I was mildly shocked to see Twilight had returned, I figured she would have been gone for a little longer.
"You're back already? Really?" She stepped closer, her covered hooves echoing loudly on the crystal floor. "You're more important right now Lapis. Others can handle the cleanup." I watched as she sat down in front of me and Silver, started removing her royal regalia, and set it aside.
Twilight sighed and for a moment I could see the tired look in her eyes, the strain on her face, no doubt from years of protecting Equestria and beyond. I'm just another line on her long list of problems...
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have ruined the celebration... I didn't mean to."
"What? Lapis it's ok-"
"No, it's not!" I suddenly stood, staring straight at Twilight. "I ruined one of the most important celebrations of the year and caused problems for the most important and well-known pony of this era!" Twilight merely looked back at me, calmly meeting my gaze.
"Lapis. You need to calm down and listen." Who is she to boss us around? She has no control over us! I shook, angered by the fact she didn't seem to take this seriously. For a moment, we challenged each other, both of us watching the other but neither willing to back down. She stood as well, spreading her wings, and suddenly looked much more threatening.
"Don't take me for a fool Lapis!" Her voice became louder and she stamped her hoof. "I'm just trying to help you! But you insist on being a victim and while that may be true you're using it to an extent you shouldn't be." Twilight's voice was loud but level, angry but calm. "I need you to listen to me. Whatever happened you need help with and don't you dare say I'm wrong because you lost control and you know it. I need to make sure you won't lose control like that again. Unicorn magic is very temperamental and easily influenced by the wielder's emotions. You had a lot of emotions running through your mind and lost control." I felt anger pump through my mind. "I know how magic works Princess! I've trained for years! I don't need a life lesson!"
Her gaze hardened and nothing happened for a moment, but then I noticed a glimmer of the responsibility she held in her eyes. A responsibility I was jeopardizing. Somehow, Twilight stood taller, her horn glowed purple and her voice now rang with a sense of authority.
"I am Princess Twilight and you will treat me with respect Luminous Lapis!"
I suddenly was terrified as I truly realized who I was yelling at, which was most likely her intention. The thing was, I had been yelled at by plenty of ponies before for varying reasons, it was something I was accustomed to, and could easily take it in my stride. This, however, was something entirely different and I was frankly overwhelmed by Twilight's domineering presence. I began shaking again, not of anger, but of fear and guilt. The past hour finally caught up to me, the realization of Trixie leaving me, the emotionally fueled blind run into town, the desperation to stay away from everypony else, and now Twilight forced to use her authority just to get me to listen. It all combined into one surge of emotions and thoughts that finally broke me.
Tears filled my eyes and I buried my face in my hooves, sobbing uncontrollably. My back fell against the cold crystal wall. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." I pulled my hind legs close to my chest and wrapped my hooves around them, rocking back and forth slightly. "S-She left me... she's...gone..."
Dimly, I thought I heard Twilight's voice. I raised my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Who was it Lapis? Who left you?" Her tone was much more soothing than before and her body posture now welcoming. When I didn't answer, Silver suddenly spoke up and I realized she was still right next to me. "Twilight it-"
"No Silver. Let him answer on his own. He needs to."
Twilight's eyes had lost the hardness to them and now were filled with a gentleness I wasn't expecting.
"...It...it was......"
"Who Lapis?"
"...Trixie." My chest felt tight as I spoke her name, another wave of emotion washing over and enveloping me completely. It was too much, I couldn't handle it. My vision faded.
Manehattan, Bridleway
One hour earlier
Vinyl Scratch, or as she was more popularly known, DJ Pon-3, was enjoying herself as she stood atop her stage in Bridleway, DJing in preparation for the Summer Sun celebration. A massive crowd formed around her and she grinned leaning into her microphone. "HOW'S IT GOING MANEHATTAN?" The crowd cheered. "We've got quite the night ahead of us! Get ready because it's just beginning!!" Vinyl looked behind her for a moment and saw the massive half-building-sized screen broadcasting a live news channel from Ponyville of the Summer Sun celebration. The Bridleway was packed full of ponies, yacks, changelings, and the like on the ground and flying above as well. The air was full of excitement about the new year, thick enough that you couldn't help but feel it.
Unfortunately, the speakers on the stage were hooked up to the live news channel and the music had been simply playing over it. So when there was an explosion of noise it was amplified and caused the two noise inputs to fight against each other and send feedback through the whole system, shorting out the speakers. Vinyl had been holding one side of her headphones over her ear and heard the noise directly, causing her to fall backward throwing her headphones down in the process. "AAAHHHH!!!" Her entire head rang and she writhed on the ground, senses completely shot. After a while, Vinyl managed to pull herself up the soundboard and opened her eyes, shocked to see the rest of the crowd in a similar state.
Something warm slowly dripped down her hoof and she pulled it in front of her, barely able to recognize the fact blood was matted into her coat. "Ughhh... Sweet Celestia..." With her mind hazy Vinyl somehow realized what had happened due to her extensive experience with sound. She turned and saw the news channel was still broadcasting. Though she couldn't hear, she still could comprehend what she saw.
A dark blue stallion lay collapsed on the ground before the stage. he slowly stood, his entire body shaking before suddenly vomiting. Twilight Sparkle entered the frame, her horn glowing purple and walking with determination towards the stallion. He seemed alarmed but was too weak to run. Twilight stood before him and another pony appeared, this one a female pegasi with a purple coat and a grey mane. Vinyl couldn't tell exactly what was happening but suddenly the three teleported away.
As Vinyl collapsed against the soundboard, she and countless others were left to wonder exactly what had happened.
"Good morning Equestria. We've got some breaking news from Ponyville regarding the Summer Sun celebration." I slowly woke up, opening my eyes. "Last night during the celebration there was a scream or yell of some sort from the west and shortly after a stallion appeared, enraged at something currently unknown. A pegasi bat pony hybrid known as Silver followed him and attempted to calm him down unsuccessfully. Seeing the danger Twilight tried to restrain him and even after the three other princesses helped he broke free." After turning on my side I traced the noise that had awoken me to a TV.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" The clip showed an explosion before abruptly ending. Realization dawned on me. "With the stallion now exhausted Twilight talked to him before suddenly teleporting away with the stallion and Silver to somewhere unknown. She returned a short while later and had this to say," Another clip showed Twilight standing where she had previously been but now turned towards the crowd.
"I've got the situation under control. Everything will be fine. If you see Lapis or Silver in the next few weeks please do not ask them any questions. I will release a public announcement when I receive relevant or noteworthy information about this situation. Thank you." The video ended and showed a stallion and a mare sitting behind a desk before the mare spoke. "Well everypony, in light of our lack of information the best we can do is listen to Princess Twilight. She's investigating the situation so for the moment we need not worry. And that concludes our morning story so onto the weather. It looks pretty co-" The mare kept talking but there was no more noise. I slowly sat up before looking around and realized I was lying amidst a pile of blankets and pillows. Twilight leaned against the side of an armchair to my right, levitating the TV remote. To my other side, Starlight and Spike were also lying on the blankets and pillows, looking a little worried.
"Ummmm... What happened? Where am I?"
"You're here in my castle Lapis." She paused. "I'm sure you'll be glad to hear you will fully recover from yesterday, though I'm not sure how exactly. Unicorn horns usually can't handle that much power and emotion running through them. It seems you are a, let's say, a special case. Not that it matters much horns do eventually regrow..." Twilight trailed off and was silent for a minute before finally turning to look at me. "Lapis, are you ok?"
Closing my eyes and shaking my head slightly, I responded, "I... Yes, I think so. I'm just a little shaken is all. Last night was..." I sighed. "It was a bucking disaster. I lost control."
"Is that what it was? A loss of control? That seemed like a lot more than a loss of control, wouldn't you say? If you ask me, I would say it was some sort of breakdown."
She's trying to figure me out. Find out my reasoning.
I decided it was best not to answer.
"I can even back it up with evidence. I mean your mother abandoned you. You know, Trixie."
For a moment, rage blinded me and I lost control. But I had so little energy left that it faded quickly and I realized what Twilight had done.
"Interesting..."
"...You did that on purpose... Why? Why would you do that? ...To test me? ...You certainly wouldn't be the first." I turned to look at her.
"What did that accomplish Princess?"
She stiffened.
"I needed to know how easily you could be triggered. I now have my answer."
Is that all we are? An experiment for her t-to toy with?!
"Now tell me Lapis, what do you think will happen?"
"W-What? What kind of question is that? I don't know! You'll punish me or something how should I know?"
"Lapis please I'm not going to punish you. Well... not directly at least. Let me tell you what will happen. First off, you will be staying here in my castle where I can keep an eye on you. second, you're going to explain the situation between you and um, your mother."
"She's not my mother anymore." I growled, fighting to keep my voice level.
"Hmm, well all the more reason to talk about it. Third, you're going to explain to me why you are so powerful and knowledgeable about magic. I suspect there's more that lies beneath the surface. Fourth, and going hoof and hoof with number three, you will explain every spell you know to me or Starlight if I am unavailable. Fifth and lastly, you will make some friends."
"What?! Make some friends?? You can't just force me to become friends with some random ponies!!"
"I can and I am Lapis. Friends are important, they can help you and-"
"No no no! I don't want to hear how amazing friends are and everything that goes with it! I don't!"
"Well, I'm not giving you much choice Lapis. You will, even if it is just one, make a friend. I'm sorry but that's my final decision."
A growl built in my chest. "Yeah? Why should I have to listen to you?" Immediately the atmosphere changed from uncomfortable to tense. I heard Starlight draw in her breath sharply as Twilight momentarily closed her eyes and then opened them. "Lapis. I am doing my best to help you and I merely laid down some ground rules. I am not asking much from you." Her eyes hardened and I could feel the power behind them. "You will follow my rules. Do you understand me?"
I found myself shaking slightly before opening my mouth. "Yes, Twilight. I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that."
She nodded. "Good. Then let's get started shall we?"