Banishment

by PureLogic


Uncertain

“It’s been four days, Graphite!” Princess Celestia shouts, ruffling her large wings.
 
A gray unicorn adorned with golden armor trots up to her. “Yes ma’am, I understand,” He begins cautiously.  “Our best techs have found her. But they place her in…” He bites his lip, but her hard stare tells him to continue. He clears his throat, “Umbrage’s territory, y-your majesty…” He shuffles his hooves, keeping a small distance between him and the Princess.
 
She goes rigid and her heart stops cold. His pack would rip her apart if they were to stumble upon her. “Where exactly…?” She asks, her lip trembling.
 
Graphite takes another step back. He nods, motioning towards the ponies toiling away in the control room. “Uh-… They’ve checked multiple times, and it seems she was sent to the edge of-,”
 
“Cimmerii…” Princess Celestia says. Her fears have been confirmed. She’d berated herself for days for her foolish mistake. As powerful as an alicorn is, they cannot allow themselves to be swayed by emotions. Princess Celestia was swayed by Twilight, and now the young pony was lost in merciless pack territory.
 
The guard nods solemnly. “I can arrange a search team-,” He begins, but is cut off by the Princess.
 
“No. I want you to retrieve her today.” She walks towards the locators in the far side of the room. She double checks everything the technicians do, making sure she was pinpointed correctly or else her rescue mission could swiftly change into a suicide mission.
 
“Of course, your majesty.” Graphite bows. “I can have a search team out in a few hours-,” Graphite begins, but is once again interrupted by the Princess.
 
She gives him a glare, causing him to stop in his tracks and back away. “Were you not listening, Captain? You are to escort her back into griffon territory. You are to ensure her safe arrival and leave her with General Niddan.”
 
Graphite gapes, “N-Niddan?! Of the Eastern Wing?!” Princess Celestia gives him a hard glare. He steps back, bouncing on his hooves. “To get from her location to his quickly would require traveling straight through the very heart of Loveless, and Pack Retreat!”
 
Princess Celestia rolls her eyes at his worrying and turns back towards the locators. Graphite continues talking, “If I am to accompany her through such treacherous lands- alone, I might add- then I must request proof that she is even still alive!” He stamps his hoof. Celestia shoots him an angry look as he adds, “Uhh-, y-your majesty.”
 
“If you knew anything about locators, Captain,” She says pointedly. “Then you would know that they can only find living creatures. You cannot detect the magic within something that is dead, for their magic would have passed with them.” She continues watching over the shoulders of the nervous technicians.
 
Graphite gulps, fearing that he won’t be able to talk his way out of this deadly mission. “She has alicorn magic, your highness, and-,”
 
“And?” The Princess sighs, not even bothering to glance at him this time, instead focusing on the transcriptions coming from the machine.
 
Graphite bites his tongue. He growls, “And… I will pack for my mission.” He trudges towards the exit with his face set in an enraged glare. “Am I to bring any other guards, your majesty?” He adds before levitating the metal doors open. “I recall that Flash Sen-,”
 
“No.” Princess Celestia levitates the transcription away from the technicians, looking over it herself. Something sticks out at her, nagging at her worries, but she can’t place it. The jumble of numbers and letters would normally make perfect sense to the Sun Princess, but today her mind wasn’t all there. It hadn’t been all there in two weeks, and every day she grew more edgy and anxious. It was starting to show.
 
“N-no?” Graphite says numbly, abruptly releasing his hold on the door. The loud thud resonating from the slam jarred his senses back to life.  “B-but, your highness-! What if she resists? Surely you can’t expect me to fight an alicorn alone and brave the desolate landscape!” Graphite turns and nervously trots towards Princess Celestia.
 
“No, Graphite. He’s a guard of the Crystal Empire.” She turns to face Graphite, who stands rigid and at attention. Her voice is quickly growing louder and more rage-driven. “You’ve been conditioned to live in such a landscape alone, while all other guards have not. Now, unless a stray captain is lying around already packed and ready to run through the badlands at your beck and call, you are to go alone!” She shouts, her bloodshot eyes boring holes into the Captain’s tough demeanor.
 
Graphite stares at the ground in shame, and gives her a weak, “Yes, ma’am.”
 
The Princess glances back at the technicians. They’d stopped working in favor of observing one of the Princess’s rare outbursts, which were becoming increasingly less rare as the days go by. One look from her sent them scurrying back to their machinery. Princess Celestia lifts the scroll from the ground. She’d dropped it in her anger, but now proceeded to scan over it once more, painfully oblivious to the answers she was searching for.
 
“Dismissed.” Celestia waves her hoof, striding past Graphite. He quickly trots to the door, holding it open for her.
 
“May I go home first to make my arrangements?” He asks, keeping his voice low to hide his anger.
 
Princess Celestia steps through the doorway, levitating the parchment above her head. “Hm.” She purses her lips. “One hour.”
 
“An hour?!” Graphite gasps. “To make all of-! Uh… Y-yes, your majesty.” He bites his lip, attempting to contain his disdain. He slams the door harshly behind himself. He growls at the passing Princess, but if she notices it she doesn’t make it known.
 
Princess Celestia walks down the hallway towards her room. Her mane looks dull and colorless as it drags the ground. Sighing, she pushes open the large, golden doors to her bedroom. They close behind her with a silent thud, despite their great size. The Princess finally allows her fatigue to show as she plods over to lie on her bed, atop the sheets. She closes her eyes, attempting to calm her breathing. Her white coat lacks its usual luster and shine as it rises and falls, perfectly in tune with every breath.
 
Somepony knocks at the door. The faint sound is almost missed by the Princess, but the years have taught her how to listen for worrisome workers. Wistfully, she says, “Come in.”
 
Slowly, the doors open and the chef’s apprentice walks in. She pushes a silver and gold cart in front of her. The cart carries several hoof-polished platters and an unsightly, brown box. As Princess Celestia sits up, she glances at the cart. Her eyes fall hungrily to the box first.
 
The young pegasus clears her throat, “I- I mean we, h-have prepared your- your higness, your dinner.” She stumbles over the words, still new to the palace and the Princess. “N-no! I- I mean, no- we mean-! D-dinner is served…” She bites her lip, bouncing nervously on her hooves.
 
The Princess chuckles, as the clumsy apprentice gives a small curtsy. She begins to pull the platters of food from the cart. “No need, Golden.” Celestia gives a small smile. Golden Palate stutters a moment, but sets the trays back onto the cart with a small nod. “You may go,” Celestia says, levitating the brown package from the cart to her bed.
 
Golden Palate gives a clumsy curtsy before exiting Celestia’s quarters with the cart in tow.
 
Anxiety wells in her chest. It was finally here. She had worried over its arrival for two weeks, but now she can finally be at peace.
 
The Princess stares at it for another moment before ripping the box open and exposing a small, glass bowl wrapped in newspaper. It wasn’t the same as she’d gotten the first time, and every week since. She’d always gotten a green or blue bowl, but oddly enough, it was yellow this time. Not clear or bright, like the sun, but a sickly yellow entwined with a deep green.
 
Princess Celestia pays no attention to the change in color, eagerly pulling the bowl from the package and using the pale powder within to brew a tea.
 
When the package had first came two months ago, the Princess was very cautious about it. She checked for everything: spells, charms, hexes, and even curses. She didn’t find anything except a card addressed by Twilight Sparkle. Once she found that she didn’t worry any longer.
 
All she knew was that she was to brew a tea. And the tea calmed her mind. It helped her to focus.
 
Her mind goes hazy as she drinks, as though her troubles are being pushed aside, if only for a moment. She doesn’t have to think about anything as she pulls the card from the bottom of the parcel. She only watches as the instructions turn and twist themselves into new words. Words that she always seemed to agree with, no matter what they say.
 

 “She is a lie,

Don’t save her,

Don’t try.

Her death is reachable,

But far away.

And she will harm you,

In a coming day.”

 

“Guards!” Celestia calls, her mind clearing up. She stands from her bed, her limp mane now glowing with life.
 
Two guards dash in, saluting the Princess. “Yes, your highness?” They say, nearly in unison.
 

~~~~~

 
Fluttershy, get Applejack! Go! You have to hurry! Rainbow Dash you’re- you’re going to be fine. Just fine, I promise. Applejack’s on her way, and then we can get you to the hospital, okay? Nonononono! R-Rainbow, don’t you close your eyes! Rainbow? Rainbow?!
 
“Twi?”
 
I’m here! C-come on, Rainbow… J-just get up and you’ll be fine. R-Rainbow?! Open your eyes… Just open your eyes!
 
“It-it wasn’t your f-fault… Twi…”
 
Rainbow?!
 
Wake up, Rainbow!
 
Wake up!
 
“-wake up!” A familiar voice grunts, shaking my shoulder. Her claws prick me, causing me to pull away. Everything feels wrong. Like it’s different somehow. I don’t like it. I blink open my eyes, kicking away the body currently pulling on me. “Hey!” Medi cries, quickly righting herself. “Watch it, kid!”
 
“Whatever…” I mumble, jerking away from her. D-did I just speak? I look up at the griffon, suddenly enraged by my entire situation. I lunge at her. “What did you do to me?!” I growl.
 
She pushes me off easily. “Relax! I’m on your side-,”  
 
“On my side?! You just drugged me!” I crouch down, prepared to pounce if necessary. I hate taking sides. I don't think there are sides to take yet, but there might be! I don't know and I don't care. If I have to take a side in this stupid place then it’s the side that wants me dead!
 
She sighs, looking extremely bored. What’s her problem?! She’s the one that drugged me! It’s practically her fault that I’m here, considering that she’s the medical pony! She’s the one that made sure I lived long enough so that she could poison me with some foul-tasting brew!
 
“Enjoy that energy, because it’ll be gone in about fifteen seconds.” Medi snarls. “Now let’s put it to good use and get out of here!” She treads to the closed tent flap, pushing it open and looking out. She whispers, “All right, if we go now we c-,”
 
“What?! No-,” I shout, but a wave of dizziness sends me crashing to the floor. I attempt to stand, but my legs don’t seem to work. I can’t help but shiver at the sudden drop in temperature. Was it this cold earlier? It’s probably Medi’s fault.
 
I snarl as Medi pulls me to my hooves. “We’ve got to go,” she says urgently, pulling me out of the tent. Every step is shockingly cold, sending me stumbling around. I stop moving, because it feels like I’m walking on frozen needles. “Twi, you can’t-,”
 
I jerk away from her, stepping back. “No!” I growl. “Don’t c-call me that.” I shiver and bite my lip. “I d-don’t even know y-you!” I slur, falling to the left.
 
Medi sits and stares at me grimly. I’m probably a sight, with my fur standing rigid and my constant falling over. “I will explain everyth-,”
 
“And when has that happened?” I barked, fumbling to regain my hoofing.
 
“It will.” She stares at me. There’s something about her eyes. A flash of regret? Hurt? I can’t place it, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. She’s too secretive. If I have to have an ally to get home, I’ll find one. But it certainly won’t be in that lying griffon.
 
If ponies didn’t keep things from me, then half of my problems would be solved. I wouldn’t be getting blamed for a death that wasn’t my fault! If they were being honest with me then they wouldn’t have hid her from me! She could be dead now when I could have saved her!
 
She probably died days ago. It’s not like the Princess would have let me go to her funeral anyway.
 
 “I’m leaving,” Standing clumsily, I stagger around Medi’s shocked figure.
 
“Fine!” Medi shouts. She jumps up and blocks my exit from the tent. “I’ll tell you!”
 
I don’t even care anymore. Anger flashes through me and I grind my teeth. “MOVE!” I shove past her, stomping out of the tent. She follows behind me.
 
“So maybe it was a strong brew. I didn’t think about this kind of negative reaction!” she shouts after me.  
 
I stomp off towards the rising moon, ignoring the shock that I feel after every step. “Whatever! You’ve just lost your only ally, kid!” She barks. I glare back at her. “If you’re a princess or whatever, then you’re smart enough to understand this- Hippogriff.”
 
My body goes rigid.
 
Hippogriffs aren’t real.
 
“She was my daughter.” Medi walks towards me; her wings drag the ground, gathering dust.
 
I clench my jaw. “Hippogriffs are just an old mare’s tale!” I step back, glancing towards the narrow, dirt path leading to the rest of the camp. A large navy griffon is walking down the path with a smug grin on his face. When he sees me, his grin drops into an angry sneer. He looks to Medi, but she hasn’t seen him yet.
 
He strides from the path towards Medi, who tenses up at the sight of him. She stands at attention, as he stalks around her. She nervously clenches her claws and unclenches them until he sits beside her. He nods and Medi immediately eases, sighing. She says something to him, but I can’t hear it.
 
The griffon walks to me. I recognize him now as the Sargent that I’d met from earlier. The closer he gets to me, the more his anger fades into an expressionless face. “Follow,” He orders.
 
“No.” I sit, glaring at him. I already didn’t trust him, but masking his expression from me has made me even more wary. Medi shoots me a worried look, and shakes her head. Whether she means for me to not challenge him or not follow him is unclear. I don’t care. I’m choosing for myself. I’m leaving this camp.
 
I turn and trot away, trying to hide my limp. The pain in my legs has abated some, but now they feel numb. The thick chill is still there, giving me reason to shiver. I glance back, nearly expecting the Sargent to follow me. He doesn’t, but the enraged glare has returned to his eyes. It makes sense, as I doubt anypony has ever blatantly ignored his orders before. I’m glad to say goodbye to this camp, these griffons and their secrets, their constant mistrust.
 


The moon is raised high in the night sky before I finally sit down. I must’ve been traveling for hours, but the trees still look far out. I sigh, deciding to use the time to my advantage. I lift my foreleg and stare at the crystal-laced metal locked around it. Luna may be intelligent, but could her device outwit an alicorn’s magic? Even mixed with Luna’s spell, the crystals couldn’t possibly hold out forever. Maybe I could just wait for the spell to wear off, but that might take too long. Now that I think about it, waiting may prove too dangerous. If this device cuts off all magic, then I can’t fly. I’d need more time to walk, seeing as I wouldn’t be able gather strength from the Earth.
 
I wish I’d consulted Luna about this device. I know crystals can nullify a pony’s magic, but only for a short period of time. I don’t know what spell she used, or else I would be able to work out a method of countering it. If I could just ask her...
 
I don’t have any of the advantages I thought I did.
 
On top of that, I don’t have any idea where I’m going. For all I know, I could be heading into Cimmerii.  No matter how far out, the trees look like the best option. They aren’t like most of the trees I’ve seen, but seem to be the closest to me. The grass is greener there, so I’ll possibly be able to find some food. First, I’ll get what I need to survive. Then, I’ll figure out how to get home. My friends-…
 
I wonder if they still are my friends.
 
Of course they are. Why wouldn’t they be? I mean… We didn’t leave on the best of terms, but they’ll help me. Just like every other time I’ve needed them. They’ll be there for me. I’ll come home, they’ll prove my innocence, and then we can help Pinkie Pie. Together. As…
 
As friends. Best friends.
 
But… I might endanger them. What if they abandon me?
 
No! They wouldn’t. I won’t put them in any danger, because nopony will know I’m there until after I’m known to be exactly what I am- innocent.
 
But Rainbow Dash…
 
They stopped me from seeing her. Why would friends do that? They wouldn’t let me see Pinkie, either. And the funerals… Even if I was allowed, they kept me away. Why would they do that?
 
Because it was the best thing to do. The other ponies wouldn’t be so understanding! They didn’t want to cause a fuss. They wanted to make sure that it was strictly grieving over lost lives, not somepony angered that I showed up. And they didn’t want anypony to disturb the doctors and nurses in the hospital. It only makes sense.
 
Right?
 
The sound of scraping and scratching pulls me from my thoughts. I stand, glancing around, but I don’t see anything. Actually, now I do. For some reason, a small area of ground seems to be caving in.
 

~~~~~

 
“If the tekkies are so smart, why don’t they build these things with instruction manuals?” Graphite gripes, tossing the locator into his saddlebag. He'd been walking the entire day, and it did nothing to lift his mood.
 
The white mare at his side rolls her clear eyes. “They did,” she whispers. “You just didn't accept it.” She smiles, flipping her white mane from her face. She wears no armor, preferring to lightly flit across the ground. The armor would just be extra weight.
 
Graphite sighs. He scans the horizon for any signs of life, seeing only the faintest outline of trees in the distance. They seem to be in the direction the locator wanted them to go, but it wanted to take them a longer route. He didn't have hours to wait walking around the Savanna. He packs back up, crumbling the paper map he was using for direction. It couldn't be read in this wind, anyway.
 
They are about to trot onward, but Graphite pauses and glances around. He’d heard the faintest scraping sound coming from the ground beneath him. The sound grows louder. Graphite stands ready. His eyes dart around, as the sound surrounds him. Hearing a loud scrape, he looks in the opposite direction. He watches as a spot of ground begins sinking in. He steps back, bouncing on his hooves as several other areas around him begin doing the same thing. Within seconds, a large, gray paw juts from one hole.
 
Not long after the first one, several others sprouted from separate holes. It doesn’t take much time before Graphite is surrounded by diamond dogs, but they aren’t anything like what he was briefed by. He was told that diamond dogs were scraggy and didn’t put up much of a fight. Their power was only in large numbers where they could surround and disorientate you.
 
‘These look like diamond dogs on steroids!’ Graphite thinks, looking up at the nearest, largest dog. It has a large scar running across the length of its side. The dog stands on all four legs, crouched and ready to pounce. He glances around and gauges his chances. There are only four of them, but he can see their large muscles bulging beneath their short coats. He bites his lip.
 
“Stay close,” he calls to the mare. She doesn’t reply. He glances behind himself, but she isn’t there. Worried, he checks the surrounding area, seeing if she’d gotten away before the dogs had shown up. He doesn’t see her. “Mom?” Anxiety flutters in his chest at the thought of her leaving again. "Mom?!”
 
The largest dog glares at him, its teeth bared. “Silly prey,” it growls. “No one is there.” The dog steps closer and the other three follow suit. Graphite clenches his eyes shut, but he forces them open. Now wasn't any time for panic. His breath quickens as he decides what to do. Normally he’d follow his training, but he wanted to get out of this quickly and find the mare. He worried that she might not come back if he let her leave.
 

~~~~~

 
I pant, exerting myself as the creature roars again, closer behind me now. I try my best to speed up, but I’m already getting exhausted. It looked like a Diamond Dog at first, but much larger and more canine, with a large scar running the down its side. I’m sure I hadn’t done anything to instigate an attack from it. It just ripped out of the ground, screaming and thrashing and howling. I’m surprised I was able to get away in spite of the shock.
 
I pant, trying my best to get off the ground. I flap my wings desperately, but they don’t lift me up much. I bite my lip, praying to run faster; praying to survive.
 
Deep down, I know that it’s impossible. I know that I won’t survive this attack.
 
My chest heaves and I have to slow down. Now I’m falling even closer to the beast. I can feel its hot breath right on my heels.
 
The creature pounces. I swerve, my numb legs causing me to stumble in the dust and fall. Peering over my shoulder, seeing it get back up and shake itself off. A new wound is bleeding from its head, matching the multiple others that litter its coat. It growls, blinking blood from its grey eye. It crouches and lurks towards me with its teeth bared in a snarl.
 
I cough, trying desperately to catch my breath.  I get to my hooves and step backwards. I glance behind myself, looking for anything that could help. I’m desperate.
 
But nothing is there.
 
I don’t have a chance, but I’m not willing to give up this easily. I don’t know why, I just feel… determined. The pain in my legs is gone, as is the freezing temperature that followed me during the trek. I don’t feel alone anymore. I dash away from the creature. If I’m fast enough, I may be able to outrun it.
 
As I run, I suddenly feel myself getting pulled backwards. I feel the sharp stab of the creature’s claws in my hindleg and I scream. My legs crumple under me as it retracts its claws. I try to stand, but my leg won’t move.
 
I shriek, fangs piercing my flank and flooding me with pain. I clench my eyes shut and kick as hard as I can with my one good leg.
 
I hit only air.
 
“Happy birthday to you!”
 
“Happy birthday to you!”
 
The creature slashes at my flank, digging its claws in through skin and muscles. I howl, rolling onto my back and kicking again. Even using the metal manacle as a weapon. It hardly disorientates it.
 
“Happy birthday, dear Twilight!”
 
I glance into its ravenous eyes, one grey, and the other is completely red. I kick, managing to hit its jaw. It doesn’t even faze it as it slashes across my stomach. It stings and burns. I feel warm blood seep from the gashes and mat my fur as I try to push the dog back. But I’m not strong enough. It snarls, jumping forward and digging its claws into my forelegs.
 
“Happy birthday...”
 
I scream and choke, clench my eyes shut. I feel fangs clamp around my throat and tighten. My lungs burn, desperate for air. My kicks are weak and futile, hardly deterring the dog.
 
“To… you!”
 
The heavy weight of its fangs are no longer around my throat, only sticking blood clumping my fur. I cough and wheeze, taking a moment to lie there on the smooth stone, just breathing. The air here is chilled and soothing to my burning lungs. I blink open my eyes. I can’t see anything. Fear grips me and I hold my breath. It didn’t get my eyes, did it?

Several moments pass by, and anxiety wells in my chest when my eyes don't adjust. It takes me a minute to realize the darkness is too thick to see in. There are no stars to light the sky, and without the moon looming over me I feel alone. It’s always there to blur the night. I enjoy the night at home. It’s comforting, like the sun is taking a nap, but here… It’s like a thick smog is choking out all light.
 
I bite my lip, painfully attempting to sit up. It takes more time than I’d like, but I do it. I want to check my legs, but all I can do for the first few minutes is breath. Every movement is jarring. I can’t move my left leg, but I can feel it throbbing and burning. I just need a light-.
 
I gasp as a violet light illuminates the area around me just enough to see. How is my horn working? I still have the cuff on, don’t I? I painfully lift my foreleg and glance at the manacle latched around it. That’s… impossible. Luna made this cuff unbreakable… But as I’m seeing it now, it’s cracked. I breath for a second, unbelieving. I can feel magic flow through me once again. Where it once felt hollow, it now feels… heavy. Stronger.
 
Strange.
 
Maybe the crystals gave out. Maybe it cracked in the fight. Maybe… No. That isn’t it. That makes no sense. I cough, and clear my mind. I still need to examine my leg and see how badly I’m hurt. Looking down at it, I can tell immediately that I won’t be walking anytime soon. My leg is badly torn and mangled, with gashes that nearly reveal bone. Its purple color is hidden beneath a wet layer of blood. I wince, suddenly glad that the ground is made of stone. Hopefully I can keep it from infection.
 
Zecora taught me about potions, but one specifically sticks out. She taught me a healing potion. I don’t know if I’ll be able to gather the ingredients from here. Considering how dark it is, I doubt many plants can grow here. She taught me several, so I should be able to put something together.
 
I lie down again, feeling drained and dizzy. The light from my horn goes out as I close my eyes. The pain searing my body abates enough that I can ignore it. At least for the moment. I can't ignore the throbbing in my head, though.
 
I walk through the darkness, glancing into the windows unceremoniously speckled throughout. Their faint glow is the only light I have. I glance into the first window I come upon. It has a small family in it.
 
A blue and pink mare stands rigid in the back, her eyes locked on her two foals. The foals, who aren’t older than three, laugh crazily as they tear through dirty, brown packages skewed around the cement floor. A filthy stallion sitting beside the mare smirks, shouting at the foals to keep playing. I look at her, somehow catching her pink eyes. I look away, seeing Pound and Pumpkin pull out dangerous items and roughhouse with one another. They stop to open more packages. One foal pulls out a bomb that is quickly counting down the seconds. 
Are they really passing that quickly?
 
A small, black package in the back of the cell glows a deep violet before erupting in a bloody explosion. A pack of large Timberwolves burst from its ruins covered in a sickly coat of crimson. They tear the foals apart, and the mare screams. The stallion laughs.

And the wolves turn on them.
 
I rip my eyes away from the murderous scene and trot away, bumping into the next glowing window. I can’t stop myself from peering in. Once I do, I can’t pull my eyes away.
 
An orange pegasus sits in the middle of a pitch-black room. She rocks herself back and forth, not daring to open her eyes. I can hear somepony calling to her, screaming at her, cheering her on. The voice- her voice… is overwhelming. Tears stream down her face, glinting off of the small light shining dimly behind her. She mumbles four words under her breath over and over again, getting louder as time passes. “This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening…” She raises her head, screaming now, “THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!” Scootaloo sobs, changing her words.
 
Now, she’s shouting, but it grows quieter every moment. “She isn’t dead… They lied, they lied, they lied. She’s not dead… Rainbow Dash didn’t die… won’t die… I’m dreaming… this is all a dream. Please wake me up. Wake me up. Wake me up…” She sobs, cowering under the light which grows bigger every second. She grows smaller… younger. Her broad wings shrinking; her long legs shortening.
 
She’s a foal again, trembling and breaking up over her worst nightmare. “I’m- I’m not sleeping…”
 
I moan, backing away and running, running directly into another window. I’m looking into it before I have a chance to pull my eyes away. There must be something wrong with it, because this window is murky. It seems disturbed.
 
There’s a brightly lit, white room with a single bed in the middle. The room is empty, save for a heart monitor beside the bed and the pony hidden beneath the drab sheets. I can only see a spot of her bright pink mane, but it’s the brightest thing about the room.
 
The door opens, revealing a tired doctor. As he closes the door, the resonating sound of the monitor changes, turning from a steady beat to a low whine. The doctor glances at the bed and frowns. He begins to change. He grows taller and skinnier, looking malnourished and gangly. His brown coat deepens to a dull black and his eyes turn a misty, swirling blue, missing the pupils.
 
The tall being walks to the bed and pulls the sheet from it, revealing the now-deceased pony hidden beneath. She’s a lively pink, contrasting the entire room. Her normally bouncy mane is lying flat against her head. Her once bubbly demeanor is now silent and still. Pinkie Pie will never be able to smile again.
 
The creature reaches a hoof out to touch her as the door is pushed open. An expressionless, grey pony walks in. She’s carrying a wooden box filled with multi-colored rocks on her back. They’re strung together with a black thread, and one set is worn around the earth pony’s neck like jewelry. The mare glances up, hearing the monitor flat-line. Maud gasps, rushing to the pony’s side. The wooden box falls from her flank, splintering as it hits the ground. The rocks colorful rocks shatter into small pieces.
 
She shoves the creature away, tightly hugging the mare in the bed. I shiver as the image clears. I stare directly at the creature.
 
And then the creature growls and the window shatters. I back away, shaking. I clench my eyes shut and run. I hit windows, hearing the same voice telling me to glance in. When I don't, the window shatters. I don't look back at them, but I can hear the voice taunting me to take a peek.

"Twilight,"

I don't move. Was that...? 

I look up at a dark figure standing several paces away. All I can see of it is its eyes, glowing white and illuminating the gripping darkness. The shadows around us lift as it walks towards me. Instinctively, I back away. I hope this is who called out to me... I don't see anypony else around. The creature blinks, and her eyes fade back to their natural turquoise.
 
“We are not alone,” Luna says. She turns to walk down the path I came from, shattering windows with every step.