Rage opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of Ponyville's streets. He rose to his feet and looked around confused. "What's going on…?" He asks. A lot of the buildings were bland and not quite right.
The crimson Alicorn walked around. He felt strange. Something was off. He made it to the fountain where he stopped and paused. He thought of the time Sombra had appeared there.
Twilight was on the ground on the other side of the plaza. "Twilight!" He exclaims running over to her. She looked at him as he made his exclamation and she slowly stood up.
Rage looked at her as she looked at him with a vacant glare. "Twi…?" He asks as his heart sank. He waved his hoof in front of her and her gaze just remained still as stone.
Rage looked in the direction she was and his heart jumped. Canterlot and part of the area between it and Ponyville was covered in a dark, unnatural shadow. "What in Chaos…?" He says in shock.
The shadows crept ever closer and he turned away and ran. As he ran the shadows in front of him extended into tall, formless humanoid like figures and he stopped backing up and turning to run in yet another direction.
Rage felt as if he was getting slower and he skidded to a halt as another wall of shadows blocked his path. He tried casting some magic but to no avail. The shadowy figures loomed over him as he was backed into a wall.
Beyond the figures he saw three Mobian figures. One looked like Sonic shrouded in Darkness. The others were unfamiliar to Rage. As the shadows closed in on him Rage shut his eyes.
The next thing he knew he shot up in bed and panted. He was drenched in sweat and hyperventilated for a few seconds before his mind caught up with what was going on. He looked at his hooves and sighed.
"It was just a nightmare…" he sighed in relief. He took a moment before he looked to the sun that was beginning to peek over the horizon.
He walked up to the mirror and picked up a brush with his magic and combed some of the knots out of his mane. As he was finishing up he heard a knock at his door. It was a higher pitch, from a smaller hand or hoof.
The crimson alicorn put the brush down and went over to the door as another knock was heard. "I'm coming!" He grumps shortly before reaching the door. He opened it and didn't see anyone at first. He looked to the left and the right. Nopony. Then he looked down, Spike was in front of him looking restless. "Spike? What's got you all worked up?" He asks.
"Rainbow Dash and Rarity are here to see you." Spike says. "They said you have the thing to cure Twilight right?"
Rage nods and pulls the drawer open and with his magic removes one of them. "I guess I slept in." He sighs. "Thank you Spike." He smiles as they walk down the hall.
As they walked there was a small bit of tension that Rage could sense. Spike was nervous about something. Rage looked at him and tapped his shoulder. "Spike? What's bothering you?" He asks the small dragon.
Spike tapped his fingers nervously as beads of sweat dripped down the side of his head. Finally he looked at Rage and sighed. "Can I come with you…?" He asks nervously. "It's just that I haven't seen Twilight since this all started and-"
"Of course." Rage agrees. Spike stopped and looked at Rage in shock with how easily he agreed to it.
"Wait wait wait…you're okay with it? Just like that? You aren't going to make me stay here?" He asks and Rage shakes his head.
"Why would I?" Rage asks "This is just as important to you as it is to the rest of us." Spike smiled and cheered happily as they reached the room with all of the chairs where the others awaited.
"For someone not so keen on beauty you sure seem to like taking your beauty sleep." Rarity teases Rage who smiled with a chuckle.
"Sorry about that." Rage apologized "I didn't mean to sleep in so late."
"Well what's important is that we're all here." Applejack says
"Right and the longer we wait the later it will be when we get to Canterlot." Rainbow Dash says "I am sure Sonic is probably exhausted by now."
"Just one problem…how are we going to get to Canterlot…?" Pinkie Pie asks. "The train isn't running today."
The six were silent and not sure what to even do. The train was the only way they really had. At least the only thing that they could all use reliably.
"Maybe I could be of assistance?" Discord asks as he appears out of Applejack's hat.
"Discord…" Applejack grumps. "What have we told ya about snoopin'?"
"I'm sorry but I heard you all were going to see Twilight today and I just got ever so curious. I haven't seen her in nearly two weeks!" Discord exclaims. "I could get us there quickly and easily. If you'll let me."
"I think it's a wonderful offer." Fluttershy says with a gentle smile.
"We don't really have another option do we…?" Rainbow Dash asks.
"Come now Rainbow Dash, it's not fair to be so rude. The least we can do is give Discord a chance." Rarity says. "He's been good since that one little hiccup."
"I agree." Rage nods looking at Discord. "Go ahead."
Discord smiles and nods. "Of course!" He says as holds a hand up and a zipper appears in the air next to him. "One fast track to Canterlot coming right up!" He says as he pulls the zipper and on the other side the front of Canterlot Castle is visible.
Rage helped Spike up onto his back and looked at the small dragon as the others made their way through. "Thank you Discord." Rage says with a bow of his head.
"Of course it's the least I could do. Now please go. Help Twilight." Discord replies, ushering him in with an open hand. Rage followed the other ponies' lead and found himself at the stairs to Canterlot Castle with the others.
A pair of guards saluted as he walked past. "Good day Prince Rage." One says "Celestia is expecting you and the others."
"Thank you but it's just Rage." The crimson alicorn corrects the guard.
The gray stallion bowed his head apologetically and responded; "My deepest apologies!"
"It's okay. I understand, force of habit. You see an alicorn and usually they're royalty, don't fret over it." Rage says as they walk past the guards.
They walk to the stairs that lead down into the dungeon where Princess Celestia and Sonic both were. "and she won't be able to get through the new barrier anytime soon if last night is anything to go off of." Sonic says to Celestia as the others approach. He turned his attention to them as did Celestia. "Rage! Fluttershy! Rarity! Applejack! Pinkie Pie! Spike! Rainbow Dash!" He exclaims "You're all here."
"Do you have it?" Celestia asks and Rage nods. "We must be quick then. Night comes soon."
Celestia and Sonic proceed down the stairs but Rage stops before the rest could go. "I should warn you…Twilight has been pretty down so it may be hard to see her the way she is now…if any of you stay here none of us would blame you…" Rage says.
"No way. We all worked hard for this. We're going to see this through." Rainbow Dash says with a firm look. The others agreed with her and Rage nodded as he turned and led them down the spiraling stairs and then to the stretch of dungeon Twilight was in.
The group reached Twilight's cell where she was sitting in the corner, her mane was all over the place and her fur was a mess. She was looking to the back corner of the cell and an air of despair was almost tangible as they approached.
The clopping sound of the many ponies made Twilight look over her shoulder. Her lavender eye was dull, lifeless almost. "Oh...hey everypony." she says in a dull voice.
"Twi..." Rarity was the first to speak. "...I...has she been like this the whole time...?" she asks, turning to Celestia who shook her head.
"No, this was only over the last day or so..." Sonic speaks up. "Since she...since she got free and hurt us."
"Why are you even here?" Twilight asks softly "Is it that time? You've come to say goodbye or something? Is it finally that time...?"
"No! We came to help you!" Rainbow Dash says. "See?" she looked at Rage who held the potion up.
"What's that?" Twilight asks.
"A cure." Spike says. "We all worked hard to make sure you'd get it."
"A cure?" She asks, a brief glint of hope flashed in her eye but almost as fast as it was there it was gone. "A farce...nothing can save me now." She sighs. "I can hear the voice in the back of my mind. It's best you let me go and let me get as far from here as possible while I still have any sanity left."
"Twilight this isn't the time to be-" Applejack begins to object.
"Isn't the time to be what Applejack?! Down? Depressed?! After everything I have done, why are you so keen on helping me?!" She shouts "What if I don't want it?!"
"Twilight, this isn't like you..." Pinkie Pie frowns. "Where's the hyper organized dedicated Twilight?"
"Gone." Twilight scoffs. "Or...soon to be at least."
"Get out of your own head Twilight..." Rage says gritting his teeth. His blood boiled listening to this. "Your friends-"
"Don't you dare give ME a lecture on friends." Twilight spits as she stands up and turns around. She walked to the wall of bars separating her cell from them. "You don't understand friendship Rage! You never will! You're too scared to open your heart up and let others in! You just push us away! You don't know what friendship is...and you never will..."
"Hey! That's not cool!" Spike shouts as he leapt off of Rage's back. "Do you have any idea of the sacrifices they all made for you?!" he shouts clenching a fist.
"What would you know about it? You've been back home doing whatever it is you do..." Twilight scoffs as Rage takes a few steps forward and pushes Spike backwards. He looked Twilight dead in the eye. "What are you going to shut down like you always do when you don't know how to express your feelings?" she asks him. "Shut everypony out? Keep the tough guy facade?"
Rage's look narrowed, he was frustrated. "If you want to resign yourself to just giving up then that's on you." The crimson alicorn says as he places the vial of potion on a table just inside of the cell. His own eyes showed a deep seeded pain. "Whether you're just letting that voice speak for you or you're just overwhelmed about all of this...it doesn't matter." he says, his voice breaking up as he takes a step back.
"Go back to Mobius where you belong." Twilight says scornfully. "If you hadn't stayed here none of this would have happened." Rage visibly recoiled hearing her say this.
"Please stop fighting..." Fluttershy says softly. She shook, her emotions were overwhelming and she sniffed, wiping some tears from her eyes. "We all worked so hard to help you Twilight! Why are you being so...so mean?!" she cries.
"Fluttershy..." Twilight says softly as she feels her heart sink. Rage looked at with tearful eyes as he turned to leave. The others made way for him. She looked at him as he made it to the arch at the head of the group of cells that had been all she'd known for the last two weeks.
"I'm not turning away because I think you're right...because you're not...at least...not anymore..." Rage says as he stops. "I am walking away because I believe in everything YOU taught me..." he says softly. "The magic of friendship...all of it...but if you wish to end that...then all you need to do is destroy that vial..." he then turns and walks away.
"Hold on Rage-" Sonic reached a hand out before running after him leaving Twilight with the rest of the mane six. Fluttershy, unable to handle herself burst out crying and Rarity put a hoof around her.
"There, there Fluttershy..." The white unicorn said gently as she guided the pegasus out as well.
Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight with a bitter glare. "What's happened to you?" She asks. "I get you've been cooped up for like two weeks but this isn't how you thank us. We put everything on hold to help you Twilight. All of us. Because you mean that much to us. If this is how you thank us then I don't know what to even say...are you really even you?"
"Twi...I get it's frustraitin' you've been unable to control yerself right? Every night when that sun goes down..." Applejack looks at Twilight with worried eyes. "It's got ya questionin' everythin' ya know...I bet yer so frustrated you just had tah let it all out right?"
"No Applejack...you don't get it." Twilight says turning back away from them. "You don't have some evil doppelganger taking over your body every night...you're not locked in a small dungeon because ponies are afraid of you..."
"Yer right I don't. But that don't mean we ain't stressin' in our own ways too Sugar." Applejack replies, shaking her head. "But that don't give you the right to go and be outright mean like that."
Twilight was silent, thinking about what Applejack had said. "I'm just speaking the truth, Applejack." she says softly.
"Are ya?" the orange pony asks. "Or are ya speaking what that evil version of ya wants you ta think?"
The lavender alicorn looked at Applejack with open eyes. Then to Rainbow Dash. "Yeah...AJ's better at these kindsa speeches. So uh...ditto." she says in her normal carefree voice. "All I know is I'm not leaving Canterlot until you finish that."
Twilight's heart lifted up some. Her head felt more clear as Rainbow Dash and Applejack sat down. She smiled softly and walked over and looked at Princess Celestia who had a cross look on her face as she took the vial. "You're gonna have quite the apology to make." Celestia sighs.
"I...can I have some time alone?" Twilight asks.
"Alright but if I find out you did something with that potion I'm never letting you hear the end of it." Rainbow Dash says, giving her a stern look. Shortly after the three ponies and Spike walked away, leaving Twilight alone.