Fluttershy was very eager to go to the Gala that night. She trotted to Canterlot Castle, wearing a magnificent green dress that was adorned in trimmings of cerulean and flowers of gold. There was a long gate to the Gala, and many pillars of marble used in ancient times. Everypony was there, but seemingly petrified.....almost lifeless. The Princesses, the rest of the Mane Six, Vinyl Scratch, and Applebloom. The Pegasus trotted past more pillars before stopping in front of Applebloom once more. The filly's eyes were red, her coat red-brown, and her mane, tail, and hair bow even darker. The area around the red of the filly's eyes was solid jet-black. All at once, the ground under the Pegasus crumbled, and she plummeted into the darkness.

"Not again! Please stop this! Whatever it is, I don't like it!" Fluttershy pleaded.

The dark voice responded, "HehehehaHAHA! Why stop now? You enjoy this as much as I do!! And if you don't, then you better find me!"

The Pegasus was in another dark room, noticing she was not wearing her dress. She walked toward a dead end, then walked back. A set of stairs that was not there before led upwards. As she ascended, more stairs appeared, leading upwards and in the opposing direction. She was in another room, this one housing five paintings. Each painting was that of her friends. More stairs needed to be climbed. When she entered another room, the voice echoed:

"What's wrong? Giving up?" Fluttershy didn't respond. The voice continued, seemingly angrier: "Not talking, are we? 'Tis a shame, really. I know you are wondering where your painting is at. It was hideous to look at. I dare say it made your friends look better than you."

Fluttershy was getting irritated. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!" the Pegasus yelled. The voice only laughed maniacally, as if mocking the mare it taunted.

The yellow Pegasus walked down another dark hallway, and another room past that. The room past the hallway had Applebloom's maddening eyes. These eyes got larger and then smaller, like that of a beating heart. There was another room that housed a pool of blood. Fluttershy found a piece of paper that had a bunch of letters on it. It looked like something was warning her, but the writing and arrangement of letters made it look garbled. The paper made absolute nonsense.

She trotted past more stairs, some winding up and some descending down. At last, she was in another blood crimson hallway. Her painting was there. Then, the Fluttershy in the painting started to decay. The wingtips, torn and bloody; flesh wounds all over; solid black eyes that cried blood; the tail removed; blood emerging from the mouth; her cutie mark nothing more than this red mass of exposed muscle tissue; her left leg missing. When the decay of the portrait Fluttershy happened, so too did the decay of the real Fluttershy. The voice echoed once more:

"Teeheehee, you just found me. Now we can play some more!"

"Noo... I won't be locked in here with you," Fluttershy responded. She began hyperventilating, shouting, "WHAT ARE YOU?!"

The discolored, insane Applebloom appeared before the Pegasus. She spoke, "Woe is me, you've already long since forgotten? I am YOU! Or, more accurately, the darkness that lurks WITHIN YOU!" With that, the discolored Applebloom became a discolored, non-decayed Fluttershy.

She continued, "I have been begging to be released within the depths of your fragile mind, little pony. I am essentially what you've sedated with your kindness. I am what you've been hiding from all these years. Soon, it shall be my turn. I will wake up. I will take control. As for you.... YOU SHALL BE NOTHING!!!"

Weeks later, Spike got a letter. It read:

As for you, YES, YOU! Don't think you've gone unnoticed. I know full well you are trying to help her. I know you believe yourself to be safe. I assure you, your assumption is wrong! Something terrible is headed your way. And when it's over, you will know the true meaning of terror!!