//------------------------------// // Letter #2 // Story: The First of Many // by Spirit Shift //------------------------------// Moving on, I’ll just skip to the next day since that entire night is mostly just a blur. All I remember is that I woke up using a particularly large book as a cover. I got myself cleaned up, decided to leave Spike alone, and ran outside to find The Crusaders. I needed to make sure that they were alright. I would have felt horrible back then if something bad happened to their minds because of the fear spell that I walked them through. I ran to Sweet Apple Acres first to see if they were there, and I met Applejack on the way. “There ya are, Twilight. I’ve been meanin’ to ask ya.” “Do you know what was up with Apple Bloom? When ah got home yesterday she was plum tuckered out on the floor. Ah don’t know whatcha did on that trip of your but doggone if it wasn't effective. She didn't even ask fer candy this mornin’.” “Oh, Celestia, Applejack I am so sorry! I’ll go check on them immediately,” I rushed past her into the farm. I feel like she called after me saying something, but I was too worried about the girls to listen.  I found them just as they were leaving their clubhouse. “Girls!” I called out. Three pairs of eyes looked down at me, and to my surprise, three smiles. “Hiya, Twilight!” “Hi, Twilight!” “‘Sup!” I reeled back in surprise, as I looked at them; they were as upbeat and energetic as always. “Umm, I just wanted to tell you all that I’m sorry about yesterday. I’m not sure what happened, but I shouldn't have dragged you all out there.” They looked at me, then at each other, with confusion. “I don’t get it,” Scootaloo muttered. What? The three fillies came down from their treehouse and continued looking at me with blank stares of confusion. “Now what’re y’all apologizing for?” Apple Bloom asked. “What am I--I’m talking about what happened yesterday in the forest.” Another group of blank looks. “Why’re you apologizing? It was awesome!” Scootaloo cheered. “I still think she used magic on us,” Sweetie Belle added. “My only complaint was that it was kinda short.” “You… enjoyed it?” “Well duh! Being scared is what Nightmare Night’s about,” Scootaloo answered. I honestly didn't know what to do then. I supposed that I had underestimated the fillies’ mental resilience. I thought about what Spike said the other night and decided to ask them after all. “So, if you don’t mind, do you remember what the creature we saw looks like?” I swear, I was getting tired of getting those looks. i Am NOT CRaZY! I was not crazy. “What creature?” Sweetie asked. “The one that made us so scared. In the graveyard?” “N-no. I remember that I was scared by the dark forest and weird-looking trees,” Sweetie replied. “Pfft! I wasn't scared by all that. What freaked me out was the fact that we just kept walking and walking. I thought we’d never get home! No offense, Twilight, I honestly thought you got us lost.” “What? No. Remember? We found the graveyard, something appeared in front of us and scared you all. Apple Bloom, you yourself said that you couldn't move at all,” I said. “Yeah, when ya went an teleported us smack dab into the middle of the forest. I was scared stiff.” “No, that’s not--ugh,” I groaned. “Girls, what happened after we got to the graveyard?” Scootaloo stepped forward, “Well, by that point these crybabies were so scared that they begged you to take them back to Ponyville. I was fine but you were all like ‘Noooo, let’s go back’. We got back to Ponyville and saw that Nightmare Night was all over, so we all went home.” Apple Bloom scoffed, “Stop fibbin’. You were the most scared outta all of us.” “Nu-uh! That was Sweetie Belle. She was almost crying by the time we got back.” “Was not!” “Girls!” I yelled. They all stopped arguing and turned back to me. “Are you sure that’s what happened yesterday?” “Yeah.” “Uh-huh.” “Yup.” I put a hoof to my chin. This was very confusing, but it supported my theory that it was all an illusion. The only problem was the fact that they remembered the events differently than I did. They did not recall the creature at all. I thanked them and left. I then went to Pipsqueak’s house. He told me largely the same story except for the fact that he didn't remember going to sleep last night. His mom filled that in and said that he had gotten home and instantly passed out. Button Mash’s mother told me the same thing. By that point, I was extremely confused. It seemed that I was the only pony to remember my version. Whether it was the right version remained to be seen. I suggested memory magic and I reasoned that if a memory spell was involved, as an alicorn I was the most resistant. That would explain why I remembered that something was there, just not its appearance. After taking some time to think, I decided to go back into the forest on my own and check things out, hoping that I was the one in the wrong and that there wasn't anything particularly dangerous. I activated the anti-fear spell and left. As I trotted back toward Whitetail Woods, Rainbow Dash once again flew down to meet me. “Hey Twilight. What’s up?” “Hi, Rainbow. I’m just going into Whitetail for a little bit.” “Whitetail Woods? Oh, that’s right! What happened last night? You told me that I was gonna get to scare the kids. I spent all of Nightmare Night waiting for you ponies and you all just show up from the forest looking like you all saw a ghost.” “You remember that?” “Uh, yeah,” she deadpanned. “You ignored me and went home. I spent the rest of the night trying to make up for the time I lost.” “The rest of the night? How long?” “Well, ponies didn't start heading home until about 2 or 3 hours after you got back. Luna was great though. Life of the party. Heh, she even--” “I knew it! Rainbow, come with me,” I ran off and Rainbow took flight after me. “Huh? What is it? What’s up?” “I have reason to believe that there is a dangerous magical creature hiding near the graveyard in Whitetail Woods. We’re going to go investigate.” “Woah, cool. Should we get the others?” “We will if we find anything. For now, I just need to know whether or not something is there.” We stopped at the entrance to the forest and I turned to Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash, I need you to fly high over the forest and keep watch for anything suspicious. I’ll try to teleport close to the graveyard, where we saw the creature. If something happens I’ll send up a flare so you can find me.” Dash saluted me and flew into the sky, soaring high over the forest. I charged up my horn and with a quick blink, found myself neck-deep in the forest. I looked around and found myself instantly unnerved. I began trekking toward the graveyard. I could feel the anti-fear spell working because I wasn't jumping at every little thing like last time. Every so often, I looked up to make sure that I could see Dash flying around. It made me feel better that she was here. I still think maybe I should’ve gone to get the others, though. I noticed that the further I went in, the more unnerved I was becoming. I wasn't entirely sure if it was because of the spell covering the forest or because there might be something powerful enough to cast the spell in the middle of it. One look upwards told me that Dash was still keeping tabs on the forest. I soon found myself jumping at random things again. The spell was definitely getting stronger the further in I was getting. Luckily, I was still able to keep my wits about me, for all the good that was doing me. Eventually, I could see the clearing where the graveyard was located. I stopped behind a veil of trees and looked around from where I stood. “I don’t see anything,” I muttered, taking a step forward. When I still couldn't see anything I lit up my horn and strode directly into the graveyard. I looked around and noted that everything looked normal. The tombstones were straight and undisturbed, the sun was shining down on the clearing and, despite the fear and nervousness still pulling on my mind, everything was peaceful. “Hmm, maybe the spell is simply tethered to this area. Some mischievous unicorn probably set it up to be stronger at night,” I reasoned. “Anyway, looks like nothing’s here.” I turned around to begin trotting back to the path from which I’d come, but stopped when I realized something. “Oh that’s right. Rainbow Dash!” I called out. “There’s nothing here! Let’s go home!” With that I let out the flare to get her attention. I waited a few minutes for her to come down. After about ten minutes and another flare, I began fidgeting in place worrying about her. “Where is she…. Oh no, did something happen? It’s my fault. I shouldn't have brought her out here. I have to find her! I have to--” My breath caught in my throat when a fierce chill numbed my entire body. The same fear from yesterday blazed through my mind when several black feathers fell from the sky. Slowly I managed to turn my head and watched as the creature from yesterday descended from the sky. Black feathers floated down around him. I remember trying to move my legs, only for them not to budge. I tried as hard as I could to force my body to move. I even tried to send up another flare to signal Rainbow. Oh Celestia, Rainbow Dash! She was in the sky! Did this creature hurt her? Is that why it wasn't here? Did he go after her first? It’s my fault she’s missing. I needed to do something but I couldn't move…. I was frozen in place and afraid for my life. “I thought I told you to leave.” “I-I-I-III-” I stuttered. I couldn't even turn my body to face it. All I could do was tremble like a scared little foal. “Obviously, I didn't make myself clear when I--” It stopped! Now’s my chance, I thought. I didn't know what had gotten its attention and I didn't care. I struggled and summoned all of my willpower and let out a blast of magic. Without even checking to see what happened, I bolted out of the clearing and into the forest. The only thoughts that came to mind were the simple facts that I needed to get out of there and find Rainbow Dash. Those thoughts came to a screeching halt when, out of nowhere, I felt myself trip and fall. I tried to get back up, but some force I couldn’t see began dragging me back to the clearing. This nearly gave me a heart attack. I screamed and reached for things to hold onto but nothing was stable enough to stop it. My magic wasn't working and I even tried to use my wings to fly away, but the same force that was dragging me back somehow kept me from even getting in the air. The worst part was when I looked back and realized that I wasn't being pulled by magic. My body was just being moved by some invisible force that I couldn't fight against, and it dragged me back to where I ran from. I found myself being suspended in the air  front of the creature who once again stood on top of one of the tombstones. “I see. You have them both.” It said something, but I couldn't process its meaning; I was too stunned to see that the blast of magic I’d let out had absolutely no effect. I was knocked backed to my senses when I found myself falling to the ground. I looked up at it just as it spread its enormous wings. I prayed that it would simply send me back like last time. So I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. My prayers must have been answered because I felt something amazing happen. All of the fear and overall helplessness completely left my body. I opened my eyes and gasped at the sight before me. For the first time I could finally make out the physical details of the figure in front of me. No longer was it shrouded by darkness that refused to be memorized. He. It was a he from what I could tell. He was a tall, bipedal human that reminded me of my friends in Canterlot High. Although, this one was different, his skin was shaded differently and he had short pitch black hair. He wore black wrist bands and had pale gray feathers that shined with an almost silver glow in the sun. He wore pitch black pants that contrasted with a shining white sleeveless shirt. I was rendered speechless. This time not by fear but by awe. It was clear that I was in the presence of something greater than myself. “You’re an alicorn,” he stated, looking at me with a straight face. He spoke with a low, almost bored tone. He spoke to me! I felt my face heating up slightly. “I am.” I put my hoof to my mouth in surprise. I realized that I had no trouble speaking to this person. There was no nervousness in me despite the power that I could feel coming from him. “I see. I was informed that I would be sought out by one of you sooner or later.” “Um. Yes. If you don’t mind me asking; who are you, and why did you cover the forest with such a powerful fear spell?” The… man, if he could be called one, nodded. “I am Samael and I needed to stay hidden. I was told, when afraid, ponies would naturally choose flight over fight. I figured that only alicorns would be strong enough to resist it. Though, judging by how you acted, I may have made it a little too strong,” he explained. I avoided my gaze, embarrassed for a few seconds. “You say that you were informed. Who informed you?” “That’s not something you need to know.” I flinched, and decided to ask something else. “I had a friend, in the sky. She was supposed to be following me but she’s gone. Did you do anything to her?” He simply shrugged. “She must have abandoned you.” I looked at him confused. Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty, abandoned me? Impo...si…. *Smack* I slapped a hoof to my face when I remembered that I neglected to put the anti-fear spell on her. She must have entered the radius of the fear spell at some point and flew off in fear. Not that I could’ve blame her. “Never mind!” I said. “Who are you and why are you here? You’re obviously not from Equestria.” “That is true. I am not from this world, but I need to be here in order to save it.” That one caught me by surprise. “Save it? From what?” The man crouched down and sat on the tombstone he was standing on. Somehow I also felt the need to sit down. So I did. “You already know of other worlds and dimensions, correct?” I nodded, and he went on,  “In one particular dimension, there was a war, a great war. Someone turned against their master and raised an army against him. Many perished and he lost. In order to save himself and regain his power, he fled. We’ve tracked him here. If he wanted to, he could turn this place to ruin. I need to find him.” “If this pony--” “Not a pony.” “Sorry. If this person is so dangerous then why didn't you come to one of the princesses for help? You obviously know who we are.” “I cannot interfere with this world. My job is to find him, contain him, and leave.” “But we can help you find him. I can help you. Tell me what he looks like!” “I cannot. He has no doubt changed his shape. If he hasn't made himself known, I can’t either.” “But he has! I’m willing to bet that this person is behind all the recent ponynappings!” He tilted his head but kept his straight face. “Ponynappings?” “Yes, various ponies are disappearing in Equestria, and If what you say is true he might be behind it.” “Pony… nappings? You mean deaths?” “What? No! They aren't dead, just disappeared.” “Then they’re dead.” “No, if they were dead, there would have been bodies, and all of Equestria would be on high alert. There hasn't been a pony on pony murder in centuries. If one did happen, all of Equestria would know about it…. Unless….” ~~~ “Princess Celestia!” I yelled bursting into the throne room. I looked up at Princess Celestia who was reeled back from my surprise appearance. She took one look at me before addressing the other ponies in the room, “Um… court is adjourned for today. I apparently need a minute with my fellow Princess. Everypony out, please.” With a few odd looks, everypony left and soon it was just me, the guards, and my fellow Princess. She tried to give me the nice, innocent act, but I wasn't having any of that. “Well, hello, Twilight. I must say I wasn't expecting you,” she began, wearing that annoying smile. You know the one. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked. Something seemed to click in her head as her smile disappeared. “Guards, leave now!” she commanded. As ordered, every guard left and Celestia’s horn glowed with what I assumed was a sound proofing spell. After making sure we were alone she turned to me with a serious look. “What do you know?” “I know that there are no ponynappings. Somepony is out murdering them, and you’re covering them up.” “You must understand, Twilight. There hasn't been a case of unprovoked serial murders in the last 520 years. Ponies would panic if they knew. In fact, we were lucky that one of the guards came upon the… body before anypony else did.” “How are you even doing it? In fact, how many ponies are actually missing?” “Luna has practically all of her night guards out. They watch every corner from the shadows. And… none. Every reported case of missing ended up… well, you know.” “How could nopony know about this, how do you keep them silent? You don’t… do anything to them do you?” “Oh Twilight, no. Of course not. Not many regular ponies actually know what’s really going on. They’ve willingly agreed to secrecy as long as we promise to provide personal protection to them and their families. It’s nothing short of a miracle that the silence has lasted this long.” Celestia sighed and looked out the nearby window. “I know that things will get out soon. I just hope that we find out what’s going on and who’s doing it.” I was about to say something when Celestia turned to me. “For now though, I have a question. The only ponies privy to this information are Luna, all of the night guards, my private research and hospital staff, a hoof-full of solar guards and I. All of whom have willingly taken a vow of silence on the matter. How did you find out?” This is where my confidence faded and I reminded myself that I was still talking to the ruler of Equestria. “Yesterday… I took some fillies and colts into Whitetail Woods for Nightmare Night. We entered into an area that was being affected by a fear spell.” Celestia’s eyes went wide, but I continued. “We ran into what was causing it, and were rendered frozen with fear. Luckily, he let us all go.” “Oh my. Do you know what it was?” “I’m getting to that. Today I went to check on the foals and found that they didn't remember anything about the encounter. I was almost convinced that they entire thing was an illusion caused by fear, until I ran into Rainbow Dash and realized that they had their memories altered. I decided to go back into the forest just to check and, well, I found it.” “What was it?” “Once he noticed that I was an alicorn he revealed himself and dropped the fear spell. I discovered that he was actually a warrior from another world looking for somepony--someone--who escaped into ours.” “And this warrior is going around doing the deed?” “No, the one he’s looking for is. He told me to call his name when any of us found him.” “What was his name?” “Samael,” I said. The second I said his name Celestia somehow turned an even paler shade of white. Her normally bright pastel hair seemed to lose its ethereal brightness and even slowed in its flow. “S-Samael? The Samael?” “Do you know him?” Celestia fixed her gaze on me once more, this time with a frantic look. “Twilight, please tell me that you didn't anger him!” “Um, no, I don’t think so. I blasted him out of shock once, but it had no effect. He didn't even seem to care.” “That’s good. Equestrian magic is absolutely useless on their kind anyway.” Celestia called her magic and opened the doors, two royal guards quickly ran in. “Comet, Jade! New orders for the Captains of the Night Guard and of the Solar Guard. Please make sure they are delivered immediately!” “Ma’am!” “Celestia, what--” “Tell them both to send an order to their troops in every location. Under absolutely no circumstances are they allowed to engage or capture the suspect or culprit of the recent incidents. NO circumstances. Understood?” “Yes Ma’am!” After saluting, both guards ran off and the doors closed once more. Celestia turned back to me and fixed me with a firm gaze. “This goes for you too, Twilight. This situation is beyond us. If the Angel of Death himself has come to Equestria to capture something, I have no doubt that all of Equestria is in danger. If you have even an idea of who this pony is, you are to call him immediately. Understood?” “But I--” “Is this understood, Twilight?” She stared down on me with an unmovable look that caused me to wilt in submission. “Yes, Princess Celestia. Should I let my friends know as well?” Celestia looked away and seemed to think deeply about it before answering, “I would advise against it. We know nothing about this suspect, what it looks like or even if it’s a he or she. If Samael hasn't been able to find it, then it’s probably taken the shape of a pony. If what you’ve told me is true, half of your friends would go looking for them. They would instantly distrust those whom they would normally consider a friend. That would make the situation worse. The other half would probably recklessly spread the news around and still spread mistrust. No, I advise you to keep a lookout for anything suspicious. Act normal, keep a level head, and for the love of Faust do not engage or investigate anypony even if you think you’ve found it.” She trotted over and leaned down to hug me, “I really worry about you, Twilight. I don’t want your inquisitive nature to be your undoing. Promise me that you won’t do anything reckless. Seeking out Samael past his fear barrier was as reckless as I want you to get.” The saddest part.... was that I didn't even break my promise to you.