Darkness fell over Ponyville and stars twinkled overhead. In the light of the full moon the town seemed to glow silvery. In particular the castle that towered like it was presiding over the town. Within the beautiful castle, Twilight tossed and turned.

/

The sun rose on a collection of small mud brick houses. As the golden light poured over their homes, ponies emerged and began to go about their day. Among these ponies was an earthpony stallion with a long braided cyan mane and yellow body. And he worked on at a grindstone grinding dried herbs, a figure peeked across a building.

Silently, the unseen figure crept closer and closer towards the stallion till it was looming right behind him. With a small leap, the figure grasped him round the shoulders whilst giving out a shout. The stallion let out a cry of surprise and stumbled backwards, finding himself staring up in the crystalline blue and violet eyes of an earthpony mare with a large spiked white and violet mane.

He sighed exasperatedly as he got up from the ground and shot a glare at the mare. "And what was that for?" He demanded as he straightened his work.

"Oh come on." The mare answered. "You were asking for it."

The stallion glared at her once more. "Is there something you want?"

"Actually I was coming to ask if you'd like to join me in the forest." The mare replied. "I'm out of herbs and I wanted to gather more."

"The meadows have a good supply of herbs."

"But the forest herbs are more robust." The mare's eyes twinkled a little merrily. "So...care to accompany me?"

"I'd love to." He said. "But I'm a little busy. Remember, I'm still in training."

"Well alright then." She said as she trotted off. "I'll grab some extra for you. Bye!"

"Bye!" He answered with a smile. As he watched her disappear, uneasiness prickled in his stomach.

/

The shadows were long in the forest but the mare strode through without hesitation. Resting on either side her back were two woven baskets partially filled with various plants. as she trotted through the forest a rustle caught her attention.

Pausing she perked her ears up. When no other sounds sound she turned back the bush she'd been poking at. A twig snapped and she once more turned her attention to the forest. Carefully she trotted towards a nearby bush and peered in.

In the deep shadows of the bush a pair of glowing reds eyes appeared and in a sudden movement something lept out at her. Rearing back to escape the sudden assault, the unrecognisable thing tackled her her the face and sent her collapsing into a nearby bush clutching her face.

/

The stallion was inconsolable. He stood in front of a large crystalline orb wrapped in what appeared to be a silvery white root. he was covered in cuts, scrapes and some minor burns but didn't to care or notice. his focus was entirely on the huge orb. His eyes were wet with tears and trails in the grim covering his face showed where previous tears had run.

Not far away stood a second pony. An older earthpony mare also covered in minor scrapes, cuts and burns. Clasped in her foreleg was a long carved staff. The orb itself was white and pulsed with light. deep within the orb a barely perceived shadow could be seen.

"It's my fault." The stallion finally said, remorse and self loathing in his voice. "If I'd just been with her..."

"The blame lies not upon your shoulders." The older mare interrupted. "Neither does it lie upon her." She said as she nodded towards the orb.

She then raised her staff and brought it down with a bang. A deep groan was heard and the stallion jumped back as the earth split open. The root pulled the orb down the crack and with another moan the crack shut, leaving no evidence that it had ever been there. The stallion stared at the spot where the orb had vanished morsley.

"But if I had been there..." He said quietly.

"There was nothing you or anypony could've done." The mare said quietly. "What's done is done. There is nothing we can do but have faith in the future."

/

Darkness. That was all she saw. Pure black. Heavy and oppressive, with waves of malicious intent surrounding her. Twilight's ears twitched when a soft sound reached them. It was a soft voice. weak and wavering. Like there was somepony else out there in the blackness.

"Hello?" Twilight said quietly, not daring to speak any louder.

"Help me." The voice cried out. "Somepony help me."

Then with a jump Twilight woke up.