Author's Note

Oh boy... it's been a while huh?

Yeah a lot of stuff has been going on with my life since last I published a chapter on the story. You can read more about that on my last block post if you desire, though you are by no circumstances obligated to do so, so simply just a way for me to explain some things without having to put the entire rent in the authors notes.

This chapter might be a little bit rough as it has been rewritten, neglected, picked back up again and generally, potentially, has had a change of writing style. So I hope that you'll bear with me if it's not as good as you had hoped.

I shaved off a thousand and a half or so more words the would have continued from the point where the chapter ended, as I found myself unsatisfied with the direction that I was going in and that unsatisfaction was compounding with my challenges when it comes to writing to create a deadlock that made me unable to either continue writing or publish the chapter.

I thank anyone who has been with me since the start or has found the story along the way if you are still willing to read it. I understand the frustrations that you may have had with the infrequency of chapters being published, I share in that same frustration and hope to eventually overcome the flaws in me that make it so.

I have my fair share of faults and flaws, but I hope that you'll forgiven me and that if you have any feedback, criticism or ideas in general that you'd be willing to share them. I've read every comment that I have ever gotten and given each a like whether they were positive or not. But I think I've waffled on for long enough, I wish any and all of you a great day and hope to see you again in the future.

3 - Hallway fright and mental plight, kept in check by a goal in sight

For a moment I was blinded as I stepped forward.

The radiance of the hallway I had stepped into was far too bright... Pillars of crystal and banners of strange colours I could not identify decked the halls in both directions.

The blindness was only temporary, as I quickly adjusted to the light. My own bedroom had been somewhat more dimly lit, what with having just woken up, so the stark brightness of the hallway I now stood in was rather overwhelming.

'My bedroom? No that... that's not right...'

I shook my head, trying to clear it of distractions as best as I could.

In my determination to escape, I had managed to carve a small island of calm from the storm of emotional turmoil that had overtaken me, but It was fragile, and I knew not how long I could maintain it.
Though if what had happened at the mirror told me anything, I couldn't allow myself to think too deeply on what was happening to me, lest I fall to the blur again...

Grasping the ember of determination within me, I peered down both sides of the corridor for anymore of those creatures. Ones like that strange witchcraft wielding pegasus I had seen before, the one that had spoken to me much like my mother used to... 'No. I-I mustn't think about it...'

I would need to do my best to avoid them, Clearly they had something to do with what had been done to me... I didn't know what they wanted from me, but I had no intention to stick around to find out.

I swallowed heavily as I looked around, trying to control my fraying nerves and letting my doubts along with the leftover remnants of bile at the back of my throat, sink to the depths of my stomach.

Poking my head out from the edge of the door I peered carefully down both paths.
There were none to see to either side of the hall, so I moved out from my vantage point.

I looked around for what might be some kind of exit, but couldn't find any at a glance. Though considering that there had been a balcony in... The room I awoke in... I must have been higher than the ground floor at the very least.

The huge hallway I stood in was, though grandiose and daunting, rather uniform in it's layout of pillars and banners. There were no other visible doors to be seen, though there were windows... Perhaps I could climb through one to get out? or at the very least get a view of my surroundings.

I walked towards one to investigate.

It took a few stumbles to get there, but I avoided planting my face into the floor at least. Stupid horse legs...
With some trepidation and difficulty, I stood upright on my legs to reach the window, Something which only served to remind me of the unnerving state my body was in... I-I tried to see what lay beyond the window.

The sight that greeted my eyes was both incredible, beautiful and indescribably maddening.

Through the pane of glass, glazed with a light frost around it's edges, a sprawling city of crystal and stone spread from and around the base of what must have been the building that I was in. high up, so very far above the buildings below, that they almost looked like game pieces on a board... It was dizzying just to look at...

The city was enormous, larger than any I had ever seen or imagined before.

I had to rub my eyes in disbelief as I peered out over the gleaming crystals spires and buildings, so vast and grand that they made even the greatest lodges and longhalls I'd seen in my life pale in comparison.

Roads of shiny stone spread from the city's center out to it's edges like the branches of a perfect snowflake.
In the distance beyond the city bounds, verdant, green hills and fields spread across the edges of the city's perimeter, filled with farmland and small patches of forest.

Further than that on the horizon was something that sparked familiarity within me.
Snow, ice and a landscape that seemed much more reminiscent of my home...

It was stopped abruptly in an almost unnatural pattern surrounding the outer fields, as if stopped by some manner of unseeable wall. Perhaps it was how this place had stayed hidden. Some strange, dark witchcraft hiding it from the world outside...

Maybe... If I can just get there, get outside the circle, perhaps It will break whatever foul hex has twisted my body to this abominable shape? Yes! I-it must. It has to...

I tore my eyes from the sight, lest I get lost in the frightening, vivid beauty of the vista on display. I had no time to dally.

The window wasn't an option, it was one large solid pane of glass and the noise from breaking it could attract attention, but more so than that whatever shards of glass that might come lose could rain down on me from doing so... and the apparent drop from the window itself looked... Less than ideal to put it lightly...

However I'd found the first part of my objective, a destination to work towards. If I could find a weapon to fend for myself, as well as an actual way out of this place then...

A plan, however rudimentary was starting to form in my mind and with it came a determination that kept my thoughts clear enough to ignore the intrusive feelings and encroaching memories that otherwise sought to cloud it.

For now at least...

I stepped down from the window and flinched as my arms hit the floor. Cool stone came into contact with the harder make of what now sat in place of my hands. Standing with all four limbs on the floor like a wild animal... A reminder that had me look down in disgust and frustration.

Everything about this situation was so... wrong. Despite focusing on the determined calm I had built, It was a hard fought battle just to contain my own emotions...

Ever since I had woken up, both my feelings and thoughts had been a flurry of chaos and disorder... The calm stoicism that I had cultivated through years of strife, replaced by the turbulent emotional landscape of... a child... Yet I couldn't afford to falter.

I remembered almost slipping back into the blur when I had looked at myself in the mirror... I could not allow that to happen again...

Thinking about it was only serving to slow me down, I didn't know what would happen to me if I fell asleep again, but it couldn't be good... If this was my only chance, I had to take it, regardless of how my body shook in horror of itself or how my mind seemed to contradict the very truth of it's own thoughts.

Yet as I stood there, I couldn't bring myself to move...
My legs had locked up and a cold fear had buried itself within my chest.

Something is coming...

Absentmindedly clutching the plush I had beneath one of the wings on my back, I crouched down silently and listened. I heard footsteps down the hall to the left of me, moments before I watched as a horned horse with orange hair, spectacles and a star spangled cloak rounded the corner of the hallway.

What was I going to do?! It was right there, walking towards where I was! It's eyes weren't on me though, but rather a book that... floated in front of it.
Another wielder of witchcraft... But it was distracted.

I turned around as silently as I could, preparing to sprint down the other end of the hallway to the best of my ability.

If I moved now I could still-'

"Ah, Princess Flurry Heart! I see that you're up early today!"

The hairs along my warped spine stood straight, as fear trickled down it's ridges like a branching river.
I looked back to see the smiling visage of the creature approaching me with a spring in it's step.

I had no weapons, no way to fend it off, but I could speak. It may have been a long shot, but perhaps I could convince it to leave this Flurry alone.

The knot in my stomach tightened further at how familiar that name sounded...

"I-I must admit I had been expecting to see you in the dining room with your parents at this time to be honest," it said with a slightly confused smile as it stowed its books into a satchel at its side. "In fact I was on my way there now to discuss the plans of your upcoming transfer to the Crystal Elementary school..." it, or he most likely, said with a weird look on his face.

I looked up at it as I turned to face the creature, nodding slightly and keeping my mouth shut until I could figure out what to respond with that could get it to leave me alone.

It looked at me with that strange expression again, almost sheepishly... before saying, "I-I know it's a lot... and that you're likely nervous about all the things that are going to change.-" It put Its hoof on my head and ruffled my hair gently, "-But I promise we'll all be right there with you, ready to help you as much as you need!" It finished with what was likely meant to be a reassuring smile.

I was not reassured.

A long moment passed as we both looked at one another in silence.

Shit... it likely expects some manner of response to that...

"Aye, I'm a tad frightened, in truth." I croaked in the best approximation of a child's tone that I could muster.

It looked like it had swallowed a frog.

Damn... I had messed up somehow.
Yet before I could about to attempt to strike it and run away the creature spoke up again.

Wiping a stray tear from his eye he looked down with... mirth?
"S-sorry. I don't mean to laugh at you Flurry, really!, y-you just sound a mite silly right now, I don't think I've heard you sound so... gruff? I guess? Regardless, I-I do mean what I said though."

Kneeling down to eye height with me he gave me an honest look and grin. "Don't worry Princess, Just because you won't be home-schooled anymore doesn't mean that I'll stop teaching you." He said earnestly, before adding with a quirked smile and a hushed tone, "I still haven't found a spell that will let you shoot lasers out of your eyes, but I'm sure I'll stumble onto one any day now."

He was about to continue talking, but before he managed to do so his nose twitched and wrinkled, as he caught a whiff of something and looked down at my body with worry. "O-oh my, F-flurry you're uhm... S-sorry I've just been prattling on, are you feeling well? You've got some... b-barf on your coat, are you feeling sick?" He seemed to grow a little jittery as he fretted over me, standing up to gather something from his saddlebag.

As he stood up, I noticed how much calmer I had become as he spoke... He must have had some kind of relation to the horned pegasus from previously, she had affected me similarly...

He had spoken quickly and given me a lot of information all at once, but I would need to stow that away for later as I improvised.

As he produced a small cloth from his bag and began to dab my side with it, trying to clean off some of the worst of the vomit that stuck to it, an idea came to me.

He had provided the perfect excuse and perhaps with a little bit of probing I might even determine some bit of the layout of the building I was trying to escape. I was not a particularly adept liar and doing so would mean staying near the creature for longer... I didn't have long to contemplate the risks involved however, so I simply went for it.

Coughing twice, I took the same tone as before, gruff as he had described it, feigning a sore throat, as I replied, " Aye I-I was a little queasy yesternight, but I'm alright now, just a tad... woozy... I was going to wash up before breakfast, but I can't seem to recall where the washroom is, c-could you lead me there?"

I gazed up at him with a tired, helpless look, not too far from how I truly felt, as I waited and hoped that he would buy my story...

The creature inspected me with that same nervous, pitying look, as he discarded the stained cloth and pushed his glasses further up his nose, before nodding with a strained smile.
"O-of course Princess, though... why didn't you just use the bathroom in your chambers?" He queried, motioning to the doors of the room I had awoken in.

'Drat... another excuse for that then...'

"I-I uh, I may have... broken it?" I replied with a nerve wracked attempt at a smile to ease the tension of the incredibly obvious fib.

The creature to it's credit only looked surprised or dubious for a second before seemingly accepting the destruction of an entire washroom as a thing that a child was not only capable of, but wouldn't be punished for. As if it was a normal occurrence...

"Ah... Well that explains that noise from previously I suppose... N-no worries Princess, I'll make sure to notify a janitor to come have a look at it." He said with a reassuring smile, as his eyes flitted in the direction of the hall he'd been walking towards previously.

He'd only taken a few steps down that direction before he stopped himself and turned around with his ears splayed back in what I could only guess was some manner of embarrassment on his face.
"T-though I should probably show you to the washroom first, right?" He added with a nervous laugh.

As he started to walk towards the end of the hallway he'd come from, he stopped at it's edge and looked back, motioning for me to follow him.

I suddenly found myself with the somewhat difficult task of having to keep pace with him without tripping and falling on my face, as we traveled down the glittering halls of this dreadful domain of crystal I sought to be free of...

I hadn't succeeded in getting rid of him, but at least I might be able to glean some information from him about how to leave this place. Though I had illness as an excuse, I would still need to tread carefully with how I acted, lest he realize that I wasn't who he thought I was...

I tried to keep up as best I could while we passed down a few passageways and rounded a couple of different corners. I kept an active lookout for any paths down, if only somewhat active, as I had to concentrate on the effort of just keeping pace with the larger creature...

It was such an odd sensation to walk on all fours. There was a certain rhythm to it, a cadence one had to follow if they didn't want to trip over themselves.

As much as I loathed being forced to do so, I was at least slowly getting the hang of it, though not without tripping over myself a half dozen times... I would need to learn quickly if I wanted any chance of running in this body, and considering my circumstances I very well may have to, if the creature I walked with caught on to me.

So it was that as we were traversing down another hallway, just as grand and imposing, and just as similar looking as to be almost indistinguishable from the first. I had to stop every few paces to catch myself, as I tried to gage the strange ways this body sought to move.

The creature next to me seemed to wait on me patiently for those times that I stumbled, though as I went on tripping, it eventually decided to speak up.
"Uhm... Flurry?"

I looked up at him with my brows still knit in concentration.

"I- I know you said that you felt fine, but y-you know... if you're having trouble walking I could carry you there. I-it's just... it seems like you're struggling a bit..." He offered as he fidgeted with some sort of uneasy expression on his face, before he seemed to recall something of note. As a more genuine smile replaced his otherwise nervous expression, I got a distinct feeling that I was not going to like what came out of his mouth next...

"It could be like back when we used to play Princesses and Wizards against evil!" he said with a light chuckle, as he took on on some sort of ridiculous gallant pose.

'...What?'

"Remember? How you'd use me as your faithful steed, as we rode into imaginary battles!" He continued once more, his eyes lost to a memory.

I blinked slowly and unamused at the creature, he was clearly reminiscing foolishly about some past event that I had no way of remembering.

Except...

As his words filtered into my mind, a memory managed to slip forth from the storm held at bay on the edges of my mind. A memory of a smaller version of myself giggling jovially on the back of the stallion, as we ran up and down the stairs of a library. Both of us saying silly phrases and strange incantations as we played...

I shook my head again, more violently as I grit my teeth.

That hadn't been one of my memories, neither had that been myself in it...
But the fact that it obviously could not have been real, nor myself, helped little to dissuade how real it had felt in that instant...

Was I beginning to loose my grip on my mind? Bleeding bones... Perhaps my time was shorter than I had thought...

Focusing in on the stallion looking down at me in earnest invitation, I made a choice which I abhorred by nature.
"...Fine, but only if you get there fast." I ground out, trying my best not to sound like I'd rather prefer to jump off a moving wagon.

The stallion so eager to indulge in lost revelry, seemed not to notice my tone, as he happily used his witchcraft to place me upon his back. I flinched violently both at him using his dark arts to touch me and at being placed onto his back like a mere child. He himself also seemed to have to adjust a small bit too before he could start walking.

"Oophm, I-I think I remember why we stopped doing this, hehe..." He said with a strained chuckle. "You've really grown quite a bit since last we did this, Flurry. While I've regrettably not grown much stronger..." He squared his stance and started to walk, though with a bit more effort than previously. "But fear not! Your faithful steed, Sunburst will endure!" He proclaimed as he trotted down the hall.

I tried to ignore his ceaseless prattling as I focused on containing my emotions. It was humiliating to be carried around like a mere babe, but right now that was not what bothered me... A swell of anger and fear had surged in me at suddenly having faced a memory not my own, pretending as if it were, but I could not let it consume me. I could not...

My breath hitched as I tried to control the burgeoning emotions within my chest...

I had to stay calm... Calm and focused on my goal.

I was holding steady for now and making progress towards my objective, but it seemed clear to me that my time of lucidity may be limited. I would have to endure this nightmare for but a bit longer to earn my freedom, but I could delay no longer than that.

'Considering that... No, that's ridiculous... Though... It's worth a try at least...'

With urgency at the forefront, an idea came to mind. One not born out of fear, perhaps a little from the stress of the situation, but rather mostly one wrought from the truly bizarre nature of the current predicament I found myself in, and a life spent trained as a rider...

I decided to indulge the creatures nostalgic reverie a little further, whilst it insisted on acting as my steed...
The creature barely had time to react with more than a surprised neigh.

Leaning forward with my weight and squeezing it's barrel firmly with my legs, I kicked it not entirely gently in both sides as I gave it one, loud verbal command.

"HEYYAAHHH!!"

All at once the stallions eyes went wide, as he reared back in confusion and let out a startled whinny, before setting forward in a gallop down the hall.

The wind rushed through my hair and a small smirk graced my face as I felt in my element for the first time since I'd woken up. Pillars, doors, windows and more flew by my peripheral vision as we raced down polished stone hallways towards a destination that only the panicked stallion below me knew.

Other creatures flew by as well, some clothed like servants and others like warriors, though all held an expression of befuddlement and alarm, as the startled stallion and I charged by them.

The line between my own thoughts and emotions, and those that lied in wait at the edge of my mind, began to blur, as I couldn't help but let out a cheer of exhilaration. The clouds within beginning to part, as a bout of excitement pushed forth.

The otherwise strange colours of the decorated hallways whizzing past seemed to become less obnoxious or alien and more familiar for every corner we passed. I started to recognize faces and places as they flew by with increasing accuracy.

The stallion himself, whose breathing was becoming more ragged by the minute, seemed to catch on to my change of mood. Continuing what had been a strange act of instinct with some scant determination, a labored smile on his lip as he ran.

After many confused faces and crystal pillars we finally began to slow down, though whether it was because we had reached our destination or because my loyal steed could run no further I was unsure. His intense, ragged breathing, was however probably a clue towards the latter.

The stallion deflated much like a weary set of bagpipes beneath me, with an accompanying groan that couldn't quite match the tone. The smile on my face grew a little more neutral as a smidge of worry entered my chest.

Jumping off my loyal steed with surprising ease, I leaned down to eyelevel with him with a slightly embarrassed grin.
"You okay there, Sunburst?"

Sunburst, the mess of a man he was currently, looked up with the closest he could manage to a smile while gasping for air and to his credit, it only took him about 2 minutes before he actually managed a somewhat legible response.

"Ahhh, woohh... Ah-I'm fh-ine. I-I just... need a... F-few minutes here... t-to recover..." He wheezed more than spoke.

Sitting down on my behind with my hooves in front of me like a dog, I gave him a warm if slightly pitying smile.
"I'd love to wait for you Sunburst, but I still feel like I need to hurry for some reason... Is it ok if I continue on without you?" I asked looking around for something I couldn't quite place...

It took a few seconds of panting and trying to speak before he simply chose to light his horn and manifest the magical equivalent of a check mark, followed up with a weary smile.

Taking that as confirmation I stood up and started to trot down the hall, though stopping a few paces away as Sunburst tried to wheeze something after me.

"T-though, phew... I'd r-recommend... you visit the infirmary after you wash up... j-just to make sure... y-you're n-not still sick..." He pushed out before slumping over on the floor with his face down.

Nodding at that I responded with "Will do, Sunburst, see you at breakfast!" before heading back down the hall.
If I remembered correctly there should be a public bathroom down to the left of the current hallway. Though I couldn't quite remember where the infirmary was for some reason... 'Hm... I could probably just ask directions from one of the guards or maids though.'

I felt kind of odd, as I trotted towards the bathroom. Today had been somewhat confusing and I kept having a feeling that I was forgetting something really important, but I just couldn't remember what it was...

Walking into the bathrooms I found an empty one and stepped inside.

Hopefully it wasn't all that important If I couldn't remember it, besides, I was getting to be pretty late for breakfast at this point. 'A little tardiness is fine, but mom might start to worry if I take too long...' With that in mind I chose to simply get myself cleaned up and tackle the weird feeling of forgetfulness later at the infirmary.

Standing upright on my hindlegs In front of the mirror, I frowned at the spot on my left where my coat was still covered partially in puke. Sunburst had done a decent job at removing it with what he had on hoof, but it was still pretty icky...

Nothing I couldn't handle on my own though. Carefully grabbing some soap from the sink with my magic I looked at myself in the mirror and...-

...

*Crack*

Shattered glass hit the floor as blood started to run down my forehead.

I lost balance and fell over on the floor backwards with a thud, pain spread throughout my body as shards of glass jabbed at my skin, though unable to break it.

"W-what...What just happened?!" I screamed. Curling in on myself as best I could as I shivered in both shock and fear.
"I-I... W-who..?" I muttered anxiously as I tried to recall what had just happened moments prior.

A flurry of memories rushed forth invading my mind, but despite my terror I pushed them away with a cry of fury and concentrated power of will. I would not let it take me again!

My breathing quickened as I realized that I'd lost control of my body for an amount of time I couldn't truly recall in the moment. I was in a room that I just barely remembered walking into...

The walls were tiled and decorated with flowery patterns, the floor much the same, though in different colours and shades. Other than that the room was filled with strange contraptions of stone, metal and wood. I recognized some manner of cabinet but other than that the rest were unfamiliar to me, and yet I knew what they were called...

Toilet, sink, showerhead, towel rack.

Besides the first, I had barely any understanding of what those words meant.

Laying on the ground I grit my teeth and knit my brows in concentration as I focused on carving out that island of calm within my mind once more. It took painstakingly long as I was distracted by the feeling of the blood flowing from the wound on my forehead. though as the minutes passed I managed to slow my breathing and my beating heart...

Only when I felt that I was not at risk of immediately blurring once more, did I start to stand up.

Breathing an anxious and weary sigh I looked at the fractured mirror briefly, considering whether a large piece could function as an improvised weapon, but upon trying to grasp a piece I realized that I had no way to effectively hold it... I cursed at the fleshy clubs that had taken the place of my hands.

Though as I gazed upon the broken reflection of the false body I had been trapped within, a thought came to mind, one that should have been obvious in hindsight.

Above the smear of blood on my forehead sat a weapon of bony make, not terribly sharp, but long enough to pierce... If I could simply get close to one of the creatures, even this tiny form should be able to injure an adult of its kind. In theory...

It would have to do, for I had neither the time nor patience to consider anything else. I had a destination and a weapon of some sort... Escape was next, and with that thought in mind, I made my way out of the washroom.