The trees of the thick, dark forest were bare of all leaves and illuminated by the cloud-blocked sun. Rocks and ruts sprawled about the dirt road on which our carriage rode shook the cart wildly. Strangely, grasses on the side of the road were dead or dying. I could hear the whispers of decay flowing through my ears. We passed clouds hanging so low, it seemed as though they were on the verge of falling.

The canvas roof of our wooden conveyance was soiled with mud flung up by the cart's wheels. The light piercing the cracked windows was feeble, but sufficient.

Crows perched upon the dead branches of firs stared at me with hungry eyes in silence. Their cold gaze, emanating from their tiny beady eyes, was piercing; I was sure that I could feel it on my own skin, a cold shiver. The silence of the forest was broken by one of my coach-drawers speaking up.

“Miss Sparkle, how are you doing back there?” the grey stallion on the left asked.

Dusty’s eyes were a dark shade of blue, covered slightly by his dark brown mane. He had the bulky and sweaty look of a worker about him, his hooves unshorn and cracked. A coat bleached by the dust of the road, what was blue was now a light grey. He was a personal friend of my father, appointed by Celestia to guard me.

His companion, Dart, had a body to fit his name. Slender at all angles, he was the most agile earth pony I knew. His mane was in a tangled mess, and his rust-red coat was sodded with mud. Dart was my babysitter whenever Celestia had to go on business.

“Just fine, Mr. Dusty. I’m only a little...” I moved my hoof around in the air as I searched for a word to describe my feelings. “... anxious! I’ve never been to Ebony’s Heart before, and being given the task of an unification  to the Equestrian Kingdoms is a great responsibility. I don’t want to mess up. That’s all.”

Dusty smiled at me reassuringly, and returned his eyes the path in front of us once more. The fog was thickening, enough that it warped with each tiny movement.

Listening through a crack in the shoddy window, I could hear the soothing sounds of crickets. I twiddled my hooves together, waiting anxiously for sleep’s warm grasp.

“How do you stallions know which direction you’re headed?” I asked, blowing the fog seeping through the crack in the window away.

They merely kept forward, glancing at each other slowly. One nodding to the other, Dusty responded, “We just do.”

I sat back down onto the cold wood of my seat, trying in vain to sleep.

The trees rolling past were getting thicker, pines starting to appear in the form of needles that were scattered about the dirt path. Boughs of pine and fir lay about the dirt road, forcing the two coach-drawers to meticulously maneuver around them.

Sometime during the trip, I nodded off. I dreamt briefly, however, as the sudden halt of the carriage threw my body onto the floor.

“Gentlecolts, what just happened?” I mumbled, holding my throbbing head.

“Miss Sparkle,” he whispered tersely, “come and take a look...” Dusty said while opening the carriage door. His face was pale, his eyes wide with horror. He spoke swiftly and shakily. “Quickly.”

“What happened?” I mumbled. Before us lay a massive, gnarled tree, severed from its roots and lying dead in our path to Ebony’s Heart. It was sprawled across the road and into the forest.  Several large furrows crisscrossed the trunk, obviously caused by something powerful. A red fluid oozed up from the splintery gashes. This crimson substance began to glow on contact with the dying grass. As the grass began to wither away, I observed the grass became as white as Rarity.

I examined the grooves more closely, finding that the edges of the lacerations were white and dead. I extended my hoof to touch it; but the instant I made contact, I pulled it back with a small cry. I clutched my hoof to my chest as I recovered from the pain.

“Miss Sparkle! Are you okay?!” Dusty exclaimed, coming close to me with his hoof outstretched. I nodded to him through gritted teeth, trying to shake off the sludge. The pony shook his head incredulously. “Miss Sparkle, do you have any idea as to what this could be?”

I paced wildly and spat out possible explanations, leaving no room for Dusty to interrupt. This continued for minutes, until I was stopped by Dart’s strong foreleg.

“Never mind, what matters is the fact that we have no way of getting past this tree with our carriage, the forest wall is too thick to fit the cart through.”

I thought for a moment, hesitantly looking to the hazy, nebulous woods that appeared to be our only exit. Seeing as I was out of options, I explained to the two coach-drawers my idea.

“If we must,” said Dart.

I took off for the forest, looking back at the soggy carriage. Dart’s call roused me from my uneasy state of mind, and I sprinted to him, afraid of being left alone in the twilit fog. I made a step forward, but gave a start: I had stumbled into a mud puddle obscured by a pile of leaves. I shot a glare at Dusty when I heard his snicker.

“Miss Sparkle, I’m behind you.” he said, tapping my side. I redirected my glare behind me, receiving another chuckle in response. “Oh, c’mon, Miss Sparkle. Just a little further, we hope.”

Hours passed as I walked on, and silhouettes of the trees began to merge with the darkness of the forest; the result was a blackness so thick it was almost impossible to see my own hooves, much less the two coach-drawing stallions. I called for them after the sound of their footfalls stopped for a time, but received no answer.

Pressing on, I hoped dearly I wasn’t lost.

I heard the soft crunch of leaves in the distance once more, and ran over in its direction. Upon arriving in a clearing, I waited in silence, listening for voices. Though, when I listened closer, these footsteps were not of an equine nature. Rather, the gait of this creature had no sync betwixt the front and back legs, unlike a pony. I looked into the haze, in the direction of the footfalls, and spotted the large silhouette of a... creature crept up the length of a thick pine.

The footfalls passed, but my fear grew ever more pressing. A sharp sound made me jump. I realised it had only been a snapped twig under my hooves, but my heart was still beating furiously.

Silence reigned again, without even the slightest hint of life within the forest. It felt barren and dead. My eyes moved to the site of the smallest sounds. Without thinking, my legs would jump at random intervals. “I-Is anypony there?” I asked, after hearing leaves falling.

“Twiliiiiight...” a voice echoed from the thick fog, “you look lost.” The voice was horrible, sounding like a mix of a child’s whispers and a dying colt’s raspy throat. “Follow the crimson, Twilight. Follow the crimson...” It stopped suddenly as I felt a wetness from under my hooves.

The fog turned into an orange blaze of blindness, emitting a comforting warmth, that at the same time burned my very flesh. Something was strange about this haze, as I was able to see through some of it, if very little. I was just able to make out a puddle of dark red liquid with a trail leading from it.

“Why should I trust you?” I inquired, still slowly making my way for an exit.

“Don’t you want out of this cold place? To be free from the darkness that is the night?”

“I... suppose.” I admitted in defeat. “But what of Dusty and Dart!? They’re still lost in there!”

“They are in safe hooves, Twilight. No need to worry about them... the blood waters of Dark Pine be your guide...” I felt a light shove on my side.

I followed the trail of sanguine with vigor. The orange miasma was starting to clear even further, giving me far more visibility. I could make out a break in the trees, and I sprinted for it in hopes that I could finally escape that creepy forest.

Salvation! The fog cleared as I jumped out, giving me a perfect view of a sight I’d longed for ever since I ventured into that horrible place. There were lights down the road, being blocked by the figures of what I assumed were ponies. I saw that the moon had risen, meaning I must have spent hours trying to leave that forest. Then I remembered Dusty and Dart. I called for them, receiving no response. I hoped dearly for their safety.

I walked down the path to the town, not caring which it was. The crimson path had disappeared with the fog, and the forest suddenly became more welcoming. Crickets began to chirp, and I could see squirrels scurrying away. It was an odd sight, seeing the small creatures awake in this time of night, yet I brushed them off as late starters.

I dashed for the gate with all my stamina, holding back tears of joy.

Arriving at the small town, I noticed that there were seven buildings visible from the main gate, with the forest’s treeline stretching behind each one. Very few ponies were walking about, but those that were had a strange gait. They walked slowly, stomping into the ground and dragging their feet through until their legs could take no more. The gate opened towards me and I walked into the town square, wondering why so few ponies were present.

The town’s shrubs, as well as the black-wood trees, were dessicated. What little grass I saw was browning and limp. I could also see the dark, reaching tendrils of dead trees scattered throughout the small square of the town. A park with a hiking trail to my right, leading into the forest. Each home had a large eye etched into their doors, as if watching for intrusion. I felt their piercing glances from all around.

“Miss Sparkle!” a gruff voice called, causing me to flinch. I turned to look at the scarf-wearing pony with grey eyes, and noticed it appeared to be an old friend, which was strange. I talked to him just yesterday in Ponyville.  “How’ve you been?” he asked.

“Well, I was sent to Ebony’s Heart on a unification meeting. Our carriage broke down, and now I’m kind of... stuck here.” I shuffled my hooves on the ground a little, until Klondike replied.

“You’re in Ebony’s Heart, hon. I suggest you hurry with that meeting, lest bad things happen.” he said eerily, life seeming to fade from his eyes. He staggered off with a shaky gait, slowly opening the door to what I assumed was his house.

Unable to see very well in the darkness, I tried to find my way to the mayor’s office to request a place to stay, and an appointment for the unification document. Luckily for me, it was a huge building, with prominent sign plastered onto its front.

The building had an old-western style to it, with dual-swinging grated doors in the front, wooden porch, and an air that resembled an old saloon. Swinging the doors open, I saw that the building had polished floorboards, an old carpet with intricate designs; the whitewashed walls were covered to the inch with pictures, trophies, and certificates. A large mahogany desk stood directly in the middle of the lobby, and behind it I saw the silhouette of a big, tan stallion in a ten-gallon hat, neck covered by a scarf, partially lit by the brick fireplace behind him.

“Well, howdy, Miss Sparkle.” he said in a deep, scratchy voice, his throat was full of phlegm. His voice grated on my ears. As he neared in, the smell of liquor became almost too much to bear. “You’re a tad late, aren’tcha? Celestia tol’ us you’d be here, but we assumed you’d be here earlier.” His eyes were grey, exactly like Klondike’s were.

“I-I’m sorry, Mayor, I just... our carriage was blocked by a fallen tree and I got lost in the woods.” I said, the Mayor looking at my quavering legs and smiling warmly.

“Well, at least you’re here now. C’mon. Gimme that paper there, an’ you can get yourself some rest...” he replied nonchalantly, reaching out his hoof and scooting his chair further into his desk.

I took the papers from my satchel and gave them to him, wanting to be as far from him as possible. I watched his expression turn from blank to furious in a matter of seconds. He looked up at me, still holding the pen in his mouth. The clasping of his teeth bent the pen until it snapped into two. “This... says nothing about givin’ us our supplies...”

“No, it’s for you to join the Equestrian Kingdoms!” I said, trying to console him with a friendly and cheery tone.

Spitting out ink and quill, he began, “So... you want us to let you outsiders into our town? So they can... steal our food? Our money? You can forget about it! Tell your ruler she can go shove a—” A clock’s chime broke his tirade, and shifted his attention from me to it. “Nevermind that; you gotta find a place to stay. Then, as soon as you get up, get the hell outta my town.”

He handed me a slip of paper with an address printed on it, and I left the office immediately. Looking at the note, I examined each house to find the address. Their eyes still stared at me, their pupils painted red and dripping down the old wood.

The house was perched at the apex of a withering grass-covered hill. Cobwebs covered the black, metal gate to it. In the windows, movement seemed to occur. When I arrived at the door, the eye on my door was painted inside of a pentagram. I smelled a strange metallic odor as I took a nervous breath, looking down to reveal something awful.

I had no other choice but to go inside. Pushing the carcass out of the way, nearly retching at the sight of it, and unlocking the door, I stepped inside the darkness. The stench of old wood and dust filled my nostrils and caused me to sneeze. After my observations were through, my eyes drooped slowly. The door to my bedroom creaked open, and revealed a small bed with a metal frame, the four posts in the corners shaped into a double-helix.

I looked out the window to the town, seeing all of the ponies systematically going into their homes, and I felt a heavy breath on my neck. Believing that there was a maid, or somepony else, I wanted to introduce myself. Upon turning around, however, I saw nopony. Only the air was present, the air and darkness of my guest room.

“Who’s there?” I yelled, still believing somepony was poking fun at me. I got no answer, so I asked again and felt a huge force of wind blowing past me and through my mane, throwing it into disarray and chilling me to the core. Inside the wind, I could hear the soft whispering and laughing of foals.

I dove into my bed and used my covers to block out the fear I felt. “I can’t see you... You’re not real! You... are not real!!!” I shrieked, feeling the warm tears flow down my cheeks.

As I shivered in fright, my eyes shut tightly. I waited for what felt like hours, trying to drown out the voices. Sleep never came.

“Twiliiight...” another child’s whisper rang through the house, “You mustn’t go... stay here... with us...” the voice was calm and welcoming. I felt a foal’s touch on my spine, and several others about my body. Their cold hooves groping me in such a way instilled paralysis.

“B-b-but I can’t! I h-have to report to C-celestia!” I replied from under the covers, attempting to drown out the voices with a pillow.

The voices was silent for a while, as if it were thinking of something.  “Stay, Twilight. We need your help...” the voices grew louder and more insistent. Their breathing filled my ears and chilled my mind.

Remembering Pinkie Pie’s advice, I laughed until my throat hurt. “Ha! HA! HA!!!”

“Don’t leave us, Twilight... we need your help...”

I closed my eyes tightly at the sound of their louder, whinier voices and tightened my eyes even further, hoping to drive out the vile children. It was an attempt in vain, as the voices kept me awake all night, constantly chattering.

Unable to sleep from their vocalizations, I was starting to snap. “Twilight, please!” “Don’t leave...” “We love you!” “Staaaay!!!” My eyes were bloodshot and with each voice my ear twitched. Finally, after the sun’s light started to break over the hills, I screamed at the top of my lungs, “I won’t! I won’t! Leave me alone!!!”

“Okay, but first...”

“No! Just go, you’re incessant babble is hurting me-e-e!!!” I yelled again, unable to remember what I had said.

“No, we have something for you to do...”

“Let me sleep first!” Once I finished speaking, I felt a shock in my spine and my jaw locked. My eyes cleared and forced over to a skulking shadow in the corner of the room. “I-I’ll do... Whatever you want.”

“Twilight... the Mayor has been hiding something from us... we want his soul. Souls hold many dark secrets...” the children replied, making the shadow’s figure form a vile smile.

“How is this possible to do...” the voices asked in my voice, using me as a personal puppet. I didn’t want to agree. Their voices controlled me indefinitely, making resistance impossible. I was a mere spectator to their plans.

“You’re the smart one, Twilight... you can probably figure it out...” the voices stopped with the echo of many giggles resounding through the room. Feeling the presence leave my body, I slumped onto the ground in a cold heap, hearing the wind fall to a standstill. The sun shone on my tired eyes through the gray clouds, burning a purple haze into my sight.

I finally succumbed to sleep’s lovely grasp.