It was just another normal day in Ponyville. Everyone was doing their own thing.
Rarity sat in Carousel Boutique, trying to figure out if she should put the red silk with the blue velvet or the blue silk with the red velvet. She then decided to scrap the whole idea and put the red with he red and the blue with the blue. After a couple more additions and a few more cuts, the dresses were done. Rarity took a couple steps back to examine them.
"Oh, no no no." said Rarity, pushing the stands aside with her magic. "These atrocious abominations must be dealt with immediately."
She brought over two more stands and began to start over from scratch.
Fluttershy walked around in her animal garden, admiring all the little woodland creatures that scurried passed her. She was accompanied by her rabbit Angel, who really didn't seem to care about the wonders that Fluttershy saw. She just nibbled on a carrot. Fluttershy then sat down under a tree and continued watching the animals.
Applejack kicked an apple tree with her hind legs, causing the apples to fall into one of the two barrels that Applejack had around her waist. After the apples had fallen, she trotted over to another tree and repeated the process. She did this to about five more trees before bringing the barrels back to the barn, where she picked up two more and went back out.
Pinkie Pie stared at all the delicious cupcakes that were sitting on the table in front of her.
"Wow." she said, almost trance-like. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake know how to bake a cupcake."
She thought about which one she would eat first. The one that looks the most delicious? No. They all looked delicious. How about the most beautiful one? No. They were all beautiful. Perhaps the most colorful? No. They were all pretty colorful. Pinkie let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
"Eenie meenie miney mo." she said pointing to a different cupcake with each word. "Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers let him go. Eenie meenie miney mo."
She opened her eyes to see where she was pointing. She was pointing at the wall next to the table. She let out a frustrated groan and decided to the first one.
Rainbow Dash sat on a cloud near Cloudsdale reading Daring Do And The Search For The Aztec Treasure. Ever since Twilight showed her Daring Do And The Quest For The Sapphire Statue, she's been hooked. She just can't stop reading the amazing adventures of Daring Do. This time she had to go in the rain forest to search for a long-lost Aztec treasure. Rainbow Dash's eyes lit up when she read the part where Daring Do dodge a swinging tree trunk and darted passed falling trees.
"This book is..." She held the book close to her chest. "AMAZING!"
Twilight sat in the town's library, reading a book entitled "Equestrian History". She loved to read up on history and learn new spells. And that's it. That's all Twilight felt like doing today. Reading history.
With all the ponies doing their own thing, no pony was aware of the nightmare that was approaching.
Twilight arrived at Carousel Boutique and banged on the door. Rarity opened the door.
"What is it, Twilight?" she asked in a frustrated tone. "I'm a little busy at the moment."
"You have to help! Things are coming!"
"I beg your pardon?" Rarity asked, sounding confused.
"Things. In the woods!"
"Are you sure you haven't been reading too many scary stories, Twilight?"
"NO!" yelled Twilight. "Dangerous things are coming!"
"Really?" asked Rarity, not believing any of this. "What kind of things?"
"Dark things. Shadowy things. They don't really have a form."
"Uh-huh." said Rarity, laughing on the inside. "Sure."
"I'm not lying!"
"Maybe not lying." said Rarity. "Perhaps a joke?"
"A joke?!" asked Twilight, getting frustrated. "This is no joke!"
"Right." said Rarity sarcastically.
"I'm serious!" Twilight pleaded.
"Okay." Rarity said, again sarcastically.
"Just come with me." said Twilight. "If there's nothing there, i'll help you with whatever it is you're doing."
Rarity thought about it for a second. "Deal."
She followed Twilight into the center of Ponyville.
"Look." said Twilight, pointing towards the entrance of Ponyville.
Rarity squinted her eyes and looked. She jumped back when she saw the little demons.
"What are those?" she asked with a frightened expression on her face.
"Not sure right now. Like I said."
"What do we do?"
"Round up the others."
"Good plan." said Rarity. "Let's go get Applejack."
"Fluttershy's getting Applejack." said Twilight, heading for Sugarcube Corner. "Let's get Pinkie Pie."
"Fine by me." said Rarity. "Let's hurry. They're getting closer."
...Or Maybe Not So Normal
Twilight decided to take a break from her studies and go for a walk. She was nearing the Everfree Forest when she heard a strange noise. She stopped and listened. It sounded like distorted cackling. Twilight took a few steps back before a dark creature emerged from the forest. It looked like a shadow. There was black mist emitting from it and the only visible features were its glowing red eyes. It had the body shape of a tiny dragon with a bird head and sharp claws. It let out a loud scream and others popped out of the forest, all looking the same. Twilight took some more steps back. There were dozens, if not thousands, of them. They were about the height of an average pony, too. Twilight let out a scream of fear and ran back to Ponyville.
"EVERYPONY RUN!" she yelled.
Fluttershy awoke and stood up. She was standing under the tree from before when she saw Twilight run by.
"What's going on?" asked Fluttershy.
Twilight skidded to a stop and ran back to Fluttershy.
"We have to go!" she yelled.
"What?" asked Fluttershy. "What are you..."
She then noticed the army of dark creatures emerging from the Everfree Forest. She let out a tiny shriek and darted off towards Ponyville. Twilight followed close behind.
They arrived back in Ponyville yelling and screaming. Rainbow Dash looked away from the book she was reading and saw Twilight and Fluttershy.
"What's up?" she called down.
Twilight looked up. "Things! In the forest! Coming here!"
"Say what?" asked Rainbow Dash. She turned her gaze to the approaching creatures just outside Ponyville. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF SWEET CELESTIA IS THAT!"
"We don't know!" Twilight yelled. "Get some help!"
"Got it!" Rainbow Dash yelled, taking off to Cloudsdale.
"What are we gonna do?" asked Fluttershy.
"We get the others."
Fluttershy ran up to Applejack who was harvesting apples in Sweet Apple Acres.
"Hey there, Fluttershy." Applejack said cheerfully, kicking a tree. The apples fell into the barrels around her waist.
"We need you to come to the center of Ponyville right away." Fluttershy said in her usual quiet voice.
"I'm sorta busy here, right now." Applejack said, walking over to another tree.
"Oh." said Fluttershy. "I'm sorry." She turned to leave but stopped. "Actually..." she said, turning back around. "We really really need you."
Applejack kicked the tree causing the apples to fall into her barrels.
"What's going on?" Applejack asked, heading over to another tree.
"These strange creatures emerged from the Everfree forest and are headed towards Ponyville.
"Strange creatures?" asked Applejack, kicking the tree. The barrels were just about full now. "Isn't that where you give them the stare?"
"I don't think it's gonna work on these creatures." Fluttershy said, following Applejack back to the barn. "Can't you please just come with me?" Fluttershy pleaded. "Please?"
Applejack set her full barrels down near the other full barrels and turned to Fluttershy.
"All right." said Applejack. "I've got some free time."
She followed Fluttershy back to town.
"See?" Fluttershy asked.
Applejack looked around. "See what?"
"Right there." Fluttershy said, pointing to the town entrance.
Applejack squinted her eyes and saw them.
"Oh, mah stars!" said Applejack. "This ain't good. We need to warn the others."
"Already on it." said Fluttershy. "The only one who doesn't know yet is Pinkie Pie."
"Then we gotta go." said Applejack, rushing off towards Sugarcube Corner.
"Maybe we should just leave Ponyville." Fluttershy suggested, rushing after Applejack. "Wouldn't that be easier?"
"Maybe so. But I ain't about to lose my home to... to... whatever those things are."
"I see your point." said Fluttershy. "And I don't want to like it. But I do."
