The Shadows' Wrath

The Shadows’ Wrath

Chapter 2

“Nightmare night, what a FRIGHT!!!”

(If there's a lot of grammatical mistakes I apologize, this was typed at and finished at 4:00 in the morning)

One knows when it’s time as the sky darkens and leaves fly from the ground from sudden breezes that seem to come out of nowhere. One knows when jack-o-lanterns are placed around and individual pieces of straw (hay) lay on the ground. One knows when this day comes every year, all dressed up in costumes to ward off any evil spirits. One knows when it’s Nightmare Night. Sadly, no pony knows what true horror is until it strikes at them from the dark.

-

Prancing about, Rarity finished the final touches on her Nightmare Night costume. Admiring her work as she always did, she noticed that she forgot one tiny detail. “The Crystal! How could I have been so stupid!”

Rarity’s horn glowed and the crystal hovered away from its rich, purple, gold trimmed pillow. Being magically encrusted into a a gold fitting, Rarity displayed her final piece on a manikin with the rest of the costume. “The perfect outfit for the perfect enchantress.” She stomped her hooves excitedly.

Opal just thought the same as she always thinks about Rarity’s creations, she doesn’t give a flyin’ BUCK! Though, she had to admit that the crystal did look pretty nice, even for her feline standards.

Looking through her makeup, Rarity gasped because she didn’t have any purple eye-shadow to match her crystal. “This simply will not do! This costume needs to be perfect on me!” She took the crystal out of its fitting and placed it back on its pillow, so no damage would come to such beauty.

Rarity heard little hoof steps coming from above and down the stairs. “Rarity you told you’d told me you’d take me to Applebloom’s!”

“Now, now Sweetiebell. I will take you, but first we both need to take a stop at the beauty parlor to improve both our costumes.”

“For what, my costume is fine.” Sweetiebell was referring to her witch outfit she crafted from Rarity’s supply closet. It was rather mediocre to Rarity’s standards, but an improvement to her little sister’s previous works.

“Just some touch ups with some makeup is all.” “I cannot believe I do not have purple eye-shadow!”

“Hmmf.” Sweetiebell pouted, crossing her hooves.

“Do you want to attend to Applebloom’s invitation or not?”

“Fine, we’ll go to the stupid makeup place.” She grumbled, as the tip of her witch hat wilted.

Rarity’s horn glowed and the manikin, with her costume on, floated outside. Sweetiebell gave her older sister a confused glare. “I’m must know what I look like in the costume after the makeup is done.”

“Sooo, the manikin comes too?”

“Yes, I don‘t want to come all the way back to get my costume, then realizing the air rushing on my face blurs the eye-shadow; surely you understand!”

  Shutting off the emporium’s lights and locking the door the duo headed out, discussing what they were both going to do this Nightmare night

-

Opal let out a soft *meow* before crawling into her cat bed. She was quite happy that the ‘Terrible Two’ were gone because with no noise , and no lights on, (other then the jack-o-lanterns outside) she again had the few hours of peace she received every year, not to mention she had the whole emporium to herself,…or so she thought.

Eventually opal  purred herself to sleep due to the sweet serenity that spread through her thoughts like wildfire. Though in this poor kitty’s life there’s always something that woke her up. Opal’s ears perked and her eyes opened, sharply scanning the room she was in. Most ponies would brush this feline behavior off and say it was nothing, but the cat’s senses told a different story. Opal could hear something in the room, it was stationary but still emitted an alarming disturbance. Through her cat eyes it was like looking in a room with night vision goggles, the areas of white showed heat, but the only thing giving off heat was the crystal on its lavish pillow. It was like switching through different visions for Opal, see could see in the night, and then she could see true colors when she wished to turn off her ‘night eyes.’ She couldn’t believe it; the crystal was glowing?

At first sight of the glowing crystal, Opal thought that maybe Rarity had drugged her food so she would sleep through the night just like last year. It wasn’t her fault she kept hissing at the monsters that passed, they were SCARY!

Quickly pushing that memory aside, Opal put her attention back at the glowing gem. She didn’t know what to think what was happening to it; but as quick as her feline mind raced to find a solution to why this was happening, it stopped glowing.

Opal jumped out of her kitty bed and gave the crystal a quick touch with her paw before scrunching down to see what would happen. Nothing, the gem just sat there dumb as a rock, or because of the fact that is was a mineral formation turned into a piece of art, also not to exclude that it couldn’t move in the first place! She was so sure though, when her cat senses tingle they don’t lie, but for once maybe she’s doing this out of paranoia because of all the ‘mistreatment’ she receives. Whatever the case, Opal wasn’t going to waste the little time she had left obsessing over a crystal.

As she purred herself to sleep again, her ears perked, but this time with an alarming tingle, she quickly jumped out of her bed and landed on a ledge of a window. Again examining the inside of the emporium she saw nothing, not even the crystal was glowing; but before she could switch back to her normal vision, two glowing white ‘spots’ shown themselves from the floor. The ‘spots’ quickly moved below the window’s ledge, and what caught Opal by surprise was that the ‘spots’ were rising.? Her mind had to be playing tricks on her, there’s no way that’s possible. Quickly shutting her eyes and opening them, so she could see normally, Opal was wrong when thinking her mind was playing tricks, because not even the farthest, deepest, darkest thoughts of her mind could create such a horrific image before her.

Its eyes glowed of yellow, like a candle in a jack-o-lantern. Opal’s claws retracted and out of fear she attacked whatever this thing was. The creature raised its jagged talons and cut through the contact like soft butter. A squirt of blood was sprayed on the window and dripped down to form tiny pools at the window’s ledge where the cat once stood. Many colts and fillies thought the blood was a crafty Nightmare Night feature as they passed by. They had no idea what really went on, but why should they care.? They were too busy taking the pieces of candy Rarity left out in a bowl for them. Good thing the door was shut and locked, or the foals would’ve suffered the same as Opal.

-

“Rarity! Aren’t you done yet?” Sweetiebell knocked on one of the makeup parlor’s makeup rooms.

“In a minute Sweetiebell, I am trying to look stupendous to make up for last year. Rarity replied behind the door.

“But were going to be late!”

“Thirty seconds is all I need! Can’t you wait?!”

“Noooo!”

Rarity sighed behind the door, then put on the final touches of the makeup. As she emerged from the room, Sweetiebell coughed at some of the perfume her sister put on while in there. “Well, what do you think.”

“I think you over did it.”

“What, me!? Over do something? Don’t make me laugh Sweetiebell, overdoing something is just making it more perfect.”

“I take back what I said. I don’t think you will be overdoing it without your crystal.”

Rarity looked dumbstruck, how could she look perfect without her ‘piece de resistance.’ Her and Sweetiebell quickly left the parlor and went back  to their house/emporium.

“Now we are going to be late.” Sweetiebell mumbled.

“Don’t mumble Sweetiebell its unmare like.”

Sweetie rolled her eyes and kept  walking along her sister’s side until they reached their home. “Awww, they took all the candy already.” She whined looking into the empty bowl.

“Hmpff, foals these days don’t know how to read. I wrote take one from the bowl or the cat will tell.”

Despite her older sister’s ignorance or the present day’s foal behavior she tossed her insult thoughts aside.

Once opening the door, Rarity’s horn glowed and a few lights came on downstairs. The crystal was where she had left it, untouched and undamaged. Though when reaching for her crystal something crimson red dripped onto her muzzle, then another splattered on her head. Slowly looking up to the tall dresser above Rarity noticed a little stream of crimson red paint dripping from its upper most ledge. “I don’t keep paint up there.” “Sweetiebell did you put paint up here!?” Rarity demanded.

“No, wh- Hey, somepony put paint on the window seal.” Sweetie noticed the dripping crimson red on the window pane.

“Well this is just great! First they take all the candy then the break and splatter paint everywhere.” Rarity kicked the tall dresser behind on accident due to her frustration. Something rolled off the top of the dresser and hit the floor. “Aggh, now what spiiiiiii-…BY CELESITA!!!” Rarity screamed. Her frustration suddenly turned into horror. There on the ground staring right back at her big blue irises was Opal’s head.

Sweetiebell quickly rushed to her sister’s side to see what caused her to scream, and the instant she saw what was left of Opal she screamed too, then hid behind her sister. “RARITY, WHAT HAPPENED TO OPAL?!”

Rarity stood silent, paralyzed at the sight, trying to not believe what she was really looking at.

“Rarity what do we do!!? Rarity!!?”

Rarity turned to face her sister, and as she did she saw a gruesome hand reaching for her little sister from a dark corner of the room. “SWEETIEBELL!!!” Rarity yelled before snatching up her younger sibling with her hooves.

“What!?”

Rarity set her sister down right beside her and pointed at the horror, but as quickly as she pointed, the hand disappeared into the shadows.

Sweetiebell held her sister’s hoof for comfort before they both shot for the door. Once exiting their home they looked back through the entrance to see what madness was in their emporium. Both sisters looked at each other with frightened faces before they saw it. As they looked into their home, they both saw a par of yellow bright eyes staring right back at them from the top of the central stairs. The eyes moved through the darkness like some kind odd chess piece, it avoided the dim lit areas of the bottom floor until it came as close at it could get to them. Just like what Opal saw before killed, Rarity and Sweetiebell both saw the eyes rise from the ground while a black, smoky figure took shape before them.

“RUN!!!” Rarity ordered her sibling.

Sweetiebell took off like a rocket down the street and was quickly followed by Rarity. “What was that thing!?” Sweetie asked.

“I don’t know! But we need to tell Twilight now!”

-

Twilight was at Applejacks with the rest of her friends, including Fluttershy, who decided Nightmare Night was worth a try.

“Shoot! Where do ya’ll think Rarity’s at?” Applejack asked the other four.

“Better yet, where’s Sweetiebell? She shoulda been here thirty minutes ago.” Applebloom cut in.

“Oh you know Rarity, probably dragged her sister to the beauty parlor so they can both look over the top.” Rainbowdash suggested, wearing an ancient pegusi armor costume.

“Even if she did I don’t think she would be late after missing last year’s Nightmare Night.” Twilight counteracted. She held a makeshift staff that she made at the last minute before Nightmare Night, finally concluding that she wanted to be a necromancer this night.

“Think what you wanna think Twi’, but I still say she’s at the-”

“TWILIGHT!!!”

The five turned and saw Rarity along with Sweetiebell, running then jumping like jaguars over the fence and then finally stopping when they reached them.

“Wow Rarity, I didn’t know you can run so fast!” Rainbowdash commented, bewildered at how high Rarity jumped Applejack’s fence.

“T-Twi-Twilight *gasps* w-we need your help…now!” Was all Rarity managed to say before taking in huge breaths of air.

“With what?”

“There’s a monster in our house!” Sweetiebell squeaked.

“But there’s monsters everywhere tonight.” Twilight giggled at the filly’s words.

“No Twilight, there’s an actual monster in our house!” Rarity said slightly angry that Twilight didn’t believe them.

“Fine, Fine…we’ll go see this monster of yours.”

Twilight and the rest of her friends followed, with Fluttershy in the back slightly concerned if Rarity was telling the truth.

-

As they arrived at Rarity’s emporium, Twilight questioned the crimson red stuff on Rarity’s muzzle. To her surprise, Rarity started sobbing and the makeup she had on showed the trails of tears that dripped off her face.

“I didn’t mean to offend your costume Rarity, I was just going to ask if it was fake blood.”

Rarity started crying even more, then fell to the ground covering her eyes. “W- Why did it take Opalescence!!! WHY!!!”

“Rarity get a hold of yourself. There’s nothing in here, see.” Twilight’s hoof pointed to the inside of her friend’s emporium.

Rarity still didn’t look up and Sweetiebell was trying to comfort her but it did very little to help.

The others just stood a little inside the entrance of the emporium looking around for the monster.

“Well no monsters here let’s go.” Fluttershy nervously said, wanting to get out of the house. Her hoof touched something soft and furry while backing away to get to the door. “Hmm, what’s th-AHHHHHH TWILIGHT!!!!!!!!!” Fluttershy screamed a the top of her lungs.

“OW! Fluttershy why are you screaming?” Twilight rubbed her head trying to drown out her friend’s scream.

Fluttershy didn’t answer but instead pointed a shaky hoof the remains.

They looked at what she was pointing at and Rainbowdash almost vomited along with Applejack, Pinkie, she…well, she wasn’t acting very pinkyish after seeing the sight. Twilight walked up to the remains of Opal and examined it closer; though her stomach was churning at the sight and she wanted to get out of the house,she couldn’t, if there was a monster in the emporium and it caused her friends harm she was going to banish it.

Twilight gathered the ponies in the room and formed a circle so every part the house could be scanned; but as soon as she formed the circle Twilight noticed some of the chandlers lights were flickering, and shortly after the only visible light were from the ones outside.

Twilight started to get scared, and her eyes shifted side to side, feeling a cold sweat coming down her forehead. After a few moments of fear, Twilight, with her friends, headed for the door, but as the got close the door slammed shut and a lock was heard.

“Leaving so sooooon.” A ghastly voice echoed through the emporium.

Fluttershy huddled down and was on the verge of tears, she wanted to leave; Rainbowdash could fell her pegusi friend shivering and put a wing over Fluttershy’s  body to let her know she wasn’t going to be harmed. “I wanna go home.” She barely squeezed out of her mouth.

“Show yourself!” Twilight demanded, taking on a fighting stance. The second she said that the pair of eyes shown, glaring daggers at the elements of Harmony. As the eyes moved they could see its true horrific form when coming into contact with the moons glow, coming coming from the window. Like what she saw in the Tome, Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re a-” Twilight didn’t have time finish as the monster struck out at her. She managed to duck and not get harmed, but she couldn’t say the same for her staff. “Applejack, Rainbowdash, get the door open!”

She didn’t have to tell them twice, they were already on the job.

-

Rarity and the Cutie Mark Crusaders outside the emporium heard the door being slammed into. “What was that?” Applebloom perked hearing the loud bursts against the door.

“They’re trying to get out! They must of saw it!” Sweetiebell said dashing to the door with the two other Cutie mark Crusaders right behind her.

“Applejack! You okay in there!?” Applebloom yelled.

“Get this confounded thing unlocked!” Applejacks voice shot through the door.

“Rarity do you have the key!?” Scootaloo yelled, tugging on the doorknob.

Rarity was already ahead of them and she slid the key in and unlocked it. She could sense the terror in their voices and  wasn’t about to abandon her friends in their time of need.

-

Applejack kicked open the door, making it fly across the street and into a stall. Applejack, Pinkiepie, Rainbowdash, and Fluttershy all ran out of the house as quickly as their hooves could carry them. Applejack was breathing heavily and wanted to just faint but she couldn’t, she was too scared to know what could happened if she did. Fluttershy was wrapped around Rainbowdash crying up a storm at what just happened. Pinkie was telling the Scootaloo and Applebloom what was happening as she looked through one of the windows.

“Where’s Twilight!” Rarity demanded from Applejack.

“I -I think she’s still inside.”

“What are you all doing then, we have to help her!”

They all nodded and headed back for the entrance, but as they got close they could hear Twilight cry out in pain followed by a high pitched cry (think of the cry similar to the high-pitched squeal the raptors made in Jurassic Park) that left many ponies stunned for several seconds. Quickly after the squeal the five saw Twilight carry herself out with a bloodied muzzle, claw marks on her sides and flanks, what looked to be a broken hoof, and of course she was badly bruised everywhere on her body.

“Twilight!” They all said at once.

Before Twilight responded, her horn glowed and a purple aura of light was placed where the door once stood. “It doesn’t like the light.”

“Where’s it now!?” Applejack asked, eager to give whatever that thing was a whoopin’ of a lifetime.

“It retreated up-stairs after I hit it with a light bolt.”

“But how did you e-”

“Enough questions everypony! Twilight is hurt and needs a doctor!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Rainbowdash, alert the town guards on the situation. We need her here NOW. Pinkiepie and Applejack , you need to alert the mare about what’s going on. Rarity and Fluttershy, I need you both to help me get back to the library, Celestia nee-.” Twilight fell to the ground before she finished, and her friends quickly rushed to pick her up.

“Twilight, leave it to us to get things done. You need to go to the hospital.” Rarity said

“But Celestia has-”

“No buts Twilight. Were going to make sure everything his reported to the Princesses, and Ponyville. You need to rest.”

-

After dropping Twilight off at the hospital, they went to what they were to do. Rarity and Fluttershy rushed to the library, and found Spike sorting books. “Spike!”

“Oh, hey guys, I’m almost done here, then I can put on my costume.”

“No, this is an emergency!”

“W-What happened? Where’s Twilight?”

Rarity and Fluttershy looked at each other rather depressed at the question. “She’s in the hospital.” Rarity decided to say, knowing Fluttershy didn’t have the heart to say it.

“What happened?!”

“We’ll explain later, right now you need to inform the princess about what’s going on.”

“Why, what’s happening?”

“There’s something here in Ponyville that needs immediate attention.”

“You mean the monster.” Fluttershy shivered.

“What monster?!”

“Spike, listen, send a message to the princess that Ponyville is under attack!”

“WERE UNDER ATTACK!!!?”

“Were not under-under attack Spike, we just need the Princess here now!”

Without another word Spike grabbed a quill, some ink, and a piece of paper and began writing.

-

Princess Celestia was out on her balcony with Luna talking about the past days, days before Nightmare Moon. Without warning a scroll magically *poofed* in front of her Highness. “Hmm, let’s see what Twilight has learned about friendship today." Celestia smiled at Luna and began to read. Her expression went to happy to concerned very quick.

“Is there a problem sister?” Luna asked.

“Ponyville is requesting our immediate assistance.?”

“What for?!”

“Spike wrote that Twilight is in the hospital and her friends told him that Ponyville is in need of us because of a monster.”

“Twilight is in the Hospital?! How?”

“It doesn’t say, but I think this monster had something to do with it.”

“Then let us not waste time. I would like to be rid of this monster before Nightmare night becomes a night to fear again.

Without anything else to be said, both their horns glowed and were immediately teleported to the edge of Everfree forest.