~*Sign OF The Times*~

By Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes was getting ready for the Evening party at the dream castle. She wore a lovely golden gown with jewels embroidered at the ends. Her shoes were clear and shimmery and her hair was done up in beautiful braids tied with golden ribbons. As Bright Eyes left her Home in the mountain, she noticed a mole hole near the entrance to her cave. "Hmm... Moles never usually dig up here in the mountains..." She said to herself.

As she ventured down the mountain, she saw a vulture circling the sky above her. "Thats strange... We never usually see vultures around this part..." She said. Suddenly, a mole popped out of the ground right in front of her and froze. "Aww... poor thing, are you lost?" She said. It growled at her. "Uh..." she said as she started to back away. The mole roared. "Aaaah!" Bright Eyes ran as fast as she could. The mole started following her. She started getting tired and slowed her pace a bit. As she did so, the mole got closer, and closer to her. Gasping, Bright Eyes leaped onto a large boulder. The mole went right up to the boulder and looked around. It obviously couldnt see Bright Eyes up on the rock so it dug back down into the ground. "few!" Bright Eyes said hopping off the boulder. Then, She noticed the Vulter that was flying above her, started dive-bombing her. "Aaaaaaaaah!" Bright Eyes ran. The atrocious vulter on her trail. Bright Eyes Ran and ran. "Gee, why are the animals acting this way?" She said to herself as she ran down the mountain. "umph!" Bright eyes had fallen into a pit. "Ow..." She said rubbing her head with her hoof. She looked up. The pit she had fell into was REALLY deep. There was absolutely no way for her to get out with out a rope or a ladder. She seen the vulture circling above. "Ah, There you are Bright Eyes!" said a strange wizzard like person at the top of the pit. "who...who are you...? How did you know my name?" Bright Eyes stuttered. "My name is Elrich. I am the most powerful wizzard ever!" The man said. "What do you want?" Said Bright Eyes timidly. "You!" said the man.

Bright Eyes awoke in some sort of castle. "Where am I?" She said. "Why, in my castle of course!" said Elrich. "What do you want with me?" Said Bright Eyes. "Your Power!" Shouted Elrich. "But... why my powers?" Said Bright Eyes. "You are the only being on this planter that is capable of turning back time!" He said. "But... Those are my pony powers. I cant just give them to you..." She said. "Well thats why you are going to be my slave!" He shrieked. "Slave?! Oh no, i'm definatly not going to be your slave.." Bright Eyes said as she backed into a hard stone wall. "Well... You have a choice, either be my slaves, or get thrown in the dungeaon!" He said. Bright Eyes didnt answer. "Well, what is it?" He said harshly. Bright eyes seen the mole and the vulture that had been chasing her. They were isolated in steel cages along with a deer, some rats, a frog, and a wolf. "Why are these animals here?" Asked Bright Eyes. "They are my slaves! They help me proceed with my plan." Said Elrich in an arrogant tone. "But thats awful! These animals should be out in the wild..." Bright eyes didnt finish. "Silence, creature!" Elrich inturrupted. "I gave you your choices and you have yet to answer me!" Elrich yelled. "Either help me or be faced to death!" Yelled Elrich. "Well, i'm certainly not helping you! Look at these poor creatures..." Bright Eyes said. "Silence!!!" Elrich Screamed. He snapped his fingers. Two Large Gorrillas came and grabbed Bright Eyes. "Uh!" Bright Eyes struggled. The Gorrillas roared. Two Crystal beams shot from Bright Eyes's eyes. They hit the Gorrillas. The gorrilas thundered to the ground stunned. Bright Eyes got up. "Raaah!" Elrich growled.

Bright Eyes awoke in a dreadful, dusty place that smelled of rotting flesh. "This must be the dungeon..." She said to herself. She looked around. It was a place of death. She could just feel it. She seen a skeleton of something chained to the wall beside her. As she got up and tried to walk, she fell immediatly. Her back leg was chained to the wall. She aimed her crystal beams at the fetter. But nothing came out. She even tried her time powers but they didnt work either. Bright Eyes sighed. "What am i gonna do?" Said Bright eyes. She heard wierd, scary noises. Bright Eyes Cringed. She seen a wolf-like being walking about. It stood on 2 legs and wore a long, red, tattered cape and held some sort of a ceptor. It's eyes glowed mysteriously. As it walked closer, Bright Eyes could see its eyes. As she looked into its eyes, she seen fire. A rat scurried across the wolf creatures feet. Flames came out of its mouth and toasted the rat. The creature stabbed the rat with the pointy end of its ceptor and ate it as if it were an orderb. "Uhm.. Excuse me... Could you please help me get this fetter off of my leg? Please?" Bright Eyes asked timidly. The creatured turned at her. It stared at her the fetter attaced to her leg. It growled and shot a precise beam of fire at the fetter. It melted and fell off. Bright Eyes got up. "Thank you!" Bright Eyes said greatfully. The creature looked as if it wasnt something to be proud of. It started to walk away. "Wait!" said Bright Eyes. The creature turned. "What do you want?!" It roared. "Uh.. I wanted to know if you knew the way out..." It pointed its ceptor at a large flight of stairs a long ways ahead. It started walking away. Bright Eyes followed after. "My name's Bright Eyes." She said. "I am Arcall." It said. As they got to the stairway, a wierd ghost like thing with a skeletons head floated up to them and made an awful noise. It carried a ceptor simular to the one Arcall carries. Fire came out of the ghosts ceptor and encircled them. "Be gone Oradite!" Arcall said as the ring of fire was sucked up into Arcalls ceptor and thrown at the Oradite. The Oradite vanished. "Up the stairway there is a door. The door leads back into the castle. But the door is pryed shut. You will have to throw this at the door to make yourself an exit." He said. He handed Bright Eyes a reddish colored stone. "Now go. Your on your own from here." Arcall Vanished. "Wait..." Bright Eyes said. But it was too late. Arcall was gone. Bright Eyes traveled up the stairway. She got to the Corridor. It was VERY large. She threw the stone Arcall gave her. The spot she threw the stone at turned red and melted. A large hole appeared. Bright Eyes crawled through. She looked around. She seen paintings on the walls of old wizzards and warlocks. There was another flight of stairs. Bright Eyes climbed them till she got to the top. There was a small corridor. She pushed the door and it opened. "Ah, i see you've escaped!" said Elrich. "Yes." said Bright Eyes. "I am here to destroy you!" she said. Elrich laughed. "Destroy me? You cant destroy me, your just a mere little pony!" he yelled. Bright Eyes aimed a crystal beam at him. And finally something shot out. But unfortunatly it didnt hit Elrich. "I wonder why my powers didnt work in the dungeaon..." said Bright Eyes to herself. Elrich snapped his fingers. The 2 gorrilas came dashing out towords Bright Eyes. Bright Eyes noticed that the gorrillas had a blue luminiscant band around their necks. Bright Eyes aimed her beams at the bands, As the beams hit, the bands hell off and the gorrillas were no longer controlled by Elrich. Sh also noticed that the animals in the cages wore simular bands around their necks. "So, you have to use poor defenseless animals to do your dirty work? Thats dispickable!" Said Bright Eyes. Elrich grimmaced. He picked up a staff and aimed it at Bright Eyes. a lavender beam came out but Bright Eyes dodged it. "So that must be the source of his power..." said Bright Eyes. She aimed her beams at the staff and it shattered. Elrich fell over. Suddenly, the cages dissapeared and the animals were released. Bright Eyes stood in front of Elrich. Elrich backed away. Bright Eyes took aim. She shot her beams at him and he evaporated into the air. The castle started shaking. Stones fell from the walls. "Hurry! We must get out of here!" Said Bright Eyes running down the starway. The animals followed after. She got to the very end corridor. This was the way out! She pushed the door but it wouldnt budge. "C'mon, help me get this door open!" Bright Eyes yelled. Suddenly Arcall appeared. "Stand back." he said. He burned down the door and Bright Eyes, Arcall, and the animals ran out of the castle. As they got to the hills, they watched the castle crumble to the ground. "Well, glad thats all over." Said Bright Eyes. "Oh, and... Thanks for helping me Arcall..." Bright Eyes said. "It's my pleasure!" said Arcall joyfully. He seemed more happier. "But now i dont have a place to stay..." Said Arcall. "You can come stay with us ponies in dream valley!" Said Bright Eyes.

Bright Eyes and Arcall walked into the dream castle. "Sorry i'm late..." said Bright Eyes. "Where were you?! We were worried sick!" Said Galaxy. "Its a long story..." Said Bright Eyes. Bright eyes just happened to notice her dress was all torn and dirty, her hair was messed up and she reaked of dirt and dust. "And who's this?" asked Galaxy. "Everyone, this is Arcall, my dear friend that helped me escape." Said Bright Eyes. Arcall bowed before the ponies. "Is it allright if he stays with us in dream valley?" Bright Eyes asked. "Well, i dont see why not. There are pleanty of caves in the mountains..." Said Galaxy. "Well, how was the party?" Asked Bright Eyes. "We were too worried about you so we went on search parties instead." Said Galaxy. "I know, why dont we have it now? Your back arent you? Your safe... But your dress... Your hair.." Galaxy said with discust. "Dont worry, i can fix that with a bath in the stream and i will just wear a different gown." Said Bright Eyes.

Bright Eyes was in her room braiding her mane. Arcall waited outside. "There! All done!" Said Bright Eyes. She walked out to Arcall. She turned around once. "How do i look?" She said. This time, she was wearing a beautiful lavender and red gown with pink embroidery, red shoes and a purple ribbon in her hair. "Why, you look dazzling!" Said Arcall. They walked down the mountain towords the dream castle.

As they entered the Castle, all the ponies were beautifully dressed and there was a table with punch and refreshments. Bright Eyes and Arcall walked in with linked arms. Aw, arent they cute together?" Said Masquerade in a cooing voice. Bright Eyes Blushed.

~*THE END*~