//------------------------------//
// Chapter Two: The Nightmare 
// Story: The Artistic Muse 
// by Compass-Rose-0425 
//------------------------------//

The night before her birthday, Toola-Roola had a terrible dream...

Her dream began in the Crystal Empire. At least she thought it was the Crystal Empire, as the glorious crystal castle had been replaced with a tower of solid black stone. She heard a malicious laugh behind her, and she turned around and saw a black pony with a dark blue mane, and eyes the same color. But she was not a regular pony, or a crystal pony either. She had a horn like a changeling, wings of a bat, and her eyes like a cat's. Toola-Roola didn't know it, but she was staring at the face of her aunt, Lunar Eclipse. 

Toola-Roola gasped and looked around her. She saw her comrades fighting what looked like clones of the evil mare, only smaller. She saw her parents fighting those terrible clones as well. But there was no hope for them, as they were completely surrounded. She heard a scream and Toola-Roola looked away, fighting back tears. She saw Princess Cadence running like mad towards her, scooping her up in her mouth, and running away from Lunar Eclipse and towards edge of the Crystal Empire.

"Go, Toola-Roola. Go far away and I will find you!" she gasped.

"Don't leave me! Please don't leave me alone!" Toola-Roola screamed.

But Cadence flew away, and towards Lunar Eclipse. The two mares fought with all their strength, until Lunar Eclipse struck Cadence in the heart. A terrible shriek was heard from the princess, and she sank to the ground.

Toola-Roola started to search for her, but she instead followed Cadence's words and flew as fast as she could, away from the destruction of the Empire. But she was was followed by Lunar Eclipse, who pounced on the little filly. She then opened up her mouth, filled with sharp teeth, and whispered,

"This isn't a dream, this is a vision, a premonition, that will occur on the 7th eve of your birth. Beware filly, I will get you..."