The old mare slowly made her rounds in the large bedroom, tucking in the younger colts and fillies. She gave each of them a small nuzzle and smile as they lay their little heads on their pillows. Care Taker had watched over so many colts and fillies in her many years as the keeper of this orphanage.
Coming to the last filly's bed, her smile grew a bit downcast. Silver Light was very young when she was first brought here, but Care Taker had taken the littel unicorn filly under her old wings as she had with all the others. Right now, the young filly wasn't climbing into her sheets, but instead was sitting on her bed, hind legs curled into her chest, holding them tightly with her front hooves. Care Taker gently plopped down beside the bed, giving the filly a warm smile. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Silver Light. You know there are no such things as ghosts."
The little filly looked up at her with wide eyes. "But...it's not a dream! It's always here! Every night!" A wisp of her white mane fell into her eyes.
Care Taker brushed Silver's mane back, gently stroking the filly's grey coat. "Hush now, little one. Come on, let's get you settled into bed. There's a good filly." She soothed the filly, tucking her in. Silver Light sleepily blinked up at her, watching as she made her way to the bedroom door. "Good night, my little ponies." She called softly as she flicked the light switch off.
Silver Light snuggled down into her sheets, pulling them up to her muzzle. She could hear the others: a few were still whispering, but most were already slipping into the quiet of sleep. As the others fell quiet, she began to feel her own eyelids beginning to fall. She blinked. No. No, she mustn't fall asleep. She had to stay awake as long as possible. She fought off sleep as she had learned to do ever since she first had The Dream. Care Taker had at first insisted that it was just a nightmare (not that the old mare had said so, but Silver knew the old mare simply thought it was from the trauma of her parent's accident), but after days of the same dream, she had called brought in a doctor to see her. Of course, there was nothing wrong with her. She was in the best of physical health. A yawn escaped her. No! Must stay awake! Her thoughts became fuzzier and fuzzier. The world went black, and the clock struck three am.
Wake up!
The small unicorn filly stirred and rolled over.
Wake up!
She moaned and stirred again.
Silver Light! WAKE! UP!
The little filly jolted upright in bed, snapping her head back and forth. Something was wrong. She could feel the wrongness in the air like a taint. A sickly, oily presence in the air.
To the window! Now!
Her legs began moving before she understood what she was hearing. Care Taker had left it open, to let the cool summer breeze in while they slept.
Jump!
She hesitated, blinking sleepily. "Wha...?"
You must jump! Now!
She gathered all her strength into her hind legs and leapt out the window. A writhing mass of shadow burst out behind her, like tentacles reaching out for her. She hit the ground beneath her, tumbling head over heel. Panic gripped her mind, causing her to ignore the pain shooting through her left hindleg as her feet pounded across the ground. An earth-shattering boom behind her blew her off her feet. Stumbling to right herself, her hooves couldn't find purchase as she went tumbling down into the ditch. Dragging herself upright, she turned and fled into the night.
It was a bright and sunny day in Ponyville as Twilight Sparkle made her way down the street, Spike sitting on her back. She would often pause to wave or greet one of the many ponies who greeted her as she made her way to her destination. As she walked into Sugarcube Corner, she couldn't help but overhear one group of ponies conversation.
"Tragic, isn't it? What happened in Sparkling Meadows?" One pegasus mare was saying.
"What? What happened?!" A earth pony stallion asked.
His wife, a lovely unicorn mare, looked at her husband. "There was some sort of accident at an orphanage."
"What?! No! Not old Care Taker's place! Sunny Meadows is one of the best orphanages in Equestria!" He exclaimed.
His wife kicked him under the table. "Shh!"
Their friend leaned in closer to them. "Now, officially, it's been deemed an accident, bur there are some officials who believe otherwise."
The unicorn mare's eyes widened. "They suspect it was intentional? What exactly happened?!"
"An explosion." She raised a hoof, stemming off their questions. "By the grace of Celestia and Luna, there weren't any fatalities. Just a few minor burns, and smoke inhalation. But here's the bizarre part. A filly is missing. The strange thing is, it was at her bed that the explosion occurred, which is how the others managed to survive. Plus, Care Taker hadn't gone to bed yet, rushed back in and herded them all out. It wasn't until several hours later, after the fire brigade got the fire out, that she realized the filly was missing. And it was then that she realized it was at her bed that the fire started."
"No! Oh that poor little filly!" The unicorn mare's eyes widened. "Don't tell me they think she started it?!"
The pegasus merely shrugged. "A friend of mine is one of the investigators of the case. According to him, this filly has acted out before. The poor thing's parents had been in some sort of accident, no one seems sure what, though. Even Care Taker couldn't get the little filly to talk. Had a couple of doctors and counsellors talk to her and everything, but all she'd say was, 'I was told to run.'" She leaned in again. "Now, I don't know what exactly is going on, but I think it's all a bit strange. Something doesn't add up right."
The stallion leaned forward. "You're not suggesting she started the fire herself!"
The pegasus shook her head. "I think that the filly's parents weren't in an accident."
The unicorn nodded with wide eyes. "You believe they were killed. Then..." Her face paled. "You believe whoever it was came after the filly and finished the job!"
Her friend shook her head. "No. They tried to finish the job." Her friends gasped. "They never found a body. And in a ditch just down the road aways, they found a spot where it looked like a colt or filly had stumbled and then struggled to get out. There was even a muddy trail, but they quickly lost it. They have teams out trying to find the poor thing right now, but so far there hasn't been a trace. It's like she's just vanished."
"Hiya, Twilight!" The unicorn nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden appearance of Pinkie Pie. Spike grumbled as he picked himself up off the ground. "I got the things you wanted right here, all packaged for you. Oh! And I've also got some really delicious cupcakes for you too! You're going to need them when you go to Sweet Apple Acres."
"But I'm not...why would I be going to Sweet Apple Acres?" Twilight frowned at her very pink friend.
"Cause Applejack could totally use your help, silly filly." She leaned in real close and whispered, "Use the cupcakes to lure her out!"
"What? Lure who...wait! Pinkie!" But the pink mare was already gone, quickly stepping up to the counter to help her next customers. She turned to Spike, but the little dragon just shrugged his shoulders.
"Pinkie Sense, maybe?" He suggested.
"Well it is Pinkie Pie. And if she's saying that Applejack needs us, we might as well go see how we can help." Twilight said with resignation. She carefully levitated her packages onto her back and exited the building, Spike walking right beside her.
The little dragon twiddled his claws. "So...Twilight..."
"Don't worry, Spike. I'm sure that they will find that little filly. Poor thing must be so scared and confused." She was quiet for a time. "I really hope it all was just an accident."
"You don't think she's cursed do you?" Spike fidgeted, still twiddling his claws.
Twilight barely resisted the urge to deadpan. "Spike, we've already been over this with Zecora. There's no such thing as curses." She faced forward. "Sometimes, bad things happen to good ponies, but it doesn't mean they're cursed." She frowned. "Still, I wonder what's gotten Applejack in need of help. Has to be something if Pinkie's senses picked it up."
Spike dodged a group of ponies as they traversed the road leading out of Ponyville and to Sweet Apple Acres. The orchard was beginning to come into view. "I don't know, Twilight. Maybe we should get the others. Or send a letter to Celestia!"
Twilight chuckled. "I don't think that's necessary, Spike. If it was something that big, Pinkie wouldn't have simply gone back to work. I'm pretty sure she would have gone crazy." She paused. "Well, crazier than usual."
As the two made their way up the path to the farm house, Twilight couldn't help but notice an immediate oddness. Usually by this point, she'd have been able to hear Applejack or Big Mac bucking trees, or else have seen one of them moving about, tending to the trees. But the orchard was silent. As the barn came closer, she could just make out Big Mac near the barn, Apple Bloom standing near him. Apple Bloom turned and saw her.
At that moment, Applejack came hurtling head-over-hooves through the open barn doors, landing with a thud as she slid across the farmyard. Big Mac and Apple Bloom hurried over to her as Twilight ran the rest of the way.
"Applejack! Are you ok?!" Twilight panted as she came to a stop next to her friend.
The earth pony mare sat up and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof as she grabbed her battered stetson off the ground. "Ah think so." She cracked her back and then turned to Twilight. "Ah sure am glad to see ya, Twi'. Ah was about to send Apple Bloom to fetch ya."
"Actually, Pinkie sent me. Said you were in need of help." Her horn glowed as she levitated the box until it was floating in front of her. "I don't suppose you need cupcakes do you?"
Her friend frowned, scrunching up her muzzle. "Cupcakes?" Her eyes lit up. "Oh, Ah reckon we sure could use some of PInkie's delicious cupcakes right now!" She gave Twilight an appraising look. "And since Ah know for a fact that you can lift at least an Ursa Minor, Ah reckon it just might work!"
As Applejack took the box of cupcakes, Twilight asked, "What exactly is going on, Applejack? Why do we need cupcakes?"
"A filly's barricaded herself in our barn." Big Mac said in his deep, soft voice.
"Only, she's wilder than some of them timber wolves that live in the Everfree Forest." Apple Bloom added. "And the way she was casting magic at muh brother and sister was just astoundin'. She was throwing spells around almost like you can, Twilight."
"A filly?" Twilight's eyes widened. "It couldn't be...!"
Applejack hurried back over to them. "Alright now, Twi. Get ready."
Twilight nodded, taking a stance just out of sight of the door. Applejack had placed a cupcake just inside the door, and while they had a whole box of them, they couldn't afford to lose too many. As soon as she saw the soft silver light of the filly's aura, she reached out with her own magic. There was a small shriek, and the cupcake was hurled across the yard. Wrapped in Twilight's lavender aura, she gently brought out the small filly, who was struggling to get free.
"No! No! No! Lemme go! Lemme go!" She pleaded, struggling unsuccessfully to get out of Twilight's aura. Her horn began to light up, but Twilight quickly cast a magic inhibiting spell.
"Hey, now just calm down. There's no need to be so upset." Twilight said softly, gently lowering the filly to the ground.
"No! It's going to get me! I need to run! Have to run!" She shouted, her legs already trying to touch the ground.
Applejack trotted over and took the filly into her arms. "Now, now, there's no need fer all that." The filly pushed against her, trying to escape, but Applejack just held her close, stroking her mane and back. "Shush now. That's it, just calm down now."
The filly went limp as the fight went out of her. She began to sniffle. Then moan. Finally, she broke down, clinging to Applejack as she cried her heart out. Applejack continued holding her, comforting her.
"Hey, so what's going on?" Rainbow Dash said as she landed next to Twilight. "I was clearing the skies over the orchard, when I heard all this shouting." She pointed at the weeping filly. "Is she alright?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, she's not. Can you go get Fluttershy? We're going to need her if we're going to help this filly get treated. I don't like the looks of that hindleg. Looks like she's hurt it."
The rainbow maned pegasus nodded and burst, leaving a rainbow trail behind her.
She felt her eyes opening slowly, blinking at the bright lights around her. She was lying on a soft bed, her hind left hindleg wrapped in bandages. She tried to move it, and immediately tensed up from the pain. A small part of her wanted to scream and get leap out of the bed, but it was muddled. Far away. The bed was too comfortable. She tried to lift a forehoof and felt a small sting. Looking over, she saw a needle with a tube in it, hooked up to an iv, which was slowly dripping. Was that why the world was muddled? She blinked, the room coming more into focus. The lights she thought so bright before weren't as bright as she had thought. She briefly wondered how long she'd been here.
She was unaware of how long she had been lying there, awake, when she became aware of muddled voices outside her room. Two of the voices sounded urgent, while several other voices kept stepping in to cut them off. The voices in the hall briefly grew louder as a the door opened and a mare stepped in. The nurse blinked in surprise and then smiled. "Oh! You're finally awake!" She quickly, yet softly, closed the door behind her and trotted over to the bed. As she checked the filly's medications and monitors, she asked, "How are you feeling? Any dizziness or pain?"
Silver slowly shook her head, keeping both eyes on the nurse as she picked up a small clipboard. When Silver didn't verbally respond, the nurse looked up, frowning. "We've all been worried about you. You gave us all quite a scare. Do you remember how you got here, where you are?" Again, the filly shook her head. The nurse smiled reassuringly. "You are at the hospital in Ponyville. You've been...asleep for almost a week, drifting in and out of consciousness. Now, we did do a few things to make sure you weren't sick, but we are pleased to say that aside from a few gaps in your memory, and your leg, you appear to be in outstanding health!"
They both turned their heads as the door opened again. Twilight Sparkle stepped in, quickly closing the door behind her. She looked tired, and for a brief moment relieved. She came up on Silver's other side, opposite the nurse. "It's good to see you finally awake." Twilight smiled.
The nurse nodded in agreement before turning back to the filly. "Can you tell me your name?"
"S...lv...er...Sil...ver..." She started, her voice coming out raspy. Her tongue felt heavy, as if it hadn't been used in a long time. The nurse gently held a glass of water up to her muzzle. She drank deeply, her parched throat rehydrating. "Silver Light. My name is...Silver Light." She said quietly.
The nurse resumed with her questions. "Silver Light? What a lovely name! And no wonder! Look at this gorgeous mane of yours!" Silver managed a weak, small smile. "Now, Silver, can you tell me what the last thing you remember before you woke up here?"
The filly's smile faded, and her eyes became slightly unfocused. "I...I remember...running."
Twilight and the nurse briefly shared a look. The nurse gestured with her head, and Twilight followed her over to the other side of room after giving Silver a reassuring smile. Twilight gave the nurse a concerned look. "Well?"
The nurse sighed. "I'm no therapist, but...I'd say she's fine now. The gaps in her memory can probably be attributed to her recent trauma." She looked at the door to the room, the outside having gone silent. "Still, I wouldn't let them question her just yet." She frowned. "Miss Sparkle, I don't mean this in negative way, but...there's something...odd about her. I can't place my hoof on what it is though."
Twilight nodded. "Perhaps she knows more than she's saying?"
The nurse nodded. "It would be good to have a professional come in and speak with her. Something clearly happened to her." She fidgeted before looking Twilight in the eye. "I believe that something was chasing her. The last thing she remembers is running."
Twilight's eyes widened. "You believe the fire in the orphanage was intentional?"
The nurse glanced over at the filly before responding. "Like I said, it would be best to have a professional talk to her. And she will still have to be here in the hospital for a while longer. We want to make sure her leg continues to heal properly."
As the nurse slipped out of the room, Twilight couldn't help but frown in thought. Something strange was going on, that was for sure. And this small filly was certainly special. The levitation spell she had used on Applejack was far stronger than a filly her age should be able to use. True, Twilight herself had cast spells much stronger than that when she was the same age, but then, she was the Element of Magic. Silver Light most definitely held great potential. She would have to send a letter to the princess about this incident, no doubt about it. She shook herself and approached the filly's bed. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, Silver. I'm one of the ponies that brought you here."
The little filly frowned. "I....still don't remember..." Twilight gently held one of her hooves.
"It's ok, Silver. You've been through a lot, so it's ok to not remember for a while. I'm sure that it will come back to you soon. Maybe then we can find a way to help you." The purple unicorn assured her. She looked over as the door opened again.
Fluttershy slipped quietly into the room, closing the door softly behind her. Her eyes widened when she saw them looking at her. "Oh! I hope I'm not interrupting. It's just...they're still being...loud...out there. Applejack said she could use your help, Twilight. Um...if that's not too much trouble..."
Twilight sighed. "They're still arguing? They're certainly persistent." She got up, giving Silver a gentle smile. "Ive got to go, Silver. I'll be back tomorrow to see you again. Just rest." Both she and Fluttershy slipped back out into the hallway.
As the door shut, Silver could just make out the sound of raised voices again. She settled back down, letting her eyes drift close.
She jolted awake. The sun had long set; night had come once more. As her eyes adjusted, they found the clock just as it became 3am. She realized she was not alone. She shivered as she heard it first. A soft wheezing, not unlike one of the orphans who had asthma. A strange scent hung about the air. A scent that was strangely familiar, but she could not quite place. The smell of something burnt. Slowly, she allowed her eyes to wander the room. Silver soon wished she hadn't. At the far side of the room, just within the shadows that fell right next to the moonlight falling through the window, someone was there. She stared at the unknown pony. Violet eyes stared back.
"You....can finally see me?" The pony asked. Silver knew that voice. The one that had always called out to her. She took an unintentional step forward, moonlight falling over her.
Her eyes widening, Silver finally realized. The pony wasn't black. She was black and grey with soot. Patches of her fur were missing. A blackened horn rested atop her head. A single wing rested against her side. Silver could only stare, before finding her voice. "What...what happened to you?
The one-winged alicorn gave a small, sad smile. "I paid a heavy price. But one well worth the cost." She wheezed. "Sleep, Silver Light. You are safe here."
Silver struggled to keep her eyes open. She still had so many questions, but the bed was so soft. As sleep slowly claimed her once more, she smelled it again. The scent of something burnt.