08 - Breaking Point
Ch. 08 - Breaking Point
“UH!”
Spike the dragon stood back as his employer/master/oldest friend, Twilight Sparkle, stomped up the stairs and fled from their basement, grunting and moaning in that way only a completely frustrated bookworm with obsessive compulsive tendencies could when confronted by what she perceived as idiocy. Spike frequently saw Twilight so incensed, and he had an idea as to the cause. “So I take it you're still holding out on her?”
Painwheel glanced up as the dragon made his way down the stairs, carrying a tray. A steamy bowl of soup was balanced upon it, alongside a glass of water with a straw inside. Painwheel sighed. “Dinner time?” she said, stomach growling in anticipation.
“Yep,” said Spike, ambling over. He placed the tray on a nearby table, balanced on a thick stack of books. He wished Twilight would put those away more readily. “Did you tell Twilight anything she wanted to know?”
Painwheel grunted. “No. I don't owe her anything. So far as I'm concerned, she doesn't deserve my cooperation.” She shut her eyes as she talked, in a haughty, arrogent manner. It reminded her of that nun. The one from the Divine Trinity church. The one that turned into a shapeshifting mass of flesh.
On second thought, maybe mimicking the master of mimics wasn't such a pleasing idea. Painwheel dropped it.
“I don't know,” Spike said, picking up the bowl and a spoon, “Twilight did treat your wounds, fix you up with an IV, provide you a place to stay, keep angry townsponies away with assurances that you're not going to get out and go on a rampage...” He stirred the soup, letting billows of steam rise off the liquid. Can't have things too hot; the human was apparently in enough pain as it was. “Seems to me like she's doing everything she can to help you, given the circumstances.”
“She also dropped a cart on my head and helped try to suffocate me,” Painwheel retorted, eying the soup hungrily.
“Yeah...you do have a point there,” Spike admitted, shrugging. He scooped a fair portion of broth and stewed vegetables onto the spoon. “I gathered you don't like hay, so I made an assortment of vegetables. Open wide.”
Painwheel gratefully opened her mouth, exposing her mass of off-color teeth. She supposed the processes that made her as she was messed them up. That and not being able to brush them for who knows how long. The spoon entered her mouth, and she ate it down. For being the first meal since the day before, and less tainted by frustration, the stew tasted divine. “Mmmm...”
“Glad you like it,” Spike said, dolling out more spoonfuls to his hungry charge. To the young dragon, Painwheel was pretty creepy, but learning alongside Twilight what her physical situation was made him more sympathetic. It helped, he supposed, that he wasn't around when she tore up the town and injured Rainbow Dash. It helped more that, being covered in thick scales, he was easily the least in danger from being attacked by those wily thorns of hers. “I still think you'd get a lot farther by being nice. I mean, I know you're hardly in a position to even fake niceness – chronic pain and all – but Twilight or Princess Celestia would be much more likely to let you off the leash if you cooperate.”
“Yeah, I'll play nice with my jailers,” Painwheel said in between bites. “Giving my masters what they want has done so much good for me.”
Spike blinked. That was...surprisingly informative. What “masters” had the girl toiled under? Probably the same ones who changed her in the first place, he wagered. Was she aware of the slip-up? It would seem even when she wanted to be obstinate, she ended up revealing things while trying to hide others. “Just something to think about, is all. Whoever you used to work for, I promise you'll get better treatment here.” He spooned more stew into the human's waiting gullet, grinning at how she seemed to enjoy it in spite of her attitude. “Did you tell Twilight anything? Anything at all?”
“Well...” Painwheel said, licking her lips thoughtfully. She looked down at her body. “I couldn't very well go on being naked all the time, so I promised to tell her one thing if she put my clothes back on. So she did.” The alicorn had, in fact, so wanted any clues to Painwheel's life that she caved immediately, using her magic to pop Painwheel's qipao onto her form. Or had that been a safety measure to avoid having to release Painwheel's bonds, even for a second?
Or maybe Twilight just realized she had left Painwheel to suffer the indignity long enough.
“That's something, I guess,” Spike said, scratching the back of his head. If he could avoid mentioning how he'd been around to see her naked plenty of times, he would. “What'd you tell her?”
“That I had no idea how I came to be here,” Painwheel said, summarily.
“...wait, that's it?”
“Yep,” she said, nodding her head. “It's an honest answer. I really don't know how I came to wake up outside the town, in this strange land.” She opened her mouth expectantly. When Spike begrudged her another spoonful, she continued, “And I do mean strange. You and the ponies talk about all these things I don't understand. Can you please explain what Equestria is to me? Who is this Princess Celestia, and what's her relation to Twilight Sparkle?”
Spike contemplated the request. This human was basically admitting that she won't talk about herself, yet expects to be educated herself. On the one hand, that seemed pretty presumptuous. On the other hand, sharing information about her surroundings and the socio-political climate might put the girl at ease, and make her more amenable to opening up herself. “Alright,” he said, collecting the last of the stew onto the spoon and popping it into her mouth. “I guess I've acted as Twilight's assistant long enough that I know my fair share about the world, one way or another.”
He placed the empty bowl on the tray, picking up the glass of water. Reaching over, he guided the straw into Painwheel's waiting mouth. She drank steadily while he spoke, “Equestria, as you've probably gathered, is a country primarily populated by ponies of the three races; pegasi, unicorns, and Earth ponies. It was founded by the three races many centuries ago, who settled in the land and made it a prosperous nation by overcoming their differences and working together in harmony.”
Painwheel finished off the glass, spitting out the straw. Gulp. “So what about Twilight Sparkle? She's both a unicorn and a pegasus. Is that a common union?” It seemed like a lifetime ago since Painwheel was last in school. She wasn't a bookworm like Filia, but she didn't detest learning.
“Well no, they aren't common at all,” Spike said, placing the glass down. “They're the Alicorn ponies, and they're pretty rare. Not naturally occurring either. Twilight wasn't even always one.”
“Really?” Painwheel said, eyebrows shooting up.
“Yeah, she was originally a unicorn, and the private student of Princess Celestia. She's the ruler – er, co-ruler alongside her sister Princess Luna.” Spike scratched the back of his head. “Those two are the diarchs of Equestria, powerful alicorns who have lived thousands of years and control the sun and moon.”
If it weren't for the fact that her world was rather strange and filled with powerful forces, something she knew even before her transformation, Painwheel would have found these things silly. As it was, she felt the dragon's explanation was probably accurate enough, or a close approximation to the truth. And that scared her. “Oh...and this cosmically-powerful pony royal is coming here tomorrow?”
“Yep,” Spike said, grinning. “She'll be here in the morning. Now, let me tell you about how Twilight became an alicorn. It all started way back when Celestia sent us here to Ponyville...”
Twilight Sparkle couldn't sleep.
She tossed over in her bed. What was she going to do? Princess Celestia, Twilight's teacher and mentor, was mere hours away from touching down in Ponyville. And in spite of a solid afternoon's uninterrupted interview with Painwheel, Twilight learned practically nothing new about the human. It was almost inconceivable.
What was wrong with Painwheel? Didn't she understand Twilight only wanted to help? What was she hiding? Did she truly despise the alicorn that much? Or did Painwheel have ulterior motives?
Sweat formed on Twilight's brow, soaking her purple fur. She tossed over to the other side. Was it too warm? She wriggled the blankets from her extremities, letting the night air suck away the heat.
Was Painwheel all there was of humans in Equestria? Was she truly alone? Or...was she merely the first in a line of modified, weaponized soldiers? Twilight Sparkle gulped wearily, heart pounding suddenly at the thought. Painwheel was in poor condition; certainly no condition to treat any creature, especially not a fighter. But then again, Painwheel's greatest strength in their battle was a seemingly boundless rage. Fury pushing the poor girl to unthinkable ferocity. It allowed her to shrug off repeated injury. Was that the intention of her creators? To drive her berserk, and sick her on their enemies?
Did Equestria count among those enemies? If so, who were Painwheel's masters? Where did they come from? The only thing the human admitted was that she didn't know how she came to be outside Ponyville. Was this a lie, or an accurate statement from Painwheel's experience? Was she dropped off in the hopes she caused trouble? Or did she escape somehow, and wind up there without her knowing? Were her masters the descendents of those few humans encountered by Pack Watcher? Or were they other people entirely, humans (or something else) from outside Equestria's context?
The more Twilight thought about it, the more she tossed back and forth on her bed. Perspiration seeped into the sheets, rendering them damp and clingy. Twilight grimaced, discomfort taking its toll on the alicorn.
Whatever the case, Twilight needed to figure out what Painwheel's story was. And she needed to do it before Celestia arrived.
Just the thought of her mentor tightened Twilight's heart like a vice. The Princess – the other one – counted on Twilight to investigate the matter where Celestia could not. If Twilight didn't deliver any new information, how would Celestia respond? She'd probably be disappointed. Disappointed in Twilight.
She rolled over, suddenly feeling too cold. The damp sheets grew cool when exposed to the night air, so she wrapped the blanket around her fully again. She bit her lip.
If Celestia was disappointed in Twilight's findings, she might think Twilight – Princess of Friendship – was lax in her efforts to befriend the human and gain her trust. That Twilight didn't deserve her position. Then Celestia might strip her of it, reverting her back to a unicorn. Maybe she'll even take away Twilight's horn for good measure, and cast her from royal society. And then...
Twilight Sparkle smacked her face with her hoof, shaking her head.
No, what was she thinking? Twilight was spiraling again. It was a habit she too readily indulged in the past, working herself into a nervous frenzy. Worrying about every possible outcome, even ones patently absurd, unlikely, or out of character. More than once it led to disaster. Twilight couldn't let herself devolve into it again. She was a princess now.
She breathed deeply, wiping beads of sweat from her brow.
No, everything was going to be alright. Princess Celestia would arrive on the scene, and understand the kinds of conditions Twilight was under. She would never be disappointed that research was taking longer than a few days. And she certainly would never strip Twilight of her wings, crown, or rank. It wasn't even clear if she or anypony could reverse the ascension to alicorn; especially without the Elements of Harmony on hand. Twilight Sparkle was Celestia's former student, and equal as far as the admittedly vague definitions of royalty were concerned (in practical matters Celestia was of course the decision maker, no question, and thus held more responsibility). There was no way Celestia would think anything less of Twilight, even if she failed in this endeavor.
Right?
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Painwheel slept in her recliner, a plain white sheet draped gently over her form the night before by a kind baby dragon. A shaft of morning sunlight crawled slowly across her body from the basement window. She felt no pain.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Painwheel stirred, jostled awake by an encroaching, rhythmic noise. What...what is that?
Thump. Thump. Thump. Creak.
“...Pain...wheel...”
Painwheel gingerly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright early light. She looked towards the sound. “Hmm?”
Twilight Sparkle stood at the foot of the basement stairs. Her posture slouched, her hair disheveled. The feathers on her wings were similarly out of sorts, unpreened. Her fur stuck matted in odd places. Twilight's eyes were half open, heavy bags underneath. She glared at the human, piercing eyes locked.
She frowned deeply. Twilight spoke with a hoarse voice, “Now...I'm going to learn...everything...”
Painwheel cocked an eyebrow sleepily. “What?” She tried to sit up, only to encounter the binding force of the magic chains. The effort aroused the parasites, sending jolts of pain through her body. “Ugh!” she grunted, slipping back into place.
“Don't...bother getting up,” said Twilight, plodding towards the recliner. She yawned, using her magic to adjust the mechanism on the chair, shifting Painwheel into a sitting position and turning her to face the pony. “It's time I changed tactics.”
“Huh? What are you...?” said Painwheel, finally waking up fully. Rarely these days did Painwheel get a chance to lounge, as the first concerted movement on her part always dispelled sleepiness with a healthy dose of agony. “Look...I'll talk, okay?”
Twilight Sparkle paused. Her mouth hung open a moment, then slammed shut. She groaned. “Oh no, we're well past the point of talking.” She glanced across the room at a clock. “Princess Celestia is going to be here any minute now. I don't have time to learn everything you've been keeping from me by just talking.” Grimacing, she lifted her horn up. It began to glow.
Painwheel's eyes shot wide open. “W-what are you doing?”
“Taking...a more...direct...approach,” Twilight said, inching slowly towards the human.
“Oh...” Painwheel said. She shook her head. “No, no, no!”
“I'll get to the heart of the matter...”
“No! No, you can't do this!” Painwheel began shaking all across her body, trying to shrink away. Her efforts to put distance between her and the pony were futile.
“...one way...”
“Not that! Anything but that!”
“...or another.” Twilight leaned in, bringing her horn closer towards Painwheel's head.
“S-s-stay away!” the human cried, contracting her muscles. With sickening squelches, dozens of spikes stabbed out of her body towards the alicorn. Agony.
Agony all for naught. The spikes bounced or bent off the alicorn, a subtle personal aura lighting up close to her skin. “No. I'm not tolerating any defenses. We're peeling you back and getting a look inside, whether you like it or not!”
As her spikes retracted, sending hurtful sensations through her trembling flesh, Painwheel gasped. “No! Don't come in!” Those red eyes watered.
Twilight leaned right up to the human's face.
“Stop! Not again! No!” Frantic, terrified tears rolled down her cheek. “NO!” All she could see was the magical light coming off the horn. She clamped her eyes shut in desperation. “PLEASE!”
The horn made contact with Painwheel's forehead. Twilight Sparkle entered her mind.
What was the big deal about that? It's just a mind pro- MOTHER OF GOD THE PAIN
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Well if that last sentence was any indicator, she's going to really regret that choice.
And this is exactly why she should of stopped being so difficult and cooperated from the beginning. Nothing good ever comes from being an idiotic jerk. I swear, if Twilight feints from the pain just in time for Celestia to walk in and jump to the wrong conclusion, I will be very... annoyed.
mah, seems to be in character to me.
4042074
4042074 Don't worry, I'm not a fan of misunderstandings as drama. Why? Because such plots are contrived, standing up only so long as characters don't communicate with each other.
Oh wait...
Why do I get the feeling that Twilight is gonna need therapy after this?
4043388 There probably is a valid story to be told of Painwheel murdering the entire mane six. That's just not the story I'm telling.
Welp, my question was answered... Twilight has never heard of personal space
........
Anyway, good chapter, hope to see more.
4044321 don't worry she's pretty chill but it wouldn't take much for "lesson zero" to happen again and...........i like where this is going.
for such moments i hate Twilight, but i think it worked for the story and maybe it turned out good for me.
Twilight, you are an idiot. Didn't she just say that she would talk? I hope the mind probe kills you
Oh goody. I can stop rooting for Twilight now. It was conflicting, rooting for both sides.
Now I hope this version of Twilight suffers. That is a horrible thing to do to someone. A very, very, very fucking horrible thing.
.... It was just a matter of time
This is getting interesting. Despite its few quirks, I've become fairly invested in the story. So far, I like what I see.
5463179
Before Twilight entered the point of attitude no returns.
Oh fuck, this is not gonna end well.
BAD TOUCH BLOWING OF WHISTLE INTENSIFY
Twilight, forcing your way into the mind of someone with the literal name painwheel will not end well in any way
*sound of massive facepalming echoes through the air*
Damn it, Twi!
I find my opinion in contradiction with itself.... On one hand twilight would do something like this..... On the other i like painwheel despite having never played skullgirls
Man you of all people First Brain Drain Now you I was hoping you would be better.