Chapter 1
Dear Princess Celestia,
First of all, I would like to thank you once more for allowing me to stay in Ponyville with my new friends. And I assure you that I will give my utmost effort to study the magic of friendship.
Yesterday I finished moving the rest of my belongings from my home and the tower in your palace into the Golden Oak Library, and now Spike and I are ready to settle in.
Speaking of Spike, he was a great help during the move. Without his help, it would’ve been a real chore to keep track of all my books and research notes. As you know, I started calling him my Number One Assistant primarily to humor his desire to help me in my studies, but he took his new position very seriously, and in the last few months, I’ve grown to rely on him. He’s growing up to be a very responsible young dragon, and I am very proud of him, as, I am sure, you are.
Also, I would like to apologize for not coming to say goodbye to you personally, but I was sure that you would like to spend as much time with your sister as possible, and it seemed to me that it would be very tactless of me to take up your precious time.
Please send Princess Luna my best wishes. I hope her reintegration into society will be quick and easy. I can't wait to get to know her better. If she’ll want that, of course.
Anyway, you can expect my first letter regarding the Magic Of Friendship as soon as I am able to find a suitable friendship problem to study. I am so excited!
Best regards, your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Ponyville is such a quaint little town. I love it here!
I finally got into the rhythm of living in a rural area, and it’s so much different from the always hectic life in Canterlot. Everypony seems to know each other. They even treat me like a friend they knew for all their lives, which is a bit embarrassing considering that I still don’t know most of the ponies living here. And when somepony strikes up a conversation with me, I’m usually at a loss regarding who I am talking to.
The harvest season will begin soon, and since the earth ponies mostly populate Ponyville, almost everypony is busy preparing for it.
Applejack is probably the busiest of them all, getting ready for what she’s called an ‘Applebuck Season’. Now that the rest of the Apple Clan has returned to their own farms, it falls to the remaining three Apples to harvest every single apple in The Sweet Apple Acres. But unfortunately, AJ’s big brother, Big Macintosh, or Big Mac as everypony calls him, got his back injured and won’t be able to help with the harvest. And their little sister, Applebloom, is still too young to do a proper apple-bucking.
I am worried about Applejack, she’s already working herself to the bone, and it seems like she‘s too stubborn for her own good, going so far as to flat out refuse any offer to help her!
Well, I won’t stand idly by and watch her struggle! I already talked to the girls, and they all agreed with me. We are going to help Applejack, whether she wants it or not!
Speaking of my other friends, It seems that Pinkie Pie possesses a strange sixth sense that she calls ‘Pinkie Sense.’ At first, I was dismissive of that phenomenon but apparently, everypony in the town, and I mean every single one, is one hundred percent sure that it is real.
According to Pinkie, she can interpret her body's sudden twitches and movements to predict certain events in the near future. And lately, her Pinkie Sense was unusually active, but she cannot understand its meaning.
I am still skeptical, but I will look into that phenomenon after we help Applejack.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
P.S.
I was wondering if you know anything about who was in charge of the Golden Oak Library prior to my arrival? Because so far, it seems like it was a community-run library, but it is too well organized to not have a dedicated librarian.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I’ve asked around the town about Dusty Page, the previous town librarian you mentioned in your letter, but it seems like nopony I asked knows her. I assumed that she didn’t have many friends, but she must’ve visited at least some places in the town, like the market or the Quills And Sofas shop. But again, nopony there seemed to know who Dusty Page is.
How she managed to run the library without going out to buy quills is beyond me.
I admit, we, librarians, aren’t the most outgoing ponies, I would know, but that is ridiculous, even by my previous standards!
It seems to me that this pony has a major friendship problem, and I would like to help her in any way I can!
I am sure that my friends and I will be able to change her mind regarding her reclusive lifestyle. Maybe I’ll be able to plan some kind of party for her? That’s what the townsfolk did for me when I first arrived. Something like that, but not as loud and crowded. Yes, she might like that.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I went for a walk around the town to clear my head after a long night of studying, and I noticed something that now seems so obvious that I simply have no idea how I managed to not see it sooner!
Ponyville is smaller than it seems!
I know it sounds crazy, but bear with me.
Ponyville looks like a small town with all its houses and businesses, but in reality, many of those houses aren’t occupied. They are furnished and look like the residents simply went out for a bit, except there never were any residents, to begin with.
I talked to my friends about my observation, and, to my surprise, it turned out that I was the first one to notice it, despite them living in the town for years!
Rainbow Dash said that she doesn’t really concern herself with the goings-on ‘down on the ground’ as she put it. Too preoccupied with her training to join the Wonderbolts one day.
Rarity believes that she simply forgot about it and eventually got fooled by the town’s atmosphere. But she thinks that it is ultimately a good thing. Everything has to have something special about it, and she sees Ponyville’s false houses as an intriguing art project.
As for Applejack, she simply didn’t even notice. After all, it is quite difficult and stressful to run the whole orchard all by herself. I am honestly glad that we managed to convince her to let us help her from time to time. I have no idea how she managed before that.
Later that day, I ran into Mayor Mare and asked her about the empty houses. The reality turned out to be a lot less artistic than Rarity thought, although it took Mayor some time to remember the details. Apparently, her predecessor was expecting a demographic boom and thought it would be a great idea to construct more houses than necessary and get them furnished, so the future residents could just move in and start living, except that never happened.
I recommended Mayor Mare to hire a good real estate company and run an advertisement campaign. After all, it is so much living space that simply goes to waste. She agreed with me and joked that I should consider going into politics.
Can you imagine that? Me in the politics? Now that would be interesting.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
P.S.
Apparently, somepony known as The Great and Powerful Trixie snuck into the town last night and parked her wagon in front of the library. Nopony in town knows where this Trixie might be, but I presume that she is getting ready for something big. I saw some fliers scattered around, advertising the most extravagant magic show, and I must admit that I was intrigued. I love Ponyville, but it lacks when it comes to the magical arts, so I am excited to meet a fellow mage!
*All contact with Ponyville was lost a week after the last letter was sent. Princess Celestia dispatched the special investigation team. The investigation team found the following letter in the mailbox of the Golden Oak Library.*
Dear Princess Celestia,
I must admit, I don’t think I thought that through when I asked for your permission to stay in Ponyville and learn about the Magic Of Friendship.
I mean, this is practically a ghost town. I don’t think I can learn much about friendship here. Friendship requires ponies - I like privacy, but that is too much, even for me.
How you manage to convince everypony to hold the Summer Sun Celebration here is beyond me, but that’s why you are the Princess, I guess. You know how to get things done.
Rainbow Dash agrees with me that this place is a dump (her words, not mine), but at least she can practice whatever she wants, the few ponies that live here don’t mind when she crashes into the empty buildings.
So I was thinking, maybe I should go back to Canterlot? And take Dash with me. After all, she is my best friend; I can’t just leave her.
You know, there is one thing about Ponyville that never stops to amaze me, and that isn’t how the town looks almost normal, despite its lack of population. No, it’s the Ponyville Postal Service. I have no idea how they do it, but they always manage to deliver my letters to you so fast! I may as well be the only pony who writes letters in this town, but it is still quite a flight from here and to Canterlot. I even joked that Rainbow is secretly a postmare, but she says that she’d never do something so uncool as mail delivery.
I’ve been engrossed with my studies as of late. So much so that I didn’t even notice how messy the library became. Seriously the whole place looks
hElpHelpheLpmEiTtoOkhiMohCelestiAitTotoKhimItatEhimAndIWatcHedaNditSmileDitiSSingiNgagaIn like there was a fight or something!
And it looks like I left a candle burning on a shelf, and now it and all the books there are charred beyond repair. Fortunately, the tree has a fire-resistance enchantment. Otherwise, the whole place could’ve burned to the ground!
This is so embarrassing. I am a mess.
Maybe I should hire an assistant?
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
*The contact with the investigation team was lost after two days. A massive shield spell was used to create a Ponyville Exclusion Zone.*
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I do wonder what could have caused Twilight to disappear after writing out that jumbled up sentence and did Rainbow Dash along with Rarity Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy also disappear with the other townsponies?
11203193
I'm wondering the same thing. But then again, I get what the Author is going for. I do enjoy imagining what could've happened to them, along with everyone else in the town. Sometimes, I like it when they leave it up to interpretation.
Wow, that was good! I wonder what happened to the townsfolk, that is really intriguing!
Very well done, Legion! Like others have said, leaving it open for interpretation is a good way to end it. No need for, "Everyone disappeared because of reason X, and we must save them by reason Y."
Stuff like this is always best left with not too much context, but just enough to give some understanding.
Sounds like a False Hydra absolutely wrecked Ponyville.
11203279
What is a false hydra?
11203344
A false hydra is one of the most terrifying homebrew Dungeons and Dragons monsters ever created. It sings a song that makes people unable to perceive it. As it kills and eats people it sings a song that makes people forget that those people existed and forces them to somehow fill in the logical gaps for the missing people. I'm not really doing the sheer horror of this monster justice. I suggest this video for a good explanation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdQq4VVQHQM
11203361
Thanks for answering my question and providing the video link as I'm writing this reply I'm currently watching the video to learn more about it. I know one thing for certain, I would NOT wanna encounter one.
Howdy, hi!
This was a super fun read. Loved the slow build-up and pay-off at the end as well as the subtle hints of missing ponies and the like. Also, its funny with the comments mentioning a false hydra because I literally just watched a video the other day explaining it.
Anyways, this was a great short read, thanks!
sounds like a false Hydra attack
empty houses and buildings in general are unsettling to me. A whole town full of them... no thanks
hElpHelpheLpmEiTtoOkhiMohCelestiAitTotoKhimItatEhimAndIWatcHedaNditSmileDitiSSingiNgagaIn
Help me it took him oh Celestia it took him and ate him and I watched and smiled and its singing again
Well damn. That's messed up. Good story though!
11203507
Slight correction: it's "I watched and it smiled", not "I watched and smiled". Otherwise, good job! It's definitely nice to have an easier way of reading this.
I agree with the general assessment of it being a False Hydra. It’s the only thing I can think of that could both pull this sort of thing of, and actually ‘sings’, for a given definition of such, while doing so.
Well that was gruesome and the context of what it might be just sent shivers down my spine. What I find particularly interesting is Dash's part. Always being up on a cloud likely made it difficult for the False Hydra to attack her thus I'm guessing it likely waited until it was either powerful enough, desperate or we can hope that Dash may have simply flown off bored of the ghost town. That could actually make an interesting sequel, her being interviewed by Celestia. The only survivor and being away from the beast she slowly gets some of her memories back. Another horrifying idea.
Just from the description and the comments I've seen - is "Everyone" really the appropriate rating for this story? I'd argue nothing labeled "Dark" and "Horror" really falls under that rating, but there are things revealed in the comments that definitely go beyond "E".
11203859
Yes… nothing in the story is explicit (except perhaps that one line on the end) so the story is A Ok for everyone. Comments? Well, in school, over a decade ago I was taught to not read comments or click random links and many other little tips that are completely ignored in today’s world.
The author is not responsible for the content in these.
11203931 I meant the comment spoilering that someone gets eaten in the story. That's not E content.
11203989
In the comments so… that is the viewer’s fault for reading them first. And… you just said it; I hardly feel that mentioning de… *ahem* ponies “going away” is hardly safe reading for minors.
Have you no shame for posting such Teen or Mature content in an E story?
There comes a point that the line gets real blurry. This story does tread close but since it does have dark and horror tags parents might believe them and say no to reading it.
11203989
In truth I simply forgot about the rating system.
But now that I’ve checked FAQ, I think it still fits under E.
I like how things start subtle but snowball rather quickly.
Oh hoh, I like this.
That creepiness buildup was very well-paced,
which is extra impressive considering the short length you had to work with.
Disappearances, coupled with collective amnesia of the community in regards to the vanished individuals, is super unsettling to watch unfold
. And, I just love the mystery of horror stories told through letters or journals.
Overall, the feel was reminiscent of WHITE by Crimmar and Flashgen's epic, multi-part tale that started with A FLEet|ng LIght |n thE DArknEsS: both of which are some of my favorite horror stories I've read on this site.
Awesome work!
Welp, looks like I'm not sleeping tonight.
hElpHelpheLpmEiTtoOkhiMohCelestiAitTotoKhimItatEhimAndIWatcHedaNditSmileDitiSSingiNgagaIn like there was a fight or something!
And it looks like I left a candle burning on a shelf, and now it and all the books there are charred beyond repair. Fortunately, the tree has a fire-resistance enchantment. Otherwise, the whole place could’ve burned to the ground!
I imagine Spike really put up a fight before he was eaten. Oh, my heart hurts. It stings! This was so terrifyingly done, Legion. Something about watching the world around you die, and yet being totally clueless because you have no control over what you remember is horrifying to me. Very, very well done.
There are no librarians in
Ba Sing SePonyville11203451
I know of a place i think in Missouri that is an entire town of hundreds of abandoned mansions.
All broken down, empty, etc.
Billions of dollars worth of mansions.
sounds like a false hydra is there !
Okay, it got really freaking creepy there at the end. Is it really a False Hydra or something like it in ability, like an SCP with similar "song of forgetfulness" powers?
11204850
Please tell me that was because of the real estate bubble popping in 2005, not because there's an actual monster eating the residents...
11204989
The real estate thing. Dont worry, we are safe.
for now
It's hard to be scared of any dnd monster because they all pale in comparision to the rust monster at the end of the day. False hydras might take away your friends, memories, and even life, but a rust monster will take your stuff and that's infinitely worse. You can get new friends, memories, and even a new life, but that +3 longsword of flames was truly irreplaceable.
The fear of the unknown, the attack by a monster that is extremely violent but also has the ability to make survivors forget it even happened. Absolutely terrifying, like carbon monoxide but in animal form.
Holy shit. Didn't know Ponyville had a sewer system big enough for a fledgling false hydra.
10/10, great story!
Great job!
The really intriguing possibility is that there was always a False Hydra in the town, and only now did it decide to really strike.
What I think is the real monster
11205812
I mean, obviously the only reason the creature was there was to escape an even greater, waxy monster.
11205829
Yeah. Though I agree with everyone else about the False Hydra. I wanted to be the only one that thought of a different creature and I just read this after rewatching Ed Edd n Eddy for nostalgia.
11205838
And now thanks to you I will be forced to watch it again for nostalgia, haha.
11205844
You're welcome. Have a great time reliving the nostalgia.
scary
Well written, and rather scary.
Good job! 
Ah, a false hydra, very nice. Good short story.
Nice story
Another day, another record in Equestria's SCP files.
I loved this story!
It's short, but it sets up suitable atmosphere very well!
Now I wanna read more! :D
I love horror genre, and storytelling via diaries/letters is very good method, if it is written well.
(This story reminded me my #1 favorite Fleeting Light In The Darkness series.)
be chilling if we get a few spin off of the others pony pov written stories from each of twilight friends "normal" days before disappearing and whom they forgot along that tragedy in motion or saved by chance and luck!
oooh even like perspective of maybe even the non main like the tragic tale of a teacher and her students. i bet the false hydra save the little one as special meals...
11206434
I will admit this story did remind me of my first horror story I read on this site. I cant recall what the title was, but it was about a flying ship supposedly loaded with treasure that lured in Pegasi and ate them. Like a giant mimic.
11207110
The story you're thinking of is The Bird Feeder - a VERY good horror fic, in my opinion. And yes, I also made the Mimic connection - in fact, if I were the type to run a DnD campaign, I'd consider Homebrewing a properly sized breed of Mimic to play such a role.
11207391
Ha, I actually did something similar when I was DMing for my friends.
An abandoned ship in the sea, its cargo hold full of mimics.
That was fun, when they realized what was going on.
11207391
Ah right.... kept thinking it was Bird Cage or something like that. Thanks :)
11206434
Man that's one story that made flutters scary af, but the Twilight focused 3rd and 4th parts were fun, you could almost hear that guard wanting to shout at her that she's crazy