//------------------------------// // Haven't Screamed like That since Twilight // Story: Rainbow Dash: Re-Animator // by JawJoe //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash I remembered the confusion in Granny Smith's eyes. How her old bones creaked as she dragged herself away, terrified of her unexpected visitor. I remembered the hooves around my legs, the way they and threw me down, and the pain in my shoulder as I was slammed into the floor. Sweetie Belle curled up under the bed, staring at me, pulling farther away. They took me away, into a bright, blinding room. Echoes of laughter bounced between the walls, and they emanated from the halls. Was it mine? Was it in my head? I spat a thick rag out of my mouth. A burly stallion slammed a hoof into the pit of my stomach, knocking the air out of me. “Stay down.” My chest convulsed uncontrollably, and I struggled the breathe. They kicked out my hooves, tackling me down again. “Where's the straitjacket?” They overpowered me. They were big, and faceless, and scary, and they stank of sweat. Their hooves weighed on mine, pinning me down. One of them brought in a big, white blanket-thing with rattling belts and binds hanging from it. When I could finally breathe, I heard laughter again. “Don't you get it?” I asked. “I did it. I conquered death! Twilight is—” “Shut up,” a stallion said, stuffing the rag back into my mouth. It tasted of drool and dust. “Stop squirming.” They forced the jacket on me, twisting my legs into place, pulling binds and fastening latches. I snapped my teeth at the neck of a faceless pony, but I couldn't bite through the rag. “Calm down,” said a mare. “Don't make it harder than it needs to be.” I growled back in response. The idiot, moron, featherbrain! How dare she? I snarled and chomped on the rag, making saliva drip. My legs were tied. My wings couldn't move at all. I writhed like an earthworm cut in half, at the mercy of a playful little colt. “Onto the bed,” somepony instructed. They grabbed me, and the ground jumped away. The lights burned my eyes. From the underside of the bed, they pulled up more binds. They threw one over my chest. With another, they pinned my forehead. Two separate ones pulled down my hind legs. As the binds tightened, I felt them press the blood from under my skin. “What do we do?” a mare asked. “I've already sent Windy Wings to Canterlot,” a stallion replied. The lights went out. A door creaked. Hoofsteps made their way out, and the lock clacked. From the other side, muffled words seeped through. Words of Celestia, Royal Guards, Rainbow Dash, Princess Twilight... what were they talking about? My eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the darkness. A blanket of blackness engulfed me. Save for the quiet mumbling through the door, everything was silent. Yet my head pounded. Hammers drummed on my temples. I heard voices, voices inside, voices that wouldn't stop. They blamed me. They hounded me, they screamed at me, and I couldn't run away. My brain burned, and my heart battered my ribs. Beads of sweat rolled down my side, leaving chilling trails. A shadow in the corner turned into a pony, and the pony lunged at me. I tried to jump away, but the binds held firm. When she touched me, she dissolved into nothingness. My nose ran, spurting with every frantic breath. I coughed into the rag. Calm down, I had to calm down, but I couldn't calm down. I tried to turn, but I couldn't move an inch. Everything hurt. I saw ponies holding me down, hurting me, biting me. Twilight hugged me and died in my hooves. The lights came on and went out again. Sweetie Belle looked at me in fear. Twilight asked me to clear the Ponyville sky. A nurse asked how I was feeling. A doctor examined my sprained wings. I rearranged a bookshelf. I tore at the bindings, unable to scream through the rag in my mouth. I spent the night sobbing. The next thing I remember is early sunlight pouring through the window, and a pair of Royal Guards eyeballing me. Most of it is a blur. They dragged me out of bed and stood me up, only for me to collapse on the spot. They pulled me up again and walked me to the door. I don't remember making it out. My next shred of memory is of being thrown into a wagon, and the clack of a lock behind me. There was a tiny window on the side, barred. As I looked outside, the light hurt my eyes. The wagon screeched to a halt. The door opened, and Royal Guards picked me up. More dragging and pushing. My head pounded. Stone walls. Dank air. Dark corridors. Ponies looking at me, talking to me, touching me. Some in armour, some in white coats. A cell. Delirium. Acid filled my lungs. I coughed, gasping for air, but my breaths came empty. My legs burned. My eyes sizzled. My lips cracked. Twilight held me in her hooves. She assured me I'd pull through. I always did. But not this time. I was dead, I knew it. It was only a matter of time. Air. I needed air. My mouth and eyes snapped open, and I breathed in deep. The nightmare dissolved. I wheezed. I propped myself up with a hoof, wiping sweat from my face with the other. My eyes scanned my surroundings. A tiny cell, barely wide enough to turn around inside. A small, barred window let some light in, but it was too far up to peek through. A stiff, metallic corset clamped around my torso, holding my wings down, making it hard to breathe. Chains bound my legs together in pairs, front and hind. My bed, if you can call it that, was a wooden plank suspended from the wall by more chains. There was nothing else that passed for furniture within the musty walls. I licked my lips, feeling the cracks with my tongue. I'd never felt this thirsty. The way out was a sturdy door of wood and rusted iron. A small, barred hatch gaped on it at around eye-height. “Hello?” Armour rattled. A guard peeked through the hatch, then disappeared. “W-where am I?” My tongue tripped over my words. I rolled off the bed, clambering to my hooves. The chains were heavy, unwieldy, and my entire body felt sore. “Hey, hey, talk to me.” The only answer was my own echo. How did I get here? No, that was a stupid question; I knew exactly how I got there. But why? Sweetie, Opal... Bulk... what else was there? My mind raced, and memories slowly resurged. Granny Smith. I gulped. I arched my back, trying to stretch my wings to break off the binds, but all I managed to do was get a cramp. I conceded defeat with a pained whine, and sat down to wait out the pain. Looking up to the window, I tried to hop and reach for the sill. With the chains dragging me down, I could barely get off the ground. How long have I been here? One hour? Two? What do they know? “Stop wrigglin' about,” came a voice from outside. “You'll hurt y'self.” “Finally, some response,” I said with a sigh. “So what's the plan, big guy?” The trick, I found, was to act brave even when you were convinced your life was officially over. That tactic had gotten me through a few rough spots in my life. Drove me to kick a dragon in the face once. “I just sent for the Princess. She'll decide what happens to ya'.” “The Princess?” The words washed over me like a cold shower. “Celestia?” “Celestia a'ight.” I ran to the peephole on the door – well, it was more like an awkward skipping, what with the chains – and stuck out my muzzle between two bars. A pair of unamused eyes greeted me from the other side. “Come on,” I said. “It's me, Rainbow Dash, the one and only. No way calling Celestia is necessary. Hey, I don't know why I'm here, but let's just have a small chat, I'm sure we can clean everything up. It's a misunderstanding, see? It's gotta be. You listening?” The guard eyes me for a moment, then stared forward, face still as stone. “A nasty mix-up, I tell you. I can explain. I can, really, no need to bring Celestia into—” Without looking, he lifted a hoof to the hatch, and slid a metal pane over it. I barely had time to pull in. Nearly capped my chin. “Innocent until proven guilty!” I yelled at the door. The echoes agreed. I trudged back to the plank-bed and threw myself down. My matted mane fell over my eyes in thick rainbow tufts. I let out a frustrated sigh, blowing them away. Had to stay calm. They know nothing, I reassured myself. Nothing. I dangled my legs off the plank, playing with the chains. The rattling took my mind off the silence. The first time I heard hoofsteps pass by, I jumped right up. The second time, too. After the third, I stopped counting. Guards escorted ponies this way and that, and the hallway outside resounded with their steps. Celestia sure took her sweet time. Steps again. I pulled my legs onto the plank and I closed my eyes. The more I tried to sleep, the less I could relax. The steps stopped, and the cell's lock clacked. I raised my head, ears perking. As the door swung open, I hastily hopped from the plank, dusting myself quickly to look proper for my esteemed guest. The Princess' guards waited at the door; Celestia stepped inside, standing high, chin held high, wearing an unreadable expression. Her gaze wandered around the cell before setting on me. “I apologise. I understand that the Royal Guard were less than courteous in restraining you.” I skipped forward, getting on my front legs and bumping my chest into hers. “But you're taking these off, right?” I put on a smile and stuck it right in her face. “Soon enough.” She walked outside, flicking the tip of a wing towards me. “Walk with me, Rainbow Dash.” The guards made way. Her tone was soft as ever, yet it sounded to me more like a command than a request. I took a deep breath – or would have, if the wingbinds had let me – and stepped forward. Out of the tight cell, the chains on my legs were long enough to allow a casual – if a bit wobbly – stroll. If not for their weight, I might have made an escape work. Maybe. A dark corridor stretched outside, connecting many more cells. Like the one in my cell, the same kind of tiny, barred windows dotted the opposite wall along its length. Celestia nodded her head, beckoning me to follow. She trusted me enough to walk beside her. She didn't trust me enough to tell the pair of guards behind us to get lost. “How have you been?” asked Celestia, leading me to a spiral staircase. The steps were cold stone, and the parapet ornamented by engravings of ponies of all kinds. “I have been told they found you a little over a day ago in a rather unenviable condition.” “Wait, did you say a day?” Celestia raised a brow at me, making me cast my gaze down. I pretended I had to watch my step. The chains justified that, anyway. Truth is, Celestia scared me. Couldn't put a hoof on it. If I'd been out a whole day, there was no telling what they knew. “Feels like somepony pickled my brain and shook the jar.” I looked up the stairwell, paying attention to avoid Celestia's eyes. It was a long way up. “I trust you will recover.” As we passed by a window, I took a peek. I froze. Pristine white spires towered along a rocky mountainside. We were in Canterlot. Of course we are, I thought. No jail in Ponyville, is there? “Do you need rest?” Celestia asked. She got a few steps higher before noticing I lagged behind. It was her unusually formal tone, I think, that was creeping me out. Looking down at my hooves again, I continued walking. “No. I'm fine.” That was a lie. The more I moved, the more every muscle in my body hurt. I bet the SSS could've made the pain go away. But the SSS was why I let myself get captured. Stupid. Much to my relief, we took an early turn out of the stairwell. As we emerged from the basement, the sights became much less dour. Proud, pompous halls replaced the walls of blackened earth and stone. Statues, busts, and colourful stained glass led our way to wherever we were going. I didn't bother to ask. Maybe Celestia had run out of nice things to say. Maybe she was waiting for me to talk. Whatever the case, we spent the rest of the way in silence. After many turns, we came to a set of shimmery doors ornamented by gems and precious metals. Two guards stepped forward, horns lighting up in unison as the doors opened before us. My eyes were treated to an enormous, beautiful room, with a long table running its length at the centre. I recognised this place as the ballroom where the Grand Galloping Gala was held each year. Celestia stepped inside. “On most days, this is where I hold court for the royals of Canterlot. Today, I have a more special guest.” The doors shut behind us, and the guards took their posts, one at each side. At the far end of the long table was a chair that more resembled a throne. Celestia's, I guessed. That one was empty. At its right, though, three chairs held three ponies. The two mares I didn't recognise. Between them sat somepony I knew very well. Somepony huge, white, and teary-eyed. Celestia's horn flashed, and the chair directly opposite to Bulk Biceps pulled out. “Please,” Celestia said, “have a seat.” So I did. I didn't think Bulk noticed me; he was looking down at the empty table before him, sniffling quietly. The stumps of his front legs were mostly bare, with only a few white hairs covering them. The mares helped him stay upright in his seat. His right shoulder was patched up and covered with bandages. Managing to take my eyes off Bulk, I noticed a pitcher of water on the table, with several upside-down glasses surrounding it. I practically pounced at them. Would have been easier without the chains, but I didn't let them stop me. Pouring, I splashed about as much on the table as I got in the glass. I chugged quickly, loudly – I had to finish two more glasses before I felt satisfied. Slamming the glass down, I noticed Bulk looking at me. As our eyes met, his face screwed up with what I guessed to be fear, and he gave a surprised moan. One of the mares put a hoof on his chest and patted, hushing him. Bulk seemed to calm down, but he wouldn't take his bloodshot eyes off me. Celestia took her seat. As she did, I heard movement from the back. A number of servants emerged from a small door, rolling a trolley packed with food. They placed down plates that were bigger than my head, and showed us a variety of dishes. I saw pastries I didn't know the name of, confections covering the entire spectrum of colours, and more kinds of fruit than I cared to count. Some crispy-looking rolled bun-thing floated over to Celestia's plate. “Please,” she began, “take anything that catches your eye.” “Uh, that one.” I poked my hoof towards a cupcake type of thing. A servant floated it over before rolling the trolley to Bulk and the two mares. “As you have no doubt noticed,” Celestia continued, “Bulk Biceps is in a most disconcerting disposition.” “Yeah.” I gave a nervous giggle. “Most disconcerting indeed.” Bulk blinked, croaking, “Dash?” His helpers picked food for him. “It is my understanding that you were found at the Ponyville Hospital morgue,” Celestia said. “I have also been told that Bulk was registered dead earlier the same afternoon. Multiple professionals have confirmed that diagnosis. I should not think it was mass malpractice.” Listening to Celestia, I watched Bulk fumble about trying to get a grape into his mouth. His nose kept bumping it out of the way, and his flailing tongue didn't seem to be fully in control. The tip of it seemed to sag, too. Any attempts by the two mares to help him out were met by stubborn pushes from his shoulders. “I don't see why I need to be here,” I said. “I am giving you a chance to explain yourself,” Celestia responded. I rubbed my head. “Was I really found in the morgue? I can't seem to remember anything. I think I was pretty out of it.” “Found in the morgue,” Celestia replied, “but captured only after barricading yourself in the room of Granny Smith. Interesting thing about that: the machinery revealed that Granny Smith suffered fatal cardiac arrest. Twice. Yet she left the room on her own hooves.” “Huh.” I took a bite out of the cupcake. “Weird.” “All in the same period that you were reportedly with her,” Celestia added. “So?” I asked, spreading half-chewed crumbs over my side of the table. “You think I can bring back the dead? All due respect, that's a bit crazy, don't you think?” I took another bite. “So how's Granny Smith, by the way?” “She is very much alive,” Celestia answered. “In much better condition than Bulk Biceps here, despite her age. Quite the miracle, considering.” I felt a grin creep up my cheeks. “Really? Nice. Way to go, Granny.” Celestia remained silent. Swallowing, I noticed she hadn't taken a single bite. “What?” “I know about your laboratory,” Celestia said. “We found Twilight.” That was a kick in the chest. My grin dissolved. “Now, if you would, Rainbow Dash.” I lifted the cupcake to my mouth, but I didn't bite. “Laboratory? Twilight? I don't know what you're talking about.” Celestia leaned closer, giving a stern look I hadn't seen on her since Discord first broke free. “Listen carefully, Rainbow Dash. I want you to consider where you are. There are two ways out of this room: you can either talk, or go back to the cell. If you choose the latter, I will come back tomorrow.” I gritted my teeth. I felt a cream filling run down my hooves; I'd apparently squashed the cupcake. “I have all the time in the world,” Celestia said, leaning back. I threw the squashed cupcake at her. She flinched; I missed by an inch. “It's your fault!” I snapped. “If you'd answered Twilight's questions. If you hadn't made her into a freak like you, she would still be alive.” From the corner of my eye, I saw the guards at the door start moving towards us. A hint of a frown appeared on Celestia's face, for just a moment. By the time she breathed out once, it was gone. She waved a hoof towards the mares with Bulk. “Take him back.” As the mares escorted Bulk outside, Celestia turned back to me. “How did Twilight die?” “Because of you,” I said. “She experimented with life, with living, and lifespans, and health, and...” I breathed through my teeth. “You killed her. You did.” It was easier to think that way. “I've taught Twilight to respect death,” Celestia replied. “Bulk Biceps, Granny Smith, this is your doing.” “All based on Twilight's research. I couldn't have done it without her.” The guards were standing right behind me, but did not touch me. “How do you do it?” I rolled my eyes. She was still playing around. “It's all in the...” I paused. Celestia raised her brows. Didn't she know? Had she played all her cards? She knew about Twilight. No doubt she had the body and the Preservation Fluid analysed. I didn't know how Bulk ended up here, but surely she'd examined him. Probably Granny Smith, too. She had to know about the potion. The formula was right there in the tome. She hadn't mentioned the tome. Had the guards missed the tome? “It's all in my head,” I said. “Well, it used to be. After what happened at the hospital, I think my brain's fried. I can't really remember it.” I leaned in. “That means I'm free to go, right? Can do no more harm, can I?” Celestia straightened up. For the first time, she looked away. “Perhaps it is for the better,” she mumbled. She turned to me again. Her voice wavered more with each word. “I don't know what you think about me. I loved Twilight, Rainbow. She was my most faithful student. At times, I'd felt as if I had been her mother. When she disappeared, my heart was broken, but I had hope. This morning, I had to look at her dead body.” She had dropped her emotionless façade, it seemed. Maybe this was my chance. Reaching my legs out, dragging the chains over the table, I took one of Celestia's hooves into mine. “We can bring her back to life.” Celestia pulled her hoof away. “No.” “Don't you love her?” “She will forever be in my heart. I will not play with death. I will not let it happen.” I bit my lip. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “Don't you want her to live?” “I do,” she said. “There are many, many ponies I wish were alive. In a life such as mine, one must learn to grieve – as one must learn to move on. If I brought Twilight back, what's to stop me from bringing them all back? Am I supposed to pick and choose? Why should only I be spared the pain of losing those I love? If I could bring ponies back, I might do away with death altogether.” She put a hoof on her chest, closing her eyes for a sigh. “No. Ponies are born, and ponies die. It is the rhythm of nature, and I will not tamper with it.” I sat back, crossing my hooves. “Look who's talking.” Celestia opened her eyes, shooting me a piercing stare. “I am truly sorry, but I cannot allow you to continue your research.” The guards took a step closer. “Hey, I told you, I can't remember a thing. You can let me go. No way I'll start from scratch.” “I am not a fool.” She nodded, and the guards seized me. “Do not worry. You will not have to return to that cell. I have arranged a comfortable life for you, right here in Canterlot, under my watchful eye.” The guards stood me up. “Until we meet again, Rainbow.” Celestia stayed true to her word: rather than throw me in some underground cell, she gave me a luxurious mansion in the best district of Canterlot. They even removed my binds. It was nice, breathing properly again. The mansion itself was a big enough place, as pretty on the inside as out. It was only the barred windows that ruined the picture. I could've sworn some of the welds were still warm when we arrived. The army of guards that oversaw my 'relocation' also felt a tiny bit like overkill. When Celestia said I'd always be under her watchful eye, she really meant the eyes of the guards. At any given time, I'd have at least two with me inside, and through any window I spied at least one sentinel perched on a rooftop nearby. The doors were locked every minute of every hour. The windows weren't, but then again, bars. Of the two guards currently inside, one was a pegasus, and the other a unicorn. As I dragged a hoof across the bars on a bottom floor window, the pegasus whistled. “Nice place,” he said. I didn't turn. “Maybe I should kill a princess too.” The unicorn cleared his throat. “What?” the pegasus asked. “You were thinking it too.” I turned to the pair. “You don't really believe that, do you? That I killed Twilight?” “Oh, not for a second,” the pegasus said. “I was just kidding. Rainbow Dash would never hurt her friends.” I raised a brow. “You heard of me?” “Of course.” The pegasus hopped over like an excited kid. “Been a fan ever since the Best Young Fliers. Anyway, I don't think even Celestia believes it. Why'd she let you stay at such a nice place otherwise? The real question is how you never noticed her body all this time. Something's fishy, all's I'm saying.” I nodded towards the unicorn. “What about him? He isn't as thrilled to see me.” “He's just being professional.” The pegasus shrugged. “Loves doing that. But he's a real sweetheart off work.” He shot his companion a glance. “Three of us are going to get along great, I can already tell.” The unicorn rolled his eyes. “Look pal,” I said, turning to him as well, “if you're gonna watch me ten hours a day, you might as well lighten up a bit.” “No, thank you,” the unicorn replied. “I should mention that we've been instructed to leave the upper two floors all for you, in case you need privacy.” Disregarding his none too subtle way of trying to get rid of me, two whole floors all for myself did sound nice. I put a hoof to my chin. “Don't get smart,” the unicorn added. “Unless you can vibrate through the wall, you're not getting out. We'll be conducting routine checks on all the locks and bars.” “Oh,” I sighed. “Good. Wouldn't want those bars to accidentally fall of, would we?” I turned to the window, murmuring under my breath, “Choke on an apple.” “What was that?” “Nothing.” I turned to the pegasus. “Say, what do we know about Twilight? I haven't exactly been in the loop.” He looked aside for a moment, rubbing the back of his head. “She was found in the Ponyville library, so I've heard. They brought her to Canterlot right away. They say she's been dead a while, but her body is showing no sign of decay. Amazing things, alicorns.” That was no magical alicorn gene – but the Preservation Fluid. He didn't need to know that, of course. With Twilight's prolonged bath, I imagined her body would stay perfectly intact for at least a few more days. “So where is she?” “Somewhere down that way.” He pointed through one of the walls. “On display at Star Swirl Square. A ceremonial funeral is scheduled for next week. I expect a lot of ponies to come up these next days to pay their respects.” Putting a hoof on his heart, he stared out the window at the sky. “Rest in peace, good princess. Too young.” By the looks of it, Twilight might have been older than this guy. Mentally, if nothing else. “Thanks. I think I'll go explore my, er, temporary home a bit.” “Neat,” the pegasus said, trotting towards the stairs. I put a hoof in front of him. “Alone.” “Oh.” His ears drooped, and he shambled back to his post at the door. As I walked for the stairs, I saw the unicorn roll his eyes again. I counted three bedrooms across the upper two floors. Two living rooms. More bathrooms than I'd ever need. Several rooms completely empty. The walls weren't even covered in one of them. A sizeable gym-type room was on the uppermost level, filled with weights of many sizes and several kinds of equipment. How generous of Celestia. And, naturally, bars on every window. Less generous of Celestia. I spent half an hour on the treadmill to calm my nerves. Big as the gym was, it was scarcely enough to fly. My wings may have been unbound, but they itched for a long flight. Perhaps another hour on the treadmill... The running occupied my legs, but not my mind. All throughout I pondered the ways I could escape. The front door would be locked, not to mention the guards. It would make sense to do something up here, where at least I could be alone. Celestia was too soft for her own good. The windows? The bars wouldn't budge. But what else was there? I couldn't very well punch through the wall. Even if I got out, there had to be squadrons of guards outside. On a better day I could easily outfly them, but then, I hadn't been keeping in practice. Shutting off the machine, I leaned against the wall, sweaty and wheezing. My tendons were on fire. Rainbow Dash never gives up. There had to be a way out. After Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, and Sombra, a locked door wasn't going to get the better of me. As I wiped my forehead, I noticed my hooves were all banged up. I'd never been one to pretty myself up, save for a few special occasions, but this time they looked particularly bad. They needed a generous rasping, but the thought of metal scraping against my hooves made my skin crawl. I'd dive hooves-first into the swollen guts of a week-old corpse, but touch me with a rasp and I'd go flying for the hills. Seriously, rasps. About the only thing I hated more at that moment were the bars on the doors. Then I got an idea. If the rasp was plan A, then I quickly had to move on to plan A-point-two. Turns out, there wasn't a rasp in the whole building. That shouldn't have come as big of a surprise as it did. Why would Celestia provide tools for an escape? What she didn't foresee was my number one fan – the pegasus guard downstairs. It took a few hours, and I really had to lean on him, but I managed to convince him to get me a rasp. Although he couldn't leave his post until nightfall, he promised he'd get it after his shift. A few hours into the evening he and his unicorn companion were replaced by another unicorn-pegasus pair. These seemed a lot less chatty. If I had to guess, they didn't know each other at all, and didn't give a flying feather about me. If anything, they seemed frustrated for having to work the night shift. Dinner was delivered by a royal courier. None of that fast food garbage; this was the real, Canterlot-class deal, coming straight to my plate without me having to lift a hoof. Something I could've got used to, although I didn't plan to. My fan knocked on the door as I was finishing my meal. As I got up, the current unicorn guard pushed me back into my seat. The other pegasus got the door for me. How nice. The pegasus stood on the porch with a rasp between his teeth and a grin on his face. When the on-duty guard questioned him, he explained he brought the rasp at my request. From the look on the guard's face, he was this close to shoving the thing right up his rump. He did take the rasp, in the end, and slammed the door in the other pegasus' face. After dinner, I asked for the rasp. I made sure to emphasise just how terribly beaten up and positively pruney my hooves were, and all those phrases I'd heard Rarity say sometimes before going to the spa. I didn't have a clue what they meant, but then, neither did the guard. So that worked out; reluctantly, he gave up the rasp, but insisted he'd watch me while I used it. I kindly reminded him that no guard was supposed to come upstairs, as per Celestia's orders. In the end, the only way he let me up was on condition I returned the thing in half an hour. How was I supposed to cut through I don't know how many bars of solid metal in half an hour? Still, I had no choice. At least the rasp was now inside the mansion. And that half an hour was plenty enough to fix up my hooves. They did need it. Day two. Early morning; Celestia wouldn't raise the Sun for another few hours. I'd shut myself in a first-floor bedroom. Not that I slept at all. I spent most of the night with an ear stuck to the floor, listening to the guards downstairs. There was some meaningless banter about weather and mares, most of it too muffled to make out. They didn't talk much. The laminated floor creaked under them as they paced back and forth. Some hours past midnight, even that died down. Plan A-point-three was a stretch, but it was now or never. As quietly as I could, I opened my bedroom door and tip-hoofed down the stairs. I saw the unicorn guard first. He was sprawled out on a couch, spear thrown under it. Had to be the other guy's turn on keeping vigil. And there he was, the pegasus, by the door. He leaned on his spear, the handle bending graciously under his weight. His jaw slopped open, and he let out a loud snore. He really must have hated the night shift. The rasp was on a smoking table by the couch. I picked it up and turned for the stairs. Hold on, I thought. Scratch that. Plan A-point-three could wait; it was time for plan B. These featherbrains were asleep on the job, and the door was right there. It was big, sturdy, made of heavy wood and reinforced by different metals in several places. There were at least half a dozen latches on it, and I spied a combination lock, too. Talk about overkill. The pegasus shifted his weight. He didn't open his eyes, but I figured best not to take chances. So yeah, plan B was bust. Back to plan A. I sneaked back up the stairs, rasp in mouth. Routine checks on the bars, they said. They'll watch me day and night, they said. Well, check this routinely. With hours to go before dawn, I could surely weaken the bars on at least one window enough to kick the things out. My bedroom window, first floor, was in the shadow of a large terrace on the second floor. I wasn't allowed to go out to that terrace, but it still had its uses. This was about the safest place to start rasping away at the bars. I used my mouth. I used my hooves. I even tried with my tail, like I'd seen AJ hold things. Two hours down the line, the Sun was coming up and most every cartilage in my body ached. But it was worth it: I'd weakened the middle two bars, at their top and bottom. They only needed a little more persuasion, and then they'd fall out. Grabbing onto the bars, I pulled and pushed. They fidgeted and bent, but stayed in place. One good kick, and they'd have had to come loose. Either that, or I'll just make one hell of a racket, and then the guards would rush up and pin me down. I turned around and stretched my hind hooves, preparing the strongest buck this world had ever seen. Setting my front hooves well, I raised my hind legs. Then somepony coughed. I let my hooves drop and listened. Silence. I raised my hind hooves again. “I would not do that,” came a stallion's voice from outside the window. I peeked out, but saw nothing. “Up here.” I rubbed my eyes. In the first rays of sunlight, a dark set of armour shimmered. A pony sat on the underside of the terrace above, upside down, refusing to fall. His pupils were slit, his wings were leathery, and his wirehaired tail coiled around the terrace rails. “Who in Equestria are you?”. “A member of the Night Guard order,” the bat-stallion replied. “Ordinarily, a humble servant of Princess Luna. For the time being, I've been borrowed by Princess Celestia. I keep an eye on you when the rest of the Royal Guard can't.” “How long have you been there?” “All night, Ma'am,” he said. “You didn't stop me.” “It was worth the look on your face.” His tail unwrapped itself from the railing, and the stallion fell. In a second, he came up to the window, wings flapping and hoof held out. “The rasp, please.” Such it was that bats broke to the top of my 'things I hate the most' list, beating rasps and bars. The bars I'd gruellingly weakened were replaced within the hour. And that's how the Royal Guard took my rasp from me. Day two, early afternoon. Plan C. It took me far too long to notice that pretty fireplace in a second floor living room. It was big and engraved with all kinds of pretty pictures. Some noble must have paid pretty penny for the thing once upon a time. Note that by now I was getting rather desperate. I didn't think twice about trying to climb out the chimney. Yes, it was narrow. It was worse than the wingbinds, leaving little room for my chest to expand. Whenever it did, I inhaled more soot and ash than air. The light at the top of the tunnel beckoned me, though. Finally, my head emerged. Oh, fresh air and the sweet blue sky! A shame that the rest of me got stuck. I spent about a minute dangling there before an overhead pegasus guard spotted me. They had to saw the chimney off at the base take me to the hospital still stuck in the thing. Breaking the thing apart without injuring my delicate wings proved difficult for the doctors. That was a fun way to spend the day. As for the chimney, they didn't bother to repair it. They just covered the hole with more bars. They told me not to use the fireplace. Thanks. Day three. Plan H. I think it was H. Yesterday's trip to the hospital gave me an idea. Why bother trying to get out of the building when the guards will eagerly escort me out in case of emergency? The first idea was to set the place on fire, but I found no matches. The kitchen was on the ground floor, so when I left the stove on accidentally on purpose, my biggest fan thoughtfully turned it off for me. Plan H-point-two also involved the kitchen, but in a different way. I drank half a bottle of dish soap. The pros: projectile vomiting and foaming at the mouth turned out to be an excellent way to hitch a ride to the hospital. The cons: the stabbing pain in your stomach makes it impossible to walk, much less fly and escape. So that day was a riot, too. I recognised one of the nurses. She was nice, very understanding. Every chemical in the mansion got locked up in some cupboard somewhere, and I wasn't allowed near them anymore. But that meant the guards had to do the dishes, so ha! Day four, mid-afternoon. The grumpy unicorn was really, really tired of me. His pegasus buddy was more impressed by my determination. It probably helped his mood that the unicorn was on turn to do the dishes that day. I made sure to have the biggest lunch I could. It's the little things in life. As the pegasus guarded the door, I sat in the kitchen with the unicorn. His attention was focused on scrubbing a particularly stubborn spot from a wide plate. Time for plan... plan whatever it was. I walked up to the unicorn, and bumped my flank to his. “What?” I snapped. Had to make sure the pegasus hears. The unicorn put the plate down, turning to me. He raised a brow but said nothing. “You touched my rump!” I shrieked. The unicorn blinked. “Excuse me?” The pegasus bolted into the kitchen, skidding to a halt. “What's going on?” I mustered the most furious expression I could. If I did it right, my face got all red. Not sure. “This pervert touched me.” The unicorn sighed, returning to the dishes. “H-he's acting like I made it up.” I pointed an accusing hoof at him. “Look at him. He's making it like he doesn't care.” I stamped up to the pegasus. “You know what? I want to see your captain.” “Captain Shining Armor?” he asked back. “Yes, Captain Shining Armor,” I replied. “I know he's in Canterlot, I saw him when you brought me here. Bring him here. Or let me go to him, whatever you prefer.” It was perfect. I'd complain about one of the guards and demand to see Shining. Then I'd have a little private chat with him. Tell him everything. That I could bring Twilight back to life. See, I knew Shining Armor to be two things: incredibly dutiful, and stupidly loving. Sure, it would take a while to crack him. He wouldn't go against Celestia's orders easily. But if he was the stallion I knew, the one whose love saved Canterlot from the changelings, then he would surely help me. I couldn't imagine what the news of Twilight's departure had done to him. He travelled all the way down here from the Crystal Empire just to see her one last time. Today, I'd give him a chance to get her back. He could never turn me down. I just needed to talk to him. The unicorn mumbled as he worked away at the dishes, “You won't see Shining Armor.” The pegasus grimaced. His lips contorted, and he put a hoof before his mouth. He started giggling, quietly at first, then burst out laughing. “That's a good one,” he chortled. “You know, you could've got me. You could have. If only you'd picked somepony who wasn't...” He pointed at the unicorn, closing his eyes, laughing even harder. “He couldn't be any less straight if he were, I dunno', a spring or something. Isn't that right, honey?” The glow of the unicorn's horn subsided, and a plate fell into the basin. He spoke without turning, staring stiff at the wall. “D-don't call me that. Not in front of other ponies.” “Quit acting like you don't like it,” the pegasus said. “It's not about me liking it, okay?” He turned around, cheeks flushing red. “I keep saying, it's—” I raised a hoof like a filly at school. “Can I just see Shining Armor, please?” “Can't,” the pegasus said. “Celestia's orders. Don't ask me why, but she made it abundantly clear that the captain can never come near this place.” “Oh, okay,” I said. “Makes sense. Wouldn't want him to be emotionally bullied into doing something she wouldn't like. Yeah. Logical. Excuse me.” I walked out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and threw myself onto the first bed I found. Celestia herself dropped by later that day. She talked a lot but said precious little. She reminded me she'd already gone far beyond favouritism by accommodating me like this. The message was clear: if I don't calm down, I might find myself in a cell for the rest of my life. Wasn't I already in a cell? Late at night, the mansion resonated with the treadmill's whirr. My hooves banged against the machine. On and on, step by step, second by second, bang, bang, bang. I'd be damned to let those slackers at the bottom sleep on the job. For the haughty nobles of Canterlot, their backroom politickings were wars written in ink. The spoils of their petty squabbles were places like this very mansion: more room to pile their excess wealth, more opportunities to vulgarly display their fortunes. I'd met ponies in my life who would have killed to live in a mansion like mine. I pressed a button to increase the pace. I spread my wings, flapping to keep up. Another button slanted the running pad upwards at a steep angle. My breathing drowned out the machine's roar. What was even the greatest, most beautiful mansion to the open blue sky? I couldn't stay tied down on the ground, locked between walls. Twilight and I were meant to soar together. A hoof slipped. My jaw hit the controls before the treadmill flung me at the wall. I lay down, crumpled, too tired to get up. The vibrations of the machine filled my ears and pulsed through my body. I looked to the nearest window, but I couldn't see outside. I'd closed the curtains to keep out the peering gaze of the Night Guard. I wanted to see the stars, but now I couldn't. I pulled my hooves in. Curling up, I bit onto the tip of my tail. The walls of the dark room closed in on me. I laughed through my teeth. I screamed through the rainbow hairs in my mouth. I'm going to die here. Sweetie Belle The morning after the hospital, I told Rarity how I killed Opal. Or how I 'thought' I killed her. I told her how confused and scared I was, and how I hid the body. When she asked where I'd been all this time, I told her I ran into the Everfree and got lost. As for how Opal was alive again, or alive 'still,' I had no answer to give. I knew it wouldn't be easy, putting all of this behind me. For the time being, Rarity seemed happy with my lies. Or content, at least. That was a good start. My conscience told me it wasn't. But with the news of Twilight's discovery, and Rainbow getting taken away, Rarity had too much on her mind to keep on interrogating me. All that mattered, Rarity said, was that Opal and I were okay. Best not question good fortune, she said, just accept it gracefully. For me, though, it wasn't over yet. It was an off-chance. I tried hard to convince myself to not do it. But I had to go back to the hospital. The tome had my writing in it. If it was still there, I'd have to get it back. Rarity insisted I'd come with her to the market this time. She simply couldn't let me out of her sight. I pleaded to stay at the Carousel Boutique. Finally, I convinced her that I'd be a good girl and stay put until she comes back. Another lie. It scared me, how easily it came. Once Rarity was off, so was I. I remembered the room well. Up the stairs here, a turn there, and there I stood. The door seemed new. Inside, a plump mare in an ill-fitting apron was making the bed. Leaning in, I scanned the room. That humongous chest of drawers was still there. On it, the tome. Undisturbed, unopened. Smoothing the fresh covers on the bed, the mare looked up and noticed me. “Hello, dear. Are you lost?” “N-no,” I stammered. “I'm actually here for... for my book.” I pointed to the tome. “Oh, is this yours?” The mare picked up the tome, scrutinising the cover. “I know they keep books for the patients, but this ain't nothing like I've ever seen. I knew it didn't belong here. I was going to throw it out.” “I brought it for... for my grandmother.” I forced the most adorable, innocent smile. “They let her out this morning, but she didn't bring it home. I figured she'd forgotten.” “They told me her broken leg healed overnight.” The mare chuckled. “Silly doctors, I've been telling them there was nothing wrong with her to begin with. But do they believe me? No, they never do. She's a strong one, Granny Smith.” The mare paused. “Wait, you're her granddaughter?” Smiling, she patted my head. “Yes, I see now. So much like her. Apple Bloom, was it?” “Yeah, Apple Bloom.” I reached for the tome, but she pulled it up. “The book, please?” “What's this about, then? I don't see no title.” She opened the first page, squinting. As she read, her brows furrowed deeper and her head slanted more and more to the side. “Research into the... the effects of various sub... substances on equ-equine phy-physio—” “Please, it's my diary.” She looked up from the tome, and stared at me for a moment before closing it. “Oh, I'm sorry, dear. Rather a heavy one, isn't it?” “Well, Granny needed something to read, and...” Oh, for the love of! “I'm actually in a hurry, would you please give it back?” “Of course, dear,” she said, giving the tome over with a smile. I snatched it before she could change her mind. “Say hi to Applejack for me, would you, dear?” “Sure,” I said, already on my way out.