Twilight ran through a crowd of fleeing ponies and decided to stop a stallion to ask him.

“Excuse me, what’s all the ruckus?” Twilight demanded.

“A monster got into town and began attacking! Rainbow Dash is holding it off!” The stallion said before a loud noise scared him off.

“A monster?” Twilight said before hurrying to the area ponies are running from.

And she saw Rainbow Dash and A creature she’s never seen before tussling.

Rainbow rammed AJ through a wall and was thrown out of the hole moments later.

The monster in question exited the hole and howled before lunging at Rainbow who backflipped away from it and clutched onto the wall, the creature jumped onto the wall using its claws and continued its skirmish with Rainbow.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight flew into the air and fired a magic blast that struck the orange beast and sent it flying into an alleyway.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, but be careful with your shots, we don’t want to hurt her too bad,” Rainbow said getting down from the wall.

“Why?” Twilight asked.

“That thing is Applejack!” Rainbow said as the Timberpony leaped out of the alleyway and they were forced to dodge.

“Seriously?! So that’s what Applejacks monster form looks like?” Twilight exclaimed.

Twilight teleported into the air as Timberjack leaped at her.

“We really should have known earlier!” Twilight said.

“Less talk more do!” Rainbow said as she tackled Timberjack down.

The two ponies stumbled into the castle, looking for the object that is rumored to be in there by their boss.

“Ok, keep your eyes peeled, that commotion outside should buy us at least a half an hour.” The shorter pony said.

“Ok,” The other agreed before suddenly the lights turned on.

“Hey! What’s with the racket out-... Who are you two?” Trixie asked.

“Uh…. we’re hiding?” The bigger pony said.

“What’s with the robes?... Nevermind, what are you doing here? Hiding from what?” Trixie asked coming down the stairs cautiously.

“Didn’t you hear? There’s a Timberpony loose in town!” The bigger one exclaimed.

“A what?” Trixie asked.

“He means a monster, it tried to kill us but the princess went to go confront it, you don’t mind if we… crash here until the danger passes, right?” The shorter pony said.

“Doesn’t bother me, just leave the kitchen alone I was preparing a sandwich,” Trixie said.

“Oh! Can I have one?” The bigger pony asked before getting elbowed.

“He means we’ll just relax down here,” The shorter pony said.

“Just keep it down while your here,” Trixie said leaving the room.

“Whew… Bolt you idiot! Stop thinking about food all the time!”

“Sorry Cashew…” Bolt said.

“Now I have an idea, you keep her distracted I look for the book that hints to the next crystals location,” Cashew said.

“Ok!” Bolt said.

The two ponies split up to do their work.

Twilight flew higher to avoid the shredding claws of the Timberpony.

“RAAAH!” Timberjack roared leaping onto the wall and then at Twilight who teleported to ground level.

Rainbow grabbed her midair and drove her through the town square fountain.

Timberjack bit down on Rainbow’s shoulder and they spun out of control.

“AAAGH!” Rainbow grunted as they plummeted to the ground and tumbled.

“Not good!” Rainbow tried to get up but Timberjack came at her quickly.

Rainbow hissed at Timberjack and the two tumbled on the ground.

Timberjack pinned her head and readied to bite down, but Twilight interrupted with a blast of magic sending the Timberpony flying.

“You okay Rainbow?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, but… I got Timber venom in me…” Rainbow grunted in pain as she shifted back to normal.

“Timber Venom?” Twilight questioned.

“It weakens a… pony, making them…. Sleepy” Rainbow said before passing out.

“Oh no,” Twilight said before seeing Timberjack stalking around her.

“Applejack, please stop, your hurting ponies, you have to-” Twilight didn’t get to finish because Timberjack pounced, forcing her to raise a barrier.

The Timberpony roared and scratched at the barrier.

“Not good!” Twilight strained.

Just when it looked like the creature was going to break through, a yellow figure rammed her.

“Huh?” Twilight said as she saw Fluttershy in Kirin mode struggling with Timberjack.

“Applejack! Calm yourself NOW!” Fluttershy demanded and the two skirmished.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight called lowering the barrier.

“We heard from Pinkie and came as soon as we could,” Rarity said appearing next to Twilight.

“Glad you're here, c’mon!” Twilight ran forward just as Timberjack threw Fluttershy off of her.

Twilight and Rarity struck her with several magical blasts making the creature stagger, and before it could lunge at them Fluttershy pounced on her and held her down.

“Applejack snap out of it!” Fluttershy said.

Twilight helped hold down the rampaging creature with her magic.

The Timberpony thrashed wildly and Twilight was surprised at how much stamina the creature had.

To her surprise, she saw the creature's eyes light up and she stumbled back when her magic failed her.

It threw Fluttershy off of her and rushed at Twilight.

“Twilight! Look out!” Rarity cried.

“Aah!” Twilight was going to teleport but she wouldn’t make it in time.

“NO!” Spike managed to get in front of Twilight and breathed a gout of flames at the Timberpony.

The Timberpony yelped and screeched as the flames lit her wooden parts on fire and it backed off.

“Huh?! Spike?” Twilight said noticing him.

“Run Spike! She’s not safe right now!” Fluttershy cried.

“No! I can help!” Spike said as they saw the creature put out the fire and it was regenerating.

“Wait…” Twilight remembered how Timberwolves were always kept at a distance by…

“Spike, blast her with fire again!” Twilight said.

“B-but I only did it the first time to protect you, I don’t want to kill her!” Spike said.

“I have an idea,” Twilight assured him.

“O-ok,” Spike ran up to the creature and breathed fire again.

Timberjack growled and jumped back from it.

“Keep it busy Spike, I need just a minute!” Twilight said.

“I-I’m trying!” Spike said continuing to breathe fire as the creature tried to get around him.

“Twilight! What are you doing?” Rarity demanded as Twilight seemed to draw in the dirt.

“Something I only tested on Owlicious, I hope it works!” Twilight was like a mare possessed, she magically drew on the ground fast enough that she formed a circle.

“Now Spike!” Twilight called.

“Ack! Ok!” Spike coughed before dodging to the side as the creature lunged, missing him.

Ignoring the dragon it bolted for Twilight.

But Twilight was ready…

“Please work…” Twilight jumped back and lit her horn and the circle lit up.

Timberjack entered the circle.

And a barrier formed trapping her, she crashed into the side of the barrier and clawed at it.

The barrier then shrunk to a sphere of magic big enough to contain it.

“It worked!” Twilight heaved a sigh of relief.

“Twilight, what kind of barrier is this?” Rarity said.

“It’s a level three monster containment field, it was taught to me a while ago, by Celestia,” Twilight said.

“Will it hold her?” Fluttershy said putting up her disguise again.

“Undoubtedly, it could hold a small hydra, which is much stronger physically than Applejack, it’ll last for ten hours before expiring,” Twilight said.

“Thank goodness,” Fluttershy said.

“What do we do?” Spike asked.

“First we need to get Applejack out of here before the ponies that ran off come back, we can’t let them find out it was Applejack,” Twilight said.

“Agreed,” Pinkie said showing up.

“Pinkie? Where were you?” Twilight asked.

“Rounding up the ponies and taking them outside the town so they don’t get hurt,” Pinkie replied.

“Good work then, we should focus on taking care of Applejack,” Twilight said.

“No worries, while you were talking I teleported us into Applejack's barn,” Pinkie said.

Twilight glanced around and was a little surprised to see them inside the barn instead of the middle of town.

“Good work, now what?” Rarity asked.

“Ya leave Applejack ta me,” A familiar voice said and they turned to see Granny Smith entering.

“Granny?” Everypony said.

“Yessum…” Granny approached the barrier and ran a hoof down the edge, even as Timberjack snapped at her hooves.

“Careful Granny,” Twilight said.

“No worries, this ain't the first time she got out, you all go an enjoy yer night, ah’ll watch her until morning,” Granny said.

“But Granny we have so many quest-” Pinkie was about to ask but Twilight stuck her hoof in front of her and shook her head.

Afterward, the group packed it in and left.

Granny sat down beside the barrier where the snarling creature continued to scratch at the side and snarl.

“Ya got a ton of explainin' ta do tomorrow AJ,” Granny said somberly.

Spike had fallen asleep on Twilight’s back, tired from the ordeal and Twilight was heading back into the town with her friends.

Fluttershy was carrying Rainbow who was still unconscious from the timber venom.

As expected, a group of panicking ponies were there.

“Let me handle this, you all head home,” Twilight said.

“You sure?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes,” Twilight said before moving ahead.

The others decided to head home as per Twilight’s request.

Mayor Mare saw Twilight and approached her.

“Twilight, thank Celestia your here, what on Eqqus was that all about? What was that thing?” Mayor Mare demanded.

“I’m not sure, but the situation is dealt with,” Twilight assured her.

“It’s gone?” Mayor Mare asked.

“Yes, we did our best to take care of the problem, no need to worry, if it comes back we’ll deal with it, for now, I need to get Spike home now, so why doesn’t everypony head home for their safety,” Twilight said.

“O-ok, I’m trusting your word that everything will be alright, alot of ponies are spooked right now, but I’m trying to keep the peace,” Mayor Mare said before returning to the crowd and relaying Twilight’s message, the group dispersing afterward.

“Whew, finally this night can be over…” Twilight sighed before heading home.

As she got home and entered the front door two ponies exited a window, falling atop eachother and scrambling to flee the scene, carrying a red book in their hooves.

“I smell a promotion in our future,” Chestnut chuckled.

“Yeah!” Bolt said.

Twilight set Spike in his bead and went back downstairs to close up the building, she had noticed a large pile of books but figured it was Trixie’s fault.

Bedtime was now and Twilight trotted past Spike's room again and to her bedroom.

Spike was still asleep and she figured after the long day they both had, he’d be out till tomorrow.

Twilight settled into bed and turned off the light. As she slept she had a strange dream…

Twilight woke up the following day and gave a jaw-cracking yawn before trotting downstairs.

“Whew, what a good night's rest…” Twilight said as she got down into the kitchen, looking for coffee.

Twilight trotted into the kitchen.

“Hey Spike, if I promise to do the dishes, could you make me some pancakes and coffee?” Twilight said as she approached Spike, who was just standing at the kitchen window, staring…

“Spike?” Twilight asked

“...”

“Spike,” Twilight said more firmly.

“...”

“Spike your starting to scare me, talk to me,” Twilight said trotting over to him.

Still no response…

“Spike! I’m serious, stop this silent treatment and talk to-” Twilight grabbed his shoulder to turn him around… and he dropped to the ground limply.

“SPIKE!” Twilight cried out in surprise as she saw his eyes were a glowing orange instead of green. She shook him frantically when she got no response she picked up his limp body and ran for the door.

“Don’t worry Spike! I’ll get you help! The hospital? Zecora? Maybe-” Twilight paused when she got outside and stared in shock and fear.

Ponies everywhere were just standing there… staring up at the sky, transfixed.

No panic, no movement, they were just staring with their orange eyes, and their eyes were slit like Spike’s too.

“W-what is going on?” Twilight said, on one hoof she was tempted to look where they were looking but on the other, what if she ends up in a similar state?...

“Go ahead, look, this is your doing after all…”

“Huh?” Twilight said looking around as she heard a dark voice speaking to her, during her search she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

She looked up and saw something terrifying…

An eye… the size of the moon was hovering in front of the celestial body.

This eye looked like the eyes of her fellow ponies right now.

“W-what the? W-what is this?!” Twilight said backing away in horror.

“Destiny,” The eye echoed before looking down.

Twilight followed its gaze and saw something that only furthered her horror.

Her friends… all dead…

“GIRLS!” Twilight yelled running to them.

When she got there she set Spike down and looked among them.

Pinkies flames and eye lights were gone and she just looked like a normal skeleton now, Rainbow Dash had at least twelve blades stabbed into her chest and stomach, and Fluttershy just laid there, blood leaking out of her mouth, Applejack lay before her as a charred corpse, and Rarity was holding Sweetie Belle and they were both impaled on a pointed rock.

“No…nononono….” Twilight sobbed

“Why cry? They got in the way of progress, and brought their own ends upon themselves,”

“You monster… what have you done?” Twilight asked

The voice laughed and the eye hovered behind her, “Forget their friendship, I am your only friend now, Twilight….Twilight….Twilight…”

“Stop… stop!” Twilight shook her head before feeling a claw grip her shoulder, and she spun around to see Spike's eyes and mouth erupting in black flames.

“TWILIGHT!”

“AAAAHHH!” Twilight shot up in bed, sweating and panting heavily. “What….W-what just…” Twilight gasped before a claw gripped her hoof.

Remembering the Spike from her dream, she screamed in fright, grabbed Spike in her magic, and flung him across the room.

“AAAHH!” Spike cried as he hit a wall, he slid to the ground and got up slowly.

“OW! What gives?!” Spike said sounding upset.

“Spike?...SPIKE!” Twilight cried, getting out of bed and galloping over to him, hugging him.

Spike was surprised, but he hugged her back, seeing her in distress.

“It’s alright, Twilight,” Spike said comfortingly as she wept into his shoulder.

Author's Note

Twilight having a surprisingly terrifying nightmare?

Let's hope she can get past the inevitable paranoia it will cause her.

Anyways next chapter multiple confessions from AJ will occur and a meeting with Celestia that will kickstart everything is on the horizon.

I will also focus on this story more than Fusion Life to facilitate its completion.

I can tell everyone is enjoying it so, let's churn out as many chapters as possible.

Till then.