Prologue
Doctor Mane Hard practically threw himself on his personal office's chair. The day had barely begun and he was completely spent already. He sighed, somewhat relieved to take his weight from his four legs, before folding his forehooves over his desk and allowing his head to fall onto them.
I can't believe it.
He opened a drawer and produced a small notebook, quill and ink well while also flipping the chart in front of him open. Maybe I've made a mistake. There's got to be something I overlooked, he thought to himself as he meticulously read and reread her file. The minutes dragged on like his eyes did on his neat calligraphy. There was no questioning it, however.
No matter how much he scrutinized his own anamnesis the signs were there. Although the data collected wasn't optimal, given that both Mr. and Mrs. Cake were as clueless as everypony else was, it all made just too much sense. The diagnostic was final and there was no wish-fulfilling magic in Equestria that could change that.
Pinkie Pie has schizophrenia.
The words stained the back of his mind, drawing his attention by just how wrong they sounded. At first he was hopeful, ordering a multitude of clinical, laboratorial and image exams, trying his best to discard the hypothesis. As each test came back negative, however, the much-dreaded truth began to sink. And once it had destroyed every ounce of hope in the seasoned clinician, he felt a bit of himself breaking apart as well.
The middle-aged unicorn looked through his office's window, shuddering at the sight of the thick gray blanket that covered the entire town. This wasn't right. Nothing felt right anymore. He sighed once more, feeling the direct impact of a hardened Laughter and how it managed to change this small town. No doubt it'll shake the entire kingdom as well, he morosely though.
Calm down now, boy! We can't lose all hope at times like these. The words rang hollow in his skull, like a shallow promise made on new year's eve. It was hard, trying to conserve a critical mental attitude, but Harmony was just too unbalanced for him. I've got to keep trying!
He turned back to the first page, trying hard to remember his classes during his university days, and tried approaching it once more with a hint of determination. The first, second and third steps—exclusion; confirmation; therapeutic (Hah! What a joke!)—had already been taken. This only left room for the final step; classification.
He doubled his attention at the neatly formatted words, trying to figure out a pattern. It wasn't hard, this much he managed to remember, but it was something so uncommon that it was doomed to the recesses of his mind since the day he first learned about it. He levitated his glasses from their resting place on his muzzle and massaged his temples, managing to contain the faint throbs. As he had just placed the lenses back on, a knock came from the door.
"Excuse me, Doctor Mane Hard?" A familiar voice asked. "May I come in?"
"Please do, Ms. RedHeart," he said, keeping his voice as professional as he managed. The white earth pony walked inside, sporting dark circles beneath her red eyes. "How can I help you?"
"It's... um..." she bit her lip and looked askance.
"They're here, aren't they?" She simply nodded in reply. The doctor sighed once more and forcefully closed his eyes. "Thank you, Ms. RedHeart. Please tell them that I'll be with them shortly." She nodded and quickly left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. He inhaled deeply and held it in, desperately trying to find a single iota of calmness. He was a doctor; he was supposed to be ready for situations like these.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six—
But not like this.
—five, four, three, two, one.
... not like this.
He breathed the air out, thankful that it at least it was successful in calming his heart rate a bit. He got up from his seat and was instantly reminded of just how heavy his entire body felt. The walk towards the reception seemed like it would last forever. Or, at least, he hoped so. He eventually reached the dreaded destination, and was nearly tackled to the floor by a light-blue blur.
"How is she, doc?! Tell us, how is Pinkie Pie!? How is she?!"
"Rainbow!" His eyes widened as the blue pegasus' body was wrapped in a purple aura. Although Rainbow Dash fought against her friend's telekinesis, it was all for naught. Twilight Sparkle set her down near her other three friends, though she maintained her magical grip on her friend.
"Let me go, Twilight! Let go of me right now!"
"Ms. Dash, please calm down," Nurse RedHeart, who up to that moment had tried to hide in plain sight behind the reception desk, pleaded.
"How can you tell me to calm down when my friend is in there?! Huh!? My friend is sick! She could be dying right this moment and we don't even know what's wrong with her! How can you tell me to calm down!?!"
"Ms. Dash!" Mane Hard exclaimed once he had awoken from the surprise. "Calm down! Pinkie Pie is not at risk!"
Rainbow's ears perked up and she immediately stopped thrashing, prompting Twilight to cease using her horn. She stood beside her four friends, all of which looked expectantly to the doctor. He couldn't help but notice how disheveled they all were. Even Rarity, a pony known to be exceptionally critical of her own figure, sported a wild, tangled mane. Their pleading eyes drilled into his, and he almost had to look away in order to suppress a shudder.
It never gets any easier...
"Ms. Pie is not at risk," he repeated, preferring to take a more passive stance, allowing them to ask the questions. The five Bearers fidgeted where they stood, expecting him to be the one that would lead the conversation. A few seconds dragged on before Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, drawing the attention of her friends.
"What is wrong with her, doctor?" She tried her best but failed to hide her demanding tone, sounding more threatening than emphatic. He sighed and looked down.
"Ms. Pie has a mental disease. Schizophrenia, to be more precise." He paused and swallowed dry. "Physically, she's perfectly fine. But—she's changed. She's not Pinkie Pie anymore."
"How? Tell me, what do you mean?" she asked.
"Her mind is fragmented. Her perception of reality is almost non-existent as she seems to live in her own separate world. I... I think it's best if I show you girls." She noticed the brief pause and opened her mouth to inquire further. Before she could utter a word, Mane Hard continued, "I really shouldn't... but the six of you did so much for Equestria already that I can't help but feel like I owe this to you girls." He tried his best to smile. "Please, follow me."
As he turned around, Rainbow Dash immediately took to the air, hovering just behind his head with brief, twitchy flaps. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy followed closely behind. The latter pair walked close together, one mare trying her best to draw strength from another. Even the farm pony's steps quivered slightly.
"Doc, c'mon, talk to me. Is she going to be okay?" Rainbow asked. Mane Hard paused for a split-second and resumed his walk with his head hanging even lower. She allowed herself to drift to the floor and stood still as tears pooled on her eyes. Twilight picked up her gait and hugged her friend tightly—taking care to avoid stepping on her hung wings—and whispered promises that everything would be alright in her ear.
The pegasus turned her head when she heard a sob coming from behind. She turned her head and managed to see both Rarity and Fluttershy crying; the latter a little louder. Rainbow immediately buried her face on Twilight's barrel as her body began to shake. The purple unicorn motioned for Applejack to continue following the doctor and turned around to better hug her friend.
As they took a right on a corner, the farm pony looked back and saw RedHeart hand Twilight a box of tissues. The unicorn slowly parted her hug with Rainbow and magically offered one.
"She's my best friend, Twi! My bes—m—my buh—m—" was all the earth pony allowed herself to hear.
They kept following Mane Hard for some arduous minutes until they reached a rather narrow hallway. "It's right this way," he simply stated. The three Bearers felt their spines tingling with dread as they slowly passed iron door after iron door after iron door. Eventually, they reached the last door on the hallway and the unicorn stallion turned around. "She's in here."
He levitated a key from his pocket and placed it on the keyhole, without unlocking the door. "I shouldn't be doing this... I—I shouldn't."
"It's okay, sugarcube."
He placed a forehoof on his face and tried to hide himself from the mares. "I'll—I'll just be out here." He moved aside and sat by the hallway's wall, looking straight ahead.
Applejack moved her hoof towards the key, but was halted by a sudden voice.
"Wait. Sh—shouldn't we w—wait for T—T—Twilight and Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked through hiccups and sobs. Rarity lowered her head on the back of the canary pegasus and sniffled.
"They'll come, once they're ready, 'Shy," she said with an encouraging smile that tugged a bit too hard on her cheeks. The corners of the pegasus' mouth curled up slightly, but she suddenly turned around to nuzzle Rarity. Applejack, now facing the door, allowed her smile to wane. She took a deep breath before unlocking the door and nudging the door open. It squeaked loudly, like a risty cell's metal bars, sending the trio further into shock.
Applejack, knowing that all of her friends were counting on her to be strong, took a step forward and entered Pinkie Pie's room.