Vision blurred by tears, Twilight saw blobs approaching her, pink and white and dark blue. For some reason, this seemed significant, but she didn’t understand why. She heard voices, but they were muffled, as if she were underwater. One of them grew louder, but it just made her head hurt; she couldn’t understand it, and so she just kept walking.
Suddenly, her limbs were locked into place and she gasped with fright. Thrashing did nothing; straining did nothing. So she lashed out like a frightened animal in the jaws of a predator, pushing raw, unfocused magic against the force holding her. The pressure released and she was free.
Deep breaths cleared her head, while a quick wipe with her hooves brought her blurry vision back into focus. Her breath caught at the sight before her.
Luna was on the ground, her horn smoking, eyes clenched shut as she winced in pain. At either side of her were Celestia and Cadance, who looked at Twilight with disappointment and concern, respectively. Twilight tried to think of something, anything to say. Even if they would understand why she had done it, that didn’t mean the pain would magically go away. All thoughts fled her mind as Luna’s eyelids opened, slowly at first, and then shot open when she saw Twilight.
Luna looked at her with fear.
Twilight’s breath caught, and her heart began beating faster. She felt invigorated, as if she had just drunk a triple-shot of espresso. It was a remarkably pleasant feeling, one that left her hooves and wings tingling. In the clarity this feeling gave her, however, she realized it was the pain and terror writ on Luna’s face that brought this feeling.
Horrified, she tried to wrench her gaze away from Luna’s, but it was impossible. Luna was afraid of her. Her. It was so disgustingly captivating to see, like a cross between an engaging novel and a train wreck. The pleasure didn’t fade, but a bevy of new emotions swirled up with it in her gut. She felt sick. She felt like she was going to be sick. Why did this feel good?
Why did this feel bad?
“Twilight.”
She wasn’t sure who said it, and she didn’t really care at that moment. All that mattered was that it snapped her thoughts away from Luna. She gasped, clenched her eyes shut, and teleported away.
Twilight reappeared on the stairs which led into the dungeons. She took a deep breath to still her mind, and then another. It was harder than she had expected to clear away thoughts of Luna on the floor, terrified—
Twilight grimaced and shoved the thought away. She began her descent.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally reached the bottom. Her friend would be in one of the cells here. Was Pinkie her friend anymore? She still occupied that space in Twilight’s shattered heart, but did she deserve it? She turned to look for her, and spotted her to the right of the stairs.
Twilight stared at the imprisoned mare; Pinkie was smiling brightly, as if nothing was wrong. Twilight walked over to her cell. Pinkie was sitting on the cobblestone floor, humming some song Twilight was certain she recognized.
Pinkie Pie looked up, and her eyes brightened. “Oh, it’s Twilight! Hi Twilight!” Pinkie exclaimed. She craned her neck and looked past Twilight. “Are the other girls with you?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, no, it’s just me. They wanted to come with me, but I… I needed to do this alone.”
“Yeah, that’s fair. So, how ya doing?” She looked Twilight in the eyes, and her gaze turned empathetic. “Aw, don’t feel bad, Twilight; this was bound to happen eventually, after all!” She shook her cuffs and giggled. “Get it? Because I’m bound right here!”
Twilight opened her mouth, but she struggled to find words. Despite everything, Pinkie was still as carefree as ever, and she couldn’t wrap her head around that.
“Why?” she finally said.
“Same reason I do anything, Twilight. Because it’s fun!” She tapped her chin with a hoof. “I mean, it definitely isn’t fun for anypony else, but you’ve gotta be selfish sometimes, you know? Just like Rarity always says, self-care is important!”
Twilight shifted uncomfortably as the memory of Luna staring up at her from the floor returned, unbidden. She tried to push it out of her head, but she couldn’t deny the pleasure it brought her even now.
Pinkie blinked at her before a grin erupted on her face. “Oh gosh, that’s so funny!”
“What is?”
“C’mon, Twi, don’t play dumb. You get it! It feels good to show ponies that you’re better than them, doesn’t it?” Pinkie giggled.
Twilight swallowed heavily. “No. No, I’m nothing like you. I don’t kill ponies. I will never kill ponies.”
“I didn’t say you would, silly! I just said you get it.” Pinkie shrugged. “I don’t think you’ve gotta kill anypony to know we’ve got something in common.”
Twilight shook her head frantically, but it didn’t do any good. Pinkie had a point. Loathe as she was to admit, it was probably correct as well. The thought sickened her; she wanted to understand, but not like this. Not like this.
Barely holding back a wave of nausea, Twilight’s horn lit up as she prepared a teleportation spell. “I—I need to go. Goodbye, Pinkie.” Twilight just couldn’t bear to be around her anymore.
Pinkie pouted. “Aw, that’s too bad. Well, tell the girls I love them!”
Twilight didn’t acknowledge Pinkie. She just closed her eyes, and vanished.