Author's Note
This was kinda inspired by The Lost Narrator series
The Legend of The Weaver
There are many tales and legends whispered throughout the land of Equestria. Nightmare Moon, Tirek and Scorpan, The Great Seedling, The Hearth’s Warming Tale, Starswirl and the Pillars, The Candy Mare, and many others. But there is one tale dismissed by many, saying that it was just a little filly’s story. But those who were unfortunate enough to have seen her, knows that the story is all too true.
A tale tells of a unicorn called The Weaver, who wandered from city to city aimlessly. Her tattered and faded yellow-orangish hooded jacket was covered in faded paint splatters, and the hood always covered her face. The paint splatters themselves, varied from blue, to green, yellow, pink, black, and red. But strangely... there was more red paint than any other color on the once fuzzy jacket
When ponies saw her, their eyes almost always went to her cutie mark. It was a pencil, with curvy lines being drawn from the pencil’s lead. They would connect the dots, connecting her paint splattered clothes and her cutie mark, and figure out that she was in fact an artist.
Yes, this was true... but she wasn’t the the type of artist ponies were expecting.
The Weaver would go to the lowest, most dirty and dank places imaginable, and approach ponies such as rapists, murderers, scum of the earth ponies who have managed to escape the arm of the law. She would find them alone. They were always alone. She would often follow ponies for days, weeks, maybe months, just to get them alone. One she had the pony alone, she would ask one simple question:
“Would you like a painting?”
Most of the time, ponies would either say no, or just look at her in confusion. If they refused or didn’t say anything, she would ask again, stepping closer this time.
“Would you like a painting?”
Some would give in by now and say yes, but there were still others who tried to dismiss her offer with a roll of their eyes and walk away. But as they tried to walk away, an aura of magenta magic would encase them, lifting them off of the ground. She would force them to face her directly, so they could see her dark magenta eyes, her light blue coat, and red auburn mane.
It was usually at this point, the pony would realize, that the blue pony before them had no horn. It was shattered at the middle, as if something had broken it off. Then she would say in an eerily calm tone:
“I said... would you like a painting?”
Without warning, her magic would tear the pony’s body apart, their screams echoing in The Weaver’s ears. She would twist them so that their bones would shatter and pop, and that their ribs would puncture through muscle and skin. Eventually, a ripping sound would be heard, and their intestines would spill out onto the ground. Sometimes, The Weaver’s victims would realize with horror, that the red paint on her jacket wasn’t paint, but blood.
As the pony took their final breaths, The Weaver would say:
“Don’t worry. You’re painting will be absolutely gorgeous,”
She would draw out the words, elongating them as her face was still as stone. She would drop the pony to the ground in a heap of blood and guts. As the light in the dying pony’s eyes finally extinguished, The Weaver would get to work. In seconds, her magic would take the glistening intestines from the ground, and weave them into a canvas. If there was a wall nearby, she would hang it up there with the rusty nails she kept in her jacket pocket. But if not, she would simply just lay it out neatly on the floor.
She would then summon buckets of paint using her magic. She painted a painting on the canvas made of entrails. She painted a twisted visual of the life of the pony she had just killed. She illustrated all of the awful and atrocious things that the pony did in their life, displaying it for all ponies to see.
And for the finishing touch, The Weaver placed the pony’s head at the foot of her masterpiece. She made sure that the dead pony’s eyes were always open, staring upwards so that they would be looking up at the ponies that would soon be gazing at the painting above the head.
And with that, the buckets of paint disappeared into thin air with a flash of magenta magic. With a stone cold expression, The Weaver simply walked away from her twisted act of justice, not a single drop of remorse for what she had done.
This act is what gave her her nickname. How she weaved intestines together to make a canvas and painted masterpieces on them, soon became legend. A part of Equestrian history. Even the princesses knew about the myth of The Weaver.
But it always wasn’t this way, though. The Weaver had a life before this, before that bastard took her horn, and ruined her life.
The Weaver’s real name wasn’t actually The Weaver. She was an ordinary unicorn named Tezzy Scribbles. Tezzy was Appleby’s local artist, who owned her own art studio on the corner of Royal Avenue and Luna Boulevard South, where she made and sold her paintings, drawings, and sculptures. The studio was named ‘Tez Studio’, and everypony in town loved it.
Tezzy knew almost everypony in town, and they all knew her. Whenever customers would come in, they all had biggest smiles on their faces. Tezzy’s warm smile and welcoming energy would always cheer anypony up from their sour or glum mood.
Most of her customers were regulars, but there were some instances where a newcomer would wander in. They would just browse at first, but Tezzy’s warm personality would always convince them to buy a little something.
Everyone that was friends with Tezzy knew that she had a... colorful language. She would only curse in front of her regular customers, for they were used to it, and didn’t mind. But sometimes her tongue would accidentally slip, and she would yell ‘FUCK’ in front of newcomers. This usually didn’t smooth over very well with the new customers. But there was one instance, where it did.
A newcomer came into Tezzy’s studio with a ring of the tiny bell above the light blue door as it opened inwards. To her surprise, in front of Tezzy was a bat pony. She had never seen one in person before. The bat pony had a bright turquoise mane tied up in a messy ponytail, and deep brown eyes. Her coat was a dark gray, white freckles adorned her nose and cheeks, and her dark bat-like wings were curled against her side. She trotted into the store, looking around at the shelves of artwork, and staring up at the glass ceiling adorned with vines and wildflowers that grew outside.
“Welcome to Tez Studio, stranger!” Tezzy greeted her warmly. She was on top of a ladder, putting a sculpture on the very top shelf with her magic. “Can I help you find anything today?”
The bat pony smiled, revealing her sharp canines. “Hi,” She said. The bat pony spoke in a posh accent, similar to the Ponyville seamstress Rarity’s voice. “I’m Stella. I just moved here, and I thought I would go around town and introduce myself,”
Tezzy smiled at Stella from atop the wooden ladder. “Well, welcome to Appleby, Stella,” She placed a painted sculpture of Princess Celestia on the top shelf. “Where did you live before?”
“I lived in Canterlot,” Stella answered.
Tezzy looked at her in surprise. “Canterlot? We never get ponies from big cities around here,”
“My sister is apart of Luna’s royal night guard,” Stella said. “She wanted me to join as well, but I wanted to start my own life. I wanted to live in a small cozy town, not a big city where the Royal Sisters lived,”
Tezzy nodded in understanding as she chuckled and placed another sculpture on the highest shelf. “Too busy in Canterlot for you, huh?”
Stella nodded. “Yeah, too crowded for me there,” Her ears began to flatten against her head as her face fell. “And ponies don’t exactly take kindly to bat ponies,”
“Why not?” Tezzy asked in confusion. “Bat ponies are apart of Luna’s royal guard! Ponies must have some respect for you!”
Stella shook her head. “No. They call us...” She hesitated. “Moon Lickers,” She cringed at herself saying the slur used against her kind. “They say that we’re only meant to be seen at night, where no pony can see us,”
Tezzy looked down at Stella. “I’m sorry Stella,” She said. “Don’t worry, ponies around here are different than those cockwaffles in Canterlot,” She allowed herself to smile a little bit. “In Appleby, ponies don’t give a flying fuck what kind of creature you are,”
Stella gasped at Tezzy’s accidental curse words, a hoof over her mouth.
“Oh Celestia, I’m sorry!” Tezzy said in a panic. “Usually ponies don’t mind if I swear and—”
Tezzy lost her balance on the ladder, and fell to the ground with a yelp. Stella gasped and ran over to her to see if she was alright. Tezzy groaned as she held her head with her front hooves.
“Celestia’s ass that hurt!” She rubbed her head. She looked up to see Stella above her.
“Are you alright?” The bat pony asked.
Tezzy couldn’t help but blush. “Y-yeah,” She smiled lopsidedly. “Sorry about the swears,”
Stella giggled. “Don’t worry about it. In Canterlot, ponies don’t swear at all. I’m just not used to it, but I don’t mind,”
Tezzy raised an eyebrow. “You don’t?”
The bat pony shook her head with a smile. “Nope,”
The light blue unicorn on the floor smiled. “Well in that case...” She got up from the floor. She stood up on her hooves as she looked at the ladder that had clattered to the floor when she fell earlier. “I need to fix that fucking ladder before I fucking kill myself,”
Stella giggled again. “I better get going to see the rest of Appleby. Well, it was nice meeting you, Tezzy,” She held out her hoof to shake.
Tezzy took Stella’s dark gray hoof and shook it. “Nice to meet you too, Stella,”
As Stella left the store with a ring of the tiny bell above the door, Tezzy felt herself blush. Stella was just about he most beautiful pony she had ever seen. Some ponies might see her white freckles as a flaw, but to Tezzy, they made her all the more beautiful. She was looking forward to seeing her again.
A small meow brought Tezzy back from her thoughts. Her black cat, Indigo, was looking a her with his big blue eyes. There seemed to be a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Tezzy scoffed. “What are you looking at?”
Indigo almost seemed to smirk as the light blue unicorn walked away to tend to the rest of the shop, her thoughts still on Stella.
As Tezzy had hoped, she did see Stella again. Over the months, the two became close, and their feeling slowly but surely grew for each other. Neither of them said anything about it, too nervous to do so. But that was until Stella made a move.
They had just finished hanging out at the Cafe, and Tezzy was walking Stella home. When they reached Stella’s small house, the bat pony gave Tezzy a little peck on the cheek before she raced inside, leaving a pleasantly dazed unicorn in her wake.
A few moments passed, and Tezzy ran up to Stella’s door. She knocked it with her front right hoof. Stella opened the door slowly, a nervous expression etched onto her face. Before the bat pony could say anything, Tezzy grabbed Stella by the shoulders, and smushed her face to hers. Stella’s deep brown eyes widened in surprise. They kissed ungracefully, and to be frank, it was kind of rushed and sloppy. Tezzy pulled away, a deep red blush on her face. Stella’s dark grey cheeks had turned a dark purple, indicating that she was blushing as well.
Tezzy quickly said goodbye, and ran off to her shop. She slammed the door shut and ran upstairs, which is where she lived. She flopped face first onto her bed. She knew that Stella liked her too, but she still felt dread eat away at her gut. Had she gone too quickly? Was Stella only ready for pecks on the cheek, and she had just made her uncomfortable? She groaned as she shoved her face into her pillow. She felt the black cat Indigo crawl into bed with her, curling up on her pillow next to her face. Soon, the two both fell asleep, and in the morning, Tezzy woke up with her cat sleeping directly on top of her face.
As Tezzy was opening up her studio for the day, she heard the tiny bell above the blue door ring as somepony entered. It was Stella. Tezzy gulped nervously as she walked up to the bat pony.
“Hi...” Tezzy said with nervous laughter as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Hey...” Stella grew nervous as well.
After a moment of awkward silence, the silence was broken with Tezzy’s voice.
“Stella, I’m sorry about yesterday,” The unicorn said. “I moved to quickly and—”
She was interrupted with lips softly pressing against her own. Her magenta eyes widened in surprise, but she soon melted into Stella, returning the kiss with passion.
Their relationship only grew from there. They became the most well known couple in Appleby. Everyone aspired for the relationship that Stella and Tezzy had. They had such an understanding of each other that no one could understand, and they loved each other with all their hearts.
On one particular day, Stella took Tezzy up to a large cloud. Tezzy almost fell through it, but she cast a cloud walking spell on herself so that she could stand properly. She looked down on Appleby in awe, the strings of her fuzzy yellow-orangish paint splattered hoodie blowing in the wind.
“Wow...” She breathed. “Everything looks so... small from up here,”
Stella put a hoof around Tezzy’s shoulder. “It may be small, but it’s still gorgeous, isn’t it?”
Tezzy looked at Stella, a look of love in her eyes. “Yeah. Damn gorgeous...”
After a moment of silence, Tezzy spoke. “Oh!” She said like she just remembered something. She reached behind her, and pulled a canvas from behind her. “I made this for you...” She held the canvas in her hooves, the paint covered side pressed against Tezzy’s chest. “I thought you would like it...”
Stella took the canvas from Tezzy’s hooves. She looked at the painting, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. The painting was of Stella. Her eyes were closed as she held her head high majestically, and her bat-like wings were fanned out behind her. Her turquoise mane blew in the wind, and the stars surrounded her head like a crown. The moon was raised behind her, and it illuminated her from behind.
“You made this... for me?” Stella asked, still not looking up from the painting.
Tezzy smiled lopsidedly. “I mean... yeah. I wanted to make something nice for you,”
“I... I look like a princess...” Stella breathed.
The right corner of Tezzy’s mouth curled upwards. “That’s because you are one,” She tucked in a strand of Stella’s turquoise mane behind her ear, making her look up at the unicorn. “More radiant than Celestia. More beautiful than Luna. More loving than Cadence, and more caring than Twilight Sparkle,”
Stella suddenly threw her hooves around Tezzy’s neck, trapping her in a tight embrace. “Thank you, thank you Tez!” She cried out. “I love you so much!”
When the bat pony pulled away, she was greeted with Tezzy’s shocked look. Her dark ears flattened against her head as she said nervously: “I hope that’s okay...”
Stella was greeted with a warm embrace.
“Of course it is!” Tezzy choked out. “I love you too!”
The bat pony returned the unicorn’s hug with pride, and their relationship only strengthened since then. Stella since moved in with Tezzy above her studio, moving out of her own house.
On one particular day that Stella remembered all too well, and Tezzy didn’t remember at all, Tezzy had artist’s block. She put a tab of acid in her morning cup of coffee, saying to Stella: “Once I’m done with this bad boy, then it’s idea time,” Then Before Stella could stop her marefriend, she chugged the entire thing. By the end of the day, she had done 14 paintings, 10 sculptures, and about a million shards of clay and dried paint were left on the floor, before she passed upside down on the couch. Stella couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.
Months went by, and soon Tezzy and Stella were engaged. The entire town rejoiced at the news, saying things like, “It’s about time!” or “Took you two long enough!” Tezzy’s life was near perfect. She had everything she had ever wanted or needed. Her beloved Stella was finally going to be her wife, and they renamed the studio, “Tez and Stel Studios.”
But that one fateful day, one day before their wedding, where everything changed.
One day, a newcomer came into the shop, with a ring of the little bell above the light blue door. There were three of them, all unicorns. They all had light colored coats, the darkest being a very light grey. One had a golden mane, one black, and one brown. They all had bright colored eyes, and dark hooves.
“Welcome to Tez and Stel Studios, strangers!” Tezzy greeted them. “Is there anything I can help you with today?”
They didn’t answer. They only looked at her with cold hard stares. Tezzy grew uncomfortable under their gazes.
“Uh... gentlemen?” She asked.
“Moon Licker,”
“W-What?” Tezzy was shocked at the slur spoken by the stallion with the golden mane.
“The Moon Licker,” He repeated. “Where is she?”
Tezzy’s face grew stern. “Gentlemen, I’m gonna ask for you to leave,”
The black maned unicorn’s horn ignited with bright blue magic, and in a flash of blue, Tezzy was thrown backwards, slamming into shelves of paintings and sculptures. Many clay sculptures shattered upon impact with the floor, causing Tezzy to get a small cut on her cheek.
“What are you doing?!” Tezzy demanded to know.
The golden maned stallion’s horn ignited with purple magic, and an invisible force encased Tezzy’s neck. Her eyes bulged out of her head as she struggled for breath, choking as she grasped her neck to try and release herself from the magical grip, but to no avail.
“I’m only going to ask one more time,” He said as he towered over the choking light blue unicorn. “Where. Is. The Moon Licker?”
With what little strength she had, Tezzy gathered saliva in her mouth, and spat directly in the stallion’s face. He let out a surprised yelp as he wiped the saliva from his muzzle.
Tezzy struggled to intake breath. “Go... to... Tartarus...” She choked out.
“Tez!”
Stella ran down the stairs, a sharp shovel in hoof.
“Stay away from her, you son of a bitch!” She yelled as she held the shovel up in defense.
The stallion’s magical grip on Tezzy’s throat loosened, and the light blue unicorn fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. “Hello, Moon Licker,” The golden maned stallion spat.
“Jara,” Stella spat. “I thought I told you to stay away from me!”
“Your words don’t mean shit to me!” Jara spat. “Your father had unfinished business with me, but he went off and died. Something about cancer, I believe?”
Stella pointed the shovel straight at Jara. “Don’t you dare speak ill of my father!”
“I say what I please!” Jara boomed. “Since his business went unfinished, it goes to you, his oldest child,”
“But why?” Stella asked.
“That’s the code,” Jara answered simply. “He swore to the code, and his binding words remain unbroken! So now...” His horn ignited a purple once again. “Pay your father’s price,”
A burst of purple magic exploded from Jara’s horn, destroying the ground Stella had stood on. But luckily, she had managed to dive out of the way before the destructive magic could hit her.
“No!”
Tezzy rammed into Jara’s side, throwing him off balance. With a frustrated grunt, Jara unleashed his purple magic onto Tezzy, but her magenta magic blocked his attack, sending it careening towards Jara’s henchmen, killing the both of them immediately.
Stella ran towards Jara, and without warning, rammed the shovel into Jara’s side. He reared into his two back hooves, his front two rolling in the air. A gash down his side leaked red. With an unearthly howl, he kicked Stella in the side with his front right hoof. She was sent backwards as she yelped. The shovel was thrown from the bat pony’s grasp, and it clattered to the floor.
Tezzy send a strong beam of magic towards Jara, but he blocked it with a purple magic shield. With a yell, the white unicorn send Tezzy’s own magic careening towards her. A sickening crack was heard as she was knocked to the ground. Pain seared through Tezzy’s back left leg as she realized that the bone was fractured.
Jara grabbed the shovel from the ground, and ran towards Tezzy. Before she could even lift her head off of the ground, Jara levitated the shovel with his magic, lifting it over his head with the blade pointing down towards the ground.
With a yell, Jara slammed the shovel downwards. A shattering sound immediately followed. Tezzy couldn’t understand what was going on. What did he break? Was it one of her sculptures? Or a flower vase? She looked up, and her eyes widened in horror.
Jara had cut off her horn with the shovel, and the top half was on the floor with jagged points.
“No!”
Stella bucked Jara hard in the face, causing him to bite his tongue clean off. He yelled in agony as blood sprayed from his mouth as he jumped away from Stella. He spat something bloody on the ground, which Tezzy instantly knew was his tongue.
“You bitch of a Moon Licker!” As he spoke, blood dripped from his mouth, and down his chin.
Tezzy lay on the ground, watching in horror as Jara and Stella brawled in front of her. Stella sank her sharp canines deep into Jara’s shoulder, making him wail and thrash around. Eventually, he threw her off, making her crash into the oil lamp that was lit on the wall. The glass shattered, and a small fire began to burn atop the spilt oil. Before Stella could put it out, Jara lifted her up with his magic, and threw her against the wall across from her.
A sickening crack was heard as Stella hit the wall at a weird angle. She wailed as she fell to the ground. Her back hoof was broken, the bone jutting out of her skin, painting her coat red.
The fire had began to spread to other parts of the studio, catching on the curtains, and flammable canvases.
Stella tried to stand up, but her hooves slipped out from under her, and she collapsed to the floor with a pained grunt. Jara approached her, the shovel in hoof.
“Now pay your price, Moon Licker,”
With a yell he thrust the shovel forward towards Stella. Tezzy’s eyes widened with terror as she heard her fiancée’s scream echo through the burning room.
Tezzy’s heart stopped completely. Time seemed to slow until it eventually stopped, yet she could still feel blood rapidly draining away from her face. Her stomach churned, her legs shook and her whole body ran cold.
The shovel was imbedded in a whimpering Stella’s stomach. Stella looked at Tezzy with her big brown eyes, a look of sorrow in them. Tezzy’s eyes filled up with tears. She couldn’t tell if it was from the smoke of the ever growing fire, or her sorrow. Perhaps it was both.
Stella gave Tezzy a weak smile on her blood coated lips, before her head fell to the ground with a faint thump, her smile still frozen beautifully on her face. Her brown eyes became dull, then she was gone.
For a moment, not an emotion or a thought stirred inside Tezzy. Everything was gone. Everything she had treasured and held dear to her heart. Gone. All gone.
A new emotion rose up inside Tezzy. She had expected sorrow and heartbreak, but that was not so. Instead... she felt the overwhelming need... for VENGEANCE!
A terrible combination of a scream and a wail escaped Tezzy’s mouth. Jara looked back, surprised at the sudden noise. Without warning, magenta magic encased his entire body, lifting him up into the air.
“What?” He was confused. How was the light blue unicorn able to cast magic without a horn?
Tezzy looked at him with a twisted smile and crazed eyes. “Since you’re in my art studio, you must want a painting,”
Her magic twisted him around, his top half going one way and his bottom half going another. His wails almost covered the sounds of his bones cracking and popping. His ribs punctured through his muscle and skin, staining his white coat red.
“Do you want a painting?” Tezzy asked the unicorn as he continued to wail in agony. “WELL DO YOU?!”
A sickening snap and rip was followed by Jara’s screams being silenced. His body was completely ripped in half, blood splattering everywhere, and staining Tezzy’s paint splattered yellowish-orangish fuzzy jacket.
Jara’s body pieces fell to the ground as Tezzy’s magic dissipated. She heaved for breath, limbs shaking as she looked down at her handiwork. She didn’t fell sorry at all. That son of a bitch got what he deserved.
Blood stained her fur, painting her a deep crimson. But she didn’t care. All that mattered, was her beloved Stella.
“Stella!” Tezzy rushed to her fiancée’s side, hoping, praying that somehow she would be alright.
The bat pony lay on her side, a huge gash on her side, exposing her now crushed ribs. Congealed blood covered her body and the floor, as her dull brown lifeless eyes looked up at Tezzy. Tezzy clung to Stella, not caring about the blood she had gotten on herself.
“No! No! Oh sweet Celestia no! NOOO!” Tezzy’s body shook as she released a gut-wrenching cry of anguish. Tears streamed down her face, staining her muzzle. She had her front legs wrapped around her beloved tightly. She had never loved anyone else this much before. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Stella. She wanted to spend every possible moment she could with her. She loved her so much, and now she was gone.
Her eyes stung with wetness as her legs began to shake. All the anger she felt at Jara kept building up inside of her. She felt like she was going to explode with the anger. All of the anger crashed down as it was replaced with sadness.
Her heart literally hurt from the pain that hung so heavily inside it. Finally, unable to take it anymore, screamed in complete anguish, tears spilling onto the ground before her.
She was denying to herself what she had seen. She was painfully willing herself not to believe that Stella was dead. But no matter how hard or long she told herself this, no matter what she chose to believe, it did not change anything.
She crumbled to the ground beside Stella in anguish. “Oh Stella...” She choked through her tears. “I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry,” She hiccuped. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry...”
As she wept, she could’ve sworn she heard a voice whispering...
“Me too...”
She began to cough as smoke got into her eyes. It was then she remembered that the remains of her studio were on fire. Her eyes widened as she recognized the smell of rotten eggs filling her nose.
A gas leak.
KA-BOOM! A huge explosion shook the entire town of Appleby. The explosion sent Tezzy crashing through a glass window. She landed hard on the grass outside, a grunt escaping her lips.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, one hoof raised to shield herself from the fire's light. As she blinked rapidly, a headache crashed through her mind with a constant, throbbing agony.
Tezzy looked up at her burning studio. The haunting glow of orange light illuminated the night sky. Many ponies came out of their houses to see what all the noise was about, and they looked in shock at the town’s beloved art studio burned to the ground.
Despite her fractured behind leg, Tezzy stood up, not putting much pressure on the injured leg as she shifted her weight onto her intact limbs. She was a shell of a pony, everything around her was a blur of ponies asking if she was alright. All of their voices and the sounds of fireponies coming to extinguish the fire, were just muffled unintelligible noises.
As the sign above the burnt light blue door fell to the ground, something inside of Tezzy changed. She never wanted anyone to suffer the same fate she did. Somepony like Jara would ever hurt an innocent pony ever again. Not on her watch.
And with that, Tezzy turned away from her burning studio and Appleby, occasionally limping as she did so. She ignored the ponies questions as to where she was going, and kept walking. She left Appleby, never to return again.
She wander through Equestria, searching for the scum of the earth ponies who tainted the world. She watched them, learning every dirty deed they have done. Once she had them alone, her twisted act of justice rid the world of such a pony, and the world would be that much cleaner.
The legend of The Weaver would forever be apart of Equestrian history, myth and lore. Any evil creature of Equestria would be found by The Weaver. Even if they tried to hide, The Weaver would always find them. Always.
That leaves you, dear reader. Do you think you are safe from The Weaver? Do you think she would find you worthy to live? If you do, pray to Celestia that you are right.
~~~~~~~~
You shut your laptop screen. What a silly story, you think. My Little Pony was a kids show. Was this supposed to be scary? You rolled your eyes and scoff.
You hear your bedroom door creak. You brush it off. It was the house settling, you figure. Soft footsteps are heard from behind you. Now that you think about it, they sounded like... hoofsteps. Your blood runs cold as you hear one simple question ring in your ears.
“Would you like a painting?”
