SCP: Breakout

by Happy2343

(24) There and Back again

"Seal every tunnel that leads to that place," Princess Twilight told the Mayor, "I don't want anycreature to go down there."

"O-of course, Princess Twilight," She replied. The Mayor seemed to be taken back by the seriousness of the usually easygoing Princess, "I'll make it my priority."

"Good," Twilight said, "I'll give you access to my personal treasury if you need it."

With that, the Mayor nodded and left, talking to her assistant on how best to seal the tunnels.

Twilight looked over the injured Hippogriff. She was seething in pain and agony as the crimson blood drained from the bite mark. The Bite Mark, She told herself, Is she infected? The Princess asked herself, I… A vision… the one where everypony she knew was dead or… something else, I can’t let those visions come true, She told herself. She gazed longingly at the bite mark.

She kept looking as the doctors cleaned it, covered it, and did their best. Her thoughts fell on Terramar. He had been infected with the virus and attacked both his sister, Sandbar and a company of seapony guards. Twilight could only hope that they would recover. Twilight felt a wing nudge her, and her head shook as she was pulled out of her hypnosis. “Huh?” She turned to her side. It was Rainbow Dash, her head tilted slightly.

“Twilight… you gotta stop doing things like that,” the cyan pegasus said, “You’re creeping all of us out.” Rainbow put her wing fully across Twilight’s back, pulling her away from the patient, and towards the rest of her friends. The six of them began to walk down the hallway; to the next room where Sandbar and Silverstream were recovering.

The purple princess looked inside the open door and saw all six of her former students, finally reunited. Gallus’s condition was by far worse than Silverstream, being missing one more day than Silverstream, having to constantly tread water in a small bubble of air, loss of blood. Then there were the creatures that were reaching up at his hooves.

She shuddered, the blood toxicity report should be back soon from the lab. I hope they aren’t infected, She thought, Please let them not be infected.

There was another nudge at her side. The tired princess turned and looked at the concerned face of Applejack, “Come on Twi, we all need to talk to you.” Twilight looked around at her four other friends, the princess only just now noticed that her friends were all looking at her with varying faces of distress and concern. In her mind, she knew what they were going to ask her, But I can’t tell them. She told herself, They can’t know.

Twilight sighed and hung her head, nodding slowly, “Alright Twi,” Applejack said as she came up to her other side, “We were able to clear a room,” The farm pony said as the six mares walked down the hallway.

The door closed behind the six of the mares, Twilight sat down on the floor, “I…” Whatever she was going to say had died in her throat, What am I supposed to say to them, her purple eyes looked up at her friends, That I knew we were going to be attacked… that I saw a vision of everypony I know dying… that I saw them dead? She sighed and looked back down at the floor.

“Twilight,” Rarity’s melodic voice broke through the silence, “I think I speak for everypony here when I say that we are concerned for you.” A pause in her speech, “If something is wrong… if it is because of… Flurry, or Silverstream, or Sandbar, or anything, you can talk to us.”

“Yeah, Rarity’s right,” Rainbow said, “The only way friendship works, is with communication between all of us.”

“In other words! You can’t keep all your words bottled up inside you!” Pinkie exclaimed, jumping onto her hind hooves. Her two forehooves pointed up into the air. “Remember when that happened to Autumn Blaze!”

“And we know that there is something wrong Twi,” Applejack said from Twilight’s left. “And there’s nothing wrong with that.” Twilight felt her chest loosen. Like she could breathe again after not being able to. She could feel a smile starting to creep its way onto her face.

She loved her friends, That’s why they can’t know. She told herself, What they don’t know can’t hurt them. The princess reasoned. I’ll just have to keep lying so that they stay safe.

“We only want to help you Twilight,” Fluttershy added, “The only way we can help you is if you tell us what is wrong.”

Silence persisted, Maybe I should tell them? A small voice inside of Twilight asked, Don’t they deserve to know? She began to debate what telling them and not telling them would lead to, I mean… I’ve told Luna, Celestia, Cadance, and Shining… it’s only a matter of time before one of them tells my friends. Twilight gulped, But… What if telling them causes them to get hurt? She breathed in, What is the right answer? Her thought process paused, There is no right answer… is there...

Twilight’s breathing was shaky at best when she began to talk, “Girls… I… know that I’ve been a bit… distant-”

“That’s one way to p-”

“Rainbow!” Rarity said, cutting off the mare, “Let Twilight speak.”

Twilight almost wished Rainbow had continued, it would’ve delayed what she was about to say, what she was about to do, “But… I’m fine, I just… really haven’t been sleeping well since… well, Flurry.” Twilight sighed, “That… stress and what happened to Si-”

“Twilight, imma stop you right there,” The Princess’s eyes went wide as everypony in the room turned to Applejack and her unconvinced face, “I trust you Twilight, we all do” Twilight felt her body tense up, “But this is just what you’ve been saying for the past month since you goy back,
her eyes began to sweep the room and gauge her other friend’s reactions’ “We’re your friends Twi, we won’t think of you any different. No matter what you say.”

Twilight tried to continue with her lie, she looked around the room at her friends. Each of them had their eyes on her. Each of them was placing their absolute trust in her. Then she saw it.

A black and white fedora, sitting on a nearby table. Just like 990’s fedora

“The final years of human civilization,” His odd and stuffy voice echoed in her mind, “was marked by the failure of the SCP Foundation to protect the public. A failure to communicate with their constituents,” those words wrapped around her head like a snake. The words “to communicate” continued to echo in her mind.

Then Rainbow’s words weaved with them, “The only way friendship works, is with communication between all of us.”

Twilight’s hooves felt weak and her head began to spin. “I…” was all that she was able to get out before she collapsed on the floor. She saw her friends gather around her, shouting for a doctor, but for a split second, she saw the creature appear next to her friends. Don’t hurt them…

She saw the human again, tipping his black and white fedora at her.

Then her eyes closed, her thoughts spiraling into one final word, please...

---

Gallus walked away from Sandbar and his friends and over to Silverstream, “Are you feeling any better?” He asked the tired Hippogriff. He sat down on the edge of the bed, “You still look pretty tired…” he commented.

Her pink face turned to him, she looked at him with tired eyes, “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Gallus,” she replied, “I’ve just…” she sighed and dropped her head, “I’ve just been thinking about Terramar.” Gallus nodded, Whatever I saw down there wasn’t Terramar, he told himself, it was something else.

“He was just so…”

“He was your brother,” Gallus interrupted, “And nothing could have stopped what had happened to him.” He put a claw on her, “You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”

She didn’t respond for some time, instead she just sat there, looking between Gallus and the window, “I feel like I should though,” Silverstream said quietly, nearly a whisper. “I feel like I should blame myself.”

He squeezed on her shoulder, “Don’t, it isn’t your fault… it was just a horrible accident.” He said, “It will be hard to adjust to a life without Terramar,” He said, trying to comfort her, “But… you will, and if you want, I can be with you every step of the way.” He let go of her with his claw.

She nodded, “Yeah, I do…” she turned to him, “What about you though… you shouldn’t waste your life on me…” she quietly said.

“Well uh…” Gallus scratched the back of his head, “I um… I want to. I guess?” He felt his face grow a shade of red, “I'm not really good with all this lovey-dovey stuff.” That’s one way to put it, Gallus, he told himself, Gosh, I suck at being the emotional support one!

Silverstream blinked, “are you…” her eyes narrowed confusingly at him, “are you saying you love me?” Her cheeks began to darken as well.

Well, the cat’s out of the bag now, he sighed and nodded, “Yes I do, I have since we graduated, really,” He sat in a nearby chair and put his claws over his face. “The guys in my platoon were right,” He spoke through his talons, “I am not prepared whatsoever.”

A small dry laugh came from Silverstream’s direction. Gallus brought his claws down and looked at her. She was crying, covering her mouth. “Terramar said… he bet me that you would confess before the end of the year,” she fell black in the bed. “I guess he wins.” Her crying stopped.

“I… I love you too Gallus,” she said quietly so the others couldn’t hear, “I really love you,” she reiterated, “Maybe after I get out, I could go back to Canterlot with you.”

“But you’re family?”

“I… I know it’s not right, but seeing them will only remind me of Terramar,” she sighed, “I just need some time to sort this out, without them.”

Gallus nodded, he of all his friends could understand. “Alright, I have an apartment in Canterlot you can stay in.” Gallus got up from the chair, “It will be awkward, but we can make it work.”

---

Ugh… what happened? Twilight thought, Did I… fall asleep? She was in bed. That much she could tell. With all the sheets, covers, and fluffiness she felt underneath her. No… I don’t think so, I don’t remember falling asleep… Twilight rose up from the covers.

She saw all her friends sleeping on the various pieces of furniture and the floor. She saw Fluttershy leaning up against a couch. Rainbow Dash and Applejack we’re leaning up against each other on said couch. Both Pinkie and Rarity were on the other bed.

As she sat up, doing her best not to make noise, she felt a tug near her hoof, she saw a clear tube attached to her. They must’ve gotten a doctor then, she groaned internally, Great… the press is going to have a field day.

She looked out of the window, the sun had already set and the night was in full swing. “How long have I been out?” She asked. The Princess looked at the circular clock on the opposite wall, 3 A.M. that puts me at… eight hours I think. She grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled herself up and over.

As her hoof touched the floor, she realized just how unprepared to walk she was, as her still asleep hooves again gave out from under her, causing her to crash into the ground. Aw fiddlesticks… she looked up to find all her friends looking at her like she was a filly with her hoof in a cookie jar.

“Uhhh… what’s going on girls?”

“Twilight,” Rarity yawned from her left, “please don’t try to play you passing out like a small thing dear,” She yawned again, “It is serious.”

“Yer darn right Rarity,” Applejack added, “You need help, Twi. You can’t keep pushing us away, obviously.” Applejack moved closer with Rainbow Dash in tow, “here, let’s get you up at least.” Applejack and Rainbow hoisted the Princess back into the bed after a brief protest.

“Twilight look, we’ve all been on edge since Flurry got foalnapped, but you shouldn’t be doing… well…” Rainbow gestured to her with one of her hooves, “Whatever you’re doing. It’s unhealthy.”

Fluttershy walked up to the right side of her hospital bed, “Can you just tell us what’s wrong Twilight, we won’t think any less of you,” she reassured with one of her light smiles.

Pinkie and Rarity had also found their way to her left, with Applejack and Rainbow in front of her. Sometimes I just can’t… she fell back in the bed, “Alright, you win.” Twilight said, “I’ll tell you…”

She heard a silent “Yesssss…” followed by a whack and an “Ow…” from Rainbow Dash.

“So,” Twilight started, “it began on the train ride up to the Crystal Empire, I had a dream… of a human… he… he told me that Flurry was in danger and that one of the creatures within the Foundation was no longer ‘manageable’,” she looked up, “That’s why I was so jittery after getting off the train, anyway, I took it to Luna, Celestia, Cadance and my brother.”

“They all knew that Flurry was going to be attacked?” Pinkie of all her friends asked, “and they did nothing?”

“No- that’s-“ Twilight sighed, slightly frustrated, “We agreed to tell her the morning after her birthday, so she wouldn’t worry while celebrating, you know.” Twilight shook her head, “Obviously that wasn’t the correct choice…”

“Wait wait wait, you guys decided to go ahead with the party in the face- OW!” Rainbow chimed in before being hit across the head, again, by Applejack. “Could you please cut that out?!” Rainbow yelled to an unamused Applejack. A few seconds of looking at Applejacks face seemed to force Rainbow out of her tangent.

“It doesn’t matter, Applejack,” Twilight said, “Rainbow’s right, we went ahead with the celebrations even with the danger. After it all ended, we all thought it was just an empty threat. Just… something… like one of our adventures we used to go on.” Twilight hung her head, And now Flurry’s gone… and everything falling apart.

Twilight spoke in a monotone voice, “He showed up… when I was on the way back too, he showed me… the humans, and their cities, and how they killed themselves.”

“They killed themselves?” Fluttershy asked, her voice broke, “How? Why?”

Twilight looked back at the door, “Sandbar and Silverstream had a run-in with the reason. Zomponies, or… whatever they call them,” Twilight answered, “They fought them, and they lost…” Twilight looked at all her friends, “When they were on the verge of losing, they destroyed themselves, with their most powerful weapons.”

Pinkie looked down, she looked liked she wanted to say something, anything to lift the mood. To try and cheer up her friends, but nothing came to her mind. “He said that he didn’t want the planet going down that path again, and, that that was why he was telling me what he did tell me.”

I’ll leave out the part of all of them dying, for now, I shouldn’t… frighten them like that, Twilight thought. As she breathed, she felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off of her back. “Well,” Twilight said as she tried to get up again, “That’s it, the truth,” She said, or at least most of it. “I need to-”

“Now Twilight, you’ve been overworking yourself, just… stay in bed for now,” Rarity said, “According to the Doctor, both Private Orchid and Sandbar are fine.” Rarity then practically pushed Twilight down with her magic.

“Just dehydrated and exhausted for Sandbar, and for Orchid, it was just a nasty scar and some blood loss,” Fluttershy recounted, “Whatever Ocellus did to them, it seemed to have helped them completely.”

“But…” Twilight began, “There’s no cure, he told me,” She said flabbergasted, “It should be impossible!”

“Come on Twi,” Pinkie said, “We’ve beaten impossible before!”

*Bang Bang Bang*

Everypony turned to the door.

A guard entered the room, dressed in golden armor, “Excuse me, your highness,” she started, “But Princess Celestia is asking you and your friends back to Canterlot.”

Twilight again sat up in the bed, “Why? Did she send a note?”

“Yes, Princess Celestia wanted this,” The guard pulled out a note from her armor, “to be delivered to you. When you are ready, we have a train ready to depart.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said, “You are dismissed.”

The guard left the room just as quickly as she had entered. Why does Celestia need us now? Twilight asked herself as she tore open the letter. She quickly scanned through the words. A large explosion that lit up the sky like the sun, a tremor… both Luna and Cadance are away… Twilight narrowed her eyes, A meeting between Shining Armor and Humans? “We need to get to Canterlot, ASAP,” Twilight said as she jumped off the bed, fully invigorated with energy she didn’t even know she could muster. “I think... I think the humans just reached out to us.”

Author's Note:

This chapter officially ends the involvement of (most of) the young six from the story. The next chapter will have the first formal meeting between the ponies and the SCP Foundation.
So we'll see how that goes.
Not really well imo.

Have Comments, Questions, Concerns?
Scream at me in the comments!

Stay Happy y'all!

Comments

[Schwabauer]

Good... Good...

[FridayPie]

That's probably not complete envolvent of young six in story unless it meant to only to affect Twilight decision on telling about her dead. There are still hanging plot threads related to that facility and to infection getting loose. Would feel like a checkov's gun loaded with blanks otherwise.

[Happy2343]

10437192
Oh yea there is, there are plans for the future involving that place and others like it.

If I can't win, no one can