A struggling and mud-covered hoof collided a small grey pebble, sending the stone skittering over the edge of the great chasm before her. Her movements weak, and her body trembling from exhaustion and blood loss, Scootaloo pressed on towards the gorge, her eyes alight with a hypnotic blue glow that mimicked the fiery fae that guided her.

The soft giggling of the creature had become almost hysterical as its excitement grew. This was it, this was what it had worked so hard for throughout the night! Just a little further and its toy would go tumbling down, down, down into the abyss. The spell that held sway over it would be released just as her hooves carried her over the edge, and-

The fae blinked suspiciously as it eyed the creature before it, there was something off, something it hadn’t seen in the shadows cast by the forest, but now stood out in the grey light that poured down above them. Floating a bit closer, the fae released a strange, warbled screech of irritation, this toy had wings! Drifting away from the creature, it seethed in its frustration, the pale blue of its flame now interrupted with the occasional flicker of yellow. What was it supposed to do now? It would be no fun if the toy awoke from the spell and didn’t fall! All of its hard work was for nothing!

Baring its needle-like teeth, a malicious thought played in its head as it debated on tossing the toy aside and letting the forest have it back. It wouldn’t take long for the Timberwolves that had been following them to devour the little thing, it wasn’t like such tiny wings could carry it to… safety…

Dawning realization brought back the fae’s jubilant smile, turning to regard the creature once more just to confirm its suspicions. Indeed, the wings were far too small, its plan would work after all! Giddily bouncing within the air, it swiftly bade the toy to move closer to the cliff’s edge. Scootaloo obeyed as only a lost child could, her eyes did not see the trickster before her, she could not see the drop that led to the bottom of Ghastly Gorge, she could not hear the howling wind that picked up speed the further down you went. She could only take one step at a time, a haunting smile playing upon her lips as she followed her visions of happiness and warmth.

The timberwolves salivated as they watched the scene before them take place. Once the young foal had fallen and the wisp had dissipated, they would be free to descend into the caverns from nearby crevices and find themselves an easy meal at the bottom. Though meager the size of the filly was, it had been some time since they had managed to find something large enough to consider a decent meal since that… creature… had come and claimed the forest for her own. Something snapped from behind them and the wooden effigies turned on their heels, baring their fangs as they growled at the shadows. A single striped hoof stepped into the light as a pair of golden eyes glared at them from within a deep hood. A soft chant and a flash of brilliant gold light and the creatures found themselves blinded and yelping in anguish, fleeing from the cloaked figure and back into the forest, thoughts of their meal vanishing in their fear of this newcomer.

Scootaloo’s hooves graced the edge of the gorge, her steps halting only briefly as she paused in her movements, the fae now giggling near uncontrollably as it held her close. It wanted to prolong this moment of joy, oh the despair that its toy would feel would sate its appetite for play at last! Well, at least until the next toy came along.

With a vicious smile, the fae’s pale blue flame began to burn with a ruby red hue, this was a moment to die for.

“Begone foul creature of flame! This foal is not yours to claim!” Shock overtook ecstasy as the fae found her toy being yanked away from the edge, a hair’s breadth from falling over. Screeching in rage, its flame roared a brilliant yellow as it sought the source of its ire, its fiery gaze landing upon the cloaked form that held its toy close. Screeching once more, the fae lunged for the creature, intent on reclaiming what was taken.

Zecora stared down the dark fairy in contempt as she reached for a small pouch around her neck, snapping its string and casting its contents before her. With no time to change its direction, the fae’s vicious cry turned to one of agony as it flew into the cloud of salt and wrought iron shavings, its flame flickering through a variety of different and conflicting colors upon contact. Angry yellow gave way to a sickly green as it screeched a horrific cry of pain, followed briefly with a shadow of purple as fear consumed it. Making haste, Zecora turned and wrapped both herself and the injured filly within her cloak, a strange Zebrican mantra flowing from her lips as her worn cloak began to glow with the golden etched runes of her homeland. Her chant continued even as the fae behind her gave a final screech of pain, it’s body contorting grotesquely, before exploding in a colorfilled inferno that fell upon the two of them and scorched the surrounding landscape.

As the flames slowly began to die down, the shaman calmed her chanting and the glow of her cloak faded. Peaking from beneath it, she found the area around them blackened with the smallest gouts of colored flame still lingering among the stones. With a sigh of relief, she allowed the cloak to fall from the foal she had saved from a terrible fate, using a hoof to try and wipe at the mud that covered the filly’s frame.

“The danger has passed, little foal. Now is the time for you to let go.” Staring into the glowing eyes of the filly, she whispered a different chant, the words flowing seamlessly into the filly’s ears and drawing out the dark magic that help her captive. The blue light of her eyes flashed golden for a brief moment before fading to purple, and Scootaloo blinked in confusion as she looked to the mare that stood in front of her. Before she could think of anything to say, her vision turned to darkness and her body fell toward the ground. The pain and exhaustion that had been held at bay, returning full force. Zecora reacted quickly, catching the unconscious filly in her hooves with worry stretching across her features.

“Oh, merciful goddesses above and below… is that sweet Scootaloo that I have in tow?” Wiping away more of the mud, her heart raced in fear and horror at the state of the filly. If she did not receive treatment immediately, then it would have been better to let the fae have her rather then this suffering. With careful movement, the shaman placed the foal upon her back and tied her in place with a few spare strings of twine from within her cloak. Careful to avoid being too rough, she galloped through the forest towards her home.

Brutus found himself struggling to follow the movements of those around him. His eyes were heavy and there was a constant ringing in his ears that drowned out their words. Any attempt to move was met with a fresh spark of excruciating pain and his whole body felt as if he was still beneath the debris of his home. The yellow mare to his left was yelling at him now… what was she trying to say? Tears poured from her eyes as she seemed to be begging something of him. The orange mare on his right had stopped trying to stem the flow of blood from his many wounds, choosing only to look away in defeat. The other two mares were close by, their eyes avoiding his. Lazily looking to the ground around him, he could scarcely count the number of bloody bandages that had been used up, all in a vain attempt to save him.

‘I… I don’t… deserve to be saved…’ It was cold… though he could no longer feel the wind around them, the cold seemed to emanate from somewhere closer, as if it was spreading from within his own body. His eyes slowly drifted closed as he felt hot tears begin to stream down his face, the only warmth that he was allotted.

For the first time in years, his mind felt clear… like he’d taken his first breath of fresh air after having been underwater for a long, long time… it hurt to breathe…

“H-h-hi!” Eyes snapping open, he looked around to find himself in an old, yet familiar setting. The room was filled with desks and seats that each came up to about his knees and he could swear that he could almost hear the chalk scratching on the board upfront. Looking around in confusion, his eyes widened at what more he found.

“M-m-my na-name is… B-Brutus Mead-dows, um… I’m eleven an-and I l-like gar-gardening…” The young colt at the front of the room stuttered as he struggled to introduce himself, scratching at his right foreleg with his left. A light giggle came from beside him, causing him to turn and finding a bright red filly that smiled at the colt upfront. How could he be here?

“Thank you, Brutus, why don’t you go ahead and have a seat next to Miss Glow?” A stallion’s voice came from somewhere nearby, but there was only himself and the two younglings that he could see. The small colt nodded his head towards the board, before looking around cautiously. The little red filly raised her hoof up high, waving him down as she smiled.

“Over here!” The young Brutus’ smiled shyly as he trotted around the other seemingly empty desks. Once he made it to the empty one at her side, the older Brutus watched with silent awe as Vibrant held out a hoof in greeting.

“Hiya! I’m Vibrant Glow, but you can call me Vi~” She smiled towards the colt, it seemed infectious as the young Brutus smiled back to her, tapping her hoof with his own.

“H-hi, it’s nice to meet you. My na-name is-” Vibrant shook her head, her medium-length golden mane dancing in the light.

“You already said your name silly! Oh! Class is starting, you can look over on my book until Mr. Lift can get yours.” The colt swallowed nervously, before sliding his seat closer so he could see the textbook. Placing his hoof on her desk, he meant to use it as a brace to help slide the chair, only for him to instead grasp ahold of the filly’s rested hoof. The two blinked in surprise, before looking over to one another briefly. Warmth spread through the colt’s cheeks like wildfire, while the filly’s eyes seemed to change from her normally boisterous gaze, to something more subdued as her red face grew a bit darker.

“Mr. Meadows, Miss Glow? Are you following along?” Their teacher’s sudden interruption of their intense staring contest startled the both of them and the older Brutus that had been entranced by the scene, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

“Y-yes, sir!” Both foals called, removing their hooves from one another and blushing profusely, the reason now easily chocked up to embarrassment. Brutus watched the two as they followed along with their teacher, his mouth opening slightly as his heart ached within his chest. His eyes began to feel heavy as the edges of his vision grew dark. Shaking his head in an attempt to remain awake, Brutus found that the darkness had already consumed his vision. Blinking slowly, he stood in the cold dark, alone.

“Why… why am I seeing this…?” His quiet voice croaked out, its somber timber fading through the cold space.

“What are you doing sleepy head?” A whisper called out to him. Opening his eyes once more, he found himself laying within a comfortable bed, the bright rays of the sun beaming through the nearby window and basking everything in a golden glow. Something moved next to him and he turned to see the virulent crimson fur of his beloved. Vibrant’s beautiful green eyes sparkled in the yellow light as they looked to him through the strands of her golden locks. She smiled as she shuffled closer to him, laying one of her wings across his barrel over the blankets.

“Vi-Vi…?” His voice caught in his throat as he gazed at her. She did not respond, choosing to sigh happily as she nuzzled closer to him. Suddenly it occurred to him, he had been here before… though it wasn’t quite this bright… he’d been in this exact moment…

“Are you excited? I know I am…” Vibrant’s melodic voice rose from her lips as it only brought more tears from his eyes. He looked upon her form now, this was Vibrant before her gambling… before the collectors and before the drinking… this was HIS Vibrant… Brutus’ features struggled to maintain composure as he reached a trembling hoof over, attempting to brush his hoof through her wondrous mane, only for it to pass through as though she were made of air, eyes wide with shock he now reached for her with both forelegs as he sat up in the bed, clamoring to find some purchase on her.

“Pl-please… please… just let m-me…!” He tried again and again, but each attempt was met with failure, the weight of it bearing down on him. Despite all of this, the beautiful mare took no notice, her serene smile never wavering. Cracking open one of her jeweled eyes, she locked gazes with him.

“I’ve hardly been able to sleep… I’m so nervous, but I can’t wait to finally be married...” The stallion cried heavily, his voice wracking his body as he threw himself upon her, trying to hold her in his hooves once more, feel her warmth, her touch. His actions, however, held a different consequence as he tumbled through the scenery, shock, and fear upon his features as he found himself falling through a black void.

Suddenly, the darkness vanished and he found himself now standing in what appeared to be a small room. The walls were decorated with colorful animals and infant’s toys were scattered about. A small crib sat near the center of the room, empty and waiting for an occupant. His heart dropped to his hooves, a choked sob breaking the silence until an even more broken sound came from somewhere behind him…

Turning, he spotted the wilted form of his wife sitting in a corner of the room, tears streaming down her face as she cried in her anguish, holding tightly to a book with two pacifiers on the cover...

“M-my… m-m-my… b-baby…” She wept silently, her frame trembling as she rocked back and forth on the floor, her golden tail wrapped around her flanks. Her eyes clenched shut and her grip upon the book closed tighter the longer he watched. How many times had they tried before? His eyes caught the barest glimpse of the fresh scar that crossed his wife’s abdomen through her crossed limbs and dull red fur, matted from having gone unwashed. How could he have failed her...

Was this when it had all started? Was this why… Tears flooded forth anew from Brutus as he looked away from his wife’s grieving form, her pained cries and wails drowning him in her sorrow…

“Please… no more… I… I can’t…” The sobbing of his wife faded, to be replaced with something else… something that seemed more cheerful. Anxiety gripped him as he slowly opened his eyes again, feeling his blood freeze over at the new location.

“N-no…” Fillies and colts of varying ages, sizes and tribes all ran around him in the large playroom. Their vibrant colors dancing among one another.

“H-how… how do we…” Looking around desperately, he could not see where his wife’s voice was coming from, it only echoed through the small room a little louder than the foals.

“Don’t worry dear, it’ll come to you. Now, go on, you too Mr. Meadows.” A soft push came from behind, causing him to take several steps. Glancing to where he’d felt the push, he stared at the empty space in confusion.

“Look out!” A brash filly’s voice called out, just as the form of a little orange filly came crashing through his legs and into a pile of toys. The fillies and colts that had been playing with them scattered, their complaints and protests of the filly’s abrupt arrival being made very apparent.

“No… no no no…” Brutus’ voice never rose above a whisper as he turned with a heavy heart, finding the small filly as she climbed her way back to her hooves and gave a sheepish grin towards him.

“S-sorry about that! Um, I’ll just… yea.” Without saying anything more, she grasped ahold to the makeshift scooter, it’s plastic and cardboard frame bent out of shape. Giving a sigh of annoyance, she pushed her way out of the pile, allowing the foals to return as she went towards the back of the room.

“Who was that?” His ears flicked behind him, trying to focus on the voice, despite his eyes never leaving the filly’s retreating form.

“Oh… well, she doesn’t have a name. It isn’t like we haven’t tried giving her one, she just won’t take it…” Brutus took a trembling step forward, slowly making his way towards the filly as she sat at the back of the room near a box of materials, digging through it.

“Why won’t she take it?” He halted at the sound of his own voice now, guilt clawing at his chest.

“She… she wants to have her parents name her… like the other foals. She’s been here since she was just an infant. Placed on our doorstep without a note or a letter… We can only assume she was left here because… well…” Though he could not see where the invisible mare was indicating, he could remember the scene well enough, and his heart broke even more. The filly’s tiny wings, far smaller than they should be for a foal her size, stood up from her back as they buzzed like a humming bird’s occasionally.

As he watched the filly work, the other foals slowly began to dissipate, fading from existence as she was left alone. Sometimes she would look up, watching where the foals had been playing, raising a hoof with her mouth slightly open as she tried to call out to them, only for her ears to fall back as she would look away, blinking tears from her eyes.

“It’s unfortunate, but the likelihood is that she will be here until she comes of age. The other foals won’t make friends with her because she’s so much older, and in turn, she doesn’t try to make friends with them since they are more likely to be chosen, her friendships would always be temporary...” The voice started to fade near the end, his hooves carrying him closer to the filly where he collapsed to his knees next to her.

“I… I-I’m… so s-sorry… I wish I c-could have been… st-stronger… I…” Tears dripped from his face as he bowed his head, weeping into his forelegs before the filly as she worked along on her project, his presence doing nothing to disturb the memory.

“I would like to talk to her.” His own voice echoed around him and he felt as though a hammer had been driven into his heart. Turning slowly, his eyes widened as he found the image of his younger self staring him down… no… not him. He followed the gaze past himself and to the filly who was fixated on her work.

“...Are you sure? You haven’t even spoken to any of the oth-” The voice of the mare was cut off by his wife’s, her stern tone overtaking the mare’s business-like approach.

“I want to meet her too.” Glancing back, his lips trembled as the image of his wife, cleaner now but with an air of sorrow still clinging to her, faded into view next to his younger self, leaning against him for strength. He watched as the two nuzzled one another for a moment as if to help encourage the other before they stepped forward to approach the filly. Bowing his head, shame and sorrow warred with one another in his features as the couple passed through him, hot tears dropping to his hooves as they continued on, unabated by his ethereal form. He choked back the sobs that tried to escape him, turning to watch as the memory began to fade.

“D-don’t… don’t take her… She.. s-she deserves better…” His voice whispered as his eyes bored into the back of his younger self’s head. As the vision reached towards the filly, his younger lips moving but no sound coming out, the image of the filly seemed to blink for a moment. In that single instant, Brutus saw not the sweet, carefree and jubilant filly that he had adopted on this same day so long ago… but a downtrodden, bruised and tormented filly, her eyes fearful as she stared back at the younger version of himself. Snapping his gaze from the tortured filly, he found the hoof that had been raised in greeting now held a dark bottle, the downward swing was already in motion. Yelling in outrage, Brutus leaped at the mirage of himself, rearing back his own hoof to bring it against the image’s skull.

“LEAVE HER ALONE!!” His cry of anguish and rage was met with silence as he passed through the memory, once more falling through darkness. Looking about himself as he fell, he yelled in fear and helplessness, grasping about to find something to hold onto, his heart racing in his chest.

“Daddy! Please stop!” His eyes widened in horror, the filly’s words echoing around him as the sound of a bottle shattering could be heard.

“N-No! Pl-please!” He begged the air around him.

“Brutus, you went too far this time! Do you know what will happen if she goes to the guard!? Our lives are over, do you hear me!?” He could faintly hear his own heavy breathing, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Please! Stop!” His pleas were left unheard by the cold void that he fell through, his body twisting in an effort to slow his plummet.

“Wh-what are you doing? Brutus… BRUTUS STOP! PLEASE!” Vibrant’s cries of fear and pleading were mixed with the sounds of a struggle, her pitiful attempts to fight back having been easily thwarted as her screams became a gurgled orchestra before falling silent. Brutus wept as he fell, no longer fighting against the howling wind that rushed past his ears.

“I’M SORRY! I S-SO SOR-” The impact with the hard ground knocked the wind from his lungs, leaving him to wheeze in pain as he lay in the dirt.

“D-daddy? Is that you?” Brutus’ eyes snapped open in shock. Shaking off what he could of the immense pain, the stallion rolled over to see where the voice was coming from.

“Sc-Scoot?” He spotted the vaguely familiar form of the filly standing in the shadows of a few nearby trees. She tilted her head slightly as she watched him. Struggling to his hooves, he faced the filly and began to limp towards her.

“Scoot! I… I’m so sorry sweetie… I… d-daddy’s just been… having a... b-bad time…” His voice trailed off as he watched the filly, covered by the shadows of the forest… wait, why was he in the forest? Looking about, he only barely recognized a few bushes of the foliage, this was the Everfree… this was where Scootaloo had-

“It’s ok-okay Daddy, I u-understand.” Quickly looking back to the filly, her voice seemed different… like it was strained and gurgling… Shaking his head in trepidation, he took a step back as she stepped closer. The shadows that covered her form gave way, revealing a horror more grotesque than any he could have imagined.

“But we’re t-together now… We can be a f-family again.” The filly’s empty eye sockets stared him down, tears of crimson nectar pouring from them and dripping down her face. The grey fur of her body was still orange in some places, at least where there was skin for the fur to be had. Barely a moment of her stepping into the light was needed before the stallion fell back with a yell of terror, Scootaloo’s half-rotted lips curving into a smile. Scrambling to get away, Brutus turned to flee, only to come face to snout with his wife’s dead gaze. Her once brilliantly emerald orbs now a dull grey as they stared him down. Crying out in horror, the stallion tripped in his attempt to get away, collapsing onto his back, only to see the remainder of the mare he’d once swore to share his life with.

Much like Scootaloo, her fur had turned grey and white across most of her body, but that was where the similarities ended. Limping forward, Vibrant’s words were lost in a cacophony of gurgling and choking sounds, her lower jaw completely missing as her tongue hung across her torn open throat, copious amounts of her crimson life-blood pouring from the wound and drizzling down her front. Most of her feathers had fallen from her wings, leaving only the grotesque and bare limbs beneath, their flesh peeling away from the bone in a mockery of what they once were as it draped along her sides, dragging in the mud. A hoof step from behind turned the blood in his veins to ice as he whimpered.

“W-we’ll be… together… f-forever… A happy family…” His screams echoed through the dark canopy of the forest above.

Author's Notes:

Applejack stands outside a worn down trailer with a blue shirt that reads "Staff" across the front.

AJ: "Shaded! We got an issue on set!"

From somewhere inside.

Shaded: "I'm a little busy at the moment, can't you get Twilight to handle it?"

AJ: "Twi's takin' a lunch, her and Dimmed Star went to Donut Joe's"

Shaded: " ...Did you-"

AJ: "Yea yea, ah asked to get the usual for ya. Now, are y'all gonna get that flank out here and help or what?" An annoyed sigh and the door opens.

Shaded: "Alright, what is it... And please stop snickering..."

AJ: "S-sorry... it's just... pfft..."Shaded rolls his eyes.

Shaded: "Well?"

AJ: "Uh... why are y'all pink now?" Shaded facehoofs.

Shaded: "I don't want to talk about it, what was it you needed?"

AJ: "Oh! right, so we needed y'all to do the disclaimer right quick. Other than you, Dimmed and Twi, none of us are qualified for it unless y'all request it." Aj then holds out a microphone. Shaded's right eye twitches.

Shaded: " ...Yea... sure... ahem I, Shaded Blood, do not own MLP: FIM or the Equinox ponies. A special thanks to Kuunlehti for proofreading and editing! Also a special thanks to Neonyoshi, Umbra Animo, Morior (Discord) and Ancientarchdemon (Discord), for Test reading and providing great Feedback! If you are enjoying the story, leave a like and comment, also don't forget to follow for blog updates. The link to the Discord, Twitter and Facebook pages will be below! That it?"

AJ: "Eeyup... so uh... the pink?" Shaded sighs in dejection.

Shaded: "The dye Rainbow used was magical... every time I try to clean it off, it changes colors and patterns... she won't tell me how to remove it yet so I'm trying everything under the sun..."

AJ: "...pfft..." Begins laughing hysterically.

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The Power of the Equinox