Critical Mass

by SC_Orion

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, Dark, Sad, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Queen Chrysalis, Romance, Adventure
Length: 126952

Rainbow Dash struggles with her feelings and the consequences of Twilight's actions.

All actions have consequences, and those consequences can vary widely. A single phrase can change so much.

Things are looking brighter for Twilight, but she is still vulnerable and recovering, and all of the ramifications of what happened haven't come to fruition yet.

Twilight is Rainbow's best friend, and Rainbow is Twilight's best friend. Both of them are struggling with their feelings and what happened, but Rainbow has promised to be there for Twilight, and she will keep her promises, even as the consequences reach a boiling point and threaten their fledgling relationship.

Beware of unmarked spoilers in the comments section.

Published 2017-06-03 19:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-09-09 19:57:26 UTC

Chapter 1

Rainbow stared up at the ceiling, smiling as her mind wandered over the past few days. She took a deep breath. Her smile grew larger as Twilight nuzzled her chest. She cast her gaze down at the alicorn halfway lying on her. She unfolded her forelegs from behind her head, then wrapped them around Twilight. Without disturbing the sleeping alicorn, she pulled her up onto her body and held her close, enjoying feeling the heat and softness of Twilight's body resting on top of her. She folded her forehooves over the alicorn's side and wrapped her legs around her, then she embraced the alicorn with her wings and rolled over onto her side.

Twilight moaned softly and shifted her weight, then pressed herself further into Rainbow's warm embrace. Twilight slowly slid her hooves up over Rainbow's chest, then snuck them around her withers and held onto her. She smiled and cracked open an eye, then pressed her muzzle into Rainbow's coat. She inhaled deeply, then sighed contently before nuzzling her friend. "Somepony's in a good mood."

"Yeah, I get to wake up holding you," Rainbow replied warmly.

Twilight closed her eyes and giggled happily. Rainbow leaned in and brushed her muzzle against Twilight's cheek, silencing her giggle. When she pulled back up, Twilight had a warm, content smile spread across her lips, and her eyes glistened with radiant warmth, joy, and above all, life. The mare was happy. She was calm and content, and she was safe. Rainbow squeezed Twilight a little, then slid her forelegs under Twilight's forelegs and pulled her up so that they were muzzle to muzzle.

Twilight's eyes darted around, studying Rainbow's beautiful eyes and familiar face. She felt giddy as she lost herself in her senses. She was lying on her side, facing Rainbow. With every breath either of them took, Twilight could feel Rainbow's soft coat brush against her own, tickling her and eliciting sparks of joy, happiness, and a deep-seated feeling of peace and pleasure. She could feel Rainbow's forelegs wrapped under her arms and intertwining around her withers, holding her upper body close to the pegasus. She could feel Rainbow's warm chest against her shoulder, and every beat of Rainbow's heart was like a dream come true. Rainbow's soft wings enveloped and embraced her body, covering her wings and slowly, gently brushing against her fur, sliding against her and parting her coat as the pegasus held her, while Rainbow's legs were wrapped around Twilight's flanks, keeping her abdomen pressed up against Rainbow's abdomen and from leaving the pegasus' embrace, not that she wanted to.

After a few seconds, Twilight shifted her weight slightly, then cautiously slid her legs out from between their bodies. Rainbow gave her the room to push her legs out, and then as soon as they were wrapped around Rainbow's body, Rainbow's powerful legs pulled her close again. Twilight closed her eyes, then slid her muzzle along Rainbow's muzzle and tucked her head into Rainbow's neck as Rainbow pulled them closer together.

Rainbow smiled, then chuckled as Twilight nuzzled her neck. She unwrapped her hooves, then lifted her right hoof up to the top of Twilight's head, she gently stuck the edge of her hoof into Twilight's mane, parting it, then she started slowly running her hoof back down through Twilight's mane in long, loving strokes.

Twilight smiled, then laid her head down on Rainbow's neck. She gazed off at the wall, just allowing Rainbow to run her hoof through her mane with no obstructions. She sighed contently and closed her eyes. "I can't believe we're going back to Ponyville today..."

Rainbow stopped stroking Twilight's mane, then wrapped her foreleg back around her alicorn's withers. She rolled herself back over onto her back, bringing Twilight back up onto her body. Twilight had to lift her head back up, and she made her displeasure known by sticking out her lower lip, folding her ears back, and pouting at Rainbow. Rainbow smiled apologetically and quickly resumed stroking Twilight's mane, immediately banishing Twilight's displeasure. "I told you the week would be over before you knew it," Rainbow replied.

Twilight giggled. "Yeah, you did." Rainbow slowly slid her wings over Twilight's sides and then let them fall to the bed. As her wings slid across her body, Twilight closed her eyes, but as they left, she frowned a little. "Thanks for making me come to Canterlot, and... thank you, Rainbow, for coming with me."

Rainbow took a deep breath and stretched her legs out, sliding them away from Twilight. She closed her eyes and sighed contently, then let her legs fall limply to the bed. "Do you still think coming was a bad idea?" she asked.

Twilight quickly shook her head. "I... guess the week didn't start that great, but... I..." she trailed off, her voice lowering to but a whisper, "but I did get to go out on a date with you..." She lowered her muzzle and stared down at Rainbow's chest, then glanced back up at the pegasus. Part of her was afraid of what she would see, but what she saw only reaffirmed what she knew.

Rainbow smiled, then unwrapped her forelegs from Twilight. She brought her right hoof back up to Twilight's head, then rustled her mane. Twilight shied away from Rainbow's hoof but made no real effort to get away from her. "I think the best part was when we slept together after... yeah."

Twilight nodded and smiled happily. "I would say that, but then Rarity had to show up after we woke up."

Rainbow snorted. "Good point," she relented.

Twilight giggled. After a few seconds, she finished giggling, but her warm, friendly smile remained. She shifted her weight, then tentatively slid her forehooves back up onto Rainbow's chest. She watched her hooves for a few seconds and circled them around on Rainbow. She loved feeling the mare's coat against her hooves, and she loved the way her friend's coat parted as her hooves circled around her. She lifted her gaze up, then hesitantly leaned in towards the mare. She went to the right, then quickly placed her lips on the mare's cheek. No sooner had she pecked the pegasus then she pulled back and looked back down at her hooves, her cheeks warming up.

"I guess I'm not the only pony in a good mood, huh?" Rainbow asked with a smirk.

Twilight smiled but said nothing. She planted her forehooves square on Rainbow's chest, then pulled her legs out from under Rainbow and slid them in between her body and Rainbow's body before pushing herself up into a sitting position on top of Rainbow. Rainbow leisurely stretched out again, then let her limbs go limp. The way Twilight looked down at her with the small, cute smile where her lips were lifted upward, but no teeth were visible, left her feeling content. "So, when are we heading back to Ponyville? Tonight, right?"

Twilight started to nod, then stopped and pursed her lips. "Well, my original plan was to leave this evening on an overnight train trip, but... I'm really looking forward to getting back home and seeing the girls..."

"You mean making sure Rarity didn't tell everypony," Rainbow replied dryly.

Twilight shifted her weight. "No! Not... just that... I... kind of want to make sure she didn't tell everypony, but... mostly because I miss my castle. And Spike. And Starlight." Twilight smiled sheepishly. "And my bed at the castle is more comfortable than this bed."

"And my bed is more comfortable than both," Rainbow idly added.

Twilight giggled a little. "And your body is the most comfortable bed of them all," she said warmly, smiling down at Rainbow. Rainbow brought her forelegs up and slid them over Twilight's body, bringing her hooves up and wrapping them around Twilight's withers, drawing a small, content sigh from the alicorn. Twilight closed her eyes and laid her head down on Rainbow's chest as Rainbow's hooves worked their way up to her mane, then glided down through her mane, parting it with the edges of her hooves. After a few strokes, she opened her eyes. "And... well, I probably shouldn't... keep you from the Wonderbolts..." she trailed off, her lips twisting downward into a small frown, while her brow creased.

Rainbow frowned as Twilight's expression fell further. She slid her forelegs back, then pushed herself up. Twilight slid down her body, drawing a bewildered look from the alicorn as Rainbow sat up, then scooted back into a sitting position. She wrapped her wings around Twilight and pulled her into her body so that she was laying against her. "Hey, it's okay. I don't have to go back so soon, Spitfire told me to take as much time off as I needed."

"It's your dream," Twilight replied evenly, smiling a small, gentle smile that wasn't quite right. "It's... going to be a while before I completely recover, and... I can't ask you to stay with me that whole time... It's... not fair for you, you've already... done so much for me."

"Twilight, it may be my dream, but that doesn't mean that I want to just leave you before you're ready," Rainbow said, carefully looking over Twilight's expression. She slowly brought her right hoof down and slid it under Twilight's muzzle, eliciting Twilight to lightly nuzzle her hoof. She smiled and placed her left hoof down on the bed beside her body, then set her right hoof down.

Twilight pulled back from Rainbow. She smiled as the pegasus's wings refused to release her, but after a few seconds, Rainbow hesitantly released her. Twilight sat up and smiled gently. "You need to. I'll be fine. It's not like I'll be alone, Starlight and Spike will be there to help me, and of course, I know you... want to be with me." she trailed off her smile growing a little warmer, though a few hints of pain lingered in her eyes.

"Psh, of course I want to be with you!" Rainbow replied energetically, chuckling a little. "You're my best friend and we get to do fun things together like cuddling!"

Twilight smiled warmly and giggled happily. She leaned in and laid her head on Rainbow's shoulder, then nuzzled the pegasus affectionately, inhaling and letting the scent of her mane fill her lungs. She calmly exhaled into Rainbow's mane. "Thank you, Rainbow. I love you," she whispered.

Rainbow smiled and squeezed Twilight, then she pulled back from the alicorn. "You don't have to thank me, Twilight. If... you really want me to go back to the Wonderbolts before you recover... I guess I can... But, if you ever need me, just say so!" she smiled brashly and lifted her hoof up to the top of Twilight's head, then rustled her mane.

Twilight shied back from her but smiled and giggled a little. "O-okay," she said.

Rainbow sat back, smiling. "So, when are we leaving?" she asked.

Twilight pursed her lips. "Well... I had planned on taking the train, but... I was thinking we could take a chariot back. Flying would be quicker and we could leave whenever. Preferably before it would be dark when we get home."

"You really want to get back to Ponyville, don't you?" Rainbow asked, chuckling a little.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I need a vacation from my vacation," she giggled. "I'm just... kind of tired of being out so much and being away from Ponyville. Going on vacation is nice and all, but... it can really drain you. And it's been a busy week."

Rainbow nodded, then stepped off of Twilight. "Yeah, it's been a week alright."

"It has been nice to be back in Canterlot, though..." Twilight sat up on the bed, then hopped back onto the floor. "I figured we could get cleaned up and then eat breakfast before leaving in the chariot. We should get back to Ponyville... sometime before dinner... if we get started right now." She swallowed and turned to face the bathroom door. She fluffed her wings, then turned back to Rainbow.

Rainbow casually walked over beside her. "Do... um... you want me to help you again?"

Twilight shifted her weight. "Um... n-no. T-thank you um... for the offer, but... I um... It... I... think I can do it... myself. I um... haven't had too many problems... since... then..."

"R-right," Rainbow replied, shaking her head quickly. "I just... I thought I'd offer to help you..." she trailed off, ruffling her wings.

Twilight glanced back at the pegasus. "Um... do you want to go first, or would you rather I go first?"

Rainbow shrugged. "You can go ahead and take a bath. I can fix breakfast for us and then when you're done I can help you with your mane and tail if you want."

Twilight turned back to Rainbow and smiled softly. "I'd like that," she said warmly.

Rainbow smiled back, then beat her wings. For a second, she hovered in the air, watching Twilight, then she flew off toward the stairs. She paused only to open the door, then she flew down to the kitchen.

"Pancakes?"

Rainbow turned away from the window to see Twilight standing in the doorway from the bathroom. Twilight's mane and tail were unbrushed and hung from her body, still dampened with water, but the alicorn smiled nonetheless. She smiled back at Twilight, though her eyes were drawn to the princess's mane.. "I figured you'd like something like that," Rainbow replied, looking over at the pancakes.

Twilight tentatively walked into the bedroom and nodded. "That does sound good," she said as she eyes the twin plates of pancakes. Much to her delight, both stacks of pancakes were sprinkled with blueberries and sliced strawberries.

Rainbow motioned Twilight to lay beside her. The princess eagerly accepted her invitation and hopped up on the bed beside her, then laid down and leaned against her ever so slightly. Rainbow pulled the tray closer to them, then pulled her plate around in front of her and pushed Twilight's plate closer to her. Twilight carefully unfurled her right wing, then slowly picked up a fork in between her feathers. The fork almost slipped from her grip, but she managed, then she cut into the pancake and forked a bite into her mouth.

"How is it?" Rainbow asked as she cut into her own stack of pancakes.

Twilight nodded while she chewed, then swallowed before answering, "It's delicious. Thank you for doing this."

Rainbow shrugged. "I'm not much of a cook, but I try."

For several minutes, they ate together mostly in silence. As time passed, Rainbow found Twilight leaning against her more and more, and she welcomed it. Rainbow finished her pancakes first, but Twilight wasn't far behind. As soon as Twilight finished, Rainbow rolled away from Twilight, causing the alicorn to roll over onto her side, then picked up the tray in her mouth and flew toward the stairs.

"Don't worry about cleaning up, just set it on the counter and I'll take care of it while you're showering," Twilight said as she rolled back over onto her stomach.

Rainbow glanced back at her and grunted, then carefully nodded and flew down the stairs. A few seconds later, the pegasus reappeared at the top of the stairs, then flew into the bathroom to retrieve the brush which was sitting on the sink. She picked it up and flew back over to Twilight and landed beside her. The alicorn tentatively sat up as Rainbow scooted around behind her and straddled her before planting the brush in her mane. She gently pulled the brush in short strokes to work out any kinks from the night and the bath. Twilight sighed calmly, then grunted. "Sowwy," Rainbow said before Twilight could voice anything.

"It's fine, I just wasn't expecting it," Twilight hastily replied.

As Rainbow worked the brush through Twilight's mane, the alicorn relaxed and slumped down a little. The calm sensation served to put the princess at ease, she knew Rainbow wouldn't purposefully hurt her, and she trusted the pegasus. She lowered her guard further as the pegasus' brushstrokes lengthened to encompass her neck but continued at a slow, gentle pace. Twilight sighed happily, letting Rainbow continue her work without interrupting her.

All too soon, Rainbow leaned away from Twilight, then scooted around beside her. Twilight watched Rainbow out of the corner of her eye. Rainbow flashed her a smile, despite still holding the brush and then leaned in towards Twilight's bangs. Twilight lowered her head and leaned toward Rainbow. She closed her eyes as the mare ran the brush through her bangs. Unlike with the rest of her mane, her short bangs offered limited resistance, and Rainbow finished her task far too quickly for Twilight's liking. She sighed a little in disappointment when Rainbow finished, and she opened her eyes. "Thanks."

Rainbow spat the brush out onto the bed. "No problem," she replied. She scooted back and glanced at Twilight's tail. She looked back up at Twilight and shifted her weight. "Well, I'm going to go take a shower unless you need me to do anything else."

Twilight turned back to her and nodded. "I guess I'll clean the tower up a little while you're showering, that way when you're done we can be on our way."

"Alright," Rainbow replied. She hopped off the bed, then beat her wings and slowly flew over to the bathroom. She ducked inside the doorway, then turned around and hovered there for a second, watching as Twilight pulled her tail up between her legs and started running the brush through it. She grimaced a little and landed. She shuffled back out into the bedroom and ruffled her wings. "Uh... do you... want me to help you with your tail?" she asked at length, shifting her weight and looking at Twilight uneasily.

Twilight glanced up at her and shook her head quickly, ruffling her wings. "No, it's fine, I can take care of my tail," she said quickly.

"R-right, I just... thought I'd offer..." Rainbow replied. Twilight watched her for a second, then went back to brushing her tail. Rainbow glanced around the room, then turned around and flew back inside the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and locking it.

Twilight paused and looked back up at the door as the lock clicked, then sighed. Her mind wandered for a few seconds while she watched the door, a part of her hoping the pegasus would come back out. A few seconds later, the sound of rushing water answered her question. She shook the thought aside and resumed brushing her tail.

She quickly finished brushing her tail, then hopped off the bed and scrutinized the disarrayed state the bed was left in. With Rainbow showering, she was alone to her thoughts. She grimaced, knowing that if she didn't occupy herself with something, her mind would turn against her. She licked her lips, then walked around to the side of the bed. She pulled on the covers and straightened them out before tucking it in. She unfurled her wings and hovered in the air, then made her way over the bed and went about tidying it up. Eventually, she landed on the opposite side and finished straightening the sheets out. She grimaced as she surveyed her work, the bed sheets were uneven and wrinkled, but it looked better than before.

She sighed and sat down on her haunches. She silently picked her hoof up and touched her forehead.

Rainbow shook herself off as she stepped out of the shower, then she leveled her gaze on the towel. She spread her wings out and glanced back at them, then she fluttered her wings and made her way over to the towel. She grabbed the towel in her mouth and threw it around onto her back, then clamped her wings down onto the towel and ran it over her body, drying herself off. As she finished with her back, she took the towel in her hooves and dried off her chest and body, then finally her head and mane before finishing by drying off her tail. She ruffled her wings and deposited the towel in a hamper as she walked over to the mirror.

She came to a stop and scrutinized her reflection. 'I left the brush with Twilight,' she realized with a grimace. Despite her best efforts, her mane was tangled especially bad in the back from sleeping and then showering. She could already picture how bad it would be to brush it, and knew that more than a few kinks would cause her pain. 'Still not as bad as Twilight's mane was this morning...' She smiled at the memory, no matter how hard Twilight tried, she would always wake up with a bad case of bed mane, although her mane seemed to be in better condition whenever she slept laying on top of Rainbow instead of beside her. 'Although that was kind of my fault for doing that to her mane...'

Rainbow shook her head, then pulled out her toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, then set to work brushing her teeth. The repetitive motion left her mind unoccupied, and it wondered back to Twilight and their earlier conversation. 'I'm going to miss spending so much time with you, Twilight... It'll be great to get back to flying with the Wonderbolts and to be able to really stretch my wings and push myself, too... I wish you'd fly more, Twi, but I guess that you are still recovering so you shouldn't push yourself too hard... After you recover though, we're going to spend a lot more time flying.'

She shifted her weight and redoubled her effort to clean her teeth. 'When I go back, I won't be able to spend as much time with you, which sucks, but I'll be able to look forward to coming back to you every night...' her wing slowed down as the thought lingered. 'I... am looking forward to that... Wow, I never... thought I would think that...' She blinked, then removed the toothbrush from her mouth and then turned on the faucet. She dunked her muzzle under the stream of water and rinsed out her mouth, then pulled her head back and shut off the faucet. She wiped her mouth with her forehoof and sighed.

She watched her reflection. "I really enjoy cuddling with Twilight..." she said idly. After a couple of seconds, a smile grew on her lips, despite the feeling of apprehension building inside her. She took a deep breath and stomped out the feeling, 'No, I love her, and she loves me.' "Cuddling with Twilight is awesome..." she trailed off, half smiling. Part of her inwardly cringed at the admission, but another part was proud of it. It left her feeling torn and unsure. As the seconds passed, her unease grew. She huffed and threw her wings out.

She shot an accusatory glance at her reflection in the mirror. "Why is this so hard?" she demanded. The only answer she received was silence. She shifted her weight and held her wings a little tighter, the mare looking back at her in the mirror looked nothing like she remembered, enthusiasm and determination replaced by worry, concern, and guilt. "I want to go back to the Wonderbolts, but I don't want to leave Twilight like this..." she sighed. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and reaffirmed her own strength. "Twilight's recovering, I shouldn't be so worried about her..." she trailed off, "but... I am because of how I feel about her, aren't I?" She grimaced as her unease intensified. She groaned in distress at her discomfort and flapped her wings once in annoyance. 'Why am I so torn, it shouldn't be this hard... She even said she wanted me to go back to the Wonderbolts.'

She took a second to recompose herself, then made her way over to the door. She eyed the handle warily and sucked a deep breath into her lungs, then slowly exhaled. She reached out with a forehoof, unlocked the door, then pulled it open and stepped out. She looked around the room as she left the bathroom. "Hey, Twilight?" she called out, not finding the alicorn in her immediate sight. She frowned as she looked over the room again. Her gaze settled on the balcony door. She paused, then turned toward the door and tentatively made her way over to it. She pulled the door open and stuck her head out onto the balcony. She smiled at the lavender mare gazing out into the sky. "Hey, Twilight."

Twilight's ears perked up at the sound of Rainbow's voice, and she quickly turned around to face Rainbow. She smiled and sat up. "Rainbow," she acknowledged cheerfully.

Rainbow sauntered over to Twilight and then brushed against her. Twilight leaned into her as she passed beside her. "I need to brush my mane and tail and then we can do whatever."

"Would you like me to brush your mane?" Twilight asked, smiling warmly.

Rainbow glanced at Twilight. "I uh, I appreciate the offer, but... I don't really like the idea of other ponies brushing my mane. It just seems... weird."

Twilight shrunk down a little and sighed. She turned away from Rainbow. "Even though it's me? And... you brush my mane?"

Rainbow groaned and sat down beside Twilight. She unfurled her wing and placed it around Twilight, then firmly pulled Twilight against her side. Twilight turned to face straight ahead and glanced sideways at her. Rainbow turned toward Twilight and smiled. "I don't have a problem with brushing your mane, and you enjoy it..." she trailed off, looking over Twilight's features. The alicorn smiled softly, but she could still see the distress in her eyes, despite her attempts to hide it. "Hey, it's okay, alright?"

Twilight slowly looked down at the floor. "I... want to return the favor, though." She swallowed and turned to face Rainbow. "Please?" she asked softly, smiling gently.

Rainbow opened her mouth to say no but found herself unable to. The way Twilight looked at her with soft, pleading eyes, and her small smile was too much for her. She slowly closed her mouth and sighed. "Fine, I'll let you brush my mane..." she relented. Twilight lit up and smiled brightly. "But don't tell anypony, okay? I don't want anypony finding out about that!" Rainbow swiftly added, looking at Twilight firmly.

The alicorn giggled and nodded. "Your secret's safe with me," she said lightly.

Rainbow eyed Twilight warily. "Yeah, safe, just like how Rarity didn't find out we were sleeping together," she mumbled.

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Twilight replied defensively.

"Yeah..." Rainbow replied hesitantly. "I can't... and, well, I don't blame you for that..." She leaned over and brushed her cheek against Twilight, then pulled away from her and stood up. "Anyway..." She took a deep breath and turned around as Twilight stood up, then she made her way back inside, Twilight followed closely behind her and shut the door.

Rainbow ruffled her wings as she hopped up onto the bed and then sat down. Twilight eagerly jumped up beside her, then straddled her and picked up the brush with her wing. "I've never done this before to another pony, so um... j-just tell if I do something wrong..." she said cautiously.

Rainbow nodded. "I'm sure you'll do fine..." she trailed off frowning. "But I better not end up missing any of my mane..." She cast a halfway serious glance back at Twilight. The alicorn shifted her weight and smiled nervously.

"Right, well... I'll be careful," Twilight replied. She gulped and took the brush in her mouth then leaned over and worked the brush into Rainbow's mane, then started tugging it through in short spurts. Every spurt drew a grunt from Rainbow, making Twilight recoil and wince. Eventually, she managed to bring the brush all the way down through Rainbow's mane.

The next stroke was short, slow, and gentler than the first thanks in part to fewer kinks in her mane, and the stroke after that met even less resistance. Twilight gradually lengthened the strokes and kept her pace even. Rainbow sighed and leaned forward a little, drawing a half-muted giggle from Twilight as she continued to work the brush through the pegasus' mane.

Rainbow glanced back at Twilight and scrutinized her mane. "Okay, that's enough," she said. Twilight pulled back and looked at her quizzically. "That's good enough. I don't want my mane to look like Rarity's or Fluttershy's..." she trailed off, suppressing a shudder.

Twilight pulled away, then scooted around in front of her. Rainbow lowered her head toward Twilight and grimaced as Twilight started working the brush through the rest of her mane. The brush pulled her forward with every stroke, and it left her blinking in bewilderment. Eventually, the brush slid through her bangs, though Twilight did not relent. A quick glance up at her indicated the princess was enjoying herself. A few seconds later, Twilight tentatively pulled back and set the brush down on the bed. "Is that good?" she asked.

Rainbow looked up at her mane. From what she could see, it looked like Twilight did a good job. 'Maybe too good...' she mused. It was plainly evident that her mane had been brushed. She squinted, not quite sure how she felt about that. "Yeah..." she said tentatively. "Thanks."

Twilight frowned. "Did I do something wrong? I didn't hurt you too much, did I?"

Rainbow shook her head. "No, it's fine. I just... I can tell my mane's been brushed. I don't really brush it as much as you did."

Twilight sighed. "Oh, sorry, I just... I thought you would enjoy it and-"

"It's fine, Twilight. It looks nice, and it felt nice," Rainbow replied. She offered Twilight a reassuring smile.

Twilight shifted her weight and swallowed. "Do... um... would... you be interested in... me doing that more often?"

Rainbow blinked and opened her mouth, then closed it. She squinted and mulled the idea over. "I... don't know," she answered after a few seconds. "I mean, it's nice, but... it's... not really me..."

Twilight pouted at her, slumping down slightly and puffing out her quivoring lower lip. "Please? You do so much for me and you never let me return the favors!"

Rainbow hung her head forward, groaning. After a couple seconds, she sighed, then lifted her head back up and smiled at Twilight. "You don't need to, Twilight... But... if you really want to, I guess..." Twilight smiled warmly. Rainbow shifted her weight and looked around the room again. "So uh, we're going to take one of those fancy chariots back to Ponyville, huh?" she asked as her eyes returned to Twilight's form.

Twilight nodded. "Yes, it will be quicker than the train, if a little less comfortable."

Rainbow nodded as she turned back to Twilight. "I've never been in one of those before."

Twilight bobbed her head. "They're useful and faster than the train, but it is quicker to fly under your own power... but... I can't fly that far." She glanced at Rainbow. "At least not yet."

Rainbow leaned over and hugged Twilight. "Hey, it's okay, alright? You'll be fine, just... give it time."

Twilight nodded and leaned into Rainbow's embrace. After a second, she returned it. They stayed like that for a few seconds, then parted. Twilight lingered on the bed after the hug ended, but eventually hopped off the bed and walked over to the nightstand. She picked up her regalia, then sat down and fastened it around her neck. She idly looked down at her regalia, then turned back to Rainbow. "I packed while you were showering, so I'm ready to leave whenever. I also packed up for you, aside from what you had in the bathroom."

"Thanks," Rainbow said. She hopped off the bed and caught herself with her wings before she touched the floor, then flew over to Twilight. "Since the girls will be expecting us back tomorrow and at the train station, I bet they'll be surprised. Maybe we should have Princess Celestia send a letter to Spike telling them that we'll be back early?"

Twilight nodded slowly. "That's probably a good idea," she agreed, smiling at Rainbow. "I guess we should finish packing then, that way we can go say goodbye to Celestia and Luna and then be on our way."

A quick knock on the door, followed closely behind by the sound of the door opening, then closing, broke Princess Celestia's focus. Without even checking, she knew without a doubt who had entered her chambers, and it brought a smile to her lips. "Any progress on capturing Chrysalis?" she asked as her younger sister strode into the room with a smile. Princess Luna slowed her pace and her smile faltered. Celestia frowned and looked away from a very uninteresting bureaucratic document to look at Luna. "Something wrong, Luna?"

Luna opened her mouth partially, then closed it and shook her head. "No, sister," she answered. She paused, then shook her head again and made her way over to the desk at which Celestia sat. "I'm afraid we have no good news about her capture. King Thorax's brood is hunting her down, and we have her cornered, but she has proven..." she squinted, "most elusive," she said, her frown growing. "The Royal Guard and the changelings are working together quite well. In all honesty, sister, I did not expect their efforts to be as coordinated as they are."

Celestia smiled. "Then it seems we have nothing to worry about. I have complete faith in you, King Thorax, and our guards..." she trailed off, grimacing. "Unfortunately, that doesn't change what already happened..."

Luna pursed her lips. "It is... not a complete loss. Twilight does seem to be improving. I will admit I have not been able to spend as much time with her as I would like to, even during her dreams, but from what I have seen, she is doing better. She is still struggling, but... that is to be expected."

Celestia sighed and levitated the document down to the desk in front of her. She closed her eyes, then stood up. She turned to Luna and opened her eyes, smiling softly. "I am... relieved that things are working out for her and Rainbow. I pray that things continue to work out for them... It is... not good for her, or anypony, to be alone."

Luna nodded in agreement, then opened her mouth, only for another knock on the door to cut her off. Celestia laughed a little. "It seems I am already in high demand today, and it's barely passed breakfast..."

Luna smiled sheepishly. "It would seem so, sister." She turned toward the door and walked over toward it. Celestia followed close behind. Luna paused and turned back to her sister. "I will see you for lunch?"

Celestia nodded and smiled. "Of course, Lulu."

Luna smiled and stood up straighter. "Then I shall leave you to it, sister," she said. She lit her horn and turned toward the door, then opened it.

"Luna?" Twilight stood in the middle of the doorway, with Rainbow Dash standing to her right. The young alicorn looked a little confused at her sight, and the pegasus shifted her weight a little, leaning away from Twilight. Twilight's eyes darted over to Rainbow, then back to Luna. A hint of pain mixed into Twilight's features then vanished.

Luna frowned for a split second, then forced it away and smiled happily. "Good morning, Twilight, Rainbow Dash. I was not expecting to see you until later," she greeted warmly.

Celestia walked over beside Luna and smiled warmly at the two smaller ponies. "Twilight, Rainbow, is there something I can do for you?" she asked in a warm, gentle voice.

"Oh, well, Rainbow and I were going to take a chariot back to Ponyville instead of the train. I..." Twilight trailed off, sheepishly looking at the floor. "I kind of miss Ponyville and the rest of the girls." She looked back up at Celestia. "I was wondering if you could send a letter to Spike, informing him that we'd be on our way and will arrive sometime later today instead of tomorrow. I don't want the girls to be waiting for us at the train station and then us not show up because we're already back..." she trailed off with a strained grimace, not quite meeting Celestia's gaze.

Celestia's smile wavered. "I see," she said, taking a deep breath. "Yes, I believe I can manage that."

"I had been hoping to see you before you departed, but I had also hoped to spend a little more time with you while you were in Canterlot, Twilight. I am sorry that I have been otherwise occupied," Luna said grimly. She turned to Rainbow, a little of her smile returning. "It has been good to see you both, and I do wish you well."

"We... could stay for a few minutes," Twilight said, ruffling her wings and shifting her weight a little closer to Rainbow, drawing a casual glance from the pegasus.

"That would be welcome, Twilight. Please, do come in," Celestia said in her warm, motherly voice. She and Luna stepped away from the doorway, granting the two access. Both of them walked into the room and Luna closed the door behind them. Rainbow scooted a little closer to Twilight and looked over the room, her expression uncertain. Celestia turned to Rainbow. "I do believe this is the first time you have been in my personal chambers, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow's gaze shot to her and she quickly nodded her head. "Uh, y-yeah. I've never been in here before, Princess. It's um... nice?"

Celestia giggled a little at the pegasus's unease. "It's alright, Rainbow. We are friends here, you do not need to refer to me as Princess."

Rainbow smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her mane with a hoof. She laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, um... Celestia..." she trailed off uncertainly about using the alicorn's name without her title. She looked at Twilight with uncertainty, and Twilight flashed her a small, reassuring smile.

Princess Celestia smiled, then turned to Twilight. "One of these days, you may very well be a princess yourself, Rainbow..." she said lightly. Twilight's smile disappeared and she glanced at Rainbow. Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat, then looked straight ahead and shifted her weight before stiffening up. "Tea?" Celestia asked without missing a beat.

"Yes, please," Twilight hastily said in quiet voice.

Rainbow grimaced and rubbed her wing over Twilight's back. The young alicorn's tensed muscles relaxed. She blinked and looked around, then smiled gratefully at Rainbow, though some of her prior unease lingered. "Hey, no problem," she replied quietly.

"Tea would be nice," Luna commented. "I shall postpone my other appointments, they can wait. We don't do things like this often enough," she said with a warm smile.

Celestia nodded in agreement. "And it has only gotten worse with time," she mused. She shook her head sadly, then teleported a teapot and four teacups into the air around her. She eyed the steaming teapot joyously and quickly poured out tea into the four cups, then distributed them among the ponies. Rainbow and Twilight took their cups and stood there awkwardly. "Make yourselves at home," she said warmly. "I know that I don't have a lot of comforts here, but I make do." The pair tentatively sat down on their haunches on the floor. After a few seconds, she and Luna also joined them, sitting down on their haunches.

Twilight slowly raised the teacup to her mouth, then took a small drink. She closed her eyes and smiled, moaning slightly. "Oh, I've missed this tea... nothing really compares to it."

Rainbow squinted, then eyed her own cup of tea. She hesitantly brought it to her lips and took a drink. She mulled over the taste as the warm liquid caressed her tongue, then swallowed. "Eh, it's not bad I guess."

"Not really a tea pony?" Luna asked.

Rainbow shook her head. "Not really. Never really appealed to me..." she trailed off.

Celestia shrugged. "I'm sure that there are teas you would enjoy, it is just a matter of finding them." She delicately lifted her cup to her lips and took a small, graceful sip. She turned to Twilight. "Is everything okay?"

Twilight nodded slowly, then smiled. "I'm... as well as I can be," she answered.

Celestia held back a sigh, the mare's distress was plain as day to her, but bringing it up would only ruin the mood. She still didn't like the idea of leaving it to fester. She glanced at Rainbow. The pegasus's lips were curled downward into a frown and she watched Twilight. After a second, she ran her wing over Twilight's wing and coaxed her into laying against her. Twilight swallowed and smiled softly, glancing at Rainbow as she tentatively leaned against her. 'Maybe I am worrying too much...' Celestia mused, smiling at the pair.

"You had mentioned that Rarity figured out that you two are together. Do you plan to tell the rest of your friends?" Luna inquired a few seconds later.

Twilight cringed and slowly turned to Rainbow. Rainbow tensed up and slowly turned to Twilight. "I'd... rather keep it... between us, for now... until... well, since... it still might not work out..." Twilight said at length, averting her gaze from Rainbow.

Rainbow squinted at her and tightened her wing around Twilight. Twilight perked up a little and glanced at her before swallowing. "Hey, I already told you a bazillion times, I'm not going to leave you!" Rainbow paused, eyes widening slightly. "N-not that I want to tell the rest of the girls yet..."

Twilight tentatively looked away from her and nodded slowly. "Yes," she agreed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, then calmly exhaled. As she exhaled, she leaned further against Rainbow, letting the pegasus take her weight and keep her propped up, drawing a stray glance and small smile from her friend.

A rapid knocking on the door broke the serenity of the moment. Rainbow leaned away from Twilight and turned back toward the door while Twilight stood up and turned around in surprise. Celestia suppressed a groan and shot a look at Luna. Luna smiled apologetically. 'It would seem you were correct, Lulu... I am going to have a busy day today,' Celestia thought.

Celestia rose to her hooves, then strode across the room and opened the door. "Yes, what is-" she paused.

"Princess!" an out of breath, blue stallion with a darker blue mane all but shouted.

"Twilight, is she-" a petite, white mare with light lavender highlights in her otherwise white mane hastily panted out.

Twilight perked up, recognizing both voices in a heartbeat. Her heart skipped a few beats in shock. She opened her mouth and looked at Rainbow, then turned back to Celestia before scurrying over to the Princess. Celestia glanced back at her, smiling warmly, and stepped out of the way. "Mom!? Dad!?"

"Twilight!" both unicorns greeted in unison. They all but leaped onto Twilight and pulled her into a hug. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around them and buried her head between their heads. Twilight held onto them tightly and slowly collapsed onto her haunches.

"Oh, you're okay!" Twilight Velvet spoke in relief. She sat down on her haunches and ran her forehoof through Twilight's mane, then wrapped it around her withers.

"We were so worried about you!" Night Light pulled Twilight against his body and held her tightly. He nuzzled his daughter affectionately, not caring about the other ponies present and gently stroked her mane.

"Mom, Dad..." Twilight repeated in a softer tone. She pulled them closer to herself and closed her eyes.

"We came as fast as we could, but... Oh, Twilight we were so, so afr-afraid," Twilight Velvet broke down into sobs, pulling her daughter closer to her and squeezing her while warm tears started to spill out from the corners of her eyes.

"It-it's o-okay," Twilight said, trying to comfort them, despite her voice starting to crack too. "Y-you were... busy, an-and I'm fine." She swallowed.

"B-but, you..." Night Light trailed off, swallowing.

Twilight nodded from in between them, nuzzling both of them in the process, drawing an even tighter embrace from both of them. "Y-yeah..." she took a deep, shuddering breath and pressed her eyes closed tighter. "B-but I-I'll be fine, e-eventually," she added.

"B-but... no unicorn that has... h-has ever..." Night Light stuttered.

Twilight nodded again. Beads of heat trailed down her muzzle from her eyes. She tried to speak, only to find a knot in her throat preventing her from making any coherent sounds, all that came out were a series of soft, high-pitched squeaks. Her parents squeezed her and nuzzled her gently, pulling her closer.

Celestia looked at Luna and made her way back over to the younger alicorn. "I think this is something worth interrupting us," she said softly, not wanting to disrupt the reunion.

Luna nodded in agreement. "I have a suspicion that Twilight will be in Canterlot another night."

Celestia smiled involuntarily and nodded. The tight, loving family embrace Twilight shared with her parents elicited a feeling of calm happiness from deep within her. Through their tears, she could see their joy and relief, knowing that their daughter was safe. The feeling of rightness drew her attention back to her sister. She had some experience with what they were feeling. The joy, happiness, and peace they felt, despite the pain, fear, and worry they had endured, she remembered it clearly. She leaned over and lightly nuzzled Luna. Luna leaned into her and returned the nuzzle. After a few seconds, they parted.

A few seconds later, Twilight pulled her head back from in between her parents. Her parents hesitantly let go of her, and the three of them sat there, looking at each other through teary eyes in the doorway. Twilight swallowed and sniffled. She tilted her head to the side, then closed her eyes and brought her hoof up to dry her eyes with the back of her forehoof. She swallowed and took a deep breath, then opened her eyes. She weakly smiled at her parents, who smiled back reassuringly.

Twilight hesitantly stood back up, her parents following her a moment later. She glanced around and blushed a little, ruffling her wings. She coughed and stepped inside. "U-um... Celestia, you remember my parents..." she trailed off, stepping aside and turning around to face them. "Mom, Dad..." she said tentatively.

"S-sorry for the intrusion, Princess Celestia, but..." Night Light trailed off, bowing.

Celestia smiled. "It's quite alright, please, come in."

Night Light and Twilight Velvet exchanged a nervous glance, then forced smiles and stepped into the room, walking over beside Twilight.

Celestia's smile wavered. "I do hope that your trip to Saddle Arabia was not ruined by... news of..." she trailed off, not wanting to mention the subject of so much pain as of late.

Twilight nodded her head and looked at them. "Y-yeah, how... was your trip?" she asked hesitantly.

Both unicorns grimaced. "If we had known that..." Night Light trailed off, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He swallowed. "Your mother was right, we should never have left..."

"We were so worried, Twilight. We... we were afraid that... that... we wouldn't make it back in time..." Twilight Velvet added, clenching her eyes. Her body shuddered. "W-when... we got the news... s-saying that you only h-had..." her mouth continued, but her words were silent. Night Light reached around her with his foreleg and held her reassuringly.

Twilight bit her lip and hung her head low, staring at the floor absently. "You... couldn't have known..." she said emptily. "I... couldn't have known that... was going to happen..." She lifted her head back up. "I'm... s-sorry that I wo-orried you..." she trailed off, closing her eyes and hanging her head again.

"Twilight, dear..." Twilight Velvet walked around to her and wrapped her forelegs around her withers, then pulled Twilight against her chest. She held her there and laid her head down on her daughter's hornless head. "Shh, it's okay..." she said softly. Twilight hastily nodded but said nothing.

Celestia stood up straighter. "Perhaps you would be more comfortable in private?" she offered. Night Light looked at her and opened his mouth, but she spoke first, "You are welcome to stay here, or if you would like, I can teleport you back to your home so you won't have to walk back."

"Thank you, Princess, but, we wouldn't want to impose," Night Light finally said.

Celestia shook her head and smiled warmly. "I insist, it's the least I can do for you," she said encouragingly. "Please," she added.

Night Light opened his mouth and turned to his wife. Velvet glanced at him but said nothing before returning her gaze down to Twilight. Twilight lifted her head up and nodded slowly. "I... would be more comfortable home," she said at length. She took a deep breath, then stepped away from her mom. She opened her mouth, then bit her lip as her gaze fell on Rainbow. The pegasus stood in about the middle of the room, looking out of place, uncomfortable, and unsure about what was going on. She bobbed her head and grimaced, then turned to her mom, then dad. "You... remember Rainbow Dash, right? You met her when we were all over in the Crystal Empire after Flurry's birth..." Her parents smiled and nodded. "She's... been... helping me, since... well..." she bobbed her head unhappily. She sighed. "Since I can't really do anything myself, now..."

Rainbow smiled, if a little awkwardly, at Twilight's parents, then walked over. "I guess we should thank you for helping her," Night Light said. "Although," he paused, looking over at his daughter, "where's Spike? Shouldn't he be around here somewhere to help you out?"

Twilight grimaced. "I didn't want to burden him with that, he's still... young, by dragon standards at least."

"I'm kind of surprised he's not with you here in Canterlot, though..." Night Light mused before shaking his head.

Twilight grimaced. "It's... a little weird," she admitted. She took a deep breath and shifted her weight. "Um... can... Rainbow... come with us, too?" she asked hesitantly, smiling hopefully.

Twilight Velvet giggled warmly. "Well, it only took a decade, but you're finally asking to have a friend over!" She smiled and shook her head. "Of course, dear, just ask your father."

Twilight blushed and looked down at the floor. She shifted her weight and fluffed her wings a little. "I lived in the castle..." she muttered under her breath, "so no, I was hardly ever over to have friends over..."

"I don't have a problem with that," Night Light said, ignoring his daughter's mumbling.

Twilight smiled as she pushed the door open into her old bedroom. The wooden door hardly made a sound and the brown-painted walls had a texture to them reminiscent of wood. The plush, carpeted floor greeted her hooves in a fluffy embrace as she stepped inside. She let her eyes wonder over every wall and every surface. Memories of her foalhood brought gentle smiles or slight giggles to her. Her eyes trailed over the room, then settled on a desk looking out the lone, circular window. Her smile widened as she set her gaze on the bookshelf beside it. Unlike the tower she lived in while under Celestia's tutelage, her bedroom felt warm and inviting, it felt homely. She welcomed the feelings and trotted inside.

Rainbow lingered in the doorway, ruffling her wings in self-consciousness. She wasn't sure what she had expected of Twilight's bedroom, but she half expected it to be lined with bookshelves. Much to her pleasure, she was wrong, there was only a single bookshelf, and it didn't even dominate the room. She could already guess that the books were books on magic, just judging from a few dry titles she could make out. Another thing that hit her was the lack of anything that seemed like it belonged to a foal. She turned her gaze back to Twilight, the alicorn smiled as she looked straight out the window, gazing out into the afternoon day. Twilight took a deep breath, then sighed.

Rainbow turned her attention away from Twilight to further study the room. The light lavender carpet somehow made sense, even if she didn't think it went well with the brownish walls. There were two neat stacks of paper on the lone desk, along with an inkwell and a white feather quill. The chair was large enough for Twilight to sit in even now, leaving her wondering what she would have looked like sitting at that desk as a filly. Unsurprisingly, she found the bed to be rather small. She tilted her head, thinking about it. 'We could probably both fit on there, couldn't we?' She shook the thought aside. The room was sparsely decorated, aside from the bookshelf, desk, and bed, the only other objects inside the room of interest was a small chest against the far wall and Twilight herself.

"You can come in if you'd like," Twilight said.

Rainbow looked over at Twilight, who had turned around to face her. She smiled gently. Rainbow smiled sheepishly and chuckled nervously, then tentatively made her way into the bedroom. "So... this was your room when you were a filly?" she asked, casting her glance around again.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah... it brings back memories..." she mused, a pleasant smile remaining dominant on her features. "Not what you expected?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rainbow turned back to Twilight and shrugged. "I hadn't really given it much thought before."

Twilight took a deep breath and nodded, then looked over her room. "They kept it like I had it before I moved out. It... was always nice to come back to it like this when I was home, even if I was rarely here..." she trailed off.

Rainbow sauntered over to Twilight, then stood beside her. Twilight immediately leaned against her, pressing their coats together. Rainbow smiled at the contact. Twilight's soft coat and her warmth were comforting. She leaned away and quickly unfolded her wing, then laid it around Twilight and leaned back against her. Twilight closed her eyes, smiling and sighing softly before gently rubbing her neck against Rainbow's neck. Rainbow's smile grew from the gentle contact, feeling Twilight's neck rub up against her left her feeling almost giddy. She leaned over and returned the nuzzle. After a few seconds, they stopped nuzzling.

Twilight leaned her head away from Rainbow and then turned to face her, still smiling from their shared nuzzle. "Hey, Rainbow?"

Rainbow looked at Twilight warmly. "Yeah?"

Twilight leaned over to her, then pecked her cheek. "I love you," she whispered as she pulled back, almost glowing.

Rainbow smirked, then leaned over and gently brushed her nose against Twilight's cheek, in short, slow strokes. "I love you too," she whispered back, then pulled back from the mare. Twilight giggled a little, but her smile faded, and after a few seconds, she sighed and turned away from Rainbow. Rainbow's smile vanished at Twilight's sigh. "What's wrong?"

Twilight slowly shook her head. "Just... thinking..." She swallowed and licked her lips. Rainbow tilted her head and reaffirmed her grip on Twilight with her wing, pulling her a little closer to her for a couple seconds, then letting up, though keeping her wing firmly planted around her friend. Twilight glanced at Rainbow and flashed her a small, half-smile, half-grimace. "I..." she trailed off, turning away from Rainbow and fidgeting on her hooves. After a few seconds, her fidgeting ceased, and she stood completely still, then started to shiver. "We used to be so close, but... we drifted, just..." she trailed off, closing her eyes. "Just... like... what's happening to... all of us..." she pressed her eyes closed and leaned her head over against Rainbow, pressing into her body in an attempt to alleviate her pain. While it helped some, her thoughts refused to be denied. "We... had... drifted, and... I-I wasn't... I... thought that... I was going... to die..." she said at length, trailing off. "I... knew." She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled a shuddering breath. Rainbow stood silently beside Twilight, tightening her embrace ever so little, reassuring her distressed friend. "An-and... I-I wasn't... going to see m-my parents... again... w-we drifted! It's... just like what's happening with the girls!" Twilight fell onto her haunches, closed her eyes and clenched her jaw as her body started shuddering.

Rainbow quickly sat down on her haunches and coaxed Twilight into her embrace, then wrapped the alicorn in her wings. She grimaced as Twilight continued shuddering. "It's okay," she said, looking straight ahead, forcing down the foreign feeling plaguing her heart and mind. She fought past her distress and brought her left foreleg around and wrapped it around Twilight's neck. Twilight buried her head into Rainbow's chest. Rainbow slid her right foreleg out from between them and wrapped it around Twilight's withers. Twilight nuzzled Rainbow and pressed her forehead flat against her.

"I-I.... I almost... d-didn't... get t-to s-see them again..." Twilight croaked out in a quiet voice. "W-we drifted, a-and..."

Rainbow took a deep breath and looked at the wall facing her. She swallowed and lifted a forehoof up to the top of Twilight's head, then parted her mane with the edge of her hoof and gently slid her hoof down through her mane, repeating the motion which seemed to help Twilight calm down.

Twilight's shudders weakened, then eventually came to a stop. She sat there in silence, holding her forehead against Rainbow's chest and making no attempt to leave her warm, enveloping embrace. Twilight opened her eyes and looked over Rainbow's body for a few seconds before her gaze drifted down to the floor. "R-Rainbow, wh-what if..." she swallowed and closed her eyes again, then took a deep breath. "What if... we drift? O-or... a-all of us... and the girls... w-we already have drifted! I-I don't want to lose them..."

"We're not going to drift, Twilight!" Rainbow affirmed, smiling boldly. Even if her friend couldn't see her smile, she knew she would be assured by her confidence. "And... we'll just have to make time with the girls... Yeah, everypony's really busy anymore," she admitted, grimacing. 'I'm... probably guilty of that more than anypony else since I've joined the Wonderbolts...' she frowned at the thought and found her forehoof had slowed. She took a deep breath and quickened her pace, though kept it gentle, and continued, "And... well, that's life, I guess, but... it's not like they're always going to be too busy for you! I made time for you, and I know the rest of the girls will too if you just ask."

Twilight's expression fell further, her lips contorting into a frown, and her brow creasing. "They're s-so busy, though... a-and I can't just... ask them to put what they're doing on hold to spend time with me... it's not fair to them, a-and th-they have their own lives to l-live... I-I'm just... b-being selfish..." She clenched her eyes shut and pulled herself further into Rainbow's chest.

"Twilight..." Rainbow trailed off hesitantly. "If... it really bothers you that much, then... you need to talk to them and tell them. They will understand." She squeezed the mare in a gentle, reassuring manner.

Twilight's lips twitched upward into a smile, then fell back down into a pained frown. "W-we used to be s-so close..." she whispered.

Rainbow shifted her weight and slowly exhaled. She squinted at the wall for a second, then grimaced and looked back down at Twilight. "Is... this... bothering you... so much, because... you might outlive all of us?" she asked at length. Twilight remained silent, not answering her, but while she said nothing, her muscles tensed. Rainbow sighed and laid her head down atop Twilight's head, then slid her hooves over Twilight's withers, calming Twilight's body slightly with each stroke. "You... need to stop worrying about that..." she said tentatively.

Twilight hesitantly nodded, rubbing her forehead against Rainbow in the process. "I-I know," she admitted, stuttering. "I just... I-I can't... you girls... you made me w-who I am..." She swallowed, then opened her eyes. She took a deep, shuddering breath, then slowly exhaled. She stayed still, holding onto Rainbow for several seconds in silence while calming down. She hesitantly pulled her forelegs away from Rainbow and set them on the carpet, then she brought her head back up away from Rainbow. She glanced at Rainbow, then bit her lip, hung her head, and turned away from her.

"You going to be okay?" Rainbow asked softly.

Twilight swallowed and nodded. She turned back to face Rainbow. "I... yeah..." she said in a weak voice. "Eventually..."

"If you want, I can talk to the girls for you," Rainbow offered, frowning at Twilight's crestfallen expression. Twilight chewed on her lip for a couple of seconds, then quickly nodded. Rainbow smiled, then pulled Twilight back against her for a few seconds before leaning back and releasing her from her wings.

Twilight timidly stood back up. "I... was supposed to show you around while they were getting groceries, but instead, I just... took you to my room and had a breakdown..." she trailed off, snorting at herself and shaking her head. She sighed and glanced back at Rainbow.

"Hey, you needed to let it out," Rainbow replied with a gentle smile. "You'd do the same for me," she added as she walked over beside Twilight. Twilight smiled a little, then turned and shuffled toward the doorway. "How much longer do you think they're going to be gone?" she asked, following Twilight out of the room.

"Probably an hour... they were away from home for a while, so they really need to restock everything..." Twilight answered, turning right down the hallway. She came to a stop and smiled, looking into the room almost directly across from her room. She turned, then walked into it, Rainbow following close behind, looking around the room as she entered. Twilight cast a glance back at her. "My brother's former room, now the guest room."

Rainbow glanced at Twilight and nodded casually, then returned to looking around the room. It was almost identical to Twilight's room, except the bed was sticking out from against the wall on the left as she walked into the room. The room was even more spartan than Twilight's, and she turned back to Twilight. "Not much here?"

Twilight bobbed her head. "He took his things when he left... what did you expect?" she asked, turning around to face Rainbow.

Rainbow shifted her weight. "Well... I mean, your room has some of your stuff in it still."

Twilight smiled a little. "To be honest... I'm surprised that they've kept it, but... I'm glad they have..." she trailed off, sauntering back over to Rainbow, then brushing against her as she walked on passed her and out of the room.

Rainbow followed her with her eyes, turning her head to keep her in sight. After a couple of seconds, she turned around and walked out of the room. "If you keep this up your parents might... you know..."

Twilight paused midstride and winced. She sighed and looked back at Rainbow with a grimace, then looked ahead again. "I... probably should tell them anyway..." she said slowly in a low voice. Rainbow frowned and walked up beside her. Twilight bit her lip and looked at her. "It... would make them feel better... they wouldn't... be so worried about me, if... they knew that... we're together..." Rainbow shifted her weight and smiled awkwardly. Twilight's brow creased and she frowned. "You... don't want to, do you?" she asked guardedly.

Rainbow smiled apologetically. "I uh... I'd rather not, just..." she trailed off, groaning. "I really don't want other ponies to know that... we're together, but... and... well, especially your parents..." she trailed off, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of her mane with a forehoof.

Twilight sighed and hung her head, her gaze falling to the floor. "It's fine..." she relented.

Rainbow frowned and slowly brought her forehoof away from her mane. She tentatively laid it around Twilight's withers. "Look, Twilight... I... I'm not comfortable with that... I'm still... me!" Twilight grimaced, lifted her head up and looked over at Rainbow. Rainbow groaned. "I just... Twilight, you know I care about you, I just... I'm not ready for other ponies to know that..." She trailed off, sighing. "I... guess I can make an exception with your parents..." she trailed off, ruffling her wings. "They're... not going to dislike me for this, right?" she asked cautiously, slightly pulling her head back from Twilight.

Twilight snorted and smiled, then giggled a little, though it wasn't as happy as before. "They like you and the rest of the girls, you don't need to worry about them not liking you or anything like that... They'll be happy."

Rainbow squeezed Twilight, then brought her forehoof back down to the floor. "Well... you can tell your parents... just don't expect me to go shouting to the world that we're together. I'm not ready for something like that..."

Twilight tentatively nodded, then hesitantly resumed walking once more down the hallway. She paused and pushed open a door. "Bathroom," she said idly, then pulled the door closed and turned to around and pushed open another door. "Study," she commented.

Rainbow peeked inside the study and squinted, seeing the bookshelves dominating every side of the room, except for the wall with a window, which had a large desk. She cautiously turned back to Twilight. "You sure this isn't your room?" she asked, cracking a smile.

Twilight giggled and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Rainbow," she answered. "Although, I was in here quite a bit after I saw Celestia raise the sun, finding books on magic to study... But, well, after Celestia took me on as her student and I moved to the castle, I wasn't home much." She took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. "It brings back memories..." she said, then turned around. "Last door is my parents' room, and there's a master bathroom connected to that," she said, turning and starting back the way they came from.

Rainbow idly nodded and followed Twilight back down the hallway, then down the stairs. "So, what now?"

Twilight bobbed her head and glanced at the clock. "Well, my parents will probably bring home dinner, since they'll probably be gone for at least another hour." She idly blew air out of her mouth. "In the meantime, it's just us."

"They're probably going to want you to stay in Canterlot longer, aren't they?" Rainbow asked slowly.

Twilight nodded hesitantly. "I'll... I... we can spend the night, I guess... And take a chariot back tomorrow. I'll probably come back up to Canterlot to spend some more time with them in a few weeks or months..." she trailed off, looking over at Rainbow. "You're welcome to join me if you want."

"I probably should come with you," Rainbow answered, offering her friend a smile.

Twilight smiled happily. "I would like that." She looked away from Rainbow and sauntered into the living room, then sat down on the lone couch.

Rainbow lazily walked over and joined Twilight on the couch. "This looks like something Rarity would have," she commented as her eyes trailed over the couch.

Twilight squinted and slowly nodded. "I... can kind of see that, yes. At the very least, it has the red color she likes, and the fabric is silk."

"Sounds expensive," Rainbow commented.

Twilight shrugged, then leaned against Rainbow. Rainbow smiled over at her, then looked at the wall opposite the couch, looking over the pictures adorning the wall. Twilight smirked and put more of her weight on Rainbow, causing her friend to tip over and look at her. Rainbow braced herself, then landed gently on the couch. A second later, she grunted slightly from Twilight falling on top of her. Twilight smiled down at Rainbow and broke out into a fit of giggles.

Rainbow smirked and rolled her eyes. She rolled over onto her back, then coaxed Twilight up onto her body. "If... we're spending the night, are your parents going to have a problem with us sleeping together?" she asked.

Twilight pursed her lips. "I... don't know," she answered cautiously. She looked up from Rainbow, frowning. "I... can ask them, just to be sure, but... I don't think they will since it helps me sleep better." She looked back down at Rainbow, her frown fading to a neutral line. "My old bed is a little small, but we can make it work. I don't have a problem laying on top of you, or... if you want, you could lay on me."

Rainbow smirked. "Just like that first night, huh? Sleeping on top of me."

Twilight smiled gently, then laid her head down on Rainbow's chest.

"Twilight, dear, Rainbow, dinner's ready," Twilight's mother said, smiling softly at her daughter and Rainbow, her head peeked around the corner of the wall.

Twilight and Rainbow both perked up, the former sitting up straighter, and the latter fluttering her wings as she hopped off the couch. Twilight stretched a bit, then jumped off and stood beside Rainbow. She smiled and walked on passed Rainbow toward the dining room. Rainbow hesitated for a second, then followed Twilight on into the dining room. Twilight paused, then closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her mouth watered as the delicious scent of cooked vegetables wafted through the air and filled her nostrils. She smiled, then opened her eyes. "It smells great, mom."

Velvet smiled at her daughter as she walked around the table, then pulled out a chair beside Night Light with her magic and sat down. "I hope you like it, it's a new recipe I've wanted to try for a while."

Twilight tentatively walked around to the left side of the table, then sat down. Rainbow idly walked over and sat down at Twilight's right. "I really figured you'd just bring something home since you were out getting groceries," Twilight said, then smiled apologetically. "Sorry that... I couldn't help you..."

Velvet immediately frowned. "Now, don't worry about that, dear... it's no problem at all, really..." she trailed off, levitating plates around the table to everypony.

Rainbow took her plate in her hooves, then sat it down in front of her. The transparent, crystalline plate was simple, having painted roses running around the edge inside of the crystal, while the crystal itself was tinted a subtle blue hue. Rainbow pushed the thought aside as Velvet levitated a large pan around to her. She sat back in her chair and let the unicorn scoop out a large helping of cooked, seasoned vegetables. "Thanks," she said as Velvet levitated the pan back to the center of the table. She glanced sideways at Twilight, who held a fork in between two of her feathers, idly stabbing one of the vegetables before bringing it up to her mouth. Rainbow grimaced slightly, then turned her attention to her own plate of vegetables.

"How are Spike and the rest of the girls doing?" Night Light asked inquisitively. He glanced down and leisurely forked another bite of food into his mouth, then started chewing it at a relaxed pace.

Twilight swallowed, then nodded. "Spike's doing okay... And well, the girls are... as busy as ever, anymore..." she trailed off, a faint grimace spreading across her lips.

"I'm glad to hear Spike is doing well. I guess we'll have to go down to Ponyville sometime to pay him a visit," Velvet commented, smiling.

"I... can come back up here in a few weeks, or a month or two..." Twilight offered. "I can bring Spike back with me... and Rainbow said she would come too."

"Oh, that would be nice," Velvet replied.

Night Light nodded in agreement. "Yes, and perhaps the rest of your friends could tag along as well. They seemed so nice the last time we saw them, and they mean to much to you."

"Dear, I think it would be easier for us to go down to Ponyville than for all of them to come up here," Velvet said with a slight smirk, glancing at her husband.

Twilight took a quick drink of water, then sat up straighter. "Well, they're all... really busy anymore, so I'm not sure if we could all find the time to come up to Canterlot," her expression turned dry, "unless it was some kind of world ending emergency," she said in a dry, annoyed voice, then took a deep breath and forced a smile. "But I'm sure if you came down to Ponyville for a week they'd be able to find some time to visit."

"It sounds like we'll have to make plans for that," Night Light said with a warm smile. "Maybe we could convince Shining and Cadance to come down for a week too. We don't get to see them or Flurry enough!"

Velvet shot Night Light a stern look. "Dear, you know how busy they are. Ruling an empire isn't an easy task!"

Night Light sighed and half smiled. "I just wish we could see our grandfoal more often." He smiled wider and turned to Twilight. Twilight's lips fell into a straight line and she shifted her weight. "So, when are you going to give us some grandfoals? We're not getting any younger, you know!"

Twilight blushed, then buried her head in her hooves, stuttering out something incoherent, her brain tripping over her mouth. "Dad!" she finally managed to shout through her embarrassment.

Rainbow shifted her weight and ruffled her wings slightly, then hastily looked away from both ponies and surveyed the rather barren marble walls searching for anything interesting she hadn't noticed before.

"You already have a grandfoal!" Twilight said in a defensive tone, ruffling her wings and shifting her weight, still refusing to remove her hooves from her face. "You don't... need me for that," she quipped.

"But we don't see her often enough, dear," Velvet replied with a smile. "And you're much closer, which means we'd be able to see your foals more often!" she said encouragingly.

Twilight slumped forward a little and swallowed. She pressed her eyes closed and took a deep breath. "Can... we not talk about this, please?"

"Dear," Velvet started softly, "We don't mean to embarrass you in front of your friend..." she trailed off, smiling apologetically.

"I... I know, but..." Twilight trailed off, sighing. "It's... it's... too soon... It... it doesn't matter..." she trailed off, growing despondent. She hesitantly sat up again and removed her hooves from her face, though still stared down at her empty plate with an equally empty gaze. She glanced at Rainbow out of the corner of her eye, and her gaze lingered for a few seconds. Rainbow looked at her with a soft, apologetic, yet reassuring smile. Twilight sighed and slumped down further, then looked back at her plate. She closed her eyes, then took a deep breath and swallowed, then slowly exhaled. She pulled herself back up into a sitting position and parted her mouth. "I... um..." she grimaced and turned to face Rainbow, then slowly pulled her gaze back over to her parents. "I'm... dating Rainbow..." she trailed off cautiously.

Velvet and Night Light smiled warmly, their gazes looking over both mares. "You finally found somepony! Oh, this is wonderful! I was afraid that I wouldn't live to see the day!" Velvet shouted out happily, then pushed her chair out and ran around the table and pulled Twilight into a hug.

Twilight grunted from the force behind the hug. "M-mom!"

Velvet let up on the hug and pulled back a little. "Oh, I'm sorry dear," she apologized, tilting her head to the side. She brought a forehoof around and wiped at her eye. "I'm just... so happy for you!" She pulled Twilight back into another hug.

Night Light calmly stood from his chair. "I'm happy for you too, Twilight..." he trailed off as he walked around to Rainbow. Rainbow chuckled nervously as Night Light approached her. He leaned in closer to her ear, though Rainbow pulled back slightly. "I could tell, by the way," he whispered, then pulled back, still smiling warmly. "She seems happy, and... well, whenever she talked about her friends and the conversation shifted to you..." he trailed off, chuckling lightly.

"Uh... r-right..." Rainbow shifted her weight in her chair and looked over at Twilight.

Velvet finally pulled back from Twilight, still smiling, then her expression hardened. "While Shining Armor and Cadance have a foal, that doesn't mean we don't want you to have foals too, Twilight!"

Twilight clenched her eyes closed and turned away from her. "M-mom! It's... t-too soon for that! We've..." she trailed off, opening her eyes and turning around to face her friend. "We've not... been together that long..." She grimaced and ruffled her wings, then turned back to her mom. "Can we... please... not talk about this?" she implored.

Velvet sighed and relented. "Okay..." She flashed another warm smile. "Oh, my filly finally found somepony!" she squeed, then hugged Twilight again. Twilight hesitantly returned the hug. After a few seconds, they parted, both of them smiling.

Night Light smiled at both of his mares, then looked back at Rainbow.

"Well, you three get comfortable, I'm going to clean up the table, then we can spend the rest of the evening talking," Velvet said, turning away from Twilight and picking up the dirty plates on the table with her magic.

Twilight leaned against Rainbow on the couch, nearly all of her weight was shifted onto Rainbow, drawing the occasional glance from the pegasus. Twilight idly watched the clock as the second hand ticked away the time while she laid there, leaning against Rainbow. Velvet and Night Light watched them with half-smiles from across the room, both of them sitting in separate chairs.

"So... they... think that your horn will grow back, but... it just might take a while?" Night Light tentatively asked, his smile falling into a frown.

Twilight swallowed and averted her gaze from the clock. She hesitantly nodded. "Yes... Celestia says that... it might grow back, but... if it does, she said it might take... a long, long time..." she trailed off, turning away from her father's crestfallen expression.

Rainbow leaned forward, then unfurled her wing and slid it back behind Twilight's back, then wrapped it around her side and pulled Twilight against her side. Twilight's gaze drifted over to Rainbow and she smiled gently.

Night Light tilted his head and absently looked over the two mares on the couch. "You know, even back before the three tribes united, a pegasus wrapping a wing around another pegasus was symbolic, offering and promising protection to the pony under their wing..." he said in an absent, lecturing voice. He blinked a couple times, then shook his head and took a deep breath. He smiled. "So, I do hope you plan on keeping that promise, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow flashed him a half-forced, half-awkward and apprehensive smile. "I'm... here for her if she needs me," she said.

Twilight smiled and looked up at Rainbow, then scooted herself up and snuggled up against her. Rainbow glanced down at Twilight and brought her wing up to envelop Twilight's wing and shoulder. "She's... helped me out a lot..." Twilight said. "I... would not be in Canterlot right now if she wasn't here with me..." she trailed off, grimacing a little.

"It sounds like she has," Velvet said.

Twilight nodded, then closed her eyes and yawned. She smiled sheepishly at the look her parents gave her. "It's... been a long week."

"Will both of you be spending the night?" Night Light asked, his gaze drifting over to Rainbow.

Twilight took a deep breath, then hesitantly pushed herself away from Rainbow and sat up into a sitting position. Rainbow folded her wing back to her side, then sat up once more now that Twilight wasn't trying to push her over again. Twilight pursed her lips. "I... would like to," she paused, glancing at the clock again and grimacing. "I don't want to fly back to my tower right now, and I'm pretty tired..."

"Rainbow, you're welcome to use the guest room," Velvet said. "The room across from Twilight's old room, if she didn't tell you."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, she showed me. Shining Armor's old room, right?"

Velvet nodded once. "The one and only," she said warmly.

"Um..." Twilight cut in, her muzzle tilted down toward the floor, but her gaze directed at her parents. "I... was... wondering... well... I mean... I... haven't been sleeping well, since... my accident..." she trailed off, her parents looking at her with distress... "And... Rainbow's been sleeping with me..." she said cautiously, carefully scrutinizing her parents' expression, which remained as distressed as before, though maybe lightening ever so slightly. "And... it helps me sleep better..."

"You want to know if you two can share your old room?" Velvet asked. "If it helps you sleep better, I don't have a problem with that. Besides, it's less work for me," she said with a slight giggle.

Twilight smiled softly. "Thanks..."

"Of course, dear," Velvet replied. "And... you probably should be heading to bed if you're planning on getting back to Ponyville after lunch tomorrow and want to wake up early enough so you can stay to have breakfast with us."

Twilight hastily nodded. "My sleep schedule really took a hit from being stuck in the hospital for so long, too... That's part of the reason why I've been having trouble sleeping. I don't want to mess it up again..." she trailed off, turning to the right and glancing back at Rainbow. "You ready for bed?" she asked.

Rainbow bobbed her head and jumped down from the couch. "Sure, I guess."

Twilight smiled, then looked back over at her parents. "Well... see you in the morning, then... Goodnight Mom, Dad."

"Goodnight, Twilight, goodnight Rainbow," both of Twilight's parents said in unison.

"Night," Rainbow said.

Twilight lingered a second, then hastily made her way out of the living room, heading toward the stairway. Rainbow followed close behind her, but at a more leisurely pace. Twilight ascended the stairs, then paused at the top to wait for Rainbow to join her. As soon as Rainbow stepped off the stairs, Twilight slid up against her. "You didn't say much," she said.

Rainbow bobbed her head as they made their way down the hallway, "Sorry, I just... didn't really know what to say. I'm... not really comfortable around them. I mean, don't get me wrong, they're nice but..."

"They're my parents?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rainbow smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, and... we're together, so..." she trailed off, then paused at the door to Twilight's room. She fell into a little bow, smirking, and motioned Twilight inside.

Twilight stood still for a second, then leaned away from Rainbow. She fluttered her wings, then casually strode inside the room. Rainbow rose from her bow, then slid into the room and silently slid the door around and shut it. On instinct, she went to lock the door, only to frown when she found none. She looked over at Twilight. "No lock on the door?"

"It's probably better that way," Twilight hastily answered, turning away from Rainbow and looking out the window.

Rainbow squinted at her, then pulled away from the door. She flew over to Twilight, then landed. Twilight sighed and hung her head, then sat down on her haunches. Rainbow frowned. "You doing okay?"

Twilight groaned. "No... my parents... I... I can't believe them..."

Rainbow's frown deepened. She stepped closer to Twilight and sat down beside her, then lifted her forehoof up and brought it through Twilight's mane. "What?" she asked gently. Twilight calmly, yet heavily exhaled and shied away from Rainbow. Rainbow looked at her in disbelief, then slowly lowered her forehoof back to the floor. She unfurled her wing, then draped it around Twilight's back and pulled her against her body. "Come on, Twi, what's wrong?"

Twilight opened her mouth then closed it. She tensed up a little and pursed her lips, then swallowed. "My parents... want me to have foals," she answered, then clenched her eyes shut and swallowed.

Rainbow shifted her weight and bit her lip. 'What... am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to handle this? This is... ugh...' She suppressed a groan and ruffled her wings. "You uh... Should... we talk... about that?" she asked hesitantly, her lips twisting into a grimace while her brow creased.

Twilight's muscles tensed up further. "I'd rather not," she hastily replied. "It's too soon, we've not been together that long and," her voice grew heavy, "and it doesn't matter."

Rainbow swallowed and looked away from her friend. "Do uh... did you... want to have foals?" she asked at length, avoiding eye contact with Twilight and leaning away from her slightly.

Twilight stared blankly at the wall for several seconds, her lips pulling downward. She blinked, then shook her head. "It... doesn't matter. It's not important. It's too soon," she said with a hint of finality.

Rainbow laughed nervously and pulled a forehoof back to her mane, then slowly rustled it. "W-well, yeah, but I just... if... I just think it's... something that... we should talk about if it's bothering you..."

Twilight tilted her head away from Rainbow. "Can we please not do this? It's... I'm not comfortable with this," she said quietly.

Rainbow scrutinized Twilight, then brought her forehoof back and brushed it along Twilight's mane. Twilight swallowed, then looked back at her, almost pleadingly. Rainbow frowned, then slowly nodded. "Yeah, I um... I'm not that comfortable talking about... that either, but I just... nevermind. Let's just forget about this, okay? We can talk about it eventually," she paused and swallowed, "if... you want to," she added under her breath. She hesitantly pulled back from Twilight, then stood up.

Twilight looked away from her and quickly shook her head and stood up. She shifted her weight on her hooves. "Thank you," she said softly, then looked down at the floor. "It's..." she trailed off and bit her lip, then closed her eyes. "It's just bothering me because they brought that up in front of you," she hastily lied.

Rainbow grimaced, then stepped over to Twilight and draped a wing over her back. "Let's just go to bed, okay? You'll feel better after a good night's rest and cuddling." She offered her friend a warm half-smile, half-smirk.

Twilight's lips twitched upward into a smile, and she stifled a giggle. She shook her head and walked over to the bed. She put her forehooves down on it, then pulled herself up and laid down on her back in the middle of the bed, leaving about enough room for half a pony to lay on either side of her. She grimaced, then scooted over and pulled the covers back. She motioned Rainbow over with her wing.

Rainbow flapped her wings to hover in the air. She flew over to Twilight, then gently set down on the bed, then slowly laid back. "Yeah, this is really small..." she said, grimacing at how she could easily see herself rolling over and falling out of bed during the night.

Twilight sat up, then pulled Rainbow closer to the center of the bed. She smiled, then climbed up onto Rainbow and laid down on her side on her friend's body. She smiled happily as Rainbow's warm, soft coat caressed her side. "We should have enough room... so long as you don't roll over..." Twilight said, casting a cautious glance up at Rainbow.

Rainbow wrapped her wings around Twilight's barrel, then wrapped her forelegs under Twilight's forelegs and pulled her up a little more, Twilight's legs and lower body still laying between her legs. "I dunno, Twilight... I'm not gonna roll over, but you're pretty big," she said, smiling. Without missing a beat, she wrapped her hind legs around Twilight's body, pinning the alicorn in place against her. Twilight smiled, then shifted her weight and nestled up against Rainbow's welcoming body. "Comfortable?"

Twilight nodded, then laid her head down on Rainbow's chest. "Yes," she answered, rubbing her cheek against Rainbow's body. After she finished, she laid there, smiling as she listened to her friend's steady, rhythmic heartbeat.

Rainbow squeezed her, then folded her forelegs over Twilight's shoulder. She took a deep breath, then unwrapped her wings from Twilight and pulled the blankets over them, then she slid her wings back around Twilight and embraced her once more, causing a warm, calm feeling to grow inside of her chest. "Goodnight, Twilight."

"Goodnight, Rainbow," Twilight sighed happily, nuzzling her friend and smiling from feeling Rainbow's soft coat rubbing against her cheek. She nestled into Rainbow's embrace and closed her eyes, letting Rainbow's warmth, softness, and heartbeat lull her to sleep.

Author's Note

Well, here we go again! I hope you're all ready and prepared for this, fastened your chairbelts, kleenexes at the ready, heart and diabetes medicine along with gallons of water close at hand, several weapons of mass destruction on standby, and a time machine.

I distinctly remember telling myself that I wasn't going to continue making 15,000 word long chapters... and yet, here we are with a chapter that's 16,000 words long. It was necessary, however, and it's a sacrifice I am willing to make! I don't know how long this story's going to be, nor how many chapters, nor how long each chapter will be. My tentative plan is to try to get chapters out biweekly as with Reaction, however, I'm taking college classes over the summer, and due to the compressed timespan of the summer semester, I cannot guarantee that I will be successful at upholding that update schedule.

I do hope all of you enjoy this, because I know I will.

With the start of this chapter, I reaffirm that I like cuddles. I hope you do too. And don't worry, there will be more. Eventually...

I don't like writing eating scenes... They feel awkward for me, possibly because eating around other people feels awkward for me. On a related topic, I was sitting alone in my room eating while writing that scene. Also, I'm not well-versed in vegetable/fruit foods, so writing eating scenes is going to be repetitive because I have no idea what I'm doing there. :twilightsheepish:

Also, I now want pancakes with blueberries and strawberries. What? I didn't eat breakfast today, nor did I eat lunch. Actually, I've not eaten anything yet today. I've been busy...

Originally, the part with Twilight wanting Rainbow to go back to the Wonderbolts was more dramatic, but I dropped that and changed it because it felt wrong and artificial, it detracted from things. Now, you might be wondering why that matters? You will see, if you stick around to read the entire story...

A happy family reunion! I bet none of you saw that coming, did you? The funny thing is the one paragraph from Celestia's PoV with the description of how it felt can have at least two interpretations. One of them is correct, and the only is weird/fridge horror. Right now, I can't remember the second interpretation, but it was darker than the intended interpretation.

I enjoyed writing the part where Twilight's mom comments about Twilight never having friends over. It just felt right and added something to the story... On a related note, the backstory I've woven into this in regards to Twilight's foalhood is kind of interesting, it paints a picture of her being somewhat dissociated/detached- both of her former homes had very little personalization to them. I think that's kind of interesting what I've done there.

There is a deleted scene which could be fun to share sometime. It was an alternate take of the dinner scene, set toward the end. Night Light commented about "O and O." Immediately following that, Night Light and Rainbow bond quite well. It was funny, but it didn't really fit the story.

Now, some of you will probably be surprised that this is taking place so soon after Reaction. There is a reason for this, and it is necessary for a timely execution of this plot. Some things just wouldn't work if this was skipped ahead a few months or something, or at least I don't think it would.

Chapter 2

Rainbow groggily blinked open an eye, then blinked again and smiled. Twilight's mane blocked her view of her face, but even still, she could feel her lying atop of her body and sleeping peacefully. She sighed happily, then yawned and nestled back into the pillow her head rested on. She closed her eyes and laid there in silence, enjoying the moment and not wanting to disturb her friend.

She opened her eyes again, then rolled her head over and glanced down at Twilight. She unwrapped her legs from her friend's body and stretched them out, eliciting a soft, content moan from herself, and threatening to lull her back to sleep. She pushed her exhaustion away and lightly squeezed Twilight's body with her forelegs, pressing her friend's body into her own, then releasing her. Twilight shifted in her sleep and rubbed her muzzle against Rainbow's chest.

Rainbow pulled her forehooves away from Twilight and laid them beside her body on the bed. For a few seconds, she relaxed and let her mind wander. Every thought was about Twilight or involved her in some way. The way Twilight laid on top of her body, Twilight's comforting weight laying down on top of her, Twilight's soft fur pressed against her own, Twilight's body heat radiating into her and being trapped beneath the blankets, and Twilight's steady breathing.

She slowly raised her left foreleg up, then brushed it against Twilight's coat in an upward motion, bringing her hoof up to her friend's mane. She slowly wrapped her forehoof around Twilight's neck, then started running the edge of her hoof through her friend's messy mane. Her forehoof easily slid through Twilight's unkempt mane and she enjoyed feeling her soft hairs sliding against the base and edge of her hoof and caressing her. As she continued the repetitive, gentle motions, Twilight sighed and nestled up against Rainbow's body, slowly sliding her forelegs out, then over Rainbow's chest and wrapping them around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze.

"Morning," Rainbow whispered, still brushing her hoof through Twilight's mane.

Twilight opened her eyes and slid her head back so she could look up at Rainbow, then smiled and moaned softly. "This... is a nice way to wake up," she said, then closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against Rainbow. She sighed happily and closed her eyes. "But I don't really want to get up," she added.

"We don't have to get up yet," Rainbow replied, bringing her forehoof down to the end of Twilight's mane, then sliding it across her back. She slid her other forehoof up Twilight's body, then crossed her forelegs over Twilight's withers and laid them there while she looked down at her.

"But we will eventually," Twilight countered, grimacing a little. She lifted her head up, then pressed her muzzle into Rainbow's coat. She inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled, sighing.

Rainbow smiled and uncrossed her forelegs, then ran her forehooves down Twilight's body before coming to a stop between her wings, then she slowly slid them back up to Twilight's withers and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight. She gave Twilight a light squeeze, then slid her forelegs back down Twilight's body and let them drop down beside her in bed. "We can't just stay here all day. You were the one wanting to get back to Ponyville," she replied with a light chuckle.

Twilight slid her muzzle up, then laid her head down flat against Rainbow's chest and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, you're right," she admitted. She gave Rainbow a little squeeze with her forehooves, then slid them down to the bed and pulled herself further up on top of Rainbow, then smiled down at her. She shifted her weight to where they were stomach to stomach with herself laying flat on top of Rainbow, although because of Twilight's stature and how she was laying, her entire body wasn't on top of Rainbow.

Rainbow took a deep breath, then pulled her legs back and wrapped them around Twilight's flanks, then shifted her weight to the left and rolled onto her side, bringing Twilight with her. She wrapped her forelegs back around Twilight, then pressed the alicorn into her body and held her there, close to her. She sighed contently as Twilight lifted her head up, then laid it down on her neck. Her friend's warmth and softness threatened to lull her back to sleep, but she resisted the urge and leaned her muzzle down and brushed up against Twilight's muzzle.

Twilight giggled and leaned into Rainbow's muzzle. She tenderly nuzzled against Rainbow's neck and cheek for several seconds before slowing to a stop. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Yeah. The bed's a little small and it's not quite as comfortable as what I'm used to, but it was fine," Rainbow answered.

Twilight smiled softly. "Well, thanks for... sleeping with me. You could have taken the guest bedroom, and you probably would have been more comfortable there since you wouldn't have been so crowded, but... thank you for staying with me."

Rainbow rolled her eyes, then stretched her legs out and held Twilight more tightly with her forelegs. "Sure, I might have had more room, but it still wouldn't have been as nice as this."

Twilight's lips curled further upward into a brighter smile. She lifted her head up and scrutinized Rainbow for a few seconds. Her smile wavered and she bit her lip. Rainbow frowned slightly. Twilight tentatively lowered her head, then slid her head up into the crook of Rainbow's neck and pressed her muzzle flat against her neck. She inhaled deeply, then sighed happily and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow's withers and held her close.

Rainbow smiled and gently nuzzled into Twilight's mane, then she unfurled a wing and laid it over Twilight's wing. Twilight relaxed her grip on Rainbow but kept her forelegs wrapped around her. "I could go back to sleep at this rate," she cooed, gently rubbing her muzzle against Rainbow's neck. She leaned away from Rainbow slightly, then tucked her legs in between their bodies.

"I wouldn't mind that, but maybe we should wait until we get back to Ponyville," Rainbow replied. She absently stared at the wall, smiling while enjoying holding her friend's warm and soft body against her own.

Twilight sighed into Rainbow's chest, then slid her muzzle up onto Rainbow's neck and tenderly nuzzled her. "Yeah, that's probably a better idea. I can feel my body hanging off the edge of the bed as it is..." she commented warily.

Rainbow frowned, then pulled away from Twilight, causing the alicorn to frown a little. Rainbow scooted herself back, then pulled Twilight back against her once more, pulling her away from the edge of the bed. "This bed wasn't designed for two adult ponies in mind," she grumbled, feeling like she was almost dangling off the edge of the bed.

Twilight fluffed her wings and snuggled up against Rainbow's body and let out a happy sigh as their coats brushed against one another, causing their fur to intermingle. "You didn't have to move, I was fine where I was..." she replied. She hesitated for a second, then pressed her forehead into Rainbow's body. Rainbow slid a hoof back up to her mane, then started idly running her hoof through it, while she kept her other hoof wrapped around Twilight's withers.

A couple short, sharp knocks on the door broke the serenity of the moment. Twilight groaned and pressed herself further into Rainbow's embrace. "Twilight, Rainbow, breakfast is ready!" Twilight Velvet's muffled voice called from the other side of the door.

Twilight huffed, then pulled back from Rainbow, only for Rainbow to smirk and tighten her grip on her, holding her in place. Twilight giggled a little and leaned back into her, then nuzzled her. She looked toward the door, angling her muzzle away from Rainbow, "We'll be out in a minute!" she called, then turned her attention back to Rainbow and stared into her eyes.

Rainbow watched Twilight for several seconds, letting her gaze wander over Twilight. She found herself smiling, but it was broken by a yawn. She giggled sheepishly as Twilight's lightly smirked at her, then she pulled her foreleg out from under Twilight and pushed herself up. She smiled and pushed the covers off of herself, though leaving most of Twilight's body protected beneath the blankets. She stretched her wings out and closed her eyes, moaning contently.

Twilight remained silent and rolled over onto her back, then threw her forelegs up onto the pillow. She stretched her limbs out, then let them go limp and laid there. Rainbow opened her eyes and looked down at Twilight for a couple seconds before hopping off the bed, then bending forward and stretching out her legs and forelegs. Twilight slowly sat up, then turned and slid off the bed and made her way toward the door. "We can eat breakfast, then shower and be on our way," she said hastily. "You can shower first," she added, glancing back at Rainbow.

“Alright,” Rainbow replied. She smiled at Twilight, then yawned. Twilight watched her yawn, causing Rainbow to sheepishly rub the back of her mane with a hoof. “What do you think breakfast will be?” she asked. She brushed her body against Twilight’s coat as she walked beside her. Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, leaning into Rainbow’s body as she walked passed. After Rainbow broke contact, Twilight scurried back over beside her, drawing a glance from the pegasus. Rainbow turned back to the door, then pulled it open and motioned Twilight on out.

Twilight looked straight ahead and fluffed her wings. "I don't know, but we'll find out shortly." She took a deep breath, then calmly peeked on passed the doorway, looking left, then right. After she was sure nopony was immediately around, she hastily stepped out of the room, then turned to face toward the stairway and glanced back at Rainbow.

Rainbow leisurely walked out of the room, then stood beside Twilight, who leaned against her. Rainbow rustled her wing against Twilight’s side, drawing a soft coo from her. Her lips flashed upward into a smile, then she pulled her wing out from in between them and slid it over Twilight’s back, then wrapped it around her side and rubbed her wing. She leaned over and gave Twilight a quick nuzzle, then started toward to stairs, Twilight matching her pace and sighing happily from the contact.

They descended the stairs together, then walked around to the dining room. Twilight Velvet smiled as the two rounded the corner, and a second later, Night Light looked up from a book and beamed at them. Twilight Velvet levitated plates over to two empty chairs for them, then levitated over two glasses, along with a jug of milk and a jug of orange juice. “Good morning, Twilight, Rainbow,” she acknowledged in a warm, sweet voice.

Night Light levitated his book aside and bookmarked the page he was on, then close the book and set it down. “I hope you slept well,” he said, watching Twilight with a smile.

Twilight blushed a little, shifted her weight on her hooves, and looked down at the floor. She glanced at Rainbow, then hastily pulled away from her and pulled out a chair, then sat down. “Y-yes. I slept... well. The bed was... a little small, though.”

Rainbow absently folded her wing back to her side, then took a deep breath and walked around and pulled out a chair beside Twilight, then casually sat down. Rainbow looked at the jug of milk, then at the jug of juice. She reached out for the jug of juice, only for Twilight Velvet to pick it up in her magic. Rainbow blinked and turned to her.

“Let me get that for you, dear,” Twilight Velvet said calmly. She levitated the jug over, then twisted the cap off and filled Rainbow’s glass with juice. After she finished, she put the jug back down.

“Thanks,” Rainbow said. She reached out for her glass with both hooves, then pull it closer to her before lifting it up and taking a quick drink.

“You’re welcome,” Twilight Velvet replied, flashing her a smile. She turned to Twilight. “And what would you like?”

“Milk is fine,” Twilight answered. Twilight Velvet levitated the jug of milk and twisted off the cap, then poured Twilight a glass of milk before setting the jug back down and putting the caps back on both jugs. “Thank you,” Twilight said.

“Pancakes?” Night Light asked, levitating over a large plate heaped with pancakes. Twilight eyed them absently but nodded. He levitated over a couple pancakes for both Twilight and Rainbow, then himself and Twilight Velvet. “Don’t worry, your mom fixed them,” he said with a light chuckle.

Twilight smirked and shook her head. “You’re not that bad of a cook.”

“Oh, let’s face it Twilight, I did not study cooking in my day,” Night Light replied.

Twilight Velvet just smiled innocently and levitated over syrup and butter. She levitated out small slabs of butter and distributed them atop everypony’s plate of pancakes. The heat from the fluffy pancakes quickly started melting the butter, but it slowed as she poured out the cold, sticky syrup on top of them.

“I’m going to be burnt out on pancakes at this rate,” Twilight commented. She pursed her lips and turned to Rainbow. “Maybe we should have waffles tomorrow?” she suggested idly. Rainbow shrugged and took a fork and knife in her wings, then started cutting into her pancakes. Twilight turned back to her food, then hesitantly unfolded her wings. She carefully picked up her fork and knife in between her feathers, then delicately moved them around and cut her pancakes into small, manageable bites.

They ate and drank in silence, then as they finished, they sat back and relaxed. After everypony finished, Twilight Velvet hopped out of her chair and collected the empty plates and leftover pancakes, then retreated into the kitchen. Night Light’s expression slowly fell over the course of a minute as he watched Twilight, while Twilight mostly focused on the table and Rainbow, though occasionally glancing back at her dad. “Can... you tell if it’s going to grow back?” he asked, breaking the lingering silence.

Twilight turned to him and her lips contorted into a grimace. “No... and it’s not likely I will. From what the doctors have said, either it’s going to happen so slowly that I won’t notice it growing back,” she looked away from her dad and scrutinized the table, displeasure washing across her muzzle, “or it’ll be sudden and painful...” she quietly finished.

Rainbow frowned and watched Twilight closely for several seconds. “You never told me that...” she said, her voice holding a slight hurt to it.

Twilight glanced up at Rainbow and bobbed her head. “There wasn’t a reason to...” she answered. “Since my skin and coat grew back over it, it... could get a bit messy. And it will hurt if it’s sudden. If my horn grows back... when... it does, I’ll probably be at a higher risk of infection, at least for a short time, although my alicorn physiology should protect me. There is still some risk because of the damage I sustained from the radiation, however,” she said in a lecturing tone. “It’ll probably be uncomfortable while it’s growing back if it’s slow, too...” she mused.

Rainbow slowly turned away from Twilight and stared at the wall. ‘I’ll be there to help you through that, Twilight... that won’t be easy on you, will it?’ “Will you be able to use magic while it’s growing back?” she asked cautiously, tilting her head back toward Twilight.

Twilight grimaced and shook her head. “No. I’ll have to wait for it to completely heal.” She squinted down at the table, then at her hooves. “I... think I would prefer it to be... sudden. That way, it would be all at once and I’d be able to use my magic sooner...” She blinked, then shook her head and sat up straighter. She glanced at Rainbow, who looked at her distantly. She frowned. “Are you alright?” she asked after several seconds.

Rainbow slowly nodded. “Yeah, I just...” she shook her head, then looked at Night Light. “Um, is it alright if I go ahead and take a shower?”

Night Light nodded. “Yes, it should have everything you need. Go ahead,” he said.

Rainbow glanced down at the table and scooted the chair back. “Right, thanks,” she breathed out. She hopped out of her chair and fluttered her wings. “I’ll be finished in half an hour or so,” she commented as she headed off to the shower. Twilight watched her leave, then turned back to her dad, smiling a sad, reserved smile.

Rainbow paused at the base of the stairs, then unfurled her wings and flew up to the top. She silently landed, then continued on down the hallway before turning into the bathroom. She shut the door behind her, then locked it and looked over the room. The room was somewhat small, and the marble sink looked like something found at an expensive restaurant or a hotel. The shower was a combination of a bathtub and a shower, with a plain, white curtain. To the right of the shower and filling the otherwise empty space between the shower and the wall was a door. She glanced around, then walked over to a door set in the wall. Opening the door revealed a small closet with towels. She pulled out a towel and set it on the sink, then turned the shower on.

As soon as the water warmed up, she stepped inside and hung her head. The hot water beat down on her mane. She closed her eyes and moaned softly, then stepped forward a little, bringing the flow of water down to the back of her neck. She relaxed under the hot water for a few seconds, then she sat down and started running her hooves through her mane, careful not to tangle it any more than it already was while working on straightening it out.

“It’s going to be hard on you when your horn starts growing back, isn’t it? I’ll be there for you, though... But...” she trailed off, frowning and opening her eyes as a foreboding concern slipped into her mind. “But... what if I’m not around by then?” she wondered aloud. She forced back a knot in her throat and shook her head. “No, it’s... it’ll be sooner than that.”

Despite her best attempts to force the concern and worry down, they lingered in her mind, souring her relaxation from the shower's hot water. She absently poured shampoo out into her mane and worked it in with her hooves. ‘How can anypony put up with that? How did Celestia and Luna cope with that?’ she wondered. 'They're so old, but they look and act so young...'

Once more, an uncomfortable pit grew in her stomach, along with an emptiness in her heart. ‘You’re going to have to deal with outliving everypony you know... do the girls realize that? If they did, would they make more time for you?’ She sat there for several seconds, the only company was the rushing water, which fell from the showerhead, hit her body, then slid down and was swept away into the drain in the span of a few seconds. ‘But... Celestia and Luna said we might live longer since we’re connected to the Elements of Harmony! But... you were exposed to enough radiation that...’

She clenched her eyes and bared her teeth. She huffed, then stood back up. “It’s going to be fine, you’re recovering. I’m not going to lose you,” she told herself. She forced her concern and worries aside, stomping them out with an iron hoof. “I just wish you realized that, Twilight...”

She sighed and went back to washing herself.

Twilight tilted watched her reflection idly as she ran her brush through the back of her mane in long, gentle strokes. She firmly held the brush in her hooves. Despite it not being very comfortable or natural, she was slowly adapting to it, although it didn’t feel quite as right as when Rainbow brushed her mane. She held back a sigh and continued on, her repetitive motions leaving her mind free to wander.

‘You brush my mane, but you don’t want me brushing yours... What am I supposed to do to show you my appreciation for everything you do for me? We sleep together and cuddle together, but... is that really enough?’ she wondered. A pang of emptiness rang out in her chest, even though her heart felt warm and fuzzy thinking about her friend. ‘You enjoy cuddling with me, and... I’ll never be able to thank you enough for doing that, Rainbow...’

She absently stood up as she finished brushing her mane, then she drew her tail up between her legs and sat back down. She slowly slid the brush lengthwise through her tail, working out kinks and tangles while straightening it back to her preferred state. ‘I wish you would stay with me, but... that’s not fair to you. I’m just... I’m being selfish...’ She sighed and slowed her work. She idly watched her tail for several seconds, then hastily resumed her pace and finished.

She put the brush away, then stood back up. She looked herself over in the mirror, then turned to the door and hastily exited the bathroom. She turned down the hallway, then made her way downstairs. She hesitated at the bottom step for a second and bit her lip, then fluffed her wings and continued on into the living room. She smiled as she caught sight of Rainbow sitting on the couch. A little of her earlier pain and melancholy faded at her sight. She walked around into the living room.

Rainbow glanced at her, then turned to face her. “Finished?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yes, I’m ready to leave now.”

Twilight Velvet walked out from the dining room. “You’re leaving already?” she asked, a whisper of pain flashing across her features before fading away.

Twilight grimaced and nodded. “Yes. I had planned to be back in Ponyville by now... I’ll...” she trailed off, glancing at Rainbow. “We’ll,” she corrected, Rainbow’s lips twitched slightly, though she couldn’t tell whether it was up or down, “come back sometime in the near future to visit, but we need to get back to Ponyville.”

Twilight Velvet smiled a small, soft smile. “Oh, of course, dear...” she said softly. She shook her head, then walked around to Twilight and pulled her daughter into a hug. Twilight returned the hug, squeezing her mom, then nuzzling her neck, which her mom happily returned. “Stay safe, Twilight,” she whispered.

“I will. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine...” Twilight replied. She leaned away from her mom and smiled gently. She met her mom’s gaze, then glanced over at Rainbow as she stood up from the couch. “Besides, I have some friends who’ll help me out...”

Twilight Velvet smiled warmly and tilted her head to the side, her eyes taking on an almost glossy appearance. She pulled back from Twilight, then lifted a hoof to her muzzle. “I’m so happy for you, and I’m so proud of you, dear.”

Night Light stood up from his chair and walked over to Rainbow, then stood beside her, watching Twilight and his wife. “Take care of her, alright? You all mean so much to her. I’d hate to see her if something happened between you two, or any of you really, but...” he trailed off, sighing sadly and shaking his head.

Rainbow nodded. “I promised her that I wouldn’t leave her, and I promised that I’d help her get better.”

Night Light nodded. “Well, I guess we’ll be seeing each other around...” he trailed off, then turned around to face Rainbow and stepped over to her, then wrapped his forelegs around her.

Rainbow smiled nervously, then tentatively returned his hug. “Uh... yeah, I guess...” she replied. She blankly looked over the wall opposite of her while he continued to hug her, but her discomfort was short lived as he pulled away from her after a few seconds. She shifted her weight on her hooves and then walked over to Twilight, glancing around at the other three ponies present.

Twilight walked over to her dad and reared up on her hind legs, then wrapped her forelegs around his neck. He wrapped a foreleg around her and pulled her close, while Twilight slid her head under his and nuzzled him. He chuckled and laid his head on hers and returned the nuzzle. Before they parted, he leaned over to her ear, “I still expect grandfoals,” he whispered.

Twilight tensed up and hastily pulled away from him, muttering something indeciphorable under her breath. She stared at the floor and quickly strode back over beside Rainbow, not looking up once.

“Rainbow, dear, do come back soon,” Twilight Velvet said. “It’s always nice to see one of Twilight’s friends, even more so if they’re a bit closer than just friends.” She smiled and giggled a little, then closed the distance and gave Rainbow a quick hug before pulling back.

“We’ll come back to visit...” Twilight said hastily as she turned toward the door, then took off at a lengthy stride.

Rainbow smiled nervously and hastily joined Twilight’s side, then got ahead of her and opened the door for her. Twilight glanced at her from the corner of her eye and then strode on out onto the porch. Rainbow calmly stepped outside and closed the door behind her, then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “So,” she said.

Twilight turned back to Rainbow. “We’ll stop back at the tower to grab out stuff and then we’ll be on our way,” she replied. “Sound okay?” she asked, studying Rainbow’s expression.

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah.” After a second of hesitation, Twilight took the lead, walking down the steps, then leisurely strolling down the concrete walkway to the street. Rainbow beat her wings and hovered close beside her. “You doing okay?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think.” She paused and turned her head to Rainbow, smiling at her. “When we get home, would you maybe... just...” she trailed off, bobbing her head and biting her lip. She slowly shifted her weight on her hooves and looked away from Rainbow, lowering her gaze to her hooves. “Cuddle with me? The rest of the day? Please?” she asked quietly.

Rainbow hovered for a couple seconds, then slowly landed. She closed the distance to Twilight and laid a wing around her, then nuzzled her cheek, drawing a small smile from the alicorn. “Well, if you want me to go back to the Wonderbolts, I guess I’ll spend the day with you today, and then tomorrow I’ll start getting back in shape...” she trailed off sheepishly, leaning away from Twilight. “I didn’t push myself as hard as I should have while I was away, so I’d prefer to be in better shape before going back...”

Twilight glanced at Rainbow and then nodded slowly. “Alright...” she hesitantly relented. “You... you do that. You should work on that instead,” she hastily replied in a quiet voice. “We can cuddle tonight instead.”

Rainbow frowned a little, her brow creasing while her lips pulled downward. “Twilight, you sure? I don’t... have a problem if you want to spend the day with me. I mean, I need to fly and all that, but you can’t really keep up with me... So if you want to spend the day with me, then we can do that instead. Spitfire said I could take as long off as I needed, I’m not in a rush to get back...”

Twilight forced a small, soft smile, though her eyes still gave it away. “Yeah, just... I can’t keep you from that,” she answered. She took a deep breath and calmly exhaled. “We can cuddle tonight instead. Besides, there are a few things I could stand to do once we get back anyway.”

Rainbow watched Twilight closely for a few seconds, then hesitantly nodded. “Alright, if you’re sure, Twilight. If you need me though, come get me, alright? I promised I’d help you, and I can’t help you as much if I’m away with the Wonderbolts or practicing...”

Twilight nodded. “I know, but being a Wonderbolt means a lot to you.”

Rainbow pulled Twilight against her side with her wing. “That doesn’t mean that you don’t mean a lot to me too,” she said with a chuckle. “You’re my friend, you matter to me.”

Twilight smiled, then leaned into Rainbow. She closed her eyes, then took a deep breath, letting the cool, early morning mountain air fill her lungs. She sighed contently, then rubbed her head against Rainbow’s neck before pulling away. She slipped out from under Rainbow’s wing and started off down the street, heading toward the castle. Rainbow started off at a casual pace, staying beside her with her wings held to herself so that nopony would pay them any mind.

Despite the early morning hour, or perhaps because of it, not many ponies were out, and none were around to have seen Rainbow’s earlier display of affection for Twilight, which helped to relax and sooth her mind from the turmoil she felt. The warmth of the sun caressing her coat felt reassuring, and the cool mountain air helped make sure their walk was pleasant.

“It’s weird flying in one of these,” Rainbow commented as she watched Canterlot in the distance. She turned away from Canterlot, then slid her hooves off of the railing and set them back on the floor of the chariot. She turned around to face Twilight, only to find the alicorn hung over the railing, lost in thought. She tilted her head to the side and watched Twilight for a couple seconds, though her gaze fell mostly on her mane as the wind blew through it, giving it an almost fluid-like quality. ‘Are... is your mane ever going to be like Princess Celestia’s mane? Well, no, your mane would look more like Princess Luna’s, wouldn’t it, since your mane has darker colors...’ She absently mulled over the thought for a few seconds, then scooted closer to Twilight and slipped her wing around her.

Twilight blinked and jerked her head around to look at Rainbow. She smiled for a second, then looked back out toward Ponyville in the distance. “It’s a bit nostalgic for me. The first really memorable trip I had in one of these, I was sent to Ponyville by Celestia...” she trailed off, looking down at her hooves and slowly shaking her head. “That... that feels like a lifetime ago.”

Rainbow smiled. “Good times,” she said cheerfully, her mind wondering back to the early days of their friendship.

Twilight smiled and nodded as she lifted her head back up. She watched the two armor-clad pegasi pulling the chariot for a couple seconds, then leaned against Rainbow. Rainbow said nothing and shifted her weight to better support Twilight. “Maybe we should have taken the train instead. It would be longer, but it wouldn’t be so cramped.”

Rainbow shrugged a little. “It’s not that bad. It’s just kind of weird flying in one of these things and not using my wings.”

“The first time I flew with wings, rather than having something underneath me to support me was...” Twilight trailed off, leaning away from Rainbow and shyly smiling at her. “Well, you were there...” she added.

Rainbow stifled a giggle and pulled Twilight back against her. ‘I’m glad it’s just us. Well, mostly just us, the two pegasi pulling the chariot are minding their own business though...’

“Thanks for teaching me how to fly, Rainbow,” Twilight commented.

“You’ve thanked me before, Twilight,” Rainbow replied, rolling her eyes. She closed her eyes. Without sight, she could almost feel like she was flying under her own power, but the floor beneath her and the lack of feeling the air under her wings limited her to reality. She opened her eyes, then arched her wings up slightly, letting the wind currents flow under them and caress her bare sides. “You know, I was really looking forward to being able to fly with another one of my friends. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed you didn’t fly with me more than what you did.”

Twilight grimaced. “Sorry, I just... had other things to do and... well, adjusting to being an alicorn and...” she trailed off, shaking her head. She put on another smile and turned to face Rainbow. “But, once I get better, I... I’ll try to fly with you more.”

Rainbow smiled boldly. “I’ll make sure you do, Twilight. When I’m done with you, you’ll be Wonderbolt material!”

Twilight’s smile faded. She hastily looked away from Rainbow and shifted her weight, leaning away from Rainbow, only for the pegasus to lay her wing back on her and grip her tightly to her side, reassuringly. “Hey, relax, okay? I’d like to be able to fly like that with you, but we don’t have to. I would like for you to be able to keep up with me, though.”

Twilight gave Rainbow a wry smile. “I’m not sure if I could ever keep up with you, Rainbow.”

Rainbow tossed her head to the side. “Oh, come on! You’re an alicorn, surely you have it in you!”

Twilight looked away from Rainbow and hung her head slightly. “I’m not that fit, nor athletic. I’m more intellectual than anything... Plus my physical strength still hasn’t recovered from being exposed to radiation, but I am stronger than I was immediately following my exposure...” She nibbled on her lower lip. “I’m not sure if it will recover to what it was before,” she tentatively added.

“Twilight,” Rainbow said seriously, “you’ll recover. You have to get better. I can’t... you can’t be this way forever. You know how hard it was for me when I thought that... you were going to die?” Twilight remained silent and leaned her head into Rainbow, then tenderly nuzzled her. Rainbow accepted her friend’s comforting nuzzle and returned it, then laid her head on Twilight’s head. “I felt so powerless. I couldn’t do anything to help you. It hurt. We and the rest of the girls have done a lot together, and there wasn’t anything we could do to help you.”

“You were there for me,” Twilight replied quietly. “That’s... what counted. That’s what mattered to me.” She paused, letting her eyes study the golden edges of the chariot. “You chose to be there, even though I... screwed things up between us. Even though it put a burden on you, having to fly back and forth between Ponyville and the Wonderbolt Academy...”

“You’re my friend, I needed to be there for you,” Rainbow replied solemnly. “We all needed to be there for you.”

“You all were,” Twilight replied.

“It doesn’t feel like it was enough,” Rainbow admitted, glancing down at her hooves. After a second, she pulled her head away from Twilight, causing her to lift her head up and look over at her. She hesitantly looked over Twilight’s expression. “Are you sure that you don’t want me to stay with you?”

Twilight smiled and laid her head back on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Yes, Rainbow. It means... a lot to me that you ask that, and that I know you would if I asked you to, but I can’t just keep you from your dream.”

Rainbow frowned but said nothing. She studied Twilight for a few seconds, then turned back to look toward Ponyville. “Things have really changed over the years,” she mused soberly.

Twilight slowly nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Just imagine how things are going to change in our lifetimes... just... imagine how they’ll change in my lifetime if... if I outlive you and the girls...” she replied softly. Rainbow glanced over at her. She took a deep breath. “But... imagine how things have changed during Celestia’s lifetime or Luna’s absence.”

Rainbow winced and shifted her weight. “That... must have been hard on Princess Luna. You said she had trouble adjusting on Nightmare Night... was it... worse? In general?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, it... was hard for her. It’d be hard for anypony...”

Rainbow grimaced and looked over the floor of the chariot. ‘I can’t begin to imagine what Princess Luna went through...’ she mused. She shook her head a little and looked back up, then slid her wing up and down Twilight’s side. ‘Although she did become Nightmare Moon by her own choice, but... that was because of how she felt. Eternal night would have sucked though...’

Twilight leaned a little more of her weight into Rainbow. “It’ll be nice to get home and see the girls again. I wonder what Starlight and Spike have been up to...”

“Anywhere, in particular, you would like us to land, Princess?” the pegasus stallion clad in Royal Guard armor on the right asked, glancing back at Twilight and Rainbow.

Twilight pulled away from Rainbow and looked out at Ponyville, which was fast approaching. “Near the castle, please,” Twilight replied. She shifted her weight and glanced at Rainbow, then shuffled back over to the edge of the chariot.

“Yes, Princess,” the pegasus guard acknowledged. After a couple of seconds, they leisurely adjusted their course and headed toward the crystalline castle which loomed over Ponyville.

Ponyville swiftly passed them by, and before they knew it, the two pegasi pulling the chariot landed in the grass just off the road from the castle. Twilight shot them a smile and hopped out of the chariot. “Thank you, you may return to Canterlot,” she said. Both stallions saluted her, then took off into the sky again as soon as Rainbow stepped off beside Twilight.

Rainbow casually looked around, noticing only a few ponies in their immediate vicinity, though she was surprised that none of the girls were there to welcome them back. She glanced over at Twilight and found that she had already started walking toward her castle. She watched her for a second, then beat her wings and leisurely flew over toward her, then hovered beside her. “Princess Celestia did send them a letter, right? I don’t see them anywhere.”

Twilight glanced over at Rainbow and smiled warily. “They’re probably busy. It’s... not a big deal, really. We were only gone for a week,” she said. She slowed to a stop as she reached the top of the stairs to her castle, then she lifted a hoof and pulled open the door.

“SUUUPRISE!” a chorus of voices rang out.

Twilight jumped back in surprise, then landed on her haunches. She winced a little but had no time to regain her bearings as a pink blur rushed over to her and filled her vision, then picked her up and grabbed Rainbow Dash before zipping back inside, closing the door behind them. No sooner had she recovered from her shock than had a pair of pink forelegs wrapped around her and squeezed her. “Welcome back, Twilight!” Pinkie exclaimed, then jumped back and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow Dash. The pegasus wheezed for breath and struggled against Pinkie’s grip. “Welcome back, Rainbow!” Pinkie jumped back, then hopping back while four other ponies and a young dragon walked over to them.

“We weren’t even gone that long...” Twilight mumbled as she stood back up. She forced a smile and looked around at her friends and the decorated interior of her castle. As her gaze passed over each pony, her smile grew more genuine and less forced. “Hey, everypony,” she acknowledged, her gaze lingering on the colorful confetti and streamers adorning the otherwise barren crystalline walls. She turned to her right and found a long table alongside the wall with cake, cookies, ice cream, and cupcakes. She tore her gaze away from the delicious looking confections and her gaze fell on Rarity.

“Welcome back, Twilight dear, how was your week?” Rarity asked with an almost mischievous smile.

Twilight shifted her weight under Rarity’s smile, and she glanced over at Rainbow and found the pegasus ruffling her wings. When she looked back at Rarity, the unicorn’s smile had calmed down, turning warm and welcoming. “It was a busy week,” she answered. She averted her gaze from Rarity and looked at Pinkie. “I’m... Well, I had expected that if we took the train back, you all would have waited for us at the station, but... I wasn’t expecting this.”

Pinkie giggled and smiled happily. “Silly Twilight, of course we’re going to throw you a welcome back to Ponyville party! You should know better than to think that we weren’t!”

Twilight’s lips lifted up into a smile. “Thank you, Pinkie,” she replied.

“Well, how was Canterlot and your trip, Twilight?” Applejack asked.

Twilight pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side, mulling over the week and how best to answer it. “Well, it was a busy week, but... all things considered, it went better than I expected.” She paused briefly and frowned. “I think,” she hastily added. She smiled again. “My parents showed up yesterday right before we left, so we had to stay in Canterlot another day, and we ended up spending the night with them.”

“Oh, your parents are finally back? That’s good. I hope that you enjoyed seeing them again and... I hope they’re doing well,” Fluttershy commented, smiling lightly.

Twilight nodded. “I did, and they’re doing okay... they... kind of regret leaving because of...” she trailed off, growing quiet. She blinked, then shook her head. “Let’s... let’s not talk about that. How was everything in Ponyville while I was gone?”

“Things were pretty quiet and normal,” Starlight answered.

Twilight nodded and looked back at the sweets arranged on the tables. “Why... don’t we move this to the dining room? Then we could sit, eat and talk.”

“And party!” Pinkie added.

Twilight nodded slowly. “I guess... a party might be... nice...” she commented tentatively.

Twilight groaned lightly as she plopped down stomach first onto her bed. “Doctor Manner isn’t going to be happy that I’ve indulged in so much sugar...” she idly mused aloud.

Rainbow chuckled lightly as she silently slid the door shut. “It can’t be that bad, I mean, you’re doing pretty good, right?”

Twilight groaned and closed her eyes, then rolled her head over and looked back at Rainbow flatly. “Well, Rainbow. The word you’re looking for is well, not good,” she lectured.

Rainbow snorted and rolled her eyes. “You’ve not really had any issues with getting sick for a while, so you’re doing well, right?”

Twilight flashed Rainbow a sheepish smile, then lifted her head up only to plant her muzzle into her pillow. After a few seconds, she sighed into the pillow, then nodded and laid her muzzle flat against the pillow. “Yes, but it’s still not all that healthy. It could cause problems, especially since I haven’t fully recovered.”

Rainbow sauntered over to the bed, then hopped up beside Twilight and sat there. She idly laid her hoof on Twilight’s back and gently slid it up and down her friend’s spine, then rested it on her withers. “Do you want me to help you with anything else while I’m here-”

Twilight rolled over onto her back and let her limbs and wings go limp and spread out across the bed. “No, Rainbow, it’s fine. I’m going to do some light reading and hang out with Starlight and Spike,” she said, absently looking up at the ceiling. “Maybe I’ll go for a walk and talk to Fluttershy...” she mused. ‘I can’t just keep... monopolizing your time...’ She grimaced, then looked over at Rainbow with a weak smile. “Go fly. I’ll be waiting for you here tonight.”

Rainbow smiled audaciously. “I’m looking forward to it.” Her smile briefly wavered. She glanced around the room, then shifted her weight on the bed. She lifted her forehoof out, then set it down beside Twilight’s foreleg and slowly leaned over to Twilight and tenderly nuzzled her soft neck, then brushed her muzzle up against Twilight’s cheek and planted a soft kiss on her. As she pulled back, Twilight’s cheeks tinted red, and she smiled a bit lopsidedly, glowing from the brief kiss. “I’ll be back. If you need me, don’t hesitate to come and get me, alright?” Twilight nodded in affirmation. Rainbow flashed Twilight a smile, then sat back up and flapped her wings, then flew over to the balcony door. She hovered there for a moment, then opened the door, flew outside, and closed it behind her.

Twilight watched Rainbow fly off through her window. Her smile grew for several seconds, then she absently lifted her forehoof to her cheek and pressed the base of her hoof where Rainbow had kissed her. Her heart stammered as the memory replayed itself in her mind. She closed her eyes and smiled giddily while letting her forehoof slip down to her neck. The memory of Rainbow’s nuzzles replayed itself in her mind. She rolled over onto her side and curled herself into a ball, smiling and giggling happily.

After several seconds, she sat up, then hopped off the bed. She took a deep breath, then calmly paced over to the door, then opened it and stepped out into the hallway.

“Hey, Twilight,” Starlight acknowledged.

Twilight spun to her side to face Starlight. “Oh, I was just about to go and find you.”

Starlight smiled sheepishly. “You seem happy.”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “You want to talk?” she asked. Starlight nodded slowly. “Okay,” Twilight replied, then glanced down the hallway before opening her bedroom door and motioning Starlight inside. The unicorn walked on into the room, then Twilight followed her and shut the door behind her.

“So how’re things between you and Rainbow?” Starlight asked, turning around to face Twilight.

Twilight smiled. “I... think they’re good. We... well. We went on a date,” she said, her expression falling. “It... didn’t go as I had planned or hoped, but... it... it sort of worked out, I think,” she said, nodding as she finished. “We’re...” She licked her lips and scrutinized Starlight’s expression. “Together,” she finished, then giggled happily.

Starlight walked over and pulled Twilight into a hug. “See, you worried about it too much,” she assured.

Twilight returned the hug, then slowly pulled back, frowning. “She still... said no the first time,” she commented warily. She sighed, folding back her ears, then walked over to her bed.

“Hey, it worked out, didn’t it?” Starlight asked.

Twilight grimaced and cast her gaze back on Starlight. “Yes, but... she can’t... just spend all of her time with me. She’s a Wonderbolt, that’s her dream. I can’t fly like that, and she loves flying... I can’t take that away from her, it’s... not fair for her, especially after all she’s done for me.”

Starlight frowned a little and slowly walked back to Twilight. “Do you really want to be with her all the time? I know she means a lot to you, but... that seems... a bit... much?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly, then sighed and sat down on her haunches. “I know, I know... I shouldn’t, but... she means that much to me. I just... I want to be with her, and... I am, so I’m happy, but... I can’t help but think that it’s wrong because if she’s spending time with me that means that she’s away from her dream.”

“She offered to help you and stay with you, didn’t she?” Starlight asked, smiling gently.

Twilight didn’t respond at first, but after a few seconds, she nodded slowly. “Yes, and... that’s why I’m so happy, I guess...” she trailed off, shaking her head.

“From what I’ve seen, what you’ve said, and what she’s said, I can tell you that she wants to be with you,” Starlight replied. She walked over beside Twilight, then sat down on her haunches. “When you were in the hospital, she... told me that she felt like it was her fault that you were there.” Twilight’s lips contorted in a frown, and she slowly looked over at Starlight. She remained silent, but her eyes filled with pain. “She wants to be there for you, Twilight.”

Twilight glanced down at her hooves and nodded. “I know she does... she’s told me, but...” She closed her eyes, sighed, and tilted her head to the side. “This... shouldn’t be so hard. I... I love her, and... we’re together. She’s helping me, she wants to help me, and she wants to be with me... but... I want to be with her, but I don’t like feeling that I monopolize her time. It... feels wrong.”

Starlight calmly lifted a forehoof, then rested it on Twilight's shoulder. "You're not monopolizing her time. She's choosing to spend her time with you," she replied in a soft voice. "She isn't with you out of some sense of obligation, she wants to be with you."

Twilight lips lifted upward, and she slowly nodded, then looked over at Starlight. "Thanks... I... I think I needed to hear that..." she trailed off, looking back down at the floor. She sighed a little, then stood up. "I'm... going to go see if Fluttershy would like some company," she said.

Starlight nodded and stood up. "I'm sure she'd appreciate your company."

'I'm glad I took the long way to Fluttershy's,' Twilight mused as she trotted down the dirt road to her friend's cottage. 'Even if it did take longer it was nice to be able to relax and enjoy being back in Ponyville, although I wish I hadn't been alone... but I'll be able to spend some time with Fluttershy. I'll just take the short way back on my way home...'

Several brightly colored birds aimlessly flew overhead, carried on by their wings and the gentle breeze rolling by. Twilight watched them fly off while she continued along the road, then she closed her eyes and slowed to a stop. She took a deep breath, then slowly pressed her forehoof to her chest before calmly exhaling. As she exhaled, she extended her hoof outward, and her mind wandered back to Rainbow Dash, even as she listened to the chirping of birds and the soft babbling of the nearby stream.

She opened her eyes with a smile and cast her gaze off into the sky, knowing that somewhere out in the distance, Rainbow Dash was flying and having fun. A pang of guilt struck her heart, and her smile faltered. 'And... I'm not there with you...' She sighed and hung her head, her ears drooping. After several seconds, she started shuffling on down the road toward Fluttershy's cottage. Her slow pace caused the last track to linger and take far longer than it should have.

Eventually, she made it over the bridge and found herself idly standing at Fluttershy's door. She took a deep breath, then hesitantly raised her forehoof. She put on a brave face, then gently rapped on the door. Several seconds passed before the door creaked slightly and pulled inward, revealing the face of a timid, pale yellow pegasus mare with a light pink mane. Fluttershy immediately brightened up at the sight of Twilight. "Oh, hello Twilight!" she greeted, pulling her door all the way open. "Did you um... want to come inside?"

Twilight nodded happily. "Yes, I hope you don't mind. I was hoping I could stay for a little bit and that you wouldn't mind having some company."

Fluttershy smiled warmly and motioned Twilight inside. "Oh, yes of course. You're always welcome, Twilight. Make yourself at home, I'll go fix some tea for us." She turned around and leisurely walked off to the kitchen as Twilight walked inside, then shut the door behind her.

Twilight took a deep breath and calmly sighed, allowing the comforting cottage to welcome her. She walked around into the living room, then sat down on the right end of the couch and looked over the wall opposite of her. Several things had changed since the first time she had been in Fluttershy's cottage, but perhaps what stood out the most was just how many more pictures she had. Pictures of Fluttershy and the rest of the girls, pictures of Fluttershy and her other friends, pictures of her with the princesses, and most disconcerting, pictures of her and Discord.

Still, a smile pulled at her lips. 'As much as you get on my nerves, Discord, you're not all that bad, and Fluttershy cares about you.' She pushed the thought aside and leisurely shifted her weight, then let gravity pull her into a fall. She landed softly on her side on the couch. For a few seconds, she idly stared at a picture of all of seven of them together, then she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.

Fluttershy walked back into the living room, carrying a large plate on her back in between her wings. On the plate, there was a large, steaming pot of tea, along with two small teacups. She paused, seeing Twilight laying on her back on the couch, then continued walking into the room. She carefully sat the plate on the table, then took the teapot in her mouth and poured two cups of tea, then set the teapot back down. Twilight rolled her head over to face Fluttershy, then she sat up on her haunches.

Fluttershy smiled, then took one cup of tea over to Twilight before returning and taking her own cup of tea. She flew over and sat down in a chair across from Twilight, then took a small sip. "How are you doing, if you don't mind me asking. You seemed... um... okay when we were at the party, but you looked like there was something bothering you. And you seemed a little vague when talking about Canterlot..."

Twilight grimaced a little and looked down into her cup of tea. "I'm mostly fine. I guess I was just a bit overwhelmed. I kind of wanted a quiet day when we got back to Ponyville. Not that a party wasn't nice, it was, I just mean..." she trailed off, shaking her head. She glanced up at Fluttershy, then raised her cup to her lips. She closed her eyes, parted her lips, and tilted the cup up. She smiled as the warmth caressed her mouth, though she longed for the tea Celestia made.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Fluttershy asked. "Not that you have to. I don't want to pry, but... it might make you feel better."

Twilight nodded slowly. "It... was just..." she trailed off, biting her lip and bobbing her head. "I saw my parents again. I'm happy about that, but... I just... I drifted apart from them. We used to be so close, but now we never really see each other or talk. I... I could have died, and I wouldn't have gotten to see them again. It... bothered me," she said quietly.

Fluttershy smiled sadly. "It's alright, though. You survived, and you're recovering. It... was hard on all of us to see you like that, Twilight... I'll never forget what you looked like... Um... thank you, though. I'm not sure... that any of us thanked you for saving Ponyville. It would have been horrible if the reactor melted down, and... what happened to you was horrible, but... thank you."

Twilight's expression shifted between disgust, regret, and solemn acceptance. "I didn't really have a choice. I would have chosen to save Ponyville regardless. It... it's worth it." She glanced up and met Fluttershy's gaze. "You're all worth it." She broke her gaze from Fluttershy and looked at her reflection in her cup of tea. "It was my duty to act to save you all, and I accept the consequences of my actions. I... honestly thought that I was going to die, but... dying to save you all was a cause worth dying for..." she said quietly. She took a deep breath, then sat up straighter and took a quick drink of her tea. "But whoever designed that core room was an idiot. They seriously put the release on the opposite side of the room from the door..." she shook her head and snorted.

Fluttershy remained quiet, tentatively glancing between her tea and Twilight. Twilight stared at Fluttershy for several seconds, watching her crestfallen expression and feeling a hollow emptiness forming inside her chest, She sighed mournfully. "I... feel like we're drifting, too. All of us," she said. "We used to spend so much time together, and we're all so busy anymore. I miss back when we weren't so busy..." she trailed off disheartened. "I don't want to drift from all of you... you all made me who I am today. I owe you five everything..." she trailed off softly.

"We're trying to make more time for you, Twilight, but... it's hard. We have so many more responsibilities now and... and... I'm sorry," Fluttershy said in a soft, apologetic voice.

Twilight grimaced. "I... know. It's... not all your fault." She smiled a forced, empty smile. "I'm the pony who became the princess, not you..." The smile started to fade, "But... just, now that I'm not so busy, it's... it's harder than it was. I have less to occupy myself with, and... my mind keeps wandering." She carefully set her teacup down on the end table, then hopped off the couch and walked over to Fluttershy, then put her forelegs around her and pulled her into a hug. Fluttershy tentatively returned the hug, wrapped a foreleg around Twilight's withers. After several seconds, they parted. Twilight lingered for a second, putting on a reassuring smile for Fluttershy, then she shuffled back to the couch and sat down. "How... have you been doing?"

"Oh, I've been okay. Discord hasn't been around as much as usual. He says he's been busy..." Fluttershy replied, trailing off with a slight frown.

Twilight frowned and squinted. "Discord? Busy? Busy... doing what?" she tentatively asked, afraid of the answer.

Fluttershy smiled warily. "He hasn't really said what he's been doing, but... he promised that it wasn't anything bad."

Twilight nodded slowly, her fears partially alleviated. 'I don't think Discord would really lie to Fluttershy about something important...' she mused.

Rainbow looped and spiraled through the air, twisting across the sky with grace and efficiency befitting a Wonderbolt. She beat her wings hard and rolled into a rapid climb, slowly angling herself straight up into the sky, then starting to arc back down, letting gravity pull her backward and slow her down. She folded her wings to her sides and closed her eyes. For a single instant, her body lurched in weightlessness, then the wind picked up around her as gravity accelerated her back down toward the ground, still pulling her body back into a short loop.

She opened her eyes and looked up into the vast expanse of the sky as the horizon rolled up passed her. She flared her wings and rocketed toward the ground. With the help of gravity, she easily reached terminal velocity. The wind buffeted her body and slipped in between her feathers, dragging against them as she zoomed down toward the ground below, while her mane and tailed rippled almost violently in her wake, getting pulled by the wind. The cool evening air contrasted sharply with the warm sun beating down on her back, although the sun was much cooler than it had been when she first started.

She grunted and folded one wing to her side, then beat her left wing and pushed herself into a spiral. She spread her other wing back out and angled them just so and started bleeding her downward speed while also redirecting her flight into a glide. She slowed her glide to a more casual speed, then lifted her hoof to her forehead.

She wheezed slightly, panting for breath. 'Well, I'm not out of shape that bad, but my endurance isn't quite as good as it should be.' She grimaced at the thought, then pushed it aside with a shake of her head and smiled. 'Still, I was flying for most of the day! I bet even Spitfire herself wouldn't be able to keep up with that!' She swung her hoof up into the air and pushed herself up a little higher into the air, ignoring the burning ache in her wing muscles as she celebrated her victory.

She took a deep breath, then lazily glided around in a couple loops while looking around for a cloud to land on. The sky was mostly cleared from clouds, save for a few ominous black ones hanging low in the sky over the Everfree, but those were clouds she wanted nothing to do with if she had any choice in the matter. She turned around and looked out toward the sunset. The vibrant reds, oranges, and pinks which filled the skyline gradually broke and faded into light blues before fading into darker colors. She glanced back around to the other horizon. She couldn't see the moon, but she knew it would rise soon.

After a couple of seconds, she grimaced to herself. 'Twilight's probably wondering where I am...' She winced a little at the thought and felt her ears pinned back against her head. She shuffled her shoulders around, then glanced around for a cloud again. The closest one she spotted was a little small for her liking, but she pushed it aside and leisurely flew over to it, then landed. The soft cloud supported her weight but compressed like a spring under her body.

She sat down and looked upward. Before she knew it, she grunted slightly as her back hit the cloud. She groaned lightly and let her limbs go limp, her arms fell out beside her, while her legs fell apart. Her wings throbbed as they limply fell at her sides. "Maybe I pushed myself too hard..." She looked down at herself and watched her chest rise and fall with her deep breathing several times, then she rolled her head over and glanced down at her left wing. She tentatively stretched it out, then lifted it up. After a couple of seconds, she stretched her other wing out, then spread them out over the cloud and looked back up at the sky.

Several specks of light broke the dim darkness left behind by the retreating sun, although nowhere near as many as would be visible once the sun disappeared below the horizon. She took a deep breath and held it for several seconds. She felt her heartbeat slowing down to a dull, heavy thumping. After several seconds, she exhaled, then quickly inhaled as her lungs grew weary. She felt her heartbeat pick up once more as the fresh air filled her lungs, although it wasn't as fast as it had been.

She idly watched the sky as its colors continued to darken, and her thoughts drifted off back to her closest friend. She rolled her head to the side and looked down at Ponyville, specifically, Twilight's castle. Her eyes glossed over into a longing look as her mind continued to wander. The memory of the two of them laying on a cloud together in Canterlot replayed itself in her mind. Her lips quickly pulled up into a smile. She blinked, then rolled her head back to look at the sky. She lifted her head up, then folded her forearms behind her head and laid her head back down on them. She quietly sighed.

A cool breeze drifted passed her body. She shivered and drew her limbs back to her body to protect herself. She rolled over, then sat up and ruffled her wings, wincing a little from the chill. 'I shouldn't be cold, it's not that bad up here. It's a little chilly, but... Oh, right, I was flying for so long that... right.' She closed her eyes and grunted a little, then shook her head. She leaned her weight forward, then let gravity take her and pull her off of the cloud.

She closed her eyes and smiled a little as the wind rushed up passed her and drifted through her mane and tail. 'I'll take a shower and then join Twilight,' she mused. After a few seconds, she fought off the wind and took a deep breath, then flared her wings out to bleed her speed. She idly watched Ponyville as she slowed, then finally once she was slow enough, she leisurely flapped her wings and headed off toward her cloudhouse.

As she flew along undisturbed, she found herself growing giddy the closer she got to the castle. By the time she landed at her house, she found herself bristling in anticipation, and ruffled her wings eagerly as soon as she folded them to her sides. She all but bolted to the door, threw it open, then ran inside, dashed up the stairs, and made her way to her bathroom. She didn't even bother to stop to close the bathroom door before turning on the shower.

It was only when she jumped into the shower that she regretted her eagerness. She let out a sharp, high-pitched yelp and violently shook while her breath caught in her throat from the icy water. She clenched her eyes closed and bit her lip. Her pain was short lived, as the water soon warmed up and heat seeped back into her body to replace what the cold water stole from her.

She relaxed and let her head hang forward while the stream of water fell on her withers. She let her wings hang idly beside her and stepped forward so that the water splashed against her back, in between her wings. She smiled and let out a soft moan as the heat dulled the pain from her aching muscles. After a while, she sat down on her haunches and leaned her head back into the stream of water.

The water fell from the shower head and ran through her mane, then dripped down her body, washing off all of the reminders of her day's strenuous flying, save for her exhaustion and aching wings. She hesitantly stood back up, then made sure to let the water run all over her body, then grabbed her bottle of shampoo with a wing and poured out the soap over her mane, neck, body, and then her tail. She sat back down just outside of the stream of water and worked the shampoo into her coat with her hooves and wings, then she stood back up and thoroughly rinsed herself out.

For a couple minutes after finishing, she silently stood under the stream of warmth, enjoying the relaxation that she knew she would lose when she went back to the Wonderbolts. She sighed, then turned the water off with her forehoof and casually stepped out from her shower, water still rolling down her body. She idly looked around her bathroom, then walked over in front of the mirror. She looked at her reflection for a second, then turned and grabbed a towel before the chill of the air could steal her warmth once more.

She dried herself off quickly, then hastily brushed her mane and tail. After looking herself over once more, she strolled back out into her bedroom, then made her way over to her window. She looked out of it, then opened it and jumped outside. She caught herself with her wings, then turned around and hastily closed her window.

As soon as she could, she shot off towards Twilight's castle, leaving a faint rainbow trail behind in the dark sky. Operating off of memory, she easily identified Twilight's balcony, then landed with barely a sound, save for her hooves clicking against the crystal. Without missing a beat, she strode over to the door, then opened it and peeked inside.

Twilight's ears perked up, and she looked up and at the door, then frowned. After a second, her head swung around to the balcony door. A warm, welcoming smile grew to replace her frown.

"Hey," Rainbow greeted.

Twilight slid a bookmark into her book, then closed it with her hoof. "Hey, yourself," she returned.

Rainbow rolled her eyes as Twilight giggled softly. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, then locked it. "How was your day?" she asked, casually making her way over to the bed.

Twilight bobbed her head as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "It... was fine," she answered calmly. "It... could have been better, but... I can't really complain." She scooped her book up with a wing, then swiveled around and deposited it on her nightstand. She hesitated a moment, then turned back around.

Rainbow frowned and paused at the base of the bed. "You don't sound like it was fine," she said quietly.

Twilight offered Rainbow a smile, but both of them could tell it was forced, it wasn't as bright as her first smile. "It's nothing," she said timidly. "How was your flying?"

Rainbow hesitated, then lifted a forehoof and placed it on the bed. She went to pull herself up, then paused. "I've missed flying like that and really getting to push myself, but I'm exhausted." As if to emphasize her point, she opened her mouth and closed her eyes as a yawn overtook her body. She smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck with a forehoof. Twilight's smile grew warmer, almost growing into a smirk, with one side of her lip lifted further up than the other. Rainbow grimaced a little, then put her other forehoof on the bed and jumped up onto the bed. Her weight caused the bed to shift slightly. "I wish you could fly with me like that, though. That's my only complaint," she said.

Twilight's smile faded. She slowly looked away from Rainbow and shifted her weight. "Well... I'm... not a good flier, anyway. Even if I had recovered that much, I'm still me. I'm..." she trailed off and shook her head. She turned back to Rainbow and took a deep breath, then smiled. "Maybe after I recover we can fly together more."

Rainbow grinned. "I'd love that." Her smile turned a shade darker, "And when I'm through with you, you'll be Wonderbolt material."

Twilight's smile almost immediately disappeared, her eyes widened, and she shifted her weight away from Rainbow. "You said that-!"

Rainbow snickered a little, then scooted over to Twilight, then enveloped her, wrapping her wings around her friend's body, and wrapping her forelegs around her neck. "Don't worry, I won't be that hard on you. We'll do it gradually..." she offered in a soft voice.

Twilight pursed her lips and slowly bobbed her head. "Maybe..." she said cautiously.

Rainbow pulled Twilight against her chest, then nuzzled her neck. "Come on, it'll be fun!" She slid her wings down Twilight's side, then slipped her feathers between Twilight's wing and her body.

Twilight closed her eyes and smiled, pulling her wing close against her body in an attempt to keep Rainbow's feathers there. Twilight sighed and leaned her weight against Rainbow, then shifted her muzzle around and buried it in Rainbow's mane. She inhaled deeply. Her lips pulled into a warmer smile, she opened her eyes and nuzzled Rainbow's neck. "You smell nice... I've missed the way you smelt before you used my shampoo..." she said quietly.

Rainbow shifted her weight slightly, then ran her right foreleg down to Twilight's back and gave her a quick squeeze while she absently, blankly studied the wall behind Twilight. Her muzzle scrunched up slightly, then she closed her eyes and shook her head. She leaned in a little closer to Twilight's mane and tentatively inhaled. Her muzzle relaxed, then she opened her eyes. "Yeah. Um... maybe I can get some more and bring it over to the castle?" she offered.

Twilight giggled a little and nodded, brushing her head against Rainbow's neck and shoulder. "I'd like that," she said happily. She pulled back from Rainbow, then laid down and stretched out.

Rainbow smiled down at Twilight. She tore her gaze away from Twilight, then flapped her wings and hovered in the air. She calmly hovered over to the other door, then made sure it was locked before returning and landing beside Twilight. She took her forehoof and ruffled Twilight's mane, then pushed the blankets back. Twilight rolled over onto her stomach, then slipped beneath the covers and scooted back until only her head was visible and resting on the pillow. "So, what way will it be tonight?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight tilted her head and spaced out in thought. After several seconds, she grimaced and turned her gaze back to Rainbow. "I'd love to sleep facing you tonight since... well... yeah. But um... I... I kind of want you to... you know, hold me and... hold my legs to my body."

"Alright," Rainbow replied. She leaned down, then slid under the covers and got comfortable. She drew the blankets back up over her body with her forehoof, then she scooted up to Twilight. Twilight's cheeks took on a faint pink hue in the dim light as their bodies drew closer together.

Twilight averted her gaze from Rainbow's head and looked down at her neck, then chest. After a few seconds, she shifted her weight, then leaned over to her and gave her a quick nuzzle on her chest. She pulled back and glanced up at Rainbow and smiled nervously, then rolled over.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Good night, Twilight," she said softly. She scooted further down under the blankets, then slid her body up against Twilight's back. "Uh, you want to get the light?" she asked.

"Sorry," Twilight muttered under her breath. She scooted away from Rainbow, then pulled on a chain. The lamp clicked, then the room grew dark as she released the chain. She hastily scooted back up against Rainbow, then nestled up against her back.

"Thanks," Rainbow replied. She pushed herself up a little, then pushed her left foreleg under Twilight's neck. The alicorn lifted her head up to give Rainbow room, then laid her head back down on Rainbow's foreleg before letting out a calm, happy sigh. Rainbow shifted her foreleg down a little and wrapped it around the mare's chest, pinning her forelegs against her, then she took her right foreleg and wrapped it around Twilight's chest and forelegs. Twilight shifted beside her a little while she slid her left leg under her, then she scooted back against Rainbow's abdomen before Rainbow laid her other leg on top of Twilight's flank. She reangled her legs, then she tightly, yet gently pulled Twilight's legs against her body. "Good night, princess," she said.

"Rainbow!" Twilight huffed. After a second, she relented and snuggled back up against her friend, shifting her back against Rainbow's body and causing their coats to brush up against one another. She giggled sweetly from the contact. "Sweet dreams, Rainbow..." she whispered as the pegasus draped her wing over Twilight's body.

The quiet stillness of the night was broken as something darted through a bush, eliciting a rustling sound from the disturbance. Three earth ponies clad in Royal Guard armor all perked up at the faint, distant sound. They gripped their spears tighter and ever so slightly spread their hooves apart, all the while, their ears swiveling around to pick up any more sounds indicating somepony, or something else nearby. They slowly and carefully scanned the treeline for whatever had broken the silence.

A nearby unicorn frowned at the soldier's unease, then tentatively made his way over toward them. He moved slowly and quietly, while constantly scanning the treeline for any signs of danger. He came to a stop, then surveyed the surroundings. He remained silent for what felt like an eternity while he intently listened for any sounds breaking the silence. In the distance, the hooting of owls could be heard, along with quiet growls and calls from various animals and creatures. "Nothing yet?" he asked quietly.

The earth pony closest to him nearly jumped and turned to face him when he spoke. He closed his eyes and took a second to catch his breath, then shook his head. "No, sir," he answered, then turned back around and resumed cautiously looking and listening for any signs of company.

The unicorn remained stoic. "Team Charlie's late," he commented. "They should have been back half an hour ago..."

The other earth pony on the right shifted his weight uncomfortably. The earth pony on the left side perked up and turned to face the left, raising his spear up and spreading his hind hooves apart in a defensive stance. His ears quickly swiveled around, and his eyes darted back and forth over bushes and checking shadows.

The unicorn squinted into the darkness, but say nothing. He glanced at the other two earth ponies to find both of them having taken an interest in the third, though neither of them had taken the same positions.

The closest earth pony hastily jumped around and crouched down, holding his spear close. He squinted into the darkness and his ears rapidly turned about.

The unicorn glanced over the three earth ponies, then tentatively turned to face where two of them were looking. He cautiously watched the darkness for any signs of movement. A chill slowly crawled down his spine. He took a deep breath, then silently exhaled, forcing his nerves back under control. After several seconds, he tentatively channeled his magic into his horn, filling the air with a quiet, high-pitched rhythmic ringing of magic and casting a faint blue glow over the group. He took a deep breath, then stepped forward, standing ahead of the group of earth ponies, then focused his magic into a beam of light. The light pierced the darkness, illuminating the brushes and revealing the shadows. "Identify yourself!" he called out.

Silence greeted his call. He felt his pulse slowly rising in pace. He shifted his weight on his hooves and carefully studied the area lit by his horn, then he slowly swept his head to the left. He scrutinized every detail revealed by the light from his horn, then once he reached his full arc, he slowly swept his horn back to the right.

After a few more seconds, another sound pierced the air, more rustling branches and bushes. He shot his head back toward the center and crouched down. The third earth pony took up a position on his left side and held his spear at the ready while the other two stood defensively.

The sound grew in volume, and soon, heavy hoofsteps could be heard pounding against the uneven ground and occasionally snapping a dried branch or twig.

A unicorn and an earth pony burst out of the brush, both of them panting heavily. Their once pristine, gold-plated armor was covered in a thin skim of dull red which reflected some of the light from the unicorn's horn, blackened scorch marks, and dents. Both of the Royal Guards came to a sudden stop and went rigid, then saluted. "Sir!" the unicorn shouted.

The unicorn grunted, then looked at the three earth ponies. "Go get the medics," he ordered, then turned back to the two soldiers. "What happened!?" he demanded, stomping over toward them.

The injured unicorn slowly shook his head. "There's a cave about a mile north from here. We didn't find it in aerial recon because it's set into the ground. We entered it to investigate and were ambushed!"

The first unicorn grunted. "Changelings? Did you identify Queen Chrysalis?"

The unicorn grimaced. "Changelings. A lot of them. I didn't get a count because we were retreating, and I didn't spot Queen Chrysalis. I'm sorry, sir."

A few seconds later, the bushes rustled again. An out of breath, panting changeling with a purple carapace stumbled out of the treeline, then tripped on a rock. His wings buzzed and he grunted a high-pitched grunt as he hit the ground.

The uninjured unicorn rushed over to him, then crouched down. Examining his body revealed multiple burn marks covering his body. All of the injuries had blood trickling out of them, but the more serious injuries were being filled with a thick, viscous green fluid. His muzzle scrunched up in revulsion. He turned back to see several more Royal Guards rushing over, along with several changelings with bright carapaces. He stepped back as one of the changelings and a medic rushed over to the wounded changeling.

"His injuries are severe, but he is healing," the changeling medic rasped in a high-pitched voice. Without hesitation, he lifted the injured changeling up and placed him on his back, then spread his large, light blue, see-through wings and buzzed back over to the camp.

The medic who came to inspect the changeling just blinked as his patient was carried away. He shook his head and turned back to the other two injured. "Changelings..." he muttered under his breath as he rushed over to the unicorn and earth pony.

"Lieutenant!"

The unicorn scowled, then trotted back to the camp. Another unicorn greeted him with a scowl. He was flanked on both sides by changelings with light green carapaces. "Get your ponies ready to move. We need to find out if Queen Chrysalis is in there."

"Yes, sir," the Lieutenant saluted rigidly.

A group of twenty-four earth ponies and nine unicorns, all clad in Royal Guard armor, accompanied by a dozen reformed changelings hastily, steadily trekked through the forest's underbrush. Branches and thorns tried to prick and snare them, yet their armor and carapaces help up against nature's assault. Despite their attempt at stealth, the crunching of dried twigs and leaves under their hooves constantly broke the silence.

"It's just up ahead!" a stallion softly called out, his voice just barely carrying through the night.

"Eyes on target. Looks clear," another soldier quietly called out.

The cave entrance was a large hole in the ground, gently sloping downward despite the rough, rocky terrain. At the deepest end of the entrance, where ground and rock hung over the opening, a single, large oak tree sat, its roots penetrating the rock and holding it together, while some of the roots stuck out from the dirt and rock, showing evidence of erosion.

The lieutenant quickly surveyed the surrounding darkness and shadows for any dark forms of changelings, but the only changelings he saw where the brightly colored reformed changelings. He felt his pulse racing with his heartbeat. The anxiety and nervousness he felt at the prospect of what could come made him uncomfortable standing still. He shifted his weight, then stepped forward. Peering down into the cave, he light his horn and used his magic to illuminate the interior.

The darkness broke to reveal an empty cave with dull, orangish rock for walls. As the light faded further down the cave, the cave bent and snaked away from a straight path, mostly pulling to the left. For the first few feet, roots could be seen tangled and piercing the roof from the trees above. The floor was dull and dusty.

He stepped around and set a hoof down on the rough floor. "It's dry," he noted. He stepped back and turned to his left, then his right. His ponies and changelings broke from their cover and gathered around, their attention evenly split between the lieutenant and the cave's darkness. "Alright, earth ponies up front, changelings take the middle, and unicorns follow up in the rear. If we have to split up, I want teams of at least three earth ponies, a unicorn, and two changelings."

A quiet chorus of "Yes sir!" rang out.

He took a deep breath and focused his gaze back into the darkness. "Team echo, you stay here and guard the entrance." He felt a tingle run down his spine and ignored it. The rough walls and floor offered plenty of traction should it be needed, but a thin layer of dried dust indicated that the cave should be dry. Glancing up, he couldn't see much of the sky for thick tree branches, but what he could make out was a clear sky. He turned his gaze back to the cave, noting a few places which blocked the beam of light from his horn, casting shadows behind them, but nothing looked unnatural. After a couple of seconds, he turned back to his soldiers to find them having assembled in the proper order. "Alright, let's go. Check your corners and to the unicorns and changelings, make sure to light it up well."

Several earth ponies quietly jumped down into the opening, then paused while more ponies filled in behind them. They slowly moved forward until the reformed changelings hopped down behind them. The cave grew brighter from the multicolored auras of the changelings who cast light spells to further illuminate their path. They slowly made their way forward and unicorns jumped down to take their place.

Finally, the lieutenant jumped down after the last unicorn joined the group. The cave was large enough for five ponies to stand side by side. He took a deep breath and cautiously moved forward with the rest of his soldiers, sweeping his horn from side to side and double checking shadows already checked by changelings and unicorns before him.

The cave was quiet enough to unnerve him and keep him on edge. The only sounds were the quiet clanking of metal on rock or the occasional chittering of one of the reformed changelings. It wasn't long before they reached the winding part of the cave and realized that it branched off into three sections. They divided up as evenly as they could, then set off down each path. The lieutenant went with the group on the left and continued down the main path of the cave.

"I don't like this, it's too quiet..."

"Hey, it's better than hearing a bunch of changeling's, isn't it?"

"I just about think I would prefer that."

"Cut the chatter!" the lieutenant scolded. As soon as he spoke, the soldier's voices were silenced. He shook his head and slowly, quietly exhaled. They walked into a large cavern. He swept his horn around, scanning everywhere the light fell. Nothing looked out of place, and the room was very rocky. The top of the chamber was covered in stalagmites, while close to the entrance, there was a group of three boulders jutting up from the ground. He turned his gaze away from them as they continued into the cavern and spread out.

"Found another crevice!" a stallion quietly called out.

The lieutenant turned his attention to the stallion and he, along with everyone else, made their way over to him. "It's pretty small. If you wanted to hide out for a while, this would be a good place to go, but it's not very good for getting in and out of in a hurry," he said quietly.

Whoosh.

One of the soldier's ears perked up. "Did you hear?" he asked hastily in a quiet voice. His ears swiveled around rapidly, trying to discern any more foreign sounds.

The lieutenant frowned and turned around, sweeping his horn over the walls and everywhere they had already checked. "I don't see anything, and I didn't hear anything. Keep your eyes open, though. Could be somewhere we didn't see or failed to check," he ordered. A couple of the unicorns joined him in his search, their beams of light illuminating more of the cavern. He idly swept his horn back over the way the came, including the two rocks they passed as they entered the room.

As he finished his arc, he shook his head, then turned back around. "Let's keep moving. Maybe one of the other groups is having better luck than us."

Click... click click.

"I swear I heard something just then!" another soldier, a unicorn this time, said. He turned around from the crevice and swept his horn quickly over the cavern's floor and walls, searching for anything that had changed.

"It's just your nerves," the lieutenant said dismissingly. "But stay alert..." he ordered cautiously. He squinted, then glanced back at a couple of the changelings and jerked his head toward the room. The two changelings pulled back from the crevice and surveyed the room.

Whoosh. Whoosh.

The lieutenant frowned and turned to his right, then left, the two changelings mirroring his actions, while his unicorns quickly looked over the room. "Hold up," he ordered.

"What is it?" a quiet voice called out from the crevice.

The lieutenant turned his head back toward the crevice. "We might have company," he whispered. He turned back to the cave while listening to the earth ponies hurriedly rushing out of the crevice.

Several moments passed in absolute silence after the earth ponies exited the crevice, but no new sounds presenting themselves. The lieutenant turned back to face them. "Did you find anything?"

The earth ponies shook their head. "No, sir. We didn't get in far enough."

"Right," the lieutenant replied, then turned back around. "Let's try again," he said. "The rest of you, try to find anything we might have missed.

Click... Click click click click.

"Alright, I swear I heard something!"

"Keep quiet!" the lieutenant harshly whispered back. Several more seconds passed in quiet.

Drip...

The lieutenant felt something impact the top of his helmet, bringing with it a dull, almost unnoticeable thud. 'Water? But the cave is dry...' He frowned, then looked up. The light from his horn pierced the darkness, and unveiled a wall of black.

Click click click click click... Whoosh Whoosh... Click click click click.

A loud booming rang out through Celestia's personal bedchambers. She grunted and opened her eyes, then squinted into the darkness, perplexed by the disturbance. She sighed as another loud knocking pierced the air.

"Celestia!" a voice shouted from behind the door. In an instant, she was wide awake, having recognized the voice of her sister.

Celestia jumped out of bed, then glanced at the clock. She winced a little at the time it read, but forced it aside, knowing that her sister would not have disturbed her at such an hour unless it was vitally important. She hurriedly walked through the door and out into her study, then she reached the door and hastily opened it. "What is it Luna?" she asked.

Luna glanced around, then stepped into Celestia's study and closed the door behind her. "I was just informed that contact with our forces who had cornered Queen Chrysalis was lost following a report that they were investigating a cave that pegasi reconnaissance missed. They sent pegasi to reestablish contact following the loss of contact, but we've heard nothing back from them yet."

Celestia frowned and motioned her sister into her study with a hoof. As soon as Luna cleared the door, she silently closed it, then paced around the room a few times, looking at the floor and frowning in thought. She came to a stop and turned to face Luna, who wore a distressed, yet still calm demeanor. "How long overdue is the communication from the detachment?"

"Approximately four hours, sister. The pegasus team sent to reestablish contact was sent out not quite an hour ago, and it could be a couple of hours before we hear anything back from them," she answered.

Celestia grimaced and turned to the door to her balcony, then calmly strode over to her balcony and walked out into the calm night. Luna tentatively walked over to her as she opened the door, then stepped out onto the balcony. In the dark of night, the moon was high in the sky, casting a faint white glow upon the world. Celestia glanced out across the world and found her gaze drawn on Ponyville. "So we are in the dark, then..." she mused, then grimaced. "Should... we inform Twilight?" she asked cautiously, turning back to face her sister.

Luna pursed her lips. "This... matter may prove problematic. We have no eyes on Queen Chrysalis or her changelings right now. They are very far away from Ponyville, however. Informing her of what has transpired could worry Twilight more than she already is, and I'm not sure that we should. However, not informing her may be an even worse choice. If something does happen, then if we inform her, at least she will have a forewarning. However, we have no way of knowing exactly what has transpired, and we may be overreacting to nothing."

Celestia sighed and hung her head. "Telling her would only worry her more. They changelings under Chrysalis's control aren't a threat to her because of how far away they are from Ponyville. Although she will likely want to go after Twilight for revenge, she is in no position of power for that, having expended most of her resources on her last attempt. Perhaps it would prove wise to reposition some guards to Ponyville in case something were to happen."

Luna tentatively nodded and walked over to the railing, then draped her forelegs over the railing and propped herself up slightly. "As of right now, we have no idea what has transpired. It is possible that their messenger simply encountered a problem..."

Celestia slowly sat down on her haunches. "Perhaps we are overreacting, but in this case, it will be better to act on the side of caution. Best case scenario, it's just a simple problem that will be rectified quickly. Worst case scenario... our forces were overpowered, in which case we have no idea what happened and where Queen Chrysalis is right now. But at least we know that she is too far to pose an immediate threat..." she trailed off and turned to her sister. "We need more information."

Luna nodded. "I agree, acting hastily isn't wise, but precautions should be taken, lest we get caught by surprise once more."

Celestia winced a little. "Chrysalis... has a habit of catching us off-guard." She shook her head and then stood up to her full height. "It won't happen again," she affirmed, stamping her hoof to the floor in finality. "We will wait until we know more before we tell Twilight... she has enough to worry about as it is."

Luna slowly nodded in agreement, then drew back from the railing and looked at Celestia warily. "Once we pinpoint Chrysalis's position, as discussed, I will move to engage her immediately, before she has time to react."

Celestia nodded absently. "I trust you to handle that specific matter... you've always been more... combatively and tactically inclined than myself." She offered a slight smile at Luna, who returned it and nodded.

"I will not fail, sister. Chrysalis will pay for what she has done," Luna promised. "I will not let her get away with hurting so many ponies, especially not family."

Author's Note

The opening scene of this chapter is really depressing. "But it's so cute, how can it be depressing?" you ask. It is a reminder that no matter what, none of us will ever get to experience holding and cuddling any of the ponies we want to. :raritydespair:

No, I am not writing heavily awkward scenes with the parents. Only slightly awkward. About the most awkward you’re going to get was last chapter with the mention of foals. Why? Because I don’t want cringe, and awkward scenes with the parents would be cringe. Nobody likes cringe, or at least nobody I’m aware of likes cringe.

It seems like all they eat for breakfast is pancakes, and the funny thing? I’m not that big of a fan of pancakes myself, but it’s the breakfast food I’m most familiar with. However, pancakes topped with strawberries and blueberries sound amazing. :raritystarry: I want to have those sometime.

You know... When going over this for proofreading and editing, I found myself thinking about Twilight drinking milk... Is it cow milk? Is that somehow creepy because of fridge logic? I'm a bit disturbed...

I’m a bit interested in how many of you think about Twilight’s horn regrowing in terms of, will I have that happen, and, how will it happen? I’ve thought about it a lot. If I were to have it regrow, I’m not sure how I’d set that plot up, and the part with Twilight talking about it is the jest of it. Either it would be slow, with her feeling a bump starting to grow back where her horn was (likely Rainbow noticing it first), which would slowly grow back out to her horn, or the sudden, complete regrowth of her horn. The former is more realistic, but the latter seems to be more a result of magic, and both are potential ways I could use. It depends on different, yet to be determined variables. Although, I may have her horn grow back by/at the end of this story. It’s not set in stone.

There’s a scene I really want to talk about, well, actually two scenes, but both of them are going to take place toward the end of this story, so it’ll be a few months before I get to talk about them. :fluttershysad:

If you paid close attention in Reaction, and you’re paying close attention in this, you may notice two things that seem curious. They’re Chekov's guns. This paragraph mentioning them is not in place with where it is in the chapter... Eventually, my master plan will be revealed for this series. One of these days, I would absolutely love to sit down and go through and talk about this series, doing an Author’s commentary...

You may notice that Twilight’s still depressed. If you don’t, I point you to the part with Twilight stating that she doesn’t like monopolizing Rainbow’s time. She’s still in a bad spot right now, and talking about it deeper, a brief analysis of her character shows her in a very bad spot. She lost her horn and feels useless like she can’t do anything, and that she’s a burden on her friends. She loves Rainbow and is happy to be with her, but then at the same time, a part of her is rejecting that- which ties back into her depression. There is a potential there for a very, very dark and bad situation. To further elaborate, imagine someone being depressed getting all of their self-worth from one thing, and that thing being taken away from them. In this case, her self-worth came from her magic, and her friends, but both of those are being taken away from her, of sorts. In Reaction, there is a scene with Twilight more or less recognizing that she’s in that state, and that deluding herself to think Rainbow loved her was a grave mistake- that would have hurt her deeply. But as we see, things have improved, although some issues remain. I can comment a bit more on this personally since I seem to suffer from depression. I enjoy spending time with my friends, but as soon as their gone, the satisfaction starts to fade, then it eventually leaves me in a worse state.

Just a random comment to throw in here, not really spurred on by any one thing in the story. Most things in a story are written with a purpose. Some things can be unintentional, but generally speaking, everything is placed with purpose.

When rereading this for edits, I realized, "Twilight just called me an idiot!" The scene where she calls whoever designed the reactor core room an idiot. Since technically, I designed it because I wrote it, Twilight's insulting me, and because I'm writing Twilight, I just insulted myself, without intending to... :twilightblush:

You know, the scene with Twilight and Fluttershy kind of ends abruptly, or at least it feels like it does. Just... you know, mentioning Discord and Twilight being cautious about that, then just ending it. I wasn't sure how else to end it, though...

I enjoyed writing the scene with Rainbow flying. It went better and was easier than I expected. I'm still not comfortable writing shower/bath scenes, even though with this chapter I've written... four to five of these scenes... WIth at least one more planned later on in this story. That scene is very important for Twilight and Rainbow and their relationship. Get your head out of the gutter.

I don't really have anything to comment about the scene with Twilight and Rainbow cuddling after Rainbow gets done showering. Rainbow's kind of/pretty eager for that, though, and so is Twilight. And, well, they do talk about flying. You know, just... after this story is finished, if you reread it and come back to this part... Well, hindsight will be 20/20, and you'll really think about it. Also in Reaction with them talking about flying...

I got off topic there. There is one comment I kind of want to make about the cuddle scene, but I can't word it properly, so I'm just not going to comment on that.

And then we get to the "exciting part." I'm kind of a veteran writer for writing this sort of stuff. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I haven't enjoyed writing it in this story. This part is meant to be vague and not detailed insofar as names of them and such. It's meant to show what else is going on and to start off what's going to happen without getting bogged down in details. I may have somewhat tried to use it in an attempt to "wet your appetite" for more. I'm actually fairly decent at writing action. Or at least in theory. I "have a lot of practice with it." Just look at the stories I've written...

PROGRESS! You know that bad things are going to happen in the future, now, don't you? I suppose one thing I can comment on here is something about it being 30,000 words into the story before we get to the part of the relevent plot. Also, something to be said about it being toward the end of chapter two, and that being 30,000 words into the story, although it's more like 27,000 words into the story is where this part stops.

I need to stop analysising my stories and sharing my analysis.

I'm not a fan of describing the new 'good' changelings...

:pinkiecrazy: I'm assuming you've read the whole chapter before reading author's notes. I enjoyed writing that scene with the soldiers in the cavern... hehehe. I kind of aimed for pulling off something out of an alien horror movie or something with it. I don't watch those kidns of movies. They'd scare me and then I'd have nightmares... But, I wanted to try. I hope I pulled it off well... Also, I'm sure you can imagine what happened following the scene break...

Celestia and Luna know that overreacting is a bad thing. Both of them know what happens when you overreact, and so they're playing it safe and not overreacting, because after all, it's just a communications glitch. Nothing to worry about at all...

I opened this up in an editing app, and it said "reading time: 1 hour 4 minutes." I am not quite sure what to think about that.

This was kind of a struggle to meet my self-imposed deadline to publish it on 6/17/17. I could go into details about it, but I won't since it would just detract from the story.

Chapter 3

Twilight involuntarily shivered and shifted closer to Rainbow. Despite having been in a hospital for weeks, and despite being in Canterlot, where the climate was cooler than Ponyville because of altitude, she still found that the hospital had a bit of an uncomfortable chill to it.

Rainbow glanced over at Twilight as she scooted closer to her. She offered her a reassuring smile, then unfurled her wing and draped it over Twilight's back and pulled her close, welcoming her friend's warmth. She briefly closed her eyes, letting her thoughts drift off to the pleasant, comforting warmth from Twilight's body, then she opened her eyes again. "You doing okay?" she asked, studying Twilight's expression.

Twilight turned to Rainbow and nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's... just a bit chilly in here." She studied Rainbow's expression for a moment, bringing a smile to her lips, then looked straight ahead across the room.

Rainbow gently squeezed Twilight with her wing, pulling her alicorn against her body. Twilight leaned her head against Rainbow and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, then calmly exhaling a gentle sigh. "It's not that bad in here," Rainbow replied, despite feeling the cold seep into her unprotected coat. She leaned her head against Twilight's head, then quickly rubbed her muzzle over Twilight, drawing a happy giggle from her. Twilight's giggle made Rainbow's smile grow warmer, and deep inside her chest, she felt a warm happiness, knowing that she could make Twilight happy. A moment later, the happiness waned and guilt stabbed at her. 'I don't really want to leave you yet...' She grimaced. "Hey, shouldn't you be used to this? You grew up in Canterlot, and you were in the hospital for a while..."

Twilight smiled warily. "Yes, I grew up in Canterlot, but I've been in Ponyville for several years now, and I've grown accustomed to the warmer weather. I didn't enjoy being stuck in the hospital either..." she trailed off and slid her muzzle over against Rainbow's neck and nuzzled into her neck and mane. "But, at least you're here to keep me warm," she cooed.

Rainbow laid her head back on Twilight's and gently nuzzled her. "Are you sure you want me here with you for this, though?" she asked, her voice crackling with uncertainty. "It's... kind of personal, you know. Your checkup with Doctor Manner..."

Twilight slid her muzzle back from Rainbow's mane and laid her head on Rainbow's shoulder. "You've been to these before... Besides..." she trailed off and licked her lips, then took a deep breath. Despite her best efforts, her heart beat a little quicker, and unease seeped into her chest. "I... I'm sure I'm fine..." she said quietly. "I trust you to be here," she added softly, smiling.

Rainbow smiled brashly. "Of course you're fine!" she exclaimed. She leaned away from Twilight and wrapped her foreleg around Twilight's neck. "You're an alicorn and you're my friend. You've not had any issues, so I bet you're going to get a clean bill of health!" Twilight smiled at Rainbow's assurance. A little of her energy faded, but her voice became more serious, "You really need to stop worrying so much. It's not good for you. I bet even Doctor Manner would tell you that much!"

Twilight's smile turned sheepish. "Probably, but... I just... I don't know how to not worry... So many things could go wrong!" She leaned away from Rainbow. "I... I was exposed to enough radiation to kill a normal pony! I almost died..." She whispered. She swallowed, then glanced at Rainbow. Rainbow's smile, her reassurance, all of it had faded, and it had been replaced with pain. Twilight closed her eyes and looked away from Rainbow, hanging her head.

Rainbow swallowed and pulled Twilight back against her. Twilight resisted for a moment, then relented, not wanting to resist Rainbow's embrace. "Hey, it'll be fine. You're going to be okay, alright? I promise that you'll be okay," Rainbow said in a serious, firm tone.

Twilight took a deep breath and shifted her weight beneath Rainbow's wing. "You don't... you can't know that..." she retorted.

Rainbow leaned away from Twilight, then turned to face her. Twilight shied away from her and pressed her forehead against Rainbow's shoulder. "Hey, look at me," she said. Twilight swallowed, then slowly lifted her head back up and met Rainbow's gaze. "You're going to be okay. You know why? Because I promised that I'll be there for you, no matter what. I will make it okay, alright?" Rainbow said seriously, studying Twilight's eyes.

Twilight looked down at Rainbow's shoulder, then slowly nodded. She silently turned her head back to look at the wall. She closed her eyes and calmly inhaled, then slowly exhaled. She swallowed again, then nodded, more firmly this time. "O-okay."

Rainbow smiled, then looked away from Twilight, turning her attention to the door as it opened. Doctor Manner calmly walked inside, smiling, then closed the door behind him. He paused and took a deep breath, looking over Twilight and Rainbow. "How's my favorite patient doing, Princess?" he greeted warmly.

Twilight smiled a little, then hopped out of her chair. "I'm... fine, I guess," she answered. She glanced back at Rainbow to see her gaze still lingering on her, and to see that her wing was still open. She turned away from Rainbow and walked over to the bed in the room, then hopped up on it.

Rainbow blinked, then glanced at her wing, missing Twilight's presence. She slowly folded her wing, knowing that Twilight wouldn't return for a little while. She internally sighed, then turned to study the wall to occupy herself and attempt to give Twilight some privacy.

Doctor Manner frowned a little as he walked over to the bed. "You don't sound fine," he stated glumly. He glanced back at the counter, then levitated over a needle and a packet. Twilight eyed the needle and packet warily, then extended her right foreleg. Doctor Manner smiled apologetically. "We need to run some tests to check on some things to make sure everything's alright," he explained.

Twilight braced herself as she heard Doctor Manner tear open the packet, then winced a little as he ran the sterile pad over a spot on her foreleg. She took a deep breath and forced her muscles to relax as she felt the needle pierce her skin. "Just... it's still hard," she answered, trying to distract herself from the needle.

Doctor Manner nodded sympathetically. "It's... to be expected..." He trailed off, then placed a pad of gauze beside the needle. As he removed the needle, he pressed the pad to her wound. "But, you seem to be doing well, at least from your appearance. We'll have to wait to finish her before I know for sure." After a few more seconds, he lifted the pad of gauze up and scrutinized her foreleg. He smiled, not noticing much red.

Twilight glanced down at her foreleg, then her gaze drifted back up to the vial of red liquid Doctor Manner placed on the table in a plastic container specifically designed for the vials.

Doctor Manner levitated over a stethoscope. "Now that the worst part is over, please lay down." Twilight obliged, then laid down on her back with her head on the pillow. She took a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling, then scowled, feeling that the white tiles were mocking her.

He levitated the stethoscope over Twilight's chest, then placed it on her. Twilight winced a little as the cold sapped her warmth. Doctor Manner's gaze glossed over as he listened to Twilight's heartbeat. He repositioned the stethoscope and continued listening. "Deep breath," he ordered. "Good." He levitated the stethoscope aside. "Your heart and lungs sound healthy," he said. "Any pain or concerns you've had? Anything happen while you were gone that has you concerned?"

Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. "No. Nothing has really been physically affecting me..." she trailed off, then leaned her head to the side. "Well, I'm still... physically weaker than I was before. And flying still tires me out."

Doctor Manner squinted and slowly nodded. "It would probably be a good idea to start flying and exercising more, then. If you've not had any issues with feeling sick or nauseous, then you should start exercising. Push yourself, but don't push yourself so much that you make yourself sick," he said. He glanced over at Rainbow, who was paying more attention to the wall than both of them. "You can make sure Twilight gets proper exercise, right?"

Rainbow perked up and looked around, then found Doctor Manner. She smiled, then looked at Twilight and nodded. "Yeah, I'll make sure she exercises," she said. Twilight gulped and licked her lips.

Doctor Manner smiled and turned back to Twilight. "As for still being physically weaker... We'll have to run the blood tests, but I have a suspicion it's a combination of an improper alicorn diet and a lack of exercise on your part."

Twilight shifted her weight uncomfortably and grimaced. "I've... been eating more... meat..." she said tentatively. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow ruffle her wings and look away from her once more. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest and sighed.

"That's good," Doctor Manner said with a nod of his head. "That'll speed up your recovery."

"I told you!" Rainbow said.

Twilight groaned and sat up. "Rainbow, it makes you uncomfortable-"

"Okay, yeah, it does a little, but you need to. You can always it eat whenever nopony else is around!" Rainbow retorted.

Twilight opened her mouth, then pressed her tongue up against her teeth and slowly closed her mouth. "That... I guess you're right..." she reluctantly admitted. "I don't like eating meat, though..."

Rainbow hopped out of her seat and walk over to the bed, then sat down on the floor. "But you need to. It's important for you!"

Twilight sighed and hung her head. Her ears pinned back in guilt. "I... know... Okay, I'll eat more meat..." she relented.

"Lay back down for me, please," Doctor Manner said.

Twilight looked at him sheepishly and laid back down. "Sorry..."

"That's alright," Doctor Manner replied with a smile. He walked around, then gently ran his hoof over Twilight's forehead. He pursed his lips, then gently placed his hoof on her forehead where her horn would have been, then lightly pressed and felt around. "Any pain?"

Twilight shifted her weight. "It's... uncomfortable," she replied tentatively. "I wouldn't call it painful, but it's not exactly pleasant..."

Doctor Manner frowned and nodded, then pulled his hoof away. He ran his hoof down Twilight's head, then neck, and down to her body. Every once in a while, he lightly pressed into her side. "Anything feel off?" he asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No," she answered.

"Alright..." he said to himself. "Please extend your wings," he asked. Twilight unfurled her wings and laid them on the hospital bed. Doctor Manner scrutinized her right wing closely, running his hoof in between her feathers, then once he was satisfied, he placed his hoof on the base of her wing and felt around, then slid his hoof up flat against her side where her wing would rest when folded against her.

He placed his hoof on Twilight's body, below her ribcage, then started pressing and feeling around. "Any pain or discomfort?"

Twilight mulled it over while he gently pressed into her stomach and then abdomen. "Not really," she answered.

Doctor Manner nodded, then walked around to her other side and repeated the process, gauging Twilight's reaction to every press and prod. After he finished looking at Twilight's left wing, the nodded to himself. "Alright." He levitated over a clipboard, then scribbled down a few notes. "You're doing great from the looks of things. Just make sure that you start exercising more and continue to eat healthily, and eat more meat," he said, giving Twilight a flat look.

Twilight shifted her weight and tentatively sat up. "I will..." she said defensively, ruffling her wings.

"Well, if nothing else, you can go ahead and go. I'll have the lab results back sometime later this week and I'll let you know the results when I get them. I don't think I need to keep seeing you quite as often... How does one month sound?"

Twilight nodded. "I'll make an appointment for that, then..." she said, then hopped off the bed and started toward the door. Rainbow quickly stood up and joined her, sliding up beside her and smiling. Twilight smiled and brushed up against her, then leaned away from her.

Twilight closed her eyes and lifted her head upward as she stepped outside of the hospital. She took a deep breath and let the smell of fresh air fill her nostrils and lungs. The smells of nature were welcomed to her, unlike the overbearing, artificially clean smell of the hospital. She exhaled as a gentle breeze rolled by, then she lowered her head a little and opened her eyes.

Rainbow watched Twilight for a couple seconds before speaking, "So, you want to fly back to your castle, then?"

Twilight turned to look at Rainbow and thought about it for a couple of seconds, then she smiled. "Sure, we can fly back," she said with a quick nod. A second passed, she squinted at Rainbow cautiously and pursed her lips. "Just... a nice, relaxing flight back..." she said cautiously.

Rainbow rolled her eyes walked a couple of steps ahead of Twilight, then spread her wings out. "Doctor Manner said to exercise. You need to do that to get better, but I'm not going to push you until you're ready. Even just flying around more would be exercise!" She replied. She looked back at Twilight and smiled.

Twilight smiled sheepishly and unfurled her wings, then beat them and hovered in the air. Rainbow grinned and crouched down, then jumped into the air and flapped her wings. She did a little loop, then flew back beside Twilight. Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes while shaking her head. She put a little more effort into her wingbeats and started climbing. Rainbow stayed close beside her but kept enough distance between them that neither of them were going to collide or hit each other with their wings.

Twilight's ascent slowed as she looked down over Ponyville. 'You've changed so much,' she thought. 'You used to be such a small, relaxed town, but... not anymore...' she grimaced at the thought, then shook her head and lazily beat her wings to keep her altitude and propelled herself at a leisurely pace toward her castle.

Rainbow kept an eye on Twilight as they flew, while also looking around and keeping an eye on things. She cast a glance at Twilight and frowned. 'I know that look...' She sighed and looked away from her. 'I hate seeing you so unhappy...' She took a deep breath, then steeled her resolve. She sped up, then climbed into the air a little ways, then fell back into a loop and rolled over, flashing Twilight a smile before resuming flying normally.

Twilight's scowl faded almost immediately, and she giggled a little. "What was that all about?"

"What?" Rainbow asked, feigning ignorance, "I can't just do a little trick to put a smile on your face?" She smiled boldly.

Twilight smiled warmly, then it faded a little, becoming distressed and discouraged. "Thanks..." she said calmly.

Rainbow frowned at Twilight's falling expression. "Twilight, come on... You should be happy. You're doing better! You're getting better! You're recovering!" she said as if pleading for Twilight to believe her, which only succeeded in bringing a grimace to Twilight's lips. "How come you're not happy?" she asked quietly.

Twilight sighed, shook her head, and looked away from Rainbow as her ears folded back. "I guess... it's just one of those days. I miss my magic..." she trailed off, then looked back at Rainbow and offered her a weak, apologetic smile.

Rainbow's flight slowed to a hover. After a couple of seconds, Twilight slowed down to a hover, and both of them watched each other. "I can't imagine what that's like, Twilight. Really, I can't. Starlight compared it to a pegasus losing their wings. I can't imagine what that would be like either... it would be... horrible..." she said quietly. "But that's not all that's bothering you! Please talk to me."

Twilight looked away from Rainbow, glancing down at Ponyville. "Everything... has changed so much. I miss the old days..." she replied quietly. She glanced back up at Rainbow and met her gaze. "Back when the six of us had so much more free time to be together. Back when I was just learning all about this. About friendship. It... it just doesn't feel the same, now..." she trailed off and sighed, then hung her head and folded her ears back once again. "I think I'm depressed... and I think that I'm that way because of either being exposed to enough radiation to cause neurological damage, or losing my horn. On top of that, there's the chance that the damage I sustained from the radiation changed my body chemistry in such a way that I'm not suffering from depression," she said, speaking in such a way as a professor would.

Rainbow watched Twilight for several seconds, idly beating her wings to stay aloft, all the while, feeling a knot growing in her throat and an unease and discomfort growing in her body. She swallowed, then licked her lips and flew over to Twilight, who still refused to look up at her. Rainbow tentatively placed a hoof on Twilight's chest. She hesitated, then flew in closer and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight's withers. "Hey, you'll be okay. I'll tell you that every day if I have to. I will make it okay, alright? I'll be there for you."

Twiligth took a deep breath, then nodded. She looked at Rainbow for a second, then returned her hug and laid her head on Rainbow's shoulder. "Thanks... that... it does make a difference, Rainbow... this... Thank you. I..." she trailed off, closed her eyes, and rubbed her muzzle along Rainbow's neck in slow, tender strokes.

Rainbow leaned her head against Twilight as she nuzzled her. "I mean that, Twilight. It may drive me crazy having to say that to you every day, but I'll do that as long as I have to for you to get better." She quickly nuzzled into Twilight's mane, then lifted her head away from her, intending to pull back from the hug. She found her forelegs lingering, and Twilight made no indications of trying to pull back. She sighed, then laid her head on Twilight's shoulder, pushing off the distress she felt at the thought of ponies being able to look up and see them together, hugging like that. 'She's my friend, she's important to me!' she told herself, fighting back the distress she felt. She gave Twilight a gently squeeze. "You ready to head on back to the castle? We can cuddle for a while if you want, then we can get something to eat."

Twilight thought about it for a couple of seconds, then she pulled her head back away from Rainbow and nodded, smiling softly. "I... I would like that," she said softly. She tentatively, reluctantly release Rainbow from her grip. The pegasus slowly released her, then slid her forelegs away from her. Twilight closed her eyes as Rainbow's forelegs slid off of her body, the feeling eliciting a little joy and happiness to replace what was lost. She scrutinized Rainbow for a second, and shuffled her shoulders around, then quickly glanced around, making sure they were alone in the sky. She leaned in and quickly pecked Rainbow on the cheek, then pulled back, blushing, and started off toward her castle.

Rainbow smiled and watched Twilight start off. After a couple of seconds, she started to follow Twilight, still smirking while the feeling of Twilight's lips on her coat lingered, almost feeling tingly. She watched Twilight as they flew, the way the wind made Twilight's mane and tail flow was almost mezmorizing. 'What... will you look like... in... well, whenever that'll be. A few centuries? What will you look like with the flowing mane and tail like Celestia and Luna?' she wondered, picturing the almost magical quality of the princesses manes, combined with Twilight's mane. 'You're going to be so beautiful... I hope I can see that...'

She deeply inhaled, then calmly exhaled. She flew a little faster to catch up with Twilight. Eventually, they reached the crystalline castle, then slowed as they approached the balcony. Twilight landed first, coming to a complete stop, while Rainbow landed and set into an immediate walk to prevent herself from falling over. She smiled sheepishly and took it in stride, coming to a stop at the door, then opening it.

"Thanks," Twilight said as she walked on into her room. She paused, then took a deep breath. She unfurled her wings around, then casually flew over to her bed, landed, then plopped down on it.

Rainbow chuckled a little as she closed the door. "It wasn't that bad, was it?" she asked, turning back to face Twilight.

"I don't like being in hospitals," Twilight answered. "And... well, nothing against Doctor Manner. He's nice, I consider him one of my friends, but... it's just stressful."

"You overthink it, don't you? You worry about something being wrong," Rainbow said as she approached the bed. Twilight rolled her head over to face Rainbow, then reluctantly nodded. "You need to stop that, Twi," Rainbow said. She placed her forehooves on the bed, then hopped up onto the bed. She sat down, then laid down, facing Twilight.

Twilight sighed. "I know, I know... but... I just... I can't. I can't stop worrying about it... I know I need to, but I can't... it's... part of who I am."

Rainbow grimaced, then scooted closer to Twilight. She wrapped her limbs around her friend, then pulled her close. She took her foreleg, then coaxed Twilight's heat into resting onher neck. Twilight returned Rainbow's embrace and snuggled up against her, pressing their bodies close together so that their coats were in contact. "Cuddling helps you. I really don't have to go back to the Wonderbolts, Twilight. I could stay with you and... be with you," she offered in a soft voice.

"No. I can't... do that. As much as I want that, as much as I want to just be with you all day, every day, it's not fair to you. I can't just take your dream from you," Twilight firmly retorted.

Rainbow leaned up and nuzzled into the back of Twilight's neck, nestling into her soft, welcoming mane. "Don't forget that I want to be with you too, Twilight..." she said, then sighed and laid her head back flat on the pillow. She took her foreleg and brought it up to Twilight's neck, then gently started stroking Twilight's mane with her hoof. "I love you," she whispered.

Twilight nuzzled Rainbow and held her tighter. "I love you too, Rainbow," she sweetly cooed.

Spike tentatively knocked on the door. He shifted his weight as he heard an audible groan coming from Rainbow Dash. He grimaced a little and glanced at the scroll bearing Princess Celestia's seal he held in his other claw. He looked patiently at the door, waiting for somepony to open it. Several seconds passed. He lifted his claw up, then knocked on the door again.

He listened closely, trying to discern anymore sounds coming from within, but everything was muffled by the thick crystalline walls. He lifted his claw back up to knock again, only for the door to open. "Hey, Rainbow," he acknowledged.

Rainbow looked around, then blinked and looked down at Spike. "Oh, hey Spike. What's up?" she asked.

Spike waved his claw with a scroll in the air. "A letter for Twilight from Princess Celestia," he replied.

Rainbow nodded, then opened the door all the way and stepped aside to grant him entrance. "Okay... what's it say?" she asked.

"I haven't read it yet," Spike said as he walked into the room.

Twilight rolled over onto her back, then onto her side facing the door and sat up. She hopped down and met Spike halfway. She instinctually went to grab the scroll with her magic. When nothing happened, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and in the back of her mind. It wasn't a physical pain. She sighed, then sat down and took the letter in her forehooves. She carefully broke the seal, then unrolled it and read it over.

Rainbow closed the door, then walked over and sat down beside Twilight. "So what's it say?" she asked.

Twilight looked up from the scroll and cast a blank glance at Rainbow. "I haven't finished it yet," she replied.

"Sorry..." Rainbow apologized, bringing a foreleg up around to her neck and sheepishly rubbing her mane. After a few seconds, she shifted her weight away from Twilight, then unfurled a wing and leaned back toward her and laid her wing around Twilight's body.

Twilight smiled at Rainbow's gesture. After a couple more seconds, she gave the scroll back to Spike. "Princess Celestia has decided that, as a precaution, they're going to put some Royal Guards on standby in Ponyville."

Rainbow frowned. "As a precaution..? You know, with everything Ponyville has been through in the past few years, you would have thought that there would already be Royal Guards here because of all that. It seems like everything bad happens in Ponyville."

Twilight grimaced and bobbed her head. "She says that Queen Chrysalis is proving to be quite elusive. They're getting close, but she keeps slipping them up... Other than that, she was very vague..." she trailed off and swallowed, then slowly turned to look at Rainbow. "You... don't think that... they're sending Royal Guards here because-"

Rainbow hardened her expression. "No. That's not happening. You're safe here."

"Yeah," Spike agreed. "Between the Royal Guard and the rest of the girls, to say nothing of Starlight, Ponyville is probably one of the safest places you can be!"

Twilight clenched her jaw and idly looked away from her friends. She found her gaze drawn to her forehooves on the floor.

"Hey, I'm sure she would tell you if you were in any danger," Spike added.

Rainbow pursed her lips and slowly nodded. "Yeah," she said cautiously. "She'd warn you. Hey, I can stay with you if you'd feel safer-"

Twilight shook her head. "No, it's... it's probably nothing. Ponyville could use Royal Guards anyway. It's getting quite large... Maybe I'm just overthinking it. I just wish they weren't keeping me in the dark so much on how capturing her is going."

Rainbow pulled Twilight inter her side with her wing, then nuzzled her affectionately, dismissing Spike's presence. Twilight smiled and leaned into Rainbow's embrace.

Spike smiled at them. "Well, uh... I'll just leave you two alone," he said, drawing the attention of both of them to himself. Twilight blushed a little, and Rainbow shifted her weight ever so slightly. His smile faded a little and he started toward the door. He opened the door, then paused. He turned around and smiled. "Hey, I'm happy for you guys. You'll be good for each other," he said, then closed the door behind him.

"You know that I'd stay if you wanted me to, right?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight leaned away from Rainbow and nodded while smiling with a soft, gentle smile. "Yeah, I know that you would... I appreciate that. It... means a lot to me that you would do that, but it's not necessary..."

Dried twigs, leaves, and branches snapped and cracked beneath the weight of Royal Guards and Changelings as the former chased the latter through forested hills. An occasional order or alarm was called out by a pony, while on the changeling's behalf, the only sounds coming from them were chattering and clicking or the buzzing of their wings.

"We're gaining ground," one of the soldiers at the head of the group called out. "I've got eyes on the target!"

Their target, a large changeling with a menacingly long, jagged horn and a malicious gleam in her eyes scowled. She shot a hateful gaze at two drones flying beside her. "Eliminate them!" she hissed.

The two drones briefly wavered from their queen's distressed order, fearful of her wrath. They both knew what would happen if they engaged the Royal Guard, but they had no choice. Refusing their queen's order was by far the worst option of the two. Both of them broke away from Chrysalis and flew around, then flew towards the oncoming Royal Guards. The unicorn in the lead skidded to a stop as the two changelings let loose a barrage of spells, then he jumped behind a tree to shelter himself from their attack.

The green bolts of magic shot through the air, harmlessly passing him, but the changelings turned their attention on the tree sheltering him. They slowly pulled away from each other and flew around in wide arcs, intending to catch the unicorn by surprise.

The soldier breathed heavily. His reflexes and senses were aided by adrenaline coursing through his veins. He could hear them coming from two directions. He could hear more Royal Guards approaching quickly. He took a deep breath, then jumped out from behind the tree. He landed and swiveled to his left and pointed his horn at the changeling approaching him, then release a trio of magic bolts. The changeling weaved between the spells, then hissed.

The unicorn sidestepped and turned, leveling his horn on the other changeling, then fired another barrage of spells. The second drone weaved between the bolts of magic with the same skill as the first, but one of the bolts clipped his wing. The drone hissed in pain, then spun into a fall with one of his wings no longer able to support him.

The unicorn smiled in victory, then stepped to his right and turned back to face the first changeling. That changeling hissed more ferociously now that its comrade had fallen, but its attack was undeterred. The drone's body was surrounded by a green aura, and his speed increased rapidly.

The unicorn crouched down, then jumped back. The changeling landed hard on the spot where he had been standing, leaving a little crater and a scorch mark on the forest floor. Some of the dried leaves caught fire along the edge of the scorch mark.

The changeling staggered from the impact, giving the unicorn an opening. He stepped back and lowered his horn, then shot a single spell at the changeling. The changeling hissed and protected himself with a sickly, green barrier. A sharp crack was heard as the spell hit the barrier. The unicorn grunted and the changeling jumped at him, teeth bared, revealing his sharp fangs.

The unicorn drew back into a defensive position, only for several bolts of magic to zip passed the changeling jumping on him, while several more hit the changeling. The unicorn glanced at his comrades, then grunted as the lifeless changeling slammed into him and pinned him to the ground. He quickly pushed the changeling off of his body, then stood back up.

"Report!" an officer called out.

"Two drones broke off from Chrysalis," he quickly replied. "She kept the same heading from what I saw. She can't have many drones left," he added.

"Right, keep moving! We almost have her," the officer called out. Almost immediately, the soldiers resumed their pursuit, with two staying behind.

Chrysalis's scowl only deepened. Two more of her drones, two more of her few remaining loyal changelings were gone, leaving her with a small group of underfed, tired changelings. Twilight Sparkle would pay for it. It would all be worth it. Their sacrifice would buy time for the queen to make her move. And then Twilight Sparkle would pay for all of her insolent interference. Her friends and her pet student would have to wait. She didn't have the resources, but she did have a plan. All of it was riding on their success here.

She continued to weave through trees and branches, keeping her speed as quick as possible. She just had to avoid the Royal Guards and keep them busy. They would never know their true purpose. Princess Celestia would never know their true purpose.

She smiled, even as exhaustion continued to creep into the forefront of her mind. The ponies were persistent, not offering her many opportunities to rest, let alone feed. Perhaps it would have been easier to have accepted Starlight's offer, but Tartarus would freeze over before that would happen.

A bolt of light pink magic shot passed her. She hissed and bared her teeth, then spared a glance back behind herself. She could just barely make out the moving forms of Royal Guards clad in their pristine armor. They were close. She was closer to her objective, however.

They were quite a ways away from any camps by now from what she could tell. There were only two pegasi with the Royal Guards chasing her. Two pegasi, six earth ponies, and twelve unicorns. Without the pegasi, they wouldn't be able to get a word out about their location. The Royal Guard would keep chasing them and keep wasting resources to catch them.

A bolt of magic shot passed her and collided with a tree. The tree's trunk exploded outward, sending a barrage of debris, bark, and splinters showering her and the rest of her changelings. She shielded her eyes with her legs. A moment later, she felt a weight crashing down on her. She wheezed as she hit the ground and felt her carapace crack. She hissed in pain and struggled against the weight of the tree.

The changelings escorting her all paused and looked around at each other and Chrysalis frantically. The buzzed on back and then landed, with the exception of one who continued on at a much quicker pace. The changelings who stayed took up positions behind cover and lit their horns with their sickly green auras, then started firing bolts of magic at random toward the oncoming Royal Guards. They were outnumbered, but that meant that they had a greater chance of scoring a hit.

Two of the changelings worked at getting Chrysalis out from under the tree. At first, they tried pulling her out, but the pained hiss they received as a scolding warning made them rethink that idea. They lit their horns, then started cutting through the tree trunk with their magic in two sections that would be easier to manage.

The Royal Guard's approach was slowed by the changeling's spell fire, but they still continued to advance.

The changelings made quick work of the felled tree, then helped Chrysalis to her hooves. The changeling hissed in pain and clutched her chest. She could feel a fracture in the carapace of her chest. She hated it. She turned around, then hissed at the Royal Guards before taking off in flight once again. The changelings continued to fire spells back at the Royal Guards, then they took off flying after Chrysalis.

As soon as the changelings firing spells at the Royal Guards broke off, they hastened their pace, attempting to catch up and make up for lost ground. "We can't let them get away now!" one of the officers called out.

"If anyone can get a shot in, take Chrysalis down! Nonlethal only!" another officer shouted.

The pain in her chest from her cracked Carapace was unpleasant. A tree landing on her had taken more out of her than she would have admitted if asked. They were close to completing their objective. Their reinforcements were close by. The drone which broke away and continued on would bring them back. Perhaps she could afford to stop for a rest. They would think they had captured her, only for more changelings to show up and rescue her.

It would be night in a few hours. They could cover a lot more distance then, and it would be safer. The Royal Guards would have more trouble tracking them down at night.

Of course stopping to take a break would necessitate the sacrifice of the drones with her. They would also see her weakness. That was not acceptable.

She fought on through the pain, hunger, and exhaustion, as did her changelings. Despite their best efforts, the Royal Guards managed to keep up with them and even regain lost ground. Flying through the forest slowed their pace, the trees and branches that they had to weave around and in between took a lot out of her, but she kept going, sustained by her drive for success.

More bolts of magic cut through the air and shot passed them. Aiming accurately while moving was difficult, it required a lot of focus and attention to keep moving while casting magic, even more so when trying to hit a moving target while chasing them. She found herself smiling at their pathetic attempts to hit her changelings or herself with their magic. They had no choice but to keep trying and to keep chasing after her while casting. If they stopped and aimed properly, they'd lose ground which they'd have to regain.

A bolt of magic zoomed passed one of her changelings, drawing his attention back. The mistake proved costly, his wing clipped a branch. He hissed out in pain and careened to the ground. He shot back up and then crouched down, his ears folding back. He darted to his left and hid behind a tree.

Chrysalis seethed with anger. Another drone, more resources lost.

A sharp, burning pain laced throughout her body, emanating from just below her wing. She hissed and groaned in pain. Her heart skipped a beat as her wingbeats grew sluggish. She tensed up as she realized she was starting to fall, then she braced herself and clenched her eyes shut as the ground neared. Twigs and rocks scratched her carapace, and the impact jostled her already injured chest, further aggravating her injury. She bared her teeth, then let out a sharp, infuriated scream. The changelings quickly landed and found cover to hide behind while one of them pulled Chrysalis behind a tree.

Even the Royal Guard faltered from her scream, momentarily recoiling in fear, then doubling down on their assault. "Chrysalis! Surrender now!" an officer shouted. He was met by the response of one of the changelings hissing, then sending a bolt of magic at him. He ducked behind a tree to avoid the spell.

The Royal Guard retaliated against the changeling drone's attack by focusing their horns on his position, then unleashing a barrage of magic. Bolts of magic shot out from the unicorn soldiers' horns and hammered the changeling's position, decimating the tree he hid behind and exploding the trunk. The changeling yelped as he found that the wood couldn't withstand their bombardment and felt pain shooting through his body from multiple wounds on his body. He fell down, wincing and hissing, his wounds filling with a sticky, viscous green fluid which slowed the blood flowing out from his wounds.

The Royal Guards and Changelings spread out behind cover, and a firefight ensued. For every spell a changeling launched at the unicorns, the unicorns returned it in kind with a dozen spells. Chrysalis growled in hatred as she watched her changelings fall, one by one until only the changeling tending to her remained. She could hear him shaking in fear as the soldiers approached. She bared her teeth and lit her horn.

She listened intently as the slow, methodical hoofsteps grew closer and closer. She smiled, a faint buzzing sound gracing her ears, but she kept her focus on the hoofsteps.

One of the Royal Guards stepped around the tree, stepping away from the tree and turning to face Chrysalis in one step. It proved to be the last mistake he would ever make. Chrysalis's magic lashed out at the unicorn, burning a hole through his armor and sending him flying, then tumbling across the ground until he hit a tree stump. He left a trail of blood behind.

The sound of the crack of magic came from behind her, her remaining drone hissed, the collapsed beside her. Her head shot around and she met the gaze of a unicorn, then hissed at him. She pushed against the ground with a hoof, only to find an armored foreleg wrap around her neck, then slam her into the tree. She was dazed from the impact. "Target neutralized!" the earth pony called out.

Chrysalis shook her head, then hissed at him. She struggled against his grip.

"I could use some help!" the earth pony called out, grunting as he struggled against Chrysalis.

Chrysalis snapped her mouth at the pony, making him flinch. She lunged at his neck and sank her teeth into his neck. The earth pony screamed. Chrysalis felt a weight press down on her chest, then the air was knocked out of her lungs. She wheezed in shock and released the earth pony. She hissed back at the pony on top of her, crimson staining her mouth, then felt something slam into her head.

Everything went dark for her. Chrysalis's form shimmered for a brief moment, then a green aura encompassed her body before disappearing.

"Get the ring on her ho..." the soldier trailed off, frowning, then gasped in shock. "It... it's..."

"It's not Queen Chrysalis, it's a drone..." an officer said in a quiet voice. He stood up and looked around with a purpose. His gaze fell on the two pegasi. "Get back to base and tell them that we don't have eyes on Chrysalis. It was an imposter. If you run into any trouble, do not engage!" he ordered.

The two pegasi swiftly saluted, then crouched down, spreading their wings, and then jumped into the air. A green bolt of magic shot through the air and hit the first pegasus, slamming into his back in between his wings. The magic cut through his armor then went all the way through his body and cut through the armor protecting his chest. He gasped in shock and limply fell to the ground.

"Contact!" a soldier called out. "Count, twenty changelings!"

"Take cover!" As the order was given, the Royal Guard dispersed and took cover. Spells were exchanged wherever and whenever possible. Changelings zoomed around and landed to engage the unicorns in close combat. They were careful never to try to take on a unicorn without having backup. Changelings harassed the earth ponies from the air, preventing them from counterattacking or assisting the unicorns.

Two of the changelings broke off and chased the second pegasus. They shot through the treeline and zoomed off after him, horns blazing. The pegasus flew as fast as he could toward their nearest camp but made one fatal mistake.

Twiligth precariously eyed the slab of golden-brown meat on her plate and shifted her weight in her seat. She glanced to her right at Rainbow who sat in a chair beside her. The pegasus paid her no mind at first as she ate the steamed vegetables on her plate, but after a few seconds, Rainbow looked over at Twilight.

Rainbow finished chewing, then swallowed and sat up straighter. "Twilight, you need to. You said you would."

Twilight looked away from Rainbow's eyes and let her gaze come to rest on her body. "I... are you sure you're comfortable with this? Being... around me while I eat... meat..." she said quietly.

Rainbow groaned and massaged her forehead with her forehoof. "Twilight, we've been over this. You need to relax, okay? Seriously. I said it's fine."

Twilight glanced back up at her friend and smiled nervously. She swallowed, then nodded. "Sorry, I just..." she trailed off, then closed her eyes and looked back down at her plate.

Rainbow forked another steamed vegetable onto her fork, then brought it to her mouth and slipped the vegetable into her mouth, then hastily chewed it and swallowed. "Twilight, really. If we're doing this- dating, or whatever..." she said tentatively, suppressing a wince. "I... need to get used to it, don't I? I promised I'd stay with you, so... since you have to eat meat, I should get used to it or not let it bother me."

"It makes you uncomfortable. I can always do it alone..." Twilight said quickly in a quiet voice, not wanting to linger on the topic.

"Twilight, I enjoy having dinner with you. It's nice. The company's good. Even if we're just here eating and don't talk, it's better than being by myself," Rainbow replied. She smiled at Twilight, then glanced down at the meat. She looked it over for a second, then shifted her weight and looked back up at Twilight, still maintaining her smile. "Please, just relax. Stop being so tense. I love you, and you having to eat meat doesn't change that."

Twilight smiled softly, then nodded a second later. She took a deep breath, then swallowed. "O-okay, I'll try to relax..." she said in a soft, meek voice. She tentatively extended her right wing, then picked up a knife in between her feathers, then she took her fork in her other wing. She cautiously stabbed the meat with her fork, then cut a small piece off from the main body with her knife. The meat easily peeled away, the salmon having been cooked to perfection by Spike.

Twilight nervously glanced at Rainbow, then turned back to her plate and slowly lifted the fork to her mouth, then took the meat into her mouth and slid the fork back. She slowly chewed up the fish, pondering its flavor and texture in an attempt to distract herself from the knowledge that it had been a living creature at one time. Eventually, she swallowed and licked her lips. She glanced back at Rainbow, who once more paid her no attention.

She turned back to her plate, then more eagerly cut another, larger piece of meat off and hastily forked it into her mouth, then chewed in and quickly devoured it. Over the next few minutes, she quickly ravaged the rest of the meat on her plate, and when she finished, she licked her lips and teeth to clean them from what remained of the fish. "You'd think, that... after all this time, I would be used to eating meat, that... it wouldn't bother me so much..." she said quietly.

Rainbow scooted her empty plate away from her and looked over at Twilight curiously. "You're still a pony, and you were a unicorn most of your life, so..." she trailed off. Twilight looked over at her absently. Rainbow shrugged. Twilight grimaced, then shook her head. "Well... if you really want me to go back to the Wonderbolts, then... I should probably head to bed..."

Twilight looked physically pained for a brief moment, then the pain disappeared and she smiled a weak, forced smile. "Yeah... I'm kind of tired myself." She glanced down at the floor, then hopped out of her chair, away from Rainbow, then walked around the back of her chair. She came to a stop beside Rainbow's chair, then frowned.

Rainbow hopped out of her chair, then walked around to Twilight and unfurled her wing. She leaned against Twilight and wrapped her wing around her friend. "Hey, my offer to stay still stands!" Twilight shot her a pained, indignant look. Rainbow smiled sadly. "Hey, I'd stay if you wanted me to. I... I want to stay, to be honest. I don't really want to go back. I miss the flying, but being with you is nice too." Her smile grew warmer, then grew strained as Twilight's ears folded back.

Twilight sighed and looked down at her hooves. "I can't just keep you from it," she said quietly.

Rainbow remained silent for a few seconds. 'I wish you would relax and just... enjoy the moment. I hate seeing you so sad... If I go, you'll be sad when I'm gone... I know you will, but... if I stay, you'll be sad because you think that you're keeping me from my dream...' she felt a stab of pain in her chest, near her heart at the realization. 'We... we just need to sit down and have a talk, don't we. You just don't get it, do you...' She sighed, then leaned her head into Twilight's head. The alicorn reciprocated her action, then rubbed up against her. Smiles grew back on both of their lips. "Well... let's... Let's just head to bed and cuddle, then. We can talk tomorrow... after I get back?" 'Is waiting really a good idea? I... think it is. It'll give her time to think, and maybe it'll help her realize that she's just hurting both of us...' Still, her decision left her feeling uncomfortable, and her only comfort was the mare pressed up against her side.

"Okay..." Twilight said softly.

Rainbow ran her wing over Twilight's side and wing, then held her tighter and started walking toward the door. Twilight was left with no choice but to follow her, not that she minded or tried to resist. "Uh, what about the dining room? Should we clean up or-"

"It'll be fine. I can clean it up tomorrow, or have Starlight or Spike take care of it..." Twilight replied.

Rainbow nodded absently and continued on walking, making her way to Twilight's bedroom. 'Why do you feel like I should go back to the Wonderbolts? I know it hurts you, I can see that. You don't want me to go, but you think that I have to, that I should or something...' She suppressed a sigh as her mind continued to wonder over Twilight. 'I'm worried about you,' she thought as she opened the door for Twilight, then motioned her on inside the room.

Twilight tentatively walked forward, sliding out from under Rainbow's wing. Her lips pulled upward and she closed her eyes as each step caused her friend's soft feathers to slide over her body. She opened her eyes and the smile faded as Rainbow's wing left her body. She looked back at Rainbow longingly, then slowly turned back to the bed. She hesitated for a second, then hastily trotted across the room and slid under the covers, watching Rainbow and waiting for her friend to join her.

Rainbow smiled a warm, reassuring smile at Twilight as she shut the door behind her, then locked it. She beat her wings and hovered in the air, then leisurely flew over to the bed. Twilight pulled the covers back for Rainbow, who landed beside Twilight, then took the blankets in her forehooves and fell back into bed, causing both of them to bounce a little. Twilight giggled, then sighed contently as Rainbow grabbed her with her limbs and pulled her close.

Twilight snuggled back into Rainbow's warm, soft body, then tucked her head in against her neck and slid her head back up under Rainbow's neck. She folded her forehooves against her body, then smiled and closed her eyes as she felt Rainbow's forehooves pin her forehooves to her chest. "Goodnight, Rainbow... I love you," Twilight whispered.

Rainbow nuzzled Twilight's mane, then squeezed her in a reassuring manner. "I love you too... I'll try not to wake you when I get up, but uh... the alarm might wake you anyway..." she trailed off sheepishly. She slipped her leg under Twilight's body and coaxed Twilight's flank onto her thigh, then shifted her weight and pressed Twilight's legs into her abdomen with her legs. "Comfy?"

"Mhm..." Twilight cooed. She nuzzled Rainbow's neck with the back of her head, then opened her eyes. "I'm... really going to miss this if I get too big for you to hold me..."

Rainbow grimaced. "Yeah... me too..." she said somberly. "Maybe... you holding me won't be so bad. Maybe we could sleep facing each other and hold each other then?" she offered. 'Never in a million years would I have pictured myself saying that this time last year...' she mused. The more she thought about it, the more she found herself smiling.

"That does sound nice," Twilight replied softly. "But... it'll be a while. A few decades at least before... that. And... well..." she trailed off.

"Hey, I'll still be here with you then," Rainbow assured her, chuckling a little. "I made a promise, and I'll keep it."

Twilight smiled and closed her eyes, feeling safe and loved in Rainbow's embrace. "Goodnight, Rainbow."

Night was the perfect ally. Most ponies were asleep at night, and the ponies who were awake were most often drowsy. They weren't awake and alert. They didn't notice the subtle discrepancies, and they didn't ask too many questions. A lack of appreciation for the night drove Princess Luna into becoming Nightmare Moon. But could they really be blamed? The night was dark and foreboding. When darkness fell, without the sun to light the world, you couldn't tell if what made a sound was something harmless, or something to fear.

Queen Chrysalis growled in a low, sharp tone, the hatred emanating from her growl sent shivers down the spines of the changelings with her. The sight of Princess Twilight's perfect crystal castle made her seethe with vicious anger that was almost palpable. She slowly sulked back behind the house she hid behind, removing her gaze from the wretched castle of one of her most hated enemies.

It was worse knowing that two of her most hated enemies called the castle home.

Any other day, when she was at her full power, she would have brought the castle down, turning it into a pile of broken shards and debris- like it deserved, regardless of the consequences. She would do it out of pure spite for the infernal Princess of Friendship and her student who called it home, and she would laugh at their pain and anguish, savoring every delectable second of it.

But now, her power had waned. Once more, secrecy, deceit, and darkness were her allies, as ever. Attempting to infiltrate Equestria in preparation for a full-scale invasion had failed because of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. Princess Cadance had been rescued by Princess Twilight Sparkle. Kidnapping and impersonating the most beloved ponies in Equestria had failed. Princess Twilight Sparkle's student had rescued them and dethroned her. Her attempt to poison their beloved, backwater town had failed because of Princess Twilight Sparkle's interference.

And what was worse, the young alicorn survived. She hadn't been the primary target of her attack, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Twilight Sparkle had been a thorn in her side for far too long. She hissed, infuriated by the mere thought of the alicorn and her student being free. She took joy in knowing Twilight's suffering for her interference, but it wasn't enough.

She bared her fangs and smiled wickedly in delight. 'You will pay for your insolence, alicorn... And nothing will save you this time...' She growled again, then turned her sharp gaze onto the four drones with her. She hated waiting when it came to this, her prey was so close and so vulnerable. 'Your magic won't save you this time. Your friends, nor your princesses, nor your student will stand in my way before this is over...'

Her patience would pay off. Her plan was already set in motion, and Celestia was taking the bait. All that was left was for her vindictive, sadistic victory. By the time they realized her plan, it would be too late. She would save the looks of horror as they all realized their mistakes, as they realized just how much they failed. She would savor every second of her victory, and she would rub their muzzles in the dirt with her victory.

In the distance, she heard footsteps. Her drones all perked up at the dull sound. She growled once more, then peeked out from her hiding spot. Two Royal Guards, side by side, patrolled the silent street, their horns lit and casting a faint glow from their aura, while they projected light from their horns to fight back the night.

Queen Chrysalis ducked back between the houses, then shot a glare at her drones and silently slid away, followed closely behind by her changelings.

Rainbow groaned as an incessant buzzing sound broke the quiet serenity of her slumber. A second groan followed closely behind hers. Rainbow winced and squeezed Twilight, then slid her head back and buried her muzzle into the back of Twilight's head. For several seconds, she lay there, trying to ignore the buzzing, but it was no use- the alarm refused to be ignored. She already hated the alarm, it wouldn't let her drift back to a peaceful slumber holding the mare she loved in ehr hooves.

Twilight breathed out a disgruntled sigh and shifted her weight. Rainbow tightened her grip on Twilight, reaffirming her hold on her friend and stifling her movements. "Rainbow..." Twilight said in a weary, sleepy voice.

Rainbow inhaled deeply, filling her lungs as much as she could. She smiled a little warily, enjoying Twilight's scent, but under duress from the still-buzzing alarm. "Sorry..." she sighed. She let go of Twilight with one of her forelegs, then reached out trying to reach the alarm, only to find that she was too far away. Rainbow pressed her eyes closed and groaned, "I can't reach it..."

Twilight shifted her weight, then pulled away from Rainbow, the pegasus having already loosened her grip on her. She slid over, then rolled over onto her stomach and unfurled her wing, then fumbled around, feeling for a button to turn the alarm off before finding and swiftly silencing the alarm. Twilight closed her eyes, then pressed her forehead into the pillow. Twilight rolled over onto her other side, then scooted back up to Rainbow's body, then laid her head up against her neck and slowly nuzzled her, sighing sadly.

Rainbow laid a wing around Twilight's side and gently caressed her body with her soft feathers. "I can stay here for a couple of minutes... I'll just have to take a quick shower or fly a little faster..." she said softly, smiling.

Twilight made a soft, disappointed whining sound. "No... it's fine... You wouldn't want to fall back asleep," she said quietly.

Rainbow snorted. "Well, actually I wouldn't mind it. I don't like waking up this early. I got used to sleeping so much when I was with you, and well, I always used to nap so much..."

Twiligth took a quick, deep breath, then pushed away from Rainbow and rolled over onto her back. "No using that excuse. We went to bed earlier. Even I'm not... that tired... I mean, I'd love to go back to sleep with you..." she trailed off, then slowly pushed herself up until her chest was outside of the blankets, then she sat up. "But I don't think I'm going to be able to fall asleep again without you, so I'll just get up anyway," Twilight said absently.

Rainbow sighed, then rolled onto her back. "You probably should try to go back to sleep, though. Resting helps you get better, right?"

Twilight looked over at her and slowly nodded. "Yes..." she admitted reluctantly. Her ears folded back against her head and she slumped down a little. "I don't want to wake up without you beside me, though..." she said quietly. She hung her head and sighed, then nodded again. "Okay, I'll... try..." she relented. She swallowed, then slowly slid back under the blankets and rolled over to face Rainbow.

Rainbow wanted to look away from Twilight, she looked despondent, and looking at her was painful. She slowly slid back over to Twilight, then hugged her. She bent her head down, then placed her lips on Twilight's forehead, where her horn would have been. Her kiss lingered for several seconds, and when she pulled away, she laid her head on Twilight's head, pulling her friend into the crook of her neck, then nuzzled Twilight's mane. "I'll be back this evening," she said softly. "I can always stay or come back sooner or-"

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow's withers. "I know, but... I want you to go and... have fun and... be a Wonderbolt," she said. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine..."

Rainbow sighed, then yawned. "Do you remember when I told you that I wouldn't be able to focus if I was worried about you? That I didn't want to hurt you, and that I knew that I was hurting you? That hurt, I don't want to leave you here alone..."

Twilight forced a smile, then pulled back from Rainbow. "It's your dream, I... can't stand in your way of that..." As she finished speaking, her smile slipped a little. She caught herself, but it wasn't quick enough for Rainbow not to notice, and she swallowed in distress. She met Rainbow's gaze, and her smile grew a little less forced, then she averted her gaze. "I'm..." she trailed off. 'Pathetic... aren't I? You will never admit it, but... I am. I can't do anything without my magic... Well... I can get by, but... just barely. You said I'm not a burden, but here I am, standing in between you and your dream...'

Rainbow slowly slid her muzzle back down and placed her lips on Twilight's forehead again. While she kissed her, her mind wandered. She relished her friend's soft, warm body, her inviting embrace, and the joy she gave Twilight. 'It's going to be a long day.' She pulled her lips away from Twilight's soft coat and grimaced. She didn't want to leave Twilight, even if Spike and Starlight were around. Leaving would make Twilight hurt, but if she stayed, she feared that Twilight would feel worse. She sighed at the futility of it. "Hey, I'll be back tonight, alright. I'm looking forward to that, coming back here and cuddling with you and all that. It'll be nice after flying all day."

Twilight giggled a little and smiled warmly. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to that too," she replied.

Rainbow hesitantly pulled away from Twilight and then looked her over. She tried to smile, and managed to for a little bit, but it wavered, and then faded. 'I made her a promise, and I'm going to keep it. Even if I am going back to the Wonderbolts, I'm still going to make time for you, Twilight...' She flashed Twilight a smile. "If you need me, just send somepony to come and get me, and I'll be back as soon as I can," she said, her smile turning brash.

A little of Rainbow's enthusiasm slipped into Twilight's smile. "Okay," she replied. "Rainbow... I love you," she whispered. She slid up to Rainbow, then swallowed and quickly placed her lips on Rainbow's cheek. She pulled back a second later, looking down at the bed. Chancing a look up, she saw Rainbow smiling and smirking wider than before. A smile pulled at her lips.

"I love you too, Twilight. Remember that," Rainbow replied.

Twilight nodded and licked her lips. "I will," she replied, smiling genuinely. She rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes, then sighed, halfway happy, and halfway longingly.

Rainbow slid out from under the blankets, then hopped down onto the floor. She momentarily winced as the cool morning air sapped the warmth from her body. Already, she missed laying with Twilight, her friend's warmth lingered in her body, but the feeling was fading. She turned around and looked at Twilight, then watched her for a couple of seconds, trying to decide whether she had fallen asleep again. Eventually, through the darkness, she managed to make out a soft smile on Twilight's lips, then that one of her eyes were cracked open. Rainbow smiled sheepishly, then flew over to the door. She unlocked it, then walked out into the hallway and made her way over to her guest room after closing the door behind her.

Twilight's smile faded. She rolled over onto her side, watching the door for a few seconds, hoping that Rainbow would return, though knowing she wouldn't. 'Why do I do this to myself...' she wondered. 'I wish you would stay, but if you stay, then I'm hurting you... But if you go, then I'm hurting because you're not here, and I'll still hurt you because I'm hurting...'

She closed her eyes and tried to occupy her mind with something, anything to distract her from the creeping despair she felt. Rainbow was going to be gone for hours, maybe even longer than half of a day. She hadn't been away from Rainbow for so long for almost three months. She felt fear at the prospect of facing such a prolonged period of time without her friend. She swallowed a growing knot in her throat and tried to get comfortable to fall back to sleep.

Despite her best efforts, sleep continued to elude her, even as she tried every position she once slept in. She tossed and turned, knowing that something was missing. She was too cold, the bed wasn't soft enough, the scent was wrong. She found herself staring up at the ceiling, her mind wandering aimlessly, but dominated by thoughts of her pegasus and worry.

Rainbow hopped out of the shower and set hoof on the crystalline floor. She hastily grabbed a towel and dried herself off as best she could, all the while walking over in front of the sink and mirror. She continued to dry herself off while scrutinizing her mane and coat. She glanced around, then found a hamper and unceremoniously dropped the towel into it. She spread her wings out and gave them a good look over.

Looking at her wings in the mirror, she couldn't help but picture Twilight pressed up against her side, with her wing wrapped around the alicorn, and it also spurred on her memory of when she preened Twilight. The memory left her with mixed feelings. She sighed and glanced back at her extended right wing. 'Everything leaves me with mixed feelings anymore...'

She shook her head, then took a deep breath and folded her wings back against her sides. She placed her forehooves on the sink, then took one and pulled out a brush from the cabinet and then sat down. She leaned to her left, then jerked her head to the right, sending her chromatic mane flying around to land on the right side of her neck. She angled her head back and grunted a little, then planted the brush in her mane and ran it through her mane a couple of times in short spurts. She winced as she worked out a few snags, then she leaned her head forward and took the brush in her wing and hastily ran it through her mane just enough to make herself look presentable and to take care of her mane, but not enough for anypony to tell she brushed it, then she hastily brushed her tail.

After she finished brushing her mane, she placed the brush back in its place and quickly brushed her teeth, all the while eyeing the clock closely. Spitfire wasn't expecting her back. She was expecting a report from her, but she wasn't expecting her to come back and join them for the day. Still, she wanted to be on time.

She turned on the faucet, then rinsed her mouth out. Turning away from the sink, she swiped a forehoof over her lips to dry them, then hastily made her way into the bedroom. She approached the bed, then smiled brashly as she looked over her Wonderbolt flight suit. It left her with a feeling of pride and joy, to say nothing of the excitement that left her wings bristling in anticipation.

She quickly donned the flight suit, then flew back into the bathroom and looked herself over in the mirror. She nodded to herself, then walked out into the hallway and set off at a brisk flight through the castle, then out of the main doors. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon as she flew up into the sky, leaving her carefree about whether or not anypony saw where she came from as she set off toward the Wonderbolt Academy.

She closed her eyes and did a little roll in the air, enjoying the freedom that pegasi knew when flying- the wind rushing through her mane and tail, the air beneath her wings and flowing in between her feathers, and the sense of being unbound to the ground, being able to make one's own way through the sky. And yet, despite the freedom, it didn't feel quite as good as it had when she first became a full-fledged Wonderbolt. It didn't leave her with the same sense of awe and wonder. The pride was still there, but the rest just wasn't the same.

Her smile wavered a little. She opened her eyes and glanced to her right, then left. She was alone- something she had been used to, but ever since Twilight got released from the hospital, she was used to being around Twilight most of the time. She missed her friend. 'I wish you were here with me, Twilight... we really need to go flying at night more often. Sunrise is really cool too...'

A grimace tugged at her lips, but she pushed on, even as her chest grew heavy and the excitement grew dull and numb.

Twilight sighed in distress and solemn acceptance: she wasn't going back to sleep without Rainbow with her. She groaned and pushed herself up into a sitting position, then placed a forehoof on her head. She glanced over her bed. She smiled a little at the indentation Rainbow had left, and without her in the bed with her, the bed looked so empty, and nowhere near as inviting.

It just felt and seemed wrong for only one pony to be in the bed- it was easily large enough for both Celestia and Luna to sleep in it, so by herself, there was plenty of wasted room.

She shook off the thought and slid her forehoof back down to the bed. She glanced down at her body and scrutinized her coat, then spread her wings out and glided off of the bed. She landed softly, then leaned down and stretched out. She moaned contently as she let her body relax in the stretched position, then she stood back up. She turned back to the bed, then grimaced.

She turned around to face the bed, then leisurely beat her wings. She hovered in the air and looked over the bed, then flew around to the other side. She straightened out the covers and tucked them in under the pillows, then she flew around to the other side and repeated the process. She hovered over the middle of the bed and smoothed the covers out with her hooves as best she could, then she landed.

It was acceptable, but just barely. Applejack or even Pinkie Pie would do a better job than her using just their hooves, and she could fly. She shook the feeling of failure off, then shuffled into the bathroom. She pulled out a brush with her wing, then hung her head and idly brushed her mane. After a few strokes, the brush clattered to the floor. Twilight clenched her jaw and stared down at it, then slowly lowered her wing and picked the brush back up and held it more firmly.

'Alicorns aren't made for this...' she mused, lifting her eyes up to look at her large, full wing in the mirror. Her gaze inevitibly shifted to her forehead and her missing horn. Despite her loss, a small, soft smile tugged at her lips. Before she realized it, she had lifted her forehoof and placed it on her forehead. She could almost still feel Rainbow's lips on her forehead, and the more she thought about it, the more her smile grew.

Eventually, she finished brushing her mane, then brushed her tail. She smiled and hummed a soft, cheery tune to herself as she made her way out of her room and into the hallway. She turned to the left, then headed off to the dining room, navigating her castle's halls with practiced, almost instinctual ease. As she walked, her humming faded to silence, and her smile grew softer and more strained.

Twilight took a deep breath before walking into the dining room and looking around. She smiled at the room's prior two occupants. "Good morning Spike! Starlight!" she acknowledged. Both the aforementioned dragon and unicorn turned to acknowledge her arrival, and both of them smiled.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Starlight noted in a warm, friendly tone.

Twiligth slowly nodded, then nodded more eagerly. "Yeah. I... I miss her, but..." she trailed off. 'She'll be happier there than with me...' Her expression fell into neutrality at the thought, and her heart ached longingly. She hung her head and slowly licked her lips.

Starlight and Spike frowned, then exchanged a worried glance. Starlight's look was far guiltier than Spike's. Spike offered Starlight a weak smile, then he hopped out of his chair. "Hey, Twilight, what would you like for breakfast? I could fix you some cereal? Maybe some oatmeal with blueberries or strawberries?" he offered.

Twilight glanced up and him and nodded a slow, reserved nod. "That... yeah, that sounds good..." she said, though her voice was a little softer than before. 'And... I'm hurting them because I'm hurting...' Her ears folded back against her head at the realization. She closed her eyes and lifted her forehoof to her chest, taking a deep breath, then she slowly exhaled and extended her hoof out. The breathing technique which had helped her so much before now seemed to be a shell of its former glory. She grimaced and slowly walked over to the table, then sat down beside Starlight.

Spike tentatively walked into the kitchen, frowning in distress.

Rainbow surveyed the Wonderbolt Academy and scanned the skies. She could make out several pegasi flying through the morning sky, and she could see a few dozen pegasi all over the Academy grounds, although none of them was the pony she was looking for. She came in for a landing and gently touched down on the landing strip, then immediately started trotting toward the building housing Spitfire's office.

"Hey Crash!" a stallion called out.

Rainbow came to a stop, then turned toward the sound of the voice. She smiled as two ponies approached her, coming in to land from flying. "Oh, hey Soarin!" she greeted.

Soarin and Fleetfoot smiled. "It's been a while since you've been here this early. Everything going okay?" Soarin asked, his smile fading and his voice serious.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah..." she said reluctantly. "Hey, is Spitfire around? Or is she in her office?"

"She's in her office, I think," Fleetfoot replied.

"Thanks," Rainbow replied. She turned back toward the building.

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, how's Princess Twilight?" Soarin asked cautiously.

Rainbow grimaced, then bobbed her head. "She's... doing better. She still hasn't recovered, but... she's doing better. She hadn't been sick or anything for a while," her voice grew wary, "but she still doesn't have her horn so she can't use her magic, so... she can't really do too much on her own right now..."

Soarin grimaced. "I'm sorry to hear about that... At least she's doing better, though. It must be hard for you, being her friend... I couldn't imagine what it's like for her."

"Yeah," Rainbow agreed. She nodded slowly and looked down at the grass. "Starlight said she thought the best comparison would be a pegasus losing their wings." Soarin winced and Fleetfoot shifted her weight uncomfortably. Rainbow took a deep breath, then looked back up at them. "Right, well... I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm going to go talk to Spitfire..." she trailed off, then took off at a brisk pace. Soarin and Fleetfoot exchanged an uneasy look, then slowly flared their wings out and flew back into the sky.

Rainbow flew on into the building, then made her way through the hallways until she came to Spitfire's office. She landed, then took a deep breath. She eyed the two stallions beside the door, then walked forward and knocked on the door with her forehoof.

A few seconds passed before Spitfire could be heard saying, "Enter."

Rainbow opened the door and gave Spitfire a smile. Spitfire sat up, then leaned back. She smiled to mask her surprise. "Hey, Captain," Rainbow greeted.

"Rainbow Dash, I wasn't expecting to see you for a couple of hours," Spitfire stated.

Rainbow walked on into the room, then closed the door behind her. "Yeah, sorry. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," she said as she walked over to the desk.

"Nothing too important, just paperwork," Spitfire replied, motioning a hoof at her desk. Rainbow chuckled nervously. "How's Princess Twilight?"

Rainbow grimaced. "It's hard for her. She's doing better, but... it's hard for her."

Spitfire nodded slowly. "Just make sure she gets better," she said firmly.

Rainbow nodded. "I've been helping her, but... ah... she said that she wanted me to go back to flying with the Wonderbolts." She grimaced. "I think... she just feels bad about it because she thinks that the Wonderbolts mean more to me than she does..." she said quietly.

Spitfire took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. "It's up to you. You can come back if you want, or you can stay on your 'assignment' to help her."

Rainbow sighed, then slumped down. "I don't know. I just... I want to come back and to fly with the Wonderbolts and all that, but I feel... it just doesn't feel right, to leave her. None of us have really been as good of friends as we could have been with her, we've all been so busy, and... well, I'm probably the guiltiest of all of us because of being a Wonderbolt..." she trailed off. "I told her that I'd come in and report for duty and all that, so I'm staying for today, Ma'am."

Spitfire nodded. "But you don't know if you'll be back tomorrow," she surmised.

Rainbow smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"That's alright. As I said, take as much time as you need to help her. I did talk to Luna- not in person, but we exchanged some mail. She was very clear about the fact that it might be a while before Twilight fully recovered. She also said that she wasn't sure how things were going to work out. You're her friend, and you're the Bearer of the Element of Loyalty. I don't expect you to just ignore her plight and commit fully to the Wonderbolts, especially considering that her... issues... could outlast us."

Rainbow clenched her jaw and grimaced. "I don't know... What am I supposed to do? I hate leaving her because I feel like I need to be there. But I do want to fly with the team, I'm just not sure that I'll enjoy it as much if I'm worrying about Twilight all the time."

Spitfire nodded. "There are other ponies who can help the princess, but you six are her closest friends. I'm sure it means a lot to her that you're helping her over flying with the Wonderbolts. Do whatever you think is best."

Rainbow nodded slowly. "Right, well..." she trailed off and took a deep breath, then stood up straighter and saluted.

Spitfire returned the salute. "Dismissed."

A knocking on the door broke Twilight's attention from the book she was reading. Her focus broken, she sighed. She slid a book mark in to mark where she had left off, then closed the book and looked over at the door. The door cracked open and Starlight glanced inside. "I'm going to go out for lunch with Fluttershy... Do you need anything?"

Twilight smiled a little and shook her head. "No, I... should be fine. I'm just reading... Is Spike staying here?"

Starlight nodded. "Yeah, he didn't want to leave you alone."

Twilight smiled a little, then looked back over at her book. She scrutinized the cover and found her smile fading slightly. "Well... go enjoy lunch."

"Do you want me to bring you back anything? I know you could always have Spike fix you something, or I could fix you something, but I thought it would be nice for me to bring you back something," Starlight said in a light, conversational tone.

Twilight tilted her head to the side and mulled it over, squinting at the wall she faced. "I'm... not really hungry," she answered tentatively. She swallowed and looked over at Starlight, forcing a calm smile. "I'll be fine. I can always have a sandwich if I get hungry."

Starlight hesitantly nodded. "Okay... Are you sure?" Twilight's smile grew a little more genuine, and she nodded meaningfully. "Okay... I'll be back in an hour or so," Starlight replied. She slowly closed the door, leaving Twilight alone.

Twilight sighed, then turned her attention back to her closed book. The book did manage to distract her, but only a little, and the little distraction it offered wasn't enough to clear her mind of her friend, leaving her enjoying the book a little less. It was a self-feeding cycle. "Today is going to be a really long day..." she whispered to herself.

She closed her eyes, then groaned and bent down and pressed her forehead into the book's cover. "Maybe I should have asked to go with her... it would be better for me than staying in my room all alone..."

She sighed and her ears pinned back against her head. Her eyes lost a little of their gleam the more she thought about it. 'I'm... alone. None of them have time to spend with me... This hurts.' She looked absently at the bed and her chest as a throbbing pang of emptiness swelled up inside her, leaving her feeling desolate.

'If I wasn't so useless, I could help them and spend more time with them... If I wasn't such a burden, maybe they wouldn't be so busy with... their own lives...' She snorted and smiled, then lifted her head up. "But of course I'm just being selfish... they have their own lives to live, and... I don't want to get in their way.... which... is all I would do..." As she spoke, her smile faded into nothingness.

She rolled over onto her side, then onto her back and brought her forehooves up to her temples and firmly pressed into her head, hoping the pressure would alleviate her distress or disrupt her train of thought. It didn't work, and after several seconds, she relented, letting her body go limp, her forelegs falling beside her head, and her legs falling apart, while her wings fell from her side.

She idly rolled her head over and looked at the clock. The time brought a unsuppressed grimace to her lips. 'It's only been seven hours and already I'm a mess without her...'

She closed her eyes, wishing she could go back to sleep so she wouldn't have to deal with it, but knowing that wouldn't happen. 'I'm not going to get better if you just lay around and mope... what would she say if she saw me like this?' Another grimace pulled at her lips. 'She'd hate it. I'd just be hurting her more... She'd be hurting because I'm hurting...'

She slowly opened her eyes and rolled over onto her stomach, then she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She slid over to the edge of the bed, then hopped down onto her floor, her motions slow and unsure, then she shuffled across the room, never once looking up from her hooves, and made her way into the bathroom.

She looked up, then walked over to the sink and turned the faucet on warm water. After a few seconds, she placed a hoof under the stream of water to check the temperature. She pulled her hoof out after a couple of seconds, then she pulled away from the sink and grabbed a towel in her mouth and threw it into the sink. The warm water from the faucet soaked into the towel, and after a little while, she turned off the faucet, then took the warm, wet towel and threw it on her head, then laid her head down on the sink and closed her eyes.

The warmth helped soothe her pain and put her troubled mind at ease, but the warmth didn't compare to Rainbow's warmth, nor the comfort it brought her. She sighed, then placed the wet, cooling towel aside on the sink and took another towel in her wings, then hastily dried her face off. She stood up to her full height, then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

A knock coming from the bedroom door drew her curiosity. She glanced at the clock and pursed her lips, wondering if Spike had come to check on her or if Fluttershy decided she wanted to stop by before lunch. She ruffled her wings and looked at her reflection in the mirror, quickly checking to make sure she was presentable, at least for her friends, then made her way out into the bedroom.

The knocking came again. Twilight walked over to the door, frowning a little. "You can come in," she called as she drew closer. Still, the door remained closed. 'Fluttershy, then,' she mused. 'Although, Starlight should have...' her thought trailed off as she opened the door. "Oh, hi girls!" she greeted as she looked at her seven friends.

"Ah, Twilight, do you mind if we come in? We ah, have something to discuss," Rarity said, smiling a warm, inviting smile.

Twilight nodded and opened the door further, then stepped back to grant them entrance. "Of course! I... wasn't very busy..." she trailed off, grimacing. She turned away from the door and headed back over to the bed, hiding her grimace from her friends. "Hey, Spike, could you bring us some tea, please?"

"Oh, it won't take that long, dear," Rarity replied, waving a hoof dismissingly. "Not that long at all," she added.

Twilight hopped up on her bed, then laid down. "Okay, so what's this about?" she asked. Turning to look over at her friends, she noticed them lingering in the doorway, all of them save for Rarity looking about uncertainly. Applejack tentatively closed the door, then locked it. Twilight's muzzle scrunched up a little, surprised that she would do that. "I'm guessing this is important? There's no reason to lock the door, we're not going to be disturbed," she said.

"Oh, wonderful! Simply marvelous," Rarity replied, her cheeriness fading. Twilight frowned a little as Rarity's expression darkened. The unicorn slowly sauntered over closer to the bed. "You know, I really am surprised that you didn't die from the reactor..."

Twilight grimaced. "It's... not something I want to talk about..." she said in a low, cautious voice.

"Of course not, dear," Rarity replied dismissingly. "I just... it's shocking, really, not just that it didn't kill you, but that you stopped it" Rarity fumed. Twilight eyed Rarity warily. "I mean, you, of all ponies! The youngest alicorn, the most pathetic pony there is, one who believes so much in friendship, thinking that that will save you! You weren't even my target!" Rarity hissed. "Your pathetic student was! And you, you stood in my way and stopped it!"

Twilight swallowed nervously and slowly sat up. Rarity, without missing a beat, lit her horn, except her aura wasn't the familiar, friendly blue, instead, it was a sickening, malicious green aura. Twilight's heart skipped a beat, and her expression blanked in the split second she figured it out. A green, fiery aura surrounded Rarity. The unicorn smiled a sadistic, malicious smile, then in a flash, the form of her friend was replaced with an all too familiar changeling queen. "Chrysalis..." Twilight whispered, her eyes widening. She swallowed and felt her heart beating a little faster, her breaths coming in short, shallow inhales.

Queen Chrysalis strode the rest of the way over to the bed in a few steps, her horn still lit. "You will never stand in my way again, alicorn. Except wait," she said, drawing back from Twilight and raising a hoof to her chest in mock surprise. "You're not an alicorn now, are you?" she mocked, then laughed. "You interfered with my plan for the last time! It cost you your horn! You couldn't stop me as an alicorn, and now you're just a pathetic, weak little pegasus..." she cooed.

The changeling queen bared her teeth and lunged at Twilight. Twilight scrambled to her hooves and jumped back, then scurried off of the bed. Applejack and Pinkie Pie both ran around then blocked her from reaching the door to the balcony. Twilight instinctively took a step back, then crouched down and spread her hoves apart, bracing herself better. Her instinct to use her magic when cornered backfired, and the reminder of her missing horn only made her limbs weaken and shake.

Queen Chrysalis hovered in the air, then flew over the bed and landed in front of Twilight. Twilight backed up and lowered her head closer to the ground, almost to the point of her chest touching the floor. The look in her eyes was one of fear, knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do, knowing that she was on her own and that she was completely at the mercy of a monster.

Queen Chrysalis hissed, then picked Twilight up with her magic. Twilight shuddered in fear, unable to fight Chrysalis off without her horn to project her magic. The changeling stood up at her full her height, then pulled Twilight muzzle to muzzle with her, leaving but an inch of space between them. "I am going to break you!" she growled. In one swift motion, she spun around, holding Twilight in place, then launched her head first at the wall.

Twilight clenched her eyes closed and tensed up. She instinctually spread her wings out in an attempt to save herself, but the wall was upon her sooner that she could react. She felt the side of her head smack into the crystalline wall with a solid impact. The jarring shock of the hit scattered her senses, and the next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor, her head throbbing, and covering her head up with her forehooves. She sniffled and shook, almost violently. Despite her eyes being pressed closed, tears streamed down her muzzle, a combination of fear and pain.

She heard the large changeling queen's hoofsteps draw closer, and her shivering only intensified. She felt the floor beneath her fall away as her coat tingled under the assault of Chrysalis's levitation. She shielded herself as best she could with her wings, only for the changeling to violently compress her chest, ripping the air from her lungs. She squeaked a little, then tried to fight off Chrysalis's magic to breathe.

It was no avail, but she had a brief reprieve as Chrysalis released her chest, then threw her at the wall again. The solid impact sent a thudding sound throughout the room, and Twilight let out a half-groan, half-gurgle, unable to do anything else. Twilight clutched her head with her forehooves in an effort to protect herself, but it wasn't enough to stop something warm and wet from rolling down from the source of the intense pain she felt.

"You... w-won't... get away... w-with this..." Twilight weakly whimpered, her voice stuttering from pain, uncertainty, and fear. "C-Celestia... L-Luna... w-will..." she trailed off and grunted as Chrysalis's hoof struck her side.

Queen Chrysalis followed through and pressed hard into Twilight's side, her smile maniacal as she looked over the broken alicorn. "Your princesses won't stand in my way, either," she cooed, then bared her fangs and hissed. "They're completely unaware of my presence here, and by the time they find out, it will have been too late," she growled.

Chrysalis drew her hoof back from Twilight, who immediately inhaled in relief. Chrysalis threw Twilight up into the air with her magic, then slammed her down into the floor. Twilight winced at the impact, then groaned. The alicorn once more tried to shield her head with her forehooves, only for her motions to be slow and ineffective. The last thing Twilight remembered before falling unconscious was the chilling sound of Queen Chrysalis's victorious laughter.

Author's Note

You all knew this was coming, or at least you should have. Maybe you didn't know it would be "this bad." This isn't over yet. It's only just begun.

This story is going to get dark fast. Well, it already did, but it gets darker. It won't stay that way, however, I've already said that it has a not downer ending.

Originally, there was going to be another scene following the last one, and it would have been a cliffhanger ending too, but... It wouldn't have been as fulfilling of a cliffhanger as this is.

Don't underestimate Chryssie. Don't underestimate Luna. Don't underestimate Rainbow. Don't underestimate Chekov.

This chapter is late. I had a very busy two weeks when I was supposed to be writing this, and I had a lot of trouble motivating myself to work on it when I did have free time. It was Wednesday the 28th before I actually got around to sitting down and writing any. It didn't help that this chapter's outline was all over the place.

And hey, this chapter was all over the place! Doctors, eating, cuddles, waking up, reading, the complication, and of course, cliffhangers! Did you think I could fit all of that into one chapter?

Originally, this Author's Notes was nearly 1,000 words long, filled with commentary, but mostly analysis, then I decided that wouldn't be such a good thing for this chapter.

This chapter should be mostly error-free, but I didn't get around to editing it before publishing it.

Chapter 4

Starlight quietly navigated the hallways of Twilight's castle. She was content with the silence, and she knew that the pegasus accompanying her didn't mind it either. Both of them walked along, enjoying the calmness offered by the peaceful castle as they made their way to Twilight's room.

"I hate thinking that we left Twilight alone when we went out and ate lunch..." Fluttershy said in a timid, tentative voice, breaking the silence. She stopped and looked down at the floor, then idly ran her right forehoof in circles over the cold crystalline floor. "It doesn't feel right..." she added quietly.

Starlight, who had been walking ahead of Fluttershy, paused, then turned around and looked at Fluttershy. A grimace pulled on her lips, and she nodded slowly. "I invited her, but... she said she wanted to stay," she sighed. "She's... she's happier when she's not alone. Having somepony around really helps her a lot. She... gets lonely easy, I think. She worries a lot... And somepony being there with her helps with that..." she trailed off.

Fluttershy nodded sadly. "It's probably because we've not been able to spend as much time together as we used to..." She trailed off and sighed, her gaze becoming distant and longing. "I... wonder if she worries that... she's the Princess of Friendship, but... she hasn't been spending as much time with us as she did before she was a princess..."

Starlight pursed her lips, then shifted her weight. She turned around to face Fluttershy, then looked around to make sure they were alone. "She... Fluttershy, she worries about a lot, and... while that's part of it, there's a lot me than just that, that she worries about..." she trailed off and swallowed. Fluttershy slowly looked up at her. A look of uncertainty swept over Starlight's expression, and she hesitantly opened her mouth to speak, "She... to paraphrase something she's said before, you all made her who she is today."

Fluttershy nodded and smiled softly. "I remember her saying that to all of us not long after her ascension..." she trailed off, her smile fading and a pained frown replacing it. "We... really have neglected her lately, haven't we? She... almost died, and we weren't there for her..."

"Fluttershy..." Starlight started in a strained voice. She walked over and lifted a foreleg, then wrapped it around Fluttershy's neck and gave her a hug. "You all did take the time to be there for her. Yes, you're all busier than what you used to be, but she was too. It's not your fault..." she said softly. She pulled back and offered the pegasus a gentle smile. "So, don't blame yourself!"

Fluttershy swallowed and quickly nodded. She lifted a forehoof up and rubbed her eyes, which while still dry, were filled with pain. She closed her eyes and stood up straighter, then took a deep breath.

"Let's go visit Twilight, okay? We can see if she wants to go for a picnic or to just enjoy the day. If she doesn't, then I'm sure she wouldn't mind us staying for a little bit to keep her company," Starlight said. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Starlight turned around, then resumed walking. The timid pegasus started walking close behind her once again, keeping her pace even with Starlight.

The pair of mares leisurely made their way through Twilight's castle, with every step making their way closer to Twilight's room. Starlight kept an eye out for Spike, hoping to find him before Twilight to see if he'd be willing to watch the castle for them while they were all gone and to see if Twilight had eaten anything yet. As they approached the door to Twilight's room, Spike still absent, Starlight pushed the thought aside for the moment.

Starlight approached the door, then rapped her forehoof on the solid crystalline door a few times, then lit her horn and opened the door with her magic, only to find the door locked. Her brow creased, and she frowned. She leaned in a little closer to the door, "Hey, Twilight? It's Fluttershy and me," she called out.

Silence greeted her answer. "Um... maybe she's in the bathroom?" Fluttershy asked unsurely. "Or... Or maybe she fell asleep? She did say that her... sleep schedule had been messed up by... you know..." her uncertainty faded to sadness at the reminder of what Twilight went through.

Starlight shrugged, then knocked again, then waited for a few seconds. "Maybe she fell asleep... I kind of doubt it, though. She was having problems sleeping at night, but-" she caught herself, then shifted her weight, "but she managed to get herself back on track. Maybe she's in the bathroom. I don't know why she would lock the bedroom door, though."

"Maybe she wanted to be alone?" Fluttershy suggested, her lip pulling downward.

Starlight mulled over her options, then knocked on the door again. She waited a few seconds, continuing to ponder her options while she waited. "Well, I'm going to teleport in there to check on her," she said.

"Um... maybe you shouldn't do that?" Fluttershy asked, growing timider than before. "If she locked the door, she probably wanted to be alone..."

Starlight grimaced. "Yeah, but she would have said so if she was in there. I'll be back," she said. Before Fluttershy could protest again, Starlight disappeared in a flash of magic, then appeared on the other side of the door. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the already-made bed before her. She pursed her lips and looked around, "Twi-!" her call was cut off in an instant, and her blood chilled by a few degrees as her gaze swept over a section of the wall that had a red stain on it. Her face became expressionless as she struggled to process the red stain.

She felt a knot growing in her throat and an ache of unease welling up inside her. A shiver slid down her spine. Her gaze shot around the room more frantically, finding another red stain on a wall, the stain more prominent than the one closer to Twilight's bed. Her gaze barely noticed the second red stain, let alone did she process it before her eyes darted down to the floor at the base of the red smear.

The next few seconds passed in a blur for her. Without conscious thought, her magic unlocked and practically ripped open the door. "Fluttershy!" she screamed, already running over to the lavender alicorn lying beside the wall. She slid to a stop, then sat down and examined Twilight with her eyes and magic, enveloping the weak alicorn with her aura. Starlight's body visibly shook, though a little relief passed through her body when she saw Twilight's barrel rise, then fall with her breathing.

Fluttershy took longer to react, having been startled by Starlight's scream. When she finally recovered and rushed into the room, she froze as the first thing she saw was Starlight sitting beside Twilight, who was crumbled up on the floor, her forehooves clutching her head. She took a step back and lifted a forehoof to her mouth as she let out a quiet, shocked gasp. Her eyes grew misty, then overflowed, all the while, she stayed still, frozen in fear, while Starlight's head darted about, looking over Twilight.

Starlight placed a forehoof on Twilight's body and felt her warmth and pulse. The alicorn was noticeably cooler than normal, and her pulse was faint. She swallowed and slid her shaky hoof up to Twilight's neck and pressed against her artery. She jumped back up, then swiveled around to face Fluttershy. "Stay with Twilight," she ordered, then disappeared in a flash of light.

Fluttershy hastily galloped over to Starlight's former position, then sat down. She clenched her eyes shut and barred her teeth, then placed a forehoof on Twilight's body.

Starlight hastily, frantically teleported down to the castle's library, searching for the one creature of most value at the moment- Spike. Starlight rushed around the library looking every which way, but Spike was nowhere to be seen. Starlight clenched her jaw, then released and chewed on her lip. She continued looking left and right even as she cast another frantic teleportation spell, using more magic than necessary in her haste and thus creating a larger flash and a louder crack.

She arrived in the dining room. Her head jerked around, and her expression grew frantic as she still found herself unable to locate the dragon. "Spike!" she called out, nearly screaming.

"Ah!" a cry of surprise shot out from the kitchen. She heard the sound of plates clattering to the floor, along with something breaking.

Wasting no time, Starlight teleported into the kitchen and hastily surveyed the entire room, looking for Spike or the mess he made to indicate his position. Spike groaned and rubbed his chest over where his heart would be while he looked down at the newly created mess. "Starlight! What was that for!?" he said, looking at Starlight an unsure, yet disappointed look. Noticing her anguished expression, he immediately forgot the mess and rushed over. "Starlight?"

"S-Spike! I need you to send a message to Princess Celestia right now! She needs to come immediately! It's an emergency, Twilight's hurt!" Without wasting any time, she teleported a scroll and quill out, then hastily wrote out a letter. She rolled up the scroll, then tied a ribbon around it, then sealed it with Twilight's seal.

"Twilight's... hurt?" Spike asked, his mind still not fully processing what his ears told him. He swallowed then took a deep breath as he took the scroll in his claws. He quickly exhaled and breathed out his fire breath. The flame consumed the scroll and sent it off. "What... what happened!?" he demanded. His mouth didn't fully close after he finished, and he balled up his fists.

"N-no time!" Starlight said. She closed her eyes, then levitated Spike up in her magic and teleported the both of them to Twilight's room before Spike could protest, leaving the dragon reeling from the suddenness of it. Fluttershy tensed up and squeaked at the crack of magic, then looked back at the two.

Spike groaned and rubbed his head as Starlight set him down on the floor, but his own pain was forgotten at the sight of Twilight. "Twilight? Twilight!" He rushed over then came to a stop beside Fluttershy. He bit his lip and slid up beside Twilight and hugged her. "C-come on, Twilight!"

"You two, stay with her," Starlight said in a solemn, tone. "I had Spike send a letter to Princess Celestia, telling her that we needed her. I don't know when she'll get here. I will be right back, I'm getting help. Don't try to move her!" Without awaiting a response, she teleported straight to the hospital.

The nurse at the front desk barely had time to register the sudden teleport before Starlight was all but muzzle to muzzle with her, causing the nurse to blink in surprise and jerk her head back. Starlight looked the nurse in the eye, "I need Doctor Manner right now, Princess Twilight has been hurt!" she said seriously.

The nurse opened her mouth to say something, then clenched her jaw and nodded. She turned and headed out from behind the desk, "I will go get him, please wait here and stay calm miss," she said hastily as she hurried off.

Spike held Twilight close, hugging her, hoping that his hug would help her, all the while, Fluttershy sat beside him. Both of them tried their hardest to retain their composure, but it wasn't working, the state Twilight was in dominated their thoughts, leaving both of them shivering and shaking.

Neither of them knew what to do. Spike was always used to Twilight, or somepony else, being there to tell him what to do, and Fluttershy was handling it even worse than Spike. Twilight was still alive, but seeing her lying on the floor, unconscious, wasn't easy for either of them, especially given the two blood smears on the wall, along with crimson on the floor, originating from Twilight's head.

A sharp crack of magic filled the air. Spike and Fluttershy tore their gazes away from Twilight to see Princess Celestia standing in the room. Princess Celestia's expression slipped into concern the moment she took in the scene. She clenched her jaw, then without saying a word, hurried across the room to Twilight. Fluttershy and Spike both immediately backed away from Twilight.

"Is s-she going to be o-okay?" Spike asked quietly, halfway afraid of the answer.

Princess Celestia's brow creased. A second later, her warm, golden aura enveloped Twilight's form. A grimace tugged on her lip, pulling it down into a broken frown. She closed her eyes, then took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. "Starlight's letter said she was getting Doctor Manner. I do not know how long that will take. I can stabilize her and amplify her body's ability to heal, but she needs medical attention," she said in a calm, concerned voice. She looked over Twilight for a few more seconds, then tore her gaze away from her. Looking up, her gaze fell on the blood smear on the wall. She studied it for a moment and felt repulsed and angered by the sight, then she looked around to the other side of the room. "What happened?" she asked, her voice taking on a cooler tone, though still remaining friendly.

"Starlight... she... we... just... found her like this..." Fluttershy said quietly.

Celestia nodded once, then closed her eyes. "My sister will be here soon... did you find anything out of place?" she asked.

"N-no... we didn't... really look, either..." Fluttershy whispered. "T-the door was locked, and... Starlight teleported inside..."

Celestia clenched her jaw, then gritted her teeth, although in the back of her mind, a creeping fear ate away at her resolve, and a growing dullness swelled up inside her chest. "My sister will be here within the hour, along with a detatchment of the Royal Guard..." she said quietly.

Spike swallowed. "Y-you don't think..."

Princess Celestia hesitated, then strode over to the balcony door. She paused, then went to open it with her magic, only to find it still locked. "Chrysalis was behind this..." Celestia stated. Her gaze sharpened, then softened and she shook her head. "She shouldn't have been able to do this... she didn't have the resources, and she was nowhere near here!" she mused. "Twilight was supposed to be safe..." she whispered to herself. A wave of pain rolled over her expression. She slowly exhaled, then she walked back over to Twilight.

"But... I thought that you had Queen Chrysalis on the run?" Spike asked, his tone sober, and his eyes dulled.

Celestia opened her mouth to respond, only to close her mouth and shake her head. "There is a lot I need to take care of right now, Spike, Fluttershy. I will stay with Twilight until Starlight returns with a doctor. If Queen Chrysalis is still here, she will not defeat me this time."

"Y-you think... sh-she's still here?" Fluttershy squeaked, shying back and hiding her face behind her mane in fear.

Celestia's expression softened. She walked over to Fluttershy. "It is unlikely that she is still here... I do not know if something scared her off, or if she chose to leave Twilight in such a state... The latter... I do not want to think about..." she trailed off, swallowing. 'Chrysalis, you left her for dead... Did you do that out of vengeance? You had to have known she was still alive... you wanted her to suffer...' She swallowed and took a deep breath, then shifted her weight on her hooves, trying to distract herself from the anguish the thought brought her. 'Twilight... I am so sorry, I failed you... I didn't protect you...' She closed her eyes.

"Princess, are you okay?" Spike asked quietly.

Princess Celestia opened her eyes. She hesitated, then nodded. "Please see to it that Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash are informed immediately..." she trailed off, her brow creasing. "Where... is Rainbow Dash?" she asked, her concern shifting to the pegasus whom her student loved.

Fluttershy bit her lip. "She's... at the Wonderbolt Academy right now... Twilight... she... didn't want Rainbow to give up on being a Wonderbolt..." she said softly. Celestia visibly grimaced. "It... might take me a while to get there, but... I can go and get her..."

"No," Celestia said. "I will get her myself..." As soon as the words left her mouth, a new uneasiness filled her. 'Rainbow... I am sorry...' "Gather the rest of your friends at the hospital. As soon as Luna arrives, I will go bring Rainbow Dash back. Luna will be able to better protect Twilight than I, but Queen Chrysalis is likely long gone by now, otherwise, she would not have left Twilight..." she trailed off, searching for the right way to say it, "like this..." she said tentatively. "The Royal Guard will secure Ponyville and the castle, then we'll find out what happened..."

Fluttershy timidly nodded. She lifted a forehoof up and rubbed her eyes with the back of her forehooves, drying them as best she could. "Let's g-go, Spike..." she said, turning and hastily trotting over to the door.

Spike lingered for a moment, his eyes darting between Twilight and Celestia. His gaze stayed on Celestia more than Twilight. She looked physically pained, her coat seemed to have lost it's sheen, and her mane and tail both flowed much slower than normal.

Celestia looked over at Spike and offered him a weak, reassuring smile. "Twilight will be fine, Spike... I may not be the tactician or warrior that my sister is... but Chrysalis is in a weakened enough state that she cannot match me. I promise you that Twilight will be safe."

Spike swallowed, then quickly nodded and scurried off after Fluttershy.

Celestia watched him leave, then turned back to Twilight. She sat down on her haunches and closed her eyes. A loud crack of magic disrupted the silence. Celestia opened her eyes and looked at the two new arrivals. "Starlight... Doctor Manner," she acknowledged warily.

Starlight swallowed. "Princess..." she trailed off as she looked behind Celestia at Twilight.

Doctor Manner grimaced and remained silent, then strode over to Twilight's limp body. He levitated out a stethoscope and placed it on her neck, then listened to her. "She's still alive... It's faint, but she's still there..." he muttered to himself. He stepped back, then looked up at the wall. "She was... thrown into the wall?" he asked, squinting.

"It appears that way..." Celestia said quietly.

Doctor Manner's grimace grew. He slid around in front of Twilight' then levitated out a small flashlight. He turned it on, then using his magic, lifted one of Twilight's eyelids opened. He shined the light in her eye, then flicked it out of her eye, gauging her reaction. "Possible concussion... she's unconscious..." he said to himself. He gently lifted her head up, then grimaced as he scrutinized her head. "Her head has suffered blunt force trauma..." he said a little louder. "Whoever it was, their goal was to do something like this... Her brain might be bleeding..." He clenched his jaw, then turned to face Celestia.

"I used my magic to attempt to accelerate her healing," Celestia answered before Doctor Manner could say anything.

The doctor nodded. "I wasn't hoping to ever have to deal with something like this..." he muttered. He shined the flashlight at Twilight's wound. "It looks like the bleeding has stopped..." he commented, then stood back up. "I would feel much better if you would teleport us and carry her, Princess," he said.

Celestia nodded, then wrapped her magic around Twilight's body and carefully levitated her up off of the floor, then she teleported the four of them to the hospital.

Five very worried mares and one baby dragon sat quietly in one of the waiting room in the Ponyville hospital. Rarity scowled at the sense of deja vu she felt, but the rest of them wore weary, worried expressions that revealed what they were thinking about, and only added to the oppressive, glum atmosphere permeating the room.

"It's like the reactor all over again," Applejack muttered. "And now Twilight's back in the hospital again... How did this happen?" she asked. "I thought that the princesses were taking care of Queen Chrysalis!"

Starlight looked up from her hooves and turned her gaze to Applejack. "It's Queen Chrysalis we're talking about... the Queen of the Changelings, she isn't exactly the least intelligent enemy you've faced..."

Applejack shook her head. "They didn't do their job to protect her!" she argued.

Rarity bit her lip and shot a glare over at Applejack. "You can't just say that! They tried, dear, I'm sure they tried. Do you really think they wanted something like this to happen again?" she asked. Applejack grimaced and sighed. "Besides," Rarity said, sticking her head up in the air, "we have no way of knowing that... she was behind it. Besides, we're not supposed to be talking about her having been behind the accident that Twilight stopped," she quipped.

"Princess Celestia said she thought Queen Chrysalis was responsible..." Fluttershy said in a soft, timid voice which barely carried through the private waiting room. Spike laid a claw on Fluttershy's shoulder and smiled at her, though his smile was weak and strained, he was too preoccupied with Twilight's condition to offer anything better. None of them could offer anything better.

"Somepony at least told Rainbow Dash, right?" Starlight asked, wincing.

She turned to Fluttershy, who slowly shook her head. "Princess Celestia said she would take care of it as soon as she had the chance to," she answered.

Starlight grimaced and slowly nodded, then looked back down at the floor. "This is my fault, I should have stayed there..." she said quietly.

"None of us blame you, Starlight. You couldn't have known, besides, Queen Chrysalis is a big old meanie pants..." Pinkie replied, her voice devoid of her normal enthusiasm.

Starlight closed her eyes and hung her head. "I had a chance to stop her the last time I saw her, though. I could have stopped her when she was flying off, but I didn't... Twilight's in this mess all because of me..." she whispered.

"Pinkie's right, Starlight, you couldn't have known," Applejack said. She slid out of her chair, then walked over to Starlight, then sat down beside her and gave her a sideways hug. Starlight shifted her weight, then turned to face Applejack and buried her head into her shoulder. Applejack wrapped her foreleg around Starlight's withers and gently rubbed her side with her forehoof.

"Twilight wouldn't blame you either, dear," Rarity said calmly.

The sharp crack of magic from a teleportation spell prevented anypony from saying anything else. Luna glanced around at the ponies and baby dragon warily.

"Princess Luna..." the mares acknowledged, tiredness evident in their less than eager greeting.

"The Royal Guard is searching Ponyville, but so far we have found no signs of Queen Chrysalis," Luna stated, her voice heavy and avoiding any formalities. "We've sent messengers to get in contact with the forces who were supposed to be chasing down Queen Chrysalis. The last messages we received from them were the usual, 'close on her tail,' messages, along with an update on their location. The changelings were retreating further to the south," she said.

"Then how is it that..." Applejack started, then trailed off under a glare from Rarity.

Luna pursed her lips, then looked down at her hooves and opened her mouth. "I... do not know. She has eluded us and..." she trailed off, exhaling heavily. She looked back up at the ponies and dragon, meeting each of their gazes, but never lingering. "I will go switch places with my sister. You have my word that I will not let any more harm come to her while she is under my watch," Luna stated firmly. She lit her horn, then teleported away without hesitation.

"Princess Luna seems to be taking this hard..." Fluttershy said quietly, not looking away from the spot the alicorn formerly occupied.

Rarity nodded in agreement. After a few more seconds, her thoughts drifted to the one pegasus missing from the room. "Rainbow Dash won't take this well..." she said in a low, cautious voice. A couple of ponies turned to look at Rarity, but all of them remained silent following what she said. Nopony wanted to break the silence, and nothing felt right to say.

Celestia's glossed-over gaze focused on Twilight was broken by the sharp crack of somepony teleporting. She inhaled and tore her gaze away from the unconscious alicorn lying in the hospital bed and turned to face the door. Luna slowly peeked around and into the room, then tentatively stepped inside. "Luna..." Celestia greeted, her voice weary.

Luna came to a stop and grimaced, her gaze drawn away from her sister and redirected on Twilight. After a few moments, she looked back at Celestia, then walked over and stood beside her. As soon as Luna came to a stop beside her, Celestia leaned over and nuzzled her younger sister. Luna waited for a few seconds, then leaned into her sister and hesitantly returned her nuzzle. "How is she doing?" Luna asked calmly.

Celestia lifted her head back away from Luna, then sat down on her haunches. "Her brain is still bleeding some. Doctor Manner is worried about it but says that she should be fine, so long as nothing else happens to her. They're still running tests to make sure that she's alright other than that..." she spoke in a quiet, reserved voice.

Luna nodded. "Her castle along with Ponyville has been secured, there is no sign of Queen Chrysalis lingering to finish her work, but you were correct. I could feel Queen Chrysalis's magic all over Twilight's room... how she managed to get here continues to elude me."

Celestia grimaced. "I need to contact her parents, Cadance and Shining Armor, and King Thorax..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "It's going to be a long day, and probably an even longer night."

"Go retrieve Rainbow Dash. I shall stay here and watch over Twilight," Luna said. Celestia looked over at her sister and grimaced. "I do not envy that job, sister," Luna said in a concerned, low voice. "But you did say that you would. If you would rather I take care of it, I would." She paused and pursed her lips while Celestia's brow furrowed in thought. "The forces we had chasing down Queen Chrysalis reported that they still had eyes on her... I am beginning to suspect that we never truly knew her location. Perhaps the 'Chrysalis' we were following was simply a drone disguised as the queen."

Celestia clenched her jaw. "If that is the case, then Queen Chrysalis has once more taken us by surprise and defeated us..."

"Twilight still lives," Luna replied. "And I will ensure that remains the case." She turned to face her sister, then lowered her head and looked at her meaningfully. "Go. Bring back Rainbow Dash and take care of what you need to do. I will protect Twilight with my life, and as soon as we know more, I will inform her friends."

Celestia slowly nodded, then slowly rose back up to her hooves. "I wish there was more we could do for Twilight, but it seems that my magic didn't accelerate her healing as much as I had hoped it would... The doctors don't want anypony to see her until she wakes up, and at this rate, that may be a while..."

"You are worried about Rainbow Dash," Luna said slowly, nodding her head. Luna's lips pulled into a strained grimace. "We promised them that she would be safe, and... here we are once more, sister..."

"I know, Lulu..." Celestia sighed. "This would be so much easier if you could find Queen Chrysalis in the realm of dreams to ascertain her location..."

"That would be most welcome, but I can only do that with ponies... Perhaps if I could do it with all creatures, we would not have had so many problems as of late," Luna mused. "I cannot sense Twilight having any dreams, likely because she is unconscious. I will have to watch her closely after she awakens, lest she suffer from the undue burden of nightmares brought on by our failures."

Celestia nodded, then walked over to Twilight's bed and looked over the lone alicorn laying on the bed beneath the blankets. It hurt to look away from her form under the covers, the left side of her head was bandaged, covering the wound she had sustained from being thrown into the walls by magic multiple times. Celestia clenched her jaw, then looked away from Twilight. She lit her horn, then cast her teleportation spell.

Princess Celestia took a deep breath, put on a gentle smile, and stood up straight as she arrived at her destination. Her unannounced arrival spurred on some confusion among the nearby pegasi, who almost immediately bowed, or landed to bow. She looked around for two specific ponies- one with a vibrant rainbow mane, and the other with a fiery orange mane. Neither of the pegasi were in her immediate vicinity.

"Princess?" a pegasus called from behind.

Celestia's smile twitched upward momentarily, having recognized the voice. "Soarin," she acknowledged as she turned around. She spotted the pegasus not far from her, tentatively rising from a bow, but not standing all the way up. "I wish I was here under better circumstances, but Princess Twilight has been attacked..." she trailed off and let a grimace slip through to show on her lips. Soarin's expression grew grave. "I need to speak with both Spitfire and Rainbow Dash. Preferably, I will speak to Rainbow Dash first," she said.

Soarin stood all the way up and nodded. "Yes, Princess... Rainbow should be in the barracks right now. I can go get her if you want-"

Celestia shook her head. "That will not be necessary, I will speak to her myself. In private," she specified. "Please do inform Spitfire of my arrival and that I will be speaking with her momentarily," she added.

Soarin nodded, then bowed again before flying off toward the building housing Spitfire's office. Celestia glanced around momentarily, then hastily strode toward the barracks, leaving the remaining pegasi to their prior engagements without saying anything else. The two stallions guarding the doors fell into bows as she approached, then swiftly opened the doors for her. Celestia's stride didn't break as she made her way into the facility.

Celestia scanned the facility with her magic and made her way in the general direction that she found Rainbow Dash. While she wasn't very familiar with the building's layout, a combination of her magic and the signs allowed her to relatively easily locate the pegasus in the locker room. She came to a stop in the doorway and looked at Rainbow. Fresh discomfort welled up inside her chest. She looked away from Rainbow and took in two more pegasi in the room. Of the three, only two looked familiar to her, and none of them noticed her. "My little ponies," she acknowledged.

At the sound of Celestia's voice, the three pegasi turned to face her and bowed. While all of them were confused and surprised, the confusion written across Rainbow's features were most dominant. "Please rise. I need to speak to Rainbow Dash alone," she said as she walked into the room. The three pegasi rose to their hooves. The two aside from Rainbow looked at the mare uneasily, then flew passed Celestia and out into the hallway. Celestia watched them leave, then walked over to Rainbow and looked at her.

Rainbow shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Uh... Princess?" she asked.

Celestia glanced around once more, then came to a stop and sat down on her haunches. Her smile slipped into a grimace, and her expression turned somber. Rainbow's brow creased, and worry filled her eyes. "Rainbow... Twilight has been... injured," she said quietly.

Rainbow opened her mouth to say something, then caught herself. She took a second to compose herself, then continued, "W... What?" she swallowed.

Celestia pursed her lips. She wanted to look away from Rainbow for what she was going to say next, but it wasn't right. She met Rainbow's gaze, then hesitantly opened her mouth, "Twilight... she was attacked by Queen Chrysalis. She was in her room, alone. Starlight was out eating, and Spike was in the library. When Starlight came back, she found Twilight unconscious, and..." she trailed off, bobbing her head as a grimace grew to dominate her lips. "She's back in the hospital."

Rainbow remained silent for several seconds. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She shook her head and swallowed back a knot, then looked at the floor, then at her hooves. She didn't know what to say. 'What... I... but... how... why... Twilight...' Her thoughts were scattered and incoherent, worry, concern, fear, and pain swelling up inside her, along with something else. She took a deep breath, then growled before looking back up at Celestia, her eyes filled with pain and anger. "How did this... happen!?" she demanded.

"Rainbow," Celestia cautioned, her voice wary, "We're trying to figure that out... Queen Chrysalis took us by surprise again," she said calmly, hoping her soothing voice would relax the pegasus.

Rainbow looked exasperated for a moment, then she slumped down a little and stared at the floor. "But... this... she... how did..." she said quietly, not able to decide exactly what to ask or say. She swallowed and closed her eyes. "She's... she's gonna be... okay, r-right?" she asked pleadingly. She looked up at Celestia, trying her best to hide the hurt and stop herself from falling apart in front of somepony. 'Twilight...' She fought back sniffles, and barely succeeded, but as it was, her breathing came out stuttered, making her body shake with each breath.

Celestia slowly unfurled one of her wings, then extended it out and wrapped it around Rainbow's back, then slowly pulled her close. She lifted a foreleg up, then brought Rainbow in against her body. "She was hurt badly, but she will be okay, I give you my word. Luna is with her right now, protecting her, although we have no reason to believe Queen Chrysalis is anywhere near Ponyville now..." she said quietly.

Rainbow tentatively lifted her forelegs up, then uneasily wrapped them around Celestia's body, the informal action making her even more nervous. Celestia responded by leaning down and laying her head on Rainbow's head and holding her tight with her wing. "How... bad... was it?"

Celestia swallowed and stared across the room at the wall. "Chrysalis left her for dead..." she answered gravely. Rainbow choked a little and pressed her forehead into Celestia's body. Celestia shared Rainbow's pain. She lifted her forehoof, then gently ran it down Rainbow's body, trying to comfort her. "We will find Chrysalis, and my sister will make sure that nothing like this will ever happen again," she said solemnly.

Rainbow took a deep, shaky breath. "I-I want to... go with Princess Luna... wh-when you go after Chrysalis," she stated, determination evident in her voice, even if it did come out weak.

"We will see," Celestia replied. "I do not believe Twilight would be okay with that," she said at length. "But... you can see her for yourself when she wakes up. Right now, the only ponies allowed in her room are my sister, the doctors, and myself."

"Is-is it t-that bad?" Rainbow asked quietly.

"They don't want to make her condition any worse... they don't want to risk it," Celestia answered. She lifted her head back off of Rainbow, then swallowed. She took a deep breath. "I... need to speak to Spitfire. I'm going to have the Wonderbolts deploy to locate Queen Chrysalis... but I think I would rather keep you in Ponyville, for the time being," she said.

Rainbow waited a few seconds to process Celestia's statement, then quickly nodded. "Y-yeah... I... I want to be with the girls, right now..." she trailed off, then pulled her head away from Celestia. She timidly pulled her forelegs back and then set them on the floor. She looked away from Celestia. "I... um... I'm sorry that..." she trailed off.

Celestia felt a little tickle of joy at Rainbow's reaction, but it was swiftly consumed by other thoughts. "It's quite alright, Rainbow. Twilight is close to both of us," she said. "And... I would like to consider us close since you two are close," she added. She offered Rainbow a gentle, soft smile.

Rainbow swallowed and tentatively looked up at Celestia. The elder alicorn's reassuring smile helped a little, and Rainbow nodded. She closed her eyes, then lifted a forehoof and rubbed her eyes, trying to dry them as best she could.

Celestia teleported a dry cloth to her, then levitated it down in front of Rainbow. Rainbow hesitantly took it in a hoof, then dried her eyes off. When she finished, Celestia took the cloth in her magic, then teleported it away. Celestia swallowed, then licked her lips. "I... was expecting you to react differently if I am being honest..." she said tentatively. Rainbow frowned a little but said nothing. "I was... halfway expecting you to be upset at me and my sister... since we did not protect her like we said we would..." she said quietly.

Rainbow slowly nodded, then looked down at her hooves and Celestia's hooves. "I... am a little mad at you, but... I can't blame you... You wouldn't want this to have happened to Twilight, and if you could have stopped it, you would have..." she said. She bobbed her head to the right. "And... Twilight wouldn't be happy with me if she found out..." she trailed off and smiled a weak, sheepish smile, which quickly faded.

Celestia closed her eyes as a dull ache shot out through her chest, emanating from her heart. "I... am worried that we didn't do all that we could have... We could have had more Royal Guards in Ponyville, but... we... we thought Chrysalis wouldn't be able to... do something like this... she shouldn't have the power left now..."

Rainbow pulled back from Celestia, then slowly stood up. "I... can we go, now? I... don't want to be here right now..." she said.

Celestia nodded, then stood up. "I will go talk to Spitfire. It will only take a minute, then I will be back and I will teleport us back to Ponyville."

"Rainbow Dash..." Pinkie said quietly as the pegasus came to a stop in the doorway and looked around at everypony present. Standing beside her, Princess Celestia stood, looking downcast, though not to the extent of the mares in the room. Slowly, the rest of the ponies in the room turned to face her and noticed Princess Celestia.

"Rainbow Dash..." Rarity said quietly.

Rainbow looked at Rarity with a tired expression. Right then, Rainbow would not have cared if Rarity said anything about her relationship with Twilight. It wouldn't have mattered since she was too worried about the alicorn to deal with Rarity. She quietly walked into the room, then sat down in a secluded spot away from the rest of the girls and Spike.

"This... is hard on all of us," Celestia acknowledged, her gaze directed on Rainbow. Rainbow shifted in her seat and ruffled her wings, then looked up at Celestia. Celestia watched Rainbow for a few more seconds, then looked over the rest of the room's occupants. "I have yet to send word to Twilight's family, but I have sent word to King Thorax and his brood. We are going to find Queen Chrysalis. The Wonderbolts and Royal Guard are scouring Equestria as we speak. It's only a matter of time," she said.

Celestia licked her lips and sighed. "Somepony will come and get you as soon as anything changes, or if she wakes up," she said. "Stay strong, my little ponies," she whispered, then turned and slowly walked away.

A few minutes passed in silence after Princess Celestia left. "Rainbow, dear... how are you doing?" Rarity asked, watching the pegasus.

Rainbow looked up at Rarity wanting to snap at her, but as soon as she saw Rarity's expression, she felt guilty about the thought. She lowered her head back down, avoiding looking at the unicorn, though the picture of her smudged mascara trailing down from her eyes remained in her mind. "I'll be fine," she said quietly. "Twilight's... she'll be fine," she added in the same voice, drawing the attention of a few more of her friends.

After a few more seconds, she shivered and held her wings a little closer to her body, the chill of the all too familiar hospital air sapping the warmth from her body. The chill brought back bad memories which left a bad taste in her mouth. 'Why did I say no... I was so stupid... I shouldn't have put you through that! How could I have done that to you...' She closed her eyes, then clenched them shut tight and bared her teeth as she pressed them together forcefully.

'Why did I leave her? She wanted me to... but it was a bad idea! I should have stayed, she didn't really want me to go, she just...' the thought trailed off, leaving her wanting to hit something with her hoof to vent some of the frustration she felt. Her heart ached with every pulse, and it only hurt more to think about Twilight. She didn't dare think about what Twilight went through when Queen Chrysalis showed up. She couldn't think about that.

She shivered again, and the cold only made her worry about Twilight more. 'What if... No! She's going to be fine! Princess Celestia promised!' she steeled her resolve and took a deep breath. 'I am going to make this up to you, Twilight,' she promised.

Rainbow shifted her weight, trying to get more comfortable in her chair, but it was a futile attempt. The distress she felt in her heart refused to budge. 'I... Twilight... I wish you were here... I wish I was there with you...' A dull ache of loneliness throbbed in her heart. She missed Twilight, even knowing that Twilight was nearby, she wasn't in the same room with her, she wasn't there to be there for Twilight, and it hurt.

Celestia and Luna shared grimaces as they watched the vital signs monitor for Twilight. Every continued beep was a relief. "She should be healing quicker than this," Celestia commented quietly.

"It may be a result of the radiation," Luna replied, tearing her gaze from the monitor to look at Twilight's still form, watching as her gentle breathing slowly lifted and lowered the blankets. "Or perhaps the injuries she suffered was greater than we initially believed."

Celestia frowned. "I used the improved version of the healing spell you found. I didn't put as much magic into it as we did, but I was hoping it would be as effective, but perhaps I was mistaken..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

"The spell is improved," Luna agreed, "but we have not had a chance to perfect it. It is still inefficient, but perhaps putting more magic into the spell would help."

Celestia hesitated a moment, then walked over beside Twilight's bed and lit her horn, then enveloped her in her warm, golden aura. She closed her eyes and channeled her magic into the spell. After a few seconds, she stopped, then stepped back. She turned to look at the vital signs monitor, searching for any noticeable change, only to find none.

"Give it time, sister," Luna said.

Celestia slowly turned back to face Luna and grimaced. She reluctantly nodded, then walked over back beside her and sat down on her haunches.

"How are they doing?" Luna asked, not looking away from Twilight.

"Rainbow is handling it better than I expected... and the rest of them are handling it about as well as I expected. Starlight seems to blame herself now... Once she found out that Queen Chrysalis was the pony responsible for sabotaging the reactor... I could see it in her, she blamed herself for what happened to Twilight. I should have talked to her then, but there was so much going on... I am hoping that the others will have talked some sense into her."

Luna nodded promptly. "I am sure they will. I will talk to Starlight tonight if it proves necessary."

A flash of light and a whooshing sound brought their attention to a rolled up scroll hovering in the air, surrounded by a light blue aura. Celestia warily eyed the scroll, then took it in her aura after noticing Cadance's seal. She levitated it over, broke the seal, then unrolled it and read the message.

"Good news, I hope," Luna said calmly.

Celestia absently nodded and rolled the scroll up, then levitated it over to Luna, who took the scroll in her magic and read it over herself while Celestia spoke, "Shining Armor is on his way, but Cadance and Flurry are staying in the Crystal Empire... Shining is coming to assist us with locating Chrysalis and protecting Twilight."

Luna nodded. "His assistance will be most welcome," she said. Her expression grew weary once more, "Though, I do not know how much assistance the Crystal Guard will be able to offer in tracking her down... Their lack of pegasi means they won't have the same ability to cover enough ground..."

An hour passed, and then another came and went. Rainbow hated it. Waiting, and not being there with Twilight. It felt wrong, and she found herself scolding herself for her patience, or, more specifically, waiting with the rest of the girls instead of with Twilight. She looked up from the floor to briefly glimpse the clock. A scowl momentarily broke her drained expression, only for the exhaustion to creep back into her features a second later.

'You would want me to be there with you...' she thought for the umpteenth time. Unlike all the other times before when the words echoed through her mind, this time, they spurred her to action. She quietly, without any prior indication or hesitation, hopped down from her chair and hurried toward the door.

Nopony stopped her or questioned where she was going, and she was thankful for that. It gave her some small sense of relief. As she walked out into the hallway, she hastily looked both ways, then headed to the left. 'I don't know what room they have you in, and I don't really want to have to search the entire hospital... I would probably know it if I found it because there'd be guards...' she mused.

Spurred on by the thought, she continued to make her way through the hallway, glancing around and looking over the few ponies who tred the same path she did. None of them wore the distinguished golden armor of the Royal Guard. Most of them were nurses and doctors. There was the occasional visitor, and there were also a couple of janitors. She grimaced and turned to the right at the end of the hallway, then continued on the path.

She navigated through the hospital, making her way to the room where Twilight had stayed the first time she had been in the hospital in the past few months, with an ease that left her feeling even duller. 'Was it really that long that I would know this so well?' Eventually, she made her way to the room, then came to a stop, staring at it. The door was opened and unguarded, and her lips pulled into a neutral line. 'No... but it was worth a try...' she thought with a sigh.

She slowly made her way back through the hospital's hallways and found the front desk. She paused and looked around the room, noticing just how empty and quiet it was. She could count how many ponies occupied seats in the room on her hooves. She shook the thought aside, then spread her wings out and leisurely flew across the room, then landed in front of the desk. Rainbow didn't recognize the pony behind the desk, a whitish unicorn mare with a light purple mane and tail who had a cutie mark that was a series of light-blue medical crosses. "Um, hi," she greeted.

"How may I help you?" the unicorn asked in a gentle, cheerful voice and smiled warmly, turning all of her attention away from her paperwork and focusing on Rainbow Dash.

"I um... my friend's in one of the rooms here, but I wasn't told which one," Rainbow replied. She shifted her weight and smiled sheepishly. "Uh, Princess Twilight?" she asked.

The unicorn blinked, then nodded and looked down at a clipboard with paper. After a few seconds, she looked away from it, then rolled her chair across the desk a few hoof lengths, then lit her horn and accessed the desktop computer near the wall. Several seconds passed, and each one left Rainbow fidgeting uncomfortably. The unicorn frowned, then slowly pushed the chair back over to Rainbow. "It says that it's supposed to be kept secret," she said apologetically.

Rainbow sighed. "Yeah, Princess Celestia said that the doctors didn't want anypony visiting her because of her condition, and I know that it would be asked to be kept a secret, she is a princess, after all," she replied. "Look, can you please just tell me where it is? I'm Rainbow Dash, one of her closest friends? Element of Loyalty? Wonderbolt?" she asked.

The unicorn nibbled on her lip. "I know who you are..." she said quietly. She sighed, then looked away from Rainbow, her ears falling back against her head.

"Then you know that you can tell me!" Rainbow said, putting a little more energy into her words and expression. She smiled hopefully. "Look, if you don't, then I'm just going to end up searching the whole hospital until I find her room," she said a little bluntly. "So, why don't you just tell me and save me the time. I know I can find her room, simply because I know what to look for. It'll be guarded, and Princess Luna or Princess Celestia, heck, maybe both of them, will be there."

The unicorn grimaced. "I can't. I could lose my job if I were to help you. I'm sorry, but you'll just have to find it yourself."

Rainbow hesitated a moment, looking at the unicorn pleadingly, then sighed and turned away from her. "Thanks anyway..." she muttered. She hung her head, then slowly made her way back into the hospital's many hallways in search of Twilight.

A soft, almost unnoticeable sound came from the sole bed in Twilight's room. Celestia and Luna's ears both perked up and swiveled toward the source of the sound. A quiet, pained groan followed, along with the sound of fur sliding around underneath the bedsheets.

Celestia and Luna's heads shot around to face Twilight's bed to see the alicorn writhing around slightly. "Twilight..." Celestia said quietly, walking passed Luna and then stopping beside her bed. "Twilight?" she repeated a little louder, though still maintaining her warm, welcoming mother-like voice.

Twilight clenched her eyes shut, then hesitantly blinked them open. Her vision was filled by Celestia and her bright, joyous smile. Panic momentarily gripped her, and the adrenaline surge made her kick away from her slightly, only for the pain to make her wince and stop.

"Twilight," Celestia said in a warning voice. The joy filling her was swiftly stolen away from her without any recourse as Twilight visibly shook under the blankets. "Twilight..." she said in a soft, heartbroken voice. "It's okay... you're safe now..." she cooed.

Twilight hesitantly cracked open an eye and looked around. Her shivering died down as she took in where she was. She went to roll her head over to get a better look at Celestia, only to tense up and hiss in pain as the slightest pressure was put on her wound. She shook again. "P-Princess..." she whimpered.

"It's okay, we're here, Twilight," Celestia cooed softly. She looked back at Luna. "Go get the others," she said softly.

Luna, who up to this point had been staring at Twilight, feeling a mixture of different, conflicting emotions, turned to Celestia and nodded. She hastily hurried out of the room, then down the hallway.

Twilight whimpered again, and Celestia's attention turned back to her beloved friend. Seeing Twilight in such a state made her heart feel weak and heavy, every pump from it felt harder than the last. "I am so, so sorry, Twilight..." she said softly, knowing the phrase was one she had said too many times already. "But I promise you'll be okay... Luna's going to go get your friends..." she cooed.

Twilight looked even more physically pained for a moment, then quickly nodded, barely nudging her head up and down.

"Rainbow Dash will be relieved that you're awake... I'm sure you would like to be alone with her for a little while... I think we can manage that, at least after the rest of the girls have to leave..." Celestia whispered.

"Y-yeah..." Twilight said uncertainly. "Th-that... w-would be n-nice..."

Celestia smiled a soft smile. Despite her best attempts to mask her pain, it was clearly visible.

Luna's appearance in the doorway was met by the gaze of everypony present in the room. Luna looked them over and frowned, noting the absence of Rainbow Dash. Everypony else looked at her expectantly. "Twilight has awoken," she said. "Where is Rainbow Dash?" she asked.

Applejack and Rarity looked at each other. "She just... left half an hour ago or so," Rarity answered.

A pained grimace grew upon Luna's lips. "Please come with me. I will send a guard to find and bring Rainbow Dash," she said. She turned around and headed out into the hallway, then paused and turned back to watch the ponies stand up and rather hastily join her in the hallway.

"While she is awake, it would be best if you would keep your distance from her," Luna commented as she started walking down the hallway at a quick, yet relaxed pace that her company could easily keep up. "It would not do to aggravate her condition any further. She has been through a lot."

"She really has..." Fluttershy agreed in a soft, timid voice.

Eventually, they arrived at a door with two unicorns standing at attention. Luna came to a stop and looked at the one on the left. "Please go find Rainbow Dash and bring her back here," she said. The unicorn bowed, then pursed his lips and hesitantly set off, though his pace quickened as he grew surer. Luna opened the door with her magic, then strode inside. She was unsurprised to see her sister sitting on her haunches beside Twilight's bedside to where Twilight wasn't strained to see her. Doctor Manner eyed Luna and the rest of her company warily as they walked inside, but he said nothing and returned to check up on Twilight.

Luna walked around to one of the chairs, then sat down in it, letting Twilight's friends have the floor while refusing to leave Twilight without her protection. Twilight's friends spread out some but kept close. They all tentatively walked over beside Celestia, who stood up. "I have matters I must attend to," she said tentatively. She glanced at Luna, then looked back at Twilight. "I will be back later, Twilight... For now, I will leave you in the very capable hooves of your friends," she said, then hesitantly walked to the door, then left the room.

"G-Girls..." Twilight acknowledged, swallowing.

"Twilight..." Rarity greeted, putting on a strained smile.

"You don't look so good, sugarcube," Applejack commented warily, smiling wryly.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Fluttershy said. She walked around closer to Twilight's bed, then sat down and hung her head.

Rarity swallowed, then joined Fluttershy and wrapped a foreleg around her to comfort her. Fluttershy welcomed Rarity's hug and leaned into her, shaking a little.

"Twilight... I'm sorry," Starlight apologized. "I should have-"

"It-it's fine..." Twilight said hastily, cutting her off, though she didn't meet Starlight's gaze.

"You really need to stop getting hurt, Twilight, it's not good for you!" Pinkie said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Twilight's only reaction was to grimace. Pinkie, seeing that her attempt failed, slumped down, and her mane lost some of its puffiness.

The silence lingered for seconds, which gradually grew into minutes. Eventually, the silence was broken by the door opening. Rainbow Dash strode into the room, then came to a stop, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of Twilight. Twilight glanced at her and shifted her weight, then looked away from her.

"Rainbow... where were you?" Applejack asked quietly.

Rainbow shook her head, dismissing Applejack's question, then walked over to the rest of the girls. She swallowed and licked her lips. "Hey, Twilight..." she greeted, barely managing to keep her voice even. A few seconds passed in silence, which left Rainbow's heart feeling ready to give out from Twilight's lack of response.

Twilight looked unsure like she didn't know what to say, or how to respond, and everypony noticed it. "Thanks... for being here..." she said tentatively.

"What... what happened?" Rainbow asked, half fearing the answer. Twilight's expression went blank, her breathing quickened, and the heart rate monitor beeped a little faster. Rainbow glanced at the monitor and winced, then shifted her weight. "Sorry, I... sorry..." she relented, sighing.

"I... I can't..." Twilight whispered, closing her eyes and shivering a little.

Luna took that time to stand up, then walk over to Twilight. "Rest easy, Twilight, I am here and I will protect you. I promise." Luna's assurance did little to comfort the alicorn, and her shivering continued unabated.

Applejack swallowed. "Maybe we should go and come back tomorrow..." she said in an uneasy tone.

Rarity shot the earth pony a fierce glare. "You really want to just leave her here alone like this?" she snapped.

Applejack shifted her weight and winced. "Rarity, that's not what I meant... Luna will be here, but... she's been through a lot. I reckon that giving her time to recover and rest would be the best thing we can do for her right now... For pony's sake, Rarity, she was unconscious most of the day after being attacked! And from the looks of things, she hit her head real bad!"

Rarity's frigid gaze slowly relented. "Perhaps you have a point," she replied in a tone that sounded like she had just taken bitter medicine. She sighed. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Applejack..."

"It's alright, Rarity... This is stressful on all of us..." Applejack replied.

Twilight remained silent through the display, her expression impassive, save for fear and pain.

"Stay safe, alright Twilight?" Spike pleaded. Twilight looked at him and idly nodded, her mind elsewhere.

"Goodnight, Twilight... have a good night and get better soon..." Fluttershy whispered, standing up on shaky hooves.

Pinkie looked over Twilight uncertainly. "I'll throw you a get-well soon party tomorrow, Twilight... I promise!"

"Don't you worry none, Twilight, we'll stop Chrysalis," Applejack said firmly.

Luna nodded in agreement. "Indeed we will. She will not escape us this time," she said firmly, her nostrils flaring in anger.

The mares and baby dragon slowly filed out of the room. Rainbow hesitated, but made her way in the general direction of the door, though her gaze lingered on Twilight. 'I... I should stay... but... maybe I should go, since... she needs to rest, but...' She was at a loss of what to do, and Luna noticed this. "Stay safe, Twilight... I'll be back tomorrow morning, I promise..."

Luna glanced at Doctor Manner, then motioned him over toward the door. The doctor shifted his weight, then hesitantly obeyed Luna's directive. Luna headed over to the door along with the doctor. "Rainbow, we will give you two a minute alone..." she said.

Rainbow swallowed and shifted her weight. She turned around, then shuffled a few steps closer to Twilight's bed, though lingered near the wall. Luna walked on passed her and left the room. Doctor Manner hesitated a moment and looked over Rainbow closely. "Please be careful," he said gently, then proceeded to leave the room. He closed the door behind him with his magic, leaving the two friends alone.

Rainbow glanced back behind her, then slowly bobbed her head. She hung her head guiltily and walked over to the bed beside Twilight, then sat down on her haunches. Twilight perked up a little, though not much, and the alicorn studied Rainbow's crestfallen expression, or what she could with her head hung. Eventually, Rainbow took a deep breath, then lifted her head back up. She smiled softly at Twilight, though pain was evident behind the smile. "Hey... you... doing okay?" she asked tenderly.

Twilight swallowed and hastily nudged her head in a motion to say 'no.' Rainbow's smile faded. Twilight closed her eyes and shivered again.

"Hey, it's okay..." Rainbow said softly. She placed a forehoof on the bed. She bit her lip and mulled over her options. Her mind, heart, and body all yearned to climb up into the bed with Twilight and just hold her, protecting her, and comforting her, but fear left her incapable of deciding or moving further. 'What if I hurt her and make it worse?' was one of her predominant fears. She bit her lip harder and pushed the fear away, only to find unease lingering about the decision. She wanted to join Twilight, but a part of her didn't want to. She released her lip, then clenched her jaw and forced the dissenting discomfort away, suppressing it. She tentatively pulled herself up onto the bed.

Twilight opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow questioningly. She went to open her mouth, only to stop as Rainbow smiled. She shifted her weight a little, leaning back from the pegasus.

Rainbow's smiler faltered. She quickly and carefully repositioned herself, then slid a foreleg under Twilight's neck and wrapped her other foreleg around her. She carefully avoided Twilight's injured head and hugged her. Twilight didn't resist, but neither did she return the hug.

Rainbow held Twilight comfortingly, but it didn't seem to help either of them feel better. It didn't feel right to Rainbow, her alicorn was hurt and in pain, and she couldn't do anything about it. She was at least partially responsible for it, too. And that hurt her. But there was more to it than just that, she realized as her hug lingered. It didn't feel the same, Twilight didn't feel the same. She felt vulnerable, but her coat wasn't as soft, nor welcoming, nor was she as warm as normal. The joy she normally felt from holding Twilight didn't spark to life, instead her unease, discomfort, and fear only balooned from holding her.

Rainbow tentatively leaned down and gently nuzzled the back of Twilight's head, rubbing into her mane. As with the embrace, it felt wrong. She shifted her muzzle slightly and pressed her nose into Twilight's mane, then briefly inhaled. It smelt wrong. Rainbow's unease only grew. She blinked in confusion as she went over everything she felt. She swallowed and held her for a few more seconds, then let go of her and set her back down on the pillow. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't, her eyes meeting Twilight's eyes. They weren't as vibrant as normal, and they looked wrong, even more than normal. The fear and pain visible in her eyes was worse than normal, but something was still wrong.

Rainbow hesitantly hopped back off the bed, then slowly made her way to the door. Every step sent her mind reeling, and her heart beat faster. After what felt like an eternity, she reached the door. She hastily pulled it open, then slipped outside and closed the door behind her. She hastily looked around for one of the princesses. "Luna!"

Princess Luna's head shot toward Rainbow Dash, then she looked down at Doctor Manner, whose expression turned grim. "What happened?" Luna asked quickly, walking over to Rainbow. She pushed open the door with her magic.

"That... That's not Twilight!" Rainbow replied, her eyes filled with fear. "I know Twilight, and that, is not Twilight."

Luna pursed her lips, then looked at Doctor Manner, whose brow creased. "That..." she trailed off. "What?" she asked, looking back at Rainbow. Her expression faltered. "That... did..." she trailed off, horror starting to well up inside her at a simple realization. "That... could be a changeling drone..." she said gravely.

Doctor Manner's eyes widened. "I'll go check in with the lab to see if anything abnormal came up in her blood tests..." he muttered, then took off at a gallop.

Luna strode over to the door, then stopped and listened intently. Assuring herself that the room's sole occupant was still there, she silently closed the door, then cast a spell to prevent anything from entering or leaving. "I know for a fact that the blood was Twilight's blood..." she said hastily. "Are you sure that isn't Twilight?"

"Y-yes!" Rainbow answered frantically.

"If that is just a changeling drone, then Queen Chrysalis has out bested us twice in one day..." she whispered to herself. "I need to contact my sister about this..." she muttered.

"Isn't... isn't there some spell you can use to check?" Rainbow asked quickly.

Luna clenched her jaw. "I had used that spell, and it came back that that was Twilight. If Chrysalis found out a way to defeat that countermeasure..." she trailed off, the implications leaving a sour taste in her mouth.

Rainbow swallowed. "L-Luna... if... if that's not Twilight, th-then..."

"Twilight is at the mercy of a monster... Chrysalis may have Twilight in her clutches..."

Princess Luna paced back and forth in front of the door she guarded. Every second that passed agitated her more than the last. Doctor Manner was taking too long, and it had only been a few minutes. Her sister had been contacted, and now Celestia was heading to a meeting with King Thorax personally.

Rainbow, for her part, sat silently on her haunches against the wall, staring at the other side of the hallway.

Princess Luna's pacing eventually drew to a close as the sound of a pony gallopping down the hall caught her attention. She swiveled around on her hooves and met Doctor Manner halfway between their positions. "What do you know?" Luna said without wasting any time.

"The results are conclusive, that isn't Twilight. The biosigns were close to an alicorn, but after further scrutiny, they matched that of a changeling," Doctor Manner answered. "They somehow managed to disguise it almost perfectly. I have no idea how Rainbow managed to detect it, but if she hadn't, it might have been days before we figured it out."

Luna bared her teeth and lit her horn. She stormed across the hallway, then stood in front of the door. She took a moment to compose herself. "We need this drone alive, it is our only link to Chrysalis and Twilight," she said in an icy voice. She took a deep breath and braced herself, then quietly opened the door and strode inside. The quiet, calm beeping of the heart rate monitor had nearly doubled in pace since she had left, and the changeling looked at her fearfully, remaining deathly quiet, as if it knew it had been discovered.

Luna strode across the room. The changeling shifted its weight on the bed, as if trying to put more distance between it and the alicorn, but pain shot through its expression, and it whimpered in pain. "Drop the act," Luna commanded, horn glowing threateningly. Rainbow cautiously walked in behind Luna, then hesitantly walked out from behind her and looked at the changeling impersonating Twilight.

After a few seconds of receiving no response, Luna closed the distance between her and the bed, then cast a spell. The changeling hissed as its form was stolen from it. Luna was about to pick the changeling up and throw it on the floor with her magic, but stopped out of shock, noticing that the injury the changeling had received was in fact, very real. That didn't stop the changeling from looking around frantically, but it did stop it from attempting to escape.

'If Queen Chrysalis was willing to do that to one of her drones...' the thought only elevated fear Luna felt for Twilight to new levels. She quickly restrained the changeling with her magic, then walked over to it and removed the bandage from its head to further scrutinize the wound.

"What is it?" Rainbow asked.

Luna grimaced and looked at Rainbow. "Chrysalis almost killed a drone in order to convince us that it was actually Twilight," she answered. She glared down at the changeling. "I need to inform my sister of this development..." she growled. She looked over toward the door. "Doctor, Guards!" she called. The two guards rushed in, followed close behind by Doctor Manner. The three of them looked at Luna and the changeling skeptically. "Make sure the drone doesn't escape and make sure it survives," she ordered. Without waiting for a response, she teleported away.

Twilight groaned and slowly shifted her forelegs back closer to her head. The first thing she noticed was an intense pain emanating from the left side of her head. She wanted the pain to go away, but the pain refused to relent, leaving her head aching and throbbing. Next, she noticed her forelegs were being scraped by sharp rocks. She winced in pain, which sent another throb of pain throughout her being.

She was afraid to open her eyes, and her eyes felt heavy. She fought through her exhaustion and anguish, then managed to crack open an eye. To her delight, she was somewhere dark. She could barely see anything due to the darkness, and she couldn't make anything out. It was all blurry.

She felt like ice, and her surroundings were cold and damp. She rolled over onto her right side. Her muzzle scrunched up in pain, shifting her weight causing her head to pound. She slowly drew her head down against her neck and curled up into a little ball. She tentatively slid her forehoof up to her head. She barely touched the edge of her head, and she barely held back a scream of pain as she recoiled from the touch. She slid her forehoof down over her muzzle and pressed herself tighter into her own body as waves of pain rolled through her head. She clenched her jaw shut hard and pressed her eyes closed.

She shivered from cold, then fear as the last thing she remembered replaced through her mind, though it was a hazy blur, she knew. She swallowed and listened intently, half afraid of what she would hear. In the distance, she could hear the echo of faint chittering. Her body started to shake. Closer, she could hear a faint echo of water dripping into a shallow pool. She was alone, nopony else was around. She welcomed that knowledge for a brief second then felt trapped and isolated by it, knowing that none of her friends were there to comfort her, knowing that nopony was there to protect her. She felt herself starting to hyperventilate.

As she regained more feeling, she wished she hadn't. Her head felt hot and sticky, but the cold, damp air felt wonderful to her wound.

She sniffled, then quietly sobbed, her body shuddering.

Author's Note

Just when you think that Chrysalis screwed up. Just when you sigh in relief that Chrysalis didn't kill Twilight, that Twilight survived. Just when you're on the edge of your seat, eagerly reading the next word, waiting to see Chrysalis make her next move, you realize...

It was all a diversion.

As I start to write this chapter, I find myself pondering why Fluttershy is such a major secondary character in this series...

Not going to lie, I do not feel that this chapter is my best work. I believe that this is mainly due to the nature of this chapter. It is a rather fast paced chapter and is sort of all over the place. This differs from normal chapters in this series because while they might be "all over the place," most of the other chapters aren't quite so fast-paced. Maybe I'm the only one who feels that way.

I'm not really sure I'm okay with Rainbow's reaction to finding out Twilight was hurt. It kind of feels wrong... But, I guess it might make sense in the, "it hurts really badly, but she doesn't like showing that, and it hasn't completely set in yet," kind of way.

This chapter is shorter than the rest by quite a bit. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle the next chapters. I can't guarantee an update schedule either, I'm afraid. I shall try my best to do bi-weekly updates, however.

Chapter 6

Rainbow groaned a little as she walked back out of the castle. 'Princess Luna, please be here somewhere...' She bit her lip while sweeping her gaze around, looking at the Royal Guards and checking to see if Princess Luna was among them. She sighed a little after completing her sweep, finding Princess Luna absent. She took a deep breath, then steeled her resolve and flapped her wings.

She leisurely flew over to the nearest Royal Guard, a pegasus who calmly walked from left to right in front of the castle, whether he had a destination in mind, she didn't know. Rainbow landed in front of the pegasus and flared her wings out to grab his attention. He came to a stop and blinked once. "Uh, hey, can you tell me where Princess Luna is?" she asked.

The pegasus squinted at her and nodded slowly. "You're Rainbow Dash, correct? Bearer of the Element of Loyalty and Wonderbolt?" His eyes quickly moved about as he searched over Rainbow's features.

Rainbow nodded and smiled. "Yeah," she answered. "So, can you tell me where Princess Luna is? I'm kind of in a hurry." She paused and grimaced. "She's not in Canterlot, right? Please tell me she's not in Canterlot, I really, really don't feel like flying that far..."

"No, she had returned to Canterlot late last night, but I heard that she had returned maybe a half hour ago," he answered, shifting his weight on his hooves. "I don't know where she is right now, but I don't believe she would have headed back to Canterlot again." He paused and pursed his lips. "You're one of Princess Twilight's friends, right?" he asked, his voice shifting from one befitting a guard to a normal, everyday stallion.

Rainbow's expression blanked. She nodded slowly. "Yeah," she answered. "Yeah, I am. We're close," she stated.

The pegasus grimaced, then offered her a weak smile. "We'll find her," he said, something in his voice sounding like a promise, but more than that, he believed it.

A smile pulled at Rainbow's lips, eventually making them curl upward, and a little of her worry was eased. A little of the anxiety and fear dominating her mind drifted away, somehow eased by knowing that a normal Royal Guard believed things would be okay. Maybe it was just his reassurance and belief, but it helped her feel a little better. "Thanks," she replied warmly.

"No problem, Ma'am," he replied, raising a hoof to salute and flaring out his wings.

Rainbow nodded her thanks, then turned away from him and beat her wings. She calmly flew higher up into the sky and looked around. After a moment, she glanced back down and watched the pegasus walk off, returning to his duties. She smiled again, then it faded and she looked over Ponyville. 'Okay, think, if Princess Luna's here, then where would she be? The hospital, maybe?' she wondered. She looked back at the castle, then flew up higher and looked out in the general direction of the hospital. 'Okay, that would make sense,' she thought. 'Keeping an eye on the changeling, probably... I would have thought she would have stopped by the castle, though...'

She shook her head, then surged forward, beating her wings hard and taking flight in the direction of the hospital. As she flew over Ponyville, her gaze was directed downward. In the early morning light, she discovered that most of the ponies roaming the enchanted dirt streets were Royal Guards, rather than the town's residents. She wasn't surprised, given recent events, although she wondered how many ponies actually knew that Twilight was missing, that Chrysalis had captured Twilight.

A pang of loneliness rang out through her chest, emanating from her heart. She bit her lower lip and looked back up across the horizon, then scanned the skies. There were few clouds in the sky, and all of them were white and fluffy, lazily drifting about in the gentle, early morning breeze created by the pegasi, or being pushed directly by a weather pegasus. More than a few Royal Guard pegasi patrolled the sky, always in pairs, some of them flew higher than her, while some flew lower and closer to the houses as they patrolled. Some of their paths crisscrossed, while all of their flight patterns seemed to be rigid, straight lines.

She was happy she wasn't preoccupied with being a Wonderbolt or a Royal Guard. The monotony of patrolling or searching in straight lines like the rest of the pegasi patrolling wouldn't have helped her any. 'Thanks for getting me out of that, Celestia...' she thought to herself, smiling a little.

She closed her eyes briefly and let the cool morning air flood her senses. The comforting, familiar noise of the air running passed her, making her mane and tail whip back and forth slightly, as she wasn't flying her fastest. The cool embrace of the morning air, flowing over her coat and slipping in between her feathers, invigorating her body with strength. The gentle heat from the morning sun striking her side and back, contrasting against the cool air.

And yet, something was missing. Her stomach sank as she opened her eyes, a faint echo of a giggle from a mare who wasn't there playing through her mind. She looked to her right longingly, almost being able to picture Twilight flying beside her. Twilight looked happy and smiled a warm, content smile as she looked back at her. 'When you get back, we're going to fly more often,' she affirmed as the anxiety she felt gradually grew, then faded, throbbing inside her body as it built up and disappeared, though never leaving her alone.

Eventually, she reached the hospital. Rainbow flew in low, then folded her wings and landed on the road. Without breaking stride, she started walking as soon as her hooves touched the ground, and she strode toward the hospital with a purpose in mind. A dozen Royal Guards were stationed outside the hospital doors, and they all remained stoic, not bothering to regard her as she approached. She glanced at the six on the left side of the doors, then to the six on the right side of the doors before she looked ahead and strode into the hospital lobby.

As soon as the doors open, and an even chillier gust of air washed over her, filled with an artificially clean scent. The scent wasn't unpleasant, nor overbearing, but it just seemed wrong to her. She shivered from the chill as she stepped inside and the doors closed behind her.

Inside the lobby was mostly deserted, leaving the clean, white walls mostly devoid of life. The barren emptiness felt overwhelming, but it should have been a good thing, it meant that not many ponies were waiting on something to do with the hospital. She shifted her weight and ruffled her wings, then walked up to the main desk. A purple-coated pegasus with a deep, flowing pink mane looked up at her and smile. "Um, is Princess Luna here?" Rainbow asked.

The pegasus blinked once in confusion. "Oh, right, yes, Rainbow Dash," she said at length. "One moment, please. She is here, yes, let me find out where she is," she said, rolling away from where Rainbow was and skillfully using her feathers to type away at a keyboard. "Waiting room Three B," she replied as she rolled back in her chair over to where Rainbow was. "She requested that any of Princess Twilight's friends be told where she was. I think she's expecting you specifically since she said you by name. She should be alone, although there might be some Royal Guards," she said. "I hope you have a wonderful day!"

Rainbow smiled warily. "Thanks, you too," she replied, then pulled away from the desk and headed off, navigating the hospital's hallways. She ignored the many beeps and hushed whispers of doctors, nurses, visitors and patients, even though she occasionally heard the familiar name of her alicorn slip from their lips as she made her way to the designated waiting room. She slowed on approach and felt uneasy. The twin guards, both unicorns, broke their stoic gaze and acknowledged her with a subtle bow of their heads on her approach. She stopped and shifted her weight before returning their nod. Both of them looked straight ahead again, and Rainbow walked around and opened the door, then through the doorway and paused.

Princess Luna calmly sat in one of the seats, while her sister slowly paced back and forth. Both of them turned at the sound of the door opening. Celestia's expression warmed at the sight of the pegasus, and she smiled. "Rainbow Dash, I was wondering when you would arrive," she said, her voice calm and flowing smoothly, as if all of the prior day's stress had been wiped away with nothing remaining, not even a memory. Her mane and tail flowed lazily and calmly like normal, and her coat seemed a little brighter than yesterday.

"Princess Celestia," Rainbow acknowledged, bowing her head respectfully. She stood back up, then walked inside, closing the door behind her. She turned her attention to Luna and frowned. The younger alicorn wasn't as happy as Princess Celestia. Luna's features were weary and wary, her eyelids were held lower than normal, and her features seemed more subdued than normal. Her mane and tail still flowed gracefully, but the sparkles in them seemed to shine a little less brightly. Her coat, while well-groomed, somehow seemed unkempt even though it was clean. "Luna?" Rainbow asked, frowning uneasily.

Luna took a deep breath, then slowly stood up and nodded. "Rainbow," she acknowledged. She opened her mouth and pursed her lips. A second passed, then she closed her mouth and exhaled. "I was unable to locate Twilight last night in her dreams. I did not even find her dreams," she said warily.

Rainbow's body sagged down a little, and her lips fell limply into a flat line. "Oh..." She swallowed and shifted her weight on her hooves, then looked at Celestia, who regarded her sister warily, grimacing, before looking back at Luna. "Is... what... does that mean?" she asked in a reserved voice, forcing herself to retain her composure, even as the ache in her body and mind throbbed more intensely.

"It means that she did not dream last night, which likely means she was prevented from sleeping, likely out of fear or from being unconscious," Luna answered calmly. She slowly pursed her lips again, then opened her mouth. "I... am sorry, Rainbow, I was unable to find her as I had intended and hoped..." she trailed off, her lips pressed tight together.

"We will find her," Celestia said quickly. "We still have a few leads to go off of. If neither of them bears any fruit, then we may have to wait for Chrysalis to slip up or for our scouts to locate her."

"What about the changeling that... impersonated Twilight?" Rainbow asked tentatively. "One of the guards said you hadn't interrogated it yet, but... do you have anything?"

"I am expecting word soon that the changeling has recovered enough and that we will be able to begin," Celestia answered. "And I intend to handle the interrogation myself," she added. She looked at Luna and nodded.

Luna took a deep breath. "I am going to go join the forces which were assigned to hunt down Chrysalis. I probably should have gone sooner, but the plan was always to wait for them to locate Chrysalis and trap her, at which time I would arrive and secure her capture," she said. "But, as things have changed, I am now going to join them and aid them in capturing the remaining changelings which are an obvious diversion."

Rainbow squinted. "But, we need to get Twilight back! How does going after a diversion-"

"Rainbow," Celestia said calmly. "Just because they're a diversion doesn't mean going after them has no worth. They may know more about Chrysalis' plans which would aid us in locating her and Twilight. On top of that, they are a threat still, as they are still loyal to Chrysalis."

Rainbow sighed and slumped down, sitting down on her haunches and hanging her head. "Sorry, I just..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

Celestia calmly strode over to Rainbow. "It is alright, Rainbow. This is hard on all of us," she acknowledged. She grimaced as she looked over the pegasus' crestfallen features. "I take it you did not sleep well last night?"

Rainbow nodded guiltily and hesitantly looked up at Celestia. "I... couldn't sleep. I couldn't get comfortable, without Twilight..." She slowly looked down at her hooves, shifting her weight. 'I can't believe I just admitted that...'

Celestia sighed and nodded in understanding. A gentle knocking on the door drew the three ponies' attentions. Rainbow stood up and turned around, and Luna walked around to the two as the door opened. "Princess," a Royal Guard acknowledged, bowing. He rose from the bow, "The doctors have given the okay for you to interrogate the changeling."

Celestia smiled at him and nodded. "Thank you," she said. The guard saluted, then closed the door and disappeared. Celestia looked over at Luna.

"Well, I do believe that is my cue to begin my hunt, sister," Luna acknowledged, nodding.

"Good luck," Celestia said softly.

"Fie, sister, thou knowest that we shalt not need thine luck!" Luna scoffed, smiling and drawing out a larger smile from Celestia. "I will be fine, 'Tia. I have fought far worse than changelings and emerged on top," she added.

"What... am I supposed to do?" Rainbow asked, looking at the two alicorns unsurely and curiously.

"If you were better rested, I would offer to bring you along with myself. Perhaps you would still like to come?" Luna offered. "Although it would still be dangerous for you, however, I will protect you."

Rainbow blinked, then turned to face Celestia. Celestia looked at Luna, studying her expression. After a moment, she looked down at Rainbow. "Very well, you may join Luna. Be careful," she said. Rainbow smiled eagerly, some of her exhaustion vanishing as anticipation and excitement surged through her. Celestia laughed quietly at how Rainbow perked up. She turned to Luna. "Take care of her. If something happens to her, Twilight would never forgive either of us."

Luna nodded warily. "I will protect her with my life," she stated firmly, lightly planting her right hoof into the floor, bringing a sense of finality to the statement. She turned to Rainbow. "If you are ready," she said.

Rainbow took a deep breath and licked her lips. She nodded and ruffled her wings. "Yeah, let's go. Sitting around and doing nothing isn't helping anything."

Luna smiled and lit her horn. "Then let us be off," she said, then took Rainbow in her magic and cast the teleportation spell, easily teleporting the two of them halfway across Equestria in a split second, leaving a simple crack of magic and a flash of light in their wake.

Celestia watched the spot where her sister was for another second before she calmly opened the door, then stepped out into the hallway. As she crossed the threshold, the guard on the right fell in sync with her without a word. Celestia gave the soldier a smile and turned to head down the hallway.

Rainbow blinked her eyes quickly, finding herself feeling a bit dazed from the teleportation. As soon as she regained her senses, she looked around and surveyed the area. Luna stood to her right, standing proudly, all traces of her exhaustion having faded to be replaced with a regality and power that befitted her, and her eyes and body were calm. Just from looking at Luna, she knew she never wanted to get on the alicorn's bad side, and she almost felt sorry for the changelings they were going after. She would have, if it wasn't for the fact that they brought it upon themselves by helping Chrysalis and that because of them, Twilight wasn't safe with her.

Looking away from Luna, Rainbow scrutinized where they were. It appeared to be a camp, several tents of a heavy, thick, faded grayish-white fabric were arranged in rows. Each tent appeared to be the same size and designed to house two or three ponies. There were a few notably different tents she noticed, two larger ones, one which had a white patch with a red cross over the entrance which was wide open, looking large enough for three ponies to walk inside at the same time, and another tent which looked like it served as a command center.

A few multicolored changelings buzzed about. For the most part, they ignored Rainbow and Luna, but they drew more than a few glances from the vibrantly colored reformed changelings. Two ponies ducked out of the larger command tent. Their gazes immediately fell on Luna, and then strode out with dignity and pride. "Princess!" the one on the right, their commander, called out.

Luna turned to the commander, then calmly strode over to him. Rainbow fell in behind Luna, letting her take the lead. "Commander," Luna acknowledged with a nod.

The commander, a unicorn, fell into a respectful bow, as did the soldier beside him. The commander's armor, unlike the rest of the soldiers', was not golden in color, but purple, reminiscent of Twilight's coat, but deeper. Rainbow was surprised by that, but thinking back, she could remember Twilight's brother wearing the same style of armor. She pushed the thought aside as the stallion stood up.

His expression was one of shock and excitement, surprised by the princess's arrival, but he welcomed it with open hooves. "What brings you here, Princess?" he asked.

"This hunt has gone on long enough. Rainbow Dash and I are here to end it and secure the changelings which have been leading you astray on a wild goose chase," Luna answered. "I will be assuming command," she stated.

The commander bowed. "Of course, Princess. Give the word and we shall move out immediately!"

Luna nodded. "Moving out immediately would do us no good. I require more information before we begin, I must admit that I am not as up to date regarding the situation here as I should be due to the unforeseen events which transpired yesterday," she said.

The commander's expression fell. "Of course, Princess," he said, his voice much less forceful and eager than before. "Please, this way," he said, motioning his forehoof toward the command tent while he stepped aside and turned.

Luna started walking at a calm pace toward the command tent. Rainbow ruffled her wings and looked around as she followed Luna. The commander waited for both of them to pass before walking with them, heading around to Luna's right side and walking slightly behind her, though still at her side. "As you should know, the changelings have been using caves to hide and lay ambushes for my soldiers, and it's been slow going locating them because of that. On top of that, the forest offers plenty of cover and defensible positions for them since they're here first," the commander said.

Luna nodded. "That should provide only a moderate delay at best," she commented. "Reported estimates put the number of changelings here around fifty, but what do you feel?"

The commander shifted his weight on his hooves as he walked. "They always seem to pull more forces out of thin air. My gut tells me that they have double that number here. Maybe not quite that many, but it's a sizeable force. I think they planned this for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if the intelligence we used to discover them here wasn't planted."

Luna grimaced. "That... is a possibility, and it would make sense in light of Twilight's capture."

They grew silent as they walked inside the tent. Rainbow paused in the opening as Luna and the commander walked inside. She looked around, taking it in. Easily a dozen ponies filled the tent, all clad in the golden Royal Guard armor. Most of the guards were unicorns, but there were a couple of pegasi and two earth ponies standing guard just inside the entrance. She glanced at both of them, then walked inside. The center of the tent was dominated by a large table with a map of the surrounding area. There were small flags on the map which she discerned to represent locations of soldiers. The camp was a large blue flag that had something of a fort at the base, while there were other blue flags placed around and occasionally moved a short distance away. A few red flags were being chased, but most red flags remained in the same position.

Rainbow walked over to join Luna, who was looking over the map. The commander stood stoically, though he glanced at Rainbow as she approached. Luna nodded to herself as she took in the map, then she looked over at Rainbow. "I do hope that your Wonderbolt training was thorough and that you truly are prepared for this. We have a lot of ground to cover, Rainbow Dash, and very little time."

Rainbow let a smile creep onto her face. "Hey, I'm the fastest pegasus alive!" she replied. A small smile crept onto Luna's lips. "I maaay have slacked off a little when I was helping Twilight," she said sheepishly, idly rubbing the back of her mane with a forehoof, "but I won't let you down," she said seriously. A moment later, some of her eagerness faded, being replaced by a solemn expression, "And... I won't let her down..." she said quietly.

Luna nodded. "I will attempt to locate her again tonight, and I will continue to until we find her," she stated. "If you would like, I can use my magic to help you sleep tonight. It would not do for you to be exhausted when we move to rescue her."

Rainbow thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Thanks, Princess. I'd appreciate that," she said.

Luna smiled. "Of course, Rainbow Dash." She turned back to the map and got a feel for the layout of the area. She lit her horn, then let her magic loose and felt out their surroundings, scanning for the nearest group of changelings. After a minute, she nodded and let her aura die. She took a deep breath and turned her attention back to the map. "The nearest group of changelings is located her," she said, pointing at an area missing a red flag.

The commander frowned. "Princess, are you sure? We have no indication that they're there," he said.

Luna nodded. "There is a cave which they are hidden in. The cave is shallow and only has one way in and out. I will take a squad and secure the cave. Please have a team assembled and ready within ten minutes," she said.

The commander saluted. "Yes, Princess. I will attend to it myself," he answered, then turned and walked away with formality.

Luna watched him leave from the corner of her eyes, then she turned to Rainbow. "If you are too tired to aid me, you may remain here," she offered.

Rainbow shook her head. "No, I'm coming with you. I can't just sit around and do nothing while Twilight's out there."

Luna nodded in acceptance. "I... know the feeling," she admitted. "Twilight is as much my family as Celestia is my sister," she said. "And... I owe her a lot."

Rainbow frowned and shifted her weight. "Um... what? Are you two really that close?"

Luna pursed her lips. "Twilight... she is a part of the royal family. And my sister is the one who elevated her to the status of an alicorn. Not everypony can become an alicorn, however." She tilted her head to the side and squinted. "You... and the other four bearers... do have the potential..." she admitted unsurely, slowly turning to face Rainbow.

Rainbow squinted. "Wait, really? I always thought that Twilight was special and-"

"Twilight is special," Luna said with a nod. "But... that is for another time. Twilight is one of my best friends and like a sister to me," she stated.

Celestia took a deep breath as she slowed down on approach to a door in the hospital. Behind the door was just another hospital room, no different from any of the others, except for the fact that inside was a changeling drone. The changeling drone which impersonated Twilight. One of the few leads they had to follow to find Twilight.

Celestia calmly exhaled, both of the Royal Guards guarding the door, one on each side, stood at attention. She gave them a nod, then opened the door with her magic. She calmly strode into the room. Immediately inside the room were another two Royal Guards. All four of the guards were unicorns.

Walking into the room, she turned to face the sole bed, upon which rested a black, chitinous figure. The sharp, piercing blue eyes of the changeling revealed nothing about where it was looking, but she felt its gaze lingering on her. She calmly walked a little further around, then headed over to the bed, looking over the injured drone. A light gray ring was placed around the base of the changeling's horn, and the drone's legs were tied down, held firmly by straps.

The changeling turned its head to follow her. "I see you're awake," Celestia acknowledged. The drone's wings buzzed briefly, whether out of agitation, fear, or anxiety, she wasn't sure. The changeling's body language revealed nothing of fear or agitation, only resolution.

She came to a stop beside the bed and looked over the changeling's body. The side of its head was still wrapped up tightly from its injury, but other than the head wound, it was in good shape. "I'm here to talk," Celestia said calmly. "I'm going to ask you some questions. You're going to give me answers. If you do answer my questions, then when this is over, you will be handed over to King Thorax-"

The drone's mouth shot open, baring its teeth and revealing its fangs, and it hissed a primal hiss, betraying no fear, only agitation. It pulled its limbs against the bindings and hissed again, then started shifting its weight and tugging harder on the bonds. A wave of pain rolled over the changeling's expression as it agitated its injury, but it still continued to fight against its bindings.

"You're not going to escape," Celestia said dismissively. She sat down on her haunches and watched the changeling ignore her. "Even if you get out of those straps, then what? You're trapped in this room. There are four guards here to keep you from escaping," she stated. The changeling seemed to glare at her and snarled. "Your magic is locked away by that ring," she said with a nod. "And you're in no condition to attempt to escape. On top of all of this, there's me," she added.

The changeling's struggles slowed, then stopped, and it stared at her impassively. Celestia gave the drone a little smile. "Now, as I was saying. If you answer my questions, then everything is going to be okay for you. If not, then once you recover, you will be handed over to the court system and tried for attempted assassination of royalty and impersonation of a princess of Equestria with malicious intent," she said.

The drone didn't react. Celestia's smile wavered. "And no, Chrysalis is not going to rescue you. She used you to get her revenge," she said. "King Thorax-" the changeling growled but made no attempts to fight his captivity, "on the other hoof, would be more than willing to accept you into his brood. Chrysalis doesn't care about you. She nearly killed you to convince us that you were Princess Twilight Sparkle." She studied the changeling only to find that it didn't seem to care or take any interest in what she was saying.

Celestia mulled over her options while continuing to watch the changeling not letting her smile, nor her mask fall. "Why are you still loyal to Chrysalis? She has been defeated and she has no real power left."

The changeling finally broke its silence, speaking in a high-pitched voice that, if listened to for a long enough time, was sure to give one a headache, "The Queen captured your princess," it stated. "You underestimate her!"

"Progress," Celestia acknowledged with a nod. She took a deep breath and then calmly exhaled. "She captured Twilight, yes. A pony who was injured and defenseless. I hardly consider that to be admirable, nor respectable. All it goes to show is how weak Chrysalis truly is, unable to do anything more than attack and capture somepony who was defenseless."

"And who left her defenseless?" the changeling asked. "You. Chrysalis's plan was a success. Yours was not. She has once more outplayed and outsmarted you!" The changeling smiled as Celestia's smile faded into a neutral, unreadable line. "At every turn, she has bested you and Equestria!"

"And at every turn, she has always lost in the end," Celestia retorted. "Do you remember the Royal Wedding you all attacked? She won, then she was defeated," she said simply. "And when you captured all of us?" she asked. "She had us, she won. She overlooked a couple of ponies, and it was her undoing."

The changeling bared its fangs and hissed at her once more. "The Queen's plan is perfect this time! You will not prevent her revenge!"

"And yet, here you are," Celestia said coolly. "Chrysalis may win, but you won't. You've lost. You're not escaping. The only way you're getting out of this is by helping us."

"And turning into one of those half-breed freaks?" the drone spat.

Celestia grimaced. "They have something that you don't. A few things, actually. They have friends. They have a good leader who genuinely cares about them, rather than just their own power. And, they have happiness. Do you truly wish to continue to serve a queen who would kill you in a heartbeat in order to further her own plans?"

The drone remained silent, his resolution unwavering.

Celestia calmly rose to her hooves, then slowly turned and walked away from the bed. "If you decide to change your mind, feel free to inform one of the guards. I will be back, of course, after you have been given more time to recover from your injury. It has clearly affected your ability to see reason." The drone hissed at her again. Celestia ignored it.

Rainbow grimaced and huffed as she pressed herself up against the back of a tree. Bolts of green magic shot through the air passed the tree, and she felt one of the bolts slam into the tree, sending splinters of wood showering the forest floor. She rolled her head to her left and looked over the five unicorns with her. Two of them were crouched down, taking cover behind a recently fallen tree, and two more of them were hidden behind large rocks jutting up from the ground. The fifth unicorn was pressed up against a tree like her.

Rainbow's body heat, combined with the ambient warmth and humidity made her sweat, and caused the flight suit she wore to cling to her body uncomfortably. She lifted a forehoof up and swiped it across her brow. She grunted as another spell struck the tree she hid behind, and she winced a little.

She ducked out from the tree. About eight black figures were peeked above rocks and looked out from the cave they were holding. Each one had a horn glowing with a sickly green aura. They saw her and soon the barrage against her intensified. She wasn't sure if the changelings were just poorly trained, or if they weren't trying to kill her, because the vast majority of the spells flew wide from her tree. And her tree wasn't exactly a small target.

Three unicorns rose up from their cover and let loose a rapid barrage of spells from their horns, sending pulses of magic down onto the changeling's position in a bombardment which shattered the rock, sending small shards and pebbles flying, and filling the air with a rocky dust. The unicorn's attack drew the attention of the changelings, who turned their attention to the more dangerous threats. After all, unicorns could attack at range, and Rainbow didn't have any weapons on her. For the moment, at least.

'Luna, you'd better hurry up... I don't want to be sitting here all day...' She looked straight ahead into the forest and huffed. A moment later, there was a flash of light and a loud crack of magic. The princess of the night appeared in the middle of the group, completely out in the open. She quickly surveyed the area. The changeling's assault paused for a moment as they looked between themselves, then they all targeted Princess Luna.

Luna squinted and flared her wings out. A blue barrier formed around her. The green bolts of changeling magic slammed into the barrier and caused rippling waves to expand outward from the source of the impact. Luna glanced over at Rainbow and nodded, then tossed a saddle over to the pegasus with her magic.

Rainbow jumped forward and grabbed it, then retreated further back to another tree for cover. At the same time, Luna angled her wings down, then charged forward, a glint of joy in her eyes. She lowered her head and pointed her horn at the mouth of the cave, then a surge of her blue magic lurched forth from her horn. The changelings scattered at the sight, jumping out of the way.

As the beam impacted the stone, the magic exploded, ripping through the stone and collapsing the cave. The beam continued through the stone, shattering it. Luna lifted her head back up, then flared her wings out and teleported to the right, beside a changeling who was just starting to pick himself up off the ground.

Luna reared up on her hind legs and slammed her hooves down on the changeling. A satisfying crunch filled the air, and a viscous liquid spilled out of the limp changeling's mouth. Not a second later, she teleported again. The next changeling jumped out of the way and fired a pulse of magic at point blank range. Luna, having just teleported, wasn't prepared for the sudden attack. Without her barrier, and at such close range, the spell easily landed square on her chest. She grunted but shrugged the attack off, then pounced at the changeling and pinned it to the ground. She swept her head down and pressed her horn against the changeling's neck, then sent a jolt of magic into the changeling. The changeling's body spasmed once, then went limp. Its legs continued to twitch as Luna stood back up and turned to the left, teleporting the stunned changeling back to their camp.

As she turned to the left, the unicorns hold up behind the fallen tree jumped over it, horns blazing, assaulting another changeling's position. The changeling hissed and turned away, then jumped into the air in an attempt to flee.

Rainbow spread her wings out and bolted into the air. She locked onto the changeling, then lined up with it and bit down on the handle in front of her mouth. A lightning bolt shot out from a metal rod mounted on the saddle she wore on her back and hit the changeling. The drone hissed and spasmed in the air, its wings twitching violently, then gravity kicked in and the changeling fell limply to the ground. She glided over and landed near another changeling, facing away from it. She pulled her hind legs back, then launched them back into the changeling. Both of her legs connected with the drone's body, sending it tumbling on the ground and struggling to pick itself up.

Another unicorn jumped around and pinned the changeling to the ground, then touched his horn to its neck. A jolt of magic later, and the drone was unconscious. Rainbow stood up and surveyed the area, counting seven neutralized drones, eight including the one Luna teleported away.

Luna calmly walked over to Rainbow, looking over the saddle and twin rods mounted on her shoulder. She nodded. "Truly, we should deploy these for pegasi in the Royal Guard, although I suppose that may not be entirely necessary as they are rarely needed..."

Rainbow shrugged. "The Wonderbolts don't use them that often, anyway," she commented. "No real reason to. They didn't even use them back when Spike was attacking Ponyville." She frowned. "And I'm not entirely sure why we don't use these more often. And Spitfire's never given me a straight answer on that..."

Luna nodded idly and surveyed the damage done by the battle. She grimaced a little. "I may enjoy battles, but... I do not enjoy war, nor the consequences of unrestrained battles..." she said warily. "Anymore, it reminds me of when I fought with Celestia as Nightmare Moon..." she said quietly.

Rainbow gave Luna a reassuring smile. "Hey, nopony holds any grudges against you for that. You weren't in your right mind," she said. Her smile faded. "Besides, we're doing this to get Twilight back," she added in a quiet voice.

Luna nodded. "Well... we are burning daylight, as they say," she commented. "There are many more groups of changelings that we must deal with. I applaud your success here. I was unsure as to whether or not you would be able to hold your own, and I am glad to know that you can," Luna said.

Rainbow squinted at Luna. "Hey, I can hold my own!" she retorted. "You should know that! I've fought against a lot of Equestria's enemies before!"

Luna nodded warily. "That... however, was different," she said. "None of them were seeking to kill like the changelings are now..." She shook her head and looked upward. Tree branches and leaves blocked her view of the sky, but there was one open spot where a tree had fallen, revealing the sun, still climbing into the sky. "We are at greater risk now," she said.

Rainbow grimaced. "Well, yeah, but... I mean, I'm a Wonderbolt. I've kiiiinda been trained for this sort of thing," she said, her voice crackling.

Luna looked over at Rainbow and regarded her. "True, but still..." she trailed off, shaking her head. She looked around at the limp changelings and teleported them away for them to be dealt with at the camp. She took a deep breath and looked around at the Royal Guards and Rainbow Dash. "Form up," she ordered. Almost immediately, all of the soldiers fell into a formation of a circle around her, with Rainbow Dash standing beside her. "Teleporting now," she stated calmly. With a quick flash from her horn and a crack of magic, the eight ponies disappeared only to reappear almost immediately in the vicinity of the next group of Changelings.

Rainbow groaned quietly as she trudged alongside Princess Luna through the hospital's white, brightly lit hallways. The cheery lighting felt overbearing, but the cold was welcome, even if it sent a shiver down her spine. As the two walked side by side, doctors and nurses, along with the occasional guard, made sure to keep out of their way. A few of them starred, not so much at Luna, as at Rainbow.

Every step sent an ache through Rainbow's body. Several shallow cuts adorned her body, though all of them had barely bled, leaving only the slightest hint of dried blood remaining. Her coat and mane were a mess, filled with dust, dirt, and debris, leaving her looking like she hadn't showered in days and making her coat lackluster and dull, while her mane and tail were tangled slightly. She was worn out from the day, and her legs and hooves ached. Her wings burned slightly, but the burn was fading, and she held her wings loosely at her sides, letting them sag slightly from gravity.

And she limped, a result of kicking out too hard and then not connecting with her right hind leg. "Yeah, this isn't what I wanted to do when I joined the Wonderbolts..." she muttered.

Luna cast a glance at Rainbow and smirked. "You handled yourself quite well, although I believe I can tell that you slacked off of training while aiding Twilight with her recovery," she stated.

Rainbow quietly groaned again. "I wasn't expecting that many changelings to still be loyal to Chrysalis..." she sighed.

Luna grimaced. "And that was likely not even half of the forces which remain loyal to her. I was under the impression that she did not even have that many Changelings still loyal to her... It is... disconcerting," she said calmly. "We underestimated her yet again, it seems... I do not understand how, though... King Thorax seemed to believe that she couldn't have had that many loyalists remaining, and yet she had more there than we expected, and that was just a diversion..."

Rainbow watched Luna warily, feeling a forgotten dull ache in her chest surge back to life, putting the physical pain and exhaustion she felt to shame. "She... might have more than that with her guarding Twilight?" she asked quietly.

Luna paused and looked over Rainbow's ragged form. She pursed her lip and slowly, unsurely nodded. "It... is something that I would not put past her," she answered at length. "It is something that we must be prepared for, lest we be caught off guard once more... I am concerned that we will not be able to move enough forces into position quick enough without her realizing... and of course, once we begin the assault, she will know, and... that puts Twilight in greater danger..."

Rainbow clenched her jaw. She slowly looked away from Luna, staring at the wall, then looking down at the floor. She slowly turned her head back forward, then her head fell to look at the floor. Her wings sagged more than before. After a moment, she took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. "Maybe Princess Celestia's figured something out..." she offered. While she hoped it was true, she didn't believe it would be the case.

Luna nodded and casually resumed her slow stride through the hallways.

Rainbow walked beside her. Seconds passed in silence. She watched Luna as she walked. The alicorn, despite the day's events, looked no worse for wear, despite multiple ambushes and being caught off guard. Despite leading the charge against dozens of changelings, she acted like it was just another normal day for her. She shivered, then ruffled her wings and held them close to her sides. 'Twilight might be like that eventually...'

Rainbow's pace slowed at that thought. Twilight was powerful and strong, and she knew that. The alicorn had single hoofedly fought Lord Tirek at his height and would have won, had he not used her friends as leverage. Granted, she had the magic of four alicorns at the time, but she handled herself quite well. She had traveled through time when she was a unicorn, and again as an alicorn. She was very talented with magic. Rainbow wouldn't have been surprised if Twilight actually knew more spells than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna combined, and both of them were thousands of years older than her. Twilight was young, but she was going to be alive for a long time.

And then Chrysalis had taken her magic away from her, sabotaging a reactor and hospitalizing her best friend, forcing them to take away her horn, her magic, in order to save her life. It left Twilight devastated.

Rainbow's expression fell, then hardened. It wasn't fair and it wasn't' right. Chrysalis wasn't going to get away with hurting Twilight like that. She would make sure of that. She would protect Twilight and make sure nothing like that happened again, and she would make sure Chrysalis would never be able to do something like that again. Chrysalis would pay.

She picked up her pace, finding renewed strength, and quickly caught up to Luna, who paid her no mind. The pair navigated the hallways until they reached the waiting room. The twin guards saluted and remained stoic, not seeming to notice Rainbow's state. Luna opened the door and let Rainbow walk inside first, then she walked inside and closed the door behind her.

Rainbow paused as she saw Celestia conversing with King Thorax. Both of them were calm, but the room seemed to have a solemn air to it. Celestia glanced away from Thorax, noticing the arrivals. She looked at Luna, then frowned uncertainly at Rainbow's disheveled appearance. Thorax noticed the two of them and looked uneasy.

"Sister," Luna acknowledged with a nod, then she turned to the other occupant, "King Thorax."

"Princess Luna," King Thorax acknowledged, humbly bowing his head respectfully.

"I am... afraid to ask," Celestia said, motioning her head at Rainbow.

Rainbow smiled sheepishly and shifted her weight. "There were a lot of changelings... we took care of them all, but... it was a busy day," she answered.

Celestia squinted and nodded. "I see... I was not expecting you to get it all done in one day."

"The Royal Guards simply needed a little help, was all," Luna said dismissively. "However, there were far more changelings than expected. I believe that Chrysalis may have far more Loyalists than we realized since her forces were more than double what was reported."

Celestia and Thorax both frowned. "But... she shouldn't have that many drones..." Thorax said warily.

"This... will need to be investigated," Celestia said calmly. She turned to Thorax. "Can you handle this?" she asked.

Thorax nodded hesitantly. "I'll see what I can figure out," he said as he jumped out of his seat. He lit his horn, then teleported away in a flash of light.

Luna frowned slightly. "I was unaware Thorax could teleport."

Celestia gave Luna a small smile. "That was my doing. He was a quick study, and since his ascension left him with more magic than before, it wasn't difficult."

"I see..." Luna said simply.

Celestia turned to Rainbow. "Are you alright, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow shifted her weight on her hooves and she nodded. "Yeah, just... it... was a long day. I'm fine." She bit her lower lip and shuffled closer to Celestia. "Did you learn anything from the changeling impersonating Twilight?"

Celestia slowly shook her head. "I'm afraid not. He was very loyal to Chrysalis."

Rainbow slumped down for a second, then recovered. "Well... the Royal Guard now have a bunch of Changelings to interrogate, so I guess it's not a complete loss. One of them should say something..."

Luna nodded in agreement. She looked at Celestia, then turned to Rainbow. "It is getting late, Rainbow Dash. If you wish, I can use my magic to help you sleep tonight. Once more, I will attempt to find Twilight, however I do not know if I will be successful."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah... go ahead," she said.

Luna's horn glowed a soft shade of dark blue for a moment, then it faded. Rainbow squinted, not feeling any different. "That should help you sleep," Luna commented. "Now... you should go. Rest, take a shower. Relax. I need to discuss a few things with my sister."

Rainbow nodded and turned around. "Rainbow, one moment, please," Celestia said. She stood up and walked over to Rainbow. Rainbow turned around to face Celestia. Celestia's horn glowed a soft golden shade and the alicorn closed her eyes. Rainbow felt a sense of calm relief wash over her, and some of her physical pains faded. After a moment, Celestia smiled and opened her eyes. "That should help you recover from your physical exertion."

Rainbow smiled at Celestia. "Thanks..." She turned around and opened the door, then slid out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. She made her way out of the hallway, then took flight back to her cloudhouse, where a hot shower and a cold bed awaited her for the night.

Twilight sat calmly in the farthest corner from the door to her cell, staring down at her hooves, thinking, worrying, and trying to occupy her mind with anything to distract herself. She looked disheveled, her mane was unkempt, her head sagged, and her body shivered. Dried blood coated her temple and cheek and some of it had mixed in with her mane. Despite the lack of any physical restraints, she was trapped and imprisoned. A cell, an unknown number of changelings, and one changeling queen with a bloodlust for her all in between her and freedom.

Her head still felt sickly hot, and the stickiness of the blood lingered, even though the wound had long since stopped bleeding. Her head ached, but it was manageable, and she would have been able to think clearly, if it wasn't for other factors. She licked her dry lips and looked up, toward the cell door. The darkness filling the cell and area beyond it stayed the same, though it looked like there was a light source now. It was faint, weak, and glowed softly. It was a welcomed relief from the monotonous darkness surrounding her.

But the shade of the light, green, left her shaking a little more. Her ears swiveled around quickly, and she swallowed. She listened carefully, intently, for the faintest of sounds that would spell the arrival of Queen Chrysalis. She waited and listened with baited breath, the only sound piercing the stillness coming from the calm chittering of the two changelings outside of her cell, and the constant dripping of water splashing into a small pool and echoing through the cavern.

The stillness was broken by a low grumble. Twilight's stomach shifted and churned uncomfortably, and the mare closed her eyes until the growling and churning disappeared. In the wake of her stomach's pain, emptiness and a dull ache lingered.

She licked her lips again and opened her eyes. She stared straight forward for a moment, then her eyes dropped a little lower, then a second later they dropped lower still, settling on her hooves.

Her entire body felt heavy, and the cold didn't help her feel any better. Sleep whispered echoes of bliss in the back of her mind, but she couldn't sleep. She didn't think she'd be able to fall asleep, even with as tired as she was, even if the changelings left her alone. Too much was missing. She pressed her eyes closed. Her lips shifted around and she clenched her jaw. Her mouth felt dry. She was surprised when she felt something warm and wet roll down her cheek. She opened her eyes and stared down at the ground, her vision blurry. She snorted and closed her eyes again. Her head sagged forward, and her mane gently fell with it. She lifted a forehoof and brushed away the tear.

She missed the warmth and light of day, the reassurance that Celestia was still there. Now, sitting there in the darkness, she didn't have that. She didn't have anything except herself, and her ever traitorous thoughts, whispering to her how it wasn't going to be okay. How her friends weren't going to come for her because she wasn't worth it, or how Chrysalis would stop them even if they did, and what Chrysalis would do to them. She couldn't bear thinking about what Chrysalis would do to them if she captured them, because she knew Chrysalis knew how much that would hurt her. She would hurt them badly, just to hurt her worse, and for that reason, a part of her hoped that they all stayed away and left her there, even knowing that meant she might never see the sun again, nor feel the gentle breeze of a summer day, nor enjoy the warmth of a fire in the winter, nor enjoy the scent of the rain or fresh flowers in the springtime. A croaked sob escaped her lips, and her body shuddered, falling forward even further.

And none of that was the worst of it. She might never see her best friend again, she might not get a chance to see Rainbow again. Or, perhaps even worse than that, she would get to see Rainbow again, held in the clutches of Chrysalis. Her eyes burned as more tears formed in the corners of her closed eyes. Her shivering increased, driven not by cold, but by fear. A deep, sickening fear, leaving her wanting to vomit as her stomach churned.

Her over-analytical mind betrayed her. She tried her hardest to not think about what would happen if Chrysalis captured her friends, or worse, captured Rainbow, but that only served to prod on her mind to focus on that. Chrysalis would hurt her friends physically, and maybe even worse than she was injured from the reactor meltdown. And Chrysalis would likely do it in front of her, forcing her to watch as Chrysalis tortured her friends to get back at her.

A wheezed, despairing, hysterical cry escaped her lips. She pulled her hooves in closer to her body and lifted a forehoof to her mouth, then bit down on it, and stared down at the floor, shaking. Another broken cry escaped her throat. She bit down harder on the firm flesh covering the edge of her hoof. She felt her hoof throb in pain, but it was nothing compared to what her mind was imagining. The cavern seemed to grow deathly silent and she cried out and rocked back and forth, even the changelings chittering had stopped.

And that was just from fear for her friends. Chrysalis had proven she was sadistic and insane. Chrysalis would figure out that she loved Rainbow, and she knew it was only a matter of time. She had put Rainbow in danger. Her eyes stung even more. She pressed her eyelids closed tightly in an attempt to spare herself the pain. Chrysalis would hurt Rainbow worse than she hurt her just to cause her more pain, and there wasn't anything she could do about it, except hope that Chrysalis wouldn't figure it out and hope that Chrysalis wouldn't capture Rainbow. If she did, then Twilight wouldn't be able to live with herself, knowing that she was responsible for Rainbow being hurt by Chrysalis, because Chrysalis was using Rainbow against her.

She released her forehoof from her mouth and her her forehoof against her chest, then unfurled her left wing and wrapped it around her forehoof and chest, holding it there against her body.

'N-no, stop it... they'll come for me! They will rescue me... they won't leave me here!' she told herself. 'And... when they do, Chrysalis will be there, waiting for them. She wouldn't even have to capture them, all she would have to do is lead them here, then attack them, right before my eyes. Or, maybe she would just let them get this far, then ambush them. They wouldn't stand a chance...'

Seconds faded to minutes, which eventually faded further with the monotonous passing of time she couldn't track. Eventually, her eyes no longer stung, but they felt warm and puffy. She breathed calmly once more, but her body was cold and still shivered. Her shivering did nothing to help banish the deep, bone-chilling cold which sapped the energy from her body.

Her eyelids drooped. She slowly slid her forehooves forward over the rough, uneven and sharp cave floor, until she was laying down. She laid her muzzle down so that her chin was on the rocky floor. She wanted to just close her eyes and sleep. She wanted for this all to just be a nightmare, like she had when Chrysalis attacked her and Rainbow. She slowly closed her eyes as a near pain tore through her chest and exploded outward from her heart.

She just wanted to close her eyes and not wake up. 'I really am pathetic,' a part of her mocked. 'Just giving up like this. Rainbow deserves better than me,' it spat. Her body heaved once with a silent sob. 'If Rainbow saw me like this, she would hate me. They're not coming for me... but... I'm their friend, they wouldn't leave me...' She clenched her jaw tightly, then relaxed it and opened her eyes. She looked down with an absent, empty look, then she glanced up at the cell door.

'They wouldn't just abandon me. Rainbow wouldn't abandon me. She promised she wouldn't, and... she wouldn't break that promise. I... I can't... lose hope... She... she wouldn't... want that...' She slowly slid her tongue out of her mouth and ran it over her lips, then drew it back into her mouth.

And the thought that Rainbow wouldn't break that promise scared her. If Rainbow came after her, she would be in danger because of her. Twilight swallowed, even though she had nothing to swallow in her dry mouth. She spaced out, staring at the cell door. Time seemed to stretch on forever. Eventually, her stomach churned again. A wry grimace spread over her lips as her stomach churned, feeling a bit sour.

After her stomach settled down, she took a deep breath, then slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, then she slowly stood up. She glanced back at her right side, then her left side, flaring her wings out in the process. 'This is exactly what Chrysalis wants... she wants the enjoyment of seeing me broken, she wants to break me... but... if I... stop... trying... she wouldn't get the enjoyment... No! I can't think like that...'

She took a deep breath and slowly swept her head to the right, then to the left across the bulk of the cell. A little of the fogginess at the back of her mind faded, but she still felt heavy, weak, and sluggish. She swiveled her ears about, looking for the source of the dripping water. Eventually, she turned to her left, following the faint, soft echoes of dripping water falling into a shallow pool.

She slowly stepped forward, one hoof after the other, gradually walking toward the sound, always lingering after each step. Eventually, she stopped and recoiled slightly, feeling a cold drop of water splash across her muzzle. She looked up. The dark stone looked wet, but it was hard to tell. She made a note of its location, then stepped back out from under the dripping water. She sat down on her haunches and looked over the floor, searching for the pool of water. Eventually, she found it. It was small and shallow, an irregularly shaped depression about the size of her head, but barely any depth to it. There wasn't enough light to see her reflection.

She cautiously leaned down and sniffed at the water, trying to discern any warning signs that it was poisonous or something that shouldn't be drunk. She tentatively dipped her muzzle above her lip and below her nose into it. The fluid felt like ice and felt thin like water. She hesitantly opened her mouth, then stuck the tip of her tongue into the fluid. There was no discernable taste to it, but it was a bit gritty.

She grimaced and turned her head toward the cell door, studying the exterior to make sure nothing was watching her. She turned back to the pool, then started lapping it up with her tongue. Her lips twisted into a disgusted scowl as she stared at the wall ahead of her. She managed to lap up most of the fluid with her tongue, but she also managed to get a lot of gritty sand and gravel from the floor by lapping it up. The sandy grit lingered in her mouth even after she finished it, and feeling it inside and in between her teeth made her want to wash her mouth out, although she had no means to do so.

She looked over at her right foreleg, then lifted it up and started running her tongue over her coat, wiping her tongue off. Using her tongue and foreleg, she eventually managed to get most of the grit out, but the memory lingered. She hesitantly stood up, then slowly walked back to her corner and sat down, staring at the cell door.

She frowned. She could make out two voices talking in low tones just outside of the door. Both of the voices belonged to changelings, such was obvious by the annoying pitch and tone of the voices. She scowled a little but listened in.

"...the hive's forces!" one of them hissed.

"It's all part of her plan, she wouldn't have sacrificed them without a reason!" the more annoying one on the right countered.

Both changeling's wings buzzed in agitation. The one on the left growled quietly. "Did you hear what she did to Chintintin? Shen nearly killed him before making him impersonate the Princess! How can that be to help us!?"

Twilight felt a shiver run down her spine after the moment it took her to process what the changeling said. 'Chrysalis nearly killed one of her own drones..?' She felt her heartbeat speed up and adrenaline start to kick in, pushing away the exhaustion. 'If she nearly killed one of her own drones to impersonate me...' the thought trailed off. Her lips pulled into a grimace and she clenched ehr jaw tightly.

The more annoying one was silent for a moment. "It'll keep the ponies off of our trail for a little longer, giving us more time to prepare!" the annoying one countered.

Twilight quietly rose to her hooves, then slowly, quietly made her way up to the cell door. She had never consciously chosen to move that close to the door before, and she felt an overwhelming sense of dread welling up inside her chest as she neared it. She placed a forehoof on the bars and glanced at the changelings in turn. The changeling on the right's head shot around to face her, and he hissed, baring his teeth at her. Twilight quickly withdrew her hoof from the bars and jumped back. She stumbled as she landed, nearly falling over. Her weak legs barely held her up and she breathed a little quicker. She steeled her resolve and took a deep breath. "Chrysalis is just using you," she stated calmly.

Both changelings turned around. The one on the right glared at her venomously, while the one on the left folded back its ears. "Silence!" the annoying one growled.

Twilight maintained her composure. "She's using you. She almost killed one of you to impersonate me? She's using you to get revenge, not to help you all. She's lied to you and she's used you. She doesn't care about you in the slightest."

"Our Queen would never betray us!" the right one retorted, his wings twitching in anger.

"What if she's right? Chrysalis hasn't been the same since..." the drone trailed off as the other one glared at him and hissed.

"Your lives are all in danger, then," Twilight said calmly. "And they don't have to be."

The one on the right turned his icy gaze back to Twilight. "Let me guess, you want us to help you escape? That's never going to happen!"

"King Thorax-" Twilight started.

"Another word from either of you and I will inform Chrysalis of this treachery..." he groweled in an icy, calm tone. The changeling on the left shrunk back and looked at Twilight almost pleadingly.

Twilight matched the changeling's gaze, then glanced at the other one. She reluctantly stepped back and looked down at the floor. "Wise choice, Princess," the one on the right mocked.

Twilight closed her eyes and tucked her tail in between her hind legs, then headed back to the corner and sat down, staring down at her hooves.

Rainbow groaned softly as she opened an eye, feeling well rested. She still hadn't slept as well as she had before Twilight was captured, but Luna's spell helped. She nestled into the pillow she held against her chest and planted her nose in it, then deeply inhaled. The lingering smell of Twilight's scent made her breath catch in her throat. She swallowed down a knot and released the pillow. She looked down at the pillow and watched it for several seconds. Eventually, she steeled her resolve and pushed the pillow away, then put it back in its rightful palce at the head of the bed. She rolled over and shoved the covers away from herself, then planted her forehooves on the bed and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

She flared her wings out, then leaned forward and stretched out on the bed. She closed her eyes and moaned contently as her muscles started to wake up. Eventually, she slumped down a little, letting her body relax and go limp. She withdrew her wings and folded them to her sides, then she hopped out of the bed and walked over to the window. She looked outside and studied the sunrise. Gentle pinks and oranges filled the sky. She glanced back at her nightstand and squinted at the clock, then groaned. She hadn't expected to wake up so early.

She sighed, shook her head, and shrugged it off, then headed into her bathroom. She shut the door behind her and turned the shower on warm. After it heated up, she hopped in and took a very quick shower since she took one last night, then she brushed her teeth, mane and tail before heading back out into the bedroom.

She stopped and looked over her bedroom. It felt and looked so empty. The trophies were an empty reminder of her skill, but even they were silent. She sighed a little and her ears folded back. After a second, she shook her head and perked up, then headed downstairs. She made her way out the door and flew toward Twilight's castle.

The flight felt repetitive and dull. She occupied herself by looking around for the pegasi flying on patrol and noting the clouds in the sky. After what felt like far too long, she finally landed at her friend's castle and ducked inside. She glanced around the lobby, then took off at a brisk trot, heading toward the dining room. She had no idea if anypony would be awake and there yet or not, but it'd be a good place to check.

As she approached the dining room, she could start to make out a few voices conversing, but she wasn't sure about what. She immediately recognized three of the voices as Starlight, Celestia, and Luna, but the fourth voice wasn't as familiar. It was masculine, rather than feminine.

As she walked into the dining room and took in the four ponies and baby dragon seated around the table, she realized who it was that had joined them. She smiled a little, seeing Twilight's brother. They weren't that close, but Shining Armor was a cool pony in her book. The brother of Twilight, former Captain of the Guard, married to Princess Cadance, and really good with magic, although nowhere near as good as Twilight was.

"Rainbow Dash," Princess Celestia acknowledged, nodding her head and smiling warmly.

"Princesses, Prince," she acknowledged.

Shining Armor rolled his eyes. "Rainbow Dash, how have you been?"

Rainbow shrugged a little as she walked into the dining room and sat down beside Starlight, who sat across from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Shining Armor sat a few seats away from the princesses on the other side. "Fine, I guess... it's not been easy with Twilight missing, though..." she answered, then sighed.

Shining Armor's face hardened, and he nodded. "Yeah... I..." he trailed off, nodding more eagerly. "Yeah," he stated. A few seconds passed in silence. "I uh, never got a chance to thank you for helping my little sister. Thanks... I wish I could have been there for her but... being a father and a prince isn't easy," he said with a good-natured chuckle.

Rianbow smiled a little. "Yeah, I imagine that having a baby alicorn flying around isn't easy..." she trailed off, squinting. After a moment, she shifted her weight uncomfortably.

He shook his head. "You have no idea..." he said, exhaustion slipping into his voice. He still smiled. "But, I wouldn't trade it for the world!"

"Prince Shining Armor arrived not long ago," Princess Luna cut in. "He is here to assist us with finding Twilight if you did not already know or figure that out," she added.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, I guessed that," she replied. "So uh, when do we get started? And uh... any progress?"

"I'm afraid it has been slow going, but that is to be expected..." Celestia answered calmly.

"Once again, I was unable to locate Twilight last night," Luna said tentatively. She shifted her weight and pursed her lips. "I will keep trying, but I do not believe I will be met with much success..."

Rainbow groaned. Starlight lifted a forehoof and gently set it on Rainbow's shoulder. Rainbow glanced over at her, and Starlight gave her a gentle smile. After a moment, Rainbow looked away from her and took a deep breath, then sat up straighter.

"We can discuss strategy and go over what we know over breakfast," Luna stated idly.

Spike nodded. "I can go and fix something up. Pancakes sound good?" His offer was met with a murmur of agreements and nods. Spike hopped out of his chair and headed to the kitchen.

Princess Celestia scooted back and stepped out of her chair, following after Spike. "I'd be happy to help you, Spike," she offered.

Spike looked back at her and smiled. "Well, I'd be confidant to do it myself, but if you want to help, I won't say no!"

Celestia giggled and smiled warmly, nodding. "I've been told I make very good pancakes," she commented as the two of them walked toward the kitchen.

"You do," Luna agreed, nodding. "Which is why you should have them more often instead of oatmeal," she said evenly.

Celestia paused and glanced back at Luna but said nothing. After a moment, she continued on into the kitchen, closing the doors behind her and Spike.

Shining Armor smiled a little and shook his head. After a few seconds, he turned to face Rainbow and looked her over carefully. "So, I heard that you and Twilight went to Canterlot. How was your trip?"

Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly. "It was alright, I guess. I think she enjoyed being back in Canterlot, but by the end of the trip, she missed Ponyville and her friends."

Shining Armor nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like her alright... Years ago I never would have believed that," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Was... she doing alright?" he asked. "I know that she said she was fine the last time I talked to her, but... that's been a while, and she's kind of fallen out of the habbit of sending letters to keep in touch as of late."

Rainbow grimaced. "She..." she started uncertainly, not exactly sure how to describe it. "She... has her issues. She was doing better, but... it was hard on her. She just... kind of seemed... I don't know, lifeless? Weak? Vulnerable?" she asked, wincing internally. "I... really don't like using those words to describe her, because she's my best friend and she's a strong mare, but... just..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

"I think I know what you mean," Shining Armor said quietly.

"She was not always like that," Luna commented. "I have seen her quite happy as of recently... truly, she simply worries far too much."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah... I've tried to get her to stop worrying, but..." she trailed off, groaning quietly.

Shining Armor grimaced and gave a half-hearted laugh. "Yeah, getting Twilight to stop worrying? Good luck with that, I don't think anypony could actually succeed at that short of Princess Celestia, and I'm not sure if even she could!"

Rainbow smiled a little. "You'd think that with as close as they were that Twilight wouldn't worry so much."

"Well, my sister is an introvert by nature... Having friends has really helped her come out of her shell, that's for sure," Shining commented.

Rainbow chuckled a little. "Yeah, she's really changed a lot since we met her. I remember back when she consulted a book for everything!" she said, shaking her head and smiling at the memories.

"That sounds like her, alright," Shining said with a nod. "You've really been good for her. She has changed a lot, and for the better. I think she's a lot happier than she was when she was younger. Or at least she seemed happier until... you know..."

Rainbow grimaced. 'And part of that was my fault...' she knew. She sighed a little and slumped down in her chair.

Before anything else could be said, the door to the kitchen opened and out trod Princess Celestia, levitating a large platter heaped with plates of pancakes. She smiled warmly, and as the fragrant aroma of warm food wafted through the air, a little of the heavy atmosphere faded. Spike walked out over to the table and returned to his prior seat. Shining Armor scooted out and walked around to the other side of the table to sit down beside Spike.

"There's plenty more if you want extra," Celestia said as she started distributing plates, silverware, and napkins to the ponies. Next, she distributed glasses filled with milk. Rainbow sat up and brought her plate closer to her and looked it over. There were three pancakes stacked neatly, and none of the pancakes had the faintest scorching from heat. Butter calmly melted over the stack, and she could see blueberries inside the pancakes. In between the layers of the pancakes, there was syrup dripping down and slowly pooling onto the plate. To top it off, the pancakes had a smiling face on top. Sliced strawberries for the eyes, and whipped cream in a circle around the whole pancake, and an upturned line for a smile.

Rainbow looked up to see Celestia sitting down beside her sister, smiling brightly. Even Luna wasn't immune to the gesture, as a slight smile spread across her lips.

Author's Note

I guess that maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. I've been struggling with writing this for various reasons I've mostly mentioned elsewhere, so I won't recap. But I'm now remembering, that this story is supposed to be focused on Rainbow, and what she's going through, struggling because she's close to Twilight and now Twilight has been taken away from her. I seem to have forgotten that, and looking at it that way I feel a little less of a failure, since I seem to be putting us all in the position to see what Rainbow's going through...

I can't explain that any better right now. I really hope you understand what I mean and am trying to say with that.

And as we can see, Rainbow is struggling with Twilight not being there.

I feel like I have a good general handle of Celestia and Luna's characters in this series, but I feel like the first scene with them isn't right somehow. My portrayal of Celestia is, happy, kind, caring, and empathetic. Luna is more reserved, possibly a bit timid, but still kind. I feel a bit more like I am struggling to write Luna in this story than I am struggling writing Celestia. Or maybe it's all the way it's supposed to be and I just don't realize that or have forgotten it. I could use some feedback on this.

Luna really does care for Twilight, and so does Celestia. Both of them owe Twilight a lot, and I think I've said that in this story or Reaction before. They're family. And, of course, Twilight's missing, and in no small part because of their failures. And, of course, Chrysalis is responsible for it, and she's hurting Twilight.

I hope you're looking forward to the next two chapters because, in one of them, Chrysalis and Luna are going to go head to head.

Celestia interrogating a changeling... What were you expecting? Threats? Torture? It's Princess Celestia... she's a kind, caring mare. Torture wouldn't sit right with her! And even intimidation doesn't sit right with her. She can take a firm stance, of course, but she's not naturally aggressive. Luna would have been more direct in the interrogation, but I made it Celestia handling it so that Luna would be free to deal with the changelings. Celestia isn't the best warrior or strategist. Luna, on the other hoof, is much more competent than her sister, however, she is a bit reserved because of her becoming Nightmare Moon. I feel like that is the way it should be, that she shouldn't be shown as the overly eager, quick to anger or rile up, always ready for a battle sort of pony. Maybe more of a, start as calm and controlled and build up in intensity as it goes along, sort of pony.

I had a strong temptation to try to throw in a comedic "Murder, Arson, and Jaywalking" moment when Celestia was interrogating the changeling, but I couldn't come up with the right thing for "jaywalking."

Luna and Rainbow fighting changelings... If this was a different story, then I would have had a much larger, in depth scene for that. As it is, that shall be saved for the chapter where they're going to rescue Twilight.

And on the topic of that fight. It kind of bothers me for some reason. Just, throwing in a lightning gun. Well, and the fact that the changelings are now killing. I've tried to keep it as close to canon as possible. I.E., most of the other threats (okay all of them) weren't lethal threats. But of course, then we get to the issue of how competent the Equestrian armed forces are and all of that... I just don't like it for this story for some reason.

As for the lightning gun, it makes perfect sense, right? Pegasi can control the weather, and weather includes lightning, so... Yeah. I have thought of that for a while, because otherwise, you have earth ponies and pegasi who can only engage in hoof to hoof combat, while unicorns and changelings can use magic and have a massive advantage. I suppose a fix for that would be that changelings and normal unicorns have limited magic reserves, but I've never really liked that idea...

I went off on a rant and there was something I wanted to say, but I've forgotten what it was.

I think it was something to do with Rainbow being in the Wonderbolts, who are, in this series, a military group, but still have a nonmilitary "show" side. And then Rainbow has been trained to fight.

Or, maybe, it was how I went ahead and made it so changelings can disguise as inanimate objects in this story. That gets dangerous.

Wait, no, I remember what it was! It was the fridge logic of realizing that, nuclear reactors implies that Equestria can make nuclear weapons.

And once more, I'm not really sure how to handle Rainbow's feelings about Chrysalis and Twilight being kidnapped. On one hand, there's the cliched, obvious route to take with her being incredibly infuriated. But, I'm not really that good with emotions personally. I struggle with that. Back on the topic of how Rainbow feels, it's a struggle for me. You might expect righteous anger of sorts, but I haven't really portrayed that sort of style of writing for this series. I've not really had any "over the top" dramatic scenes in this series- I've tried to portray it all in a more realistic light. And, as such, instead of her being infuriated, she's worried sick about Twilight. Once she rescues Twilight, however, that may change, because her primary objective (protecting/rescuing Twilight from Chrysalis) will be fulfilled.

I'm very much looking forward to that chapter...

What are you all expecting to happen? I'm curious about how predictable what's going to happen is. Maybe that's not the right way to phrase it... I'm wondering what you all think is going to happen. You already know there's a happy, or at least not sad, ending. I'm looking forward to the ending. The best part of it may be the context it's put in because of this story. I'm really looking forward to being able to do Author's notes of the final chapters. Now, just wait and see me admitting that, when the time comes, I have nothing to say.

Another Twilight scene. Even while in captivity, she's physically healing from the injury she sustained to her head, which is a good thing. I'm having a bit of trouble with this, though. I'm not getting it to line up properly. The damage she took from radiation really hurt her and her ability to heal, but yet she's healing that fairly quickly, and she's going to sustain another injury before this is over. I really can't say anything more without giving away way too much away.

She's recovering from the radiation damage quite well, though, it seems. That's a good thing. Progress. I'm leaning toward no long term health issues from it. Well, aside from the one which is a well-placed chekov's gun. In hindsight, I think it'll be obvious. But, it won't come out until... at the very earliest, the very last chapter of this story. That's unlikely, though. It's more likely it'll be a part of the sequel, and a fairly major part.

Shining Armor has arrived! Yay! Originally, he was tagged as a main character. I changed that because of how late he arrives... I do have one major scene planned with him, though. That scene should happen next chapter, probably in the middle/early middle part of it.

A bit of backstory/ reminiscing. Originally, I had another paragraph with Luna commenting on why she thinks Twilight suffers from so much stress, saying that she thinks it has something to do with the fact that Celestia was her teacher. I decided to remove it. I feel like I need to review Reaction with the specific intent of re-familiarizing myself with how I portrayed their relationship back there. I think I went kind of along the "Celestia feels a motherly bond with Twilight" route, but Twilight doesn't realize it. They're close, of course, and good friends. I just about think Twilight is Celestia's best friend, but of course, Luna is a close confidant of hers as well.

Also, with this chapter, we draw ever closer to the scenes I've been desperately looking forward to. Originally, there was going to be one more chapter after this before we got to the final two chapters, but uh... Well, I miscalculated. To be completely honest, another chapter between these two chapters feels like it would be drawing this story out unnecessarily, plus most of (if not all of) the rest of the stuff (plot points, dealing with the changelings which were on the run, interrogation, etc...) has been taken care of.

I don't know how long next chapter will be or when it'll come out. I will try for 2-3 weeks, but I can't guarantee that. It could be upwards of 20k words long, but of course, I don't know.

Look forward to it, for the next chapter, if everything goes to plan (which is kind of ironic, considering what the chapter entails), will be where they rescue Twilight. Also, some of my most anticipated scenes in this story will be in it. The next chapter, if it is indeed the rescue chapter, will be intense.

I barely managed to meet my deadline for this chapter. I'm sitting here and it's just 30 minutes until my scheduled release of it, but hey! I made it! As such, if you find any typos, etc, please point them out.

A few parts of this chapter may feel rushed. Please provide feedback so I can analyze some things and make improvements.

Chapter 7

Twilight scrapped her tongue along the bottom of the shallow pool of water. She stared straight ahead, never once looking down. The shallow pool of water had always refilled after a time, and she welcomed it, although the grit that she picked up always lingered. She tried her best to ignore the grit, but it was always there, always tainting the otherwise fresh water, always unpleasant in her mouth.

She lapped up what remained of the pool and continued lapping at the moist rock in an attempt to get as much of the water as she could. She wasn't sure if Chrysalis knew about the pool or not, but she did know Chrysalis wasn't giving her anything else. As it was, she didn't think she could cry anymore due to dehydration, and her stomach constantly ached, a dull pain of emptiness and hunger which was always there.

Logically, she knew she wasn't in danger of starvation, at least not yet. Dehydration, on the other hoof, was a danger. Even with the cold and dampness of her cell, she was threatened by dehydration, and the only thing staving it off was the trickle of water dripping down to form a small, shallow pool, which she lapped up as often as she could, since it wasn't a lot of water to drink, and always seemed to spill and flow away if she left it to fill longer.

She felt weak, and she felt sick. Her body was back to feeling uncomfortably warm, and she felt sticky. Her coat was unclean and her mane and tail were unkempt. Her head had healed for the most part and her vision was as sharp as it could be in the darkness, but her movements felt so much more sluggish than before. It all felt like a dream, she would see or hear something, and it would take seconds for her to process it and react.

Dried blood still clung to the left side of her head as a result of her wound, she had been unable to clean it properly, with nothing to go by other than feeling it and no water or soap to help, it was a cause that wasn't high on her list of things to take care of or worry about.

She closed her eyes and lifted her head up from the depleted pool of water. She scrapped her tongue around her mouth and then lifted a forehoof and wiped her tongue off as best she could, removing as much grit as she could. She never succeeded at getting all of the grit out of her mouth, and she could tell whenever she closed her mouth because of feeling the grit in between her teeth.

She opened her eyes, then slowly turned around and shuffled back over to her corner and sat down. She carried herself with all the energy of a sleep deprived, starved alicorn who felt like nothing more than a burden. Each step was a struggle. She wanted nothing more than to just collapse in the middle of the room, to fall onto the floor and sleep. But the thought of following through with that scared her. The changelings would be there in seconds to ensure she would have no rest, and she knew that when she woke up, everything would be worse than before. She would wake up alone, with nopony there. Rainbow wouldn't be there with her, holding her close and protecting her.

Her stomach grumbled in protest at its treatment from Chrysalis. Twilight slumped forward and hung her head. She clenched her eyes shut as her stomach churned inside her. Eventually, the churning of her stomach rolled away. She hesitantly opened her eyes, then licked her lips and swallowed, though her mouth and throat felt dry, even after drinking what water she could.

Logically, she knew she wasn't in danger of starvation. That did not make it any easier on her, nor make it feel any better. She felt so dull and empty. She knew that Chrysalis was doing it to weaken her. She wasn't completely sure she knew what Chrysalis was going, but she had a fairly good idea of what Chrysalis's end goal was. She shivered and held her body a little tenser, holding her limbs and wings closer to herself in an attempt to reassure herself and feel a little safer. It didn't help, the feeling of vulnerability and weakness permeating her body, along with constantly feeling like she was being watched by dozens of sets of eyes left her in an unending state of fear.

Buzzing from otuside of her cell. Her eyes shot towards the cell door and her muscles tensed up. She breathed a little quicker and shallower. After a few seconds, the buzzing ceased. Her muscles released, and the sudden surge of energy from fear faded. Her eyelids drooped, feeling insurmountably heavy. She didn't have the willpower to keep them open. She could feel her body leaning forward more with each passing second, and she felt powerless to stop it.

She grunted and her world spun as a sharp pain emanated from her jaw. She blinked open her eyes and looked around warily. More buzzing from outside of her cell door, and a couple of hoofsteps. She shot a glare towards the bars as a Changeling peered in at her, his eyes as sharp as ever, a constant reminder of their predatory nature. She changeling hissed at her, barring its teeth.

Twiligth shook and clenched her eyes closed. She immediately turned her head away from the changeling and her body heaved with a single silent sob. She drew her forelegs back to her body, then pushed herself back into a sitting position.

Several seconds passed. 'Look at me, here I am cowering from a changeling who just hissed at me... I-I'm so pathetic...' She slowly closed her eyes and felt tears build up at the thought. She let her head go limp and laid it against the cold, unforgiving rocky cave wall. She whimpered weakly.

Her stomach grumbled again. She shifted her weight until the discomfort passed. She brushed away her tears with her forehoof and stared down at the ground. "Stop it..." she whispered to herself. "Stop it... s-stay strong... f-for her..." She closed her eyes as a wave of guilt surged through her body like a tsunami. Her body shook with a quiet sob, and she let out a croak of pain.

"I-I'll... n-never s-see h-her a-a-again..." she whispered to herself. She pressed her eyes closed as tightly as she could and broke down.

Rainbow absently looked out across the Everfree forest from the balcony where she stood. The dangerous forest looked so still, almost peaceful. Years ago, the forest had seemed much more dangerous, and it had been more dangerous, but they had made progress toward making it significantly less dangerous. It still served as a home to many dangerous creatures which lurked in the night, possibly with the intent to prey upon anypony foolish enough to wander into the woods, although from personal experience, she wasn't that concerned about it if she had to go through the woods. Even Fluttershy could walk through the thinner parts of the forest without too many problems.

Rainbow sighed and shook her head, knowing that all she was doing, thinking about the forest, was to distract herself from the feeling of wrongness that had dominated the past week. It wasn't acceptable that Twilight had been missing for six days, and yet it felt like they were no closer to finding her than when they started. Interrogating the changelings was slow going, and all of them seemed completely loyal to Chrysalis, and for once, she couldn't understand loyalty.

Chrysalis was leading her changelings to destruction, yet so many of them were still loyal to her. And then there was the fact that there were more changelings still loyal to Chrysalis than there should have been. King Thorax knew the brood well enough to know that most of the changelings had joined him, but he didn't know how Chrysalis had amassed so many changelings. His only thoughts on the matter were that Chrysalis had to have had more changelings spread out than he was aware of, possibly so much as another small hive.

Rainbow let out a long, discouraged sigh and slumped to the floor, sitting down on her haunches and folding her ears back. The night air nipped at her coat, but the crystal beneath her still felt pleasant and welcoming, almost as if it was alive and trying to comfort her. She shivered and ruffled her wings against her sides, warming herself up by the friction of her feathers running over her coat, although it wasn't much.

Twilight was still missing, stolen from her by Chrysalis in a desire for revenge. And Rainbow sat there, on the balcony of one of the castle's guest rooms, unable to do anything about it. She was separated from Twilight. She wasn't there to comfort her, she wasn't there to protect her, she wasn't there to cheer her up, she wasn't there to hold her, she wasn't there. Her whole body ached from the anguish of being forcibly separated from Twilight and knowing that Chrysalis had her and that Twilight couldn't protect herself, but her heart felt so much worse.

Empty, hollow, and numb was how her heart felt. And even the numbness didn't dull the ache left by Twilight not being there. Her chest felt tight, and her whole body was tense, on edge, despite her mental exhaustion, how clouded and foggy her mind was, and the oppressive loneliness dominating every passing second.

Rainbow slowly clenched her jaw tightly, then she swallowed. 'I really miss you... I really do love you, Twilight... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you...' She relaxed her jaw, then licked her lips and gradually looked up from her hooves. 'I'll be there for you...' she reaffirmed. She pressed her eyes closed and let her head hang limply.

A knock on the door broke the silence. Rainbow slowly opened her eyes, then she glanced back and slowly turned her head back so she could see the door. A moment later, the door opened to reveal Twilight's brother. "Hey," he greeted.

Rainbow inhaled, then exhaled and turned back around to look straight ahead. A moment passed, then the sound of hooves clicking on the crystalline floor could be heard. The hoofsteps paused and then the door quietly closed before they resumed. The sound came in a slow, leisurely pace. Eventually, it stopped, and Rainbow could see Shining Armor's white coat on the edge of her vision. "Anything?" she asked quietly.

Shining Armor sat down and shook his head. "Not yet."

Rainbow groaned and lifted her right forehoof to her head, then lightly pressed against her forehead and rubbed it around, massaging her head.

"You seem a lot different from what you were like the last time I saw you," Shining commented.

Rainbow paused, then slid her forehoof back down to the floor. She blinked once and thought about it, letting her mind wander over the past few months. A smile crept onto her lips. "Yeah, I guess so," she agreed. "I've been around Twilight a lot, I guess... It... well, it was a bit... I don't know, awkward, maybe? For a while, anyway... it... still kind of feels a bit awkward, but uh... Yeah..." she trailed off, rubbing the back of her mane sheepishly. "I mean... just... I miss her, and..." she trailed off, a little wave of energy washing over her body and refreshing her look, making her sit up straighter. "Well, I'm not the best pony when it comes to emotions and all that, but I really do care about her!" she said, turning to look at Twilight's brother. He looked at her empathetically and nodded slowly. Rainbow's energy from her outburst faded and she slumped back down. "And... so it hurts. It's hard. She's been through a lot, and... I'm trying to be there for her. It... it's not easy," she admitted. "It hurts to see her hurting, and..." she trailed off, shaking her head. She inhaled deeply, then calmly exhaled. "And then there's this... I... I don't know what to do, because I can't do anything right now. I want to be out there looking for her, but if I do that, I know that I probably won't find her by myself, and if we do find her, I won't be able to rescue her because I'll be worn out..."

Shining Armor grimaced and slowly nodded. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to Cadance or Flurry..." he said in a quiet, grave voice. "But I'd do the best I could to find her and make sure they were safe, and then I'd be there for them when they get back." Rainbow nodded in agreement. "As it is, I feel like I should be out there looking for her, but... Well, I wouldn't be able to cover as much ground as you could," he said with a forced chuckle.

Silence passed between them for a while, neither of them really knew how long passed, but both of them were content to enjoy the silence and watch the still Everfree. Rainbow eventually found her gaze drawn towards the stars in the sky. "Twilight... she always seems so sad, anymore. I mean, I can make her happy, and I really enjoy being able to do that. But seeing her so sad just... it isn't right. And she's like that most of the time. It... it's a bit frustrating, but... I try to be there for her to help her."

"Thank you for that," Shining said. "For taking care of her and being her friend. I... we used to be really close when we were younger, but... well, then we grew up. And now we almost never see each other, so I can't be there for her like I want. I'm her big brother best friend forever..."

Rainbow smiled a little. "Well, she's my best friend, too... I promised her that I'd be there for her. The only reason I wasn't there with her was that she wanted me to go back to the Wonderbolts... and I did..." she trailed off, her smile disappearing. "We've all really drifted apart because... well, we're all grown up, I guess. Life. A lot more stuff to do... you know?" she asked, studying Shining's form.

He nodded in understanding. "Believe me, I know. I'm a father now..." he replied.

"We're all really busy anymore and we don't hang out as much as we used to. I'm probably the worst of all of us because of joining the Wonderbolts..." Rainbow sighed. "I promised I'd be there for her, and I wasn't there because I was with the Wonderbolts..." she repeated. Her brow creased, and her lips turned downward into a scowl. She shifted her weight and ruffled her wings. "Uh... you know... um... Twilight... she... kinda asked me out on a date..." she trailed off. Shining Armor blinked at length and turned his head to face Rainbow. "The day that... the reactor... you know..." she added, shifting her weight and trying to avoid Shining's gaze. Shining's face was nearly unreadable, and he remained silent.

Rainbow sighed and turned away from him, her body slumping forward even more. "And I told her no. Mostly because of the Wonderbolts," she stated, then snorted at herself. "And I've felt terrible about that ever since... I've tried to make it up to her, and... well... I want to be there for her. It's the reason that I'm helping her. Well, not so much to make it up to her as just to be there for her. I hate seeing her so sad..." she trailed off.

After a moment, Shining leaned over and wrapped his left foreleg around Rainbow's neck. Rainbow looked over at him as he pulled her against his side. Her wings flared ever so slightly in an effort to keep herself upright, but she relented and let him pull her into a hug.

After a few seconds, he released Rainbow, and she slowly pulled away, shuffling her wings uncomfortably. Shining smiled warmly at her. "So, you're dating my little sister?"

Rainbow shifted her weight, then swallowed. She took a deep breath, then nodded tentatively. "Yeah..." she replied. She frowned a little and her ears folded back about halfway. "We went on a date in Canterlot... at the castle..." she trailed off. "It... wasn't really that great. It... it was hard on her. She stressed out about it too much..."

Shining grimaced. "That sounds like her..." he said quietly. He studied the forest for several seconds, letting the silence hang in the air. He turned to Rainbow and looked over her stoically, his expression betraying no emotion. "Well, you better make sure you're there for her and you be good to her."

Rainbow chuckled nervously and smiled uneasily. "I'll do my best... I really do want her to be happy," she replied.

Shining let his stoic expression fade and he smiled. "Hey, I'm sure you'll do fine," Shining replied comfortingly. "I'd rather it be you, one of her closest friends, and the bearer of the Element of Loyalty, then somepony else who I don't know too well."

Rainbow smiled wryly. "I hope so. I hate knowing that I hurt her so much..."

The dull monotony of being confined to a single small cell, all alone, with only the chittering of two changelings outside the cell, and the dripping of water, to keep her company, left Twilight with nothing to occupy herself but her thoughts. Regrets and fears plagued her mind. 'I should never have asked Rainbow out, I just made it harder on her, on all of us, and now I'm putting her through this... Rainbow, I'm sorry... please forgive me... you deserve somepony better than me...'

Her throat ached from being tight almost constantly, and even swallowing didn't relieve the pain. She missed Rainbow and being alone without her for so long left her heart hurting from the emptiness plaguing her, but at the same time, she chastised herself for it. 'She has her own goals, and I'd just take that all away from her because I love her... I... I can't do that to her...'

She hated how it made her feel. She felt condemned. Rainbow said she would always be there for her, but that meant Rainbow wouldn't have as much time for herself. She felt like she was taking more than she was giving, and Rainbow had already given her so much that she could never repay. 'I don't want to be a burden on her... or any of them...'

She clenched her eyes shut and barred her teeth as a wave of pain and guilt rolled over her body, spurred on by her thoughts. 'I... the reactor should have just killed me... they shouldn't have saved my life by taking my horn...' She sighed at the thought and slumped down, feeling weak, no longer having any strength, desire, or will left. She let herself limply fall to the floor. 'Who am I without my horn? I can't use my magic, and it's begging for me to use it... I'm not an alicorn, and I don't deserve to be a princess... I can't help Luna or Celestia, and... Rainbow... she used to be busy all the time, doing things she enjoyed, but now she's always with me. The rest of the girls... I forced them to take time out of their lives for me, and it's all my fault...'

She whimpered as tears fell out of her closed eyes. 'It would have been better for everypony if I had just died from the radiation...' She sniffled, shuddering as she inhaled. "B-but... my friends love me, they... would have hated t-to see-see that..." she croaked out between sobs.

She opened her eyes and looked ahead at the cell door. Her vision was blurred and her body physically hurt from the emotional pain and despair she felt. The coldness and dampness of the cell were forgotten from the pain emanating from her heart and chest. 'But I can't do that to them... what am I supposed to do..?' She whimpered weakly in despair, feeling hopeless.

'Stay strong... they're looking for me, they won't just leave me here... I... I have to be strong for them. They've sacrificed so much for me, I... I can't let that go to waste...' She closed her eyes again, then swallowed and licked her lips. The ache in her chest weakened at the thought, but still lingered, refusing to leave her.

There was a new sound coming from outside the cell. A crack of magic. There was a sickly green flash of light. Slow hoofsteps slowly approached the cell door.

Twilight's eyes went wide from fear. She bolted upright into a sitting position, then stood up. She pressed herself back up against the walls and pushed herself as far into the corner as she could. Each hoofstep sounded drawn out, and an eternity seemed to pass between each one of them. Her chest heaved as her breathing quickened, and adrenaline surged through her veins, her fear immediately overriding all other concerns.

And then, like time sped up, Chrysalis appeared in front of the cell door in an instant, her transparent, insectoid wings flared, smiling a malicious smile, baring her teeth and fangs, and a wicked glint in her eyes. Twilight's breath caught in her throat as the queen light her horn and opened the door, then strode inside and closed the door behind her, locking it.

Chrysalis regarded her, and Twilight shivered under her vicious gaze. Chrysalis stepped toward her. Twilight lowered her head, putting as much distance between her and Chrysalis as she could, the memory of the pain the changeling had inflicted on her still fresh in her mind, despite the wound having already healed. Chrysalis continued to approach her. Twilight cowered under her gaze, lowering her body to the ground in an attempt to not provoke the Queen's ire.

Chrysalis came to a stop and snorted. "The once great protector of Equestria... look at her now... battered and broken," she hissed.

'She's just here to mock me... not physically hurt me... she wants to draw this out as long as possible...' the analytical part of Twilight's mind reaffirmed. 'She's right,' another part said. 'I am useless and pathetic... I am broken...' She clenched her eyes closed and whimpered, crying softly.

Princess Luna calmly looked across the room. It had yet to work before, but she would continue to search the dreamscape for Twilight's dreams. She sighed quietly and her gaze fell a few inches. For all she knew, Twilight could be unconscious, or something could have been blocking her from sensing her if she was asleep. Twilight might not have been asleep, or she could have been asleep at a different time than she was looking for her, but she always kept a part of her mind wandering the dreamscape for Twilight.

She closed her eyes and lit her horn with her magic. Unlike normally when she directed her full attention and her magic to the dreamscape, it was late afternoon, rather than night. She let her magic work, directed by her mind, searching the vast dreamscape. Because of the time, there were fewer dreams to sort through and filter, making her job easier. Despite the few numbers of ponies resting during the afternoon, she still could not find what she was looking for, but she pressed on. Far too long had already passed, and she would not stop until Twilight was safe and Chrysalis was dealt with.

Exhaustion had already taken its toll on Twilight. Fear from Chrysalis's visits drained her further, leaving her weak and making her feel indifferent toward the world. She nibbled on her lower lip. She wasn't sure how long had passed, whether it had been a week or two weeks. She couldn't tell, and nopony was around to tell her, and the changelings certainly weren't going to tell her. She carefully crept across her cell, closer to the door. Her mind was hazy and her thoughts were clouded and becoming incoherent.

She paused and scrutinized the cell door, peering beyond it to look for any signs that she was being watched or that there was a changeling, such as Chrysalis, coming for her. Silence, save for the sound of the dripping water, and the occasional buzz or chitter from the two guards stationed outside her door. They sounded like they were arguing, but she couldn't make it out. Both of them sounded far too preoccupied to pay any mind to her.

She quietly moved to the other side of the room and pressed her body up against the wall, then slid back to the corner. She was out of sight, the changelings would have to come into her cell to check on her. She hadn't yet seen them do that unless she had tried to sleep, but here, she was out of sight. She silently laid down on the cold hard stone and she folded her forehooves over each other and laid her head down on her forelegs.

Almost all at once, it felt like the life had been sucked out of her body. Her eyelids drooped uncontrollably. She didn't even try to fight it. The changelings would eventually figure it out, but until then, she could have some relief from the sleep deprivation she was enduring. She shifted her weight onto her side. Despite having relative peace and seclusion in the cell, she felt insecure, unsafe, and vulnerable.

If she slept, Chrysalis could pay her a visit and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it, although she couldn't do much if she was awake anyway. The changelings could come in and do something to her while she slept, and she wouldn't know about it. It scared her. Not only would she not know, but she couldn't stop them, and she couldn't stop them even if she was awake.

Sleep whispered bliss into her ears, calling her, begging for her to relax and let her guard down long enough for her to drift off to sleep, regardless of the consequences. Gradually, she felt more energy sapped from her body, and she found it impossible to keep her guard up, and even her fear eased up. A few tears gathered in her eyes at the knowledge that it was one of the first nights in a long time when she would sleep and Rainbow wouldn't be there with her.

Her worry came back in full force. For all she knew, if she went to sleep, she wouldn't wake up. She'd never see Rainbow again, never get to tell her how much she meant to her, never get to hold her, to hug her, and never get to feel her embrace again. The thought was gut-wrenching, and her body writhed in discomfort as the sharp unease rolled through her body like electrical waves.

And yet, at the same time, not waking up would be a blessing. She wouldn't have to worry about the changelings. She wouldn't worry about being a burden on everypony she knew, they wouldn't have to take care of her anymore, they could go on about their lives. Rainbow wouldn't have to put up with her, she wouldn't have to deal with her faults. Sure, ponies would mourn her, her friends, those who knew her, they would be hit especially hard, but they would move on and be better off for it. It wasn't like she made much of a difference as of late.

'I lived a good life...' she mused. 'I saved Equestria so many times with my friends... I'm going to miss you girls...' A quiet, choked sob escaped her mouth. 'But... now it's... it's pointless. I'm not an alicorn, I'm not a unicorn... I don't have my horn and I can't take care of myself. I'm just... a waste of everypony's time... they're all mortal, and... I would outlive them all, and force them to waste their time being concerned about me... but... they love me...'

She closed her eyes, even as turmoil flooded her mind and body. She laid there, quietly sobbing, her sobs eventually fading, but unable to sleep. Rainbow wasn't there with her, and she knew it. She could feel it. It was wrong. She was too cold, the rock was too hard. There wasn't anything holding her, there was no gentle rhythm of Rainbow's heartbeat, nor her breathing. Rainbow's scent didn't fill her lungs as she inhaled. There was nothing soft and feathery embracing her. It was all missing. She felt empty, completely alone and isolated from the feeling. Rainbow wasn't there, and it was wrong. Her friend wasn't there to comfort her, to help her, to hold her, to protect her.

Eventually, her resistance to sleep gave out, and she quickly drifted off to a deep, uneasy slumber. Numerous tears rolled from her eyes.

Luna's eyes shot open. For just an instant, she had felt something, a dream called out to her, and it shocked her. It felt familiar, and she had immediately recognized it. She quickly closed her eyes and poured more of her magic into the spell. A moment later, she sent her mind and magic to join with the dream, entering Twilight's dream.

She grunted and looked around. Darkness stretched as far as she could see, and there were no discernable features to the darkness, nor any discernible features to the ground. She glanced up. She pursed her lips and frowned at the sight of a night sky with nothing but pitch blackness, no stars, and her moon was nowhere to be seen.

She grimaced at the implications, then turned around and looked for Twilight. She lit her horn, breaking the darkness with her light blue magic aura. The darkness seemed to take on a crystalline quality, looking like a diamond cut with countless hundreds, if not thousands of faces, each one reflecting the light in a different way, illuminating the entire expanse of darkness to reveal only a small room.

A silent croak, followed by a sniffle, drew her attention back to where she had originally been facing. "H-hello, L-Luna..." Twilight whimpered.

Luna's heart ached at the sight of the disheveled alicorn. She looked weak and vulnerable, more akin to an elderly pony on death's doorstep than an alicorn princess. Without saying anything, Luna strode over to Twilight and sat down, then pulled Twilight against her chest. She wrapped her forelegs around Twilight's withers, then enveloped Twilight in her wings. There was so much she felt she needed to say, and her mind raced, considering each word with care. In the end, she settled on something simple. "It will be okay, Twilight. I promise you," she said in a soft, tender voice, akin to an attempt to mimic her sister.

Twilight slowly slid her forehooves up to Luna's shoulders and bent them toward Luna, grabbing onto her. Her body tensed up and she sniffled, pressing herself harder into Luna's chest.

Luna ran her head down alongside Twilight's head and neck, nuzzling her, then she squeezed her and cast a very simple spell, one which told her exactly where Twilight was. Her expression momentarily hardened, then softened again as she turned her attention back to the vulnerable alicorn she comforted. "Twilight, do not give up, do not lose hope," she said firmly. "Just hold on for a few more hours. I will be there soon, and so will Rainbow. We will get you out of there and you will be safe, I promise."

Twilight's body shuddered and hitched on a breath. "Y-you... p-promise?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking and cracking from fear and emptiness.

"Yes," Luna stated. "I will not allow any more harm to come to you, Twilight. I am sorry that it took so long for me to find you..." she looked down at Twilight's back guiltily. "I failed, and I am sorry..." she whispered.

Twilight tentatively shook her head. "Chrysalis... she... wasn't letting me sleep..." she said in a pained voice, trailing off quietly.

Luna's lips pulled downward. She took a deep breath and then calmly exhaled. "Chrysalis you will pay for this..." she muttered. She pulled back from Twilight, though held her tight still. "I need to go, Twilight. I have to get ready, because we are coming for you. Do not forget that. We will not abandon you."

Twilight remained silent.

Luna squeezed Twilight again, then released her. Twilight lingered near her but made no effort to stop her from going. Luna used her magic and cast a spell on Twilight to ease her mind. The crystalline quality surrounding them, filling the dreamscape, silently shattered, dispersing into an infinite number of specs of light, revealing a warm, sunny meadow. The grass was so tall that it was up to Twilight's wings with her sitting on her haunches, and there was a lone tree nearby.

Twilight slowly looked up, then glanced around, scrutinizing her dream. A little of the exhaustion and strain on her face faded, being replaced by a calmness. Luna surveyed her work and smiled. The sky was clear of all clouds, and a gentle summer breeze rolled by. The meadow stretched on as far as she could see. Looking over at the tree, she noticed a detail she hadn't put there, one which she was quite pleased to see.

Twilight seemed to notice it too, and she immediately perked up, forgetting her earlier troubles and paying no mind to Luna's presence. She shot up and trotted over to the tree, then sat down beside Rainbow. Rainbow looked at her and smiled. After a moment, Rainbow's mouth moved as she said something, and Twilight flashed a bright smile as she giggled. Twilight leaned against Rainbow, and Rainbow calmly laid down on her side and pulled Twilight up against her body, then wrapped her limbs around her.

Luna calmly left Twilight's dreamscape to set out to get to work. She had a lot to do and very little time if she was to keep her promise.

Unknown to her, Twilight was crying in the waking world, but for a different reason than when she fell asleep.

Luna opened her eyes and looked straight ahead, focused, with two goals in mind: rescuing Twilight and dealing with Chrysalis. She jumped to her hooves and barely stood all the way up before teleporting herself back to Canterlot. "Sister I found her," she said as soon as she arrived at her destination, her sister's study.

Celestia's attention instantly switched from the report she had been reading to her sister, and within seconds, she had set the report back down on her desk, stood up, and faced Luna. "Where is she?" she asked quickly, studying Luna's expression.

"Somewhere beneath the mountain at the heart of the Whitetail Woods," Luna answered. "I located her in her dreams... they were troubled..." she said tentatively. "I was going to leave to assemble a strike force, however..." she trailed off, grimacing. "Chrysalis will know if we assemble too large of a force, and she may find out if we mobilize regardless."

Celestia clenched her jaw. She lowered her head slightly and her eyes quickly darted about. "A smaller strike force, then. With you spearheading the rescue, we shouldn't need too large of a force, however, we have no way of knowing how many drones Chrysalis has." Luna slowly nodded her head once. "The plan stands?" she asked.

Luna nodded again. "I will lead the rescue, and Rainbow will accompany. I will locate where Twilight is being held and head there with utmost haste, then we will withdraw her and I will engage Chrysalis personally, preventing her escape," she affirmed, her voice firm, determined, and cool. "Chrysalis will not get away."

Celestia nodded. "If she has a new hive then there may be multiple places she could escape from... A small strike force may not be able to prevent her escape."

Luna shifted her weight. "I have... considered that possibility," she said at length. "I will prevent her escape should that be the case, and if she does manage to escape, then I will give chase to her. She cannot be allowed to roam free any longer."

Celestia nodded and took a deep breath. She licked her lips and turned to look out of the window. "Evacuate Twilight to Ponyville as soon as she's been freed. I will be waiting there with the local contingent to protect her should Chrysalis try to launch a counter attack," she stated.

Luna nodded. "I will begin assembling the strike force immediately."

"I'll head to Ponyville and inform Twilight's friends and her brother that we're preparing to launch the rescue mission," Celestia replied.

Dual flashes of magic and cracks of sound filled the room as both princesses teleported away to tend to their tasks.

Twilight awoke with a start, quickly inhaling as a cold, tingly sensation slowly crawled down her spine. She lifted her head up and looked around. The pitch black darkness felt almost palpable for some reason, and she found herself struggling to breathe. The atmosphere felt heavy and oppressive, the air was thick and humid. She coughed once, then sat up.

'How... long did I sleep?' she wondered groggily. She stood up, feeling refreshed but dull. Her mind no longer felt like it was short circuiting, and the voice in her head had been silenced, although the fogginess lingered. She blinked and yawned, then glanced around her cell. She licked her lips, which were dry, and she swallowed to find her mouth parched.

She turned her head toward the sound of the dripping water, which faintly echoed as the water dripped into the shallow pool. She frowned for a moment, then shook her head. She shivered and walked over to the pool, then looked down at it. She quickly lapped up enough water from it to make her lips and mouth not quite as dry but stopped before getting any grit.

She sat back down on her haunches. 'Luna's coming...' she remembered. Her lips turned upward into a smile, then they fell again. or... was that just a dream..? No, it was real... Luna's coming...' She felt a trickle of hope filling her heart. She would see her friends again, she would see the sky and feel the sun again. So long as nothing happened to her between then and when Luna arrived.

She licked her lips, then glanced at the bars which served as the door to her cell. Beyond, she could hear two changelings chittering. 'They didn't know I slept... good.' She had no idea how long she slept, nor how long it would stave off her exhaustion, but she felt much better, even with the tiredness was lingering in the back of her mind, it was manageable, although she felt that if she let herself she could slip back into sleep, but that was too risky.

She took a deep breath, then walked over to the corner and sat down on her haunches again. 'So this is what it feels like to be a prisoner,' she mused. Her lips contorted into a grimace. 'And Luna endured far worse for one thousand years.'

She pushed the thought aside. With nothing else to occupy herself, she found the dissenting thoughts growing in volume. The energy she gained from her sleep quickly faded to a distant memory under their assault. She wanted to think or believe that Chrysalis was responsible for her feeling as useless as she was, for feeling like such a burden, for the dissenting thoughts, but she knew the truth, which was that it was all on her. And she knew that the thoughts weren't lies, they were true.

Or at the very least, she believed them. Everypony told her otherwise, that she wasn't useless, that she wasn't a burden. Nopony else was with her in the cell, however, so there was nothing to refute it. She looked down at her hooves guiltily. Rainbow hated when she thought of herself as a burden and when she thought of herself as useless. Rainbow didn't want her to think of herself that way, but Rainbow wasn't there to help her or comfort her.

Twilight's ears folded back, pinned against her head by a combination of pain, loneliness, and guilt. 'You... would hate me for this... and... I'm just hurting you... I don't want to hurt you...' She sighed quietly. 'If... when... Luna rescues me... what am I going to do when I get back? Am I going to have to be in the hospital again for a while?' The thought brought on a grimace and a scowl. She had spent far too much time in hospitals as of late. 'And what about Rainbow and the rest of my friends?' she wondered. She felt even more guilty. 'They're going to take time out to spend with me and try to comfort me... they shouldn't waste their time on it...' she thought glumly. 'Maybe... maybe I should just lock myself in my room... that way... nopony could get to me...' Her lips twisted into a deeper grimace and she bobbed her head as she mulled over the thought. 'Starlight, Celestia, and Luna could still teleport to me... and everypony would be worried sick about me...'

She sighed louder than before and laid down. She listened to the soft sounds breaking the silence, the dripping water, the changelings, and faint, distant hoofsteps. She frowned, then stood up. She tentatively walked to about the middle of her cell and looked out of the door, trying to see anything out of place. The hoofsteps gradually grew in volume, whoever it was, they were coming closer.

Despite her fear that it was Chrysalis, a part of her hoped it was Luna, and regardless of either, she actually welcomed the sound, if only because it gave her something else to listen to. The hoofsteps grew closer, then they sounded like they were coming from right outside the room. The changelings hissed, and Twilight felt hope, excitement, and anticipation welling up inside her. She perked up and stood up as she heard a crack of magic. A green bolt shot across the front of the cell door and the changeling on the right hissed in pain before going silent. Another crack of magic was followed by the other guard falling. She shivered, the aura was the same shade as Chrysalis's, which put her on edge. 'Would Chrysalis do that to her own drones..?' she wondered, swallowing as she heard hoofsteps again. There was a faint whooshing sound. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. 'Some unicorns have an aura like that, but it's uncommon...'

A bolt of green magic slammed into the cell door. Her heart leaped for joy and she started scurrying forward towards freedom. "Luna!?" she called out.

She came to an immediate and complete stop as a familiar pony stepped in front of the cell door. Her breath caught in her throat, and she smiled uncontrollably as joy welled up inside her. "Rainbow..." she whispered, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Hey, Twilight," Rainbow acknowledged, returning her smile. "Just hold on, we're going to get you out of here..." she trailed off and forced the door open. She stepped inside and looked around.

Twilight bolted toward Rainbow and threw herself at her. "R-Rainbow, I-I missed you so much... I-I didn't... I didn't think I was going to see you again!" she said frantically. Hot moisture rolled down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, pressing her muzzle into Rainbow's chest.

"Easy there, Twilight," Rainbow replied. She sat down and wrapped a forehoof around Twilight's back.

It felt wrong. Twilight tensed up. It was Rainbow, but it was wrong. Her forehoof didn't feel the same, it didn't have the same weight to it, nor the same comforting quality. She started to shiver as fear welled up inside her. She grew quiet and her tears stopped falling. She gently pressed her muzzle into Rainbow's chest and slid her nose around. It wasn't Rainbow, and she could tell. Her coat was wrong, her smell was wrong. Everything about her was wrong, and it sent warning flags arcing through her body. By the time it all registered, her mind had drawn a blank.

Panic set in with the realization of what had happened, and then the realization of who she had run to, who was holding her, set in. She didn't even shake, paralyzed in fear. She couldn't breathe. She stayed completely still, unable to move. Rainbow's foreleg tightened around her back, and she started shaking in fear. Rainbow took a deep breath, then leaned down to her ear, moaning softly, a twisted moan that didn't fit the pegasus. "So... this is who your mate is..."

Twilight pressed her eyes closed, all too late realizing her mistake. One thought ran through her mind, 'Rainbow... I'm sorry...'

Chrysalis dropped her disguise in a bright flash of green light. Twilight didn't want to open her eyes. She refused to. She wasn't going to open her eyes and look at the black carapace of the changeling holding her. Chrysalis's hole-filled foreleg slid around her neck, and she mockingly caressed her neck. Twilight shuddered, feeling sick at the changeling's touch, and she shied away from her. "They're never going to get you," Chrysalis said calmly, her voice coming out as someone who was in complete control of a situation. "They're never going to find you," she added. "And... your mate? I will kill her slowly, before your eyes..." she whispered sweetly, then trailed off, softly chuckling.

Twilight clenched her jaw. "You're wrong," she spat through clenched teeth. "You underestimate them, and you underestimate her," she stated.

Chrysalis smiled and drew back from Twilight. "Oh? There's that delicious fire of yours... I was wondering if it had been extinguished yet..." she trailed off laughing, baring her teeth in delight.

Twilight opened her eyes and glared up at the changeling. She growled, then slammed her head into Chrysalis's chest. Without her horn, the impact didn't harm the changeling any, and it made Twilight recoil and wince.

Chrysalis's twisted joy faded and she hissed at Twilight. She recoiled from the strike a few inches. "You dare!?" With no hesitation at all, she pulled her foreleg away from Twilight's neck, then pushed her away. She lit her horn and reared up.

Twilight's eyes went wide and she scrambled back, managing to back away a few steps. Chrysalis slammed down into the floor, then threw her horn down. She picked Twilight up, then in a split second, slammed Twilight into the wall to her right. Twilight silently cried out in pain. Chrysalis released her from her magic and let the alicorn fall to the floor, slumping down. She slowly approached the injured alicorn with an air of superiority and regality. Chrysalis's eyes were sharp, displaying only fury and not the slightest ghost of mercy.

Twilight stood up and grunted. She held her ground and stared down Chrysalis, her wings flared out from her body ever so slightly lifted up, prepared to defend herself or take flight if necessary.

Chrysalis smiled. "So you're not completely broken... wonderful!" she barked before breaking out into a fit of mad laughter. "And you think you can protect yourself from me?" Her laughter eventually died down, and her eyes were filled with a giddy, mad glee of excitement. She licked her teeth and lips, then lunged at Twilight.

Twilight staggered at the sight of the insane changeling jumping at her. She shifted her weight to the left to jump, only for Chrysalis to catch her. She instantly froze, feeling the changeling's sharp fangs at her body. Her breathing slowed and grew shallow as primal panic set in. She slowly glanced over at her left side.

Chrysalis held the base of her wing in her mouth, biting it tightly. Blood leaked from the points where the Queen's teeth pierced her skin. Twilight shook at the sight, though the pain didn't register. Chrysalis clenched her jaw, tightening her hold on Twilight.

Twilight's expression blanked, then panic raced through her mind, along with fear. She bit back a scream and clenched her eyes shut, feeling the pressure of the changeling's sharp teeth on her wing. She stood completely still since any movement would bring more pain.

Chrysalis bit down harder, then twisted, and jerked her head away from Twilight.

Twilight screamed.

Rainbow's wings bristled in anticipation, and her heart raced. She struggled to keep up with Luna's brisk trot, partially because of the alicorn's longer legs, but also because of how focused she was. The moon was creeping over the forest canopy, casting the forest floor in a soft shade of light. There would have been torches or lights of magic illuminating the ranks of the Royal Guard with them, but it was dangerous, as it could have alerted Chrysalis to their presence in the forest, closing in on her position.

Rainbow briefly glanced over at Shining Armor, who flanked Luna's left side. Luna continued on, paying neither of them any mind, and both of them continued following her swiftly. Half a dozen guards, all unicorns followed behind them, spread out. It wasn't the main force, this group was more or less an escort for the trio, who were currently scouting the forested mountain, searching for the entrance to the cavern where Twilight was being held.

Luna's horn glowed softly as she surveyed the area and scanned for their goal, while Shining Armor's horn wasn't lit. The less light there was, the less likely they would be caught. However, their group wasn't the group Rainbow worried most about being captured. Several hundred Royal Guards, all either unicorns or pegasi were stationed all around the mountain, trying to keep it locked down. She didn't think it was enough, but any more was too dangerous according to Luna.

Still, they had a base camp with reinforcements, a few hundred of them stationed just outside the forest. They weren't well hidden, as the camp had been set up hastily in a flat area. The mountain overlooked the camp, but with the darkness and the distance, it was harder to spot. If any changeling scouts ventured too far, however, there was a risk of them seeing the camp.

Their hooves barely made any sounds on the rocky soil beneath them as they trod onward. Rainbow bit her lip. The adrenaline flooding her veins made her wide awake but combined with her anxiety, she was uneasy. "Anything yet?" she asked Luna in a low tone.

"I believe we are headed in the right direction," Luna replied quickly. "So far I am detecting only one way in or out of the cave, but Chrysalis can teleport," she commented.

"How many Changelings?" Shining Armor asked in a low tone.

Luna pursed her lips and slowed down. "I do not know yet," she answered. "I am detecting several up ahead guarding what I believe to be the entrance, but it seems that they have found a way to make it more difficult for me to sense them," she stated.

Rainbow frowned. "So Chrysalis has more changelings than she should, they're harder to detect than they should be, and they're able to mimic the..." she trailed off, unsure of what the doctor had called it, "um..." she said tentatively. She scowled. "Whatever it was of whoever they're disguised as?" she asked warily.

Luna grimaced and nodded. "Yes... when you put it that way, it is very disconcerting..." she answered. She slowed down, then stopped. Everypony with her came to a stop and gathered around her. She looked at two of the guards, "Please head back to the camp and bring strike groups one through six. Bring them here immediately. I want strike groups one through four to head in behind us and work on clearing out the cave of changelings, while strike groups five and six will remain at the entrance to provide reinforcements and prevent any changelings from escaping," she commanded.

The two unicorns saluted, then turned around and headed off at a safe gallop, both of them hurrying, but neither of them rushing back hastily enough to be unaware of any possible danger.

Luna nodded. "Once they arrive, we will begin the assault. Our goal is to find and rescue Twilight. After that, we will withdraw her from the cave and get her to safety. If I have not dealt with Chrysalis by then, I will locate and engage Chrysalis," she stated.

A rolling crack of thunder rumbled through the air from overhead. Luna absently looked up at the oncoming cloud bank. "If everything goes according to plan, we will be out of here before that storm hits..." she muttered, not sounding convinced that everything would go according to plan.

Rainbow warily looked up at the approaching storm. Already some dark gray clouds were starting to move into position to block the moon. She grimaced and slowly tore her gaze away from the sky, looking at Luna. "Why didn't you just have the storm put off?"

Luna grimaced and turned to face Rainbow. "We have no way of knowing if Chrysalis has spies among the ranks of weather pegasi. If she does, then giving an order to hold off on the storm would have alerted her that something was up, which is the last thing we need."

Rainbow winced and shifted her weight. "Right... sorry..." she muttered, looking down at the rocky soil.

Luna's expression softened as she looked at the pegasus, but it quickly hardened again. She lifted her gaze back to the storm. Something about it left her feeling uneasy. There was a battle ahead, and a storm preparing to let loose. "The storm should not have any effect on the outcome of this battle, however, it will make things less pleasant for everypony involved," she stated. "We will be waiting here for a while for the reinforcements. It would be wise to remain alert," she acknowledged.

The Royal Guards slowly dispersed, taking up positions to watch the three important ponies in the center. Rainbow walked over to a tree and sat down in front of it. She took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. Her wings bristled in anticipation. She could feel it in the air, the storm was going to be a major one, but it wasn't what was eating at her the most. She had to wait when they were so close to finally rescuing Twilight. She looked over at Shining Armor, who seemed too preoccupied with keeping watch to be concerned about having to wait before going after Twilight, although he seemed a bit disgruntled and he shifted his weight ever so slightly. Luna likewise seemed impassive, although she looked agitated for some reason. Her mane and tail flowed a little quicker than normal.

The wind picked up, sending a cool breeze through the forest and rustling the tree leaves and branches.

Luna nodded to herself as she looked over the recently arrived, assembled ranks of the Royal Guard accompanying her. Each strike group was composed of twelve Royal Guards in total, four earth ponies and eight unicorns. The limited number of guards fielded left her uneasy, but it had left them undetected by the changelings thus far. 'No plan holds up to encountering the enemy...' she mused, a grimace growing on her lips. "I still am unsure about how many changelings we are going to be facing," she stated. "We may outnumber them, or there could be a swarm inside the mountain of a size similar to the swarm which attacked Canterlot."

Rainbow shifted her weight uncomfortably beside Luna as the alicorn spoke. The idea of eighty soldiers going up against possibly hundreds of changelings didn't sound like a great idea to her, but despite the uneasiness permeating her body from not knowing, she felt an eagerness and a drive to head straight in there, fighting off every single changeling between her and Twilight.

Months ago, she wouldn't have kept herself in check. Her heart still ached over waiting, but she knew that she had to wait. If she didn't, then it was possible that their whole rescue mission could fail, meaning that it could be even longer before Twilight was back, and that wasn't acceptable. It still didn't make waiting easy, and every passing second left her more agitated than the last.

"However, with my presence, we should not have too many problems. Strike teams one through four will follow my lead and perform search and destroy missions and reconnaissance, while Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor and I will spearhead the primary objective to locate and rescue Princess Twilight. After Twilight is safe, I shall engage Chrysalis. If we encounter Chrysalis before Twilight is freed, I will engage her and attempt to secure Twilight's rescue," Luna said. Her expression hardened, turning firm like steel as she put her determination on full display for the assembled soldiers. "Should further reinforcements be needed, it could take up to an hour, if not longer, to receive them from base camp. If you encounter problems, hold your position unless the threat is too great." She took a deep breath, then glanced over at Rainbow to her right.

Rainbow swallowed, then licked her lips. She shifted her weight as Luna's gaze bore into her. Luna opened her mouth to say something, then frowned and lifted her gaze away from Rainbow. "There has been a slight change of plans," she said calmly. "Chrysalis is near Twilight." Rainbow clenched her jaw and ruffled her wings. Luna glanced back down at Rainbow, then looked over at Shining Armor. Shining Armor's expression was filled with barely constrained worry, and it showed, despite his best efforts to remain calm. Luna turned back to Rainbow. "I am engaging Chrysalis as soon as we locate her," she stated. "You will proceed with the mission to rescue Twilight. As soon as you find and free her, get her back to Ponyville. Do not stop at the camp, and do not stop for anything."

"Right, she'll be safe with me," Rainbow said quickly, her voice determined. She took a deep breath and puffed out her chest.

Luna pursed her lips. "You... are more disciplined than I had expected. In all honesty, I remembered you being..." she trailed off, squinting. "Brasher," she stated. "It would seem that Twilight has worn off on you some..." she said in a soft, calm voice which didn't carry between the two.

Rainbow shifted her weight uncomfortably, feeling self-conscious from Luna's remark. She found herself feeling uncomfortable as she stood beside the alicorn. She didn't belong in the group going to rescue Twilight. She wasn't wearing armor, she was wearing a flight suit. They were going into a cave that was likely a tight space where armor would serve her better. Everypony else was wearing armor, with the exception of Princess Luna, who only wore her normal regalia and crown. 'No, I belong here... I am not going to let somepony else rescue Twilight... I have to be there for her when we find her...' She stamped out the dissenting discomfort caused by feeling self-conscious and fought off the nervousness. She needed to be calm and focused, and she needed to be there for Twilight.

She took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. Despite her best efforts, her unease lingered, but it was because Twilight wasn't there with her, because Twilight was in danger. Anxiety and anticipation dominated her body. She felt jittery, she needed to expend her energy on something. Instead, she stood there, waiting. It was physically painful. And then there was knowing that Chrysalis had gotten off the hook for far too long after ponynapping Twilight, which stirred her anger toward the former changeling queen. The more she thought about Chrysalis, the more she had to fight to suppress a growl. 'Chrysalis... you're lucky that Luna's going after you instead of me... she might show you some mercy...' she thought. She glanced at Luna. The alicorn's cold, hard expression made her shiver. Luna displayed very little emotion, as if the princess she knew was gone, replaced by somepony else. 'Or maybe you're not lucky that Luna's going after you...'

Luna swiftly turned around, then headed on passed the area where they had stopped. Every guard quickly followed, trotting off after her. Rainbow blinked and shook her head, then took off. She grimaced at just how much noise their group was making, and she was sure that any changelings standing guard would hear them if not see them. She cast a glance upward as clouds continued to roll in, blocking out most of the moonlight. She looked ahead and picked up her pace, then fell in sync with Luna, trotting slightly behind the alicorn leading the way.

Luna's horn glowed gently and she appeared completely calm, controlled, and collected. Her walk was regal and practiced, her mane and tail flowed normally, and her body was untensed. It was almost like she was walking through a calm forest at night, completely in her element, and under no duress. It was a contrast to how Rainbow pictured Luna leading a charge. She had pictured the alicorn being much more aggressive and eager than she was, more akin to Nightmare Moon.

Rainbow pushed the thought aside as two bolts of magic shot out of Luna's horn in quick succession. The light blue magic pierced the night and let out a flash of light and a crack as both spells found their marks. Frantic buzzing from a changeling's wings erupted in the air as the stunned changeling spasmed from the spell, while a second one unceremoniously collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

Luna swept her horn around and took in the cave entrance with an almost predatory calm as if she knew that she was in complete control of the situation and nothing could break that control. After a moment, she walked over to the mouth of the cave, which was wide enough for an adult dragon to inhabit. She cautiously peered inside and lit up the cave with her magic. "There were only two lookouts, but there are likely scouts nearby, and it is likely that the scouts will return to report at some point in time. Stay alert," she commanded before heading into the cave.

Rainbow quickly headed in following behind Luna. Shining Armor lit his horn and walked in beside Rainbow, guarding her right side. The unicorns which had first accompanied them all lit their horns and took up a position trailing behind Luna and guarding the three ponies in the front from any ambushes. With the added light from more magic, Rainbow was able to make out more about the cave. The gray stone looked weathered and worn, yet it looked hard and unbreakable, like a timeless constant that would always be there. The cave had a slight, gradual incline, then after the peak started on a sharp decline. Their hooves all echoed on the floor, anypony nearby would be able to hear it, and anypony further in the caves would be able to hear them, which meant the changelings would likely discover their presence sooner rather than later.

Peering into the darkness which stretched on passed the area lit up by the unicorn's and Luna's magic, Rainbow couldn't make out much of anything, although the cave seemed to split into three paths. Each tunnel was about a fourth as large as the entrance, yet all of them could comfortably walk in the caves and have room to maneuver. She grimaced and shuffled her wings as they approached. Luna came to a complete stop and looked down each way, then took the path on the right. Rainbow looked around as she followed Luna on down further into the cave. In the distance, she could hear the steel boots of royal guards softly echoing as they headed off to investigate the caves.

The eerie silence and stillness of the cave stretched on as it continued to wind downward, slowly sloping to the right. Rainbow couldn't tell if the cave was natural or not. Some parts seemed to be worn and weathered, but other parts were sharp as if mined away by tools, or perhaps blasted by magic. She shivered as the temperature slowly dropped the further down they went while the walls started to grow slightly damp and the air grew humid.

To Rainbow, the sole pegasus in the group, the small space, combined with the silence and stillness made her feel on edge. There was no breeze, and there was hardly a sound, save for their breathing and their hooves striking the rock. And with time, it grew more overbearing and the atmosphere became more oppressive. 'Is this what you've been dealing with? Or... or was it worse...' Rainbow slowed her pace at the thought and grimaced, a wave of weakness washing over her body along with fear and worry. Her heart ached at the thought.

A faint dripping sound eventually grew in volume, and a greenish glow started to light the way ahead. Luna slowed down and frowned. The distinct buzzing of changeling wings filled the air, but only a few sets of them from what she could make out. She could not identify how many changelings were up ahead with her magic, but she could sense that there were changelings ahead.

Luna slowly made her way forward and hung close to the wall. Ahead, the cave sharply turned to the right. She dimmed her horn, then came to a stop and looked through the opening. Beyond the tunnel was a large, voluminous cavern, easily large enough for several adult dragons to fill. The center of the cavern held a massive lake filled with water. The water was still and clear, and there was a green glow coming from below the water. The ceiling and the shore opposite of the tunnel were covered in green, glowing pods. She grimaced and surveyed the room for changelings. Many of the dark forms buzzed about, tending to the egg clusters. Some of them were secreting a thick, green substance from their mouth and coating the walls of the cave with it. She quickly ducked back into the tunnel before she was spotted. Luna pursed her lips and looked over the ponies with her. Rainbow cautiously approached her. "Chrysalis is turning this mountain into a new hive. The chamber ahead appears to be filled with eggs. Fortunately, there are not many drones."

"What are your orders, Princess?" one of the guards asked.

Luna looked at him and pursed her lips. "We will attempt to move to the other side unseen, however, if we are detected, you five will engage them while Shining Armor, Rainbow Dash, and I proceed with the primary objective. After we rescue Twilight, send for reinforcements. We will need to lock this hive down and inform King Thorax of its existence."

"Yes, Princess!" the guard said with a quick salute.

Luna turned around and peered out into the chamber. The lake filled the center of the cavern, but there was still dry ground which could be crossed, though they would have to stay close to the walls in order to do that. There was a small bridge which separated the main body from a smaller body of water, but it didn't offer any protection or any hiding spots for them. She bit her lip. 'The bridge would be quicker, but is that worth it? What will Chrysalis do when she discovers our presence? I cannot risk Twilight's safety...'

She watched one of the drones flying from one egg cluster to another. Chrysalis was building a new hive, but that didn't explain how she had so much support. She pushed the thought aside. 'If I knew the layout better I could simply teleport us there... although if there are enchantments in place, which there likely are...' she let the thought trail off and she grimaced. She used her magic and resumed scanning the hive as best she could. Chrysalis was no longer with Twilight. She pursed her lips and squinted, no longer detecting her within the mountain.

She drew back and looked over the ponies following her. "Stay close to the walls," she ordered. She peeked back out and cautiously swept her gaze across the cavern, making sure that there were no changelings watching. "Move quickly and quietly," she said in a low tone. She slid out and into the cavern and stayed close to the wall. She tentatively walked along, scanning the room with her eyes. Shining Armor slid out from the tunnel, followed by Rainbow, then the five unicorns.

The group quietly crept forward. Despite Luna's size, she remained stealthy and silent as she crossed the rocky ground. Her darker coat made her harder to spot against the dimly lit gray rock.

Rainbow remained silent as she crept forward, following Twilight's brother and Princess Luna. Her gaze was drawn to the other side of the lake. The countless dozens if not hundreds of eggs made her skin crawl, and every time one of the changeling's moved to fly somewhere, she felt a wave of fear cascade over her. Even with having Wonderbolt training, it still left her uneasy.

Every step brought them closer to their destination, and yet they were still so far away. Progress was slow in order to remain undetected, and Rainbow couldn't fathom how the changelings hadn't detected them yet. They were all tending the eggs. She frowned. "Princess, shouldn't there be guards? We managed to get to... this... with all the eggs, but it's... unguarded?"

Luna remained quiet and calmly crept forward. After a few seconds, she answered, "It is possible that Chrysalis does not have enough drones for that. She may be focusing on growing her swarm, or she could believe that there is no reason to have guards stationed because she does not believe we have discovered her location..."

"I don't like this, Chrysalis is smart," Shining muttered.

"She did cover her tracks well," Luna acknowledged warily. The dim green glow had died down, leaving the group in deeper darkness as they approached the far side of the cavern. Luna quickened her pace as the darkness enveloped her, and she constantly shifted her gaze from looking at the path ahead and the ground to the small swarm tending to the eggs. There were perhaps thirty drones in all, and their movements were agile and swift, but something about their movements seemed off, almost like they were tired or on edge.

Eventually, the wall started to curve inward, leading them to bend their path to stay close to the wall and walk around to the other side. They were close to their goal, another tunnel. The tunnel appeared to be about the size of a hallway. Luna came to a stop at the entrance and ducked inside, horn first. She lit her horn and swept her head around, making sure that there was nothing lying in wait for them.

Behind her, the remaining seven ponies quickly rushed in. Luna sped up her pace and took the lead once more. She could sense Twilight growing closer with each step. She scanned the walls as they continued their descent, noting the sharp, jagged edges, appearing as if it had been purposefully cut away. A thin layer of moist gritty sand could be made out in some small indents.

Luna slowed her approach, and the others all took that as their cue to slow down. Her ears perked up and swiveled around, listening intently. Off in the distance, she could hear a faint chittering and the occasional buzzing of changeling wings coming from ahead. Coming from behind the group, she could hear a lot more distant buzzing from the drones occupying the cavern. She tentatively started forward again, though continued to listen intently.

Rainbow's heart beat faster and she struggled to keep herself from galloping on ahead of Luna. She was going so slow, and even though she knew it was for safety, it was getting to her. She could hear the chittering of changelings ahead growing in volume, and she thought she could hear something else, something faint.

Luna slowed to a stop, then turned around and looked at the five Royal Guards. "Head back and secure the tunnel," she ordered. "Do not let any changelings through."

The five Royal Guards quickly saluted, then took off back toward the cavern, their pace hastened by Luna's directive. Luna stood there watching them for several seconds, then she turned her attention to Shining Armor and Rainbow. She met their gazes, then nodded at Rainbow. She hesitated for a second more, then turned back around. She took a deep breath, then strode forward.

Shining Armor moved with purpose beside her, his gaze steel and his walk determined. Any changelings that came between him and his sister would regret it. Rainbow followed up behind them both, letting them take the lead. Once more, a part of her felt out of place. Luna was leading them, she was an alicorn, and her magic was powerful enough to move the moon. Shining Armor was a unicorn and Twilight's brother, he could protect a city the size of Canterlot with a barrier that could hold out an army. And then there was her, a pegasus. The changelings had magic and could fly, all she had was speed and maneuverability. Because of the correct assumption that they would be in tight spaces, she didn't carry any weapons, save for her own hooves.

Eventually, their destination came in sight. A moderately sized room. Two changelings stood at what appeared to be a cell door. In an instant, their heads snapped around to face them. The furthest one shot around and crouched down and hissed. The closest one turned to face them and his ears folded back as he took a step back. A bolt of green magic shot forward from the farthest changeling.

Luna's commanding presence immediately made itself known. The changeling's bolt of magic slammed into a light blue barrier. There was a sharp crack of magic, and Luna's barrier emerged triumphantly. In a swift retaliation, Luna lowered her horn and sent a single bolt of magic charging toward the changeling. The drone froze in fear or panic, then his face tensed up in pain. He bared his teeth and hissed as the spell slammed into his carapace. He stood there for a moment, his legs trembling before he collapsed.

Luna turned toward the other changeling. The changeling backed away from her and crouched down in fear. "Secure it," she ordered. Shining Armor sped up and walked over to the changeling. "Do not resist and you will not be harmed..." Luna said in a calm, emotionless voice. She calmly walked passed the changeling as Shining Armor levitated out hoofcuffs and a magic suppression ring. As she passed the changeling, she casually stunned it with her magic. "After we finish here, Thorax can deal with it," she said. She scrutinized the cell door as she approached, then she squinted. She pointed her horn towards the lock and fired a bolt of magic.

The lock glowed for a moment before a sizzling filled the air. She opened the cell door, which didn't make a single sound. A soft, broken whimper filled the air. Before Luna could investigate, Rainbow shot around into the cell, looking around frantically. "Twilight!?" she called out. She swept her gaze from right to left, systematically searching for her friend.

The timid alicorn stood still, trembling and wide eyed, her right side hidden behind her left side. "S-stay b-b-ack..." she croaked.

Rainbow felt her heart ache at the sight of Twilight. The side of her head was covered in dried blood, her coat was a mess, and her mane and tail were disheveled, and not in the cute way from having just woken up. Her eyelids drooped, and she looked terrified and frantic. The way she trembled at her sight physically hurt her. She didn't know what to do. Her mind had grown silent, and she stood there, looking at Twilight. A part of her screamed at her to run over to her and to embrace her and then never let go of her, but the fear that Twilight looked at her with was enough to where she didn't know what to do, or where to even start. "Twilight..." she said softly. After a few seconds, she recovered enough and stepped forward to reclaim her friend.

Twiligth scrambled to her hooves faster than she thought possible and scurried back. As she stepped backward, her left wing extended slightly from her body, and her weight shifted. Before either of them knew what was happening, Twilight started leaning to the left, further and further with each step as she lost her balance.

Rainbow frowned as Twilight started to fall, then she darted over to Twilight, catching her with her forelegs, stopping her fall. "Easy there, Twi..." she said softly. She grunted a little from the addition of Twilight's weight. Twilight's body was cold, and Rainbow quickly reaffirmed her embrace, trying to let her warmth warm Twilight up. Twilight tensed up and tried to fight her off, whimpering in fear. "Twilight... please..." Rainbow said softly. She pulled Twilight's head up against her chest and held her there, refusing to let her go. She felt tears building up in her eyes as Twilight struggled to escape her grasp. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, but eventually, Twilight's struggles slowed, then ceased.

"R-Rainbow?" Twilight whimpered.

"It's me, Twilight... and Princess Luna, and your brother... you're safe now..." Rainbow replied softly. She squeezed Twilight reassuringly, putting as much of her love into the embrace as she could, and yet it still didn't feel like enough. She laid her head down on Twilight and looked at the wall, gently nuzzling into her friend's mane. Even though Twilight's mane was a mess and needed to be washed, she still loved it because it was a part of her friend.

After a few seconds, the alicorn lifted her head up. "R-Rainbow..." she croaked. She squeezed Rainbow with all her might, holding onto her and refusing to let her go. Rainbow winced a little from Twilight's strength, but she welcomed it, it was a reassurance that things would be okay to both of them. Twilight inhaled deeply, and her body shuddered with the breath. She cried into Rainbow's chest, her hot tears were a sharp contrast with the coolness of the cave, and they quickly soaked into Rainbow's flight suit and coat.

"It's okay, Twilight..." Rainbow said softly. She listened to Twilight's crying and found her own eyes watering from a combination of Twilight crying, the joy from being reunited with her, and the pain of seeing her in such a state.

"Y-you sh-shouldn't b-be here..." Twilight said quietly. "It-it's not safe! Chrysalis w-will k-kill you!" she croaked in a pain filled, desperate voice, almost pleadingly.

"Hey, don't worry about that, okay? Let us deal with Chrysalis," Rainbow replied in a soft, reassuring voice. She slid her left foreleg down Twilight's back. Twilight tensed up and became silent as Rainbow's hoof slid downward, and then several things happened at once. Twilight tensed up and hissed in pain, her body trembled more than before, and she clenched her eyes shut. Rainbow's forehoof was covered in a slightly warm fluid, and she scrunched her muzzle up at the strange feeling of something distinctly not fur or feather against the fabric of her flight suit, and then it donned on her that it was coming from Twilight's wing.

Rainbow froze, and her body locked up. She couldn't breathe, and the feeling replayed itself in her mind again and again without ceasing. The warmth of the fluid seeped into her flight suit and lingered, gradually cooling. Her foreleg trembled, and she hesitantly pulled her forehoof away. She stared intently at the wall, then glanced over at her hoof. Despite the darkness broken only by the light from Luna's and Shining Armor's horns, she could tell that it was soaked by a dark fluid, and the low light was still enough for her to figure out that it was blood. Twilight's blood.

Her throat tensed up and a large knot took a hold of her entire throat. She tried to say something, but all that came out was a pained squeak. Twilight sat in silence, completely still save for her trembling and weak, almost unnoticeable breathing. The alicorn's hot tears soaked into Rainbow's chest, and she pressed her head hard into the pegasus. Rainbow hesitantly lifted her head up and glanced over at Twilight's right side. She immediately wished she hadn't.

Where her wing was supposed to be, there was a large gash in her side, and below it, her coat was reddened. Rainbow swallowed as she struggled to process what she saw. Her stomach churned in disgust. Seconds passed as she started to process the information. She clenched her jaw tight and then looked away at the wall again. 'Chrysalis...' she seethed. The only thing that prevented her from leaving right then and hunting down the former queen was the broken alicorn she held. She would not and could not leave her for that. She took a deep breath, then turned around to look at Luna. Standing beside her was Shining Armor, and both of them were silent.

Luna studied the scene with a mixture of disgust, hatred, shock, and forced calmness. Yet despite it all, a sense of failure filled her chest. She had made a promise to Twilight, and everypony else, and she had failed to keep it. She swallowed and blinked. "Get her to Ponyville, Rainbow Dash. You know the rest of the plan," she said through gritted teeth.

Shining Armor quickly strode back out of the cell and stood guard. "She needs medical attention..." he muttered.

Luna nodded in acknowledgment. "Her side will heal, she is not still bleeding, although she is at risk," she answered quickly. "Infection is a danger, and although the bleeding has stopped, if she is jostled too much, it could start again... I do not have anything to aid her with, however, I will use my magic to help," she said. She quickly walked around to Twilight's injured side. A grimace pulled at her lips as she stared at it. She forced herself to focus, and she pointed her horn at Twilight's side, then scanned her wound before channeling her magic into a healing spell. "Your natural accelerated healing already kicked in... I am amplifying it, as your body isn't in the best shape to recover from this due to recent events..." she trailed off, then stepped back and looked at Rainbow. "Get her to Ponyville," she stated more forcefully than before. She quickly turned around and strode out of the cell, then surveyed the room, making sure there were no unexpected arrivals.

"Right..." Rainbow said gravely. She lifted her head up off of Twilight's head, then she released her right foreleg from holding her. She slid her foreleg up to Twilight's mane, then gently brushed it through her mane. She leaned down and placed her lips on the top of Twilight's head, holding her lips against her mane as she kissed her. She let it last for several seconds before pulling back. "Come on, we need to get you out of here..." she said softly.

"I-I ca-can't walk li-like th-this..." Twilight sobbed. She swallowed and hesitantly lifted her head up to meet Rainbow's gaze. Tears streamed down her face as she looked Rainbow in the eye. She averted her gaze, feeling ashamed and condemned. Rainbow looked down at her lovingly, but she couldn't help but feel useless, unimportant, and unnecessary. "W-withou-out my w-wing... I-I can't... b-bal-balance..."

Rainbow quickly hugged Twilight, then turned around and sat down on her haunches. "Then I'll carry you," she replied. "Get on, we need to go," she added, glancing back at Twilight.

Twilight stared down at the ground for a few seconds, then hesitantly glanced up at Rainbow, though her head was still pointed at the ground. Rainbow looked at her pleadingly. Twilight shifted her weight and ruffled her wing, then bit her lip. She tentatively stood up, her legs all wobbled. After a second, she stepped forward, then sat down behind Rainbow. She quickly wrapped her legs around her and held onto her.

Rainbow slowly stood up. She felt absent as she stood up, noting how much lighter Twilight felt than before. It felt surreal. She pushed the thought aside and smiled as she felt Twilight's head laying atop hers. "You doing okay?" she asked in a soft, concerned voice.

Twilight remained silent for a moment as Rainbow calmly walked out from the cell. She glanced around the room beyond it, seeing it for the first time since she had been imprisoned. "N-no..." she finally answered. She pressed her eyes closed.

Shining Armor walked over to Twilight, then placed a forehoof on her side. He gave Twilight a gentle smile, but it was strained. "Hey... it's going to be alright, okay? We'll get you out of here and we'll figure things out..."

Twilight swallowed and slid her head around to face him. She smiled weakly, but her lips quivered. The sharp crack of the magic of a teleportation spell broke the air. Twilight instinctively tightened her grip on Rainbow and her shivering intensified. As fast as everypony could react, Shining Armor jumped around, putting himself between Twilight and the source of the sound. Luna swiveled and brought her horn down to bear on the intruder.

For a split second, confusion crossed Chrysalis's face as she was met by an unexpected sight. The confusion was quickly replaced by rage. She bared her teeth and hissed, then sidestepped a spell from Princess Luna. "Oh, dear Princess Luna... how wonderful that you showed up..." she trailed off, chuckling. "I was wondering when you would show up..." she trailed off, smiling menacingly.

Twilight stared at Chrysalis and felt her face grow frigid at the sight of the queen. Rainbow clenched her jaw and hesitantly turned to face Chrysalis. She wanted to lunge at her and make her pay for what she did to Twilight, and all that stopped her from doing that was the fact that she was carrying Twilight. Twilight was counting on Rainbow to keep her safe, and if she lunged at Chrysalis, it could hurt Twilight. Her nostrils flared in anger.

Chrysalis looked at Rainbow with a sense of glee bursting to life in her eyes. Her wide smile seemed to become crazed like her entire purpose was now focused on Rainbow Dash. Rainbow shifted her weight and glanced up at Twilight. Twilight shied back from Chrysalis and breathed shallow and quick breaths.

Luna growled at Chrysalis. She tilted her head back toward Rainbow and Twilight but kept her eyes firmly planted on Chrysalis. "Get Twilight out of here now," she ordered.

"You're not going anywhere!" Chrysalis hissed. She lunged forward, her horn blazing to life.

"Prince Armor escort Rainbow and your sister outside now!" Luna shouted, not concerned if her voice carried. She leaped into action, jumping to intercept Chrysalis's lunge horn first. Chrysalis hissed at her as she landed, and not a moment later, Luna's horn locked with hers. Luna swiftly flared her right wing and struck Chrysalis in the head.

Shining Armor broke away. "Move," he said calmly. Rainbow nodded, then turned away and took off at a gallop back up the tunnel. Shining Armor quickly caught up with her. Because of Twilight's added weight and the fact that she had to use her hooves, Rainbow was slowed down significantly. Twilight held on like her life depended on it, which it did. As they made their way up, in the distance behind them, they could all hear the clash of magic. Twilight shivered in fear and continued to cry softly.

Chrysalis jumped back from Luna and hissed as Rainbow, Twilight, and Shining Armor escaped. While she was still in the air, she flared her wings out and buzzed back, then threw her head down at Luna, aiming her twisted horn at the alicorn.

Luna flared her wings, then twisted around to face Chrysalis. She beat her wings downward and jumped back, propelling herself away from a pulse of sickly green magic. As she flew back through the air, she retaliated, firing a beam toward Chrysalis, who dived and then rose back up to the left of the beam. As Luna landed, she crouched down, coiling her legs, then jumped back up again, propelling herself forward with her wings. She focused entirely on Chrysalis. There were no distractions, just her, and Chrysalis. She soared through the air calmly, channeling her magic into a beam which surged forth from her horn. Where the beam collided with the rock, the rock was pulverized. Pebbles and dust filled the air, pelting both of them.

Luna landed and calmly, cautiously turned around in circles, scanning the area with her eyes while listening intently and trying to detect the changeling with her magic. The dust made her want to cough and gag, but she fought the urge and held herself in check, refusing to let any weakness show.

Sick, twisted laughter reverberated throughout the room as Chrysalis laughed, watching from her unseen hiding place. "You put your sister to shame..." she said in mock surprise. "The great and powerful Celestia... I brought her and all of Equestria to its knees..." she goaded.

Luna remained calm, despite the deep seated feeling of anger Chrysalis instigated. "If I had been there, the outcome would have been quite different, I assure you," she stated matter of factly. She continued turning around in circles and scanning the room. The dust continued to fill the air and hide Chrysalis from sight. "Show yourself coward!" she shouted.

"If you insist..." Chrysalis relented. A second later a dark figure bolted through the air and shot up into Luna's face. Chrysalis hissed, baring her fangs, then lunged for Luna's neck. Luna stepped back and swung her head down and to the left to intercept Chrysalis's attack. Chrysalis ducked back and crouched down, then unleashed her magic on Luna. Spell after spell assaulted the alicorn who protected herself with a blue barrier, which shook under the assault, yet held firm.

Luna gritted her teeth, then marched on Chrysalis's position with her barrier still in place, absorbing Chrysalis's attacks. Chrysalis stood up and started backing up at the same rate Luna approached her. Within seconds, Luna pushed Chrysalis up against the wall, but she continued on. "You will not win, Chrysalis. If you surrender, I will be merciful and grant you a swift death for your crimes!"

Chrysalis laughed mockingly and teleported away. "I have had Twilight in my clutches for a week! I have fed off of her love!" Luna swiveled around right in time for a beam of green magic to pierce the air and slam into her barrier. She squinted her eyes and grunted as the sharp light filled the room. She could see visible lines in her barrier where it was starting to crack. She took a deep breath and refocused herself, then poured more magic into her barrier. She gradually shrunk her barrier back until it was barely large enough for her body, then she surged more and more magic into the barrier.

Chrysalis continued pouring magic into her beam and slowly approached the trapped alicorn, laughing hysterically with each step. "And you dare to challenge ME in my own domain!? You made the same mistake a thousand years ago in challenging your sister in her domain! You'll never learn!" she laughed mockingly.

"Silence," Luna commanded. The magic stored in her barrier exploded outward, pushing all of the dust and air out of the room, briefly creating a vacuum in its wake. Chrysalis heaved as the very air was stolen from her lungs. The wave of magic slammed into the rock walls and pulverized the outer layer of rock. As soon as the magic dissipated, the backdraft sucked more air and dust into the room from the tunnel.

Luna's eyes stung and her throat burned from all the dust filling the air. She couldn't see, and breathing was unpleasant. She coughed from the rock filling the air. The air smelt like rock and dust, and even with the humidity and dampness, the rock was still very fine powder that permeated the air.

Chrysalis had grown silent, but the constant buzzing of her insectoid wings permeated the air.

Seconds passed in silence between the two in the lull of their battle. Eventually, the buzzing of Chrysalis's wings ceased. The green glow of her aura was barely visible through the dark, dust filled air. Even as the dust settled, the smell lingered and the air remained unclear.

Luna stood facing Chrysalis, her wings calmly folded at her sides, and her form held regally and reserved. Chrysalis stood facing Luna, her wings flared at their full extent, smiling with her fangs bared, intently watching Luna. Both of their horns were glowing, and both of their horns were pointed at each other's chest. Chrysalis's gaze was malicious and eager, Luna's was calm and controlled, but also held a hint of anticipation.

Chrysalis attacked first, launching spell after spell at Luna. Luna countered, matching each spell with a spell of her own. Their spells collided in the air, canceling each other out and exploding, illuminating the room with blue and green light. Both of them broke off their attack at the same time and gracefully flowed around the room. Chrysalis took flight while Luna darted across the floor.

Luna swiveled around to face Chrysalis and shot a beam of magic at her. Chrysalis slipped out of the way, then drew her head back. A moment later, she lunged at Luna. A glob of thick green fluid shot out of Chrysalis's mouth. Luna's muzzle scrunched up in revulsion as she jumped out of the way from the glob. She protected herself with a barrier from the follow-up barrage of spells from Chrysalis. She swept her head down and aimed right for Chrysalis's heart.

Before Luna could fire her spell, Chrysalis teleported behind her. The changeling spat out another glob of the sticky green fluid, which hit its mark. Luna went to jump around to face Chrysalis, only to find that the green fluid coating her hind right leg had hardened, cementing her hoof in place. She lost her footing from surprise and stumbled, failing to jump around to face Chrysalis. Chrysalis slipped around and repeated the process with the rest of Luna's hooves, locking her firmly in place. Without giving Luna a chance to counter, she finished the attack by launching a glob of the fluid at Luna's still lit horn. As soon as the fluid hit Luna's horn, it wrapped around it and hardened, sealing Luna's magic. The alicorn's expression blanked in confusion as she was caught off guard.

Chrysalis sauntered around in front of her, then lifted her forehoof and caressed Luna's cheek. The alicorn glared at her but remained silent. Chrysalis slid her hoof along Luna's muzzle, only for the alicorn's wing to bat her hoof away. Chrysalis stepped back, squinting at Luna before hissing at her. "Perhaps I was wrong about you... you are just as weak and predictable as your sister..." she mused. She chuckled a little. "But... I have other things to tend to... my swarm will be here soon, perhaps you will prove to be some entertainment for them," she said. With a flash of light, she teleported away. Luna clenched her jaw and grunted as she struggled to free herself.

A deep reverberation echoed through the tunnel and a breeze blew out passed them for a second, then it reversed and blew back down. Rainbow ignored it and pressed on. Already, she could hear the buzzing of the changelings ahead. She could tell that Twilight could hear it as well since the alicorn was holding onto her tight enough that breathing was difficult as Twilight's hooves dug into her body. "Twilight... that's a bit tight..." she said in a low tone.

"Sorry..." Twilight hastily apologized. She relaxed her grip a little but held continued to hold onto Rainbow firmly, not risking falling off.

"Ideas on how we're going to get passed the changelings up ahead?" Rainbow asked, glancing back at Shining Armor.

"If we're quick enough, we should be able to get across and make our way out before they can rally to attack us. Since they're tending to eggs, we have an advantage," he answered. "Maybe I should take the lead. We know Luna's fighting Chrysalis, and we know that there are changelings up ahead."

"Right..." Rainbow muttered.

Shining Armor hastened his pace and passed Rainbow and Twilight, then took the lead. They continued galloping along. towards their destination and freedom. 'Luna will handle Chrysalis, but I still need to get her to safety... there's plenty of changelings around here which could hurt you...' Rainbow momentarily glanced back at Twilight and smiled. Twilight's weight on her back, along with her firm grip was reassuring. It felt right, and she welcomed it. She turned her gaze back ahead.

As they approached the end of the tunnel, the five Royal Guards swiftly rose to their hooves and stood at attention. "We're leaving now. Don't bother with stealth, engage any changelings you can see, but keep moving!" Shining ordered.

The Royal Guards swiftly saluted, then formed up and headed out of the tunnel. The formed into a line, all facing the changelings and egg clusters. As Rainbow and Shining galloped passed, the unicorns' horns glowed to life. Spell after spell shot out of their horns as they bombarded the changeling's positions. The stun spells did nothing when they hit rock or eggs, but any changeling struck by one of the bolts seized up before falling to the ground. Some changelings fell greater distances than others.

Very few changelings were struck by the first barrage, and as soon as the barrage started, it ended. The five unicorns took off at a gallop behind Shining Armor and Rainbow, occasionally slinging spells toward changeling positions, all the while, the changelings, caught up in the chaos, took up defensive positions and launched numerous spells towards the group of ponies. None of the changelings seemed to realize that the incursion was a rescue mission, as none of them moved to intercept them or stop their escape. They were all more focused on protecting the eggs.

Rainbow galloped as fast as she could across the bridge. Bolts of green magic raced on passed her and ahead of her. Her heart raced. Any one of the bolts could easily strike her or Twilight, and she had no way to stop it over then moving as fast as she could, but she also still needed to be careful. She had to make sure she didn't slip or trip, letting Twilight fall wasn't an option. The Royal Guards following them provided support by firing back on changeling positions, not letting any of them approach or get a good shot off, but the bridge had no cover for any of them, and there were far more changelings than ponies.

Shining Armor grunted and slowed. With some effort, a magenta barrier burned to life around the group, enveloping them in a protective field which easily shrugged off the changelings' magic. The barrier was a much larger target than an individual pony, and the changelings relentlessly bombarded it with spell after spell, but yet the barrier was steadfast under the strain. "Keep moving!" he ordered.

"What about Princess Luna!?" one of the guards asked.

"She can handle herself!" Shining Armor answered.

Rainbow felt a little triumphant pride creep into her smile as she made it across the bridge. She barely paused before turning and sprinting toward the tunnel which would lead to safety. Shining Armor and the five Royal Guards stayed close behind her, never once falling behind. They sprinted into the tunnel which lead up to the main cave and continued on. Shining dispelled his barrier since the changelings no longer had a direct line of sight on them and he made his way up beside Rainbow.

Twilight shifted her head, then pressed her muzzle into Rainbow's mane. After a few seconds, she gently pressed her nose into Rainbow's mane, then slowly slid it up and down, giving her pegasus a gentle, tender nuzzle.

Rainbow's smile widened. Her smile shifted into a grimace and she softly groaned as she heard a rolling crack of thunder coming from above. A cool breeze wafted through the tunnel, and as she listened, outside of the buzzing of changeling wings behind them and the clicking of their hooves on the stone, she could hear rain softly hammering away at the ground. "I'm supposed to fly you back to Ponyville," she said. "I hope you don't mind flying through a storm..." she said grimly, very aware of Twilight's missing wing.

Twilight was silent for a moment, and Rainbow thought she could feel Twilight's heart beat faster. "I trust you..." she said softly, although she did grip Rainbow's neck a little more firmly.

"We'll make sure no changelings follow you from the cave, but make sure you stay alert," Shining Armor said. "You're carrying my little sister, after all."

"I'll take care of her," Rainbow acknowledged. Another roar of rolling thunder shook the air and vibrated the cave, this time less softly than before. Rainbow took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. She slowed and testingly extended her wings and gave them a flap, making sure that she'd be able to fly with Twilight on her how she was. A couple of minutes later, they came to the cave entrance. A dozen Royal Guards immediately greeted them, the earth ponies in the front and the unicorns behind them with their horns glowing.

Rainbow slowed down to a trot and glanced around, then nodded at Shining Armor. Shining Armor returned the nod. Rainbow headed on out of the cave while Shining Armor and the rest of them set up a defense to lock down the hive. She slowed as she approached the exit of the cave and peered out into the dark, stormy night. She hesitated there, watching the pouring rain and seeing how the sky lit up from violent discharges of lightning, followed shortly thereafter by thunder.

Rainbow looked back at Twilight and glanced at her side. Her heart throbbed and ached in pain, and a knot formed in her throat again. Looking at Twilight's barren side hurt. She had been a unicorn before getting wings, so her back had been bare before, but now, it was completely wrong. Chrysalis would pay for it, she knew Luna would make sure of that. But it didn't change how wrong it was. It served as a reminder to her that she could not fail Twilight, Twilight was depending entirely upon her to protect her and get her to safety. If she failed, Twilight would be hurt, or worse. A shiver went down her spine. She took a deep breath and swallowed. "I... Twilight, I'm sorry... I should have been there for you... and... I wasn't. I'm sorry."

Twilight shifted her weight atop Rainbow and pointedly looked away from Rainbow's head. "It wouldn't have made a difference..." she muttered.

Rainbow wasn't convinced that Twilight was right. She knew Twilight was right, but she didn't want to believe that she couldn't have done anything to help her. Her gaze lingered on Twilight's back for several seconds. After that, she looked down at the ground before looking back outside. The sight still lingered in her mind. "We need to go," she said. She spread her wings out and cautiously stepped out from the protection of the cave.

The cold downpour of rain almost immediately soaked both of them to their cores. Twilight tensed up as the freezing rain soaked her coat, stealing what little warmth she had, and her muzzle scrunched up in discomfort. She shivered and her grip on Rainbow tightened.

Rainbow grimaced, then took off at a short trot for a couple of seconds. She flapped her wings, then took off into the air. She quickly folded her legs under her body to reduce drag and she flapped her wings hard against the storm, propelling them both up into the sky above the treeline. Rain pelted her face as she flew in the opposite direction of the storm, forcing her to squint to see. "I can get above the storm but I'd have to fly through it to get above the storm!" she shouted.

Twilight shivered. "N-no... just... f-fly low..." she said into Rainbow's ear.

Rainbow frowned and looked back at Twilight. "I won't drop you!"

"I-I k-know," Twilight replied, her teeth chattering. "I trust y-you. I-I just d-don't want t-to ri-risk s-something..."

Rainbow continued to watch Twilight for a moment, then turned back to face ahead. She took a deep breath, letting the cold air invigorate her with energy. The anticipation, worry, and fear had finally faded. Twilight was back and hers again, she wasn't in danger. All she had to do was get them back to Ponyville. Luna was dealing with Chrysalis, so the only thing between her and Ponyville was the storm, and she could handle the storm.

Of course, her heart still ached. Chrysalis took one of Twilight's wings, and she couldn't do anything about that. Glancing back at Twilight, she wondered if Twilight was still in shock from it, or if adrenaline was the only thing preventing her from breaking down. Once it was over and they were safe, she knew it would hit Twilight hard. Her heart sank at that knowledge. 'I'll be there for you, Twilight... don't worry...' She swallowed back a knot in her throat and focused on flying. The forest below her seemed to stretch on forever.

A brilliant, sickly green bolt of magic shot through the air passed Rainbow. Her breath caught in her throat. "Rainbow!" Twilight screamed. The alicorn shifted her weight and glanced back behind them. She immediately tensed up. "Chrysalis!" she whimpered, her body shaking while she held Rainbow close.

"What!?" Rainbow shrieked, her head shooting back around. Her eyes widened, and she quickly banked to the right to avoid another pulse of magic. "But... Luna? She was supposed to..." she trailed off, a sinking feeling filling her body. She winced and banked to the left sharp as a series of bolts of magic lurched toward them from Chrysalis's horn.

Twilight whimpered audibly above the storm. "R-Rainbow..." she cried softly. Her chest heaved several times with a pained sob which was silenced by the storm. She squeaked as Rainbow rolled over in order to dodge more spells. Once Rainbow righted herself, Twilight bit her lip and looked back at Chrysalis. She could feel Chrysalis's gaze on her, and she could almost make out her glare. She swallowed and looked back ahead. "L-land..." she said.

"What? No!" Rainbow retorted. "If we land, I can't outfly her!"

Twilight stared down at Rainbow's mane. She grimaced. "We can lose her in the trees," she said quietly.

Rainbow squinted. Something in Twilight's voice seemed off, but Twilight did have a point. She didn't actually have to land, but flying below the tree canopy could help her lose Chrysalis. "Alright... hold on tight..." she said calmly. She took a deep breath, then banked to her right and gradually descended closer to the treetops. She scanned the area ahead of them and searched for a clear area to dive down below the trees. She spotted one and squinted. "Alright, here it comes..."

As soon as they reached the clearing, she dove down under the trees, then sped up again. She weaved through the trees with as much skill as she had, easily dodging the trunks and branches. The rain was diffused by the canopy, though a lot of water still dripped down through the leaves. She risked a glance back behind herself to check for Chrysalis. The changeling was nowhere to be seen. She let herself relax a little and looked back ahead and resumed weaving in between trees.

"Rainbow... leave me..." Twilight said weakly.

Rainbow's heart skipped a beat and she bared her teeth. "Twilight, I am not leaving you. I made you a promise, and I am not breaking that for anything," she replied calmly.

"Rainbow..." Twilight said softly. She inhaled deeply and shuddered. "She will kill you if she catches us... and then she will kill me... she knows that... I love you..." she whimpered and clenched her eyes shut.

"I am not leaving you, Twilight. I can't," Rainbow retorted. "Do you think I could ever forgive myself if I just left you here to die? You're my best friend!" She licked her lips and swallowed a knot in her throat. "Twilight, you can't protect yourself... I'm a trained Wonderbolt..." she trailed off.

Twilight opened her eyes and pressed her nose into Rainbow's mane. "Please..." she pleaded. "You can't help... she's too strong, and she has magic!" She shuddered as she inhaled. "I can't watch her kill you..." she sobbed out quietly.

"I can outfly her!" Rainbow retorted.

"N-no, you can't..." Twilight said bitterly. "N-not while ca-carrying me, and n-not down here..." she said quietly.

Rainbow squinted ahead. "Did... you make me come down here just to try to get me to leave you?" she asked. Twilight was deathly silent. Rainbow's heart ached and her expression filled with pain. "Twilight..." she said softly. She slowly shook her head. She grunted and picked up her pace and searched the canopy for a break that she could fly through back into the sky.

A dark form fell through the trees in front of Rainbow. She instinctually slowed down and winced as she recognized the form as Chrysalis. She immediately banked to her right in an attempt to maneuver around her. Chrysalis hissed and sent a bolt of magic at them. Twilight squeaked and tensed up. Rainbow tensed up and grunted as Chrysalis left her with nowhere to maneuver. She took a deep breath and braced herself, then rolled over so that her body was in between Chrysalis and Twilight. She coughed as Chrysalis's impacted her. Her world spun and she couldn't see straight. Her lungs burned and she heaved for air. She felt dirt, rocks, and sticks scratch up her flight suit and her back, and she felt Twilight's weight roll off of her. Despite the daze she was left in, she clearly heard Twilight's pained whimper and cries of pain drawn from her injured side. She clenched her jaw.

Chrysalis's menacing, reverberating laugh pierced the air. Rainbow grunted and forced herself up. She glared at Chrysalis as the changeling approached her. "Come and get me, you insect!" she goaded.

Chrysalis glared back at Rainbow and her lips trembled in rage. She bared her teeth and lunged at Rainbow. Rainbow jumped out of the way, then immediately shot back at Chrysalis and slammed into her side. She drove her right forehoof into where she thought the base of Chrysalis's wing was, earning a hiss of pain from her and making the changeling's wing go limp. Rainbow smirked triumphantly, but it was short lived. Chrysalis swatted her away with a forehoof, smacking her head and muzzle.

Rainbow lost her balance and fell to the ground. She grunted and shot back up to her hooves and jumped around to face her. "We beat you before and I can totally take you down on my own!"

Chrysalis leveled her gaze on Rainbow and glared at Twilight, who sat quietly, watching in horror. The alicorn's entire body was trembling, and she looked like she was on the verge of completely shutting down. Her tears were unnoticed because of the lack of light and the rain having left her muzzle drenched. Chrysalis smiled maliciously and looked back at Rainbow Dash. "Mmm... I took on Princess Celestia alone, and I won... I took on Princess Luna without any help... and now she's not going to be able to save you from me this time..." She stepped toward Rainbow and lit her horn. "What makes you think you stand a chance?" she hissed. Without any hesitation, she picked up Rainbow in her magic, then threw her at the nearest tree, growling in rage as she did so.

Twilight couldn't watch, but she couldn't look away either. Rainbow yelped in pain as she hit the tree, and her body was limp before she even hit the ground. Twilight bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, but the pain didn't register. Chrysalis looked at her and then at Rainbow, smiling maliciously. She slowly turned to face Rainbow's limp form, as if taunting Twilight.

Twilight swallowed, then stood up and bolted over to Rainbow, spurred on by panic and fear. Before she was even a third of the way there, she lost her footing and she fell onto her right side. She clenched her jaw shut and pressed her eyes closed, hissing as pain raced through her body emanating from her aching, burning right side. She scrambled to her hooves frantically and scurried over to Rainbow, keeping her body close to the ground in an effort to prevent herself from falling over.

Chrysalis stepped back and laughed mockingly. "You're so pathetic... the way you pine after her like a lovesick puppy... it's so delicious..." she trailed off, lifting her head upward and letting out a moan of pleasure, closing her eyes.

Twilight frantically looked over Rainbow, leaning in close to her. She nudged Rainbow's limp body. Rainbow tensed up and groaned a little. Twilight smiled a little, but then glanced back at Chrysalis. After a moment, she swallowed and then turned around to face her. She spread her legs out to brace herself and she crouched down to the ground, putting herself in between Chrysalis and Rainbow. She spread her left wing out protectively and stared at Chrysalis. Her weak legs trembled, but she held her ground, not giving an inch, even as Chrysalis stepped toward her.

Twilight's eyes burned from tears. Her magic was there as always, as powerful or more powerful than before, and yet she couldn't access it. She couldn't channel it. She didn't have her horn. She couldn't protect Rainbow with her magic, and she couldn't fly. She couldn't save Rainbow from Chrysalis. She couldn't fly away with her, and she couldn't carry her to safety. She couldn't escape on her own either, not that she would if it meant leaving her best friend behind. It was torture, her magic was begging for her to use it, and her mind was begging for her magic to obey her, but she had no horn.

Chrysalis smirked and chuckled calmly. "You get to watch as I take her life right before your eyes..." she said sweetly. "And just think... she would live if it wasn't for you loving her so..." she added mockingly. She lowered her horn and pointed it at Twilight threateningly. Twilight shied back from Chrysalis's magic but refused to leave her spot.

"And just think, you would live if you had accepted her pupil's offer," Luna said calmly.

Chrysalis hissed and her head shot around to her right. Luna marched toward her horn first, horn glowing brightly. A lance of magic shot out toward Chrysalis. She hissed and jumped out of the way. The beam of magic continued onward until something stopped it. The tree which served to stop the beam of magic exploded into a spray of splinters.

Twilight stood her ground, not able to move, barely able to think. She watched as Luna engaged Chrysalis, their forms silhouetted by their magic. Spell after spell was exchanged between the two. Spells shot through the air. Trees exploded and fell. She watched, her body shaking as her gaze shifted between Luna and Chrysalis. Eventually, a soft groan from behind her broke her focus. She swiveled around and hastily glanced over Rainbow's form.

Rainbow slowly lifted her head up and then pushed her chest up with her forehooves. She groaned and closed her eyes, then lifted a forehoof up to her head. She winced a little, then shook her head, rustling her soaked mane. She squinted at Twilight. Twilight stood there, watching her, completely silent. Her one wing was still flared out. She looked vulnerable and distant, like she wasn't there like she wasn't thinking, as if she was simply acting on instinct like an injured animal that had been cornered. A sharp crack of magic drew both of their attention to the battle raging on nearby. Rainbow hastily sat up and turned back to Twilight's trembling form. "Twilight, we need to go," she said softly.

Twilight looked back over at her, and her eyes darted over Rainbow. After a moment, she blinked several times, then nodded.

Rainbow tentatively flapped her wings, then stood up. She felt a little woozy and everything hurt, but she was okay. "Twilight, hop on," she said in a gentle voice.

Twilight looked at her absently, unmoving, simply standing there, acting like Rainbow spoke a language she couldn't understand or even begin to comprehend.

Rainbow groaned a little, then walked over to Twilight. She sat down on her haunches in front of Twilight, then coaxed the mare onto her back with her wings. Twilight didn't resist, but she didn't make it easy either. She acted like she had no idea what was happening, but eventually, Rainbow coaxed her into place. After Twilight was on her, she wrapped her forelegs around her and held onto her without saying anything. Rainbow smiled, once more feeling Twilight with her. She quickly stood up and inhaled, then looked around, making sure Chrysalis wasn't coming after her again. Nearby, flashes of magic and cracks of spells broke the air, occasionally silhouetting Luna and Chrysalis. She shivered, then shot up into the air, propelling herself forward with her wings and magic. She quickly ascended above the canopy of trees thanks to several trees having been destroyed, leaving perfect areas for her to escape.

She climbed higher and higher until the trees were all one mass in the darkness below. Twilight's body still trembled atop her. She nibbled on her lip and continued to climb, then pushed her way through the storm. Flying through the clouds left her blinded and she acted on instinct alone, but eventually, it calmed down and she made it above the storm, revealing the pristine, clear night sky beyond. Hundreds of stars speckled the vast expanse, and the moon was overhead, dominating the sky.

Rainbow leveled out and flew calmly along. She shrugged off the cold as best she could, though the thinner atmosphere and how thoroughly soaked both of them were left her shivering. She was grateful that the air felt a little warmer above the storm, even if it barely helped.

Eventually, Twilight broke her silence, "Rainbow... I'm tired..."

Rainbow looked back up at Twilight. Her eyes were drooping, her breathing had finally calmed down, and her heartbeat had slowed. She gave Twilight a gentle smile. "It's okay, you're safe... go ahead and take a nap... we'll be home before you know it..." she said softly.

Twilight stared at Rainbow's smile, and her lips pulled upward. After a second, she laid her head down on Rainbow's head, then absently nestled into her wet mane and closed her eyes.

"Sweet dreams, Twi... I love you..." Rainbow whispered. Twilight muttered something in response, but Rainbow couldn't make it out. She wore a strained half smile. On one hoof, Twilight was back and she was safe. Chrysalis was being brought to justice by Luna. And soon, they'd be back home. On the other hoof, Chrysalis hurt Twilight. As she flew back to Ponyville, her mind raced with thoughts and worries about the alicorn sleeping peacefully on her back. Eventually, her half smile faded into a strained, blank line across her lips.

Author's Note

Well. It's tradition for me to turn the Author's Notes into an Author's Commentary, and if ever there was a chapter where this would be appropriate, this would be it.

I'm not really even sure where to start with this.

This chapter contains the scenes which may be "crossing the line." This chapter is the whole reason for the "I know this story won't be for everyone" comments I've made. If you can't figure out what section I'm referring to... I would guess you haven't read that section yet, then. If you still can't, then... It's a combination of the two scenes. The first scene where Chrysalis impersonated Rainbow and... visits Twilight, and then the scene where Rainbow is holding Twilight and trying to comfort her immediately after their arrival.

I so badly want to go into so much detail with this chapter about my thought processes and such, but I'm going to try not to. I'm going to try to save that for an actual Author's Commentary series for this series.

So... did I cross a line with this chapter? At least take comfort in knowing Twilight is safe now, and that the worst is over. I'll go ahead and admit that I'm worried that this chapter will blow up in my face and that you will all hate me for this and hit the dislike button and stop following this series and such for this chapter. And... maybe it would be a valid reason to. I will never get to experience what you do from reading this because I'm the author. Please, please comment on this chapter.

I tried not to cross the line with those two scenes, and by that, I mean I tried not to describe it in the details which would be "too much." You get the idea without having to endure gore. I don't want to have to add that tag.

These two scenes are some of the reason I wrote this story. The final confrontation where Rainbow is carrying Twilight to safety is also another part of that. Next chapter contains a lot more scenes related to this as well.

And on the topic of that last confrontation scene... Did I do it justice? I don't know if I did or not...

There are a few things in this series that, put in context of having read the full series, it hits even harder. If you ever reread this story/series, after having read the whole thing... I think you'll see a bigger picture which I tried to paint.

I really thoroughly considered splitting this chapter into two, breaking it with the scene where Chrysalis hurt Twilight. It would have been perhaps the absolute best cliffhanger I could have written for anything, but... You all would have hated that, I'm sure... I know that I would have hated to read that.

The first confrontation between Luna and Chrysalis... it was always a part of the plan for Luna to at first fail and get disabled, because that meant that I could write the scene with Rainbow and Twilight being downed in the forest, where Chrysalis attacks Rainbow, thus forcing Twilight to make a stand like she did.

As for what happened to Chrysalis? Justice.

One more chapter, and then this story will be over. My writing style for this series clashes with action, or at least it feels like it to me. Maybe it doesn't feel like that to you. Fortunately, with this chapter being done, I am done writing action/adventure in this series for the foreseeable future...

Well... right now, that's all I can think of for the major things...

Originally, I was going to do more commentary than this, but I decided against it.

I believe this is the longest chapter I have ever written.

Chapter 8

Twilight jolted awake. Her eyes shot open, and the heart rate monitor's beeping sped up. A dark room greeted her. She swallowed as she stared up at the ceiling. Despite the darkness, she immediately recognized it. A part of her wanted to frown or growl at the mocking white ceiling staring back down at her, she wanted to lash out at the all too familiar sight, but she was too numb for that. She was tired, and she felt cold. The warm blankets enveloping her helped, but she still felt bitterly cold, a memory of what had been. She was tired, and the soft bed below her back was bliss compared to what she had laid on for the past week, but it still felt wrong. She couldn't feel Rainbow beside her.

The heart rate monitor quickly slowed back to a normal rate, and its the steady beeping was the only sound that broke the silent stillness of the room, aside from the occasional echo of hooves clopping on the tiled floor of the hallway. Her eyelids felt heavy. Her body ached all over. She was exhausted, and she felt numb and sluggish, the adrenaline which spurred her on having dissipated.

She blinked, then looked down at the white blankets covering her body. Even as she looked down where her chest was, her gaze was drawn to her right side. She could feel it, and it felt wrong. The numbness dominating her body and mind almost felt like it was emanating from her barren side. She could see her wing was gone even with the blankets around her. It was noticeable, and it felt unfamiliar. Her side was no longer protected by her soft feathers. A part of her was gone. Her side felt cold, but at the same time, her injury felt unbearably warm. She could feel a bandage wrapped around her body, and the bandage was wrapped under her other wing, leaving it free to move.

She breathed calmly, still in shock. Slowly, almost unnoticeably, her eyes drifted away from her side and toward the window. Soft white light flooded the room from the moon, but it wasn't enough to completely illuminate the room. Outside of the path of the light through the window, she could barely see, although she could make out chairs and the walls.

She didn't see or hear anypony else around. She was alone, and the feeling of loneliness sank into her heart and chest. She felt hollow, even after being rescued from Queen Chrysalis, there was nopony there for her. Not Celestia, not Luna, not one of her friends, nor her student, and neither was Rainbow Dash there. The room was silent and empty, and the loneliness stung like a betrayal. Even her mind was silent, too tired and too occupied with what happened to say anything.

She swallowed, then licked her lips. Her mouth was dry, and her lips were rough. She forced the memory of her dry lips away, then she slowly brought her eyes back to rest on the blankets covering her body. She slowly pulled a forehoof out from the blanket, then laid it down on top of the blanket and laid her forehoof over her chest. She brought her other forehoof out from the blankets and placed it on her chest beside her other forehoof, then she lifted her head up. For a split second, her vision shifted, as if the room had been turned around her by thirty degrees, almost like something Discord would do, but by the time she noticed it, it had returned to normal.

She looked around her bed, then she took a deep breath. She slid her forehooves down, then pushed herself back, pushing her neck and then withers up onto the pillow before she leaned up and pushed herself up into a sitting position. As the blankets fell off of her body, she shivered from their warmth being lost to the cold, unforgiving hospital air. She closed her eyes, then calmly took a breath. She opened her eyes, then slowly brought her gaze back to her right side.

Her side was bandaged and flat. It was plainly evident that the bandage was only covering her body, and that there was nothing underneath the wrap. The white bandage showed no signs of her still bleeding, but her coat was still bloodied and grimy from her lack of bathing. She blinked several times and swung her head back around. She looked straight ahead at the wall for a moment, then her head slumped and her eyes shifted to stare down at the blankets.

Her left side was warm and cozy, while her right side felt icy. She gradually lifted her head back up and looked over at her left side. Her left wing remained intact and in pristine condition, other than disarrayed feathers and needing to be cleaned and preened. Her chest throbbed. She swallowed and found herself forcing back a knot in her throat she hadn't noticed. She slowly extended her wing out to its full extent, then she looked back at her other side. She could still feel her muscles intact, at the ready to obey her command to flare out her missing wing. She moved them, and her world lit up in pain.

She slouched forward and clenched her eyes shut as the hot pain rolled through her side and washed over her body. She bared her teeth from the agony, and tears rolled down her eyes. As quickly as the pain came, it passed, but her side continued to throb beneath the oppressively tight bandage. She lifted a shaky forehoof to her eyes and wiped away her tears. Her lips remained open, even as her mouth stayed closed. She looked back to her left and gazed out the windows at the starry night sky.

Eventually, her physical pain faded as she stared out at the sky, but the memory remained, as did a ghost of the pain which continued to haunt her body. She looked back down at the blankets at her hooves and her eyes darted about as they took in the blandness of the white fabric, although she didn't commit any of it to memory, as her mind was too preoccupied.

The sound of hoofsteps walking through the hallway drew her attention to the door. Her ears perked up as she listened to the sound and she looked over toward the door. The door was hidden by part of the wall, but she still watched and listened intently, waiting for something, hoping for somepony to visit her and relieve her solitude. The hoofsteps grew in volume, then reached a peak before they started to fade and grow distant. Eventually, the hoofsteps finally disappeared, as did the brief comforting hope that somepony would come for her.

Her ears folded back and her muzzle slowly dropped downward. Her eyes glazed over as they slowly slid back to their prior focus of blankly staring at the bed sheets. The condemning loneliness permeated her whole body, and as the seconds passed, she felt more and more numb and distant. She felt empty. She was broken. She felt useless. 'Nopony is here because I'm not worth it...' It was the first coherent thought she had since she woke up. Her legs wobbled, and her body shuddered as she inhaled, brought on by the pain of the thought.

She clenched her eyes shut and collapsed forward on the bed, too weak to sit up. She pressed her muzzle into the blankets, then slid her head back and pressed her forehead into the bed, hoping it would somehow ease her pain or take her mind off of things. Instead, it only served to remind her about her missing horn.

She didn't cry, she didn't have it in her, she was too empty and hollow from everything that had happened to her for tears.

A soft, calm sound of hooves touching the floor from her left broke the silence. "Twilight?" Rainbow's soft, weary voice broke the stillness of the air.

Twilight's breath caught in her throat at the sound of the voice. She shook a little where she laid, and a faint ray of hope shined through the dark emptiness inside her. She felt fear when the sound didn't immediately repeat itself, worrying that she had just imagined it. Her heart ached and it felt like it was being twisted inside her chest. She shuddered and forced herself to move her muzzle forward. She reluctantly opened an eye and looked toward the sound of the voice.

"Hey, Twilight..." Rainbow said softly. She was standing near a couch positioned against the wall with the window, situated in the corner. A crumpled up blanket was piled up towards the end of the couch closest to the window.

Twilight felt the emptiness fade as joy slowly started to fill the hollowness left inside her body and mind by her fears and feelings of uselessness, but it was slow, and the feelings of being useless fought against it. She slowly lifted her head up and stared at Rainbow, taking in her body and expression, as if it had been somepony she hadn't seen in decades.

Rainbow smiled a small, gentle smile, but behind it, there was fear and concern. Her eyes were still as bright and vibrant as ever, or perhaps even more so, but they still looked off, because they were filled with worry. Her mane was dry but messy, much messier than normal, with some strands splayed out, and some sticking straight up, a result of her being asleep and flying in a storm. Her coat shined with its normal bright, welcoming sheen, and her wings were as pristine as usual.

To Twilight, she looked like the most beautiful pony in the world, yet she still didn't believe Rainbow was actually there, and she still didn't smile. She continued to stare at Rainbow, still struggling with what happened.

Rainbow's smile faded to be replaced with a blank line. She shifted her weight, then took a deep breath and slowly crossed the room. She walked over to the bed, then sat down on her haunches and placed her forehooves on the bed. Twilight stared at her, almost like she didn't recognize her.

After several seconds, Twilight's eyes turned down to look at Rainbow's forehooves. Slowly, she slid a forehoof over to Rainbow. She hesitated as she neared her forehoof, then she licked her lips before finally edging her hoof closer and with the slightest touch, brushed her forehoof against Rainbow's forehoof, afraid she wasn't actually there. When she felt Rainbow's forehoof, she looked up at her and swallowed. She flashed Rainbow a weak half smile, which quickly faded. She turned her head back toward the wall in front of the bed and she stared down at the bed. Her muzzle slowly fell downward.

Rainbow wrapped her forehooves around Twilight's hoof. "Hey... it's... it's okay, alright?" she coaxed. She squeezed Twilight's hoof in an attempt to reassure her. Twilight only inhaled deeply before exhaling. Rainbow's heart ached in pain from seeing Twilight like that. She slowly stood up, then pulled herself up onto the bed.

Twilight glanced over at Rainbow as she felt the bed shift from Rainbow's weight, then she looked over at her friend as she climbed up beside her, then sat down. Twilight swallowed and slowly turned away from her.

"Twilight, please... just... relax..." Rainbow said in a soft voice. She hesitantly extended her right wing and looked it over, then she looked at Twilight's body. She looked over the bandage and Twilight's wing, then she carefully laid her wing around Twilight's back and wrapped it around her side above where her wing would have been. She felt Twilight tense up beneath her wing as she embraced her, and she swallowed back a knot in her throat. She took a deep breath, then gently pulled Twilight toward her.

At first, Twilight resisted Rainbow's coaxing, but then she glanced over at her. The pain in Rainbow's eyes was enough to make her stop resisting, and she let Rainbow pull her against her side while she stared at Rainbow. Her eyes started to burn, and she blinked several times. As soon as she felt Rainbow's shoulder against hers, she relaxed and leaned into her. "I-I'm sorry... Rainbow..." she whimpered.

Rainbow frowned, then quickly shifted her weight and turned to face Twilight. She lifted her forelegs and wrapped them around Twilight's withers, then she slid a forehoof up to her mane and started gently brushing the edge of her forehoof into her friend's mane to comfort her. Despite how coarse Twilight felt from being unclean, Rainbow welcomed feeling Twilight's body against her after being kept apart for so long. "It's... not your fault, Twilight... you know that..." she said quietly. She gently coaxed Twilight's head against her chest, then she laid her head atop her and nuzzled her mane. Months ago, holding Twilight like this and trying to comfort her was a foreign idea to her, but now, it felt right and necessary, it was her duty, and she welcomed it.

Twilight turned her body toward Rainbow and pressed her forehead into her, then cautiously wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow's body and held her. "I... I-I... I..." She didn't know where to start. She opened her eyes and cried into Rainbow's chest. She sniffled and her body shuddered, shaking uncontrollably with each breath she took in. Her breathing was unsteady, despite Rainbow holding her and brushing her mane.

"Shh... it's okay, just... let it out..." Rainbow coaxed. She squeezed Twilight and held her closer. She unfurled her left wing, then laid it around Twilight's body, carefully avoiding the bandage on her side. She slid her right wing up to Twilight's shoulder, then slowly slid her wing down across Twilight's side, brushing her feathers against Twilight's coat. She relished feeling Twilight's coat against her feathers, and both of them took comfort in it. Feeling the heat and wetness from Twilight's tears, however, brought her to tears. She closed her eyes and nuzzled Twilight again. She continued to stroke her mane and hold her close, refusing to let her go and refusing to let anything come in between them.

Eventually, Twilight recovered enough for her breathing to calm. She slowly slid her forehooves over Rainbow's sides, feeling her friend's soft, inviting coat. She wanted nothing more than to bury herself in Rainbow's body and never leave, but she couldn't do that. It wasn't fair for Rainbow, and it was demanding too much from the pony who was already giving her so much. Her ears folded back in shame, and she shifted her head, causing Rainbow to lift her head off of hers, then she pulled her head back and looked away from Rainbow.

Rainbow calmly brought a forehoof up to Twilight's muzzle and gently brushed her hoof alongside her, then gently coaxed Twilight back into facing her. Twilight immediately stared down at Rainbow's chest to avoid eye contact. Rainbow smiled down at Twilight, then leaned down and slowly slid her muzzle across Twilight's muzzle, then she slid back and continued brushing their muzzles together in a tender, affectionate nuzzle. After the first few strokes, Twilight tilted her head into Rainbow's nuzzle and returned it. After they broke, Rainbow brushed away Twilight's mane, then leaned in and gently placed her warm, wet lips on Twilight's forehead, right where her horn would have been.

Twilight's heart fluttered as she felt Rainbow's warm lips on her forehead, and the beeping of the heart rate monitor noticeably picked up. She blushed a little but made no move to get away from Rainbow. The kiss lingered for several seconds before Rainbow pulled away, although both of them could still feel the phantom sensation of the other. Twilight instinctually lowered her head away from Rainbow, and even in the faint, soft moonlight, the faint crimson blush upon her cheeks was plainly evident.

Rainbow grinned. "That's better," she said.

Twilight smiled faintly and sighed, then leaned over to Rainbow and laid her head on Rainbow's shoulder. She nuzzled against her, then buried her nose in Rainbow's mane and inhaled deeply. She closed her eyes, then calmly exhaled, blowing air out into Rainbow's mane. She held onto Rainbow tighter. "I... thank you, Rainbow... for... coming to get me, and... for keeping me safe and... bringing me home... And... thank you for being here, and... staying with me and..." she trailed off and resumed nuzzling Rainbow to show her thanks and affection to the pegasus.

Rainbow laid her head against Twilight's and held her there. She sat there calmly, feeling Twilight's heartbeat and her breathing as she tried to comfort her friend and help her to relax. 'We need to talk... but... not now...' She grimaced a little and nuzzled the back of Twilight's neck in gentle, slow strokes.

Twilight held Rainbow tighter, and she swallowed. "I-I don't deserve you... y-you deserve somepony better than me, Rainbow..."

Rainbow reaffirmed her grip on Twilight, holding her tighter and closer. "Don't," she said firmly.

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. After several seconds of trying, she relented and closed her mouth.

"Twilight, I want to be with you, not anypony else..." Rainbow said gently. "You're my best friend... I'm sorry that I said no when you asked me the first time... I've only regretted it since then..." she trailed off glumly, hurt by the reminder of her mistakes.

"Rainbow... I... I can't walk, and... I... I can't fly..." Twilight said at length in a small, quiet voice.

"Twilight, please... it... it'll be okay. You'll be fine, I promise... I'll be there for you," Rainbow replied. "You're alive and safe, and th-that's what m-matters to me," she said softly, her voice crackling from pain.

Twilight felt guilty and closed her eyes as Rainbow's voice crackled. 'This is all my fault... she's hurting because of me, and... it's all my fault...' She slowly shifted her weight and pulled away from Rainbow, only for the pegasus to stop her from leaving. 'I've only hurt you and everypony else since... I'm such a burden, and... now I'm even more of a burden because I can't fly and I don't have my wing...' Her expression fell further and further with each passing second, but she maintained an outward appearance of calm.

Before her mind could add more to the thought, there was a quick knock on the door. Both of them turned toward the door as it opened. A single pony walked inside, and the door closed behind him. Doctor Manner walked around and looked at the two of them. He smiled faintly, but there was still a grimace to his smile. "Princess," he said calmly.

Twilight glanced over at Rainbow, then shifted her weight away from her. Rainbow reluctantly released her after a few seconds. The thought lingered in her mind as Rainbow pulled away, and her heart ached to feel Rainbow's coat against her and to feel Rainbow's embrace holding her. She bit her lip and glanced longingly at Rainbow for a second, then she looked back at Doctor Manner, hoping neither of them caught it. "Doctor," she acknowledged quietly.

He calmly, slowly walked over to the bed. "I was just coming to check on you. I didn't expect you to be awake," he said calmly. "Are you doing okay?" he asked.

Twilight's lips twisted into a grimace for a brief moment, then it faded back to neutrality. "I'm... fine..." she said at length. "It..." she trailed off and looked back at her barren side. "It... hurts a little..." she admitted. She gradually turned back to face him.

"If you need, we can increase the dose of painkillers you're on," Doctor Manner replied.

Twilight grimaced and shook her head. "It's... it's fine, as long as I don't... try to..." she trailed off quietly.

Upon hearing the distress in Twilight's voice, Rainbow quickly scooted back over to Twilight and laid a wing around her side comfortingly. Twilight glanced over at her idly and looked at her absently before looking back at Doctor Manner. "You... should get some rest," he said. "I... Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Prince Armor, and your friends are all waiting in one of the waiting rooms..." he said. "They will want to see you in the morning, I'm sure... Princess Celestia... insisted... that Rainbow Dash stay with you..." he trailed off. "I... don't mind it. I know you two are close... just... please be careful. The bleeding had stopped by the time you got here, but it wouldn't be good for you to start bleeding again..." he trailed off.

"Is it okay if I sleep with her?" Rainbow asked. She shifted her weight, a little uncomfortable about her question and admitting that she wanted to sleep with Twilight to somepony she didn't know that well. "I uh... I was sleeping on the couch because I didn't want to accidentally hurt her..." she trailed off.

Doctor Manner turned to Rainbow. "That's up to the princess," he replied. "It should be fine, just be careful." Rainbow looked over at Twilight and smiled a soft, warm smile. "Is there anything you need, Princess? Anything I can get you?" he asked gently.

Twilight took a deep breath and looked down at the bed. She lightly clenched her jaw and yawned. "I don't know..." she said quietly, her voice barely audible. "I don't want to stay here if I don't have to..." she trailed off.

Doctor Manner grimaced and shifted his weight. "Princess," he said warily, "without your wing... you can't balance well enough to walk... if..." he trailed off and looked at Rainbow. "If Rainbow Dash, Starlight Glimmer, or Spike is there to help you, then... maybe we can see about releasing you before you start rehabilitation."

Twilight clenched her jaw tighter and grimaced. She slowly looked across the room in distress. "Is that even going to work..?"

"With time, and... if you put the effort into it, then yes, it will work, Twilight," Doctor Manner replied. "It won't be easy, but..." he trailed off and took a deep breath. "And, on that note, there is some good news. Our scans did show that a lot of your magic was starting to gather in your side. On top of that, despite the damage done by the radiation, and... your apparent starvation..." he trailed off and grimaced.

Rainbow slowly looked at Twilight, as if trying to get her to say it wasn't true. Twilight remained silent, and Rainbow felt anxiety well up inside her chest once more. She swallowed and licked her now dry lips.

"Your side is healing quite nicely. And there's no sign of infection, at least right now. I can't be sure, at least not this early, but I think that your wing is going to grow back," Doctor Manner said optimistically.

Twilight stared at him in silence. After a few seconds, she looked down at the bed again. 'My wing might grow back...' She was happy about that, but at the same time, she still felt empty and hollow, despite Rainbow being there with her.

"Is there anything else I could do for you?" Doctor Manner asked.

Twilight grimaced and bobbed her head. "Something to eat, please..." she said calmly. She closed her eyes for a second, and then shifted her weight. "And... I haven't had a bath in a while..." she said quietly.

Doctor Manner grimaced and nodded slowly. "I'll have a nurse come and bring you some food and help you bathe," he said.

Twilight grimaced and shifted her wing at her side. She winced as her right side throbbed in pain from her attempt to shift her non-existent wing. She fought through the pain and unsurely bobbed her head back and forth, idly looking across the room.

Rainbow shifted her weight and grimaced. "Um..." she glanced at Twilight and then Doctor Manner. Both of them looked at her, Doctor Manner with curiosity, and Twilight with unsureness. She inhaled and then exhaled. "I can help her, instead of a nurse..." she offered. She shifted her weight again and watched Twilight, who blinked a few times before looking back around at Doctor Manner.

"I... would prefer that..." Twilight said calmly.

Doctor Manner pursed his lips, then reluctantly nodded. "Okay... Just be careful, and try not to get her side wet," he said cautiously.

Rainbow nodded timidly.

Doctor Manner took a breath and then looked between them. "You can remove the bandage in order to clean underneath it, and there should be a sponge that you can use..." he trailed off and shifted his weight. He smiled a forced smile. "Well... is there anything else I can get for you, Princess?" he asked.

Twilight slowly shook her head. "No..." she answered.

Doctor Manner nodded. "Then I will leave you to it," he said. "I'll be back to check on you again in the morning," he stated. He slowly turned around, then walked out of the room. He closed the door behind him, leaving the two in solitude.

Twilight watched him leave, then glanced at Rainbow and turned to face her.

Rainbow smiled nervously. "Hey... I promised I'd help you, alright?" she said. "And... we did this before..." she added. "Let me help you..." she said softly.

Twilight slowly looked down at the bed. "I can't even... do this myself..." she muttered. She took a deep breath. "You're going to have to help me get there..." she said warily.

"I can carry you if you want," Rainbow offered.

Twilight slowly shook her head. "No..." she said at length, drawing the word out as long as possible. She slowly scooted around to the edge of the bed, then she turned around and slid her hind legs off the bed. She wobbled a little and found her weight shifting to the left. She leaned to the right and spread her hind legs apart to brace herself to stop herself from falling over. She grimaced. Even with her hooves further apart than normal, she still felt off balance.

Rainbow quickly hopped down and hastily trotted around to the other side. She stood to Twilight's left and helped her step down onto the floor. "You okay?" she asked.

Twilight remained silent and stood there, wobbling. She lifted a leg to turn, and almost immediately lost her balance.

Rainbow quickly stepped over to Twilight and pushed against her side to prevent her from toppling over. "Easy there..." she cautioned.

Twilight stared intently at the floor, then sat down on her haunches in silence. She took a deep breath, then swallowed. She hesitantly looked up at Rainbow.

Without saying anything, Rainbow stepped around and sat down in front of her. Twilight hesitantly lifted a foreleg and placed it around Rainbow's shoulder, then repeated the action with her other foreleg. She pulled herself against Rainbow's back, then wrapped her hind legs around her abdomen and held onto her.

Rainbow slowly stood up, then calmly walked toward the bathroom. As much as she welcomed Twilight's weight, it felt wrong because of how light she felt compared to what she was used to. Even if she was only a few pounds lighter, it was noticeable to her. 'Chrysalis staved you... it was only a week, but... still...' The thought haunted her mind as she stepped into the bathroom. She looked around, then flipped on the lights and closed the door. The lighting was bright like in the hallways, and the whole room was well lit. She squinted from the brightness for a few seconds before her eyes adjusted. She swiftly locked the door, then glanced around. The bathroom reminded her of a bathroom that a hotel would have. It was simple, clean, and whitewashed like the rest of the hospital.

She made her way over to the shower and grimaced. "Looks like it's a shower, not a bath," she commented warily.

"That's fine... I'm not staying like this until I get released..." Twilight reluctantly muttered.

Rainbow walked around beside the shower, then sat down on her haunches. Twilight let go, then Rainbow scooted forward, turned to face the shower, and stood up. Twilight sat there on her haunches, staring at the tiled floor. Rainbow turned on the faucet, and the showerhead surged to life. Water shot out and splashed against the shower floor. Rainbow sat there for a few seconds, then stuck her forehoof under the spray of water to check the temperature. It was nice and warm, but not scalding hot. She waited several seconds to make sure that the temperature didn't rise any further, then she turned back to Twilight.

The alicorn continued to stare blankly at the floor, almost lifelessly. Her expression was hollow and her eyes were dull. Rainbow's chest felt tight and empty from seeing her friend hurting so much. Rainbow wanted to cry, seeing how vulnerable and weak Twilight looked. It was wrong, and it hurt. Twilight was strong, but now she didn't look like she believed that. Her heart felt weak, but she fought through it and swallowed back a knot in her throat. She stood up and walked over to the sink, then dried her forehoof off.

She calmly walked back over to Twilight, then sat down beside her, on her right side. She looked over the bandage, looking for the place where she could start to unwrap it. After several seconds, Twilight glanced over at her. The alicorn reluctantly lifted her right foreleg up, then sat up straighter.

Rainbow met Twilight's gaze and her heart throbbed. She offered Twilight a gentle smile in an attempt to cheer her up, but Twilight continued to look at her emptily. It was enough to make her smile fade. She broke eye contact, then leaned in and found the seam. She quickly extended a wing, then carefully brought it over to Twilight and started to unwrap the bandage.

Twilight sat there calmly. She took a deep breath, then stared straight down at the floor intently as Rainbow continued unwrapping the bandage. With every pass, the pressure on her side decreased until it felt like nothing was there, but her side continued to feel sore. Eventually, she swallowed as she felt the last wrap taken off, then she looked at Rainbow.

Rainbow gently placed her hooves on the gauze covering her side, then carefully removed it. She tried not to stare at the gash on Twilight's side, but it was hard. She stared.

Twilight watched Rainbow stare at her torn side. Twilight hung her head in defeat, and all her strength felt like it faded away. Her body throbbed, but her side didn't hurt. She felt weak, like a newborn foal, and she felt insignificantly small. And Rainbow could see her weakness. There was nothing left to prevent Rainbow from seeing how weak, vulnerable, and broken Twilight was. Twilight clenched her eyes shut and cried.

Rainbow sat there in silence. She absently folded the bandage and gauze neatly. She looked over Twilight's broken body and watched as she shivered. She swallowed and tore her gaze away from her. She silently stood up, then walked over to the sink and placed the wrap down before returning to Twilight. Without saying a word, she sat down in front of Twilight, then pulled her into a protective embrace. She gently laid her right wing against the back of Twilight's head and pulled her into her chest, then she slid her wing down and wrapped it around Twilight's wing. She placed her forehooves around Twilight's withers and squeezed her reassuringly, then she gently laid her other wing around Twilight's back, carefully avoiding her injury.

Twilight didn't fight back, she couldn't if she wanted to. She sat there, crying silently into Rainbow's coat as her friend embraced her. 'She's... still here even though I'm... such a burden...' She sat there, shaking and crying into Rainbow's chest, unable to recompose herself for several minutes. The entire time, Rainbow held her patiently in a loving embrace, refusing to leave the broken alicorn to fend for herself. Eventually, Twilight's cries weakened before fading. Several minutes passed in silence before Twilight finally leaned away from Rainbow.

Rainbow reluctantly let her go, but she stayed close to her. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice heavy, soft, and quiet.

Twilight grimaced, then slowly stood up, remaining silent. Her legs wobbled, and like before, as she stood up, her weight and body all started leaning to the left.

Rainbow quickly intervened and caught Twilight before she could fall over. She held her up and quickly scooted around to Twilight's left side, then stood up. Rainbow was the only thing preventing Twilight from falling over, and both of them knew it. Twilight stared blankly at the floor, though her gaze was drawn over to Rainbow as she laid a wing around her. "Twilight, please, talk to me..." she said softly.

Twilight bit her lip and glanced at Rainbow. "I... I'm not... fine..." she said timidly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rainbow asked cautiously.

"No..." Twilight answered at length.

"Well... um... maybe the shower will make you feel better?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight nodded a slow, timid nod. "Maybe..." she said quietly.

"Well... let's get you cleaned up. You're probably tired and hungry." Rainbow stood up, then coaxed her forward and eased her into the shower. She ignored the water hitting her as she coaxed Twilight around so that her right side was away from her and she was facing the shower head. She held Twilight close to comfort and protect her, and she felt Twilight tense up momentarily as the warm water hit her muzzle, but after a second, she relaxed and closed her eyes. She carefully positioned Twilight so that her head was under the stream of water. Twilight slowly sat down on her haunches.

Rainbow calmly inhaled, then stepped out of the shower and walked over to the sink. The cold air made her shiver as it sapped the warmth from her wet mane and coat. She opened up the cabinet and looked around, then found a sponge sealed inside a plastic bag, along with a bottle of soap. She quickly pulled it out, then tore it open, then opened the bottle of shampoo. She walked back over to Twilight, then stepped into the shower and sat down facing her. Some colder water splashed the back of her head, but she ignored it. Twilight's head was hung, and she stared at her forehooves. Water flowed through her wet mane before falling to the floor, and her wet mane clung to her neck but also clumped up into a mass which hung in the air as water rushed over her head. Twilight looked weak, completely vulnerable, unable to take care of herself, and helpless, but yet Rainbow loved her, and Twilight was beautiful to her, regardless of how weak or helpless she looked.

Rainbow looked over Twilight with a loving expression, then looked at her forehead. Her bangs covered her forehead. She smiled gently, then lifted a forehoof and brushed her bangs back. She leaned in and placed her lips on Twilight's forehead. She slid her forehoof back around Twilight's head and gently held her there, putting as much love and compassion as she could into her gentle kiss, trying to show Twilight that it would be okay. She paid no mind to the warm water now hitting the back of her mane as she held Twilight there. Twilight glanced up at her but said nothing, nor did she smile. After several seconds, Rainbow pulled back. The lack of a smile on Twilight's lips broke her smile. She sighed quietly in defeat, then poured shampoo in Twilight's mane. 'Twilight... please...' she pleaded in her mind. She stepped around to Twilight's left side, then she sat down on her haunches and started working the soap into her with her forehooves.

Twilight sat there calmly as Rainbow worked the soap into her mane, then into her coat. Rainbow was gentle with her hooves, careful not to hurt her, and careful not to get any soap or water on her side. Twilight relaxed and slumped forward more as Rainbow continued washing her mane. After a while, Rainbow coaxed her head forward into the stream of water, then gently ran her forehooves through her mane to wash it out. Twilight closed her eyes and smiled weakly, letting herself relax in the warmth and enjoy the moment, along with her mane feeling clean and fresh again.

Rainbow poured soap out onto the wet sponge, then gently brushed it over Twilight's back and body. She thoroughly lathered her left side up and gently cleaned off her wings. She remained quiet as she worked, not wanting or needing to say anything. 'Twilight, I hate that you're so... I hate that you're so badly hurt, but... I don't mind doing this for you...' She sighed quietly, then went around behind Twilight. "Hey, uh... can... you scoot over?" she asked.

Twilight reluctantly leaned left, then scooted over. She instinctually flared her wing as she started to fall, and she tensed up, expecting to hit the hard floor. Rainbow quickly wrapped her forelegs around her and steadied her. "I've got you... I won't let you fall," Rainbow promised with a concerned smile. Twilight glanced over at her and nodded, but remained quiet.

Twilight tensed up, then relaxed as she felt the sponge against her right shoulder. She watched Rainbow's hoof close as she worked the sponge over her body, and she shifted her weight a few times. Once Rainbow worked her way down closer to her injury, however, she went completely still and tensed up. Rainbow slowed and pulled the sponge away, then looked at Twilight.

"You okay?" Rainbow asked quietly.

Twilight nodded timidly. "Yes..." she answered. She swallowed and flashed Rainbow a weak smile and held it. "I trust you, Rainbow Dash," she said softly, her eyes glistening.

Rainbow swallowed and nodded unsurely. She placed the sponge back against Twilight's body, then gently rubbed it into her side, massaging the sponge into her friend's body and working the soap into her coat. She was gentle but firm with short strokes, then she just barely touched her coat with the sponge, making sure not to pull on her skin any as she worked the soap into her coat around the gash. Eventually, she passed by it and resumed vigorously scrubbing Twilight's coat, working the blood and grime out of her fur.

Rainbow coaxed Twilight forward, then started rinsing her off with water, wetting the sponge down and brushing it across her back, while also using a forehoof to speed up the process. She gently brushed the soap away from her right side, just barely running the sponge over her.

Twilight closed her eyes and slumped forward while Rainbow ran the warm sponge over her body. The warmth from the water rushing over her head and Rainbow's gentle touch helped to comfort and relax her. Her coat no longer felt sticky and coarse to her, and she welcomed the renewed freshness which relieved her of some of the stress she had been under for the past week. But even as she relaxed, she still felt dull, lifeless, weak, and empty. Rainbow's hoof brushing across her back helped, but it only did so much, and the contact always felt so short lived.

Rainbow shifted her weight uncomfortably as she turned her gaze to Twilight's tail. She licked her lips and ruffled her wings, then she poured shampoo out onto her tail. She timidly reached down with her forehoof and lifted Twilight's tail up, then ran her forehoof through it in long strokes to work the soap into her. "Um... stand up?" Rainbow said timidly.

Twilight clenched her jaw and stared straight down at her hooves, unblinkingly. If her mane had been long enough, it would have covered her face like Fluttershy's mane did, and she would have hidden her face behind her mane because of her embarrassment. She closed her eyes, then reluctantly pushed herself up into a standing position. She took a deep breath, then hesitantly spread her hind legs apart to brace herself so she could stand without falling over. Her heart pounded, and she blushed. She bit her lip and kept silent.

Rainbow hurried to finish cleaning Twilight's tail, then she poured more soap onto the sponge and started cleaning up Twilight's legs and flanks. Twilight shifted her weight and fidgeted on her hooves, making Rainbow hastily pulled the sponge back. "Sorry..."

Twilight swallowed and licked her lips. "It's fine," she said hastily. "It's not like you haven't done this before..." she muttered.

Rainbow stared at Twilight for a couple of seconds, then resumed brushing the sponge against Twilight's inner thighs. Eventually, she finished her work. "Okay... done..." she said quietly. She hastily pulled back from Twilight and looked over her left side.

Twilight quickly sat down. Rainbow hastily rinsed the sponge out, then slid around in front of Twilight. Rainbow hesitated as she stared at Twilight. She looked completely defeated and broken. Helpless, and vulnerable. Her heart ached. She smiled at Twilight hopefully. "Hey... it's okay... I'm not going to leave you..." she said.

Twilight's jaw muscles tensed and relaxed several times, and eventually, she bobbed her head and stared blankly ahead while her eyes shifted from left to right, then back to the left. After a few seconds, her expression shattered, and she slumped down. She closed her eyes and hung her head limply. "Ra-Rainbow..." she choked out.

Rainbow quickly wrapped her forelegs around her and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Hey, it's okay, I'm here for you..." she said softly.

Twilight grunted, then whimpered. She lifted her forehooves up, then placed them on Rainbow's chest, and she pushed herself back from her. Rainbow was still stronger than her and refused to let her go, but she did move back a little from her. Rainbow swallowed in fear. "T-Twilight?" she asked pleadingly.

Twilight's lip quivered as she looked at Rainbow. "R-Rainbow, I... I don't have my horn, and it's not going to grow back for... for years! I... I don't have my wing, s-so I can't fly, and... I... I-I can't even walk! I can't do anything! I can't take c-care of myself! I used m-my magic f-for everything! An-and then once I could u-use my r-right wing t-to take care of my-myself, I-I lost it! I-I'm just a burden t-to you! Y-you sh-shouldn't b-be with m-me, it-it's not f-fair to you. I-I can't do anything for you, an-and all I am is a bur-burden to y-you all!"

Rainbow swallowed and her lip shook uncontrollably. Her ears folded back. "T-Twi, p-please don't... d-don't say that... y-you're not a burden! Don't you know h-how much that hurts when you s-say that?"

Twilight closed her eyes and hung her head, desperately avoiding Rainbow's gaze. "Y-yes I am," she retorted. "A-all I do is hur-hurt you..." She let out a choked sob. "I-I don't... want t-that..." she whimpered.

Rainbow firmly pulled Twilight back against her, and she nuzzled into her wet mane. "Is... is that why you... wanted me to land and... leave you?" she asked in a low, timid, afraid voice. Twilight tensed up. It was all the answer she needed. Rainbow felt her body go limp. "Twilight..." she whispered softly. "It... it hurts to see you like this," she whispered, her voice crackling from pain. "But... if I didn't, then... then I-I'd know you were bottling it up, and... that would hurt more!" She held Twilight tighter. "You're my best friend... I can't just... l-leave you... N-not like this. I want you to be happy."

Twilight whimpered, then her body heaved with a silent sob. "Y-you sh-should... j-just... g-go back to b-being a W-Wonderbolt... I'm... just g-getting in th-the way..." she whimpered softly, then cried out in pain and squeezed Rainbow's body, not wanting to let go of her. She pressed her forehead into Rainbow's chest as hard as she could, desperate for her friend, and she held her with as much strength as she could.

Rainbow grunted from Twilight's strength, and momentarily, her lip lifted up. She returned the embrace, but held Twilight gently, not wanting to hurt her as she sobbed into her coat. "No, I'm not doing that... I... already decided that I was going to quit the Wonderbolts..." she said softly.

Twilight pulled back and recoiled as if struck. She breathed quickly and stared at Rainbow through tear-filled eyes, looking at her, almost as if betrayed. "W-what? W-why! It's y-your dream!" she retorted. Her lips shook more, and her mouth opened and closed. After several seconds, fear and pain overwhelmingly filled her eyes, and a pained, primal whimper escaped her muzzle. "B-because of m-me..." she whispered. "I-I t-took your-your dream fr-from y-you..." she choked out.

"No!" Rainbow retorted firmly. She swallowed a painful knot in her throat, then she squeezed Twilight and laid her head on Twilight. "I... It was my dream, I wanted to be a Wonderbolt, but... I was one. I achieved it, and... n-now I want to be with you, Twilight... P-please... d-don't cry..." she whimpered. "You're my best friend! I want to be with you more than the Wonderbolts! I don't care if you can't fly... you're more important to me than that. What kind of friend would I be if I left you just to fly?"

Twilight's body shivered continuously. After several seconds, she shifted her head under Rainbow. Rainbow lifted her head up and looked down at Twilight, who tentatively pulled back from her. She still looked defeated and broken, and she looked like she was hurting herself. Rainbow couldn't stand it. She slid a forehoof up to Twilight's muzzle, then lifted it up to face her. She quickly leaned down to Twilight and met her muzzle with a kiss, pressing her warm, soft lips into Twilight's cooler, moist, and rough lips. She tensed up and her heart stammered in shock when she realized what she was doing, and a tidal wave of fear and anxiety cascaded over her body. She felt jittery, she needed to move. She wanted to pull back and break the kiss, but at the same time, she felt drawn to stay there. She forced through the doubt and stayed there, kissing Twilight. After a second, she closed her eyes and relaxed into the kiss as her doubts melted away.

Twilight froze in fear. She didn't breathe, and she sat there in fearful silence, afraid to move. Rainbow pressed into her lips and tenderly rubbed against her, then took her lower lip in between her lips and rubbed against her. Rainbow tilted her head and continued the kiss. She could feel Rainbow's hot breath caressing her muzzle, and it sent shivers down her spine.

After several seconds, Rainbow pulled back. Her eyes remained closed, and she felt completely at peace. She slowly opened her eyes and grinned happily. She looked down at Twilight, and her grin disappeared. The alicorn she was holding shook and looked up at her fearfully. Twilight shied back from her but made no attempt to escape. Rainbow's eyes burned. "T-Twi..?" she pleaded.

Twilight blinked several times, then looked away from Rainbow. "I-I'm s-sorry..." she whimpered fearfully.

"Why..?" Rainbow asked softly, her voice disbelieving.

Twilight shivered more and clenched her eyes shut. "I-I kissed you! I-I'm s-sorry, I-I shouldn't h-have d-done that!" she said in panicked fear.

Rainbow squinted down at Twilight and her brow furrowed. Her chest ached and fear quickly surged to life at the edges of her mind, testingly besieging her thoughts. She bit and nibbled on her lower lip. "Twi..." she said softly.

Twilight's shivering slowly stopped, and she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly as if she wasn't sure what was happening. Rainbow watched her with baited breath, her heart feeling like it was sinking beneath icy waves, and the coldness felt like it permeated her whole body, emanating from her chest. Eventually, Twilight looked up at her. Her eyes were soft and curious. They weren't hollow or fearful, although they were nervous and timid. "You..." she said softly. She looked over Rainbow's lips for several seconds, her eyes shifting from left to right. She blinked, then looked straight ahead at Rainbow's neck, and her eyes looked off the side.

Over a few seconds, a smile pulled on Rainbow's lips, pulling them upward. Twilight looked back up at her, then hesitantly, tentatively, leaned forward a short distance. Twilight hesitated and shivered. She gradually leaned in a little more, then paused again. Both of them could feel each other's breath against their muzzles.

Rainbow slowly leaned back down and gently embraced Twilight's lips with her own lips. She sighed softly, feeling Twilight's lips against her own sensitive lips. She watched Twilight's eyes slowly close in bliss, and she both saw and felt Twilight relax in her embrace. She pulled Twilight closer to herself and closed her own eyes as she rubbed her lips against Twilight's lips. Twilight sighed calmly and leaned into Rainbow. She tentatively parted her lips, then hesitantly slid her tongue forward, but kept it inside her mouth. She reluctantly brushed her tongue against Twilight's lips, and she felt Twilight's jaw relax a little, but it didn't part, and her body shivered while her wing bristled.

After several seconds, they parted. Twilight's eyes lingered shut, and her mouth parted slightly as Rainbow leaned back. Rainbow grinned down at the now silent alicorn, waiting for her to recover. Twilight's chest rose and fell calmly, and after several seconds, she opened her eyes and looked over Rainbow's expression. She smiled bashfully and bowed her head, then laid her head against Rainbow's chest. "I love you, Rainbow Dash..." Twilight whispered.

Rainbow ran her wings over Twilight's water-slicked body, gently stroking her friend and sliding her soft, slick feathers through Twilight soaked, soft fur. "I love you too, Twi..." she replied. She laid her head on top of Twilight's, then affectionately nuzzled her. Twilight returned the nuzzle, gently rubbing her muzzle into Rainbow's chest. Twilight inhaled deeply and then sighed softly. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

Twilight sat there silently in Rainbow's embrace. "I... don't know..." she answered. "I... I feel better now, but..." she trailed off and sighed heavily. "I... I still think that you're giving up too much for me, Rainbow..."

Rainbow frowned. "Oh, come on, Twi... You're my best friend, and I love you... there's nopony I would rather be with. I promised you I would help you, and I'm gonna help you and take care of you. Alright? You'll get better eventually. I promise," she said gently. "You just need to relax. Whenever you worry, that's when you're hurting the most. You're not useless, and you're not a burden on anypony. Stop telling yourself that, because it's not true. So what if you don't have your horn or if you can't fly or walk? Friends are supposed to be there for each other, in good times, and especially in the bad times. I'd be a pretty terrible friend if I wasn't here for you now, Twilight..." she trailed off and rubbed her chin into the back of Twilight's mane.

Twilight took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. She closed her eyes and slid her muzzle down and pressed her forehead into Rainbow's chest. "I'll never be able to thank you enough for... giving me a chance, Rainbow..." she whispered.

"Well, you can start by stop being so unhappy all the time and worrying so much. Seriously, Twi... you need to relax," Rainbow replied. "You overthink everything too much, you should think with your heart more."

Twilight's lips flashed into a smile and she snorted. The smile quickly faded and she sighed longingly. "It's... not that easy, Rainbow... I've... I've been through a lot. I can't just... recover from this overnight. A kiss... it... doesn't fix it... It's... going to take me a while before I'm... okay," she said timidly.

"It helps though, right?" Rainbow asked softly, smirking.

Twilight tentatively nodded, thinking back to feeling Rainbow's lips on hers. "It... helps, yes," she said softly. She shifted her weight. "Rainbow, thank you for being here for me... I... I don't know what I would do if you weren't."

"Hey, I'll always be here for you. You're my best friend, and I'm not going to just leave you like this..." Rainbow replied softly. She lifted her head off of Twilight, then looked down at her with a gentle smile. Twilight slowly pulled back from her and then lifted her head back up to her normal height. Rainbow smiled sheepishly as she looked up at Twilight, and Twilight halfway smirked. "Hey, why don't we finish up here, then we can go see if your food's here yet. After that, we can just... lay and talk if you want."

Twilight grimaced and tilted her head away from Rainbow. "I... don't want to talk about it, Rainbow," she said calmly.

"Then we can just lay there and cuddle," Rainbow suggested hopefully.

Twilight nodded slowly. "I... would like that," she replied.

Rainbow flashed Twilight a warm smile, then she let go of Twilight. She folded her wings back to her side, then scooted away from her. "Um, think you can... lean back against the wall or something so I can clean the rest of your body?" she asked sheepishly.

Twilight glanced back behind herself, then she grimaced. She nodded, then repositioned herself and shifted her weight and leaned back. She carefully laid down on her back, then drew her tail up in between her legs. Rainbow smiled awkwardly, then stepped around and poured shampoo out onto Twilight's chest, stomach and abdomen.

Rainbow gently placed both her forehooves on Twilight's body, then started working the shampoo into Twilight's soaked coat. She ran her forehooves in circles over Twilight's body and smiled as she felt Twilight's fur slide against her forehooves. Twilight closed her eyes and tried to let herself relax as Rainbow continued rubbing the soap into her body.

Eventually, Rainbow finished, then took the sponge and rinsed it out and brushed it over Twilight's coat, washing the soap suds out of her body. When she finished, she helped Twilight back up, then double checked to make sure she got everything.

Rainbow turned off the water, then hopped out of the shower. The cold hospital air sapped the warmth from her soaked coat, and the warm water on her quickly cooled, then dripped down from her body and pooled on the floor. She walked forward a couple steps towards the towels, then winced. "I... um... I'm going to be helping you with this for a while, aren't I..?" she asked timidly, looking back at Twilight with a grimace.

Twilight shared Rainbow's grimace and nodded timidly. "I... guess I should get used to this, then..." she muttered.

Rainbow turned around and walked back over to the shower, then she sat down on the haunches. "I won't hurt you..."

Twilight winced. "I... know that, and I trust you, it's just... I'm not comfortable with it."

Rainbow shifted her weight and ruffled her wings. "Uh, yeah..." she said hastily. She hopped back up, then grabbed two towels and walked back over to Twilight. She coaxed Twilight up, then helped her step out of the shower. Twilight wobbled, despite only taking a couple of steps before sitting down on her haunches. Rainbow quickly unfolded one towel and started drying off Twilight's body thoroughly. She carefully avoided Twilight's injured side. Twilight halfway stood up for Rainbow to dry her tail, then after Rainbow finished, she put the towel down on the floor for Twilight to sit on.

Rainbow quickly dried herself off, then she sat down in front of Twilight. Twilight hesitantly leaned onto Rainbow, then wrapped her forehooves around her neck and straddled Rainbow's body with her hind legs. She wrapped her hind legs around Rainbow's abdomen and held onto her friend.

Rainbow slowly stood up, then walked over to the door. She unlocked it, then opened it and walked back out into the main room, carrying Twilight. She sat down beside the bed, then helped Twilight up onto it. As Twilight sat down on her haunches, she glided back into the bathroom and took the bandage and gauze back out to Twilight. She landed on the bed, then gently placed the gauze on Twilight's side.

Twilight tensed up and took a deep breath. She stared at the wall while Rainbow wrapped the bandage back around her body, securing the gauze in place. When Rainbow finished, she gently stroked Twilight's shoulder with her forehoof. "You doing okay?"

"At the moment, yes," Twilight answered calmly. "I'm hungry, and I'm kind of tired now... It... it just feels wrong..." she said quietly. She looked over at Rainbow, then stared back at her barren side. "It's... just... it's gone... my wing is... just gone..." she said quietly. "It... hurts... my side hurts, and..." she trailed off and looked back ahead.

Rainbow silently scooted closer to Twilight, then laid her left wing around her. She cautiously looked in between them to make sure she didn't accidentally press against Twilight's side. Twilight tentatively leaned against Rainbow, laying her shoulder against her friend. "What am I supposed to do now?" Twilight asked in a weak, almost inaudible whisper.

Rainbow's ears pinned back. She looked over at Twilight and bit her lip, then laid her head against her. "I... don't know..." she admitted. "But... your wing's gonna grow back, you heard what Doctor Manner said."

Twilight's expression blanked. "He said he thought it would. There's no proof that it will," she quickly replied.

Rainbow frowned. "Come on, Twilight... don't think like that. He said your magic was... um..."

"Coalescing at my side?" Twilight asked idly. "Well, my magic had been coalescing where my horn had been, and nothing's happened." She looked down at the bed. "It... it's still torturous. My magic feels stronger than before I lost my horn. I'm not sure if it actually is or if it's just because I haven't used my magic for... for so long..." she trailed off and her body heaved with one single dejected sob. "And... I'm going to be like this for years... decades... maybe even centuries... if I live that long..."

"Hey, you're an alicorn. You recovered from something that would kill a normal pony several times over. I think you're gonna be fine and that your wing will grow back," Rainbow said lightly. She wrapped a foreleg around Twilight's shoulder, then she nuzzled her muzzle and gently placed her lips on Twilight's cheek. She stayed like that for a few seconds, then she nudged below Twilight's eye with her nose to wipe away a tear. She smiled softly as Twilight looked at her pleadingly. "Why don't we lay down and cuddle until food arrives... I'll wake you up when it gets here if you fall asleep," she said softly.

Twiligth timidly nodded and closed her eyes. "W-will you s-stay with me, please? I-I can't wake up without you being beside me... N-not again..." she whimpered.

"Hey, I promise..." Rainbow said warmly. She coaxed Twilight back and helped her lay down. Twilight rolled over onto her left side, facing away from Rainbow.

Rainbow laid down behind her and slid a forehoof under Twilight's neck and pulled her close, then wrapped her other forehoof around her shoulders and pinned her forehooves to her body. Twilight smiled and snuggled back against Rainbow, nestling into her soft, warm coat and pressing herself up against her friend's inviting body. Rainbow quickly slid her left hind leg under Twilight and then laid her right leg over her flank. She pinned Twilight's legs to her abdomen and held her close.

Twilight nestled back into the crook of Rainbow's neck and closed her eyes. "Rainbow... I love you..." she whispered.

"I love you too, Twi..." Rainbow whispered softly into Twilight's ear, making her friend's heart flutter. She leaned in and kissed Twilight's mane, then tucked Twilight's head back in against her neck. She pressed her head down and held Twilight's head in place with her muzzle, then she gently extended a wing and brushed it over Twilight's side, avoiding the bandage. Twilight sighed contently and shifted in Rainbow's embrace. After a few minutes, she drifted back off to sleep, taking solace in Rainbow's protective embrace.

Twilight stared at Luna. The alicorn had cuts all over her chest and neck, and a few on her muzzle. There were a few tufts of fur missing from her body, but they were few and far between, and they were starting to grow back. Her wings were folded neatly at her side, but a few feathers looked to be missing, and some were disarrayed. However, even in the state she was in, she still stood regally, although she was calm and somber. She wore a small, strained smile, and her eyes were filled with concern.

Princess Celestia sat on her haunches beside Luna at the left side of Twilight's hospital bed. She wore a bright, joyful smile, and a few tears were noticeable in the corners of her eyes. They were both tears of joy and tears of pain. She was visibly relieved that Twilight was back, but her coat still looked dull and lackluster. Her gaze had glanced at the white bandage covering Twilight's side more than once. Twilight, for her part, tried to ignore it every time.

Shining Armor sat to the right of Princess Celestia, his lips pulled up into a smile, though his jaw was clenched and his muscles were shown.

Rainbow Dash calmly laid behind Twilight, trying to fight off and hide her discomfort, spurred on by laying beside Twilight and holding her while Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Twilight's brother were watching. She fidgeted and shifted her weight, making her body rub up against Twilight's back. She held Twilight's forehooves against her chest with her left forehoof, and she gently ran her right forehoof over Twilight's shoulder and side, idly running her hoof through Twilight's soft coat in an effort to comfort her. She had her right wing laid over Twilight's side, a little lower than her wing would have been, although she still covered part of the bandage protectively. She had Twilight's hind legs pinned against her abdomen with her hind legs, and she wasn't about to let Twilight go. She rested her head on the pillow, with Twilight's head back against her neck and up against her muzzle.

Even as Luna continued speaking, Twilight didn't really listen. She heard it, but she didn't commit anything except for the important bits to memory. "...used the Mirror Pool to create copies of her most loyal drones. Discord has since volunteered to... dispose of the pool. As for the copies, King Thorax will decide what to do with them. He hasn't had time to get around to it yet. He is going to assimilate the hive into his own and abandon the network of tunnels, taking all of the drones and eggs back with him. Not all of them were so Loyal to Chrysalis. A lot of the ones who weren't copies were only loyal out of fear. Even some of the copies were only loyal because they were afraid of what Chrysalis would do to them, since they were disposable," Luna explained leisurely.

Luna grimaced and glanced at Celestia. Celestia tore her gaze away from Twilight for a moment and bit her lip, then she looked back at Twilight. The young alicorn laid there passively, having said only a few sentences that morning, and never once meeting their gazes. Even when she spoke, it was always a quiet, heavy voice, lacking her normal curiosity and cheerfulness. It hurt everypony there to hear her and see her like that.

Luna turned back to Twilight. "Your parents, along with Cadance and Flurry Heart are on their way," she said calmly.

Twilight's eyes shifted from Luna's chest to her head, then they focused. She blinked and her eyes darted about for a moment, studying Luna's features before she went back to staring at Luna's chest. She swallowed and then licked her lips. "What... did you do to Chrysalis?" she asked quietly.

Luna shifted her weight and pursed her lips. "She... will no longer be a threat to anypony..." she said tentatively. She slowly leaned to the left, away from Celestia and Shining Armor. She looked away from Twilight and stared ahead at the wall. "Let us simply say that... she has been dealt with..." she added. Her eyes narrowed. "Permanently," she said a bit more forcefully.

Celestia sat up straighter and took a deep breath. "Your friends are waiting for us to finish. After that, they will come in to see you..." she said. Twilight glanced at her and looked at her quizzically. "I... believe we are done here, Twilight... if you need anything, please... don't hesitate to ask. We will be more than happy to help you with anything you need, or if you just want somepony to talk to... I will always make time for you, Twilight," she said softly, smiling gently.

Luna nodded in agreement. "You are family, Twilight," she added in a gentle, soft voice, smiling a warm, optimistic smile.

Twilight tentatively nodded. "I... want to go home," she said calmly. "I don't like it here."

Celestia hesitated, then slowly nodded. "I'll... talk to the doctors and see what they say," she replied. "Since you're healing quickly and we used our magic to accelerate it, you shouldn't need to stay here much longer..." she trailed off quietly. She shifted her weight, then slowly stood up. She nibbled on her lower lip, then looked at Luna. After a moment, she leaned over to Twilight and slowly placed her muzzle against Twilight's neck, then she slowly nuzzled her. She tried to avoid Rainbow, but because the two were so close, she still brushed against Rainbow's neck despite her best efforts, and Rainbow looked almost bewildered by it. "I am so, so sorry that this happened, Twilight... this is all my fault..." she said quietly, her voice weak. She reluctantly pulled back and watched Twilight, her legs shivering and her eyes glistening faintly.

Twilight's expression softened and she swallowed. She looked from Celestia to Luna, never once looking up at their faces. "Celestia... this isn't your fault... you... couldn't have prevented this... you did the best you could have..." she said quietly.

"We did not protect you as we said we would, Twilight. This is my fault," Luna replied solemnly. "I did not stop Chrysalis from hurting you, and Chrysalis took your wing," she said in a heavy, guilty voice. She slowly bobbed her head about, then hesitantly glanced at Celestia and met her gaze. "The blame rests squarely on my shoulders..." Celestia's lips twitched downward for a second, then her lips returned to normal.

"I don't blame either of you," Twilight stated. "Chrysalis tricked both of you and Thorax. You couldn't have known..." she trailed off.

"And yet, once more, you were hurt because of our failures, Twilight," Celestia whispered. She swallowed and hung her head limply, her mane and tail nearly ceased flowing.

Twilight slowly averted her gaze from both of them and stared down at her own body.

After a few seconds, Celestia lifted her head back up. She watched Twilight, then she looked at Rainbow. Rainbow glanced at her before looking back at Twilight.

Luna calmly turned to leave. Celestia sighed and hesitantly followed, shuffling after her sister. Twilight glanced up and watched both of them head toward the door until they disappeared from sight. She stared at where she last saw them until she heard the door open, then close after they departed. Twilight blinked, then stared out the window.

"You doing okay, sis?" Shining asked softly.

Twilight swallowed and licked her lips. "I... don't know..." she replied. "It doesn't hurt... I... I just feel... kind of numb. It... it doesn't feel real..." she trailed off. "I know my wing is gone... but... the muscles are still there, and there's just... nothing to move. It... feels wrong."

Rainbow grimaced and shifted her weight, pushing herself further up onto the pillow a little. She lifted her head up and looked down at Twilight. "Hey, maybe if you... um... ate more meat, it'd grow back quicker?" she asked timidly.

Twilight glanced up at her. Her lips slowly pulled into a grimace, then she pressed herself further back into Rainbow's embrace. She shivered.

Rainbow slid her left wing up a little. She carefully brushed her wing over Twilight's bandaged side, then she wrapped her wing around her body just above the bandage. Twilight pulled her muzzle down against her neck and she stared down at her body. After a few seconds, she closed her eyes. Her chest calmly rose and fell with her rhythmic breathing. Rainbow frowned for a moment, then relaxed as Twilight's muscles went limp. "She's asleep..." she said quietly. She tore her gaze away from Twilight and looked at her brother.

Shining Armor took a deep breath, then slowly, silently breathed out. "Must be the medicine she's on."

Rainbow idly nodded, then laid her head back down. She continued brushing Twilight's body with her forehoof and she laid her head on Twilight's head. "Maybe it's because she's been through a lot..." she said in a low tone, not wanting it to carry beyond either of them. "She... woke up several times last night from nightmares..." she said gravely. Shining Armor grimaced and swallowed. Rainbow gently squeezed Twilight and stared down at the alicorn. She looked over her own legs and Twilight's legs and took in how she held her. Her wing covered Twilight's lower chest. She timidly slid her wing down over Twilight's bandage, covering it from sight with her wing and embracing her, not wanting to hurt her, but wanting to comfort her. Twilight remained sleeping peacefully. Unseen by Rainbow, Twilight's lips curled up into a gentle smile.

Shining Armor smiled a little, the sight of his sister smiling reminding him of his filly smiling when she was asleep in Cadance's embrace. He turned his gaze to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus ignored him and continued to watch Twilight. He could see that she was calm, yet concerned. She was content to lay there, holding Twilight, but she was worried about her. The expression was a familiar sight, and his eyes glossed over as he watched and let his mind wander back to his wife.

The door clicked open, and several sets of hooves came on inside. Shining Armor looked toward the door and looked over the five mares who walked inside. He glanced at Spike, who sat on Starlight's withers and smiled. Spike halfway smiled back at him, but it was strained.

Rainbow Dash tensed up a little as she heard the door open. Her heart pounded, and she cast a nervous glance at the heart rate monitor. She begrudgingly lifted her head up away from Twilight, then looked back toward the door, waiting for somepony to walk into her field of view. After a few seconds, Rarity stepped forward. Rarity paused and stood there for a moment, meeting Rainbow's gaze. Neither of them said anything as they stared at the other. Both of their gazes were solemn. After the moment passed, Rarity swallowed and looked at Twilight. Her eyes trailed over Twilight's sleeping form, and her eyes lingered on Rainbow's wing covering Twilight's bandaged side. Despite Rainbow's attempts to block the bandage from view, the white was visible in between her feathers. Rarity silently stared at Twilight's flat side. She stood there for several more seconds before she pulled her gaze away from Twilight's side and shuffled into the hospital room.

Applejack trailed in behind Rarity, wearing a grimace, which softened as she saw Rainbow. Her lips turned back down further than before as she looked at Twilight. Her eyes shifted from anger to emptiness, then to solemn acceptance, though her jaw was clenched firmly. Her hooves slid across the floor as she walked around into the room. Shining Armor scooted over as Rarity and Applejack sat down beside him.

Pinkie Pie was smiling a gentle, happy smile, but her cheeks were dampened by tears, and her eyes were wide and sorrowful. Rainbow wasn't sure if they were tears of pain or joy. Her mane was straight, which made Rainbow stare at her and instinctively hold Twilight tighter. Pinkie Pie carried herself into the room with a slow, calm walk which contrasted with her normal eagerness.

Fluttershy froze as she saw Twilight's weak, limp body laying in the bed beside Rainbow Dash. She didn't breathe, and she didn't blink. Her eyes didn't even move. She looked like her heart was going to give out. Slowly, her legs started to shake, then her entire body shivered. She closed her eyes and hung her head, then quietly sniffled.

Starlight Glimmer slowly walked up to Fluttershy and placed a forehoof around her withers. Fluttershy sniffled again, then leaned into Starlight and buried her head in her shoulder. Starlight held her and watched her for a moment, then slowly looked over at Rainbow Dash, then Twilight. Spike gently rubbed his claw over Fluttershy's side. The pegasus shook a little, but after some coaxing from Starlight, they managed to walk around to the bed and sit down beside everypony.

Rainbow stared at her friends and shifted her weight, finding herself unable to get comfortable now that all of them were there, watching her and Twilight, seeing her hold Twilight's body comfortingly against her own. She continued to fidget as the silence filling the room lingered beyond its welcome. And yet, at the same time, while she was uncomfortable, she felt a sense of calm warmth, situated in her chest, while she held Twilight close. It made it more bearable. It also helped that nopony said anything about the fact that she was holding Twilight while she slept.

"How is she doing?" Starlight asked quietly, finally breaking the silence.

Rainbow shifted her weight once more. "She's been better," she said in quietly. She looked away from her friends and watched Twilight sleep. She tentatively resumed stroking Twilight's body with her forehoof. She nervously glanced back at her friends, then took a deep breath. She shifted her legs and forelegs, then held Twilight closer to her. She looked back at Twilight and watched how her friend's coat parted from her hoof stroking her body, leaving a slight indent in her fur which lingered with each brush. "She's not said much since she woke up this morning," she added in a hushed tone.

Seconds passed in silence, and the seconds faded into minutes. The heart rate monitor's steady beeping and Fluttershy's weak sniffles were the only sounds which broke the stillness. Eventually, Fluttershy's sniffling calmed. She hesitantly leaned away from Starlight's shoulder, then rubbed her eyes dry with the backs her forehooves.

"The doctor said her wing might grow back," Rainbow commented. "I hope it does," she said quietly. She looked at her wing covering Twilight's side. "Flying... maybe it doesn't mean as much to her since she was born a unicorn, but still, flying is a part of her since she's an alicorn." She frowned and her ears pinned back against her head. She swallowed and took a deep breath, and her body shook as she inhaled.

"It'll be okay, Dashie..." Pinkie said softly. She swallowed and licked her lips. "It's just going to take time, that's all... Twilight will be better and back to normal soon."

Rainbow slowly looked over at Pinkie and watched her. Several seconds passed, then she tentatively nodded. "I hope you're right, Pinkie. I hope she gets better. I don't like seeing her this way, it hurts..."

Twilight grunted as she awoke to the sound of the door opening. She inhaled and blinked a few times, then smiled as she took in the feeling of warmth surrounding and enveloping her back and body. She nestled back into the warmth and closed her eyes, almost forgetting why she awoke in the first place, were it not for the hoofsteps approaching her.

"Twi?" Rainbow's voice called in a soft tone. "I think the doctor's here to see you."

Twilight groaned a little, then begrudgingly opened her eyes. She inhaled deeply and scrutinized her body. It took her a few seconds to place the blue, fluffy wing holding her, but once she did, she smiled a little more. She tentatively shifted her forelegs and then her hind legs to find that Rainbow was holding her limbs tightly to her body. She sighed contently, content to lay there and enjoy Rainbow's warmth while feeling her heartbeat and steady breathing. She shifted her weight back into Rainbow and relaxed, feeling Rainbow's coat sliding against her own. After a few seconds, the smile faded as she glimpsed the white bandage around her side. She stared at Rainbow's wing for a moment longer, wishing it had been a dream, but knowing it wasn't. It was plain as day that Rainbow's wing wasn't hiding her own wing.

"Twilight?" Rainbow asked softly.

Twilight blinked, then swallowed. She tentatively lifted her muzzle up, then glanced back at Rainbow. The pegasus was looking down at her with a soft, concerned smile. After a moment, she turned her gaze to see who had just walked into the room.

Doctor Manner had a solemn smile across his lips and levitated a clipboard in his magic. He scrutinized the second page while he held the first page up with his magic. After a moment, he finished and turned to Twilight. He offered her a genuine, kind smile while he set the clipboard down on the bed. "Good afternoon, Princess," he greeted. "I just about thought you were going to sleep through the whole day," he said lightheartedly.

Twilight grimaced. "I really am never going to fix my sleep schedule at this rate..." she muttered.

"Hey, it'll be okay, Twi... after you're out of here, we'll fix that," Rainbow said softly.

Twilight looked back at Rainbow and gave her a soft, small half smile, then she looked back at Doctor Manner.

"I'm here to check on you and change your bandages," Doctor Manner commented.

"Oh, uh... do you need me to move?" Rainbow asked tentatively, hesitantly shifting her weight away from Twilight.

Twilight's ears folded back. "Please stay..." she whispered pleadingly.

Rainbow grimaced and lingered there, but looked at Doctor Manner.

Doctor Manner walked around to the other side of the bed. "Sorry, but I need you to sit up for this, Princess. I can't really access your sides while you're laying down."

Twilight sighed. Rainbow let up on her grip and unwrapped herself from Twilight, then scooted back a bit. Twilight slowly slid her forehooves around, then pushed herself up into a sitting position, drawing it out as long as possible without drawing any comments from either pony. She slumped down as she sat on her haunches, and for a moment, she wobbled as she sat there and instinctually flared her left wing. Rainbow quickly sat up and placed her forehooves on Twilight's shoulders to help steady her. Twilight clenched her jaw and glanced back at Rainbow before turning her gaze downward and staring at the tiled floor intently, refusing to look up.

Doctor Manner took the bandage in his magic, then gradually unwrapped it. He carefully removed each layer and bunched it up. Once he removed the final layer, he levitated the gauze off and stepped around to scrutinize Twilight's side. Twilight pointedly looked away from her injured side. Doctor Manner gently placed his forehoof on Twilight's side just above the gash and he squinted. The edges of the wound had already healed, with soft pink skin covering the outsides, while the deeper portion was still reddened and looked sore. Her coat had yet to regrow, but it was progress. "You're healing quicker than I expected," he commented optimistically. "I don't think you'll need a bandage for more than a week at this rate..." he mused.

Twilight hesitantly tilted her head back forward, then tentatively tilted further to the right. She glanced back at her side and stared. After a few seconds, she looked away.

Rainbow gently rubbed Twilight's shoulders with her hooves, eliciting Twilight into leaning her head left and against one of her hooves as she massaged Twilight's body. "Hey, it's okay, Twilight."

Twilight slowly opened her mouth wide and closed her eyes as she yawned. She held her mouth wide open for a moment before closing it and she slumped forward a little more.

Doctor Manner frowned and rubbed his chin with his forehoof. "The medicine shouldn't be making you this drowsy."

Twilight forced herself to sit up straighter. "I didn't sleep well last night, and prior to that, I had not slept in several days," she replied in a small, calm voice. "And I haven't eaten much since..." she trailed off, eyes darting back and forth across the plain floor, "I've been back," she added tentatively. She sighed quietly and her ears fell back against her head once more. "And it doesn't help that I'm in a hospital," she commented leisurely, her lips curled into a scowl.

Rainbow winced and shifted her weight, then scooted closer to Twilight and straddled her, then held her against her body. Twilight's tight muscles slowly relaxed and she leaned back into Rainbow a little. Rainbow leaned forward, then nuzzled into the back of Twilight's mane. She inhaled calmly, then exhaled. She placed a gentle kiss on Twilight, then she leaned back and laid her head down on top of Twilight's head.

Doctor Manner walked over to the other side of the bed, then levitated out a plastic package. He tore it open and walked back over to the bed in front of Twilight and unwrapped the fresh bandage. Rainbow slowly released Twilight and scooted back, her gaze lingering on Twilight's side. Doctor Manner placed a pad of gauze on Twilight's side, then started wrapping the bandage around her body. Twilight timidly extended her left wing so that he could wrap it underneath of her wing. He took several seconds to wrap the bandage around her body, and every second passed in silence as the bandage held Twilight's side tighter and tighter. After he finished, he levitated his clipboard back over and scrutinized it. "I know you don't like being here, Princess... but you really should stay at least a few more days until your side has healed up more and we're sure that you're not going to get infected..." he trailed off and frowned. "You never did say how she took your wing," he said carefully.

Twilight remained silent, shifted her weight, and fluffed her one wing. The beeping of the heart rate monitor noticeable picked up. Doctor Manner glanced over at it and took a deep breath. He sighed inaudibly and grimaced.

"I want to go home..." Twilight said weakly. She looked up at Doctor Manner with wide, glistening eyes.

Doctor Manner watched Twilight for a moment, then slowly, reluctantly nodded. "I'll have you released, but please, take it easy, rest, make sure you're eating and drinking enough, and please keep up on your medicine. I will want to see you in a few days, and after that, I will want to resume our weekly checkups." Twilight grimaced but nodded. "And of course, you'll need to start on physical therapy."

Rainbow perked up a little. "Uh, I don't suppose I could handle the physical therapy part, could I?" she asked, squinting.

Doctor Manner pursed his lips. "I recommend her seeing a professional, especially since she lost a wing and can't walk, but you can try to help her on your own. I would actually advise you try doing that. It should speed up her recovery."

Rainbow nodded. "Alright. I can handle that."

"Don't push her too hard, Rainbow Dash," he warned sternly. "She may not have any injured legs, but she lost a wing and can't balance properly. It's not going to be easy for her. I don't want her getting hurt."

Rainbow nodded soberly. "I... don't want her to get hurt either," she said quietly. "I'm not going to push her too hard, I promise," she affirmed.

Doctor Manner looked between the two of them for several seconds, grimacing."Well... I'll go ahead and get you checked out and I'll be back with a wheelchair for you." Twilight absently nodded. Doctor Manner waited for a moment, then turned and walked to the door, leaving the two mares alone.

As the door clicked closed, Twilight leaned forward further, putting more distance between herself and Rainbow. Rainbow's ears pinned back and she scooted around to Twilight's left side. She calmly laid her wing around Twilight's back and wrapped it around her side. Without any coaxing, Twilight leaned into Rainbow's body, then laid her head on her shoulder. The alicorn silently stared out of the window while Rainbow held her. Rainbow said nothing while she held Twilight, but she did gently rub her wing up and down over Twilight's body in slow, long strokes. Twilight returned the affection with a timid nuzzle, rubbing her muzzle against Rainbow's neck and jaw.

After several minutes, the door clicked open again and Doctor Manner returned, rolling in a wheelchair. Twilight's body tensed up and she slowly leaned away from Rainbow and rigidly sat up straight. Rainbow looked at Twilight, then she hopped off the bed and walked around to Doctor Manner. She took the wheelchair around and positioned it in front of Twilight.

Twilight clenched her jaw and regarded it warily. She stared at it for several seconds without blinking. Eventually, she blinked, then glanced up at Rainbow and watched her expressionlessly. Doctor Manner walked around to Twilight's left side, then gradually helped Twilight down from the bed. The alicorn wobbled as she stood on the floor, and she winced as she instinctually flared her left wing, which nearly caused her to topple over. She clenched her jaw harder as she struggled to fold her wing back. After several seconds, and help from both Doctor Manner and Rainbow, she managed to sit down in the wheelchair. She fluffed her sole wing and looked down at the floor, not wanting to see anything else.

"Hey, I'll carry you back to the castle, alright? That way we can avoid everypony?" Rainbow asked. Twilight barely nodded in acknowledgment and said nothing. Rainbow's ears folded back halfway and her chest throbbed. She swallowed and calmly inhaled, then exhaled. She looked over at Doctor Manner, who quickly detached a small patch from Twilight's right foreleg, causing the heart rate monitor to grow silent. Rainbow tentatively stood up on her hind legs and took the wheelchair by the handles with her forehooves, then swiveled around and started toward the door. Doctor Manner calmly followed behind them.

The trip through the hospital's hallways was quiet for both of them, and very few ponies acknowledged their presence as they made their way down to the lobby. They encountered nurses and doctors, most of whom pointedly ignored them, but a couple of them stared at her and clenched their jaws. Twilight never once looked up from her hooves, and her muzzle remained pointed down the entire time. Before they were halfway to the lobby, she clenched her eyes and let out a choked sob, making her body heave. Rainbow slowed and stopped, watching Twilight with concern, but Twilight hastily recomposed herself and lifted her muzzle back up. Twilight stared straight ahead, jaw clenched. After a few seconds, Twilight tilted her head to the left and glanced back at Rainbow. She quickly broke eye contact and looked ahead again.

Rainbow stood there, staring at Twilight for several more seconds before she slowly started walking again. Eventually, they made it to the lobby, then outside. The early evening sun shone down on them, and a gentle breeze blew by, carrying with it a bit of a chill. Twilight shivered a little as the wind buffeted her bandage protected side, and she shifted her side away from the wind in an effort to protect herself. Rainbow came to a stop, then walked around in front of the wheelchair and sat down on her haunches. Doctor Manner walked around to Twilight's left side, then helped her up. Twilight's legs wobbled, and as she took a step forward, her legs gave out and she collapsed right onto Rainbow's back.

Rainbow bit her lip and hastily turned her head back to look at Twilight. Twilight calmly recomposed herself, then repositioned herself and straddled Rainbow, then wrapped her legs and forelegs around her. Rainbow tentatively stood up, then turned around to face Doctor Manner. "Be careful," he warned. "And don't drop her. If she has to come back for any broken bones because you dropped her..." he trailed off.

"She won't drop me," Twilight replied quietly. She glanced up from the ground and looked at Doctor Manner.

Doctor Manner shifted his weight and nodded. "I'll have an appointment schedule mailed to you," he replied. He shifted his weight again, then glanced around and swallowed. "Well... take care, Princess," he said softly. He offered them a weak smile, then took the wheelchair in his magic and rolled it back while he made his way back into the hospital.

Rainbow turned back around and spread her wings out. Twilight pressed her head into Rainbow's shoulder and gripped her tighter. Rainbow leaned away from Twilight and turned her head to the right to look at her. Twilight had her eyes closed. "You doing okay?" Rainbow asked, her voice cracking.

"Take me home, please," Twilight whispered in a small voice.

Rainbow grimaced and nodded. She glanced around, then leisurely flapped her wings. She hovered over the ground for a moment, then she started a gentle ascent into the sky. She flew up higher into the sky until their only company was fluffy white clouds. Rainbow headed straight for Twilight's castle and occasionally glanced back at Twilight. Twilight remained silent as she clung to Rainbow.

Eventually, Rainbow started a graceful, slow descent. She landed gently and immediately walked out of the landing, heading towards the castle doors. She glanced around, noting the absence of Royal Guards and everypony in general. She pushed open the door with a forehoof, then calmly walked inside. She closed the door behind her, then swallowed. She looked around, halfway expecting Pinkie Pie to be throwing a surprise party.

The castle's lobby was silent, and the atmosphere felt heavy and oppressive.

Rainbow calmly beat her wings again and hovered in the air, holding herself up off the floor. She slowly flew toward the kitchen. The cold blues, violets, and greens of the crystals making up the hallways of Twilight's castle felt unwelcoming, but they almost felt sympathetic to Twilight's condition. Rainbow found her gaze lingering on the crystalline pillars as she flew passed them.

Eventually, she arrived at her destination and landed. Twilight remained impassive, despite their destination. Rainbow lifted her left wing up and gently brushed it against Twilight's wing. "Hey, are you hungry?" she asked softly.

For a moment, Twilight didn't react, then she subtly nodded her head, just barely moving it up and down.

Rainbow walked into the kitchen and looked around, trying to find Spike, but the dragon was nowhere to be found. She grimaced. "Hey, uh, why don't I take you to your bedroom and help you into bed, then I can go find Spike to make you... or us, something. How's that sound?" she asked.

"Please don't leave me..." Twilight replied in a hushed tone, gripping Rainbow's body tighter, refusing to let go.

"Okay," Rainbow replied softly. "I won't leave you, I promise..." she trailed off and swept her head around, glancing over the kitchen to check for Spike again. She grimaced, then turned her gaze back to Twilight. "Uh, any idea where Spike would be?"

"Check the Library," Twilight replied quietly.

Rainbow stood there for a moment and nodded absently. She slowly walked back out of the kitchen, then flew through the hallways. Twilight's grip gradually lightened but still held firm, and she seemed to relax and drift off to sleep. She continued flying slowly to let Twilight sleep undisturbed until she arrived at the Library. 'Twilight... please get better... I can't stand seeing you like this...' She timidly pushed open the door and looked around. Two heads turned to face her, and both Spike and Starlight smiled hopefully, though they faded a little as they saw Twilight resting peacefully on Rainbow's back. Rainbow shuffled into the room. "Hey," she greeted quietly, not wanting to awaken her sleeping alicorn.

Starlight placed a pale pink bookmark which had her cutie mark on it in her book, then set it down on the table beside the couch. She hopped off the couch and walked over to meet Rainbow. Starlight looked at Rainbow quizzically. "Shouldn't she still be in the hospital?"

"She wanted to come home," Rainbow replied soberly. Starlight stared intently at Rainbow. "Hey, we got her checked out and everything. Doctor Manner okayed it," she said defensively, looking away from Starlight and ruffling her wings. Starlight slowly nodded and ceased staring at Rainbow. Rainbow leaned to the right and looked over at Spike, who slowly approached them. "Hey, uh, Spike? Do you think you could fix me and Twilight something to eat?" she asked.

"Sure thing," Spike replied. "Um... what do you want?"

"Um... something light for myself," Rainbow replied, "And..." she trailed off and grimaced. She looked over at all the books lining the bookshelves and shifted her weight from side to side. "Could you fix Twilight some... uh... you know..." she trailed off.

Spike quickly nodded. "Yeah, I can do that," he answered calmly. He slowly shuffled forward, then stopped. He tapped his claws together unsurely. "Um, do you want me to take it to Twilight's bedroom, or bring it here?"

"Take it to Twilight's bedroom. I think she'd prefer it be there, and I think we're going to be heading there shortly," Rainbow answered. Spike nodded, then hurried off to the kitchen.

"Are you doing okay, Rainbow?" Starlight asked calmly. She grimaced and watched Twilight. "I know it's not easy for her, but this can't be easy on you either."

Rainbow slowly bobbed her head back and forth. She swept her gaze across the library, then hesitantly nodded. "I'll be fine. Twilight's safe, and that's what matters to me," she said firmly. "It's hard to see her like this, but I'll help her get better."

Starlight nodded. After a few seconds, she stepped over to Rainbow, then wrapped a foreleg around her neck. She tried to avoid Twilight, but in the end, she wrapped her foreleg around both of them and hugged them. Rainbow gradually leaned in and accepted the hug. After a short time, they parted. "I won't keep you any longer than necessary, and Twilight looks tired."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, she's been sleeping off and on all day," she replied.

Starlight grimaced and nodded. The unicorn reluctantly turned around and walked back to the couch. "It would be so much easier if there was just a spell to fix all of this," she sighed.

Rainbow grimaced. "Couldn't you just go back in time and stop all this from happening?" she asked at length.

Starlight visibly winced and shifted her weight. "Rainbow... that..." she trailed off, sighing and looking down at her hooves. "It would be wrong to do that. Maybe it would fix everything, but... I don't think Twilight would want that since you two are together because of what happened. And I'd rather not go down that road again..."

Rainbow blinked, then slowly looked down at the floor and nodded. "I... guess that's kind of true..." she said quietly. She swallowed and looked back up. She watched Starlight for a few seconds, then she turned around and made her way out of the library. After the door closed behind her, she stood there in silence for a few minutes. 'We're only together because of what happened?' she asked herself. 'Would I have given you a chance if this hadn't happened? If you hadn't been hospitalized?'

She felt a hole in her chest, and her ears folded back. She lifted her wings and beat them, but her heart wasn't in it and she didn't lift off the ground at all. She sighed quietly and glanced back at her right wing, then she stole a glance at the bandage covering Twilight's side. She shook her head, then started down the hallways to find Twilight's room.

The silence and dull monotone of her journey gave her plenty of time to think, and she found her thoughts consumed by the alicorn she loved, the same alicorn who was asleep on her back. She smiled a little as she thought more about carrying Twilight to her bedroom on her back while Twilight slept. Something about it just felt right and made her feel better. By the time she reached Twilight's bedroom, the atmosphere didn't feel nearly as overbearing as before.

She hesitated as she reached for the door. 'The last time we were here together was when I left, and the last time you were in here alone, Chrysalis ponynapped you...'

She lowered her forehoof back to the floor. Several seconds passed, and not a single thought went through her mind. Eventually, she lifted her forehoof back up and pushed open the door. She strode into the room and surveyed Twilight's bedroom, half afraid of what she would see, and wanting to make sure it was safe.

The room was empty and lit by the gentle sunlight streaming in through the windows. Nopony else was around except for the two of them. It was quiet, calm, and peaceful. No signs of what had happened remained. Rainbow smiled and walked on into Twilight's bedroom. She quietly closed the door behind her but didn't lock it. She licked her lips and flapped her wings, then flew over to the bed. She landed, then slowly laid down on her stomach. She used her forehooves to nudge Twilight's forehooves off of her. Twilight, though she was still asleep, fought against Rainbow's efforts to remove her grip, but in the end, Rainbow won.

Rainbow leaned to the right and gradually nudged Twilight to her left side, then she carefully laid Twilight down on the bed. She smiled as she watched Twilight shift, stretch, curl up, then nuzzle into her pillow. She sat up on her haunches, then laid a forehoof on Twilight's shoulder and gently stroked her side. Her eyes burned, and her throat felt tight. She lifted her forehoof up to Twilight's mane, then slid the edge of her hoof through her mane, gently stroking her and brushing her hoof through her mane, causing her indigo hairs to part. She closed her eyes, then leaned down and placed her lips on Twilight's forehead. She slid her forehoof around Twilight's neck and held her while she kissed her.

Eventually, she pulled back. She scooted around, then hopped off the bed.

A quiet, weak whimpering sound came from the bed. Rainbow's chest throbbed in pain. She quickly hopped back up onto the bed, then laid down facing Twilight. She quickly wrapped her legs around Twilight's body and pulled her into her protective embrace. She laid her left wing over Twilight's right side, then wrapped it around her back. Twilight scooted up against her and pressed her forehead against Rainbow's chest. Rainbow slid a forehoof up to Twilight's neck, then held her there and slid her head down to Twilight's head and held her there securely. "I'm here, Twi... it's okay..." she whispered.

Rainbow squeezed Twilight and firmly held her close against her body. She took comfort in feeling Twilight's coat against her and stroking her mane, and she calmly watched Twilight's body rise and fall with each breath she took. It was peaceful, and she felt content and happy to lay there holding Twilight. She found herself smiling.

Eventually, the serenity of the moment was broken by a knock on the door. Rainbow hesitantly lifted her head up and looked toward the door. Spike tentatively opened the door and peeked inside. Rainbow flashed him a smile and nodded, and Spike quickly closed the door behind him after entering. He walked over to the bed, carrying a large platter in one claw. "She still sleeping?" he asked as he set the platter down on the bed.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, I'll make sure she eats when she wakes up," she answered.

"Okay," Spike replied. "I fixed you a daisy sandwich. I hope that's okay. Twilight really likes those..."

Rainbow nodded and flashed Spike a warm smile. "Yeah, that's fine Spike. Thanks."

"No problem," Spike replied. He fidgeted idly for a few seconds. He looked down at the crystalline floor unsurely, then hesitantly looked up and glanced at Rainbow. "When she wakes up, could you tell her that I'd like to spend some time with her? I... we haven't really done much of anything together in a really long time... Ever since she lost her horn... She hasn't really just... spent time with me. She's been with you. I-I don't mean to say that you're keeping Twilight all to yourself or anything! But... I miss her too."

Rainbow smiled apologetically. "Hey, Spike, it's okay. I'll let her know that you miss her. I'll make sure she spends some time with you, too, okay?"

Spike timidly nodded, then swallowed. "Thanks, Rainbow... You've been good for her. I hope you know how much you mean to her..."

Rainbow nodded, then looked down at Twilight. "Yeah, I just hope she knows how much she means to me..." she replied. Her smile grew strained.

"Rainbow, it might not mean a lot coming from me, but... I think of you and the rest of the girls as her family," Spike said tentatively. "And... I think Twilight thinks of all of you that way too. You're really special to her, though. And you make her happy. I'm glad that you're her for her, Rainbow Dash." Spike remained there for a moment before he headed toward the door.

Rainbow watched Spike leave, then looked back down at Twilight. "Hey, sleepy, food's here," she said.

Twilight groaned softly and tensed up, then snuggled deeper into her embrace. Rainbow's lips lifted further. She leaned down and gently nuzzled Twilight's cheek with her nose. "C'mon, Twi... you need to eat your meat if you want to be a strong alicorn..." she cooed.

Twilight groaned a long, queit groan. "Rainbow..." she sighed. She laid there contently for a moment, then she pressed her nose against Rainbow's chest and inhaled. She closed her eyes as she relaxed to Rainbow's scent, then she opened her eyes and slowly exhaled. She lifted her lips and gradually scooted her head back. She glanced up at Rainbow as a yawn overtook her body, and she lazily closed her eyes again.

Rainbow gave Twilight a little squeeze, then released her. She scooted back from Twilight and sat up, then slid her forehooves down to Twilight to help her sit up. Twilight groaned and still laid limply, not wanting to stand up, thus forcing Rainbow to have to lift Twilight's limp body up to force her into a sitting position. Twilight finally sat up on her haunches, then quickly jabbed Rainbow's side with a forehoof.

Rainbow squinted at Twilight but smiled as Twilight smiled tiredly at her. Rainbow turned around and slid the platter over, then lifted the lid off with a wing. She sat the lid down on the bed and looked over the two plates. Steam rose up from Twilight's meat and Rainbow felt the warmth roll over her face. She leaned back and shifted her weight uncomfortably. She glanced over at Twilight. Twilight looked at the meat idly, but after a few seconds, she started sniffing the air intently and leaned toward the plate. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then she licked her lips in anticipation. When Twilight opened her eyes, they had taken on an almost predatory gleam to them as she stared unblinkingly at the meat. Rainbow looked around, then timidly grabbed a fork and knife in her wings. She shivered as she placed the fork over the fish, then pressed it down into the golden brown slab of meat.

Rainbow felt uncomfortable as she felt the fork slide into the cooked salmon. She put it aside as she caught Twilight looking at her in anticipation. She brought the knife around, then pressed it against the meat and slid the knife through it, cutting it with ease and making the flaky meat peel. She felt bewildered at how the meat easily tore off. She timidly lifted the fork up and extended it out to Twilight.

Twilight hastily leaned forward, opened her mouth, then took the chunk of fish in her muzzle, closed her mouth, then pulled back. She closed her eyes and moaned as she vigorously chewed the meat. For the first time all day, Twilight actually seemed alive, and Rainbow's heart fluttered with joy.

Rainbow quickly cut off another chunk and held it out for Twilight, who hastily took it and barely chewed it before swallowing. "Might want to slow down?" Rainbow suggested. "I don't want you to get sick or anything."

Twilight looked away from Rainbow bashfully. "Sorry... I'm just really hungry, and this tastes... um... amazing," she said timidly.

Rainbow tentatively cut off another section of fish and held it out for Twilight. The young alicorn greedily took it into her mouth and chewed it up quickly, then swallowed. Eventually, Twilight finished eating the meat, and she licked her lips vigorously. Rainbow shifted her weight and turned her attention to her sandwich. She ate in silence, and Twilight sat beside her. When she finished, she hopped off the bed and took the lid and put it back on the platter. "Want me to take this to the kitchen?" she asked.

Twilight hastily shook her head. "No, just... leave it by the door," she said hastily.

Rainbow watched Twilight, then nodded. She walked over to the door, then set the platter down on the floor and turned back around. She watched Twilight, then flared out her wings and flew to the bed. She landed on the bed facing Twilight, then wrapped her forelegs around Twilight's neck and hugged her. "I'm so glad that you're safe, Twilight... I was so worried when Celestia told me that... Chrysalis had you."

Twilight looked down at Rainbow's chest and slowly slid her forehooves up Rainbow's body, then she slid them around Rainbow's back and returned her hug. She timidly extended her one wing and wrapped it around Rainbow's body. She licked her lips, then closed her eyes and laid her head on Rainbow's shoulder.

Rainbow lovingly wrapped her wings around Twilight, then she leaned to her right and gradually caused both of them to fall over. Twilight didn't even tense up as she fell onto her left side. As soon as they hit the bed, Twilight snuggled up as close to Rainbow's body as she could, and she rubbed her muzzle up and down Rainbow's neck.

Rainbow pulled Twilight's body against hers with her hind legs and pressed them close together. "So... you just want to lay like this for a while?" she asked softly.

Twilight stopped nuzzling Rainbow and she nodded slowly. After she finished nodding, she resumed brushing her muzzle along Rainbow's neck in affectionate brushes.

Rainbow smiled as she felt Twilight continue to rub against her. She sighed contently. "You want me to cover us up with the blankets?" she asked.

"No, this is fine," Twilight replied. "I don't want to have to move from this spot for that," she said quietly.

Rainbow gently nuzzled Twilight's mane. "That's fine... I have you, so I think we'll be warm enough tonight." She pulled Twilight closer against herself and closed her eyes.

Twilight slid her head back, then pressed her forehead up against Rainbow's neck and tucked her muzzle in between their bodies. She watched Rainbow's coat and scrutinized her soft fur, smiling. She took a deep breath, then sighed and closed her eyes. "Promise that you won't leave me..?" she asked softly.

"Twilight, I promise that I won't ever leave you," Rainbow replied gently. She reaffirmed her grip on Twilight, making sure that nothing was in between them, and holding Twilight's body against hers. "I don't care how bad things are, I'm not gonna leave you, Twi. I wouldn't leave you for the world."

Twilight smiled happily, and her heart fluttered from Rainbow's promised. Her eyes burned and a few tears slid down her cheeks. "I love you, Rainbow..." she whispered softly. She opened her eyes and her smile faded a little.

"I love you too, Twilight," Rainbow whispered sweetly. "Never forget that," she said firmly.

Twilight's lips curled up again. She closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling Rainbow's warmth and softness surrounding her. She felt safe, protected, and loved. Her right side didn't feel quite so cold with Rainbow's wing enveloping her and holding her. It was still noticeable, but it didn't dominate her thoughts since her thoughts were dominated by Rainbow. She tried to relax and stop thinking, focusing just on Rainbow. In the back of her mind, her fear, worry, and despondency lingered, but it was held at bay by Rainbow. It was just enough that she didn't feel completely useless. She knew that it wasn't going to be easy. She knew it from experience, adapting to her losing her horn had been hard. This would be hard, if not harder, but yet, she could rest peacefully, at least for the moment, protected and comforted in Rainbow's embrace.

Twilight pressed her forehead into Rainbow and nestled into her embrace. 'Rainbow will be there to help me... she won't abandon me...'

Author's Note

Right now, having finished writing this chapter, and having written that final scene, I feel happy. I tried to end it in a sweet, beautiful moment, and right now, I think I succeeded. I wasn't sure how to end this at first, but then I was writing, and this is how it turned out.

That said, the first part/half of this chapter kind of feels a bit repetitive, but hopefully it's not too bad. I may eventually come back and heavily revise this chapter.

There was going to be an additional scene in here where Twilight woke up in the middle of the night and Rainbow had gone to the bathroom, and Twilight didn't know that, so she had a breakdown, but why add that when it was already a possibly perfect ending?

I don't really know what else to say about this chapter. It's a heavy chapter, but it ends on what I think is a touching, lighthearted note. I hope I succeeded in my goal of writing a beautiful ending to this story. And I hope this ending makes reading this story worth it. The ending is supposed to be hopeful, optimistic, and lighthearted, but also show that it's not automatically going to be okay since there will be struggles.

This chapter and chapter 7 were both chapters which spurred on my writing of this story. I'll save more talking about this for the Author's Commentary series which I'll start soon(ish), starting with Meltdown, which will probably be a fairly short commentary.

Looking forward to the future, I don't know when I'll get started on the next story in this series. Remember back when I said that I didn't know what I'd do because of the nature of the planned story? That's still the case, but I think I can write a story in between this and the next major one which wouldn't be as long, and be much more slice of lifey. I just don't have much plot to it, so I need to give it a lot of thought. I won't go into details since spoilers, but I will say that coming up soon will be two things from this series which can be found in Reaction, and to a lesser extent, in Critical Mass (Okay, one thing is more found in this story, and the other is more found in Reaction) will be getting addressed, and both of these will be addressed in the same story because it works out best this way.

But, the good news, is that all future stories should be much lighter and happier than Reaction and Critical Mass.

Chapter 5

Princess Celestia paced back and forth impatiently. The soft sound of her hooves hitting the marble floor broke the silence that otherwise filled the dining room where she waited. She waited in the room alone, there weren't even any guards- they were stationed outside of the dining room to guard the doors. She wanted to be alone until he arrived, she had a lot to mull over, and she didn't want the guards to see how jittery she felt.

'Chrysalis... why would you sacrifice a drone in such a way? To convince us that it really was Twilight... but the fact that you actually did that, considering that you have so few drones remaining loyal to you...' The thought played back through her mind again and again, and it did nothing to settle her racing mind, nor ease her rapidly pulsating heart. The memory left her with a sense of wrongness, fear, and anxiety. 'If you were willing to do that to a drone... Twilight... please, please be okay...'

She bit her lip. Even with how old she was, even with as much as she had seen, she was still only a pony. She felt fear, fear for Twilight, fear for what would happen, fear about what could be happing that very second, even as each second passed just the same as any other. 'Even in situations as dire as this... life marches on...'

She sighed and hung her head, briefly pausing her pacing in an attempt to get a hold of herself. 'Thorax knows that I am close to Twilight... She lightly nibbled on her lip, then looked up and across the room. She stood there in silence, doing her best to force down the feelings she faced. She wanted, almost needed to pace, moving helped, it occupied at least a small portion of her mind, preventing it from all focusing on Twilight.

'I'm no good to Twilight if I'm in this state... I need to stay calm... but, that's easier said than done when... with everything that has happened...' She closed her eyes, released her lip from in between her teeth, then took a deep breath, filling her lungs to their capacity. She held the breath in and concentrated on her heartbeat. As the seconds gradually rolled away, her pulse slowed, and she felt the unease slowly subside, though it lingered.

She slowly opened her eyes, then calmly exhaled. 'Thorax, I know you are hurrying, but please, get here soon... Every second that passes makes it that much harder for us to locate and rescue Twilight... and it makes it that much more likely that something worse will happen to her at the hooves of Chrysalis.'

She quickly took in another deep breath, then she released it almost immediately. "You would think that it would be easier after being alive for so long..." she said to herself in a soft voice. "If it was anypony else, somepony who I wasn't as close to, maybe it would be easier... Maybe if she hadn't already been through so much, it would be easier... Maybe if I wasn't so worried about her... Oh, please be safe..." She closed her eyes and swallowed.

'After we talk and I inform my sister, I need to rest. I am in no condition to help Twilight like this...' A grimace pulled at Celestia's lips. She didn't like the idea of resting peacefully while Twilight was in danger, but the rest would help her focus and concentrate. Luna was capable of handling things while she rested, but it still left her feeling guilty.

The large, ornate door parted open slightly. At the sound, Celestia turned to face the door and watched as a unicorn ducked his head inside. "Princess Celestia? King Thorax has arrived."

Celestia glanced at the floor, then looked back at the unicorn. She swiftly nodded and recomposed herself. "Thank you, please send him in," she said, her voice calm and warm, though not as happy as usual.

The unicorn nodded, then ducked back out from the room and closed the doors.

Celestia shifted her weight, then strode around to the head of the table facing the doors. She levitated the chair back, then sat down on her haunches in the chair. She watched the door closely as the seconds passed and faded into minutes. Eventually, the door opened once more, breaking the silence again.

King Thorax walked inside in a hurried pace, his expression was one of unease and unsureness. "Princess Celestia," he greeted in a soft voice.

"King Thorax," Celestia acknowledged. She gave him a smile and nodded, then motioned him to sit in a chair near her.

The reformed changeling picked up his foreleg, then hesitated. After a second, he resumed his pace and strode around the table, then came to a stop at the chair to Princess Celestia's immediate right. He pulled it out, then hopped up in it and sat down.

The minute King Thorax sat down, Celestia let her mask of calmness drop. "Please tell me that you have something," she asked, almost pleadingly.

King Thorax's lips pulled into a neutral line. "I'm sorry... we're not making much progress on our end. I can confirm that we were chasing a drone disguised as Queen Chrysalis, though... It seems that she managed to trick us all... again."

Celestia opened her mouth and slowly turned away from Thorax. She stared down at the table and slowly shook her head. "How could this have happened? I thought your kind were supposed to be able to tell that-"

Thorax grimaced. "I don't know. We're supposed to be able to identify a disguised changeling, but it seems that something's changed since we changed." He frowned. "It... doesn't make sense. I can still tell when there's a disguised changeling impersonating a pony- regardless of whether or not they're a reformed one or not, but somehow the drone disguised as Chrysalis was able to mask it. The other reformed changelings like me can tell that too."

Celestia sighed. "I... I'm afraid for Twilight. We're doing everything we can, and... it's only been a few hours, but... a lot can happen in a few hours. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be so afraid for her... but she's alone, without her friends, and... she's been through a lot."

"And Queen Chrysalis has her..." Thorax said quietly.

Celestia lifted her head up and looked at Thorax. She hesitantly nodded. "I knew that Twilight would be able to defeat Lord Tirek... I wasn't sure how she would do it, but I knew she would. But... now... I don't have the same assurances."

"We're doing our best," Thorax assured.

Celestia grimaced. "We did our best too, and yet look where we are... We failed her, Thorax... I failed her. I was supposed to protect her, she was my faithful student... One of my best friends. She's family..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening her eyes again.

"We'll find her, Princess... Chrysalis doesn't have the resources to stay hidden forever- and now that we know the drones in the south are just a distraction, it's only a matter of time," Thorax said in a firm, determined tone, though his voice still came out in his characteristic softness.

Celestia slowly shook her head. "I'm supposed to be strong, and yet this- this hurts, and..." she trailed off, sitting up straighter. "A lot can happen between now and when we find her. I know it's going to take time, but... that works against us. The longer Twilight is with Chrysalis, the more we have to worry about. Chrysalis nearly killed one of her own drones- the one disguised as Twilight. We think it was an attempt to convince us further that it was her."

Thorax's expression twisted in revulsion. "Chrysalis... she wasn't as... sane... as normal, after failing to capture Equestria when invading Canterlot..." he trailed off warily. "It's part of the reason I broke away..." he said cautiously.

"The changeling's test results matched Twilight's test results. The tests came back indicating that the drone disguised as Twilight said that it was Twilight- they matched the results of Twilight. They said she was an alicorn. How is that possible? To my knowledge, it's not possible for changelings to do that..." Celestia's brow furrowed as she finished.

Thorax looked at Celestia with confusion and perplexity. "But... that's not supposed to be possible. Changelings' magic can disguise us, but we can't alter our body chemistry to match that of another species, or an inanimate object. It should have come back obvious that it was a changeling... Although, if we're wounded when disguised, the disguise should still hold, however, the disguise can fail if the damage is severe enough, or under special conditions."

"This matter warrants further investigation, then," Celestia mused. Thorax nodded slowly in agreement.

"I can see if I can get more changelings to come and help you, if you'd like," Thorax offered. "Twilight's important to me too, but we're not as close as you two are..."

Celestia mulled it over. "I would accept any help you would offer," she replied. "I know you are busy rebuilding your kingdom, but I would appreciate it if we could stay in contact more closely..." she trailed off.

Thorax nodded. "I'll make arrangements for some communication scarabs to be sent over so we can stay in touch more closely."

Celestia smiled in appreciation. "That would be most helpful..." she trailed off and sighed. "I need to inform my sister about this and see if she has any updates for me. I... have had a long day, and an even longer night, as I'm sure you can imagine," she said warily. Thorax grimaced and nodded in understanding. "I... think I will retire for now. Thank you for coming, and... I would appreciate it if you would stay the night so we could talk again in the morning."

"I had planned on staying," Thorax said.

Celestia smiled. "If you would wait here, I will see to it that a room is prepared for your stay."

Rainbow hastily paced back and forth across the waiting room, her head held a little lower than normal and turned down toward the floor. Her jaw was clenched tightly, and her wings bristled every few seconds from agitation. A deep-seated feeling of wrongness permeated her entire body but was most noticeable in her chest, where the unease she felt made her need to keep moving. If she didn't keep moving, she didn't know what would happen, other than knowing that the empty, dull ache and creeping fear and worry would balloon. A knot in the back of her throat ached in pain, and her mouth felt dry.

'This can't be happening, this can't be happening...' she thought to herself, on the verge of a panic attack. Despite her attempts to reassure herself, she knew that it was a lie. She knew that Twilight wasn't with her, that Queen Chrysalis had Twilight, and that Twilight was in danger, and she wasn't there to comfort Twilight.

As her unease and discomfort grew, her pace quickened. She was glad that she was alone, save for Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. Luna had a private waiting room prepared, and she and her sister were quietly discussing something from just across the room. She occasionally tried to listen in, but she couldn't focus on it, and their voices were quiet. Both of them were worried and tired, but at the same time, Celestia's voice was calm, despite the worry, and Luna's voice sounded determined.

Rainbow took solace in knowing that both of them were there, knowing that they were both trying their best to help get Twilight back, and knowing that they were both concerned. She nibbled on her lip and looked up, then glanced back at them. Both of them continued talking, but Celestia noticed her gaze, and she looked at Rainbow. A moment later, Luna's head turned slightly and the younger alicorn looked at her too. After a few seconds, Luna turned back to Celestia. "Rest, sister, this matter is leaving you in a bad state. There is nothing more you can do right now, even while time is of the essence, this matter won't be solved over night," Luna said to Celestia.

Celestia hung her head and sighed a tired, weary sigh. Rainbow's pacing slowed and she turned to watch Celestia. The alicorn's white coat seemed lackluster compared to normal, now that she actually took the time to study it. Her mane and tail flowed much more slowly, and their grace seemed to have been stolen and replaced with an irritated, more violent flow.

"I know," Celestia admitted in a quiet voice. "But... It just doesn't feel right! I was supposed to be there for her."

"We were supposed to be there for her, sister," Luna replied, offering Celestia a weak, soft smile. "You cannot fault only yourself for this, 'Tia. Chrysalis fooled us both... we underestimated her, as we have time and time again. We shall not make that mistake again," Luna said firmly.

Celestia nodded hesitantly. "I just wish that there was something more I could do..." she said softly. "Knowing that Chrysalis has her, combiend with what Chrysalis did to that drone..."

Luna grimaced and looked at Celestia with a wary expression, and she slowly nodded. "The drone will be interrogated before the night is over, and I will be searching for Twilight's location in the dream realm. I will find her, sister," Luna replied. "Once I do, I will rescue her safely, and I will deal with Chrysalis. I will not let something like this happen again," she said the last sentence in a cold, firm voice.

Rainbow shivered, then shifted her weight. She fluffed her wings at her sides and slowly let her eyes wander across the room in a wide arc. She shifted her weight again, then hastily strode over to the two princesses. "Princess?"

Celestia smiled softly at Rainbow, although everypony present could tell that the smile was filled with pain, and they could see a hint of guilt in her eyes. "Rainbow... it is late, you should rest. Staying up all night will not do Twilight any good... although I will admit, I am struggling to convince myself of that," she said, briefly flashing a more genuine smile, though it quickly faded as she finished.

Rainbow looked down at the floor. "I just... I..." she trailed off, grimacing as she looked back up at Celestia. "How did this happen?" she implored.

Luna slowly turned around to face Rainbow. "Chrysalis tricked us both, and somehow managed to trick King Thorax's reformed changelings. The changeling we were after in the south who we believed to be Queen Chrysalis was, in fact, a drone leading us on a wild goose chase. Chrysalis evaded our best attempts to stop her and this whole time, she has been somewhere else, closer than we realized," Luna answered calmly. "It is concerning that a drone was able to mimic the biology of an alicorn. Changelings are not supposed to be able to mimic the biology of whatever they are disguised as. I am sorry, Rainbow, but we do not know anymore. I promise you that you will be one of the first to know when we find anything out. We're looking for her, Rainbow Dash."

"I know," Rainbow replied hastily. "But... Chrysalis has Twilight, every second that Twilight is with her... I-I just... I'm... I'm scared," she admitted, then clenched her jaws. She searched Luna's and Celestia's expression for any signs of mockery or pleasure at her admission but found only understanding, acceptance, and concern. She felt a little better at that, but her unease still lingered, making her heart race. Her mind wondered about how Twilight was doing, and that left her thinking about Chrysalis hurting Twilight, which hurt her and made her feel even more agitation and anxiety. "Chrysalis... she-she could be doing anything to Twilight, and... Twilight... she's... she's not okay. She doesn't have her horn, she... she just..." Rainbow slowly shook her head and clenched her jaw, causing her muscles in her cheeks to visibly show.

Celestia slowly stepped over to Rainbow, then sat down on her haunches in front of her. Rainbow glanced up at her absently. Celestia lifted her left foreleg, then wrapped it around Rainbow's back. She unfolded her wings, then gently draped them around the pegasus, and she gently pulled Rainbow toward her, attempting to coax the pegasus into her embrace.

Rainbow's eyes slowly glanced down from Celestia's chest, then she looked down at her hooves and she relaxed and let Celestia pull her into a hug. She swallowed, then hesitantly wrapped her forelegs around the alicorn's barrel and gently squeezed her.

"Rainbow, I know you are worried. We all are... worrying and losing sleep over it won't help, even with as much as I don't want to believe that," Celestia said softly. "We will rescue her, Rainbow. I promise. We'll save her and we'll make sure it's okay. Chrysalis will not get away with this, not this time," she affirmed. "Losing sleep over this will only make it harder when we do find her."

Rainbow remained quiet for several seconds, then she swallowed and nodded. "I... I want to go with princess Luna when she goes to rescue Twilight. I... need to be there."

Celestia glanced over at Luna. "It could prove beneficial," Luna acknowledged. "Rainbow's presence will help Twilight. She is a trained Wonderbolt as well. If you do let her accompany me, I will not let any harm come to her nor Twilight."

Celestia slowly looked back down at Rainbow. "Very well... When we locate Chrysalis, you may accompany my sister," she said. "Please be careful," she added, smiling a little. "Twilight wouldn't be very happy if anything happened to you, and if she found out that I let you do this, she wouldn't be very happy with me."

A smile pulled at Rainbow's lips, and she snorted. She nodded and then pulled back. Celestia released her, and she scooted back from the alicorn a little. "Thank you, Princess."

"Rainbow, you do not have to call me by my title. I would like to think that we are close enough that you can use my name. I would prefer it," Celestia replied with a soft, warm smile.

Rainbow smiled sheepishly. "Okay... Celestia." Celestia smiled a little brighter. "Is... is there anything I can do to help find her?" she asked.

Celestia's smile dimmed a little and she looked at Luna. "I do not know," Luna answered. "We do not have any leads to go on at this moment, as the drone is being prepared for interrogation. It would not do to have the drone perish from the wounds Chrysalis inflicted upon it. As soon as I have the opportunity, I am going to search the dream realm for Twilight. If I find her, I will ascertain her location and, after reassuring her, I will lead a strike force to take down Chrysalis and rescue Twilight."

Rainbow swallowed as fear returned to the forefront of her mind, spurred on by what Luna said echoing in her mind, bringing it back and reinforcing the nervousness she felt. "If... you find her?"

Luna tentatively nodded. "I may not be able to locate her. She could be in a pod, or the area could be shielded. And... of course, there is the possibility that Twilight is unconscious, or that Chrysalis will not let her sleep..." she said grimly.

Rainbow looked over Luna briefly, then she turned her head a little to the left, then a little to the right, and she slowly looked down at her hooves. "I... How am I supposed to deal with this?" she asked, hesitantly looking up.

"Stay strong for her," Luna said firmly. "This... it is not easy on us, and it may be much, much harder on Twilight. She has been through a lot already, and Chrysalis may force her through much more. You will need to be there for Twilight when we bring her back."

Rainbow frowned a little and her brow creased. "I will," she said, her voice slightly defensive. "I promised that I wouldn't leave her. I promised I'd be there for her, and I promised I'd help her. I'm not going to just leave her," she said firmly.

Luna nodded and smiled. "I know this, Rainbow, but Twilight may not truly understand it. You may need to remind her of it," she said.

Celestia grimaced. "Twilight is intelligent, but... she has her issues." She hesitantly stood up, then looked toward the door. "As much as I want to put my endurance to use to stay up, or use my magic to keep myself rested, the benefits are outweighed by the costs," she said with a sigh. "Rainbow, you should inform your friends of this development, and then you should go try to rest."

Rainbow grimaced and her ears folded back. "How... am I gonna tell them this?" she asked unsurely.

"I will accompany you," Luna replied.

Rainbow offered Luna a half smile. "Thanks..." She slowly stood up and turned to face Celestia, who nodded in acknowledgment. Celestia lit her horn, then teleported away in a flash of magic.

When Rainbow Dash appeared in the doorway to the waiting room where the rest of the girls were waiting, Applejack was the first to notice, being that, unlike the others, she was paying attention. "Rainbow? Where have you been, you've been gone for hours?" A moment later, she frowned as Princess Luna walked in beside her. "Princess Luna? Do you have any good news?"

Fluttershy's gaze shot toward Luna, though her head lingered in her prior position for a few seconds. "Is Twilight awake?" she asked.

Rainbow shifted her weight and walked a few steps into the room. Luna hesitantly walked in and stood beside her, the palpable air of depression only adding to her discomfort. Her expression lingered on hesitation and was soon joined by discomfort and unease. She opened her mouth and pursed her lips. "That was not actually Twilight. It was a changeling drone disguised as her," she said. "As of right now, we do not know where Twilight is, however, we do now have confirmation that it was Queen Chrysalis who attacked her, and this also means that Queen Chrysalis likely captured Twilight and has her right now."

"But... that..." Applejack stared in disbelief. She opened her mouth to continue, only to find nothing forthcoming. She closed her mouth, then shook her head in frustration. "So, this whole time when we thought that Twilight was injured and in the hospital, she was actually captured by Chrysalis?"

Luna nodded slowly. "Twilight was indeed attacked and injured. We can also confirm that. We also know that the drone disguised as Twilight was injured, likely by Chrysalis herself in an attempt to further fool us. She was willing to nearly kill one of her own drones to trick us," she stated. To everypony present, it felt like the temperature of the room dropped a few degrees lower than what the hospital normally was. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Starlight all shivered.

"If... she was willing to do that to a drone, what does that say about... what she would be willing to do to Twilight?" Rarity asked in a small, quiet voice, voicing a question that nopony else wanted to ask, or that they wanted to pointedly avoid.

In the back of Rainbow's throat, the knot which had died quickly grew back. She swallowed in an attempt to force it back, but the knot lingered and started to ache. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 'Come on, it's Twilight! She'll be fine...' she thought in an attempt to convince herself and ease her distress. The thought didn't have any effect and was met by an immediate rebuttal, 'But she's was in bad shape before...' She clenched her jaw and exhaled sharply through her nostrils, 'Chrysalis... if you lay a hoof on her...'

"We have to go after her," Applejack said firmly.

Luna turned to face Applejack. "We are looking for her. We do not have many leads, and the Royal Guard and Wonderbolts are scouring all of Equestria for Chrysalis and Twilight. We will find her, Applejack."

"Yeah, but we should be out there too!" Applejack retorted. "We're her friends. We weren't there for her like we shoulda been, and now that Chrysalis has her, you could use our help, couldn't you?"

Luna grimaced. "I do not know what help you would be... I understand that you wish to do something, but... without Twilight, there is not much you can do..." she said tentatively.

Applejack's expression shifted to anger, then to regret and fell into acceptance. "Why not? We saved Equestria how many times?"

"That is a different prospect, Applejack," Luna said, frowning a little. "When Queen Chrysalis invaded, my sister had no choice but to ask you to try to stop her with the Elements of Harmony. You do not have access to them. You do have their power imbued in your essences, but to my knowledge, you cannot access it at will, nor will it work without Twilight present. Since Twilight is not here, I do not believe that you will be able to be of much assistance in locating Chrysalis or rescuing Twilight. Rainbow will be accompanying me when we do locate them, but as she has had training, I am making the exception..." she trailed off and squinted unsurely. "Celestia would not have asked you to attempt to stop Chrysalis if there was an alternative. Unlike the other threats which you faced, Chrysalis is much more dangerous. It was her arrogance that we used as an advantage against her," she stated.

"I will bring her back," Luna stated, slowly looking around the room and at each mare and dragon. "I am going to directly engage Chrysalis myself once I locate her. While she may have been able to defeat my sister, she is no match for me. I will ensure that Chrysalis will never be a threat again," she lifted her hoof, then gently pressed it into the floor as she finished. Luna glanced around again, this time in the opposite direction, then she nodded once to herself. "I am going to go join the search for Twilight. I will attempt to find her location while she sleeps..." she trailed off, then turned around and slowly strode out into the hallway at a gentle, yet determined pace, leaving the ponies behind looking around absently and unsurely.

Rainbow glanced around, then turned around and walked toward the door. "There's no reason for us to stay here," she said quietly as she left. Silence lingered in the room for a few minutes after Rainbow's departure, then the assembled ponies gradually dispersed to return to their homes, each one left moping about and more than before.

Rainbow idly looked over the front door of her cloudhouse as she landed. She paid no mind to the soft cloud under her hooves, nor to the gentle, cool night breeze. Her mind felt clouded, and she felt like she was in a haze. Everything seemed fuzzy. Her vision was as sharp as ever, but her interest and mind were preoccupied with worry for her alicorn. Exhaustion lingered in the back of her mind, silently creeping and stalking her, brought on by her arduous day.

Even with the exhaustion plaguing the back of her mind, her heart and body bristled with jittery, nervous energy. She shifted her wings and opened her front door, then walked inside and closed the door behind her. The quietness of her home greeting her felt wrong and condemning, and the coolness only reminded her that Twilight wasn't there beside her. Her friend's missing warmth hurt, and her heart ached.

She shifted her weight and let her gaze idly drift over the living room. After a few seconds, she looked back ahead and set off toward her bedroom. She slowly flew upstairs and shuffled into her bedroom. She silently closed the cloud door to her bedroom behind her. She looked at her bed for a few seconds, then turned to look at the door to the bathroom. 'I don't even feel like taking a hot shower...' she thought dejectedly, then sighed. Her ears folded back as she shuffled over to her bed.

She climbed up on her bed, then laid down on her back in the middle with her head resting on the pillow. The soft cloud mattress shifted to accommodate her form, but it wasn't as comforting or welcoming as normal. It was just as soft, but it just felt wrong. Something was missing, and she knew that something was a pony. She let her legs and wings go limp and absently fall away from her body, splaying out limply as she stared up at the ceiling.

She watched the cloud above her. Her eyes jumped around quickly as she shifted her gaze over the minuscule details of texture in the cloud, but her expression was one of emptiness. Despite the hold exhaustion held on the back of her mind, the tense, uneasy, aching feeling she felt all throughout her body had an even greater hold on her mind. It didn't help that she felt cold.

She shifted her weight, then sat up and slid underneath the blankets, hoping it would comfort her and alleviate some of her pain. The chill she felt lingered even as her body heat warmed the space under the blankets, drawing memories of the hospital back to her mind. It felt wrong. She rolled over onto her side, but the feeling of wrongness lingered. She closed her eyes, hoping it would fade away, but it refused. Seconds turned into minutes as she laid there, but it seemed that, if anything, it only made how she felt worse. The exhaustion plaguing the back of her mind remained, but diminished ever so slightly, still leaving her in a state of mental fatigue, though her body still felt as it it was filled with pent up energy just waiting to be expended.

She slid her foreleg around and pushed herself up into a sitting position, then turned back to look over her pillows. She could almost picture Twilight laying beside her, and the picture in her mind reminded her of the time that she had come home to find the princess asleep on her bed. The memory caused a smile to twitch upon her lips. The smile lingered for a few seconds, then gradually faded.

Rainbow swallowed, then shifted her weight and grabbed a spare pillow beside the one she was laying on. She eyed it cautiously and bit her lip. She averted her gaze from it, then quickly glanced around her room, making sure nopony was there. She quickly slipped the pillow over the blankets, then laid back down. She pulled the covers tight against her body to trap her body heat once more, then she rolled over to face the pillow. She slipped the pillow up into the crook of her neck and slid her right forearm under it, then laid her left foreleg over it. She lightly squeezed it and idly looked at the wall in her line of sight. She nuzzled into the pillow and held it close to her body.

The pillow's softness didn't match Twilight's soft coat. The pillow was cold, a far cry from Twilight's gentle, welcoming warmth. The pillow was too small, she couldn't hold it under her muzzle and hold it in between her legs at the same time. Perhaps what left her longing for Twilight the most, however, was the lack of a heartbeat, the gentle rise and fall of her barrel as she breathed.

She squeezed the pillow, then slid it down and pressed it up against her abdomen and held it in between her legs. She folded her forelegs around and laid her forehooves close to each other, then squeezed the pillow against herself. Even with the pillow warming from her body heat, it didn't help. It didn't bring any of the comforts that Twilight did. It was a poor excuse for the pony she loved.

Minutes wore on, and she found her cheeks and eyes growing colder. She swallowed back a knot in her throat, then slid her left forehoof up to her muzzle and rubbed away the wetness chilling her face. She blinked a few times in an attempt to clear her vision, but it only made it more blurred and distorted. She slid her head up on her pillow and pressed into it, then pulled it down a little, hoping it would somehow help.

A few more minutes passed. Her exhaustion returned in force, and some of her body's agitation had faded, but she still couldn't fall asleep. She rolled her head over and glanced at her clock. She watched it absently, not sure what to think or feel. Enough time passed that the minute changed before she rolled her head back over. She squeezed the pillow closer to her, then tucked her muzzle down and planted her nose in the pillow. She idly watched the blankets rise and fall with her own breathing, and she watched the blank cloud wall do nothing, hoping that the lack of activity would calm her enough for sleep to take her.

She groaned quietly and squeezed the pillow, then let up on it and lay there limply, idly looking over her surroundings without moving her head. Her ears pinned back, and she reluctantly pushed the pillow away from her, then she slowly sat up. She sat on the bed and stared at the floor for a few seconds, then she tentatively hopped down and shuffled to the door. She watched the door for a few seconds, then opened it and hesitantly headed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

She absently looked over the cabinets and the refrigeration. She grimaced and unfurled her wings, then flew up and opened one of her cabinets, then pulled out a bowl. She sat the bowl down, then pulled out some cereal and filled the bowl halfway full, then she turned her attention the refrigerator and pulled out an unopened carton of milk. She quickly opened it, then poured the fresh milk over her cereal, then placed it back in the refrigerator. She grabbed a spoon, then she headed into her living room and sat down on her couch. She stared out the window and watched the stars in the dark night sky while she slowly ate her cereal.

She wasn't that hungry, but she ate regardless, hoping that doing something so boring would help put her mind at rest. Rainbow sighed as she finished, feeling her mind having grown duller and hazier than before, though her anxiety and distress lingering, even if they weren't quite as bad as before. 'This isn't right... Twilight should be here with me, not... Twilight, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you...'

She briefly closed her eyes as guilt grew to encompass her whole being. The guilt she felt swelling up inside her gradually subsided, but it still latched on to her mind and body, staying with her. She opened her eyes and looked down at the bowl of milk. After a few seconds, she lifted it up to her muzzle and drank down the milk, then she hopped off the couch and lazily flew back into the kitchen. She set the bowl and spoon in the sink to deal with later, then she flew back around to the stairs.

She hesitated, neither feeling the same desire nor drive to fly upstairs. She sighed, then landed and shuffled upstairs, then back into her bedroom. She absently crawled up into bed and stared up at the ceiling again. Eventually, she yawned and climbed under the blankets, laying on her side away from the pillow before closing her eyes.

'This is all my fault... if I had just stopped Chrysalis when I had the chance instead of letting her get away, none of this would have happened,' the thought that plagued Starlight's mind replayed itself through her mind. Spike quietly walked the crystalline hallways of Twilight's castle beside her, and because of the silence, there wasn't much to occupy herself with, leaving her at a loss.

'There... there has to be something I can do,' she thought. Despite the haze clouding her mind from a lengthy, stressful, and worrisome day, brought on from first finding Twilight in the state that she was in, then discovering that it wasn't Twilight and that Chrysalis had foalnapped her mentor, the gears in her mind turned, searching for any ideas that could help.

'The easiest thing to do would be to just go back in time and stop myself from letting her escape, or maybe stopping her after she escaped...' she thought with a scowl. The idea left a bad taste in her mouth. She had enough of time travel from her brief experience with it, and the memory that lingered from what Twilight showed her haunted her. 'How did that happen?' she asked. The lingering lack of answer only heightened her unease.

"Uh, Starlight? Are you alright?" Spike asked quietly.

Starlight blinked, then licked her lips and swallowed. She lifted her head up and frowned a little, discovering that as she had walked, she had started to hold her head a little lower than when she had started. She nodded, absently at first, then with more vigor as she looked over at Spike. His expression was a combination of emptiness, loss, and concern. She paused from walking and sat down on her haunches, then extended a foreleg and pulled Spike into her, giving the young dragon a quick hug. "I'll be fine, Spike... I... I still feel like this is my fault... if I had just stopped Chrysalis when I had the chance..." A wave of pain lashed out through her core, and she turned away from Spike. "It was me that Chrysalis was after, and now Twilight's suffering because of it..."

Spike wrapped his arms around Starlight. "Starlight, really, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known that this would happen. Besides, Chrysalis wasn't just targeting you when she... you know..." he trailed off, his voice growing quiet. "She was trying to get back at all of us for being there to stop her before."

"I know, I know," Starlight replied in a strained voice. "But that doesn't change the fact that Twilight's in this position because of me!" she said, her voice wavering on despair. She sighed and her ears pinned back.

"You couldn't have done anything," Spike said in a calm, reassuring voice.

"But I could have!" Starlight argued. "If I had been there with her, I could have stopped Chrysalis! Or I could have at least tried..." she trailed off, looking at the floor. "If I had failed, then maybe Twilight wouldn't be alone right now..."

Spike squeezed Starlight as a dull, throbbing ache formed in his throat. "The princesses will rescue her..." he said, his voice coming out unsure and vulnerable. "Princess Celestia won't let Twilight down..." he said a little more firmly, balling up his claws.

Starlight nodded, then turned her head back over to Spike. She leaned down and nuzzled him, then rested with her muzzle beside his head. "There has to be something we can do, Spike..." Starlight said quietly as she studied the crystalline wall, her eyes barely taking in the details as her mind was elsewhere.

"Yeah..." Spike replied, a little stronger than before. "I mean... it's not the end of the world... It's it's only been half a day." He grimaced, then sighed. "I hope she's okay, Starlight. But I'm scared that she won't be- she was already hurt so badly, and... what if... what if Chrysalis does something worse to her? I don't know if Twilight can take it... What if we don't rescue her soon enough? If Chrysalis hurts Twilight, with the state she's been in... I don't know if she'll be able to recover..." he said gravely, holding back sniffles, despite his body's protest.

Starlight remained silent for several seconds, realizing Spike's vulnerability. His faith in the princesses was a razor thin thread. Even if he was mature, he was still young, and it weighed heavily on her mind. 'I... I need to be strong for Spike.' She swallowed at the realization. "Twilight's saved Equestria several times, Spike, if anypony's going to come out of this alright, it'll be her," she said in an attempt to comfort Spike.

Spike shifted his weight uneasily. "I don't know, Starlight... She didn't handle losing her horn too well..." he said grimly.

Starlight clenched her jaw. "Why don't... Why don't we go to the library. I know it's late, but... but maybe we can find something that will help us find her, or... will help us when she gets back?"

Spike hesitated, then nodded. "Y-yeah... That... that sounds like a good idea," he agreed. He hesitantly pulled away from Starlight, then looked down at his feet and tapped his claws together. After a few seconds, he looked back up a little less disheartened before. "Maybe I could make us some tea?" he asked.

Starlight smiled and nodded. "That would be nice, Spike..." she trailed off, squinting a little. 'I'm going to fall asleep reading again, aren't I?' she mused. 'It... beats not being able to sleep because I'm worried about her, though... At least I'll be doing something, this way.'

"Okay," Spike replied. "I'll go get the tea started... I'll meet you in the library?"

Starlight nodded and smiled. "Do you need any help?"

Spike shook his head. "I can take care of it. I'll meet you in the library," he said. he lingered for a moment, then turned around and headed for the kitchen.

Starlight lit her horn and watched Spike for a couple of seconds, then she teleported straight to the library. As soon as she entered the library, the magical lighting sparked to life, breaking the darkness of the room, though the lights weren't as bright as they would have been at day. The dim lighting would still be enough, and if it wasn't she could always use her magic for light. She took a deep breath, attempting to awaken her weary mind as she scanned the rows upon rows of books before her. She puffed out her cheeks as she exhaled through her mouth. "Where to start..?" she wondered aloud.

She shifted her weight, then walked over to one of the bookcases. She lifted her hoof and slid it along the shelf as she hobbled along on three legs, squinting at book titles, searching for something of promise. 'If Twilight was here, she'd know exactly where to start...' she mused, her pace slowing at the unprovoked thought. 'The princesses would probably know better than me, and neither of them have found her yet...'

She bit her lip and pushed back the errant thoughts, refocusing her attention on the task at hoof. She sighed, then picked out one of the magical tomes at random and levitated it out with her magic. She slowly trotted over to the couch, then hopped up and sat down on her haunches. She held the tome in the air in front of her with her magic, the light from her horn aiding the magical lighting of the room and making it easier for her to read.

She dived into her reading in an attempt to stave off her exhaustion, but she found that with every word, more of the mental fogginess set in. The library doors swung open. She lowered the book a little and lifted her gaze to the young dragon walking in. She smiled thankfully at him, then took the tray he carried in her magic and levitated it around to the table in front of the couch. She levitated the pot of tea up, then filled the two teacups with the steamy, sweet-scented tea. She levitated her teacup up and brought it close to her muzzle as she sat the pot of tea down. She closed her eyes and inhaled, letting the warmth and smell radiating from the tea fill her. She smiled, then took a quick drink from it and savored it before swallowing it. She felt the warmth slide down her throat, and it eased the consternation she suffered from.

Spike walked over to the couch, then hopped up beside her. "Any progress?"

Starlight sighed and opened her eyes. She shook her head sadly. "Not yet," she said. "But I'm just getting started..."

"Need me to find anything for you?" Spike asked.

Starlight slowly shook her head. "I don't even know what I'm looking for. Well, other than something to help find Twilight or something to help her when Princess Luna rescues her."

Spike grimaced. "Maybe we're worrying too much... It's not been that long, and we do have that one drone who was disguised as Twilight... Maybe we'll find her sometime tomorrow, or the day after that?"

"That would be nice, but I don't think that's going to happen," Starlight answered at length.

Spike sighed and nodded slowly. "Yeah, probably not... But it's not wrong to hope, is it?" He shifted his weight, then laid back against the armrest of the couch. He watched Starlight as the unicorn read through the book and turned the pages with her magic.

Twilight stared at the cold, hard rock beneath her, her eyes having recovered enough and adapted to the darkness to make out where she was. A small room carved out of the rock, with metal bars at the entrance. The rock was harsh and sharp, the room having been recently created, and she could tell that she was its first occupant, which only made her anxiety and distress spike. 'Chrysalis went to the trouble of making this cell for me rather than cocooning me...'

The thought made her shudder once. The movement jostled her head, sending a sharp, shooting pain lancing through her mind from the side of her head. She clenched her eyes closed, causing the fatigue in the back of her mind to surge forward and almost overwhelm her, but fear consumed the fatigue. 'I... I can't fall asleep... if I do... w-what would happen?'

'N-no, focus... I need to focus...' she told herself. She bit her lip, knowing that she needed to open her eyes, but afraid that she would see something she dreaded. 'Chrysalis isn't here right now, I would have heard her if she was...' she told herself. The thought did nothing to comfort her, as it only told her that she was alone, it said nothing of where Chrysalis was, or when she would inevitably show up. She hesitantly cracked opened her eyes, then blinked them open and took a deep, shuddering breath.

She timidly glanced around her cell again. Her body continued to shiver from a combination of fear and cold, and she had yet to stop shivering since she had regained consciousness, despite her best efforts to calm down. 'Okay, okay, don't panic... Panicking is what she would want me to do... Don't give her the satisfaction...' she told herself. She clenched her jaw hard, drawing a prolonged ache from the side of her head. She swallowed, then hesitantly slid her forehoof out from under her and cautiously raised it up to her head. With the lightest of touches, she placed the edge of her forehoof against the edge of her injury.

She bit her lip, jerked her hoof away, and clenched her eyes shut from the agonizing pain. It took several seconds for the pain to ebb away, but her head continued to throb painfully. The feeling of coldness intensified around her eyes. She hastily lifted her now shaking forehoof to her face and brushed away the newfound moisture with the back of her hoof. 'O-okay, I-I'm injured... I have no idea where I am... I have no way of knowing if... if anypony knows I'm gone...' Her expression fell from pain into emptiness, haunted by the last realization. 'N-no, they... they'll figure it out... They have to, t-they wouldn't just... l-leave me...' she told herself as she swallowed a painfully tight knot in her aching throat.

She closed her eyes and inhaled again, trying to calm her mind and body down enough to focus. 'O-okay, so... Let's see... This... this is bad... I-I can't defend myself because I don't have my horn... Queen Chrysalis foalnapped me... And... and I'm not in a cocoon...' She opened her eyes and clenched her jaw. 'I'm... not in a cocoon... it would have been easier to put me in a cocoon... She... took the time to carve out a cell for me...'

As the thought played through her mind, her body's shaking intensified, and her eyes widened. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for anything she might have missed. She slowly turned her head to the right, attempting to avoid agitating her injury any further as she scanned the room. Once she swept her head to the right, she swept her head to the left. 'Okay... Okay... nothing distinguishing this room,' she noted.

She swallowed, then tensed her legs and moved them. After a few seconds, she slowly shifted her forelegs, then slowly stood up. Her head throbbed from the movement, and she winced. She forced the pain aside, but she shook uncontrollably to the point she was afraid her legs would give out beneath her. She slowly lifted a forehoof up, shifting her weight onto three legs, checking to see if she could walk without falling. She bit her lower lip hard. 'If I stay in the middle of the room, she could come at me from any direction... if I go to a corner, then I can't run...' She felt hollow as she considered her choices, but one thing stuck out. 'I can't run anyway... I'm trapped...'

Her ears pinned back, and she bared her teeth as she clenched them. Her hind legs gave out, and she fell down onto her haunches. She winced and tensed up as a new surge of pain erupted from the side of her head. More heat slipped down from her eyes, then quickly cooled her fur to an uncomfortable degree, immediately making her long for warmth. After several seconds, her expression relaxed as the pain turned into a memory. She inhaled, and her body shuddered as more cool air filled her lungs. Her body heaved as she let out a pained sob. She shifted her legs and held them closer together, and she held her wings tight against her sides in an effort to preserve her warmth and to protect herself in the vulnerable state she was in.

'They-They're going to come for m-me, right? They wouldn't just abandon me, but... they might not know I'm gone... H-how long was I unconscious f-for?' Off in the distance, she heard quick chittering echo through the rocky tunnels, breaking her from her thoughts momentarily. After a few seconds, the soft echoes died down, but the panicked, frenzied state of fear the sound left her in lingered.

'Fo-focus,' she told herself. She blinked once, then dropped her gaze back down to her hooves. 'Okay, my vision is improving, that's a good sign... It could just mean that I'm adjusting to the darkness, but likely it means that my head is healing quickly... That's good... I hope...' She swallowed and then her eyes darted up toward the metal bars. Already, just from looking at them, she knew she wouldn't be able to break through them. The bars were thick, rectangular bars. Around the edge of the cell door, she could make out that the door was inlaid to the stone, but by how much, she didn't know. She was an alicorn, but her physical strength hadn't recovered, and without her horn, she couldn't do anything. 'I-I need a plan for dealing with Chrysalis...' she told herself.

Knowing she needed a plan did little to help her feel any better. The jitteriness she felt in her chest, combined with the rhythmic, intensifying, then dispersing electric-like uneasy feeling that swelled in her chest left her at a loss of what to do. 'I-I don't... I don't have any options...' She swallowed and ruffled her wings slowly. She immediately regretted the decision, the warmth trapped underneath her feathers faded. 'My friends... Celestia, Luna... they'll come for me once they figure out... that I'm missing and... where I am... if... if they figure out where... I am...' She pressed her eyes closed. 'No! They will figure it out...' she told herself.

She opened her eyes and shifted her weight. 'I... how am I going to deal with Chrysalis? I... I should stay strong... she... she would want to... to hurt me... to...' the thought trailed off, another thought plaguing her mind and replacing it. 'What's the point? Fighting it won't help... I can't escape. I'm weak. I don't have my horn. I'm pathetic... I'm a burden on my friends...'

She hung her head limply and collapsed forward. She recoiled in pain, tensing up, wincing, and whimpering as her jaw hit the hard rock floor, causing her head wound to hurt worse. 'Rainbow, I am so, so sorry...' she said in her mind. She slowly closed her eyes, wishing that sleep would take her, but the dread in her chest denied her wish. Her whole body felt drained and lifeless. "I can't do anything..." she whispered aloud.

She shifted her muzzled slightly on the cold stone and sobbed again. A new knot swelled to life in her throat. 'W-what would you say if you saw me like this, Rainbow?' The question struck at her heart, tearing it to shreds. She took a deep breath. 'S-stay strong... she would want me to stay strong... I-I can't... she can't know that I... that I'm this pathetic... she... she would hate me... But... I am this pathetic, and... she doesn't know... Am I just lying to her?'

A quick crack of magic and a green flash of light briefly dimly illuminating the doorway immediately banished every thought in her mind. She jerked up, going tense with fear, completely ignoring the pain from her head. Her breathing no longer shuddered, her chest rising and falling with her large breaths. All thoughts of sleep, and all exhaustion plaguing her mind vanished. Her breathing quickened as she made out the sound of chittering coming from nearby, along with hoofsteps.

She swallowed and quickly looked around her cell as panic set in. Her body shook uncontrollably, and each hoofstep sounded like approaching desolation. Much sooner than she had hoped, a dark, twisted figure stepped into view behind the cage door. Chrysalis's expression was lit by the menacing green aura from her horn. She smiled, baring her fangs threateningly, and her eyes held a glint of sadistic glee as she looked at Twilight.

Twilight swallowed and found her mouth dry. Her eyes glanced around the cell for something, anything that she could use to protect herself or fight off Chrysalis or escape. The cell remained as barren as before. She looked back at Chrysalis and scraped her hooves on the stone floor to push herself away from her, knowing that the more distance between them there was, the better. Despite her drive to flee from her captor, in the back of her mind, she knew it was hopeless.

Chrysalis cast an idle glance at the right side of the cell door. A quiet clicking sound filled the air, then Chrysalis lifted a hoof and leisurely pushed the door open. Twilight's heart twisted in fear as the door swung open, and the way it swung open in such an unassuming manner only further served to scare her.

Chrysalis calmly strode inside the cell in slow, proud steps. As soon as her tail cleared the cell door, she shut the door behind her with her magic. "Look at how you cower before me," she hissed. "The mighty Princess of Friendship, savior of Equestria several times over..." she mocked.

Twilight remained silent, her breathing frantic and her body shivering erratically. She took hold of her fear and used it, holding onto it and putting it in front of her in an attempt to shield herself from Chrysalis's insults. Still, a voice in the back of her mind whispered, 'She's right... I can't do anything... I-I'm weak and pathetic...'

"You just had to stand in my way. Not once, not twice... Three times... And now, you're friends are not here to save you. You're mine. You're completely at my mercy, and I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, am not merciful," Chrysalis lifted her hoof, then stamped down on the floor in a lightning-fast motion to punctuate her sentence. Twilight flinched and closed her eyes. Chrysalis smiled. "You know, I was hoping that you would be a bit more fun than this. I was actually hoping for you to ramble on about how your friends would come and save you. I was hoping for your insane attempt to convince me to stop. it would have made breaking you so much more enjoyable..." she trailed off and chuckled, driving Twilight's fear to new heights. After several seconds, Chrysalis calmed down. She slowly walked closer to Twilight.

Twilight pressed her hooves against the floor and shoved herself back in an attempt to stay as far away from Chrysalis as she could, but Chrysalis's smile only grew as she neared. Twilight froze when she felt the cold, hard rock wall against her back. Her jaw quivered in fear with nowhere left to run.

"I was hoping you would try to fight me..." Chrysalis trailed off and glared at Twilight threateningly. "At least with words," she specified. She drew back from Twilight and looked at her with a haughty expression, "But it would seem that I was wrong, you're already broken!" she said gleefully. "A broken toy isn't as much fun to play with, but a broken toy can still serve its uses," she mused. "I am quite saddened, though... I don't get to enjoy breaking you. I don't get to enjoy making you suffer and break. I don't get to watch as I crush your hopes and dreams, I don't get to watch as the light and joy you held close for so long fades from your eyes..." she said harshly. Twilight gulped in fear. "Because you're pathetic. Your princesses? Well, they might not be as pathetic as you, but they're still pretty close. They couldn't even stop me from taking you." She smiled slyly, "Or, perhaps they wanted me to take you?" she asked. "Maybe they wanted you out of the way since you're such a weak, pathetic excuse for an alicorn. But you're not even an alicorn now, are you? You're just a weak, useless pegasus..."

Twilight remained silent. 'Ignore her ignore her ignore her don't respond to her don't respond to her she's lying I know she's lying the princesses wouldn't do this to me they're looking for me right now and they're going to find me and rescue me and... Rainbow...' She saw Chrysalis's expression subtly change, a slight downward twitch in her lips, so fast she wasn't sure if it had actually happened, at least until Chrysalis's smile widen.

"Maybe you have some uses yet..." Chrysalis said in a warm, calm voice, the earlier icy edge having faded. She chuckled a little, and her chuckle reverberated through the cavern, adding an eerie, overbearing echo to her laughter. "You fell in love... How... delicious..." she mused, moaning slightly. She chuckled to herself and slowly turned around, then made her way to the cell door. She opened it leisurely, then strode out and shut the door behind her. A green flash and a crack of magic signaled her teleport away.

A wave of depletion and burnout washed over Twilight's body and mind like a tsunami. Without the presence of Chrysalis to spur on her fear, the exhaustion she felt caught up with her. She slumped forward, still off-put and unable to relax. She tentatively laid down on her stomach and folded her forehooves under her chest, She carefully laid her head down on the stone and blinked several times as she looked over the unforgiving stone wall absently, her eyes glazed over.

Her eyelids grew heavy, the mental fatigue and the draining fear she felt having taken their tolls. She hesitantly let her eyelids fall to cover her eyes. A few seconds passed, and the cell door slammed open. She bolted upright as a changeling drone glared at her, striding toward her with no signs of slowing. She turned her head to the left to protect her injury and tensed up.

The Changeling bared his fangs and hissed at her. "No sleeping!" he shouted.

Twilight flinched and closed her eyes, quickly shaking her head despite her injury's protest. After a few seconds, the cell door slammed shut again. She opened her eyes and leaned her muzzle against the stone wall. "I'm not sure I could anyway..." she whispered in a broken voice. "Rainbow..." she whispered longingly, pressing her eyes closed and letting her body slump forward. She caught herself before she fell to the floor, and she slowly lowered herself down to the ground, though careful to keep her head off of the ground.

Rainbow lazily let her head roll over to the right. Looking out of her window, she could see the sun rising above the horizon and lighting the world. It continued rising into the sky, despite the fact that Twilight wasn't there. She scowled, then sighed. She laid there, even as the lower part of the sun rose above the horizon, not wanting to get up. "I hope we find you soon, Twilight... last night was terrible..." she whispered.

She groggily rolled over and slid out of bed. her body ached, and her eyes burned. She felt heavier than normal, and the fogginess dominating her mind dulled the pain consuming her from Twilight not being there. She held her head low, with her ears not standing up all the way, yet not pinned back, and her expression was strained.

She shuffled into her bathroom and silently closed the cloud door. She walked over in front of her sink and lifted her gaze to her reflection. Her mane was more of a mess than normal, and her eyes looked a little sunken in along with how dull she looked. She took a deep breath, then fluffed her wings and blinked a few times, letting a little energy back into her body. It helped how she looked a little.

She sighed, then jerked her head to the side, flipping her mane around to one side of her neck. She took out her brush, then set it in her wing and leaned forward and sat down on her haunches. She hesitated a moment and looked down at the sink, then she rested her head on the flat surface of the sink and went to work brushing and straightening her mane out. She winced occasionally as the brush snagged on kinks woven into her mane from the restless tossing and turning she went through last night.

Eventually, she turned her attention to her tail. It was in a better state than her mane and didn't take as long, but the monotonous activity did little to make her feel any better, even if it was quick. Once she finished, she stood back up. She slowly swept her head to the left and looked at her shower, then she shuffled toward it. She turned the shower on hot, then jumped under the stream of water before it warmed up.

The cold water bit into her body, sapping her warmth and sending a jolt throughout her mind, clearing the fog she faced. She shivered a little and bit her lip, then started to relax as the water warmed up. She sat down on her haunches and let the water splash the top of her head, then trickle down her mane and down her back. She let herself smile a little, but it wasn't as warm as it would have been if she wasn't alone.

After a couple of minutes of just sitting under the stream of water, she stood up and went to work, grabbing the bottle of shampoo and working the soap into her mane, tail, and coat, then rinsing it out. After she finished, her coat, mane, and tail all looked much better than they had before, though she still felt tired, and her entire body drooped slightly.

She stepped out of the shower after finishing without stopping to dry herself off, and she turned the water off. She stood idly in the middle of her bathroom for a few seconds, then she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. 'Twilight wouldn't want me to mope like this...' she thought. She smiled a little, then took another deep breath. She grabbed a towel with her wing, then spread it out across her back and vigorously dried herself off.

Rainbow deposited the wet towel in her hamper and looked it over briefly, then she walked out into her bedroom. She grimaced slightly, then made her way to her bed and quickly tidied it up. She paused and looked it over, then frowned. 'I just made my bed for no reason,' she thought. 'Twilight...' She groaned a little and shook her head, though her lip twitched upward slightly.

She sighed, then headed downstairs. She bypassed her kitchen and headed straight out her front door. She barely stopped to shut the door, and she ran forward, then jumped off the cloud. For a couple of seconds, she let herself fall and feel the air blowing passed her, then she spread her wings out and glided around a bit. She looked all around the sky and found only a few clouds, and next to no pegasi around, with the exception of the occasional pegasus clad in Royal Guard armor.

She banked around and beat her wings to increase her altitude. For several seconds, she looked around, unsure where to go or what to do. Eventually, her eyes settled on Twilight's castle. 'Maybe Princess Luna and Princess Celestia are there and know something new...' she wondered. She took a deep breath and then set off toward the large tree-like, crystalline castle.

As she approached Twilight's castle, she was unsurprised to see numerous ponies clad in Royal Guard armor patrolling. She ignored them, and they ignored her as she came in and landed, then made her way to the door. Nopony bothered to stop her as she entered the castle, despite several of them having seen her, so she figured it was okay.

She took a deep breath as she strode into the lobby. She slowly looked around and calmly exhaled, not sure exactly where to go. "If Princess Luna or Princess Celestia is here, where would they be? They probably have guest rooms dedicated to them, knowing Twilight..." she muttered. 'I can check the library first, if they're not there, then I can head to the dining room and see if anypony is there... Maybe Starlight knows where they are,' she mused.

Rainbow set off down the castle's hallways, making her way to the library. She was no stranger to walking through the crystalline hallways of Twilight's castle, but somehow it just felt off. She found herself looking around at the walls with no real purpose in mind. She studied the crystal without really taking it in, her mind too preoccupied trying to discern what it was that felt so off.

The quietness was wrong, only broken by the sound of her hooves clipping against the crystal, rather than Twilight's hooves and her hooves. The loneliness was wrong, it left her feeling boxed in and isolated. 'It's only been a day since I've seen you, and... and I hate it...' she groaned, then sighed and stopped. She hung her head and stared down at her hooves. 'I miss you... I really do miss you, Twilight... This... maybe this wouldn't be so bad if I knew you were safe, but... you're not safe...'

She bit her lip and looked back up. She quickly glanced around to make sure that she was still alone and that nopony had seen how crestfallen she was from Twilight's absence. She swallowed and ruffled her wings, then hastened her pace and continued along, hoping that her newfound speed would put some distance between her and the overbearing feeling of being alone she felt.

The fact that she was headed to the library did not help her miss Twilight any less. 'You were such an egghead when you first moved to Ponyville,' she thought with a smirk. 'I never would have imagined... this... Heck, I never would have imagined half of the things we've all done because of you. I was just a weatherpony when you moved to Ponyville, but now, three years later... Almost four, I'm a Wonderbolt, you're a Princess... We've done so much together.'

Her thoughts eventually drew to a close as she reached the intimidating, arched doorway to the library. She was off-put that she found herself intimidated by the door, and she shifted her weight on her hooves and ruffled her wings. She took a deep breath and licked her lips, then looked left before sweeping her gaze to the right. She stepped forward and pushed the door open with a hoof, then peaked inside and glanced around.

She smiled a little, seeing a familiar green-colored spine. She quietly walked into the dimly lit room, then silently closed the door behind her. She carefully unfurled her wings, then quietly flew across the room. As she flew passed the couch, she saw Spike lying asleep on one side, while the other side was dominated by Starlight's sleeping form. She landed and watched them for a couple of seconds. 'Watching ponies sleep is kind of weird...' she mused, then averted her gaze from them and idly looked around.

After a few seconds, she shifted her weight and groaned. She hastily stepped closer to the couch and then stood beside Starlight. 'I don't need to wake both of them up...' She leaned in closer to the mare. "Hey, Starlight?" she whispered, glancing back at Spike. Starlight remained motionless, save for her breathing, and the unicorn made no signs of waking. "Starlight. Wake up," she said a little louder, annoyance slipping into her voice.

Starlight groaned and shifted in her sleep, sliding her foreleg up to her muzzle and brushing her forehoof over her face. "Rainbow Dash?" she groaned as she opened her eyes and took in her dim surroundings, not least of which included the rainbow-maned pegasus. "What time is it..?"

"I don't know, I didn't really pay attention... It's pretty early in the morning, though... I just got up after the sun passed the horizon. So..." Rainbow trailed off, sheepishly lifting a forehoof to the back of her head and ruffling her mane.

Starlight groaned a little. She closed her eyes again and sighed, then slowly sat up. She brushed her forehead with a hoof and slowly shook her head. "What brings you here so early?"

Rainbow grimaced. "I didn't sleep well... I was hoping to find Princess Luna and see if she knew anything or... or something..." she trailed off, growing despondent.

Starlight's lips twisted into a grimace mimicking Rainbow's. "That makes two of us not sleeping well... I don't think any of us slept well last night..." she muttered. She looked at Rainbow with a wry, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Rainbow, I don't know where Princess Luna is."

Rainbow smiled warily at Starlight and groaned. "I was hoping that you'd know, or somepony would know... I was kind of hoping that Princess Luna was here in the castle..." she trailed off, squinting, "I really hope she isn't in Canterlot... I really don't want to fly all that far..." she grumbled, her voice crackling in uncertainty.

Author's Note

This felt like a good place to stop. Originally I was going to continue and add another scene with Rainbow finding Luna, but then I decided that it was a good place to stop since this chapter more or less covered the night and that starting the day, then breaking in the middle didn't seem like a very logical move...

I find myself wondering if it wouldn't be a better idea to break these chapters down into smaller chapters, that way I won't be forcing you to attempt to read such a long, depressing chapter all at once...

I'm going to try to make a prediction about how many chapters are left in this story. I am guessing 4-5, at this rate, and they may not all end up being 15k. So, you might want to put that in perspective or think about it and use that in an attempt to figure out what's going to happen.

(Estimated total chapters: 8-10. Allocation breakdown: Maybe 3 more chapters after this until they go after Chrysalis and Twilight, and then there's the chapter after Twilight's back, which may turn into two chapters... I'm looking forward to the last two-three chapters a lot... I really hope that you'll stick around that long. I'm going to try to give this story a beautiful ending...)

Twilight's not going to be in Chrysalis's clutches very long. I think the general plan I came up with was for her to be Chrysalis's captive for about a week. Which, you know, is somewhat problematic for story telling, meaning that this story isn't going to be as long as Reaction. Which, you know, a lot of you might be happy about since this is or at least seems to me to be much heavier than Reaction.

Brief Author's Commentary

I plan to at some point in the future, make a series of blog posts with more in depth commentary from myself about the stories in this series. Possible more information on this here. In the mean time, I'm going to just go ahead and tell you the reason for wanting to do blog posts about it.

This chapter's author's notes ended up being 1,721 words long, according to Microsoft Word, and took up four pages. That is not insignificant. That is more than 1/10 the length of this chapter. And I have been struggling with myself over this. I really want to share this, but I feel against it because having a massive author's note section at the bottom of the page breaks immersion when reading. Maybe you'd enjoy to stop reading the story and read such a massive Author's Notes, but I don't want to burden you with it.

And I hadn't even started on Rainbow's portion of the chapter.

I look at that and I laugh to myself, joking about how much of a nerd I am when my Author's Notes section turns into an essay...

And that's a lot of the reason behind wanting to do an Author's Commentary series for this series. I also think it'd be fun, and I'd get to share a lot of the details you might miss, or might not have been included or just barely hinted at. Also, if I wait to do it until after I finish this story, I won't have to worry quite so much about Spoilers...

I really need to get busy and finish this story, don't I? I keep leaving you hanging on cliffhangers. At least I have a decent update schedule, right? I try to update bi-weekly... I don't know if I'll be able to manage that schedule, however, once college starts up again... But I will try, I do not want to leave this story unfinished for a prolonged period of time.