Twilight woke up in a room, and felt an ice pack on her head. She took it off, and walked outside. She saw a drink on the counter, so she picked up and started to drink. She finished the drink quickly, and opened the door. As she walked outside, she heard voices. “Is Twilight going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked, while Twilight stood behind a wall. “She fell pretty badly. Oh, I should go check on her!”
Rarity grabbed Fluttershy’s tail, and pulled her back. “Now, now, Fluttershy,” she said. “She’ll be fine as long as she has some peace and quiet. That headache will stop soon enough, and her fever’s already gone. Why should we pester her more?” Rarity stepped back from the table and turned. “I think that she should be left alone for at least a day. Let her rest, Fluttershy, and go into the garden. You’ve been working too hard!”
Fluttershy nodded, and she walked away. Twilight quickly stepped back and stood behind a door before Fluttershy stepped out of sight. She sighed, and walked back to where she was, and saw Celestia and Luna speaking together. “Traitor,” she said to herself, staring at Luna.
Luna looked in Twilight’s direction, and smiled. “We know you’re there, Princess Twilight, why don’t you come out?” Twilight stared up at her, and she remembered when she was a new student at Celestia’s school. “Go back to sleep, Twilight. I might meet you there.”
Twilight nodded, and walked back to her bedroom. She looked at her bed for a couple of seconds, and sighed. The sounds of her echoing trots faded as she got into her bed. It was warm, and she felt safe; away from Chrysalis, Discord, Sombra, and Nightmare Moon. She soon closed her tired eyes, and fell asleep.
Once again, her sleep was disrupted by the terrifying screams of the victims of the Changeling Queen and Discord. Suddenly she heard a loud bang behind her. She turned, and she suddenly felt smaller. She remembered this. “Twilight Sparkle, open your door right this second!” a familiar voice screamed. Twilight backed away, and hid under her bed.
She finally heard the lock click, and the door slammed open. This was the day she broke her grandfather’s glass hoofball that he made himself. Her father was furious, and he stepped on the glass after she broke it as well. She heard the stomping of hooves, but it soon turned to the buzzing of a mosquito. A two terrifying green eyes popped out outside of the bed covers. Twilight’s filly-like, shrill scream broke the silence, and she woke.
“Twilight,” Fluttershy came into her room, and she picked Twilight up off the rough, sagging bed sheets. Twilight looked at her, still bewildered from the dream. Her head throbbed, and Fluttershy stood her up. “You should stay up for a while. It’ll help you with your dreams.”
Twilight looked at her. All she could see in her shy friend was a hideous changeling under her yellow coat. Twilight shivered, and nodded. “O-of course, Fluttershy, I-I’ll do that.”
Fluttershy nodded, and flew away. Her pink tail was flowing behind her, and Twilight suddenly felt heavy with thought. She walked outside, and she saw Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy together. “Is she okay, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “I’ve never seen her so, so . . . so strange.”
Fluttershy just shrugged to her orange friend. “I don’t know,” she said. “She seems like she’s fine, but confused. Just, don’t try to encourage her. If she’s talking nonsense,
don’t listen. The foal is coming soon. If Cadence sees Twilight so sad when her niece slash cousin is born, she’ll probably be sad.”
Twilight took a step back. Cadence was pregnant; at a time like this? Twilight was sure that the changelings were back again, and she needed to be rid of them somehow, but Fluttershy was right: she couldn’t go around saying there are changelings to a pregnant princess. She’s already experienced too much. She would be devastated if she knew that her foal was in danger.
She walked away from her friends, and she came into the room where Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were sitting. The hideous thought of changelings killing off her sister, teacher, and friend, made Twilight flinch. She ignored it, and walked forward. “Good morning, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, smiling to the purple Alicorn.
“Good morning, Luna, Celestia, and Cadence,” she said, forcing a smile. “When did you guys wake up?” She looked deep into Celestia’s eyes, but all she could see was happiness.
“About nine,” Cadence said. “I’m actually kind of tired, but I wanted to go to the-”
A loud slam cut off Cadence, and Twilight turned to see a guard he ran in, looking at Celestia. “Princess,” he said, out of breath. “There have been changelings found along the outside of the borders of Canterlot. We need Prince Shining Armor right away.”
Cadence’s eyes shrunk. Twilight knew that memories were flooding slowly into the princess’ mind. She stared at the guard in sheer horror. Celestia lead the guard to Shining, and Cadence looked at her hooves. “Cadence, you should sit down. You don’t want to excite the foal.” She sat Cadence down onto the small couch.
Cadence’s eyes shook with fear. She looked at Twilight, and smiled slightly. “T-Twilight, you’ll watch out for Shining, right?”
Twilight stared at her. She sounded as if she were telling her she was going to die soon. Twilight nodded, slightly, and Cadence’s eyes closed. She lay down, and her breathing slowing steadily. Twilight sighed, and walked over to her sister-in-law. Her pink coat was soft against Twilight’s and her mane scratched against Twilight’s ears. Twilight lay her head down next to her, and she closed her eyes.