The Chosen One. The hero of ages. The Savior of the realm. Fluttershy was known as all these things. She was one of a kind, special. But, right now she didn't feel like it.
She hugged her small bunny, Angel, to her chest and stared into the darkness. Oh, there was so much darkness. Her back was to a wall, sitting on her large, fluffy bed. The only source of light was a small, glowing pole that illuminated her bed.
But only a few feet away from her bed, the darkness covered all. Nearby was another such pole, though it didn't glow. All she had to do was touch it and it would begin to glow as well, fighting back some of the darkness. But to do that, she'd have to come closer to the darkness. It was there. Watching her. Waiting for her. She didn't know what was in it, but it was evil. She could feel it.
It didn't matter though. Her bed was comfortable. Soft. Safe. She gently hugged Angel closer, watching the darkness and peering at the pole. It had never gone out, but all the others had. She took another deep sigh and looked down to Angel. “Should... I-I try again?” she asked weakly.
The bunny shook his head. She gulped and slowly put him down. “I... but...” She glanced to the small table besides the bed. There was an empty plate and a small empty bowl. “They're late. I'll just... it'll be fine. Just... just need to g-go forward. T-that's it.” The pegasus slowly slid from her bed, her hooves clicking against the tile floor.
She nervously made her way towards the second pole. She put a hoof against it and it began to slowly glow. It's light slowly drove back the shadows, revealing more of the chamber. The small space she occupied was more like a tiny room, but this light revealed a wide, open stone chamber. It also revealed that... things were in the darkness, disappearing from the light before she could get a real look at them. She didn't know what they were or even if they really existed. For all she knew, they were part of her imagination. But she swore they were always there. Always waiting for her. In the darkness. Watching her.
Her breathing began to quicken as fear pushed into her heart. They were there, watching. Waiting. Whatever they were, they wanted her. She knew that. They wanted to... destroy her? Maybe? They'd been there forever. Ever since she was brought to this place. The lights kept her safe. If not for them, they'd have gotten her so very, very long ago.
The next light was just a little farther away. Not much, but just a few inches closer to the darkness. The one after that was closer still, making her heart begin to beat faster. The darkness was only slowly driven back, each light giving off just a little less light, revealing a little less of the chamber. The fourth one was the one she hated the most.
She pushed it and revealed more of the chamber. It split off into three paths. Two had long since collapsed, however. There were lights by them, but pushing those didn't work anymore. There were small tunnels through the rubble though. The size of a pony. Tunnels she could go through. But that required her to go through the darkness. To be in the darkness. Just the thought made her want to cry out. She kept her head forward and moved to the next.
The next one was on a corner, where the tunnels veered to the right. She held her breath as she inched forward. This one was in the light. Technically. But since it was around the corner, the shadows were right there. Touching against the pole from the other end. The things were right there. Waiting for her. Watching her. Unseen, but still seeing.
She pushed her hoof to it and, for a second, it didn't come on. Terror began to fill her as she was certain this one was broken too. She shrunk back, watching the darkness, waiting for it to come alive. Then the light glow came alive and began to push the darkness away.
She let out a sigh of relief before she started trotting again. She'd been eight the first time she'd made it this far. Barely beyond a filly. But the things had been there, even then. It was still not easy. The fear still gripped her heart as she walked.
The wall's stones were getting older now, more decrepit. The next few lights were easy, compared to the one on the corner. The stone floors gave way to a small, lush field of grass along with a small, gentle stream. But as nice and gentle as they looked, there were signs of the darkness that enveloped them. The grass was a far darker color than grass was supposed to be. The water was tinted purple. She'd drunk from it once, she remembered it suddenly. It had made her sick. So very sick. She stopped at the edge of the stream, looking down into it. It was only a few inches across, so easy. So simple. But it flowed like a small, bubbling wall of danger. She looked to the right, where it had come from.
The stones had melted away, no longer did the light surround her on all sides. Just the darkness. Above, to the sides, ahead. The only sign of safety were the little rods of summoned light. Each one a little closer to the darkness. To those things.
She took another deep, slow breath. She could do this. She had to do this. The darkness was just that, darkness. Something moved out of the corner of her sight and she quickly turned to look, but there was nothing there. The darkness just looked, somehow, blacker. She turned back ahead and started walking.
There were sounds now. Gentle sounds. Off in the distance. Soft rustles, gentle clipping. She told herself it was just the echo of her own hooves and the spring from before. But no, she knew in her heart that wasn't true. That it wasn't the case. Her breathing was getting faster as she touched the next few. She was getting further. She came to a small bridge and stopped. This was the farthest she'd ever been. She pushed the light and whimpered.
Ahead, the bridge disappeared into the darkness. There was another one of the rods a few feet in, but she'd never made it that far. She chewed on her lips nervously and took a step on the bridge. It dipped, just a little bit into the water. There was a light snapping sound off in the distance. She took another step and the bridge creaked underhoof. She could feel the darkness under her. Watching. It surrounded her on all sides now. Just the light keeping her safe. But she was almost there, she thought. Probably. Maybe. She just had to make it a few feet to the next light.
But she couldn't get her back hooves to do it. They refused to go any further. She whimpered and tried to go, but she was too paralyzed by fear. She nudged her body forward, thrusting her chest out. But nothing. Her legs refused to go.
There was a light splash off to the right. She screamed and turned, galloping back the way she came. Behind her, the darkness seemed to grow as the lights she activated began to turn off. It was slow, but steady. They dimmed until completely going out. The shadows rushed in to fill the void the light left behind, almost hungrily.
She galloped down the halls, looking back into the darkness. She could see it, whatever it was. Rushing forward impatiently, as if it was pushing back against the light. She jumped into her bed and pulled the covers tight, whimpering softly as she stared into the halls. The last activated light went out and the darkness crashed against the last light, the one that never went out. For a second she worried that even it would succumb as she held Angel close. The light did seem to collapse, just a bit, before pushing the darkness away. “I-it's okay. I can... I-I can try again tomorrow,” she whispered softly. Yes. She could get farther. Just a little bit. She had time. She had plenty of time. There wasn't a need for her, not yet. They'd tell her if there was.
------
“Holy one!” a voice said, making her look up from the darkness. A small earth pony stepped out from the shadows, holding a hayburger on a plate, alongside a small salad. Like all the ponies in this world, his body was completely black and he had no mane. They were all earth ponies, touched by the darkness. Torn asunder by it. She was yet untouched, that was why they had to protect her. She was their hope.
She nodded slowly and smiled. “I-I... right. T-thank you. S-sorry. I tried coming to get you, but... I-I couldn't g-get past the bridge.” She slowly pulled the hayburger and salad to her, gently putting the salad besides Angel. “Here darling.” The bunny happily went at it.
“Oh, Chosen One. You shouldn't have done that!” the pony scolded. “It is dangerous to go into the darkness. You are our hope, our future. You must stay here, where it's safe. If the darkness was to get you... who knows what would happen? Only you can light the posts. Only you can bring light to the world.” He shook his head. “It was very selfish of you to risk yourself like that.”
She looked down at the floor and sighed. “I'm sorry, I just... I didn't want to be a bother. I didn't want to--”
“You are not a bother. You are our hope. We can bring you food and everything you need. You must remain here, where it's safe. For the good of everypony. You care about us, yes? You wish to keep everypony safe? That means you must not risk yourself like that! If we were to lose you, we'd all be doomed. There would be no more hope for any of us. Is that what you want?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “N-no, of course not. I just... I didn't want to... I thought if I--”
“No, Chosen One. You are our healer. We need you. You must stay safe, here. Where nothing can harm you. If you die, we are all doomed. It will be your fault. Is that what you want?”
Fluttershy shook her head and looked back out into the darkness. It just... stood there. Watching her. The things held within it stuck at bay, the light of the post the only thing keeping her safe. “I'm so sorry. I just thought I could go further this time. That I'd... be okay.”
“You must not, Savior,” the pony said, before gently giving her a hug. It was warm and comforting. “Besides, if you were to go into darkness, the last of the light would fade.” He looked down to Angel. “Your bunny would be lost as well. Is that what you want?” The same warning she'd heard a thousand times.
Fluttershy glanced down to Angel and gave an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so selfish. It won't happen again.”
The pony nodded and slowly pulled away. “Of course. Thank you, Chosen One. Now, you must remain here, safe. I have to venture back into the darkness, but I will return soon.”
She nodded softly and gulped, watching him leave. The darkness seemed to swallow him whole. She slowly picked up Angel and held him to her chest. “It's okay. It's all going to be okay.”
Angel nodded and gave her a little nuzzle. She laid down on her bed and pulled the covers close. She didn't need the warmth, in fact it never seemed to get cold or hot here. But it was comforting. As if the blanket could keep her safe from the darkness.
She let out a yelp as she heard a voice suddenly spill out from the shadows. It was low, only a whisper. She couldn't make out what it said. “D-did you hear that?” she asked her bunny.
Angel looked up at her, confusion on his face, before shrugging.
She gulped and closed her eyes, straining her hearing. But there was nothing, not a single peep. Just the same sounds of the shadows and the things that lived in them.