//------------------------------//
// Not Just Another Day 
// Story: The Only Prescription is More Pony 
// by F.Venka 
//------------------------------//

	I regained my consciousness just a moment later, as my eyes fixed on nothing but a perfect darkness. It was late at night, it was obvious... but I couldn't be too sure of the hour. Not that it was of any importance, anyway: there seemed to be nothing but darkness at the hour, and I wasn't feeling right, so I highly doubt that any change would have made a difference at the time.

The covers which I threw myself over were wrapped around me, I could feel their thight embrace around me, constantly on the verge of strangling me. They were creating an unbearable warmth, together with leaving me entirely blind. I tried to push them out of over me, but then I noticed that I couldn't move my arms too well; it wasn't very obvious in the moment, but it's clear now: I was feeling really sore for some unknown reason.

Feeling electricity flowing through my arms with every single movement, I pushed the sheets aside, finally releasing myself from that suffocating heat. ...Well, actually, the heat didn't really go anywhere: I was still feeling tired and thirsty, but I felt only a tiny bit better; I could feel more air entering my system, so at least I didn't feel like I was about to pass out again.
The curtains slowly faded into existence, letting the almost inexistent glow of the night sky pass through them.

I closed my eyes again, psyching myself into a sleeping mindset once again. I, indeed, felt tired, but there was no drowsiness to speak of in my person, which complicated the entire process too much.
I turned myself over the bed, facing away from the window. Maybe seeing nothing but dark for a while would help...?

I'm not tired and I should be. I'm actually tired but not physically.
...I'm not even sure if this is real. I've woken up three times in a row and have gone to sleep only once. This could be a dream or not be one. I don't know what to think anymore.

The faint light of the stars outside passed through the curtains, proyecting against the walls; however, it seemed to be fading into black again.

I've only felt worse and worse in these last two days, and I doubt this illness is going away soon. I only hope that it does...

My thought current came to a halt when I felt a cold breath against a side of my head. My mind immediately hoped for the worst, because apparently I can't stay tranquil for a minute here. I closed my eyes forcefully in the spot; I don't even know why, but we all do that, that thing of pretending to be asleep. It really makes no sense...
Move and you're dead, I heard my own mind tell me. Huh, real smooth, myself. Real smooth. Don't even breathe... A move and you're dead.

"It's about time..."
Spoke the easily recognizable voice of Nightmare, an evident expectation in her speech. "You can say goodbye to your loved ones now..."
As she finished that phrase, I felt a drop of a warm liquid fall on my neck and slide down slowly. I maintained my immovile stance as best as I could. It's all in your mind, I heard myself say, with a rather reassuring tone. I never thought I'd find my own voice reassuring. It's simple.

Huh, it was rather simple, wasn't it?

A cold, frigid laughter pierced my ears just a moment later. She sniffed me.

"You smell... of hope. I hate it," she growled with disgust, before a faint purple glow started to appear in the place, slowly lightening it. I just tried to focus further and further in the fact that it was nothing but my mind, but it didn't appear to be working. I was rapidly giving in, my dread starting to overthrow my rationalization. I could feel myself starting to quiver, my thoughts clashing into eachother and forming a complete whirlwind, where not a single word could be understood by myself. On the verge of succumbing to the fear, I just jumped out of bed in the fastest way I could manage and bolted out of the room, not caring about anything else but my own safety.

Maybe not even half a second passed before my right hand was assaulted by a sharp pain, as I felt her fangs ripping out a sizable portion of my hand's skin, severing two of my fingers' nerve endings. A current of blood vigorously and immediately flowed out of my wounds as I rushed for the exit. ...It might have been the adrenaline, though, what made it seem like both a lot and nothing at the same time. The door of the room swung open with a satisfying woosh, with both me and Nightmare stampeding through the mess that was the floor. When I got to the main door, I just went completely crazy on it, forcing it like never before. My fear seemed to reach completely new levels as I felt hope leaving me, seeing as the door wouldn't even budge.

She's right behind me, I know it. She's behind me, and I can't escape. She has always been around me; I just hadn't noticed. Ever since I got hit by this fever I've been hearing hooves over a hard surface, and just now I know it had been her all this time. I wonder why has she appeared here, of all places...

I heard two, or maybe three, shockingly loud hoofsteps behind me, reaching the spot where I was almost immediately. I took a deep breath out of reflex, but that proved to be of no use whatsoever; my entire body was hit with a sharp pain: I could clearly feel her horn forcefully entering the back of my neck, only to come out from the other end, puncturing my Adam's apple.
My neck gave a sickening snap as my arteries were relocated and torn open, my larynx split apart by the chilling appendage crossing me. A mute gasp flooded my mouth with blood, the crimson liquid spewing down my chin and neck, some droplets jumping off, staining the door in front of me. I felt myself being lifted off the ground, my legs hanging limp over the floor. In the almost pitch black night, her mane emanated an unnatural glow, lighting the room.

"Did you think you'd be able to run from me...?" she maliciously whispered. "Is this reality too much for you?"
I couldn't even think properly. The sudden sharp pain had numbed my mind, and the hemorrhage was making me fade with worrying speed.

"You're surely wondering why is all of this happening to you," she continued in her typical tyrant voice tone. "Telling you would ruin the fun... why don't you find out in your own, you sun-worshipping maggot!?" she barked out in a raspy voice, slamming a hoof down on the floor. The piece of ceramic that received the blow cracked, tiny bits of ceramic flying out at a great speed. She gave a step back from the door, muttering something incomprehensible beneath her breath.

My eyes weren't able to sustain focus anymore, but I could clearly see her horn protuding out of my body, feeling the blood starting to form clots around the wounds, together with a torrent of saliva and bile that fell down on the bloody bone.
A strange warmth slowly grew throughout my body as my own blood clogged my broken windpipe, obstructing any possible entry of air. The agony of death seemed to fade into a feeling of unexplainable euphoria as I slowly faded away from consciousness.

Then, she spoke again.

"It's a simple plan, to be honest." She was on the border of sounding mehcanical. "Your mind is a connection between two realities that complement but shouldn't ever be in touch. I'm here to destroy that connection, no matter the consecquences."
I felt my body being flung towards the wall, the blood clots ripping the skin around the wounds as I slid off her horn, opening them once again. I couldn't feel much, so I wasn't completely sure whether my head was still attached to the rest of my body when I hit the ground once again.

"What about Discord and Chrysalis, you ask? Ah, they've been doing a great job, maybe even an excellent one, at replacing your reality. They've been around for a longer time than I have, and they are the ones in charge of disconnecting you from the rest of the world."

I could barely feel, but I felt one of her hooves being positionatd over my chest.

"Still alive, aren't you...? I'll give you a last chance. Go out and say goodbye to your loved ones."

I think she kept on talking, but my senses just faded completely. The complete peace of not feeling, not thinking, not experiencing anything made me envy the dead. Maybe death is nothing but the privation of sense? Our destiny is to become a senseless being, buried beneath the ground?

This is not over. This can't be it, there's got to an end to this. I know there's a way to end all of this. I know it won't be easy.
...But now, I'm dead. She has just killed me, but I don't feel like this is the end. This isn't the end. This is not over yet.

This hasn't ended yet.









An eternity passed before I could move again.
My eyes opened up slowly, in fear of appearing in my own room again. I didn't want to live another one of those experiences. Not again, I beg you.
A catched a glimpse of the walls before closing my eyes again. Everything seemed to be in order. There was no heat, a soft breeze, people talking on the streets three floors beneath my apartment.

Everything seemed to be in order, just like it had always been.
But oh no, I was so wrong...

I looked to my side, noticing an open notebook. A page filled with large letters, layered one over eachother in a style of frenzied rambling, greeted me as I tried to get my eyes used to the light. At the same time, I became rather interested on the message.
It looked nothing like my handwriting, but it was messy enough to be recognized only as handwriting.


Simple enough: nothing special, in fact. I think I'm okay with it. My so-called life was becoming colorless, anyway.
The bells are ringing, everything you've loved soon will be gone. Your eyes have gone where your eyes don't go, and it's to take out the trash. This isn't a little argument with you: I remember who you are, I was a prisoner in your skull and I can't find my way home. You know nothing, coward, because you need me, you know you're nothing without me. But... why hide? Why hide the lies?
This is the final sacrifice, and one I should have taken long ago. I've acquired my right to kill once and for all. Now is the time to die, bastard. I'm hungry for pain, your pain; but try and be grateful, for you'll make somebody have quality time ending your pathetic existence.
I'll give you a total of 3 days, and today counts as one.
I hope that you've enjoyed your stay.


Who could it be? I glanced around the room again, trying to find something that could help me know anything about the situation.
The window was open wide, the gentle breeze flowing into the room. I stepped towards the door in a rush. The door was locked, just like I had left it. It wasn't possible, then, that somebody could have entered the room. There was no way to lock the door from the corridor.
I walked over to the balcony, staring outside. The breeze was such a relief considering what was happening to me. I met almost nobody around the place: I just slept there, and I had never bothered to socialize too much, so it was unlikely that I had gotten into such a fight with somebody.

Then, at a loss of options, I just went with the most obvious one:
That message had been written by myself. But... how? The two styles of handwriting were completely different. So different, in fact, that I completely refused to believe that I was the one who wrote it.
But, looking past the presentation of the message, there was the content of the message itself, and that posed nothing but more questions.

Is there a reason behind this? I asked myself again and again, trying to formulate an hypothesis, no matter how senseless, and just leave the matter aside.
I need to think, I heard myself say. I really need to get some fresh air and just think. L-let's get out of here.

I tried not to focus on my dizziness as I went for the door and grabbed a sweater. I felt unexplicably lightheaded at the moment and, for some reason, I was sure it hadn't been caused by the fever; there was something else in there, something I couldn't quite explain. The door opened with a soft, nigh unaudible creak, the corridor appearing before me. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary at the time, so I just walked through the front door without further thought.

I went down the stairs, my steps echoing throughout the building.
Need some time to think, that's all. I'm sure things will get far clearer once I get some peace and quiet.

I had started to forget how different the avenue looked from the street: the tall buildings casted a dim shadow all over the sidewalk, as if they were protecting people from the unforgiving sun.
My destination, the park, was around three few blocks away; it would take me five minutes, at most.
None of the many fevers I've had before has been similar to this one, and I've been prone to having high fever since I was little. ...I don't understand.

The streets were empty, as it was usual around the area. The soft rumour of the leaves ruffling in the breeze striked me as deeply relaxing and beautiful, bordering on even heavenly. I couldn't hear my own steps no matter how hard I tried to stomp the concrete; all I heard was the sound of the leaves.

After some minutes of walking whilst turning my head to watch the surroundings, I arrived at the park. The firmament was replaced by a mosaic of green and yellow as I directed my eyes skyward. For the first time in a pair of days, I felt inner peace and freedom.

I left out a sigh as I sat on a bench, leaning all the way back with my eyes closed.
I need to take some medication. I just can't keep hallucinating.

My fingers ran over the wooden bench. It was quite cold for the hour; it must have been around noon, or a bit past it, and the sun was glowing strong even through the layer of clouds present at the time.
"I just don't understand who or what is the source of the messages. It can't be myself, I'm not a sleepwalker. Nobody has entered my apartment for two weeks except for me, so that possibility is null, as well."

The almost absolute silence in the park helped me focus on what seemed important at the time. I had started to appreciate it.

I opened my eyes again, my sight now lost in-between the nigh fluorescent treetops. The shades of yellow, green and the occasional red started to blur before my eyes, blending into one. The irregular shapes continued to dance in front of me, mesmerizing me with ease, taking me into a rather sudden lapse of inconscience. Whether I wanted it or not, I just stared the leaves over me. I, honestly, didn't mind at the moment: I'd welcome any chance to have a break from the insanity that would only increase; that, I knew very well.

A long patch of time passed where the only sound was the ruffling of leaves and the almost silent whistle of the wind.
I stood up in silence, feeling far calmer than before as I passed my sight over the surrounding area. I had forgotten how tranquil that part of the city was, actually. I smiled slowly before marching off.

The walk back home felt different from the one towards the park: I felt like I had become disconnected from reality in a way, because I had stopped listening to certain sounds and couldn't quite feel anything against my skin.





The rest of the day went surprisingly well: scarce were the moments in where I felt sick and, to my own surprise, I wasn't feelng as tired as before. I honestly thought I was going to get better.
...I was wrong, as usual.

I had finished eating dinner, if we can call crackers and tea "dinner", when the night fell. I had taken the only ibuprofen capsule I had some hours ago, and I was feeling rather well. Not nearly as energic as I usually am, but well enough when considering the things that had been happening.

I went into the balcony in my room, staring at the lights of the city outside. I seldom did things like that, but it felt just right at the time. The streets seemed to be rivers of amber light, completely silent. In the distance, the stars could be seen behind the tallest buildings. At my right, the lights started to lower in number; it was like the darkness of that part of the city had made light vanish. Downtown was at my left, its colours shining through the night sky.
I stood there for a while, my mind blank. For some reason, the firmament had always managed to snatch my attention. I felt like I could have been there for years, if it weren't for the cold breeze that started to kick in.

I went inside with no further thought and closed the window of the balcony behind me.  The abscence of the moon made it a little difficult to see in the almost pitch black room, but my muscle memory guided me towards the bed. I didn't really feel tired enough to sleep yet, but I had nothing else to do.

It's in occasions like this when I wonder how do certain people deal with this constantly. The feeling of being chased, the frantic pursuit for a way out, the fear of having to live with your own mind haunting you every day...
I wouldn't be able to do it.

I just closed my eyes, hoping that I'd wake up in the real world the day before. I didn't knew what to think of the situation: in one hand, it was an experience of insight into my subconscious, but on the other hand, I had felt the pain of death three times already, and I didn't really want to experience it again.

I don't want it to end, I want it to lower the intensity, that's all. I'll always welcome a chance to see what can I come up with, but...
I'm not so sure about this anymore. I want normality back, I want it more than anything. I just want my typical life back.
I... already miss him. He never told where did he went. Now I'm thinking if he'll ever come back.

A long while passed before I noticed a soft sound: the sound of light rain. Had it started to rain? I didn't remember seeing any dark clouds for the duration of the day, and I could see the stars just a while ago.
My mind focused on the sound, always so quiet, on the background.

I want to go outside and play in the rain like when I was a kid.
And then get even sicker, yes... I suppose that it isn't such a good idea...

I felt as I slowly lost my conscience and drifted away from reality. The sound of drizzle never quite went away nor increased in volume: it just sustained itself over time. A feeling of calm and peace took over my mind.

Just some seconds later, I felt my body moving on its own.
It felt inexplicably different.