Chapter 16:
Anger
“Cheer up, Rarity! The ponies are improving. Soon the hospital will be back to normal!”
Rarity didn’t cheer up. She glanced at Pinkie Pie, bouncing by her side.
“Pinkie, I simply can’t comprehend how all of this gloom isn’t getting to you.”
“Oh it gets to me just as much, but these ponies don’t need to see another frowny face. They need laughter. I can save the sadness for later: that’s why we do the cry-outs.”
Pinkie stopped bouncing and settled into a normal walk while she contemplated something.
“But I never thought I’d have cry-parties every night. So much sadness!”
“Indeed, darling. I’m just glad you’re there for us all – and especially for Fluttershy right now.”
A shudder went through Pinkie’s body, making Rarity raise her eyebrows.
“Is that your Pinkie sense? What does it mean?”
“Um, I dunno if it’s the sense, but I feel like we’re being... watched.”
This time Rarity shuddered. She looked around: they were walking along a hallway in the hospital, one level below ground. The staff had a couple of simple bedrooms here and she and Pinkie had been given one when they had expressed their willingness to be available at short notice should an urgent case of ash poisoning turn up. They were currently returning from it after having enjoyed a brief, mutual moment of rest.
The hallway was quite spartan, lights spaced quite far apart to save expenses, since it wasn’t a part of the hospital where patients were expected to roam. The walls were bare cement, dotted here and there with old, mustard-colored flakes of paint grimly hanging on and remembering days with a less stringent budget. The lamps were weak and far from sufficient to illuminate all of the hallway, leaving most of it in darkness.
Rarity looked ahead and saw a pony at the end of the hallway, only outlined against the lamplight of the emergency exit sign. Well, to be exact she saw a dark pony-shaped figure with purple, glowing eyes. She slowed down until she stood still, with Pinkie by her side. Rarity started to tremble. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Pinkie start to back away.
“Who’s there?”
The shape advanced until it came into the next cone of light, revealing Twilight looking at them curiously.
“Hi, girls. What’s up?”
Rarity blinked.
“T – Twilight? Please don’t scare us like that.”
“I startled you? I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”
Pinkie Pie chimed in, though her voice was shaky. “Hey, I usually enjoy a good scare, ha ha, eh, but we’re a bit nervous right now. Did you hear about the break-out?”
Twilight nodded. She’d reached her friends and stood in front of them, turning her head to look at each in turn. Rarity stared at Twilight’s eyes. It had to be a trick of the light. Twilight’s eyes can’t really be glowing. My imagination is running haywire, that’s all. That said, they do seem unusually vibrant right now...
“I was procuring some materials from the castle’s stores when a runner from the hospital showed up. She said that most of the patients from the closed wards had escaped. I came here to make sure you girls were fine and also to find out more about it.”
Rarity snapped out of her musings. “Dreadful affair. Some of the ponies that we – well, Applejack mainly – had cured remained hostile to everypony else. Can you believe they wanted the ash to poison them? Anyway, one of them apparently got out of their room early this morning and released the rest. Then they rushed the hospital guards and escaped into Canterlot. When Pinkie and I arrived there were guards everywhere, poking around in case some of them had tried to hide in the hospital and wait for the general hullabaloo to die down so they could sneak out later.”
“Did they find any?”
Pinkie answered. “Nuh-uh. That just means whoever’s playing hide-and-seek is good.”
Rarity tittered nervously. “Don’t talk like that, Pinkie! I’m too high-strung as it is.”
“Sorry!”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Well, how many did the guards manage to find?”
“Darling, that’s what troubles me the most. We’ve heard talk that there are about thirty patients missing, but so far we’ve only heard of one being brought back: a pony who tried to sneak out of Canterlot broke her hindleg while climbing down the cliffside.”
“Only one? Oh dear. In any case, I’d like to see that pony.”
“Really? All right, follow me. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what for?”
They started walking, with Rarity in the lead. Twilight took a moment to collect her thoughts. “I, um, think Harmony is doing something to these ponies.”
This drew a snort from Rarity. “Nonsense! That’s just- that’s nonsense, Twilight! These ponies are not even in Harmony, so you have—”
“Are you sure?”
“About what?”
“Are you sure the ponies in the closed ward have lost Harmony? Have you checked?”
Rarity stuttered for a moment, incapable of forming words. Then she glared at Twilight. “Well isn’t it obvious to anypony?”
“Obvious how? That they look twisted and sickly? That they are violent and hostile? Ponies fully in tune with Harmony can fight quite fiercely among each other. Even we, the Element Bearers, are no exception to that. I could remind you of a couple of events we’ve been through here in Canterlot, just to name a few.”
Twilight took a deep breath, her face gradually settling into a scowl.
“You know what the really obvious part is? You used your Elements to cure these ponies. Everything that actually hasn’t been in Harmony has been attacked by the Elements. Nightmare Moon was first banished to the moon and later actually destroyed when the Elements were used on her. Discord was twice turned to stone. But these ponies? They get healed. So whatever is the problem with them now, it can’t be that they are out of touch with Harmony, because they are still breathing. The Elements don’t bring ill to ponies in touch with Harmony, or else King Sombra would probably grace the castle’s statue garden right now. No matter how wicked, he was still somehow – somehow – part of Harmony.”
“That’s enough, Twilight.” Rarity looked downright distressed.
The conversation died down for a moment as neither Twilight nor Rarity seemed inclined to continue. Pinkie chose to speak instead.
“But why would Harmony make them even more grouchy?”
“I don’t know.”
“But this is Harmony we’re talking about. Shouldn’t somepony know about these things?”
“Good question. Really, really good. You know why, Pinkie? Do you know why that is a amazingly, colossally, stupendously good question?”
Pinkie was shying away from Twilight by this point. She giggled nervously.
“Um, no?”
“Because nopony knows about these things! Remember Marble Chalice? She’s Professor of Harmonic Theory over at the old C.U. I went to see her yesterday to pick her brains about Harmony. Well, get this: Her classes are about ethics and philosophy. She actually knows very little about the actual workings of Harmony. About the only useful thing I gleaned from her was a simple spell meant to see if something or somepony is in Harmony. When I pressed her on why she hadn’t tried to find out more she got angry! Angry! It’s as if nopony wants to know how one of the most central things in our lives actually works!”
“Um, Twilight? Are you okay? You’re kinda yelling at me.”
Twilight lowered her head and fought to control her temper. Eventually she made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a sob.
“I’m sorry, Pinkie. I’m getting so frustrated over this. Everywhere I turn with these questions I get one of two answers: either the pony knows nothing or I’m told in no uncertain terms that I’ll come to harm if I keep prying into these matters. I just don’t understand how they can say that when it’s obvious something is going so very wrong between the ash and Harmony. If I don’t seek out the answers, what then? What are we going to do with these ponies? Lock them up? Forever?”
Pinkie’s thoughts on the matter went unheard, as a muffled shout and the jingle of heavy chains echoed from ahead of the trio, distracting them all. They had arrived at the closed wards, and at a door with a guardspony posted outside. He eyed the trio warily but only nodded curtly to them. Additional shouts and the jangling of chains could be heard from inside.
“Good day, Ladies. The patient is being fed right now. Please, for everypony’s safety, follow the instructions of the orderly if you plan to go inside.”
Twilight digested this for a moment. Then she walked up to the small, barred porthole set in the door and looked inside. The single-patient room on the other side was spartan, to say the least. A single block of some kind of spongy material seemed to serve as a bed. A pony was currently shackled to it, rendered nearly immobile. There were even iron bands meant to hold her head still, but they had been loosened, most likely by the unicorn orderly sitting in front of the bed. A bowl of gruel was held in the orderly’s front hooves and a spoon hovered in his magic. Judging by the mess his attempts to feed the patient had been less than successful. The shackled pony, an earthen mare, fought against her restraints with a rabidness Twilight had seldom seen, hurling insults all the time.
Twilight sighed, steeled herself and pushed the door open with her magic. The patient’s head snapped around to glare at her, but the insult that had been forming on the captive mare’s lips died before being uttered. The earth pony’s irises shrunk to pin-pricks and all of her struggling ceased. The baffled orderly looked around and spotted Twilight.
“Hello, Miss. Are you a relative or an acquaintance?”
“No, I’ve never seen this pony before as far as I can recall. I am Twilight Sparkle and I’m here because I’d like to find out more about this pony and those like her.”
Twilight advanced further into the room. The chained pony now wore a mask of fright, and strained against her bonds again, but now to get away from Twilight. This mystified the orderly.
“Are you sure? She’s been snarling and snapping at every single pony before you who’s entered this room.” He eyed Twilight warily from the corner of his eye even while seemingly looking at the patient.
“I’m quite sure. I don’t know why she’s reacting like this. Well, not for sure. If you don’t mind I’d like to check something for just a second and then I’ll be away.”
The orderly nodded his silent permission. Twilight sat down in front of the bed, shut her eyes and started to concentrate. Almost at once she heard the jangling of chains. The patient moaned and wailed in fright. There was also a startled gasp from her side.
“By Celestia!”
Twilight interrupted her spell and looked around in alarm. The orderly was staring at her, a look of awe on his face.
“What’s the matter?”
“Miss, your eyes. It looked like they were leaking purple fire just now.”
Twilight blinked, frowned and turned back to the chained mare in front of her.
“Miss, I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. I’ll just cast a very simple spell of divination. Not on you, but on me. It won’t affect you in any way.”
The patient didn’t answer, only peering at Twilight while sobbing from terror. The earthen mare was shaking so badly that there was a constant jangle from her shackles. Twilight sighed and looked around until she spotted a washbasin and a towel by the door. She gripped the towel with her magic, and yes, now that she held her eyes open she did notice that her vision had turned ever so slightly purple. She saw both Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who were standing outside, gasp and stare at her face. Rarity even backed away a bit. Twilight ignored them and turned back to the patient, bringing the towel ever so gently towards the supine pony’s face.
“Miss, what’s your name?”
Twilight began wiping away the gruel stains on the mare’s face and mane. The patient finally seemed to relax, but was still staring at Twilight like she was an inescapable doom.
“L – L – Lavender Leaf.”
Twilight rewarded the mare with a gentle smile while hovering the towel over to the washbasin and rinsing it before bringing it back. She glanced briefly at Lavender Leaf’s right hindleg, which was covered by a plaster cast.
“Lavender Leaf is a very pretty name. Would you like me to heal your broken leg?”
Lavender didn’t answer, though Twilight saw from her expression that she was torn between her fright and the desire to be free of her injury. Doubt and hope warred in her eyes. Then a quick flash of something a lot more subtle sped over Lavender’s features before she managed to suppress it. Twilight pretended not to notice the devious look as the captive mare did her best to return to looking scared.
“Y –- yes, please.”
Twilight nodded and said no further comment while she concentrated. Her vision flared purple, but the golden sparks shot from her horn as before. Then she smiled at the look of awe and wonder that had stolen over Lavender. Twilight sighed inwardly as the mare in front of her again had to briefly fight off the calculating look. She decided it might be better to play along for now, so she glanced at the orderly and the cooling bowl of gruel held in his hooves.
“You must be hungry, Lavender.”
“Um.. Yes.”
Twilight smiled and raised an eyebrow at the orderly, who nodded enthusiastically and held up the bowl for her to grip with her magic. She floated bowl and spoon over at Lavender, but when she brought a spoonful of gruel close to the mare’s mouth Lavender looked away sadly and held her mouth closed.
“What’s wrong?”
“This is so... demeaning. Could I please eat for myself?”
Twilight glanced over at the orderly while Lavender wasn’t looking. He had a warning frown on his face that Twilight had expected, so she winked at him.
“I’m sure that will be fine.”
She magically grabbed the manacles locked around Lavender’s hooves while the orderly backed away slightly. Lavender smiled with bliss and gratitude, almost managing to convince Twilight who floated the bowl of gruel over to her so she could grab it.
When Lavender hurled the bowl with full force at Twilight it did nothing more than leave Lavender’s hooves before being caught in Twilight’s magic, not even spilling any gruel. Lavender sobbed of desperation and fright, and used the temporary distraction to hit Twilight on her back leg. There was a sharp crack and the scent of burnt earth filled Twilight’s nostrils before she divided her magic to seize Lavender’s hooves. She didn’t even pay attention the orderly’s alarmed shouting, nor that of her two friends, before they were but a memory: all she saw was Lavender’s expression change from amazement to utter terror as the captive switched her gaze between Twilight’s face, her leg and the floor.
Twilight looked down. She was standing in the dead center of a spreading stain of black and twisted cement, still warping from the strange, chaotic magic of the ash. She herself was completely untouched. She wondered over it briefly before shelving the matter for later introspection and returning to more pressing matters. Her magic pressed Lavender’s hooves against the bed and her glow enveloped the manacles, binding the ash-touched mare once again.
“I’m sorry, Lavender, but you shouldn’t have done that.”
Lavender screamed, her eyes wild from terror. The orderly gently put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“Miss Sparkle, I think you’d better do what you came to do and leave.”
She nodded, concentrated briefly and seemed to inspect Lavender carefully. She shook her head and bit her lip, then glanced back and forth between orderly and patient. Then she sighed heavily while rising to her back hooves and turning towards the door.
“Sorry about the floor. I had to give her a chance to be nice.”
She returned to the outside, trading apologetic glances with her friends and the quite alarmed guard. Lavender stopped simply screaming to form actual coherent words just before Twilight closed the door to her room.
“WHAT ARE YOU?!”
The door slammed, punctuating Lavender’s accusing question. The guard whistled appreciatively.
“Miss, are you really all right after that? I saw her hit you on the leg!”
“Well, I think she bruised me a bit. Why?”
“Miss, anypony who’s been incautious or unlucky enough to get hit full-on by one of these earth ponies? They’ve been carried away on stretchers. That black and blue fire does something to them and the parts of the body where they got hit get twisted.”
Twilight sighed and nodded tiredly. “All right, I’ll add that to the list of mysteries we need to figure out.”
Rarity cleared her throat.
“Well was it worth the trouble, at least? Did you find out what you wanted?”
“Yes. Actually, that pony was even more bound to Harmony than usual.”
“That just doesn’t make any sense, Twilight.”
Twilight chuckled. “Sense has left Equestria a long time ago, Rarity.”
Pinkie Pie and Rarity watched her leave. Neither dared mention the purple fire that occasionally trailed from Twilight’s eyes.