Moonlight Terror

Luna’s world spun as The Creature landed on top of her, the two of them tumbling across the floor. She kicked out at where she thought its body should be. The Creature recoiled at the blow and Luna took the opportunity to roll clear of it. She rose to her hooves and turned towards it, focusing her energies into a magical blast.

Luna fired, but The Creature moved to the side at the last moment, running towards her. The blast illuminated The Creature for a split second revealing a four legged creature with huge fangs gleaming with saliva or blood, the color was unclear.

Luna began to gather her power into another blast but The Creature pounced on her, hooves smashing into her side. Her world erupted into pain as she felt its fangs sink into her back behind her left wing. The Creature shook its head back and forth, tearing muscle and skin. Luna spasmed in pain and kicked out, knocking one of The Creature’s legs from under it.

Luna ran, taking to the sky through the large gap where the ceiling should have been. She angled herself back towards town but the torn muscles on her left side screamed in flaming agony. Her left wing seized up and she spun down, crashing into the canopy, gnarled branches not so much slowing her fall as adding to it when they refused to break.

Luna lay on the ground for several moments, a new sharp pain exploding in her side where a branch had imbedded itself into her stomach. She hazily turned to see The Creature running through the halls toward the entrance. Panic taking control of her, she stumbled toward the bridge turned away and bucked the support as hard as she could. Every part of her body screamed in protest. The support came free, tumbling over the edge and taking its brother with it.

Luna turned to see The Creature waiting on the other side, staring at the fallen bridge. She began to move away, slowly walking back towards the town when she heard the galloping of hooves. She turned to see The Creature jump and come flying towards her. It landed with a thud on the edge of the ravine, its fore hooves scratching at the ground as the rest of its body hung over the edge.

It began crawling up.

Terror overtaking her, Luna ran as fast as her legs would take her. She dared to look back and was met with the sight of The Creature’s glowing yellow eyes loping after her. A thick wet patch began to flow across her back and down her left flank, its source beginning to feel colder. She continued to gallop faster than she thought she had ever before, not taking heed of the branches in front of her and leaving large scratches along her sides and face.

She ducked under a branch and saw moonlight shining up ahead. She ran for all she was worth and came out of the forest into a blanket of snow.

Exhaustion and blood-loss finally claimed her. She collapsed in the snow, darkness enveloping her and the cold claiming her. The edge of her hearing heard the barest whisper of a voice, softer than it should have been even fading into unconsciousness like this.

“Oh my. Umm… umm... are you o- okay?”