Chapters "Where are you two taking us?" Sweetie Belle asked as Rarity and Applejack led the way through Ponyville.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were tired and scared. The game that they had just played would be something they never forget. They would never see the Mane Six or the Elements of Harmony in the same light again. Rarity and Applejack were silently leading them somewhere. They said they weren't going to go home right away, but they had to make a quick stop.
"Sis?" Apple Bloom asked, causing Applejack to turn around, "Where are we goin'?"
"We're just going to a place where you two can talk about what you've experienced, darling," Rarity answered, "We know that our most recent events must have scared you pretty badly."
The two nodded. Sweetie Belle was especially nervous, as Rarity hadn't mentioned a word about her punishment for breaking into Twilight's Spell Room. As they walked, the two fillies noticed that they had walked completely through Ponyville without stopping. They were now exiting the town and going towards a building on the outskirts of town. Compared to the colorful, cheerful personality of Ponyville, this was the exact opposite. Dead grass populated the area under a spiked metal fence. A crow's nest could be seen at the base of a sign introducing them to their destination: Meyerhoof's Asylum for Mentally Ill Ponies.
"Applejack...why--why'd you take us h--here?" Asked Apple Bloom. The two mares turned around and gave them a nervous smile.
"Don't worry, darlings," Rarity reassured, "We'll only be here for an hour. Then we'll go straight home."
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart 'n hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye," Applejack recited.
The familiar quote made Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shudder in fear at who usually recites it.
"But why isn't Pinkie Pie here? She's the one who has a completely different person inside of her mind!" Sweetie Belle protested.
"Oh, she will be. Fluttershy is going to bring her over."
"Where's Scootaloo?"
"Inside the building. It's only for an hour," insisted Rarity.
Gulping, the four opened the gate and walked inside. Once entered, Sweetie Belle's and Apple Bloom's mood got slightly better. It looked like a regular doctor's office: there were bright colors painting the walls, a couple of seats with magazines, the receptionists' desk, and ponies in lab coats walking in and out of the place. It seemed like it wouldn't be too bad! As Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom took a seat next to Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash approached their sisters.
"Hey," she whispered, "The psychiatrist is going to be ready shortly."
"Good," Applejack whispered, "I wanna get them outta here as soon as possible. They looked terrified when we were outside the building."
"Hey, if the three of them can handle a fight to the death, they can handle a psychiatrist visit."
"Not the time, Rainbow Dash."
"Sorry. But anyway, Twilight got Spike checked in and went to the castle to prepare a visiting schedule with the princesses. She wanted us to be there right away!"
"But Fluttershy's still handling Pinkie!"
"Look, we can make a copy of the schedule and bring it to her. The point is, we have to go!"
Turning to face the three, they walked over.
"Alright, you guys have an appointment in room 259. It's just up the stairs. Do you think you guys can find it?"
"You're leaving?!" Scootaloo asked as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Just for a little while, Scoots," Rainbow said, hugging her tightly, "We're going to a meeting with the Princesses. I'll fly back as soon as we're finished. I promise."
"Stay strong, y'hear?" Applejack said as she embraced Apple Bloom, "It's okay to be scared."
"I'll be back as soon as I can, alright, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked.
The two fillies nodded as they got up and walked down the hall. The three mares ran out the door and headed towards the castle.
At the Princesses' Castle
Twilight couldn't contain herself. Then again, neither of the Princesses could either. Cadance and Shining Armor had made their way to Ponyville as soon as they heard what had happened. Twilight forget her scar was even there; Spike had died, come back to life, and now hated her in a span of two days. Celetia's and Luna's relationship with him had become nearly destroyed. It was scarier than anything Twilight could imagine.
"So, your friends are on their way here?" Cadance asked, to which Twilight nodded after blowing her nose, "Good. We need to find a solution to this problem, and fast."
"We're here to make a visiting schedule for him," said Luna in between sobs, "What he needs right now is to know that we still love him."
"Luna's right," Celestia said, wiping her tears away, "We need to rebuild what we destroyed."
"Sounds like a plan," Shining Armor said, with his hoof around his sister, "How do you propose we do this?"
Just then, the door flew open, and in came Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.
"Sorry we're late. We just had to drop off the other three at the psychiatrist's office." Rainbow said.
"Has Pinkie Pie been checked in yet?"
"No, not yet," Applejack said, "Fluttershy should be bringing her any minute now."
"Well, we're glad you're here. We were about to make the schedule."
"I think it goes without saying the Twilight should visit first," Shining Armor said, "She's known him the longest."
A thankful smile crept across her face.
"I'll go next," Cadance volunteered, "I'll make sure to bring some gems with me when I do."
"I'll go after Cadance," Rarity said. "Need to make sure Spikey-Wikey looks stylish when--"
"Rarity," Applejack yelled, "Time and place. I'll go with her when she goes. To make sure she knows why we're really there."
"Okay," Celestia said, holding a pen and paper, "So far we have Twilight on Sundays, Cadance on Mondays, and Rarity and Applejack for Tuesdays. Who's next?"
"Me," Luna volunteered, "I need to begin rebuilding his trust as soon as possible."
"I'll go with you," Celestia said, marking both of their names down for Wednesday.
"I guess I'm going Thursday," Rainbow volunteered.
"That leaves me for Fridays," Shining Armor said.
"And Fluttershy for Saturdays," finished Celestia, "We can hit two birds with one stone and visit Pinkie as well, assuming that Fluttershy neutralizes her before the day's end."
"Okay, so are we done?" Rainbow asked, "I need to go get Scootaloo."
"I understand," Celestia nodded, "You two are free to go."
"Two?"
"I need to speak with Rarity," Celestia said, donning a serious tone.
"Don't worry," Applejack said, "I'll get Sweetie Belle and bring 'er over with Apple Bloom."
"Okay," said Rarity as the two ponies flew out.
"You understand that there is still a punishment in order for Sweetie Belle?" Celestia asked.
"Yes."
She smiled at Twilight. "Well, the two of us came to an agreement on an appropriate punishment for an offense of this degree."
"I'm listening..."
At the asylum...
"Why is it that I still don't feel quite right after that?" Scootaloo asked, to which the other two shrugged.
"I dunno. Hopefully things start to get back to normal when we get back." Apple Bloom responded.
The three walked towards the stairs at the end of the long hallway, deep in thought at what they discussed with the psychiatrist. Of course they were scared, but they learned about something called 'PTSD'. They were told they may encounter triggers of those unpleasant events and, if they did, they had to make sure their sisters were there to help them. They also received some pills to help deal with the sudden anxiety attacks.
"This wasn't too bad," Sweetie Belle noted.
"Keep telling yourself that."
The three froze at the sudden interruption. They looked for the source of the noise, only to find none. All around them were the rooms of various patients; when they originally came up, each room seemed empty.
"Over here, you three!"
Looking to their left, they gasped at who they saw.
Dressed in a white jumpsuit, they stared into the eyes of Diamond Tiara.
At Fluttershy's House...
Pinkamena had greatly underestimated Fluttershy's strength. She seemed to be much faster, stronger, and smarter than she looked. No matter how many blasters, tricks, and bombs she could throw at her, she dodged every single one.
"YOU'RE COMING WITH ME, PINKAMENA! YOU'RE FINISHED!" Screamed Fluttershy as she landed a punch directly to Pinkie's neck.
"NO! I'M NOT GOING TO DIE BY YOUR HOOF!"
Running up to her and attempting to buck her jaw, Fluttershy caught one leg in her mouth. Pulling her forward, Pinkamena fell.
"GET...OFF...OF...ME!!"
"NO! You're not running any more!!"
Stepping on her back with the leg in her mouth, Fluttershy pulled...and pulled...and pulled...until...
CRACK!!
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Pinkamena screamed as a fresh set of tears flowed down her face. Letting go of the now-broken leg, Fluttershy landed a punch directly on her skull, rendering her unconscious. Just before she closed her eyes, she heard Pinkie mutter "Thank you."
Breathing heavily, Fluttershy picked her up and took her to the asylum for treatment.
Author's Note
It gets worse.
The air was knocked out of the Crusaders' lungs as they looked into Diamond Tiara's annoyed face. Clearly, she didn't look too pleased to see them. However, she also looked like she was stunned as well.
"Diamond Tiara...what're you DOIN' here?" Apple Bloom asked, reclaiming her breath, "Ah'd have thought there's nothin' wrong with you!"
She rolled her eyes and sat down behind the glass divider.
"I feel like you three of all ponies should know that there's a lot wrong with me," she responded, "There's more to me than meets the eye."
"We know there are things wrong with you, but not to a degree where you're staying in a mental asylum!" Scootaloo said. Diamond's expression didn't change.
"Thus proving my point," she responded, "Now, what are you three doing here? Don't you two have better things to be doing?"
"We're here for a psychiatrist visit," Sweetie said, "We recently went through a rather...*ahem*...interesting event."
"Did it traumatize you?"
"Sorta."
"Then, that's why you're here. How bad was it?"
"Ummm...well," Apple Bloom said, trying to find the words, "I kinda got my heart ripped out by Pinkie Pie."
"I got my face crushed in by her too," Scootaloo said.
"Luna used a really strong spell on me as an attack," Sweetie Belle answered.
Diamond's ears perked up.
"Did you just say Pinkie Pie and Luna?"
The three nodded.
"Pinkie Pie, I had a feeling she was insane, so this doesn't really surprise me. Princess Luna, however...such an odd coincidence..."
The three looked confused. What was coincidential about Luna using a spell on someone?
"I can tell you three are confused; it's the same face you guys make during class," she said with a smug look, "It's just that what Sweetie said lines up with what somepony else told me here..."
"What?"
"That the Elements of Harmony and the Princesses aren't what they seem."
The three gasped in shock. No one's ever talked about their friends like this, especially considering how many times they saved Equestria from danger.
"Time out," Scootaloo said, "The reason that all of this happened was because of a game Discord made. We all participated and we were put against each other. That's why those Apple Bloom and I fought Pinkie and Sweetie fought Luna. It was just the mood at the time!"
Diamond didn't seem convinced.
"That's not what your friend says..."
"Who?" all three asked, hoping that it was who they were thinking of.
"What's his name? Spike?"
"THAT'S HIM!" They cried before their looks of glee turned into looks of bewilderment once more.
"But wait. Why would he say that the elements and princesses aren't what they seem? He's known them for years!"
"Well, according to what he told me, they're hypocrites. They've been lying to him for years now."
"That makes no sense," Scootaloo said, "They're supposed to be the closest of friends! He's Twilight's number-one assistant; he's a brother to her!"
"Well, you can ask him about that yourself. All I know is that based on what he told me and what I already know, our stories seem to be aligning very well."
"Which room is he in?"
Diamond pointed to the leftmost room next to her.
"You just passed his room. We talk to each other through the vents. As he was escorted to his room, he looked really depressed."
The three of them looked down.
"How long is he supposed to be in here?"
"About a week or two."
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow.
"But you still haven't told us why you're in here, Diamond Tiara!"
She narrowed her eyes. "What makes you think that's any of your business?"
"Well, you said what happened to you and what Spike experienced lined up! So, to understand what that might mean, we'll have to hear your side of the story," Scootaloo noted. Diamond rolled her eyes.
"Come back tonight," she said, "Spike offered to come to my room to talk. I know that he doesn't have a problem with you three. I'm sure he'd be glad to see you."
The three nodded in anticipation of the coming meeting.
"Good. Your sisters are coming up the stairs now," she said, lowering the blinds to her room.
Right on cue, Rainbow Dash and Applejack came up the stairs and saw them down the hall.
"There you three are," Applejack said, running to them.
"We thought you three would stay in the lobby," Rainbow responded, giving Scootaloo a hug. Sweetie Belle looked behind them.
"Where's Rarity?"
"Princess Celestia wanted her to stay after for a second. We're going back to the castle to get her."
At that point, the three fillies remained very quiet, thinking about what Diamond Tiara said.
"Are you three okay?" asked Applejack, "Y'all're awfully quiet."
They nodded their heads quickly to avoid suspicion. As they walked to the edge of the hallway, they fell deeper into the possibilities of what would happen if Diamond was telling the truth. Sure, she could just be taking messing with them like she always does. But why would she go through the trouble of checking into a mental hospital just for a cruel prank? In addition, she certainly looked the part. Her mane was frazzled, she was missing her trademark tiara, she wore the white jumpsuit patients usually wear when they're staying there...it couldn't be an act. Could it? They would have to come back later that day to find out.
"So," Rainbow started, "At the castle we were talking about a visiting schedule for Spike. Applejack and Rarity are going on Wednesdays and I'm going on Fridays."
"Oh, okay," Scootaloo said. "I think I'll tag along when you go, Rainbow."
She smiled. "Feel free, Scoots!"
"I think we'll tag along too," Sweetie Belle said, "Just to make sure he's safe."
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement, causing Applejack to grin as well. "Sounds fine by me!"
"Tomorrow is Sunday, so Twilight will be going to visit him first," Rainbow said as they exited the building and headed back to town. Neither of the Crusaders heard her.
For the first time, the fillies felt unsafe around their sisters. Not just unsafe, but scared as well.
The Castle
Luna and Celestia sat in the meeting room alone. Twilight had been escorted by Shining Armor and Cadance to her bedroom so she could rest for the next day. Luna looked down.
"This shouldn't have happened," she said, "I wish I could go back in time and change what I said..."
Her sister shook her head. "You can go back in time, but not even you can change the events of the past. Neither can I, and neither can Discord."
Luna's head slumped to the tabletop as she began to cry again.
"I've known him for so long," she sobbed, "I've taken care of him many, many times! And yet...all of that trust...that bond we shared...all gone in an instant!"
Approaching her, Celestia put a wing around her. "This is our chance to get things right. We may never have another shot at this again."
"Mhm..."
"Although, I wonder..." Celestia said, looking around to make sure no one was listening. Luna looked at her.
"What?"
"Is his eventual freedom a good idea?"
Luna almost attacked her sister at the question. Noticing her anger, Celestia spread her wings in defense.
"How could you ask such a thing?! He's our friend!"
"I know, but think about it. You saw what he did to Twilight. If he gets out, what makes you think he won't do it to any of the others?"
Luna paused, leading Celestia to think that she was onto something.
"We don't want to hurt them more than they already are."
"But denying Spike's freedom would crush Twilight!"
"I know."
Celestia looked up before she spoke again. "He's heard too much..."
"What do you--"
"Princess Celestia, we're heading back home," Cadance said, flying down the stairs with Shining Armor behind him. Feigning a smile, Celestia nodded.
"Alright. I'll see you two soon."
"See ya!" Shining Armor called as he followed his wife out of the castle.
Turning back to a disappointed, yet confused Luna, she continued.
"We're trying to stop a threat before it happens," she explained, "There aren't any dragons here for hundreds of miles, except for Spike. Imagine how peaceful it would be if we contained him. Then we wouldn't be in danger at all!"
"The amount of irony of what you just said...it scares me. Very much."
"Think about it," Celestia said, as she walked towards the door only for it to open once more. The Crusaders, Rainbow Dash and Applejack came in, with all smiles, some real, some fake.
"Welcome back, girls," Celestia greeted.
Luna was at a loss for words.
"Is Rarity still here?"
"No, she just left. Speaking of which...Sweetie Belle!"
Sweetie Belle reluctantly approached her, anxiously waiting for her verdict.
"Following Spike's release, you'll begin magic lessons with Twilight."
Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
"Yes."
She could barely contain her excitement; after multiple thank-yous to Celestia, she was about to scream in glee, but was nudged by Scootaloo to remember the night's events.
"Oh yeah," she whispered, "Thanks, Princess."
Celestia chuckled. "How was your psychiatrist appointment?"
Their tongues froze. They forgot all about their appointment's details; all they could think of was their meeting with Diamond Tiara and their future meeting with Spike. As their eyes darted all over the place, their sisters and the Princesses could tell something was on their mind.
"Are y'all sure you're okay? You've been acting nervous ever since we left." Applejack said.
"What's the matter? You can tell us anything," Rainbow said, causing Scootaloo to look at her in fear. Her smile gave her goosebumps all over her back.
"It's clear they're tired," said Celestia, walking back towards her sister, "They need rest."
Rainbow and Applejack didn't need to hear any more. As they left the castle to go home, Celestia looked at Luna.
"When you go into everypony's dreams tonight, tell me what they're thinking. They're hiding something."
"They're fillies that were just traumatized! Of course, they'd be nervous. Why'd you think they're hiding something?"
"I just have a feeling," Celestia said, scribbling in her notepad.
"You're not going to hurt Spike, are you?"
"No. I'd never hurt him."
Luna was still suspicious.
"But I will if I have to."
At the asylum...
You know, why don't you go over to Spike's room tonight? He's in the room to the right of you.
Laying in bed with a cast on her foot, Pinkie Pie shook her head and almost began to cry at the sound of Pinkamena's voice.
"No," she said, "I'm not hurting anyone else."
Who said anything about hurting? The Crusaders will be there tonight.
"Why?" she sniffled, "Nothing's wrong with them."
True. Think of it as midnight storytime. Twilight will be there to visit tomorrow.
"And?"
What you hear tonight may make you think of her in a totally different way.
"..."
Trust me for once. If I'm going to die, I guess I'll die doing something good.
"Fine."
Author's Note
still tired
The Face Behind the Mirror
It was midnight: the time agreed by the Cutie Mark Crusaders to make their way back to the asylum. Unfortunately, it sounded easier than it actually was. On the flip side, they had a couple of things going in their favor.
In Scootaloo's case, it didn't take much effort for her to leave Rainbow's house. When she originally took her under her wing, Scootaloo learned that she was an exceptionally deep sleeper. On top of that, she snored loudly, which made it easy for Scootaloo to open and close the front door.
Sweetie Belle's case was a little bit more challenging. Yes, Rarity insisted on getting her proper beauty sleep, and as such, slept with only the moonlight shining on her and a mask covering her eyes. However, she preferred perfect peace and quiet. Even the slightest noise would cause her to stir. Sweetie Belle circumvented this issue by leaving her door open and placing pillows between her room and the front door. Just in case Rarity awoke and saw the trail, she left the stack of pillows near the door to avoid suspicion. In addition to this, she silenced the doorbell so when it opened, it wouldn't ring. Of course, she locked the door before leaving.
Over at Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom had the hardest time. Although Big Mac snored very loudly, Applejack had grown accustomed to hearing it. The downside is, that's the only thing she expects to hear at night. Anything else would wake her up instantly, and Big Mac along with her. There have been times when animals with extremely small footsteps were detected by Applejack's super-hearing. Of course, she didn't harm them, she just got them out of the house in a half-asleep stupor.
At the end of it all, though, they were able to make it out and met each other at the asylum's front gate. Sweetie Belle shivered.
"I should've brought a coat," she said, teeth chattering.
"It's not that cold," Scootaloo replied with a shrug.
"Easy for you to say," Apple Bloom stuttered, "You're a pegasus!"
"Yep!"
"Let's just get inside. Spike and Diamond are likely waiting for us."
As the trio walked into the building, they noticed that the aura around them was much darker than when they originally came, and it wasn't just because the lights were dim. You may be wondering how the asylum was open if every staff pony went home. Well, the building itself was open twenty-four hours. Just in case somepony came in for a visit, there was a large button on the secretary's desk that, when pushed, alerted a staff pony to come down to the asylum right away. It was rather convenient. Besides that, the cheerful feeling that was there before was replaced with one of fear in the hearts of the Crusaders.
"Come on," Apple Bloom said, "It's the same room as last time."
Trotting up the stairs, their anxiety increased. What would the two of them tell them? How would it impact the relationship they had with their sisters and the other elements of harmony? And on top of it all, how do they know they're telling the truth? Well, they were about to find out. As they stepped on each stair, a slight CREAK could be heard. By the time they got to the second floor, their hearts were pounding. Diamond Tiara stood outside her bedroom door, waiting for them to appear.
"There you three are. What took you so long? And why do you look so scared?"
The Crusaders couldn't speak. Diamond sighed.
"The stairs?"
They nodded.
"I'll ask someone to fix that tomorrow. But come on. Both of them are waiting," she said, opening her door.
"Both of them?" Sweetie asked, finding her voice only to lose it again. Once again, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were at a loss for words.
Both in white jumpsuits, Pinkie Pie and Spike looked at them with a depressed look on their faces.
Twilight's Castle
Although it wasn't even dawn, Twilight was hard at work. As books on dragon history, their relationships with ponies, and their growing patterns floated around her, she scribbled down notes on her 50th scroll that night. She didn't plan on stopping anytime soon, either. It explained why, when she got a knock on the door, she didn't even notice it.
"Twilight?"
She didn't even notice that Fluttershy had walked in. Trotting past Fluttershy, she went to her chalkboard and added onto the massive collection of notes on it.
"Twilight?" Fluttershy said a bit louder.
"Huh? Oh, hey Fluttershy! What're you doing here this late?" asked Twilight in a frantic voice.
"I could ask you the same thing. But I was told that you have the schedule of visits for next couple of weeks?"
"Oh, yeah! Here you go," she said, giving her a copy. As she skimmed through it, she looked at the calendar, then the clock, then at Twilight.
"If you're taking the first visit, shouldn't you be getting some rest?"
"I can't sleep," she said, "If I close my eyes, all I'll think about is Spike and how I've failed him!"
"I'm sure that's not true," Fluttershy replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "You've been there for him almost as much as he's been there for you!"
"Even if that's true," Twilight said, skimming through another book, "It's not as much as he's been there for me. And all of those insults to him behind his back! I can't go to sleep at all without having the old Spike back!"
"So...your solution is..."
"I'm researching to see if this is a phase or not. Is there anything that scientifically and historically explains his sudden change in behavior?"
"Yes, but it's not scientific or historic."
Twilight looked at her with hope in her eyes. "You know the answer?!"
"I sure do!"
"What is it?"
"It's a matter of friendship, Twilight."
Silenced, Twilight's enthusiasm fell.
"And that's my point. You said you wanted the old Spike back. Well, who's to say you won't act the same as before?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "He mentioned you too, Fluttershy. Don't think that you're innocent in all of this."
"I'm not," she protested, "I'm just not refusing to confront the solution by hiding it behind other possible scenarios. It's a friendship problem."
"We don't know that!"
"Yes, you do. We all do. As much as none of us want to admit it, it's a serious problem."
"..."
"If you don't believe me, go ask Spike later today. Let's see what he says," Fluttershy said, exiting the castle.
Twilight dropped her quill and books before becoming scared of what Spike would say when he saw her again.
The Asylum
"SPIKE," Sweetie cried, as she ran into his arms. Chuckling nervously, Spike stroked her mane.
"N--nice to see you too, Sweetie Belle," he said as he looked into her tear-filled eyes, "What's up with you two? Why're you just standing there?"
As Diamond sat next to Pinkie, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom stared at the party pony, afraid to talk to her. She put her hooves up defensively.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," she said nervously, "Pinkamena's on our side here."
"What side?" the pegasus asked, purposefully sitting away from Pinkie.
"That's what we're here to talk about. I'll start by explaining to you why I'm here," Diamond Tiara said, avoiding eye contact. The room grew still. After taking a deep breath, she spoke.
"I've been here for a month now. That's the reason I've been missing so many school days out of the blue. I got here because, according to Celestia, the wealth's gotten to my head."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Scootaloo said.
She shrugged. "Apparently, money is my life now. You guys taught me that friendship, TRUE friendship has it's benefits, and I'd been going off of that philosophy for the last year or two. It's gotten me really far." A sad smile crossed her face.
"But, of course, all good things must come to an end."
She paused to catch her breath.
"My mother had been making much more progress than I expected, in terms of making true relationships with other ponies. She's becoming known as the Celestia's Double with her generosity and selflessness."*
"Yeah, I noticed that recently too," Apple Bloom said, "She's using a lot of her money to give to poor, build shelters, provide food, and all kinds of nice stuff."
Diamond nodded. "Yeah. You would think that with all of the good she's doing, Celestia would be proud of her, right?"
They all nodded.
"Well, you're wrong," she yelled, clearly hurt, "Celestia's no princess of friendship!"
"Well, why not?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"The day before I disappeared, Celestia personally came to escort me home from school," she said, "We took the long route back and when I asked why, she said she just wanted to 'enjoy the scenery', especially when there was nothing to enjoy. I walked with her, not saying a word. Then we got...here."
She shuddered.
"She told me to sit in the waiting room and, after speaking to the receptionist pony, said that she would be back soon. I asked why we couldn't go straight home like she said. She said she just needed to pick up something and would be right back."
Diamond Tiara looked down with tears in her eyes.
"She never came back. When the asylum closed and I was the last person in the building, I was given a room to sleep in and this jumpsuit. I was told I couldn't go back myself because it was too dangerous when there was barely nopony out of their houses and no creature from the forest for miles. I picked a room and slept, eager to go home in the morning. But when morning came...I wished I was still asleep."
"What happened?"
"Celestia came back with my mother at her side. It turns out she stopped by on her weekly charity visit to donate thousands of bits to the efforts of the staff and for the good of those who were in here legitimately. I ran to her and Celestia, and asked why the left me here, why they couldn't go home...my mother said..."
Diamond couldn't find the courage to say what happened next, prompting Pinkie to wrap a blanket around her.
"What'd she say?" she asked softly.
"She said...'I'm sorry, your highness...but who is this little filly...and why is she calling me "Mother"?'" Diamond finished as tears trickled down her face. Everyone gasped in shock.
"Celestia said, 'I don't know. Back to your room, little one.' I protested; I told her that I was her daughter, her ONLY daughter! But she looked at me with a confused look and a sad smile. Mother asked, 'How long has she been in here?' Celestia said, 'Not enough.' She then signaled the staff to take me back to my room. I kicked, I screamed for her, asking her what I did wrong, why she was giving me up, but she didn't hear me. She had completed her donation and left with Celestia to the sounds of cheers and applause. As for me, I was stuck in this room. Three meals a day, no access to a telephone to call for help; it seemed like no one noticed I was missing."
Wiping her tears away, she looked at the crusaders.
"And that's how I ended up here. I don't know how long I'm going to be here, but ever since that day, every time I tried to leave, there would always be some excuse for why I couldn't get out. And then I found the truth."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Behind the receptionist's desk was a scroll from Celestia. I encountered it on one of my escape plans. It said to keep me there until further notice. I was not allowed to leave. She was afraid that my mother's actions would rub off on me and overshadow her efforts for keeping Equestria friendly. As far as the rest of Ponyville was concerned, I was a mentally-ill orphan with no living relatives and I was there because Celestia wanted to keep the other fillies safe."
She scoffed. "The ruler of Equestria is afraid that I'll get more credit than her in regards to friendship. And she silenced me by taking everything I loved. My friends, my family, my home, my money...all of this just to make sure she reigns supreme."
"And that's how this relates to why I'm here," Spike said, "I've seen her hypocrisy firsthand on the many errands and adventures that I've run with Twilight and her friends. They support everything she does, believing that she's the smartest and that it's all in the name of friendship when in reality, it's all to protect her throne."
The Crusaders were shaken.
"They're right," Pinkie said, "We've seen firsthand the decisions they make when nopony else is around. Applejack is catching on, but she's still dedicated to helping the princess in any way she could."
"So...we can't trust our sisters anymore?" Apple Bloom asked.
"That's not it at all," Spike said, "I genuinely believe that they're actually good ponies. It's just that they don't tell you everything. You don't see what happens in the background."
"So, what're we going to do?"
"Twilight is coming tomorrow for a visit. As far as I know, your sisters will come up on some days as well. As long as I can relay information to one of you, you three can tell the others. We cannot let the elements or princesses know what we're doing," Spike explained. The three looked nervous.
"Look, think it over," Diamond said, opening the door for them to leave, "And we'll discuss it in a day or two."
As the three walked down the hallway, Spike leaned out the doorway.
"Also, catch!"
"What's this?" asked Scootaloo, turning around and catching three berries.
"Luna looks into everyone's dreams. Those berries make you dream of nothing. Be careful though; if you fall into too deep of a sleep, she'll have access again."
When Spike finished that sentence, the fillies went pale. It was almost 2 in the morning, and they were all feeling tired. They wanted to have a deep sleep, but were at risk of telling the Princess what they just heard. On top of that, they had to keep their sisters off the trail.
Upon her return to Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom nimbly went back to her room, avoiding making any noise whatsoever. She peeked into Applejack's room; she was still asleep. She got into bed, ate her berry, and closed her eyes.
Sweetie Belle used her pillows to return back to her room without waking Rarity. She was surprised it worked; she popped the berry into her mouth and got under the covers before falling asleep.
Scootaloo was glad Rainbow was a deep sleeper. It made getting anything in the middle of the night a piece of cake, whether it be a quick flight to tire herself, a glass of water, or a cookie or two. As she approached the house, she smiled, happy to be back without getting caught.
It explained why she almost screamed when she reached to open the door and Rainbow Dash opened it from the inside.
Author's Note
* I know. I'm trash at backstories. Just work with me here.
Scootaloo stared into the eyes of Rainbow Dash, unable to find words. Her sisters eyes went from one of disappointment to one of surprise.
"Scootaloo, why are you up this early?" she asked, "You're not supposed to be out between midnight and five!"
Scootaloo checked her watch.
"It's 4:59," she said, "Wh--what are you doing up?"
Rainbow's confusion grew. "What do you mean why am I up? You know that I get up early to get the clouds ready for the day. I gotta be at the Academy at noon, so I'm just getting my fair share of weather work out of the way. But you know this; you've gotten up with me to see what I do!"
Scootaloo deadpanned; she was right. There were many a times when, before school, Scootaloo was visited by Rainbow Dash or after school, she was taken to see where she worked, when she worked, and what time she left for the Wonderbolt Academy. Rainbow stared at her, waiting to hear her explanation.
"Ummm...I couldn't...sleep?"
Rainbow still wasn't convinced. "We have milk in the refrigerator. You could've just heated up a glass and it'd knock you out."
Eyes darting, Scootaloo racked her brain to get out of this situation. She used the tired excuse, she couldn't use the energy excuse because she could've just watched a show or read a book to burn vivacity. She couldn't tell the truth, because she knew that Rainbow would talk to Rarity and Applejack about it.
"Um...I...well...you see..."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Look, we'll talk about it when I get back. If you're not tired in the middle of the night, just talk to me; I'll give you some ways to get tired. You're looking exhausted, so you may wanna get some sleep."
Walking past Scootaloo, she looked back at her.
"I'll see you later, Scootaloo."
"Bye!"
As she began her ascent to the weather plant, Scootaloo was finally able to breathe. As she walked into the house and up to her her room, she began to wonder what would happen if Rainbow found out what she and the Crusaders learned last night. It'd create a conflict for sure.
"Alright...down the hatch," she said as she climbed into her bed and popped Spike's berry into her mouth.
As she lost consciousness, she saw the rays of the sun peeking into her room. When her eyes closed, she experienced exactly what Spike described; exactly nothing. She saw, heard, and felt nothing. As the heat of the sun's rays warmed her back, she smiled.
Maybe this won't be that bad...
Bathing in the nothingness of her dreamscape, she felt herself begin to relax. It was the first time she had been able to ever since she regained her ability to fly. But it seemed that even then, her relaxation wouldn't last long. Even though she was surrounded with nothing, she felt a pain in her chest. Squeezing her eyes shut, she flailed her arm behind her, trying to get whoever was doing that away from her.
I'll have to ask Twilight if she can poke me some other time... she thought angrily.
But when she moved her arm behind her, she was just waving the air. The pain was still there. Looking down, she saw that something was poking out from the inside of her chest. Its repeated motions showed that it was about to burst; each motion made the pain increase exponentially. She opened her mouth to scream, but no one heard her. There was no one around her. When whatever was inside finally emerged, her breathing rapidly shortened.
"H--help," she mouthed. "Somebody..."
It was a pink hoof bathed in red; in it was her heart.
Slowly turning around, she looked into the wide eyes of Pinkamena, who sported a wide grin.
"I thought...you...aren't you..."
"Come on, Scootaloo... smile."
After she finished that sentence, she vanished, prompting Scootaloo to wake up in a daze. Looking at her clock, she groaned. It was five minutes after she fell asleep.
"And I can't get Luna's help either," she complained, falling onto her pillow, staring at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes.
At the Asylum
Spike sat in an all white room with nothing but a simple chair. As he was picking at his teeth with his claws, he heard the door open; in walked Twilight Sparkle.
Sitting down on the other side of the room, she wore a smile. The cracks in her heart were very visible. She almost began to cry when she noticed Spike's glare and the flick of his forked tongue. Looking into his eyes, she saw almost no trace of the sweet, adorable dragon that she grew to love over the years. Instead, she saw nothing but a confused, angry soul that needed help finding itself again.
"Hey, Spike," she said in a shaky voice, "How ya holding up?"
"When do I get out of here?" he said in a cold voice. His response literally made Twilight shudder. She slowly backed away from the glass that divided the two.
"That...that doesn't answer my question," she said, finding her courage.
"That doesn't answer mine either."
She narrowed her eyes at him with sobs choking her throat.
"You'll...leave when you're better. That's when."
Spike got out of his chair, almost making Twilight scream.
"When I'm better...when I'm better? Twilight, do you yourself even know what that means? Do you know what it means to be better?! Especially if you're in my position?!"
"What do you mean if I'm in your--what? What do you mean?"
Spike exhaled smoke out of his nostrils.
"You're definition of me being better...is just me going back to being the servant that I am. The outlier, the nuisance, the pest. " Spike spat out in disgust.
Twilight cringed at his use of that word and the memories it came with.
"Spike, I'm sorry! We're all sorry! We admit that we were wrong, and we want to change it! You're not a pest, you're a friend! We love you more than you could ever know!" She pleaded as her tears were freed. "Just give us a chance!"
Spike didn't blink. "Can you say," he said, "That this is the first time that you've ever seen me as someone who was just in the way? As someone who just annoyed you? Can you honestly say that you've never thought of me as a pest before recently?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out, thus giving Spike his answer. His tail dropped.
"I rest my case," he said, "You still see me as a bother after all of these years. You just want me out so I could go back to cooking, cleaning, and errand-running. Admit it."
"Spike, that's not true--"
"It is true. Celestia was going to lock me in here with no telling on when I'll be out, and you blindly followed her, under the idea that it was 'for my own good'! Well, let me tell you something: she isn't the role model you think she is!"
Gasping at the dragon's words, she grit her teeth.
"You're wrong," she cried, "She's my hero! She's done no wrong to me, you, or any of us in Ponyville! She'd never do lock up someone like this because they were innocent! She'd never think of a friend as an obstacle! She does the right thing, even when it's hard to do! She's more of a role model than you'll ever be!!"
When the last sentence tumbled past her lips, she immediately wished she could take it back. Although it was healed, the scar on her face hurt once more. Behind the opposite side of the glass, the dragon's guard had fallen. His large green eyes shimmered at Twilight's defense of her teacher. He looked just like the small dragon that he was when she first met him. If only they could go back...
"Spike...Spike, I didn't mean--"
"Of course you didn't," he interrupted, "You never do."
"Spike, when I said she was a role model, I meant--"
"You don't know what she actually acts like, Twilight. I've seen it firsthand."
Ignoring his statement, she continued.
"Spike, she wants you back. I want you back. I need you back!"
"You only want me back to continue being your test subject, your training dummy, your slave . Admit it."
"Spike, that's not--"
"ADMIT IT, TWILIGHT SPARKLE ," he roared as pounded against the glass, claws unsheathed.
The sudden motion made Twilight fall back in bewilderment. The fear in her eyes seemed to fuel his actions.
"You only want me back," he hissed, "So that I don't act like a dragon. So that I don't pose a threat. So that you can do whatever you want and say whatever you want to me."
Twilight backed away towards the door with her knees shaking. Spike placed his head on the glass and began to weep.
"Why," he said as Twilight opened the door, "Why don't you believe me...what about me makes me so unlikable to everyone...?"
"Cadance will be here tomorrow," she answered in a quivering voice, unable to look him in the eyes, "She's gonna bring gems...for you..." she finished, running out of the room.
Twilight's Castle
Saying the Crusaders were tired was an understatement. The berry that Spike gave them, while making them dream of nothing, gave them images of their recent trauma. As a result, they got no sleep at all. The cracks of their eyeballs were visible to anyone that looked at them, and they had several bags under their eyes. The reason they were at the castle was so they could get some peace and quiet during the time it took for their sisters to conduct their everyday business.
Apple Bloom yawned.
"We're...we're runnin' outta options here, y'all..." she slurred, slumping to the floor, "It's all over if Luna gets into our heads..."
"And we're out of those berries," Scootaloo groaned.
"You actually want more of those?" Sweetie Belle mumbled, "I don't want a reminder of how Luna killed me..."
"Would you rather let down Spike, Diamond, and Pinkie?"
"No...no, I guess not."
As the three groaned in fatigue, the door was opened, and in came Rainbow (in her Wonderbolt uniform), Rarity, and Applejack. The fillies didn't even see them walk in. But they were the first thing the mares saw. Rarity scrunched up her nose in disgust when she saw Sweetie Belle.
"Goodness, Sweetie Belle," she exclaimed, "You look like you came back from the dead!"
"Whaddya think happened in the last couple of days," she mumbled, not looking at her sister.
"You too, Scootaloo! This is what happens when you don't get your sleep!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, putting her on her back.
"But you got up at four in the morning," Scootaloo weakly protested, "And that's after going to bed at midnight."
"Trust me, Scootaloo. The Wonderbolt exercises are enough to keep me going for the entire day," she responded proudly.
"Alright, little sister," Applejack said, getting Apple Bloom to her feet, "I think that's enough crusadin' for today. Let's getcha home so you can get some rest."
"NO!" the fillies shouted, startling the older three. Clearly confused, they put them down.
"No what? Y'all look like you've been walking around like this all day! You need your sleep!" Applejack said.
"She's right."
All six heads spun towards the doorway as Princess Luna stood there, wearing a suspicious look on her face. She walked towards them very cautiously. The Crusaders wished they could run, but more than anything, they wished they could sleep.
"You three do need your sleep. And speaking of sleep...I didn't see any of your dreams last night..."
"Wait, what?" Rarity said, "But she went to bead on time last night!"
"Same goes for Apple Bloom!" Applejack protested.
"Clearly not; they wouldn't be this tired if she got her required hours of sleep."
"This is what happens when you go on early morning flights, Scootaloo," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes, "That reminds me: where DID you go?"
All eyes were on Scootaloo, who could barely compose herself at the sudden question. Looking at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, she was met with eyes that pleaded with her not to tell.
"I...I thought you said we would talk about it later!"
"It is later, Scootaloo. It's 5 in the afternoon. I left you at home at 5 in the morning."
"I...I...I can't say! It's a secret!"
"But you weren't willing to tell me when we were alone."
"Perhaps Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle know the reason," Luna suggested, putting the spotlight on the other two fillies.
"It's what she said," Sweetie said, "It's a secret!"
"Eeyup," Apple Bloom agreed, wearing a nervous smile.
"And who told you this secret?" Applejack asked, squinting at her sister.
All eyes were on them as they were very quickly running out of excuses.
"NOBODY!" Sweetie Belle blurted out, causing the other two to mentally facehoof themselves.
"You can't have thin air tell you a secret, darling," Rarity said, getting annoyed, "This is getting ridiculous."
"Ummm...Discord,,,?" Scootaloo said.
"Look, it's starting to become clear that y'all are hidin' stuff from us and that y'all aren't bein' honest with us about what it is, and I don't like it. Especially from you, Apple Bloom." Applejack scolded.
"Enough of this," Rainbow said, putting her sister on her back, "We're going home, and you're not leaving that cloud until I know what's going on. I may be the element of loyalty, but I'm not loyal to liars."
Rarity followed suit as she and Sweetie Belle walked out of the door. Apple Bloom walked behind her sister with shame at her words.
Luna looked on in silence.
At the home cloud...
Scootaloo was trying to stay awake, but she knew that she couldn't afford to fall asleep. There was too much at stake. Rainbow came down the stairs and approached her with a scowl.
"Last chance, Scootaloo. Tell me the truth," she ordered.
With tears, Scootaloo shook her head. If there's one thing she hated, it was making Rainbow upset at her. She sighed.
"Fine. I guess I have no choice."
Bracing herself, Scootaloo winced...only to look up in surprise when Rainbow sat next to her. She then paled when she saw what she had in between her feathers. Although it was small, it was a syringe filled with a dark blue liquid.
"Rainbow...what is that?" Scootaloo said, backing away, prompting Rainbow to come closer.
"It's just something that'll help you sleep tonight. That's all."
"Luna gave that to you, didn't she?!" Scootaloo cried, "Please, Rainbow! I'm begging you! I can't let Luna see what's going on!"
"It's not just you. Applejack and Rarity got the syringe as well. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom are already fast asleep."
Rainbow grabbed a sobbing Scootaloo and held her with a strong grip as she uncapped the needle. She struggled to get away, but to no avail.
"Rainbow, PLEASE !" she screamed, "Don't do this!!"
To her surprise, Rainbow froze. She still held onto her arm with the needle ready; a soft smile spread across her face.
"This is to help you, Scootaloo. You're clearly concerned about something. Luna's just going to ask you three some questions and she'll leave. You'll be able to sleep soundly again! Doesn't that sound nice?"
Sniffling, Scootaloo refused to turn toward her.
"It'll only hurt for a few seconds...then you'll be out like a light..." she advised.
"But where will you be...?" Scootaloo asked softly.
"I'll be right here..." she said, "Waiting for you to wake up."
With that, she softly placed the needle in her left foreleg and injected the blue fluid. Scootaloo bit her tongue to keep from screaming, but that didn't stop the flood of tears coming from her face. The instant the needle was empty, Rainbow took it out and embraced Scootaloo with a tight hug. The filly looked up at her reassuring smile as everything around her slowly faded to black.
"Don't leave me, Rainbow Dash," she sobbed, burying her face into her chest as she lost consciousness.
"I'll be right here, Scoots. You'll wake up in my arms...I promise."
As soon as the sentence finished, Scootaloo was teleported back to her dreamscape.
She shuddered as she looked into the unrelenting eyes of Princess Luna.
Author's Note
College sucks sometimes.
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