Delirium

by ngrey651

Folie à Deux

DELIRIUM:
Folie à Deux

Twilight Sparkle glanced left and right about the road skirting the way towards the ancient site of the fabled city of New Hope, her purple eyes softly shining before widening brightly as lightning began to flash, illuminating the path before her and her draconic assistant. Spike sat atop her, chewing his lip as they continued to make their way down the road, Twilight climbing over a split-rail fence and bushwhacking some shrubs away as they pushed on through the forest path. “This is a bad idea. We should stop for the night. Somewhere where wild manticores can’t use us for toothpicks.”

“Look at it this way, Spike.” Twilight insisted as Spike wiped his brow, panting a bit as crickets and cicada cries filled the air around them. “Think of this as building character and discovery HISTORY. Think of it as exercise. Think of it as fun!”

“FUN?” Spike proclaimed as he scratched his head, mosquito bites covering about 3/5ths of his body at the moment. “Oooch-ooch-ooch!”

“Well if you bought the first two…” Twilight trailed off as the moon began to rise, Twilight now reaching the end of the forest path as it led into a cornfield, tall rows of corn filling her and Spike’s vision as mountains became silhouetted far behind. The moon was bright enough so they could see the way forward as loose clouds and distant flashes of lightning flitted across to provide a faint air of dread that continued to infect Spike as he glanced nervously around the cornfield.

A few minutes of tenseness later they finally reached a low, grassy area which appeared to be a sunken road, a natural trench in the earth that the two would hold up in for the night as Twilight sat down, prying upon the journal as lightning slashed through the air above like a razor blade, Spike looking down at the translated journal as she scribbled in the next lines. “Just a few more pages and my translation’s complete.” She admitted, patting a hoof down onto the journal and smiling at Spike. “Princess Luna would be proud of me.”

“Which reminds me.” Spike said as he snapped his digits. “I need to mail that letter.” He added, holding up a small roll of paper he’d gotten and scribbling down onto it as Twilight tilted her head to the side in confusion. “I think it might be a good idea for her to come see us at where New Hope was. I know we told your friends where we’d be going, but just in case something happens…”

“Like manticores?” She asked with a slight chuckle as Spike blew onto the letter with his bright green flames and it vanished before her eyes. “Don’t worry, Spike. Princess Luna can be here within a span of a few hours if she really wanted to be. Everything will be alright.”

“What’s happening in the journal?” Spike wanted to know as Twilight closed it up, reclining leisurely in the sunken road as Spike rested his hands in his lap, titling his head to the side. “In fact, how did he find out about what Hyacinth was up to?”

“Hyacinth evidently kept a journal. One HE always carried with him. He was always writing down his most terrible, cruel thoughts onto it…his darkest fantasies playing to life within the pages.” Twilight murmured somberly, chewing on her lip. “From what I’ve read, Shimmer got a hold of it.” She admitted.

“Hyacinth just let him have it?” Spike asked incredulously. The two now lay on their backs, slightly soaked with sweat from the long trek as a breeze came up around them, wrapping them in cool relief as ground moisture began to tickle at their backs like tiny toes dancing about, Spike shivering a bit as it began to actually turn rather cold.

“He let him have a LOT of things, but not that. But I should start where I last left off. Shimmer decided to try and throw himself as deeply as he could into the drama series, to be the best actor “Delirum” could offer. He let himself become enveloped in the role. I think he just wanted some kind of foothold on reality, even if it was a false reality he was trying to steady himself on…”

…

…

…

…the rain fell slowly down, softly trickling down his cheeks as he held his head in one hoof, Shimmer the Chnageling shaking his head back and forth as he bit into his lip. He looked out over the bridge high above the lower stretches of the city’s roads, his voice pained and terrified. “Heaven help me, I don’t know anything about myself anymore.”

“You needn’t be so worried, Eiko.” The good doctor, played once more by Jillian, insisted. She brushed the river-like stream of black hair she had to the side as she walked over to the section of bridge that Shimmer was hanging his hooves over as he stared over the city, blinking slowly. “How do you know that person you were a minute ago is the person you are now?”

“What do you mean?” Shimmer asked, the rain pouring down a bit heavier.

“A continuous stream of memories. With only THAT in our minds, we create an idea about ourselves, insist there is only one “us”. That there’s only ONE fixed persona.” Dr. Jillian went on as she gestured out at the city. “Our life is a steady railroad. There are eventual stops, moments when we halt and get off, surely. But the train itself remains the same.”

“Doctor, I…” Shimmer shook his head back and forth, his voice slightly hysterical as he began to shudder and shake. “Doctor, I’m not so sure. I think that it ISN’T the same. I’m afraid this other self will come to life, that it’s going to do something horrible and there’s nothing I can do to stop it!” He fervently muttered, gasping a bit as Jillian put a hoof on him, smiling tenderly into his eyes.

“Don’t be frightened.” She cooed to him. “You are you. Don’t forget that.”

He nervously looked down and to the side, catching sight of a familiar grey pony that was staring RIGHT up at him, eyes soullessly glaring, brow slightly furrowed, an accusatory glint in his dark eyes as Shimmer blinked in surprise.

What in?...

Jillian patted his shoulder, making him look at her face. “An illusion can’t become a reality.” She told him as he nodded at her.

“CUT!” Director Mahgreb called out, the zebra growling a bit as he looked up at the rapidly falling rain, sighing as he hung his head. “I think we’ll have to end shooting here.” He insisted, shaking his head back and forth as Shimmer looked back down from the bridge, back at the place where that grey-furred pony had been. But when he stared…there was nothing there. The changeling blinked stupidly for a moment, scratching his head. He was sure he’d seen…

A little while later, Sirocco was taking him back to the main studio building where they did all the recording for New Wave, the gryphon pushing the door open as he ruffled his feathers, the sandy-colored gryphon poofing up as he growned,covering his chest with his clawed digits. “EEK! I look like a feather duster!” He proclaimed as Shimmer wiped rain off of the blue hair atop his head, shaking his tail back and forth as Sirocco let out a couple coughs.

“What’re we doing here anyhow?” Shimmer wanted to know as the gryphon led the changeling down a large blue carpet past pale red walls, the gryphon sneezing slightly before bristling up some more, his feathers poofing up again.

“Oogh. I thought it’d be good for you to see how Rumi and the rest of New Wave are doing. They’ve got a radio broadcast going on today. Did you want to say hello?” He asked of the changeling before his question dissolved into massive coughs.

“Don’t look UP into the rain next time.” Shimmer insisted with a gentle chuckle, foofing the gryphon’s feathered body and squeezing out some water as Sirocco visibly blushed.

“I’m sorry, I think my great grandfather might have been half TURKEY, can’t help it.” The gryphon manager nervously admitted as they headed up the elevator to the top floor, making their way past slightly yellowish/white walls as Shimmer overheard the band speaking at the far end of the hallway they were in. Evidently they were live and on the air right now, as evidenced by the large “LIVE” sign brightly glowing by a window off towards the end of the hallway. He could see the band more clearly as they got closer to the room where the recording was taking place in, a control room located to the side and-

Wait. Wait a minute, there was something faintly bright inside of the studio room, situated at the table the band were sitting at, wearing a familiar flashy vest with gems bejeweled within…

No, no, it couldn’t be!

“We’re going to have our next show at 2:00 tomorrow, and we’re all eager to perform our newest single, “Bubblegum Sex”. Please come see us, we’ll be waiting for you!”

“New Wave’s Newswave will be back on the air same time, same channel. Though it’s pouring outside, our hearts are always sunny! Bye-bye!”

“We love you, baby!” The Virtual Shimmer laughed cheerily, resting his head on his hooves and looking up through the glass at Shimmer with a slight chuckle.

“N-no, it…it can’t be…” Shimmer whispered as the manifestation giggled, hopping to it’s feet and phasing through the door, Sirocco seeing Shimmer’s face pale, turning sickly and almost green as he slightly reeled back.

“Shimmer, what’s wro-”

But Shimmer had already taken off, and was racing through the hallway after the false him, panting and heaving as the Virtual Shimmer bounced through the hall without a care in the world, singing loudly and proudly, DARING Shimmer to follow him. The moon and stars penned in the sky, in blackest night, they’re rising high, they soon are wiped from off night’s flank, until it all is pure and blank!

“STOP IT!” Shimmer screamed out. “You are not real! I KNOW you’re not real, I’m gonna catch you and beat you and I will KNOW you’re not real!”

The Virtual Shimmer’s laughter echoed through the air as Shimmer slammed slightly into a wall as he turned a corner, quickly re-righting himself and chasing after the manifestation as sweat poured down his brow, the cheery being continuing to sing. Empty flank and hollow eyes, knowing only the disguise, see the tear that fills the skies, and that is when the cities rise! See them spinning through the air, like a great mandala wheel, screaming as they’re soaring higher, what is false and what is real?

He tore after the Virtual Him, colliding with a secretary as he continued to try and chase after it, tossing back a quick apology as the being giggled a bit, bouncing towards the stairs, skipping merrily like it hadn’t a care in the world as Shimmer continued to chase it. “What are you?! A trick?! A trap!?! Somebody’s magic spell?! I KNOW I’m not crazy! I just CAN’T be!”

His hooves slipped on the stairs and he let out a pained yell, fire rising up through his legs as he rolled down and came to a flop at the bottom of the stairs, panting and heaving, tears of pain and despair softly trailing down his cheeks as he tried to get up, only to take notice of the mirrored walls in front of him, which made him stare, mouth opening slightly in surprise before he heard it speak anew.

“I TOLD you. I’M the real Shimmer!”

Shimmer wheeled around, seeing the thing bouncing off through the doorway outside, heading for the rainy streets. Gritting his teeth, Shimmer tore after him, ignoring the dull pain that was sticking into his legs as the rain pounded away at him, the changeling shoving aside various Diamond Dogs, ponies, Gryphons and other Changelings as he tore after the thing, gasping hard as it made it’s way across a road, heading for the tunnelway. Shimmer barreled after him, but was finally forced to flop to his knees, panting and heaving, unable to continue before he heard a loud roar, turning his head, bright white lights barreling down on him as he heard a shriek of cosmic thunder and the sky seemed to shake as something ripped open overhead…

And in a flash…it was over…

And he was back at his apartment.

…

…

…

… “My head…I feel like a puppy that’s been run over by a train.” Shimmer moaned out as he sat on a small, soft little carpet in his room, Carapace sitting across from him and munching on a tiny little green sugar ball, a tasty liquid dribbling out and into the slightly portly Changeling’s mouth as he eagerly drank from it. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long.”

“Thanks for giving me a key to your room. So tell me, are you getting used to acting?”

“Well, it’s what I decided to do. Did…did anything happen yesterday?”

“The gang was really happy to see you. They’re doing so well, wouldn’t you say?” Carapace asked. “And it was sweet of Sirocco to come and take you to visit. You even got to do some singing again. I KNOW, I know.” He insisted, holding up a thick hoof in the air to halt Shimmer’s protests before they started. “You want to be considered an actor now. I understand. I guess it took a while, but everyone seems to really love the new you.” Carapace admitted with a nonchalant shrug. “That BBS site though…you should stay away from it. It’s nothing but bad news.”

“I visited…oh. So that’s what happened…” Shimmer murmured. “…must be…right?”

“Right what?” Carapace asked, tilting his head to the side, clearly confused. Shimmer looked like somebody had whacked him in the face with a frying pan and he was still struggling to realize that he’d been hit. “You know, I was a little bit worried when you took down all of the “New Wave” stuff from your khana, but hey, it was your apartment, you’re allowed to. But this makes me really concerned. You seem out of it.”

“…maybe I shouldn’t have taken them down.” Shimmer mumbled aloud. “Maybe…maybe the pop singer, that…that innocent piece of my past is more the real me than I ever could be the way I am. Maybe I’M the fake. Maybe that other personality buried deep inside is acting out?”

“Oh, Shim, you’ve been watching too many dailies! That illusion could never come to reality!” Carapace laughed, Shimmer paling.

“WHAT!?”

“Shimmer, what’re you doing?” Anderson asked as she and Jillian passed the “Morin Huur” guitar over to him in the break room as Shimmer looked around, realizing he was in the lounge, and not his khana. “Come on, you said you were going to play us a little tune?” She asked, gesturing at the horse-headed stringed acoustic guitar as Shimmer bit into his lip, sweat beads breaking out on his head as he looked slightly to the side, out the nearby window.

For a moment, he thought he saw a familiar grey-furred pony, but…

No, no, it was just his imagination. Just…yeah. Just his imagination.

It wasn’t real.

…wasn’t…real.

…

…

…

…“My head…I feel like a puppy that’s been run over by a train.” Shimmer moaned out as he sat on a small, soft little carpet in his room, Carapace sitting across from him and munching on a tiny little green sugar ball, a tasty liquid dribbling out and into the slightly portly Changeling’s mouth as he eagerly drank from it. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long.”

“What do you mean?” Carapace wanted to know as he munched on some cake, Shimmer holding a cup of mineral water in his hooves, his hair hanging low like his head, his voice dead and subdued, eyes slightly sunken in. “I just saw you yesterday, remember? Are you feeling alright?”

“…that was yesterday? Huh.” Shimmer mumbled, his hooves shaking a bit. “That’s funny. Boy. Wish I could remember. It’s all like some dream.”

“That’s very odd, Shimmer. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Carapace wished to know, tilting his head slightly to the side before he closed his eyes and shook his head back and forth. “Oh, Shim. You’re not seeing things or anything, are you? You know illusions can’t possibly come-”

KRAKKA-SHING! The cup in Shimmer’s grip shattered into chunks that plopped down to the ground as blood poured freely from Shimmer’s wounded hooves, Carapace gasping in surprise as Shimmer nonchalantly looked down at his hooves. “Shimmer, what?!”

“This blood. It’s real, right? I’m real, right?” Shimmer whispered out, chuckling wryly as he shook his head back and forth, a concerned expression coming to Carapace’s face as he held his friend gently, nuzzling his cheek.

“Shim…” The thick-bodied changeling murmured mournfully. “Oh, Shimmer…” He asked, the blood slowly dripping into the mineral water that had collected in one such chunk of cup, plopping down with a loud “THWLOP”, crimson slowly spreading through the crystalline liquid like a dark infection.

Meanwhile, Director Maghreb was in the middle of directing a scene at the producing studio, sitting in the editing room as they looked over what they’d filled. The zebra adjusted the cap atop his head, his tattooed face looking eagerly at what they’d just shot, evidently pleased with the direction that “Delirium” was taking.

Jillian and Anderson’s two characters were sitting in a room, Jillian pouring the unicorn some wine as they sat by a table with a large collection of photographs of Shimmer, along with newspaper articles about recent murders, a confused expression upon Anderson’s face. “So...you’re saying…” the unicorn asked, scratching his head. “The murderer is just an illusion that he’s created?”

“Yes. He’s terrified of this grey-furred pony. He superimposes that figure as a serial murderer of people that he’s been affiliated with.” Jillian admitted as she sipped her wine, the Pegasus sighing a bit. “But he’s not really the killer.”

“This is all INSANE. That illusion can’t be the one doing the killings, after all! So who’s really doing them?” Anderson wanted to know as Jillian took in a deep breath, brow furrowing as she looked down at a photograph of Shimmer…specifically, one of the more “risqué” pictures.

“True. An illusion couldn’t do that…unless it had possessed someone.”

“You mean…”

“Yes. Those people that were murdered all did him wrong in some way. We have to find him NOW, officer…before he kills again and another victim falls prey to his insanity.”

That night, Mr. Jones was taking in that very same scene as he sat in his darkened living room, taking sips from some wine as the unicorn chuckled a bit at the enormous screen. “Heh. What a twist! The actor’s out of his mind. Yeah, actors have never EVER killed people before!” He smirked before a loud ring filled the air of his ornate home, the unicorn looking up, realizing he wasn’t actually wearing any clothes except for a pair of orange briefs over his pants. He thought perhaps about putting one of his silken bathrobes on…

But just shrugged it off, getting up from the deep red couch he was sitting in, heading for the front door and opening it up, the pizza boy holding up his delivery for him as he scratched his butt. “So how much is it?” He asked, holding up the wallet he’d grabbed off the nearby bureau.

The pizza boy dropped the box to the ground, nervously looking away as Jones snorted. “Butterfingers much?” He asked of the pizza boy, reaching down to pick it up, unaware the pizza boy was reaching behind his back, grabbing something from out of his bright red pockets. But as Mr. Jones’s hooves wrapped around the “Sizzling Slices” pizza box, he got to find out what it WAS the pizza boy had been keeping in his back pocket.

A screwdriver. Which plunged into the unicorn’s eye with the speed and fluidity of a cobra striking.

The blood flowed freely down from the ruined socket, Mr. Jones SCREAMING in sheer agony as he was slammed against the wall, the “pizza boy” taking hold of his shoulder and jamming the screwdriver into him again and again with renewed vigor. Lifeblood gushed out onto the thick blue welcome carpeting below, shoving it into Jones’s soft frame over and over as Jones howled in agonized screams and cries…but the door outside had been closed, and it was 11 at night in the suburbs on the outskirts of New Hope. Nobody could hear him.

The murderer slammed the screwdriver into his gut again, then gripped his shoulder more tightly, it’s breath cold and harsh as it hissed in his face, jabbing it down, Jones’s remaining good eye widening in agony as dark, burning pain ripped through his extremities. He reeled back, the murderer calmly trotting towards him as he slammed the glassy door to his kitchen shut, panting and heaving and clutching at his gouged-out right eye, tears trickling down his good eye as he tried to get his bearings. Letter. The dragon delivery system. Write in to the police. Set it on fire. Hide in a closet, get away-

The glass door shattered, the screwdriver digging into his back as the murderer continued his work, Mr. Jones bellowing loudly as he reeled away, screaming desperately, trying to crawl away as he fell to the ground, blood pooling around him as he grabbed hold of anything that he could get his hooves on. He yanked various books off of a table, tossing it at his attacker as it batted them aside over and over before backhanding Jones across the face, a sickening KRAKK indicating his nose was broken as the murderer kicked him onto his side and stabbed his hoof through the photo album he’d tried to toss next, a photo album showing naked pictures of Shimmer, the unicorn crying out in utter agony.

Again and again the screwdriver came down on his head. Again and again it dug into his skull, blood splattering over the murderer’s body, the hat falling away, revealing dark fur, eyes blazing with fury, hate etched into his face as he stabbed and stabbed, roaring down at the dead unicorn as the inky redness spread across the dark carpet below like a foul watercolor painting…

…

…

…

… “This…this is not a good month for me…” Shimmer mumbled out as he held his head, shaking it back and forth as he struggled to get out of bed, his sheets stained with sweat as he cringed, rubbing his sore body. “And what a night. What a dream. Maybe I should go see a psychologist…” He murmured to himself as he looked over at the little fishies in their tank across from his bed. “What do you think, little buddies? Think ol’ Shimmer’s out of his mind? Yeah, I’m a psycho killer…” He groaned as he turned to the Source Wall in his room, clearing his throat. “Geez, it’s eleven already? Bring up NEWS. Latest on the front page.” He asked of the Source Wall.

Unfortunately as the news blazed their way onto the burning light of the Source Wall in fiery letters, Shimmer’s eyes bugged out in horror at what he was seeing. Interviews and first-hand accounts of people who had investigated an open door at that “nice house down the street”…a house which had become splattered with blood like a modern art painting, a dead unicorn left to rot on the floor…and not just ANY dead unicorn.

No. The headlines read “No More Keeping Up with This Jones”. That photographer. The one who’d taken those pictures. He had been murdered last night.

“Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no…” Shimmer whispered, hooves flying over his mouth, his expression horrified as he rose up and away from the source wall, sniffing at the air as a strange, oddly hard scent filled his nostrils. He made his way towards the closet, eyes slightly narrowing as he slowly pried it open, pushing the doors aside to reveal a bag…with bloody pizza boy clothes in it.

“GAH! Wh-what in…g-gotta get this outta here!” He screamed out, quickly holding the bag at the source wall as it caught fire, launching it out of the nearby window as it dissolved away into ash, the changeling panting slightly as he wiped his brow, watching the little black dots dance on the wind as the ash floated away.

But then it hit him. He’d destroyed evidence. He’d just…

What if he really had killed those people?

What if he’d just…blacked out and couldn’t remember doing it?

He didn’t know anything anymore, he thought to himself as he headed over to the studio, trying to get back to work as everybody stood or sat around, speaking with each other about the recent murder as Carapace sat next to him on a bench, Shimmer’s head hung low.

“So, who do you think is next?”

“Everybody that gets close to him seems to end up dead.”

“He’s bad luck, I tell you.”

“Let’s take bets. How about a “Dead Pool”?”

“GUYS! Shame on you! Cut it out!”

“Don’t worry about them.” Carapace insisted, one hoof draped around Shimmer as Sirocco stood behind THEM, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as Shimmer rubbed his head with his hooves. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“Am I alive?” Shimmer mumbled out, Carapace and Sirocco looking down at him in surprise as the director’s voice announced they had to prepare for the next scene, people moving into places as Shimmer slowly twirled his head around and around. “Maybe I’m not really alive. Maybe I’m dead. This must be Tartarus…I’m being punished every day, relieving this every day, this same horror, not knowing what’s false and what’s real…”

“Shimmer, you’re up! You’re on for the next scene!” Director Maghreb called out, the “victim” lying down on the “bed” they’d made for the set as Shimmer slowly plodded towards the set and got into position for the cameras. “Now remember, breathe harder than you did in rehearsal. You DID just kill someone.” The zebra insisted to the dark blue-eyed changeling as the changeling began to deeply inhale, slightly rasping as his chest fell up and down, his forehead matted with sweat, a bloody screwdriver left in a slowly expanding pool of blood.

“And…ACTION!”

Stabbed-in eyes staring accusingly. Blood trickling down from empty sockets and a grinning, leering smirk on a dead face…Jones seemed to be laughing in death as he stared up at Shimmer, mouth opening slightly, blood coming out in a tiny trickle from the side of his mouth, having pooled up within…

…

…

…

… “Could you tell me your name?” Jillian asked as Shimmer nonchalantly looked from his own reflection in the mirror to the nice lady that was trying to ask him questions. The changeling blinked a bit, scratching his head.

“I’m Shimmer.” The changeling said. “And you’re…?”

“Dr. Jillian. I’m a psychologist, Mr. Shimmer. But I don’t want to talk about me.” She said as she sat across from the changeling in the pale white room, a single light fixture above as she rested her hooves on the table, smiling warmly at the changeling. “Let’s talk about you. What do you do?”

“I’m a pop star…no, that’s not right.” Shimmer chuckled as he shook his head back and forth. “No, now I’m an actor.”

“My, my. An ACTOR. That must be quite hard.” The psychologist admitted as she scribbled down some notes on a notepad she’d brought which was attached to a snazzy metal clipboard as Shimmer sipped from a cup of mineral water she’d brought to him, nodding his head as he continued to speak, his voice almost otherworldly, as if he wasn’t really there at all, but speaking from some far-off plane of existence.

“Aw, yeah.” Shimmer sighed with a slightly dreamy smile. “But y’know, it’s what I decided to do. I’ve got to keep moving forward, right?” The changeling said as he waved a hoof in the air, evidently unaware he was being watched through a nearby two-way glass, the very thing he’d been looking at before to see his reflection.

“Incredible.” Anderson murmured as he and his other police partner watched in from the other end of the screen. “He thinks he’s some up-and-coming actor named Shimmer. What’s going on?”

“Dissociative Personality Disorder.” Jillian announced as she entered the room, closing the door behind her and sitting in a chair across from them, waving a pen in the air as she shook her head back and forth. “But you might know it better as “Multiple Personality Syndrome”. All of those crimes took place when he believed herself to be a different persona, a different personality.”

“So then…where’s the personality of the real Eiko Flecht?” Anderson’s partner inquired as Jillian sighed slightly, hanging her head as if ashamed to answer.

“I’m afraid that…Eiko Flecht is nothing more than a character in a daily for him. A person that belongs in a drama series. Being a “normal” changeling…being raped in that strip club…all of that happened as part of her drama series, it wasn’t “real”. By thinking along those lines, she kept her sanity and salvaged her own heart.” Jillian went on.

“Yes…” Shimmer murmured as he looked at his reflection, chuckling a bit as he put a hoof up to the reflection. “I’m an actor. I’m the real me…”

“All right, that’s the take!” Director Maghreb called out, everybody cheering and hollering with joy, clapping and bouncing up and down for joy. “Well done, everyone, well done!”

“I can’t believe how well you SOLD it, Shimmer!” Jillian laughed as she patted Shimmer on the head, helping him out of the room as Carapace approached and eagerly embraced his friend.

“I am SO proud of you, Shimmer!” Carapace agreed, Shimmer blinking a bit, mouth slightly agape.

“Carry…” He murmured, Director Maghreb clearing his throat as he waved a hoof in the air.

“As of today…Delirium is in the can! Thank you, everyone! Thank you!” The zebra proclaimed, all of the cast members throwing hats and cups in the air as they bounced up and down, whooping and hollering for joy as Shimmer looked around, blinking in surprise as he felt the warm waves of pure, unbridled ecstasy slam into him again and again as their clapping and cheering filled his ears.

The spotlight had found him anew…

…

…

…

… “You were FANTASTIC.” Sirocco said to Shimmer as he, Shimmer and Carapace talked with the director, Sirocco grinning over at the changeling before taking the director’s hoof in his hands and shaking it eagerly.

“He truly did a wonderful job. I hope to see you at the wrap party?” Maghreb wanted to know as Sirocco and Carapace nodded their heads, Shimmer rubbing the back of his own head as the director headed off down the hallway, heading home.

“Guess we should get going too.” Sirocco admitted as Shimmer nodded at last, Carapace patting him on the shoulder.

“Best go get your stuff from the dressing room.” The bulky changeling suggested as Shimmer headed off down the hall, Sirocco and Carapace heading outside as Sirocco smiled eagerly at Carry.

“I can’t believe it. It’s been a long ride but it was well worth it, wouldn’t you say so?” Sirocco asked as Carapace nodded his head, holding his hands behind his back.

“Ah, that reminds me.” Carapace wanted to know, the others already long gone from the parking lot they were in as he tilted his head slightly to the side. “You said that you’d been in contact with another director for a new role?”

“Oh, yes. He’ll be playing the lead in a movie this time, not just a series. There’s a few slutty scenes, but, well, whatcha gonna do?” Sirocco asked with a sigh and a shrug as Carapace chewed his lip.

“What INDEED.” He muttered. “Not like that wouldn’t tarnish Shimmer worse…”

Unfortunately for Shimmer, he had not been even able to get to his dressing room. Because he’d been quickly grabbed hold of as he passed by the doorway to the very set they’d done the rape scene in. The fake nightclub no longer had the sketchy lightning, and the curtains were pulled to the side of the stages, but poor Shimmer was trapped beneath the grey-furred pony that was pinning him down, the pony glaring furiously down at him as Shimmer screamed out for help. “HELP ME! SOMEBODY!”

“Shut it!” Hyacinth growled out, flashing the knife he had in one hoof and holding it in front of the Changeling’s face. “Nobody can hear you anyhow, the building’s empty! I took my time and hid, waiting for all of them to leave so I could take revenge for my precious Shimmer.”

“But I’M Shimmer.” Shimmer murmured, looking up, eyes wide with fear as his pupils turned to pinpricks, Hyacinth him over before shaking his head back and forth, sweat flopping around.

“No, no, NO! Stop confusing me!” He snarled out, green eyes gazing deep into Shimmer’s as a foul, unnatural glint filled them. “You’re not Shimmer! Every day he’s written to me! “Please help me, Mr. Hyacinth”! You’re just pretending!” He hissed, backhanding Shimmer across the face, making blood splatter across the set as Shimmer gasped a bit, Hyacinth holding the knife up to his throat, shutting him up before he could scream. “Is that how you fooled that photographer and screenwriter? Get all teary eyed? Say YOU’RE the real deal? What a dirty mouth you have, saying such lies…”

“Then…then you’re…?” Shimmer murmured as the pony waved the knife around in the air above, as if wagging a finger, chuckling a bit down at the trapped Changeling. Shimmer couldn’t believe how STRONG this stallion was. He had almost unnatural strength…it felt like he was being pinned to the ground by someone made of BRICKS.

“The real Shimmer’s been mailing me over the BBS, been in contact with me since I first made that site.” Hyacinth went on. “And he says you’re in his way!”

“YOU killed them?” Shimmer asked as Hyacinth twirled the knife around in one hoof, cheerily grinning down at his prey.

“I’ve been waiting to do this for so long.” Hyacinth laughed. “You like rape scenes, do you?” He asked. “Well how about another rehearsal? You don’t seem to mind, you’re such a slut, giving away your body-”

Shimmer called upon his changeling powers, desperate to try and throw him off as what was obviously a bejeweled vest popped onto his body and he gave Hyacinth the most innocent-looking puppy dog stare he could muster. Stunned, Hyacinth blinked stupidly in surprise, the knife lowering a bit as his mouth hung slightly open. “Wha-?”

THA-THWAM! He headbutted the pony, knocking him off the catwalk as he raced off, tripping over some paint buckets and sprawling across the stage before hauling himself back up. The exit. Where was the exit!? Everything was cloaked up in these dumb curtains and moved around, where was the REAL exit to the room? Don’t panic. You are not toast, he kept saying to himself, glancing around the back stage of the room. Everything is going to be fine…

“You are a most disobedient actor.” Hyacinth growled out as Shimmer whirled around, panting a bit as the pony glowered at him. “No ad-libbing, you need to follow my script! Take TWO!” He cried out, shooting forward, the knife digging into the section of wall Shimmer had been at an instant later, the changeling bolting away from him as fast as he could, only to get grabbed by his hair, yanked against the wall as Hyacinth slammed a hoof into the changeling’s stomach again and again, launching him through a fake wall which flopped to the floor, Shimmer sprawled across it as he gasped in pain.

Shimmer struggled to get to his feet, trying to stand, but his body was reeling in agony as he tried to turn his head to look around the room, Hyacinth taking off the belt he wore and stretching it. “I’m going to have to do something about those quick little hooves of yours. Can’t have you running off. Shimmer wouldn’t like that, oh no…” He murmured to himself as Shimmer looked down over the fake wall his body was draped over…seeing a pair of construction tools left behind by the crew…including a hammer. It was his only chance.

Hyacinth tied up his lower hooves with his belt, grinning a bit as he lifted Hyacinth’s lower body up, licking his lips. “I call this poetic justice. It isn’t like you respected your body enough anyhow. Now you’ll understand how it feels to have everything you hold dear taken away from you-”

Shimmer’s hoof clenched the hammer as sweat dribbled down Hyacinth’s brow, Shimmer heaving slightly as he finally yanked himself up, swinging the hammer with a smooth, fluid blow. With a THRUNK it struck the side of Hyacinth’s head, and for a moment the two stared at each other, Hyacinth’s eyes wide, not as if he’d just been bashed in the head, but as if somebody had just knocked over his toys and he couldn’t believe this was happening…and then he collapsed backwards onto the set, flopping to the floor as Shimmer let out a series of pained gasps, holding his chest before reaching down to undo the belt around his leg, pulling out something that was sticking up from a pouch in Hyacinth’s belt, some kind of small journal. He looked through it, his breath ragged as he bit into his lip.

All detailing a terrible plan to murder him…and…and was this a piece of his own HAIR? Along with ticket stubs from old concerts HE’D performed at…

Too much. “This is, I-I just gotta get…Carapace, gotta find him, I-I gotta…Carry…” Shimmer hissed out, struggling to get to his feet as he staggered out of the room, then collapsed on the ground outside, flopping to a heap with a loud TWHUMP.

…

…

…

… “…mmer! Shimmer! SHIMMER!”

Shimmer let out a loud moan as he rubbed his head, gasping and cringing as he struggled to get to his feet, Carapace helping him up as the changeling gently held his friend. “What’s going on? You were gone for ten whole minutes!”

“I…I was…that pony, the grey-furred pony, he called himself Hyacinth…” Shimmer mumbled out, wiping spit from his mouth as the Keojbil-type Changeling assisted the “Ghainahm” family upright, Shimmer pushing the door to the set open, looking around the set, blinking in surprise as he glanced left and right. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t freakin’ BE! The body was gone. Nobody was there.

“What pony?”

“His…it was right here. I hit him in the head with a hammer, I…I don’t understand.” Shimmer whimpered piteously as his body began to shake. “What’s going on?!”

“Shimmer, are you sure it wasn’t a dream of some kind?” Carapace asked, Shimmer clinging tightly to his friend as he shook his head back and forth.

“I…ugh…my head. I…”

“Come on. It’ll be alright. We’re going back to Shimmer’s room, we’ll sort this out, okay?” Carapace insisted, patting Shimmer on the head as he led his friend out of the room, the two heading for the train station as Shimmer glanced up at the night sky, a familiar white line visible for a few brief seconds before the stitch seemed to slowly fade…

What was…

So…

Very…

Sleepy…

Shimmer awoke with a start, blinking in surprise as he took deep breaths, feeling all over his body and sighing. “Okay. I’m alright, I’m alright.” He murmured softly, turning his head to see Carapace was in the adjoining room, the kitchenette where he USUALLY ate, the sliding door shut just like the balcony window was. Unlike the balcony though, the sliding door to the kitchenette showed little more than big blurs. It wouldn’t even show you your own reflection. He really should get it changed…

Ah well. Sirocco. He should let the gryphon know he was alright. He took hold of some paper that was over by his bedstand on top of a metallic frame, writing down on one of the scrolls that belonged to the “Dragon Delivery System” set up he had in his room. He scribbled down a note before setting it down on the fiery-looking “Send” section inside of the DDS, calmly putting his hooves in his lap as he sat on his bed.

Unfortunately, Sirocco couldn’t hear him. He was slumped against the wall, his wings ripped and shredded, a single eye stabbed out, the other staring sightlessly as his lifeblood pooled around him in a faint halo, his form silent, head bowed slightly in death. He sat next to the dead corpse of Hyacinth, the pony’s eye also missing one eye, stab marks from a screwdriver all over his frame, especially in the neck, looking tiny and pathetic in death, his mouth gaping slightly open as a fly settled down on his head.

Shimmer then stiffened as he realized something was located on top of his fish tank, a chill coming through him as he reached out and picked it up, looking through it…

The journal. Hyacinth’s journal.

It wasn’t a dream. He stiffened on the spot, putting it down before noticing what was hanging on the wall across from him…a giant “New Wave” poster with him on the cover. In fact, the whole ROOM was filled with “New Wave” material. He gasped slightly, glancing around in confusion. “What’s going on?! This isn’t supposed to be in my room!” He exclaimed.

“Of course not! But it DOES belong in Shimmer’s room.” An eerily familiar voice called back, Shimmer turning to see the Virtual Shimmer standing before him…

Even though he knew it was actually Carapace, wearing a bejeweled set of horseshoes with a vest to match, and an ornate necklace and scarf hanging from his neck along with finely-stitched shorts. He pointed at himself and at the silken scarf, grinning a bit. “Look! What do you think? I’m wearing this costume for the next show. Looks great on me, doesn’t it?”

“Carry, what…what’s going ON?” Shimmer murmured out in fear as he took a nervous step back, Carapace looking confused as he scratched his head.

“Why is Carry…Carry…OH! Oh, don’t worry. “Virtual Shimmer” remarked cheerily, waving a dismissive hoof in the air, his almost slightly confused expression becoming calm and placid. “Carapace was feeling really tired. So he went home!”

“Stop talking like that!” Shimmer yelled back, shaking his head back and forth, his tone ragged and pained. “Carapace, please, tell me this is a joke!”

“ Do you wanna know what it means to really be in love?
Light the candle, hold it high, underneath this starry sky,
Eternal bonds are crafted in a moment’s notice,
As you take off for the far-off shine in the corner of your eye!” The Virtual Shimmer sang out, Carapace waving a hoof back and forth in the air, giggling a bit. “Whaddya think? Perfect pitch, huh? A pop star’s gotta bring his A-game whenever he can. But you know…” He shook his head back and forth. “It’s just so hard for me to do what I want when you keep ruining my good name. Carapace was totally furious too!”

“You don’t mean that.” Shimmer murmured, mouth hanging open as he began to inch back. “You can’t.”

“Luckily a pop star’s always protected by their best fans. They always do whatever we want. Although Hyacinth didn’t do so well in the end and I had to take care of things myself.” Virtual Shimmer sighed a bit.

“How do you KNOW him?” Shimmer wanted to know, a confused expression flickering across his face.

“I approached him to set UP that BBS. I noticed he’d been watching me for so long, he seemed like a great choice to do the site. Ah well.” The Virtual Shimmer shrugged. “He couldn’t handle you, you faker, and couldn’t be bothered to deal with Mr. Sirocco either..”

“No. No, not Sirocco…” Shimmer sobbed, tears welling in his eyes. “Carry, how could you?”

“But you’re going to reap what you sow at MY hands since he couldn’t be bothered to do it right.” The Virtual Shimmer admitted with a dark grin spreading across his bright and vibrant face as he pulled out a screwdriver, sweeping his hoof through the air as Shimmer ducked with a cry, the screwdriver tearing through the fish tank, the Virtual Shimmer launching himself at Shimmer again as he struggled to keep Carapace from stabbing him, trying to keep the hoof holding the screwdriver from descending downward, one hoof holding his friend’s arm up, the other pressing hard against his throat, the “Keobjil” changing gasping a bit as he was choked…

But the screwdriver DID come down. Luckily it was only in Shimmer’s shoulder, but he screeched in pain, his leg sweeping up and knocking the insane Carapace off as Shimmer bolted for the balcony, ripping the door open and climbing on top of the guard rail as Carapace rose back up, giddily twirling the screwdriver in one hoof as he launched himself at Shimmer, who launched HIMSELF off the roof, his tiny, near-useless green wings fluttering a bit to help him hover. With a THWAM, he slammed hard into the roof of the building across from his apartment, rolling down it and onto a scaffolding as the Virtual Shimmer floated calmly across towards him, Shimmer climbing atop the scaffolding, clutching at his wounded shoulder as what seemed to be daggers of ice dug into his body, spreading from the wound.

“Somebody! Help me! PLEAAAASE!” He screamed out, looking up into the sky as the tear in the stars seemed to stretch out wider. By now what few people were awake at this time of nightwere looking up, taking notice of THAT in their homes or on the streets and he could hear excited chatter and cries of terror and alarm as harsh wind began to whip up all around him. Heaving and panting, Shimmer raced along the scaffold, the Virtual Shimmer bounding after him.

The Virtual Shimmer/Carapace grabbed hold of Shimmer’s shoulder, Shimmer backhanding him, knocking the screwdriver out of Carapace’s grip as he bolted away, Carapace looking to the side and taking notice of another set of tools that was located to the side of the scaffolding, taking out another screwdriver from it and barreling at Shimmer as they continued to race down the scaffolding, Shimmer leaping over it and onto another roof as the Virtual Shimmer chased after him.

Shimmer was not doing well. The icy feeling in his shoulder had spread down his arm and he was barely able to walk straight, staggering around as Carapace grabbed hold of him, jabbing the screwdriver into his back, Shimmer screeching like a cloud of wasps as he whirled around, backhanding Carapace again, knocking him towards the edge of the roof and leaping at him, trying to pin him down. “Carry, STOP this, PLEASE!” He sobbed out. “You gotta wake up!”

“You’re the one who needs to wake up.” The Virtual Shimmer responded calmly, kicking him as the two went over the side and into a dumpster, Shimmer crawling out first and flopping to the ground, panting and heaving as he crawled out of the alley he’d landed in and racing down the sidewalk, trying to make his way past the occasional staring bystander as they looked up at the stitch that was quickly spreading across the sky, Carapace chasing after him.

“Help…some-somebody…help…” Shimmer murmured. Why was nobody paying attention? It was like they were all hypnotized by-

The police station, it was only a block away. If he could just get inside there, everything would be alright, he could-

Another jagged, hot blow searing into his body. Shimmer screamed in pain as he was thrown against the wall of a nearby alley, and he batted at Carapace, knocking him slightly back as he felt his blood dribbling down from his side to trickle down to the sidewalk below, staggering forward…

Turning…and seeing he was now right in front of the electronics store, a half dozen television screens displaying what cameras in the front window were now catching. And what the cameras in the window were catching…was him. He held his hoof up to the window, blinking slowly, staring back at himself.

HIMSELF…

And the person standing in the street behind him. Not a Virtual Shimmer. But Carapace in an outfit far too small for his bulky body. Not him. Not Shimmer.

He turned around, Carapace cheerily grinning as he launched himself at Shimmer, swinging as the changeling ducked to avoid the strike, the glassy window of the electronics shattering as Shimmer reeled back, only to be forcibly slammed up against the door nearby, Carapace holding the screwdriver up, grinning coldly. “Now let’s end this. We don’t need TWO Shimmer’s!” The “Virtual Shimmer” said.

“I! AM! SHIMMER!”

“That’s funny.” The Virtual Shimmer’s vibrant and bright face snorted, shaking his head back and forth. “Shimmer is a pop star! You’re just a filthy, tarnished imposter!”

“YOU’RE the fake!” Shimmer yelled back, his eyes ablaze, his voice faintly ethereal as a roar filled his words. “AND I’M NOT TAKING THIS ANYMORE!”

His fanged maw shot forward, grabbing hold of the jeweled vest, ripping it clean off and tossing it through the air and past the chunky pieces of electronics store window as Carapace stood there, stupidly smiling back at him before letting out a horrified scream, grabbing hold of his chest and hollering as if in mortal agony. He turned around, reaching for the ripped-off vest, diving for it and going through the window, Shimmer gaping in surprise, chunks of the window stabbing into Carapace as he climbed out. Bits and pieces of the electronics store window had jutted into his hooves and his stomach and side as he staggered around, clutching the vest to his chest as his blood flowed freely out onto the ground below, Shimmer gasping softly in surprise, the Virtual Shimmer slowly turning around, looking back at him, holding the vest in his hooves and giving him a soft, Mona Lisa smile…before finally passing out in the streets, Shimmer gasping as he clutched at himself, shaking his head back and forth as he stared out at what lay before him as more and more of the sky began to tear open…

And with that…

He ran. And RAN. Shimmer the Changeling tore out of the city, breath ragged and pained, bolting like lightning through the streets, not intent on staying a single other second, tears flowing freely from his eyes as he left that old life and all that he had once been behind, New Hope becoming a slowly fading dot in the distance that was slowly rising up into the sky…never to be seen again.

And with that…the story of Shimmer the Pop Star truly DID end.

Comments

[G-AB Acid]

No offense, but just by looking at the description, I can safely say that this has nothing to do with Delirium.

[ngrey651]

2686173

The comic book character? Or perhaps the novel? Or maybe that OTHER novel? No, this more about the condition, just as I said in the description this is "a tale that looks deep into themes of prejudice, identity, insanity and the realities that actors wrap themselves in." I mean, no offense, but what did you think the story was going to be about if not some kind of madness or lunacy? That's what it means when somebody is "delirious".

[G-AB Acid]

2686612

I mean, no offense, but what did you think the story was going to be about if not some kind of madness or lunacy? That's what it means when somebody is "delirious".

Never, ever repeat this blasphemy again. There is a huge difference between being delirious and Delirium.

I really mean no offense, but almost every author who was tried to write some kind of mental pathology before has failed. I've read all of this story so far and I can say that... yeah... no.

Also: Define insanity.

[ngrey651]

2686643

Ah-hem.

"Delirium: A temporary state of mental confusion and fluctuating consciousness resulting from high fever, intoxication, shock, or other causes. It is characterized by anxiety, disorientation, hallucinations, delusions, and incoherent speech."

Anxiety? Check. Disorientation? Check. Hallucinations and Delusions? Oh DEFINITELY check. So yeah. That's what Delirium is and what the character goes through, and from a combination of factors.

[G-AB Acid]

2686732
Actually, according to the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry... neh.

[ngrey651]

2686833

Well that's all well and good, but I'm from New England. So...also, according to Wikipedia, Delirium itself is not a traditional disease, but rather a clinical syndrome (a set of symptoms), delusion and hallucinations included. In addition, "Delusions" are typically poorly-formed and less stereotyped than in schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease. They usually relate to persecutory themes of impending danger or threat in the immediate environment. Like, say, a psychotic fan that's stalking you and trying to kill you! :D

[G-AB Acid]

2686878
Wikipedia.

[ngrey651]

2689939

My point is, the title is suitable for the scenario. And I enjoyed writing this new viewpoint on the Changeling race. Especially the idea of different changeling families.

[G-AB Acid]

2690872
That is nice and all. But Wikipedia.

[ngrey651]

2691573

So? That information comes from referenced and respectable sources. In fact the bit about hallucinations is backed by the The American Psychiatric Textbook of Psychiatry.

[G-AB Acid]

2693484

That information comes from referenced and respectable sources.