The Night Shroud

I plop onto the chair at my worktable and stare at the open page of my notebook, mug of coffee in hoof. I sip on the hot liquid and feel a wave of energy slowly spread through my body. I put the mug on the table, right beside three small pink pills. I hope i won't need them, but better save than sorry.

She comes home at around nine pm, eats dinner and tends to the plants in her room for about an hour. If i arrive at eight, it'll give me more than enough time to-

knock knock knock

Sun above, please tell me its not who i think it is.

"Witty, its Seabelle, open the door!" I've never been so sad to be in the right. Maybe if i'm quiet she'll go away. "I know you're there, Witty, open up!" Aight, there's still a way out of this situation. One that works less and less as time moves on.

"Can you please leave? I'm having a killer headache right now!" I lie and hear a sigh from the other side of the door.

"That's exactly the reason why you need to see a doctor!" There she goes, just as expected.

"I'm telling you for the umpteenth time, i'm not going to the hospital!" I reply a little too loudly. Turning my gaze back towards the notebook i see a bright red outline of spider-like claws swirl around the lit candle on my table. Just my luck. I guess that wasn't a lie after all. The knocks grow louder as i pick the pills up with my magic and down them with a hefty sip of coffee. "What's the big deal anyway? Everypony gets headaches from time to time."

"Not for days on end!" I roll my eyes as the black fog whirls around the kitchen table. "You know what they say, Witty. Once an accident, twice a coincidence, three times a pattern."

"So what? I've had a traumatic accident a few weeks ago, i'm just stressed, that's all." I close my eyes and something cold brush past my muzzle. Taking a deep breath, the smell of ash and rust fills my lungs.

"I'm just worried about you." My ears perk up at the sound of her now calm voice. "You've been couped up in that house most of the week. You rarely get out, and when you do, forgive me for being blunt about this, you look like shit!" I can practically see her shaking her head. "It's not healthy."

I feel a metallic taste form at the base of my tongue. "So what do you propose? Go to a hospital?" I snort. "You know i don't like doctors."

"How about a stroll through the town then? Clear your head, buy groceries, get some exercise, after all!" A faint pang of hunger hits me at the mention of food, and i wonder: when had i eaten last? Was it this morning when i was rummaging through my medical cabinet? Or was it last night, after following that stallion down the street? I can't remember clearly.

"I'll get you a hayburger." Silence falls upon my humble abode, one that is broken with a soft flicker of my magic and a click. I open the door and keep looking at my notebook as i feel her gaze burrow into the back of my head. I take a sip of coffee and close the notebook as she trots up to me. I make a 180 and see-

A bald headed face stare at me with its unblinking gaze. Its bloodshot eyes are forcibly kept open by metallic gear, the same one holding it's mouth in a maniacal smile. The metallic bonds covering its head sparkle with electricity as it thrusts its hoof towards me, and i scream. I flinch and fall off the chair as the touch sends a wave of electricity coarsing through my body. A laugh echoes through my mind, getting louder and louder with each reverberation until all i hear is deafining cackles-

smack

"Snap out of it!" I blink and find myself face-to-face with a concerned and slightly unnerved Seabelle. I rub an aching spot on my cheek and find it is hot to the touch.

"Did- did you just slap me?" She lets out a sigh of relief and sweeps away a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Oh thank Celestia, i though you were having a stroke for a second there!" She outstretches her hoof and i flinch instinctively, much to my dismay. The hell was that? "Witty? Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, i'm just fine and dandy." I say with a healthy amount of snark, trying to get up without faceplanting into the nearest solid object. I lean on the table and down the rest of my morning coffee. "Fi~i~ine and dandy." I put the now empty mug on the table and feel a bout of dizzyness overtake me. I grip the table edge to prevent any unnecessary brain damage via blunt force trauma, and wait for my guest's responce. She looks me over from head to tail with a concerned expression.

"We're going to the hospital."

The teal-colored walls of the doctor's office do little to calm my nerves as a stallion with a light amber coat lights up his horn and the back of my head feels tingly all of a sudden. The tingling slowly spreads to my forehead and lingers for a few moments. The doctor writes something on his clipboard and returns to his table. "Well, Mr. Note, i've got good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?" Ugh, this bullshit. I sit up, a dull headache making the action more trouble than it's worth.

"Spill it, i don't have all day."

"The good news is that you didn't have a stroke." He writes something on a receipt and levitates it to me. "The bad news is that you're having a migrane." I pay the piece of paper no mind as i get off the bed and head towards the exit, all the while trying to keep a straight face.

"Gee, thanks doc, without your professional help i never would've guessed i have a headache!" My escape is halted by a certain blonde cop. She stands between me and the doorframe with an enticingly stubborn expression on her face. The moment i step to the right or left she mirrors my moves. You wanna dance? Let's dance. "Let me through, Seabelle, i'm done here."

"No you're not. Not until you stop being a jackass and listen to Dr. Greymare." Alright, let's think about this for a second. The door's blocked, and as much as i would like to smack her over the head with something heavy and bolt, i might as well bash my head against the wall. The bloody headache won't let me concentrate, thus stopping any attempts to magic my way out of this dead in their tracks. The open window's looking good right now, it's a two story drop at worst, and with the right positioning... Still, it's too risky. If i screw up the landing i might break something, and i'm not going to chance staying up to a month in the hospital. Or i could power through the next five to ten minutes of my life and be done with it. The path of least resistance it is then.

I close my eyes and sigh before turning around and facing the doctor. "Just make it quick would you?"

"Please, take a seat. It won't take long, i promise." He says with a warm smile, gesturing to the cot. I do it, but make sure to keep the pony in my line of sight at all times. Once i'm comfortably seated, i turn to Seabelle for a moment, giving her my best 'don't think you've won' look. She rolls her eyes and motions for me to look at the doctor.

"Right, so where were we?"

"As i was saying, you're suffering from a migrane." He took out a pack of small pink pills from his drawer. "And by the looks of things you've been for some time." He hoofed the pack to me. "For how long?" I take the pack and put it away into my black coat. Never leave home without it.

"You could say it's not my first rodeo," I say smugly. "I've been using Ibuprofen for... about two years now."

"Two years?" He said in a surprised tone. "The migranes must've caught you offguard at least once, how come you never went to a professional?"

I put my hoof to my chin. "I've made a little rule for myself: if things begin to look foggy, or i see bright red lines superimposing themselves over everything else, pop a pill or two and it'll be fine." Greymare nodded.

"What you've been experiencing is called an aura. They appear a few hours before a migrane atttack, it is advised to watch out for them to have enough time to get home and rest." So i've been doing a pretty good job, eh? "Do you remember any standing-out moment after which the migranes began?" I went back to two years ago. Where was i at the time? What was i doing? My muzzle scrunches up as i try to remember anything but just... can't. A year ago? Taking a trip from Baltimare to Manehattan. Three years ago? Working a nine to five job at a local Neighmart. But the closer my memories get to the two year mark, the less coherent and more foggy they become.

"Nothing outstanding comes to mind..."

"What about Tirek? That was around two years ago, right?" Seabelle's voice echoes from the general direction of an exit. The stallion levitates a book from a nearby shelf and opens it on a seemingly random page.

"The subject hasn't been researched terribly well, but there has been an increase of brain-related injuries in unicorns ever since the draining." He frowns. "The effects are numerous, and they differ from pony to pony..." He turns to me with a concerned look. "Where were you two years ago?" I open my mouth trying to think of anything convincing to say. I want to lie, lie through my teeth that i was in Manehattan, or Roseville, or any other city with too many ponies to track me down. I want to, i really do. But that's not what i say.

"I was in a town." Wow, just wow. That's the best i can come up with? He'll believe that in a jiffy!

"Does that town have a name?" I put a hoof on my forehead and press hard against it, trying to remember. What am i trying to remember? Why am i trying to remember?

"I'm not sure." I close my eyes and try to picture my way through the country. The earliest town i can remember is Roseville, and i'm pretty sure that's not it. The more i think about the town, the worse my headache gets. An inquisitive voice brings me out of my thoughts.

"Can you point it out on a map?" I look at the table and see a small map of Equestria sprawled on top of it. I try to focus on it, but only see whirling black fog obscuring every detail, to the point that the map looks more like a pool of ever shifting tar. I gaze into its blackness and a sudden calmness washes over me. The headache subsides a little, and i get a feeling that if i touch it, i'll feel better. My hoof is mere inches away from the black abyss.

"There?" Graymare's voice brings my attention to the doctor, making me look away from the map. He looks at me with a puzzled expression.

"I don't know." I reply, trying not to look at the table. "Can't see a damn thing, it's all foggy to me." I scratch the back of my head. "What was i pointing at?" The doctor fixes me with a concerned expression.

"The Celestial sea." His expression grows more worried by the moment. "You really can't see it?"

I rub my eyes and look at the map once again. I'm greeted by the same ever-shifting fog, and i look away before i'll want to touch it again. "No, only some kind of swirling mist."

Greymare humms and rummages through his drawer and places a piece of paper on the table. He writes something for a moment and stamps the paper, making me worry. "What are you doing?"

"Approving you for further examination." No. "Your condition concerns me, and i recommend further testing, including an MRI scan, among other things." Oh no you don't. I gather my strengh and stand up. I'm a little wobbly, but otherwise good to go.

"We're done here." I ignore the piece of paper Greymare's trying to give me and head to the exit door. Seabelle is still standing there, blocking my way. I doesen't look like she moved at all during my talk with the doctor. Her muzzle has the same stubborn expression, one that i feel i'll get tired of seeing in due time. I frown. "Seabelle, you're blocking my way."

"Yes."

"And i need to go through here, so be a dear and move." She stays still, unsurprisingly. "Why are you not moving?"

"Because you're going to follow what the doctor said." She says simply, like it's the easiest thing to do. I sigh and close my eyes. "It's for your own good, Note." She adds in a soft voice. That phrase makes my eye twitch. Alright, let's play pretend.

"Seabelle." I put on my most pitiable face. "I'm having a really bad headache and i'd wish to go home to rest." She doesen't look convinced. "Can we schedule the examinations in advance? I'm really not feeling good right now." She fixes me with an appraising gaze, and after a few seconds her stubbornes cracks. She looks somewhere behind me, probably at Greymare.

"Can we schedule them for next week, doctor?"

"No problem, get some rest. I'll mail you the papers later today." Seabelle thanks the doctor and steps away. I rush to get out of the room, not caring about how or why he knows my address. I'm not going to to this hospital ever again.

I need to get home.

My head hurts as i slam the door behind me, mumbling something along the lines of 'thanks bye' to Seabelle. God, that mare's too nice for her own good. I shuffle past my worktable, not sparing my notebook a glance. I can't work right now, not like this. The dark fog envelops everything around me, making it hard to know where i'm going. I approach. . . something. I hope it's a couch, but i'm not entirely sure. I bend down and try to feel the object, but lean too much and stumble, plummeting towards it.

I'm falling. Falling for much longer than i'm supposed to. Much longer than what seems possible. I try to look around, find some point of reference, but i only see the shifting black mist all around me. The mist whirls and moves towards me, and soon enough i breathe it in. The smell of ash and blood enters my nostrils as i close my eyes. My head feels like an inflated baloon full of small glass shards, ready to burst at any moment. I feel my body becoming heavier and open my eyes. The void around me seems to take shape, the black fog bleeds into solid objects that move past me at running speed. I blink, it feels like sandpaper scraping against my eyes.

The world around me has finally taken form. Grimy white walls are peppered by spots of falling plaster. Windows open and slam shut from the biting cold winds, each noise like a pinprick going trough my eye. Medical beds are stacked on top of eachother, dirty and decrepid just like the walls around them. I stumble over a wheelchair, its restraining belts are open, the seat is stained by something dark, dry and putrid.

I barely manage to stay upright, each movement sends waves of pain through my head. The chair falls down, making a louds cluttering noise that echoes down the halls of this asylum. Dread fills me as i freeze and listen carefully for any noise. I shouldn't have done that. Mortal fear grips me as i hear something approach from down the hall. Something is coming, and i know what that something is, i know that i know.

But i can't remember.

I run in the opposite direction, not caring about the mess i make along the way. My legs feel heavy and each step feels like the floor is made of pins and needles. I feel a pang of sharp pain in my stomach, and grab my belly. Something trickles down my hooves as i continue to run. Hooves. No, not hooves. Claws, like those of a griffon. I hear a sickening laugh from somwhere close behind me. Too close. I jump through a glassless window, banging my back hooves against the window frame loudly. I land on my back hooves and continue running. Why am i running on two hooves? The thought grazes my mind, but is stamped out when something blunt strikes between my shoulder blades.

I let out a pathetic scream and drop to the tile floor. My head impacts one of the tiles and shatters it, along with my skull. The baloon pops. Something warm and sticky trickles down my face as try to focus and do something. Do what? What can i do? I don't know. As the ringing in my ears fades i hear a single guttoral voice command me.

"Crawl."

And i do. I crawl and crawl as the laughter above me gets louder and louder. Jolts of electricity surge through my body, firing up every nerve inside of me. It's like i'm crawling on top of glass shards, surrounded by barbed wire. When the pain becomes unbearable and my body grows cold i hear a noise. A hum, to be specific. A low, echoing hum. For reasons that evade me the noise invigorates me.

And i crawl.

I crawl past the doorframe and see a sight that brings tears to my eyes. A hatch, the source of the noise. An open hatch, spewing black fog from the inside. Cold, numbing comfortable fog. I push through the pain and grab at the edge of the hatch. Dark mist grazes my arms and the pain slowly goes away. With the last of my strengh i pull myself up to it and tumble down into its foggy depths.

Black fog envelops me, making the pain dissapate. The laughing fades away too, and i close my weary eyes.

Finally at peace.

I don't know for how long i've been asleep, but when i wake up it's already dark outside. I've managed to reach my couch, but i wish i hadn't. It's wet and smells like Tartarus. I curse under my breath, today's definently not my day. Cleaning it up I've lost prescious time, time i could've used to do something productive. I need help with these headaches, that's for sure. I take a sip of freshly brewed coffee and frown. Not enough sugar. I carefully levitate a spoon of sugar into the cup and stur it. The pain doesen't come, that's a good sign. Help. I need help.

But where from? I sit down at my worktable and open my notebook. I'm not going to the hospital, not a chance in Tartarus. Maybe traditional medecine? Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I need a proffesional though, somepony who knows what they're doing. Zecora? Maybe. She's the only one i know who deals with herbs and potions, and her hermit lifestyle may shield me from prying eyes and uncomfortable questions. All this can wait, however. I look at the wall-mounted clock and smile.

It's half past eight.

I've got enough time, if i'm quick enough.

Approaching Lily's house i can't help but feel a little nervous. It's not that i'm unsure of my success, on the contrary - i'm sure i'll make quite the impression on this little town. It's just. . . I hope what i've got in mind for her lives up to my standarts. It sound lovely in plan and on the paper, but you know what they say.

No Plan survives first contact with the enemy.

I enter the house effortlessly, the location of the key hasn't changed since my last visit. Good to know the ponies here are complacent, shame it won't be that way for long though. I move to the bedroom on the second floor and check my bag.

Rope. Check.

Camera. Check.

Knife. Check.

Photos. Check.

Pins. Check.

A flask of animal blood. Check.

Paintbrush. Check.

Alright, let's do this. I take the photos out of the bag, dozens of them, all depicting the same raspberry-coated earth pony going through her day. Here's her making morning coffe, going to work, talking to customers, going back home, lying in bed - you get the idea. I carefully pin them to the wall opposite of the exit, one you can't help but look at when you enter. I step back to admire my work and tsk. The wall's a bit more barren than i hoped, but it looks fine overall. Nevertheless, i've got more work to do. I take out the flask and place it on a nearby bedtable, along with the brush. I dip the latter into the former and carefully trace lines on the wall.

'I SEE YOU'

A bit cliche, i'll admit, but that'll definently get her blood pumping. I brought a bit too much blood, it seems, more than half the flask is full by the time i finish. Time to get creative, i guess. I move to the bathroom and look at the mirror. A white mask stares back at me, it's expression forever frozen in a silent scream. Sunken black eyes stare at me, holes in them coverd by black fabric, thick enough to block the color of my eyes, but not enough to obscure vision. I push the brush against the reflective surface, excess droplets of blood trickle down into the sink.

'TAKE A BREAK, I DON'T MIND ;)'

That'll do. I move back to the bedroom and leave the door ajar. I place the flask on top of it, rigging it to fall on the first pony who opens the door. I exit the room very carefully, holding the trap still with my magic, don't want to get dirty too early. I go down the stairs and hide behind the sofa, crouching down a moment before the door opens and i hear a tired sigh.

"Home sweet home."

I watch her prepare a meal with mild amusement, but the longer i watch, the more interested i become. Her movements are more sluggish than usual, her mane more frazzeled, her face more annoyed. Did i miss something? I swear, if something juicy happened on her workplace today and i missed it. . . She lazily pokes her salad with a fork, not really interested in the dish. I squint and look at her unfocused golden eyes. Yep, she's definently bothered by something. She finaly gives up and moves the dish further away from her. Growling with irratation she faceplants into the table. "Why do you have to be so difficult?!"

A-hah! So somepony's being difficult, that's interesting. I really ought to visit her flower shop tomorrow, maybe Rose knows something about it? She gets up and puts the untouched salad into the fridge, sighing dejectedly. Sheesh, it must've been a really bad day. She usually eats her fill, even when she's tired.

Maybe a bad customer? I move to the side of the couch that she cannot see as she makes her way towards the staircase. No, something so trivial couldn't have disturbed her so much. She vanishes around the corner and i follow herup the staircase. It doesen't matter now, i'll figure it out later. I lean out of the corner just in time to see her approaching her bedroom door. I ready my camera, this is going to be good.

She opens the door and has no time to react as a large glass worth of blood spills onto her. She's about to scream when she notices the collage of photos along with red bold letters. She starts hyperventilating, then heaving and after coming out of her stupor - rushes to the bathroom. I creep up to the bathroom door and hear her dry heave, i assume, into the toilet. So she hasn't eaten all day, huh? How much did i miss? I step into the bathroom as she looks up at the mirror, and i see it.

Fear.

The way her eyes constrict into pinprics, the paleness of her face, the shaking in her legs.

She's afraid, alright.

I move into the bathroom and raise my knife. I'm ready for everything she could throw at me. The prayers, the bargaining, the threats. Instead, she surprises me. She clutches chest and drops to the floor, not dead but definently in pain. Is. . . Is she having a heart attack? That's a first. I squat beside her scrape my knife against her back. She yelps and tries to move away, but once again clutches her chest. I put the tip of my knife under her chin and move it upward, forcing her head to go with it until we're face to face. Or face to mask, i suppose. I revel in the pain in her eyes before speaking.

"That's it? You're just gonna lay there and take it?" Her eyes water and she tries to avert her gaze. "Come on, you're no fun!" I flick her nose with the edge of my knife and she flinches. "Where's the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline rush?" She's begins to cry, all the while inching her way to the door. I step on her back with enough force to keep her pinned, but not enough to break something. "You *have* to try harder than that!" All i get in responce are her silent cries. Maybe she just needs proper motivation? I sit on her back and aim my blade between her sixth and seventh right rib. Let's see if this'll be enough.

My knife sinks into her flesh, eliciting a painful scream in responce. "That's what i'm talking about!" She squirms and cries from under me. "And we're just getting started!" I yank the knife out and prepare for another stab when all of a sudden-

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

Shit. Who would be here at this hour? Maybe they'll go away if i just wait.

"Lily! Lily, it's Rose! Listen, i'm sorry for what i said, can we talk please?" The faint voice is coming from the first floor, and judging by how muffled it is, from behind the front door. The earth pony beneath me is still for a moment, but she begins her thrashing with enewed vigor. Hello~, so you do have it in ya to be a fighter. I'm barely able to keep her down, actually. Damn the earth ponies and their natural strengh! A grey aura surronds her, subduing her thrashing somewhat. I takes a lot of power to keep her pinned like that, bit i'm sure i can do it until Rose goes away.

"Rose! Hel-" I stuff my hoof into her mouth.

"Keep it quiet, don't ruin the fun!" She's insisting on doing the opposite as she bites my hoof with all her might. I yelp and instincevly yank the hoof away. It hurs like hell, even through my leather boots. She uses my moment of weakness and hollers with all her might.

"ROSE! I'M HERE! HEL-" Her scream devolves into a gurgle as i cram my knife into her throat.

"Sorry girl, no chances." I grab her by the mane and perch her head up with my riht leg, levitating the camera in front of us. "Smile for me." I flash a few pictures for my collection and hide it in my coat.

"Lily? Listen, if you don't want to talk right now it's fine, i get it, but let's sort everything out tomorrow? How does that sound?" The faint voice coming from the outside stops for a moment. " Sigh I'll take it as a yes."

I wait for a good little while to make sure the pony from the outside is far away from here and check on my victim. The poor Lily is long gone by now, her eyes glazed over, all color drained from her face.

"Well" I get up and yank the knife from her throat. I twist the water tap on her sink and clean the knife in the water flow. "I'd say that went rather well!" I levitate the dead body out of the bathroom and onto the bedroom's, well, bed. I stab into her torso a dozen times to make it look personal before making an inscision on her abdomen.

I carefully levitate her guts out, making sure not to tear them. Alright, now's the time to see what'll break first: the ceiling lamp, or the insides. I tie the guts around her into an improvised noose and fix it to the lamp. The moment of truth comes when i let go of the whole contraption and hold my breath. Seconds pass in anticipation as the body swings from side to side, finally coming to a halt after a few minutes.

I snap a picture.

"You'll be the kind of headlines that ponies don't forget."