Monster.

The little pony sat alone in her room, eyes filled with not just tears but gloom.

Heart filled with sadness that the light of day , had faded away.

Every passing hour, there would be a shower.

Young eyes would gaze to the dark, pain leaving an ever lasting mark.

-

Anger

Regret

Emptiness

-

Gone the innocent heart, soul shattered broken apart.

Onward she would sway, for tomorrow is another day.

Never would she be the same, forced to pull ahead within this game.

Every little piece of a child's perfect world gone, replaced with the truth of the swan song.

"Ahhhhh! Ahhh! Ahhhhhhhhh!" The screams came from downstairs in a steady pattern, I dared not leave my room unless I wished for the same fate to befall me.

I simply sat alone on my bed in the darkness, it was so cold around me, I could honestly see my breath every time I took a gasp of air. My blonde mane showered over my eyes softly, almost obscuring my vision. I might just be a filly, but my Mama always said I was  strong for my age.

"Pow! Pow! POW!" Came the banging on my bedroom door, the knob twisting in place so slowly, trying its best to pry inside.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my whole body was shivering in fear. It was the monster coming for me, it had tried to make its way inside earlier. I knew better though, I moved my big rockin' chair from the corner and slid it under the door knob.

I would not let it get me.

I would not let it speak to me those horrible words.

"You can't hide..." The monster spoke in a dark tone of voice, sending a shiver down my spine.

I bundled myself under the sheets for protection, I could feel my ears perking up slowly. The rain was pouring roughly outside, I knew the moon that gave me such calm nights before, was now hidden behind dark clouds. I held back tears in my eyes, my small hooves rushing to cover my muzzle,  I could hear the monster trying to force my door open.

The chair strained in place as the door shifted open and closed rapidly, the knob flicking side to side. Soon it would come for me, I had nopony to call out to for help. Even if they could hear me, they would never come.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" The screams downstairs became louder as I winced, I felt my ears folding down in fear.

I wanted to hold my tears back, I really did. Yet I could feel them cascading down my cheeks. Much like the rain sliding down the pane of my window outside. The wind howled so wickedly, I could have sworn it was the Monster.

Perhaps it was?

It would so love to trick me.

Suddenly the door rocked in place. I yelped aloud as I slung off my covers.The door shifted more than it had been, creaking open just a bit as I could see its lone dark red eye gazing forward to me. I felt my heart skip a beat inside my chest, I tried to get to my hooves.

But...

But...

They were just too wobbly, I couldn't get my strength up. I felt myself tumbling off the bed and onto the floor below with a loud thud. My whole body ached with pain, my coat did nothing to save me from the chill of the room, my tears were so cold on my cheeks. It almost felt as if they were burning my face.

"Open the door!!" The voice of the Monster echoed, pushing with all its might against the door, I gasped aloud in shock and fear, bolting for my open closet as fast as my small hooves could carry me.

I leapt within the dark abyss, lightning striking outside as my whole room lit up with a eerie blue glow. I slammed the door shut tightly, I could hear the door to my room opening up completly.

My rockin' chair had failed me.

I whimpered softly in fear, thunder booming outside loudly as I suddenly burst into a shrill shriek. The Monster had heard me for sure, I could hear its hoofsteps stomping ever so closer. Lifting hooves across my muzzle, I could only sit there in silence, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Tears flowing from my dark green eyes.

The door before me slowly began to creep open, my heart felt as if it would explode out of my chest at any moment.

Why did it have to be this way?

Why did I have to be caught?

If I just hid harder.

Maybe it would have never found me.

Pa...

Mama...

I'm so sorry.

"Now Sugarcube you shouldn't be hiding like this." The Monster towered over me with its massive shadow, Dark red eyes gazing down to me while I gazed up in silence sobbing.

"Leave...me...a..alone." I whimpered curling up into a small ball on the floor, hiding my muzzle behind my bright golden tail.

"Honey! Please I need you to be strong, for not just me but your brother too." Granny Smith kneeled down at my side, eyes red from crying as she gently scooped me up into her hooves, holding me so tightly.

Her shadow did not seem so scary now.

"Nuh-uh-nuh-uh!!" I shook my head side to side quickly, trying to squirm out of her embrace, yet I couldn't.

I just wasn't strong enough.

"Applejack your parents..." She held me close to her chest trembling, I tried to pull away, my ears perking up as I could hear the calming rhythm of her heartbeat within.

"Please! No!!" I yelled aloud knowing the next words that would come, I didn't want to hear them.

"They are gone Sugarcube. They're gone..." Granny held me close, hugging so tightly I couldn't think of anything else to do but go limp in her hooves. Burying my muzzle into her chest as I began to sob aloud, my whole body aching from head to hoof.

"I know..." I yelped aloud my heart shattering into a thousand pieces.

"Ahhhhh! ahhhh!" Apple Bloom was crying from downstairs, I knew she was scared out of her mind. Hay she was younger than me, Big Mac was probably trying to calm her down to no avail.

I knew she would not cry with only two ponies.

Mama and...

Me.

Granny Smith began to hum aloud with me in her hooves, I lifted my muzzle up from her shoulder gazing to the doorway. Big Mac sat upon his backside holding little Apple Bloom in his hooves, He was always so strong but now even he was crying.

"Ahhhh! ahhh! ahhh!" The small yellow filly cried out for protection and warmth from across the room.

"Can you be strong for me?" Granny whispered into my ears as I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. I gazed up to her in silence, wiping the tears away from my eyes with my hoof nodding along.

Ears folded back I slowly made my way out of the darkness of the closet and into the light of the room, walking to Apple Bloom I softly took her away from my brother, scooping her tightly into my own hooves.

She watched me in awe as if unsure how to react, I bit my lower lip hard, tears rolling down my cheeks. She began to look frightened her own tears welling up quickly.

"No. Shhhh. Big sister is alright Sugarcube." I did my best to form a silly smile, a small giggle escaping my sister's tiny muzzle.

For her I promise to be strong and honest.

To protect her from all the pain within the world.

"Awww that's it. I promise darling for you...I'll just cry on the insde."