The Book of Darkness

[Everfree Forest. The Next Morning.]

Upon the sun breaking over the mountains. A whole regiment of guards marched from Castle Twilight and into the Everfree Forest; searching for the lost child of Twilight Sparkle. Residents of Ponyville watched as the soldiers marched into the dark forest, unknown whether they would come out or not. In the front of the regiment, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie walked. The forest that once scared them before was nothing but a stepping stone to finding Dawn and the monster that took her. The creature would pay the price harshly and Dawn would be returned home. Twilight clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes.

"If its done anything to her." she said to herself.

Her friends looked at each in worry. Twilight should be worried as could be right now, not angry. But it was the complete opposite. Twilight was scared out of her mind. She worried for her daughter and wanted to believe she was okay. However to think that is tough to do from how Trixie described the beast. Twilight just didn't know what to do. Wouldn't be the first time. Twilight's train of thought was lost as the sounding of heavy rumbling on the ground caught her attention; and your comrades. The regiment and the girls stopped as it felt like an aftershock was going on. The guards readied their spears and swords. Their shields raised to their chests. The mares were guided by the guards closer to them as the stomping seemed to grow. The whole area of the forest seemed to be clouded by darkness as the sun seemed to grow dimer with each passing seconds. Then, dark green eyes shined from the darkness shadows of the forest. The darkness seemed to move by itself. Squirming and slithering across the earth. Shadows turned to spike fingers and spear like horns. They were surrounded. The creatures were no less taller then the guards themselves. Though they weren't armored, they didn't even have weapons.

All the creatures had were their claws, teeth, and wings of a bug. The monsters soon began hissing and pounding on the earth. Their flesh torn and rotting away. Twilight looked and saw one was missing its bottom half of its body. She turned and saw a creature with a missing part of its head. She then saw the spear. A spear impaled into one of the creatures. The same spear...

"Changelings!" a guard yelled.

The undead changeling soldiers roared with a fury that has never been seen. These weren't just ordinary changelings. No, something was wrong with them.

"I thought most of the changelings departed after Chrysalis death!?" Rainbow said.

Twilight thought back, seven years ago, when Jason had killed Chrysalis. She remembered seeing an entire colony of them leave the Everfree Forest after their queens death. However, she also remembered the entire horde of soldiers Jason had killed. Great. Everyone got in battle ready stances and waited for the horde to attack them. A sudden scream, sounding like a banshee, made the horde look in all sorts of directions. Twilight and her friends gave confused looks as they saw the horde stand their ground. Another screech and the horde hissed and growled at each other.

"What's goin on here Twilight?" Apple Jack leaned in to Twilight and whispered.

The alicorn didn't answer. She only stood and watched as the horde seemed to communicate with each other. A large changeling soldier, probably an alpha, hissed at its comrades. From its waist band, it pulled out a sword. It pointed the blade toward the ponies and let out a roar. The rest of the horde roared in unison and charged the ponies in great numbers. The guards charged the horde; swords were being swung, clashing shields beat against each other, lime green and crimson liquid came from the bodies of those already slain. A undead charged the mares, raising a sword high above its head. A violent kick to the undead changelings chest sent it flying back, but leaving behind its head on the ground. Rarity and Fluttershy squirmed away from the head. Both hiding behind the other three mares. Apple Jack kicked the head of the undead away in disgust. Though the head turned itself around, and began moving its jaw and eyes.

"Tarnation! These things wont stay dead!"

A guard plunged her axe inside a undead changelings head but the zombie was still standing and swinging around its weapon. The guard grunted and dug the axe deeper inside the zombies head. It eventually stopped moving and fell to the ground. Its head split in two. The guard rejoiced and yelled to her comrades.

"Destroy the head! Its the only way to kill 'em!"

The other guards yelled a battle cry and began targeting the heads of the zombies. One by one, the changelings dropped on the ground dead once more. None of the guards had been killed. Only a few injuries. Twilight picked up the severed head of the changeling. The jaw and eyes still moving. The head wasn't destroyed, it was only decapitated. Giving the head a solid hard stare, Twilight tossed the head into the sky and blasted it with her magic. Shards of decomposed brain and skull rained down on the mares. Rarity plucked a piece of skull out of her mane.

"Twilight...don't do that again." she said coldly.

The alicorn looked at her friend and gave an embarrassed grin and blush on her cheeks. Then, a sudden whisper from the dark made everyone jump. The voice carried itself like the wind, brushing across the guards armor, and sending the hairs of the mares neck to stand up.

"You think you've won? I wouldn't be sooooo sure! HE is still coming!"

-Who's coming?- thought Twilight.

A pair of sickish green eyes formed from the darkness. The remaining guards that weren't injured drew their weapons and faced the presence.

"Keep away from Pumpkinhead, Unless you're tired of living, His enemies are mostly dead, He's mean and unforgiving, Laugh at him and you're undone."

The feeling of the area had changed completely. The air became thick and hard to breathe. The voice continued its rhythm.

"But in some dreadful fashion, Vengeance, he considers fun, And plans it with a passion, Time will not erase or blot, A plot that he has brewing." The voice was becoming deeper and more menacing. "It's when you think that he's forgot, He'll conjure your undoing, Bolted doors and windows barred, Guard dogs prowling in the yard."

The eyes in the darkness started to become darker. The wind was blowing harder as if a hurricane was coming over the forest. The feeling of fear had washed over everyone. Nobody could move. Weapons dropped from the guards hands. The voice from the dark boomed even louder.

"Won't protect you in your bed, Nothing will, from Pumpkinhead!" the voice roared.

Feeling returned to the guards and mares. The guards picked up their weapons. Everyone took a moment to collect themselves. The voice had left an imprint on the ponies. Feeling as though their souls had been bathed in darkness. No words were exchanged between any of them. Not even glances of fear toward the other. Below the glowing, now fiery color, eyes grew a toothy grin. The dark face faded. The ground began to shake ever few seconds. As if a large animal was stomping toward the ponies. No one dared to move. A sudden growl echoed from the woods. Everyone looked in all directions, trying to find the source of the growl. A sudden, small voice, made the blood of the ponies run cold.

"Cant you tell me where were going?"