Moonstreak
By Plistry
Lightning clashed and thunders roared as the small town of Ponyville was poured down with heavy rainfall that came unexpectedly like a wildfire. The pegasus ponies, unprepared, were not able to quickly respond to the flash storm which rendered everypony inside of their houses. It was the night of Nightmare Night, but the mayor inevitably moved the celebration to the next day because of this impenetrable storm. Deep down in the Ponyville library, a pony was unaffected by the chaos happening everywhere.
“It really was a smart thing installing that magical lightning rod to this library,” said Twilight Sparkle as she praised herself.
“Ar…are you su…sure that your lightning rod works?” asked a shaking Spike, who wasn’t as confident as the unicorn. “What if the rod broke? Or it directed the lightning to us? Or maybe bo-”
“Spike!” scolded Twilight. “You don’t have to worry. That rod is completely foolproof guaranteed. It worked the last time, it’ll work today.”
The dragon looked at Twilight with doubt, remembering the times when she had said that before.
“And now I mean it,” she snapped back.
Seeing her friend dismayed, Twilight tried to comfort him by hugging, giving the baby dragon a sense of security. Spike smiled, knowing that Twilight always cared for him even since they were small. She is right, he thought. Nothing will hurt me as long as Twilight is on my side.
Without a warning, a flash of blinding lightning followed by a shot of deafening thunder created an influx of events: A quick earthquake, trees falling down and a loss of power in the library. The whole place was quickly filled with darkness.
“AHH!” Spike screamed with pure terror. A flicker of light from Twilight’s horn tinted the whole place with magenta, illuminating the darkened place.
The unicorn laughed. “Oh come on, Spike. Power’s out only because of this crazy storm. Now go busy yourself getting the candles.” She gave herself a moment to think of something. “I’m going to tell you a story to pass time.”
That gave a bit of energy to a distraught Spike, who was now searching the drawers.
Everything was set at the library, from the candles around to the lamp at the center. Twilight and Spike sat around that lamp, making it look like a campfire for them. Outside were unwelcoming crackles of lightning, a perfect addition to their state.
“Are you ready Spike?” she asked.
“Ready when you are, sis.”
The librarian stood up and started searching through every book in the bookshelves. After spotting a book to her liking, she levitated a book with her.
“Okay Spike,” she said as she positioned herself to a more comfortable position. “This story I’m about to tell you is all about…Moonstreak.”
The air suddenly grew colder as a shot of thunder boomed. Spike was left hanging of the last word she said.
“Moonstreak?”
“Yes, my friend, Moonstreak.” Twilight cleared her throat, getting the room’s attention. She opened the first page of the book which showed a picture of the moon surrounded by three mares in blue, black and white.
“Whoah…” uttered Spike who was left amazed. “Who are those ponies?”
The unicorn gave out a smile. “I have no idea.”
The storm seemed to get worse as the winds were enough to uproot trees.
“Long ago, before Princess Luna was banished to the moon, there was a legend that went through the land. It was said that in those times, there once lived an enchantress who was feared by all. She lived at the dark and mysterious parts of...the Everfree Forest!”
Spike shivered as Twilight said those words.
“The Eve…Everfree forest?”
“Yes. Everypony knew that the forest was dangerous, for it was a place where evil creatures were banished. There were no towns in the vicinity, for Ponyville wasn’t founded yet at that time. But there lived a poor family who only relies on the forest for food. They knew about the enchantress, so they warned their three daughters to never go to the deep part of the forest. Yet those fillies were dissidents; they never listened to their parents. Sadly, they went to see what they could find what was in store for them there. They reached the hut and found nopony inside, with only wild herbs and potions lined up to complement the place. After playing with them, they left the whole place a mess. This angered the enchantress who went home after the incident. She vowed to get her revenge on those three fillies.”
Spike had his mouth wide open all the time, absorbing all the words Twilight threw.
“What revenge?”
There was a long silence in the library, with only the heavy raindrops to serenade the place. It was too much for poor, little Spike who now was whimpering with fear. Then, suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
“Tok tok tok”
The dragon gave out a scream, who was freaked out in every way imaginable.
“Who could THAT be? I wonder if there would be anypony sane enough to go out in this storm to visit the library.”
The knocks continued increasing its pace as the moments passed. Twilight hesitantly stood in front of the door as she thought that there was no scientific neither sensible explanation that somepony outside that door would be waiting for her. Opening the library door gradually, she was shocked with what she saw.
“Rarity?” Twilight’s mouth remained agape as she stared at the pony’s dripping coat. Her once luscious blue mane was now soaked with rainwater and messed by the winds. It was almost impossible to distinguish between her and a disarrayed doll. “Mi…Mind if I come in?” she said with a touch of coldness in her voice. The fashionista was freezing outside of the door.
“Spike! Quick! Grab a blanket!” Twilight shouted as she entered her friend inside the library
“Rarity, what happened to you? You look…awful!” commented Twilight as she placed the blanket over her body. She gladly accepted it and thanked her for her help.
“I’m so sorry dear to disturb you in the middle of the night, not to mention in the middle of the storm. It’s just that…”
“What?”
Rarity looked outside of the window, seeing the tiny raindrops fall pieces by pieces then windowpanes. There was uncertainty in her eyes which Twilight quickly noticed.
“Are you okay?” she asked with concern.
Spike was listening to their conversation the whole time, also worrying about Rarity’s disheartened state. He tried to butt in with them to try and help out with their problem.
“So, um, why did you visit? You wanted to read a book?” the dragon asked.
“Oh, Spike. You know that that is a very obtuse answer.” She chuckled by herself. “But surprisingly, yes. I came here for a book.”
Twilight was not able to hold her laugh.
“What?! Are you serious?” she said with a trace of laughter.
However, there was still no change in Rarity’s expression. Her face looked like she was afraid of something.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, but I seem to be having a problem. I just can’t stand it anymore.”
She sobbed, but the tears were wiped quickly by Twilight.
“And what book are you looking for?”
She gave herself time to recollect her thoughts, then started her story.
“You know, when I was just a little filly, mother would usually tell me stories. Some where classics, some she made, and others were also told by her own mother. But there was this one story that scared the living craps out of me. Forgive me for any my rudeness, but is there chance that you would have here the story of Moonstreak.”
Something hit Twilight and Spike that time, for at the moment that Rarity mentioned the word ‘moonstreak’, they both were set aback from her.
“Did you say, Moonstreak?” Spike asked hesitantly. It was such an odd coincidence.
“Why, yes. Do you have that book?”
Twilight looked at her, trying to figure out what on Equestria would a pony who designs clothes want with a thousand-year old tale.
“That’s strange, Spike and I were just starting to read that story!”
There was a sudden horror in the white pony’s face, who was shocked to hear what she just heard.
“Did you finish reading the story? Did you know what happened at the last part?” she asked almost desperately. She did not release her stare from the pony and the dragon, waiting for an answer.
“Well, no. Like what we told you, we were reading the story when you reached here.”
That left Rarity mumbling to herself alone.
“This is bad. This is bad!” She screamed at them both. Didn’t you listen to the warnings?”
“What warnings?” Twilight started getting curious about the topic and the true story behind Moonstreak.
“If you didn’t know, there was a hex that came with reading that wretched story. It says that once you start reading the story, there is no escape from your fate. Whatever happened in the book will happen to you.”
A clash of thunder followed her words that gave an enigmatic feel to Rarity’s audience.
“Oh Rarity, you know it’s just an old mare’s tale,” Twilight said playfully. Rarity looked directly at Twilight as if she was looking deep down in her soul. The air grew thicker as the time passed away.
“Every Nightmare Night, I get haunted by these nightmares. But tonight, the legend became truer.”
Spike was hugging Twilight wildly, wishing that this was all just a bad dream. But Rarity looked serious, and Rarity never joked about things like this.
“But that’s just plain stupid! How can an old mare’s tale become real?” Twilight said, trying to be more rational. She just could not believe in this ‘hex’ thing.
“Nightmare Moon was once thought of an old mare’s tale, but turns out she was real. And same goes for this,” Rarity softly replied.
“But that was different!” Twilight defended.
“Just you wait, Twilight. Sooner or later you’ll realize that some old mare’s tail are true.”
Without a warning, she stood up and quickly went for the door.
“Where are you going Rarity?”
“There are things I must attend to.”
Twilight was shocked.
“But in this storm? It was lucky you got here in one piece.”
“Sorry Twilight, but there are many things that I must attend to. For one thing, Moonstreak was the last story mother told me. I slept before she could finish the story. Oh, and yes, there is a way to destroy the hex. Complete the story, complete your story.”
The confrontation ended up in a slam on the door. She went out mysteriously as she went in.
“You think she said all of those words because she was angry to you?” Spike asked the pony.
“I guess I should have been kinder,” regretted Twilight.
It was still mostly dark, with only the candles and the lamp at the center to light the room. The book was still there, unfinished by the duo.
“You think it’s a good idea to continue reading that book? It’s okay if I don’t hear the rest of the story.”
“Don’t worry, my scaly friend, we are going to continue that book.” Twilight’s enthusiasm regained. “But before that, why don’t you whip something up in the kitchen. I was expecting candies this Nightmare Night.”
Spike quickly went in the kitchen to try to serve something in the middle of the stormy night.
The storm has not subsided since it first started. How come the pegasus ponies were not able to do anything? That was the question that raced through Twilight’s mind as she ate the hay sandwich Spiked prepared for her. Still her attention was all in the book that rested on the floor. She wanted to finish it, to end all her problems that raced in her mind.
“So, will you continue the story?” asked Spike, who was now again eager to hear the story.
She hesitantly levitated the book, remembering Rarity’s words. Yet she knew that there was nothing to be afraid of, for it was just another old mare’s tale.
“Okay Spike, here we go.”
She started to flip the pages of the book
“The enchantress was so angry that she vowed to get her revenge using the meanest thing possible. So then she set her plan on Nightmare Night, where her powers peaked.”
Another flip on the book.
The page was filled with a picture of the three ponies playing in the forest as the enchantress watched them behind a tree.
She flipped to the next page, which she then continued the story.
“When the night the enchantress waited finally arrived, the cottage was visited by an unexpected and terrible storm which came out of nowhere.”
A loud clap of thunder echoed outside the library which sent Spike wondering about something.
“Do yo…you think that we are under that hex Rarity told us? Cause you know, it’s storming here, and it’s storming there, and-”
“-And it’s just a coincidence. I can scientifically prove that this storm has nothing to do with THAT storm, I assure you.”
Spike didn’t reply; He had no energy left to argue with Twilight anyway. Instead, he just sat down and waited for Twilight to continue her story.
“As everypony was in their beds all asleep, a knock was heard at the door. It was loud enough to wake the three fillies, who were stupid enough to think that it was just their imaginations. But when it knocked for the second time around, they all went to the door and opened it. First unlocking the hatch then removing the lock, they simultaneously opened the door to see who would come and visit at the middle of a storm. But as they opened it with doubt, they were greeted only by the raging winds that billowed. There was nopony outside to greet them. Unanimously deciding they heard nothing, they closed the door immediately. Little did they know that they have allowed the horror to seep through the house.”
Her reading was cut by a steady knock on the door.
“AHH!” Spike screamed with fright. “It’s just li…like in the story! There was this knock, and when they opened it, they found nopony! Don’t open it, Twilight, don’t let the horrors come in!” He was hugging Twilight furiously, preventing her from going anywhere near the door.
“Spike! We’re not in the story, and there is no possible way that what you’re assuming is true!” She levitated the dragon away from her as she went for the door.
Twilight bravely used her magic to pull the door to reveal the mysterious knocker. It may be Rarity coming back to apologize, she reasoned out.
But alas, no equine stood up to greet her in the door. Only the heavy rain was visible outside of the library. She quickly slammed the door.
“Must’ve been a stick,” Twilight muttered to herself.
“Oh no! This is horrible! Every word Rarity said was true! Run for your lives, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!” Spike started screaming on the top of his lungs.
Twilight quickly stopped the rampaging dragon.
“Spike! Stop screaming! Why don’t you just SIT here and let us continue the story with NO disturbance of any kind.”
“Okay.”
Same dark library, same lamp and same book. The unicorn flipped the pages of the book and resumed her reading.
“Those fillies went back to their beds, distraught by the disturbance. Yet something was bothering them at the back of their minds, yet they could not point it out completely yet. Something changed in the aura of the room. The fillies couldn’t sleep soundly and the air seemed to be warmer even with the cold winds of the storm blowing. Suddenly, they heard a slight scraping just outside their bedrooms. It was faint, but audible enough to be-”
“Do you hear that, Twilight?” Spike asked her while hugging the pony.
“Hear what?”
“Listen closely,” he whispered back.
There was an indistinct scrape somewhere above the bedroom, which could only be heard if you were expecting it.
“Twilight, could it be…” Spike blurted out in utter fear.
“Oh come on, Spike. That scraping must’ve come from a branch or something. Now stop gloating over little things.”
She continued her story.
“But audible enough to be heard by their little ears. Soon they decided to check out where the sounds came from.”
“Twilight,” inserted Spike.
“Yes?”
“Shouldn’t we, like, check it out to see if it really was just a branch?”
Twilight sighed, thinking to give him a chance.
“Okay, if you want to know it that badly, then fine. Let me show you that there is nothing you should be afraid of.”
They both slowly crept up the stairs, each expecting different things. Twilight brought the book up with them, just to make sure when they might actually need it. They peeped through the dark room when Twilight used a bit of magic to light up the whole place. There was nothing, not a branch of tree, that might have caused the scrapings.
“Let’s just go down,” Twilight said as she started her way down the stairs.
Before going down, a shriek was heard from Spike who was hurrying down the stairs. Twilight went down and tried to calm him down.
“What on Equestria is wrong with you Spike?” She asked the dragon.
“Twilight! There was this…Shadow! Yes, Shadow! It kind of…Moved! and-”
“Your imagination sure is strong, Spike. I guess the story’s getting in your head.”
She chuckled a bit, then pulled out the book to continue where they have left.
The rain didn’t show signs of stopping as the duo were continuing their story.
“The fillies crept out of their room and followed the sound. As they grew nearer to the sound, so did their fear of it expanded. When they reached the source of the sound, they discovered that there was nothing in that room. Nothing but darkness. But as soon as they went inside the room, the door quickly shut close. They were scared when they saw something move in the shadows. It was pony-like, but it wasn’t anything like pony at all. They could see its figure rising in the darkness. The scraping grew louder as the figure came closer to the fillies who were now hugging each other, wishing for their dear lives. They saw its wretched smile, which seemed to suck the soul of those fillies. As a beam from the moon that came from the windows hit her, she-”
The scrapings from above became almost unbearable as its intensity grew stronger.
“What the hay is that!” Twilight complained as she covered her ears.
“AHH!” Spike continued to scream out in terror.
Unable to bear the noise, she quickly went up of her bedroom and checked out the commotion.
Then there was unbreakable silence that followed. The scrapings stopped entirely. But as she started to go out, the door suddenly closed by itself!
“Spike! Help!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. Things were sure getting out of control.
She used all of her force to open the door, but failed miserably. When she tried to use her magic, she mysteriously couldn’t summon even the slightest of magic in her system.
“What do you want from me?”
As she stared from afar, she saw a figure growing out of the darkness. It was equine in shape, yet acted like not.
“Who…What are you?” she asked with pure terror.
The figure came closer to the frightened pony, and every time it came closer, the clearer she could see the smile which would haunt her for the rest of her life.
That wretched smile.
She tried to run away, but her body was frozen like stone.
“Don’t, please don’t!” she begged furiously.
By the time the figure was at its closest, she was horrified to see how the creature smiled, which literally reached its ears. Not a single word she was able to utter.
“Moon…” the monster faintly said in a heavily distorted voice.
Twilight mystically flew midair with the monster’s doings. She continued to struggle even when she knew that she could do nothing to stop it.
When she glanced at the window, she noticed that the storm has faded and the moon was in full view. A moonbeam struck the monster, showing its true colors.
It was the old enchantress from the story.
“Streak…” Twilight finally finished.
Everything went black for Twilight Sparkle at that moment.
Pinkie happily skipped across the corners of Ponyville, looking for a friend to help. It was a boring day for the least, and the only thing the pink pony would do is to help a friend in need.
“I wonder where Twilight is, I haven’t seen her in days!” she said to herself.
As she hopped through the dark corners of town, she suddenly tripped into something.
She picked the flat square thing up, trying to see it clearly in full view.
“Oh boy, a book! I rarely do this stuff.”
She was overexcited when she finally knew what to do in a boring day like this.
Pinkie skipped back to her house to bring home the book she just found.
“Moonstreak? That’s a rather odd title.”
