Rainbow took a large bite out of her maple cotton candy cone, savoring the rich taste. "Shhoo goood..."
"Is it? Mind if I have a taste?"
"Go for it," Rainbow replied, tilting the cone towards her muzzle. Ponies already think we're here on a date anyways...
"Oh my gosh!" Twilight gushed, bringing a hoof to the side of her face. "So syrup-y..."
Rainbow chuckled, bringing it back to her own mouth. "So... Where to next, Twilight?"
She tore off another piece of cotton candy, stuffing it into her mouth as she turned to look back at her quizzically, having received no reply.
Her heart sunk, her lips slowly parting at the sight of her friend, standing frozen in place, eyes a pure white.
"Twi—?"
Twilight's eyes flickered back to their normal state, and she grasped her head immediately.
She stumbled forward, nearly falling over, prompting Rainbow to hold out a hoof in concern.
"Nngh... What was...?"
"Twilight...?" Rainbow tentatively asked, walking up to her a little cautiously. "What just happened?"
"I... I don't know, I... think Princess Celestia just tried communicating with me telepathically..."
"She can do that?" She backpedaled, cocking her head. "You can do that?"
"I honestly had no idea that I could." Twilight shook her head softly. "Truth be told, I'm so used to receiving messages through Spike that I never really stopped to consider the practical applications of using magic to communicate..."
She bit her lip, averting her eyes regretfully. "Rainbow, I'm sorry, but..." She turned back to her friend with an apologetic expression. "If Celestia is trying to reach me, then this could be very important—"
"Ah, say no more, Twilight." Rainbow grinned assuredly. "It's cool. I'll just wait here for you until you get back."
"Actually, Rainbow Dash, I... was wondering if you could check in on Spike, a-and the rest of Ponyville for me..." She bit her lip, placing a hoof over her heart. "I hope I'm wrong about this... but I can't help but have a bad feeling—"
She lowered her gaze when she felt Rainbow place a hoof of hers over her own.
"Don't worry, Twilight," she said with a kind smile. "I'll check in on everypony, though... I'm sure they're all doing fine, I mean... hay, it's not like changelings attacked while we were gone or anything."
"Y-yeah," Twilight agreed with a weak laugh.
"So, uh... guess this is where our day of fun ends."
"I-it doesn't have to, you know! We could, I dunno... continue where we left off—once I make it back from Canterlot."
"Even though there aren't any festivals currently being held in Ponyville?"
"Well... who needs one? There's always Pinkie's party, and... hay, in the meantime, we can make our own fun."
Rainbow chuckled, cracking a small grin. "True enough."
"So, I'll see you soon then," Twilight reaffirmed, as she hopped into the air.
Rainbow nodded. "Yep! See you back in Ponyville."
The two waved goodbye, Twilight herself reluctantly turning and flying out of sight, en route to Canterlot.
Rainbow watched her until she disappeared from sight, then let out a sigh as she turned for home.
The large throne room doors were parted partially by two stoic guardsponies just enough for Twilight to slip in. She breathed deeply from her flight, arriving not a second too soon.
She reluctantly turned her gaze towards her old mentor in all her radiance, fearing the worst.
"You wanted to see me, Princess?"
"I did," Celestia stated, seated high upon her throne. "Thank you for arriving as quickly as you did."
Twilight put on a pleasant face. "Well, you know me, Princess. I prioritize meetings like these, and I'm always... ready and willing to serve you and Equestria at the drop of a hat!" Even if, she mused bitterly, I have to give up time with my friends...
Celestia smiled kindly. "I'm always happy to hear it, Twilight. Now though, I suppose I should get to why I've summoned you here."
Twilight's ears perked up. Yes...?
She stood attentively, impatiently fidgeting on the inside.
"I wanted to thank you in person for your handling of the situation in Whinnyapolis."
Twilight stared up at the princess disbelievingly, her teeth slowly clenching behind her lips. "It wasn't a problem, Princess," she replied as politely as she could through slightly gritted teeth.
Is this really the reason she called me here? she thought. I mean, I appreciate it, but... Well, at least maybe now I can get back to Ponyville, and Rainbow Dash—
"And one more thing."
Twilight blinked, snapping back to reality and giving the princess her full attention, both genuinely curious, and a little less annoyed.
"More?" she asked.
Celestia nodded. "I wanted to address the... changeling situation with you, as princesses." She stood up from her throne, spreading her wings and flying down to Twilight's level. "Come, walk with me."
Celestia walked onward, into the hall outside, Twilight looking back at her baffled for a moment before hurrying after her.
"The changeling—? Pardon me, Princess, but... why discuss it with me?" She shook her head incredulously. "I-I mean, I, I don't rule over anypony! But you, a-and Princess Luna, and Cadance! You three command Equestria! I don't see how—?"
Celestia raised a hoof, asking her to save her questions.
"Luna and I are already in agreement... and my niece Cadance simply wants them stopped no matter the cost, after they both sabotaged her wedding, and nearly overtook this city."
Twilight averted her gaze at the memory.
"Yeah," she agreed with a hearty sigh, "I... can imagine. So, what about the changelings specifically did you wish to discuss with me?"
Celestia peered off solemnly, in deep thought.
"The matter of the fact that... there are simply too many to stop."
Twilight gazed up at her worriedly, tilting her head in confusion. "Princess?"
"Every city the six of you are sent to, others are attacked, left unguarded and defenseless against the changeling horde. A few changelings are captured and placed in our prisons, but..."
"How many more ponies will suffer before we stop them... I know." Twilight breathed out a shaky sigh, clutching her foreleg. "I thought about that all last night. Rainbow Dash, she... told me that... everything would work itself out in the end, and that catastrophes are oftentimes inevitable, but... I can't help but worry that this... struggle against the changelings will lead to Equestria's downfall..."
Celestia turned back to her assuredly. "With Luna and me in charge... I can assure you'll never have to worry about 'Equestria's downfall,' Twilight."
"Well, maybe not... but I... can't shake the feeling that... we're never going to recover from this conflict."
"Time heals all wounds, Twilight. That much always holds true. And although it may hold true... we would still like your opinion."
"Opinion?" Twilight's brow furled. "On what?"
"We have many of our soldiers stationed here, in Canterlot and... your hometown of Ponyville. Then of course there's the transfers over at the Crystal Empire, but... outside of these places..."
Twilight's ears folded, her gaze dropping to the floor.
"You know as well as I do that this leaves many towns, villages, and even cities unguarded from certain threats. Sure, they have their police forces... but against the changelings... Well, normally we have faith that harmony will prevail in the end, and that our soldiers will never be needed in these places... but when it comes to a threat as large as what we're currently up against..."
"I understand what you're saying, Princess," Twilight said with a soft nod.
"Like I said, my sister and I are in agreement on this. We both feel that... we should spread our forces far and wide... and draft able-bodied ponies as a way of increasing our numbers. Of course," she continued with a heavy sigh, "this would create a rift in many families. After all, we've never had to enact a draft—Luna and I could always handle ourselves, but... the changelings are... different. We're in dire need of soldiers, Twilight. However, the decision is up to you. We can always find another solution."
Can we? Twilight wondered. She's right, after all. She's always been right, and... I trust her, so... "I'll support whichever choice you make, Princess." She forced a smile to her lips. "After all... better we separate families... then have the changelings do it later."
"Point taken," the older princess agreed, as the two slipped into silence.
"Well, I guess if that's all... I'll be on my way. If you'll excuse me, Princess..."
Twilight bowed her head respectfully, then turned and flew down the corridor on her way to the castle entrance, leaving the older princess alone with her thoughts.
"Celestia?" a puzzled, young voice called out.
Celestia turned, then smiled at the sight of one of her most faithful students.
"Sunset! It's good to see you."
An orange-coated unicorn mare, no more than a few years older than Twilight, stepped out tentatively from one of the hallway rooms.
The fiery-haired unicorn mare came up to her. "Was that Twilight just now?"
"It was. I'm afraid you just missed her."
"Oh, that's okay. So, uhm... what was it the two of you were discussing?"
"I was telling her about that idea you shared with me."
Sunset let out a gasp. "And?!" she asked, all of a sudden becoming very attentive.
"It looks like Twilight has our full support—"
"Yessss!" She pumped her hoof, then froze, looking back up at her mentor with a sheepish grin. "I mean, uh... hehe... Good to know?"
"I only hope that this truly is for the best... and that this plan does not end up backfiring..."
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sunset warmed up to her mentor, pouting her lips. "Don't you trust me?"
Celestia chuckled, then smiled down at her student warmly. "Of course I do, Sunset Shimmer—you're the head of security for a reason, after all."
"You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that, Princess. You really have no idea..."
"Well, that was cheery," Twilight murmured grumpily as she flew off, leaving Canterlot behind. Still, I think I made the right decision... Won't Rainbow Dash be proud! Well... Twilight mulled over the thought. Maybe she won't... but hey! I didn't have to rely on dark magic, and... Equestria will be a more secure place now, and... who am I kidding?
Her shoulders slumped, her wing flaps slowed, and she breathed out in dismay. Rainbow Dash already comes from a broken family. Like hay she'll be happy to hear I've enacted a draft...
She groaned, feeling so embarrassed.
I guess I could... keep it from her—at least for today! She lifted her head with a renewed sense of confidence. Yeah... no sense in bumming her out when we're supposed to be spending quality time toge... ther... Twilight's expression turned curious as she focused in on the small town of Ponyville. Hm...
Dark clouds gathered over her small hometown. Clouds that rumbled with thunder and rippled with electricity.
I didn't know there was a storm scheduled for today—
A strong gust of wind almost knocked her astray as she flew nearer, barely managing to stay on path.
She held a foreleg before her eyes once she set hoof on the ground, and glanced around apprehensively.
Rainbow...?
She walked down the empty street, surmising that the townsfolk had all returned to their homes due to the growing storm, but the question still remained.
What had caused it?
This didn't feel like the type of storm made out of... love, or... necessity. No, this... Feels icky, thought Twilight. Muggy, and hard to breath in too... If this is some sort of prank... well, it's not funny, Rainbow Dash—
Her eyes widened, and she jumped back, narrowly avoiding a stray lightning bolt as it struck the ground near her. Celestia! she thought, placing a hoof over her hammering heart. What in the world—?
Her attention found itself drawn to the likely source of the horrid weather.
Her library.
Branches rustled, and leaves were whipped about by a whirlwind encircling the treehouse, while sparks of lightning rippled through the air, bolting off in different directions... one of them having almost struck her moments prior.
S-so, okay... She swallowed hard, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Rainbow Dash... for reasons I can't fathom, created this storm, and is now... in my home, where the bad weather is strongest. She must be feeling down... but why? We were having so much fun earlier! Why would she...?
Twilight shook the questions from her head, and pressed onward... wrapping her wings around her head slightly, to shield herself from the growing winds.
"Rainbow!" she yelled, bursting in through the front door of the library. Her wings folded at her sides, and she slammed the door shut behind her. "Rainbow Dash! What in Equestria—?"
Rainbow Dash stood in the center of the foyer, visibly shaken, her wafts of breath, short and raspy... Her body clearly trembled, and seemed to be stood over... something.
She jumped once she heard her friend's voice.
She stiffened, but never once looked over her shoulder to greet her.
"Tw-twil-light... d-don't..." Rainbow uttered tearfully, as if in a trance. She swallowed hard. "Don't, don't... Celestia, don't come any closer..."
"Rainbow...?" Twilight's brow creased, ignoring her friend's warning, and taking a step closer. "What's gotten into you?" Rainbow's breath froze and she gritted her teeth. "There's a storm raging outside—!"
"I... know, I...!" Her hoof raked up the side of her face. "Geez, Twilight, just... leave!"
"It's my home, Rainbow Dash," she reminded the pegasus, a little miffed. She walked closer, now determined to get to the bottom of this.
Whatever was lying at her friend's hooves had to be the source of all this misery, she thought. It had...
She gasped.
Rainbow shut her eyes tight, and fell to her haunches, defeated. Her wings splayed out at her sides.
She choked back a tearful sob.
Twilight's eyes all the while, were wide, taking in what she almost couldn't believe.
Her body, lying there before her... head cocked and jaw crooked, as if it had been broken.
What really stood out however, were the blue... iris-less eyes, and forked tongue, lifelessly spilled out of its bent jaw.
A changeling, she slowly realized. Only some of its features prevalent... but otherwise a perfect copy...
Twilight gulped, and she too, slowly began trembling.
A changeling had invaded her home, and... somehow offended her friend...
Twilight's hooves clenched, her horn sparkled.
It was something she hadn't thought possible, and it had the audacity... to disguise itself... as her own self—!
"Did you do this, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight demanded, turning to her friend.
"I..." Rainbow sniffled, and slowly reopened her eyes.
"Please," Twilight urged, trying again as she sat down beside her. "Talk to me, Rainbow."
Rainbow's eyes darted back and forth, searching for the right words.
"She..." the pegasus finally uttered out. "She s-said I couldn't h-hurt her, a-as you, I, I mean. She... said I wouldn't dare hit such a pretty face..." She clenched her hooves. "She... said I wouldn't dare hit a friend!"
"But it wasn't me, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow nodded knowingly.
"Dash... Why was she disguised as me?"
Rainbow remained silent, prompting Twilight to grab her by the shoulders.
"Dash," she tried again, this time warily. "Where's Spike?"
"Spike...?"
"Yes, Rainbow. Spike."
"He's..." Her sorrowful gaze peered up into Twilight's eyes... and that told her everything she needed to know.
Her shoulders slumped, and her forelegs fell listlessly.
Her voice quivered. "No..."
"She... said it was to spite you," Rainbow tried to explain, to help make sense of it. "She said... you, y-you were cutting their lives short, s-so s-she'd cut short the lives of your loved ones."
Twilight's breaths grew panicked, her pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks.
"I-I'm so sorry, Twilight," Rainbow continued, tearfully. She held out a hoof, only for her friend to shrug it away immediately. "I... please, I... didn't know it wasn't you," she insisted, growing more hopeless by the second. "I would've stopped her sooner, had I only known..."
Twilight vision blurred, the room around her beginning to spin..
Soon she couldn't hear a single word Rainbow was pleading.
She felt lightheaded. She felt sick.
Spike was... dead?
It was all so unreal...
Today had started out so promising.
Her heart throbbed painfully, feeling as though it were being ripped from her chest.
"Please, Twilight... Don't hold this against me, I'm... so sorry. Please don't let this affect our friendship." Rainbow set a hoof on her friend's foreleg pleadingly, and the unicorn visibly tensed.
"Please don't—"
Twilight's mind went blank.
A searing, white bubble encircled her, cutting her off from the outside world.
A deafening cry filled the library as loose magic was thrown everywhere, setting fire to the walls, and furnishings of the place.
Smoke soon filled the room, eventually finding its way to the young mare's nostrils.
Her muzzle crinkled, and slowly she regained awareness, coming eye to eye with smoldering papers and embers.
"Oh Celestia... No!" She glanced around the burning room frantically, her eyes retaining their white glow.
"No, no, no!" A hoof of hers ran through her mane, raking it up. "Rainbow—!"
Twilight spun around to face where her friend had been, and what she saw truly frightened her.
She felt a pain in her stomach, staring into her friend's deathly-pale face.
The foreleg she had reached out to her with... was no longer there.
Her magic had cut the arm into ribbons, slicing it from Rainbow's shoulder like warm butter, and cauterizing the wound at its core.
The pegasus' eyes fell shut as she slumped forward, falling unconscious at her friend's hooves.
Twilight only watched, frozen in fear as her friend collapsed at her hooves, out cold.
Her heartbeat raced, her thoughts swerved... A harsh lump formed in the back of her throat, and tears welled up in the corner of her eyes.
No no no no...
She scrambled to cradle her injured friend in her forelegs, trying desperately to hold back what she was feeling. and suddenly felt... a resurgence of... anger.
No, no, no!
Her teeth grit, and her eyes shut tightly together, her jaw trembling and body beginning to shake uncontrollably.
She held Rainbow's head against her chest, and lowered hers until their foreheads touched.
Her head ached, and her horn rippled with magic, personifying the rage she felt within.
N... no... "Nooooooooooooooooo!"
She threw her head back, her gaze aimed at the sky, and cried out to the heavens as every one of her thoughts ceased... her mind whiting out...