Canterlot Bridge

Dusk

The temperature was still mild and very warm, even high up in the mountains of Canterlot. There was a nasty taste in the mucky air that rose around the buildings, that tasted like sweat and old smoke from the chimneys of houses and cottages in the city. Even with the sunset, it was still fairly light enough to see without a torch or lantern. In fact, the bright sunlight travelled through the gaps of the walls of the bridge that prevented ponies from falling over the edge, turning into rays of light that bounced off buildings and the natural environment around the bridge. The light reflected on the glass lanterns, making them sparkle and shine.

The fog was coming from the distance. An ugly, grey colour that consumed all the brightness from where it was covering. Even the ray of the sunset struggled against it, as it prepared to head over to the other side of the world. Still, it shone a beautiful, large orange colour over the river that ran underneath Canterlot Bridge and the light bounced back up into the air again. It was clearly a beautiful sight. The fog wasn't even that frightening, especially with the orange colours dancing around like the Northen Lights at the very top of Equestria. But it was still difficult to see, especially when trying to cross the bridge ahead of you, as the fog blocked your view. The only way that you could cross, was to follow the light of the hanging lanterns.

Starlight trotted down the last street before the entrance of the bridge, followed behind by Mystery. The two ponies walked slowly towards the very edge of the cliff that would show a massive drop to the river below on a clear day. However, the fog had covered the bottom of the bridge, so Starlight couldn't see what was down there at all. She kept walking until she was no further than a metre from the beginning of the bridge. Mystery stopped beside of her, not attempting to walk onto the bridge until he knew that Starlight wasn't going to turn back.

"So... you're the pony who lives there? In that tiny cottage?"

Starlight pointed her hoof towards the cottage on the other side. She could just see the light from the window of the building and the black outline that could just be seen in the thickness of the fog. Mystery nodded.

"It is only I who lives there, Starlight Glimmer. I live with no pony. I live in the darkness and the shadows. There is no room for me in the light."

Mystery then started walking onto the bridge. The wooden floor beneath his hooves creaked and groaned as he trotted along slowly. His cloak dragged behind him, but it didn't make a sound as it did. It was like that it wasn't touching the floor, but rather hovering, like something enchanted or more sinister than that. Starlight didn't dare to look back, though, in case Mystery would forcefully turn her head around and make sure that she kept looking forward. She kept trotting down the bridge, hearing the creaking of the wood and the rush of water underneath. When looking ahead, Starlight could still only see the tiny light from the cottage. It was still a trek to go until they reached Mystery's cottage.

"Do you like it there?" Starlight asked. Mystery simply turned around to look at her. His sinister looking eyes stabbed Starlight, making her feel very uncomfortable. She was beginning to think that this wasn't a good idea. This wasn't a hotel and Mystery was certainly not a taxi pony. He didn't even have a cart to collect anypony from the station. Starlight was starting to think of a way out.

"It's... private enough for me," Mystery explained, "Princess Cadance built it for me."

Starlight stopped walking. Mystery turned back to look at her again, knowing that perhaps he had given too much away. The look on Starlight's face was the face of fear. She had turned a shade of white as if she had seen a ghost, the life and blood on her face had completely gone. She suddenly felt sick and thought that she was going to throw up. This wasn't right, one bit. The stallion had to be lying.

"What... what do you mean that Cadance built it for you? Princess Celestia built it for Cadance's twenty-first birthday, as a special gift. No... you're lying."

The words became very dry in Starlight's mouth as she finished her sentence. Mystery frowned, narrowing his eyes until they were tiny slits. His nostrils flared up and he showed his teeth, which looked too sharp to belong to a pony's.

"Cadance and I... we were both found in the forest. Alone, frightened and scared, Princess Celestia took us both in. But one day, I was cast aside, after Celestia felt that my powers were too dangerous, and so I was thrown out of her home. I am now merely a shadow. See, Starlight. I'm not lying. See what I have become!"

Starlight's breathing grew faster and faster, soon becoming sicker with every breath. Soon, finding herself vomiting onto the floor, but then stopped as she noticed Mystery taking off his cloak, revealing the rest of his body. And then, Starlight noticed the pair of black, fluffy wings that were sitting to the side of the stallion. That was when all sense and logic had left Starlight's mind, causing her to scream and shout at the creature.

"YOU'RE AN ALICORN!"

Mystery rolled his eyes in annoyance. He stepped away from the cloak on the floor and started walking towards Starlight, who was now beginning to back up. Now that Mystery revealed himself to be another creature, he looked even more menacing than before. There were white stripes stretching down his wings and neck, which showed up against his dark body.

"Princess Cadance and I can never be... separated. Even Celestia herself knows that she was wrong to leave me alone, cold, hungry and angry in the woods when she went to save Cadance. Nopony saved me from it all; it was I who saved myself. No friends, no family and no... sister."

It was at that moment when Starlight began to turn back, slowly walking, then into a trot and before she knew it, she was running down the bridge back to the city of Canterlot. Mystery remained standing in the same spot that he was before, watching Starlight scream and cry as she ran on ahead. Then suddenly, without warning, Mystery lit up his horn and ejected a long, magical rope that clasped onto Starlight's back leg, making her fall to the ground. Gasping, Starlight struggled against the magical rope and shot sparks of magic at it, only to cause the rope to tighten around her leg even more. Starlight screamed again.

"Scream all you want," Mystery sneered, "no pony comes near here. They won't hear you."

Starlight wrestled against Mystery, by punching him in the face. Mystery turned his head the other way, blood shooting out of his nostrils. He gasped and groaned in anger. Still, they wrestled. It was turning dark by now and Starlight needed to find her friends again. It wasn't until Mystery spun around and threw his hoof straight into her face, that Starlight fell down onto her back and looked at what seemed to be a mare walking towards her slowly. Starlight tried to ask for help, but her voice had turned croaky and there was little energy left inside of her body. She began to cry, tears pouring over her face and onto the wooden floor that she was lying on. It wasn't until Mystery threw back his hoof one last time and threw the strongest punch into her face, that everything went dark for Starlight.