It was unusual for Tender Trap to be anywhere by herself. Her brother was usually not far behind, hidden out of sight, lying in wait for her to bring him their latest prey. But today, she woke with a strange tugging at her heart that her brother did not feel. Rather than be disconcerted by this, she decided to go off on her own and figure out what it was calling to her. She wasn't certain where she would end up in the swamp, but she wasn't going to listen to any nagging voice of doubt. She continued her journey for several days until she spied the plains at the border of the swamp. She knew the ache would call to her, far stronger than this current tugging, if she dared stray too far from the swamp. So she pivoted back, her hoof struck against something in the ground, unearthing a crystal that glowed with a soft, paleness that reminded her of her and her brother's sole white hoof.
The sight of this crystal made her consider the distance she'd placed between herself and her brother. She couldn't remember being apart from him for this long and it made her uneasy. Too uneasy that she decided to return with her crystal souvenir safely curled in her tail.
Her brother hadn't been too worried by her absence but they did huddle together a little closer that night, similar to when their mother first left them to fend for themselves. But even having her brother pressed snugly against her did nothing to dissuade the dream.
It was of a cavern. The walls, floors, even ceiling were of polished surfaces that should have reflected her and while some did, there were others that seemed different, distorted almost. She marched silently through the cave, and as she traveled, she subconsciously fell into a familiar rhythm. It was a scared, nervous gait that spoke of weakness, of vulnerability, of being watched, and while Tender Trap was anything but helpless, it was a role she played so flawlessly and so naturally, it might as well be a second skin.
When she saw herself moving in the reflections, she couldn't help but pause and stare at one particular surface where the darkness of her coat seemed deeper as if bereft of light. There were stains of red on her, dripping from her golden accents (traces of a father she never knew) and especially stark against the pale white of her muzzle and sole hoof.
But it was The Eyes that made her breath catch in her throat. They stared out with a terror she rarely felt, or was that more a gaze of madness? Despite the bright light that came from everywhere and no where within this cavern, she was suddenly wreathed in shadows, until all she could see of herself were The Eyes.
It was then that Tender Trap knew she was trapped in their inescapable gaze. So rather than turn and run, Tender Trap marched forward to embrace her captivity.