• Published 2nd Jun 2012
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Creeping Darkness - Pen Stroke



Alan Wake must write a story where Twilight faces the Darkness of his world to save Equestria

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Taken

Journal #65

Things are progressing well. I was able to give Twilight Sparkle a means of fighting back the darkness. She is now close to Emblem, close to her friends and the safety of the light. Once they reunite I can maybe make use of the Elements of Harmony. The Elements are an ultimate power, and I have little doubt that they will be able to end this story quickly. Send Nightmare Moon back to the darkness.

Still, despite this Nightmare Moon seems unconcerned. I still hear her whispering, saying things in the darkness of the cabin, but she isn’t at all worried. What does she know that I don’t? What is she planning? Being the author of the story I should know this, but I don’t.

For the time I can only continue writing.

~~~

Never... never in her whole life had Twilight been so happy to see a street lamp... a happiness only compounded as she looked down the cleanly lit main street of Emblem. By some miracle she had made it down the road, even when the Taken had started to attack in force. The spell she had discovered, to produce the bright flash of light, had helped drive them back... even though the exertion of using the spell even a few times left Twilight mystically and mentally exhausted.

Still, the city light was soothing. The nervous tension that had coiled around Twilight’s brain like a tightly tied rope was starting to loosen. The sense of safety brought forth a fresh supply of energy for Twilight, driving away some but not all the soreness in her legs. It was the energy Twilight needed to keep herself on her hooves, walking down the street as she checked the few stores that were still open for her friends.

Twilight had just begun to fear she had missed her friends, that they had left and were on their way back to the castle, when she heard a Pinkie Pie giggle dancing in the night air. Following the sound, Twilight eventually found herself standing outside a small corner restaurant. The sign outside read “Sundae’s Sundaes”, the sign of the restaurant showing an ice cream sundae being served by a pony with an ice cream sundae as a cutie mark.

Twilight nosed her way inside, the room filled with chatter and laughter. Amongst the more somber colored ponies that inhabited the town Twilight caught sight of her friends, their vivid coats making them stand out clearly from the rest of the crowd.

“Oh... HEY TWILIGHT!” Pinkie Pie half shouted, completely oblivious to the fact that she was disrupting other ponies who were eating at the ice cream parlor. “Over here!”

Twilight walked over quickly, not wanting to draw more attention to herself than necessary. All her friends offered a warm smile as she approached.

“Hey Sugarcube, glad to see you decide you came down to join us.”

“Though you’re a bit late. We were just about to head back up to the castle. Most of the stuff around town is already closing down. It’s so lame.”

“Twilight... Dear, don’t take this the wrong way but you look positively frazzled... and you have something gunky and purple in your hair.” Rarity offered, “Is something wrong?”

Twilight nodded her head. “Yes, but I can’t talk about it here. We need to go someplace private... and well lit.”

“Aw man, we’ve already ordered.” Dash whined.

“Just cause Twilight has somethin’ important to say don’t mean we got to skip out on our food. I’d bet my right hoof this fancy place has a private dinning room or two. We’ll just ask to move back there. Besides, Twilight, I’d reckon an ice cream cone would do you a world of good.”

Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but was betrayed by her stomach. Ice cream did sound amazing at the moment... something to calm her nerves and give her a little bit of a sugar high, something Twilight needed after wearing herself out on the run down the mountain. She’d see if the ice cream parlor had the private rooms as Applejack suggested. If it did, she’d order herself something and then tell her friends what had happened over their dairy desserts.

That and she’d wash the dried purple jam out of her mane in the bathroom.

~~~

Twilight slurped down the last of her vanilla shake, soothing her tired vocal cords. The cool dairy concoction slipped down her throat and continued to relax the tight muscles in her body and to ease her mind. The private dinning room was brightly lit, with hardly a shadow any place... Twilight felt safe for the first time all night.

She had told her friends everything. The nightmare she had on the train, what happened to Celestia and Luna, her harrowing run down the mountain. Their faces portrayed varying and mixed expressions of disbelief, fear, and skepticism... Applejack, Rarity, and Dash looking the most skeptical. Twilight couldn’t blame them though. Hearing herself talk about everything that happened... she’d be questioning her own sanity if she didn’t have to wash out a gob of grape jam from her mane. The physical proof that something had happened.

“So, you’re saying something took Celestia, Luna, and everypony at the castle and didn’t leave a single trace?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, I know what it sounds like but its what happened. Please, you have to believe me.”

“Don’t you fret none about that, we believe you.” Applejack reassured.

“Yea, believe you’re off your rocker.” Dash mumbled, only to get a hoof to the back of the head from Applejack. The pair glared each other down a moment before Dash crossed her front legs and pouted, Applejack continuing to speak.

“Still, Sugarcube, maybe we should go tell somepony about this.”

“Who? All the royal guards are gone.”

“Oh, we should tell the sheriff.” Pinkie Pie chirped. “She seemed like a super nice pony; she even told us about when the street lights will go out.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “The street lights will... go out?”

“Yes, she told us to be careful not to stay out too late.” Rarity answered. “The mayor is trying to save some bits on the town’s electric bill so most of the street lamps turn off around midnight. Only a few stay on for safety reasons.”

Twilight’s eyes moved to clock on the wall, the second hoof clicking into line with the minute and hour hooves. It was midnight, right on the nose. Twilight felt a cold sweat start to build on the back of her neck. She bolted up from the table, pushing open the door that separated the private room from the rest of the ice cream parlor. She looked out, across the ponies who were enjoying their dairy desserts in the main dining area and out the parlor’s front windows.

Outside, the street lights were glowing with their safe, darkness fighting radiance. Then, one across the street clicked off, its light bulb growing dark with only a linger afterglow of heat. That streetlight was followed by another... and then another. Soon, all the street lights right outside the parlor were dark.

Twilight jogged for the door, slamming it open despite the strange looks she was getting from the other customers and the parlor’s staff. The safe, calm sensation that Twilight had experienced when first entering the town was now gone, and the prickling sensation on the back of her neck told her the darkness was coming.

“Miss...” One of the waiters ventured, “Are you all right?”

Twilight glanced back, realizing that all eyes on the restaurant were focused on her. Should she warn them about the coming darkness? Would it even be worth the trouble? Her friends barely believed her, and the last thing she needed was the good folk of Emblem trying to toss her into a cell at the sheriff’s office for being mentally unstable.

Twilight forced a smile, coming back inside the shop, “Of course... just needed some fresh night air.” She kept up that smile for a few moments before darting back to the private room. Her friends had been watching her actions through the doorway, but quickly retreated back inside as the unicorn came galloping in, magic snapping the door shut behind her.

“Are you sure you’re all right Twilight? You’re acting really weird.”

“I’m fine... I think we should... stay here, in the light. Yeah, just stay here till morning.”

“Twi, this place closes at 1:00. I reckon the management wouldn’t take to kindly to us trying to stay here over night. Besides, why again is it so dang important we stay in the light?”

“Because-” Twilight began, only for her voice to be stolen as the lights in the room clicked off.

“OOOOH, that was spooky. We should tell scary stories.”

“No, Pinkie!” Twilight snapped, lighting her horn so that its illuminations fell across the entire room like a lantern. Rarity lit her horn as well, the two points of light enough to let the six friends see each other fairly clearly.

“Listen, we have to find some place where there’s light. We won’t be safe until then.”

“Geez, Twilight, didn’t know you were afraid of the dark.” Dash half chuckled, only to find Applejack’s hoof smacking the back of her head again.

“Hey, quit that!”

“I’ll get to quitin’ when you learn to button your lip.”

“What I’d say?”

“Whatever the hay is going on obviously has Twilight spooked, and she don’t need you makin’ fun of her.”

“Oh come on. Shadow wrapped ponies that come at you with axes. This is so a prank, and not a very good one either. If she really wanted to scare us, she’d make some loud noises and screams.”

It was then several screams began to come from outside the small, private dinning room... ponies yelling both in terror and fear. All six friends watched the door to the room with narrow eyes; except for Fluttershy who, in a panic, had ducked beneath the table and was shivering, hooves over her eyes.

The screams went on for a time before falling silent. No pony dared moved, ears tuned and listening for something... anything... but all they could hear was they’re own hushed breathing.

“You were sayin’?” Applejack finally muttered, turning her gaze on Rainbow Dash, who just offered a sheepish smile.

“Okay... we’re still okay.” Twilight said, obviously trying to reassure herself more than her friends. “We just need to find some flashlights, lanterns, anything that produces light. Then we’ll find someplace well lit and then wait there until morning. When the sun’s up we’ll have plenty of time to figure out what’s going on and what we can do to fix it.”

“Can’t... can’t we just stay here?” Fluttershy asked, poking her head out from beneath the table. “I mean... all those screams... there has to be something bad out there... wouldn’t be safer here?”

“It’s too dark in here.”

“Well, maybe we should go check the fuse box.” Rarity offered. “It can’t be too hard to get the lights back on in this wonderful little ice cream parlor.”

Twilight nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. I’ll go see about getting the lights on while the rest of you stay here.”

“Now hold on, Darlin’; if even half of what you told us is true it don’t sit right with me letting you go out into the darkness by yourself.”

“Yes, at least let me come with you, Twilight. We unicorn girls have to stick together, after all.”

“No, if we both leave then the others will be left alone in the dark and they’ll be in danger. One of us has to stay here, to keep this room at least partially lit.”

“Fine, then we’ll split up. Pinkie Pie, you and me will go with Twilight to see if we can’t get the lights back on in this place. Rarity, you go with Dash and Fluttershy and see if you can’t rustle us up some flashlights, lanterns, and the such. I saw a general store cross the street that’s bound to have somethin’.

“And Twilight,” Applejack continued, “Don’t you go sayin’ a word about it being too dangerous. We stuck by you in the Everfree Forest, and we ain’t about to abandon you now.”

Twilight couldn’t hide her anxiousness, eyes flicking back at the door that separated them from the rest of the parlor. To the unicorn, the Everfree forest wasn’t nearly as dangerous as the situation they found themselves in now. Still, upon looking back at her friends, Twilight couldn’t help but smile. It would be dangerous, but they were the ponies that had defeated Nightmare Moon. They were her friends, and when friends stick together anything is possible.

“Okay, we’ll do it together then. But Rarity, once you, Dash, and Fluttershy have the stuff from the general store I want you to stay there until you see the lights come on in this place. If we can’t get the lights back we’ll come meet you in the general store and we’ll hold up there for the night.”

“But wasn’t that general store closed?” Rarity pointed out. “How are we supposed to get anything if they’re closed?”

“Break in and take whatever.”

“Break in... you want us to just steal everything? That’s so barbaric!”

“I agree with Twilight here; I don’t think we have the luxury of bein’ civil no more. Just take whatever you can find that’s useful. If it ends up botherin’ ya too much just make a list and we’ll pay the store owner for everything after the sun’s up.”

“Very well... I guess desperate times do call for desperate measures.”

~~~

Twilight nose-open the door slowly, looking out into the main dining room of the ice cream restaurant. There wasn’t a pony to be seen... which was both a comfort and a worry. It meant there weren’t any Taken waiting for them just outside the door, but it also raised the question of where all the customers and employees had gone.

Still, they couldn’t focus on that. Rarity, Dash, and Fluttershy headed out the front door of the restaurant, bolting across the street to the general store. As they did that, Twilight lead Applejack and Pinkie Pie towards the back of the restaurant, doing her best to illuminate the rooms so that all three of them could search for the restaurant’s fuse box.

They passed through the kitchen, where half-made sundaes were starting to melt into soup. Pinkie Pie, not one to waste any sugary dessert, quickly went about gobbling up any unattended ice cream while Applejack and Twilight made their way around the room.

“I got to say Twilight, I ain’t a pony that’s ever been ‘fraid of the dark, but... *shiver*... I won’t lie, somethin’ just don’t feel right.”

Twilight nodded her head, looking on one of the kitchen walls. “I know, it was like this almost the entire time I was trying to get here from the castle. It gets like this whenever...”

“Whenever what?”

“Whenever there is a Taken nearby.” At that Twilight flashed her light about the room, searching for one of the shadowed ponies. They could come out of almost anyplace, out of the shadows. The room was pitch black minus the light from her horn, they could surround them... and had.

At the far end of the room Pinkie Pie was fiddling with the latch on a large bed freezer, undoubtedly trying to get to the ice cream inside, and behind her Twilight saw a figure lumbering into view. It looked like one of the restaurant’s waiters, the stallion moving towards Pinkie with a half broken soda bottle in his teeth.

“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight shouted, “Look out!”

The pink pony turned her head, giving Twilight a curious look before looking in the other direction. Here eyes then met with the eyes of the Taken waiter, but instead of freaking out Pinkie Pie turned to face the waiter... and then started making silly faces.

“Pinkie... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

“Why, giggling at the ghostie.” Pinkie Pie replied. “Do I need to sing the song to you again?”

“Sugarcube, this ain’t that kind of ghostie.”

“Sure it is. He’s big, scary... has glowing eyes. He’s the perfect kind of ghostie! All you have to do is turn, look them right in the eye and then go Ha... Ha... Ha...”

The Taken waiter seemed to freeze at this, and Twilight’s brain did a flip. Did that actually work!?

Still, the moment of hope was lost as the waiter swung his head back, winding up to strike Pinkie Pie with the broken bottle. The pink pony was just barely able to duck under the swing, sprinting past and jumping behind Twilight, her eyes the size of dinner plates and hair completely deflated and flat.

“Giggling didn’t work. Giggling didn’t work! GIGGLING DIDN’T WORK!!!” Pinkie Pie chanted to herself, fear and panic gripping the energetic pony.

“Well, then maybe it’s time we got just a little more physical.” Applejack said, grabbing up a pan from a nearby stove. She then charged the taken, swinging the pan. The blow connected home, the pan ringing like a bell for a moment. The Taken’s head had been snapped to one side, Applejack striking the shadowed waiter pony right across the muzzle. Still, after a few moments of stillness the waiter continued to move, lashing out at Applejack.

“What in tarnation!? What kind of thing can take getting smacked in the head with a frying pan like it weren’t nothin?”

“We got to burn off the shadows first.” Twilight called, racing up by Applejack. She focused the light from her horn into a single intense beam, the waiter cringing from the brightness and starting to back up. The shadows that encased him began to burn off, the smoldering cinders floating into the air. After burning away a significant amount of shadows a flash came from the Taken stallion, the rest protective darkness combusting and burning away.

“NOW!” Twilight shouted, Applejack rallying to the call. The farm pony sprinted forward on more time, swinging the frying pan with all her strength. The blow connected with the side of the Taken’s head, the frying pan hitting against then falling through the stallion. The Taken had become a cloud of lingering which faded away until there was no trace of him left except the broken bottle, which clattered to the floor.

“And... and you said these here boogie ponies were doggin’ you all the way down the mountain?” Applejack said after spitting out the frying pan.

“Pretty much...” Twilight replied, panting and dropping to her haunches as she put a hoof to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Well... I think I’d better just hang onto this here fryin’ pan then. Once you burn off the shadows with your light I can finish the job.”

Twilight nodded, happy to know her friend was willing to handle the physical violence necessary to take care fight off the Taken. Yes, that was a plan that could work. She could use her light to weaken the Taken and then Applejack could finish them off. That and a blow from the frying pan wasn’t as gruesome as the ax Twilight had used in her dream.

“Still, we’d best be gettin’ a move on. I don’t want to be just waitin’ here in the dark like sittin’ ducks.”

“Yes... we need to find the fuse box... but what about Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked, casting her light onto the usually energetic pony. Pinkie was curled up in a tight ball in the corner of the room, shivering as her eyes focused on her own hooves. She was chanting to herself, vocalizing the mental struggle she was enduring.

“But giggling didn’t work... But giggling always works... But giggling didn’t work...”

~~~

CRASH

“Really, Rainbow Dash, did you have to break a window?” Rarity asked, giving her hair a gentle toss as a sign of her distaste.

“How else were we supposed to get in?” The blue pegasus asked, putting her hoof through the hole in the glass she had just made with a well placed rock throw. After fiddling with the lock for a moment it clicked open, Dash grinning as she pushed open the general stores door. Rarity and Fluttershy followed her in, the trio spreading out as they began to search the store.

“I still say we are being incredibly rude.” Rarity whispered, her voice carrying across the store.

“Yes, we heard you the first dozen times.” Dash snapped, hovering between the aisles. “Now, how about you quit whining and look for those lights?”

“Oh, trust me Rainbow Dash, when I’m whining... you’ll know it.” Rarity said, giving a small “humph” as she disappeared down another aisle, casting her unicorn light on the different items. The general store had food, cleaning supplies, a whole lot of a bunch of different things... but nothing that stood out as a flashlight or lantern.

“Have you found anything yet?” Dash asked as she landed beside Rarity several minutes later.

“No, this general store utterly lacks anything that produces light. They don’t even have spare light bulbs.”

“Fluttershy, you find anything?... Fluttershy?”

Dash and Rarity looked around a bit, checking the different store aisles. Still, Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did she go?”

“You don’t think one of those dreadful things Twilight was talking about got to her?”

“We would have heard something... wouldn’t we?” Dash asked, landing beside Rarity. Still, the pair flinched as they heard the sound of a door creaking. It came from the back of the shop, behind the counter where the register was position.

“What was that?”

“It... it was probably just the wind... Still, maybe we should go check it out.”

“Yes... yes of course. You first.”

“What?! Why me?”

“Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

Dash puffed up. “I’m not scared.”

“Then you should have no trouble going first.”

The blue pegasus chanced a look at the far end of the store, Rarity’s light revealing the door that had creaked open. She forced down a tense swallow, lowering her head down as she crept towards the back of the store. Rarity followed, keeping her unicorn light trained on the door, both expecting something horrible to leap out at any moment.

When they finally reached the door, Rainbow Dash nosed it just a little wider, the creaking hinges making both ponies cringe. If something was in the back of the store it now knew they were coming. Still, the pair tip hoofed onward, Rarity’s light piercing the darkness and showing the many storage shelves in the store’s backroom.

It was then another light clicked on beside the two, the sudden brightness making both Dash and Rarity jump and grab a hold of each other as they looked at the source of light, expecting to see some horrible creature that was ready to attack.

“Oh... sorry... um, I found the flashlights.” Fluttershy offered, the yellow pegasus lowering her head so the beam of light wasn’t right in her friends’ eyes. She had found a small collection of headlamps, one of the more popular kinds of flashlights used by ponies. There were several, enough that every pony in the group would have a battery powered source of light, even Twilight and Rarity.

~~~

There was no hope of getting the lights back on in the ice cream parlor, even after Twilight, Applejack, and Pinkie had found the fuse box. All the fuses were blown and there weren’t any replacements to be found. With the lights out permanently at the restaurant, the trio turned to go back through the restaurant, intending to head out the front door and cross the street to the general store.

The group found their way back into the kitchen. Applejack was in the lead, checking each corner as she held the frying pan in her mouth, thankful the cooking utensil had a soft wooden handle that was easy on her teeth.

Twilight followed behind, letting her unicorn light shine out in all directions like a lantern. Pinkie Pie stayed closed to Twilight’s side, wanting to stay in the light. The usual energetic pony was jumping at almost every shadow and was as quiet as Fluttershy. It was a little unnerving for Twilight to see her friend like that... the usually bubbly Pinkie actually quiet and frightened. That had her hair had deflated, falling down across Pinkie’s face much like it had been the day of pink pony’s surprise birthday party.

Twilight was snapped out of her thoughts when Applejack mumbled a curse around the frying pan handle in her mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

Applejack set down her frying pan weapon so she could speak clearly. “The door back to the front room’s blocked.”

“It’s blocked? But we just came through there.”

“I know, but try tellin’ that to this stubborn door.” Applejack said, turning as she bucked. The door, however, held fast. Either the door had been locked or something very heavy had been moved up against it on the other side.

“What now?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, I reckon that this place has a back door. We’ll go out that way, circle round, and loop on back to the general store.” Applejack replied before taking the frying pan back into her mouth as she marched back to the other side of the kitchen. Twilight followed, Pinkie staying close to her side. Twilight was never so grateful to have the steadfast and reliable Applejack taking the lead.

The back door to the restaurant opened up into an alleyway that ran between the different shops of Emblem. Normally, the trio would have been able to just turn and get back on to the street quickly since the restaurant was a corner shop, but their way was blocked by a high fence. Since Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were with Rarity, the three earth bound ponies were forced to find another way around.

The only other way out of the alley was at the far end of the block, the place illuminated by one of the few streetlights in town that stayed on past midnight. The light was a warm, welcoming beacon in the distance, like a lighthouse on the edge of a savage sea.

Applejack kept in the lead while Twilight and Pinkie followed closely behind. They stepped around bags of garbage, overturned dumpsters, and old wooden pallets that had been knocked over in the alley.

“Twilight...” Pinkie half whispered.

“What is it?”

“Do... do you feel that?”

Twilight nodded. It was that sensation, that strange prickling she was coming to hate. The wind was starting to blow, the stars were growing dark as was the moon, and a mist was starting to hang in the air. It all combined into the single, solid sensation that Twilight knew. The darkness was getting close, its mere presence making the normally welcoming world threatening.

The first one came out from behind a dumpster, a construction worker mare wielding a large shovel. She swung wildly, just barely missing Applejack. The Taken mare was about to make another swing when Twilight focused her horn light. The shadows burned away painfully slowly, but the mare was blinded long enough that, when the encompassing shadows did disappear, Applejack was able to leap in and clobber the mare. A single solid blow from the frying pan was enough to make the Taken fade away like a shadow.

Still, unlike in the kitchen where the prickling sensation lifted with the defeat of the Taken waiter, the atmosphere remained the same. From behind other items further down the alley two more Taken ponies appeared, stepping into view before breaking in a run towards Applejack.

“Don’t worry, I got them.” Twilight called, focusing her light on the charging ponies while Applejack prepared to strike the moment the shadows were gone. Still, as Twilight focused she suddenly felt something tackle her, knocking her off her hooves and down onto the hard ground of the alley.

“Pinkie... what are you-” Twilight began, seeing it was the energetic pony that had knock her over. Still, the words caught in her throat as she saw a large Taken stallion was standing very close to where they had once been, lifting a large sledge hammer. She hadn’t even heard that Taken coming up from behind. If Pinkie hadn’t noticed... Twilight could just barely imagine how much pain she’d be in... if she would have even survived a blow from that hammer on her spine.

“TWILIGHT!”

Applejack’s call snapped the unicorn’s attention back forward. Applejack was jumping and dodging the attacks from the other two Taken that had appeared in front of them. Twilight scrambled back to her hooves, running past the third, hammer wielding Taken stallion. She focused her light, giving it as much power as she could muster. The shadows around the ponies attacking Applejack burnt away quickly, the farm pony delivering the finish frying pan blows as soon as she was able to.

Pinkie Pie tried to do her part as well, distracting the third and largest of the Taken ponies so that Twilight and Applejack could deal with the other two. She leapt clear as the stallion brought the sledgehammer down hard on the ground, a blow that could easily shatter bones if it had connected.

“Guys... a little help!” Pinkie called.

“Hold on Sugarcube, we’re a comin.” Applejack muttered around the frying pan, rearing back before breaking into a gallop. She rammed herself right into stallion, knocking him off his hooves while she yelped out in pain.

“Applejack!”

“It’s... it’s all right,” The farm pony answered, setting down the frying pan for a moment, “just don’t let them touch you. Burns like a frying pan on a hot stove. Still, can’t do no more harm once we get rid of it.”

Twilight nodded, focusing her unicorn light. The shadows around the stallion, however, didn’t burn away as quickly... and while he still hid his eyes the sledgehammer wielding Stallion continued to march towards them.

“Why isn’t it working?!?” Pinkie asked in a panic.

“This one is a might stronger than the others. Still, it is working Twilight, just keep that light on him.”

“You got it Ap-AHH!”

Twilight winced, faltering to one side. Another Taken had appeared, this one launching herself at the unicorn wielding a large wooden bat... a bat she that had just been smashed into Twilight’s haunches.

“TWILIGHT!” Pinkie Pie and Applejack yelled in unison, racing to their friend’s side. They held the unicorn to her feet, but Twilight winced whenever she tried to put weight on her back leg. It wasn’t broken, but the pain from getting hit with a bat meant she wouldn’t be able to walk on it for at least a few minutes.

“We... we have to get to the street lamp.” Twilight forced out through gritted teeth and pain. “We’re safe in the light.”

“Pinkie Pie, you carry Twilight.” Applejack said, dodging the sledge hammer wielding stallion as she grabbed up her frying pan and jump back to her friends. “I’ll run ahead and clear the way.”

Pinkie Pie gave a firm nod. Before Twilight knew it the pink pony had gotten underneath her, springing up so that Twilight was laying across her friends back like big, purple set of saddle bags. Once she was sure her friend wasn’t going to fall off, Pinkie broke into a gallop. Applejack did the same, using her greater speed to charge ahead of her friends.

Despite being jostled around like a saddle bag, Twilight kept her light up and focused on the path ahead. Taken were coming out from behind every dumpster, every stack of boxes, anything in the ally that had deep enough shadows for them to appear from.

Still, Applejack lead the charge. She dodged around most of the Taken, and those that couldn’t avoid she countered with the frying pan. She couldn’t get rid of them since the Taken were still wrapped in shadows, but the blow from the frying pan was enough to make the threatening mares and stallions falter, clearing a path for Pinkie Pie and Twilight.

The Taken, however, just kept coming, but they were getting close to the street lamp. They had already galloped halfway down the alley, they were halfway there. Just a little farther, and they’d be safe.

“Twilight!” Pinkie called, snapping the unicorn out of her hopeful thoughts. The pink pony was looking skyward, Twilight chancing a glance up where she saw a swirling flock of what looked like ravens. They were circling, but at the same time something wasn’t right.

They weren’t normal ravens, a fact proven when the flock suddenly turned and began to dive at Twilight and Pinkie Pie with a horrible, monstrous cawing. Instinctively, Twilight brought up her light, and the crows cried out in pain as some of them began to burn away entirely. They were ravens made entirely of shadows, something Twilight could fight with just the light from her horn.

Applejack continued to clear a path, Pinkie Pie following right on the farm pony’s hooves while Twilight used her light to keep the ravens at bay. They were being assaulted on all sides but they were holding the darkness back. They were so close now, the street lamp was literally just a few yards away.

One final Taken stepped into view, blocking the way to the light. A mountainous stallion the same size as Big Macintosh. He was armored, carrying a sword. It was one of Celestia’s Royal Guards, one of the soldiers that had been tending the castle just hours before. The Taken soldier was so imposing that Twilight would have honestly preferred to try and get another dragon not to nap near Ponyville over trying to get by the soldier.

Applejack, however, barreled down the stallion like any other, jumping up and swinging the frying pan so it connected with the Taken soldier’s head. The blow had little effect, the sound of metal striking metal making Applejack take notice of the fact the soldier was still wearing his helmet. Yet the farm pony didn’t falter, jumping back from a slow sword slash before striking out at the stallion again. As Applejack fought, Pinkie Pie caught up and then bolted past the distracted Taken soldier. That was what Appeljack was waiting for, throwing the frying pan at the soldier to distract him for a few more moments as she raced after her friends.

Twilight smiled, looking back at Applejack who was also grinning. They were going to make it, just a little farther, but the darkness wasn’t going to give up. A deafening cawing drew Twilight’s attention skyward. Another flock of crows were now circling the streetlamp, and with a monstrous caw began to barrel down at the ponies.

Twilight focused her light on them, the crows veering off. Twilight smiled as she kept her light trained on the birds, following their black shadowed bodies as they flew just above her and Pinkie Pie’s head. She had chased them away, ensuring the ponies would reach the light

But, instead of going back into the sky the flock veered down again... and the smile fell from Twilight’s face.

In saving herself and Pinkie Pie from the crows, the flock had found a new target. They now slammed into Applejack, flying directly into her face as they clawed. The farm pony panicked, tripping over her own hooves. She hit the ground hard.

“Applejack!” Twilight called just as she and Pinkie Pie reached the street lamp. The unicorn’s sudden shout had startled Pinkie Pie, making her lose control They toppled over onto the ground beneath the streetlamp’s light. The hard impact left Twilight disoriented for a time, her side aching. She could have laid there for quite a while, just trying to recover, but a single sound made the injured unicorn bolt back to her hooves.

A single, earsplitting scream... one that echoed for blocks and was even audible by Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy at the general store. A scream that made the blood in Twilight’s veins turn to ice as she forced herself back up onto her hooves. She limped out from beneath the streetlamp, her unicorn horn glowing brightly as she cast the light down the alley.

“Applejack... Applejack!” Twilight called, but there was nothing. The only reply came from Twilight’s own voice echoing off the stone buildings. The Taken had vanished, and Applejack along with them.

Twilight felt her knees give way beneath her, the unicorn dropping to her haunches right there in the middle of the street. Tears began to pool at the back of her eyes, the unicorn unable to rip her gaze away from the blackened alley. There, just within range of her unicorn light, was Applejack’s hat, sitting alone and unattended on the dirty ground.

They... they had lost Applejack, she had been taken... just like Celestia and Luna.

APPLEJACK!” Twilight half screamed, half wailed as tears streamed down her face, as if calling her friend’s name one final time would bring her back.

Again, only echos replied.

Applejack was gone.