In the blink of an eye- things went way sour.
To cite the popular expression, shit hit the fuckin fan. Had I barely took a bite of the warmest, freshiest Peach Scone i had the pleasure of setting my eyes on, I recieved a bloody, severed hind leg to the face- Flank and all.

That's when i realized that we were under attack.

My sense couldn't even alert me- the wear on the enchantments overhead snapped, the magic in the room warped in a weird way, and as fast as the blink of an eye, the room literally exploded. Literally, the walls expanded outwards, the ceiling gave way, and the guests- whom were mostly Deer, moments before- suddenly turned into ghoulish-looking bug ponies. Most likely, a Changeling had infiltrated the Deer envoy, and the magic- gone wild- decided that a heavily-radiation-cooked fusion of Deer and Changeling would make for an interesting new species.

Wild magic wasn't smart- thus, it was wrong.

That's right- half of them guests turned into what appeared to be Changelings- and the other half were turned into Pony/Deer salsa. Chunks, bits and limbs were flying every which way- and mists of blood slowly evaporated unto the carpeted floor, mixing with colorful stray pieces of tails and manes, in an almost psychedelic pattern, but soon became hidden from view as large portions of the ceiling came down unto the buffet table. The food, drenched in bloods and gorey pieces of flesh, got squished under the rubble with an interesting, wet squelch. In the Chaos, a large piece of column went flying right into my face, effectively knocking me out cold.

----------//----------

I woke up, covered in bandages, laying in a rather comfy bed- it's soft mattress was almost swallowing me in a sea of pillows, the soft sheets feeling like velvet against my scruffy pelt, and a scent of honey and medicinal herbs filled my nose.

It could only mean one thing: I was in the medical wing of the Castle, and something had gone wrong. Vague flashes returned to me- the vision of the table full of food, smiling Deer faces- but nothing tangible yet.

Suddenly, a violent twinge on my horn- i kept feeling a part of me that i had lost, and it was so weird- shook me awake, and a glowing ball of light erupted from my forehead.

"Quick! Wake up! There's no time!" The shrill filly voice made my head feel like i was swimming- everything rocked to the rhythm of unseen waves, and it felt like I heard that while i was underwater. There was a pressure against my ears, which prickled every which way in a vain attempt to pop.

I had suffered a concussion. That much was clear.

"We don't have time for this! Remember already!" The dancing ball of light, nervously pacing around the room moments prior, darted towards my forehead, and with a magical 'shump', everything came back to me.

The blood. The Squelch sound of the ceiling. The column that had knocked me out- but most likely supported some rubble overhead and saved me, somehow.

I took stock of my body's condition, slowly. Lifting my left hoof... No pain, yet- the summary inspection showed barely a scratch. Good.

I grabbed the covers, and yanked them off me. Immediatly, the sight of bandages accross my ribcage worried me, but I didn't let that stop my hoof from pushing the covers yet further, revealing my hind legs. The right one was in a cast- hence the slight itching i could already feel on my flank- but didnt seem in much of a bad state.

The bandages accross my ribcage showed bloody stains. This was more disconcerting, and i could feel a little anxiety rising. Once the endorphins would die down, once the drugs would wear off, I already started to feel the pain. Not looking forward to it.

"It looks bad, but no organs were touched." Silence reassured me, no doubt feeling y heartbeat rushing and my nervosity rocking up. "An Antler flew right in there-" she floated right above the blood stain, inches from my heart and lungs, "and got stuck pretty deep in. But they did a good job of stitching you up. It's looking worse than it actually is- its basically a really bad cut, nothing more." The ball floated towards the door leading to the hall. "Father, however... Can you stand? Can you walk? They wheeled us at the same time, and i saw them carry him down the hall. I can't exactly get far enough from you to see him..." Sadly, she could only float about a hundred meters away before it started to strain us. If i were to focus, i could notice a strand between her and my heart- shimmering like a spider's web under her light, the tether that glued us together until death parted us.

Did that mean we were, in a sense, married? My drug addled mind reasoned that yes, a contract like ours wasn't unlike a marriage.

I tried to sit- and immediately regreted it. Its not as if I couldn't move, but I could feel the tearing sensation of the 'cut', as Silence put it, right between my lungs, and under my heart. It took my breath away, and felt so Alien, I'd almost rather they'd leave the Antler there. Not unlike a mare being deflored, I begged for nothing but something to fill that void of a hole. Feeling every 'wall' of flesh move around- i could almost hear the squelches and tightening muscles around the wound crinkle like paper- brought unbearable pain, so I slid back in a laying position. I had to forgrt the feeling of the cool air sipping in the wound, and come out warmed- cooked by my insides. It was most, most unpleasant. Very verily, much much so.

"Master? Can you stand?" The worried tone, while trying to sound recomforting, only made slightly pissed. I didn't need anyone's pity- especially my own- and, yet again, i felt a clenchin sensation in my bowels at the mention of the title she called me with.

"I'm fine." Knowing what to expect now, i pushed my body upwards, and bit back the whiny of pain down my throat. I was finally able to stay in a seated position.

Walking would be painful, but possible with a little support. I could always ask Silence to take the strain of the pain on herself... But it always made me feel bad, even if she would gladly do it.

Our relationship was that of master and servant- she was wired, her whole psyche had been modified to feel a sense of accomplishment upon serving her master.

It made me feel a little sick. To think that, in my first lives, I was able to devise such a thing... Such an elaborate Law. Magic of that level, that transcended time and destiny- it broke everything Equus stood for. Magic had rules- elaborate, quantum physics kind of rules- and I was defying at least half of them. A synthetic mind, a fake-spirit, haunting another mind and enslaving it. Drawing upon it when needed. Sharing pain wasn't the worst thing i could do to her- I remember the 'settings' tab from the hud, back when i had a horn.

Just what kind of monster was I?

I wanted to get out of my own skin. To be someone else- but theses were the cards I'd been dealt. This was the result I had been working for, the culmination of centuries of research and expectations. Something that tried its best to have some equinity, but ultimately was nothing more than a facsimile.

And I wasn't the only one. The fact that this magic wasn't unique, that it could be replicated, improved even, mass-produced to some extent, made my stomach churl and my wound ache. I felt so empty. So dull. Apathic to the core.

Yet, I was alive, and there were no changing things- I was gifted, and i was privileged. Others would kill to be me- to have access to such levels of luxury and immortality, both unreachable aspirations shared by many- and yet here I was, Self-loathing, my expression locked in a rictus most hideous, a gnarlish snarl, a most profound frown that would leave crisses and wrinkles on my face forn hours to come.

I did not deserve my handsome face. If only i could find myself repulsive- I could find some manner of comfort in the fact that i wasn't likeable.
Dear sisters, i hate myself. Might you strike me down.

Then, i felt something snap. My eyes burned- i could feel them acting up, the yellow rim around the iris turning much, much darker, shades of burnt oranges, almost red- and my furr thickened around my body, darkening around the edges. The layer of skin under my pelt felt like it was bubbling- and had i had my horn, i could tell you exactly what was happening.

I had absorbed wild magic. My insides weren't equine anymore. Any second now, i could transform into an Eldritch abomination. Or worse, explode. Would that be worse? Was exploding painful? How can the brain register pain when it's liquefied?

----------//----------

The library floor was stained with so much ink, so much blood, over and over- it was impossible to know where one tile ended and the next started. The gouges between them were filled with a black, crusty ridge of filth, one she pawed at with a palmed bird's talons, mindlessly. The screams in the distance were almost boring to listen to. The skies overhead weren't filled with pleasing air currents anymore- ever since the doors locked eons ago. Now everything stank of necrosed flesh, and sulfur- the smell of foul magic, as was expected from the Eldritch dimension. The never ending library. A maze full of arcane secrets, and ink. So much ink everywhere. A flawless Goose's white plumage's worst enemy. The ink was strong here- sentient, a slimy, massive syrup that bled from the walls and filled every shelves. Fountains of light here and there- and the colorful mechanisms that activated all kinds of things- kept the Ink at bay, which boiled in the light. She was currently basking in such light, next to one of the doors, hoping for a breeze or some air current to ride. You see, her other brothers and sisters didn't share her wonder for the outside world as much as she did. And their form wasn't much suited for outerworld exploration either- shapeless masses in the sea of ink, only tentacles emerged once in a while to turn the pages of a book, or scratch a spot on some wall. What lurked under the Ink couldn't be properly described- it was beyond words, really. It hurt to look at. You couldn't comprehend it. Your mind lacked the parts necessary to make sense out of those shapes, of that magic- and creatures that made it here, or were snatched away, always died within a few moments of starring at the tentacles- their constant cries and yells now a dull background noise that one barely paid any attention to.

Grooming her wings, straightening the puffy feathers along their length, the Goose was the most bored creature in all of existence. If only there was someone, something to annoy, or some open skies to glide in. Some lakes to swim in. Alas, everything here was either dry or soaked in ink and blood, the abominations requiring such a cocktail to stay alive, feeding themselves of the knowledge in the blood and ink. This was the plane of Ancestral Knowledge- what transcended the Ink, and what was best left forgotten. Everything here chipped away at one's sanity, and the spells etched on the stones, stored in the scrolls, and hidden in the books all lead one's mind to oblivion- it was a price to pay for the most powerful of sorceries, the most complex of magical structures and the most horrific of creations. In the wrong hands, it could lead the universe into a permanent doom. The whole multiverse, Yggdrasil, could fall if the lowest roots where to find those golden apples at the top. And ripe fruits always fell from the branches. With barely any notice- a soft hum of magical energies- a large rune circle etched itself in the air around the dull stone doorway, vertically along it's length- and with a deafening cackle, almost like a disembodied evil laugh from the witches of old- a portal spun open, magical sparks flying everywhere from it's roaring green flames. As it flickered open, a vortex of wind sucked in the air near the door. The Goose barely had the time to let out a honk of surprise, she found herself flung the other side, into the infinitely stretching void of space, confused- yet glad to finally leave this forsaken dimension, hopefully leaving her boredom along with it.

Author's Note

Lots of things happened in such little time. Were you paying attention last chapter? Did you spot the changeling before they became jam and got spread on the walls? It wasnt much of a hint, i know, but i didn't want it to obviously stand out either. Just half-obviously.

Don't worry- no deer were harmed in this scene. Everything can- and will- be avoided. No blood shall be shed in the holy castle!