Equestria Missing 2: Insanity's Nightmare

I woke up with the sun in my eyes; I shielded my eyes and sat up slowly. I looked around, I was back in Fluttershy's cottage, it was quiet, I felt around on my chest for the broken rib... nothing, I then felt at my ear... nothing.... I was fine. I breathed a sigh of relief as I got out of the bed and headed toward the window, I looked out at Ponyville, nobody was around. "Oh shit.... here we go again..." I said to myself as I started to hurry down the stairs. Going down the stairs felt like forever, what would I see at the bottom? I could hear other ponies talking in the kitchen, a mare and a stallion; maybe it’s just the voices again? I don't know, my mind is fucked, I could still be in my nightmare for all I know.

"Huh? Who's there?" I heard the stallion call out, I froze in place. I made not a sound. "F-Flare? I-is that you?" I heard the mare call out, is that.... Fluttershy? "I'll go check on him". Oh crap, I started heading back upstairs as fast as I could but the hoof steps of the one following me were growing louder and louder, I got to the top of the staircase right before I heard a familiar voice. Not Fluttershy's but... a familiar voice...

"Flare? You're awake!?" I know that voice... I turned around slowly... "Golden Compass?" I saw my old friend standing at the bottom of the staircase. "Heh. You look like crap" Golden Compass snickered, jeez way to greet an old friend… I turned to my right where a wall mirror sat, well he was right, I did look like crap. My mane was a mess and I had black rings around my eyes. But at least I was back to normal. Mane, eyes, colour... I was... fine.

"Yea... You are". I turned back to Golden Compass. "Ar-....Are you real?" I asked cautiously. "I'm real enough... Come on down, we need to talk" Golden Compass headed back toward the kitchen, and I slowly followed. "Hey GC, what's going on? Why are you..." I stopped halfway through my sentence as I neared the kitchen; there Fluttershy was, making lunch for herself and GC. She also had a third bowl, an empty one. GC leaned in closer to me and whispered; "She didn't take you being in that coma of yours very well". Coma? What the hell did he mean? "So how's he doi-" Fluttershy stopped as she turned towards me.

We stood there in silence for about a minute, she not knowing how to respond to me being awake after whatever amount of time I've been out. I leaned closer and whispered to GC. "Hey, um... How long was I out exactly?" I asked slowly, he looked back at me with a confused look, as if I was aware of how long I was out. "You've been out for a month" I looked back at Fluttershy with an apologetic look on my face, I don’t know why I would feel apologetic but I definitely felt that way.

“I'm sorry Fluttershy”  She looked back at me with a tear in her eye, just before cracking a small smile and running to hug me. “WOAH! Oh, okay um…” I was at a loss for words; I looked over at GC he was laughing like crazy at my reaction. “I'm just glad you’re finally awake” she hugged me tighter, and I hugged back, I was glad I was out of that hell.

During lunch we started talking about this whole event, GC was at the end of the table apologizing over and over again, saying it was his fault. “It’s all my fault, I should never have said yes.” I was wondering why he went from happy to apologetic in a snap; I cleared my throat before speaking, which caught his attention. “Um… GC, why are you so…. Apologetic?” After my sentence he did something that I never knew he could do. He changed into Fluttershy… and then into Rainbow Dash “Don’t you remember?” It made me jump back in surprise.

“What the!? GC, Wha-“

“I’m a Changeling remember?” He kept changing forms in front of me. “But instead of love, I feed off of sanity… It's more... Powerful...” Memories were flashing in front of my eyes, dark, disturbing memories.

“One day, I was getting a bit out of control, you offered up your sanity, so I could keep going.”

No.

“Knowing that the right amount of sanity I needed would kill you, I only left you with a small percentage of sanity, so I would have enough time to find something else to feed on.”

It’s not right…

“and that’s when you…” I felt at the back of my neck… A bite mark. “I’m so sorry Flare…” I started to feel sick in the stomach, he changed back to his own form and I stepped back slowly. They both looked at me GC with a sad look and Fluttershy with a worried look. “I-I remember…” I felt some blood trickle down my muzzle, Fluttershy went and got me some tissues to wipe away the blood; I was just about done with blood now, but at least they noticed it.

I sat back down and took a deep breath. “So... You're the reason?” I asked slowly in a weak voice. "As far as I know, yes." I thought for a minute "No. No, Luna was the one responsible, she told me so in my dream" I stuck with that, until GC responded. "She was the one responsible for your coma, not your insanity."

"NO IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!" I yelled back quickly. GC sighed and got up. "If you wont believe me... I'll have to show you" GC grabbed onto my back, I started feeling tingly, and then my vision faded into what seemed like GC's Apothecary.

My vision got clearer and I realised it was me standing at GC's door, I felt like I didn't have control over myself, I went through the door where I saw GC freaking out, moving papers and items around his shop, and then he noticed me "FLARE! W-what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here!" He said franticly as if he was looking for something. Out of my own control I asked; "Woah! GC! What's wrong?" It was like watching a movie, I couldn't control myself but I could still see what was happening, I could even feel myself moving. GC came up to me and said. "I'm sorry I kept this as a secret from you" He changed into a different form.

"I'm a changeling, I feed off of sanity. I had some sanity potions lying around but I think I ran out." Ran out? I stood in silence as I watched GC get more and more unstable, then I said something I never thought I would've said. "...Take my sanity" WHAT!? did I really just say that? GC looked at me shocked and appalled "W-why? No I won't do it" he responded fervently looking around. "Do it GC, I'd rather give my life for a friend to keep living, rather than letting him die. Just do it."

He looked at me, with a worried look on his face, he sighed and said okay. He walked over to me, grabbed onto my head and neck, and asked. "Are you sure you want to do this?" I responded shortly after. "anything for a friend. Just do it" there was a silence, before I felt a sharp jab in the back of my neck. It felt unpleasant but it didn't really hurt too much, my vision started fading into blackness, then pain started to kick in. "Shit... No... PLEASE! STOP! ARGH!" the last thing I saw was my limp body falling to the ground. "I-I'm sorry Fl-Fluttershy... I'm so sorry" My vision faded back clearly, I was now in my house in Cloudsdale.  "Well. this is where it all started" GC informed me. "No. I can't believe I put myself through this." I mumbled softly.

"It's not your fault Flare, I was the one who decided to go through with it." I didn't want to fight about it now, I just sat in silence. "Take me home." I was feeling worn out, and I had a headache. "You are home Flare." GC said in a way that he wouldn't normally say something.

"...Come on GC, I don't wanna play any jokes now." He looked at me in a more serious tone now. "You are home Flare. Back where you belong" What? "You never belonged here."

No. "GC... What are yo- Why are you?.."

"What you've experienced, didn't happen." I was getting more and more confused. "G-GC. Y-you." My muzzle started bleeding again, I coughed.

"Birth. Separation. Insanity. It never happened." My vision blurred again and came back. I was at the cemetery. "Look behind you Flare" I turned around. No... I saw a grave... With my name on it... I was Stillborn.  I turned back around. "Flare... You're not real."

"No... It's not right... Everything has happened, the asylum, Fluttersh-."

"She never knew you." This can't be happening, I looked around, the world was crumbling beneath us.

"GC! What's happening!?" I yelled in a worry. "You're realizing." I started crying in a fit of panic. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN REALIZING?! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!" I screamed out in a worry. "I'm sorry Flare, I can't help you now." The ground crumbled beneath my hooves causing me to jump and start hovering, My eyes were filled with tears, I felt like I couldn't breathe. "You're just going to have to accept it." No. "I'm going to miss you buddy"

"SHUT UP!"

"I'm sorry Flare." He crumbled away along with the world, I started feeling pain all over, cracks and rips throughout my body. I felt my wings rip off. And I started to fall. I sobbed as I fell, not knowing when I would stop. everything was flashing before me. and then I heard a Familiar voice. Fluttershy's. "Goodnight Flare." I felt a sharp pain. And then... Nothing....

"I'm sorry Flare... I'm so sorry..."

Death... It hurts... Please stop... I can't breathe...

Whiteness engulfed my eyes, I heard a newborn foal crying. "It's a colt! A beautiful, baby colt." I heard someone say. Is that... My dad? My vision eventually came to. I was in a hospital... Doctors surrounded me... "Congratulations sir..." I heard one of the doctors say... "L-let me H-Hold him...." I heard my mother say, "W-wait a minute... Something's wrong..."

What? No... Everything stopped, even me... I could only move my eyes... Out of the corner of my eyes I saw someone moving. I moved my eyes over to the movement, It was Golden Compass... "H-Hey buddy...." He said softly. "I-I'm sorry I couldn't help you... But I'm going to make it right!. I promise..." I heard him say slightly tearfully. I tried to speak but only my thoughts came to: 'GC! HELP ME! PLEASE!' He just turned around and walked back into the crowd of doctors. everything resumed, then I felt extreme pain in my chest.

I tried to scream but nothing came out. "Give him here!" I heard a doctor yell. "W-WAIT! Where are you taking him?" I heard my dad say. "It's going to be okay..." The doctor said just before taking me away from my parents. "W-WAIT! NO! DON'T TAKE HIM FROM ME! FLARE! NO!" I heard my mother scream trying to get me back. I.... I can't breathe.... GC... Help....