Nice to see another update. Like how you showed Forest being so good at profiling, which only makes sense. Though, you could do a bit more at the beginning of those scene changes, I mean, what was the question that lead to her talking about her mother? You seem to be just jumping around, when you could make it a smooth flow from one topic of discussion to the next. I don't even know where they are during this chapter (besides in Canterlot somewhere), or if they move at all between scenes.

Nice story tho wish it haven't been about two+ months since a new chapter
Tho seeing how you're also doing Aether, Heir of Chaos it somewhat understandable
Also may wanna see about getting this story added to LoHAV it'll get a lot more views/attention

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I don't really care much for attention, but I've been having a hard time coming up with things that can connect the scenes I do have with the present...

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I see it's been a little less than a year since last update.
When is the next chapter?

"A bogeymane would go hungry in that filly's house." She let out a rueful chuckle.

"Heh... bogeymane, nice." Shining tried to chuckle as well, rolling his eyes.

"Bogeymanes are real." Forest stated, draining the rest of her soda.

To that, Shining actually laughed, loudly.

"Shiny!" Twilight chided; she had tried to convince him of that one for years.

"Oh, goodness! Your face sold it!" He laughed, tapping his bench as he tried to get his breath under control. "You sounded so serious! What are you, six?!""

"Shining Armor." Forest spoke in the same even, flat tone as before; Shining flinched ever so slightly. She turned to face him. "Look at me."

When somepony said those words, in that tone, it was really, really hard to comply.

He'd know, he did it all the time.

"Shining Armor, I want you to look me into the eye, and tell me I am kidding." She said, leveling a flat stare that made him sweat a little. She was not sharing his mirth, and didn't appreciate being laughed at. "Don't turn away; look at me. Tell me that bogeymanes are not real."

Mares. Can't agree with them, can't disagree with them without having one's precious internals turned into externals.

"Bogeymanes arennnnn... there are no bogey... bogeymanes are real." He said, to which she closed her eyes and nodded and hummed, making him turn away quickly.

"Their greatest defense is that ponies stop believing in them from peer pressure; it's some weird magic, I don't understand all of it." Forest ate another flower. "They power it with fear, but are pretty weak, so that, after a pony is brave enough to confront them, they are also usually strong enough to take them and make them flee - double if they do so during the day. Stuffed toys and other bedtime rituals weaken them. They can't stand the sun, either."

"HA!" Twilight pointed at Shining Armor with a victorious grin. "I told you! I told you that there was a weird faceless pony wearing a suit in my closet!"

"I told you! I told you that there was a weird faceless pony wearing a suit in my closet!"

24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6w9fhBHl61ra3474o1_1280.png nice.

more

So uh . . . Can any of us hope to see more 'A Hollow Mask' anytime soon? I can assume you are experiencing some knarly writers block, or just lost the drive to continue writing for a while? It's been what, a bit over a fee months? No wait, did I ask this before? Hmmm . . .

I hope this gets an update.
i enjoy this story quite a bit.

7415736 I don't understand.