Chapter 3: Friendship Lessons
"No one ever understood me."
Things didn't look good. Twilight's friends felt like they had betrayed her and Cadance had left the library in anguish. Princess Celestia believed that the only way to help Twilight at this point would be to bring her back to Canterlot, her old home.
"If Twilight's going, we're all going," said Applejack. "She needs us, more than ever."
"As Twilight's good friends, we can't keep failing her like this," said Rarity.
"We have to prove that we truly care for her," said Fluttershy.
"And understand her," added Pinkie Pie.
"Then it's settled," agreed Rainbow Dash. "We're all going."
"Of course," said Celestia. She then saw how sad Shining Armor was. "Shining Armor, I will talk to Cadance."
"If you can find her," he said glumly.
"I will." So Celestia left. But as for Twilight herself, apparently she had fallen asleep in her bed.
"Maybe we should just let her rest," insisted Fluttershy. "She's been through an awful lot."
"Wait a second, y'all," said Applejack. "Ah just thought of something." The others looked at her. "When she was cryin', she was sayin' somethin' about 'cold and dark'."
"But that's what it felt like for her when we stupidly ditched her!" said Rainbow Dash.
"Well, maybe," said Applejack. "But ah think there's more to it than that. Ya see, we didn't know what happened to her after we left. Sure, she turned up at the wedding, but ah think anything coulda happened to her that night."
"Oh no!" said Fluttershy, realizing where Applejack was going. "And the bride was a fake too! What if she got hurt? We wouldn't have been there to help her!" Fluttershy started to come to tears. "Oh, why did we do it? Why?" Again, Twilight's friends looked dispirited. Meanwhile, Celestia found that Cadance hadn't gone too far at all. In fact, she had been just outside the library, sobbing.
"Cadance, dear," said Celestia in an effort to comfort her. "I know you're upset. But you have to understand that we all feel terrible for what we did to Twilight and how this whole thing could have been avoided. As Princess of Equestria, I felt that I failed in my duty. If I had listened to Twilight, I could have taken precautions. Instead, I let my own foolish judgment get in the way. Twilight might have been mean, but she did not deserve to be treated like the way we treated her that night. I'm sorry." Cadance stopped crying, but she still looked annoyed.
"You're sorry," said Cadance. "That's all you can say?"
"Yes."
"If only a simple apology could make everything right," grumbled Cadance. "But because of you and everypony else, Twilight may never be the same again! I used to foal-sit for her! I loved her like a sister! She is my sister!" Celestia's ears had drooped, knowing this to be true.
"We're taking Twilight to Canterlot," she said. "We can take the next train." Cadance headed for the train station while Celestia hung back to wait for the others. Back inside the library, Twilight was still seemingly sound asleep.
"Ah think we best just let her rest," said Applejack. They started to leave, but then...
"No... no..." The others turned around and saw Twilight tossing and turning. She seemed to be having another nightmare.
"Oh, no!" said Applejack. "Twi!" They hurried over to the bed.
"No... no..." muttered Twilight in her sleep. "Don't leave me... Don't leave me!"
"Twiley!" said Shining Armor. "Twiley, wake up!" He touched her with his hoof, but for some reason, it made her thrash and scream.
"Don't let them get me!" she yelled. "Don't let them get me!" She was still asleep, but apparently stuck in her nightmare.
"Wake up, Twi!" said Applejack desperately, trying to shake her awake gently. Soon all of her friends were talking at once trying to wake her up.
"Please wake up, Twilight," Fluttershy then said softly after everypony stopped talking, and ironically, Twilight snapped awake in a cold sweat breathing hardly.
"You okay, sugar cube?" said Applejack. "You were tossin' and turnin' something fierce."
"Those nightmares are nasty!" said Pinkie Pie. "But you're okay now! Aren't you?" But they saw more tears coming to Twilight's eyes and she starting crying again.
"This is terrible, y'all," said Applejack.
"We need to get her back to Canterlot," said Shining Armor. "Come on, sis." He got the still sobbing Twilight on his back and carried her out of the library, where Celestia was waiting for them. "Where's Cadance?" he asked her.
"She's at the train station," she answered.
So everypony was on the train bound for Canterlot. Cadance had shut herself off from the others in a separate compartment, while Shining Armor sat outside her door along with Celestia.
"There goes my marriage," he sighed. "I thought we were gonna be so happy together."
"Don't worry," assured Celestia. "I'm sure she'll come round... I hope..."
"That's very encouraging," said Shining Armor sarcastically. Meanwhile, Twilight was sitting at a table with her friends. Although she wasn't crying, she hadn't been saying a word either. But the irises of her eyes had shrunk to quite a small size, so what her friends didn't know was that she had somehow slipped away from her normal consciousness.
"Gosh, she hasn't said a word since we boarded the train," said Applejack.
"Well, she hasn't been crying either," said Fluttershy. That's when Spike got up on the table to talk with her.
"Hey, Twi," he said. "Feeling any better?"
Twilight did not respond. Her eyes were wide open and her shrunken irises barely budged back and forth. "Twilight? Twilight?!"
"Heyyyyyy, hello in there!" Pinkie Pie suddenly stared into Twilight's face upside-down by sitting on top of the train seat and defying logic to stretch her neck. But Twilight didn't get startled. Her eyes didn't even move.
"Uh, Pinkie?" said Applejack. "Ah think this might be a mite serious." That's when Celestia and Shining Armor came to check up on Twilight.
"How is she?" Celestia asked.
"She hasn't said anything!" said Rainbow Dash, waving a hoof in front of her face. "I think she's spaced out." Celestia took a good look at Twilight's eyes and gasped in horror.
"Oh, no!" she cried. "I think Twilight has gone into shock." Everypony gasped.
"What does that mean?" asked Pinkie. "Is she shocked?"
"It's worse. I... I don't think she can hear us."
"Oh, Twilight, darling!" cried Rarity. "Oh, I don't how much longer how I can go on like this consumed by guilt. Of all the worst possible things that could happen, this is... the... worst... possible... thing!" She then collapsed to the floor like the drama queen she always acted like.
"Twiley!" Shining Armor took hold of Twilight's shoulders and spoke directly in her face, desperate to snap her out of her mentally unconscious state. "No, this can't be happening! Twiley! Twiley, please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! You're my sister, Twiley! I love you!" He suddenly sounded like he was going to cry himself as Twilight's friends looked on in worry and doubt. "Please! I didn't mean to hurt you! Please! Say something! Anything!!" Tears finally came to his eyes seeing his sister's eyes frozen wide open. But then her mouth started moving slightly and she started to speak, albeit within her subconscious state.
"I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. But when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful."
"Huh?" Shining Armor was now puzzled.
"I learned that it's hard to accept when somepony you like wants to spend time with somepony who's not so nice. Though it's impossible to control who your friends hang out with, it is possible to control your own behavior. Just continue to be a good friend. In the end, the difference between a false friend and one who is true will surely come to light."
"What... what's happening to her?" Shining Armor asked desperately.
"I have learned a very valuable lesson about friendship: I was so afraid of being thought of as a showoff that I was hiding a part of who I am. My friends helped me realize that it's okay to be proud of your talents, and there are times when it's appropriate to show them off... Especially when you're standing up for your friends."
"I'm not sure," answered Celestia. "But, what she's saying is so familiar."
"Never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and can help you overcome even your greatest fears. If you embrace each other's differences, you just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all..."
"I know what's she saying!" Celestia said suddenly.
"Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is; It's the contents of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever."
"She's saying exactly what she's been writing to me in her reports about friendship," Celestia concluded.
"Sometimes the solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it. It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friends' opinions and perspectives... With good friendship and teamwork, ponies can accomplish anything..."
"Well, why is she sayin' all this?" asked Applejack. "What does it mean?"
"Sometimes, the thing you think will cause you to lose friends and feel left out can actually be the thing that helps you make your closest friends and realize how special you are..."
"I don't know," answered Celestia sadly.
"Being a good friend means being able to keep a secret, but you should never be afraid to share your true feelings with a good friend."
"Unless..." Celestia pondered. "Maybe..."
"Everypony everywhere has a special magical connection with her friends, maybe even before she's met them. If you're feeling lonely and you're still searching for your true friends, just look up in the sky. Who knows, maybe you and your future best friends are all looking at the same rainbow."
"I think I get it," said Celestia. "She must think that everything she's ever learned was never taken into account on the night of the wedding rehearsal, that they've all been defied."
"Always expect the best from your friends and never assume the worst. Rest assured that a good friend always has your best interests at heart."
"Ooh, ooh!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I know that one! She wrote that at my birthday party!"
"Yeah, but that was a lesson we should have embraced that night," said Applejack sadly. "Because if we really had learned our lessons, we never would have assumed that Twilight was just acting up. She was right the whole time... and we never listened to her. Not once. We just got suckered in by somepony who was nothin' but smoke and mirrors." She came to tears. "Oh, Twi... Why did we ever doubt you?"
"Aw, it's not our fault," assured Pinkie.
"Yes it is, Pinkie!" snapped Applejack. "All that we've ever been through has taught us nothin'." Celestia looked surprised to hear this. "Ah'm sorry, Princess," cried Applejack. "We failed you. Ah guess truthfully, we haven't learned a thing about true friendship. And look at her."
"One of the best things you can do with friendship is to give it to others, and help them find it themselves..."
"We all failed, I'm afraid," said Celestia sadly. "We all let her down... and we shouldn't have. And now my own leadership is in question because of the changeling invasion a week ago. I guess we're all about to pay twice for our mistakes."
"No!" cried Shining Armor. "I can't accept this happening to Twilight!" He then tried desperately again to snap his sister out of her state. "Twiley! Twiley, please! Come back! Come back to us! We all love you! And we're all sorry! Please! Just give us a chance to start over! We'll do anything! I'll do anything!" That's when Twilight's irises started to expand and return to normal. Twilight then gasped as if taking in a new breath of life as fresh new tears from her eyes rolled down her cheeks. She then buried her eyes in her hooves and cried.
"Oh, Twi," murmured Applejack, rubbing Twilight's back gently. "Just hang in there. We're gonna help ya get through this. Ah promise."
"Aw, Twilight," said Pinkie Pie. "Just try to cheer up! Look, I got you a treat!" Pinkie then pulled out a red velvet cupcake with pink-colored frosting. "I saved one of those cupcakes for you!" Twilight took her hooves off her eyes to see the cupcake, but she still couldn't stop sobbing. "Come on, Twilight. You gotta eat something." Pinkie helped place the cupcake in Twilight's hooves and although tears were still streaming down her wet face, she started taking bites of the delicious cupcake, still sobbing in between bites. "It's good, isn't it?" said Pinkie, trying to be cheerful. Twilight was still crying, but she nodded. That's when Cadance finally showed up to check on Twilight herself.
"Cadance!" Shining Armor was happy to see her, but Cadance only looked at him glumly before gently pulling Twilight into a warm hug.
"Shhh, shhh..." Cadance cooed. "Everything's all right. I'll be here for you, just like I was when you were a filly. Remember when I would always tell you how special you were? You still are. You always will be." Twilight cried on her shoulder.
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Wahaha! Black Kyurem hardly expected that! Brohoof!
Almost thought we were going to see a repeat of "Lesson Zero" there for a moment.
*sniff*
Dammit! They better address this issue in the show! Cadence should have bitch-slapped Shiny. Also the picture for chapter 3 wasn't working.
That's excellent!
fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/313/9/5/crying_twilight_sparkle_vector_by_hombre0-d497giy.png
THIS IS A GOOD STORY.
The artwork!
My feels!!!
This is what I had playing in my head when Twilight started reciting all those old friendship reports.
I'm actualy dealing with something somewhat similar right now (the whole feeling abandoned by my friends thing) so this actually brought tears to my eyes. I can actually completely understand what Twilight is going through.
ok......its official......we kinda broke Twilight.............um.........somepony....anypony.......
I think there is at least one other who would agree with Cadance:
On another note, I would also personally agree with the stance Cadance takes in both chapters 2 and 3. As tactless as Twilight was at the wedding rehearsal, you NEVER disown family over what is apparently a misunderstanding, ESPECIALLY without even giving them so much as a chance to apologize. Additionally, you NEVER condone such actions either.
P.S. Would I be wrong in saying that not even Luna experienced such treatment from her sister while she was Nightmare Moon? Sure, she was banished to the moon for a thousand years, but her and Celestia's heartfelt reunion would indicate that the latter had missed her and still acknowledged her as her sister.
This probably would've happened if she turned evil.
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1399837
Really... I was thinking of the Aviators' song 'Friendship'
Aw poor twlight no wonder she having a nervous breakdown
I can honestly say that I got the chills while reading the part where Twilight does a mental recap of her Friendship reports. *Shiver*
I'm honestly hoping that Twilight and everyone else will get through this better like before.
For the sake of being able to comment, I think I have an idea of what could be a spin-off for this story: A Canterlot Marriage Counseling Session.
I wonder what would've happened if cadence saw twilight while she was in shock?
So Applejack smacked Spike twice for telling the truth, and Pinkie's being as insensitive, childish and shallow as on the show. I'm not surprised. In fact, in the show, Rainbow Dash has never done anything to prove her loyalty after Nightmare Moon.
Looking back, I hated Canterlot Wedding for the scene where they all abandoned her.
Rainbow Dash could at least be pardoned because of Mare Do Well. IT'S PAYBACK! AND IT'S TERRIBLE!
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Meh. Paybacks a...
5883913
Forgiving her friends for Mare Do Well is nothing?
6639084 If we were playing Truth or Dare, I'd dare you to find someone who didn't. But we ain't so I shan't.
6639084
If I recall correctly. Mare-Do-Well didn't hAve a sceneriao where the world is taken over by changelings. Sorry, your argument is invalid.
5881890
'Welcome to Freak Out City, PopUlation: 1'
This story really gives feels. I could definitely see it possibly happening.
5883913
actually she did when the Olympics came up. Rainbow was invited by the wonderbolts to perform on their team taking the place of injured teammate but chose to stand with her friends and ponyville.