Rarity was walking back home as she had just met with her parents after her visit was requested, it had been a long evening so she couldn't wait to get back home and just spend time alone or work on some orders.
As Rarity made it back to Carousel Boutique she saw a light in the distance, she wondered who would be up and about near her home but she seemed suspicious, when she got closer she saw all five of he friends setting up a fire in the dark.
"Um what are you guys doing, why are you like near my place in the night, you seem like crazy stalkers, no offense by the way." Rarity said, Twilight looked up at her and Rarity noticed that Twilight's head didn't have its crown on as she left it at her castle.
"Setting up a fire, we're doing another sweat lodge to if you didn't know, I thought we told you, it's very important." Twilight said, Rarity shrugged as it didn't seem like that to her.
"Seems like what you guys do every few weeks....it doesn't sound that important." Rarity suggested, Rainbow Dash turned to her.
"What you didn't hear?" Rainbow Dash asked Rarity causing Rarity to simply shake her head.
"Twilight's going into seclusion to find the future that she's been searching for, she has been to deeply involved with state dignitaries and princess work so she is getting away from that for at least one day alone." Rainbow Dash stated, Rarity looked at her with confusion on her face and finally came to clarify it.
"So like a vision quest darling?" Rarity asked, Rainbow Dash nodded.
"Yes its a vision quest." Rainbow Dash said, Twilight sighed.
"Rarity look I know it probably doesn't make sense to you but I have to do this, I have spent to much time huddled inside the castle that I don't do anything productive anymore, I help sign laws and take care of Spike but that's about it, I don't even know what my true meaning is anymore, I've defeated so many villains and saved Equestria multiple times and became princess which I thought would fulfill myself but unfortunately it didn't, I think going into seclusion for one day will help me instead burying myself into a book and trying to settle disputes between nations." Twilight explained, Rarity thought about this and spoke her concern.
"Haven't people died from this practice though?" Rarity asked, Twilight and her friends knew that this question was coming.
"Yes but don't worry it's going to be fine, if it goes bad i can come back and call for help, this is just like my first sweat lodge ceremony with you guys but with the roles reversed as your now the one expressing fears about vision quests that I had about the sweat lodge that you girls had a few years ago which I had first joined, I'm better at those now as we have been having those since then." Twilight said.
"Are you going to use magic to help you?" Rarity asked. Twilight shook her head.
"No I'm not allowed to I have to be cut off from everything in order for some idea to come to me, Celestia is counting on me to find out about my future through this practice, if I don't succeed then I won't know what I should do next or what I should defeat next, I have not been given any signs from the elements or a dream or anything and it frustrates me!" Twilight exclaimed but then calmed down. Her friends stood up and comforted her.
"Twilight it will be alright, you've gotten through challenges before and you'll overcome this one as well." Fluttershy said softly.
"Either that or Equestria is fucked." Rainbow Dash remarked causing Twilight's friends to glare at her, Rainbow Dash looked back at them and blushed with embarrassment.
"Do you really have to be that blunt about it? That was kind of...mean..." Fluttershy asked which Rainbow Dash responded to in guilty tone.
"Sorry, That was uncalled for." Rainbow Dash apologized causing Twilight to sigh.
"Girls it's alright...Rainbow Dash is right, I have no idea on what I have been doing ever since the incident with the Storm King...if I don't get a vision on what I need to do I can't progress forward and in the process doom Equestria against some unknown force making its way here, it's all up to me, I have to be the one to do this and the princesse's or anybody else can't interfere, Celestia made sure that I would do this and I ended up preparing for it." Twilight said.
"Do you really think it's some unknown force though?" Rarity asked Twilight sighed.
"I'm not sure...come on let's finish setting up camp so we can get started." Twilight said.
Twilight's friends did exactly that and once they did they went back home to sleep, the next morning Twilight quickly got out of bed and ran downstairs, it was very sunny outside but Twilight didn't bother to check her mail or anything like she usually did as she headed off to meet her friends.
When she got to the area she met her friends as they all came up to her with supportive looks, they knew how hard this was going to be for Twilight but it must be done in order to prevent future threats against Equestria. Fluttershy would carry out the beginning ceremony as Celestia had given a guide to her on how to carry one out.
"First we will all strip Twilight of her magic temporarily, she must not use any while she is undergoing her quest for her own truth, she must not only find out what the energies and spirits of Equestria are asking of her but she must also be cleansed and reborn without any magic, she must stay alone for as long as it takes for this vision to come to her." Fluttershy stated, Twilight looked away with shyness she was not looking forward to this but it had to be done they prayed for peace in Equestria during their last sweat lodge so she was going to get an idea on how to continue this peace.
Twilight's friends temporarily stripped Twilight of her element and put it away and put a magic blocker spell on her, Twilight felt her magic leaving her, making her weak and exposed but knew that she was going to get it back after.
"Now we shall hold a sweat lodge in order to bless Twilight and pray for guidance during this time." Fluttershy announced, Twilight and her friends looked at eachother as they knew where this was headed, Twilight thought to herself about all of these expectations pushed on her, She honestly wondered what vision she would get but hoped she would get a simple and easy task to carry out from this one.
Fluttershy directed her friends into the sweat lodge and they prayed in their for quite a while, once it was over they all surrounded a stone tablet and Fluttershy spoke again.
"In order for Twilight to go on this mission she must first offer a sacrifice of blood to the spirits and to Equestria as the spirits demand payment for all the help they give us, Twilight come up her....I mean....if that's okay with you..." Fluttershy said in her shy voice even if Twilight was expected to go up anyway, Twilight looked around nervously at her friends as she didn't really like pain but knew that she had to get this done with, they all motioned her to move to the tablet so she did.
"Twilight are you prepared to find out about your destiny and offer your blood in order to help Equestria in further endeavors?" Fluttershy asked softly, Twilight took a deep breath as her throat became dry as she became hesitant but still carried through with it.
"Yes....yes I am..." Twilight said with a very unsure voice even if she was sure of it." Fluttershy nodded.
"Are you prepared to give up magical protection temporarily for this quest?" Fluttershy asked, Twilight nodded and then remembered that she had to speak.
"Yes I am." Twilight said. Fluttershy nodded and handed her a blade. Twilight's hand shook as she took it and started to freak out and hyperventilate, she knew that this was going to hurt but knew that the vision mission that she was about to take would possibly torment her, Fluttershy stepped back and Twilight stared at the tablet for a few moments.
Twilight tried to calm herself as her friends watched her, she was not looking forward to bleeding, she hated pain but knew that the quicker she went through with it she could be done with it, she placed the blade against her palm and quickly cut her hand making her friends wince and herself grunt from pain, she dropped the blade and squeezed her hand causing the blood to spill onto the altar.
Twilight soon finished and stopped the bleeding. Once she did that she wrapped her hand up in a bandage and Fluttershy made her turn around and spoke.
"Twilight as you have given her blood out as a sacrifice in payment so will the vision come to you as a needed necessity, you will suffer for the vision and cry out for help and warmth but this is an expected consequence for you in order for you to recieve this vision." Fluttershy said. Twilight felt like she wanted to cry.
Her friends all prayed over her in order to wish for her success and then directed her into the woods.
"Go now Twilight for the fate of Equestria rests in your hands." Fluttershy said. Twilight started to cry but toughened up a bit as she looked back at her friends with a mix of fear and sadness, Soon Twilight was on her way into the woods, Twilight didn't look back as she directed herself to the spot her friends and Celestia had designated for her.
When she made it there into the deep forest Twilight got to work as she built a place for herself, she felt vulnerable and exposed without the elements, she felt so alone and desperate for her vision. Twilight finally finished the place where she could sit on with a few leaves and grass.
Once Twilight sat down she took a look at her surroundings. She watched as deer played about and wasps buzzed near trees, she hated wasps, their stingers were the worst but she knew that the day would be bad for her in general.
Twilight began to pray for her vision to come to her, she knew that one had to come to her when she was to be on the verge of tears, she was expecting to be their a long time unless the vision came to her soon and was simple to understand.
Twilight stared into the woods as she prayed, at some points she looked around in order to be on the lookout for bears or other creatures, she wished she still had her magic but knew that would have been cheating as she had to be naked spiritually for this.
Twilight looked down at her coverings in embarrassment, she felt so open and exposed to the spirits which helped Equestria, she felt humbled to be in their presence, she continued to pray for any signs or any visions in order to help her out finding her next mission in life.
Twilight tried to stay calm but the silence was way to defeating, she could not hear her friends, she truly did feel cut off and it scared her, she felt an overwhelming sense of emotion overcome her, she knelt down on her knees.
At first this emotion had started out small with her feeling vulnerable at first but now it was getting stronger and more noticeable to her.
Twilight knew that she couldn't find it as it would help her see the truth of what she was supposed to do but still she couldn't see herself crying as in a time like this as she didn't want to concern her friends but knew that her friends were expecting this to happen.
Soon she felt tears escaping her eyes as she waited for her vision, she knew that the spirits were watching her and possibly judging her, they wanted to know if she was even worthy to receive such a vision.
Twilight started to sob as she became an emotional wreck, she couldn't help it, she could feel her mistakes being thrown back at her instead of a vision, she wanted this vision so bad but at the same time was experiencing emotional pain for it.
She sobbed as she felt her legs press into the dirt and stones which made her legs feel horrible, they were going to hurt when she stood up, this only added to her emotional humbling as it tested her even more.
Twilight wanted to knash her tongue in pain and despair, she felt as if she had been stripped of everything she had loved even if she wasn't, she wanted her friends to comfort her and calm her down but knew that it wouldn't be possible this time around as she had to face this test herself.
Twilight continued to sob, her sobs got even faster as she wanted to do anything for her vision, she needed this vision if she wanted to move on from this, she knew that this pain would only subside after she had received her vision.
"PLEASE SHOW ME SOMETHING!!!!" Twilight screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks, she sobbed and rocked back and forth as she prayed and humbled herself.
Twilight's cries only increased as she rocked back and forth, she missed her friends her mentor and her family but knew that this was the only way that she could receive this next mission.
However much it hurt though Twilight knew in her heart that this was the only way in order to find out about what had to be done in Equestria, she felt unworthy for the way she has treated her family and friends by letting to much work get in the way, this was not only a quest for a vision but an apology mission.
"I'M SORRY!!!! I'M UNWORTHY OF THIS!!!! I SACRIFICED SOME OF MY BLOOD JUST FOR YOU TO GIVE ME THE SIGN!!!!" Twilight cried out desperately as she prayed, her tears were now soaking her face while sweat was starting to drench her body.
It was hot and excruciating, Twilight was having emotional and physical pains, she felt dirty and shameful for the uptight princess she had become, she was now starting to see herself in a knew whole light as her sins were now being washed away and it was turning her into an emotional wreck.
She felt as if she was being reborn, she could feel a spiritual womb close over her as she prayed for any sign at all of what she was supposed to do, she rocked back and forth violently now as she shook.
"Please please please please please please." Twilight cried desperately as she thought about her friends and family and her mission, she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"PLEASE SHOW ME!!!!" Twilight screamed. Twilight collapsed on the ground and cried as her face and body was now covered and dirt, it soon started to become excruciatingly hot, a few wasps that were near by started to sting her.
Twilight was not only suffering she was now having the feeling of dying, she wanted to give her creator her entire soul, Her cries grew louder and louder causing her throat to get drier and drier.
Twilight went to the water and took a drink of it and crawled over to a tree where she collapsed and screamed at the ground while crying for anything to come help her whether it was a vision or something else.
Twilight soon felt an excruciating pain fall over her, She became dizzy and desperate, she wailed at the sky for her awakening that didn't come, She felt like she was going to die there, she expected the spirits to take hold of her own spirit.
She was at the breaking point, she laid down and hugged herself while she brought her knees up in a fetal position, all of the memories of her friends and and family and her sins came rushing back to her causing her to let out a wimper where she then blacked out.
Once she blacked out she had a very trippy vision, it was way to fast for her to comprehend it all but once she got a gist of what it was saying she realized what it was telling her.
The vision showed a woman going on a journey and touching a gemstone which turned into a snake, the snake turning around and attacking the woman by biting her repeatedly, the woman turned it a giant Phoenix and killed the snake and after that it flew over to a stone and causing it to turn into a burning gem which it then dropped down to the floor of a rock quarry and inside the stone showed a burning inferno and the elements of harmony stopping it.
After the inferno was defeated the woman had been revealed as Trixie who had touched the stone, the vision soon became chaotic showing as an acid rain comes onto Equestria killing everything.
Once the rain passed Twilight Sparkle was shown that she herself would be judged and tortured by Equestria's citizens, soon a huge battle took place between two armies, once the battle ended Equestria's citizens became angelic beings who in turn created an eternal afterlife where everyone lived in peace with the elements of harmony.
Soon the vision ended causing Twilight to cry in disbelief at her vision. She couldn't make sense of any of it, she stayed there and cried for a bit before going back to visit her friends, when her friends saw her come into view she told them about her vision and her friends told her that they were frightened by this future, she went to Celestia and told Celestia who turned out to not understand it but Twilight told her that she would have to soon.
Celestia hired interpertors to figure out Twilight's vision in order to understand it, She wanted to find out what it all meant, once the interpertors figured the vision out the interpertors would tell Celestia and then Celestia would tell Equestria and Twilight about about it meant.
Twilight and her friends went home. The friends ended up treating Twilight's stings and wiping her tears away while they comforted and hugged her after that they clothed her and gave her magic back Twilight stopped being an uptight princess from then on and it benefitted her.
Soon everything in the vision became true as a huge inferno swept across Equestria, it kept going until it was stopped by Twilight and her friends with the elements a huge shield was erected over equestria to protect against the acid rain, Twilight was then judged and condemned as she was blamed for the inferno and the acid rain but was saved by Celestia before she was killed. A huge battle then took place but was then stopped and after that everything went back to normal.