/I am so, so, so sorry that this chapter has taken so long. I wanted to get it up by last Sunday, but I kept getting pulled away from my work and I had camp all of last week. I really hope this chapter makes it up to you guys... Big thanks to The Lava Queen and Guest for the input last chapter. Very fair point, I appreciate immensely! The rating, therefore, shall not change. And I will try to speed up the backstories as much as possible. Thank you for the feedback! On to the chapter then. Enjoy!/

"Oh, Celestia..." Pinkie murmurs, and for the first time in years I sense true emotion in her voice.

Hot tears stream down my face. I've witnessed so many deaths in the past year. I was able to handle them all so far, even Cadence's. But all these added up fates, topped off with the death of my best friend in all of Equestria, my brother... I just can't take it. My legs give out and I collapse on top of his body, sobbing violently. Holding tightly to his lifeless, cold figure, I wait for Pinkie to pull me away like she did when Big Mac died. But I feel nothing. I hear a soft thud and glance to her. She sits beside me in silence. More tears escape my eyes and I feel her hoof on my back.

"I-I'm sorry..." I mutter, sniffling.

Pinkie shakes her head, pulling me close to her.

"Don't be sorry, Twilight." She whispers. "Let it out..."

I'm nearly shocked. Her voice hasn't been this kind or compassionate in years. I hear the urgency in it, however, and pull myself away from Shining Armor's body. Pinkie and I walk together to the throne room, where I find the other girls waiting.

"Twilight? Are you alright, Darling?" Rarity asks, running to me.

"My brother..." I sniffle. I need not say more. Realization crosses Rarity's face and she hugs me. "No... I'm fine. We should go."

"Yes, let's go. Right now." Pinkie says urgently, glancing down a hallway.

All but Fluttershy move towards the exit. She edges towards a passageway. Pinkie notices this and calls for her to follow us.

"One moment, please." Fluttershy says quietly. "Come on out, they're all out here. Even Twilight."

Who could she be talking to? No, it doesn't matter. We need to leave. I need to find out what Pinkie is so urgent about. I shrug it off and walk through the crystal doors. Fluttershy quickly catches up, followed a few paces behind by a strange pegasus. She's taller than the rest of us. A sort of light pink color, with a purple, hot pink, and creamish-yellow colored mane. She looks strangely familiar. Her eyes light up when she makes eye contact with me.

"Twilight!" She cries, speeding towards me. "Oh, I was terrified you'd be dead!"

She hugs me in a bone-crushing embrace, which I can't help but welcome. Once we separate I get a closer look at her. I study her face intently, paying her eyes the most attention.

"Cadence! You're alive!" I cry. "But, I thought you were killed with the others?"

Cadence sighs and begins walking down the crystal-paved streets. I follow her.

"So did I. Everyone does. It took me a long time to figure it out myself. You saw the 'revolutionaries' carry our bodies back to our respective castles once we'd been executed, correct?" She asks.

I do.

"Think of this as an example, Princess of Friendship!" A revolutionary shouted. I stood at my window in shock and terror. Ready to collapse. "If you and your council do not relinquish yourselves to us, more will die!"

The once all-powerful princess trifecta lay before my door, a mess of blood. They had all been killed right in front of me. Revolutionaries held them, threatening to kill if we did not surrender. I was ready to save them. We all were. But all I needed was a head-shake from Princess Celestia to tell me no. That was what I got, and that was what I understood. So I didn't move, and each princess was killed one by one.

After the little show, the revolutionaries carried the princesses off to their respective castles to show their citizens what a monster Twilight Sparkle is.

"I woke up hours later on a table. I found my horn was missing and I was no longer a princess. All the crystal ponies had fled the empire, except for Shining Armor and very few others. We decided it would be best for me to stay hidden, and I used that time to figure out how I was still alive. You see, Twilight, I was also not born an alicorn. I was born a pegasus and given a horn by Princess Celestia once I had proved myself."

"What does that mean?" I ask, intrigued.

"Well, I suppose it means that only Celestia and Luna, both born alicorns, can be killed on the first try like that. But you and I, we have lived two lives. Becoming princesses gave us extra time, and if we are killed once, all that happens is we lose our title. If you die, you will lose your wings like I lost my horn. But I only have one chance left."

That's a lot to process. So I suppose I can sacrifice myself once, and return a normal unicorn once again? But after that I'll be gone for good. I wonder if she knows that Shining Armor is... Never mind. She's here and she's alive, and that's all that matters.

"Come on! We have to leave!" Pinkie shouts back at us.

She's at least twenty feet ahead of us all, urgently running. Cadence and I exchange looks and she starts running. I follow suit and catch up with Pinkie.

"What's eating you, Pinkamena?" I ask.

"What? Nothing. I'm fine." She snaps.

"Don't lie to us, Diane. Somethin's buggin' you." Applejack says.

"Nothing is bothering me. I just want to get out of here so we can try to find Rainbow Dash." Pinkie bites her lip hard. She squeezes her eyes shut and I just barely see a small tear escape one.

I didn't see that... I have to pretend. I see Applejack open her mouth, but I shake my head and she stops. We can't press, or we'll break her. And I don't want to break her.

"Where should we look, girls?" Rarity asks.

"Anywhere that's not here. I get the feeling your friend wants to leave." Cadence says calmly.

I nod and fire up my horn. Off we go. I don't even know where I'm taking us.

/There you go. Explanation to Cadence surviving and whatnot. I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will not be this late, I swear./