“…got the film…ready to…”

“Right here, just take…what I was talking…”

“…seen worse. No skull fractures…that concussion…multiple contusions in the upper…”

Darkness. Floating in darkness. Voices up above and all around. They sound faint, yet still close. Very close.

“…in surgery, he’s…for instructions…yet?”

“Where are those scans, we’ve been…was saying, also…ribs. She’s gonna have…breathing for…watch out!”

Something metal drops. The clang echoes. There’s movement all around. Hoof steps on the floor. Papers shuffling. Machines beeping. It’s getting lighter all around.

“…put them over here…right there, what’s that…you?”

Feeling floods in, started in my chest and moving out. Lots of pain in my body. Lots of numbness in my head.

“…be that, look at the barrier. Cerebral edema, would explain the magical issues.”

“Right, right. Nurse, call ahead to surgery, we need to get her in there now.”

“Right away, doctor.

Eyelid flips open. White room filled with clean occupants. All moving, all busy. Can’t move. Nothing responds. Focus on closest pony. Pony focuses back.

“Doctor!”

“Any change?”

“Her eyes are open again.”

Open again. They already opened? What happened before this?

“No time for that now, put her back under.”

“Operating room’s set, let’s move folks!”

Dark shape appears overhead. Lighter shape behind it smiles.

“Just breathe deep, honey. Nice and deep.”

Room becomes fuzzy again as the light retreats. The conversation fades into the background. The sense of movement is dulled, removed, and then forgotten altogether.

Back to darkness now.

“Dr. Piper to radiology, Dr. Piper to radiology.”

Twilight Sparkle awoke to the sound of the intercom crackling off and was immediately blinded by light. Her eyes squinted into the glare of the brightness around her. She tried to raise a hoof to shield her face, only to find she couldn’t. She felt her hooves strain to move, but something was holding them in place. It took a few minutes before she adjusted and could fully open her eyes. She grunted, a few incoherent mumbles making their way out of her mouth.

“Oh! You’re awake.” Twilight numbly rolled her head to the side in time to see a young orderly moving towards the door on the far side of the room. “I’ll just get the doctor, you wait right here.”

Without waiting for a response, he stepped out into the hall. Twilight blinked a few times, trying to concentrate on the door but finding it difficult to keep her eyes steady. She slowly turned her head back, taking in her surroundings.

It was a large hospital room, of which she was the only occupant. Several empty beds flanked her on one side, while two tall monitors were on the other. A dull pain in her foreleg alerted her to a line running up to an IV hanging nearby. The bright lights overhead reflected off the white tiles and walls, giving the room the appearance of being brighter than it actually was. Out the window to the left, a flurry of snow swept down from a thick grey sky. Her head quickly turned away, and instead she looked down at her hooves. Thick plastic cuffs were tightly wrapped around each one; she was restrained to the bed with very little wiggle room.

Twilight inched herself up until she was leaning forward. The cuffs strained against her hooves, and she felt a sharp pain ripple through her body. Catching sight of a small mirror on an opposing wall, she saw that her head was wrapped in bandages. Glancing down, she noted similar wrappings going around her stomach and thighs. Her gaze trailed off and she breathed deeply for several minutes, not looking at anything in particular.

There was a knock at the door. Twilight turned to see a dark-brown unicorn poke his face into the room.

“Hello there, Twilight,” he said with a smile. “I’m glad to see you’re awake.”

He stepped into the room and looked at Twilight from behind a small pair of glasses. A clipboard hovered in front of him as he walked over to her bed.

“W-what’s… what’s g-going on?” Twilight asked. Her words came out slowly and with great measure as her mind continued to wake up. She tugged again at her hooves.

“Ah, let me get those for you.” The doctor leaned forward and tapped a small clasp on the outside of the cuffs. They popped open, and Twilight immediately drew her forelegs up to her chest. She rubbed them against each other while keeping her attention focused away from the newcomer.

“I’m sorry about that, it was a precaution from earlier,” he said, pulling a chair up next to the bed. “You were acting a little… erratic. We didn’t want you hurting yourself any more than you already have.”

Twilight tenderly touched the back of her head. A numb buzzing sensation infiltrated her skull, causing her to wince. She finally looked up at the unicorn. “Who are you? Where am I?”

“My name is Dr. Weaver.” He smiled at Twilight. His horn glowed a dim orange, and a pen levitated out of his coat onto the board. “You’re at the hospital in Manechorage. You’ve been here for about three days now. And I really wouldn’t rub that head too hard. Not this soon after surgery.”

“Surgery?” Twilight glanced back into the mirror to take another look at her bandaged head. “What did… what happened to me? I can’t…”

“Yes, surgery, to deal with the swelling in your brain. Plus a concussion to tend to, a few broken ribs, um… many cuts and bruises…” Dr. Weaver flipped over several sheets on his clipboard. “I was only able to take a quick look at your chart before I came in. A nurse will be in shortly to give you some medication, you can ask her. In the meantime, I just know that you’re going to need to be taking it easy for a while. And that includes laying off the magic, at least until your mind fully recuperates.”

“As to what happened to you that caused all this,” he continued, leaning forward in his seat, “I was rather hoping you could tell me. You’ve said a few things since you’ve been here, but you were under heavy sedation at the time, so a lot of it was unclear. Now that you’re fully awake, you should be able to explain things more clearly. So, Twilight… what, exactly, happened out there?”

Twilight’s body stiffened. Her eyes fell and her shaking hooves grew still. “I… we were attacked. All of us. There was… was something out there.”

“Alright, alright,” Dr. Weaver said. His pen danced across the paper as he jotted down some notes. “Now, when you say ‘we’, you’re referring to…?”

“My friends, they were–” Twilight’s eyes shot back up, and she stared at Dr. Weaver. “Did you find any of them? Rainbow Dash? Apple Bloom? They might still be okay, they could’ve gotten away, unless… was there anypony else? Anypony at all? I need to know! We could all be in–”

“Whoa, easy there, Twilight.” Dr. Weaver put his hooves up defensively, motioning Twilight to lean back. “You can’t let yourself get worked up. Now, let’s try this again. I’m going to need you to start from the very beginning, and tell me what happened from the moment you left Ponyville for the Northern Wastes.”

“But what about–” Twilight started to protest, but Dr. Weaver put a hoof up.

“I’ll answer all your questions afterwards as best I can,” he said softly. “But Twilight, please. This is very important.”

Twilight sighed and leaned back onto the bed. She rubbed her head again, ignoring the sensation that came with it.

“I’d received a letter from the Princess, asking me and my friends to go meet an old student of hers at a research site up in the Northern Wastes,” she said. “When we got there, we couldn’t find her. What we did find was some kind of… creature… a monster. It got loose, and attacked us. Only, it didn’t just attack us, it… took us over. It transformed into us, blending in, and then surprising us and… taking more of us. It… it just…”

Twilight’s words faded away as a cascade of memories came flooding back to her. Grisly images of torn limbs and disfigured faces flooded her mind, and terrified screams echoed between her ears. Her head sank down as tears worked their way down her cheeks.

“There, there, Twilight, it’s alright,” Dr. Weaver said, his voice as gentle as he could manage. He levitated a nearby tissue box onto Twilight’s lap. “You’re in a safe place now.”

Twilight sniffled and dabbed her tears away. She took a few deep breaths and continued. “It tore us to pieces. There were a few of us left, and we… we tried to stop it. Or that’s what Pinkie told us she was doing… but she was actually doing… I don’t know what she was doing. And then she was gone, and then everything started to fall down around us, and then I saw… I saw…”

“Yes?” Dr. Weaver leaned in closer. “What did you see, Twilight?”

Twilight gulped. Her eyes flashed, just for a moment, and she turned to look out the window.

“I don’t know. I was… I was hurt at the time. Maybe it was nothing.” She turned back to Dr. Weaver. “And then Hawks came to get me, and I… I blacked out. And that’s the last thing I remember before waking up here.”

“Mmmm, I see.” Dr. Weaver nodded. He wrote at a furious pace, scribbling his thoughts down in front of him. “Is there anything else you can tell me? Anything at all?”

“I don’t know. Some of it’s really fuzzy right now…” Twilight shook her head. “Look, there’ll be time for that later. What about my friends? What happened to them?”

Dr. Weaver leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. His eyes never left Twilight. Finally, he spoke. “Twilight, I’m not entirely sure of the best way to say this. And given our current condition, perhaps I was a bit premature in starting to interview you–”

“Dr. Weaver, I assure you,” Twilight said, her voice gaining a hard edge, “I’ve been through a lot over the past several days, so I can take what you have to tell me. So, I need to know, did you or did you not find my friends?”

“Twilight… you went up alone,” Dr. Weaver said. His voice was calm and flat. “Your friends were never there. It was just you.”

Twilight blinked. She straightened herself up, trying to speak clearer. “I don’t… no, no, that’s not right. There was seven of us… no, ten of us, we went in the train, the fillies stowed away in that big trunk–”

“And you clearly remember this part?” Dr. Weaver flipped to a fresh page. “You’ve got no doubt at all about this, no fuzzy memories?”

“Yes, of course!” Twilight snapped, her nostrils flaring. “We all went out there, and we were all attacked! Why are you even– Hawks! He brought us out there, he can tell you. He’s the one who found me, him and his team. Are they here now? Or are they still looking for my friends?”

“Twilight, I read the ranger’s report,” Dr. Weaver said. He continued to keep his voice completely calm. “He was very specific. He said he brought you out there alone, and found you alone. I didn’t get a chance to meet him myself, but he was interviewed quite extensively by the hospital staff after he helped get you here. Those teammates of his said the same things.”

Twilight’s eyes fluttered around the room. She didn’t focus on anything in particular, just kept her head moving away from Dr. Weaver. “That’s… no, that doesn’t make any sense. I know what happened. Why would… why would he say that? It doesn’t make any sense at all…”

“Twilight, we’re still trying to collect all the facts, it’s just taking some time. A messenger was sent off to Ponyville. Once they know what’s going on there, your friends can come here and–”

“No they can’t!” Twilight shouted. Dr. Weaver jumped, his pen wavering in the air. Twilight breathed deeply for several moments, before gradually calming down. “They… they can’t. They’re all gone. I don’t know why Hawks said that, I don’t know why I have to explain this, but… I remember what happened. I remember it clear as day. We all went out, we were attacked, everypony but me was… killed. Everypony but… me.”

“Right there, Twilight,” Dr. Weaver said. “Everypony but you. If all this really happened the way you said it did, how would you know that? Why would you still be asking if we’ve found friends who are already gone?”

Twilight rubbed her forehead but didn’t reply.

Dr. Weaver slipped his glasses off, an orange glow wiping his coat over the lens. “Twilight, we’re going to be doing a lot of work over this in the coming days, though I’m confident that once your fri–”

Twilight shot Dr. Weaver a nasty look. He grimaced and continued.

“Once we’ve been able to get in contact with Ponyville and get you transferred to the hospital there, things will start to go smoother. Right now, I’m more interested in something else, something you mentioned earlier–”

“Copper Star!” Twilight blurted out. Dr. Weaver tilted his head.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked.

“That’s who we were going out to see, out in the Wastes,” Twilight said. “She had been attacked before we arrived, but… but that’s why we were going there. And there’s letters to the Princess, ones where I mention everypony who’s with me. Have you checked with her? Where… where is she, actually? Why isn’t she here?”

“I don’t know anything about a Copper Star,” Dr. Weaver said, his voice picking up a defensive tone. “As for the Princess, I haven’t seen any letters either. I was sent instructions to come see you straight away, as she is unfortunately unable to get away and come see you. Things are… strained, at the moment.”

“She can’t… why would…” Twilight hung her head, her mind racing. She fought the urge to scratch at her head again, letting her hooves sit limply in her lap.

Dr. Weaver cleared his throat. “Twilight, when you first arrived at the hospital, when you were still being evaluated, you were… ranting about something. About something you saw just before you were picked up. I need to know, Twilight–”

“She’s always come before,” Twilight muttered. “Why couldn’t she come this time?”

“–I need to know what you saw. You must think back hard and carefully–”

“Why wouldn’t she come? What could possibly be happening that she couldn’t come and see me at a time like–”

“What did you see?” Dr. Weaver was out of the chair now, leaning in on Twilight’s bed. Before she could respond, the door clicked open. A nurse pushing a large cart walked into the room.

“Oh, I’m sorry doctor, I didn’t realize you were in here,” she said. She gathered a few small medicine vials and approached the bed. “Although I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave for a while. It’s time for her medication, and I need to change those bandages.”

“Yes, I… yes, of course.” Dr. Weaver brushed a hoof through his mane as he collected his things. He stood up and looked back at Twilight. “We’ll continue our discussion later, once you’ve had a better chance to collect yourself. Like I said, try to think carefully as you rest up. Let it all come back to you.”

Her face expressionless, Twilight turned and looked out the window. Dr. Weaver took a few more steps towards the door before he stopped and turned around again.

“Oh, Twilight, just one more thing I’ve been meaning to ask.” He hovered his pen in the air again. “Do you read Sugar Cane?”

Twilight’s head whipped around. “What did you say?”

“It’s probably nothing, all things considered,” Dr. Weaver said. “But we’ve been having a number of individuals come in recently, all suffering from various levels of psychological collapse, all of whom told some very… elaborate stories, and all of them fans of that author. I was just wondering if, perhaps…”

Dr. Weaver’s sentence faded away. He stared at Twilight, who stared back. Nopony spoke, the only noise in the room coming from the nurse as she fiddled with her supplies.

Finally, Dr. Weaver shrugged and turned back to the door. “Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s another thing I can get to later. You just rest up, and concentrate –I mean really concentrate– on remembering what really happened to you.”

Without another word, he stepped through the door, letting it swing shut on its own behind him. Twilight continued staring blankly, completely oblivious to the nurse talking to her.

Out in the hall, Dr. Weaver leaned against a wall and sighed. He flipped through a few pages of his clipboard, then stuck it in one of his coat’s larger pockets and proceeded towards the stairs at the end of the hall. He slid past a few groups of nurses and doctors, paying no mind to anypony around him.

“Hey Dream! Dream!”

Dr. Weaver turned around. A magenta-skinned stallion approached him, waving in his direction. He smiled broadly as he drew closer.

“Tacky! As I live and breathe.” Dr. Weaver smiled back, bumping hooves with the stallion. “I didn’t know you were working today, I would’ve tried to find you when I arrived.”

“I switched shifts with Brady when I heard you were coming,” Tacky said. He was younger than Dr. Weaver, though his voice was just as commanding. “Was pretty last minute, it seems. You made good time from Canterlot.”

Dr. Weaver chuckled. “If you can really call a full day’s train ride good time. Seems like we stopped every other mile to wait for snow to be cleared off the tracks.”

“Hey, you should be lucky you got here at all.” Tacky nodded to a window across the hall. A white flurry pounded away, wind sending flakes in every direction. “Apparently the line’s totally shut down going the other way, it’s so iced up. You might be stuck here for a little longer than you planned.”

“Good to know. Of course, I never had had any idea how long I’d be here.” Dr. Weaver nodded at Twilight’s door. “Case like this, there’s no telling where it’ll take me.”

“So, you’ve seen her already?” Tacky glanced past Dr. Weaver at the door. The black number nine on the glass shimmered slightly under the hall lights. “How’s she holding up? Brady was on call when she got brought in, though he’s filled me in on some of the details.”

“Well, you’d know the physical side better than I would. Speaking emotionally…” Dr. Weaver scratched his cheek, his eyes traveling along the floor. “I’d say she’s a little better than I expected, though still far from a point of coherent recovery. I… may have been a little hard on her, but nevertheless… have we gotten anything back from Ponyville yet? I know that would be a great help.”

Tacky shrugged. “If there is, I haven’t heard about it. We’ve been pretty slammed here, though, so I haven’t been paying close attention.”

Dr. Weaver nodded. “Yes, I spoke to the nurse in receiving. You’ve been getting a number of similar cases, then?”

“Of course,” Tacky responded, his smile fading away. “They’ve been coming in like clockwork for the past few days. I will admit that hers is a bit more… specific, and certainly seems much less dangerous. But the others still present similar symptoms, all have no previous history of dementia or schizophrenia, and they all are proving to be a serious hoof-full to take care of.”

“Shoot, another one was getting dragged into the ICU as I was walking up here to see you. I’ve got to go check him out in a bit, just as soon as he’s fully checked in and the sedative wears off.” Tacky sighed. His shoulders sagged, a wave of tension rolling through his body. “I just don’t understand it. The season’s barely a week old and it seems like half the town decided to collectively lose it.”

“Well, being isolated out here would drive anypony crazy after a while,” Dr. Weaver offered. He smiled gently, and Tacky offered a weak smile in return.

“Guess some of us aren’t fit for the country air.” Tacky shook his head again. “Still, it’s one hay of a mess you came into… what exactly did our messenger tell you was going on up here?”

“He didn’t,” Dr. Weaver replied. “I was just given the file from one of the higher ups on the castle staff and told to get a move on. Your messenger had already taken off before I had a chance to speak to him. Something about being called away to Cloudsdale.”

“Probably snatched up by the central weather patrols,” Tacky said, rolling his eyes. “They grabbed all the pegasi we had up here already. You’d think the weather would be bad enough that they didn’t have to put us down to a skeleton crew, but you’d be wrong.”

“I’m not sure what it’s for,” Dr. Weaver said. He glanced up through the window. “I haven’t seen any pushing clouds for the past few days. Even in the thickest overcast, I can usually see a few of them flapping around up there. This weather’s not gonna make itself, after all.”

“Yeah, what a tragedy that would be.” Tacky rolled his eyes and smirked. “That may have been what happened to our messenger to Ponyville, too. Message may not have even gotten through yet, unless Canterlot had the foresight to send somepony down there as well.”

“Mmm, knowing how things are going there right now, I’m not holding my breath. Well, somepony’s gonna have to figure out a way to get word to them soon, preferably before she’s transferred over to Ponyville General. If we could just get her friends up here… I’d say I would stop by on my way back, but as you pointed out, who knows when that’ll be. Shoot, who knows when we’ll even be able to transfer her.”

“Right, right…” Tacky glanced around and leaned in close. “Backing up a minute, though… you came all the way out here for her? Everything that’s going on, that’s what they’re having you do?”

“She’s got high friends, you know that.” Dr. Weaver shrugged. “Celebrity status gets special privileges, or at least has the ponies in charge tell me it does.”

“I know that, but I mean, come on.” Tacky lowered his voice even further. “All these strange cases I’ve got coming in here, and I’ve got a feeling things are just as hectic down in Canterlot, and probably elsewhere, but we haven’t gotten any kind of official notice… well, I guess I want to know if there’s anything I should know about.”

Dr. Weaver hesitated, his body growing tense underneath him. He glanced around the hall. His expression had a nervous edge, even though there was nopony close by. “Officially, the start of the winter season has brought with it no unusual activity or widespread problems, beyond the usual ones customarily related to such a heavy season. Unofficially…”

Tacky raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Unofficially, we are seeing a… noticeable increase in spontaneously violent offenders and mental breakdowns in formerly healthy individuals. Add the heavy weather delaying communication and her arriving like this to the mix, and it’s all prompted a… thorough investigation of the state of things.”

Tacky blinked a few times, then rubbed his forehead. “Wonderful. Just wonderful. All this season needs is for everypony to completely lose their minds.”

“I think it’s too early to really worry,” Dr. Weaver said. He smiled again and patted Tacky on the shoulder. “Although if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to assist on some of the other patients you’ve got when I’m done up here, take a look through their files and such.”

Tacky’s grin returned in force. “Hey, we could definitely use the help. The more shrinks we have running around right now, the better.”

A growl emitted from Dr. Weaver’s gut. He smirked slightly. “Though I may need to grab a quick bite before I get started.”

“I hear that, I haven’t even had breakfast yet. Come on, I’ll get you something in the cafeteria.”

Tacky and Dr. Weaver turned and sauntered down the hallway. A nurse’s station was built into the wall ahead of them. Behind it sat a young orderly, his nose buried in a book. Tacky whistled loudly as he walked up, causing the orderly to look up with a start.

“Hay Fever! I know you’ve got more productive things you could be doing right now,” Tacky snapped. “I want to see you doing some actual work, or it’s back to bedpan duty.”

“Yes doctor, right away!” the orderly squeaked. He quickly pushed a pad of official-looking papers out onto the desktop and began sorting through them.

As he walked past, Dr. Weaver glanced down at the book in question. A stray folder had obscured its title, but the images of shadowy monsters and screaming ponies were more than enough to reveal its identity. Dr. Weaver leaned in and rapped on the desk. The orderly looked up and stared at him; the areas around his eyes had been rubbed a dark red that clashed with his light green skin.

“Like the book?” Dr. Weaver asked.

“I love it,” the orderly replied blankly. Without waiting for another question, his eyes dropped back to the papers in front of him. Dr. Weaver studied him for a few more moments, then shook his head and ran to catch up to Tacky by the elevator.

“Hey, don’t you start getting glum on me too,” Tacky said as he caught sight of his friend’s newfound frown. “We need to keep our spirits up at a time like this.”

Dr. Weaver resisted rolling his eyes. “Right, right. Gotta keep that blood pumping just right, after all.”

Tacky chuckled. The elevator doors dinged and the two ponies stepped inside. “No doubt about it. Especially on a day like today. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long one.”

There were eighty two foam ceiling tiles. Each contained eighty seven small holes pinpricked in them, though several appeared to have ninety four. Every time Twilight tried to recount them, though, the number changed.

Twilight’s head was sunk deep into her pillow by now, with the rest of her body was similarly limp on the bed. The rhythmic beeping of her heart monitor was the only noise in the room, though she could still hear the constant buzz of hospital activity just beyond the door.

Hawks said I went up alone, the doctors think I’m crazy, Princess Celestia can’t –or won’t– come to see me… what is going on?

The bed creaked as Twilight rose. She winced as she leaned forward, the bandages around her chest constricting against her. They itched constantly, though much less severely after the nurse had them changed this morning. The pounding in her head had also subsided, mostly thanks to the steady stream of medication that dripped out of her IV bag.

I can think this out, I can… Start from the beginning.

Twilight rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. With no clock in the room Twilight wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she had woken up that morning, but she was certain it was well past noon at this point. The cloud-covered sky was slowly beginning to dim, while the moderate snowfall picked up the pace in preparation for a nightly barrage.

That interview from Hawks is wrong. But why would he lie? He’s the one who saved me. If he was planning to do something, he could’ve just– no, it’s nothing to do with him. That doesn’t fit. Come on Twilight, think…

Squinting, Twilight gazed into the distance through the window. Everything was coated in several feet of snow, causing the buildings to blend in with the drifts around them. Still, she was certain she could make out the outskirts of the town. The hospital sat on top of a hill, and as Twilight let her eyes adjust to the weather, she could make out more and more. Between the buildings, small dots zipped up and down streets as ponies went about their normal, everyday routine.

Dr. Weaver said he never spoke to Hawks. He just got that report from his superior in Canterlot. So whoever wrote that might’ve written something different… but again, why? Did the Princess herself write it? And he mentioned other cases, and then there’s the whole thing about the Princess not showing up…

A sudden gust blasted a fresh wave of powder over the hospital, obscuring the view with a solid wall of white. Turning back from the window, Twilight let her eyes drift over the room’s blank walls. Save for the small mirror, there was nothing of interest anywhere else around her. It was just another plain old hospital room, painted the same vaguely off-white color that every hospital in Equestria was so very fond of.

Why isn’t the Princess here? What could possibly be going on that would make her unable to get up here? She’s almost within teleporting range from Canterlot. Manechorage isn’t that far away, and it would be no problem if she flew a little farther out, or even just went down to Ponyville to–

Twilight’s body bristled at the thought of home.

What if… maybe… could they all be alright? What if something did happen to just me, and I’m remembering things wrong, and they’re all… they’re all…

“No.” Twilight’s voice sounded stark and cold. She smacked her hoof against the bed’s railing. “Don’t start thinking that. I know what happened, I remember what happened. I can’t lie to myself. Not now. Not… not now.”

Well then… something must be happening at Canterlot. Something bad. Something related to what… to what Pinkie did? What I saw when the temple collapsed? Dr. Weaver really wanted to know about that, almost like…

“Like something got out,” Twilight said. Her eyes widened at the prospect. “Something from up there… appearing elsewhere in Equestria? Spreading around?”

How could it get out? What did Pinkie do? Or maybe one of the others… but Dr. Weaver said… well, I can’t really trust what he said, now can I?

“If it is out, and the Princess knows about it…” Twilight looked back out the window. It was a total whiteout by now. She took a deep breath. “I have to get to her. Now. I need to figure out what’s happening, see if… see if I can help.”

But I can’t go anywhere like this! Can I even use my magic? The doctor said that–

“The doctor is not exactly somepony to listen to right now, all things considered,” Twilight reminded herself. “He thinks I’m just crazy.”

Well, who’s talking to herself right now?

Twilight sighed and flopped back onto her pillow. “Whatever’s happening, it isn’t good. I’ve got to get out of here,” she murmured softly. “I need to find out what’s going on, to find out if everypony is… is safe. I can’t waste any more time stuck in bed.”

She shut her eyes and brushed her hooves through her mane.

Alright, alright, stay calm. Think of a good plan on how to proceed. Something that’ll work and work well. Just relax and concentrate.

Twilight let out a long exhale and closed her eyes, basking in the silence of the room. The hospital walls were thick and sturdy, keeping out the sound of the wind outside. Her heart monitor beeped gently, but other than that the room was silent.

“Wait a second.” Twilight sat back up and stared at the door. She couldn’t hear anything on the other side. The steady hustle and bustle of hospital activity that had been there since she woke up had vanished.

Twilight scrunched her sheets up by her side. A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. “Umm… hello?” she shouted out. She glanced around for a call button, hitting it several times when she found it. Out past the door, she heard a faint buzzing with every press of the button, but nothing more.

“Where is everypony?” she said aloud. She looked out the window, but saw only the white sheet of snow covering the window. “This is a hospital, they couldn’t all just up and leave. Or maybe things on this floor get a lot quieter around–”

Without warning, the lights overhead flickered on and off. She looked up at them, more sweat appearing on her head. Next to her, the heart monitor gave a few more erratic beeps and then clicked off. The other machines next to it followed suit shortly after, and then the lights went out completely.

Twilight sat motionless. The room grew pale, lit now only by the fading light outside. Almost reflexively, she hit her call button again, but nothing happened. She took a deep breath.

Just a power outage from the storm, that’s all. These places have backup generators, just got to wait a second or two, everything up here is still fin–

A muffled blast sounded out below her. The entire hospital bucked up vertically, shaking the walls and popping the ceiling tiles out of place. Twilight lunged forward on her bed, nearly falling off entirely. Her IV line tugged forward and sent the bag and stand clattering to the floor. She cried in pain as the needle was forcibly ripped from her foreleg. Her eyes clamped shut, a few tears shoving their way out.

A bright orange spot of light flared up outside the window. A few seconds later, Twilight felt the building rumble a second time. Cracks appeared in the window, running from one edge clear through to the other side. Though it remained intact, the storm continued to bear down on it, and the window flexed inward further and further with each gust.

Slowly, Twilight lowered her hooves to the floor. It took her a few seconds to be able to stand by herself, and she shook the entire time.

Okay, maybe now would be a good time to try…

Twilight grunted. Under the bandages, a dim purple light phased in around her horn. A mirror of the light appeared around the window, and it pressed itself back against the wind, refitting itself properly into its spot in the wall. Once there, the light vanished, and Twilight crumbled to the floor. She rubbed her head, trying desperately to contain the fierce buzzing that bounced around her skull.

I can still think clearly, I can… I can work through this pain. My magic still works.

After a few minutes, the buzzing subsided, though Twilight continued rubbing. She glanced up towards the window. Her vision was blurred, and she switched to wiping her eyes. Putting her hooves back on the floor, she saw a clear orange flood of light that continued to glow against the strained window. Ignoring the persistent stabbing sensation coming from her ribs, Twilight hobbled forward. Pressing her face against the glass, she narrowed her eyes to peer through the frosted glass.

Fires blazed in the distance. Building after building went up in smoke as entire blocks were torched together. Ponies dashed to and from each one, some of them grabbing others and shoving them into the nearest burning structure. They stood out vividly against the white backdrop, pushing through the thick snow cover and giving Twilight a clear view. As she watched, additional infernos burst into being, the accompanying blast reaching her window a split-second later. It rattled against the plaster, and Twilight huddled back against the bed.

Just then, a series of loud shouts emerged from behind the hall door. The entire hospital was active now, and Twilight could hear ponies clattering around all around her. Shouts carried down staircases while hoofsteps rattled down every hallway. Meanwhile, a series of bloodcurdling cries for help rose above the din, each one desperately pleading for salvation from whatever it was that was attacking them.

I think it’s time to leave.

Twilight stepped past the bed and focused her attention forward. Her horn glowed for a moment, only to fade away as she cried out in pain. Rubbing her forehead again, she looked at the door. A series of frantic hoofsteps approached out in the hall, and the door shuddered as somepony crashed into it. The glass panel shattered, sending shards clattering to the floor. Twilight took a nervous step back. She winced from the new round of buzzing that came with her teleportation attempt.

Come on, gotta move. Can’t teleport out, gonna have to try for the long way. Let’s go, I can do this… not enough time to stay here trying to cower and hide…

A bright flash caught Twilight’s attention out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw that the small mirror had lit up with a brilliant white light. It bulged outward at an unnaturally smooth angle. It moved like a sheet of rubber with something pressing up against it from the other side.

Get out, get out, get OUT.

The door shuddered as Twilight threw her weight against it. It cracked open a few inches only to get stuck. Behind her, a dark shape appeared as a speck in the mirror’s bright light. Twilight swung her head down. A bright flash fired out of her horn, blasting the door off its hinges and into the opposing wall. She tripped forward, crying out in pain at the buzzing in her skull. Drops of blood fell from her nose, but she didn’t notice.

Recovering swiftly from the shock, Twilight turned around the doorframe into the long hallway. A nurse’s crumpled body lay before her, having been pushed aside as Twilight blasted the door forward. Twilight held back a gag as she looked at the massive gash that cut across the young mare. Her eyes were locked open, an expression of twisted horror frozen on her face.

What could’ve– no, no. Just keep moving, no time to dwell…

Her face grim, Twilight moved on. The hospital shook around her at random intervals, occasionally sending a light fixture crashing to the floor. She heard a choir of screams and shouts whirling through the building, but her hallway was empty. Rounding another corner, she caught sight of an “EXIT” sign over a pair of double doors, and she pushed on through.

A central staircase stretched out in the new room. Glancing over the side of the railing, Twilight noted she was close to the top of the hospital. She rushed to the steps and headed down three at a time, nearly tripping on multiple occasions but never letting her pace up.

Get down, get out, find the… find the train station. Something to help point me south and get home.

Twilight rounded a corner onto another flight of stairs, only to skid to a halt as the doors in front of her burst open. A doctor staggered out, his coat and neck fully lit up in flames. He screamed as he flailed about, trying desperately to pat out the fire. A rush of movement appeared behind him, and before he could even cry out in panic, an emaciated young patient twisted over and kicked him in the face. The impact forced his head back onto the hard metal railing, where it resonated with a wet splat.

The patient laughed, moving forward to deliver a series of blows to the doctor’s twitching backside. Twilight gasped and slid against the wall, continuing to move forward while the patient’s back was turned. Hearing more steps approaching up the opposing steps, Twilight ducked around and into the hallway.

Always another exit, always another way down. Just stay out of sight…

It was a mess. Overturned gurneys and supply carts had turned the floor into something akin to a wartime obstacle course. Several more bodies lay scattered about, some of them doctors and others patients. Blood was etched in huge displays along every surface. Twilight slowed under a particularly large patch splashed out on the ceiling

What could have caused all this? There’s no way that–

“No, no… please!”

The sound of a struggle caught Twilight’s attention, and she looked up in time to see a doctor and an orderly wrestle their way over the counter of a nearby nurse’s station. The doctor tried to continue his calls for help while feebly pushing away, but the orderly proved relentless. Pushing past the outstretched hooves, he leaned in and bit a long chunk of flesh out of the doctor’s throat. The doctor screamed again and landed a decent kick in the orderly’s chest, knocking him off and giving him time to wiggle away. He collapsed under a nearby window, one hoof pressed in against his gushing wound.

The orderly, unfazed by the kick, quickly stood back up. Twilight tried to take a few steps back, only to knock against a broken chair. The orderly snapped his head over in Twilight’s direction. Twilight gasped loudly as she stared at his face. Blood streamed from his eyes, dripping onto his scrubs and trickling down to the floor. He grinned as he stared back.

“Twilight Sparkle?” he asked. His voice sounded gargled, as if he had something caught in his throat. “I have a message for you… and you’re not going to like it: Pray for death.”

At the windowsill, the doctor had somehow managed to pull himself upright. The orderly looked back at him, straightened his back, and shot forward. The doctor put up a hoof in defense, but it proved no use. The orderly slammed into him with enough force to break through the window, and the two disappeared into the white storm outside. Even though the howl of the wind quickly swooped in to fill the corridor, Twilight could still hear the distant thump when their bodies finally hit the ground.

Everypony’s going mad, or at least some of them are… ones whose eyes–

A clatter of hooves behind her. Twilight spun around to find a horde of ponies coming at her from the staircase. The mob was a mixture of doctors and patients, orderlies and nurses. Several unicorns pushed forward, blasting aside anypony who stood in their path. Twilight saw a few pegasi limping forward by the wall, completely undeterred by their broken and torn wings. Every single pony cried blood, and every single pony looked right at Twilight.

Get. Moving. Now.

She spun around and ran. The mob carried after her, each member fighting for a spot up front and all of them keeping pace with her. She jumped over debris and slid along the floor as she rounded the corner at the end of the hall. Her face fell as she saw a huge wall of broken doors and equipment piled in front of her. Several patients hopped around it, oblivious to the noise behind them as they poured gallons of rubbing alcohol onto the wreckage. One of them muttered a fast stream of gibberish, and tossed a lantern onto the pile. The fire ignited instantaneously, sending up an entire wall of flames that immediately overtook and consumed one of the patients. The others laughed and finally turned around, the blood in their eyes reflecting in the orange light.

Nowhere to go… gotta be another way out, there’s just got to be…

Twilight pushed herself into the corner. The mob behind her closed in fast on one side, while the group of patients grabbed another cart full of alcohol and moved in from the other. The screams from each group rebounded around the tight walls to create an ear-splitting din of delusions and insanity. Twilight gripped her head and shut her eyes.

Please let this work, oh please oh please let this work…

Her horn flashed. The purple light grew brighter and brighter as the throng descended upon her. Light wrapped around her entire body, and just as an elderly nurse with split wrists reached out to grab her, Twilight vanished into the smoky air.

Several feet of snow had collected on the ground, and it served as a useful cushion when Twilight materialized a meter above it. She fell like a stone, slicing through the soft powder all the way to the frozen dirt underneath it all. A series of quick kicks and rolls followed, and Twilight thrashed her way out of the snowbank onto a freshly plowed road.

Her legs blurred beneath her, and it was all she could do to stay standing. Swaying from one side to the other, her mouth dropped open and unleashed a torrent of vomit. The black and red bile splashed through the snow in a vivid display. Her legs continued to fight against her desire to stay standing, until finally they quit from underneath her, and Twilight fell backward to the ground. She jerked back and forth on her side, flopping about like a fish out of water. Her nose bled profusely and her skull buzzed like a hornet’s nest had been wedged inside, but her eyes remained wide open.

After a few minutes, her fit faded away and Twilight gasped for air. She stayed on the ground for several minutes as she breathed in and out as deeply as she could manage. Her hospital gown was soaked through by the snow, and it clung tightly to her skin. Through sheer force of will she was able to turn her head forward and catch sight of a signpost installed by a fence a few yards away. She blinked several times, waiting for her eyes to come back into focus before she could read the writing on it.

“EVERFREE FOREST AHEAD – WATCH YER STEP” it proudly displayed via a crude red scrawl. A long arrow extended out past the letters, pointing out to Twilight’s left.

Okay…okay… made it pretty… pretty close… I think…

Twilight continued to breathe deeply. Overhead, the cloud-coated sky was a foreboding shade of dark gray. Light was fading quickly, although in contrast to the conditions around the hospital the weather here was quite calm. There was a faint breeze, and a few flakes of snow gently wafted to the ground, but other than that it was a very tranquil atmosphere settling into the air.

After what felt like hours, Twilight pressed her hooves on the ground in front of her and stood back up. She moved slowly and deliberately, each step working against her quivering legs. Standing back up again, she moved a hoof up to brush her horn, only to instantly recoil in agony. Her horn felt like it was on fire, threatening to burn through the layer of bandages around it.

No more magic for a while, then, she thought bitterly. Her alertness flooding back into her, Twilight took in her surroundings. The frost-covered trees of the Everfree Forest were at her back now, while a long fence stretched out in either direction. A wide open field lay just beyond the fence, while an orchard of barren trees dominated the landscape in the distance.

Maybe… could it be?

Taking each step gently, Twilight pushed her way through a broken gap in the fence and trekked through the field. The snow was deep, sometimes to the point where Twilight would be up to her neck in powder, but she pushed forward. It was slow going, but before long Twilight pushed her way out of the heavy blanket and onto the more lightly covered ground under the trees.

After another few minutes of walking, Twilight spotted a set of buildings on an opposing hillside. A tall barn sat nestled against the landscape, an even taller farmhouse sitting just beyond it. Twilight gulped, but kept walking forward.

Sweet Apple Acres… I almost made it all the way home. No wonder my magic’s exhausted, that’s a long haul even in the best conditions.

Twilight eyed the house nervously as she approached. Not a single light appeared in any of the windows. Twilight looked over to the barn, and saw that one of its large front doors had a long crack running through it. Reaching the final section of fence between her and the homestead, Twilight paused to study the scene. There was no movement anywhere, nothing that gave the indication of any sort of life around.

“Hello?” she shouted out. Her voice carried far in the frozen weather. She listened for any kind of reaction.

Some kind of… thumping in the background? Where’s that coming from? Not around here, but somewhere not too far away…

“Can anypony hear me? Is anypony here?” Twilight shouted again. Again, there was no reply. Tentatively, she walked forward, her eyes constantly sweeping around her. The farm remained still as a grave. She marched up the front doors and, again with a slight hesitation, knocked on the thick wood.

It creaked forward with the first beat of her hoof. Twilight peered inside. The front hall of the room was cold and dark. A few pieces of furniture had been knocked over, and some of the curtains were ripped, but other than that things were the same as always.

“Big McIntosh? Granny Smith?” Twilight’s calls were met only by silence. She suddenly had a flash of memory, an image of Applejack rushing down the stairs to greet her with a big cheerful smile on her face. Apple Bloom poked out between her legs, her smile just as inviting as her sister’s. The smell of warm apple pie drifted out of the kitchen, bringing with it another batch of happy memories.

Twilight choked back a sob, and the illusion vanished. “There’s nopony here… nothing here for me right now. Not now.”

Peeling her damp hospital gown off onto the floor, Twilight grabbed a nearby scarf hanging from a hook on the wall. She wrapped it around her neck, basking in the newfound bit of warmth that shot through her.

“Just leave, Twilight,” she muttered. Her eyes flickered up the stairs, and she forced herself to turn back around and walk out the front door. “Just get back home, regroup, and find a way to get–”

A loud whistle cut her off. Twilight ran forward on the porch and hopped down into the yard in time to see a long red trail shoot up towards the clouds. Moments later, it exploded into a vibrant splash of color all over the sky. A second firework launched up underneath it, and then a third and fourth. Twilight could feel the rush of the sound wave as each explosion occurred, could feel the warmth of the red colors splash past her face. She looked down for the source of the display.

They came from Ponyville…

Twilight took off with a flash. The path to the farm’s entrance and the road beyond it had been poorly maintained, and were thick with snow. Twilight barely slowed down, and tore through the slush with relative ease. Her heart pounded and her scarf whipped in the air behind her. Hitting the road in no time at all, she could see Ponyville displayed before her. It was lit up like a beacon in a storm, with bright lights or all colors flashing on and off. The closer she got, the louder the thumping in the background became. As she crossed the bridge at the edge of town, she realized that the sound was music. Somepony was blasting club music at full volume, and the beat was causing the air around town to practically vibrate.

Twilight slowed her pace past the bridge, finally coming to a stop near a frozen fountain. Crouching behind a bush, she had a clear view of the main street into town. The music was blaring out of a huge set of speakers that had been piled up down near town hall. Stage lights were set up at uneven intervals along every street, each one flashing a different color beam of light onto the ground. It gave the entire area a rainbow glow that starkly mirrored the dark grey sky.

Over the sound of the electro beats, Twilight could hear the sound of conversation. Ponies milled about the streets, moving calmly and easily amidst one another. Carts had been pulled out and all the shops along the snow-cleared streets were open. There were no screams or any kind of pained cry, just a multitude of laughter and general chit-chat. The party was in full swing, and everypony was having a good time.

Twilight studied the scene carefully. Several times small groups of ponies approached the park and she ducked down, only to have them veer off at the last second and loop back towards the party. Twilight scratched her head, careful not to get her bandages damper than they already were.

It looks… normal? Some kind of big celebration for something, or maybe a festival, but nopony is running around trying to kill anyone… but what’s this event for? I don’t remember anything like this the last time winter started. But it… it looks safe, so I guess there’s only one way to find out what’s happening…

Taking a deep breath, Twilight stepped out onto the path. She moved steadily towards town, trying to keep a firm look of resolve on her face. Ponies continued to mingle with one another around her, completely preoccupied with the festivities. They paid no attention to the nervous looking unicorn covered in bandages as she edged by the buildings towards the town square.

A series of food vendors had set up shop directly in front of her. The smells of baked goods wafted into the air, and Twilight froze as the smell hit her nose. Her stomach growled loudly, and she took a few shaky steps towards the nearest stall.

Wow… when was the last time I ate something? At the hospital? They must’ve given me something while I was there–

“Twilight! Hey Twilight!”

Twilight froze, one hoof still in the air. A light blue mare waved at her from a booth filled with frosted cakes and sweets. She smiled brightly and trotted over, weaving past a large group of pegasi hovering in line.

“Hi there! I didn’t expect you back so soon,” Mrs. Cake said, her voice as bright as her smile. “Seems like you had a bit of a rough time, though. Felt it was best to just pack in and come home early, eh? You’re alright, I hope?”

“I… I don’t… huh?” Twilight stumbled over her words. She fidgeted in place, glancing back and forth at the surrounding crowds, but nopony took any notice of them. She scratched at her bandages and stared back at Mrs. Cake. “Um… yeah, yeah, I’m fine. This all, uh, looks worse than it is.”

“Well, that’s good. And you picked a fine time to return home.” Mrs. Cake gestured around her. “Things are even better than we had hoped! Everypony is having a wonderful time, and business is absolutely booming. We couldn’t be happier.”

“What’s going on here, Mrs. Cake?” Twilight asked. “What’s this big party for?”

Mrs. Cake laughed. “Twilight, you of all ponies should know that. You helped plan it, after all. It’s why I’m so glad you’re back, I would’ve hated for you to have missed out after putting so much work into it.”

“I helped… plan this?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “When did I–”

“Hon, can you go check on those Apple Fritters?” Mr. Cake’s voice carried easily over the crowded marketplace. He threw in a quick wave. “Hi Twilight! Glad you’re back!”

“Oh, I knew I needed to get to something,” Mrs. Cake said, waving back at her husband. “Twilight, it was good seeing you, but I really need to get back to work. Mr. Cake and I have been pretty swamped, like I said. I know we could’ve just run things out of the store, but it seemed like a good idea to meet everypony out here for once… of course, I haven’t even been able to leave the stand except to go restock all day. I’ll talk to you later, alright?”

“Wait…” Twilight said as Mrs. Cake turned to leave. “Where’s Pound and Pumpkin? Is somepony watching them while you guys work down here?”

Mrs. Cake gave Twilight a quizzical look. “Pound and Pumpkin? Why, who are they, dearie?”

“Your… your foals,” Twilight said. She took a small step back. “Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake. Where are they?”

Mrs. Cake laughed again, though with a softer and more nervous tone. “Twilight, I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. While we’ve been talking about the prospect of… well, needless to say, we don’t have any foals. You must’ve hit your head harder than you thought.”

“Uh… yeah… I guess I did…” Twilight’s eyes fell to the ground as her sentence trailed off. Mrs. Cake shook her head and walked off towards the bakery, muttering under her breath about the dangers of an extended vacation.

They… they had two foals… right? I know I’m remembering that right… at least I think I am. They were… what were their names again?

Twilight scratched her head and moved forward through the crowd. She moved more forcefully now, moving down the center of the street. Still the crowds ignored her. Every now and then a straggler would shout her name, and Twilight would return a wave to the familiar face. No others approached her for any sort of conversation.

The street grew increasingly narrow as Twilight approached the Town Hall. Her gaze drifted upward at a large banner that had been hung across the street. It spelled out “WELCOME HOME” in large, colorful letters. Twilight followed the string it was on, and twitched when she saw the house it was attached to. The uppermost windows had blown out, and part of the roof was singed away by fire. Twilight looked around at other houses, and could see similar instances of damage in most of them. Small spots of damage became apparent all over the town, from doors barely hanging on one broken hinge to whole wall sections blasted out into side streets.

Twilight gulped and moved forward. The crowd thinned out ahead, leaving a large clearing at the foot of town hall. The main speakers were set up here, tall black monoliths that were easily three times Twilight’s height. They blasted music out at a constant pace, though Twilight found that it actually got quieter the closer she stood to them. To the right of the display, a comparatively tiny turntable had been set up. An off-white unicorn that Twilight didn’t recognize managed the playlist, grinning maniacally behind a dark pair of goggles.

Behind the massive subwoofers, town hall stretched overhead. The fading light was positioned directly behind it. Combined with the collection of spotlights facing outward, Twilight was able to make out the dark silhouette of the building against the cloudy sky. A thin, rickety tower stood freshly constructed in front of the building, with a small, empty platform built on top.

Alright, enough of this… time to get to my library. There’s no better place I can regroup at.

Twilight’s gaze shifted, and she searched around for the avenue that would take her back home.

Where is it, where is it… I’ve taken it a thousand times, why can’t I find it now…

A sudden flash of light brought Twilight’s attention back to town hall. A figure had appeared on top of the platform, standing just behind a newly installed spotlight. The music died away, as did the chatter of the ponies. All eyes were locked on the platform. The new spotlight was locked on Twilight.

“Greetings one and all! Is everypony having a good time?” the figure shouted, her voice amplified by the microphone set up in front of her. The crowds behind Twilight cheered enthusiastically.

That voice… no way, there’s just no way…

“I’m super excited to hear that!” The figure leaned forward, kicking the spotlight off the platform. It tumbled to the ground, taking a few support beams with it along the way. “And I’m even more super excited to see you back here, Twilight. I’ve missed you thiiiiiiiiiiiiis much!”

“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight shouted. She gaped upward at the platform and the smiling pink pony standing on it.

“The one and only, forever and ever!” Pinkie chirped. “Welcome to the party, Twilight! You’re just in time, too! Once it gets extra dark out, that’s when we can really start the show. And you can take my word as a Pinkie Promise here: it’s going to rock this world!”

“Pinkie, what are you… how did you get here?” Twilight stammered out. “I saw you get pulled under the… I mean, you’re not still… you were…”

“You really should get those words strung together before you let them loose.” Pinkie giggled and kicked a small button on the floor of the platform. Two small fireworks launched out from beneath her. They angled down, narrowly avoiding Twilight’s head before taking a sharp curve up and exploding into a small spurt of purple and pink.

The town inhabitants replied quickly with a chorus of “Ooooh” and “Aaaah”.

Pinkie laughed. “That’s the spirit, everypony! Keep that energy flowing!”

“Hey! Pinkie!” Twilight shouted. Her stammer was gone, replaced with a fresh burst of energy and irritation as she glared up at Pinkie. “I need to talk to you, right now! What is going on around here? How did you get here? What’s this big party about? Why is everypony acting so strange?”

Pinkie cocked her head to one side with a smile. “Twilight, I’m not sure what you mean. Everything’s been laid out pretty clearly, and–”

“No!” Twilight stamped a hoof on the ground. “No more gibberish, no more vague responses, no more long chases or whatever. I want straight answers, and I want them now!”

Pinkie glanced into the air, scratching her chin. “Hmmmmmm… alrighty Twilight, you win.”

She waved down at the DJ. “Hey there! Crank it back up! I gotta head down for a bit of a chit-chat.”

The DJ nodded and flipped a few switches on her turntable. Pinkie’s microphone snapped off with a hiss, replaced in the speakers with the opening beats of the latest Growling Mad Ponies record. The flood of ponies cheered and broke out into a large pulsating swarm of dancing and merriment.

Pinkie turned back to Twilight. “Be down in a flash!” she shouted over the noise. She then flexed her hooves, gave her tail a small twirl, and leapt off the platform.

Twilight recoiled in shock as she watched Pinkie fall. She curved through the air for a few feet before plummeting straight down. The whole way down, her eyes remained glued on Twilight, never so much as even flickering towards the incoming dirt. It was a good few seconds before she hit the ground with a bone-crunching THUD. All four of her ankles popped outward, pushing bone and muscle straight up and out through the skin. Loose blood vessels whipped around in the open air, spreading a small puddle around the impact crater.

Pinkie shook herself off and took a few steps forward. She wobbled on her injured legs, which crunched with every step. Her smile remained constant the entire time.

“Twilight…” she said, her head bobbing from side to side in tune with the music. As she spoke, her walk steadied. The bones and muscles slowly pulled themselves back into her legs, healing up back into their proper positions. “Let’s talk.”

Staring down at her friend’s receding injuries, Twilight took several steps back. “You’re… you’re not Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie giggled again. A hollow ring underlined her laughter. “Don’t be silly. Of course I’m me. The narrative says I must be me, so who else could I be?”

The crowds closed ranks to form a tight-knit line behind the two, but kept on dancing.

“No…” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I saw Pinkie sucked under the water back in the temple days ago. You are not Pinkie Pie. This… this can’t be real.”

“You need to stop thinking in terms of what’s real and what’s not.” Pinkie shook one of her broken hooves. A small tentacle flicked out, quickly snagging on the loose bones and tugging it back under her skin. “After all, a reality is just what we tell each other it is. And since I’m here telling you it now, it’s as real as anything else ever was.”

“What… are you?” Twilight asked, still stepping backward. She glanced behind her, her eyes searching for a break in the mass of ponies behind her.

“Nope!” Pinkie said, keeping pace with Twilight’s retreat. “Boring question. Let me go with one you asked earlier: what’s going on here?”

Pinkie gestured up to the banner. “It’s exactly what it says. It’s a nice, big, friendly party to welcome those who have been away from home for a super duper long time. We don’t want them to think we’re ungrateful, now do we? We were such good house sitters.”

Twilight’s eyes kept moving, going from Pinkie to the crowd to the town around her. The music increased in volume a few notches, but Pinkie’s voice managed to rise above it all.

“You see, ponies aren’t the first beings to inhabit Equestria. Not by a long shot. There were folks living here long before somepony ever even considered thinking about maybe naming this place Equestria.” Pinkie paused for a moment to look up into the sky. “Great, magnificent beings. They were… well, are, they are… I’m not even sure how to really get into it. They’re so far beyond what we can possibly comprehend; they are the ultimate level of life. Gods from a better time.”

“If they’re anything like what I’ve already seen,” Twilight said, “then magnificent is pretty far from the word I’d use to describe them. And I think I can comprehend evil pretty well.”

Pinkie sighed and stared back down at Twilight. “You can’t understand what they are, Twilight. What they do. They may seem evil to you, but they’re just working on clearing up what is rightfully theirs.”

She clicked her heels on the frozen ground. Her last wounded ankle healed over, and she was like new again. “They secluded themselves away from this place ages and ages ago, locked up in a long hibernation. But it was one that was supposed to be over for a while now, and yet here we are, still here. We are the mold that has grown up in their absence, the weeds that have gone unchecked in their garden. And they had no way to come back, no way to open their front door again so they could come in and tidy the joint up… no way until now, that is.”

Flakes of snow whipped around Twilight’s ankles. A slight breeze was picking up around them. The clouds churned overhead, giving the impression of a dark and upset sea. The dimming light of the sky froze in place, halting the approaching darkness without providing any more illumination.

Keep stalling, keep stalling, Twilight thought. Get to the tree, get out of town, get somewhere away from it. Get somewhere you can figure all this out.

“And what happens now?” Twilight asked. She continued moving parallel with Pinkie, keeping her at a constant distance. A small gap appeared between a group of unicorns behind her, and she shifted directions towards it. “You spread out from here, you… you infect ponies around Equestria? You make them all slaves, ready to submit to some upcoming invasion? Or you… you just up and try to kill them all yourself?”

“It’s a little from column A, a little from column B.” Pinkie did a little twirl, twisting her hooves in the air. Her tail twitched along to the music, and her eyes drifted casually over the frolicking surrounding her. “Some places are already primed. You’ve been there, you’ve seen it. I’ve been crazy busy getting things done over here in Ponyville while you’ve been away. Things are only really solid here, but don’t worry! After tonight, I’ll be able to get around all of Equestria at lightning speeds.”

“Not that I’d want to get too far, of course. After all, what kind of host would I be if I did all the fun stuff before the guests of honor even arrived?” Pinkie grinned and took another few hops towards Twilight.

“That’s close enough, alright?” Twilight said. She gestured her horn in Pinkie’s direction. “I’ve heard just enough out of you.”

Nearly there, get your hooves on firm ground here. Last thing I need is to slip on myself.

“I don’t think magic will be very good for you right now, Twilight,” Pinkie said, laughing. She glanced behind her and waved out. A large net full of balloons cracked open from under the platform, filling the sky with the multicolored orbs. They caught light from the spotlights, further illuminating the scene with a variety of colors. “You should really lighten up, Twilight. It’s a party, after all!”

Pinkie cheered, the crowd following suit. Before she could turn back around, Twilight kicked off and shot through the gap. She dodged ponies left and right, turning the first corner she saw and bursting onto an empty street. Her mouth turned into a small grin when she saw her library directly ahead.

There it is! Now, what next… a book that can help me? Must be something I can grab before I go to Canterlot, something that can–

Up ahead, a house shook violently from side to side. The hinges on the front door fired outward, the door following suit just afterward. Pinkie slid along on top of the fallen wood, sliding to a complete stop directly ahead of Twilight.

“Good call, Twilight!” she said. She spun on her hoof and faced the library. “I almost forgot that payoff. And a one, a two, a-you-know-what-to-do…”

Pinkie flicked her wrist. An immense geyser of fire erupted from the base of the library, not capping off until it reached the highest branches.

“No!” Twilight screamed. She rushed past Pinkie towards the tree, but the intense heat prevented her from getting too close. Some of the higher windows cracked and fell out of their frames, crashing to the ground next to her hooves. The sound of falling wood thundered out from inside; the bookshelves were collapsing, caught in an oven that was fueled by the thousands upon thousands of burning books.

“Hmmm… not bad.” Pinkie scratched her chin. “I kept seeing it a little differently, but I guess it’s hard to really pin this sort of thing down in your head. Gotta see the real thing.”

Twilight turned back, tears falling from her eyes. “Pinkie! Please… stop all this!”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Pinkie said. “In spite of everything, the little things can always hit you the hardest.”

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “What are you… why won’t you help me?”

“Hey, there’s another one I can answer!” Pinkie skipped backward. Twilight took a few involuntary steps towards her to keep further back from the flaming structure. Suddenly, she felt a strong grip grab her around both forelegs. She turned her head up to see Big McIntosh staring back down at her. His face was expressionless, save for the small trickle of blood coming out of each tear duct.

“Big Mac!” Twilight squirmed around, but his iron grip easily overpowered her. “What are you doing? Let go of me!”

Big Mac stayed silent. He dragged Twilight towards Pinkie. Twilight managed to peer one last time over his shoulder at the fire behind them. Very little remained of the upper branches, and the trunk was charred black. Ash poured from the sky in a flurry so thick it looked like another storm had blown in. Twilight shut her eyes as the final burning limbs cracked open and plummeted to the ground. The tree fell over backward, landing with a loud THUMP and letting bits of fire spread around to nearby houses.

The crowd parted in front of them. The music blared at full volume, but nopony danced anymore. All eyes followed the three as Pinkie led them back in front of the tall platform. Several spotlights swung low and focused on Twilight; she threw her hooves over her eyes to keep from being blinded.

“Big Mac, please…” Twilight pleaded. “There’s… there’s gotta be some of you left in there. Please help me.”

“I can’t, Twilight,” Big Mac replied. His voice was strained and creaky. “He wrote me this way.”

In front of them, Pinkie stopped and hung her head.

“You were right about one thing, Twilight,” Pinkie said, her back to Twilight. “I was dragged down through the well back in the temple. I learned a lot after that, too. I saw what’s to come, which means I know where you go from here. I know what you do. And it’s not something I can let you do.”

Pinkie spun around. “I… I know he wants you to do it. And I’m happy you got the chance. I mean, you get to meet him! To actually go up and talk to him! Sure, he’s been telling me stuff in my dreams for ages now, but I’ve never had a chance to say anything back! It’s just so cool to get that chance. I really am happy for you!”

“But…” Pinkie’s smile faded away. “There’s really no easy way to say this, and it’s something that might even make him mad… but I can’t let you go. There’s too much risk at stake if you go. He’s assured me nothing will go wrong, he’s written all the possible outcomes… but the chance remains. One that, no matter what anypony says, even… even him, I can’t let happen.”

A chance to… change something? Twilight’s eyes narrowed. What could it be… keep stalling, get something to use…

“I think you’ve, uh, covered everything pretty thoroughly down here,” Twilight spoke slowly. Big Mac let in a small amount of slack, and she quickly gained some leverage by twisting against him. “Whatever it is you think I can… well, I don’t think I–”

“Sorry Twilight, no talking your way out of this one allowed.” Pinkie put a hoof up, waggling it at Twilight. “I made a Pinkie Promise to usher in the change. I’ve done my part. Or rather, I’ve almost done my part. Time to finish things up and really get this party started!”

Pinkie threw her head back and whistled. Big Mac snapped to attention at the screeching sound. He dropped Twilight onto the ground in a heap and took several steps back to rejoin the crowd. As Twilight collected herself, Pinkie did several spins on one hoof and pointed up at town hall.

Over the speakers, the bass dropped. The silhouette of town hall, still barely visible in the light, moved. Twilight stifled a gasp.

Oh, I’m in trouble…

The entire town hall expanded outward, its form growing in every direction. The foundations ached and groaned, and it lurched forward into the light, batting aside the tall platform into one of the speaker sets in the process. Its huge stone columns revealed themselves to be long tendrils doubling as teeth in a gaping maw, while the outline of the roof slid down to divide up into a dozen pairs of spindly legs. A massive eye opened up at the center of the mass to stare malevolently over the assembled crowd.

Nopony reacted to the newfound sight. They all simply stood by and watched it approach.

“You should relax, Twilight,” Pinkie said. Tentacles the size of houses pushed around her in either direction, swallowing up the remainder of the speakers and the accompanying DJ. Music still thumped, rippling through its slick muscular skin. “It’s not so bad. And you’ll like what’s over there!”

“I highly doubt that.” Twilight worked to control the shakiness of her voice and to force her hooves to take a step back.

“It’s true! After all, all our friends are waiting for us over there!” Pinkie’s grin widened, pushing at the boundaries of her skin. “You just need to come on over. Then we can go meet the fillies and Rarity and Applejack–”

“I’m not listening to this anymore…” Twilight’s head rocked from side to side. Behind her, the crowd remained tightly packed.

“–and Fluttershy and the fillies, and even Dashie is bound to show up eventually–”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Twilight pivoted around and aimed for the street out of town.

“–and we’ll all be happy and together!” Pinkie raised her hooves triumphantly over her head. “In the end, that’s what really counts, Twilight. That’s why I helped do all this. It wouldn’t have made a difference to try and stop it, so I just worked it to keep us all together. Now we’ll never leave each other. Friends forever, Twilight.”

The monster’s legs pushed themselves onto the ground. It raised itself up, shaking away some of the excess wood that was stuck to its hide, and fired out a series of tiny green appendages from its mouth. They wrapped around Pinkie in an instant and squeezed tight around every available limb to the point of breaking some in half.

“Come on, Ttttwwwiiiiiiiiillliigght…” Pinkie slurred out in a voice far deeper than she had ever managed before. “Friends… fffffooooorrrreeeevvveeerrr….”

Twilight ran. The ground shook with every forward step of the monster behind her, forcing the crowd to the ground as several lost their balance and fell on others surrounding them. Twilight leapt over a low spot in the horde and dashed forward as fast as her legs would carry her.

Gotta kill this thing, gotta find a way. What to use, what to use…

Behind her, the rest of the tentacles aimed for the crowd. Some instinctively screamed out as the walls of flesh descended on them, only to be abruptly silenced at the impact and subsequent absorption into the muscle. A slimy, sticky sound replaced the former murmuring of ponies. Wood and stone shattered to pieces on either side of the street as the creature swelled out and pushed into the adjacent houses. A shower of wreckage shot off one of the roofs and arced through the air before it landed all around Twilight’s sprinting form.

Fire. Fire will work. Can I get to the tree? Would that be enough? No, no, not enough time for that, need a different route…

The avenue widened as the edge of town approached. Twilight could see the bridge over to the park ahead, and just beyond that, the very edge of the Everfree Forest.

Into the forest, maybe something in there… oh!

Inspiration flashed into her mind. Twilight lowered her head and kept running. The constant trembling of the ground threatened to throw her off balance at every step, as did the growing pain in her chest with every deep inhalation. Still she ran, the mountainous creature flailing around behind her in an effort to keep up. Another house disintegrated into a million splinters with every surge forward it made, another part of the ground turned to a crater with each step. Every part of its body was in motion, weaving and pulsing into a different form every few seconds. Only the eye remained constant, its gaze fixated perfectly down on Twilight.

Twilight galloped along. She was over the bridge in two strides, past the fountain in another three, and past the edge of the park before the monster reached the river.

I take the path straight, turn left at the hooked curve… no, that was coming back, I take a right going in… how’d I get there before? I had to look for– I had a guide last time, didn’t I?

Her mind clouded with directions, Twilight missed the low hanging branch on a tree ahead. It smacked her along the forehead, and she tripped. Sliding to a stop on her back, she blinked a few times as her sight came back into focus. Behind her, the monster took up the whole sky. It kept moving closer. Over the never-ending thumping and breaking wood, she could hear it uttering a deep, angry growl.

Straight in, hang right at the second grove, follow to the mountains.

Twilight snapped back up onto her hooves and took off into the underbrush. The snow thinned out as the trees grew thicker, and she was able to move swifter. The creature, however, faced some difficulty penetrating through the old growth. The deep roots and thick trunks proved to put up a stronger resistance than the homes of Ponyville, and the creature slowed to a crawl as it hacked its way through. It howled, the sound carrying overhead in a thunderous cry of otherworldly anger.

I’ve had just about enough of that sound…

She sped through the woods, zipping over logs and through bramble patches. Even without much snow on the ground, the temperature remained near freezing, and Twilight felt her hooves growing numb from the frost. She shivered and kept running.

Keep that blood pumping… just a little further… there it is!

The cave could be seen through a clearing up ahead. It stretched high into the mountain behind it, a single rocky spot in the white forest. Twilight hurried through the clearing. The creature was very noisily approaching from behind her. It was gaining momentum and punching through the thick foliage with relative ease.

The dim light got even dimmer once Twilight entered the cave, but a faint glimmer was visible around a corner ahead. Twilight headed towards it and finally came to a stop in front of a massive mound of precious gems. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and more were all piled high in front of her. Similar piles sat stacked against the wall. Light coming through holes in the ceiling reflected off each gem, giving the entire cave a dazzling amount of illumination.

Please still be here, please please please…

“Wow, look at all these beautiful gems!” Twilight shouted. Her voice didn’t carry far in the vast cavern, and she took a deep breath to scream even louder. “I can’t believe they’re just sitting here!

She looked around expectantly. Something large shifted behind one of the piles, but came no closer. The ground shook beneath her; the creature outside was drawing nearer.

Alright, want to play hardball?

“I guess nopony would mind if I took a few home with me!” With that, Twilight dove into the nearest pile. She kicked gems around left and right, sending a small avalanche down to the ground. She threw a pile of multicolored stones high into the air, watching them curve through the air to land on the other side of the pile.

There was a new trembling, this one coming from inside the cave.

“Who’s there?” a loud, deep voice demanded. “Who’s in my home?”

“It’s just some random pony stealing your gems!” Twilight rolled out of the pile, kicking several opals aside. “What are you going to do about it, you big dumb lizard?”

More movement behind the pile. The long face of a dragon rose upward, its green scaly body following suit. It flared its spikes when it looked down at Twilight. “You… I remember you…”

“You couldn’t catch me last time,” Twilight sneered. She took several steps back towards the cave entrance. “And even though I’m all banged up, I know you won’t be able to catch me now. I can just come back any time I want, and take all your gems away! What do you say to that?”

The response of the dragon’s fiery blast sent Twilight rolling out of the way. She could feel the heat rush past her tail, singing several hairs away. Twilight gulped and ran to the mouth of the cave.

This’ll work, this’ll work… don’t get roasted and this’ll work…

The cavern shook all over. The dragon thumped forward, screeching loudly and setting off a torrent of fire with every spare breath. Twilight burst out into the clearing just as the dragon came around the corner behind her. A second loud roar brought Twilight’s attention upward, and she gasped out loud.

The monster stood before her. Its form had molded again. Twilight now found herself staring at an eighty foot Pinkie Pie, albeit one missing her customary pink skin. Untold numbers of tendrils bunched up along her back to form her mane and tale, and a rhythmic pulsing of loose skin and fleshy veins made up her face. She smiled down at Twilight with teeth made of sharpened bone.

It opened its mouth to speak, but could only gurgle a strangely mournful noise.

Twilight felt her back heat up again, and she quickly rolled to one side. The dragon emerged from the cave behind her, shaking its head to clear away the excess smoke. He stared up at the Pinkie creature and narrowed his eyes. A puff of smoke huffed from his nose while Twilight huddled behind a nearby tree. For the moment, both massive creatures had forgotten her.

“An old one… come for the reclamation already?” the dragon murmured. He took a step forward, his wings flapping against the dusk. “You burned well before. Let’s see if you still do.”

The dragon opened his jaws to release a funnel of fire directly at Pinkie’s face. It screeched and attempted to pull away, but its legs caught on a tree. It took the full brunt of the blast face-first. It screeched even louder, writhing back and forth in place while its eyes melted away. Flesh dripped off in a deluge of green and pink sludge, splashing all over the powdered branches.

The creature flailed up several huge tentacles while the dragon worked to suck another breath in. The dragon flapped his wings and quickly rose several meters, only to be forced back down when one of the tentacles came down right on his shoulder. He screamed in pain, his flame jet waving around the sky. The end of the jet came down on the creature’s body, igniting it while the face continued to burn. Screeching from both creatures filled the air. The tentacles shifted in place rapidly, pumping a thick green slime under the dragon’s skin.

Just move, just move while you can get away.

Turning away from the devastating scene, Twilight disappeared into the underbrush. Her new path was even thicker than the one she had used to get in, and she tripped over exposed roots and ice patches multiple times. The battle behind her grew faint as she went along, and by the time she came to the edge of the forest, she could only barely hear it over the sound of the rising wind. A growing cloud of smoke marked the spot in the distance where the dragon’s fire spread to the surrounding forest.

Twilight stood for a moment, breathing heavily. She felt across the bandages on her head and sides. Several came loose as she touched them. She sighed and tried to push them back into place, with little success.

Ahead of her, Ponyville was in ruin. A solid path of destruction went from the town square to the edge of the forest. Heaps of brick, wood, and broken glass were all that was left of the homes. In the background to one side, a fire raged on, going from house to house with nothing to stop it except the fast-melting piles of snow. No ponies could be seen anywhere; the town was deserted.

Nothing to do there now…

Twilight sighed again. She pushed forward through a snowdrift, aiming for the less affected side of town. After walking for a few minutes, her destination became visible: the train station. It took another few minutes of cold trudging, but she eventually reached the station house. It was still in good shape, entirely intact without even so much as a broken window. The same could not be said for the train, which lay in shambles just to the side of the tracks. All that remained of the lead car was a smoking black crater, and the other cars had been squished together like some huge accordion.

Well, so much for that option.

A light twinkled in the mountains. Twilight stared up at Canterlot, making out a single sign of life in a high tower. The rest of the city was completely dark, blending in with the billowing sky. Light around her continued to fade. It was almost completely dark now, and she could feel the temperature dropping by the second.

Better get moving, Twilight thought. If I keep a good pace it shouldn’t take too long, but if the weather gets bad… well, actually, after all that’s happened, I have a feeling I can handle it.

For a split-second, Twilight let slip a tiny grin. Then a small burst of wind chilled her face to the core. She shivered, wrapped her scarf tightly around her nose and mouth, and took off down the train tracks into the dark night ahead.