//------------------------------// // Insanity and Friendship // Story: Pony Tale: Journey of the Dark Arts // by FlutterDash777 //------------------------------// -Insanity and Friendship Hour 23 "This can't be possible!" Cadence was beginning to feel weak. Her legs were crumbling beneath her, she could hardly stand. Rainbow Dash watched as Princess Cadence fell to her haunches. How could Twilight possibly turn time? She never thought such magic was real. Her heart began to sink. She glanced over at Pinkie Pie. She couldn't help but want to cry. She wanted to burst into tears, and just cry, but she knew she couldn't do that. Not now. Applejack and Shining Armor hadn't let Twilight out of their sight. They just stood there. Rainbow wondered if they would ever do something to help. Why were they just standing there? "Given up already I see?" That voice crawled through Rainbow's ears. The very sound of it made her shiver. It was so cold, yet it was the voice of her dear friend. Rainbow Dash looked up into Twilight's dark purple eyes. She could almost see Twilight within those eyes. She wanted to. She wanted to picture Twilight there, happy as ever. She wanted to go home with her friends as if nothing had ever happened. She wanted Twilight Sparkle back. The real her. "Twi--" Rainbow was interrupted. "Twilight! Come let's go home!" Rarity was stepping towards the tall purple alicorn. Rainbow could sense no fear coming from Rarity as she approached the dark queen. "Rarity!" Rainbow snarled between her teeth. What in the world was she thinking? She had no chance against Twilight! "Twilight! Come!" Rarity was smiling with joy like she did when she was with her friends. She didn't look afraid. She didn't seem sad. She was happy! What was wrong with her?! Twilight did nothing but stood there, and towered over the petite white alicorn. The corners of her muzzle turned up into the shape of a half smile. She leaned down onto her knees, and looked Rarity in the eyes. "You are home. Here. With me." Rainbow Dash couldn't believe her ears. They were talking to one another as if nothing was wrong. As if Twilight wasn't completely evil. As if Twilight hadn't done anything wrong! Rainbow turned over to Applejack. She was standing there still, doing nothing! It seemed as if her, and Shining Armor were zombie ponies. They were completely zoned out. "Can't be possible....can't be possible.....can't be possible...." Princess Cadence was continuing to repeat herself over, and over. Rainbow turned her attention to her. Blood was resting on her face. Where did that come from?! Twilight didn't even touch her. How was she bleeding? Rainbow had no time to try and figure it out. She quickly glanced at Twilight who was still talking to Rarity. Seeing she had the opportunity she jolted for the princess. "Princess Cadence! Princess Cadence! Are you okay?!" Rainbow nearly tripped over her excessively long mane. Catching herself with her wings she landed in front of Cadence. She hadn't seemed to notice her. "Cadence? Cadence!?" Rainbow was practically shaking her now. She jerked her back, and forth trying to get her to snap out of it. "Can't be possible...can't be possible..." She was completely out of it. Rainbow looked all around. Shining Armor didn't even seem to care. His wife was going mad, and he didn't care! "What is wrong with everypony?!" Her mind was going in circles. She couldn't make since of it all. Nothing was making since! Blood continued to trickle down Cadence's face. Rainbow, with her hooves still formed around Cadence's front arms felt the blood drop on her own skin. One drop didn't seem to bother Rainbow, but then more came. It wouldn't stop. Cadence was completely disintegrating into a mass of blood. Rainbow watched in complete terror as Cadence began to melt away into her hooves. Soon there was nothing left of her except a puddle of red liquid. "Ca--- ....Wha---...." Rainbow couldn't even make out a word. Her ears were bludgeoned by the sound of screams. Her Fluttershy. She was screaming, and crying again. Rainbow looked over to her. Her pink eyes were completely sunk in. "Why won't you help me Rainbow!? You're a liar!!! You said you would protect me!!!" Fluttershy was repeating what she had said earlier. "Flu---" Rainbow tried to make out, but she was suddenly cut off by more screaming. But from somepony else this time. "She killed me! She killed me!! Why would she kill me!!??" Pinkie Pie was now screaming. She was alive!!! But wait, why was everypony acting this way again?! What was Twilight doing to them!? "Stop this!!!" Rainbow clenched her eyes shut, and was covering her ears with her bloody hooves. She couldn't take it. She couldn't stand hearing them scream. Twilight continued to talk to Rarity. Everypony seemed to not notice Rainbow Dash. They were all ignoring her cries. They didn't seem to care. "What is happening!? Stop!!!! Stop it!!!!!" Rainbow was still wailing. She didn't know anything else to do. She couldn't do anything. Nothing would work. She couldn't stop Twilight. There was nothing she could do to save everypony. Hour 7 Rainbow opened her eyes. White walls surrounded her. Screams, and cries rung in her throbbing ears. They were back in that small room. Her friends were all still being tortured by their imaginations. Rainbow had awoken from her false vision. None of those things had really happened. It was all a lie that Twilight made her experience. "All that never happened...Pinkie Pie is still alive...we still have time!" Rainbow faced her screaming friends. Their wails were unbearable. Rainbow had to do something. 'Use my magic...use my...uh...magic!' Rainbow Dash concentrated on her horn, much like she had seen Twilight do in the past. She blocked out all of their sounds. She closed her eyes, and envisioned her friends normally. She could see her, and Fluttershy flying around. Applejack, and Pinkie were making apple cupcakes, and Twilight, and Rarity were enjoying their delicious deserts. They were all happy, like they used to be. Only hours before now that was them. Happy, and together. Rainbow could feel her body begin to tingle. It felt as if all her strength was going upwards towards her horn. Was the magic working? She wasn't even sure what she was doing, she was following what her heart was telling her. A glowing light began to fill the tiny room. It was definitely bright, and the light seeped through her closed eyes. She pulled her lids down harder, and pushed all her magic out of her. Her energy was leaving her body as well as the magic that flew out of her. The room was lit up completely, and the magical ball exploded. Rainbow turned her head away from the light, and sparks began to slowly drift onto her friends screaming bodies. As soon as the magic touched them, they ceased their crying. Their minds were being filled with memories of each other, and of their friendship together. Rainbow had felt that spell before by Twilight herself. She hadn't given up on them when Discord hypnotized them, so they were not going to give up on her! Not now, not ever! One by one, their colorful eyes began to open. Their minds began to think straight again, and their limbs were able to move. "What in the wide world of Equestria happened?" Applejack stood up. She rubbed her forearm with one hoof, and gathered herself to stand. "I feel utterly horrid." Rarity fluffed her mane, and fixed all her stray hairs. Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy stood up as well, and the walked over to where the other three were. Rainbow had never been so happy in her life to see them awake. A weak smile formed over her blue muzzle. "You guys! You're okay!" Rainbow threw her arms in the air. "I had the worst dream..." Fluttershy's mane covered her turquoise eyes. Rainbow went over to her, and nuzzled her cheek. Fluttershy was glad to feel the warmth of her fillyfriend once again. "As did I." Rarity said, as her eyes turned to Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. They both nodded in agreement. "It was Twilight. She did this to us! We have to stop her, but I'm not sure how..." Rainbow trailed off. She didn't know anything comforting to say. She had no idea how they were going to escape this imprisonment. There were no exits, or any possible way of escaping. "How are we s'pose to know if this here room is even real? She could be trickin' us again!" Applejack bucked at the walls with her back legs. They were harder than a rock. "Oh stop trying Applejack, tis no use!" A loud voice boomed throughout the room. It was her! They all recognized her sinister voice. "Twilight! Show yourself!!" Rainbow yelled out to the air. She snarled as she stood in protection before Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie jumped up. She was longing to see Twilight. The real Twilight. She was tired of all this. She just wanted to go home normally with her friends. "Twilight! Please! It's us! Your friends!!" Pinkie called out. Her voice was shaky, and her legs were wobbling beneath her. "Friends? HA! Tis a lie!" Twilight cackled as she spoke. It broke through their ears. Rarity winced, and Applejack placed her hoof atop Rarity's. "There ain't no use in tryin' to deny it! You may not be our friend, but Twilight Sparkle is! I know she is still in there! The real Twilight! Our Twilight Sparkle!!" Applejack felt her heart jump. Her voice cracked, as she held back her tears. She knew as good as everypony that Twilight was still there. They could feel it. "She can't hear you! She never will ever again! Why won't you give up, and save your breath?" The voice was getting irritable. "Because, she's our friend! And we are not stopping until we have her back!!" Pinkie Pie was beginning to rage inside. Her eye slightly twitched as she stomped one hoof against the cold white floor. They could all hear the sound of metal clinking together. Shackles! Shackles were forming against their hooves. The chain secured them down tightly, and they couldn't move unless they wanted to jerk the pony next to them. They learned that it was best to stand still instead of cause discomfort to each other. The white room around them began to turn to black. They couldn't tell if there were walls or if they were in another dimension. It was black, yet they could still see each other perfectly. They could see the chain that was connecting them to one another, and was attached to the ground on each sides. That laugh began to pierce their ears once again. That horrid laugh. The evil purple alicorn was in their sight now. She stood before them all. Her dark eyes glaring at them with utter coldness, and her white toothy smile shined. Applejack growled slightly, and Rainbow Dash crouched down low as if she were going to pounce on Twilight. Pinkie Pie's eyes became very small, and beady as they looked directly into what used to be Twilight's. Rarity gulped, her throat was dry, and scratchy, and Fluttershy let out one of her squeaks. "Fools! Do you not see that you are hopeless?! I do not want you back!!" The voice of their friend broke through them. Was this really their friend? Did she really not want them? No. No. No! It's not Twilight! It can't be Twilight! "I do not believe you." Pinkie Pie weakly said. Her heart was shattering inside, but she wasn't going to give up. She couldn't give up. Pinkie's horn began to glow. The other alicorns saw this. Rainbow Dash knew exactly what she was trying to do. The memory spell. She was going to use the memory spell on Twilight! Rainbow Dash looked at her friends. They all saw this. Their eyes glimmered at one another, and they nodded their heads. They knew exactly what they must do. One by one their horns began to glow. A rainbow of colored lights appeared in front of them. Blue, orange, pink, yellow, purple. All of their magical surges were combining together. All of their memories were being put together. All of their friendships. Twilight's eyes widened. "What do you possibly think you're doing?!" She was outraged. She sent her own magical force towards them, but it deflected off. It didn't even touch them. Twilight's mouth was agape. "What?!?!? How is my magic not working!!?" Rainbow opened her eyes. A smile was on her face. She arched her eyebrow, as she looked the evil alicorn right in the eyes. "Our friendship, your friendship is much stronger!" With that, the five mares sent their magical beams towards Twilight. The light seeped down into her skin, and she let out a scream. Their memories flashed before her. They were all so familiar to her. "Stop this!!" The five alicorns watched as Twilight lowered herself. Her eyes were filled with anger, but deep within them, Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy could see the reflection of their dear friend Twilight. She was in there, and they could physically see her now. She looked sorrowful. The evil alicorn was fighting their magic. She wasn't going to give up. She wasn't going to let them win. "Fight her Twilight!!!" "Get that black magic out of ya!" "You can do it, Twilight!" She could hear them. She could hear her friends calling to her. She could feel their magic helping her. She could see all of their memories. She knew they were really there. She knew she could fight the darkness that was over her. She knew that she could win with the magic of friendship!