The thud of my hooves and the woosh of the wind that whipped my mane into my eyes and sent it cascading down my neck were the only noises I wanted to hear as I bolted out of the Everfree forest.

“Help!” I shrieked, “Somepony help meeeee!” I skidded into Ponyville, my hooves spitting up gravel, dirt, and twigs as I slid through the abandoned town streets. Flapping my wings a few times to slow down my hurried pace, I glanced around wildly, peeking up at the dark windows that suddenly came to life as light from candles illuminated the rooms. Soon doors burst open and a swarm of ponies flooded the streets, worried complexions on their taut faces.

“It’s….i-i-it’s..” I yelped, “it’s after me! The..the thing, the beast, it’s after me!”. Gasps and whines from the younger fillies spread through the crowd which parted as the newly crowned princess, Twilight Sparkle, walked through.

“What’s the matter?” she asked urgently.

“It’s the beast…” I told her, “The beast..i-it’s after me! I saw it! The gleaming ruby eyes, the white pointed teeth..the...the...long, black fur...spikes….the claws...the huge claws...and….and…” as memories of the creature’s potent, dead breath and the blood-curdling screeches it produced as it sprung to attack, as it all swirled around in my mind, making my vision dim and blurred, I sunk into a heap on the road.

“It was there…”I sobbed, “I saw it, it was horrible….all of it…”. I felt a hoof gently rest on my trembling shoulder.

“It’s alright, you're safe from it now.”

“No…I-I’m not...not yet..not, not now...never…”

As everything around me began to spin and small white specks flickered in front of my eyes, I placed my muzzle onto the earth and tried to dig into it as I struggled to reach the cool, moist soil beneath the dry, hard-baked surface. A feeble groan escaped my lips as I felt the upper-half my body sag sideways and collapse, landing with a twump on the street. There was a blinding flash and then:

Darkness.

It consumed me.

I remembered nothing more.

Author's Note

Hey Everyone, thanks for reading. I'll accept a lot of different feedback, but if it is negative, please do your best to make it constructive so I know what to fix.
Thanks!