#tailsofequestria

Shadow Star leaps through the mirror without a second thought. Her commanding voice echoing in your ears as she phases through to the blasted out world beyond. Distant Star illuminates the dark basement with her horn. You see what was powder on the floor. The hideous paw prints of the beast lead to the mirror. Two pairs of hooves and tiny paw prints head toward the mirror. You don’t have time to investigate further as Moon Dusk calls out, “Watch your eyes.” She kicks up a mini dust storm to check for more than one magic mirror. It seems only the mirror the tracks led to ripples as the dust passes through it, billowing in the wind around Shadow Star. 

“I..I am gonna lock the basement, to keep anypony else from coming down here. I need to convince Dark Shadow to close down the haunted house before anything else happens,” Ice Shine stammers before galloping up the stairs.

From what you can see of the land beyond the mirror, it is a place you really don’t want to visit. But there are several foals lost in that place and someone needs to rescue them. Steeling yourself, you step forward into the mirror. It feels like ice cold water against your face as you push through and step into the dark realm on the other side.

Looking around, you seem to have stepped out of a mirror on the ground floor of a ruined building. What remains of the place looks very similar to the house you left in Equestria, as do the rest of the ruins around it. For the most part it looks just like Ponyville, but not a single building remains standing. The moon is full, bathing everything in a mauve and silver glow that is far more chilling than it is magical. There is no sound, but shadows seem to flit from wall to wall. There is a cold breeze blowing through the ruins, which carries moans and sighs around each of you.

The morning comes all too early, your body still weary from the exertions of the previous day. Yet even so, you feel you’ve rested well. Your bruises and scrapes are beginning to heal, thanks in part to the treatments you’ve applied, and even your tired mind perks up from the smell of Professor Trotter’s coffee kettle simmering over the campfire. 

It seems A K Yearling has been up half the night with the Professor, a freshly written stack of notes having been added to her satchel. Despite this Yearling shows no signs of fatigue, rather she carries a determined expression, even a fire in her eyes. 

As you fight back a yawn Sunny Saddles trots over and offers you a steaming mug, “This’ll perk ya up, partner! Big day ahead of us, ain’t that right Professor?”  Trotter doesn’t look up from his journal, too focused on the text at hoof, as he replies curtly, “Big AND Dangerous. If Yearling’s translations are right, it would seem the Wind Guardian is a Roc.” 

Lucky Harvest scratches his forehead with a hoof, tilting his hat back, “A rock? Shoot, it shouldn’t be too hard to roll a boulder aside.” 

“Not a rock Lucky, a Roc.” Yearling emphasizes a subtle difference in pronunciation as she gestures at a nearby carving, depicting a towering bird of prey in flight. “They’re massive birds with wingspans as wide as a canyon! But that’s not all.”

Picking up one of Trotter’s journals, the novelist flips to an illustration of a Roc, “They have jagged, rocky beaks and talons. Their feathers are as hard as stones, and cover their whole bodies. The larger ones even have gemstones growing from their wingtips and crests!”

Lucky gasps as he realizes the scope of the challenge, Yearlings description and tone proving to be unsettling, “How in tarnation are we supposed to get past some creature like that?” 

“By working together!” Sunny beams cheerfully, already strapping her grappling gear and saddlebags on tight. “Ain’t that right Professor?”  “Hmph,” Trotter grunts, hefting his own traveling bag, “So long as we’re careful, we should be alright.” He leads the group to the entrance to his secluded hideaway, raising a hoof against the dawn’s early sunrays. Even so soon in the day you can feel the creeping heat of the Badlands settling in for another scorcher. 

“We’ll need to move carefully, we don’t want to startle the creature. Watch your hooves and mind your footing, it’s a long way down!” Trotter cautions as he fires his grappling harness, propelling himself upwards to the peak of Dustmane Ridge. 

Ascending alongside Trotter you survey the rocky terrain ahead, high above the rolling Badlands below. In the distance you hear a shrill cry carrying on the wind from some unknown creature on the horizon. Despite your companion’s confidence you can’t help but gulp against the rising lump in your throat as you imagine the challenge lying ahead. 

Distant Star and Shadow Star tend to the civilians. The town guard began forming to assist in escorting ponies to Nurse Redheart’s first aid tent set up in the town square. As you aid the guards, you catch a voice on the breeze. “I’m sorry, I can’t stay and chat. A banshee just flew into your house and your guests may lose more than some of their happiness if she stays,” the voice says and you recognize it to be Moon Dusk. She is speaking to a white stallion with dark hair, and dressed in enough dark clothes and wearing enough eyeliner to fit the trope of a Hot Trotic regular. It’s safe to guess this is Mr. Dark Shadow.

A wail that sounds more pony than ethereal monster echos from the house. Dark Shadow skulks out of your way. “As you can hear, we have quite the banshee lurking in the depths of the mansion. Enter if you dare,” Dark Shadow says, not giving up his act as a morbid showman. He does not stop any of you from entering and eventually shuffles to his post to give candy to some foals leaving the haunted house.

As you traverse the haunted house in search of the banshee, you see Dark Shadow and his trope of actors have truly went all out. If only the situation was one you could afford to take the time to truly savor a well put on haunted house. You see a room where all the furniture has been nailed to the ceiling, a corridor that is pitch black with black light paintings of ghosts, a room covered in blood, and a bedroom with a false floor that tilts gently as you walk across it. The trio of children are having a blast. It almost seems they had forgotten about the serious mission at hand. The actors really keep the children on their toes. Fortunately, they seem quicker than Dark Shadow on sensing you are not the average visitors and instruct you to head to the basement. They have an unicorn name Ice Shine acting as a ghost there. They seemed worried for her if you choose to explain the prospect a real ghost could be in the house.

The basement is deathly quiet as you descend. It is a very clear sign something is wrong. The rest of the haunted house has been loud and filled with ambient noise. A perceptive member among you will see a unicorn mare cowering in fear under the sheet of an old table. She sees you enter and raises a shaky hoof to the opposite side of the basement. Her voice fails her and only high pitched squeaks escape her. 

A horrid creature comes snarling from the shadows. Red eyes of burning coal deeply set in a massive black hound’s head emerges. It’s drool hissing as it burns through the basement floor. The creature springs at you with vicious speed. It is then the banshee reveals herself. She flies between you and the beast and belts out a hideous wail. 

“GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN. I WILL SEND THIS BEAST BACK TO WHENCE WE CAME!” she shouts, careful not to face anypony as she herds the beast towards the back wall.

You see the wall is lined with mirrors, no doubt meant to be used in Ice Shine’s bit to make it seem many ghosts haunt the basement. The creature and banshee phase right through one of them. The surface of the mirror ripples as they enter. The mirror is huge and glowing with gray light. On closer inspection, it does not reflect the basement you are standing in. You see a ruined basement framing a backdrop of Ponyville. It looks as if the house was blasted away years ago, and whatever did this left the twisted ruins of Ponyville in it’s wake. It is then Ice Shine sounds frantic behind you.

“Where? Where are the little ones that came with you? They didn’t..did they?” she says fretting about the room. She stops cold looking at the horrid mirror the beast and banshee went through.

It is Nightmare Night in Ponyville once again, the yearly celebration where every pony dresses up in a costume to confuse Nightmare Moon, should she return to gobble everyone up! It is a time of candy and games and spooky stories. as night falls the real festivities get underway and crowds of ponies take to the streets to trick or treat around the neighborhood.

The whole town is decorated in a spooky theme. Fake spider webs hang from the street lanterns and everything is lit in shades of blue and green. Every pony is laughing and enjoying themselves, but there is something in the air. Maybe it is the excitement, maybe the fear that Nightmare Moon might actually visit, maybe the occasional prank has some ponies on edge. But you all feel there is going to be something more to tonight, something dark, something dangerous...

Nightmare Night is in full swing in Ponyville. It's time to put on your best costume and get ready to meet the other chaperones that agreed to take the foals in town around.

The trio of children stand at attention and salute. “Yes, Mams!” Biscuit and Shadow Shimmer shout in unison. Pterygota buzzes his wings in response. The little colt has yet to make a sound like the other children. The trio quickly fall in line behind Shadow Star and Distant Star’s lead.

Outside the banshee is wailing as she charges through the air. Her voice bringing many civilians to their knees. A few have to be caught by their companions as they collapse. Moon Dusk finds herself diving and dodging aerial obstacles to keep on the incorporeal creature’s trail as she phases through the town.

“I SHOULD HAVE NEVER COME HERE! I SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON MY SIDE OF THE MIRROR, NO MATTER HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS PLACE IS!” the banshee wails in response to Moon Dusk. She begins speeding towards the local haunted house and phases through it’s roof.

Every Nightmare Night, one house in the center of Ponyville becomes a place of mystery and horror. This old mansion becomes haunted for the night, much to the delight of everypony. A rather sullen pony known as “Dark Shadow” turns his home into a haunted house with the help of some of his friends.

The house is a large old style mansion surrounded by a small fenced garden. Several wooden tombstones have been placed all over the garden, and the old iron fence is covered in cobwebs. Lights flicker inside the house in dark greens and purples, and the occasional scream issues from within. From the gate a thin path snakes between the graves to the large red door. Nearby, a sign reads: “This way to your worst Nightmare!”

Out of nowhere, an earth pony appears, his long black mane obscuring his face, his coat the color of undriven snow. As screams and laughter echo from the house he whispers to the landing Moon Dusk in a dark and mysterious accent.

“Listen to the ponies in the night! What sweet music they make! Welcome to my realm. Enter freely, and leave some of the happiness you bring...”

Grand Pappy looks up from his mumbling. “Haunted House? Dearie, we’ve all been haunting since Princess Celestia fell,” he says before fading away.

Pterygota stands firm next to the adults, trying his best to be brave for his two friends. Biscuit clings to Moon Dusk in abject horror. While the last of the trio, Shimmer Shadow, seems to pale at the prospect of real ghosts. The kids make  it very well known they want to leave Grand Pappy’s house. This leads you to exit and wonder who could this “Sonny” character be that Grand Pappy spoke of. The calm night air of Nightmare Night is broken by a blood curdling scream.

As you investigate the noise, you see ponies spilling out of a nearby house. They look utterly terrified. A palomino mare rushes to your side and begs, “Please, you have to help us. There is some huge creature in there. The closer you get to it, the more it hurts your ears. Please, make it stop!”

The plea for help is punctuated by another earth shaking shriek. Do you enter the screeching manor?