//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: The Last Bits of Sanity 
// Story: Cutie Fixation 
// by WondersparkOfHope 
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Cheerilee was shocked when she found her captive out cold on the floor. She had gone to pay a visit to Sweet Apple Acres the night before, but due to somewhat-foreseen circumstances, her return was delayed. Nonetheless she had what she needed, all except for the re-educated Applebloom. She put the filly back inside of the crib, and using a crank on one of the legs of the crib, she raised the bar higher to prevent any future escape attempts.

However she soon came to the realization that....she didn't need it. When her captive woke up, she decided to ask her some questions to see if whatever caused her to pass out had shocked all of the memories of the past few months out of her mind.

"What is your name?"

The young filly blinked in dazed confusion. 

"What is my name?" she parroted, her voice having lost its accent, almost devoid of emotion.

This confused Cheerilee, so she decided to ask another.

"Who is your family?"

"Who is my family?"

And another.

"Who are your friends?"

Surely she would remember Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Cheerilee knew how integral the Cutie Mark Crusaders were to her existence. If she forgot them, Cheerilee knew that her life as Applebloom was gone for good.

"Who are my friends?"

Cheerilee was stunned. Not only had everything she'd been teaching to her captive left her mind, her whole life before this was wiped clean from her memory. It was a pain to have to reteach her everything she'd worked so hard to teach her these past few months, but on the upside, there was no past life to get in her way. The filly formerly known as Applebloom was a blank slate, and nothing more. Now it was up to Cheerilee to assure that she would be rewritten completely.





Unlike the time before, this only took a couple of weeks, as Anna Fay rarely questioned what was told to her, except if it was to clarify something. The filly so readily accepted this rich Southern Belle life, and soon it was time to reveal the "truth."

"You're almost ready to meet your new family. However I have something to tell you."

Anna Fay listened attentively.

"There's a group of ponies who live on the outskirts of Ponyville. When you were a young filly, they kidnapped you and brainwashed you into thinking you were just a lowly farm pony. They forced you to work to exhaustion, laughing at your pain. They didn't care if you broke a bone or had an infection. They made you work regardless. I brought you back and wiped those painful memories, so that they wouldn't distract you from the life you were meant to live."

Anna Fay began to boil in anger, as the voice continued to plant the false memories into her mind.

"They planned to take you back, make you work for them again. But I've restrained them. And now, dear Anna Fay. It's your chance to make them pay for what they did to you. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am," Anna Fay replied in her new Southern Belle dialect.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Your new sister will take you to the basement. You'll have everything you could possibly need to carry out your vengeance."

Hooves clopped against the floor outside and the door opened to see a unicorn filly in fancy clothes.

"Clara May, please show Anna Fay to the basement."

"Of course, mother," she agreed readily.
"Come along now, dear sister."

Anna Fay followed without question.

In the months that Applebloom was being held captive, the filly formerly known as Sweetie Belle began to change even more. Her fur was now becoming a light shade of maroon and her mane and tail were now the color of pink lemonade, styled almost like Cheerilee's. She had even begun to develop a similar gait. And now that she was indoctrinated into the new family, Clara May had been told the gist of Cheerilee's plans. The brainwashing assured that she was now happily on board with bringing Anna Fay into the family, and soon, one more filly.





Clara May led Anna Fay down to the basement, using her horn to open the door. Anna Fay stepped downstairs while some pony turned on a light. By the switch was the emotionless unicorn that had shocked her into amnesia not two weeks before. The dark room had been cleaned of any remains from the previous operations. Now there were 3 earth ponies: two of them, a light-green elderly mare and a rather large red stallion, were restrained on operating tables, facing towards the ceiling. They wanted to look up to see who the new visitor was, but their necks had been chained down, forcing them to look at the ceiling day and night. But there was one pony who could see Anna Fay entering the torture room.

It was a light-orange pony with a matted blonde mane and tail to match, her cowgirl hat lying on the ground below her. She'd been restrained vertically against her table and had practically jumped when she heard the door open. At first, in a dazed state from lack of substantial nutrition and water, AJ found it difficult to see who this pony was. But in time, the mare managed to focus in on the filly and immediately recognized her from the light-yellow fur, her fear turning to joy.

"A-Applebloom!" she exclaimed with a weak smile and worn eyes, only to realize how hoarse her voice was. She cleared her throat and managed to produce a small amount of saliva to wet her throat.

"Thank Celestia you're here! Ah don't know what's goin' on, but ye gotta help us get out! I tried askin' Rarity, but she ain't said a word since we were brought here."

But instead of helping her down, Anna Fay turned to the ponies restrained looking upwards. Her mind was now whirring as she grabbed a remote. With the click of a button, AJ was wheeled in closer and tilted forward. Yanking her eyelids fully open, Anna Fay placed hooks on her eyes, ensuring that they would stay open so that she could get a good look at what was about to happen.

To the filly, it made sense to start with the elderly pony. She didn't seem long for this world. With two stomps of her hooves, 2 robotic ponies made their way over, ready to assist Anna Fay with the endeavor. The stitches in their heads showed that they had once been unicorns, only to have their horns ripped out of their skulls. However this time, it wouldn't be a problem, as these were earth ponies. 

Anna Fay gestured to the disinfectant and the cotton. Immediately the lightbulbs in their eye sockets blinked and they grabbed what they'd been ordered to grab. Anna Fay, with their help, went through the procedure in spite of their cries of pain and agony. 

"Sweet Celestia....." 

Applejack was in disbelief. What was her sister doing to her own family? Why?

"Applebloom, snap out of it! Please!"

The filly blocked out her cries and soon what was left of the other two ponies were husks and shells of their former selves, ready to be robotized. Another filly, one who looked like a miniature version of a pony that Applejack could swear she recognized, but couldn't name off the top of her head. 

"I guess the truth isn't always the best solution," the pony who had replaced her sister said sinisterly. 
"Right, Applejack?"

Slowly, the orange pony felt her resolve disappearing; no matter how much she tried to hold on, it was only draining away faster. And then.....
She saw them.....now completely robotic.
All hope was lost.
Every bit of color drained from her and the restraints dropped her. 
"How many I serve you?" she asked monotonously.
Cheerilee peeked from the door in time to see Anna Fay's coat turn a maroon color with a flower cutie mark. Her fate was sealed. 
Two down, and only one to go......