Time and Masks

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Fiendishly Tortured Filly

Dinky Hooves bit her lip as she was poked in the side again. She did her best to keep still, refusing to flinch. Not only would she not show weakness, but she was also afraid that any movement would only make the torture take longer.

Dear Celestia, she thought, please either end this soon or put me out of my misery. She felt another poke in the side. This time she could not stop herself and tried to pull away.

"Do try to hold still," the torturer said, "I just have to make a few more adjustments to make certain the outfit fits you properly."

Dinky did her best (and failed) not to roll her eyes. She continued to try and hold still, hoping for it to be finished soon. Getting bored, she began to chew her lip again, but stopped when she realized it was becoming tender. She had to stop or else it would start to bleed. But she would not bleed. She would not bleed and she would not cry out. The filly refused to show any weakness under such torture.

"Just a few more pins," the sadistic torturer said casually, "and then we'll be done for today."

The muscles in the base of Dinky's neck tensed and a knot of fear formed in her stomach at that one word: "today." That single, solitary word was the worst for one simple reason; dread. "Done for today" implied that they were going to continue this cruelty another day.

This was not how she had imagined she would be spending her spring break back in Ponyville.

"Alright darling, we are done for now. You may get down from there and change out of the outfit."

Dinky let out a sigh of relief and climbed down from the display table she had been standing on. Quick as she could, she walked to the dressing room and began to take off the outfit. Specifically the black body under suit that was supposed to fit tight against her. The boots, the purple over suit, the cape and hat all fit properly. The mask had needed adjustment to the muzzle, but that had gone quickly.

As Rarity had requested, Dinky had come back to the boutique alone. When she arrived, she had been measured. It had been unpleasant, but not too bad. She had been poked and prodded, and the measuring tape had been a bit uncomfortable in some places such as her armpit.

Then Rarity asked her to come back the day after next. Since the fashion designer had the measurements, it would be quick work to make the new outfit, and there was still time for a proper fitting. So the filly did, and endured what had to be hours of cruel malicious torture as pins were stuck into the outfit to adjust the fit of it.

At least now it was over. No, that was not quite true. It was done for today, which meant there was at least another day where something like this could happen. At least it was done for now.

Dinky gave the jumpsuit to Rarity and tried to flee from the boutique as quickly as she could while still being polite. Outside she ran as fast as she could. The filly was mostly running from Carousel Boutique, glad to have escaped from the vicious torture of being fitted.

The first place she went to was Sweet Apple Acres. Wind Tunnel was out in one of the orchards with the Apple Family members. A part of it was the crush he seemed to have developed on Apple Bloom, the pegasus would follow her around all day if he could. Another part was genuine curiosity. Having grown up first in Cloudsdale then in Canterlot, Wind Tunnel had never seen food being grown before.

Big Macintosh gave her directions to the part of the orchard where the pegasus most likely was. Dinky found Wind Tunnel up in one of the trees, wings spread out for balance as he walked along one of the branches. It was hard to figure out what he was looking at though.

"Wind?" Dinky called out, "What are you doing up there?"

"Thinking," he replied before jumping down. His wings fluttered as he went. Although he was too young to fly, he had developed enough to land safely from jumps such as the tree.

"So are you done?"

"Yeah. They're done harvesting for today." He stopped and looked around. "Where are they? Where's Apple Bloom?"

"Big Macintosh is by the barn," she explained. "I don't know where Apple Bloom is." She watched as the pegasus headed for the barn before following after him. She kept quiet as Wind Tunnel asked Big Macintosh about Apple Bloom.

"Bloom went off with 'er friends," the big red earth pony said, "reckon she left 'bout twenty minutes ago."

"You mean he was standing in that tree for twenty minutes?" Dinky asked, looking from Macintosh to her friend and back.

"Eyup."

"What?" Wind Tunnel yelped, "No. Two or three... Maybe five... could I? NO! There's no way I was there that long."

"Ya' were," Big Macintosh replied then went back to work.

"What were you thinking about, anyways?" Dinky asked.

"Stuff," the pegasus replied with a shrug.

"Well, let's go get Twinkleshine. She should still be at the library. Bye, Mister Macintosh." With that the two of them left the farm.

"They're not here at the moment," Twilight Sparkle explained when the two friends arrived. "Ruby went to see Zecora to get some ingredients for a potion she's working on. Twinkleshine offered to go with her so she could learn a little about the Everfree." The librarian pony rubbed her chin. "Think she also said something about the old castle, but I doubt she would try to travel out and explore it alone."

Dinky nodded but said nothing. She was a little skeptical on the last part. When Twinkleshine got interested in a story, it seemed like she would do nearly anything to go after it, even if it put her in a bit of danger. Dinky discovered that when she found Twinkleshine after the Poison Joke incident at school. It turned out the unicorn had stood right outside the door to watch the whole thing and ended up getting exposed to the powder... again.

It was a short wait until the door to the library opened again. Twinkleshine entered, leaning against Ruby as they did. One of the white and pink unicorn's legs was lifted up, bandages wrapped around the fetlock. She was leaning against the red filly, using her for support as they walked back in.

"What happened?" Dinky asked, seeing one friend injured and another being used as a crutch.

"We saw a Timberwolf!" Twinkleshine squealed, bouncing slightly. The statement caused the eyes of the others to go wide in shock.

"We were near Zecora's," Ruby explained, "on our way to visit her. We were almost there when a Timberwolf showed up. Luckily Zecora was nearby and able to scare it off."

"So Twinkle hurt her leg running from the Timberwolf?" Wind Tunnel asked.

"No." Ruby sighed and rolled her eyes. "Twinkle hurt her leg when she kicked a root while dancing excitedly."

"I have only heard stories of Timberwolves," the white unicorn practically shouted, "but I've never actually seen one up close before. I got to make all sorts of notes on the whole thing while Ruby and Zecora bandaged me up. It might just help make for a really great story someday."

"Okay..." Dinky turned to Ruby. "What are you working on now, anyways?"

"A sleeping potion," Ruby answered with a grin. "I thought that if someone was hurt and I couldn't do anything, I could at least have a way for them to sleep until they get to the hospital instead of being in pain."

"Kind of like how the doctors put ponies to sleep before surgery?" Wind Tunnel asked, catching the conversation.

"Yeah."

"Ruby?" Twilight asked, "Did Zecora help you with this bandage?" No one had noticed that Twilight Sparkle had moved up and was looking at the wrapping on Twinkleshine's leg.

"No." Ruby shook her head. "She watched me, but didn't say anything."

"Well it's really well done. You're training is paying off quite well."

Ruby practically glowed at the praise, her smile widening as much as it could without injuring her.

"Well, anypony have an idea what to do for the rest of the day?" Dinky asked, looking around.

"Actually," Twinkleshine said, "I think I should head back to your house. I'm supposed to keep form putting too much weight on my leg for too long."

"Aww," Dinky pouted, "but I just got out of being tortured by Miss Rarity. And Spring Break is almost over."

"Yeah, and looks like I'll have to spend the rest of it close to the house. OH! I almost forgot." Twinkleshine turned and reached into her saddlebag. She pulled out a jar with filled with dirt that had a blue flower growing in it. "Here."

"You got me a Poison Joke flower?" Dinky asked, looking at the strange blue flower.

"Well Zecora had it," the white and pink unicorn explained, "I just asked her for it. Thought that if you took it to the princesses, somepony could figure out what it would take to cultivate and grow it in Canterlot."

"So we could figure out who might be The Poison Joke Prankster," Dinky finished excitedly. "Good idea." She looked at the flower closer.

"It's very pretty," Twinkleshine said.

"Yeah," Wind Tunnel agreed, "Too bad it does weird things to ponies."

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[Luckyfanisaac]

She pulled out a jar with filled with dirt that had a blue flower growing in it. "Here."