Nightmares
“It appears we are at an impasse,” Tirek announced, matching Twilight's cold snarl with a smirk.
Twilight Sparkle snorted angrily, the devastation around her only serving to feed her growing anger.
“How about a trade, Princess Twilight?” With a snap of his fingers seven bubbles popped into existence, floating in a circle above his head.
The sight made Twilight's stomach twist into knots. Each bubble contained one of her best friends, each with dulled eyes and missing cutie marks. Their magic stolen, used to feed the monstrosity standing before her.
“Their release,” Tirek continued, his smile growing to a grin at the look on her face. “For all the alicorn magic in Equestria.”
“Don't do it, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash's voice shouted immediately, quickly followed by similar cries from her other friends. Twilight's jaw worked uselessly as she struggled to answer. Her first, most powerful instinct was to break down and give in. To trade her magic for her friends. But she held herself back. All of Equestria was depending on her. An entire country, just for the freedom of seven? There was no math there.
And yet, she waned more than anything to say yes.
“What's it going to be, Princess?”
“We aren't worth it!” Fluttershy's ever-gentle voice called, sitting in her bubble with a defeated look in her dimmed eyes.
“Oh but you are, Fluttershy,” Discord said, sadly. “You're the one that-”
“Enough!” Tirek shouted. “I want an answer, and I want it now!”
Twilight looked up. Across each of her friends. Their eyes pleaded, begged her to say no. To save Equestria. Could she give up her magic, the very magic all the other Princesses had entrusted her with, give up all of Equestria, go against her friend's wishes, just to end this fight? Should she?
“No, Tirek,” She said firmly, tensing her aching legs. “Because when I beat you, I'll free them and the Princesses myself!” With that she launched into the air and was immediately slammed back to the ground.
“Foolish pony!” Tirek shouted angrily. “You will learn your mistake!” With that he snapped his fingers again and Twilight was forced to watch in horror as the bubbles surrounding her friends began to shrink. At first they didn't notice, but before long they were trying to stop it.
Their strength, however, was no match for the combined magic Tirek has stolen, and they were all helpless as the bubbles slowly compressed in on them.
“Stop it!” Twilight screamed, tears filling her eyes as her friends started grunting and groaning in pain. The bubbles pressed sight to their bodies now. She jumped into the air again, but with her blurred vision she didn't even notice the blast of magic until it hit her and sent her skidding a few feat back.
“It's okay, Twilight.”
The alicorn looked up to a grinning Rainbow Dash, though her pain was still clearly evident on her face. “Do me a favour and- nnnngggg... kick this guy to Tartaurus for me.”
With that, the bubble gave a ripple before-
Twilight bolted upright in bed, throwing the sheets off her sweat-drenched form. Her heart thundered in her chest and her lungs burned for more air than her rapid panting could give them.
A dream... it'd been just a dream.
But she'd won. She'd won and she'd saved her friends.
Right?
A thick claw of fear wrapped itself around her heart. Maybe she hadn't. Maybe the dream was real; it'd felt like it? Her memory of winning, of freeing her friends... felt no more real than the vivid memory of her dream.
She had to be sure.
“Spike!” Twilight all but screamed, jumping out of her bed and running into the hall. Just one door down was the dragon's room. Throwing the door open, the alicorn's blood ran cold when she saw his undisturbed bed.
“No...” She wracked her mind for answers, searching desperately for an explanation as tears started streaming down her cheeks. Until finally, her eyes landed on the window, and the sun streaming through; it was well past the time Spike usually got up. Perhaps he'd just made his bed and gone about his daily chores?
“Spike!”
Whirling around, Twilight took to the air and flew down the stairs as fast as she could manage. When a search of the library, dining room, and kitchen turned up nothing she began to fear the worst.
Had Tirek won?
With a desperate cry she called upon every ounce of magic at her disposal, a bright light bursting from her horn as she searched the whole of Ponyville and the surrounding farmland for any signs of her friends. She knew well enough what they felt like to her magic. Her search grew more and more desperate, wider and wider as more and more emotion-fuelled magic was channelled into the spell.
Finally, at long last, she found them; all seven of her closest friends were in the centre of Ponyville square. From the feel of it, they were relaxed; peaceful. Nothing was wrong;; they were enjoying a nice day outside.
The thought helped ease the icy grip of fear but some doubt still lingered; she had to see them. To hug them. To know beyond a doubt they were alright.
Without another moment's hesitation she bolted for the front door of her castle, not even trying to stem the flow of tears as she burst into the sunlight. Near everypony in Ponyville heard her sobbing as she ran through town, too distracted to fly or teleport.
Before long she was at Ponyville's town square, and her hooves skid to a stop when she saw what was where she had sensed her friends. Instead of five ponies and a dragon, she found a single black obelisk with writing etched into it's sides.
“Here lies Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Spike the Dragon, and Discord,” Twilight's lips read the words allowed as her mind struggled to accept them. “They died as they lived; heroes saving Equestria. May they live on forever in our hearts, and their sacrifice never forgotten.”
“No... no... no!” Twilight sobbed harder and harder, pounding her hooves against the uncaring monument. “No no no no no! NO!”
She broke down sobbing, collapsing in on herself as she cried. She'd lost... Tirek had... he'd...
“Shhh... it's okay, Twilight,” a southern-accent cooed in her ear as strong but gentle hooves wrapped around her.
“You did all you could,” a scratchy voice assured.
White forlegs wrapped around her from behind and she sobbed into the chest of a mare much older than she remembered.
“Scootaloo... Sweetie Belle... Applebloom... I... I'm sorry.”
“It ain't your fault, sugarcube,” Applebloom assured gently. “I know my sister; she'd have been proud of you.”
“Mine too!” Scootaloo agreed. “She... she wouldn't have wanted you to risk Equestria for her.”
“None of them would,” Sweetie added. “They gave their lives so you could save Equestria from Tirek.”
“I-I'm sorry,” Twilight muttered, hiccuping against Sweetie's coat as she pulled the three fully-grown mares tighter. “I'm sorry I couldn't save them.”