Diamond of Desire

by GaryOak

Chapter Seven — Disillusioning

Chapter Seven
Disillusioning
===============

The sight that met Twilight's eyes could only be described as an animal internment camp. Locked cages of varying size covered the walls, most of the floorspace, and even the ceiling. Each contained exactly one animal, each with heavy, hope-drained expressions. Although the cages’ sizes varied according to the animal they contained, they were arranged in such a way that they occupied every inch of available space. Twilight's inner organizer could not help but appreciate the perfect efficiency.

The locks were welded shut.

Fluttershy glared at her with leery eyes. “It's feeding time in eighteen minutes, so make it quick. At that time, you're gonna have to get out of here so you don't contaminate the food.”

The coldness in Fluttershy's voice cut into Twilight's hide, eliciting a shiver. “What's gotten into you? What have you done to them?”

“The animals are safe now,” Fluttershy said. “From you, the weather, monsters, and everypony and everything.” She ignored the sad wheeze of a cough from the bear locked in the huge cage in the back right corner. “How often have poor little mice been chased out of restaurants with brooms, or cute bunnies been accidentally stepped on, or bears stubbing their widdle toesies on tree roots?”

“Not often, actually.”

“Shush!” Fluttershy puffed herself up and tried to loom over Twilight. “You don't know animals like I do. Now, no harm will come to them ever again.”

Several debilitated coughs from the caged animals challenged her statement.

“They don't sound very unharmed.” Twilight tried to look past her, but Fluttershy craned her neck to move her head in the way of Twilight's gaze.

“That's why I can't have anypony in here. I've been working myself half to death trying to take care of them.”

Twilight now noticed the black bags under Fluttershy's eyes and the wrinkles creasing her face. She tried to make herself sound as diplomatic as possible. “Well, maybe they're so sick because of their horrible living conditions.”

She immediately knew her mistake when Fluttershy's right eye twitched several times and she launched into a tirade about how Twilight was a horrible pony for even suggesting the animals were in anything but the best, most kind and caring hooves.

Rather than paying too much attention, Twilight began to plan her next move. A part of her felt stupid for arguing about conditions for animals who did not even exist, but she knew she had to convince Fluttershy to become disillusioned with this world at face value, and simply telling her the truth outright would accomplish nothing.

In a bizarre sort of way, Fluttershy's actions made sense. Much like her friends—and Twilight herself—this twisted pseudo-reality Daybreak had fashioned consisted of scenarios where their desires had been taken to their most extreme ends. In Fluttershy's case, it was her kindness toward the animals. How better could she express kindness than to create a paradise for them where there was absolutely no chance of harm befalling them?

Twilight tried to think of how she could go about showing Fluttershy how wrong she was and the consequences of her actions. But nothing came to mind; the animals' sickness was her only idea, and there was no way Fluttershy would let her get close enough for a more thorough inspection.

Doubt struck her. As with Pinkie, she was stumped. She reminded herself it was only a stroke of luck that allowed her to show Rarity the truth.

“Understand?” Fluttershy cut into her thoughts. She wore a grim, righteous smirk.

“Animals are meant to roam free,” Twilight said. She wished she had more time to form a strong response. “Look at what you're doing to them. It's not right, not natural. Can't you see? I don't think they're happy.”

A puff of steam hissed from Fluttershy's flared nostrils. “They don't know what's good for them. You sound just like every other pony who tried to tell me the same thing. That's why I built those bars, but I guess you just couldn't take the hint.”

Twilight backpedalled. “Can we please talk about this? Outside, if you'd prefer. I promise I won't lay a hoof on your animals.”

“I think we've talked enough.”

Panic churned Twilight's mind. She forced herself to think. Fluttershy had always needed a little balancing out, especially when she and Twilight had first met. Without Angel Bunny, who Twilight guessed was also locked away somewhere, nothing kept her grounded. While Angel could not speak, he never shied away from reminding her when she lost focus on the bigger picture.

Angel.

“Fluttershy, wait,” Twilight said. “When's the last time you've spoken to Angel?”

“Angel?” The word gave Fluttershy pause. “A week, I think. He's fine—I left him plenty of carrots and water, more than enough for him to live on. Why?”

Twilight's chest fluttered as she prepared her last, desperate gambit. “He's usually a pretty big help, isn't he? Maybe he could assist you in taking care of the animals, or at least give you some advice. You look pretty worn out.”

Fluttershy regarded her through wary eyes and rubbed her muzzle with a forehoof. “There's no way I'd let him out and catch what the others have, but... maybe you're right.” She turned and shut the door in Twilight's face.

Twilight heard a series of tumblers thunking as Fluttershy spent a good thirty seconds locking the door. She gave the cottage's door a determined stare. Even though she knew Angel would likely be of little help—if he disapproved of Fluttershy's actions, he would have already expressed it to her—but this was her best chance. She had only been left alone with her thoughts for about a minute before a piercing shriek split the air.

Galloping hooves thumping down stairs and clopping on hardwood floor met her ears. The locks on the door's other side rattled as frantic hooves fumbled them. Finally, the door flew open. Chest heaving, Fluttershy glared at Twilight with accusing eyes. “What. Have. You. Done. With. Angel?”

“I don't—”

Fluttershy smashed a hoof into the ground. “Don't you lie to me, Twilight Sparkle! You're behind this. You're why my Angel is gone!”

Twilight blanched. “He's gone? I had nothing to do with it.”

“Prove it.”

“I only just got here.” Twilight wanted to comfort her friend, but she did not dare take a step forward for fear of further drawing her ire. “I'm just as surprised as you are. Look, I can help you find him, if you want. What was his cage like?”

“T-there was a hole... at the bottom.” Fluttershy's fury melted into grief on the turn of a bit. “He must've dug his way out. Oh, Twilight, I'm so worried!” On shaky hooves, she sank to her belly and stared at the ground.

Twilight knelt beside her. “See? It sounds like he escaped on his own. If I abducted him, then there'd be no hole, right? I'd have just taken him out of the cage with magic.”

Fluttershy did not look up. “Where could he have gone?”

Angel had never struck Twilight as the type of animal who would put up with being caged. With Fluttershy keeping all the animals under such strict lockdown, it only followed that Angel would attempt to escape. The sickness among the animals served as the perfect smokescreen. But where did he go?

Twilight knew Angel always loved Fluttershy, so it was unlikely he would have gone far. However, a small rabbit could find myriad hiding places, even if he kept close to the cottage. Twilight imagined a map of the surrounding area. The Everfree Forest would likely be too dangerous and uncomfortable for Angel.

A horrible thought struck her. The most logical first place for Angel to hide would be Ponyville. Her analysis made her remember Rarity's departure from this world. She had been trying to tell her something, but could not finish before the illusion lost its grasp on her mind.

The centre of town...

“Fluttershy, I think I know where Angel is,” Twilight said, her tone grim. Without waiting for a response, she teleported outside the bars.

Fluttershy scrabbled to her hooves and rushed toward the gate. “Twilight? What do you know?” She unlocked the door as fast as she could.

When it opened, Twilight took off for the centre of town at a canter with Fluttershy in tow. Throughout the trip, Fluttershy bombarded her with questions about where they were going, what happened to the town, and how Twilight could possibly think it was a good idea to let the animals go free when Ponyville was in such a state.

Twilight let her keep talking and half-hoped her theory was wrong. She had to continuously remind herself the animals and ponies in this world were not real, and any harm that befell them was not permanent. The only ones who mattered here were her friends. She came to a halt beside the fountain at Ponyville's heart. Like almost everything else there, it had been crystallized by Rarity. Apart from that, there was nothing remarkable about it. She glanced downward and noticed a small crystalline formation by her forehooves. Inside it was—

“Angel!” Fluttershy bowled Twilight over and clutched the crystal lump attached to the well. “Angel! Angel! Angel!” Her body quaked as she sobbed into the hard, unyielding prison. Angel, his face frozen in fear, crouched mid-hop in the opposite direction of Fluttershy's cottage.

“Everything will be okay,” Twilight said, wrapping her friend in a tight embrace.

“N-n-no, it won't!”

“Fluttershy, I know it looks bad, but I know how to save Angel.”

“Y-you do?” Fluttershy trembled a little less and looked into Twilight's eyes. “You have a spell?”

“No.” Twilight allowed an authoritative firmness to creep into her voice. “Only you have that power.” When Fluttershy gave a quizzical look, she collected her thoughts. This would have to be phrased perfectly. “There's a reason Angel tried to escape, isn't there?”

“He didn't know what was good for him.” She choked back a sob. “I tried to protect him from something like this, but he didn't listen. He dug a hole and ran.”

“He ran because you've become too protective. Look at what you've become,” Twilight said. “You can't see it, but you're hurting the animals more than helping them. Angel knew you'd lost it. The animals are your friends, and you help them when they're in trouble. You locked them up like criminals. Yes, they might hurt themselves in the wild, or even get killed by larger predators, but that's nature. You can't interfere with nature like that.”

Fluttershy had gone silent. Understanding had begun to write itself on her face.

“There is a way to save Angel,” Twilight continued. “You must let go.” She told Fluttershy of the true nature of this world, and her friend's expression shifted as she spoke. Understanding gave way to confusion; confusion twisted into shock; and shock boiled into fury. Twilight helped Fluttershy to her hooves. “So, you see, everypony has to give up the fantasy Daybreak is offering them.”

“This is a nightmare!” Fluttershy pawed the ground and flared her wings. “No fantasy of mine involves making innocent animals suffer. The way she built it made it all seem like it made sense. Animals came to me if they were hurt, so if I never let them leave, they couldn't get hurt. Nothing could happen to them under my watch.”

Twilight nodded. “It all makes sense until we take a step back and look at what's really going on.”

“So Angel isn't hurt?”

“He's safe and sound. The sooner we're all free of this spell, the sooner we can defeat Daybreak, get Spike back, and see Angel again.”

Fluttershy folded her wings and exhaled the stress and tension from her body. “I'll never let Daybreak turn me into a jailer.” With that, Fluttershy vanished.

Angel had disappeared from inside the crystal.

Twilight sat and allowed herself a breather. Two down, two to go, she thought. She still had no idea how to convince Pinkie, which left only Rainbow to confront. The image of the poster she had seen in Hoofington popped into her mind: a flier for the Wonderbolts featuring Rainbow front and centre. Twilight could not help but laugh. After the shocks of Rarity and Fluttershy's scenarios, Rainbow's promised to be the most predictable.

Twilight called upon her dreamwalking magic and transported herself to the Cloudsdale Colosseum, the place Rainbow had won the Best Young Fliers Competition. She appeared in the middle of the Colosseum's bleachers. An eerie silence hung in the air; the colosseum’s seats, which were filled to capacity with cheering pegasi on the day of the competition, were deserted.

The surrounding skies were equally vacant, with the exception of Rainbow, who lounged on a cloud chair and sipped a mug of cider. A pair of aviators covered her eyes, and she wore a Wonderbolts flight suit adorned with a gleaming gold badge.

The cloud chair floated amidst an intricate-looking obstacle course built primarily of clouds. Among the clouds, there were several narrow metal rings. Twilight suspected those rings were meant to be set on fire. It resembled the course Rainbow had flown through in the Best Young Fliers, but a great deal larger and more elaborate.

“Hey, how'd you get past security—Twilight?” Rainbow looked surprised, but she did not move from her chair or put her cider down. “It's been so long! Have you finally come to see yours truly perform?”

Suppressing an eye roll, Twilight flew over. “You're sort of right, Rainbow. I've come to see you, but not for the reason you think. Where are the other Wonderbolts?”

Rainbow spat out a mouthful of cider and pounded an arm of her chair as she guffawed. “Other Wonderbolts? Geeze, you have been out of it, haven't you? I thought everypony in Equestria knew what happened. Ever since I made the team, I kept outperforming everypony. Not just by a little bit, but by a lot. They just couldn't compare to my awesomeness. I'm a one-pony show now, and that's all there is to it.”

Twilight had no idea how to begin to approach this one. Using her experiences with the others as a guide, she knew the Rainbow would only snap out of it if she realized she was not as awesome as she thought, but convincing her of that looked impossible. Twilight knew she had no hope of out-flying her, and if she used magic, Rainbow would brush it off as cheating. She also knew she had to wait until the right moment, as she had with Fluttershy, to tell Rainbow what was really going on.

“Rainbow, these seats are all empty,” Twilight said lamely.

“Duh.” Twilight could not see it, but she felt Rainbow rolling her eyes behind her aviators. “That's because the show isn't for another few hours. I'm just relaxing before warmups. Now, if you'll excuse me...”

A weird smile crossed Twilight's muzzle. She had the beginnings of a plan. What she had in mind was a long shot, she knew, but if it worked... “Well, I actually came here to tell you about an opportunity for a show.”

Rainbow's ears perked up at this. “A show?”

“Yeah, a show. Have you ever been to Hoofington?”

* * *

Later that evening, Twilight stood outside the building that housed the Mandatory Fun party. She was still impressed with herself over how easy it had been to convince Rainbow to perform here. All she had to do was mention an after-party Rainbow would never forget, and she was sold.

She knew Rainbow would arrive shortly, so she did not have long to execute the next stage of her plan. Without bothering to try the door, Twilight used her dreamwalking magic to phase through it and appear in the middle of the “party.” Pinkie was still the only one doing anything; all of her captive guests looked just as dead as before.

Just like the last time, Pinkie froze and turned to Twilight. This time, however, she was not pleased to see her. “What did I tell you about party pooping?”

Twilight backed off and raised her forehooves defensively. “I'm not here to poop anything. In fact, I'm bringing some entertainment.”

Pinkie gave a bemused snort. “I'm all the entertainment ponies need.”

“A little show. I notice at least somepony here is a Wonderbolts fan.” Twilight indicated the Rainbow Dash poster.

“Well, duh, everypony's almost as big a Wonderbolts fan as they are fans of my parties.”

Twilight looked at the half-comatose ponies littered about the room. “Yeah, they're fans, all right. Well, the Wonderbolts are going to perform just for you.”

“Really?” Pinkie leapt into the air, but came crashing down mid-leap. She stood and narrowed her eyes. “Wait, what's the catch? Wonderbolts tickets are wicked expensive.”

Twilight shot her a mischievous grin. “A party she'll never forget.”

If Pinkie smiled any wider, her face would have broken. “Okay, I forgive you for trying to poop Mandatory Fun. This is gonna be the best party ever!” She bounced up and down as if her legs had been replaced with springs. “When's she arriving?”

An intense burst of multicoloured light blasted through the windows, painting the room with its cascade.

“Right about now,” Twilight said.

Pinkie loosed a rambunctious war cry and hurtled toward the door. In a flurry of pink hooves, the padlock and chains clattered to the floor. She spun round. “Everypony, quick! The show's gonna start!” She darted out the door.

Twilight followed. High in the sky, with the setting sun as a spotlight, Rainbow Dash zoomed about in a cerulean blur. Twilight and Pinkie watched as Rainbow performed a glorified version of her practice routine, a routine they had both seen countless times. She did loop-de-loops, corkscrews, and dives where she pulled up at the last second before hitting the ground.

To an audience of two.

Even when Rainbow took sharp turns around the buildings, nopony in Hoofington paid her any mind. Twilight watched Pinkie's face more than she did Rainbow's tricks. Restlessness took excitement's place on Pinkie's features, and Twilight could not have been more delighted.

After what felt far too long, the show ended, and Rainbow touched down. She gave an exaggerated bow. “So, what'd you think? And where is everypony else?”

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “That was the show? Talk about boring. Everypony was too busy enjoying themselves at my party.”

“Boring?” Rainbow looked as if she had been punched square in the snout. “How could you call that boring? That's just not possible. I'm pretty sure there's something in the dictionary about how ‘boring’ can't be used to describe anything I do.”

“No, there isn't,” Twilight muttered.

Rainbow rounded on her and flared her wings. “What was that?”

“Never mind.”

“I said it was boring! B-o-r-i-n-g!” Pinkie stuck her head between Twilight and Rainbow. “I've wanted to see the Wonderbolts for such a long time, but I was busy with parties. I'm glad I didn't have to until now. With just you, it's like watching you practice back in Ponyville. It's okay, but nothing like we'd expect to see in an actual Wonderbolts performance.”

Rainbow went bug-eyed, and her expression froze in stunned surprise, like a fuse had shorted out in her brain. Twilight was tempted to check her ears to see if there was any smoke curling out.

Pinkie wrapped a foreleg around Rainbow and steered her inside the party house. “Twilight did promise you a great afterparty, right? Well, you've come to the best party in Equestria!”

Rainbow said nothing, but allowed herself to be dragged into the house. What she saw made her say, “Is this a joke?”

Pinkie cocked an eyebrow at her. “Um, what do you mean? I haven't told you any jokes yet. That reminds me! An earth pony, a unicorn, and a changeling walk into a barn—”

“No!” Furious rosy tints blemished Rainbow's cheeks. “I mean this! This looks less fun than studying ancient Unicornian politics with Twilight.”

“Hey!” Twilight's ears flattened. “That's a fascinating subject.”

“It's as boring as watching paint dry.”

Pinkie raised a forehoof. “I did that once!”

Rainbow gave her a wry grin. “Unicornian politics are about that boring, aren't they?”

“Yep!”

Twilight threw up her hooves. “I give up.”

Rainbow and Pinkie laughed.

Pinkie pricked her ears. “That sound...”

“What, laughter?” Rainbow asked.

A heavy pause filled the air. All mirth left Pinkie's face. She looked hollow. “Yeah. Genuine laughter. I... I haven't heard it in so long.”

“And what you said...” Rainbow sat and stared at the floor. “I've heard that before, too, but I thought that was just other pegasi being jealous of my awesomeness. But you'd never lie to me about something like this. We were prankster partners in crime. What have I done?”

“What have I done?” Pinkie surveyed the room as if she was looking at it for the first time. “I didn't bring the fun—I sucked it right out of everypony.”

“Finally,” Twilight said, heaving a deep sigh. “It's about time you two snapped out of it.” She explained the situation to them. “... so you see, you two have to give this up in order for us to wake up and join the others in the fight against Daybreak.”

“I remember now,” Rainbow said. Rage shook her limbs. “I remember what she did to the Princesses—and to us.”

Pinkie said nothing, but marched over to the Mandatory Fun poster. She removed it from the wall and tore it in half in one swift, solemn motion.

Pinkie Pie winked out of existence before the poster’s drifting remnants hit the ground.

Rainbow turned to Twilight. “Why didn't you tell me earlier?”

“Because it wouldn't have worked. You needed something stronger to make you see what you'd become.”

Shame dragged Rainbow's gaze to her Wonderbolts Captain's pin. “I don't deserve to wear this, not after what I’ve done. They're called the Wonderbolts after all, not the Wonderbolt. They're a team, just like us.”

When Rainbow removed the pin, not only did she vanish, but the whole world distorted. Twilight beamed as her surroundings became a churning mess of colour, like a dozen buckets of paint in a gigantic mixer. She took a deep breath and let go of her connection to the illusory world.

All became blackness, and she shut her eyes. When she opened them, the stone dungeon came into focus. Her friends surrounded her, all with grim, determined expressions. “We did it,” she said.

They nodded. Nothing else needed to be said.

Twilight stepped forward, and magic flared to life around her horn. Magenta light wrapped around the barred door, and she yanked it from the wall. It landed with a clatter against the stone floor.

“It's time for a rematch with Daybreak,” Rainbow said as she zoomed above her friends' heads. “This time, she's not gonna beat us.”

“After what horrid things she had us do, she simply must be stopped,” Rarity said.

Fluttershy marched toward the door. “And she made us enjoy it, too.”

Pinkie joined her. Gone was the bounce in her stride. “We're getting Spike back.”

“Come on, Twi.” Applejack gave Twilight's shoulder a reassuring pat. “Daybreak tried to, well, break us. She failed. That says a lot about us, and a lot about how wrong she is.”

Twilight teleported to the door's threshold. She turned to face her friends. “We know we can't beat Daybreak in a fight. She's too powerful, and she knows it. But we do have one weapon she can't stop: our friendship. We've proven we won't fall to our own desires like she did, and together, we will find a way to overcome her.”

She turned and charged up the dark hallway that led out the dungeons and toward the throne room. “Hold on, Spike! We're coming for you.”

Comments

[GaryOak]

7670547
She knows what's best for you!

[Swashbucklist]

“I remember now,” Rainbow said. Rage shook her limbs. “I remember what she did to the Princesses—and to us.”

And to Spike... Typical Rainbow Dash.

[FanFiction4]

#LovePoke'mon

[PresentPerfect]

Creative solution to that last problem. I just wonder how they're any more ready to fight Daybreak again.