He had forgotten. Such was the curse. The coughing had died, and this was good news, yet he still searched for his friend--unknowingly searching for one who was already lost.
And so it was. The knocks came in rapid succession, sealing his fate tighter with each rap. His fur stood on end as he reached out, pressing his hoof to the door. All around him the darkness seemed to be closing in, choking him. With a deep breath, he pressed on the knob, twisting it and slowly opening the door to let the chilled night air in. And so it was--
"Twilight?"
Twilight fell onto her back, putting a hoof to her chest. "Ack! Spike, don't do that!" she said, her breaths coming in short gasps.
"Uh, yeah okay," Spike said as he stared down at her with a raised eyebrow. "What were you doing anyways?"
She rolled over and pushed herself off the floor. Turning around, she shook her mane back into place and propped herself back up onto her study podium. The candle was still burning brightly - enough to last a good few more hours - but she shook her head and slammed the old, dusty tome closed. She looked up and out of the small round window in front of her. Dust had accumulated on it, no doubt from the grime that covered every page in the book.
"I was doing research," she said, looking back down to the tome. It was worn, bound with some sort of hay cloth and stitched together with twine. Cracks ran down its front, where, in faded letters was hoof-inscribed the title 'Of the Everfree'.
Spike rolled his eyes at this. "In a scary story?"
"It's not a 'scary story' Spike," Twilight said, holding her chin high. "It's a collection of mythos and legends of olden times. This is part two, and it's about the Everfree Forest thank you very much." Spike raised his eyebrow again. "Shouldn't you be asleep or something?"
"Shouldn't you?" he countered.
Twilight glared at him. "I'm fine. I can drink coffee." She hopped down from the podium and trotted to the other side of the room.
Spike watched as she examined one of the many shelves of books. "Now what're you looking for?" he asked with a long sigh. He crossed over to her with his head drooping and his limbs barely dragging along.
"I'm... not exactly sure," she said with a hum. Her hoof pressed against her chin as she pondered the situation. "Have you ever heard of the Slendermare?"
Spike began to slowly browse the shelf, his eyelids barely staying open. "Twi, your curiosity is gonna kill me."
"Then go to bed," she said, not turning away from the shelves.
He took out a book, examined the title, then slotted it back in. "I'm staying with Apple Bloom, remember?"
Twilight cocked her head and looked up in thought. "Oh yeah. Are you sure you'll be all right walking there by yourself?"
"Twi, I already told you this. Applejack's gonna meet me halfway. Don't get all worked up about it."
She gave a soft smile. "Sorry, I just really worry about you."
He pretended to gag. "Ugh, just... what's a Slendermare?"
"Um... well I don't know that either actually." Twilight grabbed a book in her magic, pulling it down and examining the title. "No... do we have anything on the forest maybe?"
Spike dragged himself to the other side of the circular room, leaning in and skimming over the new shelves. "I dunno," he said with a yawn. "Why's it so important anyways?"
"Oh, if only you had read what was in that book," Twilight replied, examining yet another volume before placing it back on the shelf.
Spike turned from the books. "Yeah, I guess. Where'd you even get that thing anyways?"
She shrugged. "Princess Celestia let me browse the old archives. I'm not sure why, but it piqued my curiosity."
"Right... well you have fun, okay? I'm heading out." He started for the door, yawning and waving lazily to her.
She shot him a quick glance, then looked out one of the front windows. "Hang on," she said, just before he disappeared into the night. "Do you remember if Rainbow Dash said anything about fog tonight?"
He shook his head. "Nope." With that, he slipped out of the room and shut the door. It latched with a tiny click, and Twilight was alone.
She rolled her eyes and turned from the shelves. The dim lighting of the library illuminated the place with a soft orange glow, but thankfully it wasn't bright enough to produce a glare in the window. Twilight approached the circular glass pane and peered out. The night seemed to be like any other: the street lamps were dimly shining, the stars were brightly twinkling, the streets were empty and the town was still.
However, the misty, pale fog was just beginning to creep in from the forest, splitting down the streets like mischievous tendrils and covering the ground in a soft white glow. It breathed its way in, pulsing and throbbing like it was alive. As it thickened, lamp after lamp was enveloped in its haze, their lights dimming to but a dull flicker. The town soon seemed much darker than before, and Twilight could hardly see what lay across the street.
She shook her head and turned away. "Dash needs to tell us when things like this are scheduled," she grumbled. Trotting left though an archway carved in the tree, she found herself in the kitchen. The lighting here was significantly darker than in the main library, but when she squinted she was able to see enough of the room to function. Swerving past the round table in the center of the room, she cracked open the fridge door. Light poured out from inside, making her recoil. Her eyes clenched shut and her face scrunched up as the cold air wrapped around her.
As she opened her eyes, she muttered an inaudible word and began shifting through the various jars, cans, plates and food in the chilly box. "Jelly... bananas... ah, there we go," she said with a slow nod as she enveloped a ceramic plate in her magic. She took it, shut the fridge door, and set the plate down on the table.
Atop the plate was a small salad, something she had ordered from Carrot Top's Connoisseur about a day ago. Her stomach gave a low growl as she looked down at the plate of crispy greens and fresh tomatoes. With a few croutons, cheese, and nuts, she was good to go.
It wasn't a long meal - she finished it in about fifteen minutes. Her stomach gave a satisfied gargle as she reclined in one of the kitchen chairs. "I think I'll study the effects of a good bath next," she said with a giggle.
Standing up, she took the plate in her mouth and dropped it in the sink, before turning back to the doorway and sluggishly dragging herself out of the kitchen.
~X~
Twilight reclined in the steaming water, letting loose a long sigh. She sank lower into the ceramic tub, a smile on her face.
"I'm alone, I had a good dinner, and I'm done studying..." she told herself, ticking the objects off on her imaginary checklist.
The window beside her gave her nothing but a clear view of the fog as it continued to creep onward. She gave the rolling clouds a once-over before ignoring them completely and laying her head back.
She blinked, looking back to the window.
The fog continued to roll in, but that wasn't all. There was something else, something solid in the haze. She squinted and pressed her nose to the glass, but all she could see was a shadow. And as the low cloud thickened, she saw even less than that.
Slowly, she turned from the window with a shrug. Whatever it was, was lost in the mist. "Not my concern," she muttered as she slipped lower into the water.
Then, it was dark. The light left the room in the blink of an eye. Twilight's heart raced in the darkness, before seeing the candle had just gone out. With a deep breath, she chuckled.
"I guess it's time to go?" she asked it with a grin.
Crash!
Twilight pressed her hoof to her chest. The sound of a door slamming came from the distance, causing her heart to pound again. "Hello?" she called.
There was no response.
~X~
When Twilight had finished with her bath, she made her way back into the main room, a light frown on her face. Her eyelids were barely staying open, but she pushed forward still, leaving little rings of water behind her hooves. She stepped into the kitchen, and finally, into the library itself.
She stopped dead in her tracks. A strange marking, no larger than her hoof, was carved into the library door, glowing in the dim candlelight. She cocked her head and leaned forward. It was black, oily even, though without the usual rainbow sheen it would create. It was simply a shiny black.
Twilight headed towards it, blinking her eyes clear. She carefully examined the circle, even pressing her hoof against it to recheck its size. When she pulled her hoof away, she examined the dual lines crisscrossing through the center of the circle, their color the same, greasy black as the rest of the carving.
She sneered and backed away. Her fur stood on end, and her hoof tingled slightly. "Spike?" she softly called. There was silence. "So if it's not you... wait..."
Shaking her head and grumbling words of annoyance, she turned to the window and pressed her nose to it. The fog had long since taken over the town, clogging her view with a pale smog. Two or three distant lamps flickered occasionally, but other than that there was no movement...
Or was there?
She squinted and bit her lip. Far away, almost completely blurred by the smog, a pony was slowly sauntering away. She could make out no details, and just as soon as she had seen it, the figure was gone in the haze.
Twilight pushed herself away from the window, carefully turning around. Her eyes landed on her wooden podium by the window, or more precisely, the book atop it. Drawing in a deep breath of the warm library air, she took a few strides towards it, then stopped. She gave one final glance over her shoulder to check the outside again. Nothing but mist.
So she trotted to the book, hopping up onto the stand and flipping the cover open with her hoof. She flipped page after page, blew away dust plume after dust plume, until she eventually landed back where she had started hours before, in the early afternoon. The page's ink was dry and fading, its paper dusty and jaded, but she made do.
Chapter IX,
Of the one with no name,
Four score later, and the village of Sunnyside was at peace. They knew little of what lay beyond their fields, being but a simple farming town.
Twilight huffed and gritted her teeth. "Yeah, good for them." She flipped a few more pages, their age obvious in the crackling sound they made as they moved.
Her eyes traced the top line of the new page with determination.
...for he was not lame. The forest beyond was dark and thick. Thusly, he and his companion prepared for a long venture.
She skipped to the end of the next page.
And so it was--
"What?" She leaned forward and reread the line. Then, she scowled and slammed the book. "Who in the hay rips pages out of a historical book?"
Turning away, she stormed back over to the door, inspecting the symbol in minute detail. She was just about to tap it with a hoof again when there was a slight tickle in her throat. She gave a single cough, then went back to examining the door. But then the tickle came back, and she coughed again.
Another cough, then another, and another. Soon she was hacking, tossing her head down to the floor and wheezing. That tickle festered into a burn, and her coughs grew dry and raspy. Arching her back, she jerked her head down and continued to rasp. Her face grew red and strained, and her body began to shake. Her lungs were running out of air, and her head grew light. Then, as quickly as her coughs had started, they stopped.
She let her body relax as she gulped down air. The sudden relief brought an odd smile to her face. She tilted her head back, letting her throat recover from the spasms.
One eye cracked open. Something was at the window.
Twilight snapped her head back down.
It was gone.
Chills ran up her spine as she charged back to her podium and leaned towards the glass panel. Whatever had been there had disappeared in a flash. She closed her eyes and pressed her hooves against her temples, rubbing them in slow circles. With a sigh, she told herself, "I ought to get some sleep..."
Eyes open once more, Twilight turned away from the window and book, walking back into the center of the library. She hoisted herself up onto the round decorative table, taking in a long, heavy breath.
A low, long churning sound came from her gut. She wrapped her forearm around it and bent forward, giving yet another single cough. Biting her lip and closing her eyes, she moaned. "Day old salad..."
She coughed again, this one quieter than the rest. Sniffling, she sat back up. From the corner of her eye, she saw something. An indescribable something.
But when she turned to look at it, it had vanished.
Falling from the table, she hobbled back to the front windows and peered out into the fog. It was darker than before; the fog had obviously thickened.
And there it was.
That indescribable something. She leaned forward, slowly, taking in light and shallow breaths. Her nose pressed against the cold window as her eyes focused in on this something.
Shrouded in the mist and darkness of the night, something stood across the street. No... somepony. She could see nothing: not its color nor its mane nor even its eyes. But its height stood out. It was tall, lean, almost the size of Luna. And yet it had no horn. She could see nothing else about it, though.
Except for where it was staring.
Right at her.
She jerked away from the window, turning around and dashing to the stairs. As she plodded her way up them, she shook her head loosely and muttered to herself, "No. No I'm done."
Kicking the door open, she charged into the dark bedroom. The air here was cold, chilled even, and she could see her breath as it plumed from her lips. "Spike, wake up."
But there was nothing. She carefully walked up to her bed, leaning down towards the end. Where Spike should've been resting, there was but an empty cot and blankets. Gulping, she looked around the room.
"Spike? Hey Spike! This is important..." Her voice died as her eyes fixed themselves on her bedside window. Etched into the glass was a small circle, no larger than her hoof, with two lines crisscrossing through it. And beyond that, the fog grew thicker still.
The coughing came back, harder than ever. She fell to her flank and hacked - hissed - until her face turned a deep crimson. Tears of strain trickled down her cheeks as she forced out all the air she could.
And then it was gone again. She fell to her side with a thud, her face strained. Forcing herself up with heavy breaths, she stumbled back onto all four hooves. When she was stable, she wiped her eyes with a hoof and swallowed dryly.
She leaned on her bed, falling into the plush surface with a weak moan. Sniffling, she let her eyes close and her head rest down on the mattress. Everything grew still once more. Even time seemed to stall, and for once tonight, she took in a deep breath of relief.
Tap. Her ear twitched.
Tap. Her eyelids parted.
Tap, tap, tap. Her head shot up. A light tapping was coming from the main library. She stared through the doorway cautiously, biting her lip hard. A light metallic taste filled her mouth, and she soon felt a warm droplet trickle down her chin. She dabbed it with her hoof, not wanting to look down.
Pushing herself up, she slowly made her way to the door. Step by step she approached, her breathing barely audible. She poked her head out of the door, looking down upon the room below. Everything seemed normal: the candle was flickering, the books were neatly arranged, the door was shut and the air was warm. She looked to the left. There was nothing in the window above her podium. She looked down.
Blank. No mouth. No eyes. Just white and blank. Twilight stumbled back into the room, falling and rolling with her hooves pressed to her mouth to suppress a cry. It was there. It was staring. It was waiting.
Its image flashed in her mind again - a white face, no eyes to see or mouth to speak. Its long neck with no mane...
She crawled to the side of the doorway and pressed herself against the wall. Rapidly breathing, she bit her lip harder than ever. More drops of warmth dribbled down her chin, falling to the floor with little thumps.
She peered over the edge with quivering lips and shaky hooves. Her eyes were clenched tight, but she forced them open, revealing... nothing. It was gone.
Tears welled in her eyes as she stomped down on the floor. A short, muffled cry came from deep within her throat, though she quickly suppressed any others. Trembling, she stepped out into the open, making her way back down the stairs and into the light.
When she was in the center of the room, she closed her eyes and focused. Spreading her hooves apart, her stance became firm and steady. Her head bowed, and her jaw loosened. A mental picture of Rarity's boutique formed in her mind's eye, and soon her horn was aglow. The room grew a bright lavender color as the light around her horn expanded. It grew larger and larger, and then, died completely.
She had gone nowhere.
Realizing this, she looked around frantically. There in front of her, on the door, the circle was alight with a fiery red glow that tinted the room crimson. Twilight stared at this in disbelief.
"That's impossible," she whispered. Slowly, she went up to the symbol, staring at it with wide, watery eyes.
Thump!
She snapped her gaze to her left. The white thing was pressed against the window, staring at her with no eyes. It was dressed in a suit and tie, and from its back several black tendrils slithered around in the mist.
Twilight screamed and ran behind the center table, huddling into herself and rocking back and forth. Her eyes trained themselves back to the window, only to find that the figure was lost in the mist once more.
Crawl. That's what she did - she crawled to the bookshelf. The S section, more specifically, where she pushed herself up on her wobbling legs and reached out for a book with her teeth. She managed to grip it just before she fell back to the floor.
From there she scampered to back of the room, as far away from the front door as possible. When she had her back to the wall, she dropped the book in her hooves and quickly opened it, flying through the pages.
"No. No. No, no, no!" She slammed her back to the wall with a scowl. Flipping through more pages, she landed on one with a large picture in its center. Her eyes widened, and she bent down to get a better look.
It was a circle. A circle with an x through it.
"M-Magical retention seal," she read aloud in a wavering voice. "Sucks magic f-from user... Dangerous..." Then she came upon the final paragraph. Her breathing stopped and her heart pounded harder than ever.
The mark of the Slendermare. If seen at anytime, anywhere, it is most advisable for the pony to-
She dropped the book and yelped as a flash of bright golden light blinded her. She covered her face with her forelegs and kicked in any direction. Her heart was on the verge of exploding, and she began to hyperventilate.
But when she looked out between her forelegs, she only noticed two things: that the light had been sucked from the room, and that there was a small scroll on the dark floor in front of her. She lowered her arms and carefully reached out, gripping the scroll in her hooves.
It bore a golden wax seal imprinted with a symbol of the sun - the personal seal of Princess Celestia.
Twilight quickly ripped the seal off, fumbling with the letter until she finally unrolled it fully.
It read but one word in messy, scrawled writing.
Run.
She dropped it, looking around, frantically searching for an option.
Knock.
Her heart skipped a beat as her head snapped up to face the door.
Knock. Another soft knock came from the door.
"G-Go away!" she cried, sinking down into the corner.
Knock.
"I said leave!" She slammed her hoof down on the ground for emphasis.
And now, there was silence. There was nothing in the windows, the rune on the door did not light up, and there was no sound but her breathing resounding throughout the room.
She rolled off the wall, barely standing up. Everything about her trembled, and her body screamed at her to collapse, but she tightened her muscles and kept herself upright.
"Have to... get out..." she said between sobs and pants. With mechanical movements, she made her way to the door, one hoof at a time.
Step by step she inched closer to the door, cutting her way through the darkness with the occasional cry or gasp.
But she had to get out. She had to get help.
She approached the door, coming to a full stop when she was face to face with the wooden barrier. Her hoof reached out, shaking hard. It pressed down on the knob, the bite of cold metal stinging her.
With a deep, deep breath, she twisted it, slowly pulling it towards her. The fog rolled in through the crack like a ghost, chilling her hooves. She grimaced and bit her lip, letting another tear slowly roll down her cheek.
The door creaked as it swung open, letting more freezing night air in. Twilight closed her eyes, turned away, and hoped.
It was fully open, hitting the library wall with a soft crash. Her eyes still closed, she turned her head to face the night breeze, taking in the cool feeling as it ruffled her fur.
Seconds passed. She could hear nothing; the outside seemed quiet, still, lifeless. She gave herself a small nod.
Then, she opened her eyes.
And there was nothing. Nothing but the mist. Nothing but the darkness.
