Twas another Nightmare Night for the small town called Ponyville. On this special night, ponies of different ages come out of their homes, dressed in costumes and enjoy the festivities. Whether they are collecting candies or participating in one of the many games and attractions, this was the night where everypony can enjoy.
On this night, Sweet Apple Acres was holding a spooky corn maze. They dared anypony brave enough to enter their terrifying labyrinth and among those who entered were the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
There was Applebloom, the yellow earth filly dressed as a platypus. Sweetie Belle, the white unicorn filly dressed in a fancy looking dress and lastly Scootaloo, the orange pegasus filly in a Wonderbolt uniform.
These three courageous fillies decided to try this maze and see if they could not only beat the maze, but also earn their cutie marks in the process.
An hour into this and the fillies found themselves hopelessly lost in the corn maze.
“Well this just bites.” Scootaloo stated, describing the situation they were in.
“Applebloom, are you sure you don’t the way out of this maze?” Sweetie questions her yellow friend.
“Like I said before, no I don’t.” Applebloom answered. “I didn’t help out with the corn maze because I didn’t want to know what surprise they have in store for us here.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Well because if I knew what was going to happen then it would ruin the fun for me!”
After Applebloom finished explaining the group continue on through the maze in silence. As they trot Sweetie Belle suddenly came up with an idea. The little unicorn filly then immediately stop in her tracks, earning her two friend's attention.
“Hey Sweetie Belle, why did you suddenly stop?” Her orange friend asked her.
“Well Scootaloo, I remember a thing my mom told me. She told me that if I ever got lost, I should stay in the same place and wait for her to come find me.”
“So wait you’re suggesting that we wait for you mom to come pick us up?” Said Applebloom.
“What no Applebloom, we just have to wait here for somepony to find us and they’ll get us out of here.” Sweetie explained.
“Well now that sounds like a good idea.”
“No it’s not, who how long it will take before somepony finds us.” Scootaloo pointed out. “We could be trap here all night and we’ll miss the rest of Nightmare Night.”
“Well it’s better than just wandering around and getting ourselves more lost.” Sweetie quickly retort, to which Scootaloo simply grumble to herself, defeated by Sweetie’s logic.
“Hey wait second I got an idea.” Applebloom spoke. “How about we pass the time by telling each other some scary stories.”
“Yeah that’s not bad idea Applebloom.” Sweetie said to her.
“Yeah alright I’m down with that.” Scootaloo then proceed to sit on the ground. “So do any of you have any stories to tell?”
“Well actually no.” Applebloom answered.
“Yeah I was planning to come up with one when we’re out of this maze.” Sweetie explained.
Upon hearing this Scootaloo smiled. “Well then lucky for you two I got a terrifying tale to tell you guys.”
“Well aright then Scootaloo, we’re all ears.” Applebloom said as both she and Sweetie Belle sat down on the ground and focus their attention on her.
“Alright girls listen up. My tale is about two brothers that just recently moved into a new house and finding a mysterious door. They both enter the door and found only an endless staircase descending down to the dark abyss below. Once they travel far down enough, both decided to head back up to the door. However, upon opening the door both brothers will quickly find out that this not their world. For this is not an ordinary door, but the…”
HORROR DOOR
HORROR DOOR
“Alright now sons, your mother and I are heading out for a couple of hours.” The tall, well dressed stallion said to his two young sons. “We won’t be back late into the night, so I expect you two to be in bed by the time we come back, understood?”
In response the two sons nodded their heads.
“Alright then I got to go, remember sons dinners in the fridge, close all the lights before going to bed and don’t open the door for any strangers.” The father then turns around and trots out the front door.
After he left the eldest son, Crimson close the door and locked it. The colt then turns around to face his younger brother, Scarlet. “Well they’re out of the house, you know what that means?”
The little brother frowns at this, knowing where this is going. It was only recently that their family move into this new house. It was also only recent that both he and his older brother accidentally found it, the secret door.
It happened one day when he and Crimson were just playing around. Their game got intense and Crimson got slammed to the wall and ripped some wall paper down. However, this action allowed for the discovery of their secret door.
Behind the wallpaper was a completely flat surface door with a missing door handle. Since they can’t open the door without one, both brothers search the house for the missing door handle. So after hours of searching, Crimson manages to found it up in the attic.
He inserted the handle into the hole and it perfectly fit. Turning the handle the door made a creaking sound that an old door would make finally opening after years of staying closed. Once the door was all the way open, what they found inside was a dark staircase descending down to the darkness below.
Crimson was about to take a step down those dark steps, but the sound of the front door opening alerted the two brothers of their parents arrival. Quickly, his brother told him to cover the door up with the wall paper and told him not to tell their parents about this door.
Being the obedient little brother he is, Scarlet did what he was told and never mention the door around both his mother and father.
After that day, Crimson awaited for the perfect opportunity to open that secret door and after nearly a week later, his time has finally come.
Yesterday, both the mother and father were invited to the Grand Galloping Gala. However, they couldn’t go because they don’t have anyone to watch over their two sons while they are gone.
That is when Crimson stepped in. He somehow convinces them both that he and Scarlet are capable enough to take care of themselves for the night and that they have nothing to worry about. Convinced, both parents made preparation for their trip to Canterlot, where the Gala is being held.
Back to the present, Scarlet watches worryingly as his older brother pull the wall paper down and inserted the door handle into the hole. Then with a turn, the door made the same creaking noise it did before the last time it was opened.
Scarlet look down the old staircase and stare down into the endless darkness. The longer he look the more dread fills him up, making him unable to move.
The little brother feelings was a total contrast to his older brother, who only feel the sense of adventure.
“Alright, little brother let’s head down these steps.”
Even though Scarlet heard him, the little colt was still unable to move, frozen on the spot by fear.
“Come Scarlet, don’t be such a baby.” Crimson complain. “You need to be brave or else you’ll never stand up for yourself. Like that bully who always picks on you, what’s his name?”
The mention of the bully really sours the mood for the little brother. At the school there was a big, mean earth colt that picks on him. His name was Hard Head and he love to use his superior strength on those weaker than him, especially poor little Scarlet.
Seeing that his brother was not moving, Crimson decided to go down the steps by himself. Scarlet notice his brother descent down the dark staircase and despite being afraid to go down, he was even more afraid of what might happen to his older brother.
So mustering as much courage as he can, he took one step forward and enters through the doorway. As he does this, the door behind him suddenly closed right behind him.
Further down, Crimson had his flashlight turned on and was holding it in his mouth. He uses the light to shine the path ahead, finding nothing but darkness. As he continues to trots down more, he found no sign that he was getting any closer to the bottom of these steps. His earlier excitement for adventure was also begin to fade away and replacing it was the sense of fear of going further down these dark steps.
Not wanting to admit he was scared, Crimson push himself onward, mentally prepared to take on anything that come at him.
Then all of a sudden something bump into him from behind and the colt let out a short and quick scream. He quickly caught the flashlight before it fell and shine it on the thing that bump into him. The light reveals his brother, Scarlet.
“Scarlet? What are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you.” The little brother answered. “I couldn’t let you go down here alone.”
“Tsk, you’re worrying over nothing.” Crimson responded. “I can take care of myself, why don’t you head back upstairs.”
“No way, if something happens to you I don’t what I’ll do.”
“Fine, just stay close to me then.” Crimson said and continue his way down, this time now with his little brother accompanying him.
Minutes passed and the two brothers were getting no closer to reaching the bottom of this staircase. It was as if the staircase just kept on expanding, preventing them from ever reaching their destination.
Not wanting to go any further, Scarlet talk to his brother about going back up and to his surprise he agreed. What the little brother didn’t know was that Crimson was also starting to get scared.
The two brothers then turn around and trotted back up the staircase. Unlike when they were going down and found only endless steps, they eventually found the door they went through. Crimson opened the door and the two were back in their house.
Relief that they were finally out of that terrifying dark staircase, Scarlet was about to head to his room and relax, but the sound of something coming from the kitchen stopped him in his tracks.
Crimson too, also heard the sound from the kitchen. There shouldn’t be anypony else in the house except them. Suspecting that someone broke into their house, Crimson stealthily trot toward the kitchen and see who the pony was.
The oldest brother slowly creeps his way into the kitchen and spotted a mare at the counter. Upon looking closer he recognizes the mare.
“Mom?” Crimson called out, confuse to why she was here.
The mother turns around and smiles at him. “Oh Crimson dear, dinner won’t be done in the next couple of minutes.” She told him. “Why don’t go back and play with your brother.”
“Mom, why are you here?” He question. “Why aren’t you at the gala with dad?”
“Whatever are you talking about dear, why would I and your father be there?” The mother answered. “Speaking of your father, can you go out to our backyard and tell him to take a bath.”
Crimson was unsure of what was going on, but he follow his mother’s order and headed in the direction of the backyard. He passed by his little brother along the way, giving him a worried look.
Upon entering the backyard, the older brother looked up and saw that the sky was dark. “Were we gone that long?” He said to himself. His eye then caught the sight of his father near a corner of their yard. The stallion was currently using a shovel to bury something.
“Hey Dad, Mom said she wants you to shower before we eat.”
“Alright son, just give me a minute.” The father replied as he continues piling the dirt in the hole.
“What are you burying?” Crimson questioned.
“Oh you know, the left overs.”
“Left overs of what-“
“Crimson!” A mare voice shouted from the screen door. “Scarlet, wants to see you immediately.”
Crimson wasn’t sure what his brother want, but at this point something strange was going around and it couldn’t hurt to check up on his little brother.
He then proceed to trot back into the house, trot through the kitchen and into the living room, where Scarlet was waiting for him. The worried look on his little face was enough to tell him that something was wrong.
“What is it Scarlet?” He asked him.
Instead of answering, Scarlet led his brother to a closet and opens the door. Inside the small enclose room was a variety of coats and jackets, but the one thing that stood out was a lone schoolbag. It was a Power Pony theme schoolbag, displaying pictures of the different heroines.
“I don’t get it you called me here for a schoolbag?”
“Not just a schoolbag, its Hard Head’s schoolbag.” Scarlet explained.
“That bully? Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Scarlet stated, putting his right hoof into the bag and pulling a book out. “This was the book he stole from me when I was trying to return it. I got in trouble with the librarian because of him.”
“Ok that’s his schoolbag, but what’s it doing it here?” Crimson ask his little brother to which he just shrugs.
“Alright Crimson and Scarlet, dinner is ready?” Their mother called out from the dining room.
Both brothers headed for the dining room where their mother and their father were waiting for them. While the mare was setting up the plates and dishes, the recently bathed father assisted her.
The brothers sat on their usual spots and waited for them to be finished. A minute of two later and both parents finished and sat on their seats.
“Now boys this meal is a special one, especially for you Scarlet.” The father said.
“Why’s that?”
“Well Scarlet, remember how you told us of Hard Head bullying you at school.” The mother spoke. “So your father and I track him down and brought him here.”
“Really, where is he?”
“Why in here.” Answer the mother as she took the metal cover off the plate.
Both Crimson and Scarlet gasp in horror at what was on the plate. There lying on the plate was the bully, Hard Head. All sliced up, cooked and prepared to be eaten.
Neither Crimson nor Scarlet closed their agape mouths as both were still horrified at what they were seeing. It only gets worse from there as their minds were assessing all this shocking information. Here was a little colt, brutally murdered and turned into a meal. And it was their parents no less that committed this horrible atrocity.
“Come on sons, dig in.” The father said. “Your mother worked really hard to make this meal for us.” He then lifts his fork up and stab a slice of meat. Licking his lips, he open his mouth and took a big bite out of it.
Immediately after seeing his father eating the piece of the colt, Scarlet bolted out of the room. Crimson then follow after him, not wanting to be in the same room with the cooked up dead pony.
When he left the dining room to go after his little brother, he caught a glimpse of him galloping into the secret door. The older brother then quickens his pace and gallop down the same old steps of the dark, creepy staircase. As he does this, the door automatically closed behind him.
Turning on his flashlight, Crimson began calling out to his little brother while traveling down the steps. He kept on calling him until he eventually found him. When he did the colt found him sitting down and silently whimpering.
“Scarlet, where were you going?” Crimson ask him.
“I just had to get out of there Crimson.” Scarlet answered. “Those ponies are…are murderers!” He exclaimed. “They killed Hard Head and now they want us to eat him!”
Crimson was taken back this, never seeing his brother raise his voice like that before. “Look Scarlet, I know this all kind of mess up. That our parents are cannibals and-“
“No!” Scarlet interrupted. “Those are not our parents! Our mom and dad are not monsters, they would never do that!” He then looks away from his brother. “I don’t know who those ponies are, but I refuse to believe that they are our parents.”
Crimson didn’t say anything for a bit, letting the situation sink in as he thought about what to do next. “Alright Scarlet listen up, we’re going back up stairs and when we do we’ll immediately contact the police and tell them about those ponies. Understand?”
Scarlet remain silent. He didn’t want to go back up there with those monsters, but it was better than staying down here.
Nodding his head, both brothers turn around trot back up the steps and eventually reach the closed door again. Before opening the door, the both of them mentally prepare themselves for lies behind that door.
Crimson turn the handle and the two steps forward. Upon exiting the dark stairwell the two brothers quickly found themselves back to their house, but things were different.
Instead of a lighted, clean room the room was dark and the place was trashed. The walls were damaged, the windows were shattered with plank boards nailed over them, furniture either destroyed or placed in front of doors and windows.
To say that the colts were confused is understatement.
As they search around, many thought were running in their heads. All of them questioning the situation they were in and trying to find answers.
Suddenly a strange noise came from the garage, breaking the brothers out of their train of thought.
“What was that?” The little brother question with a hint of fear in his voice.
“I don’t know, do you think it’s them?” Crimson said, referring to their parents.
Scarlet didn’t respond to his brother inquiry and stayed staring at the door to the garage. Crimson turn and face the garage door. He then proceeds to slowly trot towards the door with his little brother staying close behind him.
Once he was in front of the garage door, he took the lock off and turns the handle. He pull door open and peaked inside. Inside the pitch black garage stood a single window, casting a lone light into the garage room. Standing in the middle was a single dark silhouette of a pony.
“H-hello?” Crimson said shining the flashlight on the pony.
The flashlight reveals the pony to be their mother. She had her back turn against them and she looked absolutely terrible. She was thin to the point that her bones was showing, the vibrant color of her coat became more pale and her once clean and straight mane was all rustled up.
“Mom?” Crimson called out to her, a decision he regret in a second.
The mare turns her body around, revealing her grotesque appearance to them. The brothers gasp at the sight of their mother. Gone was her friendly face, in its place were two soulless eyes and a set of sharp, jagged fangs. Even all four of her hooves changed, each one sporting a set of three claws that sprouted out from each of her hooves.
The two brothers were so disturb by the creature that it in their shock state it lunges at them, intending to rip out their throats. However, the chain around her neck kept her from getting any closer to the door, pulling her back.
The sudden lunge surprises the both of them and Crimson reacted by quickly by slamming the door hard on her. As the two took a couple of steps back, they heard the sound of the front door opening. Turning their heads in that direction, they spotted their father hastily getting inside and locking the door behind him.
The father was carrying a kitchen knife in his mouth while also wearing a saddlebag. Like their mother, their father was also a messed. But, unlike her he was still a pony.
“Dad?” Scarlet said worryingly.
The father lifts his head up and saw his two sons staring at him. “Scarlet, Crimson what are you doing here?” He questions them. “You should be down in the safe room.”
“Safe room?”
Before the father could respond, Crimson interrupted by asking a question. “Dad, why is mom locked in the garage and what happened to her?”
This question seems to have triggered something in the stallion as he then began panicking. “What! You weren’t supposed to go in there; I told you numerous times not to go in there!” The father yelled as trotted up to them.
“Did she bit you? Did she scratch you? Are both of you alright?” He asked his numerous questions to both of his sons
“Were fine, dad.” Crimson assured him. “Why weren’t we allowed to see our mom?”
The father sighs before answering. “Crimson, you got understand. No colt should see their mother like that, not after what happened to her.” He said, looking sad.
There was brief moment of silence before Crimson spoke up “Dad, why were you outside.” He asked curiously.
“Why to get supplies of course.” The father answered and dumps the content of his saddlebag on the ground. Only three items were shown: one can of beans, one half-full box of cereal, and one cracker packet. “It’s not much, but it will get us through for the next day or two.”
“Dad, where did those wounds come from?” Scarlet spoke up, pointing to the bandages around his right foreleg.
“Oh don’t worry son, I just accidently cut myself while climbing through a broken window. None of those monsters touch me.”
“Monsters?”
As if on cue, something came bashing against the door, startling everyone. They heard some beast like snarls as the thing outside continues to slam itself against the locked front door. Soon enough more of those creatures start appearing. They slam themselves against the windows, attempting to break through boards.
“Oh no they followed me, but how?” The father questioned. “Unless.” Looking down at his bandage foreleg he came to a realization. “So they really do smell your blood.”
“Dad, what’s going?” Scarlet shouted.
“Boys you need head down to the safe room, now!” The father ordered as he brandished the knife. “I’ll keep them distracted, lure them away from here and give them the slip.” He was about to enact his plan, but Scarlet stopped him.
“No dad, please don’t go!” The little brother begged him. “I don’t want those monsters getting you!”
“Scarlet, I have to! If I don’t they’ll find you!”
Suddenly one of the nearby boarded window busted opened and a monstrous looking pony emerge from the open window.
“Get down now!” Their father shouted. “I’ll keep it busy!” Breaking off from his son, he charges right at the monster with his knife.
Scarlet wanted to go after his father, but Crimson pulled him back and carry him back to the secret door. Despite his little brother’s protest he push onward, passing by numerous boarded windows that were being broken down by the monsters outside.
Crimson reached to the secret door and quickly slammed just in time for one of those monsters lunge at him, smashing its face against the close door. Crimson then galloped down the endless dark stairwell, galloping for who knows how long.
Eventually Crimson got tired and stopped. Putting his little brother, both ponies sat down and remain silent. The two kept remaining silent for almost half an hour now, with neither of saying anything to each other. Finally Crimson broke the silence.
“We have to go back up.”
“I know.” Scarlet simply replied.
Both brothers started trotting back up the steps. Their trip was a slow one as neither of them were excited to face what lies upstairs for them.
They finally reach the door and stood there for a good minute before Crimson actually did something. Turning the door handle, both brothers brace themselves and took a step forward.
Looking around everything was back to the way it was. No boarded windows, no broken furniture or walls and most importantly no monsters.
However, they were not in the clear yet as they looked around the house. After finding no traces of their parents the brothers believe that they were back in their own home, but are no sure. That was when they heard the sound of the front door opening and the voice of their parents casually talking to each other as they enter into the house.
Both brothers immediately head towards the front door and saw their parents in their gala wears.
“Crimson? Scarlet? What are you two doing up?” Their mother asked.
“Your mother is right, you should be in bed.” The father said.
Both brothers then rush in and hugged their parents, telling them how much they missed them much to their confusion.
After explaining what happened and even showing them the secret door they found, both the father and mother agreed that it was best to seal this door up. While they don’t fully believe what their kid told them, they at least know that there was something animus about this dark staircase and have no desire to go down those steps.
So after removing the door handle and sealing the whole door with concrete life went as normal. The brothers go about their ordinary lives and their memories of that horrible experience starts to fade away, becoming nothing more than a bad memory.
While everything was back to normal there was one thing none of them were aware of. If one listens closely beyond the seal door, they could hear the low sound of something snarling.
Act 2- A Voice In The Dark
“So girls what did you think of that?” Scootaloo asked her two friends about her story. “Pretty great right?” She said sounding proud of herself.
“I liked it a lot, Scootaloo.” Applebloom spoke.
“I thought it was alright, could use some minor tweaking in some areas.” Sweetie commented on her friend’s story.
“Oh really like what?”
As Scootaloo listen in to Sweetie Belle’s explanation, Applebloom suddenly heard some rustling sound come from the corn behind her.
Turning her head to the source of that sound, she quickly caught the glimpse of something small moving between the corn walls.
“Um girls, I don’t think we’re alone out here.” Applebloom warned her two friends.
“Really is somepony around?”
“No Sweetie Belle, it wasn’t a pony.” Applebloom stated. “It was something small.”
At that moment all three fillies heard a rustling noise and saw a small creature moving between the corn walls. It moved so fast none them got a good look on the little creature.
“What was that?” Scootaloo questioned.
“I don’t know Scoot, but I don’t want to stick around and find out.” Applebloom answered. “I think its best we keep moving.”
To this none of her friends object to this idea and all quickly stood up and trot through the corn maze again.
Deciding it was best to keep their mind of what that thing was, Applebloom looked to Sweetie Belle to continue their session.
“So Sweetie Belle, do you have a story you want to share?”
“Sure Applebloom, I got one.”
Clearing her throat she opened her mouth. “My tale is about a little filly making a new friend. An imaginary friend. At first the father though nothing of it, until he began hearing about the terrible things she has been doing at her school and told eveypony that it was her imaginary friend that told her to do it. When he confronted her about this, she told him that he too can communicate with her friend by staying quiet in a dark room. Deciding to try it out, the father soon discovers that she was telling the truth for he has heard…”
A VOICE IN THE DARK
Once upon a time there was a pegasus stallion named Sky Dive.
The stallion was a single parent. His wife left him, leaving him to take care of their daughter.
Sky faced many hardships for being a single parent, but through it all he worked hard enough to support himself and his daughter.
However, in recent years Sky has been very busy with work lately. He spends many hours away from home, leaving her daughter all alone by herself. Because of this Sunny quickly grew up without a father being there to see it.
Then one day when Sky was at home, he discovered that Sunny made a friend today. Apparently it was an imaginary friend as he sees her talking to nopony. Now from what he had heard, this was nothing to worry about as most children developed an imaginary companion to play with.
So for the next couple of days, whenever he comes home from work, he would always hear Sunny playing with her imaginary friend and for while things were normal.
That was until he got the messages.
All the messages he received all came from the teachers at her school. Each letters informing him of the terrible things she did to her teachers and other children.
They listed out the things she done, each one getting worse then the last. Sky could hardly believe the stuff his daughter did, that his own daughter, Sunny was capable of committing such terrible deeds.
When he confronted her about this, the young filly explained that she was only doing it because her imaginary friend told her to do it.
Of course he didn’t believe her and the two got into an argument. This ended with her being sent to her room and with Sky sitting alone in the kitchen, lamenting over the situation. The last thing she said to him before she went to room was that if he wanted to talk to her friend, then all he had to do was go into a dark place and stay silent.
Sky Dive decided to call it a night and head off to bed. As he brushes his teeth, the words of his daughter pop up his head. If he wanted to talk to her friend, all he needed was to be in a dark place and not make any sound at all.
For whatever reason, Sky tested this out in his washroom. Closing the light, he stayed motionless in the dark and not uttering a single word.
A couple of minutes passed and nothing happens. Sky at this point gave up on this experiment and left the washroom. Climbing onto his bed, the stallion laid his head down and closes his eyes.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, that was when he heard the voice.
Hello Sky Dive.
Sky Dive’s eyes open wide and he sat straight up. He looked around the room and saw nothing but darkness in his room. He could’ve sworn somepony called out to him
That is correct Sky, I did call out to you.
Hearing the voice again, Sky immediately got off the bed and pulls the baseball bat under his bed. He then held his weapon up, readying himself to fight against this intruder. Sky then yells at the voice to come out and reveal himself.
Put the bat down Sky, I’m not here to hurt you. Beside you can’t even hurt me.
Sky asked him why he can’t hurt him.
Because, as you can clearly see, I’m not in the room with you. Well technically I am, but not in any physical form.
Confused, Sky demand to know what he was talking about.
Well that is kind of hard to explain really. The closest to your understanding is that I am simply a voice with no body to speak from.
Sky, did not felt at ease with this voice, despite him answering his questions. His answers only seem to raise more questions for the stallion. However, there was one question he needed ask. He asked why he came to him.
I sense you were calling out to me. Sorry for the wait, I was busy talking to another pony, Sunny.
Upon hearing him say his daughter’s name, Sky immediately remember their conversation from early and how she told him that her imaginary friend was the one who told her to do those terrible things.
Well I wouldn’t say I told her, it was more of a suggestion really.
Sky wanted to know why he was telling her to do those terrible things.
The answer is really quite simple, Sky. I am her darkest thoughts. I am filled with her hatred, her cruelty, her sadism and all sorts of terrible things. To put it simply Sky, your little daughter is quite twisted.
Sky refuses to believe this voice’s words. He claims that he knows his daughter and that she was not that kind of pony.
Do you really know her, Sky? Do you really know how mess up your daughter is? Because let me tell ya, you really don’t your daughter at all.
Angry, Sky yells at the voice and told him to leave his daughter alone.
Can’t do that, Sky. As long as your daughter is way she is, I’m not going away for a very long time.
After the voice was finished, he didn’t hear anything else from him. Assuming he was gone, Sky Dive sat on his bed and ponders what to do next.
Late into the night, the stallion laid on his bed. However, instead of peacefully sleeping, his head was still plagued with ideas of trying to find a solution to his problem. He would spend all night like that until he eventually fell asleep from exhaustion.
The next morning, Sky finally came up with a plan. It came to him in a dream. The only reason why she was like this was because he was not being a good father. Not spending any time with her, always at work, what his daughter needed was a good old bonding time with her father.
So for the next couple of days, Sky Dive would dedicate his time by spending it with his daughter. This idea seems to work as he has never seen his Sunny so happy in her life. So happy in fact the stallion never heard any mentioning of her imaginary friend, nor does he ever see her talking to him.
Assuming that his plan work and the voice is gone, he quietly celebrated his triumph victory. For while a everything was going right for the stallion.
However, that is until one fateful day when he was about to get a very special surprise. Force to work late again, Sky Dive didn’t return home somewhere late in the evening. As the tired stallion opened the door he was met with pitch black darkness.
As he enters his home, a single light was lit up above the dining table. Sitting next to the table was his smiling daughter, Sunny and a birthday cake. On the cake there were words that said: Happy Birthday Daddy!
Sky was surprise by this and then smiled afterwards. He forgotten that it his birthday and happy his own little filly remembered it for him.
As he sat down to eat his slice of the cake, he fail to notice Sunny not grabbing a slice of cake for herself. When he finished eating his piece that was when it started to kick in. All of sudden the stallion felt a tremendous pain to his chest and he collapse to the floor.
As he struggled to get up, he saw his daughter calmly getting up and standing over him. He looked up to her face and sees her smiling. However, this was not the childish, friendly smile he seen before before. Instead what he saw on her face was pure wicked and malice smile.
See what I mean, Sky. You really don’t know your own daughter at all. But, don’t worry I’ll take good care of her.
With those final words, Sunny trot over her dying father and disappearing into the darkness. Sky last moments before passing away was shedding a single tear from his eye and then closing them.
After Sweetie Belle was done with her story, the crusaders resume their journey through the corn maze. However, no matter where they go it felt like going in circles for them.
“Oh no, we are totally lost.” Scootaloo said sounding worried.
“This is so weird, why haven’t we met up with any other ponies yet?” Applebloom inquired.
“Maybe that creature got to them?”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous, Sweetie Belle.” The orange pegaus responded. “There is no way that thing could eat a full size pony.”
Suddenly as they turn around a corner they come across a path littered with pony bones. Immediately upon seeing this, the crusaders all let a out a terrified scream and gallop right through the collection of bones.
If one of those fillies actually bothered to check the bones, they would’ve been able to easily tell that they were made of cheap plastic.
As the crusaders galloped through the maze they were then met with three ghosts that floated high above them. Seeing them terrified the crusaders even more, causing them to gallop off in a different direction.
While they ran, the three immediately stopped when something dash between the corn wall in front of them.
“Oh no, it’s back!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“What are we going to do?” Sweetie questioned.
At that moment Applebloom got an idea. “Quick this way girls!” She said as motion them to follow her.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle follow behind their yellow friend, who led them to an old hollowed out tree. The crusaders enter through a hole in the tree and hid themselves inside. There they remain quiet, lest they want whatever was out there to hear them.
“Alright I think we’re safe for now.” Applebloom said after she took a quick peek outside.
The Crusaders all took the moment to relax.
“Well since we’re all safe, how about you tell us your scary story, Applebloom.” Scootaloo suggested.
“Yeah OK I got a story to tell you two, but I gotta tell it to you real low so that thing outside won’t hear us.”
Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded their heads and listen in closely to their friend.
“This tale of mine is something Granny Smith once told me long ago. This story is about my great-great granduncle, Black Apple and his encounter with…”
The Hidebehind
Long ago my great-great granduncle, Black Apple, lives by himself in a small house residing in the woods.
Black Apple was a reclusive stallion, rarely leaving his house aside from gathering supplies from the nearby town.
One day while buying food, he befriended a local vendor who agreed to come over his house.
So the next day, Black Apple patiently waited for the arrival of his new friend.
Hours passed and there was not a single knock on his door.
Believing his friend got lost, Black Apple instead decides to go out and look for him.
He follows the same path he used to get to town. Along this path, he found nothing out of the ordinary until he spotted a black derby hat near the dirt road.
He recognizes it as the same hat that his friend wore when he visited his stall yesterday. He found his hat, but now where was his friend?
Deciding to investigate further he begins his search. Black Apple knew how to track and with this ability he was able to deduce what happened to the pony.
Hours ago his friend was just trotting by the same dirt road he was on, heading straight to his house. However, upon finding bent down grasses coming from the woods, a creature or something came out and attacked his friend and then dragged him back into the woods.
Fearing that something might’ve happened to him, Black Apple quickly followed the trail that led him further deeper into the woods, to parts unknown to him.
Black Apple kept on following the trail for some time now. By now the sun was already setting, it will be dark soon and Black Apple didn’t really want be out in the woods at night.
Eventually the trail leads him to a dark, creepy cave. Black Apple enters the cave, using a lighter for his source of light. He continues going deeper down until he spotted a pony on the ground.
Recognizes the stallion as the one from yesterday, he gallop towards him to check if he was alright. But, upon turning him over he was met with a grisly sight. The stallion’s stomach was ripped opened and his intestines torn out.
The urge to throw up came to Black Apple, but he fought against it and held it down. He kneels down before the dead stallion and said a short eulogy about him. After that he stood up and trot out of cave.
As he got outside the sun has already set and sky was now dark. While trotting though the darken forest, Black Apple could not help the feelings that he was being watched. He felt this feeling right after when he left the cave.
At first he thought he was just being paranoid, but the warning alarms in his head was telling him that he was being stalked.
Black Apple, could no longer this feeling and quickly turn around, hoping to catch his stalker.
When he did this, the stallion was quickly able to catch a quick glimpse of the creature tailing him, before it took cover behind a tree.
Despite not completely seeing the creature, that quick glimpse of it was all he needed to know who was following.
The creature hiding behind that tree is the mysterious being called the Hidebehind.
According to legend, the Hidebehind is creature that is never seen. Nopony knows what it looks like and those that do rarely make it out alive to tell the tale. Like their name says, the Hidebehind has the habit of hiding behind anything around it. Whether it be trees, boulders or even tall grasses the Hidebehind can hide behind anywhere.
Another fact about this creature is that they are all carnivores. They usually stalk a lone prey that wanders around their territory.
Now knowing what he was dealing with, Black Apple had to make sure the Hidebehind doesn’t know that he is on to him. Casually he trot through the woods again, this time listen closely to the sound of the creature approaching him.
Whenever he hears it getting closer he always trots further, distancing himself away from the beast.
Black Apple, continue his trot until he spotted a cliff in the distance. Upon seeing the cliff an idea popped in his head. Making a beeline to the cliff, his quicken his pace a bit.
Suddenly he heard sound behind him getting louder. Knowing that the Hidebehind was onto him, Black Apple sprinted for the Cliffside.
Once he got to the cliff, he jumped off the edge and quickly grabbed onto some vines that was growing beneath the cliff. Under there, Black Apple waited and heard the sound of the Hidebehind up on top. The creature was most likely looking him, searching where he went off to.
With his prey gone, the Hidebehind simply gave up and walked away.
Once he was sure the Hidebehind was gone, Black Apple climb back up from the cliff and galloped all the way back home.
After that day, Black Apple packed up all of his things and left the house. With the knowledge that the Hidebehind was lurking around in these woods, he doesn’t feel safe anymore and it would be a matter of time before he encounters the creature again. Perhaps next time he won’t be fortunate enough to escape it.