Mad Mind awoke to the sound of birds chirping. His eye's slowly drifted open as he took in his surroundings; tree's, sun, more trees, soft grass, did I mention tree's?
Mad Mind slowly got up and staggered slightly. He took in his surroundings again. He knew where he was: this was where he fought Discord. This was his mind.
He took a small step forward and nearly collapsed as a sudden pain erupted in his head. Mad Mind sat down, a hoof up to his head as he cringed in pain. He made small circles with his hoof on his temple and let out a sigh as the pain relieved itself a bit more.
Mad Mind looked around once again and noticed a familiar, disfigured, bi-pedal figure making his way towards him. Madness stood before the weakened Mad Mind, quirky grin that could not be seen by the mass of bandages that entangled his, possibly, distorted face.
Madness stood before Mad Mind. "About freaking time! I was getting bored of waiting for you to get my next henchmen. It took you so much longer than it should have! We've been trying to tell you to study, but you wouldn't even listen to us! What gives? Do you suddenly, just not care?" He asked.
Mad Mind simply groaned as the pain that wrecked it's havoc in his mind continue to run its course.
Madness chuckled. "Doesn't matter. You got Dementia, even if it did take you forever. I'd give you an award, but I think Dementia is as good an award as any. What say you?"
Mad Mind felt the pain subside little by little, but the pain was still too intense, and all the responses he could make were grunt's and moans of pain while Madness gave his little speech.
Madness shook his head. "Yeah. While the pain of getting my henchmen will always remain, Dementia is, by far, the most painful one. He's your darker side y'know. All your twisted, dark intentions are courtesy of him." Madness explained.
Mad Mind finally mustered up the ability to speak. "Doesn't Mania do... All of that already?" he asked Madness who laughed a little.
"Yeah, little, old Mania does a lot of those things. But, Dementia is better at it. Don't tell Mania I said that. Your paranoia will increase a lot more, by the way. You'll also start having, what I like to call," he paused for dramatic effect. "Hallucinations! One of my favourite things! You'll begin to see things that are not truly there! Isn't that simply grand?" Madness asked cheerfully.
Most of the pain from Dementia entering Mad Mind began to subside a lot more, allowing Mad Mind to stand up on all four hooves and meet Madness' gaze more properly. "Hallucinations? You mean, seeing shit that no one else see's? Because that doesn't freak me out in the slightest..." Mad Mind mumbled.
Madness laughed again. "That's what Dementia does! He makes you afraid of... Everything! Well, basically. He mostly makes you afraid of yourself though. Like, how you're a danger to yourself, how something, or someone, is always watching you, y'know, that stuff. He's a fun little sucker, I tell ya." he said.
Mad Mind nodded in understanding and turned his head over to a bush when he heard it rustle. From the bush, came an orange stallion that looked very familiar to Mad Mind as well.
Madness, seemingly, smiled at the approaching stallion. "Ah! Look who's here to join us! Good, old Mania. How are you my orange friend?" Madness asked Mania.
Mania bowed down to him. "Hello to you, sir." He said in an authoritative tone.
Madness waved his spider-engulfed hand at Mania. "Oh, please. Mania, you don't have to do that! This is a rather formal meeting." Madness explained.
Mania jumped up and smiled. "Oh thank Celestia! I couldn't keep up that façade for more then twenty seconds. Heya Mad Mind. What's kicking?"
Mad Mind narrowed his eyes in frustration. "What's kicking? Maybe, Dementia became a part of my brain the exact fucking moment I was about to kiss Twilight! Maybe, it has to do with the fact that my head felt like it just lit on fire and firemen with flamethrowers were trying to put it out! I don't know what's kicking Mania! All I know is that I'm pissed off as fuck at the dumb shit who disrupted a perfect moment between me and my possible, future mare-friend!" Mad Mind snapped.
Mania took a step back. "Well, that sucks." he simply said.
Mad Mind's right eye twitched. "Well that sucks?! No fucking shit it sucks! I just lost a moment I will never get back, no matter how hard I try!" Mad Mind's eye's glowed a deep, blood red in rage. Suddenly, Mad Mind let out a yelp and held a hoof up to his eye in pain.
Mania looked confused. "You okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.
Mad Mind looked at him. "No! I just popped a damn blood vessel! Well, today just get's better and better for me, now doesn't it!?" Mad Mind spat in fury.
Madness stepped between the two. "Mad Mind, calm down. You're overreacting. As for the blood vessel..." Mad Mind felt magic energy work on his face and the red in his eye's went away. "much better. Now, there is a reason why I brought you here. Y'see," he pointed a bony finger at Mania. "Dementia and Mania? Do not get along with each other. Like, at all. They commonly have turf wars and all of that fancy gang stuff."
Mad Mind frowned. "And, your point is...?"
"They fight. Often. And these fights can cause your sanity to spike dangerously low. And, not to mention the copious amounts of headaches you'll receive from it. I just wanted to warn you; you should probably rush through this part of your cutie mark. It's not pretty when you don't have Insanity with you." Madness explained.
Mad Mind looked even more confused. "What do you mean? I think I can take a few, lousy headaches. I have a lot of time." Mad Mind said confidently.
Madness grabbed Mad Mind and picked him up off the ground, forcing him to stare Madness straight in the eye. "Listen kid, I know you may think you're all-powerful and fully capable of taking on whatever is thrown your way, truth is you can. But, while you mortality is altered, your sanity is not. You are still very much as sane as a normal pony, but you only act insane from listening to Mania," Madness' eye's actually glowed red, and Mad Mind could tell it wasn't a blood vessel, "for the moment, I suggest you take my advice: get Insanity in your mind as fast as possible. If Mania and Dementia are left together for too long, your thought process will become completely annihilated. You will get something ponies call 'mad cow disease, but for ponies'. I don't know the scientific term, but all I know is that it turns your brain into a sponge," Madness held a small grin under his bloodied bandages. "And, when I join the party, I want your brain in the best condition possible. Got that?"
Have you ever stared Madness in the eye? Well, imagine staring into chaos itself. Now, imagine the feeling of it pulling you in and slowly gripping you away from reality. That's what staring into Madness felt like.
Mad Mind quickly nodded. "Yeah. Got it. Get Insanity as fast as possible, or lose all functions to my brain. Got it," he repeated.
Madness smiled. "Good," he put Mad Mind down on the ground again and patted him on the head, "good to know were on the same page. Now, I believe you have a reality you need to be in. I'll see you around." Madness said as he turned away with Mania into the deep forest, leaving Mad Mind to pass out into comforting blackness.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Beep. Beep.
'The hell is that noise?'
Beep. Beep. Beep.
'Hey, smart ass robot! Shut the buck up!'
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
'If I open my eye's, will you shut up for me?'
Beep. Beep.
'Fair enough...'
Mad Mind's eye's opened to reveal a sickening white roof. He turned his head to the right and saw more white. The strong scent of sanitizer hung in the air. Loud beep's were heard from his left, catching his attention. He was hooked up to a heart monitor. Little pulses on the lines of a screen were present as well.
Mad Mind looked down. He was lying down in a white bed. He finally knew where he was: he was in a hospital.
'Took you long enough...'
'What, to wake up or to discover I'm in a hospital?'
'Both.'
'Well... Logic? Hey man, it's been a while!'
'You kicked me out, remember?'
'Oh yeah... So why are you still here?'
'Like I said; I'm always here.'
'Dammit... Can you at least be there less than half the time?'
'I'd respond, but I need to tell you something.'
'Whatever. Continue?'
'Look: following Madness is already as bad as it is. I know a way to get you out of it! No more voices in your head, losing control of your actions or any of that! You'll be home free!'
'Well, that's simply amazing...! No.'
'No? What do you mean 'no'?'
'No' means 'no'. I'm to deep in the rabbit hole to retreat now! I mean, I've been having so much fun with Mania, and Dementia is only gonna make it more fun-'
'I beg to differ.'
'What's that mean?'
'Dementia is far past fun. You haven't been to the main central of your mind in a while, have you? It's absolute hell! Every little bit of your mind is quickly submitting to Madness and were losing communications to you! He's giving all of the power to extend your knowledge and reduce things like, your reaction time, your senses, even you feelings! You're losing more power than you're gaining!'
'Huh... I don't feel any different...'
'That's because Mania is helping distract you from the activity that's occurring in your central mind! You've been losing power and you didn't even know it!'
'Bullshit. Mania want's to just get to know me...'
'That's even more bullshit! Mania live's in your mind! He know's all about you! You're kidding yourself Mad Mind! I know how to fix this! You just need to let me in.'
'No.'
'Mad Mind...'
'No. I will not let you in, I will become a mad-god, and you will not get in my way! This is what I've dreamed of! I'm not blowing away the chance to live my dreams!'
'Fine. Die and rot you madman.'
'Ouch. Harsh, Logic. And, I can't die; god, remember?'
'That's what you think. I'll see you in hell.'
As Mad Mind's odd argument with Logic drew to a close, a unicorn in a white coat came through the door. The doctor saw Mad Mind and smiled a little. "Ah! you're awake! Good. The princess was quite afraid when she found you in the throne room and completely knocked out." He said, smile ever-present on his face.
Mad Mind smiled back. "Good to know Celestia has my back, on this one."
The doctor looked confused. "It wasn't Celestia who found you; it was princess Twilight. After you ran off, she said that she followed you to... Apologize about something, and then she found you lying on the floor unconscious." He explained.
Mad Mind's eye's went wide. "Twilight? How is she?" Mad Mind asked, concern filled in his voice.
The doctor looked away. "To put it lightly, she's a wreck. She told me you ran away right at the moment you were about to kiss. She told me that you must've ran off because you were afraid of how fast things were going. She said she hated herself for it." The doctor explained to a surprised Mad Mind.
Mad Mind gritted his teeth, rage boiling inside him. He didn't know exactly why he was mad, but he just was.
He was mad at Twilight for thinking of such bullshit, he was mad at Madness and his damnable rules and, most importantly, he was mad at himself for causing it all.
Long story short? Mad Mind, currently, hated himself for what he's done.
The doctor smiled slightly. "She is here, however. You were out for two day's, and she never left your side," he said, snapping Mad Mind out of his trance as to why he hated himself. "I think she would like to see you awake."
Mad Mind looked down at his hooves, which were now covered by white blankets, and sighed. He could either apologize to Twilight right now, but there was a higher probability that she brought her friends as well, and they were bound to give him an earful about how he was a rotten stallion and all of that. He already did feel rotten as it is, and really didn't need the moral support.
Or, the alternative, don't let Twilight in, forcing her to leave with her friends, leaving Mad Mind time to think about his current predicament, but probably leave Twilight even more upset and very much broken. And he knew this; a broken Twilight was rather hard to fix.
He weighed each option carefully. He nearly began to feel another headache beginning to form from the amount of thinking. He sat their quietly for, what felt like, hours, before finally sighing and simply saying. "Send her in."
The doctor nodded and opened the door with his magic, poking his head outside and speaking to, what Mad Mind assumed, hoped and prayed was, Twilight.
Before he could finish that thought, a blur of purple rushed through the door and landed on Mad Mind's bed.
Twilight was a wreck: her mane was spiking out in certain places and not at all tidy, she had bag's under her eyes that looked as if they could hold cinderblocks and a small stench that showed that she had not showered.
Underneath it all, Mad Mind did not care, he was just glad to see Twilight, who gave him a big smile while having tears rushing down her face at a mile a minute. She looked up at him, "I'm... I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, burying her muzzle into Mad Mind's chest. Mad Mind felt the tears fall off her face and into his fur, making it damp. She looked up and spoke, "I-I didn't know what I was doing! I was just... I didn't mean to go that far... And you..." She couldn't finish her sentence as she went right back to crying in her chest.
Mad Mind couldn't bear the sight of Twilight crying for something he had done. He put a hoof under her chin and made her look him in the eye. "Twilight, if anything, I should be the one apologizing. I remembered I needed to see Celestia for something important during that time. I didn't mean to hurt you in any way." Mad Mind explained.
"Damn straight ya'll should be apologizin'!"
Mad Mind turned his gaze to the doorway where, not to his surprise, were all of the girl's. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both had a fury in there eyes that could spark the flames of war,Rarity held almost an equal amount of anger, but a slight look of understanding upon her face, Pinkie was in between happy and sad, if that's even possible and Fluttershy... Was being Fluttershy and quietly hiding behind Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow glared at him, "Mad Mind, what you did back at the gala was not cool. You practically just ruined Twilight's night by that little stunt you pulled! She's been upset with you for... Days!" Rainbow shouted.
Mad Mind held up a hoof in defence. "Alright, firstly, Twilight is still in the room. Let's treat her as an actual being instead of an inanimate object, shall we? Secondly, can we keep the shouting to a minimum? I still have a bit of a headache." Mad Mind asked politely, causing Rainbow and Applejack to huff.
'Nice choice of words on that one.'
'Agreed.'
'Hmm? Who is...'
'DEMENTIA! GOOD TO SEE YAH, FRIEND!'
'Yes, yes. It's always a nice day to see you Mania.'
'I detect sarcasm.'
'No shit, Sherlock.'
'Well, no need to be such a downer about it! Come on! What's wrong with you today?'
'The fact that I'm stuck in this hellhole with you for the rest of eternity, that's what.'
'Ouch. Rather, harsh don't you think?'
'What I was going for.'
'Why do you have to be upset all the time!? I remember the day I made you smile...'
'That was when you slaughtered an entire village of ponies, and even then, the burden of all those ponies were heavy on me.'
'It was worth getting you to smile!'
'That's what got us killed, if I'm not mistaken.'
'Still, totally worth it!'
'Listen, Mania, could you do us all a favour and shut up you deranged psychopath?'
'Only when you start being happy.'
'I could fight you right now.'
'I don't think Mad Mind would enjoy that.'
'It'd be worth seeing you bleed.'
'Talk about unoriginal, taking my sayings and saying them in a different context.'
'Coming from the unoriginal punk who still uses fire as a way of killing.'
'Well, what do you expect me to use? Guns? They don't have those here! And, don't call me unoriginal.'
'Well, anything that isn't as unoriginal as you! Or, I guess it would make sense for an unoriginal pony to use unoriginal means of killing.'
'Stop. Calling. Me. Unoriginal.'
'What should I call you then? Idea-less? That doesn't sound as good.'
'You're asking for a rusted butter knife to the throat.'
'WHAAATT!!!?? A RUSTED BUTTER KNIFE!? IT'S THE EVENT OF A LIFETIME; MANIA DOES NOT USE FIRE, FOLKS! Oh, but, how tragic that rusted utensils are a rather crappy means of killing and disposal. And, about as unoriginal as fire and Mania.'
'SHUT THE FUCK UP!'
WHAM!
Mad Mind flinched as he felt the impact of the punch inside of him. Rainbow and Applejack were probably droning on about something, but it didn't matter to him; he was just concerned about keeping those two from full out war.
Rainbow flew right in front of Mad Mind, Mad Mind noticed Twilight had finally got off of his bed and was standing with the girls, dry tears staining her face still. "Hey! Were you listening to us at all!?" Rainbow asked, an angered expression strewn across her face.
Mad Mind shook his head. "Nope. What was it?" He asked.
Rainbow face-hoofed. "How can you space out that much? It's almost as if there are ponies in your head you can listen to!" She exclaimed with a sigh.
'You'd be surprised Mrs. Dash...'
'Who said you could speak Dementia!?'
'Will the two of you shut up!? I'm trying to listen!'
Mad Mind shrugged, the logical answer, causing Dash to face-hoof. "Okay, listen carefully..."
'What's she droning on about?'
'I'm trying to listen here! Don't ask me that question when I want to know what she's saying!'
'Yeah Mania, geez...'
'Y'know Dementia, you're a bigger dick than I remembered.'
'And you're a bigger unoriginal, idiotic psycho than I remembered.'
'Trust me, you'll want to stop calling me unoriginal.'
'Why should I trust the guy who killed me once?'
'Because, if you keep calling me unoriginal, I'll kill you again.'
'It'll be worth it.'
'Wanna have a second opinion about that?'
'Not really.'
'Will the two of you shut up already!? Damn...'
"... You got that?" Rainbow finished. Mad Mind had no clue what Dash had said, but nodded in answer. She smirked. "Good. Glad we straightened that out." She made her way to the rest of the girls.
Pinkie hopped up to him. "Hey Maddy! How are yah!?" She asked, full of energy. (The usual Pinkie.)
Mad Mind smiled. "I've been better Pink's. I'm just... Tired. Is all." Mad Mind lied.
Pinkie nodded in understanding. "Okie dokie lokie! I'm gonna make you some 'Get Well Soon' Cupcakes with those ponies in the castle kitchen! *GASP*! Do you think it's true that Celestia has a bottomless bag of sugar!? I heard rumours from somewhere that she did, and now I can find out!!" Pinkie made a dash for the door, but stopped and turned around mid-gallop, "oh, and Maddy, don't forget: those voices can kill you! Better hurry along!" On that, she charged back outside.
Mad Mind's jaw dropped and his eyebrows were raised in a mix of shock and surprise.
'How did she...?'
'It's Pinkie Pie. Your argument is invalid.'
'That was... Complete mind-fuck.'
Twilight stepped up next, somehow completely ignoring what Pinkie Pie had just said. "Mad Mind, look I-" Mad Mind held up his hoof.
"I know Twilight. You're sorry. I understand. But, it wasn't your fault as much as it was mine. Stop beating yourself up over it." Mad Mind said with a smile.
Twilight smiled back. "Okay. But, the doctors told me that you're going to be in the hospital for a while. So, I brought you something to do while you're here!" She exclaimed gleefully.
'Twenty bits says it's a book.'
Twilight used her magic and made a familiar, old book appear before Mad Mind. The old yellow cover and stock-piled dust from before time gave it away: Fact's and Truth's About Immortals.
Mad Mind looked back at Twilight and smiled. "Thanks Twi. I never got to finish this. It'll be good to learn more about the subject..."
Twilight looked confused. "Celestia told me to bring that to you, and I got curious; you were an alicorn all your life, right? Why do you need to learn more about this subject?" She questioned.
Mad Mind gave her a deadpanned expression. "I didn't know how to use magic a while ago Twi. What makes you think I know anything behind alicorns and immortality?" Mad Mind responded, cracking open the book and revealing the aged, frail yellow pages.
Twilight nodded and glanced down at her hooves. "Oh. R-right. Stupid question," she glanced up at the clock that Mad Mind never knew was there, "look at the time! I need to head out. Get better soon Mad Mind!" She exclaimed as she rushed out the door.
Mad Mind looked confused. "That... Was odd..." Mad Mind stated.
Rarity stepped forward. "Well, Twilight still feels bad about that moment when you two became enemies... It's still a rather touchy subject." She explained, causing Mad Mind to close the book and place it on his lap.
Mad Mind nodded. "Oh... Well, look's like I keep screwing things up now don't I?" Mad Mind said with a sigh.
Rainbow looked as if she was about to say some witty response, but a quick glare from Rarity stopped her. "Well darling, nopony can do everything right. Thing's will look up for you soon, just wait." She explained.
Mad Mind smiled. Rarity's words actually helped him feel better. "Thanks Rare's. I needed that." He said sounding much happier.
Rarity nodded. "Well, a little inspiration can go a long way. I need to go, however; even on vacation I can't catch a break." She said with a sigh.
Mad Mind smiled. "No rest for the wicked, I suppose. I'll see you later." He gave a little salute/wave combination as she left, causing her to smile.
Rainbow left as well, either because she was bored or she already said what she wanted to say, Mad Mind couldn't tell. But, she did whisper something to Applejack as said orange earth pony made her way up to him.
"Listen Mad Mahnd: Ah feel bad fer yah and hope yah get better, but yah don't understand: Twah really likes yah, and yer treaten' her without any respect! Ah-" Mad Mind quickly cut her off.
"I treat Twi without any respect? I respect Twilight in a great deal! She's smart, fun and friendly and I feel honoured that she fell for me as opposed to any other pony. And, all of you seem to have forgotten this but, I wasn't supposed to be at the gala! The very fact that I even bothered to break in should show you that I care about her!" Mad Mind ranted.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "But, you were late fer that. It shows you care less. And-" Mad Mind cut her off for a second time.
"At least I bothered to show up at all! At least I got in one dance with her! I care for Twilight deeply, and there's no way you, or anypony, can deny that." Applejack looked like she was about to say something else, but Mad Mind beat her to it. "I don't want to hear it. Get out. Now." He seethed, causing Applejack to recede and leave the room.
That left Mad Mind alone in the room with only Fluttershy who was trying to stay hidden behind her friends, who she failed to notice have all left.
Mad Mind cleared his throat, startling the butter yellow pegasus and letting her emit a yelp in both surprise and fear. She quickly turned around to see a rather impatient Mad Mind who simply said, "yes?"
Fluttershy tried to find something to say, but couldn't and quickly darted out of the room, after her friends, slamming the door behind her.
Mad Mind laughed at her reaction and sighed as he relaxed in his bed.
'Alone at last…'
'Why do people hate being alone so much? The brain works so much better when it's alone.'
'You're never truly alone though.'
'Well, yeah, I know I'm never alone Dementia: I have you guys.'
'Not my point. You don't understand, do you? Everyponys a spy.'
'Team Fortress Two much?'
'That wasn't supposed to be a reference.'
'You just made one. Congratu-freaking-lations. What were you trying to say again?'
'They can see you; they're everywhere.'
'Who's everywhere? Who are you talking about Dementia?'
'You never know. You just know they're there. They will spy on you, learn about you, maybe kill you.'
'Who would kill me?'
'Lot's of ponies would. From your social status? You have many enemies that you know nothing about, but they know everything about you.'
'…Okay then. Well, interesting conversation. I'm just gonna… Read now… Bye-bye.'
'THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!'
As Mad Mind closed the conversation faster than Rainbow on crack, he opened his book and, suddenly, noticed a small piece of paper slip out of the front of the book and land on his lap. Mad Mind stared at the small, folded piece of paper for a moment. It obviously wasn't a piece of paper from the book; it was in much better condition. Mad Mind's curiosity got the better of him as he unfolded the piece of paper and found a small message written in elegant cursive. He began to read.
Dear Mad Mind.
If you are reading this, I apologize I could not see you in person today. The threat of changelings grow stronger with each passing day and we must prepare as best we can, which has left my hooves full with countless duties. I need you prepared for this battle as well, more than just physically, but mentally as well. When you get out of the hospital, I will personally teach you more and more about magic. For now, there is a specific chapter in that very book that you must read and understand. It is very important if we do enter a war with changelings and dragons. Read chapter four and you will understand what I mean.
Get well soon, and good luck.
Princess Celestia.
Mad Mind brought the book back up and flipped to chapter four. He stopped and read the title of the chapter:
Godly Artifacts
Mad Mind began to read, intrigued by the topic.
Godly artifacts are a special kind of magical item; these items are capable of being vessels for carrying a gods 'life force'.
God's have been using this trick for ages: binding their very souls to items. It's a way that immortals can stay immortal without the constant threat of death (although god's don't truly die… See chapter six for details). It's quite simple, actually: only a god-like being is capable of performing such a spell, although. All they need is a simple object, it can be anything from a rock, to a bed or even another living thing, and cast the spell onto it. While using a lot of their energy, the caster is now only susceptible to harm through the item that they have bind themselves with.
Mad Mind stopped reading there. A grin had spread across his face from the useful info. Celestia wanted him to have a godly artifact so, when war came, he would be almost invincible. Truly immortal.
'Godly artifact? Seems legit.'
'What would we use?'
'Well… Something that we keep close to us, obviously… But something nopony will expect…'
'This will be interesting…'
'… Hey, a small, mysterious box left on a chair!'
'Where?'
'…On the chair… Dumbass.'
'Don't have to be a dick about it...'
Mad Mind glanced over at said chars and noticed there was, indeed, a small box, resting on the chair. Mad Mind levitated the box to him. It was small and yellow with a bright red bow wrapped upon it. Mad Mind gave the box a suspicious look.
'What's the verdict? Open or close?'
'Open it! Duhh! You know you want to!'
'Fair poi-'
'NO! It might be a trap!'
'Dementia, I doubt that it's a trap.'
'How would you know? You haven't opened the box.'
'… That's true…'
'You're not actually listening to the depressed guy are ya? He's an idiot! He knows nothing! Open the box!'
'I'll make you eat those words with a rusted machete!'
'How would you feed me with a rusted machete? Forks are for feeding. Machetes are for stabbing. Rusted machetes are useless.'
'Like you.'
'Woah! Calm dow-'
'Stay out of this Mad Mind.'
'Guy's, don't fight…'
'Then I'll just have to use this machete properly…'
'DEMENTIA! STOP!'
It was too late. A searing pain made itself known within Mad Mind's mind, causing him to bring his hooves to his head and grit his teeth.
'Hold still you colourful, psychotic shit head!'
'Make me.'
Another slash made Mad Mind yelp in pain as he felt the "machete" enter and exit through a piece of his mind. How he could feel his mind? He wasn't sure, but it didn't help his case.
'ENOUGH OF THIS! HOLD STILL!'
'What makes you think I'll hold still and let you kill me?'
'Fine… I'll stop fighting…'
'Oh thank Celestia…!'
'…And start shooting!'
'Oh my! Nice mini gun! Where'd you get it!?'
'You'll find out once your dead…'
'Well, I think I can live without it, if you put it that way…'
'Well, shi-'
Mad Mind screeched as the "mini gun" began to wreck it's havoc within Mad Mind, dozens and dozens of "bullet's" ripped holes in his imaginary landscape. The pain was almost unbearable, as he held his head with more force in hopes of stopping Dementia.
'Why won't you die!?'
'I'm a ninja. I don't have time to be still.'
'Dodge this you piece of-'
'ENOUGH!'
Mad Mind's mind went silent and the feeling of more bullets riddling his mind ceased. The pain of the machete cuts and the other bullet holes, however, remained, leaving a migraine that could kill any normal pony. Thankfully, Mad Mind wasn't normal.
'This is bullshit! You slashed me and riddled my mind with bullets over a box! A bucking, shitty box! Do you know how childish that sounds!?'
'Not very childish, considering we were using guns-'
'BESIDES THE MOTHER FUCKING GUNS! BESIDES THE DAMNABLE MACHETE! THE ARGUMENT! THE FIGHT! THE REASON! ALL CHILDISH!'
'Sorry…'
'You're sorry? You think, that shooting up my mind and slashing is worthy of only a sorry!? THE TWO OF YOU! BACK OF MY MIND! THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE! HAUL YOUR ASSES!'
'But-'
'No but's! No bullshit. You. Back of my mind. Not a peep. Go. Now.'
'Fine…'
'I'm going to open this box! I'm going to find out what's inside! If any of you have a problem with that, than please press one and hope for a reasonable death.'
Mad Mind glanced down at the box again. The small, yellow container stared up at him. Mad Mind removed the bright ribbon and pulled off the top.
Inside the box, was a locket. A small dragon imprinted on a circle made of pure silver. Mad Mind raised his eyebrows in surprise as he gently levitated the locket out of the box to reveal a long chain dangling behind it. Mad Mind searched the locket and found a small button. He tapped it and the locket opened to reveal a small picture of Twilight, smiling in her gala dress.
Mad Mind smiled at the picture before closing it with a snap! and placing it around his neck. It dangled to his chest and felt cold when it touched his fur. Mad Mind checked the box again and noticed a small folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and began reading the words in a printing that seemed oddly similar to Celestia's.
Dear Mad Mind.
If you're reading this, than I'd like to firstly say; I'm sorry. I didn't know you weren't ready for a kiss and I made you feel uncomfortable. I know you have a tendency to hold grudges on other ponies, especially me, but I beg for your forgiveness and hope you find it in your heart to realize I understand what I did was wrong to you. I planned on giving you this locket after our dance so you would understand how much… You mean to me. I hope you understand what I mean when I say that, and I hope you get out of the hospital soon.
With deepest apologies,
Twilight Sparkle.
Mad Mind folded the letter and sighed. Twilight sure did beat herself up over things, didn't she? That was the one, and only, thing she disliked about her: she blames herself for most bad things that happened.
Mad Mind put the letter back in the box and stretched. His migraine had ebbed away into a simple headache and his bottom-left leg had fallen asleep. He stared back down at his silver, dragon locket. He looked back at the old, yellow book, and back to his necklace. An idea began to form in his head and a sinister smile spread across his face.
'I have an idea for my godly artifact...'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mad Mind began his trot back to the castle. The doctors had to run a few tests on him, physicals and all of that, to make sure he was still a healthy pony. He only failed one part of the exam, and that was his mental health.
He shuddered at the thought of that part of the exam. It was not as pretty as he had expected it to be…
'"Oh dear."
Mad Mind looked up at the doctor in confusion. "Something wrong, doctor?" He asked curiously.
The doctor turned to face Mad Mind. "Mr. Mad Mind, it appears that you are, to put it lightly, mentally incapable." He explained.
Mad Mind narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, his voice mixed between his normal voice and a dark growl.
The doctor flinched. "W-well, to keep this simple, you're insane! You hear voices, see things that are non-existent and you seem to thrive at the sight of killing ponies!" The doctor shuddered. "You are mentally unstable, and a threat to pony kind. I'm sorry, but we have no choice but to send you to an asylum." The doctor finished, a frightful look strewn across his face.
Mad Mind gritted his teeth. "An asylum? A lonnie-bin? A madhouse? Not a chance in Tartarus will I ever go to one of those!" Mad Mind growled at the doctor, who took a step back in fright.
"M-Mr. Mad Mind, you don't understand; y-you don't have a s-say in this. Y-you must go to an asylum! It's your b-best bet." The doctor stammered.
Mad Mind hopped out of his bed and walked towards the doctor, much like a lion stalking it's prey, readying for the kill. "My best bet," he spat in a cold voice, "is to carry on with my life and pretend that this part of the exam I passed with flying colours. How's that sound, doc?"
The doctor was now backed up to the wall. "I-I can't do that! That's lying! I need to give a truthful response to the head doctors, or else I'll lose my job! I'm sorry, but I have to send this to the office the way it's written." He said boldly.
Mad Mind looked at his hooves. He knew this doctor wasn't going to budge. He needed to get out of here without a strait jacket on, or else he would be incapable of learning anything and not get insanity in his mind fast enough.
Mad Mind's eye's seemed to glow a sinister red. "So be it." Mad Mind growled.
Mad Mind glanced at the roof and saw a sprinkler on the roof, no doubt for emergency fire's. In Mad Mind's case, this would qualify as an emergency.
The doctor bolted for the door, but found it locked. He turned back in fright to Mad Mind, who was now emitting a small plume of smoke from his horn.
Quick as a wink, the alarm went off and the sprinkler system was on, drenching both Mad Mind and the doctor. The papers, however, remained dry, thanks to a spell cast by Mad Mind.
Mad Mind quickly brought the papers over to him and changed them from an "F" to an "A" in mental health and walked out of the room, quickly shutting the door and locking it behind him, leaving the doctor inside.
The doctor screamed and banged on the door, but Mad Mind cast another spell that completely sealed the cracks in the door and allowed no water to escape.
Then, he broke the head of the sprinkler, allowing a large, steady flow of water into the room. The doctor was panicking as water flooded into the room at a steady pace, slowly filling it faster and faster. He tried to open the window, but that too was locked.
Mad Mind walked away with the papers from the flooding room. He handed the papers in to the ponies at the front desk. "These are Mad Mind's exams." He simply said.
The secretary took the papers and looked suspiciously at the soggy Mad Mind. "Was it raining where you've been?" She asked.
Mad Mind laughed, water dripping off his coat. "You could say that…"
Mad Mind wasn't sure wether or not the doctor got out alive or not, but he'd find out tomorrow in the newspaper. That would be an interesting article; 'Doctor drowns in hospital'.
Mad Mind chuckled at the thought. In all honesty, he never thought that killing a pony could be so much fun. Killing them bluntly was decent, but with a creative way like back at the hospital… That was true entertainment.
He pushed those thoughts out of his head as he was greeted by a crowd of ponies that stood before him. Mad Mind sighed. He couldn't go anywhere without drawing attention, now could he? He didn't have time for these ponies. He quickly shoved through the crowd, rushing to get to the castle. He was almost at the end of the crowd when, suddenly, his hoof stopped. He glanced down to see a small, brown pegasus colt before him.
This colt made Mad Mind smile; he had a curly jet-black mane and tail and a brown coat. Upon his head was a small top hat and a pair of sunglasses on his face. The colt beamed at Mad Mind. "Hiya!" He said cheerfully.
Mad Mind laughed. "Hello to you too, young one. And who might you be…?"
The colt smiled even wider. "My name is Saul Coltson! Most ponies just call me Slash though. It's a better name." He said.
Mad Mind's eye's went wide in surprise. "So, Slash… Why did you want to meet me?" Mad Mind asked, already knowing the answer.
Slash shuffled his hooves. "I heard you had an instrument called a 'guitar'. I never heard of it and I was curious. I was wondering… Ifyoucouldteachmehowtoplayit!?" He asked/screamed.
Mad Mind laughed. "My friend, I'm sorry. I don't have enough time to teach you. I'm busy with everything that's happening at Canterlot castle and Celestia can be quite the pain in the flank," this got a small laugh out of the spectators, "but, if you believe that this is what you want to do, I'll be more than happy to give you a guitar." Mad Mind said with a smile.
Slash gasped. "Really!? Thank you sooo much! I just felt this was my calling! Maybe my destiny was to play a guitar! Maybe I'll get my cutie mark for it!" He exclaimed with pride.
Mad Mind summoned his acoustic guitar from his room. Now that he had his electric guitar, he wouldn't really need it. It quickly appeared and slowly levitated down into Slash's hooves. Slash grinned. "Now I just need to learn how to play it…" He said.
Mad Mind brought himself to Slash's height. "I wouldn't worry about it. You said that it's your calling right? What you think you were destined to do? Then it should just come naturally to you. Trust me; I know you can do it." Mad Mind said.
Slash lit up. "You think!?" He exclaimed.
Mad Mind nodded. "Absolutely. Maybe you can become lead guitar for Gun's N' Roseluck! You never know." Mad Mind said with a smile.
Slash thanked Mad Mind one more time and ran off, instrument on his back. Mad Mind quickly moved along towards the castle, laughing within himself, knowing that he met a celebrity. Sorry, future celebrity.
Mad Mind entered the castle and soon found his way to the throne room. He opened the grand, wooden doors and found Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both inside the room. They both looked up and gave him a warm smile. Celestia spoke first. "Hello, Mad Mind. It is nice to see that you're alright. Were your exams any trouble…?" She asked in a curious tone.
Mad Mind shook his head. "Nope. Passed all the test's with flying colours," he approached Celestia, "Why would you ask?"
Celestia seemed a bit nervous. "Umm… I was just concerned about your health Mad Mind. I wouldn't want to see you hurt now." She said, biting her lower lip as she finished.
Luna decided to add in her input. "Yes! We would not like there to be anything wrong with you. My sister seemed rather unnerved about your mental health," Celestia was now mouthing to Luna to stop talking, but she continued, "and how you tend to enjoy killing which my sister said met the qualifications of a homicidal maniac…"
"Luna, you can stop now…"
"We were wondering wether or not you'd come back to the castle, because the doctors would maybe think you were crazy and send you to one of those… Asylums, were they called?"
"Luna, that's enough."
"Well, if the doctors consider you mentally stable, than you're fit to live in the castle. I mean, we wouldn't want a twisted mad pony that kills for pleasure in our ranks-"
"LUNA! ENOUGH!"
Mad Mind was staring in utter confusion at Luna, surprised that she ranted about that sort of thing. Celetia, was red-faced and had a rage of one thousand sun's. Luna, held a hoof up to her mouth, realizing she let it run without thinking. "Oops." Luna meeped, her sister glaring down at her in fury.
"We'll talk about this later, Luna." Celestia seethed, causing Luna to flinch like she was hit with a poison dart, and not a fast acting poison either.
Celestia turned her gaze back to Mad Mind, closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I'm sorry you had to hear that Mad Mind. Luna can sometimes… Run her mouth. She has spent too much time with Ms. Pie and picked up some nasty habits in the process." She apologized.
When she opened her eyes again, Mad Mind was on the floor laughing. He was clutching his sides, rolling around, laughing his flank off.
Celestia and Luna both bore expressions of utter confusion as Mad Mind laughed. After about a good five minutes of laughing, Mad Mind got up and sighed. "Wow, I needed that." He said, a smile strewn across his face.
Celestia raised her eyebrow. "Mad Mind, why were you laughing…?" She asked.
Mad Mind let out one more quick chuckle before responding. "I dunno. I just thought it was funny. Anywho, yes Luna, the doctors said that I am mentally stable, thank you very much. And Celestia, I believe we need to discuss something. About an 'artifact'?" Mad Mind questioned with a quick wink at the end.
Celestia got the message and turned to Luna. "Lulu, can you give Mad Mind and I a moment please? We need to discuss something."
Luna looked rather confused, but nodded nonetheless. "Of course dear sister. I'll get out of your mane." She said and quickly teleported out of the room
Celestia turned her gaze to Mad Mind. "Right. So you have received my message in the book?" Mad Mind nodded in conformation, "excellent. Now, I believe you should tell me what you've used for your artifact, for defence and all that."
Mad Mind shook his head. "No. I want to keep the item a secret for now, even from you." He said.
Celestia looked just as confused as Luna beforehand. "Mad Mind, I can keep a secret; especially one that involves your life," she glanced down at Mad Mind and saw a silver locket dangling from his neck, "although I can assume what it is right now…" She added.
Mad Mind glanced down at the locket and back at Celestia. "The locket? Umm… Well, you see…" He leaned in next to Celestia and whispered a few things to her.
Celestia nodded in approval as Mad Mind pulled his head away from her ear. "Wow… You really put some thought into what you wanted Mad Mind." She complimented.
Mad Ming grinned. "Well, I needed a secure, fool-proof way to keep an item with my life force alive, and I believe that will do." He said.
Celestia's smile soon turned into a frown. "Now, about that locket, my student isn't the best at hiding things from me; I know she planned on giving it to you after your dance at the gala."
Mad Mind gulped. "Well, umm, y'see…"
Celestia leaned forward, hints of anger in her eyes. "Mad Mind, I know you went to the gala. You can't fool me: I've dealt with one thousand years worth of liars, thieves and a few assassins before you. Despite the fact I clearly told you to not go, you went anyway. Mad Mind, do you know what this shows me?" She asked.
Mad Mind bit his lip. "You're… Good at hide-and-seek?" He asked. Wrong answer.
Celestia huffed. "It shows me that you're careless. You don't care about your destiny of becoming a god or anything, you just want to breeze through it like a leaf in the wind. I expected great things from you Mad Mind, and you're beginning to disappoint me, greatly." She seethed.
Mad Mind turned, revealing his cutie mark that held a third part of the circle: jet black and written in deep purple, the letter 'D'. "I've made progress princess, you just haven't asked." Mad Mind said, smirk present on his face.
Celestia smiled and leaned back into her throne. "Look's like I misjudged you Mad Mind. I apologize. But, I feel that I must punish you for disobeying me," her smile quickly turning into a frown, "Mad Mind, this is for your own good; you are not allowed to leave the premises of this castle for the next week. I will have guards keep an eye on you and if you do leave, I'll add an additional two weeks," Celestia leaned in close, "are we clear?"
Mad Mind's jaw dropped at this. "Not allowed to leave the castle? So I can't go anywhere in Canterlot? For a week? This is gonna be the most boring week of my life! Can we make it a business week? Please?" Mad Mind begged.
Celestia didn't budge. "No. Seven days. I'm sorry, but you must understand that actions have consequences, and you have been careless about your actions. Seven days. I will have a set of guards patrol your every movement throughout the castle."
Mad Mind groaned. "Fine," he turned around to the large doors and began to make his way out. "Look's like I can't succeed at anything without ponies getting pissed at me…" He muttered as he exited the throne room.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Madness sat comfortably in a tree within Mad Mind's mental forest. He let out a small sigh as he stretched out, ready to doze off. The past few weeks were getting to him, and it had been forever since he had any real rest.
He snickered. How clueless was Mad Mind? Madness knew that this was going to be no easy task to make him a mad-god, but how could he not notice any of the bickering occurring in his mind?
The truth was; he wanted Mania and Dementia to fight. He didn't care about the state of his mind, as long as there was some left for him in the end. Mania and Dementia were simply a distraction from the main problem, and even then most ponies would be more than capable to notice something was wrong.
Madness was constantly going to Mad Mind's… What was it? Mental board room? He chuckled at this. Planning… A tool that he sometimes used, but he found rather pathetic. He constantly dropped by and began convincing those people into supporting him in his quest to make Mad Mind a god.
It was rather easy 'convincing' them to join him: join me or die, no matter how overused, is still a very useful means of tempting people to join your cause.
He had about eighty per-cent of the board room join him, and it was only a matter of time before the rest of them submitted their power to him. Then, he would have full control of Mad Minds mind, which he would need it before he discovered Insanity. The only problem was, one of them seemed rather stubborn…
Logic. He gritted his teeth at the name, wrinkling the bloodied bandages on his face. Logic was his one problem. No matter how good of an argument Madness would make, no matter how convincing he sounded; Logic would have the perfect counter-argument or explain to the whole boardroom why Madness would need the things he asked for. Logic was a person he needed out of the picture. He needed logic dead. And fast, which was something he could easily do, but the consequences were rather severe.
If he did kill Logic, Mad Mind would probably notice, and if he did notice, then Madness would have to prepare for a total shit-storm heading his way. But, if he did kill Logic, that's his main enemy out of the picture, and the rest of the board room would understand how serious he is about this.
Madness put some thought into it. The pro's seemed to outweigh the con's in this situation. He nodded. He would have to kill Logic.
… Later. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He needed to rest, for now.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mad Mind sighed as he walked along the long corridors of Canterlot, two white guards, both encased in bright, golden armour, accompanied him to breakfast. It had been two days since Celestia gave him his punishment, and it had began to take toll on the mad-god. He was no longer allowed to explore Canterlot with Bright Light, he had to give up his promise to the local bar where he would play again, which caused a small riot, and had to give up drinking with Shining Armour, which sucked even more, considering alcohol and Bright Light were the only two ways to make Mania and Dementia shut up.
As the days went by, Mania and Dementia fought harder and grew more vicious and hateful of each other. The slightest disagreement between the two, sparked the intense flames of war between them. Mad Mind wasn't able to go through one day without a headache from the two of them fighting, which made the guards that accompanied him more and more concerned about his well-being. Even after telling them several times that he was fine, he was pretty certain that they had told Celestia more than once.
Mad Mind entered the dining hall and smiled as he noticed the girls were there alongside Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Mad Mind took his seat and the rest of the mares held their gaze upon him. Mad Mind raised an eyebrow. "Umm… Look, it's kind of rude to stare. Or have you forgotten proper manners?" He asked, a smirk making itself know on his face.
Celestia sighed. "Mad Mind, we must talk. Please, sit down." She asked.
Mad Mind raised his eyebrow. "But I am sitting, princess…"
Celestia leaned on her hooves, rubbing her head and letting out another sigh. "Sorry, Mad Mind. I'm a bit… Out of it, today. I've had a few late nights and haven't had the chance to get much rest," she returned her gaze to Mad Mind. "There is something we need to discuss though, Mad Mind."
Mad Mind gave her a confused look. "What's there to discuss?" He asked.
His answer was in the form of a newspaper sliding down the table and to his hooves. He gave it a quick read and wasn't sure to laugh or groan.
Doctor Found Dead in Flooded Room.
Mad Mind put the paper down. "So… What does this have to do with me?" He asked curiously, obviously knowing there was probably a logical explanation behind the death.
Celestia was about to speak, but Luna interrupted her. "What does this have to do with you!? You were at that hospital on the exact same day that this doctor was discovered dead! Not only that, but this doctor was a psychotherapist! He was the only one working that day, which means he must've tested your mental health! WHAT DOESN'T THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THOU!?" She snapped at Mad Mind, who had shrunk back in his seat.
Celestia raised a hoof. "Luna. Enough." At these two words, the night princess seamlessly calmed down. Celestia turned her gaze back to Mad Mind. "What Luna has said is true, Mad Mind. With that information in mind, not to mention the very… creative means of death," Mad Mind perked up a little at this comment. "We can infer that it was you who, possibly, killed this stallion," Celestia looked very serious. "Tell us the truth Mad Mind: did you, or did you not kill this doctor?"
Mad Mind sat up and looked at his hooves. "Yeah. It was me." He admitted quietly.
If Celestia was pissed, she was doing a damn fine job of masking it. "And, tell me; why did you kill him?" She asked.
Mad Mind closed his eyes. "He said… That I didn't pass the mental health exam and that," he took a deep breath. "My best bet was to go to an asylum. And asylum is the last place I want to end up, princess. He left me with no choice; I activated the sprinklers, took the results and changed them, and sealed every little opening and drowned him. I couldn't have any witness'." Mad Mind explained.
Everypony at the table fell silent at Mad Mind's story. Celestia turned to Luna and whispered a few words that Mad Mind couldn't make out. Celestia and Luna both got up. "Twilight," Celestia began, capturing the attention of the lavender alicorn. "Can you keep an eye on Mad Mind? My sister and I need to speak in privacy."
Twilight nodded in understanding and the two royal sisters left the dining hall. Instead of eight stares, six stares were pointed to Mad Mind, who was beginning to feel a little bit uncomfortable about the whole situation; like a kid who knew he was about to get punished and was ready for the worst of it.
Rainbow spoke up first. "So… You know that Celestia might lock you in the dungeon for this one, right?" She asked.
Mad Mind turned his head to her. "I know that. But I'm-" he was cut off by Dementia's arguing.
'Oh jeez… Celestia's gonna send us to an asylum.'
'Celestia would never do that!'
'How would you know!? Maybe she planned this entire thing! She planned you would kill the doctor! Luna's in on the conspiracy too…'
'…Do you know how farfetched that sounds? Luna and Celestia would never plot against me!'
'Why wouldn't they? You're the first male alicorn in, practically, existence, you-'
'What would me being a male alicorn have to do with this?'
'Conspiracy. Maybe ponies are jealous of how many ponies achieved royal status and need to teach you a lesson-'
'Alright, Dementia, that's enough.'
'Mania, stay out of this.'
'He's feeding you bullshit Mad Mind! Why would Celestia plot against you!?'
'Maybe, it's the punishment for killing that doctor.'
'She wouldn't go that far.'
'Oh, but maybe she will! She warned you that the consequences would be severe if you did kill another pony, and now look where we are!'
'Dementia-'
'Shut up, Mania. You know I'm right.'
'No, I know that's bullshit! We're not going to an asylum!'
'Maybe I should drill the facts straight into your skull! That'd get you to listen to me!'
'Guy's, no fighting…'
'I'll see you burn first!'
Mad Mind's eyes shrank to pin-pricks as he felt intense flames roaring in his brain. He clenched his teeth and held his head in pain, making the girls give him a concerned look.
Twilight moved to Mad Mind and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Mad Mind, are you okay…?"
Mad Mind groaned as the flames intensified. "No. Not okay. Pain. Like fire. Help." Was all he was able to stutter out of his lips.
Twilight nodded and raced for the door, leaving the girls and Mad Mind alone, with Mad Mind holding his head and clenching his teeth so hard, he was surprised that they didn't crack.
Fluttershy was the first by his side, rubbing his back and trying to comfort him, but to no avail.
'Hah! Well, while fire is used often, it still get's the job done!'
'Look behind you, shit head.'
'Hmm…?'
VRRRRRRRRRR!
Mad Mind let out a yelp as Dementia pulled out a chainsaw and leapt, but missed Mania entirely and hit his brain rather hard. The girls were now beginning to panic as Dementia missed swing after swing with his chainsaw, dealing more damage to Mad Mind as opposed to Mania.
Mad Mind's vision was going fuzzy as Twilight reentered with Princess Celestia and Luna both present with looks of urgency and fear mixed upon their faces.
Celestia turned her gaze to Mad Mind, who was holding his head in agonizing pain. She quickly rushed up to his side. "Mad Mind, are you alright-"
"UrrraaAAAAHHH! SHUT THE BUCK UP!" Mad Mind exclaimed, frightening the ponies in the room.
Celestia looked kind of offended, but held her ground. "Excuse me?"
Mad Mind's… Front knees? Elbows? He didn't have time to think about what the hell those were… But, they hit the table and he clenched his head. "They fight. They don't stop. They hurt. For no reason. Hurt me, more," Mad Mind turned his head to Celestia. "Torture. Pain. Hurts. Help. Stop. Please." Mad Mind gasped out.
Celestia looked rather surprised. She closed her eyes, and readied a spell, and did something she'd never thought she'd get the chance to do; check Mad Mind's brain.
What Celestia saw was almost incomprehensible; burning ash and blood strewn in a never-ending wasteland of destruction. The sky was pitch black with rolling clouds constantly flowing overhead and blocking out any source of natural light. And in the centre of it all, were two bipedal beings who were waging one of the most intense battles in almost her entire life. One of shot, missed, and hit Mad Min instead of the intended target.
Celestia called off the spell and was brought back to reality, where Mad Mind was still slouched in the same position. Luna looked at her sister in fright. "Dear sister, whatever shall we do?"
Celestia began thinking of options. Maybe there was a way to stop the fighting between the two inside his brain? Or maybe-
CRANG!
THUMP!
The entire room stopped as Rainbow Dash stood on the table with a steel platter in her teeth, a huge dent mark present after hitting Mad Mind in the head.
Mad Mind was out cold after that, and the room stared at Rainbow in shock.
"RAINBOW!" Twilight bellowed, "YOU COULD'VE HURT HIM!"
Rainbow Dash looked up to Twilight. "Well, did you have a better idea? If he's knocked out, than he won't feel anything, let alone whatever was happening to his brain!" She explained.
Celestia nodded. "While not the best method, it will have to do for now. Thank you, Rainbow Dash. We will take it from here."
Luna ushered the girls out of the room and returned to Celestia's side as they stood over Mad Mind's body. "What now sister?" She asked.
Celestia sighed. "We have some work to do Luna. And, when Mad Mind awakes, I know he won't be particularly fond of these decisions…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mad Mind's eyes slowly opened, revealing a hazy picture of a white roof. He sat up in his bed… Wait. He checked again. White roof? And why was the bed so much smaller? He stretched out and-
…Why can't he move his fore-hooves?
Mad Mind checked himself over and gasped. A tight, white piece of clothing was strapped around him, locking his fore-hooves behind him.
He looked around the room he was in. Soft, white padding covered the walls. A steel toilet and sink were present.
Mad Mind's fuzzy brain soon pieced it all together.
This wasn't any piece of clothing; it was a strait jacket.
He was in an asylum.