As Twilight Sparkle felt the full effects of the day's stresses, and the mysterious healing properties of the glade worked their magics, she drifted into a deep slumber. There were no dreams, as her body and soul required a more restorative sleep. As the shadows from the moon grew shorter, however, she awoke with a start.
Baleful noises had awakened her, and as her senses returned from their dozing, she realized she was no longer in the clearing. Instead, she was at the palace in Canterlot! all of Equestria was petitioning her for help and guidance. From atop a high balcony, she gazed across the huddled masses of ponies who felt their problems could all be solved with her intervention. The pleas and cries reached her ears and stung her heart. She could not help anypony, she was in no shape to offer guidance.
She knew it was hopeless. Her magic was closed-off from her, and she knew of no other way to help. Twilight felt a presence behind her, and could tell it was her teacher, the Princess Celestia. She turned to her mentor, to ask for help, but the look on the Princess's face stopped her cold. She had never seen this expression before; it was one of bitter disappointment. She opened her mouth to say something, but the Princess only glared, and Twilight slammed her jaw shut. At last, she was able to squeak out a feeble
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry Princess.", but the glare did not subside. Left with little other choice, Twilight begged for forgiveness, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Twilight started to sob, her breath catching in her chest with a hitch.
"Please Princess, tell me how I can make everything better!" She was at the end of her rope, the Princess had never, would never shut her out like this. Just then, she felt another pony emerge onto the balcony. Startled, Twilight looked up through red-rimmed, watering purple eyes. She beheld Princess Luna, and tried to sink down into the stone floor.
Suddenly, she felt a wing caress her body, as the Princess of the Night lay down next to her, wrapping her wing around the forlorn little unicorn.
"Twilight Sparkle", Princess Luna said as gently as she could, "Do you know why you are here?" Twilight gave an anguished cry, but the Princess only laughed calmly. It was a tinkling sound, like glass bells being lightly rung. As Twilight listened to the sound, she began to wake up.
Twilight awoke for the second time this evening. As she rubbed the tears from her eyes once more, she was startled to find Princess Luna's wing still wrapped around her.
"P...P...Princess Luna!", she wailed! "Oh Princess, I have made such a mess of everything!" The wise alicorn looked at Twilight, the knowing sympathy evident in her gaze.
"Oh my sister's dearest pupil, how it pains us to see you like this!".
Twilight could hear the concern in the Princess's voice, which made the dream-memory of Princess Celestia's silence sting even more.
"Twilight Sparkle, surely you can see that your nightmares were only such. If you truly don't believe that yourself, you can trust us, as it is our royal duty to protect the sleeping ponies
from letting their nightmares become reality."
Twilight blinked away more tears, and slowly nodded her head in understanding.
"Oh, but Princess, I have really messed things up! I've failed my duty to both Princess Celestia and my friends, and I really hurt them, too!"
The princess seemed to consider this for a moment, and then said:
"And how did you come to be here, all alone in the Everfree forest? And however did you find this delightful glade in which to rest? Are you not worried about the monsters of the forest?"
And Twilight Sparkle, for the first time, truly contemplated just where she had gone, and how.
"I...I'm not sure, Princess! I was so angry at my friends for interrupting my spell, and then I turned on them and yelled, and I got so mad that I turned into a monster! I ran away because I didn't want to hurt them more, and I didn't really pay attention to where I was going. I just sort of wound up here!".
Princess Luna pondered Twilight's reply thoughtfully.
"Hmmm, you must have really been upset for the forest to lead you here."
As night continued its march into daylight, Princess Luna told Twilight that they had much to discuss.
"But first, we need to send my sister a message, letting your friends and she know that you are all right." As the alicorn's horn began to glow, Twilight's face sunk into pure misery. She should have known that her friends, and indeed her mentor, would not stop caring for her for just one outburst of anger. She had managed to hurt her friends yet again, and the self-pity and loathing were reaching a critical mass.
Her message being sent, Princess Luna saw the expression on the much younger mare's face, and proceeded to give her a lecture.
"Twilight Sparkle, we have been watching you ever since The Elements of Harmony freed us from our selfish prison, and we have come to the conclusion that we owe you a debt. We see something of ourselves in you, Twilight. Always trying to please our sister; always the diligent pupil." Upon hearing this, Twilight gasps.
"Oh yes, little one, you always knew you weren't her first student, even if you are her favorite!".
Twilight swooned upon hearing somepony else say what she has always known in her heart. She caught herself, and started to blush, a deep maroon on top of her lavender coat. Princess Luna noticed her, and smiled warmly.
"Long before there was anypony else, we were our sister's student. And we still remember how completely impossible such a position could be! Yes, Celestia is certainly very wise and knowledgeable about many things, but she can be a poor teacher."
Twilight gave a soft little gasp, tempered by her deeply repressed feelings of agreement.
"So needless to say," the dark princess continued, "We can certainly understand and sympathize with you on these feelings. You feel the need to measure up to almost impossible standards, and hold your prized teacher in the highest esteem of perfection. But our sister is far from perfect! No pony is truly perfect, Twilight, and you can not ever hope to be."
Twilight hung her head dejectedly. She had known this all along, but had never stopped trying to achieve the impossible, at any cost. As if reading her thoughts, the princess added:
"Yes, perfection is a laudable goal, but one must be aware of the costs. We made this mistake once, and we suffered what felt an eternity in punishment! Do you now fully understand this, Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight felt as if a burden had been lifted. She sniffled one last time, and absently ran a fetlock across each eye.
"Yes, Princess."
"Please, Twilight, it is just us now. You may call me Luna."