The city was a lot spookier than I had ever imagined. Everything was either pitch-black or a deep shade of grey. The smell of ashes filled the air in an overpowering and suffocating manner. There were sharp, pointy rocks protruding from the buildings, and for some strange reason I kept getting the eerie feeling of being watched.

"Talk about mayor creepy." I heard Rarity say. "This 'Shadow Princess' obviously needs classes in home décor." She wasn't wrong, the city did feel as if it was a ghost, coming back from the dead to haunt us.

"Everypony watch out, we have a large gaping pit here!" said Steelwing. He and Stratosphere were leading the pack, as I was falling in behind them, carrying motionless Twilight.

"Are we there yet?" Asked Scooter.

"Yeah, what he said. Ugh, my hooves are getting DIRTY! Whose idea was it to come to this filthy place anyway? Oh, that's right, it was yours!" Complained Sparks sarcastically. Whose idea was it to bring the twins to this filthy place anyway? I thought to myself, letting out a faint chuckle.

"She's right, this place is disgusting!" complained Rarity.

"And I'm hungry!" Complained Scooter.

"And tired…" Complained Sparks.

"WOULD YOU STOP WHINING!" said Rainbow Dash, who was obviously as aggravated as I was.

"Relax, everypony." I said, trying to keep my temper. "It seems we have finally made it." Spike was right beside me, holding a handwritten copy of one of the articles from the big, brown book. He cleared his throat, letting out a small flame, and then proceeded to read the paper.

"It says here that the 'Cauldron of Judgment', which is where the souls lie until the Princess is ready to consume them, is located at the center of the city, straight at the heart of the Eclipse Castle." He said, pointing his claw towards a large mountain rising up from the center of the city. The massive mountain was jagged in many areas and covered with many different caves, resembling a slice of Swiss cheese. It was the most terrifying and unwelcoming structure in the entire city.

As we entered the castle, we were hit by a sudden rush of cold air. I could see absolutely nothing, not even when my hooves where right in front of my face.

"Rarity?" I asked.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Do you know any light spells?" I asked, hoping she would say yes.

"I'm afraid not." She said. I could hear the despair in her voice.

"What?!" I replied, shocked.

"I'm sorry Crimson, really, but I only know spells to expand light, but I can't create it." Explained the unicorn.

"I know a spell that can create light." I heard a soft, timid voice say. Suddenly a huge spark of light filled the room. I looked to see who had cast the spell. It was Aquamarine, who had remained so quiet that I forgot that we had brought her with us. But the spellcaster's identity wasn't the only thing that was revealed by the light. All around us stood what seemed to be an endless wave of shadow monsters. We were completely surrounded. There was absolutely no way out. Then, a large, dark smoke encircled us, and then, everything went spiraling down into obscure nothingness.

I don't know what happened, but I woke up in the middle of a large, white room. My vision was blurry, but I could see that there was somepony or something in front of me.
"Crimson… Crimson…. Crimson…" I heard a soft, sweet, familiar voice call my name. As my vision cleared up, I found myself standing right in front of Twilight Sparkle, her coat as vibrant as ever. She was standing there before me, smiling. "Wake up, sleepyhead." She said, her gentle voice echoing through the corners of the pure white room, a room so blank, that the only spot of color happened to be us two, me and Twilight.
"Twi-Twilight? I, I thought you were-"
"Dead? Don't be silly, I'm standing right in front of you. Just remember, Sonni, things aren't always as they seem." Then she slowly vanished, disappearing into the whiteness of the room.
"Twilight, Twilight come back… don't leave me… not again." I don't quite remember how, but I somehow found myself in a cold, rough floor. I looked around, trying to make since out of what just happened. It must have been a dream, I thought to myself, examining the properties of the room. It was a dark, gloomy room scattered with large, gray boulders. The air was humid and the room was awfully cold. The room was also creepily silent. The only sound in the room was that of a leaking boulder, up in the ceiling. I could fly up there, but there was nothing I could do to stop the water from hitting the cold, marble floor.
"Whe-Where am I?" I asked to myself, not realizing that I was speaking out loud, instead of keeping my thoughts inside my head. Things aren't always as they seem. Twilight's words circled around my head, baffling me, making my mind go in all sorts of different directions. "What could she have meant by 'not always as they seem'. Is it possible? Is it possible that she is still alive?"
"Dude, stop talking to yourself, its creeping me out." Said a low, rough female voice.
"Terra, be nice." Said a softer, more tender tone of voice. I turned around to see two land ponies. One was tall and brawny, with a brown coat and a jet-black, messy mane. The other was a lot smaller, but looked about the same age as the big one. She had a lighter colored brown coat with a flowing, hazel colored mane, which had green and yellow highlights. She also had a big, red flower on her ear.
"Hi, my name is Flora." Said the smaller pony. "And this is my sister, Terra. What's your name?"
I didn't trust them quite yet, so I came up with a made up name off the top of my head. "My name is Speedy Flame."