//------------------------------// // Close Encounters // Story: Draconequus // by cheezesauce //------------------------------// Ooo Close Encounters ooO The sun sank below the horizon in Ponyville, dragging its last amber streaks from the sky. The tree’s sprawling branches swayed lazily in the breeze, its leaves gradually losing their beautiful gold as the sunlight faded from the sky. Moments later, a pair of golden sunbirds dove into its leaves, returning to their nests for the night. Within the library, a purple unicorn rummaged through the shelves. There were only a few categories of books left, yet she hadn’t accomplished anything. None of them seemed to have any relevance to the three circle symbol. Twilight paused for a moment, shaking her head vigorously from side to side in an attempt to uncross her eyes. Her mane promptly returned to the straight, neat hairstyle she favoured. She levitated up her checklist again. “Right, next section.  And it’s none other than...” Her face fell. “Ugh... here we go.” Reluctantly, Twilight dragged her hooves to the very end of the library, where she had hidden this particular section. It consisted of books that were as unscientific and unreliable as fiction, but she wasn’t allowed to dump the two sections together, as much as she’d love to. Twilight listened to the steady sound of her hooves against the wooden floor, sending echoes throughout the room. She reached a dead end and stopped. The shelves around her had lost their gleaming layer of varnish, the wood becoming dull and plain. Searching the first shelf, she found a single line of letters set into the dusty old wood, cursive and emerald green in color. Myths and Mysteries The tomes looked as old as the myths that were hidden in them, their once lush and bright covers now faded. Part of the blame fell on Twilight herself, who had never quite gotten around cleaning up this section. She claimed to be too busy—too busy cleaning up the Chemistry section. Twilight’s eyes landed on a familiar-looking green tome, the word ‘Supernaturals’ filling up half the spine. Feeling a smile creep onto her lips, she pulled it out to inspect its covers. “Natural remedies and cure-alls that are simply... super,” Twilight read aloud. She could proudly claim to know everything inside, having flipped through from cover to cover after her traumatic Poison Joke incident. It remained as the one and only useful book that she had found from this section. “The only useful one out of... an entire category? Compared to hundreds under the Chemistry section.” She giggled at the contrast, slotting the book back and continuing her search. As she idly shifted the books around, Twilight began to feel a little guilty about neglecting these shelves. Her eyes fell on a particularly ancient-looking black tome that had collected a fine layer of dust on its cover. Sitting inconspicuously on top of another stack of books, it would have gone unnoticed, if not for how old and worn-out it looked. “Gee, I really should clean this place up.” Twilight carefully lifted up the book, a few frayed threads dangling from its bent spine. She sucked in a breath and blew the dust off its covers. A row of thick golden letters made up its title, engraved into the hard covers and forming a single word that gleamed against the light. Twilight didn’t understand what the word meant, so she proceeded to flip the book open, peeling away the first page from the front cover. “Whoa...” Twilight’s eyes grew wide. There were three perfect circles in the middle of the yellowed page. She grabbed her notepad, flipping to the sketches she had made earlier in the day. The proportions of the circles matched exactly. Right... totally unexpected, Twilight thought. She brought the book to the table, getting her quill ready. By the end of today, she’d know exactly what all of this was about, and her efforts would finally pay off. Grinning, she thought of how silly it had been to waste so much time on a few symbols. Perhaps she was about to find out just how insignificant they were. With that thought in mind, she flipped to the next page. The paragraphs of writing were faded from age. Some of them were well on their way to becoming illegible. But worst of all, not a single phrase was in Equestrian. “Horseapples...” she cursed, scanning through the rest of its yellowed pages and trying to find something, anything that she could understand, but it was no use. Twilight felt cheated. The library that she had relied on for so long had failed her, only able to cough up an ancient tome that just had to be written in another language. She left the book on the table and trotted up to where the markings were engraved on the floor. The three circles seemed clearer than she remembered them to be. Their sizes were in a strangely familiar ratio, with the biggest being disproportionately large. Twilight was certain she had seen something like this before, perhaps even having drawn something similar, but she couldn’t remember its meaning. “Darn these things. I could have spent all this time studying more about eclipses—ˮ Twilight stopped abruptly as something clicked in her mind. She snapped her attention back to the three circles. An idea had formed in her head for a split second before disappearing. “Eclipse... something about an eclipse...” she struggled to recall the thought, staring at the circles, aligned side by side in a straight line... Then realisation hit her like a brick. “I got it!” the young mare shouted, her voice echoing around the library. She levitated the notepad in front of herself. Grabbing a quill, Twilight scratched an ‘S’ inside the largest circle, followed by ‘E’ and ‘M’ for the next two circles. It was definitely correct—no pony would deliberately draw the circles sizes in that ratio without a good reason. She had drawn it before. Wondering why she didn’t see it earlier, she flipped to her notes made on the previous night. There, on a single page, was a diagram of the Sun, Earth, and Moon, represented by circles. A horizontal line passed through them, showing that they were exactly in line. “Woo!” Twilight released a cheer of pure joy. “Nothing gets past Twilight Sparkle!” She bounced around in a circle like a little filly, but stopped when she realised how it was making her head spin a little. “Phew...” she panted, “no idea how Pinkie Pie does that twenty-four seven.” The discovery was rather insignificant though. All Twilight knew was that the symbols were somehow connected to the eclipse that had happened last night, but she was just too tired to find out what else could be extracted from the book. The exhausted unicorn lay on the floor and flipped lazily through the worn out pages, her chin resting on a hoof. She looked for nothing in particular, but noticed that there were a few sketches and diagrams in the book. Her eyes glanced across a particularly unusual one. She peered at it, trying to make it out. The sketch was drawn in pencil, much like the way the young scientist would do her own scientific drawings. But instead of being clear and informative, Twilight couldn’t make out what the artist was trying to show. It was too terribly drawn, with stray lines all over the worn out page, as if as a result of being erased and redrawn many times. The fact that it was starting to disappear due to age didn’t help either. Twilight brought the book to the flickering candlelight, hoping that it would become clearer. The light shone across the paper, revealing more of the strange drawing. Was it some sort of creature? She noticed the shape of its head seemed to resemble that of a pony. But no, it couldn’t be a pony. Not when everything else about it was far from being pony-like. Slowly, she began to see more and more of the creature. There was a claw here, some hoof-like stub over there, and what looked like its body was sickeningly long and thin, stretching unnaturally across the page. Twilight felt the hairs on her coat rising. It looked like some warped version of a foal’s drawing. One didn’t need to be a zoologist to know how weird it was—it would be impossible for it to move on those limbs alone. “Doesn’t even make sense,” she murmured. The artist seemed to have realised this as well, not bothering to add further details or color to the freakish drawing. Twilight examined it for a few more seconds before deciding to stop for the night. A friendship report still had to be completed, and she didn’t want to lose more sleep over it. As Twilight switched off the lights and headed up the stairs, she failed to notice the faint red glow the symbols on the floor were giving out, previously drowned out by the bright lights. Celestia was completely exhausted. She stretched out on the Princess-sized bed, extending her massive wings across the deep purple covers. The velvet covers felt softer than her feathers. Shifting her head, Celestia looked at her younger sister perched by the window. She knew Luna would be wide awake for a few more hours, having a remarkable supply of energy at night. Sometimes, she wished that she could have that too. The moon princess was sitting up straight, looking attentively out into the night. She glanced back for a brief moment before returning to gaze outside. “How did your meeting go, sister? Share it with me.” “We can talk about that tomorrow, Luna.” Celestia brushed a foreleg lazily across the covers. “Right now, I really need some—ˮ A soft pop interrupted Celestia as a scroll dropped onto the floor. “...sleep.” With a weary sigh, the sun goddess levitated the scroll towards her, unfurling it to reveal Twilight’s Friendship Report. She flipped through the pages, and confirmed that sleep wouldn’t be anytime soon. Celestia crawled off the bed and spread out the report on her desk. She peered at the lines, willing her ancient brain to focus. Cramming in all that extra eclipses research was taking its toll on her. Dear Princess Celestia, Twilight began, her impossibly straight and neat hornwriting somehow making the report even duller to read. Today I learnt an important lesson about friendship... Bit by bit, Celestia read through the report, stifling the urge to skip lines. She ran through all five pages, not missing a single word despite her exhaustion. After surviving Twilight’s report, she forced herself to write a reply. Celestia rummaged around her desk, looking for her quill and parchment, just to realise they were right in front of her all along. “Um... Tia? Were you not going to sleep?” Luna’s voice penetrated into her head. It sounded a little distorted. “No,” Celestia said. “I must finish this first.” The mentor imagined her student at the library, eagerly waiting for a reply. What kind of teacher would she be if she neglected Twilight’s work in favor of her own private matters? She would never want to disappoint Twilight, the pony that trusted her completely, that looked to her for guidance. Twilight, her most prized pupil... Celestia pressed the quill onto the parchment, straining to steady it. Dear Twilight Sparkle... Then she fell face-first on the table, snoring lightly. The air was cold, colder than last night. It was carried by a constant breeze through the window, managing to chill Twilight even under the blankets. She curled herself into a ball of fur and shivered, partly due to the cold, and partly due to the terrible nightmare she was having. The dark Everfree forest sped past her, its tall trees looming around her as she ran, blocking out the moonlight and plunging the area into darkness. Twilight knew something was watching her: some unknown horror that raced amongst the shadows, rustling the leaves and causing the occasional snap of a twig. But every time she shot a glance back to see what was chasing her, she could only make out shadows flitting among the trees. The rustling sound grew fainter and fainter as she galloped. Eventually, she slowed to a trot, stopping to lean against the rough bark of a tree trunk. Putting a hoof to her heaving chest, Twilight fought to catch her breath. Just then, a faint whisper was carried by the wind from the branches of the very same tree she was leaning on. The unearthly snake-like voice spoke, just loud enough for her to make out above the sounds of the forest. “Twilight Sssparkle....” Clack... Clomp... Twilight’s eyes burst open, darting wildly around the bedroom. She found herself drenched in cold sweat, the vividness of the nightmare still haunting her. Clomp An involuntary gasp escaped her lips. It was those strange hoofsteps again, echoing up to her room from the main floor below. She had been so sure that the mysterious pony wouldn’t return. What was it this time? What was he searching for? Clack “T-that didn’t sound like a hoofstep,” Twilight whispered. Instead, it sounded more like a claw than anything. Clomp Twilight crept out of her bed, which creaked from her weight. The events from the nightmare plagued her mind, causing it to conjure up all sorts of terrifying possibilities and sending her into a panic. Maybe... maybe he wasn’t after the library, but searching for me instead? She whimpered at the thought. “Okay, okay... calm down Twilight. Nothing bad is going to happen. You just need to do what you did before.” She closed her eyes, forcing the fear away. She focused her magic, lighting up her horn against the darkness and repeating the spell from the night before. The magical lock was a simple spell; it didn’t require much time or effort to produce, and yet it had always been reliable. And that was exactly what she needed at the moment—something reliable. “Nopony would get past that....” Sshhhhh... She gulped at the new sound. “...unless it’s not a pony.” It seemed as if something was being dragged along the floor... or perhaps, something was dragging itself along the floor. Shhhh Twilight hated it. She hated the sound. She hated the thing making it. Worst of all, she hated being so desperately alone. Somepony needed to be with her, to assure her that everything will be all right by tomorrow. But of course, no pony would come to her rescue. Clack Clomp... Shhh... Hesitating for a moment, she pulled out her Smartypants doll from where she kept it tucked under the bed. Perhaps if she could imagine it to be somepony, she wouldn’t feel so alone. It was the only form of company she could think of. The old doll was a little disfigured from being squashed under the bed, a few threads hanging uselessly from it. But none of that mattered at the moment. Twilight hugged it tightly to her chest anyway, rubbing the soft fabric against her coat and treasuring every bit of comfort it could offer to her. “Oh Smartypants... I’m so scared....” The doll, of course, offered no reply. Clack Clomp... Shhh... Clack Clomp... Shhh... The sound continued, now forming an eerie rhythm that was carried easily through the air. Twilight listened in fear, still clinging tightly to Smartypants. The sounds seemed to be getting clearer and clearer... then terror gripped at her chest when she realised exactly what was happening: It was coming up the stairs. She needed to get out of the library, right now, and to move as far away as possible from that wretched thing coming for her. It was getting closer—she could hear it coming. Exiting through the door was out of the question. Only a really brave pony or a really foolish one would try that. But yet, something had to be done fast... and the only other way out of the bedroom happened to be through the window. Clack Clomp... Shhh... Smartypants slipped from her hooves, landing on the floor. Wait a minute... I can teleport! Even the obvious took a while to be realised as fear wrecked her brain. Twilight needed to concentrate in order for the spell to work. She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her fraying nerves. Her horn began to spark with an unsteady flow of magic, flickering like a faulty light bulb. She steadied it, feeling it flow warmly through her to the tip of her horn. All of a sudden, her concentration was shattered to pieces as a loud thud came from just outside her room. She heard the door’s spell lock being sucked away by some unknown force, disappearing with a faint pop. The magic in her horn fizzled out as she lost focus, leaving the room in complete darkness once again. Twilight dived deep under the covers of her bed, curling up into a trembling ball of fur. She was trapped, utterly trapped, right in her own room. There was absolute silence now. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the thing on the other side to burst in, but it didn’t. Nothing happened for a few heartbeats. A creak came from the door—a prolonged, eerie creak that pierced through the silence and chilled her to the bone at the same time. Twilight flattened herself under the covers, desperately hoping that she blended in well with the darkness. Perhaps the thing wouldn’t be able to spot her at all, especially in this light. As the seconds stretched out, Twilight began shifting very, very slowly. She lifted up the sheets by a fraction of an inch and risked a peek out. It was impossible to see anything in the darkness, no matter how hard she strained her eyes. But things changed when the clouds shifted outside, letting in a faint shaft of moonlight that was enough for her to make out the chilling outline of a pony head lying in the doorway. “EEEEEP—ˮ Twilight swiftly stifled her scream by jamming a hoof into her mouth, but she did it with so much force it felt as though a few teeth might have been loosened in the process. Her eyes watered in pain as she kept them fixed on the grim sight. The pony head on the floor began to move, slowly sliding into the bedroom. It lifted itself above the ground, floating in the air. It was, in fact, not just a pony head, but something far worse. From the strange shadows stretching across the floor, it looked as if the head was actually connected to some sort of long and thin body. Twilight closed her eyes as she fought to gain control of her hammering heart. She didn’t know if the shadows were playing tricks on her. Frankly, she’d rather it be just a pony head, instead of this horrifying nightmare that could hardly be seen in the darkness. When she opened her eyes again, the head was facing away, which probably meant that it had failed to notice her. Twilight needed to get a better view of what it was. She began to adjust her weight, carefully shifting it to one side of her body. Then, she proceeded to slide her hooves along the sheets as softly as she could into a more comfortable position, adjusting her neck at the same time. Her bed-roll-shift was almost completed without attracting any attention. She felt a wave of relief as she re-balanced her weight, then all of it vaporized as the bed gave off a loud creak. The pony head froze at the sound. Oh... oh nonononono. Please, pleeeassee don’t, she prayed. It flicked out something long and black from its mouth, as if trying to taste the air for her presence, much like how a snake picks out the scent of its prey. It paused, flicked out its tongue, and paused again. Twilight didn’t dare move a muscle. She saw it taste the air again, this time a little slower. To her horror, the head began to turn slowly, twisting back by an unnatural degree to face her. A wave of cold pierced through her entire body as she locked eyes with a pair of haunting blood-red orbs which she assumed were its eyes. The monster was staring right through that tiny crack in the sheets she was peeking out from. Every instinct screamed for her to run, but her muscles refused to budge. She was too scared to scream, too scared to cry; too scared to do anything except watch in horror. Then she realised that she couldn’t move a muscle. The creature began to advance on her. It slithered up to the bed slowly, taking its time, as if it knew Twilight couldn’t fight its petrifying stare. Clack... Clomp Clack... Clomp Her mind blanked out as it drew closer and closer. Perhaps she was falling into unconsciousness, she wasn’t quite sure. Suddenly, the covers were ripped back and Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs. She regained control of her body and darted out of bed, running away from the thing as fast as possible. She reached the end of her room and turned around, pressing her back against the wall. All around, the shadows were moving. She searched the room for the the pony head. It was gone. Twilight kept her eyes in front and felt around the wall, not daring to turn around. Her hoof bumped into the cold metal frame of her window. Barely thinking, she bucked it open and clambered over the sill. She shot one last glance behind, just in time to see the blackness racing toward her. Not wanting to know what it was, she kicked off into the empty air. She floated for a split second before beginning her dreadful fall. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!” Twilight flapped her hooves frantically in the air, trying unsuccessfully to imitate a pegasus’s wing beat. Searing bolts of pain erupted all over her body as the library’s branches whipped against her. As she tumbled through the air, the wind howled in her ears and she felt as though her heart was stuck somewhere along her throat. There was a brief pause, followed by a sickening thud. A tremendous amount of pain exploded in her chest, shooting through every fibre in her body to her hooftips. It blasted her mind out of control and sent her eyes spinning. She couldn’t yell in pain, having all the air in her lungs knocked clean out of her. Twilight knew that her library was supposed to be about one to two stories high, yet it felt as though she had fallen from the moon. Twilight lay on the ground, gasping and heaving for air. Every time she took a breath, a fresh wave of pain coursed through her lungs. Her coat stung from the gashes caused by the library’s branches, but she was more concerned about something else. The monster... It’s still around. Collecting her final reserves of strength, Twilight lifted herself to her hooves. Her battered body burned from the various cuts and bruises, yet she continued on to limp away as fast as she could. She couldn’t afford to sit here and wait for the monster to finish her off. Even the dark, deserted streets of Ponyville were more welcoming than her library. Twilight headed to the streets. Ponyville, being a small and quiet town, meant that not a single soul would be out at this time to lend a helping hoof. Instead, the trees loomed around her, forming dark silhouettes against the moonlight. She didn’t find the mild breeze comforting either. It blew coldly against her coat. Sometimes, it whistled past her ears in a strange manner, as if carrying some sort of whisper.   Back in Twilight’s bedroom, something snatched up Smartypants from the floor. A black mass wrapped itself around the doll, sucking out a very faint purple aura from the fabric before tossing it far away to the corner.