PART ONE: SENSING

And finally, one thousand years after faceplanting on a huge lump of rock, I get to experience something else that barely passes as exciting.

DEATH.

Not exciting, now that I think of it.

Okay, maybe exciting. It's as fun as getting moon dust all over the armor that you did so much for, or watching someone struggling to breathe in front of you. It's really fun, actually. It's even as fun as getting pummeled by the Elements-

I get off topic a lot now. Side effect.

Okay, maybe I changed the topic just to avoid talking about them.

Another topic: Celestia is a really bad hider. I would choke on her name if I weren't thinking it.

Seriously. She comes all the way to the Everfree-the Everfree-just to try her luck at tackling me. Which isn't okay. Actually, it kind of is, since I knew. I'd heard the bushes, the flutter of wings. I'd trained myself to pick up all sorts of sounds.

Although my eyesight is worse now. Which was a factor of me getting caught, since-

Wait. Did I...yes, I did get caught.

I can't really remember. I mean, I can remember the thing's face when it-he, rather-saw me, or when he shuddered and died right there. Yessir, everyone can remember those kinds of moments clearly. But the other stuff is a jumble. I'm trying to sort it out, but right now I'm still out. And by out, I mean not awake. As in knocked out.

Thankfully, I have what I call the Dreamscape. So I can replay the whole thing again in the form of a dream.

At the crunching of leaves, I was ready. At the hoofsteps, I was off, sprinting and dodging. And creating a whole lot of noise.

Eyesight suddenly failed me again.

I smacked into a tree.

I cried out as the bark rubbed against my coat. My helmet nearly fell off. On instinct, I whacked it back into place and got up to run again. I had only recovered my helmet and chestplate, meaning anyone could dive for my legs. I had to keep running. I had to keep from throwing up.

Everything was spinning. I stumbled into a clearing and tried to sprint, but my stomach leaped and I nearly tripped.

The hoofsteps! They were closer!

I went into a full panic mode. I ran again, while keeping what little I had to eat down.

My shoulder kept hitting trees. I couldn't even tell they were trees; everything was so blurry.

Finally...darkness. Hello, friend. I scampered into the shade, pressing myself against something. Cool and...

Slimy.

I shivered and stepped away. That's when I realized where I was: a cave.

That's also when I saw it.

It was in the middle of the cave, laying there, helpless. It heard me panting and looked up at me.

There was terror in its eyes. Normally I would appreciate that terror, but I was in a really urgent hurry-up mood. I noticed that its entire face all scrunched up in pain. Or wrinkling it's nose. Which I didn't appreciate, but I didn't have time to not appreciate things.

It was awkward there for a moment. It didn't expect me to be there and I didn't expect it to be there. I couldn't even see it. I tried making it through all the blurred colors, but then I realized the all those blurred colors were it.

Indeed, it was a bizarre sight. First of all, it's eyes were large, deep dark orange-with no pupil. So I wasn't the only one in the Creepy Eyes Club. Its coat was light purple and it's wings were just glittery. I half-expected all of the little foals in the world to rush in and cling to it.

It was awkward. Then I broke the silence: "I think I'll go now."

I turned to continue my run for life, but I heard a voice saying, "No."

It could speak! And it sounded like a he.

I looked behind me and turned back to him. He wasn't scared of me. Why? I had never seen him before. So he probably didn't know me.

He muttered something. I really wanted to turn away now, but something-maybe it was his voice or extremely thin figure-kept me rooted.

"The disease," he said.

The disease?

Was there something I didn't know about? Of course I wouldn't have heard. Which is why I wanted to hear it from him.

"I'm weak." Like that wasn't obvious.

I took a deep breath, trying to quell the panic that kept screaming at me to run. I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted:

"I'm it's first victim."

Then he shivered and collapsed.

I was frozen, watching as he began to hyperventilate. I felt like doing that too. I saw, horrified, someone, one pony or something, out of hundreds of thousands, taking his very last breath.

"There she is."

I barely had time to turn around before something hit me over the head.

Author's Note

First time publishing a story on here...it's also on Wattpad, so be sure to check it out!