SECRETS AND LIES
By Saddlesoap Opera
Part Six: The Second Element
Pegasus foals swarmed above the cloud-street, singing in mocking unison:
“Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can hardly fly!”
Young Fluttershy whimpered and hopped up and down, vainly scrabbling at the air with her front hooves. Her wings felt glued to her sides, unable to even spread.
“C’mon – doncha want yer stupid toy?”
“Heh heh! Yeah! Fly up here and get your patchy rabbit!”
Bit by bit, the school-foals changed into her grown friends – the Earth Ponies and Unicorns sporting enchanted gossamer wings – and her stolen toy slowly wriggled to black-eyed, white-furred life.
“It isn’t natural for a Pegasus to spend so much time grounded, Fluttershy,” said Twilight Sparkle. She tossed Angel to Rarity.
“We’re just trying to help you be normal, darling,” added Rarity. “You should be THANKING us!” She threw Angel to Rainbow Dash.
“You COULD stand to be a little more… Pegasus-like,” said Dash. “I mean, REALLY – how was I supposed to love somepony who’s weird AND crazy?” She underhoofed Angel to Pinkie Pie.
“Yeah!” agreed Pinkie Pie. “Nopony likes a madpony! You’re a mess!” She head-butted Angel to Applejack.
“Yep,” said Applejack, nodding, “she needs work, that’s fer sure. Step one – get a pet that flies!”
Applejack whipped around and tossed Angel over the edge of the clouds.
“NOOO!”
Fluttershy leaped after him, remembering too late that her wings wouldn’t budge. As she struggled hopelessly to gain some lift, the ground got closer, and closer, and closer…
• • • • • • •
Fluttershy woke up with a fearful gasp, her pulse pounding and a rabbit’s death-shriek echoing in her ears. She blearily tried to spread her wings, but found they were tightly bound inside a padded canvas restraint-girdle.
She crashed into full wakefulness.
“N-No…”
She was in a sparse square room with canvas-padded walls and a cushioned floor.
“It’s n-not real. I’m still having a b-bad dream…”
Weak, cloud-muted daylight shone between the thick iron bars set in the window.
“W-Wake up, Fluttershy… Wake up!”
Fluttershy leaped up and charged the room’s heavy wooden door. She reared up and pounded on it with her front hooves.
“WAKE UP! WAKE U-U-U-UP!”
She backed into the middle of the room and fell to her knees.
“P-Please wake up…”
The door opened and a rosy Earth Pony wearing a nurse’s cap and a long blue cardigan the same shade as her eyes trotted in, pushing a small metal cabinet-cart ahead of her. She closed the door.
Fluttershy backed all the way into the far corner of the room and cringed.
“Oh, hay now… don’t be scared,” said the nurse softly. “You must be feeling very confused and anxious, but I promise, the more you try to stay calm, the sooner this will all be over. All right?”
Fluttershy peeked out from between her front legs and the strands of her mane. She shakily nodded.
The nurse smiled a motherly smile. “Good. You’ve just recovered from a sedative spell, so you’re probably pretty thirsty.” She sat down, opened a door on the side of the cart and retrieved a small, covered paper cup with a straw sticking out of it. She held it out between her front hooves and leaned forward to set it down in front of Fluttershy. “Why don’t you try to drink some water, and I’ll brush some of those tangles out of your mane?”
Fluttershy nodded once more and then took a sip; the cold liquid soothed her screamed-raw throat.
The nurse slipped a hoof into a brush-shoe from the cabinet and moved to sit down next to Fluttershy. While Fluttershy slowly finished the water, the nurse gently ran the brush through her pale pink locks. Soon, the tangled mess was well-tamed.
“That’s better,” said the nurse. “Now, I’ve got some other patients to check on, but I’ll be back in a little while. If you feel up to it, I’d like to ask you a few questions then. Does that sound all right?”
Fluttershy nodded and whispered: “Okay.”
The nurse smiled cheerfully, opened the door and then left, pushing the cart ahead of her.
Out in the hallway, she passed by a dark brown Earth Pony stallion wearing a security guard uniform.
“Say, have you lost weight?” he asked. “You look great today!”
The nurse giggled and waved a bashful front hoof. “Oh, go on!”
• • • • • • •
Applejack pinched the neck of the flask between her teeth and tilted her head skyward. The last three swallows of Cousin Calvados’s double-distilled special reserve burned her throat on the way down. She spat out the flask, sending it tumbling into a pile of empty cider jugs. She coughed out a humourless laugh.
The cider shed’s door opened; a bulky male silhouette half-blocked the overcast daylight.
Big Macintosh stood there, big and silent as a mountain, until his eldest sister spoke:
“… Whut.”
He spat out the stem he’d been chewing. “Ya been in here since last night.”
“O-Oh, s-s-sorry Big Mac,” Applejack slurred from her spot sprawled on the dirt floor, “Didja have another date planned wi’ th’Mayor? Am I in th’way?”
Big Mac narrowed his eyes. “If Granny Smith saw ya like this, she’d peel n’ core ya.”
Applejack chuckled grimly. “After whut happened last night, I’d LET her!”
Big Mac frowned and half-turned away. “She asked after ya, ya know.”
Applejack clumsily pawed at a clay jug of hard cider. “Granny did? Or Apple Bloom?”
“Eenope.”
Applejack winced. She pulled the jug close and tipped it on its side, cradling it like an infant. “I got nothin’ ta say ta Miss Carrot Top an’ her judgin’ ways,” she mumbled self-pityingly. “Starin’ at me wi’ those… those EYES o’ hers…” Her face creased from the effort of stifling a sob.
Big Mac sat down. “Whut happened, Jackie?”
Applejack half-smiled as tears wet her flushed cheeks. “Y’ain’t called me that since I was smaller’n Apple Bloom is now.”
“Y’ain’t cried in fronta me since then, neither.”
“F-Fluttershy…” Applejack swallowed down a fresh sob. “She… she was – I was so sure she was – but then she… w-we had no choice…” She squeezed the jug tighter and gritted her teeth. “Oh, Celestia! What’ve we done?”
Big Macintosh stood up and then ducked down to grab the jug’s neck in his jaws; Applejack gripped harder. Big Mac wrenched sideways in an upward arc, effortlessly hurling Applejack up and onto his back. The jug fell to the ground.
“OOF! Hay! L-Lemme down, ya big buckin’… dang! ‘M d-dizzy…” Applejack’s eyes rolled up and then closed. She sagged bonelessly, hanging over Big Mac’s withers like an orange saddle.
Big Mac sighed morosely and then turned to trot back to the farmhouse.
The rhythm of his stride half-roused his sister; she squinted at the finely-tailored dark cloth covering his torso and muttered:
“…Shewt… thass’ a nice suit…”
• • • • • • •
The pink-maned white Earth Pony did a slow pass by a few of Carousel Boutique’s many mirrors. Her eyes glittered like diamonds as she took in the lines of her newly conjured scarlet-accented white dress.
“Oh, my! It’s BEAUTIFUL! And it’s so functional! It has pockets for pencils and thermometers, and even a loop to hang my st–”
“To hang your stethoscope from, yes,” said Rarity distractedly. “You’ll be the best-dressed nurse in the whole hospital.” She sighed.
“I can’t believe how great I look!” the nurse continued, heedless of Rarity’s apathy. “And not a moment too soon, either! Nurse Sweetheart’s been looking really fit and trim lately – I’m sure she has her sights set on Doctor Stable, the two-timing hussy! Just because she’s got a little trouble at home, it doesn’t give her the right to move in on one of the only eligible bachelors in town! He should be mine! MINE!”
“Mm-hm,” said Rarity by reflex. She magicked on her red catseye reading glasses and then started attaching a series of small gemstones to the dress’s hemline.
“And as if that isn’t enough competition, now there’s a SUPERMODEL at the hospital! I ask you – what’s a mare to do?”
Rarity paused and looked over the top edge of her glasses. “…Did you say a supermodel?”
The nurse nodded. “Well, former supermodel. It’s sad, honestly. She’s in the psych ward – her friends brought her in last night. Pretty seriously disturbed, I hear. It’s a shame to see them fall like that. After all, barely a year ago, she was Photo Finish’s favourite!”
The remaining gems clattered to the floor.
• • • • • • •
By the time the nurse returned with her cart, Fluttershy’s pulse had slowed to something approaching a survivable rhythm, and the walls had ceased closing in on her. Nevertheless, the frigid threat of panic still flowed inside her like rushing rapids beneath thin ice.
“Hello again,” said the nurse, her words as soft and round-edged as her bun-tied purple mane. “I’d like to ask you some questions now, all right?”
Fluttershy nodded.
The nurse took out a printing-press-made form and spread it flat on top of the cart, and then readied a quill and inkwell. She picked up the quill between her teeth and jotted down a few details. Setting the pen back in the well, she spoke:
“Just for the form’s sake, would you please tell me your name?”
Fluttershy dipped her head, half-hiding her face with her mane. “I’m Fluttershy.”
“Good. Do you know where you are?”
“I’m at P-Ponyville Urgent Care…” Fluttershy’s soft voice grew softer still. “… in the mental ward.”
“Yes. Can you tell me who rules Equestria?”
“Princess Celestia… and Her sister, Princess Luna.”
“Thank you. You’re doing well.” The nurse took the quill and ticked some boxes on the form. “So, tell me: how are you feeling?”
“Um, I… I…” Fluttershy swallowed. “I’m s-so scared! I can’t STAND places like this! It b-barely even seems real! It’s like a NIGHTMARE! LIKE MY WORST NIGHTMARE!” She gasped for breath.
“It’s all right,” said the nurse reassuringly, “nopony here means you any harm.”
She picked up the quill again and wrote:
Patient exhibits feelings of dissociation,
Fluttershy looked away, hiding behind her mane once more. “I know, but I shouldn’t be here. Twilight thinks I’m crazy, but I’m not.” She turned back to face the nurse and bent into a pleading crouch. “P-Please… I have to get out of here! This is all wrong! I’m not crazy! You have to believe me!”
“We don’t use labels like that here,” said the nurse. “Nopony here is any different from the ones outside. They just need a little help to feel better, is all.” The nurse added another note:
extreme anxiety,
“Now, what about Twilight?” the nurse continued. “You say she mistakenly thinks you’re… unwell. Why would she think that?”
Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably. “It’s… I think it’s because of my mother. She had Cutie Mark Decay.” Her lower lip quivered. “She died.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” said the nurse.
and has a family history of mental illness (CMDD).
She craned her neck to the side for a moment. “Your Cutie Mark seems clear at the moment. Have you ever had any flare-ups of fraying or speckling, or seen a drop in your talent at… butterfly collecting?”
Fluttershy’s eyes tightened. “Yes, once. But it was just a little bit! And I got better!” Her brows knitted. Her voice dropped in volume. “…Um, and my Special Talent is taking care of animals.”
The nurse nodded. “Ah, I see. My mistake.”
Atypical CM presentation. Previous CMDD episode(s?) – now in partial remission.
“So you’re fond of all animals, then?”
Fluttershy’s tension softened somewhat. “Ah, yes! I love animals! Bunnies and birds and bears – anything, really! Angel Bunny is one of my best friends.” She gasped. “Oh, my! He must be so worried about me! You have to send somepony to my cottage outside of town to make sure all the animals are all right!”
“You live alone?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No, no, there’s Angel and the other bunnies, and the Mouse family, the seal and otter, the goat, the kitties… Oh! And the chickens and the other birds have lived with me for a LONG time… well, except for Mister Cardinal, but he’s new–”
The nurse cut in. “But no other Ponies? Just the pets?”
Fluttershy frowned. “Um, well… no.”
Living in severe social withdrawal, with concurrent animal hoarding.
“I’ll be sure to send somepony ‘round to make sure your pets are okay.”
Fluttershy sighed in relief. “Thank goodness! Once I get out, I’ll explain everything to them. Angel said just the other day that I should spend more time with some of the animals.”
The nurse raised an eyebrow. “Angel said that?”
Fluttershy nodded.
… and paracusia.
“Thank you for being so open with me,” said the nurse. “I’ll report to the doctor, and he’ll review your situation. If there’s been a mistake he’ll know it, you’ll see.”
Fluttershy’s eyes shone. A surge of emotion reduced her voice to a hoarse squeak. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”
The nurse smiled widely. “Think nothing of it.”
• • • • • • •
Spike wrung his tail in his claws. He looked up at Twilight over the edge of his sunglasses.
“So it was like before? When she chained me up?”
Twilight Sparkle looked away, turning her gaze on the pile of ashes in her bedroom’s fireplace.
“Something like that. She needed help we couldn’t give her, and she was scared to get it. So we had to do what was best for her, even–”
“Even if she screamed and cried and begged you not to?”
Twilight turned back to face her assistant; his sad-eyed stare made her wince.
“Y-You heard, even from upstairs, huh?” Twilight sat down and sighed. “Sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing. It’s so h-hard.”
Spike frowned. “This is it, isn’t it? This is the bad thing you wanted to tell me about before.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. She looked away again, unwilling meet the little Dragon’s gaze. “I… w-we...”
Spike slowly nodded. “It’s okay. I understand. This must have been really tough to deal with.”
Twilight hung her head. She imagined coarse Draconequus fur scraping against her side, a leonine paw patting her back, and a purring voice that said: Ohhh, now don’t be ashamed. It’s not your fault he misunderstood. It’s for the best. He’s a baby – he isn’t old enough to hear what a terrible thing his ‘mommy’ did…
Scaly warmth on her opposite side snapped Twilight out of her self-punishing reverie.
Spike was hugging her.
“I understand,” he said once more. “You don’t have to feel bad. It’s like when you told me not to eat all that ice cream. You’re always looking out for us.”
“Th-Thank you, Spike!” The effort of keeping her voice from trembling was almost too much for Twilight to bear; the little Dragon’s words felt like razor-wire squeezing her heart.
“Hay!” Rainbow Dash called up from the main floor. “Somepony’s at the door!”
Twilight ran a foreleg across her damp eyes and sniffled. “I’ll be r-right down!”
She trotted down with Spike scampering along behind her.
Dash opened the door; Twilight and Spike froze at the bottom of the stairs.
An elegant white Unicorn was standing in the open door, her jewel-studded saddlebags hanging off-kilter on her back and her face locked in a cold, furious scowl that seemed to rob her of colour and life.
“Uh-oh…” Rainbow Dash backed away, her wings drooping.
Rarity stepped inside, trotting slowly but purposefully toward Twilight. She ignited her horn.
“W-We had no choice!” said Twilight. “Try not to overreact, Rarity, please! You weren’t there! You don’t know what she did!”
With a flare from her horn, Rarity whipped an immaculately-sewn dark blue dress out of her saddlebags. She held it in midair before Twilight’s face. Her horn flared brighter, and the dress glowed from its seams for a moment before bursting like a balloon, sending shreds of singed cloth scattering to every corner of the room. Spike dived for cover.
Twilight winced. “I’m sorry! I am! But I’m trying to stop DISCORD from getting free! I was going to tell y–”
A wave of pale blue magic slapped Twilight across the face.
She staggered, sat, and then brought a hoof up to her reddening cheek.
Rarity stared her down without a word. A moment later, she turned up her nose, spun on her hooves, and trotted back out the door.
“Rarity! Wait!” Spike ran after her, his brows knitting in worry.
Twilight took a shaky breath. “Thanks for the help,” she said.
Rainbow Dash sagged. “Sh-She knew Fluttershy even better than I did,” she whispered without looking up. “What was I supposed to say?”
Twilight scowled and hopped to her hooves. “Stop talking like she isn’t coming back! Fluttershy is going to be fine! She’s getting HELP!”
Dash’s wings spread in agitation. Her eyes shone. “But it’s Fluttershy, Twilight! FLUTTERSHY! And we locked her up like some madpony!”
Twilight rounded on Dash, staring her down, and shouted: “She IS a madpony!”
Dash shrank back, but held Twilight’s gaze.
“She turned on us!” Twilight continued. “On ME! She hid that doll here just to torment me, and she was making another at her cottage! Whether on her own or because of Discord, she could have cost us EVERYTHING! We did what we HAD to do!”
Dash gritted her teeth. “I don’t care! It was WRONG!”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Dash…” her voice dropped to an iron-hard whisper. “Are you on my side, or not?”
Dash stared back for a long, tense, silent moment.
And then she looked away.
“…I’m with you,” she muttered gloomily. “No matter what.”
“Good. I knew Rarity would be upset, but she’ll understand when Fluttershy recovers. She’ll u-understand…” Twilight swallowed down the lump tightening her throat. “We’re almost through this,” she continued. “We just have to tell Pinkie, and then all the loose ends are taken care of. Once Pinkie knows, I can finally get some rest.”
• • • • • • •
“N-No… NO! It’s not true! You can’t do this! I’m not crazy! I’M NOT CRAZY!”
Two Earth Pony orderly-stallions struggled to hold Fluttershy down as she thrashed and screamed.
“Let me out! LET ME OU-UU-UU-UT!”
“Please, Fluttershy!” urged Doctor Stable. “You’re only making things worse for yourself!”
He ignited his horn and narrowed his eyes.
The doctor’s threatening stare stripped Fluttershy of the remaining shreds of her composure. Her cries fragmented into incoherent sobs as the orderlies buckled her into more thorough restraints.
The pink nurse at the doctor’s side sighed sadly and slowly shook her head. “Try to understand, Fluttershy,” she said, “we only want to help you get well.”
“I’m very sorry it’s come to this,” added the doctor. “You will only be restrained to the extent that you present a danger to yourself or others. If you can control yourself, the bindings will be taken off. Understand?”
Fluttershy whimpered despairingly.
The doctor took a final look at Fluttershy’s file and then trotted out of the room, followed by the orderlies.
The nurse trotted closer to Fluttershy and knelt down.
“I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “I did everything I could. But it wasn’t up to me.”
“P-Plee’v…” Fluttershy slurred around the bit and bridle strapped to her head, “Hhl’f mhh…”
The nurse gently stroked Fluttershy’s canvas-wrapped back.
“Shh… there, there. I know. You don’t belong here.”
Fluttershy craned her neck to get a clear view of the nurse. Her wide sea-green eyes welled up with fresh tears. “Hhl’f…”
The nurse looked to and fro, ensuring the coast was clear, and then leaned in to hug the trembling Pegasus.
“I will. I’ll help you. Rest for now – later on, I’ll come back and set you free. I promise.”
Even if the bit hadn’t all but muted her, Fluttershy had no words to express her thanks. She leaned into the nurse’s hug like a newborn foal in her mother’s embrace.
• • • • • • •
Pinkie Pie bounded out from Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen, her face a patchwork of flour, batter stains and bruises.
“Hi Twilight! Hi Dashie!” she waved cheerfully. “Mister and Missus Cake are taking the twins clothes shopping, so I’m minding the shop!”
Twilight Sparkle shifted uncomfortably. “W-We wanted to talk to you, Pinkie.”
“Yeah? Wassup?”
“Well, you see, last night, something… happened… to Fluttershy.”
Pinkie Pie tilted her head. Her ears flapped. Her tail jerked backward like an uncoiling spring. “Whaddya mean, Twilight? Was it something FUN?”
Rainbow Dash winced. “No. It w–”
Pinkie’s eyes repeatedly winked flicker-quick in opposite rhythm. “OOH! Did she get a new pet? Is it an ostrich? I hear they can run really fast!”
Twilight frowned. “No, nothing like that. If you’ll just–”
Pinkie juddered to and fro as her whole body suffered a lock-legged spasm. The vibration shook the flour and batter off of her. “Nothing like an ostrich?” She pondered for a split second, and then gasped. “An ALLIGATOR! Woo-hoo! Gummy’s gonna have a friend to play with!”
“For Celestia’s sake!” Dash sat down and turned away. “There’s no pet, Pinkie!”
Confusion settled across Pinkie’s face like falling confetti. “But if it wasn’t a pet, then what happened to her? Was it a party?” Her lips curled in a minor pout. “Aww, I hope it wasn’t a party! I hate missing parties!”
Twilight shuddered. The insomnia-ravaged muscles in her shoulders and neck tensed, the stress creeping up to her jaw and making the almost-faded slap-mark on her cheek ache. Finally, she fixed her stance, groaned in frustration, and bellowed:
“NO, Pinkie! NO PARTY! Fluttershy betrayed us all to DISCORD, and so I had her put in an ASYLUM, Okay? Do you hear me? FLUTTERSHY WENT INSANE, AND I LOCKED HER UP!”
Twilight stood, straight-legged and shaking with fury, gasping for breath.
Rainbow Dash cringed in shame.
Pinkie stared in silent shock. “B-B-But…I don’t get it!” Her pale blue eyes swelled with feeling. “You said the other day that n-nothing scary was going on! You Pinkie-Promised! How did this happen so fast?”
Twilight sighed ruefully. “It didn’t all happen last night. I know I promised, and I’m sorry about that, but I only said that because I didn’t want you to overreact! You’re always so… unpredictable, and I had so much to deal with, I couldn’t…” Twilight trailed off.
Pinkie’s mane and tail were sagging like deflating balloons, drooping into lifeless poker-straight locks.
“Y-you… on p-purpose?… No, no-no-no… th-the whole time… T-T-Twilight… y-you… I… I…”
Pinkie’s pupils shrank. Some inner light flickered and dimmed within her; her hind legs quivered and then gave out, and she sat down heavily.
From somewhere far in the distance came the sound of glass cracking, and with it Pinkie froze as still as a statue.
After a long moment, Twilight took a hesitant step toward the motionless Earth Pony.
“Pinkie…?”
Rainbow Dash approached her as well, gently nudging her with a hoof. “Pinkie? Are you okay? Say something!”
Pinkie made no response. Her glassy blue eyes stared at nothing. Her shallow breathing barely shifted her chest.
Dash shook her harder, and shouted in her face: “SNAP OUT OF IT PINKIE! WAKE UP!”
Pinkie didn’t even blink.
Rainbow Dash turned to face Twilight. “What did you do?” She stomped closer. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Twilight stumbled backward. “I didn’t…! You saw! She wouldn’t listen! I wasn’t trying to–”
Dash scowled. “Rarity’s never gonna forgive us, Applejack ran away so fast last night that she’s probably back in Dodge by now, Fluttershy’s locked up, and now P-Pinkie…” She paused, willing her voice to un-crack. “How is all this supposed to keep Discord from getting out, huh? HOW?”
Outside, thunder rumbled.
Twilight cringed. “I KNOW it’s my fault, all right? I know it is! I should have gotten Fluttershy help a long time ago! But when she’s better, everypony will understand. Without her, we’re all feeling less kind. Discord… did a lot of damage.”
Dash growled in irritation. “WHAT damage? Some dolls? You keep talking like everything’s a big crisis, but YOU’RE the only one acting strange! Other than some two-bit crook and a little cruddy weather-work, this town’s doing FINE! Why was Fluttershy such a big threat? What has Discord even–”
“HE MADE ME KILL SOMEPONY!”
Twilight was nose-to-nose with Dash, close enough for her scream to blow back the Pegasus’s mane.
Dash backed away, her eyes wide. “Wh-What…?”
Twilight’s stare was nearly as vacant as Pinkie’s as the confession spilled out of her like blood from a wound.
“He m-made me kill somepony. H-He sent a twisted Pony to torture me and taunt me over and over and over, so I cornered her in the b-basement and I… I killed her with magic! I BURNED HER ALIVE, Rainbow Dash!”
For days the secret had been tearing at Twilight’s insides like a squirming lamprey, but now that she’d unleashed it, she realized that the truth had done nothing to ease her mind. The guilt and pain and shame were all still there. If anything, being exposed to the light had only put them in sharper relief.
Dash’s nose wrinkled. Her upper lip curled. “Y-You… that smell in the library – you said Spike burned a book again! But it was…” Dash staggered; her stomach clenched. “Oh, Celestia, I’m gonna…!”
She raced into the kitchen.
Twilight followed, keeping back a respectful distance as Dash coughed and spat into the sink.
“She made me do it, Dash! You have to believe me! What she said… what she did… she knew I’d do it! She WANTED me to! She was insane! It was all part of Discord’s plan!”
Dash shot Twilight an icy sidelong glare. “Don’t you think I know that?”
It was Twilight’s turn to stare. “What?”
Dash turned and dropped back down onto all fours. “I believe you. I KNOW you’d never mean to do something like that, Twilight. All of us know that.” Dash narrowed her eyes. “What makes me sick is… you lied anyway.”
Realization spilled across Twilight’s face. “No… Dash, no!”
Dash advanced, driving Twilight back into the bakery’s main room.
“You wouldn’t even trust your best friends to believe you! Or help protect you! Or… or protect PONYVILLE!”
With every stomp forward, Dash’s voice grew louder and fiercer.
“After everything we’ve been though, after you got proven right in Canterlot, you lied to me. You bucking LIED to me! You made me feel like a LOSER! You told me that I was the weak link, when YOU were the one who messed up! So I grounded myself and stayed up night after night trying to prove that I wasn’t gonna fail you! You made me swear over it! You made me swear on my WINGS! FOR A LIE!”
Twilight shrank back farther still. Tears wet her cheeks. “I’m s-sorry! Don’t do this! Don’t turn on me, Rainbow! Please! Don’t you see? We’re letting him win! This is what he wants!”
Dash stepped closer still, looming over Twilight. “Yeah? Well, I want a friend who’s worth being loyal to.”
She turned and plodded toward the bakery’s front door.
“Rainbow Dash… p-please…” Twilight whimpered. “You swore on your wings! If you leave…”
Dash paused; so Twilight had done some research. “Yeah… I know.”
She trotted out into the grey, gloomy beginning of another rain shower, her head hanging low and her wings hanging limp and ignored at her sides. The weak, filtered daylight washed out her colourful mane and tail, and made her blue hide look pale and sickly.
Pinkie Pie sat where she was, still motionless. Twilight’s shuddering, weeping form reflected in the Earth Pony’s wide, staring eyes.
• • • • • • •
Splashes and shouts echoed out from Sweet Apple Acres’ barn.
Applejack gasped for breath as Big Macintosh lifted her head back out of the water-filled apple tub. Her loose mane hung pale and limp over her face.
“T-Try n’ sober me up all ya w-want,” she sputtered, “b-but I ain’t gonna see ‘er.”
Big Mac stepped back. The rolled-up sleeves of his charcoal-grey suit-coat were damp and darkened. “If what ya did th’other night was so bad, doncha think she deserves an explanation?”
Applejack rounded on her brother.
“THERE AIN’T ONE!” she sat down and cradled her sodden head in her front hooves. “I tied up the meekest n’ mildest Pony I know with my own lasso, an’ watched her get locked up like a mad dog! She was screamin’ fer help – SCREAMIN’ fer it! – an’ I just did as I was told!”
She leaned over the water-tub and stared down at her reflection.
“Twilight made sense at the time. I didn’t wanna run from the truth again. I thought she was doin’ the right thing. I thought WE were. But then C-Carrot was there, starin’ at me, and Fluttershy was still cryin’ even though Twilight put ‘er out, and I wondered if I saw what I wanted ta see ‘cause I was still carryin’ a grudge over what happened with Dash, and…”
She slapped at the water’s surface with a hoof and turned away.
“I ain’t denyin’ the truth – I know what I did. I just can’t LIVE with it!”
Big Mac let a lengthy silence play out between them before replying. “The Applejack I know wouldn’t give up n’ crawl into a bottle instead o’ dealin’ with her troubles.”
Applejack sighed. “Then I guess the Applejack you know ain’t around no more.” Her voice was as dull and hollow as a rotted-out apple tree. She got to her hooves and plodded toward the open barn door.
Big Mac scowled and stomped a broad front hoof. “Dang it, Jackie! Y’ain’t a foal anymore! Ponies depend on ya! I depend on ya! Ya can’t just–” Big Mac moved to follow her, but her icy backward glare stopped him in his tracks.
“You come after me again, Big Brother,” she warned, “an’ I swear ta Celestia I will kick the apples offa yer hide or die tryin’.”
Big Mac stayed where he was, his head hung low.
Applejack trotted away.
Big Mac shuddered, gritted his teeth, and then let out a furious shout as he lashed out with a rear leg.
The barn’s wall cracked all the way up to the hayloft.
• • • • • • •
Fluttershy jerked awake at the sound of a knock on her room door. She tried to stand, but her restraints hobbled her and stopped her from moving more than half a pace forward.
The door opened, and the pink nurse – her savior – trotted inside, pushing a meal cart. She tapped the door closed behind her with a rear hoof.
“I’m sorry I took so long,” said the nurse softly. “I had to make sure the coast was clear.”
Fluttershy mumbled wordlessly around her bit.
“Oh, here – let me help,” replied the nurse.
She knelt down and gingerly unbuckled Fluttershy’s bit and bridle, freeing the Pegasus’s head.
Fluttershy flexed her jaw and licked her lips. “Th-thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”
“It’s no more than you deserve,” said the nurse. She stood and turned back to the meal cart. “Now, first thing’s first. You need to get something in that tummy.”
She picked up a meal tray and set it down in front of Fluttershy. A small bowl of applesauce and a paper cup of juice with a straw flanked a plate covered by a spread-out napkin. The nurse ducked down and pulled the cloth away.
Fluttershy gasped.
The paper plate was piled high with lush, ripe, red berries. Their sickly-sweet, spicy scent was already filling the air.
“I can’t eat that!” said Fluttershy fearfully. “That’s P–”
“Yup! Palfrey’s Nightshade,” said the nurse with a nod. Her voice rose in pitch slightly as she spoke. “The guard couldn’t tell them from wild cherries, the silly goose!”
“B-But it’s poison!” said Fluttershy. Her lower lip quivered. “I don’t understand! You said you were going to let me out!”
“I said I was gonna set you free.” The nurse giggled a cheery giggle punctuated by a snort.
Fluttershy drew back in fright. “Y-You aren’t Nurse Sweetheart. You never were! Who are you?”
The nurse giggled again. “Ooh! You’re pretty sharp for a Barehoof!”
She pulled out a bobby pin, letting her white-streaked purple mane erupt into a riot of frizzy tangles. She blinked several times and a pair of thin blue-glass lenses dropped to the floor, revealing dark purple eyes as swirled as pulled taffy. She shrugged out of her cardigan, exposing a screw and baseball marking her flanks.
When she spoke again, her voice was a clownish sing-song over an edge of menace, as friendly as a polka-dotted butcher knife.
“Hello Fluttershy!” she said with a cheery wave. “My name’s Topsy Turvy. I run the Joke Shop here in Ponyville, and this time… the joke’s on YOU.”
Fluttershy stared. “J-Joke? This was all a JOKE?” Outrage and relief battled in her voice.
Topsy retrieved a propeller beanie from the cart and perched it on her head. “Huh? OH! No, no, no – not a JOKE-joke. I mean, sure, I tricked you and Twilight pretty hard, and it’s pretty funny, but yeah you’re still one bucked Buzzard. You’re never getting outta here!” She giggled again.
Fluttershy scowled. “I… I’ll tell on you! I’ll tell them this was your fault! I’ll tell them you tried to poison me!”
“Eenope,” said Topsy, momentarily mimicking Big Macintosh. “You’re a madpony – and nopony believes a madpony. So, nope – you’re gonna sit there and eat your berries, and then you’re gonna die!”
Topsy Turvy gave a grin so broad it squeaked.
• • • • • • •
Twilight Sparkle trotted slowly down the muddy street, her horn dimly glowing as she magicked along the small red wagon carrying Pinkie Pie behind her.
“I had no choice…” she muttered to herself. “He could have gotten free! I’d do ANYTHING to stop that from happening!”
Twilight passed by the Ponyville Post Office. Ditzy Doo and The Doctor trotted out onto the front steps, their gaits stiff with tension. Dtizy’s gold-and-white dress swished to and fro as she moved.
“WHY wu’n I get it?” she shouted at him. “WHY? ’Cuz I’m so derpy? ‘Cuz I can’t think so good?” She scowled, her nose crinkling. “I think about LOTS of stuff! I… I think about YOU!” Furious tears welled up in her skewed eyes.
“That’s not it! It isn’t!” The Doctor looked away. “I’m only trying to keep you safe!”
She growled in frustration. “I don’ WANNA be safe! I want… I…” She gritted her teeth. “I WAIT TRUE!” She briefly struggled to spread her wings under her dress before giving up and galloping off.
“Ditzy! Wait!” The Doctor galloped after her.
Twilight trotted on.
“They’ll forgive me,” she said to herself. “They’ll understand. Fluttershy will come back just like she was, and Rarity will be so h-happy. AJ will see that it had to be done, and Dash will come around once she cools off.” She looked over her shoulder; her eyes stung. “And you can host the party, Pinkie! It’ll be s-so much fun!”
A clay jug smashed through a home’s front window and cracked on the street behind Pinkie’s wagon. Foamy hard cider spilled out and mingled with the mud.
Cheerilee trotted out into the rain, another two jugs hanging from a thin net slung over her beautiful dress.
“I have had ENOUGH of watching you throw your life away!” she said grimly. “We’re family, Berry, and I’m not going to let you keep doing this!”
Berry Punch slid into view on her belly, her fine dress wrinkling as she clung to one of Cheerilee’s hind legs. “D-DON’T!” she wailed. “I NEED IT!”
Cheerilee turned to face her. “No, your FOAL needs her MOTHER!”
Berry Punch hid her face with her front hooves and sobbed.
Twilight trotted on. Rain soaked her mane and tail. She shivered.
“Even if I’m a murderer, I can’t let Discord destroy Equestria. Seeing the world like that… being ALONE like that… it was the worst moment of my life. I couldn’t let it happen again. They’ll understand that – they’ll HAVE to! We’re the Elements of Harmony!”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders trotted out from behind a pile of hay-bales, sporting freshly-donned new dresses and posing proudly. Scootaloo’s happy expression soon wilted, however, as her wings flexed under the smooth back of her purple dress.
“Hay! How’m I supposed to…” She scowled. “…Oh. Now I get it. That’s great, Sweetie Belle. Real nice.” She snorted derisively.
Sweetie Belle tilted her head in confusion. “Huh? What do you mean?”
“Yeah, like you don’t know! There are no wing-slits in this dress, JERK!” Scootaloo lunged forward and shoved Sweetie Belle, leaving a muddy hoofprint on her green outfit.
Sweetie Belle stumbled. “Hay! Watch it!”
Scootaloo advanced on the staggering Unicorn. “G-Great joke! ‘What’s the point? It’s not like she NEEDS her wings for anything!’ ”
Sweetie Belle cringed; her eyes shone. “Th-That’s not true! I didn’t know! I was just trying to be NICE!”
Apple Bloom hopped over to stand between the two.
“Awright, enough! Stop it, you two! Yer bickerin’ is drivin’ me crazy!”
“Stop taking her side!” shouted Scootaloo. “It’s hard enough tryin’ to lose all this weight without you two ganging up on me!”
Sweetie Belle narrowed her teary eyes. “Maybe you wouldn’t be so h-heavy if your head wasn’t so full of ROCKS!”
Scootaloo growled furiously and dived past Apple Bloom to tackle Sweetie Belle.
“GRRR! I SAID, STOP IT!” Apple Bloom pushed up the sleeves of her scarlet dress and then jumped into the fray. The three little Ponies kicked and shouted and bit and shoved, the damp mud coating their colourful outfits.
Twilight trotted on. Suddenly, she tripped on a loose cobble. She yelped in alarm and fell into a mud puddle.
As she groaned and magicked the mud off of herself, she finally took proper stock of her surroundings; the realization was infinitely more chilling than the rain soaking her hide.
Ponyville’s cheerful chatter and carefree songs had been replaced by shouted arguments, screamed accusations and despairing sobs.
Everywhere, hooves stomped in anger and spattered mud up hides darkened by disquiet. Windows and doors slammed. Foals cried. Thunder rumbled.
A Pegasus stallion raced past, chased by an angry Earth Pony mob.
Among the countless clear raindrops, a solitary opaque, brown, candy-sweet droplet landed on Twilight’s cheek and slid down to her lips.
She wiped away the drop and then looked down at her own front hooves, finally seeing how dull and grey they had become.
Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened, her pupils shrank and her ears drooped as she softly whispered:
“Oh, p-please… no!”
• • • • • • •
Fluttershy narrowed her eyes. “I w-would never, EVER do something like that!”
Topsy waved a front hoof in a tsk-tsk gesture.
“Ah-ah-ah! Don’t be so hasty, Flutters. Pretty soon, you’re gonna realize that me offering you a way out is a lot kinder than you think. Y’see, I didn’t even PLAN for you to end up in here in the first place – this was all Twilight! I watched her, and gave her a few little nudges, and then the next thing I knew she just up and tossed you in the looney bin! Your little Screwhead pal messed up reee-ee-ee-aa-aa-al bad.”
Topsy held Fluttershy’s chin in both front hooves and stared her down. Fluttershy squirmed in disgust.
“And putting you in here was just the tip of the iceberg! The way things are going, pretty soon folks are gonna WISH they had the chance I’m giving you. ‘Cause, ya see…”
EVERYPONY OUGHT TO BE AFRAID
(To the tune of the ‘Everybody Ought to Have a Maid’ by Stephen Sondheim)
[TOPSY TURVY]
(Opens door and trots through the halls, attracting the patients’ attention)
Everypony ought to be afraid.
Everypony ought to have a creeping fear,
Everypony ought to have a seeping fear –
To keep ‘em awake at night!
Everypony ought to be afraid,
Everypony ought to feel just terrible,
Until it gets, unbearable,
And frightening-er than fright!
(Hops to and fro to the beat)
Oh, oh, won’t it be simply splendid,
When the whole world has ended,
And Chaos prevails?
(A guard-stallion gallops up, drawn by the noise)
Oh, oh, won’t He be truly frightful,
Breaking out,
(Ambushes guard as he turns a corner, kicking him
hard enough to make his head crack the opposite wall)
(tone low and menacing) Doing in.
Everypony ought to be afraid,
Scared to be alone when all the lights get low
(Flicks a switch, halls turn dim and shadow-filled)
Because that’s when He comes, you know!
You’ll never forget the sight:
(Returns to Fluttershy)
(Between Beats) He’ll be…
Shattering all the windows,
(Musses Fluttershy’s mane)
Scattering all the Buzzards,
Brightening all the landscapes,
(Shoves open shutters on barred window, scaring away perched birds)
Frightening all your pet birds,
Keepin’ ‘em all awake…
(Turns, rears up, spreads front hooves wide)
at night!
[FLUTTERSHY]
(Shivering, apprehensive, and slightly pale)
Afraid?
[THREE NEARBY MENTAL PATIENTS]
(Curious)
Afraid?
[TOPSY TURVY]
Afraid.
[PATIENTS, TOPSY TURVY]
Afraid!
(All dance in unison, Topsy leads and Patients back-up)
Everypony ought to be afraid,
Everypony ought to kiss their flank good-bye,
Because Discord’s the kind of guy
To never forget a slight!
[TOPSY TURVY]
(Flitting past other patients, leaving each terrified)
Oh, oh, won't it be just delicious,
Watching as things get vicious,
Once He gets out?
Oh, oh, won’t Twily be delightful,
Giving in,
(Slides a hoof across her throat, tone low and menacing)
Bleeding out.
Everypony ought to be afraid,
‘Cause the Lord of Chaos will be drawing nigh,
So you’d best prepare to die,
While I laugh at your plight:
(Between beats) He’ll be…
Saddening up the gigglers,
(Takes plush toy from Laughing Patient, who bursts into tears)
Maddening up the level-heads
(Throws toy at Orderly losing control of the growing mayhem; he cackles hysterically)
De-powering all the Twinklers,
(Flicks a Unicorn patient’s horn, messing up attempt to undo restraints)
De-flowering…
(Beat; sly sidelong glance at the audience as Fluttershy cowers in the background)
…the flowerbeds --
Keepin’ you all awake… at night!
[FLUTTERSHY]
(Cringing, even more frightened and paler still)
Af-fraid…!
[THREE OTHER MENTAL PATIENTS]
(Curious)
Afraid?
[TOPSY TURVY]
Afraid.
[PATIENTS, TOPSY TURVY]
Afraid!
[TOPSY TURVY, NEW BACKUP PATIENTS]
(Dancing through halls, kicking open still more doors)
Everypony ought to be afraid,
Cuz His Lordship isn’t the forgiving sort,
In fact he’s one to make a sport,
Of putting wrong what went right!
Oh, oh,
[TOPSY TURVY]
(Retrieves terrified, straitjacketed and gagged patient
and dances with him on hind legs)
He’s gonna make you suffer,
If you don’t like it – tough! You’re
All on your own.
[NEW BACKUP PATIENTS, TOPSY TURVY]
(All four grab, swing and toss bound patient up and out of view)
Oh, oh, won’t He be so creative?
[FLUTTERSHY]
(Rises into view in background, pleadingly hopeful)
Building up?
[TOPSY TURVY]
(Patient crashes down on top of Fluttershy; Topsy grins at audience)
Tearing down.
[NEW BACKUP PATIENTS, TOPSY TURVY]
Everypony ought to be afraid.
No amount o’ necklaces will save the day –
In fact, I think it’s safe to say,
There won’t even be a fight!
(Between Beats) He’ll be…
[PATIENT #1]
Chasin’ you while you’re runnin’,
[PATIENT #2]
Doin’ the Moon and Sun in,
[PATIENT #3]
Racin’ to turn you ashen,
[TOPSY TURVY]
An’ ruin your only passion,
[BACKUP PATIENTS, TOPSY TURVY]
(Topsy Turvy and Backup Patients dance forward toward the front entrance;
Fluttershy struggles against her restraints and begs far in the background)
Keepin’ you all awake… at night!
(Fluttershy: Don’t do this!)
At night!
(Fluttershy: Somepony help me!)
At night!
(Fluttershy, at the window, totally hysterical and turning grey: DON’T LEAVE ME IN HERE!)
(Topsy and Patients burst out through the front doors; Long note for finale)
AT NI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-GHT!
(Topsy Turvy trots off toward downtown Ponyville, giggling;
Crisis in Hospital is degenerating into a riot)
As the sounds of screams, cries, breaking glass and hooves pounding on hides echoed through the halls, Fluttershy added screams of her own to the din. She wailed and strained against her bindings until her joints burned and her wings threatened to dislocate.
Finally, she sagged and then flopped down onto the padded floor, panting and sobbing. She swallowed hard, took a slow, deep breath…
…and then closed her mouth around the bunch of berries on her meal tray.
TO BE CONCLUDED
Oh, crap. Things are really about to go crazy now. More so, I mean.
... I don't have a face for this. The sheer maddening brilliance of this story is beyond my ability to express with words. You made a musical number feel right at home. Topsy Turvy is somewhere between the Joker and Discord himself in terms of sheer magnifessence and maleficence. I have no idea how you plan to cap this off. I just want to be here when you do it.
Words ... words cannot describe just how bad Twilight f**ked up.
Let the madness seep into your soul, we already have your body so why not give the other half? We all knew that the others were cured but Twilight herself? That was never determined, she became Discord's toy the moment he broke free.
IT BEGINS
Sleep is for the weak. Let's go.
EDIT: I believe that this image is appropriate.
i.imgur.com/c3Yrh.jpg
This... won't end well.
Oh shit
Now I'm gonna feel like I have a rock in my gut for the next few hours, and anytime I think about this story until the next update. Maybe after that one as well, since I can't predict if it'll be even worse.
Celestia above, this had better have a happy ending.
fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/288/2/b/twilight_scary_by_darkchaos2795-d4cxiqc.jpg
From http://darkchaos2795.deviantart.com/art/Twilight-Scary-263584020?q=boost%3Apopular%20pony%20joker&qo=47
Atypical CM presentation.
You think every mother pony alive tells their child that their cutie mark isn't meant to be taken literally.
with concurrent animal hoarding.
SHE RUNS A BUSINESS of taking care of animals and giving out pets!
Sweet mother of everything, context it everything, because EVERYONE squeezes what they learn into their sphere of 'already know.'
Twilight's break down at Pinkie Pie's magic not fitting HER definition of magic kinda shows this.
… and paracusia.
0-0?!
She just said her special talent was speaking to animals!!!!
That's just plain incompetent!
And how many times are these ponies going to have to save the world before they're actually house hold names?
Deadman Wonderland.
Deadman Wonderland.
Deadman Wonderland.
Deadman Wonderland.
Deadman Wonderland.
It's Deadman Wonderland, the exact same feeling of how everything is so completely and utterly screwed up.
Boy's entire class is murdered except for him, after he's pulled out of the wreckage he's arrested at the hospital, and HIS OWN DEFENSE LAWYER FRAMES HIM! And AFTER he's declared guilty, a fake digital video shows him gleefully confessing the entire mass murder. Then it turns out his lawyer is also the WARDEN of the prison he's sent to! And it only gets more twisted and wrong from there.
Barehoof
?????
I am very shocked and surprised to see the scene between the Cheerilee and Berry Punch sisters . . . did you have any PARTICULAR inspiration for this?
…and then closed her mouth around the bunch of berries on her meal tray.
'God.' As in 'Oh God!' that's the thought that crossed my mind when I read that line.
1186125
The nurse was Topsy in disguse, who clearly wanted the doctor to believe that Fluttershy was insane so the truth got bent a lot.
Well.... I hope this doesn't turn out too badly, but either way, this is summing up into something crazy.
The next chapter couldn't come any faster.
Discord isn't destroying Ponyvile Twilight; you are. All he did was give you a little push in the right direction. I think your magic has been bleeding out and influencing everypony in town.
Dang it, I wanted to see twilight confess to the murder of Topsy, but now, how the heck is he alive? It will be very interesting to see either Discord come out or Twilight break.
... I'm not sure how to react to this chapter. Maybe something halfway between rage, sadness, and confusion.
I guess I'll just be happy that it got updated.
Ooooooooooh... crap.
That was nasty. Excruciatingly clever, but nasty. Exactly what I'd expect from Discord and his minion, to be honest. (Despite his considerable voice talent, I've never bought into Discord as the "misunderstood trickster"; I think, in a lot of ways, Discord comes across to me as being significantly more evil than Q was; and the latter would hardly win awards for his service to sentient/sapient kind!) And, of course, if one can get one the Elements removed permenantly - and at her own hooves, in such a way that her friends will feel responsible... Very astute manipulation of the circumstances.
Twlight deserves a good clip round the head, though; she knew damn well she was responsible for the mental state of the fellow Elements after last time - to let it go this far... I hate to say it, but she's REALLY screwed up this time. I don't think she'll be getting away with only dreaded "I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed" speech for Princess Celestia this time...
This is going to get... intense...
You know what, why don't we just drop a small atom bomb on Ponyville while we're at it, but have at least Spike survive. Everypony else is either evil, insane, a danger, a mess, or needs to be put out of their misery (Scootaloo).
1185743
You can't really compare Discord with anyone except Q.
Topsy Turvy is the Joker like how Discord is Q! That's the best way to put it!
God damn! I've never seen the shit hit the fan so damn much, it's...it's over 9000!!!
But seriously, I love this damn story.
1186125 1186250
Quite right.
Spoilers:
As is seen in her first appearance when the guard catcalls her (and in the sequence where the other nurse says she must have been working out), the cuddly, soft-bodied nurse was replaced the whole time by a lean, muscular, racist psycho with a talent for playing tricks. She faked compassion, took everything Shy said DELIBERATELY out of context, and asked questions in such a way as to make Shy dig her own hole. And then... well, you saw. As for the bit about CM presentation, I figured that weird or eccentric CM imagery is a "warning sign" for CMDD.
Also, along with "Buzzard", "Barehoof" is a fanon racist term for the tender-tootsied Pegasi. Walking on clouds all day, they almost never need a farrier. Note Dash's tender widdle hooves during Ponyville Confidential.
Also-Also, interesting, Alex. I have read Deadman Wonderland, but I can honestly say I haven't thought of it in years. Mmm... candy.
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1185708 1186565 1185910 1186888
BAHAHAHAHAHA!
It seems my "Wham Episode" is having its intended effect. Jolly good.
Oh, and for anyone unfamiliar with the Sondheim song I used, here is the version I based the rhythm on.
So Topsy Turvy is the Joker? Awesome sauce. Just goes to show you, Discord doesn't need to cause chaos, ponies can do it on their own. And once again Princesses, being MIA or useless.
I...
Wow. Just wow. My interest is rapidly approaching awe.
But if you kill Fluttershy I will find you.
He's baaaaaaack...
Wow. That the most dark, intense, gripping chapter yet. Like, ever. I had a feeling Topsy would show up again, but I wasn't expecting her to burst into song! That was awesomely horrific! The adapted lyrics are perfect, and the way you incorporate the "choreography" is truly brilliant.
It's amazing to me how much your stories are like the show, if FiM was rated TV14. Or higher. The dialogue is always perfect (loved Big Mac in this), we literally get to "see" each character's expressions and actions, and now musical numbers?? They should hire you to write the first FiM film for bronies.
And the little Ditzy/Doctor scene got me REALLY excited for her chapters this go-round...
Oooooaaahh man, I can't wait for the next chapter... Bravo, Saddlesoap, you master of suspense and drama!
1186998 He can't be first, there's a "Fan produced" episode is S3. If I remember correctly it's called Double Rainboom (I may be wrong, I've been avoiding all the S3 stuff as best I can)
You.... son of a bitch. You made Fluttershy try to commit suicide. I watched you do it. Now I have to watch you make everything even worse. I am plot committed to your story, because if I stop reading everything stays broken forever. All of this was fixed! You broke it all again! I hate that I love you for that! You are like the Lord British of pony stories. Now all I need is a Blackrock Sword to strike you down with...
1186915
And the great thing is that Discord didn't turn them the opposite of their elements this time. He turned the elements and their own flaws against them. Allow me to explain myself and feel free to correct me.
1) Fluttershy: She not only fell on her sword because of her feelings of worthlessness, she thinks that she's doing the world a kindness by ridding it of herself.
2) Rarity: Her fixation on a minor detail and over-reliance on manners turned her generosity into a fault.
3) Applejack: Her stubborn refusal to see that life isn't simple has made her calling it as she sees it a problem. She has to learn that though the truth might hurt, we need the pain that results.
4) Rainbow Dash: Her saying "My friend right or wrong" might as well be "My friend drunk or sober". After all, any animal can be 'loyal'; it takes a brain to know what to be loyal to.
5) Pinkie Pie: Her immaturity and inability to emotionally identify with others has left her incapacitated.
6) Twilight Sparkle: Her inability to admit error, follow logic to its conclusion or to ask for help has led to chaos. The Elements have been neutralized and a lot of ponies are in severe pain because of her refusal to see that she's talked herself up her own plothole. The one that terrifies me the most is Bright Eyes; if she remembers what she is, Celestia's wrath will be the least of Twilight's problems.
And now that Twilight FINALLY admitted to murdering Topsy Turvy, the bitch just goes "lulz I'm still alive." So Discord's won, and is probably on his way back, while Twi, Dash, and Rarity can't see eye to eye, AJ is moping, Fluttershy gets poisoned by a dangerously addictive berry and Pinkie is practically comatose.
I want to ask how things can possibly go worse from here, but I'm scared of the answer
Twilight
tsk tsk
How did you mange to fuck everything up that bad. It's just astounding
Well, this chapter was fantastic!
Twilight, oh dear. Good for Rarity and Rainbow to stand up to her though.
Fluttershy!
Love the ending of this chapter! One of my favorite songs from "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To the Forum."
Trust really is the forgotten element of harmony.
And Fluttershy does have one hope. Rarity. We've seen already that she's not the type to sit back and do nothing in a situation like this. Rarity is not thinking clearly, or she would have asked questions or gone straight to the mental ward. Instead she made it clear what she thought of Twilight now and left. And SINCE she's not thinking clearly, she's going to see no problem WITH BREAKING FLUTTERSHY OUT OF THERE, and hopefully smashes her way through the horde of lunatics (Princess Luna, "Hey!" "Well you did go crazy." "Not in this fanon!" "Too bad Nightmare Night kinda derailed all the charisma armor theory since there is no SANE reason Luna would have worn a replacement set of fear armor when she was trying to win the trust of the people. In particular since she considers in her own opinion that she committ no sin in her banishment, OR her return. Or emotionally torturing Twilight for the pecieved crime of being her 'replacement.' " "Speak not of that episode here! Mind thy manners!") that Rarity is going to be able to save Fluttershy from killing herself.
I wondered for a time WHY Rarity would be considered Fluttershy's best friend, eventually I came to the idea that Rarity might have been the one to finally bring Fluttershy out of her shell (Pinkie would be TOO animated, and RD would be TOO bold, but Rarity would know how to balance shrewdness with tenderness). And now Rarity must do so again, bring Fluttershy out of the darkness. In theory.
Sorry if anything I said was offensive.
1187316
Not bad...! Here's how I sketched out their downfalls in my head (spoilers):
In a deliberate thematic switcheroo from Pony Psychology, the Mane Six all fall prey to the Reversed Tarot.
1) Fluttershy: Alone she withers, a Flower in Snow. Fluttershy is isolated, and it proves her downfall.
2) Rarity: She Doesn't Know Her Inner Worth. She appraises herself based on Twilight's assessments, not her own, and can't just let Twilight be unhappy with the dress.
3) Applejack: Secrets Weigh Heavy Upon Her. Unready and unequipped for all this drama and conspiracy, AJ loses sight of what's RIGHT while hunting for what's TRUE.
4) Rainbow Dash: She'd Follow a Friend to Pony Hell. Could anything be more obvious? By the time Dash turns away, she's already in a very personal Hell of her own.
5) Pinkie Pie: Wary of Speaking Up. Happy to be happy, Pinkie takes Twilight at her word... and ignores her Pinkie Sense until it overloads and renders her catatonic.
6) Twilight Sparkle: Finds Loneliness Hard to Defeat. Twilight can't operate in a vaccuum. She. Just. Can't. Without friends to help her get perspective, her mighty intellect cannibalizes itself in over-analysis. Topsy figured this out, and gave Twilight a reason to fear and avoid real contact with her friends. This chapter is the ultimate result.
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1187838 1187840
No worries. Better to inspire passion than apathy.
As for Luna, I really didn't see anything conflicting with my fanon in Season Two -- quite the opposite! I considered S2E4 to be one of the biggest fanon supports for me!
Just wearing a tiara, peytral and shoes or the like does not a Mantle make -- it's like comparing a wedding ring to The One Ring.The Emotional Artifacts (fear and love versions) just happen to look like royal accoutrements. Another example: not every crown in Hellboy 2 is the one that commands the Golden Army. As for the illusion, Twilight TOLD her to look scary that time. She also had fake fangs.
Not only that, but she came across as awkward and mildly bitter, she made thunder rumble by stomping her hooves, she implied she was conscious for her imprisonment, and she used classical diction in formal situations -- all of which featured in my fanon.
With regards to the torturing Twilight thing, look at the timing. FIRST season one, THEN she is a bitch to Twilight and has her screaming match with Celly, and THEN Nightmare Night. What we see in Season Two is POST-Alicorns-Blame Luna; a Luna who has had a chance to come to terms with at least some part of her lingering spite and anger.
But aaaaaannnnnnyway. Rarity. Interesting commentary, there. Guess you shall all have to wait and see...
I love how Fluttershy is the only innocent one here! Screw all the other mane six!! I almost feel happy that Flutter's committed suicide, she doesn't deserve to be with the trash she called 'friends' or to suffer in the violent and chaotic world that was once Ponyville!!!
Discord has taken me...
1187941
I meant how Luna had starry mane and tail, was MUCH larger and darker than when she first appeared. Giving much more credence to the theory Luna was simply not done growing.
1187941
And the idea that Nightmare Moon was Luna being a child pretending to be grown up, or the elements making her what she already was inside, a child desperate for attention. I'm fully aware your fanon turns that entire idea upside down. But I'm just saying. But I know better than to argue with an author over their own fanon. That's like debating with god over the laws of phyics.
More! More!
More Madness!
Despair!
Delirium!
Fear!
The Friendship is Betrayed!
The Smile is Die!
The Truth is Hide!
The Gift is Infected!
The Heart is Break!
And the Sky's Light is Blunt...
Listen! You can Hear the Scream of the Foals,
the Blasphemy of the Believer,
the Cry of Everypony.
I'm Discord, my little pony....
Welcome to my Kingdom...
(I'm sorry about grammatical errors, but I don't speak english very well)
PLEASE, OH PLEASE DON'T MAKE US WAIT A MONTH OR SOMETHING FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T THINK I CAN SURVIVE THE SUSPENSE FOR LONGER THAN A COUPLE OF WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can never decide whether your pure genius drives me to continue my own writing or just blows me completely out of the water. I am both inspired and vastly humbled at once, you brilliant author.
Wow.. First off, them locking away Fluttershy was horrible. But Topsy Turvy surviving Twilight? I was not mentally prepared for that. I mean... how do you survive that? Just... how? The ironic thing in all of this would be IF Discord was actually controlling Topsy Turvy, or gave her some of his powers. At this point, anything is possible. Can't wait for the next update, though!
1187941 And all your points illustrate why I am one of the few totally immune to Discord's mental warping. I became everything, incorporated every possible state of being into myself, then split them into dozens of personalities, then cast those beings from my central being and entered a pure Blank State, after which I ascended to Nirvana and became one with the universe. Then, I threw that out and became so enlightened that no one can possibly comprehend it because I'm even beyond the universe!
And then, just to make absolulty sure I could defeat him, I absorbed several lifeless dimensions' worth of energy... *hovers in a great void, energy coursing around him, occaisionally forming whole galaxies at the merest whim of his thoughts*
*winks* When planning to confront a god, simply become a much greater god!
No one god-modes like the Deux Ex Insert!
(Aka, I'm going to enter your fic's world and pluck Discord from it, whereupon I shall commence torture with methods I will not even begin to describe here. And Topsy will simply be dropped off in China, where no doubt she'll be sold in pieces for magical medicines, as she deserves.)
1187838 There are two elements of friendship missing which no one has realized.
Altruism: Only a true friend will do something for their friends and in no way expect anything in return.
Self-sacrifice: This ties into altruism directly, being willing even to die to save your friends. This is not what Fluttershy did, by the way, lest anyone misinterpret. She gave in to despair and fear.
I shall now demonstrate. *pops up behind Discord* Hey there. you have totally pissed me off by screwing with the ponies so much. They don't even know me in this form, by the way, so they'll never know I've done this. But that's ok, because I'll be ridding the universe of you, more than enough for my satisfaction. I've turned myself into a quantum reality bomb! Have a hug! *blows Discord into less than quantum strings*
*re-appears* Oh yeah, one last thing. *stabs Topsy with Excalliber* Dats wassup, beeyatch. *disappears*
Did...did I just read a full musical number in Pony Psychology?
Anyway, excrement has just become real, as some might say. I love it
Have to admit, Fluttershy in the asylum is rather familiar...
cdn.superbwallpapers.com/wallpapers/meme/stay-out-of-my-shed-maniac-fluttershy-11414-400x250.jpg
Also, I'm really curious as what Rainbow Dash's swear on her wings involves. I'm worried things might become a little 'Cupcakes' related...
Can't wait for the conclusion:
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/131/471/my%20body%20is%20ready.jpg
You'll probably not like me for this, but that musical number?
Totally broke my flow of reading, tried to read it twice. Skipped most of it.
If you wanted to show that Topsy is a few marbles short of a bag, well that had been established before.
It's kind of like putting a Disney movie dance number into the showdown of "The Dark Knight".
Unnecessary and distracting.
Sorry.
Well, it's really hit the fan now. Luckily for our little ponies, this means the only way to go is up.
Unless I'm mistaken. In which case... panic.
1186565
Agreed on Discord. I mean, there are even enough clues through omission to put it that way. Two Alicorns who were not Luna or Celestia on the combined Equestrian flag during the founding. Presumably parents. Discord rose up eons ago to take over Equestria... the only way to take over would be to depose the currently ruling party, in this case the adult alicorns. Celestia and Luna fought him with the Harmony created during the founding. If he was just happily playing silly and childish pranks and throwing chocolate milk everywhere, I doubt that Celestia and Luna would double-team him with the strongest magic their world has to offer.
He hurt them, bad. Maybe dead parents? This is CHAOS, it can do everything from help an old lady across the street to ripping the flesh from her bones and feeding it to infants in the next moment. The whole spectrum of "You Are Fucked" is present. Let's look at the stained glass window of Discord, he's got ponies on wires, screaming above flames. The Mad God's rule was a Reign of Blood, in my damn opinion. They've already subtly hinted that Equestria is actually pretty damn grimdark, and it'd have to be, for all the hope and harmony to have meaning.
Discord's rule backstory, the backstory of Hearth's Warming, the fact that there IS a pony hell and Celestia sealed away Equestria's demons into it, to be guarded by her pet Cerberus, the gatekeeper of Hell. Go over it all fine-tooth and see... Discord wasn't some huggable silly-jokester, he has quite the precedent to be every bit as evil as possible. Not to mention that look Celestia gave him, that was pure murder. I hardly think an ancient immortal who lives and rules in their emotional and practiced mask would give a look that says "If I had the power, you would kneel before me as I drew gashes through your throat." unless he did something SERIOUS to them, and chocolate milk does not seem all that worrisome to me.
So much chaos.
So little order.
I'm disgusted.
I..I...I..I
OH MY GODS
Not only is Twilight the CAUSE FOR THIS SHIT STORM it was orchestrated by a pony who is so much of Chessmaster that..I..I oh my god
I need a stiff drink after reading this
Please go on
I'll do my best to see it through you can count on menull
I..I...I..I
OH MY GODS
Not only is Twilight the CAUSE FOR THIS SHIT STORM it was orchestrated by a pony who is so much of Chessmaster that..I..I oh my god
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
I need a stiff drink after reading this
Please go on
I'll do my best to see it through you can count on me