Author's note
Onward to the next chapter. Billy arratoon, your suggestion is taken.

MissKenniGurl672, there is indeed more than just friendship between Twilight and Ben. Wink!

Thanks for the review, Ginkyofu13. Yes, Ben will be the father for Nyx by the time that this story is over.

Chapter 4: The Demon Pony

Twilight lie in her bed, staring at the ceiling as if for hours. She appears to be in a daze, one that the pony won't get out of until morning. Spike and the CMC watch on in sadness and pity from the door. Not even the photo of Boris's embarrassment has cheered her up.

"She has been like that since she told us the story with Ben Mare." Spike said with a sigh. "If only there's something we can do for her...."

"Wait, we can!" Apple Bloom exclaims with a smirk. "Why don't we y'all investigate? Find any clues to 'dat Ben Mare feller's disappearance!"

"Yeah! Mommy would love, love, love it if we do that for her! Find out what happen to Ben!" Nyx exclaims with a smile. She pauses and continues, "Wow, I sound like Aunt Cadance when I said the 'love, love, love it' part. Or was it the evil Changeling lady; Creepy."

"We could be...'Cutie Mark Crusader Investigators'!"

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER INVESTIGATORS, YAY," The CMC and Nyx cheers wildly while running off. Spike cringes a bit before recovering from the loud cheering.

"Okay, okay, but don't stay out. It's sunset now." Spike warns the fillies then sighs. "Man, those ponies are hard to handle like Twilight when she was little..."

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It is now night time as ponies are either going home to sleep for the night or they are out late, doing their usual business. Guards are on post, keeping an eye on things. But not even their eagle (or pony) eye can see a creature wandering through the darkness, growling and lurking...

Pony 'Donut' Joe glances at the clock at his donut shop. It's closing time. For him to close up shop and head home; the unicorn quickly put the merchandise back into their displays, turns off anything on, and prepares to lock up.

Just then, Joe heard some noises coming in the back. He looks puzzled. The unicorn is the only one working at this place, so who else is still here? The noises came from the back as he went there to investigate.

Joe saw a sight of some pony chewing though the donuts that the unicorn was preserving to sell tomorrow. He frowns as whatever it continues eating. Has this pony no matters or respect?

"Hey, pal! We're closed for the night!" Joe snaps to the intruder. "You gotta pay for those, they ain't for free! Hey pal! Mind paying attention?"

The intruder stops his meal and turns to growl. Joe gasps in horror as he saw what the intruder himself is. It's a furry black huge pony with red eyes, wolf like teeth, a black mane, a black tail and a red collar.

The monster snarls as he advances on Joe, most likely not happy for his meal being interrupted. The unicorn backs off while shuddering, "C-c-c-crikey! Wait, back off! I didn't mean any!" Joe frantically uses his magic to take two éclairs, trying to use them to defend himself, "Back, demon, back!"

The monster pony snarls as he pounces...and ate the éclairs, making Joe gasp. The unicorn yelps as the creature pushes him aside and rush into the shop. Joe has time to get up and saw the monster smashes through a window of the place, fleeing into the night.

Joe shudders a bit. What in Equestria was that thing?

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The creature grunts as he didn't stop at Joe's. The intruder heads through a part of Canterlot where the festival is taking place at, some of the ponies left their carts, stands, etc. for the festival.

The intruder snarls and begins knocking down stuff like mad, breaking anything in his path. Once he's done, the creature begins to roars into the night sky. He can sense ponies approaching before quickly making a dash for it.

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It was during this time that another familiar pony was trotting through the streets. Nexus, the headmaster of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, was on his way home from some important business. The unicorn has since recovered from the events of when he was possessed by a part of Nightmare Moon that led him to lead that infamous cult in her name.

And yet, Nexus feels terrible for all he has done, enough that he once tried to imprisoned himself in the dungeon for his 'crimes' though Nyx has taken full responsibly for those actions. It took Celestia's talking to snap him out of it.

Some ponies tend to look down at Nexus, not forgetting what he has done. Some are still disbelief that the unicorn is still in charge of the school, thinking that he should've been fired a 'long time ago'. Nexus doesn't blame them, he never could anyway.

Nexus stops as he saw something turning a corner, growling and looking around. The unicorn gasps and fell back as it turns to look at him, glaring at the headmaster with its burning red eyes as if the devil of Tartarus was piercing right into his soul right now.

"Dear Celestia." Nexus yelps, backing away on his flank. The monster is glaring at him...before rushing off. "It's back..."

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"Ugh! We have been going about this for who knows how long?" Scootaloo groans a bit as she and her friends trots through a part of Canterlot. They have been asking a few ponies or so about Ben Mare, asking if there's any clue to the Earth pony's disappearance.

"Yeah, I know where you're getting at." Sweetie said with a sigh. "It's like no pony in Canterlot knows where that colt was."

It's true: no pony seems to have any lead to Ben Mare's disappearance. Of course, the young ones seem to know how some appeared to be scared when giving this answer. It's as if something terrible happened to the young colt but some preferred not to talk about it.

One pony did give out a weird answer: "'Be careful not to stay out too long. It may come and prowl'." Nyx and her friends has no idea what that said pony is talking about at all.

"Maybe we should go back." Apple Bloom said while glancing at the time. "It's done getting late an' mah big sis probably wondered where Ah am by now."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Sweetie said with a sigh. "We aren't getting anywhere to..."

Suddenly something is heard gettng knocked over, getting Nyx's attention. She ask in alarm, "Wait, what is that?"

"Sounds like something...is coming over there."

The little foals should probably know better than to let their curiosities get the best of them but they have to know so Nyx and the CMC sneak over to the source of the noise...then saw something breaking through the door of a building...the monster himself.

"What...'de hay is 'dat?" Apple Bloom asks with a gasp. The monster growls a bit. Nyx looks a bit puzzled. There's something familiar about that thing...

"Errr, girls; I think he's looking over here." Scootaloo said uneasily. Sure enough, the monster turns and saw the four foals, blinking a bit while growling.

"AHHHHHHH," Nyx and her friends scream as they quickly make a run for it, almost trampling one another. The monster then begins to give chase.

"RUN, GIRLS!" Sweetie screamed as she and the rest of the CMC ran for their lives through Canterlot.

Soon, they hid in an alley, losing the Demon Pony, which passed them as it kept on running. As they panted, the four kids peeked out of the alley to make sure their pursuer was gone before they sighed in relief.

"That was close." Nyx said quietly in relief.

Suddenly, the Demon Pony reappeared with a snarl, making the foals gasp in horror.

"You have to jinx it." Scootaloo groaned a bit.

The monster approaches the foals, growling while getting close to Nyx. The alicorn prepares herself for the end...but, then the creature stopped b as he started sniffing her.

Nyx looks puzzled. This creature looks familiar...but where has she seen him before?

"You..." The Demon Pony spoke at last, much to the foals' surprise. "I remember you...black child..."

Nyx looks confused, why did that creature say that? Then she remembers...that year ago before Twilight found her. A creature has saved her from those timber wolves.

Could this creature be the same one? And did he come to Canterlot to finish what he has started?

Whatever the case may be, the Demon Pony then for some reason leaves, roaring into the night. Nyx and her friends sweat a bit then sigh.

"Close one." Apple Bloom said with a sigh. "But why did 'dat thing not finish us off?"

"I don't know, but I'd rather go home now." Scootaloo gulps a bit. "No search is worth turning into monster food..."

"I agree." Sweetie Belle said, "Rarity'll be very worried."

"Yeah. Come on, let's go." Nyx said, and with that said, the four fillies headed for home.

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"Ha ha, thanks for this cheering me up, guys." Twilight chuckled from seeing how funny Boris looked from a tree about to fall on him with a tiny smile. It took a while but she snaps out of her depression enough to look at the picture.

"When Rainbow Dash brought this picture to me, Pinkie Pie and I decided that in honorable picture like this deserved 'special' touches." Rarity stated in how such a picture had to be frame to always be remembered by.

"Yeah, the frame is perfect, along with the words 'Funniest Moment' on there!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed to point her left hove at the words 'Funniest Moment' label on it which to the ponies, thought it was a perfect touch to give them laughs from the jerk, Boris.

"Well I'm just glad Nyx wasn't hurt from Boris' fake stunt while I was...busy." Twilight spoke with sounding relief on one part then slowly addressed the other part.

"It's alright mommy, Derpy was really nice helping me." Nyx, who returned home with her friends, patted Twilight's left hoof in assuring she's fine.

"You shoulda seen Derpy, how she did it!" Apple Bloom jump up to state about how Derpy did her work.

"It was funny when you think about it." Sweetie Belle smiled in thinking about what happened before.

"She was almost as cool and awesome as Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo exclaim that the stunt that cross-eyed pony did to Boris was almost at her idol's rank of being the coolest.

"Well...I say almost is pretty close in my book for her." Rainbow Dash interrupts to state that she's alright on Derpy being cool, but not as much as she is. "You know Twilight, if that jerk Boris or his stooges comes to bother you, you can have Derpy to keep him in line." The dare-devil pony state with a sneaky smile in what her friend can do.

"But Rainbow Dash, wouldn't that be taking advantage of a friend?" Fluttershy spoke with a second opinion on her friend's plan.

"Fluttershy's right girls, it would seem selfish if I asked Derpy to help keep Boris from causing trouble to me and you all." Twilight spoke that in her mind.

"Then you're fine with that jerk trying another stunt to get you just around the start of the celebration?" Rarity raised her eyebrow if her friend would let the red stallion try something else this time.

After rethinking for a moment, Twilight end up changing faces. "On second thought, it's not a bad idea to ask Derpy as a friend to be with us on the celebration. Besides, we can chat more in knowing her and her of us." The pony state that besides having someone to help keep Boris away from bugging her & her friends, she get to be more friendly with Derpy since the gang only know a little about her.

"Ho-ho Twilight, that's both a sly, yet nicest way to think about another pony while keeping a jerk on alert." Applejack laugh a bit in seeing her friend make such a plan, it was something unexpected.

"Besides her Twilight, we'll all be there for you!" Pinkie Pie came around Twilight with a smile that all her friends will be with her, so Boris won't try to get her if she was too much alone.

"Too true, besides Derpy, we have our number one pony to make Boris so annoyed that he'll have to leave us alone." Rainbow Dash exclaim with a sly smile in thinking that the gang have another 'secret' plan to have Boris get the message to keep away from them which her eyes stared at Pinkie for unknown reason.

"Really; who-who; Tell me, tell me, tell me; I gotta know, who is it?" Pinkie Pie was jumping around, asking what the answer would be.

But unknowing by many of her friend's eyes, Pinkie Pie didn't recognized that the statement was addressing to the pink pony, obviously.

The fillies smile yet is still concerned by what they saw earlier tonight. Would they tell Twilight and the others about that Demon Pony? Probably not yet; those mares would think that these foals are seeing things!

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The Demon Pony grunts as he enters a room somewhere in Canterlot. This place hasn't been entered in years so he would be safe here.

The Demon Pony gallops through the messy room and sighs sadly. He felt terrible for the destruction that he himself has caused tonight...but the pony's form forces him to go out of control. What is wrong with him?

The Demon Pony goes to a wall and pushes it aside to reveal a secret compartment that has a box in it with a name tag in it. The corrupted pony took it and pauses. He hopes against hope that he himself would be able to present it...to the one that the Demon Pony hasn't seen in years.

But the Demon Pony sighs in sadness as he put the box away while mumbling, "No...after how I frightened her years ago. I have kept an eye on her, doing my best to keep her safe. But even after so many years, I doubt that she would ever want to be me. To her, I probably would never be anything...but a monster."

The Demon Pony looks away in sadness, sitting on his ruined bed while mumbling, "It's hopeless."

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The next morning, the gang is heading to where the festival will take place very soon. As they talked, Spike asks the fillies, "So, did you four girls find anything?"

"Well, so far, none." Apple Bloom said in concern. "We must've asked every pony but no chance."

"We should be..." Nyx begins to say but some pony cut her off.

"Holy Celestia," Pinkie gasps in shock. The gang looks stunned as they saw the festival area a complete wreck. The food strands has been overturned, the games and such has been trashed, it's like a tornado went through here last night!

And the festival area isn't the only place to be trashed. Ponies are talking and upset because some businesses or such has been destroyed or broken into. Something has gone wrong last night.

"What...happened?" Twilight ask with her eyes widen in horror. Nyx and her friends look concerned. That monster has been busy last night.

And now, all of Canterlot is about to find out about the presence of the Demon Pony!