Two weeks ago, Sweetie Belle disappeared; only days after another filly, diamond Tiara, did the same, neither with any known explanation. Many searched and found nothing, no trace, no hint of them.
Rarity has many reasons to be upset. Isolating herself from friends, those she still considers friends at least, she is entombed in anger, despair, and regret. It seems to have ruined her, leaving her lost in life, unable to find rest, unable to find peace; she wants, needs, answers, but there seem none to be found.
Until, two weeks later, for a chance at answers to come to her, and she comes to know the truth of that disappearance, and the time before. Her only real hope is to pray to the sun that she has not damned herself in the actions of ignorance and the pursuit of answers, and that, at the end, there might be a light she can find.
**newly updated 1/17/24 for the sequel, Remembrance**
Oh boy...
Oh dear...
Is this the horror story that you mentioned?
It actually reminds me of what little I have heard of the game "Boogeyman"...
It is also interesting how you posted this the day I play my first horror game. (Always was too chicken to buy one, found a free one though)
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Edit: I have no idea as of yet how the actual story will play out. Too many concepts just yet for me to choose just one.
And any coincidence of action is just that, and I never heard of 'Boogeyman' (and I am not going to look it up either)
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That is an interesting way of doing it.
The prequel is gonna be one frightful read, hope you don't mind if I only read it in the morning.
I don't blame you for not wanting to. I just thought it was similar in how both have a monster that can only be warded away by light, and are both "Boogeymen" in a manner speaking.
Huh, nine to sunrise, that's a bit longer than the traditional twelve to six. Might you inform a humble reader to your logic behind that?
Or test it.
Also, I'm wishing I had the skill to make an actual video game based after this. Not like I would be brave enough to actually make it.
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The time was actually chosen based on the concern that the character has: lack of sleep. The monster chooses that specifically to be certain that as time passes, the victim has a harder and harder time remaining awake and aware. Limiting their rest time greatly or even removing it altogether.
Since help cannot be gained and a secret needs to be kept; this creates an increasing difficulty that normal guarantees that The Game is lost by the victim. They can't sleep during the day lest they attract undue attention form other ponies.
Really, The Game is not designed to be winnable by said victim. It is nearly impossibly to survive the full week, and it grows worse that what has been said here.
Hoowee, this is spiralling down into the depths of fear. I need a cup of tea now.
I saw the new chapter last night, and waited for the morning. chicken sound
I must say, this is progressing very interestingly... Still gonna wait for the morning to read 'em.
Well, the black pits of your soul seem to rise up and fill the pages with madness,despair, and pain.
Crabapples, I really should have waited until morning.
This feels almost like an ending, but you still have it up as incomplete. 
If you don't mind me asking, is the next chapter going to be more nightmare fuel or just a continuation of the story?
But in the mornings I was too chicken to read it.
Oh well, excellent writing as always. The reveal that it was just a game was down-right bone chilling.
Note to self: get FiMFiction back on PC, touchpad is inefficient...
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The story is progressing to an end. After this, the last steps are taken and everything needs closure. Proper closure.
If I ended now there's lots of questions left.
And nightmare fuel or continuation... continuation for now, and, depending on perspective, maybe both.
I love how you bring up such fascinating moral quandaries in your stories, they make me stop and rethink things.
And huzzah, I'm going to be able to sleep tonight!
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Moral quandary? What moral quandary?
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A quandary is a state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; a dilemma.
In your stories, you create these moral dilemmas and they make me stop and rethink things done and actions taken, not just in the story but in my life as well. I thank you for those.
Dang...
So 5 nights at Freddy's pony edition. Interesting.
Well, that was just f*cked up. Sweetiebelle won, but Emptyness didn't care. She just wanted to have fun with Sweetiebelle, gave her false hope that there was a chance Sweetiebelle would be allowed to live if she won. As it turns out, Emptyness spares no one, she just likes to prolong it for the fillies.
DAMMIT
I loved this story, I'm wondering why you have "new" and "old" chapters? Super curious!
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The new chapters are polished versions of the old, with a few minor changes in them. The old chapters were left behind because I felt people might want to check between the two for changes, and because deleting chapters tends to make things kind of wonky for some reason.