Okay, still sorting out my out of sequence postings here on FA. This should've gone right after Holiday tidings http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8818686/ but things got out of order. Now we are back on track.


The mood on the evening of Hearth's Warming had suddenly become a lot more somber in my Equestria Dreamscape as Zecora, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy along with myself and Petina gathered in the study of Twilight's original home in Canterlot. The day had already been eventful with the unexpected appearance of Captain Firewing bearing a letter from the Royal Sister for Twilight with instructions concerning how they wanted the continuing investigation of Applebloom's condition to proceed. Then as we had gathered around the table for dinner the zebra mare had arrived bearing a letter from her elders in the distant south concerning the same question. The nature of their response was startling enough that Zecora had traveled immediately to Canterlot through the winter snow to deliver the news herself.

The main desk and table were cleared in the study, and gas lamps lit along with a glass oil lamp that rested on desk. After Twilight's mother brought in our meals and left, Zecora removed from her satchel a scroll letter along a couple drawings and a very old dusty book with pages made of some unknown leaves and bound in thick tree bark and set them on the table. The book had the appearance of great antiquity to it. The zebra alchemist then began to explain what the significance of these items represented. At this point if you are hoping for paragraphs of zebra rhyme you will be disappointed because my subconscious is just not that great at spinning rhymes. Zecora began to speak.

"When I first saw the various pictograms and runes in Applebloom's room http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8083765/ they seemed vaguely familiar to me as if I had seen something like them during my schooling in my homeland. Also Applebloom's actions at my cottage http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8072602/ during her stay over reminded me of tales I had heard while growing up. I made copies of several of the sketches I had seen and along with the other information I had gathered from the doctors and eyewitnesses and sent them to my old instructor and the master of my order." She got a distant look in her eyes as she gazed off into nothing for a second.

"Even with the benefit of a fast pegasi courier I am amazed at how quickly a reply came, and what the order was willing to entrust into my care." She tapped her right front hoof at the scroll letter causing the heavy gold bracelets on her leg to jingle slightly. "This is a letter from the Grand Master of the enclave. Upon reading my description of Applebloom's condition he personally organized a search through the enclave's archives and was able to find the following document that verified both our suspicions."

Zecora paused and looked around the at everyone gathered there.

"My dear ponies, Applebloom is in terrible danger and we will have to act decisively if we are to save her." The Grand Master was able to locate this book." Zecora pointed to the old tome on the table. "It documents the fall of the kingdom of Boswatso over 800 years ago. It was written by the last surviving member of that royal family, and gives the reason for the collapse of the kingdom.

" Twilight suddenly looked surprised. "You mean the great kingdom of zebras that unified all of the zebra tribes and made the first contact and trade with Equestria?"

The zebra mare nodded and smiled. "Ah Twilight you are well read in the histories. Yes Boswatso was once the mightiest kingdoms on my continent. It was during the reign of the great zebra king Zekolo that Boswatso sent its first delegation to a Equestria. In charge of that delegation was King Zekolo's only offspring Prince Seehufu."

Zecora paused in her presentation and shuffled some hastily prepared notes. "I of course have not read the entire book; although did give it a quick skim on the train coming to Canterlot. However the Grand Master and his pupils did draft a general outline of the book. I don't know what Celestia's memories of this visit are, but it appears to have gone well for all concerned. Seehufu spent four months in Equestria, during that time he toured Celestia's lands and visited many cities and places of interest. He even explored parts of the Everfree Forest and the ruins of the former capital of Equestria, Everfree. Both parties found the other agreeable and a trade treaty was soon on its way back to King Zekolo's palace. When his son returned he was given a welcome worthy of a triumphant hero. His father was very pleased and the kingdom was soon even richer because of the trade with Equestria."

Zecora sighed then looked at her notes again. "However within a few months of Prince Seehufu's return, he suddenly experienced a violent set of seizures and fits of hysteria. He was bed ridden for several weeks and during that time he had bouts of delirium in which he would scream that the shadows in the room were talking to him and that they would move of there own accord." The room was completely quiet now except for hissing of the oil lamps. Even Pinkie Pie sat motionless as Zecora continued her presentation. "The prince eventually recovered but it was soon apparent that the supposed illness had left a permanent mark on him. Those close to him started to note that he had become much more withdrawn, evasive and distrustful. The prince began to spend hours in the palace library reading every book, scroll and tablet he could come across. Now Seehufu was a well educated prince but he soon began exhibiting knowledge, skills and abilities that he had never demonstrated before. He became obsessed with mathematics, astronomy and alchemy. He locked himself in his chambers for days on end writing bizarre cryptic and often indecipherable works.

Zecora stopped in hers presentation and looked at Twilight, Petina and I.

"Would this sound like anyone we know right now?" She continued. "Over the next year Prince Seehufu continued in his duties to the crown, but those originally assigned to him found it increasingly difficult to perform their duties to him. Most felt an indescribable sense of dread in his presence. Also about this time there were reports of zebras being found dead in the countryside with the blood drained from their bodies and various internal organs missing from them to."

Fluttershy who up this point had sat quietly made a small terrified squeak.

"You aren't saying that Applebloom, um, has been killing all those animals."

"Those?" said Twilight looking at yellow pegasi with alarm. "As in plural? Fluttershy have you discovered more dead animals like Little Hops? http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8143691/ Why didn't you tell me this!"

The pegasi mare sank beneath the table slowly. "Well, um, I haven't actually found anymore bodies but several of the burrows around my cottage I have found signs of a struggle and something like a body having been drug out. Also I have traces of spilled blood in some locations. I haven't had a chance to look inside them to determine what condition the inhabitants in them is but I fear the worse."

"Wait just a minute!" Said Pinkie Pie. "Are you girls saying Applebloom has turned into some blood-sucking pony fiend! That is just freaky!"

"No not yet." Said the purple unicorn mare. "But the evidence is starting to lean in that direction."

At this point Rarity started looking nervously around the table then she sighed dramatically. "I wonder this if has anything to do with that nasty scar on Applebloom's forehead?" http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8304475/

Twilight groaned and banged her own forehead on the table. "When did you find this fact out Rarity dear!" Said Twilight without lifting her head from the hardwood.

"Oh it was only recently I learned of it. Applebloom claimed it happened at the hospital when you gave her the truth potion http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8000735/ , but Applejack didn't remember the doctor saying anything about."

Twilight looked up Rarity and then to the ceiling as she searched for calm and restraint. "And why didn't you or Applejack mention this to anyone!" Growled Celestia's star pupil.

"Well." Said Rarity slowly rolling one of the curls of her mane around her hoof. "Applebloom asked that we would not talk about with any other pony since she felt was already the subject of enough gossip and I didn't want to betray her trust."

The room echoed with sound of Twilight's forehead colliding with the hardwood again. "Please continue if you would Zecora." Said the purple unicorn without raising her head.

The Zebra Mare once again consulted her notes then proceeded. "As time went on the Prince became more belligerent to his father and began to openly oppose his policies and laws. The prince began to gather those in the palace who were favorable of his ideas. Eventually he formed secret cadre of nobles, officials and officers in the army who were loyal to him. The king knew this was happening but did not want throw his only son and child into the dungeon if some more amicable solution might exist."

Zecora closed her eyes as she spoke the next part. "Unfortunately King Zekolo did not get his wish. He was found one morning by his servants dead in his bed. He had been bled dry by a large puncture wound to the throat and his heart had been ripped out of his chest. Prince Seehufu was the immediate heir to the throne and upon his accession to the throne he had every member of the Royal family along with most of the former king's loyal staff and officers arrested and thrown the palace dungeons on assorted trumped up charges. None of them were ever seen again."

Zecora pushed the notes away. "I won't bore you with all of other the details, but the short version is that King Seehufu then embarked upon a series of poorly conceived invasions and wars. The results were economic and political ruin for the kingdom of Boswatso. However the young king seemed not to care, and even though the realm was falling into ruin he continued to recruit an ever growing number of individuals who fanatically carried out his wishes and demands. These followers began to see him as not just their king but as some being of a higher nature, and they began to worship him and make offering directly to him." Zecora shuddered. "There were rumors of zebras being sacrificed and their blood being drained in honor of king Seehufu. In the end they said his shadow could move its own accord and talk to him a language only he could understand. Eventually though this tyrant and his army was brought down by his neighbors and the kingdom of Boswatso ceased to exist."

At this point Zecora picked up with her lips the drawing she had made of Applebloom's sketch of the Vortex of Heaven. "Which brings us to the last piece of news I have to present. I sent a copy of this sketch to the Grand Master." Grasping another drawing in her mouth the zebra laid it side by side. They were disturbingly close. "This drawing is from zebra culture and it is taboo to draw it under most circumstances. It symbolically represents the being Hiccahorrilkla. in my culture Hiccahorrilka existed from almost the beginning of the universe. Hiccahorrilka attempted to obtain complete control over the very forces that brought universe into existence. Attempting this drove Hiccahorrilka utterly insane and as the it's power grew the other great spirits of the heavens became horrified what Hiccahorrilka had become. Hiccahorrilka was already too strong for the other spirits to kill. They could only attempt to imprison Hiccahorrilka. Combining their powers they restrained the monstrosity and hurled it into a star in a corner of the heavens. The power of their spell destroyed the star and created a pit of endless depth in the heavens. Anything falls into it is never seen from again." Twilight was staring at the drawing with increasing horror. "The elders believe that Hiccahorrilka is still falling in that bottomless pit and so long as spell remains untampered the being will continue to fall until the end of time." Zecora finished her presentation with one last bit of data. "The place where zebras believe the pit exists is in the part of the night sky that ponies call the Griffin's Claw." http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8795982/

Through all this I had sat quietly and listened to others speak. Even Petina had been surprisingly silent. As I processed the information I felt memories slowly percolating up to my conscious mind. They were not memories of my own, but phantoms remnants of Paynes Grey http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6136875/ the pony who had brought me originally to Equestria many months ago http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6406252/ . They were verses and ideas from his story The Kingdom Shadows. "Deception." I said slowly looking down at the table. "It's a Deception."

Twilight looked at me. "Sky Brush you don't believe that Zecora or the Grand Master are actually lying to us do you?"

I shook my head. "No, you don't understand the being possessing Applebloom is called a Deception. It is a creature of vast power and magic that served the Lord of Shadows." Twilight's forehead had another collision with the hardwood. "It is not a perfect description but Deceptions are living lies that have minds of their own but no permanent physical form although they can take on physical features. They can enter a pony and then slowly bend that ponies mind to do the Lord of Shadows http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6397186/ bidding. In the book Deceptions were used to possess ponies of power and influence to make turn against any pony who was trying to resist the Lord of Shadows."

Rainbow Dash suddenly looked annoyed at me. "And how long have you known this Brick, and when were you planning on telling us this!"

I shook my head slowly. "It is not like I was withholding information on purpose. However as I sat here and listened to Zecora I became aware of thoughts from the unicorn stallion who brought me to Equestria. Paynes Grey. These are not my own memories.

" Whoa!" Said Dash. "So right now you have some dead ponies thoughts and ideas running through your mind? Creepy."

Twilight coughed, her forehead still firmly planted on the table "Getting back on topic. Sky Brush what else can you remember about Deceptions?"

I searched my mind and frantically grabbed every thought I could find related to them. "They were not enslaved to the Lord of Shadows unlike most who served him. They served the Lord of Shadows only because they saw it as being to their advantage because the Lord of Shadows was able to open the gate that let them pass from the Land of Shadows into the realm of Ponies. One of the few magical things they could not do themselves. There they found veritable bounty of minds they could deceive, despoil, corrupt and manipulate. They feed off that. The more they can twist some other being to their whim the more satisfied they are." I slowly got a bad feeling as another thought floated to the surface of my conscious mind. " Also they could gain more power in a world by forcing their host to drink the blood and eat parts of the beings in the realm they were inhabiting. The more advanced the being was in that world the greater the Deceptions connection to that world would be. They are powerful magic users in their own right. The Lord of Shadows found them useful but was not entirely comfortable with them because he could not entirely know their motivations or loyalties to him, but they were so useful that he tolerated their freedom." I unfortunately don't think Paynes ever wrote about how you could destroy one of them without killing the host. Sorry."

Twilight slowly lifted her head off the table. "Well now we know better what we're up against and what the stakes are. Anyone have an solution to the problem?" Sorry if this post is so long but it was a chunky dream.