A Canterlot Wedding: Aftermath

by Black Kyurem

Chapter 6: Twilight's Trauma

"I'm sorry, but I just can't go on like this with so much pain in my heart."

---

"You see, Twilight, posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD for short, is basically an anxiety condition that develops when somepony is exposed to psychological trauma. This in turn is caused by experiencing something physically or emotionally disturbing. Many of the guards I've had appointments with have been suffering from mild cases due to the changeling invasion, as they were either tied up and helpless or imprisoned in cocoons. What they've suffered from is threat of physical injury, but in your case, it's fair to say that you've been suffering from emotional injury.

"The reason it is called 'posttraumatic' is because it develops anytime after the event has passed, be it weeks or months, which causes a memory relapse. Twilight, apparently what happened on the night of the wedding rehearsal must have been strong enough to linger for those memories to come back a week later, so I can surmise this is your current condition. You might have suffered from emotional trauma."

"What can I do?" asked a worried Twilight.

"Well," said the therapist. "There are numerous solutions to your case, but you will have to be making a choice in the end. Now tell me, do you remember anything happening to you after you first started experiencing a relapse of these memories?"

"Yeah, actually," said Twilight. "I think I might have gone into shock during the train ride here a day ago. My friends told me I was muttering all of my friendship lessons I ever wrote to Celestia."

"That sounds like a relatively mild case of acute stress reaction. But it might have only been temporary."

"Will I ever be the same again?"

"Well, that will be based on your decision as to how you think you can overcome your condition. Now, the effects of PTSD can last for at least a month, but there are ways they can have less of an impact on your life."

"What do you mean?"

"Basically, to make things easier, I am going to personally recommend two options for you. You can return to Ponyville with your friends under the assumption that they will love, support, and care for you every possible moment they can no matter what happens. However, your brain might be telling you that because they hurt and left you once when you needed them most and that twice in your life they failed to take your worries seriously, the lingering effects of PTSD will likely keep coming back and you'll continue to re-experience them in flashbacks or nightmares. This may happen regardless of your choice, but who you have to comfort you will likely make the difference. Or, your second option is to stay in Canterlot and return to your old life you used to have. Only this time, with your acquired friendship skills, you'll be able to make a bunch of new friends and start over."

"Replace my old friends?" said Twilight. "I... I could never do that to them. I know they feel bad enough as it is."

"I'm not saying to replace them, Twilight. I'm just saying that any new friends who welcome you with open arms would be assuredly able to provide you with fresh, new comfort that you may possibly need as long as PTSD continues to linger. You don't have to say goodbye to your old friends. You could still stay in touch with them, but chances are you might not find yourself hanging out with them the way you have been."

"I... I can't."

"And I'm certainly not going to recommend one option or another. I am simply listing both aspects of them so you can decide what might be best for you. Either way, you will be needing many more therapy sessions with me. Now I'm sure that deep down in some subconscious level, you still trust your friends with your life."

"Mm-hm."

"But keep in mind that the way they treated you that night was completely uncalled for and it certainly didn't justify your own actions. Therefore, you may end up instinctively not seeing your friends the same way again. I suggest you think this through carefully, Twilight. It may affect how you recover, but either way, the emotional scars left in your heart are liable to be around for life, but this may only cause you to feel down from time to time. Nothing a good friend can't fix, I'm sure." As the therapist talked, Twilight was still shedding tears and wiping her eyes with a tissue. There was now a small puddle of her tears on the floor near the sofa. "Would you like your parents to come in and see you now?" the therapist asked.

"Yes, please," murmured Twilight.

"Very well. Oh, and is it okay if I discuss your condition with your friends as well as tell them about your options?"

"Okay."

"As you wish." Back outside the therapist's office, Celestia had rejoined Twilight's friends and family and after what seemed like hours, the door opened and the therapist stepped out.

"How is she?" asked Twilight Velvet immediately.

"She's okay, but... she's still crying," answered the therapist. "You can go in and see her, but her friends will have to wait for now." Hearing this, Twilight's parents dashed into the office where they saw Twilight wiping her leaking eyes with a tissue while lying on the sofa. The tear puddle showed her parents that she had cried quite a bit just discussing what could have been the most heartbreaking moment of her life.

"Twilight, my baby!" Twilight Velvet hurried over and hugged her daughter tightly and Twilight's father joined in for a group hug.

"Mom! Dad!" Twilight cried. Back outside the office, Twilight's friends were about to hear of Twilight's condition.

"Please tell us that Twilight will be all right," begged Cadance.

"There's no way I can put what I'm about to say to you delicately," the therapist warned. "So here it is. Twilight Sparkle has been suffering from emotional trauma."

"That doesn't sound good," said Applejack worriedly.

"What's happened is that her fears of the changelings returning has doubled up with her worries over her friendship with all of you breaking apart."

"We're not gonna let that happen!" said Applejack. "We all have a special connection to each other. Ah know it!"

"Yes, but what happened to her on the night of the wedding rehearsal apparently left her emotionally devastated," said the therapist. "And it has left behind some scars." Fluttershy buried her face in her long mane and whimpered.

"It's okay, Fluttershy," assured Rainbow Dash. "Twilight will be fine."

"But how can I go on living with myself when I'm consumed with guilt?" cried Fluttershy.

"Now Fluttershy, darling," said Rarity. "There's no need for that kind of talk. We're all responsible and... we're truly sorry. If only a royal wedding didn't have to be such a hassle..."

"So... is there anythin' we need to know?" asked Applejack.

"Well," said the therapist. "Twilight has developed a moderate case of posttraumatic stress disorder." Everyone gasped.

"It's just as I feared," said Celestia. "That's exactly the condition that many of my guards have been suffering from.

"Well, their cases were relatively mild. They've mainly been traumatized by threat of physical injury as a result of the changeling invasion. Many of the guards had been either tied up or imprisoned in cocoons nearly facing metamorphosis. Twilight on the other hand has been suffering from emotional injury, which takes a lot longer to heal. Her heart broke that night."

"And I think being imprisoned in those underground tunnels didn't help," added Celestia.

"Underground tunnels?" said Applejack. "Wait a sec... That must be what Twilight meant by 'cold and dark'!"

"Exactly," said the therapist.

"And very few knew about them until just a few moments ago," said Celestia. "I addressed my people with reports of their existence and they are relieved for the time being. Now that everypony knows about them, we'll be able to take more decisive action should something serious happen."

"But what about Twilight?" asked Pinkie Pie. "Is there any cure for... posttraumatic what-now?"

"You can call it PTSD for short," said the therapist. "And there's no medicinal cure for it, but there are ways that Twilight can overcome it. However, given all that has happened to her, it will not be easy."

"What can we do?" asked Applejack. "We'll do anythin'!"

"Well, as a start, I don't mean to come down hard when I say this, but you can all start by being even better friends."

"You can count on that!"

"Right!" agreed Rainbow Dash. "If something's up with her, we'll be sure to get the facts first!"

"We should never have assumed our dear Twilight was only trying to spoil the wedding," said Rarity. "She was trying to protect her brother! We all saw how well that turned out."

"Is there anything else?" asked Pinkie.

"Twilight will also have to come back for subsequent therapy sessions. Now while PTSD itself will likely last for at least a month, she will still have to keep coming back for more therapy routines afterwards. Whether she comes back once a week, or month, or even annually, will depend on her current condition."

"But what about the scars in her heart?" asked Fluttershy. "Will they heal too?"

"Hmm... That I can't say for certain. But let me put it to you in a way you might understand. Let's say you have a window, and it breaks into pieces. What's your first impulse?"

"Ah'd get mahself a new window," replied Applejack.

"Yes, in the literal sense that would work," said the therapist, as if she expected that answer. "But in figurative terms, let's say the window represents friendship. If this kind of window breaks, it means that a pony has been emotionally damaged by his or her friends somehow. In this case, two options are presented. The window can either be fixed, and let's pretend that it can, or the pony could still get a new window. Now, what do you think would happen if there was a new window this time? Do you see where I'm going?"

"Uh... ah reckon," said Applejack sadly.

"If the pony got a new window, that would mean starting over from scratch, making new friends..."

"And forgetting old friends..." cried Fluttershy.

"Uh, not necessarily," said the therapist. "You see, if Twilight got a new window, she would still likely keep in touch with you, but she just wouldn't be hanging out with you and such."

"What about me?" asked Spike. "I'm her number one assistant."

"And I'm her brother," added Shining Armor.

"Yes, I know," said the therapist. "But you have to be aware that anypony who took part in smashing Twilight's window counts. And... forgive me, Princess, but that includes you too. And pretty much everypony here..." She then turned to Cadance. "Except you."

"So... if Twilight starts over..." said Spike, starting to cry. "That means... I can't be her assistant anymore?"

"I wouldn't be able to spend family time with her?" asked Shining Armor, visibly upset.

"And I wouldn't be able to have some personal time with her?" asked Celestia.

"I'm not sure," answered the therapist. "But in a worst-case scenario, it's possible. And this may not have to be."

"Hey, wait!" Pinkie pointed out. "Twilight should have already fixed her window, as you put it. Remember?"

"Well, yes, technically," the therapist responded. "So that means all the pieces have been put back into place. But what usually happens when you fix a broken window? That's right, the cracks are still there to show that the window has been broken once. In other words, when Twilight was abandoned that night, it happened and there was no turning back. So these cracks represent her emotional scars left behind. This means should Twilight choose to return to Ponyville with all of you, she may recover from PTSD overtime and your friendship will likely be as strong as ever, but the scars in her heart are liable to still exist. And they may very well be there... for as long as she lives." Everypony gasped upon hearing this.

"You mean... for the rest of her life?" asked Fluttershy tearfully.

"It's highly likely," answered the therapist. Fluttershy burst into tears.

"Does that mean that our Twilight will never be the same again?" asked Applejack.

"Well, she has become more emotionally fragile as of now," answered the therapist. Shining Armor broke down.

"This is all because of me," he moaned. "I hadn't seen her in so long, she was only trying to protect me, and this is how I repaid her, by scarring her for life." Cadance tried her best to comfort him. Meanwhile, in the therapist's office, Twilight had been crying her eyes out having told her parents of her condition and needed the small paper bag to breathe into again.

"Just try to relax," said her father. "Take nice deep breaths. You'll be fine." But once Twilight was done, her eyes suddenly spun around and she flopped down onto the sofa and fainted.

"There's still hope for Twilight," Cadance assured Shining Armor. "Sure she may not be the same again, but her friends have resolved to be better. We should too." That's when they heard Twilight Velvet cry from inside the therapist's office.

"Excuse me," said the therapist, going back in. Everyone then listened in and this is what they heard. "It's alright, she just fainted. She'll wake up in a second." Now everypony felt even worse.

"Twilight... fainted..." moaned Applejack.

"I can't take this anymore," said Shining Armor. He then addressed Princess Celestia. "Princess, I'm resigning as captain of the royal guards." The others were surprised to hear this, but Celestia nodded.

"I accept," she said. "As a matter of fact, I think it is for the best. As you know, Princess Cadance must return to her duties as ruler of the Crystal Empire soon. As her husband, I am certain you will accept your new duty to rule by her side as prince."

"I'm not going anywhere until Twilight is fine," Shining Armor protested.

"I understand." The therapist came out of her office.

"Is Twilight okay?" Shining Armor asked urgently.

"She's fine," said the therapist. "She's just waking up." Everypony let out a sigh of relief. "So, are you ready to go see her?"

"Of course," said Applejack.

"Very well, but remember that as her good friends, you must be prepared to accept whatever decision she makes." They all nodded. The therapist went into her office. "Twilight? Are you ready to see your friends?"

"Mm-hm," Twilight nodded. The therapist then addressed Twilight's friends just outside. "She's ready to see you." Everypony else slowly entered the therapist's office.

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Shining Armor a prince, I wonder what the residents of Canterlot would think about that?

[Pokemon Pioneer]

1240475 By that do you mean how Canterlot would react to a guard like Shining Armor becoming a prince? Or do you mean how Canterlot would react to how Shining Armor, the new prince, an individual who society would have high expectations of, caused his sister to have a mental breakdown?

If it were the former, I don't think it would be a tremendous shock to Canterlot considering how, in real-life human history, high-ranking individuals have long since been able to move further up the ranks by marrying even higher-ranking individuals. Such marriages and changes in rank would be acceptable so long as the disparity between the couple had not been TOO large of a disparity. If it were the latter, however, I'd expect that were would have been a tremendous scandal.

[Pokemon Pioneer]

Shining Armor broke down.
"This is all because of me," he moaned. "I hadn't seen her in so long, she was only trying to protect me, and this is how I repaid her, by scarring her for life."

Homer Simpson: It's not all your fault. We, the viewers, watched you scar your sister for life and yet we did nothing. So...in a way, we too are victims...of you.

Disclaimer:
The above statement is derived from a quote from The Simpsons episode "The Wandering Juvie."

[forrest yuchnitz]

reading this again makes me wonder if this was after the wedding which was before sombra how would that turn out if it followed this storyline

[Cheer]

Uhm...I may be remembering incorrectly but...I'm PRETTY sure that the crystal empire wasn't around yet only a week after the royal wedding.

[Dragon of Shadows]

"We should never have assumed our dear Twilight was only trying to spoil the wedding,"

what happens when you assume you make an ass out of u and me

[Black Kyurem]

9013591
Yeah, I checked. I looked it up before I did the writing and assumed that the Changeling invasion as well as Twilight being deserted, or left for dead for that matter, is plenty of grounds for trauma. And Twilight's therapist was created by me to be a psychotherapist, who specializes in dealing with trauma victims.

[Black Kyurem]

7337765
That joke will never get old.

[Black Kyurem]

6644631
I wrote this at the time the toy line was coming around for the Crystal Empire sets and before Season 3 when I had no knowledge of what was planned for the show.

[protator]

Worst. Therapist. Ever.

The very ponies who emotionally wrecked his current patient are all right behind the office door - for reasons - and potentially listening in on things that are being said in confidentiality ... not a problem apparently.
No, let's make this even better. Let's tell the patient that her tormenters are listening in. I'm sure that'll make her feel safe and understood and help her open up.
The patient just had a panic attack, is currently bawling her eyes out and is in a rather emotionally vulnerable state in general ...; perfect. Let loose the uninvited visitors!
Oh, she couldn't handle the additional stress and fainted? That's totally fine, it happens.
She's waking up? Great! Let's continue the insanity and immediately force her to confront the rest of them!
It's totally what you do during a patients very first therapy session.
And while that is in progress might as well just tell everyone present the current diagnosis, because that's totally not a breach of your confidentiality agreement with the patient. It'll be fine. Everything is going to be juust fiiine.

Right Ms Sparkle? Oh, guess she's fainted again.

I have a feeling you lack understanding of far more basic concepts than just the finer details of PTSD.

Interesting premise, good start, and a bad train wreck past the halfway point.

[ImperialCobraEmpire]

Listening to this music while the psychiatrist talks to Twilight’s friends, mentor and brother makes it heartbreaking.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=L6-UY-Kf2Hs&feature=shared