Fluttershy (earving1) of Trotsdale won the People's Choice Award. As I have seen progression in their work and was aware of the challenges they face in writing in a language not native to them I felt it needful to award a special prize as I was unsure of what the results of People's Choice was to be. I have given them an editing slot, and will be doing some illustrations for their story with the intention of creating an illustrated prim book version for the library in additon to the usual notecard archival in the stacks. The following is the result of the editing slot prize, though I will have to later read it over one last time and fix anything that I have missed in three passes.
The pact of Nycto Pony Tome by Fluttershy (earving1)
of Trotsdale in Second Life
The Pact of the Nycto Tome I
Chapter 1. The pact One year later after the events that occurred in the Ever-free Forest, on a very dark and long stormy night, inside of the debris remains of the Ever-free asylum a stone hoof shook as the stone encased creature fought. A powerful dark beam burst into life, covering the hoof as it broke free of the stone spell that kept imprisoned, revealing a horrible creature without a hoof leg. Blood dripped from the end of the tan sheet covering it, and it clasped a rusty broken Scythe. Dark gloom glowed from its eyes, a sight that would bring any pony fear. The Nycto Pony had awakened but as a result of its freeing the creature depleted all its darkness. The creature wished for revenge on the princess who imprisoned it, but with so little power remaining the creature could only whisper, “Nycto.”
The creature crawled to an ancient subterranean temple where unknown rituals were made. It looked for a book called “the Grand Grimoire,” then, still crawling, the creature drew a circle and inverted pentagram with blood, placing candles on every corner of the pentagram to proceed to do the ritual. It tried to stand by itself in front of the pentagram, powerless and weak. As it whispered “Nycto” a strong wind came and blew out the candles flickering inside of the temple, summoning a devilish looking red pony with a devil tail, two devilish horns, a red big trident, hips of a goat, a trickster looking face and a red straight mane. You could feel her devilishly strong aura as she presented herself.
“Hello, I am Hibiscus Gloom, the Owner of Hell where all helpless pony souls come to me and I end their suffering, torturing them for the eternity.” She grinned as she leaned to look at the strange creature.
The strange creature answered, “Nycto.”
Hibiscus Gloom laid her trident on her shoulder and started to float around the creature. “Such a strange looking creature, I see that you are having really bad problems,” Hibiscus exclaimed. The creature still didn’t answer. Hibiscus kept going in circles around the creature “I have seen through your eyes and I saw your darkness fading but your thirst for revenge is stronger.”
The creature answered, “Nycto.”
“Luckily for you I am interested in helping you to recover so you can fulfill your vengeance.” The creature remained calm, then Hibiscus continued, “However, in exchange I am interested in a particular soul.” She cracked her hooves and restored the dark powers of the creature.
“Nycto,” was its only reply.
Hibiscus smirked. “The most precious soul is the one that resides in an alicorn pony, their eternity makes them more precious to me. Bring me Twilight Sparkle's soul and I’ll help you to fulfill your vengeance.”
The crawling creature replied “Nycto.”
Hibiscus hummed thoughtfully, “your old rusty scythe does not work anymore so you need a proper weapon of a darkness inquisitor.” She cracked her hooves again and materialized an executioner's axe sharp enough to cut through pony bones easily and snatch the soul of any creature that would interfere through the swing of the blade. “I am afraid for you the thing of being the ongoing creature killing every citizen won’t work for you anymore. Ponyville has been fortifying. Perhaps I have the little help that you need.”
Hibiscus cracked her hooves one more time and summoned skinless dogs with razor sharp teeth and blood coming from their mouths, putrid giant rootworms with maws teeming with teeth that could be used to devour anything, and the crawlers that once were ponies who lost their soul. The main characteristic of each creature was that they hungered for pony flesh. The army of darkness was ready.
Hibiscus’ last words were, “Bring me Twilight sparkle at any cost.” With those words she vanished in smoke and the pact was sealed. The siege of Ponyville was about to begin.
Chapter 2. The Siege
Ponyville had developed prosperously over the years. Ponies from there didn’t have any option other to defend themselves from enemies. Thus in no time they created a pony army with Lance pony guards, Pegasus archers and Unicorn sword and shield guards respectively and fortified the city for any incoming enemy. Consequently, Ponyville city suffered a big rift around it, so ponies had to build a suspension bridge that connected the main city with the rest of the roads.
It was a calm morning. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were trotting through the main plaza heading to Twilight's castle to check out a friendship quest. Twilight stopped abruptly, sensing something wrong with her surroundings. She noticed malevolent clouds that had been spreading from the deeps of the Everfree Forest as they approached the city’s rift. Shocked, she rose to see what was going on and saw with her own alicorn eyes how the dark mass surrounded Ponyville’s rift.
Twilight descended again. “Rainbow Dash, you lead the archers and secure the walls. They’ll be our first division. Applejack, Pinkie, I want you to stay with the Lance ponies at the main entrance and suspension bridge. That will be our second division. Rarity, you lead the unicorns for our reinforcements. There’s our third division.”
Surveying the situation Twilight worried about Fluttershy.
Applejack noticed her worry. “Twilight, I’m sure Fluttershy is alright.”
Ponies went to their positions and Twilight flew in front of the upper main suspension bridge. At a distance she saw the vile clouds composed of skinless dogs, putrid rootworms and pony crawlers waiting to siege the city and taste fresh pony flesh meat. Wielding its axe at the rear of the army in front of the bridge a powerful being radiated its dark aura over the entire army from its throne. In its executioner’s attire the sheet was slashed at the eyes where you could see its dark eyes like corrupt new moons, blood dripped from the tips of it this bodyless creature obscenely floated.
As the creature’s throne was brought nearer it inhaled and screamed “Nycto.” The creatures growled, anxious for Pony flesh.
Meanwhile, Twilight saw how the Nycto shouted to the creatures unknown things. Feeling terrible fear she brandished her friendship spear shouting, "I remember you, you aren’t welcome here so stay away from here before we harm you, evil entity of darkness."
Deep silence fell, then broke as the putrid rootworms spat out from their mouth tentacles made of visceral organs, reaching and impaling the two edges of the bridges. They heaved their tendrils to open the gate bridge. The main pony who was the guard keeper of the gate tried to fight back but his efforts were in vain. The rootworms opened the gate.
As soon as the bridge opened the phalanx of the second division stepped in at the middle of the bridge pointing their lances at the dark army. On their exterior the second division were all strong ponies holding their spears in the air. Inwardly the ponies feared the evil army but they were ready to face them.
“Fire at will,” Rainbow Dash shouted. The first division followed the command, aiming and firing arrows at the army.
The first division took out many creatures but they responded by sending the skinless dogs jumping across the rift to the other side. They quickly reached the castle walls and crawled upside down to the top of them while being shot by first division.
In meantime the crawlers in blood frenzy attacked the second division at the bridge. They took down many of these crawlers and the phalanx held up for a little bit. However, one pony was distracted and a crawler stepped in. Extending its claws it severed his head and slashed the pony in half. The unfortunate pony’s organs spilled on the ground. The phalanx was now weak on that side. The crawlers took advantage piled up on that side of the phalanx.
Desperately Applejack tried to lift the morale of the second division. “Don’t give up!” The ponies tried to stand up against the piled creatures. They tried pushing them back a few steps but they were too many. Terror won and they began to retreat.
Twilight watched with helpless horror as the pony phalanx’s defense failed. Crawlers ripped pony soldiers apart, spilling their intestines at the bridge. They splattered their blood while eating the flesh, speedily reducing the numbers of the second division. The wood bridge ran red. Pinkie Pie and Applejack had to fall back to the third division with Rarity.
The first division struggled with the skinless dogs till they reached the top of the walls and that conflict started, but sadly the pegasi were not trained in close combat. They easily perished to the fangs of the dogs. These delighted in tearing wings from bodies with their vicious fangs and ripping their victims out of their skin. One pegasus was in tears, begging for his life but the skinless dogs had no feelings. Mercilessly, the dogs bit the pegasus in the throat ending his life. The skinless dogs defeated the first division forcing Rainbow Dash to fall back where the others were.
Twilight retreated to the third division after the second division was defeated. The third division were in the central plaza of the town surrounded by crawlers and skinless dogs. She was surprised and horrified by the carnage of all the slaughtered ponies on the ground. She shouted, “Stop the slaughter, finish it once and for all!”
The creatures growled, stopping their actions for a while. Then the ominously robed Nycto Pony crawled over. “Nycto!” It whispered.
Twilight knew what she had to do, face the darkness by herself. The third division opened a path of allowing Twilight to approach the Nycto Pony. Terrified, Twilight grasped her friendship spear and rushed the Nycto Pony with a very potent thrust. The Nycto Pony crawled, dodging it, then charged in return. Its axe swung at Twilight. With determination Twilight dodged it. The match was tied. Neither Twilight nor the Nycto Pony let their guard down until Twilight’s mind was invaded by horrible thoughts of all ponies who died during the slaughter and her guilt of wanting to save every pony but failing. Twilight had realized too late that the insidious aura of the Nycto Pony got into her mind. It was an efficacious distraction and the Nycto Pony swung its axe. Twilight’s spear flew from her hand.
The entire time the third division was watching their commander’s defeat. Fear, deep and dark, filled their bodies.
Twilight had blood in her mouth due the swing and she knew the end was near. She closed her eyes and braced. The Nycto Pony swung the charged axe, aiming the blade at Twilight.
From nowhere Fluttershy flew in and scooped her up, rescuing Twilight from the swing and taking her safely near the third division formation. However, a large rootworm fired its tendril and grabbed Fluttershy. She dropped Twilight into the formation. Fluttershy tried to pull herself off the tendril but she couldn’t, so the rootworm slammed her against the bridge and knocked her out.
When Fluttershy woke up she saw her best friend Tiger tied up to a post and the third division getting slaughtered at far distance in the Ponyville main plaza. The Nycto Pony approached Tiger, looming.
“Stop!” Flutterhsy shouted, but without mercy Nycto Pony buried its axe in her throat, brutally murdering the pony.
Hissing slow and cold it whispered, “Nycto.” The hammer edge of the Scythe slammed on Fluttershy’s head and knocked her unconscious. Far away Twilight saw how the Nycto Pony crawled to the bridge holding Fluttershy from her mane. With a heave it threw her into the chasm.
Twilight shouted, "Fluttershy, no!!!!"
To be Continued….
This story is purely fictional and its only purpose is to entertain the Author, Fluttershy (earving1). It is a work of fan fiction. This particular story was written for the 2018 Halloween writing competition with the Trotsdale Library and Intersim Library system of Second Life. As of the time of this editing pass Fluttershy is working on the third chapter of their story with the working title of “Chapter 3: The New Hope.”
Protected by copyright © 2018
All Rights Reserved to their respective owners Hasbro, and the writer.