“YOU!!?”
Rainbow Dash's yell echoed from the walls of the cavern as she launched herself into the air. Letting loose a ringing war-cry the pegasus pony charged, launching herself at the evil changeling queen before being suddenly pulled back.
“Whoa there pony girl - simmer down!”
“Let go! I'm gonna...rarggh!” screamed a furious Rainbow Dash, squirming as she was restrained by both Rarity's magic and Applejack's teeth.
“N-nooo...” Twilight sagged, unable to summon the strength to lift herself. “Leave me alone! Please...I don't care anymore! It hurts too much...please...I...I just want to be left alone!...
Chrysalis cackled evilly as she watched.
“Oh isn't this just perfectly sweet... The feared Twilight Sparkle - the Element of Magic, once again...”
The evil queen stamped her hoof.
“...BROKEN!...by her own friends' mistrust...” Chrysalis threw back her head and laughed with malicious delight.
“We've been here before...haven't we little Sparkle? Remember when you saw through my little disguise and tried to expose me at your fool of a brother's wedding rehearsal?”
Twilight cringed, whimpering.
“I thought for a moment that I was done for...so I cried a few crocodile tears and made my escape, but against all my expectations that little scene worked out better than I ever dreamed!”
Chrysalis moved closer. “Not only did you lose the trust of everypony you cared about, but it gave me the perfect opportunity to dispose of you once and for all!”
Chrysalis cackled once more.
“You were handed to me by your own friends on a plate! It was only by the most cursed of luck that you and that naive sister-in-law of yours managed to escape in time!
“Nooooooo!” Twilight curled up into a ball, as if trying to seek shelter from Chrysalis' taunts.
“You really do get a F in Friendship don't you now Twilight? You certainly haven't improved any in keeping your friends have you? Face it Twilight Sparkle, you...are a failure! You even failed in your mission to retrieve the Crystal Heart, and it was only because that fool of a Princess decided to go easy on you that you even remained her student!” Chrysalis licked her lips, delighting in her torment of Twilight. She leaned down to whisper her final blow to her trembling victim.
“But they are certainly seeing who you are now, aren't they Twilight? Now your friends no longer trust you because they have seen what you are, and what's really important to you...” The cavern rang with Chrysalis' hollow laughter. “And now - once again, even the great Celestia has turned her back!”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
Twilight's scream echoed round the walls, the helpless mare cowering great distress, covering her ears and almost screaming her pleas for mercy.
“STOOOOP! Please stop! I-I-I can't listen to any more! I CAN'T!”
Chrysalis grinned victoriously.
“Ahhhhh...and you know what the best part is little Sparkle? I can feel the love you still have for them all! Oh, I shall dine well on you this night...I shall dine on you FOREVER!” The evil Queen bared her fangs.
“NO,YOU WON'T!”
Six ponies stepped forward as one.
“Not while ah'm around y'all won't!” finished Applejack firmly. Rainbow Dash was still fighting to escape Rarity's magical grip and using every curse and insult known to ponykind.
“How DARE you! We promise you, thou shall rue this night for ever more! Thou shall learn the terrible price of invoking the wrath of the Ruler of the Night!” Luna flared her wings, her mane and tail blowing out from her as if in a gale.
“You're the MEANEST of Mean Meanie-Pants! You better watch your step or you're gonna find yourself on the wrong end of my party cannon! 'Cause when the Pinkie ain't smilin', the confetti starts flyin'!” Pinkie Pie popped out from behind Chrysalis to poke at warningly at the changeling's chest with a hoof before vanishing as mysteriously as she came.
“NOPONY hurts one of MY friends!” Even Fluttershy was squaring up to the changeling ruler, her nervousness forgotten in her fury.
“You said it yourself. Twilight still loves us, and we still love her.” snorted Rarity.
“An' we trust Twilight. Even if we som'times forget we do. 'Cause Twilight is ah true friend to the end. An' anypony who wants a piece of her 's gonna have ta come thru us!” Applejack glared at Chrysalis.
“Oh, don't lie to me Applejack...”
A large red dot had suddenly moved across the face of the moon, which turned from it's usual grey- white to yellow and blinked like a giant eye at the little band of ponies, narrowing itself as a familiar voice filled the cavern - seemingly from all directions.
“Did you miss me?” There was a flash of white light and the moon turned back to normal, only for a tall, snaky figure to also materialise in the cavern near to Chrysalis. “I missed you...especially you Twilight Sparkle.”
Discord was back.
The Elements of Harmony clustered a little closer to their friend as the Master of Chaos folded his arms and grinned at the miserable Twilight.
“Awww... come now Twilight, no need for that face...”
A click of his talons teleported Discord to Twilight's side
“...after all, who needs the faith of one's friends? You certainly don't since you don't have any friends now...and let's face it, Celestia has far better things to look after than a bratty bookworm who's more interested in books than anypony else...”
Applejack angrily aimed a buck at the Draconequus, who promptly exploded like a balloon in a shower of bubbles and reappeared in a flash, lounging on a rock.
“Besides, where does friendship always get you? In the end it only ever leads to heartache - somepony gets mad, or leaves or whatever and leaves the other feeling miserable...or quintuplently miserable in your case...” Discord sneered at the helpless pony hidden behind her friends. “Maybe it's time you just abandon your faith in friendship altogether, and save yourself the bother of finding new friends...not that you'll find any of course...”
“Nopony's going to trust a failure like Twilight Sparkle again. Why would they? Remember the slumber party Twilight? Or the Winter Wrap-up, that doll, the wedding and the Crystal Heart?” Chrysalis came closer, her gaze fixed on Twilight like a predator who had cornered it's prey – not even glancing at Discord beside her. “Why don't you just give up now?”
Twilight's sobs became weaker and weaker, as she hid under the blanket Rarity had made for her, unable to speak.
“Twilight! No!” Applejack ran to the shivering mare and pulled her into her hooves. “Don't listen ta those creeps sugarcube! Y'all keep fightin' you hear? Ah ain't givin' up on y'all and nopony else is gonna either!
“You taught us more than anypony 'bout friendship Twilight!” Rainbow Dash fluttered down to join them.
“Especially me Twilight! Even though I was so nervous, you helped me make friends with other ponies.” Fluttershy hugged the lump in the blanket.
“You just can't quit on us now!” Rainbow Dash cried.
Twilight's sobbing continued unabated, the voices of her friends seemed as silent to her as ever as Twilight teetered on the verge of giving in to her despair.
“It's ALL over!” sneered Chrysalis.
“Do give up already, it's pathetic to watch. Twilight Sparkle...is finished!” gloated Discord.
“We jus' gotta to do something y'all – fast!” Panic filled Applejack's voice, as the last of the colour began to drain from Twilight's tail.
“You want fast?” Rainbow Dash pounded the air with her wings, flying up above them and hovering like an angry storm cloud. “I'll show you something fast!”
The cyan pegasus flared her wings, then let loose a deafening yell and charged towards the two villains in a rainbow blur.