Starlight

Pant, pant

The little filly ran. Yellow coat streaked with muck and bruises.

Keep running

The Timberwolves were in hot pursuit of her. They weren't going to let up.

I want my sisters

For three days this little filly had been running. Pounding the dirt with her hooves. Wings flapping to gain speed.

Why does this happen to me, and only me?

A Timberwolf appeared in front of her. She veered to the right. Only for another to jump in from the left. Change direction. Stay one step ahead.

Harder and harder

The Timberwolves slowed. They stopped and howled their vengeance at her. She didn't dare look back or stop.

To stay alive

A crash heralded the arrival of something worse. A roar confirmed it. Two Ursa Minors, accompanied by an Ursa Major, presumably their mother.

The False Horns did this

The two Minors came on opposite sides of her. She dodged and skidded away into the undergrowth.

The False Horns will pay

The Major was distracted by something. She took it as an opportunity to rush past it.

The Tribe is gone

A wall blocked her path. This castle, she recognised it. There was a town nearby.

I am alone

She wasn't sure the town was a good idea. Her sisters could find her, but so could the Horns.

What should I do?

She decided against the town. She ran around the castle and ended up smack in the faces of a hydra.

Press on?

The head on the left lunged, but it was a trick. As she swerved to avoid it, two more heads grabbed her, one by her tail and one by her forehooves.

Or give up?

The two heads pulled, trying to rip the little filly in two. But she was made of tougher stuff than your average pony. But even she wasn't indestructible.

Everything's so meaningless

She cried out weakly as she felt herself being torn. The remaining heads called with glee in anticipation of the meal soon to reach their shared stomach.

All the world has to offer is emptiness

Help came from an unexpected source.

Life exists only in my dreams

A boom sounded from above, and an orange and violet shock wave erupted across the sky, blasting away the clouds and leaving the sky blue and clear.

Why must everything I want slip away from me?

The hydra's eyes bulged in shock, and the two heads holding her dropped her.

Why do the monsters taunt me so?

She landed heavily and lay in a crumpled heap. She didn't want to move.

They have been employed to kill or capture me

Her little boots had lost their shimmer, and were tarnished and dirty. Her eyes no longer sparkled.

So why not get it over with?

Eventually she got to her feet. She limped forward slowly.

What is the end product?

A huge spider scuttled down from its web to confront her. Its eight eyes stared at her.

Fear

She gaped at the spider before survival instincts took over.

Hatred

She bolted away from the spider and the castle. The spider scuttled after her lazily.

Pain

She continued to run, the spider waiting for her to tire. She came to a river.

Sickness

A sea serpent was marvelling at himself in a glassy puddle of water. The little filly stretched out her limited magic, what little of it remained.

Death

She relaxed slightly. He had no bad intentions, that much was clear.

Fate's dealt me a bad hand

She darted towards him, seeking protection. The spider shied away from the serpent.

And I lay down the chips

The sea serpent looked at her in confusion. As she hopped across his back arched in the water, he stared blankly. He just went right back to admiring himself.

Call or fold?

As she ran, she approached a patch of blue flowers. Bad news. She jumped and flapped her wings to clear it.

Only the cards of destiny

Even this small action was a challenge. Combined with her magic use earlier, it was too much.

Their backs wreathed in enigmatic flame

She lay down. Exhaustion and fatigue overcame her. It should be ok to rest. Nothing was chasing her right now.

Can know the final outcome

Mistake. A mysterious bird swooped overhead. It resembled an owl, but larger, with a razor sharp beak and talons like knives.

The stakes are high

She didn't fret the details. Dragging herself to her feet, she set off to find cover.

Life or death

She approached a strange wooden structure.

The universe decides

The interior was filled with all sorts of paraphernalia, ranging from herbal ointments to books.

Is this my fate?

In the centre of the room was a cauldron, with something or other brewing inside.

Doomed to wander from one danger to another

There were various masks adoring the walls. They frightened the young filly.

Leaving the jaws of one threat

She rested her head on a convenient bed. Somehow she'd wandered into somepony's home.

Only to find myself in the claws of another

She froze. A strange stripy creature was entering through the door.

I cannot trust anything

The strange creature, which resembled a pony, began to speak.

I must not let my guard down

The little filly didn't stick around to hear what it had to say.

Else I shall join the stars above

She dashed out the door and into the forest. Thankfully the bird was gone, and the stripy pony didn't give chase.

Perhaps I shall welcome Death's sweet embrace

She continued onward. She saw many creatures though none were hostile.

When it finally sweeps over me

Rabbits, songbirds and at one point a colourful cyan Pegasus who stared at her in confusion.

Like a familiar lover

Bit the little filly did not care.

The world is too cruel, too terrible

She was so exhausted she could keel over and die any moment.

No

She wandered forward. There was a break in the forest.

I cannot abandon my sisters

Like it or not, she had entered the town.

I must spare them the additional pain in this unforgiving world

She wandered through the town. She got a few strange looks, but no pony questioned her or lent her a helping hoof.

This plane of existence is dark enough without grief

She kept going. Eventually she wandered into an orchard. The trees bloomed with delicious looking fruit.

I'm so tired...

She longed for the fruit, but lacked the strength to reach it.

And hungry

Three unfamiliar fillies approached. She readied herself to run, but couldn't muster the force of will.

I'm sick of running

The fillies spoke, but their words left no lasting impression on her.

And of not trusting anypony

Instead the sound lulled her into a false sense of security, promising her sleep.

My life, it lacks purpose. It is nothing but running

The voices whispered to her, daring her to let dreams overtake her. She ignored the fillies' panicked cries as she collapsed in the shade of a tree.

Always running....