The Black Eyes of the Nightmare

It's the calmest of days in Ponyville.

Celestia's sun shines proudly over the town, along with the rest of Equestria, as its inhabitants tend to their duties and lifestyles. The land is peaceful, but when there's peace, there's something bound to destroy it. Little did the ponies know that this would be their last day that would actually feel harmonious.

Rainbow Dash is flying swiftly above Ponyville, showing off some of her moves as usual. She would go for a Sonic Rainboom, but has enough common sense to know how what it causes. She simulates one in her head. The image of her reaching the speed of sound, ripping a hole through the transparent barrier. The boom echoes as the multicolored wave spreads across the once-calm sky. The shockwave shatters all the windows like a plague, Then CRASH!

Rainbow Dash's daydreaming is severely put to an end by crashing through a wall. She was not paying attention to her flying. She opens her red eyes to notice two cute little fillies, staring with confused expressions. It's Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake. Rainbow Dash shakes her head, feeling the splinters stuck to it. No doubt this is Sugarcube Corner. Probably should go apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, she thinks.

Rainbow Dash presses her hind legs, dangling outside in the air, on the wall. She pushes and pushes, until her head pops right out the hole. She flips outward and lands firmly on her back. She moans with pain from both her face and her back, but not for very long. The sound of chatter and muttering makes Rainbow Dash's pain change to curiosity. There's a crowd of ponies. She gets up and squeezes into the conversation.

"Have you even seen it?"

"No, but someone else did."

"I heard it has like, nine arms!"

"I heard that it eats ponies and raises them as its minions."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"I heard that it had eyes as black as night, and they stare right into your soul..."

"Everfree Forest was scary, but now it's, SUPER SCARY!"

"Well, I think we should throw it a PARTY!"

Rainbow Dash flinches to the last remark. She recognizes that high-pitched, energetic voice from a mile away. Pinkie Pie just bounced into the bouncing words of the group. Her voice kills it.

"Pinkie Pie, what this 'it' everyone keeps talking about," asks Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie gasps. It's so loud, it makes everyone take a few steps back. "You don't know?" she says with wide eyes.

"Know what?"

Pinkie Pie giggles. "Oh, boy! Have you been missing out, Dashie! There's something in the Everfree Forest that keeps giving everypony the heebie jeebies!" Surprisingly, her voice has no sense of fear.

"What's it doing there?" asks Rainbow Dash.

"Nopony knows! But I think that it just needs good ol' Pinkie Pie to welcome it!"

With this, Pinkie bounces way, humming a tune she came up with just now. Rainbow Dash feels uncertain. There's already enough creepiness in the forest. Why would it need more? she thinks. The group disperses, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with her scratches and bruises from her accident. The pain comes back, and she rubs her head. The splinters have fallen off, though. Rainbow Dash stretches her wings and heads over elsewhere. The rumors of this new creature keeps her mind boggled over whether it actually exists or not. She needs reason. Hard, proven facts. She needs...

"Twilight!" yells Rainbow Dash as an imaginary lightbulb flickers over her head.

With that one word, defining her egghead friend who does nothing but study, she darts off to the library.

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Knock, knock, knock!

"Who could that be?" asked Twilight, even though she's the only one in the room.

Spike, who is cleaning downstairs, heads to the door to answer the knocking. The purple, baby dragon takes off his pink and white apron to avoid embarrassment and opens the door. He comes face-to-face with a slightly bruised Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash. What happened to you?" asked Spike.

"I, uh, fell down some stairs," responded Rainbow Dash nervously. "But it's alright. Just gonna walk it off like a champ." Her tone is now cocky.

"So why are you here? Borrowing another Daring Do book?"

"Nah. I didn't finish the other yet, but we're getting way off-topic! Can I talk to Twilight?"

"She's busy studying..."

"Spike," says Rainbow Dash, annoyed. "When is she not?"

Spike thinks for moment, tapping his chin with one of his claws. He doesn't answer. Instead, he walks upstairs. Rainbow Dash comes in, waiting for the studious pony. She hears Spike and Twilight, arguing. She can't understand the words, though. They're too indistinct and muffled that it sounds like another language. Hooves and claws slowly make their way downstairs, and Rainbow Dash notices Twilight's face. It has a touch of exhaustion. How long, thinks Rainbow Dash.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash," says Twilight, trying not to sound tired. Her mane is slightly messy.

"Oh. Hey, Twi," says Rainbow Dash.

"Anything I can help you with?"

"Yeah. I heard a bunch ponies talking about some thing that's in the forest." Rainbow Dash tries to collect what she heard. "Something about having nine arms and black eyes."

Twilight's smile drops into a frown. She starts to feel uneasy. "Um, that's exactly what I'm trying to find out," she says.

"Oh! That's awesome! What did you find?"

Twilight just drops her head. Rainbow Dash's anticipation diminishes as she keeps looking at her disappointed friend.

"She's been up all night reading book after book," interrupts Spike. Rainbow Dash looks around, noticing crumpled paper and books tossed on the floor with their pages open.

"So nothing?" asks Rainbow Dash.

"Nothing at all," answers Twilight. "I only have rumors to rely on, and they're not very accurate. There's no match. Either it doesn't exist, or it's something new. I'm trying to figure out what this thing is so that I can know whether it's a threat to Ponyville or not."

"Could be," suggests Rainbow Dash.

Spike starts to feel queasy. Twilight and Rainbow notice him about cough something up. They've already seen this a million times. Spike coughs up a puff of green fire, and a scroll drops on the ground, below a rising puff of smoke. Twilight picks up the scroll with her magic.

"I wonder what Princess Celestia wants..." she mutters.

Rainbow Dash leans in to see the letter. Twilight reads.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I'm sure you have heard the rumors that are spreading fast. Not only in Ponyville, but in Canterlot, too. My subjects won't stop talking about the creature, and they keep describing it as something unholy, terrible, and bloodthirsty. The problem is that it's causing mass hysteria. You may be worried, too, Twilight. I know you too well. But alas, this panic is causing too much trouble, so I ask you to do me a huge favor. Remember the Elements of Harmony? Ever since you girls defeated Discord, you kept them in your library ever since. Use them again. I want you to gather your friends and scout the Everfree Forest for this creature. If it does exist, use the Elements if necessary. If not, let everyone know. Take your time preparing yourselves. No one can tell how dangerous this creature could be, or how much potential it could have, but I give the best of luck, my little ponies.

Your friend,

Princess Celestia

Twilight's magic fades, and the letter drops back on the floor. Rainbow Dash and Twilight look at each other, worried. Spike joins in, too.

"Are you guys scared?" asks Spike.

"Me? Scared? Ha!" exclaims Rainbow Dash as she loops in the air. Her eyes are filled with raw determination "I'll duke it out with this thing if I have to!"

"Please, Rainbow, just be careful. We have no information on it," says Twilight with a negative tone. "We go at sundown."

"Why? We should just go now!" disagrees Rainbow Dash. She stops flying.

"I heard that when the sun goes down, something weird happens in the forest..." Twilight bows her head, confused. "Might as well find out."

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It's early afternoon in Canterlot. Princess Celestia is in her bedroom, trying to sleep off the headache she has from just thinking. No one in the palace would shut up about the creature. It's always the hype of the conversation. She sighs and starts to drift away, letting her mane settle down over the pillows and blankets. Unfavorably, her ear that is not being crushed by her head catches the sound of rapid hooves.

"Sister!"

Celestia gets up and looks at the doorway. It's Princess Luna who was making the noise.

"Ugh, what is it, Luna?" asks Celestia, annoyed and tired.

"Oh, Sister," starts Luna, "I did not mean to bother you, but I have something that you must know."

"I already heard the rumors. Fifty times, actually..." She rudely rolls over and tries to fall back asleep.

"No, it's not that. It's about the Moon."

"What about the Moon, Luna?"

Princess Luna doesn't respond. She gently rubs one of her front hooves on the floor, feeling confused and nervous. "The moon," she starts, "is rising."

"Yes. The Moon rises. That's your job."

"But I'm not doing it."

Princes Celestia springs back awake. She felt asleep the whole day, but what Luna says is her coffee. Her pick-me-up. She feels alert in a way she hasn't before. "Pardon?" she says quickly.

"I'm not rising the Moon, Sister. I try to, but it beats me to it."

Princess Celestia raises an eyebrow, that is, if she had one. "So the Moon's rising itself..." she says in a puzzled tone.

"That can't be. Maybe..." Luna inhales deeply, then exhales.

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe something else is rising the Moon."