The Fresno Nightcrawlers

by benjovi2004

Rating: everyone
Tags: Pinkie Pie, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Mystery
Length: 5894

The squad ventures into the woods to track down the Fresno Nightcrawlers

Rumors of cryptids called the Fresno Nightcrawlers have been spreading around Ponyville like wildfire, and it's up to the detective team of Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight to venture into the woods and investigate. However, along the way, they discover that the cryptids aren't as one-dimensional as they seem.

Published 2024-08-13 19:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-08-13 19:10:00 UTC

Cryptid Hunt

The stars were shining, and the lifeless glow of the moon cast its light over Ponyville. Hoofsteps echoed through the streets, and puddles splashed beneath their hooves as rain continued to pour from the dark sky.

Dressed in their raincoats and holding umbrellas, the squad of Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight found themselves in the middle of Ponyville with a mission in mind. Recently, strange sightings of creatures called the Nightcrawlers had become rampant in Ponyville.

The creatures were said to have a tall, slender body in a white coat, with black, piercing eyes that frightened even the most seasoned ponies. Strangest of all, the creature looked like something out of this world, a stick figure creature without any hooves.

The creatures roamed the woods at night, and with Pinkie Pie holding her trusty camcorder, swaying in the air without a care in the world, she was ready to get a first-hoof sighting of these creatures.

“Everypony! I’m so excited! Tonight's gonna be such a wild adventure. Hopefully, we’ll bump into those things in the forest. They kinda look like candy floss smeared with milk,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“Pinkie Pie, those creatures actually have a name. The ponies here have decided to call them the Fresno Nightcrawlers, and they hunt in packs,” Twilight clarified

“The Fresno Nightcrawlers?” Rainbow asked. “What are they, some kind of ghosts? Because if they are, they don’t scare me!”

“You sure, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because if we find these critters, ah bet they’ll scare the living daylights out of you,” she teased, throwing a hoof around Rainbow’s shoulder.

Rainbow playfully rolled her eyes. “Pfft, as if! Like I’m gonna be scared of some measly ghosts. What are they going to do, haunt me? Ha, I bet these Fresno Nightcrawlers are just some made-up lingo to scare ponies.”

“I guess we’ll find out, Dash, when we go into the forest and begin our search,” Twilight said. Before stepping hoof outside the entrance to the woods, she turned to the rest of the group. “Are you ponies ready?”

“Born ready!” Rainbow exclaimed, flapping her wings.

“Yep! Me too! This is going to be the adventure of a lifetime!”

“Ah’m ready for some good old ghost huntin’. Let’s mosey into the woods and find these Nightcrawlers.”

With a nod, Twilight entered the woods with the rest of the squad following behind. The walk through the woods was mostly silent with occasional coughs and small talk here and there. Their attention was more focused on trying to spot any sign of a Nightcrawler in the distance.

Applejack had brought her trusty lasso, just in case anything popped out at them. In the back of her mind, she wasn’t sure if the Nightcrawlers were hostile or benign. There had been no reports or incidents of them attacking townsfolk, but she brought the lasso just for extra protection. Being in the woods at night, a place where you could get lost or attacked at any moment, she needed all the protection she could get.

Pinkie turned on her camera, a quick red flash emitting from it as she turned on the infrared camera setting. Peering through it, she pointed the camera at her friends and shuddered, seeing the bones that lay inside her friends’ bodies. She quickly turned it off.

“Okay! I’m never using this thing ever again! Here, Applejack, you take it!” Pinkie exclaimed, tossing the camera to Applejack who barely caught it, almost dropping it in the process.

“Christ almighty, sugarcube, what’s got ya freaking out so badly?” Applejack asked as she fidgeted with the camera.

“Turn it on and point it towards my body and you’ll find out,” Pinkie vaguely explained.

Applejack rolled her eyes and began messing with the camera, trying to turn the dastardly thing on. A red spark flashed from the camera, signaling that it was turned on. Rainbow Dash and Twilight stopped in place and watched Applejack point the device at Pinkie.

Rainbow frowned as the rain turned into a heavy downpour. Worse yet, she had forgotten to bring an umbrella, so she huddled up against Twilight, feeling the warmth of her skin press against her. Her face turned a deep shade of crimson.

Twilight simply smiled at Rainbow Dash as she nuzzled against her, using her mane and creating a force field around them, blocking the rain and anything else from touching them. "Feel better, Dash? You don’t have to nuzzle against me anymore."

Rainbow Dash tightened her grip and leaned her head against her. "Aww, but I like nuzzling against you. You’re so warm and soft."

"So I’m like a personal pillow then?" Twilight teased mischievously with a grin.

"I guess you could say that," Rainbow Dash replied before loosening her grip and pulling away from her. "However, let’s keep the cuddling to a minimum and get back to trying to find these nightcrawlers. We can’t let my mushiness distract us."

"You’ve already been beaten since Pinkie Pie is screaming and running around in circles while Applejack is trying to calm her down," Twilight pointed out, gesturing to the scene where Applejack was attempting to catch Pinkie Pie with her lasso.

Applejack successfully caught her, Pinkie’s body leaving the ground as she was flung towards Applejack, rope wrapped around her hooves as she tried to break free.

“Pinkie Pie, stop squirming and calm down,” Applejack said, gripping the lasso as tightly as she could, struggling as Pinkie proved to be surprisingly strong.

“No, I'll never be able to unsee what I saw through that camera! Never!” Pinkie exclaimed, one of her hooves managing to break free.

“Sugarcube, we’re all made up of bones, for Pete's sake!” Applejack's tone became more aggressive as her grip began to loosen. “It’s the glue that holds us together and lets our bodies function.”

“I know, but it’s so weird seeing it through a lens!” Pinkie’s bottom two hooves broke free, and she immediately kicked Applejack in the forehoof, causing her to wince from the impact and fall to the ground.

Twilight sighed as she covered the two with a purple essence, telekinetically enclosing them both inside the force field. “There, now nopony can escape,” she said, her voice tired from all the fighting. Her gaze focused on the pink mare. “Pinkie Pie, give me the camera.”

“Applejack has it,” Pinkie replied, pointing to Applejack, who was holding her forehoof.

Applejack let out a yelp as she tried to walk but staggered. “Pinkie Pie, ya really done me in here. Ah can’t even walk, thanks to ya.”

Pinkie Pie felt her heart sink, realizing what she’d done. She immediately rushed over to her and hugged her. “I’m sorry! Please forgive me, Jacky! I promise I won't freak out like that ever again!”

Applejack’s eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden contact and apology. However, the frustration she felt a moment ago disappeared as a smile formed on her face. “Don’t worry your little head, sugarcube. Ah’ve suffered worse workin’ on the farm than some measly kick to my forehoof. I’ll be fine, ah promise,” she reassured her, ruffling Pinkie’s hair.

With Pinkie Pie still hugging Applejack, the orange mare shifted her gaze to the detective duo, who watched their embrace with warm smiles.

With a flick of her mane the force field disappeared, twilight noticed the camcorder lay on the ground in the corner of her eye and levitated it towards her, turning it on as she looked into it, wondering what caused pinkie pie to freak out so much

When the red light flashed and the screen showed green tinted vision and the bones of her friends, it did weird her out a bit, but it wasn’t something she’d freak out over

She tightened her grip onto the camera “Alright everypony, listen up, let’s get back to business and hunt for these cryptids together” She said, letting out a yawn as she suddenly felt a wave of tiredness washed over her, to speed up there process of finding the cryptids she used her magic to create a light source around them “We’ve wasted a lot of time and feeling pretty tied, so no fooling around, got it?”

Everypony nodded as they ventured deeper into the woods, following Twilight’s lead. They huddled together as blotches of rain fell from the sky, soaking into their raincoats and dripping along their skin. The coldness of the night didn’t help, and the gusts of wind strengthened, making the sound of rustling leaves echo throughout the forest, creating an eerie backdrop as they walked in silence.

After 30 minutes of searching through the forest, their attempts to find the nightcrawlers were futile. Wanting to take a break from all the wandering, the four ponies found a dark spot in the forest, sheltered by trees and shrouded in darkness. The ground was dry against their hooves—a welcome change of pace.

Applejack was the first of the group to sit down. She rested her head against a tree, her hoof still in agonizing pain from Pinkie’s sneak attack. Pinkie watched Applejack wince as she gently rested her injured hoof on a pile of leaves.

Pinkie trotted over and sat beside her. “I can perform first aid if you want.”

“First aid? Pinkie Pie, when did you learn first aid?”

“Applejack, I work in a bakery. Mistakes are bound to happen. The other day, I burned my hooves because I forgot to wear mittens while pulling a tray of cupcakes out of the oven,” she explained casually, laughing at her own story. “So, if you trust me to wrap a bandage around your hoof, I can make it feel as good as new!”

Applejack shook her head in disbelief at Pinkie’s story. “Pinkie Pie, you’re one crazy rascal, you know that?” she teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Just promise me you won’t accidentally apply too much pressure on my hoof, and we’ll be all good.”

“So, are we good?” Pinkie asked, still unsure.

Applejack nodded. “Water under the bridge, Sugarcube,” she said, placing a reassuring hoof around Pinkie’s shoulder. “Now fix my hoof and we’ll be ready to hunt for those nightcrawlers as fast as I make my apple pies.”

Pinkie vigorously nodded with a smile as she reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a first aid kit, gently holding the bandage.

As the pink mare carefully wrapped the bandage around Applejack’s hoof, Applejack let out a sigh of relief. The pain dulled slightly as the bandage was snugly secured, and a faint smile crossed her face.

“Thanks, Pinkie, that feels a lot better.”

Pinkie beamed, happy to help. “Thanks, AJ! I’m glad I could make up for kicking you earlier.”

Applejack chuckled. “Yeah, alright, let’s not make that a habit, okay?”

As the two shared a lighthearted moment, just a few feet away, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were sitting on the ground. Twilight’s head rested against Rainbow’s lap, impressed by Pinkie’s ability to perform first aid without breaking a sweat. Her face held a contented smile, her eyelids half-open. She yawned, feeling the tiredness in her body slowly but surely overpower her. It didn’t help that Rainbow was stroking her mane, the softness of her hooves reminding Twilight of the pillows she craved on her bed at home.

Rainbow wasn’t lying—the softness and tenderness of her hooves were like pillows in a way. Twilight felt safe and at ease in Rainbow’s presence, more of a curse than a blessing at the moment since they had an investigation underway. Pouting, Twilight just stared blankly at Pinkie Pie and Applejack, who were now poking their heads over a bush, presumably trying to spot any sign of the nightcrawlers.

“Tired?” Rainbow’s voice broke the silence. One hoof continued stroking Twilight's mane while the other held a Daring Do book. “We can drop this ghost-hunting thing and go back home if you want. I don’t wanna see sleep-deprived Twilight causing mayhem in the middle of the night,” she joked, closing the book and placing it back in her saddlebag.

Twilight sighed. “Thanks for the offer, Dash, but I’m not going to give up,” she replied. “We have a mission to complete, and that’s to uncover where these nightcrawlers came from and why they’re here.”

Rainbow nodded, respecting Twilight’s commitment to get the job done. “That’s fine by me,” she said, before a goofy smile formed on her face. “Admittedly, I wished you said no, so you’d come over to mine.”

Twilight lifted her head and stared into Rainbow’s eyes with a smile, raising an eyebrow. “And why’s that, Rainbow Dash?”

“Because we could snuggle up together in my bed and read Daring Do all night! The coolest thing in the world is reading Daring Do with the most awesome and coolest pony in Equestria,” she said with a smug grin. “How about we drop this investigation and go home and snuggle?”

“What’s up with you and snuggling? Can’t get enough of my body?” Twilight replied in a suggestive tone, winking at her. “But to answer your question, it’s tempting, Dash, it really is. But Equestria’s safety is in our hooves, so I respectfully decline.” She was disappointed, but she knew she couldn’t jeopardize Ponyville’s safety over reading with Rainbow Dash, no matter how tempting the thought was.

Rainbow hung her head low. She knew Twilight’s reasoning was rational and responsible, but she couldn’t lie to herself—in her own selfish way, she was a little disappointed by the answer.

Their conversation was interrupted as the sound of Pinkie Pie’s shouting echoed in their ears.

“Oooooh! Applejack, I think I see them! The Fresno Nightcrawlers!”

“Wait, really?” Twilight got up from Rainbow’s lap and dusted herself off.

“Yup, ya lovebirds need to get over here lickety-split,” Applejack commanded, gesturing for them to stand beside her.

Rainbow and Twilight rushed toward the duo, hiding behind the bushes with them, their eyes widening.

“It really is them,” Twilight muttered in awe.

“Wow, they look really weird,” Rainbow added.

In Front of them was a slanted hill, where the nightcrawlers walked slowly. There were two of them, one drastically smaller than the other, however, the rumors about their appearance were spot on. Tall, skinny white cryptids. Hearing about their existence was one thing, but watching them in their own element was something else entirely.

The creatures continued to walk, unfazed by the downpour or the wind blasting against them, it was like they were intangible, seen but couldn't be touched, unaffected by the weather as the four watched on in awe.

The unicorn shook her head as she reached into her saddle bag and pulled out the comorder before turning it on, gazing through it, surprised to see that beneath the skinny exterior were no signs of blood, or bones, nothing.

Twilight lowered the camera with a worried expression, rainbow huddled against her, noticed her expression and put a hoof around her shoulder “Twi are you alright? You seem pretty shuck up”

Twilight hoofed over the camera without uttering a word, Rainbow looked at her conference and she looked into the camera and was equally shocked by the site “Geez, what are these things made out of, thin air?” She said aloud, watching the nightcrawlers intently

Applejack turned to her right and was about to ask pinkie about her thoughts, but to her surprise, pinkie was gone, panicked filled her body as she frantically snatched the camera off rainbow dash

Rainbow groaned and eyed applejack “What was that for?”

“Pinkie pie is missing!” She blurted out

Rainbow eyes widened “What?” She asked, flipping her head around, pinkie pie nowhere in sight “Where could’ve she gone?”

A sudden sound of giggling echoed from a distance, their heads snapped from where the sound generated from and saw the wild sight of pinkie pie standing in front of the nightcrawlers with cupcakes held beneath her umbrella.

Applejack jumped over the bush and rushed toward her, fearing for her life, wondering what could happen next.

“Hello, spooky crawlers! Wanna cupcake?” Pinkie Pie asked with a smile on her face, waving her hoof in the air. The nightcrawlers towered above her, staring intently with their soulless eyes as silence filled the air.

Pinkie shrugged and took a bite out of the cupcake. “Welp, if you don’t want it, that means more for me!” She munched on the cupcake, letting out a soft moan of satisfaction. “Mmph! Are you sure you don't want one? Any of you? They’re free!” Pinkie offered and then focused on the smaller one of the duo, who, in her mind, looked far less threatening. “What about you? I’ll add some extra spice for good measure.”

“Pinkie Pie, stop yapping and run!” Applejack called, rushing toward her at breakneck speed, her hooves and raincoat drenched from the downpour as she stood beside Pinkie Pie. “Ya critters ain’t gonna lay a hoof on Pinkie Pie, ya hear me?” She threatened, pulling out her lasso and tossing it toward the smaller humanoid figure.

Her lasso phased right through him, startling Applejack. Her confusion morphed into panic as she stepped back, staring at them with a horrified expression. “What in tarnation just happened? Why didn’t my lasso work on him?”

“Because it’s a ghost, Jackie!” Pinkie told her, snatching Applejack's hat and putting it onto her own head. “Ghosts can’t be touched, and they’re not gonna play nice if you’re going to treat them like monsters!”

“But, Pinkie Pie! They are monsters!” Applejack shifted her gaze to the nightcrawlers and pointed her hoof at them. “Look at them—they look like somethin’ straight outta a horror movie. At any moment, they’re gonna attack us.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong, Jackie! These crawly things haven’t laid a single hoof on me. Applejack, I don’t wanna hurt your feelings, but you’re overreacting.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes, her mouth agape. “B-But come on, s-sugarcube, they’re—”

“Nope, I don’t wanna hear it,” Pinkie interrupted with a dismissive tone, waggling her hoof at her.

Applejack stared, completely dumbfounded, unable to believe Pinkie would side with what, in her eyes, were some random creatures that could’ve come from Celestia knows where and could be planning to attack Ponyville right beneath their noses “Pinkie, ya gone off your rocker.”

"Me? Applejack, out of both of us, you’re the one who’s gone crazy!"

"How am I the one who’s gone crazy? Pinkie Pie, I’m only looking out for you because you’re my friend, and I don’t want you to get hurt," Applejack explained. "These things just showed up out of thin air and already caused a ruckus through Ponyville because of how unnatural and weird they look."

"But that’s the problem, Applejack! You’re not giving them a chance! You’re judging them before even knowing them. These creatures haven’t harmed me, yet you’re treating them like they’re the second coming of Nightmare Moon!" Pinkie’s voice was firm, a rare display of seriousness that caught Applejack off guard. "Maybe they look weird and spooky because we don’t understand them, but that doesn't mean they’re bad."

Applejack opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. She glanced at the nightcrawlers, who were standing perfectly still, watching the exchange with their eerie dark eyes. There was no sign of aggression in their posture, no sign of an attack—just unnerving stillness.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash, who had been watching from the bushes, exchanged glances with Twilight.

"Do you think Pinkie’s right?" Rainbow asked, her confidence from earlier replaced with nervousness. "They haven’t done anything... hostile or questionable. What are your thoughts, Twi?"

Twilight furrowed her brow, deep in thought. "I don’t know, Dash. They’re definitely strange, and the way they appeared in Ponyville is suspicious. But Pinkie’s instincts are usually good when it comes to reading others. Maybe they’re not a threat after all."

"Only one way to find out," Rainbow said, stepping out of the bush. "I’m gonna check. You coming?"

Twilight nodded, hesitating at first as she stepped out of the bush and trotted slowly to Pinkie and Applejack, still unsure of the nightcrawlers' intentions.

"Pinkie Pie, how do you know if these cryptids are friendly?" she asked in a cautious tone. The nightcrawlers' heads and eyes snapped onto her, scaring her half to death.

Pinkie placed a hoof on her chin with a thoughtful expression. "Because, Twilight, I believe in them. If they were bad guys, they would have attacked us by now," she explained, staring into their eyes. "Plus, they don’t give off any evil vibes. Actually, it’s the exact opposite! They seem lost and scared."

Before Twilight could respond, the smaller nightcrawler of the two nodded slowly, startling the four of them as they exchanged bewildered glances.

"Wait a darn minute. All this time, they’ve been hearing us chattering like a bunch of magpies?" Applejack said in an annoyed tone as she turned around, crossed her hooves, and stared off into the distance.

"Yep, with how little they talk or move, they’d make a good therapist!" Pinkie joked, bouncing in circles around the creatures.

"Maybe after we’re done with this, I might need to see a therapist because this is confusing the heck out of me," Rainbow Dash said, rubbing her head with an exhausted expression.

Twilight, the leader of the group and wanting to get to the bottom of things, clasped her hooves, bringing everyone's attention onto her. "Okay, okay, enough with the jokes," she told them and turned her attention to the nightcrawlers. "Since you can hear and understand us, can you tell us where you came from?"

"They don’t have mouths, sugarcube," Applejack pointed out where the mouth would be.

"Oh, I didn’t notice that," Twilight said, hanging her head low with a frown. "Then how are we supposed to help these nightcrawlers find their way back home?"

"Maybe we might have to ask a bunch of random questions before one lands?" Rainbow suggested, fluttering her wings and hovering over the creatures.

Pinkie frantically raised her hoof in the air. "Ooooh! I’m the best at asking questions, Rainbow Dash! Can I be the one to ask them questions? Can I?"

"Knock yourself out."

Pinkie clasped her hooves together. "Okay! I’ve got this! Since my theory about them being lost is correct, and with these spooky ghost thingies looking like something from a completely different world to ours," Pinkie paused, checking if her friends were paying attention, "I think—I might be wrong on this—that they’re trapped inside our world and are trying to find a way to get back to theirs."

The taller nightcrawler nodded, causing Pinkie to cheer. "Yay! I’m so smart! Maybe even a genius! I should start my own detective company. How about ‘Detective Pinkie Pie: Solving Crime’? It has a ring to it!"

“You’d make a good detective, sugarcube,” Applejack complimented. “However, detectives can’t start a proper business if they don’t own their gear.” She pulled her hat off Pinkie’s hair and placed it back on her own head. “Alright, nightcrawlers, if y’all need help finding your way home, we’re glad to help.”

The two creatures nodded and began to walk again, ever so slowly down the hill. Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash felt like they were losing their minds at the creatures' pitiful walking speed. Luckily for them, the downpour had calmed, and the wind had softened. The trees were no longer swaying, and silence filled the air. The only sound was the soft crunch of their hooves against the soaked ground and Pinkie’s occasional questions to the nightcrawlers, which were only answered with simple nods or head shakes.

The group was led to a cave which was shrouded in darkness. Twilight used her magic to light up her horn. A purple glow smothered the cave as they eventually found a portal shaded in white color palate, energy spiraling in circles until it closed on itself, repeating the same motion over and over again.

To Twilight this was odd, usually portals were clear as blank canvas, yet this one was closed off and looked distorted, then it hit her

“I understand why the nightcrawlers need our help”

“You do?” Pinkie excitedly asked, right up in twilight’s face as her eyes looked light they could pop out her head at any second “Please tell us!”

Twilight took a deep breath before lightly pushing pinky away from her face “Well pinkie, the reason why they have brought us here is because their back home is closed”

“Closed?” Pinkie exclaimed, throwing her hooves above her head “But that’s impossible!”

Twilight nodded, her expression serious as she continued to examine the portal “Yes pinkie, this portal is malfunctioning. Normally portals act as a gateway between places, but this one seems… broken. It’s not letting them back to there home dimension, that’s why they need our help”

Applejack stepped closer, squinting at the swirling white energy “So what do we do? We ain’t exactly portal fixin’ experts Twilight”

Rainbow hovered beside her, her wings flapping lazily “Yeah, and how do we know this isn’t some kind of trick? These night crawlers haven’t been exactly chatty”

Twilight turned back to the group with a determined look. “Look, girls, I know we’re not portal experts, and we don’t fully understand these nightcrawlers’ intentions, but we shouldn't let that stop us from sending these creatures back home,” she told them. “Rainbow Dash, Applejack, guide the nightcrawlers away from the portal. I don’t want them to be scared by what’s about to happen.”

They both nodded. “Got it,” they said in unison before leading the creatures away from the portal.

Twilight then turned her attention to Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, this portal needs energy—energy that’ll allow it to reopen.”

“But how do I play a role in this? I don’t have any superpowers or magic,” Pinkie replied.

“That’s where you come in, Pinkie. This spell I’m about to perform will take a lot of energy out of me, but with your support, you can give me enough strength to reopen the portal.” Twilight took a deep breath before closing her eyes and powering up her mane.

Pinkie watched the magic sparkle from her mane, goosebumps running down her spine. This was it—the moment of truth. If Twilight succeeded, the nightcrawlers would be free, allowing them to return home. But if she didn’t, well, that would be it; the poor souls would be trapped in Equestria forever.

“Portal, please work with us!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Please open up, these spooky creatures just want to go home!”

The light from Twilight's mane only grew stronger, with flickers and sparks of energy traveling through the air. The ground began to rumble as the portal started to open slightly. The spell was working.

Pinkie clasped her hooves together. “It’s working! Twilight, show the portal who’s boss!”

The portal continued to open more and more, but to Pinkie’s surprise, it began to change color. The once white palette morphed into an ethereal blue texture, and the spiraling motion quickened. The gateway opened up as sparks of blue energy—what looked like thunder strikes to Pinkie—shot through the air.

As all of this was happening, Twilight's body began to drain rapidly. She clattered her teeth together, her consciousness fading by the second as her hooves trembled and buckled under her.

Pinkie’s encouraging words began to fade from Twilight’s hearing as her energy depleted. She was about to give up, but the memory of Pinkie believing in the nightcrawlers and refusing to give up on them gave Twilight the strength for one final push.

A loud bang echoed through the cave, the ground rumbled as the unicorn lost her balance, her hooves buckling as she tripped forward, her eyes closing from exhaustion, however, instead of hitting the ground face first, she was caught

She fluttered her eyes open to see Pinkie Pie holding onto her with a huge smile.

“Twilight, you did it! You’ve opened the portal!”

The mare exhaled, her eyes wide as she panted. “Wait, I really did it?”

“Yep!”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief as she regained her balance. “Thank Celestia,” she muttered, panting as she turned around to see Rainbow and Applejack approaching, with the Nightcrawlers slowly following behind.

“Darn, sugarcube, color me impressed. That looked mighty difficult to perform,” Applejack said.

“Yeah, I agree with Applejack. What you did there was so awesome!” Rainbow added.

“Thanks, girls. I appreciate the compliments, but can we save them until after the Nightcrawlers leave? I don’t want these cryptids waiting any longer to return home,” She told them

The Nightcrawlers silently walked past them, their presence still making the trio's hearts pound faster than normal. Their walk to the portal was slow but cathartic, allowing Twilight to reflect on everything that had transpired tonight—the ups, the downs, and everything in between.

From the corner of her eye, Twilight spotted Pinkie Pie weakly waving at the creatures, her lips trembling and her eyes brimming with tears. The sight broke the unicorn's heart.

Before the Nightcrawlers entered the portal, they turned around and waved at the ponies before disappearing into the unknown.

The portal swayed for a few more seconds before collapsing in on itself, fading away into nothingness. However, when it became nothing but a speck of dust, a piece of paper appeared in its place, trickling through the air and swaying back and forth like autumn leaves before landing on the ground without a sound. Twilight raised a brow as she bent forward to pick it up. To her surprise, the contents of the paper seemed to be a letter from the nightcrawlers, expressing their gratitude for their support. Twilight was touched by the letter, a small smile forming on her face as she quietly tucked it inside her saddlebag. She thought it would be best to share the secret letter with her friends once they exited the cave.

Pinkie Pie, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet, spoke up “I’m gonna miss those spooky crawlers,” Pinkie said, her head hung low and an upset expression on her face as a tear trickled down her cheek.

Applejack’s expression softened as she placed a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder. “There, there, sugarcube. Don’t be upset. Who knows, maybe those folks might visit us again sometime.”

Pinkie's head perked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “Really?”

Rainbow Dash landed next to her and cupped her chin. “Of course, Pinkie Pie. They’ll return in the future, and who knows, maybe they’ll even try one of your awesome cupcakes,” Rainbow reassured her, wiping away the tear before letting out a yawn. “Now, let’s get out of this cave and go back to Ponyville. I feel completely exhausted from this unexpected rollercoaster ride.”

The group nodded in agreement, leaving the cave as the night sky shone upon them once more. The rain had cleared, and the strong winds from earlier had vanished. The walk home was a quiet one, with no pony uttering a word, too tired from the vast journey they’d just been on.

As they reached the entrance of the forest, Twilight stopped dead in her tracks and faced her friends.

“I just want to say tonight’s been fun, even with the little hiccups we had along the way.”

“Yeah, tonight’s been awesome, guys. I wouldn't mind doing this again sometime,” Rainbow Dash chimed in.

“You're darn right, sugarcube. And let’s hope I don’t need first aid performed on me by a certain little rascal,” Applejack teased with a mischievous grin, ruffling the pink mare’s hair.

Pinkie Pie giggled from the touch. “Yep! Tonight’s been a blast! Just like Rainbow said, we should totally do this again sometime!”

“Agreed,” Twilight nodded, before her eyes widened as she remembered the letter she found earlier. “Pinkie Pie, there’s something I found earlier.” Twilight reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the note. “Actually, it’s for you too, Applejack.”

“Really? Darn, Ah’m mighty intrigued. Ah reckon Ah’ll give it a quick read.”

As Applejack and Pinkie Pie played guessing games, wondering what the letter was about, Rainbow Dash, like a ghost, snuck up on Twilight and threw a hoof around her shoulder.

“So, since there’s no longer a mystery to be solved, is the offer of coming to my place and reading Daring Do still on the table?”

Twilight smiled, her eyes brightening at Rainbow’s suggestion. “Of course, Rainbow Dash. After everything we’ve been through, relaxing with a good Daring Do book sounds like the perfect way to wind down.”

Applejack and Pinkie Pie paused their guessing game and looked over. “Y'all go ahead,” Applejack said with a warm smile. “Ah think Pinkie and Ah will stay here and read this letter. We’ll see ya tomorrow.”

Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! You guys have fun while we try to figure out what this letter says! Also, goodnight!” Pinkie waved

The two waved back at Pinkie and Applejack before Rainbow gestured for Twilight to sit on her back, which she did. Without a moment's notice, Rainbow flapped her wings and zoomed into the clouds, illuminating a rainbow glow in the sky.

"Now with them gone, let’s read this letter," Applejack broke the silence as she huddled next to Pinkie.

Pinkie’s eyes widened at the reminder. "Ooh! Yeah! The letter, I almost forgot," she said, huddling closer to Applejack as she began to read the letter.

“We greatly appreciate your kindness and support in helping us travel back to our home world. Without you ponies, we’d probably be stranded here forever, alone and forgotten. But one thing that won’t be forgotten is your support. One day, we might return and pay a visit, maybe even try out a cupcake or two. Actually, Pinkie Pie, we’d like to thank you the most. You believed in us when nopony else would, even standing up to Applejack, who, we might add, had every right to be afraid of our presence. So thanks for giving us the chance to prove ourselves, even if we didn’t speak or, in fact, do anything that earned your trust.

Sincerely,
The Fresno Nightcrawlers.”

As they finished reading the letter, Pinkie took it and pressed it against her chest with a faint smile, a single tear tracing down her face as she stared at the twinkling stars above, remembering the two friends she’d made along the way. They might have looked different—heck, they didn’t even have hooves, mouths, or anything remotely similar.

But that didn’t matter.

At the end of the day, it was the bond that counted. Pinkie felt warmth spreading through her chest as she clutched the letter close, her thoughts drifting to the Nightcrawlers and the unexpected friendship they’d forged. Though their encounter had been brief, it was something she would treasure forever. With Applejack resting a hoof on her shoulder and wiping the tear that had traced down her cheek, Pinkie knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she’d treasure this night for the rest of her life.

Author's Note

Yo, I just want to say thanks for reading my story. I appreciate it. I haven't written one in a while, I've been feeling rather burned out and unmotivated lately to write anything, so this fic may be a bit sloppy, however, I do have another fic in the works which might be ready to publish at the end of this week

This is Ben. Peace.