Anguish

It was a stormy day. It was a heavy downpour outside, and I'm inside a friend's house along with the others. Occasionally flashes of lightning can be seen if one looks at the sky through any of the windows or hear the booming sound of thunder. The reason why we are inside this house is not that we got caught by the storm, but it's because we are invited.

I sat on a green round carpet next to my fellow pegasus. His name is Thunderlane, and he was one of my best friends besides Writer Rhyme, Ire Heaven, and Stormlight, who all sat to my left. Then, there was Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Soarin', who was just about to finish his delicious pie when the owner of this house, Moonlight Aura, appeared after walking down the stairs.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation everypony” she then looked around, looking for something “Where is Princess Twilight, and her friends?”

“They haven't arrived yet because of the heavy rain outside” Spitfire replied. I heard Ire grumble and stood up.

“Can you explain why you called us here? I was just making my way to the bookstore when that dumbass Derpy Hooves dropped your invitation letter on my face” she demanded with a glare and furrowed eyebrows which is always stuck even when she's not angry.

“Uh, I was walking in the Everfree Forest when I saw a bright flash that nearly blinded me” she explained. We glance to see Fleetfoot stood up.

“Just what in the hay are you doing in the Everfree. You do know that Forest is dangerouth right?” she said with a lisp.

“Uh, yeah nothing really happened except for some items laying on the ground after the flash” Moonlight said. That made me more curious.

“So, what stuff did you found?” I asked. She turns to me and smiled.

“I'll show you” Moonlight's horn glowed, and she shows a rectangle black box.

“It's just a trash box” Ire deadpanned, receiving a grunt of surprise from the unicorn mare. It's obvious she is offended by Ire's comment.

“It's inside the box, Ire!” she said. She opens the box, revealing some sort of red notebook, and some kind of piece of paper that is shaped in a strange way.

“More trash? And is that scrap of paper shaped like a monkey?” I was little amused to see Moonlight sigh in annoyance and Stormlight let out a soft giggle at Ire's rudeness.

“It got some purposes, Ire. This paper scrap is used for a charm called 'Sachiko Ever After'”

“'Sachiko Ever After'? That's a weird name for a charm” Writer mused.

“That's what the notebook calls it, or whoever named it” Moonlight opened the notebook and showed a page titled after the name of the charm "According to what it says here: the charm is centered around a folk legend in Tenjin”

“I haven't heard of that place before” Soarin'.

“Yeah, let alone Pie World” I added. Soarin' glanced at me with a smile.

“Let me just continue my explanation,” Moonlight told them before continuing her speech “There was a girl named Sachiko-” Writer eyed her with curiosity upon hearing another alien word “-who went missing 30 years ago, possibly in the elementary school she studies in. It is said her spirit wanders the earth, and she is given powers to grant wishes and ease worries to others”

“This Sachiko sounds very nice” Fleetfoot thought. I agree with her. Sachiko does sound nice, but I wonder how she went missing. Did she got lost in the wilderness? Moonlight nod her head in agreement, even the cocky and heartless Ire Heaven agreed with us.

“I can't help but agree,” she said, “She's as sweet as my Stormlight” she pulled Stormlight closer to her but Stormlight playfully pushed her away.

“Ehehe, I'm not that sweet” she blushed and averted her gaze from everyone in the room.

“Oh, come on, Stormlight, admit it. You are cute when your denial” Moonlight teased. Stormlight's cheek turn redder, to which Moonlight, Writer laugh in amusement before Moonlight continued her speech “Okay. The charm is intended to commune with Sachiko's spirit and, if performed correctly, Sachiko will pass through and grant the chanters her blessing. Those involved in the spell will be bound together as true friends for eternity” She lowered the book to look at us with a cheeky smile. Reactions from everypony as immediate, especially Writer Rhyme, Soarin', and Fleetfoot.

“Bound together as true friends for eternity? Now, that's cool!” Writer exclaimed.

“True friends for eternity? As in forever? This is so exciting” Soarin' said.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do the charm!” Fleetfoot gained everyone's agreements, including Ire, who glanced at Stormlight with a happy smile that is so rare to see on her face.

“But what if we performed the charm incorrectly, what will happen?” Spitfire asked, and the atmosphere suddenly felt serious as Moonlight looked at the page of the strange notebook.

“Well, if performed incorrectly...” she stopped and was looking at the page silently for a few seconds before speaking with frustration evident both in her voice and her expression “I couldn't read the whole sentence. There is something black smudged on the page”

“Let me take a look,” Writer said. Moonlight nodded and gave him the notebook. He examined the said book for a few seconds “Whatever smudged on the page, it isn't ink. Strange” he gives Moonlight the book “So, how do we do the charm?” Moonlight flipped the book to the next page and read the contents aloud for us to hear.

“It says, in order to the charm, at least two to ten participants are needed. With the paper Sachiko doll in hand? Mm... I wonder what's a hand. Let's ignore the hand thing. Everyone must need to gather around in a circle and each individual must grip firmly onto the paper doll. Then they must invoke Sachiko by chanting the phrase aloud or in their head 'Sachiko-San onegaishimasu' one time for each participant present. After chanting, everyone holding onto the paper doll pulls it apart, leaving each person with a paper doll scrap. It is important to keep the paper scrap on their person” Moonlight finished, ignoring the last word.

“That isn't so hard. Let's give it a try” Ire said. Even though she doesn't seem excited, I knew she said this because of Stormlight. They were friends since when they were young.

“I don't think this is a good idea, everypony” Spitfire said.

“Don't be a scaredy-cat, Spitting Fire!” Ire snapped at her “Besides, we don't even have to wait for that lavender princess of Friendship and her friends to arrive. We can do this by ourselves, right Stormlight?” I saw Stormlight gave her brash friend a weak nod. Moonlight seemed happy by Ire's unusual and strange enthusiasm.

“Okay, gather everypony. Remember, we have to do this in circles, and Thunderlane did you just sleep during my explanation of the charm!? Get your ass over here! ” we did as she told: we group in circles and Moonlight floated the paper doll to the center of the center “grab hold of the paper” everypony did except for Spitfire, who hesitated. I was standing beside Thunderlane and Spitfire, which is a plus ~❤️ I like it when captain stood next to me “Then chant the phrase” she was the first pony to chant, then everypony followed.

“Sachiko-San onegaishimasu” she chanted.

“Sachiko-San onegaishimasu” Writer chanted joyfully

“Sachiko-San onegaishimasu!” Ire chanted with pride.

“Sachiko-San onegaishimasu” Stormlight chanted in a whispered tone.

“Sachiko-San onegaishimasu!” Soarin' cheerfully chanted

“Sachiko-San onegaishimasu” Spitfire chanted. She sounds worried, but I didn't bother to look at her since it's my turn.

“Sachiko-San onegaishimasu” I said calmly.

“Sachiko-San onegaishimasu” Thunderlane chanted with a smile. We tore the paper doll together, and I somehow slip a shriek when I heard a clap of thunder. We stared at each other for a few seconds until Ire spoke up.

“Did it work?” she said, looking at Moonlight with a frown.

“I guess so,” Moonlight said “Everypony, make sure to keep your paper scraps to yourselves. Don't lose it” Ire nodded

“Okay,” she said before looking at Stormlight and smiled. She said something that I couldn't understand but it seems nice when Stormlight smiled widely. They then hugged.

“Even in my passing” I turn and see Soarin' muttering to himself while staring at the paper scrap which lay on his hoof “Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Thunderlane, and Windy Breeze will be my friends for eternity” his solemn expression gradually turn into a look of joy, even shedding one tear “Wonderful” he then sobbed, earning an annoyed look from Ire.

“You don't have to cry, flycolt, geez!”

“Windy, we're going to be friends forever” I turn to see Thunderlane, talking to me.

“Of course,” I said “Even if peril overtakes us, our relationship will not rot” I was very happy. I got this feeling, the same one I felt when I become one of the Wonderbolts.

Then, we heard somepony knock on the door. Moonlight came to answer the door “Ah, your highness, welcome to my house!” everyone inside the house stopped celebrating to see Twilight outside the door, behind her was a bored Rainbow Dash, a nervous Fluttershy, a beaming Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity. I also noticed Princess Twilight's assistant was with them along with Trixie, and a stallion I hadn't seen before.

Suddenly, Pinkie's tail began to twitch violently, and her hindleg began to kick, narrowly missing Applejack's face “Twitchy tail, pinch knee, something scary is going to happen!” as soon as she said this, the floor began to move.

“What was that?” Writer asked. The floor was moving slowly but I already recognize it.

“An earthquake!?” I spoke up. Then suddenly, the floor suddenly violently shook, knocking furnitures to the floor, and a terrified Stormlight, who was caught by Ire. The rest of us managed to stand up.

“Everypony, stay away from furnitures as quickly as possible!” I shouted but the shaking was too strong. Then I heard a crack.

“Princess Twilight, help me!” I glance just in time for Moonlight to disappear into a large hole forming on the floor and coming right at me and everypony inside the house.

“Everypony, get back, get back!” Spitfire shouted. We ran away from the large moving sinkhole. I heard Stormlight yelp. I turn around to see her laying on the floor, possibly she tripped on her hooves and fell on the soon to be destroyed floor.

“I-Iree, save me!” I watch as Ire turn tail and came to her damsel in distress. She helps Stormlight stand up just in time for the floor beneath them to collapse.

“A hole on the floor, seriously!” Ire yelled along a screaming Stormlight as they are swallowed by the hole. I just witnessed three of my friends die. I heard Writer yelp. I turn to where the stairs, now just a gaping hole. Seriously, did weigh Writer too much for the staircase to handle?

“Everypony, we're going to sa-” Twilight's yell was cut off when the door frame collapsed. Now, it was just me, Thunderlane, Fleetfoot, and Spitfire.

“Everypony, use your wings!” I then just realized that I have wings. Silly me, well every pegasus in the house forgot about our special appendages except for our captain Spitfire. We flapped our wings just in time for the whole floor of the living room to fall in the darkness of the hole “Everypony okay!?” Spitfire glanced at me, and the other three “Good-” and she was hit by a wooden beam to the head. Great, and there she goes.

“Spitfire, No!” Soarin' five in an attempt to save Spitfire. Both of them disappeared and it was just me and Thunderlane left.

“Oh no” well what now!? “The ceiling is caving in!” great. Now we're going to be featured in a newspaper. I'm glad we became so popular in the the

WHAM!

Something hit my head hard. My vision immediately become blurred until only black remained. The last thing I remember is Thunderlane being cut off.

“Windy- Ah!”