Chapter Seventy Two
"I hate this..."
In the time it had taken Ulquiorra to bring Rainbow Dash back to her assigned quarters, she had calmed down considerably. What had started as unrestrained bawling, and wailing as she clung to him -knowingly or unknowingly, he wasn't certain- had died down to sniffling, and sobbing as he stepped through the doorway, and -unceremoniously- dropped her on the bed made of cloud matter, a muffled thud sounding from her landing.
"I want to be normal again..."
As far as the Espada was concerned, the matter had been adequately addressed. He had extended as much consideration to the cyan pegasi's condition as he'd deemed necessary, by bringing her back here, rather than leaving her to cry on the cold, and uncarpeted flooring of the palace. And now that the task had been tended to, there was nothing further to justify his presence here. With business concluded, he tucked his hands into his pockets, and turned to take his leave.
"Would you just fucking say something already?"
It was the hiss in her manner of address that caused him to finally stop walking, and turn back around to face her. She was currently glaring up at him, with as much anger as she could muster in her current state. And if he had to guess, she was expecting an answer from him in regard to her question.
"What would you have me say?" he asked her in turn, just to see where she might take this with her foolish notions. "I'm not here to offer you any words of comfort. My purpose here is simply to prevent another one of your escapes from successfully taking place. And the necessity of tending to such a task, is actively interfering with investigative efforts into what's currently targeting Ponyville, and perhaps other locations throughout Equestria. And it's for this reason, that we've been unable to locate and identify the threat currently attacking the others," he stated.
He understood that keeping Rainbow Dash safe from harm was, to some extent, keeping Equestria safe. In her current state, she was of no use to anyone, making her the weakest link in the equation. But that weakness was starting to spread to the others as well. And the longer he spent here, dealing with her, the more harm could be done in his absence. If only she could be made to understand such facts.
"The... the others?" Rainbow Dash asked, anger turning to surprise at his statement. "Who? What? What're the details?" she asked, her attention now firmly being held by the Espada, as she sat up on her bed.
"Why should I bother with telling you anything on the matter? You've already concluded the others are no friends of yours. Why do you care what they're going through?" Ulquiorra asked in response. As far as he was concerned, informing her of everything that had been happening up to this point was just a waste of both time, and breath. She could do nothing in her current condition, that would warrant her involvement from here on out. Those who couldn't even stand on their own two -or four in this case- feet served no beneficial purpose. And he seriously doubted that he could make her comprehend the gravity of just what was going on, simply because she'd managed to stop crying.
"Just tell me already. I wanna know. Please," Rainbow Dash stated, doing her best to make the matter as clear as possible.
Ulquiorra said nothing. And he considered continuing his silence on the matter indefinitely. He could simply turn around, and walk away, as he was under no obligation to keep her up to date on the daily happenings of the world around her. In her impaired state, she was absolutely useless to them right now, even if she had managed to calm down to some minute degree. But he didn't follow through with such an approach. And he had good reason for that decision.
Ever since the beginning of this entire debacle, Rainbow Dash's focus -that which hadn't been devoted to revenge- had been on three specific things; herself, her pet tortoise by the name of Tank -how this world had any concept of what tanks were, he didn't understand- and the pegasus filly named Scootaloo. These three things had been the entirety of what held her concern above all else.
But now it was a different matter of sorts. There was an anomaly that needed to be accounted for. For the very first time in twenty two consecutive days, she was actually asking about the well being of someone else, outside of her little self-absorbed world. But whether it was a matter of morbid curiosity on her part at hearing how others were suffering, or a genuine display of her individual aspect of harmony beginning to return to her, he couldn't say for certain; not yet anyway.
"The day before you escaped from the hospital, Applejack was exposed to an experience similar to yours. In the time since then, we've learned of numerous other ponies with similar experiences. Ditzy Doo, Pinkie Pie, Rain Drops, Flitter, Twist, Thunderlane, Sweetie Belle, Berry Punch, Bonbon, Noteworthy, Cheerilee, Diamond Tiara... the list goes on. Some report being awoken in the dead of night by horrible nightmares. Others detail terrifying hallucinations during their waking hours. Some are simple jump scares without substance, while others are moments that reek of utter sadism and malice, much like your own, and are custom tailored to match the personality. Whatever has happened to you, is spreading across Ponyville like a disease, with absolutely no rhyme or reason as to either the how, or the why, behind these attacks," he finally explained.
He wasn't certain if his was the best decision to be making under present circumstances. But nobody had ever accused him of being perfect; not even Twilight Sparkle. He was just as prone to mistakes as anyone else. Intellect doesn't equal being infallible; it simply cut down on the number of circumstance under which a fuck up could reasonably occur. Whether or not this was on such circumstance, only time would tell.
At first there was nothing coming from Rainbow Dash; nothing in the way of an audible response. She simply sat on the bed of clouding, a look of surprise and uncertainty on her face. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know that this was information she hadn't considered before, and was now having a difficult time comprehending the fact that she was no longer unique in this matter.
"What... w-what about Scoots? I-is she alright?" Rainbow Dash finally asked, having to fight through the sudden dryness of her throat in the process of getting the words out.
"I don't know," Ulquiorra replied simply.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Rainbow Dash asked, her voice considerably louder than his at this point. How could he not know something as simple as whether or not Scootaloo was alright, when he knew about everypony else?
"I can only report on information that I've been made aware of. I only know what I've been told, and Scootaloo's name has not been on the list. Whether this is due to not yet being a victim, or simply not coming forward to report being made into a victim, I don't know," he explained and left it at that. It really wasn't anything complicated, nor was it hard to understand; He simply didn't know, what he didn't know.
"I wanna see her," Rainbow Dash stated firmly, before jumping off of the bed, and landing on her hooves. "I wanna go to Ponyville. I need to make sure Scoots is alright," she added as she looked up at him.
Was she addressing him in this particular manner, because she believed he actually had say over what she did and didn't do? She was incredibly foolish if that were truly the case. He had no say over who came or went at any given time.
"You'll need to speak with Princess Celestia about arranging travel beyond the palace. I have no authority over this matter," he explained, before turning around to leave. He could see no further reason to stay here and exchange banter with the cyan pegasus. This was actually beginning to get monotonous.
"I'm not asking you for your permission. I'm telling you that I'm outta here, right now," Rainbow Dash stated.
And once again, reason to stay and exchange banter manifested itself. Yet again, he turned to face her, as she made her bold declaration of intent. Why she thought it was a good idea to be alerting him of such, he really didn't know; nor did he particularly care. He was more preoccupied with trying to determine just what to say in response. Or if he should ever bother responding at all. The moment she got more than fifty feet away from the assigned guards, the sedation spell would be triggered, and render her unconscious on the spot. Even if she galloped towards the closest open window, in preparation of flying away as fast as she could, she would never make it alone.
Never make it alone. That almost sounded like one of the selling points that had been mentioned by the others, when they were trying to impress the importance of friendship on him. There was a certain irony to it all, that he would actually be considering something like that.
"That won't be a possibility. The palace staff has learned much since the last time you made an escape attempt. There will be no third time around," he explained calmly.
Even if Rainbow Dash could, somehow, elude each and every one of the guards currently on duty, she would still have to contend with both Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. And if -by some quirk of fate that he couldn't comprehend- she could somehow manage to pull that off, she would still have to deal with him. There was simply no logical way in which she could escape, and return to Ponyville on her own accord. Even she would have to admit to that fact.
Rainbow Dash responded by rearing up on her hind legs, and decking Ulquiorra across the face with a left hook, a solid thud resounding from the impact.
"Yeowch!"
Followed by, not even two seconds later, falling to the ground, and cradling her aching hoof in the crook of her other leg, spouting incoherent gibberish about how bad it hurt, and how hard his face was.
Based on the felt impact, Ulquiorra knew that no permanent damage had occurred to the hoof, or the surrounding tissue. No breaks had occurred this time around, making her quite fortunate for a second time this night. Whether or not her good fortune would see her through a third attempt, he didn't yet know. Nor was he particularly interested in finding out.
"I don't care what you say, you stone-faced jerk! You can't stop me from leaving!" she stated through grit teeth, waiting for the throbbing in her hoof to go down to a more manageable level.
"You can't even enter a dark room without hyperventilating. How do you propose traveling to Ponyville at night, in your current condition, and when cloud cover from an incoming rainstorm is already obscuring what little light is being provided by the moon and stars?" he asked pointedly, deciding to cut straight to the issue. And judging by the full-body flinch he received from her in response, he felt it safe to reasonably conclude that he'd reached bone. She could argue matters like speed, and even agility all she wanted, trying to make the case for how she could avoid being captured again. But the consequences of Thrush's malfeasance were another matter entirely. They were something that she couldn't argue against, despite her best efforts. "You'd never even make it past the balcony, before collapsing in a cold sweat," he pointed out.
It hadn't been his intention to exercise cruelty when addressing her, and bringing up the above mentioned facts, as cruelty without sufficient justification served no legitimate purpose. Rather, it had been to make her realize that any short-sighted attempt at fleeing, regardless of what petty reasons were serving as motivation, would ultimately serve no benefit, and potentially only make things worse. She had neither the physical conditioning necessary to make the journey, nor the mental conditioning for what she would be going through, and he was well aware of that. She needed to be aware of such facts as well.
But regardless of what his intention had been at the time of pointing out the faults in her plan, the reception of his observations hadn't been received in the same light by the intended audience.
In much simpler terms, Rainbow Dash's anger had started giving way to sadness, despite her efforts at resisting the accompanying signs of such.
Why was it, that whenever there was a pony who was crying, it was an instance that invariably had to take place in his presence? That was something he simply couldn't figure out. Not that it was particularly important, but it was still something he'd like to find the answer to. Was it due to what Princess Luna had said to him, back when Rainbow Dash had attempted suicide; that many ponies possessed a sense of security when in his presence, because he radiated calmness?
"I can't stand this anymore..."
However all such thoughts on the matter, as to why distraught ponies seemed drawn to him, just like how moths were drawn to the flame, were being distracted by the current wailing fit currently taking place in front of him.
"I can't even help one little filly because I'm afraid of the dark!" Rainbow Dash bawled, her face buried in the crook of one foreleg, and serving to muffle her rant, as she again collapsed on the ground, and pounded her uninjured hoof against the floor. "I can't take this, I wanna be normal again! I want my life back!" she shrieked.
"Then stop feeling sorry for yourself, and take it back for yourself, rather than waiting for someone else to come along and give it back to you," Ulquiorra stated bluntly.
Ever since this entire situation had developed, he had been holding his tongue for a number of reasons; primarily because he didn't want to jeopardize whatever her recovery might entail. But as he was seeing right now, she hadn't been recovering at all. They had been fooling themselves into believing that she was actually showing signs of improvement, and this display perfectly exemplified that fact.
The Rainbow Dash he had begrudgingly come to know prior to this entire mess, had always displayed certain self-centered traits, but she was also the type who displayed aspects of being strong and independent. And currently this was not her. The Rainbow Dash he had met prior to this entire incident occurring, wasn't the type to waste time lamenting her own helplessness, and feeling sorry for herself. The Rainbow Dash that he was familiar with, would look at this situation, exercise profanity, and stubbornly declare that she wouldn't be beaten; even if she was incapable of fulfilling her defiant declarations, she would still make them regardless.
Ulquiorra stopped, and considered the line of thought he'd been engaged in just now. Taken in the wrong context, one might accuse him of actually caring about these ponies; even he recognized that fact. It was utterly preposterous, but the structure of his thoughts had been sloppy and disorganized, and had allowed for such an unstructured mess to come about.
But whether or not the thought process was preposterous, it didn't change the fact that this was -metaphorically speaking- not the same Rainbow Dash that had faced him down when she believed it necessary to save Twilight Sparkle. Nor the same that faced down the dragon when she believed it necessary to save him. This was nothing more than a broken shell, that was serving to keep Equestria in danger. And the current methods being utilized were of no use to them. For that reason, a different course of action was necessary. He had let the diarchy and the rest dictate the recovery process up to this point, and he was seeing the results for himself. Coddling, comforting, and waiting for her to heal at her own pace, had yielded nothing of benefit as of yet. As such, he concluded that it was time for a different approach to be taken.
What the diarchy -and even the medical staff- failed to realize -or simply refused to openly acknowledge- was the simple fact that they were at war against an enemy they had no knowledge of. And it was an enemy that could strike anywhere, and at any given moment. They simply didn't have the time necessary to rely on whatever therapists were determined to be competent, to go in and fix all of the psychological damage that had occurred in Rainbow Dash's mind, or debunk her false memories one at a time. That was a process that would take years of effort to achieve.
It was back during the immediate aftermath of the manticore attack, that the diarchy had conceded the fact that his skills were needed in this world, and had relinquished hold on the proverbial leash they had on him; essentially giving the green light to use whatever force was necessary, to aid in protecting Equestria. And at the moment, he could justify using those skills in this situation. The others had been given the opportunity to tend to this matter their way, and the results spoke for themselves. Now he was going to address this matter as he saw fit. And the first step in doing such, was determining whether or not she was too far gone to stop feeling sorry for herself, and her current predicament. If she couldn't do that, then she would be too far gone for any of them to help.
Slowly, she turned her attention up to him, suggesting that she had been paying attention to at least some of what he'd just said. Although the lack of a verbal response was making it difficult to tell for certain.
"Your despair in this situation is useless. You claim you want to help, but you show no indication of actually desiring such. You seem far more content to wallow in your own self-pity, than trying to make a difference in the matter on your own initiative," he pointed out. "It's almost as if you agree with what happened to you..."
"S-shut up! You don't know anything!" Rainbow Dash yelled back, her voice cracking in the process.
"I know far more than you would assume," he stated. She frowned up at him, but it wasn't the type of frown that indicated what was being sought. So he continued. "You believe that you've experienced the truest form of despair your mind can comprehend; being forced to believe that those you consider your closest friends, have turned against you. I am inclined to disagree with that assessment. For whatever reason, someone, or something, chose to single you out for attack, and outright crippling, because you were believed to be the weakest link of your group. All of your accomplishments have been considered nothing but trash by whoever, and whatever, is responsible for this entire mess. And from what I can see, it appears that you're inclined to agree with its presumption of yourself," he explained calmly.
"Say what!?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief, as she stumbled up to her hooves again. What was he getting at? What was he saying? Where did he get off spouting stuff like that!?
"You appear to have allowed yourself to succumb to its trickery, in believing that you are trash. You haven't resisted this notion that you are worthless. You haven't vowed to overcome what you've been subjected to, and seek out vengeance for being wronged. There has been no bold declaration from you, that you will show it how you aren't to be messed with; just as how you vowed to "wow" me at some point, and leave me amazed and awestruck," he continued as he stepped closer to her, looking her in the eyes as she now stood upright. "What has become of the Rainbow Dash, that attacked a fully grown dragon by herself? Where is the Rainbow Dash that decided, not just once, but twice, to take on the one believed to have killed Princess Celestia? Where exactly is the fire, to the one who possesses the exclusive ability to utilize the Sonic Rainboom at will, when others would disintegrate in the attempt, because they don't possess a reiatsu intensity on par with the Sexta Espada?" he asked her.
Delivering anything that bore even passing resemblance to a motivational speech, was something he didn't have any true experience in. When it came to speaking, there were only three things that he was really any good at. Those three included: being very informative when asked a question, exploiting specific character weaknesses in order to induce an angered response, and inducing feelings of despair to varying degrees.
Tearing down a person's -or pony's- psyche, was far easier than attempting to build them back up again. The best he could realistically do under these circumstances, was trip the right number of anger responses, in an effort to induce an adequate degree of resentment, that she would stubbornly declare how she wasn't trash. If possible, even goad her into adhering to what healing process was in place -inadequate as it might be- simply to spite his observations about her, as if he had made the determination himself.
But he needed to show restraint here, and try to identify the fine line between appropriate pushing, and inappropriate pushing. Too little, and she would come to resent him, but would feel no motivation to try and improve herself. Too much, and they risked another psychotic break, that could quite possibly put her in a catatonic state. This was the mental equivalent of fine surgery that he was doing right now, and his cuts had to be precise.
And then a thought came to him; Rainbow Dash's previously established interest in Scootaloo's well being. Apparently she was the one pony that Rainbow Dash still cared for to any meaningful degree. That relationship could be beneficial to them right now. Nothing that would be considered too drastic, but something that would make the point stick. Perhaps telling her, that he would be informing Scootaloo about her idol's debilitating fear of the dark, and how it left her quaking in terror whenever she so much as thought about venturing out after sundown.
But that thought never got beyond the point of initial consideration, as his interest was caught by something occurring just outside of the room.
His pesquisa had detected the far off approach of another lunar guard, but he'd paid it no mind. At least not until his ears had caught a mumbling between the approaching guard, and one of those who was already present. That fact, combined with the one guard leaving their post, to be replaced by the one who had just arrived, was enough to convince him that something was both up, and worth investigating further. With that in mind, he turned to take his leave.
"Hold up! Just where the fuck are you going!?" Rainbow Dash yelled as he walked away, treating everything like it was absolutely nothing. What kind of jerk move was that anyway?
"Elsewhere," Ulquiorra replied simply, and left it at that. Right now he didn't have any definite answers to give as to just where that was, or what it might entail.
"You... you jerk!" Rainbow Dash roared angrily, unable to properly articulate how she was feeling right now, at this sudden turn in developments. The nerve that he had in just walking off like that was... was... "I'm gonna kick your flank if I see your ugly face again!"
"It's a date then," Ulquiorra replied, not even bothering to look over his shoulder while saying it, or even breaking his stride.
The threat was completely ludicrous to consider, as if she would ever be able to inflict physical harm upon him. But the fact was that she had even issued the threat in the first place, believing that she could actually follow through with it.
So far, so good.
The hangar bay of Canterlot palace, primary storage facility for the numerous chariots employed by the diarchy, as well as the accompanying maintenance bay where the spare parts, and various necessary tools were housed, was currently the source of a great deal of activity and commotion. Various ponies were running back and forth from one point to another, with some carrying boxes of undisclosed items, and loading them up on various chariots and supply wagons. Everyone present was talking at the same time, making the entire area a sea of commotion that was hard to properly understand and decipher.
This was the scene that greeted Ulquiorra as he entered the large room, and looked around him. Much as he didn't care to admit to the fact, he didn't have a clue what was going on. All he knew for certain, was that whatever had taken place, it had to be in response to a significant incident. He hadn't seen this much activity at the palace, outside of the changeling incident.
In the middle of everything, he could see both Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna were present. It looked like they were trying to coordinate all of the insanity around them, with some measure of order. Seeing that they appeared to have everything under control -to at least some degree anyway- perhaps they could provide some clarity on the matter. With that thought in mind, he stepped forward so it wouldn't be necessary to yell halfway across the hangar, being sure to avoid any incoming ponies that were rushing about.
"What exactly has taken place?" he asked, once he was certain he was within earshot of the two. If something significant was happening, then he needed to be aware of it, so he would know how to respond accordingly; being tasked with security for Equestria meant being made aware of whatever could constitute a threat, and he fully intended to take the position seriously. Even if it did mean interrupting their efforts at coordinating everything at the moment.
Celestia was caught off guard by Ulquiorra's approach, far too preoccupied with everything else going on around her, to notice him entering the room, and walking past everypony else. But he hadn't minced any needless words, and she was thankful for that. He recognized something was amiss, and had dispatched everything that could be deemed unnecessary. That was good, as it cut down on useless chatter that she would've otherwise had to deal with.
"I'm afraid we're currently facing another crisis, on top of the one we've already got our hooves full of," Celestia stated, before stopping to direct two stallions to load a crate onto one wagon instead of another. With that addressed, she turned back to Ulquiorra. "About ten minutes ago, we witnessed a disturbance in the northeast quadrant of Equestria proper. And while we're not absolutely certain just yet, we have reason to believe that it's an occurrence that's colloquially come to be referred to as S.U.D, otherwise known as Spontaneous Unicorn Disintegration. Although some derisively call it Exploding Unicorn Syndrome," she explained as best she could, all the while trying to keep her cool.
Ulquiorra had heard the explanation just as it had been given. But at the moment, as he looked around the hangar, he was having trouble believing it. There were ponies loading up crates of equipment into numerous wagons, while the present guards -he counted sixty of them, from both branches- were in the process of swapping out their metal duty armor, for what looked like a combination of high level, fully-encapsulated hazardous material, and fire proximity suits, that included hardened boots -likely thick and hardened rubber, coating steel plates in the toe area- and rigid headgear with reflective blast shield visors, connected to self-contained breathing apparatuses strapped to their backs.
A single unicorn, experiencing death via explosion, warranted a reaction that was the size of this operation? And it was an event that even deserved its own name?
Only one thought entered his mind after hearing this particular bit of news.
"I have got to see this for myself."
There had to be far more going on than meets the eye, if this was being carried out. And while he knew that he could ask for basic clarification on the matter, he truly doubted that making demands that they take the time to read him in on everything, would be all that well appreciated by the diarchy. He could sense the urgency in Princess Celestia's voice, indicating that time was of the essence in this matter, and any unnecessary delays would be viewed poorly. They were already stressed enough without him complicating things on his own.
"If a crisis is unfolding, my services may be required as well," he pointed out calmly. Having no idea just what this situation involved -other than some disturbing mental images- it only seemed wise to travel well prepared for what might be eventualities.
"The services in which you specialize, Ulquiorra Cifer, will be of no use to us on this night, I am afraid. It is sad to say that what is at hoof, will not be that simple to address," Luna replied.
Celestia nodded in agreement. What they were facing wasn't something that could adequately be addressed with deadly force. This was something that could only be addressed with wisdom, and specialized training, like that possessed by the assembled guards. There was no room for amateurs on this mission, no matter how well intentioned they might be.
"Then I will merely be present as an observer," Ulquiorra replied without missing a beat. And before either of them could object to him being present, he continued. "A unicorn being reduced to small chunks of flesh and bone, regardless of the method in which it occurred, would neither be classified as a crisis, nor warrant a response of this size and magnitude. Evidently the name for the event itself is a misnomer, and describes something far more significant. As such, I intend to discover just what this is for myself," he explained.
There was technically nothing that either one of them could do to stop him from coming along with them, and he was aware of that fact. They were likely aware of that fact as well. They could attempt to order him to remain present for whatever reason, but that would simply raise more questions than answers, and lead to a lengthy discussion that would just slow them down. Even if he didn't travel with the convoy itself, there was nothing to prevent him from following after them on his own accord; they were likely aware of this fact as well.
Where they stood, Celestia and Luna looked at each other in silent consideration of the facts, and trying to decipher a way to keep Ulquiorra present, rather than tagging along with them. And from the look on each others faces, neither of them were coming up with anything that might work. They both knew from their own experiences that the Espada was very... committed, and dedicated, to a cause that he believed in, and believed was important. Short of one of them staying behind, there was no way to prevent him from following along at his own accord. Nor were they entirely certain that they should actually attempt such; he wasn't a foal after all, and it wasn't like he would be running around, and touching everything he saw, without having any comprehension of what he was doing.
If he couldn't take care of himself, then they were all pretty much in trouble.
"Then make yourself ready, Ulquiorra Cifer, for we leave as soon as the wagons have been loaded," Luna stated. For better or worse, they had a traveling companion with them now.
The fact that the journey at hand had to be made via teleportation, wasn't something that came as a surprise to Ulquiorra . Nor did the total sensory deprivation that beset him the instant the journey had been completed, leaving him dazed and disoriented until his senses reasserted themselves. He wasn't even surprised by the fact that Princess Celestia possessed sufficient reiryoku for actually teleporting everyone and everything that had been a part of their party; he had seen what she was capable of before, and he had also seen what reiatsu she possessed. If she could raise and lower the sun, several tons of equipment and ponies was trivial in comparison.
What did amount to surprise for him -minor as it might've been- was that once his senses cleared, Princess Celestia was standing to look him in the face, from a close distance, and wearing a look that could only be described as one of concern. And she was doing all of this, while Princess Luna was leading the rest of the convoy onward, leaving them behind.
"What has happened?" he asked simply, seeing it as the best way of getting straight to an answer.
"That's what we're about to find out," Celestia replied with equal simplicity, "it's getting worse, isn't it?"
"Is what getting worse?" Ulquiorra asked, wondering just what she was talking about.
"Don't try to be coy with me, Ulquiorra, you have no talent in it," Celestia replied, frowning slightly as she said it. "You suffer from teleportation sickness. An immediate, but temporary, deprivation of all sensory input, resulting from traveling in such a manner. You've been experiencing this since the beginning, haven't you?" she asked him. Although by the tone used, it was easy to tell that the question was entirely rhetorical.
"Since our return to Canterlot, from dealing with the threat posed by the dragon's presence," Ulquiorra replied simply, seeing no use in denying the accusations. The fact that Princess Celestia had discovered the truth of the matter so easily didn't come as a surprise to him. The fact that she knew of the symptoms he experienced, indicated that this was a widespread malady that was also experienced by a number of others. Perhaps he'd been out of it for longer than he'd first assumed, and she'd caught him just standing there, completely unresponsive to the world around him. And if it was a genuine malady, then perhaps it could be adequately addressed. "This is the fourth time that it's lasted for any length of time greater than one second. It seems to correspond with greater distances being traveled."
"I've noticed," Celestia replied and nodded, having witnessed for itself. The first time, after the dragon, she'd been suspicious when he hadn't immediately responded to being addressed. It wasn't until they'd gone looking for Rainbow Dash in the Everfree Forest, and the same thing happened again, that her suspicions had actually been confirmed as fact. For better of worse, Ulquiorra was vulnerable to teleportation sickness. "I'm actually surprised that this is the case. I don't know why, but it just never occurred to me that your Hollow physiology might be vulnerable to such."
"Is it a condition that can be treated?" Ulquiorra asked. The how of him being affected was of no interest to him at this point in time. All he cared about was whether or not it could be stopped. And if it was one of those conditions that couldn't be stopped, then he needed to learn just how long it lasted, so they could be mindful in the future, and respond appropriately.
"... I don't know. I'll have to do some research on the matter before I can give you an accurate answer," she explained. Simply because she knew about the condition, and its existence, didn't mean that she knew everything about it. "And I promise, I'll do just that, once we return to Canterlot. But for right now, we need to stay focused on the current crisis at hoof, and not allow ourselves to get distracted," she added.
"Agreed," Ulquiorra replied. So long as they weren't teleporting into a battle-ridden hotspot, his own condition was of no consequence to them right now.
With nothing left for either of them to say on the matter -nothing that was worth wasting anymore time on anyway- they both turned, and began walking after the convoy to avoid being left too far behind. And with nothing left to say, the walk was one filled with silence, with the exception of the expected background noises; wagons groaning and creaking as they were pulled along the ground, and hooves more or less pounding against the ground, and protective suits ruffling and crinkling with each movement.
And with that thought, something new was making its presence known in Ulquiorra's mind. Back in the hangar he'd noted how the guards had been donning protective suits, but the diarchy had not. This could be attributed to one of two things. The first was that there were no protective suits in their size, but this was utterly illogical. The way everything had been going with a certain smoothness, being caught off guard didn't seem likely.
The second possibility was that the diarchy possessed sufficient resistance against whatever might be encountered, and protective gear would be entirely superfluous to them. But this simply raised more questions than answers. Questions that needed to be addressed.
"It would appear safe to assume that we're not on our way to simply scrape up, and dispose of, the bloody remains of some deceased unicorn. So I must ask just what this entire operation is about," he stated simply.
Celestia remained silent momentarily, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye without moving her head. She considered the inquiry, and the distance needed to be traveled, before deciding she could spare the time in answering. With that thought in mind, her horn began to glow in preparation of the magic she would need.
"It's a difficult matter to explain to one who has no knowledge of magic. But I'll try," she explained.
Ulquiorra observed as a green rectangular field was cast in front of them, much like a projector in a movie theater would do. However unlike a movie theater projection, the "screen" in front of them was partially transparent, allowing them to see what was ahead of them.
"Unlike pegasus and earth ponies, all unicorns possess a -nonphysical- magical core within their bodies. Unlike earth ponies, whose magic is flowing throughout their bodies at any given time, and pegasus ponies, whose magic is primarily flowing through their wings and hooves, a unicorn's magic is located in this central area when not in use."
As Celestia spoke, a white outline of a generic unicorn appeared on the screen. And in the central area of the body, a glowing, pulsating, flickering semi-translucent blue sphere appeared.
"When a spell is cast, the magic held within the core is drawn out from the core, and up to the horn, which serves as a focal point, switching the magic from passive to active," she continued.
Blue lines moving from the sphere to the tip of the horn, and then expanding out beyond the horn in a flash of light, signifying a spell being cast.
"As a unicorn grows stronger, and more skilled, in their magical aptitude, their core also grows stronger, as it becomes capable of holding significantly more mana than previously."
The sphere fluctuated, and began expanding in size, until it nearly filled the chest of the unicorn outline.
"But sometimes there are... complications involved..."
The sphere fluctuated again, growing significantly larger in size, eclipsing the unicorn outline in an instant as it expanded outward, blanketing the entire area of the screen.
"For reasons we still don't understand, a unicorn loses control of their core, and simply... succumbs. Theories abound as to why this is, and are as numerous as the stars in the sky, or the grains of sand on a single beach. One of the most common is that the victim was trying too hard to advance their skills in magic too fast, and the strain is too much. Another is that it's a virus that forces the victim to absorb more mana than their core can adequately house, while cutting access to the horn, leaving nowhere to go but outward," Celestia explained, before cutting off the flow of mana used to maintain the display, letting it fizzle out of existence. "As you might understand, answers are difficult to come by, due to the lack of physical evidence to examine after the fact. And the disintegration aspect occurs so quickly, there's almost never any time to actually respond when a case does present itself. There's only been a minute number of cases in the last thousand years, where a spontaneous disintegration has not only been caught, but successfully prevented by the timely intervention of someone skilled enough to actually do such."
Throughout the explanation, Ulquiorra remained silent as he continued walking along, mentally examining and evaluating the information he'd been presented with. And in light of this information, the entire operation made a greater degree of sense than previously. But there was still room for speculation about the scale, and the exact nature of the operation. Perhaps there wasn't a unicorn corpse to scrape up off the ground, but a number of other corpses that had been near the blast radius; perhaps there was a certain mindfulness of the possibility of bloodborne illnesses that needed to be taken into consideration. Or worse, the possibility of those illnesses actually being aerosolized by the resulting explosion that had taken place, and quite possibly converting the location they were approaching, into one giant biohazardous area, that needed to be sanitized, and sterilized.
But that still didn't answer the question as to why the diarchy was entering unshielded, unlike the guards.
"And what type of role are we expected to fill under these circumstances?" he asked simply.
"Safeguarding the immediate area. In the wake of the explosion, the ambient mana in the area has been significantly destabilized, and can be dangerous to anyone that might happen across the area. We have to set up a perimeter around the affected area, both to inform others to avoid entering, and to allow the ambient mana to restabilize itself, and be absorbed back into the surrounding area," Celestia explained. When Ulquiorra said nothing in response, she continued with the explanation. "That's also why we couldn't teleport right to the affected area. When mana becomes destabilized, it can prove to be very... tricky, to properly deal with. It's not even wise to practice magic when in close proximity to such an area."
More silence on Ulquiorra's part as he listened to the explanation given. And there was a great deal of information being given, even if Princess Celestia wasn't actively trying to say a great deal right now. And right now, based on what he was hearing, it sounded like unicorns were the living equivalent of atomic bombs. That was a very disturbing thought to consider. But for the time being he'd keep his thoughts to himself, and simply continue observing everything in silence, in an effort to gain a better understanding of everything that was going on.
Looking down from where he stood, even without relying on the presence of the numerous lamps that had been brought along for illumination, Ulquiorra could more easily survey the damage done to the area by the blast. A good mile worth of ground had been scorched, and charred black. All forms of plant life -those that were still standing enough to count as being present- were in a similar state of destruction. It looked like the immediate aftermath of a forest fire being successfully contained, and extinguished, but the damage still being done regardless.
But seeing didn't necessarily mean the same as believing. Even though he could see the aftermath of what had taken place, he was still having trouble grasping the idea that a single unicorn had been responsible for all of this. Even with Princess Celestia's explanation, complete with visual references, it was still difficult to believe that physical beings could spontaneously combust like purpose-built explosive devices, and achieve similar results.
Down below he observed as the numerous ponies present were placing stones around the perimeter. Each of them was similar in size to a twelve pound bowling ball, and featured numerous unrecognizable runes carved into their sides. According to the explanation given, they were specially designed, purpose-built lodestones crafted for such circumstances; something about the mechanics of the design siphoning from the unstable mana to fuel a protective force field, while simultaneously feeding it back into the surrounding environment at a gradual pace that would allow for safe reabsorption.
There were also details regarding the natural ley lines of the world, and how they came into play.
He wouldn't lie, he didn't understand the mechanics of how they worked. Even though he'd paid attention when the explanation was given, there were aspects to magic that simply went over his head. Perhaps it was something that only a unicorn could truly understand, in the way it was intended to be understood.
"The operation appears to be proceeding smoothly," he commented upon detecting Celestia's approach from his left side. Even if he couldn't detect her reiatsu, the sound of her large wings flapping would still be difficult to miss in the current stillness of his surroundings. And then there was the matter of actually seeing her.
"As to be expected, considering the training and drills they've undergone. Each one of those guards down there, has undergone specialized training for addressing S.U.D situations whenever they arise," Celestia explained as she broke into a hover not far from his position. Out of the one hundred guards that she and her sister each had at their service, each branch had thirty members who had been specifically picked for training and drilling in this particular -and undesirable- field. One day each month, there was a training drill carried out to measure their readiness should they ever be called upon. Meetings were had whenever new developments in the scientific field were made, that could aid in their efforts. And if it was ever deemed necessary, rudimentary training was made available.
"And the circumstances that found one of them serving on Rainbow Dash's detail, and needing to be relieved in the middle of their shift?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Specialized training doesn't mean they're excused from their regular duties; they're still palace guards after all," Celestia replied simply, and left it at that. It wasn't as if those trained for S.U.D duty just lazed around in the barracks, doing nothing until they were eventually needed; that was just a ridiculous thought. That's assuming it was ever a thought of Ulquiorra's to even begin with.
Before anymore conversation could be had, their attention was drawn to Luna's arrival not far away from their current location. And much like her sister had done, she too was entering a hover, stopping in front of them to face Celestia directly.
"I wish otherwise... but I cannot properly focus on what to report," she stated simply, before letting out a sigh, and letting her withers slouch. She'd been on an adrenaline high ever since she saw the explosion in the distance, and now that it was wearing off, she was feeling weak, run down, and having a hard time properly focusing. All of this, on top of what had happened with Rainbow Dash less than an hour ago, was starting to weigh heavily on her mind right now. There were just too many things going on right now, that were going wrong. She understood that real life tended to do that, but was it really asking too much for a break from all of this insanity?
It was at that point, that something unfamiliar struck Luna's nostrils, causing her to start sniffing at the air, and stopping nearly as fast as she'd started, having caught the scent of something that she quickly found to be most foul. Immediately she scrunched up her muzzle in disgust.
"Ugh! What smells of burning rubbish?" she asked and looked around, trying to find what was making her nose burn right now, all the while trying to shield her muzzle with her fetlock. And as she looked around, she discovered the source of the obnoxious odor, and she didn't believe it. It was emanating from Ulquiorra himself, as wisps of smoke were starting to rise off of his body.
"Ulquiorra Cifer, why are you smoking?" she asked, not believing it for herself.
Celestia blinked, confused at what Luna was talking about. But as soon as she turned her head, she saw that the Espada was indeed beginning to smoke. It looked like steam rising from something moist that had been put near a fire to dry out. It also looked like the time he'd put himself at risk during the changeling invasion, and she'd nearly killed him by mistake. Now she was starting to feel alarm rather than confusion, as she tried to figure out what was going on here.
"That would explain the sensation of extreme discomfort that was being experienced," Ulquiorra commented as he withdrew his right hand from his pocket to better examine his arm, and confirm for himself what was being said. If he had to guess, he would assume that his proximity to the destabilized mana was having an adverse affect on his body; it was the only thing that made any sense to him right at the moment. Whatever -assumed- resistance the diarchy possessed to the environmental disturbances down below, obviously wasn't translating over to his own body.
And then his index and middle finger switched from smoking, to outright burning, as the tips literally burst into flames as he was looking at them. It was like watching a pair of matches spontaneously ignite.
"Goodness!" Luna gasped in surprise and covered her mouth, shocked at what she'd just seen.
"Strange. Usually I'm more resistant to fire than this," Ulquiorra commented casually, before blowing out the flames on his two fingers.
"That's it. It's far too dangerous to continue remaining in this area. Move further back, behind the perimeter," Celestia stated, having seen enough of this nonsense to know when enough was enough. Evidently the mana in the area was far more destabilized than they'd originally thought, if it was having this type of effect on Ulquiorra. The only thing she didn't know right now, was if being in the vicinity of the destabilized mana was burning him -in the same way being in the vicinity of her had burned him sometime back- or if it was from him actually trying to absorb it into his body, and dispose of it in his own way. Not being able to properly detect a mana drain in the immediate -and chaotic- area made it very difficult to tell just what the root cause was. She didn't even know for certain if he was trying to absorb it or not. But she certainly wouldn't put the option past him.
Ulquiorra gave no argument to the order of a tactical retreat from the immediate region. He'd already gathered enough firsthand knowledge regarding destabilized mana for the time being to draw his conclusions on the matter. He knew that unicorns could spontaneously explode for unknown reasons, he knew that the resulting destabilization could have an adverse affect on his physical structure, as well as the health of non-alicorns, making it necessary for the area to be contained until the danger had passed. He really didn't know what else needed to be learned about it all.
As far as he was concerned, his part of the investigation was over. He couldn't think of anything else that needed actual addressing at the moment. Anything else could wait until things were less chaotic.
Or at least, that's what he thought at first. But as they moved behind the establishing perimeter, two specific -and potentially very important- thoughts came to his mind. And he couldn't see any reason to wait in seeking clarification.
"Is this type of incident commonplace in this world?" he asked as they finally crossed over to the -supposed- safety being provided by the presence of the lodestones. "And what, if anything, is actually being done to prevent it?"
"No, thankfully. That's the one bright spot involved with S.U. D incidents; the number that occurs remain small. There's never been more than three or four such incidents recorded in any given year. Nopony knows just why this is, but most would prefer not to question the fact, for fear they might somehow jinx it," Celestia explained and sighed. "The death toll might be considered inconsequential back in your world, but the same doesn't apply here. This is the second such incident of this year, and already it's a tragic loss of life," she added.
Ulquiorra said nothing. He could detect the bitterness in the statement, even if it wasn't directed at him. Knowing what he did of these ponies, the death toll could possibly be from the unicorns themselves dying, or it could be from the unsuspecting bystanders that unintentionally got caught in the blast. It was hard to tell when those being dealt with had so much regard for life.
Over to the side, he could see Princess Luna frowning at Princess Celestia, even if it went unnoticed by the elder of the two.
"As for what's being done to prevent these incidents from occurring, I'm afraid there's very little we actually can do preemptively. As you understand, in the majority of the cases, there are no bodies to be examined, to try and determine the exact cause that lead up to their death. And the few that have been caught in time, successfully stopped, and could be examined, have shown absolutely no abnormalities that could possibly explain the why of a core breach occurring. It's one of those things that, sadly, remains a mystery to our world, even with all of the advancements we've made in the last millennium," Celestia explained
The more this continued, the more Ulquiorra found himself growing evermore curious. It was impossible for him to not note the similarities between Spontaneous Unicorn Disintegration, and the unconfirmed phenomenon of Spontaneous Human Combustion, from back in his own dimension. Both had individuals who believed in its existence, but there was no evidence to explain how such events occurred. The only real difference that he was aware of, was that the S.U.D had far more outward destructive potential to it.
"What you're essentially saying, is that every unicorn in Equestria is the living, breathing equivalent of an atomic bomb, could quite literally explode at any given minute, and you would have no way of preventing that from happening," he elaborated, cutting through the fluff of it all, in order to reveal what many would consider to be a very grim picture of the facts.
"Atomic bomb?" Luna asked as she looked over in Ulquiorra's direction. She had heard numerous foreign terms being used by the Espada since their first meeting, and some of them she was more readily familiar with than others. But this was certainly not one of them. To the best of her knowledge, this was the first time she'd ever heard the term.
Ulquiorra contemplated the situation in silence. He'd only remembered after he'd opened his mouth to exercise his characteristic bluntness, that he was addressing matters this world was completely unfamiliar with. And in the process of doing such, he'd opened up a can of worms.
"It's not a subject that I'm expertly versed in, or able to explain in intricate details. But the simple explanation, is an explosive device that incorporates radioactive material into its construction; materials involved in the process of deriving energy from the splitting of atoms. This allows for a much greater explosion than simple gunpowder. There's also the secondary effect of contaminating the area with the release of highly unstable, and extremely toxic energies, from the molecular degradation of the radioactive material itself, spread to wherever the wind will carry the particulates," he explained simply.
Silence followed his explanation. Whether it was due to the diarchy being horrified -by exactly what detail, he neither knew, nor even cared- or simply choosing to respect his claim about having limited information, he had no way of telling for certain. Nor was it of any particular importance to him. So long as they understood what he was saying, that was all that mattered.
"I suppose that's one way of putting it," Celestia replied slowly, being the first to speak up. She'd been horrified by the details she'd seen in Ulquiorra's memories. But the details she got from having conversations with him could be even more horrible at times. "To be perfectly blunt, yes. Every living unicorn could quite possibly experience a S.U.D event at some point in time, and we'd have no way of knowing until after the fact. The simple fact that only a miniscule few ever do, is truly a miraculous blessing that we're thankful for."
"What there is to be truly thankful for, is that out of all those that do succumb, the vast majority of them experience a quick burn, rather than a slow burn," Luna added, before turning to directly face Ulquiorra, having every reason to believe that he wouldn't understand what she was talking about, unless she elaborated. And when Celestia gave no objection, she began speaking in explanation. "When a unicorn spontaneously disintegrates, the majority of the incidents involved a sudden breach of core integrity, and an explosive decompression of the mana housed within their bodies. But because it happens so suddenly, damage tends to be limited, as the majority of the force is used up in disintegrating the physical body, and rarely extends beyond a few feet from where they are standing. This is what is called a quick burn. But in a few cases, and we truly do not understand why, the core will actually absorb far more mana than it could ever realistically contain, building up until it reaches a critical mass, before finally detonating from the strain it is put under. This is a slow burn, and it is vastly more destructive, as you can see for yourself," she concluded, glancing back at the scorched ground.
Ulquiorra remained silent, contemplating the explanation given. Strange as it might sound, it actually made a great deal of sense to him. Although in light of all this new information, he would speculate that there were a lot more than just three or four unicorns spontaneously disintegrating throughout any given year. If most of them were truly quick burns, and damage was minimal, the annual death toll could be significantly higher, and explained by the incident taking place in a remote location, far away from where others were keeping tabs on them, and where sudden absences could be explained as one simply leaving town; some of them might even have met their ends while moving from one town to another.
Simply because only three or four incidents were recorded in a given year, didn't mean that was the total number that had occurred; it was simply the amount they were aware of.
Those facts aside, however, there were other matters he could think of right now, that would need to be addressed while they were still present. And one of those matters was a particular question, that was proving to be far too tempting to just pass up asking.
"Assuming one of these slow burn disintegrations were to occur in the city of Canterlot, where a large number of unicorns live, would the entire mountain be vaporized by a chain event of all the cores being detonated simultaneously?"
Celestia shook her head in response. "No, nothing like that. As fragile as they may sound to you right now, Ulquiorra, a unicorn's core is actually quite stable. They can't be ignited from an outside source, so there's no risk of a chain reaction occurring. It's... something we've had experience with in the past, unfortunately. As to the matter of Canterlot itself, a significant amount of preemptive planning went into its construction over a thousand years ago. Each building within the city has been constructed with layer upon layer of shielding spells, and reinforced with lodestones integrated into the structures. Even if a slow burn were to occur in Canterlot, the ensuing damage would be isolated to a single building," she explained. Even if the outcome was still undesirable, as it could still yield a high loss of life, it was still far better than the alternative of the entire city being potentially wiped out.
Ulquiorra considered the explanation given. It sounded like a reasonably thought out solution to the problem at hand, although there were a number of specific circumstantial events that he could question, in order to gain a better insight and understanding on the matter.
Being out here in the middle of the wilderness, it wasn't like they had any other pressing matters they could tend to at the moment.
He considered asking about Twilight Sparkle's moment of unfiltered rage during the changeling incident, and the amount of damage she'd been able to cause as a result. Where exactly were those shielding spells, when she was busy reducing solid marble to molten slag, in her efforts at killing him?
Then again, that had been a focused and deliberate assault, directed on a single point, rather than spread out over an extremely wide area. Perhaps the spells simply hadn't been intended for such an approach, and couldn't be faulted for failing.
There were a great many things he could speculate on at the moment, relating to questions for which there were no immediately available answers.
But right now, it simply wasn't the time for them. If he got too involved in the matter, they would be here for far longer than was necessary. Judging by how fast the guards down below were proceeding, they wouldn't be remaining here for much longer. Getting too involved right now would simply be too much of a distraction.
He'd wait until a more appropriate time, before questioning them further; like sometime after they had all returned to the palace. Then he could begin a more thorough questioning on the unexplored aspects of this entire mess.
The amount of dissatisfaction to this evening was continuing to pile up to an undesirable degree. There had been no enemy to slay, and put an end to them chasing their tails. There had been no secrets in the library to be revealed after hours of research. All that had come of this -he'd dare call it disappointing- evening, was learning that unicorns were potentially quite dangerous, and that two of the ponies he would -at least academically- consider to be friends, could potentially reduce themselves to ashes; provided they didn't raze Ponyville to the ground in the process.
Perhaps he should've simply remained back at the palace, instead of coming all the way out here.
Rainbow Dash's wings bristled under the steady stream of warm water that was pouring down from the shower head above, twitching every few seconds.
She was aware of how the near-constant twitching was somewhat off-putting to the night nurse who had drawn bathing duty -one of those bat ponies closely associated with Luna, her name was Ebony if she remembered right- as she tried to shampoo the offending appendages. But simply because she was aware of the fact, that didn't really mean that she was feeling motivated to change it right now. She was still deeply upset, and much as she hated to admit it, inflicting a little bit of discomfort on another at the moment was mildly soothing to her.
Her conversations with both Luna, and Ulquiorra, were weighing heavily on her mind right now, but she didn't know which one of the two was making her angrier. Both of them had caused her a significant amount of pain in their own ways, further confusing her on, like, everything that was going on. Right now she didn't even want to go into detail with herself on just how they'd hurt her, but suffice to say, they had done just that.
Luna saying that she'd be better if she wanted to be better. The Espada telling her to stop feeling sorry, and take her life back for herself. Did they honestly believe that it was actually as simple as all that? Like she could just flip a switch, and somehow turn everything around? Just like that? Even she knew it didn't work like that!
"This sucks..." she mentally groaned and leaned forward, letting the water beat on the back of her head and neck, as she pressed her forehead against the warming tile of the shower wall. This sucked on so many levels, she couldn't even properly think of them all right now.
"They don't have a clue what they're talking about. They don't know what it's like to go through all of this. And worse yet, to be going through it all alone. No friends to rely on. No daddy, no mommy, nopony to change your diaper, and give you a bottle. Nopony loves you anymore, and you're all on your own. You poor little pegasus..."
Rainbow Dash's head snapped up in surprise. She hadn't thought any of that. And yet, somehow, those thoughts had entered her head. Who did that!?
"Look around you, little pegasus. There's nopony here except for your nurse, two guards stationed at the doorway around the corner, and you. And if none of them thought it in your head, then it must've been you that thought it..."
That voice... or at least what she thought was a voice. Maybe it was closer to the memory of what a voice sounded like and... she was getting distracted! The point was that this was the same voice from before, after she tried to kill Rarity the second time! This was the same one that tried to convince her to kill her, when she was overcome with self doubt. She was sure of that now.
"Who're you? Get out of my head!" she thought.
"That's going to be a little difficult, seeing as it's not your head, but our head. What you don't get yet, is the simple fact that I'm you..."
"That's nothing but manure! You're not me!" Rainbow Dash mentally yelled back.
"Oh but it's true. I am you, you just don't realize it yet. But like it or not, you and I are one, I'm just the one associated with what you don't care to remember. I'm the part of you that has to deal with all the painful facts of your life. Like how you're constantly worrying that, if you don't get into the Wonderbolts, nopony will pay anymore attention to you..."
"Shut up!" Rainbow Dash yelled in response.
"Or how your friends will probably abandon you, if you can't fly anymore, and have no other noteworthy talents about you."
"Shut up!" Rainbow Dash yelled again.
"And let's not forget how, when you're laying in your bed at night, you often cry yourself to sleep, because of how much it hurts for us to be so "awesome" for everypony at all hours of the day, because you're not good at anything else..."
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut the FUCK up!" Rainbow Dash roared angrily at what the voice was telling her, and mocking her with. She wasn't weak like that! By now she was seething with anger through clenched teeth, over what she was being teased about.
"Why should I? You're the one who's so bad at what she does, she couldn't even commit suicide right. How's it feel to know that's one more thing you're not good at?"
That last one made her angry enough that her wings immediately flared out in a display of hostility.
But the sensation of impact, followed by a wet smack, and a startled yelp of pain, immediately snapped her out of her fury, by reminding her of the fact that she wasn't alone in the room. Turning her head, she saw the night nurse -she was pretty sure her name was Ebony, if she was remembering right- was rubbing her muzzle; apparently she was the one who'd just gotten smacked right in the face.
"Nice aim you've got there, manure for brains..."
Rainbow Dash wanted to retort to that. But any coherent thoughts of response were interrupted by the sound of hooves against tile, as the two lunar guards came into view.
"Is something wrong?" the guard on the left asked them, the voice sending an unconscious chill up Rainbow Dash's spine, proving to be utterly creepy how it didn't seem at all like what she was expecting it to be.
"Our charge apparently has a ticklish spot that I unknowingly tripped," the nurse stated as she stopped rubbing her muzzle, and set her hoof back down on the floor.
Rainbow Dash was sure the guards were eying them in disbelief of what the nurse had said in response. She knew that story wasn't true, it hadn't been any ticklish spot that'd been tripped. It had all been her, deliberately flaring her wings, without concern for who might've been standing directly behind her.
The guards, however, didn't seem to think anything of it, and left after a moment to return to their posts without another word.
As she sat there, under the pouring water, Rainbow Dash didn't know what to think. She'd struck the nurse without reason, and instead of letting the guards know she'd been assaulted, she'd opted to cover her flank instead. She hadn't even needed to do that, and she still did it. She'd done it even after all the difficulty she'd been giving her. How could somepony be so calm and understanding like that?
And without so much as a word one way or another, she went right back to tending to her wings, as if it was all nothing. How she could be so kind, she honestly didn't know. It wasn't right.
"Ebony?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Miss Dash?" the nurse asked in response as she carefully worked the shampoo in between her feathers. Yep. She'd remembered it correctly.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, you didn't deserve it," she said, remorseful for her actions. She was mad at herself, and she'd lashed out at another. That just wasn't called for.
"You're not the first patient I've tended to, that's felt like getting a little combative with me. And I have a feeling you won't be the last either. Try not to beat yourself up over it," Ebony replied simply, never looking up from her work. She paused briefly to examine the amount of saturation of the shampoo solution, before moving the wing under the water to rinse it out.
Rainbow Dash... she felt like she'd been left hanging. She'd tried to make a proper apology for herself and her actions, and she'd just been politely dismissed, and told that her actions were more or less inconsequential. It left her feeling unfulfilled, and even empty.
"Do you think she'll tuck you into bed too? Maybe give you a bottle, and tell you a bedtime story too?"
"Shut up," Rainbow Dash mentally growled, confusion and emptiness switching over to outright annoyance. "I don't care what you say, you aren't me. I've had it with you!"
"As if I-"
"I'm not done yet, you shut up!" Rainbow Dash interrupted, her frown deepening as she stared at the wall. But at least the voice in her head was being quiet for the moment, as if waiting for her to continue. "I've had it with you, and everything you have to say. Now I really am gonna get better, just so I can get rid of you! This is my head, and you're not welcome here anymore! Get the fuck out!"
"Bold talk coming from a broken little pegasus. There's nothing you can do to make me leave."
At this, Rainbow Dash had no immediate response to fire back.
"That's what I thought. All you've got is talk. But when you get down to it, you know you can't do anything about anything. You can't even tell whether or nor those you call friends actually raped you. All you can do is cry your little eyes out, and feel sorry for yourself. Poor little broken pegasus..."
Rainbow Dash didn't say -or think- a word in response. She was getting too riled up by this constant back and forth argument between herself, and whatever the source of the voice was. And if she didn't manage to calm herself down, her wings were going to wind up snapping open again.
But that was easier said than done, when she really didn't know what happened. Oh sure, she had a general idea, but she couldn't consciously -and immediately- tell what was the truth, what could've been the truth, and what absolutely wasn't the truth. She'd been mindfucked four times already by everything that'd happened, and that made it hard to sort everything out.
First it'd been what happened back in Ponyville, and how it had turned her against the others.
The second time had, again, been in Ponyville, when she'd started hearing that voice, that'd been urging her to kill Rarity in the forest.
Third had been when the Espada had brainjacked her, and subjected her to dozens of hours of his own memories and experiences with that eyeball trick of his. That one had been particularly bad and brutal, as it tore through everything she thought she knew, and showed her that she really didn't know anything at all. Plus trying to make sense of everything she'd been shown, and on her own no less, had been enough to make her consider desperate measures for relief.
And then there'd been what she'd been put through during her stay at the hospital. That one had quite possibly been the worst of them all. Just the thought of it all sent shivers up and down her entire spine. She still didn't feel all that safe around Corners, even if he'd been a victim of Thrush's in his own right; it was just way too soon for that degree of trust right now. Right now she was barely comfortable with trusting the palace health staff.
So yeah, four instances of having her mind scrambled like eggs. Was it any wonder she had trouble telling whether or not her friends were really even her friends? She sure didn't think that it was.
But regardless of such facts, she did realize something. Whether or not she was having difficulty telling truth from fiction, none of that changed the simple -and undeniable- fact that none of this was right. Nor should it be something that she should be tolerating. These were thoughts that had slowly -ever so slowly- been making their way into her mind over the course of days. And slowly -very, very slowly- they were starting to take root. Always at the back of her subconscious, nagging away at her in the same manner as remembering how she'd forgotten something, and was desperately trying to remember it.
She realized that none of this was right. But therein laid the difficulty, in trying to determine how to go about actually making them right. There was no grand epiphany to be had, where all of the pieces fell into place, and everything suddenly clicked to make sense. She was lost here, not knowing what to do. How exactly was she supposed to think of the others, and not feel the jumble of negative emotions attached to each of them? How was she supposed to think of her five friends, without those thoughts turning to how she was going to get even with them? How was she supposed to stop hyperventilating whenever she thought about walking into a darkened room?
If there were any answers to be had to these questions, she didn't know where to begin looking for them.
But maybe... just maybe, they were questions without any readily defined answers, and she needed to make them for herself. Maybe Ulquiorra had been right, and this was something that she needed to do on her own.
Her thoughts were broken by the sensation of hooves against her other wing, indicating that the nurse was still carrying out her duties.
"Hey... Ebony?"
"Yes, Miss Dash?" the nurse asked, not looking up from the wing as she slowly lathered the shampoo solution into the feathers.
"Could you... could you do me a favor?"
Celestia tried to stifle a yawn, tired from everything that'd happened last night. Being out late hadn't exactly been the problem, as everything had gone about as smoothly as could be expected under the circumstances, although it did take longer than expected to get all of the lodestones in place. But simply because they'd managed to return before the crack of dawn, didn't necessarily mean that turning in for the evening was a viable option. For some that tended to the daylight shift, last night had served to get them too emotionally wound up and restless. And she just happened to be one of them. So needless to say, it'd been a long night to experience.
But as she picked at her breakfast, she couldn't help but wonder if that had been for the best. She honestly didn't know what horrifying dreams she might've experienced if she'd actually managed to turn in last night.
Across from her, Luna seemed far less disturbed, and in far more of a mood to eat her morning meal. Watching her sister wolf down her waffles with such eagerness, she couldn't help but wonder just what her experiences had been last night after they'd returned.
Or maybe it was something as simple as the fact that she had waffles. Looking down at her own stack of pancakes, Celestia just couldn't find the appetite for them right now. Oh there was certainly nothing wrong with them by any measure, except for the fact that there was no satisfying crispiness to biting into them. They were soft, and fluffy, but it just wasn't the same. Sometimes one simply wanted something crispy.
Perhaps Luna could be talked into sharing her rich bounty this morning. The more she thought about it, the more waffles appealed to her over pancakes. And with that thought in mind, and a flicking of magic, she levitated her fork over, tentatively reaching for one of the golden brown goods that was just feet away from her.
Unfortunately things didn't go as smoothly as all that. Luna, apparently aware of her intention, made it quite clear that there was to be no sharing this morning, as she responded by biting down on her fork, and snapping it in half in the process. All Celestia could do was pull back what remained of her fork, and stare at where it had been bitten off, as Luna spat out the missing portion in front of her, letting it clatter to the table.
"Know that I love you dearly, my sister. Nothing will ever change that fact," Luna told her and smiled gently in her direction. But then the smile turned into a frown. "But if you attempt to pilfer my waffles again, love will not apply in the ensuing aftermath," she warned cryptically.
"... Understood," Celestia replied, uncertain of what else she could say under such circumstances. "I apologize. I was being inconsiderate to you, Luna," she said as she dropped the remains of her fork on the table, before conjuring a fresh one to take its place.
"Indeed you were, dear sister," Luna replied and turned back to her breakfast, sinking her fork into a fresh waffle... and then levitating it over to Celestia's plate, dropping it on top of her stack of pancakes. "Next time, merely ask."
Celestia blinked in disbelief. Could it really have been as simple as all that? If that was the case, then she'd have to be sure to remember that fact for future reference. But for right now, she'd rather focus more on this golden, crispy delicacy in front of her.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
Unfortunately she wasn't getting to enjoy her meal with any degree of peace. Whereas her pancakes were left neglected due to a lack of appetite for them, her newly acquired waffle was going ignored due to the untimely interruption, of one of her day guards shouting excitedly, as he galloped into the dining hall, and just managed to stop short of slamming into the table, as he panted to catch his breath.
Her initial instinct was to ask the guard just what was so important, that it couldn't wait for her to finish eating. But she thought better of that, when she stopped and thought about just how snappy that would sound if she voiced it. A different route was needed.
"What is it, my little pony? Has something happened?" she asked as she stood up from the table.
The guard nodded in agreement as he struggled to suck down enough air to catch his breath, before finally attempting to voice the matter.
"The prisoner was found dead this morning, Your Majesty," he stated as best he could.
Celestia said nothing at first, trying to process the information she'd just been given. It was a process that had taken about three seconds, before she fully understood everything.
The only pony that was serving as a prisoner right now, was the physician known as Thrush. This was due not only to his assaulting members of the palace staff, but also to allow for the investigation into Canterlot General Hospital to be carried out without obstruction, and possible destruction of important records. And now she was being informed that he was dead.
"You're quite certain?" she asked, still not entirely getting all the minute details that were in play. Maybe there was some confusion going on.
"We're quite certain, Your Majesty. We checked on him at the beginning of our shift this morning in order to serve him his breakfast. He was found murdered inside his cell, with the door still locked," the guard stated firmly.
Not a word was uttered by either of the diarchy in light of this news, as neither of them was entirely certain just what should be said after having a bombshell like this dropped on them. Just what was the appropriate response under these conditions?