Of Laurels & Lace

by WritingSpirit

Cyan Delusions

The whitewashed door never seemed more harrowing.

Applejack reluctantly gave it a knock, silently remembering about the last time she visited here. A small voice echoed in her head, reminding her of Pinkie Pie.

I don't want to remember...

She turned to her brother, who was nervously ruffling his mane.

"Calm down, Macintosh."

The stallion just gave her an unnerving smile, gazing at the door.

"Ah'm not too sure about this."

"C-Come in..."

Applejack turned the knob, her gaze settling on Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus gave her a smile, although Applejack sensed that something was bothering her.

Big Mac entered as well, giving her a slight grin.

The cheerful atmosphere suddenly broke, the yellow pegasus's face turned dark.

"What is he doing here?"

"Fluttershy," Applejack raised her hooves, biting her lip nervously, "I can explain-"

Fluttershy turned to Big Mac, giving him a foul glare.

"Get out."

"Fluttershy, just listen to me-"

"GET. OUT!"

Big Mac just looked down with guilt, his yellow mane drooping slightly.

"I'll... I'll be waiting outside, AJ."

Applejack tried to hide her shock as Big Mac slowly strode out, closing the door behind him.

Fluttershy, however, seemed to lighten up.

"Now that that's settled, Applejack, what is it?"

"What the hay's wrong with you?"

The yellow pegasus's smile faltered, her grim face returning again.

"Applejack, there's nothing wrong with me."

"That was what Pinkie Pie said," she told her, frowning at the yellow pegasus.

"before what she done to you."

Fluttershy's eyes suddenly flared up at the mention of Pinkie's name. Her wings ruffled despite its bandaged state. A few feathers shed from it, fluttering across the room.

"She's crazy, Applejack. There's a difference."

"Well, I don't see much of a difference!"

"Really?!"

Fluttershy tossed her blanket aside, marching up to the orange pony. Applejack backed against the wall, snout to snout with the raging pegasus.

"They don't call me Honesty for nothin'!"

"Well, BE honest, then!"

Fluttershy raised her hoof, aiming directly at Applejack's face.

"Am. I. CRAZY?!"

Applejack just glared back at her friend.

"YES!"

With a roar, Fluttershy struck her friend, making Applejack grunt in pain. Her freckled face ached sorely, turning black with a small bruise.

Applejack spat on the floor. "Shows how crazy you are, Shy!"

Fluttershy raised her hoof again, preparing for another strike.

Then she stopped, her eyes widening in realization.

"Ap-applejack..."

She tumbled backwards, tripping onto the floor. Her hoof reached around, finally gripping onto the bed sheet.

Applejack tipped her hat, glancing away from the pegasus as she whimpered:

"I'm sorry..."

The orange pony sighed, turning towards the door.

"Ah swore to myself I would never lie, Flutters."

Flames, screaming and a wagon flooded through her mind, her eyes starting to water. A loud clang of bells struck three times in her head, making her feel faint. She turned the knob callously, never giving her friend another look.

"Ever since that day..."

Applejack left the room, leaving Fluttershy alone. The pegasus clung to the side of the bed, sobbing quietly as her mother's voice scowled in her head.

"Pathetic."

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Winter couldn't help but stifle a sob as Doctor Brineheart draped a white cloth over Autumn. The mare smiled serenely, graceful even in the arms of death.

Spring wailed silently in Stellar's suit, the butler saddened as well by her sudden passing.

Rarity tried not to shed a tear, looking along with Spike.

"Celestia..."

Jovern watched the procession, his heart dangling with regret.

"Of all the mistakes I've done..."

"It's not your fault, Jovern," Spike reassured the older dragon.

"Something made you do this."

Jovern just sighed, looking at the deceased mare.

"Truth is, we don't know what it is."

He turned to Rarity, shedding his black wings in guilt.

"I'm... I'm really, really sorry, miss."

The unicorn gave him a slight smile, wiping a small tear away.

"It's alright, Sir Jovern. You didn't do it on purpose."

Spike tenderly hugged the mare, making her whimper in pain. She squirmed uncomfortably as the teenage dragon gave out a chuckle.

"Relax, Rarity."

The unicorn gave him a look. "You expect me to relax with your claw on my wound?"

"You have to be strong, Rarity." Spike replied, giving her a wink.

Jovern laughed as the unicorn groaned with annoyance.

"You really remind me of Cottontail."

"Your mare, Jovern?"

Rarity remembered the book, the sentences of Dragonheart lingering in her mind.

"What's she like?"

"Well..." his voice faltered, the dragon's face slightly blushing.

"Beautiful. Brave. Very, very shy..."

"Brave and shy?" Rarity asked, slightly puzzled.

"She's confusing, that I can tell you." Jovern said with a laugh. "I've spent all night on our first date trying to guess her favorite color."

Spike and Rarity chuckled along.

Jovern sighed deeply, reminiscing about the mare.

"It depends on the time of the month. By this hour, it would be pale green."

Spike applauded at that, while Rarity let out a small 'hmph'

"If only you have that sort of memory, Spike."

"What? Hey, I can have a better memory than Jovern here."

Spike nudged the older dragon, making him stutter:

"Um.. yeah! S-Spike! He has a way, and I mean way better memory than I'll ever have!"

The unicorn just rolled her eyes.

"Dragons! Always acting like small foals!"

Spike sighed in disappointment at himself. Jovern just chuckled.

"You have her spirit. I like that."

"Well," Rarity shrugged.

"It doesn't hurt to bring this dragon here into place..."

"Whoa, Rarity! What do you-"

"Shush. But he's still a fine gentledragon."

She gave Spike a smile, making his heart flutter.

Jovern just laughed as the teenage dragon scratch his head confusingly, his cheeks reddened slightly.

"It seems you have much to learn, young one."

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"Here we are!"

Twilight pointed to the fading overgrowth. Sunlight dappled from all sides, shining brightly towards the three of them in a welcoming light.

Pinkie galloped to the front, letting out a giggle. She stretched her hooves, letting the light shine on her face.

"So glad to be out of the Everfree!"

Rainbow Dash immediately flapped her wings, diving out of the mesh of branches.

"Aw yeah!! Freedom~!"

Twilight chuckled slightly. She staggered out of the woods, letting out a small groan.

"Twilight, you okay?" her pegasus friend asked worryingly. "You don't look too good."

The unicorn gave a weak reply: "I'm... I'm fine, I guess."

Pinkie walked over to them, looking at Twilight. She placed a hoof over the unicorn's forehead, her smile turning into a small frown.

"Hmm... Just as I thought..."

"What is it, Pinkie?" Twilight asked nervously.

Pinkie turned back into the Everfree, cursing under her breath.

"Stupid forest..."

She examined Twilight's body closely, with Gummy trailing between her legs.

The alligator suddenly let out a croak, making the pink pony duck down.

"Found it!"

"Found what, Pinkie?" the unicorn asked again. Her vision became a slight blur as she tried to look at her hooves.

Pinkie pointed at Twilight's back hoof. A small, swollen bite lingered there, slightly leaking with fluid.

Rainbow gasped with disgust at the swelling, while Twilight tried to hide her shock.

"What is that?!"

"Spider bite," Pinkie explained, washing it a little with water. Twilight winced in pain, looking away from her hoof in disgust.

"To be exact, a bite from the Everfree false widow."

"False widow?"

Rainbow scratched her head, slightly confused.

"We gotta get her to the next town. Now."

Twilight let out a small cough, her throat turning increasingly dry. She ruffled through her knapsack weakly, trying to focus as sweat dripped from her coat.

"Come on, Rainbow." Pinkie said, helping the unicorn up.

Twilight passed the pegasus a map frivolously, trying to maintain her balance. Her head ached painfully, making her groan.

Pinkie helped her, the unicorn struggling to stand on her hooves. The both of them staggered along the path, with Rainbow Dash hovering above them, tracing her hoof across the map.

"Next town is about two miles away," she concluded.

"Too far," Pinkie replied. Gummy stood on her head, as if overseeing the pink pony carrying Twilight.

"I know of a mare that lived somewhere closer. Across Red North's Bend."

Rainbow looked at the map again.

"That's several meters ahead of us."

Twilight collapsed, dragging Pinkie along. Both of them hit the floor with a grunt, the unicorn letting out a small whimper.

"J..Just help Rarity.... I can t-take care of-"

"You can't, Twilight," Pinkie said somberly, helping her friend back up.

"You won't make it without us."

Rainbow helped along as well. The three ponies staggered forwards together, their hooves brushing against gravel.

"Th-thanks guys..." Twilight said weakly with a smile. "If the both of you weren't here..."

"No sweat!" Rainbow said, giving her a wink.

The pegasus looked over to Pinkie Pie whilst helping her friend.

Pinkie just looked towards the sky, a worried expression plastered on her sweating face.

"Wonder what's wrong with her?"

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"And be sure to take a few medications everyday."

Fluttershy gave a cheerful nod to the doctor. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Finally...

"Thank you, Doctor."

Without looking back, she left the room. Her pair of yellow wings strained slightly, aching between the bandages wrapped around them.

"I hope the animal's are alright," she muttered to herself. "I don't know how long I've been away..."

She stopped suddenly, looking at a familiar face at the end of the corridor.

A red stallion waited for her, a worried expression plastered on his face. Fluttershy felt hatred building up inside her, but she slowly tried to repress it.

"Hey, Fluttershy." Big Mac raised his hoof slightly.

"H-Hey, Mac..."

"AJ asked me to bring 'ya home."

Fluttershy felt her gut twinge.

"She... she did?"

"Eeyup."

Her mind rambled and ranted, but she tried to ignore it. For now.

"Al-alright then..."

The two of them walked out of the hospital, the doors swinging widely for them. Big Mac gave her a smile, making the pegasus look away ignorantly.

She could hear him scold himself slightly, making her giggle a little.

"Fluttershy?"

"Y-Yes..."

"You're looking a little grim these days," the stallion said cautiously.

Fluttershy bit her lip as he continued: "S'there something bothering you?"

Her mother's stare pierced back into head. She clasped her hoof firmly, taking in a huge breath.

"Nothing, really. It's just..."

The stallion frowned as her voice trailed off.

"The pony you hung in 'ya room. It was a mannequin. Filled with red paint."

The yellow pegasus forced down a gulp, glancing away uneasily.

Big Mac raised his eyebrow with suspicion, slightly disturbed by the pegasus's condition as he spoke:

"I don't think you were, well, alright... in that sense."

"Can we not talk about that, Mac?"

The pegasus held herself back from striking him, instead giving him a pouting look.

The stallion just shrugged his shoulders. "Eeyup, I guess."

"But if anything comes up. Anything at all, just tell me."

Fluttershy's ears perked slightly as Big Mac continued:

"If there's a pony 'ya wanna trust, it's me."

Fluttershy gave him a smile, the stallion returning it with his own.

The two walked across Ponyville, towards Fluttershy's cottage. Along the way, a few ponies watched with anticipation at them, letting out a few, delighted whispers.

The yellow pegasus blushed a little, letting out a small whimper.

"Um... uh.."

Big Mac turned to a group of ponies, obviously gossiping about the both of them.

"Just give this mare some privacy, eh?" he scowled at them, raising his hoof threateningly.

Fluttershy beamed as the group huddled away. Big Mac just chuckled.

"Not a big deal."

Both ponies continued their afternoon walk. It wasn't very long before they reached her cottage. The fresh, autumn air blew slightly, the browned leaves hailing around as Fluttershy gasped in surprise.

The roof and walls was repaired in her absence, shining glamorously in its simplicity. Fluttershy looked over to Big Mac, who gave her a small wink.

"Thank you, Mac." she said to the pony. "for what you did to the cottage, and for accompanying me..."

"No need for a thank you, miss."

The red stallion gave her a warm smile. "Just be careful, okay?"

The yellow pegasus nodded eagerly, before waving as Big Mac slowly trotted off.

She opened the door, her yellow hooves touching the wooden floor. Everything inside was clean and orderly, with no sign of her previous rampages.

Fluttershy closed the door behind her, the image of her mother starting to form in her mind.

"You will learn to love me, Fluttershy,"

The whip cracked onto the floor, making her jump in fear. Her mother's voice scowled painfully, the last few words stinging in her heart.

"and I'll make sure you're going to LOVE ME!"

Fluttershy sobbed slightly, the cold voice penetrating into her mind. She gripped onto the velvet carpet tightly, trying to force her mother's glare out of her mind.

A deep voice echoed slightly, reminding her of Big Mac:

"If there's a pony 'ya wanna trust, it's me."

The yellow pegasus sniffled slightly, trying to control herself.

"Calm down, Fluttershy..."

Her wings ruffled a little in the bandages, making her whimper in pain.

"Trust..." she muttered, looking at her hooves.

"I don't know who to trust anymore..."

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"It wasn't a choice."

Caper looked at Dresden, his friend still scowling impatiently over the past.

"Gypsum had to be killed. You, of all ponies, should know that!"

"Well, now Autumn's dead!"

The magician glared at his friend, pointing his hoof accusingly at Dresden with tears in his eyes.

"I wouldn't have killed Gypsum if I knew she was Autumn's cousin!"

"You had more targets to come, Caper!"

Dresden clicked his gun, tossing it to the black stallion. Caper caught it with ease, glancing at it with disgust.

"I swore to myself I won't kill anypony else, Dresden."

Caper threw the gun aside, the metal clattering onto the rocky floor. He shuddered with grief, a small tear falling from his eyes.

"I can't go back to the pony I used to be, Dres. That's... that's not what she would've wanted."

"Caper?"

The black stallion looked up from his mourning, raising his head towards the voice.

"Who's there?"

"Caper, damn. It's me."

A figure stepped out from amidst the darkness, a warm smile on his face. A small leather rucksack hung around his light-blue body, the sound of clinking glass emitted from within.

Caper turned around. A faint, light-blue wisp stood there, vanishing into the cavern floor. He quickly turned back around.

"What the hell do you want, Dresden?"

The witch-doctor stopped in surprise.

"Caper? You alright?"

"Very fine, thank you very much."

The magician reached for the revolver, quickly pointing it at Dresden. The light-blue pony could only look in bewilderment at his friend, backing away slowly.

"Caper? We haven't met for two years! What's wrong with you?!"

"Shut up!" Caper shouted, the gun trembling from his hooves.

"You were behind me just a moment ago!"

Dresden stopped, completely perplexed by his friend's behavior.

"What are you talking about, Caper?!"

"Put. That. Gun. Down!"

Winter stepped in, a group of soldiers marching along. All of them raised a rifle, pointing directly at Caper.

"Caper, put the gun down. Now!"

Caper looked around in confusion.

"What are you doing?! You're getting the wrong pony!"

"Caper!" Dresden shouted, catching his attention, "Can you please make sense! For once!"

"You! You asked me to join the Surrogates!"

The black stallion raised his gun, glaring at Dresden with indignation.

"You MADE me do this!"

Dresden stopped to think while Winter advanced slowly.

"We can talk about this, Caper."

Suddenly, the witch-doctor's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, god..."

"What is it, Dresden?"

"He's delusional. Obsessed."

Dresden walked towards Winter, glancing at Caper uneasily.

"Conjuration," he explained to the Patriarch.

"To cast a symmetric illusion of something, or somepony, from their perspective and force it out into reality."

"I told him not to use that magic. I told him never to overuse it."

Winter looked back at Caper, who was still frantically turning around.

"Caper!" Dresden called out to his friend. "Wake up, Caper!"

"What?!"

The magician pointed his gun directly at his friend, making Dresden stop in his tracks.

"When I left for Russia, how long had you used your conjuration spell?"

"Why would you care?" Caper said with a sneer.

"I already told you, you were supposed to be in control of the magic!"

Dresden approached his friend cautiously, raising his hooves in self-defense.

"Not the other way around!"

"It doesn't matter now, does it?!"

Caper shuffled backwards slightly, his gun still raised.

"Consider this, Dresden."

Winter's horn flared up with magic, his veins pumping with adrenaline. His eyes started glowing, as well as his Cutie Mark, turning white with a brilliant light.

A ray of beam shot out from his horn, landing beside Caper. The magician tumbled away alarmingly, pointing his gun as a white figure began to form before his eyes.

The white magnificence slowly faded into a pale-yellow. Caper let out a gasp, his eyes widened with shock at the pony that formed from his eyes.

"Autumn...?"

Winter stumbled down, his hooves slightly weakening. Dresden quickly helped him up, still gaping in awe as Autumn strode towards Caper.

Her voice charmed in a melancholic grace, her eyes still glistening palely in the cavern.

"Miss me, Caper?"

"But... But-"

Caper pushed himself further away, confusion tangling inside his mind.

"But you're dead!"

"There's still some unfinished business to do, Caper."

Dresden looked on as Autumn marched towards Caper, giving the terrified pony a smile.

"Is... Is she real?"

"No." Winter replied, easing himself up.

"Just my projection of her."

"Tell them, Caper!" Autumn shouted, her eyes warping into a frenzy. "Tell them how you killed GP!"

She raised a gun from her buckle, pointing directly at the magician.

"All right! All right!"

Caper bit his lip. "Manehatten. Two days after Circo Coriandri. It was raining that night. Precipitation was heavy."

The magician shuddered as Autumn scowled with impatience.

"Continue."

"I was at the balcony. Waiting. Waiting for the gypsy to prance down the street."

Winter's ears perked as Caper continued his explanation:

"The night was somber, dark. I was polishing the barrel of my sniper, still looking down from the balcony."

"Then, there she was. Gypsum Palgiot. The happy-go-lucky explorer with a smile on her face, trotting gleefully down the street..."

Caper trembled as he continued: "... not aware of the assassin that watched her from above."

"I spotted you, Autumn. Along with your siblings. You were walking down, enjoying the Manehatten atmosphere with Gypsum prancing in front of you guys."

Autumn's body seemed to falter, making Winter grunt in pain as his horn forced out a little more magic.

"Not now, Winter! Not now!"

"To watch the gypsy in her dress, to prance the street without a care for the world. That smile on her face."

The black pony started sniffling. "I perched the gun and waited, waited for my prey."

"I had many regrets of that night, Autumn." he said with a tremble, looking up at Autumn with despair.

"Regretting of killing your cousin. Of breaking you apart."

"But the harshest lesson: of pulling the trigger."

Caper wept bitterly in front of them, throwing his gun to the ground.

"I never meant to do it! I never wanted to do it!"

"Then who asked you to do it, Caper?"

Autumn's voice sharply boomed, though now with more grace than fury.

"Who made you do it?"

Caper stood up, wiping his tears away.

"I-It... It was-"

A loud bang erupted from the air, making the soldiers frantically look around.

Caper fell to the floor, his eyes widened in shock.

"Caper!!"

Dresden rushed to his friend's side, shaking his friend with distress.

"Hang on, Caper. Just hang on!!"

Winter instantly turned around, spotting a masked pony perching from a distance.

"Solemn night, is it?" the pony's voice boomed from above, letting out a cackle.

"Shame about your sister, Winter. I never expected Jovern to be a tad bit... aggresive."

"What are you waiting for?!" Winter shouted to the soldiers.

"Fire!"

The soldiers aimed their guns at the masked pony. Bullets whizzed and fly through the air, breaking into a few rocks.

Mirror Mare darted back, away from the ricocheting bullets.

"Damn this-" Winter kicked his hooves with rage.

"Surround the cavern. Don't let the pony escape!"

"Yes, Sir Palgiot!"

Winter quickly trotted beside Dresden, watching the soldiers march off hurriedly.

Caper shuddered violently in Dresden's hooves, his friend frantically trying to stop the bleeding in vain. His pupils were bloodshot with fatigue, his insanity fading away.

"E-Enough, Dres..." Caper managed to stutter. Blood poured from his mouth, a small puddle of it already pouring from under his body.

Winter gripped his hoof tightly. "Hold on, Caper. We're going to get help."

"Winter Palgiot," the magician coughed.

"You and I both know I can't make it."

He looked over Winter's shoulder, at the fading projection of Autumn Palgiot. The mare's face seem to have a smile, comforting him as the projection whisked away in the hollow wind.

"Don't w-worry, Winter." Caper said with a smile. He held his last breath, before managing to mutter:

"Autumn will be waiting for me..."

Comments

[WritingSpirit]

Chapter 25!
Worked faster than expected...

Well, still thinking of a few twists for the next few chapters of the story.
Already worked out the ending though

[Fury of the Tempest]

Oh? The ending?
How many chapters do you think is left?
And the body count continues to rise, just as the problems...
Poor Autumn... now Caper...

[WritingSpirit]

935799
Still quite a long way, but got a clear idea of piecing it together .

[Fury of the Tempest]

935806
I'm glad you do, as I'm stumped.

[BlackMuffin]

935806 Long way until the end?
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