Stone Parasprites

by TheBigBob

Chapter 2

Monday, October 22nd

It's been over a day since my friends and I encountered the slender pony in the Everfree Forest. I'm surprised I'm still going. I spent all day yesterday resting in bed, going over what happened in my head. All this time I thought that the hooded pony was casting some kind of spell on us, but he was the one who showed us the way out of the woods. If he wanted to hurt us or trap us, he could have done so. But he lead us out and insisted we try to go on with our lives. But I couldn't. I had to know more about the slender pony. About Dark. And I can't rest easy knowing that there are others out there that he didn't want me to meet. Today I almost found an answer, but instead I just have more questions than I did before.

Let me see if I can sort my thoughts. The slender pony must have been the one causing those dreams. I don't know if it was a spell, because he wasn't even a unicorn. When he followed us on the trail, Scoots and I wanted to hurt each other. I know she'd never mean to say those hurtful things to me, and I'd never wish harm on her either. When I got close to him, I got that splitting headache, and the very sight of him filled me with dread. Was he watching us as we slept, too? I accidentally scratched my journal page the same time that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo woke up. He must have been nearby. But again, if he wanted to hurt us, why did he let us go? Not to mention that night in my room, when I screamed so loud that Applejack and Big Macintosh came up to check up on me. Was he watching me outside? I'd hate to think that my big brother and sister went outside to him, but they didn't see anything. Am I being toyed with? What does he want?

I saw Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo at school today. They were both really quiet. I can't really blame them. I asked them if they told anyone, and they said they hadn't. I don't think they trust Dark like I do, but I guess leading us out of the forest was good enough for them to listen to his advice.

“Ponies fear that which they do not understand.” Was he talking about the slender pony? He had to have been. But then again, I was plenty scared of Dark himself before our encounter. I'm trying to think of reasons why he would ask us not to tell anypony. Maybe if the ponies in town found out about the slender pony, then it would just scare everypony. Plus, I'm not sure I would believe it myself if somepony told me. My friends and I would just get weird looks (not that we haven't already thanks to our snooping around town). Even if they did believe us, what would they do? Go out in the Everfree Forest and try to find him? There's all sorts of creepy things in there already! The more I think about it, Dark was right. We're better off keeping this to ourselves.

After school I asked Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo if they wanted to come to Twilight's home with me. Neither of them did. They just stayed silent and didn't even hang out. They just went straight home. I figured that since Dark drew that symbol in my journal, the least I can do is figure out what it means. The library where Twilight lives seemed like it would be a good place to start.

Twilight was surprised to see me when I knocked on the door. I don't go to the library very often, and this was the second time in a few weeks that I had shown up (last time was when my friends and I were trying to figure out what was causing our weird dreams). I asked Twilight for a bunch of books about symbols, but I didn't say much more than that. She offered to help me look through the stack of books she had for me, but I wanted to keep it a secret like Dark asked me to. Her dragon friend, Spike, wasn't around. She told me that Spike went to help Rarity out with a project. I don't know why a dragon is so interested in a unicorn, but I didn't give it much thought today.

For three straights hours I went through the books she gave me. I didn't read any of the words. Instead, I just flipped through pages trying to find the circle with an 'X' through it. First I went through a mythology book. When I didn't find anything there, I tried a book of ancient cultures. Nothing there either. Finally, I tried a more recent book explaining symbols in everyday pony life. Once again, I came up with nothing. The entire time I studied, Twilight sat and read something on the other side of the room. I saw her watching me, trying to figure out what I was looking for. A couple of times she asked me if she could help, but I refused her every time. Eventually, I finished looking through the last book. I closed it, sighed, and laid my head on the floor. Apparently Twilight noticed, because she came over right away.

“Couldn't find what you were looking for?” she asked me.

I shook my head, still resting it on the floor.

“It might be in another book, if you gave me a little direction...” Even though she wanted to help, Twilight sounded a little frustrated with me. I couldn't blame her.

I raised my head up from the floor. “Are these the only books on symbols you have?” I asked. “I didn't think there would be so few.”

Twilight explained. “Well, I picked out ones that are filled with pictures, since that's what you're looking for. There's a few similar ones that go into detail about each symbol, but it's all pretty much the same information.”

“So that's it?” I asked. “I don't know where else to go! This was my only lead!”

“Only lead for what?” Twilight gave me a confused look. “Is this for a school project or something? I doubt Cheerilee would care if I pointed you in the right direction.”

“I just... I can't tell you, okay?!” I didn't mean to scream at her. It just came out. Twilight backed up when I yelled. She was speechless. I took a deep breath to calm myself down, then asked her again. “Is there anything at all? Any book aside from the ones you've given me?”

Twilight's eyes darted off to the side. “Well... there is one, but I doubt it has what you're looking for...”

“I have to know for sure!” I told her.

“Hold on, Apple Bloom.” Twilight sighed. “It's not an ordinary book. I wouldn't let just anypony come in here and borrow it.”

She had my attention. “What kind of book is it? It sounds important.”

Twilight hestitated. “I don't know if I should be sharing it with you. I mean, you caused plenty of trouble when you looked up the cutie mark and love potion recipes.”

“Please, Twilight!” I begged. “I think what I need is in there! You have to let me look.”

She shut her eyes tight, took a deep breath, then gave me an answer. “Alright Apple Bloom. I'll show it to you. But only under one condition – you have to let me look through it with you. I'm not going to leave you alone with it.”

I didn't want to, but I realized there was no other option. I quietly nodded my head, and Twilight went off to get the book. I felt bad for breaking my promise to Dark Storm, but maybe letting her in a little bit wouldn't cause any problems. She didn't know about Dark or the slender pony. She does know about the nightmares, but I doubt she'd be able to look into it that far.

Twilight came back hovering a black-colored tome in front of her. The cover didn't look like an ordinary book cover on it. I don't know what it was, but it looked like it had fur on it. Twilight kept the book a bit away from her face, like she was scared to touch it.

“This is a book of dark magic,” she told me. “It's not kept on the shelves with the other books. To get it, I had to... well, nevermind that.” I guess I couldn't the only one hiding something. “Normally it would be in the magic hall in Canterlot, but there was a break-in several years ago, so she decided to move it out of the way where it wouldn't be found so easily.” Twilight set the book down on the floor in front of me. The cover didn't have any words on it. Just... fur. She was was really hesitant to open it. “Are you really sure this is what you need, Apple Bloom? I can't imagine that what you're looking for could possibly be in here.”

As creepy as the book looked, I knew the symbol had to be in there somewhere. “I'm certain,” I told her. “Let's just open it up and get it over with.”

Twilight gulped. We opened the book and saw scribbles in a language I didn't understand. Some of the illustrations looked really gruesome. Ponies were spread out in strange positions. One drawing showed a pony staring down into a pool of water, its reflection looking back at it. Another had a picture of an alicorn head on the front of a necklace. Even though I couldn't read the language, some of the writing still looked illegible. Some pages had dried red splotches on them. One page that stood out to me was a perfectly drawn five-pointed star with a circle touching each point. It didn't bear any resemblance to the symbol Dark drew in my journal, but the care in which it was drawn made it stand out amongst the crude illustrations in the rest of the book.

As we looked through it, Twilight repeatedly asked me if I wanted to continue. She didn't look very comfortable as we saw all the creepy illustrations, but I insisted we continued. I don't know how long we sat there, but we had gone through nearly the whole book without finding what I needed. At some point, Twilight just sat there next to me, letting me look through it by myself. I guess she couldn't handle it. Just when I was about to give up hope, I saw it.

“Here it is!” I cried.

Twilight jumped. “You found it? Let me see!”

The two of us huddled around the book. The symbol was on a page about 20 pages from the end. Like most of the illustrations, the circle and X were drawn very crudely, with excessive scribbling. However, unlike the rest of the book, the language underneath was written in plain equestrian. Was it added more recently? Several pages in the back of the book were blank. I have a feeling this book wasn't all written by just one pony.

Before I could take a closer look at the words on the page, Twilight screamed. “Where did you see this?!”

“Well, I, um,” I stammered.

“Tell me where you saw this symbol!” Twilight grabbed my shoulders and shook me. “Please tell me right now! This is important!”

She gripped me so hard I was almost in tears. “Let me go, Twilight! You're hurting me!”

“Please,” she begged. “Tell me! If you saw this, please tell me where!” As she held on to me, her hooves shook. Her eyes teared up.

I didn't know what to think, but Twilight was scaring me. I slipped out of her grasp and backed away, towards the door. “I-I think I'm just gonna go home now... see you later...”

“Wait!” she yelled as I ran out the door.

After that, I went straight home. I had stayed at Twilight's so long that the sun had gone down. As I walked home, I looked around, half expecting to see Dark Storm or the slender pony somewhere. It seemed like any other evening in Ponyville. Applejack was wondering why I stayed out so late, so I told her I was doing some studying. Kind of true, anyway. I didn't say much at dinner, and afterwards I just stayed in my room, writing what you just read.

Now I'm wondering how Twilight is connected to all this. I didn't expect such a violent reaction when she saw that symbol. And we saw it in that creepy book made of fur. If I remember correctly, Twilight was having the same creepy dreams as the kids in Ponyville. If she has something to do with the slender pony, it would make sense, but I can't imagine why. I want to talk about this with Dark somehow, but he didn't leave me a way to contact him. He drew the symbol for me when I asked if I could help. Does that mean the answer is in that book? The one Twilight wouldn't even let me read? I'd hate to have to touch it again, but I don't think I have much of a choice. If she'll even let me. She freaked out and I didn't even let her know why I was looking for it.

Come to think of it, maybe I should let her in on this. Tomorrow I'm going to go back to her house and apologize. I'll be straight with her. Hopefully she'll have calmed down some, and we can sort this out together. This has been a pretty long entry (though not compared to what I wrote over the weekend), so I think I'll end it here. Goodnight.

Tuesday, October 23rd

I mentioned in the last entry that I was going to come clean with Twilight and tell her everything. I had hoped that this would be able to clear the air between us and help us get to the bottom of this. But after hearing what she had to say, I'm terrified. Nothing bad has happened to me today, and there was no indication that anything will, but this uncertainty is killing me. And where in Equestria is Dark?! I have to talk to him! I might be able to help him now, but he's nowhere to be found! Argh... Alright. I'm just going to start from the top, as usual. I really wish I could have written part of this down earlier in the day, but I've had my hooves full trying to figure all this out.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo still aren't feeling all that great. Once again, they were really quiet during class, and for a while at lunch, they didn't say anything. I don't blame them, after all. We could have died that night in the woods. But for some reason, I didn't feel the same depression as they did. Maybe it's because as scary as the night was, it at least confirmed that I wasn't crazy. Meeting Dark face to face and finding out he's not evil gives me one less thing to be worried about, even though now we have the slender pony on our minds. Plus, that drawing he scribbled at least gave me a lead. Something I could focus on, instead of just worrying about what'll happen next. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle have nothing. So, I decided to tell them about my trip to the library yesterday.

They weren't enthusiastic. Scootaloo just wanted to forget the whole night ever happened, while Sweetie Belle wasn't sure what the book would actually accomplish. She pointed out that even if there was an answer in it, we have no way of getting in touch with Dark (and she's right, considering I haven't seen him since Sunday). Both of them did seem worried about Twilight, but once again, they just didn't know what to do about it. I remember last week how I seemed determined to handle all this on my own, but with my two best friends too scared to do anything, I don't think I have a choice.

So once again, I went to Twilight's house after school. I knocked on the door, and instead of Twilight, Spike answered.

“Hello? Oh, hi Apple Bloom! Um, sorry to disappoint you, but this really isn't a very good time...”

“Huh?” I asked. “Why not?”

Spike frowned. “For whatever reason, Twilight's refused to leave the house today. She's been all panicked and worried ever since last night.” Spike folded his arms. “I tried to get an explanation out of her, but she's not answering any of my questions and just tells me not to leave the library.”

I sighed. If I hadn't shown up yesterday, she probably wouldn't even be acting any differently. But I knew I couldn't let this go. “Spike, I need to talk to her. Can I please come in?”

“SPIKE!” Twilight yelled from inside the house. “SHUT THE DOOR! DON'T LET ANYPONY IN!”

Spike called through the library. “Twilight, it's just Apple Bloom! She's not here to hurt you!”

“Apple Bloom?” Twilight asked. She hesitated before asking, “I-is she okay?”

Spike looked back at me and sized me up, then called back in the house. “She looks fine to me!” He turned back toward me. “Sorry about that. You know what, come on in. You know how Twilight gets sometimes...”

He opened the door for me and shut it as I went in.

“LOCK THE DOOR!” Twilight called from upstairs. Spike sighed and did as she insisted. I looked up the stairs and saw Twilight slowly walking down. Her hair was a complete mess, and she had huge bags under her eyes like she hadn't gotten any sleep. Even though she was in her own home, she constantly glanced from side to side like something could attack her at any second. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stood uncomfortably close to me and whispered. “Did anypony follow you?”

“No!” I told her. “Well... I don't THINK so...”

Twilight sighed and started walking over to the table in the center of the room. “Good. We have a lot to talk about. Spike? Go upstairs. This doesn't concern you.”

“Huh?” Spike protested. “But I-”

“GO!” Twilight glared at him. Spike took the hint and left us alone. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed before Twilight spoke again. “I'm guessing you're here about that book.”

“Well, kind of...” I told her. “I guess I have some explaining to do...”

“Me too,” she agreed. “How about you start first? How did you even know about that symbol?”

I took my journal out of my bag and went through the entire ordeal with her, starting with the first scary dream I had. It felt so weird to relive all those terrible memories. I spent so much time worrying about Dark, when he wound up being the least of my problems. The terror I felt that night in my bed was the same I felt when I gazed upon the slender pony for the first time. Wondering whether or not I was losing my mind... well, knowing I wasn't imagining it is something to be considerate for. And I still don't know what happened with Zecora's memory. Was it the slender pony? Finally, we caught up to the current page.

“That's quite a story you have,” Twilight said, contemplating. Then for a moment, the fear in her voice dropped to a more curious tone. “And how in Equestria do you remember what everypony says?”

I shrugged and blushed a little. “It helps to have something to focus on...”

Twilight paced back and forth. “So if I understand, you think that book might help this Dark fellow stop the slender pony somehow.”

“That's right!” I told her. “We just found the weird symbol in the back when you... um...”

Twilight shuddered and took a deep breath. “I'm sorry I reacted that way towards you. It reawakened a memory I haven't thought about in a long time. Not since I was a filly like you.”

“What happened, Twilight?” I asked her.

“Yeah, what happened?” Spike asked, sitting on the stairs looking down at us. Twilight gave him a glare that even Fluttershy would find impressive. Spike quickly decided he would rather be upstairs. With him gone, Twilight told me her side of the story.

“It was during my first year at Canterlot studying with Princess Celestia. I was still getting used to the hallways that seemed to go on forever, and it was easy for a filly like me to get lost. There were several rooms where only the staff was allowed in, since my classmates and I were still learning to control our magic. I always wondered what kind of experiments went on behind those closed doors, but one day I found out for myself.

“I was walking back to my room from class one day, and I passed by a door that wasn't usually open. When I looked inside it, I saw a room full of all sorts of protective equipment like helmets and goggles and magic-resistant suits. On the other end of the room was a stairway heading underground. I could hear some of the professors talking to each other, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I knew I wasn't supposed to go in there, but my curiosity got the best of me, so I quietly tip-toed into the room and down the stairs.

“When I walked through the door at the bottom, I saw a large, wide-open circular room. Several glass shields were placed around, as well as tons of tables full of books, chemicals, and lab beakers. Most of the professors were in the center of the room, drawing markings on the floor. I hid underneath one of the tables and watched from a distance. I don't remember everything they said, but there was an argument going on. Some of the ponies were warning about the dangers of this experiment, but one lady unicorn was adamant that they perform it. I don't remember all the details, but one thing stuck out to me: they wanted to summon a soul from Tartarus.

“To most ponies, Tartarus was just a fairy tale that mothers told their foals. However, in the scientific community, Tartarus was a constant source of study and speculation. Nopony dared to venture inside it, either for fear of becoming trapped with the tormented souls, or for facing its gatekeeper, Cerberus. On one hoof, I was terrified that the horrors I had read about in my books were about to come real. But on the other, I couldn't back down. I wanted to see for myself what would happen.

“After the professors finished setting up, most of them stood behind the glass barriers. The only one left was the insistent unicorn from before. They all watched as she spoke an enchantment in an ancient language. Her horn glowed as she mixed potions together in mid-air. The room began to shake, and many of the professors looked at each other with hesitation. But the unicorn continued to perform the enchantment, as the lights in the room flickered and the floor rumbled. One pony decided he had had enough, and went for the stairs. The others continued to watch, trembling in fear. A beaker fell off of the table I was hiding under, and I just barely avoided touching the chemical inside of it. Some of the professors yelled at her to stop, but she refused, and continued on. The lights in the room went out, and suddenly we all realized we weren't alone.”

Twilight shut her eyes tightly. Her legs trembled, and she gulped like she was swallowing a large breath. I saw a tear drop from her eyes, and when she continued, she was crying.

“I couldn't see anything. But I knew SOMETHING was there. We could all feel it. The professors bolted out of the door screaming as I sat under that table, sobbing. At some point, I realized I had to get out of there too, so I tried feeling my way over to the entrance. As I moved, I heard the clutter of hooves hitting the hard floor. One pony wasn't running, though: the unicorn. She stumbled over her feet, but instead of screaming or yelling like the others, I heard her laugh. It wasn't like a normal laugh. She muttered a 'heh' out one breath at a time. As she walked out, she shut the door behind her, and I heard the sound of her magic. When I made it to the door, it was locked tight. I didn't know any unlocking magic at the time, so I was trapped. With... him.

“I pounded on the door and screamed, but nopony answered. Even though it was pitch black, I could sense him coming towards me. Since the door wasn't an option, I felt my way across the walls in the room. I bumped into tables here and there, and I accidentally stepped on a broken barrier. But all my efforts were for naught, because the door I came in was the only exit. In a panic, I tried attacking him with a fire spell that I had only read about. The spell succeeded, but the flame missed him, illuminating the room long enough for me to see the tentacles growing out of his back, his tall, skinny body, and his featureless face.

“I gave up and cried. I couldn't run or hide, and his very presence drove me crazy. I got a massive headache, and my only method of coping was to huddle against a wall whimpering. I could hear the sounds of his hooves clopping against the floor. His tentacles slithered around the broken glass and tables. But my own crying was the only breath I could hear. Every so often he would come back towards me and just observe. The closer he got, the more I wanted to scream.

“I don't know how long I sat there, but when I woke up, he was gone. Princess Celestia and some of the Royal Guards were standing over me, asking if I was alright. The room was lit again, but when I looked around, I saw that... symbol. The crossed-out circle. On the walls, everywhere. They weren't there when I had wandered in. I screamed at the sight. Princess Celestia hushed me and asked me to stay still. When I nodded, she lowered her horn toward me, and it glowed. The next thing I knew, I was back in my bed on campus. When I woke up, I had forgotten all about it. I remembered there was some accident that had happened at the school, but I had no idea I had been involved. I went to class and studied like normal, just like any other student. Everything was fine until yesterday, when...”

Twilight stopped talking. She looked off to the side at nothing in particular. I sat there, dumbfounded. I had no idea that something so traumatizing happened to her. Then again, I guess she didn't know either. I remember how scared I felt just seeing the slender pony. I can't imagine what it would be like to be trapped in the same room as him.

“I'm so sorry, Twilight!” I told her. “If I hadn't come and insisted on looking through that book, you would have never remembered!”

“It's okay, Apple Bloom,” she replied, sniffling. “I guess I can't outrun my past.” She glanced towards the shelves in the library. “I haven't looked at that book since yesterday. Do you still want to take it out?”

I shook my head. “No, that's alright, Twilight. I think I've had enough for today,” I said, packing my journal into my bag.

“Let's meet again tomorrow. We'll figure out where to go from here.” Twilight gave a weak smile. It was the first time I had seen her smile all night. Before I left, I ran over and hugged her tightly.

“Sorry, Twilight.”

“Sorry, Apple Bloom.”

I don't know if the answers are in that book or not. But now I have even more questions. Has the slender pony been trying to find Twilight? Or did he just wind up here? Somehow, I doubt it's the second one. And what's Dark got to do with it? He wasn't in Twilight's story. What's he doing, anyway? Is he out there fighting the slender pony? Is he still hiding in the shadows around town? I don't know if he's capable of handling himself. Chasing him was surprisingly easy considering how clumsy he is. But then again, he was able to lead us out of the forest, so he has a good sense of direction. I don't know, I'm just worried.

I wonder what's going through Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's heads. They didn't try to stop me when I told them about the book at lunch, but they didn't want anything to do with it either. They just hope that if they ignore it, everything will go back to normal. With what Twilight told me today, I don't think that's possible. I have to find some way to stop the slender pony before all of Ponyville goes into a panic.

Wednesday, October 24th

Ponyville is filled with a bunch of hypocrites.

The ponies in town do nothing but pity me. They may not say it to my face, but I know they're thinking it. “Poor Apple Bloom!” they say to each other. “A filly of her age without a cutie mark? Why, I was a grade beneath her when I got mine!” My constant attempts to gain a cutie mark are nothing but a piece of entertainment for them. I can't cook, or bowl, or dance, or anything! Applejack tells me she wants me to take my time and earn my cutie mark on my own, but with how much she expects me to help out around the farm, I just know she'd rather I be a farm pony like her. Can't have a pony from the Apple family without a baked good on her flank, can we?

I hate it. I'm tired of working all the time when I get home from school. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle get to do whatever they want, but in my free time I have to buck apples or feed the pigs or whatever chore my big sister has lined up for me. She thinks she's so smart and strong, but she's just bossy. She thinks I can't do anything on my own. Maybe that's why Big Macintosh is so quiet all the time. As such a big, strong pony, he could be destined for a lot of things. In the right circumstances, he could be a hero for ponies to look up to. But instead, he just helps out on the farm all day. Towing things back and forth, like a common mule. But whose fault is that, really? He lets Applejack boss him around every day. If he'd stand up to her once in a while, maybe he could really go someplace in his life. But instead, he's content to just do the same menial chores day after day.

But maybe Big Mac knows better than Rainbow Dash, who can't shut up about her athletic abilities. So you can make a rainbow explosion appear whenever you want. Big deal. Doesn't give you the right to show off all the time and be lazy whenever you feel like it. Applejack works hard every single day to provide for this family, but because you can make a pretty rainbow appear, you get to just sit around on clouds all day taking a nap whenever you want. Or parade yourself in front of endless fans who'd rather worship someone than go out and do something productive with their lives.

Of course, if all you want is to be surrounded by smiling ponies all day, look no further than Pinkie Pie. She can't survive a minute without telling somepony how happy she is and how much she would love for them to come to her latest party. Little does she know that everypony secretly detests her. Nopony wants to come to your stupid parties all of the time! It's always the same thing! Music so loud that you get a headache, food that'll leave you with a serious stomachache the following day, and you find yourself wishing you'd just stayed home with a book instead. How could anypony willingly want to spend time with Pinkie Pie, with her obnoxious, in-your-face attitude and terrible jokes. She barges in on random conversations at the worst times. I've never met anypony so annoying.

But at least Pinkie Pie knows how to handle herself. Fluttershy is such a freaking wimp. I can understand if you don't like being showcased in front of everypony, but at least show some self-respect! I bet if we hadn't even gone chasing after that chicken into the forest, it would have been doomed to stone forever. Twilight too, come to think of it. Who knows how long she would have been stuck there if we hadn't tried to rescue that chicken? I guess I have to give Fluttershy props for staring down a Cockatrice like that, but that's rare. She wouldn't even come out on Nightmare Night, despite knowing that it's just a bunch of kids in costumes. What a wimp! She'd be useless against anything that's really a threat! Well, except Cerberus. That was pretty impressive how she-------------------------------------

I don't understand how Sweetie Belle can look up to a sister like Rarity. Everything has to be just perfect for her. She insists on being all clean and perfect, when my sister is forced to get her hooves dirty every single day working the farm. Rarity think she's doing something great with all her artsy-fartsy dresses, but she's not fooling anypony. The only ponies who care about that are the ones with more money than they know what to do with. They don't know what it's like for us normal folk. And yet Rarity wants to be right there with them! She freaks ------------ out everytime one of those celebrities shows up in town that the rest of us haven't even heard about. Always buried in those dumb fashion magazines.

Of course, Rarity at least only reads them on occasion. Twilight can't stop reading. Every moment of free time she has is spent with her face in a book. Story after story after story. Or those dumb history books that Cheerilee makes us read in class. They're just so boring! Who cares what happened in Equestria 500 years ago? How's knowing any of that gonna help my family and me survive on Swe------------------et Apple Acres? Twilight gets so wrapped up reading those stories that I doubt she even gets out much. Sometimes she'll practice magic, but I really don't see how making somepony grow a mustache is useful. It's all just fluff. How did a pony as antisocial as her become the leader of the elements of harmony anyway?

Speaking of harmony, I have no idea where miss Cheerilee got the idea that she should be ------------------- teaching school. Why on Equestria did she think it was a good idea to let Diamond Tiara run the school paper? She's nothing but a total brat at school, but miss Cheerilee just put her in charge, no questions asked? I bet Diamond's dad had something to do with it. Just because you have tons of money doesn't mean you can break the rules! And she thought we were trying to be funny at the talent show? I don't like being given an award for being terrible! She thinks she knows what's best for us, but I don't think she has any idea.

Finally there's my so-called “friends”, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. After all that I've been through with them, they still doubted me about seeing Dark. Don't they know when I'm telling the truth? Even after it came out, they decided to just pretend it never happened. Sure, you find a weird stranger and some monster out in the woods and you just want to ignore it? Yeah, go ahead and do that. Let the problem work itself out. Leave poor Apple Bloom to fix the problem on her own. Even if it means finding out a horrifying secret about Twilight and reading a creepy old book written by a bunch of freaks. Even after they found out I was right, they still looked at me like they didn't want anything to do with me. Some friends.

No, that's not right. We're not just friends. We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders! Together we'll figure out what's wrong with us! I'll never leave them behind!

But they hurt me...

They just misunderstood! If I talk to them again and tell them what's going on, they're sure to stand by me!

No they won't! They'll just ignore you and go on without you! You're better off without them!

No I'm not! I need to go talk to them right-----------------------------------------------------------

That wasn't me who wrote that. Well, it kind of was, but it's complicated. When Dark led my friends and me out of the woods, I thought I had some time left. I went to Twilight's, found the book, and listened to her talk about the incident with the slender pony back there. Today we were supposed to examine the book further and figure out where to go next. But after what happened today, everything is different. I don't know how much time we have left.

I had just heading out the door to school in the morning. I waved goodbye to Applejack and Big Macintosh and walked along my usual route. I was walking through town to the schoolhouse when I heard a cough. At first I ignored it, thinking it was just some random pony, but then I heard it again, louder. I looked around, and hidden in the alley between two of the stores I saw a pony with red eyes, gray fur, and a hood and cloak covering him.

“Dark!” I cried. I saw him cover his mouth with his hoof and remembered that I'm supposed to keep it quiet. I snuck over to him and tried to contain my excitement the best I could. “Where've you been?!” I asked him. “I have a lot to tell you! And I gotta know what's going on with you! What have you been doing these past few days? What's the deal with the slender pony? Is everything okay now?”

He didn't answer any of my questions. Instead, he just said, “Follow me,” and walked away from town.

I followed him, but naturally, I was confused. “Where are we going?” I asked him. No answer. “Is there something you want to show me?” “If there's something you need my help with, you could at least tell me what it is!”

The entire time, he stayed silent. He led me away from town and toward the forest surrounding Ponyville. His silence creeped me out. I tried telling myself that I barely know him and maybe he's normally this quiet, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. When we reached the forest's edge, he stopped and talked to me.

“Something very problematic has happened. The one you refer to as the 'slender pony' is planning an attack on Ponyville. I have a way to stop him, but I need you to be there with me in case something goes wrong.”

I gasped. “What's he going to do? We need to warn the others!”

“There's no time!” he told me. “If we do not act quickly, then everything will be lost!”

“I can help!” I told him. “I found some information about him that might be able to stop him! But we need to get back to town!”

Dark looked taken aback. “You... found something?”

“Yeah!” I said. “A bunch of information about how he was summoned! If we take a closer look, then we might be able to send him back!”

Dark looked lost for words. He gazed into the forest and then back at me. Then he did the creepiest thing: he grinned. “Well then, how about you tell me all about it as we go inside the woods?”

“No!” I protested. “We have to go back to town! I can't do anything out here!”

“Quiet!” he yelled. His voice was so strong that I instinctively cowered on the ground at his feet. For the first time, I was scared of him. I thought he was my friend. He led me out. Why would he be so insistent that I follow his orders without any explanation?

As I looked up at him standing over me, I noticed something. His legs weren't trembling.

“Dark?” I asked him.

“What?” he replied.

“Whenever I saw you before, your legs looked wobbly. But you're standing up just fine right now.”

He laughed. “You're a very observant little girl.”

I saw a bright glow from the trees, and my vision blurred. I tried to stand up and get my balance back, but my head got heavy. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

I didn't know how long I was asleep, but I woke up surrounded by darkness. My head pounded as I laid on the floor. At first I didn't have the energy to stand up, so I just felt my way around the dark. I was laying down on a wooden floor. My back hooves bumped into a bunch of boxes, while my front hooves felt a door. After a few minutes of getting my bearings, I found the strength to stand up. I pushed the door open, and some light from the other side made its way in.

It looked like a bedroom, but it hadn't been used in a while. The bed and the dresser were covered in layers of dust. I realized that the room I had been in was an ordinary closet. Old pictures were hung on the walls of the room, but they were so old that it was hard to make anything out. I tiptoed my way to the exit of the bedroom and quietly opened the door. When I took a look into the hallway, I didn't see anypony. Whoever's house this was, I wanted to get away from it. The floorboards creaked as I walked on them, though I tried my best to keep it quiet. I wandered into the living room and saw an old couch and a circular table covered in dust. On one side of the room was a huge shelf full of books. But as curious as I was about my surroundings, I had to find an exit. Then I heard the last voice I would have expected.

“Apple Bloom? Are ya in here? Apple Bloom!”

“Applejack!” I yelled. I rushed over to the cabin's kitchen where I heard the voice, but instead of my big sister, I saw three ponies wearing cloaks who burst out laughing as I ran in.

The center pony had to calm himself down. He coughed to cleared his throat, then said, “There ya are! Ah just dun know what to do wit' ya when ya disappear on me like that!”

The three ponies once again burst out laughing. I looked at them wide-eyed and sat on my flank, almost ready to burst into tears.

The largest of the three ponies snickered and made a suggestion. “Ooh, ooh, I know! Do her unicorn friend!”

The pony who mimicked Applejack once again cleared his throat. He made a panicked, helpless expression on his face. “SHUT THE DOOR! DON'T LET ANYPONY IN!” he yelled in a tone exactly like Twilight's. “THE SLENDER PONY IS GOING TO GET ME! HELP ME, APPLE BLOOM!”

The room shook a bit from their following uproar. I didn't know what to do. I laid flat on the ground with my front hooves over my head like that would somehow protect me.

The female pony in the group wiped the tears from her eyes from all her laughter. “Oh Flash, one of the greatest mysteries in the universe is how a stallion like yourself has such a wide vocal range!”

“Well,” he replied, “it IS my special talent, after all!”

“Aw look, you made her cry!” the buff pony pointed out.

It was true. While they had their conversation, I sobbed on the floor. Whoever these three were, they weren't my friends. I didn't know where I was, and there was nowhere I could go for help. If I ran, they'd catch me easily. Things felt as hopeless as they did back in the woods. But at least then, I at least had hope that Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and I would be able to find our way out in the morning. But this time, my only option was to wait for hope to arrive. I doubt Applejack or Twilight even knew where I was. Which mean only one thing...

I looked up at my kidnappers and asked the obvious question. “Where's Dark?”

“Oh, he'll be here, don't you worry,” the female pony said. “Though if he doesn't show, then I guess we'll just have to keep you here with us.”

“Is that why you kidnapped me?” I asked her. “To find Dark?”

“No way.” The buff pony shook his head. “We've already gotten all the information we could out of him. He think he's better than us, but you'd be surprised how little roughhousing it took to get him to squeal.” He stomped his foot on the floor.

I gasped. “You hurt him? Why?”

“He left us no choice!” The female pony laughed. “We just had to know who those three little fillies were that he was protecting! Of course, the only one we managed to catch a glimpse of was you...”

My eyes opened wide. “You were watching us that night in the forest!”

The mimic pony rolled his eyes. “We wish. The only indication that anypony was in this forest was your little screams.” He cleared his throat again then screamed, “Aaaaaaaaaaah!”

He did it in my voice.

The female pony suddenly looked impatient. “Let's move this conversation in the living room. This kitchen is far too cramped for the four of us. Brock, she looks a little stiff at the moment, so could you bring her with us?”

The buff pony picked me up by my tail and hung me upside-down. He followed the other two as they made their way to the living area. He dropped me onto the couch and sat down next to me. I turned myself right side up and looked a good look at him.

Brock was definitely one of the largest ponies I've ever seen. I always thought Big Macintosh was the biggest pony around, but now I wasn't so sure. His fur was red like my brother's, but it was also a lot darker. His hair was even darker, and kind of purple-ish. Is mauve the right word? I think so. I also noticed a scar on his right cheek. He looked at me for a moment, and I got a look at his deep blue eyes. With his size and that scar, this pony has probably gotten into a lot of fights. Big Macintosh is strong, but he's also gentle when he's not pulling carts. I could only imagine if he'd be able to take this brute in a fight.

I looked over to the pony that imitated the voices of my friends. He must have been the one who pretended to be Dark in order to kidnap me. The female pony referred to him as “Flash”. He didn't look as intimidating as the pony sitting next to me. In fact, his face actually looked rather handsome. His fur was green, and there were freckles on his cheeks underneath his purple eyes. He had slicked-back brown hair with a purple stripe in it. When the female pony talked about his ability to imitate voices like that, he said it was his “special talent”. Must be a hint at his cutie mark underneath his cloak. I guess these three ponies must be trying not to be recognized, just like Dark didn't.

The fact that Flash could mimic Twilight's and Applejack's voices perfectly really bothers me. I thought Twilight was just being paranoid when she asked me if I was being followed, but maybe she was right to be worried. Flash must have been following me. That's so creepy. And how did Applejack not notice him hanging around? Has he been stalking me since Sunday? Part of me doesn't want to know.

Finally there's the female pony who remains nameless. I can tell by a bulge in her hood that she's a unicorn. She has dark blue fur, although in spots it looks like the color has gone. Her mane is gray and messy. Her eyes are yellow, and it looks like she has a lot of wrinkles on her face. As far as I can tell, she looks significantly older than Brock and Flash. Not only that, but she has an odd twitch in her left eye. It didn't look damaged or anything, but seeing it twitch at random moments made her seem the creepiest of the three.

“I think this belongs to you,” she said, levitating my school bag onto the table in front of me. “Mostly just a bunch of outdated textbooks and school supplies. Nothing of value at all. Well, except for one thing...”

When she said that, I panicked. I looked through my bag and realized my journal wasn't in it.

“Looking for this?” the unicorn asked, hovering my journal next to her.

“Give that back!” I cried. I instinctively tried jumping towards her to grab it, but Brock caught my tail in his mouth and dropped me back on the couch next to him.

The unicorn ignored my outbust. “You should really be careful what you put in this. You wouldn't want everypony knowing your secrets, would you? Fillies your age without cutie marks? How pathetic.”

I sank in my seat.

“And you clearly have no idea how to write a proper intro. You're supposed to grab the reader at the start, not go on and on about personal details that nopony cares about. Some of these entries aren't even a hundred words long! Is your everyday life really that insignificant?”

“I... I wasn't trying to...” I muttered.

“Of course... the tale of how you got your friends lost in the woods was far more interesting than the nonsense that came before.” As she finished the sentence, I noticed her eye twitch again. “Nothing we hadn't already figured out, but a little background always helps.”

I glanced at one of the doors that led outside, hoping that Dark would suddenly show up and rescue me. But I doubted he could take on the three of them by himself. And like they said earlier, they were expecting him.

Flash turned toward the unicorn. “While we're waiting, wouldn't this be a good time to try out that spell you were so excited for?”

She grinned. “Good idea! I've had it in my repertoire so long, but never found a good time to try it. Here's your journal back, Apple Bloom!”

To my surprise, she hovered my journal back onto the table in front of me, along with a pencil. I looked at it unsure if I should open it or not.

“Oh, don't worry about it,” she said. “I've done nothing to the journal itself. You, on the other hand, are about to learn a lot about yourself. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the world through another pony's eyes?”

I stared at her, not saying a word. She used her magic to flip the journal open to the most recent entry and stuck the pencil in my mouth.

“Now you'll get to see what Ponyville would look like through MINE!”

Her horn glowed brightly, and I found myself surrounded by an orange haze. I could see the three of them sitting next to me, but they were blurry, like in a dream. However, within the haze I found myself reliving the events of the past few years. Applejack snapping at me during a difficult harvest. Doing poorly on a test that I thought was too hard for me. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon making fun of me for not having a cutie mark. Scootaloo shoving me away like I was some kind of monster. I thought of all the friends I've made in Ponyville and all the adventures I've been on. But instead of happy, nostalgic memories, I just wanted to blame them for everything.

That is the reason for what you read in the entry before this one. I didn't mean to say all those terrible things about my friends and family, but under this spell, I had no choice but to hate them. I exaggerated their flaws to the point where they were no better to me than a stranger. In this moment, they deserved all the pain and suffering they had gone through. The worst part is that some of it is what I've truly thought about them. In the past I just pushed it far aside and tried to forget about it, but this time all those horrible thoughts came front and center.

But at some point while writing that entry, something went wrong. I remembered how Fluttershy babied us three when we had that sleepover, but after the encounter with the cockatrice, I realized how much she was willing to go through to protect us. For just a moment, the spell broke, and I saw something else.

Instead of writing in my journal, I was making notes in a spell book I had stolen from the library. Most of the book was just essays on forbidden magic, but there were a few small spells . It was scary what they were capable of, but fascinating at the same time. Unfortunately, it was hard to read because my father and mother were arguing in the other room. They did this all the time, so I had gotten used to it, but tonight was louder than ever. Suddenly I heard my mother scream. I ran to the other room and saw her lying on the floor, blood oozing from her skull.

I gasped and looked at my father, who held a bottle with a dripping red mark on it. He stumbled as he looked towards my direction, then screamed at me incoherently. I backed up into the hallway towards my room as he clumsily followed. I turned and ran into my room. I tried to escape through my window, but it was rusted shut. I looked at the door to my room and saw my father standing in the doorway. He laughed and took another gulp from the bottle.

I hovered the book I had stolen over to me and flipped through it, looking for the spell that I had discovered earlier that evening. My father walked toward me, nearly falling over with every step. Finally, I found the page I was looking for. I closed my eyes and my horn glowed. I recited words from an ancient language that I had only the vaguest understanding of. I heard my father scream with anger, before his voice stopped.

I opened my eyes and looked at my dad. His eyes had no motion in them. He dropped the bottle and then fell on the floor before me. I sat on the floor in my room, crying. I noticed a small flash of light and looked towards my flank.

My cutie mark. The five-pointed star within a circle. A pentagram.

My vision flashed, and I was back to writing in my journal. I had forgotten about the images I had just seen, and went on writing about the wasted potential that all of my friends were. But I think the spell was weakening or something, because I kept seeing small flashes. I dealt with terrible customers at a low-end restaurant, who made impossible demands. I sat alone at a table in school, as others whispered to each other nearby. Yet one image was a happy one. I was accepted as a professor in Canterlot, the most prestigious school around!

But that wasn't the end. I balked at the incompetency of my peers, who had worked far less to get this far than I did. I spent a lonely night in my room as the same ponies had a gathering down the hall, to which I wasn't invited. Despite being told that I was brilliant, nobody ever seemed to want to talk to me. After everything that I had accomplished in my life, I felt as lonely and scared as I had as a child.

I drifted between the unfamiliar images and the ones of Ponyville. When I came to writing about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, I felt like I wanted to resist. They were my best friends in the world. How could I possibly hate them? One moment I felt furious, but the next I was defending them. After struggling for several minutes, I found myself lost in another extended vision.

I was organizing an experiment, arguing with several other ponies. They were all inept, so I had to carry out the important aspects of it by myself. This experiment could possibly change everything we knew about Tartarus and the pony condition, so I didn't want to mess it up. I studied notes written in a book that I had received special permission to read. Not only that, but I added notes for myself. Eventually, the time came for me to perform the experiment. With some chalk, I drew a crossed-out 'X' on the floor in front of me. I performed my magic and read an incantation. The room shook and ponies shouted at me to stop, but I had come this far. I wasn't willing to give up all my research.

When that thing appeared, he blew out all the lights in the room. In his presence, I knew that I was in danger. I watched as everypony panicked and fled the room. I too feared for my life, but at the same time, the feeling that I had summoned this being into the world made me feel proud. I laughed and shut the door to the dungeon behind me.

Another flash. I had just been fired by Princess Celestia herself. I had just finished packing my things and was about to leave once in for all. I went to the mirror in my quarters and looked at it one last time. I stared at the pentagram on my flank. Ponies feared me because of this symbol, but they didn't understand that without it, I wouldn't have ever made it this far. I looked at my face and saw the effects of the years of loneliness and depression. Graying hair and wrinkles were setting in far sooner than they should have.

My eye twitched. Then I blacked out.

I don't know how long had passed, but I woke up to a familiar voice. “What in Equestria did you do to her?!”

“Oh, relax. She'll be fine in a few hours,” a female voice exclaimed.

I weakly opened my eyes and found myself still in the cabin. Daylight shone in through the windows, illuminating Dark's face. Upon the sight of him, my eyes opened wide and I sprang up. My head pounded at my sudden movement, but I was too excited to notice.

“Dark!” I cried out. “Where have you been?”

“Apple Bloom, can you walk?” Dark knelt over me, trying to figure out if there was any damage.

“I think I can... ow!” I tried to get up on my legs, but I was still too disoriented from the spell. As soon as I stood up, I fell right back over.

“This isn't good...” Dark sighed. “I'll have to carry you. Can you at least climb onto my back?”

Brock, apparently still here, laughed at the idea. “You sure about that? Those legs of yours can barely support your own weight!”

Dark scoffed at Brock. I looked at Dark's legs and saw them trembling as usual. It was a surprisingly welcome sight, considering I was fooled by Flash's impersonation of him. But this didn't deter Dark. He slid his cape off of one side and helped me onto his back with his wing. He seemed to struggle under my weight, but he could hold me up. When I managed to climb all the way, he looked back at me.

“Listen carefully, Apple Bloom. I'll need you to close your eyes as tight as you can.”

“What?” I asked him. “Why?”

“Because if you don't, you'll be driven mad at the sight of him.”

I gasped. “The slender pony? Here? Now?!”

“Well why else do you think he'd be here?” Flash snarked. “By yourself, you're useless to us. But apparently helpless little girls make good bargaining chips.”

I gasped and turned my head towards Dark. “You BROUGHT him here? Where is he?!”

Dark's voice turned stern. “There's no time left. As soon as he arrives, we're granted permission to leave. Now close your eyes right now!”

I did as he said and braced myself. But then I remembered something. “My bag! My journal!” I had knocked the journal off of the table when I had passed out. I held on as Dark knelt over and put the journal into my bookbag.

But just as he had the bag's strap in his mouth, I felt it. The slender pony was in the room. I didn't hear him walk in, he was just there. He was close. I did my best to suppress a scream, but tears fell from my eyes. Dark stumbled a bit in the presence of the slender pony, but he managed to make his way out of the door. Brock, Flash, and the unicorn who cast a spell on me laughed excitedly at the slender pony's presence. Dark did his best to move quickly, but his weak legs and the combined weight of me and my bookbag were making it difficult for him. I heard the unicorn chanting something louder and louder behind us. I wanted to look back and see, but I knew that it'd be best to just keep my eyes shut.

When we were a decent distance from the cabin, Dark slowed his pace to a walk. He gasped and panted. I wanted to get off and walk alongside him, but it was taking everything I had just to hold on. Our walk was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind. Dark stopped in his tracks, set my bag down, and looked back at the cabin.

“Oh no...”

“What happened?” I asked him, opening my eyes.

“Binding magic,” he told me. “They tried it on him the last time you encountered him in the forest, but he managed to escape. This time, they were ready for him.”

That didn't sound good. “What's going to happen?” I asked.

Dark slipped the bag's strap over his head and picked up the pace. “We'll have to evacuate everypony from town.”

I gasped. “They're going to attack Ponyville?!”

“Not quite,” Dark explained. “Ebony is not the type to cause mindless destruction. She would rather use his abilities to turn the townsfolk against each other.”

Ebony. That was the unicorn's name. I thought back to how Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo became distrustful of me after my nightmares made me obsessive over finding the cause. I had already experienced Ebony's magic firsthoof. If she could overpower the slender pony...

I tried not to imagine it. Instead, I used the opportunity see if he could answer some questions I had. “Dark? Why was the slender pony scaring the kids in town?”

Dark stopped for a moment, then continued walking. “He wasn't trying to.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Dark explained. “You've been near him. You know that his very presence drives ponies to fear and irritation. Most of the times he sticks to the woods or abandoned areas. But even a creature such as himself is curious. A couple of times, he wandered the roads in Ponyville at night. Just to see what was out there.”

Dark's words implied something else that I had to ask. “Are you friends with him?”

“We're both lost souls,” Dark told me. “ We wander the world, unsure of where to go or what to do.”

I had a sinking feeling in my gut. “One night, I had a nightmare worse than the the others. What was he doing that night?”

Dark sighed. “I apologize for that. I told the slender pony about how you had taken notice of me in town. He was... curious about you. He wanted to see your face.”

“See my face?” I asked. “How could he do that?”

“He was in your room.”

My heart sank. I thought back to that night, thrashing about in my sheets and rolling onto the floor. I told Applejack that somepony was in the house with us, but she didn't believe me. Big Macintosh looked around and didn't see anything either.

“So he just... teleported in my room?” I asked.

“That's right,” Dark said.

“But I didn't see a flash or nothing! Whenever my friend Twilight teleports, there's always a spark!”

Dark frowned. “The slender pony came from Tartarus. The magic there is unlike anything in Equestria. To most ponies, Tartarus is just a legend. A fairy tale to scare young children. The slender pony's presence does not have the same effect on adults that it does on children. That explains why you and your friends experienced the nightmares, but the adults noticed nothing out of the ordinary.”

“What about Twilight?” I asked him.

He turned his head toward me. “What do you mean?”

“She had the nightmares, too! And she's a full-grown adult! She told me this story about how she was present when the slender pony was summoned!”

Dark stopped walking. “What did you say?”

“I found this weird book with the symbol you drew in my journal! When Twilight looked at it, she remembered the story from a children that Princess Celestia tried to make her forget!”

Dark's mouth hung open. “Hold on, you found what? ARGH!”

He suddenly collapsed under my weight. I got off of his back and apologized profusely. “Are you okay, Dark! I think I can walk now! Please, take it easy from now on!”

Dark squirmed on the ground. “My wing!” he cried. “I put too much pressure on it!”

“Let me look at it!” I told him.

I took his cape in my teeth and started pulling it off him. Dark yelled, “No!” but it was too late.

I gasped at the sight. His wing was horribly mangled. Every joint in it was bent in a different direction. I heard about Rainbow Dash having to go to the hospital to repair a broken wing one time, but there was no way it was as bad as this.

“What happened?!” I cried.

“It's not your fault... ooohh...” Dark struggled to get back up and put back on his cape. “It's a long story. I'll be okay. I've managed this far.” He brushed myself off and started walking again, free from the burden of having to carry me. “So what's this about a book?”

On the way out of the forest, I told him all about the mysterious book I found at Twilight's library, and her first encounter with the slender pony. I also discussed with him the spell Ebony cast on me, and the visions I saw while under it. It seems like Twilight's past is coming back to haunt her even more than she thought. Dark and I agreed that the book may be our only means of breaking the spell on the slender pony.

Eventually, we made it out of the forest, with the afternoon sun still up. Dark kept his distance from town, but he agreed to meet me in the morning outside of Twilight's library. Strangely enough, I arrived at Sweet Apple Acres around the time I usually do in the evening, so Applejack didn't even know anything was wrong. She did notice that I looked a little dirty today, but I told her that we had some gymnastics lessons at school. As much as I'd like to tell my sister the truth, I don't think she and Big Macintosh would only get themselves hurt if they tried to take Ebony head-on. Not to mention, would they even believe me? They might just think I'm making up stories.

With Ebony having control of the slender pony, things could get really bad really fast. That book is our only chance at stopping her. And worst of all, she read my journal. She knows that the book is there. Dark plans on meeting me there tomorrow, but hopefully it's not too late. I'd hate to skip another day of school, but I think the safety of Ponyville is more important right now. Miss Cheerilee? I'm sorry.

Comments

[Biker_Dash]

This is getting more and more interesting.
While it may have felt a bit confusing to me at times, the story is very gripping, which is making me want MOAR! lol