This is the first chapter of my main fan-fiction story. This is all I'll be putting up, but if you want to read more, I'll leave a link below. Chapter 1: Shadows Emerge In the darkness of the Everfree Forest, a single dark shape moves. It stands a good head or two taller than the average pony, and has a thick build hidden under a flowing black cloak. It lets out a low grumbling sound and begins moving toward the main path. It moves in utter silence, its footfalls making no noise, the hem of its cloak barely brushing the ground. As the endless walls of trees begin to thin, the sun begins to shine down invasively through the canopy. It reaches the end of the path, and looks out at the town below. It's a simple looking affair, the town's center clearly visible from its perspective. The shadow looks further down the path and notices a small cottage nearby, small animals running to and fro. In the distance, what appears to be a large apple orchard is resting but a quick walk from the town. In the air a blur of bright colors is seen careening toward the center of town. It snorts in mock amusement and begins its long walk, heading for the apple farm. As a gust of wind blows past the mysterious figure, the cloak flutters, revealing a black saddle bag, the color of its midnight blue fur and blood red tail now visible. The trail end of an old bandage, wrapped around the flanks and midsection, can be seen fluttering in the wind, its edges tattered. His body ripples with muscles that flex with each step. The hood is blown back, revealing a blood red mane with streaks of black running through it, and protruding from it, a unicorn horn, sharpened to a point. His left eye is dull, and an old scar runs over it. But this is not his most commanding feature. His eyes were whole, the whites of his eyes replaced by a bright red. A black slash cuts through those seas of red to form his pupils. The stallion continues his walk, face appearing to be forced into neutrality, as if facing a bad memory. * "RAINBOW DASH!" The young pegasus awoke with a start, wondering as to why the world was upside down. Standing above her, face a mix of anger and concern, was Twilight Sparkle. A small bump was forming on her head, and she was magically picking up a mess of books. After she realized she was the upside down one, she let herself fall to one side. A she stood, she felt a slight pain in her head and back. "Thank Celestia, are you ok?" "Ya, I'm ok," she said, stretching her back, "What are you yelling for anyway? Something happen?" "Oh nothing," Twilight said sarcastically "just the huge mess you made in my house, AGAIN!" "Oh . . ." And sure enough, as Rainbow looked around the room, it was indeed a huge mess. Books, scrolls and quills were scattered everywhere. Spike was balancing a tall pile of books as he made for a nearby self to replace the fallen books. His face was a macramé of bumps and bruises, and one eye was swollen shut. Rainbow could only bow her head meekly as Twilight continued to glare at her. "You don't need to be all angry about it." Dash grumbled, slumping over like a child caught breaking a window. "Rainbow, this is eighth time this week, and the third one today alone." "Figures you'd keep count . . ." Rainbow mumbled indignantly. This was met with a stern look from Twilight. "Anyway, Spike and I can only take so many hits to the head before we start to take permanent damage." "Well then why don't you duck?" Rainbow asked. Twilight could only face hoof and look wearily at her friend. "What?" "Dash, while I enjoy watching you practice from time to time, I don't need you crashing into my house and interrupting my studies." Twilight pleaded, "Please, find someplace farther from town to practice? At least for today." "Fine." Rainbow sighed, "There's more space at Sweet Apple Acres anyway." With that, Rainbow took off out the broken window and headed toward the famous local farm. As she flew away, Twilight just shook her head at her stubborn, single minded friend. ‘She could've at least stayed to help clean up.' Twilight thought as she began the painstaking process of cleaning and organizing the library for the second time that day. * Apple Bloom's mind was miles away as she was walking around the edge of the western orchard. Earlier that day, her older siblings, Big Macintosh and Applejack, had caught her and Scootaloo messing with the cider making equipment. After a through scolding from Applejack, Scootaloo was sent home and Apple Bloom to her room. After about an hour of sitting in her room, she noticed Applejack and Big Mac heading out to buck apples. So, instead of sitting in her room and behaving like she was told, she decided to sneak out. As she was moving downstairs, Granny Smith looked up from the pie she was baking. "Aren't you s'posed to be in yer room, dear? I thought Applejack told ya to stay up there." Apple Bloom froze. She'd completely forgotten about Granny Smith, who was normally napping. Thinking quickly, she threw on her cutest, most innocent looking face as she slowly made for the door. "I was only grounded fer a little while, Granny Smith. I'm allowed ta go outside now." The old mare just scratched her head, nodded, and continued with her pie. Apple Bloom met no other obstacles as she made in the opposite direction her siblings went, thanking Celestia for her grandmother's bad memory. Now, as she walked through the rows of apple trees, her thoughts went to how she and her friends could earn their Cutie Mark. ‘Maybe we can try working at the hospital, helpin sick ponies feel better! Oh, or we can use Rarity's dress stuff ta make clothes fer ponies. She always seems to have business when I visit Sweetie Belle. Oh, or better yet . . .' As these thoughts filled her mind, she didn't notice how far into the orchard she was walking, nor could she see Applejack and Big Mac looking for her from the house. She also didn't notice the tree in her way. As she rubbed her head, her mind less distracted after the rude interruption, she noticed a large dark figure sitting under one of the trees at the edge the orchard. She just stared for a moment as the figured sat motionless. For reasons she didn't fully understand, possibly that endless curiosity that constantly got her in trouble, she was tempted to move closer to it. As she moved slowly toward the figure, it let out a low rumbling sound. Apple Bloom froze, unsure what to do. She saw a soft, dark glow come from what she now recognized as the hood of a cloak. An apple glowed with a similar color and plucked itself from the tree above the . . . thing, was the best she could think of to call it. It came down and disappeared under the hood. She moved closer as soft chewing sounds came from the figure. When she was only a few feet from it, she stepped on a twig, making a sharp cracking sound. The chewing stopped, and Apple Bloom stopped, scared of whatever would happen next. The figured turned its head toward her, and what she saw caused a glass shattering scream to escape her throat. She screamed at the scar on its face, at its bright red eyes, at its horn glowing a blackish color, seeming to suck the light from around it rather than glow. She stopped screaming, with an unnatural suddenness, as she was caught in the endless gaze of its eyes. She tried running, but nothing moved. No matter what she tried to do, it was quickly lost in those terrifying eyes. She just seemed to be sucked in slowly, as an odd blackness surrounded her vision. Apple Bloom didn't notice, but she fell to the ground, her eyes wide open, pupils dilated and mouth gapping. She was no longer connected to reality, as the only thing she saw were those terrifying eyes and a feeling of deep sadness filling her very soul . . . * Applejack was racing through the western orchard as fast as she could, not sure of what she had just seen. She had been walking through the orchard, looking for Apple Bloom, when she saw a huge, black thing sitting in her orchard. As she moved closer, she heard an earsplitting scream that was unmistakably Apple Bloom's. When she ran in her direction, she saw her little sister staring at the thing. 'Why's she jus' standin there?' Applejack had thought. Then, as if she had been switched off, Apple Bloom fell to the ground, seemingly dead from Applejack's view. In sheer panic, she started running back to the house to tell . . . anypony really. Her mind just replayed watching her sister flop to the ground over and over, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. She could barely register that Big Mac was in front of her before running head long into him, bouncing off of him as if she had hit a brick wall. As she recovered, she recognized her elder brother, "Big Mac! Thank Celestia I found ya." In her fear, she began to babble, "I was lookin fer Apple Bloom, right? Just searchin the orchard, when I saw this big, black . . . thing just sittin there. Then she started screamin, an' I ran towards the sound, but she stopped, an' I saw her standin in front the darn thing. Then, for no reason, she fell over, like somepony hit an off switch. An' . . . an'. . . ohhh, just come on!" Big Mac barely had time to reply as Applejack took off into the orchard again. Big Mac just snorted with frustration and followed after her, wondering why his normally calm, coolheaded sister was now so frantic and, possibly, scared. I hope you enjoyed it. Here's the rest of the story: http://www.ponyfictionarchive.net/viewstory.php?sid=1101
