Spiritus Malum

The sun was nearing the horizon, foretelling the night and the inevitable coming of the moon. Three great explorers trekked across the great plains of Equestria; their journey was an arduous one, fraught with grave danger, but their adventurous souls and trusty pack mule helped them continue through thick and thin. Nothing would stop them on their great adventure! Be it dragon or manticore, nothing could halt their progress!

“Okay,” Applejack said, stopping and wiping some sweat from her brow, “We’re here.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, being yanked from their imaginations, came back down to Equestria as they turned to their trusty ‘pack mule,’ who began to undo the straps on her pack.

Summer was in bloom and school was out for another big break. That said, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had much more time for crusading. After a whole week of doing nothing but lazing around and being bored half to death, Applejack had happened upon the three young fillies and proposed a camping trip.

The troublesome trio had shown their appreciation by almost blowing out the elder pony’s eardrums with a cry of, “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: CAMPERS!” and it was settled.

The group of four had hiked through the rolling plains that bordered Sweet Apple Acres, away from the hubbub and conveniences of Ponyville. They hadn’t gone too far, a mere two hours trot as this was the first time the three little fillies had been camping. Applejack wanted to take baby steps with how far out she brought them, just to be safe nothing bad happened.

“More lik:e when somethin' bad happens,” Applejack mused to herself as she remembered just who she was taking camping.

The three little fillies, being three little fillies, immediately began planning what they were going to do. The two day trip would be full of adventurous hikes, exploring, campfire songs, roasting marshmallows, and s'mores. The Cutie Mark Crusaders couldn’t wait to begin!

“Maybe we’ll find a lost temple!” Scootaloo exclaimed, wings buzzing with joy, “Just like in those Daring Do books, Rainbow Dash reads!”

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom chimed in with glee, “Maybe it’d be full of treasure!”

“Maybe,” Sweetie Belle commented thoughtfully tapping a hoof against her chin. While she was doubtful, maybe they could be...

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: TREASURE HUNTERS!” The trio cried with the power of CAPSLOCK as they reached the same idea at once.

“How 'bout ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders: help Applejack set up camp?’” Applejack suggested with a hint of annoyance, “Come’n get yer cots and sleepin' bags, you three. I sure as sugar ain’t doin' all the campin' work here, 'specially if you three want a Cutie Mark for it,” Applejack pulled four sleeping bags from the large pack she had carried as well as four folding cots. She placed these on the ground and got to work on her own.

For a more authentic trip, they were sleeping under the stars. It would be just as Applejack had done in her own childhood. She was lost in her memories for a few moments before realizing that the three younglings had no idea how to set up a folding cot.

She turned around and gave a sigh of relief when she saw that the three hadn’t caused some horrendous accident with the cots...yet. She made sure to show them how to get the cots unfolded the right way and got them set up properly.

“Can we make the fire?” Scootaloo asked, wondering what a firestarting Cutie Mark would look like.

Applejack gave that a thought before opening her mouth to give the negative. Yet before she could utter the simple two letter word, she was met with the big-eyed pleading faces of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who foresaw her answer. One big-eyed face of an adorable filly, Applejack could say no to, but three?

“You can help,” she conceded with a sigh, getting a ‘yay’ from the fillies.

It took some time, but eventually they gathered enough firewood and kindling for the fire. Applejack showed the fillies how to properly set up a wooden teepee. Kindling at the bottom with some smaller sticks, then some of the larger ones in a teepee above.

“Now, to light it up,” Applejack turned back to the pack lying on the ground to get some matches to light the fire. She rummaged through the pack, but to no avail, “Where are those darned matches?” she asked nopony in particular.

It was then that a creeping feeling tingled up her spine. She looked over her shoulder to see Apple Bloom holding the box of matches and Sweetie Belle poised to strike one on the box. Applejack gave a sigh of relief that the fillies hadn’t gone and...wait, was that the can of kerosene next to Scootaloo?

“Wait!” Applejack cried out as she wheeled about, too late.

Sweetie Belle struck the match and flicked it into the teepee that Scootaloo had been so kind as to cover in kerosene. The teepee burst into flame, sending the fillies stumbling away from the intense heat with screams. Small sparks showered off, landing in the grass. Applejack was quick to stomp out any of the sparks that didn’t die on impact. A few of the sparks landed on their gear, leaving small burns. To her horror, a few even landed on Applejack’s hat, but none of them caused it to burst into flame, so there was one upside to the situation.

“Dangit, you three!” Applejack cried angrily, “I told you not to do anythin' without my permission!”

“We’re sorry, Applejack,” the Cutie Mark Crusaders apologized sadly, eyes downcast.

Applejack knew that the fillies were only trying to help, but they had literally gone behind her back and turned the fire into a raging inferno. She sighed, “Why don’t you three go play around for a bit, just don’t go too far. We can’t use this fire in this state, so just head back to camp in an hour or so, okay? I need to keep an eye on the fire and make sure it doesn’t get too out of control.”

The three fillies ran off to play as Applejack set down to keep watch over the fire.
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The three great adventurers had charged bravely up a great mountain of dirt and grass to get a vantage point on the surrounding area. They scanned over the vast lands, searching for danger and treasure galore. It just so happened that they spotted the ancient ruins of a lost civilization.

They threw caution to the wind as...

“Didn’t my sister say not to go too far from camp?” Apple Bloom asked, halting the group in its tracks.

“We aren’t going too far, besides we can take care of ourselves!” Scootaloo replied, getting the group back on track.

“Besides, how are we supposed to get our Cutie Marks if we don’t explore those ruins?” Sweetie Belle added with a squeak.

They charged the rest of the way to the ancient ruins, an old well made of stone and rotting wood. A few wooden planks ran over the top, sealing off the well.

“Wow, what is it?” Scootaloo asked in awe.

“Maybe it’s a secret entrance to a cave!” Apple Bloom guessed.

“No, it’s just an old well,” Sweetie Belle buzzkilled, she hopped atop the well, the wooden boards covering it creaking in response.

“Well what’s an old well doin' just sittin' out in the middle of nowhere?” Apple Bloom asked, joining her unicorn friend.

“Who cares, we should claim it in the name of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Scootaloo declared, hopping atop the boards with her friends. She cleared her voice, pressing a forehoof to her chest in a noble manner, “I hereby claim this old well in the name of the Cutie Mark Crusade—” But it seemed that the well had other plans, the boards atop it broke and the three screaming fillies were swallowed by its dark depths.
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They only fell for a mere second, landing with three splats in a thick, goopy substance at the bottom. A foul smell came off the muck.

“Eew, what is this?” Scootaloo asked in the semi-darkness. She lifted a hoof in front of her face and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

“Just mud,” Apple Bloom said, lifting her hooves to see how thick the stuff was, “I think.”

“Shouldn’t we be trying to find a way out of here?” Sweetie Belle chimed in, staring up into the glowing circle that was the well’s opening.

“Maybe my sister will hear us,” Apple Bloom suggested, looking up towards the light.

The three filled the air with cries for help, screaming Applejack's name at the top of their lungs. Yet as the light from the well’s opening began to slowly fade, so did their hope for escape. Their voices were rough and hoarse by the time they stopped, and it seemed that despite their best efforts, the farmer pony hadn’t heard their cries for help.

“It’s no use,” Apple Bloom croaked sadly, “We aren’t loud enough.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll think of something,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Applejack will come looking for us eventually,” Scootaloo said, pasuing for a moment, “I hope.”

The last two words sowed seeds of fear and despair in the pony’s hearts. What if Applejack never came by? What if she missed the well? What if...something in the well got them?

At the last thought, the shadows that painted the walls began to take grotesque shape—in the filly’s minds at least—and become monsters ready to leap out and eat them at any moment. The three fillies huddled together closer in the center of the well as the light provided began to fade bit by bit.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked around the well with fright, their eyes had adjusted by now and with their glances, they came across something.

“Is...is that a tunnel there?” Apple Bloom pointed to one of the walls that seemed darker than the others, “Sweetie Belle, can you use your magic to cast a bit of light?”

“I...” a gulp of fear, “...can try,” Sweetie Belle squeezed her eyes shut and focused on using her magic to form some light. After a few moments, her horn began to glow as it lit the well’s interior, showing that there was in fact a tunnel leading off to the side.

“Maybe there’s an exit this way!” Scootaloo exclaimed, spirit lightening again.

“I dunno. My sister told me to hug a tree if I ever got lost, that way she could find me easier,” Apple Bloom said doubtfully.

“Apple Bloom, we’re at the bottom of a well! There’s no trees here,” Sweetie Belle reasoned, “Come on, maybe this is the way out.”

Apple Bloom was faced with indecision. She could stay put and hope for rescue or go with them and try to find the way out. When the light from Sweetie Belle’s horn left the well in darkness again, Apple Bloom made up her mind and charged after her friends, “Wait fer me!” She called.
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The presence of fear emanating from the three fillies radiated outwards into the depths of the well, like the smell of fresh bread baking. Deep within the tunnel, the fear essence was felt by a small marble sphere, or—to be more precise—the creatures trapped within the marble sphere.

Enchantments millennia old had begun to fade and the presence of fear and doubt provided by the well’s new occupants provided the final push. The binding enchantments broke and the creatures within awoke once more.

The creatures were tired beyond belief, one of the two going back into a slumber. The second creature, the more powerful of the two, felt the presence of life nearby. The fear coming off them was tantalizing, and the promise of it would have made the creature lick its lips if it possessed any.

The creature was oh so tired, but it had just enough energy to use its powers and feast once more. Once it did that, it could gather more energy and awaken the other.

Then? That didn’t matter. All that mattered was now. The creature was reminded of the three younglings slowly making their way down the tunnel. It had evil to spread.