Equestrian Asylum Tale

Chapters

Chapter 1: Intro
Chapter 2: Making Contact
Chapter 3: Secrets and Stories
Chapter 4: Revelations...and The End

Chapter 1: Intro

The night winds were fierce and loud as they wailed outside the gothic, nightmarish institution. The rain poured down and the moon was partially hidden behind large, ominous storm clouds. The grass that surrounded the institution was flooded and pools of mud and grime sat agitated as the rain continued to fall violently. Trees swayed with the winds and the rain and danced in agony around the Equestrian Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

A new guard, just shipped over to the Asylum under the orders of General Shining Armor, was taking his first step into quite possibly the darkest place in all of Equestria…and the known world. More than the Canterlot Caverns, the Everfree Forest, and the Pit of Tartarus, ponies that knew well the stories feared the Equestrian Asylum more than any place in the world, and for good reason.

It had been established a short time after Princess Luna’s regression into Nightmare Moon, for after she had been banished by her elder sister, the Asylum, then a fort manned by Luna’s most loyal guards, shut down, and the guards within refused to abandon their post. With their leader gone, they dug themselves in and prepared for a war, even though Celestia had no intention of starting one. They needed only pledge loyalty to Celestia, and the fort would be re-purposed for a better use, but the guards could not betray the Princess of the Night, and so they kept themselves fortified and boxed in, aiming weapons in all directions and keeping their backs towards one another. Eventually, when supplies ran low, fatigue plagued them as a disease, and Luna showed no signs of return anytime soon, and so the guards descended into anarchy and madness, turning against each others, killing their allies and comrades, sometimes eating them to keep away starvation and malnutrition. Celestia was mortified when finally, only a handful remained and were found dying in the bloody fortress; from that moment on, Celestia moved the surviving guards to cave system on the outskirts of the region to keep themselves sustained, and condemned the site for the evils that had taken place there.

Still, the stigma that was attracted to the site, as well as its remote location in the farther regions of Equestria, made it an ideal place for the newly necessary Asylum. And so, Celestia had the fortress converted in a medical facility, with much of it still retaining the gothic architecture from the previous inhabitants and their ruler.

However, the Equestrian Asylum did not gain recognition until 1,000 years later, when Princess Twilight Sparkle went mad, and in a day that shall forever live in infamy for all ponykind, decimated the town of Ponyville, slaughtering the inhabitants and setting ablaze the land that had nourished her life for years. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were horrified that their beloved Twilight could do anything so evil with seemingly no good reason. An official investigation conducted after Twilight’s capture and imprisonment within the dark confines of the Asylum revealed some evidence, but no declaration was ever made by the other rulers as to Twilight’s actions or motives. Up to this very day, it remained a mystery to all but them.

Those who remember Twilight from her younger days, before her breakdown and the massacre, still recall memories of happiness and joy with her. Those who never knew her, think of pain, suffering, and insanity when they hear the name Twilight Sparkle. Princesses Celestia and Cadence never truly recovered from Twilight’s actions, and Luna, though more distant with Twilight than the other two, was also considerably grimmer. Being immortal, Twilight would spend the next eternity, and longer, in the Asylum, trapped within the dark walls and enslaved by the deathly chains of the poorly run institution…

The guard took a few steps inside to find the admittance desk, behind a well-reinforced protective glass encasing, and spoke with the receptionist.

“Hello, I’m the new guard to be stationed here, Captain Chaser.”

“Ah, Captain Ghost Chaser, nice to meet you. I hope you’ll last longer then the last guard who had your post,” She told the newcomer as she filled out a form.

“What do you mean?” Captain Chaser inquired looking up sharply as a scream of terror and pain rang out from the inner bowels of the Asylum and pierced his ears.

“The last guard was killed in a tragic accident. Reports indicate that he was violently murdered by the most infamous patient here at the Equestrian Asylum: Twilight Sparkle.”

“She used to a Princess, right? I heard somepony say once that she was a Princess around the time that General Armor married Princess Cadence…I think he also said that General Armor was somehow related to the former Princess too.”

“I don’t know the details…they’ve been hard to come by since the massacre of Ponyville all those decades ago.”

“But you’ve surely heard the stories right? About how horrible she is?”

“I’ve never seen Twilight Sparkle, and to be honest, I don’t want to. She is the one patient I try vehemently to avoid at all costs.”

“I wonder what made her snap. You know, they say that she was one of nicest, most promising ponies around some time ago.”

“You’ve sure heard a lot about her, haven’t you?”

“Well…I…I have heard a bit. I actually think it’s a little funny…you know, it all seems like it belongs in a comic book, but it’s all real.”
“Yes, it's all real. You can remember that well as you pass the memorial for the guard you’re replacing.”

“Ummm…I know it’s horrible of me to say that about the things she’s done, but I don’t admire her, not in any way.”

“Just go and see Warden Gates in his office on the top floor,” She told him and waved her hoof in the direction he was meant to go.

Captain Chaser proceeded down the hall, littered with antique trinkets and portraits of Wardens and interesting patients long passed. At the end of the hall, in the biggest frame, was a picture of his secret adoration and obsession: Twilight Sparkle. Her lips were creased in a big smile, but almost forced, while blood splatters decorated her lavender face and her magic aura glowed a necrotic black and green.

Another agonizing scream erupted, this time he perceived it to be louder, and he looked out at a nearby elevator that was about to lower down to the inmate public area; a male earth pony with no front limbs was screaming furiously as he was taken into the elevator and descended into a sea of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies who were all at some level disturbed and insane.

He wanted to dig deeper into the business of the Asylum, but he would have time to do so later. Now, the warden was expecting him, and Chaser was a little worried that Warden Gates or another staff member would figure out his odd “hobby”. Of course, if they did find it out, they would no doubt label it an obsession. And with an obsession like his, he might just be damned to the very Asylum he was supposed to guard. He chuckled quietly to himself at the thought of something like that happening. Still, he would do the same thing to another pony with a keen interest in violent cases of insanity and mental instability, especially ones shrouded in mystery and legend like Twilight Sparkle. Then again, it wasn’t like he was going to do anything foolish here. He would never help or scheme with one of the patients, not even Twilight Sparkle. Especially not Twilight Sparkle; any slight help he gave her would spell pain, misery, and doom for many ponies. But he would certainly watch her from the sidelines, study her, think of her, and wonder constantly about her, and what made her snap so violently like she did.

He shook himself from these thoughts as his hoof instinctively knocked on The Warden’s Door.

“Come in.” A deep voice called.

Captain Chaser entered and found an older pony with a gray coat and a white mane sitting at a desk.

“You must be Captain Chaser,” Gates greeted as he rose and went over to the approaching guard, “please, come in and have a seat.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Welcome to the Equestrian Asylum. I hope you weren’t expecting an easy post, for this job requires your full attention and skill. On the surface, watching patients who are mentally unstable may seem a bit easy, but not all patients are tame, docile, or as broken as a toddler. Many of them are far better described as insane or mad rather than mentally unstable. I’m sure you saw the portrait of the most infamous patient we’ve ever had, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I...noticed it.” Chaser told the Warden, his heart beating a little faster than before.

“Some question why we hang portraits of our most dangerous patients. Well, on the one hoof, many staff members don’t take their jobs seriously enough, and end up dead due to carelessness. But at the same time, we like to motivate ourselves. This isn’t a job you take for the sake of having it. This is a job that you have because you want to make a difference. I’ve been warden for over 20 years now, and I still recall thinking about how wonderful it would be to cure the legendary Twilight Sparkle in my first year. Alas, nopony has been successful, but that will not stop us from ever trying. We shall not truly rest until Twilight and the other patients like her are made safe and productive members of society once more.”

“Believe me sir, I want to work here because I want to make a difference,” Chaser told the warden, though he wasn’t quite sure he entirely thought and believed that. His main motivation for wanting to be here was Twilight, but he definitely did want to be here. And, if he was around when she was cured, or just maybe, if he helped to cure her, then he would take the utmost pride in his work and actions.

“Good to hear. I believe you too. A good portion of guards that come along are either intimidated by the thought of being stuck here too long or so disinterested with the insane patients that they get careless or too complacent. You, on the other hoof, you seem to want nothing more than to be here. I can tell by looking you in the eye…you’ve a good reason for being here. I don’t know what it is…but I don’t care; its none of my business why you’re here, as long as you’re dedicated and careful, I’ll be very pleased to call you a member of my staff.”

“Thank you sir.” Chaser replied as he wiped a single drop of sweat away from his face with his hoof.

“Now then, you can report to Guard Barracks Station 3 and find Captain Chains, he will be your superior.”

“Yes sir.”

“He will give you your assigned duties for the week and show you around further.”

“Yes sir, thank you for having me here.”

“Not at all…oh and Captain?”

“Warden?”

“…Welcome to the madhouse.” He said somewhat ominously and chuckled, though Chaser was sure he was unintentionally ominous. He was…wasn’t he?

...

Captain Iron Chains was a strict, loyal, and courageous guard who upheld the rules and the law more than morality, but then again, it wasn’t his job to be a filly sitter. Physically speaking, he was slightly muscular, with military posture running through his veins, and a constant shine on his armor. His coat was clay red, and his mane was pitch black. He was second in the Asylum only to Warden Gates and the Chief Medical Supervisor, whose identity Captain Chaser had just learned to be Dr. Mindkeeper. At the moment, Captain Chains was talking as he guided Chaser around the High Security Ward, where the most dangerous patients were kept, two levels below the ground floor that was the mansion where a good portion of therapy work was done.

They had already been through the standard cellblocks, and Chaser was instructed on how to react in certain key areas such as the surgical bay or the mess hall if an alarm went off. He inhaled the information, integrating his mind into the society of the asylum and establishing himself as a watchtower within the dark abyss of the institution.

“And as you can see Captain Chaser, these patients have demonstrated extremely violent tendencies or wildly erratic behavior. As such, Dr. Mindkeeper has ordered them to remain in solitude and under heavy surveillance most of the time, with periodic releases from their cells for exercise twice a month and highly privatized meetings with the best of the medical staff when requested. If they’re in those cells, any attempts at escape will be considered authorization to use extreme force, and although the Docs complain about us killing these ones too, there is no rule that prevents us from doing exactly that.”

“I understand, sir," Chaser replied and nodded slightly.

“The roster here is pretty short, only a few mentionable names. Shield Crest is an old solider who was an officer when I was in basic; he killed his company in delusion when I became a sergeant. Another notable case, Cloudfury, was in line to be a Wonderbolt believe it or not. The tension got to her head, and she ended up poisoning an entire arena in a frantic rage.”

“I see Twilight Sparkle is kept here.” Chaser said aloud, letting his lust for his fascinations outweigh his (somewhat noticeable) anxiety of discovery.

“Yes, of course. A most interesting case that one, too. Used to be of all things, a Princess,” Captain Chains told his new officer, laughing at the idea of an immortal being going crazy and staying captive for many decades, “I imagine you heard the stories at least. Most folks have, but almost all that work here are real touchy about it. They all fear her. All except me. She has the ability to murder the entire staff, but only if we let her. And let me be clear, I will not allow her to kill me or anypony else if I can help it. Of course, accidents happen and guards get careless, but if I have the power to stop her from making a kill, I will show no hesitation.”

“Does she really give us a lot of trouble?” Chaser inquired as a nearby patient banged on the cell door, causing Chains to kick it in attempt to stave off the interruption.

“Sure as Celestia rises the sun, but the problem is that she’s deceivingly clever. Sometimes she’s blood thirsty, but others she won’t move a muscle, it all depends on how good a day it is. I’ve never been around to stop her from killing anypony though, and every time I prepare to silence her for good, one of the doctors or the Warden stops me. I’ll see her cured or dead if it’s the last thing I do though, mark these words.”

“I see…”

“Tell me the truth. Are you scared of her?”

“Umm…I have, shall we say, an interest in her case, which causes me to observe her with some hesitance, but I don’t know if afraid is exactly the right word,” Chaser explained, stumbling with his words and treading on very thin ice.

“I asked you for the truth. Yes or no? Do you fear Twilight Sparkle?” Captain Chains repeated.

“I do.” Chaser reluctantly told his superior. Thankfully, he was at liberty to be a little less cautious around Captain Chains, for the veteran guard pony of the asylum seemed less concerned about his staff than the patients. As long as Chaser did what he was told, then Chains wouldn’t mind very much.

Still, Chaser wasn’t sure that fear was the right word. He was in a sense afraid to see and interact with her, but only because that would take away a little of the mystery. Still, what she had to say or do or act out would be far more than worth the mystery of her case. After all, secrets were meant to be discovered.

“Well, then I’ll have to get you used to her. Your first duty will be relieve Sgt. Rock with watching over the High Security Wing when your shift begins early tomorrow morning.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good soldier. Now, go on ahead and unpack, get settled in, and rest up, because tomorrow will likely be the longest day of your young life.”

“Yes sir.” Chaser repeated, saluted, and went off back to the third guard barracks.

After unpacking and eating dinner, Captain Chaser sat up in bed and wrote down a passage in his personal journal:

“Here I am, inside the Equestrian Asylum. It seems so macabre to other ponies, something to be feared, but I really like being here. What others find to be gross or disturbing, I have always found to be fascinating and worth investigating. Out of pure chance and misunderstanding of my true feelings, Captain Chains has stationed me in the High Security Wing, mere yards away from the one case at The Equestrian Asylum that attracts me more than any other: Twilight Sparkle. I hope to begin digging into her past and interacting with her in any way I can very soon. I want to dive into the ocean of mystery and allurement that surrounds her and this Asylum, but before one dives, one must be sure he can swim. I hope that my activities are not noticed by the warden or a doctor who could get me out of the Asylum, or worse, actually lock me away with these psychos. It’ll be hard to find time to sleep when so much is going through my head, but I have to maintain my health and composure. After all, it isn’t as if this place will be gone when I wake up. Here’s to possibly the greatest day of my life."

With that entry finished, Ghost Chaser laid down and fell into a sleep that passed away like a mere second before he was awoken by another guard.

Chapter 2: Making Contact

As he was woken up, Captain Chaser blinked several times while the light above his cot flashed on and struck his eyes.

“Captain, its precisely 4:20 am. Your shift begins in 10 minutes.” A subordinate guard informed him.

“Oh, thank you. I’ll grab my helmet and report to High Security.” Chaser told his fellow guard and rubbed his eyes with his hoof.
The other guard nodded and went off towards the mess station.

Chaser yawned once and shook his head, following up by a deep inhalation and a push out of bed.

The halls of the Asylum were old, and while dust never ravaged them for long, the scars of time and evil deeds could never be washed from the soul of the facility. When he first transferred to the Asylum, he was unaware that a good portion of the facility was actually built into underground pockets and tunnels that served as a secret network in and out of the fortress when Luna’s Guards occupied it. A few of the most tame patients and inmates were kept in their last few months or weeks inside the mansion facility that was on level ground, but the cases that were due to stay for a period of longer than 8 weeks or so were sent down below, into the waiting arms of Dr. Mindkeeper and the rest of the medical and security staff.

The High Security Ward, however, was a floor below the normal underground institution, making escape more difficult and isolation a colder, tougher, reality. Yet, those who managed to get themselves sent down to the second sub-level were rarely ones to care about isolation or escape. They tended to exist to be mad, with no purpose other than inhabiting the cells, and living in worlds of total insanity, as opposed to the worlds of mild delusion the others in the floor above lived in. And of course, the Queen of these insane worlds devoid of logic, safety, and care, was Twilight Sparkle, the source of the violent anger and enraged atmosphere of the Asylum. It took Chaser a little while to figure out that, as the oldest, longest committed patient, and unquestionably the most feared without and within the institution, Twilight’s mood, her anger, her confusion, her blood lust, her very emotion, set the tone of the entire facility and had an uncanny effect on the rest of the patient population. From within the pits of the mental hospital, she influenced everything that happened in some way, hidden or clear, all while eliciting no response or an ineffective one from the staff. But what could they do? Captain Chains was never able to get to her, and Dr. Mindkeeper’s best staff worked her case year-round, but they could never grasp a solution to the ever-present scorn of the Asylum.

He descended in the same lift that sent the screaming, armless pony down yesterday. He saw the common grounds filled with a, more or less, lake of ponies, who whipped their heads around like mad dogs, flew or ran in mad dashes, circles, or into walls, chewed on their own limbs, or cuddled into balls and lay motionless in the corners. From the cement balcony above the common ground, the guards on duty kept their eyes moving to another patient every 10 seconds or so, never stopping their gaze for longer unless a situation arose that garnered their response.

As he drew nearer to the bottom of the first sub-level the noises of the deranged ponies became louder, more intimidating, and perhaps more seductive than they had been. He doubted others would describe such things as seductive, but he often thought himself an outcast in regards to hobbies…frankly because he was one.

The second sub-floor was much darker, with fewer lights hanging in the corridor and much less noise erupting through the floor. ‘Only the most broken are sent here’ was a clear sentiment. The lift crept to a halt and stayed as silent as the walls while Captain Chaser got off and stepped off towards the hall door. It seemed much less intense with Captain Chains, but he was at the same time drawn to it. He wasn’t entirely sure that a mad pony with an axe wasn’t waiting for him in the shadows nearby, ready to chop off his head, but his sense of duty wasn’t his only motivation for moving further in.

Upon exiting the lift corridor, Chaser took a left turn, heading upstairs, towards the guard station where he could look into the monitors with his unicorn magic. The right path would lead directly into the hall with all the high security cells, and in the far left corner was Twilight’s.

He entered and relieved Sgt. Rock from duty, who was monitoring the hall and looking into each of the monitors. Most of the ponies down here were sitting still or silently, gently rocking back and forth on the ground. A few whispered random or delusional phrases, or poetic codes that only those walking through madness could interpret.

Looking intently and oh so satisfyingly into the monitor of Twilight’s cell, he saw a silhouette, eyes closed and mouth frozen. The straight jacket that hugged her figure seemed molded into her very being. Her horn, magically sealed away from its power every couple days, stood out and created a shadow from the dim light that entered her cell, forming a single spiked figure of shadow on the opposite wall.

He wasn’t really sure how long he watched her, sitting silently, alone, in her cell. Had it been a sane pony doing the same, Chaser would have thought he or she was in a spiritual trance. He forced himself to watch the other patients periodically, but his gaze remained largely set on the monitor that observed Twilight, even though she hadn’t moved a muscle in a long time, and seemingly would not do so at any time soon.

He spoke with another guard when he entered around an hour after Chaser started his shift, and took the form he was handed, signing it and filling out a minor report about the conditions of the High Security Wing. After this, he was left alone again, and watched the most-unstable ponies once more, letting his imagination and his own personal thoughts run wild in his own mind.

Suddenly, a loud noise made him jump from his post and fall to his back in surprise. He immediately got up and checked the monitors as he saw Twilight with eyes wide open and deranged, laughing manically.

“PINKIE! You’re sO FUNNY!” She shouted loudly and laughed wildly once more, somehow synchronizing the sharp jabs of genuine amusement with the rapid heartbeat of Chaser as he watched her in the monitor.

“What was that Applejack,” Twilight asked an imaginary figure to her left as she turned her head so that her face was horizontal as she asked, “I couldn’t understand you over Rarity’s nice, talking dress! What a LOUD MOUTH! I take offense to that remark! I AM NOT A STUCK UP PRINCESS! HoW DARE YOU ADDRESS mE SO?!” She went on as she made a quasi-march towards the door of her cell, though it looked more like the wobbly dance of a filly to Chaser.

Chaser sat in a daze as he watched Twilight have her moment of pure blown insanity while the other patients gave Twilight the respect she wanted, in their books deserved, and needed.

“Fluttershy! I’ve been LOOKING everywhEre for you! I wanted to tell you…RAINBOW DASH SQUASHED Angel!” Twilight went on and got closer to the monitor spell that Chaser was using to view her unexpected moment.

Finally, Twilight jerked her head so that only one of her eyes was looking directly into the camera, and spoke once again:
“And YOU! Are you…enjoying this? ArE you having fUN?” She asked and fell on her back, laughing wildly and without any control, leaving Chaser to question if she was consciously speaking to him or not.

He watched her laugh and roll around, and eventually, wet herself due to the absolute humor she perceived, but Chaser watched in intimidation while the impactful laugh spread around the underground cellblock. For the first time since arriving at the asylum he had been intimidated. He always knew that Twilight Sparkle was unstable, dangerous, and most of all, terror inducing, but the last aspect he had never felt, at least not since he was much younger, and now, the feeling stung him like a swift manticore attack, causing his body to involuntarily shake and tremble; sadly, he still had no true idea of the depth of the power of presence.

He found the strength to put his helmet back on when Twilight’s laughing turned into a deep inhaling noise, like she was panting from having run a 100-mile race. She just lay there. No wild motion. No crazy words. All she did was inhale deeply and then exhale on the floor of her cell.

Chaser settled himself as the other sub-level 2 patients began to moan and move around freely again.

“Here Cheesy! Here boy!” An insane Pegasus mare called out and slammed against her cell door with as much force as she could muster many times before calling her missing pet once more.

“Help! Help! HELP!! It BURNS!” A stallion cried out and sobbed from his own cell, rolling around and flopping wildly within the confines of the fiery cell his eyes envisioned around him.

“Oh yesss! Oh baby!” A unicorn mare from down front panted out as she smothered herself into the ground and cried out in ecstasy.

Chaser saw the patients come alive before his eyes and journey through the vast worlds of insanity that they were living through, each one unique, and yet every one uniform in certain aspects. He wanted to go down and inspect them closer, but his gut told him that that might well be a careless move, and he certainly had no intentions of dying. He watched them through the monitor, he saw them search for pets, burn in fires, and make love to ponies that did not exist, among other crazy acts. The weight of the job sank on Chaser’s shoulders and his imagination was temporarily chained as he saw the craziest of crazies do what they pleased while their Queen merely inhaled deeply every couple seconds on the ground.

He didn’t know exactly how long he stared at them all, nor how long afterwards he spent writing down his own thoughts into a small note pad, trying desperately to save the inspirations before they vanished from within the cell block of his mind. The Asylum was beginning to infect him already, and he loved it. It was morbid, sick, and maybe unjustified, but he loved it all: the insane delusions that haunted his thoughts and the lives of the patients, the moaning orgasm of mental disease as it wormed its way through Chaser’s eyes while ravaging the lives of the patients. He loved it all, as much as he would hate to admit to anypony.

He gazed out at the patients every so often so as to both fulfill his duty and take in even more of the forbidden inspiration and wonder that he fixated on. He continued to scribble down notes and noted mentally to add these notes to his regular journal. His studies had begun, and he couldn’t be more thrilled. The act of uncovering the dark secrets of the Asylum came at a cost, and seeing things that he did earlier made an impact on him, a deep one. Still, the worth of it far outweighed the effects of watching Twilight and the others succumb to their madness.

To his surprise, when he next looked into the monitors, Twilight was smiling wide and crazily, looking past his eyes and into his heart. He had no idea how long she had been doing so, nor did he know why, but it stirred up more inspiration in his mind…only her stare kept him fixated, and he could not make himself write his inspirations down. Meanwhile, all she did was sit and stare. Never once did she blink. Never once did she waver. Never once did he take his eyes off it.

…
Chaser’s shift ended not too long after his “study session” ended, and he made his way up to the barracks to add the notes before heading out to the mess hall in the main floor of the facility.

He was found by Captain Chains, who forced Chaser to sit by him.

“How did you fare?” Chains inquired as he took a large and fierce bite from a muffin.

“Well, I think. I certainly saw the worst of the patients down there, but I was able to keep my head, so to say.”

“Worst? If they didn’t do more than moan about and cause a bit of noise, then you haven’t seen their worst…trust me.”

“Noted, sir.” Chaser responded quickly, and with a small, almost unnoticeable smile of such a prospect.

As much as the work of the Asylum interested him, he was turned off twice as much by the food. He couldn’t understand what was wrong with it, but his tomato soup was way off. He didn’t seem to mind his first couple meals at the Institution, but this one was simply awful. Then the thought occurred to him that he might not be eating tomato soup at all.

No. It couldn’t be blood. That was too unreal, even in such a place as the Asylum. It…it didn’t taste all too metallic. But… a slight hint of iron was unmistakably present. He put his spoon down, closed his eyes tightly, and moved the bowl away, trying to figure out what could have gone wrong with his soup. Captain Chaser didn’t seem to mind his bowl. Nor did any of the other guards. They were delighted with it. One of the messier ones was slurping it down like it was water.

Just then, Twilight’s mad laughter could be heard as she was moved down the corridor by a team of guards and two nurses.

“That witch has another session with Dr. Mindkeeper…” Captain Chains noted, mostly to himself and in annoyance at that prospect, and shook his head.

Chains sipped another spoonful of soup then noticed Chaser had not been eating his; even now the young captain looked troubled while staring at it.

“A fly take a swim in it?” Chains asked in a rare show of slight humor.

“Hm? Oh, no sir, I’ve just…just lost my appetite, that’s all,” Chaser replied.

“Well, you don’t have duty until tomorrow morning, so just make sure you’re ready to go by then.” Chains ordered and took his bowl away after he had swallowed the last spoonful.

Chaser continued to sit and stare, bringing another spoonful near his mouth to smell. Even that was a bit much and immediately plopped the spoon back into the bowl with a small red splash. Needless to say he left his meal unfinished.

…
Going back into his journal seemed more hollow than it should have after the experience in the mess hall. He was beginning to understand the tragedy of the Asylum. The basic necessities of life were tainted in this foul institution, and the effects on those who tried to work through the adversity were deeper than anypony could imagine. He wondered if his soup was truly made with blood, and if he was the only one turned away because he was new. If the staff actually did eat blood soup frequently, then he had thoroughly underestimated the Asylum. Warden Gates' comment at the end of their meeting: "Welcome to the Mad House," went through his head.

At a distance, it didn’t seem like such a horrible place at all. It was almost like a dream world; nothing here would ever touch the average stallions and mares spread across Equestria, and he was free to enjoy it at his leisure; or so he thought. He faced a big juxtaposition. He now better understood the haunting experience of working at the Asylum, but he was still enchanted with the wonder of a crazed pony like Twilight Sparkle. He still wanted to meet her, and in time, he told himself he would. No doubt about it, he was still drawn by it all, but now the very things that drew him were starting repel another side of him away entirely.

After several wasted hours sitting on his bunk, Chaser went for a nighttime stroll around the Asylum. He figured he was imagining things, and that these kinds of minor mental breakdowns happened more or less frequently to new guards here. Yeah, that had to be it. No doubt about it. No doubt…at all. The night air would do him good and the chance to get away from the confined and restrained smell of the institution would do him even better.

He stood on the edge of Asylum boundary, near the mountain’s edge to the West. Flowers grew in the North, and in the night their brilliant blues and pinks and greens became a bit shallow, but they retained a fragrant beauty that could not be extinguished. Here in the West, the darkness of the mountain edge was only enhanced, and the ominous feelings one inherited around the Asylum were not changed.

However, they were a good kind of ominous, a refreshing kind, at least to Chaser. He felt alive again. He was feeling more confident as he stood in a plane of unique joy. He was near the mystery and madness of the Asylum, but at the same time he was free from it all, free to breath in the open air and feel the night breeze. Away from inspiration, but away from negative effects and consequences of inspiration simultaneously. The “soup scandal” was behind him, and he was beginning to open up to the splendor that flowed naturally about the institution. It once more felt new and right in his eyes, and in his nose, and in his heart and in his mind as well. His anxious mindset was beginning to calm itself and he was ready to head back to his bunk and turn in when the power in the Asylum suddenly died out.

He ran in and found the receptionist and a couple guards looking around the entrance with flashlights.

“What happened?” Chaser asked one of the guards.

“We’re not sure, sir. I was speaking with Captain Chains over the intercom, and he mentioned that he was waiting longer than normal for his shift forms, but other than that, nothing seemed to be amiss. At least nopony has reported anything of the sort,” The first guard explained and his attention was taken by the other guard, who motioned for the two to go down the hall.

Chaser asked the receptionist if she had heard anything strange, but she hadn’t either.

He was then drawn to the East Wing when a muffled sound rang from that area. The receptionist gave him one of her spare flashlights and he began his silent exploration. The air conditioning was off now, and the surprising heat of the mansion ever so slightly burned his body, almost like a sick tickling, as he crept along the dark corridor. Many paintings of inmates stared him down while a few drops of sweat fell from his forehead and he followed his instincts around the mansion’s halls and rooms.

His breathing got heavier and more frequent as he checked the many rooms that were devoid of life. He had a (secret, but still genuine) fetish for the mystery of madness and a bit for mysteries in general, but the slasher-horror genre was not his favorite. He found himself with a similar feeling as when he headed down into extreme isolation for his first shift, when an axe-wielding pony could have sprang out at any time, but he knew then that things were proceeding as normal. Given the current situation, it was quite plausible that several patients had escaped, and he had seen a few axes, for fire emergency purposes, in the Asylum halls.

Despite the growing heat he felt a shiver run down his spine as he suddenly threw open a door. The room wasn’t used for anything except storage, as far as Chaser could tell. Many boxed, all draped in sheets, sat in the darkness. Dust floated around in the air as Chaser took a step in and threw around the light of his tool. He looked in a moment longer and tried to figure out what the room was before it was condemned to storage but could not. He slowly shut the door and walked away, figuring that nopony could be in there, seeing as anypony that had escaped, if anypony did in fact escape, would be crazy, and therefore would not hide silently and wait for him to leave. At least that was his hope about the patient populous of the Asylum. He realized that it felt like ages since the power went off, when it had actually been less than half of one. He managed to check out a decent amount of rooms when he finally found a locked door, and it wasn’t supposed to be locked.

He inhaled as deeply but silently as he could and brought out his key ring. The room served as a back up therapy room when the mansion floor was a bit crowded, and it was to stay unlocked unless in use. He was quite sure nopony was using it…at least not for the purposes it was designed for.

He unlocked the door with a click and his heart raced as he waited for something or somepony to come and pounce on him or jump up out at him, but nothing came.

The door was silent, which would be a good thing, wouldn’t it? For Chaser, it seemed a bit too silent. His hoof stopped dead and turned cold when he put it down into a small pool. To be precise, a small pool of blood. He turned the flashlight off before entering for fear of alerting anypony inside, but he quickly turned it on again after stepping into the blood. He was greatly alarmed to find a small trail, small, blotched patterns of deep red, sprawled across the floor. There was another door at the end of the room; it was supposed to lead out into another corridor, and to Chaser’s immense fortune, the trail led out into that corridor, behind the closed door.

He calmed himself down enough to try and figure out where the trail began, following the other end to a nearby cabinet. He knew something horrible was waiting inside, and he quickly opened it up and jumped back as a corpse fell down onto the ground, a larger pool of blood forming underneath her. The mare that had been murdered and stashed away used to be a nurse, but her dead body was not the most disturbing thing in the room. Across the back of the cabinet was drawn out in the mare’s blood a deranged smiley face.

He wanted to report this in, find somepony and get help, and most of all, get out of this horrifying room, but nopony was there to go or report to. He was alone, and the duty was his to make sure the Asylum went back to normal operating conditions as soon as possible. Inhaling deeply, he continued on.

He traced the blood out into the other corridor and followed the trail of splotches and small pools as they lead him upstairs. He bit his lip as the trail went up to the third floor. Nurses weren’t supposed to go where patients were not, with certain obvious exceptions such as the staff mess hall and lounge, and the third floor held none such locations of exception. Thunder and lightning struck outside as the rain that was well expected every night of the week began to pour again. Chaser soon found himself out on the roof and the trail of blood ended with another dead body. This time it was a female guard.

Chaser looked around the roof and spotted a pony standing alone, enveloped in shadows and looking down at the corpse.

Chaser remained silent while the pony slowly fixed its gaze upon him. It took several steps forward, and came into the light.

Chaser wanted to speak up, but Twilight’s maniacal grin forced him to exhale sharply and regain his composure.
‘Her mere presence is enough to make me lose my willpower…amazing…no…not just amazing…magnificent!’ Chaser thought to himself while his body shook and his lip quivered; his eyes, however, his eyes held an emotion of desire that Twilight couldn’t miss, and capitalized on.

“You. You are the new guard…” Twilight stated.

“…Yes, yes I am,” Chaser responded after a small moment of hesitation.

“It was you. It was you that was watching me earlier. Studying me. Reading me…like a BOOK!” Twilight again stated more like she was reading through a pamphlet and drawing conclusions rather than having an actual conversation with Chaser.

Chaser nodded in agreement and let Twilight speak again.

“You’re different from other guards. For one thing…I don’t want to KILL you as much. You waaaant me. You find me seductive. You’re drawn to me in a way nopony else would understand…except for me,” Twilight commented and analyzed with a tone that seemed familiar and natural to her, yet twisted and poisoned all at the same time.

“I won’t deny it. I do find you attractive…in a certain sense,” Chaser admitted and closed his eyes as Twilight walked around him smiling.

“And that’s why you’ll soon see,” She said as she gently rubbed the back of his neck with her hooves.

“See what?” He asked her as she threw down a bloodied scalpel with a loud CLANG!

“You’ll see that you want more than just to work here. You’ll want to be with us…to become one of us.” Twilight teased as she activated her magic, casting a light that created a purple glow on both of their faces as they stared eye to eye.

“Become one of you…you mean become a patient?” Chaser questioned, taking a small step backwards.

“Why not? You enjoy looking at us, watching us live out our lives, so why not live that life for yourself?” She replied and went back over to the dead guard.

“Because I’m not crazy…I find a joy in you…and maybe I shouldn’t but I do, but even still, that’s no reason to be put into an institution,” Chaser told her.

“Its only natural for such things to happen. Don’t most ponies that enjoy protecting others become guards like yourself…or this poor, unfortunate mare here?” Twilight inquired as she used her magic to raise the corpse and fling it in front of Chaser’s feet.

Chaser stumbled back a few steps and looked for Twilight, but she teleported behind him.

“What do you want with me? Why did you lead me here?” Chaser asked.

“I thought maybe you’d enjoy some one on one time with me. Don’t you have a burning desire to do just that? Are you ENJOYING yourself now as much as you were earlier?” She questioned and licked the side of his face as she moved in front of him, trampling the corpse in the process.

“…” Chaser tried to speak several times but could not.

“So anyways,” Twilight wrapped up their meeting, “I’ve got to get going. Captain Chains will find us in a matter of seconds. But let me say this Ghost Chaser…when you’re ready to join us, when you’re ready to take your place here, your Queen will await you with open hooves and a LOVING SMILE."

With that, she vanished in a flash of purple light and left Chaser alone on the roof just as Captain Chains and several other guards arrived.

“Chaser! What happened?” His superior asked.

“I found this body…and another one, down in one of the secondary therapy rooms,” Chaser explained and turned to face Captain Chains, showing his commander the obvious doubt and slight fear Twilight planted within him.

“I think you’ve tasted a bit of the Asylum’s worse, tonight. We’ve secured the facility and power will be back up momentarily. I’ll talk with you later, right now, you should go get some rest.” Chains ordered and went over to the corpse with the other guards, leaving Chaser to walk silently down the stairs and towards his bunk so very far away.

…
Chaser’s dreams were haunted that night. He could hear nothing save Twilight’s words and see nothing save the dead body and Twilight’s sick smile. Just as he had found the confidence to continue his work at the Asylum, doubts were placed in his head as to whether or not he should be working at the Asylum…or be committed inside of it. He wasn’t crazy, he knew that. He didn’t want to live like the patients. But he was drawn to them, and Twilight no doubt had more influence on him simply because of her position. He was pondering her words like a prophesy that would damn him to purgatory, and no matter how much he thought of her offer as ridiculous, it was plain that she was affecting him and that he was not prepared for her worst. He loved the Asylum, but now he feared it too. Twilight held mystery and forbidden pleasure in many aspects, but now she held dread and fear in him as well. He shuddered in the cold as he was once again woken up for his shift.

Chapter 3: Secrets and Stories

The second time Captain Chaser was woken up for his shift was much more uneasy than the first time.

“Captain, it’s 4:20 am,” The familiar guard from yesterday morning reported. Chaser supposed it was only logical; he had actually gotten some decent rest once he finally fell asleep. He wasn’t fully rested by any means, but he could be doing a little worse.

Then, the guard stopped and turned back to speak again.

“Captain, I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but Warden Gates is conducting a search through the barracks this morning to investigate the power outage. He wants all lockers to remain unlocked,” The guard informed his superior and went back to his walk towards the mess hall.

“Oh, I hadn’t heard, thank you.” Chaser replied and bit down on his lip.

A search meant suspicions were turning towards the guards, but more importantly, it meant that Chaser was not only a prime suspect, being new to the institution and all, but also that he needed to be on edge about his journal. He couldn’t really hide it, not in the barracks, but taking it with him could be bad too, considering it wasn’t easily concealed and he would be passing several other staff members, most of whom he figured would bother to ask about it.

In any case, if Gates found out he was trying to hide something, things would be worse. Chaser finally decided the best course of action was to slip it under his armor and hurry along the halls down to his post.

…
Upon entering the guard station in sub-level 2, Chaser immediately caught a grin flash on Twilight’s face. In response Chaser acted unphased and stared at her for a small moment before looking around at the other monitors.

Once he had settled in his first action was to stow away the journal. He tried to find a place under the chair, but then decided that was a foolish move. Still, space was limited, and it he needed to, he would have to at least put it there and hope nopony came across it until he could find another place to hide it.

He looked over the monitor system and decided that there was no possible way to get it hidden there. He honestly wasn’t even sure why he tried. Next he thought of the vent in the back, but that was the oldest trick in the book. It would be a better bet than the chair, but he needed some place better still. Finally he had the idea to create a pocket dimension, a small portal to another place in space-time, but that was fairly complicated and he would need to work on getting that ready. Besides, it wasn’t an ordinary unicorn skill, but it wasn’t exactly rare either. With some effort and practice any unicorn could figure it out.

He was suddenly interrupted as the door opened up and Dr. Mindkeeper entered, levitating a clipboard. Chaser narrowly managed to hide the book behind his back as he sat comfortably in the chair.

“Hello there, sorry to interrupt you.” Mindkeeper greeted with a warm smile.

Chaser hadn’t really had a chance to interact with the Doctor before now, and his initial impression was certainly far from bad. His bright smile seemed to be not only genuine, but frequently used; furthermore, his relatively small stature and slightly wrinkled face gave him a grandfather type of feeling and made him seem like a pony that you could trust and get along with.

“I’m sorry, but we haven’t been formally introduced, I’m Captain Chaser, newest guard here at the Asylum,” the guard smiled and stood up to shake hooves with the elderly stallion, keeping the book hidden behind his armor while doing so.

Chaser sat back down as Dr. Mindkeeper leaned up against the wall and started chatting him up.

“I’ve been wanting to speak with you actually,” Mindkeeper confided.

“Is that so?” Chaser asked, surprised that Mindkeeper would have any reason to take note of the new guard.

“Yes, as it happens, I knew your father, Champion Chaser. We were both much younger then, and weren’t exactly alike, but we were friends once,” Mindkeeper revealed as a stunned look came across the Captain’s face.

“Really? How did you two meet?” Chaser asked as he took a moment to look over at the screens and make sure Mindkeeper knew he was still attending to his duties.

“Well, your father was a native of the now destroyed Ponyville. As was I. We didn’t exactly grow up together, but we knew each other and talked often, eventually beginning a bond that lasted up until his death.”

Chaser’s eyes gleamed a little, then he bent his head down for a moment before looking back at the Doctor.

“Since you knew him, you’d also know that he died not so long after I was born. Could you tell me what he was like? My mother would always give me the same story of a heroic soldier who perished in battle…but nothing much more,” Chaser admitted.

“Well, let me see now. Your father was, in a word, great. Not only did he die in battle as your mother said, protecting others, but he was always ready to help those who needed him. If you had a problem or an issue, Champion Chaser was a great pony to see. He was a bit competitive and brash too, but when the bits were down, he was somepony you could count on, especially if you were close to him. He never let those he cared for down.”

“I really wish I’d known him. I hope I’m doing him proud.” Chaser confided.

“If you ask me, you’re doing exactly what he’d want, protecting others and maintaining order in the land. Without guards like you here, Twilight Sparkle and the other patients could ravage the land and bring death and destruction to many, many ponies. I know I’m certainly very grateful to have a guard like you here.”

“Thank you, sir,” Chaser said a bit sheepishly before noticing that Twilight was smiling manically into the monitor, eliciting a bit of an apprehensive look from Chaser, just as she intended.

“Oh, and I also want to congratulate you on how well you’re behaving down here.” Mindkeeper commended when he saw the look Twilight gave.

“What do you mean?” Chaser inquired a little suspiciously.

“Well, you are the son of Champion Chaser, and to not take it out on the pony who killed him is quite admirable indeed.” Mindkeeper explained, raising a horrified look in Chaser’s eyes.

“Wait…wait, wait, wait…you’re telling me that Twilight Sparkle killed my father?” Chaser asked Mindkeeper, his eyes dead set into those of the doctor.

“Didn’t your mother tell you? Champion Chaser was one of the guards in Ponyville who stood up to Twilight when she went into madness and destroyed the town. He died to allow the citizens more time to escape,” Mindkeeper told the young guard captain with a solemn look on his face.

“I…I…” Chaser could not muster up enough strength to speak clearly. His mother had never told him how his father died, just that he did so heroically.

“I’m sorry that you had to come to know that as you did. I figured your mother told you more than just the general fact. But for you to do what you do is truly brave and courageous. Please, continue to guard this Asylum and all of Equestria with honor, as your father did,” Mindkeeper told Chaser as he moved towards the chair and put his hoof on Chaser’s back.

“…Thank you,” Chaser finally replied.

“You are most certainly well on your way to being a truly great guard. If you ask me, you’re about there already. I’m not always available, but don’t shy away from me young Chaser. I would be pleased to help you as I helped your father in the rare instances he needed me.”

“I will.” Chaser replied swiftly and felt a single begin to form in his eye.

“Well, I think its about time I went back to my duties, I just needed to pick up a few forms one of the nurses said she left here. Ah, there they are,” Mindkeeper said as he went over to the forms that were stacked neatly in a small basket on the floor next to the door.

“Alright, have a good day, Doctor.” Chaser bade farewell as Mindkeeper walked out and closed the door with a quiet tapping noise.
Chaser liked the old fellow, but he was very relieved to have Mindkeeper leave.

Chaser had no idea what to feel. He had lived his life with a deep affiliation for ponies like Twilight Sparkle, and now he had learned that she was the very reason his father was taken from him. He never knew his father very well, so he wasn’t as saddened by his death as he would have been if he was older, but not having a father still hurt, and the idea that he had so long been excited and thrilled with the same pony who took away part of his childhood happiness burned within him like a blaze of dragon fire.

As if to increase his ire, Twilight began giggling, gradually making it louder and louder until the entire sub-level was quieted from all noise save her glee.

For the first time he wasn’t afraid of Twilight at all. Even before he got to the Asylum, he feared her in a certain sense, knowing how deadly she was, although he was mostly just infatuated with her, but now, after knowing what he had just found out, his fear vanished completely and he marched down towards her cell in either extreme bravery or absolute foolishness.

“You make me SICK!” He screamed as he put himself up against her cell door.

“COME ON Chaser! Yesterday you had such a STUPID look of amazement on your face as you watched us drive down our own roads of insanity, and all the sudden you aren’t attracted? I don’t BUY it,” Twilight replied, grinning.

“You killed my father…toyed with me…put doubts in my heart and mind. I should kill you. It would do justice to everypony like me, to everypony who lost happiness because of you…and for those who were lead astray like me…”

“You’re angry now, but that’ll pass. You’re too twisted to KILL me. You want to join us here, and you know it. You want to be like us, that’s why for so very long your fetish was the same thing that took away your own daddy,” Twilight mocked.

“I didn’t know!” Chaser shouted back hotly.

“Like I said, you won’t kill me. You’re far too crazy to do something like that.”

“I am not crazy.”

“Wanna bet? It would only be logical to kill the pony that destroyed your father and an entire town, but you haven’t yet. If you REALLY WANTED TO…you would have killed me already. I just had my magic locked up again after the incident, and you can open up this door and come have your justice…but you won’t. You still admire us. You still keep us in your heart, more than you ever did with your parents.”

“…” Chaser breathed in deeply and exhaled with silent rage.

“I can read you so easily it’s almost not funny. You pretend to be a citizen of order…of normality. You make ME SICK. Come…embrace your Queen,” Twilight told Chaser letting a couple of tears fall, but not in sadness. Chaser had no idea at all why she was crying, and he didn’t think she did either.

“No…no I won’t.” Chaser denied and turned away from the door.

“Soon you will see. Soon you will come to embrace me as we jump into the pools of insanity together. Count on that utopia Ghost Chaser.” Twilight answered and turned back into her cell, taking a few steps forward and falling flat on her front side before giggling again.

Captain Chaser looked in at her again before heading back to his station. Along the way, the other patients in the floor began once more to act up, moaning, crying, cheering, among other acts, but they all seemed to be directed at Chaser this time. Yesterday it was natural, no purpose, but this time it seemed to be calling out to him, reaching for him, pleading with him.

“Here boy!” The searching mare once more called.

“Please! Come help! PLEASE!” The burning stallion hollered.

“MAKE ME YOURS!” The sex-crazed mare beat against her door and shouted as Chaser passed by.

Chaser tried to shake the calling madness as he sat back down at his post and rubbed his temples. Twilight was right about one thing at least: he wouldn’t kill her. He wanted to, he really did, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. And just maybe that was crazy.

NO!

He would not let her get to his head. He didn’t know what to do, how to stop her from toying with him, but he had to. She was more powerful than he ever realized, and now he had a genuine reason to be afraid of her, or rather, yet another genuine reason to be afraid of her.

Perhaps he could talk with one of the doctors? He could be discreet, and Mindkeeper had told him that he was willing to help. Chaser knew he needed to escape Twilight’s clutches, and running wouldn’t let him do that. To simply leave would only make the reality a recurring nightmare. He had to end it. Maybe in pure luck Captain Chains would finally get to her, or maybe Mindkeeper would help him through; Chaser’s only option was to get past her, somehow.

He had spent so long wrapped up in his thoughts, he barely had enough time to realize his shift was about to end, and he hadn’t disposed of his journal. He was forced to stow it back in his armor as he was relieved and headed back up to the barracks.

…
The barracks were a bit crowded, Chaser realized, as he stepped closer towards them and a group of guards approached him with Warden Gates alongside them.

“Is there a problem?” Chaser asked as the guards surrounded him and Gates looked at him with disappointment.

“Hand over the book,” Gates ordered.

“What?” Chaser questioned, unsure of how they figured him out.

“I don’t even know what’s in it, but if you hadn’t snuck it out of your locker you would have kept my trust, Captain Chaser.”

“But how did you know?” Chaser asked in disbelief as one of the guards forcibly took the journal from the Captain.

“I’m the one responsible for that,” Dr. Mindkeeper said as he stepped out from behind the corner.

“You…why…how…?” Chaser was left with many questions he could not properly ask.

“I’m sorry, but when I got close to you earlier I noticed you hiding it. I do like and respect you Chaser, but you can’t keep secrets from the staff. If you put this behind us, then we’ll be able to move on more quickly. Just accept what’s happening and cooperate.” Mindkeeper urged.

“Yes, I am quite ashamed that one of my guards would try and hide something from me,” Warden Gates agreed, “but he’s right. If you cooperate and work hard to make up for this, you’ll earn our trust again someday.”

“But I only took my journal because…” Chaser stopped himself and realized that admitting it would be the same as them finding out.

“Because why?” Gates asked after a small moment of silence.

“Just read it for yourself,” Chaser replied quietly.

Warden Gates took the journal and read through it, skimming past personal thoughts, hidden emotions, and finally, finding the dreaded forbidden secret.

“Dear Celestia…” Gates mumbled as he read through the entry Chaser made on his first night.

“I-I’m sorry. I know it...I know it’s weird, and I’m sorry for trying to hide it. I just didn’t think anypony would…would be willing to work with me if they knew what I was…” Chaser stumbled around his words, trying to apologize and explain all at once before Gates stopped him.

“Enough. You do your work, you stay focused on your job instead of your BUCKING hobbies…and you’ll earn a chance to regain our trust. Its bad enough you’re drawn to these patients…almost like you want to be one of them…but you tried hiding it and caused tensions to grow because of that dishonesty. I’m putting you on probation and having you relieved from sub-level 2 duty until further notice. You’ll be in my office tomorrow morning instead of going on your shift, understand?”

“Yes warden,” was all Chaser could manage as they left him alone with Mindkeeper.

“I’m sorry it had to be this way, but I believe that what I did was for the good of the staff here. I hope you can understand that.” Mindkeeper told Chaser as he too went back to his job, leaving Chaser to head over to his bunk and sit quietly, staring down at the floor.

As he sat in silence and watched the floor, unsure of what to do with himself now and afraid that now he had isolated himself from the entire staff, Twilight was down in sub-level 2. She quietly laid in silence until a nudge to her back made her look behind her.

“Twilight?” A nurse quietly and bravely spoke up, “Twilight, it’s time for an immediate follow up session with Dr. Mindkeeper.”

Twilight stared down the nurse and did not blink or flinch, making a drop of sweat run down the nurse’s face.

“Twilight! Get on out here!” Captain Chains barked from outside the cell.

“Sorry Applejack,” Twilight told the space beside her as she got up, “I have to go see the doctor again…”

Captain Chains looked at the former Princess with contempt and confusion as Twilight began to laugh until her laughter once again dominated the floor, erasing all other sounds, emotions, and thoughts.

Author's Note

So this isn't the first Fan Fiction I've written, but it is the first I've published, and I want to know something. I put in the gore tag mostly just to be safe, and it is a bit gory, but I almost feel like it should be gorier! Ha ha, so what do you guys think? Not enough gore? Too much? Let me know. :)
Thanks for reading, BTW; you guys are awesome /)
-TBK

Chapter 4: Revelations...and The End

Captain Chaser was one of the luckiest ponies in all of Equestria a couple days ago, or so he thought. He had landed a dream job, working a relatively easy post assuming no large-scale disasters occurred, and he was put to work under the favor and blessing of his boss. Now, a mere two days later his job had come to haunt him, his work load was about to become far more restricted and difficult, and his boss was wary of him for being dishonest and for holding what one could call a radical view on the infamous Twilight Sparkle. He was amazed at how short his ride at the top was before he was plunged back down.

As he sat in the Warden’s office and listened to his own heartbeat and his breathing, a striking noise ran through his head.
It was Warden Gates, and one of his lines from the previous night: “It’s bad enough you’re drawn to these patients…almost like you want to be one of them…but you tried hiding it and caused tensions to grow because of that dishonesty.”

The words had manifested themselves in Chaser’s mind more than once. It was just a bad twist of fate that the Warden said the very thing Twilight had, of that Chaser was quite sure, but the fact that it had come up twice from two different ponies on two different sides of the Institution made Chaser a bit uneasy. He had always been one to find doubt when others rallied against his views, and this was certainly no exception. He knew what he felt about the subject of being a patient, but with the stacking opposition of both Gates and Twilight, doubt was once more coming to haunt him.

Finally his inner thoughts ceased and froze up when Gates at last came in. His walk was silent, yet held an air of anger that could not be missed. His breathing was about what it always was, except for the exhaling, which seemed a little rushed and annoyed. He sat down and looked Chaser in the eye with all the pained contempt Chaser envisioned anypony would give him upon figuring out his former attraction.

“Alright. I misjudged you, and that’s my fault Chaser. I didn’t realize the things I probably should have. I’ve grown a bit soft in my older age, evidently,” Gates told Chaser seriously, who nodded quietly in return as Gates went on: “As a result you’ve had contact with Twilight Sparkle I never would have given you if I had known. I won’t lie: you and Twilight are the prime suspects for the power outage. I doubt you didn’t figure that out already, but I wanted to tell you anyways. There will be further investigation and if you are convicted, you will be imprisoned and discharged dishonorably from the Equestrian Guard Corps. Again, I’m sure you had that figured out, but I wanted to make this clear. You’re in a lot of hot water.”

Chaser inhaled deeply and nodded again, not yet wanting to speak up and interrupt the Warden.

“However, I will say that in all likelihood, you won’t be convicted, as similar incidents with Twilight as the prime suspect have earned her no punishment. I can’t say that for certain, but history is on your side. Anyways, we can get into details at later times. For now, you need to know that you’ll be working closely with other guards doing the mundane jobs: guarding the perimeter, aiding the nurses with terminally ill patients, and the like, in other words, the minimal contact jobs.”

“Yes sir, I understand,” Chaser replied respectfully before then taking control of the conversation, “Sir, would you allow me to say something in my own defense?”

Gates breathed in deeply, shut his eyes while putting his head down in a moment of pause, and faced Chaser again, nodding.

“Thank you, sir. I know how it must feel to see somepony who works close to you have such a…creepy secret…and I’d hoped that none of you would ever find out. Obviously, it’s too late for that now. I would like to say that, I do still hold an interest in Twilight Sparkle, but it’s no longer as an attraction, sir. I see and understand now how dark and twisted she really is, and I don’t know what I want to come of this all…not in the slightest, but I do know that my attention to her know is no longer for a damned fetish that isolates me from the staff of this establishment.”

Gates nodded periodically as he took Chaser’s words in before giving a soft and small smile when the Captain was finished.

“I certainly am glad to hear that. I suppose under normal circumstances it wouldn’t exactly be right to be so hard on you, but considering that you work in a very potent place and that you held an even more potent position here, I hope you can understand my response.”

“I can, sir. I do. I told you came onboard that I wanted to help others, and having been around Twilight, I feel like I might need some help, too, and I want to help me and everypony else who has been hurt and who could be hurt by Twilight.”

“I’m very glad to see you opening up like this, and I suggest, as in order, you to talk with Dr. Mindkeeper about all this,” Gates told Chaser with a firm look in his eye.

“…Yes sir.” Chaser answered after the slightest moment of hesitation.

“I think we’ve managed to sort through all of this quite nicely, but I do want to talk about one other thing while you’re here today,” Gates said as he rummaged through his desk to find the paper he was looking for.

“Sir?” Chaser responded with confusion as to the nature of this next topic.

“I honestly have no clue what kind of information was passing between you and Twilight in your time alone with her, but these ponies would like to discuss that with you.”

With that, Gates removed himself from his office and several ponies from Canterlot entered, leaving Chaser dazed and confused as to what was going on.

“Captain Ghost Chaser, I’m Canterlot internal affairs agent Silver Spirit. I work directly under Princess Celestia and I’ve come here with orders to do anything it takes to make you talk, so I suggest you make this easy on all of us and tell us what you know,” said the stallion with a metallic gray coat and a golden mane known as Silver Spirit as several Canterlot guards came in after him and closed the door.

“Hey, listen, we didn’t discuss anything important, in fact most of what she said was just to get into my head. I don’t know anything more than I already did about her past and her life in the Asylum. You have no need to question me,” Chaser told them as the guards formed a circle around him and Silver Spirit.

“No need to question you? I think you should let me be the judge of that, Captain Chaser. Now then, did Twilight Sparkle ever mention the following names during your interaction with her or during your watch over her: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, or Applejack?”

Chaser listened to the names, thought about it for a moment, and looked back at the internal affairs agent as he answered, “Well, yes, she mentioned all those names during my first shift. I was looking at her through the monitor and she seemed to think she was having a conversation with them.”

“Seemed to be having a conversation?” Silver Spirit questioned.

“Well obviously those ponies weren’t really there…”

“Captain Chaser, was she having a conversation or not?”

“I…I…” Chaser was beginning to panic and attempted to leave his seat when one of the guards shoved him back into place.

“Was she having a conversation or not?” Silver Spirit asked again.

“Yes!” Chaser immediately responded and tried to get out of the chair, but was still being held down by the guard.

“Captain Chaser, as I said before, I am authorized to use whatever means necessary. Please, have a seat and calmly answer my questions, or you may find that I’m not as pleasant as I appear.”

“Why are you even here?” Chaser asked, completely ignoring the warning and still trying to get up, “she’s just a lunatic! What could possibly be so important about her?”

“Captain Chaser, you’ve no idea how very important she is. That is why I am here. If you do not cease your struggle, I will break your foreleg.”

That warning got to Chaser as he began to subside his fighting and soon enough sat still while inhaling deeply as he waited for the next question.

“Now then, what would you describe her attitude and personality as during that instance?” Spirit inquired as he leaned in closer, his blue eyes staring right into the frightened ones that belonged to Chaser.

“I…I guess she was very erratic and unhinged.” Chaser admitted and followed Silver Spirit around with his face as the Canterlot agent began to pace back and forth across the room.

“Erratic and unhinged, you say?”

“Yes. Erratic and unhinged are about the two best words I can think of to describe her then.”

“Very well, please answer yes or no to the following questions: Did she ever behave in a brash, headstrong, or prideful manner?”

“Ummm…maybe a little once or twice, but nothing very noticeable.”

“Yes or no?”

“No.”

“What about timid, afraid, or shy?”

“No.”

“Charming, mannered, or elegant?”

“Not very much.”

“Is that a no?”

“No,” Chaser confirmed.

“Did she ever act in a stubborn, blatantly truthful, or familial way?”

“…I wouldn’t say so…no.”

“I see.”

“Is there anything else? Are we done here?” Chaser asked, looking around at the other guards as if he was finally aware of their existence.

“We have a bit farther to go. Now Captain Chaser I want you to describe to me what she told you. If anything stands out, mention it; let all your emotion flow, and explain to us everything that she said when interacting with you.”

Chaser followed the command. He talked about the intrigue of his first encounter, the confrontation on the rooftop during the power outage, the discoveries of his father and the interactions they had on that day, and all other details he could thing of concerning Twilight.

All the while his mind was wandering. He wondered what these ponies wanted, what they would do, how they would react to the next thing he told them. They were definitely from Canterlot, for they all possessed the special factor that was hard to describe and almost impossible to learn, but absolutely necessary to work for the Princesses in Canterlot. Silver Spirit had this essential quality in spades.

“Now then Captain Chaser, did Twilight Sparkle even once mentioned, refer to, or hint at Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, or Princess Cadence?”

Chaser thought back and shook his head before answering, “No.”

“Very good Captain Chaser. Finally, I will ask you a question you will be tempted to answer with a lie. If you lie, I will break one of your ribs. If you do not give and answer, I will break three. Are you ready for the question?”

“...Yes…” Chaser slowly affirmed as he looked Silver Spirit dead in the eye.

“Did you help Twilight Sparkle escape her cell by causing the power outage or by taking advantage of it?”

“No...no I did not!” Chaser quickly responded.

Rather than do anything, Silver Spirit looked towards one of the guards who was holding a small device, the purpose or origin of which Chaser could not determine.

“Negative.” The guard stated and Chaser's heart skipped a beat and he cringed, somehow expecting Silver Spirit to break his rib, but it never happened.

“Let me ask you another question Captain Chaser, is it true that you tried to hide your secret attraction to Twilight Sparkle from the rest of the staff here at the Asylum?”

“Yes…yes,” Chaser answered, looking at the same guard with the device to see what he was doing, but Silver Spirit moved Chaser’s eyes back towards him.

“Positive, but by factor of chance irrelevant.” The guard answered this time.

“Very well, one last question then Captain Chaser, are you proud of yourself for not giving in and killing Twilight Sparkle?”

“…I…I…” Chaser tried to answer and Silver Spirit moved his hoof towards Chaser’s chest, making Chaser then shout out, “I don’t know, please! I don’t know!”

Silver Spirit looked towards the guard with the device and awaited his answer.

“Results indeterminate.” The guard answered, prompting Silver Spirit to sigh order Chaser to be evicted with a hand signal to the other guards.

“Hey, what-“ Chaser fought back as he was taken away, as Silver Spirit thanked him for his time.

When Chaser was gone, Silver Spirit brought out a paper and wrote down the information he was required to as the other guards remained silent:

Incidence Report: Equestrian Guard Captain Ghost Chaser
Stationed: Equestrian Asylum for the Criminally Insane
Subject of Report: Twilight Sparkle

Captain Chaser was known to have been in contact with Twilight Sparkle, though not explicitly affiliated with her (unknown as of yet to the Asylum staff itself). In total, he spent perhaps a couple days worth of time with her. Questioning and reports indicate that Twilight still has the other bearers of The Elements of Harmony, the very reasons for her going insane in the first place, trapped within her mind and/or soul. Contact with Captain Chaser was not enough to draw out or even much stir up the consciousnesses of Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, or Applejack. It is my belief they remain a part of Twilight to this very day, locked away inside her, and are unable to escape. Meanwhile, Twilight herself continues to keep their emotions and characteristics hidden within her and refuses to let them out much, only doing so in rare instances. Her insanity has augmented her natural characteristics to become (and to this very day remain) sly, manipulative, imitating of that which she needs to be, and, I personally believe, self-tormented. Based on the footage, recordings, and results of the scenarios we have enacted such as the power outage, it is my suggestion that this simulation ends, and that we find a new test subject to help regain the Element Holders from Twilight Sparkle. Captain Chaser has already been alienated and we believe Twilight intends to kill him soon anyways. He will be disposed of in time, however his own mental stability is in question, and I do recommend that after his termination we salvage his memories, thoughts, and emotions in order to aid Project: Elemental Rebirth. In any case, Twilight remains fixated on him, and by the time she makes her move, Chaser will somehow be disposed of. Recommend finding new test subject effective immediately.

-Equestrian Internal Affairs Agent, Silver Spirit

After filling out his report to Princess Celestia, Silver Spirit sighed again and rubbed his temples while the guard with the small device came over to him.

“What now, sir?”

“Now we line up another one. It was my personal hope that because of Captain Chaser’s affinity towards Twilight he might have been the perfect tool for extracting the Element Users. We even bothered to come down and visit. Such a disappointment. Still, I’m sure one day we will succeed. And if all goes right…we just might get Princess Twilight back too,” Silver Spirit told the guard and handed him the report, “get this latest report to Princess Celestia immediately.”

“Right away,” The guard replied and headed out the hall while Silver Spirit and the others took a moment longer to leave the Warden’s office.

“Did everything go alright?” Gates asked them as they hurried away.

“Captain Chaser is once again yours, Warden. I have no further questions for him, you, or anypony else. Thank you for your time,” Silver Spirit bade farewell and disappeared into the night with his men.

…
Darkness had once again shrouded the Asylum. In truth, darkness never left the Asylum, but when Luna’s moon rose above it, the worst of it seemed to come out. Such was the case that fateful night. As the guards finished rotating their shifts the cell door unlocked. The lone figure of Twilight Sparkle crept out, hidden from all light and moving quickly from shadow to shadow. She had been having sessions with Dr. Mindkeeper and was unable to find Chaser until now. Her goal was far above her, but she knew the paths well and would not be stopped by the incompetent guards around her. The Asylum was her kingdom, she was its Queen, and all who inhabited it, staff member or patient, were her subjects, to do with as she pleased.

One unfortunate guard decided to use the restrooms on the first sub-level, and made himself as vulnerable as he could be for Twilight as she snuck around the Asylum. As he opened the door to leave Twilight pushed him back in with all her force and he skidded along the ground to the end of the room.

“What…how did you-“ The guard was cut off when Twilight jumped in front of him, put her hooves around his neck, and squeezed with a passionate rage that shifted the very atmosphere of the room. He struggled to free himself, but Twilight’s grip was too fierce for him to break. He slipped away into death quietly, and Twilight was in no mood to be quiet. She grabbed the corpse and bashed his face into the mirror, shattering the reflection of the corpse as blood spilled down its face and front side. Twilight held the body close and inhaled the metallic aroma of the blood for several seconds before letting it go and watch it drop inharmoniously.

A smile painted itself on her lips as she skipped along past it and left the restrooms, a hidden camera capturing the entire scene.
She didn’t know it (or maybe she did, but just didn’t care) but she was watched every second of every day. Everypony she murdered was a sacrifice in the name of Twilight Sparkle, in the hopes that she might one day be cured and Equestria would gain back its Princess of Friendship and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Captain Ghost Chaser was no exception, and although Twilight rather liked him, the higher ups in Canterlot knew he served his purpose, and now, Twilight was free to kill him, as they knew she would. That was always what she did with those she liked. She would twist them, break them, and mold them until they became as crazy as her or were killed. None of them, not even Chaser, were good enough to help Twilight however, and all test subjects met a grim end.

Perhaps when one subject did prove worthy, they would prevent his or her horrible fate from coming, and then maybe Twilight could be cured, the Element Holders brought back, and all the evil that occurred at the Asylum could be forgotten and erased. That was the hope. Twilight Sparkle was a name to be feared, but the goal of Princess Celestia and the Canterlot Authority Figures was that she would once again be with them and aid them in their battles. Equestria needed Twilight Sparkle and the Element Holders, for protection, and to help support the leaders in times of darkness, something they had been experiencing since Twilight went mad.

It was all a brilliant scheme. All a clever lie. All a shameful dishonesty that held within it vast secrets and forbidden knowledge. It was all to make Twilight Sparkle and her friends part of Equestria again. Sometimes ponies like Silver Spirit would wonder if Celestia or Luna or Cadence held any grief about the secret activities of Project: Elemental Rebirth. Sometimes they blew the thoughts away, having faith that their leaders had the purest and noblest of intentions. Other times, such ponies would wonder how far the Princesses could go into immorality and sins before they went as mad as Twilight herself. It was a never-ending lie, an ongoing story that was written with blood and held no end in sight. It was the tragedy of the Equestrian Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

Twilight moved silently and swiftly in the dead of night as she abducted Ghost Chaser. She used her magic to keep him asleep and calm until she had set herself up in the very therapy workroom she had sat in with Mindkeeper the past several days. Once there, she woke Chaser up and put her hoof over his mouth before he could speak.

“Ssshhh! It’s so late…so very late…and we don’t want to disturb all the sleeping ponies. All the helpless, weak ponies who think they own the Asylum…who think they own ME.”

Chaser was freed and whispered loudly back, “What are you doing with me! Why have you taken me here?”

“This is the ceremony. This how it ends Ghost Chaser. This is how you will end your life,” She told him and giggled as she drew a clean scalpel from her sleeve.

“You’re going to kill me…like my father…like all those innocent ponies way back when…?” He questioned, showing a surprising amount of bravery.

“I didn’t say I would kill you, dear Ghost Chaser.”

“You said-“

“I said it was time to end your life. Ghost Chaser is no more; you are no longer him. You are MY loyal subject. You are MY toy. You are MINE to do with as I please.”

“That’s crazy…that’s ridiculous…” He told her as he began to shake while she put the surgical tool at his throat and gently swept it across his neck, drawing a small, thin, and clean line of fresh, red blood.

“YOU will be too. You will walk with me down the roads of insanity and through the pools of madness as we plunge ourselves into its grim embrace for all of eternity. You, me, and everypony at this Asylum.”

“…” Chaser could not speak as Twilight licked the blood as it dripped down his body.

“We’ve had our fun, we played our game, and we’ve come to the end. This is…the end.” She kissed him on the lips and stuck the scalpel in his belly as she did so, his eyes going wide in shock and pain.

He felt his inner soul rise up in agony, frustration, fear, and rage as he took the scalpel from her hooves, pulled it from his own body, and drove it through her left foreleg, the blood spilling to the floor.

He pushed her aside madly and shouted out an indistinguishable war cry, hitting Twilight ferociously with his hooves as she took the abuse as if it were candy.

He ran out of the room as if he was on fire, screaming and shouting and waking the Institution up.

One of the first to see him was the guard who woke him up for his shift. He was just a memory now, a memory of Ghost Chaser’s, and he was irrelevant. He was as irrelevant as everypony else Ghost Chaser knew, and they were all expendable.
The guard went over to tackle the screaming pony down, but the bleeding guard shoved the scalpel into the tackling guard’s eye, disabling him.

Alarms went off as the pony once known as Captain Ghost Chaser attacked all who got in his way, picking up spears, lances, tools, and anything else to keep himself on the run that he could find. Dr. Mindkeeper saw him run, and so too did he see Mindkeeper, and his token to the doctor was a clean and swift beheading with a sword. The old stallion’s body wiggled on the floor and shook violently.

Gates saw him too, but unlike Dr. Mindkeeper, the Warden was fortunate enough to escape with only a lost limb as the pony once known as Ghost Chaser used the sword to almost completely chop off Gates’ right foreleg, leaving the sword in as the limb held stiff and fought desperately to remain with its master.

He did not see Captain Iron Chains, nor did he find any sign of Silver Spirit. The last pony he found was the receptionist. She was coming off of work and put a horrified look on her face as the bleeding and desperate figure of Captain Ghost Chaser raced down the hall and stabbed her in the throat with his last weapon, an axe used for emergencies purposes such as a fire.

He ran out of the Asylum, screaming, hollering, desperate to find himself in the mad body he once called his own. He ran off into the night wondering exactly how it was he took all those careful steps into obsession, discovery, confusion, and in the end, madness itself.

But the Asylum could not hold Ghost Chaser, and as he ran off and was pursued by the guards of the Asylum, he began to tire from fatigue and blood lose, and as he treaded through the marshes down the road from the institution, Twilight Sparkle’s demented laugh rang out across the hills and plains, up mountains and into forests.

Twilight Sparkle’s evil touch had impressed itself on Chaser and the lives of many more victims who were sacrificed in the name of the secret Project: Elemental Rebirth. The Equestrian Asylum for the Criminally Insane was once a respectful establishment, but the day it became famous, the very day it became noteworthy, it also sold out its true purpose of healing the sick and instead used the healthy to save a sinner who some thought should never have the chance to be saved at all.

Author's Note

Well, there it is. The end of the first fan fiction I ever published on FimFiction! If you guys enjoyed this, found it shocking (I hope!), or liked my style, then be sure and check out more of my stuff, I'm currently on Summer Break and am trying to upload a lot! Also be sure to check out my work as part of Nightfall Equestria Tales (NET) with Spoiler Alert NET, and go read our story The Nightfall Chronicles! Thanks so much for reading my fics! /)
-TBK