Twilight yawns, loudly, and she blinks her eyes open. Immediately, her senses are assaulted by the fragrant, unmistakable aroma of apples. She closes her eyes again and takes a deep breath, inhaling the wonderful scent. There isn't any doubt in Twilight's mind about who's cooking, but she turns over anyway to confirm her suspicions.
Of course, Applejack is gone. Her spot on the bed isn't even warm anymore.
How long has she been awake? What time is it?
She glances out the window. It's still dark outside, so Twilight decides that the answer to both of those questions can wait.
Before she can settle back in bed, an orange hoof gently kicks the door open, left ajar to make the return trip easier. Applejack enters with a tray of food balanced on her back. She kicks the door closed behind her and smiles at Twilight. "Mornin'. Thought I'd make you breakfast in bed after... after yesterday." She reaches back and grabs the tray with her teeth, dragging it onto the bed. There are two large plates with stacks of fluffy pancakes that are dripping with syrup. There's toast and jam, applesauce, and a carafe of something that Twilight prays is coffee. She picks up the carafe with her magic, pouring some of its contents into one of the nearby mugs. Blessed black relief flows into it, and Twilight can hardly contain her giddiness as she sips it, sighing contentedly. Applejack trots to the other side of the bed and leaps up so as not to disturb the tray. She settles in next to Twilight, and Twilight nuzzles against her.
What's that smell?
Twilight sniffs Applejack again. Applejack, seeing Twilight's confusion, turns her head and presents her mane to Twilight. Twilight smells it and nods knowingly. "You used my shampoo?"
"Yeah," Applejack replies sheepishly. "I ain't into all them fancy fragrances, but... well, when I'm out there fightin', it helps remind me of you. So I never forget just who it is I'm fightin' for." She turns away, embarrassed.
Twilight is touched by Applejack's words, but her repeated reminders of yesterday's events have soured the moment. "Thanks."
Applejack turns her head back to Twilight, put off by Twilight's tone of voice. "You all right, sugarcube?"
Twilight sighs. "Actually? No, I'm not. I can't get Pinkie out of my head." She magically cuts out a slice of pancake and goes to eat it, but sets it down in frustration. "I feel like I could have done something, you know? She was obviously dealing with some very serious emotional issues. I never noticed anything off about her at all, did you?"
Applejack raises an eyebrow.
"More than usual, I mean."
"Nah," Applejack simply replies. "Pinkie was... well, she was Pinkie. Ain't really another way to put it 'cept that."
"She was my friend," Twilight continues. "She and I have known each other just as long as I've known you. I guess I didn't know her as well as I thought..."
"We all have our demons, Twi," Applejack says, gently wrapping a forearm around Twilight's withers. "Some ponies are just better at dealing with them than others, I s'pose."
Twilight nods, half paying attention, half thinking about Pinkie Pie. "I need to talk to Princess Celestia. I'm sure she'll have some good advice for me. No offense," she adds.
"None taken," Applejack replies, and means it. "I saw her while I was making breakfast. She asked me if I'd seen her sister, and I said nope, just makin' breakfast for Twilight. And she said that Luna never lowered the moon this morning."
Twilight turns towards the window again. It's still dark outside. "She didn't lower the moon? What time is it?"
"Seven-thirty. I know, I felt just as weird as you do right now. I'm normally up before Celestia raises the sun anyway, so it didn't bother me to see it dark outside. And once I get to cookin', the time just flies on by, y'know? So when she mentioned Luna not lowering the moon, I had to check and double check and triple check to make sure I hadn't gotten up at midnight or somethin'."
"How long ago was this?"
Applejack shrugs. "'Bout fifteen minutes, I'd say. I asked her if she wanted some breakfast, and she just shook her head and walked away." Applejack nudges Twilight, gesturing with her head towards Twilight's still-untouched food. "Now come on, eat up. You need your strength. Can't be takin' out the Deadly Alliance on an empty stomach."
Twilight responds by leaping off the bed and trotting towards the door. "I can't. I gotta go. I have to find the princesses. I'll heat the food up later, okay? I'm sorry!"
As soon as Twilight hits the hallway, she's in a full gallop, opting to teleport up the few flights of stairs to the castle's second level. The door to Luna's guest chambers are wide open, and Twilight slows down to catch her breath. She can hear a muffled noise coming from inside, and she peeks around the door.
Princess Celestia is sitting motionless at Luna's bedside. She looks at Twilight with tears shining in her eyes, and Twilight all but teleports to Celestia's side. "Princess Celestia! What--"
Twilight's eyes shift to Luna. She lies there, savagely beaten from the neck up. Indents in her face and neck from where she was stomped are visible in the small light of the room. Twilight shakes her head in shock and disbelief, not knowing what to do or say. She starts hyperventilating, and Celestia wraps her student in a giant white wing, letting calmness slowly seep in. "Twilight," she says gently.
Twilight is barely listening. "She's dead. Princess Luna is dead." She's breathing a little heavier now, and the tears have already started coming down. "How? Who could have done this? Nopony is powerful enough to actually kill Luna!"
"Twilight," Celestia says again, a bit more sternly, and this gets Twilight's attention. "All four princesses have been weakened by the Deadly Alliance's aura, you know that." She blinks away her own tears. "Not even I am immune to its effects."
Twilight sniffles, and decides that bawling her eyes out in front of the Princess just won't do. She straightens under Celestia's wing, and she tries not to lose her composure. "What happened?" she asks, clipped and clinical.
Celestia sees through Twilight's facade like glass, but she responds anyway, if only to keep Twilight sane. "I had a horrible dream in which Luna became Nightmare Moon again. When I awoke, a part of me felt I should go check on her. When I realized that it was past her time to lower the moon, I became worried, and so I went to check on her. I saw Applejack making you breakfast. I asked if she'd seen Luna, and she said no. After explaining the situation, I came here. She... she was already dead when I arrived."
A traitorous part of Twilight's mind causes her to raise an eyebrow skeptically at the elder princess. She feels a tidal wave of shame wash over her as Celestia meets her gaze.
"In light of recent events, I understand your suspicion," Celestia says evenly. "But I hope you don't think me the kind of pony that would murder her own sister in cold blood."
Twilight shrinks away, too embarrassed to form actual sentences. "No, of course not, you-- I'm so sorry, I-- I didn't mean--"
Celestia pulls Twilight in with her wing again and continues as if she'd said nothing. "I loved my sister. More than anything. Even when she became Nightmare Moon and I banished her for a thousand years, I never stopped loving her. Not once."
Twilight opens her mouth to say something, but everything just sounds hollow. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Celestia replies, nuzzling her student. "It seems that we've both lost somepony dear to us in a short time."
Pinkie...
"Yeah."
"Suicide is never easy to deal with, Twilight. Not for those who do it... and not for those they leave behind. Their loved ones are often left thinking, 'what could I have done to stop this?' But it's important to remember not to blame yourself. What happened to Pinkie was nopony's fault, not hers and especially not yours."
Twilight nods, looking at Luna's broken and bloodied form. "She was right, wasn't she?"
"Hm?"
"Mrs. Cake. About there being spies in the EDF. I mean, this," Twilight says, gesturing to Luna, "is solid supporting evidence of that."
Celestia thinks carefully before responding. "Yes, that does seem to be the case."
"What do I do?" Twilight groans. "I don't want to think about my friends betraying me."
"Who says that your friends are the ones who have betrayed you?" Celestia asks a confused Twilight. "Just because there are spies in the EDF doesn't mean that your friends are spies," she explains. She takes a long breath before continuing. "And even if you find that some of them are... I very much doubt Tirek would try to convert them all. Some ponies, like Rainbow Dash, would never entertain such an idea. But some ponies... if you back them into a corner, and feel like there's no hope... desperation can make us do things we regret. And all it takes is one step down that slope before it's too late. Knowing that you may learn that your friends have done some very horrible thing, it's up to you to find it in your heart to forgive them."
"Do you... do you think Tirek was lying when he said Twinkleshine was one of his spies?"
Celestia nods immediately. "I do, yes. Tirek has never had a history of being truthful. And Twinkleshine was very loyal, as I said. Energetic and sweet, with a strong sense of justice. A fine soldier and a true friend."
This reassurance doesn't have the effect Celestia is hoping for; Twilight simply frowns, looking at the floor. "Are you describing Twinkleshine... or my friends?"
Celestia smiles down at her student. "I concede the point. But mine is valid as well. She was a good pony. I'll miss her."
"Yeah. Me too."
The two alicorns share a moment of silence, mourning the loss of the Princess of the Night. Twilight speaks up, breaking the silence. "You don't have to fight today, if you don't want to. I'd understand."
Celestia gently shakes her head. "Thank you for your concern, but no. Hiding in the castle like a coward would be no way to honor my sister's memory."
"We'll hold a service for her before we head out. Will you speak to the troops? I fear that losing somepony as important as Luna is going to be devastating for them."
"Of course," Celestia replies, and the two head out to deliver the sad news, closing Luna's door behind them.