Seven Deadly Ponies

Chapter 1:

A cold sliver of dread creeped into the zebra's heart. It wasn't bad, but it's mission was to warn her of the dangers to come.

She shivered under the covers. Something wasn't right. The small cold threads grew into an icy claw and seized her heart. She gasped aloud and bolted upright, suddenly awake.

"Celestia and Luna, I hear you as one. Such bad news you tell me of what she has done," Zecora murmured. This was terrible news. How could such things happen? She felt torn, as if she wasn't whole anymore, but rather two parts, one lost in an endless void. Again, she felt that something wasn't right. The zebra closed her eyes and concentrated. She had to think straight. So she did what she normally did when faced with trouble. She brewed a potion.

*****

Zecora scanned through her books to find exactly what she was looking for. Finally, in volume number 47, she found it: "The Painted Dream". This spell would show her dreams in the potion, the ones she couldn't remember. That would help to clarify everything.

Two hours later, she stood over a brewing cauldron of a sweet cinnamon-scented potion. "Dream be drawn up from my mind. Show me what it is you find." Almost instantly, images began to appear at the surface of the liquid. Zecora began to freeze in shock as horrific events began to unfold before her very eyes. This couldn't be happening. How could such a thing go wrong? The zebra sank into the floor in despair. The way of life that Equestria was meant to follow was demolished.

She watched her dreams replay for a while longer. It was a sign of what was to come - she knew as much. She didn't know who or why, but there was a reason it was sent to her.

"But tell me; in what way am I to assist? Surely they don't know their elements are missed."

They wouldn't, of course. The elements no longer existed. She felt like a weight was sagging inside of her as all hope was diminished. What once brought peace and harmony throughout the land was no longer there. How could these dreams possible help with anything?

"Stop this worrying, it does no good. You already know things aren't as they should" she knew she couldn't keep sitting there fretting about what was lost, she had to help move things forward, to restore the land in all it's glory. Despite everything, the sun was still shining, and birds were still warbling away. Zecora stood up and threw open the doors, letting light stream in. She donned her cloak and picked up her basket.

It was time to pay Ponyville another visit.