The Swift Chronicles: Carnival of Darkness

Chapter 1: The Horn-Ache

Shield spells were very hard to cast when I'm a unicorn. I'm glad Twilight agreed to teach me the basics of unicorn magic. I didn't dare tell anypony that back my world, our wands are made from unicorn tail hairs. My head feels like I'm trying to hold an anvil on my head.

"Uhh, Twi?" I asked, as she was searching through her spellbook.

"Yes, Mathew?"

"Is it natural that when you're doing a certain amount of spells, their heads get all... let's say... Achey?"

Twilight nodded. "Depends on how many spells you were trying to cast?"

"I was trying to cast a shield spell and - -"

"Mathew," she responded with a sigh. "Only expert unicorns are able to cast shield spells." There she goes with those hour-long seminars about trying something more simpler and easy, like Levitation spells. "I just got half a mind to tell her what my wand is made of. So I raised my hoof. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm wrong, and you're right." I felt my head again. "Just tell me how to cure a headache... or horn-ache, or... whatever."

"Actually..." Twilight clipped her lip. That means she really doesn't know how.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I may not know... but Zecora does." I was confused. I never met any Zecora in Ponyville.

"Who's Zecora?"

"She's a mystic, who lives in the Everfree Forest." Twilight said. "She's also a very good friend of mine. She was a great help for when Trixie tried to - -"

"Why does she live in the Everfree Forest?" I interrupted. Twilight, then, stared, as her magic zipped my mouth up. I couldn't move my mouth, let alone speak through it.

"She helped me use the magic of friendship when I was in a magic-duel with Trixie. The only reason that she lives in the Everfree is that everypony except my friends thinks she's a witch, just because she's different."

I broke through the zipper. "Interesting. Where does she live in the Everfree Forest?"

"She's on the left path, where there's a second intersection." Twilight suggested. "and Mathew?"

I looked back. "Yes, Twilight?"

"Be careful, will you?"

"Of course, Twilight. Does it look like this'll be a week long trip?" She chuckled.

"No."

"I'll be alright as the next mare in line." I went through the doorway and shut the door behind me. Off to the Everfree Forest, I go, but first, I guess I'll get a bunch of apples from Applejack."

The horn-ache was getting worse, but I assume that a bunch of apples would calm it down a bit. I trotted to Sweet Apple Acres, where I saw the Crusaders, playing in the field. Apple Bloom saw me and she trotted towards me, followed by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"Howdy, fellow Crusader Mathew," Apple Bloom cheered.

"Hello, fellow Crusader Apple Bloom!" I held my hoof up like a sergeants salute. Then, I saw a pile of wooden debris behind them. "What happened?"

"We're trying to get our cutie marks in demolition derby driving" Sweetie Belle squeed.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "Wanna come help us? You might get your cuuuuuuuutie marrrrrrrrrk." Then, as if on command, my horn began to ache again.

"Sorry, Scoots, but I just came for some apples and then I'll be on my way." I said, through pain.

"Where y'all goin?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I have this major aching, so I'm heading into the Everfree." You should've seen Sweetie and Scoot's faces after this reply. As if they just seen a Cockatrice.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Scootaloo shouted in my ear.

"Ever since the "Incident", I never want to go in there again!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Why? What happened in there?"

"Y'all don't wanna know. Seriously." Apple Bloom huffed. "Big Mac almost gave his soul to save Ponyvi - -"

"APPLE BLOOM!" Scoots and Sweetie shouted together.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about me. I'm just going to see Zecora."

"Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhh!" The three sighed in relief. "Well, good luck."

I continued down the path, and then, I saw Applejack, bucking apples off a tree.

"Hey, AJ!" I shouted. She turned and replied by waving her hat. "Howdy, Matt!"

"I was wondering if I can have any apples for my trip to visit Zecora?"

"Well, of course you can, sugarcube." humbled the earth pony. "Try to buck 'em down." I trotted to the nearest tree and kicked both my hind legs into the trunk. Several apples did fall down, the amount that I expect I'll need.

"Thanks, AJ." I answered and trotted on my way. My horn ached again, so I began to jog. The sooner I get to Zecora's, the better.

I found the edge of the Everfree Forest, as well as a trail that lead deep into the forest. I began to trot into the dark path, when...

"MATT!" It was Big MacIntosh. The only words I ever heard him say was either 'Eeyup,' or 'Eenope'. It was weird that he said my name.

"Yes, Big Mac?"

"Applejack told me yer goin' to Zecora's, right?"

"Eeyup." (Funny, I know.)

"Just try to make it before sunset, because there are some thangs in there that y'all don't wanna get tangled inta."

"Don't worry, Big Mac, I'm just goin' to cure my head and then trot back."

"Alright, but if y'all aren't back in time, I'll get help."

"Uuuhhhhh, okay?" I trotted, and Big Mac returned to his work on the farm. Why did he speak a whole sentence to me? This "thing" in the Everfree must be a threat. Good thing I snuck my Element of Harmony in my saddlebag, just for emergencies. I continued on my way. The sun was almost under the horizon, so I hurried, but as I kept on running, my head feels horrible.

Twilight said to go left on the second intersection, and I did so, but as I looked down the right path, a shadow was running up the path. It looked equine, so I assumed it was another pony, finding something in the forest. I continued up the path and saw a trunk hut, lit up and had voodoo masks all over the place. I must be at Zecora's.

I trotted to the door, knocked three times, and a zebra answered the door. She had the markings all over her body, but her flank showed a sun, so I guess if they don't have a cutie mark, this is the next best thing. She also had gold rings on her hooves and neck.

Hello, little pony," She said in an African accent. "I believe we haven't met, what brings you here before sunset?"

"You must be Zecora." I responded. "I'm Mathew Swift, and I need your help."

"Mathew Swift, the Element of Sacrifice, now which task couldn't wait until sunrise?" She smiled and admitted me inside her hut. It was what I was expecting: full of charms, a cauldron (a large size, 8 pewter) and all kinds of potions. Professor Snape's jaw would drop if he saw this. I saw a chair and I told her.

"I have this horn-ache from performing unicorn spells and I can't make it go away." I said. "Twilight Sparkle told me you would be the one to help?"

"Yes, I have a cure for your horn-ache, but why at this time, for goodness sake?" Zecora asked, with concern.

"I lost track of time, but I'll hurry down the path back to Ponyville."

"You must hurry, back to your home, for there are creatures here, to take you as their own." She gave me what looked like a blue lasange and I swallowed it. Immediately, the pain went away. I opened the door, thanked Zecora, and trotted to the path back home. The sun was halfway gone, so I'd better hurry. I found a patch of blue flowers beside the path. I sniffed them, and they smelled beautiful. I guess I could bring Twilight a couple for a thank you, and a bouquet for my little Flitter, my special somepony. I picked them, and headed down the path.

Everything was fine until, I reached the intersection, from where Twilight told me to use. My mind was going in circles. Was I supposed to take my left, or my right? How did I get here? I could've sworn I took that path to here ages ago, but which path? I finally knew which way I was supposed to go.

"Straight!"

I walked straight, and my mind came into focus. I guess I should've asked Zecora for a bagful of those lasagnes. I kept walking down a path, and I heard music, not the regular music I usually hear, but it sounded like circus music.

At first, I thought it was a circus in Ponyville, but I concluded that Pinkie Pie is hosting a big party or something, so I trotted quicker and faster. Wonder why I'm called Mathew Swift?

As the music got louder every hoof step, I tripped and was hanging from the air. What caught me, a Manticore, a Cockatrice, Rainbow Dash, for that prank last week?

It wasn't any of them... it was actually black goo! It may look disgusting, but my biggest concern is why does it move like that? It opened it's jaws to eat me! Goodbye, cruel Equestria!

"SLUDGE!" A hoarse, female voice called. "That's not how we treat our guests! Settle him down!" I kept my eyes closed, but from what I'm feeling, the goo called Sludge put me down, and I landed on the ground. I opened my eyes and the goo was glooping over a creaky fence, with spikes and barbed wire. I saw the sign above the fence, glowing canary-yellow saying two words.

Catherine's Park

Is this... a theme park? I asked myself. I saw the gates opening slowly, and I saw what matched the silhouette earlier: a pale-green mare, with a straight silver mane, like Twilight's, but with a black streak across the top, as well as the tail. She was wearing a red striped jacket, like a carnie would wear. But her eyes were the most strange about this mare. One has a red iris, and gold where there should be yellow, and the other had them switched. Something weird was going on, but as Rarity said, be formal, no matter how bizarre the pony is.

"Greetings, young pony." She said, and grinned a nasty one. Even her teeth are strange. Colgate wouldn't allow it. They were cavity yellow, but they weren't all - - nasty! They looked good as new. "Pleasure to meet you." She held out a hoof, and helped me up.

"From that sign, I assume you're Catherine?" I pointed to the glowing board. The mare smiled and nodded.

"Correct!" She cheered. "My name is Catherine, but you may call me the Carnival Cat!"