//------------------------------//
// Welcome back, 'Old Friend'  
// Story: Idcarus 
// by Hibishi 
//------------------------------//


Far away from civilization, two ponies were wandering an ancient forest. Deep inside was supposed to be a statue lost to pony kind. It’s shape, it’s worth, and it’s history all unknown. As the ponies cut through a thick wall of vines, one of them spotted an oddly shaped stone.

“Oh, is that it?” He asked, approaching the piece of stone. It looked like a long mouthed mask, with a strange line design that looked like wide lips.

“What do you think it is?” the female pony with him asked, “A stone mask?”

The male pony walked closer to the stone. This was the rare statue that was lost many years ago? What the ponies didn’t notice was that they were being watched by an unknown being. As the male pony went to grab the stone, the female pony felt something touch her hoof. She jumped back with a scream as both ponies saw what had been watching them. The last thing the male pony saw was the insides of his travel companion... then his life went to a stop.



<><>

Celestia was pacing the throne room. She felt a terrible presence from far away and had sent some guards to investigate. 

Soon, the door opened and her squad entered, “Alpha Squadron, Report!”

“The mask was lying on the ground. It had a giant crack in it, with a hole inside. We also found two bodies that had been completely destroyed. Most likely eaten.”

Celestia looked very worried now, “No... no no no. Alpha Squadron, go see if you can find Idcarus! It does not reach Ponyville!”



<><>


“Alright, Cutie Mark Crusaders! We need to think of anything that can get our Cutie Marks.” Applebloom stated 
from the inside of the tree house.

The three fillies began suggesting ideas, most of them not easy or not possible. After about an hour of ideas, the fillies realised the time and went to go home. They all ran in their direction to their houses. Applebloom ran to the farm, Scootaloo ran to her house, and Sweetie Belle went to the boutique. The girls were so energetic they couldn’t sleep when it was bedtime. Applejack was about to head for bed when a knock came from her door. 

She opened the old wood door and saw a guard on her porch, “Oh, uhh yes?”

“Excuse me, but have you seen any strange activity lately?” the guard asked Applejack. She noticed another guard looking around.

“Can you speak quieter? Everyone else is asleep. No, I haven’t. Has something happened?” She asked the guard.

“There has been an accident but that’s all we may say.” The guard told her. He then bowed, “Thank you.”

Applejack nodded as the two guards left. She wondered about what kind of accident this could have been. She decided not to worry too much and went to bed. She peeked inside Applebloom's room and saw she was deep asleep already. 

She smiled and stroked her little sisters mane, "Goodnight, Applebloom."

<><>
The guards had been flying for hours, searching for whatever was inside that mask. One guard then stopped, "I see it!"

Sliding on the ground was a mass of a black substance. The guard flew down and stood their ground, "We must stop it before it reaches civilization!" 

One guard ran for an attack but the mass stretched forward and caught his leg. the guard tried to pull free but only got him one thing. His leg was torn off and sank into the mass. The sound of flesh and bone being crushed came from the mass. The guard was screaming in pain as his comrades ran to help their comrade. Out of the black mass, what looked like a mask appeared. the guards went for a charge but the mass stretched and caught them. It began crushing their bodies into bloody messes and absorbed them. The wounded guard was horrified but lucky for him... it soon was over as the mass grabbed his head and crushed it.

<><>
"Sister?" 

"What is it Luna?" Celestia asked her little sister, putting a blanket on her.

"Idcarus is gone right?" She asked innocently. 

Celestia took a second to think over her answer. She then smiled at her sister, "Of course it is. Mother sealed it away, remember? It won't ever be here again."

Luna smiled and got snuggled up in her bed, "Good... That was a scarey time."

"Yes, it was. Anyway, get some sleep." Celestia kissed her sisters forehead and left the room.

Once she was out of the room and closed the door, she regretted lying to her sister. Idcarus was free'd now but she would get the Element bearers to try to re-seal it away. She went to her bedroom, telling her guard goodnight and to keep watch. As she got into her bed, she began remembering the terrible blood shed that Idcarus caused many years ago. During his killings, Ponyville was painted in blood and the innerds of other ponies. Celestia slowly fell asleep, hoping her squad would stop Idcarus from reaching Ponyville.

<><>

Ponies screamed as the black mass spread, killing everyone that it caught. The western style town was being stained in blood and black substance. The mask appeared on the mass, looking around at where it was. Many ponies tried to get away, but they had their legs torn off then were dragged into the mass, their bodies being destroyed inside. A yellow colt was talking to a young female buffalo, telling her to warn the nearby town about the mass. The young buffalo nodded, and started to run but stopped. She ran back and gave the colt a quick nuzzle then resumed to running off. The colt watched her run off, wishing this wasn't happening, but when he turned around, the mass had reached him. Appalosa was lost to Idcarus... Idcarus made its deep chuckle as the mass grew a little in size. The mass then sank into the ground and traveled to its next target so it could continue its feeding.