Monsters, Muscles, and Madness!

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

She ran through the house, boards groaning beneath her hooves, panic turning the world into a blur. Her magic flung random doors open but they all lead to identical corridors. The house was vast, a labyrinth of warped wood, and there was no way out. It was impossible; logic dictated that if she was inside there had to be an exit, but she knew in her heart that she would never leave.

She jerked a door open and to her surprise it lead to a room, a simple windowless bedroom with a small cot. At last, something different. She moved in and locked the door behind her. It made no sense that a room with no windows would be such a comfort, but it was a relief after all those corridors.

Her comfort was short lived. Something slammed against the door with enough force to make the house tremble. She screamed, scrambling to the far corner by the cot, trying to squeeze into a small ball. Part of her urged to use her magic, but no matter how powerful she was it would be no use against the thing on the other side of the door. She could only whimper as something horrible forced its way inside.

A chunk of door splintered off and a grasping purple claw thrust through the hole, gouging the wood. The thing snarled, and tore the doorknob out. The door swung open and she beheld a massive shape, bulging with muscle and grinning with a mouth full of fangs. Her eyes moved up to the thing's face, and she saw—

Twilight Sparkle's eyes snapped open, a scream catching in her throat. She panted, her head throbbing and her back sore. There was a hard, moist surface under her back; that explained the soreness. She rolled onto her side, freeing her wings, and found herself facing long grass. She reached out to steady herself, her fingers sinking into the wet green blades...Fingers?

Sitting up, Twilight examined her forelegs and found that once again they had become forearms. Her slim fingers traced the clothes that she normally had when visiting Canterlot High, but she swore that she still had her wings. Reaching back her fingers touched the delicate Alicorn down. Well that was unusual; normally at Canterlot High her wings came out when she had to “pony up”. Her mane felt a little different too. Feeling through it, Twilight was shocked to discover her horn was still with her but now at the top of her head, pointing straight up. Even ponying up she didn't get her horn back. She focused her magic and cast a light spell, illuminating the area. Gasping, Twilight turned it off immediately. So this wasn't Canterlot High, but if not, where was she and how did she get there?

Getting to her feet, Twilight examined her surroundings. It was night and she was standing on a flat stretch of grass. What grabbed her attention was the vast building looming darkly over her. A castle-like edifice flanked with pointed spires and lined with grimacing gargoyles, the windows shaped like caskets. Twilight swallowed nervously; she hoped it only looked that way because the owner had a similar style to Princess Luna.

Under a grinning Moon she approached the front. A pair of large crimson doors stood under a pillared balcony, the steps leading up to the door flanked by squat gargoyles. Twilight ascended the stairs, her footsteps echoing sharply. Her magic pulled the doors open, swinging wide with a low groaning. Inside was dark and silent.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight entered, closing the doors behind her. Having magic and hands was quite useful; she could multitask like never before with that combination. If only she could keep her hands as a pony.

A wide corridor stretched on around her. Directly ahead was a wall with a towering grandfather clock, the corridor separating at the sides of the wall. Twilight peered down the left corridor and saw rows of small casket-shaped lockers lining the walls. A disorienting crookedness twisted the corridors, the walls leaning crazily. Twilight had to shut her eyes and lean against the wall. This place was definitely weirder than Canterlot High. Bigger too.

A door opened nearby. Twilight's eyes snapped open, her ears twitching at the sound. “Hello?” she asked. She supposed it wasn't the smartest action, but since the doors hadn't been locked she wasn't breaking the law by being there...right?

Something slowly shambled out of the open door. A girl, dressed in red and white and slouching so far back it looked painful, with a thick voluminous mane of pale blue hair held by a green hairband and grey skin. Her movements were uncoordinated and stumbling, her eyes glassy and dead behind white horn-rimmed glasses. Her ruby red lips parted and a deep, hungry moan gurgled out, a shaking arm raising toward Twilight.

Horrified, Twilight pressed up against the wall. She was looking at a reanimated corpse like out of the horror comics Spike sometimes read. Did some twisted scientist revive it and it escaped?

“Stay away from me!” she warned the zombie.

The zombie stopped, tilting its head about quizzically. It moaned again.

Twilight teleported to further down the corridor and ran at full speed, hoping more zombies weren't lurking about. Figuring out her location was going to be even more problematic with zombies hungering for her flesh on the grounds. Would she have to blast their heads with her magic? She pictured a rotten melon bursting and felt ill.

Turning a corner, Twilight was moving too fast to avoid the huge black shape directly in her path. She only had time to raise her hands to brace against hitting something very solid, something that grabbed her arm in an unyielding grip. Twilight yelped, trying to pull her arm away.

“What's all this then?” a rough voice growled. The huge figure was a man with whitish skin and a large apron slung over his vast gut. A crude leather mask covered the top of his head and upper face, and in his free hand was an immense meat cleaver. He leaned in close to Twilight, his small piggy eyes regarding her suspiciously.

“Fresh meat, eh?” The man broke into a sadistic grin, uneven stained teeth jutting from his cavernous mouth. “I don't know what you're doing running around down here for. The headmistress is on the second floor! Do you need directions?”

Twilight eyed him wearily, especially his cleaver. She had been about to blast him away when he brought the headmistress up.

“You're not gonna kill me?” she squeaked.

The man scoffed. “I ain't gonna kill you! If I killed every new student we wouldn't have much of a school now, would we? Now, I'll probably want to kill you after we get to know each other a bit better, but there's a reasonable chance I won't go through with it.”

Twilight glanced behind her, looking for any sign of zombies. “You haven't seen any zombies around here, have you?”

“Of course I have!” the man spat. “Monster High's full of undead. What kinda question is that? Now are you gonna see the headmistress or not?”

So she was at Monster High? Now she was getting somewhere.

“OK, OK! Please show me” Twilight decided that she would just have to blend in as a student once more.

“Off we go then!” The huge man dragged Twilight along, pulling her painfully up the stairs. By the time they reached the office her arm was very sore, cradling it as the man opened the door. A richly furnished office awaited Twilight, wood and glass display cases carrying books flanking a large desk with a few chairs arrayed before it. At the desk was a slim woman with pinkish-white skin with a form-fitting purple coat and short black hair, signing papers. She looked ordinary compared to the previous two Twilight encountered that night.

“Headmistress Bloodgood, this student applicant was sneaking around downstairs,” the man said. “She needs to be admitted.”

“Thank you, Hackington,” Bloodgood replied, her voice deep, almost masculine. There was a severe sort of beauty to her, very different from the gentle Principal Celestia, and she had enough purple eyeshadow to make Rarity jealous. Hackington withdrew, shutting the door behind him. Twilight took a seat.

Bloodgood's eyes flicked up to Twilight. “I can't find any record of a unicorn registering. Or should that be unicorn-harpy hybrid, Miss...?”

“Twilight Sparkle.” She forced a smile. A thousand questions whirled around her skull, especially knowing that unicorns were known at Monster High. “I didn't register, actually. I...have no where else to go, really. I found myself outside and I don't know how I got here.”

Bloodgood raised an eyebrow. “You don't know how you got here? Well, you wouldn't be the first monster to show up at our doors, no other place to turn to.” She smiled warmly. “But there's always room here at Monster High. All monsters are welcome.”

Even zombies? From the way Hackington had answered perhaps zombies weren't harmful after all.

Bloodgood continued writing as she spoke. “You wouldn't happen to have any documentation on you?”

Twilight shook her head. “Everything I own is back home, and I don't have any documentation anyway.”

“Your home is so remote that you're undocumented then?”

“I don't suppose you've heard of Equestria...” Twilight looked around the office. The bookshelves had more than books in them. Skulls were used as bookends, skulls undoubtedly the same as the one she now possessed. Twilight hoped they didn't used to belong to students who performed badly.

“Equestria?” The headmistress frowned and tapped her chin. “That sounds familiar, but we've never had a student hailing from Equestria before. Well, it's not a problem. As I said, you wouldn't be the first to show up without documentation.” Bloodgood took a sheet, scanned it, and nodded. “We shall have you enrolled but it will take a day to get all the paperwork done, so use tomorrow to get used to the campus layout. You will be staying with Clawdeen Wolf in dorm 11. The dorms can be accessed through the elevators to the catacombs.”

Twilight sighed with relief. This time she didn't need to worry about where to sleep. No more piles of books and a blanket for her! That Bloodgood might have heard of Equestria was encouraging too. “Thank you so much, Headmistress.”

Bloodgood smiled and brought her slender hands to her cheeks. Gripping her face and chin, she pulled upward, and with a soft popping sound Bloodgood's entire head and neck separated from her shoulders. As Twilight stared in shock, Bloodgood placed her head on the desk and smiled. “I prefer being called 'Headless Headmistress'.”

Twilight gave a dazed nod and quickly stumbled out of the office.

Dorm 11. Twilight glanced around nervously before rapping her knuckles against the door. There was no telling who else was lurking around the campus and she just wanted to get to her bed. Of course, she still had to meet her roommate...

The door swung open. A tall, athletic girl with rich brown skin and a thick, curly auburn mane stood in the doorway, chewing on something. Small fangs peeked from plump red lips, and like Bloodgood wore heavy purple eyeshadow. Small wolf-like ears poked from the top of her head, each pierced with a pair of gold earrings. She wore a black leather jacket with a furry white collar, a hot pink shirt with black streaks, a purple miniskirt, and purple boots that nearly reached her thighs. She lazily regarded Twilight with brilliant golden eyes. Twilight grinned timidly and waved. “Hi there!”

“Hey ghoul,” the girl answered. “Haven't seen you around here before.”

“I just enrolled. My name's Twilight Sparkle and I'm gonna be your new roommate, Clawdeen—You are Clawdeen, right?”

“Yeah, that's me.” Clawdeen moved aside and started blowing a pink bubble of gum. Twilight trotted in, finding a cozy stone room with a pair of beds, soft chairs, bookshelves, and large carved wardrobes. Clawdeen sat onto a bed littered with fabric samples and a large pair of scissors, and folded her legs. She took the scissors and began cutting at the fabric, blowing another bubble.

Twilight took a seat on the free bed and marveled how different Monster High was. Her magic felt alive here. It was like a missing link between Equestria and Canterlot High. The only sound was the snipping of Clawdeen's scissors.

At last Clawdeen raised a shimmering black blouse. She inspected it with a frown, then dropped it to the floor. The rest of the fabric she swept off the bed and she plopped down with a disgusted grunt. “It's no use,” she muttered. “I don't feel anything here. My inspiration's abandoned me.”

Twilight examined the colorful pile of fabric. “You into fashion?” she asked.

Clawdeen laughed. “Fashion is my unlife, ghoulfriend! I'm aiming to change the world of fashion and someday all the hottest monsters will be wearing my designs!”

Twilight smiled. Clawdeen didn't seem to be an alternative universe Rarity but it was comforting all the same to find someone similar to her. “Just like a friend of mine back home.”

The little wolf ears pricked up. “Really?” Clawdeen asked, eyes lighting up. “Can you get me in contact with your friend? I'd love to exchange ideas.”

“Oh, sorry, but she lives really far away,” Twilight apologized.

“No problem; just text her,” Clawdeen requested, clasping her hands together eagerly.

Twilight didn't know what Clawdeen meant but it had to be a long-distance communication technique; maybe like how Spike would send and receive letters?

“Erm...she doesn't text.”

Clawdeen's mouth dropped, one eye narrowing. Twilight cringed; evidently that wasn't a common thing to say. “Excuse me? Who doesn't text?”

“It's really remote!” Twilight blurted out. “We don't know about these things there!”

Clawdeen pouted but that explanation seemed to satisfy her. “Oh. Sorry for making a big deal out of it.”

“It's all right.” Twilight looked down at her boots. Did Spike and the others know she was missing yet? Why was she at Monster High? Furrowing her brow, Twilight tried to think about how she could end up at this place but drew a blank. What had she been doing before getting to Monster High? Try as she might Twilight couldn't remember.

“Hey.” Twilight looked up. Clawdeen held a large black jersey and a pair of purple shorts.

“You don't seem to have any other clothes,” Clawdeen said. “You wanna sleep in these? I've got other pajamas I can wear.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks Clawdeen. You're right, I don't have anything else.”

“Don't mention it,” Clawdeen replied with a toothy grin and tossed the items over. Twilight caught the clothes with her magic and laid them out on her bed.

Clawdeen gave her a nod. “Cool trick. Making new clothes would be so much easier with magic.” Her ears twitched. “I like your style too; kinda preppy chic. That that tie pin has got to go though.”

“Pin?” Twilight asked.

“On your tie,” said Clawdeen. “It's too goth; black crystal clashes with your clean cut image.”

Twilight noticed for the first time that she was wearing a necktie. Her clothes were rather different from the kind she would get upon entering Canterlot High. She had a navy blue sleeveless jumper with a lilac undershirt and slightly darker necktie. A pleated skirt the same color as her jumper replaced her Canterlot High skirt but similarly had her cutie mark printed on the left side, this one with a small hole for her tail to poke from, much like some skirts in Equestria. The boots were still the same though.

Sure enough, a sliver of black crystal was stuck through her tie. Clawdeen was right; it stood out from the rest of her outfit. She took it between thumb and forefinger. At once snatches of memories drifted through her conscience. The sliver of crystal before her on a table under a mounted magnifying glass, the sliver glowing an eerie green. Yes, that's what she had been doing before arriving at Monster High!

Twilight shut her eyes and struggled to remember what happened next, but nothing came to her. She was getting dizzy, visions from her nightmare returning to her. All those corridors and the beast chasing her. What had it looked like? Her hands trembled and the crystal sliver was freezing cold all of a sudden. She was teetering on the edge of an abyss, pitching forward...

“Twilight!” Twilight's descent was halted by warm, strong arms. Her eyes opened and she found herself staring into Clawdeen's. They were full of concern.

“Whoa, ghoul, you all right?” Clawdeen asked. “You just fainted or something.”

“I...” Twilight looked down. In her hand was the black sliver, just a piece of crystal. Even so, her skin crawled looking at it. It must have something to do with why she was at Monster High, but what? She set it on the nightstand with a soft tinkling sound, almost musical.

“Sorry for worrying for you,” Twilight said with a sheepish grin. “I just felt dizzy.”

Clawdeen returned her smile. “Get some rest then. You don't wanna be fainting in class, especially not Rotter's class.”

“Don't worry about that; I get a day off before I'm formally enrolled. I'll probably spend all day in the library.”

“Ah.” Clawdeen nodded. “Good idea.”

Twilight took the clothes Clawdeen offered her. “I guess I'll be getting ready for bed then.”

Clawdeen flashed a toothy grin. “Ghoul night then, Twilight. I can't wait to show you around town and help you with a Halloween costume.”

As Twilight changed she gave a little sigh of relief; with somepony like Clawdeen helping out then Monster High would be a little easier getting used to.

Twilight Sparkle...there is more than one of everything.

That's what the weird grey stallion in the suit and fedora had said a week before Princess Luna summoned her and her friends to the library of Starswirl the Bearded and found the prototype Crystal Mirror that lead to the reversed world where Princess Celestia was an evil tyrant and King Sombra a benevolent sovereign. Now, some time later, the words returned to Twilight.

Shadows danced on the crumbling castle walls, towering and distorted by the flickering candlelight. Cleta raised her arms, invoking the will of Mother Marte for good luck in her mission. They were about to make their first major move, and how fitting it was to begin on Halloween night!

“A glorious new age will upon both our worlds,” the young Amazona guardiana spoke rapturously, turning her eyes upward, “free from the disease that is the human race! Let the most holy of solstices usher in the era where magic rules all once more!”

“Ahem.”

Cleta turned her head. Standing under a ruined archway were the two Apostles, their black hoods and cloaks obscuring their features completely. Cleta blushed. “Oh, sorry, I forgot to thank the kegaraids. No disrespect.”

“None taken,” replied the Sixth Apostle, Funne. The newer Eighth Apostle remained silent.

Funne approached, her boots stomping loudly on the floor. “We have run into a problem,” she said in a low, monotone voice. “It appears only two of the three kegaraid seeds arrived here. I cannot feel the third one.”

Cleta pouted. “So already we're off to a bad start.” This wasn't going to look good back home. Why did this have to happen?

“Do not worry,” said Funne. “We may continue as planned but if the kegaraid seed reappears then it must be recovered.”

Cleta peered deep into flame of her candle. “Then let's give this town a Halloween they'll never forget.”

Twilight backed away as the beast once more battered away at the door. This time she was a bipedal being, cowering in the corner just like the last dream. “No, no, go away...” she whispered, feeling more like Fluttershy than herself.

The door splintered and the claw emerged, gripping the door frame hard enough to break it. Twilight's hands tightened into fists, and a sharp pain pierced her right palm. She opened her hand, and stabbing into the center of her palm was the black sliver. Her arm trembled and to her surprise it grew thicker, the muscle mass increasing several fold, to the point where it tore through her sleeve! She gasped and stood up, finding her whole body was all of a sudden packed with dense, powerful muscles. Suddenly all fear drained away. There was nothing to be afraid of—she was invincible!

The beast roared and smashed its way inside. Twilight smirked and spun her arm around like a propeller, winding up for a great big punch. She launched her blow directly into the beast's fanged face, creating a satisfying crack as knuckles meet teeth. The beast blew back comically with a pitiful howl, flying down the endless corridor.

Twilight looked at her amazing arms and grinned. This strength; is this how it felt to be Applejack or Rainbow? She had been missing out on the simple pleasures of raw power!

She raised her arms and laughed.

Twilight was still chuckling when she woke up. Her eyes focused on the ceiling, carved from grey stone. Disoriented, she blinked, expecting to wake up a second time to her crystal castle bedroom, but the night before came rushing back. Monster High. She needed to find out how she got here and how to return to Equestria.

“Sleep well?”

Twilight peered over. Clawdeen stepped out of the bathroom, rolling her lips around, her lipstick newly applied and rubbing her thick hair with a towel. She nodded. “Yes I did.”

“Glad to hear it.” Clawdeen handed her a note. “Let's meet during lunch and after class. There's a lot to show you!”

Twilight read the quick schedule. “Thanks Clawdeen.”

The wolfish girl grinned. “Don't mention it. We gotta do our part to welcome new students.”

Clawdeen left and Twilight pulled herself to a sitting position. A sharp pain suddenly stung her right palm. Twilight gasped and opened her hand. What she saw made her blood run cold.

The black sliver was jabbed into her hand. She looked to the nightstand and sure enough it wasn't where she left it.

“What are you...?” she whispered.

Author's Note

I wish I had finished this chapter before Halloween, but I was both quite busy and I didn't have the inspiration I needed in time. For all those who read my earlier Monster Muscle (now deleted from FIMFiction) this is a major rewrite of it with numerous improvements. Now I actually have a direction for the story! I wanted to go further but I worried about the chapter getting too big and missing Halloween. It looks like Twilight and Clawdeen will have to celebrate their Halloween after we do, sadly.