A Gifted Pony, with a Life-Changing secret.

by StarShooter174

The Labyrinth

It was dark, and Star Shooter could barely see a thing. She been walking for hours, or was it days? She couldn't tell one thing from another. Was that a turn? Or did it keep going straight? Was it day or night? And was that... Talking? She stopped walking. There were whispers coming from every direction. Saying, "You're going to die here." "You're weak, pathetic, and useless." "Just give up, there's no hope for you." She tried to clear out the voices in her head, they began to drive her crazy. She ran and took random turns, "You'll never see light again" "You're dead to your friends, if you had any!" All at once every voice in her head burst into taunting laughter. "No! They know I'm alive! They will come and find me, and I'll be out of this labyrinth!" After a few moments, she realized what was happening. The voices weren't driving her crazy, they were driving her insane. She slowed down, and thought of something that would keep her mind off the taunting. And so, she began singing, "In the labyrinth, ever-changing, all around me. Like puppets on strings, we fall victim to his master plan..."She kept singing in attempt to keep her sanity. After awhile she came up with a little song, "In the labyrinth, ever-changing, all around me. Like puppets on strings, we fall victim to his master plan. And I can't even see that this path will ultimately lead to the end of our own Friendship. No! I'm not thinking straight, words of riddles echo around. We continue on blindly aiming for what we believed in. With a flap of wings, It's all over, the walls fall down." Every time she finished, she began singing it again.

After singing it again a few more times, she suddenly heard other voices singing along. As she sang along with them, something was galloping toward her. It suddenly called out, "Twilight!" Shooter stood still. Whoever it was sounded frightened, and sounded just around the corner. Without warning, a yellow mare swerved around the corner and crashed into Shooter, who became more confused as the voices sounded in panic and, all at once, disappeared. The two got up as quick as they could to see what, or who, they had crashed into. The other pegasus was first to speak, "Star Shooter?" As visibility began to slowly grow, a rock wall shot up between them. Then Shooter heard something that truly disturbed her.

A blood-curdling shriek, it was full of pain and terror, but was cut-off sharply.

Shooter began running the opposite way. As she ran faster and faster, horrid thoughts clouded her mind. The voices came back, flooding her with taunts again. They were relentless and wouldn't stop. Time seemed to slow as a light came around the corner. Shooter stopped and panted hard. As the light grew her beat faster and faster. As the holder of the light came around the corner, her heart stopped, her breathing came in gasps. Then everything stopped. She closed her eyes and just ran straight. She would not give up, look back, or let go of hope in this labyrinth. This taunting, haunting, pitch-black, nightmarish labyrinth.

As she slowed down and opened her eyes, she looked behind her. It was a stallion, he was wearing a black suit, and held the lantern. Not in a hoof, but a tentacle. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw his face, half-lit by the lantern just made it worse. For the stallion, had no eyes, nose, or mouth. No mane, no tail. She felt like fainting right then and there. But instead she didn't move. The two stared at each other, then Shooter's vision began to blur. She shook her head, He's a friend, she thought to herself.No reason to get chills or be afraid. She slowly began to walk toward him, but stopped halfway. She was hearing the voices again. Or Voice? It was singing the song she made up. But if the Voice is him, he's definitely a friend. Right?

Twist's skin began to crawl as the blood-curdling shriek cut off. She could only hope it wasn't one of her friends screaming. Then she heard something that sounded soothing. "In the Labyrinth, ever-changing, all around me." Was that Shooter? "Like puppets on strings, we fall victim to his master plan." No, there is some one singing with Shooter. "And I can't even think that this path will ultimately lead us to the end of our own friendship." Twist couldn't remain silent anymore, "Star Shooter, is that you?" At her voice, the singing stopped and she could only hear a pony galloping. Away."Wait!" She cried out desperately.

Shooter stood as still as a stone. She hadn't taken her eyes off the stallion for even a second. A sound behind made her jump as the rainbow-maned pegasus came flying around the corner behind her. She looked at her, then her attention snapped back to the stallion, who was now less then two yards in front of her. Her eyes grew wide as she looked behind the stallion and saw the yellow pegasus. She was wrapped up to her mouth in a tentacle. Then another shot out at Star Shooter. She thought fast and dodged to the side, the tentacle instead got the rainbow-maned pegasus. He flung the two pegasi behind him and there was a loud thud as they hit the wall and fell to the ground. He then held out a tentacle to her in what looked like a friendly gesture. "They only wish to hurt you, come with me and I'll keep you safe." She looked surprise as the Voice in her head spoke what the stallion would have said. "Would you rather die, or live here in the Labyrinth with me? I will never let any one hurt you, trust me." At these words she looked behind him as the rainbow-maned pegasus flew straight towards them. He turned around and whipped her with a tentacle, then looked back to Star Shooter and spoke again."They just want to kill you, and I won't let them." She now trusted the stallion and took his creepy tentacle in her hoof, only to be tricked. "You really trusted me? I've been the one trying to kill you the whole time!" She regret her decision and tried to run, but he locked her hoof in with two more tentacles. All she could think to do was scream, but no sound came out. "Star Shooter!" She turned her head around to see a pony she felt she should recognize but didn't.

The unicorn stared in horror as she saw the stallion. Another unicorn came behind her, this one she remembered. The stallion lifted her off the ground and grabbed the other yellow pegasus and flung her at the unicorns. Without thinking anything but wanting the pain and loss of sanity to stop, she sang the song she made. "In the Labyrinth, ever-changing, all around me.Like puppets on strings, we fall victim to his master plan. And I can't even see that this path will ultimately lead to the end of our own Friendship. No! I'm not thinking straight, words of riddles echo around. We continue on blindly aiming for what we believed in. With a flap of wings, It's all over, the walls fall down. Everything I knew is now lost to chaos. Is this just a dream? Nothing's what it used to be, and my patient's wearing thin, can't they hear what I'm saying? So, the Truth turned into Lies, the last cry of Laughter Dies," Two earth ponies came around another corner. "The burden of Charity, no Kindness or Loyalty." A white unicorn appeared and the two pegasi got up as the stallion lowered her to the ground, it seemed to be calming every one, so she continued. "Even with the Elements, this all merely feels pointless. My head knows what just to do but my heart can't follow through. All the Anger and Despair burn up till there's nothing there. I just wanted it to change, feeling myself turn to grey. Was there ever any Hope? Can't I trust in what I know? I might as well leave as there's no more place for me. But what can I still be feeling? Certain Magic is missing, but I don't care how it ends. What's the point without my Friends?"

As she stopped singing the stallion disappeared and she was left with the other ponies. She didn't smile or frown, she just stared through them. "The Elements of Harmony..." Shooter whispered as she turned around and galloped through the Labyrinth. "Star Shooter! Wait!" She heard one of the ponies yell, but she ignored them. She had to find the middle of the Labyrinth, she heard the others following but didn't care. She saw the stallion more than once and didn't care. Nothing would stop her, nothing would drive her off track. She stopped and looked ahead. There were no turns, no moving rocks, no more hoof steps as the others caught up to her. Just silence, a straight, long, endless looking tunnel ahead. That was, until a roar was heard from behind. But not one, multiple. There were buzzing sounds, and as they all turned around, the turn they had all taken disappeared. Her remaining friends ran into them from where the buzzing sounds were coming from. And all at once every pony that stood, flapped their wings, or lit up their horn screamed the same word.

"Changelings!"

Author's Note:

The song is 'Bad Harmony' by ReicheruCharin on Youtube. I got the song stuck in my head and decided it fit the situation, as she being a little insane at the moment.

Comments

[StarShooter174]

This chapter came out longer than expected. I hope every one likes it!