- Chapter 1 -

Equestra.
A land of harmony, love, and peace. Ruled by two beloved princesses...
For thousands of years, the land lived in what everyone though to be an everlasting peace and hope.
Except hope is fragile...

No one knows why, or how their once rich and healthy land now stands as an empty and baren reminder that nothing lasts forever...
Nobody will know why they awake in a nightmare made specially for them. And no one knows who's time is up next...

---

DarkSage rubbed his head with a tired hoof, pulling himself up with a slightly pained groan. He didn't remember ever falling asleep. Especially in the middle of his upstairs hallway. " Rgh... Celestia sakes-... GrayShade! " He called, hoping he'd have an explanation for what happened.

He shook his head, trying to shake off his groggyness, not at all helping his acheing head. " BlueBird, if this is your doing, you're grounded! " He called, sounding frusterated.

DarkSage's eyes widened once he was finally able to see straight. He didn't like what he saw.

Floorboards pulled up and splintered, some falling apart. Cobwebs hung from every shelf and small corner of both his and BlueBirds bedroom. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, and it didn't hit him until just then: it was hot.
Very hot.

DarkSage stumbled downstairs and stopped, examining the mess that normally would be the neat and tidy livingroom.
He didn't know what to be more terrified of. The blood trail leading out the broken down front door, or the long claw marks that tore into the wood and fabric of everything.

DarkSage had no time to question what was going on and darted upstairs, putting on his sadlebags.
He grabbed what few potion bottles weren't shattered or spilled by whatever rampaged downstairs and what little food and water there was left.

" What in Celestias name happened here... Ponyville! " DarkSage darted out the door and down the path.

What normally was a twenty minute walk, would be five if he galloped as fast as he could.
However he was still tired and weak from being out. He felt drained and stumbled to the ground, struggling to keep his eyes open.

There was the sound of hooves coming up behind him and another galloping from a distance.
DarkSage tried to get up but recieved a strong hoof between the eyes, and everything went black...

---

" You didn't have to knock him out! " Sage heard a voice scold someone. It was a mares voice. She sounded kind, if not absolutely terrified at the same time. Another mare spoke, sounding almost too excited about the situation...
" But why not? I was about to smash his skull i-... "
" Wraithella! He's not a monster! The poor stallion looks like he'd been through enough. He was tired. " The much kinder voice said.
" Oh-... Fine. You're no fun when you use logic... " The other pouted.

DarkSage groaned, regaining his senses once again. He heard the two mares trot up to him and he opened his eyes, surprised at who he saw.
" Hey there! " The strange looking mare said with a slightly twisted smile.
The other smiled at him as well. " I see you're awake now... There are better places to take a nap than on the ground y'know. " She said jokingly, holding out a hoof to help him up.

DarkSage got to his hooves and sat down, still not quite able to stand.
" Sorry about, you know... Trying to knock you out and smash your brains in. " One of the mares said with a small giggle. The other shot her a look and rolled her eyes.

" Well-... Thank you for not caving my skull in... Much appreciated... " DarkSage groaned. " Who are you two anyway..? " He asked.

" I'm TeslaGlow. The one who knocked you out is my friend Wraithella... We saw you stumbling down the path to Ponyville and you collapsed. My friend thought you were one of those-... monsters... " She mumbled nervously.

" Monsters..? " DarkSage gave her a look.
Wraithella nodded. " Mmhmm. Goulish looking freaks. No eyes. Decaying flesh. Ripped off tufts of fur. Teeth like knives. " She told him. DarkSage made a face and shook his head. " No such things exist. Not even in the Everfree. " He protested. " ... I don't look like one do I? "

TeslaGlow laughed and shook her head. " No. You don't. Actually-... You're the first normal pony we've seen... "
Wraithella nodded again and spoke up. " Yeah. We've just been seeing those monsters trotting around. They're mostly near Ponyville. We've been staying away for the past day. "

" Why Ponyville? " DarkSage asked.
" We don't know. " Said Tesla, sitting down, no longer pacing back and fourth. " The goulish monsters... They were ponies... Maybe not everypony turned into one..? "
" What's going on here? Can anypony explain that to me? " DarkSage gave them both stern looks and the two mares exchanged confused glances. " We don't know. " They both answered.

TeslaGlow scuffed the ground with a hoof. " All I know, is that one minute we were trotting to the train station to visit a friend in Manehatten, and-... we woke up. We never even remembered falling asleep. I was attacked by one of those monsters, it bit me and Wraithella-... Ahem-... Handled it. " She said.
DarkSage noticed a nasty looking bit mark on Tesla's flank and old blood covering Wraithella's hooves.
She was the next to speak up about what happened.
" In case you haven't noticed, things aren't exactly normal around here anymore. "

DarkSage looked around, shocked.
She was right.
He didn't even realize they were in what was once a forest. The trees now bare of leaves and dead. No grass what so ever grew. Only the dirt beneath their hooves was there and the sky was a strange orange even though it was the midle of the day. And it was still hot.

" Before you ask again: We don't know. " Wraithella said.

A terrified look crossed DarkSage's face as he made a conection back in the-

house.
GrayShade and BlueBird weren't there. Only a torn up livingroom and a blood trail...

" Is everything alright..? " Tesla asked.

" I need to find my son... "

- End Chapter -

oooooooo!!!! (evertides tag is #Evertide btw)

Ooooo! This is sooooo good! Thank you for using Tesla Wraithella!

Interesting! Please make another one soon! I wanna know what happens!

Re: Yes! I can't wait!

( Also Thank you ^w^)

Re: -hugs- thanks Tyler.

Reply: You know that goes for you too!

Re: Thanks!