2 Days Later
Twilight lay down in her bed and cast a complex Dreamcatcher spell on herself, encasing her in a barely noticable purple aura. When the aura had covered every inch of her, she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep, hoping for a nicer dream than the many times before.
Black. As far as Twilight could see, there was only black. She blinked and was shocked to see nothing enter her vision.
So far so good...
She began walking forward only to hear a low growl behind her. She whirled around once, seeing nothing, and continued after a slight pause.
1 step. A low growl.
2 steps. The growl grows slightly louder.
3 steps. The growl grows slightly louder.
It continued like this in her head as she walked forward, each step making the growl grow louder and louder.
22 steps. The growl is right behind her.
34 steps. The growl has escalated into a small yell.
68 steps. The yell has grown into an ear-piercing scream in her ears.
100 steps. Everything goes quiet.
Twilight stopped when the screaming ceased. She turned around just in time to see a dark mass disappear from view.
"Who's there?" she called out to the darkness.
No response.
"Show yourself, whoever you are!" she yelled at the dark once more.
"How about no?" a male voice whispered in her ear.
Twilight froze as her eyes widened, slowly turning to look at whoever (or whatever) was speaking. Catching a glimpse of the same black mass heading away from her, she began to chase after it, determined to catch whatever it was. After about a minute of chasing, the mass turned around and rushed at Twilight, her skidding to a halt and the blob stopping in front of her and floating there. She stood there and stared at it for a while before gulping and asking the mass,
"What are you?"
The blob began to shift into a form as it spoke to her.
"Let me show you."
The mass finally took on a form and stared at Twilight, appearing to be a face with no body. She stood there, staring at the dark face in front of her, then finally mustered up her courage and asked,
"That doesn't really answer my question."
The large face rolled it's eyes.
"I know it doesn't."
"Then tell me, what are you?" she commanded.
A large hand formed in front of the face and balled up into a fist, covering up it's mouth as the face cleared it's nonexistent throat.
"Fine, if you insist. I am, basically, the very being that controls everything that can be called a nightmare, everything that is considered frightening, everything that can be scary."
Twilight's eyes widened.
"I am simply known as the Dark One, and I shall come back to you again, just, not anytime soon. Good-bye, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight awoke and covered her eyes with a hoof, blocking the sunlight coming through her window. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she sat up and stared at the wall as if something was there, thinking to herself,
What in Equestria was that all about?