Twilight focused on Luna's face, hoping it would give her some tether to reality. She could already feel her magic swelling up again. In a moment, it would overwhelm her, and she would be lost.
Just as Luna's figure faded in the growing light, she felt cold metal press against her ribs, reinforcing her mental hold on her own power. The surge was still there, bursting at the seams, but it did not escape. Shadows crossed her vision. In a moment, she found herself in a cave, with three red-eyed figures staring down at her.
TWILIGHT, one said, its voice a deep rumble of thunder.
Twilight stumbled back. She tried to flare her wings to make herself look larger, but they were pinned against her side. When she looked back, she could see nothing holding them down. The shadows drew closer. "S-Stay away!"
EXCUSE ME?
The shadows descended, tearing at her head and sides. She screamed and tried to wriggle free, but her effort was wasted. Desperate, she called on the magic that so desperately wanted to break free. The effort caused what felt like an explosion in her forehead, and for a moment, she blacked out from the pain.
When her senses returned, she was surprised to find the shadows standing back. She stumbled as she found her footing again. The shapes seemed smaller now, though no less imposing. The voice came again. Twilight?
Twilight blinked in surprise. The voice was still deep, but laced with a higher pitch a part of her recognized. She blinked. The creatures' forms became more recognizable - two pegasi and an earth pony. They stood there, waiting. "Hello?" she said.
The world jerked as a new spasm of pain shot through her forehead. Now she could make out their colors. The earth pony was orange, with a yellow mane tied in a ponytail. The blue pegasus had a rainbow-colored mane, and the yellow pegasus's mane was long and pink. She shook her head a few times. Their faces became clear - the faces of her friends.
"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Before Twilight could answer, she heard her own voice call out. "G-Get away!" it screamed. "Leave me alone!" She looked down and saw herself, huddled against the cave wall, gold rings wrapped around her body and horn.
Rainbow Dash's wings flared slightly as she cocked her head. "Excuse me?"
Twilight felt the magic within her begin to subside as her friends discussed what to do. Eventually, they settled on taking the rings off her body. Twilight watched as her other self fought against her friends, her screams turning to shrieks. The instant the rings left her body, she felt something akin to a kick to her stomach. She gasped. The vision faded with her magic, and she found herself lying on the floor, looking up at Spike and Luna's worried faces. The golden rings clattered off her body and came to rest on the floor beside her.
She let out a slow groan. "Sorry I keep waking up like this."
"So, you thought Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy were trying to hurt you?" Spike asked. The three were once again looking at the map, planning their next move. Twilight's eyes were fixed on the Everfree Forest, aside from the occasional headache-induced wince. Spike sat slumped in his chair, the weight of the day's revelations clearly taking its toll. Luna stood back a trot or two, where she could observe the entire room and its occupants.
Twilight nodded. "I didn't know it was them. I thought they were... monsters."
"Your description matches that of the beings I observed in your dream," Luna said. "It appears that whatever power affects your mind runs deeper than your memories."
"No kidding," Spike said. "Anything that can make friends look like enemies is... scary."
"That's putting it mildly," Twilight agreed, "but this does give me hope. I believe what I saw was a memory - or at least, my perception of it at the time. I'll have to ask my friends to be sure, but it makes sense that that's where they found me, and what happened next." She looked at Spike, then at Luna. "I know where my journey ended. We'll just have to follow it backwards now."
The trio had many things to arrange before they could set out for Everfree. While Twilight and Luna drafted a letter to Princess Celestia, Spike rounded up Twilight's closest friends. They were relieved to hear Twilight had recovered, but concerned about her missing memories, and outright worried about her decision to keep the golden rings firmly in place.
"Are you sure it's not the rings messing with your brain?" Rainbow Dash asked. She flitted nimbly around the room, narrowly avoiding a nervously hovering Fluttershy. "I mean, you thought we were trying to hurt you until we got those things off."
Twilight's eyes flashed involuntarily to the bruise on Applejack's snout. "I know. I'm sorry I hurt you. But I don't think these rings are the problem. In fact, I think they might be part of the solution."
"Twilight has been experiencing some unusual magical fluctuations," Luna explained. "These rings suppress her magic, preventing any accidental discharges."
"That doesn't explain why you're wearing that ghastly thing around your wings," Rarity said.
"The rings only work as a set," Twilight explained. "I'm not sure why, or even how I know that, but it's true."
"They look really uncomfortable," Fluttershy said.
Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but a stabbing pain in her head cut her off. "Dear, are you sure you're in any shape to go out into the forest?" Rarity asked.
"Those headaches have been hittin' you hard ever since we got here," Applejack added.
Twilight waved a hoof in their general direction. "I'll be okay. They were a lot worse before."
"Yeaaaah, that doesn't make this a good idea," Pinkie interjected before Twilight could say anything else.
"Everypony, relax," Spike said, rising from his chair to stand at Twilight's side. "The doctor said she just needed some rest, and she's gotten plenty of that. Plus, with all her friends helping her, how hard could this be?"
Luna coughed. Twilight looked down at the table. "About that... I don't think any of you should come with me."
There was a moment of silence. Then, the room erupted with objections.
"Absolutely not, darling!"
"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how long it took us to find you the last time?"
"We ain't havin' none of that, sugar cube."
"No way, Twilight. We're sticking together like the icing on a cinnamon roll."
Twilight held up a hoof. She'd expected their objections and already planned her response. "I know we've faced plenty of dangerous things together before, but this one is different," she explained. "Not only is it stronger than anything we've faced, it can also make friends look like enemies." She couldn't help but look at Applejack's bruises again. "Think about it. If I hadn't been wearing these rings when you found me, I probably would have used my magic to fight back. That... would have ended poorly."
The other ponies looked around at each other. Twilight could tell they wanted to argue, but they said nothing. "I won't be going alone," she continued. "Princess Luna has agreed to go with me. She's strong enough to make sure I don't do anything... stupid, and if I fall unconscious, she can still reach me in the dream world."
"That... does seem to be a sound idea," Rarity reluctantly admitted.
"I'm also taking Spike with me," Twilight said. "He knows the most about whatever I was researching that led me to these rings. I'll need to rely on his expertise to fill in the gaps in my memory."
Spike nodding, tapping his claws nervously. "I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe."
"That sounds fine and all, but I'd still feel better if we went with you," Rainbow Dash said. "Even if you do go crazy, I'm sure the five of us can take care of it."
"I'm afraid that conclusion holds true only so long as Twilight's rings remain in place," Luna said. "Should either come loose, containing her will become much more difficult."
"I wouldn't worry yourself about that," Applejack said. "Those rings were a pain in the flank to pull off last time."
"I wound not count on that remaining true," Luna replied. "When Twilight recovered some of her memories, the rings fell off quite easily. I suspect they are meant to contain her power while her mind recovers."
"And since the whole point of this trip is to fix my brain, I expect these rings to be falling off a lot," Twilight added. "I'm sorry, but I can't risk hurting any of you. I would go alone, but... well, that didn't work out well at all. This is the best compromise I can think of."
The friends were silent for a moment as they pondered Twilight's words. It was clear from their expressions that they didn't like the idea of staying behind. Twilight hoped they would agree with her; the thought of harming one of them accidentally was too much to bear.
"Um," Fluttershy started. "I think Twilight will be in good hooves. And claws," she added quickly.
One by one, the others nodded in agreement. "Y'all be careful out there," Applejack said.
"Yeah, 'cause if we don't see you back in three days, we're coming to get you," Rainbow Dash said.
Twilight nodded. "That's a good idea. I hope we don't have to use it, but I'll sleep easier knowing I have my friends ready to help if I need it."
Twilight's friends helped Spike round up the necessary supplies while Twilight and Luna finished their letter to Princess Celestia. It took a while to ensure no important detail was left out. By the time they were finished, the scroll stretched halfway across the library. "I don't think I've ever sent Princess Celestia a letter this long," Twilight said once the bulky parchment was rolled up and sealed. With a puff of green flame, Spike sent the letter on its way.
Twilight, Luna, and Spike exited the library and walked to the entrance hall. Their friend waited for them, along with two sets of saddle bags and one bulging backpack. "We tried to pack just the essentials," Applejack explained. "There's enough food to last you a few days."
"I also took the liberty of packing a few clothes, in case you run into inclement weather," Rarity added. "I'm sure you'll find them both stylish and practical."
"I'm sure we will," Twilight agreed with a smile. She realized it was the first smile she'd had in a while. "Thank you, everypony."
"Remember, we're coming after you in three days," Rainbow Dash reminded them. With a wry grin, she added, "And I better not get kicked in the flank for it this time."
Twilight chuckled. "I'll do my best."
"We all will," Luna agreed. With a bit of magic, she placed Twilight's bags on her back, and then her own on hers. "Shall we begin?"
Twilight looked up at Luna's confident gaze, then over at Spike's approving thumbs-up. "Yes," she decided. "Let's go find my memories."