DAYS LATER: Rainbow Dash's POV:

Red broke the silence, "I wanted to tell you that wherever I am, whatever happens, I’ll always think of you, and the time we spent together, as my happiest time. I’d do it all over again, if I had the choice. No regrets."

Our hands slipped apart as the stretcher was pushed through the door. My gaze met the moving ceiling as I was pushed into the surgery room. A mask was put on me with a tube feeding off to a small sealed metal container.

"We're going to turn on the anesthetic now alright?" One of the doctors said. I nodded.

"Just countdown from 100." The doctor said, turning the valve. The door opened and a masked man in a white coat came in.

"Ah good your here. We can begin as soon as the anesthetic kicks in Nicholas." The doctor next to me said. My eyes shot open and I stared at horror at Nicholas. Before I could say anything, everything went black.

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TWO WEEKS LATER: Cecil's POV

"I don't understand..." Fluttershy sobbed as I held her close.

"I don't either..." I said. I recalled what Rainbow Dash told us, and how she only had two weeks to live. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it. "But I'm going to find out."

I got up and walked to the door. I turned to see Fluttershy's head pressed against a pillow, her cries muffled. I looked back to the door and left, making for the hospital. After half an hour I arrived, walking through the doors to see a rather deserted room, only the nurse at the front desk. I walked up to it and stared down at the nurse, who seemed rather bored.

"Yes?" She said, lighting up at what she hoped was a patient.

"Is Dr.Cross in today?" I asked, "I need to talk to him."

She immediately slunk back down, "No... Sorry."

I groaned, "Where is his office?" I asked.

"Down there but... You shouldn't be down there without an appointment!" She yelled as I started walking down the hall the moment she pointed. I opened the door to his room, not seeing anyone inside. I walked in and approached the desk, looking around for anything that could tell me more about the surgery. I opened the drawers, noticing a medium yellow folder in the bottom one. I pulled it out and placed it on the desk, opening it. Inside were several papers labeled "Laminectomies."

It was divided into two categories; Short term, and Long Term results. These are obviously the surgery reports but... There is something off about them. I skimmed through the short term files.

PATIENT#057: JACK PLAX.
STATUS: ALIVE.
RESULTS: SUCCESSFUL.

I looked at the reports, all the short term results were a success. Just like Dash said... I moved the papers and looked at the long term.

PATIENT#035: HARVEY BLACK
STATUS: ALIVE.

I froze, reading it again... And again.

PATIENT#036
STATUS: ALIVE
RESULTS: SUCCESSFUL

PATIENT#037
STATUS: ALIVE
RESULTS: SUCCESSFUL

Successful...Successful... Successful... I quickly flipped through the pages for Rainbow Dash. Found it.

PATIENT#89: RAINBOW DASH
STATUS: ALIVE
RESULTS: SUCCESSFUL

I stared at it, not understanding at all...

"You weren't supposed to read those..." Dr.Cross said, snapping my attention to the doorway. He had a look of dread on his face as he stared at me.

"What the hell are these?" I asked, holding the folder up. He didn't answer and moved to his desk, taking a seat as I held the folder tight, backing against the wall. From his seat he looked up at me, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"What are these damn it!" I yelled.

"The test results." He said.

"So... The surgery was a success?" I asked.

"Yes..." He said.

"Then why did you tell them that she was going to die?" I demanded.

"He told them exactly what I wanted him to." Nicholas said, entering the room. I glared at Nicholas in horror as I noticed he had a syringe in his hand.

"Nicholas... Wha-" I said before being caught off guard by Dr.Cross, who bent my arm backwards and forces me to the ground. I struggled, trying to escape. I watched the needle grow closer as my panic set in.

"Hold him still." Nicholas said.

"Nicholas please!" I begged.

"It... Won't hurt..." Cross said, a tear falling from his face.

"HELP!" I screamed, "SOMEONE HEL-"

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My eyes shot open and I looked around the room.

"Where... Where am I?" I said aloud, searching for another person. I tried to move, but couldn't. My arms and legs were tied. I was in a dark room, it looked like a basement.

"H...Hello?" A voice said, a small, feminine voice...

"Who's there?" I said, looking around.

"Over here." She said. She was behind me. I twisted back as far as I could. I was tied to a wooden pillar that went up to the ceiling. The little girl was shackled to the wall behind me.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Cecil... And you?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"I'm Emma..." She said weakly.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"I don't know. The mean man took me from daddy a week ago." She said. It was then that I recalled what happened. Nicholas... He injected me with what I'm guessing was a tranquilizer.

"Who's your daddy?" I asked.

"He helps people get better." She said.

"He's... A doctor?" I asked.

"Yes." She said.

"Doctor... Cross?" I asked.

"Yes." She said again. I thought about it for a moment... That must have been why he was helping Nicholas... His daughter...

My head snapped to the door at the top of the steps as I heard the knob click and start turning. When it opened, Nicholas began descending.

"I see you're awake! Welcome to my humble abode..." He said, walking towards me with a syringe, a green liquid brewing inside it.

"What the fuck do you want?" I demanded, struggling against the ropes.

"I swear we've had this conversation before..." He said sarcastically, "It's what I've wanted from the beginning. I want you to suffer."

"I don't care what you do to me, just let the girl go." I begged.

"I'm afraid... I can't do that." He said.

"Why the hell not?" I asked

"Because your friends are on their way... And she is my escape route." He said.

"What do you mean?" I questioned. He held up the syringe, looking at it.

"A strange thing this chemical is..." He said.

"What... Are you..." I asked puzzled.

"It's made from a specific plant. Found in the Everfree forest." He continued.

"What does this have to do with anything?" I asked.

"It has different effects depending on where it is injected..." He said.

"Nicholas..." I tried to say.

"The Lungs for instance..." He said. My eyes widened and I stared at him.

"You... Killed Colin..." I said in disbelief.

"Yes... It's effects vary depending on the subject. But in the end do the same thing. It degrades whatever it's injected into. But the medicine he used to suppress his cancer... Made it have a very different reaction." He said.

"What do you mean..." I asked, beginning to get angry.

"It mixed with it. And instead of 'suppressing' his cancer... It sped it up." He said.

"But.... How?" I asked, not understanding.

"It's a mystery to me. But you know what ISNT a mystery?" He said.

"What?" I asked.

"What it can do if injected into the spine..." He said. I stood there, frozen in horror as the realization hit me.

"You... Are the reason Rainbow Dash is dying... You falsified the long term reports of the surgery..." I said.

"Yes. The survival rate is 100%. But there is one variable they didn't factor in with this surgery." He said.

"What?" I asked.

"Me." He said with a smile

"But... Why? And why did it take so long for it to start working?" I asked confused.

"Well that's the thing. The dosage determines how long the effects take to manifest. I gave her a rather insignificant dose. Would take about... I don't know... A month? For the damage to get to the point of no return." He said.

"But why her..." I asked.

"Because Cecil. I'm not just stopping at her... I'm going to make you watch as your friends slowly die around you, until you beg for that bullet I gave you. And there's nothing you can do to stop me." He said. There was a loud banging at the front door upstairs.

"And that's my queue..." He said, walking over to Emma.

"Wait Nicholas... What are you doing?!" I asked frantically.

"Using my 'Get out of jail free.' card..." He said, "This won't hurt for very long dear..."

"NICHOLAS!" I screamed, "LEAVE HER ALONE GOD DAMNIT! NICHOLAS!!"

There was a loud crash, followed by the basement door flying off its hinges. Twilight Sparkle burst down the stairs, staring in my direction. Her horn glowed and Nicholas came flying past me, landing face first onto the floor.

"Twilight!" I yelled. After Twilight hit the bottom of the steps, two guards followed in turn, along with Dr. Cross.

"Emma!" Cross yelled, running past me. My bonds glowed with a purple aura and untied themselves. I fell to my hands and knees.

"Are you okay?" Twilight said, quickly rushing to me.

"I'm fine." I said weakly as she pulled me to my feet.

"Get off of me!" Nicholas yelled. I looked to see the two guards restraining him.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"A little birdie told us..." She said as a mechanical hummingbird flew through the door, hovering in front of me. I smiled, holding my hand out and watched it land on me..

"Thank you..." I said to it. It jumped up and zipped towards the door, flying out of the basement. I turned back to look at Emma when I noticed something that made my heart sink. The syringe that Nicholas was holding was on the floor... It was empty.

"...Emma?" Cross said.