Cold air drifted through the ruins of the castle, the wind slowly gusting through the cracks and holes that the moss of the forest had not covered. The sun had stationed itself above the mountains, Celestia staring up to her orb of light. She had not lowered the sun as evening came close to ending, her thoughts focused on how the Royal Guards she had brought along were doing. It felt as if an eternity had passed, even though it had only been over a half hour as the group waited anxiously for the guards to return.

“Oh, what’s taking them so long? They should’ve have been here by now,” Rainbow Dash griped, huffing impatiently as she floated above Fluttershy and Rarity.

“I agree with Rainbow Dash. It’s getting colder and I don’t have a scarf to keep me warm.” Rarity murmured, complaining as she shivered, the bitter air breezing gently around them.

“Dash is right, they’ve been gone too long. Do you think they found whatever creature was inside the castle?” Shining Armor asked, shifting in place as he worried for his troops.

The tension in the air was unsettling, Twilight thought, as everypony worried over the five guards. The Royal Guard was diligent and they made it a point to be always on time, yet half an hour had passed and they didn’t even come out of the castle yet. The others along with herself could feel something wasn't right.

“Okay everypony. I believe it’s time we went in there and found out what’s going on.” Celestia announced to the group as she gazed over the ponies.

“Umm, are you sure we need to go back in there?” Fluttershy nervously asked, shaking a little at the prospect of going back into the darkness.

“Oh don’t worry, Fluttershy, we’ll be fine. Besides, what the worst that can happen?” Rainbow jokingly asked, chuckling as she landed next to her friend, ruffling her wings as she folded them back against her sides.

The group walked back to the castle, crossing the rickety bridge and heading through the castle’s archway. Twilight couldn’t help but look at the building around them, seeing the others do the same out of the corner of her eye. This castle, although they had been giving it a few more touches of restoration, had taken on a foreboding atmosphere with the growing darkness. She could tell it was affecting them all as they approached one of the hallways in the central area, turning her gaze to see Fluttershy stepping warily next to Rarity.

As they approached the gaping hole of darkness that led further into the building, she watched Celestia and Luna walk in, lighting their horns in a light gold yellow and a cobalt blue aura that pierced the darkness of the hallway. She observed as her sister-in-law and brother walk through without a moments hesitation, doing the same as they lit the corridor in their own light rose and light cornflower blue emanations. Despite her hope that nopony was scared, Fluttershy had stopped moving, inches away from the hallway. Twilight fixated her ears on the pegasus to only hear the mare quietly whimpering.

“Fluttershy...” Applejack murmured, moving to her friend’s right side. “Ah can assure yah that nothin’ bad’s gonna happen. We’ll all be together in this, alright?”

Fluttershy looked to Applejack, shakily nodding before walking through with the farm mare and Rarity, the elegant fashionista activating her light blue aura to shed more light. Twilight triggered her magic to awaken, a raspberry aura illuminating the walls surrounding her as she walked through with Pinkie Pie, who, oddly enough, was humming a tune with little care of the shadows surrounding them.

All shadows that previously consumed these halls were washed away in a blessing of light. The air was thick and heavy with dust as each step the ponies made released follicles of dirt into the air. Twilight coughed a couple times, hearing the others trying to quietly expel the dust from their throats with a ‘whoop’ or ‘hack’.

“Ugh… this place is so filthy. Why didn’t I remember to clear all this foul dirt out when I had the chance?” Rarity murmured before coughing, complaining as the group went on.

“Do any of you feel… odd?” Cadance asked, her gaze scanning the neverending darkness as they made their way through the hallways. Twilight had to admit that something was off. That peaceful feeling she and the others had earlier was completely gone. Now in it’s place was an eerie and unsettling atmosphere that felt like it was engulfing the group.

“Owch!” Pinkie Pie gasped, sitting on her flank as she rubbed her knees. “That wasn’t good… not at all.”

“What do yah mean, Pinkie?” Applejack inquired, turning her gaze to focus on the pink mare.

“My knees are feeling really pinchy… something scary is about to happen.” The pink mare predicted, her eyes widening as she and the others began to gaze around the darkness. Twilight recalled that Pinkie Pie had these sixth sense like reactions, anticipating that something either good or bad was going to happen. This pinchy knee, however, forecasted that something extremely frightening was about to happen.

“B-b-b-but do you know whether it’s going to affect us?” Fluttershy inquired, shaking as she hid behind Rarity.

“I… I don’t know. Usually these sensations never tell me what is actually going t-”

“Wait, everypony be quiet.” Shining ordered, interrupting Pinkie Pie as Twilight watched her brother’s ears fixate down the hallway. She followed what her brother did, seeing the others do the same as she tried to figure out what her brother had heard. At first, she heard nothing and was about to question her older sibling until something boomed in the far distance. That burst of noise was followed by two more as the rumbles reverberated around walls of the hallway surrounding them. Twilight couldn’t distinguish where it was coming from, wondering if it was below or above them. “That sounds like magic being fired. The guards must’ve found the creature.” Shining said, glancing back to the others.

The loud sounds themselves were still quite faint, Twilight noticed as they tried to pinpoint where it was coming from. A distant scream was added to the booms that continued to go on, Twilight folded her ears back as she felt beads of sweat drip down her muzzle. Something was happening, and that cry was a stallion’s. That wail was drowned out by another, much louder and terrifying screech that sent chills down her spine. Twilight felt her whole body stiffen, glancing at the others to see her friends’ eyes glazed with fear. She looked to her fellow alicorns and saw that same anxiety, yet Celestia and Luna still held calm expressions that looked to be holding back that unease.

A high pitched scream echoed after that more alarming screech, one she knew was a mare’s. The howls quickly faded away as the booms slowly began to dissipate. She heard one source of blasting noise continuing on, until they entirely faded. Dead silence. The only thing Twilight heard was the soft breathing of everypony else, including herself.

“W-what just h-happened?” Fluttershy whispered, her pupils shrinking as Twilight saw her friend shake even more.

“I do not know.” Luna spoke up, her eyes moving from each side as they scanned the darkness. “But it sounds as if the Royal Guards may require our assistance.”

“So what are we waiting for? Let’s go save them!” Rainbow declared, turning to face everypony else.

“Rainbow Dash is right. We need to see if they need any help.” Shining Armor said, looking over to Celestia and Luna.

“I agree. But we must not rush into the situation.” Celestia turned to gaze at the rainbow colored mare and captain of the guard. “We don’t know what we’re up against, and caution is something we must uphold at the moment.”

Another scream echoed in the halls, much closer than the last ones. Twilight stepped back a little as she gazed down one hallway as did everypony else. Hoofsteps resonated from the corridor, getting closer as she flared her magic, seeing Celestia along with her sister and even Cadance doing the same as they prepared to fire at whatever was coming down the hall.

A shadow appeared from the darkness, the object breaking free from the darkness before it slammed into Celestia, the taller alicorn grunting as she stepped back from the impact. The object, which Twilight now distinguishing to be a pony, fell back onto the floor. She recognized Echo, who sat on her back and groaned, rubbing her head until opening her eyes. The guard gasped, getting back up and running to Celestia, crying and hugging her right foreleg.

“Echo.” Celestia murmured, kneeling down and hugging one of her guards. Twilight's eyes glimmered as she softened her gaze, wondering what could have caused this mare so much fright. “What happened, Echo? Where are the others?” Celestia asked as she looked past the mare. “Where is Captain Moonflight?”

Twilight watched as the mare struggled to speak, her breathing quick and shaky. It was a few moments later that her mouth finally began to form words. “T-this, thing… the creature that w-we were supposed to be lo-locating. It t-turned on us.”

“What do you mean, turned on you?” Luna asked this time, her eyes softening as she kneeled next to her sister.

“It...it, it killed everypony.” Twilight could hear the others gasp as they heard that this creature had killed off about every guard they had with them. What kind of animal was capable of such a feat?

“But the guards are the best of the best… right?” Rainbow Dash asked, raising a hoof as she stood by Pinkie Pie

From all the time that Twilight had spent in Canterlot, she knew that the Guards were excellent in combat, equal to the nation of the Griffin's army. How could one creature take out four guards on its own?

“We’re supposed to have one of the best military out there, right next to Giffrance’s. How could this happen?” Shining murmured, surprised that such a creature unknown to them could do something like this.

Another terrifying roar was heard, the group looking up to the darkness. Although it sounded far off Twilight calculated it was possibly a few hundred feet away, but with the other halls intersecting this castle she didn’t know if it was in another area of the building. She couldn’t tell what kind of creature could make that sound and looked to her friends to see the terror on their faces.

“I… I need to get out of here!” Echo yelled as she quickly ran through everypony else, pushing them aside in a panicked state.

“Echo, get back here!” Shining ordered as Twilight watched him take chase after her, rushing past her before she quickly followed behind. The others ensued the mare as well, yelling for her to stop.

Echo quickly turned a corner and ran blindly through each hallway, panting hard as she desperately searched for the exit. She could hear voices calling to her from the halls behind her, but to her panicked mind, they were an incoherent babble.

While the Element Bearers and the Princesses chased after the terrified mare, something else took notice. Blinded by fear, the pony’s route to escape was leading her straight into its path. All it had to do was wait for her it come to it.

Echo rounded another corner and saw that the end of the hallway was lit by the evening sun. One more turn around a corner and she would be back in the sunlight and another step closer to being safe from the nameless horror that lurked in the darkness. Seeing the delightful sight of light made her utter a cry of both joy and urgency. If she could only reach the light, she would be safe. Tears streamed down her face as she sprinted full speed to the life giving light, her heart nearly bursting within her chest. A couple more meters and she would make it.

As Echo ran to reach the end of the hallway, a shadow dropped from a hole in the ceiling. Her eyes widening, the guardpony planted her hooves on the floor in an effort to stop herself but her momentum caused her to skid across the stone floor straight towards the figure. She came to a stop only a hoof’s distance from the creature as it raised itself up to its full height. The sunlight behind the towering figure, which Echo thought would make her safe, silhouetted the creature making it appear to be a living shadow. Echo’s mouth hung uselessly agape, too terrified to even scream. The thing before her slowly raised a hand and spreaded its clawed fingers. Echo suddenly realized what it was about to do and found her voice as the hand shot quickly at her.

Twilight and the others froze when they heard a scream that was unmistakably Echo’s. They looked to each other with dread before hurrying around the bend. When they rounded the corner, they stopped, Twilight’s pupils widening as she looked at something she never imagined seeing in her entire life. Its thin body was covered by a black exoskeleton, its ribs very apparent on its chest and claws adorned the hands and feet. It had a long tail that resembled vertebra, tipped with a sharp point at the end. Its large cranium stretched backwards for a few feet and spines protruded from its back. It was tall, taller even than Celestia, easily being eight feet in height. In its clutches, Echo hung in its grasp, the mare’s hind hooves dangling off of the ground.

The creature looked at Twilight and the others, seeing no eyes on its face. She could feel its sightless gaze upon her and she shuddered, the animal felt like it was staring right into her soul as it moved ever so slowly towards them, tube like objects slightly swaying on its back as it moved the pony around in its grasp. She then noticed that Echo was kicking and pounding her front hooves against the monster’s arms, trying to free herself. All this did was regain its attention. Deciding that the being in its clutches was no longer of importance, it snarled, lips curling back to reveal its vicious set of metallic teeth. It raised its right hand and then slammed it violently into Echo’s throat, eliciting a gasp of awful shock from the ponies watching the poor mare die a terrible death.

Echo, too paralyzed in fear had too much adrenaline to feel the pain, only feeling the sawing motions of the creature’s claws on her throat. A warm liquid trickled down her chest, splattering on her chin as well. Her forelegs became heavier as she lost more blood, feeling the cold air around her rush past her as her body lost all her warmth. It let go of her, the group of ponies watching her stumble about on her back legs. Everything was going dark, the group ahead of her blurring as she whimpered. She took a few stumbling steps towards them. Her eyes fluttered momentarily, finally closing before falling down to the ground with a loud thud.

The ponies witnessing this grisly scene were completely in shock, their mouths open as they looked at this creature and the dead mare at its feet. Fluttershy was quietly whimpering as she crouched as low as possible behind Rarity as the others stood trembling at the sight of this terrifying monster. It screamed without warning, now only six feet away from them as it stood upright on its legs.

“Everypony, get back!” Celestia announced, her horn lighting up before firing a beam of magic at the creature, the monster screeching as it was knocked back by the powerful blast. The older alicorn looked to her sister before ordering. “Get us out of here right now!”

The younger alicorn nodded as her horn’s light intensified. A blast of energy hit the wall, bits crumbling past the group as a new exit to the outside was made, light pouring through to the outside. “Everypony, let’s get out of here right now!” Celestia yelled and the ponies quickly ran out. Twilight watched the creature get up quickly, screeching before lunging at Celestia. She watched a blue light intercept the creature, knocking it back again mid-flight and skidding some distance back into the shadows, turning to see Luna with her horn lit up, moving next to her sister.

“Twilight, come on!” Shining yelled as he ran out the hole in the wall. She shook her stupor off and after Celestia went out, she followed her former teacher. The outside light blinded her for a brief moment as she hurried outside. She watched her friends quickly make their way out through the archway of the main room, watching her fellow alicorns do the same.

She jumped down, landing and tripping a little before straightening herself out, quickly picking up stride and taking off. A screech made her look back, watching the creature jump from the hole and onto the ground, chasing after her as it ran on all fours. The gap between it and her closed tremendously as it caught up with her, Twilight herself was surprised by this terrifying revelation. She shot a beam at it, the creature jumped to the side and proceeded onto the wall next to it. ‘It can run on walls!? How is that possible!?’ It looked too heavy to be crawling on the interior side of the castle. Yet here it was, proving her wrong.

Twilight felt something trip her, quickly getting back up and gazing back once more. The creature had jumped from the wall, screeching as it closed in on her position. She began to charge her horn, but felt the wind get knocked out of her as it collided with her body. Twilight gasped as she felt the impact hit her right side, sweeping her off her hooves and hitting the corner of the castle. She rubbed her head, groaning as the pain slowly subsided.

She felt her heart skip a beat as she watched it charge right at her. Thinking quickly, she fired a beam of energy, but the creature ducked under the ray of purple light, screeching as raised a clawed hand. Twilight screamed, louder than anytime before in her life as she realized that this was her final moment. Raising a hoof, she tried a vain attempt to protect herself, but knew her demise was imminent.

The creature screeched, Twilight sobbing as she waited for her death. However, there was nothing. No impact nor the painful feeling of claws running down her skin and opening her up. She hesitantly lifted her eyes open, seeing Celestia, Luna and her sister-in-law driving the creature back into the hole. Beam after beam of varying colors hitting the creature as it howled at the ponies, disappearing into the darkness moments after. Shock had taken hold of her, as her breaths came quick and uneasy.

“Twilight! Twilight!” She looked up to see Cadance running up to her. “Twilight, are you alright!?” Her sister-in-law yelled. A shaken Twilight shuddered uncontrollably, nodding shakily as tears poured down her eyes. She felt Cadance’s hooves wrap around her body. She hugged back, her uneven breathing quickly turning into a quiet cry as the feeling of her near death experience shook her to the core. “There, there… it’s okay. You’re alright now.” Cadance murmured, running a hoof through Twilight’s mane.

“Is she alright?” Celestia asked as she and her sister quickly trotted up to the two other alicorns. Twilight looking up to her former teacher and slightly nodding. She felt the older alicorn’s hooves wrap around her as well, glancing at Luna to see the same as she too felt the presence of the Princess of the Night.

Those warm presences felt comforting. She never wanted them to leave her side, fearing she would disappear the moment they let go. She had almost died, Twilight thought as this shuddering continued to overwhelm her body. That warm feeling went away, until she felt her sister-in-law help her up, her unsteady hooves trembling as they helped guide her out of the castle. The cold air felt soothing against her body as sweat dripped down, Twilight’s breathing calming down little by little. However, her traumatic experience was too much, tears unending as the close encounter was just too near for her liking. It was only a few moments before the alicorns joined back with the others, her friends quickly surrounding her as she felt their hooves, including her brother’s, wrap around her body.

“Are yah alright there, sugarcube? Yah don’t look so good.” Applejack inquired, pulling away as Twilight’s other friends did so.

“She… had too close of an encounter.” Cadance murmured, the others stepping back slightly.

“That thing almost got you? Are you okay?” Rainbow moved next to Fluttershy, her gaze softening like her friends. Twilight nodded, feeling her voice catch in her throat as she tried to speak.

“What… what was that thing?” Rarity murmured, shivering in fear as what had happened seemed not only to affect her, but everypony else.

“Why did it have to kill her like that?” Fluttershy cried, her body shaking more than ever before, the color of her fur almost pale as Twilight’s gaze moved over to her shy friend.

‘T-this is ab-absurd… w-why did that creature have to k-kill Echo like that? It’s just s-so unreal.’ Twilight thought as the sequence of Echo's throat being torn apart kept repeating in her mind, the smell of death lingering in her nostrils like an unpleasant aroma.

“Is...is everypony else ok?” Celestia asked as her eyes moved over the group.

“I think everypony else is fine.” Shining reported, his eyes glancing over to Twilight, as she looked at the ground. It felt hard to even stare at the others, although they had done nothing bad, she herself just couldn’t bring her gaze to see her friends.

“It is time for us to leave, everypony. We must return back to our homes and recuperate from this unsettling experience.” Luna announced, moving to her sister’s side.

“But what about going back to get the bodies? Those guards didn’t deserve any of that and they deserve a proper burial for their service.” Shining regarded, stomping his hoof in anger. Everypony else, as Twilight could see was upset that their fellow equines could have possibly been killed by that creature. Yet knowing that this monster was still there, she didn’t feel like setting hoof back in that place ever again.

“And what, get caught by that ‘thing’ in there? No way!” Cadance’s tone rose as she spoke, pleading with her husband to not go back. “I’m not losing you to this creature, Shining.”

“Cadance is right.” Celestia spoke up as she stared at Shining Armor. Twilight looked to her brother and back to her former teacher, seeing her eyes glimmer for a moment before the older alicorn spoke again. “We cannot go back. Not at this moment, or we all run the risk of becoming injured or worse.”

Twilight turned to face her brother, watching him simply nod as he looked away. She understood his pain, knowing that those ponies didn’t deserve to die like that. However, she did not want her friends or family to risk their lives to retrieve the bodies. That would, unfortunately, have to wait for another time.

As if on a silent command, the group of ponies made their way back to Ponyville. This evening had proven to be an eventful, if not terrifying, experience for everypony. Twilight wondered if it would even be possible to get any sleep after going through an ordeal like that. After having such a close encounter to death, she didn’t want to even imagine what images she would see in her sleep. However, this was a possibility that she would have to try and forget. Tonight was going to be stressful, for the dreams she could possibly see would only make everything worse. She hoped with all her heart that Luna would be there and that these thoughts would eventually go away and be gone for good.

Author's Notes:

Edited by DiabloGuapo.