Chapter 1
In the old Equestria, the first cities we know today as metropolis were born from little towns, settlements that ponies raised to live, work and build families. In those years, legends born, births in fables and tales as the headless horse and others based on true stories, like the dancer of the town.
Once upon a time in a newly funded town in Equestria, a ten years old little colt best known blacksmith’s son, was playing with his friends in the first founding anniversary festival. The little colt had fun with his family, eated a lot of candies and food. Nothing could ruin this joy he had, until the bells rang and the mayor announced out loud that everypony goes to the dance floor.
The band, animated by the festival, played with their instruments a formal and sweet melody. The older couples quickly take the dance floor, first two, then four, eight, sixteen and thirty two, then all of them were dancing. Colts and fillies exchanged shy glances between them, their parents said that when this formal music ends, they have to chose somepony to dance with.
The little colt, blacksmith’s son, was the most shy of all. When the formal music ended, he was the only one without somepony to dance, all his friend did it, he can’t. In the middle of the first dancing song, the place was full of exhilaration and festive spirit while the pony watched aside.
The dance continue, and the blacksmith’s son looked at the floor resigned to his faith. It seemed that his night was ruined, but something at the other side of the scenario caught his eyes.
A pair of large, dazzling and impressive blue eyes staring him.
The little colt, blacksmith’s son, was delighted. He started to feel things that never felt in his young life. His heart pounding fast, his hooves shaking and sweating, his mind blocked all the sounds around them. It was just the two of them.
He didn’t know when or why, but the little colt crossed the dance floor to meet her. Thanks to his shyness, took long time to ask her a dance, he also forgot to properly introduce himself and ask the name of the beautiful filly. She accepted, gladly.
They danced and danced without saying a word. Smiling, their looks occasionally crossing, but quickly deviated. In one of them, the little colt, blacksmith’s son, can admire the translucent grey dress that exposed her white coat bright as pearl without cutie mark. Their inexperienced and innocent dancing was enough for both.
The time flew, very quickly, unfortunately for them.
When the last song ended, both looked to each other, connecting their eyes. She holded the hoof of the little colt, blacksmith’s son, and approached to his ear ignoring the blush and whispered a few words. Before he could even think in a answer, she ran away.
After a few seconds, he tried to catch her galloping at full speed and dodging everypony in his path. But it was all in vain, the little filly disappeared under the cover of the night.
Defeated, he vowed never forget the words she said. That promise stayed in his mind for the rest of his life:
“See you next year or follow me.”
He didn’t heard anything from her for a year, always looking around to find her. He concluded that she was a tourist. With that in mind, he waited patiently until the next festival.
And so it happened. Every year. In every festival. She appeared. Wearing the same dress, with the same smile and the same blue eyes that got him the first time. The little colt, blacksmith’s son, ask her to dance everytime, sharing magical moments while dancing. Every year, their dance moves improved at the same time that their feelings.
When the blacksmith's son reached the eighteen years old, he promised to himself to tell his feelings to the mysterious mare, this time he wouldn’t allow her to escape.
And the festival came. She showed up.
Her beauty as pony was imposing with the pass of the years culminating with a figure and face enviable for most of the maresin town and the desire of the stallions. With the help of her blue eyes she can attract attention of the blacksmith’s son wordlessly. When the music started, they were united in their annual tradition.
After hours of dancing, the music stopped. While couples leaves the dance floor, the blacksmith’s son was ready to confess his feelings but she whispered the same words and ran away again.
This time he would not allow her to escape.
With all his effort, he followed the mysterious mare. From time to time he yelled her to stop, but she ignored him. He was so concentrated in his eagerness to reach her that he didn’t realize she was guiding him out of town. Soon the dirt road became tallgrass that obstructs his vision.
Suddenly, the mysterious mare disappeared from sight. Surprised, he stopped to catch some breath and looked around searching her, but there was no clue. He walked a few meters to the place she banish, hoping to find her.
But what he found in that place was out off all thought, out of all remote scenario he expected to find there. His hoof was touching the thing, he could feel the rigidity of the object at the same time a shiver ran through his body and made him tremble with fear. With mouth agape and palpitating heart he stepped back and turned around to get out of here.
As soon he told what happened to the ponies in town, they went to the scene to corroborate it. Guided by the stallion, they arrived at the discovery site. Everypony was shocked at the same time when they saw the scene.
There, half buried, was the pony skeleton.
The authorities did extensive research and concluded the skeleton belonged to a filly who died when eight. But the real surprise came after when they could get a portrait of the little filly, they come back to the town to solve the case, they ask if any on them saw a pony like her before and everypony said yes and when they asked the blacksmith’s son he said yes too, but his surprised face said more than that. A revelation exploded in his mind.
She was the same filly of big blue eyes that he ask her to dance the first time and the she’ll show up every year to keep the tradition. She was the same filly that asked him to follow her to find both his dead body and eternal rest.
After the revelation, the town was shocked for a long time. The stallion, blacksmith’s son, moved after the events, leaving the town behind, but keeping a tradition, the night of the festival he returns to the town and pray for her.
Nowadays, the ponies of the town still tell the story to all the visitors who stroll there for vacation. The versions of it differs from one pony to another, but there’s something everypony agree:
“If a beautiful mare in white with big blue eyes ask you to dance and you accept, she will take you out of town to the place where they found her remains and show you the wooden cross the ponies nailed in her memory.”
And then finish:
“Then she will ask you one favor… pray for her.”
At the end of her story, the mayor mare took a few second to look the face of all the foals, and Pinkie Pie, who came to listen the scary tale of this year she had prepared for the Nightmare Night. They were scared and integrated but not horrified by the tale.
“Alright kids, that's all this time, you can continue playing and collecting candies.” the mayor mare said.
But the foals didn’t hold back and asked her questions about the story, even Pinkie wanted to know more. A little away from the group, Spike was watching, in his costume of dog in his alternate form, as the foals rushed against the mayor mare.
“I can’t believe they get excited about a story like that,” Spike complained.
“Spike, don’t be jelly” Twilight replied.
“I’m not jealous Twilight, maybe if the mayor mare had used another costume than a mime I could have given her a chance, I mean c’mon, who could be scared by the story of a ghost filly dancer anyway?”
Suddenly, Spike felt a gentle touch in his shoulder.
“Twilight, if you want to say something, just say it,”
Once again he felt the touch inviting him to turn around.
“Cut it out-”
When he turned around, he realized it wasn’t Twilight who was touching him. Spike froze when he saw a little filly of white coat, without cutie mark and with a pair of big blue eyes staring at him. After seconds without a word, Spike screamed:
“The ghost dancer!”
He ran away without looking back. The foals who listened the story turned around and were face to face with the ghost. The mayor mare fainted from fright.
“It’s the ghost dancer! Everypony ran for your life!” Pinkie screamed running away with all the foals with it.
When the place were empty, the ghost filly approached to the unconscious Mayor Mare and gave her a few taps with her hoof.
“You can get up now aunt, everypony left.”
The Mayor Mare opened her eyes to make sure and get up, dusting her mime costume.
“We did it, we scared them,” the Mayor Mare said broohoofing her niece “I told you, your first Nightmare Night will be special!”
“Thanks aunt!”
“You’re welcome sweetie, now let’s go, there are many candies to get this special night.”