Discord's Haunted Castleby ThestralicornChaptersChapter 1: Discord's IdeaChapter 2: Now the Fun BeginsChapter 3: Turnabout is Fair PlayChapter 4: Smoke in the KitchenChapter 5: Flapping For ApplesChapter 6: The Prize Within SightChapter 1: Discord's IdeaKnock Knock "Spike, are you done with your costume yet?" "Almost, Twilight!" The door opened and Spike came out. "Ta-da! This year I'm a three headed dragon!" He spread his arms triumphantly. He was wearing a purple dragon costume, with one head as a hood, and the other two heads as gloves over his hands. Twilight smiled. "What'll it be next year? Six heads?" "Not a bad idea...now what are YOU supposed to be?" Twilight was as white as snow, and her mane was longer, flowing as if blown by an unseen wind; somewhat like the Canterlot princesses, only Twilight's was flowing behind her instead of in front. "I decided to be a Windigo. Starlight and I had a hard time finding the spells to pull off the right effect...what do you think?" "Not bad..." Spike admitted. "What's Starlight going as?" "A manticore!" Starlight walked up to them and spun around. Her coat had been dyed brown, she was wearing a lion's mane around her neck, bat-like wings on her back and her pony tail had been tucked into a makeshift scorpion stinger. "Awesome! I can't wait 'til the others see us!" The three of them went to the foyer. "The others should be here any minute," Twilight observed. "we'll hit Trixie's show first, which should last an hour, then Sugar Cube Corner where we'll stay for about an hour, then an hour at the corn maze, then Spike and I will make the rounds for candy." "And what if something lasts an hour and half," Starlight asked slyly. "That's when the world explodes," Spike said dryly. "Ha ha ha," Twilight responded. "If it's worth doing, it's worth scheduling." Spike and Starlight rolled their eyes. Then they heard a knock at the door. Twilight opened it, but nopony was there. "You better not stay out too late...I wouldn't want you being too tired for what I have planned." The voice came from behind her. She turned around to meet its source. "Oh, hello Discord, dare I ask what you're up to tonight?" Discord grinned. "I was thinking, your castle is so roomy, so much wasted space, I thought it would fun to fill it up with some Nightmare Night frights! So how about this, after you finish your meticulously planned evening, bring everypony back here. I'll have some surprises waiting for you all!" "Hmm..." Twilight furrowed her brow. "I don't know..." "Come on Twilight," Spike piped up, "Sounds like it could fun!" "Or dangerous," Twilight pointed out. "Nah, Discord'll keep things safe, right?" "If you insist," Discord replied with a dramatic sigh. "Oooh.." Twilight pawed the ground, "what do you think Starlight? "I guess it could be interesting," she admitted. "I say let Discord do his thing." Discord put on a pair of glasses, then produced a box which he pulled three sheets from. "The votes are in, two for yes, one for undecided, I think the results are clear!" Twilight rolled her eyes. "All right...just be careful you don't hurt anypony, and put everything back the way it was!" "You have my word." Discord bowed. Twilight sighed. "I guess it'll have to do...come on gang." Twilight opened the front door and the three of them stepped out into the night. Chapter 2: Now the Fun Begins The door opened slowly. "Wh-who is it?" "Just little old me!" Fluttershy opened the door a little further to see a tiny Discord standing there, which quickly grew to full size. "What are you doing out so late?" "It's Nightmare Night, my dear Fluttershy! If there was EVER a time for chaos..." Fluttershy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What are you up to?" "Twilight gave me permission to spook up her castle! It's waiting for all of you to take a nice little tour!" Discord gleefully rubbed his mismatched hands together. "Discord," Fluttershy sighed. "you know I don't do Nightmare Night." "Yes yes, I know," Discord said airily. "but as I recall, the last time a pony was left out of one our little get-togethers, it got a little awkward." "Well, I appreciate the gesture, but I just wouldn't have any fun." "Ah well. At least I'll have seven screamers there..." Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow. "What are you going to do, exactly?" "Oh, it's going to be SO much fun!" Discord launched into a list of the tricks he had set up in Twilight's castle. Fluttershy bit her lip. "Maybe I should come along...make sure no pony gets hurt!" "Hurt?" Discord looked shocked. "I'M hurt that you would imply I would EVER put my friends in harm's way! But I can see, deep inside, that you really want to take part in the festivities. So, how about we make your place our base of operations? We can watch the others experience my little haunts, and you can help make sure everything goes...smoothly." Fluttershy bit her lip again. "Hmmm..okay." "Excellent!" Discord vanished and reappeared in Fluttershy's cottage, along with a set of six television screens, each showing the front of Twilight's castle. Fluttershy closed her door and went to sit beside him. Her animal friends also gathered around. Discord conjured a microphone in his hand. "Now the fun begins!" Twilight and the others all cautiously approached the castle doors. "You sure he didn't say anything about what to expect?" Applejack said nervously. She was clad in a black cloak and a pointy black hat. "No," Twilight said, "but I figure it's only fair to give him a chance. He did okay with dressing up Spike and Big Mac's 'Ogres and Oubliettes' game." "Yeah," agreed Spike, "I'm looking forward to this!" "Me too," chimed in Rainbow Dash. She stroked the pennant on her Zapp costume. "I'm ready for anything Discord throws at us!" "Careful what you wish for," said Starlight ominously, adjusting her Masked Matterhorn goggles. "I just hope whatever he has planned doesn't damage my outfit!" Rarity said as she brushed corn leaves from her Renaissance dress. "You're the one who keeps wearin' fancy outfits to where you'll be runnin' around!" Applejack replied. "Even in sheer terror one can should look presentable." Rarity retorted. "What are we waiting for," cried Pinkie Pie as she bounced up and down in her beach ball costume. "Let's get in there and get scared already!" "Pinkie's right girls," Twilight said, "let's quit stalling." As one they moved towards the doors, which swung open of their own accord. when they entered the foyer, the doors slammed shut behind them. Discord's voice echoed through the halls. "Welcome, my little ponies! I hope you all enjoy this little contest I've cooked up! Somewhere deep inside this haunted castle I've hidden a pot of candy. First pony to find it is the winner! And, just like our very first game, no flying, and no magic!" In a flash of light, the ponies with wings and horns saw them vanish. "Just like old times," grumbled Rainbow Dash. "Even the maze wasn't this spooky," Applejack said with a slight quiver. "Scared?" Rainbow Dash smirked. "No!" Applejack protested. "Just makin' an observation!" For a moment they all took in their surroundings. The lamps, which normally glowed bright yellow, were now glowing a very faint blue. Spiderwebs covered the walls and ceiling, and the hearts on the banisters had changed into pony skulls. "OK everypony," announced Twilight. "I say we split into groups. There's seven of us, so it can be one group of three and two groups of two, or one group of three and one group of four." Rainbow Dash said "Well since it IS a competition, we might as well split all the way up so we don't slow each other down." At that point a ghostly moan resonated through the castle. "Um," said Rainbow, "I'll just go with Applejack, so she doesn't get scared." "My hero," Applejack said with a glare. "I'll go with Pinkie Pie," said Rarity. "I'll take Spike," Twilight announced. "Starlight, who do you want to go with?" "How about I stick with you and Spike?" asked Starlight. "That's fine. Now who's heading where?" "I call the kitchens!" cried Pinkie Pie. "Map room," said Rainbow Dash. "I guess we'll hit the library then," Twilight said. "Good luck everypony!" Each group then set off. Chapter 3: Turnabout is Fair PlayTwilight, Starlight, and Spike headed slowly down the hall towards the library. "Might as well check the other doors on the way." Starlight stopped at the first set of double doors in the hall, then squinted. "Oh right, no horn, guess I'll do it the Earth Pony way." Spike and Twilight each leaned back as Starlight put her hoof on the handle and pulled. Inside was a jumble of mops and brooms. "Okay," Starlight exhaled. "Nothing scary." She rooted through the cleaning supplies. "No candy pot either." As she stepped back, the door slammed shut on its own, causing them all to jump. The next door was an empty closet, and didn't slam. Neither did the one after that. "Discord must be saving the REAL scares for later", observed Spike. "I'll bet AAAAAAAAAGH!" A hydra had burst out of the door Spike was about to open. Its five heads lunged for him and the ponies, then vanished. "OK," panted Twilight, "well played Discord, well played." The next few doors were opened without incident. Then they came to the library. "Ready?" asked Twilight. "Ready!" asserted the other two. "Here goes..." Twilight pushed open the door, and they all walked in. At first everything in the library looked normal, aside from the webs and eerie blue light. Then Starlight noticed a thin object floating on its end in the center of the room. "Wait, is that..." "The Staff of Sameness!" gasped Twilight. "That stick you used to take other ponies' cutie marks?" asked Spike. Twilight glared at him. "What? I'm just making sure we're on the same page!" "What exactly is it doing here," asked Starlight as she approached it. "Discord likes to hit below the belt," Twilight said ruefully. Suddenly the Staff jumped towards them. Two streams of energy shot at Twilight and Starlight, then pulled their cutie marks into the prongs of the staff. "No!" Starlight leapt at the staff, which zipped away from her. Twilight circled around to her left, then lept at the staff on her right. The staff dodged. Spike tried to intercept it, but it jerked away from him as well. The three kept pouncing on it; each trying to drive it towards the others, yet no matter what they did, it kept slipping through. "This is ridiculous," exclaimed Twilight. "how are we supposed to catch this thing?" Starlight tried a different tactic. She slowly crept towards the staff, which was now floating in place. "Come on, come to Auntie Starlight, you remember me, right? Just...hold...STILL!" She made a grab at it with her hooves, but once again it jerked out of reach. "I've about had enough of this," Starlight said angrily. "Me too!" Spike took a deep breath and blew out a stream of flame, which hit the staff and reduced it to ashes. Starlight and Twilight's cutie marks flew back to their owners. "Well that was...a workout." Starlight looked at the heap of ashes. "Nice job, Spike." "Any time." Spike brushed the front of his costume, looking quite pleased with himself. "Yeah, good call," said Twilight. "Let's poke around for that pot and get out of here." "I guess it was only fair," mused Starlight. "I never did give up my own cutie mark, so now I know a little about what it feels like." Chapter 4: Smoke in the Kitchen"Discord, are you sure that wasn't too...extreme? I don't think Starlight Glimmer likes being reminded of her past." "Oh you heard her, Fluttershy. It was a good workout! And it was 'only fair'. Plus Spike had the chance to play the hero, just like he always wants. I was planning on letting Starlight catch the staff, eventually. Sort of a moment of closure, if you will, but these little exercises can be unpredictable. Which of course, makes them all the more fun! Oooh, Rarity and Pinkie Pie have reached the kitchen! Don't worry, I won't use the flying knives, though they would've have hurt anypony... "Finally, we're back where we meant to go!" Rarity huffed. "We could have saved time and covered that whole section later as we moved down." The two ponies had opened a door on the way to the kitchen which led to another section of hallway (which it hadn't before now), and Pinkie Pie had insisted on going through and trying all the other doors in that section, which turned out to all loop back on each other. "We saved time by covering it now," Pinkie said as she bounced along, "Besides, that first door being different could've been a clue, and if we ignored it, the other ponies could've gotten to the candy first, and we'd both feel really silly, and you'd go 'Oh mercy me, why didn't I listen to Pinkie, she was right all along, what could have possessed me to insist on passing by? Now we've missed out on first candy dibs, oh the horror, the tragedy..." "All right," Rarity cut in, "you've made your point...your exaggerated, over-dramatic point." They reached the kitchen door, and Rarity closed her eyes as Pinkie opened it. "Is it safe?" Rarity opened one eye. "Looks okey-dokey-lokey!" Pinkie bounced inside, and Rarity followed. They both began combing through the kitchen looking for candy pot. Rarity checked the cupboards by the door, and Pinkie looked under the central table. Then Pinkie moved on to the sinks, while Rarity checked inside each oven. "Not here!" called Rarity. "Not here eith..." Pinkie froze as she saw black smoke rise from the open oven behind Rarity. "Behind you!" "Nice try Miss Pie," Rarity said with a half-smile. "I just opened it, there's nothing in there." "There is NOW! Smoke! The oven's on fire!" "It wasn't even on Pinkie! I'm not falling for it!" "Rrrrr! I'm not making it up! Pinkie Promise!" Pinkie began jumping in place. "LOOK, BE, HIND, YOU!" Rarity finally turned to look over her left shoulder. As she did, the smoke flew to her right, just out of her field of vision. Rarity looked skeptically back at Pinkie Pie. "There's no smoke, Miss Pie." "It's on your right!" Pinkie pointed. Rarity looked, and the smoke jumped to her left. "Now your left!" The smoke jumped back to the right. "Your right again!" Rarity turned all the way around, and the smoke circled around behind her. "Now look back me, quick!" As Rarity turned again, the smoke circled back around once more. "Really Pinkie, I don't see it!" As Rarity regarded Pinkie Pie suspiciously, Pinkie saw a pair of green eyes with red irises open in the smoke, purple mist coming from the eyes' corners. "SOMBRA!" "What?" Rarity was incredulous. "What about Sombra?" "His eyes! They're in the smoke!" Rarity jumped and pivoted quickly, but the smoke moved around just as fast. "Oh this is getting ridiculous!" Rarity was now thoroughly annoyed. "Are sure you aren't pulling my leg?" "No, Pinkie Promise! Try standing over here!" Rarity walked around the table to stand by Pinkie Pie. The Sombra-smoke followed, matching her pace exactly. When Rarity reached Pinkie and turned to face the ovens, the smoke again positioned itself behind her. Pinkie looked at it and laughed. "What's so funny?" Rarity asked. "It's following you like a puppy," Pinkie squealed. "and you know, 'giggle at the ghosties'"! "Well then, I'm just going to ignore it," Rarity said decisively. "Have we checked everywhere in here?" "Think so!" "Then let's be on our way!" Rarity went to the kitchen door and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. "Lemme try!" Pinkie Pie hopped over and tugged in the handle. Then she pushed against the door, which still didn't move. Then Discord's voice rang out. "If you really want to get out of here, then you must turn and face your fear!" Rarity shouted at the ceiling. "And what's that supposed to mean?" "Oh it's obvious, silly!" Pinkie bugged her eyes into Rarity's. "You have to look at Smokey!" "But-but", Rarity sputtered. "I can't see him, only you can! I can't keep spinning in circles like a filly!" "Hmmm..." Pinkie thought for a moment. "I know! Back up into that corner!" She pointed at the corner between the cupboards and the door. "If you go up against the wall, then Smokey will have to get in front of you!" "But it's smoke, I'll just go through it!" Rarity started to look nervous. But you'll still see him!" "So..." Rarity took a deep breath, "You want me to back INTO this smoke-thing which you say has Sombra's eyes?" "Yep, exactly!" Rarity took several more deep breaths, then slowly started backwards into the corner. "Just imagine you're backing into sweet black cotton candy," Pinkie said in the same unflaggingly cheerful tone. "I wonder what black cotton tastes like? Black licorice maybe? I hope not, 'cause I don't like black licorice. It's about the only food I don't like! I mean seriously, who does like it..." Rarity almost told Pinkie to be quiet, but decided she welcomed the distraction. She closed her eyes and kept moving backward, until she felt the stone column between the door and cupboard. She slowly opened her eyes...and stared into the green, purple-flaming ones. For a moment they were still, then the eyes rushed at her, Rarity opened her mouth to scream, but the smoke vanished. She just stood there, stricken, until Pinkie Pie said, "Careful Rarity, or your face might freeze like that!" Rarity shook herself and said, "All right then, now that the mascara-challenged smoke is gone, so are we!" She tried the door again, and it opened. "Come, Miss Pie!" Chapter 5: Flapping For Apples"Don't you think that was a bit extreme, making the Sombra-smoke jump in Rarity's face?" "I thought of making it say 'Boo!' but that would've been over the top." Fluttershy sighed. "I'll just never get used to being scared or seeing other ponies scared." Discord rolled his eyes, "How you've ever survived without excitement in your life is beyond me. Now let's see how Rainbow Dash and Applejack handle their little challenge. I think you'll especially love this one!" Rainbow Dash and Applejack were both shaking as they approached the door to the map room. One of the doors they'd opened had released a swarm of bats, and another a set of gnarly branches that had tried to grab them. "S-so, I t-think it's your turn to open this one, Rainbow." Applejack gestured towards the door. "Nnnooo, this is the b-big one, I'll let y-you open it," Rainbow Dash stepped back with a insincere grin. "Oh no, the honor is all yours!" "You open it, I insist!" "No, you open it!" "YOU open it!" Applejack sighed. "Fine, we'll do it together." They both slowly pushed the doors open. As they walked into the chamber, they carefully looked around. Nothing seemed amiss; there was only the Cutie Map and the thrones surrounding it. "And you were scared." Applejack smirked. "I was not-wait, do you hear that rustling sound?" They both looked up, and saw a flock of winged apples flapping near the ceiling. "What in tarnation..." SLAM! Both ponies jumped a foot in the air as the double doors behind them suddenly closed. "Welcome to the flapping for apples challenge! I'm going to make an exception to the no-flying rule, since you will have to catch and bite each apple in order to leave this chamber. Good luck!" There was a flash, and Rainbow Dash exclaimed "Hey, I've got my wings back-wait a minute..." She and Applejack looked at their own backs, then at each other. They'd each been given bat-like wings, and fangs to boot. "We're pony-vampire fruit bats!" Applejack cried. "Cool!" Rainbow Dash jumped into the air. "Wish Fluttershy was here to see this! Bet I can catch more apples than you!" "Oh you're on!" Applejack jumped into the air as well, pumping her new wings. She hovered in mid-air for a moment, then rose higher. "Look out," Rainbow Dash called, "you're about to hit the" "ceiling." Applejack drifted down with a dazed expression. Still managing to hold herself aloft, she took off her witch's hat and straightened it. "Guess this flyin' thing ain't as easy as it looks." "Better hurry up, I'm ahead by three!" Rainbow Dash was zipping from apple to apple, grabbing each one in her hooves and biting it with her new fangs. Soon Applejack joined her. Once she became more confident in her flying, she began catching her share of apples. "Only..." Rainbow Dash paused as she swatted an apple with her tail into her hooves. "...six more to go. This is a cinch!" "Uh Rainbow," Applejack pointed down. "I think you spoke soon." A blue mist was materializing over the Cutie Map. It grew bigger and bigger, until it parted to reveal a familiar black alicorn with green cat-like eyes looking up at them. "You gotta be kidding me," groaned Applejack. Nightmare Moon launched into the air towards them. The two ponies bashed into each other trying to get out of the way. "Watch it!" yelled Rainbow Dash. "You watch it!" retorted Applejack as she veered away. Nightmare Moon chased Rainbow Dash around the room. Applejack tried to pounce on Nightmare Moon from behind, but missed. Rainbow put on an extra burst of speed and slammed into the wall hoof first. She rebounded off to the opposite wall, then from there to the floor. She then looked up to see their former foe chasing Applejack, who wasn't nearly as fast as Rainbow Dash. "Over here, Blacky!" Rainbow took to the air again. Nightmare Moon turned and began to chase Rainbow Dash, who led her in a circle around the room. As Rainbow passed Applejack she called out, "You finish with the apples to open the door, while I keep her busy!" Applejack complied, catching and biting the remaining apples as fast as she could. Rainbow Dash did her best to keep Nightmare Moon's attention, but Applejack still had to dodge them both occasionally. Soon there was one apple left. Rainbow Dash went for it, grabbing it out of the air in her mouth. She spat it out, flew to the double doors, and looked back. Nightmare Moon vanished in a puff of blue smoke, and Applejack flew down to the ground. "Oooo-eeee, that was thrillin'!" said Applejack as she landed. There was another flash, and the ponies lost their wings and fangs. "Shucks, just when I was gettin' used to 'em." Rainbow Dash pulled open the door as she asked, "How many apples did you get?" "Uh," Applejack looked sheepish as they both stepped out into the hall, "lost count." "Well I got fifteen apples," Rainbow Dash beamed proudly. "and since I kept count, that means I win!" "Does not," Applejack argued as they walked. "Does so!" "Does not!" "Does so!" Chapter 6: The Prize Within Sight"You can look now, Fluttershy." Fluttershy, who had her head buried in her hooves, looked up. "That image of Nightmare Moon wasn't really going to hurt them, right?" "Really Fluttershy," Discord cocked an eyebrow. "as my best friend I would think you'd have more faith in me." "Sorry, but you have to admit it's hard to tell with you, sometimes." "True, but even at my worst I DID have limits. Oh, and look who's getting close to the candy! Time to prepare the final challenge! Twilight, Starlight and Spike ascended the stairs to the central spire, which led to a trapdoor. Twilight pushed it open, and led the others into a single, circular room. Standing in the center was a cloaked and hooded pony, standing behind three small upside-down pots. Twilight thought she heard a faint gasp from the cloaked pony, then it cleared its throat and spoke. "To find the candy that you seek, Pick a pot and take a peek, But if you pick the wrong one, You'll go back to where you've begun." Twilight knew that voice anywhere. "Fluttershy?" Fluttershy pulled back her hood. "I've been watching you all with Discord; I agree to help out with this part, as long as he didn't make it scary!" She cast a stern look at the ceiling. "So we just pick a pot," Twilight mused. "and if there's no candy under it, we'll go back down to the foyer?" "Discord thought it would be more interesting that way," said Fluttershy. "Well, no big deal, we can just come straight back here." Twilight looked closely at the pots, which all looked identical. Starlight and Spike drew up at her sides. She pointed at the one in the middle. "That one." Fluttershy tipped it with her hoof, and the moment they saw nothing was underneath, Twilight vanished. "One down..." Spike murmured. "I'll go next." He approached the row of pots, which suddenly scrambled themselves. "Oh c'mon!" Spike yelled. "Discord!" Fluttershy shouted into the air. "Really now, surely you didn't think it would THAT easy,"Discord scolded. "If I left the pots alone, one of you three would get it right through mere process of elimination, and the others wouldn't get a chance at all! Really, where is your sense of fairness? But, if you don't think you can handle it..." "Oh I can handle it," Spike interrupted. Then he pointed to the left pot. "This one." Fluttershy exposed the empty inside, and Spike vanished. Starlight stepped forward as the pots scrambled themselves again. She studied the pots, muttering to herself. "The one on the right's now on the left, I think the one on the left is in the middle...I pick this one!" She pointed to the right pot. Fluttershy tilted it. "Sorry," she said as Starlight vanished. Starlight found herself back at the foyer, facing Spike and Twilight, who were staring down the hall. "What are you two looking at..." Starlight turned, and saw that instead of the grand hallway, there was a huge tangle of staircases zigzagging to and fro. "I guess we have to climb that," Starlight said in a resigned tone. "Yep," replied Twilight. They started to move to the first staircase, when Rainbow Dash appeared in front of them. "Aah!" she squeaked. "oh, it's just you. I wasn't scared, just startled, a little.." "I guess you made it to the pots?" Spike observed. "Yeah, you all picked the wrong ones too?" "Yep." Starlight piped in. "If we're going to make it up those stairs before the sun comes up we better get moving." "Applejack's still up there," Rainbow pointed out. "Maybe we should wait and see if..." FLASH! Applejack appeared in their midst. "Ah nuts," she said angrily. "I was sure it was the right one!" "Well, let's all get back up and try again," Twilight said with resignation. "I just hope Discord isn't playin' us for chumps." Applejack muttered. Some time later, they reached the top of the spire again, their legs sore. "How long did it take us to get back here?" Rainbow Dash groaned. "I'd say about half an hour," Twilight guessed. "I know a time-keeping spell, but...you know, can't really use it now." Pinkie Pie and Rarity were with Fluttershy and the pots. Pinkie saw them come up and squealed. "What took you so long?" "Don't ask," said Spike and Twilight in unison. Rarity looked up from the pots. "Good to see you all!" "Yes, everypony together again! But for how long?" "How about we NOT do the teleporting thing again?" Starlight asked. "But Pinkie Pie and Rarity haven't experienced the stairs. It makes things so much more dramatic!" "We can't keep wasting time hoofing it back up here!" Rainbow Dash protested. "I'm okay with being teleported," Pinkie said happily. "I want the whole haunted experience!" "In that case darling," said Rarity, "you can go next." Pinkie Pie pointed to the middle pot, which Fluttershy exposed as empty. Pinkie vanished. "So, can the rest of us NOT be teleported again? Starlight asked. "Those stairs were awesome!" Pinkie Pie said behind her. "Aah!" Starlight turned around. "How'd you...never mind." She spoke to the ceiling again. "So for those of us who aren't Pinkie Pie, how about we all just turns like normal until somepony gets the right pot?" All the others voiced their agreement. "But, but..." "Discord," Fluttershy chided. "this was supposed to be fun for everypony, and dragon." "Oh, very well. Rarity will get her teleport if she fails, and the rest of you can simply move to the back of the line if you fail." Fluttershy started to object, but Rarity cut in. "It's alright, darling, I can take the same medicine everypony else took." She pointed to the right pot. Fluttershy tilted it to reveal three pieces of candy. The whole group suddenly found themselves in the dining room. Discord was standing on the table, holding the pot in his lion paw. "Congratulations Rarity," he cried. "You've survived my castle of horrors and claimed the prize! I'm sure you'll want to share the bounty..." He turned the pot upside-down, pouring out a stream of candy, which soon covered the whole table. Discord stepped down. "Well, did you all have fun, or were you traumatized beyond repair?" "Best Nightmare Night EVER!" Pinkie Pie dived straight into the candy pile. "Well Discord," Twilight smiled. "There may be hope for you yet." He grinned in response. "I have to admit," Applejack said between mouthfuls, "I can't think of anything scarier than what you cooked up tonight." Pinkie Pie popped out of the pile. "By the way, I should probably tell you there was a bunch of other stuff I was looking forward to tonight, so I made a quick stop at the Mirror Pool." The castle halls reverberated with the sound of screaming.
Chapter 1: Discord's IdeaKnock Knock "Spike, are you done with your costume yet?" "Almost, Twilight!" The door opened and Spike came out. "Ta-da! This year I'm a three headed dragon!" He spread his arms triumphantly. He was wearing a purple dragon costume, with one head as a hood, and the other two heads as gloves over his hands. Twilight smiled. "What'll it be next year? Six heads?" "Not a bad idea...now what are YOU supposed to be?" Twilight was as white as snow, and her mane was longer, flowing as if blown by an unseen wind; somewhat like the Canterlot princesses, only Twilight's was flowing behind her instead of in front. "I decided to be a Windigo. Starlight and I had a hard time finding the spells to pull off the right effect...what do you think?" "Not bad..." Spike admitted. "What's Starlight going as?" "A manticore!" Starlight walked up to them and spun around. Her coat had been dyed brown, she was wearing a lion's mane around her neck, bat-like wings on her back and her pony tail had been tucked into a makeshift scorpion stinger. "Awesome! I can't wait 'til the others see us!" The three of them went to the foyer. "The others should be here any minute," Twilight observed. "we'll hit Trixie's show first, which should last an hour, then Sugar Cube Corner where we'll stay for about an hour, then an hour at the corn maze, then Spike and I will make the rounds for candy." "And what if something lasts an hour and half," Starlight asked slyly. "That's when the world explodes," Spike said dryly. "Ha ha ha," Twilight responded. "If it's worth doing, it's worth scheduling." Spike and Starlight rolled their eyes. Then they heard a knock at the door. Twilight opened it, but nopony was there. "You better not stay out too late...I wouldn't want you being too tired for what I have planned." The voice came from behind her. She turned around to meet its source. "Oh, hello Discord, dare I ask what you're up to tonight?" Discord grinned. "I was thinking, your castle is so roomy, so much wasted space, I thought it would fun to fill it up with some Nightmare Night frights! So how about this, after you finish your meticulously planned evening, bring everypony back here. I'll have some surprises waiting for you all!" "Hmm..." Twilight furrowed her brow. "I don't know..." "Come on Twilight," Spike piped up, "Sounds like it could fun!" "Or dangerous," Twilight pointed out. "Nah, Discord'll keep things safe, right?" "If you insist," Discord replied with a dramatic sigh. "Oooh.." Twilight pawed the ground, "what do you think Starlight? "I guess it could be interesting," she admitted. "I say let Discord do his thing." Discord put on a pair of glasses, then produced a box which he pulled three sheets from. "The votes are in, two for yes, one for undecided, I think the results are clear!" Twilight rolled her eyes. "All right...just be careful you don't hurt anypony, and put everything back the way it was!" "You have my word." Discord bowed. Twilight sighed. "I guess it'll have to do...come on gang." Twilight opened the front door and the three of them stepped out into the night.
Chapter 2: Now the Fun Begins The door opened slowly. "Wh-who is it?" "Just little old me!" Fluttershy opened the door a little further to see a tiny Discord standing there, which quickly grew to full size. "What are you doing out so late?" "It's Nightmare Night, my dear Fluttershy! If there was EVER a time for chaos..." Fluttershy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What are you up to?" "Twilight gave me permission to spook up her castle! It's waiting for all of you to take a nice little tour!" Discord gleefully rubbed his mismatched hands together. "Discord," Fluttershy sighed. "you know I don't do Nightmare Night." "Yes yes, I know," Discord said airily. "but as I recall, the last time a pony was left out of one our little get-togethers, it got a little awkward." "Well, I appreciate the gesture, but I just wouldn't have any fun." "Ah well. At least I'll have seven screamers there..." Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow. "What are you going to do, exactly?" "Oh, it's going to be SO much fun!" Discord launched into a list of the tricks he had set up in Twilight's castle. Fluttershy bit her lip. "Maybe I should come along...make sure no pony gets hurt!" "Hurt?" Discord looked shocked. "I'M hurt that you would imply I would EVER put my friends in harm's way! But I can see, deep inside, that you really want to take part in the festivities. So, how about we make your place our base of operations? We can watch the others experience my little haunts, and you can help make sure everything goes...smoothly." Fluttershy bit her lip again. "Hmmm..okay." "Excellent!" Discord vanished and reappeared in Fluttershy's cottage, along with a set of six television screens, each showing the front of Twilight's castle. Fluttershy closed her door and went to sit beside him. Her animal friends also gathered around. Discord conjured a microphone in his hand. "Now the fun begins!" Twilight and the others all cautiously approached the castle doors. "You sure he didn't say anything about what to expect?" Applejack said nervously. She was clad in a black cloak and a pointy black hat. "No," Twilight said, "but I figure it's only fair to give him a chance. He did okay with dressing up Spike and Big Mac's 'Ogres and Oubliettes' game." "Yeah," agreed Spike, "I'm looking forward to this!" "Me too," chimed in Rainbow Dash. She stroked the pennant on her Zapp costume. "I'm ready for anything Discord throws at us!" "Careful what you wish for," said Starlight ominously, adjusting her Masked Matterhorn goggles. "I just hope whatever he has planned doesn't damage my outfit!" Rarity said as she brushed corn leaves from her Renaissance dress. "You're the one who keeps wearin' fancy outfits to where you'll be runnin' around!" Applejack replied. "Even in sheer terror one can should look presentable." Rarity retorted. "What are we waiting for," cried Pinkie Pie as she bounced up and down in her beach ball costume. "Let's get in there and get scared already!" "Pinkie's right girls," Twilight said, "let's quit stalling." As one they moved towards the doors, which swung open of their own accord. when they entered the foyer, the doors slammed shut behind them. Discord's voice echoed through the halls. "Welcome, my little ponies! I hope you all enjoy this little contest I've cooked up! Somewhere deep inside this haunted castle I've hidden a pot of candy. First pony to find it is the winner! And, just like our very first game, no flying, and no magic!" In a flash of light, the ponies with wings and horns saw them vanish. "Just like old times," grumbled Rainbow Dash. "Even the maze wasn't this spooky," Applejack said with a slight quiver. "Scared?" Rainbow Dash smirked. "No!" Applejack protested. "Just makin' an observation!" For a moment they all took in their surroundings. The lamps, which normally glowed bright yellow, were now glowing a very faint blue. Spiderwebs covered the walls and ceiling, and the hearts on the banisters had changed into pony skulls. "OK everypony," announced Twilight. "I say we split into groups. There's seven of us, so it can be one group of three and two groups of two, or one group of three and one group of four." Rainbow Dash said "Well since it IS a competition, we might as well split all the way up so we don't slow each other down." At that point a ghostly moan resonated through the castle. "Um," said Rainbow, "I'll just go with Applejack, so she doesn't get scared." "My hero," Applejack said with a glare. "I'll go with Pinkie Pie," said Rarity. "I'll take Spike," Twilight announced. "Starlight, who do you want to go with?" "How about I stick with you and Spike?" asked Starlight. "That's fine. Now who's heading where?" "I call the kitchens!" cried Pinkie Pie. "Map room," said Rainbow Dash. "I guess we'll hit the library then," Twilight said. "Good luck everypony!" Each group then set off.
Chapter 3: Turnabout is Fair PlayTwilight, Starlight, and Spike headed slowly down the hall towards the library. "Might as well check the other doors on the way." Starlight stopped at the first set of double doors in the hall, then squinted. "Oh right, no horn, guess I'll do it the Earth Pony way." Spike and Twilight each leaned back as Starlight put her hoof on the handle and pulled. Inside was a jumble of mops and brooms. "Okay," Starlight exhaled. "Nothing scary." She rooted through the cleaning supplies. "No candy pot either." As she stepped back, the door slammed shut on its own, causing them all to jump. The next door was an empty closet, and didn't slam. Neither did the one after that. "Discord must be saving the REAL scares for later", observed Spike. "I'll bet AAAAAAAAAGH!" A hydra had burst out of the door Spike was about to open. Its five heads lunged for him and the ponies, then vanished. "OK," panted Twilight, "well played Discord, well played." The next few doors were opened without incident. Then they came to the library. "Ready?" asked Twilight. "Ready!" asserted the other two. "Here goes..." Twilight pushed open the door, and they all walked in. At first everything in the library looked normal, aside from the webs and eerie blue light. Then Starlight noticed a thin object floating on its end in the center of the room. "Wait, is that..." "The Staff of Sameness!" gasped Twilight. "That stick you used to take other ponies' cutie marks?" asked Spike. Twilight glared at him. "What? I'm just making sure we're on the same page!" "What exactly is it doing here," asked Starlight as she approached it. "Discord likes to hit below the belt," Twilight said ruefully. Suddenly the Staff jumped towards them. Two streams of energy shot at Twilight and Starlight, then pulled their cutie marks into the prongs of the staff. "No!" Starlight leapt at the staff, which zipped away from her. Twilight circled around to her left, then lept at the staff on her right. The staff dodged. Spike tried to intercept it, but it jerked away from him as well. The three kept pouncing on it; each trying to drive it towards the others, yet no matter what they did, it kept slipping through. "This is ridiculous," exclaimed Twilight. "how are we supposed to catch this thing?" Starlight tried a different tactic. She slowly crept towards the staff, which was now floating in place. "Come on, come to Auntie Starlight, you remember me, right? Just...hold...STILL!" She made a grab at it with her hooves, but once again it jerked out of reach. "I've about had enough of this," Starlight said angrily. "Me too!" Spike took a deep breath and blew out a stream of flame, which hit the staff and reduced it to ashes. Starlight and Twilight's cutie marks flew back to their owners. "Well that was...a workout." Starlight looked at the heap of ashes. "Nice job, Spike." "Any time." Spike brushed the front of his costume, looking quite pleased with himself. "Yeah, good call," said Twilight. "Let's poke around for that pot and get out of here." "I guess it was only fair," mused Starlight. "I never did give up my own cutie mark, so now I know a little about what it feels like."
Chapter 4: Smoke in the Kitchen"Discord, are you sure that wasn't too...extreme? I don't think Starlight Glimmer likes being reminded of her past." "Oh you heard her, Fluttershy. It was a good workout! And it was 'only fair'. Plus Spike had the chance to play the hero, just like he always wants. I was planning on letting Starlight catch the staff, eventually. Sort of a moment of closure, if you will, but these little exercises can be unpredictable. Which of course, makes them all the more fun! Oooh, Rarity and Pinkie Pie have reached the kitchen! Don't worry, I won't use the flying knives, though they would've have hurt anypony... "Finally, we're back where we meant to go!" Rarity huffed. "We could have saved time and covered that whole section later as we moved down." The two ponies had opened a door on the way to the kitchen which led to another section of hallway (which it hadn't before now), and Pinkie Pie had insisted on going through and trying all the other doors in that section, which turned out to all loop back on each other. "We saved time by covering it now," Pinkie said as she bounced along, "Besides, that first door being different could've been a clue, and if we ignored it, the other ponies could've gotten to the candy first, and we'd both feel really silly, and you'd go 'Oh mercy me, why didn't I listen to Pinkie, she was right all along, what could have possessed me to insist on passing by? Now we've missed out on first candy dibs, oh the horror, the tragedy..." "All right," Rarity cut in, "you've made your point...your exaggerated, over-dramatic point." They reached the kitchen door, and Rarity closed her eyes as Pinkie opened it. "Is it safe?" Rarity opened one eye. "Looks okey-dokey-lokey!" Pinkie bounced inside, and Rarity followed. They both began combing through the kitchen looking for candy pot. Rarity checked the cupboards by the door, and Pinkie looked under the central table. Then Pinkie moved on to the sinks, while Rarity checked inside each oven. "Not here!" called Rarity. "Not here eith..." Pinkie froze as she saw black smoke rise from the open oven behind Rarity. "Behind you!" "Nice try Miss Pie," Rarity said with a half-smile. "I just opened it, there's nothing in there." "There is NOW! Smoke! The oven's on fire!" "It wasn't even on Pinkie! I'm not falling for it!" "Rrrrr! I'm not making it up! Pinkie Promise!" Pinkie began jumping in place. "LOOK, BE, HIND, YOU!" Rarity finally turned to look over her left shoulder. As she did, the smoke flew to her right, just out of her field of vision. Rarity looked skeptically back at Pinkie Pie. "There's no smoke, Miss Pie." "It's on your right!" Pinkie pointed. Rarity looked, and the smoke jumped to her left. "Now your left!" The smoke jumped back to the right. "Your right again!" Rarity turned all the way around, and the smoke circled around behind her. "Now look back me, quick!" As Rarity turned again, the smoke circled back around once more. "Really Pinkie, I don't see it!" As Rarity regarded Pinkie Pie suspiciously, Pinkie saw a pair of green eyes with red irises open in the smoke, purple mist coming from the eyes' corners. "SOMBRA!" "What?" Rarity was incredulous. "What about Sombra?" "His eyes! They're in the smoke!" Rarity jumped and pivoted quickly, but the smoke moved around just as fast. "Oh this is getting ridiculous!" Rarity was now thoroughly annoyed. "Are sure you aren't pulling my leg?" "No, Pinkie Promise! Try standing over here!" Rarity walked around the table to stand by Pinkie Pie. The Sombra-smoke followed, matching her pace exactly. When Rarity reached Pinkie and turned to face the ovens, the smoke again positioned itself behind her. Pinkie looked at it and laughed. "What's so funny?" Rarity asked. "It's following you like a puppy," Pinkie squealed. "and you know, 'giggle at the ghosties'"! "Well then, I'm just going to ignore it," Rarity said decisively. "Have we checked everywhere in here?" "Think so!" "Then let's be on our way!" Rarity went to the kitchen door and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. "Lemme try!" Pinkie Pie hopped over and tugged in the handle. Then she pushed against the door, which still didn't move. Then Discord's voice rang out. "If you really want to get out of here, then you must turn and face your fear!" Rarity shouted at the ceiling. "And what's that supposed to mean?" "Oh it's obvious, silly!" Pinkie bugged her eyes into Rarity's. "You have to look at Smokey!" "But-but", Rarity sputtered. "I can't see him, only you can! I can't keep spinning in circles like a filly!" "Hmmm..." Pinkie thought for a moment. "I know! Back up into that corner!" She pointed at the corner between the cupboards and the door. "If you go up against the wall, then Smokey will have to get in front of you!" "But it's smoke, I'll just go through it!" Rarity started to look nervous. But you'll still see him!" "So..." Rarity took a deep breath, "You want me to back INTO this smoke-thing which you say has Sombra's eyes?" "Yep, exactly!" Rarity took several more deep breaths, then slowly started backwards into the corner. "Just imagine you're backing into sweet black cotton candy," Pinkie said in the same unflaggingly cheerful tone. "I wonder what black cotton tastes like? Black licorice maybe? I hope not, 'cause I don't like black licorice. It's about the only food I don't like! I mean seriously, who does like it..." Rarity almost told Pinkie to be quiet, but decided she welcomed the distraction. She closed her eyes and kept moving backward, until she felt the stone column between the door and cupboard. She slowly opened her eyes...and stared into the green, purple-flaming ones. For a moment they were still, then the eyes rushed at her, Rarity opened her mouth to scream, but the smoke vanished. She just stood there, stricken, until Pinkie Pie said, "Careful Rarity, or your face might freeze like that!" Rarity shook herself and said, "All right then, now that the mascara-challenged smoke is gone, so are we!" She tried the door again, and it opened. "Come, Miss Pie!"
Chapter 5: Flapping For Apples"Don't you think that was a bit extreme, making the Sombra-smoke jump in Rarity's face?" "I thought of making it say 'Boo!' but that would've been over the top." Fluttershy sighed. "I'll just never get used to being scared or seeing other ponies scared." Discord rolled his eyes, "How you've ever survived without excitement in your life is beyond me. Now let's see how Rainbow Dash and Applejack handle their little challenge. I think you'll especially love this one!" Rainbow Dash and Applejack were both shaking as they approached the door to the map room. One of the doors they'd opened had released a swarm of bats, and another a set of gnarly branches that had tried to grab them. "S-so, I t-think it's your turn to open this one, Rainbow." Applejack gestured towards the door. "Nnnooo, this is the b-big one, I'll let y-you open it," Rainbow Dash stepped back with a insincere grin. "Oh no, the honor is all yours!" "You open it, I insist!" "No, you open it!" "YOU open it!" Applejack sighed. "Fine, we'll do it together." They both slowly pushed the doors open. As they walked into the chamber, they carefully looked around. Nothing seemed amiss; there was only the Cutie Map and the thrones surrounding it. "And you were scared." Applejack smirked. "I was not-wait, do you hear that rustling sound?" They both looked up, and saw a flock of winged apples flapping near the ceiling. "What in tarnation..." SLAM! Both ponies jumped a foot in the air as the double doors behind them suddenly closed. "Welcome to the flapping for apples challenge! I'm going to make an exception to the no-flying rule, since you will have to catch and bite each apple in order to leave this chamber. Good luck!" There was a flash, and Rainbow Dash exclaimed "Hey, I've got my wings back-wait a minute..." She and Applejack looked at their own backs, then at each other. They'd each been given bat-like wings, and fangs to boot. "We're pony-vampire fruit bats!" Applejack cried. "Cool!" Rainbow Dash jumped into the air. "Wish Fluttershy was here to see this! Bet I can catch more apples than you!" "Oh you're on!" Applejack jumped into the air as well, pumping her new wings. She hovered in mid-air for a moment, then rose higher. "Look out," Rainbow Dash called, "you're about to hit the" "ceiling." Applejack drifted down with a dazed expression. Still managing to hold herself aloft, she took off her witch's hat and straightened it. "Guess this flyin' thing ain't as easy as it looks." "Better hurry up, I'm ahead by three!" Rainbow Dash was zipping from apple to apple, grabbing each one in her hooves and biting it with her new fangs. Soon Applejack joined her. Once she became more confident in her flying, she began catching her share of apples. "Only..." Rainbow Dash paused as she swatted an apple with her tail into her hooves. "...six more to go. This is a cinch!" "Uh Rainbow," Applejack pointed down. "I think you spoke soon." A blue mist was materializing over the Cutie Map. It grew bigger and bigger, until it parted to reveal a familiar black alicorn with green cat-like eyes looking up at them. "You gotta be kidding me," groaned Applejack. Nightmare Moon launched into the air towards them. The two ponies bashed into each other trying to get out of the way. "Watch it!" yelled Rainbow Dash. "You watch it!" retorted Applejack as she veered away. Nightmare Moon chased Rainbow Dash around the room. Applejack tried to pounce on Nightmare Moon from behind, but missed. Rainbow put on an extra burst of speed and slammed into the wall hoof first. She rebounded off to the opposite wall, then from there to the floor. She then looked up to see their former foe chasing Applejack, who wasn't nearly as fast as Rainbow Dash. "Over here, Blacky!" Rainbow took to the air again. Nightmare Moon turned and began to chase Rainbow Dash, who led her in a circle around the room. As Rainbow passed Applejack she called out, "You finish with the apples to open the door, while I keep her busy!" Applejack complied, catching and biting the remaining apples as fast as she could. Rainbow Dash did her best to keep Nightmare Moon's attention, but Applejack still had to dodge them both occasionally. Soon there was one apple left. Rainbow Dash went for it, grabbing it out of the air in her mouth. She spat it out, flew to the double doors, and looked back. Nightmare Moon vanished in a puff of blue smoke, and Applejack flew down to the ground. "Oooo-eeee, that was thrillin'!" said Applejack as she landed. There was another flash, and the ponies lost their wings and fangs. "Shucks, just when I was gettin' used to 'em." Rainbow Dash pulled open the door as she asked, "How many apples did you get?" "Uh," Applejack looked sheepish as they both stepped out into the hall, "lost count." "Well I got fifteen apples," Rainbow Dash beamed proudly. "and since I kept count, that means I win!" "Does not," Applejack argued as they walked. "Does so!" "Does not!" "Does so!"
Chapter 6: The Prize Within Sight"You can look now, Fluttershy." Fluttershy, who had her head buried in her hooves, looked up. "That image of Nightmare Moon wasn't really going to hurt them, right?" "Really Fluttershy," Discord cocked an eyebrow. "as my best friend I would think you'd have more faith in me." "Sorry, but you have to admit it's hard to tell with you, sometimes." "True, but even at my worst I DID have limits. Oh, and look who's getting close to the candy! Time to prepare the final challenge! Twilight, Starlight and Spike ascended the stairs to the central spire, which led to a trapdoor. Twilight pushed it open, and led the others into a single, circular room. Standing in the center was a cloaked and hooded pony, standing behind three small upside-down pots. Twilight thought she heard a faint gasp from the cloaked pony, then it cleared its throat and spoke. "To find the candy that you seek, Pick a pot and take a peek, But if you pick the wrong one, You'll go back to where you've begun." Twilight knew that voice anywhere. "Fluttershy?" Fluttershy pulled back her hood. "I've been watching you all with Discord; I agree to help out with this part, as long as he didn't make it scary!" She cast a stern look at the ceiling. "So we just pick a pot," Twilight mused. "and if there's no candy under it, we'll go back down to the foyer?" "Discord thought it would be more interesting that way," said Fluttershy. "Well, no big deal, we can just come straight back here." Twilight looked closely at the pots, which all looked identical. Starlight and Spike drew up at her sides. She pointed at the one in the middle. "That one." Fluttershy tipped it with her hoof, and the moment they saw nothing was underneath, Twilight vanished. "One down..." Spike murmured. "I'll go next." He approached the row of pots, which suddenly scrambled themselves. "Oh c'mon!" Spike yelled. "Discord!" Fluttershy shouted into the air. "Really now, surely you didn't think it would THAT easy,"Discord scolded. "If I left the pots alone, one of you three would get it right through mere process of elimination, and the others wouldn't get a chance at all! Really, where is your sense of fairness? But, if you don't think you can handle it..." "Oh I can handle it," Spike interrupted. Then he pointed to the left pot. "This one." Fluttershy exposed the empty inside, and Spike vanished. Starlight stepped forward as the pots scrambled themselves again. She studied the pots, muttering to herself. "The one on the right's now on the left, I think the one on the left is in the middle...I pick this one!" She pointed to the right pot. Fluttershy tilted it. "Sorry," she said as Starlight vanished. Starlight found herself back at the foyer, facing Spike and Twilight, who were staring down the hall. "What are you two looking at..." Starlight turned, and saw that instead of the grand hallway, there was a huge tangle of staircases zigzagging to and fro. "I guess we have to climb that," Starlight said in a resigned tone. "Yep," replied Twilight. They started to move to the first staircase, when Rainbow Dash appeared in front of them. "Aah!" she squeaked. "oh, it's just you. I wasn't scared, just startled, a little.." "I guess you made it to the pots?" Spike observed. "Yeah, you all picked the wrong ones too?" "Yep." Starlight piped in. "If we're going to make it up those stairs before the sun comes up we better get moving." "Applejack's still up there," Rainbow pointed out. "Maybe we should wait and see if..." FLASH! Applejack appeared in their midst. "Ah nuts," she said angrily. "I was sure it was the right one!" "Well, let's all get back up and try again," Twilight said with resignation. "I just hope Discord isn't playin' us for chumps." Applejack muttered. Some time later, they reached the top of the spire again, their legs sore. "How long did it take us to get back here?" Rainbow Dash groaned. "I'd say about half an hour," Twilight guessed. "I know a time-keeping spell, but...you know, can't really use it now." Pinkie Pie and Rarity were with Fluttershy and the pots. Pinkie saw them come up and squealed. "What took you so long?" "Don't ask," said Spike and Twilight in unison. Rarity looked up from the pots. "Good to see you all!" "Yes, everypony together again! But for how long?" "How about we NOT do the teleporting thing again?" Starlight asked. "But Pinkie Pie and Rarity haven't experienced the stairs. It makes things so much more dramatic!" "We can't keep wasting time hoofing it back up here!" Rainbow Dash protested. "I'm okay with being teleported," Pinkie said happily. "I want the whole haunted experience!" "In that case darling," said Rarity, "you can go next." Pinkie Pie pointed to the middle pot, which Fluttershy exposed as empty. Pinkie vanished. "So, can the rest of us NOT be teleported again? Starlight asked. "Those stairs were awesome!" Pinkie Pie said behind her. "Aah!" Starlight turned around. "How'd you...never mind." She spoke to the ceiling again. "So for those of us who aren't Pinkie Pie, how about we all just turns like normal until somepony gets the right pot?" All the others voiced their agreement. "But, but..." "Discord," Fluttershy chided. "this was supposed to be fun for everypony, and dragon." "Oh, very well. Rarity will get her teleport if she fails, and the rest of you can simply move to the back of the line if you fail." Fluttershy started to object, but Rarity cut in. "It's alright, darling, I can take the same medicine everypony else took." She pointed to the right pot. Fluttershy tilted it to reveal three pieces of candy. The whole group suddenly found themselves in the dining room. Discord was standing on the table, holding the pot in his lion paw. "Congratulations Rarity," he cried. "You've survived my castle of horrors and claimed the prize! I'm sure you'll want to share the bounty..." He turned the pot upside-down, pouring out a stream of candy, which soon covered the whole table. Discord stepped down. "Well, did you all have fun, or were you traumatized beyond repair?" "Best Nightmare Night EVER!" Pinkie Pie dived straight into the candy pile. "Well Discord," Twilight smiled. "There may be hope for you yet." He grinned in response. "I have to admit," Applejack said between mouthfuls, "I can't think of anything scarier than what you cooked up tonight." Pinkie Pie popped out of the pile. "By the way, I should probably tell you there was a bunch of other stuff I was looking forward to tonight, so I made a quick stop at the Mirror Pool." The castle halls reverberated with the sound of screaming.
