My name was Sparkler. I was a pony with dreams and goals and ambitions. What am I now? A pebble rattles at the other end of the alley and my head jerks upright. Nothing visible. But then they never are, are they? Not until it’s too late.

This was written as part of the third Quills and Sofas Extended Universe contest, wherein we write sequels to each others stories. This is technically a sequel to a story titled The Hunt by Otter, but it's unpublished and honestly you don't need to read the prequel to enjoy this story. It's also something of a spiritual sequel or AU to this old story of mine, My Little Sister. It's definitely not the path I'd want Sparkler and Dinky's lives to take, but this is definitely my versions of those characters in a dark AU.