Quincy

Was this all real? The outbreak, the fog, Hailea, and that clown? Or were they hallucinations?

Is this why I haven’t gotten infected yet? Was it because of my mask?

I successfully managed to get rid of the mirror shards that were in my hoof. I wish I could clean the wounds with something, but there was nothing in the med-kit that would work. So I just had to bandage my hoof up and hope I don’t get an infection. Or the infection, if that’s even real.

I stood up. I winced from using my injured forehoof. I should probably take a sip of that health drink. To kill some of the pain.

I thought about it for a moment. And told myself no. I need to save that drink for something extreme. I can live with these cuts.

I walked to the exit, but stopped when I felt something at the bottom of my hoof. I took a step back and looked down, and saw a key. My eyes widened. Is this the key to that door?

I picked it up with my magic and looked at it. Huh. It wasn’t to that door. I knew, because there was a tag on it, that read ‘Hayside Hotel.’ That’s where my family and I stayed at during the… Carnival.

Why is this key here? Do I need to go to Hayside?

I sighed. This isn’t what I think it is. Seeing the room change like that was the first clue that this isn’t an apocalypse. It was possibly a clue to my sanity being gone.

No… No.

I’m not insane. I’m just… Lost and confused. I don’t remember anything about the apocalypse. But somehow I knew about that monster. That monster. The one surrounded by smoke. With its skin covered with tumours.

What the hell was going on here?

I decided that if I want to figure that out, then the Hayside Hotel was the place to go. Hell, maybe the key to that metal door is there.

I went out of the bathroom. The fog… The fog became less thick and more clear. Not by much, but I can see just a little bit further now.

And I saw something, a silhouette of a small pony, who seemed to be staring at the metal wall that blocked off the town from the carnival. I can tell it wasn’t a monster nor a clown, because one, it wasn’t violently shaking its head and two, it didn’t have an afro.

Thank Celestia.

I approached the short figure, muttering the word, “H-Hello?”

The little unicorn colt gasped and quickly turned around. “Shit! You scared the hell out of me!” He felt his own chest with his hoof. “My heart is going ninety-miles-per hours now!”

“U-um, o-kay?” What did I do wrong? I just said hello. “I-I’m sorry?” But I apologized anyway.

“It’s… It’s fine, dude. Sorry I snapped.” The little colt sighed, then looked at me with a small grin. “Hi.”

I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my face. Then I frowned. “W-what are you d-doing out here? It’s d-dangerous out h-here.”

The colt frowned. “I’m… I’m looking for my brother. He got lost around here. I can’t seem to find him…” He turned away and his eyes lit up. “Maybe he’s in there!” He pointed to the bathroom. “I haven’t checked there yet!” He began trotting.

“W-wait.” The colt stopped and looked at me. “He isn’t in th-there, I-I’m sorry,” I told him, trying to avoid the details.

“Oh.” He sat back down. “Oh Faust, what have I done?! I should’ve been watching him! What if he’s hurt? Or… O-or… W-worse…” The little colt started to sniffle. Then his eyes began to water.

“H-hey hey… L-look at m-me.” I sat down in front of the colt. My eyes met his. “I-I’ll help you find him, m-mkay?”

His sniffles died down. “R-really? P-promise?”

A promise. Something that should be stronger than diamond. Something to never be broken. Can I really make this promise? Can I really find this colt’s brother?

I’m sure as hell am gonna try.

In a stiff tone, “I promise.” All without stuttering.

He stopped sniffling.

Then he quickly ran at me, then hugged me.

“Thank you.” Was all he said.

I hugged back, and gave his head a little pat.

The hug broke. “So, where d-do you think he could’ve g-gone?” I asked.

“Um, well…” He looked at the door on the metal wall. “I’m not too sure if it was through there. The door is locked and I can’t imagine that he would be tall enough to lock it… Unless...”

“Hey. H-he’s going to fine, a-alright?”

The colt sighed and nodded. “Yeah. I hope so.”

I felt bad for this colt. He lost his brother and now he’s worried sick. But that wasn’t the fear of his parents punishing him or him getting into any kind of trouble. You can tell that he cared about his brother from hearing him cry.

I will help him find his brother.

“W-well, it’s a b-bit far away…” The colt looked up at me. “B-but it’s somewhere t-to go.”

“Where is it?” He asked, his eyes lighting up.

“It’s the Hayside Hotel. It’s c-close by.” I remembered seeing it’s location on the tourist map. “I-I know that may s-sound kinda odd… B-but I just found this key,” I said, then levitated out the key. He looked at it, frowning slightly. “It was in…” I pointed at the restroom. “In there.”

He looked at the bathroom then back at me. “In there? The bathroom? Huh. That’s kinda odd.” He pondered for a moment. “Yeah. Sure. Let’s go to the hotel. It couldn’t hurt.”

“A-alright. And hey,” I said. He looked at me again. “W-we’ll find him, I-I swear, okay?”

He gave me a weak smile, and nodded.

We began to trot down the street.

Him and I spoke a little when we walked. I wanted to get there as fast as possible. Though I caught onto bits of things that he was telling me.

Like his name, Mortus. I thought about calling him ‘Mort’ for short, but I want to ask him if it was alright first. But somewhere safer.

And then we found it. Hayside Hotel. It had a sign in front of the building. The sign was a stack of hay with a pillow on it. On the side, the word ‘Hayside’ could be read.

“Wow. This place looks big for being in Ponyville,” Mortus commented as he looked at the building, up and down.

I didn’t say anything. I only approached the front door and pulled out the key. I slide the key into the keyhole, and turned.

Click.

It was now unlocked.

I pushed the door open. There was no light to be seen on the inside. So I pulled out my lantern and lit it, then went inside.

The colt followed.

The lobby had no signs of life in it. The windows were all boarded up and covered with blankets or bed sheets, or even both. The floor was covered with filth: dust, empty wrappers of chips or candy bars, etc.

There was a newspaper on the ground. I decided to look at it. Mortus just stayed silent and looked around.

Unicorn Mafia in Ponyville?

There have been numerous rumours that members of the Unicorn Mafia are roaming around in Ponyville, so the Royal Guard believe. No one has been arrested for selling drugs or weapons in Ponyville, but someone might soon, if the information provided by the Royal Guard is true. The Princesses are sending a detective into Ponyville to confirm the safety of the citizens.

The Unicorn Mafia? That sounds familiar…

Wait! I’ve read this newspaper before! It was a few days before this entire thing even started.

I decided to keep this newspaper as well, because it reminded me of before I found myself in this mess.

“What was on there?” Mortus quietly asked.

“S-stuff about the Un-unicorn Ma-mafia,” I replied.

“The Unicorn Mafia? So, uh, a mafia full of unicorns?” He asked.

“Y-yeah. I g-guess so,” I said.

We both moved on from the lobby and went into the hallway. There was an elevator but it seems to be out of order. The only option we had was to go upstairs.

We both went out into the hallway, but when I saw what was to the right, I quickly pulled Mortus back. He was about to say something, but I put a high onto my lips to tell him to stay silent. He understood.

I put out the lantern, then looked out of the hallway. There was a light. And an animated monster, bending over with its face in something that’s the ground. I looked to the other side, but it was a dead end. There were doors past the monster. And I knew where one of them lead.

I pulled out a spare medical mask and handed it to Mortus. “P-put it on,” I whispered. “It will pr-protect you.”

“From what?” He whispered back.

I looked back out into the hallway. I signalled him to look too. Mortus poked his head out and looked at the monster. His jaw slowly dropped as his eyes widened.

“What?!” He whispered loudly. “Why do we have to go by that thing?!”

“S-shut up. We c-can’t have it hear u-us,” I quietly said. “A-and it’s to g-get to one of t-the rooms b-back there.”

“But why?” He asked again.

“I-I need to ch-check something. P-please,” I told him. Mortus didn’t like my answer, but stayed quiet.

I left the elevator. Mortus slowly followed.

I heard that the monster was eating something. And as we got closer, it can be seen that it was a decapitated corpse of a pony. Smoke can be seen around the monster, just like with the one at town hall.

I went by like a charm. I looked back at Mortus. He followed my movements perfectly.

Except for when he slipped. And made a grunting sound.

The monster made a gasp and look away from its meal and looked at us. Nothing but a whole mouth. No eyes, no nostrils. Just a big mouth with countless razor-sharp teeth that were stained with black.

“G-GO! T-TO THE END!” I yelled. Mortus ran past me, to the door at the end of the hallway. The monster tried to leap at me, but I bucked them in the chest. They flew back at the other end of the light. Now was the time to run.

I sprinted for my life, if this was my life.

Please don’t let the door run away, please.

I heard fast, heavy hoof beats behind me.

Mortus held the door for me.

I ran in, and slammed the door shut, and locked it.

The monster banged and banged. But it couldn’t get in.

We were safe. For now.