Hello?

~~~

It was so dark.

Fog engulfed my legs, cold smoke hovering above the ground. A forest loomed ahead, its trees rough and twisted. My mind swirled with thoughts as I continued forward, starting with a shivering hoof in front of the other. The ground was invisible, just darkness. The sky was just a black cape, too. No stars, mountains, what so ever. How did I recognize this forest?

I stared at the trees as I passed by, each one growing bigger.

And bigger.

Soon, the trees were just poles vanishing into dark shadows. I just can't stop.. I know this place..

Then, I heard a muffled cry.

Ahead of me was a little filly, slumping towards me, with her head low and mud splattered on her hooves. She had a long, katywompus horn, twisting this way and that. She had tears streaming down her face, dropping to the empty ground. I approached her, but receded when she didn't stop in front of me. She touched me.

But walked through me.

I stared at her trudge away, a tear path following her. I shrugged it off, and followed her back, the way I came in. She gradually turned her head around, staring back.

Oh my.

It was me.

Her emerald eyes were bloodshot- but shone green from the tears. Her mane was like a long blue drape with holes splattered at the bottom. Her body had fragile shell-like casings on it with large draping wings like her mane. She turned her head back, dragging her wings on the ground as she continued.

~~~

It was odd. The forest didn't end. Oh well. The mini-me was still crying and slumping on.

I got tired after about ten minutes, so I rested. Apparently she was tired too, because she sat on her rump and wiped the tears. I stared at the mini-me as she pulled her muddy hoof down. Then, in the distance, I heard a thundering bellow. I could't make out what it said, but it was bad. I stood.

The mini-me jolted up to her hooves, staring down the slope. I saw a cart from far away on the only green hill making a thousand rikket-rakkets. It made a path of dirt appear in front of it. Mini-me screamed and collapsed onto her back, covering her face immediately. The two maroon earth ponies scraped the earth in order to halt the speeding covered wagon. The wagon tilted back as a white alicorn with a mane made of the space's purple and orange colors dotted with stars and a pelt whiter than snow stepped out. She turned her head to mini-me and approached her slowly at a slow walk. Staring down at her, she placed a hoof next to her head.

"I see you found somewhere to hide," she smirked, her amber eyes glowing with pride. The forest started to form. The ground was now fresh grass, the trees had texture, the sky was blue, and a path winded under our hooves. Mini-me's face was full of horror as she took her hooves away from her face. "For using Dark Magic and being daughter of Queen Vixol, you will be sentenced to death by sunrise."

Mini-me wailed and scrambled onto her hooves, sliding out from under the alicorn. The alicorn looked smug as she levitated mini-me with amber magic. She was paralyzed with shock and fear, her leaking eyes gazing at the alicorn.

After shocking mini-me with a spell that made her body limp and her eyes shut, she announced, "Get the wagon ready, we're going to Canterlot."

With help of a navy blue alicorn with a mane of space, the alicorn was escorted aboard the wagon, the mini-me vanishing along with her. The ponies pulling the cart bolted away, neighing before the action.

I wasn't going to leave her alone, so I hovered over the cart. My ears caught conversations from inside of a new filly, punishment, and more.

~~~