"Did no one care about what could have happened to me? Would it have mattered to them if I just disappeared?"
Twilight woke up in a cold, dark place. It was in fact the same underground catacombs that Chrysalis had imprisoned her during the wedding.
"Where am I?" She then gasped, recognizing the cavern layout. "How did I get here?" She then heard familiar laughter, coming from Chrysalis in the guise of Cadance once again. Apparitions of her face started appearing everywhere around her.
"You can't tell your friends anything," she sneered. "Because you can't trust them! They can never understand you! Instead, they betray you and leave you to writhe in your worries!" An image of a Canterlot castle corridor appeared on one of the cave walls, showing her friends, including Spike, Princess Celestia, and Shining Armor, walking through the corridor, each of them looking annoyed save Spike for some reason.
"Come on, y'all," said Applejack. "Forget about Twilight. We've got a wedding to plan."
"Maybe she's not really our friend after all," sneered Rarity.
"Yeah, who needs her anyway?" grumbled Rainbow Dash.
"She's a party pooper!" grunted Pinkie Pie.
"I can't believe she was my most faithful student," spat Celestia.
"Hmph. She's no sister of mine," snarled Shining Armor. Chrysalis laughed maniacally as she turned back into her real form.
"No..." cried Twilight, starting to panic. "No... please... Don't leave me! I need you! Help me! Somepony help me! Please!" The evil laughter of Chrysalis grew louder and louder and her shadow started to loom over her. "HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!!" As she screamed, she was then seen lying in her bed, having been caught in another nightmare. Her eyes snapped open and she started breathing heavily, her forehead doused in cold sweat. She then realized it was in the middle of the night, as her clock had a time of one in the morning. "Whoa... How long have I been sleeping?"
"Twilight?" muttered Spike. Her scream woke him up. "Are you all right? What happened?" Twilight pondered on her nightmare for a minute.
"Nothing," she said in a surprisingly half annoyed tone. "Just another bad dream. Go back to sleep, Spike." She initially believed that if she told her friends about anything so far that they would just shrug it off like they had at the royal wedding. But Spike was rather surprised that Twilight took his question a little hardly.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" he tried again.
"No," she grumbled. Spike looked slightly downtrodden.
~ Day 2 ~
When Twilight woke up the next morning, she found that again Spike was out of bed before her. She then got out of bed herself and trudged down the stairs, finding Spike dusting the bookshelves.
"Hey, Spike?"
"Yeah, Twi?"
"Um... Sorry about last night. I guess my nightmare was that bad and I just wanted to sleep."
"It's okay. But are you sure it's nothing you can't tell me? I'm your number one assistant, right?"
"Of course you are, Spike. You mean everything to me. I just don't know what's been going through my head lately."
"So that's a yes?" But just then, there was a knock at the door. "Oh, your friends are here."
"Huh?"
"I brought them here," said Spike, opening the door, and there they were. Twilight was a bit stunned, still thinking that they could be Changelings in disguise for some reason.
"Good morning, Twilight," said Fluttershy in her usual soft-spoken voice.
"Spike told us you haven't been quite yourself yesterday," said Rainbow Dash. "So he wanted us to drop by and see how you're doing." Twilight looked annoyed, probably because she might not have slept well and her nightmares were giving her second thoughts about her friends. Although the six of them were close, Twilight was under the impression that they were capable of turning their backs on her for trying to tell them any personal problems, which they had proved in the past.
"But I'm fine," she told them. "It's none of your concern." The other five were surprised to hear these words.
"What are ya sayin', Twi?" said Applejack. "Of course it's our concern. You're our friend. We're all your friends."
"For how much longer?" Twilight said without even thinking, but she realized what she said and covered her mouth.
"Darling, what are you talking about?" said Rarity.
"I-I'm sorry," stuttered Twilight. "I don't know what's gotten into me."
"Ah think you need help, sugar cube," said a worried Applejack. "But that's why we're here. You can tell us what's wrong. That's what friends do." But for some reason, this set something off inside Twilight's brain.
"Yeah? How do I know you're not just gonna pass it off as nothing but a minor setback? You're all good at that!" Twilight's friends stared wide-eyed in surprise and their mouths hung open for a couple of seconds. They then cast each other worried looks, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"But..." stammered Pinkie Pie. "We know better now. And we're not gonna mess anything up." But this was the last straw for Twilight. Her thoughts from the wedding rehearsal night finally got the better of her.
"You liar!" she shouted. Everypony else gasped. They could not believe what their closest friend just said.
"Twilight," said Spike. "What's going on? What's happening to you?"
"You weren't there for me when I needed you most," she snorted, still talking to her friends. "You all let me down."
"Hey, wait a minute," Spike protested. "I took your worries seriously-"
"You walked out on me," Twilight interrupted. "And so did all of you. So how can I trust you?" Her friends didn't know how to answer that one, so they just looked at each other worriedly.
"Well, Twi," sighed Applejack. "Since you put it that way... you can't!" They then cast Twilight malicious looks and transformed into Changelings, frightening Twilight into a corner.
"No! My friends... they're changelings! They're coming to get me! Spike, help me! Don't leave me again!"
"Twilight, snap out of it!" said a highly concerned Spike. "They're not changelings!"
"Yes they are! Look at them!" What Twilight saw was five Changelings steadily advancing on their prey. What Spike saw was Twilight's friends, pleading with her to come to her senses and telling her "it's us". Twilight was hallucinating. "Get away from me! Get away from me!" One of the five Changelings sprang towards her and she screamed loudly.
"Twilight!!!" All five of her friends shouted at once and she snapped back to her senses. She was cowering in a corner, breathing fast, while her friends were huddling around her, worried as sin.
"It's us, Twilight!" said Applejack, greatly concerned. Twilight now saw her five friends worried sick over her. She realized that something was seriously wrong with her, but in her shaken state, she didn't know what to do about it. And then, she began to cry and tears streamed down her face. Her friends took pity on her and Applejack pulled her into a warm hug. "It's okay, sugar cube. It's okay." She gently stroked Twilight's back. "You're right. We abandoned you once before, but it won't happen again. Ah promise."
"I don't wanna be alone," Twilight sobbed, tears still pouring from her eyes. "I don't wanna be alone... It's too cold and dark... Don't leave me... Don't leave me..." Spike, knowing full aware that there was definitely something not right with Twilight, headed upstairs quickly to write a letter to Princess Celestia.
"We're not gonna leave ya, Twi," assured Applejack. "We're gonna help get ya through this. Just stay strong for us." When Spike came back downstairs, he came to Twilight's side along with her friends.
"Twilight, I think you should tell them about your nightmare," he suggested. Twilight wiped her eyes with her hoof.
"Okay." And she went over the chilling details of her nightmare from last night.
"Come on, y'all. Forget about Twilight. We've got a wedding to plan."
"Maybe she's not really our friend after all."
"Yeah, who needs her anyway?"
"She's a party pooper!"
"I can't believe she was my most faithful student."
"Hmph. She's no sister of mine."
Twilight's friends were wide-eyed and stunned. They could not believe what they had said in her nightmare. It also reminded them of what they did to her on that terrible night. Her brother had disowned her and instead of comforting her, they left her alone as if she deserved it. Now they knew what Twilight's problem was, but there was still one question about it.
"But Twilight, darling," said Rarity. "This was but a week ago. And you were just fine during the real wedding. Why now?"
"I don't know," murmured Twilight, tears still dripping from her face. "I guess it just didn't hit me until now."
"Well, it doesn't matter," insisted Applejack. "We're here for ya now and we're gonna help ya." Just then, there was another knock at the door. "Who could that be?" Applejack went to answer the door and found Princess Celestia standing right outside. "Whoa, nelly! A-ah mean... Princess!" She quickly bowed respectfully. "What are ya doin' here?"
"I heard that Twilight Sparkle is... not feeling well. So I came to visit her and see if there's anything I can do."
"She's right here, come on in." Celestia then proceeded to approach her beloved student.
"Hello, Twilight," she said smiling. "I came to see you." But Twilight, suddenly remembering her first nightmare from two nights ago, let out a shriek as if Celestia was Queen Chrysalis in disguise and zoomed upstairs.
Everypony stared in shock and surprise, including Celestia.
"What in horses of Equestria was that about?" said Applejack.
"I have no idea," said Rainbow Dash.
"You think there's something she didn't tell us?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"Maybe," answered Fluttershy.
"I will talk to her," said Celestia. When Twilight got upstairs, she zoomed up the staircase and dashed under the covers of her bed, shaking with fear and paranoia. Eventually, Celestia's shadow hovered over the bed and Twilight nervously poked her head and hooves out. "Twilight?" Celestia got onto the bed. "I think you need some comfort." She reached out her hoof to stroke Twilight's mane, causing her to lower her head beneath the blanket, but she then felt Celestia gently stroke her mane and she came out. Celestia smiled at her like a mother, but Twilight started to cry again, so she pulled her into a tender embrace. "Shhh, shhh... It's okay, Twilight Sparkle. It's all right. I'm here."
Meanwhile outside, a carriage pulled up to the front entrance of the library, driven by two of Celestia's guards. Shining Armor and Cadance stepped outside the carriage.
"Twiley sure is gonna be surprised to see us," said Shining Armor. Cadance giggled. Back inside the library, Twilight's friends, including Spike, were all worried sick over the emotional stress Twilight was undergoing.
"How did this happen?" said Pinkie Pie.
"Maybe it really is our fault," said Fluttershy.
"Well, it doesn't matter," said Rarity. "The important thing now is that we help Twilight instead of sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves."
"Coming from you?" said Rainbow Dash. "That's a surprise." And then there was yet another knock on the door.
"Again?" said Applejack. "Who in tarnation is it this time?" She opened the door and saw Shining Armor and Cadance standing there. "Well, ah'll be! Shining Armor! Princess Cadance!"
"It's good to see you all again," said Shining Armor. "We just got back from our honeymoon and we came by to visit Twiley as a surprise!" Applejack looked distressed.
"Uh... Ah think you'd better come inside. We have some explainin' to do." This did not sound good for Shining Armor and Cadance. So they ended up listening to Twilight's friends explaining her situation, but they did not mention why Twilight might have been suffering because Cadance was technically not there that awful night.
"Oh, poor Twilight," said Cadance.
"We have to see her!" insisted Shining Armor. "She needs me! She needs all of us!" So they all went upstairs and there they saw Celestia on Twilight's bed trying to comfort her most faithful student. "Twiley! Twiley, it's me!" Celestia and Twilight took notice and Twilight certainly seemed surprised to see her brother and his wife. Shining Armor rushed to the bed and pulled his sobbing sister into a hug. "Cadance and I were hoping to surprise you on our way back to Canterlot. But I'm so sorry we had to meet again like this." Each of Twilight's friends gathered round the bed to be there for her. Celestia, Shining Armor, and Cadance were each trying to comfort Twilight.
"Twilight?" asked Celestia. "I think there's something you haven't told us yet. Did you have a nightmare two nights ago?"
"Yes," Twilight whimpered. "That night, I dreamt that the changeling queen was posing as... you, Princess." Everypony else gasped in surprise.
"Me? The queen was impersonating... me?"
"Hey, that explains why she freaked out from seeing the Princess," explained Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, poor Twilight," murmured Fluttershy. "This is awful."
"This is our fault," said Applejack. "Ah'm afraid we're all to blame for this."
"Why do you say that?" asked Cadance. "You're all her good friends."
"Well, that's... part of the reason."
"Hey, why are you girls blaming yourselves?" asked Spike. "Shining Armor's the one who kicked Twilight out of his wedding." Applejack then smacked Spike lightly with her hoof. "Ow! What?!" But Cadance could not believe what she just heard.
"What?!" Cadance covered her mouth with her hoof. Shining Armor looked extremely guilty, realizing the things he said on the night of the wedding rehearsal were his poorest choice of words in his whole life. "But... but how?! Twilight was present at our wedding! She was best mare!"
"Well she wasn't going to be after the wedding rehearsal," said Spike, opening his big mouth again and getting another hoof smack from Applejack. "Ow! What?!"
"Shining Armor, what happened?!" demanded Cadance, rounding on him. Shining Armor had no choice, but to tell her the details.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Because you're evil!"
"Evil! And if I don't stop you, you're gonna ruin my brother's life!"
"And you can forget about being my best mare. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't even show up to the wedding at all."
"C'mon, y'all. Let's go check on the princess."
"You have a lot to think about."
Cadance was horrorstruck. Tears even started to well up in her eyes.
"I... I... I-I... I... I don't believe what I'm hearing," she cried. "I don't understand! Why?! Why did you do it?!"
"But..." Shining Armor tried to protest. "None of us knew she wasn't you!"
"But did you honestly think you justified yourself by saying those monstrous words to her?! Did you honestly think you were any better?!" Everypony was now uncomfortable seeing Cadance looking hurt. "I... I... I... Shining Armor, I thought you loved me!"
"I do!"
"But you didn't love your own sister! You were trying to put me in front of her! She's your own family! Your own flesh and blood! No wonder she's hurt! No wonder she had that nightmare! Look what you've done to her! You just made things worse that night! And I thought you were all her friends! What have you all become?"
"Cadance, please listen to me," said Celestia. "That was then, and this is now. And right now, we have to-"
"I don't wanna hear it, Aunt Celestia!" snapped Cadance. "You think you can help Twilight when you're the ones who did this to her?!"
"We're just trying to correct our mistakes," said Rainbow Dash.
"You can't!" shouted Cadance. "You just...can't! You... you animals!" Cadance suddenly raised her hoof and looked ready to slap Shining Armor in the face. He braced himself, but Cadance just couldn't bring herself to hit her husband and instead ran out of the room crying.
"Cadance, wait!" called Shining Armor. But she had already left the library in tears. Now Shining Armor looked really sad. "What have I done?"
"You know," said Rarity. "I still don't get why Twilight was just fine at the wedding and she forgave us, but now this happens. Why now, after a whole week?"
"I fear there may be one explanation," said Celestia. "My guards have also been suffering from similar stress since the changelings invaded Canterlot. And I too have had nightmares over having failed to protect my people. But it seems that Twilight is suffering more."
"What are we gonna do, y'all?" asked Applejack. Celestia raised her head and got off of Twilight's bed.
"We must bring her back to Canterlot."