Twilight exited the library slouching her head down a bit as she sauntered her way out. She didn't want this, she didn't want this present scenario whatsoever. Though it had been a video, the fact it was from someponies she knew and encountered on a regular basis made it chilling. She could still feel the distant presence of being watched but could not discern if it was her paranoia, or if it was the real thing.
She huffed, picking her head back up and walking back to her house keeping her expression stern with caution and worry. As she headed back, halfway there she bumped shoulders with somepony that she only noticed out of the corner of her eye and came to see Fluttershy.
“Oh, hi Fluttershy. What are you doing out in town right now?” Twilight asked her in a casual manner, trying to seam normal
In response Fluttershy gave an “eep!” and looked back at Twilight, her usual shy demeanor showing. But Twilight noticed something was off with Fluttershy. She was usually shy like this, but it almost seemed defensive. She smiled while She took care of her animals and usually acted calmer to show bravery or assertiveness before showing aggression to keep her little critters in line or shoo away any natural predators of the Everfree.
“Umm, I’m doing ok. I’m just fetching some food for Angel Bunny.” Fluttershy replied while she gave a soft smile.
“Oh, ok. I’m just getting back from the library you know. I was just checking in too see what modern literature ponies are into. Since that is a much newer library than mine.” Twilight trumpeted fakely giving a smile of confidence and pride obviously hiding the true nature of her research.
“Oh, ok. I guess, see ya later then.”
Then the butternut pegasus walked off and Twilight continued her trot down to her home.
She creaked the door open with her glowing horn and lightly shut it before galloping off to the desk where she left all the other messages and set her haunches on the small stool in front of the desk.
“So, if I’m correct Lyra and Bonbon have met this Tallmare, or as her cult, or whatever it’s called, the Silent Queen, before all these disappearances occurred. That means whatever this Tallmare is has been around for quite a long time. Meaning, that she has a lot of history surrounding her. But I’m not going to just believe in some superstitions, from what I can tell this creature seems far off as legends of her goes. Meaning, I have got to do some research on her myself, which is very scary.”
Twilight then put her forehooves on the desk and shoved her face down and groaned.
“Why do I gotta deal with this?” Then she lay there, lightly tapping her hoof considering her next action. She knew she wasn’t safe and she knew that trying to warn ponies about this would make her sound like some tinfoil hat wearer. Plus, she still had to find someone who would fix the vhs tape for her and to have something to play it on.
Then there was the final matter at hoof, Bonbon who was the only nonmissing member of her newly found family left. She may hold some of the answers, but then again, Twilight still had to watch out for potential members of the Tallmare’s fan club. So she got up, grabbed the bag and put the small Polaroid photo in there along with a couple snacks and drinks so she could at least have some sustenance during the interview. But right now she was a bit too tired to start walking again so she trotted up to her bedroom turned the lights on and curled up in her bed and fell asleep.
A few hours later, Twilight drowsily opened up her eyes and slowly lifted herself out of the bed blinking as her vision readjusted itself. She stood there for a moment, letting her mind recollect and remember what it was doing before exiting her bedroom and heading downstairs. But, the thing was, when she was just about to make her way down she felt that same presence and that same painful ringing sensation in her horn again. She groaned in pain and frustration turning her head over to the far-right end of the walkway. There in the shadow stood something and it looked like a mare. She looked at it, trying to process what she was looking at before recognizing the immediate danger. Just then, manta black tentacles came out of its back and she began to run. She picked up the saddlebag with her mouth, busting the door, and out into the street.
It was late in the evening and only a few pedestrians wandered about the area. They saw the element of magic gallop through the streets but didn’t understand why she was or why she looked so afraid. Then after what must have felt like several minutes, it didn’t feel like the thing was chasing her anymore and she felt safe. She was near the far eastside of town where the residents of Bonbon was. She walked through the streets with her only source of light being her horn which illuminated the dark road with a dim purple glow.
She was then close to the house facing it from a couple of blocks down. She smiled with gratitude before she felt herself stiffen as she heard a single rustle through the bushes next to the road. It wasn’t a loud rustle, like some deer walking through it, but faint and small like a rodent. So of course she shrugged it off, presuming it was just some squirrel and walked towards the house. The house itself was small but well-furnished, about two stories high, and made of birch and oak.
She gently knocked on the door and waited for Bonbon to answer. She waited three minutes, but no response. She knocked again, waited for another five but still, there was vacancy, which was strange considering the lamps near the front door were lit. However, the house in the home weren’t on. She pushed the door by its hinge. This was only greeted by the darkness of the house and utter quietness. She looked around, there was no one there. No one in the living room or the dining room.
She then went upstairs and noticed a silhouette in the hallway, she turned her horn to the figure and gave them a suspicious look. It was a stallion and his face was covered by a plain white mask, the mask’s eyes only being a deep shadow. The stallion was sitting there on his haunches, looking at her with no visible emotion.
“Ok, if this is a prank just get it over with because you’re not scaring me.” Twilight groaned and gave an annoyed look at the stallion. Still, no response. Then, he stood up, slowly headed towards her and tackled her to the ground. Of course, the assailant soon would regret his decision and he was knocked back by her repulse of blunt purple energy. He rolled over flinching as he got himself back up before she shot another blunt bolt of magic at his body. She dashed into the former bedroom of Lyra and Bonbon and locked the door behind her before searching the drawers. Most of them were empty but at the very bottom of the right one were a couple of hard drives and a small portable camera. She picked them up with her magic and shoved them in a bag desperately as the stallion bucked at the door rapidly with inpony rage.
She opened the door again and bashed the edge of an old nightlamp into his nape. She came from behind him and ran out the house. She didn’t care to find out who this assailant was but already knew that this was a proxy with the Tallmare. Even if he was unmasked, would anyone believe her tale? Thus, she rushed and rushed to her house and closed the door entering her bed ready for a new day.