Chapter Fifty Seven
Chapter Fifty Seven
Rarity's attention immediately snapped to a loud rustling coming from the undergrowth behind them, causing her to tense up once she remembered that they were currently in the Everfree Forest of all places. That meant whatever was coming from behind the underbrush could quite literally be anything. How many hundreds of dangerous animals did Ulquiorra say made the Everfree Forest their home? That meant the odds of a carnivore being the one they'd encounter were quite good right now.
She knew that it was believed to be a jinx to ask what, in any particular situation, could possibly go wrong. And it was for that reason that she hadn't voiced such a statement out loud. She had the savyness to know that if she did such, she would essentially be setting herself up to fail.
But despite that effort, the situation at hoof was indeed going very wrong. Rainbow Dash was reacting to something that she could neither see nor hear, leaving her unable to help her friend. They were likely to be confronted by a vicious, pony-eating wild beast that could devour the two of them with ease. And her magic was still too weak to mount an effective defense against whatever it might be.
She knew that it was believed to be a jinx to ask what, in any particular situation, could possibly go wrong. And it was for that reason that she hadn't voiced such a statement out loud. But she had absolutely no idea that simply thinking such a question could have such an effect!
"Shut up or you're gonna be the one to die," she heard Rainbow Dash growl, bringing her attention away from the ever-growing rustling. Her distraction was just going to make the situation worse.
"Darling, I fear that we might both die if we don't get our act together. Something's coming for us!" Rarity stated firmly as she poked the cyan pegasus in the ribs to get her attention, before gesturing over to the shrubbery. "We need to work together. Killing me won't amount to anything if you die as well, will it?" she asked, hoping to snap her friend back into the here and now, and get her focused on something far more important at the moment. There was no chance in Tartarus of her being able to deal with this all on her own. And even though Rainbow Dash might be reluctant to help her with anything, she had to at least try and appeal to whatever sense of logic she still had about her.
Rainbow Dash blinked and shook her head, looking between Rarity and at the rustling bushes. She then looked between them again, and then yet again, in an effort to determine where her focus should be. Who or what should she try and deal with first and foremost?
Finally, with much uncertainty, and a grumbled "fine" she finally settled on turning to face the shrubbery, arching her back to get into a battle stance, and flex her wings for action. She'd deal with Rarity later...
The two stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder, and wither to wither, ready to face whatever threat might be coming through those bushes in search of them.
Or at least they did... until what came stumbling and tripping through the bushes with a startled yelp wasn't some carnivorous monstrosity that shouldn't even exist, but rather were three familiar faces, belonging to Spike, Pinkie, and -surprisingly enough- Ditzy. And after that discovery the tension began melting, and giving way for the utter confusion to set in.
"My word," Rarity stated in disbelief, "what're you three doing out here?" she asked as she trotted over to them in order to begin plucking the leaves and twigs off of them that they'd managed to get tangled in. Spike himself wasn't so bad, as his scales didn't lend themselves to picking up random particles of filth. A cursory dusting off would work for him. But as for Ditzy and Pinkie, oh those two were going to need special attention to get them cleaned up.
Spike wheezed as he pushed himself up into a standing position, before leaning forward and throwing his arms around Rarity's neck, too relieved to form any intelligible words at this point. Rarity returned the embrace by wrapping a foreleg around Spike's tiny shoulders.
"Don't think that I'm not glad to see you, Spike, but what exactly are you three doing so far out here in the forest?" she asked, hoping to get some kind of answer.
"We came looking for you," Pinkie replied as she climbed back to her hooves, "when we didn't find you at Carousel Boutique we got worried and came looking for you," she explained.
Ditzy nodded in agreement with Pinkie's explanation. "They asked me to help since I can actually see above the treeline. So I was out flying around, and then I saw you and Rainbow Dash walking, and relayed the information back to them."
"Yeppers! Ditzy was the eye in the sky for me and Spike! We never would've been able to find you without her help. I mean, like, ever!" Pinkie stated and nodded excitedly.
"Aww," Ditzy replied and waved her hoof dismissively, unaccustomed to the high degree of praise that was being heaped upon her. "I didn't do anything all that special."
"Didn't do anything special?!" Pinkie asked in disbelief, practically appearing right in front of Ditzy in the blink of an eye. "You pointed out right where they were! You lead us right to them! You were terrific!" she stated and proceeded to hug the gray pegasus for all she was worth.
Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was as confused as all Tartarus by what was happening. What was happening? Where had the others come from, and how did they find them all the way out here? She could've sworn they were deep in the Everfree Forest by now.
"Could I go home now? Dinky and Sparkler might start getting worried if I'm gone too long," Ditzy finally managed to wheeze out, causing Pinkie to stop the intense hugging process.
"Sure!" Pinkie replied and let her go, her forelegs flying open as if they were spring-loaded to let the pegasus go. "Come by Sugarcube Corner sometime, I'll see to it you get a ton of muffins!"
"Woohoo!" Ditzy cheered in excitement at the prospect of muffins. Or more specifically, Sugarcube Corner muffins. How awesome was that?
Rainbow Dash watched in silence as Ditzy took off into the air, her left eye twitching the entire time. This... she didn't know what it was. Her mind was having trouble processing what was going on.
However a sudden -and very excited- yell of "Dashie!" from the side brought her attention back to the present, just in time to catch sight of Pinkie headed toward her at top speed. Giving her just barely enough time to flap and propel herself off the ground, and avoid what would've been a bone-crushing embrace.
"Stay back! Don't touch me!" she yelled.
"Dashie?" Pinkie asked, confused by the sudden display.
"You heard me! You stay away from me, or things're gonna get real ugly, deal or no deal!" Rainbow Dash stated firmly, gesturing firmly with her foreleg as she maintained her distance from the others.
"Rainbow Dash!" Spike yelled to get her attention, once he managed to find his voice, and once he finally managed to untangle himself from Rarity's embrace. "Nobody wants to hurt you. We didn't come here to hunt you down, we just came to make sure Rarity's alright. Can't we just go back to Ponyville, sit down, and talk this out like rational ponies?" he asked, trying his best to reason with her.
"No we can't. You don't get it, little dude, you have no idea what happened," Rainbow Dash called back down.
"Bullshit!" Spike called back up to her. "I heard everything you told Celestia about what happened to you, about what the others did to you. You think I'm some ignorant little baby dragon?" he asked rhetorically as he looked up at where she hovered. "I get it. I really do. But that doesn't mean I can just stand by, and let you hurt Rarity, or anyone else for that matter..." he stated and paused to gulp nervously, trying to steady his nerves. "And... if I have to... I'm gonna stop you myself..."
Utter silence followed Spike's statement, nopony really knowing what to say in response to his declaration of intent.
At least until Rarity finally found her voice.
"Oh my," she stated slowly, his words sinking in, "Spike, as much as I appreciate your chivalry and dedication, I really don't think this is the right course of action," she warned.
"Yeah, Spike, fighting's not the answer," Pinkie added as she bounced over to where he stood. "We should be trying to help Dashie, not hurting her."
"I really don't think she's gonna be giving us much choice in the matter," Spike replied, mentally trying his hardest to summon the courage and strength that he would need to address this problem. He had to remember the two specific motivators driving him to this course of action; his friends, and more specifically Rarity. He was doing this for them... for all of them. That included Rainbow Dash as well. He didn't want to be the one tasked with hurting his friends. But if she didn't abandon this foolish quest of hers, then he would have no choice but to try and smack some sense into her.
"Don't do this, little dude, I don't wanna hurt you. You didn't do anything wrong, there's no reason for you to be getting involved in this. Just turn around and go back to Ponyville, and let the adults sort this out," Rainbow Dash told him. She really, really didn't want to hurt Spike. Why'd he have to go and get involved in all of this anyway?
"Not gonna happen," Spike replied without missing a beat, "if you want Rarity... then you're gonna have to go through me first," he stated and made his right hand into a fist, his voice carrying much more conviction now.
Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was hearing. Spike was actually... challenging her? Was he really that dedicated? Or just that foalish? Why did things actually have to be so hard? Couldn't anything go easy for her, just once?
"Fine," she spat and frowned. If Spike was going to ally himself with Rarity, rather than taking the opportunity to flee, then she could no longer count him as being innocent in the matter. He was just another obstacle in the road. Just another potential threat to address. "I'll pound you into purple dust if that's what it takes!"
The dive was so quick that Spike didn't have the time to physically react. Even though he could see Rainbow Dash's movements, that did little good if he didn't have the capabilities to react to them. The next thing he knew, he found himself in a choke hold, with her right foreleg wrapped around his neck, as he was dragged along for the ride, and effortlessly lifted up off the ground.
Spike struggled to get loose from the choke hold he was in, before Rainbow Dash stopped ascending, and hurled him at the trunk of a tree.
"Spike!" Rarity yelled in horror as she watched, helpless to do anything as Spike forcefully crashed into the tree with a sickening thud that could be heard all the way back where she and Pinkie were. And she was equally helpless as his body slid down the trunk of the tree, before coming to a stop at its base.
She tried to move, to go to Spike's aid, only to be stopped by Pinkie effortlessly lifting her up off the ground, leaving her suspended as she flailed about in a desperate and mad effort to get loose.
"No, Rarity, I know it hurts but we can't get involved. Spike made me Pinkie Promise that I wouldn't let you get hurt, and I'm not about to let him down!" Pinkie informed her. Even if it hurt her to keep her promise, which involved watching as Spike got hurt. She had little choice in the matter, other than keep Rarity restrained, and try to move her out of the area.
Spike groaned in pain. The impact against the tree had hurt considerably, and his entire body ached. He was half tempted to just stay down, and forget the whole thing. Maybe he really was in over his head, and should let the older ones take care of this. They were the ones with more experience, they were the ones that went out on the missions while he stayed at home. What good could he possibly do against her?
But the other half couldn't allow that to happen. If he stayed down, Rainbow Dash would turn on Rarity next. He had to stand back up, fighting his way through the pain, as he forced his body back upright again. The longer he could stay up on his feet, the longer he could keep Rainbow Dash focused on him.
And what better way to do that, than to challenge her?
"Is that all you got?" he asked her, hoping to rile her up enough to keep her focused on him and only him.
Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was seeing. How could Spike even stand after that blow? And he was challenging her? Just how hard did she have to beat him before he would see reason and stop this foalishness?
"I'll show you what I've got!" she started and flew directly at him.
And headed directly into an oncoming stream of green fire as Spike exhaled in her direction.
About a billion thoughts were racing through her mind in that instance. Had Spike planned that all out? Had he deliberately laid a trap for her? How had she forgotten that he could breathe fire? How could he breathe out so much fire? However all such thoughts had given way to blind instinct as she swerved to avoid being burnt. But not before her wing was singed by the fire as she tried to avoid the brunt of it.
Rainbow Dash pulled back to put some distance between herself and Spike. She was going to need to rethink her strategy. Looking over at her wing she noticed that several feathers were gone, and more had scorch marks on them. She could still fly, but if she lost much more, she was going to need to drastically overcompensate just to remain aloft.
"Are you ready to be reasonable yet? Or do I have to beat some sense into you!?" Spike yelled up to her.
Rainbow Dash frowned down at Spike. Was he really serious with that line of questioning? What could he possibly do from down there, when she was all the way up here?
"Come up here and say that to my face if you're so brave!" she yelled back down at him.
Spike frowned up at her. "Why should I even waste the effort on a coward? What's your problem anyway? You're not chicken are you?"
Spike knew full well that he was approaching a serious area by calling Rainbow Dash's concept of bravery into question. And he was going even further by calling her a chicken. But that was something that he had to do. He had to keep Rainbow Dash's focus on him rather than Rarity; he was far more durable and could withstand a much greater beating without getting seriously injured.
Fortunately it seemed his gamble had paid off, as Rainbow Dash took the bait, and swooped down upon him, ready to deliver what was bound to be a devastating blow to his face with her hoof.
However she never got the chance to do that, as he managed -either through sheer luck, or impeccable unconscious planning- to catch her foreleg between his hands, and use her momentum against her, as he wrenched her with all his might and slammed sideways into the same tree he'd been thrown against. The impact produced a very painful sounding crunch, but at the same time the force was enough to break the hold he had on her, and she was more or less sent flying from his grasp, before bouncing and hitting the ground, and proceeding to roll.
Spike was panting at this point. Fighting in real life was a whole lot more difficult than just studying the theories behind the actions, and practicing the movements in a controlled environment. He might've been strong, but Rainbow Dash was still a lot of weight to just toss around.
And unfortunately for him, Rainbow Dash was one seriously tough pegasus. Being slammed against the tree didn't seem to do all that much good, as she was already in the process of picking herself up off the ground and getting back to her hooves.
This was so not good...
"Stay down, Dash! Just stay down! I don't wanna have to do this!" he yelled at her. Didn't she realize that she was going to get hurt if this kept up?
"Too bad," Rainbow Dash panted, "you should've thought of that first."
Spike quickly found himself on the ground on his back, pinned down by Rainbow Dash, much as she'd done to Rarity. But unlike Rarity, he knew what to expect, and managed to pull his head to the side to avoid the hoof that'd been coming right at his face.
He managed to counter with a hard punch straight to the gut, knocking the wind out of her.
"Get off me!" he yelled, before headbutting her right in the face, striking her muzzle with his forehead.
Off where they sat, Pinkie and Rarity could do little more than watch in great discomfort as Spike and Rainbow Dash fought. They were both familiar with how ferocious Rainbow Dash could be when she really wanted to. But Spike was managing to hold his own against her to a remarkable degree, despite his smaller size and shorter limbs. And now that he had her down on the ground, Rainbow Dash's gift of flight no longer seemed to be of assistance to her.
Whatever had happened to the sweet little dragon they'd come to know and love? This wasn't the Spike who happily wore his pink "Kiss the Cook" apron while making pancakes. This was an entirely different Spike, with a streak of viciousness that scared them, as they watched him wrestle Rainbow Dash down onto her back, as he used his legs to wrap around her neck and get her in a headlock.
"Stay down, Dash," he ordered as he tightened his hold on her as she struggled fiercely, trying to kick him from whatever angle she could. He had to keep a firm hold on her, otherwise she'd break loose again. And if she did that, he didn't know if he would have the strength to wrestle her down yet again. "Stay down, or I swear... I swear I'll break your wings..."
It hadn't been a warning -or a threat- that he would make lightly. But this was a desperate situation he found himself in, and if he didn't do something to get a leg up on the situation, then they were all going to be in deep trouble.
"You... you wouldn't," Rainbow Dash gasped in surprise at his threat. He couldn't be serious, could he? Would he really break her wings? Just like that?
"I can. And if necessary, I will," Spike warned as he tightened his hold on her neck again. "Now listen up, because I'm only going to say this once. Please don't make me have to hurt you any more."
Rainbow Dash wheezed in the hold Spike had on her, his legs feeling like pure muscle, or steel coils. Hooves were doing little good at trying to get some leverage under the offending appendages that were serving to restrict her air flow right now. Being pinned down on her back also wasn't helping out any. Things had gone very wrong, very fast, and she hadn't even seen it happening. She might've been able to pull off some acrobatic move, arching her back upward in order to kick him right in the face with her back hooves. But she could barely breathe right now, and couldn't afford to engage in too much physical movement right now.
Her thoughts, limited as they were at the time, quickly became interrupted by the sensations running over her body. She could feel herself being lifted up off the ground by something warm and tingly, like magic, while Spike's legs were unwound from around her neck.
The first thing she became properly aware of was that both she and Spike were being levitated off the ground, a safe distance away from each other. The next was that they were no longer alone out here. Standing just a few paces away from them was Celestia and Ulquiorra. And neither of them looked particularly happy right now.
"Oh shit..."
Being a Hollow, there were a great number of physical maladies that Ulquiorra wasn't prone to, as he didn't have a true physical body that could be affected. Motion sickness was one such malady that he was blessedly immune to.
That said, however, being subjected to teleportation did manage to subject him to a temporary state of impairment that left him disoriented, as his senses adjusted to the immediate change in surrounding, and worked to reassert themselves.
The distance covered by the teleportation also seemed to play a part in affecting the duration of his disoriented state. That was likely the reason he was forced to spend several seconds waiting for his senses to reassert themselves upon their arrival.
Sensory deprivation, even for him, was very unpleasant to experience. During that brief window of time he could neither see, nor hear, nor could he even sense the others around him as he couldn't even use his pesquisa. It was like being back in that void where Discord had found him. The only reason it wasn't similar to the time Twilight Sparkle utilized her flash bang spell against him was due to the lack of a ringing in his ears.
In a way the effects of teleportation were worse than the flash bang. At least the ringing in his ears let him know that his ability to hear was still intact.
Fortunately the effects were short-lived in duration, meaning he could properly function almost immediately.
However once his senses properly reestablished themselves, he wasn't expecting what it was he encountered.
They weren't truly in Ponyville, but rather in the Everfree Forest. Even without his pesquisa giving him readings of the surrounding reishi texture, it would be hard to miss the fact that this was indeed the forest. Rainbow Dash and Spike were both present, and both being held in Princess Celestia's magic. The exact reasoning for such was currently beyond him.
Beyond them were both Rarity and Pinkie Pie, looking concerned and confused.
He decided that the best course of action for the time being, was to simply remain silent and pay attention to what happened. Perhaps he could pick up on the missing details
"At the moment I only have two questions," Celestia began in addressing them. "The first is if everyone is alright? And the second is if somepony can explain to me what's been going on here?" she asked.
"I'm afraid I can't be of any help on this matter. I'm as in the dark as everyone else," Rarity spoke up, before turning her attention back to Pinkie, who was still currently holding her up off the ground. "I think it's safe to put me down now, darling..."
"Okie dokie lokie," Pinkie replied and set Rarity back down on her hooves, before making an effort to dust her off as best she could.
Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head, before turning her attention towards Spike, as he attempted to regain his breath.
"Spike? Can you explain what happened?" she asked, hoping that he would be able to elaborate better, seeing as he was still Twilight's number one assistant.
"Maybe," he replied as he took a breath, trying to figure out how to best explain the situation to Celestia. How could he best condense everything that'd happened into something that wouldn't take a long time to cover. "Well... when I got your letter, Twilight was sound asleep, and after what she's been doing the past few days, I wasn't about to wake her up for anything less than the library burning down. So I got Pinkie to help, figuring that if Rainbow Dash was actually coming back to Ponyville, she'd be headed for Rarity to finish what she started. And I was right. But we got there too late to do any good because they were both gone. So then Pinkie and I got Der-- er... Ditzy recruited to help in the search. And... after a lot of running around, and stuff I'd rather not go into detail about right now, we wound up here."
It was a very abrupt, bare bones recounting of events that occurred today. He really didn't want to go into anymore detail than that, which would inevitably require him to explain how he'd made every attempt to beat the hell out of Rainbow Dash, and actually threatened to break her wings to force her compliance. In the heat of the battle it was one thing, but now as the adrenaline started wearing off, he didn't feel proud of what he'd done. He actually felt ashamed of what had been deemed necessary at the time.
Rainbow Dash might've been the one to start this whole mess out by beating the hell out of him while he was trying to protect Rarity. But he'd been only too willing to return the favor, despite knowing full well that she was still psychologically disturbed by what she'd experienced. To say his actions weren't one of his proudest moments would be an understatement.
In hindsight, he probably could've addressed the whole thing in a more professional manner, if he'd just given it a little more thought before acting. He could've tried harder at talking to Rainbow Dash and getting her to calm down and see things reasonably. He could've done anything, other than issuing an immediate throw down like he had.
Celestia listened as Spike spoke, listening to his words, and the tone his voice carried with it. And in that listening, she could tell that he wasn't particularly interested in talking about what had happened. She would have to respect that hesitancy. So rather than pressing him any further, she gently set him down on his feet, before turning her attention back to Rainbow Dash, as she struggled to try and break free from her hold. She couldn't help but sigh at that last part.
"I must say, Rainbow Dash, you've made things considerably more difficult than they needed to be," she explained as calmly as she could, while setting her back down on her hooves. At the moment she couldn't see any reason to continue the restraint she had in place on her; not with their presence anyway. "When I took you back to Canterlot, you said that you could trust us. But I'm failing to see any degree of trust here today. You hurt Nurse Goodwill, you threw many into a panic, and you fled with the intention of hurting Rarity."
Rainbow Dash frowned and looked away, disinterested in being lectured. Celestia tried not to sigh in response.
"Regardless of what you might think, Rainbow Dash, we've all been working very hard to try and help you. This is a very difficult matter to address, and it's not something we can simply rush into. We-"
"Don't give me that," Rainbow Dash spat, interrupting Celestia's statement, all the while refusing to look back at her. "You didn't believe me. You didn't think that what I went through was real. Nopony did, nobody did! You just tried to confuse me on the issue. I should've known from the beginning that I couldn't trust you either..."
Celestia recoiled at Rainbow Dash's words, and her accusations of distrust. This matter was more serious than they first believed.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the simple, blunt statement made by Ulquiorra as he stepped forward at a slow pace, approaching Rainbow Dash's position with his hands tucked into his pockets. She had a bad feeling about this, that things could go badly if left to proceed. But at the same time, she found herself very curious to see what the Espada had in mind.
"I don't wanna hear from you either. You're friends with the others, why should I believe anything you have to say?" Rainbow Dash asked as he stepped closer, before flapping her wings and flying backwards to put some distance between him and herself.
Ulquiorra said nothing in response, before exercising a burst of sonido to quickly close the distance to where the cyan pegasus currently hovered. He had no reason to vocally address her at this point in times. Words easily failed in tense situations like this. So he would take a firmer approach. Without a word he drew his left hand out of his pocket, and reached up to touch his face.
Rainbow Dash was unable to find her voice in order to speak, as she watched Ulquiorra reach up and effortlessly pluck out his left eye. The act alone was impossible enough to believe. But the casual manner in which he'd done it had just made everything seem even more surreal, if that was even possible. Surely that had to hurt, so why would he even do something like that voluntarily!?
"You don't wish to listen, then simply observe," he told her as he crushed the eyeball in his hand, and releasing a fine crystalline powder that surrounded her face, filling her with an intense desire to not even breathe.
"Right this way," one of the members of the medical staff, Nurse Tenderheart in this case, said as he, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike, were lead down the hallway of Ponyville General Hospital to a very specific room; the one that currently held Rarity as she recovered from the beating administered by Rainbow Dash yesterday.
They stood by and waited as the nurse opened the door to allow them entry. It would've been a much simpler matter for him to do such by himself, rather than waiting to be attended to by another. But such a course of action, as he'd come to learn, wasn't considered appropriate. Rules dictated this. Rules dictated that. Rules that had no basis in common sense dictated entire and extravagant procedures that could be done without. Had he known he would be subjected to such pointlessness, he would've come in through the window.
As to why Rarity had been put in a private room for observation overnight, he didn't truly understand. Perhaps it was her status as one of the holders of the Elements of Harmony that was responsible for such special treatment. It was the only thing that would make sense, and potentially explain how one could receive such care, with so many ponies injured and still dying, all needing to be seen and tended to from what transpired just three days ago.
"You have visitors, dear," Nurse Tenderheart called into the room as she opened the door, allowing them to see Rarity's condition. Laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV drip, as well as a heart monitor, with at least half of her face covered in bandages.
Perhaps the extent of the damage done by Rainbow Dash had been greater than they'd assumed. As far as ponies went, it was hard to deny that she was strong. He had felt for himself the amount of force she could generate in her blows; both on her own, and when she was utilizing her Sonic Rainboom technique. Comparatively speaking it was... significant.
And yet Spike had proven himself as being fully capable of overpowering her when it was necessary.
"... What happened to her? I didn't think the damage was that bad," he heard Twilight Sparkle whisper to Nurse Tenderheart. Likely an effort to not alert Rarity to her own concern, or for her possible condition.
"It wasn't. The damage was minimal in nature and looks far worse than it is. However the doctors are needed elsewhere for patients in far more serious condition, so the bandages were infused with healing magic to supply not only a steady application, but also a consistent application," Nurse Tenderheart explained in response, in an equally hushed tone.
He watched as Twilight Sparkle nodded in understanding, before stepping into the room, with Spike close behind her.
"H-hey Rarity. How're you feeling?" she asked hesitantly as she approached the bed, her voice still heavily distorted from the injuries she'd sustained yesterday.
Rarity groaned and whimpered as she moved her head to better look at her, her one exposed eye fluttering open in discontent. Overly dramatic as usual.
"Oh, darling, it's so good to see a friendly face again!" Rarity exclaimed as she sat herself up in the bed, the flimsy covers falling down and revealing the equally flimsy hospital gown underneath. "What happened yesterday? What could have set Rainbow Dash off like that?" she asked, utterly bewildered by it all.
"... I don't really know. It's a mystery," Twilight Sparkle replied as she stepped closer to the bed. He knew she was holding information back, but not the reason for which she was doing so. Tact? The presence of Nurse Tenderheart? An effort to not aggravate the injuries that Rarity had sustained by shocking her?
Once again, he would have to be the one to handle the situation in an appropriate manner.
"Leave us," he instructed as he turned his attention to Nurse Redheart. Her posture and demeanor suggested that she intended otherwise. However she was wise in not arguing with him, and instead simply nodded and exited the room, allowing the door to close behind her, leaving the four of them secluded.
"Ulquiorra?" Rarity asked as he turned back to face her.
"In part Twilight Sparkle's assessment is fact. Our knowledge pertaining to yesterday is limited. All we have to go on is what information was gathered from the interrogation of Rainbow Dash," he explained as he stepped closer to the bed. "During questioning, Rainbow Dash accused you and the other holders of the Elements of Harmony of enacting an elaborate plot to make her more humble in nature, through the use of rape and torture to achieve said goal."
The reaction to his bluntness was, unsurprisingly, one of considerable emotional shock. Rarity's was the most substantial, as she had just been made aware of the details. Twilight Sparkle was second in scope, due more to his utter bluntness than anything. Spike remained inconclusive in nature and hard to properly gauge. But that was of little consequence right now.
Once all voices in the room were silence, he began speaking again.
"The details Rainbow Dash shared were quite significant in nature. Quite graphic. With such facts in mind, it would seem no wonder that she attacked with the intention of killing you where you stood," he explained. However he soon found himself silenced, not by any vocal interruption from the others, but rather a magical band of purple coloring appearing over his mouth, and wrapping entirely around his head. He turned his attention back to Twilight Sparkle as her horn glowed.
"Not helping, Ulquiorra," she stated firmly, before turning to face Rarity herself. "Rarity, I don't even know where to begin with this. Yesterday was... chaotic. And today really isn't much better. We've been trying to get a grip on things, but they aren't exactly proceeding like I expected. Yesterday we were working on basic theory, and formulating a plan to carry out. But today it's field work and... it's a little more daunting in nature," she explained to the best of her abilities.
He knew that if he continued to allow Twilight Sparkle her own approach uninterrupted, they could quite likely be here for over an hour, and no closer to achieving the purpose of their visit. It was for that reason he chose to intervene, and withdrew his right hand from his pocket in order to squeeze the band, resulting in it shattering like cheap glass in his grasp.
The flinch that came from Twilight Sparkle as her magic was overpowered didn't go unnoticed. Was it due to surprise in how easily he'd done such? Or the fact that he'd done so with so little tact? Either way it didn't really matter, as she seemed unharmed.
"There is a time and place for everything, Twilight Sparkle, but at the moment we have no time for tact," he explained, before turning his attention back to the confused and visibly flustered Rarity. "At this moment all we have to go on is speculation. The current theory, unsubstantiated as it may be, is that whatever entity we're up against has engaged in a divide and conquer approach by targeting Rainbow Dash."
"Oh my word!" Rarity gasped, her gestures once again in an overly dramatic fashion. He paid them no mind before continuing.
"Technically speaking, Rainbow Dash's belief that she was raped is not far from the truth. Her recollection of graphic and explicit details pertaining to her treatment, is as unwanted by her, as the details themselves are fictitious in nature. These fake memories have not only been placed in her mind, but they have also apparently overruled her real memories. Her entire recollection of the past week has been completely skewed," he explained.
Once again he was interrupted. But this time it was an action that was devoid of theatrics or drama, and simply consisted of a shudder/shiver coming from Twilight Sparkle. A response that was, considerably speaking, entirely appropriate under these circumstances. Rainbow Dash's mind had been invaded, and her memory of events violated; to the point that even Princess Celestia herself could do little to help her. Her cursory attempt at pointing out the logical shortcomings in her story had done little to sway the pegasus from her erroneous beliefs, and only seemed to drive her to further embrace the fallacies as being real, due to what she claimed to have experienced.
However there were two primary issues at hand. Issues he wasn't entirely certain they were grasping the reality of.
The first and foremost issue was that those who held the Elements of Harmony were now segmented. With Rainbow Dash unable to trust the others, and believing that they committed numerous atrocities against her, the group would be unable to function in a unified manner. In simpler terms, the primary protectors of Equestria were no longer physically capable of performing their duties. The Elements of Harmony were no more than decorative paperweights currently.
The second issue, while not as physically pressing as the first, could potentially be more disastrous due to its sleeper aspect. The Elements of Harmony and their respective holders were divided, that was true. But what had caused that division had done so by directly affecting Rainbow Dash's memories, and her abilities to recall actual events she had personally experienced. This was far more disturbing in nature than the abilities of Kyōka Suigetsu, which allowed for the manipulation of a person's -or even an entire group's- five senses. Whereas Kyōka Suigetsu could make one hear, feel, smell, see, or even taste something that wasn't real, it could do absolutely nothing -that he knew of anyway- to affect preexisting memories that had already been finalized within the mind.
Fear wasn't something that he could ever recall truly experiencing himself. But these unanswered questions did give rise to an almost equal sensation; concern. Concern for what was known, and what wasn't.
The second issue was far more dangerous to face than Kyōka Suigetsu. If for no other reason, than the basic fact that they knew absolutely nothing about the nature of the attack. Was Rainbow Dash's mentality more vulnerable to attack than any other? Or was her being afflicted indicative that any of them could be targeted? Could Princess Celestia and Princess Luna be affected just as easily?
And if they could, then ultimately what of himself? Were his own memories and recollections vulnerable to tampering by an outside party? And if so, how would he know whether or not this had already taken place?
Concern was certainly what he experienced, both for the known, as well as the unknown. And despite his detached, logical mentality, some small part of the back of his mind couldn't help but wonder if he should be experiencing fear right now. He knew that fear wasn't conductive of anything. But that didn't stop him from pondering on whether or not it was as least partially appropriate under these circumstances.
"Oh that poor dear! How horrible!" Rarity stated. More theatrics on her part. However he said nothing in response. He instead opted to wait and see the extent of her reaction.
"Twilight, Spike, would one of you be a dear and go fetch one of the staff? Let's get out of here," she stated firmly.
"Rarity?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"Darling, I'd like to think that I have at least some idea of what's going on here. While you and Spike would certainly come to see me regardless, Ulquiorra is all about business. I doubt he would've come all this way, just to share his theory, unless he had something constructive in mind," she explained, before turning back to him. "Am I right?"
"So far," he replied as he sensed Spike already leaving the room. He would need to start giving these ponies more credit. The fact Rarity had so easily recognized the fact concerning his visit was mildly impressive.
"Right then," Rarity replied and kicked the sheets off of her body. "Rainbow Dash is more than just one of our friends. She's also one of our teammates, and a vital player in keeping Equestria safe. If she's been targeted for attack, then it affects all of us equally. And if you're here telling me this, then it only stands to reason that you have something in mind for me to assist with, correct?" she asked.
"Again, so far," he replied.
"Then it also stands to reason that in order to be assistance, I can't stay here in this hospital bed, surrounded by these drab colors, and wearing this tacky gown. So again I reiterate; let's get out of here!" she exclaimed as she sat up and climbed out of the bed.
"Even after being beaten, you still wish to assist in the matter?" he asked. If this was going to work, then it would be necessary to determine her level of commitment to what would be done.
"Neither a lady, nor a friend, simply sits by and allows somepony in need to suffer alone. The fact Rainbow Dash chose to attack me simply fills me with an even greater need to assist the poor dear. I can't imagine what she must be going through right now, or how scared she must be," Rarity explained.
She had commitment to this cause, he could tell that. However they would have to wait and see if that commitment would be enough to see her through what part she would have to play. Once she realized what she would be getting herself into, she might wind up backing out of it.
"So Rainbow Dash is really in Canterlot?"
The process of removing Rarity from the hospital and relocating her to the Carousel Boutique was one filled with countless matters he truly couldn't bring himself to care about. Endless amounts of paperwork and emotional sentiment, all of it serving as a hindrance to their overall mission here today. He would admit, more to himself than anyone else, that he had willingly tuned out the majority of it all, as it served very little purpose for their overall mission.
"That's what I gathered. But what I don't know is whether the distance is for Rainbow Dash's sake, or our sakes," Twilight replied.
"There will be time for such discussions later on. For now, however, we have business to attend to," he spoke up as he turned his attention to Rarity. They could begin with the preliminary while Spike was still retrieving the equipment they would need shortly. "There is a series of questions you will be required to answer. The others will be questioned as well, and responses will be compared, and the results examined. Are you ready to begin?" he asked her.
"I believe I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Rarity replied.
"Very well then. We shall begin," he stated simply. "Did you orchestrate, or in any way participate in, the imprisonment, rape, and torture of the pegasus known as Rainbow Dash?" he asked.
"Most certainly not!" Rarity objected loudly. Her reaction was to be expected, as he hadn't allowed for anyone to familiarize her with what the questions would involve. That was one of the best ways to ensure accuracy and honesty, by allowing for their reactions to be read.
"Then you are denying the accusations that were made against you. You did not bind her limbs, while tying a noose around her neck, and forcing her to stand on a block of ice overnight, forcing her to choose between submission and death?" he asked.
"No!" Rarity answered. From what he could see, her entire demeanor was becoming one that was utterly horrified by what she was hearing.
"Did you repurpose the Mare do Well costumes for the purpose of creating the dominatrix persona known as Mistress Do Well?" he asked.
"No! Those costumes haven't even seen the light of day for a year!" Rarity protested.
"Did you ever use the pegasus filly known as Scootaloo in any manner that would exert control over Rainbow Dash, in order to force her to submit?" he asked.
"Good gracious! Rainbow Dash actually--- no nevermind that, of course I didn't! I would never do something like that, either to Scootaloo or any other foal!" Rarity protested firmly, visibly horrified by the accusations.
"Did you utilize the pegasus known as Fluttershy, for the purpose of forcing Rainbow Dash to beg for her own wings to be mutilated, in order to spare Fluttershy the same fate?" he asked.
"Absolutely not!" Rarity yelled furiously.
He observed Rarity's demeanor in the aftermath of the questioning. She was shaken and disturbed, the fluctuations in her reiatsu ranging from being infuriated to experiencing significant sadness. But what wasn't being conveyed was anything that could be considered dishonesty. The reiatsu fluctuations didn't match deceptive tendencies. It was reasonable, even by his standards, to conclude that she was being honest in her statements.
"Very good then," he replied, his statement causing Rarity to then look confused in response.
"Wait, what? I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying," she protested.
"I'm a bit lost myself. What exactly did that line of questioning amount to?" Twilight Sparkle asked, slightly tilting her head to one side. It wasn't all that different a behavior from what Applejack's dog, Winona, had done upon first seeing him, before deciding to steer clear of him all together.
"The disturbances and fluctuations in your reiatsu were measured during the question and answer portion, and the results cataloged. Everything points to honesty on your part. When the others are questioned in turn, the results will most likely be the same. Once the investigation is completed, the results will be submitted, with the ultimate goal being to convince Rainbow Dash to recognize the faultiness of her current memories, so that she can assist in her own recovery," he explained.
The entire premise of gathering evidence had been Twilight Sparkle's idea. She had concocted the plan, although his own interpretation didn't exactly match with hers. But that was of no importance right now, so long as the results panned out.
"Um..." Rarity mumbled, "Ulquiorra? I really don't want to sound ignorant, but how do you plan on convincing Rainbow Dash of the... inaccuracies of her recollection of events? Didn't you say that even Celestia couldn't help her with that?" she asked.
It was certainly a fair question to ask.
"It's true, Princess Celestia couldn't help in this matter. However I have access to resources that she does not. Words can be ignored, but sight, sound, and sensation are much more difficult to tune out; even for one as stubborn as Rainbow Dash," he explained.
"How does..." Twilight Sparkle started to speak, but then closed her mouth again, the look on her face being one of thought and confusion. "On second thought, later. As much as I'd like to know how you can do that, I think we need to stay task oriented. Help Rainbow Dash first, ask questions later."
Well... that was a refreshing development. Perhaps there was some hope for these ponies after all. Twilight Sparkle's decision to forgo questioning him on fields she had no understanding about would serve them well for the time being, as it would allow them to begin the more in depth part of the investigation once Spike walked through the door with the equipment housed back at the library.
Which should be any second now, if the door chime was any indication.
"Got it!" Spike called as he walked into the room and set down the wooden chest he'd been carrying with him.
"Excellent," Twilight Sparkle stated as she undid the latches with her magic, allowing the chest to be swung open and reveal its contents.
"I'm afraid I'm still confused," Rarity stated as she looked inside the open chest. "That looks like a crystal lantern. How exactly is that supposed to help us help Rainbow Dash?" she asked as the item was levitated out of its protective casing.
"Looks can be deceiving, this is no ordinary crystal lantern," Twilight Sparkle began as she levitated it over for him to grasp by the bail. "Back in Ulquiorra's dimensions, humans have a device that emits long wave ultraviolet light when activated, used for detecting various chemicals that react with such a light spectrum, and either gives off a fluorescent reaction by glowing, or creates a darkened area by absorbing the light. So what I did was cast a spell to adjust the polarity of the solar crystals to emit only ultraviolet light when activated," she explained with a fair degree of excitement in her distorted voice.
"In simple everyday terms, a black light," he stated simply.
"That's... I'm sure that's quite fascinating and all. But how exactly does that help us? More importantly, how does it help Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked,also adopting the head tilting motion utilized by Twilight Sparkle.
"Bodily fluids react to ultraviolet light. Once total darkness is achieved, the lantern will point out any traces of such. A lack of any such evidence will go towards debunking Rainbow Dash's mistaken beliefs. And even if any evidence of the alleged torture has been scoured away with industrial-strength cleaning chemicals, the latent traces of reiatsu will still be present, and easily detected by my pesquisa. In short, there will be no way to hide proof of the accusations," he explained, cutting Twilight Sparkle off before she could launch into any sort of time consuming, in-depth explanation of what was about to occur. "If you would."
"Right," Twilight Sparkle nodded and activated her magic, drawing all the blinds and curtains on the first floor of the boutique, shutting out all outside light, and draping the entire room in near-total darkness. It was more than sufficient for the modified lantern to do its job.
Adjusting the dial that worked the dimmer, he set the illumination output to its highest setting, before pushing the button to activate it, and bathe the entire room in a dark blue light; what some might refer to as "spooky" under the right circumstances.
All around the room, various pieces of fabric started to faintly glow in numerous differing colors. What glowed varied from entire outfits, to certain portions of completed projects, to as little as the thread that was used. It was unexpected, but not particularly surprising.
"Oh my..." Rarity exhaled as she looked around the room, obviously amazed by the lantern's effects on her works.
"Cool huh?" Spike asked, having already seen what could be expected.
"I must say it's quite... I don't really know how to phrase it. These designs looked so much... better... when they weren't glowing," she commented.
He ignored the banter and scanned the room, searching for any traces that might even remotely support Rainbow Dash's allegations of violence against her. In the process his line of sight crossed Twilight Sparkle. Her one eye appeared darker than the other in the ultraviolet light. And her muzzle was nearly black in coloration, indicating that despite her best efforts at washing, the blood hadn't yet come away from her straining while casting the lightning spell. There were even minor traces of black on Rarity's exposed face, indicating significant bleeding yesterday.
The floor of the boutique, despite being cleaned, and leaving nothing visible to the naked eye, left a number of black stains visible under the ultraviolet light; all of which the result of yesterday's events.
"Okay, so what happens now?" Spike asked.
He ignored Spike's question for the time being, instead turning to face Rarity directly.
"You still wish to help Rainbow Dash?" he asked. She nodded. "Then we conduct an extensive search of the Carousel Boutique, attic to basement, looking for anything that could be construed as evidence of her accounts. We leave nothing unexplored or unopened," he explained.
"Oh dear," Rarity replied, "that could take days. Do we have that much time?" she asked.
"Rainbow Dash is not going anywhere. We have the time," he replied.
"... So attic or basement first?"
The logical course of action was to start in the basement. That was where, according to Rainbow Dash, everything had happened. That was the most likely location of any forensic evidence, if it truly existed.
However the basement was cluttered with numerous boxes that housed old pieces of various wardrobes, and material that hadn't yet been used, or brought upstairs to the main work room. Sorting through them for evidence would be... taxing.
Lending credibility to Rainbow Dash's story was the presence of plumbing in the basement.
Removing credibility from Rainbow Dash's story was the fact that nothing resembling a shower existed.
There was certainly extensive copper piping running along the open ceiling, supplying water to what appeared to be a water softener, water heater, and the various crisscrossing pipes that ran to the facilities of the upstairs. But none of it showed any signs of of having been recently modified, either to install a shower, or to remove such. All of the soldering appeared old; likely as old as the building itself. The floor drain was easily understood, should the water heater ever develop a leak. But its location, as well as its construction, was entirely inconsistent with the story.
"Well?"
His attention was drawn to the stairway where the three stood, illuminated only by the lantern's ultraviolet light. As best he could tell, Rarity was looking anxious from her position, rubbing one of her knees uncomfortably; not entirely unlike how a person would rub their elbow.
"There's no forensic evidence present that would support Rainbow Dash's story. Nor are there any foreign traces of reiatsu to be found, that would be consistent with the other members of the group. Whatever did take place, it didn't occur here," he explained. He heard Rarity release a sigh of relief at the news. "But in the name of thoroughness, examination of the other floors will remain necessary, once we conclude the investigation down here," he stated as he brought his hand to the lantern's knob. "Lights."
The switch to the basement lighting was flipped, bringing a proper degree of illumination as the lantern was shut off. The more light sensitive members of the group grumbled and rubbed their eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden change in the light spectrum. He merely set the lantern on the nearby shelf for the time being.
His attention was then drawn behind him by a disturbance in his pesquisa. A disturbance in Rarity's detectable reiatsu levels, indicating she was preparing to make use of her magic.
"Stop," he commanded. Her response was an immediate cease and desist to what she was doing, and a startled sound being emitted by her. "If you utilize your magic for anything, you risk contamination of whatever evidence may exist," he explained.
"Oh dear. You mean you have to do the entire investigation yourself?" Rarity asked.
"Maybe not, Rarity, I have an idea," Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "Spike, you can assist with the investigation. Rainbow Dash didn't make any allegations against you, so you can't contaminate the results," she explained.
"... A workable proposal," Ulquiorra replied. Contamination of potential evidence through Spike's intervention would be highly unlikely at best. If there was truly any evidence to find. He was willing to be as thorough as necessary in the course of this investigation, but he possessed serious doubt about finding anything that would lend even remote credibility to Rainbow Dash's accusations against the others. Try as he might, even when taking everything into consideration that he'd seen, and personally experienced at their hooves, sexual sadism simply didn't strike him being as a viable possibility.
Considering the way these ponies had reacted when they heard even half of the details he'd been privy to, he couldn't help but wonder just what sort of sick mind could this world produce, that would readily manufacture such... unpleasantries.
Rainbow Dash watched, unable to look away, and unable to tune out the information that was being forcefully inserted directly into her brain. This mist, these tiny shards of eye that Ulquiorra had thrown in her face, were making her see things from his point of view. She was seeing exactly what he had seen.
But it was doing so much more than that. She wasn't simply seeing what he had seen, but was also experiencing what he'd thought, what he'd felt, what he'd detected, and to what extent he'd detected it. She could feel the fluctuations in mana just as he'd felt them. She was experiencing input and sensations that she never even dreamed as being possible.
One by one, she witnessed as pony after pony was addressed. Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie. She saw and felt as Ulquiorra interrogated each one of them, subjecting them to questions that made them squirm, flinch, cringe and even break down crying. Questions that filled them with anger, outrage, and sadness. And she witnessed as Ulquiorra methodically examined any and all property that they had access to, as they allowed the invasion of their private -and in some cases intimate- property to go forward without opposition.
And she watched as, bit by bit, every single piece of assembled evidence completely eviscerated her recollection of events that had transpired. And now knowing what she'd been made privy to, as many hours worth of memories played out in her mind within an instant, she could only reach one possible conclusion.
She'd been wrong. She'd been wrong about everything...
"How... h-h-how?" she asked shakily in disbelief. How could this series of events have transpired in the way they did? How was it possible?
But before she could even begin getting any answers, the process quickly started all over again, as new images started coming into her mind's eye, and she could do nothing but watch as they played out.
"I've seen Twilight like this before. If we can get her distracted with something else, even something small, she should calm down enough to go back to normal," Spike explained.
"Yeah? Like what?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Whatever we do, we'd better do it fast. I think Twilight's getting ready to try and even out the icing on the cupcakes!" Pinkie stated, her tone suggesting far greater urgency than her statement commanded on its own.
"Oh not this again," Spike groaned.
"Don't worry, little dude, I've got a plan," Rainbow Dash stated in a confident manner, before turning to face him. "Are you game for this?"
He had been observing this interaction in relative silence, both curious and uncertain as to what exactly was going on, besides the apparent psychological break being experienced by Twilight Sparkle. And now he was being addressed directly. Was he being drafted for something?
"What do you have in mind?" he asked.
"You're super fast, right?" she asked him. It had to be a rhetorical question in nature. "You see those cupcakes Twilight's next to? I'll get her attention elsewhere, and you pop one in her mouth. That should get her distracted well enough," she explained.
A... cupcake? That was Rainbow Dash's plan? The... utter absence of details of such nearly begged to be questioned further for elaboration.
"And you believe that will actually work?" he asked, wondering if she was truly serious.
"If you ever had one of those yourself, you wouldn't need to ask. Now come on, I wanna get to Twilight before she starts gibbering to herself in the corner, and reciting complex calculus stuff to herself. Now are you gonna help or what?" she asked him.
That memory. The party. It was... it was on the twelfth of this month, just a few days back. She'd been there, and so had the others. And so had a decent portion of the town of Ponyville. She'd felt each of them there from the Espada's perspective.
But... but it couldn't be possible, it just couldn't be! She was still being tortured on the twelfth! There was no way she, to say nothing of the others, could've been there and present, happy, and having a good time at the party thrown in the Espada's honor. Even if the others had left her locked up down there in the basement, they still wouldn't have gone off to the party, right? And if they had, then how had she been there!? Had she been hypnotized by the others, and trotted out like a good little pet to show off to everypony? Like a trendy fashion accessory or something?
What exactly was going on here?
Some distance away from the two, Celestia cringed as she watched Ulquiorra perform his Solita Vista technique. She hated seeing when he did that. She couldn't imagine what Rainbow Dash must've been thinking as she watched him pluck out his eyeball with such ease. And she really had no idea how exactly he transferred so much information in just a few short moments. But the reaction she had to whatever information he had shown her, it was significant in nature. She'd gone from furious, to extremely shaken in just a matter of seconds.
In a way the sudden change in demeanor left her worried, and uncertain of how exactly to proceed from this point. Should she approach and try to console her? Or should she hang back, and allow Ulquiorra to continue to proceed in peace?
"Princess?"
The sudden mention of title brought her attention back to her immediate space, and the presence of Spike, Pinkie, and Rarity standing next to her, and looking up at her; and each of them as confused as she was.
"What exactly is going on here?" Rarity asked, feeling more confused than ever.
"I wish I could say for certain," Celestia replied as she held back a sigh, listening to Rainbow Dash's mumblings of disbelief, and being unable to do anything to help her.
"Is Dashie gonna be alright?" Pinkie asked her.
"I honestly don't know, Pinkie, we're currently dealing with forces we don't yet understand. As much as I'd like to believe that Rainbow Dash will be alright, it would be wrong for me to speculate at this point," Celestia explained as she and the others slowly turned their attention back to their original target of interest, her ears barely picking up what was being said between them.
"Uh... Princess? I know it's kind of off topic and all, but how did you find us out here?" Spike asked. He'd been curious about that ever since they'd shown up. And while now might not be the best time to be asking, the opening had presented itself. If he didn't take it now, there was no telling when the next opportunity would be.
"Locating you was easy enough, Spike. I simply traced the spell back to its origins, like when I send a letter. And that clump of Rainbow Dash's feathers we received was sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation," Celestia explained.
The feathers? The same feathers that had been burnt off when Rainbow Dash had tried to dive bomb him?
Well that certainly made sense to him, even if that hadn't been his original intention at the time. But he was certainly glad to know that not only had it worked, but he'd potentially been instrumental in helping them locate Rainbow Dash before she could do any serious harm.
"I... I-I can remember. I think. We were... we were all there together. Pinkie was telling one of her jokes, about the doctor getting his quill and his thermometer confused. Yeah. I was laughing, Spike was laughing, but Rarity found it crude and was all stuck up about it," Rainbow Dash paused, before looking up at Ulquiorra. "They didn't do it... did they?" she finally asked him.
"There's no evidence to suggest they even considered it," Ulquiorra replied.
"Then... if that didn't happen, what did?" Rainbow Dash asked as she plopped her haunches down onto the ground. "Why do I remember these things like it was just yesterday? Why do I still feel like I went through everything I experienced? Why is that leather smell stuck in my nose and won't come out? Why... why can't I look at the others, without wanting to hurt them? Without wanting to kill them?"
Most of the time when Ulquiorra was silent, it was either due to him utilizing the silence in order to observe how things unfolded around him, or because he had nothing to say at the time. But in this situation it was different. He wasn't silent because he had nothing to say, but because he truly didn't know what to say. At the moment he was at a loss for words. This was unfamiliar -and as a result, uncomfortable- territory to find himself in.
"I don't know," he finally replied, having nothing else that could be offered up as a response. He wouldn't even have said that, if not for something deep in the back of his mind that felt like a nagging compulsion to say something in response. It was a strange sensation indeed.
"I'm afraid."
Fear was something that every living creature experienced, regardless of form or type. It could be a primal, instinctual fear left over from the evolutionary process. Or it could be something more relevant, born from the realization of ones' own insignificance in the face of overwhelming opposition.
However, despite knowing that fear existed wherever there was life, this was the first time he could recall actually hearing the adrenaline junkie of a pegasus admit to experiencing such. Even when she had faced off against the dragon, or against him, she hadn't acknowledged the existence of fear.
"I don't know what's going on anymore. I can't tell what really did happen and what didn't. What... what if I'm going crazy? I could be losing my mind," Rainbow Dash stated.
Ulquiorra prepared to go into explanation as to why her concerns about her mental state, while wise, were unfounded in nature. Psychological activities, even those that resulted from head-related injuries, didn't simply manifest themselves immediately. The likelihood of her experiencing such a drastic shift in such a short period of time, however, were too unlikely to give actual consideration to.
"I'm hearing voices too now..."
However he stopped before getting a word out, at hearing her statement.
"Voices?" Ulquiorra asked. This was a development he hadn't predicted. It also potentially destroyed his explanation as to why she wasn't going crazy. "Whose? Tone? Gender? Anything identifiable as belonging to a particular individual?"
"I... I don't know, I didn't recognize it. It was like I could hear it, but also like I could not hear it. Like it was in my head or something," Rainbow Dash replied as she tried to give an explanation; one that she didn't fully understand, despite experiencing it herself.
"What was this voice saying?" he asked. If Rainbow Dash was unable to identify the voice itself, then perhaps the manner of speech could be useful. "And when did you first start hearing it?"
"Just... just before Spike and Pinkie found us. I think. It was saying stuff like..." she paused in thought as she tried to recall everything. "Like I had to kill Rarity, or Scootaloo would be tortured and killed by her next. Like it was the only way to keep the squirt from being torn apart by what she'd be put through."
Under most circumstances, he was perfectly capable of handling the matter on his own, regardless of what unexpectedly arose. But this was an exception to that standard. This was a situation he wasn't capable of handling on his own. This was a situation that would require outside assistance; if not outright deferment.
"Princess Celestia," he spoke up as he turned to look over his shoulder. "We have a situation..."
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If this is not the appropriate amount of detail in your eyes... then hot dog, you are one of the biggest perfectionist authors I've seen on this site.
Your craftsmanship was what lead me to favoring this story in the first place.
Not that this is a bad thing, mind you.
And at last, Rainbow Dash sees the light.
This… was an interesting chapter…
Now, I am not exactly in tip-top form. I just watched my dog get put down today. He was my best friend. I've had him since he was small enough for me to hold in my arms. I loved that big idiot. While I'm not criticizing anything about your work, the timing was… unfortunate… since this story involves rape, and murder. Had you been a couple of hours early, I would've loved this. But it was… poorly timed…
With that being said, I am glad, still, that RD has had all misconceptions cleared.
Great
Soo I actually picked up bleach again when I just really wanted to know what Ulquiorra was like in the show, and damnit all if his death was the worst moment ever.
Not what I was expecting when you said ass kicking last week. But badass Spike is badass.
4999593 My condolences, man
If it makes you feel better, I'm just about close to getting my other BLeach fic back on track.
You may not feel content with this, but you are your own worst critic after all. And though it didn't emotionally impact me, Spike being a bawss was really cool. I really expected him to get slaughtered, but I think we forget that he's a dragon under all that child-like exterior. What's more, I'm very glad that Ulquiorra got the opportunity to use his Sola vista? Eye crush e-mail? You know what I'm talking about. The lack of impact was a minor criticism, but I am relieved that Spike didn't get mauled, and things seem to be getting closer to understanding what the nuts is going on.
Take care author, thanks for making these for our enjoyment.
I knew Spike was powerful after the 'Equestria Games' episode. But this, damn.
good chapter as always and still a brain bender
Was that sarcasm, I could only see that being sarcasm because this was fucking beautiful, in all seriousness its good you're striving for quality, and hope you get well soon from the cold.
That one liner Ulquiorra gave right before he used his solita vista perfect exactly what I said before I read it.
Does that mean RD is suffering from having a Hollow in her head? Or is there something at work here?
4999214
Everything just didn't feel properly fleshed out to me. I feel like I could've done more if I could properly focus.
But sometimes the quick and dirty approach is more akin to real life.
4999411
And all it took was yet another mind screw.
4999593
I'm sorry to hear about that. I can't say that I know what that feels like though, as medically induced euthanasia wasn't an option for us.
4999726
Utterly horrible. Made all the worse by the fact we've seen Orihime repair all sorts of lethal damage to others. And yet she does nothing for Ulquiorra, despite them all being sad about his impending doom.
4999758
Yeah I was pretty tricky about that one. Plus Spike is far too under appreciated.
4410698
And in this week's chapter you can see why I went with pointless detail discussion like lanterns. I had to set it up somewhere so Ulquiorra could do the whole CSI thing. Otherwise it's an ass pull.
5000706
Because it was filler. And what better reason to have Ulquiorra be involved in an extended ass kicking sequence, than the Executioner?
5000692
Or the whole, "World's Greatest Detective" thing.
i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww65/PIchuRox124/13-1.jpg
Edit: Also when Ulquiorra says "Allow me..." I think Nube Negra would be a good music cue there, or at least felt like a good fit when I just did it. Oh cool you did my suggestion, thank you.
Wasnt there a guy in the fullbringer arc of bleach who could alter memories with his powers? I wonder if he may be the cause of Dash's memories then again it might not be him
5000798
That there is. http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Sh%C5%ABkur%C5%8D_Tsukishima
But there are two very good reasons for why he wouldn't be responsible for what's going on.
The first reason is that Fullbringers are humans who make use of Hollow reiryoku. And if you'll refer back to chapter 52, Ulquiorra said that he couldn't sense any such reiryoku, which would stick out to him as it would be true reiryoku.
The second reason is that Tsukishima can only alter memories by inserting his presence into them, and affecting the structure of them through such. And Rainbow Dash never mentioned another biped being present for anything.
Nice to see Spike being able to stand on his own, even if Rainbow was technically at a disadvantage due to her mental instability. At least now Rainbow realizes that her memories were not real so she is now more closer to recovery than before. The new development with the voice in Rainbows has certainly made things interesting, now that there is a sign of the enemy being directly involved.
Great chapter.
And yet another awesome chapter was read and I am left wanting more, you sir are my dealer and I am the addict...always waiting for my next fix. Why must you do this to me you glorious bastard?
Still in all seriousness I did love reading this chapter and I enjoyed all the details and intricacies you wrote out about all this. Takes commitment and skill to go that distance with writing, so I tip my hat to you.
WELP- you know what time it is.........
........................................
5000851 5000798
Also because his power wouldn't allow him to still speak as the voice inside Dash's head.
fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/217/8/2/another_pointless_tsukishima_poster_by_evilkitten3-d6gusus.jpg
Loved it. Simply loved it. This was quite satisfying conclusion for "make rainbow dash believe". I honestly have no problem with this chapter at all. Keep doing the art, bronie, you are SUPAAAA
5000692 Didn't she heal the one girl from being nothing but a stain on the ground?
I swear though, half the shit that goes sour in Bleach is because of people being stupid. For instance, Ichigo never had to use the final getsuiga against Aizen, he face carried the guy 2 miles, in that time he could have easily pulled the hyo-whatever-it-was out of his chest and bailed. He then would have had more then enough time to go back to the real world to give it back to Urahara long before Aizen even recovered from making love to a crater. Hell the whole Aizen arc to begin with was a complete farce. They did all these things cloak and daggery when they never should have because Urahara went into it knowing things were all messed up.
5002723
Originally the scope of this chapter was going to be much, much bigger. I was going to show how Ulquiorra interrogated each and every one of Rainbow Dash's friends one by one, going into detail about what he discovered during his search. And then once he was done with them, he was going to question Derpy since she supposedly delivered the mail. And after he got done with her, he was going to storm the Wonderbolts headquarters and interrogate everyone present, from Spitfire all the way down to the mail clerk, to see who, if anyone, sent the letter to Rainbow Dash, just to hammer home the fact that her memories were false.
But I simply couldn't do that. I flesh out the setting with too much detail to let me get away with something like that. It would've been impossible to pull off in an orderly fashion.
"Which should be any second now, if the door chime was any indication." Dry humor in the vein of L, rather amusing. Intentional or not.
Just had an interesting thought, I wonder if Ulquiorra will remember how easy Orihime was to manipulate into going to Hueco Mundo by threatening her friends lives.
5005885
He probably hasn't forgotten such a fact. But ultimately how would it be relevant here?
5006429
I don't know its just something I thought about, might be relevant if Ulquiorra ever wants to test how the ponies would react with the fact he did that, but ultimately no relevance to anything that has happened, but might be interesting conflict in a less, conflicted point in the future.
Edit: Though I just thought of something else, he could mention that and then warn them that the big bad may try that sort of thing, I don't know I'm no writer.
... I've just had a most interesting thought...
Granted, I've no idea if this has in any way, shape or form come up in an earlier chapter, but...
Does Ulquiorra have a, or even know of, his birthday?
Let alone how old he is.
5006429 Howdy Charlie, sorry for the wait on this one. Power's been down around here. Gotta say that I'm surprised as to how those feathers ended up with Celestia... kinda makes me wonder if he could've just sent RD herself if he'd been a bit better with his aim. And yeah, Spike was a badass in this chapter, way to go little dude!
Below are the typos I found for this chapter. Man your getting better and better at this, hardly any at all!
*falling down ans revealing - falling down and revealing
*She's also the one of - She's also one of
*of events transpired - of events have transpired
*being drafter for - being drafted for
*proceed from his point - proceed from this point.
*Celestia explain as she - Celestia explained as she
5010438
Well the Bleach wiki lists Ulquiorra's birthday as being December 1st. But seeing as they're currently on June 18th, he'll be safe from Pinkie for a while.
5010563 ... huh...
I've browsed that page countless times to check up on info... never once saw that one line of text.
5010582
I think its on the side under his race classification.
I'm actually the same height and weight as him according to the wiki, makes me kind of happy in a weird way.
5010598 Yeah, it is...
And if you say that you have green eyes, I'm gonna find you. And I'm gonna make you look exactly like Ulquiorra, no matter what, and then I'm gonna throw you at a Orihime cosplayer and let the fandom rejoice.
... Yes, I am an Ulquihime supporter. \m/
5010733
Pale blue, Black hair though, thick eyebrows too.
Edit: I don't like the ship, not because of the slightly odd stockholm syndrom of it, but because I don't think Ulquiorra would ever fall in love with anyone.
5010741 Eh, understandable. But ya gotta admit, his death...
img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140915103019/bleach/en/images/5/51/272Ulquiorra_realizes.png
5010871
I think it was voted either most emotional or second most emotional death scene in the whole series I can't remember, best fight of the whole series to in my opinion.
It also makes me think of the ressurection as shikai and Ulquiorra being the only one to achieve bankai status equivalent.
5010895 ... You make a very good point... So, essentially, Ulquiorra may have actually been stronger than either Barragan or Harribel?
5010936
In my opinion I think so. He was also most efficient
Barragon was too arrogant instead of using his respera to basically destroy the pillars and be done with it, he sent out much less strong arrancars to try, he also can be damaged as we saw, so I think Ulquiorra's Lanz del Relampago could kill him if it hit and exploded its size was bigger then Las Noches even when it was much farther away.
Harribel also seemed like she was a lot slower than Ulquiorra and again Relampago and kill her with the explosion, so I think he could take her out because of his speed especially in Segunda Etapa.
Starrk I could see actually having a second release but being too lazy to use it, so he wouldn't even know he has it, and maybe actually standing a chance against Ulquiorra if he didn't give up if the fight takes too long.
5010961
Had Aizen brought Ulquiorra to the fake Karakura Town, instead of leaving him in Las Noches, the battle against the Gotei 13 would've been over before it started. The pillars would've been destroyed instantly, and no shikai or bankai would've stopped it from happening.
But that's what you get when Aizen wants to gloat excessively.
5011405
Not a doubt in my mind it would have gone down like that if not close to it.
Ulquiorra sonidos and kills the luitenants first then ressurections to kill some of the captains with the help of a few of the other espada the other captains die before the vizards show up pillars destroyed Aizen stops dicking around in the fire beats yamamoto, and then he wins.
5011820
Technically, he's not. To make a long story short, combat restrictions (both self-imposed and otherwise) and crossover power level logic. (Please continue for indept explanation)
It's just that, since Celestia gave him the task of protecting the Mane 6 and Ponyville, it also implies keeping collateral damage to a minimum, meaning no cero.
Secondly, Ulquiorra is picky about drawing his zanpakuto "to deal with worthless garbage" so he opted for cqc, but the Executioner is a T-virus zombie, so blunt force (even enough to pulverize bones to dust) doesn't do shit to it.
Lastly, there is the "crossover power level conversion" issue. Since Resident Evil and Bleach exist in two completely different game/anime universes, it is hard to tell how they would match up if the two ever crossed. Would Ulquiorra get stronger, or would the Executioner get weaker? If either is the case, by how much? How would their abilities be affected, and to what extent? These are just a few questions that come up when talking multi-franchise crossovers, and I think the chapter is Charlie_K's interpretation of "RE-to-Bleach crossover power level conversion" as he sees it.
I just realized man!
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/534/157/145.png
(imagine fits more ways than one)
Happy 500,000 words!
5019450
You make 486 dollars a day?
5019450
I didn't even realize it. Damn.
It's kind of funny to see all the comments mentioning Bleach.
I mean, I can't help but replace the notion of the anime ever existing with, y'know, actual bleach
It's all like "I stopped going back to bleach, but it was too enticing"
I just have to say I've been enjoying this story, but my god is the pacing slow. I swear half the story so far has been people just explaining things, often explaining the same thing multiple times.
Ultra Instinct spike