Lord of the Horseshoes: The Friendship of the Shoe

Spike came into an open path after cutting through a cornfield, but saw no one. He started to get anxious, calling out, “Applebuck?”

He started to rush, calling out, “Applebuck? Applebuck!”

Then around the corner of the path ahead, he saw Applebuck coming towards him. The baby dragon sighed in relief, saying, “Thought I lost you for a sec.”

“Whattya mean?” Applebuck asked.

“Something Twilight told me.”

“What’d she tell ya?”

“‘Stick with him no matter what, Spike’,” Spike answered, “and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”

“Spike, wer’ still in Ponyville country,” Applebuck said with a smile, “what could happen?”

And no sooner did he says so did they both get tackled.

“Applebuck?”

Applebuck looked to see...

“Scootaroll?!”

“Sweepy Beau, look!” neighed the Pegasus colt, “It’s Applebuck!”

“Hey, Applebuck, what brings you to this neighborhood?” laughed the unicorn colt.

“Get off me!” Spike snapped, pushing Sweepy Beau off and throwing a glare at Scootaroll, “And you get off him!”

Helping Applebuck up, he and Spike noticed the many veggies and flowers Sweepy and Scoot had.

“Wha’ is all this?”

“You guys are stealing from Daisy, Lily Valley, and Rose’s crop!” Spike hissed.

They heard distant barking and three voices a’shouting.

“Get out of our field!”

“You just wait till we get our hooves on you!”

“Come back here!”

“Run!” Scootaroll yelled, as he lead Applebuck and Sweepy Beau got Spike moving.

“What’re they so upset about?” Sweepy Beau asked, “It’s just a few carrots!”

“And some lettuce,” Scootaroll corrected, but he kept going, “and then there’re those three bushels of lily blooms we lifted last week! And the week before that, it was several ears of corn-”

“Yes, Scoot!” Sweepy Beau snapped. “My point is… those three are clearly overreacting!”

The four of them exited the cornfield only to go over a steep hill, yelling, “ow”-ing, stumbling, rolling, until they landed in a pile… on a road. Scootaroll looked up and saw his face not one foot away from a cowpie.

“Whoa… that was close.”

“Ugh! I think something snapped! Hope it’s not my horn…” Sweepy Beau groaned, as he got up and hanging from his horn was a carrot almost completely snapped in two.

“You two, typical!” Spike muttered angrily as he sat up, Sweepy Beau saying in mock offense, “What?! That was a detour, a shortcut.”

“To what?” Spike muttered.

“Blueberries!” Scootaroll gasped, and not far from them was a patch of blueberry bushes. The three of them pushed and pulled through each other to get at them and start picking.

Applebuck looked back and forth, seeing the road for the first time. It was an old one, covered in leaves but noticeable enough, and whether or not it hadn’t been used in a long time was irrelevant to him.

“We should get off th’ road.”

He looked ahead, seeing a swirl of leaves carry to him a frightening shriek.

“Get off th’ road!”

Hearing the urgency in Applebuck’s voice, they all obeyed and hopped over the side of the road, and hid in a pit over hung with roots from a tree. They huddled together, shushing when they heard an approaching clip-clop until it was right on top of them, and they heard a haggard breathing. Applebuck looked through the roots and saw an armored hoof, appearing to have three bloodied clawed toes. Then they heard the clacking of the heavy hooves on the overhanging roots above them, and a harsh sniffing sound.

From where they were, all four of them could see the masked face and its decrepit horn, showing it was some kind of black unicorn, when they noticed a spider on Sweepy Beau’s shoulder, a centipede slithered between their feet, more manner of creepy-crawly squirmed around them, as if this phantom equine was affecting the environment with its foul presence.

Applebuck panted in fear, trying to keep quiet, closing his eyes as he pulled out the Horseshoe form his pocket. The black unicorn perked as if sensing something. Spike quickly placed his hand on Applebuck’s other hoof, snapping Applebuck out of it and he stopped himself from placing the Horseshoe on his hoof. Sweepy Beau threw one of his bags as far as he could when the black unicorn wasn’t looking, and the sound drew it away with a scream.

At once, the four of them bolted, tearing through the forest, stopping only when they were a good distance from the road. And it was getting dark.

“What was that?!” Scootaroll asked as he collapsed.

Applebuck didn’t answer; he only looked at the Horseshoe in his hand.

Uncertain they were safe, they started sneaking, quickly bolting from tree to tree, keeping vigilance, fearing the darkness.

“Anything?” Scootaroll called to Applebuck ahead.

“Nothin’,” Applebuck replied.

“What’s going on?!”

“That Black Unicorn was looking for something,” Sweepy Beau spoke in a serious tone, “or someone… Applebuck?”

“Get down!” Spike gasped, and they ducked, looking towards a hill, and they saw the Black Unicorn, becoming harder to as night enveloped the world. Thankfully, it went the other way.

To Sweepy Beau, Applebuck said, “Ah gotta git outta Ponyville country, we hafta’ make it to Hoofington.”

Sweepy Beau nodded, declaring, “Bubblebury Ferry, follow me!”

They ran for a few miles through the dark woods, Sweepy Beau leading the way. As it seemed to get uneventful, they got less careful and paid for, as they came to a cluster of trees, and screamed to find a Black Unicorn braying ferociously. They’d been found!

“Run!”

“This way!”

“Careful!”

Luckily, they surrounded the Black Unicorn and moved to confuse him until they all tore away, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Up ahead, they saw a small house, next to a small pier set in a river. They leapt over the wooden post fence, making for the pier, where the ferry was tied.

Sweepy Beau, Scootaroll, and Spike clambered on, Sweepy shouting, “Get the rope, Spike!”

Spike and Sweepy got the ropes as Scootaroll grabbed the ferry-pole when Spike looked to see Applebuck still ashore.

“Applebuck!”

Applebuck was running, his eyes terrified, the Black Unicorn catching up.

“Run, Applebuck!” shouted Scootaroll.

“Cast off!” Applebuck shouted, so Spike pushed the ferry away from the pier as he and Sweepy both held out their arms, shouting, “Jump, Applebuck! Jump!”

Applebuck leapt, landing into their arms, and the Black Unicorn skidded to a stop, rearing, angrily braying as having come so close to lose the target. The Black Unicorn turned around and ran down the road alongside the river, followed, to everypony’s shock, by two more.

“How long till th’ nearest bridge?” Applebuck asked as he panted.

“Berrypunch Bridge, twenty miles,” Sweepy Beau answered.

It was raining by the time the four of them arrived at Hoofington. It was an enclosed town, protected by a high stone wall and fortification. The four of them wore hooded cloaks as they approached the gate. They knocked on the door set in the gate, and a window in it opened to reveal an old earth pony stallion.

“Whaddyou  want?”

“We’re headed ta’ Sugarcube Corner,” Applebuck answered.

The door opened as the old stallion held a lantern to get a better look.

“Three colts and a baby dragon, eh? What brings ya to Hoofington?”

“We’d like ta’ stay at the inn, please,” Applebuck asked politely.

Seeing some fear in their eyes, the old stallion nodded, and let them through, saying, “Sorry if I scared ya, lads. It’s me job ta’ ask questions ta’ visitors after nightfall. There’s talk’a strange blokes running about, pays to keep an eye out, it does.”

Hoofington was quite different from Ponyville, which was comprised almost completely of earth ponies. Here, there were more unicorns, plenty of earth ponies, and a few pegasi. The buildings were built of stone and wood, all of which were built so close together, the roads of cobble, iron lanterns lit the place. But the ponies here were not so kind or welcoming as the ponies back home. A few stallions rudely pushed past them, a couple shouted things like “Watch where ya going!”

Thankfully, they found their destination. A tall building of white with pink inlay, a hay roof, and a sign styled to resemble sweets as it read ‘Sugarcube Corner’.

Inside, it was a little merrier than what they’d experienced outside. Mares and stallions, mostly unicorns, a few foals, were all seated at various tables or at the bar, being served confections and pastries, or tea, hot chocolate, etc.

They approached the counter where Applebuck politely called, “Excuse me?”

They were welcomed by a tall and gangly yellow earth pony stallion with a large jaw, carrot-red hair, he wore a deli hat and apron.

“Well, good evenin’ to ya, boys! Name’s Carrot Cake. If yer looking for accommodations, we have plenty of room. Just two bits a bed per night ya stay, mister…?”

“…Brad Seed,” Applebuck lied, ignoring the uncomfortable shifts of his friends behind him. “Mah name’s Brad Seed. Uh, Mr. Cake, wouldja tell Twilight Shimmer wer here? She’s a friend of ours.”

“Twilight?” echoed Carrot Cake curiously. He pondered a second before calling, “Honeybun!”

A cottoncandy-blue earth pony mare with a swirly pink mane and tail resembling frosting, wearing an apron, came over.

“This here’s the missus, Cup Cake,” Carrot Cake introduced to them, then to his wife, he said, “Honeybun, this nice young colt’s asking for a… Twilight Shimmer?”

“Oh! Twilight, such a nice mare and so talented,” Cup Cake replied then to the colts she said, “Sorry ta’ tell you, dearies, but Twilight hasn’t been here for months! I’ll go prepare your room for you.”

Cup Cake left while the four of them paid for the room with Carrot Cake and they  all went to a small table to talk.

“What do we do now?” Spike whispered.

“She’ll come, guys, ah know she will!” Applebuck insisted.

“I’m gonna get a hot chocolate,” Scootaroll stated, and moved for the bar.

A bit later, Spike nudged Applebuck and pointed without looking, whispering, “That guy’s been leering at you ever since we sat down.”

Getting the idea to be discreet, Applebuck stole a glance and saw a large cloaked unicorn stallion sitting at a table in the far corner of the restaurant.  He had a long white horn, his tail was streaked in several colors of blue. Something about it was familiar, but Applebuck could see it was plain as the horn on the unicorn’s face he was indeed staring at him.

Cup Cake was walking by to serve somepony else when Applebuck tapped her flank, asking, “`Scuse me, Miss Cake.”

“Yes, dearie?” she said kindly.

“That unicorn in the corner, who is he?”

“Ooh, you don’t wanna get mixed up with them, dear. He’s a polite customer but he’s a Ranger, dangerous wanderers of the wild. I don’t know his real name, but around here…  he’s known as Destrier.”

She kindly poured him some tea and carried on serving everypony.

“Destrier…” Applebuck echoed, feeling the unicorn’s piercing gaze behind the shadow of his hood. Trying to keep calm, Applebuck toyed with the Horseshoe between his hooves, closing his eyes, hearing a distant whisper.

Apple…

He felt himself starting to immerse to the fog of his own mind.

…Apple

He was somehow able to know everything going on in the restaurant, every bite, every swig, every swallow, every word… every word!

“Apple?”

That time, it was not the Horseshoe, and it snapped him out of the trance as he looked to the bar, seeing Scootaroll talking with some stallions and the idiot pointed him out.

“Sure I know an Apple, right there! Applebuck!”

At once, Applebuck rushed over, grabbing Scootaroll, Destrier observing as somepony tripped Applebuck, and he fell flat on his back onto the floor, the Horseshoe flinging up into the air, Destrier stirring at the sight of it. Applebuck reached out towards it, but something unnatural happed as the Horseshoe came down.  Instead of falling into his grasp, the Horseshoe seemed to move so as to fit onto Applebuck’s hoof, and at once he vanished in the blink of an eye!

Everypony saw and gasped.

The Black Unicorns sensed it!

Applebuck looked around to see everything faded in shadow. A chill blew everywhere when he heard a voice that frightened him to his very core.

You cannot hide…

He turned to face it, and to the colt’s horror, he saw a pair of eyes, the pupils radiating a hateful red, the whites long turned a poisonous green, all enwreathed in a purple miasma.

I see you… There is no life in the void… Only… death!

Applebuck scuttled away in fright, feeling what like a tableleg behind him, as he wrenched the Horseshoe off. Everything brightened, he felt warmth, he heard gossip and laughter, he sighed in relief. Only to feel somepony grab him by his shirtfront and he was pushed against a wall... by Destrier!

“You draw an unhealthy amount of attention, Young ‘Brad Seed’…”

Then Destrier marched Applebuck upstairs to the inn rooms. He pushed the colt into a room as Applebuck regained his wits.

“Whaddya want from me?”

“To be cautious,” the unicorn replied in a quiet voice. “That is no bauble you carry.”

“I-it’s just an old fam’ly heirloom,” Applebuck insisted.

“From your grandmother?” the unicorn replied, not at all fooled.

How duz he know that? Applebuck thought in alarm.

Destrier quickly snuffed out some candles with the magic of his horn, saying, “I have my ways of moving about unseen… but complete invisibility?”

He threw off his hood, revealing a long unkempt mane matching the colors of his tail, a ruggedly handsome face, cerulean eyes, if he kept himself a little cleaner he could look like a prince.

“That is a spell even I have yet to master.”

“Who are you?” Applebuck asked.

“Are you scared?” asked the white unicorn, eyes narrowed.

“Yes..”

“Not scared enough, I’ll tell you. I know the horrors seeking you.”

They heard a coming clipclops and the door flew open, Destrier yanking out a sword with his magic, as in rushed Spike, Scootaroll and Sweepy Beau, the young dragon yelling, “Release him! Or I’ll have your horn!”

The unicorn huffed as he sheathed his sword, saying, “Your heart is bold, young dragon, but it will not save you.”

Then to Applebuck, he said in a grim voice, “You can no longer await the Magician, Applebuck. They’re coming."

At the town gate, the keeper looked out the window to see who it was only for the gate to crash down on him as four Black Unicorns charged into Hoofington. They went directly for Sugarcube Corner, the Cakes huddling together  in terror with their babies behind the counter, as the shadowy wraiths stole for the stairs.

In a room, they found four beds, obviously somepony sleeping in them. As silent as the cold breath of death, they each stood next to a bed, reared up… and stomped down on the beds’ occupants with murderous fury, the beds’ frames cracking beneath their armored hooves, as Destrier watched from a building across the street of Sugarcube Corner.

The Black Unicorns then reached out and tore away the blankets, finding only feathered pillows as they brayed in screaming fury that they’d been tricked and their prey gone, unaware they were so close, as they tore the room apart.

Applebuck looked to Destrier, as did his friends, as the white unicorn looked at the phantasms as they spilled back into the streets.

“What are they?”

The Ranger looked to him.

“Once they were normal Unicorns, revered Kings and Queens. Then Sombra the Deceiver offered to them nine horseshoes of power. Blinded by the emotions in their hearts, greed, honor, whatever it was for each, they took them without question. One by one, falling into darkness. They are the Kageld… Wraiths. Neither living nor dead. They ever feel and are drawn to the power of the Horseshoe. They will never stop hunting you…”

In the morn, the Ranger led the four young ones from Hoofington.

“Where’re we goin’?” Applebuck asked.

“Into the Wild,” Destrier answered.

“How do we know we can trust this guy?” Spike muttered to Applebuck.

“We have no choice, do we?” Applebuck countered.

“But where is he leading us?” Spike wanted to know.

“To Trottingham, Dragon,” Destrier answered to let them know he could hear every word. “To the house of Artemis.”

“Trottingham!” Applebuck gasped, Spike of equal bewilderment as he said, “We’re gonna see the Alicorns!”

Ebony wings spread as the Prevoyant was exploited by the fallen magician, Nightmare Moon, whispering, “The Power of Crystagard is at your command, Sombra… Lord and Master of all who live and breathe.”

Build me an army worthy of Tartarus…

In her study, Nightmare Moon looked out the window as the door opened, in walking three hideous creatures shaped like ponies but looked more like insects. They had no fur, but insect-like carapace of greenish-black, transluscent wings, and faceted pale blue eyes, fangs clicking as one of them spoke in a buzzy voice, “What orderzzz from Tartarus, milady? What doezzz the Glare command?”

“We have work to do,” Nightmare Moon stated.

Outside the tower, the trees surrounding it were being ripped and pulled down by the creatures, Changelings, buzzing, screaming, as they worked. Nightmare Moon, with a few in tow, walked among them to oversee the progress.

Atop Crystagard tower, somepony stirred. It was Twilight. Her eyes fluttered open, her head pounding as she groaned and rubbed her forehead, feeling dried blood. She tried to work a healing spell, but realized the black crystal-blemishes were still on her horn, she was still powerless! She noticed where she was and peered over the edge, seeing the desecration occurring. And it broke her heart as one by one the trees came crashing down.

“The treezzz are strong, milady. Their roots go deep.”

“Rip them all down,” ordered Nightmare Moon, coldly and uncompromising.

Twilight huddled by one of the sharp points, shivering and sad as she listened to the destruction around her, powerless to stop it, and the rains began to fall.

Travelling through  the wide open pastures riddled with rocks, Destrier led the three colts an young dragon towards the ruins atop a great hill.

“This was once known as the Great Watchtower of the Wind. We shall rest here tonight.”

As the sunset, clouds gathering overhead, they settled at an outcropping that offered shelter and a perfect view to watch out. There, Destrier laid out four large daggers.

“From now on, you must all be armed. Keep these close. Stay here and keep your heads low while I take a look around.”

Applebuck rested, pulling his cloak and blanket close as the night air settled, when he heard mumbling.

“…tomatoes’ burst.”

“Could I have some eggs?”

Applebuck bolted up and saw Scootaroll, Spike, and Sweepy Beau around a fire, eating.

“What’re ya doin?!” he gasped.

“Tomatoes, eggs, and toast,” Sweepy Beau announced.

“We saved some for you, Applebuck,” Spike offered, holding out a plate.

“Puddit out, ya dumbies, puddit out!” Applebuck cried as he stamped the fire out.

“Oh tha’s nice! Ash on my tomatoes!” Scootaroll complained.

A piercing scream of a neigh rent the air, and the four of them looked out to the Weathertop slope. From the fog the saw five Black Unicorns stealing towards them from the fog below. Drawing his dagger, Applebuck yelled, “Go!”

The rest of them followed suit in drawing their daggers, and they climbed up the ruined stairs near them. They arrived at the center of Weathertop, huddling together as they looked around the ruined and weathered archways, trying to perceive through the darkness their enemies. Then they saw them. One by one, they appeared, slowly creeping towards them like spills of oil. Each of them lowered their horns, which, despite their worn appearances, were sharper than broken glass, as they slowly marched upon the four.

“Back, you devils!” Spike yelled as he lashed out his dagger.

His dagger met the horn of the nearest one in metallic clings only for the Black Unicorn to lash out with his hoof, knocking Spike aside, then doing so with Scootaroll and Sweepy Beau. Applebuck backed away, dropping his dagger, as terror slowly began to overcome his senses. Not knowing why, Applebuck pulled out the Horseshoe, earning the unanimous attention of the Black Unicorns, the one in the middle stepping forward, his wicked horn bared and poised. In fright, Applebuck put the Horseshoe on, vanishing from his friends’ sights.

In the shadows that now draped the world around him, Applebuck was blown away to see in the Black Unicorns’ places figures of white, draped in flowing white cloaks that looked as fragile as cobwebs. But then he saw their faces!

Aged and haggard, old crowns behind their horns, stringy manes blowing. They looked like they were aging but unable to die. The only thing about them black was their eyes, like lifeless voids. The one with his horn bared at him held out his forehoof, beckoning Applebuck to do the same with his hoof, slowly holding out the Horseshoe, as if his body had a will of its own.

Their hooves almost touched, the Horseshow of Power almost in the grasp of the enemy, when Applebuck mustered all his will and pulled back his hoof. The unicorn, taken aback, mercilessly bore his horn into Applebuck’s chest, and he screamed. The phantom moved again to take the Horseshoe when he looked up, Destrier leaping in, horn ablaze with fire magic.

The Black Unicorns shied away from the heat as Destrier lashed it about. Applebuck removed the Horsehoe, crying out in pain as he reappeared to the living.

“Applebuck!” gasped Spike.

Destirer dodged a stab, and rear-kicked away his attacker,  then managed to set the cloak of one of the wraiths ablaze, making it run away. Another slashed at Destrier who rolled away and then lunged foreword, driving his flaming horn through the wraith’s mask, setting him too ablaze. At once the rest of them dispersed and retreated.

“Destrier!” Spike called, the unicorn coming to look at Applebuck’s wound. “Help him!”

Destrier sighed dejectedly, saying, “He’s been stabbed by the horn of a wraith. This is beyond my ability to heal.”

Applebuck cried out in pain as Destrier lifted him onto his back, “He needs Alicorn remedy.”

They hurried through the darkwoods, hearing the distant brays of the Black Unicorns.

“We’re six days from Trottingham!” Spike yelled, “He’ll never make it!”

“Be strong, Applebuck,” Destrier whispered to him.

The pristine gardens and trees that once surrounded Crystagard were gone. In their place was a barren land, riddled with ash and machine, as the Changelings took all the lumber and leaves and flora to burn for their forges. The Changelings stoked the fires, hammered metal, poured it molten, shaping weapons and shields and armor.

But despite so much life stolen, one little butterfly fluttered shyly over the desecration towards the top of the tower, as if being drawn to a cry out for help.

At the top of the tower, it saw a hoof stretched out and perched onto it. The hoof moved to the face of Twilight, who inspected the butterfly, seeing it had a blue body and pink wings. She quickly began to whisper to the butterfly, and then released it, whispering urgently, “Go!”

Below the forges, Nightmare Moon observed the Changelings digging up some unnatural form of monstrosity, which reached out at one of its liberators, thanking the changeling by crushing its windpipe. Nightmare Moon smirked wickedly as the creature rose up from the depths of the earth, naked and covered in muddy grime which could not hard the hard ugly muscles or sharp longhorns as it snorted menacingly.

“Applebuck…!” Spike whispered as he touched the colt’s forehead. Applebuck was becoming cold and pale, his eyes turning yellow, whimpering in fright and cold and pain.

“He’s freezing!”

They had made camp, Destrier keeping an eye out.

“Is he going to die?” Scootaroll asked in fear.

“Worse,” Destrier answered, “his soul is fading to the Nether. He’ll soon become like them, a wraith that brings fear wherever it goes.”

Suddenly, Applebuck gasped at the distant neighs of the Black Unicorns, as if somewhere inside him a shadow was yearning to reunite with some depraved kin.

“They’re coming!” whispered Sweepy Beau.

“Spike,” Destrier called, “Do you know of the plant Poison Joke?”

“Yeah, it’s this blue flower,” Spike confirmed.

“It won’t cure Applebuck, but its positive nature may help slow the poisoning, hurry!”

He and Spike set into the woods to seek the poison joke. Destrier found a good patch and used his magic to levitate a clump of the stuff from its roots when he felt a blade at his throat.

“What’s this? A ranger caught off guard…?” said a voice he knew too well.

As he lay in torture, through the fog of cold and hurt, Applebuck saw a light so warm as somepony stepped out of it. She was beautiful, her coat pink like a blossom, her mane violet with streaks of rose and pale gold, a horn on her forehead, but she was not just a unicorn, for wings spread at her side before refolding, she was garbed in a dress white like heaven.

“Applebuck…” she whispered warmly. Then she spoke a language he did not know, but in his heart, he understood word for word.

“My name is Cadance – I am here to help you. Here my voice… Come back to the light!”

Although it was slight, Applebuck felt some of the cold and hurt vanish.

Scootaroll and Sweepy Beau watched in astonishment as Cadance, dressed not in white but in a close-fitting gray shirt and cloak, one of her wings apparently bandaged, bent over Applebuck.

“Who is she?” Scootaroll asked.

“She’s an Alicorn!” Sweepy Beau whispered.

Destrier came with the poison joke, preparing it as he and Cadance examined the wound.

“He’s fading,” Cadance said as she moved Applebuck’s shirt to see the poisoned stab wound, Destrier placing the prepared herb onto it.

“He’s not going to last. We must get him to my father.”

Destrier picked up Applebuck as Cadance said, “I’ve been seeking you for two days. Five of the wraiths are behind you, where the other four are I know not.”

“Stay with the others,” Destrier spoke in her tongue, “I’ll send escorts from Trottingham.”

“I may not be able to fly at the moment but I am still the faster runner,” she argued, “I’ll take him.”

“It is too dangerous.”

“What’re they saying?” Scootaroll asked.

“If I cross the river, the power of my people will protect him. I do not fear them.”

Destrier gave her a hard look, then levitated Applebuck onto her back. Then he said to her, his tone laced with care, not just for Applebuck, but for her, “Cadance… Run hard, don’t look back.”

Cadance nodded, then galloped as if the wolves were at her hooves.

“What’re you doing?!” Spike yelled, “Those monsters are still out there!”

Destrier merely looked on, his heart tightened by fear and worry.

Cadance ran. All through the day and night, across vast lands, but she did not escape notice. She soon found herself tailed as wraiths appeared, one by one, pursuing her for the prize she carried, until at last all Nine pursued her in nightmarish parade. One of them ran alongside her, trying to reach Applebuck. Cadancde ushered more strength, groaning as she ran harder, determined to protect her charge.

Finally, she reached the Shingly Ford and crossed the river, passing into her father’s realm. The wraiths all stopped and reared at the riverbank, as Cadance turned to face them on the other side. Their leader made himself known as he demanded in a voice as harsh as the crack of bone, “Surrender the colt, she-corn!”

Her horn ablazing, Cadance challenged, “If you want him, come and claim him!”

The wraiths all bared their horns as they braved the sacred waters when Cadance began to chant.

“Into the Light I make my pray!

The herd that gallops forever through Day:

Summon here now their dauntless forces!

The Holy Steeds, the Prancing White Horses!”

Sensing a power greater than they, the wraiths looked upriver, hearing a roaring rush of a wave, shaped as galloping horses in the whites of the waves as they raced towards the fiends, who were too late to flee, as they were quickly washed away. As if they’d never been more than bad dreams, they were gone.

Alas, Cadance gasped as she felt Applebuck fading more. She gently laid him down, as he whimpered, his eyes unfocused on anything.

“Oh no…! Applebuck, no! Don’t give in! Not now!”

A tear went down her face, as she then hugged the little colt close, warming him as she prayed.

What grace the light gifts to me, share it with him. Let him be spared. Save him…