Autumn Nightsby AutumnHeart52413ChaptersPrologue: In the Moonlight Chapter 1: The PackageChapter 2: The VisitorChapter 3: The DressChapter 4: The WineChapter 5: The Captivity Prologue: In the Moonlight Author's Note *Re-uploaded finally due to technical difficulties. I will re-work my edits starting Monday* This fanfic is based on the song, “Autumn-Halloween Remix” by JackleApp (YouTube name psychgoth.) It is also based on a prior fic by Brindle. This person laid out the original story and plot for this fic, and I asked if I could add to it in my own work. Brindle gave me permission to have at it, so I thank him so much for that! I suggest that you do give the original fic a look here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/90736/autumn-night#comment/2927424 Also, as a warning, this fic may include minor cursing, gore, mild violence, and slightly disturbing scenes. (But don’t worry, it’s not a Cupcakes remake, I swear :) Now with that being said, hope you enjoy this fic! Prologue: In the Moonlight Prologue: In the Moon Light Darkness fell over the Everfree forest. Luna had blessed the ponies with a beautiful clear night. The autumn wind was crisp and chilling, and the only other ponies for miles were those asleep in Canterlot, that is, except for the small hunting party marching down the small dirt path. There were about twenty of them, many of them with in a young age. Anypony would think it was suicide to go after their monster, but not these brave stallions. They knew this thing must be slain immediately before anypony else was harmed. The stallion leading the party was a grey earth pony with a black mane and a bow and arrow for a cutie mark. His name was Quick Shot, and was the oldest and most determined pony in the group. He had his bow kept in its sling, while the others around him were equipped with torches and pitchforks, prepared to follow any command. Most ponies were like stones, unphased by passing noises or the smell of danger. However, one or two of them didn’t have it in them to march out there in the darkness. One pony in particular was a black unicorn with a blond mane, who trailed behind the others. This pony was very young, only barely a stallion, and his held torch was his only comfort. He was only a farmer, and was not equip with a soldier’s heart or strength. He only came to prove to his family back home that he was capable of being brave. He regrets that decision now… Suddenly, he heard a bush move behind him, and he jumped with a start. He turned to the location of the sound and examined the scene, but later concluded that there was no life beyond that bush, and he scolded himself for imagining silly things like that. “David!” He jerked his head toward the pony calling him. A green and white earth pony called again. “David! Where are you?” “I’m over here!” David responded. “I’m coming!” He took a few steps forward, but suddenly froze. He could almost barely hear hoofsteps coming from the trees next to the path. He held his breath, and listened closely. The wind was quiet, and the woodland animals were fast asleep in their homes. Even the hunters were now far enough to be inaudible. If it weren’t for the complete silence, would have missed the faint crunch of the autumn leaves beneath the hooves of a pony-being within the deep forest. He knew he wasn’t imagining that. “W-who’s there?” he called out into the darkness, his shaky voice making him sound like a frightened foal. He waved his torch to chase away the darkness. The crunching stopped, and a deafening silence filled David with unease. The group was now completely out of sight. He couldn’t take the creepiness anymore. He ran toward the group as fast as he could, wanting desperately to escape the darkness. To his horror, the hoofsteps started again, louder and faster than before. His predator was swift, which David to push his running into overdrive. His heart beat was loud enough to hear, and his lungs were close to exploding. The sheer terror was the only thing keeping him from passing out. Over the horizon, he thought he could see the dim lights of the torches ahead. He was almost there! Alas, his victory was short lived. His eyes were so focused on his friends ahead that he didn’t notice the large rock jutted upwards in the middle of the road, and tripped over it. The trip had startled him enough for him to lose his magical grip on the torch, and he scrambled to get up and grab his only light source. Luckily, the torch was still lit, so he could still see around him. As he gathered himself, he realized that he was alone again. He looked about, but all was calm, as if he hadn’t just spent the past few minutes galloping for his dear life. He sighed a breath of relief and continued. Despite the darkness and the narrow escape from death he had witnessed, David felt alive. In fact, the terror in his body had been overcome with pure adrenaline. He felt invincible! He had always hid and shied away from danger and fear, but now, he could not believe how fun it was! “Is that all you’ve got!?!” He called into the oblivious night. He began to laugh as he walked back toward the group. His eyes showed valiance and victory, and he couldn’t wait to tell the other ponies how he had escaped death. His laughter became very loud, probably loud enough for an animal to hear from quite a ways away. The hunting party down the road could hear it as well, and followed the sound to its origin. In fact, the laughter was so loud, it masked the sound of heavy breathing coming from behind him. David walked down the path, his torch lighting up the area before him, and his head held high. He was done taunting, so the beast took that opportunity to pounce. David let out a surprised cry as a body pushed him down to the ground. In his surprise, he dropped the torch, which landed next to them before going out. It was absolutely dark, but David managed to make out his opponent's snow-white coat, dusky grey mane, and blood-red eyes. He recognized these characteristics immediately, for this was the beast they had been hunting down. How unfortunately the tables have turned… This beast looked like a normal pony, for the most part. The biggest difference was the sharp fangs that protruded from the roof his blood-thirsty mouth. He turned from a valiant hero to a terrified foal the moment he felt the blood beast's breath against his face. He let out a scream, but it was cut short by a sharp pain in his neck. The pain only lasted a moment, for he could feel blood leaving his body and being replaced by a soothing liquid. His terror ceased, for the soothing liquids caused his mind to become calm and at peace. He felt as if his body was falling asleep, and could not move anything, nor use his magic. He felt his hooves grow cold, but he didn't care. He was going to sleep now, and he hoped that he might have a lovely dream. He managed to form a smile before closing his eyes for the last time. Chapter 1: The PackageChapter 1: The Package The sun was going down, and Ditzy Doo had finished her shift at the post office. The pocket watch that she kept in her mailbag read 7:33 PM. The days were getting shorter, it seemed, and Night Mare Night decorations were beginning to dominate front lawns and shop windows. Night Mare Night was not until October 31, which was about three weeks away, but that did not stop eager young fillies and colts from parading down the streets in their homemade costumes. She landed in front of the Golden Oaks library. Her friend, Twilight Sparkle, had asked her to meet with her after her shift at the post office earlier today…or at least she thought it was today. She sometimes had trouble keeping track of the time, and her mixed up eyes made it easy for her to get lost or bump into things. She had such a klutzy reputation, it was hard to believe that she’s never been fired in the six years she worked for Pony Express. Ditzy knocked on the door. A breeze picked up behind her, sending chills down her spine. The days are only going to get colder, Ditzy told herself. I’d better get myself something warm to wear before winter hits. Twilight opened the door moments later, and Ditzy couldn’t help but to flinch when she saw her friend. Her eyes were dull and her mane was a tangled jungle. Her purple coat looked slightly grey, as if it hadn’t been exposed to the sun in days. She looked so…tired… When Twilight’s eyes met Ditzy’s, they seemed to glow, despite their current state. “THERE you are! WHERE have you BEEN?!” she exclaimed. “I thought I asked you to come in days ago!” Ditzy blushed, apparently she was wrong “Sorry…” Ditzy began. “I guess I just lost track of the time, and I-” “That’s okay, it doesn’t matter.” Twilight quickly interrupted. “You’re here now, and that’s the important thing.” She moved inside the building, and waved her hoof to Ditzy, in invitation. As Ditzy entered, she realized how messy the place looked. The books, papers, quills, and inkpots were scattered across the floor, and there was no way she would let the place look like this unless she was too preoccupied with something super intense. Twilight caught her gazing at the destroyed room. “Yes, I know the place looks bad, and I’ll fix it later.” She defended. “This is more important.” Well there’s something that I never thought I would hear out of her mouth. Ditzy thought to herself. Twilight searched the desks and drawers for something. After a few moments, she stopped, as if she had just remembered something. “Wait here,” she instructed, and trotted upstairs. Ditzy scanned the room again. The mess reminded her of the time she visited her friend Rainbow Dash at her cloud house above Ponyville. At one point, Rainbow had to leave the room for a moment, leaving Ditzy on her own. Ditzy had managed to trip over Dash’s coffee table, causing her to crash into a nearby lamp. The lamp fell and shattered on the floor, but not before it was able to hit her on the head, which lead her to stumble backwards onto a shelf filled with items and artifacts which rained down on her on impact. Ditzy was unable to watch the rest of the disaster unfold because of all the pain the objects had given her when she fell, but when she opened her eyes, it looked as if a bomb had gone off in Dash’s living room. Rainbow arrived seconds later, her mouth agape with a mixture of fear, surprise, and furry. Ditzy remembered lots of yelling and cursing following that, most of it along the lines of: “Damn it Derpy!” “What the hell is wrong with you?!?” “I only left you alone for a minute!” “How could I have been so stupid as to let your clumsy ass enter my house?” Ditzy never liked the name “Derpy”. It was a rude name that bullies would call her because of her eyes, and it really hurt when Rainbow Dash called her that. She left after that, and hadn’t talked to Rainbow since. After quite a wait, Twilight returned, levitating a medium-sized package, about the size of a large book. There were no stamps, no addresses; nothing except for a small sticker on the side that read: “To my dear friend, Jackle” “Princess Luna sent this to me about a week ago.” She explained “I tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.” She glanced over at the box for a second, “Hard to believe, seeing that it’s just a simple cardboard box…” she added. She then pulled out a letter and gave it to Ditzy. “Anyway, she sent me these instructions shortly after I received it.” Ditzy stared at the writing on the paper and began to sound out the words under her breath. The addresses on the packages for her to deliver were big and simple enough for her to read without too much difficulty, but when it came to reading books or papers, the text was always too small and close together for her to read quickly. Twilight quickly took notice of this, sighed, and took the paper back and read; “Dear Twilight Sparkle, Following this letter is an important parcel that must be delivered to a close friend of ours whom dwelleth in and old manor in the Everfree Forest. Unfortunately, His home has a spell cast on it, making it rather difficult to find. If we can remember correctly, we believe it could only be found by, ‘A pony with lost eyes and a true heart.’ We trust that you can work past this spell and deliver it. Do not disappoint us…this is very, very important. Sincerely, thy royal princess of the night, Princess Luna” “I don’t get it,” Ditzy responded after a short while. “How are you supposed to find this place?” Twilight’s face fell. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve tried every spell I know to find the place myself, but nothing’s worked.” She let out a long, tiring yawn, her hard work and stress seemed to be catching up to her. “But I can’t let the princess down.” Her voice was dull and hopeless, weighted with defeat . She let out a sorrowful sigh and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes a second or so later and spotted Ditzy again, and felt a drop of hope drip from the inside of her heart. “Now, that’s where you come in…” She started again with a slightly confident smile. “I thought that you might possibly be able to find this place.” “ME?” Ditzy asked, astonished. “How do you expect somepony like me to find this guy? I can hardly find anything outside of Ponyville, much less inside the Everfree forest.” Twilight’s eyes fell to the floor, her confidence died along with the smile on her muzzle. “W-well…I thought, maybe-” she stammered. “-when I was searching the Everfree myself, I couldn’t help but wonder what Princess Luna meant by ‘Lost Eyes’. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it meant that I had to become lost, but there could possibly be more to it…” Twilight looked at Ditzy’s face and looked like she was going to say something more, but she changed her mind and continued. “You, on the other hoof, are a pony that can get herself lost quite easily…no offence…” Ditzy didn’t really didn’t mind. In fact, she thought she could recall seeing a building like this before, but she wasn’t certain. She thought for a few moments. Twilight did seem truly desperate for help, and Ditzy did not want to disappoint a friend. “I think I might be able to help,” Ditzy replied with a friendly, yet doubtful grin. Twilight perked up. “Really? You mean it?!” This sudden spark of joy surprised Ditzy. “Umm, I can sure try.” Twilight lit up at this, and began to bounce around in circles around Ditzy in pure delight. "THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!" She exclaimed, but her rapid speech slurred the words together, making it hard to understand. She eventually calmed down and gave Ditzy the package. “Now, just in case you don’t find this pony, give the package back to me tomorrow evening” She instructed. Ditzy nodded in understanding and stored it in her messenger bag. “Oh, and one more thing!” Twilight called as Ditzy turned to leave: “Whatever you do, do not enter this pony’s home. We don’t know if he’s a safe pony or not. Besides, there’s probably a reason this pony keeps himself isolated in the woods. Chapter 2: The VisitorChapter 2: The Visitor Ditzy starred at the dark, saggy manor before her. The sun had disappeared by now, so the full moon was now her only source of light. The air around her was crisp, more so than it should be this early in the season. Leaves littered the unkempt front lawn, and she began to wonder if the house was abandoned. The Everfree Forest was always a scary place, and not many wanted to visit. Ditzy didn’t want to stay longer than she had to. It only took her about an hour or so to find the place, and didn’t run into much trouble. Her only problem was the illusion of danger that welcomed her once she first stepped hoof in the forest. That alone made her want to turn and quit, but she didn’t want to let Twilight down so she swallowed her fears and followed through with her task. She slowly walked up to the building with growing caution as the leaves crunched beneath her hooves. The wind nipped at her skin though her fur, setting her teeth on edge. It wisped though the trees around her, as if it wanted to hide a creature that was stocking her. “GRRRRROOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!” A loud moan sounded out of the blue. She jumped several feet in the air. She spun about in horror in search of the origin….but found nothing. It sounded again, but much quieter, and she gazed down at her stomach to find it rumbling impatiently. She let out a sigh of both relief and annoyance having realized that she'd been so wrapped up in Twilight’s quest that she forgot to eat supper. She put her hunger aside and proceeded to the house. "You can eat later", she scolded herself. "Quit being so jumpy." She arrived at the porch to find that the wood was very old. It looked like the wooden planks used to be a bluish color, but were mostly grey now. They gave an agonizing creak with each step, and threatened to completely collapse underneath her. She set the box down at the foot of the door and turned to leave when a familiar feeling stopped her. She couldn't just leave the package there to fend for itself. What if the owner never got to it? What if something came over and stole it? She needed to make sure that this pony got his package. This was a lesson she learned one time when she left Mr. and Mrs. Cakes’ super important special ingredient to sit at the door of Sugar Cube Corner. Apparently, some other baker stole it before the Cakes could retrieve it, so the bakery went without it’s special Lemon Muffin Surprise for several months. “Ponies not presented their prescribed packages properly leads to problems” Her boss had told her. She lifted a hoof to knock on the door when Twilight’s words returned to her. She knew she shouldn't talk to this pony, but at the same time, she knew that it was important for this pony to get his mail from the princess. She decided to ignore Twilight’s warning and knocked on the door. How could Twilight know if this was a bad pony without even seeing his face anyway? Her knocks echoed through the house, but a response never came. The wind picked up once again behind her, causing the leaves to jump up and dance around in the air. After a few moments she banged the door again, a bit harder this time, but was greeted with the same silence. Ditzy began to wonder if she got the wrong house. Maybe there was another old, creaky manor out in the Everfree Forest with a weird spell casted on it giving refuge to some equally old pony, she wondered doubtfully but optimistically. She picked the package back up and turned to begin her search. She got to the steps leading off the porch when she heard the door creek open behind her. She spun back around to see a white muzzle and hoof peek out from behind the door. “Umm…H-hello….” She greeted nervously. “A-are you the resident here?” The door creaked open a little more, and she could see most of the pony now. He appeared to be quite young, Ditzy noticed with some surprise, probably a little older than herself. His snow-white coat shone in the moon light, and complemented his silver mane. He was beautiful, but he stared at her with dark, red, unsettling eyes. “Yes, I am,” He replied. His voice was deep, but smooth and somewhat soothing. She placed the package back on the ground and pushed it over. “This package is for you.” He gazed at the package indifferently for a few moments, and then turned back to Ditzy. She stared back with a stiff smile on her face. They stood for several moments in an awkward silence as the breeze picked back up behind them. His admiring gaze felt less sinister, but Ditzy still kept her guard up. Then, without taking his eyes off of her, he pulled the package to him with a powdery hoof and kicked it inside. After a few more moments under his uncomfortable gaze, Ditzy broke the silence with a short, cramped laugh. “Well….I’d better head out now…” She spoke, and the other pony’s trance was broken once she turned to leave. “Wait!” He called. When she turned, his face felt more welcoming than before. “What is your name?” He asked. This caught Ditzy a bit off guard. A voice in her head nagged at her, warning her not to talk to him, but now that she was seeing more of him, he didn't seem half bad. “My name is Ditzy Doo.” She answered, and his face seemed to light up a bit. “Why hello, miss Ditzy Doo. It is wonderful to have you here. My name is Jackle.” Any awkwardness or uncertainty from before was absent in his voice, and his greeting was entirely heart-felt. “Would you care to join me for supper? I haven’t had a visitor in so long.” “Supper? Well, umm…I’m not all that hungry…. but…” She began, but her stomach interrupted her with an audible growl of protest. She was, in fact, absolutely starving. The mere mention of food at this time was enough to make her do anything. “Actually, I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for a little while.” “Excellent!” He exclaimed. “Do come in then!” He was elated to finally have some sort of guest in his home. Maybe, just this one visit, might be enough to pull him back from his terrible state. Author's Note Yes, "Jackle" as in "Jackle App", The person who made the song in the first place Chapter 3: The DressChapter 3: The Dress Ditzy Doo was shocked to find how fresh and clean everything was inside, despite its rotting exterior. The front room was huge, bigger than one would think when looking from the outside. The place was lit by a large chandelier on the ceiling and other small candles placed on walls around the room next to pictures and statues, creating a warm, romantic glow. A wide staircase stood at the back, leading upwards a little before splitting to the sides, probably leading to other rooms. The creepiness from earlier evaporated at the sight of this elegant room. She could see Jackle’s entire body now. His tail was a little stubby, but not any less mystical then his mane. His cutiemark was an eerie crescent moon, red, like his eyes. Ditzy couldn’t help but wonder what that meant. On his head he wore a small black top hat, and a short fancy cape was behind his back. It sort of reminded her of a magician. “Why don’t you set your bag down on the table by the door?” Jackle suggested. “It must be a real bother having to carry that heavy thing all over the place.” She did so, but noticed the package lying lonesome on the other side of the door. “Aren’t you going to open your package?” she asked him. “I’ll get to it a later.” He answered “It would be rude to preoccupy myself when I have a guest over.” Ditzy nodded and followed Jackle. Jackle spoke about dinner as they started up the staircase. He described the dish as something “truly exquisite”. The food he talked about had long, fancy names that Ditzy had a bit of trouble understanding, but she just nodded along anyway. He seemed truly proud of himself, and she could sense a sliver of excitement in his voice. She also noticed just how nice this pony was. Twilight was wrong, She told herself. Come to think of it, this is probably the nicest stallion I’ve ever met. He hasn't even pointed out my eyes yet. “It should be ready at seven.” He concluded after they reached the final step. He studied Ditzy for a moment, then spoke, “It is, however, a custom of mine to be well dressed when dining with others.” “Oh…” She looked down at her bare body. Ponies didn't usually wear clothing, so it was no surprise she wouldn't wear any on a normal mail trip. “I…I didn't bring anything…” He smiled. “That’s alright.” He pointed a hoof to the staircase to the right. “I have a dress you can borrow in the hallway upstairs. Just go into the third door to your left.” She let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, ok then. Thank you.” “It’s not a problem. You can meet me in the dining hall when you are ready” He pointed a hoof to the left. “It’s the large room at the end of the hall, you can’t miss it.” Ditzy nodded, it didn’t seem too difficult. After a short farewell, they parted. The dull hallway stretched before her, and the candle light glowed just bright enough to see the dozens of doors. Almost all of them were closed and locked, forbidding this new stranger from intruding. She eventually found a free door and assumed this was the room Jackle had talked about. The door opened with a loud creak that echoed down the hall. It was completely dark inside. No of the candles were lit, so she felt around for something to light. She pawed at a few structures by the wall unsuccessfully before she ventured towards the middle of the room. Once her eyes adjusted to this new lighting, she could just barely make out a window on the wall in front of her. She began to walk over to it when something caught on her front hoof, causing her to trip and hit her head on something that felt like a bed post. “GAAH!” She cried as her head struck, and it began throbbing almost instantly. She raised her hoof to rub her forehead when a faint whisper sounded in her ear, turning her blood to ice. “Who are you, kid?” It asked her, and she thought she felt a faint hoof resting on her shoulder. It sounded mostly like a mare, but there was dryness in her voice, like she was sick. “She won’t even last the night.” Whispered a second, this one sounding like a young colt, but had the same raspy after-tone as the first. Ditzy was frozen in place, but her heart pumped as if it were on fire. Were these ghosts? Her mind raced with panicky questions that couldn't be answered. The female gave a short, hushed laugh, as if mocking her fear. The soft hoof left her shoulder, and the spell was broken. She bolted for the door before they could continue their torture. “Farewell, see you soon.” The colt-voice whispered as she left. She slammed the door behind her, and leaned on it to keep the voices from escaping. Her face showed pure terror. The deep gasps she made matched the volume of her violently thumping heart, and she slowly sank to the floor. As she sat at the foot of the door, her emotions began to kick back in. Oddly enough though, she felt like crying rather than screaming or cowering, the shock was just too much. What was she to do? Should she tell Jackle? Would he believe her? Should she run away? After a while, she calmed down enough get back up. What were they talking about anyway? She asked herself. What they said didn’t make much sense, and didn’t even feel real to her now. One thing was for certain, she was not going back into that room again. Was it real? She wondered. The events that had just transpired seemed to be growing fuzzy, and she now couldn’t remember what the first voice said. I did hit my head really hard. I could’ve easily imagined it. That thought soothed her somewhat. Something like that did, in fact, happen before on a mail route, though she couldn’t remember it that clearly. It didn’t happen…She concluded, it was just my imagination.Yet, despite this notion, she still couldn’t bring herself to return to that room. It was at this moment when she realized that she was on the right side of the hallway. Wait a sec… The realization crept in. Didn’t Jackle say that the correct room was on the left? She walked over to the door in front of her and, sure enough, the door was unlocked. She felt like smacking herself, but the trip from earlier had already done enough. She entered, but this time took a candle from the wall of the hallway to light the path. The candle had a flat bottom and a tip at the end so it was easy to carry in her mouth without burning herself. It was a small room, apparently only made for one pony. The candle she had was enough to light most of the area, so she sat it down on the dresser next to her. There wasn’t much inside, just a bed, a cabinet, and a dresser with a mirror. There was also an open window in the same spot on the wall as the other room, but this one was facing the moon, which shed light over the entire Everfree Forest. Ditzy walked over to the window to admire the view. The breeze was slow and pleasant, and when she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself siting on one of the clouds above. After a few moments of reminiscing, she opened her eyes and returned to the small room. I should probably get dressed, she reminded herself. Before she left, though, she caught sight of Ponyville in the distance. Twilight’s words returned to her one again, nagging more than before. She turned from the window with spite. How dare she just assume something like that. She scoffed. She walked over to the cabinet nearby. There was an assortment of old dresses inside, but after trying most of them on, she found that they were all too big. After much rummaging, she came across a small dress that was tucked away in the corner, and after putting it on, found that it was just the right size. She examined herself. The dress was mostly black, but it had a white on the collar and at the end of the sleeves. Underneath the collar was a small, red gem, a drop of blood on a white canvas. It was very old fashion, but was comfortable enough. It also came with a black veil, which she could easily tuck the ends behind her ears. She felt as if something were missing. Her eyes fell on a small jewelry box that stood close to her candle. Would Jackle mind if I used some of these as well? She wondered. She lifted the lid curiously. She at least wanted to take a peek. There were many jewels and chains inside, though most of them were too extravagant and flashy for her simple outfit. She did, however, find a pair of pearl earrings and a bracelet to match. She tried them on, and sure enough, they complemented the dress well. She admired herself in the mirror for a while. A smile appeared on her face, and she danced and twirled around in her outfit. How wonderful! She thought to herself. I really do look gorgeous. She stopped; this feeling of gleeful beauty had taken her by surprise. She realized that she’d never felt like this before, like she was actually attractive for once. Her wall eyes and clumsy behavior would usually set the stallions off, so she just gave up. This feeling she had, it felt wonderful. Perhaps this is what that fashion pony Rarity feels all the time! After a few more moments of glee, she composed herself and put away the dresses and jewelry she took out while searching for her ensemble. She walked over to the bed were she left the dresses after she tried them on. She gathered them all up at once, but found them all very heavy. It was only a matter of time before she stepped on the tail of one of them and tripped. The dresses fell to the floor in a mess around her hooves. Ditzy stumbled forward, and crashed into the base of the dresser. “Uhhh…” she moaned as the dresser wobbled behind her. She heard a metallic thud next to her, followed by a few snaps and clanks. She turned, and stared in horror at the broken jewelry box next to her. The lid was off of its hinges, and its contents were scattered about. One necklace was even cracked. “Oh no!” She gasped, and she frantically gathered the pieces. Damn it, Derpy, she scolded herself, using that harsh nickname as punishment. She put them all in the box and looked around for the lid, and found it on top of a folded, yellowed paper. "What is this?" She picked up the paper and opened it up. There was a note inside written in a thin, black ink. She wanted to read it, but the ring of a great grandfather clock interrupted her. It struck seven times, and Ditzy suddenly remembered the dinner. She clumsy set the lid back on the box and tucked it away at the end of the dresser. The note intrigued her, so she stuck it into a small pocket inside the dress. She threw the other dresses into the cabinet and ran out of the room. She didn’t want to be late. Author's Note Yay! I finally got it all typed up! This was the longest chapter so far too, although in the draft, it was about the same size as the others. I guess it just goes to show how last minute ideas can come at you (Take the voices, for example. Those just came to me :) ) Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, I hope to get started with the next one soon! Chapter 4: The WineChapter 4: Red Wine Ditzy stepped into the large dining room. It was filled with many small round tables, and had one long table running down the middle. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, giving off a warm glow. Large windows stood at the end of the room opposite to her, tightly shut and partially covered by its curtains, hiding the full moon that shone so brightly. She walked over to the long table to see that food had already been placed, sitting neatly as it awaited its consumers. Jackle sat at the end, near the windows, and looked small compared to the gigantic room. He wore a black top hat with a short cape to match. His white bow-tie and hoof-cuff-links made him look worthy of The Gala in Canterlot. He appeared to be a little uncomfortable sitting by himself, but once his eyes caught sight of Ditzy, it disappeared, and he gave her a warm, welcoming smile. “Sorry I’m late, I got a little lost,” Ditzy apologized. Jackle gave a short laugh and smiled. “That’s alright,” he said. “It’s a big house. I’ve gotten lost a few times myself.” He gazed at Ditzy’s outfit. “You look lovely this evening.” He admired. She looked down at herself and blushed. “T-thank you,” she murmured. “You look very nice yourself.” He responded with a nod. “Come, sit.” He gestured to the chair across from him. She nodded and took her seat. There was a large variety of food placed about the table, still hot and delicious, as if it had just come out of the kitchen. There was food from their end of the table to the middle, and Ditzy wondered if she would even be able to eat all of it. There were potatoes, casseroles, pastas, salads, veggies, loaves of bread, creams, butters, sauces, and things that she never knew existed. Her stomach threatened to growl again, she couldn't wait to serve herself. “I see you’re hungry,” he grinned. “We can serve ourselves in a moment, but would you mind if I say grace first?” Ditzy shook her head. “No, of course not, go ahead.” They clasped their hooves and bowed their heads as Jackle thanked he heavens above for the food. He spoke with words that sounded olden and unfamiliar to Ditzy. Well, he defiantly is old fashioned, Ditzy thought to herself, But he looks so young, is there something I’m missing here? He soon finished with an Amen, and Jackle turned to Ditzy with a smile. “Go ahead,” he invited, “help yourself.” She thanked him graciously and began to serve herself. Once her plate was covered with as many exotic foods she could reach, Jackle reached over and grabbed a large glass bottle and a couple of golden, royal chalices. “Would you like some wine?” he asked as he popped off the cork on the top. “No thanks,” she answered, “I don’t really drink.” “Are you sure?” He poured himself a glass. “It’s been aging for generations, and I’ve been waiting to share it with a guest.” The wine was a sharp, red color which glistened like ruby in the candle light. The beautiful drink within the royal chalice looked fit for Princess Celestia herself, and she couldn’t resist. “Alright then,” she concluded. “I’ll have a little bit.” Jackle grinned and poured her glass half full. The food was the best she had ever had! She had an interesting pasta on one part of her plate that was covered in a wonderful cheese sauce that just danced in her mouth, and it went beautifully with her garlic bread, which was well seasoned and buttered. On another corner of the plate was a mixture of cooked vegetables that had an unknown but welcome flavoring added to it. A baked potato sat in the middle, cooked to the perfect temperature and filled with melted butter and cheddar cheese. A small bowl of soup sat next to the dish, and although it was not yet touched, it would soon deliver as much delight as the other food. The wine was the most enjoyable, to Ditzy’s surprise. It was cool and refreshing, and lacked the usual bitterness of alcohol. As it passed her lips, the smooth, unadulterated liquid would fill her with pleasure and comfort. She finished the glass before anything else, and Jackle was happy to refill it for her. “So, tell me about yourself,” said Jackle after a few moments. She blushed a little and responded. “Oh, there’s not too much to say, really.” “Well,” he started, “what is your profession? You are a mail-mare, correct?” She smiled. “Yea, I work for the Ponyville Post Office.” “Ponyville?” He gave her a puzzled look. “Where’s that?” Ditzy returned his confusion. “It’s the town right outside the forest. You've never heard of it?” “No, I haven’t…” He looked down and added softly, “I've never had a visitor before.” “Never?” She understood why, this place was in the middle of nowhere, and she just now remembered how creepy the outside felt. She had been treated so kindly she had forgotten how scared she felt before. Jackle shook his head. “In fact, you are the first pony I've seen in quite some time.” “Oh,” she looked away. “Well, Ponyville has been around for at least thirty years or so, you must have seen it before…” “Yes, well..” he started, “there’s an interesting thing about my house…you might have noticed it as you were looking for the place…” “What about it?” She asked as she took another sip of her wine. “Was this place hard for you to find?” he asked. She shook her head. “Not really, it only took me a little bit. Why?” “It wasn't?” Ditzy could hear the surprise in his voice, and for a split second he looked just a little bit hopeful. “Not for me, but I do know my friend Twilight couldn't find it,” she continued. “That’s why she sent me.” “That’s odd…” he trailed off. “How come you could find me, but she couldn't?” Ditzy thought this over, but failed to come up with any explanation. “I don’t know why, but what does this have to do with you not knowing about Ponyville?” “Well, the magic that has been keeping ponies out also keeps me imprisoned inside,” said Jackle. “I haven’t been able to travel much farther than the lawn for as long as I can remember.” “Oh my,” Ditzy cried. “That’s terrible! What kind of spell is this, anyway?” He sighed. “It’s supposed to protect me.” “Sounds more like house arrest to me.” Ditzy felt pretty sorry for him. She wanted to help, but she had no idea how to. “Do you know much else about the spell?” “Well, when I came here, I saw an open book on the front table,” he recollected. “There was a poem on it, and it wasn't until later I found out that the poem was the spell.” “How did it go?” Ditzy asked. He paused for a moment, as if trying to remember. Shortly after, he spoke; "A Pony, lost and withered away, Now has a new place to stay, Quiet and safe through night and day, But dark and lonely, to his dismay. A Pony, his heart bleeding, Could feel his past life receding, Knowing he would live without meeting, Knowing he would live without a beating. A Pony, with eyes lost, Saw the price and payed the cost, A Pony with a heart that's true, Shattered everything he knew. A Pony shall be left grim, Until he finds one just like him." Ditzy sat quietly and listened as he spoke. The mysterious words had intrigued her, and some of it sounded a little familiar, but she was halfway though her third glass, and the events of her day were beginning to fade. Her numbness prevented her from pondering this message any further, so she just shook her head and responded with an absent, "That really sucks, huh..." "I've been wondering about that spell for eons. I've been able to comprehend most of it, but I've always thought that the ending just contradicted itself." He said. "How do you mean?" "Well, it said he would 'Live without meeting,' yet, it stated he would be "Left grim until he finds one just like him." I didn't understand it, but maybe..." He trialed off. His eyes flashed with some new realization, but Ditzy hadn't noticed, for she had finished her glass, so he put the thought aside for now and filled her once more. "Well, lets change the subject," he smiled suddenly. "What is Ponyville like?" She looked a little passed him. "Oh, it's just a small little town, nothing too special." She replied indifferently as she took another sip. The food on her plate was mostly gone, but she hadn't touched since she got to her second or third glass of wine. "The ponies there are nice, and so is the apple orchid next door." "You don't seem too enthusiastic about the place." Jackle replied. "Is something wrong?" "Oh...well...you see..." She was debating whether to reveal what her klutziness had gotten her into back home, though it was already written all over her face. She blushed, and Jackle seemed to understand what was going on. He nodded. "Not the nicest of ponies to you, are they?" He predicted. She nodded and took another sip. "Yes, I know what you are feeling." He sighed. "The ponies of Canterlot weren't very fond of me either." "How come?" Ditzy couldn't imagine why such a generous pony would be cast aside like her. She put her lips to the chalice once more only to find it was empty, and Jackle refilled it again before continuing. "I was too smart for them, or at least that was what I liked to tell myself." He joked. "I was always into books and legends and such. I would spend hours at a time studying and trying to comprehend magic spells, dispute myself being an earth pony." His voice became more solemn as he continued. "The others, especially the unicorns, would mock me, and would tell me how unicorn magic was too complicated for a simple earth pony to comprehend. They would often kick me out of the library in my younger days, telling me to get back in the fields. Nopony had any faith in me, and they never realized what I could do." He gazed absently for a moment, "Well, maybe one did..." "I've got that exact same problem back home!" Ditzy nearly shouted in exasperation, partially due to her surprise, and partly due to the alcohol, which was taking a strong toll by now. "These ponies think that I'm an idiot just because I can't really see straight, and I can get a little clumsy at times. They all avoid me because they don't want to be affiliated with any destruction they think I'll cause." She paused for a moment, then added, "Hell, I probably just got my mail job because the boss felt sorry for me. The truth is that none of them care enough to get to know anything about me." "They just look at the surface," he spat. "not a damn thing has changed, has it?" "Apparently not." she scoffed. "The meaner ones would even get into mean names, like Cock-Eye or Derpy Hooves." "Well, at least 'Derpy Hooves' sounds a little cute." He responded. "They called me a Peon and a Muggle-Muffer." "A what?" Ditzy asked, nearly dazed by now. He gave a short laugh. "Muggle-Muffer is a very...err... derogatory term for an inferior earth pony that foolishly covets unicorn magic. I was at quite the disadvantage in Canterlot, because earth ponies were in the vast minority to uptight unicorns." She nodded, and peered into her now-empty cup, and Jackle filled it without question. This was her seventh glass. "I guess pony-racism did exist long ago, but I've never seen anything like that in Ponyville," she almost slurred. "My...my roommate is an earth pony, and my boss...he's a unicorn... They both seem to hate me equally." The room was turning fuzzy, though she didn't feel faint quite yet. "Both don't really know me as they should..." "Well, I'd like to get to know you," Jackle started. Ditzy looked up and gazed at him with astonishment. "Those other ponies are missing out. I can see for myself how lovely you really are, Ditzy, and..." His voice died down, but his eyes were still locked with hers. "I..." she began breathlessly. "...I don't know what to say...T-That means a lot." To her, that stallion was the only thing in the universe for this one moment. It was as if the rest of the world had become invisible, and Jackle was her light. She wanted to break him away from this dark prison and live with him in Ponyville, for she could live her life happily with him by her side. She wanted to bring him into the light, to return the joy he had just given her. She wanted his love, for they both knew that it was the one necessity that they had been deprived of for so long. He spoke, and she was shot back into reality. "You don't have to go back to all that, you know" She gave a short chuckle. "Oh, don't be silly. I will have to go to go home eventually." She knew well that while she loved Jackle dearly, she couldn't just leave everything she knew. Yes, there were some jerks, but she still liked Ponyville. "No, you don't," his face was hard, and Ditzy realized that he wasn't joking. "You can stay here, with me, forever" The cloudiness of the alcohol subsided as the weight of his proposal sank in. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here forever. I've still got responsibility, I have to help my roommate pay rent, there's lots of mail to be delivered, and I have ponies too look after. I love you, I honestly do, but..." "Then stay with me!" he burst out. Fear painted his face, he could not loose this chance. "Why would you waste your time with ponies who don't care about you?! Those...in-greats don't deserve your beauty. They can find somepony else to enslave..." His desperation turned to wrath as he rose from his seat. The features of his face were becoming sharper, and she watched in horror as his form grew several feet. His ears pointed at the tips like a bat. His muscles protruded from his now-greasy-looking coat. His clothes tore and fell to the ground, his irises turned to red slits, his teeth sharpened. His fangs glistened gruesomely as he growled, "Stay here....With ME!" The room shook as he shouted that last word. Terrified, Ditzy let out a scream and sprang out of her chair, but the dizziness struck her instantly and she tripped and kicked the table behind her with her hind hoof, launching the chalice into the air above her. They fell together in slow motion, it seemed, and everything else was covered by a black veil of darkness. She watched as liquid inside the glass sloshed about ungracefully, turning duller and blacker as it descended. She felt her limbs grow numb, and her mind began to shut down, but her vision was perfect. She saw this scene in high-definition, and could hear voices emerge. "I told you she wouldn't last the night." rasped the voice of a young colt, a familiar voice she had tried her best to forget about. "Yes, dear..." sighed the mare, "But it serves her right for letting my poor Jackle down." This wasn't a taunt. The ghost's voices were sorrowful. They didn't want this ending. She could see the colt in the golden reflection of the chalice, and his image shocked her. The young earth pony was covered in blood, and his possibly-tan coat was spotted with ugly rips and tares. His black mane and tail was matted and and well soaked. His eyes were piercingly black, save for his tiny, white pupils, and shadowy streaks were flowing out of them like tears. "We warned you." She and the cup hit the ground hard. The images vanished instantly, as with her vision. The cup lay on it's side, undamaged from the impact, releasing a black sludge that slowly seeped from the edge. Ditzy couldn't move, and her conscious was slipping away. She felt something pick her up, and before she passed out, Jackle hissed into her ear. "I promise, you will never want to leave...." Author's Note Don't worry, there won't be as bad as a delay before the next chapter. Summer means free time! Follow me on deviantart: http://thedragonfly52413.deviantart.com/ Chapter 5: The Captivity Chapter 5: The Captivity Chapter 5: The Captivity Everything was dark. Ditzy could feel herself floating aimlessly though oblivion for hours, or at least that was how it seemed, time had become foreign to her. She couldn’t move her body, nor could she talk or open her eyes. Her body had completely shut off. Am I dead? She wondered. For all she knew, her body could have disappeared, or left behind even. Last night felt fuzzy, but she did remember seeing Jackle turn into something…unpleasant. She had no idea what to do. She couldn't stand being all alone. She wanted to cry, to call for help, to beg for a friend…but even if she could, it would’ve been useless. After a while, she began to hear whispering in the distance. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she recognized their voices. A familiar sense of unease returned when she realized the ghosts from earlier were back, but this time, she couldn’t do anything about it. The whispers came in closer, and she started to understand them. “Don’t be afraid young one,” The Mare’s voice cooed. “You aren’t quite dead yet” Although Ditzy couldn’t see or feel the ghost, her voice was still enough to frighten her. Not quite dead? What is that supposed to mean? “You will wake up soon,” another voice responded, the colt she assumed. “Although, you may have some trouble.” It took a moment for Ditzy to realize that they could hear her thoughts. She knew that now was the time to get some answers. Who are you? Ditzy asked. She heard the mare give a short laugh. “You’ll find out soon enough. What do you want with me? “Nothing specifically from you… I don’t want to see Jackle hurt. I want to see him happy.” I don’t want him hurt either, but… I can’t stay here forever. “You don’t have to.” Ditzy felt a cold hoof touch her shoulder. The feeling both reassured her that she still had her body, but still gave her chills. “I want you to break the spell” Break the spell? Ditzy remembered the poem Jackle told her, but she had no idea what it meant or how to use it. How do I do that? The mare sighed. “Your eyes are as lost as his. It’s no wonder you can’t escape.” But, his eyes look fine. The colt chuckled. “Not like that, silly!” Huh? “Only when your hearts become true will the spell break,” The mare answered. Ditzy was becoming frustrated. That doesn't make any sense! How can I trust you if you won’t tell me anything helpful? “I’ll let you decide that on your own,” She responded stubbornly. Please! Ditzy plead desperately. I need to know what to do! There was no response. She could feel their presence leaving her. No! Please come back! She begged, but it was no use. They were gone, and Ditzy was once again left to drift alone in the darkness. Ditzy woke to the sound of a grandfather clock, which rang twelve times before she was fully aware of where she was. Ditzy was in a bedroom similar to the one she was in before, but without a cupboard or jewelry box. A lone candle lit the room, a dim, hopeful light within darkness of despair. She had been lain on the bed by someone, but her clothes were still on. She didn't feel that bad until she realized there was a thick, heavy chain attached to her torso. One end of the chain was firmly attached to the front-left bedpost, and was just long enough to allow Ditzy to walk around most of the room. She tried to get out of bed, but her legs shivered and wobbled too much for her to stand. She instead sat down and tried to remember what was going on. She remembered Jackle, as well as his...transformation. She also remembered how Jackle said he was stuck in this manor, and how desperately he wanted her to stay... The reality of her situation set in. Her heart thumped wildly, her breaths became gasps, and her hooves were shaky and sweaty. This couldn't be happening to her! If Jackle was going to be how he was like at dinner, she was going to be trapped here, maybe for the rest of her life if she didn't do anything! She screamed desperately for help, she couldn’t help it. The frantic calls echoed through the empty house for as long as they could before disappearing in the shadows. For several minutes, the screams continued before they were cut off but something in her throat. Cries turned to coughs, and Ditzy turned to lean off the side of the bed. Her throat burned as she sprayed the floor with a hideous black sludge. The coughing quickly turned into a violent fit that nearly suffocated her. The pain was unbearable, but she couldn’t stop. The tears in her eyes were her only response to this immense suffering. After a while, however, she did manage to stop, but her throat was left raw, and her stomach felt as if it had been beaten from the inside. There was now a puddle of sludge on the floor under her head, much like sludge that was in her cup before she passed out. The thought of drinking all that wine now made her feel terrible. “That monster poisoned me…” she rasped, but her deep, gravelly voice startled her. She didn’t sound like herself at all. She sounded older…darker… …scarier She laid her head down on the mattress for a while and tried to calm down. She later found the strength to pick herself up and climbed out of bed. Walking, however, was much harder. Her legs wobbled terribly as she stumbled her way over to the nearby mirror dresser. She began to gasp for air once again when she did reach it, but it was hardly because of the journey. This pony staring back at her…it didn’t look like her… Her coat and mane had dulled, and now sagged underneath the clothing and jewelry. Dark shadows had formed around her colorless eyes, as if she hadn’t slept at all. There were still some black droplets around her mouth, and when she opened her mouth, she discovered her tongue was completely black. The image shook her immensely. That alone nearly caused her to pass out, but she only stumbled to the side. What….what did he do to me…..? She wondered. Ditzy spent the next several minutes stumbling back to bed, the pain in her stomach worsening. She knew she had to lie down. She wrapped her frail body with the old blankets in an attempt to gain the slightest bit of comfort. Before she knew it, murky black tears were staining her cheeks. What am I going to do? She stayed there for quite a while, and nearly fell asleep before she was awoken at the sound of a door opening. Ditzy’s head shot up to see Jackle standing at the door, wearing his top hat and ripped cape. He looked normal, but his eyes seemed somewhat brighter. Ditzy’s fur stood on edge. She prepared to defend herself, despite her objecting stomach. Jackle noticed this and raised a hoof and replied calmly. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.” He came forward slowly, as if approaching a stray animal. “I do apologize for my actions earlier, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Ditzy wouldn't budge. She kept her eyes trained on his, her hooves at the ready. A silent minute passed before she spoke up. “What did you do to me?” She croaked. “What do you mean?” “The wine….What was in it?” “Oh, that,” Jackle was at the bed by now, but he was wise enough to keep his distance. “I assure you, nothing harmful was in there.” “Nothing harmful?!” An intense, uncontrollable rage erupted from within Ditzy all of a sudden. “I passed out! I’m sick, I can’t walk, I’m coughing up black slime for Celestia’s sake! How the Hell can you tell me I’m not being harmed?!” Jackle lowered his head, his face serious. “What I gave you is not harming you on it’s own. You’re bringing this harm upon yourself.” “What?!” Ditzy screamed. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You poisoned me, and you know it!” “You don’t understand…” Jackle sighed. “What don’t I understand?” She demanded. “Why are you doing this to me?” He paused for a moment, then came forward and put his hoof over her’s. Ditzy would have attacked, but something in the other pony’s eyes made her sit still. He showed no fear, no anger, no hate… instead, sincerity and love overtook his face. “Ditzy, I’m doing this because I love you, and I don’t want you to have to go back to such an unforgiving life.” He cooed. “I don’t want you to leave.” A few hours ago, Ditzy would've fallen for such a romantic act. Now, however, she only hardened her heart. She scrunched her face with disgust and turned away. “I will never love you as long as you keep me prisoner,” she spat. “Now let me be.” “But…” ”LEAVE ME ALONE!” An iron curtain had fallen between them. Jackle stepped back, his face painted with pain. He remained for a little while before he lowered his head and drifted to the door with a heavy heart. Ditzy felt no remorse for him. She kept her chin up and a sneer on her face as she watched him leave. Jackle closed the door behind him. With a crushing sigh, he put his back to the wall and slid down to the floor. What was he going to do? He loved Ditzy too much to let her go, but what good would it be to keep her here if she hated him? He couldn’t let this opportunity pass him up. It’s been forever since he’d seen someone so lovely. She was the closest he could get to… Jackle shook his head. This would not be the end. He must her. He picked himself up and began down the hallway. “I will get that mare's heart…” he muttered. “...at any cost…” Author's Note Yay! I did manage to get this chapter done before school :) Anyway, I recommend you click the watch button for progress updates, It'll keep you in the loop.
Prologue: In the Moonlight Author's Note *Re-uploaded finally due to technical difficulties. I will re-work my edits starting Monday* This fanfic is based on the song, “Autumn-Halloween Remix” by JackleApp (YouTube name psychgoth.) It is also based on a prior fic by Brindle. This person laid out the original story and plot for this fic, and I asked if I could add to it in my own work. Brindle gave me permission to have at it, so I thank him so much for that! I suggest that you do give the original fic a look here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/90736/autumn-night#comment/2927424 Also, as a warning, this fic may include minor cursing, gore, mild violence, and slightly disturbing scenes. (But don’t worry, it’s not a Cupcakes remake, I swear :) Now with that being said, hope you enjoy this fic! Prologue: In the Moonlight Prologue: In the Moon Light Darkness fell over the Everfree forest. Luna had blessed the ponies with a beautiful clear night. The autumn wind was crisp and chilling, and the only other ponies for miles were those asleep in Canterlot, that is, except for the small hunting party marching down the small dirt path. There were about twenty of them, many of them with in a young age. Anypony would think it was suicide to go after their monster, but not these brave stallions. They knew this thing must be slain immediately before anypony else was harmed. The stallion leading the party was a grey earth pony with a black mane and a bow and arrow for a cutie mark. His name was Quick Shot, and was the oldest and most determined pony in the group. He had his bow kept in its sling, while the others around him were equipped with torches and pitchforks, prepared to follow any command. Most ponies were like stones, unphased by passing noises or the smell of danger. However, one or two of them didn’t have it in them to march out there in the darkness. One pony in particular was a black unicorn with a blond mane, who trailed behind the others. This pony was very young, only barely a stallion, and his held torch was his only comfort. He was only a farmer, and was not equip with a soldier’s heart or strength. He only came to prove to his family back home that he was capable of being brave. He regrets that decision now… Suddenly, he heard a bush move behind him, and he jumped with a start. He turned to the location of the sound and examined the scene, but later concluded that there was no life beyond that bush, and he scolded himself for imagining silly things like that. “David!” He jerked his head toward the pony calling him. A green and white earth pony called again. “David! Where are you?” “I’m over here!” David responded. “I’m coming!” He took a few steps forward, but suddenly froze. He could almost barely hear hoofsteps coming from the trees next to the path. He held his breath, and listened closely. The wind was quiet, and the woodland animals were fast asleep in their homes. Even the hunters were now far enough to be inaudible. If it weren’t for the complete silence, would have missed the faint crunch of the autumn leaves beneath the hooves of a pony-being within the deep forest. He knew he wasn’t imagining that. “W-who’s there?” he called out into the darkness, his shaky voice making him sound like a frightened foal. He waved his torch to chase away the darkness. The crunching stopped, and a deafening silence filled David with unease. The group was now completely out of sight. He couldn’t take the creepiness anymore. He ran toward the group as fast as he could, wanting desperately to escape the darkness. To his horror, the hoofsteps started again, louder and faster than before. His predator was swift, which David to push his running into overdrive. His heart beat was loud enough to hear, and his lungs were close to exploding. The sheer terror was the only thing keeping him from passing out. Over the horizon, he thought he could see the dim lights of the torches ahead. He was almost there! Alas, his victory was short lived. His eyes were so focused on his friends ahead that he didn’t notice the large rock jutted upwards in the middle of the road, and tripped over it. The trip had startled him enough for him to lose his magical grip on the torch, and he scrambled to get up and grab his only light source. Luckily, the torch was still lit, so he could still see around him. As he gathered himself, he realized that he was alone again. He looked about, but all was calm, as if he hadn’t just spent the past few minutes galloping for his dear life. He sighed a breath of relief and continued. Despite the darkness and the narrow escape from death he had witnessed, David felt alive. In fact, the terror in his body had been overcome with pure adrenaline. He felt invincible! He had always hid and shied away from danger and fear, but now, he could not believe how fun it was! “Is that all you’ve got!?!” He called into the oblivious night. He began to laugh as he walked back toward the group. His eyes showed valiance and victory, and he couldn’t wait to tell the other ponies how he had escaped death. His laughter became very loud, probably loud enough for an animal to hear from quite a ways away. The hunting party down the road could hear it as well, and followed the sound to its origin. In fact, the laughter was so loud, it masked the sound of heavy breathing coming from behind him. David walked down the path, his torch lighting up the area before him, and his head held high. He was done taunting, so the beast took that opportunity to pounce. David let out a surprised cry as a body pushed him down to the ground. In his surprise, he dropped the torch, which landed next to them before going out. It was absolutely dark, but David managed to make out his opponent's snow-white coat, dusky grey mane, and blood-red eyes. He recognized these characteristics immediately, for this was the beast they had been hunting down. How unfortunately the tables have turned… This beast looked like a normal pony, for the most part. The biggest difference was the sharp fangs that protruded from the roof his blood-thirsty mouth. He turned from a valiant hero to a terrified foal the moment he felt the blood beast's breath against his face. He let out a scream, but it was cut short by a sharp pain in his neck. The pain only lasted a moment, for he could feel blood leaving his body and being replaced by a soothing liquid. His terror ceased, for the soothing liquids caused his mind to become calm and at peace. He felt as if his body was falling asleep, and could not move anything, nor use his magic. He felt his hooves grow cold, but he didn't care. He was going to sleep now, and he hoped that he might have a lovely dream. He managed to form a smile before closing his eyes for the last time.
Chapter 1: The PackageChapter 1: The Package The sun was going down, and Ditzy Doo had finished her shift at the post office. The pocket watch that she kept in her mailbag read 7:33 PM. The days were getting shorter, it seemed, and Night Mare Night decorations were beginning to dominate front lawns and shop windows. Night Mare Night was not until October 31, which was about three weeks away, but that did not stop eager young fillies and colts from parading down the streets in their homemade costumes. She landed in front of the Golden Oaks library. Her friend, Twilight Sparkle, had asked her to meet with her after her shift at the post office earlier today…or at least she thought it was today. She sometimes had trouble keeping track of the time, and her mixed up eyes made it easy for her to get lost or bump into things. She had such a klutzy reputation, it was hard to believe that she’s never been fired in the six years she worked for Pony Express. Ditzy knocked on the door. A breeze picked up behind her, sending chills down her spine. The days are only going to get colder, Ditzy told herself. I’d better get myself something warm to wear before winter hits. Twilight opened the door moments later, and Ditzy couldn’t help but to flinch when she saw her friend. Her eyes were dull and her mane was a tangled jungle. Her purple coat looked slightly grey, as if it hadn’t been exposed to the sun in days. She looked so…tired… When Twilight’s eyes met Ditzy’s, they seemed to glow, despite their current state. “THERE you are! WHERE have you BEEN?!” she exclaimed. “I thought I asked you to come in days ago!” Ditzy blushed, apparently she was wrong “Sorry…” Ditzy began. “I guess I just lost track of the time, and I-” “That’s okay, it doesn’t matter.” Twilight quickly interrupted. “You’re here now, and that’s the important thing.” She moved inside the building, and waved her hoof to Ditzy, in invitation. As Ditzy entered, she realized how messy the place looked. The books, papers, quills, and inkpots were scattered across the floor, and there was no way she would let the place look like this unless she was too preoccupied with something super intense. Twilight caught her gazing at the destroyed room. “Yes, I know the place looks bad, and I’ll fix it later.” She defended. “This is more important.” Well there’s something that I never thought I would hear out of her mouth. Ditzy thought to herself. Twilight searched the desks and drawers for something. After a few moments, she stopped, as if she had just remembered something. “Wait here,” she instructed, and trotted upstairs. Ditzy scanned the room again. The mess reminded her of the time she visited her friend Rainbow Dash at her cloud house above Ponyville. At one point, Rainbow had to leave the room for a moment, leaving Ditzy on her own. Ditzy had managed to trip over Dash’s coffee table, causing her to crash into a nearby lamp. The lamp fell and shattered on the floor, but not before it was able to hit her on the head, which lead her to stumble backwards onto a shelf filled with items and artifacts which rained down on her on impact. Ditzy was unable to watch the rest of the disaster unfold because of all the pain the objects had given her when she fell, but when she opened her eyes, it looked as if a bomb had gone off in Dash’s living room. Rainbow arrived seconds later, her mouth agape with a mixture of fear, surprise, and furry. Ditzy remembered lots of yelling and cursing following that, most of it along the lines of: “Damn it Derpy!” “What the hell is wrong with you?!?” “I only left you alone for a minute!” “How could I have been so stupid as to let your clumsy ass enter my house?” Ditzy never liked the name “Derpy”. It was a rude name that bullies would call her because of her eyes, and it really hurt when Rainbow Dash called her that. She left after that, and hadn’t talked to Rainbow since. After quite a wait, Twilight returned, levitating a medium-sized package, about the size of a large book. There were no stamps, no addresses; nothing except for a small sticker on the side that read: “To my dear friend, Jackle” “Princess Luna sent this to me about a week ago.” She explained “I tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.” She glanced over at the box for a second, “Hard to believe, seeing that it’s just a simple cardboard box…” she added. She then pulled out a letter and gave it to Ditzy. “Anyway, she sent me these instructions shortly after I received it.” Ditzy stared at the writing on the paper and began to sound out the words under her breath. The addresses on the packages for her to deliver were big and simple enough for her to read without too much difficulty, but when it came to reading books or papers, the text was always too small and close together for her to read quickly. Twilight quickly took notice of this, sighed, and took the paper back and read; “Dear Twilight Sparkle, Following this letter is an important parcel that must be delivered to a close friend of ours whom dwelleth in and old manor in the Everfree Forest. Unfortunately, His home has a spell cast on it, making it rather difficult to find. If we can remember correctly, we believe it could only be found by, ‘A pony with lost eyes and a true heart.’ We trust that you can work past this spell and deliver it. Do not disappoint us…this is very, very important. Sincerely, thy royal princess of the night, Princess Luna” “I don’t get it,” Ditzy responded after a short while. “How are you supposed to find this place?” Twilight’s face fell. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve tried every spell I know to find the place myself, but nothing’s worked.” She let out a long, tiring yawn, her hard work and stress seemed to be catching up to her. “But I can’t let the princess down.” Her voice was dull and hopeless, weighted with defeat . She let out a sorrowful sigh and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes a second or so later and spotted Ditzy again, and felt a drop of hope drip from the inside of her heart. “Now, that’s where you come in…” She started again with a slightly confident smile. “I thought that you might possibly be able to find this place.” “ME?” Ditzy asked, astonished. “How do you expect somepony like me to find this guy? I can hardly find anything outside of Ponyville, much less inside the Everfree forest.” Twilight’s eyes fell to the floor, her confidence died along with the smile on her muzzle. “W-well…I thought, maybe-” she stammered. “-when I was searching the Everfree myself, I couldn’t help but wonder what Princess Luna meant by ‘Lost Eyes’. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it meant that I had to become lost, but there could possibly be more to it…” Twilight looked at Ditzy’s face and looked like she was going to say something more, but she changed her mind and continued. “You, on the other hoof, are a pony that can get herself lost quite easily…no offence…” Ditzy didn’t really didn’t mind. In fact, she thought she could recall seeing a building like this before, but she wasn’t certain. She thought for a few moments. Twilight did seem truly desperate for help, and Ditzy did not want to disappoint a friend. “I think I might be able to help,” Ditzy replied with a friendly, yet doubtful grin. Twilight perked up. “Really? You mean it?!” This sudden spark of joy surprised Ditzy. “Umm, I can sure try.” Twilight lit up at this, and began to bounce around in circles around Ditzy in pure delight. "THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!" She exclaimed, but her rapid speech slurred the words together, making it hard to understand. She eventually calmed down and gave Ditzy the package. “Now, just in case you don’t find this pony, give the package back to me tomorrow evening” She instructed. Ditzy nodded in understanding and stored it in her messenger bag. “Oh, and one more thing!” Twilight called as Ditzy turned to leave: “Whatever you do, do not enter this pony’s home. We don’t know if he’s a safe pony or not. Besides, there’s probably a reason this pony keeps himself isolated in the woods.
Chapter 2: The VisitorChapter 2: The Visitor Ditzy starred at the dark, saggy manor before her. The sun had disappeared by now, so the full moon was now her only source of light. The air around her was crisp, more so than it should be this early in the season. Leaves littered the unkempt front lawn, and she began to wonder if the house was abandoned. The Everfree Forest was always a scary place, and not many wanted to visit. Ditzy didn’t want to stay longer than she had to. It only took her about an hour or so to find the place, and didn’t run into much trouble. Her only problem was the illusion of danger that welcomed her once she first stepped hoof in the forest. That alone made her want to turn and quit, but she didn’t want to let Twilight down so she swallowed her fears and followed through with her task. She slowly walked up to the building with growing caution as the leaves crunched beneath her hooves. The wind nipped at her skin though her fur, setting her teeth on edge. It wisped though the trees around her, as if it wanted to hide a creature that was stocking her. “GRRRRROOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!” A loud moan sounded out of the blue. She jumped several feet in the air. She spun about in horror in search of the origin….but found nothing. It sounded again, but much quieter, and she gazed down at her stomach to find it rumbling impatiently. She let out a sigh of both relief and annoyance having realized that she'd been so wrapped up in Twilight’s quest that she forgot to eat supper. She put her hunger aside and proceeded to the house. "You can eat later", she scolded herself. "Quit being so jumpy." She arrived at the porch to find that the wood was very old. It looked like the wooden planks used to be a bluish color, but were mostly grey now. They gave an agonizing creak with each step, and threatened to completely collapse underneath her. She set the box down at the foot of the door and turned to leave when a familiar feeling stopped her. She couldn't just leave the package there to fend for itself. What if the owner never got to it? What if something came over and stole it? She needed to make sure that this pony got his package. This was a lesson she learned one time when she left Mr. and Mrs. Cakes’ super important special ingredient to sit at the door of Sugar Cube Corner. Apparently, some other baker stole it before the Cakes could retrieve it, so the bakery went without it’s special Lemon Muffin Surprise for several months. “Ponies not presented their prescribed packages properly leads to problems” Her boss had told her. She lifted a hoof to knock on the door when Twilight’s words returned to her. She knew she shouldn't talk to this pony, but at the same time, she knew that it was important for this pony to get his mail from the princess. She decided to ignore Twilight’s warning and knocked on the door. How could Twilight know if this was a bad pony without even seeing his face anyway? Her knocks echoed through the house, but a response never came. The wind picked up once again behind her, causing the leaves to jump up and dance around in the air. After a few moments she banged the door again, a bit harder this time, but was greeted with the same silence. Ditzy began to wonder if she got the wrong house. Maybe there was another old, creaky manor out in the Everfree Forest with a weird spell casted on it giving refuge to some equally old pony, she wondered doubtfully but optimistically. She picked the package back up and turned to begin her search. She got to the steps leading off the porch when she heard the door creek open behind her. She spun back around to see a white muzzle and hoof peek out from behind the door. “Umm…H-hello….” She greeted nervously. “A-are you the resident here?” The door creaked open a little more, and she could see most of the pony now. He appeared to be quite young, Ditzy noticed with some surprise, probably a little older than herself. His snow-white coat shone in the moon light, and complemented his silver mane. He was beautiful, but he stared at her with dark, red, unsettling eyes. “Yes, I am,” He replied. His voice was deep, but smooth and somewhat soothing. She placed the package back on the ground and pushed it over. “This package is for you.” He gazed at the package indifferently for a few moments, and then turned back to Ditzy. She stared back with a stiff smile on her face. They stood for several moments in an awkward silence as the breeze picked back up behind them. His admiring gaze felt less sinister, but Ditzy still kept her guard up. Then, without taking his eyes off of her, he pulled the package to him with a powdery hoof and kicked it inside. After a few more moments under his uncomfortable gaze, Ditzy broke the silence with a short, cramped laugh. “Well….I’d better head out now…” She spoke, and the other pony’s trance was broken once she turned to leave. “Wait!” He called. When she turned, his face felt more welcoming than before. “What is your name?” He asked. This caught Ditzy a bit off guard. A voice in her head nagged at her, warning her not to talk to him, but now that she was seeing more of him, he didn't seem half bad. “My name is Ditzy Doo.” She answered, and his face seemed to light up a bit. “Why hello, miss Ditzy Doo. It is wonderful to have you here. My name is Jackle.” Any awkwardness or uncertainty from before was absent in his voice, and his greeting was entirely heart-felt. “Would you care to join me for supper? I haven’t had a visitor in so long.” “Supper? Well, umm…I’m not all that hungry…. but…” She began, but her stomach interrupted her with an audible growl of protest. She was, in fact, absolutely starving. The mere mention of food at this time was enough to make her do anything. “Actually, I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for a little while.” “Excellent!” He exclaimed. “Do come in then!” He was elated to finally have some sort of guest in his home. Maybe, just this one visit, might be enough to pull him back from his terrible state. Author's Note Yes, "Jackle" as in "Jackle App", The person who made the song in the first place
Chapter 3: The DressChapter 3: The Dress Ditzy Doo was shocked to find how fresh and clean everything was inside, despite its rotting exterior. The front room was huge, bigger than one would think when looking from the outside. The place was lit by a large chandelier on the ceiling and other small candles placed on walls around the room next to pictures and statues, creating a warm, romantic glow. A wide staircase stood at the back, leading upwards a little before splitting to the sides, probably leading to other rooms. The creepiness from earlier evaporated at the sight of this elegant room. She could see Jackle’s entire body now. His tail was a little stubby, but not any less mystical then his mane. His cutiemark was an eerie crescent moon, red, like his eyes. Ditzy couldn’t help but wonder what that meant. On his head he wore a small black top hat, and a short fancy cape was behind his back. It sort of reminded her of a magician. “Why don’t you set your bag down on the table by the door?” Jackle suggested. “It must be a real bother having to carry that heavy thing all over the place.” She did so, but noticed the package lying lonesome on the other side of the door. “Aren’t you going to open your package?” she asked him. “I’ll get to it a later.” He answered “It would be rude to preoccupy myself when I have a guest over.” Ditzy nodded and followed Jackle. Jackle spoke about dinner as they started up the staircase. He described the dish as something “truly exquisite”. The food he talked about had long, fancy names that Ditzy had a bit of trouble understanding, but she just nodded along anyway. He seemed truly proud of himself, and she could sense a sliver of excitement in his voice. She also noticed just how nice this pony was. Twilight was wrong, She told herself. Come to think of it, this is probably the nicest stallion I’ve ever met. He hasn't even pointed out my eyes yet. “It should be ready at seven.” He concluded after they reached the final step. He studied Ditzy for a moment, then spoke, “It is, however, a custom of mine to be well dressed when dining with others.” “Oh…” She looked down at her bare body. Ponies didn't usually wear clothing, so it was no surprise she wouldn't wear any on a normal mail trip. “I…I didn't bring anything…” He smiled. “That’s alright.” He pointed a hoof to the staircase to the right. “I have a dress you can borrow in the hallway upstairs. Just go into the third door to your left.” She let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, ok then. Thank you.” “It’s not a problem. You can meet me in the dining hall when you are ready” He pointed a hoof to the left. “It’s the large room at the end of the hall, you can’t miss it.” Ditzy nodded, it didn’t seem too difficult. After a short farewell, they parted. The dull hallway stretched before her, and the candle light glowed just bright enough to see the dozens of doors. Almost all of them were closed and locked, forbidding this new stranger from intruding. She eventually found a free door and assumed this was the room Jackle had talked about. The door opened with a loud creak that echoed down the hall. It was completely dark inside. No of the candles were lit, so she felt around for something to light. She pawed at a few structures by the wall unsuccessfully before she ventured towards the middle of the room. Once her eyes adjusted to this new lighting, she could just barely make out a window on the wall in front of her. She began to walk over to it when something caught on her front hoof, causing her to trip and hit her head on something that felt like a bed post. “GAAH!” She cried as her head struck, and it began throbbing almost instantly. She raised her hoof to rub her forehead when a faint whisper sounded in her ear, turning her blood to ice. “Who are you, kid?” It asked her, and she thought she felt a faint hoof resting on her shoulder. It sounded mostly like a mare, but there was dryness in her voice, like she was sick. “She won’t even last the night.” Whispered a second, this one sounding like a young colt, but had the same raspy after-tone as the first. Ditzy was frozen in place, but her heart pumped as if it were on fire. Were these ghosts? Her mind raced with panicky questions that couldn't be answered. The female gave a short, hushed laugh, as if mocking her fear. The soft hoof left her shoulder, and the spell was broken. She bolted for the door before they could continue their torture. “Farewell, see you soon.” The colt-voice whispered as she left. She slammed the door behind her, and leaned on it to keep the voices from escaping. Her face showed pure terror. The deep gasps she made matched the volume of her violently thumping heart, and she slowly sank to the floor. As she sat at the foot of the door, her emotions began to kick back in. Oddly enough though, she felt like crying rather than screaming or cowering, the shock was just too much. What was she to do? Should she tell Jackle? Would he believe her? Should she run away? After a while, she calmed down enough get back up. What were they talking about anyway? She asked herself. What they said didn’t make much sense, and didn’t even feel real to her now. One thing was for certain, she was not going back into that room again. Was it real? She wondered. The events that had just transpired seemed to be growing fuzzy, and she now couldn’t remember what the first voice said. I did hit my head really hard. I could’ve easily imagined it. That thought soothed her somewhat. Something like that did, in fact, happen before on a mail route, though she couldn’t remember it that clearly. It didn’t happen…She concluded, it was just my imagination.Yet, despite this notion, she still couldn’t bring herself to return to that room. It was at this moment when she realized that she was on the right side of the hallway. Wait a sec… The realization crept in. Didn’t Jackle say that the correct room was on the left? She walked over to the door in front of her and, sure enough, the door was unlocked. She felt like smacking herself, but the trip from earlier had already done enough. She entered, but this time took a candle from the wall of the hallway to light the path. The candle had a flat bottom and a tip at the end so it was easy to carry in her mouth without burning herself. It was a small room, apparently only made for one pony. The candle she had was enough to light most of the area, so she sat it down on the dresser next to her. There wasn’t much inside, just a bed, a cabinet, and a dresser with a mirror. There was also an open window in the same spot on the wall as the other room, but this one was facing the moon, which shed light over the entire Everfree Forest. Ditzy walked over to the window to admire the view. The breeze was slow and pleasant, and when she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself siting on one of the clouds above. After a few moments of reminiscing, she opened her eyes and returned to the small room. I should probably get dressed, she reminded herself. Before she left, though, she caught sight of Ponyville in the distance. Twilight’s words returned to her one again, nagging more than before. She turned from the window with spite. How dare she just assume something like that. She scoffed. She walked over to the cabinet nearby. There was an assortment of old dresses inside, but after trying most of them on, she found that they were all too big. After much rummaging, she came across a small dress that was tucked away in the corner, and after putting it on, found that it was just the right size. She examined herself. The dress was mostly black, but it had a white on the collar and at the end of the sleeves. Underneath the collar was a small, red gem, a drop of blood on a white canvas. It was very old fashion, but was comfortable enough. It also came with a black veil, which she could easily tuck the ends behind her ears. She felt as if something were missing. Her eyes fell on a small jewelry box that stood close to her candle. Would Jackle mind if I used some of these as well? She wondered. She lifted the lid curiously. She at least wanted to take a peek. There were many jewels and chains inside, though most of them were too extravagant and flashy for her simple outfit. She did, however, find a pair of pearl earrings and a bracelet to match. She tried them on, and sure enough, they complemented the dress well. She admired herself in the mirror for a while. A smile appeared on her face, and she danced and twirled around in her outfit. How wonderful! She thought to herself. I really do look gorgeous. She stopped; this feeling of gleeful beauty had taken her by surprise. She realized that she’d never felt like this before, like she was actually attractive for once. Her wall eyes and clumsy behavior would usually set the stallions off, so she just gave up. This feeling she had, it felt wonderful. Perhaps this is what that fashion pony Rarity feels all the time! After a few more moments of glee, she composed herself and put away the dresses and jewelry she took out while searching for her ensemble. She walked over to the bed were she left the dresses after she tried them on. She gathered them all up at once, but found them all very heavy. It was only a matter of time before she stepped on the tail of one of them and tripped. The dresses fell to the floor in a mess around her hooves. Ditzy stumbled forward, and crashed into the base of the dresser. “Uhhh…” she moaned as the dresser wobbled behind her. She heard a metallic thud next to her, followed by a few snaps and clanks. She turned, and stared in horror at the broken jewelry box next to her. The lid was off of its hinges, and its contents were scattered about. One necklace was even cracked. “Oh no!” She gasped, and she frantically gathered the pieces. Damn it, Derpy, she scolded herself, using that harsh nickname as punishment. She put them all in the box and looked around for the lid, and found it on top of a folded, yellowed paper. "What is this?" She picked up the paper and opened it up. There was a note inside written in a thin, black ink. She wanted to read it, but the ring of a great grandfather clock interrupted her. It struck seven times, and Ditzy suddenly remembered the dinner. She clumsy set the lid back on the box and tucked it away at the end of the dresser. The note intrigued her, so she stuck it into a small pocket inside the dress. She threw the other dresses into the cabinet and ran out of the room. She didn’t want to be late. Author's Note Yay! I finally got it all typed up! This was the longest chapter so far too, although in the draft, it was about the same size as the others. I guess it just goes to show how last minute ideas can come at you (Take the voices, for example. Those just came to me :) ) Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, I hope to get started with the next one soon!
Chapter 4: The WineChapter 4: Red Wine Ditzy stepped into the large dining room. It was filled with many small round tables, and had one long table running down the middle. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, giving off a warm glow. Large windows stood at the end of the room opposite to her, tightly shut and partially covered by its curtains, hiding the full moon that shone so brightly. She walked over to the long table to see that food had already been placed, sitting neatly as it awaited its consumers. Jackle sat at the end, near the windows, and looked small compared to the gigantic room. He wore a black top hat with a short cape to match. His white bow-tie and hoof-cuff-links made him look worthy of The Gala in Canterlot. He appeared to be a little uncomfortable sitting by himself, but once his eyes caught sight of Ditzy, it disappeared, and he gave her a warm, welcoming smile. “Sorry I’m late, I got a little lost,” Ditzy apologized. Jackle gave a short laugh and smiled. “That’s alright,” he said. “It’s a big house. I’ve gotten lost a few times myself.” He gazed at Ditzy’s outfit. “You look lovely this evening.” He admired. She looked down at herself and blushed. “T-thank you,” she murmured. “You look very nice yourself.” He responded with a nod. “Come, sit.” He gestured to the chair across from him. She nodded and took her seat. There was a large variety of food placed about the table, still hot and delicious, as if it had just come out of the kitchen. There was food from their end of the table to the middle, and Ditzy wondered if she would even be able to eat all of it. There were potatoes, casseroles, pastas, salads, veggies, loaves of bread, creams, butters, sauces, and things that she never knew existed. Her stomach threatened to growl again, she couldn't wait to serve herself. “I see you’re hungry,” he grinned. “We can serve ourselves in a moment, but would you mind if I say grace first?” Ditzy shook her head. “No, of course not, go ahead.” They clasped their hooves and bowed their heads as Jackle thanked he heavens above for the food. He spoke with words that sounded olden and unfamiliar to Ditzy. Well, he defiantly is old fashioned, Ditzy thought to herself, But he looks so young, is there something I’m missing here? He soon finished with an Amen, and Jackle turned to Ditzy with a smile. “Go ahead,” he invited, “help yourself.” She thanked him graciously and began to serve herself. Once her plate was covered with as many exotic foods she could reach, Jackle reached over and grabbed a large glass bottle and a couple of golden, royal chalices. “Would you like some wine?” he asked as he popped off the cork on the top. “No thanks,” she answered, “I don’t really drink.” “Are you sure?” He poured himself a glass. “It’s been aging for generations, and I’ve been waiting to share it with a guest.” The wine was a sharp, red color which glistened like ruby in the candle light. The beautiful drink within the royal chalice looked fit for Princess Celestia herself, and she couldn’t resist. “Alright then,” she concluded. “I’ll have a little bit.” Jackle grinned and poured her glass half full. The food was the best she had ever had! She had an interesting pasta on one part of her plate that was covered in a wonderful cheese sauce that just danced in her mouth, and it went beautifully with her garlic bread, which was well seasoned and buttered. On another corner of the plate was a mixture of cooked vegetables that had an unknown but welcome flavoring added to it. A baked potato sat in the middle, cooked to the perfect temperature and filled with melted butter and cheddar cheese. A small bowl of soup sat next to the dish, and although it was not yet touched, it would soon deliver as much delight as the other food. The wine was the most enjoyable, to Ditzy’s surprise. It was cool and refreshing, and lacked the usual bitterness of alcohol. As it passed her lips, the smooth, unadulterated liquid would fill her with pleasure and comfort. She finished the glass before anything else, and Jackle was happy to refill it for her. “So, tell me about yourself,” said Jackle after a few moments. She blushed a little and responded. “Oh, there’s not too much to say, really.” “Well,” he started, “what is your profession? You are a mail-mare, correct?” She smiled. “Yea, I work for the Ponyville Post Office.” “Ponyville?” He gave her a puzzled look. “Where’s that?” Ditzy returned his confusion. “It’s the town right outside the forest. You've never heard of it?” “No, I haven’t…” He looked down and added softly, “I've never had a visitor before.” “Never?” She understood why, this place was in the middle of nowhere, and she just now remembered how creepy the outside felt. She had been treated so kindly she had forgotten how scared she felt before. Jackle shook his head. “In fact, you are the first pony I've seen in quite some time.” “Oh,” she looked away. “Well, Ponyville has been around for at least thirty years or so, you must have seen it before…” “Yes, well..” he started, “there’s an interesting thing about my house…you might have noticed it as you were looking for the place…” “What about it?” She asked as she took another sip of her wine. “Was this place hard for you to find?” he asked. She shook her head. “Not really, it only took me a little bit. Why?” “It wasn't?” Ditzy could hear the surprise in his voice, and for a split second he looked just a little bit hopeful. “Not for me, but I do know my friend Twilight couldn't find it,” she continued. “That’s why she sent me.” “That’s odd…” he trailed off. “How come you could find me, but she couldn't?” Ditzy thought this over, but failed to come up with any explanation. “I don’t know why, but what does this have to do with you not knowing about Ponyville?” “Well, the magic that has been keeping ponies out also keeps me imprisoned inside,” said Jackle. “I haven’t been able to travel much farther than the lawn for as long as I can remember.” “Oh my,” Ditzy cried. “That’s terrible! What kind of spell is this, anyway?” He sighed. “It’s supposed to protect me.” “Sounds more like house arrest to me.” Ditzy felt pretty sorry for him. She wanted to help, but she had no idea how to. “Do you know much else about the spell?” “Well, when I came here, I saw an open book on the front table,” he recollected. “There was a poem on it, and it wasn't until later I found out that the poem was the spell.” “How did it go?” Ditzy asked. He paused for a moment, as if trying to remember. Shortly after, he spoke; "A Pony, lost and withered away, Now has a new place to stay, Quiet and safe through night and day, But dark and lonely, to his dismay. A Pony, his heart bleeding, Could feel his past life receding, Knowing he would live without meeting, Knowing he would live without a beating. A Pony, with eyes lost, Saw the price and payed the cost, A Pony with a heart that's true, Shattered everything he knew. A Pony shall be left grim, Until he finds one just like him." Ditzy sat quietly and listened as he spoke. The mysterious words had intrigued her, and some of it sounded a little familiar, but she was halfway though her third glass, and the events of her day were beginning to fade. Her numbness prevented her from pondering this message any further, so she just shook her head and responded with an absent, "That really sucks, huh..." "I've been wondering about that spell for eons. I've been able to comprehend most of it, but I've always thought that the ending just contradicted itself." He said. "How do you mean?" "Well, it said he would 'Live without meeting,' yet, it stated he would be "Left grim until he finds one just like him." I didn't understand it, but maybe..." He trialed off. His eyes flashed with some new realization, but Ditzy hadn't noticed, for she had finished her glass, so he put the thought aside for now and filled her once more. "Well, lets change the subject," he smiled suddenly. "What is Ponyville like?" She looked a little passed him. "Oh, it's just a small little town, nothing too special." She replied indifferently as she took another sip. The food on her plate was mostly gone, but she hadn't touched since she got to her second or third glass of wine. "The ponies there are nice, and so is the apple orchid next door." "You don't seem too enthusiastic about the place." Jackle replied. "Is something wrong?" "Oh...well...you see..." She was debating whether to reveal what her klutziness had gotten her into back home, though it was already written all over her face. She blushed, and Jackle seemed to understand what was going on. He nodded. "Not the nicest of ponies to you, are they?" He predicted. She nodded and took another sip. "Yes, I know what you are feeling." He sighed. "The ponies of Canterlot weren't very fond of me either." "How come?" Ditzy couldn't imagine why such a generous pony would be cast aside like her. She put her lips to the chalice once more only to find it was empty, and Jackle refilled it again before continuing. "I was too smart for them, or at least that was what I liked to tell myself." He joked. "I was always into books and legends and such. I would spend hours at a time studying and trying to comprehend magic spells, dispute myself being an earth pony." His voice became more solemn as he continued. "The others, especially the unicorns, would mock me, and would tell me how unicorn magic was too complicated for a simple earth pony to comprehend. They would often kick me out of the library in my younger days, telling me to get back in the fields. Nopony had any faith in me, and they never realized what I could do." He gazed absently for a moment, "Well, maybe one did..." "I've got that exact same problem back home!" Ditzy nearly shouted in exasperation, partially due to her surprise, and partly due to the alcohol, which was taking a strong toll by now. "These ponies think that I'm an idiot just because I can't really see straight, and I can get a little clumsy at times. They all avoid me because they don't want to be affiliated with any destruction they think I'll cause." She paused for a moment, then added, "Hell, I probably just got my mail job because the boss felt sorry for me. The truth is that none of them care enough to get to know anything about me." "They just look at the surface," he spat. "not a damn thing has changed, has it?" "Apparently not." she scoffed. "The meaner ones would even get into mean names, like Cock-Eye or Derpy Hooves." "Well, at least 'Derpy Hooves' sounds a little cute." He responded. "They called me a Peon and a Muggle-Muffer." "A what?" Ditzy asked, nearly dazed by now. He gave a short laugh. "Muggle-Muffer is a very...err... derogatory term for an inferior earth pony that foolishly covets unicorn magic. I was at quite the disadvantage in Canterlot, because earth ponies were in the vast minority to uptight unicorns." She nodded, and peered into her now-empty cup, and Jackle filled it without question. This was her seventh glass. "I guess pony-racism did exist long ago, but I've never seen anything like that in Ponyville," she almost slurred. "My...my roommate is an earth pony, and my boss...he's a unicorn... They both seem to hate me equally." The room was turning fuzzy, though she didn't feel faint quite yet. "Both don't really know me as they should..." "Well, I'd like to get to know you," Jackle started. Ditzy looked up and gazed at him with astonishment. "Those other ponies are missing out. I can see for myself how lovely you really are, Ditzy, and..." His voice died down, but his eyes were still locked with hers. "I..." she began breathlessly. "...I don't know what to say...T-That means a lot." To her, that stallion was the only thing in the universe for this one moment. It was as if the rest of the world had become invisible, and Jackle was her light. She wanted to break him away from this dark prison and live with him in Ponyville, for she could live her life happily with him by her side. She wanted to bring him into the light, to return the joy he had just given her. She wanted his love, for they both knew that it was the one necessity that they had been deprived of for so long. He spoke, and she was shot back into reality. "You don't have to go back to all that, you know" She gave a short chuckle. "Oh, don't be silly. I will have to go to go home eventually." She knew well that while she loved Jackle dearly, she couldn't just leave everything she knew. Yes, there were some jerks, but she still liked Ponyville. "No, you don't," his face was hard, and Ditzy realized that he wasn't joking. "You can stay here, with me, forever" The cloudiness of the alcohol subsided as the weight of his proposal sank in. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here forever. I've still got responsibility, I have to help my roommate pay rent, there's lots of mail to be delivered, and I have ponies too look after. I love you, I honestly do, but..." "Then stay with me!" he burst out. Fear painted his face, he could not loose this chance. "Why would you waste your time with ponies who don't care about you?! Those...in-greats don't deserve your beauty. They can find somepony else to enslave..." His desperation turned to wrath as he rose from his seat. The features of his face were becoming sharper, and she watched in horror as his form grew several feet. His ears pointed at the tips like a bat. His muscles protruded from his now-greasy-looking coat. His clothes tore and fell to the ground, his irises turned to red slits, his teeth sharpened. His fangs glistened gruesomely as he growled, "Stay here....With ME!" The room shook as he shouted that last word. Terrified, Ditzy let out a scream and sprang out of her chair, but the dizziness struck her instantly and she tripped and kicked the table behind her with her hind hoof, launching the chalice into the air above her. They fell together in slow motion, it seemed, and everything else was covered by a black veil of darkness. She watched as liquid inside the glass sloshed about ungracefully, turning duller and blacker as it descended. She felt her limbs grow numb, and her mind began to shut down, but her vision was perfect. She saw this scene in high-definition, and could hear voices emerge. "I told you she wouldn't last the night." rasped the voice of a young colt, a familiar voice she had tried her best to forget about. "Yes, dear..." sighed the mare, "But it serves her right for letting my poor Jackle down." This wasn't a taunt. The ghost's voices were sorrowful. They didn't want this ending. She could see the colt in the golden reflection of the chalice, and his image shocked her. The young earth pony was covered in blood, and his possibly-tan coat was spotted with ugly rips and tares. His black mane and tail was matted and and well soaked. His eyes were piercingly black, save for his tiny, white pupils, and shadowy streaks were flowing out of them like tears. "We warned you." She and the cup hit the ground hard. The images vanished instantly, as with her vision. The cup lay on it's side, undamaged from the impact, releasing a black sludge that slowly seeped from the edge. Ditzy couldn't move, and her conscious was slipping away. She felt something pick her up, and before she passed out, Jackle hissed into her ear. "I promise, you will never want to leave...." Author's Note Don't worry, there won't be as bad as a delay before the next chapter. Summer means free time! Follow me on deviantart: http://thedragonfly52413.deviantart.com/
Chapter 5: The Captivity Chapter 5: The Captivity Chapter 5: The Captivity Everything was dark. Ditzy could feel herself floating aimlessly though oblivion for hours, or at least that was how it seemed, time had become foreign to her. She couldn’t move her body, nor could she talk or open her eyes. Her body had completely shut off. Am I dead? She wondered. For all she knew, her body could have disappeared, or left behind even. Last night felt fuzzy, but she did remember seeing Jackle turn into something…unpleasant. She had no idea what to do. She couldn't stand being all alone. She wanted to cry, to call for help, to beg for a friend…but even if she could, it would’ve been useless. After a while, she began to hear whispering in the distance. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she recognized their voices. A familiar sense of unease returned when she realized the ghosts from earlier were back, but this time, she couldn’t do anything about it. The whispers came in closer, and she started to understand them. “Don’t be afraid young one,” The Mare’s voice cooed. “You aren’t quite dead yet” Although Ditzy couldn’t see or feel the ghost, her voice was still enough to frighten her. Not quite dead? What is that supposed to mean? “You will wake up soon,” another voice responded, the colt she assumed. “Although, you may have some trouble.” It took a moment for Ditzy to realize that they could hear her thoughts. She knew that now was the time to get some answers. Who are you? Ditzy asked. She heard the mare give a short laugh. “You’ll find out soon enough. What do you want with me? “Nothing specifically from you… I don’t want to see Jackle hurt. I want to see him happy.” I don’t want him hurt either, but… I can’t stay here forever. “You don’t have to.” Ditzy felt a cold hoof touch her shoulder. The feeling both reassured her that she still had her body, but still gave her chills. “I want you to break the spell” Break the spell? Ditzy remembered the poem Jackle told her, but she had no idea what it meant or how to use it. How do I do that? The mare sighed. “Your eyes are as lost as his. It’s no wonder you can’t escape.” But, his eyes look fine. The colt chuckled. “Not like that, silly!” Huh? “Only when your hearts become true will the spell break,” The mare answered. Ditzy was becoming frustrated. That doesn't make any sense! How can I trust you if you won’t tell me anything helpful? “I’ll let you decide that on your own,” She responded stubbornly. Please! Ditzy plead desperately. I need to know what to do! There was no response. She could feel their presence leaving her. No! Please come back! She begged, but it was no use. They were gone, and Ditzy was once again left to drift alone in the darkness. Ditzy woke to the sound of a grandfather clock, which rang twelve times before she was fully aware of where she was. Ditzy was in a bedroom similar to the one she was in before, but without a cupboard or jewelry box. A lone candle lit the room, a dim, hopeful light within darkness of despair. She had been lain on the bed by someone, but her clothes were still on. She didn't feel that bad until she realized there was a thick, heavy chain attached to her torso. One end of the chain was firmly attached to the front-left bedpost, and was just long enough to allow Ditzy to walk around most of the room. She tried to get out of bed, but her legs shivered and wobbled too much for her to stand. She instead sat down and tried to remember what was going on. She remembered Jackle, as well as his...transformation. She also remembered how Jackle said he was stuck in this manor, and how desperately he wanted her to stay... The reality of her situation set in. Her heart thumped wildly, her breaths became gasps, and her hooves were shaky and sweaty. This couldn't be happening to her! If Jackle was going to be how he was like at dinner, she was going to be trapped here, maybe for the rest of her life if she didn't do anything! She screamed desperately for help, she couldn’t help it. The frantic calls echoed through the empty house for as long as they could before disappearing in the shadows. For several minutes, the screams continued before they were cut off but something in her throat. Cries turned to coughs, and Ditzy turned to lean off the side of the bed. Her throat burned as she sprayed the floor with a hideous black sludge. The coughing quickly turned into a violent fit that nearly suffocated her. The pain was unbearable, but she couldn’t stop. The tears in her eyes were her only response to this immense suffering. After a while, however, she did manage to stop, but her throat was left raw, and her stomach felt as if it had been beaten from the inside. There was now a puddle of sludge on the floor under her head, much like sludge that was in her cup before she passed out. The thought of drinking all that wine now made her feel terrible. “That monster poisoned me…” she rasped, but her deep, gravelly voice startled her. She didn’t sound like herself at all. She sounded older…darker… …scarier She laid her head down on the mattress for a while and tried to calm down. She later found the strength to pick herself up and climbed out of bed. Walking, however, was much harder. Her legs wobbled terribly as she stumbled her way over to the nearby mirror dresser. She began to gasp for air once again when she did reach it, but it was hardly because of the journey. This pony staring back at her…it didn’t look like her… Her coat and mane had dulled, and now sagged underneath the clothing and jewelry. Dark shadows had formed around her colorless eyes, as if she hadn’t slept at all. There were still some black droplets around her mouth, and when she opened her mouth, she discovered her tongue was completely black. The image shook her immensely. That alone nearly caused her to pass out, but she only stumbled to the side. What….what did he do to me…..? She wondered. Ditzy spent the next several minutes stumbling back to bed, the pain in her stomach worsening. She knew she had to lie down. She wrapped her frail body with the old blankets in an attempt to gain the slightest bit of comfort. Before she knew it, murky black tears were staining her cheeks. What am I going to do? She stayed there for quite a while, and nearly fell asleep before she was awoken at the sound of a door opening. Ditzy’s head shot up to see Jackle standing at the door, wearing his top hat and ripped cape. He looked normal, but his eyes seemed somewhat brighter. Ditzy’s fur stood on edge. She prepared to defend herself, despite her objecting stomach. Jackle noticed this and raised a hoof and replied calmly. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.” He came forward slowly, as if approaching a stray animal. “I do apologize for my actions earlier, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Ditzy wouldn't budge. She kept her eyes trained on his, her hooves at the ready. A silent minute passed before she spoke up. “What did you do to me?” She croaked. “What do you mean?” “The wine….What was in it?” “Oh, that,” Jackle was at the bed by now, but he was wise enough to keep his distance. “I assure you, nothing harmful was in there.” “Nothing harmful?!” An intense, uncontrollable rage erupted from within Ditzy all of a sudden. “I passed out! I’m sick, I can’t walk, I’m coughing up black slime for Celestia’s sake! How the Hell can you tell me I’m not being harmed?!” Jackle lowered his head, his face serious. “What I gave you is not harming you on it’s own. You’re bringing this harm upon yourself.” “What?!” Ditzy screamed. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You poisoned me, and you know it!” “You don’t understand…” Jackle sighed. “What don’t I understand?” She demanded. “Why are you doing this to me?” He paused for a moment, then came forward and put his hoof over her’s. Ditzy would have attacked, but something in the other pony’s eyes made her sit still. He showed no fear, no anger, no hate… instead, sincerity and love overtook his face. “Ditzy, I’m doing this because I love you, and I don’t want you to have to go back to such an unforgiving life.” He cooed. “I don’t want you to leave.” A few hours ago, Ditzy would've fallen for such a romantic act. Now, however, she only hardened her heart. She scrunched her face with disgust and turned away. “I will never love you as long as you keep me prisoner,” she spat. “Now let me be.” “But…” ”LEAVE ME ALONE!” An iron curtain had fallen between them. Jackle stepped back, his face painted with pain. He remained for a little while before he lowered his head and drifted to the door with a heavy heart. Ditzy felt no remorse for him. She kept her chin up and a sneer on her face as she watched him leave. Jackle closed the door behind him. With a crushing sigh, he put his back to the wall and slid down to the floor. What was he going to do? He loved Ditzy too much to let her go, but what good would it be to keep her here if she hated him? He couldn’t let this opportunity pass him up. It’s been forever since he’d seen someone so lovely. She was the closest he could get to… Jackle shook his head. This would not be the end. He must her. He picked himself up and began down the hallway. “I will get that mare's heart…” he muttered. “...at any cost…” Author's Note Yay! I did manage to get this chapter done before school :) Anyway, I recommend you click the watch button for progress updates, It'll keep you in the loop.
