Friendship cant save you

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were sat together in the middle of the lab room. Twilight was crying silently to herself while holding her friends tightly. Hugging Rainbow and Pinkie tightly with her front hooves and wings, looking determined to keep her friends safe.

She didnt want to leave her remaining friends to such fates, and she thought she could live up to her title of ‘Princess of Friendship’ by keeping her remaining friends close.
As Twilight embraced her friends, refusing to let go. Rainbow Dash was holding Pinkie Pie tightly, embracing her and rubbing her back.
Pinkie’s eyes were sore, and tears streaked down her face, seemingly unending. Rainbow Dash was still doing her best to keep herself together, and Twilight was determined to keep her friends safe.

Their grief was cut short by a sudden loud click that clanged through the room, causing the remaining mares to break from the embrace and stand back to back, facing all directions. Ready to take on the next challenge face on.
As they looked around themselves, Twilight saw Cadence enter the room through the door that had been locked this whole time. Much like Twilight and the late Rarity, her magic also didnt seem to be working here, as she was having to use her hooves to open the door.

The moment Cadence was inside, Twilight charged at the princess of Love, growling loudly as she lept forward, front hooves ahead of her, as she slammed into Cadence’s body, causing the 2 of them to fall to the ground, with Twilight on top. Cadence was lying on her back under Twilight, her wings spread and her eyes wide.

“T-Twilight i-!”
Cadence’s sentence was cut short by a sudden wave of pain that rocketed across her face. Twilight had punched Cadence across the face, causing a large bruise to immediately begin to form on her cheek.

“WHAT’S GOING ON?!”
Twilight demanded, her tears coming forth once again as he screamed at her former friend,
Her questions continued to spill from her maw, demanding answers as to why her friends were being killed.
“Why couldnt this ‘final test’ of yours have been a dangerous solo mission or something?! Why did this test have to involve my friends and why are they having to die to prove my title?!”

Cadence looked scared at the amount of rage and hatred that was across Twilight’s face. The pink alicorn’s eyes began to fill with tears as well, as she looked up at Twilight.

“I c-can explain…”
Cadence finally said after a moment of silence, only to be shouted at by Pinkie Pie.

“Look! We don't have all day! Or… However much time has passed... I don't actually know. BUT we don't want to die as much as our other friends didnt! We’ve lost so many already!”
Pinkie shouted, her tears still flowing across her face, her voice quivering and her breathing shaky.

“Yeah! So get talking lady!”
Rainbow Dash chimed in, looking rather angry at everything going on.

Cadence slowly tried to sit up, and Twilight got off of Cadence as she lifted herself up. But she stood there with her wings spread, making it difficult for Cadence to get around Twilight and to Pinkie and Rainbow Dash potentially.

The pink Alicorn slowly began to explain why this was going on, and why Twilight and her friends were involved in this test.
“You aren't the only Alicorn to go through this test… I had to go through this exact same test but with different games… it was to show that any alicorn won't crack under pressure, and stay true to their goals, no matter the sacrifice.”

Twilight’s eyes widened slightly, her ears folding back as she listened to Cadence’s explanation.
Cadence continued to explain, seeing Twilight’s reaction as a gauge to keep talking.
“It wasn't just me that had to take this test. It's any alicorn once they reach a certain age. Celestia and Luna had to go through the same tests. Different games each, no way to prepare for what’s to come. They just had to get through their tests. Showing that they’d never be afraid to lose what’s close to them, to deter them from their goals… The only one who hasn't lost her friends during a test was Princess Celestia. Only one of her friends was killed in the first round, and the rest of them managed to survive.”

Twilight’s eyes widened even more. Celestia? She didnt lose anyone in the test?
That means there’s a chance! She can still save her remaining friends! She looked at Rainbow and Pinkie, her eyes locking with theirs.

They too had shocked expressions. How did Celestia manage to keep all of her friends after the test?!

“What did she do?!”
Pinkie desperately asked, looking at Cadence with a small fragment of hope that they’d have a chance to escape together.

Cadence simply shook her head, her eyes going glossy.
“I can't tell you… Because if I did, then that would count as cheating on your test..”
She simply responded, hanging her head in shame as she gave them the answer they clearly didnt want to hear.
The 3 mares looked at each other in shock, twilight’s eyes filling with tears again.

“So you’re saying there's a way I can save Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie… But you can't tell us, meaning that we have no way of knowing how to keep each other safe?!”
Twilight shouted, her wings spreading again.

Tears continued to run down Twilight's face as she looked at Cadence, and then her friends. She didnt want them to come to harm, all 3 of them have been through enough.
“There must be something i can do…” Twilight said, her voice shaky, her lip quivering.

Cadence looked down at the floor, as she spoke up one last time.
“You will have the chance… to make plenty more friends once this is over…”

She then left the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving the remaining 3 mares in shock once more.
There was no way she could help them… that had already been established… why did Twilight try to beg for a solution, for a hint?

“We’re still gonna die… aren't we…? There’s no escaping it…”
Pinkie said, her front hooves shaking as Rainbow looked at Twilight, she had finally broken, tears flowing down her face as she openly sobbed alongside Pinkie.
Twilight ran over, spreading her wings and wrapping them around her friends.