//------------------------------//
// Visiting Hours 
// Story: Patients (Part 2) 
// by DubstepIsAmazing 
//------------------------------//

Silence filled the room as the three ponies and dragon tried to comprehend what Sweetie Belle had just said. All four of them were frozen in a state of shock. Applejack's hat fell to the floor as Apple Bloom cautiously walked up to Sweetie Belle. The cold, tiled floor caused her hoofsteps to amplify as she got closer to the filly. Worry was ever present in her eyes as her lips trembled to make words. 

"You're not serious, are ya?" she whispered in a quivering tone, "This could be much more dangerous than you being outside of the asylum."

"Of course I am," Sweetie Belle insisted in an authoritative tone, "Spike needs help and I'm gonna help him. It's as simple as that."

"Hold on," Spike interrupted, bringing a claw to his forehead, "I'm still trying to figure out what's going on here; what do you mean you'll stay?"

"I mean I'll stay in here until you're out," Sweetie Belle replied, moving up to the glass that separated them from Spike, "It's only for a week, right? What's a couple of days?" 

Spike's scales went from purple to a very light violet. Shaking his head frantically, his eyes narrowed. "NO WAY. This isn't a game, Sweetie Belle! Someone could get hurt as a result of all of this!"

"It's not a matter of who CAN get hurt, Spike, it's who WILL get hurt. Plus, I'm involved in this either way, whether you like it or not."

Spike went from staring at Sweetie Belle's determination-filled lime-green eyes to looking into the crystal-blue ones of Rarity. Her eyes seemed to be darting all around the room, purposefully avoiding the dragon's gaze.

"Aren't you going to say something?! She's throwing herself into danger, and you're saying nothing!"

"Ahem, well...the thing about that is..." she started, frantically searching for words. She looked at Applejack, who glared at her with disapproving eyes.

"Nope," she said with her eyes closed, "You got yourself into this mess, now yourself out."

"Don't tell me you suggested this..." Spike said in a tone begging for him to be wrong. Unfortunately, Rarity nodded her head while continuing to avoid his gaze. Sweetie Belle looked back at her sister then back at Spike, who was preparing to give the element of generosity a piece of his mind. 

"To be fair, she suggested that we stay here to get some more insight on what the deal is with you and Diamond Tiara. It makes sense, since the other five can't come to visit every day."

"But what she doesn't seem to understand is that we don't know if the princesses are on our side in this situation or not! Sure, they may say that they're trying to get me out at the surface, but we don't know what they're really planning." Spike's eyes then lit up. "Wait...you said 'we'. I thought it was just you, Sweetie Belle."

The unicorn's headstrong demeanor finally softened a little at the dragon's realization of her slipup. 

"Well, it was," Apple Bloom chimed in, "Until I was asked to stay here too. Scootaloo as well."

Spike's eye twitched. "I understand that you guys are trying to help me, and I appreciate it very very much, but I don't think you understand what putting yourselves in here until I get out is going to cost you."

"Well, Rarity left out a couple of details in her 'confession'," Applejack declared, still holding her disapproving glance, "Originally, it was Princess Luna who had this idea."

Spike facepalmed himself. "Then that should be a HUGE red flag, you two! Come on! If I'm placed in here after stating that the most powerful ponies of Equestria are corrupt, on top of learning that a classmate of your sisters is in here with the same assumption, then one would think that we'd be in some sort of trouble. You don't think that them requesting to put Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in ONE place for an indefinite amount of time sounds the slightest bit suspicious?"

"But you'll be out by the end of the week; you and Pinkie Pie will be out at the same time!"

"Yes, but Diamond Tiara will still be in here; we don't know when she's getting out."

"Spike, is there a possibility that we can work on that after you get out?" Rarity asked. Spike's look of annoyance transformed into one of shock.

"Rarity, you're the element of generosity; I thought you'd be one of the ponies that would want to investigate this issue! Especially since you're into that detective pony."

"Shadow Spade is the name, darling. Also, those two are completely unrelated!"

"What're you talking about?! They're completely related! I'm talking about investigating why Diamond Tiara is in here and connecting that to a LITERAL detective pony doing detective work in her stories! How is this unrelated?!"

"Because Diamond Tiara is literally a pony that NONE of us know! Besides our sisters, of course. But still!"

"Look, the point is that I'm staying," Sweetie Belle said, "That's it!"

"I am too--" 

"Umm, no you ain't," Applejack interrupted, "I'm not as willing to do this as Rarity. You fainted when she originally suggested, so that was all the answer that I needed."

"But--"

"APPLE BLOOM. I'm not willing to argue about this; you've been through enough already and now, you're almost LITERALLY asking to get put into more danger. Do you really think that I'd approve of that?"

"If you were in this situation, you'd stay! The only difference here is that instead of you, it's me!"

"That's not the case either, sugarcube."

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "So you're telling me that if your friend were trapped in an asylum, and you were given the chance to stay in here to not only make sure they were alright, but also so that you could receive any information that you can get on their stay, you wouldn't accept it?"

"You're forgetting some things, Apple Bloom: we don't know how long you'd be in here. You don't deserve to miss out on all of the opportunities you'd be presented with if you were stuck in here."

"IT'S JUST FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS! LITERALLY THREE!"

"I'm not budgin', Apple Bloom. I care too much for something like this to happen to ya."

"But this isn't your choice to make!"

Applejack opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't come up with a rebuttal. Her sister was right; they were offered the chance to stay, and it was up to them to accept or decline it. Even if Princess Luna came to Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack on the matter, despite their disapproval, they were going to let their sisters decide for themselves on if they wanted to take the chance or not. She sighed.

"If I can't convince you to not do it, then I just hope you realize the danger that you're putting yourself in."

Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Spike were all at a loss for words as the sisters argued. The silence filled the air as they all waited for Apple Bloom's response. It's clear that she was considering the fact that she's running headfirst into danger. 

"It's only for a day, sis...I'll be fine. Plus, we have Pinkie Pie in here too. It shouldn't be all too bad..."

Once again, silence filled the air before Applejack simply sighed again. "Let's go," she replied, "If I'm not going to change your mind, then we might as well get you ready for it." With that, she walked out the door, without looking at either Rarity, Sweetie Belle, or Spike.

"I...suppose it's time for us to go as well..." Rarity responded as she headed towards the door, "We'll see you soon, Spike."

"Yeah...really soon..." her sister responded before following her friend and sister out the door.

As the door closed shut, Spike couldn't help but think that this situation was going to end badly for them, whether they actually got out with him or not. 





Celestia looked over the town of Ponyville with a smile as she lowered the sun for her sister to raise the moon. Her smile indicated that she didn't have a single worry at the present.  As long as her subjects were happy, she was happy. On top of that, the lessons they learn teach her a thing or two as well.

Luna approached the balcony with her horn glowing; she didn't say a word to her sister as the moon began its nightly ascension. Eyeing her out of the corner of her eye, it almost annoyed Luna that Celestia was wearing a grin despite the fact that they were caught in the midst of the biggest controversy in the history of Equestria.

"So...what did they say?"

Luna's head turned to see that Celestia was still looking at the moon slowly being raised as she asked that question. She was secretly hoping that Celestia had no idea what she had asked of Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity. 

"What did who say about what?" she asked, feigning confusion. 

"What did Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack say about letting their sisters stay in that place with Spike?"

Luna froze. She hadn't told anyone except Twilight about that idea. How did Celestia know about it? "How...how did you know?"

"I was visiting Twilight earlier to see how she had been doing. Although she seemed a bit frantic, she did mention your idea and how absurd she thought it was," Celestia calmly noted, "I was surprised you would think of such an idea."

She frowned and turned away. "Yes, well it would still help us understand what goes on in that asylum."

"While that's true, I personally think that you're missing the bigger picture here."

"What picture is there to miss, sister?"

"Let's not forget that there is a filly and a dragon in that asylum that believes that we're corrupt. Of course, these rumors are untrue. However, what's stopping them from spreading what Spike tells them all throughout Equestria once they are released?"

"Now, you're just being silly. You have the power to show them that you're innocent."

"Not just me, Luna. WE."

Again, Luna stayed silent.

"Anyway, we visit Spike tomorrow. It is truly a monumental moment throughout this entire ordeal. I'll be...getting some rest now...have fun with your duties, dear sister."

With that, the alicorn went back inside the castle and closed the door with a look of severe annoyance as she walked back to her bedroom. 

"So...it seems that we have a couple more contenders in this game..." she muttered, "Very well..."

She looked back at the closed door that stood between her and Luna. "I'll have to prepare accordingly."