The second the three forms touched the floor in the royal chambers they were rushed by Celestia and Luna's guards. Several guards hauled Rainbow Dash into a steel cage encrusted with diamonds, they even chained her legs to the bars as well as chain a muzzle around her mouth that was also connected to her front chains. Celestia and Luna then surrounded Rainbow's cage with a barrier, their combined magic making it impenetrable. They had to maintain partial concentration on the spell to maintain their combined magic; otherwise it would become unstable and fall apart.
Pinkie was restrained the same way as before. Sitting in a chair at an awkward angle, with her forelegs strapped to the arms of the chair and her hind legs strapped to the front legs of the chair with a leather strap around her middle, pulling her back against the chair. Her chin rested against her chest as she stared blankly at the floor.
Smarts shoulder was being carefully examined by Canterlot's best doctor. His flesh was terribly damaged, blackened and bruised, oozing with blood and pus. His clavicle was visible and had several hairline fractures running through it. He was very lucky Rainbow didn't bite him at full force and only wanted to prolong his pain; otherwise he would have lost his foreleg. His facial cut was a little deeper than anticipated. If he didn't move he could have possibly lost an eye. The doctor carefully cleaned and stitched his facial scar while they prepared a room for immediate surgery on his shoulder.
Nurses examined the cut across Pinkie's chest. Shallow and precise, the cut was small and shallow, not causing any serious damage. They disinfected the cut before carefully bandaging it. The princesses allowed a few nurses past the barrier and into the cage along with some guards so they could inspect Rainbow's wounds. Besides the amount of blood matting her fur, the places of injury were completely sealed, as if she was never hurt. Beyond confused, they carefully cleaned the blood off of her fur and left.
Several hours passed before Smarts finally emerged from surgery, a proper cast across his shoulder and nape. He calmly made his way to the still paralyzed forms and sat down quietly, "Hello elements of laughter and loyalty, I know you both can hear me in your paralyzed states. There is something I want to talk to you about."Smoke started to billow out of Dash's nose, signaling her displeasure at his presence.
Smarts smiled dryly "First of all, I don't hold your injuring me against you, it was self defense even though I had no intention of killing you. Second, seeing as you have saved the world a good few times before, I am letting you off the hook for all the damage you caused, but I just want you to know something." He leaned forward and glared at the paralyzed forms, his voice low and dangerous, "If you EVER kill, or harm anypony again for any reason except self defense, the poison will be lethal; Now your friends are on their way up to talk to you so I better get going."
Standing up he began to leave when he paused, looking over at Pinkie "Oh, and one last thing, credit where it's due, you are a menace with that knife Pinkie Pie! With a little training you could be a serious force to be reckoned with." Looking to Dash he smiled sarcastically "Thanks for not biting my arm clean off Rainbow Dash. I really appreciate that." With that said, he left them alone in their confinement.
Moments later, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy trotted into the room, anxious to see their friends. Fluttershy rushed over to Pinkie and carefully propped her head up on a pillow in an attempt to make her more comfortable. Applejack and Rarity stared sadly into Rainbow's cage. What could have possibly happened to turn Rainbow into this….monstrosity?
Twilight observed the interactions, eyes filled with tears. What or who could have possibly caused so much chaos? Eventually her eyes drifted to Rainbow's prone form. How could they possibly help Rainbow return to her normal form?
Tears spilling down her face, Fluttershy lunged at Pinkie and hugged her tightly "I missed you guys s-so much" sob "please let us h-h-help you. You both can't go on like you both have been doing." Unable to speak anymore, Fluttershy sobbed into Pinkie's shoulder. Tears started to drip down Pinkie's face, she was suppose to be the element of laughter, her talent is about bringing joy, instead she brought her friends sadness. She loved all her friends; she didn't realize that what she was doing was hurting them in such a way.
Rainbow, finally able to recognize her friends and not wanting to see or acknowledge that her friends were staring at her with pity and tear filled eyes; closed her eyes and pretended to be somewhere else. Parts of her memory had begun to return during her time away with Pinkie."Rainbow…" Dash would have flinched if she wasn't paralyzed; Applejack's voice was tainted with the sound of anguish. "W-what happened to you Rainbow?"
At those words, Dash's mind flashed back to her time with the ram; waking in that mysterious liquid, with dozens of wires poking through her flesh. How much her throat hurt with the breathing tube forced inside her trachea. How she had suffered through an excruciatingly painful transformation that had killed several ponies before her. She even remembered falling out of the tube after she incinerated it with her fire; the tubes tearing out of her flesh and throat, unable to feel it because of the pain overload making her numb. Her first smell of taste and meat; triggering this primal need within her, craving more.
Realization washed over her, she was transformed into a killing machine. She ruthlessly slaughtered dozens of innocent ponies. Many were innocent fillies. Tears started to form in her eyes yet she tried to keep them from falling. Even in despair, she refused to show weakness.