Time to do some slushing!
A new technological marvel was swinging across all of Equestria; HV which stood for Horn Vision. From what was known as a Horn Center several unicorns would distribute magic that would make moving pictures on special screens. This invention was particularly popular among the younger ponies like Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo along with Apple Bloom’s visiting cousin Babs Seed, Twist from class, and Junior Crusader member Dinky Hooves. The night was almost half over and these ponies were up past their bedtime but they were too into what they were watching to notice.
“We now return to tonight’s spine-tingling terror; it came from the Green Lagoon!” the HV announcer exclaimed on the screen.
The screen changed to a cabin built on Green Lagoon where several teenage mares were having a slumber party. “Hey Twinkle,” said one pony, “where’s your brother?”
“Don’t worry Jewel Cut,” responded Twinkle, “Geo will be right back with our pizza. Once he comes back from the dark forest with his barely working light crystal,” suddenly there was a noise from outside, “see that’s probably him now.”
The Creature from the Green Lagoon crept silently outside of the cabin about to spring on its prey. The creature seemed to be made entirely out of green moss from the lagoon. “It is said that no sign of forced entry was found at the cabin,” the movie narrator recited. The creature turned into swamp goop before creeping through the cracks in the door and reforming. “The sole survivor,” the narrator continued, “spoke of how the monster bellowed the name of its victim right before striking!”
“Sweetie Belle!” came a call making all fillies shriek with fright, “Sweetie Belle!”
“The monster’s real!” Dinky shrieked.
“It's come outta da movie ta get us!” Babs added.
“And it wants Theetie Belle!” Twist exclaimed her lisp preventing her from properly pronouncing Sweetie Belle’s name.
“I cannot believe you guys believe some stupid movie,” Scootaloo commented, smugly.
“Then how come yer wings is shankin?” asked Apple Bloom.
It was true Scootaloo's wings were shaking, “it’s… cold” Scootaloo countered.
“I’ll go see what’s going on,” said Sweetie Belle a little nervously as she lit her horn and advanced. Sweetie Belle trotted forth carefully little sounds making her jump. She tried to calm herself down but suddenly she heard something skittering across the floor along with hissing. Sweetie Belle tried to get the mysterious creature in her horn light, but it kept moving and she only got glances of it as she frantically moved her horn light. Sweetie Belle’s hooves began to shake in fear as the creature leaped forward revealing it to be Rarity’s stylish cat. “Opal you scared me!” Sweetie Belle declared as the feline took off perhaps in pursuit of some midnight prey. “Mean old cat,” the little unicorn said to herself as she began to head forward only to run into a pair of hooves, this time Sweetie Belle knew just by feeling that this was not Opal.
“Sweetie Belle,” the creature declared.
Sweetie Belle slowly backed up and cast her light forward and there it stood with the appearance of a pony but its face was dripping a green goop “Don’t eat me!” Sweetie Belle begged, “I taste terrible!”
“Sweetie Belle, what are you talking about?” Rarity demanded as she removed the cucumber slices from her eyes slightly disturbing the green cream on her face.
“Oh,” said Sweetie Belle relieved, “I thought you were the creature from the green lagoon.”
“Oh, you girls aren’t still watching HV are you?” Rarity inquired.
Sweetie Belle looked at the ground and began making circles on the floor with her hoof as she answered. “Ummm no I was just getting a drink of water.”
Rarity marched into the living room as Sweetie Belle followed. “Following the testimony of the sole survivor of the cabin incident the town began to inquire as to the identity of the monsters creator and determined that the creature was created by none other than…” however at that moment the screen went dark.
“That’s enough HV for tonight,” Rarity declared as the fillies all groaned in protest.
“But Rarity we wanna know how the movie ends!” Sweetie Belle protested.
“It’s way past everypony's bedtime,” Rarity countered, “besides that kind of movies will give you all nightmares and I’ll have none of that. Now I want everypony upstairs now!” Rarity barked in a voice she only used when her patience was extremely thin.
The fillies all ran upstairs to Sweetie Belle’s room and into their sleeping bags.
“Good night girls,” said Rarity closing the windows with her magic, “and I don’t want to see those heads leave those pillows,” she added as she closed the door.
“Ah wish we knew how the movie ended,” stated Apple Bloom with a hint of disappointment.
“We can find out,” Sweetie Belle declared with a grin as she picked up her pillow and put it on her head, “she said for our heads not to leave our pillows, but she never said anything about our pillows not leaving the bed.”
“That’s true,” Scootaloo agreed, picking up her pillow.
“Ah don’t know,” said Apple Bloom, “remember what happened when we ignored Fluttershy when she said it was time for bed?”
“I heard about that,” Twist agreed.
“Yeah me too,” said little Dinky.
Babs had no idea what they were talking about but nodded in agreement. “Oh come on guys,” Sweetie Belle chimed. “We’re not going into the deep, dark, monster-infested Everfree forest, we’re going downstairs.”
“Right,” Scootaloo agreed.
“Ah guess,” said Apple Bloom.
“What harm could it do?” asked Babs Seed. Twist and Dinky also agreed and they all headed out into the hallway. The fillies could vaguely hear Rarity sleeping and crept silently past her door being led by Sweetie Belle and her horn light with Dinky not too far behind, attempting to ignite her own horn.
“Mrrow,” said a voice Sweetie Belle looked near Rarity’s door and saw Opal with a smug look as though she were saying, “you are so busted!” Opal opened her mouth to meow.
“Rarity hides your cat treats under the bathroom sink,” Sweetie Belle whispered. Opal closed her mouth but her smug grin didn’t vanish as she headed off into the night. Sweetie Belle breathed a sigh of relief and continued to lead her group.
“Watch the tenth step,” Sweetie Belle warned as her group made it to the stairs, “it squeaks.” It wasn’t long before the group made it to the living room and returned to their viewing positions, “Showtime!” Sweetie happily declared as she turned on the HV.
“The monster is unstoppable!” Declared one pony on HV.
“No,” countered another, “everything has a weakness!”
The fillies watched with their eyes never leaving the screen but eventually, their eyelids grew heavy and they all nodded off. Once all the fillies were asleep two sounds seemed to come out of nowhere, first was a snap like someone was snapping their fingers, and the second and last was a mischievous laugh.
The final scream of the movie caused all the fillies to open their eyes and they were all fully awake by the time the end credits were done. “Ah” cried Applebloom, “we missed it.”
“Maybe we thould go up and to tleep,” suggested Twist.
Suddenly the screen grew red as another movie started, “Hey, what’s on now?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Looks like a nice spine tinglin Slusher film,” said Babs.
“Slusher film?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah,” responded Scootaloo getting closer to the HV, “one of those movies where the pony guts everypony else like a fish!”
Twist gulped, “couldn’t we watch thomething elhe?” she requested.
Applebloom started making clucking noises, “chicken,” she and the others called.
“I am not,” countered Twist, “I wath juth worried about… Dinky she too young for a thusher film.”
“I wanna watch too,” said Dinky innocently.
“Oh,” said Twist shaking like a leaf, “okay.”
“Da Slusher who slushed everypony and then went back ta slush em’ again!” Babs read. “What a title.”
At that moment Applebloom noticed a blanket with a Twist shaped lump next to her. “Twist what are you doing?” She inquired.
“Well thtith ith the betht way I can watch the movie without actually theeeing it.” Responded twist.
“Hey, what kinda lame Slusher movie is dis anyway?” demanded Babs.
“I know he’s only holding a butter knife!” responded Scootaloo.
“Butter knife?” inquired Twist, “oh that poor butter!”
“Hey kids!” said a commercial, “do you have late night cravings?” Dinky nodded, “How would you like to soothe them with a chummy cheese pizza?” the commercial went on as a hoof extended right out of the HV with a pizza in front of Dinky. Rather than be surprised by this unusual event Dinky merely licked her lips.
“Yes, yes, yes!” she cried as she gave a slight leap forward but unfortunately as she did the hoof returned to the HV, “Oh, how well I get a pizza now?”
Suddenly the hoof returned and grabbed a nearby hoof mirror, “just use your communication mirror (another technological and magical device gaining popularity in Equestria) and call 555-4115 and one will be sent to you right away.”
“Pizza does sound like a nice idea,” said Sweetie Belle holding the mirror in her magic and casting the spell. The spell for the communication mirror worked when the unicorn cast the spell and thought of a number for the location they were trying to reach. “Hi,” said Sweetie Belle, “I’d like to order a pizza please,” she put the mirror away from her mouth, “what kind should I get?”
“One with lots and lots of muffins!” said Dinky.
“I’d like a very thmall one pleathe, just one slice no cheethe, and no crutht,” Twist responded.
“Nah make it a big one!” Scootaloo corrected, “with clovers, whatever they are.”
“Okay one big one,” said Sweetie Belle.
“No, no, no wait two big ones!” Scootaloo continued.
“Two big ones delivered too…”
“Three big ones, no four, five.”
“Six hundred Carousal road.” Sweetie belle hung up the mirror, “geez Scoots, I couldn’t hear myself think.”
“Ummm thix hundred Carouthal road?” questioned Twist, “ith’nt that the next door adreth?”
“I didn’t know we were sleeping over next door,” commented Dinky, “we’d better get over there so the pizza won't be lonely.”
“I better call back,” remarked Sweetie Belle as she dialed again, “hi, about the pizza I just ordered…”
“(groan) who is this?” demanded a male voice on the other mirror (when a unicorn was dialing the mirror they had to be thinking about the exact numbers in the exact order and if the unicorn was distracted or hurried they could dial the wrong number). “What ya want?” demanded the voice, “ya woke me up for a pizza?”
“Why the nerve of dat guy thinking he can talk ta us like dat,” Babs took the mirror, “let me handle this. Hey wise guy why don’t ya grow a pony organ like a heart, or a brain?” she demanded with a chuckle.
“You’ve had it pal, you're toast!” said the voice.
Babs was about to respond when Scootaloo took the mirror, “let me give it a shot,” she whispered. “Oh, I’m so scared my wings are shaking!” she said with a chuckle, “what are you going to do wise guy ya don’t even know where we live! What a dummy! Now if you knew we were at one hundred Carousal road maybe you could do something….”
“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle declared as the pagasi in question put a hoof over her mouth, “Oh scoots now you’ve done it!”
“Ya know I’m feeling a little home sick, I’ll see you girls tomorrow,” she said heading for the door.
“But what if he’s already outside?” inquired Sweetie Belle.
At that very moment, the wind began to blow outside and made a tree branch stretch over and beat on the door. All six fillies huddled together in fear.
“We thould wake up Rarity!” suggested Twist.
“We should baicade the doors!” said Babs.
“I like Babs idea better,” replied Sweetie Belle.
Everypony ran upstairs and quickly barricaded her door with anything they could find; the toy chest, the dresser, her backpack, and a chair.
“That’ll hold,” Applebloom declared triumphantly.
“Unless,” Sweetie Belle stated, “the slusher’s already in here, hiding under the bed or in a closet!”
There was a mad shuffling sound and then all the ponies ran out the door. “Wait!” Sweetie declared, “we can’t keep this up, we can’t keep running like cowards!”
“Why not?” demanded Twist.
“We need to teach the slusher a lesson,” Sweetie Belle declared.
“Right, what if we blow the whole house up? That would get rid of the slusher once and for all!” suggested Scootaloo.
“No, I’ve got a better idea,” Sweetie Belle commented. “A surprise trap the slusher will never forget!”
And so, the gang went to work setting a trap for the slusher, Scootaloo set up mouse traps in the kitchen.
“Ha, let’s see the slusher get through that!” she said triumphantly only to realize she’d left herself in a corner. “Uh oh! Ouch, ow, owie, ouchie!” she cried trotting through the traps.
Meanwhile, upstairs Apple Bloom and Twist were attaching Rarity’s garden hose to the bathroom sink. “Just think Twist, that no good slusher could be anywhere.”
“I know,” Twist responded timidly.
“He could be hidin in the toilet or the bathtub even!” Apple Bloom went on.
“A…A…A….” Twist stammered.
“I know.” Apple Bloom finished her work. “Boy is that slusher gonna get it! Come on Twist.”
“A…A…A…” Twist continued frozen in place.
Apple Bloom dragged her friend along seemingly unaware of Twist’s state.
“A…A…A….”
“Boy, you sure said it Twist!” Apple Bloom added as she closed the door. Unfortunately, when Apple Bloom closed the door the hose got caught and eventually, the water pressure caused a break causing water to pour out and flood the bathroom.
In the living room, Sweetie Belle was digging a deep hole before she finished and covered it with a rug. “Rarity won’t mind when she sees we stopped the slusher.” Sweetie Belle looked at the nearby dirt pile and put a potted plant on it.
Finally, the whole gang gathered as they lifted Rarity’s grand piano into the air with a rope.
“Okay.” Bab’s said confidently. “Now all we need is somepony to lure da slusher to his doom. Somepony with nerves of steel, somepony who doesn’t know da meaning of fear, somepony who won’t budge even if her life is in danger! Which it will be”
“A…A…A…”
“Looks like we have a volunteer!” Scootaloo announced.
“Wow Twist.” Apple Bloom commented. “This is so brave of ya.”
“A…A…A…”
“She sure is!” Babs said before giving the rope to the petrified Twist. “Oppps, almost forgot.” Babs ran upstairs and returned with several gems.
“What are the gems for Babs?” Dinky questioned.
“I read it in a comic once, it’s a trick to lure creatures and slushers.”
The gang headed to the coat closet to hide. “Now once the slusher goes for the gems, we got em!” Babs promised.
“Unless of course, a dragon gets to Twist first.” Scootaloo pointed out.
Sweetie Belle was upset. “Scootaloo!”
“Well, it might!”
“Everypony shhh!” Sweetie announced.
“A…A…A…”
At that moment, Rarity’s bathroom door began to stretch from the amount of water building behind it. “Sounds like the slusher’s getting his muscles ready!” Suddenly hoof-steps filled the air.
“Oh no, it’s him!” Dinky whispered.
“That’s funny,” Apple Bloom noted. “Sounds like there might be two of em ah hear two sets of hooves.”
A pair of dark shadows approached Twist.
“A…A…A…”
“Hey, what’s Twist doing in the middle of the room?”
“I don’t know, maybe they’re playing a game?”
“Hello, Twist?” A pink filly attempted communication.
“A…A…A…”
“She said, Hello Twist.” The gray filly assisted.
“A…A…Apple Bloom!” Twist screamed before taking off.
“That doesn’t sound good.” The Pink filly noted.
Suddenly there was a large crash as Twist ran to the closet. “We got him!” Babs said confidently until Twist ran into her sending them all back into the closet.
“He’s got us!” Scootaloo corrected. The frightened fillies took off save for two.
“Welcome back Twist.” Apple Bloom greeted before Twist screamed and took off.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon managed to get out from under the piano (amazingly unharmed).
“The slusher!” Dinky screamed as she ran past the two.
The duo looked to each other in panic. “slusher?” Soon the two were joining the others in their frantic run.
The duo managed to run into a window and get covered with the curtains and as they attempted to join their friends the others recoiled in fear. “Stop you slusher!” Apple Bloom ordered as she held the hose. “Or I’ll let you have it!” Apple Bloom attempted to blast what she thought was the slusher but of course, no water came out.
“Quick, in here!” Sweetie Belle suggested as she opened a door which unfortunately was the bathroom. A barrage of water swept up the terrified fillies before it all drained out in Sweetie Belle’s hole trap.
Now at the bottom of the hole, the curtains were now off the former bullies. “Look, it’s Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!”
“Okay, we probably deserved that, but if this is going to happen every time we come for a sleepover there’s going to be trouble!” Diamond Tiara promised.
Later the fillies all dried off in Sweetie Belle’s room.
Twist giggled. “tho, all that time nothing wath chathing uth and we weren’t running from anything!”
However at that moment a loud knocking sound filled the air. “Something’s out there!” Sweetie Belle noted.
“Why did I have to jinx it?” Twist asked herself.
The fillies all looked outside.
“There seems to be somepony knocking on the next door, door!” Dinky summarized.
“And he’s carrying some boxes.” Scootaloo added.
“No doubt, he’s gotta be da slusher.” Babs proclaimed.
“What are boxes for Babs?” Sweetie Belle inquired.
“Probably where he keeps his, gasp, slushes!”
“The slusher must have gotten the wrong house,” Scootaloo noted.
“Excuse me, Mr. Slusher!” Dinky called. “We’re over here!”
“What do you think you’re doing Dinky?” Babs demanded.
“I don’t know, what?”
“Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom began. “Don’t ya think this is a good time ta wake up Rarity and tell her there’s a horrible slusher in the other yard?”
“No!” Sweetie Belle announced. “This is our neighborhood, our home, our fight!”
“Our funeral.” Twist commented.
“We can’t just let him come in here and slush our neighbors and friends.” Sweetie Belle continued. “we have to stop him, if it’s the last thing we do!”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Silver Spoon clarified.
The gang headed outside and stopped at Rarity’s fence. “Ah wonder what’s on the other side?” Apple Bloom inquired.
“Don’t worry.” Scootaloo attempted to soothe. “There’s probably nothing over there but your average back yard, filled with slushers of course.”
Sweetie Belle glared. “Scootaloo!”
“Well, it might!”
Sweetie Belle pushed the fence plank she knew was loose aside to allow the group entrance. “We come over for a simple sleepover.” Diamond commented as the fillies headed into the other yard. “I thought, maybe play some games, eat some snacks, and maybe even a little gossip but instead here we are hunting a slusher.”
“Yeah, if this is the usual Crusader sleepover, we’ll be skipping the next one.” Silver Spoon added.
The fillies crept silently through the yard. Eventually, Babs took off on her own. “Here slusher, here ya big ugly slusher.”
From a nearby small house, a growling creature emerged. Suddenly Babs heard a bush rustle. “Oh no, the slusher. Please don’t hurt me. I’m on your side. In fact, some of my best friends are slushers.”
“Babs!” Apple Bloom commented as she emerged from the bush with the rest of the group.
“Oh, I knew it was you guys all along!” Babs claimed. At that moment, another bush began to rustle. “As if I can’t tell a Slusher sound from an everyday sound, see this is obviously.” Babs stopped and counted her friends, all were indeed present, “uh oh.”
“It’s the Slusher!” Sweetie announced as the gang took off running.
As everypony took solace in a tree they could see something on the ground running around and barking. Unbeknownst to Sweetie Belle and her friends all this noise was waking up Rarity’s neighbor.
“Now what?” The pony had questioned before he saw something in a tree. The pony picked up his mirror and chanted the spell. “I need the royal guard!”
Meanwhile, the ponies were still very much stuck in the tree, afraid to get down. “Hey Babs, do all slushers sound like very big dogs?” Dinky inquired.
“No.” Babs responded, “only the biggest and meanest ones.”
“What we need is some more gems!” Scootaloo announced. “Then we could lure the slusher away.”
“I can go back to the boutique and get the gems.” Sweetie volunteered. “But somepony will need to distract the slusher.”
Dinky gasped, “well, Twist has already proven herself to be the bravest of us all.”
Twist looked quizzical. “Me?
“That’s right, you Twist. Don’t worry it’ll be a cinch, unless of course the slusher catches you and slushes you to pieces.”
“Scootaloo!”
“Hey, it’s a possibility.”
Twist looked down at the ground before taking a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
Babs gave a fake cry. “What heart of steel, I hate to see you go. But off you go!” Babs added pushing Twist off the branch. “I was just trying to get da brave little gal started.”
Sweetie Belle was a little worried. “I hope Twist will be okay.”
“Oh, are you kidding?” Scootaloo commented. “Did you see the look on her face, I’ve never seen her having so much fun!”
Twist took off screaming as the slusher followed.
Sweetie Belle ran back to the boutique as the others attempted to find Twist. Suddenly they heard something. “Look!” Apple Bloom pointed ahead where a figure was burying something.
After the figure took to leave the gang decided to dig up the freshly dug ground finding a single bone! Diamond gasped. “that’s all that’s left of Twist”!
“Brave, right to da bone!” Bab’s commented.
“Oh no!” Twist commented as she walked up to her friends. “Ith me! What a lohh, hhe wahh like a me to me!”
“Twist?” Apple Bloom inquired.
“Maybe she’s been reincarnated,” Scootaloo suggested. Suddenly there came a growl from nearby.
“The Slusher!” Silver Spoon announced.
While everypony else backed away, Dinky slowly headed forward. “Nice slusher, nice slusher.”
“This is the end!” Babs announced.
“There were ho many treath I htill had to make!” Twist commented.
“And after we just reformed!” Diamond told Silver Spoon.
“I am not going down without a fight!” Scootaloo added.
Suddenly Dinky came back now accompanied by a rather large dog. “Look, he’s not a slusher just a big doggie.” Dinky added.
As the gang went up to pet the dog Scootaloo put out a sigh of relief. “For a second there I thought we were in deep trouble.”
“Come out with your hooves where we can see them!” A new voice commanded. “We have you surrounded, this is the royal guard!”
From Rarity’s design room Sweetie Belle could hear the royal guard and looked out the window. “Oh no, the royal guard are taking my friends away!”
Soon the fillies were being interrogated.
“What are you talking to me for?” Scootaloo demanded. “It was all Dinky’s idea!”
“The night of the 14th?” Dinky questioned. “I think I was sleeping.”
“Then it was all Bab’s idea!” Scootaloo corrected.
“You didn’t grow up in my hood dude!”
“Twist, Twist is the one!”
“I don’t remember a thing, I wah young and foolhh. I blame tociety!”
“Apple Bloom’s the one you want!”
“Please don’t tell mah sister!”
“Diamond and Silver Spoon, they were the masterminds behind it all!”
“We just went for a sleepover.”
“But it all got out of control so fast!”
“No, no, no it was Scootaloo, it was Scootaloo, it was Scootaloo… I want my lawyer.”
Soon the fillies were in front of a judge. “I find you guilty of first degree causing noise, and I’m throwing the book at you!”
“Too bad I can’t read yet,” Dinky commented.
“Stop!” Sweetie Belle screamed. “I confess, I confess. I snuck downstairs when Rarity told me to go to bed, and then I went across the street to look for the slusher.”
All the fillies were now wearing prison uniforms. “I’m thure hhe can reform if given a chance.” Twist proclaimed.
“She’s not a bad pony.” Dinky added. “She’s just a little confused, like me!”
“Go ahead Sweetie,” Scootaloo instructed. “Throw yourself at the mercy of the court.”
“Please.” Sweetie Belle begged. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m…” Suddenly Sweetie Belle opened her eyes and found herself back in front of the HV with all her friends around her.
“Sweetie Belle!” A voice called.
“Rarity?”
“I told you watching that movie would give you bad dreams.”
“Bad dreams?”
“Yes, now get your friends back to your room then you won’t have any more nightmares tonight.”
Sweetie Belle ran back into the other room. “Guys I just had the weirdest dream.”
“Me too!” They all responded.
“Well, what’s important is it’s over now.”
The gang of friends all went back upstairs and had no more nightmares.
The next day Princess Luna went to visit a certain being of chaos. “Hello Princess Luna, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Discord, several fillies had the same nightmare last night. You wouldn’t know anything about this, would you?”
Discord suddenly changed into a bathrobe, with green muck on his face, bunny slippers, and a toothbrush. “Well, somepony left me off the guest list for the crusader slumber party!”