Only a Blind Filly

Chapters

Prologue - Only a Blind Filly
A Companion Amid The Silence
Sparks of Hope
Blindfolded
Lonely Wind

Prologue - Only a Blind Filly

“Mom?” A little earth pony filly asked, looking blankly at the ceiling from her clinic bed with eyes that had once been a lovely shade of pink that now shown as a dull and milky mockery of what was once there. Her dark purple mane was tucked neatly to the side, so as to not bother her face.

The cream colored mare sitting next to the bed reached out her hoof to gently hold the filly’s own magenta colored one. “Yes, Iris?” She asked gently, smiling down at her daughter.

“How long do i have to stay until you can take me home?” The filly asked tiredly, shifting ever so slightly under her sheets to get more comfortable.

“Tomorrow morning at the earliest, according to the doctor, dear.” Iris’ mother said, giving Iris’ hoof a few gentle strokes. She flicked her eyes over to look at the cast on the filly’s left hind leg. “You're such a lucky filly, that fracture could have turned into something much worse.”

“And my eyes?” Iris asked, catching her mother off guard. It was a matter they had discussed a lot in the past. A subject that Iris brought up sometimes before everypony went to sleep, as well as one that her family did not like answering.

“I’m sorry, Iris, I just don’t know.. Believe me, I would love for you to be able to see how the trees are swaying in the breeze, or how they start to turn red, yellow, orange and pink with the arrival of autumn.” her mother said solemnly.

“Can you tell me about it?” Iris asked, earning an exasperated chuckle from her mother.

“You’re going to ask me that every chance you get, aren’t you?”

“Yup~!” Iris chirped, giving a proud smile.

“There’s no winning against you is there? Very well then. What do you want me to describe?” Iris’ mother asked pleasantly.

“Uummm… how about the sky? Is there a sunset?” Iris asked. Her mother's ears folded as she looked out the window at the weather team as they brought in fresh rain clouds for the coming rain.

“There is. It’s beautiful. The light from Celestia’s sun is reflecting off of the clouds, creating a dazzling array of oranges and pinks, bathing all of Ponyville in a warm glow. The clouds themselves seem to be of the sort to cause rainfall, so you may get some soothing sounds tonight.” She described, smiling as her daughter’s face practically lit up at the descriptions.

“Tell me about the clouds.” Iris requested, her mother only too happy to oblige.

“They are as I’ve always described them. They’re beautiful, taking on all sorts of shapes as the winds sculpt them.”

“What do winds look like?” Iris asked. Her mother only smiled and rubbed her hoof some more.

“We ponies can’t see the wind. Only what comes with it, should it blow fast enough.”

“Oh…” Iris looked only slightly dejected.

“But you can feel the wind. You've felt it before, and you've heard it too." The mare giggled at the last part. Iris had mistaken the sound of the wind for a moaning ghost in the past, and the giggle acted as an unwelcome reminder for the little filly as she recalled her misconception.

“Yeah, I remember....” Iris muttered before stretching and yawning, her eyes closing in the process.

“Tired?”

“Yeh…”

Iris’ mother cracked an amused smile. “Alright. I’ll let you get some sleep, then. Goodnight, little Tulip. I love you.” She kissed Iris on the forehead before standing to go.

“Goodnight, mom. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Iris mumbled, already starting to fall asleep. Her mother smiled at the filly before stepping out, not needing to turn out the lights, as they were already off.

* * * * * *

“Look out!”

Iris was snapped into wakefulness by the gut-wrenching sound of a mare crying out in fear and shock, a long sound that already made the filly in the bed beyond uncomfortable. She shifted and propped herself up, twitching her ears to try and get a better idea of what was happening. Whatever the commotion was, it was occurring outside.

“Close your eyes! For the love of Celestia, close your eyes!”

This voice was closer than the last one. Much closer. There were terrified pants, cries, and screams accompanying this new voice as they drew closer. It sounded like a group of fillies passed right by Iris' window, given the way their voices and movements became much clearer for a moment. As they rushed by, there was a sudden eruption of deafeningly loud noise, causing Iris’ ears to ring painfully. Thunder?

Iris’ forehoof brushed against the patient controls while she was in the process of shifting nervously. She snatched it up and began repeatedly pushing the call light button, calling frantically to try and catch the attention of anypony who might be able to help her. “Doctor!? Nurse?! What’s going on!?” She called as loudly as she could, though her words were drowned out by the residual echoes of the thunder and the rapidly quieting screams of another filly.

“Sweetie Belle, NO!”

A familiar mare’s voice called out in despair as the screams of the filly quieted into silence. Iris felt an intense chill run through her, the fur on the back of her neck starting to stand on end.

“Ah’m sorry, Rares, but we can’t go back yet! We need Twilight!”

Another mare’s voice, this one sounding like a member of the apple family. She had called the other pony ‘Rares.’ That was a nickname some of Rarity’s close friends used when addressing her.

“I can’t leave her, Applejack!” The voice which Iris assumed to be Rarity’s spoke up in a defiant shout.

“And ya’ll ain’t gonna do her any good gettin’ yerself in the same darn mess! Now let’s GO!” The voice of Applejack countered before both voices faded away, presumably due to them galloping away from whatever this all was. Another crash of thunder rolled through, rattling Iris to her core and causing her to duck low on instinct. As the rumbling echoes faded away, a distant noise reached Iris’ ears.

Panicked screams reached her ears. It sounded like every single pony in Ponyville was trying to flee from something Iris could not see. She took a deep, jittery breath to get a hold of herself and pushed her blankets away slightly.

“Doctor!? Nurse!? MOM!?” She called out again, pulling her blanket off of her prone body and sitting up onto her haunches, listening intently. After several moments of the ambience outside continuing, and no sounds sounding from within the hospital, Iris tentatively started to edge herself out of the bed, carefully avoiding putting too much weight on her injured leg.

A quiet hiss slipped from between clenched teeth as dropped a bit further than she anticipated, sending a spike of sharp pain through her spine and almost causing her to fall. She was able to throw a forehoof out and steady herself on the side of the bed. She spent a moment collecting herself and letting the pain decrease to more manageable levels before she began to slowly move towards where she assumed the door was, keeping one foreleg in front of her at all times to avoid any unexpected collisions.

After almost knocking over a few items, Iris was able to find the handle for the door. She turned it and pulled it open, the soft click it made almost unbearably loud when compared to the unnatural silence beyond. Iris paused with her head poking just slightly out the door, listening intently for any sounds that might signal danger. When she was sure there was nothing, she took another step into the corridor.

“Hello? Is anypony here?” She called, trying her best to keep her voice calm. She waited, breath held for what felt like an eternity. She didn’t get any replies to her call, save for the now muffled sounds of the chaos outside. She rested a hoof against the wall for support and guidance and began to slowly inch her way into the eerie silence, shivering from the chill that was starting to seep its way into her bones. The further she went, the louder her hoofsteps seemed to become, echoing around her and amplifying a rapidly growing headache to borderline agonizing levels.

“Please!” Iris cried in desperation, picking up her pace to a brisk canter, about as fast as she could go with her leg the way it was while trying to stick to the wall. “Somepony answer me!”

This time, a sound answered her call. It sounded like another pair of hooves, trotting towards her at a brisk pace. Iris relaxed slightly and slowed down. “Hello? Do you work here?”

There was no answer. Instead, the trotting sound simply kept getting closer and closer. It sounded like whoever was approaching her was increasing their speed. Another chill ran down Iris’ spine as the pony drew closer and closer. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that left her was a startled yelp as she was suddenly tackled. The wind was knocked out of her as she was slammed hard onto the ground by a pair of hooves possessing strength that should have been impossible.

Iris started screaming and struggling with whatever pony had her against the floor, but her efforts were wasted. Whoever this pony was, they possessed immense physical strength. In short order, she was pinned down and a pair of forehooves were pressing into her temples, squeezing her face and putting immense pain into her skull. Her eyes opened on their own when Iris’ aggressor applied a sharp squeeze.

Her assailant suddenly went stiff, muscles tensing up. Several seconds ticked by in anxious silence, each one feeling like an eternity to Iris. She could feel the breath of the stranger washing over her face, making her wince slightly at how it seemed to be thick, sticky and unnaturally cold. Finally, the pony released her from it’s grip and, without a word, cantered off away from Iris, leaving her on the floor.

She shuddered uncontrollably and got back to her hooves, gasping when she realized how much more her injured leg hurt after she had been tackled and pinned like that. She wobbled and collided with the wall, letting it support her as she tried to get her racing heart and scattered thoughts under control. Minutes passed before finally, she was able to make herself move again.

After a few long minutes, Iris found herself passing in front of an open door that led to one of the clinic rooms. She paused as she felt the breeze from an open window reach her alongside the sound of falling rain. Thunder sounded again, though this time far more distant. What was most unsettling of all, though she believed it should have been comforting, was the silence behind the sound of the rain. All of the screams and shouts of alarm and fear had faded away, leaving behind only a sense of dread.

Iris limped into the room and shook as the cold wind rushed against her. She jumped in surprise as her forehoof crunched against something cold and sharp on the ground. Broken glass.

In the newfound, relative silence, Iris’ adrenaline began to wear off, leaving her to feel the weight of sleepiness on her shoulders return. She stepped back from the glass, trying to return to the hall. She tripped over her own hooves and collapsed to the ground, grunting upon impact. “Maybe, this is all a nightmare…?” She muttered to herself, hoping it was true.

“What’s happening? Mom… Dad… somepony, please… Help me… help me… help… me…” her voice slowly quieted as she slipped out of consciousness. As her eyes closed, a moment of clarity came to her in which she came to a conclusion.

That pony from before could have done anything to her. She guessed that they let her go for one reason…

What could she possibly do? She was powerless, weaponless, and defenseless, she couldn’t have fought back. After all…

She was only a blind filly.

Author's Note

It is worth noting that this story has some very strong horror inspirations. I don't know if they will be prominent enough to demand me using the 'Horror' tag, though. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Also, this story could, in a way, be considered a somewhat loose spiritual successor to Mother, a story I wrote that actually got featured. This story draws certain themes and concepts from the Mother's Mythos, which I adapted to stand on their own.

That being said, do let me know what you think. Thanks!

-SJ.

P.S. I forgot to mention my good friend and editor, sorenxoras who ran through this prologue and helped me fix some phrasing issues and all in all help things flow better.

A Companion Amid The Silence

Author's Note

WHY DID THIS TAKE ALMOST A YEAR TO UPDATE?!

I have absolutely no idea, but hey, new update! Dunno if this is a one-off occurence or if I'm actually getting back into the swing of things with this particular story. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

A Companion Amid The Silence

Drip… drip… drip…

Tulip Iris shuddered when the sound of water dripping into a puddle reached her ears. It was sharp and rhythmic, but also distant and fuzzy, echoing loudly in her mind as though heard through ears stuffed with cotton in a massive cavern.

Drip… drip… drip…

A lukewarm breeze drifted over her, causing Iris to stir. She groaned in discomfort as every motion firmly notified her of how stiff and sore she was, especially in her head. Her hoof drifted slightly over the cold, hard floor, earning a twitch of curious confusion. For a moment, she could not remember the events of the previous night.

Drip… drip… crunch…

Iris yelped and scurried into a standing position as her hoof rubbed against a cold, sharp substance. Glass. The glass of the shattered clinic window…

It all came back to her; the screams and panicked voices she heard from outside, her own desperate, fruitless search for help and answers, her attacker, who had strangely let her go, and the deafening silence with a background of rainfall to serve as white noise…

Iris stood frozen in place, tears welling up in her otherwise useless eyes as the dark realization dawned on her. Whatever happened last night was not a nightmare. It had actually happened. Iris took a step back, shaking her head and wanting nothing more than to hear her mother enter the room to tell her everything was okay.

Her rear leg collided with the wall, sending a loud ‘thud’ through the area. Iris winced and stood still for several moments, trying to determine if anypony had heard her.

Drip… drip… drip…

Nothing. Iris took a deep breath and felt around for the door with her forelegs, eager to get out of here and see if there was anypony to tell her what was going on. The door stood open, allowing her to slip out into the hallway, where the silence was even more profound.

It was a painfully slow effort. Iris, despite having been in this clinic multiple times in her life, particularly when she was younger, had never taken the time to memorize it’s layout. She only had the lobby and surrounding gift shop and check-in station figured out. As a result, Iris had to put a lot of her attention towards staying calm and listening for any clues that would tell her where she was.

She kept a hoof to the wall, making careful note of it every time she found a door. Each one she found was made of wood, much like the one that had led to her own room, which told her that she hadn’t gotten out of the patients area yet. She inched open each one and asked if anypony was inside. She never got an answer outside of the perpetual silence and one instance where she heard the flatlining of a heart monitor... She didn’t open that particular door.

Iris had all but given up hope when she found her ears perking up by reflex. She heard the faint, mechanical hum of one of the lobby’s old vending machines. Iris almost burst into a fit of giggles as she realized she had managed to get to the lobby. She sped up somewhat, eager to get out of this terrible silence and find somepony.

Her eagerness and increased pace did not agree with her still recovering rear leg. Iris let out a quiet gasp as pain blossomed once more along the fracture line. She stayed still for several moments, letting the pain get back down to more tolerable levels before, more slowly this time, making her way back out into the lobby.

“Please… let somepony be there.” She muttered to herself as she entered into the familiar air of the ponyville clinic lobby. Despite the familiar background sound and the temperature and smell in the air, Iris drew no comfort from it. There were no other ponies here, she could tell. She sighed and continued towards the exit.

* * * * * *

Spike looked with exhausted, bloodshot eyes at the Carousel Boutique. It’s front door stood open, one of the hinges loose, causing it to stand lopsided. Rarity hadn’t even bothered with the handle, simply powering through in her efforts to get Sweetie Belle to safety. It hadn’t worked… as far as Spike was aware, there had not been a single pony that had been able to escape, not even Twilight.

Ponyville was all but silent, now. Leftover moisture from last night’s rain would drip occasionally, giving a very subtle, rhythmic background sound every time it did. Even the birds were quiet… either that or they had simply fled. Either way the result was the same. With a sigh, Spike stepped toward the loosened door to the Boutique. Rarity wouldn’t be inside, but Opal might be.

“Hooo...?” Owlowiscious’ sorrowful, groan-like sound would have made spike jump in surprise, as he hadn’t been expecting it, but he had been through far too much over the last twelve hours to notice enough for that.

“We’re here to get Rarity’s pet cat, Opal.” Spike said tiredly as he stepped into the building, observing the state of the main room with his heart sinking even more than it had already. Several mannequins were knocked over, one of which had housed Rarity’s current big dress project; which now lay in shredded ruins on the floor.

“Opal? You in here?” Spike called out, looking around carefully. There didn’t seem to be any sign of the small feline anywhere in the main room. “Owlowiscious, lemme know if you see her, ‘kay?”

“Hoo.”

Spike nodded and glanced back over the room. There were plenty of spots where a small, fluffy white cat could tuck itself away and hide from anything. Spike lowered himself slightly and began to check under various items scattered around the boutique. “Opal? Here, kitty kitty kitty! It’s alright!” he called out in what he hoped would be a soothing tone of voice.

“HOO!” Owlowiscious suddenly let out a sound that reminded Spike of a cross between his normal hoot and the frantic squeals of a startled piglet.

“Wha-” Spike didn’t get a chance to finish his question as a blur of white fur shot out from under the desk he was about to search under and between his legs. It moved with enough speed and force to throw him terribly off balance. A startled yelp sprang from his lungs as he fell forward and collided nose-first with the floor, the impact punctuated by a sharp thunk. Opal’s aggressive hissing could be heard quite clearly, making the distressed cat’s message unmistakable.

Spike let out a low, irritated groan as he went to pick himself up. “Opal, it’s just me!” He snapped a bit harsher than intended, dusting himself off with his claws. Opal did not seem impressed or soothed by his words. She hissed again before yowling, long and loudly, her back bristling and her tail fur poofing up. Before Spike could try to calm her, Opal turned and sprinted out of the house and into the streets.

“Hoo,” Owlowiscious hooted apologetically, to which Spike merely grimaced.

“It’s alright… If she won’t come with us, I’m sure she can take care of herself…” he muttered, looking around the house once more before slamming his eyes shut and slowly trudging his way out the door. “Come on. Let’s go find Winona…”

“Is somepony there?”

Spike instantly stopped when an unfamiliar female voice reached his ears. Quickly, he ducked back into the boutique and listened again. He could hear hoofsteps. Somepony had managed to evade capture? Based on the tempo of the steps, it sounded like a filly. He carefully peeked out of the boutique, scanning the street.

“Anypony? Please, I heard talking! I need help!” the filly called out, her eyes closed and her steps slow. Spike felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach and his posture fell into one of despondency.

“She’s just a filly…” he whispered to himself before stepping out of the Boutique. “Wait here buddy, okay?” he said to Owlowiscious, who nodded and fluttered up to perch on the edge of the boutique’s roof. Spike nodded and turned back to the filly, who had paused, her ears swiveling on her head.

“Hello?”

“Hi…” Spike finally managed, approaching cautiously. “I’m Spike. Uh, who are you?”

The filly turned to face him as soon as he spoke, though her eyes remained screwed shut. “I’m Tulip Iris. What’s happening? Where is everypony? What was all of that shouting last night? Where are my parents?!” Iris began calmly enough, though her voice quickly became more and more distressed as, at last, she was able to speak to somepony other than herself.

“Woah, hey, easy,” Spike tried soothing her, putting his claws in front of himself in a calming motion. “Calm down, okay? I’ll tell you what I can, but we need to get you somewhere safe first. No telling if anypony who wasn’t so lucky is still lurking around.”

“Lucky…?” Iris replied worriedly, sniffling slightly and shifting uneasily on her hooves, trying to keep the pressure off of her left hind leg.

“Didn’t you see what happened?” Spike asked in confusion, before truly processing that this whole time she had had her eyes closed. “Wait… why are your eyes closed?”

Iris flinched and shrunk down so her belly was almost touching the dirt. “I… I can’t see.” she whispered, clenching her eyelids shut even more.

“Oh… I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…” Spike apologized softly, mentally slapping himself for his assumption.

“It’s okay...” was the only response Iris offered to Spike’s apology. For several seconds, she remained completely silent before slowly standing back up. “What happened?” she asked in a weak voice.

Spike sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. “Frankly, I don’t know the half of it. Come on, there’s a bench over here and I think we could both use a rest.”

“Okay.” Iris agreed half heartedly before trotting up to follow Spike’s steps, listening intently and then joining him on the bench. A soft sigh left her as she finally got to take the weight off of her wounded leg.

“Alright… where to start…” Spike mumbled to himself, closing his eyes for a moment to think. “Last night, somepony came knocking on the doors to Twilight’s castle. We didn’t know who it was, and we were all kinda irked for being woken up at such an absurd hour. Starlight wound up getting to it first and, well…” he shuddered at the memory. “It was Twilight’s dad behind the door. Something was wrong. His posture, the way he was talking… the fact his first act upon the door opening was to tackle Starlight to the ground and look her in the eyes…”

Iris’ ears flicked to Spike curiously. “Looked her in the eyes?”

“Yeah. When he did… she screamed. She screamed something horrible. Then she went still and quiet and… oh, Sweet Celestia…” Spike brought his claws to his face and tried to hold back a sob as the memories began to resurface. “Twilight didn’t last long, either… when she pried her dad off of Starlight, they locked eyes and… whatever happened to Starlight happened to Twilight then, too.”

“What happened to them?” Iris asked, a slight tremble in her voice. It was clear that she didn’t really want to know.

“I don’t know for sure, but I do know that it changed them. They started carrying themselves just like Twilight’s dad was and started looking for other ponies. All of my efforts to get them to stop were met with complete indifference… Twilight through me to the side at one point,” Spike opened his eyes and shook his head. “A-anyway, I tried to get anypony I could to get away from them, but... so many ponies changed so fast. It looked like it only took eye contact to… do whatever happened to them.

“It didn’t take long at all. In less than an hour, all of Ponyville was changed… except for you and I, anyway,” Spike finished, slumping his shoulder as he finished recalling the night. “I just wish I knew what was going on…”

“Me, too…” Iris mumbled, curling up slightly into a ball and letting out a tiny, miserable whimper. “I just want my mom and dad back…”

Spike looked at her sympathetically before gently patting her on the shoulder. He didn’t say anything, though. There was nothing he could say to ease the sorrowful filly’s mind.

Sparks of Hope

For little Iris, the next several hours were spent only vaguely aware of what Spike was saying or doing. She had agreed to stay with him by his request. Seeing as how they were the only two individuals in Ponyville unaffected by whatever had swept through the town, it only made sense to stick together. By and large, Iris only paid him enough attention to stay with him and avoid bumping into things as he went from place to place.

Spike, for his part, mostly just made sure she was nearby while he focused on trying to get everypony’s pets assembled. There wasn’t much he could do right now about this situation, so he decided that, unless an opportunity presented itself, he would focus on keeping his friends’ pets safe until they got home. Thus far, he had managed to get Owlowiscious, Gummy, Angel and Tank. Opal had run off somewhere into town and now Winona was all that was left for him to get.

Spike cast a glance up to the owl fluttering lazily in the air near him as they made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres. “Think you can go on ahead to see if Winona’s even there? Don’t wanna walk all that way if we won’t find her there.”

“Hoo.” Owlowiscious hooted in affirmative before taking to the sky and flying off swiftly for the farm in the distance. Spike looked back at Iris worriedly. She hadn’t said much for quite a while, now. He barely even knew her, but right now, all they had was each other. As a result, he couldn’t help the deeply concerned frown that crossed his face before he slowed his pace to fall into stride next to her.

“Do you wanna sit for a bit? Take the weight off that leg?” he asked her as gently as possible.

“Sure.” Was Iris’ only response to the question, allowing Spike to guide her to a nearby spot of soft grass with a tree casting some soft shade over it. As they sat in the silence, Iris sighed and opened her eyes. Spike couldn’t help the slight wince on his face at the sight of how faded and milky her eyes were under the lids. “Where are we?” she asked simply.

“Huh?”

“Where in town are we, Spike? Tell me about it. Describe it, please.” Iris elaborated, resting her chin on her forehooves and letting her unseeing eyes wander.

“Oh, uh… Well, we’re at the edges of the marketplace. Uh, front street is to our right and, uh, well…” Spike shrugged helplessly. “I’m sorry, I don’t really know what to say, Iris.”

“...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just asked that… it’s not like you’re my mom or dad or anything,” Iris finally mumbled sadly, closing her eyes and burying her face in her hooves.

“Do they tell you about the world around you often?” Spike asked softly, gently patting her on the shoulder in a comforting manner.

“Uh-huh. They describe it to me all the time,” Iris replied, though her words were muffled by her hooves. “They say I might be able to see again, someday, so they tell me all about it, sometimes.”

“Really? You might get your eyesight back? How so?” Spike asked, genuinely interested by this bit of info.

“I lost my sight before I can remember. The ponies at the clinic and hospitals think that, maybe, I can get my eyesight back with the right magical treatment or something like that,” Iris explained, a slight smile coming to her lips. “I would love that more than anything, I think. Seeing the world around me again.”

Spike nodded with a reassuring smile on his face. “Well, hold onto that. I’m sure you’ll see again, someday.”

“You think so?” Iris perked up, if only slightly, looking towards Spike’s general direction with a smile growing on her face.

“I do. I really do,” Spike said with a nod. He felt somewhat bad for saying that, as he himself was actually doubting his own assurances completely. What this filly needed was hope; if she lost all hope, she’d be easy pickings for whatever happened next.

Iris’ smile widened considerably and she visibly relaxed. “Thanks, Spike. I feel a lot better, now.”

“Don’t mention it,” Spike said before looking around a bit, his mind starting to wander. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence, the leaves and grass gently swaying and rustling in the gentle, uncontrolled breeze. He glanced back at Iris after a while and blinked when he saw that she had opened her eyes again. Abruptly, a thought occurred to him. “Hey, Iris?”

“Huh?”

“Did anypony, uh… try to hurt you last night? Somepony that didn’t say anything or explain themselves?” Spike asked uncertainly, not wanting to ruin the filly’s lifted mood, but also wanting any and all information he could get.

“Um… Well, somepony did attack me last night. Over in the clinic. They pinned me down and… forced my eyes open. It was scary… I’m glad they decided to go away and leave me alone,” Iris shivered at the memory of that unnaturally strong pony assaulting her like that.

Spike went slack-jawed. “And you’re okay…” he said, barely more than a whisper.

“What?”

“Iris, whatever it was that got Ponyville, it looks like it spreads through eye contact. But you’re blind. You couldn’t meet the gaze of the pony attacking you, and then he or she just left? Iris, I think you’re blindness might have saved you!” Spike said with some hope and excitement building in his voice.

Iris’ eyes widened reflexively. “Really?”

“Yeah, really!”

Iris smiled slightly, though she quickly lost it. “But… does that really help us at all?”

“It means you’re safe. I don’t know why but I think I’m safe, too. I looked into plenty of the, er, ‘affecteds’ eyes last night and I’m none the worse for it, I think,” Spike explained, a small flicker of optimism igniting in his heart as he started thinking of possible courses of action they could take.

Iris smiled slightly at that thought. She lowered her head and rested her chin on her forelegs once more “Well, that’s good.”

* * * * * *

When at last Owlowiscious returned almost an hour later, it was with Winona running along under him, barking with joy at the sight of Spike and a normal pony. For Iris, it was quite a welcome wake-up call from her unplanned nap under the tree. Winona came up to her, snorting, panting and licking her face, just happy to see some friendly faces. Iris giggled and shuffled back slightly, trying to reach out and pet her new, very lovable assailant.

“Hey there, puppy!” Iris said with a grin, Winona yipping in greeting before allowing Iris to pet her along the back. “What did you say this dog’s name was, Spike?”

“That’s Winona, Applejack’s personal herding assistant. She also happens to be a surprisingly good guard dog,” Spike explained with a warm smile at the displays of unconditional affection going back and forth. “Heh. And, by the looks of it, quite happy to meet you.”

“I can tell!” Iris squealed as Winona kept up her rather enthusiastic greeting. “Aw, you’re sweet, aren’t you Winona?”

Spike chuckled before standing up. He shot owlowiscious a thumbs up and mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to the bird overhead, who hooted agreeably. Spike then turned his eyes to the horizon, where the sun was slowly beginning its trip into the evening hours. Spike tilted his head slightly before an idea struck him. He turned to Iris. “Hey, I just had an idea!”

“What would that be?” Iris asked curiously, petting Winona, who had calmed down somewhat and was now lying curled up against the filly’s side.

“The sun’s still moving; that means that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are still okay. If I can get a message to them, maybe they can help us!” Spike explained, the spark of hope in his heart bursting into a full blown fire. He approached Iris and reached out to help her up.

“Really? That’s great! How do we do it?” Iris asked, her own voice reflecting the hope the two refugees now felt.

“We need to get somewhere with ink, quills and parchment. Somewhere where I can write a letter.” Spike explained before looking around. “Quills and Sofas isn’t far, and the arts and crafts store is just across the street. Come on.”

Iris wobbled slightly as she returned to her hooves, but otherwise seemed rather eager to follow Spike’s plan. Although she did show a bit of hesitance to the idea of going to the stores. “But… if you live with Princess Twilight, can’t you just use the parchment and stuff there?”

Spike sighed, slumping slightly. “Yeah, I can, but these shops are a lot closer and we need to save as much time as possible.”

“Oh…”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll pay the owners back as soon as things are back to normal,” Spike reassured her, though he grimaced as he inwardly amended that statement with if things get back to normal.

* * * * * *

When Spike finally had the last item he needed, the sky was beginning to dim into shades of orange and yellow as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Now he and Iris were sat down on a bench just outside of the local cafe, with Spike scribbling furiously into the parchment. Winona sat curled up with her head resting on Iris’ lap, who was starting to doze off herself. Owlowiscious was getting in a few winks of sleep himself so he could be effective at night. Gummy and Angel were at present not far away, eating some leftover food still in the fridge since everything happened.

Spike signed his letter and then looked over it to make sure it said exactly what he needed it to say.

Dear Princess Celestia or Princess Luna,

Last night, something came through Ponyville and ‘infected’ the entire population. The only ones to evade this were myself and a blind filly named Tulip Iris. I also have the pets of Twilight and our friends with me for the time being. I see the sun moving to the horizon, so I know that at least one of you is alright.

We really need your help. Answers would be nice, too. What’s going on? What happened to everypony? Please reply as soon as you possibly can.

Yours,
Spike.

It would have to do. With a nod, Spike rolled the parchment into a scroll and then breathed his trademarked green fire over it. The scroll transformed into smoke and swirled into the distance towards Canterlot. He looked to Iris, who was now facing him. “Letter’s on it’s way. Now we wait.”

“How long?”

“Dunno. Normally Celestia’s replies take a minute or two to come back. Luna can respond basically instantly, but, well, I haven’t coughed up a response and she isn’t here, so we can rule that out,” Spike replied uncertainly before slipping off of the bench. “Either way, it’s getting late and I don’t wanna be outside when it gets dark. We should get to some shelter.”

“Where are we going?” Iris asked, following him off the bench, careful not to irritate her hind leg.

“I was figuring the castle. Place is pretty big and there’s still plenty of food in the kitchen. We can feed ourselves and the pets while we’re at it,” Spike then got a longing look on his face.

Winona whined slightly in agreement, having not eaten anything substantial all day. Now that it was brought up, Iris had to agree. “Yeah, that sounds good to me.”

“Then let’s go- hurk!” Spike suddenly clutched at his belly, his cheeks puffing out. Iris shrunk back from the sudden sound, her ears flattening against her head.

“Spike? Are you okay?” She asked worriedly.

BELCH!

Spike groaned slightly as green flames tore their way from his lungs without his consent. The flames swirled together before materializing a scroll in mid-air, held together with the royal seal. Despite the immense complaints of his stomach, Spike felt the hope in his heart reach new heights.

“Spike, what happened?” Iris asked, taking a step back and lowering herself fearfully to the ground.

“It’s okay, Iris,” Spike said with a slight groan before reaching over and plucking the scroll from the air. “We just got our reply from one of the Princesses is all.”

Blindfolded

Author's Note

IT LIVES!

Okay, same deal as last time, more or less. I have no idea for sure if I'm gonna keep at it for more than a few chapters this time, but hey, at least there's an update!

Blindfolded

Spike,

I’m on my way to Twilight’s Castle. Meet me there immediately.

Signed,

Princess Luna.

The message had been short and concise, but it told Spike and Tulip all they needed to know. Their original plan was to head for the castle anyway, so this worked out rather nicely. Spike led the way through the silent evening streets, Tulip following close by his side. Winona stayed by Tulip, Owlowiscious flew overhead and the other pets formed a loose pack behind them. The trip was made mostly in silence, and soon enough, they were stepping into the front lobby of the castle. Tulips’ ears twitched and swiveled on her head when she heard the tall doors creaking as they swung open, and the dirt road beneath her hooves transitioned to a soft carpet. “Are we here?” she asked shakily. The way her voice echoed around her in this new setting sent a shiver up her spine. It was like she was surrounded by a dozen of herself...

“Yeah, we’re here. Welcome to Twilights castle,” Spike replied while ushering the pets in. Once they were all inside, Spike closed and locked the door behind them. The heavy thud and clang of the doors closing made Tulip jump in alarm with a startled squeak. “You’re alright, it’s just the door,” Spike explained plainly before stepping a little farther into the lobby.

He stopped after a few paces to look around. The front room of the castle looked more or less the same as it always did, albeit with one or two of the decorative flower pots that were along the walls now shattered on the floor from the previous night’s struggles. Wincing at the memory, he cleared his throat. “Ahem. Princess Luna!? Are you here, yet!?” he shouted, his voice echoing all throughout the large room.

A few seconds passed in relative quiet before the answer came. Hoofsteps could be heard from a room off to the side, clacking loudly against the smooth crystal floor. The door opened, and sure enough, Princess Luna trotted out. Spike sighed in relief and went to greet her, but paused and tilted his head in confusion when he saw the thick strap of dark blue cloth that was tightly wrapped over the alicorn’s eyes. “Huh? You’re wearing a blindfold?” he asked in bewilderment.

Tulip shifted on her hooves, becoming visibly more uncomfortable with every step Luna took towards them. “Is that the princess?” she asked in a hushed, anxious voice, and Luna came to a stop not far away.

A gentle, regal laugh answered her question. “Yes, young one, I am Luna, the princess of the night and matron of dreams. You need not bow or use my title; We are all in the same situation, here. Treat me as you would anypony else,” Luna answered soothingly before turning to Spike. “As for the blindfold, Spike, I put it on to shield myself from our enemy. It seems to have done the trick for now.”

“Oh, I get it,” Spike nodded in understanding. It made sense, he supposed. After a moment, he turned and put a claw on Tulip’s shoulder while flashing Luna a warm grin. “This is Tulip Iris, the blind filly I mentioned in my letter,” he introduced, trying to sound friendly and casual. There was no hiding the tension in his voice, though, and nopony missed it.

Still, Tulip didn’t let it distract her. She nodded and gave a small nod of her head. “It’s nice to meet you…” she mumbled quietly before taking a step back to hide behind Spike.

“Likewise… I take it your blindness is what saved you?” Luna inquired gently, taking another few steps towards the filly and dragon.

“Mhmm…”

Spike chose this moment to speak again. “So, Luna, what’s going on? What happened last night? Do you have any idea?” he asked, his tone turning grim and serious. “Because Tulip and I are lost.”

Luna’s ears drooped, and her face fell in regret. “I am afraid I do not know much… all I know for sure is that, while I was going through the dream realm last night, ponies were suddenly waking up all over Equestria in droves. It was abrupt, and their minds were filled with a flood of confusion and panic. I stepped back into the waking world to try and piece together what was happening,” she paused and shuddered, the memory still fresh in her mind. “There were screams in the halls of the castle… My sister appeared in my chambers, confused and on the verge of panic. She tried to tell me something, but then… one of them burst through my door. One of my former personal guards, no less. He tackled Celestia before either of us could react and looked into her eyes...”

The way Luna hesitated told Spike and Tulip all they needed to know. “So we’ve lost Celestia...” Spike asked in quiet shock, wringing his claws together over his chest.

Luna nodded solemnly, her lips pulling into a thin line. “Yes. I disposed of the assailant quickly, and Celestia, bless her soul, was able to resist whatever was invading her mind long enough to tell me to not look into their eyes. Hence the blindfold,” she tapped a hoof to her head. “I made it from my bedroom curtains as I fled my bedchambers. Unable to see what was happening, though, I was powerless to help our subjects…” her ears fell completely flat against her head. “I had no choice but to run and hope for the best. I found a secluded spot in the wilds, far enough away that I could safely take off the blindfold, and waited. After an hour or two, the screams were silent, and all of them were leaving the city and disappearing into the countryside. I plunged into the dream realm again after that, to see if anypony had survived…”

She stopped speaking and looked away, a shiver beginning in her legs. Spike glanced uneasily at Tulip, who had shrunk behind him in fear, then looked back at Luna. “And…? What did you find?”

Luna took in a long, deep breath, let it out in a heavy sigh, then spoke with resignation and regret. “I counted only a couple thousand dreams… as compared to the millions on a normal night,” she revealed slowly, her voice shaking.

Tulip Iris whimpered pitifully from her place behind Spike, cowering down onto the floor and shaking horribly. Winona was quick to step forward and press herself into Tulips’ side while also offering her a few gentle licks of comfort. Owlowiscious, too, offered what help he could, settling down on Tulips’ back and giving a gentle hoot to try and comfort her. Their efforts were appreciated but were insufficient to ease the filly’s despair, as she continued to quietly whimper from deep in her throat.

Spike sagged at the sight while reaching out a claw to give Tulip a few gentle pats on the head. “Hey, don’t worry,” he said softly. “We’ll figure this all out, okay? I promise. You’re immune…” his words were enough to make Tulip stop shivering, but she was still unquestionably filled with despair. Sighing, Spike turned back to Luna and clasped his claws behind his back. “Alright… what do we do now?” he asked quietly.

Luna was silent for several moments. Her horn lit up with a blue glow and raised her blindfold over her eyes just enough to look at Tulip in sympathy. After a few moments, she replaced the cloth over her eyes, sighed and turned her back. “I do not know, yet, Spike. We don’t know enough about the enemy to come up with an effective plan…” she admitted before starting to trot forwards. “Until we know more, we need to take care of ourselves. It has been a stressful night and day for all of us. Spike, I am raiding your pantry. I trust you have no objections?”

Despite himself, Spike managed to chuckle at that. “Technically, it’s Twilight’s pantry, and we were on our way to raid it ourselves when you wrote back,” he pointed out before glancing back at Tulip. She still looked petrified with fear and dread, but the suggestion of food had at least gotten her ears to perk up. Smiling softly, Spike reached down and gave her hoof a gentle tug, beckoning her to come with him. “Come on, Tulip, let’s get something to eat, eh?”

That finally stirred Tulip into motion. She stood back up and, with her hoof held in Spike’s claw, the trio made their way down the hall for the kitchens and dining rooms.

Their meal was a quiet, somber affair for the most part. More than once, Spike had attempted to strike up a conversation, but the discussions never managed to get anywhere meaningful. The oppressive nature of their situation made the words stick in their throats more often than not. If nothing else, though, the food was good. Tulip was quite happy to share her satisfaction with Spike’s cooking, her compliments to the chef being the longest conversation they were able to have.

Once their food was all gone, though, the mood began to fall again. Tulip’s ears twitched on her head with every tiny sound, and she was clearly waiting for somepony to say something, anything to break the quiet. Eventually, Spike was the one to break the silence. “So, Luna… you said that only a few thousand ponies slept through last night’s, er, ‘events’ right?”

Luna gave a curt nod of her head. “Yes. I had already considered that others may have managed to avoid the affliction without sleeping through it. Sadly, I have no way of knowing for sure how many there are. I plan on observing the dream realm tonight and questioning anypony I can. We are in desperate need of tangible answers...”

Spike rested his claws on the table, his expression despondent. “Yeah… we are low on those...” he muttered quietly before going silent again. Then, with a snap of his claws, his expression brightened considerably. “Wait, what about Zecora?!” he asked in a loud voice, drawing the attention of the others.

Tulip’s muzzle scrunched for a moment as she tried to recall who the name belongs to. “That’s the rhyming zebra, right?” she asked quizzically.

Luna nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on her face. “Yes, it is possible she was spared the terrors of last night as well. Closely related though as she may be, Zecora is a zebra and not a pony. This affliction only seems to infect ponies, so she may be safe…”

Spike pumped a fist into the air with a cheer. “Yeah-haha! We can go find her in the morning! Maybe she’ll have an idea of what’s going on,” he exclaimed loudly.

Tulip managed to offer a smile as well. “I hope so. But, uh…” her smile faded, and her ears fell flat against her skull. “Doesn’t she live in the E-e-everfree f-forest?”

“She does,” Luna replied simply. “But worry not. I am more than capable of keeping us safe from wild creatures or beasts that may attempt to accost us on the way.”

“What about them?” Spike suddenly pointed out, his own voice losing some of its confidence at the thought. “If any of them are in the forest and ambush us, what do we do then? They’ll be going after you, and we can’t lose you.”

Luna frowned thoughtfully for several seconds before putting her hooves together and resting them on the table. “My blindfold shields my eyes, and under normal circumstances, it would prevent me from seeing. But, with a little bit of magic, I can still see the world around me. It’s how I’ve been finding my way around since last night. I am using echolocation to see.”

Tulip’s ears immediately perked up, and she turned to face Luna with her milky eyes flying wide open. “Oh, oh, could you use that spell on me?” she asked hopefully, an enormous grin on her face. “Please?!”

Spike’s face lit up as well. “Oh, yeah! Echolocation would probably be great for you. You can’t see normally, but I bet you’ve got really good ears to make up for it!”

“Uh huh!” Tulip replied with an enthusiastic nod. “Mom told me that I can smell, hear, feel, and taste a lot better because my eyes don’t work. But Luna, please?” she turned to the princess again and clasped her hooves together in front of her. “Please, please, please?!”

Luna looked back at Tulip for several seconds with a thoughtful look on her face. “It’s worth a try, but I must warn you now that the spell is not designed to work with blind eyes. It stimulates the vision receptors by using sounds in the ears to create an image of the environment. I’m still looking at the world around me with my eyes, the information is just being sent to them by my ears instead of my pupils…”

Tulip’s ears drooped, her smile fading. “So… so it wouldn’t work?” she asked in a timid voice before slumping back in her chair.

Luna winced and looked away. “I never said that for certain. There is a very high chance that it would be a failure, yes, but as I said, it is worth a try if nothing else…” she reiterated before slowly rising from her seat. “But not tonight, I am afraid. I must go and begin the night. Spike, Tulip, you two should go and get some sleep.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Luna,” Spike called.

“Goodnight.” With that, the lunar princess made her exit. Tulip remained motionless, and visibly flinched when she heard the dining room door shutting in the alicorn’s wake. She was perfectly still for several seconds before quietly sniffling, drawing Spike’s attention. Her dull, empty eyes slowly opened and began to shimmer with tears. Finally, with all of the stress, fear, anxiety, and confusion of the last twenty-four hours becoming too much for her, she did the only thing she could.

Her face fell forward and thumped onto the table, and she began to cry. Her sorrowful wails were long and loud, and for a while, she was all alone in her misery. Eventually though, even if she was only distantly aware of it, she heard Spike standing from his seat, and the feeling of his claws on her shoulders as he tried in vain to help her feel better. Eventually, with nothing else to hold onto, she turned and wrapped her forelegs around Spike’s shoulders while burying her face into his neck and continuing to weep. All the while, he just held onto her, letting her cry as much as she needed to.

Later that night, with the moon high in the sky and the sun long-since set, Spike guided Tulip to one of the castle’s many guest rooms. She had been quiet ever since her meltdown, refusing to speak the entire time. When at last they got to the room, Spike helped her up into the bed and tucked her in. She visibly relaxed from the softness of the mattress and the warmth of the blankets, a relieved breath slipping out of her. “Kay, how’s your leg?” Spike asked once she was settled.

“It’s alright for now…”

“Okay, just checking. Now, my room is right next to this one. First door on the left when you walk out,” he explained softly before glancing down at his feet. With a small chuckle, he reached down and lifted something up. It was Winona, who he set down on top of the blankets. She quickly curled up by Tulip’s side, sharing body heat with her. “If you need something, just holler or come get me. Winona will start barking of something’s wrong, alright?”

“Okay…” Tulip mumbled before slowly opening her eyes. She looked up and around at the room for several seconds. “Spike?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you describe the room to me, please?”

Spike hesitated, then nodded with a soft smile on his face. He looked around and took it all in for a second before beginning. “Uh, sure. It’s a pretty big room, first off. The walls are made of this bright blue crystal. There’s this big red rug on the floor around the bed so your hooves don’t get cold if you have to get up in the middle of the night. There’s a big chest of drawers on one side of the room, along with a tall mirror. There’s a bathroom right through a door on the right-side wall. The ceiling is really high, and in the moonlight, it’s almost like a night sky filled with stars. There are two windows behind your bed, one on each side, and each one is letting in a stream of moonlight…”

Tulip Iris managed a small smile as she soaked it all in before slowly closing her eyes again and laying down fully in the bed. “It sounds nice…” she murmured before lightly nuzzling her pillow. “The bed is nice, too…”

“Yeah…” Spike agreed before looking down at Winona. “You take care of Tulip tonight, okay Winona?”

Winona gave him a look with her eyes. He didn’t need anything more than that. She was on it. And so, with that, Spike began to make his way for the exist. “Goodnight, Tulip.”

“Goodnight, Spike…”

The last thing Tulip heard that night was the sound of her bedroom door closing before she fell into a restless, dreamless sleep.

Lonely Wind

Tulip awoke with a start when her bedroom door swung open, creaking long and loud and disturbing the otherwise perfectly still air. Taking a deep breath, she sat up and carefully listened to whoever it was that had entered her room. She could just make out a quiet scraping and shuffling from the door like someone was trying to be quiet. “Hello? Who is that?” she asked carefully while feeling around on the bed for Winona. To her surprise, the dog wasn’t there. Confused, she turned her ears towards her guest. “Spike? Princess?”

Silence was her answer. The air continued to shift, and a faint, unpleasant odor wafted into her nose. She could hear her guest shuffling closer to her bed, their hooves dragging along the crystal floor and creating an eerie scraping sound. With her spine tingling and her face contorting with a disgusted cringe, Tulip nervously backed up until she was pressed against the headboard of the bed. “Spike? Luna?! Winona?! Who is that?! Please, say something!” she wailed, her voice starting to shake with fear.

Again, there was no answer, just those hooves continuing their steady scraping across the floor. They transitioned from the crystal to the rug, and it made a noise lock cloth being torn into shreds slowly and deliberately. The air around her was beginning to turn cold, chilling her to the bone. She could hear her visitor breathing now, coming in slow, deep breaths. The next breath tickled the tips of her hairs as it reached her, carrying with it the smell of rotting corpses. Gasping and struggling to keep from gagging, Tulip opened her mouth and shrieked as loud as she could. “SPIKE! LUNA! SOMEPONY HELP ME!!”

The breaths were washing over her face hard enough to make her mane hairs dance on her head. The thickness of it and the awful stench were enough to make her skin crawl with revulsion and her stomach churn. Her visitor was clambering onto the bed with her, making it creak and groan with stress and making the air around her turn absolutely freezing. Something hard, a hoof, pressed itself tightly against Tulip’s mouth, silencing her desperate screams and cutting off her airflow. Desperately, she tried to fight against her assailant, but they were impossibly strong. The body holding her down felt like it was getting heavier and more oppressive, stifling the air and compressing her down into the mattress.

Her lungs were burning from a lack of oxygen, and tears of terror were leaking out of the corners of her tightly shut eyes. She felt another hoof on her right eyelid, forcefully prying it open against her will. Her screams grew in volume and intensity, as her assailant made no effort to be gentle. She couldn’t see, of course, giving her attacker pause. “Please just go away, please just go away, please just go away,” she whimpered in her mind over and over again, her screams devolving into pathetic whimpers.

However, any hopes she had of safety were summarily squashed the pressure of the hoof on her muzzle began to increase, sending a white-hot lance of pain through her skull.

Both of Tulip’s eyes flew wide open with terror and agony, and something else was starting to dribble out of her nose to flow around the hoof, flowing in warm streams down her muzzle. She could smell copper. The other hoof left her eye to press tightly against her throat. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t see. All she could do was weakly thrash as she heard those horrible breaths in her ears, smelled that horrifying stench in her nose, and felt her face and throat compressing under the weight of those hooves.

The pressure was too much. Something gave away. She heard a sickening crunch and squelch.

Her world was pain.

Tulip woke up with a scream of terror, sitting bolt upright in her bed with the sheets held tighter to her throat by her hooves. With her heart hammering in her chest, she sucked in a few deep breaths, trying desperately to calm herself. Something shifted on the blankets next to her, disturbing the air. Remembering her attacker, panic flooded through Tulips’ veins. Immediately, one of her hooves lashed out in self-defense, smacking her would-be attacker right in their… surprisingly moist snout?

A high-pitched whine pierced the air, followed by a heavy thump from the side of the bed.

Did she just punch a puppy?

An uncomfortable whine of annoyance came from below, answering her question quite simply. After taking a second or two to process this, Tulip realized with no small amount of guilt and shame what had just happened. She lowered herself down to her belly and felt her way over to the side of the bed. “Winona?” she asked quietly in a quivering voice. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hit you.”

An indignant growl came from the dog in question, and a slight tug on the blankets along with the rustling of cloth made it clear that she was now hiding under the bed. Tulip sighed and sat upright with a yawn.

After a moment, the door suddenly opened with a heavy thunk, and the rush of wind told her it had been opened hard. Spike’s voice, laced with fear, filled the air. “Tulip, what’s wrong!? Are you okay?! Where’s Winona?!” he asked in rapid succession while scampering up to the bedside.

Tulip shuddered uncontrollably as the memory of her nightmare came rushing back into her mind. The hoof on her muzzle, that awful stench. Suppressing a gag at the all-too-vivid memory, she shook herself and answered Spike’s question. “I’m okay. I just had a scary nightmare…” she said before pointing down vaguely at the base of the bed. “I think Winona’s hiding… She scared me, and I hit her. I thought she was the pony that attacked me in my nightmare...”

Tulip recoiled in surprise when she felt Spike clambering up onto the bed with her. “Yikes, I’m sorry. Are you feeling okay? Do you wanna talk about it?” he asked in a gentle, soothing voice. Tulip found herself even more surprised when the blankets were gently wrapped around her again. She heard Spike sitting down next to her and looked at him in confusion.

“Oh, uh, you looked cold,” he explained simply.

Tulip blinked, then nodded and turned her head down. “Thank you…”

“No problem. Least I can do,” Spike said, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. “I mean, we gotta look out for each other, don’t we? We’re in this together.”

Tulip nodded at that and hummed in agreement. “Yeah… you’re right.”

Spike fell silent for a minute, just giving her some company and waiting for her shivers to finally die down. Eventually, after a time, she calmed down enough to shrug the blankets off of her shoulders. Satisfied, Spike hopped off of the bed. “Well… you should probably get up now, anyway. It’s morning, and Luna wants us to get ready to go to Zecora’s,” he explained before reaching up and gently helping Tulip down from the bed. “How’s your leg?”

Tulip tested it once she was on the ground. A slight twinge of fiery pain danced across the fracture line, but it wasn’t nearly as severe as it had been yesterday. She winced all the same and gave her answer. “It’s still sore…”

“That’s okay. We can have Luna carry you when we go so you can give it some more rest,” Spike offered in sympathy before guiding Tulip out of the room and back out into the halls. “Come on. Let’s get you some breakfast, eh?”

That was enough to put a smile on Tulip’s face. “Sure. I like the sound of that.”

“I do too,” Spike agreed heartily. “That’s why I said it.”

After a large and filling breakfast of cereal and a stack of chocolate chip-filled buttermilk pancakes, Tulip, Spike, and Luna departed Twilight’s castle and began their journey into the Everfree forest, taking Owlowiscious and Winona with them. Their destination was deemed too risky for the other pets, leading to them being left behind in the castle, albeit with plenty of food set out for them so they wouldn’t starve.

After about half an hour of walking in near total silence, they passed into the forest proper. The wind moved gently through the leaves and branches of the Everfree’s many trees, filling the air with a soft and ominous rustling noise. However, while one may typically expect other sounds to accompany the wind and the leaves, today there was only silence, save for the sounds made by the group as they trudged steadily across the grassy forest floor.

Tulip, from her position on Princess Luna’s back, listened intently to their surroundings, taking in every little noise she could. Owlowiscious’ wingbeats as he flew overhead, Winona’s occasional sniffs and pants as she walked by Luna’s side, and of course the alicorn’s hooves and Spike’s feet. Beyond that and the wind, though, there was nothing. Not even an animal call. It was deeply unsettling, to say the least. Where were the birds, or tiny animals? What about the bugs? It was like they were hiding from them...

She whimpered and curled up into a ball on Luna’s back. “It’s too quiet…” she whispered fearfully, her voice shaking. She could feel Luna shift slightly, and the faint hint of breath tickling her nose told her that the princess was looking back at her.

“Be brave, young one,” Luna answered gently before facing forward again. ‘You are safe with us.”

“Hoo!” Owlowiscious added overhead. Tulip felt him gently land on her back and brush his beak along her cheek in a comforting gesture of affection. She managed a tiny smile and gave him a nuzzle in return. The two remained like that for a few moments before Owlowisious took off into the air again, resuming his vigil.

“We shouldn’t be too far out, now,” Spike noted thoughtfully while pushing through some extra shrubbery. “Ack! Stupid bushes… Yeah, this looks right. We’re pretty close.”

“I should hope so,” Luna added seriously, the tempo of her trot increasing. “I am growing weary of being in the open like this.”

They continued onward for several minutes, none of them saying anything. Suddenly, Spike let out a loud sigh of relief, and Tulip could hear his feet picking up the pace through the grass, then the dirt. “We made it!” he called back at them before several sharp knocks rang through the air.

Luna, however, maintained her previous pace, seemingly out of a desire to not jostle the still injured filly on her back. Tulip heard Spike knock a few more times, followed soon by a wooden door swinging open with a loud creak. Already, Tulip could feel a rush of warmth, and the smell of a campfire drifted into her nose. She sniffed a few times and turned her ears toward the point of interest, her curiosity growing. She’d never been here, before, after all. Her childish curiosity was starting to kick in.

The voice of Zecora rang out, sounding pleasantly surprised if a bit confused by the unexpected guests. “Oh, Spike, and Princess Luna, too! I must admit, I was not expecting either of you,” she exclaimed in her traditional rhyme.

“Greetings, Zecora,” Luna acknowledged with a subtle nod of her head while coming to a stop next to Spike. Tulip could tell; she could hear him breathing. “I am glad to see you are unharmed after the last few nights,” Luna continued in relief. “Many were not so fortunate.”

There was a pause, followed by a baffled cough from the zebra. “What do you mean, last few nights?” Zecora questioned, her tone even more perplexed than before. “Is everything quite alright?”

“Wait, you mean you don’t know?!” Spike asked incredulously, his voice getting louder. Tulip could just make out the sounds of hooves shuffling in place, telling her that Zecora was taken aback by the outburst. There was no audible response for several seconds, filling the air with a tense silence. Spike sighed after a second, his voice becoming disheartened. “Yikes… where to start?”

“We should start inside,” Luna cut in firmly, taking another few steps forward and leaning down, probably to be closer to Zecora’s eye level. “I hate to impose upon you, Zecora, but we shouldn’t stay outside for any longer then we have to.”

After another tense pause, the sound of hooves retreating back into an enclosed space gave Zecora’s answer away. Almost immediately after, Tulip felt the relative chill of the forest exterior be washed away by the pleasant warmth of the interior of Zecora’s home. Along with that warmth came the sound of a gently crackling fireplace and a cauldron filled with boiling water.

The air was saturated with a series of odd and peculiar aromas that got her sniffing, and it almost reminded her of split pea soup, if perhaps a bit more… spicy? It was hard to tell through the other scents that soon drifted into her nostrils. It was like walking into a perfume shop, only a lot more earthy. It was almost overwhelming.

Tulip’s body was suddenly encased in the gentle tingle of a magic spell. She went stiff and waited as the aura lifted her off of Luna’s back and down to the compacted dirt floor. As soon as the spell released her, she fell to her haunches and took in a deep breath. She heard Zecora hum thoughtfully. “Whatever harrowing ordeal you have experienced must be harrowing indeed, for you to come seeking me out with such speed.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Spike said in a deadpan while sitting down next to Tulip. “Twilight’s gone, and so is basically everypony else. As far as Ponyville goes, a few animals, Tulip here, and I were the only survivors.”

Zecora audibly gasped in alarm upon hearing that. “Oh my… For this disaster, you have my deepest sympathy. You look tired... here, let me get you all some tea,” Zecora was quick to suggest before trotting a little ways away. “And while the brew sits and steeps, maybe you can tell me what sent you to me with the creeps.”

Luna immediately launched into the story after clearing her throat. “As of two nights ago, some sort of magical affliction has spread across most of Equestria’s population, taking over the minds of its victims and forcing them to spread it further. It seemingly sprang up everywhere all at once, given what I learned from the ponies I questioned in the dream realm last night. It is transmitted via eye contact and seems to be impossible to stop entirely. Even my sister has succumbed,” Luna paused, then, letting that information sink in before she continued. “Oddly enough, it seems to target ponies specifically. Spike, Winona, and Owlowiscious seem to be completely immune, and Tulip iris, here, being blind, is also immune.”

“We came here because you know all about all kinds of weird and unusual stuff, magic or not,” Spike chimed in hopefully. “So… do you have any idea what this could be?”

There were several moments of silence, with Zecora moving around the room and interacting with various things. The combinations of sounds gave Tulip the impression that Zecora was preparing their tea. As Zecora pondered the question, a tension began to seep into the air.

Tulip bit her lip for several seconds before it finally became too much. She leaned forward, speaking up. “Miss Zecora, please, you have to help us. We don’t know what to do, and...” she sniffled. “And I’m scared. I want my mommy and daddy back… please...” her voice was trembling horribly by the time she finished. Luckily, a comforting claw on the shoulder from Spike was enough to help her keep herself from breaking down entirely.

Zecora let out a quiet sigh before a soft thump told Tulip that she had sat down on the other side of the cauldron. “Alas, this threat is well beyond anything I know,” the zebra stated regretfully. “And if what you say is true, then the direness of the situation will only grow.”

Spike grumbled under his breath. “Great… we’re still in the dark about what we’re dealing with, then…” he mumbled irritably, his claw fleeing from Tulip’s shoulder. Several seconds passed in silence, and Tulip shrunk in place. After a moment, Zecora stood up and began moving around again. A sound like water being poured into a wooden cup was heard.

“So… what do we do now?” Tulip finally asked shakily once the pouring stopped. Before anypony answered her, Zecora trotted up to her and set something down in front of her nose. It was radiating warm steam that carried a sweet smell like cherries and honey. She quickly realized it was the tea that Zecora had mentioned a little while ago.

Luna, after taking a sip of her own, let out a disgruntled huff. “We shall just have to find another means of getting information… it may require finding a way to trap and question one of them,” she speculated aloud. Spike let out a small gasp at that and rose to his feet.

“Woah, Woah, that’s way too risky! If one of them even gets one look at your eyes, then you’re done for! We can’t lose you now, Luna, you’re the only princess left! We need you!” he exclaimed anxiously while taking a few steps forward.

“I know that, Spike,” Luna shot back impatiently, her wings ruffling on her sides with agitation. “But what other options do we have? We need answers and there are none to be found here!”

Tulip frowned and tilted her head in Luna’s general direction. “Didn’t the sleeping ponies tell you anything?”

The alicorn paused for several seconds, then sighed in defeat. “I am afraid I could only contact so many in the time they were asleep. Of the ones I was able to question, none knew anything of importance. They are scattered and in the wilderness, and for now, it would be better to not group up with them. With how easily the affliction can spread, we’d be fools to travel in large numbers.”

“Oh…” Tulip muttered before taking a sip of her tea. It burned on the way down her throat, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. It was very sweet, tasting just like it smelled if a touch more earthy. Still, the warmth it deposited in her belly was enough to start relaxing her aching muscles, drawing a relieved sigh from her.

“Hmmm… While I know little of the larger threat, Perhaps I can still be of some help yet,” Zecora noted with a quiet hum. “If to capture one of them is what you must do, then I would be more than willing to help you.”

Tulip’s ears swiveled to face the zebra, and she turned her muzzle away from her tea. “Really? How?” she asked inquisitively before taking another greedy sip.

Tulip could almost sense that Zecora was smiling. “Nopony knows these woods quite like me,” she began with a hint of confidence. “Making me the ideal candidate to entrap your enemy.”

Spike exhaled quietly, reigned. “Well, alright. If you’re sure you’re willing to take the risk…” he said reluctantly before standing and shuffling over to be closer to Tulip. “I think Tulip and I should stay put, though. We’d probably just get in the way…”

“I am quite sure of myself, little drake,” Zecora replied before downing the rest of her tea and standing up. “And if you wish, you may stay here and take a break.”

“Before we can even think of capturing one, we need a way to lure them out…” Luna mused absently, the sound of her hoof idly prodding at the dirt floor just audible over the bubbling cauldron and fireplace. After another moment of silence, she gave a quiet, nervous chuckle. “I think I have an idea…”

There was a moment of silence before Spike spoke up. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this already?"

Author's Note

Fun Fact: Writing Zecora is hard.

Fun Fact 2: Writing from the perspective of a blind character is hard.

Fun Fact 3: Fun Facts 1 and 2 made this chapter suck d!cks to write.