Today was a responsibility day, unfortunately, which meant Twilight had to schedule her bar time earlier to get it in before the wedding rehearsal.
She was there before they unlocked the doors. As she sat down, she resolved to go easy on the alcohol, at least until after the rehearsal.
When Twilight did finally get to the site, it was more bustling with activity than she expected. She spotted Rarity standing by a table at the back of the seating.
"Uhkay, Raridy. Um here."
Rarity turned with a start. "Oh, Twilight. What are you doing here… now?" Her eyes grew wide as they gave her a frantic once over. "Looking like that?"
"Wudder you toggin about? 'M here for the rehearsal."
Rarity blinked. "Darling, that was yesterday and you missed it. This is the wedding."
Twilight felt an awful pang of panic in her chest. "Oh, no," she gasped. "When do we start?"
"We already started," Rarity whispered angrily. "Everyone is seated. The ceremony has begun." She gestured mockingly at the crowded chairs before them.
"Well waddu I do? I ken help wiv zomething," she cried.
Rarity had anticipated the reasonable likelihood that Twilight would flake out and abdicate any or all of her duties which is why she'd tapped Lyra as a backup usher. When Twilight didn't show for rehearsal, she just went with plan B and didn't think much about it. She had no idea something like this might happen.
Now beginning to panic, Rarity pleaded with her. "We made do without you. Please just go home, Twilight; it's fine."
"Is not fine," she yelped defensively. "I'll tell you when iss fine, little miss prissy face."
A few heads from the seated crowd turned to look back, annoyed at the outburst. Rarity cackled nervously and then turned back to Twilight.
"You sound like you're day drunk," she hissed. "This is why they asked me to plan and not you. You're an unreliable deadbeat. I gave you one task because I felt sorry for you, and this is how you repay me?
Twilight sniffed as tears began to well in her eyes.
Rarity scowled. Don't you dare. Not here.
Unable to stop, Twilight began to sob and then wail loudly. She turned to gallop away but immediately ran into the drink table, flipping it over along with three full coolers before sprawling out on top of it. The ceremony came to a dead stop and the entire gathering turned in their seats to look back at the source of the racket.
Rarity buried her face in her hooves and froze in horror. "I wish to die. Please merciful Celestia, strike me dead."
Absolutely mortified, Twilight hid in the bar for the rest of the day. Well, that's it, she thought. There went the last vestiges of my reputation. I'm just some out of control drunk to be mocked now.
It was late at night by the time Twilight wobbled home. Pushing open the door, she was surprised to find Totality still awake. She usually went to bed before this so it seemed odd, especially since she didn't appear to be doing anything but sitting slumped over next to a stack of books.
"How was the wedding?" sighed Totality, listlessly staring at the floor.
"Oh, uhh. It was fine," replied Twilight with a weak grin.
"Really? Because you forgot your dress."
Twilight gritted her teeth. "Um, yeah, I…"
"Well whatever it is that you did, I guess it took longer than you thought it would."
Suddenly Twilight remembered that she'd said she would try to help Totality after the wedding, the wedding which she thought was tomorrow but was actually today. She was supposed to help her today. She'd been at home all day waiting for her.
Totality looked utterly defeated. "It's fine," she muttered. "I can just… do it by myself, I guess. Good theses probably don't matter as much if you get a letter from an upstanding, high profile Celestia protege. You'll be able to do that at least... right?" Her eyes met with Twilight's for the first time and she found herself unable to run away from her again.
Twilight bit her lip. "Umm, well… about that. Princess Celestia and I sort of had a big fight and a falling out after Spike died, and I'm not really in the inner circle of Canterlot academics anymore… or at all."
Totality's jaw dropped in shock. "So you lied to me?"
"No," Twilight shook her head in alarm. "I mean, I never told you that, but you never asked."
Totality shot up from her seat. "That's disingenuous garbage and you know it! Ugh! You knew the whole reason I was here was to get into the academy, and you said you'd help me do it. I was banking on your reputation and a slam dunk letter of recommendation."
Twilight swallowed. "I can still write you a letter. It just… won't improve your chances."
Totality's face fell in devastation. She hung her head and clutched at her mane. "Unbelievable," she sighed. "I… I can't stay here. I'm wasting my time." She floated her notebook into her saddle bag and then put it on.
"Wait, you're leaving?" gasped Twilight.
Totality brushed past her. "Yes, Twilight. Some of us still have aspirations in life. You know how prestigious that school is. I have to be ahead of the game here. If this isn't helping me get into the academy, I have to find a real apprenticeship or something else that will and I've already lost so much time thanks to you stringing me along."
Twilight flailed for the right thing to say but came up empty. She had no counter argument or excuse for her actions.
Totality stopped in the doorway and looked back, trying and failing to keep tears from her eyes. "Ugh! You'll never even know how badly this hurt me." And with that she stepped out with her head hung low and closed the door with her magic.
"Jeeze," breathed Twilight. She knew she screwed up and it was bad, but this seemed like an overreaction. Teenagers…
Twilight slumped down on the couch and rubbed her face with her hooves in despair.
"Hey, you can drink at home again now," she said to herself in mock excitement, floating a bottle out of a cupboard. "That's all you really wanted, right, you stupid bitch? It's convenient because it's literally the only thing in your life now. Just you and a bottle… forever."
She took a big swig and slammed the bottle down hard on the table. You're doing this completely to yourself, she thought. And no one will stop you. You've been screaming into the void for months now and the only response you've gotten is a resounding request to turn down the screaming. Everything you touch gets destroyed. It's all an endless positive feedback loop and there's no way to break the cycle. She took another messy chug, letting the drink run down her muzzle and soak into the upholstery. She panted to replenish her air. No, she thought, there's always a way out. There's always a way out.
Twilight went upstairs and popped open the window next to Owlowiscious' perch.
"Okay Owlowiscious, you have to go." She pointed at the open window.
The owl looked at her quizzically. "Who?"
"You. You're free now. I release you. Go on."
"Who."
Twilight waited a few more moments, but it quickly became clear that he either didn't get it or didn't want to go. She tossed him out with her magic and latched the window shut.
Should I write a note or something, she wondered. No. To whom? Nopony would read it. Just do it and get it over with.
Twilight opened a bottle of pain meds and began stuffing pills in her mouth, swallowing mouthfuls aided by interspersed floods of booze. Her eyes began to water as she took on more than she could handle, struggling to choke it all down.
Twilight finished off the last of the pills and coughed, letting the still full bottle of ale clink on the floor. She collapsed on the bed and stared into the photo of her and Spike on the nightstand. "See you soon, little guy."