//------------------------------// // Chapter I // Story: A Prayer for the Silenced // by SolRadiante //------------------------------// ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ A lone filly kept gazing down as she sat in a muddy patch of grass, the fierce rain plummeting down on her head like shards of ice. The thought to look for shelter never crossed her mind, however. She silently remained still on her place as if in a trance, not even flinching to the occasional thunder in the distance. She felt her flank and legs going numb as they rested half-buried in the bone-chilling ground. The night had been freezing since the storm came down upon town, strong gusts of wind and rain that could prove a fatal combination. But she didn’t mind the cold, in any case. Her fur had become sticky, and her mane laid plastered on the sides of her face. She was soaking wet and had traces of dirt all over her. A part of her figured there was no reason to be out and risk a cold, or worse. But as she gazed into the darkness of night at the sight before her eyes, she realized nothing else mattered at all. There was something big lying still in front of the filly, the lack of light turning everything into silhouettes. She brought herself a bit forward and hunkered down. She expected some kind of warmth as she wrapped her hooves around the thing in a loving hug. It was frigid as the grave. A sudden flash of white lit up the area as bright as day. It was followed by a powerful thunder blasting through the skies, making the filly’s eardrums ring like crazy. The young mare didn’t even bat an eye. In the few seconds of visibility, it revealed a noose twirling ominously in the tree just ahead. The lightning had struck a nearby tree beside the filly. One of its branches sparked with life and soon ignited with a ferocious yellow-orange flame. But as the storm wreaked havoc, the fire grew wider, and wider. The young mare made no effort to escape the incoming flames. The forested area quickly became victim of the raging inferno, completely surrounding the filly in a cloud of smoke and fire. “Why?” The young mare finally spoke, her voice nothing more than a whisper. The filly lifted her head, her expression unreadable as she followed the unmistakable trace of a bruise with a forehoof all across the pony’s neck. Its eyes were wide open in a crimson red as they stared back directly at her. Its tongue had swollen and was sticking out of the mouth. “You said you would stay by my side forever,” said the young mare, her voice cold as winter. “So… Tell me. What happened?” She remained silent, as if expecting an answer from the corpse. Sure enough, it only glared back at her with round, lifeless eyes. “Hey!” The filly stomped the ground, sending mud and water flying all across the place as she looked down at the carcass with an infuriating rage. “I’m asking you something!” Aside from the menacing roars of the raging fire, there was still no answer. Its penetrating gaze burned forever into the filly’s memory. She felt mocked as the corpse kept staring at her like a foul abomination. “Stop looking at me like that!” A sharp smack resounded through the filly’s ears. The body’s gaze was now facing the opposite direction. She had begun giggling under her breath, her gaze facing downwards as a long and maddening smirk formed on her face. The forest fire had turned into a supernatural color of black and violet, repelling the rain as the flames enclosed the clearing in an infernal cage. It sealed the two ponies in its jaw, slowly closing in to crush them whole. “You looked at me funny… I hate it when you do that.” As the filly lifted her gaze, she trotted around the corpse like a shark circling its prey. “I used to look up to you. I used to believe there was nothing you couldn’t do.” She stopped abruptly, her unnatural grin resembling that of a mad pony. “It hurts. It hurts so much. I will never forgive you.” The filly suddenly started hearing loud thumps and cracks. She later realized it was her repeated kicks to the corpse’s face causing them. “You rotten whore! I hate you I hate you I hate you! I hope you burn in Tarta-” The filly was cut off by her own agonizing cries of pain as hell itself had swallowed her whole. She was helpless against the infernal flames as they burned her frail skin and bones. Her screams seemed to go on for eternity before culminating in one long, final echo. The fire had finally extinguished for good. As the smoke cleared, the rain unexpectedly ceased to fall. The several trees that went ablaze were unharmed and there was no sign of the forest fire, except for the charred fallen branch where the lightning had struck. And there was no evidence left of the two ponies ever setting foot on that place, save for the noose still twirling around menacingly, where one particular soul had taken its life. In the distance, not too far away from the clearing, a small village could be seen. It was quiet and peaceful. Everypony was taking their well-earned slumber after a hard day of honest work. What they didn’t know, was the sinister black fog looming over the town. It descended inch by inch, then split into several copies of itself. The ominous entity made its way to the buildings and seeped into every opening it could find: windows, keyholes, and chimneys. Soon, the village was enveloped in complete and utter darkness. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ It couldn’t have been a more gracious morning today in Ponyville. The sun shone brightly across the town, and there was no cloud in sight. Although it was a sunny day, the winds of autumn blew soothing waves of invigorating fresh air into its inhabitants. It was the perfect balance of warmth and coolness that made such a fine day. Of course, it was only reasonable that the pegasi weather team would schedule clear skies for today. It’s the birthday of one of Ponyville’s youngest residents, after all. It seemed like good things were piling up one after another. There was no way it could be ruined. One would expect a filly to be celebrating with her friends on such a special day. Sugarcube Corner was a popular venue for hosting birthday parties, or any other sort of celebration, really. Pinkie Pie sure lived up to her nickname as the party pony. Scootaloo had other plans, however. The party could wait until the evening. There would be plenty of time for munching cupcakes and another adventure with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. Since it was a weekend, she figured there’s no need to wake up early. So she did what every healthy growing young mare would do in that situation: oversleep. She would need all the energy for a fun and lively day. Scootaloo remained asleep in her comfy bed, her faint and soothing breathing showing she was sleeping soundly. Even Princess Luna had granted her a goodnight sleep. Unfortunate for her, it didn’t last forever. Her peaceful snooze was abruptly interrupted by a cold shiver running down her spine. She was whisked away from the dream world and groggily woke up to her senses. I must’ve rolled away from my blanket, again. Ugh I hate it when this happens. With her eyes still closed, she let out an irritated groan as she blindly reached with her fore hooves to find it. Hnng my body is killing me. Did I fall from bed? Scootaloo resorted to her least desirable option as she realized that her blanket was far away from her reach. Her eyelids twitched, and she slowly opened them up. Scootaloo recoiled as she was greeted by fierce sunlight. She immediately covered her face with a hoof, and wiped away the tears that had leaked out with the other. Scootaloo had definitely got up on the wrong side of the bed. So much for waking up, huh. Scootaloo had learned her lesson, and this time she rolled herself over. She was now facing the other way and thus now able to see. Much to her dismay, she wasn’t in her bedroom. Her bed, wardrobe, scooter and all her belongings were nowhere to be found. She stared dumbfounded at her surroundings. Or she would if there was anything visible at all. What… is this place? The young mare’s gaze moved from left to right as she tried to make out the place she was in, with no success. Scootaloo’s anxiety was evident when the frantic sound of her heartbeats became the only audible sound. It was a desolated and dark place. A sea of haze and emptiness was all she could see. What could be lurking out there? She asked herself many times, and it was that what scared her the most. Unspeakable terrors could be waiting for her at every corner. The mind can prove to be the deadliest of foes. The cold sting of horror plunged into her body, and its poison quickly ran through her veins. Scootaloo’s breathing became more erratic with each passing second. Her eyes darted everywhere, searching for anything at all! She was slowly being devoured by fear, like a parasite eating her from the inside out. Her heart was right on her throat, with each heartbeat like tiny hammer blows to her sanity. And the silence… the silence was the worst of all. She had to say something! The first thing that came to mind, just any audible word! Or else she feared she would lose it and start screaming uncontrollably. “Be strong! I-It’s nothing I can’t handle,” said Scootaloo, her words stammering. “Just some bad dream, a really bad dream. That’s all!” Princess Luna has taught her above all else to face her fears head-on, a lesson she wouldn’t forget anytime soon. This had to be a nightmare. There was no other explanation, she thought. She had to wake up no matter what. This was way worse than her dreams with the olden pony and the headless horse. Surely, she wasn’t exactly looking forward to see the end of it. As she slowly succumbed into desperation, a faint glimmer came into her vision. Scootaloo couldn’t help it but to look around for its source, struggling to convince herself it could be a good sign. I’d better not get my hopes up too much, though. The filly glanced up, and saw it. A ball of pure light was floating high above, shining brightly in the darkened wasteland. Scootaloo’s eyes lit up the second she caught sight of the heavenly sphere. She entered into a trance, her mouth agape as she bathed herself in the light’s warmth. It reminded her of home, her friends, and all of her joyful memories in Ponyville. Its presence was truly a reassuring gift. She couldn’t help but smile. She reached with her right hoof almost unconsciously, her eyes still fixed on the heavenly light. From her point of view, it felt like holding it as she placed her forehoof underneath it. She found solace in the light, albeit just for a small moment. Scootaloo’s grin turned into disappointment as she realized it was too far from her grasp. But it still couldn’t hurt to stay put and marvel at it, could it? So close… yet so far away. Suddenly, the sphere started radiating light so intensely that Scootaloo had to shield her eyes. Almost as if a small portion of the sun had suddenly appeared in the dream. The light lowered its intensity to a comfortable brightness, but it was glowing stronger than before, thus revealing Scootaloo a whole new view of the place she was in. She was standing in a small stone platform, just enough space for her to stand without falling off. Her surroundings were still covered in a dense fog, she couldn’t see much further than the landing. A spectral staircase had materialized before the little filly, going all the way up to the sphere of light. It was shaped like a spiral, making the holy light seem much farther away. Awesome! That ball up there is as good as mine! Scootaloo was anxious to reach the top. In her mind, reaching the light meant to escape this horrible nightmare. If not, she at least would have a safe haven for her to rest. She had only placed a hoof in the first step when a most unpleasant sound came into her ears, a crack. She quickly recoiled with a squeal, taking a few steps back. Upon closer examination, she noticed that the stairs were made of old wood, so old its color had faded to a dull grey. They looked solid enough, but Scootaloo wouldn’t give them too much credit, as some of the parts seemed ready to collapse with the minimal weight added to them. “It can never be that easy, can’t it?” said Scootaloo, feeling discouraged. She sighed, and took a quick peek below. A bottomless chasm greeted her. “Nope, it never is.” It was clear as day that only making a run for it would work. Scootaloo took a deep breath, and exhaled. She was determined to reach the sphere and take protection in its heavenly light. “SCOOOOTAAAALOOOO!” A thundering roar echoed from the abyss below, and the whole structure trembled in its wake. Scootaloo stopped dead on her tracks; a horrible shiver ran through her spine like a raging blizzard. The voice appeared to be of a mare but had an otherworldly tone, like something out of a horror movie where demonic entities would possess their victims. There was a sense of familiarity in her wicked voice, making it much more haunting. What in the name of Celestia!? The young mare felt her whole body go numb as she heard her name. She couldn’t even scream. She was too terrified to do anything. All of the fear and despair had returned in full force. It wasn’t long before she realized that she had forgotten how to breathe. Her gaze remained petrified, staring blankly as she waited for her brain to process everything. Scootaloo had the nasty feeling that she was being watched. No, way worse. She was thoroughly convinced that the beast was right behind of her, breathing down her neck. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t look back! She commanded herself in her mind. Scootaloo was drenched in cold sweat as rapid gasps escaped her mouth. “Just let me wake up already!” She couldn’t take more of this. Her sanity was walking on thin ice, so thin it could collapse at any moment. It took every last portion of her willpower to stay rational. The young mare’s vision was suddenly clouded by an ominous black mist, and she felt herself slowly slipping away, as if something or somepony else was taking her place. What is happening to me!? I'm moving on my own- oh no. No! Before she knew it, she was staring right into the eyes of the basilisk. The intense fog was preventing Scootaloo to get a good glimpse at it, although she wasn’t exactly looking forward to see its horrific true form. The black silhouette resembled a pegasus, only the head, neck, chest and a tiny portion of the wings could be seen. It was standing upright on two legs, defying everything in an equine’s anatomy. To say that it was big would clearly be an understatement, as even an ursa major would feel tiny standing beside it. Since its lower half had vanished beneath the abyss below, there was no telling just how much farther its immense height reached. The thickness in the black mist had lowered in the young mare’s vision, but it was enough for Scootaloo to regain control of her body again. Even so she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t entirely herself. The black mist wasn’t natural at all. C’mon Scootaloo, you’re better than this. She uneasily kept glaring at the monstrosity before her eyes. It wasn’t moving. It just stood in place, silently staring down at the young mare with a grim, hollow gaze. Like a pack of timber wolves that would corner their prey to a dead end, baring their sharp fangs as they fiercely growl with an insatiable hunger. Eventually, the cold truth hits the victim as it realizes the gruesome end he’s about to meet. The young mare narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better image of the colossal silhouette standing in the haze. She wasn’t certain if it was just her imagination, but she was almost sure that it was smiling. That was her breaking point. She mustered all of her courage and firmly took a few steps forward. “Who are you?!” shouted the young mare, her intimidating stare struggling to conceal any signs of weakness. She wanted answers. The things she had been experiencing were not of a normal nightmare. There was more to it than just eating too much candy before sleeping. There was a brief silence before a deep, echoing voice filled the young mare’s ears. “Somepony you know all too well...” It let out a resounding snicker. “Look at you. You haven’t changed one bit.” There was amusement in its voice, as if delighted to hear the young mare call out for it. Scootaloo gritted her teeth, in frustration or terror, she wasn’t sure of which. It could be both. She wasn’t expecting for it to answer in such a direct way, and she felt mocked by the silhouette for taking pleasure in her fear. “Stop playing around! Look, I just want to know how something like you would know my name.” The young mare was running out of patience, and she didn’t plan to run away from her fears again. No matter how large they are. It wasn’t pleased this time, her voice much more menacing. “Forgotten about me, haven’t we? Oh, but don’t you worry. I’ll still take you under my wing…” Scootaloo felt a cold sting in her heart, as something about what it said struck close to home. “Take me under your wing…?” muttered Scootaloo lost in thought, her bewildered and terrified gaze still fixed on the colossal silhouette. I’m sure somepony has told me that before, but who? Was it my dad? Oh, who am I kidding, he’d never say something like that. But I know the answer. I just know it! It’s in the tip of my tongue… Ra-Rain… Agh! The black mist in her vision got thicker once again, causing her head to ache in pain, almost as if blocking her memories. Scootaloo was scared out of her mind, sure, but she wouldn’t break into tears like a little filly either. She was getting older, after all. Ugh, never mind all that. Keep it together, Scootaloo. Whatever that thing is... It’s not real! She hopped into an aggressive stance and taunted the beast by scraping her hoof on the rock platform. “I’m not afraid of you! Whoever you are, show yourself!” The structure once again trembled with the behemoth’s approaching stomps, fiercer and fiercer with each step. Scootaloo wobbled from left to right as she struggled to maintain her footing in the rock landing. A deep dark chasm waited for her with its jaws wide open, like a spider patiently waits for its prey to fall into its unforgiving web. The tremors ceased as the silhouette came to a halt. It was now a few meters away from the rock landing where Scootaloo stood. Its large and broad forehooves were now visible to the young mare’s line of vision. She felt her stomach sick just at the sight of it. The skin was thoroughly rotten and pale; maggots were crawling out of exposed open wounds. Its color was of a faint cyan blue. “... Run away!” An unknown voice resounded inside Scootaloo’s head. “Huh?” She looked around perplexed, searching for its source. “Is somepony else out there?” “... The light! You have to reach the light no matter what!” Scootaloo gasped at the sudden realization. She had been so focused on the colossal silhouette that she completely forgot about it. Her gaze turned to the stairs, and then upwards, its spiral shape rising all the way up to the heavenly sphere. It emitted an aura of hope and fulfillment. “Don’t just stand there Scootaloo! It’s right behind you!” She looked back, her last mistake. The abomination she had witnessed would burn its horrific image inside her mind. “Forever!” What little sense of self-awareness she still had, it was sucked away from her the moment she laid eyes onto it. Scootaloo could swear she heard a primal and deafening scream of pure terror thundering throughout the dark world. It may have been her, but she wasn’t sure of it anymore. Scootaloo was paralyzed as her pupils shrank to tiny dots. Just a few meters away from her was the decomposed and bleached face of a mare. Its entire body was completely engulfed in the ominous black mist that attacked Scootaloo earlier. The monster’s dreadful grin stretched almost from ear to ear in a most unnatural way. Her mane was an utter mess and had multiple colors, although dark and barely noticeable. Its eyes were hollow and pitch-black as the void. They could stare right into your soul. “What’s the matter? Am I still stunning to you? A long and maniacal laughter found its way out of the behemoth’s mouth. Scootaloo’s lips moved rapidly as in muttering something incomprehensible, trapped in the monster’s diabolical glare. She was starting to break down. Although she held her ground admirably, her sanity had taken its toll. She couldn’t think rationally any longer. She was helpless. “Snap out of it! If it gets you or you fall… you will perish!” Scootaloo continued blabbering something, ignoring the unknown voice. She kept staring motionless at the gorgon’s eyes as the colossal beast lifted its massive hoof. Needless to say, the young mare would soon meet her gruesome end. “Ra… Rainbow Dash…?” She finally spoke in a barely audible saddened whisper, a single tear made its way down her cheek. “Come Scootaloo… let us be together again!” With an earsplitting blast, only a shower of debris falling down into the abyss could be seen. The nightmarish pegasus had an unnatural grin stretched across the length of its face, giggling in admiration of her dark deed. Don’t look back...