The Inner Madness of Twilight Sparkle.
Somepony once said that all it takes to go insane is one bad day. Looking back at my life up to now, I can say with certainty that I've had my fair share of those. But even after all had been through, I did not truly know of madness until I looked into the eyes of Twilight Sparkle.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking, Twilight. Not Nightmare Moon or Discord? Surely you can't be serious? Well as Pinkie Pie would say, I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.
It was an ordinary Saturday not unlike any other, little did I suspect the horror that was about to be unleashed on Ponyville that day. Scootaloo had gathered the Cutie Mark Crusaders outside the clubhouse for a little demonstration. Ever since her little 'accident', I had begun studying her condition after school.
"This is incredible!" I exclaimed. Scootaloo stood motionless, her body vibrating like a blurry image in a photograph as multicolored bolts of lightning arced around her body.
"IIIIIII'mmmm fffffeelllllling tiiiiinglllllyy alllll ooooverrrrrrr!" The soundwaves coming from her muzzle shook back and forth. Slowly her molecular structure started to become intangible.
"Wow." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle whispered in astonishment as they looked right through their friend's body.
"Okay, Scoots that's enough." The orange filly slowly faded back to a solid tangible state.
"That was so awesome Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle's voice cracked in excitement. "You were all see-through and stuff."
"Aw, shucks it was nothing." Scootaloo waved a hoof nonchalantly. "Watch this."
FLAAASH! In a fraction of a second Scootaloo phased back and forth through the trunk of the treehouse. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's jaws dropped in awe.
"Holy guacamole!" Apple Bloom exclaimed as the rush of wind blew over the three of us.
"I must admit I'm impressed," I admitted. "The progress you've made in one week is incredible. How is that possible?"
"I dunno," She replied. "I just sort of came to me. "
"You knew how?" Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah,"
"Like instinct," I thought out loud as I flipped the notes on my clipboard back over. "That would make sense considering your cutie mark."
"Make sense how?" Sweetie asked.
"A pony's magic changes when they acquire their cutie mark," I explained. "It becomes more unique. What the cutie mark represents immediately becomes instinctive to the mind and body. Hence why her body holds up under the speed and friction and her brain can process everything that's going on around her when running.
Sweetie Belle blinked at me. "You lost me on that last part," She said.
With Scootaloo's examination over with, I decided to head into town to the library. To research magic's effects on the laws of physics. Anypony who paid attention to basic magic 101 knew that when it came to physics magic didn't obey the law. It was a wild card, an exception that followed its own rules. As my battle with Discord had recently taught me, not even I was immune to it.
As I headed out the door, I ran into Applejack in the kitchen.
"Where are you going Sugarcube?" She asked me.
"The library," I answered.
"Okay, well just remember RD is coming around this afternoon to demolish the old barn." She reminded me. " And then we're heading off to our picnic. So no comet sightings unless there's an emergency, got it?"
"Got it," I said before heading out the door.
As I galloped down the road into town, I felt the gentle breeze blow the smell of fresh grass through my nose. the warmth of Celestia's sun on my coat fueling my Koltonian body. The singing of the birds in the trees and the sky filled the air with a pleasant song. After the insanity of the past week, it felt nice to simply enjoy the tranquility of an ordinary day.
"What a beautiful day!" I exclaimed. "The sun is shining, the birds are singing. There's no insane Chaos God wreaking havoc! Just an ordinary Saturday."
As I passed by Sugarcube Corner, I noticed Twilight and Spike standing inside in front of the counter.
"Whoa," Spike said staring at a box of cupcakes.
"Uh, I only ordered twelve." Twilight pointed out to Mrs. Cake.
"Oh, I know dear, but I had an extra. So I thought I'd make it a baker's dozen." She explained.
"Uhh no," Spike said, his voice filled with dread.
"Oh, that was very thoughtful of you," Twilight said. "It's just some icing from the extra cupcake is getting all over the one next to it. See?" Her tone sounded anxious. I saw the neurons in her brain begin to speed up as she focused on this minor flaw.
"Ohh, sure." Mrs. Cake said looking a little confused.
"It's just I'm planning on sharing these at a picnic later," Twilight rambled on. "And I don't anypony to feel like somepony else is getting more icing."
"Oh, no...of course not." Mrs. Cake smiled awkwardly as Twilight levitated a spatula in her magic.
"Not to worry, I'll just move some of this to...hmm...I think I may have scooped too much...oops." Twilight smiled nervously as she tried to 'correct' the situation. "Now those two have more. "Let's just try this again...hmm, no, that won't do. Let me just...hmm...put some here and...no that's not right. A little more on this one...a little bit...and wait."
I was no psychologist but Twilight seemed to be showing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. I'd seen enough.
"I'll just...a little bit there and...wait...I'll just..." The doorbell jingled as I pushed it open.
"Twilight is everything alright?" I asked.
"Gah!" The librarian yelped, and the spatula in magic flew up catapulting a glob of frosting that flew past my head and landed on my flank. "Oh, Apple Comet! I am so, so sorry." She levitated a napkin out of a nearby dispenser and trotted over to me. "I was trying to get these cupcakes just right and you just happened to walk and surprise me."
"What was wrong with them?" I asked innocently as she began wiping the frosting out of my coat.
"Oh, not much," She answered. "It's just I had one extra and the frosting on it was spilling over onto the one next to it and I didn't want somepony to think I'd given extra icing to one of my friends. So I was trying to equally redistribute it when you walked in.
"Uh-huh," I looked over at Spike who shrugged his shoulders and threw his claws up.
"Anyway now that you're here, why don't you have it?" Twilight neatly folded the napkin and tossed it toward the trash. It bounced off the lid and fell onto the floor.
"Oh, no!" She gasped as she picked the napkin up making sure to fold it carefully once more. It went in this time.
"Yes!," Twilight pumped her hoof in triumph "Now all I have to do is wipe down the mess the napkin made with another napkin." She plucked another one from the dispenser as Spike held out the extra cupcake.
"No thanks, you have it," I told him.
The trot back to the library erased any lingering doubt about Twilight having OCD. Again I was not a psychologist and therefore not licensed to diagnose anypony with a mental disorder. But it was very apparent that Twilight wasn't fully in control of herself at the moment. By the time we got there, the checklist Spike was writing looked like a roll fresh out of the paper mill.
"Looks like that's everything," Spike said checking off the last item on the list.
"Almost everything," Twilight corrected him.
"Triple-check checklist to make sure we didn't miss anything when we double-checked the checklist!" Spike glanced at the carpet-length parchment nervously. "Ugh..check," he said hoping Twilight wouldn't notice. "Ugh...I've been holding that quill so long, I've got a claw cramp."
"I got ya, Spike," I said reaching into my saddlebag for the first-aid kit I'd offered to carry.
Thanks, Apple Comet," he said gratefully as I opened the lid and removed the roll of bandages. "I'm just glad we don't have anything to report to Princess Celestia this week. I don't think I could write another word!"
Twilight's pupils sunk deep into her eyes. "We haven't sent a letter to Princess Celestia this week?!"
"Why? Is that bad?" Spike asked. The panicked look in the librarian's eyes told me yes, this was a bad thing."
Bad? BAD? Of course, it's bad!" Twilight said, her neck recoiling in shock. "I'm supposed to send Princess Celestia a letter every week, telling her a lesson I've learned about friendship! Not every other week, not every ten days, every...single...week! She accentuated every word with a tap of her hoof on Spike's smooth chest before rushing to a nearby bookshelf.
"Oh, where's my calendar? Where's my calendar?" She asked as she telekinetically tossed books and papers aside."
"Where it...always is?" Spike answered hesitantly. He led me over to another shelf with drawers on the bottom. A quick look at my X-ray vision revealed it was in the last drawer. I pulled it open in clear view of Spike.
"That one with the green cover." He said pointing it out. I picked it up and headed back to Twilight who quickly snatched it up in her magic.
"When did we send the last one?" She asked Spike frantically.
"Last Tuesday," Spike said.
"And today is?" The answer was Tuesday.
"Eeek!" Twilight's entire body stood on end as she dashed upstairs shouting, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," Through the wall, I saw her staring out her bedroom window. Her eyes were frozen wide in terror. "If I don't send her a letter by sundown, I'll be...tardy!"
"What's that now?" Spike asked as we stepped through the open doorway.
"Tar-dy, Spike!" She said emphasizing each syllable. "Late, I'll be late, Oh, how could I let this happen?" She bemoaned throwing herself atop her bed and covering herself with a blanket. "I'm usually so organized. I've never been late with an assignment."
Spike cautiously poked the trembling sheet, then lifted it. "Oh, please." He scoffed. "You're the most studious student ever! I'm sure the Princess will forgive you if you missed one little deadline."
Twilight's front half popped out like a prairie dog from its hole."
"I'm afraid I have to take that chance, Spike. This is the ruler of Equestria we're talking about." She said with a dramatic wave of her hoof before jumping down from her bed. "What if instead, she starts thinking I'm not taking my studies on friendship seriously?"
"Why would she?" I asked Spike, who simply shrugged his shoulders.
"What if she makes me come back to Canterlot and puts me back in school and makes me prove I've been taking them seriously by making me take a test?!" She continued. What if I don't pass?"
"Twilight, I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill here." I instantly regretted my words as Twilight stared at me like I'd kicked an ice cream cone out of her hoof.
"A mountain of a molehill?" She whispered with a quiet fury. "A Mountain Out OF A MOLEHILL!" Spike and I slinked back in terror as Twilight approached.
"Do you know what happens to students that fail Apple Comet?" She leaned her neck in close like a hydra. "They get...sent back...a grade. That's bad enough in any ordinary class with any ordinary teacher. A slight chuckle escaped her lips. Unlike Pinkie Pie's however, it was devoid of happiness and joy.
"Oh, but we aren't talking about any ordinary class with any ordinary teacher. Oh no, we're talking about Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria, She who raises the sun, The greatest teacher Ponykind has ever known! And if I fail her studies, she won't just send me back one grade oh no. She'll send me all the way back to Magic Kindergarten!"
"Okay Twilight," I said raising one hoof cautiously. "Take a step back, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and count to four."
Twilight tilted her head the way Winona does when she's confused. She took a step back, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled."
"Better?" Spike asked.
"Better," She confirmed. "You were right Apple Comet, I can't just run around panicking. If I'm going to save my record, I gotta get out there and find a friendship problem before sundown!"
I leaned in closer to Spike. "Did I do good?" I asked him.
"Honestly, I don't know," was his response.
"So boys got any problems troubles conundrums or any sort of issues major or minor that I, as a good friend can help you solve?"
Spike and I stared at each other for what felt like the awkward minute of my life.
"I got nothing." He finally said.
"Yeah me neither," I added.
Twilight's ears drooped down as she let out a sigh. "Well, then I'm going to have to find somepony who does." With a look of determination, she galloped down the stairs and headed out the door.
"This won't end well," Spike sighed.
"We should follow her," I suggested. "Something tells me today is going to be one of those days."
"You read my mind." He said.
"So is this the first time something like this has happened?" I asked Spike as I secretly led him down the trail of hoofprints Twilight left behind.
"Well I don't like talking about Twilight behind her back," Spike explained. "It's just she takes her studies very seriously and..."
"AIIIIEEEEEEEE!" My ear twitched as I picked up a shrill scream in the distance.
"Rarity!" I gasped.
"Rarity?" Spike asked as my ears picked up another scream.
"Don't worry Rarity, I'm coming!" I heard Twilight call out followed by the galloping of her hooves.
"Why m-e-e-e-e? WHYYY?! Why? Why-y?! And of all the worst things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!"
"Uhh, maybe she's at Rarity's," I suggested with a nervous smile. Luckily Spike didn't argue or question how I'd come to that conclusion.
The bells above the door jingled as I pushed open the door to the carousel boutique. Rarity stood next to a ponyquinn stitching some ribbon onto a dress.
"Welcome to carousel..." She paused. "Oh hello Spike, and Apple Comet, it's been a while since you stopped in. What can I do for you two today?"
"We were wondering if Twilight stopped by just now," Spike explained.
Rarity's expression blanked out. "She did actually, you just missed her. Is something the matter? She seemed somewhat flustered."
"She's a little on edge about not having written to Princess Celestia this week," Spike said, scratching the back of his head. Did she say where she might be going?"
"Nothing specific I'm afraid," Rarity answered.
"Well we won't keep you then," I said. "C'mon Spike let's go."
"Where to next?" Spike asked once we were outside the boutique.
"We need to find the rest of her friends. Wherever they are that's where Twilight will be heading." The Librarian's sparkling hoofprints were heading out of town towards Sweeta Apple Acres. "I just remembered something, Applejack is having Rainbow Dash demolish an old barn for her this afternoon."
"You think Twilight would think to look there?" Spike asked.
"KIAAAAAAH!" A battle cry accompanied by the sounds of hooves breaking through worn wood echoed in the distance. "It's worth a look," I said.
The drake shrugged his shoulders in agreement and mounted up on my back. "Giddy up," he said
As I galloped up the hill, my ears twitched picking up the sound of familiar voices. Glancing over at the old barn, I saw Twilight and Rainbow Dash standing outside the barn.
"Oh Rainbow Dash, you don't have to hide your feelings from me, I can tell you two must've had a terrible fight." She levitated the pegasus over to a nearby bench and lay her on top like a therapist's sofa. "Now why don't you tell me about your issues with Applejack."
"I don't have any issues with Applejack." Rainbow Dash protested.
"Then why are you destroying her property?"
"Because she asked me to, right Applejack."
Applejack walked over, her head wrapped in a crash helmet. "Yes ma'am, A'h wanted to put up a new barn, but this one's gotta come down first. Hehe. Now get back to it RD."
"Rainbow smiled and said. "You got it, boss."
"Ah'd take cover if I were you," Applejack warned Twilight as Dash ascended skyward.
"Oh, boy," Realizing what was about to happen, I skidded to a stop.
"Why are we stopping?" Spike asked.
"Get off and duck and cover," I told him.
"You didn't answer my question," he said.
"Trust me, just do it." The drake clambered down from my back and crouched down beside me covering his head with his claws.
"So why are doing this?" He asked. To which I pointed to the rainbow descending from the sky at breakneck speed.
KA-BOOOOOOM!
I pulled Spike underneath me and positioned myself on top as the deafening sound echoed around us. The wind howled violently blowing leaves and apples off the nearby trees as debris from the barn's frame rained down for miles around us.
As the dust settled and the rainbow mushroom cloud slowly began to dissipate, I released my grip allowing Spike to wriggle out from under me. He looked up at the explosion, his eyes and mouth open in astonishment.
"H-How did you know that was going to happen?" He asked raising a trembling claw at the destruction.
"Have you ever known Rainbow Dash not to show off?" I answered as a piece of barn landed beside us.
Spike stared at the jagged plank of wood sticking out of the ground like a thrown javelin.
"I guess not." He said nervously.
We shadowed Twilight a good distance behind. Her mane had become messy as a result of being near the explosion.
"Sigh, I can't believe I wasted all that time. I should have come here first she said as she neared Fluttershy's cottage. "Fluttershy always has some fear she's trying to get over. As a good friend, I'll be able to help her."
My ears twitched as I picked up the roar of a bear coming from behind the cottage. through the walls and out the kitchen window, I saw something that made me do a double-take.
Fluttershy the Element of Kindness. The timidest mare in all of Ponyville dropkicked a full-grown bear from behind. She then grabbed one of the downed Ursa's legs and proceeded to pull it back, bending the bear's spine in a wrestling hold. The bear let out a roar and pounded his paw against the ground in protest as Fluttershy trampled her hooves up and down his back. Finally, with the precision of a Griffin on the hunt, she twisted his neck with a snap. The bear fell silently to the ground.
"Why are we stopping again?" Spike asked. I looked back over at Fluttershy
"You really should have come to me sooner. You were carrying so much tension in your shoulder." The yellow pegasus said sweetly as she rubbed the bear's shoulder.
"Uhh..." I said trying to come up with a response. "Oh, look Twilight's on the move again."
"It's fine, it'll all be fine. The day isn't over yet. But it will be soon!" Twilight lay on a park bench, stroking her tail and talking to herself. "Oh, it'll all be over!" She groaned looking upside down into an adjacent puddle. My time in Ponyville! My advanced studies! No no, you're a good student. You can do this."
"Alright I've seen enough," I said to Spike. "Let's go talk to her."
"You just have to keep it together. Keep it together." She said talking to her reflection in the puddle.
"Twilight." The purple unicorn looked up, her eyes staring out at a trio of fillies playing jump rope. "Twilight! I called out placing my hoof on her shoulder.
"Gah! She screamed and tumbled off the bench landing unceremoniously across my back. "Spike, Apple Comet," What are you two doing here?"
Spike and I looked at each other. I silently nodded my head to say 'tell her' as I let her slide off. He nodded in return and reached inside my saddlebag for the box of cupcakes.
"Twi, we're both worried about you." He began. "This whole letter thing is getting to you." Twilight continued to stare at the fillies as she wiped her eyes with her foreleg." You've been so anxious all day that you completely forgot about the picnic." Twilight turned her head and looked at us with manic eyes and a Cheshire grin. "Why don't you go relax and hang out with..."
"The picnic!" Twilight stood bolt erect. "I should go see my friends!" She took off once again snatching the box of cupcakes up in her magic, leaving us both confused and honestly a little frightened.
"Sigh, saddle up Spike," I said.
Like a mare on the run Twilight galloped toward the park, weaving in and out past ponies.
"I'm seriously starting to think we might need professional help here!" Spike said as we followed after her.
"What kind of professional are you talking about? A therapist or an orderly?" I asked.
"Well, I want to say the first one," He admitted. "On account of Twilight being my friend, but right now I'm not so sure."
Up ahead, Applejack and her friends were gathered at the picnic spot except Rarity who was feigning fainting on her couch. Needless to say, they were surprised and a bit disturbed when they saw Twilight gallop up to them with her disheveled mane and maniac grin.
"Are you alright hun?" Applejack asked her. To which Twilight shouted, "NO! I am not alright."
Her friends muttered amongst themselves as Twilight continued.
"It's just terrible!"
"Yes," They said in unison, their eyes filled with concern.
"Simply awful!"
"Yes!" They said louder.
"It's the most horrible trouble I've ever been in and I really really really need your help!"
"YES!" They all shouted.
"Twilight!" Everyone turned their attention to Spike as he dismounted. "We've been chasing you the last eight blocks."
I looked over at my sister and acknowledged her. " Hey Applejack."
"Apple Comet," She nodded with the tip of her hat.
"Oh you poor dears," Rarity exclaimed rushing past Twilight and over to us. "You must be so exhausted." She levitated both of us onto the picnic blanket in front of the basket. "You must have something to eat, I insist. I whipped up some healthy nutritious snacks and I've got the most delicious mineral water imported from Mustangia."
"And when you're done with those, you can stuff your face with a cupcake!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly grabbing the box from Twilight's magic and holding it in front of us.
"Hello! Did everypony just forget about my problem!" Twilight screamed. "My letter to Princess Celestia is overdue and I haven't learned anything about Friendship today!"
"Is that what's bothering you?" Rainbow Dash asked raising an eyebrow.
"YES!" Twilight screamed. "If I don't get it turned in on time I'll be tardy. TARDY!"
"No offense Sugarcube, but it sounds like y'all have got yourself worked up over nothing."
Twilight stared down at Applejack with madness in her eyes. "This...is not...nothing! This...is....everything! I need you guys to help me find somepony with a problem I can fix by sundown! My whole life depends on it!"
"Hehehehe, oh Twilight." Pinkie Pie let out a chuckle. "You're such a crack-up." She rolled onto her back laughing. Which Twilight did not appreciate?
"Come on now," Applejack said. "Have a seat and stop sweating the small stuff."
"UGHHHHHH!" Twilight gritted her teeth and raised her head letting out a loud groan of frustration. She proceeded to stomp off leaving her friends confused.
"Wow, I've never seen Twilight so upset before," Fluttershy said.
"Oh, what a drama queen," Rarity said as she lay back on her couch. To which, everyone looked at her like she was one to talk. "Mm relatively speaking..."
"Anyhoo, I'm sure she'll get over it," Applejack said reassuringly. "Now how about you two boys get some grub." Spike and I both looked back at Twilight who was muttering to herself.
"Well, I haven't had lunch yet," Spike admitted. A short distance away, I saw the CMC walking into the park with an inflatable beachball. Little did I know it was an omen of what was to come.
For the next half hour, I helped myself to some lunch and tried to get my mind off of Twilight.
'She'll be fine," I thought to myself as I chewed around a bite of sandwich. "She probably just went home to decompress and reflect on this current situation. Heck, she's probably got her nose in a book about stress management right now." It wasn't working, I could feel in my bones that whatever was happening with Twilight had yet to reach its peak.
Once I was through with lunch I went over to where Apple Bloom and her friends were and asked to join their game.
"Why sure you can join us," Apple Bloom said enthusiastically.
"My serve next," Scootaloo said.
"This is what I need," I said, "a nice friendly game of ball.
"Hehehe," A laugh accompanied by rustling in the bushes distracted me leaving me wide open for the ball to smack in the face."
"What was that all about?" Scootaloo asked as the ball bounced across the grass and rolled to a stop. I looked over at the bush where I heard the laughter but all I saw was a bird singing in its nest.
"I thought I heard something over there," I said. "Just my imagination playing tricks on me, I guess."
Suddenly the ball began to glow with a familiar magic aura. It grew and expanded like cookie dough in an oven until in a flash of light...
*POP*
"Hi, kids!" Twilight Sparkle stood there, staring at us with pupils sunk deep into her eyes. Her jaws ground her teeth together in a back-and-forth motion. A chill ran down my spine as I stared deep into her eyes. The eyes of a pony who had fallen over the edge and slipped the bounds of sanity.
Apple Bloom shrunk back nervously, not sure what to make of this situation. "Oh, hi Twilight."
"How's it..." Before Scootaloo could finish Twilight interrupted with...
"Gur-ate, just gur-ate," Her eyes twitched violently with every word she spoke. "Your four look like you're doing gur-ate too. Looks like four good friends who obviously don't need the help of another...good...friend."
Scootaloo curled up frightened into a ball as Twilight sat down and stared out sideways into space. Then with a light of her horn, she levitated a tattered worn pony doll with a stringy mane and button eyes that looked like they were barely holding on.
"This is Smarty Pants, She was mine when I was your age...and now I want to give her to you. Of course, you can play her with her too if you like Apple Comet. I won't judge."
"Girls get behind me." The CMC did as instructed slinking back behind my tail. "Look Twilight, you've had a long day. Why don't head back to the library, pour yourself a nice bubble bath with some scented candles and a good book, and relax," I politely suggested feeling like a hostage negotiator.
Twilight stared at me for the longest time as if pondering my suggestion.
"Look she even has her own notebook and quill when you want to pretend like she's doing homework." She replied bending her neck sideways. Okay, that didn't work. Time for Plan B.
"That's...um...great, Twilight, I said hesitantly taking the doll from her magic.
"Yeah...I really like her mane?" Sweetie Belle added.
A rictus grin spread across the Librarian's muzzle. "That's great to hear, I just hope the fact that there's four of you and only one of her doesn't become a problem. I'd hate to cause a rift between such good friends!"
"Oh, don't worry, we 'll share," I said with a nervous smile. "I'll share her with Apple Bloom right now." My sister looked at me like I'd tried to use her as a living shield as I passed the doll to her."
"Ah think Sweetie wanted to play with her first," She said passing it to Rarity's sister. "Y'know 'cause you said you like her mane so much."
Sweetie Belle shook her head quickly. "No,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no! I think Scootaloo should get to play with her first."
Scootaloo glanced at Sweetie and hesitantly picked up the doll. "I'd love to...but, um...you take her Apple Comet." And just like that, I was back at square one. I looked into Smarty Pants's button eyes.
"You don't like me do you Apple Comet," A high-pitched babyish voice came from behind me. I turned to my right to see Twilight's crazed face staring back at me.
"Ahhh!" I let out a scream dropping the doll as I fell onto my back.
"Let's get out of here!" Scootaloo shouted. The Cutie Mark Crusaders took off galloping.
"I gotta think of something." Twilight's eyes darted back and forth. Sweat was trickling down her forehead. Her anxiety had crashed through the roof and was on course to clear the moon. "Think, think, think, think, think Twilight, think. That's it!" With a clop of her hooves, she picked up the doll and looked at me. "Oh, you four are going to like Smarty Pants!" Her eyes narrowed as she leaned in close. "And you're going to like her more than anything." She whispered menacingly into my ear.
With that, she aimed her horn at the horn. I had to stop her. "Twilight Stop!" What happened next would turn a really bad day into a really, really, bad day. Hearing my cry Twilight turned for a split second, A stream of hearts flew from her horn and struck me head-on. With a terrified neigh, Twilight's face went as white as Rarity's.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, no,no,no,no,no,no,no! This is bad! This is bad! This is Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!"
"What is bad, bad, bad, bad, bad? What did you just do!" I was feeling a little tingly but otherwise fine.
"The want-it, need-it spell," Twilight answered. "Whatever or whoever it hits becomes irresistible to anypony who sees it!"
"Wait what?"
"I want him!"
"I need him!"
"I really like his mane!"
Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle cantered toward me with hearts in their eyes. My blood ran cold.
"Apple Comet, run!" Twilight shouted. I didn't need to be told twice. I jumped to my hooves and took off galloping. I needed to find a place to either lie low or take off from, until this spell either wore off, or Twilight found a way to reverse it.
"I want him!"
"I need him!"
"I saw him first!"
"He's my brother!" That one made my skin crawl. In the distance, I saw a familiar face. Big Macintosh, my big brother. Surely he could talk some sense into these spell-crazed fillies.
"Big Macintosh! I need your help!" He looked at me and instantly his eyes filled with hearts as he started galloping toward me!"
"Eeyup!"
"AHHHHHHHH!" My shriek of terror echoed throughout the park. Everypony turned to see where the noise was coming from.
"What's all the commotion about," I looked over to see Mayor Mare.
"They're trying to catch that colt! an orange Pegasus said.
"That incredible amazing Colt!" Bon-Bon, the candy shop owner said.
As soon as they saw me, they were under the Want-it Need-it spell."
A multi-colored tidal wave of ponies zeroed in on me.
"Okay, forget subtlety I need to get out of here now!"
With a flash, I fired up my flare and took off at top speed. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew I had to get away from Ponyville for a while. I could figure out what to do next when I wasn't being hunted by a lovestruck mob.
Twilight's POV.
They say all it takes to lose your sanity is one bad day. Looking back at that day, I could safely say I was well past that point. Forget being tardy, forget my perfect record. I just cast a forbidden spell on Apple Comet. An innocent colt who'd done nothing but try to reach out to me. I had to find him, and fast.
"AHHHHHHH!" A scream of terror echoed across the park. Naturally, everypony who heard went to see what was happening. As soon as the first one fell under the spell, the rest quickly followed. Before long everypony in Ponyville was after Apple Comet.
"Oh, what have I done?!" Tears fell from my eyes as I felt my legs give out. I fell onto my side into the grass, my body had lost its will to keep going. Images of my fate flashed before my eyes. I saw myself on trial in Canterlot. Locked in a cage as the charges were read. My former friends and Spike testified against me. The Princess sentenced me to an eternity in Tartarus.
"I'm sorry Apple Comet, I'm so sorry!"
FWOOOOOSH!
Suddenly out of nowhere, a flash of light erupted from the stampede. I forced myself up and saw the Red Comet rising into the sky. Leaving behind its signature fiery tail. A few pegasi attempted to give chase but by the time they were in the air, it was already halfway to the Everfree Forest. I didn't have time to ponder as I heard somepony call my name.
"Twilight!" I turned around to see my friends.
"Girls!" My guilt quickly sank back in. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."
"What is?" Fluttershy asked innocently. She was too innocent to have a guilty friend like me.
"I-I.." The tears burst forth once more as I threw myself at Applejack, wrapping my forelegs around hers. "Please forgive me, I don't know what I was thinking."
"What are you talking about Sugarcube?" Applejack raised an eyebrow.
"I cast a want-it need-it spell on Apple Comet and now the whole town is chasing him." Her jaw fell open as she stared down at me with shocked eyes. "Please forgive me I had nothing to report to Princess Celestia and the day is almost over."
"Uh, Twilight." Rainbow Dash pointed up to the sky where the sun was finally setting behind the mountains. Today was over, and so was the rest of my life.
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" I knew that voice all too well, but I had never heard it filled with such anger and disappointment.
I watched as Princess Celestia cast the reverse spell. Immediately all the ponies who'd been affected snapped out of their trances. The Princess descended gracefully, her ornate shoes pressing gently into the grass as she landed. Her eyes bared down at me.
"Meet me in the library," She said in a stern authoritative tone. I stood up and looked over at my friends.
"Goodbye Everypony...*sniff* If you care to visit, I'll be in Tartarus."
Comet's POV.
Silence, peaceful silence. I had watched the sunset from the throne room of the Castle of the Two Sisters. Never would I have thought a place where Applejack and her friends had fought to save Equestria from the forces of evil could be such a tranquil place. It took an uncharacteristically long time for me to mentally process what had just happened. Twilight Sparkle the Element Bearer of Magic itself had gone off the deep end and cast a spell on me that made anypony who so much as glanced at me want me. I'd lost count of how many times I'd pinched myself and called out to Princess Luna, thinking this was just a dream.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think dealing with Discord made more sense," I said out loud as I gazed out of the skeletal frame of what had once been a stained glass window. Deciding that it was probably best to get home before morning, I flew out the window and ascended high into the sky.
I took my usual route home, flying along the outskirts of town to avoid drawing attention. I landed in the orchard and ran the rest of the way, following the train tracks over the river. From behind a tree, I carefully surveyed the area. The streets of Ponyville were almost completely deserted. Most of the houses had their lights on, including a certain tree. My ears twitched as they picked up the beating of hooves on the dirt road. From around a corner, I saw Applejack and the others beelining for the library.
Peeking through the trunk with my x-ray vision. What I saw inside made my internal temperature rise.
Standing before Twilight and her friends was none other than Princess Celestia herself.
"But...but I'm supposed to send you a letter about friendship every week. I missed the deadline. I'm a bad student! I'm tardy."
The Princess's expression relaxed. "You are a wonderful student Twilight. I don't need to get a letter every week to know that."
Just then Applejack and the others crashed through the front door in a pile of legs and wings.
"Wait!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"You can't punish her," pleaded Pinkie Pie.
"It wasn't her fault!" Applejack said.
"I'm listening," the Princess said. One by one explained how they hadn't taken Twilight's concerns seriously and pleaded with her not to send Twilight to Tartarus. Princess Celestia closed her eyes and quietly exhaled. "Very well, I will forgive Twilight's punishment on one condition."
"Alright," The five of them said in unison."
"From this day forth, I would like all of you to report to me your findings on the magic of friendship when and 'only' when you happen to discover them." The library erupted in a chorus of cheers as Princess Celestia fluttered up to the balcony window.
"Princess Celestia wait! What about Apple Comet?" Twilight spoke up.
"Ooh, ooh, pointy tail! Pointy tail!" Pinkie Pie said as her poofy tail pointed in my direction. "My Pinkie sense tells me he's right outside. But he's hiding because he doesn't want to be seen." She bounced happily to the open doorway. "Hello, Apple Comet! I know you're out there but I'm respecting your personal space by calling out to you."
I leaned back against the tree, not daring to move a muscle.
Princess Celestia smiled and trotted gracefully onto the balcony. "Well, if that's everything, I must return to Canterlot. I'm expecting some mail." She unfurled her wings and ascended to above the library's tree cover. Then hovered in place for a moment surveying the area. Her muzzle curved into a gentle smile as she lit her horn and aimed it in my direction. "Hold still my little colt, this will only take a second.
"Oh No." Memories of my last encounter with her flooded back as she aimed her horn in my direction. I felt the burning sensation of Rao, deep inside my chest. My pores perspired profusely.
*POP*
"What the?"
I opened my eyes to find Twilight's violet ones looking down at me.
"Uhh...hi," I said raising a hoof awkwardly."
"Umm...hi," she said back as realized what the Princess had done. "Hold still, this will only take a moment." Her horn fired off a lavender beam that sent a warm tingling sensation through me. "There that should do it."
I stood up and ran a hoof across my chest. Twilight turned away, her eyes heavy with guilt. "Apple Comet...I..." Before she could say another word, I wrapped myself around her neck in an embrace. "It's okay, Twilight I forgive you." She sniffled wiping a tear away with her hoof and pulled into a hug.
Dear Princess Celestia,
We are writing to you because today we all learned a little something about friendship.
We learned that we should take your friends' worries seriously.
Even if you don't think that she has anything to worry about.
And that you shouldn't let your worries turn a small problem...
...into an enormous huge entire-town-in-total-chaos Princess-has- to-come-and-save-the-day problem.
And even if it does, you should still learn to forgive them. After all, anypony is capable of having a really bad day.Signed your loyal subjects.
PS Spike didn't have to learn a lesson because he is the best most awesome friend a pony could ask for. He and Apple Comet are the real heroes of the day. Risking claw and hoof to...
"I think you're giving us too much credit man," I said.
"Umm...right I'll just send it then."
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Very little I can say beyond, really good spin on "Lesson Zero" by showing some of the things Comet got up to and reflecting on the recent mess with Discord before encountering Twilight and Spike. And, yeah, Comet, maybe Spike IS giving him and you too much credit, but at least he's willing to SHARE the credit. And, besides, he'll pretty much EARN the bragging rights in a few months after he helps stop Sombra (which, as I aforementioned in earlier reviews, would make an excellent Green Lantern origin in this universe, as Sombra pretty much runs on fear and Green Lanterns are all about overcoming great fear to do the right thing).
Anyway, the exchanges, characterizations, general wrap-up and future chapter set-up are all really well done.
If you ever need an OC, let me know via PM.
Ok that was awesome
When will we expect the next one
Ouch Apple Comet had a rough day. I hope he does pass on his concerns to Celestia though, Twilight might need some help with her OCD. That could be a severe handicap if it ever flares up again.