Dawn

Chapter contains some violent imagery

Clouds of black ash rose lazily into the fresh morning air. The smoke concentrated in the stagnant sky from the night before. A lone changeling walked through the charred remains of a small village. He looked around. Dark black piles of wood collected throughout the piles of ash. The black, charred remains contrasted against the mountains, forest, and the calm river the burnt settlement was built on. Stepping over the mutilated corpse of a young mare, the changeling walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the clear water flowing through the valley. A slender, female changeling stepped through the piles of ash and rubble to the changeling on the ridge and rubbed her head against his neck.

“Look,” she said in the Changeling language, “Isn’t it nice? The ash, the ruins, the ravine, it’s so beautiful.”

The other changeling smiled. “Yes,” he replied, “It’s all so pretty. But not near as much as the girl next to me.”

His partner blushed and kissed him on the check. “I’m going to go back to the village. Maybe we could ‘celebrate’ a nice pillage when you get back,” she said, winking. She spread her insect-like wings and flew away from the cliff. The remaining changeling looked around at the pile of rubble and ash that had been the pony village he helped burn the previous night.

He heard a high-pitched sound come faintly from a few yards away. He walked toward it, and the sound grew louder. He walked to where it was coming from, but nothing was there. Dropping to the ground, he sifted through the black dust until he found a large piece of black, brittle wood. Pushing away the board, he looked. A small filly was wrapped in a dirty blanket that was white at some point. Her pale yellow coat had a fine layer of ash on it. The small, blue-green tuft of hair on her head was filthy with debris. The horn on her head was scratched and cracked. Her pale blue eyes contrasted against the death and blackness around her. The changeling picked her up. Her crying went down to mere whimpering. He looked at her, and she looked back, her eyes meeting his large, green eyes.

“I will call you…” he wondered. After a minute of thinking, he recalled his basic English lessons. He looked back at her, smiled, and said,

“Dawn.”

***

“Dawn,” her mother called, “Get up already!”

Dawn opened her eyes. The dirty, leather ceiling filtered the light in, illuminating the room. She unwrapped herself from the single fur blanket she slept in and placed her hooves on the cold, dirt floor. Walking to the square cut in the wall, she looked out at the village. A circle of muddy huts, similar to the one Dawn lived in, surrounded a central courtyard. Changelings walked in and out of their huts. Children played in the courtyard. “Dawn!” her mother yelled. Dawn ran out of her room and into the central room of the hut. A slender, female changeling stood there, glaring at Dawn as she entered the room.

“Sorry, mother,” Dawn said, hanging her head.

Her mother walked over to her and hit her on the head. “Stupid pony,” she said, “I have told you many times before that you will come when you are called to. Your father and I give you so much and you remain ungrateful and don’t even want to respond to simple requests to get up at a decent hour!”

Dawn looked at the ground and tears began to form in her eyes. “I…I’m sorry, mother.”

She smacked Dawn on the cheek and then grabbed her chin and brought her face up. She glared at her for a few seconds, and then walked away. She grabbed a burlap bag and threw it at Dawn’s feet. “Take this to the temple,” she said, “And don’t mess this up.”

“Yes, mother,” Dawn replied, picking up the bag and putting it on her back. She walked out of the hut and into the open air. Changeling children ran around the central courtyard of the village. Adults were sitting in front of huts, talking and laughing. She walked up to the hill that lead to the downtown district. Market stands offering a small variety of food and crafted goods were scattered around the district. She walked to a sagging wood building overlooking the village. She parted the cotton drapes covering the entrance to the temple. A changeling sweeping the floor looked up.

“Hello Dawn,” he said in a formal manner, “What brings you here today?”

“My mother had me bring this bag to you.”

He smiled. “Ah, good, good,” he said as he opened the bag and looked inside.

Dawn walked over and peered in the bag. A variety of herbs and plants were piled into the bag. “What are those for?”

“These are to light the fires for the upcoming ceremony, you see?”

“Oh, I see. I get it now,” she said, feigning knowledge of the ceremony. The truth was she had never been and was permitted from going. “Well, I guess I should be going. I don’t want to be late or my mother will punish me,” she replied, walking out of the temple and back into the downtown district.

A voice from the air yelled “Dawn!” She looked up, and a male changeling holding a small bag flew down to her.

“Daddy!” she yelled, hugging his neck. He picked her up and hugged her strongly.

“Hey there, honey!” he enthusiastically replied. “What are you doing in the downtown district?”

“Mommy made me bring some plants to the temple in a big bag,” she replied. “What’s in the bag?” she asked, pointing at the small sack her father was carrying.

He gave it to her. “Open it.”

She untied the twine keeping the package together. The wrapping fell to the ground, and a small, crudely chiseled stone figurine of a pony appeared. She looked at it in awe. “It’s…beautiful, daddy.”

He smiled back at Dawn. “Anything for my special little filly on her birthday,” he said, brimming with happiness. “If I hadn’t found you, I don’t know where I’d be today. I certainly wouldn’t be as happy,”

Dawn smiled. “But,” she asked, “Why are you giving me a more expensive and nice gift this year?”

He sat down on a nearby bench and motioned for Dawn to join him. When she did, he turned to her. “You see,” he said, “You are at a very special age for ponies. All ponies get something called a Cutie Mark when they’re young. A Cutie Mark is something that shows what that pony’s special talent is, such as cooking or art. You’re at the age where most ponies get theirs, and I thought that a little something special would be nice.”

“Really?” she asked, looking back at the figurine.

“Yes, honey,” he said affectionately. “Remember, you can do anything you want in this world. And no matter what you do, know that I will always love you and be proud of you.”

Dawn smiled and hugged him. “Come on,” he said, “Let me give you a lift home.” He then picked Dawn up and started flying back to the circle of huts down the hill.

***

Dawn stared out her window and into the night sky. The ritual she brought plants to the temple for a few days ago was coming that night. Her father came in and sat down next to her.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Dawn smiled. “Counting stars,” she replied.

He looked up at the sky. “How many stars do you think there are?” he asked her.

Dawn thought it over for a moment, and then replied, “Fifty.”

“Fifty!” he laughed, “I certainly think there are more than fifty,”

She laughed with him. “Yeah,” she said, “But that’s the highest I can count.”

He laughed some more. “Well,” he said, “Let me help you out. Fifty-one comes after fifty.”

She smiled. “Thanks,” she said. They spent a few more minutes staring up at the skies. “Do you think my pony parents are also looking at the stars right now?”

He bit his lip. “Sure,” he said uneasily. “They’re probably counting them together, just passing the time until the morning, when they can keep searching for you.”

He got up. “Well, you have fun here,” he said to her, “Your mother and I are going to the ritual.”

“The Sliske ritual?” she asked with excitement, “Please, can I go this year? The high priest said the god Sliske’s only request is that everyone goes to his ritual once a year, and I’ve never been!”

“I’m sorry,” he said, “But we both agree we don’t want to expose you to it. You’re too young.”

“I know lots of changelings that are going that are even younger than me! Please, let me go this once!”

A stern expression appeared on his face. “No,” he coldly said, “You are not allowed to come. And nothing you say can change my opinion.”

Dawn’s eyes teared up. “Look,” he said, “I’m not doing this to be mean. I’m doing this for you. The ritual isn’t for everyone. I’m sure Sliske understands if you miss his rituals because of your parents.”

Dawn sighed. “Okay…” she said reluctantly.

He smiled. “I’m glad you understand. Have fun here,” he said, and walked out of her room.

Dawn went back to the window and looked out, stewing. She saw some crates stacked up next to the side of the hut, and she got an idea.

The whole village, sans Dawn, had turned up at the courtyard all the huts were built around. Four ceremonial braziers surrounded a flat stone with an elegantly stitched silk bolt laced with gold. At the head of the table stood a tall stick shoved into the ground, sharpened to a point at the end. Around the table were four stakes hammered into the dirt. Off in the distance, Dawn pulled herself up onto the roof of her hut and sat down.

“He said I couldn’t go to the ritual,” she said deviously, “He never said I couldn’t watch it,”

After a few minutes, the high priest spoke. He was an old, frail changeling, but his voice still boomed. “Attention everybody!” he yelled, “We are here to perform this year’s Sliske ritual!” The crowd cheered and yelled, and off in the distance, Dawn smiled. “Bring forth the offering!”

The crowd cheered and yelled even louder. An Earth Pony, a little bit younger than Dawn, was dragged to the stone covered in silk. She yelled and flailed, but it was hopeless.

Dawn’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe her eyes; another pony. She had never seen her before. She watched as the pony was thrown on the stone, stomach up, and ropes were tied at the end of each of her legs, which were then tied to the stakes in the ground. The priest raised an elegantly crafted knife, and the moonlight glinted off it and onto the pony on the table. Dawn watched closely.

***

The priest moved his knife around, and brought it down on her left hind leg. It was quickly severed. She screamed in pain. The crowd roared in approval. Dawn watched in horror. “Why are they doing that?” she asked no one in particular. She watched as the same happened to her right hind leg, her left front leg, and the final leg attached to her body. When all her extremities were gone, the priest picked up the bloody appendages and threw them into one of the fires. He set aside his knife, wiped the blood from his hands, and grabbed another, longer, sharper, and more menacing looking knife. He pressed it gently just below her throat. A small drop of blood emerged. He plunged the knife deeper and pulled it straight down. The sacrifice screamed so loudly Dawn had to cover her ears, as the combined volume from her and the cheering of the crowd nearly deafened her. She looked back at the ritual. The priest cut the end and start of her intestines, and raised them to show the crowd. The crowd was thrilled with the entrails, which he tossed into another fire.

One by one, each of her organs were removed from her chest until all that remained was her heart and her lungs. Putting the bloodstained knife down, the priest wiped his hands again and grabbed a pair of scissors. He put them in her chest cavity, closed the blades, and removed her lungs triumphantly. He passed them off to another priest, the same one Dawn met at the temple, who nailed them to the stick at the head of the table. With a few precision cuts with the scissors, the high priest held the still beating heart into the air, and the crowd cheered even louder than before. The high priest put the heart in a gold box and shut it. The remaining priests then picked up the empty, open corpse and impaled it on the top of the stick, with it facing the crowd. They cheered. The priests then pulled the stick out of the ground and proceeded to go uphill with it toward the downtown district. Some members of the crowd followed, and some, including Dawn’s parents, left to go home for the night. Snapping out of shock, Dawn jumped down from the roof and through her window. She dove into the fur blanket she slept in and wrapped herself securely. She didn’t sleep at all that night, as she was taking the events of the horrible ritual she had just witnessed.

***

Dawn and her father sat on a straw mat behind their hut. Two small, red peppers sat in front of them. “Dawn,” he asked his daughter, “Are you sure you want to do this? These certainly aren’t for the hesitant,” he said, pointing at the peppers.

Dawn smiled. “It’s always worth a try. Besides, I might get my Cutie Mark in pepper eating!”

Her father smiled. “Okay,” he replied, “On the count of three.” He picked up his pepper, and Dawn did the same. “One, two, three!” Both Dawn and her father shoved the peppers into their mouths, bit down, and both triumphantly removed the stems and held them up. They looked at each other, and Dawn’s face grew red. She began to sweat. She started fidgeting, and quickly ran to the barrels of water at the back wall of the hut and dunked her head in. Her father laughed. When she pulled her soaking head out of the barrel, she started laughing with her father. He walked up to Dawn, pushed her sopping mane out of her eyes, and kissed her on the forehead.

“Looks like that pepper didn’t get you a Cutie Mark after all. Besides, your birthday was only a month ago. You’ve still got plenty of time to find out what you’re meant to be,” he said.

Dawn’s mother walked out to the back of the hut and looked at her husband. “Can I talk with you inside?” she asked.

“Okay,” he replied. He looked back at Dawn. “Go play with some of your friends while your mother and I talk.” They walked around the hut and disappeared into it. Dawn walked around to the front and sat down, listening intently to the conversation within.

***

“Honey,” her father said, “We can’t do this. She’s our daughter.”

She let out an irritated sigh. “Well, she isn’t any daughter of mine. I don’t remember her being born.”

He sighed. “That’s not what I mean. If it weren’t for us finding her, she would have died years ago! We’re still her parents.”

“You mean if YOU hadn’t found her! I’ve never wanted her here, and you know it. It has to come to this.”

“No,” he yelled with increasing ferocity, “It does not! Please, can’t you just accept her? She’s been here for years and you haven’t even showed her any love. Why do you still stay here?”

She walked up to him and looked into his eyes. “Because,” she said, “I love you.”

His expression turned into not one of love and affection but one of hate and spite. “Really?” he asked. “You think that will repair everything you’ve done? You’ve abused our daughter countless times. You’ve never enjoyed being around her. I’ve practically raised her without you doing anything! If anyone has to decide what to do with her, it’s me. And she’s staying!”

She smacked him on the temple and glared into his eyes. “You will regret this.”

He shoved her face out of his. “I don’t ever want to see you again,” he said to her as he stormed out of the hut.

***

Dawn watched as her father walked out of the house.

“Where are you going?” she asked. He didn’t respond, and kept walking. Dawn’s mother walked out and stood right outside the doorway. “Mommy, what’s happening?” she asked, “Where’s Daddy going?”

She glared at Dawn and hissed, baring her sharp fangs. She walked into the town, trying to catch up to her husband. Dawn sat down and started to cry. “It’s all my fault,” she said through her tears, “I’ve broken my parents up.”

***

The cold, icy winds of the mountains blew down and carried the falling snow about. Dawn and her father sat at a small stone table outside a restaurant in a large changeling city. Two small, red peppers sat on the table in front of them. “You ready?” Dawn asked her father.

He smiled. “Whenever you are,” he replied.

“On the count of three,” she said as they picked up the peppers. “One, two, three!” They both shoved the peppers into their mouths and bit down, pulling the stems out. They stared at each other. After a few minutes, her father spoke.

“You’re good,” he said, “It appears I now have some good competition for pepper eating.”

Dawn smiled. “Maybe soon we’ll find a pepper you can’t eat but I can.”

“I doubt that,” he said jokingly. “Come on, let’s go back to the apartment.” He got up, and Dawn did the same. They started walking through the crowded city.

“Daddy?” Dawn asked after a few minutes, “Why can’t we go back home?”

He gave out a stressed sigh. “We just can’t, honey.”

“But why?” she whined. “What happened? Was it because of what happened between you and Mommy?”

Irritated, he groaned. “Yes, yes it is. But I can’t tell you now. I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“But Daddy!” she yelled.

“No means no, Dawn!” he yelled at her. He signed and shook his head. “Look, I’ve been through a lot recently. I’m just a little stressed since we had to leave home as quickly as we did. We’re in a big city and things just aren’t going perfect. I’m sorry if I’m being mean to you.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes. When they reached the large, open-air market, two heavily armored changeling guards pointed at them and whispered.

Dawn looked back at them. “Why are they pointing at us?” she asked.

“Just keep moving,” her father said nervously. They walked faster, but the guards began to chase after them.

“You two, stop!” one of the guards yelled.

Dawn’s father stopped abruptly. He turned to Dawn and whispered, “Don’t say a word.” He looked back at the approaching guards. “Is there any trouble, he asked?”

“As a matter of fact, there is,” he said. “What’s your name?”

“Xolecon,” he nervously stuttered.

“Well, Xolecon, it appears you have a fairly high bounty on your head from the king himself.”

He looked down at Dawn. “And who are you?”

Dawn whimpered and hid behind her father’s legs. “She’s Dawn,” he replied.

“Well, little Dawn,” the guard chuckled as he looked up, “There’s a bounty on you too. Looks like we’ll just have to take you both in.”

“What?” Xolecon asked in disbelief, “You can’t do that! She hasn’t done anything wrong. Take me instead!”

The guard looked at him. “I don’t know what she’s done, all I know is the king wants her for whatever reason.”

He glared back at the guard. “Look, take me if you want. But I’m not going to allow you to take her!”

He looked at Xolecon. “Well,” he said, “It looks like we’ll do this one the hard way then.” He hit Xolecon on the top of his head, and he fell over.

“No!” Dawn cried, and the guard looked at her. She started to run, but he quickly grabbed her tail in his mouth and pulled her toward him, slamming her on the ground. He picked her up and flew away.

Dawn looked on the ground and saw the other guard pick up her father and fly in a different direction. “No!” she screamed. “No! Daddy!” She began to cry, as though she would never see her father again.

***

Xolecon lay on the grimy floor. He looked around his cell. The only illumination was the tiny burning candle, which was little more than a wick in a puddle of wax. The door opened, and Dawn ran in. “Daddy!” she yelled, running up to hug him.

“Dawn!” his face lifted for the first time for months. He picked up his heavily chained front legs and hugged her.

Her mane, coat, and tail were sticky with dirt and grime. Dried blood created stiff patches in her hair. Months of captivity had taken a toll on her. She was thin and weak. Her ribs were visible against her skin. Her thin leg bones were virtually the only things that kept her up.

A guard walked into the doorway. “Five minutes, you two.”

“Daddy, I’m scared,” Dawn wept.

“It’s okay, honey,” Xolecon said through tearful eyes, “So am I.”

“When can we go home?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he said with tears flowing down his face. “All I know is that you’re going to be safe.” He grabbed her face, pulled it close, and looked into her eyes. “I promise.”

“Daddy…” Dawn started weeping uncontrollably. Her breathing became erratic and uncontrollable. He father gently pulled her head to his chest.

“Shh…” he whispered. He placed his lips on his forehead and kissed her. “Dawn,” he spoke softly, “Don’t ever forget what I’m about to tell you. Wherever you go in this world, whatever you become, whomever you meet, remember this. I love you. I have always loved you. I will always love you. From the first day I ever laid eyes on you, I have loved you.”

“Daddy,” Dawn asked, “I’ve always wanted to know. How did you find me?”

He sighed. “I wish I could tell you.” He looked into her eyes. “I’m afraid I can’t, however. Everyone has a purpose in life. This might just be yours.”

The guard walked over to them. “Time’s up.” He grabbed Dawn and walked to the door.

“Daddy!” she yelled.

“Never forget!” he yelled after her, “I will always love you!”

***

Dawn sat on the floor of her cell, counting the bricks in the wall. A guard came in and grabbed her.

“You’re coming with us,” he ordered.

She was dragged through through the dungeons to the outside. She quickly threw her hoof over her eyes to stop the pain of the bright light. After a few minutes, she moved her hoof and looked around. She was being dragged through the grand coliseum in the royal capitol city of the changelings. Thousands of spectators packed the coliseum and cheered. Dawn was dragged to the large, ornate throne overlooking the stadium. Chains were attached to her hooves and she was chained to it. The guard grabbed a piece of rope and tied it around her mouth so she couldn’t speak. A changeling wearing a long, purple cape and an ornate, gold and diamond crown stepped out onto the balcony, and the crowds cheered. He walked up to Dawn and knelt down.

“I’d pay attention to this if I were you,” he said, “I didn’t put you next to the best seat in the house for nothing.”

She looked around. In a private box near the royal balcony, she saw her mother. She was sitting with another male changeling. She looked down at Dawn and laughed. She turned her attention back to the center of the arena. The king walked to the front of the balcony and began to speak.

“Bring out the prisoner!” he yelled. Two changelings dragged a prisoner out into the center of the arena, toward a pole that had been erected there. They tied him to the pole, and the sack that had been covering his head was removed. Dawn saw that it was her father. She tried to yell, but the rope kept her jaw from moving.

“Prisoner!” the king yelled, “You have been accused of knowingly harboring a pony for years. How do you plead to these charges?”

Xolecon looked up at the balcony in which Dawn and the king were on. “I plead guilty.”

Dawn tried to yell again, but the rope still stopped her. “Executioners!” The king yelled again. “Kill the prisoner.”

A changeling walked up to Xolecon and pulled out a sharp metal knife. He plunged it into Xolecon’s stomach, and he doubled over in pain. He looked up at the royal balcony and mouthed, “I love you” to Dawn. She began to weep. Xolecon smiled at her, looked down, and died quietly.

The crowd cheered loudly. The guard unchained Dawn and started to lead her away. Instead of leading her back to the dungeons, she was lead out of the coliseum and into the city. Citizens stepped back and pointed at her. She was lead through the city to the large castle overlooking the city. They went down into the dungeons of the castle. They walked through the dungeons, going up stairs, down stairs, taking lefts and rights in the maze of the castle catacombs. When they reached an ancient door, the guard pulled out a knife and cut the rope constricting her mouth. He unlocked the chains around her hooves and opened the door. He shoved her through the doorway, and she fell down into the bottom, where water splashed around her. The door closed, and the room became pitch black.

***

Dawn woke up to a surprisingly light room. She took the opportunity to look around and examine where she was imprisoned. It was a large, circular tower. The ceiling was about 100 yards above the ground, and a small hole in the wall covered in thick iron bars was located about 10 yards above her. She stood up. When she moved her hooves, the mud that formed the floor make a loud sucking noise. The floor was covered with a shallow layer of stagnant water that went to her knees.

The door above her opened, and another pony was shoved down into the water. The door slammed shut, and the pony groaned. Dawn ran to her and examined her. She was a larger, full-grown mare. She knelt down and helped her up. She had no horn. She extended her wings, which were unusual to Dawn. Instead of the thin, insect-like wings of changelings she was used to, these were thick and feathery, like the wings of a bird. She grabbed her forehead, moaned, and then looked at Dawn and began speaking.

The pony spoke fast in a language Dawn didn’t understand.

“I’m sorry,” Dawn replied, “I don’t quite understand.”

The other pony looked at her with a shocked expression. She sighed, spoke something, and sat down with her back against the wall. Dawn sat down next to her. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I don’t know what’s going on.”

She looked back at Dawn and smiled. She reached out her hoof and hugged Dawn. They smiled at each other, and the Pegasus dozed off.

After an hour, the door opened, and a small bag was thrown in. The door was quickly slammed shut. Dawn slipped under the sleeping pony and went to the bag. She picked it up and opened it. There were two small pieces of bread. She walked over and woke the sleeping pony up. She stretched and picked up one of the pieces. Dawn picked up the remaining piece and began to eat. The bread was soggy and cold, but it was one of the first real meals she had in months. The pony ripped a piece of bread and pointed at it.

“Bread,” she said slowly.

Dawn looked at the bread and then back at the other pony. “Bread?” she asked.
The pony smiled. “Yes,” she said, “Bread.” She put the small piece of bread she ripped off into Dawn’s mouth. “Eat,” she said.

Dawn put her bread into her mouth and ate it. “Eat,” she echoed. The Pegasus smiled at her.

The Pegasus pointed at herself. “Me,” she said. She pointed at Dawn and said, “You.”

Dawn replied by pointing at herself. “You,” she said, and then pointed at the Pegasus and said “Me.”

She shook her head. “No,” she replied. She pointed at herself, said “Me,” pointed back at Dawn and said, “You.”

Dawn repeated her first attempt, calling herself You and the Pegasus Me.

The Pegasus smiled and repeated herself again. Dawn sat down and thought for a second. “Me,” she said, pointing at herself. She pointed at the other pony and said “You.”

The pony smiled let out a happy laugh. Dawn joined in the laughing. Dawn decided that she would call the other pony You. You pulled Dawn close and hugged her. “Hug,” she said slowly. Dawn smiled and fell asleep, leaning on her chest.

***

“Dawn,” You said, shaking Dawn in an attempt to wake her up. “Dawn!” she yelled with greater intensity. Dawn sat up, rubber her eyes, and wrung out her mane.

You picked up Dawn and flew her up to the barred opening of the dungeon. Dawn looked at the opening, and saw You’s plan. The bars were separated wide enough for Dawn to fit through. She shoved Dawn through the small opening. She turned around and extended her hoof to let You through. She shook her head.

“No, Dawn,” she said. “No me.” Dawn looked at her in disbelief.

“No,” Dawn said, “Me take you.”

You shook her head. “No,” she said. “No me.”

Dawn started to cry. She heard the door in the dungeon open. “Go,” You said. “Go!”

Dawn started crying. An angry changeling yelled. She ran away in the darkness of the night to the hill overlooking the capitol city. “I don’t think I can ever live as a changeling again,” she said through her tears. She ran down the hill and into the unknown lands outside the changeling kingdom.

***

Dawn limped through the field. The cold rain drove down on her and made her mane, tail and coat wet and heavy. The dark night sky was virtually unlit with the heavy rain clouds blocking the moon and all the stars. She slipped on a small patch of mud and slid into a tree. She wiped the mud off her face and looked up at the tree. Bright crimson apples hung from the branches. Her eyes brightened. She climbed up the moist tree and into the branches. Reaching for an apple, she stood on her back legs and stretched for an outlying branch. She lost her balance and fell through the tree. She landed hard on her side.

The door to the nearby farmhouse opened and a pony stepped out, carrying a lantern and a pitchfork. She examined her leg, which had been cut deeply from her fall. Standing up, she felt the red-hot pain in her leg. Limping to the barn, she looked back at the farmhouse. A mare and two small colts now joined the farmer. Dawn looked around and slowly limped to the barn. She tackled the door, walked into the dank and musty room, and jumped into a pile of hay. The door slammed shut, and she looked out. The rain drove against the side of the barn, making a loud roar. She jumped out of the pile and brushed small bits of hay out of her mane. She opened the door and looked out; the storm had stopped, so she exited the barn and weakly limped to the apple tree and sat down, resting her back on the smooth, weathered bark. The flickering torchlight of the farmer proceeded to the farmhouse and disappeared into the door. Dawn closed her eyes.

***

Warm, humid breezes gently blew across the fields, making the leaves on the trees move gently. Dawn took in a slow, deep breath full of sweet-smelling, country air. The sound of incomprehensible speaking jarred her from sleep. She opened her eyes and was blinded by the morning sun. The two colts she had seen last night were looking over her. “Who are you?” she asked.

They looked at each other, screamed, and ran away. She stood up, and the scar on her leg burned. Hot tears filled her eyes as she struggled to run away from the farm. The roaring sound of hooves echoed off the sky as a small group of ponies ran toward her. She fell down and grasped her leg in pain. The farmer ran up and grabbed her around her neck. She struggled and flailed against her captor, but he dragged her across the ground and into the house. He put his hoof over her mouth and smothered her. Her consciousness slowly slipped from her.