Everyone just stared down at me while I was on my hands and knees in tears. I couldn’t believe everything that I just saw… did that really all just happen!? All I did was just scream out in anguish at the thought. “C-Crystal! Please calm down!” Mom exclaimed trying to hold onto me.
“T-Twilight…” Applejack stuttered a bit. “Did I… hear that right…?”
“Crystal why did you drink that potion!? You didn’t even have any idea what it did!” Mom exclaimed ignoring Applejack’s question.
“Princess Twilight… the blame falls onto me…” Zecora said walking up to us. “I told Crystal its effect… and she wanted to see.”
“Crystal…! If you knew what it did, why did you drink it!? You said--”
“I wanted the nightmares to stop!” I shouted. “I was sick of it! I was sick of feeling this way! I was sick of making people worry about me! And I was sick of having the princesses use their time just to help me!” Everyone just stared at me… even Discord looked surprised. “I knew it would probably hurt… but I didn’t think it would be this painful…”
“How much… did you see exactly…?” Mom asked.
I just sighed before starting to explain everything I saw… with each word it looked like my mom’s head went lower and lower while the others just stared in disbelief. Pinkie Pie’s mane went flat, Applejack covered her own face with her hat, and Fluttershy just started crying… “After that white light at the end… that’s when it ended.”
“So you didn’t exactly see the whole thing…” Mom said to herself.
…
“What…?” I asked walking up to her. “There’s something else…?”
Mom just winced a bit before nodding… I just grabbed the potion and took another sip of it to see for myself… once again everything went white.
…
…
…
Eventually I could see again… I was back in that dark room and both the other me and… him… were on the ground. I walked over to him and I could tell he wasn’t breathing… I just take a deep breath before moving over to my body… Of course I was just passed out… “This… actually really hurts…” I say to myself before hearing footsteps coming this way. “Huh?...”
“You poor thing…” The figure said walking up to my unconscious body……….huh...!?
“Princess Celestia…!?” I exclaimed just staring at her in disbelief.
“You’ve been through so much pain…” Celestia sighed placing a hoof over Rebecca’s head. “Your cries did not go unheard… I will give you a better life…” She said before placing a her horn over Rebecca’s head. “But for now, it’s best that you forget about this traumatic experience… Memories like this are better left forgotten.” As soon as her horn glowed, I could feel another sharp pain in my own head.
Eventually everything went white again and when the light cleared, it looked like I was back in Princess Celestia’s throne room. “Now what…?”
“Sister... Is it really wise to keep an unconscious human being in Equestria?” Luna asked while the two were looking over me.
“I already promised to give her a better life… I’m not leaving her back there.” Celestia responded sternly.
“And I completely understand… it’s just... Would she not over react if she suddenly awoke in a world completely alien to her own?”
“...Well… there is one other option…” Celestia said before sighing heavily. “We bring her back to her world until she awakens… when she does, we monitor and keep her safe from harm… and when the time comes, we give her the home she deserves as promised.”
…
…
…
Eventually I come back into reality again with the others looking at me, all of them looking worried. “C-Crystal…?” Mom asked walking up to me again. “What did you see?”
I just look at her before looking down. “I have to talk to Princess Celestia when we find her…”
“...Are… you going to be okay…?” Mom asked placing a hoof on me… I just slowly push it aside.
“I have a lot to think about… my mind is all over the place.” I said before climbing onto her back. “I think I just need some time to think for a bit…”
“...I understand… but Crystal… do you think you could wait here…?” Mom asked before letting me off again. “We think we may have found a way to fix this mess… Somewhere in the Everfree forest is something called the tree of harmony. From what I saw, it looks like the tree is in trouble… and we have to go in there to save it.”
“Mom, I know you’re looking out for me but--”
“No buts.” Mom said sternly. “With all these plants it’s a lot more dangerous in there.”
“A lot more dangerous? Mom, look around! Everything is dangerous right now!” I snapped. “Please Mom!”
“If it brings you any comfort, perhaps I can look over young Crystal.” Discord suggested. Everypony just looked up at Discord skeptically.
Mom just looked back down at me. “Look… I know you want to help Crystal… but are you really sure about this? You’ve been in there already so you’ve seen how dangerous it can be even without those plants in there.”
“Let her come along Twilight.” Applejack said walking up to us. “I’d say she needs this… especially after everything she just went through… which by the way, you better explain why you didn’t just tell us after we fix all this mess.”
Mom just sighed before levitating me back onto her. “Alright fine… just stay close to me, alright sweetie…?”
I just nodded. “Yeah… let’s just hurry this up and find them…”
Mom just looked back at the girls before leading the way to the Everfree forest… the black vines seemed to only look more wild and out of control by the entrance. “Seems like only yesterday we were heading into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony.” Rarity said as they got close.
“Seems like only yesterday I was foolish enough to think I should go after them on my own…” Mom started. “I don't know what we're going to face in there. But whatever it is, I know we need to face it together.” Everypony just nodded in agreement… Mom just looked back at me who was lying on her back silently poking at her wing. “Are you ready Crystal…?”
“Mhm…” I nod weakly.
With an uncertain look on her face she still lead the way inside of the forest. While we were walking, Applejack just walked beside Mom and look at me. “You know we’re all here for you.. right sugarcube?” I just look back at her silently. “You of all people should know… I know how it feels to lose somepony you care about.”
“Your parents weren't killed…” I responded flatly. “You weren’t responsible for your parents dying… I actually was.”
“Maybe not… but Crystal, you can’t blame yourself for what happened… none of it was your fault.”
“But I--”
“You did what you felt like you had to do… and you know what? I don’t blame you! None of us do!” Applejack exclaimed before placing a hoof on me. “It don’t matter what your past was like… who you are now is what’s important.”
“Who I am now…” I repeated to myself.
Eventually we reached a lake with what look like a path of rocks that went across. “We can use those to cross.” Mom said before starting to walk the rocky path… only to find the rocks were… moving? “W-whoa!” She exclaimed as a tail slowly lifted us up and flicked us off.
Rarity just gasped at the sight. “A cragadile! Run for your lives!” she exclaimed trying to run away.
While Mom was running, her, me, and Spike ended up being backed against a while as the cragadile slowly approached us… Mom struggling to use her wings to fly out… until it stopped? Looking behind it, we could see Applejack wrapped a vine around its tail right before the other girls started wrapping its other limbs, including its mouth. “Whew… that was close…” Mom sighed.
“A little too close if you ask me…” Applejack said walking to us. “Are y’all alright?”
“We’re fine... I just can't seem to get these new wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it.” Mom groaned.
“You'll figure it out eventually.” Rainbow Said trying to reassure Mom.
“Eventually isn't soon enough.” Mom responded flatly.
“Well… you have been having an awful lot of trouble with those things. And, well, who knows what else is gonna to come after us?” Applejack started rubbing the back of her head. “You know, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for Twilight and Crystal to go back to Ponyville and let us look for the Tree of Harmony without them.”
“Wait, what? Why??” Mom asked in shock.
“For starters, you just about got eaten by a cragadilly!” Applejack exclaimed.
“We all did. He wasn't after just us!”
“”Twilight… you’re a princess.”
“And what does that have to do with anything??”
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone. If something happened to you, I-I just don't think Equestria can risk losing another princess.”
“Applejack does make a valid point…” Rarity added. “Even if we manage to save the Tree of Harmony, it won't necessarily mean Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will return. Equestria will need somepony to lead in their absence… plus there is your daughter’s safety to think about.”
“But I’m the only one who’s actually seen the tree of harmony! I’m the only one that know what it looks like!” Mom shouted.
“I’m pretty sure it’s not gonna be hard to find a giant tree with cutie marks on the trunk…” Rainbow said.
“...All of you feel this way…?” Mom asked looking like she was about to cry.
“Mom… Maybe they’re right… maybe we should just go back…” I suggested starting to cry myself. “I don’t want to lose you too…”
Mom choked a bit and lowered her head before carrying me out of the forest.
Back at Ponyville…
Discord could be seen messing with a couple of ponies wrapped in black vines… until he saw us coming closer. He then snapped his fingers and vines vanished, making the two ponies fall; quickly running away right after. “You’re welcome!” Discord shouted...I just got up off of Mom’s back and walked up to him, right before being lifted up by his tail. “No luck finding your tree of harmony?”
“We had some trouble getting there… Everyone thought it would be better if we just came back.” I sighed being lifted by his tail. “...Discord… you wouldn’t lie to me, right? We are friends, right?”
“Why of course we’re friends my dear Crystal.” he said before making ‘Best Friends’ t-shirts appear on both of us.
“...Then you’d tell me if you were responsible for this mess… right?”
“Why whatever do you mean?”
“Discord… please just be honest with me, I’ve been having a lot of stuff going on lately.”
“But what makes you think these plants are my doing?”
“It’s not that hard to think about… I’ve seen you control them a couple of times already.”
“Yes but I can do anything… I’m Discord after all.”
“Anything except clear up these vines?”
Discord just sighed. “Very well… I may have some involvement. With these plants…” Suddenly my eyes flashed for a second right before going back to normal after feeling a burst of anger surge through me. “Okay! Okay! It’s all my doing!”
“I knew it! I knew you were the reason behind these plants!” Mom exclaimed. “Stop messing with everypony and just fix this mess!”
“Why would I do that? You already know how to fix it… though I’m shocked that you would leave your friends to do it on their own… I never thought you'd be the kind of pony who would think she was better than everypony else.” Discord chuckled.
“Okay, 1. You’re changing the subject. 2. I don’t think I’m better than anypony!” Mom exclaimed.
“Oh, well, how silly of me to assume that you would think that. All you did was choose to keep your precious princess self out of harm's way while your friends thrust themselves right into it.” Discord said before making a robe and gold cane appear on Mom. “I'm sure you'll all be the best of pals again when they return from their terrifying yet deeply bonding experience that they're having without you.” he said with a chuckle.
Mom just groaned running back toward the forest. Spike and I quickly ran after her. “I never should have agreed to come back here!”
“Come on, Twilight. Discord may be reformed, but he's not that reformed. He's just trying to get under your skin.” Spike said trying to keep up.
“Well, it’s working!” Mom exclaimed.
“Mom! Seriously, slow down!” I yell trying to catch up myself.
“I can’t slow down Crystal! Our friends might need our help!” Mom exclaimed as we re-entered the forest, running through as fast as our legs could carry us.
“But do you even know where we’re going!?” I exclaimed starting to fall behind a bit.
“I… I don’t know!” she exclaimed in a panic before stopping to look around. “But we have to hurry!”
Spike looked around as well. “Maybe if I get up there, I'll be able to spot 'em…” He said before climbing up the tree, spotting everyone by a bridge. “Well, what do you know?”
“Mom!”
“Huh?” Spike said looking back at us.
One of the plants snuck up on Mom spraying some weird gas on her. As she was coughing, I tried to run up to her, only to be grabbed by one of the vines getting pulled away from her. “Leave her alone!!” I exclaimed as another vine wrapped around me trying to pull me back. I looked over to Mom as more of the plants came, spraying her even more with gas. Unable to stand anymore, Mom fell to the ground in a coughing fit… “I SAID STOP!!!”
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I kept coughing through the gas barely able to get a single word out, I tried to get back to my hooves but I was just getting weaker with every time the plant sprayed me… in the corner of my eye I could tell Crystal was in trouble but there was nothing I could do! Please… Spike… Somepony… Any--
“I SAID STOP!!!” A voice screamed… as I tried to look in Crystal’s direction, I was quickly blinded by a bright light… the plants had stopped spraying me with their gas and when the light cleared, I could only stare in shock and a little bit of fear… When I saw Crystal, I could see that she was freed from the vines and that her magic was surging... her eyes had gone completely white again… just like when I saw her memory… without another word, she had fired a beam in my direction; only to hit the plant, making it explode! A few more plants started surrounding her, blocking my vision. But the only thing I saw were beams of magic going through each one of them… Getting to my hooves, I quickly ran over to try and calm her down, but before I could even reach her, she fell on the ground.
“Crystal!!” I shouted running up to her. “Crystal can you hear me??” I placed my ear over her chest listening for a heart beat… It seemed to be beating… I just levitated her onto my back. “Come on, we have to find--”
“Twilight!” A voice exclaimed. “We got here as soon as--” Applejack exclaimed before stopping to see us. “We… could…?”
“Huh?” Spike said coming up in front of everyone. “What happened?? I thought you were in trouble!”
“I was…” I said before looking back at Crystal who was still passed.
“Oh my goodness! What happened to her!?” Fluttershy exclaimed running up to us.
“She’s just passed out… I think she’ll be okay if we just give her some time to recover…”
“Recover…?” Rainbow asked. “What the hay happened!?”
“Was Crystal attacked too!? Were you able to drive all those scary plants away, Twilight!?” Pinkie asked looking extremely worried.
“No… I wasn’t able to do anything…” I said starting to cry a bit. “Crystal is passed out because she destroyed all the plants attacking us…”
Everyone just stared in disbelief with their mouths agape. Applejack looked down at the debris and vines on the ground. “W-whoa whoa, wait a minute… you’re tellin’ us that Crystal did all this…? And those flashes? Those lights!?”
“No… way…” Rainbow responded in disbelief. “Sheesh… maybe she could be me in a race if her magic is like this.”
“Really not the time…” Applejack mused.
“S-she’ll be okay though… right?...” Fluttershy asked.
“She just needs some rest…” I sighed looking back at her.
“What about you Twilight?” Spike asked looking worried himself.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me… for now we just need to find the tree of harmony so that we can fix this mess.”
“Uh… well… we did find the tree actually…” Applejack said rubbing the back of her head.
“But it looks like it’s dying…” Fluttershy added.
“Then we have to hurry! Let’s go!”I shout as my friends lead me to the tree.