’Now the real fun starts.’

Canterlot Castle Royal Medical Ward.

Beep.....Beep.....Beep.....Beep.

I was gradually awoken from my slumber to the sounds of a steady EKG. I was expecting to wake up in my bedroom, the climate of it staying mostly warm all year round meant I was very cozy but only in my room. The course bedsheets roughly contrasted to the soft silky blanket I usually curled up in. The EKG began to pick up in cadence as I started to feel the palms of my hands, then run my fingers along my arms, down my legs....I slap my hands to my face and start to kneed the flesh and feel everything. Every detail in excruciating lucidity, raised the EKG rate with each new discovery.

"What....?" It was barely above a whisper. I couldn’t think of anything else in this moment except how Im….wrong. I was covered in fur, I felt hot, and my arms and legs felt so sore. All I could do was curl up on my sides and close my eyes. I didn’t hear what I was saying or of there was anything coherent said in the first place. I just really wanted to hug something right now and clutch it close to my chest and head, I didn’t know why but I knew it would be forever out of reach…

Was I crying? I think I was crying at least. Even as a “grown” adult at 24 I was still a massive crybaby. Always have been all my life. No. Thats not entirely correct though. I was until recently. Was finding very hard to muster a tear in recent years. Guess I’m just shocked I was able to cry still. I forgot how sincere it makes one look if genuine. I hated how vulnerable It made me feel. I remember how ugly I looked. Guess at some point my tear ducts broke or I became too numbed or apathetic to feel emotionally invested…..

C̶̢̺̘̣̗̪̝͈̓̾͠ ̴̧̡̧̱̰̪̞̞̯̦͕̦̫͈̹͉̟͙͚̥̮̲̱͎̪̻͍̗̜̙͉̰͕̤̻͈͎̹̰̙͉̠̪̣͊̉́̐̇͐͑̈́̏̌̔̐̈́̔̋̊́͊̋̆̚͜͜ͅͅͅ ̴̛̮͛̀̀̾́̿͐͘ ̸̢̧̖̮̻̤̞̮͕̘̠͉̗̌̑͌̆͊̽̍̈́͛̇̈́̅̈́̕̕͠y̸̢̧̡̡̡̮̥̰̱͇͓͚̘͍̗̩̤̖̙̖͇̬͍̿̑͂̊̐͛̾̊̽̌͐́͛͗̋̃͒͋̊͂͊̈͌͛͛̾́͑̈́̎̿̇̐̂̐̀ͅ ̷̧̧̡̧̧̪̬̬̤̤͔͔̼͇̤̦͚̯̳̫͈̝̳̹̖̤͖̻͙̥̣̮̰̻͕̹͖͓͖͍̫̜̹̳̩̘̳͉͆͋̊̔̉̆̍̀̃̊͜͝͝ͅư̷̛͚̝̎͋͊̂̀̊͒̈́̓́̊̈́̂̃̒̔̀̈̐̅͐̄̓͐͑̄̅̉̈̌̈́̓̅͐̂̈́̔̀͊̌͘͘̚̚͠͝͠ ̸̡̲̠̪̦̠͎͋̉̇̎͋̍͑̒̿̿̾̒̍͒̃̆̐̏̈́̂́̈̃̐͝͠͠ ̶̡̡̣͍̰̠̳̮̭̖̭̜̲͎͇̮̥̗̦̣͚̬̦̞̩͉̘̬̾͛̃̉̃͊̃͊̑̓̄̕̚͜͝e̸̡̢̡̧̛̤̖̱͉͈͓͓̝͎̞̤̙̩̭̟̝̪̱̖̦͚͈̦̥̱͓͕̩͙̲̰̜̤̥̗͙̔̂͌̈́͆̓̋͊̒̎̉̂̈́̈́̈̅̇͆̀̒͆̎͒̇̌͆̉̒̐̚͘͝͝ͅa̶̧̧̢̡̨͔̼͓̼̳̬̻͇̩̭͕̣͒̈̊̑̎̏̀͑̈́̌̋͑ ̵̡̡̢̡̢̧̧̡̧͉͎̝̫̜̺̰̩̘͎͈̳̩̝͓̘̤̮̝̠̯̼̘̹͓̲̟͎͇̤̱͚̟̱̱̜̞́͌̄̌̀̒̓͂̈́͗͒̎̊̑̓̍͗͆̿̇̌͒̆͑̄̽̀̓̍̋̏̃͋̍̈́̀̇̃̆͗̎̓͜͠͠͝͝ͅ ̵̧̨̡̯̞̩̣͉͚̰͙̗̙̞͕͕̝̭̼̱͉̘͎̘͉̳̮͖̲̩̫͓̰̥͕̟̜̜̣̩̟̫̰̣͔̀̈́̋̅̉̄̈̐̈̋̿̾̽̒͂̈́͋͌͂̇͛͛̄͝ͅͅͅ ̷̧̢̡̛̤̟̺̟̜̬̹͓̣̜͓̦̟̣̼͙̫̭̙͎̘̭̼̫͖̙͚̟̭̤̼͙̺̘̞͖͓̪̬̮̽̊̆̌͗́͊̅̒̐̒̐̔͒͂̌̈́̿̂̕̚͜͜͜͜͜ͅͅȩ̶̛̹͉̮͚͈͔͕̣͐̈̎́̿͆͂̓̀͐͑͆̅̈́͒͗͊̇̍̀̇͋͒͋̊̂̓͗̓̾͋̎̄̔̾̾̌̆̕̕͘̕͜͠͠͠͝͝?̶̛̯̫̩̞̣̩͎̳̜̘̦͇̙̙͔̳͍̬̭̺̊͆̆̋̾͂̾́̉̈͐̑́̓̾̋̈̆̇́̊́͂́̏̓̌́͒͆̿̍͒́͗̀̈́͂̾̐́̾̈̕͘͘͠͝͠͝ͅ

{̶Aberrant Invocation Acquired: ̸̹͐M̴͖̀ị̶̡̾̕n̸̝̬̄d̵̯̟͐ ̶̬̼̇̋ő̵̺̻f̴̻̹̄͊ ̵̡̰͛͘t̶̬͗h̷͇͌e̶͉̠̕ ̶̨̉R̵͇̊ù̷̘̙́ń̶̢̰͋ě̶͙͇̄ ̴̩̜̉K̸͈̍̄ē̷ͅé̶̳̻̈́p̶̡̱̂e̷̖͕̎̉r̷̡̓̂ }̶

Ḧ̶̡̛̛̙͍̹̰̳̜̮̣̥͎̙̘́͊̐̈̌̆̾͑̐̒̔̎̔͂͌͋͊̀̕͝ͅo̸̧̡̮̞̜͎̘̝̮̰̺͉͈͂̉́́̀̋̊́͂͌̇w̸̢̙̘͇͚̩̟̪̼͕̩̟̐͐̒̽̈́͋͗̀͌̈́͐̇̾̿̊̕̕͝͠͝ ̵̡̤̩̱̣̮̼̠̥̱̱͎͚͍̰̠̙͕̘̘͊̓̐̇̅ͅả̴̢̘͙̮̪̟̌̑̅̾̎͛̿̀͋̂̈́̎̍̊̈̀̎̉͑͐̚͠͝b̶̛̮̝͑̽̄͛̍̈̈́̾͛̓̈̀̏̑̅̅̎̀́̌̊̕͠ờ̷̡̧̝̪̳͓͇̝͍̳̰̯͍̜͇̗̗̦̪̠̩͖̖̝͛͛̾̏̄̋̏̓͛͗̌͗̐͌̃̏͛̕͠͝͠͝ͅ ̸̡̨̡̝̰͕̘͈̝̖̰͍̦͇̖̠͙̭͚̙̥̬̒ͅt̸̰̺̣̻̖̞͓̦̟̠́͑̇̋͆̃̒̈́̽͆͘͝ ̶̡̌̎̌͑̊̀̊̀́͊̓͂͐͆͌̀̈̐̈́̚͘ ̶̢̖̲̗̳͓̣̠̞͕͔̗̥̭͎͍̯͔͇̜͙̇́̃ͅo̸̢̪̝͕͔͈̥̱̰̻̤̗̲̩̻̻̗̗̱̤͐̿̀ẅ̶̡̛̛͈̱̖̘̲̗͍͙̻̙̈̾͊̐͛̏̀̅͊͆̏͒̊̈̈́̀̒́̀͌͠?̷̬͓̗͕͔̬̣͓͉́͋͋͑̓̇͐̑̓̉̈́̅̄͂̅̾̓̔̑̄̎͊̀͘ “Fffffffuck! my…..my head!!!” The pain was Indescribable. Immutable. All-encompassing.

H̶̓̋ͅe̷̩͛̓y̴̩̱̾ ̴̳͈̋̑ḱ̵̡i̷̮̫͒d̸̟̖͊͒d̸͎͖͠͝o̴̊̈́ͅ?̴͔̫̏ ̶͕͐̕C̴̏͋ͅà̶̯n̵̨̈́ͅ ̶̭̓̌y̵͎̲̿o̶͖̅̒u̷̮̾̾ ̴̫̲̏h̶̛̞͒ê̷͖̆a̸̮̳̿r̶̢̎̓ ̶̣͊̚m̸̖͛̀e̷̱͎̚?̸͚͔̍ ̸͉̈́T̷͇͆Ḫ̷͓́I̵̢̯̐́S̷̖̓ ̶͉͕́͊D̵̖͗A̸͕̓M̵̭͓̑͋N̶̤̮̊͒Ë̷̱͈́D̸̯͝ ̵͖̜͐T̷̙̈H̶̯̠̃͘Ḯ̸̞̲̄N̷̦͉͝G̷͖̣̐ ̸̬̔͜O̷̢͑͘ͅÑ̵͓ ̷̖̕Ô̸̜R̷̺̝͝ ̷̤͐N̴̮̿O̸̱̓̽T̸̘́̿?̶̹̈͗!

I’m so fucking sweaty; dear god I need to be cold and I don’t care how. Dear god why is it so dam hot. Nothing matters except finding a damn bathroom. Not the ringing in my ears. Not the blurring colors of the things around me; whatever they are. Nothing except not throwing up on myself.

When I got to a door it felt oddly large, but that didn’t matter. I yanked the door open to find salvation. My vision started to narrow and tunnel in on the one thing on my mind.

A toilet.

’Hallelujah…HRK- oh fuck’.

I was out of time. The bowl was the target and a safe haven……

The weakness shoots through my body and leaves me splayed out on the tile floor, head and chin resting in the edge of the toilet lid.

Princesses Luna and Celestia walked down the gray hallways of the medical ward. “Its only been a day and they can’t find anything about the colt connecting to a missing ponys report.”

Celestia knew well enough how any mare can get when a colt was endangered or left cold and alone; without a herd. Its how she eventually adopted Blueblood and while he has his moments she never could regret taking him in.

“Luna you should give this more time. The time and attention this case deserves and the colt himself. Speaking of which how is he?” Celestia placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder as they walked to lean into her.

“Ah his room should be close!” Luna made sure to speed up her pace while she rounded the hospital ward hallway corner. Two doctors stood in front of a patient room about to go in. They paused and bowed in reverence to their rulers. “Ah, your highness, are you here to see the young patient?” Luna nods.

“Is this his room?” The doctors nod back. “Yes your highness, you may see him but he still might be sleeping. We were going to check on his condition right now.” While entering the patient’s room they hear coming from the bathroom to the side the sound of flushing and a pained groan.

“Auogh…ffff-……..ffuck this.”

What they heard next were exceedingly unpleasant noises associated with the sick and ill.

“Your highnesses can you please wait outside in the hall for a moment?” The princesses nodded and quietly stepped outside into the hall with a grimace after hearing those sounds moments ago.

‘Y̴̙̍o̶̳̒u̴͙͝ ̸̘͊d̶̳̍o̴̱͝ņ̸̈́e̶̯͆ ̷̠̅ý̵͉ȇ̵̞ẗ̴̮́?̸̨͋ ̷̤͝I̵̛̠f̵͎̄ ̶̰͠y̵̙̒o̷͚̎u̷̟̿ ̴͕̐ḱ̸͓e̸̡͊ė̶̟p̸̦̀ ̴̟́p̶̢̈ú̸͕k̶͉̽ĭ̶̼ṉ̶̂ǧ̵͙ ̴̫͝l̵̝̚i̶̠̋k̷͍̄e̵̮͂ ̴̻͌ẗ̸̻h̵̟͌a̴̦̕t̶̘͘ ̶͕̀y̷̲̌ơ̵̢u̸̹̓l̶̜̔l̶̨̀ ̵̣̕ḧ̴͖ȃ̶͙v̷̹͝e̸̛̫ ̵͉͒l̵̢̂ḯ̸͜ḱ̷̮ë̴̬́,̴̡̕ ̸͚͌z̴̭͗e̶̯͐r̶̢͛õ̷̳ ̸͕̓b̶̛̬ō̶̝d̵͙̑y̷̌͜ ̷̙̎w̷̯͠e̶̹̚ï̷͙g̷̦̅h̶̯͒ẗ̴̘.̵̝̚ ̷͇̾I̷̽͜t̵̠͐ ̵̰́w̸̩̍ó̴͚ů̵̙l̴͙̐d̶͔̕ ̴̢̈́b̷͍͛e̶̤͐ ̵̫̇r̴̳̚e̶̢̿a̸̞͒ĺ̵̦l̴̡̉y̶͇̚ ̴̟́f̴̘̈́u̵͉͗c̸̱̏k̵͖̾ì̵̮n̶̹͌g̴͔͑ ̷̮̀c̶̊͜o̴̪͒ǫ̴͋l̷̹͊ ̸̞̆ï̴̱ḟ̷͇ ̸̜͋y̴̛̼o̶͖̔u̶̖̓ ̵̧̇d̴̝̚i̸̫̒d̶͚̏n̶̻͝t̶͙̂ ̷̡͐d̸͇̈ỉ̶̡ë̵̺ ̶̻͑o̷͙̍f̵̜͆ ̴̠͗s̵͔̋o̵̘͋m̶͕̓e̷̡̔t̵͕̀h̸͈̚i̴͔̒n̷̼͝g̶̼̽ ̵͉͛s̸̞͝t̷͚͑ǘ̵̦p̵̩̆i̴͚͝d̴͎̓ ̴̯͆l̴̥̋ị̵͐k̶̤̀e̴̢̽ ̵̬̀d̷̢̉ȇ̴̩h̶̽͜y̷̘͠d̷̪̽r̷͙͝a̴̬̋t̸̲̄i̵̼͒ŏ̵̡ņ̷̀,̴̳͠ ̶̠͘o̸̻͘r̴͉̉ ̸̞̀s̸̮͌t̶̘̐ã̶̬r̷̘͊v̴̨̆a̷̮̎t̵̫̚î̷̡o̶̩͒n̴̺͌ ̵̬̆b̸̯́ē̴̦f̵͒ͅò̸̬ŕ̷͜e̵̩͗—̷̟́’

“Ssstop talking! Please stop it hurts…my head hurts so much.” The agony was slowly fading from my body.

’Oh! wait………shit you responded that time. FINALLY! For fucks sake kid, it took you damn-near forever to start listening to me fucking harmony probably running interference. Chances are she thought you were one of its precious natives I bet.’

“What are you talking about? Are you in my head?” My confusion was continuing to build upward like weights on my shoulders. Getting up my vision was finally starting to clear; as I began looking around I caught a sight at the only mirror.

’Hey kiddo.~’

“Oh fuck.” I pulled up my arm the reflection did the same. I pulled at the eyelid to check if I was dreaming. The eye dilated and I felt the furred palm against my head. It feels real. The left eye was then completely engulfed in a green light as I heard the voice of the….other again.

’I mean, you dont look half bad I guess. If i had any manual control I’d make you look a lot better; but whatever a soul presents, as a soul is.~’

“Wait…..Wait wait WAIT! What the fuck is going on?! Who the hell are you!” I nearly shouted. My episode must have caught someone’s attention. Those weights of confusion on my shoulders were starting to feel a lot heavier.

“Hello? Are you ok in there? If you need somepony to come in and help dont be afraid to ask.”

“What the hell?” Who’s even out there? What kind of question was that last one? Ok wait just slow down. You heard an EKG. The bed felt like shit. They sound concerned. This is some kind of hospital. Ok so maybe I’m safe but why am I here?

’In due time. Our connection is strained and there’s something I need to do, and to do that I need you to take these.~’

“What are you-“ was all i could say before the pain came back but stronger than before. My skull felt like it was about to burst. My chest felt like it was on fire. My limbs felt heavy as lead.

{Aberrant Invocation Acquired: Uncanny Sight}

{Aberrant Invocation Acquired: Eldritch Spear}

{Attention! Otherworldly Patron Unrecognized. Substituting in Patron abilities best suited. Attention! Two Patron types recognized.}

{Multiple Class Features Acquired: Among the Dead, Awakened Mind}

{Pact Magic Acquired: Awakened Spells, Undying Spells}

Something else spoke with a dull tone and with each word I felt worse. As soon as I thought It was done talking I was hit with another wave as it kept droning on and on. I’ve had enough as I slowly trudged to the door clutching my head and gut.

Opening the door I’m greeting with strangely equine humanoid alien- wait what the fuck am I saying. Those a ponies right? I get this could all be a wild drug dream but those are ponies just more human like. I heard them say somepony through the door. I look like…..I look…….Oh fuck. This is…..

The doctor and nurse watch as the colt stumbles back from the bathroom doorway for a step before slipping and falling unconscious after hitting his head on the tile.

“OH MY GOODNESS!”
“Quick, get him back in bed and check his scalp incase he needs stitches!” With the new commotion going on inside, the princesses knocked on the door.

“Is everything ok in there? There was shouting, and now I’m a little worried for the young one.” Luna sternly said about to open the door anyways before the nurse popped out her head.

“Your highness maybe you should come back sometime later. The patient slipped on the bathroom tile and needs to rest. Hes lucky he didn’t seriously injure himself.” The nurse sighed before bowing to the princesses. They took it as a sign to come back later. But Luna had an idea. To check in on his dreamstate and see if theres any nightmares to banish. Yes she will protect his dreams. She really wanted to do something for him and it would be no different than her duties as princess of the night and keeper of dreams.

He was still a mystery but maybe through his dreams she could piece the puzzle together more. Besides she only saw him unconscious and have yet to even speak to him. She…wait. Should she shirk the rest of her duties just to indulge in a curiosity? Was it just a curiosity though? He was found in that damned forest of all places.

Tonight Luna will be getting some answers.

Author's Note

Cover art! Paranoia! Fucking eldritch blast!

Artist for pic/cover art is IRUSU_KUN

Hope the cursed/zalgo text isnt TOO annoying. I only really used it to simulate an audio effect like radio static but…you know. Words. Writing bzzrt or hhhkkk or whatever the fuck isn’t interesting.