Hospitals...
Pinkie never liked hospitals. How the whitewashed walls make everything seem so clean and innocent, pure of any taint, when in fact they hide the very gruesome and, at times, horrific, operations and surgeries. More importantly though, the patients' pastimes were very dull, with little to no activities available.
She just stood beside Twilight, staring at Rainbow in her bed for what seemed like weeks.
"Is she going to be alright?" the pink pony finally asked.
"Doctor says she'll be fine."
Twilight just sat down, slightly flustered by her friend's conditions. "It might take us a week to be here."
"At least Tourist Trap is kind enough to let us stay." she continued.
"I'm glad you're here, Pinkie."
"It's nothing, Twilight. Superdy-duper fine!"
She squealed with enthusiasm, making the unicorn smile. Both of them watched as Rainbow breathed silently, lying on the hospital bed under the white sheets.
Suddenly, Pinkie coughed, quickly rubbing her mouth as Twilight looked over with concern.
The unicorn's face immediately turned into that of horror at the sight of blood on her friend's pink hoof.
"Pinkie, you should see a doctor."
"It's nothing, Twilight."
Pinkie wiped the red stain off, only to cough out more of it in advance. Twilight couldn't believe her ears, an expression of shock aligned onto her face.
"Nothing? You're coughing blood, for goodness sake!"
The unicorn stood up, grabbing Pinkie's hoof.
"You might be injured, Pinkie! You really need to see-"
"No!"
Pinkie harshly pushed Twilight hoof's away, glaring at the unicorn.
"I'm completely, perfectly fine, Twilight! I don't need somepony like you to tell me that!"
Twilight stood there, astounded by her pink friend's behavior.
"Pinkie!" she shouted, "For the last time, I'm trying to help you!"
"Help me? You can help me by shutting the buck UP!"
"So you think I'll let you cough to death?! Is that what you want, Pinkie?!"
The unicorn's eyes watered. She raised her hoof, pointing accusingly at Pinkie as she shouted:
"You're not the Pinkie I know! You've changed ever since that pony pushed you out of the window!"
With a growl, Pinkie slammed her hind hooves onto the floor. The wood splintered immediately, breaking a hole into the floor with a loud boom.
Twilight just jumped from the loud sound, backing away as the pink pony approached her, giving her an enraged glare.
"YOU! Don't know me at all! That pony has took everything. EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE!"
Twilight felt her back touch the wall. She cringed with tears falling from her eyes as Pinkie raised her hoof.
"EVERYTHING, Twilight. You never FELT it. You NEVER WENT THROUGH what I've went through!"
The unicorn closed her eyes with a whimper, waiting for Pinkie to strike.
*SMASH*
She yelped. At the sound of splintering wood right beside her.
Pinkie just scowled, her hoof slightly bleeding from the fragments of wood. Twilight trembled as she picked herself up, glancing at the pink pony with tears in her eyes.
"And if it touches Dashie once..." Pinkie's voice faltered slightly.
She left the room in a huff, slamming the door. Twilight just buried her face in her hooves, finally crying out every ounce of fear and despair in her as she sat in the corner.
Rainbow just slept silently, completely oblivious to the ruckus. The unicorn just cursed under her breath, before settling next to her friend.
"Please, Rainbow... wake up..." she whispered with a sniffle.
"She... she just..."
Twilight broke down, bitterly crying in the white sheets.
"I need you to help me, RD..." she stuttered beneath her tears.
"Wake up...."
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
"Really, AJ? Ya want to search her cottage for her past?"
Applejack nodded at her brother, the two siblings trotting down into the meadows.
"I mean, why not? She must have some secret diary or somethin'..."
Big Mac just sighed with doubt in his mind as the cottage came into view. He tried to repress the deranged lullaby in Fluttershy's cold voice, looping in his head tormentingly.
"Ah'm not so sure we'll like what we find..."
"Buckle up, Macintosh!"
His sister turned to him, giving him a smile.
"We'll find out what's wrong with her, only then we can help her."
"And if she wakes up before we find anything," she added, "Winona will start howling from the farm. Easy!"
"Easy for you to say..." he muttered under his breath.
The both of them now stood in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Applejack opened the door and stepped into the living room, with Big Mac following closely behind.
Even in the darkness, the cottage was warm and cozy. They did not linger for long, immediately heading towards the stairs, ruffling the carpet beneath their hooves.
With every creak of a step, Applejack tensed a little with anticipation, ignoring the uncertainty of her brother.
Quickly reaching the top, they've turned to the first door on their right. Holding her breath, Applejack turned the knob.
Fluttershy's bedroom was neat, despite a few books laying around about different animals and their habits. There wasn't a trace of dust on the floor, although the two weren't surprised about it.
"Start searching over there, I guess." she said to her brother, unsure of where to begin.
Big Mac just sighed.
"She wouldn't hide it here. Ah've helped build her home back, and Ah found nothing."
"Well, maybe she just...hid it somewhere we never bothered looking."
Applejack just sat on the bed, now in deep thought.
"Somewhere that she doesn't want to go to."
Her eyes widened in realization. "Macintosh." she called his brother, the red stallion turning to her instantly.
"Did the house had a basement somewhere?"
"Come to think of it..."
Big Mac pondered a little, before saying: "Ah remembered there were some stairs that led down somewhere..."
"Let's find it then!"
The two quickly galloped down the stairs, back into the living room. Applejack trotted into the kitchen, trying to see in the musty darkness.
"Ah don't see it here," she said with a sigh. "Ya sure it's around here?"
"Must be. It isn't hard to spot."
Big Mac squinted his eyes, scanning around the living room.
"It was somewhere around here. Ah remember clearly it was."
"Hold your horses, Macintosh."
Applejack stopped to think, before talking to her brother:
"You helped move some things, right? Maybe you covered the entrance or something?"
"Ah don't think so, AJ. The stairs started from a wall, but Ah don't see it anywhere."
He groaned with defeat, sitting on the couch.
"Maybe it's just my imagination..."
Applejack paced around, before sitting down next to the fireplace with a sigh.
She looked over at the stone structure, feeling like losing some steam.
"Why can't Shy just tell us?"
With a kick of her hooves, she bucked the stone wall of the fireplace. Immediately the iron grill in its hearth slid down, making the two ponies look in surprise.
A rumbling sound echoed from somewhere, as the fireplace started revolving to the side. Applejack and Big Mac look in awe as the fireplace halted abruptly, revealing a set of wooden stairs down into the dark.
"Well, well...."
Applejack looked down into the passage, before turning to her brother.
"It wasn't your imagination after all."
Big Mac felt a draught from the passage, tossing his orange mane around.
"Ya sure about this, sis?"
"Ah'll go in,"
Applejack gave him a small wink, before turning back to the foreboding wooden stairs before her.
"For Fluttershy's sake."
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Winter flipped the switch, the lights above him immediately flickering open in response.
He was inside Sidus's cottage, revisiting and cleaning out the abode of his deceased, old friend.
With a nostalgic sigh, the Patriarch settled himself onto a stool, the one his friend would use for concocting elaborate plans or designing intricate and complex weapons and bombs.
A tattered, blue banner hung on the wall before him, the image already faded with gold-streamed words speeling out Sicarius Nox aligning at the very top.
Sicarius Nox.... The name kept echoing in Winter's mind.
Sidus's photos hung beside it, showing him at the inauguration of him into the assasins' league. Another showed him with a bright purple mare, enjoying an ice cream treat.
Sidus's wife, if Winter was not mistaken. Her name couldn't register in his mind.
Without a second thought, Winter slowly took the pictures down, stacking them one by one onto the work desk.
"Sidus, Sidus," he shake his head with a chuckle, looking at a wedding ring left on the table.
He remembered the last time Sidus wore it. It was during the assasin's wife's funeral.
Winter just sighed. He'd never seen Sidus much more depressed and dejected in his life.
"Love..." the Patriarch muttered, looking at the wedding ring longingly.
An image of a marble tombstone flashed through his mind, the black words of 'Harmony Peridot' engraved on its surface. Winter couldn't help but sniffle, trying to kick the haunting image away.
He tossed the ring into the bag with a sigh, continuing his renovation.
The Patriarch then searched through the drawers, clearing out anything stuffed inside.
He quickly tossed out a few sheets and fabrics, as well as some mottled paper for who knows what. Sidus was always the queer one with his belongings after all.
His hoof reached around in the bottom drawer. Winter felt it wrapped around the cold surface of metal, the Patriarch sliding it out from the wooden drawer with ease
A sharp blade now laid in his hand, carved in pure gold. Winter could only stare in disbelief as it shone from the dappled rays of the afternoon sun through the window.
But what amazed him more was the three diamonds on its edge, brilliantly cut into perfection.
The hilt, though, was oddly shaped. It was flat, rectangular yet very sharp. The Patriarch examined it carefully, turning it a few times around in his hoof.
"Why would you keep this, Sidus..." he muttered perplexedly.
"Strange..."
Something else caught his attention. The faint smell of paraffin.
Winter turned around, buckling his hooves frantically as he galloped to the exit.
As he leaped out into the forest, the cottage exploded, wood and rock blasting apart. Winter's horn glowed a bright blue, forming a cyan, translucent dome over him.
He looked back at the burning house as stones pelted onto his shield, only to bounce off later.
The stallion cursed under his breath, the golden blade held in his hoof as he glanced across the ravine.
A pony stood there, watching the shaken Patriarch on the forest floor. The stitched mask made Winter scowl, pointing the golden blade accusingly as he shouted:
"First you kissed me and now you're trying to kill me!"
The pony seemed to smile, replying coldly before darting off into the woods:
"Ponies change, don't they?"
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
"Crimson!"
The musician tried not to groan as Octavia called him for the fifth time. He was busy flipping and turning his tie around in frustration, ignoring the sad fact that they were late.
"It's always the ties..." he muttered with annoyance.
"Crimson Lux de Cavalle, can you please hurry up?"
"Coming, 'Tavi! Just need to fix... this wretched-"
He stumbled backwards, landing onto his flank with a grunt. Crimson sighed, looking at the tie on his hoof.
"You know how horribly complicated ties are?"
Octavia just rolled her eyes, powdering her face in front of a mirror.
"Rarity and Spike are going to be here any minute, Crimson."
She quickly slipped through the back of her dress, the color matching those of her eyes. The powder puffed a bright pink around her face, turning it smooth with a gleam.
Soon as she was done, she trotted into the bathroom, giggling at her coltfriend as he tripped again, now falling into the bathtub. "You need some help?" she asked.
Crimson groaned. Loudly.
With a sigh, Octavia carefully weaved the tie, forming a few loops as the musician watched her dreamily, his heart dancing a beat.
"You know, I don't mind this at all, seeing you helping me..."
The grey mare just scoff as Crimson laughed playfully. "Done."
She hoisted him up from the bathtub, nuzzling his snout gently.
"Grow up, Crimson."
A small knock on the door made them turn. Without hesitation, Octavia trotted to the black door, turning the golden knob.
Spike and Rarity stood there, each of them giving a wave. The dragon was in a fine, black suit, endowed with white, buttoned collars and a red tie. Rarity wore a light-blue dress, glittering and sparkling with finesse and grace of a swan.
The mare clutched Spike's arm firmly, the dragon standing tall like a stalwart knight as he asked:
"Are you guys done yet?"
"More or less." Octavia replied.
She turned back her head, shouting with a little bit of sarcasm:
"Are we, Crimson?"
"Just a minute!"
The three of them giggled as the red stallion scampered towards his marefriend. He gave a flustered wave, his chest heaving with every pant.
"So... we're done here, right?"
Spike chuckled slightly, making Rarity nudge him.
"It is just a dinner date, after all." she said.
"Well, where to, guys?"
Rarity was the first to answer.
"There was this restaurant. Ristorante Rugiada. Down the corner of Starlet and Fountain Square."
She gave Spike a wink as she continued:
"I'm sure the food there would be heavenly..."
The dragon just blushed slightly, scratching his head with uncertainty as he replied:
"I... think it's a... good idea?"
"All right then!" Crimson declared, making the rest of them chuckle.
"Rugiada it is!"
The four started walking along the corridor, quickly chatting amongst themselves. Outside, the night sky was clear, with rays of moonlight shining in, mixing with the flaring orange of torches aligning the walls.
"So, Rarity..." Spike began, hoof and claw swaying side to side.
"I've been wondering lately. About Twilight and I."
"Mm-hmmm.... and?"
"When we first came to Ponyville," he continued.
"What did you see me as?"
Rarity was slightly surprised, her eyes widened as the dragon held his breath.
"Well, Spike.... I..."
"It's okay if you're uncomfortable with it, it's just..."
Spike sighed as the mare was still looking at him with amazement.
"You really matured, Spikey."
"I.. I did?"
Rarity gave her a genuine smile, the couple stopping as Octavia and Crimson carried along.
"When I first met you, I thought you were ravenous. Insatiable. Covetous to the core."
Spike just tilted his head in confusion.
"What?"
"In simpler words, greedy."
The dragon was a little hurt. Rarity seemed to have noticed it, as she gave him a small kiss on his cheek.
"But then I found out what you truly are." she whispered into his ear. "I thought you only had a childhood crush on me, so I ignored it, thinking it was something you can get over with. But after that incident with that swine of a prince..."
Spike chuckled slightly, perking his ears as she continued:
"I thought a lot more about you, especially after you gave me the fire ruby for my necklace. I was trying to tell you. About how I want you so badly."
The mare's head hung low with regret, making the dragon look in surprise as she said:
"I was a much, more greedier mare then than you'll ever be, Spike."
"Don't say that, Rarity."
Rarity looked up to the dragon, her eyes longing for forgiveness. Spike just nipped her ears, making her giggle slightly.
"When you went to the Gala, I felt the same way. Then you left Ponyville and came here for the ball..."
Spike's heart hung low with guilt, remembering his argument with Twilight.
"I was... stupid. I thought you only liked rich, handsome stallions, not dragons like me."
Rarity gave him a short yet deep kiss on the lips, the both closing their eyes while nuzzling their snouts together.
"Well, we're even then, Spikey-Wikey." she said mischievously with a grin.
Spike just smiled as the both of them continued strolling down the corridor, admiring the scenic stars of the night sky behind the large windows.
"The sky sure is beautiful," Rarity said, breaking the silence.
Spike just turned to her, a warm smirk on his face as he whispered into her ear.
"Beautiful as you are."
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Fluttershy wasn't usually used to waking up in other pony's houses, but this time she doesn't mind.
At least Apple Bloom was there, she thought to herself. Even though Applejack and Big Macintosh are nowhere to be found.
Winona's howling was really sudden though. The yellow pegasus could still hear it even though she was quite a distance from the farm. Maybe she was just annoyed that Applejack wasn't back to feed her.
Fluttershy sighed as she reached her cottage. Just another day in Ponyville.
With a flick of a switch, she tensed with a small gasp of surprise.
"A-Applejack! Big Mac!"
The two siblings were seated on Fluttershy's couch, their faces slightly darkened with worry.
Applejack was the first to speak: "Good to see you back, Fluttershy."
Big Mac nodded, his face looking more somber than usual.
"Eeyup."
"It's... um... good to see you too, I guess... in my house..."
Fluttershy just walked hurriedly to the kitchen, trying to avoid their glances.
"Do you... um... need anything to... drink?"
"We just wanna talk to ya. About somepony ya know very well."
Fluttershy stopped in her tracks, her ear twitching slightly.
"Somepony...? As in.... 'A pony' somepony?
"Please, Shy."
Applejack looked at her in suspicion, rising from the chair. In her hoof, she held up a yellow, tattered file, making the pegasus gasp in horror.
"What is this?"
"That's-that's nothing!"
Fluttershy tried to snatch the file back in vain. Applejack just tossed it to Big Mac, the stallion opening it reluctantly as he read out the words:
Full Name: Fluttershy Fallows
Father: Ripple Fallows (deceased)
Mother: Ravenshy Saturn Fallows
Case file: Ravenshy Fallows of Cloudsdale was accused of abuse and mistreatment of her daughter, Fluttershy Fallows, age ten. The accused has been witnessed in flogging and whipping of the victim by a pegasus who refused to be named. The accused has been found guilty in court and was charged with two maximum life sentences in prison on twenty-two accounts.
The victim has been transferred to Cloudsdale Orphanage until a proper guardian can be assigned. She is to have frequent checkups (minimal two per week) to a psychologist for a proper recovery until she is deemed stable from her ordeal.
Half of the page was ripped off. Fluttershy just shivered violently as Big Mac flipped to the next article. Applejack helped her to the couch, comforting the pegasus as the stallion continued:
PEGASUS DISAPPEARS FROM ORPHANAGE, SEARCH PARTIES DEPLOYED
CLOUDSDALE,10:00a.m.
A filly pegasus disappeared from the orphanage just yesterday night, leaving her belongings behind.
Fluttershy Fallows, the iconic victim of abuse by the infamous Ravenshy Fallows, has disappeared from her temporary homestead, leaving the orphanage director, Cottingley Pines, completely astounded.
"She's too shy to even talk to the other kids at the orphanage," Pines said between tears, "I couldn't bear to imagine what would happen to her."
Search parties have been organized at the demand of police chief Charter Freewings, the overseeing detective responsible for the imprisonment of Ravenshy Fallows, his former classmate.
"It's a tragedy on the Fallows family. Ravenshy was as shy as her daughter once."
"Since the death of Ripple Fallows and the incident with Ravenshy," he continued, "the filly was deeply scarred, both physically and mentally. I don't blame her for taking this decision."
Authorities placed their hoof on bullying.
"It's outrageous to think that foals would dare to bully the small filly." the chief continued.
"The wrongdoing we've dealt here is punishable already by imprisonment, With all means necessary-
The article was ripped as well. Fluttershy was now sobbing bitterly, burying her face into Applejack's lap.
"I-I-It's just.... I-I c-c-can't... My mother, she..."
Big Mac placed the file onto the chair, ignoring the remaining unread articles jutting out from the file. Applejack shushed her friend, a sinking feeling of guilt hanging in her heart.
"Look, we're sorry.... we had to understand what was wrong... with you..."
The pegasus just cried.
Applejack shot a glare towards her brother, mouthing out:
"Help me out here, Macintosh."
"Fluttershy, um..." he fumbled with his words.
"Remember when... Ah said that if there's anypony you can trust, that pony would be me?"
Fluttershy looked up, her eyes watering still as she nodded gently.
"Well, you can trust me when Ah say ya safe with us now."
Big Mac gave her a warm smile. He wiped a dripping tear off Fluttershy's face as he continued:
"Ya don't need to hide anymore."
Fluttershy sniffled, sitting back up on her couch.
Applejack let out a whistle, a small blur of white hopping into the cottage in reponse
"A-Angel...!" the pegasus cried out in surprise.
The bunny sat on her lap, both rabbit and pony hugging each other tightly.
"For-forgive me... for all the horrible things I said...."
Angel just nodded, his eyes slightly watered as well.
Applejack and her brother watched, their hearts tingling with warmth.
"Well, Ah guess that's settled." she said to her brother.
Big Mac just gave her a short reply:
"Eeyup."
"Shy, Ah was just wonderin' though," the orange pony asked.
"Who was the pony that saw you in trouble?"
Fluttershy wiped away her tears, sniffling slightly with a smile as she replied:
"It was.... Rainbow Dash."
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
"And then I left the family! To pursue my dream for music, my destiny! And here I am!"
Rarity and Spike clapped cheerfully, as Crimson bowed, uttering a lot of 'thank yous' to the couple.
Octavia just rolled her eyes, sipping on some wine as she said:
"You exaggerated it, Crimson. You didn't do a somersault into your mother's room to tell her you're leaving."
The grey mare let the liquid flow down her throat as she continued:
"And we all know you were not dyslexic and asthmatic at five years old."
"It's just a story, 'Tavi!"
Crimson gave her a wink, snatching the glass from her hoof, making her frown as he drank its contents.
"You gotta learn to tell a story."
"If you do that one more time we'll see who has a story to tell about how he got a bruised eye."
Rarity and Spike laughed at the couple, Octavia snatching back the wine glass with a huff.
"Come on, 'Tavi." Crimson protested with a whine of a young colt.
"It was only for fun!"
"Enough about Crimson and I," the grey mare said, turning to the unicorn.
"How about you and Spike?"
"Well...." Rarity shuffled around her seat uneasily. Spike was glancing around with doubt, his claws now tapping impatiently on the table.
"We've just... became a couple, so there's not much-"
"I'm sure there is!" Crimson exclaimed with delight, stopping only when his marefriend gave him a glare.
"Before this, we've spent little time together, really." the unicorn replied.
Spike nodded in agreement.
"It's usually me with Twilight and her with Sweetie Belle or Fluttershy. Both of us were never this close together."
"But you were eyeing each other once in a while, I'm sure," Octavia teased playfully, making the both of them blush.
"It's quite... true, to say the least." the flustered unicorn replied.
Spike raised his claws in defeat.
"You got me there."
Now it was Octavia and Crimson's turn to laugh, before the four of them rose from their seats, thanking the waiters.
They walked straight out the double doors, into the refreshing night air. Both couples strode across the plaza, heading back to the palace for some well-earned rest.
"Really though, Rarity picked a nice spot to eat."
Octavia turned back, smiling at the gleaming, restaurant sign.
"Ristorante Rugadia... I'll remember that name."
Rarity chuckled a little as they continued their stroll, feeling the wind blowing through their manes and, for Spike, scales. The trickle of the fountain echoed from afar, reminding the mare of this afternoon.
Something was troubling her. Rarity couldn't put a hoof on it.
Suddenly, she felt a pair of hooves seize her from behind. Her eyes widened in horror, as she shouted:
"Spike!"
The dragon immediately turned around, looking in horror as a masked pony snatched Rarity, dragging her behind.
"Rarity!" he shouted, running towards them with Octavia and Crimson following behind.
"Ah-ah-ah~!" Mirror Mare shouted to the three, unsheathing a blade.
The blade was brought closer to Rarity's neck, the edge making her spine tingle. She whimpered with fear, sweat crawling down her face.
The three immediately stopped in their tracks. Spike gritted his teeth as he shouted:
"Let her go, you freak!"
Mirror Mare just shook its head menacingly, only angering the dragon even further.
"There is a certain something I need to tell you guys. Miss Rarity here including."
The mask glinted tauntingly at Spike, who could only watch helplessly as Rarity bit her lip, feeling the blade starting to sink into her neck.
"You're uncovering a dark secret." it warned, "A secret that has killed, if not scarred many before you. Don't bother digging into the unknown, or you'll pay the ultimate price."
"And what if w-we found out?" Rarity challenged, despite her situation.
"What if we knew who you actually are?! What if we knew the secret you've been keeping?!"
Mirror Mare smiled from beneath its mask, brushing the blade across her neck, making the unicorn whimper with tears starting to form in her eyes. She started choking as the pony tighten its grip on her neck, shouting to all of them:
"Then you'll end up where the others go."
In a flash, the pony disappeared, vanishing in a black puff of smoke. Spike quickly ran towards Rarity, who was now panting on the floor.
"Rarity!"
She coughed, gasping for air as the dragon lifted her up.
"Rarity!" Spike asked with worry. "You okay?"
The mare suddenly hugged him, crying softly in Spike's chest, her courage breaking down from the ordeal.
Spike recovered from his surprise as he hushed her, comforting the shaken mare.
"It's okay, Rarity. It's okay..."
She screamed in Spike's chest, trembling with tears in her eyes:
"I th-thought.... I thought it would kill me! I really thought..!"
"You're safe, Rarity." The dragon said, hugging her tighter. Octavia and Crimson could only watch helplessly as the mare cried bitterly.
"Whatever happens, I won't let it touch you."