Seeing Sanguine

by Winged Cat

13: Twilight's Diagnosis

In a white flash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and a still-tied-up Sanguine appeared inside Fluttershy's cottage.

"Uh, thanks." Applejack blinked away the afterimage of the flash. "Ah just thought y'all'd levitate her back here, not..."

"Tell me what happened," Twilight interrupted, "and make it quick. Flim and Flam are due any minute."

"Uh...Flim an' Flam happened," Applejack quickly explained.

Twilight gasped. "Are they..."

Applejack shook her head. "Alive, but scared an' running for th' hills. Close thing, though. Fluttershy body blocked Sanguine an' gave 'em time t' run."

"Phew." Twilight exhaled, then giggled. "Fluttershy saves the day again! Rainbow Dash might be getting jealous."

Fluttershy looked over her shoulder from where she had begun cleaning up the little messes - out of place pillows, a lamp knocked over - her charges, especially Angel, often made when she was away for long. "Do you really think so? I can stop."

Twilight's giggled died mid-gig. "I was kidding, and please don't stop, Fluttershy."

"Alright." Fluttershy resumed cleaning.

"So anyway," Applejack continued, "turns out Sanguine can sense when people an' things bode ill intent. That's how she knew when t' show up t' stop those timberwolves. Zecora pointed it out, so we went into town so she could practice, and...please tell me it's temporary?"

"Hmm." Twilight paced around Sanguine, examining. "How was she acting when she started practice?"

"Weird. She kept studyin' Fluttershy at first. Then she got all scared - then angry, an' headed right for those two. No doubt she sensed 'em. By the time we caught up, she was downright feral." Images of what had been narrowly averted played in Applejack's mind. She could think of more deserving ponies - then chided herself for thinking that.

Twilight smiled. "It's temporary. Hypersensitivity to a new or newly discovered sense is quite common. One of the first things you learn to do is to tone it down. Actually, I think she's coming out of it now. Could you untie her mouth?"

Applejack did so. Sanguine stammered, "A-Applejack? Did...did I kill...?"

"No, sugar." Applejack smiled reassuringly. "We caught you in time. Well, Fluttershy caught you in time."

"Thank Celestia! It was just like with that griffon!" Similar images played in Sanguine's imagination.

Twilight cocked an eye. "Griffon?"

"Yeah, uh, Twi'?" Applejack sighed. "Celestia was trainin' her t' be an assassin."

"WHAT?!?"

"It's true." Despite being on the verge of tears again, part of Sanguine's mind noticed that Twilight had struck the exact same pose as Fluttershy had when she found out. "She had me kill a unicorn and a griffon. And a dragon."

"Now, now, sugar." Applejack patted Sanguine while removing the rest of the rope. "That dragon was just there. You saved Celestia's life. Well...maybe she coulda handled it, but she didn't have to."

Twilight frowned. "How many know about this?"

"Right now? You, me, her, an' Fluttershy." Applejack looked around to confirm there were no visitors she had just spilled the beans to. "Zecora might suspect. That's all."

"Keep it that way. If word got out..." Twilight sighed. "I am not looking forward to asking Celestia about this."

Applejack nodded. "No problem. It's in the past, anyhow. Pretty sure that's the real reason Celestia sent her t' us."

Having put everything back in order, Fluttershy nuzzled Sanguine. "Are you okay now?"

"Y-yeah. I can...still feel them, but if I don't look really hard..." Sanguine looked up at her. "What ARE you?"

Fluttershy blinked.

"You, you were like this, void," Sanguine explained. "Less than nothing."

Fluttershy pouted and looked away. "Oh, um..."

Sanguine winced. "Not like that! I meant when I was looking for selfishness and anger and...all that. You had less of it than the rocks."

Fluttershy looked back. "Really?"

Applejack chuckled. "Well, hers IS th' Element o' Kindness. Kinda figures."

Sanguine had yet to stand up, but now moved her legs so she was on her knees in front of Fluttershy. "I wish I could be like you. Never have to...be like THAT again."

Fluttershy sat down and folded her legs, mirroring Sanguine's pose back at her. "Might I ask what's it like?"

Sanguine rested her head on Fluttershy's chest. "What what's like?"

"Being angry."

Sanguine blinked. "You've never...?"

Fluttershy began stroking Sanguine's mane. "Well, umm...a few times kind of? But it was always with a purpose. Like, Zecora told you about that dragon? I was protecting my friends. What did you feel from Flim and Flam?"

"Those two unicorns? I..." Sanguine's breathing accelerated.

Fluttershy gently hooked both hooves behind Sanguine's neck and tugged, sliding the two of them together so Fluttershy could properly hug.

"Th-thanks." Sanguine leaned into it. "I, well, almost everypony around me felt WRONG, you know? Like, like they were all changelings looking to feed on each other, or something. And then I felt two REALLY bad things at the edge of town, far worse than anypony else. I just knew I had to get rid of them. At the same time I didn't want to kill another pony, but it was like I was just watching myself, not even in control, and what I wanted didn't matter in the face of elimin-nating..."

Fluttershy squeezed as Sanguine's words choked off in a sob. "There, there. It's alright, they ran away and you're here with us now, nothing's going to hurt you."

Twilight nodded to the door. "Applejack, a word?" And trotted outside.

Applejack hung her head and muttered, "I hate havin' a word," but followed.

Once outside with the door closed, Twilight took a moment to make sure none others were around before summarizing, "So. Anger management issues, she can kill easily, and any pony who's just running a con can set her off." She began trotting a slow circle around Fluttershy's cottage.

Applejack continued walking behind Twilight. "Ah think that's only 'cause she was concentratin' on it. That griffon she mentioned was eatin' a colt piece by piece, still alive."

Twilight blanched.

"Ah figure that'll be what sets her off normally," Applejack finished as if discussing train schedules.

"That...uh..." Twilight swallowed, fending off her stomach's attempt to rebel at the imagery. "Y-yeah, okay, I don't think she needs to worry about running into that most of the time. But still, you were right about her cutie mark taking control."

Applejack nearly stumbled. "Come again?!"

Twilight looked back at her. "Cutie marks don't do obvious mind control. They're a part of you. They're who you are. Remember when your cutie marks were mixed up, and you kept doing what they said because you thought that was what you were? It's you, but at the same time it's the cutie mark expressing itself."

"Uhh..." Applejack blinked. "In short?"

Twilight looked ahead, if only so she could roll her eyes without Applejack seeing - and so she could hop the short fence around the yard in back. She smiled, though. "In short, she needs a lot more than anger management classes. But that might be a start."

Applejack nodded. "Y'thinkin' teachin' her t' meditate or somethin'? 'Cause the last thing she needs is a preventable death toll."

"Actually - and this may sound silly, but hear me out." Twilight looked to the sky. "I was thinking she needs to learn courage."

"Come again?"

"How to stand up for herself," Twilight explained. "How to will herself to be the pony she wants to be, and not get swept up by her emotions to do things she'll regret."

"Ah see. Hmm..." Applejack considered Twilight's words for a few seconds. "Makes sense. You got a plan for that?"

Twilight nodded. "Yep! Have her shadow Rainbow Dash."

Applejack blinked. "That...that's the complete opposite o' what you just said!"

"No, no, think about it," Twilight protested. "Sure Rainbow Dash can be egotistical, and brash, and competitive, and-"

"Y' ain't helpin' yer case, Twi'."

"Alright, alright." Twilight stopped and sat, having come all the way around to the front door again. "Point is, when has Rainbow Dash ever done something she did not mean to do?"

"..." Applejack thought about it.

"I'm not counting accidents, like when those rocks fell on her. She stands by her actions, more than most ponies. So I figure she's got to be able to teach some of that to Sanguine." Twilight held up her hooves and spread them in a hopeful gesture.

"Hmm. Possible."

Twilight smiled. "Besides, if there's any of us who envies Sanguine, even a bit..."

Applejack eyerolled. "Tch, yeah. If Rainbow Dash knew what we knew, ah could almost see her fanfillyin' Sanguine - an' tryin' t' hide it."

"I, kind of, told her a bit." Twilight looked away.

"And?"

Twilight nodded. "...aaand you're right. I almost wonder if I should go with them just so she doesn't try to get Sanguine to think killing is a good thing."

Applejack put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Ah hate t' say it, but that might be for th' best, Twi'."

"Alright. It's a plan." Twilight opened the door and called inside, "Hey, Sanguine? Tomorrow I'll spend the day with you, and I'm pretty sure she's free so I'll ask Rainbow Dash to join us. Is that alright?"

Sanguine was by now cuddled up with Fluttershy. "Yes, your maje-"

Twilight frowned.

"Err!" Sanguine feigned surprise, but the shadow of a smile snuck in - and Fluttershy trying to suppress a laugh only robbed further credibility from Sanguine's attempt at innocence. "Umm. Yes, Twilight. When should I report in?"

"Not as early as today, please. Two hours later."

Already lying down, Sanguine nodded in a makeshift bow. "By your royal comman-" She paused, then snickered. "The LOOK on your FACE right now! You really don't do 'Princess'."

"It is a little silly," Fluttershy agreed, still holding in her own laughter but not staving off a smile.

"Guuuh!" Twilight stormed off, only allowing herself to smile too once none of them could see.