Paranoia Ingredient

Chapters

It's always more Fun when the Night is young
Undesired, and Unexpected, Reoccurance
In All Possible Desperation
Prelude to A Prologue
Wish You Were Here
Requiem of a Dream
Security Breach

It's always more Fun when the Night is young

{----- [[[[[-It's Always more Fun when the Night is Young-]]]]] -----}

"T-then what happened?"

"This story's getting pretty scary..."

"Aw, come on guys. It's not even scary at all!"

I didn't know whether I should have continue telling the story or not. Whether she thought this was a simple mare's tale or not, it was all true; it was history. "Oh, um...are you three sure you want me to keep on going?"

The most confident of the three listening ponies, Scootaloo, quickly sprang from the floor in a heartbeat. "Yeah, Fluttershy! We're not scared at all!" The orange colored pony glanced back at both of her friends: Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, and saw that they were still shaking with a sense of fear, just a bit.

"Scootaloo, how can you not be scared? I mean, true, it doesn't sound like much, but-" Sweetie Belle looked as if she couldn't find the right words to use, all with a brief lowering of her eyes, yet she still continued to smile at her fearless friend.

Apple Bloom investigated the problem by lunging her head toward Sweetie Belle and whispering into her ear, but I assumed there was no response from her, since Apple Bloom pulled away; looking at me, as if asking if I knew what was up with Sweetie Belle.

Upon witnessing the scene, Scootaloo's expression suddenly switched from her usual smiling, eager-to-try-something-new-to-get-her-Cutie-Mark face to one that closely resembled one that I've only seen once, and wish I could erase from my mind.

She realized that they were both younger than her, and from that, she understood how easily younger fillies could be frightened.

She simply sat back down with the others and chuckled, eliminating all traces of sadness from her face.

"Heh, sorry."

The one word she chose... It was like she completely ignored the fact that something could have been troubling one of her friends. She didn't even sound sincere.

All of the nearby windows were all pounded by relentless rain, creating a pleasant, but quiet type of noise. Thunder bellowed commands throughout the sky, lightning, tardy as it was, made up for lost time.

Acknowledging this, I also saw that it was now perfect dark outside; the perfect time to make this story a lot scarier. I'm sure they'll be fine; I mean, they are growing up pretty fast.

"A little darker outside than normal. I swear it's never been this dark before."

"Well, that's not a very clear answer, but this story is a legend all around Equestria. It's crucial that every pony knows it." I smiled quite happily as the three girls did the same.

Even with their troubles, they know how to work things out between each other.

I continued to tell the story. "Ahem, okay. Remember how I said Princess Luna was full of remorse and darkness?" The ponies nodded their heads in agreement, Scootaloo a little hesitant.

"Well, when everypony realized that Princess Celestia was absent from her position..." I paused to create tension, and the girls did react to it.

"That's when Princess Luna appeared. Except...she wasn't herself anymore. She was the same way she was when Princess Celestia banished her in the moon." That easily grabbed their attention; it's only times like this when their eyes are glued to me. "She came equipped with accessories that resembled battle armor: a helmet, hoof bracers, and razor sharp thorns attached to her wings." I decided to read straight from the book now, as I lowered my head into it. "Her overall shades consisted of black and a dark violet." I paused to take a deeply needed breath of relief.

When I took my eyes off of the book, I saw that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and even Scootaloo were struck with a loss for words.

"Black?"

"Purple?"

"Armor?" They all spoke as if they rehearsed their responses, like they knew what I was going to say.

"Yes, and a long robe of darkness appeared just as she did, behind her. It then spread out to the entire hall."

I continued telling the story with more passion in my voice; I was really getting into it, even though I had experienced Nightmare Moon's daunting presence first hand. "It was the-"

Before I could finish my sentence however, "Fluttershy?" Sweetie Belle asked if the curtains from the windows could be closed. I guess she was getting shivers, either from the story, or the cold air. (I was feeling the temperature drop too.)

And so, I keenly obliged to actually close all of the windows. Where did this sudden, yet violent breeze come from? A few hours ago, the temperature was as balanced as it could possibly be (well, maybe not that much). The rain stopped, by the way.

How were the windows even open anyway? They were shut tight about an hour ago when it started getting really dark out.

I reached my front legs out to pull the first window I saw shut. But...something wasn't right about this.

With my head outside, I felt the bitter intensity of the sudden drop in temperature. And not only that, but outside? Outside, it was dead silent, a bit unnerving.

But, the next part was my imagination for sure.

As my mind continued to wander about, getting lost as it ever-so-easily does, my trance was broken when an ear piercing growl made its way into mine. It was right next to my ear, I just know it.

I panicked and pulled my head back into my home in a heartbeat. I did, however, succeed in closing the glass doors as a result of instinct. The curtains were still open, though, and I could still see outside.

I didn't know what was in the distance (nor did I care), but two red spheres, almost like candles, floated in the distance, remaining stationary as I tried to take my eyes off of them. It was harder to do so than one may think.

That was the end of my dream-

-Nightmare? I tried to forget all about it immediately after I stopped daydreaming.

"You were right, Sweetie Belle." I said without looking back at her. "It hasn't been this cold in a long time."

A rocking chair stood in the corner of the room, draped across it was a thick, green fleece. I grabbed a corner of it with my mouth and flipped my hair by jerking my neck one-hundred and eighty degrees.

It still lay comfortably on my back! I was quite surprised;

Equestria had to skip last years' Winter Wrap Up due to...well, everything I was telling (and have yet to tell) those three young girls. Speaking of that...

"Now that that's fixed, care to hear the rest?" I noticed no immediate response, that being unnatural with those three.

The girls were already gone. I didn't hear any hooves moving across the floor or anything.

"Oh, no!" It was my sworn duty to keep an eye on them; I'm trying to be more like Rainbow Dash: assertive and reliable. But I soon gained confidence, and started thinking a little more on the bright side.

I wasn't been able to do that since that night, four years ago...

"Don't get started up with that again, Fluttershy".

"Come on out, guys, please. I'm really not in the mood for hide-and-seek!" I was on the verge of turning the entire room upside-down looking for them.

.................................................................

About an hour or two passed by, and I was panicking. The girls know me almost too well; they knew I didn't like it when I failed a request someone gives me, even if the favor was unintentional or not.

"Uhm...Fluttershy?" A voice! It sounded like Apple Bloom's. "If yer lookin' for us, we're up here." My eyes opened wide.

It was her, and she had already climbed up the stairs going to the second story of the cottage. Very...ninja-like of her.

Hehe, lucky they came up right before I was about to make a total mess of the place. I would have had to stay up all night cleaning, and I was still really tired from the previous night's crazy events...

................................................................

The recent weather issues Equestria had been having (like fluctuating periods of rain) has sent the land to a state of worry and paranoia.

A royal decree was put into effect: Everypony was given strict orders to stay inside their homes as a safety measure. However, pegasi's were kind of screwed with this measure; their homes were in the clouds. Most of them found shelter, like an earth pony friend they could stay with, but some had to relocate, leave everything they ever lived for. Such a tragedy...

So now, me and the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders' (such a cute little game they played) were stuck in my house until, well, I didn't know how long it was meant to last.

"Sorry we didn't tell you we wanted to go to bed." Sweetie Belle popped up from behind Apple Bloom, looking at me with the biggest smile I had seen on her face yet.

"Now that I think of it, it is their bedtime."

Scootaloo came too, kind of impatient, as per usual. "What? We?" She kindly exclaimed. "I wanna hear more of that story!" I started to climb the stairs myself, when Scootaloo stopped me as I was about to proceed from the first step.

"Pleeeeease?" Scootaloo tried the 'little filly eyes' on me, but she knows that they didn't work as often as they did when she was younger. I mean, it was obvious that they're far past the time they finally got into their double digits now (I have yet to ask them their birthdays. Just a side note.)

"Sorry, Scootaloo, but it's time for bed. I may not be one of your parents, but you all still have a bedtime." I guided her up the steps until we came to the apex. "I'm really sorry-"

The four of us reached the hallway, proceeding into the room at the right. Neither one of them complained a bit. Scootaloo was a little disappointed because I ended the story early, though.

"But I actually have a lot of work to do, and I can't really get it done if I'm playing games with you guys all the time, even if I enjoy them."

...............................................................

There! All tucked in and ready to fall asleep, after they shared with me what they've learned today, at least; they had seemed to taking after my friend, Twilight Sparkle. She always wrote a letter to princess Celestia concerning her findings about friendship.

What surprised me is that they've taken it upon themselves to keep such a promise. Maybe I should start writing to the princess too? I could inform her of what the little guys learn about friendship every now and then.

"Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom slept in the middle, between Sweetie and Scooters (a nickname I keep forgetting to use to joke around with Scootaloo.) "Yer so kind. I know I keep on sayin' this every night, but thanks...so much for lettin' us stay here."

She's so cute. They all are...

"Oh, it's really no problem sweetie-"

"Huh... What?" Sweetie Belle awoke from the time she dozed off when she heard her name. "What now?"

My choice of words was not the smartest ever; I should have remembered that she's really sensitive, like me.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." She dismissed the attention her eyes gave me with another big smile, like the one before.

"It's alright mom-I mean...Fluttershy. I'm just glad to be in bed, I'm super tired." She stretched her two front legs. "I didn't even think I could fall asleep that fast."

Did she just call me...mom? I was caught blushing a bit when I heard her mumble the word.

I thought Scootaloo was asleep, but she was wide awake, eyes closed however. She was tired too; I could tell. She giggled a bit at what was said before. "But really Fluttershy, I'm glad too. It's like...a sleepover that lasts forever!"

Apple Bloom had the irresistible urge to comment with confidence. "Hey! Maybe our special talent could be sleeping!"

Sweetie Belle's pupils grew large upon hearing 'special talent'. "If that's the case, then why haven't we gotten our Cutie Marks yet?"

"Beats me." said Apple Bloom. "Maybe we have to go to sleep-"

"A gazillion times!" silently and kindly interrupted Scootaloo, whose eyes were now as big as cherries. The three girls laughed all in harmony.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll have a dream about what could lead you to getting each, and every one of your Cutie Marks."

It was getting dark really fast, even the light from the moon seemed like it was quickly going away, like a cloud was blocking it or something. But I didn't bother to look outside the window.

"Look, I know you all want to stay up and discuss your plans on how to get your Cutie Marks, but you all really need to go to sleep if you want to have the energy you need for them."

Scootaloo opened her eyes briefly, "Oh, okaaay." and shut them almost immediately after. I knew she was joking around.

"Hey, Fluttershy?" asked Sweetie Belle with the utmost grace. "Could you sing that song for us again? You know the one that goes..." She stopped herself. "I...can't remember cuz it's been so long."

That was true.

Normally the girls would be too exhausted at the end of the day to need aid to fall asleep, but I think 'The Elements of Harmony, Script Five' must have made them all a little uneasy, even brave, fearless little Scootaloo.

"Sure, that's fine." I agreed. But hopefully they won't have any nightmares from the incomplete story.

I inhaled a collection of air and thought of nothing but nature and animals (it always comes to mind).

"Hush now, quiet now..." They were, already getting comfortable because of such a soft voice I had.

"...It's time to lay your sleepy head."

"...Hush now, quiet now. It's time to go to bed..." I concluded, and laughed silently under my breath, smiling.

"Works like a charm!"

What could I say? Turns out the girls were in fact exhausted as they usually were. Although I had more from the song to offer, they were already sound asleep.

I noticed that the blanket they shared was removed from their grasps, so I draped it over their bed and tucked the blanket in between the mattress and the bedframe, going all the way around the bed (again).

"I truly love you girls as if you were my own children, although I don't really know what that's like." I wanted them to hear me say that.

Apple Bloom has this weird snore of hers that actually helps the other two fall, and stay asleep. That, and it tells me that they're all in their deep little slumber, hoping that they dream about how they can finally achieve their Cutie Marks after all their years of searching. I actually find their devotion kind of inspiring.

I decided to keep their nightlight on, in case they wake up and try to embark on their next little adventure, though they couldn't go out even if they wanted to.

They've actually been really good about not somehow devising a plan to sneak out at night, though.

I silently sighed as I left the room, and headed down the hall and stairs.

...Flashback time...

After the girls' only home (my friend's old tree house) got burned down because of an accident they caused (that just happened to involve highly flame irritating sulfuric acid, don't ask me why), no pony would offer them a place to live. I guessed they feared that the same, or worse, would happen again.

But fortunately for the girls, they know that they can always turn to me if they ever need help. I took them in from the depressing streets. It was good too, because this was a few days prior to the Princess' royal decree.

...Oh, God it was horrible. The three were homeless for months, performing all sorts of (I hate to say it) stupid tricks just so they could hope to earn the smallest bit.

It was essential that they stay together; otherwise, all three of their lives would fall apart.

It was impossible for them to survive forever, and the reason why I didn't know about their situation sooner was because of the whole thing with Nightmare Moon and all of that crap.

But one benefit came from that experience. They bonded with each other, as if they were family. They were inseparable partners.

They've already been through so much hell, I just wish I could have been there for them sooner...

I just want to forget about it all... All the sadness and frustration...

And the reason why my friends couldn't take them in was because... I couldn't even remember why they of all kind ponies couldn't.

I haven't seen any of them in Celesia knows how long. I missed them so much...

I pondered my mind long enough; I was going to make myself feel depressed again. I was already starting to feel the cold tears of internal solitude roll down my eyes...

"Okay, Fluttershy. Just get yourself to sleep, like the girls..." I miserably told myself aloud. "It's your bedtime too, you know."

Without second thoughts, I curled up on the sofa next to the door and started to get comfortable, and fast. The room was partially illuminated from what faint moonlight was present; I closed my eyes to aid in leaving the real world.

Then, a recurring thought came to me, what happened earlier. I started to feel it again, with more aggression this time around.

"Why in the world is it so cold all of a sudden?" I couldn't really provide an accurate answer, nor could I even think of the concept of an 'answer'.

Well, I was wearing my fleece, but even that wasn't helping, not even a bit. Maybe I just needed to close the windows entirely...or something.

But I thought I already did that... Didn't I?

I just simply wanted to drift off to sleep, but when I opened my eyes back up again, I saw nothing.

Total darkness...my worst phobia.

Undesired, and Unexpected, Reoccurance

{----- [[[[[-Undesired, and Unexpected, Reoccurrence-]]]]] -----}

...I don’t understand. What happened to all the moonlight?

Accursed thoughts that didn’t need to come back to me did so instantaneously; I thought about the story again... The Mare in the Moon...

“Snap out of it, Fluttershy, you need to be brave and figure out-“

But I couldn’t think straight. My mind was preoccupied thinking that I would need to suddenly defend myself. I was too terrified by the darkness. One thing I couldn’t stand, even the least bit, was my pitch black vision gazing into that of which unseen.

I didn’t want to submit to my fear now; I wanted to conquer it with no hesitation at all!

Besides, the most impotent ingredient to aid my mind during this occurrence would be yet another one of my friends’ advice: my fears can’t hurt me; they just play with my head, frightening me into submission, to crawl back into hiding

...I came about the ultimate resolve.

...Time to throw off the fleece...

Amazing...almost three years and I still haven’t utilized any of her words in that regard.

When I came out of hiding, however, every possible trace of darkness was gone! What in the world? Am I dreaming?

Deep down, I wished it wasn’t a dream. I wanted to show my greatest fear...

I wanted to show it my resolve, that it can’t hurt me, and I would stand up to it with no fear at all.

But then again, I didn’t quite truly kill off my fear; it just disappeared at the last second, at least, assuming it was an actual event.

“Fluttershy, why’d you have to go and mess me up, huh?”

All of a sudden earshot, I came across the voice of Rainbow Dash, a friend from ‘long ago’. I remembered her voice especially.

Was she here?!

As much as I had hoped she was, sure enough she wasn’t.

I was ecstatic for about a second, but that emotion soon dissipated when I processed those words. I didn’t know whether I should respond or not, what I should have said.

“W...what do you mean?” I guess my fear chose for me, but I started to sound serious. “And who are you anyway, just a voice in my head?”

I honestly wasn’t expecting any kind of bravery like this coming from me, let alone a response from the audited question.

“I knew you wouldn’t remember me, Fluttershy!”

My back legs began to tremble due to my friends’ rising vocalized hostility. But then the violence in her voice died down a little.

“You were always the scapegoat for the team, you know...”

This had to be a dream, I was certain. Rainbow Dash would never say anything like this.

Everlasting silence soon made the situation even more tense.

She’s the most loyal pony anypony could ever know! True, when she gets caught up in all of the excitement of competition, she would do anything and everything she could to succeed, but not if it meant bringing her friends down, like she was doing to me now. (What brought up the competition aspect, I don’t know for sure. Could’ve been the truth.)

I know her too well to even truly think that what was happening was real!

It took me time, but I finally stood up for myself when I would usually back down and submit into fear.

“You’re not Rainbow Dash...”

“Hmph! Afraid to give a real response back? Or is it that you’re still crying over the fact that your wings-“

“Shut up, you damn nightmare. I’m awake, AND I KNOW YOU’RE JUST HERE TO MESS WITH MY HEAD!!”

Plenty of insulation lay in between the first and second story of the cottage, so I needed not worry about the girls.

“SO DO ME A BIG FAVOR...AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF IT, NOW!!”

Anypony could tell I was truly pissed the fuck off; I wanted to become fearless so badly, just like the real Rainbow Dash.

And I seemed to be one step closer to that goal when I heard a silent dissipating sound, kind of like a hundred balloons popping, but without the rough sound. Instead, it was replaced with the sound of a sudden gust of wind that just passed by.

Hold on...

A sudden gust of wind... And after I laid the girls to rest, the windows were open, when beforehand, I closed them...

I managed to escape from my thoughts; my instincts were overruling them.

“Fluttershy!” I told myself assertively. “Get to the girls.”

Nothing was holding me back; I loved those girls with all of my life. I just hoped nothing happened to them while that ghost-menace (I don’t know what the hell it was), was here.

I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if they were hurt in any way or form.

I immediately headed to the stairway, guided by the artificial light. I reached the apex of the stairway as I quickly turned to the left, only to see a completely lit hallway; the very same path the girls and I took.

But it wasn’t always this bright.

Actually, it was never this bright at all.

I don’t know what happened up here: the possibilities with those three… It’s funny; the possibilities are literally endless. They could have flushed themselves down a toilet if they very well needed to get away from danger (assuming this was a cartoon, and if they even knew I was cursing at the imitated voice of Dashy.)

But I seriously wasn’t in the mood for joking around.

“Girls?” They would always respond to me if they heard me request their attention, or even their presence. This may sound a bit mean, but I proved to them that I’m the one in charge here about two years ago when a few chickens escaped their coop:

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Their nights were all spent here, at my house. My friend from that same time, Rarity, was going to watch them, however reluctantly.

But a new agenda popped up: She was tasked with designing a few dresses (and I do not mean a few) with various gems of her own. Knowing her, she didn’t refuse. She was big on becoming popular with the big wigs of fashion.

So the task eventually fell to me, though I thought I didn’t mind. When the chickens snuck out, the three girls went on a ‘crusade’ to retrieve them. Little did I know that the dreaded Cockatrice was among the escaped fugitives.

Long story short, we were successful, and the girls learned the importance going to bed when assigned...more or less.

But to confirm if they were present or not, I needed to walk into their room. For whatever reason, I tensed up my body, anticipating some sort of surprise like before.

“This is all a dream, Fluttershy... Or...they could still be sleeping soundly in their bed, so just forget everything now, you’re dreaming.”

“Please tell me you’re still in here…” I whispered silently and prayed for their lives. Their room was the only one with even a little bit of contrasting black; my entire home was ignited with a super bright light.

“Apple Bloom?” I couldn’t see too well due to the extreme contrast of light and dark; it made me feel a little dizzy. So, for a time, I could only initiate audible requests.

I didn’t think just a little difference between light and darkness could create such a sensation in one’s consciousness. It could just be me, though; tired as I could ever be. I was so tired...

“Sweetie Belle?” I didn’t hear Apple Bloom’s snoring...

This was extremely bad.

“Sweetie Belle?”

But then.

“SCOOTALOO!!” Vision granted again, I saw that Sweetie Belle was underneath the medium-sized bed, while Apple Bloom was busy looking out the sealed window as she was demanding for her sister’s presence quite franticly, in fact.

“Where IS she?!” Sweetie Belle inquired in the same manner as Apple Bloom.

I guess they didn’t notice me.

“What?! Scootaloo’s missing?!” The first pony to reply was Apple Bloom, as she unglued her eyes from the window’s distant dioramic view. While she did that, however, Apple Bloom’s eyes dilated to a far extent when she looked into my slightly bloodshot eyes: I knew what that meant...

“Girls, where’s Scootaloo?!”

“Scootaloo’s out there!!” Apple Bloom frantically repeated over and over. Poor girl; all she and the other two could ever do anymore is assume the worst-case scenario for...pretty much everything.

But this is real! I knew Apple Bloom and the others too well now! Scootaloo would try and venture off on her own, given the chance!

Sweetie Belle quickly came out of hiding (or searching) and rushed to the window, almost knocking Apple Boom out of visual range from the window.

The heavy rain came back again...

Fan-fucking-tastic...

I also rushed over to view the window’s outer contents along with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Since I was obviously taller the girls, I could see over their heads, even with the difficulty of trying to see through the dense drops of water.

“You see her? A trace, maybe?”

But how could Scootaloo have made her way outside? The window in their room was sealed shut. (I had no way of removing it anyway. I mean, I trust them enough not to leave unattended.)

But oh, was I still wrong.

“Fluttershy...” Sweetie Belle tried her hardest to refrain from crying, but couldn’t. “Scootaloo said...s-she knew what her super special talent was...all along.”

The Everfree Forest was right there, in the back of the yard. “Please don’t tell me its herding chickens again.”

Apple Bloom soon responded afterward. “We tried to stop her, Fluttershy... She said she would do anything to impress Rainbow Dash so that she would accept her as her assistant.”

I understood. It was always Scootaloo’s dream to work alongside Rainbow Dash.

“We just need to know where she is. We’ll find her.”

My brief feelings about Rainbow Dash quickly grew to a height of acceptance; hearing her name again made me realize even more that she wasn’t here before, saying all those negative things.

I knew it was a dream!

Apple Bloom continued her needed ranting. “She said she was goin’ to the top some mountin’ or somethin’.”

“WHAT?”

“Oh please, Celestia. Don’t tell me...”

But I already knew it was the truth. The only...

That...mountain.

Once, there slept a gargantuan dragon in the center of the base of the apex. As it enjoyed its slumber, all of Ponyville suffered under a cloud of black smoke, which was being produced from the dragon itself.

It’s really a long story, and clearly, and fortunately, I had no time to recall the full trek.

It took me a few seconds to conclude my thoughts, how I should take action.

“...Stay here. I’m gonna find her and bring her back.” I already knew what they were going to do.

“No way!” complained Sweetie Belle. “That’s our sis out there!” She was at the point of squealing now.

Their sister...

The unbreakable bond...

“Fluttershy... Just this once...please.” Apple Bloom just had to follow up. They knew how to crack me open, to submit to their cute charms.

But who says that was the only factor in my agreement? The fillies were no longer fillies. They were now on the verge of their adolescent years.

I let out a sigh of relief and decided. “...Girls” I paused.

“Let’s go find Scootaloo!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle instantaneously burst into joy.

“Let’s go slay the dragon!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, raising her right hoof in the air.

“And save Scootaloo!” followed up Apple Bloom.

I refused to hold anything back. The ultimate resolve did not cease its influence.

To be fearless.

I smashed the sealed window with my right hind leg, something I would otherwise never do. The exposed portion of the floor became drenched with rainwater, while the all of the glass fell straight out the window. ”Come on, girls! A little rain never hurt anypony!”

Despite the fact that my dream was (partially) coming true... My mind was not at ease, not at all.

I guess I was considered in a state of paranoia. There was something else that wasn’t right about my home, at least, at a final glance.

The reason I actually knew this was because heavy gusts of wind must have downed the house a bit.

I think…

Always...As soon as I even give the worst of my thoughts attention, they become nothing more than reality.

“WATCH OUT!!!” I immediately backed the girls into the corner portion of the room, where the broken windowsill was placed. I then ordered them to jump out of the window. (They love the aspect of action and adventure.)

...I think...

Their home is falling apart...again...

Before any of us could ever expect it, a huge portion of the room came crashing down. Rain fell in and quickly flooded the layered floor.

“Good girls... Get out and stay out of danger.”

Thunder was apparent these past few hours, but lightning decided to strike (what better time than) now.

It crashed down from the sky as I was left without a chance to react. The flooded room carried me left and right, up and down.

Death would follow soon after the impact from the lightning.

I was taken under. There was no room for breathing...for a time. I just wanted this horror to end.

Muffled screams were heard, as they could not be properly processed through the water. The girls needed not worry about me.

I wasn’t dying...

Not yet...

“AAAAHHH!!” I was forced outside by means of water pressure. I was thrown out the small window cavity as a result of the room flooding.

Sadly, my wings couldn’t help me in this situation, when I was thrown airborne.

Head first, I fell onto one of the posts that were, and note, were supporting the standing fence outside in the area I saw before.

I can tell you, it knocked me out cold.

“F-Fluttershy, not you too...”

Nevermind, I was only out of touch for about a minute or two. I was still feeling the bitter temperature of the wind pressing against the water all over my body.

The first thing that had come to mind...was already happening.

But here’s some of the only positive feedback: Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were perfectly fine, only their manes and tails were drenched in rainwater.

“You’re...alright...” I wasn’t going to die here, not now. I wanted to give them both a meaningful embrace, but the awkward impact I suffered left my two back legs injured.

Thankfully, it wasn’t anything too serious, but since the very truth of it was that I had suffered a very critical injury, I still felt an extreme rush of pain as I attempted to rise to my feet, since it was still new and all.

Sweetie Belle must have been thinking her head off when I looked at her. She had her head down and her eyes were closed.

The heavy rain wasn’t helping either. I couldn’t tell if she was crying or not

And would you believe it! Just then, both the rain and the wind stopped almost instantly after it brought my home down.

A quick reminder of that, I turned my head sideways, only to see...nothing.

No rubble, no remains. Nothing of the sort lay to waste. It was as if the cottage just...vanished.

Some of the other small structures stood however. Such as the little chicken coop. But, if I knew all of those little guys (and I did), they all ran off into the Everfree forest, including the...Cockatrice.

What luck, am I right?

Sweetie Belle looked as if she lost her concentration, but she reacted in a similar fashion as to how she must have been thinking. “Apple Bloom.” Her face, Sweetie Belle’s.

I had never really seen this side of her before. Let’s get Fluttershy up here, go!” She had taken a bit of my own personality and added it to hers.

Rarity never really cared for her younger sister, so Sweetie Belle lived her life ignored, neglected by the one true role model in her life. She lived her young life as an outcast; she claimed that she was invisible to everypony. As she lived her early years in solitude, she became extremely bitter, and her body had grown weaker and weaker.

But...when I came to her rescue, and showed hospitality and generosity, her eyes perked right up, and I still remember her reaction to this day.

“Please...”

Apple Bloom jumped to the scene, but I saved them the trouble and completed the action myself. I expected the pain to push me back down to the ground, but I took it all with my newfound bravery.

“Please, Scootaloo’s the one in trouble, remember?” I stated.

Both of the girls were ecstatic when I showed them I was still capable of moving.

The three of us wasted enough time: My home, and theirs, was gone forever. Scootaloo’s still out there...

Somewhere.

The Cockatrice I could care less about right now; Zecora, a zebra who me and my friends thought to be an ‘Evil Enchantress’, has a similar talent that I do: she fares well with animals just as I do. I know her, and she’s my friend.

I plan on meeting up with her anyway, if, and only if I happen to cross paths with her. She may have found Scootaloo already, and might be in the process of guiding her back or something.

But...Sweetie Belle said that Scootaloo headed to the dreaded Mt. Skyward... I really didn’t know how to react this time...

Inside my heart, I knew we would find little Scooters, for without her, the two remaining girls would be completely heartbroken.

I smiled, showing my fangs, and left Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle a kind look. They had the look same in their eyes as I did; they wanted...an expedition.

And I would do my best to give them such an opportunity.

“Shall we get started?”

In All Possible Desperation

{----- [[[[[-In all Possible Desperation-]]]]]-----}

However, before we could just venture off into a randomly generated choice of direction, we needed to decide how to methodically-

"Gah! There's no time to think, Fluttershy!"

"Girls, we're going to Mount Skyward, come on!" Knowing those two, they would do anything to prove their loyalty to their parental figures, which explains why Scootaloo apparently went off to try and find Rainbow Dash (who just happened to be the living incarnation of Loyalty.)

I think that also explains why Sweetie Belle accidentally called me 'mom' when things were feeling pinkie keen.

And so, I led the girls (with truly no real sense of direction, other than the fact that the gargantuan mountain could be seen from an estimated thousand miles away to the west; it was true) in the direction of Mount Skyward: the place where I truly evolved...

Unfortunately for us, Princess Luna's Moon failed to shine in the midst of her night.

Come to think of it, that was when I realized that, upon the arrival of true night, her moon hasn't appeared for about a six night succession.

The Night just got darker and darker as time passed by. The time of daylight was far from over.

I started ahead of the girls, instructing them to follow my lead as I decided my sights on the mountain. The light from the billions of stars were the only source of what little illumination that was present.

"Let's hope the stars don't go away too and hurry it up!" I didn't mean to be too assertive, but this was serious, as the girls already knew.

Alas, they too were also extremely confused, considering everything that was definitely going on inside their little heads at the time.

"Do you think we should tell Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom whispered to Sweetie Belle.

Her sister responded almost immediately after the question was asked and processed, also keeping her voice to a minimum volume. "Are you kidding Apple Bloom? If-"

Little did Sweetie Belle know that my hearing was unmatched in so many ways. I have a peculiar detection for her voice, since it has such a high level of octave.

Before Sweetie Belle could finish what she intended to finish however, Apple Bloom caught up to me, to avoid getting in trouble, I guess.

She would think she would be punished for being the 'last one'.

But why would I ever be mad at the girls for just a little chit-chat?

I mean, I know why they would think of such thoughts, but I was curious about their brief conversation nonetheless, yet I clearly had other things on my mind at the time.

But I also didn't want to invade their privacy, for even they, with such horrible foundations, were privileged with such a right.

Sweetie Belle soon ran back to me and Apple Bloom. "H-hey! Wait up, guys!" she cried, frantically glancing at an empty sky every few seconds and stumbling on the way.

The terrain that preceded us was of unbelievable proportions. We must have taken a different route up the mountain from the last time I was here. I couldn't see it, but I walked right into a huge mountain wall, it must have been.

This proves that the challenge here... it's going to be epic. With the inability to see, it adds to the fact that I'm unfamiliar with this route up the mountain.

There was no time to lose.

....................................................

Even after a four hour journey (I thought of it as that long of a trip, anyway), Luna's Moon still decided not to show itself.

On top of that, the darkness was ever growing in intensity.

I'll repeat myself here. There was no more time to lose.

..................................................

"We're...finally here..." I said as I wiped off my forehead, panting heavily. At the climax of the exhausting commute, I wanted to sprint to 'the finish', but couldn't.

Because the finish wasn't there; we still had a long way to go

Looking around with almost no sight, I couldn't forget this place. It was the first step I took to becoming somepony like Rainbow Dash.

With all hope in my heart, I put some of that hope into Rainbow Dash, and if we would come across her presence.

"Girls? You're still awake, right?" I asked sarcastically.

But there was no way they could be asleep, considering the fact that Scootaloo was missing in action.

"Heck yeah, Fluttershy!" the sisters simultaneously responded as they suddenly appeared, with confidence bursting in their quickly chosen words.

"Let's go kick some dragon butt!" added Apple Bloom vigorously.

That's something Scootaloo would say.

The mountain named Skyward produced a strange smell, that of which was (truly) indescribable. I really didn't have it at the tip of my tongue. Has it been like this? For how long? It wasn't important, anyway.

"Blech!" gauged Sweetie Belle. "Smells like that sulfuric acid stuff!

...Uh, Guess she solved that problem. Always nice to have a laugh every once in a while, right?

"Alright, girls..." It would make enough sense if Scootaloo came here. The three of us started to get a move on. "From here on out, this is a one-way trail heading up to the top of the mountain."

"Scootaloo could be anywhere!" Sweetie Belle said quite full of worry, though I obviously couldn't blame her, or her sister, who looked even more concerned for some reason. I looked at Apple Bloom, who was lagging behind a little.

"But it's so dark out here, we can't see a thing!" She yelled out before I could even fixate my vision on her own, though she didn't even look at me.

She just kept her head down, thinking, I could presume.

"Scootaloo, I'm sorry." She muttered to herself under her breath; she probably forgot the fact that I could hear well, sometimes almost too well.

Once she caught up, I kindly asked Apple Bloom if something was troubling her , while still keeping my eyes peeled for any possible trace(s) of an orange pony named Scootaloo.

"Is something wrong, Apple Bloom?" I repeated in a different variation. (I really need to figure out nicknames for those girls).

But the only response I received from her was an also easily comprehendible "Nah, everything's fine." She lowered her head again.

She had every right to feel the way she sounded: gloomy.

..................................................

Another hour or two passed, and still no sign of Scootaloo. I was having heavy doubts that we would even find her up at the altitude we had already reached (we were moving faster than we thought.)

I looked up at the moonless, starry night once more.

"The moon's still not out." said Apple Bloom. "We'll never find Scootaloo without any moonlight!" Despite the circumstances, she remained composed, as did Sweetie Belle, staying as faithful as she could be.

Suddenly, Sweetie Belle stopped as Apple Bloom continued in her set path, head still down; her sister's eyes were darting from side to side, still giving an attempt to find her other sister, however feebly minded and weak from the exhausting trip.

"Apple Bloom..." Sweetie Belle began to speak with less confidence than before. "We'll find Scootaloo, no matter what we have to do, what we need to go through to get her back."

Apple Bloom just stopped when she passed by Sweetie Belle. I decided to stop for a while and watch this beautiful moment.

Sweetie Belle's pupils grew, almost filling up her entire eyes.

"I promise... She's a Cutie Mark Crusader, meaning she's never gonna leave our side."

Apple Bloom turned around and faced Sweetie Belle. She raised her head, something I'm glad she finally did.

"Plus," continued Sweetie Belle. "She would never really leave us, all because of some misunderstanding."

"She's pretty much family, as are you."

Apple Bloom had her back turned to me now. It looked like she was...shuddering.

"She's stuck to us like glue." Sweetie Belle had to conclude, because Apple bloom burst out in joy.

"And as Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Sweetie Belle joined in the universal chant. "Everything bounces off us-" Apple Bloom's left leg and Sweetie Belle's right stretched straight out and gently made contact.

"-AND STICKS TO THE PAST!" They both chuckled a bit, and then Sweetie Belle gave Apple Bloom a reassuring hug.

"Everything'll be just fine!" She let her sister free, and Apple bloom simply thanked her.

"Thanks...Sweetie Belle..." She sniffled as a previous stream of tears draining from her eyes weakened.

I really didn't want to take my eyes of the girls, especially now that they're...growing up, but our mission still stands clear:

Find Scootaloo, and fast.

But...

"RRRAAAAAAWWWWRR!!!" A monstrous exclamation of anger was brought about by a huge creature that suddenly came rushing down the nearest (leftmost) slope of the mountain. It was surrounded by a cloak of mist that seemed to thicken the longer I looked at it.

The girls wanted to stand and fight, oh, I can tell you that much. But, obviously they wouldn't even know how to go about this situation, more or less circumvent it.

Or would they?

"RRRAAWWRRRRR!!" The beast came closer and closer at an alarming rate, as if it was ticked off by something...or someone.

"Girls!" I ordered. "RUN!" They didn't hesitate at all.

I was able to see what they headed for; A rock to hide behind (oh, how clever of them). I shook my head. I knew they didn't want to leave me; as I said before, I knew them too well.

Hell, I don't truly know what to do when something's hell bent on ramming into anything in its path, but I would do my best to try and stop the...whatever it was.

On that thought, I tried to make out what the creature was with what little time I was given, and succeeded.

It was an Ursaminor; I recognized its size. It couldn't be an Ursamajor because it was about the same size of the Ursaminor that Twilight Sparkle had driven out of Ponyville.

And besides... I've seen an Ursamajor.

What I was trying to concentrate on, was the fact that it was an animal, and I was highly known for my special abilities with animals. (Element of Kindness).

The beast was no less than five feet away from me, but I wasn't fully prepared. A feeling of extreme adrenaline ran through my veins.

I've felt like this before...

And I wasn't talking about the feeling I got the last time I was up here with my whole circle of friends...

But even if I wanted to try and communicate with the Ursaminor, it would have killed me by the time I looked it back in the face. I didn't even know if an Ursaminor would bother to listen to me, being the huge beast that it was!

"Girls!" I called out in all desperation I could possibly muster. "GET OUT OF HERE!!"

.......................................

"Oh, would you please stop being so dramatic?!"

I had my head flinched to my right so the girls couldn't see the helplessness in my face:

But that's when something happened. Something I didn't, and couldn't believe.

Using the corner of my able eye, I saw that...

I saw that...the Ursaminor...dissipated before my very eye, along with the dispelling veil of mist! But I still carried a feeling of extreme cautiousness.

This was clearly the element of a dream, a fantasy, even: when life gives you a second chance.

"I should have died." I mean, not that I want to die, but still... that's the way life works, though I could be a hypocrite while saying that.

"That was...a close one."

When all of an abrupt second-

"That's right!" How did I recognize the voice so easily? (Sarcasm intended).

"Tremble before the Great, and Powerful Trixie!!

"Oh! Its Trixie?" I thought internally. "I thought this was something serious. Then I have nothing to be afraid of!

What was she doing up here anyway?

"Trixie! So this was all a trick?!"

"Y-You scared the living daylights out of me!" I started to laugh in the end.

To take her personal pleasure away; I rose to my hooves and just looked at her as she did me. I was expecting her to gloat even more about herself. Her eyes matched her face, and I realized this when she stared into my eyes within the first five seconds.

She was in danger, as was Scootaloo. Her eyes were full of fury and indignation, it seemed, but she managed to hold it all in.

She still wore the same cape and hat, which were a bit tattered.

Okay, maybe not a bit. The pieces of clothing were completely torn apart. All that seemed to be holding the stitching together were mere inches. Her clothes her saturated with filth, more simply named 'dirt'.

God, I'm starting to sound like Rarity; Style over Substance.

The unicorn herself wasn't in too good of shape, either. Her face was also covered in dirt, in addition to a nice amount of blood and a few cuts on top of all of that.

What remained of her hat was little enough so that her horn was slightly visible, only a little bit. It looked...shorter than most ponies that were gifted with magical horns, but that observation could have been solely from the obscurity of the hat.

All four of her legs were severely cut and scraped up, but nothing that looked too much to hold someone back. (But then again, I'm not her, which is obviously a good thing).

She threw me looks as if she were an upper-class, a snob who thought she was the talk of the whole world. True, this is what she was famous for, but I knew how most upper-class ponies would start up a conversation after looking a troubled pony in the eye for a few seconds.

"Hey...I know you..." She paused and took a second or two to catch her breath, for whatever reason.

Oh yeah! Did I mention she's so damn arrogant?

I really didn't have time for this... "So?" she asked. "How was that? My Ursaminor façade!" She just wouldn't stop! She would have killed me!

But she didn't...

A few moments later (after hearing about Trixie's 'accomplishment in Fillydelphia', really hard to believe), Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle came to my side once again.

"Fluttershy!"

They also grabbed Trixie's attention. She disregarded me after she learned my name. "So your name is Fluttershy...I definitely remember you.

So...that's a good thing?"

"Now girls!" Trixie continued, beginning to address them.

"We know you!" interrupted Apple Bloom. "You're that big talker Trixie!" Neither side of the conversation seemed too thrilled about the encounter.

"Uhm...Trixie?" Once again, she was easily unsure of whom to listen to, so I guess I was the next pony to talk. But it really was important. "I know you probably haven't been paying much attention to the mountain, but have you seen a little orange pony with a purple mane wandering around here?"

She looked troubled (aside from everything that was physically wrong with her), but nevertheless, she proudly responded. "You mean little Scootaloo, don't you?" I looked her in her slightly poisoned violet and nodded with high hopes.

"And since I know her name, then that's a definite yes. She's perfectly fine."

Sweetie Belle exclaimed through the stomping of her hooves, while Apple Bloom's jaw lowered as she smiled. "You've seen her?!"

"Where is she?"

"Please tell us where she is!" The girls were so ecstatic, asking Trixie all those questions, though no one could blame them for feeling as such. "She's a Cu-" Apple Bloom stopped herself. "Our sister!"

Ironically enough, now Trixie's presence was needed, when she was (to put it bluntly) of no use before. She stood before Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, with them mauling her with the same request over and over, no matter how many variations of the same question they presented to her. She gave me a peculiar look; I really wanted to believe that she knew where Scootaloo was at.

She sighed, quite happily, actually. "Hm, I guess you three need 'The Great, and Powerful Trixie' to assist you in your quest." Though she smiled while saying all of that, she kept her gaze (mostly) at the ground, in between Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. There wasn't much happiness or glee in her voice, however.

She was, in fact, in danger, and that gave the certain feeling of insecurity. For both me, and the three females.

"Very well," said Trixie. "I was intending to leave this horrid place anyway."

Trixie must have let her past troubles go. "What do you mean?" We're leaving?" What was Trixie talking about now? The mountain was left still majorly unsearched!

"I mean, I'm going to get us out of here, but of course!"

"But how?"

"Yeah, how?" inquired Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle at once.

"Well, if I remember correctly, then Fluttershy, your friend, Twilight Sparkle is a unicorn too, no?"

"Yes, so you're going to teleport us all, aren't you?" I answered.

"They don't call me 'The Great and Powerful Trixie for nothing, you know. You're exactly right, Fluttershy!" She gave me the first actual smile I've seen her meaningfully give.

And she knows where Scootaloo is? Wow... I think I just might have gained a new respect for Trixie!

"However, this may be the last time I can ever use my magic again, so everyone." Trixie paused and looked lovingly at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

"Everyone try your best to stick together, okay?"

I wasn't quite sure what she meant; I've never asked Twilight to take me somewhere using this method when we were living together in Ponyville. But I agreed nonetheless, walking up to her side, giving the girls a hint that Trixie was a changed unicorn.

They heard the stories.

"We got it." Apple bloom exerted.

Sweetie Belle looked at us all before saying "We're all ready." The two young girls crossed their adjacent hooves, hoping that all would go well.

"Everyone, get close to me, QUICK!" Trixie and I were now encompassed in a tangible barrier that, if I was right, was slowly becoming solid.

"Girls! GIRLS, GET OVER HERE!" I felt really bad for yelling at them, but they probably wouldn't have heard me otherwise.

The barrier was about to live up to its name any second now. Luckilly, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle eventually obeyed my command. Sweetie Belle held tight to my left rear leg, while Apple Bloom grabbed a hold of Trixie's left front leg. She didn't seem to mind at all.

"We're going...to the!" She couldn't finish her sentence; every trace of volume was eliminated.

Prelude to A Prologue

{----- [[[[[-Prelude to a Prologue-]]]]] -----}

...Trixie had already abandoned the presence of the girls and I.

I mean, it's kind of funny; There was no way to calculate the time exactly, but I could assume it's only been two hours since I met up with her, and she's already strutting around a huge crowd of ponies, those of which were...

Running...?

"What are you three doing?!" randomly screamed the only filly who wasn't following the horde of ponies, not since I saw her silhouette in the distance. I knew she was directing her words to me and the girls.

"Uuuggggh-"Trixie failed to attract the attention of any of the fleeing ponies. If anything, they were threatening to trample her, and the already injured and helpless Trixie just complained.

"God, doesn't anyone here know the Great and Powerful Trixie?! Do I need to set up a performance here too?"

Obviously, she was rambling aimlessly, and it would last a while too, if no one stopped her.

"Fluttershy?" Sweetie Belle was coming to; she had fallen unconscious during Trixie's little 'magic' act.

However, she was cut off when the contrasting filly quickly approached us. Her red eyes stared straight into my eyes.

They were like rubies... No.

More like...the perfectly mixed color of rich, royal blood.

"Do you want to die?! I'm already anticipating your answer." She spoke quite frantically, frightening the newly awakened Apple Bloom, and confusing Sweetie Belle.

"Who are you?" said Apple Bloom. The roaring of thousands of hooves grew to a volume of unbearability. "Fluttershy?"

"Likewise. Who are you two?" Questioned the filly, whose eyes were glimmering, even in the dead of night.

Well, now she knows my name.

I didn't know quite how to respond. "Why is everypony running away? Is something wrong??"

"Damn it all, Fluttershy! Why do you always have to make a fool of yourself?"

The filly, who I now observed would most probably be classified by a mare, gave me an extremely disappointed look.

She simply responded with haste. "You know what, nevermind! Whoever you are-!"

The mare immediately used her unicorn horn (that of which I noticed upon its action) to initiate movement in all four of my legs, even my two, injured back legs.

She then picked Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle from the ground and laid them both on my back, releasing them as she did.

"Just keep up with me!"

The girls and I were traveling at a pretty high speed now, thanks to the mysterious horned pony. We joined the giant herd of fleeing fillies and colts.

"B-but... How can I trust you?" I tried my best to throw my voice with enough force to reach the mare, but the ever-growing sound of terror among all the ponies soon became too much to hear even myself speak.

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

"Just keep up with me!!" The unicorn didn't hear my words. She released me of her inanimate grasp, but stayed by my side as I continued to move ever forward.

There, apparently, was no other option. I had no idea what could have had all of Equestria's residents running away, but itcouldn't be anything good.

The night everlasted throughout the past few days, it seemed, yet the moon was absent from its position, even still. The stormclouds, thunder and lightning made themselves present again, I felt.

I heard.

And I saw.

...I felt the rain pouring on the bodies of the suffering girls, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They couldn't speak, even if they wanted to; they were giving all their best efforts to keep their hooves glued to the veins in my neck. I was giving all of my best efforts as well to keep up with the mysterious mare, whom of which never really took her eyes off of me, except to point out hazards that would be otherwise invisible from my sight, hindered by the thickening darkness.

She called out to me, as I was anticipating already. "I'm clear, Get behind me!" she commanded.

The roaring of all the crashing hooves falling to the ground helped in my realization:

This isn't a dream; I had to participate in the events that were taking place. "Got it!" Without any problems whatsoever, and with the knowledge of what I should have done a split second ago, I quickly, yet slightly, shifted my direction so that I was right on the mysterious mare's tail. It sparkled vigorously, even as the rain endlessly crashed down on it.

In fact, it almost acted as a sort of beacon, which was providing such a use, as briefly described. The path was becoming a bit clearer now.

I heard... Aside from a newly emanated sound of yet another voice I could not understand, so many fillies and colts behind me were falling back; I couldn't see them though, but they were screaming bloody murder, as if someone well... well, performing a bloody murder. Some of them sounded as if they were being dragged across the ground. I could only guess it was horrifying, but there was no time to worry about some other pony that I may never see again anyway.

"Man, even the way I'm thinking is starting to change dramatically." Normally, I wouldn't even dare to place myself above other pony's needs, but what can I say? If I stop moving ahead, the girls and I are done for.

...After about a good thirty minutes, everypony, including the 'Mysterious Mare' (a temporary nickname I gave her), started to merge numbers across what looked like a large amount of land on both my left, and my right.

An artificial source of light soon emanated, as well as the voice I could barely understand. They became clear.

Lightning struck the very ground I had trampled over at the same time.

"ATTENTION, ALL RESIDENTS OF EQUESTRIA!" The aforementioned voice boomed over a loud intercom, somehow performing the act of surrounding my range of hearing.

I continued my pursuit, confirming what I was able to see on both sides of me along the way.

"HEAR ME OUT. OUR LAND IS QUICKLY BEING SWALLOWED BY AN OMINOUS FORCE OF DARKNESS." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were still clinging to the tendons in my neck, their grasp got dramatically weaker. The two haven't said a word since we arrived in whatever part of Equestria we were in.

"I still hope Trixie's okay, though..."

Actually, now that I think about it, disregarding the literal blood, sweat and tears I was sharing with the moist earth, the voice sounded very familiar to-

"Princess...Celestia!" I was running out of breath faster than I could even come to the realization.

And upon thinking about these kinds of things...

"Girls?" I forgot all about them riding on my back.

"GIRLS?!!" I didn't feel any extra weight slowing me down anymore.

..............

Fluttershy...you failed. You failed miserably.

Now the girls are more than likely dead.

"I TOOK THOSE TWO TO THE CASTLE! THEY'RE FINE!!" exclaimed the mysterious mare. "IN FACT, WE'RE ALMOST THERE, JUST TRY TO KEEP UP!!!"

"SAFETY FROM THIS THREAT IS KEPT IN THE CASTLE. ALL PONIES HEADED THIS WAY; THE CASTLE BRIDGE IS BEING LOWERED, BUT HURRY!!"

..........................................

All this reassurance clearly stating that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were 'fine' at the castle made me worry a little less, but a strong trace of love still remained.

And it forever shall.

And I also saw... I began to see the drawbridge to the castle, and as it lowered, it seemed to have the intention of crushing everypony in its wake. I had never seen the bridge held up, rather than being lowered.

"STILL WITH ME?!" The mysterious mare answered her own question when she gave me a relieved look, that of which always lifted my spirits through this whole ordeal. She had been by my side the entire (estimate) five hours.

The night was still young, and Princess Luna's moon still remained that of a distant recluse.

Lightning struck again, only this time at the vast above structure, the Great Canterlot Castle. The burst struck the fastest moving structure that was currently active on the exterior of the castle-

Now, guess what it had to be, why don't you?

"NO, GOD DAMN IT!"

So, yeah... When the chains that were in the process of lowering the drawbridge had become severely weakened from the elemental attack, sparks flickered in all sorts of directions, producing a very helpful light source that would last for about ten minutes.

I know this because...the clouds above the castle:

They were visible, but only because of all the elemental activity that was transpiring within them. I noticed this when the aforementioned fluttering sparks began to protrude from the machine's outer limbs. It's possible that those alone were the cause of the intense stream of light.

It was also as if the stream was pushing me away as I followed the mysterious mare, who started to slow her pace dramatically.

"This isn't good." the mare spoke, stating the obvious. "At all." She made her voice sound desperate and hopeless.

I mean, so what if the drawbridge came to a complete halt. That doesn't mean we should give up!

I was panting heavily. "Come on, now...

...There's always a way..." Nothing would stop me now.

The action was only slightly dying down, but that didn't mean it was the time to stop moving, as the mare did just that.

"...Hold on..." the mare said, pausing dramatically as she did. "I'll...be a while..."

What she was actually trying to do, I had no clue, but my thoughts found a way to my mouth.

"WHAT?! Are you crazy??!" Well said...

She didn't respond:

Her eyes...they were nothing but white spheres now, Kind of creepy, really. (But then again, I am frightened by even the littlest things.)

But that would soon change, after all...

"Oh, God, I wish I could still fly..." I began to pray to a God that didn't exist; never has and never will.

I simply refused to remember the incident, the reason my wings were to forever remain inert.

...But it would forever haunt me, for it was, in fact, unforgettable.

But either way, flying over the somewhat downed walkway would only get me killed, either by...that, or lightning could strike me while I would be in midair, and we all know how much pegasi fear lightning.

The sound of roaring hooves disappeared almost immediately, and I don't know why.

But I could guess it was because the enormous dark shadows that were quickly approaching me and the unnamed mare.

I gasped as soon as I saw it; it was like... It was exactly like...

I couldn't run from the story anymore. It was another thing that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"N-Nightmare...MOON!" I screamed out in terror, and made haste toward the preoccupied mare. I was unsure if it was at all possible, but... "But...how?"

The public lack of Luna's moon would most likely mean that she was absent from her position, as if she was, in fact in danger.

But there was no time to wonder.

The white eyed mare quickly acquired her red eyes again, just when the approaching shadows grew extremely close to both of us. She was breathing as heavy as I was a few minutes ago.

"Celestia..." she said with no emotion whatsoever. I looked at her face, and she looked exhausted.

And I mean that when I say it. It was hard to tell at first, but she was definitely bleeding out from her eye slits.

She soon fell to the ground, acting lifeless, not moving an inch, even. The darkness was also slowing down a bit (or possibly toying with us, but I don't see why anything hell bent on 'making other ponies disappear' would hesitate from the manner of bringing forth death.)

Well, that's what it was doing! When I first got taken here by Trixie, there were thousands of ponies galloping towards the castle. Now, the mare I stood by, and the very same one I would probably share my last moment with, was the only other pony I saw.

"Nnnghh..." The mare to my right finally reacted to the situation, however feebly.

"N... Now..."

As the wave of darkness surrounded me and the bleeding mare, and all hope was definitely lost, death was upon us.

When suddenly, light produced from an unknown source behind us, near the entrance to the castle. I could barely see it due to the level of brightness (even from behind, it still slightly blinded me), but the tsunami of shadows stopped in a sudden act of restraint, kind of like a dog on a leash.

"Fluttershy, just stand still and realize that your girls are fine." It wasn't just me; the mare at my side heard it too.

My...girls...

My children...

"Listen...to the Princess..."

This was princess Celestia giving me a direct order, and I couldn't just disobey. Even the littlest command or request she would ask of me, I wouldn't dare ignore princess Celestia.

"Princess" I talked to her, but I didn't know if she could even hear me. "I hear you, loud and clear!"

The wave of shadows that lurked inches away from me and the highly weakened mare gave up on its desire, and swam away using the earth as its swimming pool.

"You poor, brave mares. I'll take you inside."

And with that one statement, she fulfilled it. In an instant (literally), we were taken from the dark and bloody outskirts of the Canterlot Castle, and taken into its exterior.

"That was...cool."

Everywhere I looked (if I ever managed to reach my destination), there was a pony. Ponies of all sizes. Unicorns and Pegasi were lingering throughout every part of the room I realized I was now in, and this wasn't even half a quarter of the entire castle!

"Meet me in my quarters when you get everything sorted out, Fluttershy." The princess spoke to me personally. Either that, or the other mare chose not to respond.

That was most likely the case when she simply nodded. She then flipped her mane around and proceeded to circumvent the swarm of ponies in the center of the room.

I decided to react to the princess's words in the same manner as my 'friend' (her new nickname, assuming we would see each other again). I nodded my head and observed my surroundings, hoping to find anypony who looked even remotely familiar.

The room was the same one from before, only this time, it was lit with candles, and a good number of unicorn ponies were using their magic to illuminate a small portion of the room with their horns. Not much changed from before; it looked the way it did after the events of last year's Grand Galloping Gala, when my friends and I jovially attended.

It didn't really turn out to be much of a 'happily ever after' synopsis, ironically enough.

Pinkie Pie, another 'old' friend of mine, told me about much of the castle while we were here last year, and I'm actually surprised that I remembered what she said:

Besides, what she told me was correct. "Let's see, um..." She would describe the room to the left of the crowd of ponies I took into consideration, that of which I proceeded through upon reciting.

'The room was neatly decorated with vinyl; kind of scarlet shaded curtains draped along the big windows' is the part that I remembered the most.

... I scanned the room only slightly.

"What do you know, Pinkie, you were right!" I spoke to myself out loud; other ponies could hear me, but I didn't really care. "Maybe with her information," I continued. "I could find my way around here."

"Though I wouldn't doubt her at all; in all the time I knew her, she wasn't clumsy with information even once."

"...Hell, with all this talk about my friends I've been having recently, they're probably around here somewhere!" My face intensified with joy upon the thought of the probable experience.

But I still haven't seen any signs of Trixie..."

The following chamber was not holding the presence of too many ponies. This room was, more or less one of the main corridors that simplified the castle's interior complex. There really wasn't much to it; more candles lit the way through what looked like a thirty foot hallway.

A couple of unfamiliar ponies along the baseboards of the room writhed in agony and despair. The two resembled each other, they could have been a family, torn apart by this...this madness.

"Good Lord, please have mercy on our little Vinyl..." Must be their child or something.

I felt extremely horrible, for I knew my child (or actually, children) were, as well as their status, though not detailed, but I managed to forget about the devastated couple and move on.

"You can't go back to being who you were before, Fluttershy."

As I continued to walk along the room without dividing my attention from my main objective-

"I think your randomness is getting the best of you, Pinkie Pie."

'Pinkie Pie'

Pinkie Pie was all I truly comprehended, and that voice...

'Randomness'

It's Rainbow Dash! Her voice was coming from the next chamber!!

"Yeah, I guess that's true, but ask yourself: doesn't randomness make the world go 'round?"

I had the strongest desire to meet up with (all?) of my friends before I would negotiate with princess Celestia, but the couple of ponies I noticed before came up to me, with nothing but hopelessness in the expressions they gave me.

"You're going to put an end to all this, aren't you?" The colt spoke, while the female remained silent while staring at me with her hazel eyes. What was the colt referring to?

"Put a stop to?" I became puzzled in mid-sentence, as I felt the same while he proposed the words. "A stop to what?"

"You'll find out in due time, dear." The filly followed up.

The male turned back and walked away from the scene; he went back to where he lay before. The female didn't say anything until her partner was far enough away, and said, "Now go see your friends. They seem like they've been dying for your arrival."

With a questionable wink and smile, the female turned and joined her partner, but they didn't sound troubled at all when they were talking to me. Before they were praying to the Lord that died a long time ago. A 'Lord', besides princess Celestia, no longer exists, if there ever was any.

Figuring out what to do next, I quickly concluded that brief thought with an answer.

I need to rendezvous with my friends. I needed to see their (hopefully) smiling faces again, talk to them again. Were they all there?

My current aim was to find out.

Wish You Were Here

Paranoia Ingredient

{-----[[[[[-Wish You were Here-]]]]]-----}

That scene left me a little...cautious, for a reason that didn't come to mind.

"Put a stop to what?" My voice rose in volume as I tried to figure out a puzzle that I probably shouldn't have even begun to. However, I tried as best as I possibly could to decipher the ominous...warning. Upon expectance, a blurred sequence of images flew through my mind.

The experience I shared with that beautiful mare (from what I could tell) was brought up in my little invisible cloud bubble. "That...thing, out there? What did she mean?”

I hate to have applied my thoughts to this genre, especially considering the owner of the warning was aged with knowledge, but that elderly pony was probably letting her senile attributes get the best of her. But then again, all that knowledge accrued over the years could have led to an answer.

Taking that possibility into consideration, I simply put aside the thought and placed it in the back of my head when I realized that I just walked into the chamber of the castle where I heard my friends' oh-so familiar voices.

This was the main hub, the aorta, of the entire castle; or at least, it's been treated as such over the years. I entered the rendezvous point from an angle.

Square in the middle of the premises, heading towards an enormous stained glass wall (that, by the way, depicted the fall of the aforementioned God of Chaos, Discord), rose a very wide stairway, decorated with a lustrous fabric of red.

The fabric actually made its path from the intended entrance to the aorta and manipulated itself, splitting itself into two products upon reaching the forked path at the top of the stairway.

And through the clearest windows I've ever seen; only darkness was invited inside, but thankfully without the malicious force from before. However, the faint light of the candles placed all around every visited chamber of the castle made my mind assume that their effects were all accumulating in this very room, which was definitely a good thing, considering my fear of darkness still exists, only dramatically lesser now.

And even though I somewhat recovered from a sudden, split-second flare of pain that threatened to burn in my things, all while simultaneously scanning the room twice from the adrenaline of the sharp pain, I still couldn't read any signs from my friends (judging from how faint their voices were when I first heard them.)

And I didn't physically see them, concluding the fact that I was slowly, and quite possibly, losing my mind.

"No." I stopped for a while, building up a familiar emotion.

I stopped thinking and progressing through the castle altogether. I let the emotion take me over.

"NO!" I suddenly lashed out verbally, regarding a series of things that I felt I regretted. "I knew I shouldn't have believed, even believed, that they would be here! What's the matter? Is harmony in Equestria dead or something?!" In association with that last thought, I knew how I put that into words couldn't be true.

No. Not at all.

Never.

After (again) realizing that this very fact was true, I let all of my frustration go; I had let it get the better of me.

................

Dammit, I keep reminding myself of Dashie.

From what I absolutely know, my friends, all of them, would be here, somewhere. But I also knew I didn't have time to play hide and seek with them, especially if they decided to all be scattered around the castle.

I shut my eyes groaned in displeasure. "Uuuugghhhh...

...And when I opened them...I saw her again...

The somewhat valiant pony who stayed by my side throughout the whole ordeal where I secretly thought I, as well as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, were going to die. She...more or less stayed that way until the very end, when we were taken here by princess Celestia.

Random thought, how did the princess know that we were in trouble? Is it possible that what my 'friend' was doing out there is the reason? Does the princess know this mare personally? I ceased to ask myself another question when I saw the mare looking in my direction.

Almost immediately upon grabbing my attention, she called out my name.

"Oh, hey Fluttershy. What's up?" She knew my name thanks to Sweetie Belle's little mouth. "Can you come over here for a second?"

"Maybe she knows where the girls are, or...everyone!" True, my friends and I were given the national title 'The Mane Six' upon the defeat of Nightmare Moon, as well as the true definition of a hybrid:

Discord.

Nightmare Moon, as I've learned from reading that particular story countless times, was, in fact, princess Luna, the bringer of the night. She was unfortunately consumed by the resentfulness and incompetence that she placed upon her beautiful name.

Princess Luna ruled Equestria alongside her sister, princess Celestia; her role was to raise the moon to begin the beautiful night she would bestow upon the land.

I really wished that the current, starless night would be the same as all those previous to it.

However, as time progressed, she observed how all the residents of Equestria were active and energetic during Celestia's time of the day, but shunned and slept through the night she brought forth.

Why am I repeating myself when I know the tale by heart? Princess Luna confronted her sister about her seemingly pointless role, pointing out her findings. The eldest sister Celestia, tried to reason with her (scorn me for plagiarizing 'The Elements of Harmony: Script 3' if you must, I certainly do), but the bitterness in Luna's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of Darkness.

Nightmare Moon.

The one who made a promise to all of Equestria; the one who threw Equestia onto the threshold of Eternal Night.

And that's where the Elements of Harmony came into play...but I was getting sidetracked.

...Highly.

I decided not to increase that particular action and go see what the mare in the distance wanted.

I approached her, walking as fast as I could. I completely forgot about my back legs and how badly injured they were; I just noticed them.

Again, I groaned in displeasure as I contemplated under my breath.

"Awwgh...why did I have to remember my back legs?" For the most part, it was with ease for me to block unpleasant thoughts from entering my conscious mind. But I was reminded of this particular problem, simply because it hindered my forward movement dramatically at this point in time.

I stumbled only slightly while progressing to the mare, whose attention seemed to be divided by something else; I didn't want to give her the impression that I was in a weakened state.

I could hear her voice very easily; remember, the room was completely empty, aside from our two presences.

I had just crossed the red line of fabric, and it could have been a late hearing of an echo, but something was heard after she herself spoke.

"She looks hurt, don't do it." she said under her breath. She must have taken caution into mind; voices do carry a long way through means of an echo. "I'm telling you...

"Nngh...sorry..." I was truly in pain, its worst experience I've gone through in a long time. It all just decided to ignite at the worst possible time.

Despite the tragedy befalling every single cell of my brain, I, at least, tried to think of something even remotely uplifting and cheerful.

"This reminds me of when my friends all dogpiled me on my birthday..." I didn't know what to think anymore. Should my spirits have been uplifted from the thought of even a small recollected memory that may never promote another similar event to carry the same atmosphere to it?

The joy of having others to share your entire life with, until the very end?

Tensing myself up even more from the prolonged pain in my back legs, I was feeling...uneasy, though I shouldn't question why. It was obvious to all Equestria's ponies, who were all gathered here, in Canterlot.

"DOGPIIIIILE!!!"

Well, I guess premonitions aren't the only thing I'm good at. This was, in fact, the very place where my friends ambushed me the first time.

At the Grand Galloping Gala last year; that very day...was my birthday.

I knew my friends were here! However, Honest AppleJack was the first of the five ponies to surprise me with a friendly tackle, taking me down to the floor with her. Then came Generous Rarity, wailing as she fell from her leap.

"You don't know how much we've missed you!" She seemed as if she was in the air for three whole seconds.

Rarity was the kind of pony who wouldn't dare get herself dirty, even a bit. I also thought that she would never be the pony to cause me to scream out in agony.

Actually, both of their weight built up, and the sound of something shattering soon followed.

"GWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

I-I think my left rear leg...just broke.

All I could think of at the moment was to scream more. "NOO!! NO, STOP IT!!! "NO MORE NO MORE NO MOOOORRRE!!!"

AppleJack and Rarity reacted to my pain immediately. "Now hold on, Girls!" AppleJack directed her command to an unusual collection of pink fluff. Like cotton candy, just...an unusual clump. Rarity turned her attention to something else.

And why would she, of all ponies, be talking to that thing? She's not completely random like-

Random...

My friends... they were all here. I knew what this was, all of this, although the appearance of the red-eyed mare was different.

Pinkie Pie suddenly became extracted from the big...pink thing, for it was herself alone that conjured it up. I swear, that Earth pony is completely (and somehow), immune to the effects of natural physics.

As you can tell, I managed to forget about even the second to most insufferable experience that I've ever hope to live through.

And it was all because...

"SurPRIIIIISE!!!!"

I was reunited with the spirits of the Elements of Harmony, and it felt so invigorating to see them again after Celestia knows how long.

"FLUTTERSHY!!!!"

Upon my second notice, Rarity was still under the influence of a trace, or at least it seemed that way. However, she then gasped slightly under her breath, as if she forgot something.

"My dear Fluttershy." She paused after beginning her sentence quite lazily. "Let me help you up."

Alright, Rarity was acting pretty strange, but an immediate explanation for that probably would have been because we haven't seen each other in such a long time.

She proceeded to lend me her right leg, which I so absentmindedly accepted. I rose to three out of four hooves, trying not to let the pain of the broken leg invade my mind. Rarity went back to staring out the window, what she was doing when I first saw her.

"Th-thanks...Rarity." Too late, she was lost in the very same trance as before. I wasn't going to waste any more breath than that on her (no offense to Rarity) when I could have been using what I had left to recover from my desperate pleads from before, when AppleJack and Rarity 'dogpiled' me at the worst possible time.

I switched positions and turned around, only to be greeted by a big, smiling face.

It just happened to be pink.

"Oh, Fluttershy, I missed you so so so so so sooooo much!" She grabbed hold of me; she stood on her hind legs and actually lifted me from the ground! "How's my FAAAAVORITE Pegasus doing on her birthday, huh?"

I think Pinkie was overdoing it.

She threw me atop her shoulder and continued to grin, according to how well I know her. She must have just been extremely happy to even embrace me, and I was happy for her too, but the thrust that Pinkie used to lift me was excruciatingly painful; all I felt like doing at that moment was vomit and cry.

"I'm...perfectly fine, thanks Pinkie."

I thought she would; she sensed the weakness in my lie.

"That's GRRREAT!!" We should play some party games! Like the Pony Pokey! Or Pin the tail on the pony!" She said all of that in less than four seconds.

"Really...I'm-"

I fell out of Pinkie's questionably friendly hold and onto the cold, linoleum floor, weakened from a condition I could easily identify, despite my current state.

Derived from recent observations, I saw that I was losing excessive amounts of blood, heavily seeping from my fucked up rear leg. It wasn't only shattered, unusable, and lubricated with blood, but it, the whole appendage, was turning black. I was losing so much blood in so little time that I myself was blacking out and fast.

And in the little time of consciousness I had left, I saw Twilight Sparkle, princess Celestia's personal student, and my friend. She looked sad, head turned to the left. She then looked at me with the swiftest movement of her head, with devastatingly piercing red eyes, red dots actually.

"Good night, Fluttershy..." I was terrified.

Not that I could escape if I wanted to, for reasons need not be said again, but I was frozen to the core of my heart. The zalgofied image of the Unicorn with no color, only drenched in black.

It was a nightmare. Never in my life have I been lost in the gaze of something that I feared so much. I couldn't escape her-its gaze. I kept on staring at...it.

Then, all went dark, and all of my senses shut down entirely.

Requiem of a Dream

Paranoia Ingredient

----- [[[[[-Requiem of A Dream-]]]]] -----

As an ironic turn of events, it turns out I was only out of touch with reality for...

Well, let's just say it wasn't long. I still saw Twilight Sparkle in my distant view, though this time she wasn't all demented and looking like a demon.

"Hmmph! HuuurRAAAHH!" I saw her, so I knew I was definitely conscious, though I really doubt that what I saw was part of a conscious mind. She was the only thing I could see, and it pained me to see her in as miserable of a condition as she was just then.

Everything else was pitch-black, but I could still see the faint polished edges of the stairway rails. The red carpet was like a sheet of glass, that of which could provide a walkway over the red liquid below.

Blood. The thought reminded me of the mare with the red eyes. She was nowhere to be seen.

"Twilight?" I requested a response from the deep-violet unicorn, both of us in a paralyzed state.

Twilight stood on her hind legs, looking as if she were being held back by something. Her front legs were behind her back, and she let out a disgruntled series of inhale-exhale performances. She must have been (or already was) killing herself trying to break free of the demonic presence that now lingered in the castle.

Speaking of that, darkness immediately devoured what illumination was left of the room me and Twilight were heavily suffering in.

"GAAHHH!" Pause. "LET. US. GO!"

"TWILIGHT!" I summoned some of my reserved strength to call out to Twilight, just to let her know that she wasn't alone, that she didn't have to suffer all by herself. It was also the first thing I would naturally do. "TWILIIAAAAHHH!"

But once I resent the request, I had become the victim of yet another sharp and vicious flare of pain, this time targeting my mind. Whatever it was that had altered reality so drastically, it must not have liked the fact that I was still awake, still fighting the evil influence.

It was so easy for me to resist the temptation to conform to darkness.

To join the fallen ponies who have gathered here in the castle.

"Fluttershy." My face refused to smile, even if though the voice came back. The one from back at the cottage; Dashie's voice. As it was before, it was an illusion, a fake.

I panicked again, slowly moving my head left and right, just hoping that something would wake me from this apparent nightmare. I didn't see anything of the sort; only further evil was invited to watch me and Twilight suffer.

"For months." The voice suddenly mutated into that of a slightly higher octave. "For years you have kept to yourself, a secret, a gift that is most unique only one type of living being. And that living being..."

"Is you, Fluttershy." During that brief sentence, where my name was mentioned. That's when Twilight took over the speech. She herself was speaking outside her normal, reassuring voice, and I saw it.

All around Twilight's physical form, evil, demonic silhouettes of ponies appeared in such a manner as if they were walking to her side. I heard the marching of their hooves, too.

"There's no need to be afraid, my dear." bellowed the prolongedly echoed voice.

Despite the sarcastically reassuring statement, I naturally couldn't help but be afraid, and it was getting worse by the second. I flinched as the echoes ceased with the sound of a mare's desperate cry for help, like she was being killed slowly and very painfully. Afterwards, I made the mistake of darting my eyes left and right, in all directions, really.

To the far left, more and more nightmares appeared seemingly out of nowhere, as if that single room had the capacity to contain numbers surpassing the thousands. The same exact thing happened to the right side when I quickly glanced in the direction.

But except for countless silhouettes, there were only four ponies, realizing this as they came into a more visible range.

"You know..." The Twilight's augmented voice grasped my attention in an instant. "You thought we loved you? You thought we would invite you into our lives without need for your gift?"

I managed to churn up some artificial courage and respond. But what I said:

I meant it, and I was angry on top of that. "No." I beat my fears down to a pulp when I sent the message clear.

And that message sent the following message:

"Fuck you, nightmare. I'm not afraid anymore."

"Now Fluttershy" one of the ponies on the right spoke up, no matter how dull and creepy it may have sounded. "Why would you go and lie like that?" said Rarity.

"We all know you're freaked as fuck." The next to speak was AppleJack, and she was the least creepy out of the four. I mean, they all looked the same: huge empty eye slits, small red 'candles' burning inside them, blood leaking from the slits of their eyes and mouth, and the faint color of their manes. And by faint, I really meant it; I could barely make out the colors. But the shape of their manes gave them away.

"Twilight's right." spoke Rarity, who was two ponies away from AppleJack, the farthest pony to the left of the column of four. "You should have never shared that legend with members of a new generation."

Okay, that hit me kind of hard, in the form of a question:

What did...this presence mean? Why would my sharing of the Nightmare Moon story-

Why would it cause this to happen?

"I speak to you the truth, Fluttershy." Twilight took over. "Your mistake will not reconcile without a steep expense. AND THAT IS WHY YOU MUST CHOOSE, FLUTTERSHY." My mind was beginning to run; it sent endless, hornwritten text throughout my eyes. Even though they were tightly shut upon my mind beginning to ache, I saw it all, all the mysterious text that was flashed at me.

After that, it was gone, leaving me begging for air to breathe in.

But my lungs failed to find any. I was dying, in the most unexpected way I would probably have ever thought of upon the situation materializing.

"YOU MUST CHOOSE, BETWEEN YOUR PUNIBORN FRIEND-"

"You did NOT... just say that!!"

"AND YOURSELF."

There was no chance I was even going to take the upcoming question into consideration, even before it was literally asked. I made a stand.

Even though I was critically injured, making the situation even worse by trying to breathe deeply through my mouth, a statement was made.

And it was published, truly published, by yours truly.

My body became extremely cold all over; I forgot about having to breathe. “I know what you're trying to do. Oh, yeah I do." ...But I didn't sound like myself while I was beginning to make a stand. "Listen here, you fucker. You stop messing with my head THIS INSTANT! Because for one, I've beaten you; that's right, Pinkie." I threw attention to the corrupted face of my dear friend Pinkie Pie, who had broken away from my other three 'friends'. She must have been alerted when she heard me say that I have conquered my fear, once and for all.

She looked back at me with the same, eye sockets which did not capacitate the sky blue eyes she used to have. The small spark that was a flame grew ever dimmer since the last time I looked at her malicious form.

"Have...you quite possibly come to a ...resolve?” she- It said, in Pinkie's normal voice. It's head was bent unnaturally to it's left, tilted back a little as well.

"Yeah, four words, bitch." My eyebrows lowered dramatically.

"Giggle at the ghostie."

I meant it; I wasn't scared anymore. The words that this evil entity spoke through Twilight Sparkle had enraged and saddened me at the same time.

Pinkie threw me an immediate sign of anger as she charged at me. Pinkie was never this fast; well, she was if she was hyped up on sugar or something.

"Pinkie." I confidently said. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life." I countered her assault when I butted my head with hers, throwing her back against a wall of entire black. Pinkie didn't need to recover, as she charged at me again, only this time with a would-be disturbing moan of pain. It sounded as if Pinkie Pie was her normal self, with her normal scream of agony; just like any other pony's.

I guess it was meant to try and get me to back down, to stop fighting and let evil prey on its victim.

But I wasn't going to let myself become a victim any longer. I turned around, lifted up my front legs, and smashed the hind ones straight into Pinkie's face, and hard.

I kicked harder than I ever have before. I swapped positions and watched Pinkie suffer the damage she had just taken. It sent an arousing feeling through me.

I felt...alive.

Yes... Keep it up, Fluttershy.

"What'cha gonna do now, huh?" I challenged her. "Shit, that's all you can do!"

Countless times, Pinkie Pie kept on rushing at me, and I just kept on forcing her back. I watched as her face took on the personality of a broken mirror as my new audience just watched. Before I struck her endlessly, she took on a new fragment; like a jigsaw puzzle. She didn't seem to give up her pursuit, so I decided to switch up my game drastically, since the slow beating was getting nowhere.

There was so much blood spread across the black floor, that the glass carpet thing was no longer necessary.

I knocked her back one final time, she hit the invisible wall. My audience seemed to grow, by the way.

The reason I sent her back again was to ensure that the black wall was still existent. I was planning my final attack.

"Sorry Pinkie, but I gotta be cheap here." I flew towards the invisible wall at full speed. I flew faster than I knew I ever could.

First kicking harder, now flying faster? What's next?

Reaching my destination faster than I expected, I selected a new one as I added the momentum I had recently acquired to my leap from the wall.

It happened so quickly. I launched toward Pinkie at an incredible speed, Poor Pinkie, though; she couldn't do a thing. She knew her death was upon her.

But, something happened before that.

I...changed my mind. I didn't want to kill Pinkie, why would I even consider the thought?

WHY?

I couldn't do anything about it, though. I had, somehow, launched an assault on Pinkie Pie, my friend.

And I don't even remember any thought, any action, except that one.

The only thing that came to mind during the few seconds of an interval. "PINKIE LOOK OUT!!!!"

Pinkie was just the same as before; zalgofied. She turned her head.

Her eyes... Now they were just black, and nothing else. She opened her mouth so wide that it grew to lengths that exceeded her bloody, fractured face.

"GUUUUURRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRR!"

Then...

If anything should be a nightmare, it should be this.

I had grabbed her by both sides of her ribcage, in which I actually felt the clefts of my hooves come into contact with bone. However, she just ignored me and continued moving forward at a growing speed.

Once I maintained a sturdy grasp on her, I applied pressure on her back, and lots of it. I leaned on her, while she just continued to dash forward. I was trying to build up strength in my front legs, so that I could possibly slow her down, or even stop her entirely.

I held her by both the front and back of her neck and pulled her head backward. I was thinking that I could get her to suffocate a little; then, she would stop rushing in the same direction she was going.

But instead, we came into contact with a wall. An adjacent invisible wall, apparently. The way I had her head positioned, her chin was bulging out from it. The impact weighed all on her chin; enough pressure and momentum was built up to where the impact impaled Pinkie with her own bone, and that very bone scooped her head up from her neck while I heard the sound of her internal circuits being ripped apart. I looked at her in shock and mistakenly glanced behind me.

Her head went flying backward and quickly crashed down to the floor. Her skull burst into a million fragments, flesh still intact, but the first thing I noticed about her dead body was that-

-There was no blood flooding from her neck.

...Then...I killed...Pinkie Pie.

This is when I noticed all of the surrounding, demented ponies; they were all gone, including Pinkie.

Twilight was the only pony left, and from what I remember, she was the only mare who was not influenced by the evil entity. Artificial light suddenly brought the room to life once again. No signs of death were present. And I saw that, the spot where Pinkie's body lay; it was no longer there.

An odd number of seconds pass, about maybe seven or nine.

"Huuuuuhhhhh..." Twilight was still conscious, thank goodness.

"TWILIGHT!!"

Now, the castle was completely empty. Even before I called out for Twilight, I heard nothing, not a single sound coming from any corresponding hallway or chamber during that brief time.

"Flutter...shy?" She was recovering faster than I thought she ever could. "I-I didn't mean what I said..."

I knew the presence was truly gone; I had acquired an odd way of sensing it now, one that I couldn't explain.

"Relax, I know you didn't. Some evil entity was taking you over, speaking through you."

"Yeah. So...you forgive me?"

"Of course." Twilight noticed the sweet smile I gave her, and she smiled back, however weak it was.

"Fluttershy... we're not gonna die..." At that moment, Twilight slowly cast a spell. "Once I heal myself up here...we're gonna consult princess Celestia about this evil you're talking about. Clearly, we’re dealing with something demonic here.

"Twilight... Just don't strain yourself."

An hour had passed, and still, nothing was heard except for the sound of Twilight tending to her mental wounds.

"Alright..." she said with relief. "Done."

"Are you sure you're okay to move around?"

She answered my question by quickly springing up to her hooves. "Yeah! See?" She examined herself thoroughly, acknowledging her Cutie Mark.

She spoke the truth; before, during the nightmare, she almost had no control over herself, although she was bound by darkness. It must have messed with her mind too, just like mine.

"Twilight." I asked. "During...all of that. Did it try to get into your head? Your brain?”

"I was hoping you wouldn't ask. So it happened to you, too?"

"Did it-What did it do to you?"

Twilight looked saddened upon my questioning. "I...I don't know how I would even begin to explain it." She took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. "It's like... I saw, a whole bunch of words, text."

"I'm worried about this... That's what happened to me, too."

Twilight grew frustrated from the temperature. But I couldn't blame her; the windows overlooking the royal meeting place had become completely broken and painted with a deep red.

"Come on." she said. "I heard the princess is expecting you anyway. Is that right, Fluttershy?"

"The girls... Yes, that's right! Apple bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, too!"

I nodded in her direction, giving her the signal.

"Teacher...we're coming." Twilight spoke those few words before she cast a spell.

A spell similar to what Trixie did on Mount Skyward, her insta-warp spell.

In no time at all, we were on our way.

My destiny awaited me.

Security Breach

Paranoia Ingredient

{----- [[[[[-Security Breach-]]]]] -----}

The first thing I noticed when my vision was reestablished as a sense-

“Teacher!” Aside from Twilight-

I saw a small filly calling my name from the distance; it had hooked my attention almost immediately, therefore, I didn't care about anything else at the moment, for I knew who it was.

“Hey, it’s Fluttershy! She’s back!”

“No questions asked, let’s GET HER!!” Suddenly, when I looked at the pony who noticed me first, I found myself fighting off a different body, another filly. “Whooa!”

“Ooofff!” It’s a good thing that the collision of bodies wasn't too harsh-

“Wait a minute...” I thought something was different about me, how I didn't topple onto my back from the impact.

“My leg. It’s as if nothing ever happened to it. I-It’s not infected anymore!”

“Fluttershy!” cried the pony who, I would assume tried to jump at my neck to wrap her front legs around me. She had managed to force me down on my rear.

My mind was in a state of unorganized madness, much like a jigsaw puzzle. It had mainly been running off of pure emotions: anger, frustration, confusion, sadness. You name it, I probably had it.

Apple Bloom was the filly that had assaulted me with her little embrace. She was crying, for minutes on end, but for a reason I could not explain, I couldn't find myself to be in a sympathizing state, at least, not at the time.

Her cold tears reminded me of the extreme weather that was nationally present . This made me instinctively look around the room, like there was a cause for another incident.

This was the Princess’ personal quarters. Easily the most royal chamber in the entire castle, everything about it spoke ‘sanctuary’. Though they were simple, the walls were not impregnated with glass sheets; but the very fact didn’t give the room a claustrophobic feel. In addition to this observation, I also saw that the room was not decorated one bit, only a large, widespread blanketing of velvet curtains in the back of the room. I would expect the princess’ to have some sort of taste in décor, but who am I to question them, even internally?

“App-Apple Bloom?”

“Where’ve ya’ been all this time?” No doubt about it; vision isn’t the only thing that gives that girl away. She’s always there for me, eager to help out in some way or another, and that doesn’t just go for me. She ended up in my left front leg. She tried to launch herself at me, but overwhelming happiness was invited into her mind, preventing it. I could see her eyes fill up with tears, those of which rolled down her face when she lifted her head up to look me in the eyes.

It was such a beautiful happening.

This brought an immense burst of tears to flow out from my own eyes. I immediately shut my eyelids to reroute the path in which they would fall. No matter how short our time apart may have seemed, I knew that more than mere days have passed since our lives started falling apart.

“Apple Bloom?” Her smiling face could be seen even while my eyes were tightly shut. “Apple Bloom! I was so worried about you three!”

“Fluttershy?!”

I was just about to embrace Apple Bloom in a manner that of the ‘once in a lifetime realization’ thing; Just looking at her now made me realize that I hadn’t lived up to my promise to always be there for my new family, and I wouldn’t let her go.

Ever.

“Fluttershy!! It’s really YOU!” Another childish voice made its way into my ear, and it was soon followed by another familiar filly who joined Apple Bloom in the act of surprising me.

It was Sweetie Belle.

“Apple Bloom, why didn’t you say she was here??”

“I did.” silently replied Apple Bloom. She didn’t bother with the tears on her cheeks. Neither one of them did, as Sweetie Belle began to tear up as well, but not as much as Apple Bloom. “Didn’t ‘cha hear me yell out ‘Fluttershy, where’ve ya been all this time’?”

I looked down at both of their adorable smiling faces while they kept a tight hold on me. “Now Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle...”

They were in perfect, literally perfect, shape. But, one thing wasn’t right.

I mean, I was really surprised. So surprised in fact, that I thought I may have been dreaming, much like I wished I was doing before...

But there was something else that wasn’t right.

Scootaloo. She was nowhere to be seen.

No! There were too many things going on at the moment to even get started asking more questions.

I needed answers, or at least a general idea of what was going on.

What’s happening here?

“Fluttershy.” Booming out of nowhere, the princess’s voice... She was addressing me. Me! I must have been focused too much on the girls minus one to notice what Twilight meant by ‘teacher’.

The princess, who managed the land of Equestria loomed over me and Twilight, height-wise. (Well, also status-wise; I was a nobody, being addressed by the princess!)

Princess Celestia herself deemed Twilight Sparkle as her own personal protégé’ at the School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot. Twilight was barely at the age of six years old! You see, Princess Celestia respects Twilight to an incredible degree. She’s the one who taught Twilight the most important thing she needed to know; to control her lethal raw magical abilities through focused studying.

She was lucky to have lived her young life with such a nice background. Everything she ever wanted, her parents, who enrolled her into the school, would provide. I remember when Twilight shared the story with me and the girls about how she earned her Cutie Mark...

Twilight didn’t tell me much, but I can see how she and the princess have become almost inseparable partners, perhaps even equivalents.

“Y-yes Princess?” I was expected to be nervous in the presence of the ruler of all of Equestria, but this time, it seemed like she was the only reality in this nightmare that I was living.

She was not going to try to kill me; she was not going to make things worse.

“I wish to speak with you and Twilight, I request your presence.” Her voice was strong and powerful, but it was also very inviting. Her aurora-themed mane and tail fluttered in the air, even though there was no wind present. It flicked itself as she awaited my reaction.

Sweetie Belle had extremely powerful emotions. “Please don’t leave us again Fluttershy...” she said.

I began to approach her and Twilight, who was leaning against her princess, showing slight weakness. Was she hurt too? Was she not somehow cured of her injuries like I was?

I found myself only some feet away from where I was welcomed by the girls. The princess would make sure nothing happened to them.

“Please Fluttershy, your family deserves to know too.” The princess sympathized with me. She knew that my head had been filled with such nightmares.

“Pinkie...”

“Invite them to your side, don’t leave them again.” She emphasized on that last part.

“Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle...” The girls didn’t show any emotion this time, however. They joined my left and my right, supporting my forward movement as I became mentally weak due to my inescapable thoughts.

I fought to remain sane after what I had done. I felt as if, somehow, the end was near, that there was no hope left for Equestria.

“I’m so sorry...”

.............................................

“I’m afraid I don’t know what this plague is, nor how it reached Equestria, but I do have a theory; everything points to it-“

Something the princess doesn’t know about?

“I think...that this ‘thing’...

It must be from the future.” she finalized.

“The...future?” Apple Bloom questioned the princess.

“It has to be.”

My mind had been completely blown. Even though Celestia assumed ‘it’ was, there couldn’t be such a thing as travelling through time!

Could there?

Twilight nodded while staring intently at Celestia. “...Iiit sounds a bit weird, princess, but that would explain the recent drop in Fahrenheit.”

“Um, princess Celestia.” I asked for her attention, still as scared and nervous as ever.

“Fluttershy, there’s no need to be shy to speak up. I have us protected from those monstrosities.” The princess lowered her head until she was looking into my eyes dead on.

“I can’t say I know how you feel right now, but don’t show fear, whatever you do.” She then appointed her voice to Twilight as well. “I’ve learned from experience that this ‘darkness’ feeds off of fear. And even with me, being one of the royal rulers of this great land, I’m not fearless, I can tell you that.”

I hate to put it this way, but I was reassured a bit with that brief explanation.

Then, the princess exaggerated on the story. “I would have aided you two earlier, but I was a bit...preoccupied with my sister at the moment, hence the mention of experience.”

Out of the corner of my eye, my peripheral vision saw Twilight’s pupils grow intensely. “Princess... Are you saying that...princess Luna..?” She stuttered.

I remained silent while the princess conversed with Twilight, but I was listening thoroughly.

“Twilight.” Celestia looked at Twilight with concern, like her hypothesis was incorrect on all levels.

“Did you experience the same thing? Or you, Fluttershy?” she said with greater concern than before.

.............................................

“There she was, my own sister, standing over me as I laid helpless on the floor.”

“Luna...” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, not one bit. “Not her!”

Twilight listened to Celestia, intently studying her words and the evidence she would give. We were all survivors, and Celestia’s status as the ruler of Equestria had to submerge for the time of darkness that was at hand.

“She had this look in her eyes...” Celestia now had tears streaming down her face. She had committed a crime; she had done the unbelievable...the unthinkable!

“I knew that this darkness...had taken over her. I didn’t know why...or how! But I had only one option.

There was a long silence, gradually followed by cries from the princess.

“I killer her! I...killed my sister..!”

......................................

Soon, after a few comforting words from myself and Twilight, the princess ceased to produce tears. I’ve never seen the princess cry, not even out of happiness. She was knelt down at the ground, legs bent with her lustrous mane obscuring her face. There was a growing puddle of tears beneath her nose.

“You did what you had to do, Celestia.” Twilight said. “She had no control of herself; she would have only act like a zombie.”

“I know how you must feel, every step of the way.” I meaningfully told Celestia.

Celestia had a look in her eyes this time. “You...do?” I swear the hue in her eyes changed when Twilight and I shared our thoughts with her. “But how do you know? Twilight, I’ve known you since you were only five years old. I know your whole background.”

“Forgive me Celestia, but no, you don’t. Like Luna, I too was influenced by this evil.” Twilight wasn’t too thrilled about telling the princess this. “As a foal, even before I met you, I’ve been able to see things that nopony else could, and I know this because, while that cloud of darkness was finally getting to me, I saw something else, and it was nothing that’s ever infiltrated my eyes before.”

“Twilight?” I was gaining an interest in her story. “What did you see?” I immediately thought that her explanation could help us all understand what the hell was going on.

“Yes, continue if you wish.” An unwary smile formed on the princess’s face; she was already regaining faith in her ironically dark life.

“Well, alright.” She closed her eyes for a second, and then opened them as she began to reveal her secret. She always did that, but it seemed to help her organize her thoughts; whatever was going on in her mind.

“When...I’m alone, and when it’s quiet...I start to hear things, sometimes even see things that nopony else can. Hay, I don’t even have to be alone. It doesn’t even have to be quiet, either.”

“Celestia.” She continued. A few weeks ago, I recalled this dream I had exactly three weeks prior from then. That night, I dreamt about this empty room. It was somewhat of an interactive dream. My coat reacted to the extreme temperature. I heard the stomping of my hooves, even though it didn’t sound like hooves at all.”

“The whole thing felt so real, like it wasn’t even a dream at all.” Twilight concluded with a long sigh. “I seriously don’t know what’s going on anymore.”

I listened to every bit of the story “A room you don’t remember...Twilight, what’d it look like, the room?”

Celestia wasn’t suspecting a thing.

“Well, now that I think about it, it wasn’t a compact room, but it was more like a...a shrine, with an altar and everything.”

Celestia stared at Twilight as she continued to explain.

“The overall setting was something like a lost temple-the lost temple like in the third Daring Do book, Daring Do and the Fight for the Future! The whole exterior was covered with plant life, leaving almost no light to intrude through the windows.”

Celestia gasped as her pupils dramatically shrunk in size. She wanted to say something to Twilight, but she withheld.

“This sounds all too familiar for some reason. It’s on the tip of my tongue.” I told Twilight, who nodded in agreement.

“It does, but I can’t seem to remember where this place might have been.” She was caught, deep in her thoughts. “Fluttershy!” she called out. “Do you recall this place, assuming it’s even real?”

Celestia kept her head down, but swiftly shifted her sight from me, to Twilight, and vice versa.

I thought about it hard, but no too long, but it didn’t take me as much time as what was allotted to figure it out.

What Twilight had dreamed about was, in fact, a real place, in real time.

That unforgettable place where the world would have ended...

The ancient grounds of sacrifice, located deep inside the Everfree Forest.

Not long after Twilight revealed more details about the ‘fantasy world’ she had dreamed about, Celestia used her magic to thrash about the royal chambers.

“No, no, no... NO! NNAAAOOWWW!” Celestia grew more furious, even when Twilight tried to calm her. For whatever reason, Twilight brought about a rage within the princess, something that I had never seen before.

“Celestia!” Nothing. The princess ensued in a panic.

“NNNNOOO!! NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!”

Celestia was lost, for Twilight and I couldn’t do a thing to stop the princess’s strange rampage. The magical power that started to emanate from her horn was flooding out almost as quickly as it started. She started to launch beams of pure energy not only at me and Twilight, but all over the room.

She was losing control of herself, just like Twilight did. The darkness had gotten to her.

“Die Celestia!!”

‘It’ was here...

My reflexes from before came back. When I was confronted by this dark force earlier in the lower level of the castle-

“Oooh god...” She calmed down for a bit. She whimpered under the influence as she showed signs of her loss of sanity.

“Suffer!”

-They were back. As Celestia fought on, casting spells that were supposedly meant to be of great benefit, the hairs on my back stood on end when I started to avoid them all, one by one.

Twilight also managed to remain untouched. She locked herself away inside a magical protective barrier. As I advanced toward the princess who was spiraling out of control, I gave Twilight one, perhaps my final, glances: The barrier was something like a magnet. It attracted all of the energy blasts into one spot, and then concentrated it all into one hunk of bright light.

I had faith that she would prevail, and she always does.

When I focused back on my aim of direction, I also remained confident in my own abilities. I raced to Celestia, who seemed to be growing ever farther. The concentration of gratuitous power was probably getting to my head. The factory of all this energy was right in front of me; I realized that after a vertical conducted beam of energy (being pulled with much force by Twilight’s magnet) ripped through my wing, tearing it apart like a pebble skipping over a lake.

“Mother-” The searing pain glided across my wing, instantaneously taking my focus away. I then, unluckily, suffered a horizontally conducted cleaver slash. "FUCKER!!!" It tore my weakened leg clean off.

“Useless Host...”

I fell to the hard, cold floor in a matter of seconds. The secondary delay was caused by my sudden flightless body coming into contact with-

“You are NO LONGER MY SISTER!!!!!!” I bellowed at Celestia, wishing for her death after Fluttershy came into contact with her. This useless Host couldn’t be any weaker: the lost momentum from her right side where Fluttershy’s wing was torn apart and discarded by means of the force from the numerous blasts was used in a unique way.

Celestia hastefully spread her wings at the exact moment before the Host would have hit the floor, producing a powerful gale force. She then used the momentum along with the speed Fluttershy had reached to counter with the force she had just created. In addition to Celestia’s magical ability, she manipulated the direction in which the Host slid across the floor.

Celestia was completely untouched, and that’s exactly how I like things. Too bad it had to be my worst enemy who wasn’t hurt, though.

........................................

“You...haven’t won...” Poor, poor Celestia. You would have the tenacity to say that. But do you really believe you can stop the Movement? You truly are a lost cause.

I think I’ll just take your body now!!

“Twilight!”

Celestia would not survive the process. Assuming this, she thrashed about the room, destroying anything in her path, including the Host, who lay helpless near the baselines of the walls. Celestia’s sanity was almost mine, only a few more phases now...”

Her body was being consumed, enshadowed in darkness as she ensued in the act of unintentional murder. However, I could not let the Host perish under Celestia’s name.

I needed something from her, but the process would include me taking a huge risk here...

I needed to keep her alive. Broken, but alive.

“SHUT UP!” I could care less about this godforsaken minority of a Host. Celestia was growing ever closer to becoming engulfed by my influence. Her warm heart was freezing instantly as she beat down on Fluttershy. She had ceased the blasts of light and proceeded to use her magical ability to manipulate the actions of the Host.

Celestia threw Fluttershy high into the air until the Host’s spine broke upon impact with an overhead window, blocked off by several steel bars.

Before this happened, I acknowledged my ‘faithful student’ watching me totally fucking the Host up.

“I’M SO SORRY."

Celestia was now mine, her body mine to control. All I needed to do now is travel to her heart, and the Movement shall begin...

She brought the beaten Host down upon her long horn, puncturing her flesh, and accurately piercing her ribcage. Once the Host remained secure on the princess’s horn, she raised her head, and then threw it down, bringing the host down with it. The Earth trembled after the Host tried to cry out in pain when she was thrown to the floor.

The punishment that the Host was long due satisfied my lust for pain, even though I was the one untouched. I manipulated Celestia’s body until she was thrusting down on the Host with her golden steel-plated forehooves endlessly. As this was happening, I forced the host reveal her other wing. My temporary Host Celestia, quickly stomped on hard bone, shattering it with no difficulty whatsoever.

And just for the hell of it, I opened Flutershy’s legs and gave her a swift and powerful kick in her sensitive area. I think I actually reached inside of her! I let out a low, maniacal laugh.

The main Host Fluttershy, remained silent upon receiving all of this pain, for she had no choice but to do so. There was so much of the Host’s blood spilled on both of their slender bodies...

If I had a body of my own, I would so fuck them. Defile their bodies to the MAX!

My next objective was to extract the Host of all internal organs, except of course, for her heart. Just like Celestia, I needed to travel to her heart in order for the Movement to launch. However, the delay I experienced was caused by the natural light energy her heart had been producing all her life.

Without hesitation, I used Celestia’s magic to artificially carve Fluttershy’s flesh. It was all from raw magical strength; it was overpowering, and delicious as well.

And when I’m finished with these two, and the Movement has prioritized, I suppose I’ll eat that Twilight Sparkle’s heart.

“Mmmmm, I wonder how she tastes.” If I could lick my lips, I would right now.

I was aware of Twilight Sparkle’s activity; she had absorbed and concentrated all of the light Celestia had previously thrown into one gargantuan dome, surpassing the limits of the castle walls. She was most likely going to try and light up the room, try to drive me away. Her petty little friends were not here; they were all dead. She lacked the strength, she would not hold up on her own. She would overexert herself, and she would die.

And then I would feast on her. She’s the one I wish I could be destroying right now, but she didn’t fulfill the requirements.

..............................

“This time...” Twilight Sparkle gained confidence that was unheard of. But even so, it would do her nothing. “I’LL FINISH YOU FOR GOOD!!”

As weak as the aura was, I still needed to sheath my consciousness away from her attempt. It was easy enough, considering how little times Celestia lit up the room.

And so, I continued to prey upon Fluttershy, weakening her even more. Whatever living part of her spirit remained was falling apart.

Only then she would be completely vulnerable.

I was about to finish the psychedelic cut that would reveal her internal organs, but I felt something...odd.

“YOU WANNA TASTE ME, HUH? TASTE THIS YOU BITCH!!!”

My power. My subjects...

My plan... It was all in vain.

The source of power was incomprehendable. Twilight Sparkle was only a mere foal when it came to magic!

She released the dome from her intangible grasp, and it began to shear through the tiles on the floor. Some of the aforementioned tiles impaled Celestia in her legs, hindering my progress on my main Host. She collapsed to the floor, which was already removed of its tiles. I gave every attempt to plant the princess on her hooves again, but I was rapidly losing my power as the dome of light dreaded ever closer. Soon enough, I found myself fleeing! If I didn’t, my weakened state would have dissipated, and then I seriously would have been finished for good.

The pitfall at the top of the chamber provided the quickest escape route. The metal bars were broken, but that didn’t matter.

I’m intangible...for now.