//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 - Intermission (Potential Trigger Warning) // Story: Dissociative // by Strawberry Jelly //------------------------------// Dissociative By Strawberry Jelly Chapter 10 - Intermission "Do you remember how we used to be?” Limestone somberly asked after what felt like an eternity. Her hoof aimlessly stirred at the spoon that sat in her coffee cup, mixing the sugar into her scolding coffee. “... Back on the rock farm?” “I didn't want that to change...” Octavia replied quietly, stirring her own coffee with a wry frown on her lips. “The rock farm wasn't really the happiest place... But... You all are-... Were my family.” “Those silly games we played in the Obsidian Quarries... Remember that one time we were caught under that pile of rubble and Maud had to save us by eating the rocks?” Limestone couldn't help but laugh a little at that memory. Maud ended up having to have her stomach pumped after it was all said and done. “Oh, and the look on the doctor's face? That was priceless!” Octavia let out a nervous, but true laughter for the first time in months... Or was it years? She honestly couldn't remember the last time she laughed just for the sake of laughing. “Or that party Pinkie threw for her afterwords? I think Maud didn't want to eat another rock for the rest of her life... That's probably why she hates rock candy now.” “Or that time Marble tried to write us a story, but ended up turning it into an adult novel? Oh, Celestia, or when mom found it!” Limestone and Octavia both went silent for a moment before bursting out into laughter again. When Limestone was young, she really felt closest to Octavia, but then she let him in... “... I'm sorry...” Octavia commented when she noticed her sister stop laughing and put on that 'thinking' face that she always had. She scooped up her cup in both hooves and took a quick sip from it before continuing, “Thank you for... this... But I know you really just want to-” “Yell?” Limestone finished for her, having her shoulders slump as she looked into her cup with a wry frown. “I would love to, yes. But Pinkie's hurt because of me getting angry, so I want to try and...” She inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself before continuing. “... And talk about this without me yelling. Don't get me wrong, I still hate you for everything you've done to us, but I want to talk about it for my sisters' sakes.” “I didn't expect you to forgive me. In fact, if it weren't for Pinkie, I don't think I would have ever had the courage to come and face you...” Octavia whimpered quietly. “Well, we didn't want to se-” Limestone stopped herself and took a deep, unsteady breath. “It was a surprise, but I realized something about what happened so long ago... Something important, and I need to talk to you about it.” “A-Anything...” Octavia hesitated, but she knew that look in Limestone's eyes. It was that look of determination; that look that she truly needed to ask something. That look that Octavia remembered last being seen during that night on the rock farm... A look that tore at her very person. “Why did you do it?” Limestone asked flatly. “We never really asked you that question, have we? No, we all were so broken and destroyed by what you did... But why did you do it?” Octavia stopped in mid-sip of her drink and sat the mug back down with a wry, but thoughtful expression appearing on her face. She blamed herself for what had happened, but how could she not? After what she did, the entire family was broken... “Because I'm a bad mare...” That was all she could say. What she did was completely unforgivable, inexcusable, and completely foolish. Why did she let him talk her into it? Why did she just let him do whatever he wanted to that house? She was the eldest sister, it was her duty to protect them! “That's it? That's the big secret?” Limestone's eye twitched a little upon hearing that. “I could have told you that you were complete trash, but no, that's the big secret as to why you did it?! I trusted you! No, we trusted you, and what did you do? You stab us in the back.” “I'm sorry...” Octavia murmured again, lowering her ears to her head. She loved the fact that Limestone was talking to her, but that question did more than just rip open old scars; it reminded her just how terrible she truly was. She didn't just destroy her own life; she destroyed the lives of her family. Even her parents were hardly the same after that; they had become cold, expressionless, and overprotective of the girls. The first letter she had gotten from Pinkie had told her how she wanted to run away to Ponyville and make all kinds of friends like they used to want to back on the farm together. “You're sorry?! You're sorry? I'm sorry, but sorry doesn't cut it!” Limestone hissed and stood up. Her gaze turned cold and uncaring; borderline on that callous look her parents had given her so long ago. “You're dead to me. No, I'm done being angry... From this point on, you are nothing more than the mud to me. I hope you manage to convince the others, because you will receive no mercy from me.” She spit the words out like hot venom, her voice quivering with the unbridled pain that had been rekindled. 'Why couldn't she just have an excuse?' A voice asked in the back of her head as she felt her eyes water for the first time in years. She wanted an excuse to forgive, or at least give Octavia another chance, but no... 'I put too much faith in her, yet again. I now know better than that.' “I just...” Octavia sighed as she watched her youngest sister trot away with a shadow looming over her. “Even if I told her the truth, it would still be my fault...” ~~~ “So, can we get some cake?” Pinkie looked back at Twilight with a smile bright enough to outshine the sun itself. She hated the fact that she was being pushed around in a wheelchair, but that only meant that Twilight had to be extra nice to her! 'That's right, isn't it?' She asked to no one in particular, not really expecting a response. “Of course we can,” Twilight smirked a little, finding herself not really able to say no to that face. Their plan was going to come into fruition, but she needed time to set it up, and she needed Pinkie to help her with the most intricate parts. “Twilight, I was wondering if we could stop by the market first. I just remembered that I need to get some streamers for Rumble's birthday party next week!” She squealed excitedly and clacked her forehooves together. “Oh, and we can totally get some flour and paint too!” “Flour and paint? What are we going to-” “Not to mix together, silly!” Pinkie giggled and pointed her hoof towards the marketplace. “To starboard, first mare Twilight! We got a mighty loot to collect!” She grinned excitedly. It wasn't often that she got hurt, but when she did, she used to love to play silly games to keep her mind off of it. “I-” She was about to object, but at seeing the wide grin on Pinkie's face, she could only agree with an internal laugh. “As you wish, Captain Pinkie.” “Twiiliiiiight, pirate's don't say 'as you wish'; they say 'Argh!'” She reprimanded her first mate with a scowl, pulling an eye patch down over her eye that seemingly came from nowhere. “As you... Oops! I mean, Argh, Captain Pinkie.” Twilight replied with an uncontrolled smile on her lips. She looks ahead to see a cart being pulled in front of the path. “Captain, we're about to hit... I mean, Argh – Cap, Argh! - we're – Argh! - about – Argh! To – Argh! - Hit – Argh...” “Out with it, Mare!” Pinkie half-shouted before looking back ahead to see the cart in their path. “Oh, you were trying to say that tharr' be land ho!” “That's not a very polite word, Pinkie,” Twilight deadpanned at her friend. “What's not?” “That h word.” She clarified with a completely serious face that lasted only a moment before both mares giggled. “I didn't mean it like that!” Pinkie waved her hoof and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Buuuut, I do want an apple!” “Well, I'm sure Big Mac would be more than happy,” Twilight only smiled and wheeled Pinkie up to the apple stand. “Heeeeeey cousin!” Pinkie grinned at the red stallion. “Eeyup.” “Ooh, what if I make apple cake again?!” Pinkie's eyes widened at the realization of what she could make the moment she was healed up. Twilight had pretty much forbade her from going anywhere near an oven with those wounds were healed up. “I... That's a greeeeaat idea, Pinkie,” Twilight felt herself gag at the very idea. That monstrosity was not something she remembered too fondly. After all, there was so much lard in it that it could kill a manitcore. “E-Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed with a worried, but understanding look towards Twilight that screamed 'Oh Celestia, please no.'. Coming from a stallion as stoic as MacIntosh, Twilight knew just how horrible the cake really had to be if an Apple feared it. “Pinkie, I-I think we should go and grab some of the things we need for tonight instead,” Twilight swallowed her nausea in an effort to take Pinkie away from that idea altogether. “Oooh, right! Let's see... We need cupcakes, rope, gemstones, pulleys, an anvil, a life preserver, a harmonica, a bag of spiders, a cockatrice, three rubber chickens, a curling iron, the super cider squeezy 6000, and we need to find a suitable river.” Pinkie said before covering her mouth with both hooves. “Sorry, that was Inkie!” “Wait, how did she actually remember all of that without a checklist?” Twilight looked down at Pinkie with wide eyes. She looked into her saddlebags and looked over the checklist word for word, making sure that Inkie hadn't left out a single thing. “I'm still not really sure how all of this stuff is supposed to fit into our plan, though...” “I'm sure she has a reason; I mean, look at what happened with the parasprites!” Pinkie sighed and looked around the marketplace for the stall that she usually bought her streamers from. “Forgive me for my apprehensiveness, but it's just... Why a cockatrice?” Twilight shuddered at a particularly bad memory involving a cockatrice. While being turned into stone was interesting, it wasn't something she was particularly wanting to happen again. Pinkie shrugged, “Their rock solid personality?” “I... Okay.” Twilight smirked a little and stifled a giggle, shaking her head at that bad joke. “... Let's just get those streamers.” ~~~ Pinkie was running. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, but she couldn't bring herself to a full stop. She was trying to remember something important, but what was it that she said? It felt so foggy... Her eyes were watering, blurring her vision all the more before she heard the door to the barn slam open behind her. He was there, and she could hear his heavy hoof steps pound against the earth like the monster that she knew he was. She peeked from underneath the table to see a large, gray stallion with a haze over his face that hid it almost like a mannequin. The only thing even remotely equine that shown through was that wry grin he wore. “I know you're here,” His words echoed out, but his lips didn't move an inch as he spoke, sending nausea throughout Pinkie's stomach. “I just want to play, Pinkamena...” 'Please...' She remembered saying the moment he looked at her, but that stinging came to her cheek that brought her down to her knees. Marble peered up with watering eyes and screamed out something that she couldn't remember, only to have another sharp pain jolt through her cheek and another harsh strike against the stomach. 'I just wanted to help...' Her body felt like it was being assaulted again as the burning pain radiated throughout hey body. It just started with a single thrust; she had to do it for Marble... She had to do it for Octavia... She had to do it for Limestone... She had to be strong like Maud, but she wasn't strong... 'Isn't this fun?' A voice ricocheted throughout her head, feeling her stomach churn from the pain and disgust at what was happening. Pinkie just wanted to be a good girl... She just wanted to be a hero, but it takes more to be a hero than just... Giggling at the ghostly...