A Glimmer of Hope in the Black

by Flashgen

Case Report - Verdant Vines

Case Report: Summary of Events
Submitted by: Verdant Vines
Location: Ponyville
Date(s): April 16^th to April 23^rd
Case: Ponyville Mass Disappearance (#3467)
Classification: Top Secret

To whom it may concern,

What follows is an update on the status of the investigation into the disappearance of the citizenship of Ponyville. Since the discovery of the state of the town on April 16^th, a full detachment of investigators has been relocated to Ponyville. In addition, the advisor representing Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, remains on site and continues to offer us as much aid as he can with our attempts at research.

Since our arrival, several key updates have taken place. We have finished filing the requisition forms for the remaining 3 of 16 shipments from the Canterlot Archives. Once the final shipment arrives, we should have all currently relevant material available to our investigation. This also leads to the contents of the book Miss Sparkle mentioned in her journal entries—Ghosts, Goblins and Ghoulish Figures—which possibly contained information on the “Shadow Walkers” that she believed could be responsible. After searching for earlier editions, we discovered that the book did indeed contain an entry on myths surrounding these creatures. It is included as supplement A, attached to this report.

Our main efforts remain divided on three fronts. The first is the quarantine of the area; several guards and agents, working in shifts, have been dispatched at the major roadways leading into Ponyville and the skies surrounding it. Access to the town is restricted under the pretense of a viral outbreak, though the reason offered may need to be modified the longer the investigation continues privately. This also includes the restriction of mail intended for Ponyville, which is currently being held by all postal officials, and barring entrance to residents who were away during the events.

The second is a nationwide attempt to bar access and information until the disappearance is made public. Railways have been rerouted to pass far around the town, and scheduled weather is being held in Cloudsdale under the quarantine pretense. In addition, agents in various major cities are seeding information about the fabricated events in the town.

Lastly, our investigation within the town continues in full force. As stated before, the Princess’ advisor and some investigators are combing through every book available from the Canterlot Archives to search for relevant information. While this search has not currently brought any additional relevant information to light, the final shipments have not been reviewed. In addition, we are still searching through the town to find additional logs. For safety, we are retaining a curfew of one hour before sunset and mandatory check-in and check-out for all personnel, just in case similar purported events begin to happen. However, the bulk of our search remains at Sweet Apple Acres.

There were no fresh plots of soil we could find beyond the graves mentioned by Miss Sparkle, which were found to be empty after attempting to exhume any bodies there. Random digging and searches for any marked digs turned up nothing else, until we searched in a cellar at the edge of the property. It was not included in the original search due to its distance from the farmhouse and barn, as well as the lack of any lights set up nearby to indicate it had been occupied.

The cellar appears to have been for the storage of seeds and farming equipment that did not see regular use. It is small, roughly ten feet by twenty feet with a roof six feet tall. The walls and floor are dirt, with a series of wooden supports for the structure. While taking stock of the items located inside, one of the investigators noticed an indentation near where a trio of barrels were located, which seemed to indicate that one had been moved. We dug into the wall near that location and after an hour of searching, we found the journal, wrapped in heavy cloth. A transcript of the journal is being copied now and will be included with this letter.

We will continue searching for any relevant clues until further instructions are given.

Signed,
Verdant Vines
Head Investigator
Case #3467

---

Supplement A: Excerpt from Ghost, Goblins and Ghoulish Figures

Shadow Walkers
Believed Origination: 386 A.C.

“From shadows they come, from light they will run.
Their screech means hide ‘til you see the sun.”

The tale of “Shadow Walkers” originated in the northern provinces of Equestria, near the once vast Blue Blossom Brakes. At its peak, the Blue Blossom Brakes was a major center of naturally occurring herbs, and many nearby towns, particularly Mustang Marches, thrived from harvesting and selling either the herbs or concoctions made from them. As such, many of the ponies there worked within the woods, some into the dark of night. It was only natural that campfire stories and warnings of danger would arise about something living within the woods.

One such tale goes as follows:

Once, there was an earth pony named Lush Lily, who lived just a short walk away from a forest: the Blue Blossom Brakes. Lily often went out into the woods to search for certain herbs for her family to use in potions and poultices.

One day, Lily heard about a grove deep in the woods, rumored to hold dozens of herbs in abundance. However, she was worried that a search in the day would risk some passerby following her and challenging a claim to the grove. So, that night, with a lantern and a half-full pack of provisions, she ventured into the woods alone.

For the first hour, Lily kept on the path, marking her progress on a map in her satchel. She was experienced at exploring the forests in the day, but at night she was worried that she would be unable to make her way back. Her progress was quick at first, but it slowed as she made her way off the familiar paths and deeper into the trees.

She heard twigs cracking and leaves crumpling in the woods around her, but when she turned to look towards them, she saw nothing. Dismissing the noises as critters, she pressed on. She managed to find a few stray herbs in the underbrush and gathered what she knew her family needed. However, after two hours, she started to feel tired and stopped in a small clearing to rest.

As she ate in the warmth of her fire, Lily heard a screech coming from deep in the forest. It sounded like an owl, so she ignored it. Then, she heard another and another. With each screech, they became louder and louder, until it sounded like the source was only a few feet away from her in the trees.

Lily stayed within the light of the fire, holding a spade in her mouth as a weapon. Fighting the shiver of fear running up her spine, she scanned the surrounding trees for any hint of movement. Yet the screeches had stopped and Lily was left alone, waiting for something to pounce at her as the firewood crackled behind her.

The forest was suddenly silent, not even a stray branch or leaf made a move or sound. In the dancing shadows of fire, she saw nothing.

After a few minutes, confident that the source of the noise had left her alone, Lily let her guard down and told herself that whatever made the noise must have passed. She packed up the supplies she had taken out and extinguished the fire. Still, she was shaken enough that she wondered if it was wiser to simply leave what progress she had made and head back home. Despite her still racing heart, she was certain that she could find the grove soon. Trying to calm herself and steel her resolve, she headed deeper into the woods.

As she continued on, the forest remained deathly quiet. As much as Lily wanted to relax, she found herself keeping her spade at the ready, with her legs and neck tense. Her eyes darted from side to side, glancing at every dimly lit bush and tree that she could see.

In the shadows beyond the trees, she swore once or twice that she could see a figure or silhouette. However, every time she turned towards it, it would vanish from sight, leaving nothing but empty pits of darkness.

Her pace quickened with every second, but her search for the grove soon gave way to trying to find her way out. She turned back, looking for one of the many paths that cut through the woods, but even when she followed her map perfectly, there was no sign of one.

The oil in her lantern began to dwindle, its flame dimming and the shadows it cast growing more vague. She began to see eyes and limbs and bodies more clearly, and they swayed and moved instead of vanishing when she turned her eyes towards them.

The screeching came again the moment she ran, picking a direction and cutting between trees and through bushes for any sign of a way out. She eventually left her saddlebags behind when the weight became a hindrance and even dropped her spade, but she kept the lantern close, hoping the light had been what staved off their assault before.

Soon the oil was at its end and as the flame was going out, she saw the figures around her more clearly. Pony-like shapes, twisting in the shadows, stepped closer on legs that moved unnaturally. Before the light went out, she threw the lantern onto a nearby bush and watched as it burst into flames.

The creatures screeched, cries of pain echoing through the forest as they writhed about in the growing blaze, while eyes that looked like pits of black stared through Lily. Adrenaline still pumping through her, she ran, until the cries and roaring fire were faint in her ears.

Eventually, she burst through the treeline and into an open field. Behind her, she could see the faint glow of a fire through the trees, but there was no sign of smoke. She told everypony that would listen to her to avoid the woods at night, that there was something lurking in the shadows, waiting.

The myth still lives on as a campfire story in the northern parts of Equestria today, and while the Blue Blossom Brakes are not the bustling center of herb harvesting that they once were, rumors of mysterious noises within the forest deter any would-be harvesters to this day.

---

(The following is a letter that was attached to the official report filed by Verdant Vines. It was intended for the Chief Investigator, White Clover, and upon her recommendation, a copy has been included with this report.)

Clover,

I hope you’re doing alright in Canterlot. I’m sure there’s more work than I could imagine to handle there. I don’t know how the attitude is there, but everyone’s a little on edge here, despite the curfews and check-ins. I can’t go an hour in the day without hearing someone worrying about this happening over again, or that they’ll wake up without the sun in the sky. It’s all just superstition at this point if you ask me, but I think everyone else’s worry is starting to rub off on me.Don't forget us

I mean, it’s crazy; how could an entire town disappear without a trace? No bodies, no trail out of town, no word from any other village or city nearby. What’s even worse is the rumors spreading around camp and the tactless pranks somepony must be pulling. Everyone keeps finding these faint, barely visible notes scrawled on the copies of the journal we have. I’ve even found some on my personal transcript. They’re all cryptic messages that don’t seem to mean anything. I’m trying to track down whoever is responsible to correct their poor sense of humor, but I haven’t had any luck.

Then there’s the ponies complaining about bad dreams and sleepless nights. It seems to be someone different every night, and they’ll be barely awake to help the next day. I can’t say I’ve had any, but you and I both know I’ve never had nightmares. Don’t ignore us

The worst thing is what Lantern said after finding that cellar. I know the official report said we looked into it as a last option, but what he claims happened is too strange to believe. We were starting to wrap up for the day, an hour before the curfew. Lantern was on the other side of the farm, filling back in holes and marking them for the next day. He told us he heard something, like a knock and a muffled yell from the far end of the field. We tried to call out to him, but he ran and started digging at the ground. We ran over to find out what he was doing and that’s when he hit the cellar door.

I could knock it up to a hunch, but he says he heard the noise and then just zoned out. The next thing he remembers was hitting the cellar door with his hoof and us shouting at him. We marked it and came back the next morning, but Lantern had been up the whole night. He said he couldn’t sleep. Hopefully he can shake the nerves before they get the better of him.We are reaching out

Good luck with everything on your end.We will not stay buried
Love,
Vines

Comments

[Farenth Vega]

oh god this is one of my favorite stories ever thank you so much for the sequel. that last hidden message sent a chill up my spine.

[blue_star]

Creepy sequel is creepy. Love it

[Journeyman]

The light goes out.

[halo003qd]

Dear god they're even here too........

we are everywhere

I think I'm genuinely terrified.

[Jet Cannon]

Why am I reading this at night and deliberately playing creepy music?!

[Bairiko]

You just love your little Ink trick don't you?

[NocteCustos]

Reads in the dark...

Don’t forget us
Don’t ignore us
We are reaching out
We will not stay buried

[Pencils Writer]

Still doing Lovecraft proud.

*hides under blankets, sobbing in terror*

[TheMichiganDogman]

I have to PERFECT song for this chapter. It fits almost exactly.

[MoonLit_Assassin]

suspenseful yet again

[Simple]

The light is flickering. Someone outside is screaming.

I am going to die, aren't I??

[Misty Spell]

Their screech means hide ‘til you see the sun.

Until they make the Sun not exist anymore, the cheating OP bastards.

[PuppetXMaster]

7943236
bastards don't know how to play fair

[Ice Star]

We will not stay buried

Jesus.

[fanreader999999]

Debased.

[True Edge]

What’s everyone talking about ,”hidden messages”? There aren’t any- Oohhhhhh! I use this website on night mode, because it’s easier on my eyes. It just dawned on me that if I was in day mode, the bright white messages would be all but invisible. Damnit! That makes me regret having the site on Night mode, now!

[Ennelly Von Swortts]

9196778
...Wow. you and I both. I've been curious about those myself.

[Godiswithus3]

The investigators seem to be getting closer to the truth. I pray they do not become the next casualties.

[KvAT]

9196778
Night mode is blessed and cursed

[Annemarie]

That’s tarrifying