for now. The white alicorn did make it clear, however, that Twilight would need regular check-ups from now on. Her mind wandered onto other things now, however. She was starting to feel strange again. Maybe it was the rest, but she felt energized. She closed her eyes and sighed as the moon took the sun’s place in the sky. She felt trapped. Not just in here in the castle, but in her own body. It was ironic how she had once seen these walls as a haven. Now they seemed more like a prison. She knew it was against everything the princess wanted for her, but she needed to get away. She needed to get out. To get away from this place, her former friends, and the memories of what she did to them. As she opened her eyes, she removed the smooth covers and sheets that had tucked her in and made her way to the window. It had been awhile, but she believed that she could cast a teleportation spell, and be outside in an instant. The guard shifts were changing now, and if she moved quickly, she knew that she could be out in the main city shortly. At first, she hesitated. Disobeying a direct order from the princess was a tall order for her psyche to handle. There was a storm surging within her, and she knew that the only way to quell the fire of conflict would be for her to escape it, or at the very least to get her mind off it. With a deep breath, she activated her magic, and in a flash of light, she was gone, reappearing on the garden grounds. She took a brief moment to appreciate the sensation of grass underneath her hooves. It felt like home, back in Ponyville. She didn’t have time to dwell, as the princess expressly ordered her to get some rest in her quarters. If memory served, a little known pass leading back into the city was not too far off. She would need to be careful. The lavender mare slowly and gingerly made her way towards the path, and soon found herself in the main part of the city. She closed her eyes as she took in the crisp mountain air into her lungs. The noise made by the hustle and bustle of the metropolis seemed to caress her ears, feeding her renewed energy and strength. She found the sensory overload relaxing rather than overwhelming. As the former element of magic opened her eyes again, she made her way into the streets, going wherever the wind would take her.

-

Nurse Redheart stared into the bottom of her glass, as she felt the last drop of hard cider slide down her throat. She normally didn’t drink, but after this week, she needed one. Twilight Sparkle’s sudden reappearance shocked everyone to their cores. There were no answers to how or why she had returned. Not that it mattered to her, really. Being a nurse meant that she had a duty to the patient in front of her, no matter who they were. She had never treated someone who came back from the dead six months later, though. She shivered as she thought back to when she triaged the unicorn after her severe beating. The princess’s protégé was lucky to be alive, after such an ordeal. Everything after that, however, seemed a bit off. The princess’ attitude towards her after Twilight’s recovery was the first sign of trouble. She had been around enough patients to know that when they kept repeating that something was “just fine,” it was often a sign that something was in fact very wrong. Her hunch was confirmed after speaking with the doctor who had treated Twilight Sparkle. She, of course, kept the information quiet. Sharing patient information with the unauthorized is expressly forbidden in the medical field, and she prided herself on keeping her patients’ confidentiality. However, this was the most difficult thing to keep to herself. It was only later that she had found out that the princess knew of the increased metabolism and healing, and at first she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. After Twilight’s last episode, however, her fears came back to haunt her. Something was wrong. She didn’t know what it was, but there was something not right with Twilight Sparkle. She went through various scenarios in her head, but none of them seemed to make sense. She wanted more answers, but she couldn’t pry. It would be unprofessional. Suddenly, the voice of the bartender broke her train of thought, as he came over to check on his patron.

“Another?” He asked, smiling at the pretty mare in front of his eyes.

“No, thank you. I think I’ll be going now,” she replied sheepishly with just the hint of a blush on her cheeks.

She pushed herself away from the dark wooden bar top, and slowly slid off her stool, her hooves clicking as they touched the stone floor underneath her. She put her money on the counter before flashing the barkeep another smile as she turned to leave. Her thoughts quickly turned back to Twilight Sparkle. She remembered the night the incident occurred. It was the middle of the night, when she was startled awake by loud banging coming from her entryway. She thought that it might have been a burglar trying to break in, so she made her way tentatively to her window to get a better look at the stranger at her front door. She gasped when she saw two royal guards standing their looking rather impatient. She quickly opened the door for them, not wanting them to have to knock again. They quickly informed her that there was some sort of incident at the library and that her medical skills would be needed. Luckily, she always kept a spare medical bag in her main hall. After grabbing it as fast as she could, she practically bowled over the royal guards as she ran to the library. She burst through the door of the library, and dropped her medical bag as soon as she took in the sight. There were royal guards everywhere as well as earth ponies in white coats. At first, she thought they were doctors, but upon closer inspection, they seemed like scientists. Her eyes drifted around the room, overwhelmed by the activity, before finally settling on Princess Celestia and the elements of harmony. She gasped as she ran over to the princess, who raised a hoof before the earth pony mare could say anything.

“Take care of them,” the princess choked out, her eyes puffy.

As Nurse Redheart studied the alicorn, she could tell that she had been crying. She bowed and moved onto the other ponies, as she began to examine them. They were crying and shivering. Most of them had bruises, Fluttershy being the worst. She had just begun to treat what appeared to be a day old wound on the pegasus’ skull, when she heard a scream come from the other side of the room. What she saw made her want to vomit. A unicorn was lying with her back against the wall, and she was screaming and staring at the stump that was once her hoof. Nurse Redheart was overwhelmed. She didn’t even know where to start. She worked at Ponyville Hospital, but such injuries were so rare, she had to think for a moment before remembering the proper steps to treat her. Luckily, the door had burst in again, as some of the doctors from the hospital made their way into the tree house, and began assessing the situation and treating the others. It wasn’t long until they were deemed fit to move to the hospital for further evaluation. The crying and shivering was unlike anything she had ever seen. They each had to be sedated, which was rare especially at their facility. What had they seen? What could drive a pony, especially these ponies, who had saved Equestria more than once, to such madness? She had tried speaking directly with the princess, but she seemed to be afflicted as well. Nurse Redheart saw that her princess was trying her best to keep it together, but she seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown. Finally, she had found a few of the royal guards, and finally struck up the nerve to ask what was going on. They led her to the Princess for a debriefing. Her memories of the conversation were as vivid as thought it happened yesterday. The princess had explained the situation, when the earth pony gasped at the horrors the princess was speaking about. It had then occurred to her that she had not seen Twilight Sparkle among her friends. The rest of the elements were left under her care until they were stabilized where they were moved to the castle for further treatment. Nurse Redheart jumped at the chance to assist in their recovery. Six months later, here she was, walking out of a bar onto the lonely streets of Canterlot. Suddenly a voice called her name, as she turned around, almost jumping out of her skin. Her eyes went wide as she managed to utter a single word.

“Twilight?!?”

-

Well, another chapter in the books! Thanks for Nyausi from deviantart for the use of his great pic! I really think it captures the mood of this story, don't you think? Anyway, enjoy, and please let me know what you think!