Sick And Lost
I feel like straw…
The rain was coming down especially hard now, and the fact that I was still caught in it was my entire fault. Had I only thought to take shelter within the train, instead of deciding to wander off while clearly still in an exhausted stupor, then I wouldn't be shivering as I traversed hill after hill.
I'd tried to double back and find the tracks, but for all my wits I just couldn't muster up the effort to think and retrace my steps.
I was…and still am just that tired.
My body's aching all over…head's pounding, throat's sore…Do I have the flu?
It sure felt like it, but without the necessary provisions, staying awake and warm was going to be a major problem.
Just keep walking Oliver, just keep…walking, and keep your eyes…eyes…
My eyelids began to droop against my will. My body was swaying against the cruel breeze, hooves shaking, teeth chattering…and all around feeling miserable.
NO, STAY AWAKE!
The thought all but forced whatever meagre amount of energy it could into my body. I still felt like hay, but at least my eyes were firmly open. And so as I shook my head, I continued on, walking as quickly as I could in an effort to find some sort of settlement.
Come on Oliver, who knows eh! You could find a nice little village in the next few minutes for all you know!
…
I was still walking…
A nice little village I said, the next few minutes I SAID!
I had long since left the lush hills behind me. But it had only been replaced by a very dense forest, with little to no shelter from the pelting rain.
Speaking of the rain, it was doing wonders for my health. And yes, I'm lying through my bucking teeth. If I'd felt awful before, then what I felt now was beyond agonizing.
Moving as I did only seemed to bring out whimper and moan after whimper and moan, such was the pain. My throat was so sore that trying to use it for anything but breathing was torture, and even then breathing was still very painful. My head currently felt like somepony was doing an Irish jig inside of it…with a massive group of very drunk friends to help them.
All in all…heh, I felt something that no word could honestly give justice, so let's leave it at that for now.
We need to find…shelter…from the rain!
Thinking was so…difficult, Faust I was so tired…wait, didn't I mention that already?
Oh…I'm…hmm…shelter, now!
Obeying the firm voice in my head, I sluggishly began to look around for some form of accommodation…and to my luck, there it was!
A cave, a dank, dirty, yet thankfully rain proof cave.
It took me a few minutes to drag myself into it, and even longer to eventually collapse on the floor. Not that I particularly cared in that moment, I was simply far to bucked up to.
I must sleep…
We can't.
But I'm so tired…
No, she'll find us!
So what…I don't care anymore, I'm sick, I'm sleepy, and I really want my mommy!
She's not our mom; she's just some crazy nutjob.
Yeah, some crazy nutjob that just so happens to be very warm…and snuggly, and safe…and I don't feel very well, I need her! We need her!
NO! We will NOT fall asleep, we won't…we don't need Mom. All we need is a bit of time to rest, not sleep, just rest our aching body until next light.
Heh…it took me far too long to realize that I was arguing with myself. Though some of the words…they weren't mine, they came from whatever the instinct was inside of me.
The child in me was gaining in strength and volume; I could feel it, I'd BEEN feeling it ever since I first woke up. Whether it was some freaky trick caused by Mom, or merely something that came along with my new body, at the end of the day…it was evidently winning over my exhausted mind.
I honestly didn't know if I could ward off sleep, but with the constant urge to simply give in pounding against my mind, it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so.
Just close them…where's the harm in a few minutes?
No…I couldn't fall asleep. I had to stay awake, no matter how much my tiny form begged for reprieve.
Think about it for a moment. If Mom finds us as we are, then she'll most likely forget all grievances and take care of us. Don't we want that? Somepony that would gladly dote on us?
It did sound nice, very nice…but if Mom found me and took me back, what then? I'd be right back where I started, and the chances of such an easy escape occurring again would be next to none. I couldn't risk it, no matter how ill I became.
I couldn't.
It was very dark outside. If I had to hazard a guess at the time, then I'd give a stab at around a little after midnight.
Also…I wasn't doing so good.
My breath was labored, bones were aching, head was pounding like never before, and...and I was beyond tired now. Resisting it as the seconds passed me by was agonizing, with each moment forcing a pitiful little whimper out of me.
I won't lie nor exaggerate…but I honestly felt like I was about to die, so ill was I.
Sleepy…Need sleepy time…
No sleepy time for me, no…no…time for sleepy…
...
My eyes closed…everything faded away…bit…by…bit…
…
"Arcturus, where are you sweetheart?"
The all too familiar voice caused my eyes to snap open, jolting me swiftly out of my sleepy stupor. Too tired to climb to my hooves, I instead settled for simply looking back at the entrance…or rather outside of it.
For outside was none other than Mom herself. She was peering into the cave, her horn alight and, from what I could just about see; her nostrils were flaring as she sniffed the air.
No…I have…to…
Groaning loudly, much to my dismay, I slowly began to crawl further into the cave. All of my efforts to stand simply failed on the spot, thus I continued to do so for the next few moments.
Until…
"ARCTURUS, MIN BABY!"
No…
The loud echo of rapid hoofsteps nearly made me pass out from the noise alone. And, to my mixed disappointment and joy, Mom quickly seemed to realize this the moment she reached me and turned me around.
"Arcturus, art thou okay?" she asked, her wide smile dimming somewhat as she touched my forehead. "Holy Faust, thou art burning up!"
It took me a little while to realize it…but I was still trying to get away from her, crawling as I tried to bat her away with my hooves.
"Leave me…alone you…crazy...ma..re.."
Unfortunately she did the exact opposite, by reaching out with her forehooves and lifting me gently to her barrel.
Mhmm…soft…snuggly…
"Thou art confused, min son. A fever has claimed thy senses," she cooed, her thankfully cold tongue licking my forehead gently, in what I gathered was an instinctive method to cool me down. "But worry no longer. Mommy is here, and she is going to make thee all better."
Wave after wave of drowsiness swept through my ailing form, forcing a cringe worthy yawn from me…which in turn only seemed to make Mom gush and coo even more.
Apparently it was so effective…well, she began to rock me.
"No…"I croaked feebly, using all my strength to try and push myself off of her…with no result. "I'm not…going to…sleepy times…"
"No?" Mom softly uttered, her cool tongue once again bringing a sigh of relief from me as it smoothed my slick mane from my forehead. "We think otherwise little one. We think that our baby is quite unwell, and needs his rest. So…"
She, without any warning, pressed her icy, yet strangely glowing lips to my forehead.
The result was nigh instantaneous. For the moment they touched me, a blanket of warmth enveloped my tiny body, soothing the aches, sore throat and migraine into nothing more than a dull throb.
"Oh…min baby," cooed a distant voice. "Sleep now, rest thy head against us and dream naught but happiness."
"N…N-No…"
"Sleeeeep…"
...