A Strange Feeling

"Those are some very odd rock formations..." Cipher silently commented as he trotted through the rocky mountain range.

It had only been a few minutes when he first entered the place and he was already feeling a weird sensation that he was being watched. He wasn't sure if anyone (I used 'one' because Cipher doesn't know if it's a pony or not) was stalking him. He took a quick glance around but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

There weren't any animals around and the place was awfully silent, making it seem odd for anyone to have a strange feeling of being watched. But if his senses were telling him that something was wrong, then he wouldn't hesitate to believe that something was indeed wrong.

Cipher continued to walk on the road while carefully observing his surroundings. He still hadn't seen anything unusual but he remained vigilant.

As Cipher trotted through the ridge, small disturbances lurked behind the rocks. Three pairs of predatory eyes gleamed behind the shadows, carefully eyeing their prey.

"Hehehehe... I can't wait to take that pouch from that pony!" cackled one of the stalkers.

"Wait a minute... we don't even know what's inside that thing. What if there aren't any gems in there?"

"Of course there are gems in there!"

"How are you so sure?"

"Because he's carrying a pouch! Why else would he have it if he's not carrying something precious with him?"

"Uhhh..."

"Who cares? We take what we think is valuable to us!"

"Okay then, I'm convinced! Let's take the pony's pouch."

"W-wait! Wait! Should we have like a plan first?"

"A plan?"

"Mmmm... yes a plan. So we won't fail like last time!"

"What's the plan then?"

"Uhhh... yeah Rover... what's the plan?"

"Hehehe... follow me!"

As the stalkers made their way to their victim, the indigo unicorn stopped on his tracks.

"Hmmm... I thought I heard something..."

Cipher quickly glanced around. He was getting suspicious of the place. He hasn't seen anything so far, but the unsettling atmosphere was making him skeptical. It wasn't that he was feeling paranoid, he just knew that something was not right. And if he was being watched, he wanted to know why.

As he was looking around, he saw something quickly moving behind the rocks. Cipher only saw blurry silhouettes, but he knew that whoever or whatever they were, they were the ones who were spying on him.

"They're not really good at sneaking around, are they?"

At least Cipher knew that he was being watched. The only thing is that he didn't know why. For all he could quickly think for that moment is that he was being observed by a group who volunteered to capture him—it was the only logical conclusion he could come up with. They could also be the royal guards who probably have heard of his 'crimes' and were there to carefully observe him and subdue him when they have the chance.

Cipher considered confronting the stalkers, but he quickly disregarded it for a lot of reasons. If he was being observed, confronting them alone would be a bad idea. He wasn't sure how many they were, but he wanted to play safe and assume that they were at least more than one.

If they were the royal guards, then that would be way worse. Besides, he caused way too much trouble already. Even if he was able to take them down, that would further ruin his already-destroyed reputation. And it wasn't that he had the time to confront them anyway.

Cipher thought of the best option and simply continued to walk. He had more important things to do and if they were going to subdue him at some point, best let them come at him than go for the offensive. He was pretty good at escaping.

Cipher ignored the strange noises from behind the rocks and continued to follow the road. He assumed that the noises were coming from the 'stalkers' devising some kind of plan to capture him.

Meanwhile, from behind the rocks, the stalkers continued to watch their victim.

"Alright! You boys ready?"

"Hehehehe... yes we are!"

"Then get to your positions!"

Two of the stalkers sneaked out from the rock they were hiding from. One went to the left while the other went to the right. Their distances were a few feet apart but not too far to be able to hear each other.

"In the count of three, we strike him down!"

"One"

"Two"

"THREE!"

Just as the stalkers jump out from where they were hiding, Cipher (on instinct) conjured a magical beam of energy directly on one of the attackers. The recoil of the blast enabled him to evade one of the attackers that was on his left.

"So... you freaks gonna tell me why you're trying to steal my pouch? I thought you diamond dogs only steal gems..." Cipher said in a stoic tone.

"Grrr... how'd you know we were going to steal it from you, pony?!" one of the diamond dogs asked, upset that their prey knew their intention.

"You guys suck at being stealthy, you know that?" Cipher replied, keeping his collected tone. "But if you wanna know, let's just say this isn't the first time I smelled that disgusting scent before. And you weren't really whispering to each other when you counted down to three."

"Uhh... Rover, what do we do now?" asked one of the diamond dogs. "He already knows that we're after his pouch."

"It doesn't matter! That pouch will belong to us! Grab the pouch from the pony!"

Cipher conjured another blast on one of the diamond dogs and ran away.

"Great... just what I need. Some filthy dogs trying to steal what they think is a pouch full of gems. Well, this certainly isn't the first time, but I was expecting being chased by an angry mob of ponies."

Cipher continued to run away. He turned around to see if the diamond dogs were still chasing him, only to notice that they were no longer in sight. This however didn't convince him that he was in the clear. It didn't take long for him to realize what was going on.

"So that's how it's gonna be..."

Cipher stopped in his tracks and stared at the ground below him. He can feel slight vibrations underneath.

"Guess they're no different from the ones back home."

Cipher stood still from where he was standing. He continued observing the ground and saw a moving dirt trail coming towards him. Before it was able to reach him, the unicorn blasted the surface of the ground with his magic, knocking out the burrowing creature. Cipher quickly noticed that there was also something approaching him from behind and conjured the same spell, knocking out the creature that tried to ambush him.

"GAHHHH!"

The unicorn heard a distant cry that was getting louder. It came from one of the diamond dogs—the one he blasted earlier before the other two chased him.

"GIVE US THAT POUCH PONY!"

The diamond dog tried to pounce at him, but the unicorn was too quick for the attack. He threw the pouch he was carrying in the air as he sidestepped the incoming assault.

Before the dog realized that the unicorn evaded his attack, Cipher quickly conjured a bright flash that temporarily blinded the dog. Cipher delivered a low spinning sweep kick, making the dog tumble down the ground, completely knocking him out. Cipher then raised his hoof and caught the pouch that he recently threw.

(The last two paragraphs would've been a lot cooler if I knew how to draw a comic strip for it)

"Where's the pouch? And why is the sky spinning?"

"Ughhhh... my head..."

"Ow ow ow..."

Cipher watched as the three diamond dogs recover from their trance.

"Grrrr... you ponies always depend on your magic!"

"Yeah! You ponies always use magic to do stuff!"

"I bet if you don't have magic, you wouldn't be so tough!"

Cipher rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I don't have time for thi—"

The ground Cipher was standing on suddenly collapsed, making him fall underground. The opening he fell into was deep and the impact knocked him out completely.

"Hey now, don't you go too far, okay?"

...

"What?"

...

"But mom, I wanna visit the playground!"

...

"Wha—what is this?"

...

"Oh, honey, nopony's going to accompany you there."

...

"These voices..."

...

"But mom, I thought you were going to..."

...

"Do I know them?"

...

"I'm... sorry sweetie but mommy will be attending an important meeting tonight..."

...

"What about daddy?"

...

...

...

"GO BACK TO BED YOU USELESS SCUM!"

"AHH!" shouted a pony who woke up. He was lying underneath a pile of rocks and he was badly injured. He carefully opened his eyes and realized that he was in a dark place.

"Wh-where am I?"

He got out of his sleepy trance and analyzed the situation he was at. He was definitely confused but he somehow knew that something was wrong. It finally hit him when he realized where he was and how he was there.

"That fall must've knocked me out..."

The unicorn shook his head and placed a hoof over it.

"It's not surprising that my head hurts in total agony right now... I need to get out of here."

Cipher tried to move but his whole body was stuck underneath a big pile of rocks. He tried to struggle to get out but he was completely locked in place from where he was. And the more he tried to move his body, the more painful it was to struggle in between the rocks.

Cipher was getting tired of struggling. He was already in pain after the fall, and now he was receiving more from all the flailing he did. He was panting from exhaustion and his head felt like it was about to explode. Cipher thought of using his magic but when he tried to conjure something, his horn just gave a few sparks. He was running out of ideas.

As he was getting desperate, he thought of a possible solution that might just get him out of the situation. The problem was that he was too weak to do it.

"I don't know if I have enough energy to pull it off, but it's the only shot I have..."

Cipher closed his eyes and focused on channeling the energy he had left in his horn. His horn started to glow in a faint bluish aura that was releasing a series of sparks as it emanated. Cipher continued the channeling process and tried to transfer the output similar to the process he did before when he fought the Ophiotaurus.

As he continued to transfer the remaining energy, his head started to ache furiously, interrupting his concentration of the spell he was performing.

Cipher felt like his head was just shot by a bullet, quickly placing a hoof over his head to try to ease the pain. The glow on his horn was slowly fading as a series of agonizing jolts took over his head. This was the most painful headache he'd ever experienced in his whole life.

He wanted the pain to stop but he was so desperate of trying to finish the 'damage conversion' spell that he kept on conjuring it, despite the pain he was experiencing while he was doing it.

"Can't... give... up... now...."

The pain was too much to bear that he started to breathe heavily. His senses were blacking out and he began to feel lightheaded. He was losing consciousness and his vision was fading. With what little energy he had left, his mind suddenly began to play tricks with him and he started seeing blurred images.

He couldn't quite see those images but he could point out what they were portraying. The first image was more vivid than the others, resembling three diamond dogs chasing him over a hill. They captured him and stole the pouch he was carrying.

The image seemed to have affected Cipher in an odd way, something that he never experienced before. He didn't know what this new feeling was but he was sure of one thing—he DIDN'T like it at all.

Another image filled his mind and this time, he was in Dodge Junction. He was tied up to a wall and he saw a familiar-looking pony in front of him. It was the sheriff, and he was pointing a revolver at him. He pulled the trigger and the bullet missed its intended target. The sheriff tried to shoot him again, but the trigger got stuck midway.

The second image also affected him like the one from the previous image, but this time, the force was a lot stronger than before. He gritted his teeth and his horn subconsciously glowed in an intense crimson aura.

Another image popped up in his mind and now he saw himself back in his old abode in the Badlands. He freaked out when he realized that he was back at where he used to live. He rushed for the front door but was interrupted when a giant Maulwurf crashed into his house. A group of Ophiotaurus also crashed in his house and began to charge at him. He tried to move away but his body felt like it was frozen in place. The raiders relentlessly attacked him and destroyed everything in his house.

Cipher clenched his teeth even harder as a new uncontrollable force started to take over his body. As he felt this 'powerful force' within him, he started to hear whispers and voices as if they were there.

"Ewww... look at that disgusting thing!"

"What is that thing?!"

"He looks like a freak!"

"Is that guy suffering from some kind of disease?"

"Why does he look like that?"

"Is that even a pony?"

"Stay away from us you monster!"

"Dang, nature must have been very rude to that thing, I mean have you seen his scar?"

"Monster!!!"

"STAY AWAY FROM US YOU FREAK!"

As the voices became louder, the force that was building up inside of him was getting stronger.

"Ah reckon he does have the Equine Flu!"

"Why are his eyes like that?"

"Excuse me sir, but what are you?"

"Stay away from that freak, he's gonna kill you all!"

"Grrr... get... out... of... my... head..." the unicorn grunted as he tried to shake his thoughts off from the haunting voices he was receiving.

"GO BACK TO BED YOU USELESS SCUM!"

The final shout completely broke him. Cipher could no longer hold this strange new feeling he was having and completely succumbed to its mind-bending force. He screamed at the top of his lungs, letting go all of the pent-up energy from within his body.

A sudden violent force that was waiting to be released burst out of control, creating a large crimson energy field that erupted a large portion of the surface of the ground he was under. The force was so powerful that it completely shattered the ground above and below him that also affected the nearby trees and rocks.

"I can't believe you avoided going home just to make up for the money you weren't able to win from the rodeo, Applejack..." Twilight said as she boarded on the train. "But really, we're proud of you Applejack. No matter what place you end up in any contest, you're still our friend and we're always here to support you."

"Aww shucks... thanks guys!" Applejack chirped. "I feel better now. Sorry for tryin' to run away from ya'll."

"Oh it's fine, darling!" Rarity replied. "We're just glad that you're finally coming home with us!"

"And we can finally have that super duper awesome party we were supposed to have a few days ago!" Pinkie Pie shouted in delight.

"Yeah... I'm just glad that everything turned out fine..." Rainbow Dash said as she slouched against the passenger seat.

The six ponies all sat on their seats and the train piped its horn, indicating that the train will leave the station. Everypony was silently minding their own business when Rainbow Dash remembered something.

"Oh I almost forgot!"

"Forgot what, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked, surprised by Rainbow's sudden yell. "You forgot something back at the ranch?"

"What, no, not that," Rainbow replied. "It's about that milkshake thief we were talking about with Miss Jubilee."

"Oh yeah, that!" Pinkie Pie said as she pulled a plate of cherry pie that seemingly came out of nowhere and began devouring it. "We were supposed to ask you about that, Applejack. But we were so busy making you spill the beans that we forgot to do it."

"Oh yeah, what do you know about that thief Applejack?" Rarity asked. "And have you seen him in any parts of the town?"

"Oh... the Milkshake... T-thief?" Applejack stated as she tried to suppress her laughter.

The other five ponies giggled alongside her, remembering the hilarious title that the town gave the scary-looking bandit.

"Well... Ah don't know much about him either, and no Ah never saw him around town," Applejack answered, still trying to suppress her laughter.

"Oh, that's a shame," Rarity replied. "The lack of evidence is making me a bit doubtful about this ruffian."

"We don't totally lack evidence, Rarity," Rainbow Dash responded. "I mean he was the main reason why the town was silent."

"Yes, but we need more than just that to prove the claims he did that were stated on those wanted posters," Rarity replied. "To be honest, if it wasn't for that photo, I would've never believed that he was able to frighten the whole town. Although he did look very... uhhh... what's the word?"

"Menacing?" asked Twilight.

"Yes, menacing," Rarity noted. "It's not that I don't believe Miss Jubilee, but the proofs she stated weren't really justified. And she did say that she just got all that information from her friends, so even she isn't sure exactly what the thief did in her town."

"That's what Ah thought too at first," Applejack remarked.

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"When Ah first came to Dodge Junction, the town was as normal as it was," Applejack said as she faced her friends to tell them her experience while she was in the town. "Miss Jubilee gave me a tour of the town and even introduced me to some of her friends. Then, she finally brought me to her ranch and explained everything about the job she was going to give me. We ate supper and we slept. The next day, however, things instantly change."

"Let me guess, there were no ponies outside of town and that their doors and windows were barricaded," Rainbow Dash stated.

"Yes, and it was surprisingly quiet. When Ah woke up, Ah prepared breakfast for me and Miss Jubilee and she told me to deliver some of her cherry pies to the neighbors. Once Ah went outside, there was nothin' but total silence." Applejack continued. "At first Ah thought it was some kind of thing they practice but when Ah tried knockin' on one of the neighbors' doors, nopony answered. Ah only heard somepony inside whimperin' and sayin' somethin' about a monster and that he wanted the monster to go away."

"How awful!" Fluttershy replied in distress. "The poor pony must have been so scared from whatever the thief did to the town."

"Ah also saw a lot of wanted posters around town, they were almost everywhere. After checkin' them out Ah knew somethin' was wrong so Ah tried to reach out to the scared pony to find out what was goin' on." Applejack stated. "It took a while to convince him that Ah mean no harm, but eventually he agreed to let me come in his house. And he told me a lot of things about this wanted criminal he kept ramblin' about."

"Tell us everything he said. The more information, the better," Twilight stated.

"If Ah can remember everything he said," Applejack said as she rubbed her chin. "The first thing he told me was that the reason why he boarded up his house was that there was an ugly-lookin' monster that scared everypony in town."

"Was he able to see the thief in person?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, he told me that he saw the thief walkin' around town," Applejack nodded. "He told me that this criminal was the scariest thing he ever saw in his life."

"Well there's your evidence, Rarity," Rainbow Dash turned to look at her unicorn friend.

"What Applejack said isn't enough, we need something more convincing," Rarity shook her head. "Applejack, did this pony see what the criminal did? Or rather, did he say anything about the criminal doing any of the claims that were written in the wanted posters?"

"Am not exactly sure... but he did mention a couple of bad things that the criminal did," Applejack replied. "Let's see... he said somethin' about scarin' the local townsponies. He was so scared that he quickly ran to his house and locked his door. He peeked out of the window to see what was goin' on outside. He saw that the ponies outside were also runnin' away screamin'."

"The locals must have really hated ponies with big scars..." Pinkie Pie commented as she slurped the drink she was holding.

"Umm... Pinkie, where'd you get that?" Rainbow Dash asked, curious about how her unpredictable friend was getting random food out of nowhere.

"I don't know..." Pinkie Pie shrugged as she finished her drink. "I guess I just had them the whole time..."

"Right..." Rainbow narrowed her eyes.

"As I was sayin'," Applejack coughed. "He was very terrified. Ah asked when did this all happen and he told me that it happened the night before. Ah couldn't believe it when he said that the thief affected the town so much in a short time, but Ah didn't object cause Ah must have been asleep when the criminal showed up in town."

"So you believed everything he told you?" Rarity asked.

"Ah wouldn't say that Ah completely believe everythin' he said, but based on what he was feelin' that time and the town being completely silent was convincin' enough for me," Applejack answered.

"But what about the other claims?" Twilight asked. "We're all very sure about the criminal scaring the local townsponies of Dodge Junction, but the other claims still need proof. We can't just pinpoint specific accusations to somepony without convincing evidence."

"Was there anything else he told you?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well... Ah also asked him about the other claims that were on the poster because Ah wanted to make sure if the poster was true or not." Applejack replied. "He said that he heard a really loud roar and that made him even more scared which made him stop peekin' on his window and just slept through the night, hopin' that the monster won't attack him in his sleep. To make sure of that, he barricaded his entire house. But even with those, he had a hard time sleepin'.

"I can't imagine how terrifying it was being in his situation with this 'scary' thief," Fluttershy remarked. "I feel so awful for the townsponies not being able to sleep just because they're scared of this thief roaming in their town."

"Then what?" Rainbow Dash asked, waiting for Applejack to continue.

"Then... he fell asleep on the floor," Applejack replied. "The scared pony. The scared pony I was interrogatin' fell asleep on the floor."

"What?" the five mares asked in unison.

"Ah tried to wake him up but when he started snorin' Ah didn't continue," Applejack responded. "Ah guess he really needed that sleep. Wouldn't blame him for havin' a monster wanderin' around his town. After that Ah just left the pie on his table and carried him to his bed. Ah went outside and went to the other houses to deliver the other pies."

"And you didn't immediately go back to the ranch, why?" Rarity asked.

"Well... Ah wanted to finish the errand quickly so that Ah can focus on the main work when Ah get back to the ranch," Applejack replied. "Ah know that the thief could probably be nearby but Ah didn't let it get into me."

"Even if you know that you might get attacked at any moment?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Eh, Ah haven't seen him yet and Ah never did," Applejack shrugged. "Sure he's scary, and the things the locals told me made me feel a bit uncomfortable. But Ah won't let some thief ruin what Ah was doin'. Ah promised Miss Jubilee that Ah will work for her and Ah intend to keep that promise."

"Heh, that's our Applejack!" Rainbow Dash smiled at her brave friend. "I knew that you won't get easily scared by some scary thief."

"Hehe... yeah Ah guess..." Applejack beamed. "But Ah still stayed vigilant, just in case Ah encounter him while Ah was outside."

"Ooohh... so when you saw me, you thought that I was the 'Milkshake Thief'," Pinkie Pie commented. "That's why you pinned me down. I thought it was becaus—"

"Yes, Pinkie that's why I uhh... pounce—Ah mean pinned you down..." Applejack interjected as she quickly placed a hoof over the pink mare's mouth. She didn't want anypony else to know about that awkward thing she did.

"But what about the other claims? Have you tried talking to the other locals as you deliver the pies?" Rarity asked.

"Hmmm..." Applejack rubbed her chin. "One mare told me that she saw the thief steal a glass of milkshake in the saloon bar. She also told me that the thief scared away the bartender and everypony else inside the bar."

"Guess that's where they got the title..." Twilight remarked.

"I still think that the title they gave him was very hilarious for somepony who managed to frighten the whole town," Rainbow Dash said as she gave a light chuckle. "They could've at least given him a more appropriate name."

"Ah guess they value their milkshakes that much," Applejack pointed out. "He did steal one of their signature milkshakes."

"Anything else?" Twilight asked.

"Most of the ponies Ah delivered pies to just told me to leave the pies on their front doors," Applejack replied. "Some told me a few things but they all said the same thing about scarin' the ponies, that very loud roar, and stealin' a glass of milkshake."

"Rarity, are those proofs convincing enough for ya?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'll need more solid pieces of evidence. Giving me more photos, taking me to the scene of the crime, or giving some sample could fully convince me," Rarity answered. "Applejack, I'm not saying that I don't believe the locals you talked to, but the information you gave us is very similar to what Miss Jubilee told us. It was all just gathered from the locals who might or might have not seen the whole scene. But if you think that this so-called thief is actually out there, scaring ponies away for whatever reason, then I won't argue against your conviction."

"Yeah, me too!" Pinkie Pie squealed.

The other three ponies nodded in agreement.

"With all the given information Applejack provided us, there's still something missing..." Twilight stated. "The fourth claim."

"Oh yeah, there was another claim... what was it again?" Rarity asked.

"The 'destruction to local property' one," Twilight answered. "Applejack, did you see anything ruined or destroyed while you were walking around town?"

"Uhh, now that you mention it, Ah did find the top floor of the local inn with a giant hole," Applejack replied.

"He destroyed a part of the inn?" Twilight asked in surprise.

"Am not sure... Ah only saw a big hole and anypony I asked about had different answers." Applejack shrugged. "Some claimed that the top floor of the inn already a big hole even before the criminal showed up while some said that the criminal used his powerful magic. Don't know who's tellin' the truth because they were all really scared which made it difficult for me to read their expressions."

"Oh, at least we now know something about the fourth claim," Rarity remarked. "Although, there are conflicting details which will make it even more difficult to prove."

"Wait... why are ya'll so curious to know about this thief anyway?" Applejack asked.

"Because if his actions heavily affected Dodge Junction to the point that whatever this pony did, made them cower in fear and boarding their homes, then it's our duty to help them and put an end to his criminal acts," Twilight replied. "And since the thief is probably out there, scaring other ponies, then who's to say he won't do the same things in Ponyville? Even if we weren't fully sure of what he did to the townsponies of Dodge Junction, we know for a fact that the townsponies have a common knowledge of what this thief has done to them."

The other five ponies looked at each other and gave Twilight an approving nod.

"Twilight's right! We have to make sure that the same thing won't happen to other towns," Rainbow Dash said in a determined tone. "We won't let some intimidating criminal scare everypony else in Equestria. And we certainly won't let him steal any more milkshakes!"

"Umm... Rainbow Dash, I think there are far more important valuables than milkshakes," Rarity commented.

"Milkshakes aren't important?!" Pinkie Pie gasped. "Rarity! What you said was completely unacceptable. Why would you think milkshakes are not valuable? That's just wrong!"

"Pinkie Pie... you... never mind..." Rarity sighed, putting a hoof on her face. "But you're right, we won't let this ruffian steal from other ponies. Stealing is unethical and rude!"

The conversation of the six ponies was interrupted by a loud piercing noise.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The six mares widened their eyes from the sudden shriek. Everypony in the train heard the unexpected screech.

"What was that?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Yes! I think we all did," Rarity said as she turned over to her friends. "It sounded like a yell."

"A reaaallllyyy loud yell!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Where did it come from?" Applejack asked.

"I-I don't know..." Fluttershy replied. "But it sounded really scary... and yes it was really loud."

"And I don't think that whoever made that yell is nearby," Twilight deduced.

"Who would've shouted that loud?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I know I can get very loud during parties or when I'm doing something fun but not even I can scream that loud."

"Well, whatever it was, it certainly wasn't a normal scream," Twilight said as she narrowed her eyes. "And I'm starting to think that whoever is the source of that shriek, isn't normal either."

"What makes you say that, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"I-I'm not sure..." Twilight pondered. "But somehow I just know that the scream isn't normal. Like there's something else to that loud vocal shriek. Something strange..."

"Strange? How—"

Rarity's statement was interrupted by a loud explosion. From outside the window, a large bright red circle appeared on the horizon. The giant ball was large enough to be seen up in the sky while continuously expanding in size.

Everypony in the train stared at the large ball in awe as it gradually increased in size. Different expressions were seen from different passengers of the train.

"If I have to guess, whoever made that scream is also responsible for that bright explosion," Twilight stated as she observed the giant ball expand in the skies.

"W-w-what is that?!" Rainbow Dash asked. "Was that an explosion?"

"Yes Rainbow Dash, it was," Rarity replied.

"It's appeared so quickly and unexpectedly!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "And it's huuugeee!"

"And it's still growing," Fluttershy remarked. "An-and, I feel something weird about it."

"You feel that weird sensation too?" Rarity asked. "Huh, I thought I was the only one."

"Yeah m-me too," Applejack followed. "Am not sure what it is, but Ah definitely feel somethin' off about it."

"Me too! Me too!" Pinkie Pie squealed. "I'm not sure how to describe it but it makes my tummy feel all weird!"

"I-I-I can feel it too!" Twilight said in surprise. "It's weird, like I can't describe what I'm feeling right now!"

"I know right?" Rainbow Dash concurred. "It must be because of that red light!"

"It's crimson, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity retorted.

"What's the difference?" Rainbow Dash asked. "They're both red!"

"Crimson has a darker tone and it mostly inclines to purple while red is more vibrant," Rarity replied. "Honestly Rainbow Dash, how could you not see the difference?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and ignored her fussy friend's statement. She sometimes couldn't bear her friend paying too much attention to the smallest details.

"Whatever that light is, there's something very wrong about it..." Twilight stated as she narrowed her eyes. "I just can't point out what it is..."

As Twilight continued to stare deeply at the mesmerizing light, she widened her eyes in utter shock as a faint image of a crying pony appeared before her eyes. She quickly shook her head and fell from where she was sitting.

"Twilight!" the five mares cried in unison as they quickly approached their friend.

"Twilight are you alright?" Applejack asked.

"What happened?" Rainbow Dash followed.

They noticed that something was wrong with their friend. She was panting heavily, furiously sweating, and her face looked like it had seen a ghost.

"Twilight, are you okay? You're sweatin' a lot," Applejack asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, and you look very... scared..." Rainbow Dash said with a worried look.

"Did something happen?" Fluttershy asked. "Tell us what's wrong."

"I-I-I..." Twilight said as she kept panting. "I... saw... something..."

"Saw something?" Pinkie Pie asked. "You mean the red—I mean crimson light?"

Twilight nodded softly.

"But didn't we all see it?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising a brow. "In fact, it's still there. Now why—"

"N-no! I... saw... something else... in the light..." Twilight interjected. "Something... weird..."

"Something weird?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Like what?"

"I-I-I... I don't remember..." Twilight stammered. "B-but I know that I saw something! Through that light! There was something else in it... I... I just don't know what it was..."

Applejack didn't know if Twilight really did see something else in the light but seeing her expression convinced her that whatever Twilight saw, it was bad.

"O-okay now... why don't we just set this whole thing aside and relax for a while," Applejack said, trying to reassure her friends. "We're all stressed out today so it's understandable that we might be feelin' a little off. We all should just loosen up a bit and maybe if we're all feelin' alright, we can talk about this matter at hoof."

"I'm okay with that," Rainbow Dash concurred.

"Me too!" Pinkie Pie followed.

Applejack helped Twilight stand up from the floor.

"Thanks, Applejack! I feel a lot better now," Twilight smiled.

"It's nothin'," Applejack responded. "But really though, did you see somethin' else in that red—Ah mean crimson light?"

"Yes, I did. I just don't remember what it was," Twilight rubbed her chin. "But you're right, maybe I was just stressed out. Maybe I was just seeing things."

"Alright then, well Am gonna go talk to Rainbow Dash," Applejack said as she patted Twilight on the back. "She told me she needed help with somethin. You sure you're gonna be alright by yourself?"

"Oh, yes I'll be alright," Twilight smiled. "I'll just take a nap or something, I do feel tired... hehe..."

"Okay then," Applejack said as she trotted towards Rainbow Dash.

Twilight went back to her seat and sat down. She rested her head on the window and looked outside. The bright light was already gone, replacing it with an even more spectacular view—a sunset.

Twilight smiled as she marveled at Celestia's sun setting on the horizon. The warmth that came from the majestic view made her sleepy. She carefully closed her eyes and succumbed to her slumber.

As she dozed off in her sleep, a vague image appeared in her mind. It was indescribable and it was mostly abstract. She didn't know if she was already dreaming or just seeing things again, but she was sure of one thing.

Whatever she was seeing gave her the same sensation she felt when she saw the crimson light.

A strange feeling.

Author's Note

A big thanks to 'Kujamih' for helping me proofread!