Prologue

The rain fell in sheets, pounding the dirt road until it oozed with mud. Ponyville was deserted- or almost so. Each time a flash of vibrant lighting sliced the sky, a lone mare would appear; her white coat reflecting back the vibrancy, and her red mane flickering like a dying flame.

It was deathly quiet.

Occasionally, the pony would stop and stare; cast furtive glances from left to right as if insuring she wasn't being followed. Her horn would ignite, and she’d walk over to a propped open door; yet, each time she searched for life, it evaded her. The town was deserted, absolutely; she’d been foolish to think Ponyville had remained unscathed.

The disease was to blame.

Oh, it had been swift and ruthless, starting somewhere, and then spreading outwards until it covered Equestria; a sickness not so unlike rabies- one that favored the mind. For those who were inflicted with it suffered little physical ailment, they would stay under the radar till it was too late and then just snap. From then on, it would be a downhill fall; a vicious spiral that dragged those helpless victims deeper and deeper into insanity… that drove them mad. The ones who were lucky ended themselves before it got bad. A mare comes home to see her filly hung from the rafters, or in the bathtub, wet, but not at all with water. Those who resisted-stilled the blade or postponed the noose-caused far more harm. As their minds broke down, as madness gripped them, they stooped into psychological volatility. A mare comes home to see her filly painting with her own blood, or giving spiders a new home under her skin. And yet, still, there was more. A side effect of the virus led to something close to immortality; it allowed its hosts to remain functioning in the most extreme conditions. A mare comes home to see her filly playing anatomy on her body, or gorging herself on her pesky appendix.

Indeed this disease was the very heart of horror.