Nº 7: RECORD
Pillars of dark brown and orange jutted from the jagged, hilly landscape as if they wished to be trees. The place seemed to mimic a forest in the loosest sense possible. The floor of this place bore no grass, and these pillars, sharp at their tall tips, held no leaves. The sky above was an unsettling, deep black and purple, pure white dots meant to be stars flickering in and out like static. Deafening silence and Luna's own thoughts were the only things to grace her ears.
She turned around, seeing her breach into this dreamscape still held strong, the unfettered and peaceful neutral plane of the dream realm still resigning beyond the circular hole. Turning back around, she continued forward into this place, the terrain smooth yet hard against her steel hoofguards. She couldn't help but turn her gaze up at the mimic night's sky, her stars present but moon absent. What she found most peculiar about this manufactured place was its attempt at reality. Previously, what had been projected was a place which only seemed to obey the laws of gravity.
She pondered if the mind or the beast within had given life to this place. Nevertheless, she ventured forward through the sharp, soaring pillars, their height uniform, yet placement and color random. She approached an orange one and raised her hoof to touch its smooth side, but found that her hoof collided a short distance before it should have. Curiously, she slid her hoof along this invisible surface, finding that not only the distance at which her hoof hit the pillar was wrong, but too was the shape it held. Moving further along the sharp angles of the trunk, she eventually came to a place where the visible conflicted with the physical, and quite curiously, the tip of her hoof passed cleanly through the orange shape, continuing on for a little bit until the touchable surface jutted outward and away from the visible surface as if it was correcting its error.
She took a moment to look back at her breach, only a corner of it visible through the many dark orange and brown shapes that now stood between her and the entrance. Looking back to the nonsensical spire, she gave it a solid tap with her hoof to hear it let off a solid thud before she ventured onward. She paused her advance, turning her eyes skyward as the flicker of the stars above gained speed, their slow pulse morphing into a sporadic strobe. She looked onward curiously, not quite knowing what to make of the lights.
Her attention was turned back to the ground as a distant, pulsing thump began to echo through the landscape like an approaching wave, each thump gaining volume, and with it each strobe of the stars gained brightness. She took several steps back, looking at her surroundings in worry as she began her retreat for the breach. With each step the anomalies of the place worsened, the lights above blinding and the pulsing, omnidirectional roar cutting the air.
What was beginning to frighten Luna was the fact this didn't appear to be brought on by the parasite latched to Sky Stock's mind. Even more worrying was the thought she had been the cause of this. That terrible noise was unlike the thunderous growl let off by the red and black fields of color. She paused just short of the breach as the sky went pure white and the once solid lines of the landscape blurred as if being occluded by mist. Her ears folded flat, teeth gritting in pain as the pulsing noise suddenly and instantly became an ear-shattering ring. Through that blaring ring came a screaming voice that, over and over, repeated the panicked words; “Again, again, again, again.”
Swiftly, she climbed through the breach, ceasing her spells and allowing it to seal. The piercing ring was replaced by the horrific screeches put out by the spastic field of blood and ink that the beast put in her way, her spells quickly re-igniting to cover the frame of Sky Stock's mind and seal away its noise. She shook her head, huffing a breath through her nostrils as she tried to regain her bearings and figure out exactly what was going on. Epiphany struck; something beyond the dream realm could have caused this collapse. Her magic burst to life as she re-bridged the gap between her own mind and the physical plane.
Luna blinked rapidly, dizzily stepping back as she reassumed control over her body, her hearing and sight quickly returning in full clarity as she found she was still in Sky Stock's dark cell. Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze fell upon the convulsing mare, Sky's front legs curled tightly to her chest and her hind legs sporadically kicking at the air. For a split second, she stood frozen, gaze fixed upon Sky's tightly shut eyes and the slightly foaming saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth through clenched teeth. True panic and confusion gripping her thoughts as her magic encompassed Sky Stock's body and tried to still her pained movements, but it was to no avail. She shut her eyes, silencing her panicked thoughts and trying to force Sky Stock into a state of unconsciousness, but nothing came of her attempts. Whatever, or possibly whoever, was causing this fit had entirely locked her body and mind.
She came close, putting a comforting hoof upon Sky's disheveled chest and continuing to work hopeless spells, the harsh convulsions only seeming to strike harder as broken groans of pain slipped through her clenched teeth. In a split second decision, she flipped around and threw open the heavy cell door, the thing hitting the wall with a slam as she hurried into the hallway. She threw her gaze side to side, and ever so fortunately two nurses happened to be in this very hall, their frightened eyes now locked with Luna's.
“You!” she barked, making the silver-coated mare to the left flinch, “give us aid, immediately!”
She quickly went back into the cell, the hurried hoof falls of the two nurses filling the still fairly quiet cell and hall for just a moment before they stormed in behind her. Luna had returned to Sky Stock's side, her spell still holding her convulsing body in place as the two nurses, one whom she recognized as Hearthwarmth, looked on in both confusion and horror.
“Help her!”
The unknown, silver-coated mare marched forward and shoved Luna aside, the horn spiraling up through her blonde mane coming to life with a bright orange aura as a flash of magic brought forth a syringe with a nozzle in place of a needle.
“Hold her head still!” commanded the nurse as she stuck the syringe into the corner of Sky Stock's mouth.
Luna complied, keeping the mare rigid as the nurse quickly squirted the tube of medicine into her mouth. The nurse's own magic worked to hold her lips shut and massage her throat, forcing Sky Stock to swallow the mix of foamy saliva and medicine in her mouth. Luna stepped forward again, placing her hoof upon Sky's chest and watching as the violent tremors and convulsions wracking her body continued for a moment until this strange medicine began to take effect. Sporadic and violent movements became more controlled and calm, her hind legs now hardly trying to kick against the spells holding them in place and her seized forelegs began to relax.
With each passing second her body relaxed further and further into a normal resting state, her eyes beginning to flutter open and her hooves trying to gain their bearings. Luna ceased her spells and removed her hoof, allowing Sky to painfully writhe atop her quilt and come back to reality. Soon enough, her limb's movements calmed down and left her lying sideways facing away from the trio, her chest heaving as quick, harsh breaths escaped her parted lips, an occasional groan of pain accompanying them.
Luna turned to the nurses. “Leave us.”
“Wha- leave?!” exclaimed the mare, glaring up at the Princess, “we need to stay and make sure another seizure-“
Luna craned her head down, coming eye to eye with her, her piercing slit pupils stabbing back.
“Wait beyond the door. Leave.”
The nurse scrambled back, complying and making her way for the door with Nurse Hearthwarmth following her out. Luna stood up straight as she turned back to Sky Stock, who was looking back with what Luna saw as fear.
“Sky Stock, can you speak?”
“I-It ha-happened again…” she mumbled.
“Exactly what has happened?” Luna drew closer, causing Sky to recoil back in fright with her disheveled wings spread as if ready to launch her into flight, “do tell, young Sky Stock; what ails thee?”
“The… the dreams… f-from the dreams, t-the dream Princess…”
“Aye, the dream Princess,” Luna nodded as she raised her hoof, placing it upon Sky's shaking hind leg as she cowered against the concrete wall behind her little bed, “so we are.”
“Y-You, f-from the dreams… f-from the dreams, t-the dreams hurt, b-b-because of you…”
“We did not cause this, Sky Stock, we are quite sure of that.”
Silence came from the mare, her foreleg twitching as she glared into Luna's eyes. Slowly, her expression shifted to an angry scowl as the shiver of her limb worsened.
“Sky Stock, what ails thee? What-“
Luna flinched as that shivering hoof was thrown her direction, a last second spell catching it before it could collide with her temple. A deathly silence took the cell as Luna glared down at Sky Stock, the aura that had caught the hoof now moving to encompass her entire body, locking her in place.
“A voice speaks to thee, aye?” pressured Luna as she leaned in, her gently radiant eyes stabbing into the horrified gaze strewn across Sky's face.
“Y-You… hurt… you hurt, you h-hurt!”
“We hath brought no harm to thee,” Luna returned firmly.
Sky began thrashing at the aura holding her, hardly any movement coming from her struggles as she became more and more panicked.
“L-Let go! T-The dream… dr-dreams hurt!” she screamed, “y-y-you, d-dream Princess, h-hurt! L-Let go! Let go! Let go!"
A quick spell knocked Sky unconscious. Silence again took the cell as Luna's aura laid her limp body down atop her quilted sheets. Luna drew in a breath as she looked at the mare, memories of nights prior returning as, for a split second, she saw Cirrus in her place. She blinked, remaining still for a time before lighting her horn and pulling Sky's colorful quilt out from underneath her to tuck her into bed. She disliked forcing ponies into sleep, but in both this moment and several nights ago in Cirrus' little apartment she had deemed it necessary.
“These thing within thee, Sky Stock…” whispered Luna as she came close, looking down at the soundly asleep mare beneath her quilt, “we do promise we shall free thee from its clutches. Thou shalt undoubtedly see us as an evil, but that shall not stop us.”
Luna took another deep breath as she turned for the cell door, her magic coming alive as the heavy locks within were undone and the heavy thing was opened. She came into the hall, paying no heed to the two nurses looking up at her as she resealed the cell door behind herself.
“What was she screaming about, your Highness?” inquired Nurse Hearthwarmth.
“In her eyes, we art the cause of her episode. Is this true?” returned Luna, her gently waving mane and luminescent blue eyes radiant against her silhouette in the dark hall.
“No, your Highness,” began the silver-coated mare nurse, “she had another seizure, which is why it was imperative that we stayed there, because she sometimes has a second! Why is she silent all of a sudden, as well? How are we supposed to know she's not having another seizure right now?”
Luna narrowed her eyes at the mare, craning her head to be eye level with her as she read both her embroidered name and her expression.
“Nurse Honeydew, if thou art so concerned, then thou shall enter, if thou so wish.”
To Honeydew's surprise, Luna stepped aside to grant her entrance. Still a bit shook by everything happening, she came to the door and brought forth a set of keys from her right breast pocket, the orange aura of magic surrounding them hurriedly sorting through the jingling bits of steel to procure the right one. With the key found she undid the lock, took the door with a spell and swung it open to find Sky Stock soundly asleep. She darted a look between the sleeping pegasus and Luna before entering and going to the bedside.
Nurse Hearthwarmth peeked in from behind Luna. “She's… asleep?” he whispered.
“How… she… how is she sleeping? After seizures, she's up for hours…” replied Honeydew in a similarly hushed voice.
They both looked to Luna, who only offered her gaze to the sleeping Sky Stock. “Her slumber is our doing.”
“Wha- what did you do to her?” Honeydew shot back with an accusatory tone.
“A simple spell, nothing more.”
Nurse Honeydew did a double take between Luna and Sky before electing to exit the cell, her orange magic lighting up to gently shut the steel door after herself.
“I-I still don't understand, your Highness… why are you here?”
Luna again lowered her head to be eye level with the nurse.
“So here we stand before thee. Heard no greetings, only interrogations. Questioning of our motives and reasons, for to thee, we art unknown, and to thee, thy patients are of greater concern than thy Princess.”
Honeydew stammered, feeling Luna's gaze as if it were an Ursa minor sitting upon her chest. Unexpectedly, however, the scowl on her face turned to a small smile.
“We appreciate this.”
“I-I'm sorry, your Highness?”
“Giveth no heed to formalities and customs, for thou art engrossed with the tasks at thy hoof. Worry not if thy words shall be heard as disrespectful, for the care of those beneath thee is paramount. Thou art a fine nurse, Honeydew.”
Bewildered but grateful, Honeydew quickly bowed to her Princess. “Thank you, your Highness.”
Luna nodded to her as she rose. “We thank thee, Nurse Honeydew,” she began walking away from the two nurses prompting them to give chase, “thou shalt make a finer nurse if thou canst answer an inquiry.”
“Of course, your Highness.”
“This place maintains records of those within, aye?”
Honeydew blinked. “Patient records?”
Luna silently nodded.
“We do maintain such records, yes.”
“Where shalt we find them?”
There was silent hesitation from Honeydew as the trio made their way down the hall towards a pair of locked doors.
“Patient records are… confidential, your Highness. Only doctors are allowed to view them unless express permission is given,” she finally piped up as they reached the set of doors.
Luna hummed as she looked to the keypad on the wall, her horn igniting as she quickly punched in the 9-digit code to grant them entrance. A tone played from the box, and the mechanical locks within the doors let out a solid clunk as they were undone and the doors were swung open.
“Somewhere on below floors, be they? Lower levels contain administration, aye?” Luna probed as she stepped through the wide doorway into the center's main staircase and began her descent with the two nurses tailing behind.
“I-I… I don't think I'm in a position to tell you, your Highness.”
Luna paused on a landing in the dim stairwell, looking down at the nurse. “Thou art within perfect position; so stands thee within earshot, and the inquiry has been clearly stated.”
“I mean… I could lose my job, your Highness!”
Luna's ear flicked. “Pray tell.”
“Because I'd be showing confidential items without a doctor's permission!”
“Never once did we mention being shown, we simply inquired their location.”
“B-But… you'd be viewing them… right?”
“What thy Princess shall do is of null concern to thee.”
Nurse Honeydew took a nervous glance between Hearthwarmth and Luna.
“Hey,” he shrugged, “ I didn't hear anything.”
Honeydew sighed. “First floor, room 54R.”
Luna smiled down at her as she continued her descent. “Thou art a good nurse.”
Sister’s sun had just begun to peek over the horizon as Luna stepped into her study, the landscape beyond the long row of windows lining the far wall of the room still a silhouette against the vermillion and violet sky. She tiredly walked the length of the long table that spanned the study, her Night Guard escorting at her flanks with the same alertness they always possessed, the long hours of duty seeming to have no effect upon them. Two folders of documents which had been tucked beneath her left wing were brought forth by a spell as the head of the table was reached and placed upon the dark brown writing mat before her seat.
Pulling the wheeled chair away from her place at the table, she took her seat, letting out a little tired groan as she settled into the comfortable chair. Her blue wings unfurled a bit, giving her feathers some respite as she stretched her back and legs. After a lengthy round of adjustments, Luna looked over her shoulder to see her Night Guard had taken their places at the flanks of her chair. A little smile of gratitude took her expression as she looked them over.
“The night has been long, friends,” she spoke in their ancient tongue, “do retire.”
The two clapped their polished steel hoofguards against the floor in salute, “Many thanks, your Majesty,” they returned, making their way for the study’s door.
She watched after them for a moment as they made their departure, her eyes now turned down to the manila envelopes upon her desk. A blue aura flipped open the topmost folder and lifted the first paper from the stack, holding it up for her eyes. The record began with typical basic information; Sky Stock's name, the patient number she had been assigned, her previous place of residence, her relatives; Sing Song and White Dust, and a few final bureaucratic segments worried with various unknown and meaningless numbers. Below this information was where the document became far more intriguing.
It listed her as a ‘Class A' patient. Luna looked at this with curiosity; such a phrase held no meaning. Certainly, something to inquire about during her next visit. The paper went on to list her diagnosed disorders; epilepsy, psychosis, possible panic disorder, schizophrenia, possible schizoaffective disorder, possible bipolar disorder, and depression. For a time, her eyes remained only with this segment as she repeatedly scanned over each of these words. The many medical books she had delved into had never made mention of anything she read here on this record. The only recognizable word upon the parchment was ‘depression', but when juxtaposed with such terms as ‘schizophrenia’, it seemed to be the lesser of the evils. She moved on reading, making a note to research these unknowns.
The paper went on to talk about the details behind caring for Sky; what medicines at what times, which medicines should be snuck into the food she ate or the water she drank, when she could be allowed to leave her cramped, isolated cell, and that - upon departure - minimal contact with other ponies should be made due to her violent tendencies. Luna’s mind ran back to when she had attempted to strike her. She knew not if it had been out of her own malice or a command from the thing in her mind. To her, it seemed to have been out of fear; an attempt to scare off what she saw as a creature seeking to harm her. Cirrus’ attack on the night of their meeting had been forced by the parasite within her thoughts; had Sky’s been done in a similar vein? Thus far, she had no way of knowing.
Flipping through the pages, she backpedaled in time to the early days of Sky Stock’s admission to the institution. These old accounts described a being which still held a shred of sanity. She hadn’t been locked away in isolation, she wasn’t violent, she didn’t require a paragraph of medication, and she had only been diagnosed with one condition rather than many; psychosis. She flipped forward, reading of the downfall of a mind, the degradation of a pony, and the failure of an institution. Years passed in seconds, a long period of a life being summed up with as few words as possible, only speaking of their subject as if she was a mere creature to be observed and looked over rather than truly cared for.
Luna lowered the papers to her desk, staring blankly at the words for a moment before taking her gaze to the windows lining the long, western wall of the study. She drew in a long breath through her nostrils, closing her eyes and straightening her posture. Despite the sun’s rising, she didn’t feel as tired as she had upon first returning to her home.
Her ears perked, the sound of distant, distinct clop of a metal shoe on polished marble finding its way through the sealed door of her study. She listened in, the hoof-falls becoming totally silent as their creator reached the long, ornate carpet which spanned the length of the hall beyond. In her mind, she counted down from six, and right at the count of one, her sister knocked on the door.
“Do enter.”
The latch clicked, and the tall, midnight blue slab gave way to Celestia. Her ever-radiant smile wasn’t present, and her eyes were heavy; her venture out of bed couldn’t have been more than mere minutes ago. She shared a quick glance with Luna as she stepped towards her end of the long table, her mouth opening ever-so-slightly as she drew in a breath, preparing to speak, but never doing so. She pulled out the chair at that end, took a seat, and put her crossed hooves upon the polished lacquer of the mahogany.
“You’ve never mentioned anything about an investigation into Canterlot Regional Medical.”
Luna blinked. “Who informed thee?”
“Who informed me? No pony specifically. These things have to come by me, you know? Even if a third party had directly told me, why should that matter? Why hide this? I’m genuinely lost here.”
Her ear flicked. “A failure in communication. Secrecy was not our… my priority," she explained vaguely, now making sure to be mindful of how she conducted her language.
“But, why was this investigation opened?”
“To learn more of the psychiatric welfare center.”
There was a short pause from Celestia. “Books wouldn’t suffice?”
“When page upon page of literature only produces an address, nay.”
Celestia chuckled heartily. “Luna, if you wanted to learn more about this place, you should have said something! Launching an officially sanctioned investigation is hardly the way to go about doing so.”
Luna’s gaze turned down to the pair of folders atop her writing mat, her left hoof rising to flip open the one which she had not viewed yet. “You misunderstand, sister,” she returned, her voice low.
There was silence from Celestia as Luna read through the papers before her.
“What threads I seek shall not be found in the knowledge of this castle. I care not for history, I care for details, for t’is the details which strike down the beast.”
Celestia held her tongue, awaiting elaboration. She watched as Luna closed the file and crossing her hooves on the tabletop.
“Worry not; my dear adjutant Frolicsome Meadowlark shall hear of what is found and shall report these findings to me. Involvement of mine is minimal, and thus, Royal duties shall not be affected.”
“Luna, why is this investigation happening?” Celestia returned flatly.
“Perchance, have you been within the walls of this facility?”
“I cut the ribbon during the opening ceremony.” Luna remained totally silent and unmoving. For the first time in a long time, Celestia felt a bit pressured by another’s gaze. “No, I haven’t.”
Luna stood from her seat. “Do so, and you shall well understand why.”
She made her way towards the door, both she and Celestia staying silent. Stopping in the doorway, Luna turned to face her sister. “The night has been long, and sleep beckons us. Good day to you, sister.”
Celestia put on a small smile. “Sleep well, Luna. Love you.”
Luna stepped to her sister, gently nuzzling her head into the crook of Celestia’s neck, causing her to raise a hoof and return the embrace.
“I, too, love you, sister.”
The two separated, Luna standing and staring into Celestia’s fuschia eyes for a quick moment before turning and making her departure. A long period of silent stillness passed before Celestia finally got to her hooves and began her departure, but there in the doorway she halted and curiously scanned both directions of the long, dawn-lit hall to find them to be totally empty save for the periodic guard at their posts
She stood for a time, staring down the empty right hall she knew led toward both Luna’s and her own bedchambers. Curiosity shifted from the hall’s vacancy to the two folders before Luna’s place at the head of the long table. She re-entered the study, making her way down the long table to the far end of the table, her magic encompassing the first of the two folders and opening it to allow examination. A patient record from the Psychiatric Welfare Center of Canterlot Regional Medical concerning a mare by the name Cirrus Wisp.
She only read into the document’s contents for a short while before closing the file’s manila cover and placing it back with its comrade. Again, she took a glance over the study and it’s repurposed meeting room table and deep blue décor before making her way for the door, ensuring it closed as she exited.
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I am sincerely loving this story so far. I dearly hope Luna will find a way to heal or at least help everypony imprisoned.
9042515
Well, thank you so much for reading! I've never seen you comment before; are you a new reader, or just been silent thus far?
9042526
Just silent thus far.
"Ah dear sister let us introduce the crack into which so many of our subjects hath fallen. Tis truly an oubliette, forasmuch care it holds he ponies there soon find them selves adrift in darkness"
any story about a mental health facility needs to use the word oubliette at least once the "little place of forgetting" is just to on the nose not to use.
as a side bar the largest mental health facility in the us on any given day is cook county jail, Rikers Island, Los Angeles County jail or Harris County Jail
9043010
Is that line from a story or did you cook it up on the fly? Either way, this is a word I didn't know existed and is a word I shall eventually employ.
9043122
off the cuff take it if you want it
9043434
That's the one
Super intriguing, each chapter leaves me wanting to know more about your world.
9069113
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying this tale thus far!
Alas! I am up to date and thoroughly intreagued!
9099569
That's awesome, because despite my previous blog I am actually working on chapter 8! Hopefully it'll be out in the next damn eon.
For some reason I thought the story was complete. Anyway, good stuff so far, I like this depiction of Luna and the implications of her presence in Equestria. I don't really know how to describe it but this story is well written. I guess there's more coming? So, yay for that.
9193981
There is indeed more on the way!