Wraith
Everfree forest. Only place in Equestria truly "free" from total control ponies had over nature. Free to have it's own weather, it's own animals, monsters, plants... It's own secrets long forgotten in time.
But as the sands of time flows, old secrets are unearthed and new ones are made.
One of forgotten secrets of Everfree was temple as old as Equestria itself. Today for first time in over a thousands of years the temple had been sinking into the ground under it's own weight, echo spread out sound of running through ancient corridors.
Light...
In the darkens, the creature speeding down the halls of ruined temple could be easily mistaken for pony, or more specifically - unicorn.
Just a little closer...
It's face white, almost bone like lacked mouth. It's blue, empty eyes burning with invisible flame of magic. It's misty mane of pure shadows and it's coat of black sand that seemed to flow with each movement.
Light...
A mighty roar erupted from depths of temple as the creature stopped, looked down the corridor sound had come from and saw two blazing orbs coming closer very fast.
Oh sweet Celestia...
Without second thought, the creature resumed it's mad dash. Not even a minute later second creature - this one looking like a minotaur of pure darkness flashed by the same place shadowy unicorn was standing just few seconds ago.
How did it found me so fast? I thought I've lost it after that last waterfall...
The minotaur closed the distance to unicorn in less than ten seconds flat and attempted to grab it with fury rarely seen in Equestria. The unicorn jumped to the right avoiding mighty hands of the beast.
Jump right, jump forward, jump right, dodge, jump at right wall, wall-run, bounce away from wall...
Huge, dark fist crashed into the wall just split second ago unicorn was running along, leaving a hole in ancient stone. The running pony several meters ahead made sounds like a raspy giggle.
... And hear it smash it's hand into a wall - Check.
The dark giant roared, hate burning in it's eyes as it's rushed after pony shaped creature again.
Dodge, jump left, jump right, bounce of wall, slide along the floor, jump forward...
A loud crash spread out through ancient wall as unicorn let out another raspy sound.
...And hear it smash into floor - Check
This game of lasted for next few minutes as both creatures entered part of temple that didn't endured passage of time as deeper parts of it. Cracked walls, devastated columns, collapsed floor leading into oblivion...
I remember this place... just a little closer...
The unicorn bounced off shattered stone avoiding another blow from minotaur knowing that one wrong move may cost a life.
Jump, slide, jump right, wall-run, bounce off the wall...
The chase approached huge gap in stone floor of temple with only an old rope hanging midway through the hole. Dark unicorn called upon it's magic to bring the rope closer to it's side of gap and after few more seconds of running and dodging attacks it jumped.
Jump, grab a rope, swing closer to other side, jump...
The pony hit the ground with silent thud, it got up within next second and for first time in last fifteen minutes, looked back. The minotaur was standing at the edge and looking with it's burning eyes deep into blue eyes of pony. Unicorn averted it's eyes away from dark giant and broke into mad dash again.
That will buy me few seconds...
Sound of another crash resonated through the air indicating that minotaur had successively jumped across the hole in floor. The corridors of temple were in much worse state the further unicorn ran - more cracks and holes, harder to navigate into tight spaces of safe ground left. But there was something else - through some of cracks, rays of sunlight shined into stone walls, and easily recognizable sound echoed into ears - Sound of droplets hitting stone.
Water, rain...
Unicorn's eyes widened as the at the thought as dark shadow loomed over it.
Jump, slide, run, jump right, wall run, bounce of the wall, land and jump, turn around the corner...
Hallway after turn was illuminated by bright, white light coming from square hole in the wall.
There!...
The shadowy pony upon seeing the light ran faster than ever in it's life, sound of it's own steps accompanying it. Unicorn's eyes widened.
Where is it? He couldn't just let me go like that...
Black minotaur crashed through the wall on unicorn's left and stood in the middle of one last corridor leading outside of temple, without even thinking unicorn slided between it legs and started running again. With mighty roar minotaur turned around with pale light coming from it's abdomen as dark, shadowy tentacles raced from it towards pony. Time slowed for the unicorn as it jumped to left dodging one of tentacles.
Jump, roll, slide, jump, bounce of the wall, land, jump again...
With each passing heartbeat dark pony was closer and closer to source of light. Loud sounds of rage and smashing just behind it.
Roll, jump, land and run, slide to left, enter to doorway, jump...
One of tentacles grabbed a leg of unicorn's hind leg as it jumped to the light.
NO! NOT NOW! NOT WHEN I'M SO CLOSE!
Something hissed in pain as tentacle retracted from leg. Dark pony crashed into wet stone as cold rain poured everywhere around it. It lifted it's head from the ground and turned it towards entrance to ancient temple in which stood hulking dark minotaur, shadowy tentacles shwirling aroudn it. Unicorn's sight moved down to wet stone on which lay few sizzling pieces of dark tentacles.
I made it... I won. Ha...haha... hahahehehe...
The pony let our a raspy, chuckle-like sound and just lay there in rain looking at dark monster in the doorway. After few minutes pony stood up and throwing one last look at temple's entrance, walked away into surrounding forest of Everfree.
Tenths of time jumps, hundredths of tries, tenths thousands of steps... I'm finally free to change the time...
Monstrous roar sounded from long forgotten temple as morning sun climbed higher into the sky.
Time is like an ocean in a storm... what is but one grain of sand in the storm?
Everything.