//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Role Reversal // by TheGentlemanCreeper //------------------------------// The entire house is quiet, save for your Grandfather clock ticking away endlessly upstairs. Staring down at a cold cup of coffee, you count the seconds as they tick by. One... Two... Three... Four... This goes on until finally a set of hoofsteps echo through the house. Three hundred... Right on time... “Honey? Darling? Are you... Are you ready to talk now?” Looking up to Rarity as she stands at the foot of the stairs, you nod slowly and scooch aside, making room for her. “I... I think I am... Rarity? I think... No, no... It’s beyond guessing right now, I seriously think there’s something wrong with me,” you say with a ragged sob. “I mean, what kind of sane stallion hallucinates and-” “Shhhhh... Calm down...” she says as she drapes her hooves over your shoulders. “Just tell me what happened. You don’t need to hide anything.” Drawing your back legs close to your chest, you curl up into the fetal position and stare off in the distance. “I’ve been... having nightmares. And hearing things, seeing things. And I’ve talked to a doctor... Bones. All confidential. He looked at me after I well... Passed out.” Rarity’s face contorts in confusion. “You... You passed out? When? Where?” “Today,” you say plainly. “And right in front of the doctor. I was supposed to go for some lab work done, but I’ve just been sitting here since... Well, you know. You were there...” “Yes... That. You looked so scared. Can I be as bold as to ask... What did you see?” she asks before sitting down on the couch next to you. “What made you do that? “It was like something out of a horror show...” you say above a whisper. “I saw myself. I... Or my reflection... Or whatever it was. It leapt out of the mirror and said things before strangling me.” Turning to Rarity, you feel your whole body start to shake before launching yourself at her and holding her tight. “IT FELT REAL!” you cry out. “IT FELT SO REAL!” Wrapping her own hooves around you, Rarity strokes your mane and rocks you back and forth. “It’s over, it’s over... Don’t cry, please...” she says with a slight crack in her voice. “You’ll make me cry.” Taking a deep breath, you do your best to calm yourself down before looking to her. “I don’t know what to do... I seriously don’t know what to do...” “Well, don’t you worry... We’ll figure this out together. First thing’s first, you need to cancel all your appointments and take some time off to straighten yourself-” “No, no, no!” you cry out in frustration. “I can’t!” Rarity practically snarls out at you. “Oh come now you... you dummkopf! Look at yourself! Do you honestly think that given everything that’s happened that you can’t afford a few weeks off?” “No...No...” you say through gritted teeth. “I... I really can’t afford it...” An awkward silence fills the air as you retreat back into the fetal position. “I’m sorry, I really am... I should have said something...” “What aren’t you telling me now?” Rarity asks rather dryly. “I... I lied about how much my old house is worth. It’s practically worthless...” you mumble. “But you told me during dinner that it if you sold it, it would be more than enough to-” “I know what I told you!” you yell out. “But the realtors said something different... The foundation is shot and if I would have lived there for another year, the whole thing would have started to crumble. The most I was able to get the land for was around 500 bits...” “But you’ve already paid for-” Rarity stops and slaps a hoof on her forehead before slowly draging it down her face. “Please tell me you didn’t take a loan out to cover your part of the bill.” “I... I... It was the only way...” you whisper meekly. “I promised you that I’d pay my fair share for renovations. What was I supposed to do?” “You could have TOLD me!” she cries out with increasing anger. “We could have held off on the renovations, built up a nest egg until we had enough and everything would have been fine! I wouldn’t have been angry or disappointed!” “I screwed up, I know that now! I just! I just... I just wanted to make you happy...” Resting your head on the arm of the couch, you feel hot tears run down your face. “You were soooo happy when I said I talked with the realtor and the contractor for the first time... I couldn’t bear to let you down...” With a heavy sigh, Rarity puts a hoof on your back and does her best to comfort you. “Well... At least your heart was in the right place...” she says, managing a little smile. “What did you put up for collateral?” “I... I put the deed for Open Hooves up as collateral...” you squeak out, embarrassed and more than ashamed.  “If I default on the loan, the Canterlot bank takes it.” “And how are you paying them back?” “I took on more clients from out of town. More difficult cases that other doctors either couldn’t deal with or couldn’t figure out. Patients who would be left going back to doctors who’d probably ruin months of therapy,” you say, cringing a bit at the very thought. I’m not going to let Crystal or Quick Fix go back to those quacks... Rarity leans back into the couch and lets out a heavy sigh. “So this presents us with quite the situation. On one hoof, you need time to get your bearings and recover. On the other hoof, if you take a week or two off, your patients will suffer and you could potentially lose your practice...” “Ich bin wie eine Schraube bis...” (Translation: I am such a screw up...) “Hey! We’ll have none of that!” she exclaims aloud with newfound vigor. “We’ll figure this out and have straightened out everything before you know it.” “How?” you ask with a shrug. “If I see a doctor other than Bones about my... my condition, I’ll have my practice pulled anyway. And I can’t really diagnose myself if there’s something going on with my head.” Rarity chews at her lower lip and taps her hoof against the floor. “Wait a moment... Hmmm...” Her eyes go wide for a moment and a huge smile paints her face. “Ooooh... Well, I think I know just what to do. I have a crazy idea mein-” “Please...” you say holding up a hoof, stopping her. “Don’t say that word.” Blinking a few times in confusion, Rarity gives you a sheepish smile just as it finally hits her. “Ohh... Sorry. I mean I have a... an odd idea. What if I were to counsel you? You know, act as a therapist for you?” “Rarity, as much as I appreciate the offer, there’s no way you could know enough about psychology to-” “I have your textbooks, you know,” she says flatly. “I’ve already been reading a few them and I could just substitute my usual romance novel or soap opera with a good read into a pony’s inner mind. I don’t mind, really. Especially if it helps.” “But what about the fact that most of my anxiety, my nightmares, and even these... these hallucinations. What about the fact that they’re all tied to you in some way? I just feel like it’s just going to complicate things...” She wraps her hooves around you drawing you in for a warm embrace before cooing into your ear. “Darling... Meine wunderbare, süße Schatz... Consider my marriage questions off the table. You don’t have to think about it because right now, all I care about is you getting better.” (Translation: My wonderful, sweet darling...) You open your mouth to protest, but one look at Rarity’s face and you know it won’t do any good. “Well... I guess we can try it.” “Great! If I’m going to prepare for our first session then, I’m going to need you to tell me everything that’s been happening to you and don’t skip on the details...” Concentrating for a moment, Rarity’s horn glows and a pad of paper from a nearby desk hovers over to her, right alongside a pen. “Alright...” Rarity says aloud as she makes her comfortable. “While I already have a good idea where it all began, why don’t you tell me in your own words?” “Ein wenig mehr als vorbereitet, nicht wahr?” you mumble under your breath. (Translation: A little over prepared, aren't we?) “Come again?” “Oh, uh... Nothing...” you say with a small sigh. “Well... It started last night over dinner, really... We were talking and well... You brought up mar...marriage...” Sweet sisters above, it’s hard to say that word... Wiping a little sweat from your brow, you swallow the lump in your throat and try to continue. “You started talking about marriage. Then after that, it was like I was thrown into a tumble dryer... Everything started spinning, I felt sick to my stomach and I ended up vomiting in the bathroom.” Rarity nods slowly as she starts to jot down notes. “Mmmm... And I take it something like this happened again while you were at the doctors?” You nod back and sigh. “Yeah... You’re right on the money. Bones was dressed in his suit that he planned on wearing to his wedding and started to sing a little of that wedding march song when-” “You passed out. Okaaaay... I hate to say it, but I think I’m beginning to see a pattern here,” she remarks rather dishearteningly. “Since our argument last night ended on the note of marriage...” You let out a ragged breath and bury your head in your hooves. “Why is this happening to me? I mean, out of all the ponies I know, the last one I figured would have a breakdown would be me...” “It must be so jarring, I could imagine... Listen, maybe you should get a little sleep so you’re not nodding off tomorrow,” Rarity says before sliding off the couch. “I’ll stop by after you’ve finished for the day and we’ll have our first session. Does that sound good?” You somehow manage a smile and lay down on the couch. “Yeah, sounds good...” “Wunderschön... But, uh... Darling? Are you sure you don’t want to sleep upstairs with me?” Rarity says as she stops at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m not mad... You know that now, right?” You pull yourself up and give her a shrug. “Yes, I know that... But I feel like I deserve this after all I’ve done... I shouldn’t have lied to you. I should have been honest with you and said something... But Rarity? I just want you to know that... Well, I do want to... t-t-t-to...” You grit your teeth and take a deep breath, the words somehow not budging. “I do want to... m-m-maarry you,” you manage to gasp out, the words themselves somehow straining your body as they leave your mouth. “It’s just... S-Something is...Well... Y-You know...” “Thank you, darling... For saying that. I’ll admit, I was scared for a time, wondering if you were tired of me or seeing somepony else,” Rarity says with a smile, wiping away at her eyes. “But now I’ve got something to fight for and I promise, I’ll see to it you get better.” For just a moment, everything feels normal again. Rarity blows you a kiss and you feel yourself blush and smile like the day you met her. However, just as you go to blow her a kiss back, she turns and makes her way up the stairs. That’s when everything come crashing down again. On the back of Rarity’s head sits a dark facsimile of her own face, glaring at you and flicking a forked tongue through the air. The minute you lock eyes with the face, it stares you down and bares a set of razor sharp fangs, snarling at you in rage. You stare on in dumbfoundead horror until Rarity and the hallucination disappear upstairs, leaving you to collapse into the couch and scream silently into the pillow. *********************************** 8 AM rolls around rather quickly for you, considering you spent the majority of the night sitting at the kitchen table, nursing an entire pot of coffee. I couldn’t get an ounce of sleep you think with a heavy sigh. That verdammt face... The very thought of that hallucination staring into your eyes makes you shiver and take another swig of coffee. Why does it make it worse knowing that it was a hallucination? It should make me feel somewhat at ease knowing that meine Liebe doesn’t really have a... a second face... But meine Götter. It scares me to no end. “Guten Morgen mein Liebling. Schlafen Sie gut?” (Good morning my darling. Sleep well?) You nearly jump out of your seat, coming face to face with Rarity before letting out a little laugh. “Y...You scared me...” you say with a nervous chuckle. “Umm... To be completely honest, no, I didn’t sleep well...” “Ohhh... Nightmares again?” Rarity asks as she takes a seat across from you. You manage to nod slowly before taking another sip of coffee. “Yes...” “What were they about?” “Well... It was like any normal day. I was talking to ponies throughout the day and everything was all fine until one of them turned around,” you say with a little shiver. “Then I noticed it. Every pony in town had another face on the back of their head. It was... wrong. It had a forked tongue and sharp fangs and they all kept staring at me.” Technically I’m not lying, you weakly rationalize. I don’t want her to think that she’s at the center of it all... If she does, she might think the best thing to do is to... is to go away. You look up to her and feel your eyes tear up a bit. I don’t want to lose her. “Don’t cry love. It was just a dream...” Rarity says as she holds your hooves in hers. “We just got to figure out what it means. For now though? Let’s put it behind us. You’re probably hungry aren’t you?” The very idea of food makes you perk up. “Ohh yes, yes, yes... I don’t think I’ve been this hungry,” you say with a small smile. “Do you want me to help cook?” “Oh no, I’ve got it. You just relax and I’ll cook up some eggs and toast. That sound good?” Your mouth waters and you lean back in your chair with a stupid grin on your face. “Wunderbar~” Rarity gives you a wink as she slips on a white apron, turning her back to you as she ties it on. “Ooooh, this reminds me of that special little morning we had after our night at the Queue du Chevaux.” Getting to your feet, you meander over and wrap your hooves around Rarity’s waist, drawing her in for a tight embrace. “Mmmm... Except we were both up the entire night and for a completely different reason...” Rarity lets out a sweet little giggle as you nuzzle and kiss at her neck. “Ohhh~ Come now darling... I’ll never get anything done at this rate.” Just as you start moving up her neck and get close to her ear, a snakelike hiss sends a shiver up your spine, causing you to instantly let go. “Yeah... You got a point,” you say with a laugh. “You know what? I’ll go wash up before breakfast. I probably could use it.” “You go do that,” Rarity says, humming a tune as she turns the stove top on. “I’ll have a nice breakfast all ready for you by the time you’re done.” Making your way up the stairs, you wipe at your forehead and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m losing it I’m losing it I’m losing it...” you chant under your breath as you make your way to the bathroom. Stepping inside, you lock the door behind you before sitting yourself down on the toilet, trying your best and failing at catching your breath. “Why’s this happening to me?” you ask no pony in particular. “A better question would be ‘Why shouldn’t this happen to me?’” Glancing over to the bathroom mirror, you let out a heavy sigh and draw your legs close to your chest again. “Go away...” You mumble to your reflection. “Oh come now herr doktor~ Is that anyway to treat someone as close as me?” your doppelganger asks, sounding half hurt. “I mean, we’re practically the same pony!” Putting your hooves up to your ears, you do your best to drown out his voice, but it’s all for naught as you soon realize that it’s not technically coming from the mirror. “But my question still stands... I mean, after all... You are a lying scheißkerl. I mean, seriously? You come clean about lying to her the night before and what do you do the following morning?” (Translation: Shitbag) You stay quiet and dig your hooves into your ears harder, hoping to make the spectre go away. “You lie again. And you didn’t even feel a little guilty about it.” “That’s a lie...” you mumble under your breath. “I do, I-” “Reall? Then tell me, my flawless little fürst...” he asks, a twinge of happiness in his voice. “Why did it happen so easily? Why didn’t you hesitate, even for a second, about lying to her?” You slowly turn and look your reflection in the eye, but instead of seeing a smiling stallion, you just stare back at yourself, eyes welling up with tears. Sisters above, help me... Just get me through this day without another breakdown... you think with sniffle as you drag yourself into the shower, hoping the hot water could wash away all your troubles. *********************************** “You know Rarity... You didn’t have to walk to work with me,” you say with a nervous little laugh. “I’m fine, really.” “Oh but I wanted to, darling.” Rarity says as she walks beside you. “And to be honest, I’ve been wanting to get out of the boutique. I’ve felt quite cooped up.” You and Rarity remain quiet until you reach the door of Open Hooves Counseling. “Well, here we are...” you say rather dryly as you open the door. “Did you... Want to come in?” “If you don’t mind dear,” she says, following you into reception. “There’s something I actually need to talk to you about and I’d like to do it in private.” Nurse Careheart looks up from her desk and smiles for a moment as she watches you two walk in, but her smile quickly disappears. “Oh wow, doc... You look tired. Trouble sleeping?” You nod weakly and make your way into your office. “Yes actually...” “I’ve got some coffee already brewed up. Would you like a cup?” The thought of drinking more coffee, while not all that appealing, felt like a necessity at this point. “Ohh yes please...” Nurse Careheart trots over to the counter and proceeds to pour you a cup before turning to Rarity. “And what about you Ms. Rarity? Would you like a cup?” she asks, smiling from ear to ear. “Thank you, but no thank you. I had a latte this morning and any more caffeine in my system and I’ll start bouncing around like Pinkie Pie,” she says with a bashful grin. “Here, I’ll take that.” “Oh, sure! If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask,” Nurse Careheart says before trotting over to her desk. Grabbing a hold of the coffee cup with her magic, Rarity levitates the cup at eye level and walks into your office with it. “Darling, do you mind coming in here with me? I just wanted to tell you a few things in private before I leave.” “Thank you Miss Careheart,” you say with a nod before ducking into your office, locking the door behind you. “What is it?” “I got a call from your doctor friend while you were in the shower. He was concerned when you didn’t show up for your... ‘consult’. I didn’t exactly know what to tell him, so I said you were under the weather,” Rarity says, sitting down on your desk and resting your cup beside her. “He still wants you to come in for your ‘consult’ if you can.” With a heavy sigh, you take a seat in your chair and nurse your coffee. “Yes... Well, he hasn’t exactly been filled in about what’s happened as of lately.” Looking up to Rarity, you place a hoof on hers and hold her. “I’ll go see him after my appointments for the day... But why don’t you go tell him everything I’ve told you? Tell him that I’m 100% fine with you knowing my medical history. He’ll give you everything you need.” Rarity leans in and gives a quick little kiss on the lips. “Thank you, darling. But what if-Ohh... Uhh...” “Something wrong?” “Ugh, how can you stand to drink something so bitter?” she asks with a shiver. “Your coffee tastes like one of Pinkie’s super sourballs...” “What are you talking about? I take my coffee with two sugars and a dash of cream.” Taking another sip, all you can do is shrug. “It tastes fine to me.” Getting to her hooves, Rarity just rolls her shoulders and grabs onto the doorknob. “Maybe my lattes are just spoiling me... But I’ll go talk to your friend Bones. But what if he doesn’t believe me? And don’t you need a release for other ponies to see medical records?” “Doing your homework, I see...” you say with a little chuckle. “If he starts getting all on you for protocol, just tell him to call me and I’ll straighten it all out.” “Will do darling,” she says she hangs in the doorway. “Have a good day and call me if you need me!” Reclining back in your chair, you take a deep breath and chug down the last of your coffee. “Alright! I’m ready for the day,” you say with a forced smile. “First appointment is... Quick-Fix. I got this.” *********************************** You screwed up your partner                              Liar                        Cheater         You screwed up your self                         Just roll over and give up                                         You screwed up your life                        Give up and die                                     No one will help you                                                                                               NO ONE *********************************** You bolt upright in your chair and grab onto your desk, holding onto it as tight as you can, like you were hurtling through the air and just waiting to hit the ground. After a few moments and realizing just where you were, you finally take a deep breath of air and slump over on your desk. “Just stop... Please...” A knock at the door snaps you out of your self pity and forces you to put on a smile. “Come on in!” you say, doing your best not to look like a complete mess. “Heya doc! I’m here for my check in,” the excited brown mare says as she skips into your office. “Or is it check up? Well, whatever you want to call it I’m here!” “Great to see you in such high spirits, Quick Fix. This is definitely an improvement since our last visit,” you say, your own spirits already lifting. “But why don’t you tell me how you’re feeling?” Quick Fix gives you a shrug as she plops herself down in the chair across from you. “Never been better doc! I mean, I was sooo depressed when I first got here and I didn’t really think anything would get me out of that creative slump. But I’ve been taking your advice and keeping myself busy. Like, seriously doc. Thank you!” “Well, don’t look at me... I just helped you along. If you should thank anyone, you should thank all the ponies who you’ve helped in some way or another.” “Yeah, and that’s got me thinking...” she says as she tips back in her chair. “I mean, I felt like I was banging rocks there for a while, not really doing much for anypony. I mean, not like my big sis in Canterlot. She’s out there inventing stuff and well...” “And you felt jealous.” Quick-Fix nods slowly. “Yeaaah... Well! Like I was saying, it’s got me thinking. Talking to my sis, she has a spare room in her shop and she’s not doing much with it. I asked her if she’d mind if I moved in with her and set up a little repair business next to her store and she said yes!” “Oh that’s wonderful! I know without doubt you’ll have your hooves full with all the customers you’re going to have.” “Oh come on, you’re just saying that...” She says with a bashful smile. “I doubt I’ll have that many customers.” “You will when they see how skilled you are,” you say as you fish around in your breast pocket, pulling out a gold fob watch. “This old thing used to just be a piece of jewelry until you got your hooves on it.” All Quick Fix can do is smile from ear to ear, her whole face turning red from the praise. “Oh stop... If my ego gets any more inflated, I won’t be able to get through the door...” “When did you plan on leaving Ponyville?” you ask as you fiddle with the watch in your hooves. “Oh! Well, umm... In a few days, probably. Why?” “I just needed to know when I should dig up the discharge papers.” Quick Fix’s face lights up at the word ‘discharge’, but you hold up a hoof and stop her from screaming out in joy just yet. “That is, if you can tell me just what you got out of our sessions. It’s just a little thing to let me know that you leave her having learned something.” “Well...” she starts, squirming in her seat under the sudden pressure. “I mostly learned not to force creativity. I mean, I spent like, days on end just racking my brain, trying to come up with some sort of invention that would help everypony,” she says, finally finding her voice. “And I put that ahead of everything. Friends, family... My own personal hygiene... And I learned that if I keep trying to force something, it’s either not going to work or it’s not going to happen. I just need to take it one day at a time.” You nod slowly, more than happy with the results. “Just one more thing... You will be living with your sister and that is where this all started. I want you to be honest with me, do you think you might relapse again?” “I’m really sure I won’t... But it’s definitely going to be hard. I mean, my sis does like to show off her newest inventions to whoever’s around,” Quick Fix says with a hint of sadness in her voice. Reaching out, you cup her hooves and give her your watch. “Then hold onto this for me. That way, you’ve always got something to remind you of what you went through and how you overcame.” “Doc, I can’t take this...” she says as she holds is back out to you. “You said-” “I know what I said... I said it was valuable and I said it was an heirloom, but... You know, I think you’re going to need this more than me.” Quick Fix smiles and leans forward, wrapping her hooves around your neck and hugging you tightly. “Thank you doctor... For everything.” “Anytime. I-” *********************************** A stabbing pain right in the center of your skull is the first thing you feel as the darkness slips away, closely followed by the realization that you couldn’t move. Where am I? I was... I was talking to Quick Fix and “Oh sweet sisters above... What’s happening this time?” you half ask, half sob as fear starts to wash over you. “Hello? Anypony there?” “It’s good that you’re awake now... You know, you caused quite the stir.” “Wait, Rarity? Rarity, that’s you right?” You couldn’t be sure of anything at this point right now. “What happened? Where am I?” “I seriously thought that I could help you, but after what you did? I honestly can’t think of a single reason why I should help somepony like you.” Your throat goes dry and you feel your entire body start to shake like a leaf on a twig. “R-R-Rarity... W-What did I do? What happened?” “It’s amazing how durable a pony’s body is... Little Quick Fix is just barely holding on. The doctors tell her that she’s going to need reconstructive surgery if she’s going to lead a normal life.” “No... No, no, no...” you couldn’t believe what you were hearing. “I just talked to her... She was fine, she was happy. I was about to give her the discharge papers, I-” “You lost it. You hallucinated something that made you attack her and nearly kill her.” “NO!” you scream this time, unable, unwilling to accept what you were being told. “You’re lying to me! You have to be lying!” Slowly, you feel a set of hooves grab the side of your face and tug at what you realize is a blindfold. As it slowly falls away, your heart catches in your throat and hot tears fall down your cheeks. You weren’t at home, you weren’t even in Ponyville. You were in a dark, twisted place that looked like something out of a medieval torture chamber. And the thing that terrified you the most wasn’t the iron maiden in the corner or even all the torture implements on the table in front of you. No, what shook you to the core was the grim, bloody perversion of the Rarity you knew and loved, staring at you with empty eye sockets and a mutilated face. “Oh come now, darling... Would I lie to you?” The thing before you used her magic to levitate a number of scalpels, knives, and other things that made you cringe. “Now darling... I promise that won’t hurt for a second...” the thing before you says, leaning in close to your ear. “It’ll hurt for an eternity.” You do the only thing that your terrified mind can think to do. Scream. *********************************** You bolt upright, screaming as loud as you can until your lungs start hurt. A set of hooves grabs you by the shoulders. “Darling! Darling please, calm down! It was-” Your feet move on their own and push whoever it was that held you before catapulting you out the bed and sprawling onto the floor. You scramble to your feet and take off, out the door, only to run into somepony else who practically tackles you. “Fritz! Fritz, calm down! You have to calm down you’re-” “LEMME GO LEMME GO LEMME GO!” you scream as you flail and kick wildly, hoping to break free of your captors. “Nurse Redheart, I need a sedative! NOW!” Before you know it, you feel another set of hooves grab onto you and then another before you feel a sharp pressure in your side. Slowly, your breathing steadies and you start to take stock of what was happening. You weren’t  in a torture chamber and you weren’t face to face with that nightmare anymore. “W...W...Where am I?” you ask weakly, your whole body feeling like it was made of lead. “You passed out during one of your appointments. You were brought to the hospital where we’ve monitoring you... Now I’m going to let you go... Okay?” “Y-Yeah... I’m fine Bones... I’m fine. I-” “I’m sorry, but you’re anything but fine right now... Nurse, help me get him back on the gurney.” “I can walk, I can-” “Fritz, you ripped out an IV and I can feel your heart going a mile a minute in your chest! You’re not fine,” he says as your hauled back into bed. “Nurse, keep an eye on his vitals... I’m still running some tests. Call me if there’s any more problems.” “D...Darling? Are you alright now? You know where you are, right?” You watch as Nurse Redheart cleans up the blood from your previous IV, flinching a bit as she slips a new one in. “Yeah... Yeah, I’m at Ponyville General, I heard from Bones... But how... How long have I been out?” Grabbing a nearby chair, Rarity drags it over to your bedside and sits down with a heavy sigh. “About 12 hours now... It’s 11 AM right now. You gave us all quite the scare,” she says with a nervous laugh. “I...I know it sounds silly, but I honestly thought that you weren’t going to wake up...” Rarity lets out a sob and wipes away her tears. “But you definitely weren’t subtle about waking up... What... What made you scream like that? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that terrified before.” Turning to Nurse Redheart you open your mouth, and are about to ask her to leave when she gets the idea. “Just press the call button when you need me,” she says before taking her leave and shutting the door behind her. “They’re getting worse...” you moan out. “The nightmares... And it’s like, they’re not even waiting for me to sleep anymore. Either I’m awake and hallucinating or they... they just knock me out whenever they feel like.” “What do you mean?” Rarity asks as she moves herself closer. “Knocking you out... Have you been passing out again?” You nod weakly. “Yeah... Usually at my desk. I’ve been chalking it up to just being tired until now...” “Interesting...” you hear her muse under her breath. “Even after an entire can of coffee at home a cup at your office, you’re still passing out. I honestly can’t imagine how you can be tired with so much caffeine in your system.” “Well, it’s not like I feel myself nodding off or anything... I just... wake up,” you say with a shrug. “I don’t remember falling asleep or even feeling tired, it just... happens.” Rarity gives you a funny look. “You just... wake up? You don’t remember anything after that? Not even... That’s... Hmm...” “What? What’s wrong?” “Oh, it’s just that visiting hours were up a few hours ago, but I begged your doctor friend to let me stay until you woke up,” she says as she gets to her hooves. “Listen, I’ll take your clothes home, wash them, and come pick you up first thing in the morning. That sound good?” “You’re... You’re leaving already? I... Well, if visitor hours are up I guess...” “Well... Let me go talk to the doctor about spending the night,” Rarity says with a warm smile. “I’m sure he’d be willing to look the other way just this once, considering the circumstances...” You let out a sigh of relief and feel yourself melt into your bed. “Thank you,” you say with a warm smile. “For everything.” “Anything for you, my love.” Rarity says before slipping out the door. “I’ll be here when you wake up, I promise.” That’s all you need to hear before you let the sedatives do their job and stop fighting them, letting you fall into a chemically induced sleep. *********************************** You wake up with a start in the middle of the night, your whole body shivering and shaking. Your eyes dart around the darkness of the room and squeeze whatever you were holding tightly. “Mmmm...” It takes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust, but when they do, you feel your heart start to slow down as everything starts to make sense. I’m in Ponyville General, I’m in Ponyville General you chant in your head, hoping to ingrain it. And I’m holding onto Rarity... She’s sleeping in my hospital bed... And I’m fine. I’m fine. From the corners of your mind, a familiar laugh fills your ears and chips away at your resolve. "I'm fine"