Artist’s comment:
 
Prophecy sat on the bench seat and looked out the window of the coach car. The train she was on was stopped at the Ponyville train station in my Equestria dreamscape. It was late morning and the train had been sitting there for several minutes.
 
The car she was in was sparsely populated as were the cars directly in front and behind her. These cars were being used for transfer of prisoners from Manehattan to Canterlot for their trials. Her car was mainly occupied with soldiers, constables and members of the court. Still there were many empty benches.
 
The young unicorn mare had an inhibitor ring on and was wearing hobbles. The hobbles were more a matter of procedure and they were set to give her the maximum amount of movement. So she could walk easily but not trot or gallop. Nopony assigned to the transfer of prisoner expected any trouble from her. In fact the corporal assigned to her was there more to make certain she wasn’t hassled by any of the other prisoners on the train.
 
The corporal sat on the bench next her and read the morning paper as he sucked on a candy cane. It was against regulations but the earth pony had bought Prophecy a small tin of ginger snaps at the last stop which she was slowly munching on now. He wasn’t sure why, but the mare reminded him of one of his nieces who had struggled with medical problems all her life. So felt sorry for her.
 
“We seem to be sitting here long time.” Prophecy said after swallowing another cookie.
 
The corporal looked up from the paper. “Well m’am. I shouldn’t be a telling ya this, but there a filling da water tanks up ta the tippy top and taking on whole bunch more coal. Ponyville the last major stop before ya start the climb ta Canterlot. Apparently they plan ta do it with no further stops. Ya should be there by supper time.”
 
“It’s a, pretty town.” Said the mare softly.
 
“That it is.” Said the corporal as he adjusted his shako. “And far more important then ya would think. Did ya know that all of the Elements of Harmony either live or were born here? I imagine the residents here are mighty proud of that!”
 
“Yes they probably are.” The dark bay mare then began munching on another ginger snap.
 
The station clerk set the small, brown paper wrapped parcel on station counter in front of Sweetie Belle. “Here ya go dear! This is the package yer sister was waiting on. Would ya be dear and just sign for it?”
 
“Of course!” The unicorn levitated a fountain pen over and after a couple false starts succeeded in making a series of marks that could be generously called a signature. Sweetie’s levitation skills were improving, but they had a ways to go.
 
“All right! Let’s drop this off at your sister’s place and get this show on the road!” Scootaloo called out. Her and Applebloom were standing behind their friend. They had no class today. Their homework was done as were their chores. This was a treasured event and they planned to make the most of it after they had completed this little task for Rarity.
 
Prophecy continued to eat her ginger snaps and look out the window. Because the train she was on was being used exclusively for government purposes there wasn’t many ponies moving around on the platforms. A few soldiers had disembarked to form a hasty perimeter around the train during its refueling. They wandered around the platform while station workers moved various boxes and cleaned the place. They were joined by a few ponies who were either buying future tickets or picking up packages at the station office.
 
Prophecy saw the three fillies emerge from the station office. An orange pegasus with a bright purple mane and tail came quickly trotting out. She was followed by a white unicorn with a pale mauve and violet mane who had parcel. She carried it by grasping the twine wrapped around it with her teeth.
 
The finally one was an buttercream yellow earth pony. Her tail and mane were a deep rose red. Perched on top of her mane was a deep red bow. Prophecy suddenly felt a shiver run up her spine.
 
The three fillies trotted across the platform in a line abreast formation with the earth pony closest to the train. She was laughing and chatting with her friends as she looked around at the surroundings. Then for the briefest of instants she glanced over at Prophecy and their eyes met.
 
Suddenly Prophecy was no longer sitting in the train at the station on pleasant late spring day. Instead she was standing in a dim, desolate landscape of swirling dust and ash. The three fillies were still there trotting by however the pegasus and the unicorn had been transformed into foul, twisted abominations of their original forms.
 
The earth pony was still in her original form, but in place of the happy, carefree expression she’d been wearing she now wore an expression of smug superiority as she smirked at the unicorn. Then the three vanished into the swirling clouds of ash and dust. There was constant wind howling that kept counterpoint to a steady growling rumble.
 
Prophecy frantically glanced around. She was alone. Although she felt like she was being watched. In all her visions of this apocalyptic future she’d always been indoor peeking out at a window or door.
 
Now she outdoors and exposed.  
The unicorn started shaking uncontrollable. She frantically started looking around for any shelter or cover. Suddenly she was brutally buffeted by a gale force wind that tore the clouds and swirling dust away exposing a clear sky above.
 
Instinctively the mare looked at the ground. In all of these visions she’d never seen the sky. She knew not why but she dreaded looking at. For some reason she knew she should avert her eyes from it, but now she was naked to the terrible sky above her. Finally despite her instincts she looked up.
 
And then she screamed.
 
Prophecy slammed into the corporal as she flung herself from the bench seat and collapsed to the floor of the car in a series of violent convulsions. The corporal was no medic he instantly knew this was bad.
 
“Captain!” He called out. “We’ve gotta problem here! Git the medic!”
 
A few seconds later the Captain arrived with the medic in tow. She looked down at the twitching mare then at the corporal.”
 
“What happened!” She roared.
 
“I don’t know Captain! One minute she was munching on cookies and a chatting about the town with me. Next second she was flopping around like a fish out of water!”
 
The medic was frantically trying to hold Prophecy still while he attempted to triage her. Finally he looked up at his superior officer.
 
“M’am! This is bad. Her heart rate is a growing all crazy.” He took a second a got a leather bit forced between her clenched teeth. Sweat was now pouring from her and long strands of foamy spittle dribbled from her lips “She’s having some kind of nasty seizure. I can administer a sedative. It might help, but she needs a real doctor fast!”
 
The captain glanced over at the Corporal. “You! There’s a hospital just across the road from the station. Go and fetch a doctor. Now!”
 
Applebloom and her friends had left the platform and were heading away as the corporal came bolting out of the train to get help.
 
To be continued.