"It...it was me..." Spike stared in disbelief. He shook his head and peered once again at the sobbing mess I had become.
"Twilight... you can't be serious! This... this is all a joke! Yeah!" He smiled and his eyes lit up, deluding himself into fake reassurance. His determination that I am still normal, still the good Twilight he remembers... I am not Twilight. I only sunk closer to the floor. I am destructive. I am..."A... joke..." How I wish that it were that simple. All of this as a joke. Maybe I would not be so insane.
Insane. The word rung throughout my head. I saw it in all corners in my mind. I heard it all around me. Just the sound of it made me cower. Did it remind me of something? It did. It gave me nightmares, it gave me fright. I heard them, all over. They all said it together. Every one of them. "You are insane," they told me. "You're nothing less than any other lunatic," they yelled. I put my hooves over my ears. I can't hear them. They do not exist. They are not real. Or... are they?
"Stop!" I screamed, causing Spike to trip and fall backwards. "Stop it! Leave me alone!" I broke down in tears once again. 'I'm not crazy! I'm not!" I am not insane! I cannot be! No! I slipped off the ground. I thrashed around and grabbed at the air, and caught a small thread with my mouth. I hung there, slipping slowly. They all continued there. They taunted, they exploited, they tortured. I could not do this. I screamed, letting go. I started falling. Into a deep pit of darkness, of the one word I feared most.
Insanity.
My world went dark. The lights went out. I was not even sure if they would return. A part of me almost hoped they wouldn't.
"GOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOORNIIING!" I heard a hyperactive voice shout. Beams of light burst into the room, when curtains were parted and I was awake. My head hurt. As I opened my eyes, I noticed I was not home. I sat up as quickly as I could, and pain shot through my head. Black spots danced in my eyes. I put a hoof to my head in pain.
I observed the area around me. Sure enough, I was back in the hospital. But... why? In the room, around me, were my friends. The one who yelled earlier was none other than the bubbly Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash opened the cutains. I had a feeling today was going to be a long day.
"What... happened...?" I asked with a groan. Pinkie Pie stopped her hyperactive jumping, and everybody paused for a moment, before a voice interrupted the silence.
"You blacked out." I stared in the direction of the majestic voice. The five ponies and one dragon parted to reveal an incredibly tall mare with a very long horn and gigantic wings. She had a pure white pelt, with a mane and tail of bluish, pinkish colors that floated freely in the air. She had a cutie mark upon her flank that was a sun, floating in the white fur as if it was a sun of its own Equestria. I recognized her as Princess Celestia herself, from the photos I have seen in the occasional informational book of Equestrian history. Here was the Princess of Equestria, here to visit me! But... why?
"P-princess Celestia!" I attempted to do a bow of sorts while lying down, but my head began to ache, so I ceased my movement, while Princess Celestia tried to calm me down. "It is an honor to see you visiting me," I added, attempting to be calm. I hoped that I was acting correctly before Her Majesty. From the books about her I have read, she is a kind and caring ruler, so perhaps I would not be punished if I falter. Would I? According my letters, I have assumed that I am a protegee of sorts for Princess Celestia. She may be more lenient because of such.
"I apologize greatly for not visiting earlier, my dear Twilight Sparkle, but I have been up to my ears in my duties." I was slightly confused. She was acting somewhat friendly with me. Was I truly that close to Princess Celestia? I remember from the several notes that she planned to visit me, but... Exactly what was I to her? Did she see me as a student, or a friend, or a child? I know from my letters, I saw her as a Princess and my teacher. But what did she see in me? "Twilight? Are you alright? You are being quite silent." I shook my head, and looked back at Princess Celestia. She was concerned, a clear frown upon her face.
"If I may ask, how did I black out? I mean, I hardly remember anything." I paused a moment to think of what happened. Alcohol? No, I do not think I would do something like that, while I am trying to think of what I am. Perhaps it is linked to... my dream? I shuddered. Certainly that did not happen.
"You kinda flipped out... and destroyed the library. When I came back, you kept shouting and yelling at me to stop, to leave you alone, you weren't crazy. Then... you blacked out," Spike quietly muttered, shifting his eyes from me, to the ceiling, to the far corner of the room.
"Poor Spike was so scared. Applejack and I had come to the library to see how you were doing, since you were not really going outside at all. We were afraid you were secluding yourself, blocking off all outside attention," added Rarity, looking straight into my eyes with great concern.
"When we got into your house, we saw it was a wreck. We called your name, and Spike came running down, almost tripping over his own feet. He was blubbering so much, we could not understand him. But when he brought us up to you, we saw you were unconscious," Applejack stated. "We're so glad you're alright, sugarcube. We got so worried."
"The doctor said that you'll leave in a couple days, but..." started Fluttershy in her usual, subdued voice, trailing off as she went along. I was still nervous by the presence of the Princess, but now I was concerned. What does she mean by that? Almost everypony in the room were trying to avert their eyes, save for the Princess, who would probably be the best person to break the news that apparently no one else wanted to tell.
"You will not be going home, but to an asylum." My eyes widen in horror. I am going to an asylum? They... think that I am insane? No... I'm... I'm not! I'm not insane. Tears dripped from my eyes. Princess Celestia sighed. "Twilight, I promise it will be only for a little bit, only until you recover. After you become better, everything will be fine," she tried to reassure me. They see me as crazy. Insane. I am... not... insane. I'm not insane. I'm not insane!
"I'm not insane!" I screamed with every fiber of my body. Everybody flinched, including the Princess. She even backed up a few steps. In her face, did I see... fear? Even the Almighty Princess Celestia fears me! How... how could she?! How could any of them do this to me?! I stood up, ignoring any headaches I received in the process.
"How could you?!" I shouted, my eyes wide with anger. "How could you think I am insane?! You know what?!" I paused for a response. Rainbow tried to stop me.
"Twilight! Stop this! You're not like this!" she yelled at me, as I struggled to get free.
"You can't do this to me! YOU CAN'T!" I kicked Rainbow in the face, but then Applejack tried to hold me down. Princess Untrustworthy tried to get some people to help her. She called her guards that she so happened to bring. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MY FRIENDS!" The guards came in, but it was too late. I started to teleport, as I had relearned not too long ago. Applejack backed away, afraid to find what magic I was using. Spike tried to come forth, to stop me, but Rarity held onto him.
"Twilight! Why are you doing this to us again?!" he shouted in despair. Just before I disappeared, I gave him a snarl.
"Me?! I'M NOT THE PROBLEM HERE!" With a burst of light, I was gone. Never would I want to see their faces, filled with filthy lies and deceit, ever again.