Twilight opened the door and went down the stairs unenthusiastically. She could see that the cleaning had been done. The table that usually sat in the middle of the room had already been moved against a wall. The welcome cake sat on it, a few slices missing. Twilight heard a few murmurs go silent. The assembly of ponies—and Spike—playing cards turned their attention towards her. "How long did I sleep?"

"It's past twenty-one," Sunset replied.

"Rainbow hasn't come back?" Twilight asked.

"You know her. She needs some time to be on her own and figure things out," Applejack said, pointing east with a hoof.

Twilight rubbed a hoof across her face ."Okay." She walked towards the door. "Girls, don't leave. I'll be back with Rainbow. Spike, make some coffee for everypony." Upon these words she left the library, closing the door behind her.

The others looked at each other. It took only a few minutes for Twilight to come back with Rainbow Dash, who was clinging to a cloud as black as her mood. She had refused to follow Twilight, the alicorn trapping her and the cloud in a telekinetic field.

Spike returned just in time from the cellar of the science lab, a tray with eight cups of coffee, sugar, and milk in his claws. He handed a mug almost full to the brim to Twilight, who accepted it in her magic. She offered a short hug to the dragon to thank him, before he went to give the one that had been prepared for Rainbow Dash.

"Once again, I'm sorry, Rainbow. But what I have to say is too important to wait. Bad news has accumulated without my knowledge, and Equestria's future is at stake."

"When the kingdom learns that the Princess is dead, Discord will come back in a second." Rainbow frowned.

"Princess Luna will not make an announcement about this. She told me that it must remain a secret, so as not to deprive Equestria of any hope of seeing her again one day. They must continue to live as if she would come back tomorrow," Twilight explained, eyes misting up, ears flattened to her head, unable to look her friends in the eye.

There was a cacophony of turmoil, but Rainbow's voice roared louder. "So, what, we're gonna have to lie to everypony?! What's the point of knowing?"

Twilight smiled sadly. "I reacted in much the same way. And Princess Luna found the words to persuade me that this is what Princess Celestia would have wanted. Equestria lives in expectation of her return. I don't like it." She sighed. "But that's not the worst part." She walked towards the display case that kept the Elements of Harmony under glass, which had been hidden under a cloth during the celebration.

Twilight looked at her crown, the Element of Magic, wondering if the gem had always been so dull. "I could tell as accurately as possible what happened in Canterlot, but it’s a real jumble of events, and I, myself, do not know the truth from falsehood in the end. I need you guys to understand that this is an even bigger secret. For the moment, nopony else but us in this room must know about it. Not even Princess Luna. If you don't think you can’t keep it to yourself, it would probably be best if you went home."

Behind her back, everyone exchanged cautious glances. Rarity stepped forward. "Twilight, my dear, I think I speak for all of us when I say that no one will leave this room, but... even Princess Luna? You talk as if something even more terrible has happened. I’m not saying I don’t believe that could be the case, but that’s still a tough idea to swallow."

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"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," promised Pinkie, drawing a cross on the chest of her hoof before hitting her eye with it. The others imitated the gestures, all taking an oath like Pinkie.

Twilight smiled briefly. "Thank you, girls. And thank you too, Spike. I have no doubt that I can count on all of you, but I want to make sure that you understand the importance of what I am about to reveal. When we defeated Nightmare Moon, she didn't completely disappear like we thought. About four months ago, when Pepper left, Nightmare Moon came back."

At these words, everyone except Twilight and Sunset—who was not there four years ago—felt a great chill run down their spines. The revelation left them speechless.

"The Elements of Harmony purified Princess Luna by separating her from Nightmare Moon. They are two distinct alicorns today. And they have a mutual aid agreement. Princess Luna manages Equestria's business, while Nightmare Moon takes care of the world of dreams. And while I was sleeping this afternoon, Nightmare Moon approached me without Princess Luna's knowledge."

As she recounted this, she opened the window, took her crown, and placed it on a hoof. She could not remember if she had always had this weight—not on her head, but her shoulders. "Nightmare Moon asked for my help. She lied to Princess Luna. She asked me to lie as well—about Pepper's location. In the bag Sunset was carrying when we arrived, there is a piece of mane covered with coagulated blood, decorated with the ornament Pepper had worn since her return. This was apparently the evidence Chrysalis provided that proved that she killed Pepper. The thing is, Nightmare Moon suspects that might have been a lie. Whether or not this is so, if Princess Luna finds out about this, she will try to exterminate every single changeling out there. And finally, Nightmare Moon asks for my consent to take possession of the Princess, to curb her bloodlust. I... "

Twilight dropped her crown on the ground.

"I can’t make such a call... According to Nightmare Moon, in both cases, Princess Luna is condemned, and I think... she’s not wrong. The Elements of Harmony can’t obliterate her pain over her sister’s death. If we use them on her, she will end up as a statue. I can’t see any other solution. But postponing a problem isn’t solving it. What do I do? Do I let Nightmare Moon take over? What if she's playing me? What if she lied to me about everything?! What if she had told the truth?!!! And—" She was pulled out of her rantings by a claw on her side.

Spike was the most empathetic of the group when it came to Twilight’s meltdowns. He gave Twilight a soft smile. "You'll know what to do, Twilight. You always do."

The bearers of the Elements approached Twilight to offer her a collective hug.

Applejack took off her hat and put it on Twilight’s head before grabbing her by the waist and squeezing against her side. "It's not an easy task, but it's not impossible for somepony like you."

"She's right. And we're here if you need help," Rainbow Dash added.

"Or to make you smile again!" said Pinkie Pie.

"At any time, day or night," Rarity said.

Fluttershy didn’t speak; her just being there spoke for her.

Spike looked at Sunset. "Aren't you coming to join the hug?"

"I'm not really the affectionate type in front of others," she replied.

Pinkie Pie gasped. She pulled a red cap out of her mane and screwed it on her head before turning it backward. "Pinkie Pie, Attack Cuddle!" she said with a deadpanned expression. Then, she chirped, "Pie!" She leapt onto Sunset, throwing her forelegs around Sunset’s neck and nuzzling her cheek.

Sunset startled, but didn’t fight back. She accepted Pinkie’s affection with a smile. "Okay, okay. Maybe it's not so bad once in a while."

"Sunset appreciates the hug! The attack was very effective!" cheered Pinkie.

A general laughter echoed in the library. Observing Pinkie and Sunset, Twilight lent herself a moment of serenity. At a time like this, she was more happy than ever to have her friends at her side. She allowed herself a small, genuine smile. After all this time, when she had spent her days locked up in the library, hoping to find some way to find Princess Celestia or go after Pepper. After her life had just turned upside-down. Finally, tonight, she had hit rock bottom.

In the darkness in which she was drowning in revelations, her friends remained her guiding light.

Opening her eyes again, she looked back at her tiara. The star-shaped gem was shining again, or perhaps... the glow had never dulled. Only the doubt in her heart was behind that change. Despite everything she would endure, her friends would still give her the strength to smile. Friendship was still something magic.