As the light crested over the distant mountain peaks, ushering with it the warmth and opportunity of a new day. The shadows of the mountains grew smaller as the sun's rays cascaded throughout the valley, cutting through the autumn mists. Revealing a sleepy little village amongst forest trees and rolling hills. The lanterns and torches still flickering with their soft glow in the dim early hours. Buildings of brick and mortar, thatched roofs and wood, bearing the marks of chisel and axe. The streets a well-worn cobblestone and the byways heavily-travelled trails. As the last vestiges of the night began to fade giving way to a bright and colourful morning. Dew lay atop blade of grass and leaf alike, making the evergreen of the forest twinkle and shimmer in the break of dawn. The sound of it's residence stirring and the beginning of their morning rituals echoed through the stillness. The creaking of opening shutters, trotting of hooves and the clacking of wagon wheels being drawn over the stones of the streets. Neighbours giving well wishes, good mornings and farewells of passers-by. The ringing of bells to sound the opening of shops and stalls and the ambient noise of the street market and vendors becoming a triumphant roar of bustle as the day began in earnest.

On the outskirts of this serene and peaceful hamlet, as the residents went about their morning activities. A stallion walked with the steady pace of purpose. Passing the occasional traveller and shipment of merchants goods. He made his way to the corner of each road and stopped, only staying for a moment before moving on to the next. Flint Steele was charged with putting out, lighting and maintaining the various torches and lamps scattered throughout the village of Gramm. Following the same route he had hundreds of times before, he trotted down the last road for that morning. The flickering light of a single lamp at the bottom of the north hill being the focus of his attention. As he came to it's end and he reached to his leather harness for a pole he used to extinguish it's flame. He placed a hoof on its wooden base to further his reach and give stability. The stallion paused as something caught his eye, noticing an imprint of a hoof in the same place. The surface having been worn from repetition. As he was filled with an odd sense of accomplishment at the sight, a massive shadow rolled over the hill and the trees before him. He would have simply wrote it off as a passing cloud were it not for the fact it's darkness had far too much depth and as it overcame him the temperature dropped to a bitter cold. Letting out a jittery breath he watched on as it formed a fog in the air. Feeling as if he stood in the dead of winter and moonless night, he gazed upwards.

He couldn't understand what he was witnessing. A void, bottomless and unknowable stretched across the valley. Devouring the clouds and the very blue of the sky. A hole spanning mountain to mountain filled with a blackness never before seen lay before him. Around its edges a halo of light, mixtures of colours blue, yellow and white. Easily seen from within the shadow beneath. He stood there staring for a moment trying to process what reality was showing him. As panicked cries began to sound through Gramm, Flint was struck with a sharp pain. Pulling back and clutching his hoof he looked down as it throbbed to see its tip covered with small crystals of ice reflecting the light of the flame above him. His eyes shifted to the lamp and saw a creeping frost make the way down it's wooden length. As he felt a gripping fear take hold of his heart and his thoughts filled with his family and friends he felt an impact to his side. Widening his stance in an attempt to stay standing, he instantly was made aware of a sobbing filly that desperately clung to his waist. Golden Amber If he remembered right. So focused on his fear he didn't hear her coming steps as she ran to him, but now he realized he could hear the hurried hooffalls of many others. Looking across the cobblestones of the road he could see a dozen residents make their way towards him and the last remaining lantern. Trying to find safety in the light, in this his last vigil.

Suppressing the rising anxiety of his own mind and as calmly as he could muster, he tried comforting the terrified filly that shivered as she held tightly to him. Her parents calls for her must have been drowned out by the cacophony of bedlam that had seized the village. "It's all right, I'll protect you." His words of assurance coming slow but steady, as if punctuated with a steely resolve. Sounding much more sure than he was feeling at the moment, he placed himself in front of her. The others that gathered around them had huddled together out of a strength in numbers and herd mentality. Now it was out of a need to conserve warmth as well. As he squeezed his wayward charge in reassurance and stared into the depths of oblivion, there was a movement of something at its center. It twisted and pulst as a writhing mass was seen by him and some of the others. An object was thrown from the portal and streaked across the sky like a falling star. Leaving a trail of shadow like smoke in its wake. The instant it was released the abyss itself seemed to ripple and shutter. Whatever it was that ejected out came their way. Before any of them had time to react it slammed into the hillside behind them. Impacting with enough force to cause a plume of dust and rock. Heaving great mounds of earth and trees as it pushed aside anything in its path. The splintering of wood sounding like dozens of simultaneous whip cracks and the shockwave a gale force wind.

As the ground rumbled beneath their hooves and they all looked to the sky expecting more anarchy to rain down. There was... nothing. Not only was there no more debris, but the looming shadow of the unknown had vanished. The door to the in between gone in the blink of an eye. The day was clear and sunny. The clouds were still missing but the blue was as beautiful as it had always been. He was never so grateful for a bright and calm morning. The object of their fear might have been gone but there was still many things left with its passing. So many thoughts and questions and of course whatever was released from within.

Frantic calls of Amber's name were heard in the distance. Her mother's by the sound of it. As the sound of searching became louder he began trying to coax her to move. "Come on Amber, your parents are looking for you. We need to get you home." Silence was her response. Keeping her face buried in his side. "Look the thing in the sky is gone. There's nothing to be scared of anymore." Before he could get any further a few ponies turned the corner of the street in a mad dash. "Goldie! Golden Amber! Where are you?! Please answer sweetie!" It was as if the girl had teleported. As fast as her legs would carry her, she ran straight for them. Unexpected but welcomed was the sight of her mother all but tackle the filly, followed closely by her other heard mother adding to the pile. Watching the heartwarming scene for a few seconds before turning his attention to those that were still near the lamp and advising them to seek shelter in their homes. If the darkness where to come again then having lit candles and fireplaces to have light and warmth would be a good idea.

After somewhat lessening their paranoia and seeing them on their way he then trode tord Amber's parents to assure them their daughter while frightened and a bit cold, was no worse for wear. "Are you hurt?" Golden's mother asked as she held the girl in place and anxiously looked her over. "I'm okay Mom." Shaking her head as she replied. (They must have been searching for her this whole time.) Flint began noticing frost had collected on the tips of their ears and around their lips and noses. A faint shimmer of ice reflecting the light of the sun on portions of their coats, manes and tails. Running through the blind dark and unknown surrounded by the sounds of fear and disorder. He stopped in awe of the unwavering love of family and its boundless courage. Feeling a wave of warmth and pride push away the chill of his own uncertainty and the remaining cold that had clung to him.

"Where's Dad and Vine?" Asked the Amber filly.

"Your sister is with him at the house."

"Oh! Mr. Steele." Having noticed the stallion standing a few hoof lengths away, she started wiping her eyes attempting to clear the matted fur. The Other Mare still fussing over the girl.

"Please just call me Flint." He replied with a smile.

"Mr. Flint protected me!" She said with enthusiasm as she awkwardly tried to turn towards him, still held in the other mares embrace. (She didn't take long to bounce ba...) His thoughts were cut short as he was hugged by her mother.

"Thank you." The white mare said as she gripped him tightly.

"Well, I was just there to comfort and watch over her. It's not like I fought off a hydra."

"That's more than enough, thank you. Thank you so much."

"I don't think we ever introduced ourselves." she said as she released him from the hug. "I'm Sugar Pleasant and this is my herd sister Spice. You have already met our daughter Golden Amber. Then there is our husband Omni and Goldie's sister Vine. Hopefully you can meet them soon."

Spice began looking around to the houses and street before she pointed out. "Where are the guards? I know there aren't many of them but shouldn't at least one be around here?" Flint realized he hadn't seen one for almost a half an hour. The guards post being near the main road on the other side of the village.

"I'm sure they're somewhere around. They probably have a lot to deal with considering all that's happened."

The whispering of something old. Something quiet and raspy from disuse. Spoke out from the depths of Flint's mind. In a flash he flipped around, his eyes snapping to the forest behind him. An animalistic Instinct that had been present since time immemorial was speaking to him. His heartbeat increasing as his gaze switched from the shadows of the trees to that of the bushes and back. Attempting to see what it was that caused the fur on the back of his neck to stand on end. A feeling in his bones told of something watching him. Rather than fear taking hold of his mind it was instead overcome with the need to protect.

"Are you all right, what's wrong?" Sugar asked in concern. Her own mind sensing something strange and not just the behavior of the stallion in front of her.

"Take your daughter home and while on the way, see if you can't find the guards. They might not have seen whatever it was that landed in the forest."

"You say that like you're going to stay." Spice said in observation and slight protest. Amber finally wriggling out of her grasp and standing by Sugar.

"There are paths used by a lot of ponies for walks or deliveries on the north hill. I have traveled them myself from time to time. I have to make sure nopony was injured."

"Why don't you just wait for the guards, or better yet just send the guards and you don't have to be anywhere near whatever it was that fell in there."

"That's just it, we don't know what's in that forest. If anypony needs help they probably need it now. I have a weird feeling that's hard to explain. It's like if there is somepony that needs help, the fact there's something unknown in there makes me want to help them more."

"There's a fine line between brave and foolhardy, is what I would be saying if you didn't help Goldie. If there is sompony in need then all I can say is be safe and careful. I'll try to find the guards as soon as possible." It seemed as if Sugar wanted to say more but before she could he turned and began a fast trot towards the forest line.

As he came to the trees he could see the tops of them had snapped. Anything in the black stars way either pushed aside or now laid broken. The rustling of the flora and snapping of twigs was a constant sound as Flint made his way through the underbrush. The spirit of autumn coloring the leaves and the scent in the air. As he moved around the trees and bushes he noticed the shadows were darker than they should be. He kept looking to the canopy for the signs of the mysterious object and the aftermath of its descent. The brakes in the trees following the angle it fell through gave him an idea how far away it was. (It shouldn't be more than a moment away.) Keeping his eyes between the broken branches and his surroundings. He hadn't forgotten about that feeling of being watched. With his wits about him and his ears twitching back and forth in constant awareness of the ambient sounds he trudged forward. The closer he came to the site the colder it became. Faint but present was the sound of crackling ahead of him. (That isn't coming from me. I didn't see any signs of smoke or the light of a fire.)

Just ahead of him was a berm, a bit of raised earth and what looked to be a clearing just beyond. As he came closer his hooves digging in to the surprisingly hard freshly turned earth as he made his way up it's somewhat steep angle he noticed a faint mist crawl over its edge. Slowly, in little streams making paths that swept around the rocks and chunks of trees filling the furrows and dips as it made its way down. The feeling of cold becoming worse and the crackling sound growing ever louder as he crested its top. Flint's mind was sorting through quite a lot as he stood and looked at the scene before him. The temperature in this place made it feel as if his coat wasn't there. He could see his breath as his body shivered and twitched. The prickling sensation on his skin was too intense to be natural. It was so cold it was hard to breathe. On his way here the shadows had become darker as he came closer and now that he stood at the center of it all he could see flames that looked to be made of the void itself swaying to and fro.

The crackling sound in this crater not coming from these strange fires but instead as he looked around he could see the rocks, plants and trees were fragmented. Not the natural splitting and splintering of wood and stone that he was expecting but instead it looked as if they were frozen and had been shattered, falling like pieces of glass to the forest floor. The shards flaking apart as they warmed in the light of the sun and producing a creaking and crackling noise. The flames themselves were eerily silent as the dozen of them that were scattered all over swayed and flickered in the frigid breeze. Circles of frost slowly crept out along the ground wherever the not-flames were burning. The crater itself was full of a thick white mist that swirled and rolled in the drifting air. Coming to realize the reason that what should have been the soft soil beneath his hooves was hard because it too was frozen. What he was looking at was wrong in every sense of the word. What once was a lush, beautiful and thriving forest was now a horrible twisted landscape, a frozen wasteland of broken earth and ice. The sound of ticking and groans of the larger fragments or a branch shearing off from its weight as it fell to the ground and shattered.

(I'm so glad I didn't see anypony around here. Nothing could survive this.) As he was about to turn to head back to Gramm his entire body went rigid. Something from under the surface of the white mist reached through and now held his right hoof with an immovable grip. The surface just after the five pointed claw became a mound as what was beneath began to rise from its depths. Something far larger than him broke the surface as the fog rolled off of its form. The same black flames slowly dancing on parts of it. He wanted to scream but his breathing was stilled and there came no sound. His arm felt as if it was burning, he look down to realize that where this monster was holding him was covered in ice. His fur and skin slowly becoming like that of crystal as it made its way up his arm. It felt like it was reaching his bones. (How could something this cold be living!?) He was then overcome with an overwhelming sensation of nausea and lightheadedness, his vision narrowed and the corners of his sight closed into darkness. Becoming faint out of the fear and pain as the shadow it cast overcame him. A heartbeat before he lost consciousness he heard an extremely deep voice.

"Hello, little one."

Author's Note

I would like to profusely thank each and everyone of you for not only your opinions and comments but time. Also I would like to apologize, I have been unavailable to answer your comments because of obligations coinciding with the current holidays. Also being a combination of other factors involving my chosen avocation.