To Err is Equine

by RLYoshi

19: Safety of the Asylum

[Perspective: Arrell]

Hours passed since the battle, and now I was sitting in what remained of the same hospital I woke up in upon first arriving in town. That seemed to be so long ago, despite being just the day before.

Turns out more ponies died than I thought in the battle. At least half the Brigade died; quite a bit more than I assumed. The rest, while alive, still didn't escape without a few serious injuries – broken bones being only the tamest of them. Literally only four ponies in the Brigade got off with little more than unconsciousness.

And the ponies who lived in Smooth Grove didn't get off easy either. Thanks to my delay in arriving and drawing their attention away, the Brigade had already brutally murdered quite a few ponies. Some died from being stabbed. Some died from being trapped in a burning house. At least one pony died of poison – the same poison that nearly took False.

Speaking of False, she eventually healed. Risk and the pegasus mare took care of her, with help from a couple of the actual nurses. Fortunately, they didn't need me to help. I wouldn't have been able to do anything.

I myself had refused medical treatment, insisting that I would be fine. I had somehow escaped the battle without any broken limbs, and my worst injury was the deep gash in my leg from Bloodbath striking me with his axe.

Bloodbath.

As soon as the name popped into my mind, I felt like throwing up again. Stumbling up from the chair I sat in, I made my way to a (somehow intact) washroom and heaved into the toilet. That name would haunt me for months. Possibly years.

I heard a knocking on the door and groaned. "Whoever it is, can you wait?" I managed out before going back to releasing what little food I had left. The doorknob turned and the door opened. Since my head was still in a giant bowl, I couldn't see who it was.

"Are you alright?" a mildly familiar voice asked.

"...did you seriously just ask that?" I grumbled back in response. "Sorry for being rude, but I just fought off thirty guys, had my leg nearly chopped off, haven't slept in almost forty hours, and now I'm throwing up." I paused to catch my breath. "Though I will admit that there are definitely worse outcomes to this situation."

"Such as death?"

"Yeah." My stomach calmed, I forced myself to stand up. "If you want to keep talking with me, just give me a few minutes. I'll be out soon."

---

After leaving the bathroom with a much calmer (and emptier) stomach, I saw the pony who was talking to me. The pegasus mare.

Now that we were in a lighter area and everything wasn't a blur of activity, I got a good look at her...no, not in that way. She was a light yellow colour, with a light blue mane and tail. Her eyes were a deep blue and her cutie mark was a cartoonish heart, sporting a bandage. I briefly wondered if her talent was heart surgery.

Like practically everypony in town, the mare had injuries of her own. Most of them were just some cuts and bruises, meaning she may have gotten off the easiest out of everypony around. From what I heard, she was taken hostage by Bloodbath until Risk and False saved her. I knew nothing else about her, though.

"Ohai there," I greeted with a small nod. "I'm Arrell."

"Yes, I know who you are." She nodded back, her voice rather quiet. "I'm Asylum."

"That's a...nice name," I replied. Honestly, I wanted to say it was a weird name, but then again I was the guy going around calling himself Arrell. "So I heard you were...held captive?"

She looked saddened for a moment. "Yes...I don't really like talking about it, though..."

"Crap, sorry. Didn't mean to bring up memories..." I grasped for a new topic. "So...what do you do, Asylum?"

"I used to be a nurse over in Stalliongrad, but after seeing how things are going here..." She looked around the room. Aside from the two of us, the only present pony was Nimble, and he was fast asleep. Everypony else in town was either in one of the rooms healing, or helping fix up others. "I'm probably going to stay here in Smooth Grove until it's back up and on its hooves again. After that, though, I'm not sure. I don't have any family to go to, and the only thing that kept me in Stalliongrad was a lack of other places to go."

I thought over what she had just said. "Asylum."

"Hm?"

"Do you wanna come with me?" She looked at me in the eye as soon as I said that, no longer letting her gaze wander. "'Cause if you do, then I should warn you...you're gonna see all sorts of things. Ghosts from the past. Aliens from the future. The day the Earth died in a ball of flame. It won't be quiet, it won't be safe, and it won't be calm. But I'll tell you what it will be...the trip of a lifetime."

I could practically see the gears in her head turning as she contemplated what I said. After a few seconds, she blinked.

"...ghosts? Aliens? Ball of flame?"

"Just a reference. Ignore that part. Seriously though, want to come along?"

Asylum looked away, biting her lip in thought. "I'm not sure...who else is with you?"

"Well, there's Risk Reward and False Front...they're the ones who saved you." I looked over at Nimble, still sleeping. "And there's Nimble Night. I'm pretty sure he'll be joining us. He hasn't said he will, but he hasn't said he won't either. Plus, I don't think he'd want to get too far away from the Fine Rock."

"Speaking of which, where is the Fine Rock?" Asylum questioned.

"I gave it back to the elder for now. He offered to let me keep it, and I plan to take him up on that offer, but not right now. Until everything's better, I want as few things as possible to remind me of the giant freaking tussle that took place." I shuddered.

The yellow mare smiled in amusement. "Isn't it funny? That was a battle to determine the fate of this entire town, and possibly a good portion of Equestria if the Fine Rock is as strong as they say. We all came out scarred – physically and emotionally – and only some of those wounds will heal. Ponies lived, ponies died, but either way, ponies fought." She giggled. "And you can't think of it as anything but a 'giant freaking tussle'."

I shrugged. "I was always a dork. Besides, what else are we gonna call it?"

"Well, I've heard some ponies refer to it as the Dusk of Ice and Fire. That might work."

"All I'm going to call it is the day stuff happened that I wish didn't happen." I walked back over to my seat and sat down. I glanced to my left, and there was the axe.

Bloodbath's axe. I had taken it with me, almost unconsciously. When I got to the hospital and realized I still had it, I wanted to chuck it away. Too many memories. Instead, I kept it. Celestia knows why. ...actually, even she probably doesn't know.

Asylum sat down to my right and watched me with sorrow in her eyes. "Are you going to be okay?"

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to brush it off, say I was fine, and that I'd get over it all. I wanted to slip back into my cheerful, goofy, annoying self. Not this depressed, stoic, jackass self. The words "I'm perfectly fine" were right on the tip of my tongue, when I looked Asylum right in the eyes.

It was like her eyes compelled me to tell the truth. I couldn't lie. I couldn't claim to be fine, that I'd get over it. I couldn't make a joke, or a snarky remark, or a change of topic. My brain...my heart...wouldn't let me.

"...no," I admitted after what felt like forever. "No...I'm not okay." Tears began to sting in my eyes. "I don't even know what 'okay' feels like anymore..."

As my vision blurred behind my tears, I felt hooves wrap around my body in an embrace. I returned it slowly as I buried my face in Asylum's coat. For the first time since arriving in Equestria, I finally began to cry.

---

[Perspective: Asylum]

I don't know how long I sat there holding Arrell for. Time seemed to go by slowly, but also quickly. Eventually, I heard his sobs quiet down, and he fell asleep. I smiled lightly as I laid him down in a more comfortable position on the chair.

"You need a rest," I told him quietly, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. "You deserve it."

I headed back to help the recovering patients, but one thing remained in my mind. Arrell's offer.

He asked me to come with him...should I? I don't have much else to do, but it seems awfully dangerous...

"Asylum, there you are!"

I turned, hearing my name. A brown stallion was walking up to me...Risk, I think his name was.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Nah, everything's fine. I was just looking for you." He looked over into the waiting room. "How's Arrell doing?"

I thought about what to tell him. "He's...well, it's complicated."

"Yeah, that sounds like Arrell alright. Overcomplicated."

I giggled. "Really though, I'm not entirely sure. I found him getting sick, then he began acting nonchalant...then he just got lost in thought, and then he started crying."

Risk raised an eyebrow. "Crying? That doesn't sound like him. What did you say to him?"

"Nothing!" I backed away, afraid he was accusing me of something. "I just asked if he was okay!"

Risk smirked. "Chill out, I'm not mad. I assume he said he was fine?"

"No."

The smirk faded. "What did he say?"

I tried to remember his exact words. "He just said...no. He said he wasn't okay, and he didn't really even know how 'okay' felt anymore."

The stallion looked back at the waiting room. "Huh..."

We stood there, silent for a few minutes. Finally he looked back at me.

"Anyway, we should probably get back to work," he decided. I nodded, and followed him back to where the injured ones were.

Arrell...what are you really like?

---

Author's Notes: Yes, a much calmer chapter now. This was mainly to wrap up the previous chapter, as well as finally get around to naming and describing that mysterious mare.

Asylum

Assuming the next chapter isn't a Christmas / Hearth's Warming Eve special, it'll likely be the true finale to this arc, though don't assume you've seen the last of Smooth Grove.

Comments

[the monkey ninja]

First!!!

Sorry about that, I had to. Anyway, great chapter, and it seems that you are going to keep the ball rolling with this story. YEY! MENTAL INSTABILITY FOR EVERYONE!!! WOOHOO!

Okay, now I kind of feel like a dick. Here, have a cookie. *Hands a cookie to RLYoshi* And you too Arrell. Yours might take a while though. I can't go through the fourth wall, so I told Pinkie Pie to either bring it strait to you or have Derpy/Ditzy bring it. Anyways, enjoy!!!

[RLYoshi]

1741478 I have to have Pinkie or Ditzy give Arrell a cookie now.

[the monkey ninja]

1741836
First, how did you like your cookie? Also, if it's being delivered by express, you should note that she has to break the fourth wall. It is required. Oh and, one more thing...

I LOST THE GAME!!!

Initiate the raging... now. Establishing troll face.

[Dusk Apollo]

They're getting ever so close to controlled insanity...
Actually, if they're like this when mentally unstable, I shudder to think what "insane" could bring.

[RLYoshi]

1744274 "They"? The only pony who's really unstable is Arrell.

[Dusk Apollo]

1745411 Arrell is the only one now, but nobody, person, pony, or other, can (as far as I know) take *gestures at the previous few chapters* that on a loosely regular basis and retain their sanity... right?

[RLYoshi]

1745635 False is in the Royal Guard; she sees stuff like that all the time. Nimble and Asylum both didn't see much of the actual battle; and plus, the former is usually pretty emotionless and the latter is more traumatized from the kidnapping than the actual bloodshed. Risk is the only one who might be severely affected, but even he wouldn't go completely insane.

Arrell is a bit of a special case; as a few chapters have implied, he's already pretty sensitive and depressed, just masking it with his cheerful, snarky, annoying personality. This event just broke the mask. Plus, keep in mind that out of the five of them, Arrell is the only one who actually killed. That's enough to change anyone.

[Dusk Apollo]

1745684 I pity the others for if/when he does lose the last dregs of his sanity...
Wouldn't nearly dying at least phase False? It's not as if she can brush it off saying "Oh, near-death experience? That's the fifth one this month."

[RLYoshi]

1745780 True, False wouldn't be able to just brush it off, but on the other hand she won't make a big deal about it either. She'll think of it not as "I almost died", but more of "I almost died". She's not going to have a breakdown like Arrell did.

[Dusk Apollo]

1745823 He's scarred for life from killing. I shudder to think what would happen to him if his role and False's were reversed.

[RLYoshi]

1745887 If Arrell nearly died and False was the killer?

False would be fine; it's her job, after all. Arrell would be panicking and paranoid, but he'd get over it - and legitimately get over it, not pretend to. Killing others is far more traumatizing than almost being killed yourself.

This will be elaborated on next chapter; we'll learn a bit more about Arrell himself and his personality. Trust me, his mind is a very complicated place.

[Serefin]

"Do you wanna come with me?" She looked at me in the eye as soon as I said that, no longer letting her gaze wander. "'Cause if you do, then I should warn you...you're gonna see all sorts of things. Ghosts from the past. Aliens from the future. The day the Earth died in a ball of flame. It won't be quiet, it won't be safe, and it won't be calm. But I'll tell you what it will be...the trip of a lifetime."

Though I couldn't tell you what episode, it doesn't take a genius to realize a Doctor Who reference when you make one. Not that I'm complaining, as it adds to the inherant nerdiness of Arrell, but whatever.

[Talguy21]

I started reading this a while ago today, having seen it in the featured box, and having some minor knowledge from DEATH BATTLE: Equestria, and I find I'm enjoying it very much.

Now... Someone explain how I ended up on chapter 19? I swear I just started.