//------------------------------// // The True Definition of Alone // Story: Patients (Part 1) // by DubstepIsAmazing //------------------------------// "Oooohhh...not exactly the reponse I was hoping for," Rarity said as she looked at her sister's unconscious body that was sprawled in the middle of the hallway. Applejack shook her head and donned a decisive look. "Well, in mah opinion, that's the only answer we need. They ain't goin' through with this. I don't care what the princess said, I ain't puttin' her in any more danger." Rarity stayed silent as she used her magic to float Sweetie Belle onto her back and Apple Bloom onto Applejack's. Applejack sighed and turned to look at the door leading to the room that held dragon waiting for their return. "We should at least consider Luna's suggestion, darling. This could lead to the exposition of a scandal the likes of which Equestria has never seen. And these two seem to be right in the middle of it." Applejack glared at Rarity. "Need I remind ya that it's a baby dragon and three, count 'em, THREE fillies against two princesses that've mastered the art of magic?" "No...no you don't," Rarity said, looking down ashamedly. "I thought so. I'm puttin' mah hoof down. Unless Apple Bloom explicitly tells me that she wants to do this, I'm not budgin' an inch." "We don't even know if Luna is with us or against us yet, Applejack!" "Still. I'm not takin' any chances!" "I understand, but--" "Rarity! I said I ain't takin' any chances!" Applejack yelled. "What part of 'this is dangerous' do ya not understand?!" "I just said I understood! Besides, have you considered the role that these two and Scootaloo play in this entire ordeal?" Applejack rolled her eyes. "Yes. You just mentioned that these two are the primary parts of a bigger scandal in the kingdom. But what you aren't realizing is that they could get hurt! And that's why I refuse to let my little sister go through with this!" Rarity stayed silent as Applejack walked towards the cell room. Slowly following her, Rarity was clearly conflicted about the choice that she had to make regarding this event. "Rarity," Applejack said calmly before opening the door, "This ain't one of your little fictional detective stories thatcha like readin'. This is real life. Somepony can and will get hurt, one way or another. Right now, it's in our hands to determine who. I don't want her to be that pony. Ya get it?" Rarity nodded her head before following Applejack back inside the room. As the door closed behind them, they could see Spike with his head in his hands, clearly distraught. Quietly approaching the window and setting their sisters down, Rarity cleared her throat and tapped on the glass. Spike didn't move. "Ahem...Spike?" No response. Spike didn't even look up at them. Applejack and Rarity looked at each other with a frown. "Spike?" Applejack asked, "Umm...I dunno how to say this but--" "Just say it," Spike mumbled in a muffled voice, "You're the element of honesty, remember?" "Well...things aren't the same ever since you got in here, darling. We miss you very much..." "I know, Rarity. Everyone who's visited me so far has said that," Spike responded, "It doesn't change the fact that I'm still in here." "In terms of Twilight, Spike," Applejack answered, "None of us have seen her in a while. The last time we saw her was your first day here. We gathered at the castle to put together a visiting schedule." Spike raised his head and looked at the two of them with glistening emerald eyes. When Applejack and Rarity stared at them, an entire story seemed to be told in the short silence that came with it. This story was, in essence, the story of Spike and Twilight. Needless to say, it was a little over a decade in a matter of seconds. "I shouldn't have yelled at her like that," Spike wailed, "I can't imagine what she's doing or how she's feeling right now..." He looked at his claws; they were a faint shade of red since he personally delivered a scar to Twilight's cheek at the conclusion of prior events. "Spike...everything'll be alright...we know how much you love Twilight--" "That's what everyone says, Applejack...but there are times when I'm not so sure." "What makes you say that?" Spike got off of his chair and simply laid down on the padded floor, staring into his friends' eyes through the window that seperated the two of them. "I'm so used to being around you six that when I'm not, I feel...alone." Rarity's eyes widened, clearly intrigued. Applejack raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Go on," she encouraged. "I know what you're thinking: 'Oh, but Spike, you're never alone! No matter how things may seem!' And that's true...in an empty room, it's just me, my fears, and my conscience." "But they're all a part of you--" Rarity started before Applejack shoved a hoof to her mouth. "I think I see what yer sayin'" Applejack answered nervously. "Applejack, you being the element of honesty makes it very easy to tell when you're lying," Spike answered nonchalantly, "I know you don't understand, which was why I was going to explain it to you." "I mean...okay," she conceded. "It's like my fears and conscience are two different ponies, so to speak. They keep me company whenever I'm feeling down. They're in charge of my thoughts, my dreams, my secrets, everything that goes on in my mind." "But Spikey, they're not actual beings! How exactly do they keep you company?" Rarity asked with a hoof to her chin. Spike smiled. "Simple. They just...talk to me. It's like they have a mind of their own." "And they talk to you about...what exactly?" asked Applejack with a concerned look on her face. "Anything! You six, the Crusaders, the princesses, the goings on of Ponyville, anything that happens in Equestria!" "I don't follow you, Spike. How are they able to be anywhere in Equestria at any given time?" Rarity asked, prompting Spike to frown. Just like the two ponies read his face, he was able to read theirs. He sat down in his chair. "I'm not insane, I swear," he said in a begging tone, "You all have these little assistants inside your head that tell you things, right? It's part of everypony's mind!" "Yes, but my question is what role do these beings play in this particular scenario? It's just you, Pinkie Pie, and Diamond Tiara in here!" Spike glanced at Rarity with worry riddled on his face. "How do you know about Diamond Tiara being in here?" Nervously shuffling to the side, Applejack sheepishly grinned while Rarity avoided his gaze, "Luna may've told us everything, Spike." Applejack's confession triggered an eyeroll out of the young dragon. Despite him knowing that the mane six would figure it out eventually, he was curious as to what the consequences of it might be. "The point is," Spike continued, "That we each have little ponies, or dragons in my case, in our heads telling us what to do. And to answer your question, Rarity, I bring them up because eventually..." He tucked his legs in and frowned once more. "Eventually you get tired of hearing them. And when you do...they stop talking. Then you're truly alone." Rarity's hoof went to her mouth in shock and Applejack took her hat off. "I still don't understand, Spike!" Applejack said, "What in the world are you goin' on about?" "When your mind stops speaking to you, you're alone. I've been alone for the past couple days, Applejack," he said, "Alone with my fears. All because I just didn't want to hear the same old same old from these...'assistants' of mine." "And? What's the big takeaway from all of this? Help ME understand, Spike!" "They've been talking about Twilight over and over again...tormenting me with images of her smiling at me, past experiences, everything..." he said with a shaky voice, "They know how sorry I am..." "Spike, everything's go--" "Going to be okay. I know...it always is." Spike finished with tears approaching his eyes. "But the period between not okay and okay is a long one, Rarity." A couple of stray tears fell down his face as thoughts of Twilight bombarded his mind again. "But I don't know if I'll ever be okay again..." "I understand, Spike..." Rarity answered. "I've never heard that definition of being alone." Applejack sighed. "Well, maybe you can explain it to me, Rarity. But it just breaks mah heart ta see ya like this, Spike." Behind them, Sweetie Belle began to stir as Apple Bloom lay silently next to her. As the filly grabbed her head to soothe a newly formed migraine, she saw Spike with his head buried in his arms, quietly sobbing in front of her sister and Applejack. It was at that moment, her heart grew heavy for him and everything that he's gone through thus far. From multiple instances of abuse to constant rejection from Rarity to being housed like a wild animal, he's always seemed to have experiences that she'd hope to never have. Walking over with reluctance in every step, she looked to her sister. "What's going on?" Without looking her in the eyes, Rarity answered "He's hurting, Sweetie Belle. He's hurting." "I've never seen him cry before. It's weird because with everything he has," Sweetie Belle muttered, "With all of the friends, the knowledge, the courage...what did he do to deserve something like this..." "I dunno," Applejack answered softly, "But we're gonna find out soon." Rarity looked at her sister to see her look so hurt at the dragon. She knew that the two of them have had a close friendship since they met, but it's the first time she's seen her sister look legitimately remorseful at his fate. What was going through her head was a mystery, but it wasn't time for its solution to come to light just yet. "Look," Spike muttered, "I know you all have a lot to work on and I know that the princesses are coming buy at some point this week, so I'd better get some rest, you know?" "You...you want us to leave?" Sweetie Belle asked with sorrow in her voice, "But we're here to help you! Just let us!" Spike choked up again at his friend's words but shook his head. "I don't know if I'll be able to get help at this point, Sweetie Belle. Apparently I'm a threat to everypony here." "That's not true, and you know it, Spike!" Applejack cried, "You know as well as I do that we love you with all of our hearts!" Spike stayed silent and looked down. Even with his friends, he still felt alone. His mind was silent. The only thing that seperated them from him was a window a couple feet in front of him. And even then, it might as well have been a thousand-mile road. "And I love all of you," he admitted, "But when it's just you in here being treated like you're a savage dragon, the biggest threat Ponyville's ever seen, it gets hard to see yourself on the same playing field as everypony else." "But everypony in here is getting help, Spike! It's not just--" Rarity began. "THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME," Spike suddenly roared, causing them to jump back in shock, "Prior to now, I was and still am completely sane! What is so hard to understand about that?!" "Nothing is," Sweetie Belle responded in a raised voice, "Nothing is, Spike! But based off of everything you're saying, you're making it sound like you're beyong help when we're offering it to you!" "And I'm taking the help, Sweetie Belle," he responded, "But I'm literally only in here to 'calm down'! I'm not a threat to anypony! You know that as well as I do!" "Then why'd you scratch Twilight, Spike?!" she shot back in a quivering voice laced with courage. Those words rendered Spike speechless. "Out of anger? Maybe! Out of hate? Never! The Spike I know would never hurt his friends like that!" "Sweetie Belle! That's enough out of you!" Rarity yelled. "There are some lines you don't cross. Especially right now." "I'm seen as a threat because of that one scenario, Sweetie Belle." answered the heartbroken dragon to the filly. "But there hundreds of other scenarios where you're one of the most amazing friends in the world! What about those?" "How can you be so sure nothing like this will ever happen again when I DO get out? How are you so sure that I won't turn into a dragon after I leave this asylum?" Sweetie Belle looked down, frantically searching for answers. "I--I guess you'll have to control it, Spike. And I'll help you! We all will!" Rarity and Applejack simply stared at Sweetie Belle, who turned to Rarity. "I'll stay." she proclaimed decisively.