Mental Mayhem: Stage 4

Stage 4: Id Hunting
>Twilight, flanked by Fluttershy and Rarity, stand in front of a large, white warehouse.
“This is place the Ego said to go to,” says Twilight, “Are you ready?”
“We’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” replys Rarity.
>Slowly, Twilight opens the large sliding door using her magic. The three ponies cautiously enter the darkness inside the building, and the doors slide shut behind them.
>Their eyes slowly begin to adjust to the darkness, and after a while, they begin to make out…
“A forest?” says Fluttershy in astonishment.
>It is dense and jungle-like, similar to the Everfree. Vines hang from the trees like spaghetti in one of Wuten’s stories. Leaves and branches litter the floor. There is one thing, however, that make this forest distinct from any in Equestria.
“What kind of leaves are these?” asks Twilight, looking curiously at the reddish fronds surrounding them.
“They’re not leaves,” says the Ego from the headsets, “That’s bacon. Pig meat.”
>Rarity and Twilight jump back in disgust, trying to get away from the grisly plants.
“This is wrong,” says Fluttershy.
“Tell me about it!” says Rarity, “Meat plants? Ew!”
“That isn’t what I mean,” says Fluttershy, quietly, “We’ve been walking for a while now, but I haven’t seen a single animal. I haven’t heard any birds singing or bugs chirping. This forest is empty.”
>Without warning, the silence is broken by a roar in the distance.
“Not completely empty,” says Twilight, “I think that’s the Id.”
“Be careful,” warns the Ego, “the Id contains Anon’s aggression. You’re going to encounter a predator, a pure predator unfiltered by logic and rationality. Be ready for a fight.”
>Fluttershy gulps nervously at these words, but presses on regardless.

>Before long, the three ponies encounter a stream. The water is yellowish, frothy, and smells distinctly of hops.
“Seriously?” says Twilight, “He’s got a river of beer in his mind?”
“Anonymous has always been a man of simple and, quite frankly, unrefined tastes,” says Rarity.
>Suddenly, Fluttershy gives a strangled cry.
“What? What is it?” asks Twilight.
“I saw something,” gasps Fluttershy, “Downstream. It ran into the forest.”
“Was it Anon? I mean, the Id?”
“I-I don’t know. It looked like Anon, but not.”
>She flies across the stream and points to where the creature disappeared.
“Come on, he went this way.”
>Twilight jumps into the stream and wades across. Rarity, however, hesitates.
“I really don’t want to soak in beer,” she says warily.
“Rarity, Anon needs our help!” scolds Twilight, “Besides, technically, it’s not real beer.”
>The white unicorn reluctantly wades into the stream and over to the other side. They find a small opening in the tree line, with broken bacon leaves scattered along the ground.
“Fluttershy, do you think you can track him?” asks Twilight.
“I don’t know,” says Fluttershy, “I’ve never really needed to track animals. They usually just come to me.”
“Well, do your best. Try to think like an animal. Figure out what the Id will do.”

>The girls continue walking, trying to follow the path left behind by the animalistic mental fragment.
“Um,” says Fluttershy, “I-I think we have a problem.”
“Did you lose the trail?” asks Rarity.
“No. It’s the Id. He’s stalking us.”
>The girls draw closer together, keeping their flanks to each other.
“Where is he?” says Twilight, trying to keep the panic from showing in her voice.
“I’m not sure. He keeps moving,” says Fluttershy, “He’s quiet. I can’t keep track of his position.”
“Fly up. Maybe you can see him from above.”
“I’m not leaving you two,” says Fluttershy.
“I know you’re scared, but you’ll be safe in the air,” says Twilight, trying to reassure her friend.
“It’s not that. I’m not leaving you two alone with it,” says Fluttershy with uncharacteristic grimness.
>Rarity gives her Pegasus friend a quick smile, and then looks back into the forest.
“We better be ready, girls,” she says, using her magic to tear several lengths of vine out from the trees.
>Twilight’s horn starts to glow, charging to prepare for a magic blast. Fluttershy hovers, getting ready to attack. For a moment, nothing happens. The only sound they hear is their own blood pounding through their heads.
>Suddenly, a large shape barrels out of the undergrowth, screaming with feral rage.
“LOOK OUT!” shouts Fluttershy, flying upwards and out of reach.
>Rarity dodges to the left. Twilight, however, is too slow and is batted aside by one of the creature’s arms. The strike causes her horn to discharge, the blast of magic missing Fluttershy by a hair.
>The bestial man turns towards the stricken Twilight, preparing to charge again. As it dashes forward, however, it suddenly trips as Rarity wraps vines around its ankles. The trio finally get a clear look at their attacker.
>It does indeed look like Anonymous, but more monstrous. Its arms are longer and end not in fingernails, but dirty curved claws. Its jaw protrudes more, and every time it snaps its mouth, they catch a glimpse of sharp triangular teeth. Its small eyes glare angrily at the ponies as it struggles to snap the vines.
>It finally works it’s legs free and charges Rarity on all fours. Before it can get close, Twilight strikes it in the back with another magic bolt, sending it tumbling forward. Roaring in anger, it spins back towards Twilight, who readies another blast.
“No, wait!” shouts Fluttershy, swooping down and stomping on the back of the Id’s head.
>She swings upwards, out of reach of the raging creature.
“He has no attention span! He just attacks whoever attacked him last! I’ll keep him distracted.”
>The Id, still focused on the Pegasus, begins scrabbling up a tree, trying to get closer. Rarity and Twilight use their magic to gather several more vines.
“On three!” shouts Twilight, “One…Two…THREE!”
>The vines wrap around the Id, binding it head to toe. It falls from the tree and lands on the ground with a loud thump. Twilight cautiously approaches the struggling man-beast, and lowers her glowing horn to its forehead. Moments pass, but the Id continued to struggle and growl.
“My memory spell isn’t working!” says Twilight, “I can’t remove Discord’s corruption.”
>She jumped slightly as the Ego’s voice piped up in her earpiece. In all the confusion, she had forgotten that he was still monitoring and helping them.
“Maybe it’s because he doesn’t have much memory to work with,” explains the Ego, “He’s instinct, not memory. Just bring him back. Maybe it’ll work when we are all together again.”
“Calm down, calm down,” says Fluttershy, “It’s okay. We’re your friends. We want to help you.”
>The Id’s struggles slow down and it stares at the ponies, its eyes showing a mix of rage and confusion.
“Help?” it growls.
“It can talk!” says Rarity.
“HE can talk,” corrects Fluttershy.
“He can’t carry a conversation, though,” says the Ego, “just gag him and drag him back. You have to hurry. You’ve got company.”
>Suddenly, they hear an eerie giggling from the bushes.
“Ego, what was that?” asks Rarity.
“Hookers,” says the Ego.

>As a dozen scantily clad women emerge from the forest, the Ego urges them to move.
“These are thought projections,” he says, “They’ll attack foreign minds. That means you three.”
“SEX!” shouts the Id, the eagerness clear in his voice.
>The hookers shriek and charge at the ponies. Twilight blasts the nearest one, sending it flying back. Upon hitting the ground, it disappears in a burst of static. Another is brought down by a rock flung with Rarity’s magic.
“Fluttershy, can you lift Anon into a tree?” shouts Twilight, blasting another killer hooker, “We can’t afford having him escape!”
“I’m on it!”
>She struggles to lift the heavy human into a branch. From the higher vantage point, she can see the trees shaking as more women rush towards them.
“Rarity, Twilight, more of them are coming! We need help!”
“From who?” shouts Rarity. She’s beginning to run out of rocks to throw.
>Fluttershy thinks for a moment, then turns to the bound Id.
“Id, your friends are in danger. Will you help us?”
“Fluttershy, what are you doing? You can’t let him loose!” yells the Ego in her ear.
>With a hoof, she knocks the earpiece out.
“Fluttershy, he’s right! The Id is evil!” shouts Twilight. She is starting to show signs of fatigue.
“Girls, I know I’m a kind pony. I know I’m a little too meek sometimes,” she shouts with determination, “but I know nature. That’s what he is, nature. And nature isn’t kind, but it’s not evil either. It’s just trying to survive. That’s all it ever does.”
>She looks back at the Id.
“Listen to me! We need your help! We need you to help us so that we can help you! Keep us safe, and we will keep you safe! That’s what friends do!”
>They stare eye-to-eye for a moment, and the Id slowly nods his head. He smiles, displaying his razor sharp teeth.
“Id help friends.”

>Fluttershy tugged at the vines with her teeth, working to free the Id.
“Fluttershy, stop it!” shrieks Rarity, “You can’t let him loose!”
“Mmmno! ffI know rrwhat rrI’m doing!” says Fluttershy, speaking around the vines in her mouth.
“Don’t do it!” shouts Twilight.
>Despite the unicorns’ protests, the vines finally give way to the combined efforts of Fluttershy and the Id. The personified mental function shakes off the vines and leaps down from the tree.

>Twilight is trying to hold back the growing mass of hookers using a magic shield. Rarity screams as a hooker pins her to the floor. Suddenly, a large mass lands between the two ponies. With a roar, the Id charges, tackling the hooker on Rarity. His claws flash across the hooker’s neck, and blood sprays from its neck. With a gurgle, the thought projection disappears. In an instant, the Id is back on his feet, and runs towards Twilight. Screaming, she ducks, and he flies over her and into the horde of hookers, scattering them like bowling pins. Gripping one by the shoulders, he sinks his teeth into its neck and tears out a chunk of flesh. He pounces on another, but is suddenly swarmed by the remaining hookers. Twilight and Rarity, regaining hope, use magic to knock away some of the women, while Fluttershy swoops through the air, kicking and stomping on heads.
>As they battle, Twilight begins to notice a method to the Id’s madness. He’s not striking at random, but rather aiming for particular spots. His claws slash at the neck, the inner wrists, the insides of the thighs. “Arteries,” thinks Twilight, her mind curiously clear in the heat of battle, “He’s cutting them where they will bleed out the quickest. He’s an instinctive predator. A natural killer.” The most disturbing part of the fight, however, is the sound. Twilight thinks she will never forget the sound the Id is making as he fights.
>He’s laughing.

>Before they know it, the fight is over.
“Let’s get out of here before more hookers come,” says Twilight, “Ego, can you lead us back?”
>She reaches towards her ear, and realizes that the earpiece is gone.
“Rarity, Fluttershy, do you still have your earpieces?”
“Sorry darling, mine must have fallen out during the fight.”
“I, um, I threw mine away,” says Fluttershy, sheepishly.
“How are we going to get back?” asks Twilight.
“Id know way,” grunts the Id. “Id help friends.”
>The ponies look at one another, hesitant to take directions from the beast man.
“Alright,” Twilight finally says, “lead the way.”