Ask Scootaloo, Scare-master in Training...
The screen flickered to life as the young filly turned on the camera, the little orange pegasus giving it a curious look with her single purple eye, the other being covered with a black eyepatch.
“I hope this thing is working,” she said as she adjusted the camera and brushed her purple mane out of her eyes. Her tongue stuck out slightly as she clicked something into place.
After a few more adjustments, the static dissipated and the young filly smiled, content with the results.
"Hello everypony, it's me, Scootaloo," the young filly said, "and welcome to my fun little Q&A video. Told ya guys I was going to tell you what I do and here we are."
Scootaloo couldn't help but smile as more and more viewers began to appear on her Hitch stream.
"Now before we start, let me ask you all, what'cha think of the place?" Scootaloo asked, as she motioned around to her room.
The room was made entirely of concrete and resembled somepony's basement. Behind Scootaloo was an old red couch that appeared to be rather comfortable. Above the couch, painted in the cement wall with glow in the dark, green paint was what appeared to be the image of a pony's skull screaming, however it had canine teeth that were long and sharp, a Wonderbolts poster mounted on the wall next to it. Hanging from the ceiling in a few places were some old Nightmare Night pony skeleton decorations.
GracefulThread: It looks really cozy.
ViperPit: I like your new place.
"Thank you," Scootaloo said with a smile. "Fluttershy helped me a little with it. Should definitely help me out with my training to be a scaremaster."
Ignis Aureus: Why would you desire to become a Scaremaster?
“Well…” Scootaloo rubbed her foreleg nervously. “I used to be really easily scared, so when I discovered that Fluttershy was a Scaremaster, I wanted her to train me so that I might be able to conquer my fears.”
Scootaloo bounced on the couch excitedly.
"Though it's certainly been a lot of fun."
Brony1337: Now that you're training under Fluttershy, what is your relationship with Rainbow?
Scootaloo's ears drooped. "Dash isn't… around anymore."
The sound of a loud crash caused Scootaloo to open her eyes. Startled, she looked around, finding herself in an old subway car, the windows completely fogged over.
As Scootaloo looked around, she tried to recall how she had come to this place, however, try as she might, her memories continued to escape her.
Wandering through the subway car, Scootaloo couldn’t shake the feeling that somepony or something was watching her. The metal around her creaked and groaned eerily.
There was a flash as thunder and lightning boomed outside and in that moment Scootaloo caught glimpses of messages on the sides of the train car in a rainbow of neon colored paint. Warnings saying, She’s coming! And Run for your life! After the fourth or fifth crackle of thunder, another sound greeted Scootaloo’s ears. The sound of a gas-powered motor revving up, coming from behind her.
Turning around, Scootaloo saw a pony wearing black robes and a mask resembling a pony’s skull. Held in their hooves was a yellow chainsaw that was clearly running. Seeing the figure, Scootaloo immediately knew that she had to run. Her heart raced in her chest as Scootaloo fled from the horrifying killer.
If she had her scooter, Scootaloo knew she would have been able to outrun the killer easily, however each time Scootaloo glanced back, she saw that the killer was keeping pace with her. Sparks flew as the killer’s saw ran across the metal floor. The only thing louder than the roaring chainsaw was Scootaloo’s heartbeat and the sound of her hooves hitting the metal floor.
As Scootaloo ran, the train would make abrupt turns and twists, almost as if she were running through some sort of maze, yet despite her speed and agility it seemed that the killer was able to maintain the distance.
Turning a corner, Scootaloo saw a long stretch of subway cars, with numerous neon arrows all pointing toward the end, with one word written over and over again. Escape.
Picking up speed, Scootaloo ran as fast as she could to the light at the end of the metal tunnel. Somehow Scootaloo knew that if she could reach that doorway and cross that threshold that she would be safe.
Peering back, dread surged through Scootaloo’s veins as she realized that the killer was gradually catching up with her.
‘Come on!’
Scootaloo put every ounce of strength she had into her legs.
‘Come on!’
Gathering all her energy together, Scootaloo kicked off and hurled herself through the exit.
Suddenly as Scootaloo leapt over the threshold, memories flashed back to her as she recalled how she had come to be here.
Nightmare Night was difficult for Scootaloo this year. Normally she would be going out, gathering treats with the coolest pony in the whole wide world, if not the whole universe, Rainbow Dash. Tragically earlier this year things had gone horribly awry and Scootaloo’s idol had met a tragic end.
Who knew that a prank involving clown makeup, a banana, a scooter and exactly fifty-two poodles could go so horribly wrong.
While both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had tried encouraging her to partake in the holiday, Scootaloo just wasn’t feeling it.
So, Scootaloo sat at the window, watching as all the other ponies walked the streets, enjoying the festival in all their colorful costumes. However, as much fun as that was, it was growing stale and the fact that she had seen what may have been the fifty second pony wearing some variation of a Wonderbolts costume wasn’t helping either.
“There’s gotta be something better to do,” Scootaloo said as she turned away from the window, sat on the living room couch and turned on the television. As she was scrolling through the channels, she came across a very intriguing advertisement.
“Hey kids!” Pinkie Pie dressed as a zombie popped up on the screen. “Are you feeling down and doopy moopy?”
“Yeah…” Scootaloo mumbled.
“Do you wish you could eat a snack that could put a pep in your step?”
“Eh, sure…”
“Then come on down to Sugarcube Corner,” Pinkie said, “and grab yourself a super, duper, yummy for your tummy, Sugar Skull cupcake. A treat awaiting to satisfy your Nightmare Night cravings.”
While a long string of health concerns appeared on the tv screen, Scootaloo only caught the words diabetes and basement, as her stomach gurgled.
“Guess I should probably eat something,” Scootaloo said as she stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen.
A quick look through the fridge unveiled that there really wasn’t anything in there that Scootaloo would want to eat.
“Hmm… I guess I could go get something.”
It was Nightmare Night after all. How hard could it be to find some candy?
After putting on and zipping up her purple jacket, Scootaloo left her home, the fuzzy tan collar of her jacket helping to stave off the chill autumn breeze. The smell of damp, decaying leaves filled Scootaloo’s nostrils.
Unsurprisingly all the stores, with the exception of the Sugarcube Corner, were sold out of candy. Using a couple bits, Scootaloo bought herself a cupcake from the store. While she probably could have found herself some free candy, Scootaloo wasn’t really in the mood to knock on doors, also she wasn’t wearing a costume so it was unlikely that anypony would give her any.
“Come again!” Pinkie called out as Scootaloo left Sugarcube Corner.
Taking a bite of her Ghost Berry cupcake, Scootaloo recognized the flavor of blackberries, vanilla frosting and lemon, along with another flavor that she couldn’t deduce. Knowing Pinkie Pie it wouldn’t be surprising if she went above and beyond to capture the essence of a ghost and mixed it into the cupcake.
As Scootaloo walked through the streets of Ponyville, nibbling on her cupcake, she noticed a new Nightmare Night attraction at the edge of town. Curious, Scootaloo began walking toward it.
It appeared to be a circus tent with purple and green stripes, with a few flickering lanterns outside, held aloft by lamp poles made of black metal. On top of the lantern closest to the tent’s entrance was a large avian shape.
At first Scootaloo thought that maybe it was a prop, however as she drew closer, Scootaloo realized that it was actually a large, devil owl, a creature from the Everfree Forest resembling a great horned owl, only larger with black feathers, except for those on its face which were completely white. Seeing the small filly approach, the devil owl turned its head to her and opened its beak.
“Enter if you dare…” the owl spoke in a voice that was barely a whisper, the words sending a shiver down Scootaloo’s spine.
Despite feeling terrified at the presence of such an ominous creature, Scootaloo slowly and cautiously stepped toward the tent, giving the owl a wide berth.
Pushing past the tent flaps, Scootaloo found herself in a room with three other ponies. On the right side of the room sitting on a bench were two mares that Scootaloo recognized as Lyra and Bon Bon. While Bon Bon wore an outfit resembling a green alien, Lyra’s costume was that of a secret agent.
On the other side of the room, sitting behind a wooden desk, wearing a black, silk dress was Fluttershy. While Scootaloo was fairly familiar with the yellow pegasus, she couldn’t help but feel that something was off. Perhaps it was the room’s lighting but Fluttershy seemed more confident than usual on top of that her eyes appeared red with slitted pupils. Seeing Scootaloo enter, Fluttershy smiled, her fanged grin was a little unsettling.
A slight purple haze filled the air.
“Well, well, looks like our last visitor has finally arrived,” Fluttershy said, her normally sweet voice having a mischievous tone to it.
Both Lyra and Bon Bon looked at Scootaloo curiously.
“What’s going on?” Scootaloo asked.
“It’s just a fun, spooky little maze,” Fluttershy answered, “and if you sit down, we can start.”
Curious, Scootaloo followed Fluttershy’s and sat down on the bench next to the other two mares. Once she was seated, Fluttershy raised a hoof, hanging from it on a thread of silk was a large white spider with eight, tiny red eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, Scootaloo saw Bon Bon shiver. Admittedly, Scootaloo wasn’t all that fond of spiders either.
“Now please keep your eye on the spider,” Fluttershy said as she slowly and gently began to swing the spider back and forth.
As Scootaloo watched the spider sway, she heard Fluttershy say something but she had trouble hearing it. Soon the world was a haze, all except for the swinging spider.
“How did I forget that?” Scootaloo asked, scratching her forehead.
As Scootaloo tried to wrap her head around this, both Lyra and Bon Bon laughed as they walked toward the exit.
“Thank you for the scares,” Lyra said.
“Yes, thank you very much,” Bon Bon said.
Fluttershy simply waved as the two mares departed.
Whether she forgot that Scootaloo was there or just figured that Scootaloo was leaving, Fluttershy left the entry room.
Feeling a bit curious, Scootaloo decided to follow after her.
Silently Scootaloo followed Fluttershy into the back of the tent, watching cautiously as she snuck behind her into a room that resembled an old dressing room. There was a mobile clothes hanger, carrying numerous costumes and disguises, which Scootaloo hid behind.
With a sigh of relief, Fluttershy sloughed off her black robe, stretching forth her leathery bat-like wings. Walking over to the table at the center of the room, Fluttershy reached into a silver bowl and brandished an apple. After admiring the apple for a moment, Fluttershy licked her lips and with two sharp fangs. Scootaloo watched as the fruit shriveled up into a gray husk.
After discarding the decaying husk, Fluttershy was about to grab another piece of fruit when the white spider from before crawled up the side of her head and chittered something in her ear. Nodding, Fluttershy turned her attention to the spot where Scootaloo was hiding.
“Is somepony there,” Fluttershy asked, “please come out.”
With her cover blown, it was clear that there was nowhere for Scootaloo to hide.
"Umm… hello."
Seeing Scootaloo emerge, Fluttershy’s suspicious glance transitioned into a kind, warm smile. “I’m sorry Scootaloo, but we’re done for the evening.”
“Oh, I’m sorry…” For a moment, Scootaloo considered just leaving, but chose to stay. “How did you do that?”
Fluttershy craned her neck. “Do what?”
“All of that?” Scootaloo pointed back the way she came. “How did you pull that off?”
For a moment, Fluttershy simply looked at Scootaloo before smiling. “Well… I’ve often learned that the best way to frighten somepony who comes to an attraction like this, is to make them forget that it’s an attraction. So, I use a combination of hypnosis and soma haze to help them forget for a while.”
Scootaloo looked confused. “Soma haze?”
“It’s a plant from the Chaosvile,” Fluttershy explained, "it's spores allow for ponies to be more susceptible to hypnosis as well as enhances their senses."
That still didn't make a lot of sense to Scootaloo, but that didn't quench her curiosity. Nervous, Scootaloo looked down at her hooves.
"Umm… I was just wondering…" Scootaloo stuttered, "might you be… looking for a student?"
Fluttershy's eyes went wide in response to Scootaloo's question. "Uh, I… I guess."
"So, that's how I came to be Fluttershy's apprentice and started working at Fluttershy’s Spooky Funhouse," Scootaloo said, “basically we create courses, mazes or escape rooms for the clients to run through. Using lighting, sounds, illusions and even a few magical knick knacks, we create a spooky, surreal experience for our customers.”
Scootaloo leaned in close.
“We even wear costumes sometimes. One time Fluttershy dressed up as a serial killer and I posed as a victim.”
A chuckle escaped Scootaloo’s lips.
“Sometimes it results in a bit of a mess, but it’s worth it.”
Furious Thestral: Scootaloo, where do you inspire yourself for a good spook?
"Usually old movies," Scootaloo replied, "like Doctor Frankensaddle's Monster, the Wolfmare and the Mane from Outer Space."
Scootaloo walked away from the camera, to return shortly after with a few tapes.
"I've also occasionally looked at some spooky stories online. Like the Candy Mare or the Smiling Stallion."
As Scootaloo showed the old tapes, a large white spider with red eyes ran up, grabbed one of the tapes and proceeded to run off with it.
“Hey, give that back!” Scootaloo yelled as she chased after the spider.
GracefulThread: What was that?
After some struggling, Scootaloo returned with the tape, while holding the spider which was biting her foreleg.
“Sorry about that,” Scootaloo said, “this is Angel, Fluttershy’s pet spider.”
Clearly annoyed, Angel continued to bite on Scootaloo's leg.
GhostRyder1996: If you could fly normally for one day, where would you go?
"That's a bit of a tricky question," Scootaloo replied, "there are so many places I would love to go to and explore. Maybe Las Pegasus."
Brony1337: If you grabbed a cloud and beat your wings, could you fly with that?
"I haven't actually tried." Scootaloo just shrugged. "Maybe Fluttershy and I could give it a shot later."
Angel quit biting Scootaloo's leg and just sat looking annoyed in the little filly's grasp.
ViperPit: What is your opinion on monster ponies?
"Well, considering that Fluttershy's one, I'd say pretty good," Scootaloo replied, "though I'm not sure if you'd say she's a vampony or a pegasus with bat-like traits."
Fluttershy was certainly an odd case.
"She possesses some bat-like traits, like her wings and fangs. She can also identify other ponies by their smell as well."
Ignis Aureus: Scootaloo is it possible to scare somepony to death?
“Maybe…” Scootaloo shivered. “I certainly hope not.”
From Scootaloo's experience nopony had been physically hurt, except that one time when Junebug slipped in some mud outside, but that was after she left Fluttershy's Spooky Funhouse.
ViperPit: What does Fluttershy eat btw? Fruit or blood?
"Fruit, though she prefers apples," Scootaloo answered.
After wriggling in her grasp, Angel managed to squirm free and scurry off.
Brony1337: Do you still want to become a Wonderbolt?
Scootaloo shook her head. "While it was a dream of mine once, I've found that being a Scaremaster is more my calling…"
A sorrowful look graced Scootaloo's face and her ears drooped.
"Besides I don't think they'd want me…"
M0nst3rWaifuL0v3r69: Holy cow! What happened to your eye?
Sheepishly, Scootaloo touched her eyepatch.
"Yeah, that's kind of a long story…"
Roseluck shivered as she wandered through the mansion, the only light coming from the lantern she was holding. The only sound was the creaking of the floorboards beneath her.
As she explored the halls of the mansion she stopped, tensing as she saw something standing at the end of the hall. Roseluck’s knees shook slightly as she held up her light to reveal that the hideous shape was…
A coat resting on a coat hanger next to the door.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Roseluck whispered.
Hoping that she might find something useful in the coat’s pockets, Roseluck reached inside and pulled forth a bronze key with the symbol of three eyes etched into the hilt. As she examined the key, Roseluck heard something creaking on the far side of the hall, where she had come from. Raising her lantern, Roseluck discovered that her light only extended so far. Not far enough to identify the source of the sound.
Gulping down some air, Roseluck kept her gaze focused on the direction that the sound came from, as she etched closer to the door and opened it. Slowly she stepped backward through the door and closed it firmly.
After listening and not hearing anything came after her, Roseluck took a deep breath.
“It’s just the house settling.”
Turning around, Roseluck nearly jumped out of her skin as she saw somepony looking down at her. Holding up her lantern, Roseluck saw…
A portrait of an elderly mare, her pink mane barely obscuring her annoyed red eyes. Upon realizing what it was, Roseluck couldn’t help but giggle.
“Oh, I’m just letting my imagination get the best of me.”
Smiling Roseluck turned away from the painting and examined the room she was in. It was another hallway with a path to the left and a path to the right.
Looking at the two routes, Roseluck considered her options. On one hoof, she remembered how her friend Lily said, ‘right is always right,’ however on the other hoof the doorway on the left seemed much brighter and less foreboding than the one on the right.
So, after some quick contemplation, Roseluck took the path to the left. Smiling to herself, Roseluck walked over to the end of the hall and opened the door.
Upon opening the door, Roseluck’s ears drooped as she saw that the other side of the door was filled with writhing green tentacles.
Immediately Roseluck slammed the door shut and ran in the opposite direction. She managed to run halfway down the hall when the tentacles burst through the door.
“Right is always right!” Roseluck yelled, “Right is always right!”
Running through the door, Roseluck found herself running through another hallway with windows along the left side, however instead of a moonlit evening outside, thousands of slimy tentacles wriggled on the other side of the glass. As she continued to run it seemed like every window that Roseluck passed would shatter and tendrils would pour in behind her.
Throwing open the next door, Roseluck discovered that she was on a landing with a set of stairs descending into the main entrance hall. Running down the stairs, Roseluck ran up to the door and tried to open it.
It was locked.
Frantically Roseluck looked around and seeing the symbol of three eyes on the door, she had an idea of what she needed to do.
As Roseluck fumbled with the key she had found, the door above slammed open as tentacles began slithering through. Panicking, Roseluck nearly dropped the keys before she managed to put the key and turn it in the lock.
Roseluck had barely managed to unlock the door when she felt something wet and slimy touch her rear hoof.
“EEEEKKKKKK!!!” With a shriek, Roseluck yanked her leg free from the tendril’s grasp and hurled herself through the doorway.
Landing on the other side, a bizarre realization swept over Roseluck as she examined the room, she was in.
It wasn’t real.
Memories flooded back as Roseluck remembered how both Daisy and Lily had dared her to try out Fluttershy’s Spooky Funhouse.
“So, what did you think?” Scootaloo asked, pulling Roseluck from her thoughts.
After a couple of breaths, Roseluck chuckled a little. “That was… really invigorating.”
“Did you like it?”
“Maybe not in the moment,” Roseluck answered, “but now that it’s over, I’d say that it was kind of fun. Certainly spooky. Fluttershy and you did a very good job.”
“T-thank you,” Scootaloo stuttered.
“Well, that went well,” Fluttershy said, as she sank her fangs into an apple, draining it of its fluids.
“Yeah,” Scootaloo sipped orange juice out of a small juice box.
Both of them sat in the back, relaxing from their hard work. As Scootaloo watched her mentor bleed the apple dry, a question popped into her head.
“What are you?”
Fluttershy gave her apprentice a sideways curious glance. “What do you mean?”
Scootaloo looked nervously at her juice box. “Well, you’re Fluttershy but you’re also very different. I’m used to you being really shy, but you’ve been more… sly than anything… Does that make sense?”
Nodding Fluttershy finished consuming her apple. For a brief moment she contemplated Scootaloo’s inquiry.
“It is complicated,” Fluttershy said, “I remember a time when the shy version of myself didn’t exist, that I would scare other ponies and it was fun… until I stopped being able to feel fear myself.”
Fluttershy plucked another red apple from the bowl.
“So, when Discord reappeared in Equestria and offered me a wish,” Fluttershy continued, “I told him I wanted to be able to be scared again. Now I’m not sure how he did it, but it wasn’t until the incident with the vampire fruit bats at Applejack’s farm and Twilight’s spell that these memories returned to me.”
Hearing this, Scootaloo couldn’t help but think about a couple spooky stories she had read online involving time manipulation and alternate universes.
“So, were you always a vampire bat pony?” Scootaloo asked.
That elicited a laugh from Fluttershy. “No, that’s just a side effect from Twilight’s spell.”
It was about that time that Angel skittered into the room and chittered something at Fluttershy. Listening to what the spider was saying, Fluttershy gave a nod.
“Well, it’s time to pay the cemetery a visit,” Fluttershy said, “do you want to come along.”
Squirming a little inside, Scootaloo tried putting on a brave face. “N-no, I’m fine. I’ll just clean up around here.”
A sorrowful look filled Fluttershy’s eyes and for a moment it seemed like she was going to say something, but instead she gave a polite nod. “Okay.”
Reaching out a hoof, Fluttershy let Angel crawl onto her back, before the two of them left.
Once Fluttershy had departed, Scootaloo went about her usual routine of organizing inventory and various props. It wasn’t the most amusing part of the job, but it needed to be done and oftentimes it made things easier.
As Scootaloo was organizing one of the boxes, she came across a strange object among some of the items that Fluttershy had brought back from the Chaosvile. It appeared to be a glass sphere with its exterior seemed to flex and shift between a smooth ball and a rough curvy shape like a pumpkin. The item was surprisingly warm in Scootaloo’s hooves and inside she could see some sort of liquid.
“Strange…”
Scootaloo held the sphere up to the light to try to get a better look inside. Within she saw a black oily substance, possessing a sheen of blue, green and pink. In some lighting it even looked like a rainbo-
Suddenly a long sliver of glass extended forth, hitting Scootaloo’s eye.
“OW!!!” Scootaloo yelped as she dropped the empty glass sphere.
Clenching her eye shut, Scootaloo could feel a warm liquid trickling from her eye. Pain rippled through her eyeball almost as if there were thousands of little parasprites bouncing around inside. The pain was so intense that Scootaloo hadn’t even noticed Fluttershy’s return.
“Hey, Scootaloo, I just came back because I needed to-”
Upon seeing the state that Scootaloo was in, Fluttershy rushed over to her apprentice.
“What happened?”
"And that's what happened to my eye," Scootaloo said, “It’s healing well, though Fluttershy says that I shouldn’t show it off.”
Gently Scootaloo rubbed her eyepatch.
“She says it might be dangerous.”
Brony1337: Is princess Luna important to you in a different way than usual?
Scootaloo scratched her chin. “I suppose, I mean she is responsible for the creation of Nightmare Night, to an extent and she is the one in charge of the lunar cycle. So yeah, I guess I’d say she’s very important to my line of work.”
Ignis Aureus: Scoots! What types of companions are most common for Scarematers?
"Well, I suppose employees or even pets that could help with the various scare tactics," Scootaloo answered, "besides me, Fluttershy has her animals among which is Angel."
Scootaloo looked over to the white spider that was currently resting, curled up on the couch next to her almost like a cat.
"Sometimes his body seems to shift between the form of a bunny and that of a spider. Though I've been seeing more of the spider lately."
Angel let out a hiss of acknowledgement, before snuggling back into his spot. Scootaloo gently petted the napping spider.
Witch_Master: What are your opinions on witches, have you ever met one, what are they exactly?
“I mean I don’t know enough to say for sure,” Scootaloo answered, “I’ve heard some ponies say that witches and warlocks are just ponies that made mystical pacts with ancient, eldritch beings, which on one hoof is pretty scary… but on the other it’s kind of cool too.”
As Scootaloo scratched her chin as she contemplated the question. A slight chuckle escaping her lips.
“I wonder if that would classify me as a witch… eh, probably not.”
ViperPit: Are muffins just naked cupcakes?
"Hmmm…" Scootaloo scratched her chin as she pondered the question. "Maybe… I'm sure Pinkie would have a better idea, but I've kind of thought that cupcakes emphasize the frosting while muffins focus more on the breading… maybe."
Scootaloo wasn't sure, but the talking about cupcakes and muffins was making her a little bit hungry.
LyraAlluse: Are you a Daring Do fan, since Rainbow Dash likes Daring Do?
"I actually haven't read them," Scootaloo replied, "though it might be nice to give them a look. Might even inspire some good spooks."
A maze themed around ancient ruins with fake mummies and vines could be fun.
ViperPit: Scootaloo have you heard of bale striders?
“I haven’t,” Scootaloo said, shaking her head. "Sorry. Maybe I'll try researching them sometime."
RoseateGrimsbane: If you don't mind me asking, could we see that eye of yours?
Scootaloo squirmed nervously in her seat. "A-are you sure."
A few other comments appeared on the stream, of curious viewers wanting to see what was under the eyepatch.
"Well, I guess… if, you're sure."
Slowly, Scootaloo reached up and pulled back the eyepatch, revealing the eye underneath. There was a scar along the eyelid and as Scootaloo opened her eye at first it appeared to only be a black reflective sphere. That was until something began to move within. Were they spiders made of purple energy, tendrils made of green eldritch light or numerous phantoms swirling within, it was difficult to say.
What was certain, was that the eye seemed to pull the whole world into its depths.
Blinking, you found yourself inside a field filled with tall, gray grass.
The world around you was dark and gray, save for the turquoise light coming from the jack-o-lanterns strewn about and the blood red moon overhead. As you gazed around the eerie landscape, the sound of a twig snapping caught your attention.
Turning toward it, you saw what appeared to be an oversized poodle stalking you. As the creature growled at you, its face peeled back like a banana peel revealing a maw of glowing purple flesh covered with needle-like teeth.
Naturally you did what anypony would do in such a situation…
You ran as fast as your legs could carry you, now whether it was you who was screaming like a little filly or the terrifying monster letting out a high-pitched roar, who could say?
As you ran through the field, you spied an old, abandoned building. Surely you would be able to take sanctuary there, right?
Running into the safe confines of the concrete building you just narrowly evaded death as the monster smashed into the doorway as you slammed the metal door shut. The structure shook as the monster continued to bash itself against the door. After maybe a minute the banging stopped.
Patiently you waited in the darkness, the only sound being your own breathing. Once you were satisfied that the monster was gone, you tried the door… only to discover that it was locked.
It would seem that you were stuck here.
Looking about in the very dim light, you discovered that there was only one way out, the stairs that descended deeper and deeper into the earth. Perhaps down there was a key that would allow you to unlock the door to escape this place.
After taking a deep breath you descended into the depths. With each step you made the only sounds you could hear was your own breathing and something dripping in the distance.
Turning a corner, you saw glowing eyes of neon green, pink and blue resting on the wall, all of which seemed to be watching you. The eyes appeared to have been painted onto the walls… until one of them moved. The little flutter of wings helped you to realize that the wall wasn’t covered with neon eyes but moths with that glowing pattern on their wings. Aside from the occasional movement of an agitated moth out of the corner of your eye, your surroundings felt reasonably safe… for the moment.
When you had descended another couple flights of stairs another sound started to accompany the distant drip. The jingle of carnival music echoed from below. As you descended deeper and deeper the rhythmic, off beat tune grew louder and louder.
Eventually you reached the bottom of the steps, finding yourself in a concrete room, the walls covered with the eldritch moths and a single red wooden door, the eerie jingle coming from beyond.
Slowly you inched your way closer to the door, turned the knob and opened it. You were nearly blinded by the warm, welcoming light on the other side.
Stepping through the door, you found yourself in a circus ring, with posters mounted here and there saying, Behold the Rainbow Blur. In the center of the stadium, standing on a small circular platform was a pegasus mare with a blue coat and a rainbow-colored mane and tail. The mare was looking away from you, seemingly lost in thought.
You approached the mare, hoping that they might know the way out of this place, when you stepped on something. Looking down you saw a broken scooter, the blue wooden board that served as its main body broken in half.
A loud, blood curdling scream rang out as the lights went out and the room was filled with a dark blue hue. Glowing neon paint covered the walls with smeared lettering, all saying an ominous phrase.
What have you done?!
Looking up, you watched as the mare turned toward you, her head completely missing. As the headless mare let out another scream many of the monsters that you had seen up on the surface began pouring through holes in the concrete walls that you hadn’t noticed before.
Unfortunately, you didn’t have time to react as one of the monsters lunged at you, forcing you down to the cold floor. Its large mouth opened wide before it bit down on your face.
Fluttershy peered through the screen as it flickered back to life. Her eyes brightened as she saw activity reappear on Scootaloo’s stream.
“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said, “after you all went dark, Scootaloo became very upset, so I put her down for the night.”
After closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Fluttershy looked into the screen, her glowing red eyes filled with indignation.
“Now I’d ask that you avoid talking about Scootaloo’s eye. We still don’t know its true nature and her mind isn’t exactly in the best of places right now. Not since…”
Fluttershy paused, her mood softening as her attention was placed elsewhere before she focused back on the stream.
“Thank you for your encouragement. Stay safe.”
Upon finishing her statement, Fluttershy reached forward and ended the stream.
