18-Stoking the Flames
My headache was bad. Not a migraine, bad. But a full-on ‘It feels like I am having every tooth pulled all at once over and over again all over my face’. So the first thing I did was groan painfully in protest of my awakening. I cannot properly describe it in words, it was just that bad of a pain to experience for little ol me.
And that was just my head. All across my body nerves were screaming in protest. My arms? Yikes. My wings? Yikes. And my back? Sweet lord please just knock me out again. So yeah one didn’t need to be a genius to figure out I was in bad shape. I couldn't bear opening my eyes yet but I definitely noticed some words being spoken around me. What was it? Who knows! I certainly didn't nor did I care at that point until one word managed to break through the wall of pain blinding my senses.
“… Pain suppressors…”
That sweet sweet word signaled the end of the painstorm I was currently in. It was a very weird experience that's for sure. One second I am audibly groaning my displeasure and the next it's gone. Well, you know what they say ‘Magic is one hell of a drug’.
So with the overwhelming pain out of the way, another problem took its place. I felt terrible. With the pain out of the way I tried to open my eyes and it felt as if my eyelids were made out of pure steel. I put every bit of my already heavily diminished strength into slowly opening them. It took an obscene amount of effort to open them but I managed it… eventually.
What greeted me was the familiar sight of a hospital room and honestly, at that point, it was getting sad to see the inside of a hospital. This was supposed to be the land of friendship! And so far all it has done is lock away my magic, take away my ability to walk, and send me to a goddamned hospital at every opportunity! I’ve been known to have an explosive temper all my life and if I weren't feeling like I hadn’t slept in over a month you can bet your wings that I would have gone supernova right then and there.
Probably quite literally now that I think about it…
Anyway, I faintly saw some movement in the corner of my eyes and weakly turned my head to the side. Just to my right, I could see the tell-tale white coat of the doctor doing… something on… whatever machines were next to my bed. Look at that point I was just happy to see anything, everything looked so blurry it was almost impossible to deduce anything further away than the doctor.
And believe me, I tried and all I was able to see other than the doctor was some sort of purple blob in the corner of the room. I tried to move my head around more to get a better look at my surroundings, my fatigue and weakness were slowly receding but it still took an ungodly amount of effort to move my head. Then I heard what I assume to be the doctor speaking to me in a low and comforting voice.
“Easy there Jolyne. Take it slow. Your body is still suffering from severe mana starvation. Get some more rest when you wake up you’ll be feeling much, much better.”
And like that, I was out again. Only this time my mind went into the blissful arms of REM sleep. Much better than straight unconsciousness let me tell you that. At least I can somewhat *feel* the passage of time while asleep. However, being unconscious feels like you just blinked and suddenly felt like crap when waking up.
And then, eventually, you pick up on just when you're gonna be interrupted. But that's for the end of a dream we are just getting started with mine! So when my physical eyes closed once again and my mental ones opened in their stead I was met back with the inside of my bedroom.
A familiar and… comforting sight compared to what was behind the veil of dreams. So what is the first thing an angry, sad, and annoyed 11 year old would do when they're in a situation that just gets worse and worse with every passing hour whilst also being thrown into a world and body so alien it's impossible to explain?
I jumped onto the metaphorical bed, jammed my head into the pillow, and screamed as loud as I could. I screamed and screamed as tears poured into my imaginary pillow. Just why why why why why WHY did this happen to me! What could the universe want with me! I was just a normal, if somewhat nerdy, college student in the middle of nowhere!
I had a, again somewhat, normal family! I had a kooky mother and a loving, if strict, father. A little sister who I would move the heavens and earth for. I had my whole life ahead of me! And now I was barely alive for the second time in less than a week! It’s just-…
…
Sorry I…I’m getting all emotional now thinking back on everything I went through back then.
…
No no, it's fine I can keep going. So yeah I wasn’t in good shape mentally or physically. So what curveball did the universe decide to throw my way at my lowest?
“There, there, Jolyne, everything is going to be alright.” Came the voice of *her* as I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder. The imaginary mattress sagging as another weight pressed down on it.
I froze, I just couldn’t get a break, could I?
“Alright?” I asked, my voice small and cracking.”How can any of this be alright?” I shook her hand off my shoulder. “You ponies have done nothing but cause me pain at every available opportunity. The only people that have not instantly hated me are Spike, Sky, and Brightburn!” I picked my head up and looked Luna dead in the eyes as a fire burned behind mine. “And the last two are guards probably sent by you to watch me! They are supposed to be suspicious but have been better to me than any of you! Now get out of my head and leave me alone!”
“Jolyne, I-”
“OUT! GET OUT AND LEAVE ME ALONE!” Luna flinched back at my outburst as an orange glow began to make itself known in the corner of my eyes. She took the hint and with a dark blue glow disappeared from my dream. The Magic made her expression unreadable.
I was then left there finally alone in my mind once again. Thank my mother for my temper or otherwise, I probably would have had another panic attack overtake me. The glow was still there though so naturally curious I turned around and was met with fire. My pillow was burning, the wall was burning. My hair... well, it was back to ‘normal’ aka burning. The same went for my tail as it set my bed below ablaze. It didn't faze me though. This was my dream. It wasn't a real fire, it was a glorified radiator for my room.
I also couldn’t care less about some imaginary fire right now. I was just… done is the best way to put it. But I couldn't lounge around on that burning bed for the whole dream. I stood up from the bed and walked over to my desk, turned my PC on, and sat down with a sigh. When it booted up a text document reopened itself of my old plan before the whole debacle leading me back into a hospital. I needed a new plan so I went about editing it.
Continuous Objective: AVOID LUNA AT ALL COSTS!
Impossible she won’t leave me alone.
Step 1: Heal
Nope try again later
Step 2: Walk out of this hospital
God I hope, but this is a probable nope
Step 3: Show I am not evil so play nice.
I think they’d have already dealt with me if they thought I was daybreak by now. So success!
Step 4: Get help from Celestia in getting me home (Avoid Luna at all possible!)
SUCCESS!Step 5: Go home hopefully.
Working on it
(In the very unlikely event I cannot go home____________________________)
(I don't want to answer this)
Well, all was not lost thankfully. Even after that debacle with Luna, I could feel a small smile now on my face. I still had my hope. Soon Celestia would find me a way back home. All I had to do was survive until then. You would think it to be easy. But with my luck… Well, my current circumstances says it all.
Anyway, having my hope rekindled was nice now if only Luna would leave me alone. Now, however, it was time to make another plan of action. And so I got to typing once again as I began to feel myself begin to reach the end of my dream.
Step 1 Heal (For real this time)
Step 2 Find out what the hell happened to me and how to prevent it
Step 3 Wait for Celestia to get me home
Continuous Objective: Survive.
…
Yeah, I was screwed.