A Dark and Stormy Night...
“Ahhhhh!!!”
This was the same sound that had been ringing throughout the night at Twilight’s new home, the Castle of Friendship, within the large, expansive hallways, and floating around the entertainment room. Outside, it was pouring rain, almost drowning out the screams if they did reverberate enough. (Which they did not)
Cuddled up on the couch of the aforementioned room, Twilight and Spike stared with wide-eyed fear at the television screen. It was a suggestion from their friend, Rarity, to watch a certain film series and a few other movies of the same genre. The films in question? Horror, of course.
Starting around noon, the two started watching a film called Scream, which set in the mood for the rest of the evening. Fear of phones ringing for no reason, masked killers, and weird power outages at the perfect moments for the cast to be killed off one by one. It was certainly a good way to start for someone that liked a scary movie, but not so much for two that usually did not watch them. And of course, jumping to the Halloween series (the first two at least) did not help.
It implanted the idea of an unstoppable killer that could not be deterred from his objective, killing anyone that got his way and always leading for the cast to separate in fear. That was followed by a movie called Hellraiser.
And now, they found themselves watching A Nightmare on Elm Street, which felt like twisted re-imagining of Princess Luna’s job if a serial killer took over for a night. Sure, they were told that only the first one was the only one that was scary, but considering that was the one they were watching, it was horrifying to them.
“T-Twilight…? Why are we even watching these?” Spike uttered, his voice quivering. He buried his face into Twilight’s neck again, trembling.
“I-It was your idea!” Twilight said back to him, looking back to the movie. “Rarity said they were good movies… and now I-I just can’t look away.”
“I thought they’d be interesting! After all we went through, how would they scare us?” Spike exclaimed. He looked at the DVD pile, the ones they still had yet to watch, and shuddered. “Oh no, I don’t want to watch Frozen!”
“But I want to know how they’re scary,” Twilight replied with a shaky voice. “I mean, for no reason should we be scared!”
“We’ve seen enough!” Spike was reaching for the remote now. “I think we’re done! Come on, let’s watch something else! Anything else!”
“Can we at least finish this one?” Twilight asked her with a faint smile. “M-Maybe it gets better after this? Aren’t you at least curious to know how they could beat this Freddy guy?”
“Nope, I’m good!” Spike shook his head. “Unless he turns out to be nothing but a bad dream, I’m out!”
Twilight reeled back a little, admitting she was scared too, but her desire to understand what made horror so scary compelled her to watch. She suggested another movie, “Maybe this one? Children of the Corn?”
“Wasn’t that a book?” Spike blinked.
“I have no idea,” Twilight said honestly. “But should we?”
“Maybe tomorrow… when it’s daylight again,” Spike shuddered.
“Then let’s finish this one up,” Twilight smiled weakly to him, trying to get Spike to argee with her.
Spike groaned, burying his face in her shoulder again. “...Fine. But after that, I pick the next one!”
“Okay then!” Twilight nodded to that, turning her attention back to the movie.
It was a decision Spike was beginning to regret. The very moment he caught sight of the killer, the dream demon, he was terrified, moreso than nearly being overtaken by King Sombra. Once more he reached for the remote, but heard a loud crash of thunder from outside.
The entire world seemed to light up from the strike of lightning which was followed by everything shaking for a split second, as darkness covered over everything in their home. The power was killed completely as the two let out a scream.
“FREDDY’S COMING FOR US!!!” Spike screamed, clinging to Twilight tightly.
Twilight screamed with him for a moment, then pulled away, “Wait! Th-That doesn’t make any sense. He’s only able to effect dreams… Right?!”
“I’m not waiting around to find out! We have to get some light! Fast! Why does this castle have to be so dark?!” Spike exclaimed.
Twilight dug around in her pockets, flipping her phone open as a source of light. “I-I got it! Here, can you see better now? Oh, I think we have some candles in the kitchen!”
“Okay, good…” Spike sighed with relief. He took out his own phone, accessing a flashlight function. “Got mine, too!”
“I’ll go get some candles,” Twilight said with a nod, getting up from the couch. She backed away from the kitchen hallway though as she noted how dark it was. “... Unless you wanted to go get them. O-Or come with me.”
“Oh, I’m coming with you!” Spike followed her. “No way I’m staying right here!”
Twilight nodded to that, taking his hand and walking carefully to the kitchen. “C-Come on! Let’s go get some candles.”
Nodding, Spike looked all around nervously, especially behind him, as they made their way along. It was quiet, save for their heavy breathing. Even their footsteps barely made a sound on the stone flooring, to which they were uncertain about being a good or bad thing.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they came into the kitchen. The dark shadows and dimly lit spots certainly didn’t help the atmosphere. Spike looked around fearfully, as did Twilight, clutching each other’s hands.
Noticing this, Twilight directed him over to a nearby counter and placed his hand on it. “Okay, just relax now. The candles should be in this cabinet!”
Spike nodded, shining his phone toward the cabinet in question. “Okay, check it out! But open it from the sideline, in case something jumps out!”
“Now, you’re just being paranoid,” Twilight tried to scold him a little, but did exactly just that. She opened it from an angle and felt around for the candles. She found them, breathing out a sigh of relief. She pulled out a handful of them, handing them over to Spike, “Here, light them. I-I’ll, uh… wait! I’ll call someone. See if it’s a town-wide blackout!”
“I sure hope not…” Spike murmured. “You know where the matches are?”
Twilight gave him an odd look that he could not see in the dark so well. “Spike, you’re a dragon, just breathe on them.”
“It’s good to have backup,” he said with a pout. Regardless, he dutifully lit the candles with a small breath of flame. Already, the small area around them was illuminated by the extra glow of the candles.
Twilight stared down at her phone , trying to decide who she could call. Rarity might be in bed by now and Applejack most certainly was. Pinkie would most likely not care if there was no power and would be throwing some kind of party for herself and her pet, which admittedly Twilight would have enjoyed at the moment. Rainbow Dash would obviously have a back up generator of some kind while Fluttershy…
No, that seemed like the right pony to call. She was mellow most of the time, she lived in town, so if her power was out, it was a blackout, and if that was the case, she would be scared too! With that in mind, Twilight dialed her number (she had to do this twice due to a shaky hand) and waited for her to pick up.
“Come on, come on…”
After almost six rings, Fluttershy finally answered her phone much to Twilight relief, “Ugh… Hello?”
“Fluttershy! Oh, thank Celestia! Are you okay? Do you have power in your cottage?” Twilight asked with worry.
“Huh? Why were you worried?” Fluttershy asked her with confusion. “Yes, I still have power…”
“Oh, all right…” Twilight said with relief, sighing heavily. “I’m glad you’re okay, Fluttershy. So, listen, you just… you just be careful, okay? Don’t open the door for anyone, stay inside, and stay safe.”
“... What?” Fluttershy asked her once more. “Twilight… what are you talking about?”
“Don’t ask, just-just be careful, okay?” Twilight looked around herself fearfully, trying to breathe evenly.
Fluttershy sounded a little annoyed, but otherwise just exhaled. “I still don’t understand what you’re talking about, Twilight… I’m fine. Everything’s okay, I was just in the middle of something…”
Twilight tensed a little, but relaxed a little. “Well, okay. I’m sorry, Fluttershy… The power went out here and we’re a little shaken up. I guess, yeah, the storm kind of got to our heads a little bit. But I just wanted to make sure you’re okay, that’s all.”
There were a few light sounds from the background of the call, Fluttershy sounded like she was giggling a little now. “Yes, I’m fine… You girls worry too much about me. But I’m sorry about you losing power, though.”
“It’s all right,” Twilight relaxed a bit. She headed back toward the living room, with Spike in tow. “Another reason I called is because, well, you always have this way of handling tough situations. Especially like this. You’re very relaxing and helpful.”
“Oh, not really…” Fluttershy laughed a little, and there was another rustling sound. “Well… okay, maybe a little… but still, don’t worry about me anymore, okay?”
Twilight was a bit tense at hearing the noise, but managed to keep herself calm. “Okay, I won’t. I’m just glad you still have power. I have to say, lucky you! Hey, have you heard from the girls at all? I wondered if they still have power…”
Fluttershy was silent for a moment or two before responding, “I don’t know… You’re the only one who’s called me.”
“Oh, okay,” Twilight chuckled. “It hasn’t been very long, anyway. Anyway, I guess I’ll let you go. Have a good night, Fluttershy.”
“All right,” Fluttershy said with a small laugh. But then, there was a shift in her tone. “Wait… wh-what are you doing with-no… no no no!”
All at once, Twilight felt her heart drop and her stomach coil with dread. Her fingers gripped her phone harder than before. “Fluttershy?! Fluttershy, what’s wrong?! What’s going on?!”
“Is Fluttershy in trouble?!” Spike asked in a panic, hurrying over to her side and trying to listen through the phone too.
There was a scream as the call ended.
“Fluttershy?! Fluttershy?!” Twilight uttered in horror, despite that the call was ended. She tried to call her again, but her fingers fumbled and the phone fell to the couch. Letting out a stream of curses, she grabbed it and attempted to dial once more. Unfortunately, her attempts were fruitless the first couple of times.
Finally, she managed to access Fluttershy’s contact information and speed-dialed instead.
“We’re sorry, the customer you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please hang up and try again later.”
“Oh, no…” Twilight nearly dropped the phone again, her blood running cold. “Oh, no! Oh no! Spike, this is terrible! Fluttershy is in trouble!”
“What?!” Spike shouted, almost dropping the candle he was holding. “We gotta- we should call the others! Form a search team!”
Twilight nodded in agreement, already searching her phone contacts. “Right! I’ll call the girls! Spike, you take a letter and let Princess Celestia know what’s happening! Call her in to-no! Just tell her to stand by until we know more!”
Spike nodded, going for his phone. “R-Right! I’ll call, uh- I’ll call Rarity and AJ! You call Pinkie and Rainbow! And the Princess!”
“Right! Let’s do this, now!”
It was a wonder anything had gotten done. But thankfully, the tasks were carried out. Twilight, along with Spike, sat in their respective thrones around the Cutie Map. Sitting with them were Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. Neither of them were sure what to say at the moment, but the subject of why they were there weighed heavily on their minds.
Twilight looked down at her phone, attempting to call Rainbow Dash again. Of course, it went straight to voicemail. She sighed, not bothering to leave another message, as she’d already left two. “She’s still not answering her phone.”
“Well, if she ain’t gonna answer, why don’t ya tell us why ya called us all up at ten o’clock at night?” Applejack said with an annoyed grunt. She was the least understanding when it came to late night phone calls from anyone, less so when they call her and tell her to leave home and come over with total fear in their voice, but refuses to tell her why.
“I’m getting to that,” Twilight said with a sigh. “I didn’t want to tell you girls until we were all together. But I’m not going to beat around the bush. Fluttershy is in trouble and we have to go and help her!”
Rarity’s eyes widened in alarm. “What?! Darling, you should have said so earlier! Goodness, this is horrid! What kind of trouble?! You must tell us more!”
“I am!” Twilight held her hands up. “I don’t know what happened to her, but I don’t think it’s anything good! I was speaking to her over the phone, and she seemed fine. She even had power! But then, she suddenly started yelling ‘No!’ repeatedly, and sounded distressed. I’m not sure what was going on, but I think she’s in danger!”
“Are you sure?” Pinkie asked her friend back. “I mean, it could have just been a misunderstanding!”
“Pinkie, you don’t understand!” Spike shouted over to her. “She was screaming! Something must have happened!”
“I don’t want to take any chances, Pinkie!” Twilight exclaimed. “I’d rather find out I was wrong than to sit back and do nothing because it might be a misunderstanding! Whatever happens, we have to go and investigate!”
Rarity sighed, but nodded, “As much as I do not wish to jump to conclusions… I do think it would be better if we were to look into this.”
“Okey-dokey-lokey!” Pinkie said with a shrug and a smile. “So let’s do it! We’ll go see Flutter-butter and make sure she’s okay!”
“But how do ya plan on doin’ that?” Applejack asked the group. “Do we just show up at her house or what? Shouldn’t we- Ah don’t know- call the guard or somethin’?”
“I think we should go over there ourselves, first. Then if we need to, we’ll call the guards,” Twilight reasoned.
“This is startin’ to sound like a cheesy scream flick,” Applejack shook her head. “All right, let’s get goin’! If there is somethin’ goin’ on, let’s get there soon!”
“Right!” Twilight stood up then, “Let’s go, everyone! We don’t have another moment to lose!”
They wasted no time, gathering the materials Twilight had brought out before their arrival and heading out. Spike followed along this time, refusing to be left behind. Of course, it was still storming outside something fierce. Even the thunder and lightning didn’t seem to be letting up as they traversed along. Armed with flashlights, raincoats and umbrellas, Twilight and company dashed along the dark streets of the town.
Boots and shoes splashed in the wet dirt and grass, stomping through puddles noisily. They didn’t stop for anything, as they were now running on what felt like pure adrenaline. All except Pinkie, who was, for some reason, running backwards. Diligently.
Applejack also seemed be an exception to this as well, considering she was bringing up the rear. Then again, she was also not completely convinced of the dire extremity of the situation either. At best, she was doing this out of mild concern and annoyance at the rest of her friends for dragging her along for the ride.
And despite fearing for her friend’s safety, Rarity did her best to avoid any and all puddles, especially anything that looked like it would get mud on her. Eventually, it turned into her mocking the opposite of Pinkie who usually aimed for splashing around in them, hopping with each step until it seemed to bother Applejack enough to curse, place her own hat on Rarity’s head, and pick her up off the ground while saying, “Just… stop hoppin’ around, dangit!”
“Darling, these are brand new boots! I shall not have them covered in dirt!” Rarity protested, blushing now. She adjusted Applejack’s hat, averting her gaze slightly.
“Ah don’t care!” Applejack said in a slight shout, even a small blush. “Just stop! If Ah gotta carry ya to stop you, then so be it! Darn…”
Rarity squirmed a little bit, “Honestly, it will just slow you down! Now put me back down this instant!”
“No!” Applejack countered. “You’ll slow me down more bouncin’ around in front of me like that, so deal with it!”
“Applejack, Rarity!” Pinkie called back to them from the front. “This is no time for your pent up sexual frustrations in one another! Come to a happy medium, agree to continue it later, save Flutter-butter who may or may not be in danger, and buck one another silly in the back of Rarity’s shop afterward! Easy peasy, lemon squeasy! Now, come on!”
Both Rarity and Applejack had no response to that, to which they avoided each other’s gazes. While Twilight had the inkling to laugh at this display, her mind was elsewhere. All she could focus on was making sure that Fluttershy was okay. A part of her did hope that it was a simple misunderstanding, that there was absolutely nothing to worry with her. But the nagging doubt did not cease one little bit. It didn’t help that this was all coupled with the power failure, the storm, and the effects the scary movies had on her and Spike.
“Oh man, you guys don’t think Fluttershy has a poltergeist intrusion, right?” Spike spoke up then as a new theory to what was going on popped in his mind. “What if it is?! What if her cottage was built on burial grounds and they punched a hole through the dimensions?! If we get there, we might be too late!”
Normally, Twilight would’ve written that off as nonsense. Especially since they’d seen a movie with that very concept in mind just hours ago. However, she shuddered at the very idea, wondering if it was indeed a possibility. “I don’t know, Spike! But I hope that won’t be the case! It would be a whole other area that’s above my paygrade!”
“And totes not possible!” Pinkie laughed a little on the manic side. “Poltergeists, which just means noisy ghost really, don’t just pop up like that! If she had one, we’d have known waaaaaayyy long before this! Plus, even if she picked up a cursed or haunted object- which I totally doubt bee-tee-dubs, that would be a demonic being! And Flutters is smart enough to not do that! If you’re gonna play with horror cliches, at least make sure they fit into the situation!”
“I’m just saying we have to be prepared for everything!” Spike called back to her. “We gotta cover the bases!”
Pinkie just laughed at him, “You’re such a baby, Spike! Don’t worry, it’s not as if the Slender Man is standing behind you right now.”
All at once, Spike tensed, and dared take a look behind him. Nothing, just Applejack running with Rarity in her arms. He heaved a sigh of relief, turning his attention to the front once again.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Pinkie!” Twilight said, despite that she was also looking behind her. “I think there would be very different circumstances if that were the case!”
“My point exactly!” Pinkie said in a haughty tone.
“We can cross that bridge when we arrive!” Rarity called to the group. “And for the last time, Applejack, put me down!”
“And fer the last time, no!” Applejack retorted. “Yer gonna slow us down more on foot than me carryin’ you! Besides, yer light as a feather! It’s fine!”
Twilight groaned to herself as she heard the two continuing to bicker behind them. But it was at this point that they were nearing Fluttershy’s cottage, much to her relief. However, it was short-lived. She couldn’t see from the distance, but it seemed that the cottage was dark. Fear, dread, and confusion were now coiling in her gut. Her mind was awry with questions of the possibilities. Nonetheless, she pressed on, breaking into a faster run as they neared the path.
As they headed toward the cottage, it was then that Twilight could see she was right. There were no lights on. Not even the porch light. She gulped nervously, turning to her friends as they slowed down slightly.
“Okay, girls… we’re here,” Twilight said, as if they needed to know. “We should probably tread carefully, now. Turn off your flashlights!”
They all did so, carefully approaching the cottage, now huddled closer together. Applejack even set Rarity down so she could walk alongside them. Twilight led the way this time, keeping her eyes focused on the dark windows. Dread continued to coil within her stomach, to which she swallowed hard. The rain continued falling all around them, the thunder crashing loudly in the distance, startling them slightly.
Eventually, they reached the front door. Spike looked up at Twilight, quietly urging her to try the door. She gave the same look to him as well, neither of them really wanting to test the door. Sighing heavily, Twilight stepped forward and gingerly turned the knob.
It was unlocked. Twilight wasn’t sure this was good or not, and slowly pulled it open. Thankfully, it didn’t omit a loud creaking noise. But the wind picked up, pulling it open a lot faster than she expected, which took her by surprise. As she steadied her hold, they all peered into the dark cottage.
There were no signs of life, not even any of Fluttershy’s animal friends. Quietly, they all stepped inside, keeping their eyes on the shadowy corners. There wasn’t a sound in the entire place, aside from their breathing. Slowly, they stepped inside the cottage, and Twilight quietly closed the door. Whether it was to make sure she wouldn’t cause a ruckus or because of the horror cliche, she wasn’t sure.
“Now what?” Spike whispered. “We’re inside… And it’s really quiet. Is she even home?”
“I… I don’t know…” Twilight whispered back to him, looking over to the rest of the group. “Any ideas?”
“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to try to find Fluttershy, darlings?” Rarity suggested. The rest of the them nodded in agreement to that, but were soon jolted out of their collective skins as they heard someone coming down the stairs. None of them too clearly now, the group rushed in silence into the darkness of their friend’s living room. Each of them hiding behind the couch or chair here and there.
A shadowy figure silhouetted in the darkness and dim light came down the stairs. Thankfully, the figure seemed unaware of the hidden guests. The person sighed, heading toward the kitchen. Twilight peered up just as the figure disappeared from sight, trying to get something of a better look.
“What was that?” Spike whispered.
“I don’t know…” Twilight whispered back, “but I think it was whoever might’ve attacked Fluttershy!”
“How can you even be so sure?” Rarity whispered. “Perhaps it’s her.”
“No, Fluttershy’s taller than that! This guy’s shorter!” Spike shook his head.
“Shhh!” Pinkie whispered, hushing the entire group. “We’re gonna get caught if you guys keep talking!”
Applejack nodded to that as well, placing a finger up to her lips to signal silence.
The water was turned on in the kitchen, which effectively perked them up. Twilight crept up from around the couch, slowly making her way to the kitchen doorway. Spike followed her, keeping right behind her.
“Darn it, she got it all over me…” A voice said from the kitchen.
Twilight’s eyes went wide as she tensed. She knew that voice. Looking at Spike and her friends, she mouthed, “That’s Rainbow Dash!” before listening in further.
“Oh well, she’s definitely a screamer after all these years,” said their friend in a low chuckle. “I just wish she didn’t struggle so darn much. But I guess that’s what the handcuffs were for! Still… I can’t believe she didn’t see it coming.”
With her blood running cold, Twilight turned to her friends in pure horror. She didn’t want to believe it, but it was all adding up, now. Spike clung to her in fright, trembling a little bit. Peering around the doorway, she came upon the sight of a shadowy Rainbow Dash standing at the sink. While placing a large knife back into its spot in the rack.
“Heh… I didn’t even think it’d be this awesome,” Rainbow said from the kitchen, laughing a bit to herself.
Spike was shaking now, shutting his eyes tightly. He even covered his ears to block out her words, not willing to believe it. Rarity had placed her head into Applejack’s shoulder as she stared into the dark, unable to think of what she could say. Twilight was beside herself, completely horrified at this point. Everything was happening too fast, too horrifically.
“This is horrible…” Twilight whispered, holding Spike to her. “We were too late…”
Before anyone could say or do anything, the footsteps approached. Way too fast, in fact. Because within a second or two, Rainbow Dash was in the living room. She now looked over at them, clearly blinking and adjusting her eyes to the darkness. Then she reached over to the wall, turning on the light and illuminated the room completely. Gasps of surprise from the sudden blinding light startled the other girls, shielding their eyes.
“What are you guys doing here?!” Rainbow exclaimed, sounding shocked and annoyed.
The group froze as their collective gazes up at their old friend’s form. She was standing there, holding a glass of water in her hand, and oddly enough, wearing a baggy yellow sweater. One of Fluttershy’s sweaters. Her legs were bare, indicating she was probably wearing little else. But that had not changed their physical reaction of fear. There was total silence for a time, before Spike shouted like a maniac.
“M-Murderer!”
The rest of the group gave out similar cries, namely Rarity who said something along the line of “How could you be so cruel!” or close to that effect. In a blind fear, Twilight grabbed Pinkie’s hand and took off up the stairs screaming as the rest did the same (Pinkie being surprisingly quiet for a moment of sheer horror, Twilight would later note) as their friend started to yell at them.
“Wh-What the heck, guys?!! Hey- don’t you dare go up there!!”
The warning was unheeded as Spike, Rarity, and Applejack hurried up the stairs after them. Anything to escape from Rainbow’s (alleged) murderous intent. Twilight made a beeline for the first door she could see, which was partly ajar and had a small stream of light coming from it. She pushed it open, expecting to find a horrific sight that she couldn’t even bear to imagine. Upon entering the room, they all gathered behind Twilight, adjusting their eyes to the small but still bright light of the bedside lamp.
A loud shriek of surprise sounded right from the bed, followed by an annoyed, “What are you girls doing in here?!”
The moment everyone stopped to see the source of voice had the entire group gasping at the same time. That was definitely Fluttershy’s voice. In fact, it was Fluttershy. She was still in her bed, covering up with her blanket in fear of them walking in on her. Just about everyone was stunned at this point, but the silence was broken the moment Rainbow Dash came into the room as well. She looked at all of them with a glare, even standing in front of Fluttershy on the bed as if to shield her from them.
“Ohhhhhh, so you didn’t just commit some kinda horror-related plot twist!” Pinkie said with a big, wide smile.
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, feeling pretty dumbfounded. She looked between Rainbow and Fluttershy, trying to make sense of everything. “I… we… well I… what’s going on?”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Rainbow spat. “What you need to do right now is explain why you’re all here unannounced!”
“...Why are we here again?” Applejack looked over to Twilight with a confused expression. “Ah mean, you did tell us some of it, but what made ya think she was in trouble?”
“Who?” Fluttershy asked from behind her covers. “What… What are you all talking about?”
Twilight blushed as she looked away, acting like she was wanting to hide behind Spike. “Well, when I called Fluttershy earlier tonight… the call died when she screamed. It worried me and, well, I might have overreacted.”
“Urgh,” Rainbow sighed with annoyance, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “That was because I told her to get off the phone!”
“Why was that?” Rarity asked, sounding relieved, but still a little bit confused.
“... Are you kidding?!” Rainbow shouted at them, gesturing at her very minimal clothes and then at Fluttershy.
Pinkie ended up laughing wildly at this, “Sexual innuendos! I get it! You two were bumping boots, rolling in the hay, muff diving, sexing it up, engaging in coitus, getting kinky in the bedroom, and most importantly, makin’ lovin's!”
Twilight blushed heavily, suddenly realizing what all of this now meant, “...Oh.”
“Even without that, tonight’s our date night,” Rainbow said with a groan. “We were kinda hoping to have alone time.”
Applejack blinked a few times, then very slowly facepalmed. “Ya mean that ya didn’t even know if she was in trouble before ya called us over? And you two,” Applejack pointed over to Rainbow and Fluttershy, “happen to be a thing now? Okay. Ah can live with that. But can someone else explain to me why we’re here now?”
“Like I said… I overreacted,” Twilight said guiltily, “I couldn’t even reach Fluttershy, and you weren’t answering your phone, Rainbow.”
“That’s ‘cause I left my phone on silent and Fluttershy turned off hers,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. “See? She’s fine, I’m fine, we’re both fine.”
“B-But… the scream!” Spike tried to make sense of things. “Even I heard it! What was that all about then?”
Fluttershy spoke up now, “It was because Rainbow took me by surprise. Now girls, I appreciate you coming to check on me, but I’m fine. Twilight, if, by chance, I was in trouble, I would’ve made that clear. Now, I’d like you all to leave. We’re busy.”
“I second that,” Rainbow said, crossing her arms. “I didn’t just put this storm into the schedule because we needed it, ya know.”
“Okay! We understand that you two need sexy time!” Pinkie giggled, waving at them, “Toodles!”
Twilight looked among her friends as they all exchanged glances. But rather than argue or drag this out further, they nodded and exited the room. Of course, the moment they did, the door slammed shut behind them. Heading downstairs, none of them spoke a word, aside from incoherent grumbles. Twilight opened the door, allowing her friends to step outside first before she followed after.
“I cannot believe we wasted our time,” Rarity sighed, opening her umbrella. “While I am relieved that Fluttershy is all right… This was absolutely humiliating!”
Applejack hid in her face in her hat, “Ah knew this was stupid.”
“It’s okay! It was still fun! And at least we know the truth about Dashie and Flutters!” Pinkie grinned widely.
Sighing a bit, Twilight shook her head and followed after her friends, “I’d better tell Princess Celestia everything’s fine…”
“And?” Spike prompted.
“And that watching horror movies in the middle of the night is a silly idea.”
“And?”
“And that I should double check to make sure my friend is actually in trouble.”
“And?”
“And that I shouldn’t waste my friends’ time on a weak assumption.”
“Well,” Rarity threw in, “that’s only partly true. I suppose it is better to be wrong about a situation than it is to be right and too late.”
“Ah s’ppose so,” Applejack muttered. “Either way, Ah’m goin’ back to bed. It better be the dang rooster wakin’ me up, or else Ah ain’t movin’.”
Twilight blushed with embarrassment, “Yes… But still. I’m so sorry, girls. This was all my fault to begin with. I overreacted and let my fears get the better of me.”
“We were watching horror movies,” Spike explained, rubbing his nose. “We’re not doing that in the middle of the night again. Especially not during a storm!”
“Are you sure we can’t watch one more? I still want to check out Children of the Corn,” Twilight said sheepishly.
“NO!” Everyone chorused loudly.
