Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Trauma

There was a memory she had. A distinct recollection of a moment in her younger life, perhaps so well retained because it was one of the few times she'd received more attention than her usual, though not for any all too great reason. It was something she came back to, from time to time, something her mind brought up and she found herself thinking about without a clear reason.

It was autumn, early autumn, and for whatever reason the weather had chosen to pretend it was still late summer instead that day. Bright Sun in the sky, the early afternoon was downright hot. She had nowhere to put her saddlebags but her back, and she'd just finished her water bottle. She was heading back home.

Perhaps she hadn't eaten enough that morning. She'd brought a sandwich with her, but she'd eaten it early. Maybe she should have had something more substantial earlier on, before leaving, and kept the sandwich for a later moment. Maybe she should have brought more water, maybe she had marched a little too intensely at a point. Maybe, maybe, maybe, she couldn't know any of it and it didn't really matter.

She'd been waiting at a crossing with a few other ponies, as a too long line of cattle too slowly passed by. She was bored, thinking about something, something she couldn't recall clearly at that point, lost to her memory. Maybe a news story or something similar.

All of a sudden she'd felt nauseous. She'd thought it was the animals in front of her, so she'd taken a step back. Maybe a smell in the air, maybe something she'd been thinking about? It hadn't gone away, and all of a sudden she'd started to feel tired. She'd leaned against a nearby tree for support, and without her realising it her eyes had started to close. Then she'd felt her legs give out. Then nothing.

The next thing she remembered was dreaming, and being woken up from that dream. She didn't remember what she was dreaming, she hadn't remembered it a moment later back then either. She didn't know where she was or what was happening, she only vaguely understood a voice asking her if she needed help. Then a hoof stretched out towards her, pulling her up from the ground.

Only then she'd understood where she was again, what was happening. She was brought to sit on a nearby bench, and an older mare offered her some crackers. She'd accepted, her voice weak, and gobbled them down. She'd been sweating, cold and hot at the same time and unable to realise which one she was supposed to be and which one wasn't normal. She'd hurt her haunches a little while falling, or at least she assumed so given she had no memory of the actual fall, but her haunches hurt.

She'd remained shook the whole day following that, and she'd immediately heard a doctor about it. It had come out of nowhere and terrified her.

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