The Strangefolk and the Mountain

Once upon a time at the foot of a great mountain, there was a town where the ponies known as Happyfolk lived, their very existence a mystery to the rest of the world, obscured as it was by great clouds. Here they played out their peaceful lives, innocent of the litany of excess and violence that was growing in the world below. To live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called Monkey was enough.
Then, one day, Strangefolk arrived in the town. They came in camouflage, hidden behind dark masks, but no one noticed them: they only saw shadows. Without the the truth in the eyes, the Happyfolk were blind.
In time, the Strangefolk found their way through the town and into the higher reaches of the mountain, and it was there that they found great caves of unimaginable sincerity and beauty. By chance, they stumbled upon a place where good souls would come to rest, with treasure of travelers past abound. The Strangefolk coveted the jewels in these caves above all things, and soon they began to silently mine the mountain, its rich seam of gems fueling the chaos of their own world far beyond.
Meanwhile, down in the town, the Happyfolk slept restlessly, their dreams invaded by shadowy figures digging away at their souls. Every day, they would wake and stare at the top of the Monkey. Why was it bringing darkness into their lives? they asked themselves. They had no answer, and the Monkey had never brought discord to them before.
And as the Strangefolk mined deeper and deeper into the mountain, cracks and holes began to appear, bringing with them a cold and bitter wind that chilled the very soul of the Monkey. For the first time, the Happyfolk felt fearful, for they knew, as the Strangefolk did not, that soon the Monkey would stir from its deep sleep.
And then came a sound. Distant at first, it grew into a cacophony so immense it could be heard far away across the far reaches of the world.
There were no screams. There was no time.
The mountain called Monkey had spoken.
There was only fire.
And then, nothing.