Chapter Fifty Two
Chapter Fifty Two
Rainbow Dash grinned maniacally as she brought the scissors down on Rarity's neck, prepared to be showered in the unicorn's blood in the process, eager to bring this to an immediate close and put everything right that had gone so, so wrong.
Unfortunately that didn't appear to be something that was going to come easy to her. Instead of sinking into the soft flesh of Rarity's neck, the scissors became stuck, as two sets of purple claws locked onto her foreleg, and were serving to inhibit any forward movement. Two sets of purple claws that belonged to Spike, as he stood to the side, and was fighting back against her with all his might.
She knew that, as a dragon, there was some expectation that Spike would have considerable strength to him. But she never really expected that he might be strong enough to actually compete with her. And she certainly never expected that he would actually be able to overpower her and push her back, which was happening right now. What had been a lopsided physical struggle in her favor, was slowly but surely moving to the opposite end of the spectrum. Even when she doubled down with both forelegs to try and push her assault, she was losing ground quick. Apparently physically contending with a dragon -even if he was just a baby dragon- wasn't going to pay off for her.
"Get... OFF!" Spike roared furiously, the youthfulness of his voice failing to hide the rage and hostility that it carried with it, as he not only pushed her back, but literally hurled her back, sending her flying -and subsequently crashing- into a random ponnequin, before landing hard on the floor on her back, the scissors flying out of her grasp.
Rainbow Dash grunted in pain as she climbed back to her hooves and shook her head. Spike was being too much of an obstacle to her, preventing her from doing what she needed to do. If he wasn't going to get out of her way, then she was going to have to go through him, no matter how much that might hurt the both of them.
However she never even got to that point, before something grabbed her from behind, and started to choke her. She struggled and kicked in a desperate effort to break free, to get another breath of air to her lungs, but her struggles were proving utterly futile.
Her vision was starting to grow darker, and she could feel herself getting weaker with each passing second. Unconsciousness was coming over her like a tidal wave and there was nothing she could do about it.
And she'd been so close at success too...
Ulquiorra was not one to normally be stunned by something he observed, regardless of whatever it might be. Where others might freeze and experience doubt at witnessing something... extreme in nature, he would act accordingly. That wasn't to say he acted first and asked questions later, but he could do so if the situation demanded that such be done.
All that said, however, this was the exception to the rule, where what he bore witness to was of such an unbelievable nature, that it caused him to give pause, and stare on in disbelief. If he was ever asked, he would admit that one of the last things he'd ever expected to encounter in this world, would be that of Rainbow Dash viciously assaulting Rarity, then Twilight Sparkle, and then attempting to murder Rarity where she helplessly lay on the floor, pinned down and unable to escape.
He had evaluated Rainbow Dash as possessing a significant blood lust and will to murder, based on the intensity he had seen in her eyes. He truly hadn't put it past her to do something like this, and turn on those that she had claimed to be closest to, due to actions they had taken against her in the past. But an unprovoked assault in the middle of the day had not been something he would've predicted as a possibility. He had assumed that her first murder would be the result of some form of provocation, and her temper getting the best of her.
His observations -which spanned the time of approximately one second- were quickly interrupted by what occurred next. In the time it had taken Rainbow Dash to raise the scissors over her head, Spike had crossed the distance between them, and intercepted her foreleg with both of his arms, in a desperate struggle to prevent any further maiming of Rarity. He was about to intervene in the struggle before it could go any further, but that too had been interrupted by what he experienced next. A massive -considerably speaking- explosion in Spike's reiatsu level was making itself known, as he not only held Rainbow Dash's assault at bay, but began succeeding in overpowering her. Had the diminutive dragon been possessing this much strength the entire time, but simply had no reason to display it until just now? And if that was the reason, then ultimately what was it that served as his personal motivation? Was it ensuring Rarity remained alive due to her importance to Equestria's protection? Or was it some other matter that he didn't understand?
He watched as, with a roar, Spike easily tossed the cyan pegasus back, her frame breaking a pony-shaped mannequin as she crash landed to the floor of the boutique with the thud, the force of the impact enough to dislodge the scissors from her hooves and send them flying far out of her reach.
But she wasn't staying down. Rainbow Dash was getting back up again, and likely preparing to attack Spike with the same viciousness she'd used against Rarity. Now it was most certainly time to act. Quick as a flash he was behind Rainbow Dash, allowing him to grab her, and pull her into a headlock, her neck in the crook of his arm, leaving her helpless to do anything but struggle for freedom. Her efforts were slowly leading to her exhaustion as she struggled and gasped for air, her thrashing growing steadily weaker and weaker, until her entire body began to grow limp as the fight left her body. He held on another moment, as one last gasp escaped her lips, before finally releasing her and letting her body fall, crumpling against the floor.
To an untrained observer, it might look like she'd been choked to death. However such an observation couldn't be further from the truth. Despite her prone form, she was still very much alive, and very much able to answer questions once she regained consciousness. A simple air choke sleeper hold seemed the best option for dealing with her for the time being, as it simultaneously restrained her, and weakened her. However such a maneuver should've taken longer to be effective, even with her equine anatomy taken into consideration.
For now, however, his attention turned away from the unconscious pegasus at his feet, and towards the center of the room, where Spike -with his reiatsu levels dropping sharply back towards their original position- and the now recovered Twilight Sparkle were trying to tend to Rarity, a lavender-hued beam running over her beaten body as she was scanned, much as he had witnessed yesterday at the hospital.
"Twilight? I-is Rarity gonna be alright?" Spike asked shakily, his body still experiencing the adrenaline that'd been coursing through his system just a second ago. He had no idea what had happened, or what had caused this entire situation to happen. He didn't even know for certain just what he'd done. All he knew was that Rarity had been in danger, and he'd sprung into action without even thinking. And now that things had calmed down, thanks to Ulquiorra's intervention, he could start thinking again. But he had no idea what to be thinking. "She... s-s-she's not gonna die, is she?" he asked.
"I don't know, Spike, I'm a librarian, not a doctor," Twilight replied, her voice distorted and sounded congested. The blow Rainbow Dash had delivered to her had caught her right in the face, specifically her muzzle. Already the swelling was making it difficult to talk or even breathe unless it was through her mouth. But right now she couldn't worry about that, as there were more important matters to tend to. She turned her attention back to scanning Rarity's body, which was proving to be more difficult than anticipated as she was still conscious enough to be moving about, and to register just how much pain she was in. And keeping her still was proving to be very difficult right now. "But I don't think so," she added as her scan cut out. "Most of the damage looks worse than it really is. I can't detect any signs of a concussion or other serious injury that might prove to be life threatening."
"Then we are quite fortunate," Ulquiorra replied as he approached. Rarity's pain-filled whimpers were beginning to grow louder now, as she desperately tried to move, only for Twilight Sparkle to try and keep her from aggravating her injuries any further. "But as you have said, you aren't a doctor. Proper medical evaluation would be wise to seek out in this case," he explained. Twilight Sparkle's eye might not require immediate medical attention, but Rarity's injuries were another matter. Head injuries could be deceptive in nature, and he truly hadn't seen how the lavender unicorn might have landed from the blow. It was possible that the both of them were truly in need of medical attention at the moment.
"But what about Rainbow Dash? There are way too many questions and I don't have the slightest clue where to begin," Twilight protested before sparing a glance to where her prone friend laid. "Is... is she going to be alright?" she asked, worried that things could've gone very, very wrong. Ulquiorra's strength was so terrifying to consider, especially when it came to how easily he could snap one of their necks with so little effort if he was so motivated.
"A simple sleeper hold to exert compliance from her. She is unconscious, but she remains unharmed. Once she regains consciousness, we'll attempt to gain answers from her. But not now. For the time being, take Rarity to the hospital and ensure that she's alright. Have yourself examined as well. I will remain behind and deal with her once she regains consciousness," he explained.
"I... I'm gonna stay too..." Spike added after a moment of indecisiveness, trying to decide whether he should go with Twilight to the hospital and worry about Rarity there, or stay and help Ulquiorra with Rainbow Dash. In the end he opted for the latter, just in case a second set of hands would be needed for whatever reason.
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked him. He simply nodded. She didn't know if that was really a good idea or not, simply leaving him behind in this situation. But the painful moan of Rarity next to her reminded her that there were more important matters to tend to. "Alright," she finally relented and nodded, "be careful."
Lifting Rarity up with her magic was a task in itself, as even such gentle movements just seemed to reignite her pain and get her screaming all over again. Unfortunately no gentle words were going to soothe the savage beating she'd just received. All she could do for right now was grunt and bear it, as she moved to relocate her friend to Ponyville General Hospital.
Leaving a very confused Spike alone with the Espada, and a still unconscious Rainbow Dash on the floor.
"I-" Spike began, only to be interrupted as Ulquiorra began speaking.
"If your concern is that I will resort to maiming and torture to acquire information, I can assure you that no such approach will be used. Such tactics rarely yield genuinely beneficial information. If such were attempted, Rainbow Dash would simply say whatever she believed we wanted to hear from her, in a desperate effort to make the interrogation stop," Ulquiorra explained calmly.
"Uh... no, no nothing like that," Spike replied. However that did help put him at ease a little, knowing that Ulquiorra recognized the futility of such an approach. However that in itself gave him reason to be uneasy in just how Ulquiorra had come to recognize the futility of such an approach. As thorough as he was, he probably learned that fact from firsthoof experience. He'd really rather not think about that. "I was gonna say that I would probably be more useful if I stay here. At the hospital I'd probably just be in the way. And I... kinda hate hospitals in general," he explained.
Ulquiorra didn't say anything in response to the explanation he'd given for his reasons to stay behind. Instead he just returned his focus to where Rainbow Dash currently laid.
"I also had a sort of theory, but it's probably ridiculous and not even worth mentioning," Spike added. He noticed how Ulquiorra turned his attention back to him, and the look he was giving was enough to tell him that he should get to sharing the actual theory, rather than explaining the nature of the theory. "You can tell one pony from another without even seeing them, because they've all got their own unique reiatsu texture, right?" he asked.
"Correct," Ulquiorra replied.
"Right. Well you didn't get to meet Chrysalis until after the changeling attack was launched, so you wouldn't be able to tell one way or the other. But you've had weeks to get to know about Rainbow Dash, so you could tell if something was out of place, right? If whatever was behind the dragon and Chrysalis is also behind... this... you'd be able to tell, right? Her signature wouldn't be the same if she was possessed by something, right?" Spike asked him.
"I must admit, yours is a novel theory for consideration. But novel or not, it simply doesn't work that way. It's true that everyone possesses their ow unique texture of reiatsu, and no two are exactly alike, although there are some similarities between family members. But reiatsu textures are relatively static in nature. Even when someone's reiatsu increases dramatically when they flex their reiryoku, that specific texture remains the same. It simply becomes more intense in nature. A matter of possession by some outside force wouldn't be able to change that fact," Ulquiorra replied. He then paused for a moment, before continuing. "At least... not to my knowledge. Not pertaining to this world. My knowledge is still extremely limited. However even in my own world, there was only one thing that could remotely result in something like your theory coming to pass."
"And what's that?" Spike asked. If Ulquiorra wasn't openly detailing the... details of something, then it had to be bad.
"Hollowfication. More specifically, the process by which a Hollow's soul is bonded to the soul of a physical recipient, regardless of what species they are, creating a hybrid with the potential to supersede the natural limitations of either species. Those that succeeded in taming their Hollows came to be known as Vizards, and gained the ability to use their Hollow powers freely," Ulquiorra explained. It was the only parallel that he could really think of right now that made sense. "My first experience with a Vizard was when Ichigo Kurosaki first demonstrated his Hollow powers to me, and his reiatsu drastically shifted from being that of a Shinigami, to being almost indistinguishable from an Espada."
Spike gulped nervously, not liking the implications of what Ulquiorra was saying right now.
"Then... you're saying that someone or something Hollowfied Rainbow Dash? Something else crossed over from your reality when Discord brought you here?" he asked shakily, almost terrified to get a definite answer. If Ulquiorra was truly saying what he thought he was saying, then the implications that such a statement could have, could be very bad; bad enough to qualify as catastrophic in nature. They had enough to worry about with just domestic threats, and they really didn't need imported threats complicating matters any.
"No. Nothing like that. If there were any true reiatsu present, I would be able to detect it with ease," Ulquiorra replied. Truth be told he would much rather that be the actual case. At least if that were the situation, it would be something he could handle, as he would have at least some vague idea of what was going on. But that was not the case. Instead they found themselves in a situation that could be regarded -not so much by himself- as even more frightening in nature; a situation in which they had no way of explaining just what was going on. "We find ourselves in a situation in which Rainbow Dash, and only Rainbow Dash, can explain why she did what she did. And for that we'll need her conscious and cooperative," he explained.
"Alright, I think I get what you're saying. But still, you've gotten to know Rainbow Dash about as well as can be expected. Can you sense anything out of place with her? Anything that wasn't there this morning, yesterday, or even last week?" Spike asked.
"No. If there is some outside influence responsible for her assault on Rarity, it's something I'm unable to detect in this case," Ulquiorra explained. However that fact didn't mean that there wasn't something at play. It could be that, if she truly was possessed by something, it had happened well before his arrival, and had simply been laying dormant until now. But for what reason it would have picked now to surface, he didn't yet know
"Do you... I mean, should we tie her up or something? So she can't make a break for it?" Spike asked, uncertain of what else he could contribute in this situation.
Ulquiorra thought on the suggestion momentarily. Restraining Rainbow Dash to keep her from escaping would serve no ultimately purpose, as he could simply intercept her with ease and bring her right back for questioning. However Spike's recommendation may serve other purposes. Keeping the cyan pegasus restrained might serve to keep her from doing something that might hurt herself.
"A wise thought," he replied. However he wasn't certain of just what inside the building could be used to serve such a purpose.
Rainbow Dash's mind was foggy and hazy, making it hard to focus on anything. Anything other than the all encompassing blackness around her.
the first thing she really became aware of was the fact that her neck was aching something fierce. It felt like a combination of sleeping without her pillow, and twisting at an odd angle in the middle of the night, and staying that way until morning. All the muscles felt strained.
The second thing she became aware of was a tugging at her hind legs. Or more accurately her right hind leg at the moment. A tugging... and something being wrapped around it!
Instinct started to kick in at the realization that she was being bound. Even before her vision had properly cleared, she kicked furiously at whatever or whoever was behind it. She must've got them on the first kick because she felt her hoof meet with something hard that amounted to resistance, before it grunted at the impact, and was sent flying -or maybe toppling, she wasn't fully certain- back away from her.
As her vision cleared further she leaped to her hooves. Looking around she realized she was inside the Carousel Boutique. Looking around quickly she spotted the doorway and made a break for it as fast as her hooves would carry her.
Unfortunately her hooves weren't fast enough to outpace Ulquiorra, as he boomed his way in her path and cut off her escape route.
"Get outta my way!" she yelled at him.
"That will not be possible," Ulquiorra replied calmly as he stood with his hands tucked into his pockets.
Nothing was going to get in her way, whether it was friend or foe. If the Espada wasn't going to move on his own accord them she'd make him move. Leaping up and deploying her wings, she swung her left hind leg around to deliver a roundhouse kick to the exposed side of his head with all her might. A kick that should've sent him sailing from the force behind the impact.
Unfortunately all she could do was look on in surprise and horror at how he hadn't even moved in inch. Followed by immediately becoming aware of an excruciating pain shooting up the entire length of her leg the moment the shock wore off, forcing her to let out a pain-filled scream as she unceremoniously dropped to the ground on her back, and tried to cradle her leg.
Spike coughed hard from being kicked in the gut in the manner he'd been, feeling all the air knocked right out of him as he was sent flying and crashing by Rainbow Dash. To say he was upset would be an understatement. And as soon as he got his breath back he'd intended to let her have it; even give her a few of the words he'd heard Twilight using, despite his distaste for them.
But all such thoughts had left his mind upon hearing Rainbow Dash's screams, and seeing her on the floor with tears in her eyes from the sheer amount of pain she was obviously in. He'd gone from seriously enraged to deeply concerned in a matter of two seconds flat.
"What happened to her?" he asked.
"Exactly what I warned her would happen," Ulquiorra replied as he looked down at her. In her short-sighted fury she'd managed to fracture her left metatarsal bone. She should consider herself fortunate that she'd gotten off so lightly, compared to what could've happened from such a foolish decision. Had she struck the blow wrong, she would've shattered every single bone in the limb. "If you're quite through, I have questions," he stated simply.
"G-go to Tartarus!" Rainbow Dash replied as she tried to fight through the burning pain running up and down her entire leg.
"While I will investigate a matter to whatever extent is needed, I don't believe any relevant information can be found in such a place," Ulquiorra replied evenly as he withdrew his right hand from his pocket and reached for where she currently lay. She, however, apparently had different ideas, and bit down on his hand, as if it would do some good. Her stubbornness apparently knew no bounds. "Your resistance will yield no beneficial results," he explained calmly, before demonstrating how he could easily force her mouth open through flexing just two of his fingers, and allowing him to withdraw.
"Don't you touch me!" Rainbow Dash growled as she tried to use her forelegs to scoot herself back and away from him.
"Rainbow Dash-" Spike spoke up as he approached, confused and concerned at the same time. What exactly was going on around here?
"I said don't touch me!" Rainbow Dash yelled and tried to scoot back harder.
Ulquiorra said nothing, and simply opted to approach and, with one hand and in one swift motion, apply sufficient force to her chest to effectively pin her to the ground, leaving her unable to do anything other than struggle beneath him.
"I have no intention of hurting you excessively. However I am under orders from Princess Celestia to protect those that possess the Elements of Harmony. And if it proves necessary then I will interpret those orders to include protection from one another," he explained as he knelt down to look her in the eyes, his glare meeting her own, as he used his other hand to hold her head steady so she couldn't look away. "I have questions. You have answers. You can struggle all you want, but you will not be allowed to leave until there is an appropriate exchange of information. For that, there will be no negotiation. Whether you tell me, or you tell Twilight Sparkle when she comes back to forcefully probe your mind, I don't particularly care. It is your choice."
He observed Rainbow Dash as she struggled against him in a futile manner, attempting to strike him in the face with her hooves, or kick him in the side with her one good leg; as if any of the physical gestures would be enough to drive him off of her. There was a fire of stubbornness and rebellion in her eyes that burned with ferocity, much like the fire he had noted previously.
A fire that eventually burned itself out, leaving behind the embers of despair. Her entire demeanor changed from one of anger, to one of sadness, as her eyes began to water, and she began sniffling in defeat.
"I will ask you once. And you will not enjoy it if I must ask a question a second time. Now, why did you attempt to kill Rarity?" he asked pointedly.
He observed Rainbow Dash again, judging her demeanor, looking for any indications of deceit on her part. The tears that currently flowed down her cheeks certainly looked real. He had seen enough ponies crying in his time here to recognize true sorrow being expressed. All in all her entire demeanor was little different from that of Princess Luna when she'd made her confession.
Finally, after much babbling and incoherency, she managed to compose herself enough to get out three specific words. And Ulquiorra would admit, they were three words that he'd never expected to hear from these ponies.
"She raped me," Rainbow Dash wept, unable to stem the tide of emotions she was experiencing right now. "They all did. Rarity, Twilight, A-A-Applejack, Pinkie, a-a-and F-F-F-Fluttershy... they all raped me..."
Contrary to popular opinion, Spike wasn't some baby with a drastically limited understanding of the world around him, and a need to be protected by others. At least not in every area of encounter. He knew what the concept of rape was and what it involved. He knew that it was a serious matter and not something that anypony should ever joke about.
But despite that knowledge, he still couldn't believe his ears, and what he was hearing right now. What Rainbow Dash was saying... it just couldn't be true. But... but Rainbow Dash wasn't the type to just go around and tell vicious, unfounded lies about her friends. He didn't know what to think. Could she really...
He had to stop that line of thought in order to choke back the bile he could feel creeping its way up his throat. He didn't want to entertain such horrible, horrible thoughts about his friends. And he especially didn't want to consider such about Twilight of all ponies. Twilight was like family; like a sister or a mother, depending on the circumstances of the situation they were in. He'd known her for so many years growing up, it just had to be impossible for Rainbow Dash's words to be true.
"Ulquiorra? What... what do we do now?" he asked, hoping the Espada and his stoic nature could provide some degree of insight that he was ignorant of. Plus he wanted to have some degree of stability going on around him. Watching Rainbow Dash just cry openly was so surreal. She'd been a veritable symbol of strength of character and tenacity, and now she was laying before them, bawling like a foal. It was highly unsettling to observe.
"The first order of business is to address matters in an appropriate manner," Ulquiorra replied as he slowly withdrew his hold from Rainbow Dash, before turning his attention back to her as she cried. "Once you compose yourself, start your explanation of exactly what happened from the beginning."
The mysteries at hand were beginning to mount by the hour. If they were going to get anywhere, then he was going to need as much information as possible. Regardless of what details that information might consist of.
Celestia would admit that being a Princess wasn't everything it was cracked up to be. There were certain duties and responsibilities that needed to be tended to, regardless of how she felt at the time. And one of those duties was seeing to the petitioners that sought out her advice and council in the day court.
It hadn't even been twenty four hours since the disaster that struck Ponyville yesterday. A disaster that she'd been present for, and unable to stop, despite all of her powers. Whatever it was that was brazen enough to attack so close not only to her own presence, but also the presence of her sister, and Ulquiorra himself, had caused so much damage in so little time, and they didn't have a single clue as to what it was.
The finest medical examiners in the city of Canterlot had been called in to carry out the autopsy and examination of the dead manticore that Ulquiorra had stopped, and advised to exercise extreme caution in how they addressed the remains in an effort to minimize the loss of any potential evidence. And that was, unfortunately, the extent of what she and Luna could do to be useful in this situation. Until they had further information to go on, all they could do was sit back and wait, and try to address their duties to the best of their abilities.
However her thoughts were interrupted by a tingling in her horn, and something materializing in front of her via Spike's magical fire, serving as a distraction from the current petitioner seeking assistance in a land dispute with their neighbor. Under normal circumstances she would've filed it away for later, to read during a less stressful time. However she paused, as there were two facts about the delivery that were out of the ordinary, and indicated that it was not a friendship report, or any other kind of regular correspondence.
The first was how it was a piece of regular everyday paper rather than the standard parchment. And rather than being rolled up like a scroll, it was folded over twice in a neat little oblong. The second was the message of Urgent: do no postpone reading written on the side that faced her, and in a script she knew for certain didn't belong to Spike. In fact it didn't match any type of writing she was familiar with. That was more or less enough to make her believe that this was a report submitted by Ulquiorra, making it a matter of priority.
Without further hesitation, she unfolded the note and began to read it.
Princess Celestia,
A matter has arisen and I believe it to be of significant importance. Less than an hour ago the pony Rainbow Dash launched a physical assault against both Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, with an attempt at murdering the latter. There are no deaths to report, however both unicorns are currently at Ponyville General Hospital and being addressed appropriately. But a new mystery now presents itself.
During the interrogation of Rainbow Dash, the pegasus claims that she was subjected to rape at the hands of not only Rarity, but the rest of the holders of the Elements of Harmony as well. When pressed for details and elaboration, the tale she presented as explanation for her actions is one of disturbing details. She alleges being held for three straight days in the basement of Carousel Boutique, subjected not only to continual rape, but also abuse, torture of both a physical and psychological nature, and mutilation to various parts of her body.
A thorough examination has turned up no evidence to support her allegations. No missing primary feathers, no piercing of the ears or nose, no ear that has been sliced clean off the head, no welts consistent with beatings from a whip, no bruising around the neck consistent with strangulation via a rope, and no use of sewing thread to stitch up various areas of the body better left unmentioned.
As you know I am able to detect slight variations in an individual's reiatsu level, allowing me to detect when they are exercising dishonesty. However I was unable to detect any such fluctuations as she recounted her story. This would suggest that she honestly believes her recollection of events are factual in nature. Not being native to this world I can't adequately say what occurred prior to my arrival.
However the timeline does not coincide with events as they transpired. We were all present yesterday, making her account of the last three days impossible.
This is a matter that I'm ultimately ill equipped to address. I find myself needing assistance. Assistance from ponies that will not automatically trigger a post traumatic stress reaction from Rainbow Dash the moment she sees them. She believes the other holders of the Elements of Harmony are responsible for her suffering, and they cannot be relied on in this matter.
A unicorn in possession of any medical magic relating to bone healing is also required, as a fractured metatarsal was also encountered.
Ulquiorra Cifer
Celestia could feel her mouth go dry and her stomach knot up as she read the note, uncertain of just what to think about what Ulquiorra's report detailed. What could have happened in such a short amount of time, and with the Espada right there and watching? This wasn't like the attack while they were at Sweet Apple Acres. This was something going on right under their nose. Whatever was responsible for this latest turn of events, it certainly had to have a set of brass cojones to be carrying this out.
"Your Majesty?"
Her attention was brought back to the here and now. She looked past the sheet of paper and towards the current petitioner awaiting her input. Such horrible timing all around.
"I apologize, my little pony, but I've just been notified of a highly urgent matter that must be addressed without delay," she announced as she folded the sheet of paper back up and tucked it under her breastplate. "Guards, please inform the petitioners that the day court has been cancelled due to unforeseen developments. And try to do so without causing them distress or concern," she ordered as she climbed down from her throne and walked down the steps. For a matter that was this pressing, only her own presence would be suitable. This wasn't a matter she could delegate to someone else.
Spike winced at the pain-filled yelps coming from Rainbow Dash, helpless to do anything but watch as Ulquiorra tended to her in what the Espada claimed was the best available method.
Once again he'd been sent with money to Barnyard Bargains in order to get supplies. In this case it was a roll of the narrowest rope Filthy Rich had in stock, and two pieces of one by four that were cut to a very specific size measurement. And for once, being sent off to go on a supply run had been something he'd been grateful for, as it'd been done while Ulquiorra conducted his investigation. Considering what details Rainbow Dash might have to say, he couldn't help but think that he was being done a favor, by being left out of the discussion for a change. He didn't know if he could handle hearing the accusations about his friends.
He really had no idea what had transpired during his absence from the scene. And he wasn't really certain he wanted to know either. If it was something that could reduce Rainbow Dash to tears... well he'd really rather not think about that right now.
When he'd finally made it back with the requested supplies, Ulquiorra hadn't said anything. He'd simply given him a piece of paper and told him to send it on to Princess Celestia as quickly as possible, while he'd gone about making a series of shallow notches in the lumber.
According to Ulquiorra's explanation, there were two categorizations of medical care. There was proper care, which involved restricting a patient's movements so that they could heal adequately without aggravating their condition. And then there was field expedient care, where a patient's injuries were stabilized in a manner that left them ambulatory to some extent, so they could move if necessary. And from what he could see, the splint he was currently fastening around Rainbow Dash's broken leg counted as the second.
"So why're we doing this again?" Spike asked, just before another yelp sounded from the downed pegasus. "I mean, the hospital has all the proper medical stuff for setting a broken bone. Plus they've got painkillers," he pointed out.
"Do you possess the knowledge of how to teleport from one location to another, and do so without a clear line of sight to observe the desired destination point, without the effect of jostling either the cargo or passengers brought along for the ride?" Ulquiorra asked as he looped the rope around and tightened it down again for another knot to securely hold the two boards on each side of Rainbow Dash's leg, causing another yelp as she bit down on her right hoof. A yelp that fell on deaf ears to him.
"No..." Spike replied slowly.
"Then securing the limb is a priority at this point, as any attempt at moving it may result in serious complications," Ulquiorra explained as he began to wrap the rope around the leg to tightly bind it and prevent the boards from slipping.
"Where-" Rainbow Dash started to say, but was interrupted by another yelp caused by Ulquiorra tightly wrapping the rope, causing her to bite down on her hoof again. "Where are Rarity and Twilight? What happened to them?" she asked. She'd gone from pounding on Rarity, to a boutique devoid of its owner, and she didn't have a clue why. And now she was finding herself curious as to why.
"Ponyville General Hospital," Ulquiorra replied as he continued to wrap the boards, "however you will not be joining them," he continued.
"Hold up, what?" Spike asked, taken by surprise by that announcement. All of this work to get Rainbow Dash's leg stabilized for safe transport, and they weren't going to transport her? "Why not?"
"An attempt was made on Rarity's life today. Due to such facts, I would be lax in my duties if I were to allow such an attempt be made again," Ulquiorra explained. He noted how there was no more usable length of rope for wrapping again, and he opted to simply tie the two ends into a knot. It would have to do for the time being.
"Her life!? What about mine!?" Rainbow Dash shouted as she moved to try and sit up. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and the fury of indignation was taking over her again. "She RAPED me! THEY raped me! They made me, MADE me beg them to mutilate my wings, or they'd do it to Scootaloo to punish me for not being obedient! And you're worried about her when she was the mastermind for everything!?"
Ulquiorra remained silent both during and after Rainbow Dash's rant and tirade. He had heard all of the details already while Spike was away, heard everything she'd been subjected to and forced to do. Her outrage was understandable, but it was not very conductive.
"Do not assume that I'm indifferent to what you report experiencing. I intend to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves. However, prioritization is necessary and must be exercised accordingly," he explained, even though he doubted that she was willing to listen to what he had to say. "You have the luxury of allowing your emotions to drive you in what you believe. I do not. I cannot display the same passion towards something that you do, no matter what it may be. But that doesn't mean I'm incapable of taking a matter seriously. A proper order for proceeding must be recognized. And I cannot do that as long as you are incapacitated, and bent on murdering the other holders of the Elements of Harmony. The only way for things to work out from this point, is if you cooperate by assisting me as necessary. Do you understand?" he asked her directly.
"... Okay..." Rainbow Dash quietly agreed and nodded, unable to do anything else. He wasn't going to let her anywhere near Rarity, she knew that to be the case. And she probably wouldn't be able to get at the others either. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to overpower him and make him help her in the way she wanted. As much as she wanted to shout in his face and curse him out until her lungs felt like they'd collapse from the straining they'd be subjected to, she knew on some level that there was no way she'd be able to faze the Espada. He'd listened patiently as she told him of absolutely every explicit detail of what she'd experienced over the last three days, and hadn't even blinked, hadn't even quirked an eyebrow. He'd just maintained that stoic expression throughout it all, as if she'd been reading him a weather report. As much as she hated it, she'd have to cooperate with him.
"Ulquiorra? Could I see you for just a minute? In private?" Spike asked.
Looking between the two, Ulquiorra stood up and followed after the young dragon, leaving Rainbow Dash where she currently laid, as he was lead to the kitchen of the boutique. At that point Spike turned to face him, his face a mix of concern and confusion.
"Ulquiorra, what's going on here? You actually believe that Rarity and the others would... do stuff like that to her?" he asked. How could he be taking this ludicrousness seriously?
Granted, he'd been left out of a lot of things, so he didn't always know everything that happened when he wasn't around. But even with that, he still knew that there was no way any of this could actually be true.
"What I do or do not believe is of no relevance in this matter. It does nothing to change the fact that Rainbow Dash believes she was victimized by those she considers to be her closest friends," Ulquiorra replied. Nothing he thought on the matter would change her perception of events that transpired. At least not in their current state, with the current information they possessed.
"But... but you don't actually believe what she's saying, right? It can't be true, it's... it's bullshit, it has to be, it just has to. Can't you, like, convince her of that fact? Maybe use a mirror and show her that her wings are still intact? Talk some sense into that thick skull of hers like you've done in the past?" Spike asked.
"Unfortunately the matter is not quite that simple. What is being discussed is not a simple matter of having foolish beliefs that do not coincide with reality. Rather something has convinced Rainbow Dash, beyond all reasonable doubt, that she was subjected to three days of continual torture; some of which that not even the other Espada would engage in," Ulquiorra replied. However the last part had been due to the fact that most of the Espada wouldn't bother to dirty their hands with such practices, rather than a moral objection to such. "Whatever is responsible for the current situation, has not only managed to suppress Rainbow Dash's true memories, but has also implanted three days worth of traumatic memories detailing graphic and explicit acts. It is quite unlikely that any attempt at explanation will be successful. Any such attempt may have the possibility of causing severe psychological damage," he explained.
Spike didn't like the Espada's explanation one bit. But that was due more to the reasoning behind it, rather than the lack of motivation to do anything to try and help Rainbow Dash. The idea that something could actually violate the inner sanctum of the mind was terrifying to consider. If you couldn't even be secure in your memories and recollections of your own experiences, then there was no security in anything. And if it could happen to Rainbow Dash, what was going to keep it from happening to the rest of them? What could stop Twilight from being next? Or Fluttershy? Or Sweetie Belle? Or any of them? What if he was next? And more terrifyingly... what if Celestia and Luna were next?
"What... what do we do now? What can we do now?" Spike asked as he tried to keep his bile in check once again.
"We wait for Princess Celestia's arrival before proceeding. This matter is too big for any of us to handle on our own," Ulquiorra replied. If there was anyone in this world likely to have knowledge of what they were dealing with, it would be the one who had witnessed more than one thousand years of this nation's history herself. For the time being they simply needed to exercise patience.
The only question at the moment was how much patience would need to be exercised? Princess Celestia's presence could already be detected within Ponyville's borders. Her location was most likely the hospital, investigating the condition of Rarity and Twilight Sparkle. But how long that investigation of her own would take, remained to be seen.
Twilight tried not to wiggle her nose too much, but the irritation of the bandage on her muzzle was making that difficult. And the eye drops that she'd been given weren't exactly helping distract her from her own discomfort. The only thing she could be thankful for right now was the fact that she couldn't currently smell the disinfectant scent of the hospital that seemed to permeate the waiting room.
Getting Rarity in to actually be seen, she didn't really know how it'd been possible, considering just how many other ponies needed to be tended to right now. She'd been anticipating a long wait, and a lot of hysterical screaming at various hospital staff for someone to tend to her. But much to her surprise -and relief- there had been very little waiting to suffer through. She'd even been able to get herself looked at by one of the nurses.
And now that the hurry up part had been taken care of, there was nothing left for her to do except try and wait patiently for someone to tell her what the prognosis was. And all the while deal with the shakes as her body came down from the adrenaline high she'd been on since this whole mess started.
As well as try and think about what had happened, in an effort to get to the bottom of the matter.
"Think, Twilight, think," she told herself as she strained to wrack her brain to get it to work. "Let's examine what we already know. For reasons that have yet to be discovered, Rainbow Dash attacked Rarity, beat her, and tried to stab her with a pair of scissors. An attempt that was stopped by Spike's timely interference when I was unable to do the same."
Alright. So examining what they already knew wasn't the most constructive use of time. What had happened made absolutely no sense without the right context to put it in. Without that context there was nothing to analyze except for a random beating. Nothing was making any sense, and it wasn't like there was any specific subtext at which she could pick at. It wasn't like Rainbow Dash choosing the scissors had any particular symbolism to it or anything like that.
"What is it that I'm not seeing?" she asked herself. However with her muzzle bandaged up currently, her question sounded distorted as if she was battling a cold. What was she missing? What pieces of the puzzle were hiding from her view, and leaving her floundering for answers?
"Whatever it is, I'm not seeing it either."
At hearing the voice directly behind her, Twilight turned to see Celestia standing before her, looking quite concerned. When had she arrived? How had she managed to sneak up on her like that? And just how long had she been here?
"Princess? What're you doing here?" Twilight asked as she turned the rest of her body around to be properly oriented with her head. There were way too many mysteries piling up, and doing so way too quickly for her liking.
"I believe the same thing you were doing not ten seconds ago," Celestia replied as she stepped closer, trying not to grimace at the one blood-red eye that looked back at her. "Can you tell me anything about Rarity's condition? Is she alright?"
"I... I don't know. I think she is. I don't think Rainbow Dash managed to crack her skull, or cause any brain injuries. But medical magic isn't something I have all that much experience in, I could've overlooked something. I..." Twilight paused in the middle of her distorted, rapid explanation of events prior to her arrival. She hadn't even realized that she'd been missing something until just now. "Wait, how did you know about Rarity? Did Spike write you and tell you what happened?" she asked.
"Not quiet. Rather it was Ulquiorra, detailing what occurred after you left. And I must say that I couldn't believe my eyes," Celestia replied as she levitated the piece of paper from behind her breastplate and presented it to Twilight to read.
Twilight silently took the paper and unfolded it to read what Ulquiorra had wrote. And after reading it through once, she did so again. And again. And again. She couldn't help herself, there was no way she could not read what was written. There was no way she could focus on anything except the words on the paper, until Celestia had plucked the sheet away from her, and tucked it back away again. Now she was alone in a waiting room of other ponies, and looking at Celestia as she looked back at her.
She could feel her heart beating faster now. Much faster than it was beating from the run from the boutique to here. It felt like it was trying to break out of her chest right now. And her skin was getting very hot underneath her fur. She could practically feel the blood coursing its way through her veins as a sense of panic set in. Rainbow Dash was accusing her -and the others- of... of...
She gulped, afraid her tea was going to come back up and land at Celestia's hooves, in full view of everyone.
"Princess I-" she tried to speak up, to protest the accusations made against them, to proclaim their innocence of the charges. But before she could even start speaking, she'd been interrupted.
"Calm yourself, Twilight, I'm not here because I believe the accusations are true," Celestia said in an effort to calm her student -as well as her friend- and to cut off a nervous breakdown. She knew that if Twilight and the others truly possessed such a nature about them, the Elements of Harmony never would have chosen them as bearers. Whether or not Twilight was sure of that fact in her current state, she didn't really know. Reaching out with her wing, she gently stroked her back in an effort to calm her. "I've known you for many years, my young friend, and I would be among the first to spring to the defense if such an accusation were ever to be made against you or any of the others. But regardless of that fact, this is a serious matter and must be investigated. Not due to the allegations, but what has given rise to them," she explained.
"I... I'm sorry but I'm not following," Twilight replied, not sure of exactly what Celestia was saying. She was still busy coming down from her anxiety just a moment ago.
"Something has affected Rainbow Dash's memories, and turned her against her friends, convincing her that they can't be trusted. We have to figure out what's responsible for this, and do so quickly, before anymore damage can be done," Celestia explained. Being attacked from the outside by various threats was one thing. But now they were facing a thread from within their own ranks.
Twilight looked at her for a moment as the explanation sunk in, and the true terror came to light. Without any further discussion she took off galloping as fast as she could back towards Carousel Boutique.
"Twilight."
Or at least that's what she tried to do. She would've been out the door by now, if it weren't for Celestia having levitated her off her hooves, in order to turn her around and look at her again.
"I understand that you're upset. When I received Ulquiorra's report, I was horrified by what I read. I rushed here as quickly as I could in an effort to get to the bottom of this. I specifically came here to the hospital to talk to you about what took place, to get a better understanding of the situation. And as tempting as it is to rush off at the drop of a hat, we can't afford such an approach. We need to be calm, Twilight, perhaps now more than ever. And more than that I need your help in this situation, I can't address it on my own," Celestia explained as calmly as she could. If Twilight couldn't stay calm, then they would never get anywhere.
Fortunately, Twilight seemed to understand this fact, and nodded in agreement.
"What do you need me to do to help out?" she asked.
"First, take a deep, calming breath to steady your nerves. Just like you learned back in school for preparing for a big test," Celestia instructed, knowing the value of having time for a breather. Even with all of her experience and wisdom, it still seemed funny at times how such a simple exercise could be so effective.
Twilight nodded again, recalling the information from her earlier academy days, and took a deep breath to calm herself down, holding it to try and stabilize the carbon dioxide levels in her body to avoid hyperventilation.
"Very good. Second," Celestia began, pausing as she stepped closer to Twilight, before pulling her into an all-enveloping hug with both forelegs and wings. "Remember that you're not alone in this matter. Regardless of what Rainbow Dash and Rarity's condition might be, you still have friends who you can rely on."
Again, Twilight nodded, allowing her head to rest against Celestia. Regardless of everything that had happened, it was impossible to deny that this felt soothing to experience. Even after everything that had happened over the course of last week, she couldn't seem to find the will to resist the embrace of the one she could only recently regard as a friend, as an equal... even if that last one still seemed illusive at times.
"And third," Celestia said as she eased her wings off of Twilight, bringing her attention back to the present, and causing the unicorn to look up at her, uncomfortable as it was. "Try to be strong, and follow my lead."
It was painful to watch as Rainbow Dash tried to walk around the boutique's kitchen, being too stubborn to remain still for any real amount of time, regardless of how she was still injured, or how much pain she was experiencing. She alternated from putting weight on her back leg, and favoring it while overcompensating with her three good legs.
Making matters all the worse was how Ulquiorra hadn't said anything about her efforts at physical exertion. He just stood there motionlessly as if he was a statue. Sometimes he found himself wondering if the Espada actually had a hibernation mode, and that was what he was currently witnessing. Twilight had accurately theorized that he had suspended his mana intake when in close proximity to the forcefields protecting the Elements of Harmony. Maybe it was the same thing in this case. Maybe he was in this statue-esque state in order to allow Rainbow Dash to absorb mana and heal...
No that couldn't be it. The idea seemed ridiculous to consider now that he'd thought it out, and he quickly discarded it for being so ludicrous in nature.
Ever since Ulquiorra advised they wait for Celestia to arrive before proceeding, there hadn't been much talk going on. Just lots of silence, and lots of tension; tension that was starting to twist his gut. Tension as they just waited, and waited, and waited.
"Maybe I can do something productive. Maybe I can write a letter to Celestia and explain why she needs to hurry," Spike thought to himself. He really didn't see how it could hurt. So with that thought in mind he went over to Twilight's saddlebags and carefully pulled out the containment lantern, noting that it was still mildly warm to the touch, before setting it aside to better facilitate searching for a quill and some parchment that wouldn't be missed.
"Now what in the wide world of Equestria is that?"
Spike looked up to see Rainbow Dash slowly hobbling her way over to where he stood, her focus drawn to the lantern at his side, and the teal green glow coming from its front lens.
"One of Ulquiorra's Ceros being held in a containment lantern," Spike replied, not sure just how much detail he should be going into right now. Just how much did she really want to know about what Twilight had been up to this morning?
"Sounds pretty cool," Rainbow Dash replied, but her voice was devoid of the usual flare and vitality it normally carried. "Can you read by it?"
"Uhh... I really don't know. It hasn't been dark enough to actually test that out yet," Spike replied, a little caught off guard by that line of questioning. Although he really couldn't imagine sitting down to read by the illumination of that eerie green glow.
"And now another mystery in need of being addressed," Ulquiorra spoke up from where he stood.
"Oh no," Rainbow Dash replied and went to facehoof, but stopped when she nearly toppled over. Bad idea there. "What could have possibly come up during that short exchange, to get your mind going?" she asked. He was always coming up with weird -and terrifying- theories at the strangest of times, and going on so little information too. And she was starting to get sick of it.
"The question of how you ponies make use of lanterns," Ulquiorra replied, "various lanterns were noticed at Barnyard Bargains yesterday during the procurement of supplies. But I have no idea how you ponies manage to light them when you lack the ability to grasp and utilize a match," he explained, detailing why it was a mystery to him.
"Lanterns?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously as she cocked an eyebrow. He seriously wanted to talk about something as mundane as lanterns? He had a really, really weird sense of timing about everything. But the look he was giving her, told her that he was indeed serious about his line of questioning, and that he did want to know the answer. Fine then. If he wanted answers on something like lanterns, he's get his answers. "So who says we can't use matches anyway?"
Ulquiorra said nothing at first. It was a fair point to raise. Nobody had truly stated outright that non-unicorns couldn't use matches. He had simply assumed that they wouldn't, due to the diminutive size of matchsticks, and their lack of fingers.
"Fair enough. How do you use matches?" he asked, deciding to rephrase the question. If it successfully kept her mind focused less on her assumed assault and victimization, the better off they were.
"Like we use pencils," Rainbow Dash, before opening her mouth to run her tongue along her top lip and row of teeth, indicating that it was how the implements were held and manipulated effectively. Was it really that hard to figure out? Or... maybe it was possible that matches in his world were smaller? It might make sense, if humans and similar species didn't have to make use of their mouths to hold and grip something, and didn't have lips to get in the way and possibly burned by a match. She'd assume that was the case.
Ulquiorra could see how that might make sense. He had seen other ponies utilizing their mouths for gripping various items that needed gripping. And if matches were constructed in a manner appropriate for such a style of use -just like how the rakes and hoes seen at Barnyard Bargains were constructed with a T-shaped handle- then he could realistically see how they could make use of lanterns, even if it might prove somewhat difficult to pull off smoothly.
"Some ponies like the old fashioned lanterns that burn oil, but I can't stand the smell of kerosene myself. I prefer the newer crystal lanterns myself," Rainbow Dash added, recalling how that had been a topic of lively debate about what type of technology was better; oil or crystal?
On the one hoof were the crystal lanterns, consisting of a frame, globe, and centralized solar crystal that absorbed the sun's rays through a small window at top, and once the window was covered and the absorption stopped, and a switch was pushed, the crystals would radiate continuous light in a clean, nonhazardous manner. In addition to that they stayed cool to the touch, and posed no risk of fires. The only problem with them was that the crystals could only hold so much of a charge, just long enough for about eight continuous hours of light time, and they weren't the best at long term storage of their charge. So if the sun were ever to be obstructed by heavy cloud cover for a few days, they weren't exactly the most useful.
On the other hoof were the oil lanterns, which came in various styles, but all still consisting of a tank for the fuel, a wick system that required a match, and a glass chimney/globe. They all burned varying types of oil, so fuel was more plentiful if the weather was cloudy. They were also cheaper. But they required a lot more maintenance, like trimming the wick, cleaning the glass, wiping out the soot, they got hot from the use of an actual flame, they were trickier to use and had more moving parts, and there was always the risk of a fire occurring if they were knocked over and the oil leaked out. Plus they smelt funny when lit.
And then there was the point of a more ridiculous nature concerning the color of the produced light. According to the proponents of the oil burners, the produced light was warmer and held a more calming nature due to the yellowish/orange hue that was natural to the flame produced, whereas the pale sickly blue of the crystals was more alienating and spooky to be around.
"When it's snowin' outside ya wan' yer light ta suggest warmth, not make ya think it's liquid windigo in a jar," she remembered Applejack once commenting, holding a disdain for the blatant superiority of the modern technology that could easily illuminate the room to its far reaches when the dampener was off, even if that did consume its solar charge at a quicker rate. Apparently the farm pony preferred the old ways of using her teeth for carrying her old fire hazard around by its wire bail of a gripping area.
Spike blinked. Had... had Ulquiorra done this deliberately? Had he gotten Rainbow Dash talking about matches and lanterns as a way of getting her to focus on something else? Had he picked up on that piece of conversation, and decided to explore and expand upon it? Was this a way of making her use her mind for something entirely unrelated to the problem she was grappling with?
If that was truly the case, then as far as Spike was concerned, Ulquiorra was an utterly magnificent bastard in the intelligence department!
His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the ringing of the bell over the shop's door, bringing his attention back to the here and now. More specifically, it brought his attention to the doorway that lead to the hall and back to the show room. More specifically than that, it brought his attention to the sound of metal against wood, as Celestia slowly made her entrance into the kitchen.
"Ce... Celestia?" Rainbow Dash asked, not really believing her eyes. She'd actually come all the way from Canterlot? Had she come just for her?
"Hello Rainbow Dash," Celestia replied in greeting as she stepped closer, "I'm sorry that I couldn't arrive sooner. When I got word of how serious the matter was, I set out the moment I could," she explained.
"You... you actually came, just for me?" Rainbow Dash asked as she felt herself sit down against the floor, stunned by her words. After everything that'd happened to her there were still ponies that cared about her?
Celestia nodded. "I would do anything for a friend in need. And I can't think of any situation in which somepony would be in more need than right now," she explained as she stepped closer and examined her. More specifically, she examined the splint on her leg. More than likely it was Ulquiorra's work. "Hold still please," she instructed as her horn began to glow.
Rainbow Dash had to close her eyes as the glow of Celestia's horn became incredibly bright. And in a flash her left leg felt tingly all over. As the light faded she looked down, finding the splint was completely gone. Cautiously she flexed her leg, and felt no pain to it. She stood up, easing her weight onto it, and noting how it felt normal. It felt like it was as good as it'd ever been.
"Again, I apologize for not being able to come sooner. But I needed to refresh my knowledge of medical magic due to the circumstances we find ourselves in," Celestia explained, "how's your leg now?"
"Much better," Rainbow Dash replied as she looked down at her leg, and then back at Celestia. "So what now? What about Rarity and the rest of them? Are the others being arrested? Are they gonna be charged?" she asked.
"I'm afraid that's not an option. Yet. Ulquiorra's note was very sparse on exact details beyond your broken leg. Before we can proceed, I have to know just what happened, so I can decide what charges can and should be brought against the others," Celestia explained, before looking over in Spike's direction. "Spike, you may wish to wait outside. I don't believe that this is something you should have to hear."
"You mean... you're actually going to proceed with charges against them? Even with their Element of Harmony status?" Rainbow Dash asked as Spike left the room, finding it difficult to believe now that she was actually hearing it. Wishing for something to be true, and finding out it was actually true, were two very different things.
"Rainbow Dash," Celestia spoke, her voice switching from gentle and comforting, to more of an authoritative tone, "you were raped. Rape is never acceptable, no matter who is involved, whether as the assailant or the victim. I can assure you that there will be no playing favorites here, no matter what. But before we can proceed, I need you to tell me just what happened, and when it happened. If you wish for this to proceed then the details are crucial, Rainbow Dash," she explained, calmly but firmly.
Rainbow Dash nodded, understanding what Celestia meant. She sat herself back down on the floor again, and took a deep breath to steady her nerves, as she readied herself to give another recollection of everything that had happened.
"It... it started four days ago, when Pinkie said there was a party at Rarity's, and that I'd gotten a letter from the Wonderbolts..."
When Celestia had suggested that he might want to wait outside, Spike had interpreted that as to waiting in the hallway outside of the kitchen, next to Twilight who had managed to surprise him with her presence there. He was sure she was still at the hospital with Rarity. But right now he was glad she was there, as she was a friendly face.
He had wanted to ask her about Rarity's condition and how she was doing. But he'd stopped as he heard Rainbow Dash's voice and the mention of a letter from the Wonderbolts.
And then the recollection of events that had happened to her. Details that he had been spared when Ulquiorra had sent him out to get supplies for making a splint. Details that made him wish he'd waited outside the boutique where he didn't have to hear such horrors. The longer she went on, delving into things his young mind had never considered, had never wanted to consider, was twisting his gut and his heart at the same time, and riling him up to the point that he just wanted to punch something. He wanted to find the others and confront them, demand that they tell the truth about what Rainbow Dash was saying they did to her!
But much to his surprise, what was serving to unsettle his nerves even worse than the vivid account of events that Rainbow Dash swore transpired, was the barely restrained, choking sobs that were coming from where Twilight sat. Tears were freely flowing down her cheeks, streaking her lavender fur despite her eyes being squeezed shut, as her lips quivered and shook as she tried to keep herself from totally breaking down.
Seeing Twilight crying in the manner that she was told him all that he needed to know. He didn't need to ask, even rhetorically, if there was any truth to the accusations Rainbow Dash was laying out against her, as he already had his answer.
These weren't the tears of someone who had been caught in the act of doing something bad, and knowing that they would be punished for their actions. These weren't even the tears of someone who knew that they had done something terrible and regretted the part that they played in such an act. Rather these were the tears that were shed by someone who had to watch helplessly as something of great emotional or sentimental value, was taken away from them in the most violent and destructive manner possible. And in this particular case, it was the friendship that she had with Rainbow Dash. A friendship that, by the sounds of what was being said, was ending on a deeply sour note.
Without a word he stepped over and tapped her on the shoulder as she tried to wipe her eyes, causing her to look over at him. He didn't say a word as he stood there, just parting his arms to his side. Thankfully she seemed to understand the simple yet universal gesture, and reached out to pull him into a hug that was very much needed at this point in time, holding onto him for dear life like he was a piece of floating debris in the middle of an unforgiving ocean.
There was no way to stop the tears now. Despite her best efforts at choking them back, that small gesture of kindness on Spike's part was all it took to make the dam give way, causing her to weep freely now.
Celestia liked to think of herself as a pony that could remain calm, cool, and collected regardless of whatever was thrown at her. Ruling Equestria and seeing to its overall wellbeing by herself for a thousand years, she liked to believe that there wasn't a situation that could arise, that could leave her shaken and unable to cope. She liked to think that being forced to banish Luna to the moon for a thousand years was the hardest thing she'd ever have to do in her time.
But as she sat there, listening to Rainbow Dash give the requested details, she wasn't so sure of that unshakable resolve anymore. Hers was a tale of cruelty and abomination that she never believed any pony's mortal mind could willingly conjure all by itself. All of this did nothing except lend more and more credibility to Ulquiorra's theory that they were being targeted. But then it raised the question of just what kind of sadistic mind could possibly -and willingly- entertain such unspeakable acts!? What kind of monster could force Rainbow Dash to experience everything she was telling her? Even Discord would never do something like this!
Would he?
But she needed to be strong and focus. She couldn't allow her outward appearance to convey that she was confused and repulsed by these questions. She needed her outside to radiate calm strength, to support Rainbow Dash when she couldn't support herself. She needed to be unshakably stoic like the Espada to the left of her, who was looking completely unfazed by the recollection of events.
"... and then after I woke up and realized I was free, I came here to confront Rarity... and I just lost it," Rainbow Dash concluded as she looked downward at the floor, uncertain of just what she should be feeling after this latest retelling of what happened to her. She didn't know whether she should be numb and unshaken, or crying on the floor and babbling incoherently as she curled up in a little ball and rocked herself.
"I must say, that's truly a horrifying account of the past few days," Celestia spoke slowly, uncertain of what else she could say at this point in time. Rape, beatings, force feeding, piercings, psychological torture and the destruction of all notions of self worth, forced amputation, genital mutilation... the list just went on, and on, and on. If there were any words of wisdom to be had, they were conspicuously absent from her.
"I know," Rainbow Dash mumbled as she slowly looked upward again. "So are you going to have them arrested now? What can you charge them with?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, but matters like this are usually addressed by a prosecutor first, although I can order their arrest as we sort out the details and reach a conclusion," Celestia explained, "but I'll need to go over some of the details first, just so everything is clear. You said four days ago, right? Not three?" she asked.
"Yeah. Four. I got clocked with a frying pan and was out the whole first day," Rainbow Dash replied and nodded.
"And this coincided with getting an acceptance letter from the Wonderbolts about your application and becoming a full-fledged member of their organization... on a Sunday?" Celestia asked her.
Rainbow Dash was halfway through a nod before stopping and looking at Celestia as if she'd just say the sky was pink. "Wait, say what now? Sunday?" she asked and tilted her head.
Celestia nodded in response. "You didn't count today if I remember correctly. Today is Thursday, making four days ago Sunday. And I know for certain that no mail goes out on Sundays, as they're a recognized day of rest for most businesses; such as Equestria's postal service," she explained calmly.
"Uh..." Rainbow Dash mumbled as she tried to come up with an answer. "I... I don't get it..."
"Perhaps it was a side effect of the frying pan to the head. Maybe you didn't sleep through the whole first day after all, and it actually happened Monday?" Celestia suggested.
"That... yeah, yeah I guess that make sense. Yeah that's probably what happened," Rainbow Dash replied and nodded. That made sense, what with head injuries being notoriously tricky at times. She must've just gotten the date wrong.
"Right then. Regardless of what prosecutor is appointed, they'll want all of their details accurate. Now, you said that after you escaped Rarity's basement, you collapsed on Twilight's balcony and slept through the night, correct?" Celestia asked. Rainbow Dash nodded. "Can you tell me how you came to be there?"
"Like you said, I escaped Rarity's basement," Rainbow Dash replied.
"True. But how did you manage to escape? How did you manage to escape not only steel chains, but also steel locks, and a locked cage? And how did you ever manage to sneak out of the boutique, completely unknown to everyone?" Celestia asked, causing Rainbow Dash to stammer in response.
Ulquiorra remained silent where he stood. He had opted to not point out the logical fallacies of Rainbow Dash's recollection of details, due to concerns that such could cause significant mental trauma in her current state. Yet Princess Celestia seemed to not share his concerns, as she went about picking apart her story.
Had he known that this would be the order of business, he would've gone about doing such himself.
"Uh..." Rainbow Dash mumbled as she tried to come up with an answer.
"How did you come to be on Twilight's balcony? Rarity did cut your primary feathers, as well as rip out a large number of your secondary and tertiary feathers for use in her dresses, correct? You couldn't possibly have flown up there, right?" Celestia asked her.
Now Rainbow Dash could feel herself getting mad. Celestia said she was a friend, that she'd do anything to help out a friend in need. But all she was doing, was asking her questions that she couldn't answer. Questions that were the kind someone would only ask if they didn't believe her, and thought she was making stuff up!
"Of course she did! She ripped them out so hard they bled! See for yourself!" Rainbow Dash yelled angrily and flared her wings outward so she could see the damage that'd been done to them.
Celestia said nothing as her horn glowed, summoning a full length mirror into existence in front of her, allowing Rainbow Dash to see what she herself saw.
Rainbow Dash gasped at the sight of her reflection, and the lack of a single mark on her entire body. Each and every one of her feathers were still present and undisturbed. Her right ear that Rarity had sliced right off was still in place, no sign of having ever been gone. All of the piercings that'd been put in her body were missing. How could this be?!
Desperately Rainbow Dash rolled over onto her back and looked back at the mirror. There was no sign of Rarity stitching of her... there was no sign of Rarity's stitching anywhere!
"How?" Rainbow Dash asked as she moved herself back into an upright sitting position. Nothing was making any sense. "S-s-somepony must've found me and healed me," she reasoned, trying to make sense of it all. That had to be it, it made perfect sense.
"Rainbow Dash-" Celestia began, preparing to explain that attempting to heal the injuries she believed she sustained, as well as regrowing missing tissue, was a task that Ponyville's entire medical staff couldn't have performed. Even a dozen unicorns, trained in the art of healing magic, wouldn't have been able to achieve such a goal.
But she never managed to get that far, as the disturbed pegasus immediately interrupted her with an excited outburst.
"I'm not making this up! I swear it happened, all of it! I experienced it, I felt it! They raped me! They cut my feathers, they ripped them out! They cut off my ear! It all happened! It ALL happened!" Rainbow Dash yelled loudly and pounded her hooves against the floor boards, panting hard in frustration and physical exertion. Why wasn't Celestia believing her? Why wasn't anypony believing her? What kind of sick mind would construct such horrors, and go around telling them to others?
"I'm not saying you made it up, Rainbow Dash. I know you well enough to know that you would never concoct such vicious statements about those that you considered to be your best friends. I truly believe that something happened to you. But at present time I simply don't know what," Celestia explained as calmly as she could, trying to sooth the pegasi's excited state and ease her back to a state that could be reasoned with. In her current agitated state she could pose a risk to her own safety.
Carefully she eased herself over to where Rainbow Dash sat and breathed heavily, almost like she couldn't even catch her breath at this point. Just as she did with Twilight during her time of need, Celestia reached out and pulled the cyan pegasus into a soft but firm embrace, utilizing both forelegs and wings. She felt Rainbow Dash resist and struggle at first, before eventually ceasing her struggling and simply sunk into the embrace, her body now trembling.
"What... w-w-what's happening to me? Am I going crazy?" Rainbow Dash asked shakily as she looked up to Celestia for guidance. "Is, is what happened to Chrysalis happening to me too? Am I losing my mind?"
"I don't know, Rainbow Dash, I don't know what happened to you. But I promise that I'll do everything I can to help you," Celestia replied as she stroked her back, trying to keep calm in order to compensate for Rainbow Dash's own inability to do such. She couldn't afford to let on just how scared she was right now, no matter how much she wanted to confide in someone else right now.
The sobbing in the hallway had grown louder at this point. Celestia and Ulquiorra had both been aware of it since Rainbow Dash's recollection. But now it was audible that even the cyan pegasus could easily hear it, her ears twitching in the process. She'd heard that crying before, and knew who it was. Only one unicorn she knew had that particular style of blubbering. And that knowledge was starting to make her heart beat faster, and her skin grow hot as panic began to set in.
"That's Twilight. Don't let her near me, please," Rainbow Dash pleaded and started squirming again. "I'm not going back into the basement again! I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!"
The matter at hoof was worse than Celestia had initially thought. She truly hadn't expected this level of panic to come from Rainbow Dash of all ponies, and simply from recognizing the voice of one of her friends being close by.
"Ulquiorra," Celestia spoke up as she turned to where the Espada stood, "would you escort Twilight back to the library for the time being?"
Ulquiorra said nothing in response. This entire situation was of an utterly ridiculous nature. He would admit that his own curiosity on this matter had piqued somewhat, as he wondered what could ultimately be responsible for Rainbow Dash's memory being affected. But that was in which Celestia was going about it struck him as odd. There was far too much coddling going on, and it didn't strike him as being very conductive of getting answers.
But ultimately it wasn't his place to object. Rather it was his place to follow orders. Without a word, he walked out of the kitchen to tend to his duties, and escort Twilight Sparkle back to the library.
"I'm not safe here. I'm not. Not with all the rest of them here," Rainbow Dash stated. Rarity was the mastermind of what had happened to her, but that didn't let the other four off the hook. Each and every one of them could come back for retribution, and possibly do worse than what she'd experienced over the past three days.
"Did you really think I'd just up and leave you here by yourself?" Celestia asked as she tightened the embrace just a little bit to try and calm her again. "I believe the current circumstances are serious enough to warrant a few days in Canterlot palace. Nopony can, or will, hurt you there. I promise," she said in a reassuring manner.
"What... what about Tank? I can't leave him here by himself. And I don't want Fluttershy having him either, who knows what she might do to him," Rainbow Dash protested.
"Tank can come along too. I think he'd enjoy the royal gardens," Celestia replied as she rubbed her back, not wanting Rainbow Dash to have to worry about her pet in addition to her own problems. Perhaps the tortoise's presence would prove beneficial in this matter, and aid in her recovery.
Rainbow Dash nodded silently and closed her eyes in an effort to calm her excited state and bring her heart rate back down. However that moment of calm soon came to an end, as her eyes shot wide open.
"No! No, no, no, no, no! I can't go to Canterlot, forget that! I've gotta stay for Scoot, I can't leave her here all by herself! They made me submit or they'd torture her to punish me for resisting! Never mind me, I can't let anything happen to Scootaloo!"
"I promise you, Rainbow Dash, nopony will be allowed to harm Scootaloo. And while I admire your loyalty towards others, you have been harmed. Your determination is admirable, but unfortunately, now isn't the time for that. You need care and support that simply can't be provided here in Ponyville. What you need to do right now, is to let someone worry about the important things. Do you think that you can do that, Rainbow Dash? Can you trust us enough to let us deal with these matters ourselves?" Celestia asked her.
This was a very important question to be asking right now. Whether or not Rainbow Dash got better was going to depend on whether or not she could bring herself to trust others and let go of whatever control she had of the situation. Celestia knew she was asking much of the cyan pegasus after what she thought she'd been through. But if she couldn't let down her guard enough to trust them, then there would be no hope for her.
"I... I'll try..." Rainbow Dash mumbled and nodded weakly.
The walk back to the library was one of a silent and somber nature, none of the three parties saying a word. Apart from the sniffling of Twilight as they walked, not a sound was heard coming from any of them.
It had taken very little in the way of motivation for Ulquiorra to get Twilight and Spike to leave Carousel Boutique and return to the Golden Oaks Library as instructed. He could suppose that it was grounds for being thankful, as there was no point in an argument at this point. However if push came to shove, the information garnered from today's scientific discoveries could prove useful, as he now knew that the unicorn's body could withstand his sonido to some degree, should he need to grab her and expedite her removal from the location.
However it hadn't come to that. Instead of a forced relocation, he simply had to walk with them as they returned to the library of their own volition, after being informed that it was their assigned destination by Princess Celestia.
"I fail to see the reason for your despair," he commented as the door to the library was opened, allowing them to enter. "The number of reasons as to why Princess Celestia will not seek prosecution either of yourself or the other members of your group are extensive. There are far too many witnesses to contradict Rainbow Dash's account of events that occurred, with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna being among them," he explained as he closed the door behind the two.
Now he found himself in a minute quandary. His instructions had been to escort Twilight Sparkle and Spike back to the library, but Princess Celestia had been absent in explaining what she wanted him to do after that. Was he supposed to return to the boutique? Or was he supposed to keep these two from returning to the boutique?
"It's not that," Twilight sniffed as she dropped to her haunches and used her foreleg to wipe her eyes, her voice still seriously distorted by the swelling in her muzzle, making the crying all the more painful for her to tolerate. "I know we're not in trouble. Celestia told me what she was going to be doing when she talked to Rainbow Dash," she explained. The plan had been to determine just what the nature of Rainbow Dash's mental state was at the time. And if the opportunity presented itself, she was to enter the picture slowly, and cautiously, and gauge the responses that were had.
However that had completely fallen apart as she sat there, listening to just what Rainbow Dash had to say in detailing her story. It had sickened her and saddened her, and driven her completely over the edge into overwhelming sadness. If Spike hadn't been there to hold onto her, she would've gone galloping into the kitchen and dove at the disturbed pegasus, enveloping her in the biggest hug she'd ever given anyone, and begged her for forgiveness while simultaneously apologizing for anything and everything under the sun. She would've even taken responsibility for Luna becoming Nightmare Moon if she had thought it would do some good.
Just sitting there in the hallway, listening to her friend be in pain, describing how she'd had her sense of trust ripped away from her just like that, had been the emotional equivalent of being disemboweled. It'd drawn up disturbing images of being slit open crotch to eyeball with a dull deer antler, and having her heart and stomach torn right out. Her friend had been in need, and she'd been helpless to do anything to lend even the slightest bit of assistance in the matter. It'd gone far beyond being helpless, as her friend had been convinced that SHE was one of the sources of her discomfort, rendering her utterly contaminated in the matter. She was more or less regarded as poison at this point.
"I had to sit in that hallway and listen as Rainbow Dash recounted some of the most atrocious things I've ever heard before in my life, and attribute her suffering to us. Not some random stranger who took advantage of her in an impaired state, not some villain who wanted to destroy what we had that made us strong so they couldn't be defeated, but to her best friends. I had to sit there and know that there was absolutely nothing I could do to help one of my best friends during what just had to be the worst possible time of need, when she's afraid, and vulnerable, and doesn't know who she can trust," Twilight explained, her sadness beginning to mix with frustration over her inability to do anything.
She couldn't help Rainbow Dash. She couldn't even help Rarity. The only reason Rarity was still alive was because Spike had intervened first in order to protect her, and overpowered Rainbow Dash before she could sink the scissors into the fashionista's neck. Twice already she had let her friends down when they needed her most. And if she counted her failure to understand Applejack's fear of lightning, that was three times she'd failed her friends just today. She really was useless in this matter.
Ulquiorra was silent, having nothing to say on the matter. He listened to the explanation given by Twilight Sparkle. He was now beginning to understand the reasoning for her despair. As well as once again remembering a portion of last night's conversation that seemed highly relevant right now.
+++
"Another way of knowin' if ya got friends er not, is the difficulty experienced when it comes time ta end the friendship. Ah know it might seem simple ta do, outside lookin' in an' all, but it really ain't. Like it er not when ya get to be friends wit' somepony, ya get attached to 'em an' the company they provide. An' when they do somethin' tha' hurts ya in ways ya jus' can't forgive an' forget, ya jus' gotta call it quits, no matter how much ya desperately wish it didn' have ta be done," Applejack continued, her voice and outward expression no longer as upbeat as it had been early in the conversation. It was a detail that failed to slip past Ulquiorra's perception unnoticed.
"The concept of friendship sounds quite similar to the concept of the heart, and the potential it has for causing harm and suffering to others," he pointed out, "is it worth it? The potential for harm seems significant in nature, and I can't help but wonder why anyone would willingly put themselves through such a gamble," he continued, finding the presented situation too good to pass up on asking the question.
"Well ah can't speak fer everypony on this, tha's jus' not possible. But fer mahself ah think it is. Somethin' Granny Smith told me growin' up, there's two ways o' goin' through life. Ya can either always be guardin' yerself an' scared o' gettin' hurt, never really takin' a chance. Or ya can be willin' ta take take yer chances an' the lumps that're thrown at ya along the way. Jus' because somethin' could end badly doesn' mean that it will, an' ya can't always plan on the worst case scenario. Ya gotta have a little optimism in life... difficult as it might seem," Applejack explained. She truly hadn't been caught off guard by Ulquiorra's position on the matter. She'd had a number of conversations with him ever since their first meeting, and a few things had come up over during those encounters. Truth be told, she would've been surprised if he hadn't been somewhat pessimistic about it. "Life's a gamble. Sometimes ya come out on top, other times ya don't. Ain't much more to it than that."
+++
It would appear that Applejack knew what she was talking about. Currently Twilight Sparkle was experiencing pain of an intense and non-physical manner due to what Rainbow Dash was going through. She believed that their friendship had been lost due to what had happened to her, and it was hurting her. If anything this simply served to reinforce his earlier observation about the nature of friendship, and the potential it had for causing harm.
"Do you have any idea what it feels like to realize that you're absolutely useless? To realize that no matter what, there's nothing you can do when someone is relying on you the most?"
It was a question that interrupted his thoughts and observations. A question presented in a tone that was practically dripping with bitter venom. A question presented by Twilight Sparkle, as she sat there, glaring at the floor of the library, with her reiatsu flaring. Sadness had given way to frustration. And frustration was beginning to grow. Frustration that was motivating her to look for an outlet in someone else.
"I do," Ulquiorra replied simply. He knew better than anyone what it was like to come to the realization that he was useless. He had been tasked with protecting Las Noches, and he had failed miserably in his duty to do such. He had failed in his duty, and lost his life because of it. From her expression, Twilight Sparkle seemed to realize what he was talking about, and come to the conclusion that she'd asked an improper question, and hung her head in response. Improper from her perspective rather than his own. "What do you intend to do about it?"
Something, buried deep within her being, clicked at Ulquiorra's words. His question was so utterly simple in nature, and yet so very profound at the exact same time. What was she going to do? Was she going to simply lay down on the floor and cry her eyes out over her inability to help Rainbow Dash? Was she going to give into despair, just like she was ready to do when they first faced Discord, and he brought their worst qualities to the surface? Was she simply going to take it and accept defeat?
Or was she going to fight through the despair in order to help Rainbow Dash when she needed it the most?
Now she felt very foalish for her previous actions. She had been crying her eyes out because of how she felt, rather than worrying about what Rainbow Dash was going through. Now instead of feeling foalish she felt mad. Furious actually. Furious at herself for her own short-sighted selfishness.
This wasn't friendship. This wasn't friendship at all.
This.
Was.
For Ulquiorra it was impossible to not notice the violent explosion of reiatsu in the middle of the room where Twilight Sparkle sat, or rather stood at this point in time and stomped her front right hoof. She could've bellowed at the top of her lungs, just as she had done back in the throne room of Canterlot palace, and it still would've produced less commotion than he was experiencing now. Even in her weakened condition, with more than half of her reiryoky gone, her reiatsu was still significant in nature and quantity.
Her sadness had melted away and gave rise to frustration. Her frustration had incinerated and flaked away to anger. And her anger had morphed into outright fury. A fury that even he could tell was burning in her eyes with great intensity. It was almost like staring into a bonfire.
"I'll tell you exactly what we're going to do! We're going to help Rainbow Dash because she's our friend! She still needs us, even if she doesn't realize it. We're going to find out what hurt her, we're going to find out how it hurt her, and then we're going to make things right, no matter what it takes! We're going to show this thing that it picked the wrong ponies to fuck with!" she declared and raised her hoof defiantly in the air.
"So... how do we go about doing that?" Spike asked, curious to see just what Twilight had in mind. Not that he hadn't been motivated by the sudden upswing in personality and determination. But motivated or not, he still wanted to know the game plan at hand. What exactly could they do in a situation like this, when they didn't even have the first clue on where to start?
Despite the doubt that the question carried with it, Twilight's resolve didn't waiver. Instead she just gave a grin that suggested she had already foreseen such a development -and wasn't disappointed that she was right- as she turned to face Ulquiorra.
"You can sense an individual's mana even at long distances. Can you detect it in a residual form where an individual's been?" she asked him.
"It can be done," Ulquiorra replied. Already his mind was piecing together what Twilight Sparkle was likely thinking. If they could determine all of the locations that Rainbow Dash had recently visited, then they could potentially develop a timeline of events that occurred from the time the cyan pegasus had left at dawn, up to the time when she had attacked Rarity. "And unlike blood and other traces of bodily tissue, reiryoku remains impossible to scour away regardless of the amount of bleach and brillo pads being used to try and cover something up."
Despair over discovering certain immutable facts was a perfectly reasonable response. To understand that there were certain things that couldn't be overcome, no matter how much effort was put into them, was a sign of intelligence and reason. But despair over matters that were not immutable was not a reasonable response. And currently there was no reason for him to believe that Rainbow Dash's mental state could not be changed. To him currently, this was not a hopeless situation, but rather a puzzle. A complex puzzle to which there were no immediately visible seams, but a puzzle nonetheless. One that could be solved if some simply looked close enough, and exercised intelligent thought.
Twilight Sparkle's current state was far more conductive of success then her state back at the boutique. Perhaps success could be had after all.
"Marvelous! Then that means we can not only find out where Rainbow Dash has been, but that also there's no chance of covering it up! This is going to be foolproof! Spike, Ulquiorra, gather around. I've got a plan on just what we're going to do..."
It would be impossible to deny a simple truth right now. This sudden upswing in mood and attitude by Twilight Sparkle had managed to pique his curiosity. She had gone from despair to vengeance quickly, and was already formulating a plan for how to proceed from this point. As strange as it might sound -and as strange as it sounded to him- he actually found himself wanting to know just what she had in mind at this point.
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Well I guess we can call this a season break? I do hope you continue eventually.
Also, I believe this may be the first use of the concept of rape and/or torture in a ponyfic I do not disagree with. Because, really, it would take nothing less to make Dash actually try to kill the other Elements.
Sadly, what was described isn't even the worst of what I have seen in glue and rape fics.
I wonder if this Equestria is merging/overlapping with some super-grimdark alternate reality?
Well...that was, a thing.
Being convinced she felt, remembered, saw, heard, and was completely disillusioned to thinking that happened.
I'd really prefer to not think this do to not seeing the motivation, but.
Sounds a lot like
Kyōka Suigetsu
4407625
4407637
The memories transplanted into RD are from story/"timeline" Mistress Do Well by Kaidan. Specifically, I think it was a non-canon (to that storyline) alternate ending.
Holy FUCK, man… I KNOW I don't normally curse… that's something else… What in the HELL? How? Who? WHAT? Wait… that thing you posted a while back… about that character who could make your worse fears come to life? It showed RD her worst fear… Betrayal. The Element of Loyalty most fears others betraying her trust… because she is the embodiment of Loyalty. I suspect other things along similar lines would happen to the other Elements… and maybe Spike. Wait... Don't tell me… it's Äs Nödt?
4407637 … Holy fucking shit… the zanpakuto that's so powerful, not even the audience is safe from its effects?
4407760
Huh. I know Kaidan. Didn't know he ever wrote something that fucked up. Too bad the mods don't let me downvote stuff I haven't read anymore.
4407773
I'd prefer the thought of that being the case rather than Aizen somehow being here.
I think Ulquiorra is one of the strongest in Bleach, Maybe even second strongest if you don't count super enraged Hollow Ichigo, and Final Getsuga Ichigo but I don't think he could defeat Aizen.
Edit: Third, forgot about Yamamoto.
This thing has just crossed a line. I had some measure of respect for whatever was doing this. It was going about this entire thing in an intelligent way. Never directly got involved with any plans, at least as far as anyone knows, and manipulated everything from behind the scenes in an intelligent way. But this...this was so obvious and horrible that it is either desperate, a complete idiot, or they're walking into a trap with Rainbow Dash as the bait.
The only possible reason I could see myself not wanting to see this being's blood, or whatever it is fueled by, staining Ulquiorra's sword, every single Element bearer's hooves, Spike's claws, and the room just being covered in it, would be if it was not responsible for what was shown. Ala a kind of "worst fear" kind of spell.
I guess my theory that it was Equestria, or even their world, doing all of this in an attempt to get rid of Ulquiorra is completely shot...It is Aizen? Can Kyōka Suigetsu create false memories and replace real ones?
That's one MEAN cliffhanger to leave and then go on hiatus.
4407856
No, I don't think so. But it can be stopped allowing people to see the truth behind the illusion.
Such as with Momo and Aizen switching places.
But I'd really rather this not be Aizen in here.
Oh come on man, don't leave it on such a cliffhanger. But if you must go on a hiatus, I understand. Besides, being able to say that you were able to update every week for an entire year is something to be very proud of.
As for everyone talking about Aizen, I don't think the Kyōka Suigetsu can completely block out old memories or stop people from seeing the truth after the illusion itself is over.
Now, I know you said not to comment on the notice but...
I think a Haitus for this would be good.
This has been a perfect story, with magnificent characterization.
Taking a break ensures that it won't start to rot and Characters won't start get flanderized.
Along with that it will also make sure you can flush out ideas to make sure they can work.
Now for some comments on the Story itself.
Ulquiorra has shown the following powers to all the ponies.
1st Resurrección, Cero, Bala to the mane6, Pesquisa, Heirro, Sonido,Luz de la Luna, air walking/ or whatever it is.
To the princesses he has show that and.
Solita Vista, High speed regeneration, and Cero Oscuras to Celestia
He hasn't shown.
Descorra he attempted but couldn't get it to work, my theory would be because the shield twilight made, uses surrounding mana.
Segunda Etapa, Gran Ray Cero, attempted but stopped by Celestia, Lanza del Relampago, and Garganta broadcast (According to the wiki thats its name)
I've come to the conclusion Ulquiorra has a lot of powers, not sure how it is entirely relevant but, all the same.
Loved the story and technically if you count it as 52 chapters Thats four anime seasons, consistent over a whole year.
And Something kind of interesting he hasn't told the ponies at all, mostly do to no time for it to come up, is that he assisted in the kidnapping of Orihime.
Badass Twilight is BADASS!
A three day (she says four, but if she was out cold for the first of those, how would she know it actually was that long?) torture, in a time span of less than a day? Sounds like we've got a Mangekyo Sharingan on our hands. The Deus ex Machingan is an Out of Context problem for Equestria, but Discord noticed and called on a further Out of Context character to help. Because of Ulquiorra's nihilistic nature, the Tsukuyomi wouldn't be almost worthless on him; because of his high speed regeneration, the Amaterasu technique would likewise be rendered an annoyance. Susanoo might be an issue, but Ulquiorra would just need to use the Segunda Etapa and crush the Uchiha in despair and that'd be that.
This is just my theory, though.
The overall descriptions of what Rainbow at least thinks happened paints a rather haunting and disturbing image. I imagine that getting a letter describing such things out of nowhere in the middle of a royal court would make just about anyone say WTF. Nice way of adding some comedy in the apparent tragedy. It would seem Twilight has her own power up moments, Would that not make her the Ichigo of the story? Awesome Chapter.
4407831 Yeah, I'm not saying it's Aizen… and I HOPE TO GOD it's not him. Frankly, it'd make more sense for it to NOT be him. That would mean Aizen's been here a while, and he's analyzed everything. Need I remind you, Discord had to specifically select Ulquiorra to bring him to Equis. I highly doubt he'd do the same thing twice. Especially on someone so easily manipulating. But it COULD be Enemy X, the one who's been pulling all these strings… or a minion of Enemy X… Whatever. I still want Ulquiorra to kill it. Kill it with Ceros.
4409549
Yeah, thats why I can't see why it would be Aizen.
Though I don't want Ulquiorra to kill Enemy X. I want him to tear off its arms and legs burn the wounds closed, Drag it to Canterlot castle,have it admit everything its done, then finally it can die, only so it won't have any possibility of being a threat later.
So when are we going to see Ulquiorra use his second release state, cause I can't wait to their reactions to that.
This is actually a bit... different from the normal way the story is going.
Me like!
I actually think it might be something similar to this guys power Shūkurō Tsukishima
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111223041336/bleach/en/images/1/10/Ep350TsukishimaProfile.png
Well this has been a kick in the jaw. Gotta say that I never anticipated the story going in this direction... kinda Cupcakey/Rainbow Factoryish. Gonna be interesting to see what the big bad is gonna be, not really award of any MLP villains that mindfuck their victims, guess it'll be something to ponder in the weeks ahead.
It's been a pleasure editing for you Charlie, whenever you decide to jump back into the story you can count on me being ready to help. Take care man.
Below you will find this chapter's edits:
*she helplessly laid on the - she helplessly lay on the
*happened, or what hat caused - happened, or what had caused
*a Vizard when when - a Vizard was when
*of sleeping out her pillow, - of sleeping without her pillow,
*she currently laid. She, - she currently lay. She,
*some baby was a drastically - some baby with a drastically
^sought out how advice - sought out her advice
*he timeline doesn't does not coincide - he timeline does not coincide
*that bile in check once again. - his bile in check once again.
*it? Was this way of - it? Was this a way of
*Dash to experience everything? Even - Dash to experience everything she was telling her? Even
*relying on your the - relying on you the
*proceed from his point. As - proceed from this point. As
Well that does explain things now and guess I was sort of right in my thoughts last chapter, something did fuck with RD just...not in a way I had expected. Sheesh rape/torture to a level that even Espada wouldn't do *if only because it too much of a hassle* is pretty bad, well I do hope what did this gets torn apart and promptly.
Actually no I want to see Rainbow Dash kill it, have Mr. 4 beat it down enough for it to be weak enough for RD to properly fight and defeat it. I think she more than deserves the right to finish off what ever did that to her...and frankly doubt even Flutters or Pinkie would disagree with the act if they learn just what this. Well THING did to their friend.
I wonder... I know I mentioned my theory on targeted brain damage, but perhaps I was wrong... Hypnosis would leave no magical trace, but it can be torn apart. At this point, normal hypnosis would have failed, and Rainbow's true memories would have surfaced, as soon as she saw herself in the mirror, and realized none of what she remembered could have happened. But memory spells take time in this world. That said, on Equis, it may be instantaneous. Perhaps Rainbows reiryoku forced out the reiryoku of the spell after it was complete, but there would still be traces in whatever area was used for Ulquiorra to pick up. Perhaps targeted brain damage could affect memory, but I'm unsure of that. In theory it could work, but the longevity of the effect on such a small scale is limited... But, of course, longevity of effect is not an issue, here.
4407898 I'm guessing the people who make up the fanbase for "Dairies of a Madman" are made up by sick-fucks like you, it makes sense after I read (most) of it and saw its major popularity despite my distaste.
4410383
Sorry, guess again; the story's in my read-later list, but I have never actually read it.
4410405 Well, there is enough clop (rape) fuel awaiting you!
4410407
Except for the fact that she saw his memories, and found nothing that stuck out to her. She has no reason to believe that he has a second released state. Why she didn't see it, I don' know. Perhaps Ulquiorra is just that good. Or perhaps she was terrified by what she saw and pulled out early.
That sounded so wrong, you know?
I know.
Whoa. I wonder why Dash is behaving like this. What forces could possibly put her through this much trauma and why? Man I can't wait until next week when-
You and your cliffhangers man...
What a warping chapter this was. The capability of the mystery antagonist is to be commended greatly to implement such a traumatizing false memory inside of Rainbow Dash.
I was invigorated near the chapter's end with Twilight's newfound resolve and Ulquiorra's curiosity. A pity that this is going on temporary hiatus, but it's for the best given your reasons
Took Spike long enough...
4410422
Out of curiosity, why are you telling me this? I never said I enjoyed reading about rape or torture, I'm saying that the memories implanted in RD are from that storyline. I was also saying that Kaidan also wrote it in a way that didn't bore me.
4410501 Cause I'm helping a sick fuck attain more reading material out of the kindness of my hard.
4409948 That's what I've been thinking, but it wouldn't cover everything that's going on.
4410428
I think of it as, she was watching the memories cronologically and when she got to Ulquiorra's release and nearly killing ichigo, right before he transformed a second time, she stopped watching, seeing as she said "I have seen enough"
4410555
Settle down pal. Keep in mind that I too read the story, and the followup sequel, before coming up with these ideas. And I thoroughly disliked the material of each.
The moment i herd Rainbows mention rape I immediately thought of the plot in 'Mistress do well' and as it turns out it actually is or maybe coincidence?(don't think so)
As for my thoughts on the last 4-5 chapters in this story i have to point out that there are so meany pointless descriptions or otherwise simple or short sentences that get stretched out to ludicrous degrees and basically become pointless and ad nothing to the plot and only lengthen the chapter.
I noticed this because i started basically skipping chunks of text constantly that were basically considered pointless by my eyes and at the end of the chapter i found out i didn't lose any crucial detail that is important further down the line which basically means that some chapters are long because of pointless details that go nowhere and are unnecessary
That's just how i feel about it and my best description of the problem i have with the last few chapters (although i think the story as a whole has this problem )
As a example of this lats take the mention of lanterns in this chapter. I sirusly didn't need to read rainbows thought process and debates on that it's completely pointless and goes nowhere it could have bean simplified with a short string of text
It is going to be a BITCH waiting for the next chapter!!
4410685 Your right, I apologize. I just get passionate (bitchy) when people justify an "eye for an eye" punishment, but in the end they are just stories and I should not judge people for liking them.
Ewww, someone's fusing their world with a gorefest, grimdark world.
It's like that horrible Mario Brother's movie all over again!
Well, whoever's responsible is going to have to be raped by Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Ladin IN HELL!!
Seriously, that movie was so bad, anyone emulating it deserves rape!
4407637 Question is, how did Aizen get there?
He's in very severe confinement.
Did Discord do this as well? And where the hell is that treasonous monstrosity?
4408124 And then , Luffy shows up and kicks Madara's ass because he's too badassed to be stopped by anything!
The the Master shows up and tries to turn everypony into copies of himself!
Then the Star Ship Enterprise fires its phasers on him!
AND THEN ALL THE UNIVERSES COLLIDE AND IT GETS CRAZY, MAN!!
(Alondo should never do drugs... since he's like this normally already...)
4409968
I think the comparison you are looking for is "Rocket to Insanity" in which Dash has recurring vivid nightmares of the fic "Cupcakes" resulting in her murdering Pinkie.
4410759
HEY! I used to like that movie.
I had a thought, if anyone is willing to they could write a version of this but with Starrk and Lilynette. Kind of like same events Dragon, Cangelings and such but done a bit differently.
I'd write it, but I'm shit at writting.
Anyone else what has happened to pinkie pie, fluttershy, and applejack while this was going on.
Ah, of course...
Classic Mind-Rape scenario. Perfectly timed, too. How better to break up a team than by turning them all against each other with false memories of enmity and trauma? *Cough Sunset Shimmer Wishes She Could Be This Evil *Cough
I like this road. Let's see where it goes.
4411069 You should feel great shame for that.