I fall down a what seems to be endless hole before I land on a hard mud plot. When I clear away the mud, I find myself in a swamp where trees are scorched and the ground itself is crimson like blood. As I viewed my surroundings It seemed that there was no life in the swamp at all. I wasn't very afraid, mostly curious actually. I slowly walked to the shelter of the nearest tree. It wasn't much but the shade was a little cooler. I started breathing heavier and heavier but it felt like I wasn't breathing any differently, and the air smelled hot, very hot.

As I roamed the strange woods I stumbled and fell. I smelled a new scent now, like sulfur and gunpowder. All of a sudden, a geyser of flame comes from the ground just inches in front of me. I had gotten up just as the flame ascended into the air. I ran, terrified and unknown to the position of the geysers. I weaved through trees that looked beyond unholy until I came across a large clearing. As geysers of fire went into the air, I started to see that the ground was slightly darker around those areas.

All of a sudden, a huge creature sprung out of the shadows into the clearing. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen! It was a tiger, mixed with a goat, and a snake as a tail. But as I slowly crept backwards, I noticed something, it looked like a cart, with a pie symbol on the top. The pies smelled absolutely delicious. When I was focused on the pie cart I didn't realize I had stepped on a twig. The snap got the creature's attention. It's goat head and tiger head glared at me with evil eyes that could pierce through the soul of Celestia. It opened its mouth and released a deafening roar and charged at me. I was dumfounded for only a moment, then I fled.

I ran with no direction at all, just away from the creature. I once again weaved through trees, but it could too. I jumped through geysers, but it did as well. It was gaining on me when I made a quick U-turn and bolted past the creature, The tiger's claws breezing past my head. Since the creature was large it was slow to stop and turn around, which was the only advantage I had. I sprinted back to the clearing and towards the apple cart. As I did, I smelled the stench of blood, it was stale but the smell remained. I crouched down behind the cart. I turned around and nearly shrieked, because I saw a half-eaten filly with a torn up pink ribbon on her head. It was awful, The bones were shattered and flesh lied everywhere around it. The eyes were clawed out and blood had spilled from them. I was in such deep shock that I hadn't realized the creature stalking closer to the cart.

"Cosmo," a voice from behind me said my name. I wouldn't have heard it if it wasn't the sound of Trixie.

I turned around to find Trixie, but the beast stood there instead, standing right in front of me, along with the strong smell of burning wood.

"Looks like we have another course girls," the tiger grinned with his large fangs gleaming white and bloodstained.

"Well, le-e-et's hope this one doesn't fight ba-a-a-ck!" the goat chuckled with delight and evil.

"Yesss, I think thisss will be an easy meal!" the snake hissed.

"COSMO!" the voice sounded again, but the creature didn't hear it. I screamed, but it was cut off as the tiger's claws struck my throat.


"Cosmic Shadow, wake up!" It was Trixie who was saying my name, "Hurry up, the whole place is on fire!"

She was right, the entire auditorium was up in flames. She took my hoof and we hurried down the steps. I looked out at the seating area for ponies. Ponies were out there trying to get out or save others. I looked up and saw a large piece of flaming timber fall on the VIP Box. The stairs started to fall with the room it was attached to.

"RUN!" Trixie was skipping steps now as I was right behind her, one step ahead of keeping my life. We kept descending until we found the ground. I looked back inside the auditorium and saw that many other ponies were trapped inside.

"Trixie! I'm going back to save the others!" I had to yell over the crumbling and screaming.

"You're insane! Stay with me!" she screamed back.

"And just let them DIE?"

She was about to reply, but she closed her mouth, closed her eyes, and let out a deep sigh.

"Go," she told me, "Go and save them. But be careful, I don't want to live alone anymore than I had too before."

I gave her a triumphant nod and trotted back into the seating area. As I stepped inside, There was a family of unicorns trapped by the stage. I sprinted over to them and led them away from the fire that was engulfing the seats next to them.

"Get to the entrance!" I commanded them and they did so.

Crash! I twisted around just in time to see a black earth pony get crushed by a metal pole that came from the collapsing stage. I saw another pony run to grieve for the stallion that was crushed, but I sprinted over to the mare.

"Husband?" I asked her.

"Yes, I told him not to come back in the devil flames but he wouldn't listen!" she replied between sobs.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but we must get you to the entrance."

She nodded in understanding and we trotted back to the entrance together.


Trixie was waiting away from the doorway and when she saw me she was relieved. She walked up to me and we exchanged hugs.

"Is that everyone?"

"No, I'm afraid not." I replied with sadness.

I turned back to the entrance to see three stallions, one of them limping.

Just then, there was the sound of bending metal and the neon sign at the entrance gave way and started to fall.

"Run you two! Tell your mother I'm sorry!" The stallion exclaimed as the two colts ran past us. There was a final screech from the stallion, which was cut off by the sign that hit the ground with a clash that you could hear in Cloudsdale. The colts standing behind us were bawling at the sight of the scrap heap which their father lie beneath. Trixie and I ran to the colts to comfort them.

"I know, I know," Trixie was stroking the mane of the one that looked quite a bit younger than the other colt. I was conversing with the older colt about the matter and being optimistic and see if that would calm him down when Trixie asked them who their mother was and where we could take them.

"Carrottop, we live on Blossom Avenue, in Ponyville,"

"And what are your names?" Trixie asked.

"I'm Pottedplant, and my big brother is Spinachleaf," The young colt replied between sobs. We called a taxi for the four of us and we traveled to Castleview Suites.


When we got home, Trixie and I explained that we would buy them train tickets back to Ponyville in the morning.

I attempted to lighten the mood by saying "Well you two, it's not everyday you get to stay with the Great and Powerful Trixie and her brother,"

They smiled weakly and looked around the house, wandering around to view their surroundings.

"Trix, I'm going to let them sleep in my bedroom tonight, I can sleep on sofa," I tuned to the colts, "Follow me," I said as I led them up to my bedroom. I let them in and hey get into bed and were asleep almost instantly.

"Well that wasn't hard, they were out like lights," I reported.

"Good." she then brightened up and said, "Cosmo, I want you to go with them to Ponyville, take a tour, meet some ponies, have some fun. And when you come back, I'll decide whether I'll take my shows down there or not."

I looked at her strangely and asked, "Why not both of us? You don't have another show planned for the next 5 days."

Her tone and expression turned serious for a moment, then saddened. "Cosmo, I was accused of starting the fire with one of my spells and have to go to court. My magic doesn't cause fire, it doesn't even have any heat! Somepony sabotaged my show and accused me. Whoever it is, they won't get away with this."

I was surprised, "Shouldn't I stay as a witness?"

"Why should you, you were asleep." She tried to keep a serious face but then chuckled ever so slightly.

I laughed too. But the conversation was over and I was off to the couch and lay there for a while. I was thinking about those unicorns up by the stage. Out of the four, only three of them were scared, the light blue one had a straight face and didn't seem to care. I didn't think about it for long because I dozed off after a few minutes.