Stone Parasprites

by TheBigBob

Chapter 1

Monday, October 1st

My name is Apple Bloom, and this is my journal. You are about to read a wonderful story about a young filly in Ponyville named Apple Bloom! I am an earth pony living with my brother Big Macintosh, my sister Applejack, and my grandma, Granny Smith. We all share a big house on Sweet Apple Acres, the family farm. Some ponies would think it's a little cramped in here with all of us, but to me, it's nice and cozy. My teacher, miss Cheerilee, told everypony in class that she wanted us to write a journal about our daily lives. It's supposed to make us better at writing or something. I never really thought about it before, but maybe writing in a journal everyday will help me get my cutie mark! My best friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are also trying to earn their cutie marks, but we haven't had much luck. Well, I guess that's it for the first entry. In the future I'll find even more fun stuff to talk about! Hopefully I'll get more used to writing with my mouth. This pencil tastes kinda yucky. I'm jealous of Sweetie Belle's unicorn magic.

Tuesday, October 2nd

Today was a pretty ordinary day. I went to school, played with my friends, and helped out on the farm afterwards. While I was tending the flower gardens, our friend Zecora stopped by. She's a zebra, which is different from a pony, though I don't really know the difference. She asked me if I had made any potions lately and I told her nuh-uh (it's an inside joke). She bought a bunch of various flowers from us, probably to use in her own crazy potions. She lives out in the Everfree Forest, away from the rest of Ponyville. It's pretty weird that she secludes herself like that, but she's always been nice to me and my friends! I guess you can't judge ponies by how they look...

Wednesday, October 3rd

Last night I had the weirdest dream! In the middle of the night, I had this sense that somepony was trying to get into my room! I got out of bed and locked my door and huddled up in my blankets. I think my imagination was getting the best of me though. I never heard any footsteps and nopony else in the house heard anything either. The funniest part was in the morning when Applejack called me downstairs for breakfast. I got out of bed, and ran straight into the door! I wondered why my door was locked, but then I remembered the weird dream. I'm not usually one to sleep walk or nothing. Probably just some bad dream that I let get the best of me.

Thursday, October 4th

After school today, Scootaloo was in one of her “Rainbow Dash” moods. She kept running around as fast as she could, pretending she was the head weather pony. She just went on and on about how Rainbow Dash is the coolest, bravest pony in all of Equestria. Sweetie Belle and I have heard this all before, so we just kept quiet and let her talk like she normally does. Scootaloo wants to be just like her hero. Fighting monsters, saving Ponyville, that kind of thing. She likes to brag about how Rainbow once kicked a dragon in the face. I tried telling her how that's more dumb than brave, but she wouldn't listen. Sweetie Belle just laughed at the two of us arguing. She's very shy, but can be very curious too. She looks up to her sister Rarity just like I look up to Applejack. Rarity makes all these very pretty dresses, and Sweetie Belle loves watching her work. Like Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle will go on and on about Rarity. I just kind of nod my head a lot since I don't really know what all those different fashion terms mean, but I'm not sure Sweetie Belle knows either. I guess we're not that different, because I love to tell them about all the nonsense that Applejack and Big Macintosh put me through. The Apple Family has had it tough out here, and I just know someday it might be me who's got to be the responsible one.

Friday, October 5th

I'm sorry journal, but it's been another normal, boring day. Went to school, wandered around town with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, helped out at home. I didn't realize until I started this journal how little actually happens around here. Well, I guess a lot of stuff happens, but very little involves me. I've been trying to earn my cutie mark for what seems like forever now, and my mind is as blank as my flank. I really wish something more interesting would happen...

Saturday, October 6th

Today I didn't have any school, so I ran some errands for Applejack in town. While there, I ran into Zecora again borrowing a book from Twilight. Maybe it's just me, but Zecora don't usually come to town this often. I asked her if something was the matter, but she said it was nothing to worry about. Her hair was a little more messy than it normally is, too. I don't know how much work goes into keeping a mohawk straight, but something tells me she had other things on her mind.

However, something else happened today that was really odd. As I was getting some bandages from the store, I saw this weird looking pony. He wore a hood and cape over himself like he didn't want anypony to recognize him, and he avoided crowded areas. He wasn't walking right either. He trembled with every step. I couldn't tell you what type of pony he was, or what his cutie mark looked like. I guess he noticed me staring at him, though, because he turned and looked directly at me for a moment. As far as I could tell, he had black hair and a gray face with big bags under his red eyes like he hadn't slept in a while. I told Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo about him later. I know it's not good to judge other ponies by how they look, but what kind of pony tries to hide himself like that? Who was he?

Sunday, October 7th

I helped out on the farm again as usual, but I couldn't stop thinking about that weird pony I saw yesterday. Part of me wants to think he was the one creeping through our house earlier in the week, but that's just crazy. The way he walked was so unstable and clumsy. There's no way he'd be able to sneak quietly through our wooden house! Plus I'm still pretty sure that was just a dream. There weren't even any footsteps or nothing. All I felt was a sudden urge to hide. What else could it be?

Monday, October 8th

As my friends and I got out of school, I saw the weird pony from Saturday looking at the class from a distance. I tried pointing him out to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, but when I turned back around he was nowhere to be seen. Did he remember me from the other day? Why would he be following me? Gosh, I'm asking so many questions. Maybe I need to just sit down and enjoy the finer things in life. Like this apple pie here, mmm. It's great having a chef for a sister!

Tuesday, October 9th

As I left the schoolhouse, I looked around for the hooded pony and didn't see him anywhere. I know I told Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle about him, but I wonder if I should let some other pony know. Then again, he really hasn't hurt anypony, and it's not like looking around is a crime. I just find myself watching my back a lot more.

Wednesday, October 10th

I was helping Applejack buck some of the apple trees today, and I coulda swore I saw the hooded pony towards the edge of our farm. I tried going towards him, but the apple fields are so large it's easy to lose track. I wandered a while before giving up. Normally I don't go this far away from our home without Applejack or Big Macintosh around, but Ponyville's been such a nice place to live that I never thought anything bad could happen to me out here. This hooded pony is really making me nervous...

Thursday, October 11th

I had that weird dream again. In the middle of the night, I just felt this sudden urge to hide. I didn't get up and lock my door this time, but I listened carefully to the house. No footsteps, no weird noises or nothing. I tried telling myself there was nothing to be afraid of, that it's just my mind playing tricks on me. But usually when I'm scared in bed like that, it's because of a scary dream or something. This time I just wanted to huddle under my blanket for no reason. Is something going on, or is it just me?

Friday, October 12th

You're not gonna believe this! I was having lunch with my friends, and while Scootaloo was talkative as normal, Sweetie Belle was really quiet. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she's been having this scary dream lately. Scoots made fun of her for bein' a wimp, but I asked more about the dream. She said it was hard to explain, but eventually she revealed that she's been having the same creepy dreams as me! You wouldn't believe her face when I told her I've been having them too! We started asking each other stuff, and Scootaloo just laughed at us and said we're too old to be having scary dreams.

After school, I suggested we go to Twilight's library and see if we can find some interesting books on dreams. Scootaloo complained, but I think she was just as interested as Sweetie Belle and me. Twilight was surprised to see us, but she let us take a look around anyway. Every time I go to her library I'm amazed at how many books she has around. On the farm there's not much time for reading since we're always working, but from what I know Twilight's buried in a book almost every spare minute she has.

We got all the books on dreams we could, but we didn't really find anything interesting. Usually if ponies are having similar dreams it's because of some experience they've shared. All Sweetie Belle and I have done together is go to school. Well, I guess we're the only ponies in class that haven't gotten our cutie marks yet, but we've been going through that for a long time now. Why would the dreams start only now?

Scootaloo started getting bored of reading and complained. I guess she's right, since we haven't made any progress figuring out these dreams, but there's gotta be something we're missing.

Saturday, October 13th

I couldn't sleep last night, but not because of another scary dream. This time I just laid awake in bed all night trying to figure out this whole mess. Now that I think about it, I bet Scootaloo was just playing tough. She usually hates reading. If Scootaloo hadn't had any dreams, why would she have come to the library with us? Maybe we should ask some of our classmates if they've been having weird dreams too. If they have, we might be able to make sense of this whole thing! Tomorrow. Right now I'm fighting off a stomachache thanks to some bad apples. Blech. Way to spend a Saturday.

Sunday, October 14th

Since we had the day off from school and chores, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and I did some investigating around town. It turns out, there were a few ponies that DID have bad dreams like us! What's even weirder is most of them were foals just like us! A lot of our classmates admitted to having bad dreams, and Pinkie Pie mentioned that one night while babysitting, the babies started crying for no reason at all! Then again, it's Pinkie Pie, so she could have done any number of things to upset them. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara denied having any bad dreams, but all they do is make fun of us anyway so I doubt they're telling the truth.

However, one adult pony in town said she'd been having some trouble sleeping, and that's Twilight. When we asked her why that might be, she said she had no idea. Even her pal Spike has been sleeping normally. Before Twilight opened her mouth, I thought I was starting to make sense of this whole thing. But since kids aren't the only ones with the problems, we're back to square one.

Monday, October 15th

I don't know what's happening to me. Nothing makes sense anymore. I'm feeling okay now, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened last night. I'm glad I've been keeping this journal. Maybe if I write it all down it might all seem clear.

I was in my bed at night as usual. It had been a few days since I had any of the nightmares, so I was almost back to being my usual, cheery self. However, in the middle of the night, I woke up and screamed as loud as my lungs would let me.

I couldn't stop myself. I cried and wailed, thrashing around in my sheets. I felt like something was possessing me. At some point I fell out of my bed and hit the floor. My screams fainted a bit since falling down takes a bit out of you, but I was hysterical. I don't remember how long it took, but Applejack opened the door and turned on the light to find me huddling in the corner.

“Apple Bloom! What's the matter?!” she cried out.

“There's something here!” I yelled. “Something's in the house!”

Applejack sighed. “Sweetie, if something got into our house, I would have known about it. You're just having a bad dream, that's all.” As she said that, Big Macintosh walked into my room, yawning.

I knew I should have believed her, but I didn't. “Please check! I just know something's going on!”

Applejack sighed and looked at our brother. “Big Macintosh, could you take a look around and see if anypony is in here who's not suppose'd be?”

Big Macintosh said "Eeeyup," and walked out the door.

I was scared out of my mind, and yet the way he said that she might as well have asked him to carry a bucket of apples back to the barn. I sat there shivering in Applejack's arms for a few minutes before Big Macintosh showed back up and shook his head.

“See Apple Bloom?” Applejack tried to reassure me. “Everything's fine. You just had a bad dream.”

I took a deep breath and tried to listen to my big sister. Nopony had been hurt, and Big Macintosh didn't find any sign that somepony had been in the house other than us. Just as I was starting to get back to our senses, we heard a rumble outside and a bunch of loud squealing.

“What in tarnation?” Applejack yelled and looked out my window. “Big Macintosh, the piglets got out of the barn somehow! Quick, we gotta round 'em up before they cause any damage to the crops!”

My two siblings rushed out of my room and left me alone. I sat on the floor a while and listened to them bark orders at each other outside my window. I had no idea what happened to me that night. I was sleeping soundly, and out of nowhere I just felt terrified. My world just crashed down around me for no reason. After a few minutes, things finally quieted down. I looked outside and saw the two of them walking back from the barn.

“Gosh darn it!” Applejack yelled at my brother. “I told you to fix the hinge on that door weeks ago! I just knew something like this might happen if you didn't!”

“Eeyup...” Big Macintosh sighed.

Applejack continued to scold my brother, but instead of watching them, I looked in the distance, away from town. It was hard to tell at nighttime, and I might still have been hysterical, but I think I caught a glimpse of the hooded pony.

I don't know what he did, but the bad dreams going around have got to be because of him. The thing is, how is he doing it? I've never heard of that kind of magic, not to mention I'm not even sure he's a unicorn. And why? Why scare all the kids in town? Why scare me? What happened to me last night was far worse than any of the stories my classmates told me.

Because I was so shaken last night, Applejack decided I should stay home and rest instead of being forced to go to school. She even brought me breakfast in bed, though I've been so busy thinking about last night that I almost forgot to eat it.

I just realized that this is the longest entry in my journal since I started a few weeks ago. Maybe Applejack was right to have me stay home from school today. I'm gonna go get some sleep. I'll catch up with you tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 16th

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were worried about me after I didn't come to school yesterday. They thought that the hooded pony may have done something to me, and I'm not entirely sure they're wrong. The problem is, it might be our fault that he even noticed us. We spent all day on Sunday gathering clues. Maybe he spotted us and I didn't notice. I don't know if I want to keep on trying to solve this mystery. Maybe if I just throw this notebook away and try to go back to my normal life, he'll leave us alone. Then again, he knows I'm aware of him. He might not leave me alone even if I quit snooping around.

I guess my stress must be really noticeable, because Sweetie Belle kept trying to change the subject. She'd talk about Rarity and the homework we've been having and asking about how Applejack's been doing on the farm. It's nice of her to try to take my mind off of things like that, but it'll be a while before I can forget, and that's assuming everything goes fine from here on out. On the other hoof, Scootaloo was all gung-ho about finding the hooded pony. Partly because she's worried about me, but I also think she's just trying to find an excuse to be brave. These two girls are the best friends a filly could have, but even they can't cure my troubles this easily...

Wednesday, October 17th

After school I saw Zecora wandering around town again. She looked even worse than the last time I saw her. Her mohawk was drooping to the point where it almost looked like any normal pony's mane, and she had bags under her eyes like she hadn't been sleeping well. I always wondered how she kept such a calm mind despite living alone in the Everfree Forest. I went up to her and said hello, and she jumped backwards in shock before realizing it was me. We chit-chatted for a little bit, but when I brought up the hooded pony, things got serious.

She looked me straight in the eye and asked “You have seen the hooded pony?”

It wasn't like her to speak like normal pony folk. Usually she rhymes. Says it's to help her keep in the rhythm of the earth, but I guess even she's been thrown off-balance.

“I'm not sure, but I think he's been following me,” I told her.

“Following you? But for what reason?”

“I'm not really sure,” I responded. “I started having these weird dreams...”

“Dreams?” she enquired. “What kind of dreams?”

“Just... suddenly at night I'd be really scared. I'd be sleeping normally, then I'd be wide awake and thinking that something was there to get me.”

“Oh no...” Zecora replied, closing her eyes. “I thought this would be something that I alone would have to face. Apple Bloom, you must heed my words. Do not follow the hooded pony. He is dangerous, and you and your friends are too young to help me.”

“I don't know if I can avoid him!” I told her. “The other night, I saw him walking away from the Apple farm just after the worst nightmare I've ever had!”

“Leave it to me, Apple Bloom,” Zecora told me. “I will handle this on my own.”

“But-”

“QUIET!”

I looked at her, eyes wide open. I had never heard Zecora shout before, and she was so loud that the other ponies in town started looking at her funny.

After a moment, even she realized what she had done, and tried to comfort me with a smile. “I appreciate that you are trying to help, young one, but this is something I must face alone. Take care of yourself.”

I watched Zecora walk off into the distance. I know she is trying to help me, but I feel useless just sitting around doing nothing. And seeing as how she's even more stressed than me, I'm not sure she can handle this on her own...

Thursday, October 18th

I've decided to start carrying my journal around with me in a little pack. After everything that's happened, it kind of helps for me to write it all down. Diamond Tiara was making fun of me for keeping it so close, but miss Cheerilee caught on to her teasing and gave her detention. Then she praised me for putting so much effort into the journal assignment. I don't know what she'll think when she reads all this, but I bet this journal is going to wind up nothing like the others in the class.

When I told Scootaloo about my conversation with Zecora yesterday, she got really fired up. “There's no way she can handle this on her own! If she's as worn down as you say she is, then we have to help her!”

“But how?” Sweetie Belle reasoned. “We have no idea where the hooded pony could be hiding!”

“It's not about finding him,” Scootaloo responded. “It's about making him come to us.”

“What do you mean?” Sweetie Belle replied.

Scootaloo put her hoof to her chin and pondered. “Well, for starters, he knows who Apple Bloom is, and if she's right, he's been following the rest of the kids at school around as well.”

The conversation got quiet as my two friends looked around. As far as they could tell, the hooded pony was nowhere to be seen.

Scootaloo turned back to Sweetie Belle. “He might come after one of us next. We just have to be ready for him.”

“And how exactly are we going to be ready for him with his weird paranoid dream magic?” Sweetie Belle yelled. “With that hood on he could be anypony in town!”

Scootaloo got angry. “Well what do you expect us to do? Just sit around and wait? Zecora might be in danger, and who knows what he'll do to Apple Bloom next?”

“I don't know, alright!” Sweetie Belle started crying. “I'm just worried! I was really hoping it was a coincidence that we had all these bad dreams, but now my friends might be hurt and, and...” Sweetie Belle wiped her eye with her hoof.

Scootaloo calmed her temper and gave Sweetie Belle a hug. “I'm sorry I got all mad. I'm just as worried as you. For now, let's just sit on it. We'll figure something out, okay?”

Sweetie Belle looked up and smiled. Then she turned to me. “Apple Bloom, maybe you should put the journal down a bit. We should hang out and have a normal day for once.”

Did I just write that? Oops.

Friday, October 19th

I'm really glad I found this journal, because I thought I had lost it somewhere! I coulda swore I left it in my bag at recess today, but when I checked it back in the classroom, it was gone! At first I thought somepony might have stolen it, but Sweetie Belle just found it on the lunch tables outside the school. I don't remember taking it out and reading it, but my head's been kind of a mess lately, so maybe I did. I'm just glad it's back in my hooves. I think I'll try to keep it with me at all times now. Writing like this calms me a bit. Instead of all the thoughts swirling around in my head, they're here on paper.

Other than that scare, today was pretty normal. Went to school as usual, hung out with my friends, did chores. Some other pony might call it boring, but for me it was a reminder of how my life used to be before the hooded pony messed it all up. I tried to enjoy it while it lasted, but I have a feeling things won't be like this for long...

Saturday, October 20th

I messed up.

Applejack, Twilight, Miss Cheerilee... if you ever find this journal... I'm sorry. As I'm writing this, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and I are trapped in the Everfree Forest. It's dark, it's cold, and we're hungry. We've been wandering around so long that we've lost our sense of direction. Thank Luna that there's a full moon tonight, otherwise it would be pitch black. My friends are huddled against a nearby tree, trying to get whatever rest they can, but all I can think of is what happened during the last several hours.

It started around noon. I met up with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in town. We talked for a while, played catch, looked around the stores. It was just your average, typical, sunny day in Ponyville. But if you've read this far, you know that I've had a lot on my mind. Every so often I'd bring up the hooded pony, and they would just ignore me and talk about something else. Over and over I tried, and every time I did, they would immediately change the subject. This went on for a while, until eventually I had enough.

“Why won't you guys listen to me?” I said. “We have a huge problem on our hands and you two just keep acting like it's no big deal!” They frowned and looked off to the side, not speaking. “What is it?” I asked them.

Sweetie Belle looked at me sadly and said, “Apple Bloom... you're the only one we know who's even SEEN the hooded pony.”

“Well of course I am!” I told her. “He's always staying out of sight. He's trying to hide!”

Scootaloo trembled as she spoke. “He's all you've been talking about for the last few weeks. If there really was some creepy pony around, wouldn't some other ponies in town have seen him?”

I stared at them, my mouth hanging open. “Wh... what are you saying?”

Sweetie Belle looked really sad. “Apple Bloom, I don't think he exists.”

“I'm just imagining him?!” I yelled at her. “All the weird things going on around here, and you think I'm just making it up?!”

Scootaloo stepped in. “No, we don't think you're making it up! You've just... been having bad dreams lately, and starting to get them mixed up with reality. That's all.”

I shook my head hard. “I'm not the only one getting bad dreams! You two had them as well! And the rest of the kids at school!”

Sweetie Belle looked to the side. “Maybe it's just a disease going around. You know how it is. Just makes you feel real nauseated.”

“What kind of weirdo illness does that?!” I yelled.

Scootaloo frowned. “You had a disease where Cutie Marks appeared all over your body! Anything can happen!”

“Well, what about Twilight?” I reasoned. “She had the bad dreams too!”

Scootaloo started getting impatient. “Just because she's an adult doesn't mean she can't get sick!”

“No, no, NO!” I screamed. I shut my eyes tight and hit my head with my hooves over and over. “I swear, I'm telling the truth! There's a hooded pony in town and he's giving everypony scary dreams!”

Sweetie Belle put her hoof on my shoulder. “Just take it easy, Apple Bloom. Like we said, maybe you're just sick or something.”

For a moment, I thought that they might be right. Maybe I just ate something bad that night that I woke up screaming. Maybe there's just an illness going around. Maybe the hooded pony was just my eyes playing tricks on me. But then my eyes opened wide as I remembered something important.

“Zecora!” I shouted. “She's seen the hooded pony too! I think she may have been tracking him or something, because she looked tired when she warned me about him!”

Scootaloo looked at me wide-eyed, then knocked on her head with her hoof. “I can't believe I forgot all about her! Fine, let's go see her and get this sorted out.”

Sweetie Belle suddenly looked scared. “Apple Bloom, she might be in trouble! It's been a while since you told us about how she looked all week!”

I realized this was right. “I hadn't even thought about that! She was going after the hooded pony alone! Who knows what he might have done to her! We need to go to her hut, now!”

My friends looked at each other and nodded, and we ran together toward Zecora's.

The sun began to set as we made it to the edge of the Everfree Forest. The path to her hut was as clear as ever, but even though we've been there multiple times before, this time we just stood still, looking in.

Scootaloo turned to me. “You know Apple Bloom, if you happen to be right, it might be really dangerous in there. We've faced scary stuff in the forest before, and today doesn't seem any safer.”

Sweetie Belle looked back towards Ponyville. “Maybe we should go get one of the adults. They might be able to check on her instead.”

I shook my head. “They don't know about the hooded pony or Zecora or nothing. I don't think they'd believe us. Plus, it's bad enough that we've waited this long to go see her. If she's in trouble, the sooner we help her, the better!”

Sweetie Belle slouched. “But the hooded pony might be in there somewhere. It'd be a lot easier to hide in the trees than it would in the middle of town...”

“No!” I shouted. “I'm going in there right now! And you're coming with me! If the three of us just stick together, we'll be okay!”

“If you say so,” Scootaloo murmured.

The three of us followed the path in the forest. Even though it was getting late, we would still have plenty of time to get to Zecora's hut and back before dark. It seems like no matter how many times I walked through those woods, they never stop being creepy. The way the trees are shaped, the random noises you hear, the uneven ground. Plus, with monsters like the cockatrice around that nearly turned us to stone, you never really know what to expect. Finally, after a little walk, we made it to Zecora's hut. The three of us looked around and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I walked up to the front door, gulped, and pushed it open. We heard a familiar voice.

“My little pony, why didn't you knock on the door? It's only common manners, as I assume you have learned before.”

The three of us looked into the hut wide-eyed and saw Zecora. Her mane looked straight as usual, with not the slightest sense of weariness. Her hut was in perfect order, and she seemed surprised to see us. Before she could say another word, the three of us ran in and hugged her.

“Zecora!” we cried.

“I thought you were hurt!” Sweetie Belle sobbed. “I was so worried!”

Scootaloo smiled at Zecora. “I thought you could take care of yourself, but sometimes you just aren't sure, you know?”

I looked up at her. “Tell us what happened, Zecora! Where have you been? Last time I saw you you looked just awful!”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, dear Apple Bloom? From your behavior tonight, it seems as though you thought I was doomed.”

Scootaloo smiled and wiped a tear. “We thought the hooded pony may have done something to you!”

Sweetie Belle hugged Zecora's legs. “Apple Bloom told us you were going to fight him or something! We're just glad you're okay!”

Zecora looked at the three of us, confused. “Who is this hooded pony of which you speak? Was it him who caused you to give those awful shrieks?”

The three of us stepped back and stared at her in silence. I gulped and my mouth trembled as I asked a question. “Y-you don't r-remember talking to m-me in t-town last week?”

“I do not, as far as I recall,” she said. “I have been meditating in my hut this past week, and that is all.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other and sighed, relieved. With the main issue out of the way, the two of them talked with Zecora for a while, catching up on what's been going on with their lives.

They didn't tell her anything about the hooded pony or the nightmare I had.

As they talked, I sat in the corner as my mind drifted off into space. I was glad that Zecora was unhurt, but she was the last hope that I wasn't losing it. Was the hooded pony really a figment of my imagination? I remember him looking directly at me. His gray fur and his dark, messy mane. His dark red eyes. How he walked like his legs could barely support his weight. And we ran into each other so much, it seemed like there was no way it was a coincidence. Either he was following me, or I was just...

I looked over at the group chatting to each other. Zecora seemed just like her older self. Did I just dream that encounter with her? I remember how tired she looked, how she snapped at me not to interfere with the hooded pony. Her “rhythm” was all but gone and she spoke like us normal ponies.

Eventually, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle finished talking and said goodbye. I tried to, but it was more of a mumble. As we walked back through the Everfree Forest, the sun was nearly gone. The three of us walked in a straight line, not talking or anything. It continued on like this for several minutes until I finally broke the silence.

“When we get back, let's talk to some of the pony folk in town. Maybe one of them saw Zecora talking to me...”

“No!” Scootaloo stopped walking and glared at me. “We're done with this! Nothing bad has happened! There was no hooded pony, Zecora wasn't hurt, and we all just got sick or something!”

Sweetie Belle put her hoof on my shoulder. “Scootaloo's right, Apple Bloom. I think you might be coming down with something. It's making you see things that aren't there. When we get back, we're going to the doctor's to see if you ate a bad plant or something. Are you... crying?”

She was right. I was crying. I held it in the whole time we were at Zecora's, but now that it was just us three, I just let it all out. I sat down on the ground and sobbed. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle hugged me and sat with me for a few minutes until I was ready to speak again.

“I'm so sorry, girls!” I told them. “I didn't mean to worry you so much! I just don't know what's going on! I'm not sure I can tell what's real and what isn't!”

“It'll be alright...” Scootaloo reassured me. “Give it a few weeks and you'll be good as new, I promise!”

“We're not gonna let anything happen to you!” Sweetie Belle smiled at me. “You're our best friend! We don't know what we'd do without you!”

I sniffled and stood up again. “I'll be more careful from now on. I think I can walk alright again. Let's just get back to Ponyville...”

They smiled at me and the three of us continued our trek through the woods. Ponyville was a ways away, and I knew we wouldn't make it out before nightfall. I took deep breathes to calm myself as we walked. Instead of getting lost in my thoughts, I decided to focus on what was around me. The dirty road. The unusual shapes of the trees. The unusual berries that grew on the bushes. The last thing I noticed before the sun set was two red eyes staring at me from behind the trees.

I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at them. They looked right back at me, unmoving. I rubbed my eye for a moment and looked back. They were gone. I continued to stare until Scootaloo snapped me out of it.

“Apple Bloom, what are you doing? The sun is down! We need to get back home!”

“But I...” I mumbled.

“We have to go!” Sweetie Belle insisted. “You know what kind of creatures come out of these woods at night!”

“But...”

Scootaloo tugged on my hoof. “Come on! I know you're not doing so well, but you could at least walk with us!”

I let go of her hoof and slowly stepped towards the trees where I saw the eyes. My friends just stared at me as I walked towards nothing in particular. But I had to know. I stepped off of the main path into the forest and inched toward where I had seen the glowing red eyes. As I went in deeper, Scootaloo called out.

“Apple Bloom! Where are you going?” Her voice wavered. “You're kinda creeping me out over here...”

I ignored her and continued on slowly and quietly. Just up ahead were the two trees on either side of the eyes. I jumped as something grabbed my arm.

“Stop this right now!” Sweetie Belle cried. “We're taking you home whether you like it or not!”

“No!” I shouted at her, struggling to let go. Scootaloo came and wrestled me to the ground. Once they had me pinned down, I gave up. I was sure it was just a trick of the light playing with my eyes. Whatever disease I had was making me see things.

Until, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hoof quiver behind one of the trees.

“YOU!” I shouted. I shoved Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle away, got up, and ran full speed towards the hooded pony. As I rounded the tree, I saw him directly in his red eyes. His hood shadowed his face, but his eyes gave away his expression. He was afraid. I don't know why he would be scared of three little ponies, but when I discovered him, he ran. I chased right after him, leaving my friends behind. I could hear them calling after me, but I ignored them. All of my attention was focused on the hooded pony, fleeing deeper into the woods.

It was difficult to--------------

Um... sorry about that. Anyway, it was hard to chase him through the forest. Vines hung from the trees and loose roots threatened to trip me wherever I stepped. I've never been the most athletic, and it was difficult enough just to follow him, let alone run. But on the other hand, he didn't seem like he was having it any easier. I had noticed the wobbliness in his legs before, but now I realized how difficult running was for him. He would constantly trip over roots. He'd be forced to duck under low-hanging branches that I was too short to hit. I'm guessing that hood of his wasn't helping him, because I saw him turn and run smack into a tree once. But no matter how many times he would fall, he got right back up and kept moving.

At some point we came across a tall tree that had fallen down. It laid on a slope on top of the rest of the landscape. I followed the hooded pony as he ran up the tree trunk. As I followed him, I took a look at the surrounding area. Off in the distance I saw the lights on in the houses of Ponyville. I didn't realize I had run so far off-course.

The hooded pony stood on the edge of the tree trunk looking out. I steadied my balance and made my way to the top. In the glow of the moon, I got a good look at him. His mane was messy and pure black. He looked far younger than I had imagined. I bet he wasn't much older than Big Macintosh! He didn't look anywhere near as strong, though. If anything, I doubt he had had a full meal in a while. Even up here, his legs quivered so much he was in danger of falling off.

“Who are you?” I asked.

He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and bit his lip. He closed his hoof and tapped his forehead over and over. He looked around the area, then back at me.

“Tell me what's going on!” I demanded.

The hooded pony's eyes widened as I yelled, but he remained silent. He bit his lip and shut his eyes tight like he was thinking. As we stood there, we heard the sound of my friends.

“Apple Bloom! Where'd you go? We can't find you!”

The hooded pony looked at me and swung his cape over one side, revealing a pegasus wing. Not only that, but I got a look at his cutie mark. A yellow lightning bolt descending from a storm cloud. Looked kind of like Rainbow Dash's. He turned to face the edge of the tree trunk. He turned his head to look back at me, then spoke.

“I'm not your enemy.”

He lept off of the tree trunk over the forest. He didn't fly like a normal pegasus. It was more like a glide. His cape billowed over the side opposite his wing. In an instant, he was gone.

“She's up here!” Scootaloo cried from the bottom of the tree trunk. Sweetie Belle and her ran up the tree trunk to find me staring off into the distance. They yelled my name a few times, but I just ignored them and tried to figure out what just happened. If he was a pegasus, why would he need the cape? Why did he look scared of me? When he said he wasn't my enemy, was he telling the truth?

Scootaloo snapped out of my confusion by shaking me so hard I nearly fell. “What's the matter with you?!” she yelled. “Why did you run all the way out here? We thought you were about to come home peacefully and let us sort things out, but noooo, you just HAD to go crazy on us and get us lost in the Everfree Forest!” Scootaloo eye's looked like they could burst into flames at any second, and she was breathing like an angry bull.

“She's right!” Sweetie Belle yelled. “We tried to be patient and understanding with you, but you see something in the woods and you just have to chase after it! There are monsters around here, Apple Bloom! We're lucky we haven't run into any already!”

“You don't understand!” I told them. “I saw him! I saw the hooded pony! He tried to run, but I chased him all the way up here!”

They looked at me like this was some kind of practical joke. “Well where is he now, then?” Scootaloo snarked.

“He lept off and glided into the forest!” I said. “He's a pegasus! He had gray fur, and messy black hair, and a thundercloud for a cutie mark! He looked about as old as Big Macintosh!”

“Hold on,” Sweetie Belle said. “If he's a pegasus, why would he go back into the forest? Why wouldn't he just fly away? It's not like we could catch up.”

“Beats me!” I told her. “I'm just as confused as you! He looked like he had something to tell me, but he couldn't quite spit it out.”

“You know what? I don't care anymore,” Scootaloo complained. “We need to get back home. I don't want to hear about any of this ever again.” She started walking down the tree trunk. Sweetie Belle and I followed.

When we made it to the bottom, I put my hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. “You need to listen to me! The hooded pony-”

“Stay away from me!” she yelled, shoving me away. I caught her eyes again. She was as angry as she was before, but this time there was something else in them: fear. She wasn't just mad at me for getting them lost, she was scared of me. Sweetie Belle just looked at us and didn't say anything.

We walked in the direction of Ponyville that we saw from the high tree trunk, but with no path to follow, we weren't always sure we were headed the right direction. Occasionally we would hear a rustle in the bushes, but I thought that maybe I had caused enough trouble for the night and decided not to look into them anymore. After wandering for what seemed like an hour, we still hadn't found the edge of the forest. When we found a little clearing, we decided to call it quits. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle huddled together for warmth, while I wrote the story that you're reading now.

You know, while I was writing the part about chasing the hooded pony through the woods, I had that scary feeling again. The one that started this whole mess. I think I saw Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo wake up and look around, but after a few minutes they just brushed it off and went back to sleep. I don't know if Scootaloo is right or not. I mean, I know what I saw. That pony was real, and he looked like he had something important to say. I don't know how he could give us bad dreams or make Zecora forget about him, but I don't know if I want to let this go or not. On one hoof, I've caused my friends enough problems, and maybe I should just try to go back to normal. On the other... if something really is happening, then ignoring it might only make things worse. If I see my sister again, I'll tell her everything.

It's cold out here. I'm going to go over to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and see if they'll let me huddle next to them. Wish me luck.

Sunday, October 21st

I'm safe in my room on the Apple Farm. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are back at their homes, too. None of us were hurt, but we did scare our families quite a bit. I told Applejack I was staying over at Scootaloo's place. To be honest, I don't even know where she lives, and I doubt Applejack knows either. Right now my big sis thinks I'm just taking a nap in my room, but there's no way I can sleep. Not after what I saw this morning.

Sweetie Belle was the first to get up. “Apple Bloom! Scootaloo! You have to see this!” she yelled, pushing us to wake us.

I yawned and opened my eyes to the faintest bit of sunlight. I'd have liked to get more rest, but it was still welcome after being trapped in the dark so long. At first I wondered why Sweetie Belle was so excited, but then I remembered we were in the Everfree Forest. Scootaloo and I shook ourselves awake as fast as we could, expecting to deal with a monster or something. But instead of a fight, we saw a line scratched into the dirt on the ground. One side of the line ended in our clearing, but the other went straight into the forest. We couldn't see the end of it.

“That wasn't there last night,” Scootaloo pondered, shaken. “Was somepony watching us? That's... so creepy.” She shuddered.

“Where do you think it goes?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I thought Ponyville was in the other direction...”

“Look!” I said. “There are hoofprints on the edges of the line!” The two of them took a closer look at the line and realized I was right. The dirt wasn't very deep, but you could see the faint outlines of hoofprints on either side of the line. “Somepony wants us to follow this! I bet it's that hooded pony from last night!”

Scootaloo gritted her teeth. “Apple Bloom, we told you, there is no hooded pony! And even if he did exist, would you really want to follow him? For all we know this line is leading us into a trap!”

“Well what do you expect we do?” I told her. “We couldn't find our way out last night, and now there's a line leading us somewhere! I don't know about you two, but I want to see where this line leads! I don't think we'll ever get out of here if we just blindly stumble through the forest like last night!”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Says the filly that got us lost out here in the first place.”

Sweetie Belle glared at her, then stepped towards the line with me. “I think Apple Bloom is right. Besides, she told us last night that the hooded pony isn't our enemy. Maybe he's trying to lead us out...”

“Don't tell me you believe her!” Scootaloo scoffed. “Ever since that nightmare she's been nothing but trouble!”

“I... I trust her.” Sweetie Belle looked at me and gave a weak smile. “I don't know if everything's she's saying is right, but I'm going to stick with her on this one.” After all that I put her through, she still thought of me as her best friend. I hugged her tightly, burying my face in her mane.

Scootaloo sighed in defeat. “Alright. I'll follow the path with you two. Just remember... I warned you.”

The line twisted and curved as it went through the forest. Usually it was because of some debris in the way from all the broken branches around, and other times it would loop around seemingly nothing at all. I didn't really question it. After all, we were in the Everfree Forest, and there could be traps or monster nests anywhere. Yet, for as dangerous as we knew the forest was, this morning was surprisingly quiet.

At some point, Scootaloo broke the silence. “You know all the stories the older ponies tell us about this forest? How it's filled with manticores, ursas, parasprites, dragons, and all other creepy things? We even ran into that Cockatrice a while back. But all night we haven't run into a single monster. We even slept for several hours without anything disturbing us? I'm starting to think those stories are exaggerated.”

“You might be right,” Sweetie Belle said, “but even though it's not THAT dangerous, that doesn't mean there aren't things out here that can hurt us.”

“I'm just saying...” Scootaloo responded, “that isn't it odd how we haven't run into anything this time around?”

“What about that dream?” I asked.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other in silence.

“I had that dreaded feeling again last night! And I saw you two wake up from it! You can't tell me I'm the only one! We all experienced it at the same time!”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “It was probably just a cold breeze or something. We didn't have anything covering us, you know!”

“All you've been doing is giving excuse after excuse to make me think I'm going crazy!” I shouted at her. “I don't know what happened with Zecora or that nightmare I had, but just sweeping it under the rug and pretending it doesn't exist is a huge mistake!”

“I don't even know who you are anymore!” she yelled. “You had one bad dream and you became obsessed with it! This 'hooded pony' is nothing but an illusion! You're the only one who can see him! When we get back, I don't want to have anything to do with you!”

“Fine!” I screamed. “You're just holding me back anyway! If this path leads us out, I'd sooner side with the hooded pony than I would with you!”

“Girls?” Sweetie Belle asked us.

“WHAT?” Scootaloo and I yelled at her simultaneously.

“S... somepony is... following us...”

Scootaloo and I looked back at the trail we covered. We didn't see him, anything, but then again we had been yelling at each other the last few minutes.

“Well, let's just go take a look for ourselves then, shall we?” Scootaloo snarked.

“Yeah, let's settle this once and for all!” I snapped back.

The two of us ran down the trail, with Sweetie Belle behind us screaming to slow down. I didn't care about whether it was safe. I just wanted to prove Scootaloo wrong. I wanted to show her the hooded pony once and for all and teach her not to be so condescending towards me. As I ran back down the trail, I found myself coming down with a splitting headache, but I didn't care. Scootaloo also looked like she was having one, but we both persevered. Our vision blurred and our balance was knocked off, but proving the other wrong was the only thing important. We rounded a corner and found our stalker.

It wasn't the hooded pony at all. This pony was tall and slender. He wore a business suit with a red tie. The morning sun shined on his face. He had no eyes, no mouth, and no ears. Not only that, but tentacles protruded from his back, making his already tall form look even larger. With them, he almost stood like a spider. When I saw him, I was more scared than I had ever been in my entire life. Worse than Nightmare Moon turning Equestria into eternal night, worse than finding Twilight's stone body, and a sense of chaos more disturbing than Discord's reign over Ponyville. I didn't want to find out who he was. I didn't want to know why he was following us. I just wanted to get out of there, as soon as possible.

Scootaloo and I ran, screaming the entire way. Sweetie Belle watched us with wide eyes as we bolted past her. I took a look behind me and saw that she was stunned, just staring at the creature who had now stepped out from behind the tree. I ran back, grabbed her hoof, and snapped her out of it long enough to get her moving. At this point, we didn't even care where the line went. All we knew was that the end of it was the slender pony. With those long legs and tentacles as arms, he wouldn't even have had to run to keep up with us. I didn't look back.

The three of us ran until we were out of breath. I was scared to stop, but my lungs were about to explode. Finally, I collapsed on the ground. I weakly looked behind me, and sighed in relief. The slender pony was nowhere to be seen.

“Are you okay?” Scootaloo asked me, helping me back up. “I'm sorry I didn't believe you...” she said, panting.

I shook my head. “That wasn't him!”

“What?!” Scootaloo cried.

“Weren't you listening to me when I was describing him? That wasn't him! He didn't have a blank face, or, or, or tentacles coming out of his back! And he was wearing a hood and cape, not a freaking suit!”

“Then who was he?” Sweetie Belle whimpered.

“I don't know...” I told her. “When I saw him, I just... felt the most intense fear. I can't even explain it. Just being near him made me want to cry.”

We walked along the line again in silence. Every so often, one of us would give away a hacking cough. I don't know if it was being we spent the night outside, or because we were in the presence of the slender pony. Along the way, I realized something.

“Scootaloo... do you remember how mad I got at you back there?”

She looked at me. “I got mad at you too. I'm really sorry...”

“No, it's okay!” I told her. “I don't think I ever get that mad! And when we got near that pony, I started feeling really messed up in the head! Maybe he did something to us!”

“You're right!” she told me. “I got the worst headache ever as we rounded that corner. There's more to that pony than we know of.”

“Girls, look!” Sweetie Belle cried out. “The exit to the forest!”

Scootaloo and I looked down the path, and she was right! The line led us out of the forest where we could see Ponyville in the distance. As we took our steps out of the forest, we collapsed and laid in the grass. It was much nicer than all the dirt and broken branches in the Everfree Forest.

“Are you three Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo?”

The three of us jumped up and saw him in broad daylight. The hooded pony. His cape covered his body, hiding his pegasus wing and cutie mark from sight. His black mane looked a lot darker against the sunlight. His legs quivered as always. The three of us stared at him in disbelief.

“I get it. You're all scared of me. Understandable, considering the circumstances.” He closed his eyes. “I'm sorry for getting you all involved in this. But I have a favor to ask.”

We looked at each other, worried, but there wasn't anything any of us could do. We looked at him and silently nodded.

“Do not speak a word of this to anypony.”

We all sat there on the ground, not sure whether or not to believe him.

“Ponies fear that which they do not understand,” he continued. “There is more going on than you can imagine. Don't make assumptions. Don't jump to conclusions. I apologize for getting you three involved in this. Go home. Get some rest.”

The three of us looked at each other hesitantly, then stood up. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle started walking towards Ponyville, but I continued looking at the hooded pony.

“Is there something else you want?” he asked me.

“What's your name?” I asked.

He looked away before giving me an answer. “Dark Storm.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, um, thank you, Dark, for leading us out. I-I mean, Mister Storm! Sorry.”

I could have sworn for a moment there, he actually smiled.

“I don't know what's going on,” I continued, “but it just don't feel right to sit here and do nothing. Is there any way at all I can help? Who was that slender pony we found?”

Dark sighed. “It's a long story. You're better off getting some rest.”

“But I wanna help!” I demanded. “You can't expect me to go through all that and just forget about it!”

He shut his eyes for a while like he was in deep thought. The wind rustled the trees and his eyes opened suddenly, as if he was panicked. “Quick, let me see your notebook!”

“Wh-why?” I asked.

“No questions! Just do it!” he demanded.

Surprised, I quickly opened my bag and gave him my journal.

“A pencil!” he said. I grabbed the one from my bag and gave that to him as well. He opened my journal up to a page in the back and scribbled something in a hurry. He shoved my journal and pencil back into my bag. “Now get out of here! They're coming.”

“Who's coming?” I asked, both scared and confused.

“Doesn't matter! Go home!” he demanded. I decided to trust his instruction and I ran back to Ponyville. I met up with my friends in town, but we decided to just go our separate ways.

That was the longest night of my entire life. There are so many questions I have. What happened to Zecora? Who is the slender pony? Who was Dark Storm so worried about that he rushed me off in a hurry? Why is it so important that we not tell anypony? I guess for the time being, I should just be happy that I'm safe. Had a nice bath. Sitting on my cozy bed. The sound of Applejack barking orders at Big Macintosh. I guess you don't really appreciate what you have until you find out what it's like to lose it. Tomorrow I'll try to sort everything out, but for now I'm just going to take it easy. If I can. This image that Dark drew in my journal is creeping me out.

Comments

[Biker_Dash]

WOW! This is goin straight to my favorites!

[reader238]

insta fav and like.... inb4 featured

[DanteShadowstar12]

Does this remind anybody else of Lovecraftian Horror?
Amazing writing, something extraterrestrial messing with your head, etc. Perfect tones, great story. Keep up the good work!

[Cozybro]

Dammit.

It had to be Slender, didn't it?

To be fair, this is well written.