//------------------------------// // Six: Ch.2 // Story: Six // by TryingToActProfessional //------------------------------// I felt like I was in their embrace for days, but I didn’t move an inch. All I wanted in that very moment was to just let loose twenty-five years of anger and pain from my mind. “Six, we weren’t saying anything mean about you behind your back. We were talking about getting you a present for the party tonight.” Twilight states plainly. “P-Present? I….I don’t deserve-” “Oh, hush with that now, darling! You’re a fine young man that deserves anything anyone else in the world gets. You shouldn’t belittle yourself.” I blush softly, feeling some ease in my mind. She’s lying. I wince softly, shaking my head as my inner thoughts fill my consciousness. She’s my friend. They both are. They’re just pitying you for their own sake. Why would anyone care for a freak like you who’s even less than a man? Y-you’re right. “Six, why don’t we go back home, okay? We can get ready for the party.” Twilight smiles at me. Look at her eyes. You can see I’m telling the truth. She thinks you’re a broken toy needing of a good fix. Princess….even you…. “Six? Hellooo?” She waves her hand in front of my face, and I snap out of my stupor. “Y-Yeah, sorry…. Let’s go…” They both release their grip on me. I feel cold again… Twilight takes my hand and pulls me along behind her. “Thanks, Rarity! See you tonight!” Twilight calls back. You’re just worthless. They’ve even thrown a pity party for you. To show you off like some new child’s toy, or a freak at a circus! I’m n-not a freak… Oh, really? You think you can just live as one of them? Do they even know you? What you do in your hours alone…? Shut up…. That’ll never happen. They won’t ever see…. I rub my arms through my long sleeves sadly. Twilight stops us just outside the castle doors. “Go ahead. You first.” I nod and follow her orders, walking up the few steps and pushing the door open. “SURPRISE!” I nearly jump out of my skin as the main hall lights up. It was full of balloons, streamers, and all sorts of food and presents. And it looked like the whole town made it. I clutch my chest and gasp, my head swimming. My vision starts to go black, and the last thing I see is a cluster of darkness all through the room. “N-no...more…..” I fall with a heavy thud. [Twilight’s POV] I gasp as Six drops to the floor, his body starting to writhe and squirm on the ground, shaking violently. The crowd screams. “He’s having a seizure! Doctors!? Are there any doctors here?! Hurry, please!” Doctor Whooves rushes to the front and kneels at his side. “Princess, help me hold him down. We need to wait till he gets past this!” I nod and quickly hop to the other side of him. We both press down on his chest as he shakes and writhes, his mouth foaming up. I can’t help but sob at the horrifying sight. “D-Doctor, what happened?! Why did this happen?!” Pinkie asks, shaking slightly. The whole crowd had gone silent. “I...I’m not sure. It wasn’t a normal seizure. It happened after the lights had come on, not during….” I sigh as he finally stops shaking. “Doctor, please accompany me to the hospital.” He nods. I lift him with my magic and sprint full speed towards the hospital. I can’t risk teleporting him… We finally get there, and I burst through the doors. “We need a nurse now! We have someone who just had a seizure!” The nurses scramble around, wheeling over a bed. They take him to the back of the hospital, and I quickly follow. Once the bed is in place, one of the nurses unbuttons his shirt as the others frantically gather their equipment. As she takes it off, I gasp. Across his entire chest was a massive, deep cut that looked years old, but somehow still fresh. It was an inch deep and nearly covered his entire chest. She takes the rest of his shirt off and….Oh, Celestia… His arms were covered in cuts, from his shoulder down to his wrists. They were all horizontal, save for two. Two long, vertical cuts on both of his forearms. I cover my mouth to keep my sobs quiet. He….He’s tried to kill himself…. They quickly hook him up to various equipment, and start checking his vitals once they’ve stabilized him. “We...still don’t know what caused the seizure, and our healing magic can’t heal his scars.” One of the nurses says. “Thank you for trying, Nurse…” I sit at the bedside, watching him sleep. No wonder he looks so frail….He’s suicidal… Now that i think of it, he hasn’t eaten anything at all today. I touch my hand gently to his head. “I’m going to ease your sadness, Six…A simple mindmeld spell, and I can coax him out of this…” My hand glows, and I shut my eyes. DON’T. I shriek and clutch my head in pain as my magic backlashes. What was that demonic voice!? “P-Princess, are you okay!?” Nurse Redheart asks worriedly. I shake my head a little, but nod. “Yeah...Nurse, can you sent a request from Canterlot? I’d like Six’s medical records. All of them.” She nods and leaves the room, leaving me alone with him. “Six….You….You’re suffering so much….what happened to you…?” I hold his hand gently. His grip slightly tightens, and I gasp. “P-Prin...cess?” He asks, his eyes opening slightly. “Yes, it’s me! Are you okay!?” “Y-Yeah...I’m fine….N-Nothing to worry about.” “I was so worried about you! You j-just collapsed out of nowhere!” I can’t help but cry a little. She can’t stand that her toy broke before her eyes. I gasp and look around the room. “Who...who said that?” I look down at him, and he looks at me with sadness on his face, and he didn’t look all there. Just like the walk over… Why would anyone care about a freak like you? Your own parents even gave you up. And why wouldn’t they? What kind of mother wants to look at a sad, pathetic excuse of a man like you? His grip on my hand goes slack. Tears stream down his cheeks again. Oh, not talking now, are we? Pathetic. You should’ve cut deeper…You were close last time... I gasp in shock, finally understanding. That voice...is his own split personality! It has to be! “S-Six, don’t...listen to him...He’s lying to you…” Oh? She can hear me? Good. Then hear this. He is a worthless waste of breath, and every attempt to save him is worthless. Don’t waste your time with him. “Six, you’re not worthless! You’re my friend!” You’re just another broken toy for her to piece back together and you know it. I start crying softly. He fell asleep again. “Y-You listen to me, whatever you are. I’m not going anywhere. He’s my friend, and you won’t-” You talk too much. Don’t speak to me again. The voice falls silent. “H-hey, I wasn’t done talking to you! Get back here, you c-coward!” I stutter a bit at the last words as Six’s eyes open, staring right at me. They were completely black. “What kind of friend can you be if you couldn’t even make one of them happy? You’re a princess, and of Friendship. And you failed.” His last word rings around in my head. I clench my fists tightly. “No! I haven’t failed! I will save him! You just watch!” He laughs a long, creepy laugh. “Go ahead and play with your broken toy, Princess. It’s a fruitless effort. In the end, it’ll be him, all alone six feet under by his own hand. And that I will see to personally.” His eyes brighten back to grey and he passes out again. I wipe the tears out of my eyes. “I won’t fail you, Six. No matter what! Because you’re my friend!” [Six POV] I start to wake up some unknown amount of time later, my head throbbing in pain. It was daylight out, so I must've been out all night at least. I sit up slightly and look over, seeing Twilight asleep on one of the chairs. I look down and yelp, covering myself with the blanket. “Sh-she didn’t see...Oh, Celestia...please tell me she didn’t see…” I look back over, and I see a stack of files and papers next to her. The words “Sixth Sense” are written in red on the top of the biggest file. She...was studying me? I levitate one of the folders over to my hand and open them, glancing through it. These are my medical records...and my personal papers from the hospital. “S-Six, I’m...so sorry….” I gasp, looking over at her. She was sitting up now, tears in her eyes. “For what? You...didn’t do anything.” “I failed you! But, I won’t again. I’m going to do my best to make you truly believe I’m your friend! No matter what!” My eyes widen. “O-Okay….” We sit in silence for a long time before she finally talks again. “S-Six...I….I talked to that voice in your head…” “WHAT!?” “It’s okay….I know you don’t trust us completely yet, but we’ll convince you. In the meantime, ignore every word that thing says to you!” I look down at my lap. “I….I can’t….” I jump a little as I feel her sit beside me. “Yes, you can….I believe in you. And I’ll find a way to get rid of that side of you forever. I swear it!” She hugs me closely, her embrace warming me up inside. The door opens, and a nurse walks in. “Princess, I have news. He’s free to leave any time.” “Thank you, nurse…” She replied calmly. The nurse bows slightly and leaves again. “We can get you home now, Six.” She gets up and gathers the papers from the chair, even the folder from my lap “Why...do you have my medical records?” “I was reading through them to try and understand your condition better. You’ve been through Tartarus and back….” I get up and grab my folded shirt from the nightstand, throwing it on. “You have no idea….”