Pony Tales To Tell In The Dark
The Origins of The Headless Horse
It is really hard to come across a pony, that hasn't heard about The Headless Horse these days. It nearly became a tradition to tell a scary, campfire story, that includes this legendary creature. However, seems like it's dark origin has been lost in time, as not many ponies were able to say anything interesting about it.
It is believed that The Headless Horse has a slim body with a dark coat and tail that floats in the air, leaving behind a numbing feeling of dread. Some ponies claim, that it is a real entity, that travels through forests and fields under the shroud of night, but also some say, that it's just a fictional character to startle friends and fillies with. It was really hard to find anything, that would scatter this mist of doubt. However, thanks to the abandoned castle on the edge of Everfree Forest, I've had enough luck to stumble upon a perfect clue - a book about The Headless Horse. Well, a remains of it. Sadly, a book was heavily destroyed, when I found it. Even with my book restoring expertise I was able to save only part of the chronicles. Fortunately, that was enough. It shared with me many presumptive pieces of evidence concerning the original story and the location of the area, where probably everything started.
I've prepared the equipment, that I needed for a journey and moved on to the Winsome Falls. It took me 2 days to get there from Ponyville. I'll be honest, a knowledge from the materials, I've gathered, made me a little paranoid. It left me sleepless at night, but it was nothing, I had my coffee. When I've finally got there, I immediately started to look for a traces - I looked for some villages, ponies, ruins, but I've found only disappointment. Resigned I turned back to Ponyville when I've suddenly run into an old stallion. Paranoia made me all jumpy and due to the lack of sleep I could barely see straight, so when I encountered him, the survival instinct kicked in and I screamed. It was really embarrassing afterward. Happily, the old pony was very nice. He invited me for a cup of tea and I accepted. This is the least I could do to repay him for that awkward situation.
After a small talk, I told him about my research and asked him, if he knows anything helpful. He said the same thing as every-pony and again, I was disappointed. He suggested, that I should stay at his place for a night, but I refused. He seemed disappointed too. When I was about to leave, he suddenly told me, that I may be interested in a story, that once told him his grandfather. Curious I stayed for a night.
He shared with me a story, that I believe might be the origins of The Headless Horse.
A long time ago, before Nightmare Moon has been banished, there was... an incident in the Winsome Falls. In the village, not so far from there, lived a beautiful mare with a light blue coat and navy blue, curly mane. She was an earth pony, that could have anyone, just by looking at them with her rosy, piercing eyes. However, she already had a loving husband - a young, strong colt, running a sawmill in the area. He was respected by every-pony and she was admired by any pony.
One day the husband started to be suspicious of his wife. She looked like she was no longer interested in him. She lost that spark in her eyes whenever she used to look at him and became downright cold. At some point in time, she started to look disgusted with the idea of making love with him. Finally, he decided to spy on his wife to dispel his mistrust. He left their home as always, but instead of heading to the workplace, he sat in the bushes and waited. Hours were passing and the colt started to think, that he was wrong about his wife. He was about to leave his hiding spot, when he saw that: his wife and his foal-hood friend nuzzling and entering the house.
In the act of fury, husband stormed through the door and attacked his friend. He threw him onto the wall, making him lose consciousness. Believing his friend was dead, the angry stallion turned to his wife. He clenched her hair with his jaw and dragged her to the backyard. When she understood, what he was about to do, she started to struggle. She was screaming and kicking, but it was no use. He stepped on her mane to hold her still, took an axe and struck it down to his wife's throat.
He took her soaked in blood body to the forest and left it for bears to eat. Heartbroken and terrified of his actions he took his wife's head and drowned himself in the lake of Winsome Falls. When his foal-hood friend woke up, he found the bloody trail leading to the woods. He followed it but found no pony - neither the husband or the wife.
Her body was already gone.
A few days later townsfolk started to discover many bodies - every one of them had it's head missing. They thought, that the village is cursed and decided to leave it.
That was it. The story that told me the old stallion. It was more than I could ever hope for. It fits in everything, what I discovered so far. I took notes and thanked him generously. I wanted even to give him money, but he refused to take them. Instead, when he asked me again if I would like to keep him company for the rest of the evening, I agreed.
At the morning I left his home. Excited with the new material for my research, I was walking straight to the Ponyville. I didn't even notice when the sunset came in the sky. I was really close to the town, so I decided to continue walking. After the moon raised, I was already on the edge of the forest.
Then I heard a hoof-steps. At first, I thought it might be some random stranger on a stroll, but something seemed off about it. It made me freeze in place. Steps were slow and steady and the air turned heavy and cold. I looked around as softly as I could and I saw it. I saw her. In the corner of my eye, I looked at what seemed a dark, headless body. And it was heading towards me.
I wanted to run. I wanted to run like crazy, but I couldn't bring myself to move a muscle. I was just looking at her, breathing heavily, frozen in fear. And she was closer and closer. It felt just like ponies used to say in these stories - fear was dropping from my body like water after a cold shower. I couldn't think straight, I didn't want to look, but I was looking and she was right there, next to me! I closed my eyes, waiting for my doom to come.
But it didn't. She avoided me like some kind of an obstacle. I didn't understand why and I didn't care. She left me alone. Alive.
Adrenaline kicked in and I run forward as fast as I could. I didn't look back, I didn't want to look back because I knew if I would, she would be there. She was chasing me, I could feel it. So I didn't stop. I was running for my life, even if I didn't hear the clatter of her hooves anymore. I was running until I bumped into some pony. I reached the town. Trying to catch a breath I looked behind - she was standing there, at the edge of the forest and if she had a head, she would look at me with anger in her eyes, I'm sure of that.
Surrounded by ponies I've finally felt safe. After laughing really hard, I fell and passed out. I woke up in the morning in the local hospital. I didn't bother to tell any-pony about it, they wouldn't believe me.
While coming back by train to Manehattan, I had a lot to think about and to this day I'm not exactly sure of what happened. It couldn't be just my imagination, it felt too real. And now, writing this down, I'm just curious even more. I wonder, if there is something else, that I could find out about her, The Headless Pony. For now, I'll have to be satisfied with what I already have.
What do I think about The Headless Horse so far? If the story, the old stallion told me, is true, then I guess I can assume, that the soul of that mare couldn't find peace after death. She's probably trapped in her body and forced to wander around Equestria to find her missing head.
Why does she attack ponies? I wouldn't say "out of anger" since the only pony that done her harm was her husband. Maybe rather out of jealousy, that every pony has a nice head attached to their bodies. So she feels that if she can't have it, then no pony should.
Why didn't she attacked me immediately after she got close? Since she can't see or hear, or smell, I guess she could feel a presence of mine and figured that I was just a tree or some kind of a startled animal. I'll never know what I would do if I would meet her in the middle of the forest. I probably wouldn't be able to outrun her, neither fight her. She's traveling around the lands for years, I'm sure she's strong as hell. So far seems like the only way to survive the encounter is to hide and stay still.
So if you'll see her or hear her hoof-steps, my advice is simple:
Don't move. If she'll notice you, hide. Hide in a bush, in a mud, under water, just don't try to fight. You can try to run if you're close to the bigger town, but otherwise just... just don't. She won't let you go.
