I can't believe it is finally here. About a year ago, I had ordered a package of great importance from the land of dragons. After much waiting, the mailmare had arrived and dropped it off this fine evening, and my giddiness is so ferocious that my self-composure almost buckles. I kneel down and open the chest that contains my desire, trying not to be too anxious. A radiance blinds me as it reveals its contents, but I cannot avert my eyes. Inside are piles of many colors of experimental fabric created out of a new material: microscopic gems. Beautiful, they are. How could I have gotten so lucky as to receive such wondrous items?

I pick up one made of sapphires and wave it around in the air just to see it sparkle in the light. It casts a beautiful azure glow on everything in the room as if it's a piece of the moon shining indoors. A moment later, I levitate some ruby silk, a marvel of craft of the most popular jewel in the dragon kingdom, to do the same, in order to add a fiery hue to the mix. The topaz cloth comes next, then the amethyst, emerald, diamond... All of the dazzling colors circle around and illuminate me and my boutique, blending together at my hooves to create sights never seen before today. I close my eyes just to feel them; it's as if their existence has its own radiant magical power that touches my soul.

I open my eyes. There is only darkness.

A complete black covers my vision. I can't see anything at all. My mind is hazy and my nerves are wracked; I'm panicking. Needing to calm myself down, I focus on deep breathing, and it seems to work for the time being. I think I was dreaming about the time before I came here yet again. The images in the dream are fading away, and I can't seem to remember any of it now. Making a fruitless attempt to look around, I sit up from where I'm laying down. All I can see is the darkness for miles.

I don't remember much of being in this place, but it's still familiar. It's hard to explain, but I know that I have been here for quite a while. Although I should be very tired and bored of this place after staying for so long, I seem not to be, and feel like I belong here. I decide not to question it. No matter, I say in my head. It's better to not go mad.

To occupy myself, I begin examining my surroundings for what seems like the hundredth time, but I still believe as though I've never done so. The feeling of jamais vu strikes me as odd, but I shake off the notion and try to concentrate. Under me is a comfortable bed with a single soft pillow and heavy silk blanket. The sensation of the texture on my coat... there is something about them that makes me feel strange, like I know what they are on a deeper level, but I can't seem to pinpoint it. Perishing the thought, I slide to the right and off the bed to land on the cold, hard ground, stopping in place after realizing what I did without thinking. How did I know that was the open side in this darkness? A light pain in my head strikes me, but it fades in just a few seconds.

I extend my hooves away and feel around for anything more. It seems to be a room of some sort. The room is square and tiny, measuring about one and a half pony lengths from one wall to the opposite side. I'm unable to reach the ceiling even when I stand on my bed. On examination of the floor, looking for any sign of a possible escape, it's easy to notice that it is very clean. I can detect no dust or dirt on the smooth ground, which is a bit strange. Giving up on checking around the flat room with a deep breath, I notice that the air is so crisp and cool that I feel like I can breathe easier than ever in here. The distinct feeling that I'm able to stay calm because of it creeps into my thoughts, but perhaps it is just me. Either way, I need to keep this calm; holding onto my sanity is the best chance I have to escape.

I try to cast a simple lamplight spell before remembering that I don't have a horn any more, and the reminder causes my heart to beat faster. How is that possible? Was it... surgically removed, or something? It is not that easy to remove one, and the thought is troubling. A hoof runs over my forehead and across my backside. My mane and tail aren't right. They feel sleek and smooth, a common straight styling. It is an acceptable look for anypony else, but it just isn't mine. I much prefer curls. Lowering my hoof, I think for a moment as my pulse continues to quicken, and I stare into the black. Just what happened to me? Where am I...? I sit down on the side of the bed in silence, becoming lost in thought, but my tension eases after a few minutes as if it never happened.

Time passes, I think. With nothing to see, there is little to take note of to tell the passage of time. I try to count the seconds, the minutes, the hours. It's hopeless. I can't even be sure I'm being accurate with my counting. The darkness is all I continue to see, my breaths and heartbeat the single constant proof of time, if any. It is unnerving, not knowing if my eyes even work. The most I can do is continue to sit on my bed, pondering about how I came to be here.

The sound of a sliding panel echoes in my ears all of a sudden, shocking me and making me bump my head into the wall on my left. I rub my head as a stoic, straightforward voice comes out of the darkness in front of me.

"Water," the voice of a hidden mare says. The sound of something wooden knocks against the wall. When I think about it, I'm quite thirsty. I get off the bed and step towards the place where I heard the noises, sticking my nose forward when I get closer to the wall. It bumps into something hard, and I stop. Dipping my head over, I feel the touch of the water on my snout, and my ears perk up at how cold it is. The container tilts so that I may drink. It doesn't quite have a taste, but it is very quenching and pure. Finishing what was given to me, I feel the instrument retract from my lips. I can hear the sound of wet droplets through the panel opening, meaning the water must be coming from outside my room. So there is an outside. A moment later I hear the drops fall on the floor in front of me, the dish having returned with more, and my thirst urges me to continue.

After the third drink, the panel slides shut again, leaving me in my silent room. I stand still for a moment to go over what just happened, but I find myself not caring so much. Instead, I decide to sit on the bed once more and think about how I am no longer thirsty, my mind feeling even more at ease.

As the time passes, I can hear what goes on outside, although my room has some minor soundproofing. Hoofsteps echo throughout what I'm sure is a hallway beyond my door, no doubt of the ones providing water. On occasion there is a slew of scratching, thudding, and other various noises from what I can assume is a nearby room, disrupting my train of thought. The sound of quick hoofsteps can be heard, then a loud sliding and banging. A moment later the noise quiets. From what I can tell by such events, I don't dare make a commotion while I'm in here. I lay down on the bed and roll on my side, trying to think about whatever comes to mind, but my head is filled with just as much darkness as the room.

"Food." The sound of the panel and the voice comes once more. I hop off my bed to find out what's at the source of the word, nudging forward when I'm closer. My nose bumps into something soft. Dragging my lips around the edges and sniffing it, I find it's a kind of long sandwich. I take the end of it into my mouth, gripping the other side with my hooves, and the panel slides shut again. Sitting down on the bed, I hold it in my lap, gazing downward at nothingness. What kind of sandwich is it?

Taking a careful bite after a short deliberation, I can taste a remarkable mixture of flavor in this. It's a lettuce, tomato, and cheese sandwich with just a smidge of mayonnaise. The lettuce is crunchy, the tomatoes juicy, and the cheese very rich, but not detracting from the rest. Having knowledge of the names of the sandwich ingredients gives me pause, but it tastes wonderful, the experience within this dark place giving me an intense calmness. As I sit on the bed, I enjoy my sandwich for the next... I'm not sure how much time passes as I eat. I take it slow so that I can keep myself occupied with these strange but delicious feelings.

After the last of my meal is swallowed, I breathe out a sigh of relief from the exquisite distraction. I'm beginning to tire after eating, so I climb into bed. My head nestles into the pillow and my forelegs grab the silk blanket to drape it over myself. The covers are very well-crafted -- although I'm not sure where that opinion came from. How do I know this? No matter, I know it is true, no matter how strange it sounds. All of a sudden, a crackling sound from the ceiling surprises me. A few seconds pass, and the mare's voice from before speaks from above.

"Music."

The sound of a grand piano begins playing from up above, echoing through my cell. It's... strange, but it's soothing to me. A violin accompanies it after a few moments, adding a fortitude. A flute and a harp soon follow, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and purity. The composition flows through the air like a breeze, tickling my ears, embracing me at the core. I feel so... at peace. My stomach is full, my soul is calm, my body is limp. However, my mind is still at a bit of an unease. It's better to try not to focus on that right now, though; I may as well get some more sleep while I'm able. Closing my eyes, I let out a satisfied sigh and allow my dreams to take over.

I try to cut pieces out of the fabrics with scissors, but all I get in return is a jagged pair of blades. Tossing it aside, I turn and trot over to my beauty desk, my eyes fixing on the lowest drawer which contains what I need. I slide it open and glance at the various tools: Shears, a mane brush, coat brush, curlers and flattener, all of their edges made with the finest of diamonds. They are several of my most treasured belongings. Taking the shears, I look up at the mirror and give it an enchanting glare, never being able to resist. I stop for a moment. Something isn't right with how I look in the mirror; my mane is straight. No, my mistake, that is correct, I believe...

I awake in the darkness once again. My hoof goes to my forehead in an instant in an attempt to find my horn. It's still gone. I'm still here, stuck in this room. I don't know how long I can stand to be here before I go mad. Just as I'm feeling like I'm about to pound on the walls in frustration, I hear doors opening outside, one by one. The noise gets closer and closer until, I believe, mine slides open with a thud. A crackling sound comes from the ceiling again, and the solemn voice of the mare from before comes back.

"Exercise." My curiosity getting the better of me, I look out of the room to what I knew was a long hallway... but I am taken by surprise at the fact that I am able to see, if even a little. Small lamps hanging from the ceiling illuminate the hall, if I can even call it illumination. As I step outside, I noticed that this hallway is far, far longer than I thought it was. Everything is still very dark, but I can see that the walls are grey. I look back and my room is grey, and I can see my body in the corner of my eye as I do so. I... I'm grey!

My perfectly filed hooves... My beautiful violet mane, my gorgeous matching tail, my pristine pearl coat... All of it is gone, replaced by this monotone of design. I leap outside in a craze, darting my head around. Countless amounts of ponies had come out of their rooms into the hallway, lining up in twos as if they knew what to do already. They are all trotting in one direction, staring forward with blank expressions, one hoof after the other. They're grey. Manes, coats, tails, even eyes. Everything... Everypony... Grey...!

I'm hyperventilating. The sight of it all is maddening. Backing away, I let out an earth-shattering scream, causing many ponies around me to trip and fall. Their eyes stare at me in confusion and surprise for a moment as if they just saw a ghost, but everypony soon begins looking away and resuming their march. I back into my bed, shivering and continuing to breathe hard as I spin around and slump onto the side of it. My forelegs fall across the grey silk blanket and I throw my head down between them, trying to erase what I had just seen from memory. This can't be happening. Am I in a prison!? No, this is worse... It is a visual nightmare beyond anything I could ever imagine. This can't be real.

"Number 283. Mania," a voice states behind me. OUCH! Something pricks my behind, making me almost jump, and my head turns back to check who the offender was. A unicorn mare wearing a type of black, fitted and buttoned uniform stands in the doorway, gazing down at me with a plain look on her face. My eyes shift to the side of her horn where she seems to be carrying a syringe, its pointed tip dripping with whatever solution I was just injected with. Whoever she is, she's turning into an even darker grey blob, and in just a few seconds I'm overwhelmed by it, returning to the darkness.