Author's Note: This story takes place one month after . It explains why Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are a couple and adds context to this story. However, if you can simply accept that they're dating, it is not a required read.
-Story is Grimdark. Read at your own discretion!-
Chapter 1
"How does it make that sound?" A young filly stared hypnotized by the gentle music caressing her ears. The small box before her let out a harmony that reminded her of angels. The warm body next to her grew closer, nuzzling up against her.
"I don't know the details myself," an older mare's soothing voice swept through her ears as if the voice itself was trying to hug her. Her voice was soft yet delicate, "But it's just like an instrument. Every piece is finely tuned, so that when a cord is struck it plays a gentle note."
"But it only plays one song..." The young filly mused as she continued to stare, comforted by the warmth of the other with her. "And...it seems a little sad..." she leaned her head against the bigger body, resting against it.
"Yes, I suppose it does sound a little sad." The older mare smiled warmly, her long mane falling in the filly's face. The little filly giggled a little as the hair tickled her face, before moving it out of the way to smile at the music box, "But this music box is...very special to me." The older mare sighed happily.
"...I like it." The filly smiled happily, closing her eyes as she listened, the melody softly flowing through her ears. She couldn't help but think it was beautiful.
"Please never forget...that I love you..." The older mare's voice grew quiet with those words.
"I know mother...I love you too." The filly nuzzled against her mother happily. The older mare grew quiet as the filly nuzzled against her mother. There was a silence that filled the air, only being filled by the gentle and calming music from the box.
"...Mother?" The young filly broke the silence, but it soon returned. The chimes of the music seemed to slow down, drawing out each individual note. "...Mother..." she called again, lifting her head up to try and look at her mother. The older mare had suddenly grown quiet.
"Mother...say something..." The filly pleaded, pushing against her mother with her hooves, trying to get her attention. The mare's body felt like it was growing colder, wobbling a bit before falling over. The older mare lay on the floor, her hair looking like cobwebs on the ground, her coat growing dull, her unmoving form framed against the darkness of the ground.
"Mother!" The young filly cried pushing her hooves against her mother as the music box continued to slow down, each note ringing in her head that something was wrong. The filly moved her hands away from her mother and stared at her hooves, her blood covered hooves. The body of the mare was withering away, blood escaping from underneath her body.
"Mother...Mother...MOTHER!" The filly cried as tears began to stream down her eyes, shaking her mother's body to wake her, to tell her everything was alright. The music from the box died.
The body of the filly's mother turned to dust, as it vanished in the wind, leaving nothing but the blood that had been spilled.
The filly shook and cried, tears drenching her cheeks. She touched the blood stain on the floor, trying to feel any remaining heat that told her that her mother was still there.
The blood was cold, no sign of life to it.
The music box started to play music once more, but it no longer played the sad but beautiful song. The music box hissed a horrifying sound, as if bees suddenly filled the box. The filly looked up into the darkness, terror filling her core.
