Equestria Girls: Fallen Canterlot

by Feather Book


Chapter 1: Through the Mirror

Thirty moons was a painfully long time to wait.

Twilight Sparkle stared at the tall mirror. Her focus not on her reflection but rather the faint shimmer of magic that rippled across the silvered surface in tiny waves. Had it really been that long? She reached out her hoof only to pause before it touched the glass.

The day was finally here. She had predicted that the portal would return to its natural cycle after it had closed. It just had to. But she could scarcely believe it had finally happened.

“You okay, Twilight?” Spike asked.

Twilight looked at the young dragon’s reflection. A long scroll spilled out of his claws and trailed behind him all the way back to a pair of bulging saddlebags that sat in the centre of Twilight’s library.

A smile broke on Twilight’s face and she let out a out gleeful squeal. “Oh, I certainly am, Spike! It’s finally happened. Today is the day! The portal is open again!”

She flew over to her saddle bags and clapped her hooves while she peered inside.

“Yeah, it sure has been a long time,” Spike said. “I can’t wait to see them all again!”

“Just a few moments longer, Spike,” Twilight chuckled.

This was it. This was the day: She finally could see her Canterlot High Friends again.

Twilight paused. But will they be waiting for me? Thirty moons was a long time to wait, after all. They could have moved on already, having forgotten all about Twilight. But surely they would still be friends, right? If something bad hadn’t happened to them, that is...

Her eyes landed on a large journal next to the portal, Princess Celestia’s cutie mark, once proudly embossed on the cover, now lay under a thin layer of dust. She trotted over and gently ran a hoof over the journal’s cover, brushing the dust away. How long had it been since she had looked inside? A year, at least.

“Just a moment longer…” She opened the book to the last bookmarked page. She let her hoof linger halfway down the worn parchment on the signature of the last entry.

Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. “I just hope they’re all okay.”

“They’re fine, Twilight,” Spike said. “Sunset’s journal just probably stopped working or something.”

“But why? The magic on these books should last forever.”

“Anything could have happened.” Spike shrugged. “We’ve gone over this, like, fifty times already.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. We have.” She looked up to the portal. They had to be okay. They must be. What could have possibly happened to them?

Their world didn’t seem all that dangerous. And it’s not like they had magic like Equestria had… most of the time that is. Then again, Twilight really knew nothing about their world. She had always wanted to study it, but she never had the time before the portal closed.

Why hadn't she noticed something had gone wrong sooner? Weeks had gone by without any word from Sunset before Twilight looked at the portal. And while the problem wasn’t on her side—she was sure of it—there must have been something she could have done. The machinery, spells, and enchantments around the portal were all still in working order. But, what if something had gone wrong in her readings? Or maybe something and gone through without her noticing?

Twilight turned back to the journal and re-read the last message from Sunset. It was a short one about how Sunset and her friends had gone camping on Applejack’s farm. There, they had toasted marshmallows and watched a meteor shower, but there was no hint or clue of any problem. Other than the wild Equestrian magic Sunset often complained about.

What if that was it? What if this was the portals fault? Magic, while thoroughly studied and understood, was a fickle thing capable of anything. Maybe it was a clue, but there was no evidence. No record. No reading. Nothing.

Twilight closed the book and sighed, lowing her head against the cover. Sunset and the girls had to be okay. They just had to. But, there was only one way to know what happened. “Spike, is everything ready?”

“Sure! Everything on the list is packed and triple checked.” Spike said, proudly displaying the multiple little ticks next to each item on the list.

Twilight chuckled and rustled his crest. “Hopefully we haven't forgotten anything.”

“I think we have more than enough, unless you wanted to pack the kitchen sink as well?”

“It’s better to be safe than sorry, Spike.” Twilight fastened up her saddle bags and smoothed out the wrinkles.

“Uh, Twilight…” Spike pointed towards the library's entrance. “There is something you've forgotten.”

Twilight followed his claw and almost fell over herself at the towering sight of Princess Celestia. The princess let an amused smirk cross her. “You weren't planning to go without saying goodbye, were you, Twilight?”

“Princess!” Twilight stumbled half between a bow and a joyful jump forwards to her mentor’s side. “I… uh…”

Celestia simply chuckled, each gasp full of motherly amusement as she pulled Twilight into a hug. “I know you’re excited about today, Twilight. I just wanted to come and see you off.”

Twilight's cheeks burned as she chuckled. “Thank you, Princess. I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Well, you were a bit preoccupied, darling,” Rarity said as she trotted over to Twilight’s side.

Twilight pulled herself back to face the unicorn wide eyed. “Rarity?” Rarity was flanked by the rest of her friends. “Girls! You’re all here?”

“We sure are, Twi,” Applejack said, adjusting her hat.

“Indeed,” Rarity continued. “We all knew how excited you were for this day. We wouldn’t miss our chance to see you off.”

“Ooh! Can we go this time? Please, Twilight, please!” Pinkie Pie jumped up in front of Twilight.

Twilight yelped at the sudden mass of pinkness and tumbled back into a bookshelf.

Pinkie continued, her large pleading eyes staring down at Twilight. “I promise we’ll be good. I just sooooo want to meet the other me!”

“I don’t think that would be a very good idea, Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash shuddered and helped Twilight back to her hooves. “Just one of you is more than enough fun for any world.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right… But I just so want to see if she’s as good of a baker as I am! Think of all the tasty cakes and awesome parties we could have!”

Twilight chuckled. “While I’m sure she’d love to meet you too, Pinkie, I think it’s best that I go through and make sure everything is safe first.”

“I agree,” Celestia said. “More interactions with the other world risks upsetting the balance of both. It is best if only you and Spike go.”

“Ahw yeah!” Spike said with a small fist pump. “Does this mean I finally get to meet the other me? I hope he’s just as cool.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and levitated her saddle bags onto her back. She winced for a moment as she let them settle. “I’m sure you’ll get to see for yourself, Spike. It’s best that we don't wait any longer. If we can’t keep the portal open, then our time may be limited.”

“Wait, Twilight,” Starlight Glimmer said as she trotted over with a wide grin. “There is one more thing you’ve forgotten.”

“What? Really? Spike and I went over the list three times already.”

Starlight’s grin turned into a smirk. “Well… There was one little thing that you kind of forgot to put on the list.”

“Impossible!” Twilight gasped. “I’ve been planning this for months! How could I have forgotten anything?”

“Relax, Twi,” Applejack said with a deep chuckle. “It’s a surprise, that’s why.”

With a flash of magic, gift box wrapped in colourful paper and topped with a purple bow appeared in front of Twilight. “W-What’s this?”

“Surprise!” Pinkie cheered. She threw her hooves out wide, scattering confetti around and nudged the present closer.

“We all got it for you,” Fluttershy said with a kind smile.

“For me?” Twilight lifted the box into her hooves. Whatever was inside had some weight to it. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Well, don’t just sit there, Twilight. Open it!” Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight carefully lifted the lid off. There were two large journals inside. Their covers were both decorated with a cutie mark. One was Twilight’s own purple star, the other was a yellow and red sun—Sunset Shimmer’s cutie mark.

Twilight gasped. “Are these what I think they are?”

“New journals, of course,” Rarity said. “Magical too, just like the old ones.”

“We thought that if Sunset had lost her journal then it would be good to get a replacement,” Starlight said. “I’ve also put a few extra spells on that journal, just to make sure it stays safe.”

“We all pitched in to help too,” Applejack added. “The books were all made by us. It sure was quite the event, Ah tell ya.”

Twilight’s heart fluttered and she smiled widely. “Thank you, girls, thank you all!”

Rarity pulled Twilight into a hug and quickly all the others followed. The moment lasted for a few blissful seconds before she squeezed Sunset’s journal into her saddle bag and fastened it shut.

“Starlight,” Twilight said, turning ot her former student and offering her the journal with her own cutie mark on it. “Could you look after mine? I’ll use it to contact you later.”

“Sure thing, Twilight. Say ‘Hi’ to Sunset for me.”

“I will.” Twilight smiled and turned to the portal. The ripples of magic still flowed over the mirror as the surrounding the instruments ticked well within usual readings. All lights were green. Every reading was stable. But all it took was one dial climbing too high to end in disaster.

Twilight frowned and poked a dial. The small hand twitched between the numbers. “Oh… And please keep an eye on the portal. If anything goes wrong, let me know.”

“Stop worrying, Twilight,” Starlight chuckled, wrapping a hoof around Twilight’s back. “It will be fine. Go and enjoy yourself.”

With a slight nudge form Starlight, Twilight turned and once again thanked her friends before Celesta walked over, her expression turning grave. “There’s one more thing, Twilight,” the Princess said. “While I’m sure you’ll have a great time with Sunset, if, by any chance, you do run into danger then I want you to return home.”

Danger? No, there just can’t be any danger. Everything will be fine. Everyone had said so. But, then again, Celestia is never wrong.

“Princess…” Twilight said slowly, steadying herself for her moment of disobedience. “If I’m in danger, then surely my friends would be too. I can’t just leave them.”

“I would be disappointed if you didn’t feel that way,” Celestia said with a hint of smile. “But this world needs you, Twilight. Besides, here you can have a safe place to plan your next course of action should the need arise.”

Twilight considered this for a moment. She wanted to argue. They were her friends. She had never let any friend down before, but, she had never let down the Princess either. Slowly, she nodded. “I understand, Princess.”

“Lighten up, Twilight.” Celestia chuckled as her motherly warmth returned. “As I said, I’m sure Sunset is fine and waiting for you on the other side. Now go. Have a great time.”

Twilight cracked a gentle smile. “Thank you, Princess.” She turned to Spike. “Ready, Spike?”

“You bet, Twilight!”

Twilight looked up at the portal and smiled. This was it. She had everything she would ever need and Spike at her side. Her friends cheered her on as she stepped through the mirror.

Everything will be just fine.


A moment had barely passed before Twilight felt herself hurtling through the air. It was like she was sucked through a dry whirlpool and ejected into an oven. She didn’t have time to brace herself as she slammed into the stone slabs that surrounded the statue. Pain burned through her hands and knees as a thick cloud of hot dust rose around her.

She hissed and gasped, only to cough and splutter as the dust cloud burned at her throat. She tried to raise her head to look around but was suddenly blinded by a piercing hot light. “Spike!” she choked out.

The light burned at her eyes. It rained down from above like a solid wave of heat. She felt a bead of sweat roll down from her brow and fall off into the dry air. A gentle breeze slowly blew the dust aside.

Twilight raised her hand over her eyes. Hand? She had changed when she passed through the portal. She was human now, not a pony. The look of the strange five digits was both alien and familiar to her, it took a moment to remember it all. She gave the fingers a small wiggle. Twilight squinted her eyes and glanced around as she attempted to take in her surroundings.

She didn’t see much but the arid, dusty ground, bleached under the heat of the oppressive sun above. A slow but growing burning sensation slowly made itself known as it rose though her exposed legs and the hand that remained on the ground.

Twilight let out a quick cry of pain as she shot up and unsteadily rose onto her two feet. The stone floor was scorching hot. She wouldn’t be surprised if an egg could cook on the paving stones. Twilight took a moment to glance down at her new body.

It was much like how she remembered. She was wearing the same clothes the portal had so kindly provided –a light lavender skirt and a pale blue top– but she was already covered in a thin layer of dust and the skin over her knees had been grazed raw though the landing.

She hissed gently at the pain. It was just a scratch. She had medical supplies in her bags, but she didn’t think that they would be needed so soon.

The landing was much harder than Twilight had expected. The whole portal journey was. It had felt like something had tried ripping her away as she passed through, threatening to tear her off to some other place. It wasn’t at all like the previous times.

“Ah! Hot, hot, hot!” she heard Spike cry. “Oww… Why are paws so sensitive!”

Twilight blinked the sunspots from her eyes as she glanced towards the source of the voice. “Spike? Are you okay?”

The dragon let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, I am now. This grass is so much better to stand on… Even if it’s all dead. What happened?”

It took a moment to recognise Spike. Her young dragon assistant wasn’t a dragon any longer, he didn’t even have a single scale on his body. Instead, a small purple dog looked up at her, blinking and wincing at the light. Spike stood on the once well-kept lawns out the front of Canterlot High. The grass was reduced to small patches of brown shoots trying to remain standing above the cracked, hard dirt.

Her eyes squinted as she braved the sunlight to look up at their surroundings. Standing tall above them was the familiar facade of Canterlot High School. Its condition was anything but comforting. The brick walls were cracked and peppered with small holes; many windows were shattered and the large glass doors were left wide open.

But it was the grounds around her that she found most interesting. Fallen metal fencing peppered with torn tape fluttering in the light breeze were strewn between the remains of large green canvas tents. They too had seen better days as the fabric had been ripped away and their structures partially collapsed.

Twilight glanced down. Tables had been overturned scattering bags, helmets, clipboards, books and packaging of all kinds over the ground. The litter had long been bleached by the light and battered apart by the elements.

What happened indeed?

“And where is everyone?” Spike asked. He suddenly tensed up and gasped in before letting out a loud sneeze that scattered yet more dust into the air. He sniffed. “All I can smell is dirt.”

Twilight’s heart sank. Her breathing quickened as she held her arms close to her chest. She looked around again, even if it hurt to do so. Everything was so still, so desolate, so… dead. She shuddered and gulped. “I-I don’t know, Spike. Whatever happened… It must have been bad. Really bad!”

“You can say that again.”

A gentle easterly breeze brushed against Twilight, yet it did little to cool her. If she were still a pony, her ears would be on ends as she listened out for any sound. There was none but the gentle flutter of the canvas. The city was still and silent.

Twilight looked to the street behind her. There were lines of cars, yellow busses and large trucks, none of which looked like they had moved in a long time. Some were damaged with parts of them crumpled inwards and others with gashes like they had been ripped open with a tin opener.

“Okay… Okay,” Twilight whispered to herself. Her breaths grew quicker and deeper as she looked around, making sure she didn’t miss a thing. “Something bad did happen. And now no one is here and they left all their stuff in a hurry.”

“Twilight!”

Spike’s scream shattered her thoughts. She twisted back to the school and sprinted forwards. “Spike!”

The young dog was slowly backing away from a tent. He bumped into an overturned table and whimpered, but his focus remained fixated on something poking out from under the torn canvas.

Twilight followed his gaze. She gasped. A short scream caught in her throat. Her legs trembled, threatening to give out under her.

Spike gulped. “T-Twilight? Is that…. Is that what I think it is?”

Reaching out from under the tent was the washed-out dry bones of a skeleton. A human skeleton! A real one too, Twilight was sure of that.

Twilight wanted to scream, only no sound came. No! She shook her head and raised a hand to her chest before slowly exhaling, an old trick to calm her nerves, taught to her by her former foalsitter and sister-in-law Princess Cadance. This wasn’t the time for panic. She turned back to the ghastly sight before her.

Her mind raced with thoughts. Who were they? What if it’s a friend! She repeated her breathing trick. It did little to help. “Y-Yes, Spike. They’re human remains… Who could have just left him here like that!”

Spike whimpered quietly. “W-We need to get out of here, Twilight. Back to the portal. Remember what the Princess said?”

Twilight did remember. She closed her eyes and fought to calm her mind. The chances of it being a friend were very slim. Whoever this was, they met a grisly fate and no one had been around to take care of him. But the bones were old. Whatever killed him must have been long gone. The thought did little to settle her nerves, but at least the place seemed safe. She took one look back to the bones and let out a long sigh. “No.”

“No?”

“No, Spike. I’m sorry, but we have to find out what’s going on here. We’re… We’re not in danger, yet. The princess said only to return if we were. Even if we did go back, what would we do? We have no idea what happened here or why.”

Spike looked up to her with terrified eyes but nodded. “A-Are you sure, Twilight?”

Twilight’s heart faltered at the sight but she narrowed her eyes in determination. “Yes, Spike, I am sure. We’ve got to find answers. We’ve got to find our friends.” She looked up at the school and unsteady began to climb the stone steps towards the broken glass doors. She paused halfway up and looked back. “At the first sign of danger we’ll go, I promise. But please, Spike, we’ve got to do this.”

Spike glanced back to the portal and then back up at Twilight. He nodded, a look of determination crossing his face. “You’ve got it, Twilight. Let’s find out what happened.”


Twilight waited a few moments for her eyes to adjust.

A cooling relief accompanied the darkness inside. The familiar atrium stood still and empty. Here more tables and assorted items were left scattered about. It was as if someone had tossed the tables around the room, deliberately scattering piles of leaflets over the floor. The walls were lined with notice boards buried under faded papers and posters. One to the right of the entrance was covered in scattered photographs and handwritten notes.

Twilight couldn’t help her curiosity. She took a few steps forward and examined the board.

Most of the details had faded from exposure to the elements, but each photograph showed people smiling and laughing like one would do in a photograph. Written around were names and series of numbers - phone numbers if Twilight remembered correctly. Other pictures had circles or crosses drawn around the faces of those on the faded paper.

Twilight turned her attention to one of the least faded notes. She considered briefly if it was right to pry, but pushed the thought aside. These notes were left out in the open, they were meant to be read, she reasoned.

It was a brief note. She read it quietly to herself, “Cotton Swirl, the army is taking us to some camp near to Appleloosa. We are all safe. We hope you are too. Please come quickly.”

Twilight frowned and pieced together all that she had seen. “This must be some kind of evacuation centre.”

“Evacuation? Evacuation from what?” Spike asked.

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t know, Spike. But whatever it was, it must have been big for everything to be like this.” She glanced outside. The light that poured in through the doors turned the outside into a dazzling haze, but she could still see the tent. A pang of guilt crossed though her. “And not everyone made it out.”

Should we do something for them? She thought. What can we do?

“Let’s hope that whatever it was doesn’t get us.” Spike knocked Twilight from her thoughts as he brushed against her legs. His ears stood on end as he kept a keen eye out for anything.

“Don’t worry, Spike. We’re just having a look around,” Twilight said. “Let’s find Principal Celestia’s office. If anyone would have something to explain what was going on, it’s probably her.”

Twilight made her way down the darkened hallways with Spike close to her side. Many of the lockers she passed were left open, their contents having been quickly removed. Others were ripped open by long gashes that twisted the thin metal. She glanced into each classroom they passed. Each one was left in a sorry state. The desks had been left abandoned and pushed out of place, a thick layer of dust covering them. The light that flooded in through the windows had bleached blank the text books that were left open.

The school was deathly silent. The only sounds were the squeaking of her own boots on the floor. The floor itself wasn’t clean. Discarded books, papers and other assorted litter lined the once pressing floors. She also noticed scattered about were many odd little metal cylinders, closed at one end and open at the other.

Silently, she climbed the stairs to the first floor. She didn’t dare to break the deafening silence of the school. She carefully made her way through the jammed open fire doors and walked in the direction of the library.

The first-floor corridors were much like the ones below. As they walked Spike suddenly froze. “Twilight,” he hissed. “Do you hear that?”

Twilight also froze and listened. The air was still, the sound of her own heart beating louder than anything else. She waited in silence when suddenly, there it was. A distant sound. A faint, rhythmic scratching.

Twilight nodded to Spike and continued forwards. She remained close to the lockers to avoid the sunlight that shot through the broken windows to her left and cast burning rays down onto the floor. When they reached the library, Twilight couldn’t help but look through the broken doors. She waited a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the light that flowed through the high glass dome of the room. As Twilight’s vision cleared she let out a small gasp. The dome hand fallen into the centre of the room, crushing under it many bookshelves. More shelves lay twisted and thrown about while others still stood but the books that were once neatly lined in order had been thrown to the side.

Twilight’s heart sank at the sight. The library was full of knowledge unheard of in Equestria. She remembered the night she had spent inside on the bed of books Spike had made for her. She had once hoped to read every book within; the chance to learn so much and digest thousands of years of alien culture was a truly enchanting thought. But now, neither her or anyone else would ever have that chance. Sighing, she turned back to the sound. She still had answers to find.

The sound was louder now. It was constant and moved in regular patterns. It reminded her of chalk on a blackboard, and considering her location, it could well be. It was coming from a classroom just beyond the library.

Twilight walked closer to its door and peeked in through the small window.

A man stood there scratching at the blackboard. He wore a tattered brown sweater, somehow oblivious to the heat. A faded black wig sat on his head, patches of hair having fallen out revealing the stitching underneath. What caught Twilight’s attention the most was the blackboard he was writing on. It had turned white with chalk. It was as if no one had cleaned it in years and instead just kept writing over the top of the old notes. The man’s hands and sleeves were covered in a thick layer of chalk, as was the floor under him. More surprisingly was that the room had been filled with packets of chalk sticks. Many were ripped open and their contents scattered about.

“What is it?” Spike whispered.

Twilight gently lifted him enough to see.

“Well, he looks… Okay, he just looks crazy.”

“Spike!” Twilight hissed. “Well… I admit, he does look a bit… Confused. But you shouldn't call people that.”

Spike rolled his eyes as he was lowed to the ground. “So, what are you going to do?”

“He’s the first person we’ve seen so far,” Twilight whispered. “We should try talking to him.”

“But what if he’s dangerous?”

“He doesn’t look dangerous,” Twilight replied. She looked back through the door. The man continued to write on the board, oblivious to the conversation outside. “But if he gets angry we could always just run away.”

“I don’t like it, Twilight. This place just gives me the creeps.”

Twilight sighed. “Me too, Spike. But we’ve got to do this. He may know what happened here, or if we’re lucky, where our friends are. He looks like a teacher after all.”

Spike slowly nodded. “Okay, Twilight. Just be careful, alright?”

Twilight smiled at her loyal assistant, finding reassurance in the young dog’s words. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door just enough for her to slip in.

The man still hadn’t taken his attention away from the board. His chalk stick had been worn down to a small nub, yet he kept writing, as if each inch of chalk counted.

Twilight’s heart hammered as she took a few tentative steps forwards. She coughed gently. “Excuse me, Sir?”

The man froze. Twilight waited a breathless few seconds as his head slowly turned to her. His face was thin from hunger and his eyes that were circled with heavy bags were near pin-pricks as they stared right at her with a look of confusion. Slowly his brow shifted to a heavy scowl. “Twilight Sparkle. You are late for class.”

Twilight raised a confused eyebrow. Of all the things he could have said, this didn’t even appear on her list of possibilities. As her mind raced to process this new information all she could choke out was, “Late?”

“Yes. Very late, Miss Sparkle. Now take your seat and pay attention.” His voice was low and dull. It lacked any form of emotion other than mild annoyance. His attention quickly turned back to the board as he began scribbling again.

Twilight glanced to the empty seats. Small desks were lined up along the room, a few had been knocked out of their rows and others had their chairs scattered to the floor. Most still had open textbooks and abandoned pens lying on them. Twilight briefly considered taking an empty desk, but her attention turned back to the teacher.

“Um… Sir?”

Snap!

Twilight squeaked as the chalk snapped in the man’s hand. His grip around the stick further tightened as he slowly turned his head. His eyes burned at Twilight. “Yes, Miss Sparkle?”

Twilight gulped. “Mister… Err, Sir. Where is everyone? What happened?”

The man’s face twisted into a scowl. “First you are late and now you interrupt the class by asking foolish questions? Take your seat, Twilight Sparkle. I better not hear another peep out of you. This is your only warning.”

Twilight froze for a moment before slowly nodding. She inched back, her eyes unable to break from the man’s gaze. She felt herself bump into a wooden desk and quickly fell back into the plastic chair behind it, almost scattering a few packs of chalk to the floor as she did so.

The man seemed satisfied. His thin fingers scooped up a new chalk stick as he turned back to the board and resumed writing. Spike poked his head through the door, he met Twilight’s eyes and then glanced to the man. Slowly he crept in and scurried over to Twilight. “What’s going on?”

Twilight didn’t take her eyes off the man as she leaned down to Spike. “I don’t know. He seems to think there’s a class on.”

“Wow. He really has lost his marbles.”

“Spike! This is serious. I think he needs our help.”

“Yeah, but what if he doesn’t want our help?”

Twilight glanced back at the board. The man continued his writing. Something about him felt familiar to Twilight. She never took note of Canterlot High’s staff other than the Principals, yet this man recognised her, or perhaps her human counterpart. That was a logical conclusion.

She took a deep breath and, remembering back to her own time in school, raised her hand. She waited a few moments before gently coughing to get his attention.

The man continued writing.

Twilight frowned and sighed as she tapped her foot against the warped wooden floor. She glanced down at the boxes of chalk on the desk. One pack had broken open and scattered its dusty continents. Twilight carefully lifted a stick and held it over the edge of the desk.

She let go.

The chalk clattered against the floor.

The man’s head shot around, his wig slid to the side with the force. His brow twisted as he gritted his teeth. “I warned you, Miss Sparkle,” he snarled, each monotone word dripping with disdain. “Not only are you late. You just cannot stop interrupting my class. And now you dare to destroy school property!”

Twilight flinched. A spark of memory flared in her mind. His voice, his grumpy demeanour, his rough black wig and a few off-hand mentions by Sunset about the teachers. She gulped as the realisation sank in her stomach. “Cranky Doodle?”

“That’s Miser Doodle to you!” he snapped. “Mark my words, Twilight Sparkle. This is going on your permanent record!”

Cranky Doodle reached down under his desk and pulled up a wooden hatchet.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Mister Doodle! I’m sorry, but please! I just don’t understand what’s going on!”

Cranky took a step towards Twilight. He was hunched over himself, the hatchet hanging loosely by his side. “Then you should have been paying attention, girl. To think you were one of my best students!”

Twilight pushed herself back in her seat. The chair screeched across the warped wooden floor.

The hatchet was raised above her. Cracky Doodle said nothing as he glared down at Twilight. His eyes were both alight and distant. The world went silent for her. Even her heart seemed to stop as she stared up at the dull blade hanging over her. She pushed herself back further, hoping to put as much distance between herself and the hatchet.

Her chair suddenly fell back.

Twilight yelled as she tumbled back into a stack of chalk boxes. A cloud of dust blurred her vision and burned her lungs.

“Stay back!” Spike barked, quite literally in this case, as he leaped at the teacher’s legs and sunk his teeth deep into Cranky’s ankle. Cranky let out a yell as he lurched back.

“You! You brought a dog into school! Another mark against you!”

Twilight pushed herself up and scrambled towards the door. “Spike! Come on!”

She looked back just in time to see Cranky kick Spike off his leg. Spike yelped in pain as he tumbled across the floor and crashed into a table.

Twilight twisted around and dived towards her assistant. “Spike!”

Spike whimpered and growled as he lay on the floor. When he tried to stand  a painful yelp escaped his muzzle as he fell back. “Oww…”

Twilight scooped him into her arms and glanced up at Cranky just in time to see the hatchet falling towards her. She screamed and dived out of the way as the blade cracked into the wooden desk above her. Twilight wasted no time and sprinted towards the door.

Cranky groaned as he pulled the hatchet free. “Running only gets you into more trouble! Get back here or I’ll have you expelled!”

Twilight didn’t look back as she sprinted into the hallway, holding Spike close against her chest. She stumbled as she ran as fast as she could on two legs. She dashed through the scorching sun-shafts that poured in through the broken windows. She glanced back over her shoulder.

Cranky Doodle had followed her, his hand grasped tightly around the hatchet as he gave chase. He was surprisingly fast. He didn’t run; rather he hobbled at a brisk place. With each step, he almost unevenly fell into the next. “Get back here! Running only makes it worse!”

Twilight’s heart pounded as her chest heaved with each rapid gasp of the stale hot air. She stumbled outside of the library and caught herself against the wall. She cried as she pushed herself back upright, keeping Spike close to her.

“Hurry, Twilight!” he cried. His damp eyes were fixated on what was behind them. “He’s getting closer!”

“I know!” Twilight continued to gasp for each breath as she approached the stairs. She skidded to the stop, almost overshooting them. She slowed as she descended them, not trusting her legs as she navigated narrow steps, cluttered with dirt and discarded items. She leaned tight into the corner halfway down.

Cranky let out a furious yell.

Twilight looked up and screamed. She ducked just in time as the hatchet soared over her head, brushing a few strands of hair as it went. She lurched downwards. Her foot missed the step.

A moment of weightlessness came over her as her world turned sideward. It was quickly followed by bone shaking pain as she collided with the stairs, and was quickly followed by more shocks as she tumbled down the remaining steps.

She didn’t have time to scream as she held Spike close to herself, shielding him from the impact. What little breath was left in her lungs was thrown out of her as she landed against the hard floor of the school. Her backpack had taken most of the shock but it didn’t help ease the pain in her arms and legs. She looked up as best she could.

Bright sunlight cascaded down the staircase onto her, she could barely make out the shadow of Cranky Doodle hobbling down towards her. “This is what happens if you run in the hall,” he grumbled. “No detention for you, Twilight Sparkle. This calls for expulsion!”

Twilight wanted to run. She tried to crawl to her feet but fell again as the world span around her. Her whole body burned. She struggled to breathe as she felt a tear rolled down her cheek.

Spike was whimpering in her arms. “Twilight! Please! We’ve got to run!”

Her assistant’s words tugged at her heart. She glared up at the shadow that loomed over her. She kicked out with whatever force she could muster. With one arm tight around Spike the other reached out trying to grab anything within reach. “No! Please! We can talk about this! I’m sorry for disturbing you!”

She wasn’t fast enough. A tight grip wrapped around her ankle and tugged sharply. She yelled and tried to kick with the other foot. If Cranky Doodle noticed her kicks he didn’t pay them any attention. He raised the hatchet high above her. He let out a disappointed humph. “And to think you were a great student.”

Twilight’s cheeks quickly became wet as she screamed. She couldn’t see the man above her in the light of the sun. Just his shadow, and that hatchet hanging over her like a countdown to the end. She kicked and struggled, but nothing happened.

The hatchet fell.

Twilight clenched her eyes shut. Spike, Sunset, everyone… I am so sorry. She held her breath. Tears flowed freely and soaked the dust-covered floor.

She waited.

The hatchet didn’t arrive. She half-opened an eye as she risked a glance up. A second shadow stood next to Cranky Doodle. It was tall and wore a long coat with overhanging shadow of a hat, much like Applejack’s own Stetson, sat over its head. The figure had one hand clasped tightly around Cranky’s raised arm.

The teacher let out a few surprised grumbles as the second shadow placed a hand against his forehead. “Sleep,” she said.

Twilight was sure she saw a flash of light from the shadow’s head as she spoke. The voice was feminine, but it certainly didn’t have an accent like Applejack’s. Her voice was familiar. It brought back old memories and with them a hopeful smile.

Cranky Doodle wobbled as his body relaxed. The shadow caught him in her arms and gently lowed the man to the ground. She rested him against a wall as he let out a small snore. The hatchet harmlessly clattered to the floor.

The figure turned to Twilight and held out a hand wrapped in a fingerless glove. Twilight hesitated for a moment before taking hold of it and was eased upright. She did her best not to hiss as her back protested against the movement. She blinked the sunspots from her eyes as she looked up at the woman’s face. Slowly, a kind smile under a pair of teal, familiar eyes came into view.

Twilight smiled back as her heart jumped with joy. “Sunset!”

Sunset smiled widely under her look of concern. “Are you okay, Twilight? Did he hurt you?”

All that Twilight could do was to wrap her friend in a tight hug. She gasped as she felt the tears begin to flow again. “Sunset… It’s so good to see you again.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” her friend said as she returned the hug. “You’re safe now.”

Twilight winced in pain as her friend wrapped her arms around a few growing bruises. But she didn’t protest; she didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Spike nuzzled between the two of them, a wide smile over his own face as his tail rapidly waggled.

“It’s great to see you as well, Twilight,” Sunset softly sighed. She then chuckled gently. “And you too, Spike.”

“Sunset! You saved us!” Spike cheered. “Thank you so much. What did you do to him?”

“Hey, there was no way I would let him hurt you. As for what I did,” Sunset paused and looked over at the sleeping man. “Well, it was magic…”

Twilight’s brow furrowed in confusion. She pulled back slightly to get a better look at Sunset. Understandably she was older than Twilight last remembered, but she looked thinner than before. Her hair was the same red and gold as it once was although it was unkempt in such a way that would surely make Rarity scream. But her eyes, they looked duller then she remembered, and were sunken back in tired sockets.

Her outfit had also changed. She no longer wore her much-loved black jacket, instead a dusty knee-length heavy brown coat was around her. She wore fingerless gloves of a similar material. The hat on her head was black trimmed with white threading and had a wide brim that covered her head. A pair of tinted goggles were pulled up over her eyebrows and a crimson bandana was wrapped around her neck. It usually spent most of its time covering her mouth, Twilight guessed from the tan lines that covered her friend’s face. Sunset also had a long length of rope tired around her coat and she carried a heavy backpack.

“Magic? But I thought you said your magic only let you read minds?”

Sunset glanced away as she broke the hug and rubbed her arms. She sighed deeply. “Yeah… Well… It turns out I can control people’s minds too. Not in an absolute way! Just that I can implant suggestions and it’s up to them if they want to do it… I think. I’ve never really tied to do more and even then it was only when I absolutely needed to.”

Twilight sighed and with one arm hugged her friend again. “I’m sorry… It’s just… It’s so good to see you, Sunset. And don’t worry about the mind control thing… I’m not mad. Promise.”

Sunset chuckled gently. “Thanks, Twilight. I’ve sure missed you.”

“So you can control minds now? Like some kind of superhero?” Spike injected. He tried to jump up at Sunset but suddenly yelped and feel back into Twilight’s lap.

“Spike? Are you okay?” Twilight asked.

He groaned and nuzzled against Twilight. “I hurt all over… But my side, it’s just so bad!”

Sunset carefully stood and offered a hand for Twilight. “We should get you to Fluttershy. Both of you. You took quite a nasty tumble there, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded and with Sunset’s help rose to her feet. Her free arm cradling the wounded Spike. It was now Twilight noticed a bleeding gash on her leg. She winced at the pain. “Sunset… What’s going on here?”

“It’s a long story, Twilight. But we shouldn’t speak here.” Sunset glanced around the hallway. “The nurse’s office may have some supplies left. Let’s do what we can for you and then get home.”

“Sunset, please… Our friends? You mentioned Fluttershy but are the others… are they-“

“Okay?”

Twilight nodded.

Sunset glanced away again and sighed. “Twilight… A lot has changed since the portal closed. I now live with Fluttershy, Applejack and her family, but the others… I’ve tied looking for them but I haven’t seen or heard from them since before this all started. They’re… They’re missing.”

Twilight's heart sank. The joy she was feeling seconds ago quickly drained away. Her friends were missing. And for thirty moons too! Surely there must be some mistake. That was far too long for them to be gone without even a sound. Twilight opened her mouth to speak but Sunset cut her off.

“Not now. Let’s get you fixed up and then we’ve got to go.”

Twilight sighed and then nodded. She leaned against Sunset for support as they stumbled down the silent hallway.


Twilight hadn’t realised just how bad of a shape she was in until she saw herself in the cracked mirror. She was coated in dust; her arms and legs were grazed and scratched. Now that she had a chance to calm down she became ever more aware of the rising pain in her back.

She would be complaining about it if it weren’t for the questions that raced through her mind. Her friends were missing. Sunset’s voice kept repeating those words again and again within her head. The thought wrapped around her like a cold vice.

“That should hold,” Sunset said as she finished bandaging the gash on Twilight’s leg. “It wasn’t that bad. How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said. “Sunset, please. What is going on? Where is everyone?”

Sunset sat on the stool opposite Twilight and folded her arms around her. “About two and a half years ago, thirty moons, something happened. I don’t know what but I just know that it involved magic. It caused the sky itself to set on fire and it burned non-stop for thirteen days and nights.”

Twilight pushed herself to the edge of the bed, eager to hear the story. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“That’s the thing, I have no memory of it happening. One moment I went to bed after writing to you about the last time we were all together, a picnic watching a meteor shower I think, and then suddenly I woke up on the roof of the school. By then the burning sky had finished and the whole world had gone to Tartarus.”

“And the portal was closed?” Twilight asked.

Sunset nodded. “And I tried to head home to get the journal, but it was just too dangerous. It was weeks later I finally managed to get there but the Journal was just gone. My place didn’t look like it had been robbed or anything. It was just missing!”

“And you said the girls were missing too?” Spike asked. He was lying at Twilight’s side, trying his best not to move. “Even Rarity?”

Sunset flinched slightly and nodded. “Yeah, even Rarity… I did look for them. I found Applejack and Fluttershy at the farm, but the other girls weren’t at home or anywhere else I checked. I’ve been wandering all over trying to find them, but I haven’t even been able to cover a quarter of the city yet. It’s still dangerous to be out there alone.”

“Because of people like Cranky Doodle?”

She nodded. “We call it the Madness. I don’t know what causes it, but it just brings out the worst in people and makes them really aggressive. And there’s no known cure.”

The group sat in silence for a few moments as Twilight lost herself deep in thought. Thirty moons without sight or sound of their friends, and Sunset was looking for them. Where could they be? Could they even still be alive? Twilight frowned. No! They are alive! They’ve got to be, she thought. She fought back the tears such a thought brought with them. They’re out there, somewhere. We just have to find them.

Twilight looked up at Sunset who was busy staring at the floor, her face hidden beneath her hat. But if Sunset couldn’t do it? Twilight shook her head. “Sunset, I’ll help you. I promise. We’ll find our friends. We’ll find a way to stop all this… madness!”

“No, Twilight.” Sunset’s voice was barely audible. She glanced up just enough for her damp teal eyes to peek out for below her hat. “I… I can’t ask you to do that. You should be home, with your friends, where it’s safe.”

“Sunset, you and the girls are my friends,” Twilight stressed. “I can’t just go home and leave everything like this!”

“But it’s not safe, Twilight!” Sunset’s voice grew louder. “Please. If anything were to happen to you…”

Twilight’s face softened. She stepped off her chair and wrapped her friend in a hug again. “Sunset. I’m not some helpless Princess. You need my help. Our friends need our help. Besides, if this is all caused by magic, nopony… sorry, nobody knows it better them me.”

“And I’ll help too!” Spike said. “Nothing messes with my friends and gets away with it!”

Sunset was quiet for a few moments before sighing. She pulled back and smiled. “Thanks, you two. But if we are doing this, then you’ve got to do what I say. There are things everywhere that could hurt you.”

“Got it,” Twilight said.

They were suddenly startled by a buzzing sound that filled the room. “What’s that?” Twilight squeaked.

“Um, Twilight. It’s your bag,” Spike said. Sure enough, Twilight’s backpack was gently buzzing as a purple glow faded out of the gap in its zip.

Twilight carefully unzipped her back and pulled out the journal before opening it to the first page. There was a message there, its ink still glowing gently.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “My book?”

“It’s a new one. A gift to you, actually. Starlight’s sent a message.”

“Oh, can I see?” Sunset said as she moved to Twilight’s side.

Twilight nodded and began to read out loud, “Twilight, something is wrong with the portal! I’m reading high levels of magical interference for your side. Are you okay?”

Twilight and Sunset glanced at each other. “The portal!” they both cried. There was barely time to stuff the book back into Twilight’s bag before she scooped up Spike and rushed for the door. She had to get to the portal. It had to be okay.

“Twilight, wait. Before you go outside put these on, they’ll help,” Sunset said as she pulled a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses from her bag. “The sunlight is dangerously bright today. You’ll burn up fast out there.”

Twilight paused but nodded. She quickly the hat and glasses into their place on her head aid waited by the door for Sunset. She glanced down at Spike, making sure he was comfortable in her arms. “You okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” he said with a weak smile.

Sunset opened the door slowly and checked both ways before stepping out into the hallway. Twilight walked close behind. Neither of them noticed the shadow that moved by the window behind them.

“It feels colder out here,” Twilight whispered.

“So it wasn’t just me… Good,” Spike shuddered. “Also, is it just me, or does the air feel… I don’t know, heavy?”

Now that Spike mentioned it, the air around Twilight did feel thicker and oppressive. It was as if it was slowly trying to squeeze Twilight from all directions.

“Something big is nearby. Big and full of magic,” Sunset whispered with a sight tremor in her tone. “We need to keep moving.”

Quietly, the trio made their way back through the school’s hallway towards the front atrium. As they passed the staircase to the floor above, Twilight noticed that Cranky Doodle had vanished. Only the disturbance in the dust and the hatchet still lying on the ground gave any clue that he was once there. She was about to bring the point up, but Sunset silenced her. She glanced back at Twilight and pressed a finger against her lips. At least, that was what Twilight guessed she meant. It was hard to tell with human gestures.

A gust of wind blew through the school. The heat of the day disappeared with it as the dust swirled in the air. The classroom doors creaked slightly as they passed. Twilight glanced into one, noticing that the sunlight outside had dimmed. And there… Something moved.

“Sunset…”

Sunset grabbed Twilight’s arm. She stared at her with wide eyes and shook her head. Wordlessly she mouthed the word, “Follow.”

The air grew heavier as they went. Sunset carefully crept along the side of the wall, ensuring that her feet did not disturb anything left on the ground. Sunset paused as they reached the circular atrium. The light that poured in from the doors was dimmer now but still left long rays of light that crawled into the centre of the room. She glanced around the left corner towards the front doors.

Her body tensed up.

Suddenly a large shadow moved across the beams of light. Sunset quickly pulled herself back and pressed herself hard against the wall. Twilight became aware of the sounds outside. A deep low growl as something shuffled around, stepping on the metal and canvas of the tents.

She didn’t dare even breathe.

Sunset slowly took a hold of Twilight’s arm and carefully pulled her back. She didn’t say anything as she hurried back down the hallway with Twilight trailing close behind. Spike’s eyes were wide as his ears stood on ends, seeking out any sounds. Suddenly his head shot around, starting at a classroom door up ahead. Something walked out from inside.

“You! No running in the hall!” Cranky Doodle bellowed. He had stepped out of a class room and glared down at the two girls. Sunset had skidded to a stop so fast that Twilight collided into her back, almost sending the two tumbling to the floor.

“We’re sorry, Mister Doodle. We’ll just be going,” Sunset quickly said. Her voice was kept low.

Twilight glanced through a classroom door. A shadow moved by the windows. She tightly griped Sunset’s arm as her heart pounded. “Sunset…”

“You two girls are nothing but trouble makers!” Cranky continued to yell. “Being expelled would be too good for the likes of you!”

Sunset took a step back with Twilight. “Mister Doodle. Please… There’s an exam in progress. We shouldn’t shout.”

“An exam?” He blinked a few times and looked around. “An exam? Oh, dear. I knew I had forgot something.”

Sunset pulled Twilight over to the far side of the hallway and slowly moved along the lockers. Cranky was now standing in the doorway of the classroom slowly walking back and forth on the spot, mumbling to himself under his breath.

Suddenly the air grew thicker and colder. It wrapped itself around Twilight like an icy vise, pushing her from all sides and back against the lockers. Sunset froze. Her eyes widened as she stared into the classroom behind Cranky.

Her voice trembled for a moment before she screamed, “Run!”

Twilight didn’t react at first. Sunset pulled at her but her eyes didn’t leave the doorway. Something big was outside. Pairs of eyes, Twilight wasn’t sure how many, all glared through the cracked glass. They narrowed when they caught Twilight's own.

Suddenly there was a loud screech.

Twilight’s arms tightened around Spike as she fought against the urge to clasp her ears. She felt herself be pushed hard against the cold metal of the lockers as the unnatural cry burned at her ears.

Cranky Doodle was snapped out of his thoughts as he shrank under the gaze from outside the school. Suddenly there was a great burst of wind that shattered the windows, sending dust and debris out of the door, engulfing Cranky in a thick cloud. He screamed and whimpered as he too tried to scramble away.

“Run, Twilight!” Sunset shouted as she pulled Twilight out of the way just as something large crashed into the inner wall of the classroom, knocking the lockers along the wall open, scattering their remaining contents over the floor.

Twilight sprinted by Sunset’s side. She glanced back just in time to see a large beak, big enough to swallow a man whole, crash through the doorway, attempting to snap at Cranky. Cranky screamed and scrambled to his feet as he ran towards the atrium. Suddenly, Twilight was lurched to the side as Sunset pulled her down an adjacent hallway. She smashed into a pair of doors at the end and ran into the school’s cafeteria.

Lunch tables were pushed around the room, the remains of dinner trays with long rotted food sat on them. Sunset pulled Twilight between the tables and over to the fire exit on the far side. Another screech shook the building. The lights above swayed as dust drifted down upon them.

Twilight looked around rapidly as she ran close to Sunset. She couldn’t speak even if she wanted to as her lungs struggled to feed oxygen into her body. Her arms and legs were burning, threatening to give out at any second.

The sight of something big move across the windows reminded her not to stop. Another wave of pressure moved over them as Sunset dived to the floor, pulling Twilight with her. She scrambled under a table and hid there. The sound of scraping could be heard from the glass of the windows.

Twilight wanted to clasp her eyes shut, to pretend it wasn’t there, but the sound of shattering glass knocked those thoughts away. A large claw and ripped through one of the windows. It was a dark and twisted appendage, appearing to drain all light away as it clasped around the wall and ripped away a few bricks.

Another window shattered. The sounds of great snarls and sniffing echoed through the empty room. Sunset reached into the pocket of her jacket and slowly pulled out an odd metal object. It had a long barrel attached to a revolving cylinder above a handle. Twilight didn’t recognise it, but it trembled in Sunset’s hands.

Twilight held her breath as she glanced up towards the windows. Several burning blue eyes glared in from outside. Twilight blinked and rubbed her own eyes before looking again. She blinked some more and looked away. The more she looked the more her vision failed her, almost like she needed glasses just to see the thing.

Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head before carefully crawling towards the edge of the table. She looked over towards the doors where they came from. She hissed something under her breath.

Twilight followed Sunset’s eyes just in time to see Cranky Doodle slowly close the doors and place a metal bar through the handles, locking them shut.

Sunset took several deep and rapid breaths as she spun around, watching the windows. The thing, whatever it was, was still out there, its large mass was moving around outside. Twilight couldn’t make out what it was. It was big, and it had what looked like wings. It reminded Twilight of a dragon, but it was wrong. It just did not look right. Its proportions were off, but also shifted each time she looked. It had a beaked head like a bird of prey, or was it two heads? Twilight couldn’t be sure of anything about it. Its many eyes also appeared to shift over its body.

Twilight gasped as she looked away and rubbed her eyes again. It felt like the pressure around them had seeped through her eyes and began to press upon her brain.

Sunset placed her mouth against Twilight’s ear. “Do not look at it.” Her voice was barely audible, especially over the ringing that was rising in her ears.

Twilight nodded and turned her attention away. She looked towards the empty serving counters and then towards the door at the far end of the room. It must lead to the kitchens, she guessed. The door was slightly ajar, revealing only darkness behind it.

Suddenly the shadows inside moved and a cloaked figure appeared in the gap. Twilight’s eyes widened. She glanced to the figure’s hood, searching for any sign of its face, but all she saw was darkness. A hand in a dull grey glove reached out of the hood and beckoned her forwards.

Twilight quickly glanced to Sunset. She was still looking towards the fire exit, surely trying to think of a way out. Twilight gently nudged her shoulder and looked back at the door.

The figure was gone, but the door was still open. Sunset followed Twilight’s look and then turned to her with a nod and smile. Carefully she crawled out of the edge of the table and with a quick glance towards the windows she swiftly dived behind the next. She turned back and nodded to Twilight.

Twilight gulped and followed her movements, carefully shuffling across the floor with Spike clasped tightly against her. He winced and softly whimpered, but remained silent for the most part.

Soon they reached the far end of the serving counter and Sunset carefully pushed open the small metal gate and crawled behind it. They carefully navigated fallen plates, pans and cutlery as they moved towards the kitchen door. Sunset peered into the darkness. She held the metal object in one hand and pointed inside. After a few moments, she slid in and Twilight followed.

The kitchen was dark, but empty. Twilight glanced around for the cloaked figure but they were nowhere to be seen. They couldn’t even hide in the cramped metal cabinets if they wanted. Sunset hurried over to the door on the far side and tried its handle. It was locked. She glanced around and found a set of keys hanging by its side. She quickly fumbled them around until she got right one and swung the door open, letting the bright light of day flood inside. Sunset peeked outside and then turned to Twilight. “Stay close and run,” she whispered.

Twilight took several deep breaths and nodded.

Sunset checked outside again and then nodded to Twilight. “Now.”

She set off across the school’s parking lot as quickly as she could, Twilight flowed close behind, darting between the cars. She felt the pressure around them fall away as the air warmed up. She didn’t dare look back until they had reached the front lawns of the nearby suburban homes.

When she did, she saw it. The thing. The beast. Dragon, she called it, for lack of a better term. It was perched on the rooftop of the school, towering over it like a great vulture. Its many eyes glared down at them.

Twilight wanted to scream, but a coldness in her lungs froze the sound. She turned back and continued running with Sunset, faster than she did before.

They didn’t stop running until they were several blocks away. When they did, Twilight collapsed against the wall of a nearby home. Darkness threatened to overtake her as her lungs burned. But the thing… Dragon, it hadn’t chased them.

Twilight let out a sigh of relief as she allowed her eyes to close.  Her body begged for rest, but thoughts lingered in her mind, preventing her from drifting to sleep.

Where were her friends?

What was that thing?

And where did that cloaked figure go? After all, there were only two ways out of that kitchen, and one door was locked from the inside.