open Shades and Shadows ~ A Mystery RP ~ Semi-Literate ~ Dark

[Nom de Plume 29]

Link to the Set-Up

 

Silent Shade folded his wings and shot down through the canopy, berating himself.  Of all the foolish, imbecilic things...  Why did I allow myself to become separated from Her Lunar Highness?  It is an honor to escort the Great Mother Moon in her duties tonight.  And I, fool that I am, allowed myself to become distracted by a mere glow.  His hooves hit the ground all at once, and the Nocturne glowered at the dirt while he folded his navy-blue wings against his dark flanks and huffed a angry sigh.  A fire, I'd been afraid.  There's no fire here, or anywhere else, and now I'm lost.  It was true.  Despite what many ponies said of the Nocturnes, they were as much a possible victim of the Everfree's malice and mischief as anypony else.  Shade picked his head up and looked around.  A Royal Night Guard such as himself shouldn't be sulking in the dark like this.  He ought to be searching for landmarks of some kind, finding a way to either rejoin the Princess and the rest of his detail in Ponyville, or start making his way back to Canterlot for punishment.  Unfortunately, flying above the canopy had been unhelpful; dark trees seemed to stretch on endlessly.  His only hope was to find something he remembered from his youth, and use that as an anchor.  He shrugged and set off down the path, trotting to rest his wings.

 

~

 

Pumpkin Spice fluttered excitedly between the trees.  This was absolutely thrilling!  Everypony had been talking about how dangerous the Everfree was supposed to be, especially on Nightmare Night, but they were probably just trying to scare the new mare in town.  It really wasn't so bad, here in the heart of the forest, and the long, clawlike branches and crisp, foggy air gave the place such a foreboding, Nightmare-Night-infused air that the young Pegasus just loved.  Fall had always been her season, and Nightmare Night was her favorite holiday. Pumpkin dropped to the ground to walk up to a particularly spooky-looking tree.  She smiled and tapped the trunk with a dark orange hoof, her bright green eyes sparkling.  "It's just a tree!  That's all there is down here.  Trees and fog.  What were those ponies talking about?"  She shook her head, her gold-and-auburn ponytail swinging.  "Bunch'a sillies, trying to make me spend tonight curled up under my covers!  Ha!  I sure showed them, huh?"  She stretched and popped her spine.  "Well, I guess I'd better start for home; don't wanna miss any more of the block party."  She stopped and looked around, realizing she'd wandered off the path and much deeper into the wood than she'd meant to.  "Uh, which way is home, anyways?"

 

Suddenly, a distant glimmer sprang to life, deep in the trees, like a window light coming on.  "Oh!"  Pumpkin oriented on it and started to trot after it.  "That's one of the streetlamps.  I'm not as deep in the forest as I thought I was."

Edited October 26, 2014 by Nom de Plume