The midnight train to Canterlot quietly steamed ahead through the moonlit mountain pass, only occassionally interupted by the dark embrace of the tunnels etched into the terrain. Twilight Sparkle looked around the lunar locamotive and found it to be quite empty save for a rather weary earth pony with baggy eyes, his suite and tie somewhat worse for wear. Whereever he had been it had not been kind to him. Then there was an old unicorn mare, most likely returning from visiting her grandfoals snoring in the back.

Those ponies however, no matter how interesting their stories may be were not who she was concerned about at the moment. Twilight looked down at the sleeping visage of her friend Tempest and slowly stroked her mane.

"You truly care about her, don't you?" A soft voice asked. Twilight looked up at Princess Luna who was sitting in the seat across from her, the two nightguards ironically fast asleep on each side of the night mare.

"Of course I do, I care about all my friends, I mean kind of comes with the whole princess of friendship thing." Twilight akwardly replied.

"And that is all it is?" Luna chuckled.

"Of course, why would it be anything else?" Twilight replied trying to hide her blush.

"Hmm, perhaps I have been spending too much time visiting Cadences dreams of late, but I imagine a pony lovingly stroking another's mane could be taken as a romantic gesture no?" Luna chuckled pointing out how Twilight was still stroking the mare.

Twilight a bit emberrased just put both of her hooves under her arms and blushed. "I mean don't get me wrong, I care about Tempest I do. I mean I was the one that convinced you and the others to give her a chance, and our night together at the friendship festival was pretty fun. She's the first pony that actually complimented my dance moves without making fun of them. And yes she's smart, and strong and adorable when she's sad or nervous and maybe I did invite her to take a bath with me not to long ago and....." Twilight stopped mid rant and froze as the realization hit her.

"Oh my." She gulped.

"Oh yes." Luna chuckled.

Twilight just blushed. "Well I guess that would explain why I thought about her so often when she was off training at the academy those four months." Twilight chuckled her cheeks blushing red. "But, however I do or don't feel, that's not important right now, what is important is that we help Tempest." Twilight stated her eyes now serious fixated on the sleeping mare.

"Agreed young one. And we shall do so at first mornings light." Luna reassured her as the train pulled into the station.

Tempest ached, she felt stiff as if she had been asleep or at least unconcious for quite some time. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked as things came into focus. She was on her side and right in front of her scope of vision to her left was a sleeping Princess Twilight.

"P, princess?" She rasped, her voice weak and dry.

Twilight yawned and slowly opened her eyes. "How are you feeling?" She asked, smiling at Tempest.

"Stiff, and thirsty." The hornless unicorn chuckled. "What happened?"

"You were out of it for quite awhile, but Princess Luna and I did manage to contain the fracture in your psyche." Twilight replied.

All of a sudden it all came back to Tempest. Her breakdown, running into the Everfree Forest, Twilight saving her and her crying in the princess's arms as she admitted to needing help. "So, i'm good now?" She asked.

"Well, yes and no." Twilight sighed. "We managed to contain the fracture and keep it from getting worse, but Luna says you are the only one who can truly fix it."

"And how do I do that?" Tempest growled, her voice nervous and angry.

"Y, you have to confront and come to terms with your past." Twilight gulped.

Tempest's eyes got wide and Twilight could see the fear building up within them as she moved to embrace the mare. "But its ok, you don't have to do it alone, i'll be with you every step of the way, I promise." She reassured Tempest as she embraced the mare with her hooves and wings.

All of a sudden a royal guard entered the room and cleared his throat. "Ahem, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wish for me to inform you that breakfast is ready and they hope you will join them at your earliest convienience." The guard stated as serious as ever before trotting off.

Twilight just chuckled as she got out of bed and helped Tempest up as well. "A royal breakfast sounds wonderful, but perhaps first a shower to wake us up." Twilight smiled looking back at Tempest who just slightly blushed and nodded in agreement.

Down at the royal dining hall Twilight looked in awe at the spread before them. Fresh Fruit, wheat toast, cinnamon rolls and of course her very own plate of freshly baked by Celestia herself smiley face pancakes!

Celestia just looked at her prized pupil's happy drooling face and laughed. "I take you like what you see Twilight?"

"Oh, um yes, it all looks quite delicious." Twilight blushed.

All of a sudden the doors slammed open and Luna grogily barged in. "Apologies for my tardiness dear sister and guests. Catching up on my duties in the dream realm took somewhat longer then expected." She yawned.

Celestia just looked at her sister and smiled as she wrapped her wing around her. "Tis quite alright dear sister. I know how hard you work to keep the ponies of Equestria's slumbers safe. I am just glad you are able to join us."

"And i'm sorry for putting you off schedule in the first place." Twilight nervously chimed in.

"No need dear Twilight. As I said last night, I am always here for the ponies of Equestria, helping Tempest and yourself is a more then worthwhile endeavour." She replied as she levitated a banana towards herself and took out a rather large bite.

"Now then, let us get ready for the day." Celestia smiled leading the others back towards the table.

Twilight, Tempest and Luna slowly trotted through the streets of Canterlot as they headed to their first destination. "So, why are we going to the hospital again?" Twilight asked somewhat confused. "And what does it have to do with me?" Tempest chimed in.

"As I told you during breakfast one of my agents found one of Tempest's old friends rather worse for wear out in the Neigh Jersey slums. As soon as I was informed of this I had her transfered to the hospital here in Canterlot." Luna replied matter of factly.

"So what, seeing a fillyhood friend in a hospital bed is supposed to help me?" Tempest huffed.

"No, but talking to her will." Luna retorted. "It will help give you the clouser you need to move on, as will the others."

"I suppose." Tempest sighed.

"Oh look, we're here." Twilight exclaimed as she pointed her hoof at the hospital trying to break the tension in the air.

"And so we are. Shall we procced?" Luna asked Twilight and Tempest. The two ponies just looked at each other and then back at Princess Luna and with a nervous gulp nodded "Yes."

In the hospital there was a calvacade of noises little foals crying, old stallions coughing, doctors and nurses running around, equipment beeping and old timey music playing over the chaos. Despite this however the three ponies made their way to the 4th floor where Tempest's old friend was being held. When they got there however Tempest was not ready for what she saw. In front of the door a female thestral guard stood in attention as she saluted the princesses. Next to her a large glass observation window looking into Glitter Drops room. The pony unconcious with an IV, heart & brainwave monitors hooked-up to her.

"What happened?" Tempest asked aghast as she looked through the observation window.

"She paniced when I found her." The female thestral replied. "I dunno why, but she cast some kind of spell on herself ta scramble her mind, and now, now she's like this."

"It is ok Lavender, you could not have known this is what she would have done." Luna reassured her patting the batpony mare on her head with her wing.

Tempest let out an angry growl as she slammed her hooves against the glass. "Wake her up, wake her up now!" She demanded.

"As you wish." Luna replied as she opened the door and motioned for Tempest and Twilight to follow. Tempest angrily trotted towards the room as Twilight just nervously gulped as she was not certain she felt too sure about what was about to happen.

Inside the room the ponies just stared at the unconcious Glitter Drops as Princess Luna waved her wing infront of the pony's face causing her as if like magic to wake from her slumber. As soon as doing so however she just darted up and looked around the room letting out small paniced whines.

"Hello Glitter." Tempest growled.

The green unicorn mare just looked at Tempest confused, now even more scared at the pony's angry voice as she began to shake.

"So, do you remember me? I heard you had a pretty nasty accident, you know that seems to happen a lot, doesn't it." Tempest scoffed pointing at her horn.

The green unicorn mare just hid under the covers as she continued to shake.

"Oh no you don't. You don't get to hide from this anymore you coward!" Tempest screeched as she ripped the sheets off the hospital bed. "You, you abandoned me when I needed you most! You betrayed me! did you even look for me when I ran away? Did you even care!?" Tempest sobbed.

Glitter Drops however just continued to shake as she hid her face behind her hooves. The heart moniter now beeping quite fast.

Tempest just sorrowfully sighed. "Look at you now. Pathetic. I'm doing everything I can to get my mind right and you willingly shattered yours." The pony sighed once more as she turned around. "I wish I could be the bigger mare and say I forgive you, but I don't. I wish I could say I feel sorry for you, but I don't. This, this is what you deserve Glitter. If you thought differently you wouldn't have done it to yourself." Tempest huffed as she wipped the tears from her eyes.

Twilight silently wrapped her wing around Tempest. "Are you ok?" She asked the sad mare.

"No, but, I guess in some weird way I do feel a bit better. It was cathartic to get that out of my system. Are, are you mad at me for not forgiving her?" Tempest asked.

"No, i'm not. I may not agree, but I completly understand. The wound still hurts. I know it'll take time." Twilight replied, rubbing her face against Tempest's.

All of a sudden Glitter let out a loud shriek and began to repeat the same word over and over. "Yemon, Yemon, Yemon, Yemom!!" She exclaimed as a nurse ran in to sedate the paniced pony once more.

"Yemon?" Twilight asked rather confused.

"Yemon, ye..." Tempest contimplated rubbing her chin with her hoof. Then it hit her. "Lemon!" She gasped.

"Lemon?" Twilight asked, still confused.

Tempest turned towards Princess Luna. "I think I know who we need to find next." She stated excitedly. Princess Luna just smiled and nodded in agreement.

Author's Note

Poor Glitter, fear really is the mind killer. Oh well at least Tempest got to get some stuff off her chest.

Next time the group is manehatten bound as they confront Lemon Crescent and Tempest learns the truth of the tragidies of her past.