Twilight sat up once more in her bed, the familiar coat of sweat glistening on her fur and the all too familiar feeling of being out of breath tearing at her dry lungs. She pushed her front hooves to her eyes and shivered, the nightmare finally dissipating from the agitated confines of her mind. They were just random flashes this time...rapid images of ponies and places she had never seen or ever visited. The last image she had seen lasted the longest...the image of her mother.

Twilight was hiding under her bed back in Canterlot...staring at her mother's tear streaked face as something dragged her out from their hiding space. A monstrous screech rang in Twilight's ears before the blankets of the bed were ripped from their position, exposing to her the view of her room that she had lived in when she was a filly. It was only a few moments after this that her father, eyes gleaming with the color of blood, peered under the bed and let out a murderous screech, extending a hoof towards Twilight and swiping. Whether or not the hit connected...Twilight didn't know, for she awoke just as the hoof drew near.

She let out a shuddering sigh, lowering her hooves from her eyes and staring towards her boarded up bedroom window. The darkness of the night greeted Twilight through the cracks of the boards like an old friend, giving her the false sense of security that the danger of the outside was minimal at the current moment. She grimaced slightly, staring towards the window for a few more moments before letting out a tiny squeak...feeling the movements of something next to her. She whipped her head to the right, her eyes wide and afraid for a moment before catching sight of the little cyan filly curled up next to her. Twilight's heart was thudding, her mind still not used to the fact that she was no longer alone in her Library anymore. She looked over the little one's sleeping form, watching as her tiny chest rose and fell with calm, painless breaths.

How she did it...sleep without nightmares or fear...Twilight would never know or understand. How could she sleep so peacefully with the town in the state it was in? She was cowering on the top of a kiosk, being swiped at by three of The Afflicted for Luna's sake! It was these questions that drew Twilight to frown, staring at the filly's purple colored mane and the flecks of black that tipped her tail. She hadn't gotten a chance to really question the little one, ask her her name, ask where her parents were or what she was doing outside in the middle of the day. When the filly gave her the hug she did yesterday...she had been too exhausted to talk or stay awake, and promptly passed out in Twilight's hold.

Not that Twilight could complain...she was pretty tuckered out herself from the suicidal run she had just taken to save the filly's life. Oh she hope no one across the street saw her do that...the notes she'd receive would almost certainly haunt her for days. Speaking of...

Twilight made her way out of the bed as quietly and gently as possible, as to not wake up the sleeping filly, draped a purple blanket over her cold flank and walked across the ramparts of the second floor towards the basket window. She undid the locks holding the window in place and as she opened it...she sucked in a breath and ducked. One of The Afflicted was outside...looking out frantically with a panicked look on its face. Twilight slowly and carefully raised her head and peeked out the window, watching with terrified expression as another Afflicted made its way out of an alley nearby, hissing slightly and turning its head towards some distant building further down the street. The two grunted and hissed at one another before they both tore down the street, running with a speed that would scare even Applejack.

She watched as they dissipated, checking for any other Afflicted nearby before hastily pulling in the basket and dumping the apples in her metal bin. As expected...and much to her dismay...she spotted a note written with heavy, angry scrawl. She sighed, putting the basket back out on the rope system and ferrying it back across, closing the window before she turned her head back down to read the note.

Twilight sighed, crumbling up the note in her hooves and gently kicking it off the ramparts and towards the floor down below. Of course they were looking for her...damn it all if she didn't think about the consequences. She knew they weren't very organized...but they were prone to navigating the same sections of an area in specific patterns if something or somepony 'kicked the hornet's nest', as Twilight did by going outside. She knew they weren't smart enough to narrow down her path of flight and pinpoint where she finally escaped to....right? Her heart skipped a beat as she lifted her head up, her eyes widening and her brain firing up with worry and concern.

She never had tested the full intelligence of The Afflicted, how could she assume!? She knew they responded to sound and traveled in packs most of the time. They were smart enough to hold and wield weapons...although that seemed to be highly difficult for them for some reason, most of the time deciding to go without. But could they really narrow down the possibilities...? Could they actually figure out that she had escaped to the Library? None of them saw her enter her refuge...for if they had Twilight would have already been dead, or worse...one of them. With that worry out of the way, Twilight quietly made her way down to the ground floor, beginning her circular pace around the center statue that rested in the middle of the Library. For the next hour, Twilight would walk...thinking and pondering...going through every logical possibility and scenario that would drive The Afflicted to track her to the Library.

It wasn't until she heard the soft padding of hooves on the stairwell that she stopped, turning her head to look at the cyan filly who was now awake and walking down towards the ground floor. Their eyes remained locked on each others, a small frown on both of their faces. The filly walked across the floor, standing in front of Twilight and looking up at her with a wide-eyed expression. Twilight stared back, the same expression etched upon her face as well. It had to have been a good ten minutes...the two of them standing and observing one another...taking in their looks, their eyes, their stature and form.

It was Twilight who spoke her first, her voice a light whisper "H...hello there." The filly looked at her for a moment, her frown slightly changing and turning upwards.

Finally, the little filly whispered back "Hi..." Twilight smiled, turning her head towards the basement door and motioning towards it with her hoof.

"It'll be safer to talk down there" she whispered, drawing a nod out of the filly who followed her towards the basement door. Twilight moved through the door and proceeded down the stairs, lighting the lantern on the wall and carrying it down with her teeth. The filly kept close behind her as they emerged into large basement room, her eyes widening as she saw all of the equipment and papers strewn about. "There" Twilight said in a slightly louder voice, placing the lantern down on the table and turning to face the filly "So...what's your name?"

"Catie..." the filly whispered, her voice soft and innocent "Catie Cloud-Mane...what's yours?"

"Twilight Sparkle" Twilight answered, her smile growing a little bigger as she extended a hoof and watched as Catie pushed her tiny hoof against hers "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Catie smiled, nodding as she spoke "Thank you for saving me...I thought that was...ya know...the end..."

Twilight gently dropped to her belly, holding her front hooves out and inviting Catie in for a hug. She spoke as the filly walked into her hooves, hugging her back "Of course little one...nopony deserved to be where you were." Twilight gulped...the curious questions that were waiting at the back of her mind slowly making their way to her lips "Why...were you out there anyway? How'd you survive being outside?"

At this, Catie frowned, backing out of Twilight's hold and sitting on her haunches. The filly looked to be on the verge of tears as she whispered "I was...I was hiding in the sweets shop across town with my mom and dad...we were boarded up inside with the bakery people."

Twilight gasped, whispering as her eyes widened "You mean Sugar Cube Corner?!" The filly nodded slowly as Twilight went on "So Mister and Misses Cake are ok? Did you see a pink pony with them, a mare with a bubbly pink mane and a three balloon cutie-mark?!"

To Twilight's dismay, the filly shook her head and whispered "No...it was just the Cakes. I heard them talking though, when my mom and dad were asleep. They said something about a mare named 'Pinkie Pie' taking their babies away from Ponyville...at least that's what I think they said." Twilight felt her spirits soar as she heard this, her smile widening as she thought about her party friend. Perhaps Pinkie made it! Maybe she made it out before the wall and shield covered the entire town! That, and the Cake's infants were safe!

Her smile faded though as the filly went on "We were ok for awhile...until Mr.Cake accidentally knocked this big pot off the counter..." Twilight shut her eyes and let out a saddened sigh. She knew what happened next... "It was awful...hooves smashed through the boards, everypony was screaming...my mom was pulling at me, trying to get me upstairs. I heard Mrs.Cake scream really loud, which made Mr.Cake scream too. I couldn't see what happened to them because my mom was telling me not to look...telling me to run upstairs." Twilight dipped her head, tears brimming in her eyes as she thought about the terrible fates that had befallen the cakes. She hoped...as grim as it was...that they were dead...and not bound to walk around this hellhole of a town like soulless animals. "Daddy kept screaming to go upstairs, go upstairs! So that's what my mom and I did, we ran into this bedroom and we hit underneath the bed. Mom was trying her best to pull her back hooves underneath the bed...but then I heard a snarling noise...and...he dragged her out. My daddy dragged her out from under the bed and...started hurting her. His face was messed up...his eyes were so...so mean looking..."

Twilight whispered with a shuddering breath "I...I'm so sorry...Catie I'm so sorry!" It was only then that Twilight suddenly realized...Catie was describing her nightmare. She had dreamed about the death of Catie's parents.

"After that..." Catie whispered "I ran towards one of the windows, because nopony had boarded em up...I opened one up and I jumped outside." she paused to take in a breath, looking towards the floor before going on "I remember mom always said 'stay in the dark...they're afraid of the dark, just like you were when you were littler', so I stayed in the dark. I ran through Ponyville until...until one saw me. It chased me into the market where the other two were...and I got scared, I jumped up onto the kiosk where you found me and...well you know the rest."

Twilight scooped up the filly in a tight hug, sitting back on her haunches and holding her close. "Oh you poor thing..." she whispered, rocking her back and forth and letting her tears flow freely.

Catie sniffed, letting her own tears damp Twilight's chest as she whispered "It's ok...I know my mom's in a better place now. I know she's still here...watching over me. I know she'll rest easy knowing you saved me..."

"Of course...of course Catie..." Twilight cried, holding the tiny one tighter and trying her best to keep her sobs quiet. She saved more then just a filly, Twilight thought...she saved a piece of the next generation of Equestria. She rescued the future. Catie was her responsibility now...and she swore to Luna that she wouldn't let the Cake's and her mother's sacrifice be in vain. "I promise..." Twilight whispered "I promise I'll keep you safe. We're going to make it."

Catie smiled, nuzzling her cheek against Twilight's fur and whispering back "I believe you..."

Just as the words finished leaving her lips, a loud thud echoed out from above. Twilight gasped, her eyes darting upwards as another thud rang out from above. "Oh no..." she squeaked, looking down at Catie "Come on, and stay close!" Catie nodded, watching as Twilight turned off the lantern and hurried towards the basement stairs. The ascent was made quickly, with Twilight carefully poking her head out of the basement door and listening with fully perked ears. The thud came from one of the windows along the Library wall...the window Twilight had used to rescue Catie. Her eyes widened as another thud echoed from the wall, from a spot further down the window...and another just near the door. Four more thuds racked at Twilight's brain, adrenaline coursing through her veins...and then all went quiet.

Nothing moved...nothing breathed...and then....Catie whispered "Twilight...?"

...

...

...

...

"NAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!"

A hoof smashed through the escape window, flailing about as the snarling and screeches of an Afflicted rang in Twilight's ears. "Catie RUN! Up the stairs!" Twilight screamed, another set of hooves smashing through the window by the front door. Catie squealed, running up the Library stairs as Twilight ran to the kitchen, illuminating her horn with magic. Magic...the flow of energy that greeted her like an old friend...warming her cold, panicked body with lush heat and power. She had almost forgotten what it had felt like...and with her sanctuary finally discovered...she couldn't care less about magic detection or not anymore. With her horn aglow, she opened her knife drawer, levitating ten different blades of sharp and deadly edges upwards, creating a sort of ring around her. She ran back out into the main floor, watching as an Afflicted stuck its head through the escape window, snarling at her. Twilight narrowed her eyes, aiming her horn forward and launching one of her knives towards her deadly foe. The knife struck home, lodging itself in its red, bloody eye and causing it to fall backwards with a loud 'thud'. She stared towards the open window in terror...seeing more shapes moving just beyond the entrance.

The Afflicted were attacking her....at NIGHT.

A shriek echoed out from above, causing Twilight to look up and shout "Catie!? Catie what's wrong!?"

"Pegasus! PEGASUS!" Is all that Catie screamed back, squealing as the sounds of boards splintering reached her ears. Swearing, Twilight bounded up the Library stairs, taking a moment to launch two knives down towards some Afflicted who were wrenching their way past the boards. She raced upwards, gasping as she saw a Pegasus Afflicted ripping into her bedroom window, the bloody monster entering her room and landing on firm hooves. It let out a guttural snarl and dove at her, hooves extended and a look of rage carved into its face. With a startled cry, Twilight ducked, narrowly missing the hooves of her would-be assailant and watching as it tumbled to the ground. "Catie!" shouted Twilight, catching sight of the filly near her bathroom door "Run for that window along the edge there, hurry!" Catie turned her head, her eyes centering on the window she described, a bin of apples resting on the wooden walkway.

She bounded along the ramparts as Twilight launched another two knives downwards, catching two Afflicted on the stairs and causing them to roll backwards into a third, sending them all to the ground.

"Twilight!!!" Catie shrieked "What do I do!?"

"The rope! Wheel the basket over here!" Twilight shouted back, twirling the five knives she had left around her. She watched as The Afflicted continued to push their way into her library, her heart thudding a mile a minute. The thought of her having killed another, living creature (A pony even) had started to sink in, her stomach giving nigh unbearable heaves.

"Got it!" is what Twilight heard in her ears, the familiar voice of Catie calling out to her as the three afflicted that had wrenched their way in made for the stairs, their glowing eyes focused on Twilight. As if on instinct, two knives launched their way into the chests of the two Afflicted in front, downing them and temporarily halting the advancement of the third...the one that brought tears to Twilight's eyes...

"Junebug..."Twilight wept, staring towards the blood-soaked fur and face of the mare they called Junebug. Her red eyes were shining in the darkness, her snarls and raspy wheezes filling the air. Her body was adorned with long slash marks and punctures...the results of the Afflicted attacking her, but not doing enough damage to kill her. "I'm so sorry..." Twilight whispered, a knife snapping forward and turning towards Junebug "I'm so sorry this happened to you..." she closed her eyes as the knife sailed forward, catching Junebug straight in the chest...right through the heart that used to be filled with love and tender kindness...replaced by madness and rage. She refused to watch her body fall, but she did listen to its lifeless impact as it struck the hard wood floor of her Library.

She opened her eyes after a moment, her eyes flicking towards the basement door and her horn gleaming with magic. After a few tense seconds, the lantern from the basement floated through the door, covered with the magenta aura of Twilight's magic. She gently set it in the middle of the floor and rushed to where a panicked looking Catie waited. "Shield your eyes sweetie!" Twilight shouted, igniting the lantern once more with magic. Catie buried her face in Twilight's fur as the unicorn looked away, her eyes clenched tight. There was a soft click...and then...light.

The Afflicted shrieked as the lantern exploded with an intense light, firing off like a flashbang. A thunderous 'KA-BOOM!' echoed through the Library, with Twilight wasting no time in hoisting Catie up with her magic and placing her on her back. She hoisted herself up and through the window, doing her best to balance herself as she draped herself over the basket. She dissipated her magic, letting the knives fall away to the ground below, once again taking on the guise of stealth. She didn't want them to detect her magic...not anymore. Once The Afflicted found them gone, the Library abandoned, they'd move on...or so she hoped. She took a moment to close the window behind her before she reached up with her front hooves and began their treacherous journey across the basket system.

Below, there had to be at least more then fifty Afflicted, all of them surrounding the Library. Many were still trying to get into the library, while many others rubbed at their eyes, still partially blinded from Twilight's flashbang. She made slow, careful movements, the basket swaying in the wind as they slowly crossed the street. Catie clutched onto Twilight, hanging on for dear life as she stared, terrified, at the masses running about below.

"Luna..." Twilight prayed in her mind, "Please...if you are still out there, please don't let them look up...don't let them look up! Luna I beg of you, please! Show me mercy! Show me mercy please! Don't...let...them...look...UP! Please, for Catie, protect us both with your guidance!"

One careful movement after another...a tug...a pull...a reach, a tug...a pull...a reach, over and over until the window of the building across the street rested no more then five feet away. After two more heaves, the basket came to a rest in front of the window. As their journey came to an end...Twilight could hear the faint sound of wood moving on wood. She had to repress her wanting to gasp as the window slowly started to open up, and two large hooves gently reach their way out. Catie looked down at Twilight with a terrified expression on her face, to which Twilight nodded, reassuring her that everything was ok. Catie looked up, stretching out her two front hooves and being swiftly picked up by the large hooves. She was pulled into the darkness, and for a moment Twilight was left outside to hang from the basket. She took this moment to look out amongst the darkened town, her thoughts racing a mile a minute, trying to come up with some logical reasoning as to why they struck at night.

Her train of thought was broken however, as the large hooves once again emerged out towards Twilight, to which the lavender mare pushed herself into. She felt them wrap around her middle, and drag her into the pitch-blackness of the building. She was held tight as the soft sounds of hoof-steps pattered around her, the window shutting behind her quietly. "Tell me..." she whispered, tears flowing from her eyes "Tell me we're ok...tell me I'm ok. Tell me Catie's safe...tell me I'm safe..." She was squeezed tighter, with two mores sets of hooves settling themselves on her, along with hooves she recognized as Catie's.

"Did we make it...?" Twilight whispered, shaking from the sudden loss of adrenaline.

.... "Eeyup...ya'll made it."

She had defied the odds...and escaped.

She had braved the deadly river of death that swarmed beneath her...and saved them both.

She sailed them both to a port in the storm...a refuge of hope...a fortress of comfort.

A Haven.