Masks Chapter 5

Applejack walked through the streets of Ponyville but she could hardly recognize it. The busy, smiling ponies that filled the streets were now replaced with disheveled, and bloodied shells of their former selves. Applejack struggled to speak.

Applejack: "W-what happened..."

She needed to know what happened and if Thomas was okay. She ran to Twilights house. She opened the door to Twilights house and tried to walk in but she was stopped by a lavender force field. Everypony in her house whipped their head around then released a collective sigh of relief when they saw it was Applejack. Twilight opened a hole in the forcefield for Applejack to walk through

Twilight: "Applejack get inside!"

Applejack: "Twilight what in tarnation happened?"

Twilight: "Timber Wolves attacked...Thomas..."

Applejack: "Thomas what? What happened!"

Applejack grabbed Twilight hard.

Twilight: "Applejack stop... that hurts..."

Applejack looked at her hooves then lowered them back to the floor

Applejack: "Sorry sugarcube...what happened to Thomas? "

Twilight: "Don't worry everypony is stressed right now. And Thomas was fighting the Timber Wolves. He was hurt badly"

Applejack reeled back upon hearing those words. She stared at the floor just thinking

Twilight: "But Princess Celestia came and teleported away with him."

Applejack looked up

Applejack: "Do ya know where she took him?"

Twilight put her hoof to her chin and began thinking

Twilight: "He was so hurt the only place she could've taken him would be the hospital."

Applejack: "Come on sugarcube we gotta get down there."

Applejack and Twilight ran for Ponyville Hospital. When they got there they saw that the waiting room was packed with bandaged ponies. They walked up to the receptionist who was looking through many papers.

Applejack: "Uh excuse me?"

Receptionist: "Just a minute!"

She responded impatiently. She looked up

Receptionist: "Oh Applejack, I'm sorry as you can see we're very busy. Here to see Applebloom?"

Applejack: "Don't think nothin' of it. Did Princess Celestia come through here?"

Receptionist: "Yes she did, but she had some animal with her. We told her to go to a vet but she insisted that it needs medical attention from us."

Twilight: "Which room did she take him to?"

The Receptionist looked through some papers.

Receptionist: "Room 115."

Applejack: "Do ya mind if we go in."

Receptionist: "He was pretty hurt when he got here, are you sure you want to see him?"

Applejack: "Yes, can we go in and see him?"

Receptionist: "Go on in."

Applejack and Twilight sped down the hallway. When they got to Thomas' room they saw Princess Celestia surrounding him in a golden bubble. Celestia turned and greeted Applejack and Twilight.

Celestia: "Hello girls."

She turned to face them

Applejack: "Hey Princess what're ya doin'?"

Celestia: "This creature risked his life fighting the Timber Wolves so I'm healing his wounds. Why're you two here?"

Twilight: "He's our friend. I saw you teleport away with him."

Applejack: "We had to see how he was doing."

Celestia: "Physicaly he's fine but..."

Applejack: "But what?"

Celestia: "He won't wake up."

Applejack: "W-what do ya mean?"

Celestia: "I don't know for sure but he may be in a coma."

Twilight and Applejack stood in silence

Applejack: "What should we do for now?"

Celestia: "The only thing we can do is wait. Please do not worry I'm sure he'll be alright."

Applejack smiled weakly

Applejack: "Yeah..."

A few weeks past and Thomas still didn't wake up. Applejack visted him and Applebloom everyday but each time she went to see Thomas she seemed to sink deeper into saddness. She went again today.

Applebloom: "See ya tommorow sis!"

Applejack: "Bye Applebloom."

Applejack walked down the hall to Thomas's room to see Twilight sitting next to him.

Applejack: "Twilight? What're you doin' here?"

Twilight: "I've been waiting for you. I been researching a spell to help break Thomas out of his coma."

Applejack: "You have! That's great!"

Twilight: "But there's a problem."

Applejack: "What's the problem?"

Twilight: "Well it's not so much of a problem as it is just dangerous. We'll be entering his mind and fixing whatever it is that's keeping him comatose."

Applejack: "That doesn't sound to dangerous."

Twilight: "I'm not sure what goes on in a humans mind. It could be anything."

Applejack: "Can he wake up with the spell?"

Twilight: "Even that is hard to say. He could wake up tommorow or in a few years."

Applejack: "Let's do it."

Twilight: "Are you sure?"

Applejack walked over to Thomas's side then put her hoof on his cheek

Applejack: "Yes."

Twilights horn glew furiously, her normally violet eyes were now pure white. Applejack and Twilight opened their eyes to find themselves in an infinitely black space. They looked around to see Thomas sitting in the middle of a spotlight with his hands around his ears. They saw another Thomas next to him but he was standing, his skin was snow white, his hair a stony gray, and his teeth black as the night sky.

Doubt: "You were willing to die for some cartoons? DIE FOR CARTOONS? but I guess when your life isn't worth shit dying for some cartoons is as close to a good death as your going to get."

Thomas meekly responds: "Doubt, Shut up...please shut up..."

Doubt seemed to grow a larger

Doubt: "Oh yeah I nearly forgot you have a crush on that orange one."

Doubt grabbed his sides and laughed mockingly

Doubt: "You're in love with a horse! A cartoon fucking horse! What a sick little bastard you are!"

Thomas didn't respond. Doubt shrunk back down to his original size

Doubt: "What's wrong nothing to say?"

He walks over and puts the palm of his hand on the top of Thomas's head

Applejack stepped forward

Applejack: "Don't touch him!"

Doubt and Thomas look back at Applejack. Doubt grew a smile wider than his face.

Thomas: "No... LEAVE! GET OUT OF HERE!"

Doubt: "I would've thought you'd want her to stay."

Thomas: "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Doubt: "I mean she is in your head after all. Here you can act out all those sick little fantasies of yours."

Thomas: "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"

Doubt: "Should I tell her about the one wher-

Thomas grabbed Doubt by the throat and started punching him as hard and as fast as he can in the mouth and face.

Applejack and Twilight looked on in horror as they saw Thomas brutaly beating this creature who looked exactly like himself. Doubts blood wasn't red like Thomas's it was a deep dark black like ink.

When he smashed Doubts face beyond regonition he drops the body to the floor and steps back. Applejack and Twilight rushes to his side.

Applejack: "Thomas...W-what was..."

Thomas grabbed Applejack

Thomas: "You need to leave!"

Twilight: "Where are we? Who was that?

Thomas: "You need to get ou-"

Suddenly a deep menicing laugh erupts from everywhere at once

Doubt's body begins to release a torrent of his inky blood. It swirls and formed a gelatinous, undulating monster

Twilight: "What's happening?"

Doubt inches forward towards them. Twilight started blasting the shapeless blob with bolts of magic. Each bolt was absorbed into his body doing nothing except causing him to laugh even more. Twilight saw that her magic wasn't doing anything. She tried to run however Doubt wraped around her hind legs and slammed her on the ground hard enough to knock her out. Applejack and Thomas looked on helplessly. Doubt turned and faced them grinning a menacing grin. Thomas turned and looked at Applejack.

Thomas and Applejack charged forward and began punching and bucking at Doubt's legs. Their attacks were absorbed his gooey exterior. He kicked them away with little effort. They flew far back and landed hard on the ground. As Doubt approached them Thomas grabbed Appleajacks hoof. She looked into his eye's.

Thomas: "Applejack, I need you to know...I love you, I love you so much and I'm scared...I...I"

She put her hoof to his mouth, then replace the hoof with her lips.

They looked longingly into each others eyes.

Doubt raised his gigantic gelatinous and smashed them underneath. He laughed maniacally and drew his arm back leaving behind a pile of inky muck over Thomas and Applejack. Suddenly A blazing blue light shot out of the center of the pile. Doubt turned around in horror. The beam changed into the form of a beautiful woman wearing long white robes. Her skin was as pure and bright as the light she was born from. Doubt began slinging piles of black sludge at the figure all of which disintegrated before touching her body.

Doubt: "STAY THE FUCK AWAY I JUST STARTED ENJOYING MYSELF I AM NOT GOING BACK TO SLEEP!"

She walked up to Doubt and embraced his horrid form. She whispered into him.

Faith: "I pity you..."

Doubt disintegrated. She turns to the pile of black mud still covering Applejack and Thomas. She waved her hand over them and the mud disappeared. Applejack and Thomas got up slowly. They looked at her in amazement. She simply smiled at them, All three awoke in the hospital room.

Twilight: "Uhhhh...my head...What happened?"

Applejack held Thomas's hand, looked deep into his eyes

Applejack: "Nothin' Twi. Nothin' at all."

She smile at Thomas and he returns it.