Lost in the Dark

Hige spent an hour in his bed waiting for the sleepiness to pass; it didn’t, so he got up and went to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and placed his face in the stream. Hige’s sleepiness soon faded away. A knock was heard coming from the front door. ‘Who could that be?’ he thought as he went downstairs to see who it was. He was surprised to see Applejack and Big Mac outside the entrance.

“Hi…” Hige said.

Big Mac gave a nod.

“Hige, I need ya to come with me”, Applejack said.

“Why?” Hige asked.

“Well, I reckon it has somethin’ to do with Fluttershy, but I’m not sure.”

“Oh…” ‘I’m in trouble…’ Hige thought.

They began to walk toward the library when: “Something happened yesterday../ I felt it. What happened?”, whispered Big Mac.

“You have no idea…” Hige said.

As they reached the library, Big Mac opened the door and let Hige and Applejack in. Kiba quickly walked over to Hige, who then gave him a treat for placing his saddlebag in front of him. “Sorry about yesterday”, Hige whispered. There were two couches and a chair, one of them fit three ponies and the other fit two. Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie sat in the same couch while Applejack and Big Mac remained standing. There was mood of awkwardness that overcame the room, nopony knew what they were there for, but it seemed to revolve around Twilight and Fluttershy since they were the only ones that were missing. Hoofsteps were heard from upstairs, Twilight and Fluttershy soon appeared, walking down the stairs. Hige took a seat on the spare couch; Fluttershy sat next to him. “I’m sorry…” Hige whispered to Fluttershy.

“It wasn’t your fault…” she replied with a weak smile.

“I bet everypony is wondering why they are here…” Twilight announced. “Well it is very simple, this morning I found Fluttershy in a state of sadness”, she began to grin. “And who is to blame..?” she looked around. “Hige is to blame!” All eyes suddenly shot onto Hige. He quickly shrank down. “Yes, it’s true. The new pony in town is not what he seems to be. Hige has a very, very dark secret and I intend to show it to all of you.”

“Wait just a cotton pickin’ minute”, Applejack interrupted, “do you have any proof?”

“Well of course I do”, she said with a grin as she looked at Fluttershy. “Flutterhy, why don’t you tell us exactly what happened that night?”

“Okay…” she said softly. “Yesterday Hige was helping me pick some flowers that Rarity wanted for her dress.” she began “We came back to my cottage and I offered him some tea… he burned his tongue”, she said with a faint smirk. “The medicine I gave him made him very drowsy, so he went back home.” She sat back on the couch and smiled at Hige.

Everypony looked relived, except for one “Why do you protect him!? He was there when the thunderstorm happened!!!” Twilight screamed.

“No he wasn’t… It was Kiba. He helped me get the animals inside because of the thunderstorm”, Fluttershy said calmly.

“Then why were you sad when I found you?” Twilight said in a daring tone.

“I-I… couldn’t get all the animals inside… before it was too late…” she said with a sniffle. “I didn’t have enough time… It’s all my fault, I could have done it faster!” she said in a sad tone.

‘I can’t believe she is actually lying for me…’ Hige thought as he ‘comforted’ Fluttershy, who then began to rest her head on his shoulder.

“Lie! Rainbow Dash always gives you a warning about storms, there in no way that-“

“Actually”, Rainbow Dash interrupted. “That thunderstorm was a surprise even to us, most of the weather team was grounded because of the thunder. There was only about three pegasi trying to lower the intensity of the storm before it was safe enough for the rest of the team.”

“But-but… AHHHHH!!!” Twilight screamed in frustration. “Why is everypony protecting him!!! You barely even know him!!!”

“And you do?” asked Rarity, who had become rather angry at the situation.

“More than any of you!” Twilight said. “I found out his dark secret!!! I know the real him!!! He is a monster!!!”

Hige’s body quickly tensed up at the last comment. He got off the couch and began to walk toward the door.

“And where do you think you are going!?” Twilight asked in a fury.

“Home…” Hige said calmly.

“I’m not done with you yet!!!” she screamed.

Hige stopped. “No… no you are not…” he began to turn the doorknob.

“Oh, no you don’t!” she said as her horn began to glow, Hige instantly became paralyzed.

“You think I’m an idiot? I knew the first minute I met you that there was something dark and disgusting about you… and when you began to wear that bracelet, all of the pieces began to stick together.” She started walking towards Hige. “It took me a while, but I was able to alter the bracelet.” The bracelet began to glow. “And now I can show everypony what you were hiding.”

“Twilight, stop!!!” screamed Hige.

“And you think I’m going to listen to you!? I’m not going to stop until everypony knows your secret!!”

Big Macintosh made his way toward Twilight. “Stop it, Twilight…” he said calmly.

“Why should I?” she asked in an arrogant tone.

“Because if you don’t, I will…” he maintained his calm tone.

“That’s so funny”, she said as she began to use her magic to stop Big Macintosh; her grasp on him quickly broke. “H-How!?” she screamed as she used an even more powerful spell to stop him, but was met by the same result. “Stop!!! You’re going to ruin everything!!!” Twilight screamed.

Big Macintosh gave Twilight one more chance to stop, she didn’t. Big Macintosh raised his hoof and slammed it down onto her head. She instantly lose consciousness. He made his way towards Hige. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Hige looked at Big Macintosh “I’ve never felt better…” he said

Big Macintosh sighed in relief “We should leave… we don’t want-“ Big Macintosh went flying across the room.

“Wha’? Why the hell did ya’ do that for!?” screamed a furious Applejack. Hige ignored the comment, he was admiring the amount of force he had put in the last punch.

“H-Hige?” asked Fluttershy as she got close enough to look at Hige’s face. She had a look of terror “W-Who are you!?” she screamed.

Hige got closer to Fluttershy and raised his hoof. Fluttershy was paralyzed with fear. As Hige slammed his hoof down, some sort of unnatural force stopped his hoof. “Stop fighting!!!” Hige screamed as he raised his hoof once again. “RUN!!!” he screamed.

As Hige started to slam his hoof down, he was suddenly tackled by Big Macintosh. Hige went flying, but was able to regain his balance before he landed. Big Macintosh looked at Hige with an intense stare, his eyes were glowing more than they ever had before. “Get everypony out of here now…” Big Macintosh said, Hige did not move. Applejack quickly began to help Fluttershy up. Rarity immediately agreed to leaving, but Rainbow Dash took some convincing. They quickly gathered everypony (even Twilight) and ran out of the house. Hige grinned and, with a single flap of his wing, launched himself toward Big Macintosh…

‘Where am I?’ Hige thought to himself as he regained consciousness. He began to look around and was quickly overcome with fear. He closed his eyes, his heart began to race and his breathing quickened. “No, no, no no!” he murmured to himself as he placed his hooves on his eyes. Hige soon calmed down enough to take a second look, but quickly covered his eyes once more. ‘I knew this place looked familiar…’ he thought as he finally realized the danger of his predicament. ‘Okay Hige, calm down… just get out’. Hige calmed down enough to look around the room (avoiding any visual confrontation with ‘IT’) and was quickly able to find a door. Hige slowly got up and silently made his way to the door. He placed his hoof on the doorknob and began to turn, but began to panic when the knob stopped moving. ‘It can’t be locked!’ he thought as he repeatedly turned the knob, expecting it to magically unlock if he did turned it enough times. “No use…” Hige murmured to himself as he let go of the knob.

“The key…”

This wasn’t the first time Hige has been in this room; it was the room that had haunted Hige most of his life. This was the room he would dream of each time he’d go to sleep; this was the room that drove Hige into insomnia; this is the room Hige has never been able to get out of…

Big Macintosh got up from under the rubble and spat a mouthful of blood on the floor.

“Hurt? HA, don't make me laugh...” Hige said in a mocking tone.

“Celestia forgive me for what I am about to do…” Big Machintosh breathed as Hige slowly made his way towards him.

“You should have given up, I could’ve made your death quick an-“ Hige stopped in his tracks and began to look at Big Macintosh with more curiosity. Big Macintosh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Are you…?” Hige murmured, Big Macintosh’s coat began to turn a darker shade of red. “No you don’t!” screamed Hige as he propelled himself towards the stallion. Big Macintosh grinned as Hige got closer. At the last second, Big Macintosh placed his hoof on Hige’s head and jerked it to the left and sending him into the wall. Hige got up, “I underestimated you…” Hige’s neck snapped into place. “But you don’t stand a chanc-“ Hige was cut-off by Big Macintosh bucking him directly in the face and sending him across the room once more.

‘The key…’ All of Hige’s dreams were the same, he was stuck in the same room, he had to get out, there was one locked door, and the key was always in the same place… Hige took one deep breath and turned his head. There was another stallion in this room. This other stallion was wrapped in dark, bloody bandages. He was being slightly suspended in the air by chains that were fused to his skin, he was in a deep sleep, and was currently biting on a key ring. ‘Slow and steady…’ Hige thought as he made his way towards the suspended being. Hige’s heart began to race as he extended his hoof to get the key. The moment he touched the key, the wretch exhaled a long breath. Hige almost screamed. ‘Calm down!’ he thought to himself. ‘You are just living your worst nightmare… its not so bad…’ Hige took a deep breath, and with a swift yank, he ripped the key out of its mouth. ‘Oh thank Celestia!’ Hige made his way to the door and used the key. Hige opened the door to find a pit of darkness. He took a long pause. A sense of fear consumed Hige as he heard the sounds of chains hitting the floor.

Big Macintosh had the upper hand, by now Hige seemed to be much more exhausted than Big Macintosh. Big Mac started to gallop toward Hige, who stood there, completely exhausted. Split seconds before Big Mac made contact, Hige’s body tensed up and he extended a hoof at Big Macintosh’s direction. Big Mac was stopped in his tracks the second he made contact with Hige’s hoof. Hige grinned and began to laugh, Big Macintosh took those moments to step away and reassess the situation. In a blink of an eye, Hige disappeared and before Big Macintosh could react, he was bucked and slammed through the door.

Hige jumped towards the darkness, but he was quickly caught by a chain and dragged back into the room. “You aren’t getting away that fast…” the beast said as he began to pull the chain. There was a sudden rush of wind followed by a metallic cling. Hige opened his eyes to see that the chain had been broken by a mysterious scythe “Not you again!” the stallion screamed as a familiar dark orb made its way into the room. The orb began to expand and slowly took the shape of a pony. ‘You…’ Hige thought as the final details of the pony began to take shape, it was the same hooded pony Hige had seen the night of the storm. The hooded stallion extended his hoof towards Hige, who was surprised by the sudden slam of the scythe behind him starting to push him towards the hooded stallion. “No you don’t, you’re not going to save him this time!” the bandaged ghoul said as he ran towards Hige and the Hooded Stallion. The scythe quickly pushed Hige out of the room and into the darkness.

“Big Macintosh!!!” screamed a worried Rainbow Dash as she flew over to the injured stallion. “Are you okay, what’s wrong with your coat?” she continued.

Hige walked out of the house with a triumphant grin on his face. “Did you actually think you had a chance?”

“What did you do to Big Mac!?” roared an angered Rainbow Dash, her friends quickly catching up to her.

“Me? I only injured him, the rest was done by himself”, he said, slowly getting closer.

“Stop or-“

“Or what? Do you think you can stop me? I’m sure nopony here can stop me, Big Macintosh is only a nuisance, and after I’m done with him I’ll end the life of everypony in this town…”

“What the hell has gotten into ya’!!!” screamed Applejack. “Big Macintosh is your friend!!!”

“See if I care!” Hige got close enough to Big Macintosh to do what he was planning. Hige kicked Rainbow Dash into a nearby wall and placed himself in the perfect position to buck Big Macintosh’s head.

“Hige stop!!!” screamed a new voice. Hige turned his head to the source of the voice and found that it was Fluttershy. “Don’t do this, this isn’t you!!!”

“Fluttershy…” said Hige in his normal tone. He quickly shook his head and went back to his violent self. “Me!? You don’t even know me!?”

“No… no I don’t…” said Fluttershy, taking Hige by surprise. “I don’t know you, but I do know Hige and he wouldn’t do this!” she placed herself in Hige’s line of sight and looked at him in the eyes. “Hige, I know you’re in there. Please, you need to help us, you’re the only one that can help us!” As she screamed the last word, her pupils began to dilate and her body went still, so did Hige’s.

Hige was falling, the only sight he could see was the hole where the door was, and the only sounds he could hear were of the fight between the two stallions. Soon enough, Hige lost sight of the door and the sounds faded away. He kept falling for what seemed to be hours, he lost all hope of stopping and he already knew that the orb wasn’t going to stop him anytime soon. Hige’s consciousness began to fade, but was quickly regained once Hige began to hear a familiar noise. ‘What is that…?” Hige thought as the noise grew stronger. ‘Wait… could it be?’ the sound had finally become loud and defined enough for Hige to be able to distinguish it. “F-Fluttershy!”