Author's Forward
As of the writing of this tome, it has been nearly six years since the Great Darkness, as it has come to be known, has finally subsided. The stories contained within these pages are, to the best of my knowledge and professional ability, considered to be inherently true. Despite the annecdotal nature of such statements, I have exhaustively cross-checked details and statements whenever and wherever possible. In order to distinguish my thoughts from those of my contacts, I have bolded any text which is my own.
By no means should this work be considered to be a be-all, end-all index of such a traumatic time. There are -- or were -- hundreds of residents within the borders of Ponyville alone, and thousands more who bore witness to the events that transpired. The stories contained within should be considered to be but a tiny fraction of those who were there. To that end, this book is dedicated to the memory of those who were lost, not only on behalf of myself, but on behalf of our esteemed Goddess. May the souls of our friends and families finally find some measure of peace.
--Written Scroll, Chief Historiographer
Archived at the Royal Library in Canterlot
Fourth Era, Year Six
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The Ponyville Haunting: A Chronicle of The Great Darkness
When I was approached by the Keepers of Knowledge -- that's the royal guild of historians to the uninitiated -- I was in the midst of working on my latest book, a retelling of the Great Battle of River's Run. I had published a few small books in the past, none of which had sold particularly well, and I did not -- and to this day, still do not -- consider myself to be any more talented than any other historian in the land.
And yet, someone in Canterlot had an interest in seeking me out. The Princess, one of the historians had explained to me, asked for me by name, though they would not reveal any further information. Obviously one cannot turn down an invite by royalty, and thus I found myself flying to Canterlot via pegasus taxi half an hour later. The gleaming guards reassured me that I was not being reprimanded, but the thought still lingered.
Over the next several hours, I met with the Princess herself -- truly an honor -- and was told, in no uneven terms, that she wanted me to chronicle the events of the catastrophe that had overtaken Ponyville. At this point in time the event was less than a year old, and fresh in everypony's minds. But still, the questioned remained: Why me? Surely there were others who could undertake such an enormous task.
When I asked the Princess, her divine, somewhat imposing figure standing before me, she answered very plainly and quietly.
Because, she said, she needed someone she could trust.
For a great while I did not fully understand her answer. What made her think I was so trustworthy, when I had never even met her?
At the time, I had only ever heard of the event which would later become known as the Great Darkness. Stalliongrad is far removed from Ponyville, a good three hours' flight. I only knew what rumors and stories I had heard, bits and pieces of the whole. Over time, a larger story began to unfold, far beyond the scope of anything I had even begun to suspect.
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Interview One: Sweetie Belle.
3rd of Spring's Arrival, 4E01
Of course, every great journey begins with a single step. A list of potential contacts had been provided to me by a contact close to the Princess herself, and it was my task to seek them out and learn what they knew.
But where to start? I browsed the list of names and last known locations, struggling to find my first interviewee.
Eventually, a single name stood out above the others: Sweetie Belle.
I had heard of Miss Belle before, however briefly. An up-and-coming entertainer and singer-songwriter with a brilliant mane of pink and purple, she makes her home in Manehattan when she's not touring in an attempt to build her name. I managed to contact her via letter a few days after beginning my search, eventually getting her to agree to meet me in person at a small cafe in the big city. Eager to start my information gathering in earnest, I sit down with her on a cool, windy afternoon in Spring's Arrival. I introduce myself over a cup of coffee, levitating a quill and a pad of paper as she speaks. It seems to make her nervous at first; I put them away for a short time, explaining what I hope to learn from her. She relents when I inform her that the Princess hopes to learn all she can, so as to avoid anything like the Ponyville event from ever happening again.
With a deep breath and a somber face, she begins.
"I don't know how much help I can be, but if the Princess thinks I can contribute something, then I'll do my best."
It's okay. Are you comfortable talking about your old home?
"I guess so. Umm...where do I start? I grew up in Ponyville with my parents, but we moved around a lot. My dad was a hoofball scout, so we were in a new place every couple of weeks, sometimes for months at a time. My mom used to be a teacher, but she retired to raise my sister and I. I guess that ended up being fortunate, because she was able to home school me when I was away from Ponyville. Poor Miss Cheerilee, she always thought I was gone too much." (she laughs)
"My friends and I all received our cutie marks relatively late in life; I was in my late teens. We used to put on these silly capes and call ourselves 'The Cutie Mark Crusaders', like it was the most important thing in the world. When you're a 'blank flank' it kind of is."
You mentioned your sister. Can you tell me about her?
(Her face contorts into a cautious half-frown)
"Rarity and I had kind of a rough relationship at times. I know all siblings fight with each other once in a while, but Rarity and I always seemed to be butting heads over the dumbest things; breakfast, clothing, gems, things like that. I think it's because we didn't really grow up together -- by the time I was old enough to start having some sort of relationship with her, she was already moved out and running her own business. She loved that store. Sometimes I felt like she loved it too much...
A store?
"Mmhmm. The Carousel Boutique. Fashion, dresses, that sort of thing. I was never really into that sort of stuff, not as much as Rarity was, but it always seemed to make her happy...at least, when she wasn't being overly dramatic and proclaiming that everything was 'the worst possible thing'. She had a bit of a dramatic streak, but it was usually pretty funny. A little while after opening the Boutique she started to become pretty famous, but not for the reasons she wanted."
How so?
"Princess Celestia picked Rarity and five of her soon-to-be friends to be 'The Elements of Harmony'. Overnight my sister was a hero, but she always tried to downplay it. She literally saved the world a bunch of times. How many ponies can say they have a sister who's a national hero?
Even with her status, Rarity always insisted on growing her business based on her talent as a seamstress. All of these fashion shows she used to go to, the events she used to attend. Heh, I always thought they were kind of silly, but looking back, she really did have a lot of talent. I guess I was too young to realize it."
Let's move forward a few years. Do you remember anything about the incident?
"I wish I didn't..."
You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.
"No, it's okay. Your book will help others, right?"
That's what we're hoping.
"Alright. I guess if it'll help...uhmm, what do you want to know?"
You're my first interview, so I suppose we should start start from the beginning. What do you remember from the first days?
(She seems to mentally brace herself, setting her jaw)
"It was late in the summer, like Setting Sun or maybe early First Harvest. I was visiting Rarity for a week while my parents were out of town, and since school was still out they thought it'd be fun us to do some sisterly bonding and all that stuff."(She chuckles)
"I was such a hoof-full . I'd just got my cutie mark earlier that month -- one of the last in my school." (She points to her flank, a pink heart behind a pair of silver-and-gold bells) "And me being a dumb teenager, I thought I suddenly knew everything. We didn't get along too well that week. Rarity had a huge work load and felt terrible about not being able to spend much time with me, but we did what we could when we weren't at each others' throats. Do you have a sister or brother, Mister Scroll?"
No, I'm an only child.
"Then it's hard to explain. One minute you're ready to come to blows, and the next you're giggling and talking about your parents and stuff. Siblings are weird like that.
Anyway, it was late at night, toward the end of the week. Rarity had just gone to bed -- she was always an early riser -- but I didn't feel tired yet. So I went downstairs to grab a drink. Normally I really like the Boutique at night, it's nice and quiet. But I dunno...something felt kinda weird that night.
You know when you're all alone and you get this sort of 'uneasy' feeling? Like, the coat on your neck and back stands up? I felt that as soon as I went downstairs. I couldn't put my hoof on it, but something felt off, you know? I just ignored it, or tried to, and got myself a drink. When I was in the kitchen I was nearly scared half to death by the sound of something falling in the display room, toward the front of the Boutique. Something told me not to go and check, but I just figured it was the old, immature Sweetie Belle who was still scared of the dark. I told myself I was an adult now, or close to it, and I had to act like one. So I went in there, floating my glass beside me, and saw one of Rarity's ponnequins knocked on its side."
What did you think had happened?
"Nothing. Rarity has lots of them, in all kinds of poses. Some of the poses are easy to tip over if you put too much weight on one side, usually from a saddle or something. And that one did have a saddle, so...yeah. But as soon as I turned around...well, I ended up dropping my water, I was so terrified."
Why? What did you see?
"Rarity's pet cat, Opal." (she laughs again) "I'd forgotten about her. She usually tries to sleep in one of the dresser drawers in Rarity's room, but sometimes Rarity gets upset about it and makes her sleep elsewhere. She likes to curl up in the display room. I kinda forgot, and stepped on her tail. She was...not happy about it.
I was still mad for a few minutes, of course, but I couldn't blame poor Opal. I just went back to refill my glass and headed upstairs. I ended up falling asleep not long after, and I would have stayed asleep if it weren't for the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut in the hallway. Scared me right awake. I heard the shower turn on a few seconds later, so I figured Rarity had decided to take a shower for whatever reason. I was too tired to realize that Rarity has her own bathroom, so I went back to sleep.
"The next morning I was awoken by Rarity yelling at me, saying that she couldn't believe I'd do something so senseless. I asked her what she was talking about and she pointed to a big puddle that covered most of the hallway. 'Why would you possibly leave the towels in the shower?!' and stuff like that. I got up to look and, sure enough, there were a bunch of towels covering the shower drain and a shower head still pumping out water. I told her I didn't do it, that I was asleep and that I thought she was in the shower, but she wasn't really hearing any of it. She was convinced it was me. I mean, if you'd just woken up and saw what you thought was your sister flooding your house, wouldn't you be upset? I guess I can't blame her too much."
(She frowns)
Looking back, I should have seen what was happening. But what did I know? I was still just a kid who thought she was an adult. If only I'd known..."
Did anything else happen that week? Or soon after?
"Just once. I was up in my room and reading a book I'd, um, borrowed from Rarity's room. A romance novel. An adult romance novel. I was curious! Rarity had stacks of books in a shelf, and I just grabbed one that looked interesting. It just so happened that the cover had a pretty mare in a red dress who was obviously having some barely-covered fun with this handsome stallion.
Oh, don't give me that look! You mean to tell me you didn't do stuff like that as a teenager? Oh, come on! Everypony's hormones are absolutely racing at that age!"
I meant did anything happen that wasn't related to mature novels, Miss Belle.
"I was getting to that. It's just, um...kind of scary to remember. That's all. I was trying to delay telling you." (She shifts in her chair, looking somewhat uncomfortable. A long sip of her coffee gives her a little more time to think things through) "So I was reading really late at night, probably one in the morning, and I started getting this weird sound in my ears. You know when you get that ringing that just won't go away? Annoying, isn't it? I kept batting at my ear to try and make it stop, but it just wouldn't quit. I tried going back to reading but it was just constantly there. After a minute or two it finally started to subside, but it sounded...weird. Like, it wasn't just a gradual fading. It would get quieter for a moment, then there'd be a pause, then it'd get quieter again. It did that probably, I dunno...five, six times? It was kinda freaking me out. Each one of those pauses really sounded like there was something there, a different sound."
(She attempts to replicate the sound, a second of a high-pitched 'eeeee' vocalization, then a brief pause with a short 'shhhh' sound. She does this a few times)
"I found myself focusing on that pause, more curious than anything. It almost sounded like a whisper. And then suddenly, it just...stopped. And, um..."
Are you okay?
"I'm sorry. This is bringing back a lot of bad memories. I'm genuinely scared to tell you this right now, but...I went back to my book, and a few seconds later I heard this...voice." (She lowers her voice, her next word coming out in a deep whisper) "Sweetie." (Her coat visibly stands on end, her mouth trembling)
"Oh, Goddess...I...I'm sorry, Mister Scroll. This is very hard for me. I, uh...I couldn't sleep the rest of the night. I was too terrified to move an inch, much less try to walk all the way to my sister's room. I guess I could have called out to her, but I swear I felt like doing so would just draw more attention to me from...whatever that voice was."
And you're absolutely sure you heard that? You heard your name?
"I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I wanted to cry. When morning finally came I was still awake, and as soon as I heard hoofsteps in the hallway I mustered up the courage to shout to Rarity. She came running in and asked me what was wrong, but all I could do was cry on her shoulder until I literally passed out from exhaustion." (Tears start streaming from her eyes; she wipes them away with a napkin)
"I know it sounds like Rarity and I weren't the best of sisters, but we really, truly loved each other like only sisters could. I've never forgotten how kind she was to me the rest of that day. I don't think I left her side for even a moment."
Feeling like I've pushed for enough information for one day, I begin to pack my things away in my saddlebag, thanking her for her time and apologizing for making her relive such painful memories. I ask if she would be opposed to a talk in the future; she's unsure and says she'll let me know. As I leave a few bits on the table for our coffee, she speaks one more time, a small smile on her face despite her tears.
"She never did ask me about the book."