I felt a nudge on my shoulder, causing me to mumble incoherently and grumble annoyingly. The nudge got more prominent, and after a few more tries of getting me up, I finally raised my head. I stretched my hooves out, taking note of the messy table I had slept on. Paper strewn about, scissors barely cut through a piece and red ribbon stretching practically everywhere… and even a tipped over cup with faint traces of apple cider staining the glass.

I looked back at the cork board behind me, which I had moved from Pinkie’s to the farmhouse. I turned my head then to my left, seeing Big Mac there and even lil’ Apple Bloom behind him.

“Sorry… I must’ve… dozed off.” I mumbled, turning my head towards the window on my left, acknowledging the time. It wasn’t nearing nighttime yet, nor was it close to dusk… perhaps 6… nah… 7:30? My eyes stretched back to Big Mac, and after a minute of staring, I realized what I had planned on doing today. “Shit… yeah, Granny’s meds.”

I had postponed organizing Granny’s old medication for a while now, considering the circumstances… but I knew nopony else in the family would do it till the farmhouse was put up for sale in about forty years.

I got off the chair slowly before nodding my head towards the medicine cabinet, telling Big Mac to meet me there without saying a word. I then walked towards the back of the house and towards the laundry room. After switching over the load and grumbly yawning, I turned around to see Apple Bloom standing at the doorway. “Hey, sugarcube.”

“Are you okay?” she asked. I could tell she was genuinely worried about me, and as I smelt the alcohol on my breath, I stepped back to keep her from noticing as well.

“Just peachy. Hey, wanna do me a favor and bring your clothes down? I got more room for a few more shirts or so.”

“What’s that stuff on the board for?” she suddenly changed the topic, catching me rather off guard as I glanced back at her.

“It’s uh… nothing you need to worry about, alright? Your big sister is just… researching some things.” I could tell she knew what it was for, but even then I didn’t want to tell her. So, instead, I decided to be vague.

“Okay.” As she continued standing there… looking rather out of place and awkward, I spoke up again.

“Anything else?”

“Well, it’s just that— I’m worried about you.” that nearly broke my heart.

“You got school to worry about, Apple Bloom. You don’t have to worry about me, I’m alright, I swear. Now run along to bed… it’s a school night. I gotta take a shower before your brother and I go through Granny’s old things.”

“Can I help?”

“Not tonight, sugarcube. This aint like the old antiques we went through a few days ago… and like I said, you need to be in bed.”

“Fine…” she mumbled. I could’ve let her help… but going through medicine wasn’t something she needed to be doing. Especially at her age. It wasn’t something I wanted her to be introduced to.

After finally getting my shower done, I headed back to Big Mac, who had already gotten started on looking through the various medications Granny had been on before her passing. Most—or all of them—had very complicated names and/or were completely incomprehensible.

“Prinivil… Microzide… How do they come up with these names? They might as well use a random generator for these things.”

“Yeup.” My brother agreed.

“Vicodin. Ain't this a pain reliever?” I asked. Maybe that one wouldn’t be too bad to have around. Would obviously need to stay in the filly-proof container I got for Granny.

Big Mac peeked over my shoulder as I held it up, “Yeup.”

As he continued placing some of the meds in the cardboard box to dispose of, I couldn’t help but slide the Vicodin into my hat. I could’ve just said I was gonna save it, or done something else entirely in that situation… but for some reason I took the more suspicious and sly route.

During the whole ordeal, I noticed how Big Mac then began staring at me. “What?” As he continued, I realized what he was doing. “I’m fine, Big Mac. I’m just—” I glanced towards the cork board by the table, which was a few steps away from the countertop. “I can’t seem to wrap my head around it, Big Mac. Not that they’re gone… I know that. I mean I don’t understand how none of it is adding up.”

“Nope?”

“Nope…” I heard Apple Bloom run over, and after a second I knew why.

–

I closed the closet door, sighing heavily before saying, “No monsters, sugarcube.”

“It wasn’t a monster.” her voice was shaken up, sending an eerie chill up my spine.

“No? What was it then?” I asked.

“It was Discord.” I felt my heart skip a beat when she said that.

“H-huh?” I couldn’t help but feel shaken up as well, and as she pointed out the window… I peered through the curtain. I suddenly jumped back, my heart dropping as I saw the dark figure of—you guessed it—Discord staring right back at me. It was dark outside, devoid of color. The only bit of light touching his fur was from the flickering barn light. I couldn’t see his eyes, that or they weren’t even there.

I ran downstairs, past Big Mac, and right through that back door. I searched and searched, but nothing. Nopony nor him was there. My heart was pounding out of my chest, and I felt a nauseous feeling build up in my chest. I glanced about, and by the time I looked back at the forest, the sudden appearance of his face— which was covered in maggots, worms, and beetles. His skin was rotting, peeling at the edges. His eyes were gone, replaced with dark sockets dripping of black blood.

I screamed, jumping back in fear only to suddenly wake up in a hospital bed.

Author's Note

I actually have a drawing that semi goes with this, but it isn't done yet and will most likely be posted on my DA.