She was laying on something cold and hard, her fur unable to protect her from the chill in her stomach. Feeling around, she realized she still had four hooves - but how she knew she was supposed to have that many was beyond her understanding. She tried to open her eyes to take in her surroundings, but her eyelids felt heavy, impossible to lift. Her legs were also weak - she gave her all to standing up, but all she managed was roll on her right side, and this maneuver left her panting. At least her belly didn’t feel freezing anymore. She heard a faint, rythmic beeping sound.
She tried to remember. Where was she? How did she get there? And most importantly: who was she? The only thing she could recollect was a flash of rainbow lights, and agony beyond measure. Just remembering it made her bones and flesh ache, as if she was set on fire.
She slowly opened her mouth, the movement taking much more energy from her than it was supposed to. She breathed in, deeply, and heavily. The air was chilly, dry, and made her throat itch, but she resisted the urge to cough, and called out in a small voice - the only one she was capable of making.
“Is anypony here?” she tried asking, her voice failing six times in three words. For seconds that felt like hours, there was no answer. But then, the voice of a stallion, deep and rough, surrounded her, and filled her mind with blackness.
“You’re alone… everypony has left you, you know it’s always been that way.” A chill ran through her spine, as the voice continued: “You’ve neglected them, and now they are far away. You are deserted, alone…”
With that, the black feeling lifted from her brain, and - as the stallion said - she was really left alone. She couldn’t tell if she fell asleep or passed out, but when she came to her senses, she felt a bit of energy has returned to her. She opened her eyes.
She was in a great, lightless hall. She squinted her eyes, making out some of the barely visible details. The room was made of white marble, with nondescript stained-glass pictures and golden cressets adorning the walls. None of the torches were lit, and the sky was pitch black beyond the windows. The beeping continued, and it seemed to have been coming from beyond the colorful glass panels. There was a long line of crimson a few feet from her - she crawled over it to realize it was red carpet running on the marble tiles. A feeling of warmth emerged from it.
She laid there, flat on her stomach, resting after such an exhausting activity, and as she did, hoofsteps approached behind her. She turned her head around, and saw a young mare, with white coat, violet, twirling mane, and a blunt horn protruding out between her locks. The newcomer seemed oddly familiar, though the mare on the carpet couldn’t place the memory.
“Close your eyes, relax your heartbeat,” she began, coming closer and putting a comforting hoof on her back. “I’m sure you gave your best, darling, which was more than anypony ever asked for. You can rest now, leave it all behind. I’ll be here for you, and you’re not alone now.”
Just as the mare on the floor decided to comply and closed her sore, tired eyes, a loud bang sounded and made her eardrums cry out in pain. Her eyes flashed open, and the image of what seemed to be a gray or perhaps light blue equine with a set of two small wings, and messy, multicolored mane entered them. She looked at the white unicorn with an expression of frustration and annoyance.
“How could you tell her to chill and leave it be?” the pegasus yelled, then turned to look at the dazed pony on the carpet. “Can’t believe you’re givin’ up, that’s not your way! Now get up, there’s a lot to do. You’re not really that tired, are you?”
As the colorful mare moved in to give her a helping hoof, the realization that she was fully rested hit her. She got to her hooves, and took a few wobbly steps. Her aide looked at her proudly, while the other mare just smiled, gently.
“Y’all leave ‘er alone now!” came a thick-accented shout and the sound of horseshoes clapping on marble from the direction of one of the windows. The orange-yellow, freckled pony seemed to have appeared out of thin air, or stepped off from the stained glass painting. She came closer, then pushed the pegasus away from the one she was helping.
“Who are you ponies?!” the wobbly mare bursted out as loud as she could, not being able to take it anymore. “And where did you come from? Why are you here?!” The orange earth pony looked in her eyes, so close she could count her freckles, and began speaking.
“Unlike these two, Ah’m gonna be completely honest with ya. We are ya, and y’all are all of us,” she stated with the most serious look in her grass green eyes. Beyond sincerity, the reflection of a very confused dark-colored unicorn was to be seen in them.
“But… I don’t understand. Is this some dream?”
“Some dreams can be truer than reality.”
The dark unicorn reached out with a hoof, touching the earth pony’s chest, feeling soft, warm fur. “You look so real, I can even touch you…”
“We are as real as you imagine us.” the white unicorn added.
“We don’t have time for small talk!” The colorful pegasus interrupted, sounding impatient, and flying around in circles overhead. “We have to get back and make them pay!”
“Pay for what?” the three earth-bound ponies asked together.
“I don’t know! Let’s find out!”
The distant beeping continued as they set out to investigate through the seemingly endless marble hall.