//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 - Not Quite Getting Along (Potential Trigger Warning) // Story: Dissociative // by Strawberry Jelly //------------------------------// Dissociative By Strawberry Jelly Chapter 8 - Not Quite Getting Along “So, how does Pinkie feel about this?” Twilight finally ended the awkward silence between the two mares after an hour, her hooves having not once left her face. Although her scientific mind only had more questions, her thoughts of friendship had only gotten in the way. Whether or not Twilight could reciprocate feelings was immaterial when compared to what her best friend felt on the subject. “She seems okay with it, but...” Inkie paused and took an uneasy breath, “Look, we don't date for quite a few reasons, Twilight. It's hard when you have four other mares that have to approve of the others' choice. In fact, it's borderline impossible.” Twilight bit her lip, lowering her hooves from her face and looking over at the injured mare that offered only a kind smile, “I really do want to say yes because I'm curious, but I also know that I shouldn't. It's not that I'm not interested, but it just seems... like a bad time.” Inkie sat up slowly and groaned at the stinging that jolted out from her stitches, “You're right; I do assume my sisters are being less than... cooperative, right?” “You have no idea,” Twilight sighed and rested her forelegs over the hocks of her hindlegs. “I'm guessing that they blame Octavia?” She grumbled and rolled over uneasily to rest on her stomach, “Maybe I should come up with a game plan. Twilight, how fast can you cast levitation magic?” “Uhm... I guess it depends on the size of the object,” Twilight blinked confusedly. “How about a full grown mare?” Inkie leaned forward a little with a sly grin appearing on her lips. “Maybe after three or four seconds if I focus, why?” Twilight found herself leaning in a little from curiosity. “Because I think I have a plan to fix this. Remember what I did a while back to get you all to befriend Maud?” “Ye- Wait, that was YOU?!” Twilight glared a little, “You planned that?!” “Well, I was a rock farmer; I could easily escape that rock that caught my hoof,” Inkie shrugged, “Nevermind that though; I was thinking about something along those lines again. Maud won't fall for it if it's exactly the same, but maybe an identical premise.” Twilight nervously fidgeted and shook her head, “... Only if you promise it won't be something that dangerous.” “Why? If it's only a false danger, then what's the problem?” “There's too much room for error! Think about it; what if you couldn't escape that rock? What if Maud couldn't reach you in time? Your action wasn't just responsible for yourself, but you have more ponies up there to watch out for!” Twilight scolded and hopped to her feet from the chair. “Look, I'm not planning on being crushed by a boulder. No, I want to do something that only Octavia can help with, showing just how much she cares for Pinkie,” Inkie corrected herself, crossing her two forelegs over one another. “What about-” Twilight paused as her eyes went wide, “You're bleeding!” “What?” Inkie followed Twilight's gaze down to her leg, seeing the stitching on her gash being torn open, “Whoops?” “Whoops is right; stay here, I'll get you a doctor!” Twilight squealed and rushed out into the hallway. “... Or we could press the emergency call button?” Inkie murmured with a wry frown forming on her lips as she pressed the red button on her bedside remote. ~~~ Octavia slowly opened her eyes to her to the three other mares that sat at the table with her. Although her heart pounded like a drum, she felt a certain calmness in the silence. It was as if what had happened to Pinkie had knocked her sisters' anger to the wayside. The only one that still stared at her with borderline hatred was Limestone, who sat with her hooves crossed over her chest and her mane hiding her eyes. “So...” Applejack finally broke the silence after a good thirty minutes. She and Rainbow Dash stood on either end of the table, ready to intervene if anything had gotten out of hand. All four mares at the table turned to face the apple farmer with an uneasy gaze before turning back to each other. “You hurt Pinkie,” Limestone stated flatly. “You pushed her, sis,” Marble shook her head. “We need to talk,” Maud interjected before that argument could even take root. “I don't want Pinkie coming back to us fighting.” “Well, that'll be pretty hard! After all, it's her fault we're even like this to begin with!” Limestone hissed at Octavia, who simply lowered her head and folded her ears back. “She didn't mean to.” Maud shook her head, “She had no way of knowing what would happen.” “Oh, she still invited him inside. She knew how her boyfriend was and she still invited him to stay the week!” Limestone growled, “What he did to Pinkie was fucking unacceptable!” “Watch your language!” Octavia spat out, feeling her instinct as an older sister take over for a moment before she bit her lip uneasily, “I didn't... I didn't know he'd...” “He'd what?” Limestone slammed her hooves against the table and leaned forward towards Octavia. “He'd beat the shit out of her?! He'd-” “Lime!” Marble shouted with her eyes watering, “It wasn't just Pinkie... He did something to all of us and you know it.” “Not me.” Maud said flatly, not meaning to brag about it, but said so matter-of-factly. “Well, lucky you,” Limestone rolled her eyes, “I wish you didn't have that delivery... Y-You could've protected us from HER.” “Me? I didn't hit you, I didn't do anything except...” Octavia's shoulders started to shake a little as she lowered her face, letting her mane fall and cover her watering eyes. “I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry...” “Sorry doesn't fix anything this time, Tavi. You screwed us up and it's your fault that Pinkie was put in the hospital. It's your fault that Marble can't even look at a stallion without freaking out. It's-” “Hold on, you think I'm with Coco because of that?” Marble cut her sister off with that stern voice that she rarely ever mustered, “I'm with her because I happen to love her!” “I didn't mean-” “That's not right, Limestone,” Maud scolded her sister with that same mono-toned voice. “Octavia isn't that way. You aren't that way; Even after what happened.” “But I do see her not even being able to be touched without losing it,” Limestone said and poked her hoof against the eldest sister that visibly jerked away and let out a squeal. “I-I...” Octavia felt her heart jump from her chest from something so simple. A single unexpected touch almost sent her over the edge. Her eyes closed while she took a ragged breath, “My therapist said it would pass...” “Your therapist? Do you think Pinkie had one? Do you think dad could afford something like that?!” Limestone hissed, “We had to help her get better while we dealt with our own problems! I'm sure that we'd all be worse off if it wasn't for Maud.” “Or maybe because Pinkie's parties,” Maud added. 'Or Surprise's jokes.' Maud almost felt a smirk come at that thought. Almost. “Yeah...” Limestone smiled a little at her memories of what Pinkie did. She really always knew how to cheer her sisters' up, no matter what happened. “I hope she's okay...” Marble added, feeling a strange aching through her body at remembering the bloodied sight of her sister. “I wish that I could just take it back...” Octavia sighed and looked up at her family with watering eyes, “I didn't want any of this to happen. When I looked at my future back then, I didn't imagine it being like this...” “I don't think any of us did...” Marble sighed and pressed her hooves against her face, running them down to the tip of her muzzle slowly. “I-I still... I still dream about it... How it was dark and he thought I was Pinkie and... and...” Maud quickly found herself by her sister's side, pulling Marble's face into her chest. The table only grew quiet for a good few minutes while the quiet mare broke into tears, letting out years worth of pent up sorrow and aggression. Maud knew just how hard it was on the twins especially; both of them had gotten the brunt of the abuse. “I-I'm sorry,” Limestone mumbled after a moment, feeling a brick form in her gut at the sight of her older sister in tears. “I-It's just been hard, on all of us... I still hate you, Octavia. If I could, I would beat you like he did to...” She trailed off and frowned at the crying Marble that had effectively soaked Maud's chest like a pillow. Octavia nodded understandingly but reached an uneasy hoof towards Marble, uneasily rubbing her back with a pained look to Maud. No matter what had happened, she really did care for her family even after they rejected her. “Marble...” Maud closed her eyes and offered an uneasy kiss to her sister's forehead. “It's alright...” “I can't...” She shook her head, “I'm so pathetic... I just... Why can't I be like Pinkie? Why can't I be strong...” Maud let out a soft sigh as she pulled her sister closer and looking at her two sisters that sat at the table, “I know you're both upset. Pretend for Pinkie though... and... for her...” Marble pulled away and shook her head, “No, please... I don't want you to be fake for me...” “I'm sorry but I just... I can't forgive her.” Limestone said bluntly and stood up, shaking her head, “I'll just ignore her while we're together here. I hate her...” She turned her head to Octavia, “You ruined two mares' lives! Pinkie left the rock farm because of what you did and Marble... You... You turned her into... this...” Marble looked up at Limestone with her eyes watering even more. Those words hit her harder than that stallion ever had, almost shattering her like a glass window. She just shook her head and stood up, “I... I need to go... I need to go... I need to go...” She mumbled and sprinted out of the library, being followed by Maud in an instant. The gray mare turned to face her youngest sister with a slight frown, “Too much.” ~~~ Pinkie quietly crept through the hallway from her bedroom through the darkness, feeling the cold hardwood against her hooves. It was strange having guests on the farm, but if Octavia was willing to trust him, then how could she disagree? After all, she was best friends with her oldest sister and she never lead her wrong in the past. The pink filly licked her lips uneasily and swallowed. She woke up thirsty and was on the hunt for the kitchen through her cloudy thoughts and sluggish movements. Although you wouldn't think it, she really wasn't what you'd call a morning mare. It took Marble a good hour to actually wake her up for morning chores. “Maybe I should throw a cotton candy party next time?” She mumbled sleepily as she stepped into the kitchen and dragged the stepping stool over to the sink. The tap water was about as good as she had expected, but it still did wonder to quench her thirst that had built up in her sleep. When she turned around though, she dropped the glass that sent water across the ground in all directions. “Oh hi there! You scared me, silly!” She knew that he was there, but he seemed to be kind of like a mannequin. His fur was a dull gray with his face and cutie mark being hazy; only his sly grin showed through before he started to yell about something that Pinkie couldn't make out. His words sounded more like white noise that complimented the sudden pain that jolted through her cheek as she hit the ground in the cold puddle. Struggling hadn't helped at all against the uncomfortable thrusting that hit against her flank; her hips burning in a strange pain that didn't stop. It just kept going and going until... until... She just wanted to forget it all... She wanted to escape from the world... She imagined she was happy... She imagined a party... She just... ~~~ Inkie opened her eyes to the bright morning light that shined through the cracks between the window blinds. Her heart was pounding and her body felt stiff and used; almost like she had just swam a marathon. Twilight laid peacefully on the reclining chair with her eyes closed and her breathing soft but steady, clearly unaware at the nightmare that the gray mare had just woken up from. Slowly she turned over onto her back and closed her eyes again, taking in an uneasy breath, “My greatest secret kept from Pinkie...”