GREEN
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                    2852 15.55 KB 246
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                                            1.
                                            Prompt:
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                                            2.
                                            >Sanguine Stagnation
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                                            3.
                                            >Likes to cut herself, lots of little scars across her forelegs
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                                            4.
                                            >Very skinny
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                                            5.
                                            >Tried to summon a succubus for sex but is an earth pony so it just made her apartment smell like sulfur for months
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                                            6.
                                            >Likes to order creepy and "haunted" dolls from mail order catalogs
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                                            7.
                                            >Believes in ghosts
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                                            8.
                                            >Believes in skinwalkers
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                                            9.
                                            >Schizoaffective, but not to the point where she's entirely dysfunctional, just mostly
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                                            10.
                                            >Has tried to kill herself before but some sort of entity stopped her from going through with it, stating that she was needed for a ritual involving the end of the world. She's still unsure if this was real or a hallucination
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                                            11.
                                            
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                                            12.
                                            Story 1:
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                                            13.
                                            >The little men in the wall brought you some things today, it's the highlight of your week when it happens
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                                            14.
                                            >Your father says that your foodstuffs, toiletries [spoiler]and medication of course[/spoiler] are delivered by a grocer service, but you've seen them come out of the walls
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                                            15.
                                            >In any case, the basket has a note on it
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                                            16.
                                            >"Happy birthday my dearest Sanguine, I wish that I could share it with you but I'm afraid there has been a business emergency. Please enjoy this 12000 moon aged marelot, and please don't drink it alone"
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                                            17.
                                            >Not gonna happen, sorry dad
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                                            18.
                                            >Next time make it to your place for celebrations and you can discuss it
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                                            19.
                                            >Abbadon... how old even are you now?
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                                            20.
                                            >After it registers that this is a birthday package, your mood improves just a bit
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                                            21.
                                            >You dug through the assorted processed hay products, dried flowers, soaps, and shampoos; discarding them in a pile beside you
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                                            22.
                                            >Eventually, you reach the bottom where your prize awaits
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                                            23.
                                            >Well, two prizes
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                                            24.
                                            >There's the promised marelot, and an ornately packaged box
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                                            25.
                                            >You grab it with eager hooves and unwrap it with the care one might unwrap a bag that contains a pastry
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                                            26.
                                            >You recognize it immediately and look at it in wonder
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                                            27.
                                            >"A.. Dybbuk box?"
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                                            28.
                                            >Hm, so in essence the box was the present
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                                            29.
                                            >Surely your father doesn't know what this actually is and just knows it's expensive, which of course it is
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                                            30.
                                            >Nothing yiddish ever comes cheap, first lesson of business
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                                            31.
                                            >It'd be dangerous to have around for certain if you had a roommate
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                                            32.
                                            >Luckily you're well-educated in such things and know it isn't to be trifled with
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                                            33.
                                            >You carefully set it up on the shelf next to some of your more expensive dolls that were claimed to be haunted
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                                            34.
                                            >You keep the ones that can have interesting properties near you at night, all the ones on your shelves are little more than paperweights that guests find unsettling
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                                            35.
                                            >You wonder if your father even really had business to attend to this year, or if he simply didn't wish to see your domicile or appearance
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                                            36.
                                            >You were always expected to take over his business when he was gone
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                                            37.
                                            >Promising grades throughout school, decent social life
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                                            38.
                                            >Things turned for the...
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                                            39.
                                            >Things started down the intended path for you when you became marked.
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                                            40.
                                            >Acquired after a dare to spend the night in a haunted house was completed with zero fanfare
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                                            41.
                                            >Your father...
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                                            42.
                                            >You focus on the wine
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                                            43.
                                            >It's getting late, might as well
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                                            44.
                                            >It has calories in it after all, you've heard
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                                            45.
                                            >You know you're supposed to get a certain amount of those per day, you usually don't
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                                            46.
                                            >You uncork the wine with your teeth, you know with something fancy like this you're supposed to swish it around, sniff it, smell it, etc.
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                                            47.
                                            >You just tilt it upwards and let gravity do the rest
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                                            48.
                                            >You can only take a bit before coughing and sputtering a bit, you manage to avoid spilling too much of it on the carpet but what does avoid spillage from your mouth is deposited directly back into the bottle
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                                            49.
                                            >Well, out the window goes any pretense of sharing it you suppose
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                                            50.
                                            >You set it on the floor and go grab one of your softer dolls, the one with the plush skin over the porcelain
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                                            51.
                                            >You look at her as you wait for the buzz to kick in
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                                            52.
                                            "What's going to happen to me, Sunflower?"
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                                            53.
                                            >"I think you're going to die."
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                                            54.
                                            "That would be a happy birthday indeed."
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                                            55.
                                            >You let out a giggle and hug her, about as hard as you dare lest you crack her skeleton
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                                            56.
                                            >She's your favorite, after all
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                                            57.
                                            >You set her down on the table and take another swig, maybe tonight really is the night it's all going to be over
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                                            58.
                                            >It's almost poetic, a near perfect loop from birth to grave
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                                            59.
                                            >You hum a little tune and retrieve your blades while you're still sober enough to
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                                            60.
                                            >You set them out on the table before Sunflower and then take another generous swig
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                                            61.
                                            "What's it they say in school? 'Across the stream for repaired seam, down the river family quivers?'"
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                                            62.
                                            >"That'd be about right"
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                                            63.
                                            >She has the cutest voice, almost like a school age filly
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                                            64.
                                            "Alright, let me just finish this and then I'll start"
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                                            65.
                                            >You're feeling a bit queasy already, but the alcohol doesn't scare you
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                                            66.
                                            >You've never liked being alive much anyways, and considering your significant mental trauma as long as you give yourself a death in anguish there's a good chance you'll return as a vengeful spirit
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                                            67.
                                            >Though you don't particularly intend to avenge anything, just have a comfortable afterlife free of judgement and pain
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                                            68.
                                            >But...
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                                            69.
                                            >For that to work, a great deal of pain is ironically first in order
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                                            70.
                                            >You retrieve the serrated knife from your kit
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                                            71.
                                            >You've used it once, when you were doing wood-burning and needed to shave off a bit of a plank to work on
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                                            72.
                                            >Taking it in your mouth, you set down a forehoof on the dark red translucent table that Sunflower is sitting on
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                                            73.
                                            "I'm sorry my friend, but I'm afraid you're in the splash zone."
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                                            74.
                                            >You drive the leading edge of the serration in, dig in with as many teeth as you can muster, and pull directly along what you believe is a vein or artery
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                                            75.
                                            >The blood begins to immediately gush, soaking you and your surroundings with warmth
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                                            76.
                                            >You know you're going to be getting colder soon, something about thermodynamics...
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                                            77.
                                            >You stare at the fountain for what must be a good minute before you remember that you can get this over with quicker if you also drive it in the other forehoof
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                                            78.
                                            >So you take the knife between your teeth once more and split it open like a baked potato, all the way down to the bone almost
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                                            79.
                                            "That's the spice"
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                                            80.
                                            >Sunflower isn't there
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                                            81.
                                            >You look behind you to see that she's scaling your shelves
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                                            82.
                                            >You...
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                                            83.
                                            >You haven't seen her move before
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                                            84.
                                            >Could be the cut
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                                            85.
                                            >Could be the booze
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                                            86.
                                            >Could be the fact that you flush your meds down the toilet half the time
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                                            87.
                                            >She reaches the Dybbuk box
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                                            88.
                                            "Eh?"
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                                            89.
                                            >Well, worst it can do is give you a painful death
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                                            90.
                                            >You lay back and watch the two tumble to earth, Sunflower's fragile skeleton shattering on impact
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                                            91.
                                            >Oh...
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                                            92.
                                            >You liked her, you really did. Such a pretty white mane and dark blue eyes
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                                            93.
                                            >That sucks
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                                            94.
                                            >The box has been opened and is letting out a hissing sound
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                                            95.
                                            >"Sanguine."
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                                            96.
                                            "That's only half the name, you forgot the last bit"
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                                            97.
                                            >"That isn't your true name, only your birth name."
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                                            98.
                                            "Funny they named me that with such high hopes, huh?"
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                                            99.
                                            >"Your family matters little in this. It is only you and the great forces from beyond. You are not yet permitted to die."
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                                            100.
                                            >You laugh, the ridiculousness of the situation is catching up to you
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                                            101.
                                            "What are you going to do? Get me a blood transfusion and a team of medics? As a jewish ghost?"
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                                            102.
                                            >"I was trapped here by a conniving... the details are not important. I am not what you think I am, and am far more powerful."
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                                            103.
                                            "Prove it, then. I've seen a lot of spirits and you're mostly all full of it, the one that knew how to trip breakers was the last one that freaked me out a bit"
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                                            104.
                                            >"Very well. We will see each other again soon, Sanguine Stagnation. You will help me bring this world to its knees."
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                                            105.
                                            >You can't even put your hoof on what a knee is, maybe you should've paid more attention in biology
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                                            106.
                                            >You blink
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                                            107.
                                            >It's morning
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                                            108.
                                            >The wine bottle is full again, but your box is still unpacked
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                                            109.
                                            >You find Sunflower in her spot
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                                            110.
                                            >So it was all a dream, then.
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                                            111.
                                            >Lame.
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                                            112.
                                            >You start making some breakfast, eggs and a bowl of oats with brown sugar
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                                            113.
                                            >You don't think you can stomach another real attempt for a while, you'll do a few small cuts for release tonight before bed to make things feel a bit more bearable
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                                            114.
                                            >You carry your dishes into the living space and nearly drop them
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                                            115.
                                            >The Dybbuk box is on the floor in the same spot it was in the dream
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                                            116.
                                            >and its doors are wide open
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                                            117.
                                            Story 2:
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                                            118.
                                            >You've placed a bunch of wards around the apartment, hopefully it's enough
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                                            119.
                                            >You're still not sure if what you saw was real
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                                            120.
                                            >The box was closed immediately after you observed it open, even though you're well aware it would serve no purpose
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                                            121.
                                            >But it induces slightly less severe anxious feelings to look upon it resealed than otherwise
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                                            122.
                                            >You let out a deep sigh and put down one of your favorite blades, a little royal guard utility knife, its blade coated in fresh wet life
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                                            123.
                                            >You habitually produce a small bandage and apply it with a small amount of healing salve
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                                            124.
                                            >You always feel a little bit clearer after you cut, like you aren't an alien dropped on this plane with no home or connections
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                                            125.
                                            >You wipe the knife on your coat from edge to spine, leaving your coat essentially indistinguishable from before but cleaning the implement almost entirely of any sort of act
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                                            126.
                                            >You... need to go do something
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                                            127.
                                            >You pause and think on it
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                                            128.
                                            >Of course
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                                            129.
                                            >If you venture into the forests and collect some witchhazel, you'll be able to strengthen your wards and feel safer
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                                            130.
                                            >There's a pop-up tent in the closet, a relic from your university days out in Canterlot
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                                            131.
                                            >Back when you were trying so hard to be normal, though you're a mess it's still comfortable to not have to pretend
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                                            132.
                                            >It's already getting late, but that doesn't stop you from retrieving the pack and stuffing the tent, fly, and poles into it
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                                            133.
                                            >You pack raw hay, no sense in being fancy and you're already disgusting in the mirror
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                                            134.
                                            >Small pockets of fat hang off of your clean bones, you wish you could be perfect
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                                            135.
                                            >Skinny just like the mares in the magazines that model those pretty swimsuits
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                                            136.
                                            >You get out of breath quickly, after all it's been about a day since you've had a meal
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                                            137.
                                            >But you push on, you know a trail where you can find witchhazel
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                                            138.
                                            >The trail winds deep into the woods northwest of Ponyville, your "home"
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                                            139.
                                            >Large mountains poke out through the various clearings and meadows you're afforded views of as you go, you manage to just catch a glimpse of Celestia's grace peaking over a shear mountaintop before vanishing completely to Luna's excellence
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                                            140.
                                            >There's love and appreciation for both of them in you, your duotone mane and eyes both in part sunlit yellow, representing the sun
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                                            141.
                                            >and the other, more significant part of your mane in violet-
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                                            142.
                                            >There's a crunch behind you
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                                            143.
                                            >You stop and turn your head around
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                                            144.
                                            >There's a young bear behind you, watching you with dubious eyes
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                                            145.
                                            >You notice that one of its legs was caught in a trap, it somehow managed to pry it free but there's matted fur and plenty of gore there
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                                            146.
                                            >You laugh internally
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                                            147.
                                            >A unicorn could pick up a stick and swat it away
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                                            148.
                                            >A pegasus could fly out of its reach
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                                            149.
                                            >And a physically fit earth mare could easily outrun it
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                                            150.
                                            >But you...
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                                            151.
                                            >Don't want to be held down and eaten alive by a wounded scavenger
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                                            152.
                                            >You bolt, following the path of the trail
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                                            153.
                                            >Initially you make good progress, but your muscles are underdeveloped and you've eaten almost nothing today, so fairly soon you're relying on pure adrenaline to keep up the pace
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                                            154.
                                            >A quick glance back confirms your efforts are not misguided, the bear is chasing you, and its expression is now clear
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                                            155.
                                            >Hunger, somehow you didn't notice it before but it's almost as thin as you are
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                                            156.
                                            >The difference is that there are still coils of muscle over its bones
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                                            157.
                                            >You're indifferent to death of course, but this is such an unpleasant fate that you carry on, pushing yourself to your absolute limit
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                                            158.
                                            >Rivulets of sweat run down you even in the cold winter night air
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                                            159.
                                            >It's gaining on you
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                                            160.
                                            >Shit, this isn't going to work
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                                            161.
                                            >You clumsily fiddle with your pack, you brought a small pocket knife for cutting, as you always do when you're forced to go somewhere
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                                            162.
                                            >If it doesn't work, oh well
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                                            163.
                                            >You scream loudly and stop before charging the thing with the knife in your mouth
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                                            164.
                                            >It seems bewildered for a second, not expecting prey to run right at it
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                                            165.
                                            >What is prey, stupid?
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                                            166.
                                            >Maybe.
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                                            167.
                                            >You use the moment of shock to drive the knife into its eye
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                                            168.
                                            >It swats at you, cutting your side down to the pelvis but luckily avoiding anything important
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                                            169.
                                            >It's not that deep for you from skin to bone anyways
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                                            170.
                                            >You don't move due to shock
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                                            171.
                                            >It apparently takes this as an intimidation tactic, because it scampers off into the underbrush
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                                            172.
                                            >Fuck, that was your favorite knife...
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                                            173.
                                            >Oh, right, you're bleeding
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                                            174.
                                            >Hopefully he won't come back for you now
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                                            175.
                                            >You sit down to rest for a second and laugh aloud at the irony of the situation
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                                            176.
                                            >Right before you is a generous shrub of witchhazel
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                                            177.
                                            >You planned on having the knife to remove what you needed from it, you feel a bit bad just crunching off bits of it with your teeth but you do need this if you're to continue living with the spirit from that box
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                                            178.
                                            >You're feeling a bit light-headed, but you manage to get just enough
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                                            179.
                                            >Can you make it back to Ponyville?
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                                            180.
                                            >Guess it's time to find out
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                                            181.
                                            >You're careful now, checking your surroundings for predators as blood slowly drips down onto the ground as you go
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                                            182.
                                            >If you could walk on two legs this wouldn't be such a problem
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                                            183.
                                            >But you like being like this, if it kills you
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                                            184.
                                            >You were glad to be born a pony, even if it was terrible
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                                            185.
                                            >Your vision is getting spotty
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                                            186.
                                            >You feel like you're still so far
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                                            187.
                                            >You're fading in and out
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                                            188.
                                            >Meadow
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                                            189.
                                            >Trail
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                                            190.
                                            >Stream
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                                            191.
                                            >Meadow
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                                            192.
                                            >Rock outcropping
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                                            193.
                                            >Hunter's outpost
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                                            194.
                                            >Empty
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                                            195.
                                            >Trail
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                                            196.
                                            >Trailhead
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                                            197.
                                            >You can't physically will yourself to move anymore, this is where you die
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                                            198.
                                            >There can't be much blood left in you, you're so lightheaded but there's no sharp pain
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                                            199.
                                            >Just a heavy, dull throbbing in your side
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                                            200.
                                            >You almost sigh in relief
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                                            201.
                                            >This is the kind of death you can get behind
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                                            202.
                                            >No teeth, no mauling
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                                            203.
                                            >Just a pleasant view of nature bathed in moonlight while the soil beneath you slowly turns red
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                                            204.
                                            >Oh yeah, you should probably start putting some compression on that now just in case somepony comes
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                                            205.
                                            >You try, but you can't will your closest forehoof well enough to do so
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                                            206.
                                            >What a life
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                                            207.
                                            >Yeah, you know it now
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                                            208.
                                            >Why is it that you only don't have trouble sleeping
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                                            209.
                                            >When you're drunk or dying?
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                                            210.
                                            ' ' '
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                                            211.
                                            >Muffled screams and words perforate your dreams
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                                            212.
                                            >A mare's voice, panicked and screaming
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                                            213.
                                            >Picked up
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                                            214.
                                            >Fresh air on your face
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                                            215.
                                            >Another mare, slightly more composed but still panicked
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                                            216.
                                            >Cold
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                                            217.
                                            ' ' '
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                                            218.
                                            >"Can I stay here with her until she wakes up?"
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                                            219.
                                            "Are you family?"
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                                            220.
                                            >"No, but I'm not sure she has any"
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                                            221.
                                            >"After tonight you'll need to obey visitation hours. No exceptions"
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                                            222.
                                            "Thank you"
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                                            223.
                                            >The door closes, your head pounds like you've got one hell of a hangover
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                                            224.
                                            >You slowly open up your eyes
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                                            225.
                                            >A white pegasus is in front of you, reading a book
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                                            226.
                                            >Golden mane
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                                            227.
                                            >She's Heavenly, from that old book with the serpent and the bleeding rock
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                                            228.
                                            >The title is...
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                                            229.
                                            >Your eyes can't focus well enough to make it out, and then you're out again
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                                            230.
                                            >When you wake up, she's gone and it's just you alone
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                                            231.
                                            >Three full blood transfusion bags lie empty on the table before you
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                                            232.
                                            >You're hooked up, one forehoof to an IV drip and another to something else
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                                            233.
                                            >Probably a painkiller
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                                            234.
                                            >You hope the nutrient drip doesn't mess up your diet, cheat days are for losers
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                                            235.
                                            >A nurse walks in and is startled to see you awake
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                                            236.
                                            >You stare at her and just kind of nods
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                                            237.
                                            >"I'm supposed to brief you on what happened, you were saved by-"
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                                            238.
                                            "An angel."
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                                            239.
                                            >"No, her name is Shuttering Heights. She's very worried about you and she'll likely be back in a few hours as soon as visitations open"
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                                            240.
                                            >You look down at your hooves
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                                            241.
                                            >"You're Sanguine, aren't you? The daughter of Major?"
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                                            242.
                                            "Y-yeah..."
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                                            243.
                                            >"He's coming to see you later"
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                                            244.
                                            >Your stomach drops through the floor
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                                            245.
                                            >First the angel, and now something even less likely
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                                            246.
                                            >Your father
 
                         by SinewSkyline