Trivium, a 23-year-old male pegasus has seen more than his fair share of disturbing events in his lifetime. Now, everything he knows is falling apart. Is it just him, or is Equestria really falling?
Trivium grew up living one of the roughest and loneliest childhoods possible. When he was 18, he met Rainbow Dash, which changed his life for the better. Now, at 23, his life seems stable, until one night, he has a nightmare that seems all too real. He seeks help from friends as his world slowly seems to fall apart, but they say that it's just him. Is Trivium going insane, or is Equestria really falling?
Allow me to introduce myself. My name's Trivium, I'm a male pegasus, 23 years of age. I have a black coat, with a mane that fades into red at the end. My tail mocks the same pattern as my mane, and my eyes, well... I have "Heterochromia Iridium," which means my right and left eye have separate colors. My right eye is a bright cyan, while my left eye is lime green. I'm engaged with the pony of my dreams, Rainbow Dash. We've been together for a long time now, and I recently proposed to her. I've had my fair share of disturbing events (Mass death, killings, suicides, beatings, etc...) occur near me, but it's never seemed to have much an effect on my mental sanity state.
***
I lay still, un-able to sleep. Rainbow Dash was next to me, sleeping the night away. I turned to look at her. She looked amazing, even when she was sleeping and her mane was all messy. She'd guided me through a lot, and introduced me to a lot of ponies. It was just one of those nights, and I was not able to fall asleep, no matter what. I sighed, rolling over to face the wall.
"Triv...?" I heard Rainbow Dash's raspy voice.
"Yes?"
"Why haven't you been sleeping?"
"I... I can't fall asleep." I said, looking at her again.
"Oh, that's an easy fix." Rainbow Dash sprung out of bed, energetic enough to seem like she hadn't slept any more than I. "Come on!" She said, pulling me out of bed. She bolted to the door, and outside. I followed, seeing her sitting at the very edge of the cloudy mansion we lived in. The moon soared high in the sky, accompanied by a million stars. I walked up next to her, sitting down.
"So..." I started. "What's the fix?"
"We..." Rainbow Dash grinned, looking at me. "Race."
She dove off the cloud without another word, speeding towards the ground.
Oh, you're ON! I leaped off, flying directly downwards right after Rainbow Dash. The wind howled past my ears, rippling through my mane. I looked ahead, to see Rainbow Dash bolting upwards. I continued to hold the imaginary trail we normally raced on, slapping one of my hind hooves on the lake which served as a checkpoint of sorts. I began flying upwards, breathing heavily. Rainbow Dash was rediculously good at flying, and literally always beat me in a race. But not this time!
I flapped my wings with as much power as I could muster, actually managing to start catching up to Dashie. She blasted through cloud, leaving just a hollow ring, which I blasted through just seconds behind her. She glanced back for a second, speeding up once she realized how close I was. Oh no you don't! I forced my wings just a little bit more, getting myself within reach of Rainbow Dash.
"Gotchya!" I cried, biting down softly on her tail.
"Hey!" She cried, grabbing me in a hug, halting the race. "No fair..." She chuckled. "No physical contact."
We hugged for a bit.
"Now what?" I asked.
"We...." She looked around. "Race to..."
"Twilight's house!" I blurted. "First one past her house wins!"
"No grabbing, or biting, and if you crash into her house, than you lose by default."
"Go!" I cried, diving at a slight downward angle. I let my wings stretch out fully, carving through the night sky as I descended and blasted across the sky. Rainbow Dash suddenly bolted past me, leaving a blue blur for a second. "Smell ya later!" She cried as she passed me. I laughed, picking up the pace.
***
BOOM.
I rolled across the dirt floor, dazed. I lay still once I stopped rolling, aching all over. My ears rang, and my vision was blurred slightly. "Rainbow Dash?" I called out, seeing a melting rainbow stretched across the sky.
Did she just...?
"Sonic Rainboom!" I heard Rainbow Dash yell, seeing her pump a hoof into the sky. "I win!"
I stood, hearing a window creak open.
"What's all that noise?" I recognized Twilight Sparkle's voice. "Rainbow Dash...?"
"Sonic Rainboom!" Rainbow Dash repeated. I lifted off, seeing Rainbow Dash hovering next to Twilight's window, where she was looking out at her, looking like she'd also gotten no sleep.
"Trivium? Rainbow Dash? What are you guys still doing up?" Twilight asked.
"I'd ask you the same." Rainbow Dash replied, panting.
"Studying." Twilight said flatly.
"Studying? For what?"
"Fun!" Twilight said enthusiastically. "I'm working on a new spell!"
"Only you would study for fun, Twi." Dash said.
"Just you wait..." Twilight said. "It'll pay off one day."
***
"So, ya tired yet?" Dash asked me as we flew casually back home.
"Yeah..." I said.
"Never fails." Dash chuckled. "Never."
"Thanks," I said, stifling a yawn. "Now I know that I can rely on you to get me tired."
***
I snuggled into bed, closing my eyes.
"Good night, Rainbow Dash."
"G'night."
***
"Wake up, Trivium..."
I groaned.
"Wake up..."
I opened my eyes. "Who's there?" I was alone, other than Rainbow Dash, who was sleeping soundly.
"Go outside."
I shook my head violently. Am I hearing things? "Hey, Rainbow..." I shook Rainbow Dash lightly. "Wake up, I think someone's here." Rainbow Dash snuggled deeper into the bed, still asleep.
"Go..."
I suddenly felt urged to go out to the front balcony. I slid out of bed and walked, as if in a trance, to the front balcony of the house. I looked out across the sky, but there was a thick mist which prevented me from seeing anything.
"Come on in..." The voice seemed more lucid. It was a mare's voice, it sounded silky, dancing through the air into my ears.
I stretched out my wings, and flew into the mist. It got extremely dense. I stretched out a hoof in front of me, but couldn't even see it, until it was practically pressed against my face.
"Just a little bit farther..."
I slowly continued, my mind feeling numb.
"Now..."
I stopped, hovering in the mist. What was about to appear?
The mist suddenly cleared. I found myself hovering in the middle of black clouds. A storm! I quickly began to dive, but began to feel light-headed. I was surrounded by a loud rumbling, and saw a bolt of lightning strike nearby, the loud crack screaming painfully in my ears. Which way is out?! Another CRACK! I saw a white flash, and felt stiff. Pain arced through my whole body, paralyzing me. I began to fall, the opposite direction of what I thought down was. I was flying upwards?!
I tried to regain control of my body, but I was still paralyzed as I plummeted towards the ground. Dear Celestia... Please don't let me die! As I neared the ground, my vision faded into whiteness, the wind rushing changing to a faint wind going through what sounded to be like a tunnel.
***
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
"He's waking up..."
"Got it."
I felt a sharp pain in my arm, and then nothing. I opened my eyes, finding a bright light shining into my eyes. I was laying in a hospital bed.
"What... Happened..." I grunted, trying to sit up, but failing.
"You flew right into a thunder storm..." I Rainbow Dash's voice again.
"I... What?"
"You woke me up, saying that they were calling... That you had to go... That you were... Sorry..." She paused. "You sat at the end of the cloud-house balcony for... Like... 30 minutes... Chanting under your breath... You ignored everything I said, too... Than you took off, at speeds even I struggled to keep up with. You flew right into a thunder-cloud cluster, and got struck, but somehow lived. You fell out of the sky, unconscious, and somehow survived the fall, too."
"He must have had some form of... Nightmare... A partially lucid nightmare, is what it seems like." I heard Twilight Sparkle speaking.
Leave it to Twilight for diagnosis...
"Lucid?" I asked, looking around the room. It was a small room in Twilight's library/house combo, with three chairs and a small table. Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and I all sat around the table as if we were about to preform some sort of evil chant or something like that. "I wasn't in control of what I was doing..."
"Lucid can also mean hyper-realistic. Lucid dreams can be extremely realistic but not controlled rarely." Twilight sat forward. "Studies have shown recently that there is a one-to-eight lucid dream ratio among ponies, so you could have been that one out of the eight."
"But he didn't get hurt at all. Struck by lightning and fell straight out of the sky, right onto a rock. No scratches, burns, mental damage, broken bones..." Rainbow Dash's voice dragged off.
"That's the part I still don't quite understand." Twilight said, shuffling through a thick stack of books relative to dreams, and such.
***
"Just one hell of a dream, I guess!" Rainbow Dash said, slapping me on the back. We were sitting on a cloud far above PonyVille, watching as the town went about it's day.
"Twilight's gonna be reading for months trying to find an answer, I bet." I said.
"Pinkie Pie will probably throw a party."
"Applejack would bring some apples,"
"What would Fluttershy do?" Rainbow Dash questioned.
"Something so insane that it will work." I said, chuckling. Just randomly listing what some of our friends would do about this was just... Fun...
Fun?!
Entertaining...?!
Something positive, but not crazy sounding...
"Triv?" Rainbow Dash's voice pierced my mental war I was having.
"I'm okay." I said suddenly. "Just thinking..."
"About what?"
"Life... And stuff..." I said.
How could I be going insane? Insane ponies don't KNOW they're crazy!
"The city really triggers your mind, doesn't it?"
"Apparently." I said.
"Come on, we've got stuff to do."
***
"So, was it really just one crazy dream?" Rainbow Dash asked. We walked down the market road, once again talking to Twilight. "It seems a little too... extreme... To be just a dream..."
"I've never heard of a case like this ever before," Twilight said, sounding skeptical as normal. "But it does share some similar properties of a lucid dream... The other option is the starting stage of insanity, but, that doesn't seem likely."
So you're telling me there's a chance? I said in my mind. A chance that I'm going insane?
***
I lazily flopped onto the bed, sighing. The sky was getting dark out, and Rainbow was still out somewhere.
What if she never comes back? What?! That's crazy! Why in the world would she NOT come back?! I shook my head, sitting up. Maybe a drink of water will help... I thought as I shuffled to the kitchen. I grabbed out a mug and filled it with water, then headed out to the front balcony. I sat there for a while, sipping water, even though I wasn't thirsty. I looked down over the edge. That's a long fall... I sighed, looking up at the sky instead. The moon was barely in the sky (metaphorically), but it seemed so dark out. So... Foggy...
"Oh... Shit!" I swore under my breath, realizing the mug had slipped from my grip and fallen. I listened intently, waiting for that crash. It was satisfying, hearing something shatter like that.
That'll be fun to explain.
I sighed, going back inside.
Go find the mug...
I gasped. No.
What if it hit somepony?
They would have made a sound.
Not if it knocked them out.
Why would anyone be under our house?
Go check.
I complied, letting the voice in my head get the better of me. I stepped out onto the balcony and dove, pushing my wings against my back so I could gain speed as I rushed towards the ground. With one slow movement, I gradually extended my wings, landing smoothly on the ground.
Where'd it go?! I looked around. There was no trace that a mug had ever fallen from the sky here.
Check behind you...
I took a deep breath. What's behind me?
Check.
I gulped, turning around.
"Rainbow Dash!" I cried. She lay on the ground, motionless. Her head was bleeding, shards of glass covering her. "No..." I gently pressed my hoof against her chest, my mind racing. No pulse. She wasn't breathing. I felt sadness overcome me in a wave of self-hatred.
This sparks the beginning... Equestria will fall in front of your eyes...
I shook Rainbow Dash, my hearing drowning out everything except my voice and thoughts. "Dash... Don't leave me... I'm sorry..."
No response.
"This... This can't be true..."
I felt the cold wind stinging my skin, I could feel the sickening realization of reality sinking in.
I killed her...
I heard screams in the distance. I turned, to see a giant cloud of smoke rising into the air. I could see pegasi flying in and out, occasionally carrying what appeared to be unconscious, or dead ponies. Town square of PonyVille was burning to the ground.
She never loved you anyways...
I collapsed. This can't be happening... It's not true...
I coughed, a draft of heavy smoke reaching me. I could hear the voices, but I didn't want to listen.
***
"Trivium! Wake up!" I felt somepony shaking me. "Trivium!"
"Rainbow Dash...?" I opened my eyes, seeing Rainbow Dash standing by the bed. I could tell she was troubled. "You're ali-"
"Not now, something's happened..." Rainbow Dash yanked me out of bed, practically dragging me to the door.
This sparks the beginning...
"It's Twilight... Her... Her house... It..." I could see tears welling up in Rainbow Dash's eyes. I could hear the panic in her voice rising. "It... Caught on fire..." She took off, flying in the direction of where Twilight lived. I was startled, but able to fly. I quickly followed her.
***
Sirens wailed as we arrived. Her library/house combo was now in smoldering ashes. I could tell everything was not alright.
I heard the rushed voices of ponies as they moved large piles of burnt house, evidently searching for someone.
"Over here!" I heard someone cry out. The other groups quickly rushed over, swiftly pulling out an unconscious Twilight Sparkle. She was quickly loaded onto a stretcher, and flown off by two pegasi.
"Dash..." I said, putting a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. She sat, staring at the wreckage, completely frozen. "You alright?"
"It's all gone..." She mused. "Where's she going to live?"
"We'll get that figured out."
"Is she going to be okay?"
"We can visit her in the hospital tomorrow... Come on," I shook her lightly. "Let's just go home for now, get some rest."
***
You're in control now...
"What?" I said, startled. I opened my eyes, realizing I was in bed, Rainbow Dash sleeping next to me.
You control everything...
I took a deep breath, fear creeping into me. I slowly got out of bed, stepping onto the floor.
"Who's there?!" I called, hoping Rainbow Dash would wake up. She didn't even stir. I carried on, still fearsome. I tried to push open the door, only to find my hoof go through the door, as if it wasn't even there.
Control...
I tried to imagine the door opening as I pushed again, this time finding it to open as normal. I wandered around the house, checking things, and everything seemed normal. I walked out to the front balcony, where things always seemed to happen.
It's your dream...
I shivered, hearing the words as if they were coming from right behind me. Oh... Buck...
I reluctantly turned around, seeing a changeling. a mother bucking changeling!
"Chrysalis?" I found myself suddenly blurting.
"I prefer the term "princess", but, Chrysalis shall work, considering yourself." She spoke, her voice sounding like a thing that was flowing around me, all over me, like water.
I stuttered uselessly. "W-what's happening?!"
"You should know by now," Chrysalis's voice creeped around me again. "Equestria is falling, Trivium."
"W-wha? E-eque-Falling?!" I felt my heart race. "Wwhhaaaa...."
"There's no stopping it now, save who you can."
"Why..." I felt a sudden dread over-come me.
"We won't get to talk often, but I am watching your progress. You're getting closer."
"To what?!"
"To... insani....t.....y.....
"TRIVIUM!" I heard Rainbow Dash yell.
I cried out, waking up... Again...?
"Are you okay?" She asked. "You started rambling in your sleep... Saying that something was falling, there was no stopping it... Then you... Made this... sound..." That's when I realized Rainbow Dash had tears running down her face. "It was awful..."
"Rainbow Dash, I'm telling you..." I spoke, while Dash brewed coffee and made breakfast. "I... Something's wrong..."
"You're probably just sick or something..." Rainbow Dash said, leaning on the counter. "No offense, but I think Chrysalis would probably chose a different pony to destroy Equestria through."
"I know..." I sighed. "I'm just... Scared..."
"Scared?" Rainbow Dash grinned. "Don't worry, I'm not afraid of nothin'! Kicked a dragon square in the face, just like that!" She slapped a small piece of cloud, causing it to break into a bunch of mini clouds.
...
tHIS ISN'T REALLY hAPPeNING. YOU'rE DReAMiNG. PLEAsE. WAKE UP. PLEASE. WE nEED YoU NOW. eVERYTHING Is cOMING TO aN END. pLEASE WAKE UP. THERE ISN'T MUCH TIMe LEFT
...
"TRIVIUM!"
"Rainbow Dash!" I screamed, wrapping my arms around her. I felt a burning pain coming from my right foreleg, but ignored it. I began to sob, laying on the ground, hugging Rainbow Dash while she sat next to me.
"Trivium... Your... Leg..."
I looked at my foreleg...
"tHIS ISN'T REALLY hAPPeNING. YOU'rE DReAMiNG. PLEAsE. WAKE UP. PLEASE. WE nEED YoU NOW. eVERYTHING Is cOMING TO aN END. pLEASE WAKE UP. THERE ISN'T MUCH TIMe LEFT" it read... Burned... Into my arm...
"This isn't really happening... You're dreaming... Please... Wake up..." Rainbow Dash's voice filled with horror and despair. "Please... We need you now... Everything is coming to an end... Please wake up.... There isn't much time left..." She looked at me. "Trivium, what the fuck does this mean?!"
"I..." I took a deep breath. "How did this happen...?"
"Why are some letters... Messed up?" Rainbow Dash examined the burn marks.
"Maybe it's a message..."
Rainbow Dash sat silently for a while, reading the burns. "It spells... There is no escape..."
"We need to get help... Now!" My voice trembled.
...
SKIN IS A PRISON... EYES CENSOR SIGHT... REMOVE THEM FOR SALVATION...
...
"Trivium... Wake up!"
I gasped for air, sweating.
"Your arm... It's... Got a different message... Skin is a prison... Eyes censor sight... Remove them for salvation..."
"Rainbow Dash... Please..." I couldn't finish the sentence, too scared to speak. She silently lifted me to my hooves, dead silent. I'd never seen her before like this. "Rainbow Dash...?"
She stared blankly forward.
"Rainbow Dash!" I shook her, causing her to snap back into attention.
I can taste your fear...
"MAKE IT STOP!"
I've been waiting for you...
I screamed, covering my ears and collapsing into a ball on the floor.
Eternal pain a suffering awaits...
***
*beep. beep. beep. beep. beep.*
I slowly opened my eyes, finding myself in a hospital bed. I was hooked up to some IV's and a heart monitor.
"What happened...?"
I realized there was a bandage on my head. I looked at my arm, but there were no remnants of any burns.
"Oh no..." I groaned, feeling sleepiness overcome me. I slowly closed my eyes...
"Uhh..." I opened my eyes again.
"Hey..." I heard Rainbow Dash speak softly.
"What happened...?" I saw Rainbow Dash standing next to the bed.
"You started screaming and fell... You started hitting yourself, begging to die..."
"Rainbow Dash... Something's happening..." I felt completely terrified.
***
The mundane, repetitive, brain-numming beeps of a heart monitor went on and on, far into the night. I struggled to fall asleep, often finding myself waking up after not even a minute of sleep, roughly. I slowly closed my eyes once more, literally trying to fall asleep.
---
"Those who make a beast out of themselves get rid of the pain of being a pony..." I opened my eyes, finding I was in some sort of space-like area, except I could breathe. Chrysalis stood in front of me, as if there were something underneath her hooves. "Do you know who said that?" She asked me.
"Uh.... M. Shadows?" I guessed.
"M. Shadows?!" She tossed her head back in laughter. "Doctor Johnson."
"Where am I?" I looked around, standing in the same fashion Chrysalis was. I realized that my arm had changed in looks, my legs, every part of me! I was a changeling?! "WHAT am I?!"
"Those who make a beast out of themselves..." Chrysalis repeated.
"I'm not doing this!" I pleaded.
"Oh, but you are..." She walked around me, lowering her face to mine. "Those eyes of yours, let me tell you... They won't see the same, not after I'm through with you."
"W-what?"
"What did that one pony say the definition of insanity was? What did he say again?" Chrysalis poked me. "Because I believe we have a new breed of insanity, right here..." She knocked on my head.
"I'm not insane!"
"Yet."
"Why are you doing this to me?!" I felt anger, but couldn't will myself to attack my master...
"Me? I'm not doing anything, you're just letting your mind bow to what others don't." Chrysalis chuckled again. "You're not the only one, Trivium, but what will you do about it, find them? I can help you find them..." She disappeared and reappeared closer. "You just have to ask."
"Will you......" I tried to speak.
"Will I?" She seemed amused. "Just ask..."
"I need you to...." I felt un-able to speak.
"Maybe you should... beg..."
"please, help me f.... F...... Fi..... Fi....."
"Fi fi...?" Chrysalis laughed.
"Where am I?" I asked suddenly.
"Your own mind... This is what it looks like, sub-consciously."
"My mind? What about... Awake..." I looked around, seeing a flash of white. I saw a blurred, distant vision of the blackout I had where I thought I killed Rainbow Dash. I saw, heard, felt the burns burning into my arm again.
"You're awake, Trivium, if you ever need me, just come on back!" Chrysalis laughed again, fading away.
---
I shot my eyes open, sitting up suddenly. I was in the hospital bed, only five minutes had passed.
But there is no pony on the planet that can understand...
Understand this...
Pain...
Dread...
Hatred...
Sorrow...
Emptiness...
Helplessness...
This...
Insanity.
I was home, back home, safe, in bed, with Rainbow Dash. We'd been going good without any incidents for so long, and now I'd felt better, only a month away from our wedding. She was sleeping happily, peacefully, painlessly, while I sat in agony, in this... This... This painful insanity.
I'm not insane...
Sanity has kept us all blind...
I may be... Out of my mind...
But some day you will find...
Sanity's left you all blind.
I sat, forced, watching as these ponies lived their lives... Their... Their dance... Eternal... Their souls... Forfeit.
I sat, forced, watching as these ponies lived their lives... Their... Their laughter... It sounds happy, fun, painless, but I can hear it... The agony, the misery and pain they will soon understand...
I sat, forced, watching as these ponies lived their lives... Their... Their vision... Blinded... Blinded in the chains of Sanity that held them down...
***
"You... Trivium? Trivium! Is that you?!" I heard a voice. I opened my eyes, and found myself in a similar realm to the one where I was told by Chrysalis that there were others with my condition. "Trivium!"
"Where are you?" I asked, looking around. "Who is this?"
"I'm one of them! One of... You!"
"One of... Me?"
"Chrysalis told you there were others, she didn't lie! I can help you!"
"Help me?"
"I've been in this world of insanity so long, there's no escaping for me... But... My knowledge can help you!"
"But... How can I trust you?" I asked, looking around, failing to find the speaking pony.
"What other options do you have?"
"Good point..." I sighed. "How can you help me?"
"You're in more control of this world then you'd know..." The voice said. "This is similar to a lucid dream..."
"Okay... So... Where do I start?"
"I'm gonna help me help you first... Try to imagine me..."
"How do I know what you look like?"
"You'd be surprised, just... Focus, really hard on my voice, and focus on being able to... See... it."
I closed my eyes, focusing on what a voice would look like...
"You... You did it!"
I opened my eyes, and saw an... Alicorn? He was pretty tall, had a white coat, with a grey mane and tail.
"Surprised?"
"Very..." I said.
"Now remember, you can control most of this... thing... That is like a dream.... You'll need powers... This is gonna blow your mind.... Try to focus on becoming an... Alicorn..."
"What?"
"Just focus... Think, let it happen.... Like... Just... Focus, real hard..."
I slowly opened my eyes and stood, feeling much taller then before.
"You're good at this..." The alicorn said.
I looked up, and saw a horn protruding from my forehead, and wings from my back. I did it!
"By the way, the name's Cobalt. White Cobalt."
"Damn, damn!" I said. "How do I.... Use my magic?"
"Well, Trivium, that's where we're starting. Every night, when you go to sleep, you'll be here. I'll be here. It's gonna be lots of training, but we'll eventually get you powerful enough to go find the others, and once we do that, we can defeat Chrysalis." Cobalt paused. "One thing... You won't remember any of this when you're awake... You'll be in two different worlds, basically..."
"So... When I wake up, I won't remember this?"
"Correct, you won't." Cobalt said. "Now, I hate to say this, but it's time for you to wake up..."
"No, wait!" I could feel myself passing out, and waking up in the real world already.
"One more thing!"
I could hear wind rushing, my vision whitening.
"Hurry!" I yelled.
"Whatever you do, don't"
***
I slowly opened my eyes, finding Rainbow Dash to already be awake. "Morning Trivium, sleep well?" She asked.
"Amazingly!" I stood, stretching. "I haven't gotten so much rest in so long!"