Star Narrow Path

The setting sun bathed the land in an unnatural glow as a young unicorn mare with a gleaming white coat, and a red mane with strokes of golden in it journeyed the path of  the Everfree Forest. Just beyond her flank (And on her flank was a star shooting through the sky, a golden lightning streak flying behind it) the Cutie Mark Crusaders trotting along behind her, chattering away like a trio of rather annoying bug.

"Ah dunno ya'll," Apple Bloom said, "Are ya sure that we'll be good Carrot Growers?"

"Sure we will!" Scootaloo smiled, "All we have to do is ask Carrot Top, right? And once she agrees, bingo! We'll have our cutie marks in no time!"

"First we're going to have to ask Zecora the best way to do that!" Sweetie Belle chimed in.

"Hey Dinky," Scootaloo said, turning to look at their newest addition to the group, "Your lagging behind! What's up?"

"N...nothing," Dinky whimpered, running up to them.

"I reckon ya'll are scared of this place," Apple Bloom teased.

"N...no I'm not, I'm just interested in it," Dinky said, "It's a new place you know? Plus I just can't stop thinking about the muffins Mom made earlier today!"

"Derpy sure does like those muffins," Scootaloo rolled her eyes, "She loves them so much, she could marry them!" The other fillies giggled.

"Okay girls, that's enough!" Star Shower said, noticing out of the corner of her eye, Dinky's shoulders drooping, "Remember that I'm only taking you here to stop your whining! As well, this is a privilege, and don't think I can revoke it!"

"What does 'revoke' mean?" Sweetie Belle asked. Star Shower rolled her eyes.

"Revoke means to take away," She explained, "Meaning I can make you little fillies turn right around and trot back to Ponyville!" Her horn sparked for added emphasis.

"Yes Miss Star Shower!"

"'Course Star Shower!"

"You got it!"

"Yeah!"

Dinky added hers halfheartedly. Slightly amused and at the same time annoyed, Star Shower shoved aside a few branches with her magic.

"Hey! Hey!" Apple Bloom announced, "We're here! It's Zecora's!" Squeaking and jumbling over each other, the four fillies jostled to get into Zecora's hut first. Shaking her head, Star Shower followed them. When she arrived in the hut, Zecora was already mixing up something up for her four small guests. Star Shower's horn glowed and the door closed with a soft snap. Zecora looked up, and smiled.

"Ah, of course Star Shower," She said, "I should have known you were coming when I saw these fillies." Ignoring the fact the Zecora seemed to be nervous, and her rhyming was off.

"I'm sorry to burst in on you like this," She told Zecora.

"Do not be silly! You are always welcome my little filly!"

She gave Star Shower a weak smile, and slipped five cups of tea onto the table, obviously forgetting the fact that the four fillies were a little to young to be drinking tea.

"Are ya'll okay?" Apple Bloom said, looking over her cup at Zecora, who was mixing up something that looked suspiciously like throw-up.

"Okay?" Zecora asked incredulously, "I am certainly not. Are you not aware of the Darkness to be fought?"

"What Darkness?" Star Shower asked.

"Tonight will be a night of fear, but you need to leave now, or you might shed a tear."

"Shed a tear? That's ridiculous!" Scootaloo laughed.

"Yeah, apart from that though Zecora, we want to ask you something!" Sweetie Belle said, putting her teacup down, and putting her hooves together.

"Ask me what you will," Zecora sighed, fumbling with a milk jar, but dropping it. It shattered upon connecting with the dusty floor of Zecora's hut.

"We wanna know what we can do ter convince Carrot Top to help us earn our cutie marks by growin' carrots."

"Silly question little ones," Zecora said, "Have you've been in the sun?"

"No!" Dinky said incredulously. Zecora frowned slightly.

A few hours later, Star Shower took the chance to glance out the window. She gasped slightly as she saw no trace of the sun.

"Everythin' alrigh'?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Yes," Star Shower said, "We've stayed here a bit too long."

"Leaving already?" Zecora asked.

"We've got to go Zecora," Star Shower said, "Their families must be worried by now." She raised her hoof in farewell as her horn's glow closed around the door handle, and it opened. She ushered the fillies outside, not realizing what Zecora's warning had meant.

For tonight, would truly be a night of fear.