Longma

by JeckParadox

1. The Streets

They came without warning one night under a full moon. They didn't do much, but the mere sight of them were enough to put most ponies off.

It was already past midnight near the beginning of summer. They trotted down the street in small groups, periodically stopping to whisper to each other or look up at the full moon, and more often at the crowning city of Canterlot. The few ponies who were awake at that time weren't usually outside, but at the sight of demonic ponies from childhood ghost stories trotting up the street was enough to send them back inside as quickly as possible.

Somehow, in the more crowded neighborhoods there seemed to be a silent communication as neighbors managed to wake neighbors and point out the mysterious creatures on the street. There was a silent consensus in the town of Ponyville to remain indoors and trust that three things would happen;

1. That the mysterious ponies would keep moving on.

2. That the Cakes would keep Pinkie asleep, (they didn't want to send the demonic ponies into a panic, now did they?)

3. That they wouldn't stop at the Castle/Library of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

While the Cakes did manage to keep Pinkie asleep, the town wasn't as lucky regarding the other two.

One of them stopped in front of the tree like library and walked up to the door, sniffing at it suspiciously. The ponies in the building across the street who were watching silently from their window prayed for the safety of their resident Alicorn bookkeeper and watched patiently.

The bat-winged pony knocked on the door four times, getting the attention of two other ponies, as well as making the lights come on in one of the windows suddenly in the tree. Spooking the ponies across the street.

The three demons waited patiently on the other side of the door as the shuffling inside the tree became slightly audible in the deathly quiet neighborhood.

The ponies across the street held their breath as the door opened, revealing a night-gown clad lavender unicorn with a messy mane.

~~~~

"Huh?" The sleepy unicorn asked, her eyes squinted almost shut.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help smelling..." the demonic pony began. His voice was gruffer and deeper than any pony in Ponyville, and Twilight began wiping her eyes and returning to full awareness.

"Wh- uhh..." She began, dumbstruck by the monster before her.

"Could you spare some gems?" It asked.

"Uhh... sure... I think so." She began dumbly. She shook her head, looking at it's fangs. "I mean of course, just give me one teensy minute." She slammed the door magically in the creatures face, teleporting upstairs. "SPIKE!" She hissed in a harsh whisper at the sleeping baby dragon. "SPIKE!" She hissed again, nudging him with her hoof. "SPPIIIKE!" She yelled before catching herself and quickly covering her mouth with her hoof. "Spike, get up, right now, tell me where you keep your gems!"

"Huh... wha- Twilight?"

"Gems. Now. Monster. Outside."

"Huh?"

"Tell me where the gems are, there is something outside that wants them!"

"Really? Okay, uh, give me a minute, how much does it want?"

"Let's start with all of them and work up from there." She whispered.

Spike and Twilight then went around the house for a few minutes and gathered two large buckets of gems that Spike, being the dragon that he is, had stashed around the whole house.

"R-ready?" Twilight asked nervously.

"Twi, what was at the door? I mean.. you're an alicorn now, so if something could scare you that badly..."

"Oh... oh! That's right! I'm an Alicorn! I'm a Princess, something as simple as a monster pony can't-" She opened the door to the pony, and locked with his reptillian golden eyes, and saw his black sharp-edged wings, and noticed the savage pointed frill that was on top of his head. Add that to his whole dark color scheme, mysterious air, and that it was past midnight and the full moon was directly behind him gave Twilight the sudden effect of a chill running up her spine, standing the hairs on the back of her neck, and finally making her begin to turn white. "-scare... me..."

"If you're busy, we can move on." It said gruffly.

"No! no, no please, take them, please don't eat us." She said, nudging one of the buckets forward as Spike cowered behind her.

The monster pony gestured for the one on his left to pick up one of the buckets, and then he bent forward, flashing his razor-sharp teeth, as he picked up the other. "Thank you. Sorry to wake you up so late Miss Unicorn."

"No, it was no trouble at all, well, Spike needs to get his rest, goodnight!" She let out in one breath, before slamming the door again.

It wasn't until both of them were finished hyperventilating that Spike got up the nerve to say; "What happened to the brave Alicorn Princess?"

"She went out. That was all traumatized school-filly just now."

~~~~

The rest of the night went by without much concern. The bat-winged dark ponies moved through the streets without much sound or hostility, occasionally stopping at houses to ask for gems, and then carrying them off without a word. Most of the town didn't get much sleep that night, and likely would stay up the next, watching to make sure the creatures wouldn't come back.

By the first light of dawn the last of them had left the town, heading toward the mountains and Canterlot.

Not knowing what to do in this situation the townsfolk immediately went to the greatest source of common sense in the village. Zecora.

After being turned away en masse for waking the zebra too early in the morning, they headed to the next greatest authority, their resident immortal Princess.

~~~~

"Princess Twilight, are you absolutely sure you don't know what those things were?"

"Yes, Mayor Mare, I'm sure. I was just as freaked out by them as you were... it's like an army of mini Nightmare Moons..."

Twilight saw the fear-filled expression on the mayor and quickly assured that she didn't mean anything by it. Promising to ask Celestia about the strange monsters as soon as possible she got back into her tree/library/house/castle.

"Spike! Take a letter!"

"Already did, you think I was going to let monsters trot around Ponyville and not tell Celestia?"

"Well... thank you Spike, but I'd like to send a letter myself as well, has she written anything back?"

"Yeah, she just says 'come to canterlot immediately.'"

Twilight blinked. "Well, then I'd better go..." She began levitating some things into her bags. "Should I bring the girls? Rarity told me she'd never miss an opportunity to go to Canterlot."

In reply Spike burped out another message. "'immediately' is all is says... it's also underlined."

Twilight raised her eyebrows and held back a nervous look. "Well, guess I'll have to fly... if anypony asks just tell them I'm speaking to Celestia about it."

"Alright, oh and Twilight?"

"...yes?"

"Wait until you get outside before you start flapping, Rainbow Dash making holes in the cieling is bad enough without having to patch up your holes too."

Twilight looked up with a frown. "Good thinking."

Comments

[Pine Apple]

This plot has caught my interest, eager to see where this story goes.

[coldfang66]

This feels like it's gonna be a good one

Update soon!

[Scyphi]

It's really not advisable for me to do this, considering how terribly behind I am on the fanfics I'm currently following, but the premise of this fanfic seems too good to ignore, so I'm totally and inadvisably faving and watching this puppy.

[DarklightArk]

Lol rereading,I love this

[Wild Stallion]

"Wait until you get outside before you start flapping, Rainbow Dash making holes in the ceiling is bad enough without having to patch up your holes too."