Twilight Sparkle and Rarity blissfully trotted along together in the warmth provided by the bright, shining sun that hung lazily over them. The two ponies had been wonderful friends ever since Twilight first arrived in Ponyville, but they never actually spent time together alone, just the two of them. Twilight brought up that troubling fact one day, and then the next they were happily talking as they cantered through Ponyville. Rarity spoke, in her usual, airy voice. "Isn't the weather simply marvelous for a stroll through Ponyville?" Twilight nodded in agreement and squinted up towards the sun. "Yes, it definitely is, although I vaguely remember Rainbow Dash mentioning something about a planned thunder storm." Rarity held a hoof against her chest and gasped in shock, "And ruin what is shaping up to be another fabulous day? I think not, Twilight! You, my dear, worry a tad bit too much." Twilight shrugged and they discontinued their conversation about the weather. Which was fine with both of them, really. Talking about the weather was Granny Smith-Apple's thing.
The two friends continued walking, now on the topic of fashion! This conversation, of course, was forced to fruitation by none-other-than Rarity, but Twilight was simply happy to listen to her jabber on. Sometimes it was nice to be able to listen to somepony else talk for a change. As Rarity continued to infect the quiet of nature with her voice, Twilight noticed that they were leaving Ponyville. Twilight began, "Uhm, Rarity?" Rarity didn't seem to hear her as she babbled, "-and that's when I realized that a top-stitch was definitely the appropriate way to go for that particular dress." Twilight, who felt slightly disheartened at her friends lack of attentiveness, tried to gain her attention once more as they wandered further away from the safety of their homes. "Rarity, I think we should-"
"So that's when I told that hustling pony, "My dear, I can't part with this dress for only forty bits! This is the work...of Rarity!" she thrusted her hoof towards the sun dramatically as she yelled out her own name. She continued, "I tell you, darling, that pony looked rather fabulous in my dress, but forty bits!! The gems I decorated the dress with were worth more than forty bits alone!" Twilight slapped a hoof to her face and slowly dragged it down in frustration. She thought to herself, "Calm down, Twilight. Don't yell at her.. Yelling only makes everything worse." After a few minutes, Twilight Sparkle tried to politely gain the attention of her currently self-absorbed friend. "Rarity, Ponyville is-"
"I mean honestly! How could she say that of moi? I didn't even know what a fillyfooler WAS until she brought it up!" Rarity continued to babble as Twilight's face began to turn different shades of purple. How can a mare be so unaware!? Twilight jumped up and down and shouted as loudly, and rudely as her lungs could manage, "RARITY!!" Twilight yelled her name out until she was breathless and gasping for air. Rarity stood agasp at the rudeness of her friend. One does not simply interrupt Rarity when she's talking about fashion! "Twilight Sparkle, if you wanted to say something, all you had to do was wait for me to finish," Rarity scolded. Twilight stared angrily into Rarity's eyes, "By the time you would have finished, we'd be in Canterlot before I got a word in!" Rarity, once again, gasped in shock. "My dear, are you insinuating that I, Rarity, are a blabber-mouth?"
Twilight quickly regained her composure and said reassuringly, "No, of course not, Rarity. It was just imperative that I tell you that while you were talking about fashion," she stopped and quickly added, "which I found so very fascinating, we seemed to have wandered quite a ways from Ponyville. We should turn back, yes?" Rarity glanced over her shoulder and saw that Ponyville was on the far horizon. "Oh dear, you're right! We should turn back immediately! Why didn't you say something earlier?" Twilight grinded her teeth together loudly and said, "Oh well, I was so interested in-" Rarity cut her off, "So, as I was saying before you interrupted, I told her that my friends were nothing more than friends, and to leave it at that!" Twilight's eye twitched violently, but she exhaled a deep gust of breath and smiled as she listened to the marshmallowey mare talk.
The two ponies trotted towards Ponyville, with Rarity continuing her trivial banter, and Twilight allowing her mind to wander. "When I get home, I should definitely have Spike find that book of mine on how to tolerate annoying ponies. Then again, I really am curious as to how Daring Do escapes that cage of gorillas. I wonder what she was doing with that banana anyway?" Twilight was instantly pulled from her thoughts as thunder roared through the air. "You have GOT to be kidding me!" Twilight groaned. Rarity waved an unworried hoof through the air and laughed, "Oh darling, a little thunder has never caused anypony any trouble!" Just then, a downpour of rain assaulted the exposed ponies. Rarity's mane instantly fell flat, draping over her face like a curtain. Twilight giggled at the defeated expression on her purple-maned friend and yelled over the rain, "I think we should better find some shelter!" Rarity used her two front hooves two part her mane so she could look at Twilight. "We should what!!?" Twilight leaned in, yelling louder over the wailing wind and rain, "We should find shelter!!!" Rarity simply nodded and the two began running for the nearest bit of shelter they could find, a large tree heavily cloaked in foliage.
"Oh, my glorious mane!" Rarity mourned as they stopped, safe, under the tree. Twilight said nothing, but quickly dropped to the slightly moist grass and tried to catch her breath. Rarity continued to whine, "Who would have thought it? That one day, my own mane would become a crime against fabulosity!" She threw a dramatic hoof over her eyes, as if to shield them from some horrid sight. Twilight, who was still laying in the grass beside Rarity, said stoicly, "Oh no, however will we go on?" Rarity caught on to the sarcasm and retorted, "Well, Twilight, I realize that the rain couldn't possibly mess YOUR mane up any more than it already was, but please show some remorse for the manes that can." She crossed her arms and pouted her face. Twilight stood up and shouted over the storm, "I can't believe you!" She meant to say more, in fact, she was going to give this insufferable mare every bit of her mind, but just then something that should have been predicted happened.
A humongous flash blinded them both, causing them to shield their eyes. The sound of thunder followed immediately, and was followed by the sound of splintering wood. "Rarity?" Twilight began. "Uhm, yes dear?" Rarity responded, fear in her voice. Twilight continued, "Why did we take shelter from a lightning storm...under a tree?"
"I don't know, darling." Rarity finished. The two ponies, who were still nervously shielding their eyes, slowly moved their hooves away from their faces. They let their eyes slowly adjust, and when they finally did, they simply saw each other nervously gazing back at the other. Twilight laughed out loud as she moved back up against the tree, but quickly stopped when she saw Rarity's mouth opening so wide in fear that it could have been touching the ground! Twilight deftly whirled around, and yelled out, "Look out!" The sound of splintering wood invaded the air, adding to the endless noise of the storm. Twilight jumped over to Rarity, who was frozen in shock. Twilight meant to push her out of harm's way, but it was no use. As soon as Twilight was at her side, the image of the tree looming closer over them was the last thing she was meant to see.
--
Twilight was laying, motionless on the ground. She slowly opened her eyes. Could she have survived? Wait until Rainbow Dash hears about their narrow escape from death! She'll be so envious. Twilight smiled and stood up on all fours. She was in for a shock. All around her was nothing but....nothing! She was surrounded in a world of white! No images or shapes were presented to her vision, just this blank canvas of a world. Twilight mumbled out loud, "Am I...dead? Did that tree...?" Twilight stopped as she struggled to remember everything that had happened. She remembered walking with Rarity...Rarity! Twilight began hastily scanning around the unfamiliar landscape. "Rarity! Rarity, where are you!?" Twilight began to feel hopelessly alone until she felt a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm right here, darling."
Twilight quickly spun around, and only saw what appeared to be a finely sculpted purple mane, floating in the air. Rarity's coat was so pure white that it completely blended in with the world around them. Rarity spoke, "I tell you hun, a girl simply can't stand out when she's invisible." Twilight held a hoof over her mouth to keep herself from laughing. "Oh, it really makes your mane stand out though!" She lost it. The lavender mare toppled over in a sheer fit of laughter as Rarity watched, the annoyance in her face veiled in the surrounding whiteness. Rarity stomped her hoof and cried out, "Where are we, Twilight!?" Twilight quickly got up and looked in Rarity's general direction, wiping tears from her eyes. "I don't know. I have a horrible idea though." Twilight's expression turned dark and Rarity instantly began weeping. Rarity cried, "I knew it! That horrid tree!" Twilight nodded and began to say, "Yes, Rarity, I believe we are-"
But Twilight stopped mid-sentence. The whiteness around her began to be replaced with an eerie gray. Rarity began to slowly become visible, much to her delight. The two ponies nervously let their eyes bounce around as they tried to locate the cause of the change of scenery. Their eyes both found it at the same time. A dark, hooded pony was standing menacingly in the distance. Rarity and Twilight looked at each other nervously. The hooded figure beckoned them with a long, black hoof. The two ponies exchanged another glance, and Twilight began moving forward. Rarity galloped up to meet her. "Are you insane?" she began. "Sitting under a tree during an electrical storm is one thing, but approaching a strange, hooded pony is a whole other level of madness!" Twilight glanced over at Rarity with a determined look upon her face. "Look Rarity. We're already dead. What can he do to us?" Rarity thought that over and sighed, "I suppose you're right! And as long as we're together, we're good, right?" Twilight nodded, "That's right."
The two approached the hooded figure, who stood as still as a gargoyle, watching the ponies draw nearer. Twilight and Rarity stopped when they were only a few feet away from the figure. Then it spoke. Its voice was horribly loud and deep, shaking the transparent ground on which they all stood. "Rarity and Twilight!" the beast boomed, "You have succumbed to death! You stand before me now, so that I may place judgement!" The mares before him trembled under his intimidating voice, Rarity tried to speak, but couldn't! He continued, thrusting a hoof towards Rarity, "You! You are Rarity! The element of generosity? Well, Rarity, I-" The beast stopped mid-sentence. A large megaphone fell out from under his hood and landed at his hooves. The three ponies stared at each other for a few moments. Then Twilight inquired, "Uhm, sir? Is that a megaphone?" Suddenly, a dark hoof quickly leapt out from under the ponies cloak, sweeping the megaphone under it. Twilight continued to prod, "That was definitely a megaphone... Well, come on, sir! Let's hear your real voice!"
The menacing pony still said nothing, but stood there. Maybe HE was the one who was feeling a little nervous now! Rarity gingerly stepped forward, "Oh yes, a big, strong stallion like you must have a big, strong voice to go along with it, no?" The hooded figure waved a hoof in way that said, "Oh, stop it you!" Rarity smiled and Twilight nodded, her face sporting a cheesy grin. The hooded figure spoke. "Well, fine! There, are you happy!?" Rarity and Twilight's faces both instantly puffed up, their cheeks red with laughter! His voice sounded almost like an exact replica of Pinkie Pie's! The only difference was that Pinkie Pie's voice carried with it a tone of happiness and laughter. The seriousness of the hooded ponies tone made it all-the-more hilarious! The two mares swallowed their laughter and continued. Rarity spoke first, "See? That wasn't so bad, was it Mr....?" The hooded pony's hood shifted, making it at least APPEAR that he was addressing Rarity. He replied in the same, squeaky voice, "Remmy," he paused, then added, "the Reaper."
"Remmy the Reaper?" Twilight repeated, laughter glinting in her eyes. "You sure are an interesting individual Remmy." The Reaper's hood opened towards Twilight as he said, "Yeah, well. I have a job to do, so you can quit the flattery. You two are dead, and I'm here to see you both to the afterlife." Twilight Sparkle and Rarity exchanged panicked glances! They couldn't both die, just like that! There are so many books to be read, so many dresses to be designed! Rarity tried to work her charms once more, "Oh, but you see, I'm sure a sweet, generous stallion like you understands that we simply aren't ready to go yet! Is there any chance you could just let us go? Give us another chance?" She batted her eyelashes and finished with a long, drawn out, "Please?"
Remmy shook an aggravated hoof at her and spoke in his helium fueled voice, "No way! You two are going down-town! You little jerks! I have a lot to do today, and you're slowing me down!" He glanced down at a golden watch attached to one of his hoofs. "Oh, see! You made me late to visit Granny Smith Apple! Now I'll have to wait for another few years until my schedule is opened up!" Twilight moved forward. "Remmy, I've read books about you. I've also read that you like to make deals?" Remmy rubbed a wondering hoof over his chin, "Yes, yes I do." Twilight knew she was on to something. "What if we make a deal, one that involves us getting our lives back?" The Reaper remained silent as the two mares waited patiently. He then boomed out, his voice once again strong and deep. He had obviously picked the megaphone back up from inside his cloak.
"Twilight Sparkle and Rarity!" he growled, "If you wish to regain the lives you once lived, you must complete this task! In order to gain my favor, you must frighten a pony of whomever you choose!" Rarity piped up, "That's it? How simply marvelous!" The Reaper continued, "However, you only have until sunrise to complete the task, or you fail!" Twilight Sparkle questioned, "Why only until sunrise?" Remmy's voice was once again squeaky, as if he forgot to put the megaphone up to his mouth as he said, "Your little friends are bound to find your bodies when the storm's over. After that, your bodies belong to the mortician, not yourselves!" Remmy the Reaper than put the megaphone back up to his mouth and his voice filled the void, "If you fail to scare anypony before sunrise, I will banish you both to live in this realm of eternal nothingness...forever!" Twilight and Rarity huddled together to speak. "Forever is a dreadfully long time!" Rarity began. "Yes, Rarity, but it's our only shot at getting our lives back!" Rarity nodded in agreement as they broke the huddle.
"Remmy the Reaper," Twilight said confidently, holding out a hoof, "You have a deal!" Remmy put his hoof against Twilights and the deal was sealed. The Reaper's megaphone boomed out, "You have until sunrise!" The Reaper began to slowly fade from view. As he did, Rarity and Twilight could just barely see the megaphone drop from his hood again, and a frustrated, squeaky voice ring out, "Stupid thing! How is it even possible to wrap my hooves around this thing?"
Suddenly, Twilight and Rarity were both in the middle of Ponyville! Though on closer inspection of each other, they noticed that they were both transparent! That's right! They were ghosts! Twilight Sparkle asked, "Who do you think we should try and scare, Rarity?" Rarity was too occupied gazing through herself to hear Twilight. Twilight simply groaned and sighed, "I think we'll pay Spike a visit... He'll know who to scare! As Twilight began her trot to the library, she motioned for Rarity to follow. The two friends made their way to see Spike. Hopefully, he would know who was the biggest scaredy-pony in Ponyville!
The Ponyville Poultergeists
Rarity and Twilight quickly floated through Ponyville as Twilight calculated in her head. "According to the position of the moon, I would say that we have about eight hours before sunrise! Maybe the storm will give us extra time though!" The storm truly wasn't letting up, which was bound to give them a few extra moments after sunrise. Rarity wailed, "Can you imagine how terribly upset all of Ponyville would be if I don't appear in the morning? They will wonder! They will question with tears in their very eyes, 'Where is our beloved Rarity!?" She covered her eyes with a hoof dramatically, as she so often does to impress a point upon somepony. Twilight rolled her eyes but kept her mouth soundly shut, like a good friend should. They were quickly approaching the library that currently housed Spike. When they finally reached the door, Rarity made to knock on it. Though, when she meant to bring her hoof down upon it, it simply went through the door, causing her to fall face-first through the door and into the library!
Twilight followed Rarity into the library by floating through the door. "I guess we can walk through things now." Twilight laughed at the angered expression on Rarity's face as she mumbled, "Oh really?" Twilight descended and landed quietly by Rarity's side. Twilight said, "You know, this floating thing is kind of cool!" The marshmallow mare got back up to her hooves and replied, "Yes, yes, it is rather amusing," she had an annoyed tone to her voice, "Although I think I'll stick to walking, like a dignified mare, thank you." The lavender mare shook her head as she scanned the dark library, looking for any trace of Spike. "I wonder where Spike is.." Twilight wondered aloud, as Rarity began searching through the darkness for him as well. Twilight piped up, "Rarity, it's passed Spikes bed-time! He's probably sound asleep in his little bed!" Rarity nodded, "Yes, Twilight! Let's get up there quick! The quicker we find somepony to scare, the quicker I can get back to my fabulosity!"
Twilight floated up to the second floor of the library, where Spike's bed was. Rarity floated close by. "I thought you said floating was undignified!" whispered Twilight, a sly smile on her face. "I did, but I never was a huge fan of stair cases either!" Rarity responded, grinning sheepishly. As they finally spotted Spike, their mouths quickly fell agape at the disturbing sight that met their eyes. Spike was standing in front of a full-body mirror, flexing his non-existant muscles. He spoke to himself, "Looking good, Spike! Looking real good!" Twilight looked over to Rarity, who was watching this horrid scene take place. Spike continued talking, but now it seemed he was addressing another, though nopony else was in the room. He said smoothly, "Oh, Rarity? When did you get here? Oh, these muscles? Well, let me show you this!" Spike, once again, flexed his arms.
Rarity trotted behind him, passing by the mirror as she did so. Spike stopped in mid-flex and quickly glanced behind himself. He looked back to the mirror and then back behind him again. Twilight whispered urgently, "I think Spike can see us if we stand in front of the mirror!" Rarity nodded and giggled. Spike's ears twitched. "H-hey, is somepony there?" he stammered. Twilight whispered in Rarity's ear again, "It appears he can also hear us, what should we do?" Rarity silently moved beside Spike, who had begun flexing in front of the mirror again. He was now speaking in a voice similar to Rarity's. "Oh, Spike! Your muscles are like-" Rarity moved up close to his ear and finished his sentence, "Mashed Potatooooos!"
Spike jumped out of his scales and leapt for his bed, quickly covering himself in his covers as Twilight and Rarity laughed hysterically. Spike looked out from under his covers! "Go away, you evil ghosts! You wait until Twilight gets here! She'll show you!" Twilight and Rarity both trotted in front of the mirror, still giggling. "Spike, look towards the mirror!" Spike, who was still trembling, glanced nervously towards the mirror as he was intstructed. He immediately noticed Twilight and Rarity, both staring at him, but nopony else was in the room with him! "Are you guys invisible?" Spike asked curiously. "You said that you hadn't perfected that spell yet!" Twilight's face fell slightly as she explained what had happened to them.
When Twilight finished explaining, Spike put a claw to his chin, lost in thought. "So, let me get this straight. You have to scare somepony and you get your lives back?" Twilight nodded, as Rarity looked herself over in the mirror. Spike continued, pacing around the room. "But, didn't you guys technically just scare the living day-lights out of me?" Spike asked. Twilight hadn't considered that. She thought for a few moments before answering, "Well, technically Rarity scared you. That means her part of the bargain is done, but I haven't personally scared anypony yet." Rarity looked away from the mirror, "Did you mention me, Twilight?" Twilight slapped a hoof against her own face and summarized, "Yes, Rarity. You scared Spike, which means you're done with your part. Now I have to scare somepony to completely seal the deal."
Rarity stared, dumbfounded at Twilight. She answered simply, "Well then, if that's it, then I'm happy. Now go on, dear! Go scare somepony!" Twilight, who still looked a tad annoyed at her friend, turned to Spike and asked, "You wouldn't happen to have any ideas on somepony who I could scare easily, do you?" Spike didn't hear Twilight, as he was staring at Rarity's plot as she admired herself in HIS mirror! "SPIKE!" Twilight demanded, "Who can I scare?" Spike quickly refocused himself saying, "Oh well, uh! Hmm, I know the Cutie Mark Crusaders are having a sleep-over at Applejack's place!"
Twilight looked confused so Spike continued, "The Cutie Mark Crusaders... You know, that little gang that Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle started?" At the mention of her sisters name, Rarity quickly turned around. "Pardon me, but I'm sure I didn't just hear you suggest that my good friend, Twilight, should go and terrorize my sister, right?" Rarity finished her sentence with a bat of her lashes, directed at Spike. Twilight stood her ground against the interfering pony, "I'll scare whoever I have to, Rarity. Remember, me scaring your sister could keep us from an eternity of nothingness!" Rarity began to studder an argument, but let her head fall towards the ground and surrendered. "You're right, Twilight! Well, let's get a move on! To Applejack's!
--
The ponies quickly glided to Applejack's quiet farm of a home and slipped in through the walls, silent as...well, ghosts! As soon as they entered, Twilight spotted the trio of fillies sitting together against the far wall of the farm home. Scootaloo looked out a nearby window and stammered, "W-wow, this storm is really something, huh?" Apple Bloom also looked out and quickly agreed, "Yeah. Say, what do y'all wanna do?" The three fillies discussed what they should do to keep themselves occupied while Twilight and Rarity contemplated how to scare them. Twilight said, "I bet if I could get them in front of a mirror, I'd have it made. I'd just make a scary face and it'd be set." Rarity seemed all for the idea. Rarity laughed quietly and said, "Okay Twilight, let's see your most ghoulish face!" Twilight immediately scrunched her face up and made the most terrifying face she could manage.
Rarity didn't look impressed. She sighed, "Honey, you look like you're in pain. I don't think you making a scary face is going to cut it. Oh, I know. Let's hear your scariest roar!" Twilight nodded, puffed out her chest and let out a "Ah-bloo-bloo-bloo!" Rarity shook her head and clicked her tongue dissapointedly. "Darling, you simply MUST put some power into it! Something to make them say, 'Sacre bleu!' Oui?" Twilight, who was both embarassed and annoyed, whispered angrily, "Oh yeah? Well, I'll scare them all! And I'll do it without your help!" Rarity snorted, "We'll see! Go on then, your audience awaits!"
Twilight moved up to the little crusaders, who were still talking. "Maybe we should play a game." Sweetie Belle suggested. "Ah don't know, maybe we should tell some scary stories!" Applejack said. "I know, let's make some snacks!" Scootaloo yelled out. Apple Bloom stood up, leadership in her tone, this WAS her house, after all. "Girls, we'll do all of those things!" The three fillies gave each other a high-hoof and started playing their game. Twilight watched them play some dumb board game while she imagined what needed to be done to scare these three. They were little fillies after all, how hard could it be? Twilight suddenly had an idea. She landed on the ground so that she could walk, floating was nice, but it came much more naturally to simply trot around. Twilight moved over to the window, and energetically ruffled the curtains. She let out an eerie, "OOoooOOooOh!"
Scootaloo looked out, passed Twilight, and at the storm. "Gosh, that storm sure isn't letting up." She mused, turning her attention back down towards the board. Twilight let her hooves drop to her side, feeling slightly disheartened. She looked across the room and saw Rarity silently watching, a large grin on her face. Twilight was now infuriated! She cantered quickly over to the board that the three foals were so intently staring at, and forcefully kicked the pieces off of the board. It seemed she could touch solid objects if she wanted to! "What they hay!?" Apple Bloom yelled out. Twilight smiled in victory, but her smile faded when Apple Bloom continued, "Geez Sweetie Bell, that had to be the strongest sneeze ever! You blew all of the pieces off of the board!" Sweetie Bell blushed and giggled, "Oops, I guess I'm allergic to boredom." Scootaloo stood up and announced, "Okay, I think I'm ready for a scary story!" The other two whooped in agreement.
Rarity, who was still watching, couldn't help but be entertained by the frustration that Twilight was going through. Twilight was currently on the verge of tearing her own mane out. A sneeze? She HAD to sneeze right as Twilight kicked the pieces? What were the odds? Suddenly, the lights cut off. The only little light offered to the ponies was the light coming from Apple Blooms flashlight, which she was pointing up towards her face. She began slowly and dramatically, "This story," she began, "is called the Headless Horse!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell were huddled together, eager to be scared but content in their safety. Twilight looked around as Apple Bloom did her dramatic telling of the over-used sleep-over story. An idea struck! Twilight waited for the surprise end of the story. Right before Apple Bloom yells, "THE HEADLESS HORSE," Twilight planned on rushing in with a blanket over her head, pretending to be the headless horse! That should scare the daylights out of them! It scared Applejack and Rarity at THEIR sleep-over, so why couldn't it work here?
The ending of the story was approaching fast! Twilight looked towards Granny Smith Apple's rocking chair and saw a blanket draped over the back of it. Twilight smiled mischeviously and looked back towards the foals that were now huddled into a tight circle. Rarity watched intently as she tried to figure out what Twilight's plan was. If Twilight couldn't scare them soon, she'd have to intervene. Rarity wasn't ready, quite yet, to be dead. Apple Bloom whispered, leaning in towards her friends, "And just when they thought they were safe..." Twilight heard her cue, she silently moved over to Granny Smith's chair. The blanket was gone! It had been here only a few moments ago! Twilight heard her part coming quickly. "There...standing behind them... was-"
"THE HEADLESS HORSE!" Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell all screamed in surprise as a figure yelled the ending of the story from behind them, with Granny Smith's blanket draped over their body! The lights flicked back on and AppleJack pulled the blanket from over her head, laughing. "Why are y'all so scared?" She laughed. "Just an old pony tale!" The three fillies all giggled and applauded the scary mare. AppleJack bowed and said, "Well, I'm off to bed now, I got a lot of apples to buck tomorrow! See y'all!" She cantered up the stairs towards her bedroom.
Twilight stood stoicly, still near the chair. This was impossible. These fillies were unscarable. At least, by Twilight's standards. The lavender mare threw her hooves into the air, defeated. Rarity sauntered over and whispered. "I can help you, darling. It shan't take but a moment." Twilight shook her head vigourously. "No! I can do this myself!" she quietly responded. "Fine, dear, fine." Rarity put her hooves up in defense and backed away from Twilight Sparkle." She, of course, had no intention of letting Twilight fly solo.
Sweetie Bell announced, "I think I hear someponies tummy rumbling!" Scootaloo rubbed a hoof over her hungry stomach. "I think you're right." Scootaloo laughed. "All that being scared made me hungry." The three friends wandered into the kitchen to make themselves a late-night snack. Twilight silently followed them in there, with Rarity close behind her. The little crusaders began collecting different little morsels of food to feed themselves while Twilight plotted, watching them. "What should I do?" she pondered. Rarity already had a wonderful, no, a marvelous idea. She just hoped it would work. Would flour actually stick to a ghost? She was about to find out. While the young ponies had their backs turned, Rarity quietly opened a cabinet door and discreetly pulled out a large baggy of flour. She then stealthily sauntered behind Twilight, who was planning on poking one of them on the back and yelling, "Boo!" Rarity carefully held the bag above Twilight's head, and flipped it over, spilling its contents all over Twilight!
As Rarity has predicted, the flour stuck to Twilight! It outlined her frame. It looked so positively ghostly! Twilight coughed and sputtered, she waddled around, confused, as her eyesight was clouded by the veil of flour! The three fillies turned around to notice the ghostly figure flailing around their kitchen. All three of them screamed in unison as Twilight, who was still slightly disoriented, got her hooves tangled up and tripped, knocking silver ware and glass from the cabinets, smashing the glass and making a huge ruckus! The door to the kitchen bolted open and Big Macintosh stood at the entrance, a fierce look in his eyes. He then saw the ghostly mare stumbling towards him, moaning. Big Mac stared for a moment and then said simply, "Nope," and then slammed the door shut, leaving the fillies alone with the ghost.
The three fillies continued screaming as Twilight successfully cleared the last of the flour off of her. She sputtered and looked around, noticing the little crusaders, scared out of their wits. She grinned towards Rarity, who simply smiled in encouragement. "Honey, I think we'd better leave the poor darlings for now." Twilight nodded and the two ghostly mares escaped the farm by simply walking through the kitchen walls. As the two friends galloped away from the Apple Orchard, they could distinctly hear AppleJack's voice rising up over Ponyville. "What in tarnation! Who made this mess! Y'all got some explaining to do, ya hear! Where's Big Mac?"
Rarity and Twilight laughed freely once they were sure they were out of ear-shot of any other ponies. "I did it!" Twilight giggled loudly. "I told you, I could scare them! Heck, I didn't even MEAN to! Now that takes skill!" Twilight raised a victorious hoof towards the sky, which had finally cleared up. Rarity smiled at her ignorant friend. She thought to herself, "Oh, I AM the most generous pony, aren't I?" She continued to let her lavender friend believe that Rarity had nothing to do with her successful scare tactic. As they laughed and talked relived the moment that had just passed, the dark grayness began to envelope the land around them. They were once again in the domain of Remmy the Reaper.
As soon as the last bit of color had faded around them, he appeared. His voice was, of course, loudly booming. "Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, you have completed the task I have given you! Therefore you-" Rarity interrupted. "Would you please get on with it?" Remmy the Reaper allowed his squeaky voice to escape, "You just can't let me have a little bit of happiness can't you? With everypony it's the same thing. Oh, here comes Remmy the Reaper, let's just make sure his day is full of manure!" He slammed his hooves against the non-existant ground angrily. Rarity quickly tried to reassure him. "Oh, dear, I'm sorry! I just have so much to get done today, you understand?" Remmy waved a hoof at her. "Yeah, yeah. I'm granting you your life back. I'm also going to repair any damage done to your bodies after they got smashed by that tree. Oh, and by the way. You two are idiots! Taking refuge under a tree from a lightning storm, really!"
Twilight wasn't one for allowing her intelligence to be insulted, but she let it slide. She was getting her life back! The world around her started to evaporate, as did Remmy the Reaper. Before he completely faded, Twilight yelled out, "I always read that the Reaper was a skeleton!" Remmy replied, "I read somewhere that you were intelligent! Books lie!" Then everything went completely black. Twilight opened her eyes and was instantly blinded by the harsh light of the sun. She quickly stood up and looked herself over. The lavender mare was completely okay! No scars, cuts, bruises. She was exactly as she had been the day she died! Well, before she died.
The magical mare stood on her four hooves and instantly noticed the tree. It was toppled over, but their bodies were moved to the side. Twilight could hear a distinct yawn come from the other side of the ruined tree. Twilight called out, "Rarity?" Rarity's head poked up from behind the tree trunk. She yawned, "Twilight, can you believe it? Look at me! Good as new! And look, my mane has even regained its natural fabulousness!" Twilight couldn't help but laugh ecstatically while Rarity continued to blissfully chatter. After regaining their strength, they began to walk back towards Ponyville, but were intercepted by a search party!
The party stopped when they spotted the two mares. Spike ran out ahead of them, "So you did it, Twilight! You scared somepony! I'm so relieved!" Twilight laughed and rubbed a loving hoof over Spike's head. "Yeah, I did it, and by myself too!" Rarity couldn't help but let her eyes dart back and forth at these words. Spike laughed, "Well, I'm glad. I was worried I'd never see...Rarity again." His eyes clouded over and his tongue poked out passed his lips. Twilight rolled her eyes and started trotting forward. AppleJack met up with her. "Tarnation! What happened to y'all? Spike was trying to feed us this codswallop about y'all being ghosts and whatnot! Last night was a down-right mess, I tell ya! The fillies wrecked my kitchen, then they ran over to SugarCube Corner for 'safety,' and now I can't even get Big Mac to come out of his room! I tell ya, I reckon everypony's lost their mind!"
Twilight smiled weakly as she walked forward with Applejack. "Look, AppleJack, I have some explaining to do."
So Twilight did, with her friend, Rarity, following close behind her.
