//------------------------------// // A prison called home // Story: Finding South Dakota // by Daylight Storm //------------------------------// A prison to call home I awoke still upright in my hospital bed. The pain had been replaced by something else. Though the room was empty I felt my skin begin to burn I soon realized it wasn't burning but rather it was changing. Countless hairs grew from my skin becoming a fine coat along with a mane on my head. I felt a few of my bones rearrange and I soon sprouted a tail forcing me to lay down on the bed as it came in. I checked the mirror once more. Now I had a light almost caramel brown flank a green mane and a blue eye. I wasn't sure about the right one but I looked better. The nurse had put simple bandages of my hooves instead of a cast allowing me to stand up right easier. No wonder I had trouble walking in that place. I then realized and checked my nose it was not bleeding. "So my new wounds are gone that's good at least." I thought. I didn't dare speak a throbbing pain in my throat proved otherwise that it was safe to do that again. I hit the button to call a nurse but nothing happened. I stood on my hind legs and balanced on them properly good at least I can walk now. Though I still needed the wall to keep me upright I moved down the hallway. It was then I noticed what I didn't before there fire alarm was going off and the hospital was empty. I then saw why there was a fire! I followed the fire and saw it was coming from the basement. "Why is there a fire down here?" I thought and started to head away my curiosity quenched when I heard it... "Help!" called a voice. Son of a... it was that girl again she was still down there! With a groan I hobbled down the stairs and to the morgue. She was still stuck on the table trying to get free as a small fire in a waste bin nearby roared. It won't catch the hospital on fire but the smoke in the room was going to kill her soon. Whoever set the fire wanted her to stay dead. learning quickly from last time I used my mouth to open the door and I hit the release buttons and helped her stand. Her missing eye from before had glazed over meaning she couldn't see out of it but being up right was all she cared about right now. "You heard me again. Thank you." She said. I pointed at the door and she nodded her head. I helped her stand as well and we helped each other walk on our hind legs out of the hospital. The outside area had been set up and we both collapsed on the same bed. "Where you two still in there!?" A nurse asked horrified. "Yeah thanks for nothing." the green mare said. The nurse ran off to tell a doctor as she sat up exhausted and looked at me. "I guess I should tell you my name now since I know you weren't just a dream. My name is Laurie Gordon but I got a feeling that name is not going to work here so... Call me Lyra Heartstrings. That's what the damn smoke monster said the owner of this body was called. I'm going to get him for this I bet he killed that poor girl just to use this body." She growled and sighed her ears dropping. "Damn it this is so unfair I just graduated from high school like 2 weeks ago! I had my whole life head of me." She tucked her legs in close to herself as best as she could strangely as a pony she could pull her feet right up to her chin which seemed to work for her though as she got lost in thought. So fresh outta high school. She'd have to be between 17 to 19 depending where she went to school. Little more than a child like I was. Had I actually gone to high school I mean. We waited for awhile and a nurse and doctor examined both of us. The doctor used his magic to sweep both of us and gasped softly. "Doctor what is it?" the nurse asked and he pulled her away. Lyra not feeling good laid down we were on separate beds by now. I took my hat off to rub some of the dried blood off my new mane when I over heard them talking. My hearing was still hyper sensitive but only with my hat off. "The asylum!? A-are you sure?" the nurse said in alarm but the doctor hushed her. "Yes they must be taken care of. Both of them are lost ones they should both be dead. I just got her medical results." He said showing them to her she screamed but he used his magic to muffle her. "T-that can't be the object when clean through her head!" the nurse said. "Yes... they slipped out somehow who knows what monsters inhabit those bodies now. Powerful ones to revive the bodies. If we don't take care of them anything could happen." He said. "Alright... I'll take his body cast off and send him out." She said and came back over to us. "I will contact Celestia at once she must be informed as always. I put my hat back on and looked at her curiously like I didn't hear here. They knew... they knew we escaped from that place and want to get rid of us. Not happening, not on my watch. When she got close enough I grabbed her and pulled her onto the bed jumping off at the same time. I wrapped her up in the blanket then kicked the wheel locks off the bed Lyra was off and pushed it away quickly. "Ah what's going on!?" she said startled. "Get them their lost ones!" The doctor shouted Orderlies chased us down I kicked one away as he got close another however tackled me to the ground and Lyra jumped off the bed. She ran off sensing the trouble we were in and I broke free of the hold I was in and ran off as well to the nearby market place. Everyone in town saw me running I was still wearing a hospital gown after all and covered in bloody bandages I needed to hide somewhere anywhere get this stuff off of me! I bolted into a open market and slipped into a tent. I waited they came and ran past me then it was quiet. Soon as it was quiet for sure I took off the hospital gown as as many of the bandages as I could figure out how to. When I finished I looked in a nearby mirror good I looked hurt but not like I just escaped from a hospital I wanted to remove the bandages on my face but I wasn't about to risk choking to death on my blood. Though Nightmare moon had fixed me she couldn't fix all of me as most of her energy went to restoring Lyra. It was then I realized I was in a clothing booth for a group of performers doing a small show for cash. I grabbed a hoodie and put it on the hood plus that cap covered up everything that was showing. I was still wearing my swim trunks I guess they didn't have time to take it off properly, glad I had those abomination or not I was still man er stallion of modesty and it was summer after all the hoodie was a bit much I realized so I switched it for a Hawaiian shirt and a bandanna. I had no idea how I tired that thing around my neck but I managed to pull it off and checked myself over. It would do the mask made me look like I was sick and the cast underneath was covered by the baggy shirt perfect cover. I grabbed some sunglasses to cover up my patched eye and left the tent. There were still ponies zipping around looking for me and Christ now there were some in golden armor on the loose. I sat on a bench nearby with another pony and just blended in. The search lasted for a half hour then things seemed to return to normal. I took this chance to leave the bench and set out. All I knew was that I couldn't stay here I needed to blend in for a bit longer first. I've played many a stealth game in my day and the first rule is to remove all possible suspicion I couldn't just leave town I might get spotted so I went into tourist mode. I walked to different parts of the town listened to music being played in the park relaxed near the lake for awhile and even sat in a cafe. It worked I didn't notice anyone at all looking for me after awhile and then I took my chance to leave. I took the quietest road I could find out of town one that headed into the forest I was sure to find some help in another town no way was I going to stay here I'd have to regroup with Lyra later. No more then 10 minutes after I set out for that forest road 6 very tired very hungry ponies dragged themselves out of it. "Ah... finally." Twilight sighed in relief as she plopped on the ground. "Worst Road trip ever." Pinkie said her mane was flat and filthy. Rainbow Dash barely able to stay aloft was flapping her wings extra hard just to hover. "3 days... 3 days! Sweet Celestia had does Zecora survive in that thing!?" She complained. "I don't know and I don't care, all I want to do is go to the spa order the biggest cake the bakery has to offer eat that and go into a sugar induced coma!" Rarity proclaimed her hooves were bandages blisters most likely... somehow. "I hope the animals are okay the last time I left them alone they ate my furniture." Fluttershy said worried. Applejack however seemed to be the only one okay. "Ah come on it wasn't that bad everypony." She said trying to help. "Shut up AJ!" The others roared. Grumbling the friends split up no one wanted anything to do with the other until they had a chance to rest up a 3 day odyssey with no supplies and no clue where your going can be trying on any friendship but deep down all were glad they were safe and sound back in ponyville once more. But before the group fully split up they noticed a stallion walk past them caked in their dirt and mud he didn't notice who they were as he walked into the forest. "Wait... was he wearing... swim trunks?" Rarity asked. "Those looked like Tony's..." Twilight realized. "Nope don't care I'm taking a bath." Rainbow dash said flatly and flew off but AJ lassoed her for she could get away. "Come on sugar cube we have to know for sure." She said and drags her into the woods. As for me it didn't take long for it to get so dark I could barely see a thing I had to lift up the sun glasses to see. Man it was pitch black out there and the road was disappearing maybe this wasn't a good direction to go down after all. I couldn't exactly go back either though if those hospital guys were going to put me in an asylum of all things just for being alive. Even if I could talk who would believe what I've been turned into? Hell I went through all of that and even I don't believe it! Before I turned around I heard a bush rushing nearby. I moved away from it carefully but it rustled again and something burst out of it! It was... I think it was a chicken but it had a snake like lower body. I put my sunglasses back over my eyes so this thing couldn't see how freaked out I was it hissed and moved toward me staring at me. I felt my body grow heavy I was freaking out but I backed up against a tree. It inched closer and closer and suddenly it's eyes glowed a bright red as it gave off a loud hiss. I flinched but I felt nothing the creature was bewildered and tried it again. Nothing... it looked worried but lunged forward to bite me. I held up my hooves and felt my sides warm up. I thrust my left hoof fore hoof like I was throwing a punch and knocked it for a loop as it slammed into a tree behind it. This scared the thing and it ran off making clucking noises. I slumped to the ground whatever the hell I just did I saved myself. I panted the best I could my mouth was still wired shut after all. That kinda sucked how am I going to eat like this? It was then I heard footsteps approaching I hid again. I saw... the girls! They had finally found me! I tried to stand up but felt something pull me down back down keeping me from being scene. "Where did that pony go?" Twilight said looking around. "No sign of him anywhere." Applejack said and Fluttershy noticed a small bit of green blood. "This is Cockatrice blood." She said and I looked at my hoof. It was covered in the green blood and it felt numb. "You think that guy got attacked by the Cockatrice?" Rainbow dash said. "It seems likely if he was still around here he escaped and ran off." Fluttershy said. "Good he's safe at least come on girls lets head back." Twilight said. I struggled to stand but couldn't move a voice hushed me and the girls left. After it was quiet I saw who it was. It was Lyra and since I couldn't exactly ask her how she found me or question it I made a question mark with my tail. "Nightmare moon lead me to you she couldn't get a hold of both of us at once and she made me find you." She said. The darkness around us compacted together where the darkness was grew brighter but in black in white as she appeared before us connected to both of our shadows. "It seems I can't leave you alone for even a brief moment now can I?" She said and I felt a freezing sensation through my body like my blood was starting to freeze as I fell to the ground Lyra was fine however. "You are to not make any contact with them nor in anyway alert them to who and what you are now. In a short time your remains will be found and you will be pronounced dead. Lyra already knows her place none know she is even here and her new body will be her perfect cover you will do as you are told understand?" She asked me. I nodded my head what else could I do? Once I did the pain stopped and I climbed to my feet. "Good I have prepared a home for you to live in. The house belongs to a worshiper of my old order. It has been abandoned for many years so it's dark wards and influence must be restored for me to manifest there. Until that time when I need you two you shall come here where the darkness of this forest will allow me to manifest you will come when summoned no matter what understood?" She stated. We both nodded our heads. "Good now then I have a gift for you two." Spreading her wings as she cast a spell on both of us. A magical chain appeared between us then vanished from sight. "I have linked your minds together allowing you to speak to each other at all times using your new psychic connection. Since you are unable to speak your mind boy she will do it for you any objections?" We both said nothing. "Good you learn quickly. I want you two to return to town and to the house it's location is now revealed in your minds. Get settled in and return to the forest tonight. It is a full moon and I will be able to manifest myself longer. Disobey me and she will die. Her life force is tied to your own it's the only way to keep her alive. If you die so will she. My magic will instantly be purged and her wound will kill her. Now be gone." With that she left and we looked at each other. "So... can you hear me?" Lyra asked. I cocked my eyebrow. "Oh right of course um let me try." she said embarrassed and asked me again with her thoughts. "Yes I can." I responded. "There we go good we can talk to each other at least. You accent... are you from California?" She said as we started walking back to town. "Nope Utah." "Utah? There is like nothing there." "What part of I'm from the middle of nowhere don't you get?" "You never said that." "Huh funny I could have sworn I did." We chatted all the way back to town and we stopped in front of the house. "She can't be serious..." Lyra said out loud. The house was right out of a horror movie. Old decaying broken windows dusty and a window banging in a non existent breeze it was massive though probably to scary to tear down is my guess ponies around here seemed to be skittish after all.. "Look at it this way no rent at least." I replied and opened the door going inside. The inside was in much better shape. While it hadn't been tended to in years it was clear that the inside of the house at least had been kept in fine repair. The foyer was made from the black wood trees of the forest and a shrine with a small statue of Nightmare moon was in the middle of a small fountain of black water. Lyra moved up to the fountain and smelled it. "This water... it smells strange." She spoke. I smelled the water too. It didn't smell like water it smelled... it's hard to describe I couldn't put my finger er hoof on it. We split up to look around. There wasn't a kitchen not on the ground floor anyway but there was a massive dinning room able to sit 20 ponies or at the very least one very tall goddess. A large room in the basement seemed to be for training and summoning rituals a much of old scroll scraps and alchemic circle remains were present. I joined Lyra upstairs there was what appeared to be various sterile rooms by sterile I mean a bed, dresser, and candle that's about it. At the end of the hallway however was an elegant room made of black marble with a massive bed with red blankets and a canopy with stars and constellations on it as well as a armor stand. On the armor stand was Nightmare moon's armor it was fractured and pieces were missing from it that must have been all that survived the girl's attack on her a few months ago. "this room is amazing!" Lyra said in awe looking around. "This must have been for Nightmare moon if she had even gotten back to earth." I said looking around as well. "She must have at some point or she won't have been able to reclaim the armor we see here." Lyra said moving up to it. "Makes sense knowing Celestia she had it destroyed to keep her presence away from Luna this must have been what she was able to rebuild from the remains." I said and moved up to it as well. The only intact piece left was her breast plate and we saw our reflections in it. "So... are we going to be okay?" Lyra asked me. I shrugged. "If you call what we are okay then yes if not likely." I said and looked around the room again as she watched me. "We are in another dimension no one knows your missing my friends will find out I'm "dead" soon and we are enslaved by the one creature with the power to conquer an entire kingdom. Death can stop her and we are her pawns. We are the furthest from okay we could be." "But we are alive at least." Lyra said moving up to me. "And as long as we are alive we can find away out of this someday for now we just do what we can. Plus it's clear she doesn't know how intelligence humans really are. We can do this we can find a way out. We aren't skidish like other ponies we aren't afraid of most of the things they are. We are stronger we can find a way. You fought a half snake chicken monster that tried to turn you to stone and got out just fine! I looked at my hoof. "It was trying to turn me to stone? Then how did I survive I didn't have my shades on. "See what I mean? We are tougher we are stronger we can do this somehow we can't give up now! Oh that reminds me what is your name? I forgot to ask in all the chaos." She asked. "It's Anthony but like you I need a new name as well obviously." I said. "Hmm... What about... Silent Knight? You can't speak and you are a knight now in away for Nightmare moon." She suggested. "That's a pony name alright okay that will do for now just call me Knight for short." I smiled and flinched my mouth was killing me. "Well it's not much but we got a little going for us at least. Lets pick some rooms and get some sleep I doubt she'll let us have this room. I nodded my head and picked the nearest room nearby I sat on the bed and thought to myself. "So this isn't a dream this is my reality." I thought and looked at my hooves. "My body this is what they did to me turned me into this and dragged another into this as well to keep me in line. I will find a way out of this somehow. I made fists with my no existence hands. "And they will pay for this count on it."