Chapters Prologue
…
“Megan…”
The voice of a seven-year-old child called to her.
“Megan…”
It called again.
“Megan, please wake up.”
Megan Williams, an athletic blonde of thirteen, was unexpectedly awoken by her younger sister, Molly. Molly stood at her bedside in the dark of the night, dressed in her favorite blue one-piece pajamas. She shook Megan’s shoulders and tugged on her pink nightgown, desperately seeking comfort and safety in her calm and serene bedroom.
Her eyes of pure cerulean, like Megan’s, were welled up with tears. Her curly pigtailed hair was soaked with sweat. She appeared unsettled, almost petrified even. Something was troubling Molly dearly, as if she had just experienced a horrific nightmare.
However, nightmares were fairly common with Molly, even in the Williams household.
“Molly, what’s the matter?” Megan yawned, slowly rising out of bed and rubbing her weary eyes. She switched on her bedside lamp and inspected her clock. The hands indicated that it was well past midnight. “Are you okay, are you hurt?”
Molly innocently shook her head as Megan examined her pajamas. Thankfully she hadn’t wet herself. It was occasional for Molly to do so at times like these.
Molly whispered into her sister’s ear. “Listen, I think there’s somebody in the house with us…” she began to shiver, gradually raising her voice in panic. “I saw a woman… standing in front of my bed… looking straight at me. She was tall and really old looking… she wouldn’t say a word when I tried talking to her. I felt… it ‘wanted’ me for something, something I’m not sure about. So I screamed and ran here! I didn’t know what…!”
“Hey, hey. Hush now… it was just another bad dream. That’s all.” Megan assured her, patting her gently on the head and stroking her hair. “Everyone has bad dreams sometimes. It’s okay.”
Megan opened her arms out to Molly, an invitation for a warm sisterly hug. Molly gratefully accepted and cuddled her closely. Megan gently rubbed her back and delivered a kiss to her younger sibling’s forehead, hoping to put her mind at ease.
“I know it’s a little lonely right now, but Mom and Dad will be back soon with Danny in a couple of days.” Megan reminded.
Mr. Williams had left his eldest child Megan in charge of the countryside home over the weekend, while his wife and he were away. After missing several opportunities, Mr. and Mrs. Williams decided to make time for their only son, Danny, and follow him on one of his baseball tours for support. And since Molly wasn’t really into baseball herself, she chose to stay behind and take care of the horses at their ranch with Megan. Megan always appreciated a little help from her kindhearted sister. So tonight, she was offering a little more kindheartedness back to her.
They held on to each other for a good five or ten minutes, when Megan finally let go. “Tell you what, after we feed the horses in the morning, how about we take a trip back to Ponyland and visit our friends there?”
That made Molly immediately feel all the better. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen the magical ponies in Ponyland for some time now. “Yes! Yes, oh yes! That would be amazing!” she bounced up and down on Megan’s bed with sheer excitement. “I can’t wait to see again Spike, Baby Lickety-Split, Baby Lofty, Wind Whistler, Firefly, Posey, Surprise, and-”
“All right, all right. We’ll see everybody.” Megan tried to calm her down. “And they’ll be just as excited to see us, I’m sure.”
“YAAAY!” Molly cheered ecstatically.
“But first, you have go back to bed and get some sleep. Can you do that for me?”
“Okay.”
“Good girl.”
Megan switched off her lamp and tucked herself into bed. Molly herself was about to leave the room and head straight back to rest, until she halted abruptly, rendered stiff in cold sweat. A pungent scent, one of what Megan could only relate to like rotting flesh ran up her nose. A chilly breeze blew, seeping underneath her blankets and reaching up to the back of her neck and her long hair. She couldn’t ignore it.
Molly faced the doorway frozen, her arms and legs numb, as she uttered nervously. “Megan… there’s somebody in the room with us.”
Megan rose up from bed again and faced Molly’s direction. Her eyes only widened in fear. There WAS in fact somebody else in the bedroom with the girls.
At the open doorway, stood a sinister and spectral figure clad entirely in a crimson robe, like that of a monk or a mage. Her face was entirely concealed within the shadows of a hood. The Crimson Spectre was motionless, obstructing the exit of the bedroom with her staggering stature. She made not a single sound.
Without hesitation, Megan pulled away her blankets and sprang from bed. She reached her hands for the bedside cabinet in haste, fishing out from a drawer a metal baseball bat. It was one that Danny lent to her for self-defense, if ever a domestic confrontation arose and she was without the aid of the ponies of Ponyland.
“MOLLY, GET BEHIND ME!” Megan ordered her fast as she tightened the bat firmly within her grip. Molly obeyed as Megan took a few cautious steps towards their unannounced guest. “Who are you?! What are you doing here?!” Megan spoke intrepidly, although frankly she was feeling quite unnerved by the Crimson Spectre’s presence, which felt anything but welcoming or friendly. “What do you want with us?!”
The Crimson Spectre was mute, remaining eerily calm and composed, not nudging from her position.
“You better answer now before I call the cops on you! So let me ask you again: WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH US?!”
The Crimson Spectre raised her shriveled and malnourished hand, pointing menacingly with her extended claw. She hissed venomously, making both Megan and Molly tremble, as she spoke under her breath in a threatening tone:
“Molly…”
Molly felt the adrenaline rush through her body, her stomach churn and her heart race.
Megan felt all of the hair on her skin rise up. Too many thoughts ran amuck inside her mind simultaneously: why in heaven’s name did the Crimson Spectre need Molly? What was she planning to do with her? And what was she seeking to accomplish in this?
Not a moment sooner, however, did Megan feel her feet being lifted off the ground by an invisible force. Before she realized it, her body was flung instantly and pinned harshly to the wall. The Crimson Spectre was not going to take ‘no’ for an answer.
“MEGAN!” Molly cried out in terror.
Megan wanted to tell Molly to escape as fast as she could and save herself, but was not given that chance. She was bashed continuously against the wall. Each strike grew more vicious, more punishing and more unbearable to endure, let alone watch.
“STOP IT! YOU’RE HURTING HER!” Molly wailed, yet her words only fell on deaf ears.
Furniture rattled in Megan’s bedroom as the Crimson Spectre refused to hold back on her assault. Then it all came to a stop when Megan, sorely bruised and battered, dropped her bat. She was unable to withstand further beatings, and was subsequently released from the Crimson Spectre’s telekinetic hold. She slumped to the floor, completely passed out.
Molly was anxiously cowering in an isolated corner crouched in a ball, left helpless and defenseless. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that this sick illusion could be wished away at her will... then there occurred a long moment of dead silence. Molly relaxed and opened her eyes, hoping her prayers had somehow been answered.
They hadn’t been. The Crimson Spectre had soundlessly teleported right up close to Molly, towering above her dominantly. Amidst the bright moonlight permeating the room, Molly could partially make out the Crimson Spectre’s face within the hood. It was that of a wicked old hag with a dire and deathly pale complexion. Molly was aghast as the Crimson Spectre pulled a ghastly grin at her in the blink of an eye, exposing her rotten and disorderly teeth.
Molly did the only thing her instincts told her. She ran past the Crimson Spectre and fled to Megan’s bathroom on the opposite side of the room. She locked the door behind her, pushing her hands firmly against the door.
At her feet, within the gap between the door and the tiled floor, the ghostly shadow of the Crimson Spectre could be seen approaching. The door handle shook as the Crimson Spectre tried turning it from the other side, but to no use. She tried ramming her way in ferociously. This only made Molly scream and sob as she resisted the intrusion stubbornly.
“Let me iiinnn…” the Crimson Spectre hissed in an aged yet daunting voice.
“GO AWAY! LEAVE US ALONE!” Molly clamored back.
The door ramming ceased. Molly stood her ground and waited in suspense. She failed to notice the door unlocking on its own accord, granting the Crimson Spectre the entrance she desired.
On spur of moment, the door jerked open. Molly was hurled back against the bathroom wall. She looked up and saw the Crimson Spectre standing before her.
Molly sat paralyzed.
There followed another dead silence… before the Crimson Spectre let out a blood-curdling shriek and lunged at her victim with superhuman speed. For a split-second, she exposed her white unkempt hair, her sick cadaverous face, and her unholy maniacal eyes…
Then darkness…
…
Octavia Melody sat alone on the empty stage of the grand and opulent auditorium located in Ponyville’s theater. It was fit enough to pack at least several hundred ponies. Since the morning, she had spent passionate hours practicing her cover of the classical music piece ‘Canon in D’ with her cello. Besides her was a boombox, which she generously borrowed from DJ Pon-3, playing a piano accompaniment recording. It was now well into the evening, and Octavia continued to play on with absolute perfection.
Still unsatisfied though, Octavia was ever so determined to accomplish the piece without any mistakes whatsoever. She had barely eaten the whole day, with a bowl of strawberries for breakfast and just a piece of buttered toast for lunch. Yet still, Octavia performed energetically, executing all the right notes with exuberance and professional timing.
After finishing her last note, the cassette tape in the boombox stopped playing. Octavia sat back on her chair and let out a deep sigh. Despite having completed her piece a dozen times with impeccable precision, she still wasn’t quite content, willing to push the boundaries of her skills further somehow. Then again, the long hours had simply worn her out for the day…
Nevertheless, right out of nowhere, she heard the light sound of applause. It was coming from somewhere within the auditorium. Yet Octavia could sight nobody there when she looked. It was apparent that the noise was coming out of thin air. This startled her.
She scanned the benches a second time. Again, there didn’t appear to be anybody watching her. Even the second floor balcony proved deserted. Perhaps Octavia was merely hearing things? She paused in bemusement… until she leaped out from her chair in fright and nearly dropped her cello when Pinkie Pie appeared from behind the curtains, playing a cheerful tune on her trombone to her.
“Pinkie Pie!” Octavia exclaimed, mildly irked.
“Gooood evening!” greeted Pinkie Pie mischievously, delivering a friendly salute.
Octavia inspected the clock on the wall. It was past 7pm. “It’s evening already? My word, how times flies… so what brings YOU here at this unscheduled hour?”
“Oh, I just came here with a message from Applejack. She’s cordially invited you and DJ Pon-3 to apple picking at Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow. So whaddya say, you coming?”
“Apple picking?” Octavia groaned disapprovingly. “How could I ever think of apple picking when the annual Ponyville Music Festival is less than two weeks away?”
Pinkie Pie couldn’t help notice how exhausted Octavia looked. She was more than dead serious about the celebratory event, as it was a formal display of Ponyville’s, let alone Equestria’s, finest and most talented musicians. “Lighten up, Octavia. It’ll be fun! You’ve cooped yourself up in this theater for most of the past three days, you know. You’ve practiced long and hard enough, so just unwind a little. Surely a day without music won’t hurt, right? And besides, every pony needs time off from work to recharge their batteries.”
“Well, MY batteries are long-lasting.” Octavia objected, still showing no interest in the invitation. “And I won’t waste a moment of them.”
“Aw, c’mon. Pretty please?” Pinkie Pie grinned.
“Thank you, but no thank you.” Octavia kindly but sternly affirmed. “I’m afraid duty calls, and I MUST ensure that my performance turns out practically perfect.”
Pinkie Pie and many of the other ponies knew that Octavia almost never shifted her focus away from her dying love for music, especially when an important concert drew very near. She would work herself to the bone to make her performance spotless, and on record, she ALWAYS performed exceptionally well. Yet it sometimes raised the question if rejecting social gatherings was really worth it…
A brilliant idea crossed Pinkie Pie’s mind. She disappeared behind the curtains while Octavia returned to her chair and checked the strings on her cello. She busied herself adjusting the tuning pegs but was caught off guard when…
“SAY CHEESE!”
Pinkie Pie reappeared and snapped a surprise photo of Octavia with her newly purchased camera. The camera’s dazzling flash threw Octavia off balance and she almost fell, temporarily blinded.
“HEY!” Octavia yelled annoyingly. “What on earth’s the meaning behind this?!”
Pinkie Pie chuckled and lowered her camera. “Oh, I just got the loveliest photo of you in front of the auditorium! Imagine how great this’ll look to promote your big night event! Everyone’s gonna be hyped!”
Octavia couldn’t argue too much. Pinkie Pie was only trying to help attract a bigger audience for her dear friend with some publicity. Yet at the same time, it made Octavia just a little more nervous, raising the expectation levels for her own music number just a little higher. And a ‘little’ might be putting it mildly.
Octavia turned her attention back to the auditorium, which remained devoid of life. She was still left wondering who might have possibly been applauding earlier. She was certain for a second then she sensed something, or somebody present… that or she had indeed been overworking herself. Agreeably, it was time to pack up and head back home.
…
After a light dinner, Octavia was off practicing with her cello again at home. She had promised herself to give it a break for the rest of the night, but she couldn’t resist. It was without any doubt that her mind was set on making this year’s concert out of this world… just like every other one she’d been involved in before. Even after all the time they’ve been housemates, DJ Pon-3 couldn’t fully comprehend her dedication to her music, which truth be told, exceeded her own.
Still though, DJ Pon-3 was always willing to offer a little helping hand to her companion when it sounded like she needed it… and sound analysis was a forte for the disc jockey pony. DJ Pon-3 stepped up to her DJ controller, listening meticulously to the timing and rhythm of Octavia’s melody. Once she was familiarized with ‘Canon’, she musically intervened, incorporating her own additional sound beats, music tracks and whatnot to enhance the tune.
However, Octavia was not all so impressed with DJ Pon-3’s disruption. “Do you mind, Vinyl?” she paused abruptly, frowning. “You’re interrupting my focus here.”
Octavia resumed with her cello, while DJ Pon-3 ducked under her controller. She was seeking a certain vinyl record she had in mind that might appeal to Octavia. Once she thought she found it, she set the record onto her turntable and played it.
The strumming of a ukulele played through her stereos, accompanied by a creepy, unsettling and somewhat garbled voice, singing:
“Tiptoe through the window, by the window, that is where I’ll be…”
Octavia cringed severely upon listening to the bizarre, inappropriate and not to mention disturbing song. DJ Pon-3 removed the record immediately and lifted her clouded sunglasses to read its label: ‘Tiptoe Through The Tulips’. Clearly she had made a terrible mistake, and it wasn’t the soundtrack she had intended for Octavia.
“Do not EVER play that ghastly confounded song again!” Octavia asserted profusely. “Really, are you deliberately trying to give me the willies here?”
DJ Pon-3 casually shrugged and sheepishly grinned. In her honest point-of-view, Octavia’s take on ‘Canon’ was fine, but it could seriously use a bit more finesse, more oomph. And she was confident she could help fulfill that by combining her own music skills with Octavia’s.
A knock came from the door.
Octavia stopped what she was doing, moaning and rolling her eyes to her housemate tiredly: “I presume that would be your gentleman caller.”
No doubt. DJ Pon-3 was dressed a little fancier than usual, in her own stylized glittering cocktail dress. She went to answer the door, where she was greeted by Neon Lights, dressed in a white button shirt and black tie. He lowered his shades and winked at DJ Pon-3 with a clean smile.
The two briefly cuddled.
This was their fourth dinner date. Octavia never fully understood how DJ Pon-3 could balance her time well between her music and a personal relationship, but of course, that wasn’t the matter of concern for her right now. Needless to remind herself again, she had a music festival to prepare for. So she simply let the lovebirds be.
Octavia could most likely predict that DJ Pon-3 would arrive home late, as she usually would on her evenings out. After dinner, she and Neon Lights would party the night out until the early morning. Neither could resist going to a good dance club, two or three, particularly when DJ Pon-3 was asked to operate as their DJ.
“Good night, both of you.” Octavia said dryly, her nose glued to her music sheets. “And good morning as well, I suppose?”
DJ Pon-3 shut the door behind her, leaving Octavia to her own peace. The latter was somewhat relieved. It was nice to have the house all to herself sometimes.
Not in the least did Octavia acknowledge the dark silhouette of a humanly figure draped in a crimson hood, standing visibly outside the window behind her. The Crimson Spectre stood soundlessly, listening to Octavia’s sweet whimsical music. She calmly shifted aside, vanishing from sight.
A knock came from the door.
In minor frustration, Octavia set her bow and cello down to answer the caller. She peeked through the glass pane of the door, but could see no one. Opening the door, she stepped outside into the clear windy night to check whoever might have been around, or even hiding.
“Hello…? Is there anybody there…?” Octavia called out, yet she received no response. “Hello…?!”
The only sound she heard was that of the strong rustling of leaves from the neighboring bushes and trees, including the few abandoned leaves left on the grass. There followed an unusually chilly gust of wind, which Octavia felt all too well. She swore she might have heard some sort of voice, that of a woman, calling out to her, calling out her name…
Discomforted, Octavia quietly returned to her humble abode and closed the door. She was growing convinced that she was hearing things again. Perhaps working tonight wasn’t such a splendid idea. It seemed far clearer now for her to give it all a rest for today, no question. She packed away her bow and cello into her fiberglass case. She just finished locking it, when…
Another knock came from the door, only this time it was louder than the previous, more aggressive even.
Spooked, Octavia let loose a high-pitched yelp. In irritation, she strode towards the door, peeking through the glass pane again. Still she saw no one. Octavia was getting increasingly unnerved. She opened the door and poked her head outside, this time not stepping out beyond her doorstep. Again, there was not a soul present… or at least one she could see…
“WHO’S THERE…?!” Octavia called out in the dark of the night. To her disappointment, there was still no answer, save for the nocturnal wind. “WHOEVER IT IS, KNOW THAT THIS ISN’T AMUSING AT ALL IN THE SLIGHTEST! JUST LEAVE NOW AND BE GONE ALREADY!”
Just after her warning, Octavia sensed the same womanly voice delicately calling out to her in the wind. Only this time, it whispered closer into her sharp ears:
“Let me in… let me in… let me iiinnn…”
This only brought chills down Octavia’s spine, and she was certainly not to have any more of it. She swung the door shut in full force, locking it securely. It was time to head for bed… NOW. She had had too long of a day.
However, when merely taking a few steps away from the door…
A third knock occurred, or to be more specific, a rude pounding.
Riled and distressed near to her boiling point, Octavia hollered: “LEAVE ME ALONE!”
She was not going to tolerate any more of this supposed tomfoolery. The pounding continued. Octavia threw open her case and snatched her bow, holding it firmly as her weapon. She crept against the wall next to the door, not bothering to peek through the pane this time. She reached for the door handle carefully. A single drop of sweat ran down her cheek as she prepared for her next move.
Unlocking the door swiftly, Octavia flung it open and rushed outside, raising her bow to strike her intruder, “GET OUT OF HE-!” then she stopped short.
She was just an inch away from beating the living daylights out of Neon Lights, who flinched in reaction to her attempted assault. DJ Pon-3 stood beside him, bewildered by Octavia’s random act of hostility. Octavia froze awkwardly, searching for words to explain her strange and erratic behavior. Her friends were left oddly confused.
Octavia calmed herself and stepped back. “I’m sorry, I do sincerely apologize… I, I didn’t mean to… please, please excuse me…. it’s… it’s just been a long strenuous day, you see, and I… I…”
For a moment, DJ Pon-3 thought Octavia was losing her marbles. She’d never seen her this neurotic before. Assuming it was just stress though, she simply shook her head and retrieved her pair of headphones on her bed that she had carelessly forgotten. She was going to need them for the dance clubs later tonight.
“Right then, er, good night… again…” Octavia bid Neon Lights and DJ Pon-3 goodbye, before quietly shutting the door for the last time tonight.
…
With the whole house unlit, Octavia slept like a log in bed, having one of the most peaceful sleeps of her life. It was truly what any pony desired. It was a shame to think that maybe it would be one of her last…
Over at a standing mirror in the corner of the room, upon its reflection stood the Crimson Spectre. Holding a dim candle, she stared ominously at Octavia with her ghastly grin… before the candle’s light faded away into darkness.
Author's Note
So does anybody here know who the Crimson Spectre might be? If you’re familiar with G1, the answer might be obvious…
The answer's in the title of the story!
Love to hear your feedback! See you in the next chapter!
Disclaimer: MLP belongs to Hasbro respectfully and I own nothing else. No profit is being made out of this work.
Chapter One
…
Octavia rose up early the next morning fresh as a daisy. She aimed to arrive at Ponyville’s theater during its opening hour. With the music festival nearing, she would have dreaded even missing a half-hour of cello rehearsal. DJ Pon-3 was still dreaming away in bed. She probably wasn’t going to wake up until around the late morning or early afternoon, Octavia predicted.
After showering, brushing her teeth and drying herself, Octavia was raring to go. She returned to the bedroom… and stopped immediately on her tracks after doing so. Oddly enough, she found her cello and bow out of their case, laid out neatly on her chair, as if ready to play. This was most unusual. Octavia swore she locked her instrument inside her case, as she’d regularly do every night before going to bed… then again, she recalled how much she’d been overworking yesterday, so a simple mishap like this seemed credible.
Octavia gently placed her cello back into its case along with her bow, before heading off to make her bed. She always tried to keep her side of the house tidy. A little unlike DJ Pon-3 though, she proved to be quite sloppy at times. Every so often, Octavia did the favor to clean up her side of the room too. She would try to educate her housemate about the importance of cleanliness… though it was questionable if DJ Pon-3 actually heeded her advice.
After straightening her blanket and fluffing up her pillows, Octavia went to grab her cello case… when she gasped, nearly screaming.
Under mysterious circumstances, her cello and bow were discovered out of their case again and neatly placed on her chair in the same exact position as she had found it just minutes ago. Octavia glanced over at DJ Pon-3, still snoozing away. There was no possibility that she could have been responsible for this. So just what on earth was going on?
This disturbed Octavia tremendously. That was until she inspected the clock on the wall and was reminded of the time. Knowing that she was running late, she snatched her cello and bow and returned them inside her case, shutting it securely.
…
Octavia arrived at the theater just a few minutes behind, thankfully. Amidst the mad rush getting there, she began thinking to herself and speculating; might there be a connection between the knockings she heard the night before, and the peculiar case of her moving cello…? Her notions were quickly cast aside when…
“CHEESE!” Pinkie Pie sidestepped into Octavia’s way as she approached the theater’s entrance, raising her camera and snapping a photo without warning.
“OH!” Octavia staggered back, temporarily blinded again.
“Good morning!” Pinkie Pie greeted her gleefully. “And how’s Ponyville’s favorite cellist faring today?”
“Could be better. Significantly better as a matter of fact.” Octavia replied rather unenthusiastically, rubbing her eyes to regain her vision. “Now listen here, if you’re going to ask me again about Applejack’s invitation this afternoon, then my answer is still respectfully no.”
“I know, but that’s not why I’m here actually.” Pinkie Pie assured her. “Since you’re not coming, I just wondered if I could treat you for lunch instead?”
Octavia sighed deeply, moved by the kind gesture but was considerate. “That’s awfully generous of you, Pinkie. But again, this festival, it means a lot to me and…”
“Come on! Twilight’s coming to join too, you know.” insisted Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down like a feverish bunny. “You know how hard it is getting a busy princess like her to join you for lunch? It’s once in a lifetime… well, not literally, but you get my point!”
Come to think, it just occurred to Octavia that she had completely neglected her breakfast! How could she have forgotten the most important meal of the day? That was most likely due to getting spooked by her cello. So putting that into account, denying her good friend’s offer for a meal seemed too shameful to pass. She couldn’t keep herself starved for the day, and without denial, she needed the extra boost of energy to practice her music.
Octavia rolled her eyes aside and lightly shrugged: “Well… maybe I could use a bit of a bite...”
…
It was another busy day at the Hay Burger, chock-full of customers. It was lucky that Pinkie Pie managed to reserve a table, otherwise it would have taken her hours to find a place to even sit. The only other unoccupied table was a tiny one, enough to fit just two, located behind where Octavia was sitting.
Breakfast tea, milk and two lumps of sugar was what Octavia drank, along with half of a cucumber sandwich, since the regular portion was rather filling for her. She offered the other half to split between Pinkie Pie and Twilight. They weren’t the most recommended orders from the diner, but Octavia was one pony that had a penchant to watching her diet and maintaining good physique.
Pinkie Pie and Twilight had persuaded Octavia to try some of the more delectable selections such as the famed burgers, horseshoe-shaped fries, soft drinks, and milkshakes. As tempting as they were though, Octavia politely declined even a sample or a bite. Regardless, Pinkie Pie and Twilight could see through observation that something was troubling her. She appeared incredibly withdrawn and tense, jittery even. She constantly shifted her eyes sharply left and right, in all directions as if fearing that something was out to get her at any given moment. She hardly paid much attention to her friends.
Twilight felt the urge to spark a conversation with her. “So… how’s rehearsal going for you, Octavia?”
“Not particularly well, I’m afraid…” Octavia admitted. She went back to stirring her tea, dropping in a third lump of sugar and pouring milk excessively into her cup.
“Why not?” Twilight asked curiously.
Octavia stopped stirring, sinking her eyes down to the table with a sigh. “If I told you, you’d probably think I’m paranoid… or that I’ve lost my marbles.”
Pinkie Pie finished slurping her delicious shake and said: “C’mon, try us! We’re your friends! We’ll listen.”
Octavia paused skeptically… before asking: “Have you ever had that uncomfortable feeling like you’re being watched?”
“Oh, of course!” nodded Pinkie Pie undoubtedly. “It’s called stage fright! Every pony has it when they go on stage to perform for the first time, but you get over it!”
“Pinkie Pie, that’s not what she means.” remarked Twilight.
Octavia continued. “I mean being watched by something you don’t even know, something you can’t describe, let alone see?”
“Like air?” Pinkie Pie suggested, much to Twilight’s frown at her silly suggestion. She delivered back an embarrassing grin. “Hey, I dunno what’s eating her…”
“I mean like… oh, dare I say it?” Octavia hesitated.
“What?” asked Twilight.
“A… a ghost.”
Both Twilight and Pinkie Pie widened their eyes.
“Why… why would you think that?” wondered Twilight. “Why would you think a ghost is watching you?”
“I... I don’t know.” Octavia replied earnestly. “Lately I’ve been hearing odd noises, witnessing strange phenomena. In all probability, I may just be losing my mind, but…”
“What kind of noises, what kind of phenomena?” asked Twilight, eager to know more.
“It’s all just stress.” interrupted Pinkie Pie. “You’re under too much stress because of the Ponyville Music Festival, aren’t ya?”
This forced Twilight to groan. “Can we just hear Octavia out please?”
“Well, it IS true that I have been stressed.” Octavia wasn’t afraid to confess. “Although-”
“Don’t sweat it. You’ll be fine. I know it!” Pinkie Pie went on, only trying to cheer her up. “It’s not like it’s the end of the world!”
The end of the world… Twilight alone knew perfectly well what THAT felt like. If Pinkie Pie was only aware what Twilight endured weeks ago… traveling to the distant past, subduing the threat of Tirek and thusly averting Equestria’s cataclysmic fate. It was among one of Twilight’s most arduous and challenging adventures, let alone her most memorable experiences she had to undertake. Yet to this day, those forgotten events still remained solely to the knowledge of herself and Princess Celestia. The latter of whom once lived a former life as a human named Megan Williams, who ruled over and took precious care of the magical ponies of Ponyland millennia ago.
Twilight grew concerned for Octavia. She knew the renowned musician was under a lot of pressure, which was fairly normal, and she appreciated Pinkie Pie only trying to offer positivity. Yet in her view, Octavia looked far more afraid than she had ever been. It was like her very life was being threatened so to speak.
“Wait, just a minute! Don’t change that pose!” Pinkie Pie said, digging her hooves under the table and whipping out her same camera. “CHEESE!”
The flash from the camera startled Octavia, making her to spill her tea across the table.
“PINKIE PIE!” Twilight berated her.
“It’s just publicity, Twilight.” said Pinkie Pie in defense. “The more photos I get, the bigger number of ponies will go out to see Octavia!”
“But why of all times when we’re eating?” Twilight had to ask.
“Hey, fans love to see their greatest performer taking a break, right?” Pinkie Pie grinned again, raising a brow and anticipating in hearing approval.
Twilight simply shook her head.
…
Seeking to put her mind at ease, Octavia decided to spend the afternoon at the riverside park in Ponyville. With hardly any pony about, being out in the calm open air did make her relax. Not to mention, the change in atmosphere helped her to concentrate on mastering ‘Canon’ even better.
As Octavia continued playing at her bench, the peace was disrupted when Pinkie Pie, out of a nearby bush, leaped out and not too surprisingly, flashed her camera at Octavia another time.
Octavia, having gotten used to this by now, was mildly fazed, although she truly had enough for one day of shoots. “Honestly, do you always have to follow me wherever I go? I thought you were supposed to be with Applejack?”
“Yeah, but I passed on apple picking at the last minute.” Pinkie Pie casually admitted. “I realized hey, I could do that any time any day. But with that music fest fast approaching, I gotta grab as many photos of you as I can! And besides, I just took a gorgeous one of you rehearsing by the river. This HAS to be a seller!”
“There’s a little thing called private space, you ought to know.” Octavia grunted discreetly.
“Sure thing, I get it.” acknowledged Pinkie Pie. “I’ll leave you to it then. I think I got enough for today.”
With that said, Pinkie Pie left the cellist to her own practice. What a relief for Octavia.
…
The rest of the afternoon and evening went undisturbed. No more surprise photography or any paranormal activities within the household. Octavia felt more at peace by the end of the day.
By bedtime, DJ Pon-3 had fallen asleep before Octavia. It was hard to believe that she was still tired from her outing with Neon Lights last night. Then again, it was about that time for Octavia to hit the hay herself. After packing up her cello and getting ready for bed, she turned off the lights…
About an hour into slumber, Octavia felt sharp something poke her leg. At first, she thought little of it and rolled aside. Seconds passed, then something lightly tugged on her leg.
“Vinyl, stop it!” a half-asleep Octavia complained.
She tried to return to rest, until just moments thereafter, something yanked her leg forcefully within the blankets. Octavia almost slid off the edge of her bed. The very force woke her up in shock and daze.
Octavia angrily rose from bed and shouted: “FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, VINYL, ENOUGH WITH THE…!” she then stopped mid-sentence.
DJ Pon-3 was still in her own bed on her opposite side of the room, snoring away. Octavia was speechless. She didn’t know what was going on or if she was dreaming. She began to smell something pungent… something she could only describe like rotting flesh.
Her spine then froze, when scouring the room, she found her cello and bow out of their case once more, neatly positioned on her chair, exactly like this morning.
Then all of a sudden, the door to the bathroom fiercely slammed shut on its own. The noise triggered DJ Pon-3 awake immediately as she sat up straight from her bed. She rubbed her eyes and noticed Octavia startled, then too noticed her cello and bow out of place. Even she knew well enough that her housemate never left her instruments lying idly around when she was sleeping.
There came loud poundings on the door from within the bathroom, followed by rattling on the doorknob, as if something was struggling to escape.
Octavia and DJ Pon-3 glanced at each other in trepidation and disbelief. They both heard it, so that concluded it was neither of their imaginations playing tricks. Both ponies crawled out of bed with extreme caution, not setting their sights away from the bathroom door.
Together they approached the door apprehensively. Neither one had a clue what could be causing the commotion. It couldn’t have been some nightly critter trapped in the bathroom, as all the doors and windows were locked as always. And even if it was, the chances of that were mighty slim given the force of the pounding they heard. Only something sizeable like a bear or a buffalo per se could have trapped itself in the bathroom, but no way could it have been one entering their home without making a racket first.
Octavia wouldn’t dare step nearer the door. DJ Pon-3 on the other hand, after gathering enough courage, magically flung the door open with her horn to face whatever was inside. Yet nothing came out and the pounding eerily ceased.
DJ Pon-3 proceeded into the bathroom, with Octavia closely following her tail. It was far too dark to make out anything inside. So DJ Pon-3 flicked on the light switch, in hopes to find SOMETHING lurking… just perchance. To her bafflement, and to Octavia’s, they found absolutely nothing. All appeared safe and sound as normal.
CRASH! BANG! THUD! Octavia and DJ Pon-3 jumped out of their skins from the thunderous noise coming from their bedroom.
Emerging from the bathroom, both ponies were rendered in awe. Switching on the bedroom lights, they found the entire collection of DJ Pon-3’s records smashed to pieces, including shattered lamps, pictures frames, vases, mirrors, all scattered on the floor. Even worse, DJ Pon-3’s DJ controller was wrecked, as were her stereos and electric guitar. To Octavia’s utter dread, her cello had been smashed…
It went without saying; this was a nightmare come true.
The ponies were hardly given time to compose themselves, when out of nowhere, they heard random keys from Octavia’s grand piano being played in a distorted tune. Yet no one could be seen playing… the piano appeared to be playing by itself. Octavia approached the piano tentatively. As she got closer, the playing came to an abrupt halt.
Carefully, Octavia inspected the keys. She could vaguely, just very vaguely, make out strange black dust on the keys, dust forming the shapes of humanly fingers… or likewise. Of course, having never seen a human in her life, this only perplexed Octavia more. A faint hissing in the room from behind caught her ear. She turned to DJ Pon-3’s direction.
Behind DJ Pon-3, Octavia met eyes with the Crimson Spectre… except it was revealed that she bore no eyes. In fact, she was now a living skeleton in robe with only her white unkempt hair. She raised her bony hand, pointing an extended claw menacingly at Octavia. Her jaw gaped wide open with her disorderly teeth. She delivered a penetrating and ominous stare with her dark and empty eye sockets.
A second’s sighting of this horror was enough to make Octavia unleash a high-pitched scream as she instantly recoiled to the corner in absolute terror. DJ Pon-3 spun around quickly to see whatever was behind her… but found nobody. The Crimson Spectre had vanished.
Octavia clutched her heart and panted heavily. She was scared out of her wits. The disturbing image of the Crimson Spectre was still embedded in her vision.
It was highly unlikely now that she’d be getting any further sleep tonight…
Author's Note
Disclaimer: ‘My Little Pony’ belongs to Hasbro respectfully. No profit is being made out of this work.
Author’s Note: Thanks for reading so far, guys! Rate if you can please and comments are always appreciated. Peace out and I’ll see you in the following chapter.
Chapter Two
…
It was the following afternoon. Twilight escorted DJ Pon-3 and Octavia to her home. Word had passed quickly to her of last night’s haunting at their house, leaving Octavia far beyond distraught. She was so much so that she had trouble describing in accurate detail of the Crimson Spectre’s ghoulish appearance, only remembering that it wore a distinct robe. Although it all may have sounded farfetched, more so something that could have been extracted out of a horror novel, Twilight was willing to give Octavia the benefit of the doubt. And out of favor, she invited DJ Pon-3 and Octavia to stay at her place until they figured out exactly what was going on at their home.
It would take a little while to replace all of DJ Pon-3’s records, not to mention getting her a new DJ controller. On the plus side, however, and as luck would have it, Neon Lights was generous enough to buy Octavia a brand new cello from Ponyville’s music store. He even handed it to her directly on that very morning. He’d help however way he could for any friend of DJ Pon-3’s. Octavia protected her instrument as if her life depended on it, ensuring that it was well away from any harm’s way. She was still eager to rehearse…
Twilight opened the door to the Castle of Friendship. She welcomed DJ Pon-3 and Octavia to head inside first. Octavia followed DJ Pon-3 in until she stopped in contemplation.
“Do you reckon that our house is haunted?” she asked Twilight timidly.
She and DJ Pon-3 had lived together in the same house for some time now. It begged the question as to why a ghost would start making its presence known at this precise time when it could have easily done so from the beginning when they first moved in. Twilight pondered for a moment. To her knowledge, she couldn’t recall any particular reason or any sinister history behind the house.
“I don’t know, Octavia.” she answered. “But I’m sure I can find out for you…”
…
So she did. Throughout that afternoon, Twilight stuck her nose in page after page through every relevant book in her library. She was hopeful to find any form of historical record regarding the house DJ Pon-3 and Octavia lived in. Octavia found calm and tranquility in the spacious library. She found so much of it that, much to her astonishment, she was playing ‘Canon’ on her cello to pure perfection, alongside DJ Pon-3’s boombox playing the same piano accompaniment.
Even DJ Pon-3 was enjoying the music. She loved it so much that she took the liberty to take out a small tape recorder from her sack and record everything. Despite finding no information yet on what she was searching for, Twilight stopped momentarily to listen to Octavia as well.
The tape in the boombox ended.
“That’s was fantastic, Octavia!” Twilight praised earnestly. “Every pony in Equestria must really hear you play that!”
“Thank you.” Octavia sighed, appearing uncertain. “But I’m sure I could do better.”
“No, I’d say that was your absolute best!” Twilight insisted dearly, but then reconsidered. “Although, if you’re really looking to take this a step further in any way, may I make a suggestion? DJ Pon-3. I think she could really heighten the performance with her own personal talents.”
“Are you sure?” Octavia asked dubiously.
“Hey, there’s no rule in the Ponyville Music Festival saying you can’t have a backup performer, so why not?”
“Because her music isn’t always… oh, how to put it, appropriate?” Octavia was frank in her response.
“Well, I’m sure you two can work it out and find something you can both agree on.” said Twilight with pure optimism.
Octavia rubbed her chin in thought.
Just then, Spike entered the library and served Octavia a tray, which included a teapot, a jar of milk, a bowl of sugar and a teacup. Pinkie Pie accompanied him, serving a plate with a slice of dark chocolate fudge cake. They had brought refreshments for the mid-afternoon. Octavia couldn’t have been more grateful.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have.” she said with heart. “After all I’ve been through, this is most considerate of you.”
“Hey, it’s the least we can do.” shrugged Twilight casually. “You and DJ Pon-3 are welcome to stay here until we find out what’s shaking up your home.”
“You know, I have to agree with Twilight here.” commented Pinkie Pie. “DJ Pon-3 would be perfect to help out on your music performance.”
Octavia was still feeling unsure and held her reservations. She had practiced none-stop for her piece for a while and she usually wasn’t one keen to make changes nearer the day of the event. Yet at the same time, she didn’t want to seem too disrespectful and reject their proposals so soon. So instead she answered fairly.
“Let me think about that…”
Pinkie Pie nodded agreeably. “Oh, one other thing…” she raised her camera, snapping a close-up photo of Octavia as she was sipping her tea.
“Pinkie Pie, I thought you were going to stop that...” Octavia said, mildly displeased. “Don’t you have enough photos of me already?”
“Sure, I do, but a last one just for insurance wouldn’t hurt.” was Pinkie Pie’s excuse. “I’m going to have these photos developed tomorrow!”
With that said, Pinkie Pie and Spike left to give Octavia her tea break.
…
That night, Twilight warmly welcomed Octavia and DJ Pon-3 to sleep in her bedroom on a couple of her spare beds, neatly arranged for them. She hated to have her guests feel lonely in her home, after all. The three ponies fell asleep without incident.
That was until Octavia was awoken by the sound of her cello being played in the library, where she had left it. At first, she paid little attention, assuming it was purely her imagination. But the music continued to play… play… and play… and it was playing to the tune of ‘Tip Toe Through the Tulips’.
Unnerved and unable to sleep, Octavia abandoned her bed and crept into the hallway.
The hallway was deserted, with the moonlight offering the only guide of vision for Octavia. She continued to listen to the unsettling tune from her cello. Whoever could be up at this hour, she wondered? She headed into the library…
As Octavia stepped inside, her body ran ice-cold, with her skin beating with sweat at what she witnessed. Standing upright on its own was her cello, being played with her bow by some invisible yet unspeakable force. Octavia was beyond words.
What disturbed her more, however, was what she spotted on the ground. It was a shadow of humanly figure.
On the upper floor balcony, she sighted the Crimson Spectre, waltzing to the rhythm of the music. Octavia’s hair stood up. She blinked her eyes, hoping this was merely a bad dream…. but the Crimson Spectre was still there. This was not a dream at all.
Octavia’s bow and cello dropped with a loud thud, averting her attention away from the ghostly intruder for a second’s moment. When she looked back up at the balcony, the Crimson Spectre was gone. She reverted her eyes back to where her cello was.
There, right in front of her, stood the Crimson Spectre, grinning ominously back at her. Octavia let out a resounding yelp. The frightened pony spun and fled straight for the open doors. The doors magically slammed shut, sealing her escape.
No sooner did Octavia feel something yank on her tail. Then swiftly, two skeletal hands grasped her rear hooves, forcing her to trip and fall. Octavia was dragged ruthlessly across the floor, being held as captive in the clutches of her assailant.
Octavia could only scream at the top of her lungs and wail in terror, trying to clasp onto whatever furniture she could reach to save herself.
“HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME, PLEASE!”
The Crimson Spectre let loose a psychotic cackle, maintaining her hold on Octavia. That was when out from the doors burst in Twilight, DJ Pon-3 and Spike. Immediately spotting the struggle Octavia was in, Twilight took no hesitation to charge her up horn and unleash a beam directly at the Crimson Spectre. The Crimson Spectre was hurled back, releasing her hold on Octavia.
Twilight charged up for another shot, but before she could fire again, the Crimson Spectre shrieked, throwing off Twilight’s balance and creating sonic waves that shook the foundations of the castle as bad as an earthquake. With the ponies stunned, she leaped and smashed through the nearest glass window, disappearing into the darkness of the cold night.
DJ Pon-3 and Spike tended to Octavia at once.
“You all right, Octavia?” asked Spike. “Can you stand up?”
Octavia tried to do so but fell, her legs severely scratched, partially fractured even, from the assault. It was no question now that the Crimson Spectre was real, and it was here in Equestria. Worse yet, Twilight realized that it wasn’t Octavia’s home that was haunted… it was Octavia herself…
Author's Note
Disclaimer: ‘My Little Pony’ belongs to Hasbro respectfully. No profit is being made out of this work.
Chapter Three
…
A knock came from the door.
Twilight opened it to reveal Princess Celestia at the doorstep, accompanied by two of her royal guards. The Alicorn had arrived at the Castle of Friendship as promptly as she could, after receiving an urgent message from Spike. Although true that she had many imperative matters to attend to in her position, she made time out of her hectic schedule to attend to her young protégé.
“Thank you for coming, Princess Celestia.” said Twilight.
“Good afternoon, Princess Twilight.” Princess Celestia greeted her. “You have something to show me…?”
Twilight nodded affirmatively and gestured her to follow her.
Princess Celestia instructed her guards to remain outside before entering Twilight’s home.
…
Princess Celestia was guided into Twilight’s bedroom, being taken aback by what she saw. There in bed lay Octavia, her legs entirely bandaged and plastered up. Though far from being in any catatonic state, she still appeared restless, distressed and trembling in utter fear. Her eyes remained glued to the ceiling, and she barely acknowledged Princess Celestia. This was saying so even when Spike, DJ Pon-3 and the Mane 6 were tending to her… although…
“Where’s Pinkie Pie?” Spike wondered.
“She’s still developing her stupid photos.” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “I mean, seriously?! Why did she have to pick the wrong time?”
“It’s okay.” reassured Twilight. “Pinkie Pie promised to be here soon.”
Princess Celestia couldn’t guess off-hand what could have possibly petrified Octavia so badly. Her heart only dropped. “What’s the meaning of this?”
Nobody knew exactly the answer to that. Nobody even knew who the Crimson Spectre was, or why she was after Octavia…
“There’s more I have to show you.” Twilight replied.
…
Instructing her friends to keep safe guard of Octavia, Twilight and Princess Celestia went into the library on their own. Right away form the moment they stepped in, Princess Celestia noticed the broken glass window from where the Crimson Spectre fled. Twilight described to her the occurrences Octavia had been enduring for the past few days… as from Octavia’s own account. Frankly, Twilight could make nothing of the reason behind it all.
She had kept her word to Princess Celestia that whenever a human ever set foot in Equestria, she had to inform her, and only her, at once. This was especially regarding anyone, or anything, that could be perceived as a witch. Meeting face-to-face with the Crimson Spectre for the first time only reminded Twilight too well of her encounters with Hydia, Reeka and Draggle millennia ago…
“Tell me what you saw.” Princess Celestia said, inspecting the broken window and peering outside. “What did the assailant look like?”
“Well, besides looking human and standing upright…” Twilight gathered her thoughts, recollecting the best she could. “Her face was mostly concealed within a robe, a crimson colored one… at first I thought she was some elderly woman… but when I saw her face, she appeared dead… nothing but bones…”
Twilight could already see Princess Celestia’s eyes widening in sheer terror, as if she had just seen a ghostly apparition herself.
“Princess Celestia, is everything all right?” Twilight asked.
“Would you say she might have been… a witch?”
Twilight confirmed undoubtedly: “Yes… that’s why I asked you here. Whoever we’re dealing with, whoever it is… I know it’s not from this world, this universe, I could sense it… you don’t suppose by any chance maybe it’s Hydia, Reeka or Draggle, those witches we fought in the World Beyond? Or maybe it’s someone who might be related to them? And how did…”
“No… “ Princess Celestia interrupted her, already convinced of the identity of their new adversary. “In fact, we’re dealing with somebody far worse.”
“Who…?”
Princess Celesta dared not utter her name, but she bit her lip and whispered under her breath very meekly: “… Somnambula.”
Twilight swore the name sounded familiar from somewhere… somewhere from her own studies. “Somnambula… I’ve heard that name. There’s a legend, you know, in the south of Equestria, about a Pegasus who…”
Princess Celestia shook her head again. “This is a different Somnambula…”
“What kind of… Somnambula?” Twilight was eager to know.
“A Somnambula I hoped never to see again… one I hoped died thousands of years ago… she was a sorceress, a mistress of the black arts with immense power. As she grew older and withered though, she began to lose that power. Thus she fed on the youth of other living beings for the sake of regaining her own. She craved for immortality, hoping she could live beyond the stretches of time, beyond the lifespan of any other witch… she was also very desperate… so much so that one night she even kidnapped my sister, Molly. I’ll never forget that dreadful night…”
“What happened?”
Princess Celestia felt reluctant to answer…
“Please, Megan.” Twilight said humbly. “All I want to know is the truth…”
Princess Celestia sighed deeply… for it was quite a tale to tell…
Author's Note
Disclaimer: ‘My Little Pony’ belongs to Hasbro respectfully. No profit is being made out of this work.
Author’s Note: Okay yeah, this was a pretty short chapter. But just so you know, the next one’s going to be longer, as we’ll be heading back into the G1 universe and finding out what happened to Molly.
Author's Note
Disclaimer: ‘My Little Pony’ belongs to Hasbro respectfully. No profit is being made out of this work.
Chapter Four
Chapter Four
…
“An hour or so had passed before I was awoken in my house by Firefly. She had come seeking me, perturbed. She told me that she had recently sighted Molly in Ponyland, taken by Somnambula into the depths of Shadow Forest… a forest not too different from Everfree, but as mysterious yet perilous than you could imagine. Knowing full well that we were about to venture into treacherous grounds, it was decided that I, Firefly and a few selected ponies would endeavor to rescue Molly and prevent whatever diabolical scheme Somnambula was harboring…”
…
In the dark of night, Megan strolled cautiously with Firefly, Twilight, Wind Whistler, Glory, Cotton Candy, Bubbles, Applejack and Moondancer within Shadow Forest. All were aware of how even the forest itself was not pleased with their presence. They crept as quietly and soundlessly as possible, careful not to awaken the live monstrous trees from their slumber. They were well acquainted of how hostile they were with unwelcomed visitors… or even just visitors in general.
Hovering gently above, Wind Whistler and Firefly guided their friends safely through the forest, at the same time peering in all directions for any sign of Molly. Bubbles, Cotton Candy and Applejack closely guarded Megan in a circle. The unicorns Twilight, Moondancer and Glory strode ahead, keeping their eyes peeled for any unsuspecting dangers.
“Be on your guard, everyone.” Megan instructed. “Don’t forget that Somnambula’s a very powerful witch. Who knows what else she’s capable of doing that we don’t know already?”
“I’ve heard rumors…” whispered Applejack. “Just rumors, mind you, that her ancestors were the first conjurers of dark magic in Ponyland… they were the ones who created the Rainbow of Darkness for Tirek.”
Megan still remembered the ordeal at Midnight Castle when Tirek hideously transformed some of the ponies into dragons. She was just praying that Somnambula didn’t have something as fiendish up her sleeve. She stopped on her tracks, as did the ponies, when she saw Wind Whistler and Firefly frozen in panic.
“What is it, Wind Whistler?” Megan called up.
“We see Molly…” she uttered.
…
They passed silently through the trees, until they stumbled upon a creek… not to mention an appalling site.
Tied to a large boulder was a terror-stricken Molly, surrounded by several dozens of standing corpses, living ones, with ritual symbols carved all over their rotten and decaying bodies. It appeared Molly and the ponies had turned up in the midst of a ceremony, as they listened to the corpses singing hymns as part to some evil enchantment. Before them, next to Molly, was Somnambula herself. She lifted her hood to reveal her aged appearance. She seemed well over a hundred years old… at least…
Megan fished out from her pocket a transparent orb, the size of a plum. It was the Crystal of Andraste, a sacred artifact that the wise and mystical gnome, the Moochick, gave to her before heading off in search for Molly. Megan was mindful of the type of adversary she was up against, and thus asked the Moochick, as usual, for his help. His instructions were clear and straightforward: recite the spell that he had taught and repeat it over and over. It sounded simple enough, but keeping in mind how formidable Somnambula was, Megan still felt this fight wouldn’t likely be a cakewalk.
Somnambula demanded her devout corpses to sing louder. Molly broke sweat, having no idea what was going on. Somnambula turned to face her, rendering her motionless.
“The time has come, young child.” she announced. “Your fresh and youthful body is surely a worthy substitute for this shriveled and withered one…”
Soon enough, Somnambula’s spirit, in the form of a pale mist, abandoned its frail body through its mouth. It ringed Molly, enticing her… and slowly possessing her.
Now was the time more than ever to intervene. Megan sprang out and raced to Molly, shouting out: “STOP, SOMNAMBULA!”
The corpses ceased their chanting. The mist enwrapping Molly disappeared as it hastily returned to its original body. Somnambula scowled, displeased by this unwanted intrusion. She noticed Megan, and pointed her menacing claw at her with a hair-raising shriek.
The corpses lurched towards Megan. Immediately, the ponies took action and defended her. Twilight and Glory, with aid of their teleportation abilities, kicked and rammed away the corpses with ease. Applejack, Cotton Candy and Bubbles dealt with their batch of enemies in the same way, although sans any magical powers. Firefly and Wind Whistler dived down to help them.
Some of the trees surrounding the party awoke, revealing unholy yellow glowing orbs that were their eyes, and their gargantuan jaws with gnashing teeth. They plucked branches and wooden chunks off themselves and hurled them as sharp spears. The ponies avoided their attacks just by an inch of their hair, while still contending with the corpses. Megan leaped for safety as a spear nearly impaled her. The trees were about to strike her again, when Moondancer summed up enough magic within her horn to put the trees back to sleep.
With the corpses eliminated, Applejack, Moondancer, Bubbles and Cotton Candy encircled Somnambula.
“Fools.” Somnambula snorted, unafraid. “You think I can be defeated that easily?! I know you ponies once had a taste of darkness! So allow me to offer it again to you!”
Without warning, the four ponies cringed and fell to their knees, crying in internal pain.
“NOOO!” Megan cried out as she ran to the ponies’ care. Her comforts didn’t put them at ease whatsoever. “Applejack! Moondancer! Bubbles! Cotton Candy! What’s wrong with you?”
Somnambula only cackled. Slowly but surely, the four ponies were transforming. Reptilian scales formed onto the surfaces of their skins, their teeth sharpened and elongated to tremendous lengths and and their body mass dramatically expanded. They were becoming what Tirek had once turned them into… dragons.
“NOT AGAIN!” Moondancer wailed.
“STAY AWAY FROM US!” Bubbles warned Megan dearly.
“GO SAVE MOLLY, MEGAN!” Cotton Candy squealed, writhing in agony.
“NEVER MIND US!” Applejack assured her in a distorted voice. “JUST GET RID OF SOMNAMBULA! HURRY!”
The ponies couldn’t resist their metamorphoses any longer. Soon enough, they were once again hideous, vile and saber-toothed monstrosities. No longer able to distinguish their friends, they were now hostile to them. Hence acting on their animalistic instincts, they attempted to devour Firefly, Twilight, Glory and Wind Whistler, or crush them to death under the mighty feet. They chased them relentlessly.
“GUYS, SNAP OUT OF IT!” pleaded Firefly.
“WE’RE YOUR FRIENDS!” insisted Wind Whistler.
There was no use trying to reason. Megan realized this and knew that if there was any way of saving her friends, she’d have to defeat Somnambula herself. This she took a stand and faced the sinister sorceress head-on. She presented to her the Crystal of Andraste.
Somnambula recoiled in horror. “Where did you get that?!” she hissed.
“This is the end, Somnabmula!” Megan declared. “Release Molly now and never show your face around Ponyland again!”
“DO YOUR WORST!”
“I banish thee to the Crystal of Andraste! Be gone, Somnambula, this day is your last!” Megan chanted, raising her voice louder with each repetition until she was yelling.
Somnambula flinched and struggled as she felt her very soul and essence being drawn into Megan’s crystal, now glowing with an angelic light. Her body was brittle at this point and she was more desperate than ever to claim Molly’s body. Yet now with her followers beaten and with no one else to enchant the required spell, her goal was out of the question. What was essential to her now therefore, was to flee at any cost.
“HELP ME, MEGAN!” Molly shouted, struggling to break free.
No sooner did she say that did Somnambula, with her last ounce of magic, free Molly from the rock and toss her into the depths of the creek via telekinesis. Molly screamed before plummeting underwater. Megan stopped chanting her spell at once.
“MOLLY!” she screamed as she sprinted and dived into the cold waters.
Somnambula took this chance to retreat into the shadows and vanish without any trace.
In her absence, Moondancer, Bubbles, Applejack and Cotton Candy ceased their mindless onslaughts and gradually reverted back into ponies, returning to their senses.
Firefly and Wind Whistler hovered over the creek, searching for their human allies.
“Do you see them?” asked Firefly.
“MEGAN! MEEEGAN!” called out Wind Whistler.
The other ponies rushed to the side of the creek and shouted out for Megan and Molly. Still, they received no reply. All hope seemed to have been lost and the ponies for a moment felt mournful… until they saw bubbles beginning to surface from the running waters.
Megan emerged, inhaling a deep breath of air. In her arms was Molly, passed out but still breathing. The ponies cheered as Megan waved at them to insure she and her sister were okay.
Firefly and Wind Whistler descended down fast to take them out of the freezing waters and bring them to safety…
…
Twilight continued listening as Princess Celestia concluded:
“We never saw her again after that. Most likely, she had died of her old age. After Molly awoke, she told us everything of Somnambula’s new goal. No longer was she seeking anyone’s youth. Instead, she was seeking a new physical body to inhabit… ideally one that was young… and one whose spirit was weak. It was an act considered unorthodox to even witches like Hydia, Reeka and Draggle.”
“Somnambula died… but her spirit lingered on.” Twilight deduced. She reminisced of her time with Megan, Tirek and the Sentinels. “I have a hunch… during our previous lives, after those events with Tirek and the Sentinels, you don’t suppose maybe Somnambula’s spirit could have somehow followed me back to Equestria?”
Princess Celestia nodded. “A most credible theory. It’s not unreasonable to fathom that amidst your travels between the past and future, something else might have slipped through the gateways of time. As I’ve mentioned, Somnambula’s very desperate… and she would go through any length just to find what she’s looking for…”
“Octavia…” Twilight muttered. “She’s been constantly frightening her, terrorizing her, inducing enough fear into her to make her weak so that she can take over her… how can we stop this?!”
Princess Celestia’s horn glowed. A floating object, hidden within her mane, revealed itself. It was a small, shining and sparkling crystal orb.
“The Crystal of Andraste!” Twilight exclaimed. “But how…?!”
“Not exactly,” corrected Princess Celestia, “but it’s just as potent, I assure you. You see, before my passing as Megan, I asked the Moochick to tell me everything there was know to craft another artifact as powerful as the Crystal of Andraste for my the next lifetime… if ever Somnambula would return in the future…”
“Well, you certainly did the right thing.” asserted Twilight. “The journey Somnambula took to reach this lifetime must have been long and painstaking.”
“And day by day, she’s recovering her strength… sometimes pure evil such as Somnambula can never be fully vanquished, Princess Twilight.” Princess Celestia stated unquestionably, raising the new Crystal of Celestia to her. “Yet still, there’s a way we can put an end to her acts of terror for good.”
…
In the Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie had just finished developing her photos and hopped excitedly back to her bedroom. She couldn’t wait to view her work. Among her photos were silly ones of herself, her friends, and then the ones she took of Octavia…
That was when her smiles disappeared.
The first photo taken in Ponyville’s theater auditorium showed Octavia with her cello. Nothing appeared wrong with it at first… until in the far background there was visible an eerily faded yet distinct crimson shape standing behind her amidst the row of seats. The second photo of Octavia outside the theater proved more alarming. There stood the same shape, a little clearer now, just standing at the bottom of the stairs behind Octavia. The third photo in the cafeteria shook Pinkie Pie to the bone. The shape, now more definite, sat at the vacant table behind Octavia composedly, staring at her. The fourth photo was a spine-chiller, with Somnambula now standing just a few feet away behind Octavia on her park bench. The fifth photo was by far the most unsettling, with a close-up photo of Octavia in Twilight’s library. The skeletal hand of Somnambula could be seen right besides her, reaching out for Octavia’s shoulder, just an inch apart from each other.
Pinkie Pie burst outside of her home and hurried to the Castle of Friendship post-haste.
…
Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and DJ Pon-3 continued their close watch on Octavia. Octavia felt somewhat eased within their company. Yet it was hard to think anything about the music festival when her life was at stake.
Spike served another helping of tea for Octavia. “Thank you, Spike. I just hope Twilight can get to the bottom of all this and end this dreadful nightmare soon.”
The doors flew open and there entered Pinkie Pie, looking around distressfully before shutting the doors behind her securely.
“It’s about darn time you showed up, Pinkie Pie!” Applejack sternly scolded.
“Guys…” Pinkie Pie shivered, presenting Octavia’s disturbing photos to her friends. “… just take a look at these.”
Just then, the doors behind her softly creaked open. The ponies expected Twilight or Celestia to step in… yet nobody did. Sensing something amiss, Rainbow Dash daringly stepped forth to investigate. She nudged the doors slightly to peek outside. Nothing.
She shrugged to her friends. Then suddenly, an invisible force raised her off the ground and paralyzed her completely. Gasps of dismay swept the room.
Rainbow Dash tried to speak out but couldn’t, as something firmly grappled her neck… before she was pinned aggressively against the wall.
No sooner than that, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike and DJ Pon-3 met the same fate. The ponies could just barely breathe as they felt something vehement press against their throats, as if threatening them not to utter a single word. The only one left unharmed was Octavia, who had her hair standing at the back of her neck. The curtains were drawn, blocking the sunlight through the windows, putting the room in total darkness.
In fear, Octavia did the only thing she could; hide under her thin blanket.
She wept. She couldn’t bear to think what was to unfold next. She heard Somnambula’s meek yet icy voice calling out her name. It only added further discomfort to her. She began to tremble, breaking sweat even. She remained in her blanket, refusing to come out. That was when she felt a pair of hands brush against the surface of her blanket… then the nefarious silhouette of Somnambula herself came into view. Her fingertips tore through the blanket, shredding it apart violently.
Octavia was met face-to-face with the penetrating and ominous stare of Somnambula, with her dark and empty eye sockets. Octavia hollered as Somnambula tore away her collar and bow tie, and opened her mouth wide. A swarm of locusts emerged from it and and travelled directly down Octavia’s throat. Somnambula vanished as the last locust was swallowed.
Octavia shut her eyes… then opened them. They were now completely blackened, like that of a soulless doll.
Spike and the ponies were freed from Somnambula’s clutches, though they were left flabbergasted. Now possessing Octavia’s body, Somnambula rose. She raised her hind legs, ripping off the bandages and kicking off the plasters belligerently against the legs of her bed. With her legs no longer obstructed in movement, she turned her attention to her watchers.
Pinkie Pie shouted to DJ Pon-3, who was nearest to the doors: “Hurry and get Twilight! We need her help!”
DJ Pon-3 left and escaped Somnambula’s following attack when she raised her arms. Pinkie Pie let out an ear-piercing scream as she felt her life energy being sapped away. Within mere seconds, she, Spike and the ponies were reduced to nothing but wrinkled and old bodies… before they all passed out.
The sound of Pinkie Pie’s scream reached the library, where Twilight and Princess Celestia heard it. DJ Pon-3 crashed through the doors in urgency. She gestured Twilight and Princess Celestia to follow her. The Alicorns did so, knowing that danger was afoot.
Returning to the bedroom, they were set aghast by the terrifying sight of their friends, just narrowly alive. DJ Pon-3 and the Alicorns couldn’t help but feel most unnerved. Somnambula strode grievously towards them, already well adjusted to her new equine body.
“Greetings.” she grinned demonically, her unnatural voice could be heard dominating over Octavia’s.
DJ Pon-3 was willing to risk life and limb to help her closest friend and stepped forward, but Twilight prevented her from advancing. “Don’t go near her.” she warned. “That’s NOT Octavia. It’s-”
“Somnambula…” called out Princess Celestia.
“It feels so good to be young again… and alive.” Somnambula chuckled to herself.
Princess Celestia wasted no further time and took out her crystal. Recognizing the object immediately and sensing its fearful power, Somnambula shrieked like a banshee and transformed into a swarm of locusts. The locusts flew past Twilight, DJ Pon-3 and Princess Celestia as fast as the wind and out through the broken window… heading towards Ponyville.
“AFTER HER!” exclaimed Princess Celestia.
Chapter Five
…
Twilight, Princess Celestia and DJ Pon-3 rushed through Ponyville in their desperate hunt for Somnambula. Already they encountered ponies fleeing to their homes, screaming in sheer panic. When they reached the town’s square, just outside town hall, they found Somnambula levitating mid-air. She was extracting the life energy of dozens of ponies surrounding her, old and young.
The three were beyond horrified, feasting their eyes upon the near-dead victims at her feet. Somnambula shifted her attention turned to her foes and scowled in contempt. She wasn’t afraid of Alicorns…
“Have you come to die?” she asked.
“Octavia, snap out of it!” Twilight burst out.
“Let her go, Somnambula!” demanded Princess Celestia. “You don’t belong in this world, and I won’t let you do the same in this lifetime like you did in the last. This ends NOW!”
Somnambula couldn’t care less for words.
Twilight made the first move, launching a beam from her horn. Princess Celestia did likewise, while DJ Pon-3 watched in suspense.
Truth be told, the Alicorns couldn’t risk to killing Octavia. But if they managed to just weaken Somnambula enough, they could seal her soul within the Princess Celestia’s crystal permanently. Of course, this wasn’t going to be easy.
Somnambula violently repelled the attacks, hurling back the Alicorns and DJ Pon-3. No doubt by this time, she had garnered enough strength to rival them. She could very well take on all three and kill them at once. Knowing this, the ponies couldn’t allow this fight to continue like this… or else everyone in Equestria would be doomed…
“It’s no use!” Princess Celestia feared. “She’s too strong!”
“She MUST have some kind of weakness!” Twilight stated. “THINK!”
DJ Pon-3 thought, thought… and thought. That was when an answer struck her. Without a moment to waste, she hastily fled, much to Twilight’s and Princess Celestia’s dismay.
“DJ Pon-3, where are you going?!” Twilight shouted, but she received no reply as her friend disappeared out of sight.
Somnambula only smiled with ecstasy. “Your ally has deserted you!”
Twilight and Princess Celestia fired beams at Somnambula again, but again their enemy resisted. Somnambula couldn’t help but laugh at their feeble attempts to overcome her. Out of her own amusement, she was willing to wait out on the Alicorns to tire themselves before absorbing whatever energy they had left. Twilight and Princess Celestia pummeled Somnambula as hard as they could, no matter how fruitless it seemed. At least they would die trying to save Equestria…
The scales seemed to be tipping towards Somnambula’s favor, until all of a sudden, a familiar tune threw her off guard. It was the tune of ‘Canon’ by Octavia’s cello… emanating from a tape recorder wielded by DJ Pon-3. DJ Pon-3 raised the volume to the highest setting, drawing closer to Somnambula.
Somnambula grew ever more irritated by the music as she mildly moaned… before it became an agonizing wail… then an ear-piercing shriek as she fell to her knees in pain. Somnambula’s control over Octavia’s body was diminishing. Twilight and Princess Celestia saw the huge advantage here.
“Octavia, fight her!” yelled Twilight. “Don’t let Somnambula get the better of you!”
Somnambula unleashed another shriek. Twilight and Princess Celestia froze in terror when for a moment, they sighted the eye of Somnambula staring back at them from Octavia’s open throat. This was the perfect timing for…
“USE YOUR CRYSTAL, NOW!” Twilight shouted to Princess Celestia.
Princess Celestia wasted not a second more. She took out her crystal and recited repeatedly: “I banish thee to the Crystal of Celestia, forever now and forever more, Somnambula!”
Somnambula was crippled although not completely hindered as she tried withstanding Princess Celestia’s spell. Twilight felt the need to help. Hence she too recited the words: “I banish thee to the Crystal of Celestia, forever now and forever more, Somnambula!”
Somnambula was almost at her end. She felt it all too well. Yet a last ditch effort push with all her might forced Princess Celestia, Twilight and DJ Pon-3 to stagger back. Both Alicorns continued their recitement, yet in order to win this conflict, they’d need just one more hand…
DJ Pon-3 stood her ground and gathered enough courage to raise her voice for her dearest friend: “I BANISH THEE TO THE CRYSTAL OF CELESTIA, FOREVER NOW AND FOREVER MORE, SOMNAMBULA!”
With that said, the Crystal of Celestia ignited with an angelic light. Once again, like millennia ago, Somnambula felt her spirit being drawn into the crystal, and out of Octavia’s body. A swarm of locusts escaped Octavia’s mouth as Somnambula let out one last wild and maniacal shriek. The locusts were absorbed into the crystal as multiple streams of energy burst out and spread like wildflower, returning to their respective ponies.
Octavia, back to her normal self, dropped down onto the grass, unconscious.
The Crystal of Celestia dropped to the ground.
Silence.
Princess Celestia, Twilight and DJ Pon-3 collapsed from fatigue… but then smiled ever so brightly with utter relief upon their victory. They tiredly nodded to each other for a job well done. It went without saying, but this was excellent teamwork.
Princess Celestia retrieved her crystal containing Somnambula’s trapped soul. She inspected it for a moment, before concealing it within her mane. There was no way she was going to let it fall into the wrong hands. How alleviated she felt having captured her long adversary after all these years…
Octavia gradually came to and rose with a splitting headache. She groaned, lifting her weary eyes and acknowledging her surroundings. She noticed Twilight, Princess Celestia and DJ Pon-3 before her.
“Octavia…?” Twilight asked skeptically. “Are you okay?”
“Yes…” she replied, rubbing her head. “I think so.”
“What do you remember?” Princess Celestia asked curiously.
“I remember… music.” Octavia recollected. “My music… and then I heard, your voices… calling out to me… reaching me… awakening me… and then, saving me…” for once she felt freer than ever before, free from the evil entity that had tormented her. She couldn’t help but laugh, cry even, with utmost glee. “I can’t be any more thankful!”
She offered the warmest hug to Twilight. Twilight hugged her back in return. DJ Pon-3 rubbed Octavia’s hair with her hoof playfully, making Octavia chuckle. Princess Celestia nodded gracefully.
They’d done it. Somnambula was no more.
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