Night-Mare Before Christmas
Chapter One: What’s This?
Jack spun in a circle, staring at the doors surrounding him. The symbols surrounding them dumbfounded him. One was a funny looking bird, one was a bright pink heart, and one was an over-decorated egg. There were many more, from strange leaves to explosive devices, but something in particular caught his attention. One of the final doors, one that entranced him, was a tree. A green tree with many branches poking off of it, and covered in small ornament. Jack walked toward it, amazed by how it looked.
Could this be it? He thought Could this help me make Halloween Town better? His hand reached for the small red ball by the side of the door, where a doorknob would commonly be placed. But as his hand clasped the ball, something else caught his eye.
Behind all the door he was holding was another one, surprisingly. It was worn, and neglected. If he wasn't as close as he was, he probably would have never noticed it. The door seemed... different. It wasn't like the rest. It was a horse, rearing up. But the strange thing about it was that it wasn't like any of the zombie-steeds Jack had seen before. It had a horn, wings, and a strange looking mark on its flank.
His hand slipped off of the Tree’s door handle, and he started walking over to this new sight. It confused him, but also attracted him. His hand was on the doorknob , which rested underneath the horse’s front legs. His fingers of bone twisted the knob slowly, as he was scared as to what he may find on the other side of this door.
The door opened, and he poked his head in. It was simply, a black crevice inside of the tree. He looked up- Nothing. He looked down- Nothing. He sighed, and, disappointed, turned around. As he closed the door, his ghost-like companion Zero, floated over to his leg. Jack looked down, frowning at the little guy, but then something else caught his eye. A flake of snow.
A white flake of snow.
It floated in front of him, and then another, and then three, and soon, his vision was obscured by them. He felt himself moving, but made no effort to escape. It was very calm, falling in this vortex of foliage. He closed his eyes for just a moment, when a sudden forth ejected him onto the forest floor.
But this wasn't the same forest he started on.
The area around him was more... Alive. Full of movement and danger. The ground here wasn’t as well kept as the ground around the circle of trees near Halloween town, as it was covered in snow. He stood up, and brushed the snow off of his pinstripe suit. This was a new place... and whatever was here could help him make Halloween.
“C’mon Dashie!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down as they walked through the lightly dusted ground of the Everfree Forest. Dash trudged behind, covered in snow, and her feet drenched in slush. He face held nothing but contempt for this journey.
“Pinkie Pie!” She shouted, pulling a twig out of her wing. “Why the hay are we all the way out here? This better not be some prank!”
“No, silly!” Pinkie said, somehow appearing behind Dash, “But I saw these cool doors out here, and they had all sorts of cool designs, and I was like ‘OH MY GOSH!’ and then I thought ‘I should get Dash!’ and so I ran home and almost tripped and then I stopped to eat a cupca-”
“Alright!” Dash yelled, very angry now, “I get it. Can we please just hurry?” Pinkie smiled so wide that any normal ponies jaw would have broken, and started bouncing along again. Dash followed, trying to figure out how Pinkie wasn't getting any twigs stuck in her. But, before she could catch up, she heard a shout, and Pinkie Pie shot past her, going back toward Ponyville.
Huh. I wonder what she saw Dash thought, and, with a cocky smile, she walked forward to where Pinkie had been. And glanced around. She didn't see anything.
“Heh. Must just be Pinkie being Pinkie” She said, smiling normally now, and turning around. But as she did, she came face to face with a white skull, that seemed to be staring at her. She froze, unable to move out of terror. And then it spoke.
“What are you?” It asked, bringing a bony hand toward the rainbow-maned ponies head. She didn't let it get close though. She screamed, and shot off into the sky, terrified by the creature. Dash went straight up into the sky, going through a few grey clouds before she stopped and took a deep breath. She needed to figure out what just happened. She flew toward Ponyville, and tried to figure out how to explain what she saw. She landed outside the Ponyville Library (Located in a tree), and burst in, forgetting to knock.
“Twilight!” Dash shouted, looking around the library frantically. Her eyes fell upon the baby dragon Spike, who was humming an annoying little ditty. His eyes fell on Dash.
“Oh. Hey Rainbow Dash!.” He said, putting an overly-purple book on a bookshelf. “Whats up? Twilight went out to ask Zecora about this weird plant she found. Whats the matter?”
She shot over to Spike, and looked him right in the eyes. “Thing. In the forest. Not alive.”
Spike looked at her funny, “Of course theres something dead out there. Its a forest full of dangerous animals.”
Dash took a deep breath, and calmed down. She then went on to explain the situation.
“Thanks for taking a look at this plant, Zecora.” Twilight Sparkle said, walking out of the hut in the middle of the forest and getting on the road.
Zecora smiled.
“A problem it was not, my little pony friend.
Just be careful as you go around the bend.”
Twilight smiled, and went off on her way. As she did, Zecora shut the door, and quickly pulled out a vial labeled ‘Rhyming Potion’. She took a drink from it.
“Close that was, almost gone.
My mystic facade, the truth could of dawned.”
Twilight walked away smiling, going straight towards Ponyville. As she did, she felt odd though. Like a pair of eyes was on her. But, she merely passed it off as paranoia on her part. She ambled along to the town, humming..
Jack walked through the trees, watching the little lavender pony walk. He was confused... Talking ponies? Unicorns? Flying ones? This was all new to him.
Soon the two emerged from the forest, and Jack saw the town. The buildings there were too small for him to enter, being the was. He couldn't see from this far away if all the creatures were as they were here, but he suspected they were. Ducking behind the snow dusted bushes, he approached the town behind the small unicorn. Soon, he was in it. He quickly looked around, and hid behind a building. He peaked out.
What’s this? What’s this? There’s ponies everywhere!
What’s this? There’s horses in the air!
I can’t believe my eyes I must be dreaming wake up Jack this isn’t fair!
What’s this?
Jack swooped out into the town, and ducked down behind an abandoned apple stand.
What’s this? What’s this? There’s something very wrong
What’s this? There’s ponies singing songs.
What’s this? The streets are lined with little creatures laughing
Everybody seems so happy. Have I possibly gone daffy?
What is this?
What’s this?
Jack shot across the ground, over to a bush in front of this fashion salon-like place.
There’s children bucking apples, instead of collecting heads.
They’re busy making pies and absolutely no ones dead.
There’s cakes in every window, oh I cant believe my eyes!
And in my bones I feel the warmth that's coming from insiiiiiiide.
He dashed behind a tree out by the exit to Ponyville, which faced a large apple farm.
Oh look! What’s this? They’re hanging mistlehoof!
They kiss? Why that looks so unique
Inspired!
They’re gathering around to hear a story roasting chestnuts on a fire!
What’s this?
The large skeleton clambered up onto a roof, and slid down on the snow into the town square, by a rather large pine tree. The sun was going down by this time
What’s this? Out here, They’ve got a little tree?
How queer! And who would ever think?
And why? They’re covering it with tiny little things
They’ve got electric lights on strings
And there’s a smile on everyone!
Now correct me if I’m wrong,
This looks like fun, this looks like fun
Oh could it be I got my wish? What’s this?
Jack ran off, out back towards the apple field, and hopped from tree to tree untill he reached a small clubhouse, with a few little fillies inside, fast asleep.
Oh my, what now? The children are asleep?
But look! There’s nothing underneath.
No ghouls. No witches there to scream and scare them,
Or ensnare them, only little cozy things
Secure inside their dreamlaaand.
What’s this?
He dashed off, back to the town, leaving a little white unicorn sitting up and looking around, absolutely confuzzeled.
Jack hopped back onto the roofs, finding a secure foothold this time, and hopped from roof to roof.
The monsters are all missing, and the nightmares cant be found
And in their place seems to be good feeling all around
Instead of screams I swear I hear music in the air
And the smell of cakes and pies is absolutly everywhere!
The sites! The sounds! They’re everywhere and all, around!
I’ve never felt this good before! This empty place inside me has been filling up!
I simply cannot get enough!
I want it! Oh I want it, for my own!
I’ve got to know, I’ve got to know what is this place that I have found?
What is this?!
Jack slid down the side of the building, and right up next to a sign.
“Pony-Ville? Hmm....”
To be Continued...
Authors Note: This was probably terrible. This is my first MLP Fic, and I dont think I did that swell. But we’ll see....
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I do not own any of the characters from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic or Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. The song in this fan fiction is mostly the property of them too.