Chapters Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Rainbow Dash couldn't control the words that came from her mouth.
"She wouldn't leave me alone..."
Twilight stared at her with mouth agape, and her eyes wide. Rainbow Dash shook her head violently, backing away from the gruesome scene of the bleeding, and motionless Derpy Hooves. She threw the rock in the most opposite direction. She began to scream, running into Twilight's library, leaving the mail pony , and a still stunned Twilight.
Twilight shook her head to snap out of her thoughts, well, more likely shock. Looking around with hurried glances she noticed no one had seen any of this. What else could she do? Call the police, and tell them her insane friend just killed a mare for running into her? Or tell them she fell and hit her head on a rock? Twilight didn't know, but one thing she knew for sure was that Rainbow Dash was in a mad panic, and needed her help to quickly.
Hoping someone else would hurry and come to the aid of Derpy, she ran off, with a smile when she heard a gasp, obviously someone had found the motionless mail pony.
Rainbow Dash screamed, as she sat on the bed she slept in the previous night. She covered her face in the pillow, her tears pouring down the sides of her cheeks, staining the fluffy pillow, and leaving her gasping for breath as she choked on her own tears. She began to hold her breath, hoping she could contain the screeches and wails coming from her own mind. Throwing the soaked pillow across the room, it made a light thud as it fell to the ground. Her face was beginning to turn purple as she held her breath. She knew she had to stop and take in air, but something inside her wouldn't allow it. Her eyes widened in a feared state. Her attempt to stop crying had worked, but now she was engulfed in fear instead. She began to stomp her hooves on the bed, and shake violently trying to take in a deep breath.
Twilight ran into the room. But when she arrived, she came face to face with a cyan blue mare, with a face of magenta as bright as Rainbow's eyes. Panic stricken, she had no idea what to do.
Rainbow Dash knew this was her last chance, any longer of no breath she would die. One more time she opened her mouth to inhale deeply for air. But instead of a breathless gasp, she finally felt the air rush inter her lungs. Suddenly she felt extremely dizzy, unable to see anything correctly. She was in such a frightened state, she hadn't even noticed the pain in her limbs and wings. All until now. The pain seared through her like fire over oil. She clenched her teeth, fighting extremely hard to keep from crying.
She noticed Twilight had come over to her, with a glass of water held by her lavender magic, tilted ever so slightly, waiting for Rainbow to take a drink. She accepted it, and choked down the whole cupful.
She laid down, tucking her hooves under her chest. She couldn't resist any longer, and began to quietly whimper, tears dripping onto the floor, forming a small puddle.
Twilight laid a hoof on her shoulder, gently patting her. She began to think for a while.
Rainbow Dash is fighting extreme trauma,
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Twilight knew she had to save Fluttershy, maybe she just made a mistake, maybe she really could fix her. She was sure she had just messed up on her spell, why else wouldn't it have worked? Of course there was also the possibility she wanted to believe just to hard. Maybe how much she WANTED to believe effected her reasoning. But the problem was, there were to many maybes'
Rainbow Dash quivered, as she slowly made her way to the bed, avoiding all of Twilight's attempts to help her.
Twilight stopped in her steps when she saw Rainbow turn away from her. She was worried about leaving her, but she knew she needed to be alone for a while, so with one hoof stepping backwards, she left the room, leaving her friend alone in the darkness, with shades closed, windows locked, and door cracked.
Rainbow Dash began to whimper again, letting her emotions take control again, but she did keep from screaming this time.
The cyan blue mare scrambled down a familiar staircase. As she almost made it to the bottom, she slipped into a puddle of red, oozing out of the limp body of Pinkie Pie. Screaming, she fell face first into a large mound of squirming creatures. Little white-ish worm looking things: maggots. Her eyes grew wide as she wreathed out of the dead flesh eating things. Her hooves ran aimlessly as her mind swirled with uneasiness. She was running endlessly, into a long, dark hallways, only able to see her hooves in front of her. Hearing a mad screech from behind pressed her forwards, keeping her running even though she was tired. She squinted as she saw a small light coming closer. A door!
Her heart was thudding, skipping beats as she sped up slightly more. Skidding to a halt as she came within inches of the light, she stepped towards the door, only to have it disappear in front of her eyes, and turn into a full-length mirror, a little light bulb hung above her head. Staring into the mirror she saw something that sent chills up her spine.
It was the usual cyan blue, only spattered with crimson. Red eyes that pierced her mind like a dagger. Their penetrating stare sent her backing away in a panic stricken frenzy, crashing into other bloody pictures, with mocking faces, and then she turned again.
What she saw sent her eyes wider than the first mirror image she saw.
It was like a video, only clips.
The stabbing of Pinkie,
Rainbow Dash shot up in her bed, immediately sending a jolt of pain down her sides. Wincing, her eyes darted around the room. No clips, no mirrors, no blood...
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Rainbow Dash sighed of relief, and fell back. Gently wiping tears away from her cheeks, she closed her eyes again, only to be greeted again with horrifying images. Her eyes shot open again, with a shudder, she laid there, awake. Studying the ceiling of the dark room, she counted 79 knots in the wood panels. Sighing, she felt her eyelids heavy, slowly they closed, but she jerked them awake when she remembered the horrible clips.
She kept her mind busy with good memories of her friends, hoping that the thoughts would keep her awake. After a while, she ran out of her favorite times, and memories, tossing back and fourth all her favorite things about Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity. But slowly, their deaths crept back into her mind, she was unable to knock them out this time. She clenched her teeth, but there were no images of what she was remembering, only sounds, words, and sentences...
"Rest well, sleep well, you will never wake again..."
Those words.
Those dreadful, menacing words.
They echoed in her mind.
The words quieted down, but still they rang out, only adding to the horror were the screams her friends shouted while she could do nothing to help.
One image shot into her mind, like a bullet to the head it sent a headache just thinking about it.
The face she saw in the mirror. Her own face replaced with crimson and cyan combined.
Next to it revealed a similar picture, only with a pale yellow, and light blue eyes, craze and bloodshot. Spattered with crimson and a devilish grin.
Fighting the urge to scream, she leaped out of the bed, Ignoring the pain, she ran head first into the nearest wall, creating a loud thud.
The images didn't leave, they seemed to mock her, they were laughing! A crazed smile, and a laugh unrecognizable to anything pony.
Shaking violently, she backed up, crashing into the night table, knocking a lamp over onto the floor, breaking into shattered porcelain.
She stared at the broken shards, her eyes shrank to small beads, staring intensely.
Those words, they crept back into her mind.
She heard the thudding of hooves, Twilight was coming.
Twilight shot up from her bed when she heard the loud thud.
Immediately she ran to Rainbows room, which was the most likely place it was coming from.
Swiping her hoof on the door handle, she pulled, only to find it was locked.
"Rainbow Dash! Open the door! Are you okay?" questions shot out of her mouth with no control.
She heard something being swept across the floor, almost like glass being cleaned up with a broom, only it wasn't a broom.
There was no reply.
"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing!"
A small voice declared something hardly audible.
"What?" she replied, her ear pressed against the door now.
The voice grew louder, almost a giggle, "Rest well, sleep well, I will never wake again..."
"Rainbow Dash open the door!" her throat cracked at her scream. She recognized those words, all to well.
The cyan blue mare held the shard of porcelain in her hoof, a mad gaze swept across her face. She heard Twilight's yelling, but didn't respond, now she was only talking to herself.
"Rest well, sleep well, I will never wake again..."
Bringing her hoof closer to her neck the shattered piece of lamp almost touching, she spoke again.
"This is for Pinkie, AJ, and Rarity!" She sent out a crazed screech, sending the lamp shard towards her neck, only for it to be knocked out of her hoof as Twilight shot a ball of energy at the door, and came crashing down on her.
"Rainbow, what are you doing? You could have killed yourself!" She yelped.
She held her gaze for a moment, her eyes still shrunken until she finally replied.
"I don't care..."
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Twilight stared at her, her mind swirling with confusion, Rainbow just tried to kill herself?
The purple unicorn stepped back, off of her, her horn glowing with lavender, she lifted all the shards of porcelain.
She turned back to meet the cyan blue pony's gaze again, only to find it showed no signs of emotion, regret, or fear.
Rainbow Dash held the gaze, she felt as if her blood turned to ice. Defiantly, she rose up to her hooves, and stalked away into the dark corner of the room, no lights on, and the shades closed.
Twilight watched her step away, still confused, she sighed, an turned to leave, taking the broken lamp pieces with her.
After she threw away the lamp, she sipped at a glass of water, trying to sort out her thoughts. Those words, again. They always pierced her mind like a sharp knife. Something about them was so eerie, just so hard to explain. Then she relayed everything she could think of.
Rainbow Dash was tortured, to such a state that she had murdered a mare, and tried to kill herself... Fluttershy...What to say about Fluttershy... She went insane for only Celestia knows why, murdered her closest friends, and considered them animals?
Twilight was at a loss. Completely, utterly, absolutely confused, lost, and baffled.
Rainbow Dash curled up in the corner, her eyes shrunk to small beads, her mane ruffled, and her hooves quivering. The darkness surrounded her, and she liked it. Her eye twitched, and her mouth quivered, opening into a wide grin.
Although she was staring at the wall, it almost seemed a mirror had formed in front of her, and what she saw, made her happy.
The same face she saw in her dream.
The cyan blue face, spattered with crimson, and red eyes that pierced anyone with a gaze so cold, harsh, and crazed that it would have sent them into panic.
But not her. She liked the look, unlike she did in her dream.
She blinked, the image disappeared. Shaking her head violently, she shot out of the corner.
"No!" she yelled. There was no way she was going to be like that mirror image. Baking away, she crashed into the wall. The picture wouldn't leave her mind. It stayed there.
She shook, and hit herself, clambering into walls and furniture.
Those words
They came back.
They were there, and they wouldn't go away.
Now she began crying again. Beating herself with her hooves, trying to get rid of those words, those horrible words. Or at least that picture, just get rid of something!
"Rainbow Daaaaaaash..." and eerie voice called out, echoing around her mind like in a cave.
Whimpering, she managed to choke out, "Stop it! Leave m-me alone!"
"Rainbow Daaaaaash...Rainbooooow..."
Clasping her hooves around the sides of her head, she let out another cry, careful not to be too loud to bring Twilight's attention. "Stop! Just go away!"
"Rainbow, what is the matter? Don't you want a life of no worries?" the voice in her mind called out again.
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Rainbow Dash was puzzled, that question made her stop in her hooves. She answered the voice.
"What do YOU mean? I am simply offering you a life with no worries..."
Rainbow shook her head slightly, stunned and baffled.
"How? I mean, what do you want from me?"
"All you have to do is simply let me run your mind for a little while, just for a day, that is all the time I need..."
"W-why should I?"
The echoing voice seemed to laugh, "I can bring you back to your friends..."
Twilight Sparkle stepped out to her window, peeking out she noticed that the gray mail pony had been recovered, that made her heart lighten. After a while of thinking about leaving the mare alone, most likely dead. But she had to get to Rainbow Dash and keep her calm.
The window was not polished, it had dust collecting on the window seal, she hadn't cleaned the house in days. But that didn't matter now, she had to figure out how to fix Rainbow and Fluttershy.
She had thought on the subject for while. That was almost always on her mind.
She had thought so much, it had even made her head hurt.
Turning, she left the clear pane of glass. Stalking back into her own bedroom.
Flopping on the bed, she looked to the ceiling. She studied the patterns. She swirling stars seemed to mesmerize her into a dizzy state.
Shaking her head gently, she rolled over to her side, thinking once again of what to do.
Slowly, she began to drift off into sleep.
Twilight sat up. The room was dark, the only sound was the creaking of swaying branches.
She could see the moon outside, glistening brightly.
The unicorn blinked, to notice the moon had been covered momentarily by a shadow.
She slowly stepped off her bed, cautious not to make any sounds. She swiped her hoof to the switch, illuminating the room with a dim yellow light.
She looked in the direction she was poised.
Turning her head, she saw a small yellow figure hidden mostly in shadows.
Wings outstretched, a familiar yellow mane, only now trimmed, no longer covering one side of her face, eyes shrunk to small beads, a grin that showed no signs of normality, and crimson spots spattered the face. It's hooves seemed like they were wearing shoes of dried, dark red blood.
Those eyes...
That creepy grin...
Her gaze couldn't seem to break loose from that of the creature's.
Fluttershy.
Twilight's heart skipped a beat, she couldn't seem to move.
Frozen. Frozen into place.
The crazed mare stepped more into the light. Revealing that her teeth were blood-stained, and eyes blood-shot.
Twilight winced, she recognized this all to well. The images of her gnawing on the carcasses of dead friends seemed to pierce her mind. She gritted her teeth, but finally spoke.
"Fluttershy...Please, you have to fight this. I don't know what's wrong, but I know this is not you!"
The crazed pony laughed. It was menacing, eerie, freakish, not anything near normal!
Rainbow Dash paused, tears already forming.
"You can get me back with my friends?"
there was a long pause.
"Yeeeeees, Rainbow Daaaaaash...."
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Rainbow Dash stepped backwards, but the voice was in her head, she had no way of running.
"It just is, but you have to repay me, with a day of your mind..."
Rainbow paused, she was confused, but it seemed legit, but not at the same time. She shook her head. "How can I trust you?!?! Give me proof that you can bring me to my friends, and that you will only use one day!"
The voice laughed again, "Simple..."
Instantly, the room around seemed to wisp away like fog. She found herself out far into an apple orchard. A familiar sound of hooves against the trunk of a tree echoed around. She broke into a run. Applejack! It was Applejack!
She turned a corner, to see the orange earth pony.
"Applejack!" she squealed, and ran up to her. She didn't feel pain, and noticed that her wings weren't wrapped up anymore, nor were there cuts on her body.
"W-what?" her voice quivered. It was hard to believe how much she missed that mare.
The voice called again.
"You can't talk to her yet, she doesn't even know your here. But I guarantee that you will be able to after you pay me."
Just the sight of AJ made her want to immediately accept the offer, but she kept away from it.
"Any more proof? If this is all you can give me, to prove that you will take me to my friends, then go, leave, I don't want to listen to you!"
The voice gently replied, "Oh, I can give you more if that is what you want!"
Instantly, she found herself into the parlor of Sugarcube corner, to spot the pink party pony selling some cupcakes.
Fluttershy.
She cursed the name.
But the yellow pegasus was not crazed, but softly speaking to her animals, and feeding them.
She backed away. The dreams came to her quickly, well, whatever they were, dreams or not, they were all to real.
A few seconds later, she was now in Twilight's library, watching her read a book.
She sighed with relief only to be pulled away into another part of this, this, whatever this was.
The six mares were together, hugging.
She was watching HERSELF, this was part of her past. The ponies were laughing and smiling.
Rainbow Dash stared blankly, afraid that if she blinked, it would all go away.
But with no avail, more and more pictures came to her.
Sleeping in Applejack's tree, the first time she met her.
Having a surprise party thrown by Pinkie, the first time she saw that mare.
Being dragged away towards the spa by Rarity for a makeover, the first time she had spent with the fashionista unicorn.
Crashing into Twilight, knocking her into mud on the first day Twilight arrived in Ponyville.
And the time she stood up for Fluttershy the first time at flight school.
They all came and went so quickly, it made her head hurt. She screamed, tears now poured out, she couldn't hold it back anymore.
She found herself now curled up on the floor of Twilight's room, the voice calling to her.
"What is your decision?"
"I-I...n-n, yes..." She lowered her head, she had to give in, she couldn't take it any longer, she wanted to be with her friends, she wanted to get away, she just wanted to leave her mind's helpless thoughts for a while.
The voice laughed menacingly, it echoed so loudly in her head, it made her scream. She heard hooves clopping up stairs.
Twilight was coming - again.
She felt like something seeped into her. She felt a chill run through her spine to her neck, almost like ice in her veins. She felt her eyes shrink to small beads.
She stopped screaming, and sat still. She wasn't crying any more. She felt a grin slowly creep onto her face.
She tried to fight it, but it was almost like shackles blocked her own self from fighting against her mind. The voice quietly spoke to her.
"Silly foal, a day is all I needed yes, only a day to overtake you. But don't worry, you will get to see your friends. You will die with them!" It laughed for a long while, that crazed laugh pierced her like daggers.
She could see everything, she just couldn't do anything to stop it.
Twilight ran into the room, gasping obviously by the deep pants for breath.
Rainbow was turned towards the wall. She could see nothing but the dark shadows of the night, accept for silvery beams of light shining through the small window.
A voice spoke, the REAL Rainbow Dash could tell it wasn't in her mind. She tried to fight back, she knew what was coming.
"Rest well, sleep well, you will never wake again!"
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Of Insanity, Fear, and Hatred
Twilight screamed when she heard her say that. She was trapped in her room, with that crazed mare, who was nothing like Fluttershy. What she just said sent tears dripping down her cheeks.
She couldn't let that mare follow her to Rainbow Dash, with how she was acting, only Celestia knows what would happen!
She shot out the door, and ran down the stairs. Sweat dripping down the sides of her temples, they mixed with her tears.
Making a sharp turn, she darted back up the stairs, the yellow pegasus hot on her trail. Twilight's eyes were wide with fear, as she hears a malicious laugh, and the sound of a knife blade, only moments after to have one slice the air above her head, sinking its sharp metal edge into the wall in front of her.
She sighs in relief, but that doesn't last long. She sees how close Rainbow Dash's room is ahead of her, and she speeds up slightly, now at her top speed, almost as fast as Rainbow could run on the ground, no wings included.
She crashed through the door, landing into a dark room, Fluttershy now much farther behind her.
In front of her was the blue mare, her body sitting down, facing the wall, completely still, until there was a whisper, and Dash got up.
As she turned, a large grin plastered across her face, the thudding of hooves outside came closer.
Her eyes blood-shot, shrunk to small beads. The mere sight of her was horrifying , she didn't look terrified, panic-stricken, or shattered. Her cheeks were still tear-stained, but she showed no sadness, only a look of pure insanity.
Twilight was frozen in place, once again. She stuttered, and stared at her, there was silence, until Rainbow spoke.
"Rest well sleep well you will never wake again!" There was a maniacal laugh that echoed around the room, but it was cut short when Fluttershy burst into the room, flesh hanging from her still blood-stained teeth.
There were snarls, like wild animals, of pure hatred coming between the two. Whatever was wrong, they were obviously against each other, not helping.
Tattering of claw came from the hallway, Spike peeked through the door, only to be greeted with a purple unicorn galloping over him.
"What's wrong, Twilight?" he screamed, scrambling out of the way from her hooves.
"Fluttershy is here, Rainbow Dash has gone insane, and there both in there!" She motioned with her hoof towards the door.
Rainbow Dash growled viciously, stomping her hooves on the ground as she stared at the yellow mare in front of her.
This monster had killed her friends.
The blood caked knife in Fluttershy's mouth glistened off the moon beams that shined through the window. Her eyes were beaming with hatred and the fire of vengeance.
The yellow pony leaped forward, only to land on her face, while Rainbow Dash swept upwards towards the ceiling. She came flashing downwards, ramming into her back, the knife came inches from her face.
Fluttershy whipped sideways, now in the air also, they flew in circles around the room. Rainbow Dash landed, remembering the pain in her wings , even though she was not in control, apparently the monster that had taken over inside felt the same way.
Dash ran towards the small nightstand, grabbing a pencil in her mouth, the only thing that was sharp and available.
There was a loud screech, a wailing of pain, and a loud snort of anger.
Blood dripped onto the floor, pouring down Fluttershy's face. The pencil had stabbed dead center, right through the pupil.
She ran forward, the knife cut sharply through Dash's side, with a almost silent sound of metal glinting, the thin slice of flesh that had been cut dripped of red crimson.
Rainbow feinted to the right side, only to swoop swiftly towards the right, ramming into her side, knocking the mare off her hooves onto the ground. The burning sensation of where the knife had cut pulsed through her. She sent a hard blow of her hoof at the mare's face, a red liquid now oozed from her nose.
The air smelled tangy, almost like an old copper penny. The room was still dark accept for the moon beams that shined through the window. The dim silver light gleamed off the crimson blood
The cyan blue pegasus held Fluttershy down. The tackled mare thrashed wildly, she was furious, and the insanity had given her strength.
But Rainbow Dash was a well-trimmed, lean, and agile flyer, already she was strong, and the monster that now inhabited her only added more to that.
Laughing menacingly, she sent the pencil at her back, jabbing it into her shoulder blades.
Red opposed the creamy yellow coat. But the same dark crimson way on her own hooves, a mixture of her own and Fluttershy's.
The yellow pony turned to stare at her, with her only good eye -the other was now clamped tightly shut, swollen and red- snarled.
Rainbow Dash grinned, throwing the pencil across the room, now retrieving the long knife blade that Fluttershy had used against her friends.
She teasingly took the blade and gently outlined something on her side, before beginning to cut into flesh - using only the tip - she carved words into the back of the yellow pony. A dark red dripped down the sides, but she kept writing, her eyes wide and a large grin plastered across her face.
Fluttershy screeched and wailed, worse than ever, sounding more and more inhuman - or inpony to say -
When she finished, she raised the knife, and laughed.
Twilight paced anxiously by the door, soon to be greeted with a creaking of a door on old hinges.
In stepped a tall white figure, whose mane continuously flowed with a glistening sheen of four different colors.
"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student, why have you called me so urgently?" She said, nodding the mare up from a bow.
"Princess, you have to help me! Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash have gone insane! My memory spell isn't working. I have tried, and they are upstairs fighting right now. I would have tried to help, but I couldn't I was to scared to move or use my magic!" She said, wailing.
The tall alicorn's eyes widened, before she took a swift pace up the staircase.
Rainbow Dash held the knife, and began to sing.
"Rest well, sleep well, you will never wake again!"
The words echoed around the room for a few moments, only to have the air fill with the sound of metal digging into flesh, blood spattering everything within reach, and a gasp for air that turned slowly into a sigh.
She smiled, as the one good eye slowly rolled upwards, leaving only a round white disc, blood-shot, but white.
She stepped off, dark red spattered across her chest, face, and legs.
Closing her eyes momentarily and taking in a soft sigh, her peace was interrupted by a door slamming open.
In the door stood a tall white figure with a flowing mane, a long unicorn's horn, and wings stretched far apart.
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Her eyes shot open, now Rainbow leaned back and cowered in fear for a few moments, her eyes still shrunk.
Picking up the blade she held it tightly in her mouth.
Princess Celestia held a look of anger as she stepped forward with a hoof, her horn glowing.
Rainbow Dash screeched loudly as she leaped forward the knife slicing through the air. Within inches from the princess, she was shot back with a ball of energy.
The true Rainbow fought furiously inside the mind, squinting her eyes and yelling, unable to control what was happening around her.
Princess Celestia's horn glittered with a pink aurora, now Rainbow Dash was held in an orb of magic.
Inside the orb Dash growled, screeched, yelled, snarled, twisting and turning furiously to escape. The knife dropped to the floor, the metal sound echoed around the room. The silver beams of moonlight gleamed into the dark room.
Celestia turned the mad pegasus mare towards her, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Twilight ran into the room, a look of terror across her face. Twilight gasped and ran to her, only bouncing back off from the pink aurora.
"But...But whats happening to her?" She asked, sounding like a small filly.
"As for Rainbow Dash, the fear of watching her friends die mercilessly simple put her into pure insanity. She gave into what called at her to follow. As for Fluttershy, a dark magic, unknown to us, so evil that ponykind very rarely sees it. Sadly it embedded it's home into her. Taking her mind away from her actual thoughts..." The Princess turned her head from the foaming cyan mare in front of her, almost as if it burned to see it.
Twilight merely shuddered, eyes tearing up. Though she already knew that this had happened, it hurt worse to hear the Princess say it herself.
"W-what's going to happen to her?" she asked quietly.
"This creature?" she said disgustedly, "She will be put on trial for murder."
"Murder!?" she shot upright, "But Dash didn't kill anypony consciously!"
"I'm afraid that is not true. When she killed Derpy Hooves, she was quite conscious." She answered coolly.
"Huh? How do you know?"
"Because, this is a simple state of insanity."
"Simple! You call this simple!?!?!"
"Insanity can go farther than just this, Twilight, I expected you to understand. She killed that mare over a week before her insanity overtook her."
"How do you know? Maybe she was already suffering from it!" Twilight thought desperately.
Dash could hear everything being spoken. Why couldn't she control what was happening?
"My faithful student...Please understand that this is for the right of our land. We can't let this pass."
"But princess! Please! You can't let this happen! If they put her on trial, she will obviously loose. The punishment for repetitive murder is either banishment to the moon, or death!" she whimpered. "I've lost all my friends...Can't you save her?"
The alicorn sighed, and turned back towards the rainbow-maned pegasus, who glared back at her with blood-shot eyes and sharp teeth.
"No, I'm afraid not."
Rainbow Dash cried, the thought of what was happening made her heart break.
'I killed Fluttershy, Derpy, and now I let some crazy monster inside of me...What have I done?' She cried to herself. Dash sighed when she realized a dawn sun arising behind the mountains. She sighed, until a sound echoed around her head.
Mwuhahahaha , the voice laughed, I see you regret your own decision?
Rainbow whimpered, 'Well duh...I can't believe I listened to you...'
Hm, well guess what?
'What do you want now?'
I keep my promises, a day has passed. Here's your worthless body back. But don't worry. When you have been given the death sentence, I will return! It laughed.
Rainbow was more angered now that she had fallen for all of this. She shook again, only the chains that had binded her had broken, she now felt conscious again, slowly fluttering her eyes open, to be greeted with a dim light. The walls were gray, she was no longer in Twilight's extra bedroom.
A white pony with pink hair and a white hat embroidered with a red cross, stepped up to her, though not smiling.
She realized that she was in the hospital.
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Princess Celestia looked down at the yellow mare. She sighed.
The police had arrived momentarily afterwards, they had her motionless body on a stretcher. Her right eye was an empty fleshy pink cavity in the front of her face, a bloody pencil on the floor was marked with a yellow pin representing as evidence for a murder weapon. Blood was splattered across the walls and floor.
"Princess," the stallion stepped forward and kneeled, "The blue pegasus mare has been secured into a hospital, she is still unconscious."
She nodded her head, "Good, has anything else been reported?"
He stood to a standing position, "Yes, something has been...carved into the victim...we believe that it was the pencil, but not entirely sure."
"Yes...of course, what was written?"
"See for yourself," he turned and trotted off towards the ambulance.
The alicorn followed, and stopped when the stallion pulled back the plastic sheet from the yellow pegasus pony.
On her back, three words were engraved into the flesh. Blood was dried into thin lines, the letters were sloppy, but recognizable.
"She has slept..." The Princess read aloud.
Dash opened her eyes wider, and turned her head only to wince in pain. The door was closed, she was alone. The steady beeping of the heart monitor. She was dizzy, and her vision was blurred, and her limbs were stiff.
Her eyelids half covered her eyes, but she glanced around the room.
There was a click followed by a creaking noise. The gray door slowly opened till a white pony head peeked through.
There was a light gasp and she heard a beep, the pony began to speak into what appeared to be a transmitter.
"This is nurse RedHeart, she has woken up, I repeat she has woken up, send someone down here, quick!"
The door slammed shut and was locked.
Rainbow dash began to panic, this seemed all to familiar, she didn't know why, but this sent her into fear.
There was the thundering noise of multiple hooves against tile echoing through the hall, the door shot open. It made her jump.
"Stay still, don't move!" A unicorn yelled at Dash.
Obeying, she laid her head back down.
The unicorn slowly stepped forwards, "Are you listening to me?"
Rainbow muttered, "Yeah..what's going on?"
The stallion laughed, "What's going on? In a day or two, your going to be put on trial for murder, THAT'S what's going on!"
His loud and mocking voice made her ears ring. Her eyes already tearing up, "B-but, why?" She couldn't remember anything, just the pain, her name, and an awful lot of sticky red blood.
The ponies who had come in began to laugh.
"What, are you daft? You murder two ponies, Dizty Doo and Fluttershy, yet your asking why?"
"B-but, why don't I remember?" Her mind was swirling with tiny bits of things that didn't seem to connect, nothing was right, nothing went together, it was all just jumbled.
"You'll remember soon enough, though I can see you to wish you don't remember, all this that you have done is sure to correspond with the other missing ponies in Ponyville, for example: Miss Rarity, Pinkamena Diane Pie, and Applejack, owner of Sweet Apple Acres."
"I know who they are! But I Didn't kill them, I swear!"
"Hmph, tell it to the Princess, you had better get cleaned up, like I said, in about a day or two you'll be put on trial, it's bad enough the way you are now, but the least you can do is look presentable for the Princess, not a lot that's gonna do..."
The usual fire inside shot back a comment in return, "Oh yeah? I don't look presentable? Well you should go look in a mirror, and all of you, what are you doing telling me what to do?" She sat up, though the pain struck her immensely. She knew that arguing was something inside of her, it always had been.
The stallion unicorn sneered and stepped forward, "Get movin' ya useless lump of feathers."
"Why should I on your command? I'll do what I want, horn head!" She stuck her nose up in the air and crossed her hooves.
Growling, he nodded to a few of the other ponies, who swiftly shot forward and grabbed her by the wings and legs.
The pain was unbearable, but she wouldn't scream.
He stepped forward, nose to nose, he looked her in the eyes. "Because I said so!" She shot a hoof in the opposite direction, and the ponies marched forward, holding her limbs tightly.
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Dash snarled as they pulled on her sore limbs, her eyes clamped tightly together. Slowly the pieces seemed to fit together, although she still was in a total loss of what was happening to. She couldn't remember, yet it was still there, just at her hoof-tip. She was so close she could almost reach, but instead she fell backwards again, troubling her mind with odd thoughts.
The ponies in gray suits dropped her harshly on the ground after passing through a door into a new room including a bathtub, filled with water.
A black unicorn engulfed her in an aurora of silver and dropped Dash into a steaming hot, porcelain tub. Water splashed up and out onto the floor. Pain seared through her body, her bruises, cut, soars, and wounds reopened. And they burned worse than she could imagine, well...almost.
The black stallion levitated a wash rag in silver and plopped it on her forehead.
"Wash up, you'll need as much dignity as you can gain. Also it is a requirement," he sneered.
Rainbow Dash flashed an ugly glare at him, before gently wiping the cloth on her skin. It burned her open wounds and stung at the revealed flesh.
She had managed to remove most of the dirt, and a little of the dried blood. Although it had been plastered to her coat for days, and the intense scrubbing it needed to clean it would have hurt her own skin to much.
Rainbow felt that if she thought on it any longer, her head would explode. There were so many questions and not enough answers. Her heart felt achy, and her mind was scorched.
The unicorn ordered her to get out of the tub, even though Dash wanted to stay there for at least an hour.
Her mane dripped onto the floor, and her tail dragged across the ground, sopping wet.
He gave her a towel, though it hurt intensively to use it on her body, so instead she dried her mane and tail.
The stallion led her out into the hallway, and was soon greeted by three new ponies.
The whole process included a lot of unnecessary force, even as she got into the car.
Bars separated the back from the driver's seat.
A silver unicorn mare hoof-cuffed her hooves behind Dash's back. Rainbow sat uncomfortably in the un-padded seats.
Rainbow leaned forward to look out of the front window, only to be pushed back into place, her wing bent awkwardly against the metal side, making her scream in pain.
"Why am I going to court? Whatever I did, I don't know, and no-pony has given the thought to get my lawyer and let me come up with an alibi!"
***
The unicorn mare held Rainbow in a pink orb, leading her into the court room. Many reporters held their microphones towards me, yelling random questions trying to be heard over each-other.
Rainbow Dash couldn't understand most of what they were saying, but she did catch one.
"Do you claim un-guilty for the charge of murder?"
Rainbow's eyes opened wide while her pupils shrank.
The images flooded back into her memory once again, and all Dash could muster was a small squeak.
Rainbow Dash though to herself, I don't even recall having a lawyer to begin with...so I'm basically sitting at the Defendant stand, waiting for some-pony to say something.
She could feel her heart increase its beating as the fact of Rainbow's memory coming back. All she could manage to do was stare blankly, trying to decide if she was scared, or if she was sad. Then Dash begin to wonder...
Why am I going to court? It was Fluttershy all along...but no-pony knows that, only me and Twilight...Wait,Twilight! There is still hope!
But then a cutting thought sliced her heart in half.
But I'll have to live on with a guilty conscience and a broken mind...
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
Dash sat silently on the Defendant stand, her head lowered. Whenever she tried to look around, all she got was harsh cold glares and disgusted frowns. She felt horrible, but she knew she had nothing else to go for.
In the plaintiff's stand, sat an unknown unicorn wearing fancy clothes and Sweetie Belle, she guessed this was part of Rarity's family. Next to them was Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Applebloom who was in tears. She looked at Rainbow pitifully instead of angrily. Unlike anypony else she had seen. Rainbow Dash could see no pony representing Fluttershy, but there were two more mares, part of Pinkie Pie's. Dash didn't know that much about her family so she didn't know who they were
An earth-pony mare trotted to the stand, but lowered her muzzle and whispered in the pegasus's ear on her way.
The cyan mare winced at the words and figured she had nothing left going for her, If only she knew were Twilight was. Maybe she could get out just with a couple sets of five years in prison instead.
A door behind the Judge's stand opened and in stepped a high class acting stallion. With his head held high and long black robes he sat down in a imitation leather chair. He picked up the gavel and knocked it on a small piece of stained wood.
The bailiff spoke, "All rise!"
"The Court is now in session, Judge GavelHoof presiding."
The Judge nodded as the bailiff handed him some papers, "Parties have been sworn in, you may be seated."
Rainbow Dash plopped down giving a mumble.
The Judge started, "Rainbow Day Dash, you are charged on account of murder to the victims; Pinkamena Diane Pie, Rarity Belle, Fluttershy, and Applejack…Apple?” he muttered and then continued. “Do you claim innocent in wish to go through a full court trial, or plead guilty?”
“I can’t say.”
“Why not?” Judge GavelHoof questioned.
“Because, I don’t have a lawyer. I think I should be given a few moments to call someone and get a lawyer.”
“That seems reasonable enough, request granted, bailiff bring in a phone.”
This guy doesn't seem to bad, at least he is trying to act normal around me... She was sick of everything, she couldn't take her own guilt, the ponies around her, and just everything in all.
The stallion in the police looking suit stepped away for a few moments and returned a phone in his mouth.
Dash smiled and dialed a number, she had to call Twilight, why hadn’t she been here? I thought she would have hurried or done something, you'd expect that unicorn to have jumped on the situation. The rainbow maned pegasus sighed as a tear rolled down her cheek.
She held the phone to her ear and mouth, it rang. There was an awkward silence around her. Everypony was watching, some seemed oblivious, some seemed angered, and some acted as though they just didn't care.
She was held in her thoughts until the silence was broken, by a familiar voice.
* "Hello?" *
"T-twilight?" Dash's voice was cracking and she could feel her eyes tearing up more.
* "Rainbow Dash?! I was told to stay here instead of come with Princess Celestia, I've been going out of my mind with everything, is everything okay?" *
"Dangit Celestia, Twilight you know nothing is okay."
* "Well it was worth a try, where are you? You sound normal!" *
"T-twilight...I need your help."
***
GavelHoof nodded, "Do you wish to speak for and with the Defendant?"
"I do," Twilight muttered, it was odd to be here, everything that had conspired. She didn't know what was going to come of all this. and she knew that everypony was against Rainbow Dash. She felt awkward around her, after all that had happened, she didn't know how to act, but she knew she would do anything to stop from losing the last of her few friends. The very, very last.
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
The mare, who was known as Court Case, trotted up to Dash.
"State your full name."
"Rainbow Day Dash, but you already knew that." she sneered.
The pale pink mare wrinkled her nose, "What is your birth day?"
"The same as the last time you asked. Want me to change it?"
Twilight leaned over and whispered into her ear. "Don't overdo it!"
"Fine, March 13 1993." Rainbow rolled her eyes.
Court Case nodded.
The judge looked at her, "Rainbow Dash, state your plea."
The cyan mare opened her mouth to speak, but instead got a mouthful of Twilight's tail, "She is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity."
"The mare looks fine now," the white stallion spoke in a deep bellowing voice.
"Well," the purple unicorn stuttered, "She is now, but...she wasn't."
Court Case chuckled under her breath.
"I'm fine, just, something was wrong!" Dash stomped her hoof down on the table annoyed.
"Care to explain?" his eye brow lifted in question.
"Well, I-I'm not sure." her gaze swept in panic to Twilight. The pegasus wasn't sure what had ACTUALLY had happened.
Court Case raised her snout in the air and stepped forward. "May I present my first charge for the court?"
"No objection."
The pink mare cleared her throat and stepped up the Rainbow Dash, papers in mouth. "Do you recognize this picture? Or anything of such?"
The picture was stomach churning. Dash recognized it alright, but not in that way. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity were literally nailed to the wall. Skin dangled down in gnarled strands, the flesh surrounding the ribcage was half gnawed on, and half decomposed. The skin itself was shriveled and caked with dark, almost black, blood splatters. She almost turned away as the fear flooded inside of her. The pain reacted like oil in water, twisting together but never combining. Holding back everything, she looked onward. If she did, this would give them reason to believe that she did do this.
"Answer me, do you recognize them?"
"I do," the cyan pegasus spoke clearly.
"Is that so? Now, recall how you know them to the best of your memory."
"You found the ponies...in Fluttershy's cottage," she winced when she recognized her mistake, but continued. "I know them because I saw the whole thing."
There were gasps from the crowd and jury. "Would the defendant continue?" GavelHoof looked down with intent eyes.
"Yes, your honor. I saw it, all of it. I was there. Fluttershy kept me there to, I wouldn't have made it if Twilight hadn't have come and got me out."
He nodded and turned to the purple pony, "And why, Miss Sparkle, why did you not report this to police officials, or the Princess? Your papers state your her personal student, is this true?"
"Yes sir, but I'm afraid the reason I didn't report this was out of fear. Fluttershy represented the Element of Kindness, and she was one of my closest friends."
"Indeed, but this is no excuse to overrule murder, if the statement Miss Dash made is true."
"Judge GavelHoof, I know I made a mistake with that, but please understand. I took Rainbow Dash to my house to help her, when I had finally gotten her out she couldn't see pen drop without jumping out of her coat. I was trying to think things through, but...I waited to late. One day I had decided to leave the house to help Fluttershy. I had no idea that the defendant had gone outside while I was gone. When I returned, I found her standing over the mail-pony."
"So are you saying that she did murder Ditzy Doo?" the Judge twitched his ear.
Twilight turned to Rainbow, and nodded to her.
"Y-yes, I did, but I can explain!" Rainbow Dash blurted.
"Then please do," GavelHoof's facial expression was unreadable.
"Objection, your Honor." Court Case yelled holding her hoof out.
"Sustained."
"If the pony in question is pleading that she did do so, why is she changing her story?" Court Case's head was tilted sideways as she walked slowly forwards.
"I-I wasn't changing my story! I was never asked about Ditzy, but I was in the process of explaining." Rainbow Dash's voice was quivering.
"Then now," the pink mare stepped up with more pictures, "Explain this!"
Dash looked at the picture of the grey and yellow mail mare, a red indention was placed on the right side of her head.
"I thought she was Fluttershy..."
"That's your excuse? You thought it was some-pony else so now your going to throw rocks at her?" her voice was raising.
"She looked like Fluttershy! What else was I supposed to do? I watched all of my friends die right in front of my face because of her! I almost lost my own, and the insanity of it all put me into paranoia, and got me stuck with the guilt of everything. I heard voices in my head, I had dreams, I had nightmares, it all continued until Fluttershy came to Twilight's house and tried to kill both of us!" she blurted out ever word, tears pouring down the side of her face.
The jury and crowd stopped in an awkward silence that continued, not stopping until a door opened. In stepped two blue stallions, pulling a silver cart.
Backwards: Insanity is not Sane
The silver wheels squeaked and squealed as they rolled down the isle. The air now was permeated with a terrible stench, bringing Dash back to the cottage outside of the Everfree.
Her ears bent back, yet in her heart she couldn't tell if she felt remorse or hate. She could feel a rushing twist in her heart again, and the pegasus's ears began to ring. She clasped her hooves around her ears, ignoring the stares she got.
The pony pushing the cart, led up and bit down on the corner of the sheet, waiting.
"Permission to show evidence to the court?" CourtCase asked the judge, who was now holding his nose due to the smell.
"Um, yes." he sounded unsure, and his ears were bent back.
Rainbow Dash lowered down to the table. She felt the rush of air through her mane when the sheet was lifted off the cart.
As the grey sheet was pulled off, a shriveled yellow mare was revealed. On her back were the three words, carved in blood; 'SHE HAS SLEPT'. The blood had dried into an almost black gunk that was caked onto the coat and peeling flesh. On her face, there was an empty socket with dribbles of red oozing to the nose and out of the depleted cavity. And her mouth was plastered into a wide grin that left Rainbow's stomach churning.
Twilight was silenced as she laid her hoof on the cyan pegasus's withers.
"See! Her reaction proves that she recognizes this evidence!"
GavelHoof rubbed his head, the smell has almost become gagging fumes. "Anypony would have a sickening reactions to the appearance and stench, show me how the defendant has any relation to the...body." You could see the displeasure in his face.
"With pleasure." The upper-class mare trotted over, picking up a pair of tweezers, she plucked out a few pieces of fur.
"That would be helpful, please do." He examined the strands.
The bailiff stepped up, with some papers in his mouth, then handed them to the robed stallion, who then read them.
He twisted uncomfortably. "All evidence shows towards the defendant..." there was a low mumble among the court room, the purple unicorn gave a slight gasp, which was followed by utter silence. "I have no choice but to agree with the Plaintiff. Rainbow Dash is held guilty against all charges. I do not believe the mare was having mental issues at that time whatsoever."
***
Rainbow Dash stood defiantly as the white alicorn with an ever-flowing mane waited in front of her. The Princess's horn glowed brightly, sparks flew from it. A smaller, but still intimidating alicorn stood at her side, dark blue coat shimmering against her brilliantly illuminated horn.
A distance away, Twilight Sparkle stood, tears pouring from the corners of her eyes. "She didn't do it! I swear she didn't!" She screamed loudly, it burned in the back of her throat.
There was a quiver down Dash's spine, and inside was and echoing voice. Menacing and eerie.
And so here we are again. Back where we began. A choice to be made that no one wishes to decide.
"Leave me alone!" she mumbled lowly to herself, as a small tear dripped off her cheek to the ground. The brightness of the two Princess's horns grew.
Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Day Dash. You will sleep.
***
Three small foals gathered around an elderly pony. Her greyish, faded purple coat was wrinkled with age.
"Come on Grandma! Tell us a story!" One of the ponies asked. His deep blue mane spiked up and green eyes wide with excitement.
"Yeah! Please, please, please please!" A small unicorn filly giggled with excitement as she bounded over her brother and sister.
"You tell the best!" the small pink filly laughed as she huddled in between her siblings.
"All right, all right." Her voice was calm as she had a gentle smile. "Listen very carefully, and pay attention. You might need to know it for future reference." she almost had a look of pain in her eyes.
"Go on!"
"Okay, here it goes," she took in a deep breath. "There is a tale, aged and old. A tale that is soon, soon to be told. It's about a young pony who's heart turned cold. A young pony who used to be bold. She woke one day, everything was right. All until, right before night. Her mind swirled, and eyes blood red. As she rested on a purple unicorn's spare bed." She was interrupted.
"Like you!"
The pony laughed lightly, "Yes, like me. Now, let's continue. After watching three friends die, inside her head, it was all a lie. Fears dug themselves deep inside her mind, she was more than sleep deprived. Every dream was a nightmare, then her heart was full of tares. Screaming she cried and waited. Rife with everything. Finally she gave in, no longer resting on a gentle wing. An eerie voice took over, she was chained up in her own mind. She watched as every day, all...slipped...by...
"She was greeted with a question, more so like a threat. She was given only seconds, before she met her match. Another two were murdered. The first, with a rock. The second was not nice at all, three words were carved on her back. After all the madness, a tall figure appeared. The voices all stopped. She thought she was free. Until the pony woke up, in a room without a key. She was drug into court, with the help of a friend. She had remorse, when a cart rolled in.
"The wheels squeaked, the pony's heart skipped a beat, as they lifted up a grey sheet. What she saw, left her mouth in disgusted awe. She paid her price, but then counted the cost. A nightmare is gone, but seven ponies were lost."
"That was great! But what was is about Granny Sparkle?"
She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "No one knows. They say that when it happened, the Princesses cast a spell to make everypony forget." The unicorn sighed. "But they say the spirit of the young pony still lives, to make sure that little fillies don't give into to the eerie voice inside."
