//------------------------------// // Infractus - Chapter 3 // Story: Insanity's Truth // by Caffeinated Pinkie //------------------------------// Entry #3, June 16, 1000 CP Before I get on with this entry, I decided to start denoting the start of each one. I figure it would be a good idea to keep track of when these things happened and to keep my thoughts straight. It’s hard enough when the date is a thousand years behind what I’m used to, but whatever. This is — well — me, signing off. — My nerves were on fire. Magic poked and prodded my everything and left a tender mess behind. My surroundings turned into a blurred mess as my senses are torn asunder. An intense pressure built on my forehead as my consciousness slipped away. Soon, the pain faded into a dull ache. A sense of weightlessness overtook me. The pressure was still there, but now it seemed to have spread across my entire body. I’m not sure how much time passed before I heard a voice speak to me. “Twilight Sparkle,” it said faintly. My eyes flickered open and I saw a familiar decrepit stone room around me. It was then I noticed I was no longer floating. My fur laid flat against the cold floor and a stiff breeze blew past me. I looked up to see an empty throne. It appeared to be falling apart — numerous cracks ran the length of it and quite a few chunks were missing. I sluggishly pulled my arms close to me — or legs, I supposed — and attempted to push down. After successfully lifting my torso upwards, I repeated the motion with my back legs. Now standing, I slowly shuffled around to look behind me. It occurred to me that the ponies from before were gone. In fact, the whole place seemed devoid of life, with me being the only one alive. A pair of large wooden doors — surprisingly intact despite their rotting timbers — touched the ceiling at the back of the room. Only one still had a handle attached, a heavy metal latch, coated by rust. The other door had only a jagged piece of metal nailed into it, the rest likely either fallen or torn off. I lifted my right foreleg in an attempt to make a move towards it, until I recalled the person who woke me. I glanced around, casting a wary eye at the shadows. Nothing jumped out at me, although I do realize the ceiling was completely destroyed. Directly above me was the beautiful night sky, full of twinkling stars and a rather large moon. Faint alien craters covered much of the pearly white surface with no discernible pattern. “Twilight!” it called more urgently. My gaze dropped back down to where I had heard it and I nearly stumbled back in surprise. Standing before the unoccupied throne was a wispy figure, closely resembling Nightmare Moon, but as I took in its form, several differences came to light. It — her — stood with a proud and intimidating posture, but she did so without menace. Her shimmering coat was a lighter blue than Nightmare’s, and her flank bore a much lighter ink splotch surrounding a crescent moon. Likewise, the armor worn by Nightmare was replaced by cloth. I also notice that her mane failed to emanate with the power I felt from the dark pony, instead hanging in limp stagnation down her neck. The creature flickered and shifted every few seconds, occasionally disappearing entirely. “What are you?” I whispered. Her gaze appraised me calmly as I stood stock still. She smiled faintly and almost managed to conceal a wince from my frightful gaze. She stepped forward, hooves thundering with each step. I moved back, but she reached out and touched a surprisingly gentle hoof on my shoulder. I shiver slightly at the touch. She spoke lowly, “She grows weak. Thou must—” “She?” I asked. “You mean Nightmare Moon?” The pony paused and gave me a cross look. Another wince crossed her face. “Correct. The Night Mare in the Moon rests. Thou must use the Elements of Harmony to—” I interrupted, “Yeah, I already know about those.” Her eyes closed and she breathed in sharply through her teeth before continuing. “Listen to us! Thou needs thy acquaintances to wield the artifacts!” She looked down at the floor. “We do not have long. She—” The pony stopped with a grimace and appeared to be concentrating. “She grows stronger even now.” I stepped back slightly and eyed her warily. “What am I even supposed to do with those things?” “Truly, we do not possess such knowledge. But it is an expression of thyself. Thou must believe in the virtue thou represents. Only then shall they function.” I was about to speak but she held up a hoof. “Hurry now. Our strength is limited, but—” A headache suddenly pounded away at my temples and I felt a fire raging in my head. I screwed my eyes shut and will myself to fall back into oblivion. It doesn’t come. I opened my eyes slowly, fearing the sun’s light would sear into my retina, but I was instead greeted by a dim room. The pounding in my ears intensified and made me want to close my eyes once more. I saw a dark stone wall in front of me, tiny holes and cracks peppering the surface. I shivered as cold seeped into my body. Looking down, I noticed I was lying on the ground, my singed fur brushing crisply against the coarse stone bricks. I winced from a sudden spike of pain. My body shrunk back while I placed a hoof on my temple, feeling the hair crunch beneath it. When I was allowed a brief moment of respite, I opened my eyes and took in the room around me. My nose crinkled as I sniffed the air, noticing the faint scent of freshly fallen rain. I could hardly see more than a few feet in front of me as everything beyond fell into blackened obscurity. Shadows danced along the walls as I turned my head to check behind me. I noticed I’m not alone. A short distance away, four ponies were spread out on the ground. The closest was a yellow pony with a long pink mane. She clutched her legs close to her barrel as if worried they might run away. A slight tremor racked her body just then and she gave off a pitiful whimper. Beyond her, another pony — a familiar white unicorn — was sleeping with a modicum more comfort on a red and gold blanket she must have brought with her. The ends were curled up slightly, giving me the impression it must have been rolled up not too long ago. From where I was, I couldn't make out more than just the figures of the others in the room. I glanced to my right, at the wall. With careless ambition, I bent back my forelegs before pushing down and standing up. Upon taking a step forward, a searing agony stabbed through my head. My legs exploded in pain and I felt them buckle forwards. I slammed into the ground, only eliciting a soft thud as I collided. My eyes closed alongside the pain in my head. The beating in my ears drowned out anything I could hear around me. After a moment, the pain receded and the thumping dissipated into a softer pounding. After another minute of stillness, I gave a great huff and glanced down at my hooves. I repeated the motion from before, carefully bending my legs and standing upright. Discomfort brushed against my senses but I stayed focused. I pushed a front leg to the side experimentally, before returning it at a fresh bout of irritation. I cautiously tested the waters, stepping slowly towards the nearby wall. When the pain once more flowed away, I repeated the same motions but with my other leg. However unrefined my movements were, I eventually found purchase on the slick brick wall. I leaned against it and allowed myself to relax slightly. I burdened the cracked surface with most of my weight, allowing my legs to move uninhibited and with relatively little pain. An odd step made me wince and I quickly corrected my movement. Step after step, I eventually reached a more well-lit area of the room, moonlight streaming through gaping holes in the ceiling and walls. A stray hoof splashed a shining puddle of water on the ground, wetting parts of my fetlock. I shivered involuntary at the cold and glanced downwards. Ripples shattered the image of my face. I let out a sigh before continuing onwards. Within a few moments, I reached where the other figures lay. One was sleeping peacefully against the floor, using her impossibly fluffy hair as a pillow. I chuckled under my breath as her pink legs occasionally kicked. Looking to my right, I noticed an orange mare leaning against the wall with a dirtied stetson pulled over her eyes. She snored softly as I walked up to her. My front right hoof hit another shallow gathering of rain water. The hatted pony stirred and groggily moved a hoof to push up her headwear. She snorted slightly. “Is it mornin’ already?” she asked with a Southern slur. The pony blinked in the darkness and rubbed her eyes. Finally catching sight of me, her eyes widened. Her mouth opened, about to speak, when a voice from outside the room shouted in. A figure lazily floated through the doorway. “I’m gonna catch some Zs. Wake me when Nightmare Moon raises the sun!” The scratchy voice chuckled for a moment before breaking off with a yawn. The pink pony nearby shifted and lifted her head. I saw the other two doing the same. The one with the white coat spoke up in a weary voice. “Must you be so loud, Rainbow Dash?” She took a moment to yawn. “Celestia can no doubt hear you from here.” She laid her head back down and wrapped the carpet around her. I think I saw the pony — Rainbow Dash — roll her eyes. She turned her head towards us and promptly stilled. Her wings slowed down and she gently lowered to the ground. She quickly regained her cool and gave a nod in my direction. “Hey guys, she’s up,” she said, hardly any quieter. Her wings fluttered a moment and she settled onto the floor, pausing to look up. “And, uh… thanks.” She cocked her head. “For, yah know. The whole saving our life thing.” Her body curled up and I heard her begin to snore loudly. I shuffled side to side on my hooves and glanced around. Movement sounded to my side before the orange mare pushed herself to her hooves. My head turned to her and she offered a comforting smile. “That was some mighty fine magic yah did back there.” She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly and looked away. “Well, Ah best be getting to watching for Nightmare.” Her words lingered in the air as she trotted out the open doorway. The door covering the portal had long since fallen off, with a few broken splinters along the hinges the only evidence of one ever existing. I stared at her retreating form until she disappeared from view. “How are you feeling?” a quiet voice asked close-by. I jumped and turned to face the owner. Her pink mane fell gracefully over her left eye and curled up just before the ground. Her coat was matted in a few places, but seemed well maintained all the same. The pony carried a natural kind of elegance, that of someone who never truly had to put in much work to achieve a figure. Her visible eye was overflowing with worry as she stared at me. “I’m fine,” I mumbled. I coughed lightly from how dry my throat felt. I tried to continue but I ended up hacking instead. “Ugh…” She eyed me up and down, a stern expression across her features. “Well you certainly don’t sound fine. Oh, what were you thinking, putting yourself in harms way?” she asked quietly “Well, what was I—,” I grimaced as the pounding in my head returned with a vengeance. I lifted a hoof up to my temple with a wince. “Ow,” I finished. By now the other ponies had woken, apart from the rainbow-maned one from before. Heavy sleeper, I presumed. “Here, let me help.” I felt the pony wrap a foreleg around me and guide me to a nearby wall. I leaned against it and felt the pain slowly diminish. “Better?” she asked. I closed my eyes and rubbed my head. “Yeah,” I responded. I eventually opened them to see a completely pink pony extremely close to me. I leaned my head back in surprise. “Do you have any idea how much you’ve delayed your party with the battle and us dragging you here?!” she shouted in what I assumed is her normal inside volume. I shook my head bewildered. “It’ll take whole days to get everything organized after that stunt you pulled. Days, Twilight! What am I—” She was cut off when a white unicorn stuck a hoof in her mouth. “Pinkie, darling, is this really the time to be discussing party plans? You’re scaring the poor dear.” She turned towards me. “My name is Rarity. Yours?” “I’m not scared,” I murmured. “I’m, uh, Twilight.” The name felt extremely alien to me and I very nearly shivered involuntarily at designating it to myself. At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel as if it fit me to a degree. I shook my head and came back to the present to see the ponies looking at me with concern. “Where is here anyway?” I followed up. A slight pounding returned from the movement. Rarity waved a hoof dismissively, releasing the pink one. “Oh, just one of the more — ahem — aesthetically pleasing rooms off the main foyer.” I blinked and she continued. “Well, even after that ruffian fled, it would be a crime to just leave you behind!” The pink pony, now free of Rarity’s hoof, held out one of her own to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the unicorn brushing her hoof on the ground in barely concealed disgust, muttering something about spit. “I’m Pinkamena Diane Pie, but my friends call me Pinkie or Pie and sometimes even Pinkie Pie! But you already knew all that, or at least some of it!” I hesitantly went to shake her hoof but she pulled it back as soon as soon as I bumped it. She smiled widely at my bewildered look. I glanced to my left where the shy pegasus was scuffing a hoof on the ground. She looked up briefly but quickly looked away when we locked gazes. I’m not going to lie, she striked me as the most adorable thing ever. I would’ve rushed over and hugged her right then if my head wasn’t threatening to split open. “Her name is Fluttershy,” Pinkie whispered with what I hope was exaggerated loudness. The pegasus, hearing her name, glanced in our direction and blushed. “Thanks,” I said to Fluttershy as I flashed a smile in her direction. She beamed a little in response but quickly retreated again. I’m not one to force somepony out of their comfort zone though, so I left her alone. I looked around at the gathered ponies. They all seemed to be staring at me expectantly, except for Rainbow, who had somehow managed to find a cloud… indoors… which she was sleeping on. My eye twitched. Nope, fuck it. I immediately pretended the prismatic pegasus wasn’t giving a middle finger — err, hoof? — to reality. I returned my gaze to the few ponies before me. “What?” I finally asked. They shared an uncertain glance. Rarity coughed lightly and pulled a handkerchief out of… somewhere. She busied herself with it, not really doing anything in particular. I couldn’t help but stare at the glowing light surrounding the floating object, and the matching one on her horn. It was hard to recall if I’d seen that already with how hectic the day had been. Both of my eyes twitched in sequence and the headache that had diminished somewhat flared up. To my surprise, it’s the shy one who spoke up. “Well, um, we were wondering if, just possibly, you had a plan?” She displayed a strained smile before quickly amending, “Uh, if you’re not too busy that is.” She looked down and scuffed a hoof on the floor, again. I stared, bewildered. “A… plan?” I asked. The creatures around me certainly hadn’t helped alleviate the intensifying pain building up in my head. It was nigh impossible for me to think straight through the fog settling over my mind. I rubbed at my temples once more. “Plan for what?” I managed to force out through gritted teeth. Fluttershy backed up a pace and looked ostensibly apologetic. A small bit of guilt welled up inside of me, but was quickly crushed by another surge of pain. Rarity seemed to take notice of my state and put away the cloth, looking worriedly in my direction. I barely noticed the pink pony pop up beside me, but I couldn’t bring myself to question it. “Well,” she started, “I was hoping to throw you a party for when you defeated Nightmare Moon and we got to go home, but,” Pinkie paused, drawing out the last word with a breath. I winced at the volume, but she continued regardless. “There’s this teensy tiny eenie meenie absolutely minuscule microscopic— no, smaller than microscopic! It’s like...” She trailed off and tapped her chin with a hoof. Thankfully, the unicorn stepped forward to save me. “Pinkie, darling, I think she gets the point.” I nodded slightly towards her. Pinkie only pouted before returning to her previously manic state. She continued unabated, “Anyways, it turns out Nightmare Moon maybe sorta got away when she did that whole zzzaaaappp thing and you were all, ‘nuuuuuuu’, and jumped in front of the giant rainbow laser and there were all these explosions like bing bang boom and then you passed out!” She grinned energetically. “That was really cool by the way.” I said nothing as she hopped around the room in front of me, crudely reenacting the ‘showdown’ between me and Nightmare Moon. She stopped in front of me. “Anyways, that means that we need to find Moony and end her reign of terror once and for all! And for that we need a plan!” she finished, smiling widely. I leaned back instinctively. What was it with this pony and personal space? “Uh, well—,” I looked around and saw Rarity roll her eyes. “Hold on a minute, darling,” she interrupted, “why don’t I go get Applejack before you start. Perhaps she can grouse the sleepyhead.” We glanced towards the sleeping pony. She snorted and scratched herself with a hind leg before rolling over. I couldn’t help but giggle at the display, despite the mood. Rarity joined in as well. Stifling herself, she left the room and returned a moment later with an orange pony, Applejack, I presume. Applejack grimaced when she saw Rainbow and let out a good natured sigh. I could tell this would take a while. — It was a few minutes later when Rainbow was finally woken up and introductions were completed. It turned out Applejack, or AJ as Rainbow called her, ran a local apple farm by the name of Sweet Apple Acres. They supplied a fair amount of the produce in the area. Rainbow also worked as a weather… pony? I wasn’t not sure exactly what that meant, but judging by the cloud Rainbow slept on, it was probably not meteorology. The others talked for a short while about their jobs, but I couldn’t really recall them. Rarity pulled out some flasks of what she assured me was water, helping to somewhat alleviate the headache that’d been building as the others talked. Eventually, the topic turned to the crazed mare that had attacked us. I figured it was about time, especially as the lessened pain lent me memories of my dream from earlier. I told the others about it to the best of my abilities, but none of them had heard of anything like it. It was hard for me to swallow the idea that some pony was capable of entering my mind, assuming it wasn’t just some bizarre vision, meaningless or not. Something told me it was more than that though. The others agreed, except for Rainbow and AJ who seemed a little dubious of the whole thing. I couldn’t really blame them, but they begrudgingly went along with the planning. By the time we packed up camp, some small dredgings of a plan were complete, but we didn’t really have much to work with. Hopefully a combination of planning, quick thinking, teamwork, and just a small dose of luck were all we needed to make it through this. Despite the pony’s warning in my dream, though, I couldn’t help but fear just how powerful our opponent is. I also realized just how insane all of us had to be to go through with this. We trotted off somberly to battle, fully aware that the only advantage we could possibly have was numbers.