The New Moon Rises

by Kit Wolfkat

Hope

Hope.

Twilight Sparkle was at a loss for words.

How did she- But I-I-I don’t know anymore.

She turned to Pinkie Pie, who was laughing joyfully with the others in the group. Her wide grin was stretched across her face while she jumped up and down excitedly on her hooves. Rainbow Dash repeatedly flew circles around Pinkie, their laughter intertwining in the air.

“Holy crap, Pinkerton! I never took ya for a tree whisperer, a better one than Fluttershy as well!” she complimented Pinkie, followed by Applejack patting her back in a display of proudness.

“Indeed darling, I’ve never seen such a display of JOVIALITY!” Rarity said unexpectedly, earning a hug from Pinkie immediately after.

Winters chuckled lightly, a genuine smile gracing his face. He turned to see Twilight facing away from the others. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts, her eyes focused on something in the distance.

He approached her and placed a hoof on her shoulder, “Twi, you’re spacing out again.”

Her eyes and ears went up in surprise, “Oh! Didn’t notice that.” she said awkwardly, before turning to him. “Winters, I don’t know what I just saw. And I probably don’t want to know how.”

Winters gave her a sympathetic smile, “Hey, I’ve seen weirder things before so I think we’ll be fine after this. You should watch me, I’m a half thestral-earth pony in a gun manufacturing family! ”

Twilight unconsciously gave a sincere smile, the first time she ever did since she arrived here. “Thanks Winters, I guess uh, we should probably keep going. Day to save and Elements of Harmony to find you know?” she said, rubbing her head with a hoof awkwardly.

Winters nodded eagerly but before he could reply back, Rainbow pushed him out of nowhere with a determined expression. “Sweet Luna’s flank yeah! We’re gonna beat Daybreaker and she’ll stay there for eternity!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, before settling on Winters’ laid down form and unamused appearance, “I hate you sometimes Rainbow.” he replied blankly.

Rainbow let out raspberry before turning to Twilight, “So when we headin’ out Sparkling?” she enthusiastically asked Twilight, grinning mischievously.

Realising that any sort of nickname change is fruitless, it’s best if she just ignored whatever she called her. “Fine, we’ll head out for now.” she replied with a groan.

“Heck yeah! Can’t wait to beat her flank!”

Augh… This is gonna be a long while.

---

A few minutes later

“Does this forest get any darker? I’m walkin’ like a bat pony in the sunlight.”

Winters shot her a mildly offended look, but it quickly transformed into an amused smirk. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s not like I’m completely blind anyways~” he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Applejack’s retort was swift.“Oh crabapples, don’t take it that hard. I’m just saying it as it is.”

Twilight, caught between their banter, couldn’t help but let out a tired sigh. The darkness was becoming overwhelming, and their progress felt slow and uncertain. At least the forest seemed to become less thick as they walked, but still, the oppressive atmosphere lingered. Twilight’s hooves dragged along the forest floor, her fatigue beginning to weigh heavily upon her.

Her mind was tired, with all of the challenges and dangers they had faced so far. The weight of her mission, the looming threat of Daybreaker, and the earlier fears that captured her heart resurfaced again.

How am I gonna do this.. My head’s gonna explode anytime soon, augh.

“Miss Sparkle?” a faint voice called out behind her. Turning around, Twilight saw Fluttershy, her soft voice barely audible amidst the sombre ambiance of the forest.

Twilight’s weariness wore down as she looked at the pegasus, “Yes, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked at her with a soft smile, her eyes glittering with worries and kindness. “I’m just uh, hoping that you’re feeling alright?” she asked her, as she caught up with the unicorn beside her.

For once, she didn’t give a snarky nor sarcastic or a half-hearted answer but instead, a simple but grateful nod. “I guess, I’m really tired, you know?” she replied, tiredly.

“Well, I have a question?” she hesitated, her voice hesitant. “Why were you mad at Pinkie Pie earlier?”

Well, I half-expected this question to come about.

With a deep breath, Twilight looked into her eyes, appreciating her gesture but not quite ready to open up fully. “I… wasn’t angry.” she paused, quietly thinking over her words. “I was just frustrated with the forest.”

Fluttershy merely responded with a slow nod, her eyes glancing at somewhere in the forest. Twilight sighed. It’s not like she can apologise now. She started to walk faster than Fluttershy, partly to get away from the conversation but mostly to get rid of her tiredness.

As they walked, the forest gradually began to thin out and as she looked up, she could see the glows of the stars slowly twinkling through the branches. The forest seemed to be coming to an end, at least what she’s seeing. There was even a small hill in front of them.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash raced ahead in front of them, much to the other’s surprise. And as she reached the top, her voice rang out with vibrancy. “Everyone! I think I see something!” she shouted over the hill.

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, her tiredness momentarily forgotten. “What do you see?” she called back, her voice filled with eagerness.

“Calm down, Sparking! I think I see a castle up here, but you should come up and see for yourselves. It’s massive!!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Twilight’s hooves propelled her forward, her companions swiftly following suit. The weariness that had weighed them down seemed to dissipate as their anticipation grew.

Reaching the crest of the hill, Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. At first, it was hard to make out what was there in the distance but as she focused her gaze, her eyes widened in astonishment. Off in the distance, a castle stood in the centre of the forest, surrounded by a deep ravine with only one draw bridge connecting the two sides. Near them was the Misaki River flowing, seemingly flowing straight towards the castle. Though she couldn’t tell with all of the dense trees in the way, no that she cares about some river. She found the castle!

Sisterswith Castle... I can’t believe we actually made it. There’s a chance, a chance.

The others looked in amazement at the castle, most especially Rarity who looked at it in great admiration.“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life.”

Applejack turned to her, smirking. “We ain’t even reach the same level as that castle, and yer already fallin’ in love with it?” she said, which earned a laugh from Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.

“Well, I’m sure that if we come near it the architecture would look sublime and the interior, oh goodness the interior!” she said with a dreamy expression, her hooves clasped together. “I can only imagine the exquisite tapestries, the dazzling chandeliers, and the lavish furniture fit for royalty. And I’m gonna get my hooves on them!”

“You’re gonna steal from an ancient castle?” Winters interrupted, raising an eyebrow at Rarity’s enthusiasm.

Rarity snorted, dismissing Winter’s concern. “A : I’m not stealing them, merely observing and collecting them. And B: It may be ancient but it’s also abandoned! And C : Who would even miss them? They’re practically begging to be appreciated by someone with exquisite taste like myself,” she retorted as if she felt seemingly insulted.

“Damn, and I took myself as juvenile.” Rainbow suddenly quipped, “That must be where you get your gems for your clothes?” she added, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm.

“How dare you! Those gems were mined by my suppliers, not stolen!” Rarity huffed as she felt actually insulted. “And besides, merely taking abandoned things doesn’t make me a petty thief. Unlike a certain pegasus, who has a record of breaking and entering.”

“Woah-woah-woah-woah, B&E is completely accidental okay? It’s not like I have control over my wings all the time.” Rainbow Dash defended herself, her tone slightly defensive.

But Rarity wasn’t finished with her tirade. She put on an air of mockery, “Oh dear, such a travesty that a pegasus can’t control her wings! How ever could she join the Wonderbolts now?”

Rainbow’s face turned into a irritated expression, “Oh you-”

The others laughed at the back and forth argument, with Pinkie Pie pulling out a cup of popcorn from her mane and starting to eat it.

“Ugh, Pinkie Pie. Ah ain’t meant to be a sour sort, but ain’t yer popcorn was in yer mane earlier?” Applejack remarked, wrinkling her nose in mild disgust.

Pinkie shrugged nonchalantly, bits of popcorn falling from her mane. “Better to be prepared when you least expect it! Besides, I was just waiting for this moment!” she exclaimed, popping another kernel in her mouth. She pulled out another cup and extended it to Winters, who accepted it with a grin and joined in on the snacking.

“Girls..”

“Oh come on, Rainbow darling. It’s not like-” Rarity began to retort, but Rainbow Dash cut her off swiftly.

“Oh yeah, Little Miss prissy shop. I’m sure the CRS would love to hear about your collected items.” Rainbow grinned slightly menacingly .

“Well I- uh, well I’m pretty sure I-” Rarity’s eyes narrowed, her brows furrowing and her mouth sutterting as she searched for a suitable comeback.

“Um girls..”

“Now Pinkie, Ah’ve been workin’ at mah farm for the some time now, and even Ah know what hygiene’s supposed to be like.” Applejack chimed in, pointing at the bits of popcorn hanging from her mane.

“And you said you’re not a sour sort.” Winters remarked at her with a chuckle, stuffing another kernel in his mouth with a strand of pink hair sticking out of his mouth..

“Ah, ain’t!” Applejack retorted. She glared at Winters before turning back to Pinkie, still stuffing more popcorn. “Look, Pinkie. Ya bake for a living, and ya just stuffed a bunch a’ popcorn in yer mane.”

“Oh it’s fine Applejackie! It’s not like-”

“GIRLS!”

In surprise, the others turned to Fluttershy who had a look of fear on her face. She’s pointing her hooves downward and her eyes are fixated on a figure going downhill. They followed her gaze, their curiosity piqued. However, Winters, with a sense of alarm, quickly scanned the hilltop and realised that someone was missing.

“Twilight!”

Twilight kept running through the forest, her heart pounding in her chest.

It’s there, just a few more more runs in this forest and I’ll be able to reach the castle in no time!

Twilight could feel the fatigue setting in, her legs growing heavy with each step. But she’s almost there. All she has to do is take another step on the ground and she’ll be-

Crack

Something snapped under her step. Twilight stopped running and looked down at the ground she had just stepped on. It felt soft, too soft for a forest floor. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she knelt down to get a closer look. Then, her eyes widened in realisation. A pitfall trap.

Oh shit.

Suddenly the ground beneath her gave way, and she tumbled into the trap.

Twilight landed with a thud at the bottom of the pit. Dazed and disoriented, she groaned and slowly stood up, shaking off the impact of the fall. She looked around her, the walls of the pit were covered in thick layers of grass and dirt. Apparently the trap had been set up for a long time but no one has actually triggered it yet. Well, except for her.

Sighing in frustration, Twilight brushed the dirt off her coat and mane. “Of course, as soon as I found the castle, Faust flips her flank on my head. Great.” she muttered to herself, deprecatingly.

She looked up at the narrow opening of the pit and realised she needed to get out of here. The walls were too steep and slippery to climb, and the opening was just high enough to not to be out of reach.

At first, she tried using her magic to shine her surroundings a bit to get a better look. Maybe there was a small ledge she could climb up on. However, as soon as she attempted to channel her magic through her horn, nothing came out and immediately she felt a surge of pain from her horn towards every nerve ending in her system.

She gasped and fell on her flank, clutching her throbbing horn. Something was wrong, very wrong. Her magic’s not working.

What’s going on? Goddamnit Twilight why did you have to-

She also noticed something else. As her flank laid on the ground of the pit, the texture felt weird. In her curiousity, she turned to the ground and stroked it. It felt hollow, as if it were another-

“Twilight!” a voice called out from above. “Are you down there?”

She turned around to see Winters looking over her, his slit eyes casting a worried expression. “Alright, let me get you down there! Just stand back, okay!” She looked at him with a half relieved expression, but then saw him taking a few steps back and digging his hooves to the ground.

He was going to jump into the pit.

“Wait! Winters don’t-!” Twilight tried to stop but Winters immediately jumped off the safety from above into the pit below.

No sooner as he landed right beside her, the ground beneath gave way again, this time plunging both of them into darkness. As Winters and Twilight plunged below, the others of the group just arrived outside of the pit. Rarity looked down below the pit with an alarmed look, “Uh darlings, you know how Winters said he found Twilight in a pit just earlier?”

Applejack looked over the pit, “Ah don’t think there’s anymore pit, Rarity.” she said with a tremor in her voice.

All of them turned their gaze towards the dark abyss below, with only the echoing screams of the old friends slowly getting fainter and fainter.

---

Colonel Fairswith Tardlestorm has a problem on his hooves. The town is still in chaos, and the darkness is not helping. The state militia were doing their best to quell the various looters and calm the panicked populace down, but it seemed to be getting harder and harder as more broken glass and stores were ransacked from every corner.

He walked away from the hospital, and stood outside. He reached his hoof into a pocket and raised his pocket watch, its steel fixture and the emblazoned symbol of the Crown to his eyes.

2245

He sighed, putting the pocket watch back into his pocket. “Where in the world is that junior officer? He should be arriving here any minute now.”

“Sir-sir!”

A young militia soldier went up to him with an exhausted look on his face, holding a megaphone on his thestral wing. Unfurling his wings, he handed the megaphone to Fairswith.

“Thank you, Private.” Fairswith said with a nod. The soldier nodded back, acknowledging the gratitude, before quickly running back to his post near the trainyard. The colonel then quickened his steps towards the podium placed in the centre of the town square.

“Time to speak to the masses, and probably get my head chopped off.”

As he walked in the streets along with a few of his Night Guard troops, he could see the damage caused by the chaos Daybreaker had unleashed. Storefronts and stalls were shattered as looters ran in and out with various goods. Smoke rose from the remnants of fires that had been hastily extinguished. Celebration decorations were strewn everywhere, trampled under the frantic hoofsteps of the panicked crowd.

Reaching the centre of town, he could see a small crowd of hopefuls gathering around the small wooden podium. He could see a husband and wife couple together, a couple of farmers from the outskirts and some foals in the crowd. There were even a few reporters who decided to take pictures and notes of the whole thing.

“Most of them must be the residents here, since they don’t look as panicked as the others.” he said to himself.

The crowd watched as Fairswith walked onto the podium with a megaphone carried on his wing. He took off his military cap and sighed to himself, before placing the megaphone to his mouth.

“Citizens!” he shouted to the crowd. The megaphone let out an ear-piercing screech before emitting a distorted voice that was barely audible. Fairswith winced and quickly adjusted the settings, apologising to the crowd for the sudden noise. It did however capture the attention of some of the other panicked to listen to him, possibly for assurance.

Fairswith took another deep breath, “Citizens, my name is Colonel Tardlestorm of the 7th Night Guard Divisions.” he spoke loudly into the megaphone. “Almost an hour ago, your town was attacked by unknown forces and the guard is here to-”

Suddenly a tomato was hurled from the crowd, narrowly missing Fairswith’s head and splattering against the podium. Fairswith was surprised and turned his attention to a couple of ponies in the middle of the crowd.

“UNKNOWN FORCES!” one of them, a mare by the name of Octavia Melody angrily said. Standing beside her were several other residents, their expressions mirroring her frustration and anger. Behind her was a worried unicorn, tugging her shoulder to calm down but was being ignored.

She threw an accusing hoof at him, “We all know who has been causing this! Daybreaker!” she shouted, her voice carrying a mixture of fear and defiance. The crowd murmured in agreement, their voices filled with uncertainty and concern.

The white unicorn, Vinyl Scratch, tugged harder at her friend’s shoulder. “Octy, this is a bad idea. I’m telling you!”

Fairswith took a step forward, trying to maintain his composure amidst the rising tension. “Listen, it’s no secret that Daybreaker is the main threat but-”

“If she’s the main threat, then why are you all blocking the main roads and trains from leaving the town!” she continued angrily. “You are supposed to be Night Guards! Protecting us, not trapping us!”

“Octy! Please, we gotta get outta here now.” Vinyl tried even harder to tug but Octavia swept the hoof off and turned to her in an annoyed look.

“Vinyl, I’m trying to get answers here! And these government soldiers here are definitely not helping us.” she said accusingly, shooting another glare at the colonel.

Fairswith looked at them, hesitating to say what exactly was going on. He lifted the megaphone and spoke again. “Nobeing, pony, thestral nor changeling is allowed to leave. Under protocol, we are authorised to quarantine this town to prevent any unwanted threats in the town from spreading outside.”

But Octavia wasn’t satisfied, she pressed forward as her snout scrunched up. “From what? Daybreaker is out there, and will probably try to kill if she can!”

“Octy, please!”

“Vinyl, shut up. Goodness, you’re making me lose momentum here!” she turned to Vinyl in a whispered tone.

“I have a friend waiting outside in a good place. Come on, Octy!” Vinyl replied, desperately tugging at her friend’s coat.

“Vinyl, please. Let me-”

Fairswith took another deep breath, he wasn’t prepared nor trained enough for this. But he had to do something to calm them down, maybe a bit of fear could help? The strikes his peers quelled seemed to work that time.

“Look, the town is merely being blocked due to the presence of not only Daybreaker but also Solarians. We’ve received reports of Solarians activity in the area so we advise every resident and outsider to take shelter in-” before he could finish, the crowds who used to have mostly hopeful expressions turned into outright terror.

“SOLARIANS!” they all shrieked in fear. Even Octavia and Vinyl stopped their argument, frozen in fear at the mention of Solarians.

Fairswith gulped. This was definitely the wrong fear to hit on. The crowd started to grow fearful and more restless with his words, and he knew that he needed something to calm them down or somebody else to handle it for him. But as he lowered his megaphone to think for a moment, a Night Guard soldier ran up to him, panting and clearly excited.

“Colonel Tardlestorm!” the soldier shouted, trying to catch his breath. He looked up to Fairswith with a mix of urgency and anticipation, eager to deliver his message.

“What is it, soldier?” Fairswith turned to his junior for something positive, or possibly a message from his superiors about-

Looking at his commander excitedly and saluted, his voice filled with anticipation. “Lieutenant Seegal and his team found a Solarian cell near the eastern bridge of the town! Holed up in an old warehouse or something, and they’ve already engaged them!”

Fairswith’s heart turned to shock and quickly, he turned to face the crowd but it was too late.

Crap.

“THE TERRORISTS ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR TOWN!”

“OH FAUST, IT’S LIKE THE 60s ALL OVER AGAIN.”

“AWW CRAP, I HATE THE 60s! AND EVEN MORE THE 70s!”

“CARROT DEAR, WE NEED STAY SAFE IN THE BAKERY! LET’S GO!”

“ALRIGHT, WE’RE OUTTA HERE OCTAVIA!”

“HEY! GET YOUR MAGIC OFF MY TAIL, VINYL!”

Maybe he should’ve stayed back at the hospital.

---

Ugh.. Am I dead?

Twilight’s eyes blinked open, her head feeling the impact of the ground. However, as soon as she opened her eyes, it was complete darkness. She couldn’t see anything, not even her hoof as she tried to bring it close to her face. She started hyperventilating, and her heart raced.

Wait, what am I doing? I have a horn for night’s sake!

Twilight immediately tried to conjure up a light spell, but again, didn’t work and instead it fizzled out.

Fzzzzt!

She tried it again. And again- and again-and again.

But each time, her horn merely fizzled in the dark, teasing her of the light. Her heart raced even faster, something was wrong. Very wrong. Her magic’s her only source of her own self, without it she can’t do anything, not even a simple light spell.

Alright, Twilight try to remember. Winters jumped down trying to get you, for the love of Luna why did he think that was a good idea. And then both of us fell, and then the tunnel verged into two, causing both of us to be separated. Oh Faust, this is bad-bad. This is-

Starting to panic, Twilight stood up and reached out, trying to find something to lean on for support. Her hooves fumbled in the darkness, searching desperately until they finally made contact with a solid but otherwise mossy wall. With a mixture of relief and trepidation, she leaned against it, using it as a guide to steady herself.

Twilight took breath after breath, her thoughts racing against her head. Her magic not working, the darkness of the cavern, Winters’ stupid decision to jump into the pit after her – it all felt like a nightmare closing in around her. But it all comes down to her one and only solution:

I need to get out of here.

Twilight stood up and started to walk.

The ground beneath her hooves felt damp and mossy, causing her to occasionally slip or stumble over pebbles and uneven terrain. The cold air made her shiver and sometimes, she could feel her hooves splashed into the unexpected puddles, soaking them and adding another layer of discomfort to her situation.

Each step she took was lumbering, tiring, exhausting and mentally fatiguing her senses. And the darkness certainly didn’t help her seeing what’s ahead and around her. She had to rely on her instincts, feeling her way through the darkness, but even then, she occasionally collided with the rough walls of the cavern, eliciting a wince of pain.

There were times she felt that she was turning a corner, other times she ran smack into a dead-end, or probably another wall she just hit.

“Ugh! This is hopeless!” she said to herself, slumping down beside a wall in frustrated dread. Disheartened and exhausted, Twilight let out a heavy sigh, her breath echoing in the darkness.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to stir them awake again. But as she did, with the blurriness slowly fading away, she noticed a faint glimmer of light in the distance. It was a small speck, barely visible amidst the suffocating darkness of the cavern.

Oh Faust, there’s a light. It’s probably Winters, or the others! Either way, light!

In eagerness, she pushed herself from the ground and ran excitedly towards the flickering light in the distance. Her hooves stumbled over the uneven ground, causing her to almost lose her balance multiple times.

And as she got closer, she could see a couple of figures there and one of them’s holding a torch. Sure, the darkness in her part of the cavern made it hard for her to see who exactly was holding the torch; she didn’t care as long as there was light. There was a chance she could get out of here.

But as she got even closer and looked at the light, she stopped for a moment.

In front of her, the figures turned to her and started to approach. But their movements were different, from a regular-being walk. It looked janky, janky and erratic, as if their limbs were disconnected from their bodies. They were equine, but the hoofsteps sounded as if two coconuts were banging each other.

Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack

Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click

Click-Clack-Click-Clack

She couldn’t help but feel curious, her mind convincing her to investigate these figures but somewhere in her heart is telling her to walk back, turn around and run. And for once, she wished she would stop listening to her mind.

Click-Clack-Click

Click-Clack

As her vision steadied against the emerging light in front of her, her heart froze.

Click

“Skeletons…” she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible amidst the rising fear.

Two skeletons, clad in ancient armour, stood before her. One of them had a bow and arrow while the other had a rusty sword swung on its… bones. Their empty eye sockets seemed to bore into her very being. Their empty eye sockets seemed to stare directly into her soul. She felt like she was in a horror film, except, now that she’s one of the victims ready for death.

She didn’t waste any time as she quickly took off on her hooves, her heart pounding in her chest as the relentless click-clacking of the skeletons pursued her. The complete darkness certainly didn’t help with her situation as she kept almost running into cavern walls. The small torch from the skeletons should’ve helped her with running away from them; except that her pursuers are using it.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past her, nearly missing her by the ear. She panicked and quickly ducked to the ground in fear, momentarily forgetting that she was being chased. But as soon as she tried to stand up, one of the skeletons quickly swung rightwards, its sword onto her head. And as quick as she anticipated a strike luckily, she ducked in the nick of them. The sword collided with the wall of the cavern, causing it to send sparks in the darkness and the sword to get stuck between a crevice in the wall. The torch fell to the ground, casting the light around them in a flickering glow.

While the sword skeleton tried to remove its sword, the other readied its bow and arrow for another shot. Twilight, laying down on the ground for a second, saw a rock beside her; an idea came to her mind. Without the ability to use her magic, she took her right hoof to grab the rock and quickly chucked it towards the skeleton. At first, she expected the skeleton to just stagger back, what she didn’t expect is for it to completely fall apart; its bones falling to the ground as rock meets bone. She turned to the carcass of bones, to the rock and back to the sword skeleton, its soulless eyes staring back.

Twilight quickly ran over to the spot where the rock had landed, her eyes darting between the fallen bones and the sword-wielding skeleton. Time seemed to slow as she reached the rock and grasped it in her hoof while the sword skeleton managed to release the sword.

Before the skeleton managed to swing, Twilight hurled the rock with all of her panicked might, hitting the skeleton in the skull. Its skull, almost comically as it is terrifying, rolled onto the ground with its other bones collapsing down. Twilight stood there for a moment, catching her breath.

I just.. Hah.. Killed two skeletons with a… rock. Without magic. Oh Faust, what am I doing?

Twilight slumped to the ground, her body trembling with a mixture of exhaustion and adrenaline. She felt like crying, her eyes almost welling up with tears. She won but, how is she gonna-

Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack

Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click

Her eyes swelled up in horror, quickly turning in front of her, in time to see a group of skeletons emerging from the high corner.

She took to her hooves.

---

After a couple of minutes running.

She ran as much as she could, her fatigue coming back fast. She was getting tired. She knew that if she stopped, she’d be dead.

But as soon as she ran near a small gap, a hoof reached out and quickly pulled her into it. They quickly covered her mouth with one hoof and firmly held her by the shoulders with the other, preventing her from making any noise. Startled and instinctively defensive, she tried to kick, shout, and punch her captor.

“Sh-shut up Twi, it’s me!” they whispered as Twilight landed another punch on his face. “Stop punching me, please.”

WINTERS!?

Twilight widened her eyes but before she could say anything, the group of skeletons came to a halt just in front of their hiding spot. Both of them held their breaths, their bodies pressed against the cold walls of the cavern. They could only hope that the skeletons wouldn’t see them. One of the skeletons, a particularly decrepit and hollow one, approached the gap slowly as it held an old spear in its bony hooves. It extended the spear, poking it into the gap where Twilight and Winters were hiding. Her heart raced as she could feel the cold touch of the spear brushed against her coat while Winters still held Twilight firmly behind her.

After what felt like an eternity, the skeleton finally retracted its spear and turned away, returning back to its comrades. They still held their nervousness to themselves as they watched the group slowly and surely march away, the dwindling light of the torches fade into the distance. Twilight’s heart continued to race, her body trembling with the residual fear of the close encounter as Winters slowly released his hooves from her shoulders and uncovered her mouth, allowing her to take in deep breaths to steady herself.

As she started to breathe a bit more steadily, she could hear her old friend leaning against the wall and opening his revolver chamber despite her vision still being black. She strained her ears, trying to make sense of the sounds in the darkness.

Click-Click-Click-Click

Her ears picked up a sigh and she naturally turned her head to where he should be. She couldn’t see him a whole lot, but at least she’s not alone now.

“Well uh, this sucks. At least we’re together aren’t we?”

A scowl escaped from her face, her lips slowly biting into each other in anger. She approached him and lifted her hooves towards him, patting his body all the way to his face.

“Uh, Twi? What’re you doi- UGH!” Winters exclaimed, his sentence cut off by a sudden and swift punch to the face. He fell to the ground and looked at her in shock, caressing his face as Twilight’s face of anger to him. “Wha- why did you?”

“It’s your fault we got into this mess!” she said furiously, her eyes narrowing with anger and frustration. “I told you to not jump in! Guess what, you jumped in! And I can’t use my magic, I can’t even see anything, I don’t know where the others went and we’re going to die here, either from hunger or by those monster skeletons!” Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and sorrow.

“I-I-I’m so-” Winters tried to say with remorse but Twilight quickly glared at him, even though it was in darkness; he could still sense her intense gaze.

“You-you’ve done enough, Winters. We’re gonna die here, it’s hopeless.” she said to him, slumping to the wall beside her. He watched as she struggled to hold back tears, her frustration and fear becoming overwhelming.

Both of them leaned against the wall opposite from each other, the droplets of ground water from the cavern echoing. Twilight looked up, her heart feeling empty and her voice barely a whisper.

“Winters?” she asked him, bitterly.

He looked up to her, afraid of what she might say next. He watched as she let out a sigh and held her hoof out.

“Do you still have that revolver of yours?” she asked as a bare whisper leaked from her mouth.

Raising his eyes in confusion, he brought out his revolver and held it in his hooves. “What good does it do? I tried shooting them earlier, but all the bullets just seemed invisible to them. They didn’t even flinch!”

“No I mean, like ugh. How many bullets do you have?” Twilight asked, frustration evident in her voice.

Winters opened the chamber to see two bullets in its compartment, “Two. Wait are you telling you wanna-” he asked, his eyes widening in realisation.

Twilight nodded, “Might as well right?” she said, a bitter laugh escaped from herself.

“That’s a great idea!”

Twilight sat there for a moment, processing his words in her mind. She tried to look up to him but as soon as she did, she could hear the distinctive click of the revolver.

Click

“Alright, close your ears Twi! This gonna get loud!” he said to her, unsettlingly, she could hear his excitement in his voice. She quickly covered her ears with her hooves, bracing herself.

BANG

BANG

Twilight’s eyes opened in shock, as not even a single bullet hit her. Then her eyes went wide. It wasn’t a bullet that was going to end her. It was Winters.

“WINTERS!” Twilight angrily shouted at him, but she could feel that he wasn’t in the hole anymore but instead heard him replying back outside.

“What? What’s wrong Twi?” he said to her, oblivious to her anger.

Twilight quickly removed her hooves from her ears and approached him in disbelief. “You.. Are one of the most ignorant stallions I’ve ever known of.” she said, her voice filled with frustration and anger. “Those bullets were meant for US!”

Winters furrowed his brows in response, “Of course it was! That’s why I shot them in the air, to lure the skeletons away.”

Twilight’s face turned into even a bigger shock before facehoofing herself in regret, “Winters, do you know where you just shot?” he explained.

“Uh, here?” Winters said, before his eyes widened in realisation of what he did. “Oh crap.”

Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack -

Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click

Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-

Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click-Clack-Click

They turned to the sound of approaching skeletal hoofsteps, in time to see the skeletons return in the far distance. He turned to her with a knowing look, “Looks like they’re coming. We gotta go!” he said, a sudden excitement exited from his tone.

“Bu-but I can’t see!” she protested. “I can’t even use my magic!”

“It’s fine, maybe there’s a way out of here.” he said, trying to reassure her as his slit eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for a way out. “We just can’t give up.”

“Winters! It’s complete darkness here, and-” an arrow whizzed past them; the skeletons were within a few metres away from them, readying for their mark.

Winters didn’t waste any time as he grabbed Twilight’s hoof and started running onto the uneven ground, with the click-clacking of the skeletons chasing them. Her thoughts went into panic mode as her mind struggled to keep up with his steps and one thought raced in her mind amidst the darkness.

“You can see in the dark!” Twilight suddenly blurted out, her voice filled with a surprise and disbelief.

She could feel him glancing at her, and she could see his slit eye emitting a faint glow. “A bit, I haven’t reached my maturity level yet, it’s better than nothing!”

She could feel another arrow whizzed past her but ignored it, her natural curiousity showing no bounds even in danger. “I thought you were just reassuring me when you said you’re a half thestral-earth pony!”

“Maybe, ask questions later and run now!” he said, as three more arrows narrowly missed him by his mane.

Twilight’s face turned into annoyance, “But-”

“Alright, you’re riding me!” Winters declared, his tone leaving no room for argument. He quickly grabbed Twilight by the scruff of her neck and lifted her onto his back. Momentarily shocked, she immediately held onto his neck as Winters ran even faster.

“Just don’t let go okay? As long as you hold me, we’ll be fine!”

Twilight nodded, gripping him tightly as Winters galloped across the uneven ground.The skeletons continued their pursuit, their relentless clicking growing fainter as Winters and Twilight put more distance between them. That until Winters suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Twilight’s eyes widened in alarm, “Are you INSANE? Why did you stop, they’re catching-”

“Shhhh! Let me hear this.” Winters hushed her down as his ears perked up. Twilight glanced back behind her, seeing the torches of the skeletons growing ever closer.

I’m starting to really hate this stallion. It’s not like there’s anything other than bones and rocks in here!

Other than the increasingly loud click-clacks of the skeletons, it seemed to her that he’s going crazy. Suddenly, Winters smiled and cheered in excitement.

“Hahaha! We’re saved!”

Twilight raised a feared brow of confusion, “Wha-what’re you talking about?” she asked, her voice in intrepid scepticism.

“It’s the others! They’re calling out for us, I can hear them!” he said, turning to her with an excited glint in his eyes. “Just don’t lose hope Twi. We’re almost there!” he continued, his determination evident as he started running again.

Of Faust, he is insane. I don’t even hear anything.

Twilight hesitated, before holding on to him again, praying to Faust that Winters was right and they were indeed nearing the others and maybe out of the cave. She could hear the sharp whizzing sound of arrows flying past them, narrowly missing their marks.

Winters jumped and galloped over small and sometimes sharp rocks, almost tripping at one time. Twilight clenched her teeth, holding on tightly as they continued their desperate escape. The arrows whizzed by, their proximity making her heart race with fear.

“I can hear them, they’re above us!” he shouted out as his ears twitched and wiggled in the darkness, as if they were radio towers picking up a frequency; except his ears were picking up their voices, to which Twilight couldn’t hear.

Winters kept running with his old friend on his back until he stopped again, this time pointing something in the distance. “Look, Twi!” he said to her, even more excited.

She looked up from her position, still holding onto him as her eyes strained to see what Winters was pointing at. And then, she saw it—a faint glow of light, it wasn’t a torch but it seemed like it was --

“Starlights!” both of them exclaimed in awe. Winters didn’t hesitate for a moment, his heart pounding with urgency and eagerness. He turned to her, and what she could best assume was a smile on his face.

“Twi! We’re gonna make it, just hold on tight and we’ll get away from those guys in- AGH!”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat as Winters stumbled and fell, causing her to be thrown off his back and landing on the ground with an undignified thud. Panic surged through her veins as she scrambled to her hooves, her eyes frantically searching for Winters.

“GET OFF ME!” Winters suddenly shouted, she couldn’t hear him, but from the sounds of it, he was being pinned by another skeleton who managed to hide itself behind a hidden gap.

And then, she sees them—a struggle between Winters and a hidden skeleton, their silhouettes struggling against the backdrop of faint starlight. She could see Winters desperately trying to ward off the skeleton’s sword from piercing himself.

Twilight’s breath quickened and felt the ground around her in panic, trying to find something, ANYTHING, to get that skeleton off of him. Until, she found Winters’ revolver and held it in her hooves.. But she didn’t know how to use it and wasn’t sure if there’s anymore bullets left. In her trembling hooves, glancing back and forth between her old friend’s struggle for life and the approaching horde of skeletons, for the first time she had to act without thinking.

She threw the revolver at the skeleton, hitting its head dead centre, causing the skull to detach from its bony body, rolling off and leaving the skeletal frame to collapse into a pile of bones. Winters quickly scrambled to his hooves and looked back at her, in relief and gratitude.

“You saved me..” he said, but Twilight quickly climbed on his back again, tightening her hooves on his neck..

“Come on! We gotta get out of here!” she said urgently, as the bony steps of the other group came in quick. Winters nodded and immediately took off, just in time to avoid another volley of arrows from hitting their target.

Winters glanced back at them, “Don’t they ever get tired of chasing us?” he questioned out loud.

Twilight looked back at him, “Do you wanna stop and ask them, or do you wanna keep running?” she retorted, a mix of anger and fear in her voice.

He let out a nervous chuckle, “Latter, I guess. ” he responded, and almost immediately, another arrow whizzed past him, narrowly missing its mark. “DEFINITELY LATTER, DEFINITELY LATTER!”

Winters continued to run with all his might and to the limits as Twilight held on to him for dear life, dodging large rocks, narrowly missing arrows and galloping over small craters; just to reach the starlight that marked the outside world and escape the cavern.

As they drew ever nearer, both of them could hear a new sound- the sound of water flowing loudly. It grew stronger and stronger for every step Winters took, echoing through the cavern and reverberating in their ears.

Until finally, they reached the outside, only to be greeted by a torrential downpour of water. They found themselves behind a waterfall, its water falling, its water falling in chaotic cascades all around them.

“Is this-?” Twilight tried to say, but Winters immediately ran to the side of the waterfall, a small ledge barely visible amidst the rushing water. He placed her down onto the ledge and held her mouth shut with his left hoof as the skeletons quickly emerged behind the waterfall just moments after they hid.

They watched in tense anticipation as the skeletons looked around, their empty eye sockets scanning the area for a couple of seconds, before going back inside the cavern. Winters released his hoof from her mouth and sighed.

“Oh sweet queen’s cucumber, that was… was- intense. Hahaha!” Winters chuckled nervously, his voice laced with both relief and lingering adrenaline.

Twilight, still catching her breath, turned to him with an expression of disbelief and awe. “Ho-how did we survive that?”

He grinned, leaning against the wet dirt wall and dangled his hind hooves over the rushing river below, sitting down on the ledge as he did. He turned to her with a soft smile as he leaned forward next to her, his coat muddied from the wet dirt.

“I guess, a bit of hope never hurts anybeing. ”

Comments

[PonyofEntropy]

Interesting story. Added to read list. Good work!