//------------------------------// // 17. Encounter // Story: SweetieMash Minecraft Adventures : Return of the Nightmare. // by CristalGalaxy //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle let out a long sigh as she watched every pony disappear into the jungle. She lifted her head slightly towards the sky and prayed Celestia that they all come back fast and safe. Something pressed against her fur and she turned to see Rumble smiling at her : "Ready to find some ores?" he asked, his warmth sticking to her like shiny honey. "Yeah..." Sweetie tried her best to shake the pain off her heartbroken self and smiled back. "Yeah!" They both trotted towards the insides of the caves and Rumble brought a torch out. Immediately, the whole area lighted up. "Wow, cool! Now I certainly gotta remember this mod when we get out!" grinned the colt, although they both felt reassured about being able to actually see anything past their own hooves. "If we get out..." muttered Sweetie Belle, exanimating the smooth stone walls for ores. "Hey!" protested Rumble, frowning and turning the other way. "No being Miss. Negative around Doctor Fun Times m'kay?" A giggle was heard from the other side of the cave and Rumble's frown accentuated. Wasn't Sweetie Belle supposed to be on the lit side of the wall...? Meh, she probably moved down a little. But a shiver ran down his spine when another giggle came from behind him. He spun around and saw that Sweetie Belle hadn't moved! She was still checking for ores. "You're so dumb!" she chuckled, rolling her eyes. Rumble's fur stood up on his spine as the giggle from the depths of the cave was heard again. Something was down there! Maybe it was just a few hoofsteps away, staring at them with hungry looks and gently giggling to terrify its prey before killing it! The urge to run rushed into him and he found himself paralysed, stuck between two issues. Either he took a few steps back, although the torch in his hoof would retract the light at the same time he did, and therefor would let the creature get closer, or he could approach it himself and light the thing up so he could see what it was. Buuuut that still meant getting closer. So he chose the wisest option that wasn't on the list. "Sweetie Belle!" he whisper-shouted, shaking. "Yeah?" she replied, probably turning to him with a bright smile. Her voice echoed through the cave and Rumble cringed as he found it much too loud. "There's... There's a thing there! It's... giggling!" he murmured, tears almost coming out. "Whu? Are you okay?" laughed Sweetie, getting closer to him. "What's giggling in the shadows...?" "Shhh! Listen!" They both held their breaths, and for a moment only the sound of the driplets of water in the cave were heard. Then the giggle started again and they both jerked back, Rumble letting go of his torch in the process. It landed on the floor and rolled a little further away. They gasped as, at the very edge of the light, the beginning of two black and grey hooves was seen, just standing there motionless. The giggle once again went through the cave and one of the hooves moved, slowly tapping against the floor as if it was annoyed. Then a mare's voice spoke : "Ah..." the mare said with a sigh. "I wonder why you just had to be scared of me. I thought laughing lured in ponies!" Her voice was as smooth as silk and was very enchanting even though it contained a little bit of rage. "I wish you hadn't seen my hooves. Then I could have been friends with you in the dark!" The voice was cheerful for a moment. "The dark... You living ponies don't like it do you...? Always running around carrying those torches and lamps of yours... It's stupid! The dark is so. much. fun!" More giggles. "Who the hell are you?!" yelled Sweetie Belle, grabbing her sword and steadying her gaze and position. She was ready to slay whatever was playing with them in the blink of an eye. Rumble couldn't help but admire the fact that she was so... unfazed and determined! He had to do that as well! But only once his legs had stopped shaking... "Stupid filly! Don't scream at me! Or I will scream back!" the voice groaned, becoming more menacing. "We will only harm you if you're a threat to us! Show yourself or I will charge." "To show myself? You actually want to see me?" the mare giggled. It was starting to get on Rumble's nerves. He knew he would dream about that giggle for a long time... "Well all this is indeed very flattering..." she continued. "Very well!" Both foals felt their heartbeat increase as the hooves finally moved. The right one completely stepped inside the halo of light, and the left one followed soon after. Little by little, more of the pony appeared. Her chest was grey although it was as if some black substance was running down it from her neck. Her completely black muzzle came into view and the foals suddenly realized she was wearing a hoodie. It was grey, torn up to bits and ripped everywhere. Which meant her coat was actually coal black. Finally, her face appeared. Well... It may have been a face. They could see nothing apart from two glowing red eyes inside it. The shadow procured by the hoodie only let her muzzle show to their point of view. She was smiling, and surprisingly her teeth were white and perfect. But then came the worst. As she advanced into the light, they saw she had no lower body or hind hooves. It was as if everything stopped at her stomach. Bits of fabric from the hoodie were stuck here and there, but there was no explaining how they even stuck to thin air. Just as Rumble was wondering how the heck she walked, Sweetie Belle grabbed him, turned tail and ran right pass the wraith, and rushed down the cave. "Hey!" yelled Rumble as he saw their source of light disappear in the distance. "What are you doing? The exit is the other way! And we could have taken her on right...?" "No, we can't" panted Sweetie. "She's a Wraith... Those are from a mod and are pretty dangerous..." "A... Wraith...?" muttered Rumble, looking back. He saw the Wraith slowly turn her head in their direction. Her glowing red eyes were shimmering... Then she smiled at him and Sweetie took a left, the mob disappearing from view. Fear clutched at his heart and he continued forward, suddenly terrified. They were running in the middle of the night from a dangerous creature and stuck in a cave. Aw Hell... Rumble thought.