A Trip to the Library

by Tima Scribbles

Afterward

Twilight squeezed her temples with her hooves as she stared at the blank page before her. She had written countless letters and diary entries since coming to Ponyville, and the words had always flowed so smoothly from her pen. But today she was thoroughly stumped.

She realized that the ink on her quill had dried up, so she gave it another quick dip in the inkwell and resumed her staring. After a moment's pause, she tentatively put pen to paper and began to write.

Something strange happened at the library today.

She quickly crossed out the word 'strange.'

Something strange horrible happened at the library today.

"Gah!" Twilight cried out in frustration. 'Horrible' wasn't a strong enough word either. "Perhaps monstrous?" she thought aloud. She had rarely found herself wanting in vocabulary, but there was something about the day's events that seemed to defy explanation.

A chill travelled down her spine as her mind replayed her encounter with Cheeseblood. She grimaced; even the name itself left an odd taste in her mouth, though whether literal or figurative, she could not tell.

Slowly, the pictures in her mind tore themselves free, and Twilight was confronted by a nightmare made real. Horrors bubbled up from the depths of her consciousness, and she broke out in a cold sweat. A high pitched EEEEEEing sound filled her ears, while images of the oddly-coloured pony flitted before her eyes. Her nostrils flared as she was assaulted by the sour odour of rank dairy, and the iron stink of blood. Darkness creeped in from the periphery of her vision, and she gasped desperately for air. The world was closing in, pulsing in and out like a thumping heart.

Twilight clawed at the air and fell from her seat. Landing in a heap on the ground, she turned her face skyward and watched as a kaleidoscope of fire and smoke engulfed the ceiling above her. A booming wail, both other-worldy and sickeningly familiar, filled the room. Its pitch wavered up and down like the waves of a boiling sea and, with horror, she realized it was her own.

From this hellscape emerged the visage of a pony, one whose coat was yellow as the sun, and whose wings were red like a smoldering ember. Dark tendrils oozed toward Twilight and took hold of her, bringing her face to face with the monster. The darkness, the sheer nothingness, within its eyes took Twilight's breath away.

The shock to her senses crystalized at once, and Twilight was confronted with Equestria's oldest and strongest emotion: fear.

Comments

[The Weaver]

Interesting...

[Tima Scribbles]

10970500
Two birds with one stone!

10970814
Thanks!