The Hidden of the Everfree

by musicman722

It's All Downhill From Here (6)

“Spike!” Twilight shouted from the library floor, “Do we have any more books on the Everfree Forest?” The mentioned dragon grumbled as he was once again interrupted from his dream of emeralds and cupcakes. Oh and Rarity, of course. He had been picnicking with her in his dream and now Twilight's studies wouldn't let him.

Spike groggily got up and waddled over to the World section of the library and began to scan through the titles. With the skills of the number one assistant, Spike deftly pulled out several books that had the word 'Everfree' in the name. He knew Twilight had read them, but this was for waking him up. “Just want to eat with Rarity in my sleep. Is that so much to ask?” he grumbled as he pulled out another book to add to the massive stack. Once he got all he could find, he set them down next to Twilight and then returned to his, hopefully uninterrupted, dream picnic.

Twilight picked up several books in her magic, flipping through the pages and she gathered information. Her quill wrote furiously to copy down all of her notes. After three hours she was through half of the stack. She drew up the next book, prepping it for study, but her face scrunched up when she saw the title.

“Ancient Legends of the Everfree Forest?” She said, then sighed, “Spike, you're supposed to give me books with facts, not mumbo jumbo legends!” Unfortunately, Spike was now fast asleep. Seeing that she got no response, Twilight reflected on her words as they sounded very similar to a time when she was trying to find a cure for Poison Joke. She looked back at the cover again.

“Fine, I'll give it a shot. I could use a small reading break.” Twilight set down everything except the book and started to read.

The contents of the book were nothing new to her. Various Nightmare Moon related stories, Parasprites, Timberwolves, and even a small history on the old Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. “No, that's not true.” she said as she read a chapter about Slendermane, “He wouldn't ask for twenty bits in exchange for your soul.” Twilight sighed, ready to put the book down, but only if the next chapter proved to be just as childish as this one.

She flipped the page and frowned as she read the title out loud. “'The Hidden'?” It sounded as if the author forgot to add a word to describe the legend. 'The Hidden what? Treasure? Monster? Pony?' she wondered. That missing word only sparked her insatiable curiosity, completely overturning her promise to put the book away, and she began to read.

Do you ever wonder what goes bump in the night? Those creaking sounds as you try to sleep but you casually dismiss on the wind or your brother trying to sneak a midnight snack. But what if you’re alone? There’s no wind to move the door and certainly no one to step on a floor board. But you still hear the strange sounds in the night.

When you try to investigate, you see nothing. Not even the mice were being disturbing. Mostly because they were eaten first. But you don’t know that. As you try to lay down and sleep, your door opens and you feel a weight on your bed. You can’t move and for the briefest of moments you feel a slight pressure on your neck before it all goes dark. You’re dead.

Twilight jumped and screamed as the last line was punctuated by a flapping window. Upon inspection, the latch had broken off. Probably from Rainbow’s repeated break-ins. Once Twilight was able to control her breathing and lower her heart rate, she continued.

What could possibly crawl out of the darkest parts of the cursed forest to come and torment you so? Only the Hidden. A creature so foul and evil that when it walks, every animal runs and hides, even the fearsome dragons, because they know that there’s something out there, and it might decide to have them for dinner.

It is invisible as its name implies and hunts with a ruthlessness matched only by a dragon chasing hoard thieves. Before the Princesses could properly maintain control of the horrors of the past and protect the ponies, there was a stallion. An earth pony by the name of Sea Nanners.

He was a simple stallion with the ideal wife, children and home on the coral farm near the beach. Life was good, until the Hidden came and took away his family as he went to the market. Only he and his son survived. They returned to find their dear family’s bodies mangled and torn. After giving a proper burial, he set out to hunt the hunter.

It took months of searching but after luring it into a cave, he drowned the monster in a flood.

Twilight huffed, “Well obviously this can’t be the one for the problem.” But she kept reading.

He told only his child and his grandchild for them to pass along down the family line. However, despite the spread of the story, the only one who still remembered anything about it was from a pony by the name of Banana Split, a distant descendant of Sea Nanners.

“Huh.” Twilight mused aloud, “Not a name I’d associate with legends.” Looking back at her stack of books she decided it was time to get back to work. “Maybe I can read this later.” She said as she set the book on the table with a bookmark in it. A proper bookmark. Twilight would be dead before she dared consider dog earing a page.

*****

“What happened?!” Chrysalis hacked out as she reached the site of the cave in almost as soon as the terrifying thunder of earth rumbled throughout the warren. Dust hung in the air since there was no passage to circulate airflow anymore aside from meager holes dug out for secondary circulation.

“We don’t…chhaak… know!” one of the guards posted nearby reported, “It was just fine around here but then the wall suddenly exploded and half the tunnel caved in!”

Chrysalis grimaced. If they had no way out, their air supply might run out soon and food supplies will be even scarcer. “Well then get some of the worker drones off the less valuable tunnels to clear this. We need a way out of here if necessary.”

“Yes, your majesty.” The guard said before galloping off.

Chrysalis turned to the other guards. “While he’s getting the workers, try to shift some of these stones enough so we can get some air through here.” The rest of the guards saluted and began to scramble over the rubble, pulling out stones with hoof or magic. Chrysalis trotted off back to her chambers, feeling a small headache arise.

’It’s just one thing after the other, isn’t it? Can I please just have some luck come my way? Is that too much to ask?’ she thought, ’I’ll need Arachne to investigate this. I’m sure those workers made sure that entrance was safe.’

*****

“Alright, you workers are coming with me.” The guard said as he led the drones up towards the entrance that I blocked. That left several behind, toiling away at the walls. Fools. I can never understand why creatures must dig into the rocks. The only thing they need to dig is a grave for them to die in. No matter. This entire cave will do that for me.

I waited, as is my life as a hunter. I counted the changelings in the room. Ten, and every one of them separated into their own alcoves. I swear, it’s like they want me to eat them.

I waited until the only sound was that of metal on rocks.

They never heard me coming. I’m glad the last two tried to run. I needed the exercise.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the wait. I wrote a clopfic. (which you should totally go read, btw)

Special thanks to Reaper1543 and Thardoc

Comments

[JDLENL]

Sea Nanners.

...and there went me taking this fiction seriously.

[sum_person]

Before the Princesses could properly maintain control of the horrors of the past and protect the ponies, there was a stallion. An earth pony by the name of Sea Nanners.

The dolphin laugh was great, but this. THIS.

[ikramofi]

Sea Nanners.............., you had my curiosity before, now you have my attention.

[Lunason]

Never Trust Nanners..........Only trust him to kill the hidden!

you sir made my day whe nyou put the nanner's in here! he is my fav youtuber right next to the creatures!

[Vonglory]

An earth pony by the name of Sea Nanners.
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