It was a bright day in Ponyville. Ponies are out and about in the market or just relaxing and watching their foals play around in the park. One particular family, a Pegasus mare named Black Rose; who had a light gray coat with black and light red hair, her eyes a rose-pink and her mark a Rose, with red highlight and black filling. A Earth pony stallion, by the name of Dark Marrow; had a dark coat, not black but not gray ether, with blue and black hair, and blue eyes the same as his hair. Finally, a little Pegasus filly by the name of Morning Dawn; she had a much lighter gray coat than that of her mother's, with a combo of the blue of her father and the red of her mother in her hair. She had not gotten her mark yet.
Dawn was playing with the other foals, running around the Playground chasing foal, giggling all the way. When they rounded the front of the Playground, she spotted her parents; sitting on a bench with her mother leaning her head up against her father's shoulder and them both watching her play with wide smiles. Dawn waved a hoof and smiled at them, getting twin smiles and waves back.
Rose sighed happily and wrapped her hoof around Marrow's, watching their daughter run off to find the colt she was chasing. "Sure miss those days," Rose commented as she saw the tail of Dawn vanish behind a wall of the Playground.
"Hmm?" Marrow looked down inquisitively at his wife, who was quite snuggled up against him.
"The time when we were young, and the world seemed like a Playground itself," she clarified.
"Ah, same here," Marrow replied looking back ahead toward the Playground, catching a small glimpse of his daughter's tail. "I wish that life was slower, time goes by too fast," He hummed in thought, "but then again, sometimes its best that time is fast."
Rose nods, her cheek rubbing up against his shoulder. "Too true. Time itself is a curse we have to live with and is by far irreversible."
Marrow chuckled, getting Rose to look up into his eyes which looked down at hers. "Fine wording you have."
Rose smiled at her husbands words, "Thanks." She gave him a small peck on the cheek before laying her head back down, she soon felt Marrow's head on top of hers.
On Dawn's side, she was in a group of fillies who had brought their dolls. They were now playing with them, doing dress ups and small role-play.
In the middle of playing, a flash of light caught their attention. Turning around they found who had caused it.
"Oh! What are doing here little fillies?"
Discord moved forward, heedless of the disapproving glares from nearby parents, to the group of fillies, sitting next to Dawn. Dawn stared at the mix of creatures that made up Discord.
"We are playing with our dolls, mister," said a filly who held up her doll of a Wonderbolt.
"Oh just call me Discord little ones." he said placing a paw on his chest and flashing a smile. He snapped his claw and a small doll version of him appeared. He caught it in his claw and put it on the ground in front of him.
They were boggled at his magic. Discord noticed this and barked a laugh. "Do you like magic tricks little ones?" he asked, getting a assessment of nods. He smiled and got up. Snapping his claw, he made a top hat and cloak appear on him, along with a baton. He was rewarded with a few claps of hooves from the foals. Next, he removed his hat and tapped his baton on the top of it. A few seconds later, a not-too-happy bunny came out of it. The foals giggled and clapped at it.
The parents from nearby sat weary, keeping a hawk eye on both their foals and Discord.
Discord then shoved the bunny back into the hat and set it back on his head again. Then, he snapped his claw again to summon a box, which the foals looked at curious. He looked at them with a smile. "Now, I need a volunteer. Anypony?"
Dawn raised a hoof.
He pointed his baton at her. "Come on down little filly!" Dawn got up and trotted over to him and stood next to the box. He keeled down to Dawns height, leaning on his baton. "What is your name?" he asked with a smile.
"Morning Dawn, mister Discord."
"Well, Dawn," Discord rose back to his full height, "Are you ready for my next trick?" He gestured to the box. Dawn nodded eagerly. Discord chuckled at her. "Go ahead and enter the box." He opened it by lifting a small flap and motioned Dawn inside, which she when right in. After she had gone fully in, Discord turned and faced the crowd of foals with a bright smile.
The foals watched with unmovable gazes as Discord tapped the box three times. The result was the box glowing and a few 'Oohs' and 'Ahhs' coming from the foals. A few seconds later, it was over. Discord then opened the box and shined a light inside.
It was empty.
The foals gasped and clapped their hooves in astonishment. Discord then closed the flap and tapped it again, causing it to glow and shake again, before coming to a rest. He opened it again and out came Dawn, rubbing her head like she hit it on something. The foals clapped loudly. Dawn looked to the crowd and gave a weak smile to them.
Discord bent over to Dawn and put his claw on her back and ushered her forward back to the crowd. She carefully made her way back and sat down, all the while rubbing her head. she had a strange headache. It started after she went to that weird and scary world, with all the monsters running free and chasing her.
A few hours later, long after Discord had left, the foals and their respective parents started to head home. Dawn was fast asleep laying in her mother's lap as her hoof stroked her head as she slept. With a sigh, Rose rested her head up against Marrow and closed her eyes.
Marrow felt her lay her head on his shoulder. He too sighed as he watched the sunset. A few minutes later, he gave his wife a small shove to wake her up. "Come on, we should get home."
Rose yawned and looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, but nodded nonetheless. She then looked down at the sleeping form of Dawn. Rose got up, careful not to wake Dawn, and slowly lifted her from where she lay on her lap onto her back in between her wings. Dawn snuggled cutely into the fur on her mother's back.
Marrow got up in kind to Rose and they both started the journey home, with few word exchanged due to Dawn and the beauty of the night.
Dawn awoke in her bed at the sound of heavy hoof-steps resonating through the house. Hesitantly, she removed the covers from on top of herself and grabbed the nearby flashlight and clicked it on.
Her bedroom was empty. Clear from any threats. She scanned the room, her flashlight shining over many of her toys, posters of Wonderbolts and other objects. A creaking emitted from the fan above her as it spun slowly. Next to her, a Plushie of a small, cyan blue with prismatic hair, pony sat. Gazing outward toward the darkness. Dawn reacted by grabbing the little thing and held it tightly to her chest.
Another thump sounded through the house.
Dawn shined the light toward her door. It was wide open. A few seconds of shining it on the doorway, she decided to get out of bed and shut the door. Setting down the plushie on her bed, she hopped off it and made her way to the doorway.
When she arrived she paused and looked down the hall. Darkness greeted her till she turned on her flashlight...
And was greeted by a deep gray face, with pitch black eye sockets and a jaw that split its face in half. What filled the jaw was rows and rows of teeth, colored a deep silver with some red at the tips.
Dawn slammed the door into the face of the monster that was outside her doorway. She leaned up against the door, taking deep breaths while holding her chest with a hoof. Her eyes were wide in fear as the monster looked oddly familiar.
It looked like her mother....