Dustin crawled through the disgusting filth of the Everfree forest. His body was riddled with various cuts and nasty bruises. One leg was limp, likely dislocated from that recent manticore attack. The man dreaded the thought of manually relocating his own leg, but he knew that that time must come eventually.

‘Oh god why me...what did I do to deserve this much pain? Was I a bad person?’

With a whimper of pain Dustin let his tired and practically broken body collapse against a tall tree. Clouds circle over his head, the darkness they emanate and thunderous booms signifying the oncoming storm. If there was a god or goddess in this world...they sure as hell weren't being merciful to him.

“...”

Rustling from the bushes disturbed the human from his blissful moments of silence. From within Dustin could see twin glowing orbs stare back at him, those monstrous eyes peered deep into his soul, snuffing any comfort he had, like a cigarette under one's boot.

“...Heh...You gonna kill me….? Go ahead...whoever or whatever you are….Just fucking do it...the very least you can do is make it quick. Go for the bloody throat, eat my heart out, just END ME.”

At his words there was a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning. Rain poured down on him and the creature within the bush, it made no noise...It just...stared. Beads of sweat trickled down his brow and matted his muddy fur. The darkness that had been slowly devouring the corners of his vision plunged him into unconsciousness, from the waking world into a nightmare.

My eyes open, I felt at peace, had I died? Looking down at my body I could see much to my relief that I was back in my normal human body. However instead of being in my bed or even a hospital bed….I found that I was standing in the middle of an open field. I adorned a white cloak, armor plated made of solid gold had been woven into the shoulder pads with what appeared to be solid light.

‘A dream….? It's all a dream...right…?’ Looking around my eyes adjusted and locked onto a shadowy figure.

This shadow moved at a slow pace, it had the form of a horse, no….a Pegasus? Unicorn? It had no face for me to identify but from its frame I could tell that it was a mare. Her body had been engulfed in a black smoke. Each step she took killed the grass around her, decaying it to the point of it turning brown. My body is frozen and my muscles tensed up.

Fear clasps my heart making me feel cold inside. The closer the pegacorn came the worse I begin to feel. When she had made it only a few away she stood back on her hind legs. Her body slowly morphed like clay until she took on a more human form. However her tail, mane, ears, wings, and horn remained. It was then that her face finally took shape. Both her freakishly large eyes open revealing nothing but a neon blue light. Her hand slowly reached towards me, darkness floats from her hand and into my face. Every cell in my body seemed to burst into flames. Wisps of shadow travel up my eye sockets, my nose, and through my ears.

My lips parted letting out a distorted scream that doesn't even sound human. My flesh tears itself apart making room for the blue fur, my bones crack and reform into the all to familiar pony muzzle. More pain erupts from my rapidly changing body. The source is both on my forehead and back. More sickening tearing echoed across the slowly decaying landscape followed by the chorus of my screams of agony.

My eyes screw shut, tears pouring down my bloodied blue fur. One wing rips itself from my spine, exposing itself to the air. Another feathered appendage followed to join the other. The wingspan was easily 8 feet long. My head however feels pain unlike ANYTHING I've ever felt before. The shadow mare watches my agonizing metamorphosis with a small smirk. This filled me with something….something I never felt before. My teeth grit and I force myself onto my hooves. Blood stained the brown patches of grass crimson.

With a final pop I felt the spiral horn reach its full length. My eyes slowly opened, both eyes glowing a bright white. This emotion completely negates any feeling of pain I had felt in those moments past. The shadow takes a step back with wide eyes, shocked that I even managed to stand. Without the use of my wings I floated into the air, a white aura surrounding my blue fur. From the bottoms of my hind hooves to the tip of my horn I'm engulfed in more white light. There is a bright flash and my fur had been revert back to its original light grey.

My eyes continue to glow white, I raise a hoof into the air. The magical aura that had healed me formed into a long spear. It grew in length until the projectile grew as long as a school bus. I

That feeling inside me?….it was….HATE.

Blue ribbons constrict around the white spear until the astral weapon is completely formed. The shadow steps back further, her expression becoming more fearful, whether it was the expression on my face, or the giant fucking spear I'll never know. She raised a barrier of the smoke in an attempt to protect herself from my assault. With a bone chilling roar I make a throwing motion with my hoof. The spear flies and went through the barrier like a knife through butter and impaled the shadow mare. For a moment she just stared in disbelief at me before cracking a smile. Her eyes close and for the first time during the entirety of the dream….she spoke.

“Well played Chosen….I'll be seeing you soon enough…”

I wake up screaming, my body squirming around on the cold, marble floor. When I realize I'm not in the dream, I relax. My breath comes out in deep huffs. The first thing I noticed was the sudden lack of pain, then the bandages wrapped around my wounds. Looking around I could see the place I'm in is not the Forest rather...a temple, no a castle! However the room appeared to be trashed, two thrones were crumpled up into metal pretzels.

Stone columns were smashed and toppled over. This covered the ruined red rug I lay upon in the rubble. The most noticeable thing however is the GIANT, GLOWING, ritual ring burned into the floor. I was currently laying in the center of said ritual ring. The markings and symbols were nothing I ever saw before in my life. I examine my hooves and that was when I saw It, the last traces of BLUE fur vanishing before my very eyes, leaving only grey in its place.

“What….happened…?” I mumble under my breath. What happens next makes my body go numb with fear. From the corner of the room I hear a female mare respond to my question.

“You tell me Chosen…~” Her clopping of hooves on the cracked tiles makes me tense with each step. When she emerges from the shadows I gulped. Her form was that of the mare in my dreams minus the creepy black smoke. Her coat is either black or dark blue, I can't tell in the castle’s eerie darkness. Her eyes however are that same shade of green from before I sliped into that hellish dream world, the orbs housed cat like slits.

“No need to fear...you won't be harmed. I find it quite interesting that the chosen is a unicorn….the prophecy spoke of a powerful Alicorn…” She hums more to herself than me. The corners of her lips tug up into an evil grin showing off her sharp fangs. Imprinted on her flanks was a moon that had been blotted out with drops of darkness. For a moment I didn’t respond, thinking that this was just a continuation of the fucked up dream I had. When I felt my legs again I scrambled out of the ritual circle and back into the corner of the ruined throne room. With my back to the wall I ask her the big question. “W-who...are you….w-what are you…?” Her wings flutter on her back as she stared at me with that sinister grin.

“Idiot foal...you act as if thou hath not seen an alicorn princess before! Has thou bumped your head from the plunge into the lake? My name is Nightmare Moon, goddess of the moon and nightmares.” Her tone shifted into a somewhat medieval accent. My brow raised and with an idginite huff I walk towards her with a menacing glare. I have had enough shit happen to me during my time in this fucked up world. I would NOT be belittled and pestered by the likes of some emo wannabe, cartoon horse.

“I was KIDNAPPED from my world, I've been nearly torn to bits by wooden wolves, I had to jump from a waterfall to escape, I drug myself through mud and shit, and NOW? Im getting picked on by some SAD, LONELY, HOMELESS, DELUSIONAL BITCH WHO APPARENTLY LIVES IN A DUMP CASTLE, TO THINK SHE IS A FUCKING GODDESS.” I could feel that familiar sensation of power flowing through my veins like a rushing river. My body becomes muscular and well built from the magic that had enhanced it. Nightmare stepped back with wide eyes and winced at my harsh words. I must have struck a tender spot because I could see tears in the corners of her eyes.

“You know nothing mortal…..I save you and this is how you treat me? Mayhaps I should have left you to be eaten by the wolves instead of tending to thee….” Gritting her teeth she turned and walked away from me and much to my surprise, walked STRAIT, through a wall. My face contorts into that of shock then instant regret, then mild curiosity.

“Great...ghosts...because why the fuck not…” With cautious hoofsteps I shuffled awkwardly over to the wall she fazed through. I tap the wall with a resounding CLOP which echoed through seemingly the entirety of the castle. Like a switch all the tinted windows slammed shut, engulfing me into the darkness I've slowly grown accustomed to. The ritual I had been apparently healing me was the only source of light that gave me comfort.

‘Maybe I was a little harsh…..’

I bit my bottom lip and trot over, laying back in the runic circle. One forehoof gently traced around the individual symbols that danced along the outer rings. The moment the tip of said hoof tapped the first symbol it turned silver. This peaked my interest rather quickly, I tap another symbol with similar results. I'm not sure why but I had this strong urge to tap them all. The flat side of my hoof drags in a circular motion around me until every blue symbol and line was silver. Soon my body was running on autopilot. I felt a tingling sensation within my horn, a glowing white aura surrounded my body. Hindleggs shifted with my forehoof motions until I had begun performing an angelic dance.

‘Why….am I doing this…..my body! I cant stop, but...it feels so natural….and….familiar…?’

The dance created these silver threads that add onto the rune circles that Nightmare had created. It was then that I felt the floor leave from under me and I ascended into the air. Internally I was screaming, I want to scream but I can't even open my mouth. From the shadows I hear an angelic and familiar voice begin singing soothingly to my graceful display of dancing in the air.

Come, little children
I'll take thee away
Into a land
Of enchantment

Come, little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden
Of magic

Follow, sweet children
I'll show thee the way
Through all the pain and
The sorrows

Weep not, poor children
For life is this way
Murdering beauty and
Passions

Hush now, dear children
It must be this way
To weary of life and
Deceptions

Rest now, my children
For soon we'll away
Into the calm and
The quiet

Come, little children
I'll take thee away
Into a land
Of enchantment

Come, little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden
Of shadows

One arm points down towards the rings of magic I had somehow conjured from nothing while the other points towards the ceiling. The magical circle rose from the floor and above my head. Once it reached the ceiling it explodes into a beautiful finished product.

It was then that the singing stopped, Nightmare Moon emerges from the darkness and enters the ring of light I find myself floating under. Looking up at me with an emotionless expression she speaks calmly.

“You truly are the chosen….”

Author's Note

This chapter was written by theredbregade. He'll also write the next chapter, then it'll be me again.