The Legend of Nightmares

Princess Twilight Sparkle sat on her sofa, reading a book she found in the Canterlot Royal Library. It had been hidden in the unlit portion of the old sanctum for books, squeezed behind the other books. The book looked like a diary, bound in leather. She caressed the skin, it feeling soft and worn. Twilight gently pulled the string, but a sudden feeling of fear quickly stopped her. She looked around, as if someone was watching her. Her violet eyes scanned over everything in the room; the lamps, the ceiling lights, the plants, the table, the sofas, the television, the remote, the cords, the shadows... Everything seemed in place. The doors, the kitchen, the bathroom, the windows, and nothing.

"H-Hello?" Twilight called out. The shadows seemed to move in the corner of her eye; she turned to see nothing there, dismissing it as nerves.

No reply. Twilight ignored the sensation as the thirst for knowledge became too much to bear. She pulled the lace string and opened the ancient book. The paper was very thin and would crack as she touched it; the words were still readable however. Twilight then levitated a bottle of hairspray that Rarity had conveniently left over and sprayed the book, the ash-like paper bonding together as she helped sew it up with magic.

"Now it should be as good as new." Twilight smiled and let out a little laugh.

She looked around, the feeling of being watched getting stronger and stronger. She squinted in the light of the last few rays of sun glinting through her window. Spike was out running errands, and she was left home alone. She felt like she'd be safer with someone else with her, like having a buddy would ward the feeling off. Like being with someone else would save her. She arose from the spot on the sofa, carefully binding the book's lace back in a nice little bow; too neat for such an old book.

"Hello?" Rarity's voice rang through the phone and into Twilight's ears.

"Hey Rarity, I was wondering if you'd like to come over and read a book I got with me. It seems very... I dunno. Just strange." Twilight glanced back at the book as if it had moved.

"Sorry dear, but I'm quite busy with Applejack. You know how our schedules are and we can spend only so much time together, is that okay? I'm helping her with the apples so we can't both come over, and this is my only break..." Rarity trailed off.

"No, that's okay. I'll call Pinkie or Rainbow."

"Ta ta, then, Twilight." Rarity smiled as she hung up. The white woman then went back to her girlfriend, helping with her magic to clean the apples she bucked. Applejack pecked her on the cheek before kicking the tree once more.

Twilight sighed. That meant she only had three more friends she could call. Not including Spike, but he probably wouldn't want to read it with her anyways; that's how teenage dragon humanoids are. Twilight dialed Pinkie Pie's number and waited. And waited. And waited some more.

"H-E-L-L-O?" Pinkie Pie called into the phone, music blasting out with her voice.

"Hi Pinkie! What are you doing?" Twilight had to shout for Pinkie to even hear.

"Oh, I'm at a party! I was helping Octavia and Vinyl Scratch celebrate their anniversary! Huh?" Pinkie called out to another person. "Sorry Twi, gotta go!"

"Well then," Twilight said as she scratched her head before dialing another number.

"Hey Fluttershy, I was wondering if you'd like to come over and read this book I got with me?" Twilight sighed.

"What kind of book is it?" Her delicate voice asked back.

"It looks kinda like a diary from a very long time ago. I got this feeling like I'm... being watched, and-Hello? Hello?" Twilight asked to nobody.

On the other end, Flutters slammed the phone down and ran to her room, soon to be comforted by her animals. Twilight sighed and dialed the last number she knew by heart.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rainbow Dash! I got this ancient book and it looks like a diary and I'm scared to read it alone!" Twilight blurted into the phone, immediately becoming red in the face.

"So, you want me to come over there and read an old diary with you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Uh... pretty much, yeah."

"I'll be there in like, two minutes." Rainbow Dash said briefly, then hung up.

"Wow, I didn't think she'd say yes." Twilight wondered aloud.

She walked back over to the book and sat down, staring at the cover. She could faintly make out a few words, but they seemed illogical. Something Something Diary Do Something Something EVER!!! "Ever" was underlined lightly and was fading a bit, but was still readable. Twilight heard a knock on her door and allowed the cyan avivan in. They sat down and studied the book's cover together.

"I'm not sure we should open it. It seems like it's Someone's something Diary, Do not open ever? Does that sound right?" Rainbow pointed out.

"Yeah, but we're missing who it belongs to and another word. Someone's Secret Diary, maybe. But why have it in a library if it wasn't supposed to be opened?" Twilight had a point there.

The two looked at one another, confusion and worry clear on their faces. They looked at the book, and decided to open it. To jump in. To become a pony stuck in a war. To read what was supposed to be gone long, long ago.