I woke up feeling dizzy. My head felt like it was just smashed into something, and my leg...

Ouch.

That was one way to sum it all up. Ouch.

I let my eyelids fall back, and quickly lift them up when I realize I'm being shaken. Ouch. "Stop..." I manage to groan. The earthquake stops. Putting a hoof to my head, I fall back onto the platform I'm on. A bed? It's too hard to be my bed. Or Pipp's, or Mom's, for that matter.

"Oh my gosh!" A clear voice cuts through my head of unclear thoughts. I shake my head to face nopony but my sister, who's hugging me tightly. "Again, Zipp? You fainted"

I sit up straight and wait for a bit for my senses to return normally to me. "I'm fine, Pipp. It's not like I'm not used to fainting at... midnight. It's just stress, probably. I feel so trapped up in the castle from time to time. Maybe if I could venture beyond the palace walls..."

"No, Zipp, you can't," Pipp argues. "You need help! You need ponies to watch over you and make sure you're okay! You've been seeming unwell for the past few, I don't know, weeks!"

I glare at her and snap, "If I had freedom, I'd already feel better! I think you ponies are the reason I feel so terrible!"

Pipp whimpers. Maybe it was wrong to snap at her. Whatever. "Well," she retorts, "maybe, then, you should just leave the castle altogether."

"Yes, thank you!" I say. "I've been waiting for someone to tell me it's okay! See ya, sis!" I run off, out of this hospital, to a place I've grown to know all too well: the cliffs. There's something about it that seems magical, although I can't put my hoof on it. Maybe it's the fact that the wind there is perfect for lifting me up, allowing me to feel the satisfaction of flight, even if i no longer have the magic to fly.

Walking to the top of the cliff, I often look back. It slows me down, but it makes me feel safe. I feel somepony is watching me. I can feel the eyes, because I've trained myself to hate eyes. And sense when

I test the wind. It's perfect. I jump off, but just as I do, the wind stops.

What?

It's like a curse. Once I land, very painfully, on my back, I lay there to prevent the pain from coming with every move I make. I feel the wind return and let my eyelids fall.

Why does the world hate me?

"No," I argue with my mom. I'm so tired of agreeing to everything she says. "I'm not going back to that stupid hospital. I can take care of myself. Besides, this bed is comfy. My strained leg and back find comfort in just laying on it."

"You're back is strained?" Mom asks. "Do you need soup?"

I groan. "No! I need rest, so let me get it!" I storm off into my room, only to find my sister on my bed. "Pipp..." I warn.

She rolls her eyes and finally manages to peel her eyes off the phone. "Yes?" she asks, purposefully acting oblivious. "I heard my name?"

"Pipp," I say, loud and straightforward. "Get off."

I hear a gust of wind. Looking straight into Pipp's eyes, I realize she didn't hear it. I blink. Was I the only one who could hear it? Maybe I'm just imagining things. I did take a pretty hard hit when the wind stopped.

Stopped.

Why was the wind starting now, in my room?

"I'd like to sleep with you, Zipp. I feel like you need it, especially since you've been waking up wounded for the past three days now. Can't I just watch over you?" Pipp asks, pleading. "You always used to watch over me."

"Fine," I say grouchily, thanking her with a simple smile. She smiles back. We head off to sleep, although I think she actually falls asleep before I do. I can't fall asleep. I don't know why I always wake up wounded but, although I won't admit it, I'm scared.

I hear noises. Under the bed. I pull my blanket over my head, grabbing my phone in case I need some light. I get a text from Pipp, to which I look suspiciously at her. She still remains asleep, which worries me. How'd I get a text from her?

I click on the notification that says she sent an attachment, an image or video or something of the sort. I open our text messages to see images of me. And something else. A blend of a monster, an octopus combined with something else really scary. It seems to be invisible, too. So, if these pictures exist, why don't I remember any of it? Why don't I remember being beat up to the point where I got visible bruises?

I crawl out of my blanket and see that same monster.

I scream.

So does he. Then, he attacks my leg.

I woke up.

Ouch.

I feel dizzy, and light-headed. My leg, not to mention, stings. What had happened?

"Zipp!" A voice cuts through my train of unclear thoughts. Pipp. "Oh my gosh, what is wrong with you? This happened yesterday, and the day before... I'm not sure how well you can do anymore. Why are you fainting?"

I put a hoof to my swimming head. "It's fine. Maybe I'll just get some rest?"

With the help of Pipp and Mom, I go to bed, trying to recover. They both say they'll leave me alone, but pretty soon, strange noises prevent my resting. I sit up, glaring weakly. "Pipp, if that's you..."

I don't need to finish it. From under my bed rises a monster, an octopus and other creature blend. Why does this feel so familiar?

The monster comes closer to me.

I scream.

So does he. Then, the world goes black.

Author's Note

As the title implies, yes, the monster is an alien. Because these monsters just aren't from Equestria. Maybe they're from the human world.