//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: Unraveled (Standard) // Story: Eternal Night // by Lucaro //------------------------------// Arcturus’ heart was racing. The smell of rot breached his nostrils. He stood in the hallway, staring at the door at the end of the corridor. Perspiration dripped from his muzzle, trickling down his neck. Something was in the room again, and it smelled as if something had died in there. “Please….” A mare’s familiar voice pleaded from behind the door. “Somepony help me!” There was the sound of chains rattling and a whimper of pain. Arcturus took a hesitant step forward, and his already crippling migraine intensified. He took another step forward, and gasped in pain. Each step amplified the pain tenfold. There was something in that room that his subconscious didn’t want him to see. This had been going on for weeks. Arcturus hallucinated about the door. He always drew close in curiosity. A little bit closer every time, but sense found him and he fled every time. It was as if one part of him was luring him into some kind of trap, and another part was desperately trying to protect him by keeping him away. Morning Glory had gone shopping, and she wouldn’t be coming to rescue him any time soon. There was another pity-evoking cry for help. “It hurts so much….” Arcturus remembered the flayed hoof. The hypnotic voice that had drawn him in every time. His mind was screaming to get away, but he was transfixed. Arcturus had been having dreams of ponies being dragged into the room, being tortured, and strung up on the wall. They were just nightmares, but his dreams were becoming reality. Orange and red hairs lay in clumps leading up to the door. As if somepony had taken the mare’s mane and had wrenched it back, dragging her into the room as she screamed and kicked. The torn carpet and hoof-marks on the wall was more evidence to that. Something was in that room. Something that wanted him to share that mare’s fate. Arcturus blacked out for what felt like a few seconds, and there was a scream. He opened his eyes again, and he was slightly closer to the door. He blacked out again, and he was a little closer. The door was open, and he could see the silhouette of a pony standing in the dark. Arcturus blacked out again, and he was even closer. He saw that the silhouette had a linear extension to his hoof. He was holding something. Arcturus blacked out. When he opened his eyes, he was close enough to see the bloody edge of the meat cleaver and the hysterical grin of the pony holding it. Arcturus screamed, and thrashed his hooves trying to stop himself. But every blackout drew him closer. It was pulling him in. “Leave me alone!” he screamed. But it was futile. He couldn't resist the hidden force drawing him in. “My name is Necron!” the pony in the dark bellowed in a guttural voice. “And you’re time is coming soon!” he said, pointing at Arcturus with the meat cleaver. “Noooo!” Arcturus screamed. “Don’t kill me!” Necron laughed, a hideous sound that was only heard alongside the screaming of suffering ponies. I don’t want to die! I can’t leave Morning alone….Arcturus felt a fire ignite within him. He wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Arcturus spread out his wings, and launched himself towards the door. Necron’s face became one of surprise. Arcturus hurtled through the air, imagining himself striking Necron hard across the face. He flew full speed into the doorway, the sudden cold and reek of rot invading his nose, and he collided with Necron. There was a burst of pain. The door slammed shut behind him, plunging them both in darkness. The apartment fell silent. Not a pin drop was to be heard. Arcturus’ cello lay on the ground, his sheet music scattered all over the floor. Nothing moved. Sirius awoke with a start. The newspaper he had been reading crumpled to the ground. The headline on the front page read, “Mass Murderer Strikes Again: Five Ponies with Gang Affiliations Slain.” Sweat was beading on his forehead, and he realized that he had almost fallen from his chair. The hospital waiting room was eerily quiet as he waited alone. A doctor stormed down the hallway towards him, his stethoscope bouncing against his barrel. The frightened pegasus stared up at the angry stallion. “This is the sixth time you’ve come here this month!” the doctor exclaimed, waving his clipboard around. “You show up here with severe injuries, we patch you up with magic, but before we discharge you, you always demand to see a psychiatrist.” Sirius blinked. This was the first time he had ever come here. “Doctor, you must be mistaken. This is the first time I’ve ever….” “That’s what you said last time.” The doctor said annoyed. “We patched you up anyway because you were a Night Terror. But we are absolutely forbidden to provide you with psychiatric help.” Sirius was dazed, and was struck by the sensation that an immense period of time had passed since he had last passed out. “Why am I not allowed psychiatric help?” he demanded. The doctor sighed. “I’ve already explained this to you, Chaucer. But I’ll do it one more time.” Who the hell is Chaucer? Sirius thought to himself. “That is the protocol for treating Night Terrors. No mental help. No counseling. No psychological diagnosis for you. You’re on your own.” The doctor shrugged, sighing. “A lot of Night Terrors have come here, begging for help. But we have to turn them down.” The doctor pointed at Sirius with his hoof. “But you, Chaucer. Your instructor, Ember, told us personally to inform her of every time you show up here. She was very strict in her instructions. And of course, she emphasized that we deny you any treatment.” Sirius felt a rush of rage, and the doctor’s irritation turned into fear. “I want to see your manger, your superior, or whoever you answer to.” The stallion shook his head. “Doctor Pharus didn’t show up at work today. Besides, even if he did show up, he wouldn’t want to see you.” “Doctor Pharus,” Sirius said as much to himself as the doctor. “That name sounds familiar.” “Well, he’s a world famous psychiatrist and runs this hospital’s psych ward. Everypony knows who he is.” Sirius sighed, trying a different tactic. “What if I were to talk to Ember? I want to know why she won’t let me get help.” “You said you would talk to Ember last time,” the doctor said. “That was about three days ago, and she hasn’t contacted me.” Sirius shook his head, almost begging the doctor. “You have to give me something. Anything.” The doctor sighed, and grew pensive. “Well, we do have the drug test you requested.” The stallion leafed through his clipboard and handed him a paper. Sirius grabbed it and began reading. The doctor continued speaking as he read. “You were pretty much clean. We found some trace amounts of cocaine, and that was about it.” Sirius’ world was caving in on him. If it wasn’t the drugs causing his blackouts, what was? His mind reeled to understand. The doctors hadn’t found anything physically wrong with him. It had to be something psychological. That’s why Ember had denied him psychiatric aid…Ember. Ember knew what was happening to him. She was the one that had done this to him. Sirius remembered his vow of vengeance on her. He also remembered his homicidal urges, the sick feral joy that came with inflicting pain. Where had all that gone? The doctor was still standing there, watching Sirius. He looked around shiftily, and pressed a pocket watch into his hoof. “Take this,” he whispered. He then handed him a pen from his clipboard as well. “This will help you keep track of time. Make a log of when you are conscious, and when you wake up again.” Sirius was stunned by the doctor’s kindness. “Thank you,” he whispered. The doctor gave him a sad smile. “I had a friend who was a Night Terror. The mare completely lost her mind, as the Night Terror training program is intended to do.” The doctor looked around again, making sure no one was listening. “I don’t know if you’ve seen yourself in the mirror lately, but you look well on your way to insanity as well.” The doctor flipped around and trotted away. Sirius watched him leave. He then opened his pocket watch and scribbled the time on his hoof with the pen. Sirius needed to get a handle on this thing. He had to take control of his life. Things happened when he blacked out. He needed somepony to watch him. To monitor his activities. “Sapphire,” he whispered to himself. Sirius needed to get home to her. He shared an apartment with her, and she had to know what had been going on in his life. The pegasus flitted down the hallway, trying to get home as quick as possible. But it was as if his mind sensed that he was trying to get help, and Sirius blacked out. Something strange happened this time though. He actually began to dream. A stallion with blue fur, a bluer mane, and bright green eyes appeared beside him. “You’ve done well, Initiate.” Darkheart. Sirius stared at him, questioning his presence here. “Why are you here?” Darkheart shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. I was summoned here as well.” The dreamscape began to shift, and they were transported inside the throne room of a castle. Large ivory balustrades wrapped in translucent violet sheaths lined the stone chamber he stood in. He was standing on a black and purple carpet, leading up to a tremendous looking throne. Above the throne, there was a massive stained glass depiction of Nightmare Moon. This was no ordinary castle. An apparition of Nightmare Moon herself appeared in the throne. Darkheart immediately bowed, and Sirius did the same. Sirius timidly looked up at her, seeing a wicked grin on her face. She was wearing her traditional armor, her dark purple mane flowing out behind her. “Rise,” she said in a smooth, feminine voice that sunk into his ears like poisoned nectar. Sirius and Darkheart rose. Nightmare Moon sat on her throne, seemingly pleased. “I personally have come to congratulate you, Sirius.” She trotted down from her throne and approached him. “We have just confirmed the death of your mother. That mare had eluded my grasp for years, and you finally put an end to her.” Nightmare Moon grinned. “Well done.” Sirius felt absolutely overwhelmed. “T..thank you, my queen.” “No,” Nightmare Moon said. “Thank you. Ember was able to pinpoint her location while you were killing her. It made me realize that it’s time to finish something I began a long time ago….” She grinned again, her razor sharp teeth glinting in the light. “The fringe colonies have been burned out. All the Dayborn living there have been killed or scattered like the insects they are.” The Empress faced Darkheart, regarding him expectantly. “Now, where is this stallion’s instructor? She should be here to witness what is about to happen now.” Darkheart looked stymied. He rubbed his hoof into the carpet anxiously. “Nopony has seen her for the past three days. She’s vanished.” “Oh ho,” Nightmare Moon mused. She winked at Sirius, and looked back at Darkheart. “Well then, I guess you being here will suffice.” Nightmare Moon cleared her throat, preparing her royal Canterlot voice. “Step forward, Initiate Sirius.” Sirius stepped forward. Nightmare Moon put her hoof on his head. “Today, I promote you from Initiate to Knight in the Night Terror ranks. You will be taking Ember’s place and will henceforth be charged with her duties.” Darkheart spluttered from behind him. “My Empress, what will become of Ember now?” Nightmare Moon grinned sadistically. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?” “What have you done to her!?” Darkheart demanded, tears in his eyes. She smiled, and waved her hood. Darkheart’s form began to fade away as he was expelled from the dream. “No!” he cried. “She and I were to be married!” he struggled fiercely, but soon he disappeared completely. Nightmare Moon snickered, as if enjoying an inside joke. “Knight Sirius, I have your first official task.” She drew uncomfortably close to him. He could smell her scent of cold night air, and a faint touch of lilacs. “Complete this task,” she said, circling him, pressing herself against him. He was intoxicated as she brushed her tail against his muzzle. “Complete this task and you will be able to come live by my side in Canterlot palace. I want you to…” she drew close to his face, their muzzles almost touching. She looked into his eyes. “I want you to hunt down your brother and sister.” Sirius couldn’t talk. He was so entranced by her proximity, he could barely register what she was telling him. “Of course, my queen.” Nightmare Moon grinned wolfishly again. “Honestly, the only reason I wanted you to find your mother was because of the two foals she gave birth to on that fateful day. I knew if I found her, her children would be close by.” She pressed herself against him, kissing his cheek softly. “Find them, Sirius. Bring me their heads.” “Yes,” he said without hesitation. “I live to serve.” There was a flicker in her demeanor. “You have the loveliest blue eyes,” she whispered, circling him once again, examining him. “You remind me of somepony I used to love. So full of potential, so ready to serve.” Nightmare Moon purred seductively, and Sirius found himself moaning in response. “Wake up,” she whispered in his ear. Sirius awoke in the sauna in his apartment. He blinked a few times, trying to get a sense of time. He raised his hoof, but all the pen markings had been washed off by the frothy warm water. He began to lift himself out of the tub, and immediately felt all his blood rush to his hooves. He groaned and slid over the edge, collapsing on the cold ground. Where is my pen and pocket watch? Sirius shivered, lying wet and cold on the bathroom floor. There was a longing in his heart. He just wanted his life to return to normal. Sirius wanted to go home. Back to the village where he was raised. Back to the place where life made sense. But it was gone and it was all his fault. Sirius blinked. Had that Nightmare Moon dream been real? Am I really tasked to hunt Cepheus and Persei? “Sirius,” Sapphire’s voice called from outside the bathroom. “Are you okay?” The soaked pegasus stood up, feeling lonely and cold. He opened the door and saw that it was dark in the room, and Sapphire was lying in bed, waiting for him. She smiled when she saw him. “Come here, Sirius. I can warm you up.” Sirius failed to notice the suggestive overtones of her voice, and slid into the sheets with her. He lay beside Sapphire for a moment, and then it all came crashing down on him. It was all over for him. He would eventually lose control. He was destined to go insane, just like all the other Night Terrors. Sirius began to sob, and Sapphire immediately wrapped her hooves around him in an embrace. “Please don’t cry, my love.” The sincerity in her voice charmed him, and he wrapped his wings around her, holding her tightly against him. Through his sobs and tears, he whispered to her. “Sapphire, I am having these black outs. Every time it happens, I wake up in a strange place and I can’t remember what I’ve done for the past six or seven hours. It’s getting worse and worse, I’m losing more and more time and I just want to give up….” Sapphire forced her muzzle onto his, kissing him. Sirius fell silent, enjoying her touch. She began to pant, kissing him again and again, each time with more vigor. He returned her kisses, and he pulled the sheets over his head. Heart racing, gasping for breath, he actually felt happy for the first time in a long time. They tumbled underneath the sheets, and Sirius forgot all about his worries, the pain, the impending loss of his autonomy, and was grounded here in the present with Sapphire. They soon surfaced for air, sweating and exhausted. Sirius reveled in the afterglow. He wasn’t going to give up on his life just yet…. Sapphire put her head on his barrel, and he put a wing over her. He looked down at the mare lying against him, feeling true affection blooming in his heart. She had saved him. Impulsively, he said, “I’m so glad to have you here with me, Sapphire.” She grinned as she began to fall asleep, her eyes already closed. “I love you, Arcturus.” Sirius froze. What did she just call me? Did she just say… He went completely catatonic. He was racked with silent seizures, his central nervous system short circuiting. Sirius’ eyes were wide open, screaming for help, but he couldn’t make a sound or even move. Sapphire had exposed something by accident…. Sirius blacked out. When he awoke, Sapphire was gone, and there was a bloody message scrawled on the roof. “You’re next.”