Twilight tried hard not to think about it.  As she played with the knife in her hooves, it became harder and harder, and the urge to cry became stronger and stronger.  If she really wanted to stop thinking about it, she would have set the knife down somewhere and left.  But she couldn’t.  She had a job to do, and like it or not, she had to do it.  Even though it involved her plunging a knife into the heart of one of her best friends.

She stared into the stained glass of the door.  Despite it being nearly cracked, she could still see inside the room.  There was a mare in the corner, huddled up into a ball.  She slowly rocked back and forth, making incomprehensible noises. She yanked her hair out, ignoring the blood that dripped to the floor.  She bashed her head on the wall over and over again on the steel walls, issuing a loud bang every time she did.  If that wasn’t heartbreaking enough, then the screams would convince Twilight otherwise.

The mare in the room suddenly stopped moving.  Her head rested against the wall, as if he was sleeping.  But her eyes were open.  And they slowly started to change colors.  Her pupils turning red, and her bloodshot eyes suddenly lighting on fire.  The mare started to scream.  He screamed so loud, he could’ve shattered the glass asunder.  Her body was shaking wildly like he was having a seizure, yelling all the while.  

The flames on her eyes slowly receded.  It wasn’t until this time Twilight noticed the dramatic change.  Her fur, which was once sky blue, now a pallid gray, was tightening on her body.  The skin was tearing itself apart, exposing the muscle beneath it.  Her teeth had fallen out of her mouth, which was now dripping with blood.  The rest of her hair fell to the ground.  Her eyes were bleeding heavily.  

This was no longer a pony.  This was one of them.  A Sanguis monster.  A blood monster.

Twilight didn’t realize she was crying until it stopped moving.  It sat on the ground, propped up against the wall opposite the door.  Her head was cocked to the side.

Every negative emotion suddenly poured out.  She starting screaming and crying.  She pounded her fists against the door, cursing all the while.  She didn’t stop, until the creature in the room tilted its head towards the door.  And then it spoke.  

Nopony, not even Twilight who heard it herself, could describe just how awful he sounded.  It was horrifying.  It was... unholy.  

She held her hoof out, and pleaded to her.  “K̡̰̚̕i̮̹͛͒l̡̖̎͝l͎̟̓́.̩̞̄͘.͚̹̈́̿.͚͉̋̎ ͇̤͆͒m̖̯̓͠e̮̩͒̚.͇̞́͝ ̠̙̆͌ ̡̝̔͛P̞̠̋̚l͎̰͂̓ę̩͊͝ă͕͈̂s̫̺͆̑ẻ̮̞̅.̗̓̿ ̯̪̔̌ ̺̫̾̔J̛̣̹̈́u̝̳͗͌s̻͉͊͒t̤̦͂̄ ̗̮͊̚ḝ̰̐n̘͉̑̅d̹̥̋̚ ̳͌̆͜i̧̲͐̕t͇̥̿͘.̲̙̏̊”  

It was so awful, Twilight nearly threw up.  

Twilight had to take care of this soon.  If she didn’t, it would break out and attack the residence of their settlement.  

Twilight put her hoof on the handle to open the door.  But as she went to turn the knob, she found that just couldn’t make herself do it.  I can’t do this.  I can’t just kill her.  She’s my friend!

Her hoof still shaking, she let go of the handle, and ran out of the shed.  

Every time she opened a door to go outside, Twilight expected to see everything miraculously turned back to the way it once was.  She expected to open the door and hear the soft chirp of birds in the trees that swayed lightly in the wind.  The sunlight softly touching her skin.  Instead she was greeted with the same red and black surroundings.  The screams of the unholy creations that were conjured by unknown means, somewhere in the distance.  The dead trees creaking in the wind.  Thunderous skies of black and red, booming overheard.  Not even the sun looked normal.  Instead of the bright fireball in the sky, it was now a large, red and black atrocity.  Red lightning continually flashed from it.  Twilight swore it would one day crash into the Equestria and destroy everything.  Twilight always told herself that she wasn’t wishing it would.  

As she walked into the streets of the settlement, ponies looked at her.  Staring daggers at her.  All of them feeling sympathy for her.  She didn’t need it.  That wasn’t going to bring back her beloved back.

A stallion in a crowd shoved his way to Twilight.  He looked ready to strangle her to death in front of everypony.  “You can’t keep doing this, Twilight!  We can’t have one of those things in our town!”  He loaded the word things with enough acid to soak through cement.  

She hated that word.  She hated it with a passion.  It made her feel dirty inside, and left a saline taste in her mouth.  

“I swear to Celestia, we’ll have to take away your rations until you learn to do your job!  Now get back to that shed right now, and kill that thing!” the stallion screamed.

“That’s not a thing!”  She shot back.  “It was a person that I cared about!  She had a name!  So call her that!

“I could care less what it’s name is!  I want it gone!”  he growled.  

“...No!  I can’t do it!  I can’t kill Rainbow Dash, dad!”

There was a moment of complete, and crippling silence.  The father and daughter stared each other down.  Then the stallion walked toward her, his hoofsteps almost as loud as thunder.  She tried to step back, but it was already too late.  Her father slapped her across the face.  

She held her face, trying to make the pain go away.  She started sobbing.  Sobbing like she never has in her entire life.  The reality of everything crashed down on her like a collapsing building.  She dropped to the ground, life crushing her beneath its cruelty.

All of her other friends were dead, Celestia and Luna were dead, Equestria was practically burning to a crisp, her wings were torn off by a Sanguis monster as well as her horn.  Her life was practically over.  Everything that she held dear was destroyed.  

She stood back up, people still staring at her and her father.  Her father walked over to her.  She felt herself being lift up off the ground.  She felt herself floating away from the crowd.  She opened her eyes.  

Her father was taking her to the shed.

Her father kicked open the door in an act of rage.  He pulled Twilight into the room and shoved her against the door.  “Look at it!”  Twilight said nothing, but refused to look into the room.  “LOOK!” he screamed.

Twilight slowly looked into the room.  Her good friend was hitting the walls whilst repeatedly muttering to herself.  

“H̸̝̠̜̦̽̈́̉̂e̵͚̗̜̒̉̊̚ͅ ̷̖̥̠̱͌͛̂̇ẘ̵̖̹͚̼̈́̆̑ȁ̶̯̮̘͔̈́̇̏į̸̞͎͇̋̅͊̌t̵̪̝̣̭̆̓͆̄s̷͔̜͓̜̑͑͗̆ ̷̦͓̻̮̈́̎̏͂b̵̢̹̯̅͌̉͘͜ȩ̵͓̝̫̅̋͛̈́h̷̹̼̙̽͑͂̚ͅi̵̪̭̗̖̊̿̔͂n̸̦̞͖̪̔͛̈́̈d̵̪̳̠͕͌͐̍͝ ̴̱̟̘̄̈́̎̿ͅț̶̨̦͖̔̏͑̓h̸̦̝̮̤̽̔͆͆e̸̡̳̣̬̐͑͋͠ ̴͙̺̘͎̍̄͑̓w̴̗̣̜̲͛̃̿͊a̵̭̙͙̤̿͌͌͝l̸̪̰͍̘̒̒̈́͝l̵̤͍̺̯͂͛̂̔s̷̛͓̘̙̋͊̔.”

Her voice sounded much worse than it did before.  How that was even possible, she didn’t know.  She didn’t want to know.  

“Do you see what she’s become? There’s nothing we can do for her.  She’s dead!”

“Shut up!” she shouted back. Trying to fight back, she kicked, she screamed, but her father was much stronger than she was.      

      “Î̷̛͉̪̠̔̕ͅn̶͔̰̥̬͊͗̎͝ ̶̠͈̗̣̅̑̾̀ȃ̵̧͍̮͔̀̽͆ ̴̨̯̰̘̅̑̊͆p̴͍̩͍͉̃͂̒́á̸̭̳͈̏͛͝ͅl̸̹͙̪̗̔̀̿̀ä̴͔̯̖͈́̓̀̕ć̵̡͍̪͖͌̇͝ḛ̴͓͇̘́́͋͝ ̸͎̭͖͖͋̉͛̽ǒ̶̮͉̞̖̈̅̌f̵̖̥̱͔̈͗͒͘ ̵̖̣͉̲͊̃͋̀t̵̹̖̲̂̾̇̊ͅȏ̴̧̭̰̤̀̍̒r̷̬̺̝͇͗̀͂̏t̵͇̭̻̬̄̾͂̕ű̶̢̢͙͖̑͋̒ŗ̸̢͖͗̅̀́͜e̶̦͚͔̻͒̔̋̄d̴͓͇͔̳̽̄̃͝ ̴̢̣̫̋̾̽͗͜ḡ̵̣͉͔̔̔͆͜l̶̢̛̘̝̏͑̚ͅą̵͍͎̙̇̊̆̈́s̴͈̝̜̣̓̐́̓s̷̡̰͔̰̈́̂́̈́.̵̹̻͚̪̀̋̿͝”

Her father impatiently yanked the door open, and threw her inside with a knife.  

She ran to the door, pounding and pounding, begging for her father to let her out.  She hit the glass so hard it shattered and the pieces fell to the floor.  "Let me out of here!"

           "Not until you finish your job."  With that, he left the shed.  Not even bothering to look back at her.

           There was hoofsteps coming up to her.  Slow, fumbling hoofsteps. She wouldn't look behind her, in fear that it might attack when she turned around.

           She knew it was going to say something else.  But it didn't.  She waited in anticipation for it to say it, and yet it didn't.  She was afraid it would've torn her into pieces if she so much as uttered a word out of her quivering mouth.  But then she remembered that these things don't crave flesh until they see the sun.  Then something in their minds tells them to feed.

           Twilight slowly turned around.  Luckily, it wasn't right in front of her face.  But it was standing close to her.  It nearly fell down, due to the fact that it wasn't accustomed to balancing on its own hooves.  But it made eye contact with her, and never looked away.  

           Twilight picked up the knife carefully, to make sure she didn't set it off in some way.  It watched her hand with great intrigue. It gasped as it picked it up, but didn't attack her.  Twilight jumped when it gasped.  

           She risked a step.  It still stared at her.  She risked another.  And another.  And another.  Soon, she was right next to it, knife shaking in her hoof.  

           If this was to get out and see the sun... The consequences were too awful to think about.  

           Raising the knife up high, she aimed it at its heart.  That's when it happened.

           "s̵̛̠̜̜̑̚ẻ̸̺̝̲̽̔r̵̻̯̻̒͛̀v̷̮̫̟͊͗̾ë̴͎̞́̐͝ͅd̸̤̼̏͒̉ͅ ̵̬̮̥̓̍̉ḃ̶̨͙̦͂̈y̸͚̮̬͋̚͠ ̷̙͇̙͑̽͝l̴̢̰̻̾̿͂ȩ̴̝̮̓̂̋ġ̷̡̜̮̈́́i̶̛̫̖̝̍͆ó̷̖̺̲̅̎n̴̡̘̻̔̌̚s̶̨͎͕̿͐̉ ̸̢̻̺̑́̓f̴̟͓̬͑̎͝o̷̬̪̻̎̈́͊ȓ̷̰̙̩̈́̃g̶͈̖͆͂͜͝e̸͇̫̲̓̃̐ḑ̵̤̮̓͛͠ from the tears of the ş̵̘̤́̾͠l̵̫͉̹͒̀̽ę̴̢̪͌̎̿ȅ̷̩̰͍͋͆p̵̧̬̘̏̈́͠ĺ̴̨͎̩͊̒ë̸͇͕̘́̇̅s̷̹͔͚̽̔̓s̴̢͎̣̑͛̍ ̵͔͖͓̌̈̽d̷̡̤̩̉̏̒è̴̡̳̬̇͑ã̴̼͓̣́̌ḏ̷͕̪̽̈́͂ ̵̭̪͚̿͌͝á̴̺̳͓̍͝ņ̷̭̺̓̆̅d̸̥̤͉̅̂̓

̴̭͉̻͂͌̈́c̵̥̳͎̽̒͑ḷ̷͖̮́͊̃ą̸͇̦͛̅̊d̶͉͇͇̐̆͝ ̷̙͉̙̉̂͌ị̴͚̈́͌͜͝n̸̰̘͚̍̌̽ ̷̝̪̥͛̈́̐a̶̟͖̥͆̉̀r̴̜̹̬͊̋̿m̵̛̫̯͌̄͜ö̶͈͚̙̀̒r̵͎̣̦͆̓̕ ̷̻̹̘́͠͠c̵̟̱̱̉̇̅a̸̝̱̝̎̒͌r̸͉̼̬̈́̎̚v̵̨̺̲͛͆͛ë̶̠̳̩́͘̕d̶̨͖̠̆̀̓ ̵̜̬̻̈̅͘f̷̥̟̫͌̈́͋r̷͈̭͛̀̕ͅȯ̶̧͈̆̈́͜m̸̞̯̟̿̈̀ ̶̙̫͓͑͛̅t̷͚̲̦͆̈́͂h̶̬̜͎̆̅͠e̵͓͙͈͆̿͝ ̷̧̬̠͋̽̎s̴͙̮̝̃̅͝u̷͓̠̰̒̿̈́f̴̫̼͓̋̇͌f̷̻̲̃̈͜͝ě̷̝͔̓͋͜r̶̭̹̺̍͌̅i̴̢͈̰̎̈̌n̴̪͉͇̍̌͠g̴͕̳͖̐͂͝ ̸̢̨̫͐́̇ȍ̸̼̺̖̋̃f̶͕̣̫̓͝͠ ̴̧̨̞̂́̄m̴̟͎͚̃͗̕o̶͔̮͖͑̊͝t̵̝̬̘̔͊́h̴̛͇̠̙́̇ê̴͕̥̼̋̋ṟ̴͕͋̀͜͝ṣ̶̡̳̈́̊̂.̶̩̱̦̏̃̌ ̵͎̠̺̋́̽

̶̭̜͔̉̉̒"

That was her!  That was Rainbow Dash!  For a moment, Rainbow Dash was a alive and talking to Twilight.  But those words weren't her’s.  They were coming from the monster in her mind.  And she had to free her from it.  

But right then in that moment of ambivalent hesitation, the creature in front of her stuck her hoof out and pointed at Twilight.  She looked into the monster's eyes.  The never ending darkness in its eyes showed brightness.  Her eyes became violet once again,  and her fur returned to its regular color.  But the blood remained there on her face.  That could be easily washed.

“T-Twilight.”  Rainbow said.  Rainbow Dash said.

For the first time in a long time, a smile appeared on Twilight’s face.  She practically screamed as she threw herself into her, tackling her and forcing them both to the ground.  It was what Pinkie Pie would’ve have done.

Time passed while Twilight and Rainbow were stuck in that moment of time.  The world was practically on fire, and there they were, hugging each other while in a world of hell.  Equestria could implode, or the red sun could swallow the earth in an act of fury, and they would have been happy just lying there.

Staring into each other's eyes, they stood back up.  Rainbow struggled with his recovered balance.  

After standing up, Twilight through her hooves around Rainbow again.  “I thought I lost you.”

Rainbow wiped away some blood on her face.  She smiled. “You’ll never lose me.” They hugged again.

Not long after beginning their hug, it felt like she was squeezing a little too tight.  She tried pulling away, but her grasp on her was too strong.  Rainbow added more and more pressure, to the point where it felt like she was going to crack her ribs by doing this.  And that’s exactly what she was doing.

Twilight fought back with all of her might, but to no avail.  Rainbow Dash pushed Twilight away and grabbed her head. Twilight looked up to Rainbow.  Her eyes were black again.  The same red pupil occupied the center of her soulless eyes.  Blood dripped from her eyes and mouth.  As it fell down to the floor, it started to turn black.  It looked like there was a miniature lightning storm going on in the crimson liquid.  

The last thing Twilight saw was the smile crossing Rainbow’s face.  The last thing Twilight heard was that horrifying voice again.  Her squeeze grew tighter and tighter,  and with a sickening crack, Rainbow Dash smashed Twilight’s skull and pulverized her brain.  Brain matter and blood clotted on Rainbow’s hooves.  

“H̑̋҉̭ë͇̽̒̾͌̄͐̔͜ͅ ̩͍̓͛̀c̜͉͓̦̳̰̿ͥ̌ͤͮ̔͆̈̚ͅo̓ͫͯ̈́̒̐̂̓͏͏͓͎̬̙̹m̨͎̼͋͛̌̇̾ͭ̓e͆̅̀ͭ͐́̊͑̓҉̺š̢̼̟̲̰̖̌̀.”