//------------------------------// // Chapter 31: Darkness And Light // Story: When Snow Falls // by Prophet Of Doom //------------------------------// Foxtrot sat alone in her new world, with nothing but her thoughts and a name. A godless void of darkness with no features except for this one pony and nothing more. Even her memories were strangely absent. The last thing she could recall was crying in front of a fireplace, before being consumed by the darkness that now was her world. Whenever she tried to recall more, all she would find was pain-filled moments of her life Bullies during fillyhood, times when she'd failed, the countless yelling and venom laced lecture from a magenta mare. The most painful was a time was when she was told of her father's death and the events that followed. She had no idea how long she had been here. The flow of time seemingly halted. It was then that her surroundings changed. A circle of light slowly emerged from the inky darkness. Foxtrot only noticed it when it got to its brightest. In an infant like way, she shifted away from it whilst captivated by it, “Hello?” As if in reply, its surface changed from its bright glow to an almost glass-like state. Driven by curiosity, Foxtrot moved closer and stared through its surface. She did not see the dark void that the circle was suspended in. Instead, Foxtrot saw a world that was totally alien and yet overwhelmingly familiar to her. It showed a castle from the vantage point of a tall tower. Then a bed chamber, light by a dying fire. There was also a pony there. A beautiful white mare with flowing mane, lying asleep in the centre of the room. Foxtrot could not recall who this pony was, but found herself greatly comforted by her. This moment of comfort did not last. The mare awoke and reared towards foxtrot, but she was stopped and ensnared by a series of glowing chains that wrapped tightly around her. “No!” Foxtrot shrieked, slamming her hooves against the glass-like surface. “Let Her Go!” She didn’t know who she was pleading to, or why she was pleading so in infaticly. However, It was all to no avail. In a flash, the white mare was gone. Foxtrot reared back from the circle, shock and sadness consuming her. Also, the feeling of being sick to her stomach. Convinced that she had just witnessed a pony die. She felt something warm and wet roll down her cheeks. Prodding them with her hoof, she released that she was crying. Tears, for a pony she could not name. And as quickly and silently as it appeared, the mysterious circle fading away. Foxtrot reached out for it with a hoof, as it disappeared completely. Leaving her alone with her tears, in the endless dark void. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steel Wall watched the goods train pull away with gathering speed. The cargo it was carrying had been dumped beside the tracks. In their place were the residents of hoofly, evacuating the town. News of Nightmare Moon’s return ad spread through Hoofly like wildfire, and panic soon took hold. It would have turned to outright pandemonium if it had not been for the lone royal guard. Steel wall for the first time in over a year had control of his body. Having awoken soon after Nightmare Moon’s departure, he emerged from the remains Foxtrot’s cottage. After calming several residents down, he aided a group digging through the remains of another cottage. Trapped under a heavy wooden beam was the unconscious form of Midnight Snow. Steel Wall was able to free him with ease, bringing audible gasps from the crowd. His saddlebags had been blown off, revealing him to be an alicorn. Which came as a surprise to the ones there, seeing a wing and a stump on a unicorn. Attention was then drawn skywards, with the shout ‘Look at the moon!’. Steel Wall like many around him, cast his gaze upon it and saw runes magically etched on its surface. A cold dread coursed through his body. He knew what this meant. Steel Wall had not been complacent whilst imprisoned in his own body. Whilst continuing to retake control of his body, he was able to maintain a good element of awareness of the world around him. He was quietly able to watch Nightmare Moon’s plotting and soon learned of her plans. So he watched the moon, knowing what was coming. The image of the mare appeared on the moon, but the runes remained. Ponies around him started murmuring and an old griffon asked him what this meant. “Celestia has fallen,” He said calmly, drawing the attention of all around him. Steel Wall stood up straight and addressed them in a clear tone, “Princess Luna will return soon and deal with the threat. However, Canterlot and the surrounding area, may soon become a battlefield. You must evacuate Hoofly, immediately!” Steel Wall then stepped down from the ruins of the cottage and beckoned the others to follow, before more panic could set in. Which led him to where he was now, Hoofly’s rail yard. Two goods trains were waiting to depart, which Steel Wall commandeered and got the residents to board. He watched the first train depart for the Crystal Empire, carrying Stonie and the sill unconscious Midnights Snow. Steel Wall boarded the other train bound for Los Pegasus, when he spotted something out of the corner of his. A dark figure flying at high speed towards Canterlot castle. Princess Luna. She was too far away for Steel Wall to shout a warning of the trap, he knew Nightmare Moon was setting for her. He muttered a silent prayer for Luna’s success, but knew he had to assume she would fall as well. He needed to leave and warn Nightmare Moon’s next target after Princess Luna. Ponyville.