Now that both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were done, everypony focused their attention on the last crusader, Applebloom. The little yellow filly however, has a big surprise for them.
“Now you all probably be thinking that I’ll be the one telling the story next.” Applebloom said and saw someponies nodding their heads. “Well you all guess wrong, because we have a very special guest to come in and tell us a chilling tale.”
Applebloom then proceed to point her hoof at the front door of the school. “So then why don’t we all say hello to our special guest, the one and only, Nightmare Moon!”
The door to the schoolhouse suddenly burst open and standing by the doorway is the dark alicorn herself, Nightmare Moon.
The dark alicorn trotted through the class room, making her way to the front. As she trotted by, all the colts and fillies reel back in terror by her appearance. Some even cowered as they hid under their desk.
“GREETINGS, MY LITTLE PONIES!” Nightmare shouted in her royal canterlot voice. “THE CRUSADERS HAVE INVITED ME HERE TODAY TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL A FRIGHTENING TALE.”
All the foals in the class remain silent waited patiently for her to continue.
“This is a tale older than me, a tale dating back to the time before the founding of Equestria. It was a terrible tale told by ponies that survives a horrible event and live through it to tell others about it.”
Nightmare Moon explained, no longer using her canterlot voice. “This is a tale about a small little village being attacked by…
THE NIGHT INVADERS
Humble Rivers, an earth pony village that was once full of life but is now all extinguished. The villagers were all found dead and their corpses littered all across the streets as their houses were stained with their own blood.
This is what two ponies from a neighboring village found when they came to visit the village.
Shocked and horrified at what they discovered the two ponies immediately left and went back to their village, Sunny Hill. They then report the incident to everypony and the news surprised everyone.
This news has everypony worried and scared. The ponies began asking questions, such as who were the perpetrators that wiped out the ponies of Humble Rivers and were they going to be their next target.
Everything calm down a bit when the villager elder inform everyone that he has already send messengers to the main Earth pony capital asking for assistants and in the meantime he’ll post more guards around the village for better protection.
However, unknown to the village elder, his messengers would never reach the capital as they are lying dead in a ditch by the road.
Later that night as the villagers slept and the guards were on duty, a horde of cloaked figures descended upon the unsuspecting village. Despite how many there are the cloaked figures moves silently throughout the night.
They quietly killed all the guards all except for one who manage to activate the alarm. The warning bell rings and all the sleeping villagers were now awake.
Chaos then erupted in the village as all the ponies of Sunny Hill found themselves attack by numerous invaders. Some stayed and fight, while others tried to flee. However, in the end everypony died, both for the defenders and ones trying to escape.
After the slaughter a couple of ponies found themselves captured and group together. They watch helplessly as the cloaked figures finished off any remaining survivors in brutal fashion.
Once they were done the cloaked figures force their prisoners up and order them to follow their lead. The ponies then obediently follow their instruction and trail behind the horde, leaving their ruined village behind.
They travel a long distance and for many hours with no breaks. Those that were tired pushed themselves hard under the threat of death if they don’t keep up.
Eventually they finally arrive at their destination, an old mine once used by miners but was abandon after it tapped out.
When they enter the mine, the group encounter other prisoners. This includes the ponies from Humble Rivers.
While grouped with the other prisoners the Sunny Hill ponies learn from the others about who those cloaked figures are and why they were here.
Apparently those cloaked figures are members of a cult called the Followers of Forgotten God. They worship god so menacing and evil that any mentioning or references about him was erased from the history books.
Now for the reason why they are taking prisoners is because according to their legend, the Forgotten God sires numerous offsprings from many mares before his sudden departure and if those offsprings or their descendants ever drink from his black water, he’ll be reborn into them.
One by one the Followers forced each prisoner to drink the black water. Each time they did it always results in the black water melting the pony’s innards and soon melt the rest of the pony. They then scoop up the black water and move onto the next pony.
All the prisoners watch in horror as each of their brethren dies in a horrific manner. Their screams of agony were drilled into their minds just like the image of them melting was burn into them as well.
When it finally came to the ponies of Sunny Hill turn they pick one mare from their group. She was a young pony, the granddaughter of the village elder.
The Sunny Hill ponies yelled at their captors to leave her alone and even pleaded with them to take her place instead.
They however, ignore their cries and proceed to force the black water down her mouth.
The Sunny Hill ponies watch as the mare drank all of it down. They turned their heads away, not wishing to see her melt away like the rest.
However, there was no screaming. When they all look back they bear witness something strange. The mare coat began to darken, becoming black. Her eyes vanish and her mane and tail begin to fall off.
They had no idea what was going but apparently the cultist knew as they all started gathering before her.
The mare continues to transform until her coat became harden like a shell. Then that shell started to crack and the whole shell crumbles, revealing the mare’s new form.
The mare was now some kind of black sludge like being with two bright white eyes on her head. The sludge creature remain standing still until one of the cultists, their leader they presume approach the being and said something to her.
Whatever he just said got her to react violently as several tentacles emerge from her body and began thrashing around. This killed many of the cultists, but instead of running they actually embrace it and allow her to kill them all.
One of the thrashing tentacles smack a cultist near the cage where the prisoners are being held. The cultist’s head struck hard on the rocky wall, killing him instantly. The stallion was also the one holding the keys which is fortunate for the prisoners because now they can escape.
Once everypony was freed they all gallop toward the exit of the mine, all except for the Sunny Hill ponies. They were conflicted over the matter of the mare. They weren’t sure if they should leave without her.
However, once they realized she was no longer the same mare they all once knew, they all headed straight for the exit.
Along way they destroyed several pillars that were supporting the mine. The ponies were going to ensure that monster won’t see the light of day by collapsing the mine.
With enough pillars destroyed, all the prisoners manage to escape just in time as the entire mine collapsed.
All former prisoners rejoice, happy to be free and safe away from those freaky cultists and their monster abomination. While some were celebrating, some others stared at the mines with concerns.
Did they really stop the monster, or did they only delay the inevitable? After all, that monster is still in there, just trapped. For how long exactly, they didn’t know.
Did they only saved themselves and burden the ponies of the future with this monster?
They also didn’t know the answers to those questions and as far as they’re concern, time will only tell if they really did the right thing.
After Nightmare Moon was finish telling her tale all the foals in the class clop their hooves. Many still feel tense by the dark alicorn’s menacing appearance.
“Hey Princess Luna, you can drop the act now. I think they’re scared enough already.” Scootaloo said.
At that moment Nightmare Moon emits a bright glow and her form disappeared, revealing the princess of the night, Princess Luna.
“Hello, my little ponies.” Luna greeted in a friendly manner. “Class is almost over and I would like to share with you one bit of wisdom before you are dismissed. Because it is Nightmare Night, you’re probably going to face many things that might frighten you and that is Okay. It is Okay to be scared once in a while and that you don’t have to put on a tough guy act just to hide it. Just know this; fear is nothing to be ashamed about. Even the greatest of ponies experience fear in their life before.”
The school bell then rang, indicating the end of the school day. All the colts and fillies left the school house and headed off into the town, to enjoy their Nightmare Night.
THE END