Darkness Before Dawn (RP, not a jump-in)

[Vick McBread]

((Yeah, no...))
Vick heard the two seemingly unfeeling, Machinelike ponies and turned to them. He backed away a bit and then took in a deep breath.

[Dark Hooves]

Confetty looked up and stared at the teddy bear for a moment.  "W-what is it?"
It seemed quite obvious that her dad's head filled the role just fine for Confetty.

Misty: It is a teddy bear little filly, I don't mind sharing. I kept this as a memory of my foalhood.

[Bravo 658]

Confetty stared at the teddy bear for another moment and poked it.  Her logic-bred mind rejected the idea of a bear-mimicking pillow; there just wasn't a point.  "I don't want the teddy bear," she grumbled, laying back down by Wavelength.
Meanwhile, Wavelength started to stir and his head shifted to lean on Confetty.  She smiled and licked his nose again, getting a smile and weak mumble in response.

[ArtVeigar]

The soup was already finished, and Wavelenght might wake up at any minute now. Arty smiled at the cute scene between The green filly and the orange pony. He let the two of them alone and walked over to Fluttershy, with the empty bowl. - "Excuse me... Where do I put it?"

Tian ate her salad in silence at Farsight's side. She had her mind full, thinking of what that things could be. "Was it a shared nightmare? I've heard of those... But nothing explained how we ended up here... Are we still having it? I doubt, it looks okay now... Discord was never that dark, he was just chaotic. And I've heard he was reformed, so I doubt it was him... And what was those... things? That skeletical pony... I've never heard of anything like that, not even in the records the monks keep about Tartarus. Darn it!" Her face was contorting as her thoughts proceed.

[The Wandering Magus]

Fluttershy squeaked as the others brought their attention to her, but then smiled softly.  "i-it's all right.  um, you could just give the plates to me, I'll wash them... um... "

She went around collecting the used bowls.  "i-if you don't mind me asking... um... how did you get here?  what happened?"

*****

The ponies turn suddenly, revealing widely grinning faces that contrasted strongly with their pleading eyes.  "Do. You. Fear. The. Dark?"

*****

Shadows flickered over the sky and earth, as if the sun was a candle that was being blown by a dark wind of Fear.  Nothing crept from the alley near Vick...

[FlameandIce]

something is going on outside something evil your cottage seems to be a safe haven

[ArtVeigar]

"Yea, let's just say something strange is going on, we were chased and your house were the nearest safe spot. I'm sorry for bothering you." - Arty said, trying not to startle the mare with stories of evilness and darkness. She probably didn't need to know, and it was better not to cause much alarm.

But Tian wasn't thinking like that. When it finally came to her, she stood up suddenly. - "Wait! You're Fluttershy! The Element of Kindness!" - She said louder than normal, with a big smile on her face. - "It doesn't matter what the enemy is, the Elements of Harmony are the best weapons to fight it! Maybe that's even the reason why your cottage was so filled with this light... - She walked over to Fluttershy and grabbed one of her hoofs, forgetting how the shy girl would probably react to such a thing. - "I'm sorry for the trouble, but we need your help. Yours and your friend's. There is something strange happening, and the Elements might be the solution. We don't know much, so we need to talk with Princess Twilight and the others about it. Even if it isn't as bad as we think it is, she might have the answer. Will you, please, help us?" - She pulled Fluttershy's hoof even closer to her.

[Seriack]

While the others were occupied with Fluttershy, Farsight was watching out the window... And could see the day changing once again to night. His eyes widened as he saw the shadows flickering about once more and a whimper escaped his mouth. "The Nightmare returns..." He moans out under his breath, now by the window as he peers out it.

[Dark Hooves]

Confetty stared at the teddy bear for another moment and poked it.  Her logic-bred mind rejected the idea of a bear-mimicking pillow; there just wasn't a point.  "I don't want the teddy bear," she grumbled, laying back down by Wavelength.
Meanwhile, Wavelength started to stir and his head shifted to lean on Confetty.  She smiled and licked his nose again, getting a smile and weak mumble in response.

Misty sighs with sorrow and pity and places the teddy bear back in her saddlebag.

[Vick McBread]

Vick took a fairly deep breath and continued out of the town. And now was at the edge of town. Continuing his journey along the edge of the Ever-Free.

[The Wandering Magus]

Fluttershy thought for a long moment, looking from face to face as she gnawed slightly on her lips.  A look of determination then came over her face at Farsight's voice.  After all, she was the element of Kindness, and it would be entirely unkind to do anything less than help these ponies.

"i-i'll help.  even if i'm scared, i'll still help.  it's the right thing to do..."

*****

Like lightning, the shadows fell upon the world.  Vick had chosen... poorly.

To one side lay the endless expanse of Fear that was the Everfree: Nothing flowed from it, It filled it, and from all around came the shrieks and cries of the Rake, now here, now there, now just behind.

Without his Home, without his Light, the pony was stricken with terror, as if ice were thrust deep within his heart, freezing him from within.  All the Fear that all the ponies in Ponyville ever had of the Everfree came crashing down upon him like a flood: fear of being lost, fear of the unknown, fear of the dark, fear of the wild.  Behind him, from Ponyville, came the sounds of wooden, galloping hooves, and the terror of being controlled for eternity...

*****

Like lightning did the darkness fall, yet it seemed that the light within the cottage shone even brighter than before, now radiating with pink and yellow light, as if Fluttershy herself had become a star.  Indeed, the pegasus seemed now more the concentrated idea of kindness and hope rather than her conscious self, and as she moved from pony to pony, they felt all their worries and fears and tiredness fall away.  As if for the first time, too, they found that there seemed notes littered here and there about the Home.

But for some reason, they had a feeling that there was somepony outside that needed their help desperately...

[ArtVeigar]

"Thank you!" - Tian hugged Fluttershy, lettign her go after a couple of seconds.

Arty also smiled when the kind mare decided to help. For some reason, he felt safe and happy when next to her, as if she could push away any fear, even if she seemed to be a scared cat. Then, something started to feel wrong again. His coat darkened a bit, and he felt something outside, like somepony in need of help. He walked over to the window to try and see what's going on.

Tian was still staring at Fluttershy, but then she noticed something behind the mare she haven't yet. It seemed to be a note and, for some reason, it drew her attention. She walked towards it, asking - "What is it?"

[Dark Hooves]

Misty: We will find out soon enough.

[Vick McBread]

((NO CLUE ))

[rileyrun99]

The creature just slowly moved its way right. It seemed to be a white-coated stallion, it was a very tall one, indeed.


((Some of you will know which character I'm RPing as...))

[The Wandering Magus]

Outside was a warm glow of Kindness and Hope radiating out a ways, almost to the borders of Everfree, as far as the edges of the little wooden fence the pegasus had built and a bit beyond.  Beyond that, however, lay the Nothing, and the endless expanse of Fear that was Everfree.  There was a wild, inequine screech from somewhere far away, with the sounds of Wooden hooves pounding on twisting, winding roads of an Empty City.  The Fears only made so much racket when they were chasing somepony... but who could it be?

The note was wispy, almost transparent, but readable.  "Remember to visit Zecora for more Purple Pox salve for the raccoon."  Other, similar notes, mostly reminders (or, as Tian was beginning to suspect from reading these notes, forgotten memories), were littered here and there: a misplaced key, a pencil that rolled under a desk.  But there was a much larger sheet that seemed to be torn from a journal of some sort; it was sticking out from behind the closet where she had entered, as if Fluttershy's conscious self had tried to hide from the very memory itself...

*****

Vick needs to run.  Fast.  The only light is the Beacon of Hope in the direction of Fluttershy's Cottage.  If he does not flee, he will be consumed by the Nothing, torn by the Rake, and ensnared by the Wooden Mare, or be left to even worse fates at the long, long, LONG and eldritch limbs of the Slendermane that he could barely glimpse from the corner of his eye.  It wasn't there a second ago.  It wasn't so near.

It wasn't RIGHT NEXT TO HIM.  STARING.

[Bravo 658]

Wavelength began to stir back to consciousness more completely, and his ears almost instantly perked up.  "I-is somepony still trapped out there?  What's that noise?"  He nuzzled Confetty then struggled to sit up.

[rileyrun99]

Slendermane stomped outside, his hooves thundered on the cold ground.

[ArtVeigar]

Tian read a note, then another, then another. At first, they seemed to be just reminders, but she started to think it was a little more than just it. They all seemed to be things easily forgetable, and some of them things that ponies usually don't write in notes, like a pencil that rolled under a desk or a misplaced key. Were they forgotten pieces of memory? Then, she saw the sheet sticking out from behind the closet she had come from. She remembered the Empty City, and a shiver runned down her spine. But even if it seemed that who put that sheet there tried to hide it, her curiosity made her pull it and read.

Arty backed from the window. It was clear the world hasn't been turned back to normal, and just beyond the cottage, the darkness was still there. He could hear noises, the Fears seemed too energetic. Were they pursuing somepony? He might need help, but Arty was starting to feel some fear again. Fear of getting out of what was protecting him from the fear. But if the others agree, they could go together, and Arty would be more at ease. - "Look outside: It seems like the nightmare hasn't ended yet. And I think... That somepony might be in trouble."

[The Wandering Magus]

Note to self.  Don't stop being scared.  Flee shadows.  Avoid Everfree.  Avoid dragons at all cost.  Don't stand up to them, don't argue, just run.  If you can't run, do what they say.  Don't tell the others.  Especially Twilight.  They won't understand.  It is too dangerous.

Their weapon is Fear.