Through Darkness

Almost out of breath, Black Cristal stumbled upon a tree with a door, the perfect place to hide from whatever was following her! She knocked on the door, and then quickly went inside, putting miscellaneous furniture against the door. As she seized a needed breather, she took the time to look around this random hut in the middle of the forest. An old pewter cauldron sat in the middle of the room, the musty stench of old, unmaintained books and herbs filled the air. There was a pounding at the door, and she could tell that it was the beast by the sounds it was making were the exact same. Just to be safe, Black Cristal searched the room for another piece of furniture to help barricade the door. But, she couldn’t help but notice that there was a faint snoring sound coming from seemingly inside the cauldron.

The knocking at the door, and the creature’s groans became louder, and quicker… then stopped.

“Huh?” A groggy voice said from behind the cauldron, scaring Black Cristal.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to break into your home, it’s just, I was lost in the woods, and something was behind me, and chased me all the way here--” Black Cristal said in one breath, before she saw who this pony was.

“Roze?”

“Black Cristal?”

“Oh my goodness! Thank my pony ancestors-- You scared the living daylights out of me!”

The pounding started again, this time with a whimpering noise.

“What is that?!” Wildroze exclaimed with fear.

“That’s the monster that’s been chasing me!”

“Monster? What does it look like?”

“Well, I kind of ran before I could get a look.” Black Cristal replied dryly, wasn’t it obvious that when you’re scared you don’t look straight at the thing you’re scared of?

“I’ve read about many kinds of monsters, if I knew what this one looked like, I could tell you if we’re in any real danger.”

“It chased me all the way here, and is now threateningly pounding away at the door. Do you really think it just wants to have happy pony tea time?”

“Some ‘monsters’ are only ferocious on the outside, and they won’t leave you alone until they know you know that you bothered them.”

“”Oh,” Black Cristal said sarcastically, “I’m so sorry Mr. Whatever-You-Are! I know you’re mad, so please go away and don’t eat us. Okay, thanks alot!! Hugs and kisses; Yours truly, B.”

The knocking stopped immediately.

“See? What did I tell you, B?”

Suddenly, it got really dark, and so cold, there was frost on the windows. Outside, there was a flash of lightning, and a familiar scream came from the other side of the door.

“Poe?!” Black Cristal said, throwing the furniture away from the door. When she opened the door, Poetic Cake was lying on the ground in fetal position, with tears filling his eyes. “Poe! What happened?”

“W-w-wildroze, with the… and the dark… and the woooosshh… and the zckck-ckaboom! And the lightning, and the woosh, and the french toast with the shhhhhh!!!”

“...I what?” Wildroze said confused.

As soon as he saw Wildroze behind Black Cristal, he bolted up-straight, with eye twitching and hissing, “EVIIIIIIIIILLLLLL!”

“What are you talking about?!” Black Cristal said wanting this nonsense to stop.

“How could you say that I’m evil?” Wildroze said, holding back tears.

“Oh give up the act! You know what I’m talking about, you… you… evil enchantress! Tell Blacky what you told me… no? Alright, I will! She said, ‘Through darkness you will fall, through darkness at the ball, through darkness you will fall, through darkness one and all-- Muhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!', and then zckck-ckaboom!! You were gone with the lighting and the thunder!!“

“That’s an old poem, I’ve read it before in a book about magic--”

“See?! EVIL ENCHANTRESS!!!”

“No, Poetic Cake, you don’t understand. That poem was written by a famous earth pony named Zecora from long, long ago. It was among the last things that were published by her before she disappeared forever, along with a picture drawn by her of a two pegasus sisters facing each other, one a green color, like me. And the other was a very very dark purple, the color of dark magic. I always used to pretend I was that pegasus, but couldn’t have been because I don’t have a sister.”

“Wait, you mean to tell me… that if that pony in the picture was you, then that thing was...” Poetic Cake gulped.

“Pure darkness.” Black Cristal confirmed Poetic Cake's fears.

Wildroze ran inside the hut, remembering the empty book of magic that she looked through before passing out. Starting from where she thought she'd dropped it initiall, and ending with the whole interior of the hut turned inside out and upsidedown.

"It's gone!" She strained.

"What's gone?" Black Cristal asked incredulously.

"There was a book here that fell in front of me. I looked through it, but there was nothing in it--"

"So, why do you need it so much?" Poetic Cake said impatiently, wanting to go home.

"Well, before I passed out, I felt something inside of me burst... and everything was cold... I think... I think that book may be the answer to all of our questions."