Angel of Justice

It was just another ordinary day in Equestria. The sun came and went on its daily path through the sky as the denizens of Ponyville went about their business. Just as the yellowish-orange glow of the nearly set sun cast its rays onto the Golden Oak Library, Twilight Sparkle sat in the main room looking curiously at the letter that her number one assistant Spike was holding.

Twilight hummed with intrigue as the young dragon fiddled with the scroll from the princess. She wondered what Celestia could have possibly wanted this late in the day.

“Go ahead and open it, Spike.” She beckoned and moved in closer, looking eagerly to the dragon.

Spike nodded and flipped his fingers over the seal on the letter. He jumped in surprise as a small box fell out of the scroll and onto the table in front of him.

“Yikes! I hope nothing breakable was in there,” The dragon sighed at his own clumsy mistake. He picked up the box and shook it gently to determine the contents. “Doesn’t feel like anything is moving around… must be secured pretty well,” He said, deflating a bit with relief.

Twilight wrinkled her expression in annoyance before she picked up the box herself and contemplated opening it. As she inched her hoof forward to remove the lid of the small container, Spike unrolled the scroll and started reading it, leading her to put the box down and listen intently.

“Dearest Twilight Sparkle, I am sorry to trouble you this late in the evening, but there is a matter of great importance that I need you to tend to,” Spike perked up with curiosity as he got further into the letter. ”Enclosed within this letter is a box containing an… interesting item of importance,” He paused and chuckled nervously as he looked at the package on the table.

“Can I see the letter, Spike? I want to read this for myself,” Twilight beckoned with her hoof and waited for the dragon to hand her the letter.

“Oh… alright, here you go.” Spike reached forward and waited patiently for the unicorn to lift the letter out of his hand with her magic. Twilight concentrated on the scroll for a moment and lit up her horn. A bright purple glow enveloped the scroll around Spike’s hand and he let go as he felt the paper nudge out of his grip.

Twilight levitated the paper in front of her eyes and adjusted the scroll to reading level. She then quickly traced over the beginning part of the letter to find where Spike had stopped, and inhaled sharply.

“I need you to deliver this box to Zecora and tell her to examine the contents to see what she can find. I also need you to gather up the other element bearers and take them, along with Spike, with you on your journey. Once you arrive at Zecora’s house and she finds anything of note, write me back as soon as you are able. I would like to talk with you all about a pressing matter.” The unicorn furrowed her brow as she finished reading the curious scroll. She had just about as many questions now as she had when she started reading.

“Why does the princess want Zecora to examine whatever is in here? It looks too small to have anything that important inside,” Spike mused while fiddling with the strange box curiously. He wondered what could be so important in the small container, and why the princess felt the need to have Zecora examine it. Whatever it was, it must have been serious enough to warrant immediate attention considering how late it was.

Twilight trailed her eyes off and thought about the matter herself. “I don’t know, Spike, but it must be pretty important if she wants you to come along to write letters back and forth. Although… I wonder why she wants all of us to go?” She pondered curiously, focusing her attention on the letter and searching it for new text. “Be sure not to open the box before Zecora has a chance to look at it, Twilight.” She read off a small section at the bottom of the letter.

Spike stopped abruptly upon hearing this. He was just about to take a peek inside the box before he heard the statement.

Twilight sighed and rolled the letter back up. She then gently placed the scroll on the table and looked at the young dragon with a tired expression. “Ugh… I did not need this today,” She droned. Traveling clear across town and out to the Everfree wasn’t exactly in her plans for the day. Struggling to maintain a positive mindset, she tried to perk up and focus on her curiosity as to the contents of the strange package. “We better get going I guess. Could you go and get my bag for me, Spike?”

“Sure thing…” Spike groaned, half politely, half begrudgingly. The last thing the young dragon wanted to do was to go out into the Everfree Forest after dark with a mysterious package from the princess. Despite his apprehensions, Spike hopped up from his seat and went to fetch Twilight’s bag from the other room.

So, without delay, Twilight went around Ponyville asking her five friends to join her. By the time she had gathered all of her fellow element bearers, the sun was well past the horizon and the night was creeping in. In spite of the late hour, the six mares stood before the entrance to the forest and boldly walked in, ever closer to finding out just what was in that box.

“So, what do you think the princess wants Zecora to look at?” Applejack spoke ahead quizzically to Twilight and Spike, who were at the head of the group.

“I don’t know, Applejack, but whatever it is it sounded urgent,” Twilight replied back while still trying to figure out the meaning of their late night journey. The unicorn’s horn lit up a bright purple as she used her magic to lift the scroll up out of her bag and in front of her eyes. “I need you to deliver this box to Zecora and tell her to examine the contents to see what she can find.” She spoke loud enough so the entire group could hear her paraphrasing the letter. She had hoped that rereading the scroll would offer her new insights to her quest, but sadly she was still just as clueless as her friends were.

Rainbow Dash hovered alongside the group, still hanging onto her initial curiosity about their little quest. “Hmm… I wonder if she wants us to go on a secret mission for her?” She ventured with intrigue brimming in her voice. Her expression quickly fell as her thoughts drifted elsewhere. “I really hope so… nothing exciting has happened for the last three days… and that was just a runaway storm cloud that we had to get under control,”

“I’m certain the princess will explain why we are out here when we get to Zecora’s,” Rarity stated confidently. The remark made Rainbow Dash sigh with boredom as she anxiously thought about why they were out here in this cold, bleak forest.

Twilight eyed the letter for a while before levitating it back into the bag she had strung around her hips. She then looked at her surroundings to see if they were still on track. Satisfied at the sight of familiar trees and plants, she knew that they were not far off from their destination. “We’re almost there, everyone,” She reported, giving the group an update on their progress.

The ponies were relieved to know that their journey was almost over. Even if they were on a marked path in the forest, the eerie noises and dark thicket of plants to either side of them made them feel scared and uneasy every time they came here.

Spike leisurely laid his head back so he could lay flat on the unicorn’s body to get some rest before they reached their destination. “Good, I’m getting tired… I’m not used to staying up this late,” He moaned softly and held his hand up to his mouth to catch a yawn.

Twilight grunted slightly as she remembered the extra weight on her body. She looked back at the dragon lazing around on top of her with an annoyed expression. “You’re not the one walking for both of us, Spike,”

Spike looked up as he heard the agitation in the unicorn’s voice. His eyes met hers, and he immediately sat up. “Oh yeah… Sorry.” He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He had actually forgotten that he had been riding on his friend’s back for the whole trip.

After leering at her freeloading assistant for a moment longer, Twilight turned her attention forward again. As she looked ahead, she stopped abruptly and nearly caused a pile up of ponies behind her.

The others looked to their purple leader with mildly confused and annoyed expressions, only to see her staring off into space with a pleased smile on her face.

“Hey, what gives, Twi?” Rainbow Dash asked impatiently.

Twilight turned to the others for a moment before stepping aside and pointing a hoof forward. “We’re here everyone… we made it,” She exclaimed excitedly as they came to the clearing where Zecora’s hut lay.

The grass in the clearing was much shorter and more up-kept than everywhere else in the forest. Zecora’s hut sat in the center of the clearing. The hut resembled a tree more than anything else, having been made from one that was hollowed out.

The five mares marveled at the sight of the wooden hut. The tree home was the only sign of civilization as far as the eye could see, providing one was willing to loosen their definition of civilization, anyway. Still, the hut looked like a safe bastion from the harsh wilderness around them, and that was all that mattered.

“I hope she’s still awake,” Fluttershy piped up from the back of the group. It was rather quiet and dark as the moon shone down on the forest floor through the openings in the trees, so there was a very good chance that the zebra was asleep.

“I think she is… there are lights on in the window,” Twilight observed, hopeful that her findings were correct. The ponies looked over to see the warm and inviting looking candlelight flickering softly in the windows of the hut.

The group walked over to the house and gathered around the entrance. Twilight knocked gently on the door with her front hoof and waited. Soon, the group could hear the muffled noise of Zecora walking to the door. The door creaked open to reveal the friendly zebra standing amid the orange glow of nearby candles.

Zecora looked around the group gathered on her doorstep with a puzzled expression before settling her eyes on the purple unicorn. “Twilight Sparkle and friends, at this late hour, what news do you send?” She asked quizzically.

Twilight was the first to speak on behalf of the small group. “Princess Celestia sent me a letter requesting that we come see you immediately,” She explained in a friendly tone. Twilight brought the scroll back out and showed it to Zecora, which made her perk up with intrigue.

“In that case, come in and sit in the light. You need some shelter from this dark and chilly night,” The zebra motioned with her hoof for the group to come in and sit down.

Everyone smiled at the invitation into the warm and cozy hut. They were quick to oblige, and once inside they closed the door and found a comfortable spot to rest while they got down to the business at hand.

Wanting to get home at a decent hour, Twilight got out the package and sat it and the letter down on one of Zecora’s tables. “There’s a package that came with the letter. The princess only wanted you to open it,” She explained curiously, eyeing the teasing box and anticipating whatever was inside.

“Come on then, child, give me the letter… Let’s see what made the princess think old Zecora would know better,” Zecora asked with a piqued sense of curiosity. Twilight handed off the letter to the zebra, who quickly read the scroll before shifting her attention to the box.

After examining the box and making note of its size and shape, Zecora carefully lifted the lid off of it. The contents of the box were hard to make out, as the lit candles that illuminated the entire room did not cast far into the container. From what Zecora could make out, it looked like a glass jar secured to the bottom of the box that had something black and slimy inside of it.

“Let’s get a better look at this… thing?” Zecora muttered in a confused tone. She was at such a loss of words that she broke her natural pattern of speaking in rhyme. As she grasped the glass jar and lifted it out of the box and onto the table, the group could just barely make out the sight of the item contained within. The object inside was as puzzling to the zebra as it was to everyone else.

A small, black, and amorphous blob sat at the bottom of the jar. It appeared to be organic, but at the same time it failed to look like anything that would come from any plant or animal. It appeared as if its skin, if you could loosely call it that, was covered in a bright sheen that seemed to shift around the stationary blob of its own volition.

Twilight squinted while trying to make out the details of the strange object. The bottle was obscured by their shadows, so it was still hard to see it. “Everyone step back a little… We could see it better in the light,” She suggested.

Everyone, save for Zecora, took a few steps back, letting the dim light from the candles hit the bottle.

*Thump*

The object in the jar suddenly shot upwards and smacked against the side of the glass, making Zecora flinch and jump back instinctively. Everyone else was a little more alarmed by the unexpected sight, getting a quick rush of fear that made them recoil in surprise.

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*

The black blob kept violently jumping around in the container trying to escape. The ponies looked at the odd creature nervously as it made the jar shake slightly with each impact.

Zecora cautiously inched forward and tilted her head as she examined the energetic blob. “Interesting little… thing; I’m curious to see what mysteries it will bring,” She said, regaining the mental acuity needed to start rhyming again.

“W… w-what is it?” Fluttershy asked timidly after being startled by the creature’s initial thud into its glass prison. She eyed it fearfully, trying to mentally determine if it could escape from the glass jar to get at her.

“I don’t know… but I don’t think it likes the light,” Pinkie said with childlike wonderment in her voice while trying to crane her head at an angle to get a better look at the thing. She poked the jar gently, causing the creature inside to stop hopping around momentarily. The blob wriggled around as if in response to the pink pony disturbing it. Her other friends, mostly Rarity, eyed the blob with mortified expressions expecting it to have been angered by the pink mare toying with it.

Zecora looked inside the box, only to find another letter from the princess. Fueled by eager curiosity, the zebra quickly picked up the note and fumbled it around so she could understand and read the contents easily.

“Dear Zecora, this black substance has been found in some remote locations out in the countryside. It is repulsed by light and feels extremely cold to the touch. Please exercise caution when examining it, and if it gets out of your control, it can be destroyed by sunlight or anything that can mimic it… Please contact me as soon as you can learn more about it.” The zebra trailed off as she finished the letter. “Hmm… interesting, I may need more supplies to safely examine this thing,” She mumbled while deep in thought. Finally, she looked up and turned to face the purple unicorn. “Twilight…”

“Hmm?” Twilight’s head shot up from hearing her name being called.

“Could you go out and gather some light emitting plants for me? Out in the woods behind my house is where they should be,” Zecora explained her request to Twilight while still eyeing the energetic blob as it resumed jumping around in its glass home.

Twilight glanced toward the windows at the front of the hut uncomfortably as she thought about heading back out into the forest. “Alright…” she said, clearing her throat. “I think I can do that,” She turned to the zebra and nodded, not wanting to leave her waiting. “Does anyone want to come with me? We could get it done faster if there were more of us looking,” She reasoned, turning to the group pleadingly. Her words held some truth to them, but she also felt that she would be less nervous about the dark forest around her if she had someone to talk to.

“I’ll help,” Applejack spoke up from the small crowd and stepped forward confidently.

“Me too... I’ll come!” Rainbow Dash volunteered excitedly, moving next to the farm pony in front of the group. Twilight was glad to see that she would have two of her best friends accompanying her on her trip.

Spotting an opportunity to help out, Spike jumped up from his seat eagerly and walked over to the lineup by the door. “I’ll come too,” He said confidently.

Twilight looked down to the eager little dragon sadly. She didn't feel comfortable with taking him to explore an area of the forest she was unfamiliar with. Not wanting to hurt the young drake’s feelings, she tried to think of an excuse to force him to stay.

“Sorry Spike, Zecora might need you to send a message to the princess. You will have to stay here for now,” She explained, feeling sorry that she had to leave her number one assistant behind. She patted him on the head and ruffled the green scales that served as his hair.

“Oh…” Spike frowned sadly as the unicorn shot him down. Still, even though he understood that the unicorn didn’t want him to go because she was worried about him, he didn’t want to make a big fuss about it. “Ok.” He droned gloomily while walking back to his original position.

The three ponies watched the dragon sitting down in the corner frowning sadly. They looked at him with sympathetic expressions before shifting their attention back to their newly appointed mission.

Twilight smiled confidently as she looked to her two companions. She turned her head to see the rest of her friends looking her way with varying expressions. “Ok then... Everyone else stay here and help Zecora, we’ll be back soon,” She stated, optimistically waving to the group. The others waved back at the trio as they opened the door and headed outside.

The chirps of crickets and the cold night air were an unwelcome change from the warm atmosphere of the hut. The only thing they had to look forward to, both literally and figuratively, was the seemingly endless trees all around that receded into darkness.

Applejack and her companions took a moment to silently look around as they pondered their task. The thought of venturing further out into the forest was already daunting and more than a little concerning to the orange mare, and she wasn’t the only one feeling hesitant. “Zecora said we’re lookin’ for light emittin’ plants, right?” She asked, just to be sure they weren’t about to step into the forest without anybody knowing what they were looking for.

“Yeah… she said they would be along the path out to the back of the hut,” Twilight replied while looking past the hut to the tree line out back. A short way from the house lay a small clearing in the trees giving way to a roughly laid-out dirt path.

The ponies squeezed through the low hanging branches and poked their heads through the opening. The thick covering of trees made it hard for the light to hit the path, which in turn made it difficult to tell the path apart from the rest of the ground. Twilight went in front of the group and used her horn to light the way, paying close attention to the path while also avoiding the vegetation poking up from the forest floor or hanging down from the trees above.

After a few minutes of walking along the path, the group started to feel like they would never find the special plants amid the thick vegetation. The faded dirt path barely avoided running into any trees as it winded through the forest. Vines and branches invaded the airspace above the path, occasionally hanging low enough to warrant the ponies ducking underneath them or brushing them aside.

Rainbow Dash sighed while feverishly looking through the trees for a hint of light. “At this rate, we aren’t going to find anything out here,”

“Are you sure these plants are even out here, Twilight? We’ve been lookin’ for a while now,” Applejack droned pessimistically, brushing some vines out of her face.

Twilight sighed in frustration, looking back to her anxious friends. Although she had never heard of the plants herself, she had no reason to doubt the zebra’s instructions. “Zecora said they were out here… so I’m sure we should run into them any m-” She was interrupted by a glow of dark orange light coming from just ahead. The light dimmed after a few seconds, returning the area to darkness, only to light up again a few seconds later.

“That must be them! Let’s go!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly as she rushed ahead of the group to investigate the light.

After walking quickly to catch up with the eager pegasus, the two mares were in sheer awe at the sight that lay before them. A brown plant sat in small bunches beside the path. The top of the plant split off into several branches that resembled the top of a tree that had its leaves removed. Each branch softly glowed a ray of orange light that carried a short distance, enveloping the ponies in their combined brilliance before fading back into darkness.

“These are definitely light emitting plants,” Twilight noted while still taking in the beauty of the surroundings as they were bathed in the orange light.

Applejack took a moment to look up from the mesmerizing light show and noticed the eerie trees around her. She looked to her two friends, only to see them still silently gawking at the sight of the plant. “As pretty as they are, let’s hurry up and pick ‘em so we can get back. I’m sure the others will worry if we take too long,” She suggested.

Twilight snapped out of her transfixed stare and used her magic to pull the plants out of the ground and place them in her bag, where they continued to glow. Once all the plants had been collected, the area was only lit up by the shining light from the purple mare’s horn. “Alright, let’s move on… I think I see more of them up ahead,” She said while walking toward another patch of orange glow further along the path.

After spending five or ten minutes picking every glowing plant they could find, the trio was starting to get slightly unnerved from venturing this far into the forest. They had made some turns on the path, and it was getting a lot darker as gray clouds rolled in front of the moon, concealing whatever already dim lighting it was providing through the canopy of trees. To add to the poor situation, the ponies had not run into any light emitting plants for some time to help them see through the thick darkness surrounding them.

The wind howled ominously, sending a cold chill down the three mares' spines. Every stray shadow made by the passing trees made the ponies feel even more uneasy. Every fiber of their beings told them that they shouldn't be in this eerie situation.

“Twilight, are you sure you can lead us back?” Rainbow Dash asked, eyeing their surroundings with veiled nervousness.

“Don’t worry… I can retrace our steps using the path,” Twilight chimed optimistically, lighting up her horn a little brighter. She looked down at the path, which was barely even distinguishable from the ground, and gulped nervously.

“If you can even see the path for cryin’ out loud…” Applejack’s eyes narrowed with concern as she also had difficulty in telling the path apart from the rest of the forest floor.

The group stopped in their tracks when they heard something rustling in the bushes behind them. The ponies spun around and froze up, listening as intently as they could. They darted their eyes from side to side as they tried to determine if the noise was just part of the natural ambiance of the forest or if it was an actual threat.

Just before they deemed the noise to be part of their paranoid delusions of fear so they could turn around and keep going, the rustling happened again.

“W-what was that?” Applejack stammered while trying to keep herself calm. Normally the thought of an animal in some bushes wouldn't concern the orange mare, but given their current surroundings, and her already tense nerves, she was scared stiff.

Even though she liked to count herself the bravest of the group, even Rainbow Dash’s knees were shaking as the thing in the bushes starting growling. The sound was unlike anything the ponies had heard before in the forest. Even though the Everfree was full of unknown plants and animals, the sound currently coming from the bushes sounded far too menacing for anything natural to be causing it.

“I don’t know, Applejack… it’s probably just a Timberwolf,” Twilight explained through chattering teeth in an attempt to rationalize the situation and calm her fears.

The other two looked at the unicorn with doubtful expressions before shifting their attention back to the imminent threat. It was low at first, but the growling was rapidly getting louder as the bushes rattled even further.

The sound of something stepping on a twig and making it snap under its weight made the ponies jump back in fear. The bushes gave one last rattle as the sound of multiple objects exiting them put the trembling group on high alert.

With the circle of light from Twilight’s horn serving as their only source of illumination, the ponies all kept their eyes fixed ahead of them, darting around and trying to find any shapes moving amid the darkness.

In the distance, the group could faintly see something large moving in the black void outside of the light’s reach. The ponies started backing up while keeping their wide eyes focused in front of them. Much to their horror, they started to distinguish more than one shape moving independently of each other. However, the shapes all seemed to be moving in unison to get closer and closer to the terrified trio.

“Twilight… w-what is that?” Applejack stuttered in mounting horror. Twilight looked over to the farmer and saw that she was tensing up in fear.

The group could hear the sound of claws scraping on the ground in front of them. Once their eyes adjusted to the light, they could see three shadowy figures inching closer to their sanctuary of light. The creatures sounded almost unnatural as they made noises that sounded like a mixture of growling and moaning.

“I don’t know, Apple-” The unicorn was cut off by the creatures entering the light and finally revealing their true forms. One by one, the creatures stepped a leg into the bubble of light being cast by the unicorn. As the rest of the creatures' bodies came into view, the ponies made a fearful discovery about the predators.

Nothingness...

Black nothingness was all that could be seen of the creatures. They were merely black masses in the shape of large animals. Their skin seemed to shift around, casting dark shades of black and purple as it moved. Amid the mass of undulating blackness, the ponies could identify shapes that resembled legs, bushy hair, clawed feet, and a mouth that served host to a myriad of sharp and pointed teeth.

“What the…?” Twilight was taken aback by shock as she laid eyes on the creatures. They somehow looked similar to the black blob-in-a-jar back at Zecora’s, only a little different. The beasts appeared to be less solid than the blob in the bottle. The light from the unicorn’s horn nearly passed right through them, giving them the appearance of shadows that simply got off the ground and started walking.

The beasts looked around for a moment at their surroundings before fixating on Twilight. They seemed almost fascinated at the sight of the brightness coming from the small animal’s head. Twilight squeaked nervously as she noticed the three creatures turn to look at her.

*Groooaaarr!!!*

The three beasts let out an agitated cry that made the ponies’ ear drums nearly explode.

The trio covered their ears with their hooves to block out the terrifying and deafening sound. The creatures snarled viciously, causing the group to back up even further. The three ponies felt something solid hit their backsides as they ran into a tree in their hasty attempt to put distance between themselves and the frightening monsters in front of them. The beasts looked to Twilight once more and started growling fiercely again.

Rainbow Dash grew more uneasy at the sight of the monsters focusing on her friend. “I think they don’t like the… light,” The cyan mare paled in nervous revelation. The three ponies looked at each other, and to Twilight’s glowing horn, as they came to the same conclusion. If the blob back at the zebra’s hut bounced around violently when exposed to light, then how would these monsters react? They all unanimously decided that they did not want to stick around and find out.

“EVERYPONY RUN!” Applejack exclaimed loudly to her friends, though they needed no confirmation as they all turned tail and ran as fast as possible in the other direction.

The ponies could hear the sound of the three creatures breaking into a sprint behind them. The fierce growling and snarling noises swiftly getting closer to them incited enough strength in the three mares to make them run faster.

The group took a swift turn once they hit a large tree, hoping that perhaps it would shake the three predators behind them. However, one small glance behind her told Twilight that they were still being followed by the beasts.

“Keep running!” The unicorn exclaimed in between breaths to her two friends. The pegasus and farm pony needed no instruction to continue as they fled from the creatures giving chase.

After running through a few minutes of twists and turns, Twilight looked to her sides to check on her friends, only to widen her eyes as she saw nothing but empty forest around her. Panicked at the sudden realization that she was alone, she darted her head around feverishly in search of the two mares.

“Applejack?! Rainbow Dash?! Where are you guys?!” The unicorn yelled loudly, hopeful that her cries could reach her friends somewhere nearby. Twilight looked behind her to check how close the beasts had gotten.

*Crack*

When she looked back ahead, the unicorn careened into a low tree branch while running at full sprint. The impact made her neck twist at an odd angle, bending her head back far more than was comfortable for her body. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment and she stumbled to the side dizzily.

“Ughh…” The dazed mare shook her head to snap herself out of her stupor before regaining speed. “Gotta… find… help,” She muttered to herself in between breaths.

“Where... are the… others?” The purple unicorn panted while looking around her. “I could have sworn the path was this way,” She fretted nervously as she thought back to how many turns she had made since exiting the path.

Frustrated at her ill-fated attempts at remembering which way she was facing after all the commotion, Twilight picked up her pace slightly once she heard the beasts growling and snarling behind her. From the sound of it, all three of the creatures had decided to chase after her. While this made her even more terrified, Twilight also felt slightly thankful that her friends were not in any danger.

What in Celestia’s name are those things? She wondered to herself while jumping over a fallen tree. Doesn’t matter now, just have to find the others.

Twilight looked back to the fallen tree she had just leaped over moments before. Much to her horror, the beasts seemed to ignore the obstacle on the ground. The creatures passed through the object right before Twilight’s eyes, almost as if they were ghosts.

The unicorn began to shiver uncontrollably as panic took over. In an attempt to calm herself down, Twilight started to think logically about where she was. She racked her mind, trying to simultaneously retrace her steps and run for her life. However, Twilight could not concentrate due to her burning lungs. She was running on fumes at this point as fatigue and muscle pains rocked her body.

“Gah… I can’t keep running much… longer,” Twilight panted, glancing behind her quickly. Although she could scarcely even identify a face on the beasts, let alone the expressions they had, the creatures were showing no signs of slowing down. “Dangit… It looks like those things could go on for miles.” She cursed under her labored breath, turning back around. As she looked forward, she trailed her eyes down just in time to catch the sight of a log careening into her legs.

“AH!”

Twilight yelped as she sailed through the air. Her brief flight ended with a painful impact into the ground that sent her rolling on the muddy forest floor and caused more trauma to her already sore frame.

After a few tumbles, she finally came to a rough stop like a skipping stone. The pony groaned as she struggled to lift her head up. She started to become even more fearful when she realized how difficult it was for her tired and sore body to move.

“Oh no… no, no, no!” Twilight quickly realized that even with all of the adrenaline pumping through her body that she could barely turn herself over to face her doom, much less get back up and run away from it.

Hearing a growl behind her, Twilight looked up and paled as she saw that the creatures had caught up with her. The sight of the monsters closing in on her made Twilight’s pupils shrink in size. She squeaked out a mess of high-pitched gibberish as her voice got caught in her throat.

The beasts were baring their teeth and snarling viciously, causing saliva to drip out of their predominant jaws and onto the ground. They looked like they could rip her apart in an instant, without even giving her a moment to defend herself.

Twilight pushed her exhausted body and crawled backwards away from the monstrous creatures. “I… I…” She stammered fearfully, looking around to find something, anything that would save her. Finally, she did the only thing she could think of doing.

“Somepony... ANYPONY! HELP ME!” She screamed as loudly as her burned-out lungs would allow.

Suddenly, as if on cue to answer her pleas, a bright flash of light erupted from in front of the unicorn. The intense light stabbed her eyes, forcing her to use a foreleg to shield them as it engulfed everything around her. Somehow, the light felt warm and soothing as it flowed past her.

Twilight could hear the beasts crying out in pain as they recoiled from the light, rushing behind the trees into the safe blackness. When the light faded, she opened her eyes and looked ahead, only to let her jaw drop from what she saw.

A strange, bipedal creature was sitting in front of her, with its hand placed on its bended knee. Twilight noticed that it was wearing a blue jumpsuit, not unlike something one would wear for exercising. And while it was hard to tell in the dark, she could also make out the light blonde hair on its head. The creature had a holster on its back that was holding what appeared to be a sword with an intricate design on its hilt. Twilight recognized the creature to be a human, a species she had read about that had walked the earth and gone extinct many years before pony-kind ever ruled the planet.

“Wh… w-w-” Twilight was bewildered at the sight before her as she watched the human turn and look around. He looked confused as he scanned his surroundings for clues as to how he got where he was. He scratched his head before speaking in a dumbfounded tone.

“Where the heck am I?”