//------------------------------//
// Hallucinations 
// Story: Seeing Things 
// by BigBadWolf 
//------------------------------//

	When she woke up, her head was pounding. Lyra sits up in her bed to her forehead's discontent. A dull, but painful headache. Whatever was in that must've been powerful, she thinks to herself. She looks out the window and sees that it is now daytime. 

She gets out of her bed and looks outside. Her head is still woozy and she sees...no. It's impossible. Could it be? After all those years of searching? She races outside and gallops straight up to them. A human. A real human! Finally! She is so elated that she jumps into the air. Nopony is even around to see her elation and silent screams of joy. The human just kind of looks at her funny. 

"Are you actually real?!"she asks incredulously. The human smiles and nods.

"Of course I'm real," they say. "If I weren't real, why would you be so happy?"

She gasps and reaches out slowly. The human reaches out a hand. A hand! They grasp her hoof and shake it lightly. She recoils, surprised at how cold their hand is. Suddenly a voice from behind her.

"Lyra, what are doing?" It was BonBon. BonBon saw what was happening it reality. Lyra, shaking her hoof at open air and staring at nothing. 

"What do you mean?" says Lyra confused and then points at the human.

"What?" BonBon asks, baffled.

"Uh, hello! Do you not see the human standing right here?" says Lyra. The human simply waves.

"Uhhh, no," sasy BonBon, clearly confused. "Are you feeling okay?"

"How? How could you not see it?" said Lyra. Then she put a hoof to her chin in thought. Then a look of stark realization struck her face.

"I must be the only one who can see them! Because..." she thought again. "I'm the only one who actually believed they existed!"

"I don't think that's it," said BonBon. "Maybe we should go and see Twilight."

"Fine," said Lyra. "Come on Mr. Human!"

The human smiled and strode along next to Lyra. BonBon continued to stand where she was and look confused. There were no indications that Lyra was being followed by anything. She shook her head and followed Lyra.

They reached Twilight's house and Lyra opened the door for the human. The human ducked under the doorway. Twilight was standing in the middle of the room.

"Lyra, what are you doing?" asked Twilight. "Are you going to come inside?"

"I'm merely being polite," said Lyra and then followed the human. Twilight, being her usual curious self, immediately noticed Lyra's slightly bloodshot eyes.

"Are you okay? You look like you haven't slept in days," said Twilight, frowning.

"I feel incredible!" said Lyra, "Just ask the HUMAN that is standing right in front of you!"

Twilight looked around the library, but didn't see anything else in the room.

"Uhhh, hello?" asked Twillight, getting no response, just as she expected.

"Eeee!" Lyra squealed in delight at the human's response. The human had responded politely, much to Lyra's fascination and delight.

"What? What is it?" asked Twilight, again looking around, but seeing nothing. She reached for a spell book and flipped to a page on hallucinogenic substances. She immediately cast her spell on Lyra, which made what she was seeing visible to her. She gasped. Standing there, was a human! Only problem was: Lyra was seeing things, and the human wasn't real. Still, quite fascinating. She read her book. The hallucinations should stop after a day.

"Well Lyra," said Twilight.

"Yeeees?" asked Lyra, not really paying attention.

"Looks like they'll all be gone after a day," said Twilight.

"What!?" Lyra practically screamed. "W-what do you mean? Are they going to leave?"

"Uhhh, no," said Twilight with an embarrased smile. "I'm sorry to say they were most likely triggered by a hallucinagenic alcohol. But they behave like any human might, so please, learn as much as you can about them and tell me your findings!"

"Absolutely!" said Lyra, perking up. And so Lyra went on with the rest of her day. She saw many a human,  and learned a  great deal from the imaginary beings. She slept soundlessly that night, content with the thought that they were still out there. Then she had a thought, a most curious thought,  a very ridiculous, but so ridiculous it just might work.

"I wonder if Berry Punch has any more of that drink she made."