The bell at Carousel Boutique rang out as Applejack, panting, trotted in. She looked up at the others, all gathered around a circular table.
“Mah apologies gals.” She panted. “Got caught up on tha farm. Got ‘ere as fast as ah could.” Rarity nodded in acceptance and motioned with her hoof for Applejack to take the empty seat at the table. All looked solemn, and fearful. Rainbow stayed put in her seat, not even hovering in the air. Fluttershy’s eyes were glassy, as though she had been crying for a while. Even Pinkie was sitting still at her place, her mane looking a little more deflated than usual.
“Well then...Now that we are all here. I assume you all know why I have called this meeting?” Rarity asked, breaking the silence. The others all nodded, sadness in their grim looks. Fluttershy’s lip trembled as though she were about to cry some more. Rarity cleared her throat, and began to speak again.
“I think I speak for all of us when I say that Twilight...Is not doing well…” She managed to make out, taking a pause to deeply breathe, her own tears coming to her eyes. “She claims she’s fine, but I think it is a lot worse than she is making it out to be….Ever since Spikey-Wikey….” Her voice cracked, and her tears flowed once more, her sobs overcoming her as she crossed her hooves on the table and cried into them. Rainbow put her hoof around her friend, rubbing her back with a solemn expression.
Three weeks before, Spike had left Ponyville for a vacation of his own, without Twilight at his side. She was nervous, but knew he’d be okay. He had boarded the train to Manehatten, eager for a week of vacation. But the tragic news reached the young Alicorn Princess just two hours later. On their way through Appleloosa, bandits ransacked the train. The conductor lost control of the train, and the bandits crashed it into a nearby mountain, forcing it off of its tracks. As it crashed, the train exploded. There were no survivors.
Twilight was a wreck when she received the news. Spike had been her companion for years! There was no way he was...gone...right? The young princess went hysterical, throwing her books all over her library. Her neat, tidy, organized space becoming evermore messy and disastrous. She would scream out “SPIKE! NO! SPIKE!!” as she cried. It was the first time any of the others had ever seen her grieve so greatly for someone, and it hurt them to watch her spiral down with her emotions.
“Twilight has been acting very odd lately. We can all see that.” Rainbow broke the silence in the room as Rarity calmed down. “She’ll talk to herself a lot more, sometimes she’ll ask Spike something, and then laugh hysterically when she remembers, he’s gone…”
“I brought her cupcakes the other day, but she didn’t even answer the door! I had to walk in on my own to give them too her, and she didn’t even notice me!” Pinkie squealed sadly, her ears drooping. “She was busy working on some...project...mumbling to herself, and laughing about something...She would talk...to Spike...and laugh as though he had said something funny…”
“What are we gonna do y’all?” Applejack asked, sadness in her eyes. “Its obvious Twi needs our help. Should we contact tha princesses? Maybe Cadance an’ Shining Armor?” She suggested.
“I went to the Crystal Empire with Rainbow Dash a few days ago to tell them, but they are too busy preparing for the Equestria Games to be able to take a break. Shining Armor felt awful that he couldn’t come to help his sister..” Fluttershy trembled and spoke in her quiet voice.
“And I tried to write to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They said they would come as soon as they could, similar to Cadance and Shining Armor, but its already been a week!” Rarity explained, exhasperated, her makeup running down her cheeks from her tears.
“Then maybe the five of us should go over and help her...together?” Pinkie suggested. “We have to do something, and if this is that something, then it what we have to do!” The others nodded.
“Well then. Ah say we go see her now. Better sooner than later.” Applejack said, standing up. The others nodded in agreement and slowly followed her lead as they trotted out of the door, and made their way slowly to the library.
Twilight flew around her library, taking notes like mad, and mumbling to herself. She had charts scattered everywhere, and books strewn all over the place. Her eyes were bloodshot, bags heavy under them, as though she hadn’t slept in days.
“Twilight, you really should get some sleep…” She whipped her head around, seeing Spike standing hear the bookshelf. She laughed.
“Oh Spike, I don’t need to sleep! I’m fine, honestly!” She smiled, going back to her work.
“No...you aren’t. You know that. Your friends know that. I know that.” He continued, crossing his arms with a pointed look. Twilight rolled her eyes and landed on the ground, trotted to the bookshelf.
“Spike, obviously I am fine! No pony is concerned about me! They have NOTHING to be worried about! I. Am. Fine!” She said, staring at the little dragon. She hadn’t heard the door open behind her.
“Uh..Twi? Who ya talkin’ to?” Applejack spoke. Twilight glanced up, watching her friends trot into her library. She laughed.
“Well Spike obviously! He’s right here!” She said, pointing to where she saw the dragon by the bookshelf. When the others looked, all they saw was the bookshelf. They exchanged glances of worry. It was Fluttershy who spoke next.
“Oh Twilight...Spike isn’t here anymore….remember?” She whispered calmly and quietly. Twilight narrowed her eyes.
“Of course he’s here! You all told me he was gone forever but he’s come back! He’s right here! Talking to me!” She said, her eye twitching slightly. She then shook herself. “Well if you won’t believe me then fine. But I’m glad you guys are here! I’ve got so many experimental ideas and I want to share with you my newest one that I’m in the process of trying!” She squealed, lifting off with her wings once more, flying to the numerous charts she had strewn across the room. The others stared at each other with concern, but followed the young Princess, listening to what she had to say.
“So as you know Equestria needs better security forces than just the royal guards in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. Too many raids, robberies, and crimes going on all over the country! So...I have decided to try breeding my own super strong, mutated security task force!” She laughed hysterically. The others glanced at each other with wide eyes and skeptical looks.
“And uh...how...exactly are ya plannin’ on doing this?” Applejack asked nervously. Twilight laughed.
“Oh Applejack! I’m SO GLAD you asked!” She zipped over to her chalkboard, lifting the chalk with her magic, and drawing on the board. “I plan on using the DNA of a Cockatrice, a Bear, and myself, to create a creature with the strength of a bear, the ability to stop ponies in their tracks of a Cockatrice, and the magic of an Alicorn! It will be unstoppable! It will be perfect! It will be--!”
“UNETHICAL!” Fluttershy screamed out, flying into the air. Her eyes were wide with fear, horror, and pain. “Twilight, no! This is insanity! You can NOT do this experiment! Do you even know what the consequences of crossbreeding three VERY Different creatures could be!?” She cried out, tears streaming down her face. “It could be dangerous! And experimenting on yourself! AH! Its crazy Twilight, CRAZY!” Twilight pursed her lips, staring at her friend.
“I figured you would react that way, Fluttershy. But honestly, I’ve done my research! I know exactly what I’m getting myself into, and I know it is 100% safe to do!” She concluded. “Now if you wont mind I’ll need you to bring me a Cockatrice, and a Bear so I can do my experiments.” Fluttershy gasped.
“No! I won’t let you Twilight, I won’t let you!” She sobbed. Rainbow flew up, grabbing Fluttershy to support her. Twilight let out what sounded like a growl.
“I should have expected you to act like that. You’re too soft Fluttershy. You can’t even help your GOOD FRIEND out by bringing her the things she needs to complete her experiment?” She sighed, shaking her head. “Even as a PRINCESS, you would disobey my orders? Tsk tsk tsk, not very KIND of you now is it?” Fluttershy sobbed harder, lowering herself to the ground. Rainbow gritted her teeth and zipped up to Twilight.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE YOU LISTEN AND YOU LISTEN GOOD!” She screamed. “YOU ARE LOSING YOUR MIND. YOU ARE GOING INSANE. THIS EXPERIMENT IS THE EPITOME OF INSANITY! YOU HAVEN’T SLEPT IN DAYS, YOU’RE TALKING TO THINGS THAT AREN’T EVEN HERE ANYMORE, AND YOU ARE TREATING THE PONIES WHO WANT TO HELP YOU, LIKE THEY ARE WORTHLESS PEASANTS. NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE GETS AWAY WITH MAKING FLUTTERSHY CRY.” She was screaming so loud she has tears streaming down her face. Twilight pursed her lips once more.
“Anything else you want to say to me, Rainbow Dash.” She sneered. Rainbow panted, her eyes flaring with anger.
“Yeah, Your HIGHNESS. I do.” She spat. “SPIKE. IS. DEAD. YOUR GRIEF HAS DRIVEN YOU INSANE. JUST GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD TWILIGHT! YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO MOVE ON FROM THIS AND STOP ACTING SO CRUEL TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING YOURSELF! SPIKE IS DEAD, AND HE’S NEVER COMING BACK!” She finished, grabbing Fluttershy, and flying out of the library with her as fast as she possibly could. The others watched the Pegasi fly off, and glanced up at Twilight.
“You need help Twilight. There isn’t anymore we can say. We want to help you.” Pinkie said quietly.
“When you are ready for us to assist you with your healing, Darling, you come call on us whenever…” Rarity said, turning away towards the door.
“Sugarcube...ah know you are goin’ through a lot right now, but ya gotta learn to cope with your grief, and move on…” Applejack finished, following Pinkie and Rarity out of the library after Rainbow and Fluttershy.
As the door closed behind them, Twilight stared on. She lighted down onto the ground, her head drooping as uncontrollable sobs overcame her.
“Maybe they’re right….maybe i am losing my mind…” She whispered through her sobs.
“Or maybe they just don’t understand your motives for creating these creatures..” Twilight looked up, seeing herself, but with darker colourings than she had. Beside her double, Spike stood, staring at her.
“Yeah Twilight. If they really did care about you maybe they’d be more understanding for your motives..” He said, narrowing his eyes. Twilight stopped her sobbing.
“You’re right...They don’t get it….They don’t get it at all!” She cried out, laughing hysterically, tears still falling from her eyes. “If they really cared about how I was reacting to Spike’s death, they’d understand that by creating these creatures, I will be able to get my revenge for losing Spike!” She cackled. “No crimes like this will ever happen again! EVER!”
With that, Twilight took off out of her library, heading straight for the Everfree forest. Nothing was going to stop her or get in her way. She was determined.
There was a loud, frantic rapping on the doors to the Crystal Palace as midnight struck. Cadance and Shining Armor awoke, sleep still in their eyes.
“Come in…” He called groggily. Without a second to waste, the grand doors opened, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flying in, panic in their eyes. Cadance got up.
“Fluttershy? Rainbow? What in Equestria are you two doing here at this hour?” She asked with concern, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes.
“I know we were here before, and you two said you were too busy, but this is important.” Rainbow began in a hurry.
“We’re very sorry for disturbing you at this hour...but its an emergency!” She squeaked. Shining Armor leaped down from the bed, padding over.
“Well what is it?” He asked, a hint of impatience in his tone. Rainbow began to explain everything.
“Twi’s going nuts! She claims she’s talking to Spike and will have full on conversations with a bookshelf! She’s coming up with all of these experiments that are very obscure and strange...but this one….this one she’s working on now…” She shuddered.
“She plans on mixing the DNA of a bear, a cockatrice, and HERSELF to form a group of super strong, immortal beasts that will stop the crimes going on in Equestria!” Fluttershy squealed. Shining Armor and Cadance let their eyes go wide with horror.
“She wants to do WHAT!” Cadance screeched. “Alicorn DNA is NOTHING to be playing with!” Fluttershy and Rainbow nodded.
“We tried to tell her that, but she snapped at us, screamed at us, told us we were wrong for not trying to help her complete this experiment. We all left in a hurry but, Fluttershy says she watched Twilight fly into the Everfree forest earlier on!” Rainbow cried out.
“I think she went on her own to get the Bear and Cockatrice regardless of what we all told her!” Fluttershy explained. “Who knows what she’s going to do now!!” Shining Armor stared at the wall.
“Cadance, we have to go to Ponyville. Twily needs us.” He said, pain, and fear in his eyes. Cadance immediately nodded in agreement. She grabbed their travelling cloaks.
“Let’s hope that we get there in time before anything disasterly happens…” She said, before racing out of the castle, Shining Armor, Fluttershy, and Rainbow hard on her hooves.
Twilight paced her library, carefully and deeply in thought. The cockatrice and the bear cried out and roared from the cages she had them in. She had blindfolded the cockatrice so that it wouldn’t turn her or the bear into stone.
She had taken blood samples from each of them, followed by one from herself. Using her magic, she analyzed the DNA’s from each sample, carefully recording the results. She was intent on everything being perfect.
“Your death will not be in vain Spike.” She said, glancing at the Dragon she saw near her bookshelf. He smiled.
“You’re doing the right thing Twilight. Thank you.” He said. Twilight smiled back. She took a deep breath, analyzing her charts once more.
“If my calculations are correct….then by mixing these blood samples with the incarnation spell I created….My creatures will be perfect!” She beamed, laughing. “Lets start with one...make sure nothing goes wrong.”
Slowly she began mixing a drop of each blood sample into a vial with a little bit of potion. Once the liquid had turned a dark purple colour, she aimed her horn at it. Concentrating, she muttered the words of her spell.
“Through the Darkness rise above, create this creature from thy love. Protect and defend from treason true, Obey thy princess, and rise as YOU!” Her horn exploded with magic as it fired at the vial. Without warning, the vial exploded, sending Twilight flying across the room. When the smoke had cleared she glanced up, a huge smile lifting onto her face.
Before her stood a huge beast. It had the body of a bear, the tail and three heads of a cockatrice, and the horn and wings of an alicorn. The creature was black in colour, with blood red eyes. It let out a piercing screech as it roared. Twilight cackled.
“I’VE DONE IT!” She cheered. “They said it would never work, but I did it!” She laughed, flying towards her creature. “You will do just perfectly! Now, Obey me, and protect the world from treason!”
Without warning, the beast lifted up its huge paw, and slammed her down to the ground. She lay, dazed, but shook her head.
“What are you doing!? I said protect the world from TREASON!” She cried out. “OBEY ME!” WIth another cry, the beats shot a beam of magic towards her from its three horns, sending her flying back into the wall. She shook her head, confusion filling her eyes. “WHY AREN’T YOU OBEYING!?”
“He is obeying you Twilight…” Spike spoke again. Fear was in his eyes. “You told it to protect the world from Treason, remember? By even thinking about creating it, and going through with making it, that can be considered Treason to nature….” Twilight stared at her hooves in horror. Suddenly, everything was making sense.
“What have I done….” She whispered. “WHAT HAVE I DONE!?” She began sobbing, fear filling her eyes. She looked at the creature. “Do it.. Protect the world from treason. Rid this land of its newest Princess….I have no right to stand with Celestia, Luna or Cadance….I have no right to live…” She hung her head, ready for the beast to finish her off.
Suddenly, the door slammed open. Shining Armor leaped into the library, crying out for the other three to stay outside as the beasts horns lit up brighter and more powerfully than before. Twilight looked up, seeing her BBBFF. He knocked her back and charged up his horn, ready to fight off the beast.
The last thing she remembered was the bright explosion of light as the beast fired from its horn.
Twilight slowly opened her eyes, hearing the steady beeping of a heart monitor beside her. She went to touch her head with her hoof, but panicked when she felt them bound. She gazed up, seeing she was lying in a hospital bed, a straightjacket around her to keep her bound to the bed. She struggled frantically to get free.
“So I see you’re finally awake..Princess.” A deep voice spoke. Twilight looked up, seeing the Doctor walk in.
“Wh...Where am I...What happened!?” She asked. “Why am I all bound up!?” The doctor looked at her, concern in his eyes.
“You’re at Ponyville General Hospital. You are bound so that we can keep you, and everyone else safe…” He spoke in a flat voice. He looked to have very little sympathy for her. Twilight remembered the events that led up to her being here, and suddenly, she struggled again.
“Shining Armor! My big brother best friend forever! Where is he!? Is he here!? Is he safe!” She asked, spewing the questions out. Before the doctor could answer, Twilight heard uncontrollable sobbing coming from outside her room. She managed to look up, and see her friends, surrounding, and comforting the weeping Princess Cadance. However, there was no Shining Armor to be found. Twilights eyes went wide with fear.
“Prince Shining Armor was killed on the scene of the explosion from the creature you created. That creature was destroyed as well...You got away with numerous injuries, but will live.” The doctor said. “Princess Cadance has been sobbing for the last three days since we brought you here. The poor thing. Rumour has it she is expecting his foal in a few months time.” Twilight felt her heart shatter. Her grief over losing Spike had forced her into insanity. She had made that horrid creature to try and protect ponies from suffering a fate like Spike had, but instead, she had killed her brother. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Also, we have diagnosed you with Schizophrenia, and Depression. We will be keeping you here until you fully recover and we deem you safe to be in public once more.” The doctor told her before exiting the room.
Twilight stared at the ceiling. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and thought to herself.
“Then i’ll never leave this hospital until the day I die…”
The End.