Cinematic Adventures: The Conjuring

While Twilight and her friends dealt with the growing mayhem at the Perrons’ farmhouse, another group of ponies faced their own dilemma at the Warren estate. Celestia currently sat on her haunches in the Warrens’ backyard, her eyes closed in deep concentration. Currently, she was trying to use the power of her mind in hopes to reach out and contact Twilight. But for some reason, she wasn’t able to trace Twilight’s consciousness. As though something was blocking Celestia’s connection to her pupil. She didn’t quite know what it could possibly be, but she knew she didn’t like it.

“U-U-Um P-Princess…”

Celestia’s eyes quickly snapped open, as she turned over toward Fluttershy hiding behind her mane. Her face poked out from her long pink locks, as the poor yellow Pegasus looked meek and frightened in Celestia’s presence. But being the kind, motherly figure she was, Celestia gave a soft smile and wrapped her giant wing over Fluttershy.

“Yes dear Fluttershy?” She asked sweetly.

“B-Being here scares me so much,” Fluttershy squeaked.

Celestia nodded in agreement, using her wing to comfortably stroke along Fluttershy’s back.

“I must agree with you Fluttershy,” Celestia nodded. “This entire situation frightens me to no end. I cannot seem to reach out to either Twilight or Sunset. There is no telling exactly where they are.”

“D-Do you think we’ll ever find them?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“Of course we will darling.”

Both Celestia and Fluttershy turn just as Rarity and Rainbow Dash approached. The Unicorn and Pegasus reached up and hugged Fluttershy in an effort to calm her.

“Yeah Flutters,” Rainbow reassured. “No matter how many times we get separated, we always come back to each other.”

“We shall find the others and vanquish whatever foe stands in our way,” Rarity added. “Just the way we always do.”

Fluttershy was able to crack a small smile on her muzzle, snuggling against her friends and the Princess. They sat in the backyard snuggling for the longest time before Celestia felt another presence come from behind them. She turns head to look behind her and sure enough, little Judy walked toward them.

“Hello young Judy,” Celestia greeted.

“Hi there!” Judy waved.

The rest of the girls stopped their cuddling and turned toward Judy with warm smiles.

“You know, we really must thank you Judy and your parents,” Rarity spoke thankfully. “For allowing us to remain with you till we find our friends.”

“If it weren’t for you guys, we’d probably be sleeping in the street somewhere,” Rainbow nodded.

Judy’s cheeks blushed a light pink from all the praise she and her parents were given. But she quickly brushed it off.

“It really wasn’t any trouble,” Judy smiled. “If there is one thing my parents and I believe in, it is the kindness and compassion that God wishes all of us to bring onto others.”

Celestia and the other ponies smiled, nodding in approval. Ever since they met the Warrens, they’ve been told many different religious ideals and beliefs all surrounding the God that they worshipped. What they loved most was the idea of undying kindness and love from a higher power of which was bestowed upon the people, even the sinners.

“So, where are your parents right now?” Celestia asked.

“Mom’s inside knitting,” Judy answered. “Dad is having an interview with some local reporter about their artifact room.”

“Sounds pretty interesting,” Rarity said.

“Wanna sneak in and listen to the interview?” Rainbow asked mischievously.

Celestia turned toward Rainbow, rewarding her question with a disapproving look.

“Now Rainbow Dash,” Celestia scolded. “You know very well that spying is a clear violation of some pony else’s privacy.”

“Aww come on Princess. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find some information about what we’re up against here.”

Celestia had to admit Rainbow did have a point in what she said. However, being an honest alicorn, if nothing else, the last thing she wanted to do was deceive the family that had been nothing but kind to them.

“I just don’t think that will be a good idea, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia shook her head.

“I’m afraid she’s right darling,” Rarity nodded. “The Warrens have been kind to us; we shouldn’t do anything to break their trust.”

“N-N-Not to m-mention t-that room is s-s-scary!” Fluttrshy shook behind Rarity.

Rainbow Dash, however, would not be deterred so easily.

“Alright… well, what if we just listen in outside the door?” She asked. “That way we can still ‘hear’ the information and technically it’s not even spying. We just happened to hear something while we were passing by.”

Celestia and the others turned toward each other, considering the notion at hoof. In all honesty, it would be good for the ponies to know about the supernatural forces in this world. But still, they did not wish to come off as dishonest either. Then again, the need to find Twilight and the others was too mandatory to ignore. That being said, Celestia finally caved.

“Alright,” She sighed. “We’ll listen in on the interview if necessary.”

“I was going to listen in anyway,” Judy added, undeterred. “I’ll go along as well.”

The ponies all follow the little Warren girl through the house down to the artifact room. Just standing outside the room, filled with so many haunted and cursed items, made the hairs on their bodies stand on end. Judy quietly, sneakily snuck into the room while the ponies remained outside to listen in. They all leaned their heads closely, so this way they could hear everything that was being said.

<>

Inside the artifact room, Ed Warren showed the reporter the many different and spooky items he and Lorraine had accumulated over the years. The reported examined each item with intrigue and also a slight bit of fear.

“We keep everything locked in here,” Ed informed the reporter. “Feel free to look around, just don’t touch anything.”

“Wow, this is crazy,” The reporter said amazed. “So, all these are taken from cases you’ve investigated?”

“That’s right,” Ed nodded. “Everything you see in here is either haunted, cursed or is being used in some kind of ritualistic practice. Nothing’s a toy.”

The reporter looked closely at a toy monkey playing the cymbals sitting on the shelf. In his mind he thought, ‘How could something so innocent be so evil?’. Ed could see the reporter looking at the toy and smirked slightly.

“Not even the toy monkey,” He finished.

The reporter reached his hand out to touch the curious toy. But Ed quickly stopped him from doing so.

“Don’t touch it!”

The reporter quickly snatch his hand back like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Nevertheless, he continued to look around the room.

“Isn’t it scary or doesn’t it worry you to have all these items right in your home?” The reporter asked.

“Oh, that’s why we have a priest that comes by once a month to bless the room,” Ed responded. “The way I see it is, it’s safer for these things to be in here than out there. It’s kind of like keeping guns off the street.”

“Well, why not just throw them in an incinerator, destroy it?”

“Well that would only destroy the vessel. Sometimes it’s better to keep the genie in the bottle.”

The report nodded, searching the room for one particular item he was most interested in.

“Say, is the uh… Annabelle doll here?”

Hearing the name of the accursed doll, Ed turned toward the report with a little smile.

“Right this way. Yeah.”

Ed lead the reporter through the room until they both stood before the glass case which held the Annabelle doll inside. They both just looked at the evil doll residing inside it like a glass prison. The doll seemed to look back at them, with that same haunting smile.

“You said she’s a conduit?” The reporter asked.

“That’s right,” Ed nodded.

“What does that mean?”

“A very powerful demonic has latched itself onto her.”

As the reporter looked at the evil doll inside the box, he couldn’t help but have more questions surrounding the doll itself. Unbeknownst to either man in the room, the ponies upstairs have heard every word echoing from below. What they heard next would prove shocking and disturbing.

“So, how exactly did the evil spirit take residence in the doll?” The reporter asked.

Ed sighed to himself, shaking his head. He figured at some point he’d be asked that one question. That didn’t stop it from being less hard to tell. He looked over at the reporter, then down toward the pen and paper in his hands.

“I can’t answer that question if it’s going to be on record,” He said simply.

The reporter nodded his head understandingly, placing the pend and pad down to the side. He turns back toward Ed Warren, awaiting for his explanation. Ed took a deep breath before proceeding to relate the tale of the evil that resides in that very doll.

“It all started many years ago when the Mullins family lost their seven-year-old daughter, Annabelle. Mr. and Mrs. Mullins missed their daughter dearly and prayed for a way to see their daughter again. Little did they know that a demonic entity preyed upon that desire and took form of their daughter. It tricked them into thinking it was her, so that it could convince them to allow it to move into the doll. They accepted the offer and that’s when things really took a turn for the worse. One night, the demon viciously attacked Mrs. Mullins…”

<>

Mrs. Mullins slowly and quietly entered the room of her daughter Annabelle, as she clutched a bible to her chest and held a crucifix in her other hand. Moments before, she was in the bathroom and saw what appeared to be some dark, demonic figure in the reflection. However, when she turned around, all she saw was a quick glimpse of her little girl. Now here she was entering the room of her deceased daughter, with the knowledge that what was living amongst them was most certainly NOT their daughter.

She could see Annabelle’s figure sitting at the tiny table, having a tea party with her dolls. Most noticeable was the damned doll her husband crafter for their daughter, which they allowed this demon to inhabit. Mrs. Mullins stepped forward, holding the crucifix out towards the little girl, who seemed completely oblivious to the presence of the Mullins woman behind her… or at least, that’s what was believed.

The little girl’s body suddenly began to twist and crack, as though every bone in its body was being snapped. Her body began to stretch and twist further until it took form of a large, gangly-looking demon. Mrs. Mullins dropped the crucifix, staring in horror as the demon slowly turned toward her.

In that moment, Mr. Mullins walked into the house to hear his wife scream horribly. He quickly rushed up the stairs toward his daughter’s bedroom where his wife laid upon the ground, crying out in pain and fear. The demon had already gone, leaving Mr. Mullins to knell down to his wife. When he turned her around, Mrs. Mullins held her left eye which was bleeding profusely. Later it was discovered that the demon actually clawed out her left eye leaving her permanently deformed.

Only in that moment when the true horror of the Annabelle doll began…

<>

“Mr. and Mrs. Mullins locked the doll in the closet of their daughter’s bedroom,” Ed Warren explained. “And covered the interior with bible verses and holy water. They thought if they kept the doll contained within that room that they and everyone else would be safe.”

“What happened to the Mullins?” The reporter asked.

“… They died,” Ed said simply.

The reporter bowed his head in respect to the poor people before picking his pad and pen to continue with the interview. Upstairs, Celestia and the other ponies had stood there hearing the entire story about the Annabelle doll. While they were initially horrified by the doll’s demonic actions, they also felt sad for the family who were victims of this presence. Now of course, they had their fair share of threatening monsters before but hardly ever has Equestria ever experienced such tragic events… at least, none that the ponies ever talked about. They remained in complete silence as their ears picked up the next part of the conversation.

“So, when you guys investigate these hauntings…” The reporter began. “How do you stop them from latching onto you?”

“We have to take great precaution,” Ed answered.

“But what about your wife?”

“What about her?”

“Well, Father Gordon told me that…”

“That was different,” Ed interrupts. “What happened to my wife happened ‘during’ an exorcism.”

The sudden bit of detail, especially about Lorraine, left the ponies both stunned and just as equally confused. They were told of how dangerous paranormal studies were for the family, but Ed had failed to bring that up until just now.

“E-E-Exorcism?” Fluttershy whimpered timidly.

“What the heck happened back then?” Rainbow questioned.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Rarity replied. “Frankly, I’m not so sure I want to know.”

“Hmm… it seems this mystery has gotten darker by the minute,” Celestia pondered.

“Excuse me!”

The ponies silently gasp, with their eyes wide and their pupils turned to pinpricks. They hurriedly stepped aside as if thinking they had been discovered. But little did they know, the Reporter and Ed Warren actually heard a noise from in the room. Stopping the interview, Ed Warren investigates the noise only to find his daughter, Judy, having hidden herself behind the shelves watching them.

“Honey, what are you doing?” Ed asked. “Come here. You know better. Alright? Georgiana!”

The ponies sigh in relief, knowing they hadn’t been caught. A close on too or Celestia knows what could’ve happened. Downstairs, Ed Warren leads his daughter out of hiding and escorts her back upstairs.

“Did you touch anything?” He asked.

“No,” Just said simply.

“Alright. Come on, honey.”

By then, Ed just walked his daughter out of the room when he spots Celestia and the ponies.

“Oh! Princess Celestia! Girls!” Ed Warren greeted, rather surprised. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Oh no, sir,” Celestia shook. “Actually, we were just passing by looking for Judy and… well, here she is.”

“There you are dear,” Rarity carried on. “You had us worried to death!”

Judy, confused, looked toward Rainbow Dash who gave a ‘wink’ without Ed’s knowledge.

“Oh yeah!” Judy said. “Sorry girls, I was just…”

“It’s okay, no need to explain,” Fluttershy assured. “Just try not to wander off without us knowing.”

Just as they were finished talking, Georgiana, Ed Warren’s mother-in-law, appeared to answer Ed’s call. The ponies had initially met Georgiana sometime earlier that day, though it took her quite a while to keep herself together after discovering talking ponies in the Warrens’ house. Naturally, it took Ed quite an effort to explain how harmless they were but otherwise there wasn’t too much trouble.

“Georgiana, can you and these ladies take Judy upstairs?” Ed requested.

“Oh, sure!” Georgiana nodded.

“We’ll do just that,” Princess Celestia added.

Then Ed turns toward Judy, who sheepishly glanced toward her father.

“You can’t go into this room no matter what, remember?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Judy nodded guiltily.

“Alright,” Ed nodded, kissing the top of Judy’s head. “Go on.”

“Right!” Rainbow replied. “I don’t know about you girls, but I could go for a little snack.”

“There’s plenty in the kitchen,” Georgiana replied. “Come on.”

Georgiana proceeds to lead the group into the kitchen, as Celestia turned back slightly spotting Ed Warren make his way back into the Artifact Room. Deep down, she felt slightly guilty about lying to Ed especially neglecting to tell him what they overheard earlier. On one hoof, while it pained her to be deceitful still, she didn’t want these ponies (more than herself) to get in trouble with their hosts. On the other, they didn’t want Judy to get in any trouble either and it was fortunate that she was willing to play along to cover for them. Still, while she knew the subject would come up again eventually… hopefully the sooner she finds her students and their friends then hopefully they won’t have to answer any difficult questions.

<>

Later that afternoon, Ed Warren enters another room in the house where Lorraine, Judy, and the ponies were sharing a laugh together. Lorraine was sitting in a rocking chair brushing Judy’s hair, as their daughter sat on Lorraine’s lap. The ponies were merely lounging about in the room enjoying some quality time with the other ladies. It was during which time that Ed noticed Judy was wearing a rather beautiful dress.

“Hey! What’s going on in here?” Ed replied cheerily.

“Daddy, look!” Judy cried out, presenting herself.

“Well, you look very pretty.”

“Indeed, doesn’t she?” Rarity asked. “Your daughter was just showing me around her room and presented the most pleasant collection of ensembles. She wanted to try one on for this afternoon; I must say your daughter has good taste in fashion.”

“Eh, the dress is all right,” Rainbow shrugged teasingly. “Kind of overdoing it.”

“Aw, you’re so mean Dashie,” Judy pouted cutely.

“Well, I think it’s lovely just the same,” Fluttershy spoke kindly.

“A very generous thought Fluttershy,” Celestia smiled.

“Alright, I’m done,” Lorraine declared. “Go get dressed for dinner.”

Judy slides off Lorraine’s lap, as the ponies follow her out of the room.

“I’m wearing it to dinner!” Judy called out.

“No, you’re not!” Lorraine smiled.

Judy, nevertheless, runs out of the room laughing as the ponies shake their heads while following her. When it was just the Warrens, Ed approaches Lorraine with a hot cup of tea.

“How did it go?” Lorraine asked curiously.

“I think he may write a positive article,” Ed assured.

“Ooh, a non-skeptic!”

“Hm…”

“That’s a pleasant change.”

“Yeah.”

Ed turns toward Lorraine for a moment, the latter can see the look of concern on his face. Able to read what his thoughts were thinking, Lorraine simply offers Ed some assurance.

“Stop blaming yourself,” Lorraine spoke.

She takes a sip of her tea, only to pull a face when it touched her tongue.

“No sugar?” Ed asked, taking the cup. “Be right back.”

Ed leaves for the kitchen to add the sugar from the tea, unknowingly passing a certain pony who actually stayed behind. Princess Celestia, driven by a form of curiosity, listened in on that small talk between the Warrens. Deep down, she knew there was something neither Ed nor Lorraine were sharing and seemed determined to keep to themselves. Whatever the case may be, Celestia couldn’t help but feel concerned for their kind hosts especially the circumstance that surrounded Lorraine. The big question weighing heavily on her mind was this:

What happened with Lorraine?