//------------------------------// // Chapter 27 - A World of Fear // Story: Fear Within // by VirtualCipher //------------------------------// Every thought, every memory, every detail of what was happening quickly entered her mind the moment both eyes suddenly snapped open with fear quickly running through her system, a banging heart trying to break free from her chest. Without a moment of thinking, Twilight Sparkle quickly rose from the decaying, dirt ground. The way she had risen was in a state of panic and dread, frantically looking around, trying to see through the abiding fog. Instantly, her hopes were crushed when she noticed she was still in the fog, the young alicorn did not wish to go on through this labyrinth of panic and misery. Absorbing the past events on what occurred, Twilight remained still, slowly breathing in and out. Everything that she had explored through the fog was traumatising. From being branded as insane by her mentor, betrayed by her friends, watching their lifeless corpses haunt her, feeling the presence of Fright who remained to observe and decorate her mind into lunacy and slowly watching all of those painful memories she had endured on Spike, leaving and belittling him. All of this was beginning to make her nauseous; sick and worried. Badly, she wanted to curl up and wait for the fog to disappear, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. With her hooves making contact with the dirt ground, Twilight slowly and cautiously began to move, gently looking around for anything aggressive. Despite her focus, it seemed that she wasn't paying any attention to the path in front of her and received a slight bump which nearly made the paranoid alicorn jump into the heavens while producing a quick yelp. As the fearful princess winced; drawing back from whatever blocked her path, she quickly forced her wings upwards to block her face; shielding her eyes as she cowered, somewhat using it as a defence tactic. What Twilight went through put her on an edge, if she had fallen, the fear would consume her. "Pl-Please... I'm not... I'm not afraid," Twilight stammered. "I'm not afraid..." Nothing responded towards her frightened stammering. Lowering her wings was a risky move as this could have been another hallucination; a deceitful trick. Once Twilight's wings were finally cemented back to her sides, she took in the image of a tree, just a lonely, old tree that happened to be blocking her path. Considering she was in the fog that happened to be engulfing Tartarus' barren entrance, it was confirmed that she was still in the fog due to the fact that there was nothing related to nature within the prison. So this broken, decaying tree was all in her mind. Somewhat feeling relieved that nothing was out to scare her, Twilight began to deeply inhale and exhale, trying to catch her breath and put her mind on a single goal. Escape. Although she had entered with Celestia, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, it was likely that they were trapped in their own little nightmares, but what good could she do trapped in her own? The situation she had been placed in was not looking good, with every second melting away, the breakout got closer to becoming a reality. With the ground beginning to shake briskly, the silence was shattered by a shriek, somewhat sounding like nails being scratched against a chalkboard. Twilight held her ears, trying to prevent the harrowing, disgusting sound from crawling into her brain. Tightening her eyes and clenching her teeth, it seemed the sound grew louder with every moment she became agitated. Abruptly, six rifts tore open around Twilight, one by one she witnessed her friends thrown from each portal. Rainbow Dash was thrown just in front of her, then Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Celestia. They had formed a circle around Twilight when they fell from their own world of nightmares. All of them emitted groans and whimpers, holding themselves tightly. Completely surrendering to her paranoid thoughts, Twilight was entirely convinced that this was another trick of fear. The way she observed her troubled, anguished was what made her run cold, any moment they could obliterate in nothingness or they would pour insects and bugs from their mouth. Horrified, Twilight shivered as she watched her friends rise from the ground, recovering from their fall, but not their fears. "Not again!" Twilight cowered, expecting the worse to happen. "I don't need this now, not now!" Swiftly, her wings extended around her, hiding her face from the terror that she expected. Growling in pain, Rainbow Dash rose, her eyes widening in astonishment as she could see her surroundings and friends perfectly. "I can see..." She sounded confused, but then astonished that her sight had returned. "I can see!" Her hooves lifted towards her face, gently circling around her eyes. However, her satisfaction did not last when she realised she was still in the fog. At first, she thought she had reunited with Twilight, Applejack and Celestia, but what struck her with puzzlement is that Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity were with her. It appeared Twilight wasn't the only one being sucking in by her own paranoid thoughts. Applejack took a long look at herself, relieved to see that she had returned to her normal state. No longer was she a filly, no longer was she slow and weak. Holding herself down, Pinkie Pie was covering her ears from the silence, however, in her mind, she could still hear the loud, sinister laughs that tormented her. With every inch of her body trembling rapidly, Rarity held herself together as if she was afraid of falling apart, her head turning like a rusted cog, looking at what hole of terror she been placed into now. Sadly, Fluttershy didn't want to get up. Remaining in a trench of her own misery and sorrow, she didn't bother to move a single muscle. Her world became clear, she wasn't brave, strong, kind. She was a coward, a brick wall that would block anyone's progress. No motivation, no hope, she was just weight that her friends had to carry. As for Celestia, the moment she rose, her eyes darted left to right, looking at the tortured souls that endured their own fears. In the middle, Twilight was still waiting for the unexpected, blocking any incoming scares, using her wings like a blanket to hide away from the imaginary monsters at night. Promptly, Celestia didn't hesitate, she quickly advanced towards Twilight, seeing if she was okay. Through her own fears, Princess Celestia remembered every word of what Fright said, every analysis of her life and the awful transformation that turned him into the monster he is now. Taking the chance and hoping it wasn't another planned scare, Celestia looked over Twilight, gently lifting her hoof towards her. "Twilight?" While the others were absorbed in their own thoughts and recovering, Twilight heard her mentor's balletic voice. Gentle, warm and sounding worried, she couldn't help but look up to see the Princess of Equestria look down at her. Despite looking exhausted, she still appeared graceful. "How- How do I know you're real?" Twilight stammered. "How do I know any of this is real?" She could feel herself slowly dropping into a pit of doubt. Majestically, Celestia's wings extended and wrapped around Twilight, bringing her close into a warm embrace. She wasn't a hallucination, this embrace was warm and for a brief moment, it shielded away her fears. This feeling of safety and protection was cut short as the princess was heard sniffling the moment she returned Twilight the open air. Needless to say, it was her. However, Celestia was unaware that this was the real Twilight, but after what she had endured, seeing everypony suffer the same conversion that became Fright was horrifying to witness, it became a chilling memory that would constantly replay in Celestia's mind. "I am certain that I'm real, Twilight," Celestia warmly convinced. "And just by looking at you and your friends, it seems you have all experienced absolute terror." Slowly panning from right to left, Twilight finally grasped what Princess Celestia was talking about. Her friends looked just as troubled as her, but a crowd of questions began to hit her brain all at once. "This... This is real... And we're still in the fog," Twilight stated with no hint of emotion. Celestia answered, "Yes. It was a mistake to bring you all here..." She confessed, looking around to see the ponies broken. "I shouldn't have put you in harm's way." "My friends... Spike..." After recovering their scrambled minds, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were still frightened of the world they had been placed in. However, they approached Twilight and Celestia, somewhat convinced that they weren't illusions due to their sudden reunion. "Twilight, Princess Celestia?" Applejack approached. "What's happenin'?" Rainbow Dash backed up, "We need to get out of this fog now! At any moment I could go blind again!" "Forgive my ignorance for allowing this to happen, Rainbow Dash," Celestia apologised. "But with every second that melts away, the breakout is closing in on reality." "And what about them?" Applejack asked, all their heads turning to Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. "They're outside the prison with Shinin' Armour, right?" "Time to find out," Twilight commented, approaching them. With Pinkie Pie and Rarity slowly building themselves back up, Twilight approached them. Looking exhausted and panicky, they seemed afraid of Twilight. "Please don't laugh at me, no more!" Pinkie Pie once again covered her ears. "I can't take the screams of laughter anymore, it hurts!" Stunned by the way Pinkie was acting, it gave Twilight enough evidence that she too had suffered, but what was she doing here in the fog. "Twilight, if that's you and... Not some horrid hallucination, we need to leave this dreadful place at once!" Rarity advised, looking drained of life. "I certainly hope this isn't some pathetic illusion either, but if something scary was to come, it would have happened by now," Twilight explained. "I need to know what are you two and Fluttershy doing here?" "Fluttershy?" Both Pinkie Pie and Rarity's head snapped to the left, seeing Fluttershy slowly lifting herself from the ground with Rainbow Dash nearing her presence. "Is that the real Fluttershy?" The lavender alicorn asked. "Yeah..." Pinkie Pie acknowledged, her eyes glued to the sight of Fluttershy. Back to Twilight's question, Rarity answered, "The moment you entered through the fog, Fluttershy charged in without speaking a single word. We pursued in after her, but it only... It only made us go through terrible... Horrible..." Suddenly, Rarity leapt towards Twilight, hugging her tightly. Not long Pinkie Pie followed after, not wanting to let go. "I'm sorry for what you girls had to go through... We've all faced madness, we're not alone, we're all afraid..." Twilight cooed. "And in all honesty, I still am, but I am not going to let this breakout happen." While Twilight freed Pinkie Pie and Rarity from their lingering paranoia, Rainbow Dash was face to face with a disrupted Fluttershy. She hid behind her pink mane, flowing over her face like a waterfall. "Hey, Flutters." She weakly announced. "I don't want this to be another trick based on my fears, so... Is... Is that you?" The pegasus didn't receive a response from her friend, the silence that she gifted towards her grew uncomfortable and worrying about each second passing by. Rainbow Dash was about to give in and assume she was hallucinating, but finally, she spoke. "What does it matter..." Fluttershy trembled. "What does it matter?" Rainbow Dash repeated, aghast. "Are you serious?" "You don't need me, Rainbow..." Fluttershy spoke with no emotion, sounding like a ghost. "I came into the fog in hopes that I would impress you, to show all of you that I was more than just the weight you carried. " "Fluttershy, we've been over this. You're-" Rainbow Dash was quickly interrupted. "Do you know what it's like to be paranoid; on the edge of fear's fingers, to know that you're worthless? I am the weakest link out of all of us and because of me, Discord's gone and I ruined a chance of finding Spike..." "Finding... Spike?" Rainbow Dash was growing baffled by what her friend was murmuring. "Fluttershy, are you okay?" "No, I'm not. I'm..." Without any warning, Fluttershy's eyes darted upwards as her face lost sign of life. "Fluttershy?" Fluttershy fell towards the ground, collapsing as both her eyes sealed shut. "Fluttershy?!" Rainbow Dash screamed, trying to nudge her awake. Catching on to what was happening, the others quickly crowded the two pegasuses. "What happened?" Applejack asked with great angst. "She... She..." Rainbow stammered, still trying to wake her. "She just passed out and-" "The fog," Celestia answered. "Whatever she has endured, she couldn't handle it." "So, she fainted?" Rarity said. "I can still hear her heart beating, she's alive," Twilight informed. "We can't spend another moment in here, we need to split up. Pinkie Pie and Rarity, you two need to get Fluttershy back to Shining Armour, we'll-" From out of the blue, the ground shuddered and the cave began to quake. Rapidly, it felt like the whole world was spinning and shifting until it became a blurred mess, with the ground splitting and cracking. "Uh, how did we get here?" Pinkie Pie asked. Everypony looked around and noticed that they were in Ponyville, but it wasn't the town they cherished. Breaking, the ground of Ponyville disconnected, the sound of the soil pouring down into nothingness. Houses wrecked and crumbled apart, trees shredded into tiny bits within seconds. As pieces of the town scattered, no longer did the dirt and soil connect, below them was a dark, endless void that showed no notes of light, it was endless much like fear itself. What became of Ponyville in this hallucinogenic world had been disorganized, the town hall, houses that belonged to the residents had been either wrecked or isolated on their own little island. Furthermore, the town wasn't bright, the sparkling grass, the colourful, warm houses, everything had been faded to grey, losing their colours and joy. Floating on their own little island, they watched as each fragment of Ponyville's land hovered above the void. If Discord was here he would see this wrecking as a work of art. Red was the clouds, brewing over them like a crowd of angered souls; watchers who failed to overcome their fears with no hope. "Look! Over there!" Applejack signalled. Beyond the broken remains of Ponyville, further away than any other part of the town was Twilight's castle, but the double doors were wide open, brightly glowing. It was a shame the Princess of Friendship's castle was isolated on its own floating island, just behind everything else. Shrieks and screams filled the collapsing dimension, violently shaking, causing the distressed souls to stumble a little. "Is that the way out?" Pinkie Pie asked. "What other choice do we have?" Rainbow Dash convinced, lifting up her collapsed friend onto her back. "Princess Celestia?" Twilight turned. "Twilight, I don't know what's beyond those doors, but Rainbow's right. Clearly, our fears don't want us getting there." She told. "Then let's hurry and get out of this hell before-" Without warning, a withered and shrivelled hand erupted from the void below, firmly gripping the ground they all stood on. Literally, Rainbow was a few inches away from the astronomic, horrible hand, a few more steps closer and she along with Fluttershy would have been crushed. His rotten, broken nails dug into the ground and then released from the earth. Placed within the scattered town of Ponyville, a colossal duplicate of Fright towered over them. Strangely, the master of terror began to fade in and out of their sight, glitching. With the darkness fading and his colours developing along with the rags, stitches, the abhorrence was displayed before them. "Get behind me," Celestia ordered, her wings extending, readying to attack. Everypony obeyed the princess' command, falling back behind her as if she was a barricade. "What is it you're trying to do?" Fright coldly laughed. "The fog hasn't elapsed yet, even when it has, you should know by now that you can't escape fear." "Get to the castle," Celestia commanded with endurance in her voice. "Beyond that passage of light is our best and only chance." Twilight hesitated, "But-" "Go!" She ordered. Fast like a lightning bolt, Fright's hand swept over the island, knocking Celestia into a house. Shocked, the others watched their princess crash into the decaying structure, leaving them alone with the fears' leader, the controller of the dooming, anxious brimming, destructive world. "Princess!" Twilight screamed in fretfulness. "I must applaud you all for finding the strength to make it this far," Fright oddly complimented, turning his attention towards the mane six. "Honestly, never before have I witnessed such deplorable hope, it's fascinating to watch you all try and overcome true dread. It's hopeless to resist, give in like your paranoid pegasus friend, she knows when to welcome fear." Clenching her teeth and growling with enragement, Rainbow Dash wanted to fly towards him and rip apart his stitches. "Shut your mouth, you creep!" Rainbow Dash insulted, gently lowering Fluttershy off her back and ready to fly towards him. "What's this?" He examined her bravery. "We can't have you cheating away your fears, can we?" Flaring up from the ground, barbwire drilled upwards and picked up Rainbow Dash by the wings, tightening and drilling into them. Struggling, the pegasus did nothing but squirm and scream in agony and discomfort, trying to fight away the wired razors that captivated her wings. "Rainbow!" Twilight screamed, charging towards her with Applejack. Their defiance was admirable but was proven futile with more of his cutting instruments erupting from the withering ground. With great might, the wired blades bashed Applejack onto the ground but picked up Twilight by her wings and shared her pain with Rainbow Dash, crippling and restricting their ability to fly. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were brimming with fear to even move, but once they did, they assisted Applejack back onto her hooves, readying to help Twilight and Rainbow Dash from the clutches of pain, nearing towards them. Without any delay, both of the devilish giant's aggressive, abhorrent hands gouged into the land they were located on. His fractured, shrivelled fingers punching into the dirt. A creeping split cracked in the middle of his withered, poorly repaired face. Promptly, the whole of his face opened forwards like double doors, presenting a dark void with disgusting, keen teeth rotating around the edges. Crawly, at least five sooty claws erupted from his open face, simply hovering within his split face. Around their wrists were rusted chains, restricted from going any further. From within Fright's face, grim howls, creepy shrieks and horrid growls echoed through towards them, sending shivers. Disturbed, sickened and horrified by the sight of his face just bursting into a new, appalling, unexplainable appearance, Rarity and Pinkie Pie gazed into its mess, their stomachs departing from their body. Applejack looked in disgust and felt like she was going to be sick, but it felt like fear was making her watch. With Twilight and Rainbow Dash still blaring with discomfort and soreness, his tools continued to tighten around their wings. Frozen, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity wanted to look away, but the sight was too grotesque, they could feel their soul tearing away from their body; in a trance of horror. With the disgusting, ominous claws shifting within Fright's open face, they were ready to break free from their chains and lunge at their stunned victims, but it was all intruded when a ray of light blasted at the side of his hood, pushing him into a crowd of unoccupied houses. Closing, the surface of his face stitched back together, sealing the unwelcoming, inexplicable mess, all while producing a weird, quiet sound that echoed through the area. "Yvblmw gsrh dliow, R hgroo kfoo gsv hgirmth, dzrg fmgro gsv Kirmxvhh zmw Kirmxv lu Olev svzi dszg R szev kozmmvw uli gsvri qfevmrov rmuzmg..." Finally, his terror-stricken instruments halted, sinking back into the ground. Dropping from the air, Twilight and Rainbow Dash managed to land on their hooves with slight pain, the damage done to their wings was looking arduous and just by cementing them back at their sides was painful to execute. Despite their desperation, flying wasn't going to be an option due to their wings struggling with agony. Releasing from their hypnotic state caused by the horror that lurked behind Fright's face, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie deeply inhaled for air, acting as if they nearly drowned. Among the wreckage, Celestia stood vigilantly after firing at the bringer of terror, once again commanding her subjects: "I said go!" While the demonic fear-bringer was down, Twilight took this chance to gather her friends and take the passage behind Celestia, straying away from Fright's sight. Infected with biliousness, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity possessed difficulty moving, the sickening image still buried deep within their brains, trying to push it out. Quickly coming to their senses, they took refuge in the dismantled structure that Celestia stood before. While Twilight took the lead, Rainbow lifted the passed out Fluttershy onto her back and followed her friend. "This defiance is hopeless, but it does colour in your stubbornness." Fright derided, pushing himself closer towards Celestia. Once again, repeating his tactics, the barbed wire shot from the ground but didn't hold the princess up in restriction, they simply tangled around her wings, twisting and forcing them sealed by her body. Angered and incensed, Celestia raised her head, shooting another force of energy at Fright. Swiftly, the beam travelled directly towards his badly healed mask of a face, the powering slightly burning away a small patch. At first, this seemed like an achievement, but as the burning faded, his face remained the same. In response towards her attempts of bravery, he let out a quiet, cold laugh that filled his world with fear, "What's wrong? Is your mind breaking? I'm surprised you haven't got used to it with all the treachery and insanity you've caused." Prepared and focused, the moment Fright moved a muscle, Celestia was quick to evade, using what remained of the destroyed buildings as cover to hide from his sight. After Celestia ordered Twilight and the others to direct themselves towards the light beyond the Princess of Friendship's double doors, took refuge in the town's hall. Needless to say, everypony was out of breath, deeply scared and becoming impatient. They wanted to break free from the fog, but leaving their ruler behind wasn't an option. "Did... Did you see what his face did?!" Pinkie Pie whispered in apprehension. "Don't remind me, darling," Rarity shivered in fear. Applejack took notice of Twilight who was quietly peering through the hall's window, carefully examining the disarrayed world. "What are we gonna do now, Twi?" She asked. "We have to wait for Princess Celestia." She arranged, turning her attention to Rainbow Dash who was watching over Fluttershy's unconscious body. "How is she?" Despite Twilight's concern, Rainbow Dash didn't know how to respond. Her eyes continued to hover over her best friend who remained alive, but cold. "Rainbow?" ... "Rainbow?" Applejack said. "Huh?" She broke free from her daze, snapping her head towards Applejack. "How is she?" Applejack repeated Twilight's question. "She's alive, but she's not waking up. What if she's in a coma, what if she'll never wake up?!" The pegasus grew distressed. "Rainbow, we need to stay calm, I don't know what will happen to Fluttershy, but we can't give up on her and I'm sure you know that, too," Twilight reassured. Quickly, Celestia prowled into the hall, looking distressed and extremely tired. "Princess-" Immediately, Celestia represented a sign towards the others, signalling them to become silent. Through the windows, they witnessed the demon that controlled the world roam, his hand slowly crawling into the town's hall, his fraudulent, errant fingers moving like a spider would, trying to search for anything lively within the hall. Celestia along with Twilight and Applejack backed up and hid along the walls while Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash concealed themselves under the table. Luckily, Rainbow managed to place Fluttershy on her back just before Fright came into sight. "I can sense your dread..." With his fingertips tapping the floor as his direful hand entered the hall, he began to feel for anything suspicious. Worryingly, he came close to finding Pinkie Pie but withdrew his hand from the building, leaving them stunned, but relieved that he did not find them. This moment of alleviation and satisfaction did not last, the moment his hand retreated from the building, he tore away the roof, peering down on the alarmed, frightened souls that stared into his glowing, crimson eyes that were empty of any pupils. A devastating growl escaped his poorly stitched mouth as his syringe shot a horde of spiders onto the wall. At least five spiders grew to the size of a filly, crawling down the walls towards the frightened group. "Get them." He commanded. Not being able to contain her own panic, Rarity screamed at the sight of the crawling arachnids, closing in on them. With their legs rapidly scampering down towards her, one lunged at her, it's fangs calling to her as food, releasing a sinister hiss. Acting fast, Celestia fired upon the crawling fiend, pushing it back and saving Rarity in the process. "Run!" Celestia commanded, holding off the arachnids that roamed the hall. Promptly, they retreated from the building only to find claws with knife-like nails bursting from the ground, scratching and clawing at their hooves. Fiercely, Applejack along with Twilight stomped on them while escorting the rest. Behind, Celestia followed, pushing back the spiders that refused to stay down. Watching his troubled victims flee, Fright was filled with satisfaction, dissecting the land into little pieces. "I love it when you fight back, it makes you weaker for the fears..." Hopping off the town square's island piece, Twilight, Celestia along with the others resumed their escape, making their way towards Twilight's castle. Their journey was made difficult as their world began to burn, fire roaring in every direction that blocked their path. Tearing up the landscape, Fright drained the life from what was left of Ponyville, bits and pieces drifting in the wind. "We're almost there!" Rainbow alerted, carrying Fluttershy with caution while remaining swift. The world was filled with his voice, beginning to taunt his victims. Through the streets of Ponyville they ran while clinging onto their lives, desperately trying to break free from the terror-stricken world. Demons, spiders and shadows either erupted from the ground, fell from the sky or just appeared with no explanation. "My dear Twilight, it is a well-known fact that you were the one who raised Spike into a kind, devoted and content assistant. Compared to the rest of his species, that is a remarkable change for a dragon. Excellent work! It's a shame that you had to turn him into something he feared. A forgotten memory." Irritated and angered by his comments, Twilight pushed all of it away and focused her attention on getting her friends to the castle. "I can see the guilt and sorrow buried deep within your pathetic, weak heart. You can keep coming to the conclusion that it was an accident that you neglected his presence; shattering his world, but we both know that you valued him less compared to your friends." "Don't listen..." Celestia told, trying to assist her. They were almost there. Through the chaos that reigned, Ponyville had been obliterated into darkness, only two pieces of land were left. Just as they were about to make one last leap, darkness to form just before them, blocking their path to freedom. Fright rested his hands on their island, towering over them as if they were on a chess board. He continued, "What is it he offered to the table? Dedication? Obedience, commitment? He was nothing but an object and you used him." Finally, Twilight gave in, "Shut up!" She shouted. Blocking their path, there was only one way towards freedom and that was through him. Rising from the surface; developing from the sudden cracks, deceased and decaying bodies growled and hissed from all around, slowly rising and making their towards the group, crowding them. "We're trapped!" Rarity clamoured. "What are we going to do?!" Pinkie Pie screamed in search of an answer. Their fears locked them in place, devoid of any plans or solutions to get past the demon that stalked them like prey. This was it, they strength by their fears, restricted by their doubts. "Princess?" Rainbow Dash turned. "They're getting closer." She warned of the lifeless terrors closing in on them. Crudely, one the lifeless ponies leapt towards Applejack, trying to bite her. Of course, she quickly leapt back, but they were surrounded. "Princess Celestia?" Twilight worryingly looked at her mentor. "What are we going to do?" Looking around, Celestia didn't have an answer, she watched as her enemies drew in closer all while Fright readied his dagger-like fingers, ready to crash down on them. "Scream!" "Get behind me!" The Ruler of Equestria ordered, standing tall as the other's were quick to obey her rule. Glowing and glistening, Celestia's horn channelled her magic with great might, a transparent sphere developed over them, blocking away the incoming terror. Holding onto each other, their eyes tightened and waited for the inevitable, however, there was something odd. Nothing came, no attack, no reaction towards Celestia's magic, it was quiet. In a world like this, opening your eyes would be risk and daring move. Celestia slowly unlocked her eyes and slowly Twilight followed, they still remained where they were as did the monsters that stalked them, but they weren't moving, they were frozen; lifeless like a statue. Now that everypony had released their eyes to the open world, the only exception being Fluttershy, they took notice of the disgusting hand that was an inch away from the barrier. Slowly, the monsters around them that they feared began to burn away; fading into embers. "What's happening?" Rarity asked. Slowly, Fright's hand retreated back towards him, closely inspecting his hand as he too, noticed he was fading, embers hovered off of his hands, body, face. Finally, the fog was dying as were their fears and that included this demonic version of him. "Although my fog dissipates, your failure toward the nightmares shall last throughout this prison. You haven't won anything, you cannot destroy fear, it can only reform..." He said, slowly vanishing into nothing. That was it, the demons, the monsters, the creatures that stalked them vanished as did Fright. Celestia lowered her barrier and took notice of the light that brightly shined before her. It was over, the nightmares, they were over. "What happened to them?" Applejack asked. "Did... Did we win?" Pinkie Pie spoke with great confusion. Celestia answered, "The fog is fading, our fears are dying. Fright was right, we didn't beat them. There is more I am to be afraid of since the moment I stepped in here." "Maybe Fright was right," Twilight oddly agreed. "We didn't beat our fears, but we did survive them." Through her comfort, Celestia formed a smile. It wasn't bright or elegant, but it did spark a remnant of hope. "Let us hurry, the breakout is still ongoing." The Princess commanded. "Wait," Rarity spoke. "What lies beyond here, there's not much different. Chrysalis and Fright are waiting in that prison along with this new ally. "We'll be ready," Rainbow Dash settled. Needless to say, they were all relieved that the fog's terror was over. One by one they leapt into the light that rested within Twilight's castle doors. Until the lavender alicorn was last, she heard a bone-chilling voice, she wanted to cry, she wanted to exit, but something brought her turn back around. Standing there was none other than the friend she let down, the dragon she couldn't make time to save. "Sp-Spike?" Twilight stammered. Carefully, the young dragon began to walk up towards her, "Twilight..." Her fears were trying very hard to return through the remnants of the fog, slipping into her mind. "No... No!" Just like what happened to the monsters and Fright, Spike faded into nothingness, leaving behind the words of defeat that would taint her heart. "You left me to die..." Not another second was wasted by Twilight thinking about her mistakes, even though this form of her friend was absent because of her fears, it was hard to even see him after what he had been put through. Quickly, she leapt into the light, escaping the world of terror; the fog of fears that were soon to die away, but reform later on... Smoothly, Twilight landed on her hooves the moment she exited the fog, madly coughing and gasping for air. Despite being free from her psychological terrors, she remained short on her own breath as if her lungs were being crushed. It was a relief to escape the fog, but what now? They were in Tartarus, prison to the deadliest, sadistic creatures. No longer were there floating islands, they were in a cave, a dark, rocky cave. Celestia and Applejack looked as if she was going to pass out, exhausted from her own fears. Pinkie Pie looked as if she was going to vomit and Rarity was breaking down into tears, somewhat relieved but scarred by the panic and dread she journeyed. Sadly, Fluttershy had not awakened from her state. Completely concentrated on her friend, Rainbow Dash gently lowered her onto the ground. "Is everypony alright?" Celestia asked. "We have to help her now." She told, looking agitated. "I'll..." Twilight started, trying to regain her breath. "I'll see what I can do." Before she could even take a step, within a split second, something painful latched onto the horns of Twilight, Celestia and Rarity. Upon contact, they felt the sudden ache that travelled through their minds, preventing them from using their magic. Pained and confused growls escaped their mouths while Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were left unknown to what was happening to them. A deep, rough voice emitted through the cave, instantly putting everypony on alert. "It appears I was right to have my doubts about Fright's fog. Even though you've certainly withstood the trauma and horror of his power, nothing gets by your combined arrogance, does it?" Looking up, following the pattern of a rutted wall, they noticed a dark, armoured creature watching them. His white, blank mask hiding away any facial features. Intimidating and emitting dark figments of smoke around his body, he looked like a predator stalking his prey. "What is this?" Rarity asked, the small, dark solid formation swarming over her horn. "Just who are you?!" Rainbow Dash interrogated. "I'll let you figure that one out." It clicked into place the moment she remembered how this all happened, how they got into Tartarus in the first place and what managed to beat her brother. "Are you the one responsible for my brother's wounds?" Twilight asked. "Tell me... Hunter!" She began to grow furious. "Intelligent as always, Twilight," The Hunter approved. "Honestly, the fact that your more resilient than Equestria's soldiers is miserable. But resilient or not, you're not that strong when it comes to fighting your fears." "Enough of this!" Celestia lost her patience, expressing her anger. "Our home is on the brink of destruction unless we stop this breakout. You can help us or get in our way! Either way, you'll pay the price with your master!" Finding her statement insulting, he tilted his head and responded, "I hunt for Fright, that is true. But I am my own master, something I can't say about your precious protégé. How you've become so desperate to control and lead her to a place like this." "We don't have time for this! Do you have any idea what we've been through and what we're capable of?!" Rainbow Dash barked. "Oh, I'm aware of your failed attempts at trying to stop this chaos, I've been watching since Manehatten." Pounding like her own heart, the memories that bubbled up in Twilight's mind began to overflow, violently shaking her brain. His voice, it was familiar... He wasn't lying, he has been watching ever since. Recollecting her memories, she remembered when they infiltrated Manehatten by sneaking through the sewers, the voice that called to her. The eerie and ghastly whisper that only she could hear. "It was you... You were the one calling to me. It was you in the sewers spying on us," Twilight figured out. "Are you sure? Pinkie was so certain it was your imagination, it can run wild like her like hers." He responded, repeating the exact words of the pink pony during Manehatten's invasion. Pinkie Pie gulped and quivered in dismay, slowly backing away that something had been stalking them for quite some time. "Forget this! I had to go through being blind, seeing my best friend fade and carry her through our own nightmares. But I am not going to stand here and let some freak of shadows delay our mission!" Rainbow Dash growled, trying to intimidate The Hunter. "Then come get me." He challenged. Like a blur, Rainbow Dash bolted towards The Hunter. "Rainbow, wait!" Celestia commanded. Against the Princess's command, Rainbow Dash refused to back down. All of this fear made her angry; enraged with the enemies that have caused them so much distress. Her eyes converted into daggers, her fury portrayed through her pupils. At an insane speed, the cyan pegasus came close to The Hunter's face, readying her to punch him back to Fright. However, what happened next was unexpected... As fast as Rainbow Dash was, even she didn't see his claw incoming. Suddenly, she was brought to a rough stop the moment his sharp fingers burrowed into her neck, the whole of his hand gripping her throat. "Rainbow!" Rarity screamed. Ignoring the pain, Rainbow struggled, trying to reach for The Hunter to inflict at least some pain on him. The more she refused to acknowledge the pain, the more his dagger-like fingers dug into her neck, the whole of his hand tightening into a fist. Coughs and struggled breathing escaped her breath, still trying to break free while her energy was slowly decreasing. "Let her go!" Celestia ordered, ready to attack. He was quick to obey the command of his enemy, but the way he released the toiling pegasus wasn't what anypony had hoped for. With full force, The Hunter threw Rainbow at Twilight. Barging into the alicorn, both of them plunged to the ground. Quickly, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were quick to help them back up with Rainbow Dash madly gasping for air. Consumed in shadows and mystery, The Hunter turned into a trail of smoke, flowing down the walls like a waterfall, quickly taking form onto the same level as the distressed ponies, watching him take form into his menacing, armoured form. Applejack and Celestia were quick to block his path from coming in any closer to Rainbow Dash and Twilight. As they rose, they thought that united they could take him, despite his aggressive attacks. "Together you think you're strong, but that's far from the truth. You came here in hopes to prevent a breakout, I don't know if it was bravery or fear that blinded you from the dangers that awaited, but your reliance on harmony will be your downfall... Get them!" The Hunter commanded. Just above their heads, a few changelings dropped from the darkness over them, quickly tackling them one by one. Unexpected and easily overcome by the two of them, Pinkie Pie was held down, too weak to fight. Rarity was forced onto the rough landscape, being held down. Applejack and Rainbow Dash fought back, kicking them the moment they got near. Despite Applejack's strength, she was quickly pushed and restricted from moving. Rainbow Dash hovered into the air to avoid any incoming attacks, but it was proven hopeless as they swarmed, biting and attacked her wings until she fell. A crowd of changelings held down Celestia's wings, biting and viciously weakening her legs, causing her to fall much like everpony else. Through the irritated growls and the agitated groans, Twilight was overcome by five changelings swarming her. They brutally tramped over her wings, holding her down as The Hunter advanced towards the captured group. Without their magic, Celestia, Twilight and Rarity were hopeless to retaliate, their magic was being blocked by whatever The Hunter had corrupted on their horns. Everypony looked hopeless, scared as well as angered, trying to break away from the changelings' hold. "As much as it aches me to pass up on an opportunity like this, Fright wants you all left alive for Equestria's collapse. However, I am not the one to relieve my prey from mercy." Just in front of Twilight, he raised his foot. "Lights out!" Distressed and succumb to defeat, Twilight's eyes widened in panic as the sole of The Hunter's clawed foot slammed down against her face, her vision resulting in darkness. Passed out, Twilight was soon to awaken in the face of the breakout's end...