I thought it was just a particularly hot summer. When my friends and the rest of the town started acting weird, I thought it was just the heat. After all, we've had heatwaves before, and those always drive ponies a little crazy. That's what I told myself, anyway.

And then I did some digging and realized I was right... and also very, very wrong.

Celestia is lost. She needs to get home.

This story was written for the 2023 FimFic Science Fiction Contest. It placed somewhere.

There are many rules to a good horror film. Most ponies learn them with time and experience.

Twilight never did. Now, trapped in a desolate inn at the end of a long driveway, far from help, she will learn of them. Or, at least, one of them. The one Rarity, her only surviving friend, insists is keeping Twilight alive.

To everyponies misfortune, Twilight has questions, and fleeing in terror like she should will not get her the answers.

It’s going to be a bad night for the killer.

Edited by the Illustrious and Maleficent Crowscrowcrow...crow...crow...crow

Cover image made by vanillaghosties.

Celestia leaves to deal with a foreign crisis, giving her sister a chance to rule alone and become more attached to the modern world. She calls on Twilight Sparkle to advise Luna, hoping her student will be able to draw Luna out of her shell. With two major threats to Equestria already defeated in the past year, it seems like the perfect time to let Luna gain some confidence and experience in the modern world. After all, what are the chances of a third disaster occurring?

Now comes with complimentary tropes.