“Hey, girls,” I said tiredly, having spent most of the previous night tossing and turning, before deciding that trying to sleep was futile.
“Darling, will you please tell us what is going on? You drag us out of bed at six in the morning, and tell us all to meet at Sugarcube Corner, with vague promises of an explanation when everypony gets here,” Rarity said, rubbing her eyes.
“Yeah, and I’m tired of waiting for Twilight and Applejack to get here!” Pinkie declared, not sounding in the least tired. I guess her three cups of coffee might have something to do with that.
“Twilight’s not coming,” I said, “and I don’t want to explain this more than once. So please, Pinkie, just calm down a bit, okay?”
“All right, I got it,” Pinkie said, but then Fluttershy spoke up.
“Twilight’s not coming?” she asked. “Is she okay?”
I sighed. “Not really, no.”
Fluttershy shrunk back. “Oh… I see.”
Nopony spoke after that, and the mood quickly became somber. Even Pinkie stopped bouncing around, a feat that I would have thought impossible with that much caffeine in her.
After a minute or two, Rarity suddenly pounded on the table we were all sitting around. “Fine then, at least tell us if she will be all right! Don’t just drop a bombshell like that on us then clam up!”
“Like I said, I don’t want to have to explain this more than once!” I said, the last of my energy gathering itself into anger. “And I don’t know, if she is going to be okay, understand? It’s all very up in the air at this point!”
Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, the door to the bakery opened and Applejack marched in. “All right, y’all, what’s so dang important that you had to tear me away from getting the farm set for the day?” she asked.
“It’s about Twilight,” I said.
Applejack’s face went through a series of emotions that I would have found funny under any other circumstances. First a little bit of fear, then of guilt, before settling into caution. “What about Twilight?” she asked. “Did she—“
I didn’t give her a chance to finish her sentence. “You know that thing we all talked about a few weeks ago? You know, how Twilight has A.C.M.S.?”
Everypony at the table nodded, but then Fluttershy spoke up. “Are you sure it’s all right to be talking about it in the open like this?”
I looked around at the deserted and still closed bakery. “I don’t think anypony will overhear. Besides, I don’t plan to stick around for very long. My train to Canterlot leaves in about forty-five minutes.”
“Wait!” Pinkie said, and everypony turned to look at her. “Twilight’s not okay, and you’re leaving her to go to Canterlot? Why?”
“Technically? For community service,” I said, and everypony at the table gasped, with Pinkie and Rarity vying for most dramatic. “Off the
record, though? So I can be with Twilight while she recovers.”
“Perhaps you should start at the beginning, darling,” Rarity said, looked even more concerned than she had before.
I nodded. “Right, you girls all know how Twilight wasn’t feeling well for a bit? Well, it turns out she didn’t just catch some random bug…”
“… and that’s why I’m heading to Canterlot.”
As I finished speaking, I glanced around at the table. Pinkies mane had gone flat, and she and Fluttershy were looking like they might burst into tears. Rarity, on the other hoof, looked like she wanted to hit something.
Applejack just looked grim.
“When… when do you think the two of you will be back? When will Twilight be better?” Pinkie asked, her voice trembling.
“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “Hopefully it will take less than a month. If it does take more, then I might have to dip into my savings to stay in Canterlot with her, but there is no way I’m coming back to Ponyville until she can too.”
“Well, the Princess did essentially give you a free month in Canterlot. She probably doesn’t think that it will take longer than that,” Rarity said, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.
“I’m just glad nopony was hurt,” Applejack said.
I was too tired to give her a proper glare, but I gave it my best shot anyways. “You mean besides Twilight’s broken leg?”
“N—no! I meant… Never mind. My mouth moved before my brain did. Sorry, y’all,” Applejack said.
I knew precisely what she meant. I suppose that I should be graceful that she didn’t finish saying ‘hurt by Twilight.’ I would have hated to have to punch her, and I don’t think the princess would be as understanding of an assault charge this time around.
Applejack at least had the good sense to look ashamed.
“When we get back, Applejack, you, Twilight and I are going to have a long talk. Understand?” I asked, and Applejack nodded.
“Anyways,” I continued before anypony else could get in a word,” I’ve got to head off. My train leaves in about ten minutes, so I have to get going. I’ll write weekly. And Rarity? Can Spike stay with you until I get settled in Canterlot? After that, he can come stay with me at my hotel.”
“That sounds fine, Rainbow. I must say, though, I hope this horrible business settles down, so that Twilight can focus on recovering,” Rarity said.
“Oh, it should. I think we’ve had enough trouble for the next few years or so. And Blood Work is behind bars, so I don’t see her causing any more trouble,” I said.
After thinking for a moment, I rapped my hoof against the wooden table.
“Knock on wood,” I said.
hmmm. very brief. stll the other four know now and things have to progress.
Dammit, AJ.
Universe: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
And AJ needs a good, old fashioned, passionate ass whipping.
Geez AJ, way to put your foot in your mouth...
Brief, but it got the point across.
*Ticks*
Ya couldn't have added one extra word, could ya? :p
This is a really well-written and accurate portrayal of mental illness and what living with it is like. I'm guessing you have some kind of first-hand experience, either your own or within your immediate family. You're doing a really good job of being unbiased about it, not dramatizing, but not sugarcoating it either. I'm seriously impressed and hope you'll continue.
Surprisingly brilliant. I was half-expecting a poorly executed sob story about how Twilight has schizophrenia or something, but this, this blows any and all expectations out of the water. Absolutely brilliant.
~Crystalline Electrostatic~
When I saw this story, I was expecting a depressing terminal-illness plotline, but this is so much better. Character chemistry is awesome here, and the whole ACMS thing isn't handled heavy-handedly
I wonder if people would be interested in a mental disorder betting pool for the characters in this story. We've got ADHD Pinkie, Social Phobia Fluttershy, Narcissistic Personality Disorder Bloody Dumbass, Germaphobe Rarity... Any other takers? May as well shoot for the full set.
5462537
Did you receive that insight from the same Zen-like enlightenment that has given you the delusion that the truthiness of a random dumbfuck on the internet (i.e. you) trumps thousands of medical professionals and over a century of peer-reviewed research? We commonly call that kind of exaggerated sense of self-importance "megalomania." I would recommend professional help, but seeing as you are apparently the only professional there is, you might just have to do without.
Also, put your money where your mouth is: Go and say that PTSD doesn't exist to the face of a few Iraq vets. Whichever way it goes, the world will be a better place afterwards.
Pretty short. Let's hope that after Twilight recovers, they can sort this out with AJ. Glad to see Rainbow is smart about tempting fate.
5462454 Rarity is a hypochondriac, not a germaphobe I think.
5464275
Those two tend to come as a package deal, so it really works either way.
5464346 This is true. :P
Applejack! a long talking too shall fix this...
...as for Blood Work, i suspect the Rainbow factory will receive her quite happily and then she will finally be of use.
Poor Twilight The Legion will have a moment of silence and then pray she is alright.
This is more of a holding pattern than a chapter, but it's a start. As to AJ & Rarity. Some people can't stand blood, others are freaked out by mental illness. AJ's family is still pretty conservative (polite for "hicks") & there is still a fairly sizeable part of the populace that stigmatizes mental illness. I STRONGLY advise that if they can't control themselves, they stay away. Right now, T is no doubt in a pretty fragile state & can't handle it. I know from experience that hospitals don't let little kids in for really serious patients (well, maybe that's changed since I was a kid, but they didn't use to) so I don't know if they'll let Spike in.
5474538 ... Wait, what? sequel? This story ain't even finished yet.
5481020 True enough, didn't expect people to check it out. For some reason most folks glance over things like that.