The cold wind rushed through the barren trees, kicking snow up and swirling it about the air. The glittering flecks whipped and whirled about, carried by the gale with expert care, swaying to and fro between the gaps in the forest, all while bellowing a haunting cry. The moon's light shined upon the still white and lined the naked wood in silver, undisturbed by the wandering wind that flew ever closer to the heart of this lonely forest. Twinkling stars, contrasting the inky, pitch black cosmos, looked as if to give silent, gentle approval to the mimicking flakes.
Upon the last rush reaching the door, the tiny bits of snow scattered against the surface, assisting the wind in pushing it open ever so slightly. Snow building up just beyond the frame tumbled inside haphazardly in a misshapen mess, and slowly degraded further to the warmth that strangely existed within. Lights along the walls remained on, giving the interior a moody atmosphere, though no soul was there to appreciate it. No soul, that was, except for one peculiar entity, sitting at the front row, a thick dark blue blanket around its shoulders, wild brown hair draping over the back. Its sharp, cloven hands gingerly cradled a simple black mug with an inky brown and white mixture inside, careful to not let the hot liquid spill upon its light grey hoodie or dark grey jeans, or to let the barbed wire catch upon its clothing. One leg crossed over the other, foot slowly tapping to a phantom song only it could hear. Its eyes peered through its strange mask; a jawless skull with a rusty nail poking through its forehead. Eyes that eventually wandered to the side, only to widen in surprise.
Oh, do forgive me.
The entity placed its beverage down upon the ground and removed its blanket before it stood up. It then walked to the side of the amphitheater, where the lights dimmed in anticipation, approached the stairs that lead to the stage, and ascended them before making its way to the front and center of the platform. Upon taking its place, the spotlights turned on, and illuminated the master of this house once again.
Good evening, my friends. I am Wrath B. Forgivnez, and welcome back to this beautifully hollowed amphitheater. I must apologize. I fear I had gotten far too comfortable in my role as guardian and storyteller that I must have missed my previous appointment. I had brought forth no tale to haunt the soul when I had so previously recounted nearly every year prior on All Hallows Eve. Or, as the 'other world' would call it; Nightmare Night.
However, I suppose horror stories aren't bound to one day, are they? Any time, any where, any manner of strange, unusual, haunting, or even otherworldly things may happen... or exist. With this thought in mind, I then propose a special story this time around, one for a holiday normally known for good cheer, but one so strangely celebrated in the dead of winter, where darkness is at its strongest. Tonight, I present to you, my dear friends, a story about...
A Strange Presence Near The Woods
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Hearth's Warming Eve was near again. Ponies all abound the town of Ponyville decorated every spot they could conceivably reach with practiced patience and glee, giving everything a spark of joy that only this kind of holiday could bring. Green garland, magically colored lights that twinkled in expert patterns, golden bells and red ribbons that accented them all adorned by houses and stretched between buildings. Even evergreen wreaths, peppered with gold and silver stars or their own colored lights, and fastened with a silk, crimson bow, hung upon the front door of most, if not all, abodes that diligently celebrated the time of year. Even the cold and snow did nothing to deter these ponyfolk from their festivities, and it was for good reason.
The legend of the holiday carried a cautionary tale of how mistrust and antagonistic actions create a cold world where few can survive, as well as the celebrated founding of their home land of Equestria under the unification of the three tribes. It was a story passed from pony to pony, generation to generation, and while many rebuke the events as myth, they all carry the spirit and intent with a strong conviction. Nothing could dissuade them from being optimistic and cheerful towards each, especially for the holidays.
It was, however, a few nights before Hearth's Warming where if any pony were to cast their gaze to the infinite black of the dark sky above, they would witness something peculiar. A ripple of bizarre colors crawled through the sky, and a strange streak of light fired down to the Everfree Forest. The ground shook for a moment, rousing the town from slumber, and had the inhabitants murmur and question the current events. Soon, the colors in the night's canvas faded away, and so too did the thoughts of the night's events. Peace and normality returned to Ponyville.
However, deep in the sprawling, untamed wilds of the Everfree, where magic flowed freely and spontaneous, the crater where the streak of light struck cradled an odd piece of stone. As the object began to cool, something black from its cracks began to fester.
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"Oh my, I wonder what that was all about," wondered Fluttershy; the sweet yellow pegasus that gazed outside her window, watching the Everfree Forest. It had been quite the busy season as Hearth's Warming approached, and she had just finished wither her own decorating and gift wrapping. She had taken the time to relax on her couch which sat beside her window, all snuggled up under a blanket with a book she had been wanting to catch up on for some time now. The sound outside was enough to draw her attention to the woods outside her home, as her ears swiveled to try to get a better listen. She brushed aside a stray strand of her rosy pink hair back to its rightful place. While her attention was drawn outward, she noticed the chicken coup next to her house was now in disarray, with harrowing squawks and feathers flying all about in the chaotic panic. Loud noises always seemed to send the little birds into a tizzy, she thought. One would think they would be used to such a phenomena when living close to Ponyville. Never the less, the animal caretaker rose from her seat and bundled herself up in the appropriate winter attire, complete with red scarf, pink earwarmers, and green boots.
She trotted outside, shivering lightly to the cold only for a moment, before she turned her attention to the scared fowl. With a gentle reminder that they are indeed safe still, and a little stare to get them to fall in line, she counted the lot of them to make sure all were present and accounted for. Unfortunately, she soon realized she was one hen missing from the coup, and knew exactly which one it was. She also noticed the panicked bird tracks leading to the fence, heavy scratching in the snow, and more tracks leading towards the forest. The hen had jumped the fence.
"Oh, Elizabeak, you silly bird," she chastised. Turning back to the remaining flock, she gently ushered them back into their safe, warm coup. Then, she swiftly returned to her home, gathered some light supplies for emergency search and rescue, came back out, and approached the edge of Everfree.
No matter how many times she had entered these dark and dangerous woods, no matter her experiences and expertise, there was something so much more foreboding during a cold winters night. She contemplated on whether or not she should go and ask one of her friends for assistance, but the fact of the matter was every minute wasted was that much longer the little, defenseless chicken was in danger. If she wanted to guarantee the safety of the little bird, she needed to go in now. Besides, at this point, the chicken probably wasn't too far in. That's how she reasoned it, at least.
"Ok, Fluttershy, you can do this," she muttered to herself, steeling her resolve. If nothing else, I could probably ask Zecora for help while looking. With that comforting thought in mind, Fluttershy retrieved a flashlight from her supply saddle pack to help light her way through the thick darkness, and entered Everfree.
Crunching snow and creaking tree limbs echoed about through the vast brush, with wind lowly howling between the forest gaps. Despite how far she had come as a pony, there was no doubt that fear still clutched her heart tightly, Every groan of the forest. Every echoing crunching sound from beneath her hooves. Every whistle and yowl of the wind racing by at different intensities. Even though the winter season surely put most of the creatures of the forest to sleep, the noises that persisted made it feel the forest was much more alive than it looked. That said, it also felt far more threatening that it seemed.
For a solid half hour, Fluttershy followed the tracks of Elizabeak, trying to keep a decent pace, but also being cautious and alert to the potentially hostile surroundings she was trekking through. Once again, despite knowing that the vast populous of animals and enchanted creatures that called this place home were likely hiding away for the season, there were still some that she didn't quite know the behavior of during the season, or holding the belief that there were some creatures out there that she had yet to even encounter. Timberwolves, for example, were one of those beings where she had some gaps in knowledge. Despite being comprised of enchanted wood, she couldn't quite remember if they were active during this season or not. It had been those thoughts that kept herself vigilant.
The wind picked up, howling louder now and tossing snow about, as if to intimidate the little pony. Or, perhaps, to warn her. Never the less, she pressed on, keeping a close eye on the tracks of her beloved little bird, careful to point the flashlight to highlight the trail and keep her aware of her surroundings. As time went by, however, her concern grew insidious feelings within her; Doubt that she'd even be able to find her lost hen at this hour, even if she did decide to try to seek out Zecora now, and a growing fear of the darkness surrounding her despite the light she wielded.
It was then that Fluttershy felt it. A sensation she couldn't quite explain, but one that all but demanded her to turn back now. The wind died down, and the woods became silent. The trees had stopped creaking and clicking to the wind. The snow stopped scratching at bark and dunes. The only thing she could hear was the sound of her heart, her own breathing, and the crunching of the snow for every step she took. Something was off. Something was wrong. She took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, trying hard to ignore the instinct that begged her to abandon her quest here and now. With a sigh, she kept moving forward, following the tracks until... they just ended entirely.
It felt like time had stopped. There was no sign of Elizabeak's presence, no change in direction or even evidence of something happening. Not even a loose feather from a bird's flapping wing. Fluttershy trotted ahead, trying to find the tracks re-starting somewhere in the snow. She searched all around the immediate area, getting more and more scared. There was nothing.
Her breathing hitched. She didn't understand. This didn't make sense. How could a chicken just up and disappear? She gazed about her immediate surroundings, pointing the flashlight in every sensible direction. She knew she should stay quiet, lest the unknowns of the forest hear her, but she couldn't help it.
"E-Elizabeak!" she called out, hoping and preying that maybe she actually was close enough, and her hen was in some overlooked spot. She waited a moment in the silence and in the dark, and nothing came from it. She hazarded another attempt, louder this time. "ELIZABEAK!" she yelled out, which reverberated through the forest, echoing ever so slightly and filling the silence, even if for a moment. Then, all was silent once again. "ELIZABEEEEEAK!" She shouted, tears starting to well up in the corners of her eyes, fear starting to press her heart harder than it had ever done before. She kept scanning the woods, trying to look for any sign, any stray feather or even a flash of the little bird's comb caught by the shine of her flashlight. Her ears swiveled back and forth, trying to catch any sound that might even slightly point her in the right direction.
"E... liza.... bea..."
Fluttershy froze. Her heart plummeted. That was her voice, but it sounded seriously wrong. She swallowed hard, and tried to reason that maybe it was just the echo catching back up to her.
"El... iza... be..."
There it was again. Her voice, but scratchy, harsh, almost desperate sounding. It terrified her.
"E... liz... abeeeak..." It sounded closer now.
Then, the dam in her heart broke. Fear kicked in and her wings flung upon. She shot up into the sky at a speed that she never knew she was capable of, speeding through the knife like branches that stretched among the canopy. The harsh cold wind combined with the branch scratches she got left light red lines all around her face as she desperately climbed the skies. As she neared the roof of the forest, knowing she was almost free, something wound around her leg. Suddenly, she stopped ascending, and was violently pulled back down, as the branches snapped and whipped at her during involuntary descent.
Fluttershy hit the snow with a thud, thankfully having not been too injured from the sudden fall, but very soon realized the danger she was in. Looking down at her leg, a strange, black tendril was wrapped around her fetlock. She panicked, kicking desperately to get it off, but her actions only made her realize one thing: the length of it lead into the darkness just beyond her currently limited night-vision. It then started to tug, pulling her more into the darkness. Her breathing became erratic, as she looked for anything to get the black thing off of her leg. She then noticed the flashlight that landed nearby her, which had shut off sometime when she fell. Managing to reach it, she curled up towards her snagged fetlock and gave it a smack. The result clicked the flashlight back on and caused the tendril to shake. Almost immediately, there was a pained yelp that sounded just like her.
Then, she noticed something about the tendril that she didn't quite pick up on before. There were eyes along the length. Yellow, faintly glowing, predator-like slit eyes, all staring directly at her. Her own eyes widened upon seeing this, now slowly pointing the light toward the source. What she saw shook her right to the core.
However, before fear could overtake her, there was a sudden strong pull from the tendril, and Fluttershy was yanked screaming into the darkness, dropping the flashlight in the process, which flicked off upon striking the ground.