//------------------------------//
// The strange 
// Story: The return of Nightmare Twilight 
// by Sombra63 
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The band of ponies continued walking. Their hooves were sore and bruises from their fall into the dragon’s cave throbbed from the constant movement.  Sunlight nursed a cut on her cheek with a minor healing spell and lagged behind the others. Caught up in her medicinal magic she walked right into the back side of Braeburn who was in the exact position. Looking down the line she saw that everypony sandwiched together while Fleur stood like a stubborn mule. With a grunt a few shoves and whole lot of blushing the group untangled themselves.
“ I am so désolé, but we seem to have reached an impassible obstacle.”
Before her, a massive crack in the earth gaped like the mouth of some great beast bent on eating them.
“Oh, great! Now how are we going to get to the ruins and find the elements?!”
“Don’t be so negative Lightin’; I’m sure Sunlight has some fancy spell ta find a way across.”
Braeburn turned expectantly towards Sunlight, as did the rest of the crew. She blushed and called upon her mentos teachings. “ He must have shown me something,” she thought before gasping and magicing a lightbulb over her head.” Of course! A transformation spell!”
Then with a brightening of her horn, a flash of golden light and a puff of smoke, a white giraffe with pink spots stood where Sunlight had just been.
“W-w-wha?”
“Don’t worry guys, it’s me, Sunlight. I changed myself into a giraffe so I could see above the tree tops and spot a way over.”
“A giraffe?”
“Oh, they’re just pony like creatures that live in Zebrafrica.”
“Like Ambassador Zecora?”
“Yes.”
The group smiled fondly at that name.  Zecora was a hero to ponies and Zebras alike. She came all the way from Zebrafrica to cure the cutie pox influenza that had broken out several years past. She moved back to Zebafrica, but the ponies of Equestria never forgot her.”
Sunlight stretched her neck until it began to ache and her idea seemed silly when she spotted a stone structure in the distance.
“ AH-HA! I’ve found our way across guys. There’s a bridge around a quarter mile that-a-way!”
Tired from the massive amount of magic she had just used Sunlight pooped (literally popped) back into a pony shape and sat panting.
“Are you okay Sunlight?”
Octavia reached down with a helping hoof which she gladly took.
“I’m fine.  I just used up a lot of magic is all. As long as I don’t conjure up any elephants I’ll be fine.  Let’s just get moving.”

After a quarter mile of walking they at last reached the stone bridge.  It was ancient with vines curling through the cracked railing and dirt and mud covering almost every inch in varying degrees of thickness.
“ This doesn’t look too safe. Lightning Dust, maybe you could cross it first and see if we can too?”
Lightning Dust stepped boldly onto the bridge. When her second hoof touched the ancient stone a gravelly voice shouted “HALT” from under the bridge. Crawling from the shadows a furry ball of green made its way to the walkway.  It stopped and shook itself like a dog to reveal a sagging, bulldog face with two giant tusks.  Its eyes were pure blue and lacked either iris or pupil and glared at each one of them.
“Who dares to walk across my bridge. It better not be those idiotic goats again.”
Lightning Dust stumbled backwards at the sight of the strange creature.
“ Whoah, dude. We’re just trying to get to the old library ruins and find the Elements of Harmony. You got a problem with that?”
The creature snarled and charged towards her like an angry minataur. Before she knew what hit her Lightning was smashing face first into a tree.
“ Yes, I do. You shall not PASS!”
Braeburn and Cheerilee galloped forward with a branch clenched between their teeth, prepared to smash right through the monsters defences, only to meet a similar fate.
“Wait.”
Fleur tried to conjure a snake to attack it, but only succeeded in making a very fashionable belt.
“Wait!”
Sunlight tried to join in the fight, charging energy into her horn which only sputtered and sparked. Lightning Dust finally pulled her head out of the tree it had been stuck in.  Cheerilee and Braeburn freed themselves from the bush they were stuck in and Flour and Sunlight combined magic to enhance their magical strength and, with a mighty battle cry, went charging towards the snarling beast!
“WAIT!!”
Octavia jumped in front of the five, making them crash into each other much as they had before.  She then turned to the monster and smiled gently.
“Please, sir, we need to get across this bridge of yours.  Could you please let us pass?”
“Of course.  Wait, did you say please?”
“Why, yes.”
The anger on his face dissolved, leaving only sadness behind. The creature sat and sniffed like the word please, had some sort of power over him, and, in a way it did.
“ N-no o-o-one has *sniff*ever said *sniff* please to me b-b-before.”
Octavia continued to smile as she walked slowly towards the crying monster. She laid down beside him and put a hoof around his shoulder. 
“Now, why would anypony not say please to you?”
The monster sniffed and wiped blue snot away with a beefy hoof like appendage.
B-because I’m a b-b-ig, hairy, m-m-m-monsterherherherher!”
He began to cry even more violently. Octavia patted him gently until he calmed.
“A monster?  I woudn’t call you a monster.  You’re just…different.  Lots of ponies are different, even me.”
The monster’s tears had stopped and his mouth was hinting at a smile.
“R-really?”
“Really.”
“Now will you please let us through? If you do, I promise that my friends will apologize for trying to attack you.”
The monster sniffed one last time before standing and making way for the group to pass by his massive body. When they were on the other side Octavia poked Lightening who grumbled an apology. Then Cheerilee gave several more, trying to make up for Lightening who was already fluttering into the forest. Finally Braeburn gave an energetic apology before following the rest of the group.

“How did you know?” Sunlight asked Octavia as they continued to walk.
“I didn’t, sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness.”