Just Because You’re no Longer Alive, Doesn’t Mean you can’t Live
A crisp, sharp gust of wind blew through the air, raising hair on the back of anypony who found themselves on its receiving end. The night sky was littered with twinkling stars; they cast a comforting light down onto the residents of Equestria. The ponies of Ponyville were no exception. In fact, no other town was as jovial as them. The night was Nightmare Night, and it was sure to bring them quite the fright.
A cry from a frightened filly here, the gleeful squeal of a mare there. All the residents of the little country municipal having the time of their lives as laughter and cheer found its way into everypony’s lives. That was, at least, for all ponies among the living, for there existed a spirit who was always alone on a night such as this.
A delightful little ghost pony sat at the edge of town, a longing desire welling up within her transparent chest. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with, as this was not the first time she celebrated Nightmare Night.
A sigh escaped her long deceased lips, all the color drained from her once pristine coat. She found herself unaffected by all the laughter, and the fun, and the giddy nature of the whole event.
“Nightmare Night,” She spoke only to herself. “It seems it’s time to celebrate once again.” Her voice was listless and dull.
She drifted amongst the wind, letting the world slowly take her to wherever her next destination might be. “It’s sad, though, that you are not the same as before.”
She was an observer to the living world. Unseen, but always watching. A pair of eyes that bore into all who rejoiced in Nightmare Night every year. Every year without fault, the day never changed.
As she flew closer and closer to the town she took notice of all the silly games and events taking place. “Well,” a small smile forced its way onto her face, “I guess I could at least try to have some fun.”
Hiding behind a nearby bush, she watched as groups of ponies both young and old played a game that involved holding a plush spider, then tossing it onto a web a good distance away. Whoever hit closest to the center was the winner. The prizes ranged from small bags of candy to stuffed animals three times her size.
“Oooooooo,” The apparition let out, eyeing a particularly fluffy plush at the top of the rack. It was of an ursa minor, but in no way was it minor in size, for it was by far the largest of all the prizes.
“Hmm,” her face scrunched up in thought, wanting to get the prize, but not wanting to be noticed. “No, no, they’ll just scream, and run away. They always do, and it’s no different every year.” She spoke to herself, unable to find a definitive solution to her conundrum.
“I know!” She shout-whispered to herself, “I’ll just wait till nopony is looking, or for when everypony packs it in for tonight.” She clopped her hooves together in satisfaction over her cunning plan , a whimsical smile gracing her features.
She hid back below the cover of the bush, peeking out only slightly as she waited patiently for the right moment to strike. Many different ponies came and went as the time passed, and the night slowly grew older. Eventually, a group of three little fillies— flanked by a couple of other little tykes—stepped up to the try out the game for themselves.
“Now watch closely, girls. This is what legends are made of,” an orange filly wrapped in bandages said, flashing a cocky grin at her friends.
They all rolled their eyes in sync.
“Yeah, sure, Scootaloo, whatever you say,” a filly dressed as a vampire replied. Her small, disbelieving frown bore into Scootaloo, wavering her grin a tad.
“Just you wait, Sweetie Belle, you’ll see,” Scootaloo countered, sticking her tongue out at her.
“I reckon she has a point, Scoots.” Another little pony dressed up as a monster that looked like it crawled its way out of a deep, black lagoon said. “You tend to fumble every time you try to talk yourself up.”
“Well, this time I won’t. You understand, Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo puffed out her chest, squaring her withers staring her dead in the eyes.
“Sure.” Apple Bloom replied, her voice bereft of enthusiasm.
The timid ghost watching from the sidelines giggled lightly, enjoying the antics the rambunctious bunch of ponies had gotten themselves into.
She then stopped short, sighing to herself for what felt like the hundredth time. “I wish I had friends like that.” She looked down at her transparent hooves, and her pointy little ghostly tail. “But nopony would be all too happy to see me.”
The ghost pony halted in her introspection, looking back up at the group, whose bickering desisted as Scootaloo got ready to take her shot at throwing the plush spider. Her eyes narrowed, her tongue stuck out at an odd angle. The intensity of her concentration caused a little bit of sweat to drip down her forehead.
Scootaloo raised her hoof back, then with a swift motion that couldn’t be seen by the naked eye, the spider launched through the air at incredible speeds, reaching the web across from Scootaloo in seconds. The impact could be heard from around fifty feet away.
Scootaloo then turned, eyes closed, a smug smirk on her lips. “See girls, what did I tell you?”
“Uhh,” Apple bloom started, “Ya might want to take another look, Scoots.” She used a hoof to point at the web the spider was currently dangling from, barely holding on by the fake furs of its plush like feet.
“Oh, shoot,” Scootaloo stomped the ground in front of her. “Let me have another whack at it!” She was prepared to take another spider in her hoof, but was stopped as Sweetie Belle took it before Scootaloo could.
“Hey, I want to try.” She took her stance, readying herself for the perfect throw. Unlike her friend, she carefully tossed it at the web across from her, making sure her aim was just right.
Everypony there gasped in awe. “Sweetie Belle! How in the name of Celestia did you hit the center of the web?” Scootaloo let out, shocked at her friend’s skill.
“By carefully lining up my shot, of course. Unlike your guns a’ blazing approach.” She stuck her tongue out to add an extra layer of insult to Scootaloo’s injury.
The pony who ran the game called out to Sweetie Belle.. “Come on over, little filly. You get to have a pick from the top prizes up here.” He pointed to the extra large plushes hanging atop the stand. “So, what’ll it be?”
“Hmm, “ Sweetie Belle rubbed a hoof under her chin in thought. “I think I’ll take that ursa minor.” She pointed to the stuffed animal, a smile beaming across her face.
The apparition pony felt her nonexistent heart grow still, making her feel more hollow than usual. “Oh, no,” she barely pushed out, the vibrations in the air only distorting a little bit.
Scootaloo approached the stand, a petulant glare trained on the gamespony. “And what about me, what do I get?”
“Well, umm, sorry, kiddo, but you barely hit the web at all. If you were just a hair’s length closer to the center I could have given you some candy.” He sheepishly smiled, then quickly added. “You could always try again for just one more bit.”
“I think I just might.” She slammed the coin onto the counter, taking the stuffed spider in hoof. She thought back to Sweetie Belle’s performance, attempting to mimic her exact movements. Her calculations complete, she launched the spider through the air for the second time, hitting the web once more.
“Looks like you managed to hit just a bit closer this time.” The stand stallion whistled, trying his best to make the little filly feel better about losing to her friend. “Glad to say I can give you some candy now.”
Scootaloo grabbed her pumpkin shaped container and brought it over to the stallion. He put three different types of candy bars inside, smiling all the while.
Scootaloo set her container back down, and replied with a sort of venom in her voice. “Thank you very much.” Turning around to look at her friends, she added. “Maybe we should get back to trick or treating?”
Sweetie Belle was too busy cuddling her new toy, and Apple Bloom just tilted her head towards Sweetie Belle’s direction. A cocky grin on her face as Scootaloo groaned in frustration.
“I get it, I fumbled up again. Real funny. Ha ha. Laugh it up.” Scootaloo began to trot off, her friends indeed laughing as they gathered their things and took off with her.
A meek little cry found its way into the air, as the little ghosty sobbed to herself, stricken with sadness over the loss of the stuffed animal she desired. She continued to watch as the three took off as the other fillies and colts in line finally got their chance to play. He tear-covered eyes making the world a blurry mess of dreary colors.
“W-What now?” She asked herself, wiping at her weak eyelids. That was when a thought struck her, one she hadn’t had in many, many years. “Maybe” She started, but her sniffles cut her off. “Maybe I could try to talk to those ponies?”
She slapped her cheeks with both hooves, making them squish up between them like a filly sandwich. “No, no, no. You know how this goes every time you try.” She shook her head for good measure, but couldn’t help but be drawn by the thought. “But,” she stopped what she was saying.
She took one last look at the group of friends as they started to vanish out of sight. It was now or never, she had to decide quickly. “But I miss talking to ponies so much.” She let out, her decision being made.
Faster than she had moved in years, she took off after the three crusaders, making sure to take cover whenever she was at risk of being seen. Building to building, and tree to tree. Bit by bit she eased herself back into view of the fillies.
They were currently meeting up with a couple of ponies, one sporting a pirate outfit, while the other dressed up like an aristocrat. A plastic violin strapped to the fancy looking pony’s side.
“Huh?” The apparition tilted her head. “Who are they?” She asked in wonder, and pure curiosity.
She saw them giggle at Scootaloo, making the pegasus eyebrows deepen into a more livid frown. The humiliation she faced tonight would surely not be forgotten so easily. This only sparked some soft chortles of the ghost pony’s own.
The group was on the move again, this time with a few added members. Moving with them, the little spirit stalked them further, and further into town, trying to find the perfect opportunity to make herself known to the rambunctious bunch of kids.
As they made their way up to a house slightly separated from the others around its area, she knew exactly what she was going to do. There was an old tradition fellow fillies and colts would do on that very night, and it involved a sort of sing song on ponies doorsteps.
Dashing across to the house, she hid directly behind the group not making a single sound. As the door creaked open, excitement which she had not felt in what felt like forever gathered inside her being. She was ready for that, she was more alive than ever because of that.
As the door whooshed open completely, a chilling gust running across the spines of all the ponies present, they all shouted at the top of their lungs, including the ghost filly at the back of the crowd. “Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something sweet to bite.”
The deceased pony’s voice blending in with the others as she remained undetected. The old mare at the door having a good laugh, before dropping a couple candies in each of the ponies bags.
She gasped, though, when she gazed upon the little ghosty. “Oh my, what a splendid costume. Did your mother make it for you?” The mare asked, a beaming smile gracing her features.
The other kids turned to the lonesome spirit who was no longer so isolated. They too had their eyes grow in size as they were as amazed as the old lady.
“Wow, that really is a good costume. I don’t think Rarity could pull something like that off.” Sweetie Belle said, admiring the form of the filly.
The pony being stared at just blushed, rubbing her forehoof. “Uh,” She skittishly tried to speak. “Thanks.” She was not expecting this type of response, not in her wildest dreams.
“But how is she floating like that, it makes no sense?” Asked the littlest of the group, a colt in a pirate get-up.
“She’s obviously a pegasus, Pipsqueak. Her wings are under her costume, is all.” Scootaloo told her friend, trying to take a peek to to prove her point, but was quickly stopped by the apparition.
“Uh, sorry. I’m not one for being touched.” She floated away a bit, still unable to properly make heads or tails of the entire situation.
She floated there, unmoving, and filled with a feeling she couldn’t quite place. She knew she felt it before, but with how long she had drifted aimlessly, she could not remember the last time that was.
“So, uh.” She began, taking a quick glance at the ursa minor plush in a psychokinetic field of magic that floated in the air. “Mind if I join?” The spirit asked, forming a smile that was not quite complete. Her dead complexion giving off a nervous aura.
“Of course, we were gonna ask that ourselves, weren’t we?” Apple Bloom turned to her group of friends, all of them nodding in agreement.
A spark of joy burst into being inside the ghost’s chest. The feeling she was failing to describe was jovial in nature, and was warmer than anything she felt in many years.
“Though, what’s your name? Don’t think I’ve quite heard your voice around here, and you won’t show us your real self under your costume.” Apple Bloom asked in wonder, as she waited patiently for an answer.
“Well, um.” The filly in question hadn’t thought about her name in a time longer than the other ponies around her had been alive.
“River Lily, but I prefer to just go by Lily.” She told them, the words clinging to her lips as she thought about her name over and over inside of her mind. A slight frown made its way upon her, memories both good and bad greeting her.
Something the matter?” Asked the pony dressed like an aristocrat.
“Yeah, what Dinky said.” Added Pipsqueak.
“Oh, nothing. I’m fine.” She waved her hoof as to dismiss the notion that she was not feeling well. “Honestly, I’m doing great, so don’t worry.” She let the bitter thoughts drift away, focusing completely on the ponies around her. “So, are we going to go get some Nightmare Night candy.”
“Of course, what type of ponies do we look like?” Apple Bloom replied with a rhetorical question, already making her way down the street. “Come on everypony, let's all show our new friend here a great time.”
Lily was about to explode with emotions she could not attain. Sure, she wasn’t honest about what she truly was, but it was for the best. At least, that was what she figured was for the best. All the previous times she ever came out ending with her own misery.
Giggles, and cheerful cries were let out as all the ponies, Lily included, made there way to catch up with Apple Bloom. Lily was in the back, though, still struck with a sense of awe that she could not escape for, ironically enough, the life of her.
She shook her head, floating along faster to keep pace with her new friends, The thought of these ponies being friends only fueling the newfound fire that greeted her chest with a fury uncontained. The flames growing hotter and hotter as they made their way up to a building that looked like it was made of gingerbread, and other confectioneries.
“So, Lily. Want to do the honors?” Asked Apple Bloom as she pointed her hoof at the door.
Lily knew all too well what would happen if she tried to make physical contact with the building. She may be a bit more powerful than other spirits, but it took too much energy to make contact with anything as large as building doors.
“Oh, I’m fine. You go ahead, I’m happy just watching from here.” Lily said, a smile bigger than what seemed possible plastering itself upon her face. “Doesn’t really matter who knocks, right?”
“I suppose,” Apple Bloom started. “But, I just figured since you were are new friend, and all, you should be the one to knock, and get candy first. Nopony in Equestria can refuse free candy. Well, nopony with a head on their shoulders.”
“It’s alright Apple Bloom, go ahead.” Lily giggled. She may be long gone, but she too could still eat candy. It just was not a necessity, more so something she did for the taste of it. She was not in a hurry in any way, shape, or form.
“If you insist,” Apple Bloom sighed, the other ponies looking at Lily with raised eyebrows, but pushed their concerns out of mind. Candy was about to be given to them, and they were all too excited to receive the goodies.
Apple Bloom knocked once, twice, and then three times. Making her presence heard for the place’s owner.
“Just one moment,” came a voice from within the building. The excitement welling up inside everypony like a balloon ready to pop. It was hard to contain, especially for Lily.
As the door was open a mare stepped out, a bowl of an assortment of different types of candies resting on her back.
The sing-song was sung once again. “Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something sweet to bite!”
“Oh my, what a crowd we have here. Alright everypony, one at a time, no rushing.” She handed the ponies a piece of candy each, as one by one they all had their turn to get their sugary treat.
As Lily floated up to the door the mare gasped. “What a lovely costume. Tell me, which one of you is under their?”
“Oh, That’s River Lily Mrs. Cake.” Dinky told the rather plump mare, as she turned to look at Lily. “Say, you are new here, right? You never told us where you’re from.” All the ponies present waited for Lily’s response eagerly. New ponies always welcomed in Ponyville with open hooves.
Lily froze, unable to truly give them an accurate answer. The time and place of her birth much different from the current time she found herself in. An age long gone, and the ponies along with it. Memory, even in death, foggy to her.
“Me and my family moved here the other day.” She lied, not wanting to give her identity away. “They’re currently on a business trip, so it’s just me and my sitter at home right now.” She added just in case they asked about her parents.
“So your parents must be rich then!” Pipsqueak shouted. “Well, you’re much better behaved than Diamond Tiara, I’ll give you that.”
Mrs. Cake gave Pipsqueak a disapproving frown. Pipsqueak quickly rubbing the back of his neck. “Hehe, sorry.”
“Well, It’s cool of you to have you here in Ponyville.” Scootaloo said, everypony nodding in agreement. “Say, I know the perfect way we can celebrate this Nightmare Night with our new friend here.”
“How?” Sweetie Belle asked, as Lily titled her head just as curious.
“By going to the haunted house across town, of course!” Scootaloo pumped her hooves in the air with glee. Some hesitation and fear finding its way into everypony except Ms. Cake.
“Are you sure, Scoots?” Apple Bloom questioned, as she then turned to Lily. “Not to be rude or anything, but you don’t seem like the type of pony who’d be into that sort of thing. I peg you as a Fluttershy sort of filly.”
Thoughts of the spooky houses of her time of living flooded Lily. “Are you kidding, I’d love to go to it. Creepy places are the best!” She all but blew them away with her vigorous response.
“I knew you were an awesome pony from the moment we met.” Scootaloo grinned, as she too found herself just as thrilled as Lily at the idea of going to a haunted house.
“Good to know you’re not as timid as I thought you were.” Added Apple Bloom, as she went to pat Lily on her back. She met empty air, though, as Lily quickly dodged as to not arise any suspicion of her true ghost-like self. It only made Apple Bloom shake her head, and sigh. “Maybe I was right all along.”
The kids all looked at Lily in confusion, but shrugged their shoulders, and paid the weird behavior no mind. Lily was still at the back of the pack as they made their way to the haunted house across town. The air growing colder, and colder with each passing step.
There was a fog that began to envelop the group of tykes, and an eerie feeling found its way inside the guts of them all. The ominous atmosphere seemed to appear out of thin air, but only grew in intensity as they drew closer to their destination.
“What in the?” Sweetie Belle asked as she looked around her, having a hard time seeing through the thick fog that surrounded her.
Dinky and Pipsqueak were huddled together, shivering, and clutching each other in their hooves. They were silhouettes, though, to all the other kids who also had a hard time seeing through the thick cloud.
“Okay, what is up with this?” Apple Bloom wondered, as she turned to Lily. “Can you make heads or tails of this, because I sure can’t.”
“No idea,” Lily replied as she pushed onward, the shape of a large house gracing her vision. “Wait, I see something up ahead.” She flew faster than she had ever before that night, as she tried to breach through to the other side of the fog.
Everypony began to quickly follow suit, as they made a mad dash with Lily. A couple of moments later, and they found themselves on the other side of the nebulous fog that concealed their vision.
“Whoa!” Shouted Dinky as she looked upon the crooked building on the hill above them. “That place is huge!” She yelled once again, everypony awe struck as their mouths were hung right open.
The house was no house, but a Mansion instead. The black, bent wood of the place making it seem like it jumped straight out of a horror story. The lawn was littered with gravestones, and the fence that surrounded the place was jagged, and made of an old, rustic metal. Adding to the scene was the moon, full, and hanging just above the mansion itself.
The courageous fever that was inside Scootaloo died, as she continued to look at the place. She gulped, and took a step back, her tail between her legs. “This is not what I had in mind.” She said lowly, as Apple Bloom turned to look at her.
“What do you mean? You’re the one who suggested we come here.” She asked Scootaloo, shaking her head to clear her mind of the wicked looking sight she just gazed upon.
Scootaloo merely shook her head, signifying that this was not the place she was talking about.
Lily herself lost the motivation she had before. Even though she was dead, and nothing could ever hurt her, she was still a timid little thing. Her form began to shrink, and the energy within her began to dissipate.
“Lily, are you alright?” Asked Pipsqueak. He tilted his head, and was confused as to why his friend’s body began to fizzle out, much like a light bulb about to run out of juice.
She snapped back to reality, the form she possessed returning to its former glory. The dainty look she had before gone, and replaced with an appearance the ponies around her grew used to.
“Oh, yeah. I’m alright.” She looked back to the demonic looking establishment ahead of her. “But I think I may have bit more than I can chew.” She gulped nothing down an esophagus she did not possess.
“I know what you mean,” Pipsqueak too stared awe struck at the insidious structure. “I’m not quite sure I want to enter there.” He added to his previous statement.
“Well, Scootaloo. You were the one who suggested we come here, so you should be the first to enter, right?” Apple Bloom prompted her friend, giving her a little nudge to get her started on her path.
“Hehe, now listen here Apple Bloom, have you ever looked at this place properly? It’s absolutely terrifying! there is no way I’m going in there!” Scootaloo shook her head. “No way, no how.”
“Always knew you were chicken,” Apple Bloom mocked Scootaloo. The pony being insulted giving a fierce glare.
“Okay, well if you’re so brave, how about you go in first. I dare you.” Scootaloo stuck her face right up next to Apple Bloom’s. Both unblinking, as a show of some sort of competition that went on inside their minds.
“Girls!” Lily spoke up louder than she ever had before. “How about we all go inside together. Safety in numbers, and all.” She suggested, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo ending their quarrel.
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Apple Bloom asked herself, as she shook her head. “Alright, everypony. Let’s listen to Lily here, and head on in together. Who knows, maybe some rich pony lives there, and is waiting to give out loads of Nightmare Night candy.”
Everypony shouted in cheer, hooves raised, and candy flung from the baskets they carried with them. Apple Bloom led the charge as they marched up to the lawn, the old tombstones sending chills through their bodies with each one they passed. A flock of crows flew from a nearby tree, making them all gasp in terror.
“Okay, keep it together, everypony.” Apple Bloom tried to reassure all her friends, luckily it worked, and they continued on towards their destination.
The shadows played on the psyche of the little ponies, jumping sometimes in fright as weird noises were heard. Lily herself was like a shriveled up mess, as she skittishly huddled closer to the center of the pack. They made no protests, though, as they were all terrified out of their wits.
A howl was heard off in the distance, the thoughts of Timberwolves flooding into minds of the kids. There was a solace to be had, though, for the door was only a couple hoof steps away, and the prospect of reaching the door was almost tantalizing at that point in time.
As they took their first steps up the porch steps, it creaked and croaked from old age. The whole place looking like it would collapse right under them if they were not careful.
“Okay, that wasn’t so hard.” Scootaloo said wiping nervous sweat from her brow. The movement fluid, and quick.
“Now we just got to knock, and see if anypony is home.” Apple Bloom gulped, and looked at everypony with a look that showed she did not want to be the one to do it. “Any volunteers?”
They all shook their heads, nopony agreeing to be the one to boldly knock on the door. Lily then found herself moving without her consent. For some reason there was this compulsion within her all of a sudden, and she couldn’t quite control herself. It was almost like she fell under some sort of spell, and now she must do the bidding of the enchantment placed upon her.
The door handle in the center was large, and round, made of some sort of metal long rusted from years of being out in the elements. She reached out to it, using a good portion of her energy to be able to grasp it. Her body fluctuated, the use of that amount of her spiritual power taxing on her being.
Her companions looked at her in bewilderment, not sure what to make of the scene. They tried to find the answer with one another, but none of them chose to speak a single syllable.
Thud, thud!
Lily knocked not once, but twice. The noise loud enough that anypony inside, no matter how large the interior was, could hear here attempts at getting their attention just fine.
A moment of silence passed, but there was no answer at the door. Nothing, no peep, not even a stern voice to tell them to go away. All was just empty, and desolate.
Lily regained her composure, shaking herself before forming back to normal. “Huh, nopony’s home.” She turned to her friends, only to be surprised to see them all look dumbfounded. “What, I only knocked on the door when nopony wanted to?”
“I do not think that’s why we’re looking at you like we are, Lily.” Pipsqueak broke the awkward silence the group of kids found themselves in. “This is the second time I’ve seen you dissipate, and shift in form. What type of costume are you wearing?” He asked, so lost and confused.
Lily realized her cover may have just been blown, but kept a straight face and tried to answer to the best of her ability. “A very expensive one. Been working on it for years.” She rubbed the back of her head. “It does that everytime I touch something, so yeah.”
“I guess that would explain why you avoid being touched so much.” Apple Bloom said as she looked back on how Lily avoided contact with anypony who tried to lay their hooves on her.
“Didn’t want to give away how loaded your family was, right?” Scootaloo wiggled her eyebrows at Lily. In truth, they would just fall right through her, but they could not know that detail.
“It’s not like that.” Lily replied, looking down at the ground, and shaking her head slowly.
“Sure it isn’t” Scootaloo continued to pester the poor, little ghost.
This continued until the sound of a worn hinges moving graced their ears.
“Look!” Shouted Sweetie Belle, as they all saw as the door began to open on its own, the light from inside casting itself into the dark night. It blinded the ponies for a moment, but they soon recovered to see a sight they were not expecting.
The opening showed a giant room decorated in luxurious items of significant value. A chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a red carpet that led up a staircase that split in two directions halfway up. Surrounding the carpet was a finely polished marble floor clean enough to see your reflection in. It was the very pinnacle of exquisite, and matched nothing to the outside of the mansion.
Without a single word Sweetie Belle began to set down her candy bags, and the ursa minor plush she somehow was still toting around, making her way into the place. Before she reached the door, however, she was stopped by a familiar voice.
“Sweetie Belle, what do you think you’re doing?” Asked Scootaloo, a confused, and concerned look on her face.
“Well, are you not the slightest bit curious as to what’s in there? Who knows what we will find if we just do a little exploring.” Sweetie Belle responded, turning to continue her trek inside.
“For Celestia’s sake, Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom facehoofed. “It’s because we don’t know what’s in there that we don’t want you going in.”
“You’re not sounding much like a crusader right now, Apple Bloom.” Sweetie Belle retorted with some snark, ignoring the protests of her friends.
Lily too felt the same feeling inside her chest. Of want, of more, of something that lay behind those walls. It compelled her to follow Sweetie Belle without a second thought, drifting closer, and closer to the entrance.
“And you too, Lily?” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Well, I guess we’re going in after all. Everypony sticking together, and all that.”
The rest of the gang made their way in as well, Pipsqueak and Dinky shivering in fear, and unable to utter any protests of their own. As they made it past the doors they heard a sound they wished they hadn’t.
Slam!
The door shut behind them loudly, and clicked sinisterly.
Apple Bloom quickly ran up to the door, pulling at the handle with all her strength. She tugged, and she struggled, but for the life of her she could not get that door open. She sighed, then left it alone, turning to her friends. “Bad news, everypony. We’re stuck in here.” She smashed her hoof into the ground in anger. “Should have known better than to have waltzed on in here.”
Everyponies heart sank to the deepest pits of themselves.
“W-What do you mean we’re locked in here?” Dinky hesitantly asked, tears almost forming at the sides of her eyes as the reality of the situation began to sink in.
Pipsqueak put a comforting hoof around Dinky, knowing all too well how she felt. It helped her enough to stop the waterworks.
“Sorry, but I can’t get the door open.” Apple Bloom grimaced, her mind clouded with rage. She shook her head, but it did little to quell the flames. “Sweetie Belle!” She spoke her name so loud it echoed across the entire room.
Sweetie Belle stiffened in response, knowing what was going to happen next.
“If it wasn’t for your reckless behavior we wouldn’t have gotten into this mess. What were you thinking, girl? What could have possible lead you to believe this was a reasonable idea?”
Sweetie Belle flared crimson red, taking a step closer to Apple Bloom. “You say that like I wanted this to happen. Apple Bloom, I am just as frustrated as you are.”
Lily watched as the two ponies bickered, and fought. She knew she had to help somehow, so she decided to have her own thoughts heard. “To be fair, Apple Bloom, I too went with Sweetie without question. Besides, none of us could have known we would end up stuck here, so blaming her for all this is a little unfair, don’t you think?”
Apple Bloom groaned. “I know, I know. I’m just upset is all.” She sat on her haunches, and crossed her hooves in a pout. “So now what do we do, huh? Our exit is blocked, and we have no idea what’s inside this place.”
Lily put a pale hoof up to her chin in thought. “Well, it’s as you said. We have no idea what’s in this place, and we are stuck here now.” A idea popped inside head. “Hey, how about we do what we did before, and explore. There could be another exit somewhere, and there is no use sitting here helplessly.”
“You know what, I think she’s right.” Scootaloo piped in. “I know we’re all scared, and all, but we're tough ponies aren’t we?” She asked everypony, who merely stared at her. “Oh come on, I know each and everyone of you has it in you to do amazing things. So I’m with Lily, let’s see what we can find in here.”
Lily was the first to cheer, blushing sheepishly as she realized nopony else let out their enthusiasm with her. After a couple of moments the fillies and colt began to ease up a bit, and jovially began to rally themselves.
“See, that’s more like it.” Scootaloo beamed.
As they died down, they come to a startling conclusion as they took a good long look at how large the mansion truly was.
“So,” Began Pipsqueak. “Where do you perchance think we should start? I certainly do not want to split up to cover more ground, mind you.”
That was when a soft sound of a piano could be heard across the room. The distance between them, and the source of the noise vast, surly, but it still startled them out of their fur. They all grabbed onto each other, Lily hovered closely as to not allow them to lay a hoof on her.
“Where in the world is that coming from?” Dinky asked as she suffocated Pipsqueak with how tight her grip was around him.
“No...idea,” He responded with a strain in his voice. His face turning a bit purple.
“Okay, I’m not as confident as I was about this before.” Scootaloo said. She too paling in complexion as the piano continued to slowly play a tune that meant some sort of certain doom for the group of kids.
As they continued to shiver, they all had a thought that brought them even closer to a panic attack.
“We're gonna have to find out what that is, aren’t we?” Sweetie Belle spoke what everypony was thinking. They then began to let go of one another, but still hanging close as to not feel too isolated from one another.
“Okay, so.” Apple Bloom tried to formulate a sentence, but it failed. The music grew louder, and more bombacious. All other noises becoming mute as they had no idea what was to come next, and what sort of monstrous being lay behind the piano waiting to snatch them up.
“We can’t just sit here, we have to do something.” Apple Bloom continued her suggestion, but nopony seemed to be thrilled with the idea. “Look, Scootaloo just got us pumped up to get out of here, but now that this piano music has started playing we all start to cower. I know I was scared like the rest of y’all just then, but imagine what’s going to happen if we don’t decide to make a move soon? I’ll let you know, we’ll become pony skeletons by the time anypony finds us. Do you want that to happen?"
They all sighed, shaking their heads in confirmation.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Dinky said, looking down at the marble floor with a sorrowful expression.
Apple Bloom looked to her left, and then her right. “Okay, we’ll take a vote of hooves. All those who say left, raise a hoof.”
Pipsqueak, and Dinky raised their hoof.
“Okay, all those In going right, raise a hoof.”
Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle raised a hoof.
Apple Bloom stared at Lily. “Hey, what’s the deal? You’re the only one who hasn’t voted. Mine doesn’t count, since I’m listening to you guys, so you’re the deciding factor in whether we got left, or right.
Lily was unsure what to pick. She looked left, and then right. She repeated this process over, and over, and over. It did not help her draw closer to her decision, it only made it all the more difficult.
“I don’t know. Each direction has it’s own sort of mystery to it, and maybe the one I decide to vote for leads to the piano, and then we’d be in bigger trouble.” She shook her head. “This is all very confusing.”
“Okay, Lily. If it’s that hard for you, then I guess I can throw my two-bits into the mix.” She pointed her hoof towards the left hallway. “I say we go left, because Applejack always told me to follow my heart, and our hearts are on the left side, right?”
“I don’t know my anatomy, but it sounds reasonable enough, I suppose.” Sweetie Belle pointed out, agreeing with what Apple Bloom said.
“I guess we’re going right then.” said Scootaloo as she took her first tentative step towards the hallway. The clop her hoof made against the hard floor resonating with all her friends to begin their slow journey to find an exit somewhere within this prison of a house.
Lily sighed, and that breath, or the equivalent of a ghost's breath, was felt by all her buddies. The situation was daunting, they all felt sick on the inside. Lily noticed that she was losing energy, the bits of which were tiny orbs that left her main form. Vanishing into thin air as they had no way to sustain themselves. It was welcoming that she was tailing the rest of the ponies, because they would surely comment on the matter. Her excuses for her odd behavior wearing thin.
The hall was lined with a couple windows on the side, draped in red curtains, and from the looks of it, it began to pour rain outside. The droplets running down the glass of the window an omen for misfortune.
“This night’s not going to be all that fun, now is it.” Pipsqueak spoke to himself, not amused with how everything seemed to get worse by the second. Nothing was going the way he had planned it would, and that upset him greatly.
Another detail of the hall they found themselves in was the elaborate vases that were aloft pillars. They showed some sort of epic from days long past, ponies fighting manticores, and hydras. It was old, that was for sure, but not a single speck of dust graced its image.
“So, who is taking care of this place?” Sweetie Belle asked, as she stopped to look at the vases in closer detail. She raised an eyebrow, curiosity growing stronger with the more she glared at the images.
“Good question.” Replied Apple Bloom, as she too joined Sweetie.
“Wait, look at this painting over here.” Lily asked Sweetie and Apple Bloom, as they turned to look at the other wall of the hall.
“What is it?” Wondered Apple Bloom, but soon found her answer as she gazed at what Lily was pointing at.
It was a painting of Ponyville from over a hundred years ago. It was smaller, that much was sure, but what stuck out was that the very mansion they found themselves in was in the picture. It rested on the very same hill, and from what they gathered, it was not too far off from where the Apple Family started their farm.
“Strange, I’ve never seen this place here before until now. Why in Celestia’s name would I now just be seeing it?” Apple Bloom scratched at her mane. She tried her hardest to make sense at what she was seeing, but it was to no avail. “Shoot, I can’t make heads or tails of this.”
Lily, herself was also surprised. I don’t remember this house being here either, and I’ve been dead long enough to have seen this town when it was still rather new. She thought to herself, not wanting to speak her thoughts aloud for all to hear.
The room became a cacophony of intense piano playing. The dread feeling only being coaxed into growing more powerful by the second, as the piano gave it a sense of encouragement to continue ravaging the ponies poor, little hearts.
“Okay, enough standing around, we have to get going.” Scootaloo told everypony, hurrying her way down the rest of the hall, the clip clop of her hooves mixing with the music that played around them.
As they exited together they found themselves in a round room. To the right was a bookshelf filled with what looked to be over a hundred books. Next to it was a lounge chair, maroon in color, and was directly in front of a lit fireplace. The room was cozy, and was unlike what they expected to find lying at the end of the hall.
There were two doors in the room, though, what lay on the other side was a mystery that tormented their thoughts.
Lily was floating around, admiring the place. She took in every corner of the room. The place had a familiar feeling to it, but she couldn’t quite place her mind on it. She did, however, see something that peaked her interest. It was a leather-bound notebook that laid on a coffee table in the center of the room.
As she floated to it she said, “Hey everypony, come check this out.” She lifted the journal up, it requiring not too much of her spiritual strength.
“Huh, is that a journal of somepony’s?” Asked Dinky. She peered over Lily’s side like all the others, as they tried to get a look at what they page's said.
“Mmhmm, I’ll read it aloud.” Lily replied, preparing herself by letting out a short, albeit unneeded, cough.
“Dear Journal,” Began Lily. “I write here now, for I know not how much longer I have left in this world. The love I onced desired has twisted, and turned, and left me feeling sick inside. I know not what to do, but what I do understand is that it will ultimately end in my demise. This will be the last I write before the dreaded day comes, and I must get this out to anypony foolish enough to try and visit me in these last moments of my life”
Everypony looked to each other, Lily included.
“What in the world?” Sweetie Belle asked, unsure of what to make of the entry thus far. “What in the world is the pony who wrote this on about?”
“I don’t know, but let's find out. Continue, Lily.” Apple Bloom replied.
“I’ve created something truly horrible, and anypony who reads this now: turn back, and never return!” Lily spoke with a vibrant fury as to match the voice of the pony who wrote the words she read aloud.
Pipsqueak and Dinky gasped.
Lily let it sink in for a moment, but then continued. “That wicked creature, that Siren. That blasted siren has made me create a machine that should not be used, for it could spell certain doom for all of Equestria!”
Scootaloo began to speak up. “Okay, this is getting very weird, and scary. I don’t know about you, but I have a very bad feeling about this.”
“I’m sure we all do.” Sweetie Belle spoke for everypony. “I don’t think I want to be here any longer than you do.”
“Shhh, girls. Let Lily continue.” Apple Bloom cut her friends off, eagerly waiting to see what the journal had left in store for them.
Lily nodded, then proceeded to read on. “If, and only if it is necessary, the creation I speak of is in the basement of this very mansion. It is to be the place of my grave, and the place of her’s as well. I only wish that what I am about to do pays off, for by Celestia’s name it needs to. This is Inkwell, and I hope that I succeed in combating this evil.”
Lily closed the journal with an audible thud, and then preceded to turn to her friends. “Okay, well, that wasn’t very comforting.”
Pipsqueak shook his head violently. “Most certainly not. I’ve never heard of this Inkwell fellow, but if what he says is true, we shouldn't be here. No siree.”
“Yeah, he mentioned a Siren. I’ve read about those in some of the books at Twilight’s castle, and even Twilight could testify to them being a nasty breed of creature.” Apple Bloom added. “She spoke of this time she traveled to this other dimension of sorts, and combated three of ‘em. Said they fed off of negative motions, and manipulated ponies to their desire. That’s what this siren must of did to Inkwell.”
“Wait,” Scootaloo butted in. “How do they feed off of negative emotions? Are the like changelings, but instead of love, they need hatred, or something?”
“Twilight mentioned them singing something in an angelic voice, and that’s how the creatures got their name.” Apple Bloom slammed her hoof to the ground. “Okay, this has just gotten serious, and I don’t think we should hang around here any longer than we should.”
“You’re right about that.” Came a voice they did not recognize from behind them. They all stood still, and stiff, way to afraid too turn around and see what in the world that just spoke to them. “Get out, please. Get out while you still can.”
That was when they slowly turned to look behind them, gasping as they saw a ghost like figure of a stallion looking down upon them. A sad look in his eyes, and a deep frown on his face. On his flank was an Inkwell, giving away just whose spirit this was.
“Run!” Shouted Apple Bloom, as she and her friends began to book it out of dodge. They were like a bolt of lightening, moving so quick that they almost tripped over themselves as they opened one of the random doors in the room they were in.
It lead to some sort of dining hall, the creepiest part being how all the silverware, and china was floating in the air on its own. Food on the platters, and candles mixed in to add another layer of eeriness.
Lily looked behind herself, noticing how the other ghost passed through the wall, and was now in the same room as they were. “I don’t mean to make this worse, everypony, but he’s right behind us!”
“Oh come on!” Yelled Sweetie Belle as they headed for the door on the other side of the room.
“Turn back, turn back.” Inkwell’s ghost said in the spookiest voice imaginable. It was all distorted, and full of ennui. All signs of the pony ever being amongst the living long left buried in the past.
As the kids made it past another door, they were greeted with a hallway much like the one they were in earlier, save for the windows. The paintings, and fine decorations were much the same, though.
“Uh, Uh.” Apple Bloom stuttered, tip-hoofing in place as she tried to think. “Okay, okay.” She saw a closet off to the left. “Quickly, in there.” She pointed her hoof at the side room. “The ghost will most likely ignore it, and move forward down the hall to the next room.”
Not wanting to question her judgement at a time like that, they jumped right into the tiny room, all squished up next to each other. They waited there with holding their breath. No noise was made, but they were all very claustrophobic.
A whoosh was heard moving by, along with it came the voice of Inkwell. “Get out of here! You don’t have much time, get out!”
The seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes started to feel like hours. Not a peep was heard from the group, and they made no clear indication of moving anytime soon. The just sat there, cramped, and full of dread.
To Lily’s best effort, she managed to hover just above the heads of her friends, if she were not careful she would end up going through the ceiling of the room.
“Alright, as much as I like you guys and all, I can’t just stay in this position forever. I mean, come on now.” Scootaloo broke the silence, her face being squished by Dinky’s rump. “Now would you guys move it, so we can get out of here already?”
Reaching out with her magic, Sweetie Belle grasped the handle of the closet room’s door, and twisted it until it opened up. All of the ponies fell out on top of each other like a pony avalanche, dog piling together.
As they separated from each other, Scootaloo took a deep breath before speaking. “That’s much better. Nice thinking Apple Bloom, we seemed to have gave him the slip. Now if only we could give this whole place the slip.” She looked around, trying to see if she could find some sort of exit they hadn’t seen before.
Scootaloo sighed, not finding what she wanted. “Seems we’re in here for the long haul after all, unless any of you guys have any bright ideas.”
“I say we just keep on movin’” Apple Bloom began. “Never know what we might find, and besides, you can’t say you’re not havin’ at least a little fun, am I right?” She looked around seeing a mix variety of faces.
“You heard what that ghost said. ‘Get out while you still can.’ There’s something going on here, and I want nothing to do with it.” Dinky spoke up, she was yet again on the verge of tears.
Pipsqueak comforted the filly, wrapping her in a warm hug. “It’s alright, Dinky. We’ll get through this, trust me.” He gave her a comforting smile.
“T-Thanks, Pipsqueak.” She replied, returning his embrace.
Lily just floated in silence, her mind a fury of multiple different thoughts. Why in the world was Inkwell so insistent on us leaving? If what his journal said was true, whatever he did in the past must have stopped the siren he despised so much. Why would he be telling us to leave if there was nothing really to worry about?
“Urgh.” Lily grunted. “This all makes no sense. Why would Inkwell, that ghost, be so insistent on us leaving if there is nothing to worry about.” She crossed her hooves, unable to let go of the infuriating thought.
Everypony stopped what they were doing to pay Lily their utmost attention. They had never seen Lily so upset, and furious before, so it startled them to no end.
“Lily, you all right?” Apple Bloom asked with sympathetic voice. “And what do you mean by there being nothing for us to worry about, didn’t you just see what we were faced with?” She tried to, yet again, wrap her hooves around Lily but the ghost merely moved out of the way at the nick of time.
“Apple Bloom, of course I know that Inkwell is a real issue, but you know what the journal said. Inkwell directly stated how he was going to combat whatever evil possessed him, and since that journal was over a hundred years old, that must mean he was successful, right?” Lily replied, her features still showing how peeved she was by the whole ordeal.
“Yeah, actually, that doesn’t quite add up” Apple Bloom agreed, pacing to and fro as she tried to figure out a solution. “Wait, what if the evil was never truly vanquished? What if it was just sealed away for sometime, and only now has broken free? Wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened around here.”
“Usually the Elements of Harmony, and especially Rainbow Dash, would have found a way to deal with the problem right about now. What are we? We’re just some group of kids who got stuck in a place they shouldn’t have wondered into.” Scootaloo said as she kicked at the ground.
“Scootaloo, you don’t give us enough credit now, after all, we are the cutie mark crusaders, and we have some friends along with us to help. In fact, if we count our numbers we have exactly six of us here, just like the Elements of Harmony. We’ll get through this just fine, just you wait.” Apple Bloom encouraged her friend, giving her a big pat on the back.
Lily brightened up from before. “You know, you guys are the best.” She was now beaming with mirthful joy, so bright it resonated with all of the other ponies with her. “We just gotta keep moving, and find a way out. There’s no stopping us.”
“Yeah, I’m behind that plan. The sooner we’re out of here, the better.” Added Pipsqueak, as he and Dinky gave a salute.
“Then let’s get a move on, everypony!” Apple Bloom shouted, but then covered her mouth. “Hope Inkwell didn’t hear that.” The group gave her look that spoke ‘really,’ and sighed as they began to walk down the hall. “Sorry.” She rubbed the back of her neck, following them out the door on the other side of the room.
The area they entered was a music room of some sort, a piano situated in the center, while an assortment of other instruments laid at the sides of the place. All of them were old, older than Lily, and worth fortunes from how finely crafted they were, and how each of them were in mint condition.
“Oh my gosh!” Dinky let out, making her way towards the string instruments. “This is so cool.” She could not contain herself. It was like being surrounded by mountains of candy, but with no added risk of tooth decay.
Everypony else was just stuck in a trance, the piano from earlier may have stopped it’s demonic melody, but right before them all was most likely the source of it all, and Dinky was running right towards it.
“Dinky, stop!” Pipsqueak yelled out towards her. “That’s the piano from earlier, you have no idea what’s going to happen if you so much as set a hoof on it!” He chased after Dinky as she halted in place. He almost crashed into her, but managed to stop just before colliding.
“Oh, yeah.” She said weakly, still eyeing up the instruments. “But they look so lonely. I don’t think they’ve been played in a very long time.” She let herself go limp. “But I suppose you’re right, I have no idea what’ll happen if I get any closer.”
Lily had gone past the both of them, sending everyone into a frenzy.
“What in the world do you think you’re doing, Lily? Didn’t you just hear Pipsqueak?” Sweetie Belle tried to get the filly to correct herself, but was only met with silence as Lily refused to listen to reason.
Lily sat down at the stool situated in front of the piano, picking up another journal that laid directly on top of it. “Sorry to worry you guys, but I just found another one of Inkwell’s journals. Maybe it could give us the answers we need?”
The ponies looked to each other, and then back at Lily. They were hesitant at first, but then they all began to make their way over to the piano, resting just beside the little spirit.
“Okay, Lily. You win.” Apple Bloom said, knowing full well that Lily had the superior argument to make. “Just hurry up, and read it, okay? Don’t want to be here any longer than we need to be.”
There was not another utterance as the room grew silent. The storm outside unable to be heard, and the piano, for the betterment of them all, did not come alive. It was the perfect atmosphere for Lily to read what the journal had to say.
“Alright, “Lily began. “Here I go.” She leaned back a little bit, as she turned to the first page. “This journal entry shall serve as a way to communicate to any who dared come this far as to the whereabouts of my secret chambers. I know that my creation shall be the end of me, and her, but if I have failed in my mission, it is for the best that others should know where to find the contraption.”
“Yes!” Scootaloo let out. “You were right, Lily. This holds all the answers we need, well, at least for where to find this so called ‘device’ he keeps mentioning.” She then quieted down to allow Lily to continue reading.
“I’ve hidden it behind a secret passage leading to a basement which did not appear in any blueprints of my home. To activate the entrance, somepony would have to play a very specific song on the piano in this room. I have left the sheet music on the piano as reference.” Lily looked up from the journal, and saw the sheet music in front of her.
She grabbed it, and held it in her hand. “How in the world are we going to get into that secret room now, if none of us can read this?” Lily asked. She kept glancing over it trying to make any sense of the notes displayed on the piece of paper.
“Umm,” Dinky uttered. “I think I could help. I don’t play the piano very often, but I can read sheet music just fine.” She sat beside Lily. “Here, let me see how complicated this is.“ She took a look-see at the sheet. “Hey, this is not so bad. I could play this no problem.”
“Really?” Lily exclaimed, her eyes widening. “Dinky, that’s amazing. You like music a lot, don’t you?”
Dinky became flushed. “Yeah, I’ve been playing the violin for a couple of years now.” She set the piece of paper on the music stand on the piano, looking it over one last time. “Okay guys, I’m going to try and play this now. Stay quiet so I can concentrate.”
Dinky began to play the song; it was as sinister as the first time they heard it back when they first entered the mansion. It sent chills down the spines of everypony listening, and they were in awe at just how much skill Dinky had with playing the musical instrument.
It continued on for a short moment longer, before they began to hear something creaking over on a wall across from them. A entrance began to become known to them, as the wall slowly lifted up, and showed a pathway which was hidden before.
Dinky slowly ended the song, the last few chords being poignant, and full of pain. Inkwell, when he wrote the piece, was so lost in depression the world ceased to have any meaning.
Dinky leaned back from the piano, looking ahead to see the newly formed entrance. “Huh, seems there really was a secret passageway.” She got up from her seat, and got a closer look.
“Well, we better get a move on then.” Apple Bloom said, but looked hesitant. “Though, I’m not so sure we should be wondering off in there now that I think about it. What if it’s some sort of trap, and Inkwell is just playing us for the fool?”
Scootaloo shook her head, “But we don’t have many other options. What if the exit to this place is down there, or what if we find something valuable? It’s a risk I’m willing to take, and I hope you guys are as well.”
Lily poked her head inside the passage, taking in the view of the spiraling, stone staircase down into a deep, dark abyss. “From the looks of it, we won’t know until we descend these stairs.” She then floated over to the other foals. “I’m really scared, not going to lie.” She clutched at one of her forehooves, head dejectedly leaning off to the side.
“You have us, though, Lily.” Apple Bloom told her. “Ain’t that right?” She looked to to others.
They looked at each other, a bit of fear inside them all, but they turned to Lily and said in unison. “Right!”
“See, nothing to worry about.” Apple Bloom laughed. “Pinkie Pie said if you’re ever feeling scared, and down, all you have to do is giggle at the ghosties.” She walked beside Lily, “So let’s get a move on. Seems everyone has made up their mind to go down there together.”
Giggle at the ghosties? Lily thought. Is it ironic I want to giggle at that? She cleared her mind, and followed behind the group as they began their trek to the deepest part of the mansion. The cramped, dust filled staircase making them all feel uneasy.
It went on and on, almost as if it would lead them to the pits of tartarus. Still, they pushed onward, and never took a moment to stop. There was no turning back for the kids, and they all knew it. This was it, and what they were all thinking was how they wished for all of this to come to an end.
After what seemed like eternity, they finally stepped down upon the final stair. The room they found themselves in was massive, and illuminated by floating orbs of light. A horrid, metallic screech echoing throughout the chamber.
“What in Equestria is that?” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, pointing her hoof at the vile machine that created the noise. “It’s massive!”
They gazed upon this large contraption. It had a tube at the top of it, orbs of greenish light flooding into it. Down near the bottom was what appeared to be some levers, and knobs. There was also a couple of antenni on the machine, vibrating and giving off some sort of signal.
“What is that thing doing?” Apple Bloom asked, taking a closer look, but still a good distance away. She was on edge, and all her muscles were tense up, and ready to be used for a grand escape if needed.
“I have no idea.” Lily said. “How strange. This must be what Inkwell was talking about. The machine he built for the Siren.” She floated over to the control panel, the complicated design making her scrunch up her snout.
“Wait, Lily. Are you sure you want to be touching that thing?” Apple Bloom ran up to her friend. The others shortly behind her. “It’s working, that’s all I know, and that’s not good. This clearly was made for something nefarious, and I can’t let you go fiddling with it.”
A sudden roar was heard from the machine, the orbs from before turning into a misty fog, much like what they saw before laying eyes upon the mansion itself.
“Aaaaaah!” screamed Dinky, as she hid under her hooves. Pipsqueak looked down on her form, and laid a hoof on her back. Trying to reassure her nothing bad was happening.
“What was that?” He asked, looking between the Crusader’s and Lily.
“Nothing good.” Scootaloo said. She grew a fierce gaze, trying to act tough in the face of danger. “Maybe it’s Inkwell again, and he’s come back to finish the job?”
“I don’t think so.” Lily spoke, noticing little dials on the machine spike. “It has to do with this thing. Its readings, or whatever, just went off the charts. It’s doing its job, and doing it well.” She looked distraught. “From what we’ve gathered this machine was used for evil. This is not good at all.”
“You’re right about that.” A cold, snake like voice greeted the ponies. All of them freezing in place. “You’ve come very far to have reached here. Oh, how very sad that this is where your journey must come to an end. Should have listened to Mr. Inkwell.”
From above an opening appeared in the ceiling, the full moon, and the night sky fully visible. A large, serpent like ghost flew into the room from the outside, it’s sharp, serpent eyes looking deeply within the group of foals.
“It seems I have myself a little treat all to myself.” She floated several feet away from the ponies, all of which too scared to utter a single word. “Hmm, afraid are we? You should be. None of you have any idea what you’ve just stumbled upon.”
“W-who are you?” Lily tentatively asked. Her mind filled with thousands of ways this could turn sour in a manner of seconds.
The creature put a hoof to her chest. “Me, oh well. My name is Nocturne.” She leaned down closer to the foals. “And who, might I ask, are you?”
They were silent, not sure what to say. Lily wanted to be brave, wanted to help in any way she could, but in the end she found herself saying nothing.
“J-just a bunch of lost t-trick-or-treaters.” Scootaloo replied. Even she was barely able to let out those words. All of which were stuttered, and full of fearful emotions.
“B-but what are you?” Lily found it within herself to speak again. She needed to confirm her deepest horrors. She was on the verge of ectoplasmic tears. The substance barely hanging onto the ducts of her eyes.
“Well, I'm a ghost, much like yourself as you can see, but I think you're asking what species I am. To satiate your curiosity little one, I am a siren.” She gave the little spirit a toothy grin. She then let out a cackling laugh of maniacal terror.
The frightful filly’s thoughts were confirmed. This was the siren Inkwell spoke about in his journals. Lily then found her friends slowly looking to her, and then fidgeting away bit by bit. They all looked taken aback, and confused beyond belief.
“Lily, what does she mean by you being a ghost. I thought you said that was just a costume.” Apple Bloom said, but then thought back to all the weird moments Lily displayed that day. “Call me crazy, but I think the siren might know something we don’t”
“That I do, little one.” She spoke the last couple words with a sultry voice. It sent chills down all the ponies backs. “If you actually bought that being her, Nightmare Night costume, or whatever, then you’re a bigger fool than Inkwell. It’s clear as day that she was a ghost from the beginning.” She appraised Lily for the moment. “I have no use for a little spirit like yourself. Your life force is no longer in this realm of existence.” She turned to the other kids. “But yours is ripe for the taking.” She hummed a little then spoke again. “Give me your sweet, delicious, negative energy.”
The somber serenade she sung clung to the ponies like a powerful grip from a beast that refused to let go. It dug deep, and tore into them. Nothing was left unscaved, and they felt themselves losing a part of themselves. A green mist began to flow out of them, their eyes turning a ghastly shade of red as they appeared bloodshot.
“No! Stop!” Yelled Lily. “Don’t do this to them.” She tried to shake Apple Bloom, but her hooves went right through them. She tried, and tried again, but nothing happened. She was so desperate, but all her troubles were for nought.
The exoplasm that leaked from her eyes before came back in full force. “S-stop.” She demanded weakly, as she slowly slumped to the cold, hard ground.
“And why do you care?” Scootaloo spat at Lily. She was no longer the same as before, and carried herself with a wicked posture. This was not the same pony Lily knew from before. “You lied to us, Lily. Lied about who you are, and expected us not to be upset. What in the name of Celestia were you thinking?”
“B-but?” Lily tried to protest, but only sobbed harder. “No, don’t let Nocturne do this to you, Scootaloo. You’re my friend!” Lily was in panic, her entire being vibrating with glowing energy. Bits of herself began to fade into nothing.
“Friend’s don’t ignore another friend's touch, now do they? Apple Bloom added, getting up close and personal with the little ghost. She then put a hoof through her, letting the cold sensation run through her. “Seems this is why you were avoiding me, and acting funny. How disgraceful of you Lily. I don’t much like liars, and frauds.”
Lily felt herself slipping. “I-I was just afraid you’d see me as all the rest do. Nothing more than a scary ghost, and run away. Please guys, stop this!” She shouted, her very being on the verge of collapse. The energy that kept her amongst the living fading, and seeping out of her each passing second.
She looked at them all. Each and everyone of them all looked at her with disdain, and hatred. They were not the friends she once knew. They were all warped, and manipulated into the vile beings they’ve become. All semblance of them being kind hearted ponies with nothing more than their friendship long gone, and replaced with the malice Nocturne injected into them. The green mist they secreted going straight into the lungs of the siren who caused such catastrophe.
The machine that Absorbed the mist stopped itself, coming to a complete halt. “Yes, it seems the negative energy absorber has finished up its work. All of Equestria’s negative energy lies in there now, and it’s all mine!”
All her’s? Lily thought to herself shakily. Has that thing been absorbing all of that energy while we’ve been stuck in here? Then that means more than us is at stake here. Lily wrapped her hooves around herself, trying to maintain her ethereal form. She forgot all that was said to her by her friends, knowing full well it wasn’t them. She had to regain her bearings, she had to do what was right. She had to stop Nocturne.
The Siren floated over over to the other side of the negative energy device, a hatch ready to be opened as she licked her lips in anticipation. “With this amount of energy I could regain my living form. No longer will I be forced to wander the night as a pathetic spirit.”
Lily remembered how she passed on from the world. A pond she fell in, and never escaped. The place becoming her watery tomb. “Not so fast, Nocturne. I know exactly what tethers you to this world.”
She tried to fly up to the siren, but was blocked by her corrupt pony friends. She simply flew through them, though, no longer needing to conceal her identity. “I know what would happen if it were to be destroyed.”
Nocturne turned to Lily. “Yes, yes. I’d be annihilated along with it. So what? What do you hope to accomplish with that knowledge. You don’t have anyway to destroy that which holds me to this world.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. If this machine blows, then so does your little plan of becoming whole again. It’s a good thing Inkwell already did this once, and I think I may know how to do it again.” Lily smirked, and then flew down to the levers. She quickly flung them on, activating the machine again. “I’ll just overload the machine, and boom! You’re history.”
Nocturne was enraged. “I won’t let you.” She inhaled the energy that began to fester, and make its way to the device. She was not going to allow the machine to bust because it had too much energy stored within it.
Lily then flew up to where the green mist was, and channeled her aura into it, guiding some of it to go into the negative energy machine. The siren tried to combat Lily, but she was putting her very essence into her grip on the negative emotions. She vibrated, and glowed brighter than ever before. This was every last bit of spiritual energy she held within her body.
A rumble was heard from the machine, as bolts began pop out as the energy trapped within seeped out. “Get out of here, guys. The place is going to blow!”
The foals shook their heads, with the siren focusing on Lily they found themselves snapping out of their delusion.
“What in the world?” Sweetie Belle spoke. She then looked up and shouted. “Lily!”
“Get out of here, please!” Lily pleaded. “I need you guys to be safe, I want nothing more than that. Get outta here!” Lily grunted, and struggled to fight against the magical song of the siren.
“But we can’t,” Apple Bloom shouted back “You’re are friend, and friends don’t leave friends behind. I know I’ve said some rude things, but that wasn’t me, and we need you with us. You gotta come with us, or we’re not going!” She turned to the group. “Right?”
They all nodded their heads. “Right.” They agreed in unison.
Lily sighed, then turned to her friends while still maintaining her struggle. “This time we’ve spent today has meant more to me than anything ever has before. I’ve never had friends like you, and that makes me so happy.” She began to cry, but in a different nature. “I finally fit in somewhere, I was no longer an outcast. I was like all the other kids, and I loved it. Please, just do me this favor and leave.” She wiped at her face with one hoof. “I need you to, I need you all to be safe, and sound.”
Apple Bloom frowned, but then smiled. “We will. Please be alright, Lily. For all of us.” She smiled up at the apparition. “Let’s go, everypony. You heard what she said.”
Scootaloo looked down at her hooves. “Pony feathers.” But began to leave with the rest of the group.
“And Apple Bloom.” Lily started. “There’s this pond just outside of Ponyville.” She smiled, and sighed. “Please visit sometimes, okay?” Lily’s eyes never looked so soft, or at peace with themselves. The kindness within them speaking volumes when no words were spoken.
“I promise.” Apple Bloom replied simply, and left with the rest of the ponies.
Lily turned back to Nocturne. “This is where this ends. You will not terrorize the ponies love no more!” She shook, and put everything into this last push. A large amount of power forcing itself into the collapsing machine.
“Noooooooooo!” Screamed Nocturne as the area began to fall apart, the machine along with it. Everything was tearing itself apart, and the siren found herself losing touch with the world. He body shifted and morphed, being surrounded by tendrils of blue, ethereal light. It incased her, and slowly drew closer until it condensed her into nothing but a shining orb before bursting into a explosion of prismatic colors.
Lily drifted down to the ground no longer able to control the flow of energy. She closed her eyes, and let the force of gravity carry her down back down to the earth. “I did it, guys.” She barely let out as she hit the floor.
I can finally rest in peace, she thought to herself. Thank you. Thank you, everypony. She, much like Nocturne, slipped away from the world, but unlike the siren she went out naturally. Her spirit no longer at ease, and was now full of contentment. She found what she was looking for all these years wondering Equestria alone.
Friendship.
The last thing Lily heard before drifting off was the faint voice of Inkwell. “Thank you.” He said softly. He too finding his inner peace.
* * * *
Apple Bloom walked down a path by herself. A week after the incident at the mansion had happened. They all had managed to escape in the nick of time. The house consumed in a strange aura, before being consumed by itself in a magical display of power beyond the feats of any sorcerer in Equestria.
It was strange, and nopony who saw could explain it. All of Equestria seemed to have dazed out for the last couple of hours of the night, the memories of what had happened faded from them, as they simply moved on with their lives. Apple Bloom knew what happened, of course, and so did everypony who knew Lily. That was why she found herself walking down this desolate path just outside of Ponyville. To visit a friend she held close to her heart.
As she reached the end of the road, a pond appeared before her. It was surrounded by one of the entrances to the Everfree Forest. Nopony ever visiting the pond, since it was so close to such a dangerous place. Apple Bloom did not mind, however.
She trotted up to the bank of the pond, resting a couple of flowers on its shore. “Hello Lily. Told you I was going to visit. We did promise after all.” She sighed, and laid down on the coarse sand. “Been a week since we last saw each other. Everypony is safe and sound, and Equestria is none the wiser.”
She left marks in the sand with her hooves. “I miss you Lily. I really do, and so does the rest of our friends.” Apple Bloom laughed weakly. “You know? I wouldn’t have minded if you told us you were a real ghost to begin with. Would have thought it rather cool, really.” She sighed again. “That’s in the past now, though, so no point in dwelling on it.”
She looked at the flowers she had brought as a gift. “Hope you like the flowers. I know it’s not much, but it’s all I could really think of getting you.” She edged herself over to the water's surface. “Can’t believe this is where you rest… sorry you had to go out this way.”
She then backed away, not wanting to fall in herself. No telling what could happen. “You really saved our hides back there. Wouldn’t have made it out without you. All of Equestria wouldn’t have in fact. You’re a hero Lily, a real genuine hero.”
Apple Bloom’s spirits rose, and she stood up. “I’ll be sure to visit you all the time. You don’t have to worry about being forgotten. Heck, I’ll see if we can get you a proper gravestone, or something. You need to be remembered, and mourned. You’re worth it.”
Apple Bloom looked back at the town of Ponyville. The family farm coming to mind. “Well, I have to get going now. Got more chores to take care of, and what not. It’s been nice talking with you, and I pray for you best wishes.”
Apple Bloom left the pond, off to continue on with her day. For some reason she felt like she was actually talking to Lily. Some force found its way into her, and told her it was true. It was a feeling she accepted as fact, and it was a wonderful sensation.
To confirm her beliefs. The pond engulfed the flowers that rested on its shore. It was dragged to the center of the pond, and found life as a token of the little filly who had lost her life there hundreds of years ago. The soul of the poor little thing finally at rest, and finally able to enter the realm beyond the living. No longer trapped in an endless cycle of searching.
All was well in the land of Equestria, and it was that way because of the magic of friendship.
