A dull headache crept upon her as the morning light ushered into her room. Rarity stirred, her eyes fluttering open only to shut once more. She wasn’t quite ready to get up. Even her muscles protested against her will, yet despite that, she found herself clamoring out of bed as her mind slowly comprehended last night’s events. Strangers. Monster. Fluttershy. She held back the sudden urge to spill her heart, biting her lower lip. This was madness, wasn’t it? The insane reality that she couldn’t bare to accept. Her friend was dead, and now something was out to get her. What exactly was it though? She had heard it shrieking through the forest as it tried to pick off the strangers. She shivered at the thought before heading into the bathroom. She wearily got ready, brushing her teeth before brushing her mane. She then pulled out her makeup bag, taking out her mascara. Yes, it was…shameful in one aspect to do this, but she knew that she needed to put some on. It always served as a shield. It made her feel like she could go against the whole world. She gave a bittersweet smile as she looked at herself in the mirror, her eyelashes more prominent than before. That was all she would put on though, despite her usual makeup routine. She put away the bag as she made her way out of the bathroom and down the stairs. She quietly walked across the living room, only to hear the light snores from the kitchen. She peered inside, noting how the unicorn remained seated with her head resting on the table.

‘Poor thing.’

Rarity thought until she remembered that it was their fault that Fluttershy and that other stallion were shut out, only to die. They didn’t deserve pity from her, but she instantly regretted those thoughts. She wasn’t acting like herself. She felt bitter, but she knew she couldn’t blame them. There was no telling how long they had been out there. They were terrified, and they did what any other pony would do. Though that didn’t mean that Rarity was going to forgive them—She merely understood to some extent.

Upon further inspection, she realized that the pegasus was covered in cuts and bruises. Her fiery, red mane and sheer white coat were caked with dirt, and the bags underneath her eyes showed just how physically exhausted she was. Rarity’s eyes looked over the bag that clung to the mare’s side, peeking her curiosity. She used her magic to unbutton it, taking out its contents before examining them. Inside there was a card, identifying the pegasus.

“Ruby Dawn.”

“She prefers Dawn.”

Rarity nearly jumped upon hearing the voice, her eyes landing upon the familiar unicorn stallion. His light gray coat and his dark blue mane had been in the same condition as the pegasus. She felt a small blush appear on her cheeks, a bit embarrassed from snooping around. Then again, she had the right, especially after the events of last night.

“What was that thing?”

Rarity asked quietly, placing back the card in the bag to check out the rest of the things she had carried. Mainly just a canteen filled with a bit of water, a journal, and a camera. She set the canteen down on the kitchen counter, intending on refilling it with refreshing, cool water later. It had become clear that he wasn’t going to say, so she flipped open the journal.

Journal Entry 1

We’re finally off to go hiking up the mountain! It’s going to be fun, and I can’t wait till we get to see the view from up above. I’ll be able to get plenty of shots with my new camera.

Rarity’s eyes drifted back to the camera, noting the cracks along the screen and lens. So much for being brand new. She returned her attention back to the journal, ignoring the stallion in the room with her. She deserved some answers.

Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I? My name is Ruby Dawn, and my friends and I are going camping! I’ll be able to take pictures of the wildlife as well as the views. Blaze will, of course, be viewing the stars with that expensive telescope of his. I know he’s excited, even if he doesn’t want to show it! It’s fine though. I know that Hazel, Silver, and Jade are coming with us. It’s just the five of us, but I know we’ll enjoy ourselves. I’ll write in you-

“You won’t find much in there. Dawn stopped recording things in there since it destroyed camp. There were five of us, and as you can see…It’s just us two. My name is Solar Blaze, but everyone just calls me Blaze.”

“I…see.”

She murmured, shutting the journal before placing it back quietly. Dawn lightly stirred in her sleep but otherwise remained that way.

“What’s your name?”

“Rarity.”

There was a long pause between them, and as they stood in silence, Rarity turned on the camera. She was surprised to find that it was still working, and she began to skim through the photos.

“Rarity, look, I know you don’t trust us. You have every right to be mad at us, but if you had seen what we had witnessed…You would have done the same things as us.”

The white unicorn couldn’t respond to him. She only kept looking at the photos. They were indeed nice to look at, but it wasn’t comforting enough to make her forget her current situation.

“What I’m trying to get at is that we need to work together to get to the nearest town. It’s just at the very bottom of the mountain, but I think if we can hurry, we can make it there before dark.”

“Why would I go with the two of you? So you can leave me behind with it to die?”

Rarity’s tone was sharp and unforgiving, but she couldn’t say anything more. Her sapphire eyes widened as she stared down at the camera. It had been a group photo of the group. All of them had been smiling at the camera, but other than that, it seemed ordinary. Until you looked at the background. Hidden amongst the trees, there was a blur. Rarity had almost mistaken it for a smudge if it hadn’t been for the eyes. Its eyes had stuck out like a sore thumb with the camera’s flash causing them to have a glint. Whatever it was, it resembled a pony. A really tall pony. Though what perhaps chilled Rarity to the bone was that it appeared to have no fur whatsoever. Just… skin. Did it really have no fur or was it the blur causing it to look like that? A pony like that was hard to imagine, but something told her that it wasn’t a pony at all. It only gave off the appearance. She shivered, showing the stallion the camera.

“I know.”

That was all he could say before turning his head away from the camera.

“What is it, Blaze? You owe me that much.”

“I honestly don’t know. I can tell you a bit about it though because its been picking away at us for at least two days.”

Rarity looked over at him in surprise before she turned off the camera, setting it inside the bag. The mare began to stir again from her sleep before her eyes groggily opened as she looked at them.

“Blaze…How long was I out?”

Dawn yawned a bit, pushing herself up before standing up on her hooves. She stretched them, earning a few satisfying pops.

“Just for a few hours. No sign of anything out there yet, thankfully.”

“That’s good…What about you though? You didn’t sleep, did you? At least sit down and rest for a moment.”

The way she spoke was more of a demand, and Blaze obliged without hesitation. He was either relieved to get some rest, or he just didn’t have the energy to go against the mare and her wishes.

“I’m Dawn, and you are?”

Rarity was nearly caught off guard as the mare turned towards her, acknowledging her for the first time that morning.

“Rarity. I…I need answers about that creature. What is it?”

“Look, I already told you we don’t know.”

The stallion groaned, a bit irritated before resting his head down on the table. He appeared to have already been dozing off.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just a bit serious anddddd grumpy at the moment. Though he’s right—We really don’t know. We’ve learned very little about it ever since Hazel…”

The pegasus stopped speaking before clearing her throat, her eyes blinking away fresh tears before she wiped them away.

“I’m sorry-“

“No, it’s fine. I just…I need to know more about it if we’re going to leave together as a group.”

The stallion’s ears perked up at the comment.

“It’s good to know that you’ve come to your senses. It’s too dangerous to stay here alone.”

“I’m quite aware.”

Rarity murmured before turning her head back to Dawn. She knew she couldn’t trust either of them, but for now, she would have to work with them. Her friends deserved to know the truth of how Fluttershy died.

“What do you know about it?”

Rarity finally asked, now looking back and forth at the both of them. They seemed a bit uneasy, but Dawn sighed, her orange hues lowering a bit before she spoke.

“It’s beyond fast. I have a picture that caught a glimpse of it on my camera, and it seems more aware than just any animal. It’s smart and manipulative. It somehow strategically separated our entire group and cut off our communications. We also recently discovered an ability it has.”

Rarity listened intently, almost not believing a word she said. Most of it sounded preposterous. How could it have done all of that? Is it as fast as they said? She wished none of it to be true, but their eyes couldn’t lie. They were telling the truth.

“We were caught off guard when it happened,” Blaze yawned a bit before continuing, “It somehow managed to mimic one of our friends. It had lured us into a trap, and we did the only thing we could do—run. It led us straight to you, but it managed to get Jade and your friend, as you saw.”

He muttered as he finished, his gaze lowering before he closed his eyes and began to rest a bit more. Dawn approached him before wrapping her forehoof around him comfortingly. She then looked at Rarity, regret showing in her expression. Perhaps from the loss of her friends.
“We told you everything we know, so are you willing to come with us now? It’s more unsafe to stay in one place than to keep moving.”

Rarity nodded firmly, her eyes more determined now.

“Get some rest, Blaze. We can’t have you falling asleep while we’re on the move, and you most certainly can’t slow us down. I say we leave in an hour, sound fair enough? We need to get there before dark. Keep that in mind.”

“Sounds good enough to me.”

Blaze mumbled, trying to catch some sleep still.

“Dawn, you’re with me. We’re going to be looking out for the creature, and we’ll be packing a few essentials. Water and food to get us by until we make it. We’ll also need some flashlights in case we don’t make it on time…”

Rarity kept on speaking, guiding Dawn out of the kitchen to let the unicorn rest a while longer.

After preparing everything they would need into their small bags, the mares woke Solar Blaze. The unicorn was obviously still tired, but he knew that they couldn’t delay any longer otherwise nightfall would be upon them.

“Ready?”

Dawn asked the others before Rarity nodded firmly, readjusting her satchel.

“I think we’ll be fine if we hurry. Let’s move along.”

Rarity had closed her eyes as Blaze opened the door. She didn’t want to see the scattered remains of her beloved friend.

“Rarity…It’s okay. The creature isn’t here. It would have made itself known to us by now if it was.”

“I know.”

Of course, that’s not what Rarity was thinking about at that current moment. She wanted to preserve her memory of Fluttershy, but she had to open her eyes. She needed to see, so she could truly believe that Fluttershy was dead. So she could find the will to live on for Fluttershy. She slowly opened her eyes, but what she found was something she couldn’t have guessed. Not a single trace of Fluttershy was there. Had she somehow ran away and escaped? But what about the other stallion? There was no way he could have run. Surely, the creature would have torn him apart right then and there.

“Where are they?”

Her voice was barely audible. The two hikers glanced back at her, confusion distilled on their faces.

“What was that? I couldn’t quite-“

“Where are they?”

This time Rarity made sure that they could hear her quite clearly. It didn’t make any sense. From the way they made it seem and how the two ponies screamed from outside, Rarity was sure that the monster had reached them. Something wasn’t adding up.

“…It doesn’t matter. It took them, and it will take us next if we don’t leave right now.”

“Are you serious? Neither of you thought it was significant enough to tell me that my friend is still alive!? I thought she had died! I thought the field would be covered and smeared with her blood! How dare you tell me this now!”

Rarity then slammed the door behind them, marching forward before looking back at the duo. Her expression was cold and unyielding. She wasn’t going to tolerate this madness any longer.

“Where did it take them? If you both are cowardly enough to run away while our friends need help, then feel free to just leave, but I won’t abandon them!”

“Rarity, that’s foolish! You won’t make it out there an hour alone, much less to its home! Do you think we wanted to leave them behind? They were our friends too!”

Blaze glared at Rarity, his eyes flaring up with anger. He was tired of Rarity making them seem like the ‘bad guy’ of the situation. In reality, Blaze and Dawn were merely victims of something beyond their control.

“We wouldn’t make it far anyway! They’re either severely hurt or dead… We figured we could at least make it off the mountain alive, and then we could get some real help! If we don’t survive this, ponies are going to assume that we just… got lost! The forest goes out a long way—it’s not hard to believe something like that. Then no pony will realize that there is a monster feasting on other ponies. We can’t let this repeat itself. The truth must make it out of the forest.”

Rarity looked away, her thoughts on the matter changing a bit to understand what they meant. She didn’t like it, but they were right. She would be of no help to Fluttershy if she got caught. If they really could get help though, Fluttershy might stand a better chance of surviving. It’s all a matter of time.

“…I’m sorry. I’m just worried about, Fluttershy.”

Rarity then motioned for Blaze to take the lead, and he complied without uttering another word. The tension had seemed to remain over the three as they heard the occasional bird song.

‘I suppose that’s a good sign. Animals are usually quiet when danger is near. Perhaps that means the creature isn’t stalking us.’

Rarity thought to herself, trailing behind Blaze as Dawn walked beside her.

“What was she like?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Rarity asked, turning her head to look at the fiery maned mare.

“What was Fluttershy like? You mentioned her name a couple of times now…mainly from last night.”

Dawn looked forward again, keeping her gaze away from Rarity. Perhaps she still felt guilty about shutting the door on them—That made Rarity feel a bit better. At least she knows what she has done is indisputably wrong.

“Well, for one, she is the kindest pony I have ever met. She’s a little shy, but she always comes through for her friends. Oh, and I couldn’t possibly forget her love for animals. She truly is one of a kind.”

“She sounds like a good pony. Did she come to see the animals here then?”

“Well…I suppose that’s one reason, darling. I actually personally asked her to come.”

Rarity began to feel guilt drop down on her like a pile of bricks. She knew that Fluttershy would have been safe and sound in her cottage if she hadn’t invited her in the first place. Fluttershy was possibly dead, and it was her fault. She could feel tears brim her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. After all, if she thought like that, she would only end up in the same position as Fluttershy.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I’m really not okay.”

They didn’t talk any further after that. There was nothing Rarity had to say that would make the situation feel any better. If anything, it would have only made them realize how hopeless everything seemed. Rarity didn’t know how long they had walked, and by now, her hooves held a dull ache. Her muscles demanded for a short rest, but she didn’t both speaking up about it to the rest. They couldn’t afford the time. She could ignore it for the time being. At least until they made it to the village. Though that may not ever come to pass. Rarity began to notice something that made her stomach twist into knots. Her ears flicked, listening so intently. She pleaded internally to at least hear something, but the birds had gone quiet. The occasional rustling of the leaves from woodland creatures had come to a standstill. Only the breeze that weaved through the trees had been left behind and their hooves stepping onto the dirt.

“We’re not alone.”

Rarity whispered, her eyes now darting endlessly in her search. She didn’t see anything in the trees though. Just dark shadows that crept within them.

“You mean it’s…here?”

A tremble lurked in Dawn’s voice, her eyes beginning to scan the tree line.

“How do you know? There’s no way to even tell-“

Dawn spoke up again, stepping closer to Blaze. She nearly jumped upon hearing the leaves scrape against the ground as the wind blew quietly.

“Listen.”

Rarity, murmured, her cerulean eyes narrowing as she kept her eyes glued towards the tree line. She knew that it must have been there, quietly watching them from afar. The question was how long had it been following, and when would it decide to strike? She dug her hooves slightly into the dirt, trying to dispel her nerves.

“I don’t hear anything.”

Blaze muttered in response, but he was well aware of what Rarity meant. It was hard not to notice it. How silent it was. He had recognized it each time his friends were picked off one by one—and there was no doubt in his mind that they would need to run any moment now. It was the sound of death lingering over their heads.

“What should we do?”

Blaze asked, her voice barely audible out of fear of being heard. Though it didn’t matter. They were already being silently observed, or so that’s the assumption that the three ponies made.

“Can’t you fly, Dawn? Surely, you could make it to the village.”

Rarity responded, thinking of anyway possible to spread the word that there was something lurking in the splintered trees. Something to let Fancy know that it wasn’t safe to head to the suite. Above all else, she wanted to make sure help would come as soon as possible—if not for them, at least for Fluttershy and the rest of them.

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

Rarity’s cheeks paled at Dawn’s words, briefly glancing at her wings to examine them. They appeared to be fine, aside from being covered in dirt. Rustling from up ahead nearly made Rarity jump as she looked towards the noise. Nothing yet. They didn’t have much more time. Though it hasn’t made a move, which prompted Rarity with one singular thought.

‘What are you waiting for?’

“Dawn, please, you have to fly.”

Rarity asked again, her voice nearly trembling this time as her hooves continued to dig a bit further into the dirt. She was preparing herself in the event she would have to run.

“I can’t”

Dawn whimpered, shaking her head while she lowered it. Rarity could see tears begin to stream down her cheeks as her body began to shake. Rarity’s heart picked up its pace as she realized that Dawn was just a few words short from having a mental breakdown.

“It’s going to be fine, darling, but if you don’t-“

“She won’t do it,” Blaze finally cut in on the conversation, his eyes still remaining fixated on the trees as he continued speaking, “Like I said, it’s incredibly fast. Flying away is something we’ve already tried.”

He didn’t need to explain. Rarity already knew from their expression that the escape attempt had costed them gravely. She breathed out deeply, her mind reeling with ways to somehow escape this monstrosity, but Rarity knew that they all would requite them to run. Either they could all run at once, heading straight for the village that was much further down, or they could split up and make a run for it. Rarity grimaced somewhat at the thought. It wasn’t hard to see that both options would inevitably get them killed or dragged off to god knows where. It was then that an idea sparked in Rarity’s mind, but she truly didn’t have time to explain. She didn’t know how patient the predator was after all.

“Okay, I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it. I can’t guarantee your safety, but I can buy you time. I want both of you to make a run for it to the village while I distract it.”

“Are you insane!? You’ll get yourself killed!”

Dawn and Blaze yelled in hushed tones almost simultaneously.

“Good luck.”

Rarity only grimly replied, not bothering to allow the duo to stop her as she turned on her hind legs and darted straight back to the suite. Dawn had stared at the white unicorn in disbelief, only to be shoved by her friend.

“Get going!”

He ushered her along, and they both began to use every ounce of energy they had left to get a head start on the creature. Meanwhile, Rarity was still kicking up dirt as she ran up the path, forcing her muscles to push past her limits. It was times like this where she wished she had the physical strength and stamina that Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash had. Unfortunately, she wasn’t them, and now she would have to find her own inner strength to make it out alive. She could hear rustling nearby, following her. She had glanced over, only for a moment to see something pale protrude from the treeline. It weaved in and out almost as if the action was natural to it. Her cheeks had gone pale as she forced herself to look away from the horror she had just seen. Though she still didn’t get a good look at it, she knew it was beyond anything pony-like. Above all else though, she shoved away the desire to know what it was. She already knew enough about it to want to end the nightmare. Her hind legs began to throb as the intense heat began to settle in. Beads of sweat dripped down her muzzle as she veered for a sharp left in the pathway. She nearly lost her footing as she heard the endless wailing begin to erupt from the creature. It was getting irritated. Suddenly, she could hear its hoofsteps more prominently than ever as its billowing screeches echoed all around her and through the forest. It almost felt as it was hovering right over her, barely unable to reach her yet so close. She didn’t think she could take much more of it. She knew the suite was still a bit of a ways to go, and she was running out of energy fast. Rarity tried to think hard while her mind was a scrambled mess. It was impossible to outrun it, but maybe she could outsmart it instead. She turned her head back just for a moment to see just how much time she had, but she could only let out a deafening scream upon the realization that it was only a few yards away. Suddenly, as if Celestia herself had handed it to her, she had a burst of adrenaline run through her veins, pushing her far beyond her limits, limits that she never knew could be broken so easily. Her hooves thundered across the dirt path, pushing herself even faster upon the realization that the suite was in her line of sight. At this rate, it wouldn’t be able to catch up! She turned to check up on the creature again, seeing that it wasn’t there. She swiveled her head back around, frantically searching for it as she let her hooves carry her to the not so far suite. She nearly let out another ear-piecing shriek as she saw it running along side her, mere feet away. It turned its head to look at her with deep, almost hollow-appearing sockets before letting out another screech as it dove to catch her. She leapt forward, feeling her hooves skid across the dirt as she came to a full stop. The creature landed, rolling across the grass before forcing itself up again. Rarity then did the only thing she could do. Her horn flared up, covered in an azure aura before shooting three beams of pure magical energy. The creature fumbled back, managing to dodge each one, but by the time it recuperated, Rarity had already gotten the head start she needed.

‘Thank Celestia herself…’

Rarity thought to herself as she pushed herself harder, almost colliding against the door before her magic could even open it. The white unicorn scrambled inside, slamming the door shut as she heard more inhumane shrieks come from the other side. Rarity hastily took no time to lock the door before using her magic to slide furniture up against it, creating a makeshift barrier for the time being. She stood there for a moment, her heart ramming against her chest as she she deeply breathed in and out. Her eyes were wide with fear, and it was the first time since that night with Fluttershy that she finally allowed herself to begin trembling, succumbing to her deepest fears. She could hear the door beginning to splinter and break under the weight of the creature as it slammed itself against the door several times. Rarity remained still, utterly frozen until she felt her anger begin to take hold of her again. She gritted her teeth, tears spilling and cascading down her cheeks.

“GO AWAY!”

She screamed at it, her voice straining at its peak as it bellowed all throughout the suite. She remained firm in her stance, and she was thankful for the moment as she heard nothing but her own heavy breathing. She listened long and hard for it, wondering if it had already moved from the front door or if it had finally given up its pursuit. Her breathing had finally leveled out after a few minutes though, but that did nothing to quiet her racing heart. She stayed in the same position for a few minutes longer, but really it had seemed like an eternity in her eyes. Had it actually worked though? Did it just…give up? She found herself slowly backtracking away from the door until she finally turned away from it, sighing deeply in relief.

“I wonder if I bought them enough time…”

Rarity muttered quietly under her breath, her body still tense and exhausted from her sprint. She then turned down the corridor, entering the living room until she noticed one singular thing. It was something so insignificant, but she knew it was out of place. She stared at it for a moment, her mind silently reeling at the very idea. What she had been looking at was an open window with its drapes silently shifting along with the breeze. She didn’t dare take another step as she shifted her gaze along until she saw what she had been looking for. The looming yet scrawny creature was hunched over in the kitchen, looking down at the meal that Fluttershy and Rarity never had. In an instance, it slung the dish across the room, causing glass pieces to skid across the floor everywhere. It twisted its neck to the side, tilting its head slightly as it stared into the living room. Too bad for it, Rarity had already begun to slowly make her way upstairs. Her hooves lightly pressed against each step, trying not to earn a creak out of them. She could feel tears begin to form again, trying her best to silent her breathing, if that was even possible. Finally, she was at the last step, until she heard that loud, echoing noise that shot fear up her spine. Creak. She heard something fall to the ground as steps began to come her way. She quickly but quietly slid into the closest room, only to realize that this was supposed to be her and Fancy’s room. It made her stomach twist into knots as she scrambled to slide into the closet. She did her best to quietly close the door, and she was thankful that the door allowed cracks for her to see through it. She held her breath, an occasional whimper escaping her as she shut her eyes tightly. When she had made the decision to run from the group, she knew what she was possibly getting herself into. She knew that there was a high probability of being caught, but she risked the opportunity anyway. Though now?

‘I’m scared…I don’t want to die.’

Author's Note

I haven't really given a good description of the creature because I plan on doing that in a later part. It just seemed more fitting then. :) Comments are appreciated. I've never written Grimdark before, much less MLP.

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