E
Source

Expand for links to readings, fan stuff, the tumblr, and more!

When Twilight Sparkle slipped beneath the covers last night, everything had been fine. She had friends whom she loved, a teacher she adored, and a bright future ahead of her. But when she woke up, her blankets and quilts had been replaced by hospital gowns and padded restraints.

Everything is wrong and nothing makes sense; even her friends have changed. The doctors keep telling her that she is sick, that none of it was real and that it was all in her head. Yet she remembers a life far beyond the hospital walls. She couldn't have made it all up on her own. They must be lying… right?


Links

Ask Asylum Twilight - Still updating regularly!
Equestria Daily
TVTropes
Asylum Fan Group
The Tartarus Project
Russian Translation
The Asylum 20,000 View Spectacular Stage Show!


Fan Works

May contain spoilers!

Art:
Asylum Cover by conicer
Twilight and Twilight Smiles by dreamingnoctis
Mirror Twilight and Plague Doctor by Jaestring / BloodGoldWings
Twilight Smiles and Doctor AJ by conicer
Nurse Ratchet and Silas and What's in the mirror? by Archonix
Doctor AJ Sketch by Archonix | Colored and vectored version by ReFro82
Twilight's Asylum by Khan the Cake Lover
Smilight by HappySwitch
Twilight Waking Up by Dombrus
Fan Art by toxicdemon10
Asylum Twilight by Madness-With-Reason
Asylum Fluttershy and Asylum Ch 26 by Downburst-Backspace
Twilight and her Twin by v747
Birdgirl by sirValter


Readings and Videos:
Asylum Animated Trailer Video by formuladash
Reading by Gammarobot (SugarCubeRadio): All Chapters Here
Reading by Ender Brony: All Chapters Here
Reading by VisualPony: All Chapters Here
Reading by MelancholyIguana: All Chapters Here
Fan Trailer by Kaidan: Asylum FanFic Trailer Cuckoo's Nest


Related and Inspired Works

Sanctuary by Kaidan
Broadhoof Files: Dr. Humors by TypewriterError
Broadhoof Files: Corporal Phalanx Spear (Ret.) by Phalanx Spear
A Hearth's Warming Tragedy by Seven Fates


Thanks from the Author

A special thanks to Breath of Plagues, Rex Ivan,
ChudoJogurt, Cynewulf, Death the Kid, Selbi, PrinceDolph, Blahman2816, Queue, and Gage!


Guest OCs

Axan Zenith - Dr. Dreamer
Dratini4 - Way Finder
psychicscubadiver - Bright Mind
Velkaden - Dream Chaser
Reese - Silver Glow
Viola Heartstrings - Clover
Archonix - Spinney Whiteacre

Chapters (27)
Comments ( 8547 )

This. Is. Awesome. Take my favorite and like, and use them as motivation to do MOAR.

Huh, well this is certainly different. You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.:moustache:
EDIT: So wait, does this mean that everything she did was just a hallucination?

Similar to that one episode of, stargate something or rather was it? I don't remember that well. I shall continue when the next chapter is released.
pity there isn't a real life console, "sv_cheats 1, noclip" :pinkiehappy:

I hope it ends happy :pinkiehappy:
This sounds like the Celestia one:pinkiesad2:

Eh, can't say I care all that much for the premise (seen it done a few too many times), but the writting is excellent.

fuck i love these kinds of stories :raritystarry:

IDEA- she goes back into her insane slumber, well aware of it, and does whatever the f:pinkiegasp:k she wants in her made-up Ponyville. No repercussions.

1918407

Well thank you. Your favorite, it sustains me...

1918491

Possibly. :trollestia:

1918575

*Hands tissue*

1918677

Having noclip in life probably wouldn't change my life that much. I'd be using it to get to the car quicker, take the dog out without having to use the stairs, etc.

Yes, I am that lazy.

1919040

I like reading happy endings. I don't know if I like writing them. We will have to see, I think.

Unfortunately, I haven't read the Celestia one. Or at least thats my story. I'm original - I swear! :trixieshiftleft: :trixieshiftright: :trixieshiftleft:

1919222

Well thank you. It's certainly not the most original overall theme, so I'll just have to stick with high-quality writing. Heh, couldn't say that with a straight face.

Also, whenever I read your name I seem determined to misread it as Kryten. My apologies.

1919276

I hope I don't disappoint then!

1919732

The ultimate example of lucid dreaming, eh?

what really strange is why the f**k her medicine erased her real memories, not the false one?
or her doctors really like to see her scream her mind off:twilightangry2:

1920283

Never trust doctors, I say. Which is why I am so healthy. :pinkiecrazy:

Next chapter should provide some more insight into what is going on... unless I'm lying, of course. I'm not to be trusted either. :trollestia:

1920086 AAHH, the good old "What is real and what isn't" with the possibility of some nefarious schemes!

Oh this is gonna be good!:pinkiehappy:

1921304

It's a theme I quite love because I find it so evocative. As a student of history, reality is often framed in terms of fact versus fiction. Napoleon was the Emperor of France - George McScotsman wasn't. As long as the authors are reputable and the reader knowledgeable it is all fairly well defined - even the gray (grey for my non-American friends) areas are acknowledged as being such.

But when dealing with mental illnesses and medical disorders, the nature of reality is warped horrifically. To be honest, I can think of no more perfect hell than being told that most, if not all, of your life was not real. I don't know how I would react - would the fantasies become more attractive than the "truth" offered by others?

And in a world of magic, how can one be sure that what one is told is the truth? Is Twilight truly insane, and is her life as she remembers it just a delusion? Or is the hospital and its doctors the delusion, keeping her from the reality of her friends and loved ones? Or is there something else at work?

What I hope is that I can paint a picture for my readers of a gifted mind struggling through a terrible nightmare as her whole world seems to twist back against what she has known all her life, with some hot gypsies thrown in.

Spot the Black Adder reference, get a prize. :pinkiehappy:

1921343

Thanks, and I hope I don't disappoint! :twilightsheepish:

1921391 My thought exactly, aww, I never saw Black Adder

I have seen movies and read books of such theme.
I hope this one is as good if not better.

Huh, I'm pretty sure I saw a fic like this before but with Pinkie, and I was planning on writing a fic about Twilight in a mentaL ward... but oh well, nice to see a fic like this regardless!:twilightsmile:

Have you ever wanted to help fill a psychiatric ward with a little part of yourself?

If so, then please seek help. But before you do check yourself in, celebrate! For it is also your lucky day! Well, as lucky as I can make it over the internet, really. To help me better fill in my story Asylum with some background characters, I am accepting submissions for OC ponies to be included! Considering that the story is dealing with insanity and mental illness this course of action seems a thematic fit, for I am surely inviting madness by making such a request. The can of worms has been opened!

Now to clarify, I'm looking for ponies to appear in the background, so we are talking about nothing more than a short description of a passing patient or a doctor's name being dropped in a conversation. That is it. So let me just lay down the two cardinal rules first:

1) No alicorns, non-ponies, or otherwise extremely ‘exotic’ characters. If your character is a zebra, yay! If it is a bionic-clockwork zebra soldier with a brass leg that is a combination sword/can-opener/teddy bear, it’s not going to be accepted. Common sense applies here as to what is suitable for a background character - I'm looking for Ice Cream Maker Guy, not Darth Vader.

2) Please don’t send me a full life story. While I would love to read them all, I won’t be able to include any of it in what I write. A well-written tale about a lost scion of the Equestrian nation who finally found his way home after years abroad living the life of a charming rogue to challenge those that had disgraced him would make for good reading and wonderful character development, but you can't express any of it through a one page description of a janitor mopping up the floor at night. *Takes down note for potential future story*

So if you are still interested just check my blog for the relevant post and respond to it there.

Name:

Short physical description:

Role preference (doctor, patient, orderly, or none):

And that's all you need to do! Pictures and such can help but are not necessary. Any illnesses you wish to ascribe to your character will be considered as well, although I can't guarantee anything considering I'm looking for background ponies. Cash gifts (bribe is such an ugly word) will be taken into account accordingly - no pun intended. The names are honestly the most useful to me, since I am absolutely rubbish at coming up with good ones, and having suitable names to call upon would help me add a little flavor to my scenes.

If I like the name or something about the description catches my eye, I'll reply to your IM to let you know if I'm going to include your OC in an upcoming chapter, and I'll give you full credit in a relevant future post.

Thanks in advance for any submissions! Now I'm off to see the nice young men in their clean white coats. They say they have a funny farm where life is beautiful all the time, but I just hope they have a petting zoo!
-Derek (aka DoD)

PS: Jesus I feel so damn old making a Dr. Demento reference. :facehoof:

PPS: What the heck happened to my images? They have been shielded! I'm too lazy to click a little cross to bring them up! Gah!

1921590

Watch it. Watch it all right now. Well, except for the first season, it's a bit crap. But the last three seasons are some of my favorite bits of television. I've seen them dozens of times over the years, and will continue to watch them eagerly.

1921644

Thanks! I hope so too. Playing with reality and mental disorders isn't new, but I hope to put my own take on it. Thankfully I haven't read any other fanfiction stories dealing with this exact topic, so at least I can convince myself that I'm being original. And yes, thats my story and I'm sticking to it!

1921699

Please, don't let me stop you! It's better to have more than less, after all! :scootangel:

1921800
It is really well writen.
All i saw was a few grammatical errors.

If I could only remember the names of the movies this reminds me of.:duck:

1921835

Oh, please let me know if you see them! I've tried to proofread and catch all the minor stuff I could, but my grasp of English grammar is always a bit weak. Unfortunately, unlike many who say that, I don't have the excuse of being able to call it a second language either. Mistakes and errors found are mistakes and errors resolved!

Funnily enough, the one I was thinking of as I developed the idea was A Beautiful Mind. While it has its flaws I really do like the movie. Of course this story isn't really like that movie, with no slow decline into paranoia and hallucination, but it is one of the films I have seen enough to be a definite influence on my motivation to write. If you remember, feel free to let us know!

1921699 Was it the one where Pinkie was in a ward for killing her lover/partner?

.....oh god...I went through six months of this kind of treatment...just the walls were soild bone white not two tone. I was suffering from major chemical imbalances in my body and that coupled with autism and ADHD does not make a good combo. It took them six months of testing, meds, and as they slowly got everything settled on meds I found that those places are not ment to help anyone unless the people who put them there are willing to make sure they are getting the treatments they need. To say this place was just a massive daycare center so people could put the mentally ill out of the way.

1921800 Hey, I have an idea - maybe I could type up a bit of it, then have you look at it and tell me what you think?:twilightsmile: I'd love feedback!:pinkiehappy:

1922003 No, I just remembered, I'm getting two things mixed up - I saw a picture of Pinkie Pie being in a mental ward, but I read a fic about Twilight actually being a human named Tara who was in a mental hospital thing and she imagined all of Ponyville and everything (said fic is here, but I found it through TV Tropes)

1922046 Ah the one I remember I had found on EQD a long time ago and it was centered around Pinkie in a mental ward and having conversations with her friends that weren't there, all because of what the pony she called her colt-friend did.

so instead of everything ussually being happy, it was actually similar to the human world?

Welp... This was boss. You say you're taking OCs, right? Might place one of my own.

Cream colored earth pony. Short, messy black mane. Two crossed fencing swords as his mark (For the sport, of course. Though it gains a distinct meaning depending on the fanfic I use it on, but that's irrelevant right now...) He's mute. No preference in his usage although it'd be awesome if you went the 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest' way and made him like the chief :pinkiehappy:

Don't think it'll happen, but it'd be sweet.

EDIT: Forgot to place a name... Oh wow brain, you're really messing with me aren't you? Whatevs... Name's Wave Breaker.

1921878
STUPID COMPTER SPASMS!!...:twilightangry2: *cough* :facehoof:anyway...

...like stepping unexpectedly stepping out...

That is the first one I saw, I will have to reread the story to find more.
But I won't now. When you computer spasms that should be a sign as you been on it too long and its time to get off.

The Ward is one of the movies. And now I have a movie to watch.

Edit: If the link doesn't work, you might want to google it. Like I said computer spasms. *Stares menicingly at the tower*

1922010

I'm sorry to hear that! I have ADHD as well, but I never had to suffer through anything like that. You have my sympathies.

1922046

Sure, I wouldn't mind at all. Heck, I'm trying to become a teacher, so helping others is part of that whole deal. :pinkiehappy:

1922195

Questions about what actually happened will have to wait for other chapters to really flesh out.

1922347 Oooh, yay!:pinkiehappy: Or should I say...:yay:

1922325

Thanks! And just send me a PM with that information so I don't forget. A PM will just help me keep track of it all. Now I don't want you getting your hopes up - I'm not looking to write in a bunch of OCs as major characters - but you might find a reference to your character in the story somewhere in a future update.

Also, I can't imagine having a Chief-like role for this story, considering he was the narrator of the book. Not so much the film, of course, but then nobody can narrate for Jack Nicholson! :moustache:

I look forward to the next chapters, and I might ask to have my OC placed in the story even if its just a slight spot. The guys there with me were always fighting, I got into a fight myself once....well it was kinda one sided once I started fighting back....I was suffering from personality swings when it happened.

1922382

Done and done! Also, Asylum

story title got it into my mind.

Picture updates.

Was fooling around with the picture for the story a little more and came up with two slight variations. The top one is my personal favorite. I think it looks like she is giving a mad grin as someone opens the door to her darkened cell.

and

:pinkiecrazy:

1919732
Twist:

The asylum was the insanity induced dreamworld.

1922337

Thank you very much - fixed it just now! And yes, I know those spasms well. Nothing you can do when the technology gods see fit to meddle in the lives of mere mortals. I suggest sacrificing a fattened calf and restarting the computer to appease them.

I have some theorys but the biggest one is that she is not crazy. The characters seemsed anxios when she touched her horn. Maybe that is her way of getting out of there. But to say that your whole life isn't real is very crippling and I would be suprised if twilight didn't faint from this. But I can see there is still some things still missing so I say Fight on Twilight. Don't give up.:rainbowdetermined2:

If I was in this situatiuon I would have started working an escape plan as soon as they got me out of that room.

also even if you say everything was a lie, from what we see in the show twilight is learning. You can't lean something if your mind is being delusional. your mind would have taught you those lessons over and over. but twilight learned tons. I say she is being held there against here will.

These reality-perception stories are always interesting to read.

:facehoof: why do people like this story theme so much hated it when i saw it on charmed i hate it now. dont get me wrong its a good story so far and ill keep reading to find out what happins but the idea has always annoyed me.

1922574
^^^^^^^^^^^^



THAT MAN IS A GENIUS!

1922701

Ooo, thank you for posting! It pleases me to no end that I could write legibly enough to get others to think this hard about my work. :pinkiehappy:

I don't want to ruin any plot points so I can't really comment on anything, but hopefully the next chapter should provide some more fuel for your mind.

1922886

I think so too. Glad to have you on board!

1922976

I had an early post about this ( 1921391), but for me it comes down to enjoying that great division between reality and our perceptions, not to mention the tragedy of loosing memories or ones sanity, and the whole gamut of other issues (from mystery to terror) that such topics allow us to explore. I haven't seen the show in question so I can't comment there, but this is just one of those topics I find provocative. By the same token, I'm not too big into the romance stories even when well written - but that might just be because I'm an unromantic oaf. :twistnerd:

I can only hope that I can write well enough to be interesting for those who don't enjoy the subject matter, and can keep the story fresh enough to avoid painful clichés.

Login or register to comment