‘I need to find us a new place to sit,’ Nurse Redheart contemplated, as she scanned the dark and crowded club.

She thought she was lucky to find a few seats for her and Twilight, but she wasn’t used to going to these types of establishments, and hadn’t realized that the reason they were vacant was that they were right next to the speakers. She could feel the power and vibrations coming from the monstrosities next to the neon lit bar area. Her eyes had finally gotten used to the subtle hues the modern-esque room offered, as her eyes drank in the cool blues and yellows. She didn’t think she could ever get acclimated to the pulse-pounding music that drenched her ears, though. There were no other seats, though, and as much as Twilight had goaded her, she didn’t feel like dancing. She was looking forward to a nice, relaxing evening with just her and her thoughts. That all changed, however, once Twilight Sparkle ran up to her on the street. At first, she thought there was something wrong at the palace, and she became quite distressed. Once the unicorn alleviated her fears, the discussion turned to why Twilight was out of the castle. She thought that the princess had ordered her to stay on the palace grounds. Much to her surprise, Twilight did nothing to hide the fact that she had snuck out against the princess’ wishes. The confession once again caused the earth pony to panic. This went against everything she knew about her, yet here she was, in the midst of disobeying a direct order from her mentor. Twilight’s plea for some time away from the castle and her former friends was too genuine to ignore, however. The look in her eyes when she begged her not to tell the princess about this persuaded the medical professional to agree to her terms, but only under the condition that they stick together. She was not about to let Twilight out of her sight with all the strange things that were going on at the castle. It went against her better judgment to agree with a mare who was unstable, but sometimes friends have that way of convincing you to throw caution to the wind. Besides, how could she deny Twilight the same thing that she, herself sought? She went out for a drink because she needed some time away, so she empathized with the unicorn’s dilemma.

“Come on! Dance with me already! Don’t just sit there!” Twilight screamed over the blaring music as she gyrated a few feet from her.

Nurse Redheart looked over at her friend and put on the best smile she could. Honestly, she didn’t even believe a place like this existed within the confines of Equestria’s snooty capital city. From what she heard, an incident at the Grand Galloping Gala a few years ago spurned some of the younger citizens to seek out these dance tunes that were far different from the traditional Canterlot themes one would usually associate with the metropolis. Over the last year, clubs like this began to pop up, attracting a younger crowd. While these clubs still reflected the posh lifestyle that was Canterlot, they had an edge to them that attracted all different types of ponies. There were just as many pegasi and earth ponies in the club right now, as there were unicorns. Suddenly, the medical professional’s eyes went wide as she spotted a group getting up from a couch towards the end of the bar in the lounge area. She instinctively rose and made a beeline for the loveseat, but she felt herself yanked around by her left hoof. She squeaked as the violent jerking motion made her twirl around and almost lose her balance. She suddenly found herself face to face with a smiling Twilight Sparkle and in the middle of the dance floor. Her cheeks got red as her eyes darted around nervously. She had never danced like this before. She didn’t know what to do.

“Come on! You really have to loosen up!” Twilight shouted as she began dancing around her friend.

Resigning to her fate, the earth pony began to move to the beat of the music as best she could. After a few minutes, however, she began to feel a sharp pain in her left hoof. She began to slow down as she became preoccupied with an increasingly sore left socket joint. What had she done? She knew she wasn’t out of shape, she couldn’t afford to be in her line of work. She stopped dead once she reached her conclusion.

‘Twi…Twilight dragged me out here, but… when she grabbed me…it did feel quite strong for a unicorn…could she actually have hurt me? Just by taking my hoof?’ She thought to herself.

Twilight Sparkle stopped as well, as she eyed her friend with worry. She walked up to the earth pony and gingerly placed a hoof on the shoulder she was nursing.

“Do you want to take a break?” Twilight yelled in concern.

Redheart just nodded, as Twilight began to look around for some seating. She quickly found some seats in the lounge area, and motioned for the medical professional to follow her. The white earth pony collapsed onto the couch, taking in labored breaths. She hadn’t exerted herself like that in quite awhile. Maybe she wasn’t as in as good a shape as she thought.

“Sorry, I thought I was in better shape than this, Twilight,” she said as she twisted her head towards her friend.

Nurse Redheard eyed the unicorn curiously, as she saw Twilight rubbing her chin and neck furiously with her right hoof. Even though she had a few drinks in her, her special talent was still caring for the sick and injured, and it didn’t take long for her to go into professional nurse mode. At first, she just quietly observed the mare, going through her internal checklist of possible reasons for Twilight’s scratching. A rash perhaps? But how and where could she have picked it up? An allergy? No, she knew Twilight’s medical history pretty well, and she had no known allergies.

“Twilight, dear, are you feeling alright?” The earth pony inquired.

The unicorn ceased her scratching, as she grunted in response. She tilted her head, as she moved closer to the earth pony.

“How come you always wear your mane in a bun? I mean, I know that you keep it that way for work, but, you aren’t at work now,” she asked.

The question confused Nurse Redheart. Had Twilight not heard her query? Although it was still loud, their new seating arrangement took them much farther away from the speakers than they were previously, which made talking much easier than before. She didn’t want to be rude, and the unicorn stopped scratching herself, so she decided to offer an answer.

“W….well, it’s not something I really think about. This is just how I wear my mane. I work long hours anyway and I’m usually so tired at the end of the day, I don’t think about my mane style outside of just normal maintenance,” she said.

Twilight shifted slightly, moving closer towards her friend. Without thinking, she started caressing the back of the medical professional’s neck with her hoof, as she gave her an alluring look. The feeling was back again. Dancing with such a pretty pony was starting to arouse her primal urges. She went through so much today, with the nightmare and crying in Princess Celestia’s embrace. She had felt so weak, but dancing, doing something physical, made her feel strong again. She wanted to leave everything she was dealing with behind. Her libido didn’t give her much choice.

“You know, Nurse Redheart, personally, I think you would look very pretty if you wore your mane down. Even prettier than you look right now,” she said in a sultry voice.

The earth pony’s eyes widened and her body immediately stiffened at the statement. Right away, a red hue found its way onto her cheeks, as her eyes darted nervously from side to side. She didn’t know what to do. She had never been in a position like this before. She got goose bumps as she felt Twilight’s hoof lightly glide up and down on the back of her neck, tickling her slightly. The unicorn was clearly coming on to her, but she didn’t know how to handle it. There were so many factors to consider right now. First, Twilight was technically a patient, and that fact alone would make her off limits. However, as professional as she was, she still had needs. Working long hours in the medical field did not leave much time for courting a special somepony. She had never considered being with a mare before but she had always found Twilight to be very pretty. Her inhibitions were low as well, thanks to the drinks she had tonight. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but the taboo nature such a rendezvous presented excited her. After all, no one knew they were both here together. Twilight had snuck away from the castle, and the earth pony’s shift was over for the night and she was free to go about as she pleased. They could do whatever they wanted, and Twilight was looking particularly pretty tonight underneath the soft and dim lights of the club. She bit her lower lip as Twilight moved closer to her, and placed her free hoof on her knee, caressing it gently. Suddenly, Nurse Redheart panicked.

“I…I’m sorry, I have to go to the powder room!” She shouted nervously, as she shot up from her seat and headed to the restroom.

As she blew the door to the lavatory open, she winced at the bright lights, which struck her eyes, blinding her momentarily. The bathroom was lit normally compared to the rest of the establishment. After a few moments, her eyes adjusted as she looked at herself in the mirror. Twilight had managed to undo part of her bun as half of her mane lazily fell past her left shoulder. She was breathing heavy and she knew she needed to calm down. She had never known Twilight to be so forward. It was time to take a step back and analyze the situation, as much as her loins screamed at her for doing so. Something was wrong. The unicorn most definitely had a personality shift. A sudden change of personality, and furious scratching of the face and neck. What did that mean? She needed more information, but was unsure of how to get it. Before she could turn around, she heard the door open, and a voice whisper the words “there you are,” as she was blindsided. She quickly found herself pinned up against the bathroom wall, as she heard the door lock. She tilted her head just soon enough to see magic dissipating from around the handle.

“Twi…Twilight, what are you-MMPH!” Nurse Redheart’s statement was cut off as the unicorn brought her lips to the earth pony’s mouth in a deep and passionate kiss.

The white mare groaned and whimpered under the strength of the kiss, as she squirmed under her friend’s grip. She felt Twilight’s tongue caress her own as her mind struggled to catch up to what just happened. The darker coated mare had pinned her back against the wall, pressing their bodies together while firmly holding the nurse’s front hooves in place in a Y-shape above her head. She needed a way out of this. She had to get to the bottom of whatever was affecting Twilight, but she didn’t have many choices. The bathroom door was locked, and the unicorn’s strength was surprising. She squirmed a bit, but she couldn’t move. Twilight had her in a vice grip and wasn’t at all concerned with letting her go, it seemed.

‘Think! Think! I need to find out-ungh!’ Nurse Redheart thought, as she felt a knee rub against her nether regions, making her grunt aloud.

After a few moments, an idea came to her. It was risky, but it was the only way she thought to get the information she needed. She was used to relating to patients on their terms. Every patient was different, and part of being a nurse was understanding patients as individuals, and adapting her bedside manner to extract certain pertinent facts. Granted it was much harder to do when you were pinned against the wall by a beautiful mare who was kissing you and rubbing away at your most sensitive area. She needed to fight off her arousal as well as the effects of the alcohol in her bloodstream. Once Twilight broke the kiss, she needed to be ready and focused. After a few moments more, Twilight did in fact break the kiss, and tilted her head down, as she began to nibble on the mare’s neck. Now was her chance.

“So, hmm, Twi…Twilight, I…I’m guessing you want to play doctor?” She whispered as the unicorn continued her ravaging.

Twilight giggled at the insinuation. It was nice to have a willing partner for a change. She grunted her approval, as Nurse Redheart continued.

“O…ok, then. Just…Ahh…remember, you have to answer…hnnng…honestly,” the white mare said.

After getting another approving grunt from Twilight, it seemed her plan was working. It was getting harder and harder to concentrate, but this was her friend and she had to help her. She let Twilight ravage her, while she spoke.

“How have you been feeling…nngh..dear?” Nurse Redheart inquired.

“Heh, take a guess,” Twilight muttered before continuing to kiss the white mare’s neck.

‘Ok, need to be more specificAHH!’ Her mind screamed as she tried to control herself.

“A..alright. How have you been…hnng…sleeping lately?” The medical professional squeaked.

“Hehe. Sleep? I hardly need it anymore. I feel strong. Powerful,” Twilight answered in between kisses.

“Ok…then…ohhh…what about the scratching? I…oohh…I saw you scratching yourself before. Do you h…have…something on your neck, or…hnng…face?” The nurse pressed.

“Just some bumps. Nothing to worry…” She gasped, stopping her activity.

Nurse Redheart looked down at the mare, her breathing still labored, but gradually calming down. As much as she wished for the unicorn to continue, her professionalism returned as she studied Twilight’s face. She was staring at her reflection in the mirror with a look of terror on her face.

“Twilight, what’s wrong? What do you see?” Nurse Redheard inquired further.

The memories came back in waves. Arguing with Rarity and Rainbow Dash, hurting Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Hurting those poor animals. She remembered the worry she felt after the end of that first argument. Rarity had stopped short, right in the middle of screaming at her, uttering the words that turned her world upside down. They echoed in her head, as she whimpered at the sight.

‘Twilight, what happened to your face?!?’

The unicorn stumbled back, shivering, while still looking at herself in the mirror. Nurse Redheart, now in control of her faculties once again, crept behind Twilight to see if she could get a better look. What she saw made her gasp as well. There were bumps and blisters all over the unicorn’s neck, and a few sores on her muzzle as well. They were unlike anything she had ever seen before. They seemed fleshy, almost like boils. The medical professional could see a crust beginning to form around each one, as the fur parted where the skin began to crack. She could attempt a diagnosis later. Right now, she needed to comfort the mare in front of her.

“Twilight, it’s going to be ok. We’ll get you back to the castle, and then…” the nurse never finished her sentence, as Twilight rose and used her magic to unlock the door, galloping out of the room as fast as she could.

“TWILIGHT, WAIT!” Nurse Redheart shouted as she ran after her.

-

Princess Luna sighed as she put down her quill, her magic dissipating in an instant. She looked over at the stallion sleeping soundly in her bed beside her desk. She couldn’t help but smile as she studied the rise and fall of Big Mac’s chest as he snored lightly. It had been a wonderful day, and the night was even better. She had some servants bring them lunch and dinner as they sat around and talked in her bedchamber. After dinner, the tension in the air reached its fever pitch as she approached the stallion and kissed him. Big Mac’s reaction was amusing as he tried to move the dinner cart out of the way in order to embrace her fully. A few hours later, the farmer was fast asleep, leaving Luna to catch up on some work. Even though she said she didn’t want to do any work tonight, no one else was really around and one of the things she hadn’t taken into account when she invited him to stay was their vastly different schedules. Princess Luna was the princess of the moon, and therefore did most of her work at night. Granted, she had some extra energy, being an immortal goddess and all, so she could stay up during the day, as long as she didn’t do it too often. Big Mac, however, was a farmer through and through. He was usually up before dawn and in bed right after sundown in order to do the work he needed to. Their time together was magical though. It had been a thousand years since she had felt a stallion’s touch, and she couldn’t be happier with her choice. He was strong, but gentle at the same time. A feat strapping earth ponies rarely mastered, especially in the bedroom. Big Mac could teach a class. She giggled to herself at the naughty thoughts that now invaded her mind. She snapped out of her daydream when she heard a knock on the door. She got up as quietly as she could and gingerly walked over to the door, opening it slowly, trying hard to stop any creaking. She found her sister standing in front of her. She couldn’t help her face getting a shade redder as she greeted her fellow alicorn.

“Hello, Sister. I’m glad you were able to stop by. I need to talk to you,” she whispered.

Celestia nodded as she stepped to the side, letting her little sister come out into the hallway. She eyed her younger sibling curiously, as she watched her close the door slowly. Why was she being so quiet?

“Luna? Is there something wrong?” She asked with concern in her voice.

Her answer came in the form of Luna smiling and sighing while sitting and leaning up against the door to her room, a dreamy look plastering itself on her face. Celestia’s eyes widened as she began to put the pieces together.

“Luna! Is…is who I think is in there actually in there?!?” Celestia said excitedly.

“Yes! Now keep your voice down! The poor stallion is exhausted and trying to get some rest!” Luna said in a low voice.

Princess Celestia began to giggle, but was soon cut off by a hoof on her shoulder. The look on her sibling’s face was too somber to continue laughing.

“This isn’t why I asked you here. I need to talk to you about Twilight,” Luna stated gravely.

The mention of her pupil dropped any humor their conversation previously contained. She nodded, advising her sister to continue.

“I know that you comforted her during her episode earlier today, but there is something you need to know,” she said.

“What happened?” Celestia inquired worriedly.

“As you know, I had to place her in a magic bubble before she attacked Fluttershy. She was able to maintain her balance within it, which was odd enough, but what happened next surprised me further. She began bucking the magic walls and I could feel her power. Celestia, her bucks were more powerful than I ever imagined. She has to be considerably stronger than even the strongest earth pony. I had to increase my magical output just to keep the construct stable,” Luna explained.

The sun princess looked away from her sister as she contemplated what her sibling just told her. Luna once again put a hoof on her shoulder and continued speaking.

“Tia, something is very wrong here. Unicorns, even the strongest of them, are still inferior to most earth pony’s physical strength. But, Twilight? She could outclass any earth pony, strength-wise. She may even be a physical match for us, sister,” she said.

Celestia sighed as she closed her eyes, tilting her head down towards the ornate tiled floor. She could feel her eyes water at hearing such a development. She so desperately wanted Twilight to be alright. The mental trauma was enough to deal with and she was willing to help her student in any way she could to make a full recovery on that front. These physical aspects, however, did not bode well. What the doctor said before about her impossibly quick recovery from her savage beating, coupled with this development, meant that further action was needed.

“I have already scheduled Twilight for daily check-ups with the doctors. I supposed we would need to add testing to that regime. Do not worry. I will speak to her about this. Thank you for letting me know, Luna,” she said as she embraced her sister in a quick hug.

Luna returned the hug as she stood up and turned around to go back into her room. She heard her older sibling clear her throat, and she stiffened. She sighed in defeat, hanging her head and closing her eyes. She turned back around, expecting the usual ribbing from elder sibling.

“Yes?” Luna asked flatly.

“I just wanted to say thank you. You’ve done an amazing job here, little sister. I…I know I haven’t been as much help to you as I should have, but that is going to change, I promise,” she said.

Luna just gave her a soft smile. The words warmed her heart. Not only was her sibling acknowledging her hard work, but also she was admitting to her that this whole ordeal affected her more than she realized. It was a big step, and showed a certain humility that the sun goddess rarely exuded.

“I’m your sister, Tia. We may have had our differences in the past, but we are family, and you will always be able to count on me,” Luna answered.

Celestia smiled and nodded before speaking again.

“Don’t worry about lowering the moon this morning. I’ll do it. You’ve earned a break, little sister,” she said.

Luna’s eyes widened at the generosity. There were tears in her eyes as she pulled her sister into a hug again.

“Thank you, Tia!” She whispered.

“And if I get the juicy details, I’ll do it for the next week!” The sun goddess teased as they broke the embrace.

“Go away, Tia,” Luna stated flatly, as she shut the door in her sister’s giggling face.

-

Celestia was growing impatient. She had already knocked on the door of Twilight Sparkle’s chambers twice, and there was still no answer. At first, she thought that maybe the mare was in the bathroom, so she put her ear to the door to see if she could hear any running water, but there was nothing but silence. After waiting a few more moments, she knocked again. She really didn’t have time for this. She had just promised Luna that she would take care of the moon before sunrise. After the talk their talk, the last thing she wanted to do was go back on her word. Her sister deserved the night off, and she was determined to make that notion a reality. She knocked again, this time more forcefully.

“Twilight? It’s me, Princess Celestia. I need to talk to you,” she stated, her voice raised slightly.

There was still no answer, and she couldn’t hear any shuffling or noise of any sort coming from the room. She had enough. Even though she was a princess, she made it a point to respect a pony’s privacy. Time was of the essence, however, and she simply couldn’t wait any longer. Using her magic, she unlocked the door, pushing it open as it creaked slightly. The room was dark, but with some help from the moonlight from outside, she could still see decently. Her eyes traveled from the bed, which was quite disheveled to the entryway to the bathroom. There were no signs of Twilight anywhere. Worry began to take control of the princess, as she got a terrible feeling at the pit of her stomach. This wasn’t like her student. She was so emotionally drained after today’s event’s she expected the unicorn to be fast asleep and snoring. Where was she? As she moved deeper into the room, her eyes made their way to the far wall, facing the garden. She began approaching the window, thoughts of her student’s whereabouts weighing heavy on her mind.

‘No one has seen her, and she isn’t in her room. Then where could she…no!’ She thought to herself as she picked up her pace.

Her eyes went wide as her heart began to pound faster. She rushed over to the window, worry etched onto her face. Opening it quickly, she stuck her neck out into the cool night air. She began calling her students name like a mother shouting for a lost foal. After a few moments, she stood still, hoping with all her might for an answer. Again, silence was all she received. She brought her neck back inside and again called her students name, and again, no answer came. She began to tremble at the thought of what might have happened to her pupil, every scenario, each worse than the next playing itself out in her mind as she ran out the door into the hallway. She could only utter one word as she felt tears begin to stream down her face.

“GUARDS!”

-

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile as she felt the air hit her wings. It took all of her willpower to stop herself from doing any elaborate tricks. Her wings were still stiff from being grounded by Princess Luna. It wasn’t that she didn’t respect the princess, but her non-flight policy finally became too much for the pegasus to bear. It went against whom she was not being able to fly. She frowned as she thought about it. Of all her friends, Luna was the only one who specifically ordered her to go against her destiny, and she should know better. The cutie mark on her flank represented many things in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. Loyalty, for sure, but also her love of soaring through the clouds. It was so unfair, and she just couldn’t take being stuck in the castle anymore. This is what she was meant to do, and she refused to feel bad or ashamed about it, regardless of royal decree. She could never have done this with so many of the royal guards around, but there seemed to be some sort of crisis in the palace. She heard hoof steps outside of her room, and when she opened the door, she saw groups of royal guards rushing around like Fluttershy’s wild chickens. She stopped one of them to ask what was going on. He barely halted long enough to speak to her. He assured her that everything was all right, but then he asked her a funny question. He inquired if she was alone in her room. The question confused her, but she answered honestly, advising the guard that she was alone and had been alone of the whole night. He thanked her and then ran off. She had always been a curious creature, and wanted to know more, but the guard was gone in a flash before she could make any inquiries of her own. Whatever it was, they seemed to be on high alert. That was the moment she felt a conflict rise within her. She could go back into her room and ignore what just happened or she could investigate the situation further. She then looked out the window, seeing Luna’s moon and the beautiful night sky that beckoned her. It would be less than admirable of her to take advantage of such a situation, but her wings screamed for release. She thought long and hard about it, but in the end, the worse part of her soul won out, as she opened her window and took flight. There were no royal guards to be found, just as she suspected. They were all looking for someone in the castle, it seemed, so there were no soldiers outside at all.

‘Just a quick flight over the city to stretch my wings, and then I’ll be back in no time,” she thought to herself as she gazed down at the metropolitan lights that shined through the capital.

She cursed under her breath as she began to concentrate on her flight again. She had been so lost in thought that she must have wandered into an unfamiliar area of the city. The pegasus wasn’t that disappointed, however. This seemed to be a different part of town than the stuffy areas of the capital she was used to seeing. There were spotlights and many ponies dressed in different and even provocative outfits that she had never seen before lining the streets as they entered and exited many of the posh clubs on the strip. As she flew down to get a closer look at the scene, she noticed a shadow on one of the rooftops ahead of her. She slowed down to get a better look, and gasped at the sight. It was Twilight Sparkle. There was no mistaking it.

‘Twilight? Isn’t she supposed to be at the castle?’ The mare thought to herself as she descended, quietly landing on the other side of the roof.

The pegasus felt synchronized thumping through her hooves, as she looked down. If she had to guess, this was some sort of music club. What was Twilight doing in a place like this? Even at her most adventurous, she was never this much of a partier. She frowned as she looked up. Every new fact she learned about her former friend made her wonder if she ever really knew her at all. She sighed softly at the thought as she approached Twilight slowly. It seemed as though the unicorn hadn’t noticed her yet.

‘I guess I should say something. I don’t want to startle her,’ the Cloudsdale resident thought to herself as she stopped.

“Are you here to kill me?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash gasped, as she stiffened up at the question. How did she know she was there?

“Twilight, it’s me, Rainbow Dash. Why would you think that I wanted to… what are you doing out here?!?” The pegasus inquired as she again began slowly approaching her former friend.

“What do you care? I know you hate me! You wanted me to stay dead, right? Me being here. It hurts you to see me alive,” Twilight said as her voice began to crack.

The unicorn brought her right hoof up and brought it across her chest, hugging herself tightly. She heard Rainbow Dash’s hooves as the flyer continued to make her way over to her.

“Twi…look, I… I don’t…I don’t hate you. Or, at least I think I don’t,” Rainbow Dash said as she sat down, scratching the back of her head with her left hoof.

“Then what are you doing here?!?” Twilight shouted, turning her back once again to her former friend.

Rainbow Dash sighed as she got back up again. She gingerly made her way over to the unicorn and sat just behind her. She didn’t really know what to say. When Twilight first came back, her initial reaction was anger and distrust. She got even angrier after their argument during their last session, but what she saw now really opened her eyes to the truth. Twilight was a very disturbed pony. She wasn’t the monster that the flyer thought she was. When she asked that question, she could sense genuine fear in the scholar’s voice. She had truly thought that Rainbow Dash had come to murder her. The fear was something different from anything she heard. There was a despair and sadness within the words that the pegasus had never heard from a pony before. As she sat there, looking up at the stars, her mindset began to change.

“I think I’m here for the same reason you are, Twi,” she started, as she saw her former friend’s neck twist towards her.

“I needed to get out of the castle. Princess Luna grounded me. She wouldn’t let me fly at all. Hay, I wasn’t even allowed to hover in the castle. Something was going on right before I left, and…I think I know what happened, now that I see that you’re here. I think there is a massive search going on at the palace right now, and I think they are all looking for you, Twilight,” She whispered.

Suddenly, the door to the roof flew open, as a voice shouting the unicorn’s name echoed from the hallway. Stepping out into the night, Nurse Redheart turned around only to be greeted by the new arrival. The medical professional’s eyes went wide with apprehension. What was Rainbow Dash doing here? What did Twilight tell her? There were a thousand thoughts going through her mind right now, but the one that was paramount vocalized.

“Twilight, are you alright?” She asked urgently.

“Nurse Redheart? What in Equestria are you doing here?!? Aren’t you supposed to be back at the palace?!?” Rainbow Dash shouted suspiciously.

“Oh, well, you see, my shift was over, so I went into the city to grab a drink and that’s when I met up with Twilight,” the earth pony explained nervously.

“So you two planned this?!?” The rainbow-maned mare yelled.

“No, Rainbow Dash. You were right. I needed to get away. I had… an episode…with Fluttershy, and…I just couldn’t be there anymore. And now, I don’t think I can go back,” Twilight cried, her head drooping as she sobbed.

“What do you mean, you can’t go back?!? You have to! Twilight, when I left there were guards running around all over the place! They asked me if I was alone! How much longer do you think it will be before the Princess finds out about your little field trip?!?” Rainbow Dash asked as the volume of her voice began to rise again.

“You don’t understand…” Twilight whispered.

“Twilight, come on…” Rainbow Dash started.

“LOOK AT ME!” Twilight screamed as she whirled around facing her former friend.

The pregasus’ eyes went wide as she looked at Twilight. Between the moonlight and spotlights from the clubs below, Rainbow Dash was able to see the unicorn’s face.

“No!” The Cloudsdale resident gasped as she took a step back.

“You remember that day, don’t you? When you and Rarity came to see me after what I did to Trixie? That horrible, horrible thing I did to her? Look at my face and tell me what you see!” Twilight Sparkle screamed through the tears.

Rainbow Dash just nodded. Her face and neck looked the same. It looked just like it did that day so many months ago, the day that everything started. What was she going to do? What could she do? She wasn’t prepared for this. She tried to form words, but she could only utter a faint whimper.

“TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE!” The unicorn screamed again before breaking into sobs, and collapsing to the ground.

The former element of loyalty didn’t say a word. She couldn’t even think. Finally, Nurse Redheart approached her and began to speak.

“Rainbow, do you know what’s going on? Do you know what’s happening to Twilight?” She asked urgently.

Again, the pegasus just nodded. Twilight looked up at her former friend. Her eyes were wide, and the look on her face began to bring tears to Rainbow’s eyes as she spoke again.

“I… I don’t want to become a monster again! I’d kill myself before I put any other pony though another nightmare like that, but… but I can’t go back to Tartarus! They hurt me so much there, I can’t go back! Rainbow, what do I do?!? Please, tell me what to do!” Twilight wailed.

Any malice that Rainbow Dash had towards the former element of magic faded in that moment. She cursed herself for being so selfish. Twilight had put them through horrors that no other pony could imagine, but seeing her here now, in so much pain, changed her attitude completely. Twilight was a broken mare, helpless and trapped, with no way out. She may have hated her before, but she couldn’t hate her now, not after seeing her like this. This time, they will do it right. She’ll be here for Twilight, like she should have been before. A look of determination replaced the look of terror she once had. She was still scared inside, but she needed to be strong. She needed to be there for her friend. She bent down, nudging her friend with her muzzle. Twilight looked up at her as she spoke.

“It’ll be ok, Twilight. This time, we’re going to do it right. Let’s talk to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Together, we will figure this out. We won’t lose you again, do you hear me? Now, come on let’s go, ok?” She whispered into the former librarian’s ear.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the confidence in Rainbow Dash’s voice. They both stood up slowly, still trying to reassure each other through their smiles.

“There are probably Royal Guards roaming around here at this point. We should probably find one of them and let them know that they can stop their search,” the pegasus stated.

Twilight began to back away as her eyes narrowed. She knew it. Through all the tears and all the words, Rainbow Dash just showed her true colors. She didn’t care about her! She wanted her to be locked away! She wanted her to suffer! She wouldn’t let her do it, though. Not after what she found out about herself tonight.

“Why do you want to find the Royal Guards, Rainbow Dash?!? We could just go back to Canterlot now, and no one would know! Do you want them to arrest me?!?” Twilight shouted.

Rainbow dash was taken aback by the words. She calmed down, however, once she realized what was happening. She saw this before on the day they were talking about earlier, and through her sessions with the others. One of the symptoms of Twilight’s transformation was her severe paranoia. She knew she needed to do something quickly to quell the fire.

“Twilight, it’s ok, no one is going to arrest you. Calm down, alright? I just thought they should know now before turning the capital inside out looking for you, that’s all, I swear,” the pegasus said in the most serene voice she could muster.

It didn’t work, however. Nurse Redheart saw this reaction before in other patients she treated over the years. Paranoid delusions would often take over the minds of the unbalanced. That, coupled with her freakish strength created a very dangerous situation. She needed to warn the light cerulean mare.

“Rainbow Dash, be careful, Twilight is…” her statement was cut off as Twilight tackled Rainbow Dash to the ground, causing the former element of loyalty to grunt.

Twilight pinned her to the ground as she stared into her former friend’s eyes.

“I know what you were trying to do! You said it yourself, how you would never forgive me! And now, you want to throw me away, is that it? You don’t have the guts to do it yourself, so you’ve gotten some help from Princess Celestia’s army! You can’t control me! No one controls me!” She shouted as she shook with anger.

Rainbow Dash was truly frightened. Twilight had her pinned and she couldn’t move. Twilight’s strength was too much for her. Her eyes went wide with fear, as she tried to speak again.

“Twi..Twilight, please! I swear, I wasn’t trying to hurt you! I want to help you, please, let me go, and we can go back to the palace! You need help!” The Cloudsdale resident whimpered.

“Twilight, let her go, please! No one wants to hurt you!” Nurse Redheart shouted, as her fear began to rise.

Twilight noticed the pegasus begin to flap her wings. It was probably just a reaction from being pinned so tightly. It did give her an idea, however.

“You want to take my freedom from me? Well, I’ll just have to take something from you!” Twilight yelled, as she struck the mare on the right side of her face, dazing her as she turned over on her belly.

Twilight straddled her back as she stomped down on the flyer’s right wing and rainbow colored mane. She opened her mouth and bit down as hard as she could into Rainbow Dash’s left wing. The pegasus screamed in pain, as she raised her head. She couldn’t thrash as her head was held firmly in place by her mane caught under Twilight’s hoof.

“TWILGHT, STOP! YOU’RE HURTING HER!” Nurse Redheart screamed as she looked on helplessly.

“Twi…Twilight, please…please, stop…my wing…it hurts…please stop…” Rainbow Dash sobbed, paralyzed by the pain.

Blood began to drip from the unicorn’s maw, as she began to wretch the trembling wing back and forth, causing Rainbow Dash to cry out louder than before. Nurse Redheart had to do something. She knew she wasn’t a physical match for Twilight, so just tackling her was out of the question. It would only put her and the now injured Rainbow Dash in more danger. She needed to get the unicorn to see through the illusion her mind created. To bring her back to reality, somehow. She approached Twilight slowly and gingerly, as she spoke up again, using every modicum of restraint to keep her voice even.

“Twilight, Rainbow Dash is your friend. The Twilight Sparkle I know doesn’t hurt her friends. Please, stop this. She’s no match for you,” she stated.

Twilight stopped pulling on the wing in her mouth as she looked at the medical professional. She still bit down hard, as a dark, syrupy puddle began to form under her hooves. It was a start, but Nurse Redheart had to see this through.

“You are so important to us, Twilight. We all want you to be ok. Please. Let her go,” she whispered as she put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder.

Twilight’s gaze softened at the earth pony’s words. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. When she opened them again, she whimpered at the sight of Rainbow Dash moaning underneath her. Nurse Redheart was right. She was hurting one of her friends. She immediately let the wing go, as she began to back away, taking her hooves off Rainbow Dash.

“I…I’m sorry, I…I don’t…” she stammered.

The unicorn began to panic. She couldn’t think straight, as her eyes darted back and forth. Her breathing became labored, as the blood she swallowed began to invade her taste buds, causing her to feel sick to her stomach. She needed to get out of there. She needed to remove herself from the situation. She summoned her magic and in a flash, she was gone, leaving Nurse Redheart to take care of a very injured pegasus.

-

Wow, that was probably my longest chapter yet! Please review and let me know what you think! Also, “No Rarity. I’m your princess now.” Well, I guess Twilight really is now, huh? Anyway, please review!