//------------------------------//
// A Helpful Neighbour 
// Story: Stories of Nightmare Night 
// by RulerOfIce 
//------------------------------//

A stallion had just moved into a new house in Vanhoover. He was still trying to move all of his stuff inside, but it was quite hard for an average earth pony. He sat down, taking a break from the work.

"Why does it have to be such a hot day?" he asked, looking up at the sky where the sun shone brightly with not a cloud on sight. He quickly covered his eyes and sat down. "I so need a drink."

Suddenly there was a glass in front of him, containing water. Startled, he looked right, then left and saw a unicorn mare with a light blue coat and white mane and tail.

"Here." the mare said. "You look like you're about to faint."

The stallion looked at the mare for a moment in awe.

"Thanks." he said as he took the glass and drank the water. It was very cold. Just what he needed.

"Anytime." the mare said. "You look like you need some help."

"Oh you have no idea." the stallion said. "It feels like I've been doing this for an eternity now."

Without saying another word, the mare began to lift several boxes and moved them inside the house. The stallion watched her work.

"You're... quite strong." he said.

The mare didn't say anything and moved more boxes into the house. The stallion began to feel bad, like he was using this mare to do his work.

"It's okay now." the stallion said. "I can move the rest."

But the mare continued to work. She even took the boxes the stallion was moving off his hooves. While the stallion wasn't against having some help, this didn't sit well with him. Soon enough all the boxes had been moved inside the house.

"Thank you so much." the stallion said.

But the mare didn't stop there. She went inside the house and, to stallion's surprise, began to actually unload various items from the boxes and began to place them appropriately.

"Ma'am?" the stallion said. "I appreciate your help, but I think I can handle the rest now."

But the mare kept unloading the items. The stallion began to get annoyed, but at the same time he didn't want to be rude and tell her to outright stop and force her out. At the very least he tried to do his part in unloading and placing his items. But again the unicorn mare used her magic to take all of the items he had taken. The stallion rubbed his forehead. This was beginning to be too much. However, just as he was about tell the mare to stop, he noticed that everything he had brought with him had been taken out of the boxes and placed in appropriate places. The boxes were empty.

The stallion had no words as he looked around the house, his eyes finally landing on the mare, who was heading outside. She didn't glance at the stallion or say anything.

When the mare stepped outside the stallion finally managed to find his voice. "Thank you very much!" and he saw the mare heading towards the house on the opposite side of his. It was a beautiful two-story white house with a very beautiful yard.

He would have smiled if it wasn't for the fact that he felt so bad for letting the mare do almost the entire work for him. He began to think. Soon enough he got an idea and he went to the kitchen.





That night he trotted towards the mare's house, carrying a large apple pie. He had decided to reward the mare for her very generous help. He arrived at the house and knocked on the door. He waited... but there was no answer. The stallion tilted his head in wonder. Had the mare left somewhere? He knocked again, but there was no answer. The stallion sighed. He really wanted to reward the mare for her help.

"Hey! You there!"

The stallion heard a voice behind him and turned around. Another mare stood on the street, looking at him. The mare had a yellow coat with purple mane and tail. She also looked very confused.

"What are you doing there?" the mare asked.

"I was just going to give the nice mare an apple pie for helping me move into my home." the stallion said, pointing at his house.

The mare looked at the stallion's house and then back at him, still confused. "A mare that... lives in that house?"

The stallion nodded.

"Are you sure?" the mare asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." the stallion said. "Why do you ask and why are you looking at me like I'm crazy?"

The mare stayed silent for a moment. "Because nopony has lived in that house for years."

The stallion was very confused and turned around to look at the house only to see the house looking very different now. It looked dilapidated, completely abandoned. The door and all the windows were broken. The stallion was so shocked that he dropped the apple pie on the ground and turned around and saw the yard grass was much taller now. Unattended. 

The yellow mare still looked at him, now even more confused. "Mister, are you alright?"

The stallion couldn't speak. He couldn't understand any of this. He eventually swore to the mare that he had been helped by a mare with a light blue coat and that he saw the mare heading towards this building.

"I think you should go back to bed and rest." the mare said. "You must have been dreaming." 

And so the stallion was left alone. He looked at the dilapidated building silently. As he finally went back inside his house, he looked around. He couldn't get the mare out of his mind. That very helpful mare...

He suddenly felt really cold and then his ears perked up.

"You're welcome."