The autumn sun was just beginning to set over Ponyville. While some residents were going about their last bits of business for the day, others were setting up festive decorations early. Cobwebs, pumpkins, bats, spiders and all manner of Nightmare Night horrors were being placed in and on the homes and shops of the town, and along the roads. It would have been nice to see the decorations up close, but given that she was nowhere near town, Ocellus was content to view examples of it in the book she had checked out from the school’s library.
Nightmarish Celebrations had been the first thing she’d looked to, on Headmare Twilight’s recommendation, when the topic of the holiday came up. It was a few weeks ago when she first heard about the upcoming holiday, and it was certainly the first time a lot of her friends would be celebrating it. Well, except for Sandbar. There were so many interesting festivities to take part in: costumes, games, candy and treats. Sandbar, though, wanted to do something special before Nightmare Night.
That was why all of them were sitting in a clearing close to the Everfree Forest, around a simple fire pit flanked on all sides by five sturdy logs. As Ocellus flipped through her book, Gallus and Smolder were off near the woods gathering wood for the fire. She could hear them laughing, likely joking with one another as they worked. Yona was sitting at Ocellus’ side, front hooves tapping against the side of the log.
With the sunlight finally dwindling, Ocellus closed her book for the moment. She set it down behind the log, right next to the stack of relevant research material she'd packed, and looked back to Ponyville.
As she looked up, Ocellus caught sight of Silverstream, flying just ahead of Sandbar as the two carried bags of supplies towards the campfire. Silverstream was the first to land on a log opposite of Ocellus, and then fished in one of the bags to pull out a bag of popcorn.
“We got the snacks!” Silverstream proclaimed, before digging into the bag of popcorn as loudly as she could.
Sandbar, doing his best to avoid being covered in flying kernels, set his bags down next to the log furthest from Silverstream’s. He then set to unpacked; it was a veritable smorgasbord by the time that Sandbar was done. Candies, marshmallows, cupcakes, popcorn, caramel popcorn, chocolates, pastries, pies, cakes and even a bag of gemstones for Smolder.
While Yona was busy trying a few cupcakes, Ocellus took a small stick and started to put a few marshmallows on the end. It was only a short wait before Smolder and Gallus arrived back from the woods. After they dropped their kindling and logs off in the fire pit, Gallus took a seat on one of the unoccupied logs. Smolder took a deep breath and let out a burst of flame. In a flash of dragonfire, the fire was lit, and the logs began to crackle. By the time Ocellus could see clearly again, Smolder was sitting on the last log.
Ocellus put her marshmallows over the fire, watching them carefully as they roasted. She heard the sound of gems clinking against one another in a bag before Smolder spoke up.
“So, what are we doing out here again?” Smolder asked, before taking a large bite of a gem.
“It’s for the atmosphere!” Sandbar said, having taken his seat after all the assorted treats from his bags were passed out. Ocellus noticed out of the corner of her eye that Silverstream hadn’t yet unpacked any of hers.
Ocellus pulled her marshmallows away from the fire and let them cool, before looking back over her shoulder at the Everfree. With the sun low, the clear shapes of the trees and branches had begun to fade away into vague dark outlines. The faint sounds of swaying branches, whistling winds and disturbed undergrowth drifted out from within. For a moment, she thought she saw a pair of eyes on one of the trunks, but a second glance showed it only to be a set of small holes cut into the bark.
“It certainly qualifies as creepy enough,” she said, turning back to the fire, and pulling her marshmallows close enough to take a bite. Food was certainly better to experience than read about.
“Exactly,” Sandbar replied. He looked back over his shoulder at Ponyville, where the street lights were starting to go on, and the windows were beginning to glow from within. “If we’re gonna do this, I figured we had to do it right. It’s your first time experiencing Nightmare Night, and you all need a real, authentic experience.”
“You still haven’t explained what exactly we’re doing out here, though.” Gallus grabbed a box of candies, popping some into his mouth. “Just that it’s some pony tradition or something. I thought all the creepy stuff happened on Nightmare Night.”
“Yeah, didn’t we already have some classes about this?” Silverstream asked, taking off from her seat for a moment. “Picking costumes”—she mimicked a dramatic pose worthy of Rarity—“trick or treating”—she did a barrel roll that ended with a short hop in the air—“and some party games.” She made a dive back into her seat, giggling as she thought back to the myriad of classes their professors had hosted about Nightmare Night.
Ocellus was about to pipe up, fishing behind her seat for one of the books, but Sandbar beat her to it. “Yeah,” he said, “but that's all on Nightmare Night. Besides, it isn't just about the costumes and games and treats. It’s about the… mood. You know, getting frightened and frightening. It's a part of the whole season. Facing your fears and stuff.”
Ocellus felt the log shaking, and looked over to see Yona shivering in her seat. Her eyes were focused on Ponyville and the School of Friendship, but Ocellus could guess where they’d looked a moment before.
“It’s alright, Yona. We went into the Everfree back when we first got to school, remember?" Ocellus put a hoof gently on Yona’s shoulder.
“Yes, but forest was bright and sunny then, and Yona not learned about all the scary creatures yet, and it wasn’t pony scaring holiday, and Yona not have to face fears.” Every excuse escaped faster than the last from Yona's mouth. Though she was protesting, however, her shivering and shaking dwindled with Ocellus' gentle touch.
"Hardly any scary, creepy or monstrous creatures come out of the forest, even at night," Silverstream said, hovering over to get in front of Yona. "Professor Fluttershy even said they were all just as scared of us sometimes."
"Yona know."
"We're all here together, too." Ocellus gave Yona a reassuring smile.
"Yeah!" Smolder shouted after she finished a particularly large ruby in a small number of bites. Ocellus noticed flecks of the gem flying from her mouth as she spoke. "Nothing in there could stand a chance against us."
A chorus of laughter came from everyone, and when it died down, Gallus was the first to speak up. "So, we're out here to face our fears, or what?"
Sandbar shook his head. "Nah, I thought we could share some scary stories around the campfire. It'll be just the thing to get you all in the spirit of the season."
Ocellus was already reaching for another book in her stack: Ghosts, Goblins and Ghoulish Figures. It had been a fantastic reference guide on pony myths and legends that seemed appropriate for the season. Also, it was referenced several times in Nightmarish Celebrations and Eerie Ensembles. "Oh, I read a couple of really good ones."
"Oh, that's great, Ocellus, but I was kind of hoping for something different." Sandbar got up, walking around the campfire as he spoke. "We learn about tons of pony stuff at school, and I know a lot of it already, but I thought it would be better if you all told some stories from back home." He stopped in front of Ocellus, resting a hoof between the pages. "That way, we can all learn a little bit more about each other."
Ocellus frowned and started to lower and close the book, but found Sandbar's hoof still in the way.
"Why don't you pick one out and I could read it first, to start things off?" he said, smiling.
Ocellus brightened up at once, and her wings fluttered on her back. As everyone else tried to stay relaxed or feasted on snacks, she found one of the stories that had stuck with her. She passed the book to Sandbar, who balanced it on a hoof as he walked back to his seat.
"Huh, I've actually never heard of this one. I thought I knew all these pony legends." He kept the book in hoof before clearing his throat. "Alright, this is the story of the Shadow Walkers, pony-like creatures that roam dark woods, just like the Everfree, and lure ponies deeper and deeper inside…"
Once, there was an earth pony named Lush Lily, who lived in a town far north called Mustang Marches, located just a short walk away from a forest: the Blue Blossom Brakes. The Brakes were known for their potent herbs, and Lily often went out into the woods to search for certain herbs for her family to use in concoctions and poultices.
One day, she heard about a grove deep in the woods, rumored to hold dozens of herbs in abundance. However, she was worried that a search in the day would risk some passerby following her and challenging a claim to the grove. So, that night, with a lantern and a half-full pack of provisions, she ventured into the woods, alone.
For the first hour, she kept on the path, marking her progress on a map in her satchel. She was experienced exploring the forests in the day, but at night she was worried that she would be unable to make her way back. Her progress was quick at first, but it slowed as she made her way off the familiar paths, and deeper into the trees.
She heard twigs cracking and leaves crumpling in the woods around her, but when she turned to look towards them, she saw nothing. Dismissing the noises as critters, she pressed on. She did manage to find a few stray herbs in the underbrush, and gathered what she knew her family needed. However, after two hours, she started to feel tired, and stopped in a small clearing to rest.
As she ate in the warmth of a small fire, she heard a screech coming from deep in the forest. It sounded like an owl, and so she ignored it once again. Then, she heard another, and another. With each screech, they became louder and louder, until it sounded like the source was only a few feet away from her in the trees.
She stayed within the light of the fire, holding a spade in her mouth as a weapon. Fighting the shiver of fear running up her spine, she scanned the surrounding trees for any hint of movement. The screeches, however, had stopped, and Lily was left alone, waiting for something to pounce at her as the firewood crackled behind her.
The forest was suddenly silent, not even a stray branch or leaf made a move or sound. In the dancing shadows of the leaves and trunks, she saw nothing.
After a few minutes, confident that the source of the noise had left her alone, Lily let her guard down, and she told herself that whatever made the noise must have passed. She packed up what supplies she had taken out and extinguished the fire. Still, she was shaken enough that she wondered if it was worth it to simply leave what progress she had made and head back home. Despite her still racing heart, she was certain that she could find the grove soon. Trying to calm herself and steel her resolve, she headed deeper into the woods.
As she continued on, the forest remained deathly quiet. As much as she wanted to relax, she found herself keeping her spade at the ready, with her legs and neck tense. Her eyes darted from side to side, glancing at every dimly lit bush and tree that she could see.
In the shadows behind the trees, she swore once or twice that she could see a figure or silhouette. However, every time she turned towards it again, it would vanish from sight, leaving nothing but empty pits of darkness.
Her pace quickened with every second, but her search for the grove soon gave way to trying to find her way out. She turned back, trying to find one of the many paths that cut through the woods, but even when she followed her map perfectly, there was no sign of one.
The oil in her lantern began to dwindle, its flame dimming and the shadows it cast growing more vague. She began to see eyes and limbs and bodies more clearly, and they swayed and moved instead of vanishing when she turned her eyes towards them.
The screeching came again the moment she ran, picking a direction and cutting between trees and through bushes for any sign of a way out. She eventually left her saddlebags behind when the weight became a hinderance, and even dropped her spade, but she kept the lantern close, hoping the light had been what staved off their assault before.
Eventually, the oil was at its end, and as the flame was going out, she saw the figures around her more clearly. Pony-like shapes, twisting in the shadows, stepping closer on legs that moved unnaturally. Before the light went out, she threw the lantern onto a nearby bush, and watched as it burst into flames.
The creatures screeched, cries of pain as they writhed about in the growing blaze, eyes that looked like pits of darkness staring through her. Adrenaline still pumping through her, she ran, until the cries and roaring fire were faint in her ears.
Eventually, she burst through the treeline and into an open field. Behind her, she could see the faint glow of a fire through the trees, but there was no sign of smoke. She told everypony that would listen to her to avoid the woods at night, that there was something lurking in the shadows, waiting.
Ocellus had spent most of the story shifting between watching Sandbar and checking everyone else's reactions. She still felt a shiver of fear run up her spine as the pony raced through the woods to escape, but it certainly wasn't as gripping as her first read.
Yona probably had the biggest reaction, shaking the log where they shared a seat from the moment the story started.
Silverstream, between shoving talonfuls of food into her beak, gave some shocked gasps and excited shrieks. By the end, however, she was much quieter, and glancing over her shoulder at the darkened Everfree.
Smolder and Gallus were much more relaxed, though Ocellus caught Gallus' wings tensing and flexing behind his back, and saw Smolder glancing to the forest as she blew small puffs of smoke from her nostrils.
Sandbar closed the book and walked it back over to Ocellus, who placed it on top of Nightmarish Celebrations behind her. "You told it really well, Sandbar!"
"Thanks. I'll admit it was a little more than I expected." He walked back to his log and sat down, before grabbing a small box of candies. "It's more intense than the Headless Horse, and I couldn't go to bed after my dad told me that one."
"I guess it was okay for a pony story," Gallus proclaimed, waving a talon dismissively in the air. "Kinda creepy, at least. I thought you would want to save a soft pony story for the end, though." The comment got a chuckle from Smolder, and the two bumped fists.
"You can do better?" Sandbar retorted with a smirk.
"Of course!" Gallus shouted back, standing up and spreading his wings wide. It was a moment before he relaxed and tapped his beak with a claw. "I just need to remember one first…"