"She really did a number on you, didn't she?"

The voice cut through darkness. Rainbow Dash forced her eyes open, vision rebelling against the light.

Something whined.

"I don't think I can fix it. I wish I could."

Her vision swam, but gradually the room came back into focus. A moment later the smell did too. Fighting the throb behind her eyes, Rainbow raised her head slightly.

Twilight Sparkle sat on the floor next to the inclined table. Her chest and hooves were soaked red. In her lap, she cradled her broken other. It whimpered and convulsed, trying feebly to raise one hoof.

She stroked the intact side of its face, and took a shuddering breath. "I know, I know." Her horn glowed, and a sliver of magic hovered in the air. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way. But I'm going to make it stop now."

The broken head lolled in a weak nodding motion. Its lopsided mouth dribbled.

The sliver of magic flicked.

The other's throat peeled open like an overstuffed toy.

Rainbow had to stifle a scream as she twisted to look away. She bit down on her foreleg. Her stomach convulsed. Her throat burned.

It took longer than she thought it would.

Finally the gurgling gasps slowed and stopped. The thick splattering turned into a slow drip. Something thumped on the floor. Hooves clopped unevenly. A wet slopping noise lurched twice, then cut off suddenly. A second later, a distant crunch echoed through the room.

She bit down harder and willed herself not to panic. Her breath huffed raggedly through her nostrils.

"Rainbow."

Slowly she turned back over.

Twilight stood across the room, next to to the drainage well. She stared at Rainbow for a moment, then looked down in the well and sighed. "I'm not a monster, you know." She rolled her shoulders and walked over to the table, then climbed onto it.

"Usually they don't wake up like that. They just die peacefully in their sleep."

Magic shimmered, and the leather straps tightened over her limbs.

"Still, overall it's really quite elegant. Though not as efficient as I'd like yet."

Dangling tubes with large needles floated across the room and jabbed into her elbows. She winced.

"I'm sure this is how the other Princesses do it, even though they haven't told me yet."

The clear mask levitated off a nearby workbench and settled over Twilight's face. The straps pulled tight, and a machine in the corner of the room hissed. The mask fogged slightly.

"Here goes..." She closed her eyes in concentration, and her horn flared bright. A bubble of magic suffused around the table, and then popped like a balloon.

There was a pause, and Twilight looked down at herself. Her face contorted in horror. "What? NO!" she screamed, fighting the straps. "Oh no... please... no…" Her voice trailed off, then her eyes rolled back and her head slumped onto the table.

For several seconds the only sound was the hiss of the air machine.

Shakily, Rainbow Dash got to her hooves. She approached the table. "Twilight?"

Nothing.

She turned around just as the door opened.

Twilight Sparkle looked at herself lying on the table, and sighed with relief. Then she smiled at Rainbow. "Don't worry."

Magic clamped down on Rainbow's wings and pinched her mouth shut.

"Once they're under, they don't feel a thing."

Author's Note

The original ending to this story was a little rushed because I wanted to get it out for Halloween. It was more of a short idea scene, and glosses over why Rainbow would agree to participate in Twilight's experiment.

However, this story has gotten way more popular than I anticipated, and it seems faux pas to change it up now that so many people have enjoyed it in current form. Hence, I'm leaving the original ending in place.

This ending is a bit different but also has many of the same beats. Closer to what I would have probably done on a second draft. It hints at a few more ideas I had while working on the story but couldn't quite pull together in time. Whether it's a better or not, I leave up to you.