An Old Whooves Tale.

As they walked through the town Derpy was amazed at the state PonyVille was in. She could tell it was her home, but it just seemed so much younger and more primitive. The buildings were smaller and they seemed to be made out of weaker material. She’d have to be careful or she’d break right through one of these houses. However as Derpy looked closer she noticed something else and said,

“Doctor, where is everypony? It feels so empty.”

“Yes I was curious about that too, but you remember what Princess Luna said? There have been strange disappearances as of late, especially here in PonyVille.”

“What could have caused it?”

“I’m not sure- well at least for now, but the best way to find out is to investigate!”

The Doctor ran up to an Earth Pony who was pulling a cart from his home. The pony looked exhausted, with bags under his eyes and lanky body frame.

“Excuse me sir I was wondering if you could help us, we were curious about the strange disappearances as of late.”

“What’s there to be curious about? Ponies disappear, they never come back, no explanation, done and done I solved your case for you.” The Doctor and Derpy were taken aback by his tone as he said this.

“Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the hay this morning,” Derpy muttered. The Doctor put his hoof over his mouth to cover his chuckling at Derpy’s pun.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m not usually this grumpy I’m just so…tired.” Derpy and the Doctor exchanged looks,

“Why are you so tired Mr.?” Derpy asked.

“We all are, everypony in PonyVille; can hardly get a wink of sleep.”

“Yes but why is that?” the Doctor pressed on.

“Well…” the pony looked around “we don’t usually like to talk about it. It seems like it only makes it worse, but I guess since you’re new here I ought to let you know. During the day, everpony is fine nothing goes on that’s unusual just like now, but when the night comes; that’s when things become scary. I mean the night has always been a scary time of the day, but recently it’s like something’s been stalking the town.”

The pony was beginning to whisper and bringing his head closer to the Doctors.

“What’s stalking the town?” the Doctor asked.

“Nopony knows, we’re all too afraid to open our windows and peak out anymore, but we can all hear something. Something moving through the town like an angry beast, it growls and claws at doors sometimes. That’s why we can’t sleep; we’re too busy being awake making sure we don’t get taken away." The old farm pony paused.

"Yet so many of us have already disappeared, it’s not worth it living in PonyVille anymore. A lot of us are leaving because we can’t make a living here and we can’t sleep. It’s cursed, I don’t know what it is, but it’s pure evil.”

The pony stepped back again with his cart and stared at Derpy and the Doctor. Derpy’s hooves were shaking and her teeth were chattering.

“Well ya’ll, I gotta be going if I were to give you a bit’s worth of free advice. Get out while you can too. This isn’t a good place anymore.”

“Of course, thanks for your warning,” the Doctor said as the pony turned around walking in the direction out of town.

“Oh can I ask one more question, where was the most recent attack?”

“I think it was a sweet young girl, her house is that way!” The pony called out motioned to the right.

“Thank you!” The Doctor called after him. “Well come on Derpy, we’ve got to investigate.”

“Wait what?” she exclaimed. “You really want to go to a place where ponies have disappeared?”

“Of course, this little town terror has gotten everyone’s-everyponies knickers in a jammy and I want to figure out what it is!” he responded walking in the direction the earth pony pointed. “Besides Derpy it’s the daytime. He said that in the daytime everything is fine.”

“Oh-oh okay Doctor.” She said as she followed behind him.

“Isn’t it curious though Derpy, I mean disappearing without a trace? That’s simply unheard of- oh look I know that tree in town, it’s little thing now! No pony I mean, has ever been heard of disappearing without a trace, crime or not.”

“Like what?” Derpy asked.

“Well like hoof prints, or signs of struggle that usual bit.”

“Do you suppose it was magic?”

“I had thought of that, but I figured the unicorns here have a way to identify magic spells such as teleportation or what not. Well at least in your time, maybe we’re too far back for that to be a thing yet, or maybe-“

The Doctor said as he spun around to face Derpy, yet still walking backwards. “They just didn’t know what to look for, eh?” Derpy smiled at the Doctor’s silliness in such a serious situation. Then she looked behind him and smiled.

“Doctor?”

“Why yes?”

“I think we’re here,” and with that the Doctor tripped backwards onto the ground and Derpy laughed as she flew over him on the floor. The Doctor looked up and saw the house, which had its door wide open.