ACT ONE
Equestria, a place where Friendship is supposedly “the norm,” the best way to live, and the one in primary charge of keeping all this together was Twilight Sparkle: Princess of Friendship.
She had come a long way, learning so much about friendship and wanting nothing more than to spread it around the world, and teach it to others…
Which was why she founded The School of Friendship, to help train others in such fields and become as educated as she was in the subject.
For now, it was summertime, and the school was closed. Starlight Glimmer had gone on vacation to visit her father in Sire’s hollow.
Twilight Sparkle, on the other hoof, never took time off from her solemn duties she vowed to uphold-- in continuing to teach and spread the joys and wonders of friendship…
…Unfortunately, no pony is perfect-- No one is without flaws, and one of Princess Twilight’s most serious and often-recurring flaws was her Paranoia-- her extreme fear of Friendship dying, allowing hatred and evil to rise which would lead to catastrophic consequences for all Equestria.
While the Friendship Map in her Rainbow Castle would alert her to friendship issues in need of addressing, she would often take matters into her own hooves at even the slightest imperfection to her.
She would butt into the businesses and private lives of others in attempt to turn them around—make them see things from her point of view and, in her own words, “Embrace friendship. Take all the benefits from it and become a better being.”
While sometimes she and her friends would succeed, other times they would fail, mostly due to Twilight’s own stubbornness.
…And she had been failing a lot lately.
She tried to help two estranged brothers make up after a long quarrel and be more like a family again.
“No way!” one brother would yell.
“I don’t want to make up, especially not with him!”
She tried to help a guy who was dumped by his mare-friend to embrace his situation and move on with his life.
“What if I don’t want to move on? Did that thought ever occur to you?!” he balked before demanding she leave.
She and Rarity tried to help improve a shipping business that was dwindling to the verge of bankruptcy-- IE: turning it into a stylish, and fashionable business, with promotions of friendship in the workforce.
All that did was completely drive the business to the ground faster, causing all the ponies and creatures to lose their jobs.
Then, there was one Earth Pony mare who was down on her luck-- Her husband had died, she lost her job-- from the shipping business-- and her money was not doing well. She decided to end it all by committing suicide-- jumping from the roof of a tall building in Las Pegasus.
Twilight couldn’t allow such a thing, and rescued her with Rainbow Dash’s help, but the mare was far from grateful for their good deeds.
“Hey! We saved your life!” snapped Rainbow, only for the mare to protest “You didn’t save my life! You ruined my death! That’s what you did! I was going to be free from all this, and you ruined it all!”
It was in vain that Twilight tried to convince the pony, “Suicide is not the answer. You have much to live for, you just have to find it.”
…The pony insisted she was wrong, and for this, she was admitted to an insane asylum.
Twilight walked miserably through Ponyville. “I don’t get this!” she grumbled to Spike. “All I’m trying to do is help others. Is that so hard to understand.”
Spike hated to tell her, “Twilight, did you ever think maybe you’re taking this a little too far?”
As he expected, Twilight was shocked and appalled. “How can you ever say that?! I have a job and a mission in life. It’s my duty to spread friendship around, and help others see that.”
Spike was really growing worried for her. All this obsession and these failed missions were really starting to affect her in a bad way.
Before he could say anything, he and Twilight heard quarrelling, whereas a mother and son were arguing with one another.
“You are going to take over the family business, and it’s time you got to studying!”
“I don’t want to take over the family business!” protested the son. “I want to be a professional skateboarder!”
“No son of mine, is going to be putting himself in danger for no good reason!”
Twilight immediately galloped over shouting, “Hold it down here!”
The mother and son took one look at her and immediately backed away. “Stay away from us!” demanded the mother.
Twilight was stunned at her tone. “I just want help you.” insisted Twilight.
The mother balked, “This is none of your business, and besides, you’ll just mess it up more!”
Her son rudely blew a raspberry at Twilight before being dragged off by his mother leaving Twilight in a mix of shock and anger.
“Well, how do you like that?” she muttered.
Spike shook his head in dismay at her. “It wasn’t really your business, you know. It was between a mother and child to decide.”
“But what if it escalates into a bigger problem?” cried Twilight. “What if they get madder and madder at each other? What if they start to physically fight each other!”
Spike couldn’t deny, “That is a possibility, but that doesn’t mean it’ll actually happen.”
Twilight remained unconvinced.
As they walked a little further, they saw a grumpy Earth Pony stallion, in a well-dressed business suit leaving City Hall. He really looked mean and disturbed.
A beautiful Pegasus Mare was waiting on the steps, looking straight at him, with a queer look on her face-- the kind only a mare in love would have.
She tried to say hello to him, but he paid no mind, and didn’t even look her way, which made her feel hurt to the point of tears.
Twilight’s features hardened and she rushed off again.
“Oh, boy! Here we go again!” groaned Spike.
Twilight went up to the stallion. “Excuse me!” she balked, “Don’t you think you were very rude to her?”
The stallion snuffed and said, “She deserved it.” Then he looked back at the mare. “We dated for a whole year, then she broke up with me for personal reasons. Now she wants me back, but I won’t let her. She’s not going to make a fool of me again.
Goodbye!”
He went past Twilight, nearly shoving her out of the way.
“But wait--” was all Twilight could say before he yelled at her, “…GOOD… BYE!!”
Then Twilight turned to the tearful mare, wanting to console her, but the pony just yelled at her. “Thanks a lot, Princess. You didn’t have to butt in, you know!” and she flew off crying leaving Twilight feeling embarrassed and even sorer than ever, and Spike’s concern was nearing its peak.
They finally got home to the castle and sat down to dinner, but Twilight didn’t feel much like eating. She kept staring blankly at her plate of food, picking at it.
Spike asked, though he had his hunch, “Are you alright, Twilight?”
She hesitated, and then shook her head, “No… No, I’m not. I cannot believe how so many ponies are behaving. They wouldn’t even let me try to help them.”
Spike didn’t know if talking any more would do good, as Twilight didn’t seem to get what she was complaining about herself.
Suddenly, he felt strange, and then he let out a big belch, producing a magical letter with a royal seal on it.
“It’s from Celestia.” Spike said.
“I can see that!” Twilight snapped, making Spike jump in fear.
Twilight gasped at what she had just done, and she quickly apologized to him. She was under a lot of stress, which Spike understood.
She opened the letter from the Princess, and it was not full of happy news.
“Dear Princess Twilight…
This is a letter of extreme concern.
Lately, I have been receiving numerous letters from many ponies complaining of you’re meddling in their private affairs. I have also noticed that you have not been handling certain situations very well and have only made things worse instead of better.
I am worried and deeply concerned for you, as a personal friend-- not merely as my former student, nor for your reputation as Princess of Friendship.”
Twilight began to quiver nervously. She couldn’t believe the things her former mentor was saying about her, she almost didn’t dare keep reading.
“I wish for you to come to Canterlot some time to meet with a friend of mine.
His name is Dr. Cy Colt. He is a very great therapist who specializes in how others think or behave, and he has quite a way with words.
One might even say he has a way of understanding friendship that could even help you with your own.
I’m not making this an order, but I strongly urge you to do this, for your own sake.
--Princess Celestia.”
Twilight let the letter slowly fall onto the table and placed her hoofs on the sides of her head in total disbelief. “Therapy? Me?! I’m probably the last pony in all Equestria that would ever need such a thing.”
Spike disagreed, “I don’t know, Twilight. I think you should consider it.”
“Spike?!” spat Twilight.
“Well, look at you! You’re falling apart, you’re letting yourself become overly obsessed…”
“…I am NOT obsessed!” thundered Twilight, and she got up and stomped to her room for the night.
“Ugh!” groaned Spike, but now he was more than convinced that Twilight needed this therapy. “I’ve got to find a way to convince her, before she really goes off the deep end.”
He had an idea.
Twilight spent the remainder of the evening contemplating everything over and over.
“I don’t need therapy.” she kept saying to herself. “Why can every pony see that I’m just trying to help; improve their lives and show them the joys and wonders of friendship.”
She lay down in bed and blew out the candles, but she kept saying to herself, “I have a solemn duty to uphold. I have to do my best to keep Equestria safe, and make sure that every creature gets along so that no disasters will occur!
I have to…
They have to…
…It’s best for everyone.”
She let out a yawn and fell asleep.