//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Critical Mass 
// by SC_Orion 
//------------------------------//

Twilight involuntarily shivered and shifted closer to Rainbow. Despite having been in a hospital for weeks, and despite being in Canterlot, where the climate was cooler than Ponyville because of altitude, she still found that the hospital had a bit of an uncomfortable chill to it.


Rainbow glanced over at Twilight as she scooted closer to her. She offered her a reassuring smile, then unfurled her wing and draped it over Twilight's back and pulled her close, welcoming her friend's warmth. She briefly closed her eyes, letting her thoughts drift off to the pleasant, comforting warmth from Twilight's body, then she opened her eyes again. "You doing okay?" she asked, studying Twilight's expression.


Twilight turned to Rainbow and nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's... just a bit chilly in here." She studied Rainbow's expression for a moment, bringing a smile to her lips, then looked straight ahead across the room.


Rainbow gently squeezed Twilight with her wing, pulling her alicorn against her body. Twilight leaned her head against Rainbow and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, then calmly exhaling a gentle sigh. "It's not that bad in here," Rainbow replied, despite feeling the cold seep into her unprotected coat. She leaned her head against Twilight's head, then quickly rubbed her muzzle over Twilight, drawing a happy giggle from her. Twilight's giggle made Rainbow's smile grow warmer, and deep inside her chest, she felt a warm happiness, knowing that she could make Twilight happy. A moment later, the happiness waned and guilt stabbed at her. 'I don't really want to leave you yet...' She grimaced. "Hey, shouldn't you be used to this? You grew up in Canterlot, and you were in the hospital for a while..."


Twilight smiled warily. "Yes, I grew up in Canterlot, but I've been in Ponyville for several years now, and I've grown accustomed to the warmer weather. I didn't enjoy being stuck in the hospital either..." she trailed off and slid her muzzle over against Rainbow's neck and nuzzled into her neck and mane. "But, at least you're here to keep me warm," she cooed.


Rainbow laid her head back on Twilight's and gently nuzzled her. "Are you sure you want me here with you for this, though?" she asked, her voice crackling with uncertainty. "It's... kind of personal, you know. Your checkup with Doctor Manner..."


Twilight slid her muzzle back from Rainbow's mane and laid her head on Rainbow's shoulder. "You've been to these before... Besides..." she trailed off and licked her lips, then took a deep breath. Despite her best efforts, her heart beat a little quicker, and unease seeped into her chest. "I... I'm sure I'm fine..." she said quietly. "I trust you to be here," she added softly, smiling.


Rainbow smiled brashly. "Of course you're fine!" she exclaimed. She leaned away from Twilight and wrapped her foreleg around Twilight's neck. "You're an alicorn and you're my friend. You've not had any issues, so I bet you're going to get a clean bill of health!" Twilight smiled at Rainbow's assurance. A little of her energy faded, but her voice became more serious, "You really need to stop worrying so much. It's not good for you. I bet even Doctor Manner would tell you that much!"


Twilight's smile turned sheepish. "Probably, but... I just... I don't know how to not worry... So many things could go wrong!" She leaned away from Rainbow. "I... I was exposed to enough radiation to kill a normal pony! I almost died..." She whispered. She swallowed, then glanced at Rainbow. Rainbow's smile, her reassurance, all of it had faded, and it had been replaced with pain. Twilight closed her eyes and looked away from Rainbow, hanging her head.


Rainbow swallowed and pulled Twilight back against her. Twilight resisted for a moment, then relented, not wanting to resist Rainbow's embrace. "Hey, it'll be fine. You're going to be okay, alright? I promise that you'll be okay," Rainbow said in a serious, firm tone.


Twilight took a deep breath and shifted her weight beneath Rainbow's wing. "You don't... you can't know that..." she retorted.


Rainbow leaned away from Twilight, then turned to face her. Twilight shied away from her and pressed her forehead against Rainbow's shoulder. "Hey, look at me," she said. Twilight swallowed, then slowly lifted her head back up and met Rainbow's gaze. "You're going to be okay. You know why? Because I promised that I'll be there for you, no matter what. I will make it okay, alright?" Rainbow said seriously, studying Twilight's eyes.


Twilight looked down at Rainbow's shoulder, then slowly nodded. She silently turned her head back to look at the wall. She closed her eyes and calmly inhaled, then slowly exhaled. She swallowed again, then nodded, more firmly this time. "O-okay."


Rainbow smiled, then looked away from Twilight, turning her attention to the door as it opened. Doctor Manner calmly walked inside, smiling, then closed the door behind him. He paused and took a deep breath, looking over Twilight and Rainbow. "How's my favorite patient doing, Princess?" he greeted warmly.


Twilight smiled a little, then hopped out of her chair. "I'm... fine, I guess," she answered. She glanced back at Rainbow to see her gaze still lingering on her, and to see that her wing was still open. She turned away from Rainbow and walked over to the bed in the room, then hopped up on it.


Rainbow blinked, then glanced at her wing, missing Twilight's presence. She slowly folded her wing, knowing that Twilight wouldn't return for a little while. She internally sighed, then turned to study the wall to occupy herself and attempt to give Twilight some privacy.


Doctor Manner frowned a little as he walked over to the bed. "You don't sound fine," he stated glumly. He glanced back at the counter, then levitated over a needle and a packet. Twilight eyed the needle and packet warily, then extended her right foreleg. Doctor Manner smiled apologetically. "We need to run some tests to check on some things to make sure everything's alright," he explained.


Twilight braced herself as she heard Doctor Manner tear open the packet, then winced a little as he ran the sterile pad over a spot on her foreleg. She took a deep breath and forced her muscles to relax as she felt the needle pierce her skin. "Just... it's still hard," she answered, trying to distract herself from the needle.


Doctor Manner nodded sympathetically. "It's... to be expected..." He trailed off, then placed a pad of gauze beside the needle. As he removed the needle, he pressed the pad to her wound. "But, you seem to be doing well, at least from your appearance. We'll have to wait to finish her before I know for sure." After a few more seconds, he lifted the pad of gauze up and scrutinized her foreleg. He smiled, not noticing much red.


Twilight glanced down at her foreleg, then her gaze drifted back up to the vial of red liquid Doctor Manner placed on the table in a plastic container specifically designed for the vials.


Doctor Manner levitated over a stethoscope. "Now that the worst part is over, please lay down." Twilight obliged, then laid down on her back with her head on the pillow. She took a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling, then scowled, feeling that the white tiles were mocking her.


He levitated the stethoscope over Twilight's chest, then placed it on her. Twilight winced a little as the cold sapped her warmth. Doctor Manner's gaze glossed over as he listened to Twilight's heartbeat. He repositioned the stethoscope and continued listening. "Deep breath," he ordered. "Good." He levitated the stethoscope aside. "Your heart and lungs sound healthy," he said. "Any pain or concerns you've had? Anything happen while you were gone that has you concerned?"


Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. "No. Nothing has really been physically affecting me..." she trailed off, then leaned her head to the side. "Well, I'm still... physically weaker than I was before. And flying still tires me out."


Doctor Manner squinted and slowly nodded. "It would probably be a good idea to start flying and exercising more, then. If you've not had any issues with feeling sick or nauseous, then you should start exercising. Push yourself, but don't push yourself so much that you make yourself sick," he said. He glanced over at Rainbow, who was paying more attention to the wall than both of them. "You can make sure Twilight gets proper exercise, right?"


Rainbow perked up and looked around, then found Doctor Manner. She smiled, then looked at Twilight and nodded. "Yeah, I'll make sure she exercises," she said. Twilight gulped and licked her lips.


Doctor Manner smiled and turned back to Twilight. "As for still being physically weaker... We'll have to run the blood tests, but I have a suspicion it's a combination of an improper alicorn diet and a lack of exercise on your part."


Twilight shifted her weight uncomfortably and grimaced. "I've... been eating more... meat..." she said tentatively. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow ruffle her wings and look away from her once more. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest and sighed.


"That's good," Doctor Manner said with a nod of his head. "That'll speed up your recovery."


"I told you!" Rainbow said.


Twilight groaned and sat up. "Rainbow, it makes you uncomfortable-"


"Okay, yeah, it does a little, but you need to. You can always it eat whenever nopony else is around!" Rainbow retorted.


Twilight opened her mouth, then pressed her tongue up against her teeth and slowly closed her mouth. "That... I guess you're right..." she reluctantly admitted. "I don't like eating meat, though..."


Rainbow hopped out of her seat and walk over to the bed, then sat down on the floor. "But you need to. It's important for you!"


Twilight sighed and hung her head. Her ears pinned back in guilt. "I... know... Okay, I'll eat more meat..." she relented.


"Lay back down for me, please," Doctor Manner said.


Twilight looked at him sheepishly and laid back down. "Sorry..."


"That's alright," Doctor Manner replied with a smile. He walked around, then gently ran his hoof over Twilight's forehead. He pursed his lips, then gently placed his hoof on her forehead where her horn would have been, then lightly pressed and felt around. "Any pain?"


Twilight shifted her weight. "It's... uncomfortable," she replied tentatively. "I wouldn't call it painful, but it's not exactly pleasant..."


Doctor Manner frowned and nodded, then pulled his hoof away. He ran his hoof down Twilight's head, then neck, and down to her body. Every once in a while, he lightly pressed into her side. "Anything feel off?" he asked.


Twilight shook her head. "No," she answered.


"Alright..." he said to himself. "Please extend your wings," he asked. Twilight unfurled her wings and laid them on the hospital bed. Doctor Manner scrutinized her right wing closely, running his hoof in between her feathers, then once he was satisfied, he placed his hoof on the base of her wing and felt around, then slid his hoof up flat against her side where her wing would rest when folded against her.


He placed his hoof on Twilight's body, below her ribcage, then started pressing and feeling around. "Any pain or discomfort?"


Twilight mulled it over while he gently pressed into her stomach and then abdomen. "Not really," she answered.


Doctor Manner nodded, then walked around to her other side and repeated the process, gauging Twilight's reaction to every press and prod. After he finished looking at Twilight's left wing, the nodded to himself. "Alright." He levitated over a clipboard, then scribbled down a few notes. "You're doing great from the looks of things. Just make sure that you start exercising more and continue to eat healthily, and eat more meat," he said, giving Twilight a flat look.


Twilight shifted her weight and tentatively sat up. "I will..." she said defensively, ruffling her wings.


"Well, if nothing else, you can go ahead and go. I'll have the lab results back sometime later this week and I'll let you know the results when I get them. I don't think I need to keep seeing you quite as often... How does one month sound?"


Twilight nodded. "I'll make an appointment for that, then..." she said, then hopped off the bed and started toward the door. Rainbow quickly stood up and joined her, sliding up beside her and smiling. Twilight smiled and brushed up against her, then leaned away from her.





Twilight closed her eyes and lifted her head upward as she stepped outside of the hospital. She took a deep breath and let the smell of fresh air fill her nostrils and lungs. The smells of nature were welcomed to her, unlike the overbearing, artificially clean smell of the hospital. She exhaled as a gentle breeze rolled by, then she lowered her head a little and opened her eyes.


Rainbow watched Twilight for a couple seconds before speaking, "So, you want to fly back to your castle, then?"


Twilight turned to look at Rainbow and thought about it for a couple of seconds, then she smiled. "Sure, we can fly back," she said with a quick nod. A second passed, she squinted at Rainbow cautiously and pursed her lips. "Just... a nice, relaxing flight back..." she said cautiously.


Rainbow rolled her eyes walked a couple of steps ahead of Twilight, then spread her wings out. "Doctor Manner said to exercise. You need to do that to get better, but I'm not going to push you until you're ready. Even just flying around more would be exercise!" She replied. She looked back at Twilight and smiled.


Twilight smiled sheepishly and unfurled her wings, then beat them and hovered in the air. Rainbow grinned and crouched down, then jumped into the air and flapped her wings. She did a little loop, then flew back beside Twilight. Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes while shaking her head. She put a little more effort into her wingbeats and started climbing. Rainbow stayed close beside her but kept enough distance between them that neither of them were going to collide or hit each other with their wings.


Twilight's ascent slowed as she looked down over Ponyville. 'You've changed so much,' she thought. 'You used to be such a small, relaxed town, but... not anymore...' she grimaced at the thought, then shook her head and lazily beat her wings to keep her altitude and propelled herself at a leisurely pace toward her castle.


Rainbow kept an eye on Twilight as they flew, while also looking around and keeping an eye on things. She cast a glance at Twilight and frowned. 'I know that look...' She sighed and looked away from her. 'I hate seeing you so unhappy...' She took a deep breath, then steeled her resolve. She sped up, then climbed into the air a little ways, then fell back into a loop and rolled over, flashing Twilight a smile before resuming flying normally.


Twilight's scowl faded almost immediately, and she giggled a little. "What was that all about?"


"What?" Rainbow asked, feigning ignorance, "I can't just do a little trick to put a smile on your face?" She smiled boldly.


Twilight smiled warmly, then it faded a little, becoming distressed and discouraged. "Thanks..." she said calmly.


Rainbow frowned at Twilight's falling expression. "Twilight, come on... You should be happy. You're doing better! You're getting better! You're recovering!" she said as if pleading for Twilight to believe her, which only succeeded in bringing a grimace to Twilight's lips. "How come you're not happy?" she asked quietly.


Twilight sighed, shook her head, and looked away from Rainbow as her ears folded back. "I guess... it's just one of those days. I miss my magic..." she trailed off, then looked back at Rainbow and offered her a weak, apologetic smile.


Rainbow's flight slowed to a hover. After a couple of seconds, Twilight slowed down to a hover, and both of them watched each other. "I can't imagine what that's like, Twilight. Really, I can't. Starlight compared it to a pegasus losing their wings. I can't imagine what that would be like either... it would be... horrible..." she said quietly. "But that's not all that's bothering you! Please talk to me."


Twilight looked away from Rainbow, glancing down at Ponyville. "Everything... has changed so much. I miss the old days..." she replied quietly. She glanced back up at Rainbow and met her gaze. "Back when the six of us had so much more free time to be together. Back when I was just learning all about this. About friendship. It... it just doesn't feel the same, now..." she trailed off and sighed, then hung her head and folded her ears back once again. "I think I'm depressed... and I think that I'm that way because of either being exposed to enough radiation to cause neurological damage, or losing my horn. On top of that, there's the chance that the damage I sustained from the radiation changed my body chemistry in such a way that I'm not suffering from depression," she said, speaking in such a way as a professor would.


Rainbow watched Twilight for several seconds, idly beating her wings to stay aloft, all the while, feeling a knot growing in her throat and an unease and discomfort growing in her body. She swallowed, then licked her lips and flew over to Twilight, who still refused to look up at her. Rainbow tentatively placed a hoof on Twilight's chest. She hesitated, then flew in closer and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight's withers. "Hey, you'll be okay. I'll tell you that every day if I have to. I will make it okay, alright? I'll be there for you."


Twiligth took a deep breath, then nodded. She looked at Rainbow for a second, then returned her hug and laid her head on Rainbow's shoulder. "Thanks... that... it does make a difference, Rainbow... this... Thank you. I..." she trailed off, closed her eyes, and rubbed her muzzle along Rainbow's neck in slow, tender strokes.


Rainbow leaned her head against Twilight as she nuzzled her. "I mean that, Twilight. It may drive me crazy having to say that to you every day, but I'll do that as long as I have to for you to get better." She quickly nuzzled into Twilight's mane, then lifted her head away from her, intending to pull back from the hug. She found her forelegs lingering, and Twilight made no indications of trying to pull back. She sighed, then laid her head on Twilight's shoulder, pushing off the distress she felt at the thought of ponies being able to look up and see them together, hugging like that. 'She's my friend, she's important to me!' she told herself, fighting back the distress she felt. She gave Twilight a gently squeeze. "You ready to head on back to the castle? We can cuddle for a while if you want, then we can get something to eat."


Twilight thought about it for a couple of seconds, then she pulled her head back away from Rainbow and nodded, smiling softly. "I... I would like that," she said softly. She tentatively, reluctantly release Rainbow from her grip. The pegasus slowly released her, then slid her forelegs away from her. Twilight closed her eyes as Rainbow's forelegs slid off of her body, the feeling eliciting a little joy and happiness to replace what was lost. She scrutinized Rainbow for a second, and shuffled her shoulders around, then quickly glanced around, making sure they were alone in the sky. She leaned in and quickly pecked Rainbow on the cheek, then pulled back, blushing, and started off toward her castle.


Rainbow smiled and watched Twilight start off. After a couple of seconds, she started to follow Twilight, still smirking while the feeling of Twilight's lips on her coat lingered, almost feeling tingly. She watched Twilight as they flew, the way the wind made Twilight's mane and tail flow was almost mezmorizing. 'What... will you look like... in... well, whenever that'll be. A few centuries? What will you look like with the flowing mane and tail like Celestia and Luna?' she wondered, picturing the almost magical quality of the princesses manes, combined with Twilight's mane. 'You're going to be so beautiful... I hope I can see that...'


She deeply inhaled, then calmly exhaled. She flew a little faster to catch up with Twilight. Eventually, they reached the crystalline castle, then slowed as they approached the balcony. Twilight landed first, coming to a complete stop, while Rainbow landed and set into an immediate walk to prevent herself from falling over. She smiled sheepishly and took it in stride, coming to a stop at the door, then opening it.


"Thanks," Twilight said as she walked on into her room. She paused, then took a deep breath. She unfurled her wings around, then casually flew over to her bed, landed, then plopped down on it.


Rainbow chuckled a little as she closed the door. "It wasn't that bad, was it?" she asked, turning back to face Twilight.


"I don't like being in hospitals," Twilight answered. "And... well, nothing against Doctor Manner. He's nice, I consider him one of my friends, but... it's just stressful."


"You overthink it, don't you? You worry about something being wrong," Rainbow said as she approached the bed. Twilight rolled her head over to face Rainbow, then reluctantly nodded. "You need to stop that, Twi," Rainbow said. She placed her forehooves on the bed, then hopped up onto the bed. She sat down, then laid down, facing Twilight.


Twilight sighed. "I know, I know... but... I just... I can't. I can't stop worrying about it... I know I need to, but I can't... it's... part of who I am."


Rainbow grimaced, then scooted closer to Twilight. She wrapped her limbs around her friend, then pulled her close. She took her foreleg, then coaxed Twilight's heat into resting onher neck. Twilight returned Rainbow's embrace and snuggled up against her, pressing their bodies close together so that their coats were in contact. "Cuddling helps you. I really don't have to go back to the Wonderbolts, Twilight. I could stay with you and... be with you," she offered in a soft voice.


"No. I can't... do that. As much as I want that, as much as I want to just be with you all day, every day, it's not fair to you. I can't just take your dream from you," Twilight firmly retorted.


Rainbow leaned up and nuzzled into the back of Twilight's neck, nestling into her soft, welcoming mane. "Don't forget that I want to be with you too, Twilight..." she said, then sighed and laid her head back flat on the pillow. She took her foreleg and brought it up to Twilight's neck, then gently started stroking Twilight's mane with her hoof. "I love you," she whispered.


Twilight nuzzled Rainbow and held her tighter. "I love you too, Rainbow," she sweetly cooed.





Spike tentatively knocked on the door. He shifted his weight as he heard an audible groan coming from Rainbow Dash. He grimaced a little and glanced at the scroll bearing Princess Celestia's seal he held in his other claw. He looked patiently at the door, waiting for somepony to open it. Several seconds passed. He lifted his claw up, then knocked on the door again.


He listened closely, trying to discern anymore sounds coming from within, but everything was muffled by the thick crystalline walls. He lifted his claw back up to knock again, only for the door to open. "Hey, Rainbow," he acknowledged.


Rainbow looked around, then blinked and looked down at Spike. "Oh, hey Spike. What's up?" she asked.


Spike waved his claw with a scroll in the air. "A letter for Twilight from Princess Celestia," he replied.


Rainbow nodded, then opened the door all the way and stepped aside to grant him entrance. "Okay... what's it say?" she asked.


"I haven't read it yet," Spike said as he walked into the room.


Twilight rolled over onto her back, then onto her side facing the door and sat up. She hopped down and met Spike halfway. She instinctually went to grab the scroll with her magic. When nothing happened, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and in the back of her mind. It wasn't a physical pain. She sighed, then sat down and took the letter in her forehooves. She carefully broke the seal, then unrolled it and read it over.


Rainbow closed the door, then walked over and sat down beside Twilight. "So what's it say?" she asked.


Twilight looked up from the scroll and cast a blank glance at Rainbow. "I haven't finished it yet," she replied.


"Sorry..." Rainbow apologized, bringing a foreleg up around to her neck and sheepishly rubbing her mane. After a few seconds, she shifted her weight away from Twilight, then unfurled a wing and leaned back toward her and laid her wing around Twilight's body.


Twilight smiled at Rainbow's gesture. After a couple more seconds, she gave the scroll back to Spike. "Princess Celestia has decided that, as a precaution, they're going to put some Royal Guards on standby in Ponyville."


Rainbow frowned. "As a precaution..? You know, with everything Ponyville has been through in the past few years, you would have thought that there would already be Royal Guards here because of all that. It seems like everything bad happens in Ponyville."


Twilight grimaced and bobbed her head. "She says that Queen Chrysalis is proving to be quite elusive. They're getting close, but she keeps slipping them up... Other than that, she was very vague..." she trailed off and swallowed, then slowly turned to look at Rainbow. "You... don't think that... they're sending Royal Guards here because-"


Rainbow hardened her expression. "No. That's not happening. You're safe here."


"Yeah," Spike agreed. "Between the Royal Guard and the rest of the girls, to say nothing of Starlight, Ponyville is probably one of the safest places you can be!"


Twilight clenched her jaw and idly looked away from her friends. She found her gaze drawn to her forehooves on the floor.


"Hey, I'm sure she would tell you if you were in any danger," Spike added.


Rainbow pursed her lips and slowly nodded. "Yeah," she said cautiously. "She'd warn you. Hey, I can stay with you if you'd feel safer-"


Twilight shook her head. "No, it's... it's probably nothing. Ponyville could use Royal Guards anyway. It's getting quite large... Maybe I'm just overthinking it. I just wish they weren't keeping me in the dark so much on how capturing her is going."


Rainbow pulled Twilight inter her side with her wing, then nuzzled her affectionately, dismissing Spike's presence. Twilight smiled and leaned into Rainbow's embrace.


Spike smiled at them. "Well, uh... I'll just leave you two alone," he said, drawing the attention of both of them to himself. Twilight blushed a little, and Rainbow shifted her weight ever so slightly. His smile faded a little and he started toward the door. He opened the door, then paused. He turned around and smiled. "Hey, I'm happy for you guys. You'll be good for each other," he said, then closed the door behind him.


"You know that I'd stay if you wanted me to, right?" Rainbow asked.


Twilight leaned away from Rainbow and nodded while smiling with a soft, gentle smile. "Yeah, I know that you would... I appreciate that. It... means a lot to me that you would do that, but it's not necessary..."





Dried twigs, leaves, and branches snapped and cracked beneath the weight of Royal Guards and Changelings as the former chased the latter through forested hills. An occasional order or alarm was called out by a pony, while on the changeling's behalf, the only sounds coming from them were chattering and clicking or the buzzing of their wings.


"We're gaining ground," one of the soldiers at the head of the group called out. "I've got eyes on the target!"


Their target, a large changeling with a menacingly long, jagged horn and a malicious gleam in her eyes scowled. She shot a hateful gaze at two drones flying beside her. "Eliminate them!" she hissed.


The two drones briefly wavered from their queen's distressed order, fearful of her wrath. They both knew what would happen if they engaged the Royal Guard, but they had no choice. Refusing their queen's order was by far the worst option of the two. Both of them broke away from Chrysalis and flew around, then flew towards the oncoming Royal Guards. The unicorn in the lead skidded to a stop as the two changelings let loose a barrage of spells, then he jumped behind a tree to shelter himself from their attack.


The green bolts of magic shot through the air, harmlessly passing him, but the changelings turned their attention on the tree sheltering him. They slowly pulled away from each other and flew around in wide arcs, intending to catch the unicorn by surprise.


The soldier breathed heavily. His reflexes and senses were aided by adrenaline coursing through his veins. He could hear them coming from two directions. He could hear more Royal Guards approaching quickly. He took a deep breath, then jumped out from behind the tree. He landed and swiveled to his left and pointed his horn at the changeling approaching him, then release a trio of magic bolts. The changeling weaved between the spells, then hissed.


The unicorn sidestepped and turned, leveling his horn on the other changeling, then fired another barrage of spells. The second drone weaved between the bolts of magic with the same skill as the first, but one of the bolts clipped his wing. The drone hissed in pain, then spun into a fall with one of his wings no longer able to support him.


The unicorn smiled in victory, then stepped to his right and turned back to face the first changeling. That changeling hissed more ferociously now that its comrade had fallen, but its attack was undeterred. The drone's body was surrounded by a green aura, and his speed increased rapidly.


The unicorn crouched down, then jumped back. The changeling landed hard on the spot where he had been standing, leaving a little crater and a scorch mark on the forest floor. Some of the dried leaves caught fire along the edge of the scorch mark.


The changeling staggered from the impact, giving the unicorn an opening. He stepped back and lowered his horn, then shot a single spell at the changeling. The changeling hissed and protected himself with a sickly, green barrier. A sharp crack was heard as the spell hit the barrier. The unicorn grunted and the changeling jumped at him, teeth bared, revealing his sharp fangs.


The unicorn drew back into a defensive position, only for several bolts of magic to zip passed the changeling jumping on him, while several more hit the changeling. The unicorn glanced at his comrades, then grunted as the lifeless changeling slammed into him and pinned him to the ground. He quickly pushed the changeling off of his body, then stood back up.


"Report!" an officer called out.


"Two drones broke off from Chrysalis," he quickly replied. "She kept the same heading from what I saw. She can't have many drones left," he added.


"Right, keep moving! We almost have her," the officer called out. Almost immediately, the soldiers resumed their pursuit, with two staying behind.


Chrysalis's scowl only deepened. Two more of her drones, two more of her few remaining loyal changelings were gone, leaving her with a small group of underfed, tired changelings. Twilight Sparkle would pay for it. It would all be worth it. Their sacrifice would buy time for the queen to make her move. And then Twilight Sparkle would pay for all of her insolent interference. Her friends and her pet student would have to wait. She didn't have the resources, but she did have a plan. All of it was riding on their success here.


She continued to weave through trees and branches, keeping her speed as quick as possible. She just had to avoid the Royal Guards and keep them busy. They would never know their true purpose. Princess Celestia would never know their true purpose.


She smiled, even as exhaustion continued to creep into the forefront of her mind. The ponies were persistent, not offering her many opportunities to rest, let alone feed. Perhaps it would have been easier to have accepted Starlight's offer, but Tartarus would freeze over before that would happen.


A bolt of light pink magic shot passed her. She hissed and bared her teeth, then spared a glance back behind herself. She could just barely make out the moving forms of Royal Guards clad in their pristine armor. They were close. She was closer to her objective, however.


They were quite a ways away from any camps by now from what she could tell. There were only two pegasi with the Royal Guards chasing her. Two pegasi, six earth ponies, and twelve unicorns. Without the pegasi, they wouldn't be able to get a word out about their location. The Royal Guard would keep chasing them and keep wasting resources to catch them.


A bolt of magic shot passed her and collided with a tree. The tree's trunk exploded outward, sending a barrage of debris, bark, and splinters showering her and the rest of her changelings. She shielded her eyes with her legs. A moment later, she felt a weight crashing down on her. She wheezed as she hit the ground and felt her carapace crack. She hissed in pain and struggled against the weight of the tree.


The changelings escorting her all paused and looked around at each other and Chrysalis frantically. The buzzed on back and then landed, with the exception of one who continued on at a much quicker pace. The changelings who stayed took up positions behind cover and lit their horns with their sickly green auras, then started firing bolts of magic at random toward the oncoming Royal Guards. They were outnumbered, but that meant that they had a greater chance of scoring a hit.


Two of the changelings worked at getting Chrysalis out from under the tree. At first, they tried pulling her out, but the pained hiss they received as a scolding warning made them rethink that idea. They lit their horns, then started cutting through the tree trunk with their magic in two sections that would be easier to manage.


The Royal Guard's approach was slowed by the changeling's spell fire, but they still continued to advance.


The changelings made quick work of the felled tree, then helped Chrysalis to her hooves. The changeling hissed in pain and clutched her chest. She could feel a fracture in the carapace of her chest. She hated it. She turned around, then hissed at the Royal Guards before taking off in flight once again. The changelings continued to fire spells back at the Royal Guards, then they took off flying after Chrysalis.


As soon as the changelings firing spells at the Royal Guards broke off, they hastened their pace, attempting to catch up and make up for lost ground. "We can't let them get away now!" one of the officers called out.


"If anyone can get a shot in, take Chrysalis down! Nonlethal only!" another officer shouted.


The pain in her chest from her cracked Carapace was unpleasant. A tree landing on her had taken more out of her than she would have admitted if asked. They were close to completing their objective. Their reinforcements were close by. The drone which broke away and continued on would bring them back. Perhaps she could afford to stop for a rest. They would think they had captured her, only for more changelings to show up and rescue her.


It would be night in a few hours. They could cover a lot more distance then, and it would be safer. The Royal Guards would have more trouble tracking them down at night.


Of course stopping to take a break would necessitate the sacrifice of the drones with her. They would also see her weakness. That was not acceptable.


She fought on through the pain, hunger, and exhaustion, as did her changelings. Despite their best efforts, the Royal Guards managed to keep up with them and even regain lost ground. Flying through the forest slowed their pace, the trees and branches that they had to weave around and in between took a lot out of her, but she kept going, sustained by her drive for success.


More bolts of magic cut through the air and shot passed them. Aiming accurately while moving was difficult, it required a lot of focus and attention to keep moving while casting magic, even more so when trying to hit a moving target while chasing them. She found herself smiling at their pathetic attempts to hit her changelings or herself with their magic. They had no choice but to keep trying and to keep chasing after her while casting. If they stopped and aimed properly, they'd lose ground which they'd have to regain.


A bolt of magic zoomed passed one of her changelings, drawing his attention back. The mistake proved costly, his wing clipped a branch. He hissed out in pain and careened to the ground. He shot back up and then crouched down, his ears folding back. He darted to his left and hid behind a tree.


Chrysalis seethed with anger. Another drone, more resources lost.


A sharp, burning pain laced throughout her body, emanating from just below her wing. She hissed and groaned in pain. Her heart skipped a beat as her wingbeats grew sluggish. She tensed up as she realized she was starting to fall, then she braced herself and clenched her eyes shut as the ground neared. Twigs and rocks scratched her carapace, and the impact jostled her already injured chest, further aggravating her injury. She bared her teeth, then let out a sharp, infuriated scream. The changelings quickly landed and found cover to hide behind while one of them pulled Chrysalis behind a tree.


Even the Royal Guard faltered from her scream, momentarily recoiling in fear, then doubling down on their assault. "Chrysalis! Surrender now!" an officer shouted. He was met by the response of one of the changelings hissing, then sending a bolt of magic at him. He ducked behind a tree to avoid the spell.


The Royal Guard retaliated against the changeling drone's attack by focusing their horns on his position, then unleashing a barrage of magic. Bolts of magic shot out from the unicorn soldiers' horns and hammered the changeling's position, decimating the tree he hid behind and exploding the trunk. The changeling yelped as he found that the wood couldn't withstand their bombardment and felt pain shooting through his body from multiple wounds on his body. He fell down, wincing and hissing, his wounds filling with a sticky, viscous green fluid which slowed the blood flowing out from his wounds.


The Royal Guards and Changelings spread out behind cover, and a firefight ensued. For every spell a changeling launched at the unicorns, the unicorns returned it in kind with a dozen spells. Chrysalis growled in hatred as she watched her changelings fall, one by one until only the changeling tending to her remained. She could hear him shaking in fear as the soldiers approached. She bared her teeth and lit her horn.


She listened intently as the slow, methodical hoofsteps grew closer and closer. She smiled, a faint buzzing sound gracing her ears, but she kept her focus on the hoofsteps.


One of the Royal Guards stepped around the tree, stepping away from the tree and turning to face Chrysalis in one step. It proved to be the last mistake he would ever make. Chrysalis's magic lashed out at the unicorn, burning a hole through his armor and sending him flying, then tumbling across the ground until he hit a tree stump. He left a trail of blood behind.


The sound of the crack of magic came from behind her, her remaining drone hissed, the collapsed beside her. Her head shot around and she met the gaze of a unicorn, then hissed at him. She pushed against the ground with a hoof, only to find an armored foreleg wrap around her neck, then slam her into the tree. She was dazed from the impact. "Target neutralized!" the earth pony called out.


Chrysalis shook her head, then hissed at him. She struggled against his grip.


"I could use some help!" the earth pony called out, grunting as he struggled against Chrysalis.


Chrysalis snapped her mouth at the pony, making him flinch. She lunged at his neck and sank her teeth into his neck. The earth pony screamed. Chrysalis felt a weight press down on her chest, then the air was knocked out of her lungs. She wheezed in shock and released the earth pony. She hissed back at the pony on top of her, crimson staining her mouth, then felt something slam into her head.


Everything went dark for her. Chrysalis's form shimmered for a brief moment, then a green aura encompassed her body before disappearing.


"Get the ring on her ho..." the soldier trailed off, frowning, then gasped in shock. "It... it's..."


"It's not Queen Chrysalis, it's a drone..." an officer said in a quiet voice. He stood up and looked around with a purpose. His gaze fell on the two pegasi. "Get back to base and tell them that we don't have eyes on Chrysalis. It was an imposter. If you run into any trouble, do not engage!" he ordered.


The two pegasi swiftly saluted, then crouched down, spreading their wings, and then jumped into the air. A green bolt of magic shot through the air and hit the first pegasus, slamming into his back in between his wings. The magic cut through his armor then went all the way through his body and cut through the armor protecting his chest. He gasped in shock and limply fell to the ground.


"Contact!" a soldier called out. "Count, twenty changelings!"


"Take cover!" As the order was given, the Royal Guard dispersed and took cover. Spells were exchanged wherever and whenever possible. Changelings zoomed around and landed to engage the unicorns in close combat. They were careful never to try to take on a unicorn without having backup. Changelings harassed the earth ponies from the air, preventing them from counterattacking or assisting the unicorns.


Two of the changelings broke off and chased the second pegasus. They shot through the treeline and zoomed off after him, horns blazing. The pegasus flew as fast as he could toward their nearest camp but made one fatal mistake.





Twiligth precariously eyed the slab of golden-brown meat on her plate and shifted her weight in her seat. She glanced to her right at Rainbow who sat in a chair beside her. The pegasus paid her no mind at first as she ate the steamed vegetables on her plate, but after a few seconds, Rainbow looked over at Twilight.


Rainbow finished chewing, then swallowed and sat up straighter. "Twilight, you need to. You said you would."


Twilight looked away from Rainbow's eyes and let her gaze come to rest on her body. "I... are you sure you're comfortable with this? Being... around me while I eat... meat..." she said quietly.


Rainbow groaned and massaged her forehead with her forehoof. "Twilight, we've been over this. You need to relax, okay? Seriously. I said it's fine."


Twilight glanced back up at her friend and smiled nervously. She swallowed, then nodded. "Sorry, I just..." she trailed off, then closed her eyes and looked back down at her plate.


Rainbow forked another steamed vegetable onto her fork, then brought it to her mouth and slipped the vegetable into her mouth, then hastily chewed it and swallowed. "Twilight, really. If we're doing this- dating, or whatever..." she said tentatively, suppressing a wince. "I... need to get used to it, don't I? I promised I'd stay with you, so... since you have to eat meat, I should get used to it or not let it bother me."


"It makes you uncomfortable. I can always do it alone..." Twilight said quickly in a quiet voice, not wanting to linger on the topic.


"Twilight, I enjoy having dinner with you. It's nice. The company's good. Even if we're just here eating and don't talk, it's better than being by myself," Rainbow replied. She smiled at Twilight, then glanced down at the meat. She looked it over for a second, then shifted her weight and looked back up at Twilight, still maintaining her smile. "Please, just relax. Stop being so tense. I love you, and you having to eat meat doesn't change that."


Twilight smiled softly, then nodded a second later. She took a deep breath, then swallowed. "O-okay, I'll try to relax..." she said in a soft, meek voice. She tentatively extended her right wing, then picked up a knife in between her feathers, then she took her fork in her other wing. She cautiously stabbed the meat with her fork, then cut a small piece off from the main body with her knife. The meat easily peeled away, the salmon having been cooked to perfection by Spike.


Twilight nervously glanced at Rainbow, then turned back to her plate and slowly lifted the fork to her mouth, then took the meat into her mouth and slid the fork back. She slowly chewed up the fish, pondering its flavor and texture in an attempt to distract herself from the knowledge that it had been a living creature at one time. Eventually, she swallowed and licked her lips. She glanced back at Rainbow, who once more paid her no attention.


She turned back to her plate, then more eagerly cut another, larger piece of meat off and hastily forked it into her mouth, then chewed in and quickly devoured it. Over the next few minutes, she quickly ravaged the rest of the meat on her plate, and when she finished, she licked her lips and teeth to clean them from what remained of the fish. "You'd think, that... after all this time, I would be used to eating meat, that... it wouldn't bother me so much..." she said quietly.


Rainbow scooted her empty plate away from her and looked over at Twilight curiously. "You're still a pony, and you were a unicorn most of your life, so..." she trailed off. Twilight looked over at her absently. Rainbow shrugged. Twilight grimaced, then shook her head. "Well... if you really want me to go back to the Wonderbolts, then... I should probably head to bed..."


Twilight looked physically pained for a brief moment, then the pain disappeared and she smiled a weak, forced smile. "Yeah... I'm kind of tired myself." She glanced down at the floor, then hopped out of her chair, away from Rainbow, then walked around the back of her chair. She came to a stop beside Rainbow's chair, then frowned.


Rainbow hopped out of her chair, then walked around to Twilight and unfurled her wing. She leaned against Twilight and wrapped her wing around her friend. "Hey, my offer to stay still stands!" Twilight shot her a pained, indignant look. Rainbow smiled sadly. "Hey, I'd stay if you wanted me to. I... I want to stay, to be honest. I don't really want to go back. I miss the flying, but being with you is nice too." Her smile grew warmer, then grew strained as Twilight's ears folded back.


Twilight sighed and looked down at her hooves. "I can't just keep you from it," she said quietly.


Rainbow remained silent for a few seconds. 'I wish you would relax and just... enjoy the moment. I hate seeing you so sad... If I go, you'll be sad when I'm gone... I know you will, but... if I stay, you'll be sad because you think that you're keeping me from my dream...' she felt a stab of pain in her chest, near her heart at the realization. 'We... we just need to sit down and have a talk, don't we. You just don't get it, do you...' She sighed, then leaned her head into Twilight's head. The alicorn reciprocated her action, then rubbed up against her. Smiles grew back on both of their lips. "Well... let's... Let's just head to bed and cuddle, then. We can talk tomorrow... after I get back?" 'Is waiting really a good idea? I... think it is. It'll give her time to think, and maybe it'll help her realize that she's just hurting both of us...' Still, her decision left her feeling uncomfortable, and her only comfort was the mare pressed up against her side.


"Okay..." Twilight said softly.


Rainbow ran her wing over Twilight's side and wing, then held her tighter and started walking toward the door. Twilight was left with no choice but to follow her, not that she minded or tried to resist. "Uh, what about the dining room? Should we clean up or-"


"It'll be fine. I can clean it up tomorrow, or have Starlight or Spike take care of it..." Twilight replied.


Rainbow nodded absently and continued on walking, making her way to Twilight's bedroom. 'Why do you feel like I should go back to the Wonderbolts? I know it hurts you, I can see that. You don't want me to go, but you think that I have to, that I should or something...' She suppressed a sigh as her mind continued to wonder over Twilight. 'I'm worried about you,' she thought as she opened the door for Twilight, then motioned her on inside the room.


Twilight tentatively walked forward, sliding out from under Rainbow's wing. Her lips pulled upward and she closed her eyes as each step caused her friend's soft feathers to slide over her body. She opened her eyes and the smile faded as Rainbow's wing left her body. She looked back at Rainbow longingly, then slowly turned back to the bed. She hesitated for a second, then hastily trotted across the room and slid under the covers, watching Rainbow and waiting for her friend to join her.


Rainbow smiled a warm, reassuring smile at Twilight as she shut the door behind her, then locked it. She beat her wings and hovered in the air, then leisurely flew over to the bed. Twilight pulled the covers back for Rainbow, who landed beside Twilight, then took the blankets in her forehooves and fell back into bed, causing both of them to bounce a little. Twilight giggled, then sighed contently as Rainbow grabbed her with her limbs and pulled her close.


Twilight snuggled back into Rainbow's warm, soft body, then tucked her head in against her neck and slid her head back up under Rainbow's neck. She folded her forehooves against her body, then smiled and closed her eyes as she felt Rainbow's forehooves pin her forehooves to her chest. "Goodnight, Rainbow... I love you," Twilight whispered.


Rainbow nuzzled Twilight's mane, then squeezed her in a reassuring manner. "I love you too... I'll try not to wake you when I get up, but uh... the alarm might wake you anyway..." she trailed off sheepishly. She slipped her leg under Twilight's body and coaxed Twilight's flank onto her thigh, then shifted her weight and pressed Twilight's legs into her abdomen with her legs. "Comfy?"


"Mhm..." Twilight cooed. She nuzzled Rainbow's neck with the back of her head, then opened her eyes. "I'm... really going to miss this if I get too big for you to hold me..."


Rainbow grimaced. "Yeah... me too..." she said somberly. "Maybe... you holding me won't be so bad. Maybe we could sleep facing each other and hold each other then?" she offered. 'Never in a million years would I have pictured myself saying that this time last year...' she mused. The more she thought about it, the more she found herself smiling.


"That does sound nice," Twilight replied softly. "But... it'll be a while. A few decades at least before... that. And... well..." she trailed off.


"Hey, I'll still be here with you then," Rainbow assured her, chuckling a little. "I made a promise, and I'll keep it."


Twilight smiled and closed her eyes, feeling safe and loved in Rainbow's embrace. "Goodnight, Rainbow."





Night was the perfect ally. Most ponies were asleep at night, and the ponies who were awake were most often drowsy. They weren't awake and alert. They didn't notice the subtle discrepancies, and they didn't ask too many questions. A lack of appreciation for the night drove Princess Luna into becoming Nightmare Moon. But could they really be blamed? The night was dark and foreboding. When darkness fell, without the sun to light the world, you couldn't tell if what made a sound was something harmless, or something to fear.


Queen Chrysalis growled in a low, sharp tone, the hatred emanating from her growl sent shivers down the spines of the changelings with her. The sight of Princess Twilight's perfect crystal castle made her seethe with vicious anger that was almost palpable. She slowly sulked back behind the house she hid behind, removing her gaze from the wretched castle of one of her most hated enemies.


It was worse knowing that two of her most hated enemies called the castle home.


Any other day, when she was at her full power, she would have brought the castle down, turning it into a pile of broken shards and debris- like it deserved, regardless of the consequences. She would do it out of pure spite for the infernal Princess of Friendship and her student who called it home, and she would laugh at their pain and anguish, savoring every delectable second of it.


But now, her power had waned. Once more, secrecy, deceit, and darkness were her allies, as ever. Attempting to infiltrate Equestria in preparation for a full-scale invasion had failed because of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. Princess Cadance had been rescued by Princess Twilight Sparkle. Kidnapping and impersonating the most beloved ponies in Equestria had failed. Princess Twilight Sparkle's student had rescued them and dethroned her. Her attempt to poison their beloved, backwater town had failed because of Princess Twilight Sparkle's interference.


And what was worse, the young alicorn survived. She hadn't been the primary target of her attack, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Twilight Sparkle had been a thorn in her side for far too long. She hissed, infuriated by the mere thought of the alicorn and her student being free. She took joy in knowing Twilight's suffering for her interference, but it wasn't enough.


She bared her fangs and smiled wickedly in delight. 'You will pay for your insolence, alicorn... And nothing will save you this time...' She growled again, then turned her sharp gaze onto the four drones with her. She hated waiting when it came to this, her prey was so close and so vulnerable. 'Your magic won't save you this time. Your friends, nor your princesses, nor your student will stand in my way before this is over...'


Her patience would pay off. Her plan was already set in motion, and Celestia was taking the bait. All that was left was for her vindictive, sadistic victory. By the time they realized her plan, it would be too late. She would save the looks of horror as they all realized their mistakes, as they realized just how much they failed. She would savor every second of her victory, and she would rub their muzzles in the dirt with her victory.


In the distance, she heard footsteps. Her drones all perked up at the dull sound. She growled once more, then peeked out from her hiding spot. Two Royal Guards, side by side, patrolled the silent street, their horns lit and casting a faint glow from their aura, while they projected light from their horns to fight back the night.


Queen Chrysalis ducked back between the houses, then shot a glare at her drones and silently slid away, followed closely behind by her changelings.





Rainbow groaned as an incessant buzzing sound broke the quiet serenity of her slumber. A second groan followed closely behind hers. Rainbow winced and squeezed Twilight, then slid her head back and buried her muzzle into the back of Twilight's head. For several seconds, she lay there, trying to ignore the buzzing, but it was no use- the alarm refused to be ignored. She already hated the alarm, it wouldn't let her drift back to a peaceful slumber holding the mare she loved in ehr hooves.


Twilight breathed out a disgruntled sigh and shifted her weight. Rainbow tightened her grip on Twilight, reaffirming her hold on her friend and stifling her movements. "Rainbow..." Twilight said in a weary, sleepy voice.


Rainbow inhaled deeply, filling her lungs as much as she could. She smiled a little warily, enjoying Twilight's scent, but under duress from the still-buzzing alarm. "Sorry..." she sighed. She let go of Twilight with one of her forelegs, then reached out trying to reach the alarm, only to find that she was too far away. Rainbow pressed her eyes closed and groaned, "I can't reach it..."


Twilight shifted her weight, then pulled away from Rainbow, the pegasus having already loosened her grip on her. She slid over, then rolled over onto her stomach and unfurled her wing, then fumbled around, feeling for a button to turn the alarm off before finding and swiftly silencing the alarm. Twilight closed her eyes, then pressed her forehead into the pillow. Twilight rolled over onto her other side, then scooted back up to Rainbow's body, then laid her head up against her neck and slowly nuzzled her, sighing sadly.


Rainbow laid a wing around Twilight's side and gently caressed her body with her soft feathers. "I can stay here for a couple of minutes... I'll just have to take a quick shower or fly a little faster..." she said softly, smiling.


Twilight made a soft, disappointed whining sound. "No... it's fine... You wouldn't want to fall back asleep," she said quietly.


Rainbow snorted. "Well, actually I wouldn't mind it. I don't like waking up this early. I got used to sleeping so much when I was with you, and well, I always used to nap so much..."


Twiligth took a quick, deep breath, then pushed away from Rainbow and rolled over onto her back. "No using that excuse. We went to bed earlier. Even I'm not... that tired... I mean, I'd love to go back to sleep with you..." she trailed off, then slowly pushed herself up until her chest was outside of the blankets, then she sat up. "But I don't think I'm going to be able to fall asleep again without you, so I'll just get up anyway," Twilight said absently.


Rainbow sighed, then rolled onto her back. "You probably should try to go back to sleep, though. Resting helps you get better, right?"


Twilight looked over at her and slowly nodded. "Yes..." she admitted reluctantly. Her ears folded back against her head and she slumped down a little. "I don't want to wake up without you beside me, though..." she said quietly. She hung her head and sighed, then nodded again. "Okay, I'll... try..." she relented. She swallowed, then slowly slid back under the blankets and rolled over to face Rainbow.


Rainbow wanted to look away from Twilight, she looked despondent, and looking at her was painful. She slowly slid back over to Twilight, then hugged her. She bent her head down, then placed her lips on Twilight's forehead, where her horn would have been. Her kiss lingered for several seconds, and when she pulled away, she laid her head on Twilight's head, pulling her friend into the crook of her neck, then nuzzled Twilight's mane. "I'll be back this evening," she said softly. "I can always stay or come back sooner or-"


Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow's withers. "I know, but... I want you to go and... have fun and... be a Wonderbolt," she said. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine..."


Rainbow sighed, then yawned. "Do you remember when I told you that I wouldn't be able to focus if I was worried about you? That I didn't want to hurt you, and that I knew that I was hurting you? That hurt, I don't want to leave you here alone..."


Twilight forced a smile, then pulled back from Rainbow. "It's your dream, I... can't stand in your way of that..." As she finished speaking, her smile slipped a little. She caught herself, but it wasn't quick enough for Rainbow not to notice, and she swallowed in distress. She met Rainbow's gaze, and her smile grew a little less forced, then she averted her gaze. "I'm..." she trailed off. 'Pathetic... aren't I? You will never admit it, but... I am. I can't do anything without my magic... Well... I can get by, but... just barely. You said I'm not a burden, but here I am, standing in between you and your dream...'


Rainbow slowly slid her muzzle back down and placed her lips on Twilight's forehead again. While she kissed her, her mind wandered. She relished her friend's soft, warm body, her inviting embrace, and the joy she gave Twilight. 'It's going to be a long day.' She pulled her lips away from Twilight's soft coat and grimaced. She didn't want to leave Twilight, even if Spike and Starlight were around. Leaving would make Twilight hurt, but if she stayed, she feared that Twilight would feel worse. She sighed at the futility of it. "Hey, I'll be back tonight, alright. I'm looking forward to that, coming back here and cuddling with you and all that. It'll be nice after flying all day."


Twilight giggled a little and smiled warmly. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to that too," she replied.


Rainbow hesitantly pulled away from Twilight and then looked her over. She tried to smile, and managed to for a little bit, but it wavered, and then faded. 'I made her a promise, and I'm going to keep it. Even if I am going back to the Wonderbolts, I'm still going to make time for you, Twilight...' She flashed Twilight a smile. "If you need me, just send somepony to come and get me, and I'll be back as soon as I can," she said, her smile turning brash.


A little of Rainbow's enthusiasm slipped into Twilight's smile. "Okay," she replied. "Rainbow... I love you," she whispered. She slid up to Rainbow, then swallowed and quickly placed her lips on Rainbow's cheek. She pulled back a second later, looking down at the bed. Chancing a look up, she saw Rainbow smiling and smirking wider than before. A smile pulled at her lips.


"I love you too, Twilight. Remember that," Rainbow replied.


Twilight nodded and licked her lips. "I will," she replied, smiling genuinely. She rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes, then sighed, halfway happy, and halfway longingly.


Rainbow slid out from under the blankets, then hopped down onto the floor. She momentarily winced as the cool morning air sapped the warmth from her body. Already, she missed laying with Twilight, her friend's warmth lingered in her body, but the feeling was fading. She turned around and looked at Twilight, then watched her for a couple of seconds, trying to decide whether she had fallen asleep again. Eventually, through the darkness, she managed to make out a soft smile on Twilight's lips, then that one of her eyes were cracked open. Rainbow smiled sheepishly, then flew over to the door. She unlocked it, then walked out into the hallway and made her way over to her guest room after closing the door behind her.


Twilight's smile faded. She rolled over onto her side, watching the door for a few seconds, hoping that Rainbow would return, though knowing she wouldn't. 'Why do I do this to myself...' she wondered. 'I wish you would stay, but if you stay, then I'm hurting you... But if you go, then I'm hurting because you're not here, and I'll still hurt you because I'm hurting...'


She closed her eyes and tried to occupy her mind with something, anything to distract her from the creeping despair she felt. Rainbow was going to be gone for hours, maybe even longer than half of a day. She hadn't been away from Rainbow for so long for almost three months. She felt fear at the prospect of facing such a prolonged period of time without her friend. She swallowed a growing knot in her throat and tried to get comfortable to fall back to sleep.


Despite her best efforts, sleep continued to elude her, even as she tried every position she once slept in. She tossed and turned, knowing that something was missing. She was too cold, the bed wasn't soft enough, the scent was wrong. She found herself staring up at the ceiling, her mind wandering aimlessly, but dominated by thoughts of her pegasus and worry.





Rainbow hopped out of the shower and set hoof on the crystalline floor. She hastily grabbed a towel and dried herself off as best she could, all the while walking over in front of the sink and mirror. She continued to dry herself off while scrutinizing her mane and coat. She glanced around, then found a hamper and unceremoniously dropped the towel into it. She spread her wings out and gave them a good look over.


Looking at her wings in the mirror, she couldn't help but picture Twilight pressed up against her side, with her wing wrapped around the alicorn, and it also spurred on her memory of when she preened Twilight. The memory left her with mixed feelings. She sighed and glanced back at her extended right wing. 'Everything leaves me with mixed feelings anymore...'


She shook her head, then took a deep breath and folded her wings back against her sides. She placed her forehooves on the sink, then took one and pulled out a brush from the cabinet and then sat down. She leaned to her left, then jerked her head to the right, sending her chromatic mane flying around to land on the right side of her neck. She angled her head back and grunted a little, then planted the brush in her mane and ran it through her mane a couple of times in short spurts. She winced as she worked out a few snags, then she leaned her head forward and took the brush in her wing and hastily ran it through her mane just enough to make herself look presentable and to take care of her mane, but not enough for anypony to tell she brushed it, then she hastily brushed her tail.


After she finished brushing her mane, she placed the brush back in its place and quickly brushed her teeth, all the while eyeing the clock closely. Spitfire wasn't expecting her back. She was expecting a report from her, but she wasn't expecting her to come back and join them for the day. Still, she wanted to be on time.


She turned on the faucet, then rinsed her mouth out. Turning away from the sink, she swiped a forehoof over her lips to dry them, then hastily made her way into the bedroom. She approached the bed, then smiled brashly as she looked over her Wonderbolt flight suit. It left her with a feeling of pride and joy, to say nothing of the excitement that left her wings bristling in anticipation.


She quickly donned the flight suit, then flew back into the bathroom and looked herself over in the mirror. She nodded to herself, then walked out into the hallway and set off at a brisk flight through the castle, then out of the main doors. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon as she flew up into the sky, leaving her carefree about whether or not anypony saw where she came from as she set off toward the Wonderbolt Academy.


She closed her eyes and did a little roll in the air, enjoying the freedom that pegasi knew when flying- the wind rushing through her mane and tail, the air beneath her wings and flowing in between her feathers, and the sense of being unbound to the ground, being able to make one's own way through the sky. And yet, despite the freedom, it didn't feel quite as good as it had when she first became a full-fledged Wonderbolt. It didn't leave her with the same sense of awe and wonder. The pride was still there, but the rest just wasn't the same.


Her smile wavered a little. She opened her eyes and glanced to her right, then left. She was alone- something she had been used to, but ever since Twilight got released from the hospital, she was used to being around Twilight most of the time. She missed her friend. 'I wish you were here with me, Twilight... we really need to go flying at night more often. Sunrise is really cool too...'


A grimace tugged at her lips, but she pushed on, even as her chest grew heavy and the excitement grew dull and numb.





Twilight sighed in distress and solemn acceptance: she wasn't going back to sleep without Rainbow with her. She groaned and pushed herself up into a sitting position, then placed a forehoof on her head. She glanced over her bed. She smiled a little at the indentation Rainbow had left, and without her in the bed with her, the bed looked so empty, and nowhere near as inviting.


It just felt and seemed wrong for only one pony to be in the bed- it was easily large enough for both Celestia and Luna to sleep in it, so by herself, there was plenty of wasted room.


She shook off the thought and slid her forehoof back down to the bed. She glanced down at her body and scrutinized her coat, then spread her wings out and glided off of the bed. She landed softly, then leaned down and stretched out. She moaned contently as she let her body relax in the stretched position, then she stood back up. She turned back to the bed, then grimaced.


She turned around to face the bed, then leisurely beat her wings. She hovered in the air and looked over the bed, then flew around to the other side. She straightened out the covers and tucked them in under the pillows, then she flew around to the other side and repeated the process. She hovered over the middle of the bed and smoothed the covers out with her hooves as best she could, then she landed.


It was acceptable, but just barely. Applejack or even Pinkie Pie would do a better job than her using just their hooves, and she could fly. She shook the feeling of failure off, then shuffled into the bathroom. She pulled out a brush with her wing, then hung her head and idly brushed her mane. After a few strokes, the brush clattered to the floor. Twilight clenched her jaw and stared down at it, then slowly lowered her wing and picked the brush back up and held it more firmly.


'Alicorns aren't made for this...' she mused, lifting her eyes up to look at her large, full wing in the mirror. Her gaze inevitibly shifted to her forehead and her missing horn. Despite her loss, a small, soft smile tugged at her lips. Before she realized it, she had lifted her forehoof and placed it on her forehead. She could almost still feel Rainbow's lips on her forehead, and the more she thought about it, the more her smile grew.


Eventually, she finished brushing her mane, then brushed her tail. She smiled and hummed a soft, cheery tune to herself as she made her way out of her room and into the hallway. She turned to the left, then headed off to the dining room, navigating her castle's halls with practiced, almost instinctual ease. As she walked, her humming faded to silence, and her smile grew softer and more strained.


Twilight took a deep breath before walking into the dining room and looking around. She smiled at the room's prior two occupants. "Good morning Spike! Starlight!" she acknowledged. Both the aforementioned dragon and unicorn turned to acknowledge her arrival, and both of them smiled.


"You seem to be in a good mood today," Starlight noted in a warm, friendly tone.


Twiligth slowly nodded, then nodded more eagerly. "Yeah. I... I miss her, but..." she trailed off. 'She'll be happier there than with me...' Her expression fell into neutrality at the thought, and her heart ached longingly. She hung her head and slowly licked her lips.


Starlight and Spike frowned, then exchanged a worried glance. Starlight's look was far guiltier than Spike's. Spike offered Starlight a weak smile, then he hopped out of his chair. "Hey, Twilight, what would you like for breakfast? I could fix you some cereal? Maybe some oatmeal with blueberries or strawberries?" he offered.


Twilight glanced up and him and nodded a slow, reserved nod. "That... yeah, that sounds good..." she said, though her voice was a little softer than before. 'And... I'm hurting them because I'm hurting...' Her ears folded back against her head at the realization. She closed her eyes and lifted her forehoof to her chest, taking a deep breath, then she slowly exhaled and extended her hoof out. The breathing technique which had helped her so much before now seemed to be a shell of its former glory. She grimaced and slowly walked over to the table, then sat down beside Starlight.


Spike tentatively walked into the kitchen, frowning in distress.





Rainbow surveyed the Wonderbolt Academy and scanned the skies. She could make out several pegasi flying through the morning sky, and she could see a few dozen pegasi all over the Academy grounds, although none of them was the pony she was looking for. She came in for a landing and gently touched down on the landing strip, then immediately started trotting toward the building housing Spitfire's office.


"Hey Crash!" a stallion called out.


Rainbow came to a stop, then turned toward the sound of the voice. She smiled as two ponies approached her, coming in to land from flying. "Oh, hey Soarin!" she greeted.


Soarin and Fleetfoot smiled. "It's been a while since you've been here this early. Everything going okay?" Soarin asked, his smile fading and his voice serious.


Rainbow nodded. "Yeah..." she said reluctantly. "Hey, is Spitfire around? Or is she in her office?"


"She's in her office, I think," Fleetfoot replied.


"Thanks," Rainbow replied. She turned back toward the building.


"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, how's Princess Twilight?" Soarin asked cautiously.


Rainbow grimaced, then bobbed her head. "She's... doing better. She still hasn't recovered, but... she's doing better. She hadn't been sick or anything for a while," her voice grew wary, "but she still doesn't have her horn so she can't use her magic, so... she can't really do too much on her own right now..."


Soarin grimaced. "I'm sorry to hear about that... At least she's doing better, though. It must be hard for you, being her friend... I couldn't imagine what it's like for her."


"Yeah," Rainbow agreed. She nodded slowly and looked down at the grass. "Starlight said she thought the best comparison would be a pegasus losing their wings." Soarin winced and Fleetfoot shifted her weight uncomfortably. Rainbow took a deep breath, then looked back up at them. "Right, well... I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm going to go talk to Spitfire..." she trailed off, then took off at a brisk pace. Soarin and Fleetfoot exchanged an uneasy look, then slowly flared their wings out and flew back into the sky.


Rainbow flew on into the building, then made her way through the hallways until she came to Spitfire's office. She landed, then took a deep breath. She eyed the two stallions beside the door, then walked forward and knocked on the door with her forehoof.


A few seconds passed before Spitfire could be heard saying, "Enter."


Rainbow opened the door and gave Spitfire a smile. Spitfire sat up, then leaned back. She smiled to mask her surprise. "Hey, Captain," Rainbow greeted.


"Rainbow Dash, I wasn't expecting to see you for a couple of hours," Spitfire stated.


Rainbow walked on into the room, then closed the door behind her. "Yeah, sorry. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," she said as she walked over to the desk.


"Nothing too important, just paperwork," Spitfire replied, motioning a hoof at her desk. Rainbow chuckled nervously. "How's Princess Twilight?"


Rainbow grimaced. "It's hard for her. She's doing better, but... it's hard for her."


Spitfire nodded slowly. "Just make sure she gets better," she said firmly.


Rainbow nodded. "I've been helping her, but... ah... she said that she wanted me to go back to flying with the Wonderbolts." She grimaced. "I think... she just feels bad about it because she thinks that the Wonderbolts mean more to me than she does..." she said quietly.


Spitfire took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. "It's up to you. You can come back if you want, or you can stay on your 'assignment' to help her."


Rainbow sighed, then slumped down. "I don't know. I just... I want to come back and to fly with the Wonderbolts and all that, but I feel... it just doesn't feel right, to leave her. None of us have really been as good of friends as we could have been with her, we've all been so busy, and... well, I'm probably the guiltiest of all of us because of being a Wonderbolt..." she trailed off. "I told her that I'd come in and report for duty and all that, so I'm staying for today, Ma'am."


Spitfire nodded. "But you don't know if you'll be back tomorrow," she surmised.


Rainbow smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."


"That's alright. As I said, take as much time as you need to help her. I did talk to Luna- not in person, but we exchanged some mail. She was very clear about the fact that it might be a while before Twilight fully recovered. She also said that she wasn't sure how things were going to work out. You're her friend, and you're the Bearer of the Element of Loyalty. I don't expect you to just ignore her plight and commit fully to the Wonderbolts, especially considering that her... issues... could outlast us."


Rainbow clenched her jaw and grimaced. "I don't know... What am I supposed to do? I hate leaving her because I feel like I need to be there. But I do want to fly with the team, I'm just not sure that I'll enjoy it as much if I'm worrying about Twilight all the time."


Spitfire nodded. "There are other ponies who can help the princess, but you six are her closest friends. I'm sure it means a lot to her that you're helping her over flying with the Wonderbolts. Do whatever you think is best."


Rainbow nodded slowly. "Right, well..." she trailed off and took a deep breath, then stood up straighter and saluted.


Spitfire returned the salute. "Dismissed."





A knocking on the door broke Twilight's attention from the book she was reading. Her focus broken, she sighed. She slid a book mark in to mark where she had left off, then closed the book and looked over at the door. The door cracked open and Starlight glanced inside. "I'm going to go out for lunch with Fluttershy... Do you need anything?"


Twilight smiled a little and shook her head. "No, I... should be fine. I'm just reading... Is Spike staying here?"


Starlight nodded. "Yeah, he didn't want to leave you alone."


Twilight smiled a little, then looked back over at her book. She scrutinized the cover and found her smile fading slightly. "Well... go enjoy lunch."


"Do you want me to bring you back anything? I know you could always have Spike fix you something, or I could fix you something, but I thought it would be nice for me to bring you back something," Starlight said in a light, conversational tone.


Twilight tilted her head to the side and mulled it over, squinting at the wall she faced. "I'm... not really hungry," she answered tentatively. She swallowed and looked over at Starlight, forcing a calm smile. "I'll be fine. I can always have a sandwich if I get hungry."


Starlight hesitantly nodded. "Okay... Are you sure?" Twilight's smile grew a little more genuine, and she nodded meaningfully. "Okay... I'll be back in an hour or so," Starlight replied. She slowly closed the door, leaving Twilight alone.


Twilight sighed, then turned her attention back to her closed book. The book did manage to distract her, but only a little, and the little distraction it offered wasn't enough to clear her mind of her friend, leaving her enjoying the book a little less. It was a self-feeding cycle. "Today is going to be a really long day..." she whispered to herself.


She closed her eyes, then groaned and bent down and pressed her forehead into the book's cover. "Maybe I should have asked to go with her... it would be better for me than staying in my room all alone..."


She sighed and her ears pinned back against her head. Her eyes lost a little of their gleam the more she thought about it. 'I'm... alone. None of them have time to spend with me... This hurts.' She looked absently at the bed and her chest as a throbbing pang of emptiness swelled up inside her, leaving her feeling desolate.


'If I wasn't so useless, I could help them and spend more time with them... If I wasn't such a burden, maybe they wouldn't be so busy with... their own lives...' She snorted and smiled, then lifted her head up. "But of course I'm just being selfish... they have their own lives to live, and... I don't want to get in their way.... which... is all I would do..." As she spoke, her smile faded into nothingness.


She rolled over onto her side, then onto her back and brought her forehooves up to her temples and firmly pressed into her head, hoping the pressure would alleviate her distress or disrupt her train of thought. It didn't work, and after several seconds, she relented, letting her body go limp, her forelegs falling beside her head, and her legs falling apart, while her wings fell from her side.


She idly rolled her head over and looked at the clock. The time brought a unsuppressed grimace to her lips. 'It's only been seven hours and already I'm a mess without her...'


She closed her eyes, wishing she could go back to sleep so she wouldn't have to deal with it, but knowing that wouldn't happen. 'I'm not going to get better if you just lay around and mope... what would she say if she saw me like this?' Another grimace pulled at her lips. 'She'd hate it. I'd just be hurting her more... She'd be hurting because I'm hurting...'


She slowly opened her eyes and rolled over onto her stomach, then she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She slid over to the edge of the bed, then hopped down onto her floor, her motions slow and unsure, then she shuffled across the room, never once looking up from her hooves, and made her way into the bathroom.


She looked up, then walked over to the sink and turned the faucet on warm water. After a few seconds, she placed a hoof under the stream of water to check the temperature. She pulled her hoof out after a couple of seconds, then she pulled away from the sink and grabbed a towel in her mouth and threw it into the sink. The warm water from the faucet soaked into the towel, and after a little while, she turned off the faucet, then took the warm, wet towel and threw it on her head, then laid her head down on the sink and closed her eyes.


The warmth helped soothe her pain and put her troubled mind at ease, but the warmth didn't compare to Rainbow's warmth, nor the comfort it brought her. She sighed, then placed the wet, cooling towel aside on the sink and took another towel in her wings, then hastily dried her face off. She stood up to her full height, then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.


A knock coming from the bedroom door drew her curiosity. She glanced at the clock and pursed her lips, wondering if Spike had come to check on her or if Fluttershy decided she wanted to stop by before lunch. She ruffled her wings and looked at her reflection in the mirror, quickly checking to make sure she was presentable, at least for her friends, then made her way out into the bedroom.


The knocking came again. Twilight walked over to the door, frowning a little. "You can come in," she called as she drew closer. Still, the door remained closed. 'Fluttershy, then,' she mused. 'Although, Starlight should have...' her thought trailed off as she opened the door. "Oh, hi girls!" she greeted as she looked at her seven friends.


"Ah, Twilight, do you mind if we come in? We ah, have something to discuss," Rarity said, smiling a warm, inviting smile.


Twilight nodded and opened the door further, then stepped back to grant them entrance. "Of course! I... wasn't very busy..." she trailed off, grimacing. She turned away from the door and headed back over to the bed, hiding her grimace from her friends. "Hey, Spike, could you bring us some tea, please?"


"Oh, it won't take that long, dear," Rarity replied, waving a hoof dismissingly. "Not that long at all," she added.


Twilight hopped up on her bed, then laid down. "Okay, so what's this about?" she asked. Turning to look over at her friends, she noticed them lingering in the doorway, all of them save for Rarity looking about uncertainly. Applejack tentatively closed the door, then locked it. Twilight's muzzle scrunched up a little, surprised that she would do that. "I'm guessing this is important? There's no reason to lock the door, we're not going to be disturbed," she said.


"Oh, wonderful! Simply marvelous," Rarity replied, her cheeriness fading. Twilight frowned a little as Rarity's expression darkened. The unicorn slowly sauntered over closer to the bed. "You know, I really am surprised that you didn't die from the reactor..."


Twilight grimaced. "It's... not something I want to talk about..." she said in a low, cautious voice.


"Of course not, dear," Rarity replied dismissingly. "I just... it's shocking, really, not just that it didn't kill you, but that you stopped it" Rarity fumed. Twilight eyed Rarity warily. "I mean, you, of all ponies! The youngest alicorn, the most pathetic pony there is, one who believes so much in friendship, thinking that that will save you! You weren't even my target!" Rarity hissed. "Your pathetic student was! And you, you stood in my way and stopped it!"


Twilight swallowed nervously and slowly sat up. Rarity, without missing a beat, lit her horn, except her aura wasn't the familiar, friendly blue, instead, it was a sickening, malicious green aura. Twilight's heart skipped a beat, and her expression blanked in the split second she figured it out. A green, fiery aura surrounded Rarity. The unicorn smiled a sadistic, malicious smile, then in a flash, the form of her friend was replaced with an all too familiar changeling queen. "Chrysalis..." Twilight whispered, her eyes widening. She swallowed and felt her heart beating a little faster, her breaths coming in short, shallow inhales.


Queen Chrysalis strode the rest of the way over to the bed in a few steps, her horn still lit. "You will never stand in my way again, alicorn. Except wait," she said, drawing back from Twilight and raising a hoof to her chest in mock surprise. "You're not an alicorn now, are you?" she mocked, then laughed. "You interfered with my plan for the last time! It cost you your horn! You couldn't stop me as an alicorn, and now you're just a pathetic, weak little pegasus..." she cooed.


The changeling queen bared her teeth and lunged at Twilight. Twilight scrambled to her hooves and jumped back, then scurried off of the bed. Applejack and Pinkie Pie both ran around then blocked her from reaching the door to the balcony. Twilight instinctively took a step back, then crouched down and spread her hoves apart, bracing herself better. Her instinct to use her magic when cornered backfired, and the reminder of her missing horn only made her limbs weaken and shake.


Queen Chrysalis hovered in the air, then flew over the bed and landed in front of Twilight. Twilight backed up and lowered her head closer to the ground, almost to the point of her chest touching the floor. The look in her eyes was one of fear, knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do, knowing that she was on her own and that she was completely at the mercy of a monster.


Queen Chrysalis hissed, then picked Twilight up with her magic. Twilight shuddered in fear, unable to fight Chrysalis off without her horn to project her magic. The changeling stood up at her full her height, then pulled Twilight muzzle to muzzle with her, leaving but an inch of space between them. "I am going to break you!" she growled. In one swift motion, she spun around, holding Twilight in place, then launched her head first at the wall.


Twilight clenched her eyes closed and tensed up. She instinctually spread her wings out in an attempt to save herself, but the wall was upon her sooner that she could react. She felt the side of her head smack into the crystalline wall with a solid impact. The jarring shock of the hit scattered her senses, and the next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor, her head throbbing, and covering her head up with her forehooves. She sniffled and shook, almost violently. Despite her eyes being pressed closed, tears streamed down her muzzle, a combination of fear and pain.


She heard the large changeling queen's hoofsteps draw closer, and her shivering only intensified. She felt the floor beneath her fall away as her coat tingled under the assault of Chrysalis's levitation. She shielded herself as best she could with her wings, only for the changeling to violently compress her chest, ripping the air from her lungs. She squeaked a little, then tried to fight off Chrysalis's magic to breathe.


It was no avail, but she had a brief reprieve as Chrysalis released her chest, then threw her at the wall again. The solid impact sent a thudding sound throughout the room, and Twilight let out a half-groan, half-gurgle, unable to do anything else. Twilight clutched her head with her forehooves in an effort to protect herself, but it wasn't enough to stop something warm and wet from rolling down from the source of the intense pain she felt.


"You... w-won't... get away... w-with this..." Twilight weakly whimpered, her voice stuttering from pain, uncertainty, and fear. "C-Celestia... L-Luna... w-will..." she trailed off and grunted as Chrysalis's hoof struck her side.


Queen Chrysalis followed through and pressed hard into Twilight's side, her smile maniacal as she looked over the broken alicorn. "Your princesses won't stand in my way, either," she cooed, then bared her fangs and hissed. "They're completely unaware of my presence here, and by the time they find out, it will have been too late," she growled.


Chrysalis drew her hoof back from Twilight, who immediately inhaled in relief. Chrysalis threw Twilight up into the air with her magic, then slammed her down into the floor. Twilight winced at the impact, then groaned. The alicorn once more tried to shield her head with her forehooves, only for her motions to be slow and ineffective. The last thing Twilight remembered before falling unconscious was the chilling sound of Queen Chrysalis's victorious laughter.