Pony Horror Anthology Vol. II

by LoreLove


Don't Look

Sun shining and the warm air of summer were always a welcome feeling. The young Mayor Mare had been enjoying her lay on the grass to soak in the rays Celestia’s light before a small noise had happened to draw her attention. Wasn’t every time the filly had heard others out on the field just outside of Ponyville.

Her head turned as her eyes studied for the sound, curious and ever waiting. It didn’t take long for the sight of her beloved canine to come into view. The bounding dog seemed rather pleased with finding their caretaker and more-so upon being discovered. Who was she to deny to the excited hopping of her friend?

Mayor Mare smiled wide and hopped to her hooves as fast as her filly body would allow. Her legs stretched before she leaned her head down near the grass in a playful manner. The dog barked excitedly and wagged that tail like no other. She couldn’t help but giggle.

In an instant, the canine turned and ran circles for a few moments until it began to run the opposite direction. Strange. The earth pony couldn’t remember when her pet had ran away from her. Perhaps it was just a simple game of chase. The idea did seem well within a reasonable answer and she was soon following along, laughing the entire way.

Over the fields and into the town of Ponyville they ran. Ponies paid them no mind as barking and laughing trailed all over the area. It was a fun experience even if something about it felt a bit strange. While she couldn’t pin down the reason she also didn’t seem to mind too much. They were having the time of their lives and nopony could stop that.

The dog let out another series of barks and scampered along the path towards Sugarcube Corner. With the bottom half of the door opened, Mayor Mare’s furry friend slipped inside without hesitation. The filly herself ducked under shortly after to nearly slide along the floor with the pace she had been running.

It was amazing to see so many books in the bakery. Shelves lined with numerous colors and texts. The only problem was she seemed to have lost track of her dog in the Golden Oak Library. The filly stopped for a moment to slowly recollect her thoughts.

Outside, she was heading into the bakery, was she not? She would have called out for her pet except one issue suddenly occurred. The poor filly had somehow forgotten their name. It was a strange thing indeed but it started becoming more confusing the more she thought.

Nopony seemed to be within the library itself other than her. Twilight Sparkle’s home seemed rather vacant. No, not her current home. Was it? The walls shifted lightly and the filly closed her eyes to steady herself.

“Ponies of Equestria!” a voice rang out. It seemed to be everywhere and nowhere.

Mayor Mare knew that voice. It was the Princess of the Night. Lady Luna had called to her! The slight worry from moment prior were replaced with joy as she hopped in place and prepared to call out in answer.

It was a flash of light before her hooves felt the ground outside. Night had taken over from the warm daylight and a numerous amount of ponies were suddenly around. Plenty had silly outfits and other things going on but all were focused ahead.

Princess Luna hovered before them, her wings gently flapping and sending cool night breezes as she surveyed the growing crowd. More ponies popped in from seemingly nowhere as they all looked visibly confused but hopeful. If anypony had answers to what was going on then it had to be the princesses.

“I’ve summoned you here for a very important warning!” Luna spoke loudly so all could hear.

Many glanced to one another and shifted a bit.

“There is not much time so please listen carefully!” she continued and her strong gaze changed to one of worry. “I cannot keep you here! You must awaken and not return to sleep until it is deemed safe! Do not open your doors! Do not look out your windows or make any light! Do not make a sound until it has passed!”

The ponies let out a mumbling within the crowd. Nearly all of them were a bit scared of such a strange warning. There seemed to be no reason for such a thing with a simple look around. Mayor Mare had even forgotten about her now lost dog though she knew now where she was.

“It is not safe to return to sleep! Please, do not attempt to look outside and do not investigate any noises! Cover your windows!” Luna yelled before her eyes widened.

A deep and loud bellow of what sounded like distant thunder echoed out from nowhere. All the ponies cowered and looked around. A few of them looked to nearly panic and spin circles before they just simply popped out of existence with a light cloud.

“No,” the princess mumbled as her ears flattened to her head. “Awaken!”

•••••

Mayor Mare gasped and shot up in bed. Her hoof pressed to her chest as she panted and looked around the dark room. The sudden jolt awake had her mind reeling and things scrambled about before she could start piecing it all together. She sat in silence as she regained her thoughts slowly.

Of course she couldn’t remember her pet’s name. It was a dream. It had also been so many years ago before they ran off, likely to enjoy the great world without her. While it did sting, she managed to move on and only wished them the best. The dream must have clouded some details like a name and the layout of Ponyville itself.

Other than the pieces eventually falling into place such as Twilight’s true residence and the like, one thing still bothered her. While she knew of Luna’s presence in dreams it was rare to actually witness the princess in them. She had even called all ponies across all of Equestria to heed a warning.

The warning replayed itself in the earth pony’s mind as she sat still and let it sink in. There was no detail as to what the warning was to keep them safe from. An Ursa on the loose? A pack of wild timberwolves prowling the streets? Just a nasty storm?

An ear perked up as she listened closely to what may indicate was outside. For the most part she could only hear her own breathing and the lightest shifting in her bed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary outside of her feeling a bit odd for waking in the middle of the night. Perhaps whatever it was didn’t come as close as her house.

Doubts and speculation went swiftly the moment she leaned over in an attempt to grab her candle. The mattress only barely made a shuffle but the distant noise had her freeze in place. The thundering noise rolled and clapped outside. It was terrifying and simply chilling to hear something so low be so loud. It almost sounded as if it were right near her house though the echoing tone left her believing she at least had some distance from it.

Still, it rattled her to the core. The sound nearly pierced her very being with how haunting it was. She almost felt just by hearing it that something knew she was in her home. Why did it upset her in such a way? It couldn’t be a storm. There was something else hidden in the noise to cause such a fear.

A distant cry somewhere in the town rang out. It was clear and in distress before being silenced almost instantly. Mayor Mare glanced around her dark room as a sudden realization set in. She was told specifically not to look outside or make noise. While being a voice of reason on the level of other ponies in Ponyville, she suddenly felt completely helpless.

There would be no way for her to tell them to calm down or to keep them in check. No way to stop them from panicking or doing as the princess had told. She was a pony just like them and it was why they felt comfortable talking to her and letting her guide them. In a way, the princesses spoke through her to give the ponies a more common ground and not appear as royalty but as one of them.

It was different now. None of them could rely on her to help stay calm through the strange happening. She wouldn’t be able to keep things in some understanding nature or to assure a simple end in sight. It bothered her dearly for feeling so useless.

Another scream cried out, this time much closer than before. A door banged against a wall, probably due to being thrown open, and the sound of the scream abruptly halted. There was nothing she could do. All that was within her power was to simply sit and listen to terrified ponies around her. What happened to them after their silence was a mystery and only disturbed her more.

The only thing seemed to be worrying her more was the sheer silence around her. No crickets, rain or even a breeze. It made the rare scream all the more jarring whenever they were heard. Whatever was out there wasn’t making any noise other than the sound from earlier.

With silence stalking her, Mayor Mare sat in the dark and tried to think of how long it might be until morning. She could hopefully stay quiet until then. One daybreak happens, the scare of the night would be gone, wouldn’t it? She tried ignoring her mind telling her that Luna had no said if the princesses would tell them when it would be over.

Stopping a sigh, the Mayor of Ponyville reasoned silently with herself. Of course they would be given an okay from the princesses once it was all over. The only issue was that none of them knew when. The doubt that lingered refused to let go.

Her dark blue eyes had begun to adjust to the blackness of her room. Leaning over, a hoof reached for her glasses on the nightstand before she stopped and perked her ears up. If she wasn’t to make a sound then she needed to be extra careful. It felt like an eternity reaching to the frames and gingerly bringing them back to set upon her snout.

The beige pony tried her best to refrain from making even the lightest grunt as she turned and made such a simple task of getting out of bed into the toughest thing she’s done in so many years. Having to be steady and still while also needing to move was something was never good at but things were clearly on the line for her and other ponies. It was a good several minutes but she did eventually manage.

It wasn’t until all four hooves were on her floor that she felt a little better. Since she couldn’t merely go back to sleep she had to at least move a little and get out of bed. Why she wasn’t allowed to rest did confuse her but the idea of the thing or things outside being able to reach into her dreams made her shudder. Whether or not the thought was true didn’t matter as she didn’t intend to find out, so long as she could help it.

Each step felt as if she were about call attention to herself somehow. The wooden boards along her home were never quite so friendly when under pressure. A quick look to the windows she could see showed the curtains in place. The relief was instant but so was the fear the longer she looked.

Behind the curtains outside her windows, Mayor Mare saw the slightest hint of movement. While she heard nothing it was still visible. Shadows shifted and altered through the dull glow of the moon against the fabric. The worrisome part was that it seemed to be in no way a pony outside. The shapes were always changing with no rhyme or reason to them.

The absence of wind even let her know it couldn’t possibly be the clouds moving or branches swaying. Even if they were, no trees were that low or near to her home’s windows. It wasn’t a fact she liked knowing. The deafening silence and the strangeness beyond her curtains seemed so otherworldly to her. It was as if she had woken from a dream and into a nightmare.

She had to be extremely careful. Not a sound and no pulling away her curtains. Even if she was curious as to what it was threatening them she didn’t wish to risk everything to know. Her heart weighed heavy the more she heard faint cries in the night that were swiftly silenced. If only she could do something.

A quick thump against the back of her house nearly drew out a shout from her throat. She was rather quick to stifle the noise and shut her eyes tight. Something had hit her home just hard enough to shake the walls for a moment. The whole situation had her scared beyond belief.

If she were to move around, even a little, then it would be at a snail’s pace if she were lucky. Exactly how attuned to sound it was seemed to be unclear. She still wished not to even let a pin drop if she could help it. Steps were taken as if she were about to tread on eggshells.

When she managed to make it out of her room and down most of the hallway, the pony let out a careful breath through her nose. She had at least made it to a rug to keep the noise under check easier. The threads beneath her hooves soaked in the tiniest of sounds as she stood still and waited longer. It was best she didn’t get ahead of herself. The waiting only made her a little more uneasy since the stillness itself felt foreign to her.

Shadows loomed and stretched across every corner of her house making her familiar abode feel far more unwelcome than she had ever known. The unseen threat outside could be anything and possibly within her own home. As much as she wished not to think of such things they still crept into her mind and gnawed at her conscience.

There would be no sleep for the night as Luna had strictly stated to keep from doing so. As to why, the only reasons Mayor Mare could come up with left her with chills. Perhaps the thing could also reach into their dreams to take them? Maybe being asleep made it easier for them to be taken?

Her eyes stared down at her hooves in the dark. If ponies were being taken then where were they being taken to? More thought on the subject only turned her stomach as she tried to push the thoughts out of her head. Had the ponies that vanished during the warning been unlucky?

Another sound startled the beige pony as she bit her lip and tensed up. Something pressed and rubbed against the side of her home. It was big. Just the noise of it sliding against the outer wall indicated as much. It also seemed to be moving… up? Was it that tall?

Shapes moved by her window once more then seemed to darken the moonlight. That was no overcast. Mayor Mare’s heart began beating furiously in her chest to where she could hear every thump of the beat in her ears. She knew it was right outside her house now. Something had blocked the light and now refused to move.

Did it know she was in there? Did it know she was right near that specific window? The thought didn’t sit well at all as she forced herself to look away from it. While the darkness seemed more complete in her home she was thankful to at least grow somewhat accustomed to it.

Each step of her hooves would have to be even more careful with the black interior eating away any visible light. For the moment, she remained upon the rug and simply stood still. There was a deep fear that tugged at her within.

It felt as if something was watching her. If not her then in her general area. A glance to the window made her wince a bit and turned her head away. Was it waiting? Did it even know?

“HELP!” cried a voice across the street.

Mayor Mare perked up and nearly reached for the curtains but stopped. As her heart was in the right place she knew she couldn’t risk checking. Of all the things she couldn’t do it was not being there for her ponies that made her the most anxious.

“PLEASE! HE-” the voice called out again before abruptly stopping.

Silence.

The mare shivered in fear. There was no noise to accompany anything happening to them. It made her all the more curious and worried about them. If there had been anything to go on then at least she could draw some kind of conclusion. Instead, only the quiet and still surroundings presented themselves to her.

There appeared to be no more movement beyond the window but also hardly any light being let through. Whatever had moved in the way seemed to stay put. She could sense it lurking there but it also felt as if it were lurking all around as well.

One leg at a time, the scared pony tried to walk again. Each step only amplified how silent it all was. She missed the sounds of nature and more just outside her home. Every second was tense and nearly wore her out just getting across the hall and into her living room.

She hated having to navigate the room in the dark. All she wanted was to sit on her sofa but she wasn’t sure it would be a good idea depending on the noise that might come from such a feat. Why she even got out of bed was starting to feel like a regretful action. Her mind wanted to keep telling her how foolish it was to attempt anything but at the point she was at it was either she commit to her initial idea or trek back and risk more noise.

A look down her hall, from what she could see, only made her shudder. The thing outside had an ominous presence that she couldn’t understand at all. While she wanted to do a number of things her abilities and actions were very limited. She also didn’t want to go past that window again.

Carefully, Mayor Mare made her way around the room, brushing against the back of her sofa to keep it in mind. Her hooves nearly knocked against the coffee table in the dark though she was lucky to be inching her way around. Had she moved a hoof forward just a little faster and who knows the noise that might have made.

In time, her forelegs found a cushion on the seat and pressed lightly. There was a slight noise but muffled a good deal. Contemplating her desired action, the cautious pony drew in a silent breath and slowly tried to lift herself up and onto the sofa. The weight of her hooves into the cushion had her almost sweating with the noise beneath her.

At first, she thought the thing outside had maybe passed or possibly become disinterested in her. The sounds she was making just moving onto the seat weren’t loud by any means but did raise her heart rate more than she wished. She was only partially onto the cushion when the beams above her creaked and groaned.

Mayor Mare tensed up and stood motionless. The weight on the roof had made the wooden beams sound out in distress. The thing outside was far bigger than she thought and it was right on top of her home. What was it?

Instead of opting to continue her risky idea, the beige earth pony slowly eased off the furniture and back onto all hooves. Whether or not it actually heard such minuscule noises wasn’t worth the possible nightmarish outcome. Her head tilted as she looked at the ceiling to the best of her ability before giving up. There was no way she could see any kind of structural damage in the dark.

How much time had even passed? She had moved through her house at such a slow pace she felt like hours had gone by but knew that wasn’t likely. An hour at most would have been a better account of time but still felt she may have exaggerated it some. In any case, there were no sounds of ponies outside to rid the threat of the town.

If the princesses were to stop whatever was going on then why hadn’t they? With so many times they’ve saved Equestria it was strange to not have them on top of the problem suddenly. Mayor Mare stood as still as she could be while in thought. It wasn’t usual for a delay on the safety of ponies to happen.

While she though, her body moved in natural progression. She often walked to help herself think at times. It was just a few steps, nothing more. The only she stopped was the creak of the floorboard beneath a hoof giving its own protests rather loudly.

Her eyes darted down the guilty board in the dark before snapping to the window in the hall. Only a second seemed to elapse before the front door creaked and stressed against the frame. As much as she wanted to yell or cry, Mayor Mare bit her lip to keep from making any further noises.

The door billowed and almost seemed to stretch while staying barely inside the frame it rested. She was sure it would break open and fly off the hinges at any moment. With how it warped and groaned it appeared inevitable for it to fail.

Then, just as quickly as it had started, it stopped. The sounds eased up and the door began to settle back into its rightful place. There was a moment where she waited to see if it might be back but nothing happened. No more insistence to be let in or straining against her only barrier between her and what lay beyond.

Minutes went by while she stared at the door before eventually letting out a breath through her nose. Far less noise that way at least. Her body was shaking from the experience and just how close she was to meeting what was just outside. She didn’t wish to meet it under any circumstances.

Gently, her hoof eased off the particular spot that had created such a scary encounter and stood in place. If she had to sit in one spot then maybe she would just deal with it. After all, things would be back to normal soon enough, wouldn’t they? Morning would come and then it would all be over.

•••••

Mayor Mare couldn’t remember how long she stood in her living room. The night was filled with nothing. Only a faint terrified scream could be heard once in a while before it resorted back to utter silence. However long she had been standing was starting to get to her.

The pony’s legs could only support her for so long. Not to mention the idea of food had her stomach squeeze for some nourishment. So long as it didn’t grumble in protest of no food for a bit she did feel she could make it. It was just her legs were so sore.

Several times she wanted to sit down but feared she might upset another board or two. She had been eyeing the window in her hall for long while as well. Through the slightly gap on the side, there was something she could almost see but not nearly clear enough. The only thing that kept her from walking over and checking was Luna’s warning still running around in her head. There was also the sense that whatever she was barely seeing could easily see her back.

The feeling of being so helpless to the ponies of Ponyville as well as herself drained her. Stress and tension kept rising once in a while as she obeyed the vague warning from one of the princesses. Nothing really made sense in all of it and she knew trying to sort it out was a waste of time for her.

Her legs stiffened as she heard the movement on the roof begin to shift around. Something wormed its way from one side to the other than back again. It took a minute for it settle back but nothing else seemed to stir it any further. There had been no cries in the dark either, to which she was thankful for.

She could hardly feel her legs some. Wincing, the mare raised one leg at a time to try and stretch out some. It wasn’t much but it helped her get some feeling back enough to decide and make a path back through the hall. Passing the window wasn’t something she wished to do but her bedroom sounded more comforting than the dead silent living room and rest of her house.

It was a long task to undertake. Her body turned and she tested each step as much as she could without raising any noise. The dread within her rose with each step as she began moving around and making her way back towards the hall. She had to have been up for hours for sure with the fatigue setting in.

Yawning wasn’t an option for her. Even the slightest gasp might be it. Her legs lightly reached out as she brushed over the floor and applied the slightest pressure each time. Daylight had to have come up but it didn’t. Everything was still as dark as it had been judging by the lack of light through the window.

Why hadn’t Celestia raised the sun? What reason could there be to not giving light and letting it all be over with? Mayor Mare only worried herself more in thinking the worst had happened. It did her no good thinking ill thoughts and worrying herself even more but it was hard to push away such things when the looming threat was just a single barrier away from her.

Slowly, progress was made on the journey back to her bedroom where she felt her mind would rest easier. If she could just make it there then it would all be okay. It had to be.

Her side brushed against the curtains for a moment and she froze. While she didn’t look directly at the window she did see something out of the corner of her eye. The fabric of the curtain shifted only just enough to open the thinnest of gaps and reveal a hint of the monstrosity beyond it.

As quick as they small visibility had appeared, the sight was gone instantly. Though, it had burrowed deep into her mind and stayed there despite no visual left. Mayor Mare’s heart felt like it was seized before she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down.

How did something like that even exist? It wasn’t normal by any means. The worst part was the small glimpse confirmed her feelings she had been experiencing the whole time. It was watching and it did know. How was it everywhere too? The ponies that cried out and were silenced. How did it get to them if it was at her home?

The questions only stacked up as she stayed where she was, hoping it somehow missed her. It had obviously seen her. There was no doubt. Mayor Mare shook as she tried to cope upon witnessing the unknown. It was so hard to focus and think.

She cursed herself for even getting the glimpse of what lay beyond. The dark void of her surroundings felt suffocating and her mind only spiraled further from a clear level. Her descent was faster than she could handle, cowering and shaking. Seeing something that shouldn’t be there or possible felt as if she were still dreaming but knowing she wasn’t only caused her lose her grip more.

The only thing that kept her from losing it all was the sudden noise she picked up. Her hooves, while shaking, stayed on the floor without causing any problems. It was a creaking that she thought she imagined at first. The sound that spawned in her living room.

Confusion swirled in her head before clarity surfaced. While still a nervous and slightly broken mess, Mayor Mare recognized the sound of her door creaking ever so slightly within the living room of her home. The pressure on the other side grew more intense as she tried to think of what to do.

Last time it happened it had let up eventually. What if it didn’t this time? It had to. If it doesn’t where would she go? Is it safe to sit still?

Questions plagued her more and more as she debated the best course of action. Her breathing had become rapid without her knowledge, nearly panting in her stress. If she could make it to her bedroom then perhaps she could close the door quietly enough and stay in there.

Moving only slightly faster, the mare continued on through her hall as she could feel her hope dwindling with each crack of the wood splintering from the door. Her hooves did well enough to find places in the dark that refused to generate much ruckus beneath. Step after step. Inch by inch.

The panic was real. Every second that ticked by was one less she had to getting to safety. Each snap or crack from the door giving way seemed to be felt by her as she neared the entrance to her room. She just had to get in and close the door. If she stayed quiet then it might leave and things would be better.

Reasoning and hopes were all she had. Then those were ripped away. The door blew open in a flurry of splintered wood, popping off the hinges and landing with a deafening thud on her floor. Mayor Mare stopped. Her body was shaking with no way to control it.

The mare could feel the cold and thoughtless presence of the thing. It really was everywhere. She could still feel its gaze through the window yet the creeping feeling sneaking up behind her also held the same uncomfortable nature. Her eyes pressed and urged her to turn her head despite not willing to. The protest of her head moving in the opposite direction kept her from looking.

Why couldn’t it be over? Why were the princesses not saving them? Where had the ponies gone? Mayor Mare did her best to hold back the tears as she stood as still as could be. The thing invaded further into her home and moved ever closer to her.

She couldn’t give into the desire to scream. Her eyes willingness to see what was after them all with better focus. The desire to just run. No, she couldn’t do any of it. She had to be strong.

A sudden bellow out from above in the night sky had her duck quickly. Its noise shook her greatly and set her fear deeper. The thunderous sound lay heavy with its fear evoking effect. It really was otherworldly. It just had to be. The mare had heard no storm like it ever before. It was a sound to linger forever in the very pit of her soul.

Again, it made the nightmarish noise. The house shook right down to the foundation as she grit her teeth to keep them from clattering. It was louder than anything she could recall while the entity behind her close in further.

The roar of such a fake storm called out, almost directly to her. Its noise setting in deeper than any terror she had experienced before. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Mayor Mare tried her best to stand still.

It was all around her. No other noise could reach her, not even a cry from herself if she tried. Then all fell silent.