"I…have…returned." a giant creature in the dark said. Princess celestia soon woke up with a fright. And ran to luna's room.
"Celestia…something's wrong. i can't enter or even see rainbow dashes dream." luna said. Celestia immediately knew what that meant…rainbow dash was the first one there going to get rid off…by driving her insane with horrible nightmares.
"It's them…we need to head ponyville immediately…they have returned." celestia said. Luna's face twisted into shock and fear.
"Sister…you can't mean." luna said dreading the worst.
"Yes…the corruptus have returned." celestia said.
In a dimly lit room, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sat together, the air thick with tension. Celestia's expression was one of alarm, her eyes wide with realization as she grasped the dire implications of the dark presence that had returned. Luna, visibly shaken, wore a face twisted in shock and fear, reflecting the gravity of the situation. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across the walls, emphasizing the urgency of their discussion. Celestia's voice trembled as she spoke, knowing that the corruptus had come back to haunt their world, and time was of the essence. In that moment, the sisters understood that they needed to act swiftly to protect their beloved Ponyville from the horrors that awaited.
The corruptus. The creatures that dwell in the mirror. In a world where every bit of evil in everyone's hearts is given flesh and bodies. The world they dwell in is known as grimdark equestria. Chrysalis tirek and cozy glow…they wanted domination. The corruptus on the other hand. Their only goal is death and insanity. Even worse you may not even know one is targeting you. Either haunting your dreams and turning them into nightmares until you snap. Or they could disguise themselves as even your closest friends. And that's the most terrifying part of the corruptus. The fact that you can't trust anyone. Not even your closest friends, for the friendship driven society is generally one of their greatest fears.
The next morning. A young man that had grey hair and wings woke up. This was nanashi void nashi. He looked at his wonder bolts poster. He was looking forward to meeting rainbow dash. He was a big fan of hers but he hasn't seen her around or performing for a while. According to the others she was on leave due to mental health issues. Something must be wrong if she's been out this long. After brushing his teeth and eating breakfast. He went out to stock up on apples from sweet apple acres. He was a huge lover of apples. And sweet apple acres had the best apples ever. Though when he arrived. He overheard an argument between two of his favorite gals.
"Nhf. What, Applejack? What is it that is so important that you've got to interrupt my napping?" rainbow dash asked. Rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes. Applejack stomped her foot to the ground scowling.
"Now you know just why I'm making a fuss in findin' you! You said you were gonna bring over a little rainstorm for the crops at Sweet Apple Acres nearly two hours ago! Instead I find you out here, in a tree, snoozin' your little behind off!" applejack yelled annoyed.
"Yeah yeah...keep yer panties on...*yawn*...I'll get to it right now...sorry 'n stuff." rainbow dash said. Nanashi noticed how awful she looked. She looked more disheveled than usual, her hair a mess, dark bags under her eyes from many a sleepless night. She looked pale, sickly almost, yet still tried to put on an air of cheerfulness…something was very wrong with her.
"Uh, Dash? You feelin' okay? You look a little...aheh...under the weather." applejack said. Clearly seeing what nanashi was seeing.
"M'fine." rainbow dash said. Applejack tried to reach out to her friend only for her to reel back.
"DON'T...don't...touch me. I'm fine...honest. Just...I uh...I mean...uh...gottago!" rainbow dash yelled as she flew off.
"...That girl ain't right…" applejack said as she turned around and saw her new favorite customer was there listening. "Where you listening on that….eavesdropping is rude nanashi." applejack said. He walked forward.
"Yeah sorry…i came to buy some apples and overheard that…for the element of honesty…you suck at sniffing out lies." nanashi said.
"What's dat supposed to mean?" applejack asked.
"Rainbow dash was lying…she is not fine. If that was fine then I'm the king of Yakyakistan. Hell she hasn't even gone to perform in a wonderbolts show for a long while…which sucks for me cause i'm a big fan of hers." nanashi admitted. Applejack giggled knowing how dash was with her fans.
"I'm sure you telling her that will make her feel better…she loves that kind of attention." applejack said with a laugh. After nanashi bought some apples. And explored the town doing some odd jobs for the residents of ponyville. One day after doing an odd job. He went to sugar cube corner for snake. He was shocked by what he saw when he entered. A smashed plate on the ground with a smeared cupcake next to it. But what shocked him was pinkie pie stepping back from her friend with shock and fear blood on her hand from the cut on her cheek. Rainbow dash pointing a knife at her friend. Shedding tears as if she's fighting with herself to not do what she's about to do. But whatever demon was in her head won out and she charged at her friend, knife at the ready. However instead of her friends breast. Her knife instead went through nanashi's hand. Right through his cutie mark. Which was a jack of all trades symbol.
"N-n-nanashi?" pinkie asked. Utterly confused and afraid of what was going on. Nanashi pulled the knife out of his hand. The wound let out smoke as it healed itself. Rainbow dash was on the floor curled up in a ball with her hands on her head.
"I'm sorry…" rainbow dash muttered over and over on the verge of losing what remained of her sanity. Pinkie looked at nanashi not sure of what to do…what could she do? Her friend wasn't just miserable…she was on the verge of going insane. Something that sweets or positivity couldn't help with. Nanashi put a band aid on pinkie's cut before picking up dash and taking her to his place.
"Don't even try to say that you're fine…you tried to kill one of your best friends today…so start talking." nanashi said. Dash looked at him with angry eyes before looking to the ground.
"I'm not stupid…i can't just say i'm fine and expect people to believe it…not after that…promise me that whatever i say…my friends won't hear it." rainbow said with begging eyes. Nanashi sighed.
"I'm pretty sure pinkie is going to tell them what happened…you're gonna have to come clean soon…but I promise it'll be your mouth that spills the beans. Not mine. So…tell me what has been happening to that led to this. What has been causing you to lose your mind like this?" nanashi asked.
"It's because…of a nightmare. One i've been having non stop for several months….strapped to a table…pinkie mutilating me…slowly painfully. The feeling of the scalpel…the hot nails as they were hammered into my hands. The feeling of my organs being pulled from my body…" rainbow dash as she began to cry. "You must think i'm weak and pathetic…letting myself snap over some stupid nightmare." rainbow dash said. Nanashi shook his head.
"No…that nightmare…having it once is one times too many…but to have it for several months…no wonder you almost lost it…" nanashi said. He walked over and hugged her. "I know you're afraid of what your friends will think of you…but you can't bear this alone. If i didn't stop you…killing your best friend would have been the point of no return. Your mind would have snapped completely…and now you're pushed into a corner where you have to tell them…but they'll try to help you. They're your best friends after all…and so will i…i love seeing your awesome tricks in the wonder bolt show…you're my hero! So let me be yours." nanashi said. Rainbow dash cried on his shoulder.
"I'm so afraid!...i'm so afraid." rainbow dash sobbed. The dreaded night came. Normally sleeping in the same bed as your hero would be nerve wracking. But the situation at hand means he can't afford to be…his hero is a girl that's in a rocket to insanity. And he needed to cancel the launch. She stepped out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a t shirt and rainbow colored panties. Though what surprised him was her chest. He saw sarashi wraps on his floor. And he learned something else about his favorite wonder bolt.
"There's another rainbow dash secret for you. She's got big cans she uncomfortably hides like a frigging geisha would…i do it because these girls of mine would slow me down if didn't bind them okay!?" rainbow dash yelled blushing.
"Another secret of yours that's safe with me." nanashi said. Rainbow dash crawled into his bed and held him tightly. It took a bit for nanashi to fall asleep. Considering the defenseless girl that was snoozing away right next to him. He soon fell asleep and found himself in that same nightmare. Rainbow strapped to the table. Pinkie slowly bringing down the scalpel.
"No! Pinkie!" rainbow yelled desperately trying to get her friend to stop. Before the scalpel made contact with her flesh her hand was grabbed and pinkie was punched in the face by nanashi knocking her out cold. He then grabbed the scalpel and cut her free. Dash hugged her savior and cried into his shoulder just like how he did today. The unconscious pinkie opened her eyes and let out an ungodly noise. As the horror party basement of sugar cube corner melted and revealed, it turned into something much worse. A world of pure darkness. The ground was hard metal. Like a cold soulless facility. Every wall soaked in dry blood in the middle of it was a tree similar to the tree of harmony. But made of pulsating flesh. A plaque was in front of it. "The tree of sacrifice. When the elements of harmony, lives or sanity become ours. So will their world." the plaque read. Nanashi jumped back feeling danger approaching his arm got clawed into by a creature who was all black except for it's sharp long blood soaked teeth and glowing red eyes. It had the body of a man but it certainly didn't move like it. It's limbs snapping around as it crawled around like an insect.
"Interloper…my brilliant plan ruined because of you! I make her insane through the nightmares. She kills the spastic pink one! Two sacrifices with one stone! But you intervened. I can fix it…all i have to do is kill you!" the nightmare yelled as it charged at nanashi. A light soon came from the sky knocking the creature back…when it cleared the light was revealed to be a pair of ulaks.
"My son…use them!" a voice said in nanashi's head. Nanashi grabbed the ulaks. Despite never wielding a blade in his life. He took naturally to it. Clashing claw for swingblade. Soon nanashi breathed heavily. However the creature fell to the ground leading out an unholy screech as it melted into black slime. Everything went white as nanashi woke up with a startle. He looked over to rainbow dash who was sleeping peacefully. Nanashi felt something in both his hands…the ulaks. He looked at his arm and saw a nasty purple scar…one that looked like it was done by claws. His face turned pale as he realized something…
"That was real…I could have died." nanashi said. Feeling sick at the realization that he was truly fighting for his life…he looked at the rising sun. enjoying the view…but he had so many questions on his mind…what was that thing? How was it capable of blocking out princess luna from dash's dreams? After all. Princess luna constantly watches over every one's dreams. So she should have known what was happening to dash and help her…unless that creature was somehow capable of blocking her out. And the one that would keep nanashi awake for many nights…is what would happen if the tree of sacrifice was completed? Nothing good…that's for sure. Nanashi made a call to an old friend back. One who owned the pyrus gun shop in canterlot. The place for any firearm enthusiast in equestria. Nanashi knew this was far from over. So he had to arm up and be ready for when another of those things make their move…a carnival of blood insanity and horror awaited our grey hero.
(author's notes: fun fact about me. My first fics were ones I wrote when I was a teen. They were mlp fim fics. They were not so good _ also it was through here that the armageddon knights were starting to form. Originally they were armageddon wolves. Wolves were cool animals to me when I was a kid. But as i matured the wolves soon turned into humans and became knights. I'm sure you figured it out. But this is a mlp fim story where the characters are human. The unicorns are elvish. Similar to the fimfic equestria's sword by evowizard25. A story I knew about because of alex-kellars artwork. Really talented artist. Also i'm sure a lot of my fans are surprised that i'm doing a fic on a show for little girls…well anyone who's delved into the grimdark/creepypastas of mlp fim will know how dark things can get for this show..and this is basically that goosebumps movie where the creatures from the books come out and wreak havoc. I haven't seen that movie but i think that's the premise. Anyway the reason i wanted to start this story now is because well…halloween is right around the corner and there's a monster lurking in the mlp fandom that is perfect for a halloween special…i'll give you a hint on what that is…Nightmare Night! Oh what a fright! Give us something sweet to bite! Poison, drowning, claw, or knife. So many ways to take your life!)