//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 
// Story: Behind the Veil 
// by FeralFox 
//------------------------------//


”Behind the Veil”
Chapter 8
by FeralFox



As the morning Sun had crested the distant mountains, it showered its light upon all those who lived in the thriving kingdom below it, and on one particular creature who did not want to acknowledge the passing of the previous day. That one such creature was Marckus. He woke not only to the pleasant warm sun that greeted his being, encasing him in its warm brilliance, but also to the more dominant aches and pains that burned throughout his damaged body. The trip to the Spa in the previous day had melted away all of the stress and knots that were all too numerous in his muscles, only to return worse and in greater numbers than before. His bruised limbs pulled persistently at his battered bones, causing significantly more pain. Every movement was a task and every breath created another chocked back scream. He desperately needed some form of relief. As he turned over onto his back he let out an audible groan as several joints were extended and gave a multitude of “pops” in a futile attempt to relieve some of the pressure that had built up over night. The kind unicorn that had gracefully given him refuge had heard the plethora of noises and had entered the small living area from her own domicile just down the hall.

“Good morning, Marckus” Twilight said with a smile. “I bet you feel a million times better after that massage.” Her smile soon faded as she gazed upon the writhing man, whose discomfort was clearly apparent.

“Not particularly,” He tried to hide his pain but to no avail. He attempted to achieve a sitting position, and in doing so caused every nerve in his body to begin a torrent of screams telling him to cease all movement entirely. He winced and inhaled sharply through barred teeth as he squeezed his eyes shut. “in fact, I feel worse than yesterday morning.” He noticed a new look of concern weave its way across the lavender mare's face. “Not to worry, I'm sure it's just the morning cramps is all.” He wore a fake smile as he tried to reassure his hostess, but there was no fooling her.

“Don't even try and pretend, I can clearly see you are in an enormous amount of pain. Something has to be done about this. Normally, somepony in your condition would still be in the hospital and receiving medicine to help with the pain” She stressed the word hospital to emphasize his previous decision to make a hasty escape from said facility. His face lost all traces of a smile and his tone once again became stoic and unwavering.

“I've told you time and again, I refuse to accept any more medical attention from that clinic.” Twilight's mind raced as she tried to think of a way to help the stubborn man.

“Fine. If you don't want to get professional help, so be it. Get up, I'm taking you out. Maybe a walk and some fresh air would do you some good.” She knew just the thing to help him, but it wasn't just a walk she had in mind.

The crippled man swung his tired legs around off of the sofa as he grabbed the crutch that had accompanied him through most of his stay in this world. He pushed himself off the couch with his good arm and leaned on the large piece of timber. He arched his back backwards to which it responded with several resounding “cracks” making the purple mare cringe. He begrudgingly accepted her offer of a morning stroll if not only to stop her from worrying. They once again descended the stairs and made their way to the front door of the house of knowledge. Twilight had stopped to retrieve some saddlebags filled with something he couldn't quite make out. He decided not to pry as it was surely none of his business. They left the great tree home and started off in the direction of Fluttershy's Cottage. He was glad to be going away from the center of Town. He certainly did not want to cause another scene. They slowly ventured down the old dirt road for what seemed to be a good ten minutes before the familiar Hardwood Tree came into view.

“Are we stopping by Fluttershy's for breakfast again?” The tired man inquired.

“Nope.” Was her only response. He shrugged and continued hobbling alongside the strangely abrupt mare.

Once they had passed the cottage they walked for a short time until the road came to the entrance of a dark forest, one which he was informed of being “far too dark and scary”.

“I thought no one was allowed in this forest.” He shot a questioning look at his escort, only receiving a nod in return. “Well...then why exactly are we going in here.” He wasn't exactly afraid of entering the forest, as much as he was confused. He didn't receive an answer to his question. They continued into the dark forest until they came to a strange looking hut in the middle of a small clearing. What looked like African Tribal Masks adorned the outside of the peculiar residence. As they neared the door, sounds of chanting could be heard. The language was foreign to him, but it was definitely chanting of some sort. “What are we doing here?” He said in a soft whisper, not wanting to disturb whoever was inside.

“Shh!” She turned back and pursed a hoof to her lips, giving the universal (and apparently multiversal) “be quiet” signal. He stayed quiet as she gave three light knocks to the door on the front of the decorated home. The chanting stopped and soon the door was opened to reveal the one who lived in the lone house. A Zebra with several piercings and leg bands stood in the doorway, with an expression he didn't expect to see.

“Ah, tis Twilight Sparkle, who graces my eyes,
but who is this fellow, of monstrous size?”

She spoke in rhymes with an accent he couldn't quite place, but that's not what shocked him. What shocked him the most is that she wasn't cowering in terror at the mere sight of his towering stature.

“Hi, Zecora, this is Marckus. He's from a different world, and he crashed through my ceiling.” She said nonchalantly.

“Um...hello...?” He gave an unsure smile and a halfhearted wave, unsure of why she wasn't so surprised at his appearance. Almost as if she was used to seeing other-worldly creatures. She smiled and gestured with her head, inviting them both into her home. The inside was also decorated with numerous masks and shelves lined with flasks, bottles, jars, and containers of every sort. In the center of the room, there was a large cauldron with some strange, green, bubbling brew festering inside.

“So what brings you, and this being of little words,
maybe to study the effects of plants and herbs?”

“Not today, Zecora. Actually, I was wondering if you might be able to help my friend here. He's in a lot of pain, and outright refuses to go back to the hospital.” She shot a glare at the man in question, who returned his face to one of unwavering certainty.

“A stubborn one, he seems to be,
but why did  you both come to me?”

“I thought that you might have some kind of pain reliever, or something to numb his broken limbs. I have some notes on his biology, in case there's something that would react poorly to his system.” She pulled some notes from her saddlebags, levitating them over to the stripped mare.

“I don't know how I am helped with this picture,
as his inner workings it does not make sure.”

She looked at the picture with an awkward smile as Twilight turned it around to see just which picture she had retrieved. Marckus had been looking over the strange vials of who-knows-what on the various shelves when Twilight's face turned a dark crimson. She had shown Zecora one of her “less than scientific” drawings of the curious man.

“Ahem...yes...well, that's not the right one...um...let's see here, ah-hah!” After fumbling about with her notes she came to the section on his metabolism and the various enzymes she had been informed were produced in his body. The Zebra looked them over with surprising understanding of the scientific shorthand and cluttered chicken-scratch.

“Ah, it appears that I have just the thing,
but I warn you now, it will do more than just sting”

She turned to a shelf behind her and retrieved a small clear flask containing a morbid black liquid. She handed the flask to Marckus and gave him a dead-pan stare.

“Take a cap full on every hour,
no matter the level of sour.
For if you don't consume it whole
Death will surely take its toll.”

He looked at the ominous thick concoction in his hand with unease. A light blue aura grasped the flask and tore it from his hand.

“Zecora, how could you have him drink something that would kill him?!” Her eyes were wide as she pressed the zebra for answers.

“Worry not my frightened friend,
as his broken body, this drink will mend.
The potion will speed up his body's own growth
this, I provide you with my sincerest oath.
But in causing his body to grow,
it will cause immense pain, this, surely, you must know”

“So it's going to speed up his metabolism, causing his body to produce more tissue to heal what was broken faster?”

“Indeed, you have it correct
but that is but one side-effect.
All of his body’s functions will speed.
This warning, you will do well to heed.
The toxins that your body will make
may prove to be too much to take.
Your head will soon be feeling light
as the poisons inside you, your body will fight.
Be sure not to eat much for lunch
for you'll see it twice, I have a hunch.
I am telling you, it is no easy task
to drink what is inside that flask.”

Twilight floated the flask back to Marckus and looked him right in the eyes.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this? You don't have to if you don't want to. I completely understand if you're afraid to drink this, knowing what would happen.”

“Better to get this over with sooner, rather than later.” His face and voice were now stern with determination. “Thank you for your help, Miss Zecora.” He turned to her and bowed graciously.

“Thank me not for my time,
as a friend of Twilight's is a friend of mine.”

She smiled at him as he and Twilight made their way out of the small hut, back towards the exit of the forest. As they walked out of the forest and past Fluttershy's cottage, Marckus was anxiously gripping the bottle, squeezing it and clenching the neck of the flask, as though he were trying to strangle the evil out of the foreboding mixture.

“I can see that you're worried.” The purple unicorn said. “And that's okay. No one can be fearless, no matter how hard they try. You're going to be in a situation where you can't do anything about what happens to you, and I know that that's scary. It's scary being helpless, but just know that I'll be there to help you. When I first came here, I was faced with many challenges that I couldn't have gotten through without my friends. So that's why I’ll help you all the same, help you through your challenges, just as a friend should.” She looked up in his deep hazel eyes with a smile so soft and comforting; he visually eased as he walked.

”Friend? he thought to himself She hasn't even known me for a week, and yet she readily accepts me into her life? So much so as to call me a friend even? He had never before been shown such compassion and caring in his life. It truly warmed his heart.

The inspirational speech led them to the familiar hardwood tree that housed a vast amount of literature. They entered the Library and ascended the staircase into the living area. Marckus took a seat on the low sofa on which rested his beloved old Carhartt. Twilight left to gather what they might have needed, based on what Zecora had said. She returned with a bucket, several bags of ice and a pitcher of ice water. She placed the bucket down beside the couch and the rest on the coffee table. Marckus looked down at the empty metal container with anguish. He took solace in the fact that he had someone there supporting him through whatever ordeal he was about to get himself into. He took the flask and removed the cylindrical cap with his teeth, screwing it off of the glass bottle. He took the cap in his left hand, his arm resting in its sling, and poured the thick, black liquid from its container into the cap. He placed the flask on the table and held the cap up to his nose with his right arm and gave a curious sniff. The foul mixture gave off an odor to match its consistency. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves and threw his head and the cap back and swallowed the dose in one gulp. He cringed and winced as the acidic liquid squirmed its way down his throat, burning the whole way down. He gagged and chocked as it reached his stomach where it settled. He sat there staring at Twilight, who had been watching intently the entire time.

“...Well, that wasn't so b-” was all he could say before he was wracked with a pain he had never felt before. He clutched his chest as his heart began beating against his ribcage furiously, as though it was trying to escape his body. He wailed in agony as the liquid began its work. First, the most massive of his injuries, his snapped arm, began to regenerate at an unnatural pace. It felt like his arm was being torn in half and ripped apart at the seams. Every nerve was liquid fire, burning to the response of the very air coming into contact with it. His body writhed in torment as his blood was being replenished to its normal amount. His veins were a torrent of misery that seemed to be home to searing lightning that coursed through his body. He convulsed and twitched as the herbal drug made its way to repairing his ribs, thigh, and shoulder. 

Twilight looked on in abject horror as all she could do is watch the poor man spasm in pain. This lasted for almost fifty minutes before he finally calmed down enough to reclaim his thoughts. His senses were now clear enough to make him physically sick, and so he turned over and vomited into the bucket he was provided. He sat up and wobbled uneasily back and forth before leaning over and heaving more bile into the steel container. Twilight had retrieved a rag and floated it to the sick man. He wiped his mouth and gestured to the pitcher of water. The lavender mare was beginning to pour him a glass when he waved his hand in objection and merely took the pitcher itself and drank great gulps of the precious liquid, desperately trying to reclaim some of the hydration he lost from throwing up. He set the pitcher down and just breathed heavily for a moment.

“How...much...longer...until next...dose?” He said through struggled breaths. She looked up at him with sad eyes and put a hoof on his good knee.

“Only about four minutes.” He looked down and smiled at the small comfort that came from a mere touch. He sighed in resignation as the only thing he could do now was press onward. He steeled himself once more as the clock on the wall opposite him clicked without wait towards the inevitable hour mark.

The time was reached and he held another putrid dose in his hand, which was now visibly shaking. He threw the shot back and underwent another gauntlet of horrible pangs and utter misery for another hour as Twilight could do nothing more but give moral support to the thrashing man.

What a horrible way to start the day off. Twilight silently thought as she watched in shock.
As he screamed in pain, the process began anew. It reached his outer extremities and back again, though this time, with slightly less intensity. His violent jerking had become less erratic and he seemed to be able to contain most of his howls of anguish. The torture only lasted about forty-five minutes this time and he had retained the contents of his stomach, much to the pleasure of both parties. During the fifteen minutes of rest, Twilight had placed a bag of ice on the now sweating man's head. He leaned back over the sofa and rested against the wall, breathing shallow, ragged breaths. He refused another helping of water, as he did not want to agitate his stomach any further. The clock, ever persistent in its duty to dictate the time marched on towards the next hour mark. As his thoughts cleared, all he muster inside his pounding skull was This is going to be a long day


To be continued...