Celestia wakes up from a disrupted sleep. Trying to find sleep again, she comes face to face with a terrifying bipedal creature. It doesn't say much. It places one appendage on her lips. Shh, it says. No tears, just dreams...
Celestia wakes up from a fitful sleep.
Something had awoken her unnaturally, just when she was having fun. As she tries to get back to sleep, a creature suddenly appears. It doesn't say much, holding a terrified princess captive and placing a cold, thin appendage on her lips.
"Shh", it says. "No tears, just dreams."
Rated Teen for weirdness. And scaring ponies. Unjustly, I might add. A fic that laughs at horror tropes, but sometimes just likes to use them.
AN: This the very definition of what happens when I go full retard. You never go full retard. Expect very poor writing and nonsensical nonsense. This has probably been done before in some fashion. I just find that statement, 'no tears, just dreams', hilarious... for some reason.
Finally got myself an editor for this, thank you, Midge!
Chapter 1: No Tears, For There Are None Left To Weep
Tonight was a night in which Canterlot slumbered peacefully. Abnormally peacefully. While on some nights there would be the cry of crickets, the rustle of wind or the soft chattering of creatures that stalk the night, this night had the stillness of a corpse in a grave.
Do you know the sensation you get when you walk through the woods and suddenly you notice that all is silent?
That is the sort of atmosphere that pervaded the streets of Canterlot.
Celestia, Alicorn of the Sun, the Golden Goddess, Princess and Diarch of Equestria, Drinker of Tea, Eater of Cake, among many other titles, nickered gently in her sleep as she dreamt of pleasant and innocent things.
This night, Celestia had dreamt that she was a young filly again, and that her parents had decided to reward her solid effort at school with a delectable cake. Unfortunately for our little filly in her dream, she hadn’t the chance to sample the delicacy. It grew legs and moved at every instance when she attempted to pounce on the confectionary delight and devour it.
The fact that the cake could talk and was begging her to stop was a fact she steadfastly ignored.
Disturbing as that was, that was not the reason Celestia felt a short shiver creep down her spine.
Just as she had been about to demolish the cake, which had been caught in a particularly diabolical trap, Celestia felt what she could only describe as an unholy presence.
The feeling was so disturbing, she awoke with all due haste.
Celestia shifted wearily in her tangled sheets, blearily trying to focus in the dim light of her room. She saw scrolls, parchments and discarded papers—items that usually occupied the majority of her waking life—sitting on her desk, where she left them. Her decorative pet rock collection also sat on an ornate shelf to her left and she tenderly stroked 'Skippy', a moon rock, with a delicate hoof for comfort.
She definitely did not take this moon rock from Luna. No way. It came mail-order. Like all her other miscellaneous items. Miscellaneous items that will remain unknown. For all eternity.
Though the room was seemingly empty and devoid of all life save for a certain alicorn deity, Celestia felt that she were not alone. In certain horror genres, this would be the part where the piano sting starts.
Not one to scare easily, Celestia simply lit up the room with a casual spell. A bright light sparked and glowed warmly as it bathed the surroundings in a gentle yellow light.
One thing that Celestia noticed, once the room had lit up and dispelled the darkness, (and perhaps a tinge of fear) was that the window was open. It rattled slightly as a light breeze blew through. Celestia heaved a sigh of relief. It was only an open window. That was what had made her so edgy.
She made her way to the recalcitrant architectural fixture, weaving around some loose piles of scrolls and an ornamental dagger gifted to her from Griffonia earlier in the day. She didn't like the Griffonian ambassador's ironic gift. What was he thinking? A dagger as a gift to the peaceful country of Equestria? But she accepted it anyway. It seemed like the right thing to do. Celestia shook her head, she would accept it.
Gently, she nudged the window closed with her muzzle where it shut with a satisfying click. Celestia briefly pondered why she hadn't used magic to close the window. She could have saved herself a trip across the room. She yawned, giving her stiff muscles a stretch. She must have been excessively groggy and sleep-deprived. Yeah that was it. It was hard to keep sane with a lack of sleep.
She smiled, well at least now she could go back to sle—
Celestia suddenly froze, feeling a sensation across the mane-strands on the back of her neck.
She glanced at the window.
It was closed.
Shut tight.
Then why did she feel air flowing down the back of her neck?
Slowly, very carefully, Celestia inched her head around to pinpoint the source of her rising discomfort. A chill ran down her spine as two predatory orbs stared down at her with the intensity of a bottled hurricane.
When she opened her mouth to speak, or perhaps to scream, the creature darted out with its thin forelimbs. With a slender appendage placed on her plush, supple lips, it purred out a single sentence in a deep, ominous whisper.
"Shh," it crooned softly, licking its white teeth. "No tears, just dreams."
Celestia stood, mouth agape as the creature bared a full row of its teeth. She shuddered. It was smiling at her.
Suddenly, it darted forward, its face only inches from her own.
Celestia screamed shrilly, scrambling backwards and tripping over a low lying footstool.
The alicorn heard a distant clatter of hooves and she whipped her head to the new sound.
"Sister?!" came a shout from the hallway. Celestia sagged with relief.
"Luna, in here!" she shouted, turning back to face the creature. With Luna by her side, the hideous monster couldn't possibly—
In space where it had been standing, there was nothing, save a note.
Darting her eyes around, she searched for the demon with a frantic sweep of her head from side to side. Her horn glowed brighter and brighter as she banished any trace of shadows from the room. It was nowhere to be found.
With caution that could have made a certain butter-yellow coated pegasus proud, she levitated the note and read the mysterious contents with a rising sense of dread. The note quickly disintegrated in her telekinetic grasp. In shock, Celestia tried to save it but it quickly turned to ash, trickling to the floor and sinking away into the darkness.
Though the moment had been brief, Celestia had had enough time to read the content, and she felt cold sweat gather at her brow as she considered the sinister implications.
The note didn't have much in it. It held only a single sentence, barely even a hooful of words:
See you tomorrow night, Celestia, it read.
2 - The Darker The Night Gets, The Stranger The Creatures That Prowl It
Chapter 2: The Darker The Night Gets, The Stranger The Creatures That Prowl It
When one sits by the candlelight, one is usually drawn to the mesmerising act of a flame dancing on the wick with its graceful curves and flutters. The candle flame burns fiercely trying to suffuse the room with its warm glow but it is a fragile thing, with the merest wind to set it scampering in fright, or a wayward breath to send it flapping in terror.
The life of a candle flame is a torturously fragile existence.
A pony that studies magic in the gathering hours of the night knows this, but does not understand what it means. For if she truly had then she would not be using such an awkward continuance. A continuance balanced on such a thin thread of disaster to illuminate its partner through the night. A light must be made bright and steady, for the briefest moment of weakness, a shudder or a flicker and then the night can consume you.
Twilight does not know this. So she remains blissfully unaware.
While a certain white alicorn was feeling a rising sense of dread, only partially allayed by her dear sister, Twilight felt the electric tingle of excitement. For she delved into the interesting tomes of writ and wit and she scoured the pages for knowledge that had eluded her and to which she believes she must grasp and obtain, at all costs.
Contrary to popular opinion, the night is not a silent affair. Especially when one resides in a vast wooden structure, the slow contraction of wood makes for squeaks and creaks that permeate the darkness. Sometimes, when one listens carefully enough, the sounds may remind one of hoofsteps or perhaps clawed footing. Twilight liked to believe, and rightly so, that such noises were more the result of thermal expansion and contraction rather than phantom ghosts, or barring that, would most likely be the nightly escapades of her dragon assistant to fetch some sort of comforting sustenance to last the wee hours of the weary night.
So when Twilight heard the creaks, she was not disturbed. Such things were common among the strange sounds of the darkness and certainly not the most original. The creaks, though, were getting louder. When she strained her ears, she could hear the regular thumping noises from what was likely a bipedal creature.
She turned around.
“Spike," she stated rather than asked.
The dragon had been creeping along with a blanket held out. He had frozen mid-step.
“Oh, Twilight you’re awake," he replied sheepishly. “I thought you had dozed off again.”
Twilight smiled sweetly.
“Thank you, Spike," she said, wrapping her hooves around him in a quick hug. “I was just doing some reading.”
Spike rolled his eyes in a long-suffering manner and he yawned.
“Gee, I wonder what else you would be doing… ever," he replied wryly, giving a long stretch of his stubby arms.
The purple dragon headed back towards the stairs giving Twilight a reproachful look.
“At least get more than a few hours of sleep," Spike added. Twilight froze guiltily, mid-way in returning to reading and rubbed a hoof to the back of her head sheepishly.
“Hehe, maybe one more chapter and I’ll head off.”
Spike just shook his head. “It’s always one more chapter," he grumbled more to to himself than her. He plodded up the stairs.
Louder, he called out, “Night, Twi!”
“Night, Spike!” she called back, biting back a yawn. She glanced uneasily at the daunting tome, debating whether or not to continue the imposing work now, or perhaps later, early in the morning. The unicorn couldn’t help herself this time, she yawned deeper.
Ok, that’s it, she thought to herself. I’m definitely going to sleep.
Twilight brought the candle up with a simple levitation but the candle flame flickered as she brought it up too fast and it guttered, plunging the small study room in darkness. Twilight gave vent a snort of frustration as she placed the candle carefully back on the table, while she still had a clear idea where things were. Her horn sparked as she lit the room with a small light spell. A soft pink-lilac glow gently filled the surroundings.
There was a flicker in the shadows, by her table.
Now normally, this would not concern Twilight as shadows tended to jump with candlelight. But this was a mage light, and it hovered stationary just above where Twilight had left it. Candle light would make shadows jump, but magelight did not. Frowning, Twilight shook her head. Just tired. That was it. Or she moved and she spotted her own shadow.
Twilight rubbed her eyes with her hooves.
Then she heard it.
A creak.
Right behind her.
It couldn’t be Spike, she was looking at the stairs, he couldn’t have snuck up on her like that.
She whipped her head around.
Twilight let loose a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
Nothing. There was nothing there.
She almost laughed then.
Her, a mare of rational thought was taken by a little bout of superstition in the middle of the night! What an embarrassment. Twilight yawned again. She must be getting tired.
Gently she took the mage light in her telekinetic grasp and trotted forward.
Her mage light extinguished.
Now, that was strange. Magelights don’t extinguish themselves.
She heard a creak from behind her again.
This time it was closer than ever before.
Frantically, Twilight summoned the magelight once more frantically scanning behind her for the source of the noise.
But there was still nothing there.
Twilight chuckled nervously to herself. Was she hallucinating? Perhaps she was studying too hard and had developed a condition that could induce hallucinations? She frowned. Now she wasn’t making any sense.
She turned around to the stairs again.
The creak was so close, it filled her sensitive ears with its ominous sound.
Twilight froze, feeling her blood run cold within her veins. She felt a prickling sensation run down her neck as a soft wisp of air brushed past a strand of hair in her mane.
Slowly, oh so slowly, she turned around.
She came face-to-face to two deep black orbs.
Twilight almost gasped but was interrupted as the strange creature slid a slow, thin appendage on her soft, yielding lips.
“Shh," it cooed, stroking her mane with its other hand.
Twilight’s eyes slowly becoming wider and wider.
“No tears," it whispered in her ears, with a hot, humid breath. “Just dreams.”
Twilight chose that moment to scream.
There was a stumbling sound as Spike was roughly awoken from his sleep and he quickly pounded down the stairs, shouting Twilight’s name.
Twilight whiplashed to the stairs, tackling Spike with a hug and pointing a shaking hoof in the direction of the terrifying bipedal creature.
Spike cast his gaze forward, looking at the room filled with the gentle glow of a mage light.
“Twilight," he said gently. “I don’t see anything.”
“But it was…” Twilight sniffed as turned her tear-stained face towards the place where that creature had stood. Her eyes darted around the room, but she saw no hint of that horrifying presence. She sagged with relief.
“Oh Spike," she cried, burying her muzzle in her hooves. “I swear it was—”
Spike lifted a draconic eyebrow slowly and deliberately.
“Twilight, I think you’ve been studying way too hard."
Twilight made to argue but Spike just folded his forelimbs.
Twilight suddenly laughed, albeit weakly. “Oh, I guess I have been studying too hard," she replied, grinning weakly.
Spike gave vent another yawn. “Alrighty then. Night, Twi," he repeated, stomping back up to his bed.
Twilight chuckled, it was just a fanciful dream. A mere figment of her hyperactive imagination.
She rubbed her eyes with her hooves.
She glanced at her magelight, shaking her head once more.
The unicorn made to turn back, but something caught her attention on the floor.
It was a note.
I didn’t write a note, did I?
Curious, she brought it up to inspect it.
Your mane is soft, Twilight Sparkle,
I look forward to stroking your tail, next time.
Twilight turned ashen.
And so did the note.
3 - When You Stare Into The Abyss, The Abyss Licks Back
Chapter 3: When You Stare Into The Abyss, The Abyss Licks Back
In the broadest sense there are two things in life that can cure chronic depression. Friends, family, and immense support from both the community and the government... or 500 cc of Sugarcube Corner’s finest.
Pinkie likes to think of herself as a magical cure all for unhappiness and un-joy and un-fun. Yes, those are words and they will in the next edition of Clawfoot’s Dictionary if she had any say in the matter. Which she did. Surprisingly.
However this is not the tale of Pinkie Pie, well, not in the sense of Pinkie as a main character, but rather as a convenient plot device in the terrorification of ponies. At least it would be, if a certain strange bipedal creature had any say about it. Which it did. Not surprisingly.
Sugarcube Corner had been winding down business for the end of the day, and the Cakes were shifting and moving confectionary delights and things that would be considered the best way to die, if one were to overindulge in such things. In either case, neither of the Cakes were expecting a visit from anypony so late in the day. As fate would have it, the Cakes received a strangely rattling entrance from a mostly innocuous visitor. If innocuous could describe anypony in Ponyville, that is.
The doors burst open with a sudden and resounding bang that made both the Cakes nearly jump out of their skin in fright. As soon as they spotted the obviously distressed unicorn they relaxed slightly.
“Goodness me, Twilight," called out Mrs. Cake as she rushed forward to meet the swaying form of the jumpy unicorn.
“What happened?” she asked in concern as she lent a supporting backside to the lavender mare with nervously knocking limbs.
Twilight was silent for an extensive period of time. Taking the initiative, Mrs. Cake led the edgy pony to a table and a chair and settled her in. After waiting a few more moments with no response forthcoming from Twilight, Mrs. Cake quietly excused herself to finish closing the store. As Mrs. Cake rose from the table a mumble from Twilight stopped her.
Mrs. Cake flicked an ear in curiosity.
“What was that, dear?”
Twilight mumbled something again.
Mrs. Cake leant forwards, perking her ears and straining to make out what Twilight was saying.
“I still can’t hear you, dear," Mrs. Cake prompted, her face now mere inches from Twilight’s own.
“It’s coming…” Twilight whispered in a hoarse voice.
“I’m sorry, dear. I don’t understand. What is coming?” Mrs. Cake inquired.
Twilight whimpered.
“It’s coming… I have to warn my friends…” Twilight murmured. Suddenly her glazed eyes snapped into focus and she drew a sharp breath, startling Mrs. Cake.
“Oh! I have to warn Pinkie!” Twilight exclaimed as Mrs. Cake back peddled a few hoofsteps from the disturbed mare.
Twilight’s eyes finally seemed to recognise Mrs. Cake standing there.
“Mrs. Cake! I have to talk to Pinkie, where is she?” Twilight shot up from her seat rapidly, getting up from the table in an explosive motion. A chair toppled over but Twilight ignored it, gaining on Mrs. Cake.
Mrs. Cake’s brow knitted in concern.
“Pinkie isn’t here," she replied slowly. She’d read that speaking to crazy ponies in a slower voice could help. “She’s gone to help Cranky Doodle with something, but she should be on her way back.”
Twilight turned around and trotted straight out of the door.
“Wait!” Mrs. Cake called back to the frightened unicorn. Twilight paused, her face etched with something mixed between anxiety and impatience.
“Are you alright, Twilight?” Mrs. Cake asked gently, taking half hoofsteps forward. It was clear she wasn’t, but it had to be said. A pony couldn’t be helped if they didn’t want it.
Twilight stood in silence for a while before she replied.
“Thank you, Mrs. Cake… to answer your question, I don’t think I am alright, but I think I can save my friends from suffering the same fate as I had— No, sorry I don’t have answers to your questions right now, just tell Pinkie... that it is coming. Be on guard.”
With that ominous message, Twilight cantered out of the store with the door clanging shut with a belated rattle. With the bells still ringing in her ears, Mrs. Cake gave the door a lingering glance before reluctantly turning back to her chores.
She hoped that Twilight would be alright and she hoped that Pinkie could handle whatever threat Twilight had been talking about.
——
Pinkie stuck her tongue out at an odd angle as she placed the cherry on top of the triple decker cake.
Cranky Doodle gave Pinkie a grateful smile as Pinkie finished the masterpiece of baked goods. The triple decker cake was layered with a chocolate base, a strawberry midsection and a vanilla top. It was an unusual combination, however Cranky had specifically ordered it because it was Matilda’s birthday today, and he wanted to do something especially special.
Pinkie gave a wide face splitting grin as she somersaulted from the small step ladder to land on her hind hooves and spread out her forelimbs in the air, in a classic starfish pose. Her deep sapphire eyes sparkled as she giggled a response.
“Aww, Cranky you don’t have to thank me," Pinkie laughed as she dropped back to a comfortable all fours. Well, comfortable in the sense that Cranky felt more comfortable that she dropped back to her hooves. I mean seriously, how does that mare do these things?!
Cranky cleared his throat and answered in a bemused tone with a hint of long-suffering annoyance, although the hint was almost friendly in nature.
“I never actually said thank you," he answered wryly.
Pinkie gave a wide grin and bopped Cranky on the nose, much to his displeasure.
“But you were thinking it, and really, it’s the thought that counts," she replied, bouncing to the doorway.
“Wait!” Cranky called back to Pinkie. Pinkie upturned her head so she was inspecting Cranky upside down. He shook his head as he remembered the question he was about to ask.
“Do you think she’ll like it?” he queried, heart in his throat.
Pinkie giggled once more.
“Of course, silly! I already told you, it’s the thought that counts!”
Cranky smiled to himself as he watched the excitable pink party pony bounce away.
Pinkie can be pretty perceptive sometimes, he reflected happily.
——
Pinkie thought she heard her name on the way back to Sugarcube Corner but she was too excited to notice. She had made Cranky smile, not only once, not only twice, but a few times today. She loved it when ponies, or in this case, donkeys were happy. Happy ponies, or donkeys, were the best type of ponies.
Pinkie burst in through the front door to meet a startled Mr. Cake as he was sweeping the front of the store.
“Hello, Pinkie, welcome back," he greeted as the pink mare gaily trotted into the store.
Pinkie gave a wide smile and positively lilted back her response.
“Hello Mr. Cake! Cranky was really super happy about the cake we made for him, he smiled three whole times!”
Mr. Cake grinned back, pleased.
“Oh that’s quite good news," he commented, moving to make another sweep when he paused. He cocked his head with a frown. Then his face cleared as he remembered.
“Ah Pinkie, my wife wants to have a word with you, she’s worried about something, would you mind meeting her in your room?” Mr. Cake asked but Pinkie was already nodding and bouncing at the same time up the stairs.
“Okie Dokie Lokie!” she called back down as Mr. Cake chuckled.
Pinkie found Mrs. Cake seated on her bed. Mrs. Cake was patting the bed on her left. Pinkie took the cue to sit down beside her.
“So, what seems to be the problem Mrs. Cake?” she asked sweetly.
Mrs. Cake sighed softly and gave Pinkie a lopsided smile.
“I’m worried about your friend, Twilight. Did you see her on the way here?” Mrs. Cake asked but Pinkie shook her head.
“I thought I heard somepony…” Pinkie trailed off, tapping a hoof to her chin and pouting her lips.
“Twilight came in, she looked quite unwell—” Mrs. Cake began, but Pinkie cut in excitedly.
“Oh no! Is she hurt? Did she get into an experiment again? Did she hit the books? She should just read them, I told her! Maybe she—”
Mrs. Cake frantically held a hoof out to stem the tide coming out from the pink pony’s mouth.
“No, no nothing like that," Mrs. Cake assured Pinkie but then paused. “At least as far as I know it’s nothing like that. She told me to tell you something. It was a warning, if you didn’t see her.”
Mrs. Cake couldn’t help it. She paused theatrically. Even Pinkie was silent as she waited for the big reveal.
“She told me that ‘it’ was coming and to ‘be on guard’," Mrs. Cake told her gravely.
Pinkie burst out into laughter.
“Pfft, hahaha! That’s silly, silly filly!” Pinkie giggled and snorted.
Mrs. Cake was not amused.
“Pinkie, Twilight looked very, very scared. It didn’t look like a natural response to stress or something mundane. I suggest you take her advice cautiously," she warned, getting up from the bed.
Pinkie was somewhat mollified by the gentle rebuke.
She nodded giving Mrs. Cake a solemn expression.
“I trust Twilight," she said, giving Mrs. Cake a salute. “I’ll be on guard.”
Mrs. Cake smiled as she trotted out of the room.
“Alright, that’s all I have to say, make sure you see the poor mare soon, she’s frightened out of her wits," Mrs. Cake commented, closing the door.
——
That night, Pinkie had formulated a plan. She had strapped a miniature helmet on Gummy’s head as he sat unblinking for most part on a three-legged stool. Pinkie didn’t know when ‘it’ was coming so she kept on guard for the latter part of the day and she had holed herself in her room.
Pinkie had her green sergeant’s hat on and she stayed next to Gummy, vigilantly keeping an eye on the room, listening intently for any sounds. Over time though, Pinkie couldn’t keep up her concentration and the full day of helping Cranky had taken its sweet toll on her, admittedly vast, energy reserves. Pinkie blinked wearily as the day shifted slowly to night.
She was aware of the ticking noise on the wall-mounted clock, the slight whispers of a breeze from the small gaps in her window and even the slightly slick sounds of Gummy’s eyes slowly drooping closed and back open again. Pinkie yawned. Her eyelids seemed so heavy, maybe if she dozed off a little…
A rattling sound disturbed her from her sleep.
Pinkie opened bleary eyes as she realised that the angle of the room was wrong. Oh, she was on the floor. She struggled to her hooves as the sound of rattling was heard again. This time, she could hear that it was from the window. Eyes shooting wide open, Pinkie picked up an improvised weapon, which was basically a broom and crept towards the window.
The window latched open with a quiet snick and there was the sound of cautious scrabbling outside. Pinkie waited until she eventually spotted a shadowy figure stealthily making its way through the viewing aperture.
Pinkie readied the broom, about to swing it at the invader, when the intruder caught a limb on the window frame, let loose a squeal and tripped over itself, laying in a sprawl in her room.
“Pony feathers," the intruder cursed in a familiar voice. Pinkie relaxed with a sigh.
“Twilight! Why are you here?” Pinkie asked excitedly. She gasped.
“Is it a sleepover, a surprise sleepover? You shouldn’t have climbed through the window, you should use the door, silly," she chattered as Twilight shook her head and got to her hooves. Pinkie turned the light on and took in Twilight.
Her jaw dropped as she observed the drooping bags under Twilight’s bloodshot eyes, the shaky hooves and her mane in a disarray.
“Twilight!” she exclaimed, rushing over to the poor mare. “What happened to you?”
Twilight gave a cough and in a hoarse voice, replied with difficulty.
“Warned, others. Couldn’t… find you… Sugar…cube… closed… had to… use… window… sorry," Twilight croaked, favouring her left side. Pinkie quickly led Twilight to her bed, pushing the exhausted mare into the soft embrace of her sheet covers.
Twilight fought to stay awake.
“Pinkie…” she started, but Pinkie cut her off.
“I know. Don’t you worry, Pinkie is on guard!” Pinkie exclaimed, saluting the purple unicorn. Twilight smiled weakly and coughed a little, or was it a laugh?
“Thanks Pinkie, you always cheer… meee… up…” Twilight slurred and then she was gone, sleeping quietly.
Pinkie trotted over to the switch and flipped off the light.
“Goodnight, Twilight," she said as they both drifted into a pleasant sleep.
——
Twilight woke with a start and found herself face to face with the gentle sleeping features of a pink party pony. She sighed in relief. She laughed to herself. What was she so worried about?
It was still dark, the middle of the night.
Twilight could hear the faint chirps of the crickets, the small flutter of night birds fluttering in the trees near the window and the steady tick tock of the clock.
She settled in, feeling the gentle stroke of Pinkie’s hind leg on her tail.
Her eyes widened.
Her tail.
Twilight rose quickly from her sleeping position to find the evil monstrosity laying casually beside her using a free hand to stroke her tail. Once again, it shot a long, slender digit out to press gently on her trembling, moist and tender lips.
“Shh," it lulled softly, locking hellish eyes with her own. It took its finger back and gave her a long, slow lick on her right cheek. Twilight whimpered softly.
“No tears," it whispered quietly. “Just dreams.”
Looking below at the still sleeping form of Pinkie, it gave her a gentle pat and then softly opened the door and closed it behind it with a soft click.
Twilight was frozen solid for a few seconds before she scrabbled to the door, whipping it open with her magic and scanning the hall for the nightmarish creature.
There was nothing there, save a familiar note.
Twilight shook her head.
Panicked as she was, she knew the note was evidence. She couldn’t simply pick it up and read it again, only to have it dissipate into the wind. Then none of her friends would ever believe it happened.
Twilight stepped back into Pinkie’s room, determined to wake the mare up and investigate the note together.
She took a hoof step in and realised something was wrong.
The room was covered in notes, each one scribbled with one word, but all different.
Tears. One said near her hoof.
Dreams. Said another.
Why? Said one more.
Remember. Another one read.
Twilight backed away from the room. She lifted her hoof but a note was stuck to it. Frantically, she waved her hoof around, trying to rid herself of the note. It wouldn’t budge.
Carefully she brought it face up, but she hesitated, she didn’t want to read it.
Like iron filings to a magnet, her gaze was drawn to the scribblings on the small piece of parchment.
You taste nice, Twilight Sparkle.
Perhaps I will indulge myself in dessert, later.
All the while Pinkie smiled pleasantly as she dreamed of colourful things.
4 - Just The Fractured Remnants, A Dream Horribly Shattered
Chapter 4: Just The Fractured Remnants, A Dream Horribly Shattered
For most ponies it seemed the day had lasted longer than usual. The sun beat mercilessly down on pony and other creatures alike. Some creatures relished the extra warmth, their blood warming to the radiant touch of the lingering star. Others were irked by the stellar reluctance, glancing at their watches in tired dismay as they pondered how they would sleep through this phenomenon. This had happened before, and it was a bad omen, but for most it was out of their hooves and they merely carried on with their lives, though perhaps with a measure of disquiet. Expert timekeepers would gaze up into the sky and wonder why today of all days the sun hesitated at the horizon.
It could be a herald for ominous things to come.
It could be a sign from the Sisters that something had displeased Them.
Or it could be a fearful backlash against a frightening realisation that something predatory would return.
“Sister…”
“No!”
“Sister.”
“No! Just a few more minutes!”
There was some pouting. It wouldn’t do to name names.
“SISTER!”
“No, please!”
“SISTER!” roared Luna, finally giving in to her more base instincts and snapping at the snow-white alicorn that lay pathetically on the floors of the royal bedchambers.
Luna usually had a great deal of patience. After all, one does not simply wait inside the moon for a thousand years and not have the patience to outlast Creation itself. However, today was a trying day for Luna. While she usually slept at this hour, Celestia had created a mound of problems by refusing to come out of her room. Through the day, Luna had to disguise herself as her sister, assuring ponies and acting as if nothing had gone astray.
There was much makeup and coat-dying involved, not to mention a persistent lack of sleep.
Luna felt that it was a bit odd that Celestia wanted to stay in the same room that she claimed the mysterious beast had appeared in, but Celestia was adamant that her bed sheet covers would protect her. She stayed plaintively huddled in the corner, whispering nonsensical things like ‘there’s no way it can breathe on my neck if there’s cloth covering it’ or ‘I’m in the corner, it can’t appear behind me, not this time!’
Truly, these were the sort of things that could try an alicorn’s patience. Especially when her favourite moon rock pet had disappeared.
Luna’s muzzle was creased with unsightly stress lines as she stormed towards her sister’s room. Kibitz, the Royal Scheduler, was a cream-coated unicorn with a prominent moustache. He apologetically informed Luna, with a mustache that bobbed somewhat hypnotically, that the sun had sat on the horizon for over a minute and had refused to move.
If Princess Luna could then be described as ‘unhappy’ or ‘annoyed’, now any combination of adjectives with similar meaning would be the understatement of the millennium. So, Luna had confronted her sister, which has lead to the interesting dialogue this whole tale had begun with. Here’s a refresher:
“Sister…” Luna started as she walked into her sister’s bedchambers. Celestia perked up but her eyes were flared with defiance. She knew why Luna had come.
“No!” Celestia shouted, diving under her velvet and satin bed sheets.
Luna sighed.
“Sister," she repeated, a little more ominously. Celestia peeked out from under the covers with a sheepish look but she didn’t yield.
“No! Just a few more minutes!” Celestia cried softly as Luna glared at her recalcitrant sister.
There was some pouting. I’m still not going to say from whom.
“SISTER!” Luna roared, her voice nearing Royal Canterlot levels.
“No, please!” Celestia pleaded, but Luna finally had enough. She stomped over the balcony, eyed the position of the sun, closed her eyes and willed the object to sink down past the horizon.
Celestia whipped her terrified eyes around the room as the shadows seemed to jump at her. She whimpered and covered her head with her bed sheets once more.
“No, I don’t want to see it again," she moaned.
Luna turned an unamused look at her illogically overreacting sibling but took a deep and calming breath before lighting up the room in a soft, moon-like glow.
Celestia was gently drawn out of her blanket-cocoon when she saw the light pervade the space.
“Better?” Luna asked as she yawned, tired and weary.
Celestia nodded silently, giving Luna a sheepish smile.
“Thank you Luna," she whispered.
The solar diarch made a noise between a cough and a grunt when Luna went for the door. Luna turned back with a bemused tilt of her head.
“Stay with me?” Celestia asked with big, round eyes.
Luna sighed.
Who was the bigger sister now?
——
“Go fish," Celestia cackled as Luna pawed at the deck with her hoof. She wondered why she wasn’t using her telekinesis. She yawned. She was tired. That’s it. Tired.
“Any Princes?” Celestia asked exuberantly.
“Thou must partake in the action of baiting and capturing a sea-based creature," Luna replied, to which Celestia gave an amused smirk to. Celestia waited patiently for Luna to say something but all she were met with was silence. She looked up from her cards and found the Lunar Princess fast asleep, her head tucked between her hooves and the cards gently scattered on the bed.
Celestia shook her head. During the course of spending some time with Luna she found that her fears had slowly melted away. Whatever that creature was, it was probably a conjuration by some malicious trickster and so far it hadn’t made itself present throughout the night. Here under so many layers of protective spells, her sister curled up next to her, how could any being stand in their way? She shook her head in chastisement. She had let fear get the better of her.
Taking a deep breath, Celestia cast her consciousness to the sun and connected with the celestial object, noting that it would not be long before daybreak.
She laughed softly.
She had acted the foal, playing right into the hooves of that creature or trickster.
Celestia yawned. She was getting quite tired indeed. She glanced towards the opposite side of the room. A bath would do the trick. A long relaxing bath to soothe the tense, aching muscles she had tied into excruciating knots through the tense waiting period. She trotted towards her wardrobe and opened it.
It was there.
Before she could say anything, once again the appendage darted out, laying softly on her plump, moist lips.
“Shh,” it crooned once again. It held her eyes with mesmerising pupils. It seemed like it took a measure of her soul within those dark, black orbs.
“No tears, just dreams,” it repeated once again. It withdrew its slender, cold digit. Celestia recognised the digit was attached to its hand.
Celestia whipped her head around to spot Luna. Surely she had heard?
Luna was still fast asleep.
Celestia turned back, her horn glowing a menacing white. It crackled with unspeakable power.
But once again, the creature was gone and a note was left behind. Her horn died as she reluctantly reached for the note.
It didn’t say much, but the contents once again sent a cascade of foreboding crawling down her spine.
Time for a visit to a dear, old friend,
And then I come for you again.
5 - When The Crowd Thins A Bit, You Can Break Through The Mass
Chapter 5: When The Crowd Thins A Bit, You Can Break Through The Mass
In the titillating dark there is a prominent whisper. It is prominent only to those who are tuned to it. For those who are not accustomed to that dissonant wavelength, the tune that plays will forever lie out of reach.
Perhaps that was for the best.
For often those that listened to this tune would do odd things.
Princess Luna was a pony that was not easily afraid. She was a pony that was accustomed to that dissonant wavelength. For all that lay within the dominion of the night were pliant to her commands. The Night would whisper, and Luna would be able to hear.
Luna knew her sister was not a pony who was given to fanciful thoughts. That her sister was not a pony given to the deceptive obfuscation of truth. That her sister, normally so composed and regal, even between the two, would lose that defining composure over the fear of something within the night. It didn’t make sense. Just as Luna was regent of the Night and did not fear the Day, her sister was regent of the Day and feared not the Night.
For did not one define the other?
In the gathering quiet of the cool evening, a breeze whisked through the lovely fields of meadow and grass for which our Princess lay her hooves upon, in anticipation of her favourite part of the day.
Twilight.
When the day turns to night.
As some ponies loved to gaze at the sunrise or sunset, Luna admired not the coming of the sun, but the slow and gentle reveal of the silvery essence that was the moon. Tonight was a crescent moon on the waxing phase and Luna delighted in the positioning of her night sky for all to enjoy. The stars were meticulously crafted into position, the moon exhibited a bright but not overbearing glow and the midnight hues spread from the sinking fiery orb that was the sun, to canvas the sky.
Luna was pleased with her work and so she admired it in a few moments of peace and quiet.
It was times like these that Luna enjoyed the gift of the night. When peace ruled and the noise and cacophony that was the day died down and she could stalk the fields of earth and fantasy at her will. She let her head rest on her hooves as she contemplated deep thoughts.
A gentle sound of grass being trodden underfoot startled her from her brief nap.
“Ah,” she whispered groggily. “You’ve come for me?”
The presence shifted uneasily and cleared its throat.
“Princess, the Night Court will need attending, if you would?”
Luna heaved a lonely sigh.
There were not many who visited the Night Courts. It wasn’t a slight on their parts, she knew. It was simply a matter of practically. The day was so much easier to get things done in and the night was a time for rest. Granted, she knew this and she loved the night for being in its nature, a way for ponies to release their burdens and wake up refreshed, ready, and raring to go.
She just felt lonely sometimes, sitting in the empty throne room, that was silent as the night she was so deeply a part of.
Still, her duties were duties and they none the lesser of importance for their burdensome solitude. Luna climbed stiffly to her hooves and followed the thestral guard to the Night Court. Weaving absentmindedly through the maze of corridors and hallways that made up the castle, Luna pondered if she should do something special to liven up the night. Perhaps she could clear some monster hunting duties so that she could hold a night festival. She smiled slightly as she considered this idea. Her smile widened to a grin as she began to plan her schedule. That could work. Excellent.
They arrived at the waiting room adjunct to the throne room and Luna noted that not a single soul, excepting her guards, was there. She sighed softly, the tone carrying through the empty space and echoing around. The sound seemed to persist longer than usual, making the walk to the double doors of her throne all the longer.
It was never nice being alone…
——
Luna snapped awake, realising she had dozed off due to sheer boredom. Her guard to her left gave her a sympathetic look and Luna quickly straightened her back resuming a strict, regal and rigid posture. At the sharp movement, she heard a flapping noise and the sensation of cloth sliding off her back. She glanced behind in surprise to see a blanket loosely around her.
She glanced at her guards, feeling a strong measure of warmth for them.
“Ah, my faithful guards,” she intoned. Her guards looked at her in askance.
“I’d like to thank thee for the comforts you have brought me. It makes me feel honoured and grateful that I could have such a caring and loyal retinue,”
The guards looked at each other before looking back at the princess.
“Princess,” the one on the left said. “What, if I may ask, are you talking about?”
Luna raised an eyebrow. She pulled up the blanket and shook it.
“This,” she stated, waving the blanket. She telekinetically levitated the blanket in front of the guards. They studied it closely but not a spark of recognition shone in their eyes. In fact, their eyes had gone lifeless. Shortly after, they collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
Disturbed, Luna quickly got up from her throne and quickly checked on her guards. They were merely unconscious, or sleeping. Strange, she didn’t use a sleep spell and she couldn’t see the telltale aura of magic. She sniffed the blanket and reared back. It was a sleeping agent. Ineffective against herself but certainly effective against her guards.
“Assassin,” she hissed, eyes darting around. The assassin had made a terrible mistake. She herself was resistant to variety of toxins.
She felt a presence beside her and she whipped her head around.
Nothing was there.
The sound of skittering echoed through the chamber, as if somepony had thrown a small pebble into the throne room. Luna backed slowly to her throne.
“Show yourself!” she yelled confidently. Her flank touched the warm seating of the throne and she sat down, scanning the room.
Wait.
Warm seating?
Slowly. Carefully. Her head turned to meet the nightmare come to life.
Its appendage darted forward to meet the succulent soft lips of the lunar diarch.
“Shh,” he whispered, his breath hot in her ears. The burning inferno of his eyes had trapped Luna like an insect in molasses. She struggled to say anything, to scream or bolt or collapse. ANYTHING. She was helpless, for some reason frozen and unable to move, or even blink.
The creature took her head with both of its hands and used its thicker, shorter appendages to wipe away fresh tears.
“No tears,” it croaked, sensually moving its hands down her neck. “Just dreams,”
Luna closed her eyes and made a series of low, feeble sounds. The pressure around her neck lifted. Cautiously, her eyes opened.
The creature was gone.
A small note was left in its wake and Luna, with hooves shaking, brought it up to view.
Your tears are salty and bitter,
But your body is warm and comforting.
I like that.
Until next time, Luna.
6 - If The Heart Tells No Lies, Then It Must Speak The Truth
They say, the only thing a predator will respect is a bigger, meaner predator. That is true for most part in the wide, wide circle of life. They say that such things are just attributes to the nature of reality, our existence. However it does tend to make things a little too… predictable.
But every now and again there are changes, a mix-up here, a slip up there, and perhaps a shy pegasus born with a death stare.
Of course, if one were to ask the butter-yellow pegasus, Fluttershy would answer in a small squeak, softer than a mouse, but louder than the walk of a weevil, that she would prefer to be a normal pegasus, without such intimidating augmentations.
To say that sounds and creaks during the night scared Fluttershy would be a gross mischaracterisation of Fluttershy’s fortitude. Although many would joke that Fluttershy was scared of her own shadow, and sometimes rightly so, Fluttershy was not afraid of the night. In fact, some of the best creatures were nocturnal ones and Fluttershy would often contemplate sitting in her meadow outside her small cottage. She could pleasantly experience the cool night and converse with the kind creatures of the night.
There was reason to be cautious. There was reason to be careful. But there was no reason to be scared of any animal. One just had to show respect and in turn they would respect you. At least, that’s what she would have told Rainbow Dash if she hadn’t so suddenly burst through her door and shocked the coat right off her back.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow’s raspy voice yelled out. “Hey, oh there you are.”
Rainbow trotted over to the cowering pegasus, who at the moment was hiding her head in her hooves and shaking in the corner of her lounge room. Angel was kicking his friend in bad temper, frustrated at her utter lack of spine. What if a stranger had walked in and decided to take everything? Where would Angel get his salad then?
Rainbow rolled her eyes and placed her hooves on Fluttershy’s withers.
“Fluttershy,” she drawled impatiently. “Where in Equestria do you think that tactic would work?”
Fluttershy peeked out from beneath her hooves and sighed deeply in relief.
“Oh,” she whispered softly. “Rainbow Dash, it’s only you.”
Rainbow resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. “Who else would you think it was?”
Fluttershy shifted her hooves uneasily. “Oh I don’t know…” She trailed off, but then smiled in relief. “I’m just glad it’s you.”
Rainbow’s ear flicked dismissively as she cocked her head. She was here for something… Her face scrunched up in concentration. “Fluttershy! I came here to…” She wracked her brain. “What was I going to tell you, anyway?” Rainbow paused as she lost her train of thought. She shook her head. “Wait! No, that’s next week. Something about a weird… Twilight! Yes!”
Suddenly she darted forward. “Twilight told me there’s a super scary creature walking around. You should be careful.” She tapped a hoof to her muzzle. “Yep, I think that’s it. See you around, Fluttershy!”
“Wait, Rainbow–” but before Fluttershy could stop the rambunctious mare, she was gone, leaving Fluttershy all alone.
“Super scary creature?!” she squeaked, hooves shaking.
Fluttershy was suddenly very aware that her cottage was isolated from the main town.
––––
Fluttershy was huddled in the corner of her bedroom, shivering from the cold winter draft that blew in. Angel was squashed uncomfortably between her two hooves and clutched against her body. The rabbit had all but given up struggling after the first hour had yielded no significant results. He lay there with his arms crossed over his chest and a pout that told anypony that bothered looking, that he was severely displeased.
Oblivious to his (dis)comfort, Fluttershy thanked Angel for staying with her. Though the rabbit would brutally beat up anypony that suggested he had a kind bone in his tough body, Angel eventually relented and patted Fluttershy on her chest, the only place he could reach.
For Fluttershy, it felt like the night was dragging on longer than usual. It was getting more and more difficult to stay awake. With Angel’s warm furred body lulling her to sleep and her covers exuding a comforting warmth that gave her a sense of security and snuggly cosiness, Fluttershy was fighting a losing battle. Though she resisted mightily, she couldn’t help but drift softly and silently to a well-deserved rest...
––––
A thump startled Fluttershy awake. Eyes wide, she quickly scanned her surroundings intently. Another thump elucidated a squeak from Fluttershy again. Angel, wide awake, dashed to the door in an attempt to confront the intruder, but Fluttershy quickly scooped up the bunny with a small cry and huddled in a nearby closet, staring at the door through a crack in the wardrobe intently.
“No Angel,” she whimpered softly. “It could be dangerous. We should hide and hope that it goes away.” Angel struggled a bit but then gave up when Fluttershy just hugged him tighter.
There was a soft knock on the bedroom door.
“Fluttershy?” A voice called out. Fluttershy sagged in relief. She crept out of the closet and cautiously opened the door.
It took a few moments for Rainbow to collect herself. Fluttershy’s concern turned to worry. Rainbow was usually up and about, recovering with even the slightest of knock backs.
Rainbow peered around, as if searching for something in the room. Fluttershy felt a chill run down her spine.
“Rainbow,” she said. “You’re scaring me.”
Rainbow finally flicked her gaze to Fluttershy, her irises widening slightly then shrinking as she focused on the scared mare.
“Sorry,” she mumbled shakily. “I just had to make sure it wasn’t here.”
Rainbow, darted around, making another circuit and checking the room once more. Fluttershy had a difficult time figuring out if Rainbow was galloping around really fast or if she was using her wings to boost herself around the room. Nervously, she posed the question that was on the tip of her tongue ever since Rainbow stumbled in.
“Rainbow,” she called out timidly. “Why are you so afraid?”
A little colour returned to her cheeks and her eyes flashed in defiance briefly, but swallowed thickly before replying.
“I’m not afraid!” she shot back. “It’s just…” She jumped at a groan that permeated through the dark.
At first, Fluttershy was perturbed but then she recognised the sound. “Oh don’t worry,” she assured. “That’s just the cottage timbers, it sometimes groans like that during the night.”
Rainbow relaxed slightly at that. She drew herself up. “I’m not worried,” she blustered. “It’s just that I’m worried for you! That’s right. I saw the monster that Twilight mentioned–” Fluttershy squeaked “–and it’s real–“ Fluttershy gasped “–so I thought I would come over and see if you needed help.” She cleared her throat and gave her a sidelong look. “With sleeping,” she finished lamely.
Out of the corner of her eye, Rainbow saw Angel shake his head and roll his eyes. He bounded out of the room before Fluttershy could snatch him back up again.
“O-Okay,” Fluttershy answered tentatively. She smiled. “It’ll be nice having a friend sleeping over.”
As the two ponies snuggled up with each other on the bed, the creature outside smiled and retreated into the darkness.
“No tears,” it whispered. “Just dreams…”
7 - Though The Mind Struggles, The Body Screams For Release
Chapter 7: Though The Mind Struggles, The Body Screams For Release
As night fell across the beautiful country of Equestria, the majority of ponies retired to their homes, locking down stores, businesses and valuables, sleeping soundly within the comforting confines of their bedsheets and mattresses. Most ponies would sleep well, but a few ponies did not. In fact, they dreaded the coming of the night. Flustered, anxious and perturbed, they decided to seek the comfort of their friends and family.
“Thank you, Twilight, my most faithful student, for coming along,” Princess Celestia greeted wearily. She gestured to the others. “I also appreciate the rest of you coming along as well.”
Twilight nodded to the others. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had also seen the creature. The startling being had visited them both and frightened them all to the core. What frustrated Twilight the most was that she couldn’t find anything on the creature. Where did it come from? Why was it here? What purpose did it serve to scare the coat off everypony’s back?!
The last few days had been exhausting to say the least. Though they slept together or apart, the creature somehow found a way to sneak up on them while they were alone. Whether it be a detour to the bathroom, a shower, or even small nap in a deserted train car, he would find them. Rainbow had even tried sleeping on a lone cloud, but she woke up to find that frightening beast, sleeping on top of her!
Twilight was at her wit’s end trying to explain the creature, so she was relieved when the Princess had summoned her to the castle mere moments after she had made her report. For the last few days it had been frustratingly impossible to find scroll or parchment to communicate the matter to the Princess. It was as if all the parchment and quills within Ponyville had been whisked away. On the third day since meeting the creature, all the parchment and quills in Ponyville were suddenly there, stacked neatly on her writing desk.
In the fog of sleep-deprivation, Twilight was afraid that the creature was using the parchment and quills as part of an elaborate setup to bait and trap the Princesses, and her friends at Canterlot. When Spike pointed out that Twilight would be meeting with one of the most magically adept beings in Equestria, she felt a little better about it. Rainbow Dash and Applejack would also be there to support her in need. She had little to worry about.
But the first thing she noted as the throne room doors opened, was that Princess Celestia’s and Princess Luna’s eyes looked drawn and weary. Eye bags hung low and their usual radiant selves were dull and lethargic. With a clearly visible effort, Celestia pushed on despite that. Celestia greeted them, her voice was tinged with a bone-chilling exhaustion that far outstripped their own.
“Twilight,” she croaked. There was a pause and the mare straightened her posture and composed herself before continuing. “Luna and I have been researching this disturbing creature, but we could find nothing on its origins or its objectives. Have you found anything?”
Twilight shook her head sadly, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry Princess,” she said. “I’ve looked everywhere and I couldn’t find anything.”
Celestia looked a little disappointed, but she smiled at Twilight reassuringly. “It isn’t your fault, Twilight.” She tilted her head in sympathy. “You have also been haunted by this creature too, you have mentioned as much in your letter… Twilight?”
Twilight nodded absently, she found her gaze was wandering off. She snapped back to attention when the Princess called out her name. She struggled to focus on the topic but it was so hard, she hadn’t had much sleep.
“I’m sorry Princess,” she said slowly. “I haven’t slept for a couple of days at least.”
Luna jerked as Celestia tapped her lightly with a hoof.
“Wa–Hababuwah?” Luna mumbled incoherently. She had drifted off in the seated position on her throne.
Celestia sighed. “I have not gotten a decent night’s sleep for a week now. Luna has seen the creature in the day as well as the night, it doesn’t seem to be restricted to the nighttime, although it seems to prefer it...”
Twilight’s expression darkened as she considered what the Princess had told her. She resolved to let the creature know what an energy beam tasted like the next time it tried to do anything to the Princesses.
“As a result,” Celestia said, pausing to yawn daintily. “I have slept with Luna almost every night. We have even tried sleeping with guards in the room, but we wake up somewhere else with the creature telling us, ‘No tears, just dreams’ every time.”
Twilight gasped. “Princess! The creature said the exact same thing to me too!”
Applejack and Rainbow Dash groaned an affirmative after Twilight lightly nudged them with a hoof. They were collapsed on the floor, still in a kowtow, but a bit more splayed out.
“What does it mean?” Twilight mumbled to herself.
Celestia snapped back to attention. “I’m sorry Twilight, I have no idea. This creature is puzzling to say the least.”
Twilight nodded wearily.
“We’ll figure out something, Princess.” She stifled a yawn. “I promise.”
–––––
Twilight plodded back to her room, pondering reasons why the creature would target the Princesses and her friends specifically. It seemed strange that the creature was stalking each one of them so intently. Why did it leave those notes? What purpose did it have to scare ponies? Why the Princesses, the rulers of Equestria?
Twilight mulled over the thoughts carefully, gently levitating her friends behind her, who were sound asleep. She stopped suddenly as a thought occurred to her.
Was the answer more fundamental than she realised? She hadn’t looked past the Princess’ title. There was a lower common denominator that she was missing. Twilight scrunched her muzzle in an expression of frustrated distaste. Why couldn’t she think of the solution?
A scream tore through the silence of the castle. Startled, Twilight almost dropped her friends suspended in her telekinetic grip.
“Ugh,” Twilight heard Rainbow Dash groan. “Where the hay am I? Oh right, we were supposed to be meeting the Princess.” Twilight turned back to see Rainbow awkwardly trying to find footing in the levitation field that Twilight had cast around her. “Uhh thanks, Twi, you can put me down now.”
As Rainbow was lowered to the ground, Applejack groaned, turned and fell back to sleep. Rainbow blinked at the orange-coated mare but then shrugged.
They both twitched. There was a sound, at the edge of their hearing.
“What was that noise?” Rainbow asked Twilight tentatively.
Twilight’s gaze hardened. “I guess we’ll find out,” she replied, gesturing with a hoof down the hallway. “It came from that direction, let’s go.”
“You got it!” Rainbow answered. She flittered down the hall, moving quickly out of sight as she veered left past the T-junction.
“Twilight!” Rainbow called back and Twilight doubled her speed as she detected the hint of panic laced within her voice.
As Twilight barrelled around the corner, she spotted a door ajar. Rainbow was standing just outside it, eyes wide and hoof pointed somewhere on the inside. As Twilight came alongside Rainbow, she spotted what had made her friend so nervous.
Her suspicions were confirmed as she lay eyes on the fearsome bipedal creature, lying nonchalantly within the room’s sole bed. Across its lap lay a quivering maid, her coat softly being stroked by the creature’s blunt fingers. With each stroke, the mare shook harder, tears flowing freely.
“Let her go!” Rainbow snorted angrily. There was a groan from behind Twilight. She gently laid Applejack on the stone floor behind her.
“Wha–” Applejack murmured. “What’s goin’ on?”
Twilight spared a quick glance to Applejack, but she was already charging her horn, the spell lighting up the darkened room with its intensity. The single candle within the room, on the bedside table flickered out. They could barely make out the features of the creature as it smiled in the darkness.
“Let her go,” Rainbow repeated, but there was a quavering to her speech.
Twilight found her limbs were locked. The longer she stared at the creature, the more the fear pervaded her mind, paralysing her consciousness like an insidious poison. She swallowed thickly and forced herself to speak.
“Why are you here?!” she demanded hoarsely. “Why are you doing this?”
The creature did not say anything for a while. Then abruptly it stood up, gently placing the terrified maid on the bed beside it. The sudden movement caught Twilight and Rainbow off guard and they both tensed, waiting for the bipedal monster to make a move.
The creature smiled a mirthful smile, as if enjoying the attention. It reached into its clothing and withdrew a small, square piece of parchment. It waved it lazily before drawing out a thin implement. It took a while, but Twilight recognised that it was a pen, although it was shaped oddly.
It wrote on the note and flicked the paper into the air. Rainbow and Twilight followed the note’s ascension and subsequent descent, until it laid on the floor. Quickly, Twilight scanned the room. Amazingly, in that short time period, the creature had disappeared. She pursed her lips. It was gone. A familiar sensation crept up her spine. Twilight felt a distinct impression on her lips, as if the creature was standing in front of her and was placing one of its cold, thin appendages to her muzzle.
She could almost hear the deep voice of the creature as it whispered.
“No tears, just dreams…”
Cautiously, she grasped the note in her hooves and brought it to view.
“What does it say?” Rainbow asked quietly.
Twilight read the note out loud.
Fear makes monsters of us all.
But fear is not evil, nor is it good.
It just is in this world.
Face your fears and you will know why I am here.
After all, I am what you wished for…
After reading it, the note crumbled to dust and whisked away. There was silence for a few moments, until Applejack broke it.
“What the hay did Ah jus’ miss?”
8 - As The Quiet Settles, Silence Shrouds The Living
Chapter 8: As The Quiet Settles, Silence Shrouds The Living
After that disturbing, but puzzling visit from the creature, Twilight decided to have an after-action review with her friends. Rainbow nodded and flittered about the room uneasily, while Applejack surreptitiously positioned herself on the opposite side of the bed, so that the bed was between her and the door. As they settled in, with Twilight every so often glancing over her shoulder, Rainbow began the conversation by bring Applejack up to speed.
“…And that’s when you woke up,” she finished, her raspy voice was a little raspier... or was that Twilight’s imagination?
“Wha’ Ah don’ get,” Applejack wondered out loud. “Is why tha’ creature make us so scared?”
Rainbow huffed. “I’m not scared! Are you scared Applejack?”
Applejack raised an eyebrow and crossed her hooves in front of her. “Ah’m not scared either!” Her lips were set into a stubborn line. “Y-You should be more honest with yerself!”
Rainbow’s nostrils flared as she grounded herself. “How about you be more honest with yourself! Just admit you’re scared!”
“I’m scared.”
Both mares turned simultaneously to Twilight as she heaved a shaky breath and said the words again.
“I’m scared,” she repeated, this time tears welling at the corners of her eyes. “For the first time in a long time, I feel like a foal.” She sniffed and wiped away some of the tears as she continued. “I can’t do anything to help my friends, I-I’m not getting any sleep. I’ve never felt as helpless and alone before now.”
She raised her head and stared Rainbow Dash in the eye. “I’m scared, Rainbow.” She turned to Applejack and did the same. “I’m scared, Applejack.”
At those words, neither mare could find their own to justify their earlier behaviour. They glanced at each other and shifted their hooves.
“Sorry Twi’,” Applejack mumbled. “Ah guess we were so caught with ourselves, that we didn’t consider you.” She looked away. “Ah thought that Ah could provide the support you needed, but Ah didn’t consider that support would be useless if Ah lied to mahself.” She hung her head in shame. “Ah’ve betrayed our friendship by being dishonest. And that hurt us both pretty bad.”
Rainbow looked equally guilty. “Yeah Twilight, sorry. I think we were a bit over the top.” After a long pause, she dove right into it. “If it helps, I’m scared too.” Both mares gaped at Rainbow Dash in surprise, and perhaps a little bit of awe. Seeing her admitting her fear, seeing her this vulnerable, shocked them to the core.
“I know,” she continued, seeing their reaction and kicking the floor. “It’s just that, I thought you guys needed me to be strong. I thought that strength is being seen as a rock in the storm.” Her wings fluttered a bit as she tried to put words together. “It’s just so hard trying to be tough, you know? I think it just made me weaker…” She gave Twilight a smile. “I think you’re the bravest of us all, Twilight.”
The three tentatively hugged, with the physical contact exchanging far more than bodily warmth. Unnoticed by the three of them, a figure retreated, leaving the three to their reconciliation.
–––––
Princess Celestia blearily sought out her cup of tea among that bits and bobbins on her writing desk. Several times she levitated a book or scroll unintentionally, until finally she managed to grasp the tea. It was getting harder and harder to maintain focus nowadays, with the absurd levels of sleep-deprivation clutching at the edges of her consciousness, waiting for her to succumb to the sweet release of slumber. She caught herself several times, for she knew if she failed, the creature would be there at the other end, smiling its grim smile and carefully placing its thin, cold appendage to her lips.
The Princess stumbled on her way back to the bed, spilling the tea and shocking herself from her semi-awake trance. She hurriedly coalesced the hot, scalding liquid off herself and the floor, tossing the offending substance out of the window and into the garden beyond. Celestia was beyond caring if there were somepony there, she simply wanted to embrace the bed, to feel the warmth of the sheets, to embrace the comfort that only rest could provide.
“I want to rest,” she bemoaned. “I want a break from all of this.”
The room was silent save for the gentle ticking of the clock. She sighed, slumping into her bed and twisting around. Maybe a short nap… surely that would help…
Despite knowing what was coming, Celestia drifted off to sleep…
––––
It was the beginning of the evening when Celestia woke with a start, the reason she did so becoming apparent when she saw a pair of cyan eyes regarding her thoughtfully.
“Luna,” she greeted drowsily, but her voice was tinged with revitalised energy. “I feel so much better.”
The Lunar Princess harrumphed before replying. “That is because you have been sleeping, whilst I have been keeping vigil, sister.” Her gaze softened as she saw the improved condition of her cherished elder sister. “You have been sleeping well, I take it?”
Celestia nodded in wonderment. “I haven’t a nightmare,” she whispered, eyes widening. “It is like a burden has been cast away.”
Luna nodded. “The creature did not deign to make an appearance while you slept. I did not know why. It had been diligent in its appearance, caring not for who might be in the room with you.”
Rather than gladdened, Celestia looked perturbed. “It doesn’t make any sense,” she muttered. “Why did it stop now?”
Luna gave her sister a pat on her back. “I think we should count our blessings and not question these things.” She bit back a yawn and stretched, struggling to her hooves. With an unsteady gait, she staggered out the door before Celestia could protest.
“Luna,” she called out to her retreating form. “Why don’t you stay behind?”
Luna shook her head and merely replied. “Sorry sister, there are duties to attend to.”
With a despondent sigh Luna steeled herself and trotted towards her own room. She needed to be strong, like her sister. Too often Celestia would bear the burden of other pony’s problems.
Someday, Luna thought. I could care for others like my sister.
As she opened the door to her room, she froze as a sudden frisson of fright jolted her frame. For a moment, she had thought that the creature was there, shrouded by the curtains, but when she blinked, the creature was gone.
Luna shook her head, as if to dislodge the fanciful dreams from her mind.
There is no creature there, she thought furiously. It is only within my mind.
Then it was there, in plain sight. Giving a muffled scream of fright, Luna back pedalled, tripping over a loose scroll to lie sprawling on her bed. As she struggled to get up, the monstrosity leaped at her, locking hellish eyes with her as it straddled her on the bed.
“Shhhhh,” it commanded with its soft tones. Luna could only comply with a jerk of her head. It laid an icy, thin appendage on her pliable, promiscuous lips. “No tears,” it croaked, dragging a hand through her ethereal mane. “Just dreams…”
Luna stared at the creature as it smiled in a way that Luna could only describe as chilling to the core.
BANG!
The loud sound startled Luna and she whipped her head to the left seeing the window clattering as it swung in the deviant air currents of the sudden draft that had entered the room. She looked back to see the creature gone. Nervously, she got up, her heart still racing from the adrenaline and fear coursing through her system.
Again, as expected, a singular note was left in the creature’s wake.
Grasping the note, she read the contents, fearing what it would say.
Your terror of me is nothing compared to the terror within.
I am a manifestation of what you need, perhaps what you desire.
You just don’t know it yet.
Discover yourself before you discover me, Luna.
Signed,
….
Before she could read the end of the note, it crumpled and withered, blackening into the familiar residue of ash.
The note was more puzzling and disturbing. What did it mean? How is it a manifestation of what she needed? Hot anger flashed through Luna. How could it be what she desired? There was no way she wanted to live in constant fear!
Her mind swirled with all sorts of questions as she collapsed on her bed, terrified tears streaming down her cheeks. Troubled thoughts accompanied her while she fell into a dreamless slumber.
On the morrow, Twilight, her selected friends, and the Princesses gathered together. With an affirming presence around them, they deliberated on the myriad of theory and information they had gathered on the unknown creature that stalked them.
When all were accounted for in the meeting room, Celestia opened dialogue.
“I’m glad to see you all here…” She paused. “With the exception of my sister. Luna will be joining us later when she feels better.”
“Ah take it we’re here ta discuss the strange creature?” Applejack guessed.
Celestia nodded solemnly.
“We have to gather as much information we know of this creature,” she began, eyeing each mare around the table. “Let’s start with the basics. Chronologically, I was visited first. It is likely that I am somehow connected to this.”
Twilight nodded. “Then–” she gulped “–it came for me.” She stopped herself before she would add anything she would regret. Lately, she’d been feeling this odd sensation. It started from the first time the creature had visited her and it only had grown since. She couldn’t put her hoof on it, only that the feeling seemed very important indeed.
Applejack spoke up in the silence following Twilight’s exposition. “How many times did it visit yer, Twilight?” she asked gently. Twilight snapped out of the daze she’d sunk into.
“In total it visited me alone twice,” she responded distantly. She refocused on the table. “Did anypony else get that many? Maybe it’s following a pattern?”
“Same here. Twice,” muttered Rainbow.
“Eeyuuup,” Applejack added.
“But it technically visited me thrice,” Twilight added. “If you count the time it visited us in the room together.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow slowly. Twilight saw that her mentor was still tired. Though she had gotten a good night’s sleep, the long-time exposure and sleep-debt hadn’t been fully paid off. She bit her lip.
“If only we could communicate with it, somehow! Why are we so afraid? It’s petrifying, but I can’t think of a reason why it’s so scary! Physically, I’d be more afraid of a manticore coming after me or even a cockatrice. Something about it just makes me shiver in fear…”
Around the table, Twilight saw her words had struck home. Her analysis of the experience was startlingly accurate. Rainbow shook slightly, though Twilight could see her stifling it by pressing her hooves together tightly. Applejack looked remarkably calm, save for the movement of her eyes, a small twitch as she scanned the room habitually.
Celestia just looked exhausted. Twilight felt an ache in her heart. Celestia had a whole country to run and a lot of ponies depended on her. The way she slumped at the table, abandoning decorum was all the hint Twilight needed to know that Celestia was near her breaking point.
Celestia blinked blearily as Twilight laid a gentle hoof on her mane. Usually, such an action would be beyond a breach in etiquette, but they were alone in the chamber, with her friends, and this was far more important than the stuffy restrictions of protocol.
“Princess,” she whispered gently. “You should go to bed. Leave it to us and we’ll solve this enigma of a creature together.”
Celestia hesitated her mouth opening to reply.
Twilight gently headed her mentor off.
“Don’t worry about us, Princess. Worry about yourself, for once. A country stands on its people and supports their ruler and the ruler must support their country.” Twilight saw Celestia’s smile spread warmly across her face. A lesson taught to her student and given back to the teacher.
Celestia headed towards the door, dragging her hooves.
“I will still do everything in my power to stop this creature,” she stated in a mild tone. Then she left the room.
As the door clicked shut, Twilight shivered.
Applejack spoke up. “What’s wrong, Twi’?” She looked at Twilight curiously.
Twilight smiled thinly. “Princess Celestia was never this angry.”
“Angry? How can you tell?” Rainbow queried. “She looked exactly the same.”
Twilight shivered, recalling Celestia’s eyes. Those eyes.
“When Celestia is angry it comes out as hot and fiery, like the harsh light of the sun. I think you’ve seen that, during the changeling attack?” There were nods all around. “Well, when she’s beyond that, she goes cold, freezing. Like the way a flame goes blue with its intensity. She’s vengeful right now and I almost pity the creature.”
Applejack nodded slowly. “Gee Twilight that was poetic.”
There was silence after that.
“So,” Rainbow said uneasily. “What do we do?”
Twilight tapped a hoof absently on the table. The rap echoed through the room lending an oppressive presence to the vastness of the meeting room. Unbidden, everypony shrunk a little in their seats.
“We clean up the mess,” Twilight said her voice never more clear in her ears than ever before. Then she turned to her friends. “Or we find that creature before our Princess does.”
––––––
When Luna awoke, she felt disconnected from the world around her. As if there was an odd disquiet in the otherwise silent room.
What a paradox, she thought to herself, a growing feeling of unease shuddering through her frame. She glanced around, caution trying to overpower fear as she carefully swept the room. The creature is in here, she thought jumbling about in her mind.
When she finally spotted it, there was a strange tension in the air. Luna had once seen a modern play with the Canterlot Royal Orchestra playing. In one of the scenes a pony crept on the stage while the shrill violins played in the air. She could imagine no other apt way to describe how charged the room felt. Though she felt tension, fear was not a part of it and she wondered briefly of the change.
At last, she spoke.
“What manner of creature are you?”
The creature stood and remained silent. Luna knew she should be angry, furious even. Right now though, all she could feel was the deep throb of exhaustion born from its repetitive visits. Curiously, there wasn’t fear anymore. Well there was, it just wasn’t debilitating anymore. She felt so drained that the trickle of fear she felt was negligible under her weariness.
“Can you not speak?” she finally ventured.
Still the creature did not deign to communicate.
It shuffled forward, slowly. Luna noted among her rapidly scrambled thoughts that the creature looked less sure of itself, less confident even. It moved with jerks and disjointed motions that reminded her of a mechanical doll.
Good, she thought. It’s weakened.
Luna’s horn sparked. Her lips pulled into a snarl.
I’ll end you.
The creature looked up at the brief point of light drifting from her horn. It held up its forelimbs. Suddenly Luna could feel the fear mount up in her slowly. Her heart began to increase its beat, the staccato rhythm slowly gathering speed.
Ba-bump.
Ba-bump.
Ba-bump.
The sound filled her ears with a steadily increasing roar. Adrenaline surged through her system. Through it all, she gathered her concentration and let loose the spell.
The creature shrieked and howled. It clawed at its eyes. A flash lit up the room and Luna instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.
When she opened them, blinking away the stars of confusion, she found the customary note left over from the creature.
I’m not your enemy.
Please believe me.
I can’t…
Help.
The ashes left behind seemed to leave a bitter taste in Luna’s mouth.
10 - As The Prey Is Cornered, It Becomes The Predator
Chapter 10: As The Prey Is Cornered, It Becomes The Predator
Luna found Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack ranging around the Canterlot gardens.
She approached somewhat cautiously. They looked determined.
“Is everything alright?” she asked the group. Twilight snapped around and sagged with relief.
“Princess Luna! Have you seen Princess Celestia around? We can’t seem to find her.”
Luna paused. “I was just about to ask of you the same thing. I have not seen my sister in quite some time. I’m worried for her.”
“Me too,” Twilight replied. Rainbow nodded urgently at Twilight. Applejack inclined her head. “Do you think,” she continued. “That the beast got her?” At the casual dubbing of the creature’s name, the other two mares shivered. Luna cocked her head.
“I don’t think so. I had wished to discuss this with my sister, but since I cannot find her, I will relay the information to you,” Luna said, her voice carrying a note of uncertainty. Twilight’s ear twitched but she otherwise nodded.
“The creature visited me again earlier this evening…”
Applejack gasped and gripped her Stetson. Rainbow narrowed her eyes.
“It didn’t hurt you, did it?” Twilight asked.
Luna shook her head as a sigh of relief sounded around.
“Nay,” she answered. “It was different this time. The beast as you so aptly named, merely stood in the demesnes of my room and refused to move. I-I did not feel fear as I had before. It came at me, approaching with purpose and I entreated it to talk with me. Having received no reply I gathered my wits to create a spell. The creature suddenly raised its forelimbs and I felt fear rising within me. I let loose a spell and it shrieked and howled, before disappearing. It left a different note this time…” Luna trailed off, her eyes becoming distant.
“What?” Rainbow pushed. “What did it say?!”
“It told me it was not my enemy. It told me to believe in it. It told me it needed help.” Luna took a shuddering breath. “I don’t know. Did I do the right thing?”
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Applejack cut in before she could say anything.
“Yer darn right, you did, Princess, if you would pardon mah language,” Applejack stated confidently. Rainbow nodded her head and took to the air.
“As far as I’m concerned,” Rainbow affirmed. “You were just defending yourself against that jerk creature. It was haunting us for pony’s sake. Now it wants our help? I don’t believe it. It’s trying to play us. I think it’s a new strategy.”
Luna hesitated but finally nodded. “I can’t help feeling that I took the first shot,” she mumbled, pawing the ground with her hoof. Twilight winced as she saw a clump of grass and dirt pull free.
“It’s okay Princess, that creature brought it upon itself. It’s brought nothing but pain and fear,” Twilight’s brittle tone was underscored by bitterness.
“It is against everything my sister has taught me.”
At that, Twilight smiled.
“Your sister walks the ground with intent now, and the steps are heated with the brand of starlight.”
“So quoth the raven at dawn,” Luna finished. She remembered the small passage from the chronicles. Though grim, it was surprisingly accurate when applied to her sister. Truly when Celestia was angry she bore fearsome rage. Perhaps she had made the right decision. “I feel lighter now, thank you.”
“You’re welcome Princess,” Twilight replied. She glanced back at Applejack and Rainbow who nodded along.
“Ah don’t know what that meant but Ah agree with you,” Applejack commented.
“Fighting words are the same no matter where they’re from,” Rainbow added.
“Where is my sister, we must meet her before she meets the creature. I fear she may need this knowledge Whether it was intentionally gulling or not, she would like to know,” Luna proposed.
Twilight nodded. “Sounds like a good plan, Luna. We have no idea where Princess Celestia is though. We’ve checked everywhere, has she left the castle?”
“No…” Luna trailed off. She looked at the ground beneath her, bereft of grass. “There is one place near the castle and a part of it, but not usually thought of.”
“Where?” Rainbow asked. She settled on the ground again, as if drawn by the weight of Luna’s words.
“The catacombs,” Luna breathed. She glanced at Twilight. “You’ve been there before.”
Twilight shivered. “There’s something off about that place. I wouldn’t like to go there again.”
Applejack slapped Twilight on the back, startling the mare. “Don’t fret, sugar cube, we’ll be there with ya.”
Twilight smiled. She looked at Luna. “And we’ll be there together.”
As the group left, Luna had a lingering thought that snuck around in the back of mind, despite reassurances. They were doing the right thing, were they not?
––––––
Within the dark crystalline caverns, there is only the eerie glow of crystals in varying shades of deep amethyst and cobalt. The crystals cast a pallid illuminance within the cave. Despite the lighting, there were still shadows, hiding within the niches and corners of the sharp, faceted blocks that made up the crystals within the catacombs beneath Canterlot Castle. The passageways were long abandoned after mining through with magic and might, but the ghosts of those who had tread among the long-forgotten ruins were still evident.
A worn mark of a pick on the smooth surface of a crystal in one section, the bare rock layered with twisted railroads and abandoned mining carts littered among the silent passages. The whistling wind that occasionally moaned through the mouth-like openings of the halls. Usually, such imagery and atmosphere would produce a measure of disquiet within Celestia as she roamed the hallways. Not enough to break her composure, but enough to introduce a slight edge to her movement.
She never liked the catacombs, it was haunted by bad luck and misfortune. Celestia remembered the first time she was here. Something was wrong with the construction of the catacombs. The tunnels meandered like writhing snakes through the geology, the miners often were lost and confused and progress was slow and bleak. Eventually, after losing one too many miners to an accident they had abandoned the project and left the catacombs silent. Celestia never considered the area furthermore, there was no need. If they could not tunnel down, then it was prudent to build upwards. It was preferable to have the castle nobly stretching towards the sky, the catacombs could wait.
Unfortunately, it lay forgotten over thousands of years. Celestia hadn’t even considered anything making its residence within its depths. For some reason, she was drawn to the subterranean tunnels. There was something in her mind that convinced her the creature was currently there.
When she found it, its words would no longer plague her and her own anymore. Celestia vowed that the next time they would meet it would not even have the chance to take a breath. It would be destroyed and they will all be freed from its grasp.
Chapter 11: When The Light Fades, The Shadows Grow
Within a crystal chamber, deep beneath the surface of an ancient city, were the faint sounds of scuffling footsteps. If one were to hear closely, they would surmise that the steps had a faint irregularity to them, as if the owner was limping or encumbered. If one were to listen more closely, they would hear the soft pitter patter of paper or parchment rustling on the ground. Along the walls and the floors were thousands of these small castings. Among these sheets, both blank and some covered with writing, a frightening creature moved among them. A creature that stalked the cavern, like a ghost amongst its grave.
For most, the creature would seem to be the most interesting aspect of the room. Perhaps. A further investigation of the room would reveal several items of interest. Foremost, a thick tome, bound by rough leather… and with all but one of its pages torn out. A creature paced within the confines of this small space. It would approach the edge of the room, then shy back, as if warded off by some mysterious force, but then resume pacing restlessly. In the centre, a jagged stone fashioned crudely into a table was the dominating feature. Here was where the book sat, and surrounding it, like a carpet, was parchment and paper.
Outside was another sound. A faint sound, but with every staccato pulse of its beat it became louder and louder. The sound was drawing closer. When the creature heard the noise and registered what it meant, it stopped its interminable pacing and raised its hands towards the door. It stayed like that for perhaps a minute or two, then slowly its forelimbs fell to its sides as it let out a despondent sigh.
From the entrance emerged its judgement.
The creature sat amongst its art and waited with a carefully neutral expression.
His ending lowered its horn.
And the creature closed its eyes.
————
When Twilight found Celestia, she realised they were not alone. With the rest of her makeshift party containing Luna, her friends, and herself, Twilight should not be afraid. Every moment that passed was a moment lost to the disquiet of the oppressive stone around them, every shuddering breath she took felt like it were drawn from the depths of the ocean, every step she took was laden with the weight of her primeval instinct.
Twilight knew she was afraid, but she turned that fear into the strength to move forward.
Around her, she was aware of her friends all undergoing the same transition. Applejack and Rainbow, two of her friends she thought would be stalwart in the face of danger, looked haggard and drawn. Rarity and Fluttershy had abandoned their usual composure, and both shook in the dark. Pinkie and Luna, the two ponies that Twilight thought would be the least susceptible to tricks of the torturous creature, were quiet and sombre and their shifting gazes held no haven for Twilight’s questing eyes. All this added to Twilight’s mounting sense of unease.
Everypony here were enduring their own personal trials. Yet ahead, what Twilight had feared seemed come to pass. The creature lay down on the ground, seemingly in pain, while Celestia stood above, mute and resolute. Her bearing showed no fear. Her stance gave Twilight the remaining strength to push forward.
“Princess.”
It was all she could say, but it was enough.
Twitching, Celestia looked up from her vigil over the creature and stared at Twilight. Her gaze locked onto Twilight, but instead of its usual warmth, it seemed alien and cold, as if the alicorn were looking through her rather than at her. Twilight felt the beginnings of a shiver, but clamped down on her rising anxiety.
There was enough of that, she thought to herself. It was time to stop living in fear.
“Twilight,” Celestia greeted, though her usual familiarity was absent. “I was hoping you wouldn’t see this.”
Celestia looked back at the creature, and Twilight couldn’t keep her eyes from drifting to the splayed being on the ground.
“What happened?” Twilight asked, fearing the worst.
“A sleep spell,” Celestia replied wryly, a gentle swaying betrayed the exhaustion the alicorn felt. “Sleep for the creature so that we may all…” Without warning, Celestia collapsed heavily, her body scattering the many loose leaf parchment that Twilight recognised made the cryptical notes around the room. She forced her legs to move forward, breaking the stiff lock her muscles had tightened into as she met her mentor on the ground.
“Princess!” She held a hoof to her chest. There was a steady heartbeat. A steady breath. The Princess was merely sleeping. A relieved breath shot out. The first in a long, long, time.
“T-Twilight.” Twilight turned back to see Luna had forced herself past her own fear. Whatever barrier of that prevented Luna from coming close had evidently failed as the alicorn made her way towards her sister. “My sister is sleeping,” Luna confirmed, after laying her head on her sister’s chest. Her gaze darkened as she took in the creature. “This is it?”
Twilight eyed it. On the ground, lying as it was, shifting and cringing like it bore some great, unseen burden, it suddenly didn’t look all that frightening. When it stood upright, it had seemed tall and threatening, but now, on the ground, it was a shadow of its fear-inducing self.
“What should we do?” Twilight asked. Luna started, reacting as if the thought hadn’t occurred to her, but she recovered quickly, her concern clearly showing in deference to her cherished relative.
“We should take my sister and leave,” Luna said quietly, “she may need some help.”
Twilight began nodding, but then stopped, cocking her head as a thought suddenly occurred to her. “I should keep an eye on it.”
Luna looked up sharply. “Can you handle it? It may attack you.”
Twilight slowly shook her head. “No…” she trailed off as Luna stared at her. “At least, I don’t think so. I can’t explain it, but I think I want to stay here.”
“Do you think it might be making you think that? It so far had manipulated our emotions like we were mere puppets in its grip.” She frowned, then added reluctantly, “Though its messages have said otherwise.”
Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “I need to know, Princess. I need to know why.”
Luna glanced out towards Twilight’s friends, surprised that they had not found their way in yet. They stood at the edges of the entrance, looking like they were unable to make progress since approaching. Twilight bit her lip.
“Your friends?”
Twilight looked surprised by that question. Her eyes hardened as she came to a decision. “Would you mind leading them back?”
“I will.” Luna tilted her head. “Thank you, Twilight. Though I know you have your own reasons for confronting the creature, I’m grateful you have the courage to face it.”
———————
Twilight lay down next to the creature. She watched it for a while, as it tossed and turned. Soon, Twilight found her thoughts drifting, as well as her eyes. She took in the parchments and scattered paper. She noticed that they were covered in writing. Usually, she’d be all over reading something, but this time she didn’t feel the drive, apart from a small drop of morbid curiosity to find out more about this creature.
She had to know its reasons for doing what it did. She had to know why it had hunted them relentlessly until they had almost dropped from exhaustion. Nothing that did that could have any good intentions… so why did she feel a sense of disquiet? Why did it feel different to when she interacted with the creature? How could she tell? It just felt… different. Her fear of the creature usually filled her mind to exclusion of all else, but here, in this cavern, her fears were the sum of the unknown. Her expectations and silent trepidation were made of what was to come.
The creature finally lay still. It took a breath, then opened its eyes.
Twilight thought she was expecting something sinister. Like eyes stained black as dark as the night. Red-tipped irises, or the shape of a predator’s iris focused on her. Instead, she saw a rounded iris. She saw deep brown eyes. And through all that she saw an expression surrounding the eye. It was surprise… and fear.
What did the creature have to worry about her? So far nothing they had done was effectual. The creature always had the upper hoof, and it seemed to torment them with its wily ability to evade and escape from any attempts to capture it.
“Why?” she whispered.
The creature slowly got into a seated posture. It hugged its limbs towards itself like a foal would alone without their parents. It looked at her with guilt-steeped eyes. Finally, it picked up a piece of parchment, one of many on the floor around them and passed it to her. Twilight hadn’t seen the creature write, but the text nevertheless featured on the page.
Because I’m human.
How was that an explanation? She went back to glance at the piece of parchment, but it crumbled away like all the others.
Confusion laced her reply. “What’s a human?”
Again, the creature passed her another scrap of parchment.
I am human.
A shiver of fear trickled down her spine. If there were more of this creature, then there would be no hope. One human could already wreak havoc like this around Canterlot in a mere week, what would happen if there were more?
“Why?” she repeated.
I gave up.
“Gave up what?”
Hope.
Twilight remained silent as the human gathered a small pile of parchment and handed them to her, one by one.
I am cursed. I live by the grace of this book, which is my life and death. A long time ago, I made a mistake, I made a terrible, terrible, mistake. In order to selfishly protect myself, I destroyed any help I could have once received, and in isolation I waited.
It was not always like this. I used to be worse. I had lost my mind. I lost myself. From time to time I still did. My loneliness is crushing me. My humanity is killing me. I put it aside and the book drove me back to it. I…
You may ask, what is a human?
I am human.
Twilight glanced up. Around her were no longer the pages of parchment on the floor. There were none left. It didn’t make sense. There was more than enough to convey the human’s message. The creature shuffled to the book, running a finger lightly across its surface.
With a swift movement that made Twilight stand up in alarm, the human tore the last page from the book and gave it to Twilight.
I’m a relic of the past. I don’t belong here. For a time, when I lost myself, I convinced myself that none would accept me. They feared me, and it became reality. Their fear is a part of me now, it is my armour, it is my weapon, but when I returned… When I became human again, I could not endure it. I wanted to know solace once again. I wanted to know comfort once again. But… I only caused pain. I want you know that I am human. I want you to know that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for my weakness. I’m sorry that I couldn’t hold back my own loneliness.
Please, please, please I want you, anyone, to know that I’m human again.
That I died… a human.
Twilight looked up. The human was gone. Sweeping her gaze around, she panicked, until she spotted something flashing white on the stone below. It was a pile of bones, stacked neatly, bleached perfectly white. Resting on top was the cover of the book that the human had been holding a moment before.
On the book’s cover was a title.
“In memory of…” she trailed off, unable to make out the name written next to the script. For a moment, Twilight felt a deep sense of emptiness when she realised that the human’s name would never been known, a human which had caused them all grief, pain, fear and misery… all because it was lonely.
Twilight felt the agony of conflict leaving a mark in her heart. She didn’t know whether she could forgive this creature, or that her friends, or even if the Princesses would. One thing was certain was that it had impressed upon the one thing that it felt so important to tell her, before it sealed its own death warrant.
It wanted her to known it was human, and it succeeded.
For Twilight would remember this for as long as she lived.
