Darkened Corners

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie had spent the night at Twilights library, keeping each other company during the night. None of them could bear to sleep but whoever was disturbing them seemed to sleep during the night, so all was peaceful. All sat around the kitchen table once again, groggy and eyes bloodshot.

“So what about Applejack and Rarity? Are they not hearing voices?” Rainbow Dash asked as Spike served them some waffles with an assortment of different syrups. She took some normal maple syrup and drowned her poor waffle squares in it.

Twilight swallowed a chunk of powdered waffle and shrugged. “We can go visit them later,” she said, yawning largely.

“Sorry dear I have heard nothing of the sorts,” Rarity replied to Twilight’s question, a couple hours later at the Carousel Boutique.

Twilight sighed, almost relieved. “Thank goodness,” she said.

“Why do you ask?” Rarity pushed.

“Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and I have been hearing terrible voices. They tell us the things we do not wish to hear the most,” Twilight explained, feeling her hangover coming on as a slow, throbbing headache. “Nng, thank you for your time, Rarity. We are off to Applejack’s now.”

Rarity nodded at her friends. “I would join you but I have an ensemble to finish for a client. I will join you all later at Twilight’s, say, five?” She turned back to her dress.

Twilight nodded and all of them headed off to the orange, earth pony’s farm, Sweet Apple Acres.

Rarity...

"Yes Fluttershy?” Rarity asked. When she got no answer she turned around. Nopony was behind her. “Oh, guess the wind must be carrying her voice,” she told herself aloud, trying to comfort herself. She felt eerily alone in the massive boutique, but at the same time she felt a presence. Perhaps it was just Opal.

“Well howdy Twilight, Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie,” Applejack greeted her friends in her southern accent. They had just arrived, finding Applejack bringing in a cart full of multicolored apples to the barn, where’d they’d be cleaned and polished to sell later.

“Applejack, we have to talk to you. It’s really important,” Twilight said.

“Well sure, Twilight. Ah’m all ears,” Applejack replied, unhitching herself from the cart.

“Have you been hearing strange voices lately? Like, in your head?” Twilight asked her.

“Why, I can’t say that Ah have. Why do ya ask?”

“Well, we have, excluding Rainbow. They’ve been saying terrible things. Saying they’ll take the things away from us that we care about.” With that Twilight recapped about what the voices had been saying her. Pinkie continued after, followed by Fluttershy. They then recalled their incident last night, where Rainbow had somehow warded off the evil voices with just a command.

“Well this is very strange,” Applejack inquired. All the others nodded in agreement. “What’d’ya suppose is going on? Is somepony doing it? Or are y’all just imaginin’ it?”

Twilight shook her head and shrugged, unclear of it herself. “It feels very real,” Twilight whispered anxiously. “Maybe I should ask Princess Celestia and Princess Luna about it.”

All the others agreed. “So let’s all meet at Twilight’s at five then okay?” Rainbow said, waiting for their nods of approval before launching off. She soared through the air, her heart beating rapidly. As she continued flying she saw a familiar orange pelt. Without a thought she broke off her course and flew to Scootalo. The little pony brightened at Rainbow’s approach. Dash could see her cutie mark, swirls and dips representing dance moves, as she approached.

“Hey there Scoot,” Dash said as she landed beside the now, taller orange pony, who could see Dash’s nose at eye level. “How’s it goin’?” she asked.

“It’s going,” Scootalo said quietly.

“What’s wrong kid?” Dash asked, curling down onto the grass beneath the oak tree.

“I’m just feeling like I don’t fit in anymore, anywhere,” she said, flopping onto her side, staring blankly ahead of her, through Rainbow Dash.

“What about Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell?” Dash asked, knowing they were her best friends.

“They’re gone for the summer, remember? I don’t have anyone to hang out with,” she said with a sigh.

“You can hang with me,” Dash offered, then thought if bringing her into the mind games situation was the best. She didn’t take back her offer though. Maybe Scootalo could help.

“Oh really, Dash? Could I?” she asked, setting herself upright and smiling at the cyan pony.

“Of course, kid,” RD replied, smiling.

“You know I’m not a kid anymore right?” Scootalo questioned.

“Yeah, but sayin’ ‘teen’ sounds weird to me,” Dash explained and the two laughed. “But there is one thing.”

“What that?”

“My friends are having some trouble, so we’re meeting them tonight at Twilight’s to discuss things over and contact the Princesses about it,” Dash said, trying to keep it simple.

“Sounds alright with me. What’s the trouble?”

“I don’t wanna freak you out, so you’ll just hafta wait until we get there,” Dash said a little darkly.

Scootalo’s eyes opened hugely but she kept silent and nodded. The two spent the rest of the three hours they had to take a nap in the warm sun.

“Is everyone here?” Twilight asked later that night. “Rarity?”

“Present.”

“Fluttershy?”

“Here.”

“Applejack.”

“He’ya.”

“Rainbow?”

“Here.”

“Pinkie?”

“Here.”

“Okay, looks like we’re all accounted for then. And hello Scootalo, it is nice to see you again,” Twilight said, looking at the orange Pegasus.

“Likewise Twilight.”

“Alright so recently a few occurrences have been happening. Some of our sub consciences have been tapped into and are being played with. We don’t know what we are dealing with but the Princesses shall be here shortly so they may have answers.” At those very words both Luna and Celestia teleported into the library. All bowed to them and whispered greetings of respect.

“Rise my subjects,” Celestia requested. “What seems to be the trouble Twilight? Your letter was very urgent and seemed to be tear stained.”

While Twilight recounted the recent mental events Scootalo couldn’t help but feel fearful. She stole a glance at Rainbow Dash, who seemed to stand rock solid, as if nothing could penetrated her skin or her mind. Scootalo followed posture, stretching as tall as she could be, trying to look as brave and courageous as her idol. When Twilight recollected that Rainbow had saved them from a terrible bout Scootalo looked at her proudly. Rainbow smiled down at the orange pony then refocused her attention on the Princesses, who seemed to look fearful.

“I have something I would like to share,” Rarity quipped as Twilight finished.

“You may speak,” Luna said.

“After you all had left I could have sworn Fluttershy had spoken to me only saying my name. When I had turned around there was no pony in sight. After that I felt an evil presence, but nothing happened after my name was spoken,” Rarity explained, looking shaken.

“Twilight and friends, I’m afraid we have some bad news to tell you as well,” Celestia said, her eyes glazed slightly. “Discord has escaped his prison again, but with the help of an unknown being.”

Everypony just stared at her for a moment. “But, that can’t be!” Rarity protested. Fluttershy wailed, this time in pain almost. Twilight cried out also. Pinkie Pie hollered and slumped to her knees.

“Guys!” Rainbow Dash yelled. She grasped for words to say, to end their agony when a bloodcurtling screech erupted from Fluttershy. Her body was flung across the library and she smashed her head against the shelving and she fell to the floor, but RD caught her just before she hit the ground. “You! Whoever you are! Leave them alone!” The screaming and hollering stopped immediately and Rainbow laid Fluttershy on the ground. “She’s unconscious,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from screaming.

Princess Celestia flew over at once, her horn glowing a pale yellow. “She’s in a coma. I don’t know how to bring her back. There’s a complex binding spell on her and only her will can break it,” she explained quickly, her horn dimming to no glow.

“She won’t be able to help us…just like the voices said,” Rainbow Dash said in horror from behind Celestia. Rainbow Dash continued to back up, away from her gentle friend’s body until she bumped into Scootalo, who merely pressed against her in comfort. Dash shook violently.

“But does that make what they say true then? They’re gonna take all of what we care about away from us?” Applejack asked, blinking away tears.

Luna stepped forward to address the rest of the ponies. “We do not know what is going to happen yet. Do not fear faithful subjects. All of you shall join us in Canterlot so we may keep a close watch over you.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and all of them teleported to Canterlot, no questions asked.