Chapter 23
Asylum
Chapter 23
“I really don’t think we should be doing this,” Pinkie Pie whispered as she crept behind Twilight. “We’re gonna get in so much trouble.” Nervous eyes darted from shadow to shadow, gazing through the ominous half-light cast by the few overhead lights still operating so late at night.
“It’s going to be okay,” Twilight whispered over her shoulder as they slunk around a corner. She pointed at the pair of large oak doors further down the hall. “I just need you to unlock the doors to his office. We’ll slip in and out. No problem.”
“But what if they catch us?”
She turned back, holding a firm stare on Pinkie for several seconds before speaking. “They won’t.”
Pinkie bit her lower lip but quickly withered beneath Twilight’s gaze and nodded. She shuffled forward, compulsively glancing up and down the hallway, before she settled in place in front of the ornate wooden doors. With care she withdrew a hairpin and a second length of metal from inside her flat mane. After one more check to make sure they were alone, she went to work on the lock.
Sitting back to leave Pinkie to her work, Twilight occupied herself by trying to decide how a pony so afraid of doing the wrong thing would ever learn to pick locks. I guess making other ponies happy is more important than always following the rules. It was a surprisingly uplifting thought.
There was a soft click, and the doors to the office swung open on silent hinges. Pinkie returned the makeshift lockpicks to her mane and gave Twilight a worried look. “Okay. It’s done.”
“Good work.” Twilight hurried over, almost tiptoeing to muffle the clip-clop of her hooves on the cold tiles. She slipped into the office and pulled a reluctant Pinkie Pie in behind herself before turning to shut and lock both doors, drowning them both in the darkness. Twilight fumbled along the wall until her hoof found the lightswitch.
The transition from dark to light left stars dancing across her vision, but Twilight was already prowling forward, scanning along the overloaded bookshelves. “Okay Pinkie, we need to try and find anything that might be related to how the hospital operates. Anything about rules and regulations. Something in here is going to describe how to remove an arcane dampener.”
“Okie dokie,” Pinkie said through an uncertain smile. The pair broke off to each side, searching in silence.
It was only after Twilight had gone down her side of the room twice – and had even finished a quick pass along Pinkie’s side, just to be sure – that she finally turned her attention to the desk sitting beneath the large windows. Wider than three ponies standing nose to tail, it was a polished oak monument to Rose’s vanity. Like the stallion, the desk was a well groomed piece of theater: clean, organized, and imposing.
It was also clear that Rose took his privacy seriously, with every drawer locked up tight, so Twilight turned her attention to the small stack of papers resting atop the desk. She picked up the topmost folder. Inside were the medical records for a mare named Pallet Shift. Twilight flipped through the pages. Head injury at work… severe mental damage… vegetative state… need for dedicated medical care.
Twilight grabbed the next one. Patient name: Sunbeam. Pegasi. Severe depression brought about by the loss of a parent… undergoing therapy… responding well to medication.
As Twilight set the two folders aside, a third marked with a small red line beneath the name Wind Song caught her eye.
Inside, everything was laid out in staid lines of text, the stodgy medical terminology and opaque acronyms doing little to breath life into Wind Song as a young unicorn. The story of her struggles with early onset dementia was told with the cold, succinct precision of any medical report. Wind Song’s symptoms seemed so far removed from reality when couched in the language of the clinical professional; screaming fits and bouts of self-damaging hysteria were described like momentary speedbumps.
The discussion changed tone as Twilight moved to the second page. It was like trying to decipher a foreign language, but phrases like ‘arcanoshock therapy’ and ‘magically-assisted neural alteration’ stood out amongst the literature. Even to Twilight’s journeyman’s eyes it was clear Wind Song had not responded well to Doctor Rose’s treatment. Each flop was met by a renewed attempt, a mathematical equation to be solved with higher doses and longer treatments. Every success was justification enough to try for more.
All the while something nagged at the back of Twilight’s mind. She frowned and flipped back to the front of the folder, re-reading the form summarizing Wind Song’s scheduled treatment. A cold chill worked up her neck as she double checked the last few pages again. The numbers were off. Medications were altered. The treatments were different. Rose was changing the treatment without approval.
A predatory smile spread over Twilight’s face as she tore the papers free from the folder and carefully slipped them into one of her pockets.
“You can’t do that!” said Pinkie as she bounded over to Twilight, angry and horrified in equal measure. “That’s private stuff!”
Twilight returned the empty folder into the bottom of the pile. She frowned when she noticed that the desk still didn’t look right. It made her anxious. Only after Twilight had equally spaced out the pens and made sure the stacks of folders were perfectly aligned did she remember Pinkie Pie was standing at her side.
“Huh? Oh. Look, this is too important to worry about privacy. I have to show this to Applejack and Rarity. Here is proof that Rose is lying – proof that neither of them can ignore. It’s not going to convince them that I’m sane, but it will help. And once we’re done, we’ll give it back.” Twilight gave the unconvinced Pinkie her most reassuring smile. “I promise.”
There was jingle of keys and the faint scrape of metal on metal before the office door was unlocked with a sharp click.
“I can’t believe I forgot to turn off the lights,” said Rose. “These late nights are getting to me.”
“It’s been a long day,” a mare replied.
Twilight winced as she cowered beneath the desk with Pinkie Pie. The pair of them pressed together in the small space beneath the desk, locked in an uncomfortable embrace like inexperienced lovers. They shared a worried look, both of them recognizing the mare’s voice. Why did it have to be Applejack? thought Twilight. Fear gave her the strength to resist swearing. If she finds me inside Rose’s office, she’ll never trust a thing I say again.
“But I’m scheduled to be here until the morning crew arrives, while you could have gone home hours ago. So what’s your excuse?” Applejack asked, her voice flavored by the harmless teasing of close professionals.
“Even when you’re the boss, you don’t always get to pick your own hours. Especially when a family emergency comes up. It’s a bit last minute, but are you sure you’ll be okay covering Royal Derby’s shift tonight?”
The soft brush of approaching hooves on carpet turned Twilight’s stomach to ice. She could see her terror mirrored in Pinkie Pie’s face, their shared dread freezing them into place like statues. They hardly dared to breathe as the doctors drew closer.
“Oh shucks, it’s nothing. I grew up working late days on the farm. And Roy needs to be there for his dad,” said Applejack. There was the creak of old wood as Applejack took a seat on one of the chairs sitting in front of the desk. “Now, you said you wanted to talk about Twilight?”
The scent of Rose’s cologne ticked Twilight’s nose, the glimpse of his hooves from beneath the desk making it clear he was staring out through the windows. “Yes, yes. While most of the patients are certainly showing progress on our new treatment regime, Twilight Sparkle is ahead by leaps and bounds. I think you’ll agree that it is a significant improvement over where she was six months ago. I’m very pleased with how well she has responded so far. Very pleased indeed.”
There was a pause. “There’s a ‘but’ coming, isn’t there?” asked Applejack.
Rose chuckled as he turned back around to face Applejack. “Quite. But while she is showing fantastic progress, you’ve requested that we not go forward with treating other patients along Twilight’s model. Your report says you have some concerns about how she’s handling the observed side-effects. Hasn’t she started to overcome the temporary amnesia?”
“I reckon I wouldn’t even call it amnesia at this point. She’s missing memories, sure, but it seems more like they’ve just been altered. She makes new memories just fine, but her life before her treatment is one big fantasy weaved into reality. It’s just not something I’ve experienced before.”
“More delusions, then?”
“I don’t think so,” Applejack said. Twilight could almost picture her rubbing her chin as she mulled over her words. “At least, not like she used to have. She’s perfectly lucid all day. On the outside they look like delusions, but there’s none of that inconsistency we’ve seen before. I’d say they’re less delusions and more a memory problem at this point.”
Pinkie Pie shivered as she clutched her tail tightly against herself. Twilight tried to silently reassure her, but Pinkie wouldn’t meet her gaze. When Rose dropped something onto the desk, both of them flinched. Pinkie bit her lower lip hard enough that Twilight feared she’d draw blood.
“This is not… wholly unexpected,” said Rose with care. There was the sound of papers being shifted around on his desk. “We were trying to stabilize her mental state to prevent arcane energy from creating a relapse. There was an allowable chance that she could suffer some temporary memory issues. I’d hardly call it a memory problem. In fact, this could even be to her benefit. Without the memories of her youth, there won’t be the guilt and threat of self-harm. We can just treat her for the symptoms she still has until they return.”
“Well, that’s the other thing. Most of the major symptoms are in remission. While she still shows her OCPD tendencies to a degree, there don’t seem to be any of the hallucinations, social problems, or jumbled thoughts. We should still keep the mirrors out of her room for now, but there have only been two episodes in the past weeks where hallucinations may have played a part. It’s not clear. Even so, it’s all manageable with the proper medication at her current level.”
“Applejack, it sounds like the only thing that hasn’t gone to plan so far is her missing memories. Twilight’s life has improved drastically. It’s still early, of course, but it looks like what was a crippling illness has been transformed into a treatable condition. Everything is far within the acceptable boundaries so far. Do you still think we shouldn’t go forward with the treatment model on other patients?”
“I do.”
“And why is that?”
“It’s her amnesia. Rose, I know you don’t think it’s the biggest concern, and you keep saying that they should return eventually, but it don’t sit right with me. I’m starting to doubt that those memories will ever come back, if I’m perfectly honest.”
“You can’t know that,” Rose interjected.
There was a thump as she jumped to her hooves, her passionate tone causing her country drawl to seep into her words. ““Exactly! We don’t know! What we accomplished with the tests, nearly curin’ those mild cases… that was revolutionary. We saved lives, Rose. But none of them ever showed side-effects like these. Even if we’re not makin’ the expected progress, the chance of permanent memory alteration is a cause for concern. We can’t just go rootin’ around in their minds like a hungry hog. There’s a reason every aspect of this treatment is so darn controlled. If it turns out that I’m just a groundhog frightened of shadows and Twilight does get her memories back, then so be it. Heck, even if she never remembers any of it, then yes, I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a small price to pay. But how can you be sure that it’s the only cost? Our cure might end up being worse than what we have now.”
Rose’s normally collected tones evaporated like a puddle in the desert, indignant fury dripping from every word. “Worse? Worse? How can anything be worse than the barbarity of a keratotomy? We’re trying to keep ponies from being butchered by a bunch of old stallions with their heads stuck up their asses. They turn ponies into empty shells and call it a success because their patients are easier to deal with afterwards. How can you ever compare my treatment to that cruelty?”
“And what happens if we end up doing with magic what they do with a saw?”
There was a long, lingering silence. Under the desk, Twilight sat transfixed, her worry about being discovered having vanished as she held on to every word exchanged.
When Rose finally spoke, the acrimony was gone, replaced by a weary calm. “I understand your views on the matter, but it’s only conjecture at this point. Your observations about her memory don’t match up with the data from the scans, all of which show definite improvement. Yes, that can change, but like you say, even if Twilight ends up never regaining her full memories, the progress she has made will all have been worth it.”
“I can’t rightly comment on what the scans show,” Applejack said stiffly. “After all, I still haven’t seen them.”
“You’ll have them by Monday, I promise. The electrical problems shorted out the photocopier, and I’ve been stuck waiting for the replacement to be delivered.”
“Why not give them to me now?”
“Because that’s not important right now!” Rose barked. After another long pause he let out a sigh. “I’m sorry I shouted at you. I’m not getting enough sleep, and the lack of similar results amongst the rest of the treatment group isn’t making that any easier. But it’s not just Twilight I have to worry about. It’s been a year since we’ve shifted from the clinical trial to treating more serious cases. If we can’t demonstrate real and substantial progress soon, then they’re liable to cut our funding – or just revoke their approval entirely. If we fail now, it could be years before we could get another chance. How many sick unicorns will lose their horns in that time?”
“We both swore the same oath when we graduated, Rose. We promised to do no harm. We don’t get to weigh causin’ suffering in one pony against preventin’ it in a dozen others. That’s just one ol’ big slippery slope that leads to a dark and terrible place.”
Engrossed in making sure to listen to every word Applejack was saying, Twilight didn’t hear Rose moving until he strode into view, his legs so close she swore she could feel their hairs brush. Pinkie Pie looked on the verge of passing out. They couldn’t retreat any further beneath the desk, no matter how hard she wished she could just burrow into the floor and escape. All it would take was for him to turn to look in Applejack’s direction and they would be discovered.
Instead, Rose turned away, his gaze shifting to some distant place beyond the dark horizon. When he finally spoke, his voice was as dry and faded as an old photograph. “When I was in Saddle Arabia, I had to make those sorts of decisions all the time. It was simple arithmetic. Some wounds would have taken too much time, time in which I could save two or three other soldiers. We don’t always have the luxury of following our morals, Applejack.”
“You’re not in Saddle Arabia.” The admonishment in Applejack’s voice was gone, replaced with quiet concern. “Not anymore.”
“I think a part of me is always going to be there,” Rose said, so quiet that Twilight almost mistook it for a sigh.
“Sir?” Applejack asked, but Rose didn’t repeat himself. Instead, he turned from the window and continued his circuit around to the other side of the desk. Twilight wiped the sweat from her brow.
“I was just trying to give you the wider picture. We can’t ignore the reality of our situation. If we don’t show more success, then we risk condemning sick unicorns to a terrible fate at the hooves of a barbarous and obsolete form of medicine.” Applejack let out what sounded like the start of a protest, but Rose continued over it. “But that doesn’t mean you are wrong. I’m going to put further treatments on hold for a week.”
“A week?” Applejack paused, as if waiting for the punchline that would never come. Her voice hardened. “One week ain’t enough time to do a proper study.”
“But it is all we can afford. Even that much time is dangerous. If the board hears that I’m halting things because of concerns about side effects, that will be the final nail in the coffin.” Rose spoke with a growing sense of purpose, strength and confidence filling his voice. “That means you will have to keep things quiet. I’ll report that the lab equipment is being repaired due to another electrical problem, which should give us an excuse in case the board suddenly does an audit – as unlikely as that is. Starting Monday, I want you to spend all day at Twilight’s side. Get her talking: family, friends, life as Celestia’s anointed heir apparent. Anything and everything. See if there are any inconsistencies or confusion that might signal her memories coming back. Understand?”
“If that’s all the time I can get, then I’ll make do.” Applejack’s voice held far less confidence, but there was still a steely resolve beneath her words. “You can count on me.”
“Excellent. I expect a report about Twilight’s mental state by the end of next Friday. If there is no sign of regression, then we can put these concerns behind us and the treatments can resume.”
With little ceremony, Applejack said goodbye and excused herself. Rose continued to stand in silence long after the door closed behind her.
Twilight’s blood turned to ice when he did finally move – right around to the back of the desk again, his hooves only inches away. It was only luck that kept them from being discovered when he bent down to unlock one of the side drawers, his proximity to the both of them ensuring that his eyes were turned outwards, away from the pair of cowering mares. Still, Twilight didn’t dare exhale, fearful he might feel her breath against the hairs of his legs.
The drawer clicked and slid open with a reluctant sigh, allowing Rose to reach inside and produce a bulging manila folder. Despite the bland appearance, its sudden arrival came like a burst of winter air on a hot summer day. Her eyes were transfixed. Twilight would know that folder anywhere. It was the folder Rose had tormented her with on her first day at Broadhoof.
It was her folder.
There was the airy thwap of paper hitting wood as Rose dropped the folder on the desk. He reached back into the open drawer and, with much greater care, removed a bottle filled with a dark mahogany liquid. It looked expensive, but she caught a whiff of paint thinner when he removed the cork.
Rose let out a long groan after downing a few heavy mouthfuls. “This is what I get for hiring an insecure earth pony with a chip on her shoulder,” he said beneath his breath, letting out a humorless laugh. He returned the bottle to the drawer and turned his attention to Twilight’s folder.
There was no doubt in Twilight’s mind that Rose was looking for the scans Applejack had requested. But why? she asked herself. Wouldn’t he want scans showing one of his patients with no sign of a mental disorder? The sense of revelation brought a smile to her face. Of course! If I’m the only patient showing such amazing progress while the rest of the patients languish like Wind Song, it invalidates his entire study! If anyone sees those scans, they’ll start asking questions about the other ponies, and he can’t risk that. If they pull his funding then he’ll never get what he really wants – the immortality of having a treatment bearing his name.
The smug confidence at having picked apart Rose’s plan was matched by her disgust at his tactics. Listening to him lift papers out of her folder, Twilight found herself rubbing the ones in her own pocket, enjoying the sense of righteous pride in knowing she had found a weakness he couldn’t make disappear so easily.
Only if he doesn’t catch you first, a voice whispered from the back of Twilight’s thoughts, sending ice down her spine. The fear and anxiety returned as she stared up at the stallions chest. Her mind began to taunt her like a schoolyard bully with images of what would happen if she were discovered. Cold sweat dripped down her temples. She watched him return the file to the drawer like a terrified gargoyle, frozen in dead anticipation of their eyes meeting. She barely even moved her head, even when he locked the drawer and walked out of sight.
Only after Rose had switched off the lights and locked the door behind him did Twilight let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding. There was a perverse sense of safety being shrouded in darkness that helped to calm her nerves. “Oh Celestia, that was close,” said Twilight as she and Pinkie Pie untangled themselves, eyes adjusting to what little light creeped in around the door frame. Twilight arched her back, her spine making a soft pop. “I can’t believe he didn’t see us.”
“We. Need. To. Leave,” Pinkie hissed. “Now. Before he comes back.”
“I’m not leaving until I find out how to deactivate the spells on the dampener.” She gave Pinkie’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “The odds of Rose coming back to his office again are miniscule. Besides, we’ll only have to come back later if we don’t find it tonight.”
The dim light seeping in from beneath the office door was enough to illuminate Pinkie’s wide-eyed stare. “What? That’s crazy. You’re crazy!”
Twilight scowled. “Crazy? How am I supposed to prove that I’m not crazy if I can’t use magic? The only way I can objectively prove my sanity is by casting magic that no institutionalized filly could ever manage. And they’re never going to give me that chance willingly. If I don’t – if we don’t do this, we risk letting all of Equestria fall. We have to stay, Pinkie. Everypony is counting on us.”
Pinkie shook her head like Twilight’s words were just so many angry insects. “No. Now! We have to go right now. I kept my Pinkie Promise, so I get to go back to my room.”
Twilight tightened her grip on Pinkie’s shoulder. “Look, the only place we haven’t looked is the desk drawers. It’s obviously where he keeps all the important things he doesn’t want anyone else to find. All you need to do is pick those locks, let me look through them, and we can leave.”
Pinkie stiffened. “I said no! I’m not doing it. I am leaving!” she said, pulling free from Twilight’s grip. “You can get in trouble if you want, but I’m not a bad pony and I’m not gonna help you do any more bad pony stuff!” There was anger and fear and a hint of disgust in her expression as she stiffly turned away, marching towards the door.
The burst of anger inside Twilight’s breast was like a volcanic eruption. She rushed at Pinkie. Grabbing her by the shoulders, she spun Pinkie around and shoved her up against the wall. The bookshelves rattled with the impact as Twilight bared her teeth. “No! You are not leaving! Not when I’m so close! Do you understand me? We are doing this, and we are doing it now!”
Twilight felt something wet splatter against her arms. Pinkie’s eyes glistened in the dim light, her face scrunched up as she tried to hold back her tears. In an instant the fire was extinguished. Twilight jerked her arms back like she had touched a hot stove. Unsupported, Pinkie dropped to the floor. She curled her tail around her flank, not daring to look up at Twilight. Her sniffles were like thunder in the darkness.
“Pinkie…” Twilight croaked, her mouth a sudden desert. “Wait, I…”
Pinkie Pie jumped to her hooves and darted for the door. Twilight called out to her, but she didn’t even glance over her shoulder. The door swung shut behind her, leaving Twilight to be swallowed up by the shadows.
It took far longer than Twilight would ever want to admit before she felt like her emotions were back under control. Stress and the byproduct of whatever medication they were poisoning her with was enough to fray her nerves, but in the silence of Rose’s office, her outburst became a damning echo reverberating within her mind.
A wave of shame and guilt settled over her. What am I doing? Twilight asked herself, the question carrying the fierce disapproval of a parent picking up their child from school early. There is no excuse for that, no room for losing control, no matter what sort of poison they’re putting in my system. With a stuttering start, Twilight moved towards the exit. Pinkie was absolutely right, and I should have seen that. Sticking around here is stupid and illogical. If I get caught, then any hope Equestria had is gone. I need a new plan, a smarter plan, if I’m going to get this thing off my horn.
As Twilight slipped out into the hallway and carefully closed the doors behind her, she was both relieved and perturbed to find that Pinkie Pie had already vanished. Mental recriminations washed over her again, but Twilight found solace in what she had achieved. She ran a hoof over her pocket and the papers hidden within. I might not have found what I was looking for, but this is almost as good. I can’t afford any doubts about my path. Even if I make some mistakes, every step forward is a step closer to saving Equestria.
Twilight took comfort in the certainty of that statement. She even smiled. By the time she finally made it back to her room, her shame was a distant memory.
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4509196
I think it's flattering, myself.
4511438
I'm hoping I make pigs speaking Latin into everyone's headcanon.
4511532
I think the staff think about that quite often...
This is becoming very much like the Batman Animated Series episode "Perchance to Dream"... only it's more of a nightmare
4514235
I'm a one-man walking cliche, so don't give me too much credit.
But I would never, ever torture Pinkie Pie. I promise.
... *cough*
4514366
Forgot to return a book to the library on time. And the sheer guilt of her act drove her INSANE!
4521850
Well thanks! It's comments from y'all that really keep me going on with this whole shebang.
4530599
If you're not in reality, please let us know!
4535937
4535959
You might be waiting for a while and could just miss out on all the excitement of waiting for another chapter...
Don't lose Pinkie, Twi! Don't get too lost in your goal!
But isn't that a spell that she wouldn't know according to them?
Oh my god! A new chapter!*starts breathing heavily*
Twilight almost lost everything there. Still, her daring ultimately paid off in the end.
4712068 Well, but, I mean...
Pinkie's...just a hallucination. I mean, this is kind of a "The end justifies the means" type situation, since no damage she does here will transfer over to the real world. She just needs to make sure that Pinkie doesn't tattle or work against her.
well it went better than suspected but not what she wanted. twilight will have to really, really work her ass off to regain pinkie pie's trust after that. I think she is capable of it, but it is not gonna be easy. twilight did wrong by her without a doubt.
whatever it is something os wrong with twilight here. her emotions are more unstable. she basically assaulted pinkie there. damn lucky her emotional outburst did not cost her more.
did I ever mention I loved this story?
as I said, pinkie pie is capable of forgiving her, but it ain't gonna be easy........ if it does turn out that the world around her is in fact real, I know these things are really gonna weigh in on her. only reason she is continuing is because she is convinced that she ie trying to save equestrian. whether she is or isn't actually doing that she would be crushed about hurting and using the ponies around her. she simply has nothing else but those memories to work with. its hard to blame her completely though blame she still deserves.
4545747
Don't worry, Silver Glow is just Silver Glow. She's in a league of her own. And I'm glad you like it so far!
4548355
Well I'm just glad it can have such an emotional impact! And we're happy you made it back!
4551704
Awesome! Can't wait to hear what you think!
Twilight is has powerful knowledge. I'm scared for her sake.
....Merciful God. Not much of what Twilight is doing here is a sign of a rational pony... but then, you wouldn't be rational if you thought this was happening... Daemonofdecay, I salute you for creating a situation of such terrifying ambiguity. The real horror isn't in the asylum or existence of the plague doctor... it's the ambiguity. Well, that and NOT!Twilight. Who seems pretty evil.
*sighs*
I have this horrible feeling we're not going to get a happy ending where everything's back to normal with Twilight. That'd be too easy. No, I don't expect you to tell me, that'd be silly XD
Wow, such tension in this chapter! Hopefully Twi can repair her relationship with Pinkie!
4712114 of the theories going about with this one is that is technically pinkie, though her brainwashed by whatever force took them. her mind subdued and giving a new reality to work with.
of course that is if this is all a illusion or something.
Every new chapter of Asylum is like Christmas day!
Achievements Unlocked!
[Elizabeth?]: Have Pinkie pick a lock for you. (5 Asylum points)
[Solid as a Snake]: Never alert the doctors to your presence during the sweep on Rose's office. (30 Asylum points)
Why do this to her ?
the worse thing about asylum is that even a new chapter does not sate my appetite for it. especially where we have pinkie pie sad and hurt..... she would not tattle on twilight, I am sure of that, but twilight will have to work for her trust again. how difficult that will be is something I am eager to see myself.
.....two things I do want ot see and desperately though. what the hell Cadance is up to. some reason I cannot imagine her separating herself from twilight's life so easily. also the story of how an alicorn came to babysit a mentally unwell filly as well.
Also what celestia's position is with all of this. some reasons I have suspicions to how twilight has not undergone the horn lobotomy. other than that I can't help but imagine that she would personally involve herself in such a project as to render such a barbaric procedure unto extinction. I can see her accepting necessary evils, yet butchering them the moment they are of no use.
Alright, time to start this. Let`s see how good this story is!
4712228 thy onl regret will be that you did not read it sooner.
Way to go, Twi.
You made Pinkie cry.
This is actually the worst part, by far.
4712270
Achievement Unlocked!
[Stand Up, You Baby!]: Make Pinkie Pie cry. (2 Asylum Points)
Asylum updated!
"Sunbeam. Pegasi. Severe"
Ought that to be "Pegasus"?
"Only after Twilight had equally spaced out the pens and made sure the stacks of folders were perfectly aligned"
…See, now, I don't recall that being mentioned before. Did you do that because it's how you found it… or because it felt right to you? If you didn't find it that way, there may be trouble…
Also, mightn't Wind Song, um, need her medical records?
And you forgot about the pony standing right next to you.
That was some nice backstory and information on the present situation and future plans.
"If they pull his funding then he’ll never get what he really wants – the immortality of having a treatment bearing his name."
Well, he sure seems to be a good actor… because you're not at all operating with bias and/or an altered state of mind, of course.
…So now Twilight is alone. In the dark. After some intense emotional experiences.
I'm sure this will end well! :D
Oh, or not. Unless you count that nice bit of self-delusion at the end. :)
4712210 But this isn't the Celestia of the normal MLP universe. For all we know, she supports it full heartedly because of whatever the shadow creatures have done to her.
Pinkie Pie gives Jill Valentine a run for her money.
Also,
for another awesome chapter!
4712392 oh she has only forgotten it for the moment. pinkie pie is gonna be real upset about all of this. twilight will may have comforted herself for now but pinkie is definitely going to dampen her mood immensely. don't think she iwll tattle, but she definitely won't want to speak to tiwlight...... and twilight is gonna feel guilty all over again.
still will also say she did not forget her mistake. she simply realized what she got.
I credit this work with revitalizing my own. One more chapter closer to the glorious revelation that Twilight is entirely sane. :)
4712068 fortunately she realized that already, tbhough she is only in the after glow of her accomplishment. next time she sees pinkie, pinkie is gonna kinda bring her down to earth.
Nononono!!!! You have to release faster derek!! I can't keep waiting 3 months!!!
4712456 Yeah, but ... distant memory. I didn't quote the whole paragraph, but it said she was smiling before she even got back to her room. That's not just consoling herself with the prize, despite the cost; that's forgetting the cost. That's bad mojo, even if Pinkie rubs her nose in it tomorrow.
Twilight!??... why you so mean to pinkie? .
an yet another amazing chapter!! love it!!
4712518 its a figure of speech not literal. she did not forget what happened it just feels like it happened a long time ago to her.
Omg I thought they were gonna get caught.... HOLY FUCK THATS EVEN WORSE!
Wow.... That.... Damn....
4712555 think people are taking that too literally... its bad she now has this stolen information, but its not like she is completely disregarding what happened. she will be reminded of that distant memory when she has to talk to pinkie again.
I was literally hyperventilating when I saw the new chapter in my inbox
4712612 Everytime she has done something bad to Pinkie she has felt terrible but just after it she SMILES.
How is she going to get back into her room, are the doors unlocked now?
Well, that guilt was certainly short-lived. I think you've successfully managed to turn Twilight into a bully.
4712085
You!
4712749 cause she comforted herself with her progress, or what she believed was progress. her hurting pinkie pie is bad, she has not forgotten that, but the belief she had finally made progress soothed her guilt.
though if it all turns out to be nothing but her the phantom of her delusions guiding her, she will regret everything she has done without question.
4712779 Me!
4712793 This is not really progress, all she has with her is proof that the doctor has been changing medication which could get him fired and in turn stop the project he is working on. Also if she shows anyone that its proof that she was in his office.
4712822 I would have to largely agree. though stopping the project, I question. I have suspciions that celestia might have her hooves in this somehow, some things are a bit suspcioius, such as twilight not getting a keratotomy even though its been ten years.
other than that, it is twilight who sees progress.
4712554 Yes, well, I guess I can understand how I wasn't 100% clear but I didn't mean she literally lost all memory of the event. Rather, I meant that the awareness of it had left her mind. Like if you leave your hat in a restaurant, and someone says, "hey, did you leave your hat in that restaurant", and you say "yeah I totally did", not "I have no idea, maybe it's at home", or "what hat?" You forgot your hat. You didn't forget you HAVE a hat.
Too short! Why must you torture us so?
I just noticed how good the Asylum picture is jeez. Also you sir are the only reason i dont like mirrors.
It's official. You are the 'valve' of fanfiction. Aside from the fact that you have no problem with the letter three, of corse.
Is Twilight wearing clothes? I can't remember.
Jesus fucking christ, this story is almost to intense for me me to even read! i hate you so fucking much for writing such a good story that i cant look away from, even though i want to so badly!