Dark Shines

by Glen Gorewood


The Maremoon Misbegotten Manor Monster

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A large home upon a hill shrouded in fog, in the woods somewhere in Equestria, by the village of Maremoon Hollow.

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The night is clear as the forest holds its silence. Something is changing in this world of foliage and fauna. Or perhaps the better term is something is returning. For in the home sealed away from time, a hoof moves aside a blanket that has for so long covered its master. The ancient woven work would be considered a valuable piece of art by modern equestrians, however to the one resting beneath it the value is priceless. Long ago someone important had crafted this blanket for the one who now moves it aside with great care. A great yawn and cracking sound echo as a body long dormant begins to move again.

The creature, hungry and still tired, gets out of bed and walks over to the washroom. Time may stand still within the home, but smells can still accumulate on the body. A quick wash fixes that, and the creature makes its way to the closet to dress. Once satisfied with its attire, and other items, the entity moves down a few flights of stairs to the floor that holds the kitchen. Grabbing a jar from the chilling box, it sniffs the contests before drinking them greedily. A slight trickle of silver liquid dances on its muzzle before being lapped up by a greedy tongue. With a contented sigh, the creature placed the empty bottle on the counter. Grabbing a bottle of wine, and checking the year, it places it in an ancient traveling kit meant for day trips of old.

Satisfied, the creature places the kit to the side before placing two straps upon its center and hindquarters that are attached into a harness with hooks. Carefully attaching the kit, the creature moves from the kitchen to the door of the home. Two ancient saddlebags sit by the entry, and are added to the harness as is an unusual pole like object. Finally the master of the home, the creature, grabs a cloak and hat from the rack by the door in its magic.

Placing the hat upon its head to cover its horns, and the cloak upon its back while using its magic to attach the straps in front by use of a decorative clasp. Finally the creature grabs the house keys, and leaves the home. Stopping to lock up before placing the keys in its saddlebags, the well hidden entity gazed up at the night sky overhead.

Though to its eyes it may as well be daytime.
With a sigh, it mutters to the air. “Well, I suppose I am off to meet a Princess.”

The creature chuckles a bit at that. “To think, something like me would be meeting with a Princess. Times have truly changed haven’t they?”

With another snort of laughter, the creature makes its way into the night enshrouded forest. The most parting before it, as if unwilling to touch it. Within a few minutes, the house frozen in time is once again silent; yet the forest has yet make a sound again.

The locals in the nearby village would report the next day that an unusually high amount of older animals were found dead by the tree line of the forest. Attempts to discover the cause with magic deemed the cause to be old age, or an unknown cause likely related to stress. However rumors began to be whispered among the village folk. Stories of a dark pony like creature that had lived in the woods for as long as any can remember. Supposedly it was sleeping, but the rumors told questioned this. After all, what if the sleeping creature of the woods had woken up at last?

If so, where was it now? The villagers would spend many a sleepless night whispering and pondering this. Unaware that the being they worried about, and in some cases for, was now far away from their tiny town.