Triskaideka

An autumn breeze blew around the two entangled ponies and moonlight reflected off the lake, providing a romantic atmosphere for the lovers. They lay in a clearing, kissing and whispering sweet-nothings, observed only by nature. The leaves rustled around them in small little funnels as the wind blew through the clearing.

Dark clouds drifted lazily across the sky, obscuring the moon and leaving the ponies in darkness. The stallion took the opportunity to make a move, unseen. The mare let out a small gasp and clutched the stallion tightly. They repositioned themselves more comfortably and waited for the moon to reappear so they could judge the others’ expression.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” the mare whispered. She could feel her lover’s heartbeat against her own chest and knew he was just as nervous. The stallion sighed in agreement and brought his head down to kiss the mare.

*Crack!*

The stallion looked up suddenly and his heart began beating faster. A break in the clouds allowed the mare to see fear was etched on her lover’s face. “You heard that, right?” he asked. They strained to listen but could only hear the sound of falling leaves.

“It’s just the wind,” the mare whispered. She began nibbling on the stallion’s neck. Tension slowly left his body and he returned his attention to his marefriend. Their lips locked and their tongues wrestled with each other. Another branch snapped somewhere in the distance.

“I think there’s something—” The stallion had his sentence cut short. His marefriend grabbed his head and brought their lips back together. He fought to break free but eventually hormones took over.

Darkness obscured the couple again and the stallion got to work. The mare arched her back and moaned with pleasure as her lover satisfied her. Only moments later, the stallion let out a relieved sigh and halted his assault. He went to kiss the mare but she pushed his face away in disgust.

“Really? That’s it?” she asked. The stallion looked mortified at his marefriend’s complete displeasure. She crossed her arms in front of her and laid her head on its side. “Ugh, just take me home.”

“I’m s-sorry! Gimme like, ten minutes, I’ll try again,” the stallion begged. The mare pushed him off of her and stood up to fix her mane. The stallion tried to rationalize what had happened but couldn’t. “P-please, it’s just that you’re so beautiful, and I—”

“Save it,” the mare interrupted. “You have ten minutes to get ready for round two. I’m going to the bathroom.” The mare swung her hips as she walked into a small grove of trees. The stallion stood dumbstruck in the clearing and tried to clear his mind. The moon broke through the clouds and he looked around the clearing.

“I was nervous, that’s all—yeah,” the stallion said aloud, allowing his heart beat to return to normal. “I just gotta calm down and relax. It’s just me and her, ain’t nothing or no-pony else out here.”

*Crack!*

The stallion’s heart began racing again. Some bushes in the darkness began rustling and more twigs cracked. A large cloud cast darkness over the forest once more and a pair of red eyes glowed in the distance.

“Aaaaaaah!”

“Libra!” The stallion turned from the eyes and ran to where he heard the scream. He pushed through bushes and undergrowth until he found his marefriend approaching him angrily. “Libra, what—”

“You didn’t wear a condom, did you?!” The mare smashed both her hooves against the stallion, knocking the breath out of him. “I swear, if I end up pregnant, I’m going to kill you!” She pushed him so forcefully he wound up on his rear legs and teetered, inches from falling backwards. “I will literally cut off your horn and shove it up your—”

Blood sprayed the mare in the face as something punctured the stallion’s chest. He reached down and clutched at the protrusion with his hooves. A trickle of blood flowed down the side of his mouth and his eyes went wide with horror. The mare screamed as her lover fell to the ground and blood pooled under him.

A shadowed figure stood and faced the mare, blood dripping from its horn. She screamed and galloped away from the horror, into the darkness. It went to take a stride forward but something caught its leg. The stallion held on, desperately trying to buy his lover some time to escape. The figure levitated a machete out of its cloak and the moonlight glinted off of it.

“Please…no,” the stallion begged, coughing up blood. The figure stared with unblinking eyes and began hacking away at the stallion. “No! No!” he screamed with every slash. Crimson streams splashed against the trees and surrounding foliage. The stallion’s hoof fell limp and the figure set out for the mare.

The moon cast jagged shadows all through the forest and the mare ran without direction. Thorns and bushes cut her flesh as she desperately tried to escape. She looked over her shoulder to check for her pursuer and slammed into something solid. A machete swung inches from her face and got stuck in the trunk of an oak tree. The figure fought to dislodge it and the mare sprinted in the opposite direction.

With a sickening snap, the mare fell to the ground after her hoof got caught in some roots. She clutched at her broken ankle and looked at the horrible shape in the moonlight. A bloody hoof reached from the darkness and pawed weakly at the ground near her. She screamed and reeled backwards to see her lover.

“Run…” the stallion whispered with his last breath. The mare began sobbing hysterically and struggled to her hooves. Twigs snapped behind her and fear willed her on. From the clearing, she knew exactly where the two had entered the forest.

“Help me!” she screamed, hoping that some-pony may be near enough to hear her plea. “Help me, please!” The path wound and turned until the trees started to thin out and Manehatten came into view. The heavy breathing of her pursuer grew louder and she tried to run faster.

Her ankle gave out and she fell, tumbling into a small ravine. She tried desperately to climb out but kept slipping against the wet leaves. From above, the figure looked down at the helpless pony.

“Stay away!” the mare shouted. The figure ignored her, slowly walking down the incline with a machete at the ready. It stood over her for a moment, silent and foreboding. She kicked at it with her good leg in attempt to deter it. The moon edged its way from behind the clouds and shone down into the ravine. The mare could see the features of her attacker and her heart stopped. “No. You can’t be real. You AREN’T real!”

Without a word, the figure brought the machete slashing across the mare’s chest. She screamed with each passing of the blade until blood filled her throat. The figure stopped to look at the mare as she slowly bled out. The machete dripped blood and shone crimson in the moonlight. After one final slash, the figure sheathed its weapon and turned to stare at the moon.