Chapter 1: The Little Wooden Box With The Eye On It
Celestia day started out normally, like always.
She got out of bed, rose the sun, had some breakfast, and went for a little stroll in Canterlot.
As usual, citizens greeted her with smiles and often a "Hello!". Her day seemed to go nicely from there.
Then a strange, cloaked pony accidentally bumped into her.
"Oh, sorry!"
"Its alright."
The pony raise her hood.
"Celestia! I was looking for you!"
"Whatever for?"
She pulled a small box out of her cloak.
"He told me to bring you this box. As a present or something."
She looked at it. The book seemed delicately carved in fancy designs, and was paint mostly black, except for a large, red eye on the front.
"What's your name?"
"Rose, your highness."
"Why are you wearing that cloak?"
"He told me to keep my identity hidden until I found you."
"Who is 'he'?"
Her eyes seemed to grow with shock.
"I have to go."
"Wait!"
Before she could stop her, Rose vanished.
Celestia looked at the little box again. The eye seemed to watch her, like it was waiting for her to do something. But what?
Right after the encounter, she turned around and went right back to the castle.
-( The Castle )-
"Have you seen anything like it before?"
Cadance looked at it closely.
"Looks ancient. Probably about 1,000 years old."
"But it looks brand-new! The box can't be that old!"
"I'll check."
Cadance's horn began to glow, as the little box began to shake. A strange, red light seemed to be shining from the inside.
Then it stopped.
"It's older than 1,000, but something very powerful is keeping it fresh. Something on the inside."
"So what do we do?"
"We need to open it."
Cadance reached for the latch, but Celestia stopped her.
"I don't think we should. Not now."
(-- Midnight --)
It was hard for Celestia to fall asleep. With that mysterious box on her mind, she kept herself awake with countless questions.
Can it be opened?
How strong is that magic?
What's inside it?
After a while, she finally managed to doze off.
She dreamt of whispers.
Six, indistinct whispers fill her mind, giving it an eerie feeling.
Then they began to scream. Cries for help.
She suddenly found herself awake. The box was glowing red again from the inside.
And the eye was moving.
"Cadance was right. I have to open it."
She got out of her bed, and stepped up to the box.
"Hope it doesn't kill me."
She unhooked the latch, and the box flung right open.
The red light now filled the entire room, and the whispers from her dreams did the same.
Suddenly, a strange figure popped up from inside the box. A floating, stone arm reached out towards Celestia as the being spoke.
"Give me a hoof, will ya?"
Using both her hoofs, she attempted to pull the being out. It seemed like something was pulling from the other end.
Suddenly, the being flew out of the box and on to the ground, as well as two stone legs with red orbs in them.
"Give me a moment."
The being seemed to jump into the air with its hands. The legs rolled across the floor right under it, as they suddenly went up right, and the being landed.
Celestia got a better look at it.
First of all, its body just floated in the air. While the head was attached, the arm and legs seemed to just float or stand in one place, but acted if they were connected. Second, its torso was covered in the exact same carvings as the box. And third, it had seven mouths. Other than its head, one mouth was on every limb, except for the two on its torso.
"Sorry about that. The magic from ritual was trying to keep me in that box. But since I'm here, I believe Rose completed her mission?"
"Who are you?"
His "1st" mouth smiled, and then he bowed as he spoke.
"Lord Zalgo, at your service."
Zalgo. She remembered the tale of Zalgo.
"Stay away from me!"
"Well, that's not a way to treat a guest."
"I know what you did. You're not fooling me!"
"1,543 years in a small box can change the way you think. I'm different now."
"How can I believe you?"
"When I was just passing by a small town, I was captured, tied up, and stuffed in that box."
"I still don't trust you."
"I can stay here all of eternity if you like. I'm listening to what you have to say."
Eternity. Celestia can be cruel, but not that cruel, even when dealing with Zalgo.
"You will kept here, but not forever. Just until I can actually trust you around others."
"By that, you mean the 3 other royal figures in this very castle?"
"How did you know that?!"
"They are all banging on the door I locked."
Celestia snapped out of a trance. It sounded like the door was being brought down.
"What happens next?"
The door lock clicked.
The three ponies rushed into the room.
"Sister, what happened?"
"Is everything alright?"
"Are you hurt?"
Then they all looked at Zalgo.
"Celestia... why is Zalgo in your bedroom,"
"Because I opened the box."
"Why did you do that?"
"Because Zalgo will be staying here as our guest for a very long time."
Shining fainted.