Fluttershy trudged through the rain, her mane soaked. She arrived at Twilight Sparkle's house and knocked on the door. Twilight opened it with a smile.
"Fluttershy! You're soaked!" She exclaimed, ushering her inside. Fluttershy shivered, sneezing. Twilight levitated a blanket around her, and she snuggled inside gratefully.
"W-where's Spike?" She asked, looking around. The tiny purple dragon was no where to be found.
"Oh he's… out running some errands," Twilight explained, mixing something together, "Here, this should warm you up," She pushed the liquid toward Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looked at it. "Oh… no thank you, I couldn't impose," She pushed it back.
"I insist!" Twilight nudged it forward again.
"Oh, no no," She said, shrinking away. Twilight's purple eyes narrowed.
"Please, I made it especially for you," She said, in a tone dripping of sweetness.
Fluttershy leaned forward and took a few sips. "Yum," She said politely, "But really, I'm not that hungry," She shuffled backwards, away from the substance.
"Does it not taste good?" Twilight asked, her purple eyes narrowing further.
"No, no, it does," Fluttershy amended, and began slurping it up. She shuddered, a strange chill creeping across her spine. She looked up to see Twilight looming over her. She squeaked, and Twilight stood up straight again. She trotted over to the book she had been reading, and shut it with a snap.
"What book is that?" Fluttershy asked, beginning to stand up.
"Oh nothing, nothing" Twilight muttered quietly, putting the book back on the shelf before Fluttershy got a good look, "Please sit, I didn't mean to disturb you," She said.
"Well, I really should get going," Fluttershy said, shedding the blanket. Twilight's head snapped to face her.
"Nonsense!" She said, "It's still pouring, you should stay the night!"
"No no no, that would be too much to ask," Fluttershy murmured, backing up toward the door. Twilight pretended not to hear, nudging her upstairs to her bedroom.
"Ooooh this will be fun!" She grinned, "We could stay up all night!"
Fluttershy trembled, allowing herself to be herded upstairs. She had a bad feeling about when it became dark.
"Try not to fall asleep," Twilight's voice sounded in her ear. She jumped, rushing up the rest of the stairs. Twilight trotted in after, shutting the door behind her.
Later that night, while Twilight slept soundly in her bed, Fluttershy sneaked down into the library. She looked around for the book Twilight had been reading. It was tucked neatly into a corner, almost unnoticeable. Fluttershy read the title and let out a tiny gasp.
"Couldn't sleep?" Twilight's soft voice drifted from behind her. Fluttershy spun around, mouth opened slightly.
"I-I thought you were asleep, and I didn't want to disturb you, so I came down here to see if there was a book I could read," She stammered, trying to make an excuse. Twilight's horn glowed slightly.
"I see," Her eyes seemed a tint darker than before. It must just be the light, Fluttershy thought.
"C-could I ask you s-something?" Fluttershy asked, summoning all her courage.
"Anything," Twilight's horn grew a bit lighter.
"Why do you have a book entitled 'The Dark Arts'?" Fluttershy asked, blurting it out. The light emanating from Twilight stopped, casting her in darkness. It was completely silent, save the sound of Fluttershy's furiously beating heart.
The sound of hooves on the ground circled Fluttershy, quietly at first, then growing louder. More hooves joined it, circling her. She opened her mouth, too terrified to scream.
"Maybe I can help you sleep more soundly," Twilight's voice was all around her, paired with each hoof step. A million Twilights began singing a distorted lullaby.
Sleep, sleep, sleep my little filly,
When you wake, you'll find your fears silly
Do you fear the nights?
Do you see scary sights?
Do you long for the day,
When you can go laugh and play?
The day is over now
So can you sleep sound?
The song ended abruptly, as did the hoof beats. Another silence stretched on, until a purple glow began shining dimly in front of her. It showed scarlet pooling on the floor, and a once-purple unicorn standing over it. Now she was smeared with blood, a twisted grin on her face. One of her eyes was missing, a bloody mess in it's place. The other was a deep purple, almost black. Her horn was fractured, the tip of it laying in the puddle below her.
Fluttershy backed up against the bookshelf, horrified by the sight on front of her. The pony's cutie mark was almost covered by blood, but she saw the tip of one of the points of Twilight's star, broken off from the rest of the shape to make it a five-pointed star, instead of her usual six-pointed one. It also appeared to be a deeper shade, more red than pink or purple. The scream finally erupted in Fluttershy's throat, echoing off the walls and coming back to her. She huddled on the ground, her own shouts of panic filling her ears. Twilight stepped closer, the first signs of dawn illuminating her empty eye socket. She crouched by Fluttershy, bending down to touch her face to Fluttershy's.
"Can you sleep soundly?" Twilight asked, her horn beginning to jab into Fluttershy's forehead. Fluttershy gasped in pain as it dug in harder. It broke the skin, and began sinking into her flesh. Black magic began sparking from it, crowding Fluttershy's mind. She convulsed on the floor, retching. The blood in Twilight's eye socket gleamed in front of Fluttershy's own eye. Fluttershy screamed, her mind crowded with images of her friends dying. Pinkiepie, Apple Jack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. Each lay as a bloody corpse, their cutie marks smeared with blood. Twilight stood over them in each memory, grinning.
Fluttershy went limp, passing out. Twilight's chilling laugh the last thing she heard along with the words, "Sleep soundly, Fluttershy,"