I had finally returned home after one of the worst days of my life, to find a piece of paper taped to my front door.
What’s this?
I tore the paper off and began to read. The large bolded text at the top delivered its message loud and clear.
"I'm being evicted? What the fuck?”
So the landlady and I had had a few arguments lately - that’s no reason to evict me!
My outrage demanded answers, so I began to read the document, and hoped to find them inside it.
"Lesse here…'missed payments for March and April'. Yeah, yeah. She knows it took me a while to find a job.
“And here it says 'total due'. Fuck, that’s a lot.
“'Agreed payment not received'? Bullshit! I gave her a check!"
I threw the eviction paper away, then reached over to unlock my apartment door. My key slipped easily into the deadbolt lock, but when I gave it a hard turn the lock didn't budge.
"What the..?"
I pulled out the key and tried the bottom lock, which used the same key. But it also didn't budge.
"That bitch! She locked me out! How am I supposed to get a job if I got no place to stay?!"
"Oh, hello Josh dearie. I thought I heard your screaming."
I knew the owner of that voice, and spoke to her without turning around.
"Hello, Mrs. Johnston."
Mrs. Johnston was an elderly widow who lived in the apartment next to me. She was lonely and loved to cook, and why would I pass up free food? Good food, too. I had spent many an evening sitting on her couch, watching her TV with a plate of delicious steaming hot food on my lap.
"Are you having money troubles again?"
"Yeah. I don't get it! I gave the landlady a check, this shouldn't be happening!
"Not again…”
"Oh, yes. Doris told me to tell you that your check bounced this morning, and she was mighty cross about it."
"I had the money! It's the bank's fault!"
Or maybe I had more beers last night than I thought.
I let my head thump down on the cheap wooden door.
Fuck...
I stood there, with my head slumped upon the door, for several seconds.
"Is something wrong, dearie?"
"Everything. Just everything, Mrs. Johnston."
"Oh, dear. Oh! You must be worried about your kitties!"
Shit! They're still inside the apartment!
I pulled my head off the door and began to yank on the door handle.
"Oh, dear!"
"My cats are still inside! They'll starve!"
"Oh. Oh! No no dearie, Doris let me take your cats so they would be safe."
SHE HAS THEM?!
I pushed past Mrs Johnston and entered her apartment.
"Kusac! Isis! Bastet!"
"They're in the bathroom dearie, until they get used to my wee ones."
I bolted over to the closed bathroom door and turned the doorknob, but forced myself to open the door slowly. Didn’t want to hit my cats in case one of them was standing behind the door. Once inside, their plaintive mews were music to my ears. I closed the door behind me, then sat on the floor and smiled my first smile of the day. My cats purred and mewled happily, and rubbed themselves all over me. These cats were my one true happiness in my life, and I had gone without many times to make sure they were healthy and happy. As each cat begged for attention, I stroked and caressed their fur and found myself thinking about how each one came into my life.
Bastet was my oldest, a female tortoiseshell who was a total sweetheart. An ex-girlfriend and I had adopted her from a no-kill shelter some years ago, as a companion for her older cat. Bastet was already an old cat when we adopted her, yet she still would run and play and scamper around like a kitten. She loved to climb into bed with me at night, curl up in my armpit and fall asleep purring.
I adopted Isis when the same ex-girlfriend moved out and took her other cat with her. This left Bastet all alone for the first time in her life. She was so lonely that she would crawl into my lap when I got home from work and wouldn’t leave. Isis and her sister Eset were barely out of kittenhood when I adopted them from a private cat rescue group. The black cat girls took to Bastet like a surrogate mother, and she was more than happy to groom the sisters and love them. I often found the three of them curled up together in a sleepy kitty pile. Sadly, Eset had a hidden heart condition and she passed away about a year after I adopted Kusac.
Kusac was a special adoption. I wasn’t looking for another cat, but a friend of a friend had a litter she was adopting out. She had been breeding cats for many years trying to make them smarter, and had had some success. I was curious about these cats, so I went over to check them out -- and left with Kusac. He was a black tomcat, and was pretty darn smart for a cat. But his instincts made him impatient, so his smarts didn’t show too often.
I felt a lot better knowing that my cats were being taken care of. There was cat food and a bowl of water next to the shower, and a litter box next to the toilet. So I knew my cats would be fine until they got used to all the smells and sounds of Mrs. Johnston and her elderly cats. I stood up, gave my kitties one last pet and carefully left the bathroom.
“How are they doing, Josh?”
“Just fine, Mrs. Johnston. You always take good care of them for me, but…”
Mrs Johnston came over and held my hand, then patted it gently.
“I understand, you just had to see them for yourself. I imagine that today was not a good one for you.”
“Yeah, you could say that. I got fired today.”
“Again? Tut tut, you must take better care of yourself. I can still smell the alcohol on you.”
“Yeah, I… Yeah.”
She patted my hand again. It was strangely comforting.
“Something will turn up. It always does.”
“I hope so.
“Can I crash on your couch for a while? Just until I get a new job and get my apartment unlocked.”
“Oh.
“It would be nice to have company around, but I am friends with Doris and I’m not sure she would approve.”
Fucking landlady, she keeps screwing me over.
“It’s okay, you’re still helping me a lot by taking care of my cats. I’ll figure something out.”
“I’m sorry dearie. You know I would help if I could.”
“I know.”
“What will you do?”
“Call my friends, see if someone can lend me some money or let me crash with them. If not, well at least it’s almost summer so it won’t be too bad sleeping outside.”
“Oh, dear. I hope you’ll be okay.”
I can handle a couple of days roughing it. Something will come up.
“I gotta go, Mrs. Johnston. I’ll be in touch when I can.”
“All right, Josh dearie. Take care.”
“Yeah, I will.”
I reluctantly walked out of Mrs Johnston’s apartment and left the complex, but not before I flipped the double birds at the landlady’s apartment. I sat down on the front steps of the complex, and started calling my friends. Turns out I had a lot of lousy friends. They were all glad to hear from me, until I said I needed help. Then the excuses started flowing. I never knew so many relatives came visiting at this time of year. All lies, of course. I even tried a couple of ex-girlfriends and this one fat chick that kept trying to get in my pants, but no luck. Finally got ahold of the birthday boy from last night on the tenth try, and he said I could sleep on the couch in his garage. Problem was, he was still out partying and wouldn’t be home until tomorrow.
I guess I can stand one night sleeping in a park or something.
Or, I can go drink all night and look up my buddy in the morning!
Nothing cures a hangover like more alcohol.
I knew just the place, too. There was this local dive bar that knew me well, I was sure they’d let me stay past closing. Maybe they’d even let me crash in a booth until morning. So a half an hour later, I strutted through the front door of the ‘Cock and Doodle Frou’ bar. I sat down on an empty barstool, then waved the bartender over.
“You back here again? Whaddya want?”
I knew they’d remember me.
“Gimme the cheapest beer you have on tap. And start a tab, will ya?”
“No tab for you son, or you’re gonna drink and dash on me again. You’re gonna pay for every beer up front.”
Dammit, I guess they really do remember me.
Fine.
It was a pain in the ass to pay for each beer one at a time, but I did it. After a while, the bartender just kept my debit card and kept the alcohol flowing. By that time, I was too blitzed to care. Time slipped lazily by, and left me in a happy drunken haze.
The party ended when the bartender gave me a blue piece of plastic instead of the beer I ordered.
“Card declined. Time to go.”
“Go…?”
I squinted at the clock on the wall, but I couldn’t read any of their four faces.
“Whaaaat tiiiime isss it…?”
“Ten after nine.”
“Aren’t you ooooopen.until twwwwooo?”
“We close at midnight during the week. But you gotta go.”
“Okay…”
I remember reaching for my debit card, but it slipped through my fingers and fell on the floor. My head wobbled around looking for it, then I shrugged my shoulders and stumbled towards the door. If it couldn’t buy me any more beer, I didn’t want it. The door flew open as I fell on it, and nearly dumped myself onto the pavement outside. Owlishly, I looked to my left; then to my right. I didn’t remember which way to go, so I stumbled off to the left and down the street.
I didn’t get far before I heard someone shouting my name. It was some guy, and he was holding my debit card. At least, it looked like my debit card. He tucked the rectangular piece of plastic into my back pocket, then offered to take me back to his place so we could go get drunk together. The promise of more alcohol made me very happy, so I readily agreed.
The guy threw his arm over my shoulder and pushed me forward, rambling on and on all the while. I couldn’t keep up with him, but there was alcohol waiting for me so I smiled and nodded along. Eventually, he turned and led me down an alley.
Then all of a sudden, he was angry.
He started yelling and punching me, and I was too drunk to stop him. Next thing I knew, another guy showed up and he pushed me to the ground. They kicked me and punched me, and laughed at my drunken pleas for them to stop. Eventually, their mocking laughter echoed down the alley as they left me to lie on the dirty ground. I was at least thankful that the ground was dry, except for the parts that my tears made wet.
I lay there for who knows how long, until the pain from my beating faded to a dull roar. I may have fallen asleep for a while. All I remember is hearing a low, sultry voice speak my name.
“Good evening, Josh.”
Huh?
"I did say that we would meet again."
I opened my eyes, and saw three black horses standing over me. And they kept moving around.
"What do you three want?"
The three horses smiled in unison, which I had to admit was a neat trick. Their horns all glowed, and a tingle crawled all over my body. Suddenly, I felt a lot more sober. I blinked, and the three horses turned into Nightmare Moon. My stomach suddenly threatened to heave, but I was a professional alcoholic and held my meager dinner of pretzels and beer nuts down.
“Woah.”
"Indeed.
“We have returned to make our offer upon you once again."
"What offer?
"Oh yeah, you want me to work for you."
"Yes, of a sort. And I must admit, I have had thy kisses on my mind for much of the day."
“Oh?”
I still had enough alcohol in my system to keep my inhibitions nice and low.
“How about I give you a few more?”
I made to stand up, but the Night Mare firmly pushed me back down to the ground with a hoof.
“Nay, nay. I do not crave the taste of second-hand distilled spirits, nor the aroma of regurgitation on thy breath. Another time.”
“Aw.”
I lay there for several seconds before I spoke again.
“Why me?”
“Eh?”
"Why do you want me?"
"Ah. We have been watching you since we last parted company. None fight harder than those with nothing left to lose."
"Then you saw that I got my drunk ass beat."
"Sometimes the lowest points take a little while to sink in. Join Us, Josh. Put some meaning into your life. And choose thy next words carefully, as this is Our final offer."
Shit. She’s right, it’s never been this bad before.
Well, what the fuck do I have to lose?
"What do you want me to do?"
Nightmare Moon let loose a wide grin, then lit her horn. With a flash of her magic, we were gone.
We arrived at our destination in near total darkness. While the alley wasn’t exactly well-lit, it was as bright as daylight compared to this place. I suddenly realized I couldn't see a thing.
Where the heck did she take me to? I can’t see a single street light!
As if sensing my difficulties, Nightmare Moon lit her horn. A moment later, a large ball of light appeared a few inches above it. The ball looked to be about half the size of her head, and it pulsed slightly as I watched. The area around us was now lit in a dim light.
"Come."
Nightmare Moon said nothing more before she turned away. The ball of light followed her movements as she walked across the sandy ground.
Not wanting to be left behind, I quickly clambered up off the ground and moved to her side. I couldn't see very far past the dome of light, and I was having a hard time finding a clear path across the uneven ground. My dress shoes were not meant for walking on rough terrain, and my dress slacks were getting scratched up from the scrub brush we were walking through. But who knew I'd be walking so far from home today?
As if reading my mind from earlier, the Night Mare spoke.
"We have arrived under the cover of darkness so we are not easily observed."
I guess that makes sense.
"You will address me as 'Mistress' at all times. To others you may refer to me as 'Mistress' or 'Nightmare Moon'. Do you understand?"
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
The midnight mare stopped in her tracks, then turned her neck to stare at me.
“You have agreed to serve me, and as such you will address me properly. Am I clear?”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, ‘Mistress’.”
A smile briefly flashed over the dark mare's muzzle before the frown returned.
"That will do, for now. Thy lessons shall be hard, and shall tax thee to thy limits. Work hard however, and thou shalt be rewarded for thy efforts."
Apparently she felt no need to continue, for we walked for some time in silence. The dim glow from the ball of light kept my eyes from adjusting to the dark, so I couldn't see much outside of the circle of light it cast on the ground. There was little wind, but what wind blew brought a slight chill to my bones. Despite the cold, the air smelled fresh and clean. It was a very pleasant change from the smells and pollution of the city. I could hear nothing except for the sound of her hooves and my shoes crunching in the dirt. We had to pick our way around rocks and ruts in the ground that looked like they were made by water runoff. I had to be extra careful, as my dress shoes weren't made for walking on rough ground.
The silence was kinda creepy, almost like anything in the area was too afraid to breathe. It was affecting me, too.
Alright, I admit it - I was scared. I had just agreed to be a minion of a deadly villain, and she was leading me somewhere that I couldn't see in the middle of nowhere. I was beginning to worry that I was in over my head.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a faint howl of a coyote.
I was now regretting all those late-night games of Left 4 Dead 2. I kept seeing imaginary zombies just outside of the circle of light. I knew they weren't real, but I kept wishing for a chainsaw anyway.
No matter where I looked, I couldn't see a damn thing. Well, except for the magical light bobbing over our heads of course. To my surprise, my eyes suddenly adjusted to the darkness and the zombie faces disappeared. Instead of some mysterious and frightening world, we were merely surrounded by cacti and terrain that one would expect from a desert. It was kinda disappointing.
I almost miss the zombies, now. At least it would have been more exciting.
With my night vision working, I could see that the Night Mare was leading us towards a large hill. Several seconds later, a cave entrance appeared at the edge of the dome of light. Nightmare Moon did not hesitate as I did; she instead continued forward into the cave without pause. There might have been enough room for the two of us to walk abreast, but the ebony mare was walking down the middle and was taking up all the room. So I let her lead and followed close behind.
Besides, then I could stare at her butt.
(Perv.)
The tunnel went straight and flat into the hill, and the sides were surprisingly smooth. Loose dirt and rocks were mostly absent, making me wonder how long this passageway had been in use. I also wondered how Nightmare Moon had discovered this place. Could she have dug it out herself? After several yards, the tunnel took a sharp turn to our left and we walked into what looked like a large cave.
Several additional steps later, not that I was counting of course, my new mistress stopped and lit her horn. The ball of light split into several pieces, and dispersed around what I now saw was a small, unassuming chamber. The room was maybe 20 or so feet deep, and almost that high. The magical lights hovered around the edges of the ceiling, and they bobbled slightly in place. They provided a dim light which was more than enough to see by.
The ground in the chamber was mostly flat, covered in packed dirt with a few small rocks near the walls. The Night Mare turned to face me, then sat down in a spot roughly in the center of the room. Her ever-undulating tail shifted around on the dirt floor but oddly enough did not stir up any dust. A pale blue glow surrounded her helmet, which subsequently lifted off her head and revealed her deep black fur underneath.
I idly noted that, while she was sitting down she was still tall. I was taller than her while I stood, but she would tower over me when I sat down. As if reading my mind, she gestured with a hoof to the ground in front of her. While she waited for me, her magical aura deftly placed her helmet next to her in the dirt.
After sitting down in front of the mare, Nightmare Moon proceeded to examine her new minion: namely, me.
"Before We start thy training, We must know where to start. Thus, thou shalt demonstrate for us what spells thee already knows."
Shit.
"Sorry ‘Mistress’, but I don’t know any spells."
Her eyes went wide in surprise.
"None?! But what of the spell thou used to speak to thy companions, the ones that would not help thee in thy time of need?"
It took me a moment to comprehend what she meant.
Did she really watch me all day?!
"Oh um, that wasn't magic but technology."
Her baffled expression prompted me to continue.
"Science? Electricity?"
Still no spark of understanding.
"Uh, how do I explain this. Let's see...my phone is made of bits of metal and...rock...controlled by very tiny lightning bolts. The device hears my voice and sends my words to another device, which sends them to another and another. Eventually, my voice gets to my friends. It’s so fast that we can talk like we’re standing next to each other."
Awestruck, my mentor merely uttered a single word.
"Wondrous."
Continuing my lecture, I found my voice slipping into a lighter tone.
"That’s all I know about it. Other people made it and the network of devices needed to make it all work."
I held up my phone so the ebony mare could easily see it.
"I bought this from a store for a...bunch of bits. I don’t know how to make one, nor could I fix it if it broke."
Suddenly surrounded by a pale blue light, Nightmare Moon's magic lifted my smartphone from my grasp then brought it closer to her for inspection. Unfortunately for her, she was looking at the back battery cover rather than the screen.
"How does one use such a device?"
"If I may?"
I reached out for my phone. After a moment, the smartphone floated back down into my palm and the dark mare leaned in closer. I turned the phone on to its side to reveal the power button.
"These ridges on the side are buttons. This one turns the screen on."
"Screen?"
How do you explain something you take for granted every day, to someone who has never seen it before?
"Um, think of it as sort of a 'window' to let you see inside the device. It’s not really a window, even though the front is made of glass. Following so far?"
The Mare in the Moon's eyes narrowed at me in displeasure.
Uh oh, she’s pissed. What did I do?
It took me a moment to realize that I didn’t call her ‘Mistress’. I nervously amended my earlier statement.
"Ah, I mean 'Following me so far, Mistress?'"
She held my eyes for a few tense moments before returning her gaze to my smartphone.
"Better."
My stomach was still doing flip-flops. Damn, she could be scary when she wanted to! Still on edge, I found myself babbling to my dark mistress.
"Ah, yes. Thank you Mistress. My apologies. May I continue, Mistress?"
At her brief nod, I continued. However, I was careful not to make my earlier mistake again. I found myself speaking more formally, like I was speaking to a prospective client.
"By gently pressing this button, I..er, turn on the light behind the 'window' and reveal what is inside. Be careful Mistress, the light is fairly bright."
After waiting a brief moment, I pressed the power button and the screen lit up. The Night Mare's cat-slitted eyes narrowed briefly to adjust to the bright screen, but she did not back away. If she wondered at the pony picture I used for my lock screen, she said nothing about it.
Resuming my oration, I touched the screen and unlocked the phone.
"The screen is touch-sensitive. It knows where my finger is and allows me to 'touch' what is underneath."
"I would like to try."
Without waiting for a reply, she raised her armored hoof up towards the screen to tap it.
Fearing damage to the smart phone's glass screen, I quickly pulled it away from her hoof. The mare again narrowed her eyes again in displeasure, but this time I spoke before she could.
"My apologies Mistress, but your hoof will likely break or damage the device. Making it sensitive enough to pick up touches also makes it fragile to harder things, such as your metal...er, shoe. Your bare hoof wouldn't work anyway. The screen can only detect - er, understand when bare skin touches it. You may be able to operate the device using...um, your knee.
"Or maybe your nose."
Clearly displeased, Nightmare Moon scrunched up her nose as if smelling something foul.
"Hmph. Clearly an inferior device if ponies cannot make use of it.
“I shall teach you a spell, one that is simple enough that even you can use it."
Aw, man. She won't like this.
"Um, that will be a problem Mistress."
"WHAT NOW?!"
Cringing in fear, I was quite thankful she didn't use the Royal Voice.
"H-h-humans do not have any magic, Mistress. At least, not what you call magic. We are generally very good at making tools and devices to do things for us, such as this phone, but no innate magic that I know of."
Nightmare Moon groaned in frustration and brought a foreleg to cover her face. She muttered something under her breath, but it was just loud enough for me to hear.
"At least he's a good kisser."
She was fucking scary when she yelled at me, but that kissing comment made me feel better. I couldn’t help but make a smart-assed comment..
"We could always practice kissing, Mistress."
Sadly, she hesitated merely a moment.
"While that is an appealing thought, we have work to do. Another time."
"I look forward to it, Mistress."
The Moon Mistress patiently sighed.
"I bet you do, smart-donkey."
Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply before addressing me again.
"Quiet, I must think."
I stayed quiet as bidden for many long seconds. After a time, I began to wonder if she had fallen asleep. My very active imagination conjured up an image of Nightmare Moon, anime super-deformed style, snoring with a big snot-bubble coming from her nose. The image was so sudden and so strong I almost snorted in amusement, but barely managed to suppress the urge. To distract myself, I pulled up a word game on my smart phone that I was quite fond of. Many minutes and several levels passed before the Night Mare finally stirred from her ruminations.
"It cannot be helped. I can think of no other way."
I closed the app and put my phone back in my pocket.
"For what, Mistress?"
Staring at nothing in particular, she spoke not to me but as if to herself alone.
"For my plans to succeed, I need warriors for my army. Scrying for warriors bore little fruit; only one stands by my side. It is clear to me that there are very few on this world that will fight for me, so I cannot just toss weaker warriors aside and start anew."
Hey!
"Therefore, I must make them into warriors."
That's better.
"I cannot just imbue my warriors with magic, for the creatures on this world are not attuned to the natural magic found herein. Their essence cannot feel magic nor draw upon it. Thus, I can not merely 'fill' their form with magical ether and let them wield it til the drought is drained. Nay, there is but one choice available to me. It is a costly choice, and carries much risk, but I can see no other way. I must change the very essence of my warriors to attune them properly to the magic of this world."
That did not sound good.
"Change me HOW, Mistress?"
She turned her head to look at me, her eyes bored deeply into mine. I swear I saw her mane pick up a bit of speed.
"Humans cannot wield magic. So I must change you into something that is no longer human."
Oh.
As I leaned back slightly from the mare, I wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into. And if there was any way out of it.
"Um, I don't think I want to do this anymore Mistress."
I was quite attached to my humanity, thank you very much, and wasn't ready to toss it away at a whim.
"You chose to serve me, and as such you will do as I command. If I say that you must be changed, then so shall you be changed."
Her voice was calm, very even; her words carefully chosen. I could not tell if she was angry or immensely patient with me.
"Yeeess, I understand that. But I'm quite fond of being a human, Mistress. I like having hands."
I wiggled my fingers in the air for emphasis.
"And I like standing on my hind legs. I don't want to become a pony."
This little brony fantasy wasn't fun anymore.
Nightmare Moon's voice was still calm and even, almost Zen Master calm.
"Thou dost not have to become a pony."
I sighed, a bit of impatience entering my voice.
"I don't think you understand."
Then her words sunk in.
"Wait wait, what?"
With more patience than I thought she had, she restated her earlier words.
"As I have said, thou dost not have to become a pony. The spell requires that thou must change from thy current form, but the forms available are quite varied."
ANY form? Maybe I had a way out, after all.
"Uh, how about a form that looks human but isn't quite?"
The Night Incarnate slowly shook her head yet kept her eyes locked upon mine.
"No. The spell was not created with humans in mind, and as such it cannot remake thee as thou are. Thus, thy form must change.
"Thou art allowed to choose a form that is not a pony. Thou may also choose a form that allows thee to keep thy bipedal form, but choose thy new form carefully. There are...limits."
I was beginning to panic. Definitely not fun anymore.
"Limits? What limits?!"
Nightmare Moon glared angrily at me.
"Calm yourself! Thou art acting like a foal!"
As if! Oh god, I'm in so much trouble!
The dark mare reached out and placed a hoof on her face, in a surprisingly good imitation of a facepalm, then let out a deep sigh. When she dropped her hoof down, she seemed calmer.
"In order to provide thy new form with magic, I must use a small portion of mine own magic to..."
Nightmare Moon paused and cocked her head to the side, then looked away as if she was thinking.
"Feed the spell, if you will. Thus the spell requires thee to choose a form that is like me in some way."
Bringing her hoof up to her muzzle, she tapped it lightly on her chin and thought aloud.
"Some dark creature of the night would be best."
Dark creature of the night? My panic faded momentarily when my imagination took over.
Hmmm.
Without considering the consequences, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"What about a cat, Mistress? A black cat?"
I really don't know why I said 'cat', I guess it made some sense to me at the time. Thinking back on it, I suppose I was reminded of my pet cats. Both Kusac and Isis were black cats, and black cats were a symbol of darkness and evil in folklore. Not to mention their connection to Halloween, our parallel to Equestria's Nightmare Night.
"A cat? Yes, yes!"
Nightmare Moon excitedly rose to her hooves, and in the process showered some dirt over my pant legs. Looking downwards at me, she confirmed my accidental choice.
"A dark Abyssinian form will work nicely."
In a flash, the Moon Mare lit her horn with dark, arcane magics. Black and purple lightning arced around her horn as the spell quickly grew in strength. Her mane and tail lashed behind her as if they were alive and were trying to escape
"Prepare thyself, my subject. For thy life is about to change!"
The implications of my suggestion sunk in and instantly filled me with terror. I just knew this crazy mare was going to kill me! In one fluid motion, I jumped to my feet and turned to run out of the cave. I ran as fast as I could, but to my surprise I wasn’t making any progress. I looked down at my body to try and figure out what was going on, and that’s when I noticed the blue-green glow surrounding me.
I felt my body rotate around to my right, until I was again facing Nightmare Moon. Her horn was blindingly bright, and her eyes were wide open while glowing the same bright white. Her magic suddenly began to pull me towards her. I flailed around and frantically tried to get a grip on anything nearby. But there was nothing in reach.
"Woah, woah! I don’t wanna-"
Rudely cut off in mid-sentence, I found I could not longer speak. Nightmare Moon had blocked my voice somehow. Didn't stop me from screaming in my mind.
"Quiet. I must concentrate."
I think my last thought was, Oh SHIT! before the pain started.