Asylum
Chapter 19
The chess table groaned as Pinkie Pie leaned in closer to Twilight, her eyes shifting from side to side to make sure none of the other patients were within earshot. “Are you sure you’re not moving too quickly?”
Twilight gave Pinkie her most confident smile. “I’m positive. I’ve learned a few things recently, things which make it imperative that I keep pushing forward. I can’t be too cautious – not when the ponies I care about are suffering. Fluttershy is one of the keys to victory.” She gestured at the pegasus on the other side of the room. “I’ve made lots of progress with her. All the drawings she’s given me have turned my room into a monochrome aviary, so she’s certainly enjoying our exchanges. I just need to continue pushing.”
Pinkie glanced down at the table as she brushed back her mane. “I know you need to get your friends to help you beat that shadow monster. I just… have a weird feeling about this. I don’t think she’s eager to talk to you today.”
“What? She’s been looking over at us all afternoon,” Twilight said. “I think she’s looking forward to this more than you think. From her point of view, I’m the first pony to really try to reach out to her in a way that she was comfortable with.”
“What about all the doctors and nurses and therapists and stuff?” asked Pinkie.
Twilight waved a dismissive hoof. “They didn’t know Fluttershy like I do. We’re best friends! Once you get past her nervous shell, she opens right up.” Twilight slid the painting into her pocket. “Well, within reason. She’s never gonna be a gregarious raconteur, but she’s certainly not supposed to be too afraid to even say hello.”
There was a glint of optimism in Pinkie’s eye. “And you’re sure this will make Fluttershy happy, being our friend and all?”
“I can guarantee it! Fluttershy was nervous and anxious back when we first met, and certainly didn’t look like she wanted to make any friends. But that was just because she didn’t know what she was missing. Once she got to know us, once she found out what friendship could be, she was a much happier pony with a much richer life.” Twilight paused. “Actually, she’s not the only one.”
Pinkie cocked her head to the side as she looked over at Twilight.
“Um… You see, it took someone I trust and care about pushing me before I realized just what I was missing too,” Twilight said, a sheepish grin on her face. “Until then, I was happy with my books and my studies. Sometimes, the ponies we love have to place us in an uncomfortable situation before we can grow.”
“Wow! I’m really glad they did it, then. Can you imagine what things would be like if we didn’t ever become bestest best friends?” Pinkie said with a visible shiver before she glanced over at Fluttershy again. “Still, I don’t know if Fluttershy is ready for that much of a push.”
“Don’t worry,” Twilight said, slapping Pinkie Pie on the shoulder. “I’ve already taken into account the different variables when planning out today’s course of action. I even double checked it – twice. Worst case scenario? She clams up and moves away, and I just have to try again the next time.”
“Just be super careful,” warned Pinkie Pie, meeting Twilight’s gaze. “I have a twitchy tail and an itchy scalp right now. I don’t know what it means absototally, but I don’t like it.”
“I said don’t worry,” Twilight repeated as she set off towards her target, smiling back at Pinkie over her shoulder. “I’m sure that if I push a little bit now, it won’t be long before Fluttershy is thanking me.”
Despite the confidence she wrapped around herself, Pinkie Pie’s warning echoed in Twilight’s mind. Does Pinkie Sense work here as well? Twilight chuckled nervously when she caught herself checking the air above her for any unbalanced flower pots or implausible rain clouds. There was a nervous edge to the laugh. Okay, she could be right. I’ll sit down an extra yard away, just in case. If Fluttershy responds well to my presence, I can shorten the distance between us until I’ve reached the previously determined mark. It’s a minimal delay with obvious benefits.
Her decision felt justified when she caught Fluttershy stealing glances as Twilight drew nearer. Twilight frowned. Pinkie was right; Fluttershy wasn’t acting like she normally did. Instead of a skittish animal about to bolt at the drop of a hat, she looked like she were helpless in the face of an impending train wreck.
Twilight stiffened. I can’t stop now. To allow Sweetie Belle and all the other ponies here to suffer one more day than necessary is not an option. I have to trust and believe in our of friendship, that our bonds will overcome her anxiety. Like all my friends, she needs me to be strong.
Focusing on her body language and letting the rest of the background distractions fade away, Twilight closed the last of the distance between them, keeping her movements slow and unthreatening. She gently placed the painting on the floor, carefully arranging it so the crude sketch of a rabbit was properly aligned toward the cringing pegasus.
When Twilight lifted her head, she was greeted by the angry glare of a very different pegasus. Twilight jerked back from the scowling face. “Rainbow Dash?” she asked, her brain struggling to catch up with what her eyes were telling her. When it finally did, her face split into a broad grin. “Rainbow! I can’t believe–”
“Go away,” Rainbow Dash hissed, leaning forward so her muzzle was dangerously close to Twilight’s, “or else.”
Twilight’s smile cracked and fell away. “W-what?”
“Are you dnn… dnneaf?” Rainbow said, wincing as she forced out the last word. “I said go away, or else I’ll break your face. Understand?”
“I’m just giving Fluttershy a drawing, and… and are you stuttering?”
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “What about it?”
Twilight blanched. “Nothing!”
“So you like making fun of other ponies? Is that it?” spat Rainbow as she took a step closer. “Well, we don’t nnn… nnh… nnneed you being a bully. Get out of here! Or are you looking for a fight? Huh?”
Twilight turned to Fluttershy for support as Rainbow advanced on her, but Fluttershy kept her eyes locked firmly on the ground. “I’m not bothering her!” protested Twilight, gesturing to the other pegasus, but Rainbow Dash just snorted.
“I dnn… dnon’t believe you. I don’t like bullies that make fun of ponies just because they’re different. So get out of here!”
“Look, I’m just trying to give my friend a drawing I made,” Twilight said as she pointed to the scrap of paper on the floor, but Rainbow only growled louder.
"Oh, so you're friends with Fluttershy, huh? So why didn't she mention that to me? And how do I know you didn't make that drawing to mock her? You think I'm just gonna believe you when you say you're not here to mess with her? Let me tell you something, buster: I’m Rainnhnbow Dash, and everypony knows that if they mess with Fluttershy, they mess with me! I’m not gonna let some… some egghead like you make fun of her!”
“Egghead? What? Look Rainbow, I w-wasn’t making fun of anypony! We’re all friends here,” Twilight replied as she moved to step around Rainbow Dash. “If you just let me show you the painting I did–”
The rest of her words were stolen away when Rainbow Dash shoved Twilight hard enough to send her stumbling backwards, landing on her rump with a loud ‘oof’.
“What was that for?” said Twilight as she leapt to her hooves, glaring at Rainbow as she ground her teeth together. Her anger howled, eager to be loosed from its bindings even as her logical side struggled to retain control, shouting that she was only going to make things worse.
“I told you to back off!” Rainbow Dash hissed as she shuffled forward, her head lowered and her clipped wings flared wide. “We are not friends! You’re just another bully!"
You’re not going to convince anyone to help you if you end up fighting them, Twilight tried to remind herself as she squared off against Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy can make up her own mind about who her friends are!”
“Hey! No fighting!” the orderly by the radio barked as he jogged over to the two mares, the loud command cutting through the background noise and hushed conversation. Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight shuffled away uneasily, both watching the other from the corner of their eyes.
“We weren’t fighting, Mr. Pines,” Rainbow said as she adopted a pose of cool nonchalance. “We were just playing.”
“Yeah, right. Look Rainbow, if you act up again, you’re gonna lose your gymnasium privileges if you’re lucky. Ratchet isn’t gonna tolerate you picking any fights, not after the crap you pulled with Doctor Applejack. You should be counting your blessings that you’re even out of solitary to begin with.” He turned to Twilight. “That goes for you, too. If I catch either of you fighting, you’re not gonna like the consequences. Understand?”
“I understand,” Twilight and Rainbow said in unison, although Twilight’s honest regret stood in stark contrast to Rainbow’s indifferent sneer.
“I hope so, for your sake,” he said as he met both their gazes, making sure his words had sunk in. He glanced at the floor. “And pick up your trash,” he added, pointing to Twilight’s drawing from where it lay forgotten on the floor.
“That’s mine,” said Twilight as she scooped up the sheet of paper. “It was a gift for my friend, Fluttershy.” At the sound of her name, Fluttershy glanced up from beneath her mane just long enough to give Twilight a half-smile before turning her gaze back down to the bit of rug she was nervously prodding with her hoof.
Rainbow Dash harumphed, and Pines shot her a warning glare. “Is there a problem with that?” he asked, but Rainbow just shook her head.
“Since I don’t want to cause any more trouble,” Twilight began, putting as much repentant filly into her tone as she could, “so maybe you could give it to Fluttershy for me?” She held the paper out for him, forcing her hoof to shake slightly.
“Fine.” Plucking the painting from her hooves he slid it into one of the pockets of his uniform. “Now scram, both of you.”
Twilight thanked the orderly and politely excused herself, ignoring Rainbow's half muttered remark about being a suck up. It wasn’t until she had turned away from the both of them that she let her face sag. Her sense of frustration was matched only by the disappointment in her own reaction.
Well, Rainbow carries some of the blame for that, she thought with a bitter snort. Talk about a hypocrite, telling me off for bullying when she’s attacking her friends with hot soup. Is that what she is in this world, a violent psychopath?
Shaking off her anger, Twilight sat down next to a concerned looking Pinkie Pie, keeping her eyes forward. “I saw Rainbow shove you! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. She just caught me by surprise. Rainbow’s always been a bit impulsive, but I’ve never seen her act like that.”
“Yeah, Rainbow can be kinda mean sometimes,” Pinkie said, surreptitiously glancing over Twilight’s shoulder. “But she’s not a bad pony. I think she’s just sad because she’s stuck inside all the time. Fluttershy is, like, her only friend, and Rainbow’s been super protective of her after what happened.”
“You mean the, um, suicide attempt?” Twilight asked as evenly as possible. “Wait, how did you know about that?”
Pinkie smiled. “Making sad ponies happy is kinda my thing, so I like to keep track of which ponies need my help the most. I just wish I could help Fluttershy be happier. It’s so hard to make a pony happy when they don’t even like to be around other ponies. Worse when they have someone like Rainbow Dash protecting them.”
“Yeah… Rainbow Dash…” Twilight sighed. “I can’t believe Rainbow is so… angry. The Rainbow Dash I knew wouldn’t try to start a fight with another pony just for talking. Sure, she had her moments, but she was never like that.”
“Are you sure Fluttershy is one of the Elements?” Pinkie asked, dropping her voice to a bare whisper.
“I know they might not seem ideal in this world,” she said, “but in my world, they’re very different. Fluttershy is still, well, shy, but she’s also one of the kindest ponies you’d ever meet. And Rainbow Dash, well, she might be a brash show-off sometimes, but she’s more loyal than the entire Royal Guard put together.”
Twilight finally turned to look over her shoulder at the two pegasi by the window. “But here…”
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat near where they had been originally, both of them staring out the window at the yard and the distant trees. It was clear they were deep in conversation from the way Rainbow actively moved her hooves to gesture and emphasize her words, although Fluttershy’s statue-like stillness made it clear that it was probably a one-way street.
It was only when Fluttershy gave an almost imperceptible nod towards the chess table, that Twilight could see Fluttershy’s mouth was moving as well. Rainbow grimaced and glanced away – catching Twilight staring directly at them. Her grimace transformed into a bitter scowl as she rose up to place herself between Twilight and Fluttershy before pointedly turning her back on Twilight.
Twilight sighed, laying her head down on the chessboard. “It just seems like they’ve had parts of themselves scooped out. I’m trying to make friends with the same ponies all over again, but they’re just empty shells. Pale reflections of who they truly are.”
“You can’t let yourself get that upset,” Pinkie said, rubbing Twilight’s back. “Fluttershy obviously likes you. I mean, I’ve never seen her do drawings for anyone before. I’m sure that if you just stay positive and keep working at it, you’ll be able to make both of them into more best friends. And besides, if there were any ponies that needed more friends, it’s those two.”
Twilight shrugged off Pinkie’s hoof. “I don’t have the time to mess up and try again! All of Equestria is counting on me to save them from some horrific shadow thing, and I’m stuck playing board games and hoof painting! Gah!” With a sweep of her arm Twilight sent all the chess pieces crashing to the floor before she buried her head beneath her hooves.
A long stretch of quiet followed Twilight’s outburst, the two mares sitting together without speaking. Twilight remained where she sat, her face covered by her forelegs, her eyes clenched tight. Her heart felt heavy, dragged down by the mountainous task that stood before her. A week of work, and she was still stuck in the foothills, the summit lost in the dark clouds above.
Twilight exhaled as Pinkie Pie bent down to start picking up the knocked over pieces, sliding them into their bag. “I feel like for every step forward, I’m taking two back,” said Twilight, her voice muffled by her limbs.
“You can’t give up, Twilight,” Pinkie said from beneath the table, her tail bobbing from side to side as she picked up the discarded chess pieces. “If Rainbow Dash is one of the Elements too, then you can’t let her big-meany attitude get you down in the dumps.”
Twilight lifted her head. “What did you just say?”
“Huh?” Pinkie poked her head up over the edge of the table and blinked. “I said don’t give up.”
“No, after that. I never said that Rainbow was one of the Elements.”
Pinkie giggled. “You didn’t have to. It’s pretty obvious.”
“Obvious? Obvious?”
“I told you, I’m no dummy,” she replied with a wink. “If you want to keep the fact that Doctor AJ and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and Miss Rarity are the Elements of Harmony a secret from the spies, that’s fine. But I’m Pinkie Pie, your bestest buddy, and you can’t exactly keep that sorta thing from me.”
It took a few moments before Twilight could force her mouth to close again. “H-how?”
“Those four are the only ponies you talk about. You know, when you’re not talking about the evil shadow thing that you have to defeat. So it’s pretty obvious who it is when you mention there being other Elements.”
Twilight groaned. “Oh by the Princess…”
“Don’t worry,” Pinkie declared as she wrapped an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “I know how to keep a secret. After all, if I didn’t know how to keep a secret, then how could I throw such amazing surprise parties? Plus, I Pinkie Promised, remember?”
“Uh-huh,” Twilight said as the orderlies began to shout that free-time was ending. The command for the patients to put away their toys and begin cleaning up was met by a loud groan from the assembled fillies and colts. She glanced at Pinkie. “Wait, so you said you identified the other four Elements?”
“Yep! You, plus the four other ponies you keep talking about. Sure, you also talk a lot about Nurse Ratchet and Doctor Rose, but I never thought they were mythical hero material. Too mean. So, those are the five Elements.” Pinkie gave a knowing grin. “See, it’s not that hard to see, if you know where to look. But don’t worry, I’ll keep all of your secret identities a totally super-secret secret. I’m just happy to help!”
Giving Twilight another friendly hug, Pinkie pulled away and bounced to her hooves. “Now, you just need to keep focused on your mission for the princess and stay positive. No more of this moping around and being little Miss Sour Puss. You’re the big hero, and big heroes don’t mope. Plus, tomorrow’s Saturday!”
Twilight stood up as well and began helping Pinkie with the cleaning up, scooping what pieces hadn’t ended up on the floor into the small bag they came in. “And what’s so great about Saturday?”
“Duh! It’s the weekend, silly billy. And that means no school! Sure, I like Miss Trixie’s classes, but I love extra free-time even more. More importantly, though, I promised I’d come to visit you on Saturday. After all your hard work, you need a party!”
One of Twilight’s eyebrows arched upwards. “And how, exactly, are you going to get the staff to okay a party?”
“I have my ways,” Pinkie said as she turned away, her attempt to sound mysterious somewhat ruined by the way she bounced off towards the toy chest with the bag of chess pieces clutched in her teeth.
It felt good to laugh. Twilight grinned as she followed after Pinkie, letting her anxieties and fears get pushed aside for a few minutes. Pinkie dropped the bag in the chest and turned back to Twilight. “But, I’m only gonna throw you a party if you promise not to be a party pooper. You have to try and cheer up and stop being so hard on yourself all the time.”
“Pinkie, you know what’s at stake,” Twilight said as she hurried Pinkie away from the other patients. “I can’t just stop taking that seriously. Not for a minute!”
“I didn’t say you have to stop trying to save the world,” said Pinkie with a knowing grin. “We’re friends, and I want you to defeat that meany ghost thing, but you can’t beat yourself up every time things don’t go your way.”
“I don’t have to beat myself up. I have Rainbow Dash to do that for me,” Twilight snapped.
“Nobody likes a smart alec,” Pinkie retorted, sticking out her tongue.
Twilight giggled despite herself. “So, now I’m curious: just how are you gonna throw a party in a hospital without the doctors knowing?”
“That’s for me to worry about,” she said, again doing her best to sound mysterious. Then, with a cheerful giggle, Pinkie took off towards the exit, bouncing on her hoof tips the entire way.
Twilight’s smile slipped as she followed in her wake. “If only it were all that easy,” she muttered beneath her breath as Pinkie cavorted in front of her.
Straightening her back, Twilight hurried after her friend. Pinkie was right, she couldn’t let herself be crushed by every setback. Twilight was the most talented pony Equestria had ever seen, and she was going to win. Deep down, Rainbow Dash was still the Element of Loyalty and one of her best friends. All it would take is some forethought and careful planning to break her out of the spell the shadow had weaved around her mind.
Twilight smiled. And if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s planning.
With a confident smile and thoughts of imminent victory in her mind, Twilight almost missed the flash of pink and yellow at the corner of her eye. She paused before the door and turned to find Fluttershy standing a few yards away, half hidden behind one of the bookshelves for the worn toys and games.
Twilight stood like a heavy stone as the other patients streamed past her, ushered out the exit by orderlies focused on keeping the lines moving. The two mares looked at each other in silence, Twilight’s confusion met by Fluttershy’s anxious stare. Nibbling on her lower lip, Fluttershy checked behind her once before turning back to Twilight and flashing a quick smile. Then, she disappeared behind the bookshelf.
“Wait!” Twilight called out, struggling against the current. An orderly stepped into her field of view and, with a gentle push, urged her onwards. Twilight caught a fleeting glimpse of Fluttershy headed towards two nurses before the tidal forces carried Twilight out into the hallway.
“Twilight? Are you okay?” Pinkie asked. She bounded over to the unicorn as the crowd dispersed around them.
Twilight nodded as she collected herself. She turned to Pinkie and let a slow smile spread over her face. “Pinkie… she smiled at me.”
“What?”
“Fluttershy. Right before I left, I saw her, and she… she gave me a smile.”
Pinkie whooped victoriously and pulled Twilight into a firm hug, ignoring the warning stares of the nearest orderlies. “I told you! See, there’s no reason to be a dopey-mopey, not when you’ve got your friends around!”
“Didn’t you say earlier you didn’t think she wanted to talk to me in the first place?”
“Irrelevant!” Pinkie said, waving her hoof. “This calls for a party!”
“Aren’t we already having a party tomorrow?”
“Yes, but now we have a reason to make it twice the party it was going to be! I know some of the lunch-mares, so I bet I can get us twice the cupcakes, with twice the sprinkles, and twice the frosting! It’s going to be twice as amazing!”
Twilight winced when Pinkie squealed happily, although she couldn’t help but chuckle as well. “Yeah, well, if you can deliver on the party, I promise to have a good time,” she said as the pair of friends resumed their walk. Twilight felt as light as Pinkie looked bouncing up and down beside her. “You know… maybe today does deserve a party.”
“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie declared with a broad grin. “We can call it a ‘We Made Fluttershy Smile’ party!”
Twilight laughed. “That is a terrible, terrible name.”
“Yeah, but it made you laugh,” Pinkie pointed out with a wink. “You just leave the party planning up to me. All you need to do is think about how you’re gonna make Fluttershy your friend again, so you can defeat the…” she looked around herself at the patients surrounding them before she scooted in closer. “I mean, so you can vincere umbram.”
“Pinkie… are you using pig latin?”
“Sum.”
“Stop.”
“Tuo imperato oboedio.”
There was a moment’s pause before their shared laughter echoed down the hallways.