Twisted: Four Little Foals

----Chapter 12: Twilight Sparkle and Spike----

“You're lying.”

“Spike, please-”

“HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT ABOUT HER?”

“I...”

Twilight Sparkle looked in the eyes of her beloved assistant. Even though he was screaming, there was no anger in those eyes. There was fear, sadness, and confusion.

“I made a mistake...” said Twilight, turning her head downward. “I should have told you the truth about Rarity from the beginning. I didn't know...I thought she only did those things with Sweetie Belle...I didn't know Twist would get involved...”

“Twist ISN'T 'involved' in this weird fantasy for yours!” Spike shot back. “How could you even...how could you say that about her...”

Spike sat down on the floor of the library, and hugged his knees.

“Aside from you, Twist is my best friend...” Spike said. “But, Rarity...Twilight, I love her...”

“I should have told you...” said Twilight. “I should have told everyone...I've been such a coward...”

She took a tentative step toward Spike, but he raised his hand to stop her advance.

“I'm just glad Shimmy Shake isn't here to hear all this,” Spike said. “Now I know why you sent her away so quickly.”

“I just...I'll talk to her about this later,” said Twilight. “I barely know her, and it's hard enough telling you about this...oh, Spike, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault...”

“Actually? Yeah, it is! I don't know what sort of feud you two are having, but it doesn't give you the right to spread lies about Rarity!”

“It's not a lie, Spike,” said Twilight sadly. “Rarity was...I thought I knew her. For that first year I lived in Ponyville, we got along so well. Me, and Rarity, and the others, too...the six of us did everything together...I don't know exactly what happened, but after my brother's wedding, we all kind of started to...drift apart...”

“I remember,” Spike said. He was glad for the slight change in subject. “I think it started before that, though. It was kind of a small thing at first, but it just seemed to get bigger, you know?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said. “I guess we were spending a lot of time together. It was only natural that we'd need a break. But...there was more to it than that...”

Twilight sighed. “Rarity...changed. It wasn't just that she stopped hanging out with me. She became...colder somehow. She'd spend all her time either in Canterlot or in her shop, and the few times she talked to me, she seemed like she was, well, forcing herself to be nice. Like she didn't have it in her anymore.”

“Yeah, okay, so she got wrapped up in her work,” said Spike. “That doesn't mean she's...doing those things...to her sister!”

“It's not just a guess, Spike,” said Twilight. “Look, around the time Rarity began to distance herself, Sweetie Belle stopped playing with her friends. That little trio she was in was inseparable for a while, but then, just like that, it was just Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. I asked Scoot about it once, and she said Sweetie just stopped coming to their meetings.”

Spike sighed. “Twilight, do you really think Rarity would be capable of that? I can't imagine how anyone could be. You ponies are all so nice and friendly most of the time...”

“'Us' ponies? I thought you thought of yourself as a pony, too, Spike.”

“Yeah, well...” Spike trailed off.

“It never occurred to me, either. I just assumed Rarity was having money troubles or something. So one day, I went to her shop...and...”

Twilight shuddered as the memory played in her mind.

“Someone had left the back door unlocked...she'll never admit it, but I think Sweetie did it on purpose. I think she hoped someone would find them...and I mean, it's not like I was intruding. I used to drop in on Rarity all the time...”

Spike still wouldn't look at Twilight, but his expression was one of intense attention. Something about Twilight's tone, the way every word she spoke felt more difficult for her to say than the last, compelled him to listen.

“So I...I walked through the house...normally I'd call out to her but for some reason it just didn't feel right that day. There was a...tension in the air, a strange, sad feeling...I almost felt like I couldn't speak...I just wandered her house for a few minutes, looking for Rarity or Sweetie Belle...and then after a while...I ended up at Rarity's bedroom door.”

Twilight didn't speak for a moment. It seemed less like she was collecting her thoughts and more like she was preparing herself for what she was going to say next, as if the act of relating the experience required some sort of mental fortification.

“I was going to knock on it, but then I heard...I heard Rarity...saying things to her sister...such cruel, disgusting things...and...then I heard Sweetie...”

At long last, Spike turned and looked at Twilight. This wasn't a conciliatory gesture; it was compassion. Twilight's voice told Spike that she needed some sort of connection, even something as small as eye contact, to tether her, or she might fall apart simply from recounting this story. Twilight looked almost physically ill as she continued speaking.

“I've never heard a voice like that...” said Twilight. “It went beyond sadness or pain. It was worse than that. Sweetie Belle sounded...resigned. Defeated. Like the awful things I heard Rarity telling her to do...they weren't just normal to her, there were expected. She sounded like someone who thought things would never get any better...that this would always be her life.”

Spike stood up. To hell with their argument. Twilight needed him right now.

“And..and..it wasn't just them in the room! I heard another voice...a stallion I didn't recognize...he was shouting the most cruel, hurtful insults at Sweetie, and Rarity just laughed and kept telling her to...to do things with him...and...I could have stopped it...”

Spike said nothing, but began walking slowly toward Twilight. The unicorn kept speaking, almost unable to stop now.

“I could have gone into that room right then...I could have protected her...but I was so scared! I couldn't move, and then...I could hear them hurting her...I could hear her crying out...I should have gone in...and instead...”

Twilight covered her face with her hooves, ashamed to face her friend.

“Spike, I ran away...” she said. “It was just too much to take in...I...I just shut down and ran...I left Sweetie there...with them...”

The young dragon walked up to his friend and embraced her. Twilight held unto him tight and began to sob.

“SHE'S JUST A CHILD!” Twilight cried. “She never hurt anyone...she's just a child..”

It was several minutes before Twilight spoke again.

“And...Spike...so are you...”

Spike's eyes widened as Twilight's full intent became clear to him.

“I'm sorry I kept the truth from you, Spike. I'm sorry I put that spell on you, too. But I just couldn't risk Rarity becoming interested in you. If she ever hurt you, I don't...I don't think I could go on....”

Twilight nestled her head into Spike's shoulder. “I'm such a coward...” she said softly.

“You're not a coward, Twilight...” said Spike. “Look at how many times you and your friends have saved Equestria from, like, evil monsters and stuff!”

“Right. Monsters,” Twilight said, with the barest hint of a scoff. “Discord turning the town into ice cream or Chrysalis wrecking a wedding? Celestia, do I ever miss those days. The days when I thought a monster was something obvious, that you could just shoo away with a magic rainbow.”

The unicorn let go of the little dragon.

“Until that day in Rarity's house, I had no idea what evil was,” Twilight said. “And that was the day I let it win.”

Spike felt numb inside. Any doubts he may have had were gone now. Twilight wouldn't lie about something like this, and even if she had it in her, the guilt and sadness in her voice was something that could never be faked.

He knew that sooner or later, the full extent of what Rarity had done would crash into him, and he wasn't sure if he could take it. But for now, his emotions simply couldn't process that. The only thing he cared about was helping Twilight feel better.

“Well...why don't you go to the royal guards?” he offered.

“You think I haven't tried?” Twilight said. “Everything I do gets blocked from higher up. It's like someone's protecting her...”

“Then go to the top!” Spike said. “Talk to the Princess!”

“I DID!” Twilight yelled. “I did, and she just told me...she told me to let it go!”

Spike gasped. Celestia, too? Was every pony hiding something?

“It's like...it's like she already knew...” Twilight said. “And for some reason...it's not like she seemed okay with it, in fact, she looked sad, and angry, like she wanted to help, but...but...she basically ordered me to leave Rarity alone...”

Spike braced himself against a nearby table. It wasn't that he feared losing his balance. But at that moment, he needed to experience the feeling of being supported by something. Something sturdy and reliable, which was exactly what it appeared to be.

Something that wasn't a pony.

“And now she has Twist...” Twilight said. “Shimmy might never see her daughter again, and it's all because of me...”

“You didn't do this Twilight,” Spike said in a quiet voice. “You're not responsible for Rarity's...you're a good pony.”

“I'd like to believe that...” said Twilight. “Spike...maybe the reason I kept this from you wasn't just to spare your feelings...”

“What do you mean?” Spike said.

“It's not safe for you here, Spike,” said Twilight. “I'm sure Rarity already suspects something's up since you haven't been coming to see her lately. Besides, she probably sees you as an easy target for...for the things she likes to do. Sooner or later, she's going to come and find you...”

“You...you really think so?” Spike asked, with a little fear in his voice.

Half an hour ago, the prospect of Rarity seeking him out would have made Spike the happiest dragon in the world.

“Listen...” Twilight said. “You've been talking a lot lately about how you feel you don't belong here. But you also told me once that you feel more like a pony than a dragon. Spike...you still feel that way?”

Spike looked down at his feet. “I thought Rarity was the most wonderful pony in the world...I thought the Princess was someone we could all trust no matter what...I thought I understood ponies...”

He looked up at Twilight.

“...but maybe I was wrong. I think there's only two ponies I ever really understood. One of them is you. And the other one...Rarity took the other one away...”

Spike wiped away a tear.

“So...so I must be a dragon...” he said, “Because it hurts too much to be around ponies anymore...”

Twilight put her hoof on Spike's shoulder.

“A little while before I found out about Rarity, the Princess asked me to help her with a diplomatic mission in Canterlot,” said Twilight. “There was a visiting ambassador from the Red Continent.”

“The dragon homeland?”

“Yeah,” said Twilight. “The place ponies hardly ever go because of the intense heat. The Princess had told him about you, and he mentioned that his tribe ran something...I guess it's like a cross between camp and a boarding school...but it's a place where young dragons who were raised in other lands can reintegrate. Learn their heritage. He said that if you ever wanted to, I could send him a letter, and they'd be happy to take you in for as long as you wanted to stay. And...it's far away. It's safe.”

“Are you asking me to...”

“I'm not asking you to do anything, Spike,” said Twilight. “I meant to tell you about it when you got a little older. But now that it's dangerous here...”

“But...” Spike looked up at Twilight. “I've...never been away from you before. Not like this...”

“I just want you to know that you don't have to stay here...” said Twilight sadly “You don't have to put yourself in danger to stay in a place where you don't feel you belong...”

Spike looked out the window. Visually, Ponyville was the same as always. But somehow it felt as if he were looking upon a place he'd never seen before.

“Maybe I don't belong here, Twilight...” said Spike. “But I do belong with you.”

“So you have to promise me...” he continued, “that you'll come visit, okay? Or if it's too hot, I can come see you...I don't know...and...if I decide to live like a dragon...like, for good....I'll still be your friend, right?”

This time, it was Twilight who embraced Spike.

“The best friend I've ever had,” she said.

For a few minutes, the two of them held each other silently. A lifetime of memories danced through both their minds.

And then, without a word, they broke the embrace.

“Once you're safe,” Twilight said, “I think maybe I can...try again. If it's just me that's at risk, I think I can manage. I don't know how I can stop Rarity, or even if I can, but...I have to see this through.”

Spike smiled. “I knew she was still in there somewhere!”

“Who?”

“Oh, you know,” said Spike. “That pony who's on a stained glass window in the royal palace. The one who never gave up even when the world was going crazy around her. Twilight Sparkle. The hero of Equestria.”

“I don't...I don't deserve to be called-”

“Oh, yes you do. You're MY hero, Twilight,” said Spike. “And you better not forget it!”

He gave the unicorn a light, playful punch in the leg. Twilight returned a weak smile.

“Thank you, Spike,” said Twilight. “Always and forever, my number one assistant.”

*******

But Spike wasn't in Ponyville at all. He was in Canterlot.

He had burst into the Gathering just before any of the Circle members had been able to put their hooves on Twist. Her dress was still intact, and no one had hurt her.

And Spike wasn't a baby anymore. He was a huge, fire-breathing, fully grown behemoth of a dragon, and in his fury he reduced the chamber to ashes, incinerating the entire membership of the Circle. Rarity and Fancypants had been the first to burn. The foals, of course, were completely unharmed. Not a single one of them had been touched – by the flames, or the adults.

When it was all over, Twist had run up to her savior and given Spike a kiss on his huge cheek. Then she climbed atop him and the two of them had flown away together into the night sky, away from the horrible city and the cruel ponies who lived there. And they had lived together happily forever and eve-

Twist was jolted out of her fantasy by a hard punch in the face. As the night progressed, she was getting better and better at escaping into her mind.

It was the only thing keeping her from breaking down completely. But every fantasy had ended the same way: with someone deciding they didn't like Twist's lack of attention.

The last thing Twist remembered was being held down by two sadistic-looking mares. But now they were nowhere to be found, and a large stallion was on top of her.

“Yeah, that's right,” he said as he forced himself deep into her, “I'll teach you to ignore me...”

“I'm thorry...” Twist said weakly. “Please...don't hit me again...I'll do what you want...”

The stallion said nothing. He was already looking away from Twist as his climax neared. But he might look back at any moment, she realized, so she resisted the urge to slip into a world where Spike tore the cruel stallion to shreds with his mighty dragon claws. But she held on to the image of Spike; not the massive dragon of her fantasy, but the friend she knew from back home.

Somehow, it made her feel less alone.

“Yeeees....” Silver Spoon bit her lip as the blade cut through her flank. The mare making the incision bore a medical emblem as her cutie mark; she knew just the right way to cut. Deep enough to leave a permanent scar, but shallow enough that the wound wouldn't be life threatening.

“The first line's done, you nasty little slut,” she said. “Come here.”

The mare's horn glowed for a moment and a magical aura flashed over Silver's wound. There was no noticeable change; as she had done before she'd made her cut, she was disinfecting the area. After she'd done so, she leaned down and kissed the little foal on the mouth. Silver moaned as the doctor's tongue mingled with her own.

“I love the way your mouth tastes,” said the doctor. “Tastes like sex. You've had a lot of ponies come in your mouth tonight, haven't you?”

“Uh huh,” Silver said dreamily, rubbing herself. The crowd around her couch had thinned out a bit. Once Silver had made it clear that she was serious about being scarred, several ponies had decided that her tastes went beyond their limits.

The few who had stayed were the truly curious and the truly sadistic. Among them was the pony who was currently playing with Silver, a world-class surgeon named Triage.

She was known for performing very difficult operations with a stunningly high success rate. What she was less known for was her tendency to sedate her younger patients and have her way with their unconscious bodies.

Triage smiled as Silver looked back at the mass of blood covering her flank. The little pony rubbed her cunt harder as she watched herself bleed.

“You know, I just keep this scalpel with me for good luck. I never actually used it on anyone before. And I certainly never thought of it as a sexual tool, but I'm beginning to see the appeal,” said Triage. “How is it that a pony who's not even a third my age is introducing me to new fetishes?”

“Miss Rarity's taught me well,” said Silver, shuddering happily at the pain in her flank. “That's why I wanted to surprise her with these scars.”

“Well, she'll definitely be surprised,” said Triage. “When these scar over, you'll have an X covering your cutie mark, just like you asked. You're quite the unusual one, Silver Spoon. Most ponies your age can't shut up about how proud they are of their marks.”

Silver Spoon laughed. She remembered how she used to feign pride in her mark to tease Sweetie and her friends. It was strange remembering that now; it seemed like someone else's life.

“Well, I'm not like most foals,” she said. “I hate this stupid mark. It makes it seem like I belong to my family, and not Miss Rarity.”

“You ready for the next cut, baby?” said Triage. She levitated her scalpel upwards.

“Hold on...” said Silver, rubbing herself harder “This one still hurts so much...let me wait until the pain starts to fade...I want to suffer longer...”

Not far from Silver's couch was a large, ornate mirror. The pony sat up for a moment, allowing it to enter her field of vision.

She saw a weakly smiling silver foal whose fur was matted and messy with the semen of countless stallions. Her once-full mane was mostly gone, with only random, tattered patches here and there; the rest had fallen victim to Silver's pleas to have it ripped out. One of her eyes was swollen shut from the kick it had received earlier in the evening. Fresh bruises were forming all over her body from the various beatings she'd been given throughout the night. And now her flank was stained red with blood from Triage's incision, with another cut on the way. What Silver Spoon saw was a filly who had been abused and degraded past the point of no return.

“You see? I'll never be beautiful again,” she whispered. “I'll always be Miss Rarity's damaged little slut. That's who I am.”

No.

There it was again.

Over the course of the night, the persistent little thought in Silver's head had evolved into a voice. She had tried overwhelming it with pain, degrading herself further and further as a means of shutting it up. But it was no use. It had come from someplace deep inside Silver's mind, and had been there ever since Silver had learned of the speech Cheerilee had given at her memorial.

She had tried so hard to destroy that thought, but it just kept coming back:

You're better than this.

“No...” whispered Silver. “I don't want to be better. I just want to be with her...I just want her to make me hurt...”

You're better than this.

“No, I'm not...” said Silver. “I'm nothing. I'm no one. I'm just property, just Miss Rarity's breathing sex toy...”

You're better than this.

“Shut up!” Silver said, a little too loudly.

“What was that, baby?” asked Triage.

“Cut me again,” said Silver, lying down on her belly. “I want to bleed.”

Triage smiled as she magically sterilized her scalpel.

“That's it,” whispered Silver. “More pain will shut you up. And it feels so wonderful...”

Silver shut her eyes as the scalpel carved into her flesh. She moaned loudly, to the delight and fascination of the onlookers.

“You see?” she whispered, “I'm not better than this. I'm not better than anything. I'm trash. A broken toy. That's all I'll ever be.”

You're afraid.

“What?”

You're afraid to be more than a shadow. You're afraid to matter.

It wasn't working. The voice was speaking over the pain.

“Just shut up...” Silver whispered.

You don't think you can be more than this, because no one's ever believed in you.

“Stop...”

But someone does. You heard what Twist said. There's someone who believed in you all along.

An image of Cheerilee flashed in Silver's mind.

“Stop...”

And...there's someone else...all this time....

A new image appeared in Silver's mind. It was Diamond Tiara.

...all this time, there was someone who needed you.

“STOP IT!” Silver screamed.

Triage laughed. “Finally hit your limit, did you? Don't worry, baby, I just finished.”

She lifted the scalpel away from Silver's bleeding flank. A quick burst of magic cleaned the wound, and another sealed it up.

“Normally, I'd shove my hoof in that little cunt and make an even bigger mess of you, but I think you've earned a break,” she said, kissing Silver on the forehead. “I'll be back later to collect my doctor's fee.”

Silver barely noticed as Triage walked away. She wanted to focus on the pain, but her mind wouldn't let her. The voice was silent now, having made its point. But the image of Diamond Tiara wouldn't go away. Nor did the memory of what Twist had told her: about how Diamond had called Silver her only friend. About how she'd broken down and left school for a time. And Twist's strange, hesitant comment about how Diamond had “changed.”

“No...” Silver whispered. “Diamond was always so strong, she didn't need someone as pathetic as me...”

The image of Diamond would not leave Silver's mind.

“I didn't mean to...” Silver whispered. “I didn't mean to abandon her...I didn't think anyone would miss me...”

The wounded filly sighed deeply.

“I'm sorry, Diamond...” Silver said. “Maybe when I get home, I can tell you...at least let you know I'm alive...”

Silver felt a hoof slowly rubbing her back. She looked up and saw a stallion.

“Oh, look at you,” he said, with amusement in his voice. “You're a mess. What did they do to you?”

“Nothing I don't ask for,” said Silver. She smiled, ready to escape back into her element. “How about you? Do you like to hurt nasty little fillies?”

The stallion grinned.

“An exquisite creature, isn't she?” said Fancypants, observing Silver from the other side of the room. “Truly, your sister's taste in foals is beyond reproach. Oh here, let me get that for you.”

Fancy magically undid Sweetie's bonds, and the little unicorn could move her legs for the first time in hours.

“Now, then, before I was distracted, I had asked you a question...” Fancy said.

“Ummm...” Sweetie gestured in the direction of Sapphire Shores' strapon. Just being in the same room with it made her feel ill.

“Oh, of course! Allow me,” said Fancy. Another burst of magic left the toy utterly immaculate.

“Probably cleaner now than it's been in ages, knowing Sapphire, that uncouth slob.” said Fancy. “Now, then! Let's make ourselves comfortable!”

Fancy and Sweetie retired to an unused couch, which was just large enough for the two of them. From Fancy's demeanor, Sweetie deduced that, for the first time all evening, she was in the presence of an adult who did not want to touch her. Fancypants' intentions toward her seemed to occupy another sphere entirely.

So why was he scaring her so much?

“Comfy?” asked Fancypants, with an easy smile. “I hope so. You and I have so much to discuss.”

“Like what..?” Sweetie asked uneasily.

“As I said before, I want to know all I can about Silver Spoon. Since your sister appears to be indisposed, I came to you first. You've lived with her for quite some time now; I imagine there must be much you can tell me. I'd hate to go into the transaction uninformed, after all. Caveat emptor.”

Sweetie blinked in confusion.

“Let the buyer beware,” said Fancy with a smile.