Prelude to Madness
#30 of The Lost Element
-UNDOCUMENTED-
Ugh... Here we go again. Once more, I trek through this vast labyrinth of hedges, leaves, thorns, and wretched filthy dirt! To think that Discord is loose again! Were our past efforts all in vain?! No, this is surely all Nightmare Moon's doing! She must have been in league with that twisted schemer of a draconequus!
No... No, Rarity. You must not lose faith in your princess. Nightmare Moon could not have possibly foreseen that her Elements of Chaos would have been drawn to that petrified lunatic once their crystalline forms were reduced to dust to be carried away on the wind. But still... Ugh, how frustrating! And I swear this maze spreads for miles! Is that even possible up here on the mountainside that Canterlot rests upon? No, I had best not think too hard about that. Discord can twist anything he wishes. For all I know, the maze has been shrunken down and us with it to make it seem larger. Oh, I do hope my friends are faring better than I have. I have spent the last fifteen minutes or so searching high and low and I have yet to lay eyes on a single Element.
Oh, James... If only you could spread your beautiful wings and search the maze from above... And with me in your arms. I pray you are faring well, my dear. And I cannot say how grateful I am that your armor protects you from Discord's wiles. You have yet to see the bedlam he can twist out of others. And I pray you never do. We vowed to make certain we would not allow ourselves to fall victim to Discord's manipulations ever again. I would never be able to forgive myself if I revealed myself to you as the dreadful miser I became the last time Discord sank his hooks into my mind. To think that I saw a boulder as being a colossal diamond! And that I even named him Tom! No... No, my darling. There is no treasure to me that can match your boundless love. Nothing is more precious to me than my dearest friends, but you are the crown jewel that rests atop them all. Discord can tempt me with all the diamonds in the world. I will never abandon you or my dear friends, my darling! Not again.
But enough of my wandering thoughts. I must remain vigilant. Where could those Elements be hiding? Perhaps down this path? Or this one? Drat, there are so many twists and turns that I have no idea where to look! And... Am I backtracking? Ugh, Discord! At least have the common courtesy to place a few path markers so I know if I am wasting my time... Wait... What is that glow?
That glow... It is a light shade of blue... Ah, of course! Perhaps it is the Element of Laughter! I cannot help calling out as I draw near the bend. "Aha! That makes one!"
Wait... I see no Element, but a stone wall. And embedded in it are... Oh, this farce again? Does Discord truly expect me to fall for the same temptation twice?! I will not even give ten seconds of my attention to such an alluring trio of diamonds! "By all means, Discord! Try something new!"
And I am off. But... A flash... And he stands before me once again. And...oh my, he looks rather displeased with his arms crossed. "And where do you think you're going? I've made you a gracious offer I know you cannot refuse, Rarity. Why do you turn your nose up at it?"
"Ha! Cannot refuse? Begone! I rebuke thee! I know better than to be led astray by your wiles. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! And I shan't be fooled twice!" I trot on past him and continue on my way. But then... He tries to get my attention by tapping me on the head? "Yes? Did I not make something clear?"
Something is amiss... He does not seem terribly frustrated in the slightest and taps his wrist. "I can't seem to get a good look at Canterlot's clock tower from here. Do you have the time?"
"The time? I don't normally wear a watch... Why, is their one on my ho... Hoo... Hoo... Wha... What have you done to me?! My coat! Turning gray?! Creeping... Consuming... What have you done?! Answer me!" My coat... A pale shade of gray... It is slowly covering me... I... I feel something... No... Not that wretched greed! Not again!
That horrid demon... Looking down at me with that sickening smirk of satisfaction. "Well, I suppose you should have been aware of the unspoken rule of this game the second time around, Rarity. I made this game, and the unspoken rule states that the game master is free to do as he pleases. And another unspoken rule is that one by one, the contestants must be twisted into their opposites until only one remains. By force, if needed. I was originally planning on leaving Twilight Sparkle as the last one standing once again, but I am considering giving the human contestant that honor this time. And I think your 'darling' James will get quite a kick out of seeing you lug around 'Tom' again. I know I did! How did such a frail little lady like you even lift that thing?! A daily diet of protein shakes?"
James... No... If he finds me... He knows how much I adore him... If I allow myself to be consumed by this greed... No, I must not allow this! "Discord, no! You know not what you're tampering with! You must reverse this! I have seen how dearly he holds us to his heart! He must not be allowed to see us like this! Please... I beg you, remove this rising greed from me!"
My pleas... I believe they are sinking in. He looks horrified. "Oh, dear... Yes, I do recall seeing how protective you and Nightmare Moon herself seemed of him. It would scar him to see you in such a state. And if all six of you were tainted, it would break him. Devastate him. Drive him into the deepest pits of despair! He would never be the same man again!"
"Yes... Yes, you do understand! So please, revert this before it is too late and we can get back to playing this game fair and square!" So close... Do it... Hurry...
That look of fright and horror... It is becoming one of such...heinous glee. "Revert you? Remove the greed? Why ever would I do that?"
My heart sinks... I feel tears building at my eyelids... "No... You must remove this! Please, I beg of you! Not for me, but for him!"
He towers above me while shaking his finger. I... I am doomed... "And now you shed tears? Oh, what spectacular misery. My dear Rarity, I cannot tell you how long it has been since I last had the opportunity to have some genuine fun with a human. I am most curious to see how he handles seeing his dearest most precious friends turned into the very opposite of what he loves them for. That level of mortal chaos will surely be a sight to see!"
He circles me, hand held to his chin. I cannot speak... I feel it creeping... Sinking into me... No, please... But those diamonds in that wall do look divine... No, do not falter, Rarity! That is not what you want! "Maddening, isn't it? Knowing that great riches are just under that craggy exterior and you keep insisting that something else is more valuable to you. Well, I do believe that I should leave you in privacy to determine your priorities. After all, who am I to decide your fate for you?"
Discord... You... You demon... Manipulating our lives like some trickster god... I despise you... Looking down at me like I am a mere pet to toy with... "I think I will pay a visit to three of your friends before I stop by to see how 'Sir' James is faring. Who know? Perhaps I just might have Twilight be the last one untainted after all. Now, I should let you get reacquainted with Tom over there. Have fun, you two lovebirds!" And with that, he is gone...
I am alone... The greed... It is seeping into my mind... Those diamonds... So...fabulous... No... I must get away... I cannot let this vice consume me! I made a promise! We all made a promise! I cannot...allow myself...to fall... My will is fading... I am...losing myself... James, darling... Where are you... Hold me in your arms... Remind me what is most precious to me! I do not want some rock! I want my darling friends! I want them, not those! No... Turn away, Rarity... Do not look at the gleam of those gems... No, stay away from them! Why can I not look away... No... Please... I promised them... I promised myself... I...do not want... NOOOOOOO!!!!
Ah, there you are, Tom! To think I tossed you out like a mere pebble! How did you even get behind that wall of rock? Bah, it does not matter now. You are mine again! Ooh, just look at your luster. Surely thousands of carats worth! Now I just need to get you back home. You are all I need, you handsome hunk of a gem. You and all the riches in the world!
Well, if this isn't a wild goose chase, I don't know what is. I reckon I've been looking around this maze for a good half hour by now and I swear I've gone back and forth over the same path more than once.
I don't like this... Need to stay away from anything that looks out of the ordinary. I ain't about to let Discord twist me more than a cinnamon twist at breakfast. If I just keep moving fast, maybe I can stay ahead of him. Wait... Nah, I just need to make sure to not repeat any of my old mistakes. Better take my time so I don't overlook anything. If I come across a grove of apple trees in this big old maze, I'll just keep on walking this time.
I've been running along nonstop for a while now. And no sign of... Hang on, what was that? Looks like... A trio of red delicious apples?
"Huh... I guess I could use a bite ta keep me goin' for now." I said while going over to them. But... Now they're rolling away from me? Heh, I see what's going on now. This looks a might familiar too. "Think I'm gonna just wander on into yer trap again, Discord? Nice try, but I don't forget bein' duped that easily."
All right, back to searching for them Elements of Harmony. Only clue me and the girls got is that they're 'within' something. Gotta say this maze is a mighty fine place to hide anything. The place looks way too big to even fit on the mountaintop! Or is it just me?
And there's another bunch of apples rolling away. Just keep walking, Applejack. Ain't nothing good's gonna come out of following them. And there's another... And another... And... Whoa, he just popped up out of nowhere! And he looks a might miffed. "Oh, for goodness sake! You're worse than Picard! I keep throwing apples upon apples at your hooves and you just keep walking! Can't you take a hint?!"
Now, I don't have a clue on who this Picard guy is, but it looks like Discord's starting to get really annoyed that I'm not taking the bait. For once, I'm feeling mighty smug in front of him. "What? Ya not used to ponies not doin' what ya want 'em to do? It's called keepin' a promise and not fallin' for the same trick twice. Maybe you'd actually get it if ya had friends, Discord. Now, beat it! I got some Elements ta find!"
That should give him some food for thought. Ought to keep him off my back too. Hang on... What did he say right there? "Oh, so that's what this is about, is it?"
There's something I don't like about the way he said that. I look back and see him just peeking over his shoulder at me. "I was wondering why Rarity refused the diamonds she loves oh so much. You've all made a promise to each other to not let yourselves do what you did last time. Is that it?"
So he figured it out, huh? Not like it matters. "We sure did. And I ain't gonna break a Pinkie Promise for anythin'! So if ya don't mind, I've got some searchin' ta do!"
And I'm off again... Wait... Is he right behind me now? I look... And yup, there he is. Back still turned, but standing a few feet away from me. "But more than anything, you made this promise for him, didn't you?"
There is...something really awful about the way he's saying that... It's making my skin crawl. "It's no wonder she pleaded in tears for me to reverse the corruption before she became that entertaining miser she used to be. He's a dear friend to you, is he not?"
Rarity... Corrupted...? "Wha... No! What did ya do to her?! Where is she?!"
I'm yelling and snarling at the guy, but he still looks totally smug right there now that he's facing me. "Oh, she's probably out there somewhere lugging around a boulder that looks like a sparkling diamond to her without a single care for friendship. Just as you'll be in a moment."
That little... Rarity promised! No, wait... I know there's no way she would ever break a Pinkie Promise. We're all in this together! And...why is he reaching out to me with just one finger? "Hey, back off! What're ya doin'?! And what did ya do to Rarity?!"
And now the guy is chuckling at me. The more I hear him, the sicker of the guy I get. "Oh, nothing much. She refused my temptation, so all I had to do was reach out and touch someone. Because either way, you are playing by my rules and the unspoken rule says that I am free to do whatever I please. I made you a liar once. And I will do it again. Now hold still for a second. Either we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. What's it going to be, Applejack?"
This is bad... I need to get away! "How 'bout none of the above?! Get away from me!"
I'm running... Running wherever I can to get away from that scumbag! No way he's turning me into a liar! Not a second time! Wait a second... That rustling from the right inside the hedge... "Playing hard to get, huh?! Well, you better stay on your toes, Applejack!" What the... Here he comes, trying to snatch me up! "Wopah!"
No way you're getting me, you freak show! Ha, I jumped and he just ate some dirt for sure! Wait a second... He's still down and dazed... Perfect! I'll make sure he knows to back off! "So, ya wanna rumble, huh?! Well, all right then! Let's rumble, pardner!"
I'm charging right at him! One good buck to the face should get my point across and make him leave me alone. And he's looking a might scared right now. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on a second! Uh...wait! You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would you?"
Putting on glasses? Nice try, but no dice! I turn just as I get close and BAM! Right in the face! And...did he just explode into a bunch of apples? Even though I don't see a mouth anywhere, I can still hear him from somewhere. "All right, so you would!"
I'm feeling mighty proud of myself. Ain't no way I'm going to let myself break that promise. James is a nice guy and I'm not gonna let myself hurt him. Now I just need to find Rarity and keep her away from James until we find the Elements of Harmony. As long as he doesn't find out what she's become, I doubt it'll faze him.
Now to start looking for... What the?! Something poking me on the head?! "Boop!"
"Hey! Hands off! What did... Huh?! Oh man... No... No, what did ya do?!" What's with my coat?! I recognize this... Turning kind of...grayish... And what's this I'm feeling? I'm feeling all right... No, I'm feeling weird! And it feels right! No, what am I thinking?! This isn't right! I'm... Darn it! Discord got to me! Gotta fight it... I ain't going back on my word!
He's still looking down at me. That smug grin. He knows he got me. That little... If I wasn't too mentally overwhelmed right now, I'd clean his clock! "That's what you get for kicking a guy in the face while he's wearing glasses. Downright dishonorable. I'd expect something better from you, you dirty little liar."
"I'm not a liar! I'm the biggest roughest toughest mare in the world and I'm gonna squash ya under my hoof... What the... Why am I sayin' that?!" All these fibs coming out of my mouth... They don't even make sense, but they're still lies! I'm not somepony who lies!
And now he's laughing... Discord, you're gonna pay for this! "Oh, I wish I could stick around to see what comes out of your mouth next, but I really must be going. Hmm... Twisting Rainbow Dash into a traitor would cause the game to end right away. Best save her for last. Perhaps Pinkie Pie will be next... Or maybe Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy... No... Anyone but her! "No, ya can't mess with Fluttershy! Not her!"
"Was that a lie just now? When it comes to you, I'm not so sure what to believe. So, by saying that I should stay away from Fluttershy, you mean that I actually SHOULD go to her? Well then, I shall! But maybe not just yet. I'll save the best for last. Goodbye, Applejack! And thank you for being such a good sport." And now he's gone in a flash... But I still hear that awesome laughter all around me... No, it's not awesome! It's creepy and evil!
What's wrong with me... I can't even be honest with myself... It's getting worse... I broke my promise... Oh man, Pinkie Pie's gonna have my hide! Girls... I'm sorry...
Wait... No, I'm not. I'm not sorry at all.
One little two little three little dead ends! And still no Elements! Wow, how long have I been looking? Over here, over there, and all over everywhere! It's easier to get lost in this labyrinth than it is to get lost in my head! Just like... Hey! No, Zipzee! You can never come out! The world must never see you or find out about my previous life! It's a good thing nopony can see my thoughts!
I'll just keep hopping along and humming a song. Mmhmhmmmm! Mmmmhmhmmmhmmhmmm! Or even better! I'll sing one! Which would be best? Maybe I should sing Giggle at the Ghosties? Or how about good old Smile Smile Smile? Or maybe... Nah, I'm never singing You Gotta Share, You Gotta Care again. If that can cause a buffalo stampede, it must be my worst song yet! Hmmm... Maybe... Aha! I got it! All you have to do is take a cup of laughter and add it to the mix! Then you take a little something sweet, not laughter. Add a little laugh, just a... Wait, where IS all that laughter coming from? It's messing up my singing! And it doesn't sound like my friends...
Maybe it's around this corner... Oh, goody gumdrops! Look at all those balloons! And they all have eyes and big happy smiles! A balloon garden! I gotta see it up close... Waaaaaaait a minute! This seems...kind of familiar. And my Pinkie Sense is twitching hard. Lets see... OK, it's a combo. Watery eyes... Itchy flanks...and a sneeze! That means... There's a trap ahead! Or maybe it's just my allergies... Nope, it's definitely a combo! But I guess that's kind of obvious, seeing as how Discord made a garden like this last time!
I guess I should steer clear of this... But it's a balloon garden! And balloons are fun! And balloons! And more balloons! The only thing that could make this better is some more cotton candy and chocolate rain! Well... OK! I'll go through the garden again. But I'll be extra careful this time and listen closely to my Pinkie Sense! Not even Discord can do anything about that!
And I'm hopping through the balloon garden! I swear all those balloons are looking at me! All those pinks and blues and yellows and greens! And they're all still laughing! That's fine though. I love making ponies laugh! But I guess that means I also love making balloons laugh too! And... Uh oh! Twitchy tail! That means... Whoa! Close one! I almost fell! And right into a mud puddle! And there's a balloon's string tied around my hind leg? I better do something about that.
OK, that's off now. Uh... OK, I think I better get out of here. I don't wanna become a big mean old grouch again! I bet Discord's waiting around here just to mess with my head more! Here I go! Hopping and humming... Yikes! There he is! Just popped up out of one of those balloons! "Going so soon, Pinkie? Why not stay a while longer? I went through all the trouble of setting this place up just for you, after all."
He did? Just for me?! How nice! "Oh, and I love it here! I just love balloons and parties! And it feels like this is a party with only the friends, cake, and music missing! But I really can't stay. I gotta find the Elements of Harmony! Bye!"
And off I... Whoa! A mud puddle?! What happened?! I thought my Pinkie Sense would let me know if I was about to fall! And now all those balloons are laughing at me again... Just ignore them... They're not even alive. It's just Discord being a big old meanie pants again to try to make me hate loving fun and laughter. And I almost never fall for the same trick twice!
"Oh dear, are you all right? It's too bad your Pinkie Sense went AWOL when you really needed it." Discord's behind me now. And... Huh?! That's my tail! No wonder I didn't feel it twitch that time! Give it back! How'd he even take it off of me anyway?!
"Oh, I'm sorry. Is this yours?" He snapped his fingers...and my tail's back where it belongs! But now I need to get my leg untied from that pesky balloon... There we go! But they're still laughing at me!
Discord's starting to fly all around me. He looks kinda worried and concerned... Nah, it's all a trick! And I made a Pinkie Promise to not fall for anymore of his tricks! But what's Discord up to? "Face in the mud again? And I thought you were used to being laughed at by now."
"La la la la la! I can't hear you! So I'll just be going now! Bye!" And I am outta there! Phew! It was fun while it lasted, but I was really taking a big risk in there! But I gotta keep moving. I Pinkie Promised to not let Discord mess up my head again. I was so angry and mean last time! And I can't let myself be like that again! It was hard enough on Twilight last time. And I can't let that happen to James... He's just as sensitive as Fluttershy. And I'd never be able to forgive myself if I ever hurt Fluttershy...
Huh? Discord just popped up in front of me again. And... Wow, he's got his arms crossed and looks really annoyed. "So, you're playing this game too, huh? Completely ignoring me? If there's one thing I hate more than having no chaos going on, besides ink rain...and country music...it's being ignored."
Huh? There's a game going on I wasn't told about?! Well, that's mean! "Ooh, so now we're playing a new game?! Nice! What are the rules?! And who's playing?! Can I play too?"
Discord's smirking at me now. And he's talking in that fake playful tone of voice... And I should know! I'm all about being playful! "Oh, I'm just referring to the game that Applejack and Rarity were playing. At least before I gave them two shades of gray. Some sort of promise about not ever listening to me?"
Gray? And a promise... Wait... No! They broke a Pinkie Promise?! A PINKIE PROMISE?! Just hearing that... Ugh! I'm feeling so MAD!!! "WHAT?! Nopony... NOPONY breaks a Pinkie Promise!"
"Indeed! Some friends, huh? You'd think true friends would honor such an agreement. But then again, how can you ever be sure your friends are really friends?" Discord is hovering around me with those wings flapping away. I feel mad...but kinda scared too. "Why have friends at all when they're just going to turn their backs on you in the end? Is it worth the heartache if every friendship you forge is merely temporary? It may provide you happiness for a short time, but it'll only leave you with a gaping hole in your heart in the end. Hardly worth it, is you ask me."
I guess he has a point... And it almost sounds like he knows what he's talking about... No... Don't even go there, Pinkie! You know your friends better than that! We're all connected on a very special level! The Elements of Harmony proves that! They would never break a Pinkie Promise... In fact, I bet they're still out there in the maze right now looking for the Elements! I bet they're just fine! "Heheeheehahaha! Yeah, right! I know Applejack and Rarity better than you! No way they would ever break a Pinkie Promise! Nice try though!"
And I'm on my way back down the path. Just need to ignore jerks like that... Huh? He's in front of me again? "Oh, hi there! Forget something?"
And now he looks annoyed again. What did I do? "And here I thought you were the most lacking in brains of the group. Seems that brain of yours works better than I thought. Well, I can see nothing I say is going to shake your faith in your friends, so we may as well get this out of the way."
OK, this is getting creepy... He's got one finger pointed at me and keeps coming closer. "Um... What're you doing? What's with that finger?"
That smirk... That really...really mean smirk. This can't be good... "I was not joking when I said that your two friends broke their promise. They refused to listen to me at all, so I twisted them directly. And before you can call me out on that, I never did say that there is a rule stating I can't corrupt them by force. You should always read the fine print when you get involved in a game with the master of chaos!"
I can't believe this... I never knew he could turn them into mean gray opposites of themselves with just a touch! That means... If he touches me... "Uh... Thanks...but no thanks!" Now I'm running! Running to try to stay away from him! I made a Pinkie Promise to not let myself change! And I INVENTED the Pinkie Promise! If there is one pony in all of Equestria who can't ever break a Pinkie Promise, it's Pinkie Pie! That's me!
Down this way... Now that way... I have no idea where I'm going, but I can't let Discord get to me... Wait... Left shoulder itches... Pinkie Sense, don't fail me now!
From the left! He's coming out of the hedge! Close one! Now it's my right shoulder! The right wall! Now the bottom of my hooves... Out of the ground! Woo! I'm just barely staying one step ahead of him! He'll never catch me as long as my Pinkie Sense keeps me alert!
Left! Below! Above! Behind! Right! He is really going all-out to try to get me! This is actually kinda fun now! And now it's just a long run down a straight path! I can hear him flying just a little ways behind me. But he'll never get me! Wait... What was that flash of light at my shoulders and my flanks? "Don't fall behind, Pinkie Pie! You look like you might be too fast for your own good! Or at least your hooves are!"
Too fast for my... Ow! Oof, that hurt... What's wrong? Why did I fall... Huh? Hey! Are those my legs running on ahead?! They detached from the rest of me?! Animation error?! What are those guys at the HUB doing?! "Hey! Come back! Yoo hoo! This way! Oh, who am I kidding?! My head is the part that has the ears!"
Uh oh... Discord's right next to me... Looking down at me. I'm... I can't believe this, but I'm scared... And my laughing isn't helping! "That was a good chase, Pinkie Pie. You're certainly hard to keep down. Now, do me a favor and just hold still."
His finger is slowly coming towards my face. No... Please... "No, don't touch me! Please, I made a promise! Don't make me break it! Get away... Get... No! Get it off! Please, I'm begging you! Make it stohahooop! Please! I don't wanna stop being me! Get it off! Get it off!!!"
"Oh, quit being such a big baby. It's not like I stuck you with anything! And quit your crying! In a minute, you won't care about having friends at all!" He finally took it off... But I can still feel it... All that awful bitterness and anger I felt before... I'm crying... I don't want to lose my friends... I have to ignore these feelings... I can't let myself break a Pinkie Promise!
There's another flash... My legs are back on me. "For cooperating, I'm making sure you get your legs back. Go ahead and test them out, if you want." Discord... You meanie... You big...horrible...manipulating meanie! What gives you the right to do this to me?! "Now then... I think I'll pay a little visit to Miss Fluttershy before I check on your human friend."
"What?! No, not Fluttershy!" I reach out and grab him around the foot. I can't let him get to her! Anypony but her! "She'll hurt him the most! You cant do that to her! Please, don't do this! It'll be awful!"
He's looking at me... That awful sinister grin. Why was James not wary of this jerk?! James, I wish you could see what he's doing to us so you'd know he's such a horrible person! "Are you kidding? That's exactly what I'm hoping for! A good old-fashioned soap opera rife with drama! Once I'm done with Fluttershy, I better get some popcorn ready! As for now, farewell, Grumpy Pie!"
He's gone... I feel all that bitterness... No... This isn't me! I'm not someone who hates being happy! I love being happy! I love seeing and making people laugh! I love having friends! I... Who cares about friends? I hate every... No! Fight it, Pinkie Pie! You made a Pinkie Promise! But who cares... No... Pinkie Pie never breaks a Pinkie Promise... Pinkie Pie never breaks a Pinkie Promise... Pinkie Pie...never...breaks a...Pinkie...Promise...
Oh dear... I think I might be lost... It's too quiet... I would feel a little better if I heard some birds chirping at least. I never liked mazes. Especially ones where I have to go in alone... Hello? Anypony there? Twilight? Are you close by? Applejack? Maybe Pinkie Pie? Or maybe Rainbow Dash? Or are you out there, Rarity?
OK, Fluttershy... Just stay calm. It's only a maze... James would probably be laughing if he saw me acting like this over nothing... I'm just such a coward... I'm so glad my friends don't mind though. I don't know where I'd be without them today.
Now... Where are the Elements of Harmony? I know I've been too nervous and apprehensive to pay much attention to my surroundings, but I'm pretty sure I would have spotted one of them if it passed by my field of vision. Shiny gemstones embedded in golden jewelry are easy to notice. I wish James was here... I would feel so much calmer if he was with me... I hope he's doing all right. And that Discord hasn't done anything mean to anypony.
Maybe I'll find something over... Wait! Something's coming! Hide! If I can just... Phew! I was able to fit inside the hedge. Maybe if I peek out... Huh? Butterflies? And there's three of them... Wait a minute... Last time I saw butterflies was just before... Maybe I shouldn't follow them this time.
All right, they're leaving now. I guess it's safe to come out. Or should I stay inside the hedge? I'll be safe there... But it might take longer for me to find my friends... Wait, that's right. We promised that we would not let Discord get to us again. If I just ignore him, I should be OK.
I'm climbing out of the hedge... It looks safe... OK, time to go. Here come those butterflies again. Just act natural. Let them fly by. Um... Oh, they're just ordinary butterflies. But I should just ignore anything that isn't one of my friends. Maybe if I look down this path? And there's the butterflies again. And there they go. Still nothing down here... Still so nervous... Take a few deep breaths, Fluttershy. It'll be OK. You can do this. It wasn't so bad the first time, after all. Except for when I saw the... Uh oh...
I see the butterflies again. But these have... They have tiny little horns. And they're talking? "Poor Fluttershy. Looks like your friends have left you all alone again."
It's Discord again... Just ignore him. Don't even look at him. Just keep walking. I think they're following me though... Just keep walking. Don't pay any mind to what they say. "Aren't you feeling a little burned up that they haven't come to you yet? It's almost like they value the Elements of Harmony more than they treasure you."
Just keep walking.... Just keep walking... I think it's working! They're not talking anymore. Huh? That flash of light behind... Eep! He's in front of me! And...he looks really frustrated. "OK, you were the last one here I was expecting to be acting like this, Fluttershy. With how timid and helpless you are, I thought for sure at least you would follow my trail of breadcrumbs like the first time."
Well, at least he's not doing anything to me. "Oh, I'm sorry... I know you wanted things to go your way, but... I made a promise to not listen to you this time. So, I'll just be going now. If that's all right with you..."
Be careful... Go around him... Phew, he's not doing anything to stop me. "Yes, I'm quite aware of that little promise you and your friends made...honey."
That word... I feel such a chill in my heart. "Wha... What did you call me?"
He's looking over his shoulder at me... And I really don't like that smirk... He's up to something. "That's what he likes to call you, isn't it? Your human friend."
James... My boyfriend? Does Discord know we're in love? "Why do you ask?"
Discord's turning to face me. And he just snapped his fingers to conjure up...a pair of doves? They're so cute! And they're perching on a bird's roost on his hand while nuzzling each other. "I have to say it's been ages since I last saw a human and a pony being so lovey dovey with each other. And I have to confess that you two seem like such a cute couple!"
Oooh... I feel so warm and fuzzy inside when I hear that. "Thank you... I try to be good to him. And he always tries to be good to me too. I hope we'll be together for a very long time."
Discord seems happy too. Really truly delighted. "Ah, the tenderness of young love. Just seeing that makes one smile. But do you know what is even more entertaining?"
Huh? More entertaining? I thought seeing two young lovers isn't exactly fun to watch, but it does make one feel warm and happy inside. "Um... I don't know. What's more entertaining than that?"
There's that really mean smirk again. What is he... Huh? He just touched one of the doves and it turned a little...gray? "A little marital strife. Nothing like a little drama to spice things up."
The dove just pulled out a...shovel? And... Wha... What is she doing?! No! Stop hitting him! That poor little dove is being beaten over and over by his mate! He's trying to reach out to her, but she keeps pummeling him! Why is she doing that?! Wait... She stopped and threw the shovel away. She's...laughing and smiling at him? The poor little dove is cowering and curled up in front of her... Why... Is that...supposed to represent James and me?
The doves are gone in a flash, but... I... I'm shivering. That was so horrible to see... "Why... Why did you show me that...?"
"Because that is what is going to happen to you and your little sweetheart." Discord's smirking at me with one finger raised... Is he... Again?! "Three of your friends have already broken their promise thanks to a little 'direct' intervention from yours truly. And I'm pretty sure you know what's coming next. But for the sake of a little fun, why don't I give you a head start?"
He... No... He didn't... Three of my friends were forced into breaking the promise we made?! And... No... No, get away from me!
I'm running... Fleeing... I can't let him get to me... I won't let myself become that monster! I can still remember the cruel words I said... The awful mean things I did... I can't let myself do that to James! He'll never trust me again! I don't see Discord behind me... Did I lose him? No, I can't slow down. James, help me! I need to find him! His armor keeps him safe from Discord's magic! He can protect me!
This way... Oh dear... A dead end. Maybe if... No... No... Discord! I'm cornered! "Well, that was a fun chase! But it's time we swap out that kindness for some delightful cruelty."
That finger... If he even touches me... "No... Please, you don't have to do this! Please, just go away!"
He's not stopping... Still coming closer... "Let me think on this for a moment... What's that answer I'm looking for? It's on the tip of my tongue... Oh, right. No, I don't think I will. It's been far too long since I last saw the kind of chaos that comes from a dysfunctional relationship and you are going to provide it! I've already got some popcorn popping and I'm not letting that go to waste!"
I can't move... Too terrified... That... No, it's touching me! I feel it... That...desire to hurt others... No, I have to resist! Need to...push back... I'll never forgive myself if I ever hurt him! "No...! I...won't....!"
The gray going down my leg... It's going back up! Maybe I can resist it! But...Discord keeps pushing hard! No! I can't fail! I promised my friends! I promised myself! I can't let myself change now! Please... No! Get off me!
Discord is looking really mad now... He's snarling at me... "How are you resisting this?! This is my game and you are going to play by my rules! And the #1 unspoken rule is you play things my way!"
It's so strong... I... I have to... Please, no! I can't give up... I won't let myself...hurt him... "I can't let you do that to me... I love him too much to hurt him!"
"And I say it's time for you to break his heart!" He suddenly pushes down really hard! I... I can't.... I feel it seeping into me... Need to resist... No... Please... I can't... NOOOOOOO!!!!!
"You're more trouble than you're worth. And quit crying! It's not like I violated you! Anyway, time to check on the newest contestant. And don't worry. You'll be seeing him very soon, Fluttershy. And be sure to give him a nice big hug for me." He's gone... But... I failed... I can't even make myself stand... I can feel it inside me... These horrible thoughts...
I want to see him cry... To see him in pain... Why am I thinking these horrible things?! This isn't me! But...I want to hurt him... I want to see him broken... I'm such a failure... Of all the promises I've ever made, I had to break this one... I can't resist these urges... Any minute now, I'll be gone and only a monster will be in my place... James... Please... Don't come this way... I have to get as far away as possible before I lose myself!
I... I don't want to see him plead... I don't want to see him happy... I want to crush him... No... This isn't... James, please... Stay away!!!