The sound of hooves beating on grass. Hard, ragged breaths just as loud as lungs pushed harder and harder to keep up. Hearts beat in ears so loud it was like the drums of death sounding the demise. The vapor of frigid air met with hot gasps trailed behind the two sprinting ponies as they tore across the field as fast as they could.
Twilight looked behind, her eye wide as she caught barely a glimpse of what was chasing them. "It's too fast!" She screamed, tears pouring from her eyes as she faced back forward, trying her best to put even a tiny bit more quickness to her steps.
"Don't look! Just run! Twilight, keep running!" Cadence yelled in bursts in between hard, gasping breaths.
"Cadence... I can't... it hurts!"
"Twilight, listen to me! Don't stop, you can't stop!" The sound of the Princess's commanding shout put motivation in the much smaller pony's legs. Twilight knew she couldn't wink to safety, and taking one look at the state of Cadence's wings only made her wince in compassionate pain. Her reverie was short-lived as a deep-throated laugh rose up behind them. Twilight cried out again, feeling something swipe at her tail.
Princess Cadence turned her head and the tip of her horn flashed as a bolt of pure light fired at the pursuer. It seemed to give a moments pause, just enough. With a sweep of a wing the princess drew Twilight Sparkle onto her back and put on the speed. She was practically flying across the seemingly endless plain now. She turned her head and again launched a powerful flash at the thing behind them. Hopefully giving her the lead needed, she aimed for the upcoming cliffs, ignored the fire in her legs and pushed into a sprint.
It didn't matter, she could still feel the wicked cold nipping at her heels already. The only sound was the rumbling laugh and Twilight's ragged breath. It sounded like her lungs were filled with broken glass. The very thought of it spurred Cadence on even harder. She wouldn't let it take Twilight. Not after the others... after the castle... She refused. "Hang on! You can't give up, not now!"
Twilight didn't respond but for more than a whimper. The sound of clinking chains followed as Cadence lifted her wings as high as she could, offering what balance she could to her exhausted passenger. "Run, run, run, run... you can't escape. Give up, give up, give up... you can't escape. Why are you RUNNING?!!" A hissing shriek followed after, huge clawed hands and sharp talons swinging and grabbing as they tried to catch the fleeing pair. But, for all the sounds and snatching, the creature was left empty-handed.
The cliff was coming up, if she could just make it there. Maybe she could pull off a simple glide... get far enough to rest if only for a few seconds. The snap of teeth and pounding of heartbeat drums in an all-consuming darkness followed like an unstoppable fog. Cadence glanced back, trying to gauge the distance only to see it was barely inches behind. She whipped her gaze back forward, trying not to think or imagine the horror that chased as tears welled and flew back.
"Cadence, why are you running from me? Cadence, please! Come back to me!" The princess fought the choking gasp rising in her throat at the sound that chased after them.
"NO! Not that voice... stop it!"
"Cadence... just give up! It isn't so bad! Stop running! Run, run, run, run... Why are you RUNNING?!!" The roar and laughter came back as she was only a few more steps from the cliff. The searing pain in her wings ignored, Cadence leveled them and readied for the big leap. She mustered what strength she had left and hit her back hooves right on the edge. With all the might she had left, Cadence launched from the edge and soared, chains leading back from her wings as pain tore through her whole body.
She felt something swipe at her back, and all the world seemed to slow as she felt lighter. She spun as best she could, raising a leg to catch as Twilight was pulled away by a dark claw. The young pony's eyes were half open, watching the princess fall away as her wings buckled. Tears were falling from them both as the distance increased, both knowing there was nothing that could be done.
Only one thing left, and as a tiny glow sparked at the tip of Twilight's horn she swung her head to aim right at the princess. The beam struck true, and Princess Cadence vanished in a flash and stars. The claw drew her up, making her face the pursuers all surrounded by the darkness and fog and eyes and claws. All those eyes staring at her, with their wicked smiles surrounded by the deepest thunder of a laugh. "Welcome back to us... little Twilight." The great jaws of nothingness opened, and all that remained as the fog cleared was the echo of a scream.