//------------------------------// // Snapped // Story: Meltdown // by Fabulosity Personified //------------------------------// “If I have to deal with one more trivial request today, I think I’ll scream,” Twilight said through gritted teeth, as her horn glowed with a pinkish aura. The mare was currently in the midst of yet another Ponyville ‘crisis’, this time dealing with Lyra’s pet cat, Mittens, who had managed to climb a tree and got stuck. Of course, a ‘crisis’, Twilight thought, visualising the inverted commas; like this couldn’t be dealt with by Lyra herself. Oh no, it was a job for the number one problem-fixer in Equestria. More and more these days, ponies seemed to come to her first, rather than sort things out themselves. Any argument, accident, or emergency was the responsibility of the Element of Magic, who could wave her horn and fix anything and who of course never had anything better to do herself. Normally Twilight wouldn’t have minded; she was happy to help and did so with a smile, but when she was genuinely busy (those friendship reports wouldn’t write themselves) and when she’d been called out a dozen times before lunch and the same cat had climbed the same tree three times already, it began to grate. Besides, she didn’t feel much like going outside at the moment. Even the name of the cat she was constantly rescuing was beginning to get on Twilight’s nerves, for the simple reason that she had no idea what mittens were and Twilight hated not knowing things more than anything else. That cat sure had a good grip. With a mental tug from the purple pony, Mittens jerked free and hovered down to the ground, where it sat nonchalantly, unaware of the ire and worry it had caused Twilight and Lyra respectively. “There you go Lyra. Please, this time, try and keep him out of the tree.” “Oh I will! See you later Twily.” Lyra trotted off towards her house, Mittens balanced on her back. Twilight’s teeth ground together. Ever since the wedding everypony was calling her that. They didn’t seem to understand that it was her brother’s nickname for her. She took a deep breath and composed herself, but still found herself relatively near the end of her usually long tether. “It was really nothing. No need to thank me,” she muttered, turning and leaving, back towards the library. Her week had been dreadful though and today had started equally as badly. To make things worse, she hadn’t seen her friends in ages, so busy had she been. Not to mention scared of them seeing her like she’d been this week. Really, she thought, was all the work and stress worth it? Her stomach rumbled, breaking her out of her reverie. She was so hungry, she could eat a… Twilight paused, unable to think of a suitable ending to that musing. She’d worry about it later; the Pegasi had outdone themselves with the weather - the sun was blazing overhead, but with a pleasant breath of wind that cooled her fur. Maybe the day wasn’t going to turn out as badly as she thought. *** Spike looked up as the door to the library burst open, revealing the rain that fell in heavy sheets and a sodden Twilight, who stepped into the comforting warmth that always seemed to accompany the musty atmosphere of hundreds of books grouped together. Spike looked bemused to see the soaked Unicorn. “Maybe that wasn’t the best time to be outside. Didn’t you see on the weather forecast that Aero dropped round last week that it was going to rain just before lunch?” Spike sniggered, “Well I guess you know now, huh?” Twilight ignored him, approaching the table and slumping onto it. “But hey, doesn’t matter now. I’ve had a great morning with Owloysius and we did all the sorting you left me in record time and we have friendship reports to write and I know how that always cheers you up and…” “Will you shut the buck up Spike?” The silence was almost palpable, as the warmth of the library suddenly seemed transformed into an oppressive heat. “I’m not in the mood. For anything.” The lack of emotion in her voice said more than words could. Getting to her hooves, Twilight turned and went up the stairs to her bedroom. Spike was silent. A tear rolled down his cheek. *** “And she’s been up there all day?” Spike sat, legs dangling and swinging, kicking his heels against the hat box he was perched on. He looked up to the face of the purple maned pony addressing him and nodded. “Yep, she’s just lying there, face in her pillow. She’s not crying, but she won’t say anything either and I’m really worried, Rarity. She was really angry with me and, I mean, she’s been angry before, but usually it’s much more shouty and not so… cold.” A frown crossed her delicate features and the sewing machine that was criss-crossing Rarity’s latest masterpiece whirred to a stop. While she may not have usually worried too much about her friend snapping and wanting to be alone, she knew Spike well enough to notice the hurt in his voice and in the slump of his body language. Besides, she’d snapped and been a tad overdramatic about things before, and she knew the difference between anger and a real problem. “Well then, Spike, we’ll just have to try and talk to her.” “You think? I mean… you didn’t see her. She reminded me of when we fought Discord and she was all heartbroken and defeated.” “Trust me darling, I’ll have her back on her feet in no time. I’m her friend aren’t I?” *** “Twilight? Twilight, darling, are you home?” Rarity knew she was, of course, but it was common courtesy to enquire, rather than just galloping in like a common… “For Pete’s sake, come on Rarity, ya know she’s in there.” …cowpony, apparently. Rarity scowled at Applejack. She’d stumbled (gracefully of course) upon the Earth Pony on her way over to Twilight’s house, and had enlisted her support. Not that she needed it really; she was perfectly capable of cheering Twilight up on her own. A chat, a moan, some tea, and she’d be back to her usual perky, inquisitive self. An annoying doubt had nagged away at the back of Rarity’s mind though. Twilight wasn’t generally moody, her scientific mind robbing her of the flair of more dramatic ponies such as herself. Maybe it wouldn’t be as straightforward as she imagined, and so it was that Applejack found herself barging past Rarity and into the library. “Twi, it’s me and Rarity.” There was no reply. Shrugging, Applejack made her way up the stairs and into the bedroom where Twilight lay, unmoving, face down, buried in her pillow. A shaft of the setting sun drew a line over the body of the Unicorn, but the soft orange light seemed strangely hardened by the atmosphere of gloom that hung, almost magically around the place. Hay, thought Applejack, knowing Twilight, it probably was magical. “Are you ok sugarcube?” Still no answer. Rarity appeared at Applejack’s shoulder and peered down at the almost lifeless body of her friend, bar the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. A flicker of real concern played its way over her already worried face, finding its rest in her eyes, where it gazed out at the scene. “Twilight, dear, it’s your friends. We just want to know if you’re alright. We heard you weren’t in the best of moods and, well, Spike was terribly worried, so we came over to see if there was anything we could do.” The silence stretched on, and Rarity, unable to bear the tension, leant down to nuzzle Twilight, hoping that the action would rouse her into responding. Applejack tried again. “We just want to help ya Twilight, if you could just tell us what’s wrong. It’ll make ya feel better to talk about it.” “I can’t even begin to imagine what’s wrong. I saw you the other week and everything was fine. What’s brought this about?” Suddenly, Twilight’s horn flared a darker than usual colour, the purple light illuminating the darkening room and Rarity and Applejack found themselves pulled into the air. “You can’t imagine? No, you’re probably right.” Twilight’s voice was hoarse and cracked with emotion. “You couldn’t begin to imagine. You’re all so wrapped up in your own little worlds, completely oblivious to the fact that life might be anything other than pretty and perfect. Want to know the truth? Life stinks.” The sun finally sunk below the horizon, leaving Twilight’s horn as the only light. The usually vibrant glow now seemed sickly, and cast a long shadow about Twilight’s body, which seemed to writhe about as if alive. “None of you can comprehend what it’s like to be Princess Celestia’s prodigy, a bucking ‘celebrity’, the saviour of Equestria, time after time after time, and the saviour of Ponyville more often than that, somepony who can cast a spell and make everything better, who’s always happy to help, because that’s Twilight, good old Twilight, so helpful and loving and oh so unimaginably powerful. But nobody really gives a damn about you, so long as they get what they want. And you -” Twilight’s voice cracked badly, and a tear ran down her cheek, glittering in the purple light “– where were you this week? When I needed you? Too busy I’m sure, with your apples and your ridiculous hats, to bother with your friend. But then I’d expect nothing less from such a shallow pony like you Rarity. Applejack, I’m more disappointed at you.” “Twilight, you simply must…” “Calm down?” Twilight’s voice had taken on a hysterical edge and the shadows seemed to lengthen with every passing second. “Oh sure, I’ll calm down. After all, I just want to be left alone, and I’m sure that can be arranged. Twilight Sparkle, she can cast a spell and make everything better, remember?” “Twi, what are you…” “Twilight, no, Twilight!” There was a flash of light and in the split second the room was lit, Rarity saw the grin of the pony who wasn’t the friend she knew. Then everything went black. A manic giggling filled the void where the two ponies had once been.