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"Oh goodness, oh kittens with mittens, this is a terrible idea. This is an awful, dreadful, monumentally terrible idea."

"I'm sorry, Missus Fluttershy." Moondancer lit his horn, using a burst of magic to push a rotten tree from their path. He turned to face the shivering yellow pegasus, his eyes full of concern. "Would you like to turn back?"

"No, no, I'm alright...." Fluttershy tried for a reassuring smile, but squeaked when a stray branch snagged in her mane. Swatting it away, she gulped a breath to steady herself. "It's just....the, um, the Everfree Forest has never been particularly welcoming to visitors, but now...." She swallowed, glancing around the twisted trees. "....Something's different. The air feels....hostile. I-I don't think the forest wants us here."

"Don't be silly, Missus Shy." Moondancer chuckled. He clambered over a fallen log, then lifted a hoof to assist the older mare across. "We're just ponies. What reason would the forest have to want us out? I've been crossing in and out of it with no problems whatsoever."

"...Crossing in and out....?" Fluttershy's ears pricked upright, confused. "Moondancer, why exactly have you been-"

"-In any case, I'm eternally grateful you answered my summons." He said quickly. "I sorely apologize for all the urgency and fuss, but I didn't know how to help on my own- I was afraid of making things worse, you understand."

Fluttershy nodded. "You said it was a bunny....?"

"Yes. Poor thing got itself caught in a snare. It was lucky enough to get its paw between the wire and its throat, so it didn't appear to be strangling, but its paw is bloodied and mangled. It's a ghastly sight, Missus Shy." Moondancer shuddered, looking a bit pale. "I......I'm afraid I haven't the stomach for these kinds of things."

"That's alright." The pegasus lifted her chin, determined. "Amputation may be necessary- and infection is always a risk- but we should be able to save it if we can reach the poor dear in time."

"Goodness, what a relief." Moondancer sighed. "I knew you were the right pony to bring, Doctor."

"But bunnies or not, you shouldn't have been wandering the Everfree in the first place. Especially not alone." Fluttershy chided, maternal instinct flaring up. "It's not just not safe, Moony. There's been rumors of ponies going missing. Vanishing without a trace." For a moment, she looked fearful at the notion, but remembered her scolding. "Nothing's been confirmed yet, but the princesses have warned everyone to be on high alert. M-maybe it's a little silly, but I've forbidden Rosie and Featherweight from going out after dark."

"Oh, come now, Missus Shy." Moondancer let out a snort of laughter. "Your children are big ponies. Isn't one a self-defense teacher? And the other a light weight boxing champion? You needn't keep them penned in like a mother hen atop her chicks. It's a lovely evening."

"No." Fluttershy said sternly. "As a matter of fact, as soon as we get that bunny stable, I'm escorting you home myself. We can't be too cautious. Not after what happened to poor Midnight."

"....Oh." Moondancer's face fell. "You.....you don't think that's related to the disappearances, do you?"

"Who's to say?" Fluttershy ducked under the branch he pulled aside for her. "But, if you ask me.....something smells rotten about this whole thing."

"Absolutely. I believe something is changing in our world, Missus Shy. Rabbits caught in wires, ponies vanishing in the night....and of course, poor, dear Midnight. I'm glad I have a brave, experienced mare like you for company." Moondancer praised warmly, "I'm certain you and your friends will get to the bottom of all this in no time."

Fluttershy turned a little pink. "Oh, thank you, sweetie." She reached out to touch a hoof to his shoulder. "Things may seem scary right now, but as long as ponies remember kindness, then harmony will always prevail." Her first genuine smile of the evening broke through, motherly and soft. "You'll see."

"I have absolute faith." Moondancer smiled. "....Here we are."

Before them sprawled a massive, twisting cavern of tree roots. Rotted vines, thick as ropes, hung like cobwebs across the canopy, casting the forest floor into eerie shadows. The bark of every tree was plastered with cords of thick slime mold, black as tar. Peering inside the tree cavern, Fluttershy couldn't make out how deep it was. It seemed to go on for miles, an open, endless, beckoning black void.

"Oh dear." Fluttershy's courage buckled. "The bunny's not in there, is it?"

"I'm afraid so, my dear."

"But...b-but...." The older mare stalled, grasping for a suitable excuse not to venture in, before she seemed to realize something. "....But there aren't any tracks."

"Hm?" Moondancer tilted his head. "Why would there be? The rabbit is inside."

"It still would've left tracks." The veterinarian insisted, "The forest floor is too soft, covered in mold. Tracks would still be visible, even if they were days old." Fluttershy glanced around, frowning. "And there isn't a single dropping in sight. After owning my little Angel Bunny all these years, I think I'd be able to recognize rabbit droppings." She regarded him carefully.

"......Moondancer, are you sure you saw a rabbit?"

"There's no doubt in my mind I saw a tiny, trapped little animal." Moondancer said. "But where did it go?" He snorted in frustration, levitating a tree root out of the way. "Could it be under here? No, no.....it couldn't have wedged itself in with a broken paw...Perhaps over here?" Lighting his horn, he conjured a gust of wind, upheaving a pile of decaying compost. "...Where is it?"

"Hm. Well.....if it gnawed through the snare, it wouldn't have made it far." Fluttershy examined gaps in the tree roots, then braved a peek into the gaping cavern. She rested a hoof against the entrance, and the slime mold stirred, just a little. "Unless the poor creature crawled in here to di-"

The mold on the trees suddenly burst to life, dividing and becoming a great, rolling mass of black tendrils. In a heartbeat, they ensnared the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy bleated as she was wrenched violently into the air, to dangle like a lure on a fish hook.

Moondancer was still rooting around under a rotted log, humming to himself. "Where, oh where is that little trapped rabbit...?" He turned to glance back over his shoulder, only just noticing her predicament. "...Ah." And Moondancer's mouth pulled into a slow smile- thin. Hungry.

"There she is."

Fluttershy opened her mouth, but a tendril slapped across her muzzle, cutting off her scream. A rope of black mass snaked round her throat and constricted lightly, just once. A warning.

"Don't." Moondancer urged. "Please. You're a nice mare, Missus Shy. I'd prefer to keep your stress to a minimum." He lit his horn, and the tendrils obediently lowered her, so the ponies were face to face. "...There now. I imagine you have some questions."

Fluttershy nodded, her eyes wide and glistening.

"I'm certain I know what the first one is. I'm afraid the answer is no. You will not leave this place alive."

Fluttershy made a strange sound in her throat, high-pitched, gurgled.

"Now that that's out of the way, if there's anything else you wish to know, now's the time to ask, my dear."

The tendril covering her mouth slipped loose. "Why are you doing this?" Fluttershy breathed. Her voice quaked with such raw hurt that Moondancer was momentarily taken aback. "I don't understand."

"It's.....nothing personal." Moondancer reassured. "Not against you, anyway. This is just....a precaution."

"It's you, isn't it?" She blurted. "You're the reason p-ponies are disappearing."

"Bravo, Missus Shy." Moondancer clapped, a hollow gesture. "I've found that the ponies of Equestria- unicorns, earth ponies, pegasi- none of them truly appreciate their gifts. Their magic is better off with me."

"T-that's....." Fluttershy drew in a deep breath for courage. "That's not your call to make."

"Predation is the same in ponies and animals alike, Missus Shy. You know this. The strong must consume the weak. It's simply the way of the world." With a flash of magic, Moondancer controlled the tendrils, drawing her closer to the cavern entrance. "Would you deny a starving fox, tempted by a hen house?"

The unicorn charged his horn, then cast a broad illumination spell, bathing the interior of the cave in a warm, red glow.

Inside, Fluttershy could make out a statue. It was pony shaped, and appeared to be made of dull, grey crystal. Straining her eyes, Fluttershy spotted another statue within the darkness- another set of glittering crystal eyes gazing out at her. She could see the shape of wings, of horns, of hooves, all so incredibly lifelike. Mares and stallions, unicorns, earth ponies, pegasi. With a start, she realized there were rows and rows of them, crystalline statues arranged as carefully as dolls in a display case. The darkness sunk deep into their features, casting glassy eyes in shadow, plunging down wide, screaming mouths.

Fluttershy felt a wave of bile surge up in her throat, and she clenched her teeth to hold it back. Every one of those lifeless figures had once been a pony.

"Such fat, docile little hens." Moondancer chuckled, licking his lips. At some point, a thick, black, tar-like substance had begun seeping from his nostrils, from the corners of his eyes. "Would you like to join them?"

"Moondancer, no-"

"No?" The unicorn faltered, caught off guard. "But.....but you are Kindness." He insisted, a little desperately. The barrel of his chest began to heave. "You embody your element perfectly. Perhaps you can calm them down. You must."

"W-who?" Fluttershy squeaked. "Who are you talking about?"

"Them." The unicorn gestured into the cavern, at the hollow of frozen corpses. "The noisy, ungrateful things." One of Moondancer's ears twitched, listening to something Fluttershy couldn't hear- and he snarled in frustration, dropping down to scratch at it with a hind hoof, resembling an overgrown, flea-bitten dog. "The voices- their voices- they won't be quiet-"

"Moondancer, please, you need help-" Fluttershy tried, pleading. "Princess Twilight can help you-"

"Princess Twilight?" The name brought Moondancer to his senses, and he frowned at her, as though she'd said something particularly stupid. "Princess Twilight would have me incinerated in the light of her wretched harmony." He spat, beginning to pace wildly. "That's why I took you. Had to be you. Had to be Kindness. Friendship is a powerful force, but you- you're the weakest link in Princess Twilight's chain. Dispatching you will sever the connection between the Element-Bearers, nullify their greatest weapon before the little fools even think to launch an attack against me."

"I...." Fluttershy was trembling, but her voice steadied suddenly, and she glared hard. "I am not weak."

"Flighty little hens don't know they're hens." Moondancer smiled at her. "....Not til the fox is upon them."

"Does your mother know about this?" Fluttershy braved. "....Does Maud?"

Moondancer paused, ears pinning back. "....Enough questions." His face darkened, and he lit his horn, casting a conjuring spell. Fluttershy felt something sharp tap her cheek. It was a horn, long and curved, the tip stained crimson.

"Goodbye, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy felt dangerous, raw energy crackle up her coat, as the air charged with unseen, malevolent power. The magic would rip through her body at any moment, in a bolt of monstrous, white-hot force that would come and burn out her life before she could think to scream. Her eyes went wide, glossy with tears- and she desperately tried to recall the faces of her loved ones, hoping against hope that one had noticed her disappearance, had already run to Twilight for help. She thought of her friends' warm laughter, of Bulk's booming, overenthusiastic cheering. She thought of Featherweight's snaggletoothed grin, of Rosemary's sweet, bone-crushing hugs. And-

"Let her go."

A voice floated from the darkness. Fluttershy's eyes shot open.

Standing before the pair was her nephew, Chakra Blossom.

She twisted in her bindings, rushing to warn him away, to scream at him to run, but a tendril slipped over mouth, and her cries were lost.

"Oh, well this is a surprise." Moondancer hummed. "....Did you follow us all the way here?"

"Uh-huh." Chakra ventured a step closer. "Imagine my surprise, seeing a shifty-eyed little punk leading my aunt into the woods all alone. You may have everyone else fooled, but I know the look of a pony up to no good. I knew nobody would believe me, so I followed you myself."

"What a clever little pony you are." Moondancer chuckled, and there was a strange, dreamy echo to the sound, as though he was speaking with more than one voice. "....But not clever enough. If this is a rescue, it's off to a dreadful start. Silly pony, you've already squandered your element of surprise."

"I don't need it." Chakra held strong. "Because I think you already want to let her free."

Moondancer stilled, glancing up at the ensnared yellow pegasus. "....An appeal to my better nature? Is that the best you can do? I'm disappointed, Mister Blossom." Moondancer moved to face Chakra, turning his back on Fluttershy. "Don't you know what I did to Midnight?"

Chakra braved a glance up at Fluttershy- and he saw her carefully wriggling a hoof free. Good. Okay. Keep him talking.

"....I could hazard a guess." Chakra ventured. "You lied to Starlight and Sunset. It wasn't an accident at all, was it?"

"It was. At first." Moondancer began to circle the green pegasus, prowling like a great cat. "A delightful, delicious accident. At first I was afraid, yes- I would've run for help, colt scout’s honor. But then......I realized her power could be mine. Everypony, everyone- they could all be mine."

"I see." Chakra's muzzle twisted in a sneer. "So Midnight had to die to feed your inferiority complex."

"Midnight was simply the first." Moondancer's mouth split into a thin, hollow smile. "Many will perish to sate my hunger. I couldn't stop if I wanted to. Do you have any idea how good this feels?" Tar was dripping freely from the unicorn's mouth- Chakra realized Moondancer was salivating. "It's true- I was inferior, all my life, but now- Now-"

Moondancer's horn roared to life. His magic whipped the air around them into a hurricane, causing the trees to shudder and creak under the force. The wind tore viciously at Fluttershy and Chakra, battering them with debris. Raw magic thundered through the air, and Chakra could feel the energy hissing against his flesh, volatile and hungry.

"Power has come to me, at long last." Moondancer's voice crashed through the clearing. "And I only grow stronger with every new soul. Can't you see? Nothing else matters anymore. Every moment I don't use this blessed, dark, wicked magic, my flesh crawls, and I feel worms in my brain, compelling me to use it again, to bear the wretched voices, the sickness- if only for another electrifying dose of black magic. It's become a drug, a beautiful, terrible disease- but I need it. I will have it. I will wrench it from the mouth of every spoiled, indolent little pony in Equestria, I'll gut the soul of Celestia herself, I'll send the sun and moon crashing down. I will be greater and more powerful than unicorn, than any alicorn, than any creature who has ever lived."

As quickly has the gale had flared up, it dispersed. Chakra lay curled into himself, protecting his body with his wings. When he peered up, he found Moondancer standing directly in front of him, regarding him with vacant black eyes.

"...No one can stop me now, Mister Blossom." The unicorn said softly. "Least of all you."

Chakra tried to calm his hammering heart. "Okay. I hear you. What...." He wet his dry mouth, grasping for an idea. "....How about a trade, then?"

"Eh?" Moondancer cocked his head.

"Me for her, dipshit." Chakra pointed at his aunt. Fluttershy swung her head madly in refusal, letting loose muffled pleas.

"Auntie Shy always told me that kindness is alive in every creature." Chakra continued. "The second you take her out, what's to say somebody new won't step up to wield her element? It could be anyone, you'd have no control over who the forces of Harmony pick."

"You're bluffing." Moondancer snapped, but his ears folded back, uncertain.

"Wanna bet?" Chakra stood up, daring to step closer. "And every time you snuff somepony, you lose leverage. If Princess Twilight and her friends find out, and manage to find a replacement for Aunt Shy, you'll be completely, royally screwed. But if you had a hostage-" Chakra gestured at himself- "You'd have a way to manipulate the others. If you take me, and let Fluttershy go- she's compromised. She's the element of Kindness, she won't use the Elements on you, not if it means I could get killed in the crossfire." He pointedly didn't look at his aunt. "Kindness....can be weakness. Exploit it."

Moondancer considered. "....Princess Twilight and the other alicorns would do anything to save their precious little ponies. The princesses certainly wouldn't care about you. Who's to say they wouldn't force Fluttershy to use her element?"

"They're the elements of harmony, dumbass. They don't work if one of the users is out of sync. You can't force harmony, not with all the magical might in the world."

"My, my, Mister Blossom, how very noble. But you must know.....I wouldn't stop. Even if Fluttershy walks free. I'd harvest the magic from every creature and rebuild the world anew." Moondancer strode closer, examining the pegasus carefully. "So tell me- would you really sell out all of Equestria to save your aunt? Countless lives, yours included- all ponies with hopes and dreams- all thrown away for one pathetic, sniveling soul?"

Chakra didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Fluttershy let out a screaming little sob, and struggled desperately in her bindings. Moondancer chuckled, low and dark.

"A sacrifice as selfless as it is selfish. I'm impressed, Mister Blossom." The unicorn praised. His horn began to glow, casting the forest in dull red light. "....But I can't allow Fluttershy to go prancing back to Ponyville to reveal my plan. I'd like to remain in the shadows for just a bit longer.....I'm afraid there can be no witnesses."

A black tendril burst free of the ground, uprooting trees, roaring through the forest floor. Like a flash of lightning, it snaked around Chakra, ensnaring the pegasus before he could think to run. With a yelp, Chakra was wrenched into the air, and Moondancer began prowling over to the helpless stallion. Chakra swung his head around wildly- and his eyes settled on Fluttershy. She was watching him with wide, streaming eyes- but she'd managed to free another hoof. She was prying at her binding with a wing, careful- always careful- to mind Moondancer's position. The unicorn couldn't be alerted of her escape.

Chakra tried desperately to steady himself. She's okay, you're okay. Focus, asshole. Keep stalling.

He switched tactics, deciding to goad. "I'm sure you think this edgy drama queen theater kid crap is real intimidating. But none of the black magic in the world is ever gonna earn you an ounce of respect. You're pathetic, Moondancer- this whole routine is just you desperately trying to hide the fact. Midnight was scarier than you, and she was pink."

"Careful, Mister Blossom." Moondancer warned. "I promised to make this as painless as possible for Fluttershy. I'm of no obligation to extend that courtesy to you."

"I told you, I ain't afraid of you." Chakra taunted. "Midnight wasn't. She knew you were just a spoiled little foal, throwing a tantrum because ponies had the nerve not to kneel down and kiss the dirt you walked on. That's why you had to take her down a peg, right? She was the only one of us who saw you for the coward you really are."

Moondancer froze. His mouth twitched- and then he burst into a peal of incredulous laughter.

".....You think Morning Glory wasn't afraid of me?" He echoed, amazed, as though Chakra was a stupid school foal that'd raised his hoof with an impressively wrong answer. "Sorry, did you imagine her last stand was some brave, heroic spectacle? Did you think she gave me one of her signature dour-faced little dressing downs?" Moondancer laughed again, unable to contain himself.

Moondancer leaned in close. When he spoke, his voice was softer, a gloomy, feminine drawl. Midnight's voice.

"I died like a stupid, lost little filly, Chakra." Midnight-Moondancer murmured. "I died crying for my mommies to save me."

Chakra's mouth fell open, and horror turned his blood to ice. Of course.

....Of course it stood to reason if Moondancer had absorbed Midnight, then maybe a spark of her was still alive, trapped inside the very predator that'd consumed her. Was she still alive- just powerless to tear herself free? Or was she dead, and all this just some sick illusion- Moondancer using her voice like some monstrous puppet?

.....It was funny, Chakra thought. Midnight would've probably appreciated the morbid irony, were she here to see it. Despite himself, he felt his eyes prick with heat, and shameful moisture began to flow down his cheeks.

Moondancer sniggered. "Now who's pathetic?"

Chakra made a quiet sound, somewhere between a sob and a laugh. He drew his head back once- and spit in Moondancer's face.

The unicorn jerked backward, revolted. He scrubbed at his cheek with a hoof, aiming a glower at the impudent pegasus. "Oh, charming, Mister Blossom. Charming to the very end." He brandished his horn, and the magic tendrils constricted tight around Chakra's body, forcing out a wheeze.

"You know....Morning Glory was a talented witch. I can admit that freely. Her mothers miss her terribly, the poor old dears. And Missus Fluttershy- she'll be missed as well, by many. She's an admirable pony. She and Midnight were important chess pieces that needed to be captured- but their loss is regrettable. Their lives had value. I wish I could say the same for you, Chakra." Moondancer sneered. The unicorn turned his head, and the tendril followed the motion, drawing Chakra tight, winding him back.

"In your case, it's really more like.....getting rid of vermin."

The tendril snapped forward, hurling Chakra into a tree. The wood splintered against the sheer force- and there came a high-pitched sound. Fluttershy was screaming.

"Wakey-wakey, little pony." Moondancer approached where Chakra had fallen, cooing sweetly. "No sleeping on the job."

Chakra had been slumped over on the ground, but Moondancer seized him again, winding another tendril round his slack body and hefting him upright. "Oh biscuits, that looks bad." The unicorn examined Chakra's wing. It dangled uselessly, broken and bloodied.

"But of course, I'm no doctor." Moondancer chuckled. "What's your prognosis, Missus Shy?" He turned round to face her, lifting Chakra up so she could see him. Fluttershy startled, caught. She'd been halfway out of her restraints, hell-bent on saving her nephew.

"Oh my, you're not trying to slip out, are you?" Moondancer lilted. "Or.... perhaps you've been trying to this whole time? Those vines are a part of me, my dear. I could feel you trying to wriggle free." He pulled another tendril from the shadows, moving it to constrict around her body. "...But there can be no escape."

"Please, don't." Fluttershy whispered. "Please...."

From behind them came a cough. Chakra struggled to lift his head. "....He's not gonna listen, Aunt Shy."

"N-no, Chakra, honey-"

“....It was a good try, Auntie. You did good.” The pegasus managed a small, feeble smile. “And, uh, I wanted to tell you....” He swallowed, frowning, then tried again. “Ah, y’know, i-if you make it out of this, could you tell Rose that I.....uh, that I’m s-“

"What a sweet attempt at sentiment." Moondancer crooned. "....But I'm afraid final words aren't a luxury afforded to losers." In a flash of magic, he summoned the red-tipped horn. Gently, mockingly, he placed it against Chakra's forehead.

"Poor, poor Chakra Blossom. A total, incontestable waste of space. Trusted by no one, detested by all. Good for nothing...." Moondancer's eyes began to glow dimly, and the horn hummed with sinister, unseen force.

Chakra’s eyes held a plea. “...Wait. I needed.....I-I didn’t-“

"Of course you didn't, Chakra." Midnight's voice echoed alongside Moondancer's, gloomy and unimpressed as ever. "You remain, as you've always been, a failure. To the very, very end."

There was a eruption of blinding, white-hot light. Fluttershy forced her eyes open, forced herself to look.

Chakra struggled for only a moment, before his body abruptly went limp as a ragdoll. Light poured from his eyes and mouth, brutally wrenched into the horn. A scream ripped from his throat, and wove into the rushing roar of magic. His very color bled off his body in waves, and his fur and feathers turned ash grey, becoming crystal, with a sound like cracking glass. The horn leeched everything from him, every last trace of life and magic, until finally, all that remained was a brittle, unmoving statue.

And all the while, Moondancer was laughing.

His eyes burned hot as coals fresh a fire, and black veins coursed down his body, dark magic sharing its lifeblood with him. His laughter was drowned out in a cacophony of voices, every soul he'd stolen, all laughing along with him, flooding the forest with unending, deranged noise.

The attack came from above.

The impact was a flurry of feathers, a blow hard enough to rattle his skull. Moondancer reeled from the force, grasping at his face. Blood was streaming from a cut on his forehead, and he looked around madly, trying to locate the assailant.

"Give. Him. Back."

Fluttershy stood before him, chest heaving, both wings flared in fury. She'd kicked him.

"How'd you get free?" Moondancer hissed. Desperately, he glanced to where he'd held her captive- only to find that his tendrils had fallen to the ground, torn to pieces. "What? That pegasus oaf was twice your size and couldn't break free, so how could a weakling-"

"I'm not weak!" Fluttershy shouted, stamping her hooves. "Bullies like you- Monsters- always underestimate me! But.....b-but I'm......I'm a veteran defender of Equestria!" Fluttershy raised her chin, her eyes burning bright, "And I'll always find the strength to do what's right!"

"Touching." Moondancer drawled. "How unfortunate you couldn't locate that strength before I turned your nephew into a lawn decoration."

"Give him back." Fluttershy strode forward, unafraid. "Give him back now."

Her voice was a growl, and Moondancer's ears pricked upright. Hers wasn't the only snarl he could hear.

From behind a tree stepped a timberwolf. It's slavering jaws hung open, showing off ragged, splintered teeth.

"Do you think you're special?" Fluttershy growled. "You're nothing. There have always been bullies like you. We've fought monsters, fallen kings, dragons, demons. You're just a pony." She spat. "You're just a child."

Under the weight of her rage, Moondancer felt rooted to the spot. Her eyes bored into his- so intense it nearly hurt to look. A dim memory floated to Moondancer- Pandora, quaking on her paws at Miss Fluttershy's scolding. Fluttershy had a superpower that could cow the fiercest beast into submission, Pan had told him, still sheepish. The Stare, Pandora had called it.

"I...I am no child." Moondancer tried. His voice broke partway through. "It's luck, and luck alone that has defeated your enemies. You're the weakest link in the chain- you're just too frightened to admit it."

Fluttershy set her jaw. "It isn't me that's frightened, Moondancer."

Two by two, clusters of of emerald eyes lit up from within the forest. An entire pack of timberwolves was prowling closer. They blended in with the trees- Moondancer couldn't count how many there were. A howl echoed through the trees.

From above them came a great rustling. Moondancer looked up to see an enormous eagle owl, glaring down at the pair with golden eyes. Another appeared, sinking gargantuan talons into the rotted branches.

The timberwolves were closing in. A great, dark shape stirred behind a tree- a bug bear? Another shadow lumbered past- Moondancer could make out claws.

.....Was this Fluttershy's doing? Were the animals drawn to her distress?

"Give him back."

Moondancer glanced around, trying to keep track of the creatures stalking about. It seemed everywhere he looked, there was yet another pair of glowing eyes, yet another set of dripping teeth. He swallowed. "I can't....do that."

"Give him back." Fluttershy hissed. The hoard of animals was advancing. "You're going to undo whatever terrible magic you've done to these ponies. Right now. You'll give Midnight back to her mothers. You'll give me back my nephew."

"No." Moondancer glared at her balefully, but he retreated a step. "They- and you as well- are necessary for my plan." He lowered his head to brandish his sparking horn. "And I will not be intimidated by-"

"GIVE HIM BACK!" Fluttershy roared, the entire forest reverberating with her rage. The animals roared alongside her, the volume sending Moondancer's head spinning- and like a great dam breaking, they surged forward, a crashing wave of claws and teeth rushing forward to attack.

In the face of the rampaging stampede, Moondancer's nerve failed him. He teleported, vanishing in a blip of light.

"Coward!" Fluttershy screamed. She swung her head around madly, furious to find him. "Traitor! I'll tell Princess Twilight! I'll tell everyone! Everypony in Equestria will know what you've done!"

The hair on the back of her neck bristled. He was behind her.

"You'll tell no one."

Fluttershy whipped round to face him, hauling back her hoof to kick, but the second they made eye contact, Moondancer's eyes flashed white, just once.

"Sleep, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy fell.

A creature leapt to catch her before her head hit the ground. Held in its claws, she tried her best to resist the drug-like pull of Moondancer's spell, but sleep drew her in, made her lids heavy. She fought to keep her eyes open, and made out her animal hoard rushing back in to attack Moondancer. But the unicorn simply vanished. In the commotion, a stray green feather was kicked up, and fluttered softly past her line of sight.

Desperately, she trained her gaze on it, straining to stay awake, to undo the nightmare, to warn Twilight, warn everyone- but consciousness slipped from her grasp.

The woodland creature nudged her carefully onto its back, beginning the long lumber back to Ponyville. But Fluttershy's head lolled to the side, and her breathing grew soft and even.

And she slept.

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Note: This is occurring the very same evening as "Detective Pandora".

the story continues....

View the Pandoraverse main story arc in chronological order here!

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film grain borrowed from here: Film Grain

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Meanwhile:

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"Oh goodness, oh kittens with mittens, this is a terrible idea. This is an awful, dreadful, monumentally terrible idea."

"I'm sorry, Missus Fluttershy." Moondancer lit his horn, using a burst of magic to push a rotten tree from their path. He turned to face the shivering yellow pegasus, his eyes full of concern. "Would you like to turn back?"

"No, no, I'm alright...." Fluttershy tried for a reassuring smile, but squeaked when a stray branch snagged in her mane. Swatting it away, she gulped a breath to steady herself. "It's just....the, um, the Everfree Forest has never been particularly welcoming to visitors, but now...." She swallowed, glancing around the twisted trees. "....Something's different. The air feels....hostile. I-I don't think the forest wants us here."

"Don't be silly, Missus Shy." Moondancer chuckled. He clambered over a fallen log, then lifted a hoof to assist the older mare across. "We're just ponies. What reason would the forest have to want us out? I've been crossing in and out of it with no problems whatsoever."

"...Crossing in and out....?" Fluttershy's ears pricked upright, confused. "Moondancer, why exactly have you been-"

"-In any case, I'm eternally grateful you answered my summons." He said quickly. "I sorely apologize for all the urgency and fuss, but I didn't know how to help on my own- I was afraid of making things worse, you understand."

Fluttershy nodded. "You said it was a bunny....?"

"Yes. Poor thing got itself caught in a snare. It was lucky enough to get its paw between the wire and its throat, so it didn't appear to be strangling, but its paw is bloodied and mangled. It's a ghastly sight, Missus Shy." Moondancer shuddered, looking a bit pale. "I......I'm afraid I haven't the stomach for these kinds of things."

"That's alright." The pegasus lifted her chin, determined. "Amputation may be necessary- and infection is always a risk- but we should be able to save it if we can reach the poor dear in time."

"Goodness, what a relief." Moondancer sighed. "I knew you were the right pony to bring, Doctor."

"But bunnies or not, you shouldn't have been wandering the Everfree in the first place. Especially not alone." Fluttershy chided, maternal instinct flaring up. "It's not just not safe, Moony. There's been rumors of ponies going missing. Vanishing without a trace." For a moment, she looked fearful at the notion, but remembered her scolding. "Nothing's been confirmed yet, but the princesses have warned everyone to be on high alert. M-maybe it's a little silly, but I've forbidden Rosie and Featherweight from going out after dark."

"Oh, come now, Missus Shy." Moondancer let out a snort of laughter. "Your children are big ponies. Isn't one a self-defense teacher? And the other a light weight boxing champion? You needn't keep them penned in like a mother hen atop her chicks. It's a lovely evening."

"No." Fluttershy said sternly. "As a matter of fact, as soon as we get that bunny stable, I'm escorting you home myself. We can't be too cautious. Not after what happened to poor Midnight."

"....Oh." Moondancer's face fell. "You.....you don't think that's related to the disappearances, do you?"

"Who's to say?" Fluttershy ducked under the branch he pulled aside for her. "But, if you ask me.....something smells rotten about this whole thing."

"Absolutely. I believe something is changing in our world, Missus Shy. Rabbits caught in wires, ponies vanishing in the night....and of course, poor, dear Midnight. I'm glad I have a brave, experienced mare like you for company." Moondancer praised warmly, "I'm certain you and your friends will get to the bottom of all this in no time."

Fluttershy turned a little pink. "Oh, thank you, sweetie." She reached out to touch a hoof to his shoulder. "Things may seem scary right now, but as long as ponies remember kindness, then harmony will always prevail." Her first genuine smile of the evening broke through, motherly and soft. "You'll see."

"I have absolute faith." Moondancer smiled. "....Here we are."

Before them sprawled a massive, twisting cavern of tree roots. Rotted vines, thick as ropes, hung like cobwebs across the canopy, casting the forest floor into eerie shadows. The bark of every tree was plastered with cords of thick slime mold, black as tar. Peering inside the tree cavern, Fluttershy couldn't make out how deep it was. It seemed to go on for miles, an open, endless, beckoning black void.

"Oh dear." Fluttershy's courage buckled. "The bunny's not in there, is it?"

"I'm afraid so, my dear."

"But...b-but...." The older mare stalled, grasping for a suitable excuse not to venture in, before she seemed to realize something. "....But there aren't any tracks."

"Hm?" Moondancer tilted his head. "Why would there be? The rabbit is inside."

"It still would've left tracks." The veterinarian insisted, "The forest floor is too soft, covered in mold. Tracks would still be visible, even if they were days old." Fluttershy glanced around, frowning. "And there isn't a single dropping in sight. After owning my little Angel Bunny all these years, I think I'd be able to recognize rabbit droppings." She regarded him carefully.

"......Moondancer, are you sure you saw a rabbit?"

"There's no doubt in my mind I saw a tiny, trapped little animal." Moondancer said. "But where did it go?" He snorted in frustration, levitating a tree root out of the way. "Could it be under here? No, no.....it couldn't have wedged itself in with a broken paw...Perhaps over here?" Lighting his horn, he conjured a gust of wind, upheaving a pile of decaying compost. "...Where is it?"

"Hm. Well.....if it gnawed through the snare, it wouldn't have made it far." Fluttershy examined gaps in the tree roots, then braved a peek into the gaping cavern. She rested a hoof against the entrance, and the slime mold stirred, just a little. "Unless the poor creature crawled in here to di-"

The mold on the trees suddenly burst to life, dividing and becoming a great, rolling mass of black tendrils. In a heartbeat, they ensnared the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy bleated as she was wrenched violently into the air, to dangle like a lure on a fish hook.

Moondancer was still rooting around under a rotted log, humming to himself. "Where, oh where is that little trapped rabbit...?" He turned to glance back over his shoulder, only just noticing her predicament. "...Ah." And Moondancer's mouth pulled into a slow smile- thin. Hungry.

"There she is."

Fluttershy opened her mouth, but a tendril slapped across her muzzle, cutting off her scream. A rope of black mass snaked round her throat and constricted lightly, just once. A warning.

"Don't." Moondancer urged. "Please. You're a nice mare, Missus Shy. I'd prefer to keep your stress to a minimum." He lit his horn, and the tendrils obediently lowered her, so the ponies were face to face. "...There now. I imagine you have some questions."

Fluttershy nodded, her eyes wide and glistening.

"I'm certain I know what the first one is. I'm afraid the answer is no. You will not leave this place alive."

Fluttershy made a strange sound in her throat, high-pitched, gurgled.

"Now that that's out of the way, if there's anything else you wish to know, now's the time to ask, my dear."

The tendril covering her mouth slipped loose. "Why are you doing this?" Fluttershy breathed. Her voice quaked with such raw hurt that Moondancer was momentarily taken aback. "I don't understand."

"It's.....nothing personal." Moondancer reassured. "Not against you, anyway. This is just....a precaution."

"It's you, isn't it?" She blurted. "You're the reason p-ponies are disappearing."

"Bravo, Missus Shy." Moondancer clapped, a hollow gesture. "I've found that the ponies of Equestria- unicorns, earth ponies, pegasi- none of them truly appreciate their gifts. Their magic is better off with me."

"T-that's....." Fluttershy drew in a deep breath for courage. "That's not your call to make."

"Predation is the same in ponies and animals alike, Missus Shy. You know this. The strong must consume the weak. It's simply the way of the world." With a flash of magic, Moondancer controlled the tendrils, drawing her closer to the cavern entrance. "Would you deny a starving fox, tempted by a hen house?"

The unicorn charged his horn, then cast a broad illumination spell, bathing the interior of the cave in a warm, red glow.

Inside, Fluttershy could make out a statue. It was pony shaped, and appeared to be made of dull, grey crystal. Straining her eyes, Fluttershy spotted another statue within the darkness- another set of glittering crystal eyes gazing out at her. She could see the shape of wings, of horns, of hooves, all so incredibly lifelike. Mares and stallions, unicorns, earth ponies, pegasi. With a start, she realized there were rows and rows of them, crystalline statues arranged as carefully as dolls in a display case. The darkness sunk deep into their features, casting glassy eyes in shadow, plunging down wide, screaming mouths.

Fluttershy felt a wave of bile surge up in her throat, and she clenched her teeth to hold it back. Every one of those lifeless figures had once been a pony.

"Such fat, docile little hens." Moondancer chuckled, licking his lips. At some point, a thick, black, tar-like substance had begun seeping from his nostrils, from the corners of his eyes. "Would you like to join them?"

"Moondancer, no-"

"No?" The unicorn faltered, caught off guard. "But.....but you are Kindness." He insisted, a little desperately. The barrel of his chest began to heave. "You embody your element perfectly. Perhaps you can calm them down. You must."

"W-who?" Fluttershy squeaked. "Who are you talking about?"

"Them." The unicorn gestured into the cavern, at the hollow of frozen corpses. "The noisy, ungrateful things." One of Moondancer's ears twitched, listening to something Fluttershy couldn't hear- and he snarled in frustration, dropping down to scratch at it with a hind hoof, resembling an overgrown, flea-bitten dog. "The voices- their voices- they won't be quiet-"

"Moondancer, please, you need help-" Fluttershy tried, pleading. "Princess Twilight can help you-"

"Princess Twilight?" The name brought Moondancer to his senses, and he frowned at her, as though she'd said something particularly stupid. "Princess Twilight would have me incinerated in the light of her wretched harmony." He spat, beginning to pace wildly. "That's why I took you. Had to be you. Had to be Kindness. Friendship is a powerful force, but you- you're the weakest link in Princess Twilight's chain. Dispatching you will sever the connection between the Element-Bearers, nullify their greatest weapon before the little fools even think to launch an attack against me."

"I...." Fluttershy was trembling, but her voice steadied suddenly, and she glared hard. "I am not weak."

"Flighty little hens don't know they're hens." Moondancer smiled at her. "....Not til the fox is upon them."

"Does your mother know about this?" Fluttershy braved. "....Does Maud?"

Moondancer paused, ears pinning back. "....Enough questions." His face darkened, and he lit his horn, casting a conjuring spell. Fluttershy felt something sharp tap her cheek. It was a horn, long and curved, the tip stained crimson.

"Goodbye, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy felt dangerous, raw energy crackle up her coat, as the air charged with unseen, malevolent power. The magic would rip through her body at any moment, in a bolt of monstrous, white-hot force that would come and burn out her life before she could think to scream. Her eyes went wide, glossy with tears- and she desperately tried to recall the faces of her loved ones, hoping against hope that one had noticed her disappearance, had already run to Twilight for help. She thought of her friends' warm laughter, of Bulk's booming, overenthusiastic cheering. She thought of Featherweight's snaggletoothed grin, of Rosemary's sweet, bone-crushing hugs. And-

"Let her go."

A voice floated from the darkness. Fluttershy's eyes shot open.

Standing before the pair was her nephew, Chakra Blossom.

She twisted in her bindings, rushing to warn him away, to scream at him to run, but a tendril slipped over mouth, and her cries were lost.

"Oh, well this is a surprise." Moondancer hummed. "....Did you follow us all the way here?"

"Uh-huh." Chakra ventured a step closer. "Imagine my surprise, seeing a shifty-eyed little punk leading my aunt into the woods all alone. You may have everyone else fooled, but I know the look of a pony up to no good. I knew nobody would believe me, so I followed you myself."

"What a clever little pony you are." Moondancer chuckled, and there was a strange, dreamy echo to the sound, as though he was speaking with more than one voice. "....But not clever enough. If this is a rescue, it's off to a dreadful start. Silly pony, you've already squandered your element of surprise."

"I don't need it." Chakra held strong. "Because I think you already want to let her free."

Moondancer stilled, glancing up at the ensnared yellow pegasus. "....An appeal to my better nature? Is that the best you can do? I'm disappointed, Mister Blossom." Moondancer moved to face Chakra, turning his back on Fluttershy. "Don't you know what I did to Midnight?"

Chakra braved a glance up at Fluttershy- and he saw her carefully wriggling a hoof free. Good. Okay. Keep him talking.

"....I could hazard a guess." Chakra ventured. "You lied to Starlight and Sunset. It wasn't an accident at all, was it?"

"It was. At first." Moondancer began to circle the green pegasus, prowling like a great cat. "A delightful, delicious accident. At first I was afraid, yes- I would've run for help, colt scout’s honor. But then......I realized her power could be mine. Everypony, everyone- they could all be mine."

"I see." Chakra's muzzle twisted in a sneer. "So Midnight had to die to feed your inferiority complex."

"Midnight was simply the first." Moondancer's mouth split into a thin, hollow smile. "Many will perish to sate my hunger. I couldn't stop if I wanted to. Do you have any idea how good this feels?" Tar was dripping freely from the unicorn's mouth- Chakra realized Moondancer was salivating. "It's true- I was inferior, all my life, but now- Now-"

Moondancer's horn roared to life. His magic whipped the air around them into a hurricane, causing the trees to shudder and creak under the force. The wind tore viciously at Fluttershy and Chakra, battering them with debris. Raw magic thundered through the air, and Chakra could feel the energy hissing against his flesh, volatile and hungry.

"Power has come to me, at long last." Moondancer's voice crashed through the clearing. "And I only grow stronger with every new soul. Can't you see? Nothing else matters anymore. Every moment I don't use this blessed, dark, wicked magic, my flesh crawls, and I feel worms in my brain, compelling me to use it again, to bear the wretched voices, the sickness- if only for another electrifying dose of black magic. It's become a drug, a beautiful, terrible disease- but I need it. I will have it. I will wrench it from the mouth of every spoiled, indolent little pony in Equestria, I'll gut the soul of Celestia herself, I'll send the sun and moon crashing down. I will be greater and more powerful than unicorn, than any alicorn, than any creature who has ever lived."

As quickly has the gale had flared up, it dispersed. Chakra lay curled into himself, protecting his body with his wings. When he peered up, he found Moondancer standing directly in front of him, regarding him with vacant black eyes.

"...No one can stop me now, Mister Blossom." The unicorn said softly. "Least of all you."

Chakra tried to calm his hammering heart. "Okay. I hear you. What...." He wet his dry mouth, grasping for an idea. "....How about a trade, then?"

"Eh?" Moondancer cocked his head.

"Me for her, dipshit." Chakra pointed at his aunt. Fluttershy swung her head madly in refusal, letting loose muffled pleas.

"Auntie Shy always told me that kindness is alive in every creature." Chakra continued. "The second you take her out, what's to say somebody new won't step up to wield her element? It could be anyone, you'd have no control over who the forces of Harmony pick."

"You're bluffing." Moondancer snapped, but his ears folded back, uncertain.

"Wanna bet?" Chakra stood up, daring to step closer. "And every time you snuff somepony, you lose leverage. If Princess Twilight and her friends find out, and manage to find a replacement for Aunt Shy, you'll be completely, royally screwed. But if you had a hostage-" Chakra gestured at himself- "You'd have a way to manipulate the others. If you take me, and let Fluttershy go- she's compromised. She's the element of Kindness, she won't use the Elements on you, not if it means I could get killed in the crossfire." He pointedly didn't look at his aunt. "Kindness....can be weakness. Exploit it."

Moondancer considered. "....Princess Twilight and the other alicorns would do anything to save their precious little ponies. The princesses certainly wouldn't care about you. Who's to say they wouldn't force Fluttershy to use her element?"

"They're the elements of harmony, dumbass. They don't work if one of the users is out of sync. You can't force harmony, not with all the magical might in the world."

"My, my, Mister Blossom, how very noble. But you must know.....I wouldn't stop. Even if Fluttershy walks free. I'd harvest the magic from every creature and rebuild the world anew." Moondancer strode closer, examining the pegasus carefully. "So tell me- would you really sell out all of Equestria to save your aunt? Countless lives, yours included- all ponies with hopes and dreams- all thrown away for one pathetic, sniveling soul?"

Chakra didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Fluttershy let out a screaming little sob, and struggled desperately in her bindings. Moondancer chuckled, low and dark.

"A sacrifice as selfless as it is selfish. I'm impressed, Mister Blossom." The unicorn praised. His horn began to glow, casting the forest in dull red light. "....But I can't allow Fluttershy to go prancing back to Ponyville to reveal my plan. I'd like to remain in the shadows for just a bit longer.....I'm afraid there can be no witnesses."

A black tendril burst free of the ground, uprooting trees, roaring through the forest floor. Like a flash of lightning, it snaked around Chakra, ensnaring the pegasus before he could think to run. With a yelp, Chakra was wrenched into the air, and Moondancer began prowling over to the helpless stallion. Chakra swung his head around wildly- and his eyes settled on Fluttershy. She was watching him with wide, streaming eyes- but she'd managed to free another hoof. She was prying at her binding with a wing, careful- always careful- to mind Moondancer's position. The unicorn couldn't be alerted of her escape.

Chakra tried desperately to steady himself. She's okay, you're okay. Focus, asshole. Keep stalling.

He switched tactics, deciding to goad. "I'm sure you think this edgy drama queen theater kid crap is real intimidating. But none of the black magic in the world is ever gonna earn you an ounce of respect. You're pathetic, Moondancer- this whole routine is just you desperately trying to hide the fact. Midnight was scarier than you, and she was pink."

"Careful, Mister Blossom." Moondancer warned. "I promised to make this as painless as possible for Fluttershy. I'm of no obligation to extend that courtesy to you."

"I told you, I ain't afraid of you." Chakra taunted. "Midnight wasn't. She knew you were just a spoiled little foal, throwing a tantrum because ponies had the nerve not to kneel down and kiss the dirt you walked on. That's why you had to take her down a peg, right? She was the only one of us who saw you for the coward you really are."

Moondancer froze. His mouth twitched- and then he burst into a peal of incredulous laughter.

".....You think Morning Glory wasn't afraid of me?" He echoed, amazed, as though Chakra was a stupid school foal that'd raised his hoof with an impressively wrong answer. "Sorry, did you imagine her last stand was some brave, heroic spectacle? Did you think she gave me one of her signature dour-faced little dressing downs?" Moondancer laughed again, unable to contain himself.

Moondancer leaned in close. When he spoke, his voice was softer, a gloomy, feminine drawl. Midnight's voice.

"I died like a stupid, lost little filly, Chakra." Midnight-Moondancer murmured. "I died crying for my mommies to save me."

Chakra's mouth fell open, and horror turned his blood to ice. Of course.

....Of course it stood to reason if Moondancer had absorbed Midnight, then maybe a spark of her was still alive, trapped inside the very predator that'd consumed her. Was she still alive- just powerless to tear herself free? Or was she dead, and all this just some sick illusion- Moondancer using her voice like some monstrous puppet?

.....It was funny, Chakra thought. Midnight would've probably appreciated the morbid irony, were she here to see it. Despite himself, he felt his eyes prick with heat, and shameful moisture began to flow down his cheeks.

Moondancer sniggered. "Now who's pathetic?"

Chakra made a quiet sound, somewhere between a sob and a laugh. He drew his head back once- and spit in Moondancer's face.

The unicorn jerked backward, revolted. He scrubbed at his cheek with a hoof, aiming a glower at the impudent pegasus. "Oh, charming, Mister Blossom. Charming to the very end." He brandished his horn, and the magic tendrils constricted tight around Chakra's body, forcing out a wheeze.

"You know....Morning Glory was a talented witch. I can admit that freely. Her mothers miss her terribly, the poor old dears. And Missus Fluttershy- she'll be missed as well, by many. She's an admirable pony. She and Midnight were important chess pieces that needed to be captured- but their loss is regrettable. Their lives had value. I wish I could say the same for you, Chakra." Moondancer sneered. The unicorn turned his head, and the tendril followed the motion, drawing Chakra tight, winding him back.

"In your case, it's really more like.....getting rid of vermin."

The tendril snapped forward, hurling Chakra into a tree. The wood splintered against the sheer force- and there came a high-pitched sound. Fluttershy was screaming.

"Wakey-wakey, little pony." Moondancer approached where Chakra had fallen, cooing sweetly. "No sleeping on the job."

Chakra had been slumped over on the ground, but Moondancer seized him again, winding another tendril round his slack body and hefting him upright. "Oh biscuits, that looks bad." The unicorn examined Chakra's wing. It dangled uselessly, broken and bloodied.

"But of course, I'm no doctor." Moondancer chuckled. "What's your prognosis, Missus Shy?" He turned round to face her, lifting Chakra up so she could see him. Fluttershy startled, caught. She'd been halfway out of her restraints, hell-bent on saving her nephew.

"Oh my, you're not trying to slip out, are you?" Moondancer lilted. "Or.... perhaps you've been trying to this whole time? Those vines are a part of me, my dear. I could feel you trying to wriggle free." He pulled another tendril from the shadows, moving it to constrict around her body. "...But there can be no escape."

"Please, don't." Fluttershy whispered. "Please...."

From behind them came a cough. Chakra struggled to lift his head. "....He's not gonna listen, Aunt Shy."

"N-no, Chakra, honey-"

“....It was a good try, Auntie. You did good.” The pegasus managed a small, feeble smile. “And, uh, I wanted to tell you....” He swallowed, frowning, then tried again. “Ah, y’know, i-if you make it out of this, could you tell Rose that I.....uh, that I’m s-“

"What a sweet attempt at sentiment." Moondancer crooned. "....But I'm afraid final words aren't a luxury afforded to losers." In a flash of magic, he summoned the red-tipped horn. Gently, mockingly, he placed it against Chakra's forehead.

"Poor, poor Chakra Blossom. A total, incontestable waste of space. Trusted by no one, detested by all. Good for nothing...." Moondancer's eyes began to glow dimly, and the horn hummed with sinister, unseen force.

Chakra’s eyes held a plea. “...Wait. I needed.....I-I didn’t-“

"Of course you didn't, Chakra." Midnight's voice echoed alongside Moondancer's, gloomy and unimpressed as ever. "You remain, as you've always been, a failure. To the very, very end."

There was a eruption of blinding, white-hot light. Fluttershy forced her eyes open, forced herself to look.

Chakra struggled for only a moment, before his body abruptly went limp as a ragdoll. Light poured from his eyes and mouth, brutally wrenched into the horn. A scream ripped from his throat, and wove into the rushing roar of magic. His very color bled off his body in waves, and his fur and feathers turned ash grey, becoming crystal, with a sound like cracking glass. The horn leeched everything from him, every last trace of life and magic, until finally, all that remained was a brittle, unmoving statue.

And all the while, Moondancer was laughing.

His eyes burned hot as coals fresh a fire, and black veins coursed down his body, dark magic sharing its lifeblood with him. His laughter was drowned out in a cacophony of voices, every soul he'd stolen, all laughing along with him, flooding the forest with unending, deranged noise.

The attack came from above.

The impact was a flurry of feathers, a blow hard enough to rattle his skull. Moondancer reeled from the force, grasping at his face. Blood was streaming from a cut on his forehead, and he looked around madly, trying to locate the assailant.

"Give. Him. Back."

Fluttershy stood before him, chest heaving, both wings flared in fury. She'd kicked him.

"How'd you get free?" Moondancer hissed. Desperately, he glanced to where he'd held her captive- only to find that his tendrils had fallen to the ground, torn to pieces. "What? That pegasus oaf was twice your size and couldn't break free, so how could a weakling-"

"I'm not weak!" Fluttershy shouted, stamping her hooves. "Bullies like you- Monsters- always underestimate me! But.....b-but I'm......I'm a veteran defender of Equestria!" Fluttershy raised her chin, her eyes burning bright, "And I'll always find the strength to do what's right!"

"Touching." Moondancer drawled. "How unfortunate you couldn't locate that strength before I turned your nephew into a lawn decoration."

"Give him back." Fluttershy strode forward, unafraid. "Give him back now."

Her voice was a growl, and Moondancer's ears pricked upright. Hers wasn't the only snarl he could hear.

From behind a tree stepped a timberwolf. It's slavering jaws hung open, showing off ragged, splintered teeth.

"Do you think you're special?" Fluttershy growled. "You're nothing. There have always been bullies like you. We've fought monsters, fallen kings, dragons, demons. You're just a pony." She spat. "You're just a child."

Under the weight of her rage, Moondancer felt rooted to the spot. Her eyes bored into his- so intense it nearly hurt to look. A dim memory floated to Moondancer- Pandora, quaking on her paws at Miss Fluttershy's scolding. Fluttershy had a superpower that could cow the fiercest beast into submission, Pan had told him, still sheepish. The Stare, Pandora had called it.

"I...I am no child." Moondancer tried. His voice broke partway through. "It's luck, and luck alone that has defeated your enemies. You're the weakest link in the chain- you're just too frightened to admit it."

Fluttershy set her jaw. "It isn't me that's frightened, Moondancer."

Two by two, clusters of of emerald eyes lit up from within the forest. An entire pack of timberwolves was prowling closer. They blended in with the trees- Moondancer couldn't count how many there were. A howl echoed through the trees.

From above them came a great rustling. Moondancer looked up to see an enormous eagle owl, glaring down at the pair with golden eyes. Another appeared, sinking gargantuan talons into the rotted branches.

The timberwolves were closing in. A great, dark shape stirred behind a tree- a bug bear? Another shadow lumbered past- Moondancer could make out claws.

.....Was this Fluttershy's doing? Were the animals drawn to her distress?

"Give him back."

Moondancer glanced around, trying to keep track of the creatures stalking about. It seemed everywhere he looked, there was yet another pair of glowing eyes, yet another set of dripping teeth. He swallowed. "I can't....do that."

"Give him back." Fluttershy hissed. The hoard of animals was advancing. "You're going to undo whatever terrible magic you've done to these ponies. Right now. You'll give Midnight back to her mothers. You'll give me back my nephew."

"No." Moondancer glared at her balefully, but he retreated a step. "They- and you as well- are necessary for my plan." He lowered his head to brandish his sparking horn. "And I will not be intimidated by-"

"GIVE HIM BACK!" Fluttershy roared, the entire forest reverberating with her rage. The animals roared alongside her, the volume sending Moondancer's head spinning- and like a great dam breaking, they surged forward, a crashing wave of claws and teeth rushing forward to attack.

In the face of the rampaging stampede, Moondancer's nerve failed him. He teleported, vanishing in a blip of light.

"Coward!" Fluttershy screamed. She swung her head around madly, furious to find him. "Traitor! I'll tell Princess Twilight! I'll tell everyone! Everypony in Equestria will know what you've done!"

The hair on the back of her neck bristled. He was behind her.

"You'll tell no one."

Fluttershy whipped round to face him, hauling back her hoof to kick, but the second they made eye contact, Moondancer's eyes flashed white, just once.

"Sleep, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy fell.

A creature leapt to catch her before her head hit the ground. Held in its claws, she tried her best to resist the drug-like pull of Moondancer's spell, but sleep drew her in, made her lids heavy. She fought to keep her eyes open, and made out her animal hoard rushing back in to attack Moondancer. But the unicorn simply vanished. In the commotion, a stray green feather was kicked up, and fluttered softly past her line of sight.

Desperately, she trained her gaze on it, straining to stay awake, to undo the nightmare, to warn Twilight, warn everyone- but consciousness slipped from her grasp.

The woodland creature nudged her carefully onto its back, beginning the long lumber back to Ponyville. But Fluttershy's head lolled to the side, and her breathing grew soft and even.

And she slept.

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Note: This is occurring the very same evening as "Detective Pandora".

the story continues....

View the Pandoraverse main story arc in chronological order here!

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film grain borrowed from here: Film Grain

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