The Ghost Of Ponyville

Chapters

The Discovery
The Haunting Of Hatfield Manor (Updated)
An Unwanted Guest

The Discovery

"But… guh… what?" Twilight babbled as a few strands of her mane stood on end. “T-that door closed behind me. How is it open now?” Twilight turned to trot away when she felt a chill run down her spine. When she turned around this time, she saw a teal and aquamarine earth pony flying at her.

“Oh, thank Celestia! Someone else is in… here…” Twilight paused as the realization dawned on her. Wait. Earth pony… no wings… no horn… and flying? That makes no sense! Unless…

Twilight's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she took a few steps back from the pony. Wait, does that mean that she’s a ghost? I refuse to believe it. They’re not real, it’s scientifically impossible! As Twilight stood there, the earth pony phazed right through her, showing no signs of discomfort at all. Twilight screamed as she galloped off as fast as her legs could carry her.

The earth pony flew after her, its teal and aquamarine coat reflecting the moonlight as they passed an upper story window. Its mane and tail fluttered in what could only be described as an invisible breeze as it pursued her. As Twilight galloped down the hallway, she wondered how she ended up in this mess. Her mind wandered back to a few hours ago when she was overlooking the setup for Nightmare Night.

Nightmare Night was fast approaching. Stalls lined the plaza and spilled out into the adjacent streets. With twice as many booths and prize stations signed up than last year, this year’s event looked to be the most interactive one yet. Twilight Sparkle was traveling the strip as she supervised the decorations.

“Howdy there, Twi! Helping with the decoratin’ as usual I see!” Twilight paused when she heard Applejack's voice. Glancing over, she saw the farmer pony running a rather modest stall. A few kegs of her world-famous apple cider were sitting on some shelving in the back, along with a few boxes of mugs with the words ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ printed on them. Twilight trotted over and smiled at her friend.

“Hey there, Applejack! I see that you managed to convince Granny Smith to allow you to break out the reserves, huh?” she mentioned, gesturing to the kegs in the stall behind her. Applejack let out a chuckle and flicked the brim of her stenson upwards and out of her eyes.

“Eeyup… ‘course it wasn’t easy to convince her though. Granny’s set in her ways an’ as stubborn as a mule...” Applejack simply shook her head as she rested a foreleg on the counter. “She didn’t want me to sell any cider outside of the cider season. When ah told her that it wasn’t for selling, just drinkin’, she decided that she didn’t see no harm in giving up a keg er three. As long as I didn’t give it to no foals, that is.” Twilight nodded her approval at that.

“So… are you gonna get dressed up this year? I remember somepony promising that they would~!” Twilight sing-songed as Applejack simply groaned.

“Twi, I’d love to get dressed up tonight...” Twilight was about to say something, but Applejack continued before she could. “However, I kinda… have to be running the stall this year. I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to this time.”

Twilight sighed ruefully. She knew better than to argue the point, so she decided to drop the subject. “I really should be moving on anyway. I have lots of other stalls to inspect and decorations to assess. I’ll swing back around later, okay?” Twilight smiled at Applejack and turned to leave.

“Alrighty, sugarcube! Y’all have fun now!” Applejack called out as she waved at the retreating form of Twilight before she went into the back to inspect her stock. As Twilight walked, she heard the sounds of grunting as well as a sharp ringing tone. She raised her head, spotting the Cutie Mark Crusaders settled in a small area enclosed with a fence.

Apple Bloom held a hammer in her hoof and appeared to be driving a loose nail into the side of a bucket. Nearby, Scootaloo was setting up a machine with a small cylindrical weight on the bottom and a bell on top of what appeared to be a six-foot-tall standing post with numbers painted on the sides. A padded hammer and a small seesaw that served as a counterbalance for the weight completed the attraction. “Hi, girls!” Twilight called out as she approached. The three fillies stopped what they were doing and looked over at her.

“Hiya, Twilight!” the trio announced nearly in unison as Apple Bloom returned to hammering in the loose nail. “We were just setting up our station!” Sweetie Belle shouted over the commotion with her usual wide smile.

“I can see that!” Twilight chirped as she leaned over the short fence that was positioned around the perimeter. “Do you girls need any help?” Apple Bloom set down the hammer and shook her head.

“Nah… I think we got it. Right, girls?” she asked as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle simply nodded.

“Uh huh!” the other two proclaimed as Apple Bloom picked up the hammer in a hoof before she returned to work.

“Alright, be careful, girls… don’t want any of you getting hurt,” Twilight said as Scootaloo simply groaned.

“Twilight! I’m sure we can handle it ourselves…” she groused as she turned her head to fruitlessly hide her growing embarrassment. Twilight simply giggled as she patted Scootaloo in a reassuring manner.

“I know, I know… you three just worry us sometimes, is all. I’ll let you three get back to it. Have fun, girls!” Twilight remarked as she trotted away down a side street.

“Bye, Twilight!” the three fillies exclaimed as they got back to work.

As she traveled down the side street, Twilight noticed that the stalls were sparse here. Normally, this meant the ones that were present didn’t have to make as much of an effort as the ones set up in the plaza. Several prize booths, a food stall or two, and even a stall that panhandled hoof-stitched costumes was on the street that Twilight traversed. As she arrived at the end of the street, a tent sat in the middle of the road blocked her way.

Chequered fabric with lines of purple and pink was spread evenly to catch the eyes of any ponies that trotted by. The fabric at the top tapered off into a single point, the front part of the tent seeming to part down the middle. The flaps of the parting fabric curled back, framing an entrance obscured by another piece of fabric. She immediately noticed a sign depicting a crystal ball stationed over the loose tent flap with some words written in Zebrican. She tried for several moments to decipher the words, but to no success.

“Strange… I don’t remember seeing this particular tent before...” Twilight remarked as she paused and brought a hoof up to her chin. She tried to recollect her photographic memory of the layout of the Nightmare Night stalls to see if this particular tent was mentioned anywhere in the original markup. After a few minutes of contemplation, she realized that no listing was set up for this tent. This only fueled her curiosity. “Wonder when this was set up…?” she asked nopony in particular as she nosed the tent flap open and made her way inside.

The layout was fairly spartan, with a few bookshelves in each corner of the tent flanking a singular table with a crystal ball settled upon it. Its base was carved from topaz gemstones and the crystal had a smoky quality to it. Twilight was about to inspect the crystal ball closely when the sound of shifting fabric and somepony clearing their throat could be heard from behind her.

“You are not the one for which we have sent. May I ask why you are snooping around inside of my tent?” When Twilight turned her head, a zebra stood in front of the flap leading outside. Prancing in place and chewing her lower lip, Twilight spun in a half-circle and looked at the opening of the tent with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry… I was just curious, that’s all. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m the coordinator of the Nightmare Night celebration this year,” Twilight mentioned as she approached the zebra. “I didn’t recall seeing this on the scheduled list of stalls and--”

“So you came to see what it was about. Now I must ask you to get out!” the zebra admonished as she opened the flap. “I am still decorating, as I’m sure you can see… Now please refrain from bothering me!”

Twilight wanted to ask many questions, but the expression on the zebra’s face allowed for no arguments on the matter. Twilight rubbed her forelegs together and quietly exited the tent. Behind her, a hoof shot out to hang a small sign on a well-disguised hook attached to the tent flap:

“Decorating in progress inside, no prying eyes shall I abide.”

“In other words... no trespassing, keep out,” Twilight mused as she scratched her head. She knew better than anypony that personal space was to be respected. “She seemed rather hasty to send me away. Maybe I should go back and check… ?” she asked as she rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Might be best if I don’t. She was rather touchy with me snooping around… she might’ve gotten physical if I stayed any longer. I’ll just check up on her later, I guess.” She turned away from the tent and returned back up the street from whence she came.

Meanwhile, inside of the tent, the zebra pulled out something from a small storage area in the back. She dusted off what appeared to be a household shrine; a small pyramid-shaped box with a square base. Three openings, two of a smaller rectangle and one of a bigger parallelogram with a small awning, were featured promptly on the side paneling. A pagoda roof sat on top of the small structure. The zebra took out five candles from a box and placed one on each corner of the base, along with one on the top.

“That was close, my dearest friend. We were almost discovered right then.” The zebra rubbed the side paneling of the shrine with great fondness before she continued, “Of this ruse a few hours must be spent... only then can we progress to the main event.” A soft glint passed over the zebra’s eyes as she stowed it away and resumed her decorating.

As Twilight continued walking, she felt an icy chill run down the length of her spine. She spun around in an instant, yet nothing was there. Deciding it was just the wind, Twilight hurried back up the side street and towards the plaza.

As she ran, she constantly looked behind her to see if anything was there. Unfortunately, this also meant she wasn’t watching where she was going. Pinkie was pronking by as Twilight ran right into her, sending the two sprawling along the plaza. “Whee!” Pinkie shouted as they tumbled across the cobblestones together, clearly enjoying it as they came to a stop a few feet away from the side street.

“Hiya, Twilight! I was just going around and looking at all of the decorations and sweets, and I noticed that this year is much bigger than last year’s, do you wanna know how I know? Huh? Huh? Huh? Well, it’s because the stalls are spread out evenly around Ponyville and--” Pinkie suddenly stopped speaking as Twilight firmly pressed a hoof to her mouth.

“I get the picture, Pinkie… and yes, this year is much bigger than last year... that’s for sure,” Twilight added as she removed her hoof and kept looking over her shoulder. Even though Pinkie usually had a difficult time keeping focused, she immediately knew that something was wrong. Twilight normally at least paid attention while talking to her. An uneasy feeling settled in Pinkie's stomach as she addressed Twilight again.

“Hey, Twi? Are you okay? You’re acting all spacey and floaty today…” Pinkie waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s eyes. This caused her to refocus on Pinkie as she nervously pranced in place.

“N-nothing! It’s nothing! Everything’s totally fine!” she stated with a weak chuckle. The look she got from Pinkie made her sigh and rub the back of her head. “W-well… now that you mention it… I did have a run-in with someone that made me a little uneasy.”

“Oh, you mean that eclectic zebra that opened up a fortune teller stall at the end of Seapony Drive who really wants to try and keep whatever she’s doing a secret from everypony?” Pinkie blurted out as Twilight blinked. Her mouth opened and closed a few times in order to process what she just heard. She raised a hoof to speak, but shook her head and lowered it.

“R-right, her.” Twilight rolled her eyes, some questions were best left unasked around Pinkie. “As I left I suddenly got this icy chill that ran along my spine too. Do you have any thoughts on her?”

“You mean besides my random tail twitches and sneezing?” Pinkie announced as her tail and nose decided it was a good time to demonstrate. “Nupe! Other than the fact my Pinkie Sense is telling me that somepony new is coming to town… but that’s normal!” Pinkie chirped as if the occurrence was nothing more than a normal part of her daily routine.

“Right. Say, uh, Pinkie?” Twilight asked as Pinkie pressed the frogs of her front hooves together.

“Yes, Twilight?” she replied sweetly.

“Do you think I could… hang around with you for a while? I’m still kinda nervous about… well, you know,” Twilight stated as Pinkie nodded in a manner which Twilight took as her understanding.

“Okie dokie lokie! Come on, Twilight! Let’s go and look at the sweets!” Pinkie declared as she pronked off towards a side street. As Twilight followed, the smell of confectioneries met her nose. Her previous worries momentarily forgotten, she hurried along to catch up with her friend.

After a few minutes, Twilight was sick to her stomach. Pinkie must have taken her to every booth that sold sweets on the street they were on. “...That candied apple was so good! Nice and crunchy and sweet with just enough caramel to--” Twilight droned out the ramblings of her friend as her stomach rumbled angrily. Suddenly a wave of nausea struck her, if the hoof pressed against her mouth was any indication. Pinkie must’ve noticed this, for the angry buzzing in Twilight’s ears slowly became a dull hum.

“Twilight? You don’t look so good. Want me to walk you home?” Pinkie didn’t wait for an answer as she began leading Twilight to her castle. Along the way, they passed the old Hatfield Manor that sat on the outskirts of Ponyville.

Twilight gave the manor a cursory glance. She secretly hated the manor, which was one of the main reasons she never walked past it. It was in a state of severe disrepair. The side paneling had mold growing in several places as well as windows caked with grime due to the passage of time. And that’s talking about the few windows that still sported intact glass panes. She squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of the interiors. When she did, she noticed a pony-shaped silhouette in an upper story window. Twilight stopped and raised a hoof to scratch her head. She happened to look up at the window and she noticed that the silhouette in the window mimicked her.

Pinkie stood there and watched Twilight as she decided to test her theory by shaking her head. To Twilight’s surprise, the silhouette’s head pivoted back and forth along with her. She danced in place, figuring that she could outsmart it with complex movement. To her dismay, the silhouette followed her routine to the letter. She took this moment to rub her eyes with a foreleg.

During this time, Pinkie started to grow increasingly worried for her friend. She was standing there, watching Twilight make silly motions to a window that had nothing in it. Wow, Twilight must be super-duper-scooper stressed! Just like me when I had to bake that triple tier chocolate Pinkie surprise cake for that competition that one time! Maybe I should whip her up some hot chocolate when we get to the castle? That always relaxes me when I’m stre--Pinkie was jolted out of her inner thoughts by Twilight addressing her.

“Huh? Wha…? Pinkie? Do you see that?” Twilight asked as Pinkie looked over at her.

“What did you say, Twilight? I… might’ve not been paying attention…” Pinkie punctuated her statement with an apologetic smile as Twilight sighed.

“Do you see that?” Twilight repeated as Pinkie scratched her head.

“See what?” came her response.

“That shadow in the upper story of the abandoned Hatfield Manor! Do you or don’t you?” Pinkie squinted up at the upper story windows and simply shrugged.

“Nupe! I don’t see anything, Twilight! You probably were just seeing things because of how lightheaded your poor little tummy is making you!” Twilight mulled over Pinkie’s words, and she had to admit that made a surprising amount of sense. She decided to look up at the windows one more time. However, by now the silhouette had disappeared. Twilight darted her head between the upper story windows, yet she didn’t see it reappear anywhere.

Deciding that it wasn’t important anymore, Twilight returned her attention to Pinkie and raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you start making sense, Pinkie?”

“Eh, I have my moments...” Pinkie mentioned with a wink. Twilight knew she wasn’t going to get a straight answer, so she just shrugged and let Pinkie lead her home. A pair of eyes were watching them go.

“The way they stared filled me with fear… only to be relieved now that they do not know I am here,” the zebra remarked as she turned the corner. Sounds of something being dragged could be heard as the shrine was lugged past the windows and into a side room. “Only a few more hours, my dear… then the show can begin out here!” She announced as she rubbed the frogs of her front hooves together with glee. She left the room and turned off the lights.

One of the candles on the shrine lit up in a scintillating indigo flame.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was flying above Ponyville to set the weather for tonight. She paced up and back as clouds were dragged over the town, overlapping in key areas to allow only low light to filter down. Wind currents were adjusted, air flow was modified, and humidity in the air was calculated as she flew down to admire her handiwork.

“This Nightmare Night is gonna be… awesome!” she declared as she swooped down to land in the plaza. “Time to go find Twilight!” Rainbow trotted down a side street that took her past the Hatfield Manor. As she passed the house, she stopped and looked up at a window where a brilliant purple light flickered ominously.

“Uh… that doesn’t look normal,” she realized as she flew up to the window to get a better view. However, the windows were caked with years’ worth of grime which hindered her view of the interior. She tried to open the window, but the hinges were rusted and didn’t budge. “Huh, that’s weird.” As she stared through the grime-coated glass pane, a vaguely pony-shaped figure sped past. It was so close to the glass that it might as well have been right in front of her eyes.

Rainbow let out a totally uncool shriek as she flew off in a hurry. “T-T-Twilight!” she called out as she zipped off towards the Castle of Friendship. She landed on the front porch and frantically knocked on the front door of the castle. Spike answered the door, and Rainbow inadvertently completed the knock on his head.

“Hey! Rainbow! What gives?” Spike groused as he waved his claws at Rainbow’s hooves. “I’m not a door, you know!” he groaned as the pegasus looked down at him.

“Spike! Is Twilight home?” Rainbow blurted out without missing a beat.

“Um, yeah… her and Pinkie are--” Rainbow blew past him as she hurried inside, “--in her room.” Spike sighed as he rubbed the palm of his hand along his face and shut the door behind him.

“Twilight! Twilight, Twilight, Twilight!” Rainbow parroted as she flew along the hallways.

“In here, Dashie!” Pinkie called out as Rainbow doubled back and flew into Twilight's bedroom.

“There’s no time to explain! You gotta come with me! It’s an emergency!” Rainbow declared as she fidgeted in place.

Twilight lightly groaned as Pinkie turned to Rainbow. “Hi, Dashie! Twilight has a nasty tummy ache! She’s staying off of her hoofsies for now. What’s wrong?” Pinkie asked as Rainbow squashed the pink mare’s cheeks in her forehooves.

“Something’s going on at the old manor! I saw an ominous purple light and something moving inside! That can’t mean anything good! Come on! We gotta go and see what’s wrong!” Rainbow said as she tried to tug Pinkie out of the room. However, only her head moved with Rainbow, the rest of her wasn’t budging.

“Are you super-duper-scooper sure that you want to start this early?” Pinkie whispered to Rainbow, who blinked and allowed a small grin to slither onto her face.

“Well, I was saving all of my pranking for last… but it might be fun to scare egghead over there,” she whispered back as she released Pinkie’s head. It quickly snapped back into place as she nodded.

“Can you two keep it down?” Twilight asked as she slowly opened her eyes. The commotion had roused her from a dreamless sleep. “All this talk about supernatural occurrences is ridiculous… they aren’t real.”

“I-I don’t know, Twilight. I’m sure I saw something moving in there,” Rainbow retorted as Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“Well… if you’re sure…” Twilight replied with an air of uncertainty.

“Of course I’m sure! I was just at the manor! If we hurry, it might still be going on!” Rainbow quickly flew over to a nearby window as Twilight rolled her eyes and got up.

“Alright… if we go and look at the manor… will you let me get some rest afterwards?” Twilight groaned as Rainbow flew back over to Twilight and nodded her head vehemently.

“Yeah, sure, whatever! Come on!” Rainbow babbled as she flew back out of the castle and onto the streets, with Twilight and Pinkie following soon after. They arrived back at the manor where the ominous purple glow continued to radiate from the upper story windows and spill into the darkened streets. By now, a small crowd of ponies had gathered, and hushed rumors were beginning to circulate.

“What’s that light?” one of the collected asked. “I thought the manor was abandoned?” another one stated. “What if it’s... h-haunted?” Several gasped as one of the flower girls fainted in fright.

“Calm down, everypony!” Twilight announced as the crowd parted and allowed her to pass through. “There’s no such thing as ghosts! It’s a scientific improbability! Ghosts don’t exist!”

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you scientifically explain that ominous light then?” someone in the crowd asked as murmurs of agreement wafted along the collected. “If ghosts don’t exist, and the manor’s abandoned… then what’s producing that light, huh?”

“Settle down! Settle down, everypony!” Twilight instructed as the crowd begrudgingly did as they were told. “Since nopony here knows what it is… I’m going inside to investigate!” Twilight announced as Rainbow and Pinkie galloped up to her.

“Not without us, you aren’t, silly filly!” Pinkie gently booped Twilight’s nose as she settled by her side.

“There’s no way in Tartarus I’d let you go in there alone, Twilight. I’m going with you as well,” Rainbow added as Twilight made a motion to protest, but she simply shook her head and sighed.

“Yeah… alright. Let’s head inside and see what’s going on,” Twilight decided as they trotted up to the door. When Twilight rested a hoof on the door it swung open with no resistance. The crowd slowly dispersed as the trio entered the old manor.

The Haunting Of Hatfield Manor (Updated)

Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie stepped into the foyer of the manor. Twilight darted her head left and right as she took in her surroundings. Dusty paintings hung on the walls which depicted several Hatfield family members. Wilted potted plants flanked the door, their soil bone-dry. A white cloth covered a pair of end tables and what appeared to be a few chairs in the spacious foyer.

Wallpaper was peeling in several places, only to reveal sections of wall that began to dry-rot. Dust hung in the air, illuminated solely by stray sunbeams of dusk as they filtered through the cloud cover above. Two doors flanked a staircase just ahead of them. Both doors appeared to be off of their hinges, swaying in an almost non-existent breeze and sending shivers down the trio’s spines.

“Wow, girls, this place sure looks run down, wouldn’t you say?” Twilight asked. Rainbow coughed from a cloud of dust kicked up by their hooves from the dull-red carpet.

“Geez! Who’s in charge of this place anyway?” Rainbow asked between coughing fits as Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“Well, uh, I’m not entirely sure, Rainbow…” Twilight replied as Pinkie pronked around the foyer, raising plumes of dust.

Rainbow and Pinkie trotted down a side hallway and looked at the paintings. Several were caked with grime and difficult to make out. One, however, was of a stocky earth pony and a unicorn dressed in farmer attire as they stood next to an aquamarine earth pony. The plaque beset in the frame read: "Azure's visit, 1173".

"Are these the owners?" Rainbow mused as Pinkie simply shrugged. As the two continued to look at the painting, a diffused amber light floated down from the stairwell. It fluttered to and fro before making a beeline for Twilight. Twilight turned her head and noticed the light. However, it was far too late. The light impacted her as the world around her blurred. She wobbled on her hooves before she fell to the floor on her side, out cold.

When Twilight woke up, she noticed the main door to the manor was shut tight. “Rainbow?” Twilight asked as her head darted left and right. “Pinkie?” She raised an eyebrow and went further into the foyer. She approached and glanced into one of the doorways next to the staircase. To her surprise, it led into another hallway. But to her dismay, it was too dark to make out anything.

“Strange. I didn’t think they would go on without me… would they?” Twilight checked down a side hallway for them. All she saw was doors, paintings, and a pair of end tables with potted plants that appeared to be rather healthy despite the conditions they were in. She chewed her lower lip as she frantically checked every nook and cranny of the downstairs. Every door was locked aside from the two that were off the hinges.

Okay… calm down, Twilight… let’s think this through rationally… she thought as she sat on her dock in the middle of the foyer. Rainbow and Pinkie were in the foyer with me not even a few minutes ago. The door’s closed, so they didn’t just leave… but… I can’t seem to find them anywhere. Maybe they did leave. I should too!

Twilight returned to the door and gripped the doorknob in her magical aura. She proceeded to try and turn it. It didn’t budge. Twilight tried several more times, each with slightly more force applied. However, her efforts were in vain. Twilight backed away from the door, her eyes widened and brows furrowed. “Wait… the door’s locked now?”

Twilight darted her head left and right as she slowly cantered to a window. Moonbeams streaked down from the sky above as she scratched her head. “That’s odd… the sun set rather quickly today...” A hoof found its way to Twilight’s chin and rubbed along it. She trotted over to the staircase and tested one of the steps. The wood gave slightly with a loud squeaking sound, which caused her to take a step back and hesitate for a moment.

“W-well… seeing as I’m locked in here now, I probably should… explore, I guess?” Twilight mused unsurely as she slowly ascended the stairs.

The upstairs landing was dirtier than downstairs, but not by much. Cobwebs grew in the corners of the hallway, the webs long since abandoned by whatever spider made them. Dust clung to the molding carpet and shot up with every step that Twilight took. She made her way to a side door and gripped the knob in her magic. A few attempts at turning it told her that it was locked. Exasperated, Twilight tried a few more with similar results.

“What’s with this place? Why did somepony feel the need to lock every single door! None of this makes any sense!”

Coming to the last door in the hallway she was in, she gripped the doorknob and turned. When the door opened, a pair of spectral chains shot out from the door and entwined themselves around her barrel. A sharp, stinging sensation danced over her skin as she was dragged into the room. Twilight shrieked, pulling against the chains. Slipping, she lost her hoofing and flopped to the dirty floor.

Realizing that she was resisting, a second pair of chains shot out and snagged her rear legs. Then, they began to pull harder. Twilight redoubled her efforts, however her muscles strained and burned, and her lungs longed for air. Soon, she was at the chains’ mercy. They yanked her inside before the door slammed shut behind her.

The chains clinked and rattled as they left her and snaked away into the darkness. “W-what was that?” Twilight asked with wide eyes. She tried to swallow, but her throat was scratchy and dry from her screams. She lit up her horn, the resulting light just enough for her to see the interior of the room. It appeared to be a spare bedroom that had fallen into a state of disrepair. A nightstand with one of its legs snapped off sat on the floor, the wood nearly completely shaved off.

She turned her head to gaze upon the other parts of the room. She noticed the bedsheets on the bed had jagged rips and tears in several places. When she got closer, she noticed one of the pillows had been cut cleanly in half, its straw stuffing having spilled out and onto the mattress. The bedframe sagged at the middle, with the wood that compromised the canopy in an advanced state of dry-rot.

The window in this room fared no better than the windows downstairs. The glass pane was caked over completely with grime, preventing any light from filtering in. When Twilight tried to open it, it wouldn’t budge.

Twilight looked away from the window after a few attempts and traced the walls. The wallpaper here seemed to fare a bit better in the fact that it wasn’t peeling, unlike the wallpaper she saw downstairs. The few bare parts revealed walls that appeared to be in a similar condition to the bed frame. Wood was missing in some places, only to reveal mostly intact foundation. Some sections of the wall weren’t so fortunate. Twilight noticed a hole in the base of the western wall that lead into the next room over. It appeared to be just big enough for her to crawl into.

"Wow, this place isn’t just run-down… it’s old! I really need to talk with Mayor Mare about making this a public landmark… at least it could be renovated th--” Twilight abruptly stopped speaking when a familiar icy chill ran down her spine. She twirled around, yet nothing was there. A few seconds later the chill came again. This time, the sensation was stronger and more defined. It was directly in the middle of Twilight’s back.

“W-w-who’s there?” Twilight choked out, but no response came. Instead, she felt a stinging chill on her left cheek that came and went periodically for a few seconds before it stopped. Twilight let out a blood-curdling scream and galloped as fast as she could away from whatever this was. She got a glimpse of a teal and aquamarine-colored silhouette before she wriggled through the hole with unusual dexterity.

When she got into the next room, the window allowed moonlight to filter into the room. Twilight immediately turned to the western wall. Whatever that… thing was, it didn’t appear to follow her through the hole in the wall, but she decided not to take any chances. Drawing upon her nearly limitless knowledge of spells, her horn flared to life as magenta-colored magic swirled on the wall. Soon, a golden cross beset in a lattice-work frame created by her magic conjured itself into existence. Afterwards, an amber glow infused itself into every nook and cranny of the room she was in.

“That should hold,” she said as the ward made a soft ping sound after every wall was secured. Shortly after, a harsh crashing could be heard from the western wall, displacing the dust accumulated on the ceiling.

“Huh? W-what was that?” Twilight asked as the crash came again. This time, the force was so great that the wall buckled slightly from the impact. Twilight leapt a few inches in the air as she backpedaled toward the eastern wall. When she rested upon it, a harsh thump collided with the wall behind her, which caused her to leap forward.

Twilight took deep, shallow breaths as harsh thumping and pounding resounded in the small room. Twilight’s head darted left and right as each wall appeared to be attempting to outdo each other in ferocity. Soon, she heard a soft ping sound. Her eyes snapped to the ward. She watched intently as it flickered from the assault. “No! No, no, no, no, no!” Twilight babbled as she quickly flared her horn and added some magic to the ward’s reserves. As the amber light grew harsher, a loud ethereal wail of agony echoed in Twilight’s ears. The assault ended as quickly as it began.

Twilight’s heart hammered in her chest. Whatever that was, it appeared to be gone now. However, she was still on high alert. After taking several deep, calming breaths, she reinforced the ward and wandered around the room. It appeared to be nearly identical to the one she left, save for the fact there was a writing desk in the corner opposite of her. The window in here appeared to be much cleaner as well--maybe a byproduct of her sanctuary ward? Lifting a dusty tome that rested flat on a writing desk, she found a small gold-plated key.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at this. "Huh. What’s this doing here? Let me pick this up. I-I mean, in case I need it, of course..." Grabbing the key in her magic, she held it aloft as she made her way to the door. Inserting the key, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the key turned. The door swung open and revealed the hallway she was just in. When she got outside, she noticed the door she was dragged into was wide open.

"But… guh… what?" Twilight babbled as a few strands of her mane stood on end. “T-that door closed behind me. How is it open now?” She turned to trot away when she felt a chill run down her spine. When she spinned around this time, she saw a teal and aquamarine earth pony flying at her.

“Oh, thank Celestia! Someone else is in… here…” Twilight paused as the realization dawned on her. Wait. Earth pony… no wings… no horn… and flying? That makes no sense! Unless…

Twilight's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she took a few steps back from the pony. Wait, does that mean that she’s a ghost? I refuse to believe it. They’re not real, it’s scientifically impossible! As Twilight stood there, the earth pony phazed right through her, showing no signs of discomfort at all. Twilight screamed again as she galloped off as fast as her legs could carry her.

The earth pony flew after her, its teal and aquamarine coat reflecting the moonlight. Its mane and tail fluttered in what could only be described as an invisible breeze as it pursued her.

Maybe if I shut my eyes it’ll go away... Twilight thought as she screwed her eyes shut tightly. When she opened them a moment later, the pony had caught up to her and reared down to capture her neck in its hooves. Seeing this caused her to scream again as she deftly ducked under them and ran faster. When she rounded a corner, she didn’t notice the staircase ahead. She tripped and tumbled down the stairs, hitting her head rather roughly on the floor below.

The last thing she saw was the pony reaching down to her before her body fell limp and her vision went completely black.

A soft beeping noise filtered in through Twilight’s ears, which roused her from a dreamless slumber. When Twilight eventually regained consciousness, she found herself on a bed in a hospital room with Pinkie holding a hoof in hers. When she looked over, Pinkie appeared to be napping, yet she had a firm hold on Twilight’s hoof. Twilight took this moment to get accustomed to her new surroundings.

She noticed that a small equipment rack sat off to the side of her bed, burdened with an ECG monitor and an IV stand that held a pair of bags on two of its hooks. Upon closer inspection, she noticed one of them was filled with a bright red, viscous liquid and the other with a bright yellow liquid. When she glanced down, she noticed she was in a hospital bed on a slight incline.

Rotating her head to the right, she saw two things: One, Rainbow Dash pacing in front of a door with meaningful strides. As she watched, she saw Rainbow deviated from her course to look through a window right across from the door. She stood there for a few moments and appeared to be distraught about something, before she went back to the door and continued pacing. Two, a small nightstand with several balloons and a vase full of flowers. Twilight could just barely make out the words ‘Get well soon!’ written on a small standee inside of the pot. After regaining her bearings, Twilight shifted her focus back to Pinkie and drew in a deep breath.

That had to be the strangest dream I ever had. Twilight thought as she let it out slowly and allowed her head to flop back down on the pillow. Strange… it felt so real though. Maybe I should try and ask the girls what exactly happened to me… Twilight mused as she returned her focus to Pinkie once more.

“P… Pinkie?” Twilight rasped as Pinkie’s head shot up.

“Dashie! Dashie, Dashie, Dashie!” Pinkie cried out as Rainbow turned her head over to her. The pink pony propped up the conscious form of Twilight. Her frazzled mane stood completely on end. Her eyes were bloodshot and her fur was matted, pressing itself tightly to her barrel. Her forelegs limply dangled in Pinkie’s grip. Rainbow abandoned her post almost instantly. She flew over and enveloped Twilight in a hug.

“You had us so worried, egghead! You were out for several hours!” Rainbow remarked as she released Twilight back into Pinkie’s care.

“Oh, I was only out for… wait, did you say hours?” Twilight blurted out as she took a few deep breaths in rapid succession. “W-what happened? Where are we? Why did I faint? I don’t remember… my head hurts…” Twilight babbled as neither Pinkie nor Rainbow said anything.

“Well, we’re in the hospital. Ponyville General to be exact,” Pinkie mentioned as she started to explain, “Earlier, Rainbow came to you and told you about some strange occurrences and--”

“Wait,” Twilight interjected as she tried to clear her throat with limited success, “I remember now… I went inside to investigate the weird lights that Rainbow saw...”

“And we went with you,” this time, Rainbow interjected as Pinkie glanced up at her. “I just didn’t want to see you hurt, is all. I don’t know what Pinkie’s motivation was, but I came along to make sure you were okay,” Rainbow said self-assuredly as Twilight managed a weak chuckle.

Classic Rainbow, loyal as ever… Twilight thought as she turned her head so she could look at both of them. “T-thanks, girls. I really need a drink of water… it hurts to laugh or even breathe…” Twilight’s horn flared to life as a small glass of water appeared in front of her. She slowly drank it down and cleared her throat. “T-that’s better… I’ll get some more at the Castle later.” Twilight rolled out of bed despite Pinkie’s protests and stretched her legs and wings. “I feel like I ran a mile…”

“Well, uh, about that, Twi…” Rainbow remarked as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “You see… me and Pinkie were in the nearby hallway looking at a painting when Pinkie heard you calling our name.”

“Yep yep! I figured that you didn’t notice us walk away, so I went back to find you. When I discovered you, you were… staring at the open spot where the doorknob was. You were just… staring at it and using your magic on… something. Wasn’t sure what, but I figured that you were doing something super-duper important so I didn’t bother you!”

“Wait, what? What do you mean I--” Twilight tried to get a word in edgewise, however Rainbow cut her off.

“You were mumbling something about how quickly the sun set or something… but it was still late afternoon when you looked out of the window. Then, you just started wandering aimlessly. You passed by us at least twice. Then you went to the staircase and tested one of the stairs before climbing them. I said that we should probably follow you, and Pinkie took off with me following behind.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “B-but… I don’t remember seeing you two! Like, at all!” Rainbow and Pinkie exchanged worried glances before Pinkie spoke up and picked up where Rainbow left off.

“Well, when you got upstairs, Rainbow had this bright idea to cut you off further down the hall. We saw you standing in front of the doors and mumbling something… so Rainbow thought that a good shock would snap you out of… well, whatever that was…” she said before adding, “Rainbow said I should come with. So, when you got to the last door on the hallway, we… kind of opened it and tried to drag you inside to talk to you--”

“--however, you put up quite a fight, egghead!” Rainbow interjected as she shadowboxed the air in front of her. “It took both of us to drag you inside. When we tried to shake you out of it, you screamed and disappeared through the wall! We tried to bang on the wall to get your attention… but you must’ve done something to the wall, because I sprained my hoof trying to punch a hole in it,” she remarked.

“So, I opened the door to try and find you. You were in the hall at the time and I flew at you. Granted… that probably wasn’t the smartest idea, for you screamed and ran away again. I tried to grab onto you, but you ducked. I held out my hoof to try and warn you about the staircase… but it was too late. You were already falling down it. I called Pinkie over, we decided that we should get you some medical attention and… well, that’s about it. That was really uncool, Twilight. If you’re going to prank us, at least make it tasteful! Geez...”

“Well, you’ll never believe it… but I saw a real-life ghost! They exist! This is a scientific breakthrough! I’ll be the first to prove that ghost ponies exist!" Twilight chirped as she pranced in place, only to wince at how tense her muscles were. “I’m going back out there to see if I can see it again! That is, if it wasn’t a hallucination… Anyway, are you coming, girls?” she asked as she approached the door.

“U-uh… I should probably go first.” Despite Twilight’s protests, Rainbow peeked her head out from behind the door. Figuring it was safe, she motioned for the others to follow her. Pinkie and Twilight exited the room as they tip-hoofed down the hallway. As Twilight walked, the hallway slowly changed. White-washed hallways started to crack and flake the further she walked, becoming dilapidated and rotted.

Ceramic tiles gave way to wooden planks as the floor of the hospital slowly faded away only to be replaced with the floor of the Hatfield Manor. The hallways became ridden with dust and dry-rotted wood. The dust that hung in the air caused her to cough whenever she inhaled. As they made their way up the corridor, a vase that sat on an end table rattled and knocked itself off. It shattered upon hitting the floor, which got Twilight’s attention.

“D-did you hear that, girls?” Twilight asked, worry dripping from her words.

“Hear what, Twilight?” Pinkie asked as she followed Twilight’s eyes to a blue and white vase that sat on the end table she was looking at.

“That vase! It fell over and shattered! How could you not hear that? It’s literally right there!” Twilight admonished, splaying her hooves for dramatic effect.

“Uh… Twilight? The vase is perfectly fine. I don’t know about you, but it's not shattered at all,” Rainbow remarked as Twilight trotted over and bent over to scrape at the ground. Rainbow and Pinkie exchanged unsure glances as Twilight trotted back over with empty hooves.

“See! Shattered! Look at all of these pieces!” Twilight replied as she wiggled her empty hooves in front of their eyes.

“Are you sure that you’re okay, Twilight? You seem a little loopsy-doopsy right now…” Pinkie stated as Rainbow swirled a hoof near her head with crossed eyes.

“I saw that, Rainbow!” Twilight snapped as she faced the pegasus. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you? I bet you both do, huh?” Twilight said as she continued down the hall. “Come on, we have to get out of here.” Rainbow and Pinkie sighed, but eventually followed along.

As Twilight trotted further along, she stopped and looked at an empty patch of wall. Twilight saw the words ‘Get Out’ written on the wall in blood. Rainbow and Pinkie tried to move her along, but she brushed them off with a hoof. “Get out… huh, wonder who wrote that?”

“T-Twilight? Y-you’re starting to scare us now. Come on… let’s get out of here so you can have a nice rest,” Rainbow said as she sighed. “And maybe a trip to a psychiatrist…” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that last part, Rainbow?” Twilight shot back as she raised an eyebrow.

“N-nothing! Nothing important!” Rainbow quickly cantered away to prevent Twilight from asking any more questions. She simply shrugged and continued on. Further down, the writing began to fill the wall with words that overlapped each other. Twilight started taking shallow raspy breaths as her head darted back and forth. Suddenly, she screamed and galloped along the hallway again. Pinkie and Rainbow sighed before they followed her.

“I-it’s back! The ghost is back! Get it away from me!” Twilight cried out as she crossed the foyer and rushed to the door. Rainbow and Pinkie saw Twilight grasping at the open air where the doorknob would have sat if the door was closed. She tugged and tugged in an attempt to open an already open door to no avail.

She saw Rainbow and Pinkie simply phase through the door, which only redoubled her paranoia. Suddenly, the door swung open and launched Twilight out of the manor. She landed roughly onto the pavement of the sidewalk just outside. With her outside of the manor, Rainbow and Pinkie saw a bright light evacuate Twilight’s body and quickly float back inside.

“W-w-what was that?” Pinkie asked as Rainbow blinked and rubbed her eyes with a foreleg.

“I-I don’t know… but it floated out of Twilight!” Rainbow mentioned as she galloped up to her friend. “Twi? A-are you okay?”

“Y-yeah… I think so. I’m not sure what that was... but, it’s gone now…” Twilight mentioned as Pinkie gripped her by her withers.

“It was a ghost, Twilight! A ghost just left your body!” Pinkie said as she shook Twilight for emphasis. Twilight’s eyes swirled in their sockets after Pinkie released her. “See? See? I told you the rumors were true, this place is haunted! What do you have to say to that, Twilight? Huh? Huh? Huh?” Pinkie asked as she hopped in place excitedly.

“Well, maybe. Either that or it could’ve been a trick of the light… or an elaborate prank. If I recall, you two love to play pranks on Nightmare Night…” Twilight shot back as she leveled an accusatory glare at the pair. Pinkie and Rainbow exchanged wary glances.

“Uh, Twi… as much as we love pranking you--” Rainbow started to explain.

“--and how easy it is as well--” Pinkie interjected.

“--we’ve had nothing to do with this!” the pair finished, almost in unison. Twilight’s mouth opened and closed a few times as her brain tried to process what they just said. Eventually, she found the capacity to form words. “S-so… about what you were trying to explain to me earlier...”

“About how you were acting really strangely?” Pinkie interjected as Twilight nodded.

“--you’re trying to tell me that actually happened?” Twilight raised an eyebrow and rubbed the side of her face as her friends nodded. “W-well… how do you know that… whatever that was had anything to do with it? For all we know it could’ve been something about the house itself!”

“You know… that’s a good point. Maybe we need to go back in there…” Rainbow mentioned as Twilight’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

“C-can we not?” Twilight half-whimpered. “I think that I had enough excitement today to last me for a while. However…” Twilight mused as she glanced back up at the manor, “maybe another investigation is in order. This time, though… maybe we should wait until we’re more… prepared? Now that we know what we’re up against, we can go back inside with a plan. What do you say, girls?”

Rainbow and Pinkie both nodded as the trio trotted away from the manor. Up in the second story window, a pony silhouette silently watched them leave and disappeared when they were out of sight.

An Unwanted Guest

Twilight arrived at the Castle of Friendship as she let out a yawn. "Well, we're here. Want to come inside, girls? We could save time by you two sleeping over so we can get straight to planning in the morning," she explained as Rainbow and Pinkie nodded.

“Okie dokie lokie! Probably wouldn’t want to sleep alone tonight anyway, knowing a ghosty is floating around...” Pinkie remarked with a nervous chuckle.

"Sounds good to me, Twi. Don't want you to run off and do anything reckless," Rainbow replied as Twilight smirked.

"Coming from the pony that likes to do life-endangering stunts…" she countered as Rainbow threw her forelegs in the air in exasperation.

"Do you want us to stay here or not?" Rainbow shot back as Twilight simply laughed.

"Alright, alright... come on in." Twilight rolled her eyes as she led Pinkie and Rainbow inside. She wandered the hallways and stopped in front of three identical chartreuse and gold-checkered doors.

“Alright, Pinkie… your room is this one…” Twilight pointed at the leftmost door indicatively. “Rainbow… the far right…” Twilight indicated as she trotted towards the middle door. “My room is in the middle. If you hear or see anything, don’t hesitate to come into my room and tell me, okay?” she asked as Pinkie saluted.

“Yep yep!” Pinkie disappeared into her room as Rainbow nodded.

“If you need anything, just come into my room… okay, Twi?” she remarked as she followed suit. Twilight simply shook her head with an amused smile and entered her own room.

As Twilight was about to get settled into her own bed, she heard it. Tck, tck, tck. At first, she chalked it up to the possible settling of the crystals in the walls. However, a few minutes later, the sound came again. Tck, tck, tck. It sounded like it was coming from the window. Twilight’s eyes shot open as her head slowly turned to the window. She barely caught the glimpse of a pony-shaped silhouette as it darted past.

“Rainbow…” Twilight rubbed a temple exasperatedly, “that better not be you, or Celestia help me…” Throwing off the sheets, she climbed out of her bed to look outside. To her bewilderment, she didn’t see anything. She groaned, throwing the doors of her bedroom open. Heading one door up, she stopped outside of Rainbow’s room. “If Rainbow’s window is unlocked, or if she’s not in her bed… well, she better have a very good explanation for it,” Twilight whispered as she opened the door a crack to peek in.

Rainbow’s room was nearly completely dark, with the exception of the moonlight that filtered through her window. From where Twilight stood, the window appeared to be closed and locked. “Better get a closer look, just to make sure…” she muttered as she made her way to the window. Hoof rested against it, she pushed. The window didn’t budge. Twilight blinked, but looked down at Rainbow’s bed. The prismatic mane of the cyan pegasus pierced the darkness as she mumbled and rolled onto her back.

So… if that wasn’t Rainbow… then, maybe it was Pinkie? Twilight mused as she scratched her head. She quietly left Rainbow’s room and shut the door behind her.

Stopping outside of Pinkie’s room, Twilight sighed as the realization of what she was doing dawned on her. Wait… Pinkie’s an earth pony. She’s done some crazy stuff before, sure… but I don’t think she would do something like this. Especially not after the night we just had... Twilight thought as she simply shook her head and returned to her room.

Twilight closed the door behind her and went to get back into bed. That is, if she didn’t notice the frost growing on her window. This gave Twilight pause as her head snapped to it. ”Huh? Is it that cold outside? I didn’t think it was on our walk back from the manor… and I didn’t hear of a cold snap being scheduled this early…” she mentioned and trotted up to the window. She pushed on the frame. The window didn’t open. She tried a simple temperature manipulation spell to try and melt the frost. When she finished, the frost snaked its way along the window again a second later.

“... Okay, this isn’t funny anymore, girls. Time to cut it out now,” Twilight weakly protested, her voice wavering. Soon, the sound came again. Tck, tck, tck... tck, tck, tck… tck, tck, tck... Twilight’s head darted left and right, but she couldn’t see anything. The sound came from her right this time. It sounded like hoofsteps. “Okay, I’ve had about enough.” Twilight kicked her bedroom doors open and knocked on Rainbow and Pinkie’s doors. No response. Twilight settled for opening their doors and turning on the lights.

When she looked inside, Rainbow and Pinkie’s beds were both empty, but the windows were still locked tight. The frost had spread to their windows as well. Twilight scratched her head as she trotted down the hallway. “Oh, those two are in deep bucking trouble when I find them!” she snorted as she turned a corner and stopped outside of the map room.

Wait… what if it isn’t Rainbow and Pinkie doing this? One foreleg hovering in the air, she paused for a few moments just to stare at the door. C-could I be wrong about ghosts not existing? Twilight shook her head and immediately drove the thought from her mind.

Get it together, Twilight! Ghosts aren’t real! There’s no scientific evidence to prove it! This has to be one of their pranks. J-just… go in there and let them know you’re onto them. No big deal… right? After what felt like hours, she eventually reached out to the door of the map room and gave the doorknob a twist.

Slivers of moonlight streaked down from the windows settled above the Friendship Map as Twilight entered the room. She heard the sound again, except it was much fainter here. She realized after listening to it a few times that it appeared to have a rhythm. It sounded like a light canter. “Rainbow? Pinkie? You had your fun, now come out!” Twilight called into the room. However, there was no response aside from the faint clicking sound.

Twilight suddenly felt a rather familiar sensation; an icy chill ran down her spine as she stood in the doorway. She spun in place as she braced herself for whatever was behind her. Besides the darkness enshrouding the hallway, she saw nothing. The sound became louder, the clicking replaced with a set of three thumps followed by a clunk. Twilight snapped her head to the noise and ducked as a vase sailed over her head and collided with the wall, shattering into several pieces.

Okay… that’s not normal. Neither Pinkie nor Rainbow would do that as a part of a prank… Twilight thought as her forehead knitted and her brows furrowed. A chilly gust blew past her, which made her shiver from head to hoof. Twilight took a few steps back before she galloped back upstairs. “Library! I gotta get to my library!” Twilight shouted, not caring if she woke up Spike at this point. Making a sharp turn, she thrust the doors to her library open and slammed them behind her.

“Please be here, please be here, please be here!” Twilight desperately hoped as she flitted from bookcase to bookcase. “Aha! Here it is! Demonology and You: How to deal with restless spirits. Didn’t I remind Spike to burn this book…? Well… since I just so happen to have it in my hooves... I might as well flip through it. No harm in looking, right?” the slightly bedazzled and obviously panicked purple alicorn declared as she flipped through the book.

“Come on, come on, come on, come on!” she whispered as she riffled through the yellowing pages. “Eureka!” Twilight announced as the book bindings slapped against a writing desk. “To deal with a malicious spirit haunting your home, you must follow these steps exactly. Step one… draw an alchemist’s circle from chalk in a well-ventilated area.” Twilight’s horn flared to life as it created a stick of chalk. She began tracing a circle in the middle of her library, with four points that branched off into small circles.

“Draw an alchemist’s circle from chalk… check!” Twilight declared as she teleported the chalk away. “Step two, place unlit candles in the circles.” Twilight noticed the word ‘Important’ written in bold red letters. “Important: Make sure they are unlit before placing them, or the ritual will not work as intended!” A few moments later, four unlit candles were placed down; one in each circle. “Four unlit candles… check!” Twilight resumed reading.

“Step three, and probably the most important one, an object of importance belonging to the malicious spirit in question.” Twilight scratched her head. Where was she going to find something like that? She rubbed her chin and then smacked her forehead. “Of course!” Quickly lighting her horn, she cast a teleport spell.

Landing back in the foyer of the manor, she coughed as the clouds of dust raised by her spell settled around her. She looked around, scanning her surroundings. The door behind her was wide open this time, much to her relief. She paced through the foyer.

“What can I use? I don’t even know who we’re dealing with!” Twilight shouted exasperatedly as she stopped in front of the painting with the plaque inset. “Huh. Looks like a family that lived here… close enough!” she declared as she grabbed it.

"Did you come back for a visit, dear? Would you like to stay overnight here?" The voice was familiar, but Twilight either didn't realize it or wasn't paying attention.

"N-no thanks. I have somewhere to be." Her horn lit up so she could teleport back. However, a hoof gripped her chin and turned it, interrupting her focus.

"So… my offer you decide to resist? Please…" Suddenly, a hoof shot out and connected with Twilight's jaw. She stumbled to the side before the force of the strike caused her legs to buckle. She could barely make out a familiar face as her vision slowly faded to black. "... allow me to insist."

As she drifted in and out of consciousness, Twilight felt herself being dragged. It didn’t take her long to black out completely. A little while later, she shot up in a cold sweat. Her head darted left and right and she tried to make sense of where she was. She was back in the foyer, that much she knew. Turning around, she found the door was shut again.

“Oh great… not again! Let me just…” She took a few steps towards the door, but the door didn’t seem to get any closer. “Huh? What? How is it...?” Twilight started galloping towards the door. No matter how long she ran, it never got any closer. The walls flew by her sides, the same section appearing to be looping over and over itself.

“But… guh… what? N-no… this doesn’t make any sense! How did the foyer get this big?” Behind her, a door materialized itself as several hooves reached out from it and clambered for her. Twilight had to dodge the ones actively trying to grasp her as she galloped down the hall. Just as the door in front of her started to come closer, one of the hooves managed to trip her. Ten hooves snaked their way around Twilight’s barrel, drawing her towards the door behind her.

Twilight tried to scream, but no sound came. She was quickly being drawn into the door despite using all of her strength to resist. Eventually, the door slammed shut behind her and she felt as if she was falling. The hallway spun around her as the walls began to bleed into each other. Suddenly, she landed harshly on a flat surface, blacking out once again

Several moments later, Twilight felt herself being lifted up and onto something. The biting chill of the floor was replaced with a light, warm gust that blew against her face. When she started to regain consciousness, she heard a voice that came from slightly behind and above her. “Oh… are you okay? It looks like you fell quite a long way.” She looked up to see a figure in a hood pushing something. Looking down, Twilight noticed she was in a wheelchair. Her surroundings have changed; no longer was she in the manor. Instead, she was in an old run-down hospital. Dirt stained the tile floor as grime slithered along the base of the plastered walls.

Rusted hinges loudly complained whenever the wind forced the doors to move. What lights were still functional blinked haphazardly as electrical sparks flew in random directions. The dull hum of decaying light bulbs could be heard as they turned a corner. A dilapidated sign pointed down the hall. Twilight could barely make out two letters on it: ‘E.R.’

“W-where am I? Where are we going?” she asked as she rubbed her head with a hoof.

“Oh, excuse me… I have been rather rude. I must have underestimated your mental fortitude,” the voice said. Twilight recognized the speech pattern of what she could only assume was a nurse. She opened her mouth to voice her concern, but the caretaker cut her off. “You are in the ICU… We thought you were dead, and we were thankful that our assumptions were untrue.”

“B-but…” Twilight tried to complain, but a gentle hoof rested against her mouth to silence her.

“Shh... it is okay. We are going to operate on you today.” A pair of swinging doors with the words Emergency Room that flashed in bright red lettering stood ahead. Twilight squirmed in her seat as her eyes widened. She tried to complain once more, but it only came out as a mumble. Eventually she pushed the nurse’s hoof away from her mouth. “O-operate? Huh? What... why? I’m perfectly healthy!” she tried to explain, but the nurse didn’t respond and just pushed her wheelchair through the doors and into the brightly lit operating room.

When her eyes acclimated to the light, Twilight noticed that a second bed was occupied. She didn’t see anypony resting on it, but a single elevated strap that hovered about three inches from the table told her otherwise. She was laid down on the table when another nurse pulled in an IV drip.

The nurse’s coat was pale white, and her eyes had multiple bags under them. A salt-and-pepper mane hung loosely around her head as her tail limply dragged along the floor. Her pupils were dilated as she stared off into the distance, not even registering Twilight was lying on the bed.

“Here’s your drip, doctor…” the earth pony intoned as she stood there with all the liveliness of a corpse.

“Good, that is all that I need. With your duties you may now proceed.” Twilight saw the nurse shuffle out of the room, favoring her right rear leg over her left. “I do hope that needles do not make you flinch. This will only be a little pinch.”

“W-wait! What are you doing?” Twilight asked as she felt a small prick when the needle was inserted.

“The one in the bed right across from me… I am searching for her, a new body. She seemed to show interest in you, so with your body I will have to make due!”

Twilight tried to protest, but her body felt weak and her eyes felt heavy as the anesthetic started its work. Soon, Twilight fell back into unconsciousness.

Several moments later, Twilight shot up in a cold sweat. As she looked around, she noticed she was lying in her bed back in the castle. As her fogged mind caught up with what’s going on, that’s when she heard it: Tck, tck, tck...