An orange unicorn mare gazed at the gathering clouds above her head. They swirled in grey and purple, telling of a coming storm.
"Yep, it's going to rain. I told you we should have left earlier," she sighed.
"Relax, we'll be fine. It's at least half an hour away," the blue pegasus stallion next to her said plainly. "Besides, a little water never hurt anyone."
"Oh sure, it's not like hypothermia is a potential hazard or anything," the mare muttered. "I hear freezing to death is lovely this time of year."
"Oh, spare me," the stallion rolled his eyes. "It's the middle of July, there's no way it would be cold enough for that, even at night. Come on, lets keep going."
"And speaking of night..." The mare whispered as her eyes drifted towards the setting sun.
The pair set out forward along the dirt path, the clouds looming overhead in the amber evening sky. They passed over the crest of a hill, and were met with rows and rows of tall trees.
"Perfect, the forest. Baltimare is only twenty minutes away now. We'll be home safe and dry before you know it!" The stallion's voice was painfully optimistic.
"You know, as long as we don't get lost..." His companion's voice was the opposite.
"Oh please, I know these woods like the back of my hoof."
***
"We should have gone right."
"We'll be fine."
"Oh really? Then you know exactly were we are, right?"
The stallion was silent.
"Just admit it, we're lost. I knew this would happen."
The orange unicorn shook her head as the stallion stopped walking, dropping his head low.
"Alright fine, we're lost." The stallion finally conceded. "The good news is, the woods aren't that big. I know that for certain. If we just keep walking we'll get out. Eventually."
"Or we could turn around right now and take the other path," His companion rolled her eyes with the vigor of a boulder travelling down a hill.
"If we turn back now then we'll get soaked for sure. You wouldn't want that now, would you?" He retorted, his patience growing thin.
"We'll probably be soaked anyways." The mare sighed.
A crash of thunder confirmed her suspicion. "Hypothermia, pneumonia, trenchhoof..." she began muttering ominously.
"You're so paranoid! How about we just lay down right here and die? You know, get it over with quickly?!" The stallion blurted, his blood boiling.
"Maybe if Master Explorer Starry Sky hadn't got us lost, I wouldn't be worried!" The mare shouted right back. She glanced to the sky to see the sun sliding behind the trees. "And now it's almost dark!"
"Oh, well I'm sorry Princess Paper Lamp is afraid of getting wet! Quit being such a filly. There's still a chance we can make it. Come on, we've wasted enough time."
"It's not just the rain any more! Who knows what pony-hungry creatures come out at night in this place?!" She was practically screaming.
"There's nothing in this forest but squirrels and robins! Get your head out of your ass!" His words were like a stake through her heart, and Paper Lamp closed her mouth in shock.
And with that Starry Sky turned around and stomped forward, shaking with anger. Paper Lamp fought back hollow, frustrated tears.
A bright flash filled the sky, followed by a crack that reverberated through the trees. The sun had disappeared beyond the forest canopy and the light was beginning to fade. Paper Lamp lit up her horn to create a blueish light around the pair, echoing her current mood.
"At least we can still see," Starry Sky confided, his rage fading into indifference.
They traveled in silence for minutes, the sunlight growing dimmer and dimmer. Paper Lamp was suddenly thankful her special talent wasn't baking or something like that.
The darkness seemed to swallow up the trees on both sides, the black stretching out like an all encompassing void obscuring all that lay within. Paper Lamp attempted to keep her horn steady as she peered around, the soft blue glow making the shadows seem to move and pulse. A sharp gust of wind cut through the leaves, signalling the storm was right on top of them. Suddenly feeling very uncomfortable she switched the light's colour from blue to orange, creating a much more inviting atmosphere.
Starry Sky noticed the change in light, and glanced back over his shoulder. Paper Lamp's eyes were darting around the darkness, as if searching for something. He took a deep breath and slowed his pace to that of his companion's.
"Alright look, I'm sorry about everything before. You know how fired up I get sometimes, but I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." He spoke from the bottom of his heart.
Paper Lamp was still sore from the verbal lashing she received earlier and seriously considered refusing his apology, but at this point she was terrified and just wanted someone to hold her.
"It's fine," she whispered. "Walk beside me, okay?"
The blue pegasus said nothing but nodded and kept his current gait, his face somber with regret.
Another crack filled the air at the same time as a blinding white flash. For a split-second, Starry Sky saw what could have been a building jutting out of the forest before the night air was consumed in blackness once again.
"Hey, did you see that?" He said. "I think I saw a building up ahead."
Paper Lamp shook her head, the bubble of light waving back and forth with it. She focused her light into a cone to see farther down the path and sure enough, there was a large square building. The orange light gave it a warm, preppy glow.
"Eeep!" She squeaked as a drop of rain landed square onto her nose, cancelling her light spell. The pair now stood in total darkness as Starry Sky almost instinctively reached out a wing to find his companion. Finding purchase on a warm body next to him he brought himself in close. More drops of rain met with her back as Paper Lamp began whimpering softly.
"You're alright, honey. You're fine. I'm right here. Just breathe." He heard a shaky intake of air. "That's it, now out again." A long, quiet sigh. "In, out. In, out," he repeated quietly until the air brightened with an orange glow once again.
Beside him was an orange unicorn with tears streaming down her face, her head frantically swinging around looking for threats. Whatever rage he still held melted away into remorse at seeing his favorite pony in the world so frightened. He pulled his wing and his companion closer, and began stroking her mane affectionately.
They stayed like this for a few moments until the rain began to intensify. "There's nothing in these woods that would harm you. Not while I'm here." Paper Lamp nodded silently, tears drying up. "Now, we'd better get moving. Come on, that building is just ahead." The pair started off, with quickened pace.
Up close, the building towered over the two ponies. All along the outside the dull orange paint was covered in green, as plants had started to grow out of some of the cracks. It was chipped and faded with age, long overdue for any maintenance. In places the wood supports underneath were showing through, rotten with moisture and age. There were at least 20 windows stacked evenly to the top, with a balcony on the top floor. Most of the windows near the top were broken except for the penthouse.
"Is this a hotel?" Paper Lamp wondered aloud, switching her light spell from orange to colourless, revealing the building to be painted white. The rain was coming down at a steady pace. Neither of them were soaked, but they were getting a bit wet.
Starry Sky's focus was instead on the doors. They stood tall and imposing, daring him to try and gain entry. He tried the knob, but to no avail. They spun like normal, but the doors wouldn't budge. He spun around and prepared his hind legs for a kick. Thwack! They collided with the doors to the sound of screeching and cracking wood as he wound up again. Thwack! More cracking, but the doors held fast.
"Hey honey, could you give me a boost here?" He asked. Paper lamp took a few moments to stare at him quizzically, until it finally clicked.
"Alright, get ready," She said as the stallion backed away from the door and flapped his wings to ascend into the air. She channeled her power at the wall of the building and unleashed a controlled blast of light that stuck like glue, illuminating the area. She used her now unoccupied focus to envelop the airborne pegasus in a soft tangerine glow.
"Now!" He exclaimed.
The blue pegasus dove down towards the door, assisted by his mare friend's telekinesis. Just before connecting with the door, he spun his body so that his hooves hit the doors first. The momentum of his flight and the power of the telekinesis caused him to fly right through throwing both doors in a fury of screeching hinges and creaking wood.
Paint chips and dust flew everywhere as the stallion tumbled and rolled coughing onto the floor. Regaining his composure he rose to his hooves and took in the damage he had caused. One door was hanging precariously on its bottom hinge, the top hinge having come clean out of the wall while the other door seemed to be mostly in tact, except for some missing paint. In the middle of the floor lay a large cabinet, now in pieces.
Another crash of thunder and lightning as his companion followed him inside. The rain was picking up now, making a steady patter on the ground outside and through the leaves of the trees. Paper Lamp's ball of light dissipated, allowing darkness to swallow them up again.
She lit up her horn again in white to inspect her surroundings, suspecting they were in the lobby. She fired another glob of light at the ceiling and when it struck it lit up the whole room.
Her eyes immediately focused on the cabinet. "What's that doing there? Do you think it could have been blocking the door?" She wondered aloud.
"That's my guess. Would explain why it's in pieces now, too."
The lobby of the hotel was a drab maroon, decorative chandeliers placed at regular intervals. The carpet had golden diamonds knitted in also at regular intervals, long tarnished with age. The only furniture was the desk where one would check in. Starry Sky felt a shiver traverse his spine as the cool air drifted in from outside.
Paper Lamp scanned the area for any other means of entrance and found nothing, not even a window.
"Why would someone barricade the only way in?" She thought out loud.
"'It's also the only way out," Starry Sky replied, ominously.
The floor rumbled, and a flash of light entered through the doorway.
"This place is..." Paper Lamp took a breath as she surveyed the rest of the room. "Interesting."
"It has a certain charm to it. How old do you think this place is? I'm guessing fifty years," Starry Sky puzzled.
"Do you think anyone's here?" Paper Lamp proposed, feeling suddenly apprehensive.
"No, why would they be? We're in a hotel in the middle of the woods at night in a rain storm, and the doors were barricaded."
"Can you just check please? For the sake of my sanity?"
Starry Sky considered for a moment. "Hello?" He called. "Is anyone here?"
Silence.
"Perhaps a look around would be prudent," He suggested.
"It never hurts to be careful," His companion agreed.
Paper Lamp entered the first doorway she found and lit up her horn. She fired another lamp at the ceiling, this time in a pale orange glow. It lit up the whole room with the light of a beautiful summer sunset. It was Starry Sky's favorite colour, and he could only smile.
Scanning the room, it appeared to be a standard hotel room. A single queen-sized bed in the center of the room, in the same maroon as the walls and floor. On either side was a night table with an ornate candelabra.
"Whoa, been a while since I've seen one of those," Paper Lamp pointed out when her gazed crossed one of the candelabras.
"No kidding, I bet you haven't used anything like that in years."
They found a stairwell at the end of a hallway, and proceeded to climb up. The second floor was a simple hallway area with two doors on either side and another staircase instead of a far wall. Each room looked the same, and each room was devoid of life.
Every floor, it was the same thing. Open the door, fire the light, have a look around, repeat, climb more stairs. After nine more flights of stairs the pair were well and truly exhausted.
"Maybe we should find a..." Starry Sky yawned mid-sentence. "...a bed. I'm convinced the place is empty. We're safe and dry, we can head back home in the morning."
"I agree with you there," Paper Lamp yawned along with him. "We're in a hotel, why not stay in the penthouse?" She suggested.
"Heh, living large. Sure, why not? One more flight of stairs probably won't kill me. Probably."
They set out up the final set of stairs, when Starry Sky turned to say something.
"How long do those light-balls of yours last anyway?" He asked, curious.
Paper Lamp looked at him incredulously. "Those 'light-balls' are concentrated spheres of sunlight. I gather it from being outside in the sun. The small ones I created in the rooms will only last about five minutes but I could make one that would last for hours, like a miniature sun."
"So you're solar powered?" Starry Sky asked, snickering.
"Not exactly. I only need sunlight to use light-based spells, and..." She noticed his barely concealed giggling and closed her mouth, insulted.
"Sorry, sorry. I couldn't resist."
Paper Lamp snorted in disgust.
As they approached the top of the stairs, Starry Sky's nose began to twitch. Something vaguely unpleasant began to waft from above, getting stronger with every step. When they did reach the top the smell was enough to make Paper Lamp's eyes water.
"Oh, Celestia! What is that?" She said, alarmed.
Starry Sky's nose crinkled. "Ugh! Is there a window anywhere?"
"Hopefully in the room there," Paper Lamp gestured to the doors down the hallway.
The closer they got the more intense the smell became. Paper Lamp wrapped her magical aura around the doorknobs and pulled, and the doors flung open assisted by a gust of warm, rancid air. Starry Sky's eyes began to water at the increased power of the stench, and his companion doubled over and retched on the carpet.
He quickly took a gasp of air and began frantically searching for a window in the darkness, his eyes blurry from tears. He spun his head around, gagging, pleading for anything that would lead to fresh air.
A flash of light illuminated a square on the far wall, and Starry Sky wasted no time. He dashed towards it, nearly tripping over himself as a crash made the walls rattle and shake. He fumbled with the latch, his lungs burning and the stench hovering about his nostrils. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
At long last he spun the latch and shoved the window upwards as he threw his head outside, desperately gulping in rainy air. He heaved in and out as if he hadn't breathed for a thousand years.
Paper Lamp appeared beside him, doing much the same. She hungrily gasped untainted air beside her companion, thankful for the awning above the window to keep them dry.
The rain was a torrent now. It shuddered through the leaves of the trees and made a loud patter on the awning above their heads. Streams of water flowed off and into the blackness below. The air was crisp and cool, the smell of ozone hanging thick. It slowly began to waft its way inside, allowing Paper Lamp to pull her head back inside and sit down.
"You alright, honey?" Starry Sky lingered outside, not wanting to experience that awful aroma again.
Paper Lamp's face was coloured with a sickly green tinge. She felt a friendly hoof begin rubbing her back and sighed.
"Oh yeah, I feel like a million bits." She retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm. Starry Sky joined her on the floor and wrapped a hoof and a wing around his companion.
"I suppose a rest couldn't hurt," he conceded. A flash filled the room as a bolt of lighting forked outside. Within seconds the room rattled and shook with the force of the thunder it created. He began to get up.
"Leave it open," Paper Lamp pleaded. "The smell of rain is heavenly right now." Starry Sky nodded and rejoined her on the carpet.
They sat in silence, the patter of rain drops on the awning the only sign that time still crept forward. The moon's pale glow outlined a square around the two ponies, giving the room a somber disposition.
Paper Lamp looked back over her shoulder, and saw most of the room still cloaked in darkness. She fired up her horn and conjured a lantern on the ceiling, illuminating the entire room in the same pale glow as the moon light.
Starry Sky turned his head around to survey the rest of the room. It had the same bed setup as every other room in the hotel, albeit with an exquisite chandelier hanging in the center of the ceiling. A wardrobe stood in the corner, and on either side of the bed were large pots filled with dirt. Starry Sky figured any plants that may have been there must be long gone.
His eyes (and his nose) drew him to a door near the entrance. The foul odor's only remnant was emanating from that direction.
Taking one last glance at his marefriend Starry Sky trotted towards the door, his apprehension building with each uncertain step. He stood directly in front of the door, his senses assaulted once again. He placed his hoof on the knob, and hesitated. He cast another glance at his companion, who was now walking around inspecting the room.
He took a breath, turned the knob, and pushed the door open. A fresh wave of stench attacked his nerves once again, and before he could even look inside he fell over backwards, coughing in shock. It was stronger than anything he'd ever experienced before.
"Are you alright? What ha-" Paper Lamp rushed over before gagging on the newly agitated miasma, and rushing back towards the window to throw her head outside again. Starry Sky had a good idea of what she was doing.
Staggering to his hooves, Starry Sky let the room clear out before resuming his investigation of the source of the stench. The door had led to a very standard bathroom, complete with a sink, toilet and a bathtub with shower head.
After a few seconds, he couldn't smell anything any more. He concluded that the stench had either vented or his nose had quit working. Either way, he was thankful.
He found his attention being drawn to the bathtub. It had streaks of something black marking the outside of the rim. His thoughts immediately turned to blood, as he remembered blood turned black if left outside for a very long time. Dread began to snake it's way down his spine.
He turned his focus to the sink, finding it mostly clean except for some rust around the drain. He spun the tap and almost jumped in surprise when water started flowing out. Granted, it was an unpleasant black colour and didn't look safe to drink but it there it was, running water. He put his hoof underneath and was mildly surprised to find it still warm. He tried the other tap to the same effect.
"Hey honey, come check this out! This place still has running water!" He called out to his companion, who was hopefully finished emptying her gut.
An orange unicorn mare appeared in the doorway, green still hovering about her face.
"How are you feeling?" Starry Sky asked with concern.
"Better, either the smell is gone or my nose has stopped working. Either way I'm not complaining."
"Heh, that's exactly what I thought. Here, come look at this." He spun the tap again to see the dark, murky water flow out of the brass faucet once more.
"Whoa. What are the odds?"
"Pretty low, I'd guess. Don't drink it though, it doesn't look safe."
The pair started when another crash of thunder reverberated throughout the room.
"Is that blood on the bathtub...?" Paper Lamp pointed to the black streaks, as the patter of rain intensified against the roof.
"Yeah, I think so. What do you think happened in here?"
"Maybe someone cut themselves shaving?" Paper Lamp proposed, struggling to remain optimistic. She turned around to see water dripping from the ceiling. "Oh great, a leaky roof."
"I bet a pony was murdered." Starry Sky said, darkly. Lightning flashed, as if to accentuate his morbid point.
His only answer was the walls and floor rattling with thunder. "Honey? That was a joke."
He turned to see his companion staring eyes wide and mouth agape into the bathtub."Honey? What's the ma..." he trailed off as his eyes met with the inside of the bathtub.
It was completely coated in an angry, crimson liquid. Inside the liquid sat a strange, dark crimson mass, almost like jelly. Starry Sky's hoof flew to his mouth as he spun around to reach the toilet. It was his turn to vomit.
"B-blood??" Paper Lamp's voice began shaking with dread. "And what is that...?" She took a breath, her heart pounding. She wanted desperately to look away from the strange gelatin mass, but her eyes remained trained on the tub as if controlled by some other force.
"Honey, we need to leave. Right now."
Starry Sky flushed the toilet successfully and stood up. "But what about the rain?" he teased.
Paper Lamp glared daggers at him. "You saw what's in the tub! I don't care about rain any more, I just want to be as far away from this place as possible!" She made her way out of the bathroom and took note once again of the dripping ceiling. The carpet was drenched in certain places, places she was careful to avoid. She exited the room into the hallway, before glancing over her shoulder to notice her companion wasn't with her.
"Starry Sky, I am serious! I'm leaving!" No response. Her anger turned to trepidation as silence hung thickly in the air like a fog.
Paper Lamp crept slowly back towards the suite, her sense of apprehension deepening every step she took. Over her head she heard water flowing through the pipes in the ceiling. It was moving fast, heading towards the bathroom. She figured Starry Sky had left the tap on.
She peered around the corner into the bathroom and froze, gasping in horror. A blue pegasus stallion lay on the floor, writhing and twitching. A trail of opaque liquid that lead from the sink had enveloped his head. He flung his hooves around wildly in a blind panic, choking hopelessly for air. His bloodshot eyes met that of his companion's and he began mouthing words and frantically pointing at the door.
Thinking quickly, Paper Lamp wrapped the taps in her aura and spun them, shutting off the flow of water. The water around Starry Sky's head lost it's shape and fell to the floor as he began coughing. Paper Lamp flew to his side and and began pressing on his chest as a huge gout of water burst from his lips onto his chest. He hungrily sucked in air and wrapped his hooves around his companion, tears streaming down his face.
"Alright," he coughed. "Lets get the hell out of here."
Rising to his hooves he took one last deep breath and the pair started towards the door. In the hallway Starry Sky heard what could have been whispering. He remembered the window was open behind them, and didn't think about it any further.
Halfway to the stairwell, the floor began to rumble. The ceiling began to creak and shudder, and the pair froze. The shuddering intensified as Paper Lamp latched onto her companion, shaking.
The ceiling burst open, knocking the pair back and sending wood and copper pipes everywhere. Paper Lamp heard a rumbling from deep inside the pipes in the direction of the bathroom, akin to a distant waterfall.
"Run," she whispered. Starry Sky looked in confusion. "Run!" She repeated as she lit up her horn in white, illuminating the entire hallway.
The pair took off sprinting down the staircase as the ceiling began to rumble again. Starry Sky looked back over his shoulder to see black water flowing out of the hole in the ceiling like a torrent from a raging river. It began flowing towards them as they reached the bottom step, growing larger as it passed over puddles on the floor.
Turning back he focused on not tripping over himself as they passed by two doors on either side. As they ran passed, the doors exploded open with such force they flew straight off their hinges and collided mid air. Two streams of liquid flowed out and were soon usurped by the larger one coming down the stairs. Starry Sky's eyes widened as he increased his pace and his companion followed suit.
Another flight of stairs lay behind them, and the same thing happened with the two rooms on this floor the doors exploded outwards, but this time they didn't come off the hinges.
The veritable tidal wave behind them was growing larger and larger with each passing floor, until it towered over the ponies running for their lives and now pressed against the ceiling.
At long last they reached the lobby. The doors remained wide open, the black rainy abyss stretched out beyond the doorway. Starry Sky slowed down to a stop to catch his breath, checking behind him. The roar of the water still sounded, but it was far enough away that he felt safe.
"What are you... Doing?!" Paper Lamp shouted from in front of the door, wheezing and gasping for air. "We need to go!!"
"Just... A second..." he panted. The rumble of water grew closer, and he checked over his shoulder one last time to see the black tidal wave appear at the top of the stairs, gaining speed. He turned around and began to sprint so quickly that he didn't notice the cabinet that still lay in the middle of the floor.
He tripped and went sprawling, tumbling head over legs into a heap. Paper Lamp gasped.
"Oh... my leg! I broke my leg!" He wailed. Steeling her nerves, Paper Lamp ran towards him and wrapped him in her orange glow. She heaved with all her might as sparks began flying off her horn, pulling him towards the doorway. The torrent of water was gaining on them as she redoubled her efforts, grunting with exertion as she felt her rear end getting wet with rain. She put on one final burst of strength as she threw the blue pegasus outside into the rain where he landed with a thud.
She quickly went to join him when her leg seized. The miasma of water had grabbed hold of her leg and began pulling her back inside. She grabbed onto a near by tree with her aura and attempted to pull herself out, all the while fighting the grasp of the water miasma. It enveloped her other leg and began it's way to her front legs as well.
She felt herself sliding backwards against her will, her power of the tree branch failing fast. Starry Sky looked on, helpless.
"Go! Get out of here! You can fly!" Paper Lamp yelled at her companion as the water began making it's way up her legs. Sparks flew from her horn as she hung onto the tree branch for dear life and shut her eyes as a headache began forming from the intense mental strain. She was sliding back farther and farther, her grip on the branch finally failing. Tears began streaming down her face as she anticipated her grim future.
She felt something pull her neck forward as she began being pulled forwards along with a gust of wind on her face. She opened her eyes in confusion to see the pained face of Starry Sky inches from her own. He had his right leg wrapped around Paper Lamp's neck and was flapping with the fury of a hurricane to pull her outside. His other leg hung limp.
"I'm... Not... Leaving... You... Behind!" He shouted, his voice full of desperation and resolve. The force from his wings made Paper Lamp's mane flow backwards, as if in a wind storm.
She felt the water losing it's grip on her legs and put in extra effort to move them forward. The backwards slide had halted completely and she began sliding forwards instead.
"Almost... There..." Starry Sky panted, exhausted.
Paper Lamp felt a jolt in her head, like a bolt of electricity. She blinked and she was somewhere else; images blurred through her mind as if she was travelling at the speed of light. She saw the penthouse suite in pristine condition, suit cases filled with clothes lay scattered about the floor. She saw a unicorn stallion wearing an exquisite vintage suit with a mustache on his face looking straight at her and smiling sweetly. She saw him hunched over a desk with papers strewn about with a grim look on his face. She saw him standing in the doorway of the bathroom, a strange glint in his eyes and she began to panic. She saw the edges of the bathtub as if she was inside it, and the stallion stood over her with a horrifying look on his face. He was mouthing something, but she couldn't tell what until her vision became blurry and faded into blackness, her heart rate finally slowing.
She blinked again and found herself outside, the strange visions having disappeared. The rain had let up considerably and was now nothing more than a light drizzle. She found her companion laying on the ground, still panting heavily, and she saw movement inside the hotel lobby. Turning to look she saw the amorphous tidal wave shift and pulse, changing shape into a pony. Paper Lamp could only stare, eyes wide and mouth agape.
In the center of the room stood the silhouette of a pony as black as night, rippling slightly with the flow of water. A pair of deep xanthous eyes opened, lacking any iris or pupil. They seemed to pierce Paper Lamp's soul and she froze, feeling shivers all across her body. They stared for what may have been an eternity, until the strange figure cocked it's head to the side, as if confused.
A black stream of water akin to a tentacle began to snake its way outside towards Paper Lamp. She did not try to run or even move, instead she felt eerily calm. She sat still, tentative apprehension clinging to her skin. The stream of water hovered closer and closer, until it was mere inches away from her face. The black, putrid smell reached Paper Lamp's nostrils but she hardly seemed to notice as she was mesmerized at the sight in front of her.
"Honey, run! Move! What are you doing?!" Starry Sky shouted in horror, unable to do anything but watch as the stream of water grew closer and closer.
The stream of water made contact with Paper Lamp's face, and with another jolt the visions returned. She saw the stallion and the bathroom all over again, this time in greater clarity. Any sounds she might have heard were distorted and unintelligible.
The stream of water recoiled with apparent shock as the water pony's deep yellow eyes widened considerably. The silhouette then reared it's head back and let out a blood curdling howl, and Paper lamp's hooves flew to her ears. Starry Sky could only wince. It melted back into a shapeless miasma and disappeared into the corners of the room leaving nothing but black.
The rumble of water grew quieter and quieter until it could be heard no more, and the only sound left was the pattering of rain through the leaves and on the ground. The rain had let up considerably and now was nothing more than a light dribble.
Paper Lamp crawled over to her companion through the mud and collapsed beside him, far too exhausted to care about being dirty. Starry Sky's breath had slowed but he lay on his side breathing raggedly. His eyes met that of Paper Lamp's and he reached out a very sore wing to wrap around her.
Neither pony said anything as they lay together wet and cold. The clouds had moved on somewhat and the full moon shone proudly upon them, bathing them in a pale glow. Their bodies ached and their lungs burned, yet they were alive.
"So, what just happened? I thought you were toast." Starry Sky said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Paper Lamp took a breath. What had happened? This strange thing that had tried to kill her partner had just caressed her cheek. And the visions? What were those about?
"I... I don't know." Was all she could manage. "It was like it... Tried to talk to me. I saw visions, memories if I had to guess. Of someone in the penthouse. A stallion stood over the bathtub while I sat there watching with this mad glint in his eyes. All the while I felt this awful sense of..." She paused, considering her next words. "Betrayal and anger." she said at last. Starry Sky pulled her closer.
"Well, we're alright now," He said soothingly before wincing in pain. "I don't suppose you could do anything about this leg, could you?" he asked shakily, a faint grin playing about his lips.
Paper Lamp could only sigh.
***
Among the shadows, a figure moved. It made no sound as it crept across the dark room. It paused in front of a large wooden dresser and gazed upon a picture frame with longing yellow eyes. It was a mare and a stallion, smiling happily among a wooded area in exquisite vintage clothing.
It held the photo aloft with a slick, black tentacle before smashing it on the ground and howling in frustration and agony. The shape disappeared back into the shadows and soon all was still once again.
***
A midnight blue figure stood amongst a vast empty space, ethereal mane flowing gently in the nonexistent breeze. Doors innumerable whizzed by in front of her, far too fast to count. She raised her eyebrow and the convoy of doors halted suddenly, before moving in the opposite direction and slowing to a stop.
She pondered over the pale tangerine door in front of her. She placed her hoof upon it gingerly and immediately recoiled, wings spreading in shock.
"Strange," a melodious voice whispered. "There's a lot of negative energy coming from this one." She placed her hoof back on it again. "Anguish, confusion..." She pondered for a second, pale blue eyes flickering. "Fear? Perhaps it's another filly being bullied."
Her horn lit up in a deep azure aura of magic and she spun the door knob, enveloping her in white light as it opened.
