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// 1 - The One With The Lake 
// Story: "It's A Mystery!" 
// by lunabrony 
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	"Are you sure we should be out here, Comet?" 
"Nah, but that's part of the fun."
It was the middle of the summer, and Crystal Lake was an extremely popular hangout for the young mares and stallions. Most of them behaved themselves, and only came for a fun day of sports, togetherness, picnics and swimming. Some ponies even brought their various pets to give them a day of leisure as well. When the sun went down, however, the lake closed to the public during the night hours as there were no lifeguards on duty, and the park staff didn't want anypony getting hurt.
That didn't tend to stop some couples from sneaking in, though, to do whatever it was that couples did together at night in places they weren't supposed to be. As it was, it was just after eleven thirty, and Blazing Comet had come here with his marefriend, Stardust, for a night of adventure and risk taking. Stardust had been talked into it, and was having doubts.
Crack
Star's ears perked instinctively, unsure if she was hearing things or not. She looked fondly at Comet, who she knew would protect her if things got out of hoof. "Are you sure we're alone out here?" She asked.
"Don't worry, Star. There's nopony out here," he assured her. "We're completely alone, just like you wanted."
"Well, yes, but I could have sworn I heard somepony out there." She pressed up closer to Comet, who put his hoof around her protectively.
"If there is anypony out there, I'll fight them off," he said. "Come on, you did want to see the lake at night, didn't you? We won't go in far, and you have a flashlight."
"I suppose," Star agreed, before plunging further down the trail with her friend.
Crack
"There, see, I heard it again!" Star whispered.
"I didn't hear anything," Comet replied. "Are you sure?"
Crack
Comet's ears perked up. "I heard that..." he said. "It's probably just a fox or something." He looked at her teasingly. "Look on the bright side, if we get lost, we can always ask it for directions."
"Foxes don't talk, beanbrain," she said. "And even if it could, what would a fox say?"
"Probably nothing, it would be too distracted by how pretty you are in the moonlight."
"You're hopeless!" Star began laughing, and the two of them pressed forward. The trail was short and wound through the edge of the park, just barely lit up by the lights from the parking lot, which was designed to hold everything from full carriages to chariots. 
The couple emerged from the trail just shortly before midnight, the lake glistening in front of them, waves gently lapping against the artificial beach, stars reflected in its surface from far overhead.
Star instantly felt her doubts lifting as she beheld the view, her heart pounding and her eyes widening.
"Oh, Comet, it's beautiful."
"Doesn't hold a candle to you, though," he added.
"Oh, stop," Star rolled her eyes. "Don't ruin it." Her cheeks were red, but she rushed forward before he could see them, standing on the very edge of the lake so the gentle waves would lap against her front hooves, with Comet slowly coming up behind her.
"See? There's nopony out here but us," Comet said, and nuzzled against her neck.
"That's sweet, perhaps you two should get a room," a deep voice rumbled.
Comet and Star both looked up in annoyance, with the former instantly going on the defensive. He did not appreciate being snuck up on, nor being told what to do.
"Listen, buddy, there's a whole lot of beach here, why don't you-" He turned just in time to see the pony standing behind them. If you could call it a pony. Four legged and just above average size, it was dripping with glowing green sludge. Its tail whisked irritably back and forth, but even that wasn't what the adventurous pair was staring at it. A short neck grew upward, as any would, before entirely stopping abruptly.
"Comet... it's headless... it can't be headless..." Star whispered, fear rising in her voice.
This didn't seem to phase the monster, however, as it let out an ear splitting screech like one might expect from a banshee. There was no mouth to form words, and its voice, if you could call it that, had an echoing effect to it, seeming to come from every direction at once. It was mystical, trippy, and absolutely terrifying.
Star screamed and raced down the beach, with Comet wasting no time in chasing after her. He turned to look back just in time to see the abomination chasing them, and his eyes widened.
"Faster, Star, faster!"
"I'm trying!" the mare cried, tears filling her eyes. "I can't run any faster, I only have four hooves!" 
The two raced down the beach and cut into the darkness of the forest, the glowing headless pony not far behind. Nopony heard Star's terrified scream as the spectre disappeared into the trees.
"What will happen to Blazing Comet and Stardust? Will anypony believe their story about a terrifying headless pony? Tune in tomorrow night as the adventures continue!"
There was a soft click as Rainbow Dash reached up to turn off her portable radio, having spent the entirety of the program layng on a cloud that she'd placed just a few feet over the ground inside Twilight's Library. 
Twilight was laying on the couch, and had been listening to the program for the first time at Rainbow's insistence. "I could make a list of all the impossibilities and technical inaccuracies I heard. That entire program is silly."
"Its not silly, it's a mystery!" Rainbow said. "And it's our job to solve it!"
Twilight just smiled. "And you're sure this sudden interest in mysteries has nothing to do with all those detective books I gave you?" She asked.
"What?! Of course not!" Rainbow sputtered. "Books are dumb."
"Except for Daring Do."
"Obviously," Rainbow agreed. "I've got cooler things to do than sit around all day reading dusty old books."
"So you listen to mysteries on your dusty old radio instead," Twilight said.
"Right!" Rainbow said, and a smile broke across her face. "And it's only gonna get cooler."