After re-watching Sleepless in Ponyville, I was intrigued by the scary story Rainbow Dash first told, The Olden Pony. I liked the idea of pony urban legends and thought I could expand the story of what I think the Olden Pony was about. Head Canon, I suppose.
The Olden Pony
It all happened on a night, just like this one. In a forest just like this in a tight-knit community where every pony knew each other closely not used to strangers so it was a shock when an elder, traveling alone, entered their tiny village. The earth pony wore a short black hood hiding her white mane. Her raggedy clothes exposed her grey legs and knocking knees. Her wrinkly face, wart on her chin, sagging jawline and long muzzle suit her like she was born old and decrepit. A dominating feature was her one red eye while the other swollen shut.
The sight of the elder frightened few, others were disinterested knowing she was a wandering traveler and soon be on her way. To everyone, the mare was an unwanted guest but not to the three little foals in the village square. They watched her excited and a little curious of their new guest. They rarely seen visitors so they agreed to follow her to the woods outside the village. The old pony tired from the journey, curled under a tree, shut her eye and fell asleep.
Now, one of the ponies, Poppy, was a mischievous pony. She always teased her little sister, disobeyed her parents and played mean tricks on others. She made no exception for the homeless, tired pony and took one old rusty horseshoe off her hoof.
"Poppy." Bluet whispered. "You shouldn't do that."
"It isn't right." Cedar agreed Poppy did a horrible thing.
"What?" Poppy murmured while holding the shoe in her mouth. "Would you like to put it back on her hoof?" Poppy offered for them to correct her misdeed but before they could, the mare moaned. Startled, the ponies scattered with Poppy possessing the shoe. When the pony awoken, she saw her shoe was gone. She looked around and despite her attempts, she could not find it. Muttering gibberish, she returned to the village. An angry scowl on her face made her frightening and the one eye brightened like it was on fire.
"Where's my rusty horseshoe?" She screamed at those she considered her enemy. Everyone flinched, concerned but not kind to help the old mare. Poppy, Cedar and Bluet hid out of sight behind the general store and watched from a distance. "You are the unkindest bunch of ponies I ever met! Fine, if no one wants to confess then I curse you. On the hour, in a day, when you least expect it most, you will vanish without the smoke!" And like that, the Olden Pony left the village.
Poppy thought they got away with the trick and the old mare was making up an angry threat to scare every pony, until the following morning, several ponies went missing. A baker, a mother, two fathers, six foals and lumber jack ponies disappeared overnight. Every pony gathered in the square frightened, mothers and foals crying, concerned citizens worried over the disappearances of these good ponies. Some offered looking for the missing then chaos broke loose overpowering reason. Mares and stallions accused each own with no real proof. They screamed at neighbors, friends and families like they lost their sight to see clearly, or perhaps were unable to remember the curse the Olden Pony placed upon them. Through the madness, Poppy and Cedar lost their friend Bluet. They saw her a minute earlier and now, nowhere to be seen. Outside the village, Cedar confronted Poppy.
"You have to return the shoe!" Cedar said. "All this is happening because of the curse, because of you!"
"I don't know how!" Poppy admitted. She was shaking uncontrollably in her knees.
"You have to, you have to find-"
And right before her eyes, Cedar vanished. Frightened, Poppy ran home to get the horseshoe to find a way to save her friends before she met the same fate. In her house, passing the living room she galloped to her room. Poppy went under her bed, grabbed the wooden box and opened it. The shoe was gone.
"Where is it?" She screamed. Behind her, she heard stomping. The thundering stomps became louder and louder each second Poppy shuddered chattering her teeth. The stomping stopped. Poppy felt some pony breathing on the back of her neck and heard unsettling gibberish. She turned around to see the Olden Pony looking down at her with her blood red eye.
"Who's got my rusty horseshoe?" The Olden Pony asked in a screeching voice.
"Not me..." Poppy whimpered. These would be Poppy's final words.
"You do!"
When night fell, the once flourishing village was abandoned and to this day, The Olden Pony wanders the forest for whom took her shoe.
Remember Kids, respect your elders and Happy Halloween!