Ponycraft: The Maw of Insanity

“Heh. Haha! Hahahahaha! I'm me! Weee! I have hands again!” Ruby danced around on the two blue legs she stood on.

Jealously, Berry went up to her. “So that's... you? You look... not bad, actually!” Berry tries to make her feel good. There was a small ruckus in the crowd. Two ponies were barging through the crowd. The voices were Cannonbolt and Carees.

“Out o' the way! What's goin' on here? And WHAT IS THAT?”

Carees stopped and looked at Ruby. He didn't even recognize her. “What are you? Why are you here?”

Ruby turned to see Carees and Cannon, hands on their weapon just in case. She leaned against the Phase Distorter behind her and crossed her legs. “Oh hey, honey. How ya like me now?”

At the same time Cannon and Carees gasped and yelled. “RUBY!?”

Carees looked like he just saw an orc kissing a gnome. “What are you?” He asked softly.

“I'm me! This is me! The real me, that is. That pony form was just a substitute for this world. I'm from Earth! Be jealous, everypony! I have HANDS!”

“I AM JEALOUS!” Yelled Lyra from the crowd.

Ruby giggled. “Hah! I know you are! Ain't this great, Berr!?”

Berry made a fake agreement. “Yeah!... Real special. Wish I had something special about me...”

Ruby put her hand on her shoulder. “Oh, don't be that way right now! Listen, Maneside! This man is the greatest engineer and scientist of all time! As your mayor, I request you help Dr. Andonuts and the Mr. Saturns here feel right at home. Do not be frightened. He was the one who made it possible to defeat Porky! I'm gonna take this off for now, I prefer the pony body.”

As she took it off,  a flash of light turned her back into the pony Ruby. All the ponies were so impressed and amazed... all but Berry.

“I'm quite proud of myself. I shall remain here in this Phase Distorter for the time being. If any of you residents wish to know about my home, you may visit me. Giygas, or should I say, Ruby...  if this new power is truly as bad as you say, please be careful.”

The doctor and Mr. Saturns walked back up the ramp. A few ponies gathered around the phase distorter and followed the doctor inside, the rest dispersed.

The 4 ponies started to head home. Ruby's true form was all that was on their mind.

“Ruby! That real identity of yours is so thrilling! I didn't know you looked like that!”

“Yeh! Does it 'ave any special powers or such?” Cannon asked.

“Not really. It just somewhat enhances my spells. I think it's pretty cool.” Ruby boasted.

Berry kept depressingly quiet and hung her head.

“Why, that's gotta be the greatest power in this here land!”

“Yeah, that could be put to good use. I'm so glad we have someone like you on our side.” Carees said happily.

Berry couldn't take it anymore.

“Augh! Can we please stop talking about this? I'm already envious that I have next to nothing compared to you all.”

Ruby looked at her. “You're... jealous?”

Berry was getting more ticked off by the minute. “Of course I'm buckin' jealous! You're braggin' bout how your the greatest power in the universe, and your partner over here gets little praise for saving the world along side you! I try to look impressive by wielding Shadowmourne and I just get yelled at, while a freakin' raptor gets all the praise! I'm starting to feel like an outcast.”

Ruby sighed. “We yelled at you because you released that army that threatened us and the town.”

Berry ignored the answer. “It's always “Ruby this” or “Ruby that”. Maybe it's greedy, but I just want the attention I deserve for saving the world.”

“Well, I didn't fall into an obvious trap, did I?” Ruby taunted.

Carees tried to step in. “Ruby, that was kind of uncalled for.”

Berry was furious. “Didn't fall into an obvious trap!? You're the reason Fluttershy got kidnapped and brainwashed!!” Ruby put her hooves to her mouth and gasped. “You let her get kidnapped! She committed suicide in the end because you let her slip!... Oh my Celestia...”

Ruby sniffed as tears started to run down her cheek. “I... I...”

“Oh no... Ruby! I'm sorry! That didn't mean to come out! I was just jealous and stupid. I didn't mean to say that! I'm so sorry!”Berry came up to her to hug her. “I didn't mean it. You're still my best friend. It just came out!”

Ruby started to sob. “W-- why would you bring that up? Why would you say that?”

Berry started to tear up as well. “I'm a selfish whore, that's why. I can't believe that came out... I can't believe myself. I'm so sorry.”

“You meant it! I know you did! Get off of me!” Ruby pushed her off violently.

“No, I didn't! You're just being over-drematic! Oh, star-damn it brain! Stop it! NNGH! Why am I saying these things!? I don't want to!”

The two stallions couldn't step in, they were too nervous.

“I can't believe you! Maybe  I made the mistake choosing you as my partner! How about that!?” Ruby said, still yelling.

“No! I... I... I don't want to say these things! Something is... controlling me! I can't stop it!”

“No there isn't! You meant it all!”

Berry broke once again. “SHUT UP, YOU SKANK! I didn't mean shit!... AHH! Not again! What's going on!?”

Ruby turned away. “Go. Just go. I don't want to see your face any more. I can't believe you said that, and here I trusted you!”

Berry tried to rebut, but failed. “But--”

“No! Go away! Now! You are non existent to me! Go home!”

Berry broke down with a very loud cry. “WAAA-HAA-HAA!” She turned around and starting to dash back to their house.

Cannonbolt sighed. “Oh, it be ye and I all over again, Carees. I gotta go comfort her. I'm sure as beer she won't listen to ye.”

“Alright, I'm staying here with her. I'll try and make her stop. You know this is Yogg-Saron's goal correct? He's achieved goal one. I don't know how we're gonna break it.” Carees said to his partner.

“Okay, be seein' ya later.” Cannonbolt's eyes grew like tigers and he raced back toward the house.

_____________________________________________________________________

Even walking up to the house felt depressing and empty. Cannonbolt opened the door to hear sniffling from the upstairs.

“Oi! Me Berry, ye be here?” Cannonbolt asked as he walked up the stairs quietly. As he opened the door, he saw Berry curled up in a corner against a wall. Cuddles was trying to comfort her. He looked up at Cannon and whimpered. Cannon gave a long sigh as he walked over. This was going to be one hell of a trip down torture avenue.

“Berry, I know ye don't wanna talk, but I believe ye when ye said it wasn't yer fault. I ain't gonna explain why or how, but it wasn't you. That wasn't Ruby either. Ye both have succumbed to Yogg-Saron's madness. He made ye spill the rotten beans. It'll all turn out okay.”

“No it won't!” Berry sobbed. “I'm so angry I could explode. I don't know what came over me, but Ruby doesn't just... break like that.  She's understanding and patient. Carees changed her and you changed me, and with those changes... we drove each other apart.”

“Then we can get cha back together as well.”

“How do you propose that you can do that!? Huh!?” Berry shouted.

“I... I dunno. But stuff like that doesn't just... end. This is from experience, lass.”

“I... I'm sorry. I can't talk to her. Not now. I'm not kicking her out of the house, and I'm not blaming Carees for any of this. This was her, all her.”

“I'm here with ye. Ruby and Carees usually sleep downstairs any who. I'm here with ye all night. Ye aren't still mad at Cuddles for stealing the victory, are ye?”

Cuddles whimpered and looked down. I was only trying to help. The beast thought to himself.

“No... I'm not, he was just doing what he was taught to do, which was helping out. He's still the coolest pet ever in my book.”

Cuddles looked up and gave her a not so cuddly hug.

“Listen, they probably be back soon. I not gonna say you need to talk to her or anything of the such, but you need at least to dry up those tears. We'll figure it out, eventually.”

___________________________________________________________________

The key word was eventually. For a whole two and a half weeks, Berry and Ruby refused to talk to each other, look in each other's eyes, or even acknowledge each other's existence. Carees was on his way for the daily “teach Fluttershy how to death knight”. Fluttershy had been noticing his depressed attitude.

“Hey, Carees?” She said one day. “Why are you so depressed all of a sudden? Is it because of me?”

Carees shook his head. “Not in the slightest, my dear. Just a problem back at home.”

Fluttershy got curious. “Are you fighting with Ruby? Oh, I-- I'm sorry if I'm intruding on something really personal...”

Carees shook his head again. “Close, my dear. The fighting goes between Ruby and Berry. It's not just tearing them apart... it's tearing me, Cannon, and even Cuddles apart.”

“Cuddles?” Fluttershy looked puzzled.

“Ah, you haven't met him? He's Cannonbolt's pet raptor.”

Fluttershy's eyes grew big and she made a big grin. “Pet raptor!? How cute! I'd like to meet him sometime! I'm excellent with animals. Anyways, what's all the fighting about? I thought those two stuck together no matter the cost.”

“Apparently not. They're being snooty. Berry's jealous of Ruby's power and Ruby's showing it off. It led to a big fight with a line that I shall not mention in front of you.”

“Oh... umm... I wish I could help...”

“We've tried a lot of things. We're out of options. They won't even look at each other.”

“I'm not sure what I can do...”

“Let us worry about it. You've got training to do. How are your unholy skills coming along? You seem to struggle with those.”

“Well... I've got raise dead down. It took a while, but... umm... I did it. See? Watch.”

Fluttershy concentrated as she closed her eyes.  She pointed her hooves to the ground with a “hya!”... which sounded more like a “...ha...”. Suddenly, a hand reached out of the ground and it pulled a rotted corpse out. Fluttershy had grown to the putrid smells and looks of the beast.

Carees raised his eyebrows. “Good. Very good. Can you send it back?”

Fluttershy concentrated. “Let... me try.”  She signaled her hands as the living corpse just crumbled into dust.

“Excellent, you're learning very--”

“EEP!”

Carees looked at her. “It's not THAT weird...”

Fluttershy gasped. “No! That!”

Carees turned around to see a giant flying creature. A flying creature he recognized all too well. It was the Iron Dragon.

“...Razorscale.”

“Razorscale!? EEP!” Fluttershy gripped Carees.

“It's headed toward the city!” Fluttershy yelled.

“Well, then. Are we gonna let it destroy it?” Carees asked.

“....No! Anything but that!” Fluttershy yelled.

“Then come on! Show your master what you've learned!”