Twilight sat in an old decrepit chair, in an old and decrepit library. In front of her lay open an old book. She levitated it carefully opened to its first page. She didn’t read far before putting it down again.

“Spike,” she called out. “As much as it pains me to say this, I… I can’t read this!” She gave a heavy sigh. “Can you please do me the favor?”

“Now, hold on a second Twi,” Spike answered. “Why do I have to read it? You were the one who wanted to read it so badly.”

“That was before I realized just what I would be reading,” she replied.

Spike gave his employer a raised eyebrow. “Okay. Who are you and what have you done with my Twilight?” 

“Spike, I haven’t gone anywhere, nor do I plan on going anywhere anytime soon. Matter of fact, travel plans weren’t even in my mind at all.”

Spike rolled his eyes at Twilight’s expected response. “I guess reading you this isn’t going to kill me,” he said, taking the book from Twi’s telekinetic grasp. “Though, I expect an extra bit of gems for my trouble once we finish this book of yours,” he added with a serious look.

Twilight smiled and gave her young assistant a rub on the head, which made Spike’s frills messy. “Now hurry! The sooner we get this piece of text out of the way, the sooner we can get out of here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Spike said as he focused on the book’s cover: 

[i]The Town That No Longer Exists[/i]

Spike paused, gaze once again falling on Twilight. She gave him a meek, but resolute nod.  

“This won’t end well,” he said with a shake of his head. 


[hr]
[b][i]There was once a little filly named Emily. She was eight years of age. Emily was unhappy, for she realized that she lacked friends. [/i]

[i]At first, Emily tried to be friends with her servants, but they shied away from her. Next, Emily tried to be friends with her parents. They too kept their distance. Finally, Emily tried to be friends with the other children, but they feared ‘incurring her wrath.’ Not even the mailmare paid Emily any mind.[/i]

[i]All that changed one particularly cold and clear moonless night…[/i]

[i]Up in the pitch-black sky, a shooting star raced across the heavens. Emily was awoken by the light and quickly remembered the old legends about shooting stars. Thus, she made a wish.[/i]

[i]Right before her eyes something materialized. From it, something came forth—He introduced himself as “whirl,” and promised to be Emily’s very special friend. Emily, hearing this, gave her new best friend a hug, and for the first time in her life, she was truly happy.[/i]

[i]Weeks passed, and Emily’s snotty and unruly behavior lessened, instead replaced by a calmness that felt off. Yet, at the same time, awful things began to happen. Accidents, businesses going broke, and a near-total infant mortality rate. [/i]

[i]Soon, the townsfolk whipped themselves into a frenzy, blame flying in every direction. Finally, the blame fell on Emily’s parents, who were rich and secluded—not to mention nasty and bitter. Emily’s home was assaulted.[/i]

[i]Young Emily watched from her room as the townsfolk stormed her home, assaulted the servants, took her parents, and viciously executed them in a bonfire. She turned to Whirl and asked him to do something. He transformed before Emily’s eyes and took on a new form. [/i]

[i]Emily was unable to scream. [/i]

[i]Whirl, with his new form, fell on the townsfolk. With one wave of his tendril, he made them blind with rage. Emily watched as the crowds, maddened and blood drunk, tore each other apart. Eventually, she too took up a knife vanished into the crowds of slaughter and butchery, never to be seen again.[/i]

[i]The sun rose over the blood-drenched earth. Any sign of civilized habitation was gone. Mounds upon mounds of bodies littered the ground. In the central square, dozens of stakes stood erect, bodies impaled on them, all carved with an incomprehensible language.[/i][/b]

[hr]
Spike shut the book and tossed it aside in disgust. He turned to Twilight with a horrified look on his eyes. “What the [i]hay[/i] did I just read!?”

Twilight said nothing. She could say nothing... except for the smile forming on her lips.