//------------------------------//
// Thistlebrook 
// Story: Lunacy - A Lovecraftian-Style Story from the Point of View of Twilight Sparkle 
// by mocandragon5 
//------------------------------//

We trudged through the wood for roughly quarter-of-an-hour before coming upon the village depicted in the photograph. No pony seemed to be around, and so we approached ever so cautiously. We searched through the various houses dotted about, deciding finally to split up into a group of three and a group of four. I was in the group of three with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. I was on the upper floor of the house we were searching, having found various magical raw materials for ritualistic magic, which I found to be rather strange as that magic hadn't been used in at least a thousand years. Ignoring this, I stashed a few of the materials in a bag we had all been given. I was about to report this to the others in my group, heading down the stairs. I searched all throughout the floor and around the outside, seeing no-one.

It was then I started to hear the howling once more and my heart began pounding harder than it had been before, the head becoming lighter and the sound of my heart beating filling my ears. I searched around once more, only finding discarded bags and even Applejack's hat. I swallowed harshly before I felt something grabbing on to me from behind. I tried to turn around, but my vision started blurring almost immediately.

What followed next, I could only describe as a horrible nightmare.





I did not feel like myself at all. Everything around me seemed to be blurred and smaller than it should have been. It began in the village, strange scents filling my nose and an almost blazing feeling in the side of my back left leg.

I moved, almost as if I knew the area around me. I inhaled through my nose and the scents... they were so strong. I moved towards one of the buildings. I opened the door slowly and stepped inside. I moved between the rooms and stopped at the sight I saw. Applejack was searching through a pile of items in the corner of the room. She seemed to hear something and turned to look in my direction. Her eyes widened in obvious fear as she called out to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus soon came into my vision, her eyes widening just as Applejack's had. I stepped towards them. And again. A third. I lunged out, snapping up Applejack's hat as she had barely dodged my lunge. I threw it to the side and lunged once more. My target hit. The sight. Oh, Celestia the sight. Blood poured out from the wound my claws... Wait, my claws?... inflicted. The sound was of bones shattering, though not at the point of injury, all over the now limp body. A sadistic grin spread across my face, not of my own accord as I turned to Rainbow Dash, hearing someone come down the stairs.





That is as far as my memories allow me to recall of that accursed vision. I know there was more, but my mind screams at me if I try to recall it.

After this, my senses returned to me and I blinked against the harsh daylight as it poured in through the window. Looking around, I managed to discern roughly three equine shapes, all wearing rugged, old cloaks as dark as the depths of Tartarus themselves. The cloaked figures almost seemed to be statues for a moment before movement took them. They turned towards me. One of them seemed to smile from beyond the veil of darkness.

"Welcome, Miss Sparkle, to Thistlebrook. Do, please, stay for a while."