Dark Kin of Gaia

Far Away, outside Equestria...

Darkness; that was all the rat felt as it scuttled across the stones, carrying it's bloated gut-sack across the gray roughness. It had been wandering in this same darkness for days now, unable to make out what was what shape in the black. Was that a rock that it hit? A bone? A piece of moss? It's world was to hard to distinguish; a rut of sightlessness, scentless, tasteless nothingness.

It's progress was stopped by a shuffling sound from behind it, catching it's attention, but also awakening a prey-based fear within. The smell was not of it's kind, more alien than any kind of animal.

It barely had time to run before a unseen force grabbed it and dragged it, squealing, into the darkness. What was left of the rat's memory was a sickening wet crunch of bone and flesh, it's squalls erased forever in the dark folds of that cave.

In the darkness, the unseen force slept, not quite satisfied in hunger, but satisfied enough to drift off to slumber.

It was well satisfied, indeed. For now, at least.

Meanwhile, a few miles away, in an ancient fortress with a name that reflected it well, something began to stir from it's sleep.