Hollow

by Demonfire463

Chapter 20 Hanging by a Thread

Chapter 20
Arthur POV

Dammit Discord! I am on my guard much more now that I am powerless to defend myself. I make my way through the maze, I've been trudging through at a torturously slow pace for hours now. I feel as though around every corner there's something that will try to destroy me. Have I just been going in circles? Where's the center? Oh, I'll never get out of here at this rate. I round a corner and see Logan's Catalyst on the ground. Hah!
"That's very funny Discord, you think I'll fall for that?" The staff transforms into Discord. "I'm smarter than you think."
"I though I could get you with that. Well, at least the others aren't so smart." The others? Oh no!
"Where are they Discord?"
"You may be smart, but do you think I am that stupid? Besides, you are completely lost." Damn, that I am. "It doesn't matter if I tell you where they are or not."
"I refuse to listen to you Discord, you shall not win this day."
"Hmph, fine then." He snaps his fingers and is gone. Well, that worked better than expected. Rainbow Dash zips in front of me.
"Rainbow, stop!"
"Huh? Arthur! Finally, someone else." She says. A cloud booming rainbow lightning rushes by, right between us. "I've got you now, Element!" She pursues it. I chase after her.
"Rainbow don't! It's a trap!" I run after her as quickly as I can. She stops. I catch up and she's staring at the cloud, now spinning. Discord is laying on a hammock made of clouds. "Discord! What've you done to her?!" I shout.
"Oh, nothing." A box appears and he turns back to Rainbow. "This box contains your wings. You may have them back if you like, or continue wandering around aimlessly in this maze." She touches the box and her wings appear on her back. She takes off.
"No! Rainbow Dash!" I shout. She ignores me completely. "Damn you Discord! What have you done?!"
"I merely let her decide if she wanted to continue this nonsense or not." Agh, my head. "You see her choice now." But, she was supposed to represent loyalty, not desertion and apathy! This doesn't make any sense. My skull is bombarded with pain.
"Agh! Why does my head hurt so much?"
"What's wrong?" A voice asks from inside my head. Discord's voice. "Head hurt?" When it speaks, pain shoots through my entire body.
"Get out of my head!" I shout. Discord snaps his fingers and disappears. I grasp my head with my hands. I hear a loud, bellowing scream from across the maze.
"Never." Damn you! The pain, my sanity. Am I hollowing? Or merely losing it? Augh! I can feel my sanity hanging by a thread, I'm slipping away. No! I have to stay strong! For the others. The walls of the maze collapse. The other ponies are in the distance, Joshua is with them. Thank the Lords. Joshua rushes towards me.
"You alright friend?"
"Fine." I say through clenched teeth. I relax as the pain goes away. I look over my shoulders.
"Arthur!" Joshua says somewhat loudly.
"Hm? What?"
"What's the matter with you?"
"I feel fine."
"Where's Agroth?" He asks me. Agroth? Hmm.
"I don't know, I thought he would be with you. I was dreadfully lost for the longest time."
"You look...different. Like the other ponies."
"What?" Pain shoots through my head again, causing me to collapse. I cover my face with my hands.
"Don't slip away? Stay strong? You're really quite funny Arthur." The voice says. I uncover my face and look at my hands. They are grey, quite grey, almost colorlessly so.
"What's wrong with the others?" I ask through pain.
"Um, they seem colorless compared to how they used to be. Fluttershy is being mean, Rarity is being greedy." He glances iver to Rarity and Twilight holding a boulder on their backs. "Sort of. But, they all are acting very strange, and they look awfully faded in color." Yes, all but Twilight seem grey, as I do.
"Let go, give up. It's wonderful." The voice says.
"Ahh! Shut up!!!" I shout. They all flinch and stare at me. "Get out of my head! Leave me alone!" I continue to yell at nobody. I run away from the ponies as I hear a boom behind me. I continue to run. I hear Discord's voice, but not in my head this time. I don't care, I keep on sprinting as fast as I can to the palace. I rush through the doors and see a fog door in the main hallway. I charge to it. Maybe I can learn how to rid oneself of insanity in the Archives, there has to be something there! Princess Luna walks toward me from the fog door. She looks as though she has been crying for quite some time.
"Not you too." She begs.
"I'm sorry. I need to cure myself of this chaotic curse if I am to be of any help in finding the Elements." My Bottomless Box appears just in front of the fog. I rush to it and open it. I grab Logan's Catalyst and my Balder Shield. I almost forgot I had Andre use a Titanite Slab on this. I grab the Moonlight Greatsword as well. I put the box on my back and rush through the fog door. I hope I'll be close to the Archives, or a bonfire. I stop in front of the light. "Goodbye for now Equestria." I traverse.

Author's Note:

I hate it when my iPod is stupid.