The Last Agate

by Bluetree650

Chapter 7

Three days after Octavia told Lyra about the letter, on a bright shiny Wednesday, Hendricks decided his course of action. At all costs he had to let the citizens of Canterlot know that their Head Surgeon is a monster in disguise. He calculated all the risks, sure, if he was caught, he’d go to the dungeon - most likely Layer B- for a few weeks, but that’s it. Both he and Celestia knew that they couldn’t go with both Head Surgeons locked up. Finding a new one would take months and any move Celestia might make would have to go public. If she fires him, the public will question, the nobles will question. They’d want to know why he was fired, then question even more. Either way the truth will be revealed and the proper actions will be taken, whether Celestia wants it or not.

Methodically, Hendricks moved down an alleyway filled with ponies. He wore a sharp three piece suit, one he’d gotten, from his now deceased mother, after receiving his position as Head Surgeon of Canterlot Castle. It was the same suit he wore when accepting the role in front of all of Canterlot. They would recognize him immediately.

Resting the soap box on the ground, he stepped up and faced the ever growing crowd of ponies coming and going. The common folk, while individually they housed no power, collectively they could topple regimes.

“Ponies of Canterlot!” he shouted in a lecture tone, one he’d used to reach the back of even the largest amphitheaters, “You have been deceived!” Ponies turned and looked. Their eyes widened when they saw who was speaking. “The mare known as Sterile Agate, Head Surgeon of Canterlot Hospital, is not who she seems!” Just as he planned, ponies started to blow him off, thinking he was just trying to berate their Head Surgeon. He raised Tarmogoyf to the skies, “In this book are many dark and dangerous spells. I…” he caught himself. It wasn’t time for that, “I have read through this book many a time, learning its hidden secrets.” Lowering the book, he could see that half of the ponies left, some spitting in his face, claiming that the book was a fake. Things were going better than planned. Now to move onto the facts. “It is widely known by every doctor and most of yourselves that for the past twelve Canterlot Hospital Head Surgeons, all of them were Agates. Why is that?” He lowered the book and looked down at one of the few mares sitting in the crowd. “Why is that Miss?”

        Celestia looked out the window, jaw dropped. Outside, right in front of her own castle, the Head Surgeon she chose was spilling her secrets to the masses.

“Back during the black plague” Hendricks shouted, making perfectly sure that Celestia could hear him.

“Guards!” Celestia shouted angrily. She paced around. A knot forming in her chest she thought about how this could be. What treachery had she… no, Sword and Blade had wrought upon her. The one time they mishear a direct order, the one time!

The door to her room opened but a minute later, Sword and Blade at attention. Celestia glared at the two, a fire in her eyes. Sword, the inexperienced, near brash, cadet chosen specifically by his superior, Blade, for his bravado and skill at wielding his weapon, broke a sweat under her gaze, while Blade kept his calm, knowing full well he couldn’t blame him. Celestia hasn’t been this angry since that Cross character came under her care.

“What took you two?” she shouted, getting up and personal with Sword’s face, noticing how a few of his hairs were off color from the rest. Even if the two had showed up during her shout, she’d still yell at them.

“We were listening to Dr. Needle’s speech, Ma’am” Blade said, he saluted, “He is making some rather bold statements about your Head Surgeon if I may say.”

“And you are correct, Sir Blade,” Celestia stood up straight, letting a shaky sigh leave without much grace, “and I want him arrested,” Blade’s eyes widened, “only if he speaks ill of my name, you hear me?” She knew the game Hendricks was playing. He wanted her to admit to using the mind meld spell to the public and is luring her into making a mistake. If she arrested him under the accusations of her other Head Surgeon, her children will question. They will get angry and demand the truth.

Hendricks played a dirty game, but Celestia wasn’t born yesterday.

Neither were her ponies.

“And don’t fudge this you two, or it’s the back of the unemployment line. You hear me!”

“Yes Ma’am!” The two saluted before leaving the inner sanctum.

“The mind meld spell, one found in the book Tarmogoyf,” Hendricks raised his book again, “describes exactly the situation we find each Agate born into this world.” A flash of gold and Celestia’s personal guards arrived on the scene. Time to get arrested.

About half of the ponies that sat mere minutes ago were gone, but everypony heard, everypony glanced for a few seconds before passing. They’d tell their families, Hendricks Needle was arrested over stealing a book. By Celestia’s personal guard no less. Word would spread, and ponies would ask questions.

“This book I hold here describes what happens when an Agate loses control, and the dates match up! Everytime a massacre, the Gypsy massacre, the Orphan massacre, the date is exactly the same as that of an Agate’s death. Coincidence? I think not!”

“And where did you get that book?” An onlooker carrying a child on his back said.

It was time. The guards were looking. He knew the cards. He made the deck, but, could he do it? Tarnish his own reputation by getting arrested over something so trivial? Sterile wasn’t hurting anypony, hell, she’s only in the dungeon because she neglected her child. Would they even believe him?

Too late for that, Hendricks ol pal, he thought. Steeling himself, he spoke the words. “I stole it from Princess Celestia’s vault!”

The guards didn’t move.

“Yeah, sure buddy, and pigs fly over the rainbow to reach their homeland.” The child carrying stallion said before heading back.

Ponies followed suit, leaving in droves now. “Wait he shouted, you’ve got to believe me!” This wasn’t part of the plan. Sword and Blade were to arrest him after he admitted to stealing Tarmogoyf, but things weren’t out of his hooves yet.

He just had to be a bit more direct.

“Celestia, our Celestia, Goddess of both Sun and Moon,” he started his voice shaking a little, “couldn’t save her children from throwing up their own organs back in the Black Plague, so you know what she did?” Sword’s hooves locked into place and he began dragging Hendricks back… but forgot to shut him up at the same time. “Celestia used the mind meld spell to fuck with a child’s bra…” Blade gagged the doctor.

But he was too late.

 Bound and gagged, Hendricks was dragged to the dungeon. Celestia questioned his will. The way his eyes glossed over at the sight of her immaculate stature spoke thousands of unspoken words. He wasn’t expecting to be arrested.

It was Celestia’s greatest mistake, one that would lead to the unraveling of her two hundred year charade.

“Where should we stick him?” Sword asked, heffing Doctor Needle’s hefty body onto the stone floor of Layer B. Sterile patiently licked her hoof before turning a page in the book she read, not giving her new dungeon mate even a passing glance.

 “The Princess said I get the choice since you forgot to shut him up,” Blade said opening the door to the cell across from Sterile Agate’s. “I say he faces the one he’s accused,” he lit his horn, casually chucking the doctor into the dark cell. “I’m sure he’ll realize his stupidity after watching Crystal’s undying love for her mother. He’ll see she’s not a monster. He’ll see that she’s a dedicated pony that just got her priorities mixed up.” He spat in the doctor’s face, glaring daggers at him. “Ponies like this disgust me. Trying to advance themselves by stepping all over their competition. Sword, untie him, I can’t look at his ugly mug anymore.”

“Yessir!” Sword saluted Blade as he passed by.

After following his orders, Sword quietly left to return to his position at the base of Twilight’s stairs. Hendricks just stared into Sterile’s cell. While she had a full sized bed with a soft mattress pad and a shelf of books, he had nothing but cold stone floors, a cot and a private commode. He watched her for a bit, the way she sat stone still on that bed, reading the entire medical history for what had to be the third time, enticed the same way one might watching a caged lion.

“Why do you get special rights?” he asked, feeling the need to exercise his right to speak.

“I have a child,” Sterile said, monotoned, like she heard the question from inside her own mind. She licked her hoof and turned the page, not even giving recognition that she was spoken to.

“What’s your child’s name?”

Sterile slammed her book, creating a little cloud of dust that floated aimlessly above her. She got up, stretched a few of her legs until they cracked before laying a glare on Hendricks that would make even Blade flinch. “I know what you said about me. I could hear every word you worthless prick. And I’d like to say that my work will not be affected whatsoever from your lies. Saying I’m the product of some kind of dark magic, that my predecessors didn’t earn their spots as Head Surgeons is just some vain attempt at my job.” She spat with the precision of a surgeon and hit her mark. Hendrick’s open eye. “I must agree with Blade. Ponies like you disgust me.” Her words said, Sterile sat back on her bed and opened her book.

Hendricks mulled each word over, everyone missing its mark, unlike her spit, that stung, and the thought of Phil Philton came up. Sterile was right, ponies that personally accuse their competitors of blind accusations are disgusting, but that was life. Ponies like that held power while the kind little ponies held nothing.

The entirety of Layer B fell into a dark silence, the only sound was the occasional flip of Sterile’s paperback.

Hendricks once despised her. It might be his “Master Race” parents, always hating on Earth ponies, telling him Earth ponies could never be proficient at something like medicine, that they were meant to grovel at the hoof of unicorns, cook their food, tend their fields, but seeing Sterile now. Her hard shell and tough words, marks she had earned from dealing with ponies like his parents. She pushed through that diversity as well as all her predecessors. They proved his father wrong and have swept the name Head Surgeon of Canterlot Hospital twelve times running. But with the precision of his horn compared to her hooves, the mental capability of even the lowliest unicorns, even if the Agates made the impossible happen, why has no one followed? Why has no other Earth pony reached anything higher than a simple RN? The answer is simple. They had help.

An hour of silence later, the sound of hoofsteps came from upstairs. “Mommy?” A curious voice muffled by a stone staircase said.

“Come on down, Crystal, I’m just reading.” Sterile looked up, a smile adorning her features. Hendricks saw this and questioned.

“Can I go?”

“You don’t need to ask that everytime I take you, Crystal,” A new voice. Hendricks thought it might be Twilight. “She’s your mother.”

Seconds later the clatter of hooves came rushing down. Crystal Agate stumbled towards one of the bars of her mother’s cell. Hendricks was about to tell her to stop but his mouth dropped when that bar lifted and she ran through, jumping onto Sterile’s bed and cuddling close.

“How’s my baby today? Did you read a lot with Twilight?” Sterile said, pulling her child into a one armed hug, licking her right eye.

“I’m doing great Mommy! Twilight took me to meet Miss PennyWise. I was scared at first, but Twilight was there so I was alright.” Crystal chirped.

Sterile messed Crystal’s mane, chuckling at the filly’s seemingly boundless energy as she vigorously rubbed her head against her mother’s chest. “Stop Crystal,” Sterile said, “that tickles.”

Hendricks watched, analysed, Sterile Agate as she was assaulted by the tickle monster. The scene was heartwarming to him, and he thought back to what Blade said. He wanted to comment, to get a reaction from her, but something stopped him. It felt almost sacrilegious stopping such a genuine moment between mother and child.

Eventually the energy died down and Sterile started to read to her child. The attentive look in the child’s eye reminded him of his own time, with his own mother. Hendricks shuddered, wishing briefly to feel the touch of her fur on his shoulder. He’d look over and see her beautiful blue eyes. Why are you in jail, Henny? Those eyes would say. Henny, that’s a nickname he hadn’t thought about in a while.

“For accusing the Princess,” Hendricks spoke, wiping a single tear from his cheek.

“Who’s there!” Crystal shouted, her voice seemed to crack.

Hendricks looked up, just realizing he’d spoke. Across the hall, the child shrunk into the encircling embrace of its mother. Sterile’s eyes were stone, but they didn’t look cold. He was a whistleblower, not a rapist after all.

“It’s me, Crystal,” Carefully, he moved into the light, his hooves raised, “I’m Doctor Needle,” he said with the smile he gave every frightened child, “call me Henny.”

The child’s eyes widened and a near silent gasp escaped her lips. Instantaneously, Sterile pulled herself over the child’s body, baring her teeth.

There were those same eyes. The ones his own mother would give to ponies wanting to hurt him. Shield eyes she’d called them, but he’d never seen such a turnabout. Going from gentle and loving one second, shield eyes the next was something his own mother could never do. Blade was right about one thing, the mother and child did share a strong bond, despite being so far away all the time.

He smiled.

“No need to fret Sterile, you of all ponies should know I’d never, ever think of hurting a foal. I’m a doctor, healing, not hurting, is what I do.” He watched her sigh before lowering her stance and losing those shield eyes. Yet she questioned why the child was still scared. He was behind bars. “Has she not told you yet?”

“Told me what? Crystal would never keep a secret from me.”

He understood. The child gave undying love despite the lack of interaction. The love you’d give a god. “I’m sure you know of Twilight? Crystal’s second sister.”

“Of course, Crystal talks about her everytime she visits, but how did you know?”

“I didn’t,” Hendricks chuckled, an honest laugh that eased Sterile’s worries a bit. “You just told me. And since you did, I’ll share a secret with you, but you have to promise to keep it to yourself.”

The mother looked at the child, almost scrutinising, before looking up. “You have my word.” The child epped before burying herself into the mother’s coat.

“Very well,” Hendricks sat back in the shadows, his bed hard as stone, “just the other day, I had to heal a stab wound in Miss Sparkle. A nine inch kitchen knife, most commonly used for cutting vegetables, had been driven through her upper left arm. Right between the radius and ulna. Like threading a needle. And where do you think precision that well honed would come from?”

Sterile looked at her daughter. “Explain yourself. Are you accusing my daughter of stabbing her sister?”

“Accusing, no,” Hendricks chuckled, “I’m telling you the truth. Just look at your daughter there. She does the dance of the guilty.”

Again she looked down, seeing clearly, Crystal squirm and whimper. Like a rat in a cage. “Twilight!” she called, knowing full well Celestia meant for her to stay at the door so Crystal didn’t need to stray too far before finding someone she cared for.

Hendricks smile grew.

There was a thump from upstairs before the worried sound of hoofsteps coming down. Had she been writing something? Hendricks knew for a fact that Twilight did more than just care for Crystal. To her, she had a dual purpose when it came to the filly that called her ‘sister’ and he’d bet his life on her having a little journal, like his own black book, hidden under her bed. A journal marking Crystal’s interactions, her mood swings, even the tender moments between them were written down in there.  

“Yes Sterile?” Twilight said as she poked her head through the door.

“Come here, I need to ask you something,” Sterile had her hoof around Crystal, trapping her.

Hendricks watched Twilight move, slowly, like one trapped in a room with a beast. His eyes flickered to Sterile. She walked like she’d seen the beast roar.

“Come now Twilight, I thought you were over your pointless fear?” Sterile hurried the purple unicorn along with a hoof. “I’m a doctor, one meant to heal. I know needles are scary, but that doesn’t mean you should run away from your appointment.”

“That makes no sense,” Twilight said, giving up the cautious approach and trotting the rest of the way. “Hi Crystal.” Crystal didn’t respond.

“Let me see your arm, the left one,” Sterile said.

She looked at her with warm and inviting eyes.

“Oh… uh sure.” Twilight pushed her left arm, up to the shoulder, through the bars. Sterile got up and yanked it, eliciting a yelp from the teen.

“Oh grow up, Twilight. You’re what? Thirteen?” Sterile didn’t wait for a response, she eyed the upper arm, dropping the room into an awkward silence for a few minutes. “I see nothing. Needle, don’t mess with me. If Crystal stabbed her, there’d be a scar.”

“You clearly aren’t up to date on the newest spell. One of my own creation,” Hendricks didn’t mock Sterile with his words, “I’m offended.”

“Twilight, tell me. Did my daughter stab you?” Sterile let go of the arm, ignoring Hendricks. “I need to know.”

Twilight turned to Crystal. She was hiding under her mother’s sheets, shaking violently and looking up with shimmering eyes. She silently begged to keep it a secret, and Twilight actually thought about lying, but the thought of being hurt by such a powerful pony such as Sterile overwhelmed her. “She’ll figure it out eventually, Crystal,” she said, and Crystal hid under the covers. “Yes, Crystal stabbed me in the left shoulder, and Doctor Needle healed me.”

“I see,” calmy, Sterile moved back to her bed, careful not to sit on her daughter. “Tell me everything. What was her motivation, did she apologize? Leave no detail out.”

Twilight did, she told her exactly what she told Celestia, her involvement, Crystal’s involvement, even the touching scene in Layer A, and throughout the story, Crystal slowly revealed herself, leaning against her mother’s side at the end.

“Wow, a lot happened to you yesterday, my filly,” Sterile said once Twilight quieted. She put an arm around Crystal, noticing all too well the way she looked.

“Are you g-going to punish me?” Crystal’s voice shook and she pressed herself against Sterile’s fur.

“Well, I have no choice. You may have apologized, you may have explained yourself, and it might not be your fault entirely, but in the end you still stabbed your sister, and that means punishment.”

“Go easy on her, Doctor Agate!” Twilight said.

“Sure, and call me Sterile, unless you feel more comfortable with mother?” Sterile looked up and smiled. Twilight didn’t respond. Crystal however eyed her mother’s form, whimpering. “I think forbidding her from seeing me for a week will do. No spankings or harsh words, just the loss of visitation rights “

“Oh yes, that should work fine.” Twilight nodded, glad Sterile was the forgiving kind.

“NoOO!” Crystal wailed. She clamped onto her mother, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Anything but that! I was just getting used to having a mommy for more than one hour a year! It’s so cool to have you around. You’re such a cool pony. I love you! I love you!”

Sterile watched quietly, a look of pure horror on her mug. Hendricks saw too, making a “hmmm” sound. Twilight just looked at the scene with confusion. Crystal should know her mother was being lenient. It’s not like she’s going to die before the week’s out?

Crystal’s tears slowed almost immediately, her emotions going into dangerous zones, the safety nets came into effect. Her eyes closed and she sighed before her body relaxed. She started to fall, Twilight lit her horn to catch her, but her mother steadied the filly.

“Twilight, I have a doctorate in child psychology. I wasn’t being lenient.” Sterile said, calmly stroking Crystal’s head, “after a week with constant visitation to the god she revers, getting to finally learn more about her, then losing it all that in the blink of an eye. Twilight, she’ll remember this for the rest of her life as the worst week ever,”

“But… after hearing the whole story, how she spilled her guts to me? Told me her deepest fear, you’re going to give her the worst punishment you can imagine!”

“Because she stabbed you, Twilight.” Sterile sat straight up and gave her a deadpan look, “No one in my family hurts another family member.”

Twilight blinked, and so did Hendricks, “Wha? Okay, uhh.” She nervously rubbed the back of her neck, “when you put it that way, wait! Does that mean you’re going to take her home a week from now?”

“No, I will not take the eight to three schedule, now take her away from me. As my unoffical offical daughter, I will appoint you to keeping Crystal well aware of her punishment.” She held Crystal out.

“Ah… yes Ma’am” Twilight grabbed Crystal in her magic, lifted the one way hinge on the bar, “I mean, Mom… I mean Sterile…” the two looked at each other before Twilight squeaked and ran off. Her unofficial official sister floating along side.

That night. After everyone had fallen into deep sleep, Hendricks woke. Celestia had forgotten one major thing when she imprisoned him. Maybe it was because she still wanted to trust him, or wanted to believe that he just needed some time to think about his mistake, but she left him his magic.

Now, as he woke from false sleep, eyeing Sterile’s sleeping form. He was still deciphering her interactions with both her daughters, but one thing stood out immediately. The level of control she had over her emotions was astounding. If he hadn’t been professionally trained (at his own whim) on body language, he would have never noticed the subtle changes in her facial structure. Yet, even Twilight saw the look she gave when Crystal first begged for forgiveness.

However, that wasn’t on his mind. During his planning time, before he got arrested, he thought of an extremely simple way to decipher the existence of black magic in Sterile’s body. A method Twilight herself used in fact.

Throughout his years of study, Hendricks was the best at one thing. The magic scan could easily be called his forte. He could mark a ponies life after two uses, could perform the deed without even lighting his horn; he’s still working on getting an accurate reading while the target is on a roller coaster, but, one step at a time.

His target this time was sitting still, with a simple blanket muddling his view. Child’s play.

From his position on his twin bed, he closed his eyes and sent a colorless pulse of magic at Sterile. Unlike when Twilight did it, Hendricks only needed one pulse to get a clear image. He didn’t like what he saw.

At first he thought the blanket was thicker than he’d imagined and sent another pulse. This time he could see it squirming.

The blackness he thought was just darkness was actually another pony… well sort of. There was a head, eyes -red ones- front legs, and a torso, all connecting to what should be Sterile’s brain. It looked like a pony oozing out of a toothpaste bottle, head first, then legs… Hendricks put his hooves to his mouth, muffling his scream.

The toothpaste monster turned and looked at him. It looked directly at him, like it knew he was watching. Its red eyes glowing in the darkness like fire, they pierced his veil of sanctity and made him feel exposed. Like it could all too easily kill him, like it wanted to kill him from across the room.

Hendricks shuddered, pulling his blanket over himself as if it’ll keep that thing from seeing him. Not normal… not normal… he thought, shaking as his worst fears were confirmed.

The next three days were like a trip. Crystal, every morning, noon, and evening, would run down to Layer B and beg for attention. Twilight had to break her heart everytime by dragging her sister away from the one thing she wanted in the world.

She didn’t see the tears on Sterile’s face, but Hendricks did.

Crystal could barely keep still. She’d burst into tears at the smallest provocation. Twilight once asked her how her food tasted and she just broke down. Fainting two minutes later. Heck, right after she left Layer B, Crystal fainted four times in Twilight's lap. Wake up, Faint, wake up, faint. The whole thing killed Twilight on the inside. She did everything she could to ease Crystal’s pain. Telling her that her mother wasn’t going anywhere, that she’d see her when the week was up, but nothing got through to her. She’d take her to the park, and Abra would bounce and try to cheer her up, but all she’d do was hide under her bench, numb to the world.

On the fourth day of her punishment, all her improvements, her boundless energy, her bright eyes and smile, even the way she slipped down the stairs every morning, too tired to look where she’s going, disappeared. It was like she reverted back to some other distant time to cope with the pain.

What worried Twilight the most was how she never talked anymore. She still clung to her like fur to a pony, but words never really came. She didn’t even talk when they were alone anymore. All Crystal would do is read. It was like all her personality had been sucked out, leaving a cold husk of a pony.

That husk however, is what Celestia had been waiting for.

On the second to last day of Crystal’s punishment, Celestia did one of her little tests.

Crystal and Twilight were walking down the hallway. Celestia had pretty much ignored the duo ever since she sentenced them to three hours in Layer A, but Celestia walked down that same hallway, stopping right in front of them.

To Twilight, she looked angry, and dropped low, ready to teleport Crystal to her room at a moment's notice, but the need never arised. Celestia just glared at Crystal, her lips a tight line across her face.

“You’re Slouching!” she said, catching the attention of everyone in the hallway.

Both her and Twilight watched Crystal react. A slow raise of the head to reveal two icy eyes, and a deep frown, it looked like she didn’t even hear the harsh words.

“You’re point?”

Everyone gasped, backing away. Twilight’s mouth dropped. It was the first words she’d spoken in two days. She was about to spew a lie to cover her sister, but, she needed none. Celestia just smiled.

“It’s time,” she said slinking along, “I’ll see you two in Twilight’s room, eight PM sharp. I’m sure you’ll be there, right?”

Octavia was in the middle of evening tea with both Lyra and Vinyl. They were discussing their plans amongst themselves. What songs to play, how the concert would go, even a second secret. Octavia told the others about her encounter with Crystal, and they both fell in love with the filly.

After her second cup, Octavia heard a pop from the kitchen. Quietly dismissing herself, she went to investigate.

The letter had been written hastily, and it was completely different from Celestia’s other letters. No apology, no money, the letter was just one sentence that spoke of urgency Octavia couldn’t understand.

She showed Lyra and the two spent another hour talking before taking their weapons of choice and moving to the castle garden.

Finally, the moon shown in the sky. The delicate task of setting the sun complete, Celestia sighed before looking up. Her sister, Luna, glared back at her as the mare in the moon and everytime she saw her trapped like that it brought a tear to her eye.

“What would you have done, sister?” Celestia’s words went unanswered. She often came to this very spot, the only one in the castle to see Luna’s favorite flower - the lunar middlemist- bloom, to collect her thoughts. Ponies on a late night stroll would see their princess having a conversation with the moon and question, but no one ever said anything.

“It’s the last one sister.” Celestia spoke as if the words were too heavy to lift. “Crystal is the last pony I will have to go through this with, and Twilight’s really grown attached to her. If only Sterile will accept my gracious offer. Sister,” she looked up into the eye of the moon, “why do I feel like I’m leaving something out. Something very important that I should have easily known?” Celestia sighed before turning to her left.

In the patch of blooming sand dollops, Lyra Heartstrings and Octavia Philharmonica stood, nervously eyeing her. “We’re here like you wanted, Princess,” Octavia said.

Money exchanged hooves and Celestia lead the two to Twilight’s tower.

Stomachs full, Twilight carefully lead Crystal back to her room. She hadn’t said a single word since Celestia “tested” her, but she did show a sign of affection. A single nuzzle to the leg after the meal was said and done. It wasn’t much, but more than Twilight expected.

Normally after dinner Twilight would read one of her childhood books to Crystal before tucking her in for the night. It had the most effect on the sheltered filly, opening her up to a whole new world; one where ponies explored caves for long lost treasures and butterflies painted the sky, but tonight. Tonight was the night where Crystal’s life would be turned upside down.

Slowly she lead Crystal through the doorway. The room itself was pitch black, but Twilight know where the red mat right in front of the fireplace was by heart. Crystal sat down and leaned against Twilight’s stomach. She threw a log into the fireplace, the warm light a comforting sight for both. Twilight looked down at her unofficial official sister. Her normally pristine white coat was about five shades darker tonight.

The two sat in silence until a large figure poked her head through the doorway.

“May I come in?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, Princess,” Twilight could see that her mentor looked half as happy to be here as she did. At least Celestia didn’t enjoy shattering a filly’s entire world.

Celestia sat down in front of the fire, and once more silence fell upon the room.

“So, where to begin,” Celestia mused, a weight forming in her chest. “How about this. Crystal, have you ever wondered why you’ve never met your father?”

Celestia started with the big fish first, Crystal’s lack of a father and why that is, then the deaths of all her brothers. After those, Crystal looked like a small twig in the breeze, ready to snap, but when Twilight touched her back, she leaned in and said, “Is that it?”

Celestia shook her head, bracing herself, she told her about her lineage, how she’s a descendant of the great Pac Agate, and that cheered her up a little, yet it wasn’t to be. She went down the list, Tarmogoyf, how she’s the product of a dark magic spell, the mind melding, and with every one, Crystal seemed to wilt more and more. At one point she begged for Celestia to stop, but that happened everytime, and once she got on a roll, she couldn’t stop until the track ran out.

To her credit, Crystal only started crying after learning that inside her is a sort of pony that sends thoughts to her when she’s unstable. She made the connection between that and stabbing Twilight immediately and broke down.

“That’s not all,” Celestia did better at keeping herself composed than she had most other times, but she was reaching her limit.

“Celestia, stop,” Twilight was crying too. Celestia felt her student’s heart ache for the filly in her lap, “That’s enough.”

“No Twilight, if I don’t tell her now, I’ll never get the nerve again, Crystal,” Celestia pulled Crystal’s head until she saw those teary blue eyes, “when you die…”

“Stop it!” Twilight plugged Crystal’s ears, “Celestia, hasn’t she heard enough? I mean, she’s already scarred for life, why…” a zipper appeared, surrounded by golden magic before zipping Twilight’s mouth shut.

Celestia pulled Twilight’s hooves away, exposing Crystal’s ears. “Crystal, when you die,” Twilight flailed, trying everything to stop what was about to be said, “the magic inside of you will take control and,” one last desperate scream came muffled from Twilight, “you will kill everyone around you. It’ll mark a massacre, one of many that have happened because of your kind.” With that she got up and left, unable to see the fruit of her words. She forgot to unzip Twilight.

“Do your thing,”she said, passing Octavia and Lyra, who sat ready and waiting outside Twilight’s room.

Twilight gawked as Celestia left, then suddenly remembered she had telepathy.

(What the heck Celestia! You’re going to tell her all that then just leave? She trusts you too! Help her!) Twilight got up, anger blinding her and took off after her.

(I’ve done that twelve times already Twilight) Celestia replied, her stride lengthening, (I can’t take it any more, it’s your job now) Twilight passed Octavia and Lyra without a care and went off into the darkness.

Crystal saw this and weakly called out for her, “Please, don’t go,” but Twilight didn’t hear, she was in her own world. She watched the door, swaying with tears falling down her cheek. It was like someone ripped off her coat in the middle of a blizzard, saying ‘this is the real world, deal with it’. But she couldn’t. She’ll freeze without help. Suddenly the door creaked, and two monsters came through.

“She doesn’t look so good,” Lyra said, noticing Crystal.

“Yeah, it looks like she just watched her mother die,” Octavia replied, marking the filly’s gray coat,” this isn’t the filly that slept on my leg, it’s like she’s some kind of half breed, an imposter.”

Were they talking about her? What were those things on their backs? Crystal shook, unable to draw from memories past to quell her fears.

“Octavia, it’s my job to make silly analogies,” Lyra playfully punched Octavia in the shoulder, eliciting a yelp of shock, “and that one was just depressing” she held out her “hand” placing it on Crystal’s shoulder. “Hey, you alright?”

Crystal screamed. Whirling around, her hoof turned pitch black and she smashed the cold thing that touched her. With a loud bang, the ‘hand’ fell to the ground in pieces. She screamed again before running out the door. Into the dark night where fears doubled and emotions were never in control.

The only thing Crystal could see were the wind resistant torches, like a line of angry mobs just waiting to burn her as she shambled along.

Let me help you, a familiar, comforting voice said. Crystal ignored it, knowing it was the curse inside her trying to take her over like last time.

“Twilight, Celestia,” she weakly called, briefly wondering why those two weren’t following her. DIdn’t they want to hurt her?

I can help, just let me.

Crystal walked along the wall, her eyes blurry and legs shaky. She felt so cold, and she’d lost Twilight. All she wanted was shelter from the bitter cold of reality.

I can give you that.

She did her best to ignore the curse. Leaning against the wall, she tried to think of something she could do to quell this gale of fear.

Fear. Didn’t Celestia say something about passing out when her emotions went out of control? “I-I need to feel safe,” she whispered, the darkness masking countless monsters waiting to rip her to shreds.

I can give you that, too

What about Mom? For a fleeting moment, a warmth that dwarfs the fire in Twilight’s room coursed through her heart, but died when she remembered her punishment. It ended tomorrow.

“Mom doesn’t want to see me,” her words sapped her resolve and she sank to the cold floor, wrapping her arms around herself. She wished for someone, anyone to tell her she’s safe.

“I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe.” Crystal repeated the mantra Twilight taught her after the incident at Layer A. “I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe… I’m-”

You’re not safe

Crystal screamed, “SHUT UP!” punching herself in the face as if that’ll hurt the “pony” inside her.

You’re not safe, no one cares for you.

A door opened, revealing Phil Philton in the light of the torch. “Do you know what bloody time it is… oh,” his filibuster died in his throat at the sight of Crystal, “hey, are you alright? It’s really late, you can come in. My wife can make some hot chocolate and-”

“Get away from me!” Crystal shouted. More doors opened, and nobles a lot meaner than Phil popped their heads out, “just get away, I... I…” she got up and ran into the darkness, loud wails waking up the entire castle.

Then stopped.

Phil and about twelve other nobles watched as what looked like eldritch fire, starting from the hooves, climbed the young filly’s fur. “Get the guards” he shouted, or wanted to if his lungs hadn’t froze at the sight of her eyes. Once a precious blue, now a blood deep red, piercing him like daggers.

All he could do was watch as the filly was consumed.

When her entire body was pitch black, she disappeared.

When she disappeared screams came from behind him.

He turned around to get a look at what happened when the screams started from his left. Then right. Then from behind him. Before his skull caved in he could hear the sound of bones breaking, heads being smashed, even smell the blood of his friends. Then it all went black.

(You couldn’t comfort her! After what you said, you couldn’t do her justice?)

Twilight followed Celestia as she moved towards her room. Crystal was completely forgotten at this point, it was all about the principle now. You could easily replace Crystal’s name with Peach and it’d have the same meaning.

(Twilight, for the last time, I can’t comfort her. Just seeing her makes me want to kill myself)

(You can’t. If you cut off your head it’ll reattach itself, if you cut out your heart it’ll go back in place.) The thought amused her more than it should have.

(Crystal tried when I told her Cross was dead. Bite straight into my jugular.)

(Don’t talk about that sort of stuff, Princess, it bugs…)

The screams started. Piercing ones of utter agony. Celestia turned around to see Twilight following her. “What the hell!” she screamed, “why aren’t you with Crystal?”

Twilight turned around, attracted to the noise like a moth to a deadly flame. Her brow slickened with sweat and she ignored Celestia all together. Realizing her mistake, she raced towards the sound. Knowing in her heart that it was Crystal.

By the time the two made it to the hallway, Phil and five other ponies were dead with three others on the ground in a pool of their own blood. Bone, brain and blood splattered the walls like paint.

Twilight threw up.

She didn’t realize that a total of twenty ponies were dead, not just six.

Crystal, Twilight knew it was Crystal, was surrounded by black flames. Zipping around the hallway like a bouncy ball, beating literal holes into the ponies stupid enough to open their doors.

“Crystal!” she shouted.

The black filly stopped right in front of her. The fire disappeared from her head, revealing a red eyed Crystal. “Twilight!” she cried, fear evident in her voice. She took a step forward, and Twilight took one back. “Twilight?”

She hates you. She wants you dead.

“What happened?” Twilight’s voice, just above a whisper, barely made it to its destination.

“Twilight,” tears coming down her cheeks, “do you hate me?”

Twilight was wordless. She took another step back just as Celestia came forth, unfurling her wing, like a kind of shield, blocking Crystal from view.

She hates you, they all hate you. KILL THEM!

Crystal screamed, the curse wrapping around her head like a dark helmet, and she bolted through the wing, leaving a hole the size of a dinner plate.

Celestia yelled in pain, giving Crystal the opening to break Twilight’s left front leg, then three of her ribs and the right back leg before she was wrapped in a bubble of water.

Dark magic is like fire. Water kills it. When Celestia trapped Crystal, the dark magic slowly died, lifting like pieces of shredded paper in the wind.

Twilight, barely breathing, watched as the magic dissolved, leaving a very real and very scared Crystal. Yet, Celestia didn’t pop the bubble.

“She need air!” Twilight shouted before doubling over in pain.

“No,” Celestia said, “with what she did to the nobles, she’ll be executed no matter what I do. I… I can’t do it twice.”

Snap her neck A voice inside Celestia’s head said. It sounded exactly like Hazel Eyes. Celestia started to cry. Quick and Painless right?

Crystal flailed, water, where did it come from? I can’t breath. Twilight watched as bubbles floated out of her unofficial official sister’s mouth. She watched as the tiny filly squirmed, desperate for air.

(Celestia, you’re... k-killing her) her thought went unanswered.

Snap her neck Celestia, she’s suffering. Celestia didn’t see Crystal anymore, she saw Hazel Eyes. Her daughter, and she was suffering.

Celestia saw Hazel Eyes drowning right in front of her.

End it, please, Hazel mouthed.

Celestia flinched, she couldn’t kill her again. No impossible.

Twilight, seeing Celestia hesitate, fired up her horn, but before she could let loose a bolt of raw magic, Celestia snapped Crystal’s neck.

Celestia had seen something. It was a sort of peace in Hazel’s eyes. She wanted death, she didn’t need death like back with the Black Plague, she wanted it. Would feel better if she was dead. The thought of mercy killing finally clicked in Celestia mind two hundred years too late. Better late than never.

Twilight screamed, only stopping when she started to cough up blood.

The bubble popped, Crystal fell. Twilight crawled forward, ignoring the agonizing pain, and wrapped her good arm around her sister’s limp body.

Her eyes were open.

“Crystal!” Twilight screamed. She didn’t let her say anything, for fear of time. “Crystal, I love you, I can never hate you. You are a beautiful little filly, one that should live, but… but…” Twilight cried. There was a loud banging coming from the direction of Layer B as she placed her forehead against Crystal’s. She felt a weak nuzzle and heard a soft sigh.

“Love… always… big…”

        Crystal died.