//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Secrets of Nightholde // by Bookpony579 //------------------------------// A few days later, the Rainbooms found themselves at Twilight's house packing up the last of their things. "Thanks again for letting us come Mr. N." Sunset smiled at Night Light as she tossed her bag on the bus. Because of the large number of people, they decided to use the Rainbooms' multicolored bus that they had fixed up. Twilight's parents and the girls would be riding in the bus while Cadence, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart would be in their own car. Night smiled back at his daughter's friend. "Not a problem. My parents are so excited to meet you girls. I'm sure you'll like them." "One of them, at least..." Velvet muttered as she held her granddaughter while Cadence help Shining pack their own car. Night just sighed. "Please try to be cordial to my mother this time Vel? Especially since we're bringing guests with us this time?" "I will if she will!" Velvet fumed, causing little Flurry to laugh at the funny face her grandmother was making. Rainbow let out a yawn as she packed up the last of the bags. "Any chance they'll be just as excited if we come a little later?" "Sorry for the early start but it'll be a couple of house until we get there." Meanwhile, Twilight was going over the final checks. "Bags packed? Check." She marked her list. "Rainbow complaining about the early start time? Check. Food and games for the ride? Check? Pet supplies?" She looked over to see her familiar safe in his cage and Spike being petted by Fluttershy. "Check. Baby supplies?" She looked over to the ominous pile of diapers, formula and other essentials stocked up in the cars' backseat and trunk. "Check! We're all set to go!" Strangely, after talking to her family, all traits of doubt and uncertainty seemed to have vanish...well mostly. "I've got a map and a list of all pitstops and roadside diners for meals or in case of bathroom emergencies. If we leave now we can grab breakfast at Cal's before the morning rush." She went over and gave her niece a kiss on the cheek before Cadence collected her and secured her in her car seat. "All right everyone!" Shining called out from behind his steering wheel. "Let's get this show on the road!" With that, everyone boarded their respective bus or car seat and buckled up. Velvet grumbled a little when Night claimed the driver's seat for the first half of the trip and immediately called dibs on driving the second half. "Trust me." Twilight whispered to AJ. "We're going to need the wake up call." Aj could only stare at her friend with worry as the bus took off. "Eye spy with my little eye....." Pinkie announced to a group of sleepy teenagers. "...something white!" "Let me guess." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Is it a cloud?" Pinkie gasped with excitement. "How did you know!?" "How about we play a new game?" Sunset offered. "Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie waved her hand. "How about 20 million questions!? I'll start! What-" "NO!!!" Was everyone's gentle, calm response. "I need to make a pit stop!" AJ face palmed. "Seriously Rainbow? We passed by a pitstop 15 minutes ago!" "I didn't have to go then!" "Um...I have to go too." Fluttershy spoke with embarrassment. "I didn't want to be an inconvenience." "I thought I could hold it too, but I can't!" Pinkie announced with her usual cheeriness. "I'm with them here." Spike said. Now it was Twilight's turn to face palm. "Honey, I think we missed the turn off." Night said, looking at his phone. "Maybe we should ask for directions?" "I don't need directions because I know where I'm going!" Velvet replied irritably. "But you haven't been here in a while and I think-" "Look, I have an infallible sense of direction, alright?" "Really? Then where was it that time we went to that amusement park and somehow ended up in the Appleloosan plains?" Velvet just gave him a sideways glare. The sun was just beginning to set when they arrived in the medium sized town of Shadowmoore. It was surrounded by dense, dark woods and the road leading there looked like it hadn't been paved in a while. They quickly passed over a bridge above a deep, roaring river before officially entering the town. Iron fences appeared dominant outside the large, arched houses next to the old, stone buildings. The forest apparently didn't stop at the town boarders and many buildings appeared to be built around the trees instead of vice versa and some had already lost all of their leaves, giving them a skeletal look. Most of the older buildings were old, stone with a tower that seemed to dominate anyone standing in front of it. "Alright everyone we're almost there!" Velvet cheerfully announced as she turned into a convenience story. "How about one last stop to stretch our legs before we arrive?" Nobody bothered to answer as everyone on the buss raced and pushed at each other to get onto stable ground as soon as possible. "Ugh..." AJ groaned as she leaned against the bus for support. "You weren't kiddin' about that wake up call sugarcube..." "I most certainly would have been happy NOT taking that shortcut through the woods..." Rarity said as she regained her balance. "Hey, we beat Shiny here, didn't we?" Velvet asked innocently. "Mom, for the last time, this wasn't a race!" Twilight gave her mother a stern look. "And even if it was, couldn't you still have done it on a paved road?" Spike said, collapsing on the sidewalk. "Or have gone around the broken bridge instead of jumping over it?" Fluttershy wobbled. "I thought your mom gave up speed racing?" Sunset asked, hanging onto a trash can just in case. "She usually only does this when she knows she can get away with it." "Still, it beats your dad's game of car bingo." Rainbow shrugged. Once their stomachs and minds stopped spinning, the finally got a good look at where they had arrived. "Well in any case.." Twilight spread her arms out. "Welcome to Shadowmoore! It's been by family's property for centuries! What do you think?" Looking around at the grim trees, houses that looked like they could be very well haunted, the townsfolk who simply glanced their way before sneaking into the shadows and the light fog that was starting to roll in, the girls felt a shiver go down their spines as they tried to answer without insulting their friend. "It's certainly...distinguished." "It's spooky....." "It's....got lots of trees?" "I like it! Very lively!" "It's like something out of a ghost story. OW!" Rainbow rubbed the side where AJ had elbowed her. Twilight's smiled faded. "I know it's a bit....eerie. But it gets better the longer you stay. And the people are so friendly once you get to know them!" She turned to enter the store. "Let's just walk around and pick up some last minute snack and use the restroom while we wait for Shiny to get here." They did enter and found rows of various groceries along with an old fashioned candy bar. The latter of which was the first thing Pinkie zoomed towards. "Hi there mister!" The bartender, an older, muscular man didn't return Pinkie's bright smile and simply grunted a hello in return as most of the other girls joined her. Twilight was busy helping her dad pick up some last minute things. "Are you all visiting?" A deep yet feminine voice asked as the girls turned and saw a woman and another man playing dominoes at a nearby table. "Yup! We're visiting our friends' castle!" Pinkie pointed across the store at Twilight who didn't notice them. "Cool huh?" The three citizens all gained looks of surprise and recognition. "Wait..." The bartender spoke. "Your visiting Nightholde?" "Your Twilight Sparkle's friends?" The woman asked with surprise. "Twilight Sparkle has friends?" The second man asked with even greater surprise before receiving a stern glare from the woman. "Yes to all three." Sunset replied, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Why?" The three strangers shared a look before nodding. The girls looked to each other uncertainly. "In that case, I'm sure you haven't heard the...stories...about the place?" The bartender asked cautiously. "What stories?" Rainbow asked. "Oh just the usual." The woman shrugged. "Strange sights and sounds. People disappearing without a trace. The same old stuff when it comes to old castles." She gave a stern look. "But then there's the dark magic." "Dark magic?" Fluttershy gasped. "Twilight would never do dark magic!" Rarity exclaimed. "Oh please!" Sunset rolled her eyes. "What pureblood family these days doesn't have rumors of them being involved in dark magic? Most of it's just ignorance and nonsense." "Yes." The second man nodded. "But I've looked into it, and that place has an unusually....high amount of stories and rumors throughout it's history." "What kinds of stories?" AJ asked cautiously. The bartender took a deep breath before starting. "A century or two after the family settled there, a warlord tried to invade the land and take everything for himself. The lady of the time; Polaria, met with him and tried to dissuade him from entering. When he refused and boasted about taking her as soon as his army arrived the castle, she only laughed and wished them luck. He left, and returned with an army of his most brutal warriors. They entered the forest, but, to the warlords' surprise, they couldn't find their way to the castle or the town. It was if the trails had suddenly....vanished! Indeed they appeared to be cursed, and they wondered for days in the maze like woods, unable to trace their steps, leaving trails that would disappear the moment they looked away. It was as if the very trees themselves where keeping the army confused and lost." The bartender's voice had dropped to a near whisper and everybody leaned in to hear it. "Finally, after many weeks of walking, they escaped....only to find themselves back where they had entered the woods! Most of the army was gone, having either starved, gotten lost or taken their own lives out of desperation. But the rest of them didn't fare better. Their time in the woods had left them exhausted and half mad! Especially the old warlord himself. He could barely put a sentence together and mumbled about the most unspeakable horrors. They say that Polaria had watched them from the castle windows, smiling knowingly as they left and never returned." "Woah..." Was all Rainbow could get out. "Indeed." The Bartender nodded. "And there's plenty more where that came from. "Come on guys!" Twilight's voice echoed through the store. "Shining and Cadence are here! It's time to go." "Looks like that's enough for now." The bartender nodded. "Now, of course, there's no definite proof of any dark goings on, but I'd watch your backs if I were you." "And lock your doors at night." The woman advised. "And never go into the woods at night." The second man said gravely. "Especially by yourselves." The girls gulped and quickly made their way back outside. "Hey girls!" Twilight greeted with a smile. "I saw you talking to old man Iron. What was he saying." "Oh...nothing." AJ fumbled with her hat. "He was just telling...stories." Twilight's smile disappeared. "Is he still telling those old ghost stories about my ancestors again?" The silence was enough of an answer. "Look." Twilight sighed. "This is part of why I didn't want you girls to come in the first place. There's lots of....stories about my family, but it's all just nonsense!" "Twilight's right." Sunset stepped forward. "What are doing? They're just old rumors and urban legends. We're just all probably tired from the trip." "Yeah!" Rainbow pumped her fist in the air. "We've never let some tall tales get to us before!" A louder, moor cheerful chorus of confirmation quickly raised their spirits. "Thanks girls." Twilight smiled. "Now let's get going. We should make it just in time for dinner." With that, everyone was back on the bus, leaving the town of Shadowmoore behind them. But the story the old man Iron had told were still running through the girl's heads....