The sky was growing dark as night crept along the edge of the horizon. I almost wish I had left earlier since Twilight wasn't sure when the Phantom Pony slept. She knew many things, but nopony knew that. Then, as if on cue, I heard the beautiful singing again. I set my lantern carefully on the ground and turned to my pet.
"There Gummy!" I shouted, "There it is!" Gummy blinked, his eyes making little squishy sounds. I giggled: he could be so cute sometimes!
"Hello?" I looked, calling out into the night. A sudden gust of wind nearly blew out the only light I had.
I gasped and placed a hoof in front of it protectively, guarding it from the harsh weather.
"Somepony?" I mumbled, growing worried, "Anypony...?"
I looked over at Gummy, who was still oblivious to pretty much everything around him. Picking up my lantern, I continued on my way, following the soft singing which was growing stronger by the second. Abruptly, the melody ceased as something shifted behind the trees. I whirled around, trying desperately to find the source of the mysterious noise.
"Are you there?" I asked, surprised at the smallness of my own voice. Nopony answered. I took slow careful steps and kept my head lower to the ground. My panic showed through my knocking knees and I hoped I would not be found.
I came upon a clearing, after wandering aimlessly for at least an hour. My panic was rising rising, but I couldn't seem to tear myself away from my quest. I just had to find that voice...
I looked around for a sign of somepony having been here recently, but there were no hoof-prints. However, turning my gaze to the trees I saw an interesting carving. Once I got close enough to read it, I wished I hadn't. Scrawled messily across several thin trees were the words:
DON'T LISTEN TO HER SINGING.
The words left me shaking, but I was almost too distracted by the large crimson stain at the base of the tree that held the last letter. I clasped a hoof over my mouth, sitting down hard the rain-softened ground. Had the Phantom Pony done this? My thoughts were interrupted by the now suddenly sounding voice of the Phantom Pony. For hours she had just been singing simple notes. There had been no meaning, no words. Now her lyrics were quite clear:
"Come Little Pony
I'll Take Thee Away, Into A Land
Of Enchantment
Come Little Pony
The Time's Come To Play
Here In The Everfree Forest
Follow Sweet Pony
I'll Show Thee The Way
Through All The Pain And
The Sorrows
Weep Not Poor Pony
For Life Is This Way
Murdering Beauty And
Passions
Hush Now Dear Pony
It Must Be This Way
Too Weary Of Life And
Deceptions
Rest Now My Pony
For Soon We'll Away
into The Calm And
The Quiet
Come Little Pony
I'll Take Thee Away, Into A Land
Of Enchantment
Come Little Pony
The Time's Come To Play
Here In The Everfree Forest"
A chill rode up my spine and I pulled Gummy close to me. I have to leave now, I told myself. But-- oh no! I stood up quickly and frantically glanced around.
I was lost.
------------------------------------------
My hooves beat heavily on the ground. The sky had turned black long ago, but the stars and moon refused to appear. The Phantom Pony couldn't have taken away these symbols of the night...could she? I shook my head that was Luna's job. Then again, if the moon hadn't appeared yet...something might be wrong in Canterlot! I panicked, thinking of the catastrophe that might be arising while I wandered in this massive forest. However my thoughts were interrupted by the metallic stench of blood. I looked up to see large rust red lettering scribbled across more trees:
SHE TOOK THE MOON
A tear slipped down my cheek and I felt hysteria rising up my throat. I let out a loud sob and collapsed to the ground. I thought about how it was completely possible that I would never leave this forest. My final message would be left on the trees for other ponies to see, ones who dare try to enter the woods of the Phantom Pony. Before I could worry anymore, a low gravely voice spoke, as though it had not made a peep in thousands of years.
"It's..my..forest...." I turned around slowly, afraid of what I might find. Behind was written yet another message. This one still in blood, but impossibly fresh:
How do you think the forest takes care of itself?
I backed away nervously as the pony who I had been longing to find finally stepped out of the shadows. The first thing I noticed was her head; It was covered completely by a mask-like helmet. The face of a deer carved meticulously in the wood. Where the mask ended, long branches flowed, forming some kind of mane. Her tail slightly resembled this mane, except the branches grew right out of her body. Her coat was pale white, with no markings at all apart from her cutie mark. I could never be sure, but I think it was meant to have been a musical note. It was so worn off her flank however, it could have been anything at all.
She flicked her tail; bending the branches around like they were part of her. Her unnerving gaze was fixed on me, the red painted eyes seeming very real.The Phantom Pony froze and continued to stare at me. In the blink of an eye, her mask came to life in a crude display before me. Every bit of her twitching like a real pony would. Her red eyes blinked and flicked between Gummy and me. But the worst of all was the eerie smile spread across her wooden face. Slowly she pursed her lips and emitted a long shhhhhhhhhh...
I spun around and galloped away, my hooves hitting the ground so hard I felt numb.The night encased me in darkness, giving me a deeper sense of vertigo. More and more messages appeared all around me, some were pictures and others were in blood, but I could only read one:
SHE'LL TURN OUT THE LIGHTS
I looked down at my lantern in new found horror. It could go out any second, and I'd never find my way back. I would be taken and tortured, just like everypony else.
"NO!" I screamed, banishing my morbid thoughts, "I'll find a way out!"
I squinted my eyes and plunged forward, Gummy clinging to my back. Darkness closed around me. My lantern was a beacon, as all other lights had disappeared. The moon still had not risen and not a single star was up in the sky. The Phantom Pony tried to catch me still, her horrid smiling face appeared almost everywhere. Except it was strange: I saw a long branch-like horn extending out of her forehead one time, and then it was gone. She constantly switched between an earth pony, a pegasus and a unicorn. Coming upon another clearing, I stopped, completely out of breath.Gummy slid off my back and I held him. Carefully I looked up. Two words were written on a massive tree before me:
Lights Out
I looked down at my lantern, and watched in terror as the last light in Equestria, the only hope I had left, slowly flickered out.
