Insanity: In Another Life

Chapters

Prologue: Who the Hell Drugged Me?
Chapter 1: Sun and Moon Part 1
Chapter 2: Sun and Moon Part 2
Chapter 3: Conspiracy Part 1

Prologue: Who the Hell Drugged Me?

Prologue: Who the Hell Drugged Me?

The first thing that I felt was the gentle brush of grass tickling my skin. The second was the splitting head-ache I had. The third was the wind rustling the trees. The fourth was my eyes snapping open to immediately take notes of the air around me. Immediately, I regretted that as I realized that the sun was still a thing, and that I was a dumbass. I shielded my eyes with my left arm, then slowly pulled myself to my feet.

The first questions I had were formulated on their own accord. Why and how am I here? And why do I feel much taller and more mature? The possible answers to that last question immediately came to me in my mind. Maybe I was in a coma of some sorts? But that just made no sense, since I would be on life support. My next answer was drugs. Perhaps I had been drugged somehow, maybe as a joke by my friends, and I was convulsing on a bed at a hospital or something while they were getting their asses beaten for doing such a stupid thing. But that explained nothing. This felt so real, much more real than anything else in my life.

It was like before this very second, I was no more in control of my own actions than an instinct-driven animal. The sheer power of this feeling was overwhelming, so I decided to take a moment, move out of the sun, and gather my bearings.

Upon stepping into the shade, I plopped down onto the grass. The nice, soft ground in the shade was comforting, and I began to sort out what I had on me. The first item I noticed was a knife. This was no ordinary knife, as I had a marine's standard-issue knife, a KABAR, in a sheath on my belt. I did own a collection of knives, but I have never owned a KABAR. This only raised more questions. Where did I get such a weapon and how am I so old? I decided to put these two questions away for later.

I was wearing a coat that went halfway down my thighs. It was grey with white and blue highlights and had a hood. It was made of a thick canvas material with some insulation inside. Additionally, I had a long-sleeved white shirt on. On my face were my glasses, which I had a distinct feeling of having not worn them in a while, as the areas on my nose where I usually put them had risen back up. As for pants, I had some cargo jeans and a leather belt, where my new knife was mounted. I searched my pants and jacket, finding what appeared to be a folded map, a lighter, a canteen, and a small tin full of small wood shavings-- probably a tinderbox by my guess. I had an empty book tucked away in my jacket, which is what I'm recording this log in.

It appeared that, whoever or whatever, that put me here wanted to ensure my survival. They probably had an ulterior motive to this, like using me to intimidate or impress others. Of course, I cared nothing for such a thing. I wanted to immediately find some place to hide away from my 'benefactor' or whatever brought me here. I sincerely doubted that, if this was real, I was anywhere near my home planet of earth. I had memories I distinctly recalling not having, like how to use flax to make clothes, and how to skin animals. I even understood how to farm effectively, which I do not recall reading about.

Another thing that troubled me was that I had a heightened sense of sight, hearing, and smell. I could smell things I was sure normal people couldn't, like the distinct smell of tree-bark, even from ten feet away from the tree I am attempting to smell. Also, I could hear very subtle things, like the slightest gust of wind. My eyes darted back and forth, trying to see everything in the vicinity. Ugh, I think I'm getting sensory overload from these new-found sensing abilities.

Additionally, I seemed to be able to perform several styles of knife-fighting in addition to my blue belt in Krav Maga. Yes, I know if anyone is reading this they'll probably think I'm crazy for not taking karate instead, but I much preferred the brutal and effective style of Krav Maga.

The first thing I did to prepare myself was I removed my knife sheath from my belt and moved it back slightly, so that it could be concealed easier if I encountered anything or anyone that was willing to have friendly discourse. The second was to check the sun's azimuth, which placed it nearly dead center at the top of the sky. It was probably about eleven AM right now, an hour before lunch.

As if triggered by the word 'lunch' my stomach growled. I needed to find a source of food to eat, some shelter, a clean source of water, and a suitable area to set up a campfire. Preferably a raised area or a cave with only one entrance besides a small opening at the top to funnel out smoke. It would probably be best to gain a sense of my surroundings, first.

All around me were sparsely spaced trees that reached up into the clouds, like the redwood trees out in the west of the United States. I was currently under the shade of one of those monstrously tall trees, the thick leafy boughs guarding me from the sun. It was quite cold, probably about forty to fifty degrees, and I didn't doubt that I had been dropped straight into winter with no preparation. My best option was to either find good shelter, freeze to death, or try to find civilization, but who knows if there even is any civilization for miles around. If there is, are they going to be hostile?

To be honest, I was scared, cold and alone. Would I ever see my mother again? My friends? What about my best friend, who I considered to be like a brother to me? I instantly began to feel droplets of tears start to fall from my face, but I wiped them away. I can't think like this right now, wasting time like this kills people. I stood up slowly, and I began to try and use my enhanced senses to sniff out some suitable habitation.

Meanwhile in Canterlot...

"Luna, you cannot possibly mean that you are going to try and find the source of this strange magic by yourself! It could be far more powerful than we expected!" Celestia was berating her sister due to the flaring up of a strange magic somewhere in the White Tail Woods.

"Sister, we have prepared carefully for the journey. Our guards are armed with the best equipment from the armory, and we have nothing to fear. If it satisfies you, we shall contact the bearers and ask them to assist us in our mission." Luna replied, calm and collected. Celestia didn't have an arguement to this. She really was prepared, and she couldn't leave her duties at the capital to go chasing strange magic.

"You! Guard, prepare the platoon to move out and have our royal chariot ready in the chariot pool by 12:30 AM sharp!" The princess of the moon barked at a nearby lieutenant, who proceeded to salute and then scamper off to carry out her will.

"Very well sister, I shall continue with day court as planned. I expect you back by at most 6:00 PM to raise the moon, and no later or I will send my guards to locate you." Celestia said to Luna, before turning and walking towards the throne room.

"Wait!" Luna shouted. She then ran up and nuzzled her sister.

"I love you, Tia."

"As do I, Lulu. Be safe, and make sure not to eat any strange mushrooms like last time." Celestia teased, smiling.

Luna sputtered, but then walked away with a huff in mock anger. Celestia continued to the throne room, giggling.

Back with our protagonist...

I had finally gained a foothold of my own, a small cave ideal for what I had in mind. The cave was elevated on a cliff face, which I had walked about two miles deeper into the forest to find, making sure not to step too hard to make footprints the entire way. I admit that picking a direction and walking was foolish, but at least I had the small compass on the butt of my KABAR. The map was no help, as it was a general map of the land I was in. ~~It had no names on the map, just the continents and land masses.~~ (Update: It will change to show the names of the lands when I learn what they are. Additionally, I can take two fingers and zoom in to find where I am, which is marked by an 'x'.)

Additionally, about a fourth a mile back I saw a river that led into a small lake. That would hopefully be able to sustain me for both water and nutrition, at least in the protein department. One thing I needed was a garden or a sustainable source of nutrition, like berries or roots. Another to do is to make a cage to capture a mouse, so I could feed it some of my food to see if it was not safe to eat. But that could come later. For now, I could catch some small prey like rabbits and squirrels to eat.

The cave was about 50 feet square with a 7 foot height average. I was only 5'6, so there was plenty of room to poke my head up, which was ideal for a living space. I quickly claimed it as my own, and began preparing for my survival. I drew up a checklist in my

I set up a small campfire with a spit to cook with in the center of the cave, then caught some prey to eat. I skinned the three rabbits I caught and then cooked one, roasting it well over the fire. My dinner was quite delicious, and I found some edible cabbage to have with the rabbit. I made a quick jerky rack over the fire to make some rabbit jerky with the other two.

I created a makeshift bed using some pine branches, which were quite comfortable, and a blanket made of pine branches and cordage from some saplings. Since it was only around two o'clock, I set my watch to wake me up at three o'clock so that I could get a nice nap in to restore my energy from all that work.

I woke up forty five minutes later, eager to continue work. I watched the jerky dry, then I went outside to find something to build a cover for the entrance to my cave. I returned with some sturdy sticks, pine branches, sapling cordage, and a few ideas. I made a basic frame using the sticks, then bound the pine branches to it using the saplings. I covered the cave entrance with it, then grabbed it and slid it to the side. It would work perfectly, and keep out any unwanted visitors, at least until I could ready myself to attack. It also helped to keep the heat inside the cave, which would be beneficial once winter was in full swing.

The last thing I did before deciding to relax for the rest of the day was to find some suitable stones to put around the fire, and a good sharpening stone for my knife. I did this without too many problems, spending two hours on the task. While I was out, I gathered some good firewood and took a note to make a primitive hatchet to help me chop logs.

I returned home and began thinking about the difficult questions I couldn't answer earlier.

I doubted that I would ever see any of my family or friends ever again, but that didn't bother me as much anymore. I realized that maybe there was some way back, but I didn't know for sure. I decided that trusting my instincts and gaining a foothold in this world would be for the best right now, then I could search for a way back home. I drifted off to sleep with my mind still turbulent, but I was too tired to care.

Meanwhile with Luna...

"Captain, we have not found any evidence of whatever happened here. We suggest that perhaps some unicorn was testing a spell and had a magical surge. Perhaps we should also post a watch around the edges of these woods so nothing can enter or leave." Luna suggested to the Captain, who agreed.

"You two! Lieutenant Crimson and Sergeant Breaker, take your men and secure the White Tail Woods. I want nothing in and nothing out! Anything that attempts to leave is to be detained and anything that enters is to be detained as well. Hop to it!" The Captain barked at the soldiers, who quickly complied.

"I can only hope you're right, My Princess."

"Twilight!"

"Yes Luna?" Twilight asked.

"We would like if you would study this anomaly to discover what it was. We will allow you to come and go, just show this to the guards." Luna hoofed her a stack of documents, which Twilight managed to lift.

Twilight made a sound of enjoyment that sounded much like a 'squee' except longer and much louder.

Luna just rolled her eyes and let the overzealous bookworm have at it.

Luna watched as Twilight went back over to her friends, then turned towards the forest. She frowned, then turned and barked an order. "Private Shield, prepare my chariot."

The private saluted and scrambled off to do her bidding.

Author's Note

if anyone's interested, this is how you would spit roast a rabbit: spit-roasting a rabbit
how to make jerky: making jerky

Chapter 1: Sun and Moon Part 1

Insanity: In Another Life

Chapter 1: Sun and Moon Part 1

Ever thought that maybe you were involved in some sort of nation-wide conspiracy? Yeah, I get that feeling now. Call me paranoid, call me crazy, but some days I could care less, and right now is one of those days. However, let me make it known that you can suck my dick. Anyways, this is how my day started:

Waking up was more of an exercise in actually realizing that I was still in this land. Why the hell was I still here? Wasn't this just a dream? Maybe I actually am not dreaming, and this is real. For the record, I still don't know for sure, but the one thing I was sure of that I definitely needed to prepare for winter. So, I grabbed my jacket and other items and began to set to work.

The first item that was on my checklist, make an axe to cut some wood. For that, I'd need some strong cordage, an appropriately shaped stone, and a very strong stick. The first and last were easy to find, tree roots could be used for surprisingly strong binding, and the trees in this forest had many strong limbs that I could use. The final one took me about an hour, but once I finally found the right stone and ground and pecked it to the correct shape, I finally had an effective tool to chop wood with!

But then another problem sprang up from my checklist. Preserving food... I needed a better preservative than salt for food, that was for sure. I figured that if I could get some kind of non-perishable container and use plenty of icicles, I could perhaps freeze the food. Another idea was to simply put the food outside in a tree and tie a rope to another nearby tree's branch to suspend it in a cloth bag or something. If I did do that, I had to seal it tightly and keep it high in a tree so no animals can eat it, if they do come out during winter. Another thing I had to consider was the seasons. How long would winter last? I wasn't sure if this was earth, or if it even had an earth-like winter season.

The questions roiling around in my head like a maelstrom threatened to break my few precious threads of sanity left. The stress of having been taken from my home and plopped into the wilderness on possibly another planet made me wish I was home with my family and friends. I took a minute to calm my breathing. Having a panic attack right now would certainly not help at all, and I knew that.

I decided to take a walk to clear my head. I 'clipped' my axe to my belt using an extremely makeshift 'sheathe' I made using flexible tree roots. The forest around me was beautiful, an autumnal wonderland. The reds, oranges, yellows, and browns reminded me of home in a way, and I began to drift off as I walked. I continued through the woods in no particular direction, lost in thought for perhaps an hour. By the time I realized what I had done, it was beginning to become the afternoon. I felt lost, but I could probably find my way back. I was currently in a large clearing, around 10ft square.

I began to hear rustling in the bushes. I readied myself, taking my knife out of its sheathe and putting my axe in my offhand. Instantly, I was ready to fight anything. I waited patiently for my target to reveal themselves, and that's when a fucking manticore jumped out of the brush and bared its teeth at me. I gulped, trying to decide whether or not to fight this thing, but I knew animals could be pacified by showing no fear. I glared him down, baring my own teeth and sucking in air. He roared first, then I responded in kind. The two of us were predators, apex predators who refused to show fear. He with his teeth, claws, and tail, me with my knife and axe.

The manticore made the first move, rushing forward rapidly in an attempt to bowl me over. I waited for him to close the distance, then dove right over his left shoulder, landing in a crouch behind him. He turned his head, swatting at me with his tail, but I didn't let him hit me. I rolled back twice, then waited for his move. He poised, then pounced at me. I dove to the side again, then I jumped onto his back. He began bucking like a bronco, trying to get me off his back. He flung me hard across the clearing, making me skid as I flew into a tree. I could feel something break at the force, but I steeled myself and dodged his next attack.

My heart was racing, I was sweating, but I could still fight. I wove around his attacks, then managed to strike at his back left leg. His scorpion tail came down hard, but it only hit dirt. I found that I wouldn't be able to fight the bastard right here. I began dashing away, in the same direction I was headed before I was interrupted. One thing I had forgot was that the damn thing could fly, so I had to quickly dive away in order to not be trampled or skewered. I didn't waste a single moment, nor did I waste my momentum, coming up into a run. I finally saw what I was looking for, a steep rock face.

I scrambled to the top of the seventy foot rock face as fast as humanly possible, doing my best not to get skewered all the while. Finally, at the top, I would make my stand. On one side, a seventy foot drop. On all others, about a three hundred foot drop into the icy cold water of a river. If I had to go, I'd rather die by my own hand than be devoured by a lion-bat-scorpion creature. I squared off against the creature, adjusting my grip on my combat knife. I had lost my axe when I was scaling the cliff. I had nothing to defend myself but a razor-sharp knife used by goddamn marines, so I felt both scared for my life and confident.

I grinned and glared at the same time, confident but focused at the same time. This monster wouldn't get the jump on me. He then charged at me, raising his tail for a strike. I rolled underneath the creature, instantly turning and standing up once I was behind it. I jumped at its back again, but it swatted me with a strike from its paw. I cried out in pain, sent flying. I impacted a rock, but instantly got to my feet trying my damnedest to not get sliced up like a Christmas ham. I dove away from the beast as it pounced on empty air, then armed myself with my KABAR.

The creature, in a desperate frenzy, tried to slice and dice me with his claws, but I rolled under him again. At this point, this fight was just me doing my best not to get hurt. Blood oozed from the three perpendicular diagonal cuts on my chest. Damn it, that bastard ruined my comfy shirt! At this point, I was pissed, but I did have a plan. I would try to get the creature to get over to the ledge, then make him stab himself in the back. At that point, I'd be home free.

But right then, the plan looked desperate. I had a literal fucking creature from mythology trying to murder me and I had three deep gashes in my torso, as well as a broken rib or something. Even if I did survive, at what cost? I might die from the rib puncturing my lung, or from the gashes bleeding me dry. Or, what about disease, what kinds of rabies will I get once I'm done fighting this thing? At this point, I was half-tempted to just kill myself now in order to avoid the pain, but if it came to it I could do that later.

Right now, there was an eight-hundred pound lionbeast trying to murder me with its sharp claws, teeth, and poisonous tail. I gritted my teeth and ran towards the ledge, then watched as the beast followed. He stopped right in front of me, grinned with a sinister grin, then struck down at me, but I had slung myself up on his back. He began bucking again, but I stabbed my knife in his back at an angle, making it easier for me to hold on. The creature roared in pain, then attempted to stab me with its tail. Right as it stung me in the shoulder, I stabbed down into its head. The manticore fell off the three hundred foot drop, and I expected this to be the end. As I saw strange, odd things floating above my head, I sheathed my knife and welcomed the embrace of death.

Shitty start to a day, I know. But it gets shittier.

It was about a day later that I woke up. I half-expected to be dead, and I definitely felt like I was. My shoulder hurt like hell, but I was warm and that helped. A fur blanket covered me, which probably meant I was in safe company. Whoever, or whatever it was that had pulled me out of the river probably didn't want to make a profit on selling me off to someone. Especially if they had given me this comfy blanket and the much comfier pillow.

I decided it was time to greet the day. I opened my eyes a tiny quarter, slowly moving my head to my side where I thought I heard shuffling. I got a glimpse of my saviour. Which, admittedly I wished I hadn't. Apparently it is a really funny idea to get me high on LSD every time I go to sleep, to the point that I see a pretty pony like I am seeing now. The pony in question is wearing what looks like a black coat of some kind with a hood.

I take a guess that it is probably a trench coat. Which is funny, since trench coats were actually invented during World War One as a replacement for the heavy greatcoats used by the Brits. That meant that there had to be some reason for it to be invented. Either that or some edgelord pony decided it would be fun to make it easier for school shootings to occur.

However, from what I can see the pony's coat is a diluted emerald color, somewhat like sea-green, which happens to be, in my opinion, the worst color ever. I felt bad for this pony immediately. Another thing I discerned was that their tail was a beige, sandy color. I wanted to vomit due to the garishness of the poor creature's colors. And then I noticed the twin tantos that hung at the side of the pony, and I actually did vomit. You see, tantos are a made-up Japanese sword that are derived from a weapon called the ninjato, which itself is not just a ninja's weapon. Ninja, or Shinobi, didn't use anything different from the average Japanese rebel. Additionally, there is no proof of the Ninjato's existence before the twentieth century.

Though it may not be the fake swords that made me vomit, it nonetheless made me nauseous. The pony quickly hurried over to me, lifting me by the scruff of my neck easily and pulling me off the mat slightly. The spatter of whatever meal that I had recently eaten covered the cave's floor, then I began dry-heaving. The pony set me back on the mat carefully, then retrieved a cup of water and some paper towels.

Since I was still very weak, the pony took my chin in their magi- wait what? So before I go on with this entry, I might want to mention that this is Peyton from about two days in the future writing this entry. I now know that magic exists, and I will explain it later. For now, continue reading my account and wait patiently.

Anyway, the pony gently pulled my chin down and poured the water into my mouth. I drank it, dehydrated and definitely not feeling well. The cool liquid soothed my burning throat and washed the disgusting taste of vomit down my esophagus. There must have been a sedative inside the water, since I slipped off to sleep almost instantly after that.

I woke up about six hours later, at about one after midnight. My first idea was to check where the pony was, and I was relieved to find the equine asleep near the campfire in the center of the cave. Speaking of the aforementioned cave, it was much roomier than the one I had lived in for about a day and a half. It seemed to be made of a geologically more brittle material, as a few loose pebbles fell from the ceiling. I decided that that was a warning to get out of there, before a fault slipped or the whole cave collapsed.

I shifted to my other side, my left, and found that the cave was underground. There was a small opening; just big enough for a pony or a crouching human to enter and exit through. I slowly drew myself up, discovering that the only items I needed to find were my knife and my coat. However, my shirt was ripped up in the front. I could probably repair it by stitching the loose halves of the shirt, then putting in some buttons. Sure it would be tacky, but it would have to do. However, I didn't have the materials to do that yet.

I examined the actual cave's structure and layout. The cave's entrance and exit were behind me, with the campfire and my bedding in front of me. To the right was a small writing desk meant for a pony, covered in many papers. Also to the right I could see a small dresser, on which I could see my weapon and my coat. My journal was cracked open on the desk, laid out carelessly. To the left I could see a regular cave wall, with only three crates and a barrel to its name. This setup was spartan in nature, which probably meant that the pony that lived here was some kind of outlaw, exile, or outcast.

I retrieved my possessions quietly, slipping the coat on with barely a sound. Of course, ponies could hear much better than humans on Earth, and I didn't doubt that the same was true here. Hearing a noise stimulates the brain, causing a reaction, usually perking up to investigate it. However, ears don't pick up noise the same way when the body is asleep. The conclusion is that the ears are not as active when someone is asleep, especially as deep in sleep as this pony is right now.

I crept over to the writing desk, stopping for about a minute after every noise the sleeping equine makes. Finally, I reached the desk. On top of it I could see several unfinished letters to several different individuals, as well as a couple addressed to the pony who was taking care of me. I learned that they were named Sea Shadow, and she dealt in mercenary work, information-gathering, and guarding caravans. I stuffed some of the letters into my coat pockets. They might come in handy if the pony had a bounty on their head. Despite the mare helping me, I refused to associate myself with anyone who is bad enough at being a criminal that they have a bounty on their head and live in a cave, taking second-rate jobs.

The plan was working so far. Get my stuff, gather some information, and get out. However, pushing your luck has been proven fatal by millions of humans. My final act before absconding was to fold up the blanket that I had been using for later, the worn grey sheet might come in handy later, or I could make another shirt using it. I tucked it away into my coat, which was now becoming increasingly full of clutter.

Now was a good time to cut my losses, which were none, and leave before I had to deal with a second-rate cut-throat who used shitty, fake swords and looked like someone's crappy original character on DeviantArt. Though, if I'm in some kind of universe parallel to my own or that takes inspiration from my universe or world, shouldn't my own Rule of Parallels apply here? Not to toot my own horn, but I was a little bit of a pretentious fuck who came up with some theories about the multiverse theory. The general idea was that, even if two universes were polar opposites, there has to be at least one thing that is consistently the same, which allows the universes to be crossed. A sort of anchor, if you will.

If my theory was true, then this was almost certainly some proof of that theory. But equally, an anchor is used to hold something in place, so wouldn't the crosser appear at the anchor? I had so many questions, but not enough answers. I wasn't about to try and interrogate a mercenary, even if they are bad at their job they still probably have more skill with those blades than I do with my knife. Also, they had magic on their side, which made them exponentially more dangerous than me.

I carefully exited the room through the small entrance, quietly leaving without much more than a small shuffle-like sound. I peered behind me, seeing that the tiny equine was still soundly asleep.

I made a quiet retreat in the upwards direction, hoping for a quick escape.

How did everything go so wrong so quickly? One moment I was walking about, the exit to the cave right in front of me. The next, I'm hanging over the edge of a large cliff at the top of a damn mountain! Below me I could see about a thousand meter drop right into the middle of a populated district. I pulled myself up onto the ledge, breathing heavily.

"Well, I suppose I should've kept better track of you. That's Ca-" Before the cut-throat could finish their sentence, I had them in a strong hold, my knife at the base of their neck.

"You're gonna answer my questions, or I'm going to skin you alive." The cut-throat didn't seem too bothered.

"First question, how the hell did I get all the way up here from in the middle of a forest on the ground?" I asked.

"A certain client arranged for you to be delivered to them. However, you're certainly more valuable than the thousand bit reward they were offering for your deliverance." This answer she gave opened a lot more queries than the comparative few I had before.

"The hell are you talking about? Start making some sense before I start letting some blood." I demanded harshly. I really was in the kind of mood to cut open the equine if they didn't start talking.

"A male minotaur who goes by Razor wanted someone who could do very important work for him. He's just a minor warlord, but there's much more important people who want to use you for your special talent."

"The fuck are you talking about? I'm not a mercenary, I was a fucking child until I somehow ended up here."

The pony grinned, eyes sparkling much like a conspiracy theorist when you asked about their bullshit. On another note, I swore I could see a flash of red in their eyes. "That's the beauty of this little game that's being played, you're not even what the Imperium custom-ordered. The thing about contractual magic is that nopony understands it properly, and the high-rollers don't care. Now, if you don't show up to Razor in a few days, he and the higher-ups will tear apart the world looking for you, and you won't be safe no matter where you hide." I was tired of these games. I raised the pony over the thousand meter drop, then let go.

As they fell, screaming and kicking in terror, I realized what I had just done. I had just committed first-degree murder, in cold blood. I felt only a small twinge of regret, and that's the exact moment I realized that not only had my senses, my memories, and my personality been altered by the transfer, my moral compass had too. I stared at my hands, looking at the small clump of fur that was left in my left palm. I shook my palm clean, then turned my hand over and cut the back of my hand just enough for it to scar, as a reminder of what I had done here.

I wanted whatever god that exists to know, that at the end of my life, I will pay for my crimes no matter how little of my empathy is left. The first step to my new life was to find my way down this mountain. I started shimmying along the ledge, until it widened out enough for someone to walk along it.

About a day of walking later, I reached the gates of the city that I had seen down below. The day had been relatively uneventful, and I had slept none at all, resting only two hours total. I was restless, wired. I had killed someone, who had probably killed other people, but I still had ended someone's life. No matter how soulless you are, killing someone for the first time will always leave you in some sort of state.

I breathed in and out, then approached the gate casually. My knife wasn't visible. There was nothing to suggest I was abnormal, especially since I had zipped up my coat a while back due to it being cold as Hitler's stony heart. The guards at the top of the gate flew down, pointing their spears at me. I leaned back a little, almost a microscopic amount. My posture was lax and non-threatening, my eyes lazy.

"Halt, creature! You will not enter Canterlot, vile beast!" One of the pathetic horse guards yelled.

"Don't be a racist asshole, it's a very unlikable quality." The racist bastard was slack-jawed, as were the other morons. I could see one of the guards still at the gate's top flying off to probably alert their garrison commander or something.

"J-just don't move!" The guard barked in response. I waited for probably an hour.

"What in Celestia's beard are you morons doing?! Can't you see that he's clearly not threatening anypony?!" I could hear, presumably, the guards' commander berating them for being dumbasses.

Finally, the commander came into view. He was decked out in an officer's ceremonial uniform. His mane and tail were a white color, meanwhile his coat was black. This was much like some of the other guards, but this one in particular had a different haircut, a buzz-cut rather than a mohawk.

"Terribly sorry for the misunderstanding, but I'm afraid we've never encountered any creature like you before. You'll have to come with me..." He trailed off as if expecting my name. I gave it a quick think-over, and decided on a name to go by.

"My name is Duvet, Duvet Valude. And you, sir?" I know, I know, sounds really French, but I decided that the name would work okay for my purposes.

"I am Steely Justice, Captain of the Royal Guard." He seemed to not speak anymore, just leading me somewhere. We walked through the city, which was a beautiful place. Marble terraces, gold-trimmed towers, and vines that crept slowly up massive towers. We walked through several districts, full of marvels of their own. Massive statues dedicated to what I assumed were religious figures or the leaders of the country rose high in the air, and shop fronts advertised special items only found in this particular city.

The beauty of the city was dwarfed by the magnificence of the castle, Canterlot Castle. There was a massive courtyard that lead up to a huge, gilded door. Said door was carven on the outside and inside, probably mirrored on both. From what I could see of the inside, it was covered with runes and depictions of events from the past. The incredible detail shown by the door could have only been created by multiple artisans working over a long period of time. A common theme was these two horses who seemed identical, except for the way the light reflected off of the two made one appear black as night, and the other as white as the blazing sun. I could bring scarcely any sense to the carvings, but from what I could tell the two were related to each other.

The extravagant golden door was currently open, admitting servants, and others who were probably petitioning, arguing, or even fighting over trivial things that nobles tend to squabble about. I adjusted my coat slightly, making sure no one could see my knife. This could turn out bad if someone spots my weapon and calls me out as an assassin or something.

We passed under the gargantuan doorway, heading further into the castle. Already, I could see the nobles being pushed out of the castle, as they called out that day court was over. It was only midday, so presumably this was about me. I was both nervous and calm, a very odd feeling for me. But I think back on this moment and can't wish I had handled it any better. My instincts were telling me to be calm and appear collected, despite the chaos raging in my mind.

The two of us traveled the winding castle halls for what seemed like hours, but was probably in reality about ten to twenty minutes. Whoever owns this castle must be extremely rich, I thought to myself. The very walls and floors of the castle were gilded with silver and gold, and largely composed of beautiful and pure marble that increased the hall's radiance. It reminded me of the elves' architecture in pretty much any fantasy story. Every hall was adorned with stained glass windows that remembered the tales of heroes long dead. I noted that this castle must be thousands of years old.

We turned down a hall that came up on the left, which was a little more quaint than the rest. The high rooms of colonnades slowly died down until we entered a small, private section of the castle. There were barely any servants to be seen, and the few that were here were leaving. I had a bad feeling about the leaders of this country. From what I've seen, the residents are happy and ignorant. These could be benevolent dictators, which were arguably more dangerous than dictators that throw their own citizens into prison for sedition. I breathed in quietly, and made sure I knew exactly where my knife was on my belt in the case I needed to defend myself.

Finally, we arrived. "Princess Celestia and Luna await you," The guard simply stated. I put on the calmest face I could, then I opened the door.

Author's Note

NOTE TO EVERYONE: Please comment the reason you don't or do like this story. It really helps me to know what my audience wants.

Yes, I know this is kind of disappointing given the wait time for this, but it was very hard to come up with the Canterlot portion of this chapter, and I wanted to get it right so badly that I just had to pull back the release date.

That aside, for now I'm back to writing this. I hope people actually enjoy it. I feel like somehow I can't live up to the "standard" that the first Insanity story set.

Chapter 2: Sun and Moon Part 2

Insanity: In Another Life

Chapter 2: Sun and Moon Part 2

Sometimes, dramatically opening a door doesn’t result in a giant white flash. It just results in you awkwardly standing there, which I did my best not to do.

My hosts, who much resembled the two creatures on the carved door, both wore neutral looks. I calmly closed my the door, hearing a small click as the blue pony/horse locked the door with their magic.

My bad, let me describe the two. One was a pure white horse, with a flowing mane of blue, pink, and green. She had a thoughtful, pensive, yet motherly look about her. On the other appendage, the blue horse was like a starry night. She had a buttmark like other ponies, which I could see, unlike the white one. It was black and had a crescent moon. Her mane was like a starry night. She was lounging slightly more casually than the other horse, but had a more neutral look to her. I imagined her as a horse of arts and drink, kind of like a horseworld equivalent of that uncle. You know, THAT uncle. Anyway.

The white horse gestured to a velvety armchair with silk cushions. I carefully sat in it. As I did so, I noticed my knife floating in the grasp of the blue one, who examined it closely, then calmly put it down on a table next to her chair. I resolved that fighting would be incredibly ineffective, especially with their magic advantage.

The white one spoke first. “Hello Duvet, I am Celestia, and this is my sister, Luna. We are the diarchs of Equestria. We welcome you to our home, but first we need to know your intentions.” As if on cue, a tea set complete with everything you’d need to die of diabetes appeared before me. She served the tea to herself and her sister.

“One or two cubes?” She asked.

“Two, please.” I responded quietly.

I received a small teacup full of warm tea. It was pleasantly warm, but not scalding. I drank it carefully, and like a true British gentleman. Without the pinkie extended.

“My purpose here is unknown to me. As far as I am aware, I was conjured here using some kind of magic. I do have a suspicion that my benefactor intended for my use to be military.” I calmly responded, my face neutral. I was nervous under the shell I put up, but I understood forwardness would be key.

This time the blue one, Luna, piped up, “Then you shall be a boon to the crown’s forces, if you would have it. We will promise to protect you from all possible harm, provide lodging, and assist you in returning home. All you will have to do is take care of some favors.”

Celestia looked at the other. “This offer is, of course, refusable. But if you do, I cannot guarantee your safety outside of this room.”

I considered my options. Be vaporized or stabbed right outside this door, or be a servile little bitch. I decided to play along. For now.

“I accept your offer.” A piece of paper appeared before me, with a pen as well. I carefully read the document. It essentially said that I would do whatever the crown required for the rest of my life in this land. I almost wanted to commit seppuku rather than sign it, but unfortunately my knife was nowhere close enough for that. I signed the document using my fake name, Duvet. It appeared to work as intended, glowing and then shriveling up into dust.

I looked around the room at the many shelves of books. I mentally cursed myself out. Why did I get stuck in this fucked up situation. The white one piped up, “Second Lieutenant Valude, please bow before me and repeat after me.” I did so, and promptly was sworn into office as a second lieutenant commissioned personally by the highest authority in this godforsaken land.

“You may rise, officer. Collect your things and report to Captain Nightshade in the lower quarters. You will be escorted by Ser Light to your new posting. You will be required to report and be ready for action tomorrow.” Luna commanded. I barely knew anything and I was being thrust into some kind of black operations shit already. I quickly grabbed my things and stashed them away.

I rose to my full height, saluted, and then promptly exited. In the hall, I noticed a pony in full plate armor, with a sword sheathed at his side. He motioned for me to follow him, so I did. I assumed this guy was some kind of knight. I frowned, deciding to simply go along with it until I could escape. He spoke to me only a few times on our long walk, clarifying and answering many of my questions. Apparently, those buttmarks aren’t tramp stamps, they’re actually an indicator of a pony’s talent. The other questions were mainly about etiquette, my location, and the post I would be assigned to. It was formally known as ‘agent’ but unofficially known as ‘suicidal fucktard’ in essence. The death rate on this post was 99.9%, and it was common for anyone who didn’t have a family or friends to be posted here, as they often died and were disposed of secretively as to prevent the leaking of state secrets. Most who came off this post were insane, arrested for life, killed on the spot, or simply disappeared. I honestly didn’t know which option was scarier.

We arrived in the lower quarter, which was a rank, cavelike place. Large bat pony creatures hung from the high ceiling. In the center of the room we were in, there was a batpony lady dressed in a light battle armor. I approached, immediately saluting. I sounded off like I had a pair, as that usually helped. “Second Lieutenant Duvet Valude reporting for duty, sir!”

The creature circled me like a shark for a moment. “At ease.” The voice was powerful, yet raspy and feminine.

I clasped my hands behind my back and stared straight forward, almost imperceptibly examining my new commanding officer. I had obviously never been in the military, but I had seen Fullmetal Jacket and read up on the military enough to know much of the lingo and acronyms.

“As you are just beginning in this outfit, you will be performing a standard AWOL soldier retrieval operation. You will be dropped off by carriage near the town of Vanhoover. You will infiltrate the town completely covertly and then gather intelligence as long as needed. Your window of opportunity is only around one month and six days, the standard time of an AWOL unit to escape the country or seek asylum. You will not fail.” She promptly sent me off to the quartermaster to recquisition my gear.

I followed some signs that pointed out the way. Thankfully, the barracks was right next to the quartermaster and cafeteria, so I could grab some food. I approached the quartermaster’s small desk area with a cage separating he and I.

“So you’re the poor bastard they put on suicide duty.” The old, grizzled stallion grumbled. His scarred face glanced me over, before plopping on the counter a bit of armor. I examined it. The armor was a grey metallic color, barely shiny, but still clean. It had black highlights, and it consisted of very light plating. There was also a chainmail shirt and pants there, with a black cloth undersuit. The plate armor went over the chainmail and was actually quite comfortable but protective. It didn't impede my joints at all. Along with the armor was a black cloak which reached all the way down to my ankles.

“It’s a bit hot, mainly due to my forging of it mere minutes ago, but it is decently formfitting, I’d guess.” He said, placing a sword with a sheathe and a cloth bag on the counter with my armor.

“Since you’re the new suicidal bastard, you get a few perks and your quality of life is a little better. Pretty much any mare or stallion will want to fuck you, due to the fact you probably won’t live long or be able to tell about it, because you will be in the field most days. Additionally, you will be able to recquisition anything you want so long as it is not too ridiculous. Also, you can order garrisoned troops under your rank without permission from from their CO. There’s a few more things, but if you come back alive from your first mission I’ll mention them to you.” He finally finished. I proceeded to recquisition some extra, very useful kit. Lockpicks, an invisibility potion, some extra rations, a grappling hook with rope, and, surprisingly, a small .38 pistol. The weapon was warned as a prototype and unreliable, but a gun would even the playing field when it came to unicorns.

I headed next to the cafeteria. The food was good, and even included meat. Most of it had shit I couldn’t eat, like oats or flowers. I saved the oats to make oatmeal later, but the rest of the shit I couldn’t eat I left on someone else’s table.

Finally, after a longass day of bullshit, I retired to the barracks. I took the bunk that had the name “suicidal bastard” scribbled on the nameplate. I fell asleep on the surprisingly comfy mattress very quickly.

I had woken up to being knocked the fuck out of bed by my CO, who yelled at me to get dressed. I never put on armor and shit so fast before. I was at attention in less than three minutes minimum.

The bitch essentially yelled at me to hurry my ass up to the castle chariot pool before I was late. I was still tired, mainly due to it being the middle of the night when I was awoken. I grabbed my things, and recquisitioned some additional supplies on the way out, like food and water and a blanket, which I stuffed in my pack.

I was rushed out to the chariot pool by two solar guards, as they are called. The chariot pool resembled one of those capitol buildings with the high domes, except each floor was open for chariots to exit through. According to my escorts, this was used for military use, unlike the main chariot pool.

I was pointed towards a blue black chariot with two bat ponies as the chauffeurs. I entered it and sat down, sorting out my gear. I loaded my .38 revolver and slipped it into a small leg plate’s buckle. I took my knife and concealed it in my armor. I sorted through the supplies in the seemingly never-ending cloth bag, discovering many useful items. For example, I had a set of skeleton keys. The chariot lurched as we slowly took off. No air displaced my hair, probably due to some kind of enchantment.

In the very bottom of my bag, I found a book and a couple of folders bound by twine. Since, somehow, no air whipped through the open chariot, I was able to examine the folders and the book. The book was a book about general information on the races, plants, infrastructure, political leaders, political parties, and other things. It seemed to update about every minute with information, the page glowing and then rewriting itself.

The files, on the other hand, contained useful information about my target. His appearance was unicorn, male, with a blue coat and a dark brown mane with blue highlights. He was known for having a scar that goes from his lower back to his left front leg. His name is Darts. He was a ranged specialist, mainly known for his work with bows and crossbows. His talent mark was a bow drawing back a dart, with a target in the background. He went missing on the thirtieth of August. Today was September 3rd.

I placed the files back in the bag, then rifled through the bag for other things. I found some useful things, but then I found my favorite substance(s) in a medical case included in my bag. Ibuprofen and hydrogen peroxide! Personal favorites of mine as ibuprofen was my go to source of pain relief after a snack, and peroxide was good for removing bodily fluids and their traces. UV light can suck a fat one!

Anyway, I placed my tools back in the bag, then began reading up on general subjects using the provided book. I learned a few key things about my new environs, which would eventually come in handy.

The ride was long, and I had the inclination to sing a bittersweet country song as we passed over rolling fields and pastures. A farming village or two came under my gaze. I think I even saw a tree being used as a domicile as we flew over. I had a feeling I would be seeing or going to that place sometime later.

I think I should take a moment to talk about myself for a moment. Myself before all this. I was a normal kid with grand dreams. I wanted in the world for myself to find peace, a place as close to heaven as I could find. I dreamed, to no avail, to visit the rolling fields and mountain air of Virginia, see the rural places of the coast of Nova Scotia. I wanted to find that beauty and culture and preserve it beyond what a simple photo could. I wanted to develop a way for people of small standing to experience a small slice of peace in their lives.

But alas, poor pretentious retard, we knew ye little. I had no way of doing that now, so far away from home. As far as I am concerned, my only goal is to survive.

I continued reading.

Author's Note

Right now, I care little about likes or dislikes. I am ignoring the ratio in favor of the ratio of positive to negative comments.

This brainshit is sponsored by Merle Haggard.

Chapter 3: Conspiracy Part 1

Insanity: In Another Life

Chapter 3: Conspiracy Part 1

Standing there in the bright, windy fields outside of Vanhoover brought me memories of Dixie that I’d rather forget. As the song goes, look away, look away, look away, Dixieland!

However, this wasn’t the southern part of the United States, and I wanted to do my best not to remember home. I steeled myself, and examined the file that I’d been given as a debrief by one of my chauffeurs.

The file contained information on the suspect like in his personal file, but this one had some mission objectives, places to go, and leads on my target. It also contained a map and reference on my heading. Of course, I could tell my heading back home using the moon and the Northern Star, as any self respecting man should. However, it was currently the middle of the day. I could tell from the way the sun slowly came across the sky the directions of east and west were still the same in this world.

I could tell from the map that I was at least three miles out from the city. Which was about an hour’s jog away. Any time I spent resting or infiltrating was more time my target had to escape. The mission was already in jeopardy even though I’d just arrived on site. According to my drivers, I would be picked up in fifteen days or if my cover is blown, fifty minutes. They never specified about what my 'cover' was.

I began walking toward the city. As I did so, I searched my bag for stuff I had missed. In the bag, I found some ID in case I needed to access a garrison. The badge was nothing special, probably only gave me rudimentary access to guard files and the garrison. That would be more than enough to find out my target’s favorite watering hole and or hangout spot.

Best thing I could find is if they have a dependency on some drug or something. That way, I can find him through his dealer or pharmaceuticals. Both are equally great.

As I walked past the rolling fields, having found a path that seemingly was leading to the city, I could hear wheels behind me, like a cart. I paid it no mind, keeping my head down and my coat over myself. As I did so, a blue mare pulling a cart passed by me, barely glancing at me. I made note of her strange attire. Probably some kind of performer or wizard. I felt that same feeling as I did when I passed over the tree domicile when she passed by.

I minded myself, glancing out over the fields. Most of these fields had been harvested in preparation for winter. I shivered slightly when a cold wind blew on my face, which was slightly covered by my cloak, which I pulled tighter to myself. As I walked, I noticed the fields slowly becoming a medieval farming town. When I passed it by, I didn’t register it. But then I slowly walked back. A pub! A fucking pub! I had never drank before due to not being of legal age. Now that I was, I was about to go buy the most expensive wine I could to celebrate. Why wine? Well, it had the least possibility to get me drunk while on the job.

I walked over to the door of the pub, then entered. It was mostly empty, except for a group of ponies in the corner who were excitedly chatting and drinking mead. I noticed a bard with a lute playing some pleasant but jolly tunes. I approached the bar, keeping myself covered well.

“You’re the strangest diamond dog I’ve seen through here, stranger. What can I getcha?” The bartender grumbled.

“You sell wines?” I asked, keeping myself low and making a note of the creature he mentioned.

“We just got a shipment of Blueblood Chatreuse 890. It’ll be ten bits for the bottle.” He replied, cleaning a glass with a rag. I had seen the skill where ponies would use their hooves or mouths back at the palace, but it was still slightly surprising and weird.

I rummaged in my bag, looking for money. I pulled a sack of it out. Inside there were at least a thousand of the little gold coins. I took twenty out and placed them on the bar. Two bottles of the stuff were put down on the bar. I took them both and stuffed them in my bag, turning to leave.

The air in the pub gave way to cool morning air. I took my knife and popped open one of the bottles. I took a sip. It tasted fairly sweet, but had this kind of taste to it that made it seem like it would go well with food. I finished it, barely feeling tipsy.

One thing I knew was that I was no lightweight. Scottish and Irish blood ran through me. The only thing that could probably knock me on my ass is moonshine, and that probably didn’t exist here. If it didn't, well I would definitely need to get me a still and some corn. Any southerner should know how to distill and make moonshine.

I decided to enjoy my moment of peace. In this new world, from what I’ve seen, the frying pan will be no different from the fire. I decided to go over things I knew. I knew how to fire a gun. I had a decent throw. I am exceptionally good with a knife due to my transportation here. I probably have the same skills with a sword. From when I cut myself earlier, I know I have a decent amount of pain resistance, and my skin is quite thick. I had a bag full of supplies, I was pretty much set up with a decent cover by the bartender, which reminds me.

I pull out the encyclopedia or whatever it is and hunt down the race of diamond dogs. According to it, the dogs are similar in nature to Abyssinians, or cats, more commonly. They were known to be intelligent, but most were incredibly stupid. The last historical dog was Anthrax the Wise. He discovered several diseases and created vaccines for them, but was discredited because of his race.

The cats, however, were shrewd manipulators. They were known for being thieves and hooligans, and were mostly spotted in the southern bits of Equestria and their homeland, Abyssinia, of course.

I also searched up some information on guns technology. According to the book, the most powerful gun currently to exist is a prototype black powder musket that fires an approximately .43 caliber ball. However, the most commonly used is the .36 caliber Enforcer pistol, used by guards and militias. The pistols available for civilians range from .22 to .32 and no higher. Rifles used commonly range from .25 ball shot to .36 ball shot. This means the average guns here are merely target shooting weapons back home.

I closed the book, mentally noting to ask about illusions and possibly transformation magic later. Appearing as a common race may take my humanity from me, but going home was not on the plate for me, right now. I have so much to fix here before I go.

I replace the book in my bag. Onto my target. I knew the target’s appearance, but he could easily use Illusion to create a fake identity. However, using my powers of deduction, I could probably locate his retarded ass before he got ten miles out from this place. Then, it would be a simple matter of trigger discipline or just tackling and then tying up the target. Of course, he had a head start.

I resolved to stop fucking around with my thoughts and get on with it. Starting towards the inner cityscape, I covered my identity well, and checked my weapons’ locations. Sword still at hip on left side. Knife still stuck in my belt. Gun at thigh plate, ready to be drawn.

The city was not as modern as I’d been used to, but it had mostly brick or concrete buildings, and a cobble path. However, interspersed with the new were wooden and thatch homes. Some used roof tiles, but it still contrasted heavily with the concrete and brick industrial buildings. The ponies and other such creatures here were decently dressed, a slight mix between the snobbiness of the high class in Canterlot and more rural people.

Most kept their distance from me, whispering. I could almost hear the claims of, “Outlaw!” from here. I ignored such things, until I was approached slowly by a group of guards.

“Halt, state your business, creature!” The lead shouts. I simply open my bag and flash my ID. Instant respect, as it should be.

“We are extremely sorry sir. We were not informed of your arrival. Please, come with us.” The lead is saluting. I gesture for them to begin the walking so I can begin the following.

I followed the guards slowly. As we walked through the town, it seemed the crowds had calmed, thinking I was under arrest or something. On the way to our destination, we chatted. That is to say, I scraped for information.

“The AWOL soldier, did he have any reason to leave the military?” I asked the highest ranking officer present, a Sergeant by the name of Shield Bastion. He was grey, with a silver mane and tail. He seemed gruff, and was the only guard I had seen with a beard yet.

“Other than a fiancé at home and a commonly found disrespect for authority, nothing, sir.” The sergeant replied.

“Can I get a list of associates and family at the garrison?” I asked.

“Yes sir. In fact, we have a couple of his friends in the guard at the garrison currently.” He said, examining the rooftops strangely. I was ready to draw at a hat’s drop now. Something was extremely off.

As we walked, I stayed wary of my associates. Unfortunately, that left my eyes off the streets. A bullet flew into my leg, and ponies started screaming, running, and hiding.

I screeched in pain, then threw myself behind a random stall. My pistol was out, ready to pop some assholes as soon as I could see them. I crouched in cover, looking over the stall’s counter.

My guard escorts had taken position behind some carts a little further back, which left me quite exposed. The attackers, which I could now see, were some kind of fanatics. They wore deep blue robes, with a silvery full moon eclipsing the sun.

I took aim, hands shaking from pain. I fired at one of the cultists, watching as they fell down and wailed in pain. I snapped to the next target, double-tapping my trigger. They fell down, presumably dead. There were only two left, armed with small caliber rifles.

Given an opening, the guards charged in and attacked the remainder of the attackers, disarming them and then getting them in cuffs. I sank down behind the cart, holstering my weapon.

The bleeding from my leg was profuse, worsened by the fast beating of my heart. I breathed in and out, slowly, measuring my breaths. Keeping pressure on the wound, I managed to stifle the bleeding enough.

I took out my knife, pulling the wound apart using my index and middle finger. I hissed, surprised by my tolerance of pain, then examined the wound closely. The bullet was lodged in muscle tissue. I grimaced.

I either had a perfectly shitty wound, or a lame leg for the rest of my life.

One of the guards approached as I was about to pull the bullet out, and simply magicked it out. It barely hurt. He then handed me something to drink, which I chugged immediately. The wound healed like lightning before my very eyes. I had a lot to process.

The medic checked me over for any other wounds, but eventually calmed and left me to my devices. I took out my knife again and carved another cut into the back of my hand, another kill to my name.

I felt exhausted already, despite the short day. I will recount the rest of the trip to the garrison in this next chapter, and some explanations for the attack.

Author's Note

I was half awake for most of the writing of this. The other part? Half asleep.

This brainshit is sponsored by 4chan cancer.