Blue Cap let out a low moan as he tried to lift a hoof to rub at his forehead. The limb twitched slightly but wouldn't respond. He felt like if he opened his eyes his head would split in half from the incredible pain in his skull. The stallion drew a slight breath of damp, musty air as he willed his weakened body to move.

The blue earth pony was lying on something hard and flat. From the twitch of his hoof it felt slightly rough, like unsanded wood. He let out another low moan as he forced his dry eyes open. Not that it did him any good as wherever he had been left it was pitch black.

Closing his eyes again, he could swear he felt his eyelids scrape across their pale green surface, they were so dry. Taking another shallow breath, the stallion let it out with a soft moan. His ears twitched as he heard a sound from above him.

THUNK, scrape, THUNK, scrape...

It came at a steady, almost mechanical pace. It was a familiar, but muffled noise. He used every ounce of willpower he had, just to focus, rotating his ears towards the sound of the noise as he tried to figure out what it was. The amount of effort to do this small thing was incredible. He was so weak it almost felt like his own shaggy brown mane was trying to hold his ears back. As time passed it slowly grew louder.

THUNK, scrape, THUNK, scrape...

He took another breath as a puff of fresh air and a sifting of damp earth hit the end of his nose. Dry eyes creaked open once again, pale and filmy though they were, to see light coming through a few cracks in whatever was above him. Casting his eyes about, he saw that he was in some kind of box.

Now the scraping noise was almost deafening. Metal rang on wood as more dirt rained in through the cracks. The stallion could hear muffled voices above him and tried to call out. A low, soft moan was all that escaped his parched throat. There was another loud thud and an earsplitting crack before the lis was torn away, leaving him staring up at the moonlit sky.

“Now, pull 'im out of dere,” a familiar voice commanded.

Blu Cap found himself enveloped in the yellow glow of a unicorn's magic, lifted gently out of the box that he could now see had been buried deep below ground. The stallion was slowly rotated in the air before being roughly dropped on the ground before a pair of black polished hoof slippers.

“Rise, Blue Cap, and speak now while ya can.”

Unable to stop himself, he rose to his hooves without any real effort. The poor pony felt exhausted but tireless at the same time. Casting his eyes forward he could see the old mare Dark Willow, white of fur and gray of mane, dressed in her usual red gown and shining slippers. A tall, emaciated looking yellow unicorn mare stood at her flank, her eyes gazing blindly off into the distance.

“What happened? Where am I?” he croaked, his throat felt like it was on fire.

“As far as where ya are, we are in a forgotten part of the Ponyville Cemetery, as you folk know it. We are actually on the very border of Nightmare, where Mortal ponies hold no sway.”

The old crone gave him a malicious grin, “As far as what? You, my boy, are learnin' a lesson about showing proper respect ta, how did ya put it? “That old fool of a voodoo mare?””

Blue Cap's eyes rolled in his head as he tried to run, but his body wouldn't respond. He couldn't scream or call out for help, all he could do was speak! “I... I've learned my lesson. I'm so sorry, Dark Willow.”

“Aw, now ain't that sweet?” She bared a set of perfect, even teeth, though the breath that his his face stank of rot. She gave an almost gentle smile as she reached out a slipper shod hoof to pat his soft-furred cheek. “Aww, dear boy. That's the easy part.” Pulling back, she gave him a slap that he swore loosened the teeth in his skull. “A little hard labor will drive the point home.” She pointed at the place where vandals had been through the night before, tombstones were knocked over all over the cemetery.
“Now shut up and get to work setting this place right.”

The stallion's jaw snapped shut so hard he nearly bit off the tip of his tongue as his body started shuffling towards the nearest tombstone of its own accord. He could feel his muscles stain and tear as he lifted the heavy stone, but he knew he would not be able to stop until the job was done. He gave a silent prayer to the Princesses that Dark Willow would release him when the work was done.