It seemed even the tiniest of creatures had it out for Kipp.

The spider that had bitten his leg after finding his brothers Casimir and Knox had been a minor and temporary annoyance to him at the time. Yet not even a day later he knew that he had encountered something far worse than a normal spider, for when he had awoken that morning everything had been off-balance and way too colorful. His mind was sluggish and hard to operate, almost as hard as his limbs that buckled and flailed helplessly. Kipp had no idea where he was going, and it frightened him to feel so helpless, but he kicked that feeling away viciously. He may not be a cold brute like his older brothers, but he wouldn't let himself wimp out now just because he was practically drugged.

Somehow he managed to get his hooves moving, lion tail flickering spastically behind him, like a twitchy feline. Like he didn't quite know what to do with it, and the motion was a half-forgotten demand of his mind. He stumbled around, soft noises echoing from his throat as he swerved around thinning trees. Where was he? It was getting warmer, wherever he was, and the trees were no longer so thick, but he didn't know if that was a blessing or not. He may not like bumping and crashing into trees, but he also was not a fan of the relentless heat due to his darker coloring. Everything swayed and faces appeared, chattering at him in tones that swung from high to low almost comically. He knew they were not there after the first hour, but it made him panicky and he stumbled even more.

At last sand was found underfoot and he just stood there on the beach, twitching a little, eyes wild and wide. Torn, he tilted his head, brandishing his horn to the sun and singing out. It was edgy and loopy at the same time, fear and annoyance and the haze of whatever was in his veins somehow bleeding into his song all at once. He just wanted somebody around to help him through whatever the hell it was he was experiencing.

Everything ached, pulsed, pulled at his very bones. The waves seemed to turn monstrous in front of his eyes, and he shied away from them with a short whine, ears pinning. Lanky pillars fumbled as he tried to move faster than his drugged body could take, sand flying everywhere as cloven hooves kicked wildly to keep himself standing. The touch and voice, distorted and funny in his ears, made Kipp turn wide sapphire eyes to the stallion at his side. Of course, what he saw was not his blind brother, but a demon with a twisted face and cracked skin, missing lips revealing a sharp-toothed grin. A scream rocketed from his throat, the comforting touch twisted in his mind until it was a sly advance towards death. Shrieking, he lurched away from his brother and went collapsing heavily down to his knees when legs tangled, crashing down into a pile of limbs. Tears built up, making azure eyes glisten. Pride and memories of hard-learned lessons from Mandrake kept them from falling, but the youth in him was desperate to let them free. Chest moved rapidly, heart a tiny caged bird fluttering in his ribs.

There was a brief moment of lucidity, where Casimir's face swam into his vision, hazy as it was. A dry sob echoed in his own throat, still managing to swallow down tears. Snowy leonine tail whipped the sand anxiously, and his touched-out eyes, clearly glazed from the spider bite, locked on his brother's form. "C-Cas-Casiii," he wailed, a choking and rather pitiful sound. "Help me, Casi, Casi!" And then once more it was not his brother, his sweet partner in nearly every adventure, but the demon once more, though looking quite a lot like Archibald this time around. Or was it Mandrake? The image shifted too fast for his hazy mind to follow. Crying out he struggled away, trying to get his feet beneath him and fight back, lashing his hooves out whenever he could afford to lose the balance of a limb. He needed to get away, away! Mindlessly he screamed Casimir's name, terrified. It was hard for his maturity to overcome such horrific images, though he handled it far better than any other yearling, wishing to fight instead of collapse and run, or cry. Archibald would be ashamed. Briefly he called for Evers, but Casi's name echoed far more from his lips. Casimir was the only brother her felt truly, irrevocably attached to, and he was frightened. Casi always managed to calm him, but he didn't think this would be one of those times. Kipp was no longer himself.