A Shadow in the Night

by PuzzlingInsanity

Rating: mature
Tags: Tragedy, Slice of Life, Dark, Sad, Drama, Horror
Length: 2758

Night Gem tries to live a wholesome and healthy life. She has a dark side, however. This is the story of Night Gem and Shadow Crystal.

Night Gem lives a healthy life. Shadow Crystal ends other ponies' lives. This is the story of a mare with a monster inside her.

Rated M for later chapters.
Contains
[spoiler]gore, RD death, a pony getting an HIV-like disease, and Flurry Heart[/spoiler]

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2016-04-27 11:59:16 UTC

Night Gem's Morning

“Nngh…” A pale purple mare groaned, waking up and sitting up in her soft, pink and purple bed. Night Gem groggily rose to her hooves to get herself ready for the day ahead. Slowly, she made her way to the bathroom and flicked the switch.

The CFLs came to life, bathing the pale purple earth pony in a bright light. Her hooves clacked against the pink and purple tiles of the bathroom floor. A soft shadow was cast against the pink and purple striped wall as she started up her shower.

Brushing her light blue mane out of her blue-gray eyes, she stepped into the pink porcelain shower and closed the glass door. Night Gem opened a pink and purple bottle with a click and squeezed an egg-sized amount of purple shampoo into her hoof. As she worked the shampoo through her mane and tail, the shower was filled with the sweet scent of lavender, iris, and grapes. She sighed contentedly as the warm water rinsed away the fragrant soap. After she made sure she had gotten it all, Night Gem turned off her shower, opened the door, and reached for her white towel rack.

The purple mare hummed to herself as she dried herself off with a warm, fluffy, pink towel. She made sure to fold the towel up into a tight square and put it in her hoof-woven wicker hamper. Reaching for a purple wooden brush with soft, white bristles, Night Gem smiled and began to work brush through her mane and tail, gently smoothing her blue hair out and getting rid of any tangles.

“There,” she smiled to herself a little more and put the brush back in its proper place. The mare turned the lights off and trotted out of the bathroom.

She walked downstairs and took a deep breath as she turned the lights on in the kitchen. Night Gem smiled to herself as she got her loaf of whole grain bread out and placed two slices carefully into the silver toaster on the smooth marble countertop. She wrapped the loaf back up, making sure to vacuum-seal it, and placed it back in the basket. The purple mare grabbed her vegan butter spread and smiled even more as the toast popped, comically landing onto a white china plate. Taking a silver knife, she took a dab of the spread and covered the majority of one piece of whole grain toast before putting the other piece of toast on top of the one covered in vegan butter. As she set the plate down at the oak table, the earth pony took the silver juicer and ran a long, orange carrot through it. The tall glass filled up with carrot juice, which Night Gem enjoyed very much.

“Everypony should start their day the healthy way,” she chirped, sipping her carrot juice and taking bites of her toast.

The orange, vitamin A-rich liquid was sweet. It tasted a bit like soap, like some carrots bought at the store.

The toast was crunchy and a reddish-brown. It didn’t taste all that bad, actually.

“Now to get my morning routine finished,” Night Gem smiled, putting her dishes in the polished silver sink.

She filled up one side of the sink with warm water and squirted a little bit of hibiscus-scented soap into the water. Taking a soft washcloth, she gently rubbed away the crumbs and carrot juice residue from her dishes. She wiped her butter knife clean, rinsed the three items in the other side of the sink, and carefully placed them in her drainer so they could dry in the sun.

After reorganizing her oak cabinets, she went back upstairs and turned the bathroom lights on. Night Gem squeezed a pea-sized drop of mint toothpaste onto a purple toothbrush and gently scrubbed her teeth in little circles. After three minutes, she spat into the purple porcelain sink and washed out the inside of the basin. She sighed, trotted downstairs, grabbed her bits, and went outside to start her day.

“Okay, first, get my morning shopping done,” Night Gem said to herself, trotting into the market.

She approached a sturdy, wooden cart with produce stacked neatly and carefully. The purple earth mare smiled and looked over her choices.

On the cart were bright green heads of leafy cabbage and lettuce; long, orange carrots; big, shiny, red apples; ripe, yellow bananas; fresh blueberries; and bunches of deep purple grapes.

A green pony with red dreadlocks smiled, “Would you like some organic produce, man?”

“Yes, please,” Night Gem replied, “how much for everything?”

“Free of charge,” the other mare answered, “I only wish to promote healthy living and being one with nature. Allow me to get you a complimentary hemp tote.”

“Thank you, Miss…”

“Tree Hugger,” the green mare replied, “enjoy your day.” She filled up a large, brown, hemp tote with every piece of colorful produce and handed it to the purple pony.

Night Gem smiled and trotted off to a boutique. Opening the door, she was greeted by a white unicorn filly with green eyes, a pink and lavender mane, and a bright pink overnight bag.

“Hi, Night Gem!” the filly squeaked, smiling.

“Hello, Sweetie Belle,” Night Gem smiled, “I need to talk to your sister about something important.”

Sweetie Belle nodded and left, her curls bouncing as she did. The door slammed shut behind her.

A white unicorn mare with a curly, deep purple mane stepped into the room and smiled warmly, hugging Night Gem. “Hello, dear!”

Night Gem grimaced, “I, uh, need tips on stain removal.”

“What stains, darling?”

The purple mare’s eyes flashed green for a moment as she replied, “Bloodstains.”

Rarity’s eyes bulged. She shook it off and answered, “Try soap and water, then try bleach to make absolutely sure it’s gone.”

Night Gem smiled, “Thanks. That’s all I needed.”

As the pale violet earth pony left, the alabaster unicorn pondered. She asked the white Persian cat on a red couch, “Whatever did she need tips on bloodstain removal for, Opalescence?”

Opalescence rolled her bright yellow eyes and went back to sleep. She couldn’t possibly care less.

Night Gem smiled to herself as she went back into her home on Mane Street.

Shadow's Repose

Shadow Crystal cackled as she galloped back to Mane Street and slammed the door. She was alone at last. Immediately, she locked her door with a click, headed upstairs, took a shower, dried off, and got into bed.

Aid for an Apple

Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Flurry Heart appeared at the library’s doorstep. The eldest alicorn mare knocked on the door.

A red-eyed Applejack opened it, sniffling. “Y-yes, Princesses?”

“We wanted to see Twilight… is something the matter, Applejack?”

The orange mare began to bawl as Shattered Heart walked her back inside. The gray mare looked at the four alicorns and mouthed, “Come in.”

Celestia and Luna sat down beside Rarity. Cadance prepared a bouncy seat for the baby, put her in the special seat, and sat by Twilight.

Twilight cleared her throat. “As you may know, Rainbow Dash was found mangled in Sweet Apple Acres last night.”

“Oh, dear,” the alicorn sisters replied in unison.

“And that same night, Applejack received a nick on her shoulder. She doesn’t know how she got it, but she went to the doctor about it… and… I’m sad to say that she has Equine Infectious Anemia. She’s dying, and… and we need all the support we can get.” Twilight finished, wiping a tear from her eye.

Applejack buried her head in her hooves and sobbed. Shattered Heart held her marefriend’s hoof and exchanged a worried look with her.

Flurry Heart flapped her wings and flew over to the crying mare. Her big eyes swam with concern. “Apajak?”

The orange pony looked up at the baby. Sniffling, she held her hooves out. The foal gently landed in her arms and cooed. Applejack smiled weakly and let another tear fall to the floor. “You’re so precious…”

“Apajak otay?”

“N-no… no, sugar cube, I-I’m sick.”

Flurry stuck her lip out and began to whimper as her eyes welled up. Everypony braced for a booming wail. The baby blinked twice and began to cry.

Applejack gently bounced the baby in her hooves. “Shh… shh… it’ll be okay after a while, I promise… Applejack promises we can play together soon… won’t that be fun?”

The foal began to quiet down, yawning softly and nuzzling the crook of her neck.

Cadance levitated the sleepy baby over to the bouncy seat and looked worriedly at the mares in the room. "S-so, is Equine Infectious Anemia contagious?"

"It's transmitted through bloodsucking insects, but EIA can also be contracted through contact with infected blood, milk, and body secretions," Twilight replied, "I'm sure that we'll be fine so long as we don't come into contact with Applejack's fluids."

"That's good," the pink alicorn sighed, "I just don't want my baby getting sick, is all."

"We should all do something to raise enough bits for her medical expenses."

Rarity's Red Ribbons

Rarity took it upon herself to find all the red ribbon in the boutique. She was going to make something meaningful. "Oh, what to make though?" she pondered.

"Why are you using all the red ribbon?"

"Miss Applejack… she has a disease that messes with a pony’s immune system. She needs all the support she can get because the disease can’t be cured… and it kills anypony it infects. Sometimes it takes years; sometimes only a few weeks.”

“What does that have to do with red ribbon?”

“There are different color ribbons for different causes. Red is for drug prevention and immune diseases.”

“So she’s sick?”

“Y-yes, Sweetie, Miss Applejack is very, very sick,” Rarity answered, “I want to make something using the ribbon to gain support for her cause. Hand me that camera, dear.”

"Um, okay," Sweetie replied, getting the video camera. She pointed it at Rarity and turned it on. "Okay, i-it's on, Rarity."

"Hello, darlings! My name is Rarity. And today, I am going to make something out of yards upon yards of red ribbon. You see, my dear friend, Applejack... she has a nasty immune disease called Equine Infectious Anemia. She needs as much support as she can get, and I'm showing my support by making a garment using all this red ribbon," Rarity stated, grabbing a mannequin and a vardingale, "Sweetie Belle, can you zoom in a little, dear?"

Rarity smiled to herself as she wrapped inch upon inch of ribbon around the mannequin and through the vardingale.

Hours later, she had finished her garment. "And, there!" Rarity chirped, "I'm sure Applejack will love this!" She admired the cute little red dress.

Babies, Bad Headaches, and Butcher Knives

The purple pony smiled as her friends, a gray pegasus named Shattered Heart and a yellow pegasus named Fluttershy, laughed over a joke Night Gem had told. Fluttershy rubbed her bulging tummy and smiled.

“So how far along are you?”

“Hearts Aflutter will be here in only two months,” Fluttershy cooed happily, kissing Shattered Heart’s muzzle.

“That’s a lovely name,” Night Gem replied.

“Isn’t it?” Shattered smiled, “We picked it out. Colt, filly, or she-colt, I know our foal will be a beautiful baby.”

Fluttershy yawned softly and patted her large, yellow belly. She cooed, “We should really get going. I’m getting tired.”

The two winged mares left, leaving the pale purple earth mare alone. Night Gem suddenly felt a severe pain in her head. It felt like her skull was being crushed in a vise lined with razor blades, glass shards, spikes, and shivs.

“NOT AGAIN!!!” Night Gem screamed in anguish.

The pain intensified and metastasized throughout her body as she staggered toward her bathroom mirror. Clutching her head, she looked through teary eyes at her reflection. Her coat turned a deep, dark purple, almost like an eggplant. Opening her mouth, she saw her teeth sharpen to a point. The tears almost instantly dried up as her eyes turned from a vibrant sapphire to a bright green. Her mane darkened to a navy blue. The mare staring back at her… was not Night Gem. It was Shadow Crystal.

Shadow Crystal let out a bloodcurdling screech and cackled maniacally. The dark purple mare cantered downstairs and grabbed a butcher knife. She was ready to start her nightly rampage.

Dashing All Hope

A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane was stumbling over to Sweet Apple Acres. “Man, I am SOOOOO drunk!” she hooted.

The winged mare had a few ciders too many. She was absolutely smashed. Smashed enough…

“This bitch ain’t gonna put up a fight,” Shadow Crystal purred behind a tree, preparing her knife to do its duty.

The purple mare tiptoed behind the blue horse and prepared to jump on her. The silence was deafening… and then… she pounced.

Pinning her down was no challenge at all, considering earth ponies are the strongest race of pony. The drunk flailed around in a vain attempt to ward off her assailant.

A cackle pierced the night as the blade swung down and embedded itself into the blue mare’s neck. Crimson blood sprayed from the rapidly growing gash as the sharp metal slid almost effortlessly across her flesh. The drunk mare let out a hoarse gurgle as warm, red blood overflowed from her open mouth. It almost sounded like she was… trying to curse. Her rose eyes bulged as the green-eyed mare sank her sharp teeth into the blue flesh of her torso and chest. She could hear a sickening crack as her ribcage was pried open by the strong hooves of the madmare. Her gurgling became louder and higher-pitched as she saw her intestines forcefully ripped out of her abdomen. Saw her heart being torn out of her chest cavity in a bloody flourish. As her vision began to darken, the blue mare watched as her still-beating heart slowed down, blood gushing everywhere. The last thing she ever saw was her murderer’s hoof raised above her face.

With a crunch and a splat, Shadow Crystal brought her hoof down onto the blue mare’s head. Blood, brain matter, and skull fragments splattered onto the ground.

The deep purple mare galloped into the night, in search of her next victim. She either didn’t know or didn’t care, but an orange country mare had heard the commotion. The farm pony called out in her Southern drawl, “Rainbow Dash? Rainbow? RD?”

As Shadow Crystal heard the hick from the apple trees, she suppressed a snicker. Too easy, she thought. Then she heard a stentorian scream ring throughout the orchard. She smiled. Creeping up on the orange hillfilly, she brandished her knife and simply nicked her in the shoulder. If the rumors were true, Rainbow Dash would have had Equine Infectious Anemia. And the orange mare would have just been infected. Shadow Crystal would have just used a biological weapon.

The Meeting

The phone rang the next morning. Night Gem got up and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hello,” sniffled a mare’s voice. She had a Southern accent.

“I-is everything okay, AJ?”

“N-no. RD was… brutally murdered last night… and I went to the doctor about a mysterious cut… I-I got some weird disease that messes with a pony’s immune system,” Applejack cried, “I’m dyin’ and ain’t nopony else gonna help me with the health expenses if I tell ‘em.”

“That’s terrible,” Night Gem replied, “but I’m sure your friends will understand if we all just sit down and tell them. I’ll call them up for an emergency meeting. Meet me at the Golden Oaks Library in 20 minutes, okay?”

“O-okay,” the orange mare sniffed, hanging up.

The calls were made, and soon, the remaining Mane Six and Night Gem were seated in Twilight’s library.

Twilight Sparkle spoke up, “You said you had something to tell us?”

Applejack wrung her Stetson in her hooves and began, “I-I got some bad news… I went to the doctor about a cut on my shoulder… a-and…”

Pinkie interrupted, “They were out of lollipops?!”

“N-no… I got some disease that messes with a pony’s immune system. I-I think it's called Equine Infectious Anemia or something," the country mare sniffed, her eyes welling up, "I'm dyin' from a disease I don't remember gettin'... and I need help with medical expenses."

"Poor dear," Rarity cooed, rubbing AJ's back.

"Oh, my," Fluttershy cried softly, "I'm so sorry."

"Well, all we can do is monitor your disease," Twilight answered, "but I'll help if I can."