//------------------------------// // ErroR: Initiating Lockdown // Story: Crash Landing // by TheUnknownPerson //------------------------------// "Return." Rarity gasped. She blinked, clearing her blurry vision. The Administrator and Pinkie Pie stood at either side of her. She tried to lean up, but her head had been tied down, along with each of her hooves. The device unfocusing her magic was still atop her horn. The Administrator glanced up at Pinkie. "A is running late." She noted. Rarity looked around the room, her heart rate slowly beginning to rise. The room was completely white. Only a silver cart and gray cabinets to her right stood out. The cart held medical tools such as syringes and scalpels, while the cabinets held more practical things like rope and a hammer, as well as a few strange things mixed between the two, such as black earmuffs and a blindfold atop the cabinet. "She's taking forever..." Pinkie sighed aloud, her head falling and her mane covering her face. "Go get her." "Okay!" Pinkie's head shot back up as she quickly ran past Rarity and the Administrator. "H... How did you get control of her?" She simply smiled, remaining silent. "You'll find out soon enough" "Why? Why are you targeting us?" "Oh, Rarity. We thought you were supposed to be the sharpest now." She sighed, disappointed. "Why?" Rarity asked breathlessly. What wasn't she getting? The Administrator grinned beneath her mask. "Think for a moment. What stopped Nightmare Moon when she returned?" Rarity gasped breathlessly. There's no way- she couldn't! The Administrator smiled, seeing the fear in Rarity's face. "Even fragmented, the Elements of Harmony are still a powerful tool. So, instead of blindly rushing in as she did, we've spent these last few years collecting all of you. Guess what?" she bent downwards, towards Rarity's left ear. "You're the last of the group, the final trial before we may begin our rule," she whispered. "After you, there'll be nothing anypony can do to stop our conquest, not even Celestia or Luna." "You- you won't!" Rarity turned to her. "I won't let you!" "And what exactly will you do to stop us?" "Something! Anything I need to!" She proclaimed. Rarity absolutely could not let herself become like the others. The very fate of Equestria depended on it. "Found her!" The Administrator calmly straightened her neck, turning back to Pinkie. "Ah-Ah'm sorry, ma'am. I-I musta forgot." Applejack... not you too. Rarity looked to the left, seeing an open door with Applejack standing in the doorframe. She was wearing her usual stetson brown hat, with black armor very similar to Pinkie's(although, without the pink), and had her mane in the usual ponytail. Pinkie trotted past her, returning to Rarity's side. "Don't let it happen again." The Administrator trotted away, towards the door. "Make sure we get what we need." she called as she passed Applejack, who was trotting at a snail's pace with her head pointed to the ground. "C'mon AJ. I'm getting bored..." Pinkie impatiently stated. AJ's head shot up, speeding up. Her coat was the same as always, and her eyes were no different. "Sorry. I ain't feelin' like myself today." She forced a laugh, standing where the Administrator previously was. Her eyes wandered to Rarity, silently horror-struck, as she saw that her friend had been tied down. Rarity looked up, not knowing whether to feel relieved or scared. "Now, lemme get everything we'll need..." Pinkie turned away, trotting to the cabinet. She opened it and looked for whatever she needed. "Check... Check... No. Hey, have you seen the pliers?" Her head turned back, looking at them as her hooves continued to dutifully look for the pliers. "I think Legacy may've took it with him. Said there was somethin' wrong with his button panel." "Aw..." Pinkie groaned, slumping over. "Okay, I'm gonna get those from him. Don't start without me." "Alright." Applejack said, remaining still as she passed by her. As soon as she was out of sight, she quickly bent down to Rarity's ear. "What the hay is going on?" She asked. Rarity quietly sighed with a smile. "Thank Celestia. I'm so relieved to see you. I was terrified that you were going to continue on with them with that scheme." "I'm glad to see you too." She smiled, before looking back to the door. "Look-- I dunno what's happenin', but I promise I'm gonna get'cha out just fine, alright? Just hold on for a little while, Ah'll find us a way out." "Okay, darling. Just hurry, please." she importuned. Applejack nodded. "Just a little longer. We'll--" "Got them!" She stood up straight as soon as she heard Pinkie's voice. Rarity turned away from Applejack, pretending like they hadn't just spoken. She stepped into the room, holding the pliers between her side and her underhoof. "Now... What should open this day of fun with?" Pinkie asked aloud to no one in particular. She lifted the syringe. "I know we have some meds we could use. Some nonsense about increasing pain and sensitivity. Sounds fun, but complicated. Or... we could use these babies." she giggled as she showed the pliers in her hooves. "I can't decide. Too many options. What do you think A?" "Ah..." Applejack pursed her lips, looking over Pinkie and trying to find the least painful thing. Please, please allow this to prevail... Rarity silently prayed. "The earmuffs and blindfold?" Pinkie turned back to her, confused with a slight frown at first. "Are you sure you're feeling all right? You're usually excited for this kind of stuff." Rarity held her breath silently. "It's gonna be worse than it sounds, trust me." Applejack answered confidently. Pinkie glanced down. Rarity gasped silently as she jumped, expecting her to go for her. "Sensory deprivation! Of course! Why didn't I think of that?!" She reached over Rarity, reaching for high-hoof. Applejack pulled a fake smile and replied with as much ingenuous enthusiasm as she could muster, making a loud clap as she returned it. Pinkie pumped her fist before turning back to the table, grabbing both objects as she returned to Rarity. She slipped the earmuffs over her ears and carelessly slipped the blindfold over her eyes. "Now... syringe..." The earmuffs were surprisingly effective, rendering any chance of hearing what the two were saying null. Nor could she try to make out the movements of their mouths thanks to the blindfold. Perhaps this wasn't the greatest idea... Rarity suddenly gasped, a sharp stinging in her right forehoof. She turned towards her hoof, surprised by the sudden sensation. Her hoof numbed for a moment, the pain disappearing as a slight tingle went through her hoof, spreading like wildfire. The earmuff on her right ear slid back. "That was that medicine I was talking about. Don't worry, it'll only sting for a sec." Pinkie said. Rarity turned towards her voice. "You can't continue!" "Why not? The party's just about to begin." She reminded. "Besides, all you have to do is just say you don't want to continue, and I'll stop." Rarity held her tongue. You cannot give up. she reminded, shaking her head. "I knew you wouldn't be a party pooper." Pinkie pinched Rarity's cheek before sliding the earmuff back onto her ear. Nova stared at the piece of metal, the cloth of the destroyed padding hanging from the sides of it, burnt black from the magic. I did that? He barely believed he had the power to do that. The strange part was, he could remember every detail, even down to minute details like what color their bats were. It was almost frightening him. Those ponies came in here... with the armor. What did they do to me? "Nova!" Nova pulled out of his thoughts, returning his gaze to the depression in the wall. "I'm sorry-- What?" "You were telling me about your experiment, but you blanked out on me." "Oh, sorry... was just thinking." "Well, don't leave me hanging." Nova sighed. "I've never been that angry before..." He was almost disappointed in himself for allowing them to get him so worked up. "So? It's healthy to get angry every now and again. Keeps your friends on their hooves." "No-- You don't understand. It was like this... this primal, animalistic rage. When I heard that mare talk about bringing my sister here, I wanted t-to kill her, Eclipse. I remember that, but after..." He trailed away from his thought. "Can you at least tell me what the pony's name was? You said she introduced you to her. " Nova paused for a moment. "Promise me you won't freak out." "What? Why would I-" "Eclipse, promise." "Fine, fine. I promise." Nova looked up to the glass, staring at it. "It was the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie." He whispered. "What?" She hissed. "How? Why?" "I dunno, but something is wrong with this place. If an Element of Harmony is here against us- against a fellow Element of Harmony, then something big is going on. What else could be happening?" Applejack stared down remorsefully at her friend. Every breath was jagged and quick. Pinkie had already begun her merciless assault on her. Rarity had a diagonal cut running across her left hind hoof, wrapping around to the bottom, blood leaking onto the stainless steel cart. The tip of her right forehoof was bloody, the skin and flesh having been pinched raw and nearly crushed by Pinkie's brutal assault with the pliers. She was cut across her chest, stopping at the top of her stomach. She'd be wincing in pain and disgust if she didn't have to keep her composure. Not only for herself, but for Rarity. I've gotta end this soon. She told herself, looking up from Rarity as she tried to focus on anything else. We'll get caught quick if we go out that door... We could hide, but Rarity'd need some help soon... Applejack scratched her chin, trying to find something. "Feel free to jump in at any time, AJ. There's plenty of room!" Applejack looked back to Pinkie, staring at her. She smiled nervously. "Ah'm sorry. Not really in the mood for this kinda stuff today." "What? When aren't you in the mood for this? Just one cut, please?!" "I-I really shouldn't--" "One cut." Pinkie said more sternly. She turned back to the cart, retrieving the bloody scalpel and handing it to her. Applejack stared at the foreign object like a weapon, before reluctantly taking the clean hilt into her teeth. "Yay, now you'll feel better!" "Thank ya..." Applejack looked down to Rarity. A beat of sweat rolled down her forehead. Where'll it hurt the least... C'mon AJ, think! "Come on, I'm getting impatient." Pinkie bounced beside the cart with a macabre excitement. Applejack nodded. The calf, maybe? She ever so slowly leaned down, sticking the blade into Rarity's right hind calf. I'm so sorry darlin'. Forgive me for this. Blood suddenly squirted out as AJ drew it down her hoof, splattering onto her cheek and Rarity's hoof. She gasped suddenly, jerking away from the blade. Rarity cried in pain. "No!" She shook, trying to break away from the bindings. "I-I can't take this anymore!" "Aw..." Pinkie leaned down, removing the earmuff from her left ear. "You're giving up already?" Rarity stopped, chomping down on her bottom lip. Even then, she would not yield. "N... No." "Great! It'd be boring if you gave up after AJ only got in one cut. Let's make it two." "Are ya sure you don't wanna do this sorta thing?" AJ was desperate to get the scalpel away from herself, even if that meant giving it back to Pinkie. She didn't know if her conscience would allow her to slash her friend a second time. "Yeah, let's take turns. I got my half-hour in, now you do." "It... It's only been a half-hour?" Rarity's voice trembled, terror rocking her. Applejack could share that same feeling of uncertainty and fear, but certainly not to Rarity's extent. "Mmhm. You've got a looooooooooong day to get through, sister. You could always cut it short though, swallow your pride and finally let this game end." "N-Never" Pinkie sat, crossing her forehooves. "Suit yourself then, seamstress!" she laughed grimly. AJ chewed on her cheek as she bent down to cut her again. Just get it over with... not gonna do me or her any good if Pinkie gets suspicious. "You still there?" "Yeah. Just thinking." "Bit for your thoughts?" "Don't you think..." Nova paused for a moment, pursing his lips for a moment. "Don't you think people would've noticed that we were gone by now?" "Yeah..." Eclipse sat up for a moment. "You're right, someone should've come looking by now!" "I thought that too, but I don't have any idea where we are." Nova looked up towards the roof. "I can't remember what happened when they took me, do you?" "Not really... I took my baby brother to his grandparents for the weekend and that's it. They had to have gotten me on the way back, right?" "I guess... All I remember was waking in my house. That's it. They were probably waiting for me." "Mmhm... I'll ask Alto-" A loud siren suddenly sounded through the siren, interrupting the conversation. It droned on loudly, before stopping suddenly. A red light lowered from the ceiling, every few seconds. "Connecting to facility frequency. Lockdown protocal intiated." The electronic voice said before the siren continued. "What the hay is going on?" Eclipse asked, speaking louder to try and drown out the sound of the siren. She didn't. "Subjects, please enter your pods and await further instruction." "If you can still hear me, be careful! I'll see you after this!" Nova ran over to his pod, stepping inside. The pod hissed as it shut, the lights dimming with a red tint going over the room. The lights suddenly dimmed. What the hay is going on? "Stop, stop- please!" Applejack glanced away, guilt-stricken. She stared down at Rarity, convulsing violently as Pinkie sliced away at her ribcage. Splotches of dried blood clung to her chin and cheeks, her lips pursed slightly as she watched her friend writhe in pain. "Nah- I still got one more hour before I gotta break out the big guns! Gotta pull those sincere screams out before I consider it a complete job." I'm so sorry... She turned away, staring at the corner, just barely managing not to visibly shudder. A small, yet visible vent on the left wall, at the corner with a metal cover over it. That's gonna have to work. "Maybe... Hmmm..." AJ looked back down, only to see Pinkie dig the scalpel between Rarity's ribs, grinding into the bone. Not far enough to cause any real damage, but just close enough to where it could pierce the skin and draw a lot of blood. She wailed in pain, her voice breaking and cracking. Applejack knew she couldn't take much more abuse. "Now, that scream was genuine." "N..." Rarity whimpered before she could finish. Beads of sweat had formed on her head, pitifully whimpering with each breath "Got five more spaces to get to." "Pl... Please." Rarity raised her left hoof, squeezing Applejack's hoof. "S-Save me..." She squeezing her hoof tightly for a moment, giving her a few seconds of comfort before releasing her. Her ears rung as Rarity's screamed again, nearly deafening her. Her hooves violently shook, shaking the cart. "No more! Please! I can't stand it any longer!" Pinkie's ears dropped, realizing the fun was now over. "Aw... Okay. The rules are the rules." Pinkie brushed Rarity's mane away from the blindfold as she pulled it off, tossing it carelessly to the other side of the room. "Don't worry, I'm done. Nothing from me after this." She lifted the earmuffs gently, throwing it beside the blindfold. Tears had welled in Rarity's eyes. Applejack took a hoof-full of Pinkie's mane, slamming her into the cart snout first. She stumbled back onto the cart. "What the hay--" She rushed P, slamming her into the cart. Pinkie pushed back. "What the hay is wrong with you?!" She questioned, swinging and landing on AJ's chin, knocking her hat off. "What is wrong with you?! You're hurting Rarity!" Applejack slammed her into the cart again, before pushing her back onto it. She turned away, bucking her back. Pinkie fell over the cart, spilling its contents over herself along with it. Applejack quickly galloped back to Rarity, pulling her free from the strap across her left forehoof. "We gotta go!" She went down to her hind hoof, then to the other two. Rarity leaned up, putting her hooves on the floor as she slowly slid off the cart. Her hooves trembled under each other before collapsing. She moaned in pain. "We don't got time for this!" Applejack groaned as knelt down, pulling off her blindfold and earmuffs. "I-I can't..." Rarity quietly said, her eyes staring blankly at Applejack. A siren suddenly went off, the door behind them closing with a metal paneling. "You gotta move! We can get outta this place, now c'mon!" Applejack forced Rarity onto her hooves, pulling her towards the ventilation. She allowed her to sit beside it as she tried to yank it off. It ain't budgin'! She gave it one or tug before she stood. Taking up as much strength as she could, she bucked back, kicking the metal covering in. "There!" She grabbed Rarity's hoof but paused as a loud cranking went through the room. The metal panel had begun opening. There were at least six or seven armored ponies, with one, a purple horseshoe-wearing pony in the front. Applejack gasped, forcing Rarity into the vent. "Go!" She ducked down, taking off her hat and pushing it into the vent. But before she could crawl in to follow behind Rarity, a forehoof grabbed her, holding her right hind hoof in place. "You're not getting away with that!" Pinkie held herself to that statement, holding her as the metal panel opened fully. Rarity looked back, halfway down the vent. "Go--" A black tendril snaked its way around Applejack's torso, suddenly pulling her away. Rarity gasped, shocked as Applejack yelled. "Let go'a me! You're not brainwashin' me again--" A loud bang echoed through the vent as Applejack became silent. She quickly grabbed her hat. "We'll see about that." Horseshoes tapped towards the vent, coming closer as Rarity backed away from the vent. Her back touched the metal ventilation as she reached a crossing. Left, or right. No! They can't capture me again! She quickly crawled to the right, stopping at the corner. "We know you're in there. We'll get you." Subtle thumping echoed through the vent. Rarity held her breath, remaining still. As she tried to remain silent, a small, sharp tentacle slithered to the back of the vent, stopping beside her. It looked to the left, staring down the vent. Rarity slowly, quietly, and carefully scooted away. Please don't look at me, please don't look, please-- Rarity suddenly gasped, running out of space to crawl back. She fell down a shaft, crashing into a metal covering as she did. Her head landed first, followed by her chest and forehooves. She groaned in pain, her ears ringing. "..." Rarity opened her eyes, looking around the square metal area. There was another shaft in front of her. She slid forward, into the vent. I-I'm so sorry AJ... Applejack's hat had somehow remained on her head in the ensuing panic and chaos. She straightened it, turning onto her stomach as she slowly crawled forward. Her right forehoof and calf were bleeding, her heightened heart rate and movements worsening the bleeding. There must be another exit, I just need to search for it. Rarity crawled forward, following the flow of the air. She gasped suddenly, her right forehoof throbbing. Turning towards it, she suddenly realized that the pliers were still stuck in her hoof, and bent at a rather sickening angel. I've to remove it. she told herself with a dreadful groan. I need to extract it... Rarity weakly scrapped the pliers against the metal, hissing as it wiggled around on her flesh. Of course it would still be clamped on... why wouldn't it be? Magnificent... she rolled onto her back, trying to use her magic to remove the pliers, yet, her magic refused to focus on the device. I-I need to remove this device from my horn. Rarity slipped her left forehoof through the small space left in the vent before scraping up her hoof, the device sliding up as her hoof pushed it upwards. She gently slipped it off, the metal clanking with the ventilation. Thank Celestia. Something simple for a change. Rarity's magic surrounded the pliers. She glanced downwards, her hoof shaking. This is going to hurt. allowing herself a final, deep breath, her magic pulled the handles of the pliers apart, successfully removing the pressure on her hoof. She inhaled a sharp, pained breath as blood began to recirculate through the tip of her hoof. Slowly, she looked at... the wound. She... she could see her r-raw flesh, and- and cartilage... Th-That is my hoof... The ghastly sight was almost too much for the frail mare to take. Rarity became light headed, moving her uninjured hoof to her forehead as she rested her head on the bottom of the vent. I-I need a moment... she sat still, slowing her breathing as she tried to calm herself. Thankfully, her hoof didn't bleed too profusely. No, that's enough. I need to find AJ. Rarity spun back onto her stomach Eclipse waited in her pod, trying to decipher if any figures were in the darkness of her cell or not. Her ears had been playing tricks on her, plaguing her with the sounds of hoofsteps behind her, but she could never tell if there was actually somepony there, rushing in and out of her room. "Can't wait for this to be over..." She was used to being active. Sitting in one place for too long always annoyed her. "Attention: Subject #024 has been recaptured." Recaptured? She questioned leaning up. So it's like a prison break or something? And I'm not a part of it... great... Rarity grunted as she pushed herself up into another shaft. The ventilation system was a maze, having many twists and turns in the inner workings of it. There has to be an escape somewhere, she told herself, refusing to believe that after everything she's been through, after everything she has fought for, that it all was for nothing. Before Rarity could continue, a quiet scream echoed throughout the ventilation. She remained as still as a statue, awaiting somepony horrid to come and catch her, but no such thing happened. W... What was that? Rarity slowly inched forward, before there was another scream. "Ya can't do this!" Her ears perked as she recognized the voice. "Applejack!" she whispered, rushing as quickly as she could down the ventilation shaft. "Why shouldn't we?" "'Cause you're a good pony! We were friends-- I know you can still be kind and lovin', like old times!" Rarity followed Applejack's grunting, getting louder as she crawled towards it. She slowed to a stop in front of a metal cover to the vent. Looking down, she saw the Administrator's office. Applejack was strapped into the chair and the Administrator was standing in front of her. "We're not a good pony, not anymore. Because you damned us to this." "I didn't do nothin'--" The Administrator slapped her before backing back to her desk. "You did nothing?! You cursed us to this fate!" She backed handed her. Her hoof went to her mask, ripping it free from her face. "Look at what you did to us!" Rarity put a hoof over her mouth to prevent herself from gasping. Tears came to her eyes as she finally saw who the “Administrator” really was. "Twi... Twilight." She whispered breathlessly. Twilight Sparkle stared at Applejack, tears in her left eye and a tear streak rolling from underneath her bandaged right eye. A large, diagonal scar had burnt its way over her right eye, starting right at the far right of her forehead, over her right temple, and stopping right beneath the bandage. "You all left us there to perish! We cried ourself to sleep every night thinking that you five would come for us! We starved and sat in the blistering cold for months while you got a roof over your head and food in your stomach! And you have the audacity to say you did nothing wrong?!" Twilight screamed. "Do you even realize what we did to our eye?!" "You... You've told me before." Applejack bowed her head, remorseful. "I- I am truly, truly sorry for what happened Twi', but we had no choice." "Twilight..." She muttered, louder than the last time. Twilight's ears perked, a tendril suddenly perking out. Oh no! It suddenly wrapped around the vent, crushing it and cutting it in two. Rarity's hooves scrambled, trying to find something to hold onto in the impossibly smooth surface, but there was nothing. She slid out, only to be caught by Twilight's tendril. Applejack's hat floated down to her hind hooves. "We knew we'd find the other traitor soon enough." The tendril slowly wrapped its way around Rarity's chest and forehooves, her pliers falling out of her hooves. She struggled against Twilight, but it was fruitless. Their grip was too strong. "Twilight Sparkle, you must return!" "We are not Twilight. We're more than she could've ever imagined." She replied confidently. "We are Midnight Sparkle." "You don't understand--" "We don't want to understand. We already know what happened." Midnight Sparkle interrupted, the tendril began to slowly wrap around Rarity's neck. "C'mon now, I'm the one you want--" Another tentacle went to Applejack's mouth, clamping it shut. Rarity tried to move her hooves to pull the tendril off her neck, but the lower, thicker body of it kept her in place. "Twilight--" She pled. "We would never harm you purposefully!" "Then why did you forget us?" Midnight Sparkle asked angrily. "While everyone else was moving on with their lives, we were fighting for ours!" "We tried to get to you-- We begged and pled Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to let us go, but they said it was too dangerous!" Rarity said with sincerity. "It-It was so surreal... we were heartbroken without you." Twilight's tendril loosened for a moment. "What do you mean?" "Twilight..." Rarity stared at her, speaking softly. Tears came to her eyes as genuine compassion and sadness flooded her, overwhelming the mare. "We loved you. Starlight was devastated-- She was angry at the princesses for not helping you, with RD and AJ. She almost relapsed back into her old ways. We had to convince her that you'd want her to carry your legacy. Spike refused to consume a morsel for days on end, Fluttershy went to the Everfree Forest and didn't come out for weeks, Pinkie didn't host a single party for months." A tear came out of her eye. "Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't speak to us or each other at all for-for the months after that. Starlight and I-- W-we tried to hold things together as best we could, but everypony was lost. I missed you... hearing your voice, filled with excitement as you described a new spell or book you had finished, I missed the time we'd spend together... when you'd let me restyle your mane and tail... I missed our slumber parties. I missed you, Twilight." She looked back up to her, straight into her eyes. "And a life without you... it didn't seem possible." Twilight's eye had returned to normal, as a single tear rolled down her right cheek. "Rarity... I..." She was shaken. Her coat had lightened ever so slightly, and her voice was only one tone. Applejack stared at the pair, shocked that Rarity had somehow managed to coax the real Twilight out. The tentacle covering her mouth suddenly pulled away. "She's right!" Applejack agreed. Twilight glanced back to her. "The princesses and us- w-we tried to let people know about you- k-keep you alive, e-even if we thought you weren't." Twilight's face brightened, turning back to Applejack with a giggle. "T-They still remember me?" "Yes, darling. We were talking Mayor Mare into having a statue near the Castle of Friendship, w-we're almost finished with it... it's beautiful..." Twilight was at a loss for words, looking away from them both. The tendril calmed, slowly slithering back to her "Please, sugarcube, this ain't anything like you. You-you could release everypony, we could go back to Ponyville, back to the way it was always meant to be. I know we ain't gonna be able to replace what time we lost, but we can make up for all the time we did lose for all those years." "Y... You think so?" "I know so." Applejack nodded. Twilight glanced downward. Her head remained still, before suddenly jerking up to Rarity. "I-I dunno what to say..." Twilight was at a loss for words. She blinked away her tear, staring downwards as she slowly began to lower Rarity. "Would they really accept me if they came back?" Her right forehoof moved to her eye, wiping away her tear. "W-What if they don't believe me? If-If they hate me for becoming M-Midnight Sparkle?" she looked back up to Rarity. "Will Celestia and Luna be d-disappointed?! What about Shining and Cadence?! I-I'll make everypony l-look horrible!" she turned away from the pair. Her fears were potent, relentlessly tormenting her. Rarity stared at her, giving a passing glance to her freed forehooves. She slowly lifted her hoof, tenderly touching Twilight's shoulder. "I... I should've just died on the moon..." "Don't say that." AJ's voice quivered, tears welling in her eyes. "We're gonna work this all out, you and y'all's are gonna be fine. The princesses'll understand." "I know you're scared, but you must trust us." Rarity interjected, trying to pull her other hoof up and hug her. Yet, Twilight was too far away. "We're gonna be there every step of the way with ya, no matter what anyone says." Twilight, tears forming as her hooves began wobbling as she glanced downward. "I-I don't know what to say..." she glanced up to Rarity, staring at her. Neither exchanged words, but just by Twilight's relaxed face and silent tranquility in her eyes showed that she felt... safe. No hatred, no anger, just peace. Before Rarity could join her in that peacefulness, the tendril around her suddenly tightened, slowly slithering back up to her neck. An uneasiness suddenly sprawled about the room, the tendril becoming darker, more solid. "T... Twilight?" Rarity looked back up to her, seeing that her tears had gone, her iris becoming cat-like and her eye becoming a dark shade of purple. "Don't lie to us." Without warning, the tendril around Rarity suddenly wrapped tightly around her neck. Rarity's free hoof immediately moved to it, trying to pull it off. Applejack gasped. "No!" Rarity gasped for air, choking down whatever she could get down. "T-Twilight!" the tendril thrashed against her hoof's grasp. "You cannot be trusted. The ones who sentenced us to this fate cannot be trusted." She said. Rarity's hooves shook, struggling in her grasp. Applejack kicked the chair, trying to break the straps or the legs- anything to get out. C-Can't breathe! Rarity wrapped her hoof around the tendril, forcing it up off of her neck. She heaved suddenly, taking in as much air as she could. Midnight Sparkle growled in frustration. "You-" She slammed Rarity back into the wall. "Are not-" the tendril rammed her head up into the vent hanging ajar above them. "Stopping us now!" she flung Rarity into the wall, releasing her in mid-air. The back of Rarity's head crashed into the wooden wall, her back landing flatly on it. She fell limply to the ground, her hooves not even attempting to catch her, Applejack stared at Rarity, still in shock. Midnight Sparkle glanced up at the ventilation hanging overhead, though her hooves still shook like a paint mixer. "W... What did ya just-" "Honesty." She sighed. AJ paused, her green eyes darkening. "Yes, ma'am?" her horn brightened as she released the straps binding Applejack to her chair. "Take her to the infirmary. Return and let us know how her condition is." "'Course, miss." She stood, quicking walking up to Rarity. With some assistance from Midnight Sparkle, Applejack hoisted Rarity onto her back. "Go, quickly." Midnight Sparkle said with a tone of urgency. AJ quickly, yet carefully, ran up to the door, opening it and leaving it ajar as she moved down the hall. "Just a few steps..." She told herself, her wobbly hooves stumbling towards the door. A shaken forehoof pushed it shut, before she turned back, barely managing to get to her desk before her presence faded. "I... What... What did I just do?" Twilight shook her head slowly, barely managing to comprehend what had just happened. What her hooves had just done. "Rarity..." She whimpered, remorseful. For the first time in years, she wept. She wept like a newborn foal. So many emotions running through her. Remorse, rage, sadness, catharsis, despair... isolation. "What d-did I do?!" Twilight sobbed, balling her hooves on her forehead. For the first time in her entire life, she felt totally and truly alone. "Hush now. You'll understand eventually." Twilight glanced up, tears flowing freely. A mirror image of herself stood at the front of her desk. The Nightmares had manifested into their last host, boasting the same white medical mask Twilight usually had. "Why...?!" She questioned aloud, slamming her forehoof on the desk. "You could've killed her! Why did you hurt her?!" "We had almost fallen into their trap." She took a step up to her desk. "Well, at least, you did, dear friend." "Liar! There was no trap!" "They had you in the palm of their hoof and you didn't even notice it." Her words were sharp, piercing the paranoid side of Twilight "They were being truthful! You aren't manipulating me anymore!" She proclaimed, impassioned. Nopony would treat her friends that way, not even them. "Get out! Now!" "Fine. Perhaps we'll speak when your anger has subsided." In the blink of an eye, she dissipated. Twilight stared back at the desk. She grabbed the surgical mask, tying behind her neck. No, no more idly standing by! Twilight stood, grabbing her mask. You broke her, now you're gonna fix her! She paused at the door. I need to calm down first. I'll screw this up if I can't think straight. She paced in front of her desk, waiting for her anger to decline.