The Broken Unicorn

Chapter 1


Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria, there lived a red unicorn. He was very talented in the ways of magic. By mixing his unicorn magic with the arts of deception and illusions, he became the most talented showpony in all of Equestria.

One day he traveled to a new earth pony village, Ponyville. The red unicorn dreamed of dazzling the earth ponies with his magic and illusions. However, the simple earth ponies did not take kindly to his antics, failing to see he only wanted to entertain. Feeling threatened and not trusting the showpony or his tricks, they drove him out of their village.

A mob of ponies chased him to the very edge of Ponyville and just as they were going to let me go, he tripped, hitting his head on a rock.

When he arose, the red unicorn realized with horror that his horn had shattered. Enraged, he turned to the mob that pursued him, the raw magic that was forever fleeing from the remains of his horn, he gathered together for one last show.

The skies grew dark, black clouds hid the light of the sun. Lighting struck all around the ponies as fog rose from the ground, blinding everything in sight, all but the red unicorn.

In a booming deep voice, he spoke these word. "All I wanted was to entertain, to bring smiles to your faces and wonders to your eyes. But no more!"

The ground began to shake and the ponies who had chased him this far were now filled with such fear they couldn't even run. With all eyes on the unicorn they had wronged, they listened as he cursed the land.

"I am the Broken Unicorn, no pony of earth, air or magic shall ever dwell in this land! Let the trees grow thick and moss grow heavy. Let the air be thick with fog and darkness. Here shall all manner of creature that is shunned and feared be my companion. If any other shall ever journey into this land, let them face my wrath!"

It was then that great trees erupted from the ground and red unicorn began to change before their eyes. His teeth grew sharp like fangs as his size increased more than any normal pony. His mane began to turn black and his tail became jagged, taking on the form of a scythe. A streak as red as blood appeared on his scythe tail and with a fearsome cry he reared up, hooves lashing out.

The pony mob fled, returning to Ponyville, never looking behind them. The next day, a small group returned to where they had left the red unicorn. But he was nowhere to be found and all the land at the edge of Ponyville had become a dark and vast forest.

To this day, any pony of earth, air or magic who enter the Everfree Forest must beware of the dark things living within and risk the wrath of Blood Scythe, The Broken Unicorn.


Twilight Sparkle scanned over the last few parts in the old book, it was quite the story, why had she never heard of it before?

"What do you think Spike?" She asked, tilting her head to see her dragon friend. "Do you really think that's how the Everfree Forest was created?"

A small scoff escaped Spike as he rolled his eyes, dismissing the idea. "Come on Twilight, that's just an old ponies tale. The Everfree Forest has just always been around."

An odd look came over Twilight as she fully turned to face Spike. "But that's what everpony said about The Mare in the Moon and we know that was true."

Spike thought on this a moment. "Well, yeah but..." He was quickly cut off by Twilight.

"And if it really is an old ponies tale wouldn't we have heard it before? I'd have at least heard a mention of it during my folklore studies. Instead we just find it scribbled in this old book."

Putting a hand to his chin, Spike had to admit Twilight had some points, but really, what did it matter? It wasn't like this Broken Unicorn was still around. But something else was bothering Spike at the moment.

"Speaking of that old book, where did you get it anyway? I've never seen it before."

Twilight looked back to the open book, wondering where it had come from herself.

"Actually, I've never seen it before ether." She confessed. "I just saw it on the floor, like it had fallen from the shelves, only, no books are missing."

A chill ran through both Twilight and Spike, nether of them liking how this strange book seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"It's almost as if..." Twilight stopped, unable to say what was on her mind.

"Almost as if what Twilight?" Spike urged her to continue, Twilight sighing before she did.

"It's almost as if someone wanted me to find that book, the story of The Broken Unicorn was even book marked."

It was odd indeed. Creepy. And Convenient...maybe a little too convenient. Anypony who knew Twilight Sparkle knew she loved studying. Leaving some fake story about some scary unicorn who lived near by was the perfect way to get her unsettled, maybe even scared.

Spike snapped his finger with realization. "Ah-ha! I got it!" He crossed his arms, feeling very pleased with himself. "In fact, it's quite simple when you think about it."

Twilight couldn't help but smile sassily, not sure if she'd believe her assistant's theory. "Oh really? Well then Spike, mind sharing with those of us less clever in the room?"

The baby dragon smiled right back, nodding. "Certainly. You see, somepony made up that story, dressed it up in some old book cover and left it for you to find. It's all a silly joke, somepony is pulling your tail."

Tilting her head, Twilight thought on this, it made perfect since really. It explained the obscurity of the story as well as it's strange appearance. But something just didn't feel right about that theory.

"I don't know." She said in a skeptical tone. "You really think so? Who would even do something so silly?"

Again, Spike had all the answers. "That's an even easier one. Pinkie Pie! It's just like her to do a joke like that. Haha, boy Twilight, she sure got you good. Why, if I weren't here I bet you'd be off to the Everfree Forest right now to try and find this 'Broken Unicorn'"

A confused look was on Twilight's face. Was this really the work of that party loving, prank pulling, bouncing, hyper excited, pink pony she knew? It wasn't really Pinkie Pie's style, but, who else would want to prank her?

The confused look quickly became a small smile on the unicorns face as she giggled lightly. "Yeah, I guess your right. That Pinkie, I'll have to let her know she got me again."

Twilight's horn glowed as she used her magic to close the book and set it aside.

"I'll give the book back to her tomorrow. I had now idea she was such a good story teller."

Spike just chuckled. "Yeah, she can get real creative when it comes to pranking."


"And just when the last pony thought she was safe, there, standing right behind her, just inches away was, THE HEADLESS HORSE!" Scootaloo screeched at the top of her lungs as she hopped up onto the near by log, her front hooves in the air, her sleeping bag covering her head as her small wings buzzed behind her for sound effect.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat around the camp fire, glancing at each other, nether of them the slightest bit afraid.

"...that's it?" Sweetie Belle asked a bit disappointed.

Pulling the sleeping bag off her head, Scootaloo looked at them like they were crazy. "Well...yeah. Wasn't that scary!"

"Not really." Apple Bloom admitted. "I mean, yeah a headless horse is kinda scary, but how would he eat? Or sleep?"

While Apple Bloom was puzzled over the workings of a headless horse, Sweetie Belle just wanted to know one thing.

"And what happens after the story ended? I don't mind that he's headless, but what did he do to the last pony?"

Unable to hide her frustration, Scootaloo ran a hoof over her face. "Uck! I don't know! He killed her!"

"How come?" Sweetie Belle wanted to know.

"How could he even see her to kill her?" Apple Bloom added.

Having none of these answer and not wanting to look foolish, Scootaloo could only dismiss them. "Aw, you guys are just trying to hide the fact that you were scared!"

"For the love of Betsy would y'all keep it down! Some ponies are tryin' ta sleep round here." A voice yelled at them from the near by tent.

"Sorry sis, we'll be more quite." Apple Bloom shouted.

"...who's betsy?" Sweetie Belle whispered.

Scootaloo shrugged. "I don't know...apparently we're supposed to love her?" That brought a round of giggles from the two.

"It's just an expression y'all." Apple Bloom informed them with a roll of her eyes.

Getting back on track, Scootaloo turned around and tried to look behind her. "So did I get it? Is my cutie mark for ghost stories there?"

Her fellow crusaders quickly looked and then sadly shook there heads.

"Nope, sorry Scootaloo." Apple Bloom said consolingly.

With a sad sigh, Scootaloo sat by the fire, she thought she'd of gotten her cutie mark for sure that time.

"Drat. Alright, who wants to try next? Sweetie Belle, you know any ghost stories?"

The little unicorn thought for a moment, wanting to find a really scary one for her friends. "Weeeell, I do know this one. Have you ever heard of Blood Scythe?"

The other crusaders shook there head, eager to hear, having no doubt that a story with the word blood in it would be absolutely terrifying.

"Well let me tell you. Once, there was a big red unicorn, he was one of the most powerful unicrons in all of Equestria! But he wasn't bad, in fact he liked to use his magic to entertain ponies. But no one liked his shows, they were more interested in things like...uhh...books and...ball room dancing! So because no one liked his magic he smashed off his horn so he could never use magic again. But a unicorn without a horn is like a pegasus without wings or an earth pony without...umm, legs!"

Both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom gasped in horror at the very idea.

"So the red unicorn became shunned and ran away to live forever in the Everfree Forest. But living there changes a pony. He became really scary with sharp teeth, the darkest of blue eyes and a tail stained in blood from the stuff he kills! They say he wears magic bands on his legs and his cutie mark is the faces of the lost souls that never came back from the Everfree Forest. From that day on he took on a new name, Blood Scythe!"

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had huddled close together, each gulping down a yelp.

"Because, well because his tail looks like a scythe with blood on it. And to this day he still haunts Everfree Forest, hunting down anypony who dares enter!" At giving her best scary laugh, Sweetie Belle's story came to an end. Her friends sat, wide eyed and holding on to each other for comfort.

"Well, how was it?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully.

"N-not scary at all." Scootaloo managed to say, still shaking.

"Y-yeah." Apple Bloom agreed, too afraid to come up with anything more clever to say.

"Oh." The horned crusader lowered her head a bit sad, she had thought it was real scary.

At seeing this, her friends couldn't help but feel bad for lying.

"Well, I mean, I wasn't scared." Scootaloo said with a smile. "But that's just because I'm not scared of anything! But Apple Bloom sure was, haha, she was shaking!" Giving the earth pony a light shove, she laughed playfully.

Apple Bloom looked quite indignant. "I was not!" She insistent. "I was just...pretending to be scared to make you feel better. Since you were getting all chicken at the part about pegasus ponies not having wings."

"Pfff, whatever." Scootaloo waved a hoof dismissively before looking at Sweetie Belle with a smile. "But for real Sweetie Belle, that was a pretty scary story."

"Really?" She asked, checking to make sure she wasn't just saying that.

"Yeah." Apple Bloom admitted as well. "That might of been the scariest story I ever heard. I bet you got your ghost story cutie mark for sure!"

With excitement they all checked only to see that Sweetie Belle's flank remained blank.

"Awww, this was a stupid idea." Scootaloo pouted. "None of use got a scary story cutie mark."

"Well at least we're having fun camping. And besides, maybe we'll have a camping cutie mark once we get home." Apple Bloom suggested.

The three fillies settled back down around the camp fire, all feeling a bit tired but none of them ready to head for the tent. It was too much fun staying up and...well, Apple Bloom wasn't sure she could sleep after the story of Blood Scythe. Every so often her eyes darted to the dark parts of the woods.

"Hey Sweetie Belle, were did you hear that story, about Blood Scythe?" She asked curiously

"Oh, Snips told it too me a few days ago."

Scootaloo looked dumbfounded. "Snips? How could he make up a story like that! Him and Snails are so..." She made her eyes go all derpy, accompanied by a duuuuh sound effect.

"Oh no." Shaking her head, Sweetie Belle explained. "He didn't make it up. It was a story he found in his desk. His old one broke so they got one out of storage. When he looked in it, it was just there, scribbled on some paper."

"Wow, that's pretty weird." Scootaloo marveled.

Looking about at their surroundings, Apple Bloom scooted a little closer to the fire. "So, if Blood Scythe is real...not that I'm sayin' he is. But if he was, he couldn't get us cause he's only in the Everfree Forest right?"

Thinking on this Sweetie Belle shrugged. "I don't know, I guess he could leave the forest if he wanted to. You know, if somepony got away from him"

"But crusaders!" Scootaloo suddenly announced, gaining both of their attention. "We've been in the Everfree Forest! Remember!"

At that realization, they all fell silent. For a long moment, no sound could be heard save for the crackling of the fire and the light snoring of Apple Jack from the tent. It was only after minutes passed by that any of them dared to speak.

"What if he comes looking for us." Sweetie Belle whispered, getting afraid.

"B-but it's just a story." Apple Bloom said, trying to calm down.

"A story that no one knows where it came from." Scootaloo added. Though most origins of urban legends were not known, stating this fact only served to frighten the girls more.

In silence they waited, not knowing if they should just run to the safety of the tent or keep braving it out by the fire. Regardless, they were all huddled together now, listening.

It started with the sound of a twig snapping. The crusaders all jerked their heads to look off into the forest. Another twig snapped and the sound of crumbling leaves could be heard.

"It's getting closer." Sweetie Belle whispered as softly as she could manage.

Whoever was coming, their outline could now be seen and they were big, the color of the figures fur was clearly red. It was hard to tell, but it almost seemed like the darkness around the figures head was their mane. A black mane, just like Blood Scythe!

Unable to just sit and watch this approaching pony from their ghost story, all at once the three fillies let out the loudest, most high pitched scream of their lives. And for Sweetie Belle that was saying a lot.

"W-wha?" Applejack questioned half asleep, sitting up in the tent. She was suddenly knocked back down as three small bodies crashed into her.

"IT'S BLOOD SCYTHE!" The all screamed together, clinging to AJ for dear life.

"Ah!" She responded, fully awake and trying to breath while being squeezed by three terrified little girls.

It must of took 10 minutes too get them all calmed down and even then Applejack couldn't understand what had happened.

"Alight now. I said alright!" She took a breath, not wanting to lose her temper, "Now, let me get this straight. Y'all were tellin' ghost stories. One was really scary. Then all of the sudden the evil unicorn from the story appeared just to scary y'all."

"Uh-hu." Apple Bloom nodded.

"Yes ma'am." Sweety Belle said shyly.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo insisted.

Applejack, rubbing her face tiered, but still managing a smile, looked down at the three.

"Alright, listen up now, I know what happened. Y'all got y'ur selves all worked up with scary stories, heard somthin' in the woods which cause those imaginations to go crazy. In short girls, y'all scared y'all selves."

The three all look dumbfounded.

"Umm, no we didn't." Scootaloo said a bit rudely

"...beg y'ur pardon?" AJ questioned, a bit taken back by the sass of the filly.

"What she means is." Apple Bloom explained. "We did scare our selves a bit, but we also really did see Blood Scythe."

Apple Jack sighed. "Well alright then, I guess I'll just have to go on out there and scare mister Blood Scythe away!."

She was about to do just that, but she quickly stopped when she heard the sound pf somepony eating outside the tent.

"What the..." AJ's ears went up in alarm.

"We told you!" Scootaloo shouted. "Oh no, now he's eating poor Sweetie Belle!"

The little unicorn looked at her friend very annoyed. "No he's not, I'm right here!"

"Oh...well then...who's he eating?"

Shaking her head, Applejack charged out of the tent, ready for a fight.

"Alright now, get read for a good kick! Just who do you think you are scaring little fillies!" She stopped in her tracks. "...Big Mac?"

Standing by the camp fire, eating apples that had been left unattended was Big Macintosh. He was in the middles of chewing as he looked towards his sister. He swallowed and then smiled.

"Eeyup?"

Applejack's confusion soon turned too a bit of anger. "What in tarnation are you doin' out here! This is a girls only campin' trip!"

"Uhh, well little sister, I was about to hit the hay when I just thought I'd check on y'all. And you know it's not much camping when the farm is right there." He explained, pointing to the Sweet Apple Acres farm house, just a ways off.

Applejack looked back at the farm house then back at her brother. "Right...well, that was mighty kind of you big brother, but never the less, you gave Apple Bloom and her friend quite the scare."

Big Mac looked a bit confused and worried. He hadn't meant to scare anypony. Still he couldn't help but smile humorously at seeing three little head poke out from behind Applejack's back legs.

"Well I'm might sorry there littler sister." He apologized, giving a wave to the crusaders.

"Oh that okay Big Macintosh, it wasn't your fault anyway." She explained, coming out from hiding behind her big sister.

"Yeah, it was Blood Scythe!" Scootaloo shouted, jumping out to join Apple Bloom.

"Blood Scythe? Well I don't think I ever heard of that pony before." He told them.

As if on cue, Sweetie Belle came walking out from behind Apple Jack, ready to retell the story.

"Well you see, once there was this big red unicorn..." As the story started over, Big Mac sat, listening with interest.

"Oh, tell him about the part with the faces for a cutie mark!" Scootaloo urged.

"I'm getting to that!" Sweetie Belle insisted.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Applejack lamented. "Ain't no pony will be gettin' any sleep tonight."

As she had no choice but to listen now, Applejack sat. Not her, the crusaders or Big Mac looked towards the woods, thereby failing to see the dark blue eyes watching them from the darkness.


Authors Note: So, here I am, adding my strange and weird mind into the world of MLP FIM. Lets hope some entertainment will come out of it. While most of my work (much of it deleted now) often brings darker tons in otherwise bright and happy worlds, my goal here is to keep the same light heartedness and fun filled style of the show...while adding in my own style as well.

With that out of the way, onto the behind the scenes goodness. I never intended this chapter to be this long, I was thinking 5 pages max, instead I got around 11. Pretty cool I think. As with all my writing I don't have a clear path that I'm going to take, just a fuzzy outline. I'm looking just as forward to seeing how this story turns out as all of you. I feel very please with how I wrote the Crusaders, I truly hope I kept them in character as much as I'm thinking I did

Being as this is my first time writing in the Pony world, please feel free to offer up opinions and advise on handling characters. As with all writers, I thrive on feed back, be it favorable or ill, if you read then I truly hope you tell me what you think.

Until next chapter, later

- Heart of Blades