//------------------------------// // Wardrobe Malfunction // Story: Vanguard Of Harmony // by Enfield //------------------------------// "You know what I don't understand about you Scott," Lauren said as she, Scott, Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie ventured to Carousel Boutique, "How come when you were bringing me here you didn't use the Element Of Chaos more often?" "I was using it," Scott said, "Didn't you remember the Aston that I drove?" "Oh yeah," Lauren said. "What's an Aston?" Pinkie asked. "It's the vehicle that Scott used to bring me here, well, one of them." "It's upsetting that we couldn't bring it here with us," Scott said. "Why don't you make one then?" Applejack asked. "Because I don't want to drain myself over another four wheeled bomb, you remember my old Interceptor and Discord." "What about Discord?" Lauren asked. Scott sighed and hung his head. "When Discord took me he somehow managed to bring my second hand Police Interceptor with me and I used it as a distraction so I could fight him. But it was more of a sacrifice, I lost the car and since I was to be banished, I had no need for it. Shame really, I use it in my Dreamscapes but not in reality." "I'm still not understanding you," Lauren said. "That's okay, I have trouble understanding myself sometimes." As they made their way to Rarity's shop Scott saw a filly sitting on a tree stump sniffling and wiping her face off. Even though he knew that he might be against time, Scott decided to see what was wrong with the young pony. He told the others to wait for him at Carousel Boutique while he went to talk with the filly. "Hey there," Scott said as he walked over to the filly. "Yeah, hi," the filly said rudely. The filly was a pink tinge with a curly mane and tail with a tiara cutie mark. She turned around slightly but she then span around when she saw Scott behind her. "Hey, you're the pony who I saw in my dreams." "Yeah, that's me." "What are you doing here? Am I dreaming still?" "No, I'm actually here." The filly rubbed her foreleg and sighed. "I'm sorry for sounding rude mister, it's just that I've been kind of upset and I have nopony else to talk to." "I'm here, you can talk to me. What's your name?" "Diamond Tiara." "Ah yes, I remember you now. You're the one who used to wear that tiara all the time, what happened to it?" "That monster Douglas broke it," Diamond sighed, "He crushed it and told me that my dad had tricked me because the diamonds were fake." "Interesting," Scott said as he dug a small hole with his hoof, "Do you know what diamonds are made from?" "No, why? Do you know?" Scott nodded as he pulled a small black rock from the ground, it was dusty, hard and had a very strange smell to it. "Diamonds are created when coal, such as this, is compressed under intense heat and pressure. After that it cools and sits underground for a while until it gets mined." "So why do you have that rock?" Diamond asked. The Element around Scott's neck glowed as the lump of coal caught fire and Scott crushed it between his hooves, he twisted the mineral and removed his hoof. Shining in the sun was a diamond the size of a tennis ball, Diamond stared in amazement as Scott once again crushed it and twisted the diamond a few more times. This time instead of a crushed diamond or some other element Scott reveled to her a diamond tiara, exactly like her old one but the diamonds shone and glittered in the sun. Scott placed the new tiara on Diamond's head and smiled as she felt it. "I-I-I don't know what to say," the ecstatic filly said. "A thank-you is fine with me," Scott said. "First you get rid of my nightmares and then you give me a new tiara. Why?" Scott shrugged and stood up. "I'm just a really nice guy, I'll help anypony no matter who they once were. Just return my kindness to others who need it, can you do that?" Diamond Tiara nodded and ran off with a new and happy spring in her step. Scott laughed a little and ran to join Twilight and Lauren at Rarity's shop. "What took you so long?" Pinkie asked as Scott ran over to her. "I was just helping somepony," Scott said, "So then, are we going to get Rarity back to her old self?" "We can but I think it'll be harder than Pinkie," Twilight said. "Why's that?" Lauren asked. Twilight sighed and slowly walked over to the door. "Rarity's a emotional wreck, last time I saw her she was making these awful looking dresses and she didn't say anything the whole time I was there." "Sounds rough," Applejack said. "That's not the worst of it," Twilight said, "Sweetie Belle, Rarity's own little sister, has changed. She's become very rude and self centered. I think that she's also got something to with Rarity's constant silence, she might be controlling her or something." "Let's get in there then," Scott said, "I'll have a little chat with Sweetie Belle, you guys just get Rarity to normal." Twilight nodded and led the six inside, for a pony who was suffering from some sort of mental breakdown the place was in good condition. A few dresses and fabric pieces littered the floor but the tables were covered in drawing, unfinished designs, ribbons, gems and a pile of sewing equipment. The group walked in and started to search among the clutter covered tables for the white unicorn, they knew that she would be hiding in one of the piles. "Rarity? Rarity, where are you?" Twilight said. "I can't find her anywhere," Pinkie said. "She's under here," Scott said, pointing to a pile of discarded fabric on the floor. Sticking out of the fabric was a purple, frazzled and curly tail. Twilight walked over to the tail and pulled it out, lying in the fetal position was none other than Rarity. She as shaking and looked as if she hadn't slept in several days. "Are you okay sugarcube?" Applejack said to the shivering unicorn. Rarity shook her head. "Are you going to say hi to me or not?" Scott said as he leaned down in her eyesight. Rarity looked up and slowly stood up, her mouth was open in amazement. She licked her lips and shakily spoke. "S-S-Scott, is that you?" "None other," Scott replied. Rarity rushed forward and hugged Scott. He sighed in relief and put his burnt foreleg around Rarity's neck, he could feel the soft sobs and tears coming from her. "I knew that you would be back," Rarity said. "It's going to take more than a banishment to keep me from my friends," Scott replied. "How was it?" "Boring and gray, much like England when I was living there." Rarity laughed a little as she loosened her grip around Scott's neck. He kept his head hidden behind hers which was handy because a certain little filly had just entered and Scott knew who it was. "Uhggg, does Rarity have a new coltfriend again?" a small and squeaky voice said. "Um, hello Sweetie Belle you remember-?" Rarity said but was cut off by Sweetie Belle. "Yeah yeah yeah, whatever. Where's the food at?" She stopped dead when she saw Lauren standing among the ponies. "Who is this?" she asked. "Are you Sweetie Belle?" Lauren asked. "Yeah, why do you care?" "I was just wondering if it really is you, because the Sweetie Belle I've heard of isn't rude and sullen like you." "Well guess what, I'm no longer that little frail filly. I've changed and there's nothing you can do about it." "They won't, but I sure as hell will," a voice from behind Sweetie Belle said. Sweetie Belle turned around and saw a very irritated Scott looking down at her. "Oh, you're back," Sweetie Belle said with almost no kindness or care. "Yeah I'm bloody well back and I don't like how you've been acting throughout the year," Scott said. Sweetie Belle snorted. "So what if I got a little harsh with Rarity, I've been perfectly fine without her or you." "You remember how I got this?" Scott asked as he held up his burnt hoof. He didn't even wait for Sweetie Belle to reply before he continued. "I know that you remember how I got this and saved your life along with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo." "You got lucky." "And if I recall correctly I managed to keep you safe from Discord when he was ruling the place." "I was able to take care of myself, even if he was still ruling I'd be okay. I'm tougher than you think. I can easily got on without Rarity. Now changing the subject a little, can the human leave? It's starting to get me nervous, it might break something or allow the Changelings to take over again." "Okay that's it," Scott said as he grabbed Sweetie Belle around her chest. Sweetie struggled for a second but she then froze when she saw black slime bubble up from the floor and slowly engulf Scott. "W-w-what's that?" "Your worst nightmare." Sweetie Belle watched in horror as the slime slowly oozed up Scott's legs and over his body, she tried to kick the slime away but it was still crawling up her legs and engulfing her stomach. "You're not going to hurt her are you?" Lauren asked. Scott shook his head just as the goop took over his flesh, Sweetie Belle looked up and saw that Scott's appearance had changed, she tried to scream but the slime made it up to her mouth, she saw Rarity and the others standing back and watch as the slime slid over her eyes and made everything go dark. For the next few minutes all Sweetie Belle could feel is herself breathing, she slowly opened her eyes and saw nothing but darkness. She sat up and looked around, she was sitting on an island in a black void, other islands were floating around too, each one with some sort of gray haze swirling around on it. Sweetie Belle stood up and walked over to the edge of the island and looked down, all that she could see was never-ending darkness, she backed up and looked around. "H-hello?" she called out, "Anypony there?" "Oh good, you've woken up." "Scott? Scott where am I?" "You, my little friend, are in my pocket dimension," Scott's voice said, a slightly evil cackle to his voice. Sweetie Belle started to grow afraid, she hadn't heard this side of Scott. "Uh, Scott. I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it, honestly." "Only if you would have said that earlier, maybe then I wouldn't have dragged you here." "I wanna leave," Sweetie Belle whined. "You will, you will," Scott's voice said, "Before you do I want you to see something first. Why don't you have a seat?" "Um, okay," Sweetie Belle said as she backed away into the middle of the island. A few clicks started up around her and she looked around, there wasn't a chair or stool on the island, she opened her mouth to say something when a sudden force hit her from under her hooves and she found herself sitting in a cold metal chair. Before Sweetie Belle could react clamps locked over her hooves and legs, preventing any escape. "Hey!" she yelped, "Let me go!" "Remind you of something?" Scott asked. Sweetie Belle tugged on her restraints. "No, let me go, Scott." "You don't remember being a prisoner of Discord? But I managed to save you from that horrible fate. How can you not remember?" "I try not to think about it." Sweetie Belle felt something tap her horn and she looked up to see the human form of Scott smiling down at her, he was dressed in a black metal vest, shin guards and a black helmet with a blood red stone in the center of the forehead. She relaxed when she saw that Scott's smile was kind and understanding rather than psychotic or evil, he walked over to the front of the metal chair and sat down on a stool that materialized out of the air. "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if hadn't been there to help you when you were in the castle?" Scott said, his tone and expression darkening. "N-n-n-no," Sweetie Belle stuttered. Scott sighed and leaned closer to the filly, so close their noses almost touched. "Care to see the nightmare you would have lived in?" Scott asked. Sweetie Belle shook her head. "Too bad, you are." "No, Scott, wait!" "You need to learn a lesson kiddo, I've been watching you for the past year now and I know what you've been doing to Rarity. I'm not happy about that and I'm going to show you what your life would have been like if I had been snuffed out by Discord." Sweetie Belle struggled in the chair as Scott conjured up a mist cloud, she tried to look away but a clamp closed over her forehead and locked her view forwards. She was forced to watch as a scene formed in the mist cloud. It showed her, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in chains and in the Canterlot dungeon, all of them cowering against the wall in fear. The cell door opened and a Chaos Guardian, one of Discord's possessed servants, entered and threw a badly damaged and charred helmet towards the Crusaders. "There's your hero, or what's left of him," the Guardian said with an evil laugh. He then turned and left, laughing and slamming the cell door. Scootaloo picked up the helmet and sighed. "What do we do now?" she asked. "Ah don't know," Apple Bloom said. "Shouldn't we try and escape?" Sweetie Belle said. The real Sweetie Belle knew that it wasn't her speaking in the vision, she started to say something but Scott shushed her and told her to watch. "What's the point?" Scootaloo said as she threw the helmet down, "Scott's dead, our friends and family have been taken from us and who knows what might happen to us." "Ah don't want to die here," Apple Bloom said as tears ran down her cheeks. "I want to see Rarity," Sweetie Belle said. The cell door opened up again and this time six Guardians entered followed by none other than Discord himself. He had an amused smile and he walked over to the three fillies, they backed up against the wall and cowered. "So then, now that you've been down here, are you going to tell me how you got here and why you were helping Scott in my downfall?" Discord said. "W-w-w-we're not saying anything!" Sweetie Belle piped up. "Let us go!" Scootaloo said. "Let me see mah sister!" Apple Bloom demanded. Discord shook his head and walked away. "I gave you a second chance and you ruined it. Guardians! Take each one to a torture room and find out what they know, after that put them in the Hole, if they survive that is." Two Guardians grabbed Scootaloo and dragged her by her tail out of the cell, she was screaming and shouting for Rainbow Dash and her friends to help her but the other four had grabbed and restrained Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The two squirmed to get out of the Guardians' grip but to no avail. Apple Bloom managed to land a hoof on one Guardian's nose and he dropped her, the other Guardian pulled out his club and started to beat the filly, she screamed and cried but Sweetie Belle could do nothing for her friends, she tried to escape but the Guardians had her in a tight grip. Sweetie Belle watched cell doors and hopeless looking ponies pass by, eventually she was taken into a dark room and thrown onto the floor. She squealed in pain and rolled onto her back, around her were various instruments and devices made to torture ponies. "Got another one for you," one Guardian said. "Another filly?" a second Guardian leaning over a table said, "Will this one scream as loud as the last few?" "I don't know, does it look like I care?" Sweetie Belle tried to get up and run but the chains around her legs were being pinned by a third Guardian. The Guardian picked her up and carried her over to a small bench with straps, Sweetie Belle froze and didn't resist as the Guardians took her shackles off and strapped her to the table. As this was going one the real Sweetie Belle felt the chair that she was clamped to slam back and turn into a table, she still couldn't move but she could no longer see the mist vision, instead all that she could see was the endless void of darkness coupled with floating islands. Scott leaned over her from the head of the table, he rolled up the sleeve on his right arm and showed her the burns. "You remember how I got this?" he asked. "Yes," Sweetie Belle meekly said. "You know that if I had died in that fight you would've been eaten." "B-b-but what would have happened to my sister?" Scott snapped his fingers and the clamp around Sweetie Belle's head released and she was able to look around. Scott took her head and turned it to the right where another mist cloud was starting to form. "No," Sweetie Belle said in a whisper. This vision was now being set in the center of Ponyville, Discord was standing on a pedestal as Chaos Guardians kept a massive crowd back with spears and other mean looking weapons. Next to Discord was a wooden structure, it looked like a raised platform with a rectangle of wooden beams protruding out of it. Standing under the beam were six badly beaten ponies, each one with a rope around her neck. Sweetie Belle looked closer and saw one white pony and knew who she was. "Rarity!" she said, "Scott, what are they doing to her?" "I really didn't want to show you this but I need you to know what would have happened to your sister if I had died." Sweetie Belle was transfixed by the vision, she wanted to look away but Scott kept a firm hold on her head. "Subjects of my rule!" Discord shouted, "I present to you six ponies accused of treason and plans to rebel against me. For these acts I hereby sentence them to death!" Sweetie Belle stared in horror as Discord nodded to a Guardian and the Guardian took hold of a lever. "No last words allowed," Discord said with evil snicker. The Guardian pulled on the lever and the six dropped a few feet and stopped suddenly. "No! Rarityyyy!" Scott let go of Sweetie Belle as she started crying. "Now do you understand?" he asked. "I-don't-wanna-remember-this!" Sweetie Belle said through raking sobs. Scott tapped her nose and made her look up at him. "I don't want you to either but you've acted like a real brat for the year and Rarity's too soft and scared of you. I'm appointing myself as judge, jury and executioner but I'm going to have those visions locked in your mind until tomorrow. After then you won't remember them." Sweetie Belle felt the clamps unlock and she curled up into a ball and cried some more, Scott placed a hand on her head and stroked her mane. "I'm gonna take you back to reality, when I do I expect you to run over to your sister and ask for forgiveness okay?" "Okay," Sweetie Belle said, she shut her eyes and hoped that when she opened them again she would be back home. "Sweetie Belle? Are you okay?" a voice said. Sweetie Belle's eyes shot open and she looked up, Rarity was standing over her looking worried. "Rarity!" she squeaked in joy. She jumped up and hugged her older sister around her neck and started crying. Rarity looked up at Scott questioningly. "Where did you take her?" she asked. Scott sniffed and rubbed his burn foreleg. "To hell and back."