Just a Phase

by HorseStories

Part 1, Chapter 6 - Escape

Comet Spark checked the clock. He still had around an hour. He relaxed, having momentarily thought he was late. It would not do to keep his favourite foal waiting.

Almost a month had passed since Sweetie Belle had begun her course of treatment. Strange though it may seem, Comet Spark had never actually had to deal with a filly before - all his other patients had been colts. He had spend considerable time and resources acquiring new equipment necessary to deal with this new task - the tapes alone could sometimes take him all week to acquire, due to exceptionally high demand and a limited black market supply, but still he managed.

Comet Spark did not feel bad about his preferred method of treatment, despite it's ineffectiveness. Most foals he 'worked with' ended up committing suicide, anyway. This did not concern him, either - as far as he cared, all this meant was one less fillyfooler or coltcuddler.

Sweetie Belle, his latest case, had prooved far more resilient than most colts her age. In fact, Comet Spark believed she may be one of his rare successes. It always gave him immense pride to succeed in his work, although when pressed, he would grudgingly admit that all of his successes had relapsed later on. Personally, he blamed the parents.

Comet Spark once again checked the clock. Time to go.

---

Ding

Comet Spark absolutely loved that doorbell.

The door to the home creaked open. The foal behind it peered out, and upon seeing Comet, flung it wide open in delight.

'Comet!'

'Brisk! How's it going, little bro?'

'Comet! How good to see you.'

Comet beamed over his brother at his parents.

'Hey Ma, Pa. Brisk been behaving himself?'

'Of course. He is just a little angel.'

'Okay! Well, I'll get him outta your hair for a couple of hours, all right?'

'Comet! Can we go rollerblading? Pleasepleasepleaseplease?'

'Sure, Brisk! Whatever you want.'

Brisk ran excitedly out of the house into the front garden. Comet gave his parents a sympathetic smile, and waved goodbye. Brisk could be a handful, so Comet had agreed to take him out one night a week, so his parents could get some rest.

Seeing Brisk bounce around like that always made Comet smile. Brisk might be a teenager now, but when he was excited he seemed to have the stamina of a small child.

'Okay, Brisk. Rollerblading it is.'

---

Brisk Spark may have many talents, but it soon became apparent that rollerblading was not one of them. Still, his characteristic determination shone through, and he kept his valiant efforts up until the end. Comet had far more experience, and spent much of his time either picking Brisk up or teaching him the ropes. Despite his obviously slow progress, Brisk kept his spirits up and showed great gratitude towards Comet for helping him.

That was one of the things Comet admired the most about Brisk. One thing he couldn't stand was a whiny brat. Foals who displayed courage and determination in their youth would, in his opinion, go on to become successful ponies later on in life.

As the evening dragged on, the two brothers left the rink and agreed to get dinner at a nearby fast-food joint, Hayburgers. Oatburger with Hayfries each.

'So Comet, what's going on with you?'

'Me? Oh, same old. Boring stuff, really. You don't want to hear about it'. Despite his modesty, Comet was secretly pleased to have been asked.

'Yeah I do!'

'Well, I have a new case. A filly this time.'

'Woah, who is she?'

'Come on, Brisk, you know I can't tell you. That's confidential.'

Despite his posturing, Comet was seriously considering spilling the beans on Sweetie Belle. The filly had become less and less responsive to therapy, and now Comet practically had to force the headgear on her. Perhaps a little schoolyard teasing would do the filly some good. After all, peer pressure often caused rapid shifts in the individual's personality. This was a unique opportunity to test this theory...

'Okay, Brisk. Can you promise to keep a secret?'

While Brisk enthusiastically responded he could, Comet could clearly see the glint of cruelty in his eyes. Another excellent trait.

'Okay Brisk, listen closely. Do you know a filly called Sweetie Belle?'

Comet nodded enthusiastically.

'Well, she's undergoing treatment for... come closer...'

Comet leaned in, eager to hear the dirt on the filly who dared snub him.

'Being a fillyfooler'.

Brisk pulled back, stunned. 'Really?'

Comet nodded. 'Really'.

Brisk nodded solemnly. 'Wow. I hope she gets better. You're the best, I'm sure you can help her!'

Comet smiled. 'We'll see, Brisk. We'll see'.

---

Brisk couldn't believe his luck. Finally, he had some dirt on Sweetie Belle. He had held a grudge against the filly ever since she had turned him down. He had been so sure she would say yes, that he had gone round the school prior to asking her, bragging that Sweetie Belle, prettiest girl in school, was going out with him. When she had said no, he had been humiliated.

Of course, now it all made sense. There was no other reason why anypony could turn him down. Well, starting tomorrow, Brisk was going to get even. He was going to make sure Sweetie regretted turning him down for a very, very long time.

---

The next day at school, Sweetie Belle knew something was wrong the moment she walked through the gates. It seemed every pony she passed would stop and stare at her. Some would call after her, usually cries of 'Freak!' and 'Weirdo!'

Sweetie Belle didn't understand. She had always been relatively popular. Never the most popular girl in school, of course, but nopony had ever treated her like this before. What was going on?

'Sweetie Belle! Over here!'

It was Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle turned to face her.

'Scoots, what's going on? Why is everypony-'

'Sweetie, no time. Come with me!'

Scootaloo lead Sweetie to an empty art class. Once inside, she turned the bolt on the door and faced Sweetie Belle, a look of utmost seriousness on her face.

'Sweetie Belle, Brisk Spark is going around telling everypony you're a fillyfooler. Is that true?'

Once, when Sweetie Belle was just a small filly, she had fallen off a set of drawers and landed flat on her stomach. When the stood up, she was unable to breathe properly for ten full minutes, after having all the breath knocked out of her.

That was exactly how she felt now. No sense of emergency, no panic, no scream, just the sensation of all her breath being knocked out of her body. Sweetie Belle sank to her knees, then onto her side, her lungs simply refusing to respond, to take in any more oxygen. What was the point? Her home life was already hell. Why not add everypony hating her on top of that?

'Sweetie Belle! Are you okay?'

Sweetie was dragged back to face this new, cruel reality by Scootaloo's frantic shaking. She once again sank to the floor, eyes closed, wondering if it was possible to escape this latest turn of events by simply denying the reality of the world around her.

'Sweetie Belle! Please wake up!'

Sweetie Belle slowly stood, shaking, on her feet. Turning to face Scootaloo, she gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.

Scootaloo's face visibly drained. 'How could you lie to me, Sweetie Belle? To Apple Bloom?'

'I'm sorry, Scootaloo! I don't want to lose you, you're my best friend! Please don't leave me, I don't want to be alone!'

Sweetie Belle felt the tears come, but pushed them back. She wasn't going to appear weak in front of Scootaloo, if Scootaloo decided to abandon her.

'Sweetie Belle, I don't know... I mean, I've known you for so long, but... This is just wrong, Sweetie Belle.'

'I know!' Sweetie cried. 'That's why I'm trying to fix it, I've been seeing a therapist and everything-'

'I know, Sweetie Belle. Brisk Spark says his brother is your therapist, that's how he knows.'

Comet Spark. Sweetie wasn't surprised he was behind this. After all, the therapist had gone to every possible length to make Sweetie Belle's life unbearable. Presumably, this was just another step in his twisted game.

Sweetie Belle looked Scootaloo over, and noticed she was looking... rough. Not just regular Scootaloo rough, but... roughed up.

'Scootaloo, what happened to you?'

'What, this?' Scootaloo grimaced. 'Some colts knocked me over and trampled me, because I hang out with you. They said they were gonna get you next, Sweetie Belle.'

Sweetie Belle felt she had finally hit rock bottom. No, there was still one more thing she needed to know.

'And Apple Bloom?'

'Apple Bloom won't speak to you, Sweetie Belle. She said she wouldn't speak to me either, after I said I was gonna try and find you'.

And there it was. Sweetie Belle had alienated Apple Bloom, her first love, got the only person willing to stick by her beaten up, and had turned an entire school against her.

'Sweetie Belle, I don't like to say this, but Cheerilee is gonna come looking for you, and she's gonna send you to a psychiatrist-'

'No she's not, Scootaloo'.

'Uh, yeah she is, she said so and everything-'

'Scootaloo, I need to tell you something, and you gotta listen to me. You are the best friend I ever had. I swear. Promise me you'll remember that?'

'I-I promise, Sweetie Belle.'

'Can I ask one final favor?'

'Final? Sure.'

'Can you help me pack?'

---

Sweetie Belle was unable to believe this was actually happening. She and Scootaloo had finished packing her essentials, and had laid them out in the hallway of Sweetie Belle's house. Sweetie Belle was confident, and ready. She knew there was nothing left for her in Ponyville, and she was ready to move on.

Next, Sweetie turned to Scootaloo. No words were needed - the two of them simply held each other for what must have been a solid fifteen minutes.

Finally, Scootaloo released Sweetie Belle. As Scootaloo approached the door, she turned to face Sweetie Belle a final time, tears streaming down her face.

'Sweetie Belle, I promise I will never forget you. I hope you have a good life - I don't care how you choose to live it. You've been the best friend a filly could ask for'.

With that, Scootaloo turned and left through the front door. Sweetie Belle watched as her last friend galloped out of her life.

Sweetie Belle was walking around her home, trying to remember each detail, when the door knocked. The knock was jovial and brisk, and Sweetie recognized it immediately.

Comet Spark.

Normally, Sweetie Belle would have been terrified, but now she figured she had nothing to lose. Racing into the kitchen, she plucked the sharpest knife out of the rack. Racing into the living room, she concealed the knife underneath the sofa, before racing to answer the door.

Comet Spark was standing there, an impatient scowl plastered across his face. 'Finally! Don't keep me waiting in the future'.

As Sweetie Belle's sessions had worn on, Comet had become progressively more brutish during their sessions. His demeanor had lost any of it's initial warmth or friendliness, and he had come to treat her more harshly, sometimes striking her if she failed to comply with a demand quickly enough.

Comet pushed past Sweetie Belle, into the living room, where he began to set himself up. Sweetie followed him in. She could not recall a time when she had ever looked at another pony with such hatred.

'I'm not doing it.'

Comet Spark looked at Sweetie Belle, unimpressed. 'Playing this game again? We're only delaying your progress, you know.'

'You told Brisk Spark about this.'

Comet had clearly been expecting this, and he merely chuckled. 'Yes, I did. Don't you see, Sweetie Belle? How they all hate you? How if you don't let me help you, this will be your life?'

'Sweetie Belle,' he continued, 'this should serve as your inspiration to change yourself for the better. And if you don't comply, I am perfectly within my legal rights to force you. You're only a minor, after all. If your daddy signs away your rights, you can't do anything about it'.

As Comet advanced on her, Sweetie Belle fluidly stepped backwards and pulled the knife she had hidden out from behind the sofa. She levitated it threateningly at Comet Spark, who kept a cool gaze, though Sweetie was satisfied to see a note of panic in his voice when he spoke.

'Come on Sweetie Belle, we both know you haven't got the gut-'

Driven by fury and her new found sense of freedom, Sweetie Belle swung forward with the blade. Comet's reaction was nowhere near quick enough, and the blade cut deep into his foreleg, causing him to stumble and kneel in pain.

'MY LEG! What the hell is wrong with you, you Celestia-damned queer BITCH?'

Sweetie Belle's heart was racing fit to burst, and she prepared to flee the room, abandoning her bags to escape, when suddenly she felt a great force pick her up and slam her into the nearest wall. The wall cracked and Sweetie Belle saw her world turn black.

---

When Sweetie Belle came to, she was strapped down in the same device she had been every session. In the corner, she could see Comet, his leg stitched up with a crude magical stitch.

'So, we're ready to begin, Sweetie Belle?'

Sweetie Belle let loose a torrent of abuse in response.

'Dear, dear, Sweetie Belle. We can't have language like that now, can we?'

Sweetie Belle felt a burning sensation as her lips were magically sealed.

Comet started the tapes. The experience was not new to Sweetie Belle, but the content of the tapes were. As time went on, Comet had gone to great lengths to acquire more and more extreme material. She suspected the material was just as much for his viewing pleasure as it was for her 'therapy'. Just before the tape switched, Comet paused the video.

'I thought we'd try something a little different today, Sweetie Belle. No electrodes.'

'I know how much you hate me, Sweetie Belle. After all, you did just try to kill me. And I hate you too, Sweetie Belle. You are without doubt the most repulsive, arrogant and belligerent filly I have ever had the displeasure of coming across. And I think someone needs to teach you a lesson, a little bit like this!'

On the last word, Comet pulled back his hoof and brought it crashing down on Sweetie Belle's nose. Sweetie Belle felt her nose burst, and saw blood pour freely from the wound.

Sweetie Belle exploded, firing up her horn, wanting nothing more than to kill. The moment she tried, however, she felt a great pain begin in her horn and rebound throughout her entire body.

'Tsk, tsk, Sweetie Belle. You'll just power the electrodes if you do that.'

'Now, back to our regularly scheduled viewing.'

The tapes resumed, alternating between the mare and stallion and the two mares. For the first ten seconds, Comet did nothing. Then, when the tape switched back to the two mares, Comet brought his hoof full force into Sweetie Belle's stomach, causing her to double over and retch. As she laid on the floor, Comet rained punch after punch on her, until the tape switched again. Comet stepped back, waiting anxiously for the tapes to switch back, so he could continue his assault.

---

After an hour, the tapes ended. Comet released Sweetie Belle from the vice, and threw her onto the ground.

'Listen to me.' He leaned over and growled in her ear. 'If you ever tell anypony about this, I'll kill you. Understand?'

Sweetie nodded.

For the next hour, Sweetie Belle laid on the floor. She remembered having vauge plans of leaving Ponyville, having a new life elsewhere. Maybe it was time to put those plans into action.

Sweetie Belle walked into the hallway, stumbling across her saddlebags, packed with everything she needed to move. She wasn't sure what made her do it, but she decided to visit Fluttershy. After all, Fluttershy was her only friend left in the world now.

Upon arrival at Fluttershy's house, Sweetie Belle felt, strangely enough, a sense of elation. It happened every time she was able to sneak out to visit Fluttershy. Just knowing Fluttershy would listen to her and not judge made Sweetie Belle's day just that little bit brighter.

Of course, Fluttershy had been completely powerless to actually help Sweetie Belle. Comet Spark had acted completely within the confines of the law - until of course, today.

'Fluttershy? It's me, Sweetie Belle!'

Sweetie Belle's call was answered by Fluttershy, who replied from her kitchen. 'Another session today, Sweetie Belle?'

'Uh, yeah'.

'Why don't you come in?'

Sweetie Belle walked into Fluttershy's living room. As she did, Fluttershy entered, and saw Sweetie Belle for the first time.

Sweetie Belle looked awful. Her nose was completely disjoint, and most of her muzzle was caked with blood. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and bruises covered every square inch of her body. Worst of all, Fluttershy noticed the top part of Sweetie Belle's horn had been chipped off, meaning it now ended in a jagged tip, rather than the natural smoothness of a unicorn's horn.

Fluttershy reacted exactly as Sweetie Belle had expected; she clapped her hooves to her mouth and rushed over to Sweetie Belle, tears brimming in her eyes.

'Oh, Sweetie Belle, I'm so sorry. How awful.'

'Fluttershy, should I... should I tell the police?'

Fluttershy paused. 'I don't know, Sweetie Belle. If it's your word against his...'

Sweetie Belle stamped the ground with frustration. Of course, Fluttershy was right. Nopony would listen to Sweetie Belle, especially now everyone knew the truth about her.

Sweetie Belle felt a sob begin to rise in her throat. 'Fluttershy, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Everypony at school knows about me, too.'

'You could always leave, Sweetie Belle.'

'What?'

'Pack up. Leave Ponyville.'

'Fluttershy, I can't just leave. I don't have any money, or a place to stay, or a job...'

'Sweetie Belle, I know somepony you can leave with.'

Sweetie Belle was shocked at this revelation. 'Who?'

'Remember when I told you I knew a couple in Ponyville? Well, they're moving away to Manehattan, and I'm sure you could join them.'

'Wait a minute. I thought you said they didn't know you knew?'

'They didn't, but I've seen how unhappy you've been over the last few weeks. When I heard they were moving away, I told they that I knew all about them, and proposed they took you with them'.

'Wow. How did they react?'

'Pretty badly, but they came around.'

Sweetie Belle dithered. 'I don't know, Fluttershy. What about my parents, and Rarity? I can't just leave them.'

'Sweetie Belle, I know it's hard, but you have got to accept that these ponies don't love you for who you are. If they're not willing to love the real you, there's no reason for you to put yourself on the line for them.'

'Which couple do you know?'

'Two mares. Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon.'

Sweetie Belle thought about the prospect. A new life in Manehattan. Nopony knew who she was, so she could start fresh. Lyra and Bon-Bon were both nice.

But she would be abandoning everyone she knew. All her friends, her family...

What friends? What family?

Sweetie knew this inner voice was right. She had been abandoned by her friends, and gifted to a violent sociopath by her family. Sweetie Belle took a good look at herself in the mirror. For the first time, she saw the extent of her injuries. Most troubling of all was the missing piece of horn. All the other injuries would heal with time, but the horn was permanent.

As long as I stay here, this is gonna be a weekly occurrence.

Sweetie Belle knew what she should do.

'Okay, Fluttershy. I'll leave.'

---

Fluttershy wrote down Lyra and Bon-Bon's place of residence and a code word they had agreed to use.

Fluttershy passed the paper to Sweetie, and then leaned in to hug her.

'Sweetie Belle, you are just the bravest filly I have ever met. I want you to have an amazing life, and I hope there's something better for you out there than what you've had to endure so far'.

Fluttershy pulled back from the hug, tears streaming from her eyes.

'Well Sweetie Belle, I guess this is it. Stay strong for me, okay?'

Sweetie Belle nodded, unable to express her gratitude in words.

Comments

[Crescent Minor]

Oh, great Celestia, finally a breath of hope ...
I'm already anticipating that it will be crushed, but we needed something that wasn't horrifying after all this.

Most foals he 'worked with' ended up committing suicide, anyway. This did not concern him, either -

And, I suppose I can forget the idea that this lunatic thinks he's helping.

[Ice Star]

Be free Sweetie Belle!

[Maytime58]

What a dreadful place this version of Ponyville and Equestria in general is. Poor Sweetie Belle

[Misty Spell]

Dear Comet Spark

Get raped into mush you sadistic twisted worthless piece of fuck.

Sincerely:

Even Hitler who thinks you're too evil.

[crossed]

7287060 That doesn't even begin to describe how harshly he should be tortured. I don't care what your skin color is or what sex you prefer, no one deserves this.

Therefore, this asshole should be introduced to the ABCs of torture.

Why not start with arsenic?

[jack the blu-jay]

Flutter shy reminds me of desdamona from fallout 4

[CrossoverFanficReader]

Nope, it's too easy. Methinks something is not right with how simple it is...then again sometimes the solution is the simplest thing you overlook/overthink.