//------------------------------//
// Chapter 28: No pony is an Island 
// Story: What you Need 
// by Hemlock conium 
//------------------------------//

Earlier that same morning Carapace had awoken in a groggy state like she normally did, to the loud rustling of nearby creatures, all of whom were rolling out of bed just before the morning alarm gave its normal annoyingly loud blare. With a drawn out yawn she gazed to her right to Phoenix's bed. Like the past several days the bed was empty, cold and no longer even carrying the indention from a body that had been laying there. Her sheets fared similar neglect; sloppily tossed over the side, pooling up along the floor like a waterfall of wool. 

“Again?” Carapace muttered to herself as she shook her head to try and remove some of the fatigue still gripping it. Once she managed to get her sense about her she stepped out of bed and neatly tucked away her sheets before heading to Phoenix's bed to do the same. Cold and lightly damp, just like the past two weeks. That combined with the fact Phoenix had bags,  the size of a small town, under her eyes made it painfully easy to piece together an idea of what was going on. 
The deductive reasoning was at least more information that she had gotten from Phoenix. Phoenix just played it off or ignored the questions all together, at least when she was awake enough to talk. Most of the time though the filly was barely coherent often muttering to herself or passing out only to wake back up a moment later. 
Even ignoring the aroma of fatigue and dread that radiated off the filly Carapace hated seeing others in such a terrible disposition; a sympathy so great it was often unbearable. Whatever was causing the night terrors gnawed at Carapace as if it were her own pains. A feeling describable only as a sort of synesthesiac mimicry of feelings.  
  Though as Carapace was bogged down on her own low and finishing up the last hospital corner, somepony nudged her softly from behind.

“Come on,” Ribbon called, “we're going to miss breakfast if you don't hurry and don't give me the ‘I don't eat normal creature food’ speech; every creature is waiting.”  Carapace gave a grunt of understanding before tucking in the last bit of sheet. 

“Alright,” she buzzed; drinking Ribbon's enthusiasm, “ready to go!” 

“Took you long enough. You know you’re not her mom,” Ribbon joked. 

“I never claimed to be… But it just looked so sloppy.” Ribbon suppressed an amused chuckle at the comment; while amusing they both knew that wasn't the whole truth or rather the whole reason why.

“She’ll be fine. I already promised you we’d see it through right?” Ribbons reminder immediately crashed Carapace’s brief high of enthusiasm as she was reminded of just why she felt so miserable. 

“Yea I know you did but-”


“No buts!” Ribbon sternly cut off, as she saw Carapace's face droop back to one of misery, ”You're letting it eat at you. I promise she’ll be fine; we’ll make sure of it.” Ribbon took a brief pause to rest her hoof on Carapace's shoulder and shoot her a reassuring grin. Carapace  in return gave a grateful nod before following Ribbon out. 
Though in her soul Carapace knew that wasn't true. Every part of her body ebbed away at her with that immutable truth, they couldn't help Phoenix, not like this, and Phoenix would just get worse and… Carapace quickly suppressed the thought; shoving it deep into the recess of her mind before it brought her to tears. 
Though even after Carapace managed to snuff out the anguishing thought she felt cold and hollow while at the same time feeling so heavy that she couldn't walk. All the while her mind violently spun like a hurricane around. The whole ordeal left her feeling physically sick and emotionally wrecked.

“I told you... It'll be okay, alright?” she promised again; gently draping a wing over Carapace as she led her out. She wanted to tell the bug she was being stupid and its not like Phoenix's problems were there fault, but shed already tried that. So instead she let out a short breath of air before walking Carapace to breakfast.	For Carapace, the gesture was so much more. As if a tremendous weight was removed off of her. It felt as though a shield was encasing her body; warding off the negativity as it carried her through the maelstrom of negativity. She couldn't help but lean into her shield a little more as if grasping it for dear life. 
Not that Ribbon had any intent of letting go. She was well aware of what Carapace was like when she was in a funk. As such she lightly tightened her grip over her friend as they approached the front of the line to join the rest of her companions.
Zeal and Starling were busy talking to one another over something mundane. While Teratorn looked cautiously over a sleeping Phoenix, as if he were debating whether to prod a sleeping bear or not. Before he could make a decision however Zeal cut his conversation short and shook Phoenix's shoulder having finally realized she slipped off again.


“Best meal of the day is up soon Nix,” he practically sang, hiding a concerned worried look beneath a mask of feverous excitement. 

“Uhuhhu.” Phoenix incoherently mumbled before rubbing her weary eyes, clearly not paying any mind to his words. 

“I'll take that as a yes!” He beamed, fighting off the edge of a worried grin, before Ribbon smacked him in the back of the head.
“OW! What in Taurus was that for?!” He demanded angrily. Though, in part at least, he was thankful as the smack refocused his mind on something other than Phoenix. 

“Do you have to be so loud?” She demanded in a sharp and annoyed hissed. 

“Whhhaaat? Better to wake her up with, yea?” he proposed; much to the annoyance of his sister who just let out a groan of disbelief before resting her forehead on her left forehoof.

“You're a dolt,” Ribbon bemoaned in pure contempt.

“The same dolt you share genes with,” he giggled, “which means… You probably have a few of those dolt genes too!”   

“That isn't even-… Just forget it,” Ribbon replied as she face hoofed; causing Zeal to break out into a mad cackle.  
Thankfully, the doors to the cafeteria opened not long after; allowing the rest of the group to escape the twins' childish banter. The bulk of the group, including Phoenix, made their way towards the food line while Carapace separated to scout out their usual table before somecreature else could take it. Upon securing their familiar stomping ground, Carapace sat next to Phoenix's usual spot as she awaited their arrival. Though as she was left to her own devices she could feel the lingering thoughts of earlier slowly crawl out of whatever mental hole they were hiding in. Threatening to wreak havoc on her mind again. Fortunately with the herd being at the front of the line, Carapace’s friends were swift to arrive even with Phoenix's sluggish hobbling. Thus allowing her to once more bury the anxiety away and instead bask in her friends' company. 
After taking several moments to arrange themselves into their normal spots, the group was quick to delve into their plans for the day. With the exception of Phoenix that was. While it wasn't uncommon for the filly to quietly sit back and only passively participate, this time the circumstances were noticeably different. Most notable of which being that she frequently nodded off for a moment before snapping back too and only sloshed her food about, not actually eating it. 
Carapace tried awakening Phoenix every time she dozed off, but it seemed to do little. At least for the first dozen attempts or so anyway. Thankfully as breakfast went on Phoenix slowly started to stay cognizant longer than a mere moment at a time. Well awake might have been a better descriptor as she hardly seemed aware of what was going on around her. 
The whole ordeal caused Carapace to grimace in discomfort as she watched her friend struggle to even stay awake. A struggle that only seemed to get worse as the days went. Each day taking Phoenix longer to stay awake than the last. Everyday Carapaces concern growing more anxiety ridden. 

“I say just let her sleep for now,” Zeal suggested, “better to catch a few winks here in the cafeteria where she wont fall over, than to pass out and fall over in the hallways.” His eyes slowly fell back onto Phoenix as he hid a worried expression behind his half eaten apple.

“That's almost possibly the smartest thing you’ve ever said.” Ribbon replied in mock astonishment. Though Zeal missed the sarcasm ridden throughout the sentiment. 

“I feel like there's a ‘but’ coming to that praise,” Zeal retorted back as he took another bite out of his apple. 

“And you'd be right. I was going to say, before you interrupted me,” Ribbon frowned to which her brother gave a casual shrug of indifference in response, “that her sleeping here makes no difference. It's not enough time to stop her from just passing out anyway while she's walking. We should probably tell Virulent Lesson and get her back to bed.” Zeal disagreed on that point, at least that it made no difference. Some sleep was better than none in his mind. Though if there was a way to get her more sleep he wouldn't protest.

“He hasn't figured that out already? I’m sure she's been dozing off in their one on one meetings,” Zeal pointed out.

“Knowing her though, I doubt nodding off is that far off from how she probably spends their sessions.” Ribbon argued back. 

“Fair,” Zeal simply said as he took another nonchalant bite out of his apple. 

“I’ll take her to Head Stallion Lesson after this,” Carapace finally spoke as she slowly sat Phoenix's limp body back into a proper sitting position. 

“You know I can hear you right?” Phoenix grumbled as she tried to squirm free of Carpace’s hooves, though her voice wasn't quite all there. It was as if her mind had wandered off without the rest of her body. After a long moment of pause her muscles slowly tensed up as she took control of her body once more. Only to struggle at trying to balance her in a sitting position; causing Carapace to quickly put her  hooves back around the filly in support. 
“Oh! Mooring!” Zeal cheekily greeted, “good of you to join us.” 

“Will you quit that?” Ribbon demanded, more so than asked, her brother. Carapace sighed at the twos bickering before turning back to Phoenix to make sure she was still sitting up correctly. 


“How do you feel?” Carapace asked, her voice once more heavy with worry and stress. 

“Like a million bucks,” Phoenix muttered groggily in a sarcastic tone. 

Ribbon’s eyebrows arched in an inquisitive fashion before her lips caught up to ask “A million what now?” 

“Money things…uhh.. Bits, those things,” the filly half heartedly elaborated. 

“Where do you get buckings from bits?” Zeal asked only to get a slugging in the side from his sister. 

“Language,” Ribbon hissed.

“What?! She said it,” He argued


“And she's barely conscious and maybe she was talking about male deer I don't know.” Ribbon argued back.

“You’re just looking for excuses to hit me, this is abuse,” He protested as he rubbed his sore shoulder. Carapace shook her head as she slowly helped Phoenix up, helping carry her away.
“Where are you two going?” Zeal asked 

“To get her to bed and get the Head Stallion.” Carapace answered back as she looked over Phoenix once more. 

Star quickly picked himself up from his seat; leaving behind his half eaten meal before saying “we should probably go too.”

“But I didn't even get to finish my apple,” Zeal jokingly huffed as he fluttered up to his hooves.

“You can have mine at lunch. Let's just go,” Ribbon called; already following Carapace. 
The rest of the group followed soon after. Carapace walked a few dozen paces ahead trying to convince an unwilling Phoenix to go back to her bed. Unfortunately even Phoenix's exhaustion couldn't snuff out her stubbornness as she insisted on going out for their daily practice. Even going so far to dig her hooves into the soft plush floor below. The whole ordeal thankfully only lasted a few minutes; ending as they managed to put Phoenix into her bed. Then finally with only a half coherent groan of protest Phoenix finally gave in and fell limp; her mind swiftly falling asleep once more. 

With an exhausted sigh Carapace finally looked back to her friends, “I should go tell Mr. Virulent Lesson.” 

“We’ll accompany you,” Teratorn swiftly replied; garnering swift nods of agreement from the rest of the group. 
Carapace glanced back up at them with a sheepish smile of appreciation, before slowly heading towards the head stallions office while the rest of the group followed suit. Though unbeknownst to them, as they slipped outside Phoenix slowly stirred back awake from her restless sleep. Phoenix’s tired eyes falling upon the window adjacent to her bed; out to the courtyard. 


Carapace slowly matched her way through the hallways, her head heavy with worry over if she had done something wrong. Her mind second guessed every other choice she'd made. The weight so heavy she felt as she might topple under it right there, literally. Her hoof slowly raised to rub her burdened head in a attempt to alleviate some of the doubt that plagued it so that she might press on. The attempt however  did nothing for her; her head still lay heavy and brimming with anxiety.

“What's up,” Starling asked as he quickened his pace to place himself at Carapace's side; lookin over the changeling with a worried expression of his own. His eyes scanned her face, trying to read it for what was distressing her. While he was fairly sure  the reason for it he couldn't help but double check her.

“I, uhh- oh its nothing,” she dismissively answered.

“You know. For a changeling you're really bad at lying,”  he retorted as he pulled her in close; using his body to help support her weight.

“I’m just worried is all. Did I- er we, push her too hard? She's hardly gotten any sleep since we started trying to train her to fly.”  Starlings gaze slowly shifted out and away I thought.

“No,” he finally answered, “at least I don't think so.” 

“Yea,” Zeal chimed in from behind. 

“I too agree with Starling’s assessment of Phoenix's predicament,” The larger gryphon added.

“Same here! I’m positive it's not because of us” Ribbon quickly added. 
Carapace just gave a slow, unsure nod of gratitude to her friends. Though she was thankful to hear those words, she was still unconvinced. Before the worry could take her once more however Starling gave her side a light jab. 

“Oh no you don’t. I know where that mind of yours is going as I’m telling you to cut it out.” Starling ordered; dragging out a genuine but still unsure smile out of Carapace. 

“Yea, you’re right.” Carapace acknowledged, as she took his advice and tried to stop following that thought process. It didn't change how she felt ,though leaning on him in that moment did help the nymph feel better. As if she could actually walk now.	The rest of the walk was a quite blur for her as she simply took the moment to breathe in her friends’ companionship. 
Then finally the group arrived outside the office of the Head stallion. After taking a moment to arrange themselves in a semi organized blob of bodies, Carapace slowly knocked upon his door. For a moment there was silence which was followed by the shuffling of paper, presumably books and then the soft sound of hoofsteps crunching the cloud floor. Then finally the door slowly swung back inside the office as the Head stallion poked his head out. 

“Hm, yes?” He answered as he lowered his gaze back on to the herd before him. 
Starling wrinkled his nose back at the offensively strong smell of caffeine permeating from the stallion. Which in turn caused Virulent’s face to shift into one of confusion as the young gryphon recoiled back.
“Er nothing sir,” Staling replied to the stallion's perplexed look. 

“We were here to ask if it was okay if Phoenix sleeps a bit outside of bed time.” Carapace Interjected to answer the original question. This immediately caught the stallion’s attention.

“Is it because of her habit of staying up all night?”

“She doesn't stay up, she keeps having some sort of bad dream and wakes up,” Carapace countered. 

“I see. Well I’m in no disposition to tell one of my foals they can't get their needed rest… Alright, I’ll give her a waiver for her rest,”  The head stallion turned around and went back to his desk in which he scrambled through a few cabinets before pulling out a small card. He set down the faded yellow piece of paper and wrote along it with his personal quill before stamping it with his hoof print. 
“She’s in her bed right now?” 

“Y-yes sir!” Carapace answered with a sigh of relief. She knew the head stallion would say yes, but was relieved to hear it straight from the horse's mouth nonetheless. After a moment to put some of his one stuff away the head stallion divided the group down middle before walking on; legere in muzzle. Carapace quickly followed suit, to see it delivered to Phoenix personally while her friends hesitantly followed her lead.  
“You don't have to come,” Carapace informed.

“Yea but we want too,” Ribbon retorted to which the nymph slowly turned her head back to the group and gave an awkward but genuine grin of appreciation.  
The brief trip back was marked by intermittent bouts of mumbling between Carapce’s companions, all of which turned to stunned silence upon arriving at Phoenix's empty bed. Carapace's weak smile faded into a worried expression as she looked around the room. 

“Relax,” Zeal ordered as he gently grabbed Carpaces shoulder, “breath. I'm sure she's fine; plus she couldn't have gotten far.” 

“I-I guess you’re right. I just have a terrible feeling,” She explained. Though terrible wasn't quite right as her stomach was in knots with an unexplainable dread. Which she internally knew was foolish, the facility was as safe as any place else, aside from maybe Albatross, and the worse the filly could do was walk into a cloud wall. Yet all the same something gripped her with an indescribable worry. The sensation left her light headed as she began rubbing her head again; hoping the terrible feeling would subside.  

“Found her,” Starling interjected. Carapace was too dazed to make out who said what but she at least knew what she heard. Her head and ears perked up; momentarily freed from the awful gut sensation. 

“Where?” she demanded.

“Courtyard,” he simply answered; glancing out the window. As Carapace looked out the same fixture she spotted the pegasus’ shaggy, unkempt, fiery red mane immediately. Immediately the dread gripped her chest again, worse than last time, and she had no idea why. All she knew is she was out the door before she had a moment to process her own feelings and thoughts. 

Virulent Lesson sighed as the nymph was out the door before he even had a chance to blink, but not having much choice, he followed to try and wrangle the filly back to bed. Though as he stepped out into Celestia’s light he noticed something strange. Phoenix stood, only half a dozen steps away from the edge; wings outstretched. He pondered the thought in bewilderment for a moment. He didn't think she could fly, least he didn't remember if she did as his mind was finally slowing down from its coffee fueled high. 
Though a shrill set of cries from Carapace brought him back down to reality, answered his question, and fueled his fear. The nymph was chasing Phoenix as the filly jumped over the ledge. The head stallions heart sank as he quickly rushed to the edge; watching the Changeling vanish over it as well. 

“CELESTIA BLAST IT ALL!” He cried as he himself dove after to catch his foals. 

Just behind him the rest of the group came bursting out the door trying to follow, but due to their surprise they were too slow to act and thus too far behind to do anything, with the sole expedition of Teratorn. Who himself was just a few hoof lengths behind the Head Stallion thanks to his longer strides. 
He wasn't sure he could do much, if anything, as despite him being the strongest flyer at least in terms of raw wing muscles he was definitely slower in the air. Definitely too slow to catch the falling bodies, but that was a rational thought and his normal rational mind, for the time being, was gone. Pure instinct had overtaken the gryphon’s whole being. His body acted on muscle memory and before he could even process his decision he dove over the side as well.
The world slowly came back into focus as Teratorn got his sense about him. His wings were tucked into his side with his arms outstretched towards the falling ponies while a deafening wind screamed in his ears and a gust of air blasted his face. His heart sank as he realized just what kind of situation he was in. He was too far behind. Half a dozen hoof steps behind Virulent lesson and double that for his friends. He felt his water in a mix of fear and irritation from the wind as he desperately stretched out his wings; shoving them through the air to go faster. Beat per beat he could feel himself inch closer.
Just...a little...more!  He thought as he managed to pass the Virulent Lesson.  

Carapace tightly gripped Phoenix as her wings helplessly buzzed to try and slow their rapidly increasing descent. Her efforts were useless however, as the ball of chitin and fur fell faster and faster, swiftly reaching terminal velocity. Carapace tried to let out a cry of terror but it was deafened out by the roaring wind rushing past them. Faster and faster the ground approached. Faster than she could process. 

They say when you’re about to die your life flashes before your eyes. For carapace however all that flashed before her were her own tears and fears. Everything she'd done wrong and every little mistake… Everything she should have done. Her head spun; tossing the world into an incoherent blur as her mind feared what would come next. Until she could no longer even make out how far away the ground was. 

As Caprace wailed into Phoenix's chest a force struck them from the side; redirecting them towards a cloud bank near the bottom level of Cloudsdale. Whatever hit them also seemed to be trying to slow their speed. Unfortunately they were still going too fast for the small reduction to do much. Carapace tightly shut her eyes tightly as she whimpered out an apology. A moment later she felt her head snap back as she crashed into clouds, then nothing.