Cutie Mark Crusaders: Legend Hunters

by Unicorncob

Welcome to Hollow Shades

It was well past nightfall when the Friendship Express finally arrived at the station in Hollow Shades. The passengers, nearly all of them dressed up in their Nightmare Night costumes, gathered their belongings when the train softly jerked to a stop and exited onto the platform, then into the town proper.
The town resembled Ponyville quite a bit, with its stone and thatch roof buildings, but it was like a darker version. Literally, with the dense, foreboding forest that hugged the small town rather tight.
The town was certainly in the Nightmare Night spirit, with decorations and stalls set up on what seemed like every street. Bat-shaped streamers hung between posts with jack-o-lanterns acting as streetlights on top. Games and attractions, like horseshoe tosses and shooting galleries, were set up all around, which they all wanted to try as soon as possible. An eery but upbeat number was being played on fiddles, guitars and drums nearby, which the fillies soon found themselves bobbing their heads to.
Stalls were set up on the sides up and down each street, selling snacks and accessories that both seemed expertly crafted. The costumes worn by the locals seemed to carry on the trend, looking well crafted with good fabrics and plastics. Sweetie Belle even dared to think for a moment that whoever was behind them had costume skills on par with her sister’s!
But that’s not to say hers and the others’ costumes went unnoticed. The local ponies turned heads toward them and muttered to themselves with admiring tones, and some even outright approached them to say how good they looked. Of course they felt compelled to plug Rarity’s work, as per their promise, but it was definitely nice to hear the praise.

As eager as the girls were to take a look around, they didn’t particularly want to haul their suitcases around town, so their first stop was the inn Rainbow Dash had supposedly made reservations for them to stay at. Scootaloo believed it right away, and while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom didn’t think she was lying, they were still a little sceptical. The Pegasus was quite compulsive, and there was a reason she didn’t bear the Element of Honesty.
Inside the inn, the atmosphere was much calmer and quieter, but still carried the Nightmare Night spirit. The rustic interior was softly lit with candles on each wooden table, where patrons were enjoying drinks from tankards. A band of costumed ponies in the corner were playing a soft but uplifting tune over the quiet chatter. This town really liked its music.
While Rainbow Dash talked to the mare behind the desk, who seemed rather pleased to see an Element of Harmony in her inn, the Crusaders took a little look around. Even with the candles providing a warm glow, the inside seemed rather dark. Possibly to set the appropriate ambience, they figured, though they were surprised nopony had tripped on anything they couldn’t see on the floor.

“Wow,” Apple Bloom muttered, “it ain’t even Nightmare Night yet and this town’s actin’ like it’s Nightmare Night every day!”
“Yeah, Rainbow Dash wasn’t kidding,” agreed Sweetie Belle. “No doubt somepony around here’s gonna know something about the Vampony.”
Scootaloo puffed out her chest, candlelight flickering in her armour plating. “I told ya Rainbow Dash was gonna have an awesome trip planned for us! This is gonna be the best Nightmare Night ever!”
Sweetie Belle glanced over her shoulder at Rainbow Dash, who was coolly leaned against the bar chatting away to the rather excited inn owner, then back to her friends. “I hope this didn’t cost her too much though. I mean, train tickets, inn rooms, not to mention all the attractions…”
“Hey, of course she’s cool with it,” said Scootaloo, giving her friend a little nudge. “She wouldn’t let us come along if she wasn’t. Besides, we all got some of our own bits to spend!”
Apple Bloom nodded agreement. “Somethin’ like this is probably just spare bits fer a Wonderbolt anyway.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Sweetie Belle muttered.

“Alrighty you three,” said Rainbow Dash, causing the fillies to turn and direct her attention to her. “All set, let’s go drop our stuff off.”
Their concerns about the Pegasus’s responsibility subsiding, the fillies grabbed onto their bags and followed Rainbow Dash and the inn owner through the tavern area, giving awkward grins to the older ponies cooing at how cute they looked in their costumes. Thankfully they just had to drag their things up a small flight of stairs before stopping at a pair of rooms right at the top.
“Just holler if you need anything else,” the inn owner said, practically beaming at Rainbow Dash. “It’s such an honour to have a Wonderbolt staying with us. And an Element of Harmony at that! Oh, and the bathroom’s the first door on the right.” She added quickly.
Rainbow and the fillies exchanged amused glances before they thanked her and let her be on her way back downstairs.
“Celebrity discount, am I right?” Rainbow snickered, before holding out a key in her wingtips. “Here ya go, don’t go losing this, huh?”
As Sweetie Belle took the key into her magical grip, she noticed another key was tucked beneath the mare’s wing. “What’s that one for?”
Rainbow blinked confusedly. “My room, what else?”
The Crusaders looked at each other with surprise, and a hint of delight in their voices as they asked, “We’re getting our own room?”
“I figured you three can take care of yourselves without a big sister lookin’ over your shoulder,” the Pegasus said with a shrug. “Besides, I’m only next door if ya need me.”
“Wow, thanks!” They chirped, then Sweetie Belle let out a little yawn, followed by Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo trying to fight hers off.
Even Rainbow Dash let out a long yawn of her own. “Yeah, all that preppin’ and travellin’s got me bushed. How ‘bout we chillax tonight, and tomorrow we can check out the town?”
The fillies all agreed with that idea, and bid Rainbow Dash goodnight as they went into their own room.

The bedroom was quite spacious, with three comfy-looking single beds against the cream-coloured wall. Little paintings, which Sweetie Belle was nearly certain she had seen before during some of her trips to Canterlot with her sister, hung on the wall in nice little wooden frames. The floor was covered wall-to-wall in short, soft carpeting. Assorted flowers hung in a few sconces on the walls.
Apple Bloom set her bag on one of the beds, smiling as she looked around the room. “This is pretty nice, huh?”
Scootaloo nodded, claiming the middle bed. “Yeah! A little frilly for me, but as long as the beds are comfy.”
“I hope so,” yawned Sweetie Belle, rubbing her eye. “Rarity had me rushing around for the right clothes to pack, and I had to do so much convincing to let me only take one case. I’m exhausted!”

Sweetie Belle just happened to take the bed next to the window, but it had gotten so dark that she could barely see a thing apart from the silhouettes of trees surrounding the village rustling gently in the night breeze.
Though, one thing in the distance wasn’t moving. She leaned closer, her snout against the glass, and she could see… something. It had a few points going upward, like towers, and it had a bit of a distinct shape.

Like a castle.