“I was a foal to think I could make a mushroom talk.” The lavender pony exclaimed. “I don’t even know why I’d need to do that.” Why would I have any reason to have a talking mushroom?”
As she passed Sugarcube Corner she thought, “Hmph, a talking mushroom might be the only thing more random in the world than Pinkie Pie.”
It was night in Ponyville, and as Twilight Sparkle stammered on, tired from her relentless attempts to create a talking mushroom, she eventually came upon the library. The light was still on, probably because Spike was cleaning. Spike, he had an erratic schedule, maybe not for a baby dragon though. He got up at three in the afternoon and would only be conscious for around seven hours and would go to bed or collapse on the floor as sleep overtook him.
Twilight pushed open the door, too exhausted to use her magic, and as soon as Spike saw her, his eyes lit up like an overpowered lamp, each gleaming with optimism. Already knowing what the dragon was about to ask, Twilight said, “No.”
“Really, it wasn’t that hard of a spell was it?”
“There is this one energy signature I can’t get.”
“Awwww, I wanted to talk to it.”
After the saddening conversation, Twilight gave a sorry and went to her room. She looked at her spell book and couldn’t find what she was doing wrong. “Oh well…” She thought. “I guess I’ll try tomorrow.” She turned off her light and quickly fell asleep.
A bright light shone from the black, and a figure which was a white silhouette of…something fell and seemed to collapse on the floor. Suddenly there were screams of ponies, some of which were recognizable. Rainbow Dash had a more excited scream and Fluttershy’s was one of terror but intriguement. Still all silhouettes, the ponies crowed this figure until there was a mass of white, built out of the outlines of the townsponies. The figure seemed to awaken, look around and charge at Twilight, reaching a component of its body at her, and right before the contact was made she woke up. Sweat ruining her mane and terrified of what happened, she looked around the room. Spike was asleep in his basket and everything was quiet. Twilight, still drowsy but awake, grabbed her notebook and a pegasus feather and with her now replenished magic, drew the outline of the demonic figure that charged at her in her nightmare. She stared at it, curious and scared. And without ever saying a word, put everything down and fell back into her slumber.
The next morning Twilight woke up. Beads of cold sweat still wetting her hair, she trotted downstairs to find a stack of grasscakes and maple syrup on her table. Spike was nowhere to be seen, but she didn’t care. She was hungry. She ate every last blade of grass.
“Hmmmm…I don’t have anything planned today except for that mushroom…” she thought. “Maybe I can show my drawing to anyone to see if anypony knows what in the WORLD that thing was.”
And with that, she grabbed her notebook and ran out the door.
“Who should I show this to first?” She asked herself as she passed the main square. There were ponies eating at a restaurant and some just listening to the music a mint-green pony was providing.
“I guess I could start with Fluttershy; she’s pretty knowledgeable about weird creatures.” On her way over she met up with Pinkie Pie. She seemed worried.
“Is something the matter, Pinkie Pie?” Asked Twilight.
“I woke up this morning and as soon as my hoof touched the floor my Pinkie Sense went CRAZY! It was a SUPER-Doozy! I’ve never experienced anything like it! It was like fifteen-quadrillion Hy-no-A QUADRILLION quadrillion Hydras! It was-“
“Settle down there, filly.” Interrupted Twilight. “What are your senses telling you to do?”
“Trot on down to Rarity’s house and have her make a specific outfit. I still don’t know all the details; I’m still getting a few little-EEEP!” Her tail spun around so fast she began to float. Her tail pushed her in Rarity’s direction.
“See ya’ later Twilight!” She yelled from the sky. Twilight just shook her head with a smile. That was something she needed to calm her nerves for a while.
*Knock Knock* “Fluttershy, are you home?”
“Who is it…?”
“It’s Twili-” Suddenly the door opened and Twilight was pulled in.
“What was that for?” Twilight asked, furiously.
“Well I-I needed your help with Angel, look.” She pointed to the rabbit’s knee. It had a bandage on it. Twilight closed her eyes, concentrated and then reopened them.
“Better, Angel?” Asked the yellow pegasus. The bunny nodded, and rolled its eyes as if to say that Fluttershy had overreacted, as usual, and hopped off.
“So, what do you need, Twilight?”
“Well, I was wondering if you would know what this is.” She levitated the piece of paper from her satchel and showed it to Fluttershy.
“That’s something that happens when you spill your ink jar.” She smiled and Twilight wasn’t sure if that was meant to be a joke or not.
“Does the shape of it look familiar to you, a creature, maybe?”
“Oh no…actually, I’ve never seen anything like it. What is it?”
“Well that’s what I’m trying to find out. I saw it in my dream last night and it…reached…for me. I was really frightened.”
“Oh don’t worry about it, it was just a dream.” Twilight, not on the same page said, “It doesn’t feel that way…” Seeing how she wouldn’t get answers, she began to leave.
“Thanks anyway, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, anytime, Twilight. Feel free to visit any time you’d like…Except Nightmare Night!”
“Oh jeez…” Twilight thought, remembering last year.
On her way back to town, she began to think. Fluttershy’s word echoed in her head. “It’s only a dream…” She shook her head, as if she expected the thought to fly out of her ear. “Who to talk to next?” She asked herself. Suddenly, she face-hoofed herself when the idea hit her. “Zecora would know anything and everything about this if there was anything to know!”
Twilight passed numerous ponies, each going about their own business. Twilight subconsciously picked out each of the sounds of horror that would come out of each pony’s mouth. She was worried, the most she’s ever been in her entire life. Before she knew it she was in the Everfree Forest, surrounded by trees and shrubs and mushrooms never seen in Ponyville. When she arrived at Zecora’s hut, she knocked and waited. It might have only been a few seconds but it seemed like hours. There were so many thoughts running throughout Twilight’s head that the world seemed to be running slow. When the door opened Zecora said:
“Hello Twilight, what brings you here this hour? And why is your face so sour?”
Twilight, taking in a moment to get used to her dialogue said, “Well, I have a question to ask you.” As she reached for her satchel Zecora said:
“By all means if you could be so kind, to tell me what troubles your mind?”
“This.” Twilight said as she showed the drawing. Zecora showed no reaction.
“Help is what I can’t provide, I’m sorry Twilight, but I tried.” Rhymed Zecora. “I’m sorry I know not of this blot, but answers may lie in Canterlot.”
“Good idea, Zecora! I’ll ask the Princess! Thanks!”
“Glad to know you got my gist, I’m always here to assist.” Zecora said with a smile.
Twilight nodded and ran out the door. As soon as the hut was gone, she teleported to Canterlot.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Thanks Zecora, ahm sure Applejack will love this!”
“Your gratitude need not be shown, I can tell just by your tone.”
Apple Bloom, not familiar with this dialogue says, “A-All right then, I’ll be on mah way! Oh, and give this ta Twilight when you see her. I know she comes her a lot for potions and-“
“I’m very much sorry to admit, Apple Bloom, I guess Twilight arrived a little too soon, she left for Canterlot ten minutes earlier this afternoon.”
“Okay!” Said Apple Bloom as she left Zecora’s hut. She wondered when she would see Twilight next to give her the item she had. Nearing the edge of the forest, Apple Bloom trotted along, only to be meted with a loud crashing, boom noise. She stopped and thought what to do. Eventually she said, “Cutie Mark Crusader Investigators!”
* * *
It seemed like she was the only one to hear the boom. She really wished she brought the other two fillies with her. She was so nervous she couldn’t even recall their names. All she was thinking about was how she had to tell somepony fast. As fast as her hooves could carry her, the filly ran from one edge of Ponyville to the other, not stopping to talk to anypony. When she reached the farm, she turned straight to the barn. Apple Bloom rushed in screaming. She saw Big Mac sharing a drink with Braeburn.
“Come quick! Ah found me a weird creature!”
“Do ya think she’s tellin’ the truth? Ya think we outta follow her?” whispered Braeburn.
Big Mac stood up on all fours, and says, “Eeeeyup!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Twilight ran to the castle as if she was being chased by an Ursa Major. As Twilight entered the castle, she could feel something was wrong. She knocked on the door to the throne room. They magically opened, revealing a dark blue mare on the throne other than the white one she hoped to find.
“We welcome you Twilight.” said Princess Luna.
“You still need to remember to address yourself as one pony Princess.”
“Oh yes, we are-I mean-I am sorry.”
“That’s okay.” Twilight said. “I was actually wondering where Princess Celestia is.”
“She went to Ponyville for an emergency had come up” Twilight thought the worst.
“Oh…” She mumbled.
“I sense something is wrong? I can take a message.”
“No thanks.” Twilight said. There was no message to be said, for it may already have been too late. Twilight turned around and stepped through the castle. She was thinking. Just thinking. “What if the creature is as malicious as it seems?” “What if it isn’t?” “But what if it IS!” Suddenly she snapped out of thought and realizing she had next to no time left, she used her magic to teleport her back to Ponyville.
Twilight appeared near the edge of the Everfree Forest.
“Ugh!” She said with dismay. “I was a bit off the energy signature again! Why does this keep happening? It doesn’t matter now; I need to get going!”
On her way to Ponyville, Twilight ran into Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom was excited to see her and said, “Twilight! I got something f-“
“No time Apple Bloom! I need to do mare stuff now. Something you probably wouldn’t understand. Gotta go!”
“But…” But it was too late.
There were ponies everywhere. A blob almost, around an object.
“What do you think it is?”
“Mommy, I’m scared.”
“Is it dangerous?”
The muddled voices and shrieks from the crowd sounded like a machine. No pony could even hear their thoughts, if they could even think in the first place. Twilight Sparkle arrived just in time to see the royal carriage descend from the clouds.
“Okay my little ponies, settle down.” said Princess Celestia.
She stepped close to the being and examined it. Twilight arrived right behind her, her head cocked to see the enigma lying down in front of her. In front of the whole town. Everyone just stared waiting for somepony, ANYpony to do something. The town was silent, and Twilight was the only one that heard anything. It was a voice. A voice coming from the Princess. She wasn’t sure, maybe it was just her imagination, but Twilight thought she heard the Princess say something.
“It’s been a long, long time…”
Just so everypony knows, I was not planning to continue this story. However, through the amount of people that tracked this story, I have decided to keep going. I didn't feel like this chapter was up to par, but I couldn't find a way to fix it. It would be an awkward chapter anyway. Thanks for all of the support, constructive critisism is always welcome, and hopefully I can improve next chapter.
As the group of ponies huddled around the figure, one purple-colored pony seemed to have the best reason to worry. Although standing right next to the Princess, Twilight Sparkle felt unsafe around this being that which only the Princess seemed to know about. Twilight was going to say something to the Princess’s earlier remark, when the creature began to stir. Twilight’s head was spinning; her mind was moving faster than Rainbow Dash ever could. She began to back away, constantly keeping vigilance on the being. By the time she was out of the group she sat on the ground. She was worried for the safety of all Equestria, and while she was thinking of all the possible catastrophes that could befall Equestria, most completely insane, the creature stood up. Everypony in the crowd backed away, scared of what it could do.
It was a scary sight, it was about the same height as Princess Celestia, but it stood on two legs, it had a type of paw like a bear, with fingers, but five and not three or four. It had a peach-tan color, and it didn’t have any hair or fur on the main part of its body. It rubbed its eyes and looked left, right, and upon looking down, put his hairless paws in-between its flanks, and then looked around some more. Nopony said anything and eventually the creature took a step, and then another step. Its eyes locked on to Twilight’s and it started to step again.
It was exactly like Twilight’s dream, just as she had feared. The creature began to run, and Twilight just put her hooves over her eyes and waited for the monster to do what it was going to do.
All Twilight could see was black for what seemed to be minutes rather than seconds, and eventually she took a hoof off. And to her dismay, the creature was sitting right in front of her. Twilight screamed and tried to stand up. Her hooves were scraping against the ground, slipping almost, to where she could not get up. The creature seemed interested and the noise Twilight made, and now with everypony surrounding the two the creature just sighed.
“I must be going crazy…”
There were a few gasps, but mostly complete silence. It was so quiet one could hear the air passing by, just wisping through Ponyville. Twilight looked up at the being; she was absolutely astounded by what she had just heard. The creature can speak, and not only that, but speak the same language as everypony else! Twilight was the first to say anything back to the creature.
“Um…Hello.”
This time it was the thing’s turn to scream. It got up and bumped into Celestia. It seemed so surprised. Everypony was surprised.
“This is royal business, and as such I would like everypony to leave.” Said Princess Celestia.
Nopony objected, and as everybody began to walk away, Twilight asked:
“Princess, what is the meaning of this?”
“I’m sorry Twilight, I can’t tell you. Please return to the library.”
“Okay Princess…” Said a now sad Twilight.
On her way home, Twilight passed Sugarcube Corner. She thought about yesterday, and how it was just another normal day, and how her life is now changed because there is something that maybe nopony knows about in the entire country. After reaching the Library, she sat on her bed. Her bed creaked and it woke Spike up. Spike climbed up next to her.
“Is everything okay, Twilight?”
“No, Spike.” In a fruitless attempt to get her mind off of what happened Twilight asked, “Where were you this morning, you usually never leave here without telling me first.”
“I had…errands to run…”
“I see...” Said Twilight, her interest piqued, not enough to take her mind off the more important issue though.
“So what’s the problem?”
“There is a creature that appeared in Ponyville today, and nopony seems to have any idea what it is, save the Princess, maybe.”
There was a knock at the door. Twilight went to the door and much to her surprise, when she opened up the door, the Princess was there with the creature right next to her. They both came in and Celestia closed the door.
“Princess! What are you doing here?” Asked Twilight.
“I know you have an extra room, Twilight.”
“Princess! With all due respect you can’t be serious! I don’t know what this thing is and you want it to live here?”
“Just for now Twilight. I don’t want to manage two towns fretting over this issue. And by the way, this creature is called a human.”
Twilight has never heard the term before. Through all the books she has read, the word hadn’t appeared once. The human sat on the floor next to a bookshelf, looking confused as ever.
“I’m sorry, Twilight, but I must leave. I need to tell everypony that I’m going to take this human up to the castle in Canterlot so nopony will bother you.”
And with that, she was out the door. Twilight just stared at the human, who was looking down. She noticed that it began to sob a little. Twilight felt so bad, and went against all of her fears to sit next to this human.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
“I don’t know where I am, or what you are, or what year is this, or who I am, or who you are, or...or anything! I just want answers!”
“ Well…I’m Twilight Sparkle, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you.”
“Thanks.”
Twilight realized that this human was in a much worse state than she was, and so she lead him into the spare room and had him lay down. As soon as Twilight thought things might settle down, Pinkie Pie came crashing through the door with something absurd on her back. Twilight rushed out of the room and slammed the door. She said:
“Pinkie Pie, what are you doing here…and what is that on your back?”
“My Pinkie sense lead me here. And this is the design I had Rarity make. It’s funny-lookin’ don’t chya’ think?”
“This isn’t a time for anything to be funny. And why-”
But before she could finish, Pinkie bucked, obviously her Pinkie sense, and the clothes landed right on the handle of the door to the guest room.
“Hmm, that’s weird!” Said Pinkie. “My Pinkie sense is telling me to go now so bye!”
After Pinkie left, Twilight just went back up to her room. Spike was already back asleep. And as Twilight lay on her bed, thinking of everything and nothing, she finally fell asleep too.
