A Study In Nonsense

by Professor Piggy

Ghosts and Ashes

Something felt wrong, even beyond the obvious. It was a subtle feeling – a slight tingling in the back of her mind, demanding her attention. She tried to focus on it, tried to figure out what it was, and she almost succeeded. But as her chariot finally pierced the thick veil of dark, choking smoke that hung over the town, her thoughts, and her breath, were stolen away by the sight before her.

Ponyville was in ruins. She had known that, of course – the Princess herself had briefed her on what she could expect to find when she’d been assigned to the task – but knowing something to be true and seeing it for herself were two distinctly different things. Everywhere she looked there was destruction. The crumbling remains of houses that she was sure had once been full of smiling, happy ponies hung stood like tombstones over the the cracked, dead earth. Vines and other plantlife clung to the husks, weaving their way through the town as though trying to drag it back into the Everfree Forest. Somewhere in the distance, source still obscured from her by the haze, she could see a glimmer of light, as if from a fire.

It was difficult to imagine what had happened to the town. Princess Celestia hadn’t told her, and she hadn’t been able to find out on her own. It had started on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration, one year ago – a plea for help had arrived from Ponyville, and Celestia had gone to their aid. Alone. According to official reports, dark magic had overtaken the town and it had already been a ruin by the time Celestia had arrived. She had managed to dispell the dark magic with no issue, but by the time she arrived the town had already been destroyed.

There weren’t many things that Twilight Sparkle doubted, when it came to Princess Celestia. But she had seen the Princess, that night. Had heard her break down into sobs and apologise over and over and over. Had seen the fresh cuts that littered her body. Very few other ponies had. Sometimes she almost wish she hadn’t. She still had nightmares.

The chariot landed, and her armed escort turned to her with a bow as she stepped onto the cracked ground. She turned to face them, opened her mouth, and a sharp gasp cut through the air, sending a chill down her spine. She whirled, trying to find the source of the sound, and that buzzing at the back of her mind grew louder.

Too late.

She didn’t know where the thought came from, or what it meant. Whatever it was, she didn’t have time to deal with it right now – she had a job to do, and she meant to make the Princess proud. It seemed simple enough. Go to Ponyville. She was to make her way through the Everfree Forest, being mindful of any dangers, until she reached the ruins of an old castle. Sealed away inside were the Elements of Harmony, powerful magical artifacts that had been lost for almost a thousand years.

Honesty. Loyalty. Kindness. Generosity. Laughter.

Laughter.

The word stuck in her head, and for an instant she felt like screaming. Something was wrong. There were pictures, dancing in her head. Claws. Screaming. That cold, terrible laughter that had haunted her dreams for as long as she could remember. And a flash of purple light so bright that even the memory of it made her head throb and her eyes burn. Something was wrong, and she didn’t know what.

She forced herself to stay standing, and shook her head to banish the strange haze that clouded it. Then, frowning, she turned to face her two companions – who, she noted, were gazing at her with undisguised worry. She smiled what she hoped was a reassuring smile and ordered them to fall into step behind her before spinning on a hoof and beginning the slow, long trek into Ponyville, doing all that she could to ignore the terror that echoed from her memories.

Author's Note:

The prompt: One year too late.

Special rule: No antagonists from the show may appear in your story.

Comments

[Midnight herald]

Shivers....
All your dark stuff gives me shivers. I love it.

[Professor Piggy]

2646000 Heh, dark is what I do best. This is true.
I'm glad you like it.

[Midnight herald]

2646015 Your darker stories always leave me with loads of questions, but they're always the right kinds of questions. And then your usual nuanced use of careful detail and your understated prose leave me in total awe...

Excuse me while I melt into a puddle of admiration?
Yeah, that.

[Professor Piggy]

2646085 D'aww, thanks. That means a lot.

[ForSpite]

Huh, seems like an awkward special rule, especially since the background information seems to imply Nightmare Moon, though there are details that don't fit that.

[Professor Piggy]

2681661 I don't think it's especially awkward, myself. Special rules are designed to make you write for a prompt in ways you normally wouldn't, and this is very much the kind of prompt that would usually draw in nothing but villain stories - which is fine, but so is encouraging something a little different. As for background details implying Nightmare Moon... yeah, you're not wrong. But because she wasn't explicitly mentioned and didn't appear, that's not a breach of the rule.

[TheAlmightySage]

Spine tingling chills