There was no more trouble on the way back, though it was still a spooky, unsettling journey through the dark and alive forest. The two ponies made it to the path eventually, both scarred from small thorn bushes or branches they couldn't see. Izzy was in pain, both physically and mentally, and neither of them spoke a word.
It was Pipp, flying along, who noticed two of her friends staggering along the road. They were still a great distance from the town, so Pipp offered to carry them both.
"No, too much. Just take Izzy." Sunny spoke firmly and in charge, then trotting away. Izzy didn't stop her...they needed time apart.
Pipp seemed to sense the rift between them, making conversation as she picked up the unicorn to fly her to the hospital. "So. What's up with you and Sunny?"
Izzy whimpered. "...she did a haunted house. It sounded really fun and scary! But...it was..." She shook, the horror returning to her. "Too...much.."
Pipp patted her head, shushing her. "Don't talk about it more, looks like it hurts. We both know Sunny didn't mean it, but yeah, that was too much. I have no clue what happened, but looking at you tells all."
Izzy was about to speak, but the fatigue, the urge to just lay to rest, overtook her in an instant. Her eyes shut and her breathing calmed, sleeping soundly on her pegasus friend's back. She was finally at peace on this horrific day, or at least it seemed. As Pipp calmly landed at the Maretime Bay gates, she began to whimper and whine in her sleep, having nightmares.
Then came the worst possible thing. Celebratory fireworks.
They woke her up instantly. Her eyes shot wide open, brimming with newfound tears as she slipped off of Pipp's back, backtrotting. The loud explosive bangs kept coming, each one rocking her. She curled up into her ball again, screaming as the unintentionally torturous celebration amplified the trauma.
Pipp hugged her ever so tight, as did Sunny, who panicked on hearing the screams and ran in, joining the hug. Pipp gave her a look, telling her to go turn the display off. Sunny would nod quickly, dashing off and leaving the two alone. Pipp nuzzled Izzy, who bawled into her shoulder. If everything else was horrible tonight, this...was just the worst possible feeling for the unicorn.
She shook horribly, trembling and screeching at every other firework. Though they soon stopped, this reaction continued. They rang in her head, pain shooting through her body. She nearly broke out into a panicked run again, but Pipp held her tight. She wouldn't let that happen again. Neither would Sunny, as she returned.
Both of them would hug Izzy tightly, trying to soothe her with hugs and words. It didn't do much good - she was too far gone. She kicked, trying to escape, but was too weak by now to make the mares budge. Slowly she'd quiet, tears stopping a bit as she began to sleep. She sniffled, twitched and whimpered now, tears less but still streaming down now.
Izzy had fallen into a sleep. Not a good one, but she was sleep. She still whimpered and squirmed, even as she was lifted and carried by the earth pony nurses into a hospital room.
Sunny knew she deserved this rest. It was the worst day of her entire life by far, for sure. She'd let her sleep, maybe try to treat her to her favourite things. Try to help her ease back into life, help to curb the trauma at least a bit.
She could never forgive herself for this, and felt forever in Izzy's debt.
Sunny loved her. She was prepared to do anything and everything to help.