Kingdom of Bones: A Shot in The Dark

by ProbableSarcasm

Chapter One: Ex-Ex-Best Brother Best Friends Forever.

Author's Note:

Decided to add to this chapter, as it seems it won't ebb or flow with my other chapter.

The next chapter will explain in a better proportion on what and why Twilight is the way she is, and hopefully it will allow me to practice my dialog .

"Do you understand what I said, Miss Sparkle?" The Doctor asked, cutting off my train of thought. I already knew, it wasn't that hard to look up my own syndromes with the books lying around. However, it could never hurt to be completely sure.... I don't even know anymore, did I hear her correctly? Let's just go with what ever comes out of my mouth...

That's right Twilight, just be confident. You'll be alright. Spike sat next to me, looking at me with concerned eyes. He smiled softly, putting his ghostly claw on my purple shoulder. I felt cold and shuddered from the sheer creepiness and the chill of a ghost, if the ghost was only there. Is it there? I sure hope so. If not, I'm going to stay here for another few weeks. If not years.

"Yes, I heard you..." I said,my shoulders huddled inwards, "I have Schizophrenia."

"You might, that's what I said. For the mean time, just take your standard medication and you'll be fine. Also, and just in case, I'm also diagnosing you with Manic Depression," The Doctor stated, "You've been showing signs of moodswings, and I'm afraid we might need to do more tests."

"Absolutely not," I flatly said, "I don't consent to tests, just treat me."

"Normally, we would have forced you, but since the Princess signed you off as mentally competent; there's not much we can do." The Doctor shrugged, "However, you might want to check which variation of M. Depression you have."

"How many variations are there?" I asked, scratching my cheek.

"Depends on the pony," The Doctor answered, " However, the most are usually the two types: Felix Ira and Tristitia laeta."

"How will I know if I have a moodswing?" I asked,

"You don't, it just happens and your brain will rationalize it," The Doctor answered again, it'll depend how bad it is. "Are you sure you don't want me to check you into a health center?"

"Yes, I just need to take it easy." I replied, looking back at the Ghostly Spike, whom was cuddling up to me like he use to do when he was a little dragon.

"Right, anything else you need?" The Doctor took his pen into kinesis and wrote on his prescription pad.

"No,"

"Right. Thank you for your time, again, I'm sorry about Sp-"

I glared at the doctor, gritting my teeth.

"Don't say his name, please."

---

---

Two Years Later

"You were happy last night!"

"I was drunk last night,"

I wasn't drunk until I came in through the door last night, I took a shower, and had a lot of eggnog. Even though the taste of alcohol is still absolutely horrible for me, I accepted the drink to dull the pain in my hooves. I had my hooves covered in a bandage, as I purposefully cut my hoof so I could make an excuse to hide my forehooves from my brother.

Speaking of my brother, he was ecstatic to learn that I was in town, less ecstatic when he learned I was out almost past twelve at night. Much less when he had to leave to investigate an vicious assault on Doctor/Surgeon Forceps that I probably had nothing to do with. I don't know what I done, because I actually lied about taking my medicine.

Sue me, I forgot, and he got what was coming to him.

"Why can't you accept being happy?" Cadence frowned, sipping her orange juice.

"Because I'm miserable?" I retorted sarcastically, opening my pill bottle. I had no intent of flipping out like that again, given by the face I actually slammed Doctor Forceps head into the dumpster. I don't regret kicking the shit out of him, but I don't want to hurt any other idiot who don't deserve it. I also opened up my Anti-Depressants, which also helps the Schizophrenia. I don't have the energy for a fucking seance of the one person I just want to forget, and I don't want to be bothered about him.

"You're miserable because you can't move one," Cadence's eyes were once again full in color, she fucking did Meditatio Sui. "I know it hurts to be without Sp-"

"Don't even say his name," I warned, glaring at her from over my half-filled glass of milk. Why can't these dense ponies learn that when I want to forget, I don't want to be reminded twenty times a day about his death.

"To be without your pal, and to feel like it's your fault.."

"Cadence," I narrowed my eyes, she's only encouraging my splitting headache right now. "Fucking drop the subject, or shut the hell up."

"Twilight, you have to face the reality instead of hiding in denial!"

"I'm not in fucking denial!" My gripped on my glass of milk made the glass break, shards digging into my bandage and spilling milk and droplets of blood to the tablecloth. "I'm ridden with guilt, but it's not my fault. It's those five idiots who can't figure out when a dragon is about to die!"

"That's not fair to them!" Cadence snapped, and I shut my mouth. Cadence never liked it when I blamed his death on my former friends, and it was there fault. They killed him, and they can sleep easily at night for it. I hate them, I wished I never met them. Ever since I took that god damn assignment Celestia gave me, I've been bombarded with shit that I had to fix. Like a hydra, a Ursa Minor, a boastful mare, wolves made of fucking wood.

The door opened and slammed shut, and I knew what that meant. Shining was furious, and I wonder to whom he's upset with. I turned to Cadence. My anger weaning, and I just felt irritable but I honestly didn't want to have a falling out with Cadence and Shining Armor too. It would be hard and straining on both sides of the bout, and the last thing I want was to be hated by my own brother.

"Sorry," and I finished my milk. Cadence looked at me with sympathy filling her eyes, she gave me too many chances but she's still willing to try and help me. "I can't be helped, I can't heal anymore than I am, and I wish that I could but I can't; and it's not your fault. "

"It's not any-pony's fault, Twilight," Cadence finished quietly, although it was untrue to me. Not something I would say, as there are five ponies who still don't have the same feeling as me but it's a start.

Shining walked into the kitchen and dropped a magnum on the table in front of us, and at first, I didn't even recognize it until I noticed the ruby colored stands in the designed of the revolver. I didn't show any expression on my face, or at least I knew of, and I stared blankly at the gun. Being quiet isn't lying, because it was a gun I never seen before or remember about.

"Know anything about this, ladies?" Shining Armor calmly asked, as he sat down at the end of the table. Shining didn't favor either of us with his eyes, adding onto the already uncomfortable situation that's happening between Cadence and I; his hooves rapped and tapped on the table for a second before turning back to me.

"No..." Cadence murmured truthfully, "Should I?"

"I don't think so, how about you Twilight?"

Shit, he usually calls me by my full name when he suspects something of me. I looked back at the gun and back at Shining, my eyes narrowed for a second and opened back up normally. I know this song and dance, Shining Armor's interrogation methods usually rely on him building up a brooding atmosphere before he completely destroys it with hard facts.

I didn't answer, giving the gun a blank stare.

"Seen Doctor Forceps lately?" Shining quizzed, looking me now and completely ignoring Cadence. His eyes gazed downwards onto the table and back on me, his stare never leaving my eyes. I think he expected me to be uncomfortable under his gaze, like I was during his and Cadence's wedding. I simply sat there, leaning back and getting comfortable, my tail in my lap.

"What happened to your hooves?"

"Shining, she cut her hooves last night," Cadence quipped, which was true in a way. What I failed to tell her about was the fact I did it on purpose.

"Both of them?" Shining gave me a condescending look, holding up a black bow-tie. My bow-tie, and there was flecks of Forceps blood. I looked back at Shining Armor and he raised an eyebrow.

"Recognize this?"

"It's ugly," I admitted, "And it's mine."

"You know what happened to Forceps?"

"Nope," I made it obvious I was lying, to the point of sarcasm. Cadence didn't catch this by her confused look, not understanding the little spoken speech me and my EX-Big Brother Best Friend Forever. I feel the mutual understanding between the two of us, but we both couldn't let Cadence know what I did.

"Would you excuse us Cadence?" Shining asked his wife, but not averting his eyes.

"Twilight, you didn't.."

"I didn't, otherwise Shining wouldn't have came here alone."

"I'll uh... go check up on the bills..." Cadence got up and quickly excused herself out of the kitchen, making herself scare. She went upstairs, and I heard the door closed. She would try to listen in, I know she would. She hasn't given me her word that she wouldn't, so she wouldn't mind if I create a magic distortion field around me and Shining.
The spell was called Stationem Detineamini

Shining gotten smarter in the two years I was gone, He created a one-way sound barrier spell called Silentium. Silentium isn't as complicated as a spell for a Captain, such as Shining Armor, to use when discussing Diplomacy or espionage. My spell, Stationem Detineamini was used as counter-intelligence.

We both had the same idea. This is either good, or really bad.

"You think I killed him?" I asked, positive. That gun right there is a prop and we both know it, no one in their right mind will sell me a firearm unless I want the gun for almost twice the price. The high decal of this prop gun was cleverly done by an artist, so whom ever sees this thing with an untrained eye will immediately see a gun.

"You're still here, so no. You didn't."

"You expect me to run?"

"I expect you to come clean, Twilight," Shining Armor's face twitched, he was not happy with me and his blood was boiling to know I was happily skipping and dodging the questions purposefully. "I have enough problems as it is, I don't need my sister unleashed and snarling."

I thought for a second.

"What do you mean?"

Shining slammed his hoof onto the table, the large bang ringing through our bubble shield.
"You knew for a fact he would be here, and in the middle of a snowstorm was the perfect moment to exact you own little vendetta against him."

"I'm not an idiot," I felt insulted at his understanding of my intelligence. "A gun?"

"No, I think you wanted to scare him," Shining replied, his eyes narrowing.

"We both know the why, but not the what and the how," I replied, a smug smile appearing on my face.

He's getting warmer.

I love this game.

"A gun."

"Why would I do that?"

"Not just any gun," Shining armor picked it up and pulled the hammer back on it, he pointed at a vase and pulled the trigger. Out sprung a flag with the words you're silent or you're asleep. My eyebrow raised.

"A gag gun," I finished.

"Pinkie Pie's gag gun."

"Where are you going with this?"

Shining curled his lips upwards, giving way to a proud look.

"You're smart you know that? You had half of the idiots on the force thinking it was a mugging gone wrong, as his wallet and his jewlry were taken." Shining Armor chuckled, "I know you didn't take them, too easy to be traced back."

"I took his teeth out," I said, unwrapping my hooves. "I promise to but back in when I'm done."

"Look, I can only cover your ass for so long. That bloody surgeon's screaming to the hill valley your name, but they keep ruling you out because you haven't shown up in two years." Shining shone his horn, and the swelling on my hooves went down to show bruising on my hoof. "That, and no one person keeps robbing the same pony."

"You're condoning this?"

"The dastard fucked with our family, your family." Shining leaned back, his dumb smile never leaving his face. "Because we couldn't pay him up front, screw him."

"How bad is he?"

"You beat the hell out of him," Shining looked even prouder, surprisingly. I was getting a little scared to be honest. This can't be Shining, no way. Maybe me disappearing made him hate Doctor Forceps, but the fact he's covering for me and being proud of me for hurting a pony. "Better than any guard in centuries had the balls to do."

"Granted, he's forty years old." I replied, rubbing my hooves.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that? It's not any of the training the guards use!" Shining Armor was interested now.

"I'm not in trouble for hurting him?"

"Nah, letting you off with a warning."

"He's not pressing charges?" I asked,

"Next one will cost ya." He dodged,

"You mean to tell me he isn't pressing charges?"

"Nope, we promised we would pay for the treatment under your name and a forged signature," Are you sure you aren't a spy, Shining? "Now tell me."

"Griffon Mixed Martial Arts," I admitted.

"Huh?" Shining armor looked at me confused, like he's never studied the Art of War.

"Sambo, ever heard of it?"

"Nope, who taught you?"

"Sorry, but these lips are sealed,"

Nobody, I watched a lot of the MMA sports (after being desensitized about the hitting and choking and bending of limbs) and read a bit. A tutorial of Sambo was published in actual volumes, and simple clones of myself using the spell Alia Mihi allowed me to practice. I wouldn't really say I'm an expert at this, but I know enough to at least handle myself if I came close to a fight.

"What are you doing in Canterlot anyways, you didn't come all the way over here just to beat up on that surgeon again." Shining Armor seriously had a bad taste in his mouth every time he says that earth pony's name. I couldn't blame him for it, I get furious every time I see the greedy and slimey bastard.

How much I just wanted to actually have a real gun, but no. Vengeance solves nothing in this situation, I want to totally destroy his career and Doctor Forceps as a pony. Just killing him won't bring him back, and it won't solve the ease of pain on my mind. Beating the air out of him, maybe breaking a few bones shouldn't hurt.

Shouldn't hurt me at least.

"I don't want to go home, especially not on this day," I unfolded my wings and stretched them.

"Hey Twily?"

"Asshole?" I replied, mocking his question.

"Whatever," Shining Armor's eyes rolled, "Why did you turn down Celestia offer on becoming a princess?"

"Maybe the fact I'm going to outlive everyone I know and care about?" I answered, "Excluding the Princesses, you, Cadence, maybe maybe Blueblood."

"You're not worried about your friends?" Shining asked,

"Not my friends anymore, more or less Elements of Harmony members who won't leave me the hell alone?" I grunted that sentence.

"You changed, Twilight," Shining Armor stated, "I'm not sure if it's for the better."

"Nobody changes for the better, we all get worse everyday," I said, "It's what makes us stronger."

---

The train station was advance, even by my complex standards. The train didn't run on gas as it more or less ran on more ecosystem-friendly methods of fueling. I will never begin to wrap my head around the science of using rain mixed with battery acid to push a ton of steel and ponies to one place to another.

It was the day after Heart's Warming Eve, and Winter Wrap up won't be too long after today. I won't participate in that event, maybe I'll just disappear again until Spring where I won't have to wear such a outfit such as this trench coat. I'd tear it off and leave it for a homeless bum, but that bum doesn't deserve the warmth like I do. I don't punish myself for selfish reasons, I'd rather be selfish than cold.

Platform Three, Cabin Two, Train One.
I found humor on my ticket, it made me smile just a little.

I scratched my cheek as the train came closer, my hooves stuffed in my pocket as I sat on a bench lazily. My coat was tied up tightly, and I sat like that weirdo Lyra Heartstrings. I had a lit cigarette on my lips, anchored with my teeth. Because of this fact, many ponies who had little ones moved away, those with health problems were burdened to move. Under my trench coat was grey long-johns and a sweater, it was way too fucking cold outside to just be outside of Canterlot.

"Twilight!" Rarity, whom was sitting next to me, scolded irritably. She was sitting on the bench with a sort of swagger to her, her posture straighter than anything Rainbow Dash has ever seen. "It wouldn't kill you to at least sit like a lady?"

I spread my legs slightly further, "Fucking bite me."

Comments

[the ninja king]

You got me hooked!

[Mikegrahm212]

So freakin' faved.