//------------------------------// // Failed Goal // Story: The Red Sky // by Wendigo Studios //------------------------------// The sky was darkening to a blood red color as my hooves carried me like a furious lion out from the damp, nightmarish forest that I had been traveling through all day. Honestly, if I had known about the nightmares and psychological terrors that lurked within it even in the daytime, I would’ve avoided that forest like the fucking plague. But this was the only route that took me to this clearing, the ‘Red Sky’ as everyone on Nibiru came to call it. The nightmare forest was connected to the red clearing ever since she had created this world and was the one and only pathway that would lead me here. But it also served as the protector of the ‘Red Sky’ and for good fucking reason. Let’s just say the forest is filled with all kinds of nightmarish monsters, way worse then what the folks of Nibiru were used to. I won’t go into detail as to what these creatures are as they change for everyone who foolishly entered the forest, but trust me when I say they are terrifying. But that’s not the only danger as there are threats that aren’t monsters or physical threats, but the psychological torments that they present ensure that those who have a weak mind don’t last much longer. I shuddered in terror as my mind flashed back to moments in time where I thought I was in danger while wandering through that forest. But I shook my head to clear myself of my thoughts and forced myself to continue forward, choosing instead to focus on the current moment. As my head snapped upwards, I found myself in the clearing of the ‘Red Sky’, exactly the place I needed to be. I heaved in a breath as my head whips around the quiet empty clearing, the glass blowing lightly and brushing softly against my hooves. Everything was silent, but I wasn’t fooled, just because nothing was there didn’t mean there wasn’t anything hiding in plain sight. I swallowed hard, feeling the slightest hint of fear entering my gut as I looked around the clearing, finding only the dark grass and the dark red sky above me as I searched for her. She wasn’t there as I had come to expect or at least, not on the ground. I mean, when was the last time she had used her own four hooves? I heaved a sigh and put a front hoof up to my face, trying to calm myself down and think, figuring I could attempt to find her when I’m clearheaded. “Oh, so you came after me after all this time? That was brave of you, but foolish.” I nearly jumped out of my own skin at that voice, no matter how much time passed, I never forgot that voice. It belonged to her. That monster. That storyteller. I gritted my teeth so hard I could’ve broken a tooth in my jaws as I stamped my four hooves on the ground, looking up toward the red sky once again, training my eyes as best as I could so I could see her more clearly. This time, I could see her, she was faint, but I could see her. The one responsible for all this happening. Who? That dark dull blue pony creature, the one who created everything with her…talent. She hovers above the ground of this dying valley with the use of her black tipped wings, her stitched back hooves hanging downward and her stitched front hooves close to her chest while a shit eating grin stretches across her muzzle as she looks down at me, her sewn lip jagged smile of needle sharp teeth filling more of my vision, giving me a better look at the dark blue jewel on her necklace and in it, the power she had stolen in an effort to gain her secondary powerful form. I growl in fury and sprint as fast as my hooves could carry me up to the dark blue being, clearly aiming to grab one of her hind hooves so I could yank her down and tear her apart bit by bit. However when I jumped, my front hooves missed her entirely thanks to the use of her wings and I crashed to the ground, getting dead grass in my green coat as I stumbled back up, shaking my fur harshly to rid myself of this dry dead grass. I tilted my glare upward to find her still hovering above the ground and smiling down at me with that same smile across her face. I was mad before but now I was furious with her, I leaped to my hooves and attempted once again to get at her, the same result happened. This repeated a few more times however, the only thing I managed to get was dead grass and a couple of scratches on my coat. On my final attempt, I halted my running and dropped to the ground knowing I had failed, she was too high up and I couldn't reach her and even if I could, what could I do against her? She was far too powerful for me, a young earth pony to handle. She was the creator after all, she created the stories, she created the worlds, she even created us, the little mindless puppets in her game. I, just an ordinary pony, couldn't possibly stand up to her, the creator of this story or any other one of her stories. An evil giggle from the mad blue pony from above me caught my attention, I stood on my hooves immediately and gasped in horror. All around me, a veil of darkness was spreading from all directions, covering the sky first as it closed in fast. I gasped as panic shot through my veins, making me stand on my hooves as I tried to flee. However it proved all for naught as I looked down and spotted black shackles chained taut around my front and back hooves, chaining me to the floor and preventing my escape. I looked up to find the dark blue creator staring down at me with an even wider grin as the oncoming darkness covered her and me in its embrace. Quiet giggles passed her sewn lips in a gentle echo throughout the red sky before she threw her head and let out a loud high pitched evil laugh of insanity as the final stroke of darkness finally covered the land.