The walls of Canterlot had begun to shift, and strange portals were opening about the place. Out of them, torrents of ghostly specters flooded into the city, moaning and wrecking havoc.
Ghouls had overrun Celestia's school, while the Princess lay thrashing, having endless nightmares from the curse cast by the Nightmare Shudderbones. Discord too was flailing, letting out horrible cries. Ponies all over were crying, screaming in fear as poltergeists and evil spirits invaded their homes. Twilight turned to the Princess of the Night, hoping for an explanation.
"The barriers between Life and the Afterlife have always been weak, which is why we have spirits residing among the living. Shudderbones, and yes we acknowledged his existence, we only avoided him because his psyche seemed so fragile... Shudderbones was one of the few things keeping the dead from chaotically mingling with the living. Now that he in essence is gone... those walls between us and the Afterlife are breaking. Soon we will have a world where nopony dies."
Twilight pondered this for a moment before asking:
"But wouldn't that be a good thing?"
"One would think so. But spirits are chaotic, they would still exist, tormenting our undying souls for all of eternity. Not to mention, just because we have everlasting life does not mean we have everlasting youth. We would keep growing older and more decrepit, or very existence becoming agonizing."
"So... what do we have to do?"
"You have the Elements, yes?"
"Yes, we're just waiting for Applejack to come back."
"Good. Unless you are able to restore him to his former purity, you will have to encase him in stone. Much like you had done with Discord in the past. He will still be alive, maintaining the openings for the dead to cross over and for the living to call upon them for assistance, but he will be imprisoned. Forever doomed to eternally maintain the gates."
Twilight nodded somberly. Luna had said 'unless you are able'. That meant the likelihood of saving Shudderbones was minimal. They would have to destroy him. She bowed her head low. Applejack wouldn't like that.
= = = = = = = = = = =
"C'mon, Numbskull, we ain't got that much time!"
The skeleton mare clattered as she clumsily flailed about behind the galloping orange pony. Applejack had the letter tucked into her hat. She wore the thin black nylon stockings she had first worn when she defeated the chimera to save Apple Bloom. Now she was wearing them to save the love of her life from himself. Her lasso was slung around her neck, trailing slightly off her left side.
They suddenly hit the brakes, screeching to a stop as a vast blue portal opened in front of them, right in the middle of the dirt road.
""Whoaaaaaa nelly!" Applejack shouted, sticking out a foreleg to keep Numbskull from falling in.
From the portal, several moaning specters floated off. By they're horrible stench, it was a flock of ghouls. They snarled and howled as they passed, and Applejack held her nose with her other hoof. She looked down at the portal and then quickly worked her way around it. Back on the road again, Numbskull and Applejack doubled their speed, thundering towards Canterlot and to the castle where Shudderbones was.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Inside the castle, the Nightmare Shudderbones stood, eyes closed. His host was fighting. Fighting as hard as he could.
Nightmare Shudderbones opened his eyes, glaring out into the world. He didn't know why Shudderbones loved this place. Or that disgusting family of plebeian Earth ponies. Instantly, a searing pain etched across his brain, and suddenly he was shouting.
"Don't you talk about them like that, you fil-" Shaking his head violently, Nightmare Shudderbones quickly regained control. This was a strong one. But he was the one the Nightmare needed.
He moved, stepping about the Princess of the Sun's bed chamber. He entered the balcony, gazing down upon the chaos below. Ponies screamed and cried, foals lost from their mothers, families torn from their homes. Ghosts, ghouls, poltergeists, and other peculiarities thundered across the darkened landscape. See the cloudy night sky, the Nightmare realized that was a plus of cursing Princess Celestia. The sun would not rise.
Leering, the Nightmare turned back inside. This was getting interesting.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Twilight and Luna gazed up at the cold spires of the Corrupted Castle. Above it, swirling thunderclouds boomed and flashed, sending streaks of lighting across the sky. Twilight shuddered as Luna spoke in a hushed tone.
"We may need to evacuate the city. We could move the Canterlot population to the Crystal Empire. I am sure Princess Candace would have no problem helping her sister kingdom."
Twilight nodded sadly. Luna had sent a message to Spike, and the young dragon was on his way to help in any way he could. Her friends all wore their Elements of Harmony. They were simply waiting for Applejack, the Element of Honesty sparkling on the ground between them. Suddenly, the orange mare popped into view, wearing a strange outfit, followed by a skeleton with a cracked skull.
"Now y'all, this here's Numbskull. She's on our side. Lemme get my Element an' Ah'll meet ya up in the castle."
With that, she snatched up the Element of Honesty and disappeared once more, leaving behind the mare skeleton. It looked at Twilight and waved a foreleg. Then socked a ghoul that had been sneaking up on her in the jaw. Apparently reanimated skeletons can touch ghosts.
"Okayyy... well then, girls, skeleton. Let's go."
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
Nightmare Shudderbones sat on Celestia's bed, rubbing his temples gently with his hooves. His head ached, sending arches of pain across his body.
A pounding at the door broke him from his reverie. Scowling he flung himself from the bed into the center of the room. Just then, the orange farmer mare bucked down the doors, and they crashed onto the floor. The Element of Honesty shined on her chest. The Nightmare flinched, the light from the gemstone flashing across the room. He snarled.
With a simple flick of her head, she whipped out her lasso. His horn glowed as he prepared a curse. She flung the lasso, wrapping around his horn. She pulled and his head jerked, smashing into the floor. The curse went off, rebounding past the door frame and into the hall. The fall had dazed the Nightmare. Applejack began to shout at him.
"Shudders! Ah know you're in there, somewhere! Ah read your letter! Why didn't ya jus' tell me ya loved me?! Because ah love ya, too! Please, Shudders. Come back to us!"
A dazed Nightmare Shudderbones got to his hooves, standing tall and imposing before the mare. He growled, a deep, primal sound.
"Every mornin' seemed brighter, remember? More hopeful? Ya said... every time ya saw me your heart would soar. Others may be scared of ya, but we love ya, Shudders. An' that's all that matters."
The demon stopped growling, and again Shudderbones was before her, a look of horror on his face.
"Applejack! Run! Save yourself!"
"No! Ah'm gonna stay right here until... until..."
The demon-pony returned, cackling madly.
"Ah'm gonna stay right here by your side until we have a happily ever after!"
The Nightmare gasped. Then started to cough. Suddenly Shudderbones returned with a BOOM, darkness began swirling about, moving away from him. Applejack ran to him, wrapping her hooves around him. She had to get him out of here.
Delirious, Shudderbones began to mumble under his breath.
"I like your mane. So pretty... Where's Numbskull? She needs to bring you tea... Mmmmm... tea with my fair lady..." He dipped his head back and passed out.
"C'mon, lover-boy," Applejack said, scared he might relapse again, "let's get outta here." She picked up the heavy stallion, slinging him across her back. She trotted towards the door, before noticing the swirling darkness that had left Shudderbones' body. It was swelling upwards. Getting bigger, more solid.
Suddenly there was a pony.
"S-Sombra?" Applejack stammered, looking at the tall, regal umbrum before her. Last time she had seen the shadow pony, he had been attacking the Crystal Empire. It merely laughed, a chilling sound that froze her nerves.
"Sombra? No... I am Oscurdia. And I no longer need that fool's body anymore. He is useless to me now. I have obtained his powers, now he's just a meat-sack to me." It hissed. "Now run, run little farmer pony, and remember."
It swooped frighteningly close to her face. It whispered.
"You can't hide."