Nightmares

by InkDropArtist

Rating: teen
Tags: Random, Slice of Life, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad, Romance
Length: 5302

Hollow Dreams is what could be considered a fairly average colt living in Ponyville, but with a shattered reputation and strange events following him everywhere he goes, the odds are far from being in his favor...

Hollow Dreams has been having a little trouble adjusting to his new surroundings since he'd moved to Ponyville, and a suspicious incident with obvious source and motive hasn't exactly helped his already-less-than-great reputation. The hatred couldn't be escaped, not by anyone or anything, and Hollow finds himself relying on that hate, fighting for his very life.

With our protagonistic wallflower the unfortunate target of biased rumors, those of secret royalties and bloodthirsty tyrants among them, things aren't looking good, especially with evidence and sightings of King Sombra himself running loose throughout Equestria.

Are the rumors true, as ponies go missing and turn up dead or worse?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-27 01:46:02 UTC

A Name Hated

My name. To be honest, I hate it. I hate my name. Everything about it. It's so wrong, in most Gaian culture, the country of Equestria; names represent a talent, or quirk, or your general place in society. Roseluck, she sells roses, and has a cutie mark for such. Lyra plays the lyre, and has a cutie mark for such. Hollow Dreams- Oh, yeah. That's me.

______________________________________________________________________

The colt glowered hatefully down at the numbers on the paper in front of him, only five minutes before the day would be over and it'd be time to go home. He blew the bangs of his dull green-grey mane out of his eyes as best he could, breaking off from his silent rant. Tapping his black hoof against the desk, he bit is lip in frustration, not even noticing as blood dripped down his chin. His clay eyes glinted with dark annoyance as he noticed the self-harm he was inflicting. He let go of the pressure in his jaw, slipping out of his seat to grab a tissue to dab up the blood that had dripped from his face to his desk.

"Eeeeew," he heard a filly drawl in disdain, "that colt has blood on him, he's so gross!"

The teacher of the class lifted her head from the test she'd been correcting, pushing her thick-framed glasses up her straw-yellow muzzle. "Hollow Dreams," she said, voice low and threatening in that strange way teachers' voices could be, "Why have you left your seat during the quiz?"

Hollow Dreams bit his lip again, renewing the flow of blood down his chin, "I-" He looked down at his bloody muzzle, "I'm just getting a tissue..." he said lamely, walking quickly over to the box on the front table and taking several. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Word."

That teacher, Dreams thought to himself, that Written Word will end up in some crappy nursing home somday, *alone*!

Glaring hatefully at his paper again, Hollow Dreams sat at his desk. He smiled slightly to himself as he dabbed a tissue on his desk to get it clean - he was turning twelve tomorrow, and that was something that made schoolwork like this worthwhile. Celebrations and time with friends were what the colt lived for, as long as the crowd wasn't too too big. With a sigh, Dreams jotted down the numbers for the multiplication problem and came up with an answer. His last question, thank the Princesses. He hopped out of his seat again, holding his paper weakly in the purple-black aura of his magic. He trotted up to his teacher's desk.

"Sit down, creep!" A colt suddenly screeched at Hollow. The black-coated Unicorn seemed to shrink, letting his sickly green-grey mane fall down over his wild eyes as he bit his lip again, not caring as blood dribbled down onto the carpet, mixing with tears on the way down.

Mrs. Written Word's eyes widened as she heard the words, looked down at Hollow's blood and tears, and she clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, trying to take deep breaths through the pointed hooves and sadistic laughter of the fillies and colts.

"Yeah," another filly called, "You don't have any friends! And you're a blank flank!"

Hollow growled, low and threatening. The laughter stopped. He took a deep, shaky breath, giving his quiz to Mrs. Written Word. He then walked quickly to get his saddlebags and headed for the door.

"You're a-"

The colt was cut off by Hollow's thin voice, "Shut up."

"No."

"Shut up." His voice seemed strained and shaky as he tried to contain himself.

"You can't make me!"

Tears and more blood dripped onto the floor as Hollow quivered with rage. "Shut up. Or... or do you want me to... to m-make you?"

The colt stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry, "You're too much of a wea-"

"I've had enough!" Written Word shouted, voice cold and severe. She pointed an accusing hoof at the class, "All of you - detention!" She went up to Hollow Dreams, and in a softer voice added, "Not you, of course sweetie. No homework for you tonight, just get lots of rest."

Hollow nodded, his freckled face still obscured by his bangs. "Thank you," the colt whispered, giving his teacher a breif hug. Pulling away, he gave a nod of farewell, adjusted his saddlebags and walked out into the hallway. He trotted down the corridor, trying to avoid the other teachers and students as he hurried down the hall. Hollow blinked back his tears as he burst out the door, bringing his pace to an all-out run and tearing down the gravelly dirt road in the direction of his Ponyville home.

It's not fair! Hollow thought desperately to himself as he swerved down a side street, Why does everypony hate me? I haven't done anything to them!

As he neared his home, Hollow Dreams slowed to a brisk trot, feeling ever so small as he headed down the tree-lined street to a simple wooden house with a red-shingled roof and red accents on the shutters and door. A few metal wind chimes hung from the ceiling of the somewhat closed porch, tinkling and ringing softly in the slight breeze. He couldn't hold the tears back any longer, letting out an anguished wail as he yanked the door open and slammed it behind him, running in the direction of the stairs when he bumped into his yellow-coated mother, Daisy Petal.

The mare blew a piece of her white, green-streaked mane out of her blue eyes, "Hollow? You're home early, you usually like to take your time-"

"Shut up!" Hollow screeched, not even realizing who he was talking to, dumping his saddlebags on the floor and shoving her aside as he stumbled up the stairs into his room, slamming the door hard behind him.

Daisy Petal felt numb with how her son had suddenly behaved, and suspicion crept through her. She levitated Hollow's saddlebags up, gasping as a bloodstained page of math drifted down to the floor.

Sweet Celestia! Petal thought, eyes widening as she dumped out his bag. Blood. There was at least a drop on all of his papers, and a tattered, bloodstained book caught her attention as it dropped to the floor. The cover read 'Hollow's Diary' in bold block letters, and as she opened it, Daisy petal had to resist the urge to scream. Almost every page was crinkled clearly by what must've been tears, and the vast majority had blood on them. I... have I done something wrong?

Entry 1, September 3: Today's the first day of school. I don't know anypony here since I just moved from Trottingham, but the fillies seem to like my accent. I really like the book club and their stories about the old times.

Entry 2, September 4: Today didn't go so well. Lots of ponies have called me wierd, but I guess Ponyville folks do things differently than in Trottingham. I'm not a snob...

As Daisy petal kept reading, the entries grew more and more disorganized, down to single words such as, 'hate, die, hurt, them,' and others of that nature scrawled across the destroyed paper.

"This is wrong..." Daisy breathed as she slapped the book shut with her magic, putting everything back into Hollow's bags as she crept tentatively up the stairs.

The door to Hollow's room was slightly ajar, and suddenly a loud scream and the sound of shattering glass exploded from it. Daisy gasped, yanking the door open and shrinking as she saw a colt with a dull blue coat, paler bluish mane, reddish-brown eyes and a white squiggle-looking thing for a cutie mark standing over Hollow, who had his hooves over his eyes and was quivering like a kite string in a hurricane. The window near the side of Hollow's bed was completely shattered inward, as though this colt had shot a blast of magic to get at Hollow.

"L-leave me alone Ice Ridges!" Hollow whimpered, trying to squirm away from the Unicorn colt, "I didn't do anything to you!"

"What in the name of Celestia do you think you're doing?" Daisy screamed, "That's my son!"

Ice Ridges turned to Daisy and Hollow grinned devilishly as he thrust his hind legs up, slamming his hooves into the colt's gut. Ridges flew back with a whimpering grunt, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. Hollow jumped to his hooves, keeping in a defensive position as Ridges recovered from the blow.

"Hollow!" Ridges growled, clutching his stomach as he staggered to his hooves. "You're stronger than you look," he observed with a wince, "But too strong. I'm going to find your secret!"

Hollow screeched like an animal as a wobbling bolt of Ridges' magic grazed his shoulder, filling his muscles with a searing, unnatural pain. He gritted his teeth and charged a blast of his own, horn bubbling and fizzing weakly with black magic as strange purple energy began to appear and flutter quickly from the edges of his eyes. He let go, sending a slender bolt of crackling black energy at Ridges, who countered with a basic force field. The energy rippled as it touched the field, but instead of dissappating, it crept into it, turning the blue shield black and dissipating back for Hollow to absorb. As the energy fizzled into the black-coated colt's horn, he licked his lips in satisfaction, as though the magic was actual sustenance.

"Hollow?" Daisy Petal interrupted, "Please stop!"

The purple at the edges of Hollow's eyes seemed to fade along with the bloodlust that had burned in them as he turned to his mother, "No," he said softly, lowering his head, "You're right. I shouldn't've lashed out like that."

"Hollow-" Daisy froze, as did Ridges. "What's that near your eye?"

The colt arched an eyebrow, turning a quick circle before finding himself. "What?" He trotted out the door and into the bathroom, only to run back out and crash into his mother. "I have no idea, but it's purple and therefore ominous," he said with a nervous shudder, biting his lip. He grimaced as blood once again dripped between his teeth, hoping his mother wouldn't notice. "Um... maybe we should go to Princess Twilight's library," Hollow suggested with a cock of his head, "I mean, if anypony knows what it is, it'd be her."

Daisy Petal nodded and turned to Ridges, "Now," she said, "If anypony asks me how this happened, I'll tell them you were playing catch outside and your ball went through the window, no big deal. Just never try to hurt my son again!"

Ridges nodded gratefully, "Yes Ma'am!"

Hollow rolled his eyes, "I get it, I get it! Can we just get to Twilight as soon as possible? What if it's like, deadly?" He bit his lip, "Yeah, some kind of deadly virus that can only be stopped in its initial stages!"

"I doubt it's any kind of virus," Daisy said flatly, "but it doesn't look natural and it reminds me of something... Anyway, it doesn't matter, the only thing that does is that we get rid of it."

"Exactly." Hollow replied, trotting forward and downstairs. He held the door for Ice Ridges and his mother when he got there, pulling it shut behind him once he slipped through. His skinny frame shivered as he thought of what the purple could be, and what it could do to him, and even more interesting, what it reminded his mother of.

Down the tree-lined road, the trio moved, not walking, but not trotting either. The turned the sharp corner in the direction of the Ponyville squared, heading to the immense oak tree that housed Princess Twilight's immense and possibly quite literal "castle of knowledge."

The library's door was always unlocked, and Hollow pushed it open, cringing when the little bell just above it rang in his ears. He shrunk back as he saw the purple Alicorn turn away from the books that she was stacking and sliding into the shelves. Twilight slipped the book she was holding into the place where it belonged.

"Hello there," Twilight said, turning around as Hollow cowered behind his mother, fearing the kind librarian despite not knowing why. "Can I help you?"

Daisy Petal bowed respectfully, "Princess, could we discuss something in private, please?"

"What's the matter?" Twilight asked, worry glittering in her violet eyes, "Is something wrong?"

"Y-yes," Daisy said and nodded her head, whispering something to Twilight that Hollow didn't hear.

"SOMBRA?" Twilight cried, leaping nearly four feet in the air with her shock.

Hollow jumped as he heard the name, the name that made chills run down his spine, but a name made him feel strangely safe at the same time. "S-sombra?" He asked, staying behind his mother, "Who- Who's that?"

Shaking her head in disbelief, Twilight spoke, "A Unicorn who was corrupted by an unbridled ambition and lust for power," she shuddered and continued, "he enslaved the ponies of the Crystal Empire to be his playthings while radiating hatred and fear across all of the land. He was banished as shadow to the icy wastes long ago and with him, the Empire dissappeared, and fairly recently, it was my friends and I who went to protect the returned Crystal Empire, and it was Spike, my assistant, who with the help of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, recovered the crystal heart and banished him once again - hopefully for good."

"Sombra..." Hollow whispered, rolling the name around in his mouth, "It seems to fit who he was."

"Yes," Twilight replied, "But I fear that he may have left traps all across Equestria, and according to my research, any unfortunate pony who stumbles into one of these traps could be corrupted and transformed into one just like him!"

"T-transformed?" Hollow was trembling behind his mother, feeling sick and dizzy and wishing to disappear. Daisy Petal's mouth hung open in alarm, and before anypony could react, her eyes rolled up in her head and she dropped into a dead faint.

Twilight rushed to the aid of the mare, stopping short when she saw a piercing green glow in the corner of her eye. She looked up. The whites of Hollow's eyes glowed a piercing, neon green, his clay pupils tinted red and the purple energy flowing even more strongly from the edges of his eyes.

"You!" She roared, hardly realizing who he was, "What have you done?"

Hollow quivered, shivering in fear as the green faded, "I don't know," he whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks as he crouched submissively under Twilight. "Please!"

Twilight felt hot with embarassment as she noticed Spike and Ridges' shocked stares. "Come with me," she said, much more harshly than she meant to.

"Y-yes Princess," Hollow squeaked, shuddering as Twilight opened the door. He cringed as the sun seemed to sear his coat, too bright, too hot and too, too happy. He shook his head to dismiss the thought, that unnatural thought that wasn't his own. "No!" He scrambled ahead, nearly slamming into more than one pony in his blind fear and desire to get out of the light. He shivered under a table as Twilight approached and lifted him in her magic.

"You're not getting away from me this time!" Twilight produced an anti-magic brace, a long string of rope, and a blindfold out of nowhere, proceeding to put the brace on Hollow's horn, blindfold him, and immobilize him with the rope.

Green pulsed behind the polka-dotted fabric of the blindfold as Hollow snarled and struggled, snapping his suddenly fanged teeth in every direction he could reach before Twilight muzzled him. "Raaaagh!" he snarled, kicking and squirming in the Alicorn's grip.

Twilight turned to see Daisy Petal, Spike, and Ice Ridges rushing from the library, the former's eyes wide with shock and fear.

"Hollow!"

The colt recognized his mother's voice near him, but snapped angrily, baring his fangs with a screech, "TWILIGHT!"

Daisy flinched but stood her ground, "Hollow, please calm down! We can do this like civilized ponies!"

Hollow didn't reply but went limp in Twilight's magic, black energy bubbling and fizzing as he tried to overpower the brace. He continued like this for several painful moments as Twilight kept walking before he replied, "Fine," he growled, voice rasping with an unnatural double-tone as he let go of the magic. "Just put me down!"

Twilight let go of her levitation on Hollow and slid the brace off Hollow's horn. He landed lightly on all four hooves, the tip of his horn seeming to be tinted a dull maroon, though it could just be a trick of the light. The colt winced and untied the rope, tearing the blindfold and muzzle from his face. He took a deep breath and rubbed the outside of his throat, coughing up a gob of foamy blood. He gulped in a wheezing, desprate lungful of air before bursting into a bloody coughing fit and clutching his gut. As soon as he seemed to have recovered, he staggered to catch up with Twilight, who was waiting about a yard ahead.

"Are you alright?" The Alicorn asked, genuinely worried as she examined the thin colt. "I can help if-"

"I'm fine!" Hollow snapped angrily, eyes pulsing green as he stormed ahead, "I don't want your help!"

Twilight narrowed her eyes and shook her head, reestablishing the bonds that had held the colt and dragging him across the ground. Hollow squirmed and roared in rage as he thrashed in the Alicorn's grip, kicking wildly and trying to once again overpower the anti-magic brace. He glared up at Twilight, his gaze then wandering to a splotch of white in the corner of his eye.

Rarity!

He squirmed again, whining through the muzzle and gritting his teeth as his rump slid over a rock. He saw the white Unicorn's eyes widen with disapproval, and his heart rose as she trotted over to him.

"Twilight," Rarity asked, arching an eyebrow and watching as Hollow wiggled in his bindings, eyes wide and blood dripping down his chin, "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

Side Effects

"Uh... yeah." Twilight blushed and dropped Hollow, "You see, Rarity... This looks really bad, doesn't it?"

Rarity nodded and began to try untying Hollow. "Yes, Twilight, yes it does. Let me ask the question again - What do you think you are doing to this poor colt?"

Twilight slapped Rarity's hoof out of the way, retying the tight knots of rope the held the Unicorn down. "King Sombra is trying to use him to hurt the ponies of Equestria," she explained, "and I need to get the Elements of Harmony to help me destroy the dark magic that he's absorbed!"

Rarity's mouth hung open, forming a small 'O' shape before she snapped it shut. "Well then... I'll get a hold of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and why don't you gather up Fluttershy and Applejack?"

"Good thinking," the purple Alicorn exclaimed with a smile and a nod, "Mrs. Daisy Petal, you and your friend take him back to the library and whatever you do, don't let him out!"

Ice Ridges and Daisy nodded in unison, the latter lifting Hollow in her magic and galloping back to the literal tree-house that was the library. She stumbled inside and slammed the door hard behind her, lowering Hollow onto the floor and proceeding to untie him.

"Twilight said we just couldn't let him leave the library, but she didn't say anything about untying him!"

"Thanks," Hollow choked as his mother removed the muzzle. He shivered and lay on the floor, not caring as his freckled cheek rubbed against the cold wooden floorboards. "I'm tired..."

The colt staggered to his hooves and slowly walked over to a shelf, browsing through the books until he found one on magic and spells titled, 'Magic: Tricks and Illusions for a Beginner's Entertainment.' He took that out, before sliding down to the far end of the same shelf, pulling out a heavy leather-bound tome that read 'Dark Magic and The Concequences.' Hollow smiled, flipping to the table of contents and looking down the list of the most infamous dark magic users of Equestria's history until he found what caught his interest. It wasn't Sombra, but in fact a young Prince of Equestria called Despamore. It had never occured to him that one of Equestria's rulers, for as long as anypony could remember, so godly pure, could be capable of becoming corrupt and spreading the fear and pain that dark magic undoubtedly would bring. Even though it wasn't part of his original objective in pulling out that book, Hollow flipped to the page of the respective Prince and began to read.

Over a thousand years ago, long before the rules of Princesses Celestia and Luna, and even long before Discord reigned, Equestria was ruled by a beloved Prince called Despamore Spectre. His subjects loved him, for he had saved them from a creature that has always been called 'The Masima,' a being of dark intentions who could feast on a pony's hatred and anger like a rabbit on carrots and beets.

The Masima had consumed and controlled the previous Princess before Despamore, known as Princess Goldenlock. She was once kind, but the Masima found her jealousy for her younger brother, who was indeed the Prince himself, and used it to control her. The poor young Prince was forced to slay his elder sister, for there was nothing that the Masima had not devoured, and what hatred was left consumed what remained of the Princess, and she was no more. After that bloody battle, Despamore longed to enact his revenge on the Masima, who had been the reason for his sister's death.

As time went on, his lust for vengance grew but little, and instead he began to search for a 'cure,' something that could counteract the Masima's effect on a pony to destroy the foul monsters and save the host. He was finally able to create a being of his own, one that, in theory, would amplify the happiness and love in a pony, and he named it 'The Brengulch.' It was thought to be unbelievably lucky that the Brengulch had been created, for a great outbreak of the Masima virus had burst through the veil and was trying to twist and destroy the young fillies and colts of Despamore's kingdom. He released the Brengulch, and they began to attack the Masima. But, something went wrong with the longed-for creation.

Instead of destroying the Masima as they should have, the Brengulch became Masima themselves, and the entire hoarde rounded on the young Prince. At first, it was believed that he was destroyed just like his sister, but before anypony could confirm that, the Masima disappeared and the Prince stood unharmed. It was a miracle, or so the grateful ponies thought.

Within the next years of Despamore's life, the remnants of the virus seemed to have disappeared, though it was later discovered that it had corrupted him. He began to seek for new magic spells and powers, and upon discovering the tome that contained all dark magics known to Equestria, the Prince could not resist the temptation and fell to that darkness. He used the newfound powers to torture and enslave the subjects that had once loved him until the parents of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna dethroned him and ended his unfortunate life. It is said that Despamore laid traps of his dark magic all across Equestria so he could spread his legacy to anypony with enough ambition to harness the corruptive powers.

Hollow continued to flip through the book, reading several other legends and articles about the bearers of dark magic, and found that they all ended the same way, and that they were all rumored to have laid traps. Almost every user he read through had been innocent and fairly normal before they either stumbled upon another user, a corruptive trap, or some kind of book or scroll that contained the information.

Interesting... Hollow thought as he closed the book and slid it back on the shelf, I wonder, will I turn out like that, like Despamore and the others?

He was just about to open the other book when he noticed Twilight and the others watching him. They were here. Already. Great.

"A fascinating, read, that book. Don't you agree?"

Hollow jumped at the sound of Twilight's soft voice, despite the fact he knew it was coming. "Y-yes," he replied shakily, "I suppose it i-is..."

"Finished?" Hollow nodded and Twilight continued, "Okay, tell me, how do you feel?"

"F-fine," The Unicorn replied, clay eyes wide, "I'm fine, just a little spooked..."

It was then that Rainbow Dash flapped up to Twilight, rose eyes half-lidded in annoyance, "Twilight, you haven't even told us why we're here!" She paused, flying up to Hollow as soon as she saw the purple at his eyes. Rainbow picked up the book he had yet to read with a knowing grin, "Oooooh, illusions, huh? Workin' on your Nightmare Night costume early or something?"

Hollow shrunk back, shaking his head with a fearful peeping noise.

Rainbow Dash felt her stomach lurch. "What?"

"It's n-not an illusion." Her heart had seemed to rise up to her throat as she heard the words, and she felt genuine fear as she heard the voice, layered and cold and strangely childish.

"Twilight," Rainbow said blankly, "You're just joking with me, right? This kid can't be him! I mean," The mare tried to throw her hooves up in the air for enphasis, but being in midair, all it did was make her flail a little to the left, "I still have nightmares about getting ponynapped and turned into a slave or something!"

Hollow lifted his head and rose from his submissive crouch, a low rattle rumbling in his throat as he bared his fangs, "You think I asked for this? I never wanted this!"

Daisy Petal nudged her way out from behind the Element Bearers, looking determined, "Hollow, please calm down! We need to discuss this like civilized ponies, and I think a certain purple princess is to blame for the last more violent outburst! Can't all of you see, he's scared, and that means he'll try to defend himself, whether with words or hooves I don't know, but wouldn't you be feeding whatever's inside him by showering him with accusations and hatred?"

Twilight was blushing quite furiously, but her eyes were wide as she realized that Daisy was right. "You're... so right! You're a genius!"

The purple Alicorn slowly edged towards Hollow, accepting no interferance from the others and holding them in place with her magic, stiff as boards and unable to speak. She held out a hoof to Hollow, whose slit-pupiled eyes darted about as though he expected anything to jump out at him. He remained crouched in an defensive position as he slowly edged back towards Twilight, and equally slowly putting his hoof over hers.

Twilight nodded, "Okay, now just channel some magic into your horn," she whispered softly, her own horn glowing softly pinkish, "and I'm going to get rid of the bad magic, okay?"

"O-okay," Hollow replied shakily, his horn glowing dimly with dark purple-black energy.

The purple at his eyes, which had begun to fade, was now glowing and flickering just as powerfully as ever. He whimpered as his curved, smooth horn brushed against Twilight's straight, ridged one. Tears rolled down his freckled cheeks and sweat beaded at Twilight's brow, her teeth clenched as she tried to cleanse what had wormed its way in through the colt's core magic. A bright purplish glow radiated from where their horns met, pulsing in time with Hollow's whimpers of pain and fear. Each whimper slowly grew into a wail as Hollow jerked violently, trying desprately to escape the sensation.

"I'm sorry," Twilight whispered under her breath, "I'm trying!"

She knew she couldn't hold it, and with that knowledge, she knew she had to let go. A small explosion of purple and black and green sent Twilight backpedaling into the other ponies. Hollow's eyes glowed green, wide with fear as bubbling purple, green and black energy fizzed and dribbled down from his horn. There was another small explosion of magic, leaving Hollow on the ground, covering his eyes with his hooves. He slowly uncurled, unintentionally putting his back to the others. His horn wasn't curved and discolored anymore, fangs gone, eyes round-pupiled as they were meant to be. The colt shook his head in grateful disbelief.

"Hollow!" Daisy Petal cried, trying to push past Twilight and the other Element Bearers to get to her son, "Hollow Dreams!"

He didn't respond for a moment, staring wide-eyed up at his mother. "I-I'm okay," Hollow finally said, thin, childish voice no longer layered, though still flat-toned. He rubbed his head with a hoof with a groan. "Why does it hurt so much?"

There was a sinister edge to Hollow's innocent question as the colt stared expectantly up at his mother, then turning back to Twilight. Despite Hollow's sanity and physical appearance seeming to have been restored, his movements were jerking and impulsive, like the way birds will rapidly turn their heads back and forth while sitting still. Daisy could see Hollow occasionally sniffing the air intently, ears swiveling back and forth and back again, tongue flicking rapidly at his lips as though he were trying to contain it. The colt cocked his head to one side until it was almost rotated a full ninety degrees, eyes glittering with perpetual curiosity.

"What do you mean, sugarcube?" Applejack said, breaking the twisted silence, "What's hurtin' you?"

"M-my head, I th-think." Hollow's voice quavered and faltered. He seemed to show immense difficulty in finding words. "Why d-does it hurt?"

"I don't know sugarcube," said the Stetson-wearing mare as she hesitantly edged closer, "but I do know, that with my friends, I can help you stop hurtin' and get you some good rest an' food and all you'll need to start feelin' mighty fine again. Will ya'll let me do that?"

Hollow nodded wordlessly, gaunt frame quivering violently as he stumbled up to his hooves. He was hurting inside, a fierce, burning ach growing in his chest. What few memories that lingered in his sluggish mind were blurred and barely intelligible at best. Why had he acted so viciously? Why had he all but dropped his own regular speech patterns and personality? Exausted and half-insane, why had he done what he'd done? Hollow didn't know, but the spinning world around him brought little comfort. Applejack's green eyes were filled with concern as the colt wobbled on his spindly legs.

"It hurts! Why does it hurt?"

"What's the matter, sugarcube?" said Applejack, "Is somethin' wrong?"

Hollow shook his head, "I don't know," he stumbled forward, "It hurts... real bad..."

He wanted to say more, but was abruptly cut off by a deep, stabbing pain through his skull, as though knives were being shoved and twisted through his eye sockets, accompanied by powerful bouts of dizziness. Hollow whimpered and clutched his head, closing his eyes and wating for it to stop. It didn't. It was getting hard to breathe, and the longer Hollow stood there, the heavier his limbs became. he sunk down to the floor, hardly seeing through the clouded haze that was his vision, incapable of hearing through the blood that rushed loudly in his ears.

Through the haze, Hollow was able to see a purplish shape that he thought was Twilight. She was standing over him, and a chaotic spectrum filled the colt's vision, stars dancing madly behind his eyes. Slowly, but surely, the colors and stars faded to black as Hollow finally lost conciousness.