Apparition Amphitheater Presents: Discoevil

Chapters

The Ultimate Saturday Night
Feast of the Demons
Under the Neon Lights

The Ultimate Saturday Night

The cold wind of the dark, ashen bare forest ebbed and flowed through the trees, giving a baleful moan. Dead leaves kicked up from the forceful disturbance, clicking gently against each other and the wood land all around, before settling once again from the calm. The gales pushed against the amphitheater structured walls, almost as if the air itself demanded entry. The night sky glittered and gleamed with silvery spectacle through the darkness above as the moon shone on with it's own splendor.

As the wilderness partook in its haunted breathing, the interior of the amphitheater, as decadent, however run down, as ever, glowed with a warm yet melancholic hue with the lights at the walls. Spiders danced upon their webs that waved back and forth from the gently circulating atmosphere. The leaves that managed to enter the edifice and lay among the rows and rows of red velvet seats shifted ever so slightly from the low pulse of the calmed audience chamber. It was such a still and silent place, at peace with the darkened world around them.

The peace and quiet, however, didn't last, as a strange pulse of its own began to emerge from beyond the theater's stage. At first, it was low, with a feint beat, but the music began to grow. It was a jazzy disco number of unknown origin and make, that slowly but surely became louder and louder as the minutes ticked by. Rodents that once felt free to explore the open aisles scurried away to hide from the new disturbance. Foot falls upon old wood could soon be heard along with the music, as soon emerged the master of the house from behind the curtain. A strange being with a half skull mask, wild brown hair and a long, rusty nail poking through the forehead emerged. Its six foot tall form was adorned in a dark grey hoodie with light grey jeans. Its forearms were wound tightly with barbed wire as his sharp, cloven hands, two talon-like fingers and a thumb on each, were wrapped in dirty bandages. Said talons snapped and pointed to the rhythm of the music as he himself danced poorly, without a care in the world. He then directed his gaze to the empty audience, and let at an audible gasp.

Oh, is it that time already? Pardon my rudeness.

He snapped his fingers and the music stopped. Then, the strange creature briskly strutted over to the podium upon the stage and laid his dangerous hands gently upon the tome it held.

Greetings, my dear guests. I am the master of the Amphitheater, Wrath B. Forgivnez, and I welcome you once again on this hallowed eve. I'm dreadfully sorry for my rather unprofessional and frank behavior. I have seemed to have lost all track of time this year. It's very hard to keep an eye on something that virtually doesn't exist in this world, but that's really no excuse. One must be responsible for their own actions, after all. Only the young are spared such burdens, as their guardians are the ones that guide and dictate what needs to be heeded. Sure, it binds down their freedom, but such a thing comes with consequences. Sometimes, consequences can be dire, if wisdom is lacking. For example, I'd be rightly embarrassed if a living crowd witnessed my little display there. I'm not very sure my heart could take such a thing. Enough about me, though. What would happen when one reaches an age they want to break away and embrace indulgence? What if one is tempted to defy wise words of their benefactors, and risk it all for a taste freedom? Tonight, my dear guests, we shall follow a group that decides to take on a dance most macabre in a story I like to call...

Discoevil

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

"Aww, come ooooooooon!" belly ached the young earth pony mare as she sat at the table with her family. "Sweetie Belle and Scoots are countin' on me!" Her light grayish olive hooves clacked against the table as if she tried to emphasize her seriousness. Her brilliant amaranth mane and light brilliant crimson bow bobbed slightly from her force of impact. Despite her brilliant gamboge eyes staring intently at her relatives at the table, they didn't budge from the forceful behavior. Except, that was, for the braided, blond maned, orange coated Element of Honesty, Applejack, whom was losing patience.

"Apple Bloom," growled the irate earth pony farmer, "Git yer hooves of the table."

Apple Bloom, staring down at her own hooves, sheepishly slid them off of the surface and returned to a proper sitting position. The young mare, almost full grown, had intended on taking a trip with her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, to Manehatten for a concert festival that would have lasted three days. It was both in celebration for how close they are to being recognized as full fledged adults, and to also go to see a performance of one of their favorite singers live. To be fair, it was mostly Scootaloo's idea, but it was one of the rare few she wholeheartedly approved of without question. The idea was that the three of them would go off to the festival and party it up like there was no tomorrow and enjoy their youth to the fullest while they still could. It was a chance of freedom they didn't want to slip.

Applejack sighed as she took a sip of her morning tea. "Ah can't, in good conscience, let ya'll go gallivantin' about without a chaperone, especially in Manehatten," she said with authority.

"But, you went to Manhatten when you were just a little filly! Ah'm all grown up now!"

"Ah was with Auntie an' Uncle Orange!" She barked back, "Ah was safe an' sound under the care of relatives."

"Then!" she rebutted, desperately, "Then, I can just go ask them!"

"They're too old to be takin' care of three rambunctious young mares an' worryin' about their safety, even IF it were just fer a weekend. Ya can't impose that kind of responsibility on them. They ain't as flexible as Granny was..." Applejack ended with a slightly sombre tone.

Apple Bloom sank back into her chair defeated. It had been a while since she left Applejack as the official head of Sweet Apple Acres, but the absence was still felt by the three siblings. Not fair, she thought bitterly, Pullin' the Granny Smith card... "Well, what about y-"

"Ah'm gonna stop you right there, missy. Ah can't go with you because apple buckin' season is nearin' the most critical point. You know that. There's too much to do with little time left, an' ya need to help out at the farm."

"But, ya still have Big Mac to help!"

"And? Ya know he can't stick around too long. He's got his own family."

"Eeyup," agreed the tell-tale voice of the blond maned and deep crimson coated older brother, whom had just finished his breakfast and rose from his seat. "Shed's good now. Best be off." With that said, he put on his trusty yoke and cantered to the door. "Thanks fer breakfast."

"Thank's fer the helpin' hoof," Applejack replied with a tip of her stetson hat. With that, the eldest sibling left the farm.

"So unfair," Apple Bloom muttered, crossing her hooves.

"Yer lucky ah don't outright ground yer flank, missy!" Applejack barked once again. "If it weren't fer Mac, ah would have! AN' had you fix it yerself!"

Silence lingered for a moment between the two sisters. This wasn't the first time they've butted heads for one reason or another, but lately it seemed as if good ol' teenage rebellion had finally reared its ugly head once more upon the Apple Family. Applejack, frankly, was sick of it, but she couldn't quite blame her sister.

"Listen. Just git to school, an' we'll talk about it later."

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiiine," she whined, before pulling herself away from the table and trotted out the door, leaving her older sister behind.

Applejack sighed, once again. "Dear Celestia, give me the strength," she uttered, "and keep her from gettin' into much more trouble."

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

The sun was getting ready to set over the horizon as the afternoon hours were giving way to the evening. School was out, and every young foal had long since left Ponyville's own schoolhouse for home, leaving it empty save for scant few teachers and staff wrapping up for the day. Within that school's very park was where one would find the young mares Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, all whom had gathered there after their own school activities at the School of Friendship. The three hung about on the playground equipment, too big to engage with it, but still had enough of a fondness to be on and around it.

"We should really get to repairing the clubhouse one of these days," Sweetie Belle stated, absentmindedly playing with her curly, grayish mulberry and pale, light grayish rose streaked mane with her light grey hooves, gently bumping them against her well grown unicorn horn.

"We've been saying that for years!" Scootaloo exclaimed, waving her light brilliant gamboge coated hooves in exasperation. "We'd need to make the darn thing bigger too, at this point." She then ruffled her own moderate cerise mane in frustration, her wings buzzing in equal displeasure.

"We'll get around to it," Apple Bloom reassured, albeit halfheartedly, "Eventually..."

"Well, more importantly," she said as she leaped off of the equipment she laid upon, "What did Applejack say?"

"Not on yer nelly!" Apple Bloom exclaimed with an imitating huff, trying to reach the deeper octave of her older sister.

"She really said that?!" Sweetie Belle asked, genuinely shocked.

"Well, not exactly, but might as well be!"

"And here I was hoping you'd have better luck," Scootaloo admitted.

"You too?"

"Both my aunts. I've never been shut down so hard."

"What about you, Sweetie Belle?"

"I didn't even have time to ask," Sweetie whined, "Rarity just went on and on about heading out to Trottingham to attend some fashion conference for the weekend, and basically dumped the responsibility of looking after Carousel Boutique while she's gone. I'm free AFTER I close up shop, but... yeah, can't exactly leave town."

"Well, at least you know how." Apple Bloom stated.

"But, that still really bites," Scootaloo added.

"Yeah." Sweetie Belle leapt off of the playground equipment she was on before she laid upon the grass with a deep sigh. "So, I guess our celebratory weekend is a bust."

"No big party with awesome music to toast to us almost becoming adults." Scootaloo added.

"An', ah was really lookin' forward to seein' that band live, too," Apple Bloom finished, also leaping from her spot and lying upon the grass.

The wind gave a gentle sweep between them as the sound of the leaves on the trees shook ever so slightly. The melancholy of their situation, even though self inflicted, stung them a bit in the end and reflected in the sombre evening sky.

"We kinda set ourselves up fer failure this time, din't we?" Apple Bloom asked rhetorically.

"Probably shouldn't have gotten our hopes up," Scootaloo admitted with a dark laugh, whom also joined her dearest friends and laid upon the soft grass. "Maybe... there's still something we can do around here?"

"In Ponyville?" Apple Bloom asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, no offense and I love this town and all, but we've been everywhere and done everything here!" Sweetie Belle said pointedly.

"Well, I mean, who knows, right? Aw, who am I kidding?"

The three of them sighed in unison, finally accepting defeat. Silence settled around the group for some time as the they continued to stare into the orange and grey clouded sky. The silence, however, didn't last for very long, as all three girls suddenly realized there was a slight disturbance in the air. Rising to their hooves from their spots, the three former Cutie Mark Crusaders became very acutely aware of their surroundings. Something was wrong, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Spooked, Apple Bloom turned to her friends and broke the silence out of caution. "M-maybe we should call it a day today. We can meet up again tomorrow, right guys?"

"Y-yeah, totally," Scootaloo answered.

"I guess I'll be seeing you two later," Sweetie Bell stated.

With trepidation and caution in their hearts, the three departed on their separate ways and cantered off home, mostly wanting to flee the sudden bad vibes they were inexplicably feeling so suddenly. As the schoolhouse playground became deserted and silence once again took over, a shadowy, slender figure peeked out behind the building, gazing towards where the three fled off to. The presence gave a creeping smile, hoping to see them tomorrow.

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

The next day proved to be rather uneventful. The girls attended their advanced classes in the School of Friendship, hung out with their peers, and generally lived out their student lives. It was the same day-to-day events they had long since become accustomed to. Soon enough, the school day ended, and students were free to leave for home or return to their dorms on campus. It was then, while regrouping out at the front of said campus, the trio passed by the hushed chatter of classmates of theirs. Said classmates turned out to be former bullies turned close friends, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, whom were rather animated in their relatively hushed discussion. Apple Bloom, somewhat curious as to what it might be, decided to approach the two, where as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo followed.

Silver Spoon, the cornflower bluish grey coated and dual shaded grey streaked maned earth pony noticed the approaching Apple and gave a wave. Diamond Tiara, the pale magenta coated and pale, light grayish violet and white streaked maned earth pony followed suite with a smile.

"Oh! Apple Bloom! Just in time. I found something juicy I've been told about," Diamond Tiara addressed in an animated, yet somwhat hushed way.

Apple Bloom smirked. Despite becoming a much, MUCH nicer young mare over the years, these two still loved to gossip and discuss rumors. Never anything malicious, but they're always topics of curiosity.

"Alright, let's hear it," Scootaloo stated, beating the apple to the punch.

"You're never gonna believe your ears," Silver Spoon started with an ear to ear grin, "There's a disco hall in town!"

The three girls' face fell somewhat, looking at her with puzzled and let down expressions. "Uhm," Apple Bloom started, "That doesn't sound very excitin'."

"Silver! You can't just race to the end like that!" Diamond Tiara admonished.

"Oh, uh, sorry." her dear friend said sheepishly.

"Ok, fine, I'll bite, what's so special about this disco?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Well, first off, they call it the 'Phantom Disco'," Diamond Tiara started. "It's never in the same spot twice, and there's a rumor going around that it's in Ponyville." The other girls nodded along, listening intently for worthwhile details. "It only ever stays in a town for a very small amount of time. Once a weekend, for about a few weeks at most, and only during the night. You can't just waltz in either. You have to be invited. Anyone that's gone there is given tickets to invite others to join. No one really knows what happens there, but rumor says that it'd be the ultimate party."

"Sounds right up Pinkie Pie's alley," Scootaloo mused, eliciting a giggle from the others.

"We actually got tickets to go!" Silver Spoon exclaimed, reaching into her saddlepack and pulling out slips of red paper with black print.

Upon laying her eyes on them, Apple Bloom felt... off. There was something a tad ominous about the ticket that she couldn't quite pin down, but no one else seemed to notice.

"Who gave them to you guys?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"Rumble, actually. He says he'd love to meet us there so we could... uh, what did he say?" Silver Spoon asked her closest friend, putting her ticket back into her saddlepack.

"He wanted to meet us there and 'tear it up', I think were his exact words," Diamond Tiara answered, "I hope he got some sleep, though. The bags under his eyes were a bit concerning."

"Sounds fun. I mean, we don't exactly have any plans, right girls?" Sweetie Belle asked, earning nods from the other two.

"Well, you'll have to get invited first. I do hope we'll get to see you there, though!" And with that, the two upper crust mares departed, continuing to chat animatedly about their plans for the night in question.

The trio saw them off for a moment, before they too departed from the grounds of campus, heading towards their usual hang-out spot. As the afternoon gave way to the evening, signaling the emerging weekend, the streets of the town became less and less populated, all while they continued to trek towards the little schoolhouse. Along the way there, they chatted about how lucky it would be if their weekend was saved by getting tickets for themselves.

"I mean, it would only be one night out of an entire weekend, but it's better than nothing," Scootaloo shrugged with a smile.

"Yeah, Ah'd be happy with that, ah suppose," Apple Bloom concurred. Thinking about it, however, the image of the ticket once again resurfaced into her mind, making her mood dip slightly. She couldn't help but once again feel slightly off upon remembering it. She stopped walking for a moment, before she called out to her friends. "Uhm, hey, girls?"

The other two stopped and turned back to Apple Bloom, noticing the sudden mood shift. They were about to approach her, when they heard the sound of another voice. One that was quite familiar, and that they haven't been around for quite some time.

"Thcootth? Apple Bloom? Thweetie Belle? Ith that you guyth?"

Before them, upon the trio looking towards the source of the voice, saw a dear old friend of theirs. Familiar, curly light brilliant scarlet mane and tail bobbed as her tall, thin, and light amberish grey form trotted over to the three with a wide grin split across her face below her purple, thick rimmed glasses. It was Twist, an old schoolmate of theirs that had moved away from Ponyville some years back.

"Holy cow, Twist?!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"We haven't seen you in ages!" Sweetie Belle followed.

"Yeah, my folkth had to move to Cantherlot becauth of their jobth. Thorry I jutht up and vanithed," she apologized in a relatively chipper tone.

"Aw, that's fine. As long as yer doin' alright," Apple Bloom commented.

"So, what are you doing back in Ponyville?" Scootaloo asked.

"Oh! Weeeeeell, I rethently finithed my final themesthter at a really good confecthionary thchool I managed to get intho while living in Cantherlot, and I wanthed to vithit my old thtomping groundth. Maybe thee thome of my old friendth!"

"That's awesome!" Scootaloo remarked, "How long have you been in Ponyville?"

"About a few weekth. Probably gonna thtick around for a few more."

"That's wonderful!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, "We should totally all hang out sometime."

A look crossed Twist's face, as if she remembered something important. "Oh, thpeaking of, I've got thomething for you guyth." Reaching into her curled mane, she pulled out a set of three, red tickets. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gasped in elated surprise.

"Wait, you got tickets?!" Scootaloo said in abject surprise.

"How?!" Sweetie Belle followed.

Twist gave a sly grin. "Well, I gueth you guyth have heard of the Phanthom Dithco."

"Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were talking about it. Honestly, if we could get in, our weekend plans could be salvaged a bit," Sweetie Belle admitted.

"You're in luck, cauthe thethe are for you!"

"No way!" Scootaloo said with shock.

"Yeth way, and I really hope to thee you all there, too!"

She extended her forehoof out with the three tickets, which both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo took immediately. They then realized Apple Bloom had become rather quiet, and wasn't as enthusiastic about the gifted tickets as they were. Gazing back, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo noticed the hesitation in her eyes, while Twist stood before them, still smiling and waiting for Apple Bloom to take hers.

"Bloom?" Scootaloo addressed.

"You alright?" Sweetie followed suite.

Apple Bloom shook her head slightly, as if trying not to think about something. "No, Ah'm fine. Can't wait to see you there too, Twist." She then took her ticket with a tentative smile, trying to reassure her friends. Upon the ticket coming to her possession, she decided to actually read its contents. It read:

ADMIT ONE

To be used to access the Disco, located at Crest Street, Ponyville.
Valid only on the third Saturday of the month, 11:30.

Join us for the greatest party of your young lives!
Entrapping music and Inescapable dance floors!
It'll be an absolute scream!
Catering and Entertainment provided

Apple Bloom noted the contents, including the relatively hokey flavor text on the bottom, and saw nothing wrong with it ultimately, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that this ticket was MUCH heavier and foreboding than it appeared. She gazed back at the smiling Twist. It was then she noticed something wrong with that smile. It seemed somewhat manic. As if Twist were hiding something very suspicious. She also noticed the dark circles under her eyes, which were somewhat hidden by the glare of her glasses. Neither of the other girls noticed as they were still looking directly at Apple Bloom. With an internal sigh, she gave the three her best smile of reassurance.

"Well, that thettleth it. I can't wait to thee you three tomorrow night! I bet we've got lotth to thpill our gutth over!" And with that, Twist left the three, trotting off with a pep in her every step. What none of them noticed, however, was the smile of hers that became a little too big and a little too... unhinged. By the time they had the chance to see it, Twist was long gone.

"She seems to be doing very well." Sweetie commented.

"Yeah, and she was awesome enough to actually give us tickets. I wonder who gave her hers, though..." Scootaloo wondered.

"We could probably ask her when we see her there."

"Yeah. A midnight dance, though. I think I can sneak out if I'm careful."

"The shop will be locked up by then, so I'll be able to come too. What about you, Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom looked back to the ticket in her hoof for a moment, before she shook her head and put it in her saddlepack. "Ah'll see what ah can do," she affirmed.

With that, the girls, now with new plans set, departed for their homes, skipping their hang-out for the evening, wanting to get ready for tomorrow.

Feast of the Demons

"No."

"Why not?!" Apple Bloom whined questioningly. It had all come to this. After she came home with the new ticket yesterday, she decided to increase her chances by playing the good girl for today. Waking up extra early, working doubly as hard as normal, and listening to Applejack without any question or suggestion. It was all brought to this moment, only for her attempt to be shot down once again.

"'Cause, YOU have to get up early tomorrow mornin' to help me with the apple buckin', that's why." Applejack answered.

"But, it's not like ah'll be gone the whole weekend. Ah just-"

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack yelled with a stomp.

Apple Bloom suddenly became silent, taking a step back. She stared at her sister for a moment, but shook her head and took a step forward herself. "Ah worked REAL hard today, just fer tonight! Can't you make an exception? Ah'll come back to help on the farm tomorrow after that, Ah promise!"

"No means no," Applejack stated, "We may be a little ahead of schedule, but an Apple's work is never done on a farm, and you should know that. It's somethin' yer gonna need to remember when you start workin' as a real farmer."

"Well, maybe ah don't WANT to be a 'real farmer'!" Apple Bloom yelled. As soon as those words left her mouth, she realized what she had done. Looking to her sisters face, she watched it go from shock, to hurt, then to anger, right before it calmed to a bitter resolution.

"The answer is still no," Applejack responded coldly, "Ya'll be gettin' up at 7 in the mornin' tomorrow, and that's final, missy."

Apple Bloom bit the bottom of her lip, trying to hold back her tears, before she angrily stomped away, up the stairs, and into her bedroom, slamming the door. Applejack sighed as she watched it happen, and sat down at the couch in exhaustion. She gazed over to an image of Granny Smith, before taking it off the counter. "Ugh, did Ah do the right thing, Granny?" She asked. "Was Ah also this bad when Ah hit this age?"

Silence answered her back as she wiped a little bit of dust from the picture. She gave another sigh before she put it back on the pedestal. "Hope yer doin' alright at Careful Relic's Retirement Home. Ah'll be sure to bring Apple Bloom to see you tomorrow." She felt a little silly talking to a picture, but since the old matriarch of the Apple family clan was fully retired, she couldn't seek out advice like she used to. She had to do this on her own. She just hoped she didn't make things worse.

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

Apple Bloom sulked in bed, staring out the window into the starry night sky, as a full moon hung overhead, painting everything with a thin, silver light. This wasn't the first time they fought so intensely, but this time felt extra heavy for her. Maybe it was because it was building up for a long time now. Maybe it was because even her sudden compromised solution was also shot down. Maybe it was the ultimately cold response. Maybe all of it, and a list of other issues. One thing was for certain now, and it made her brow furrow in determination. To Tartarus with the consequences. and dash her uneasy feelings.

She glanced towards the alarm clock on her nightstand, noting the time. 11 o'clock. Applejack had surely gone to bed by now, needing to get up early tomorrow to start the day. She knew this. She's lived with it for years. Now, she was going to use it to her advantage. Getting up from her bed, she carefully sneaked over to her saddle pack and fished out the ticket and tucked it into her bow, before she slowly approached her window and opened it. With the skill of a relatively decent tree climber and the physique of a young farm hoof, she carefully scaled down the side of the house, making sure not to damage the more sensitive spots along the wall.

She paused only for a moment when something in the back of her mind told her to stop. It made her heart quicken and her body shake. It was like she was afraid, but was it of being caught, or something else? Regardless, with a push of internal resolve and a light shake of the head, she resumed her climb down and reached the ground safely. She knew where the spare key was to get back inside when coming back, so with all that recalled, she made her way into town.

It didn't take her long to find Crest Street, but the whole place felt deserted. To be fair, everypony was probably asleep by now, and those that weren't were likely trying to keep quiet out of courtesy. It was kind of strange being out and about in town at this hour, under Luna's night. It made the town feel a little... spooky. However, it also made it feel new, which excited the young Apple sister.

"Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo exclaimed, trotting on over to her to her dear friend.

"You made it!" Sweetie Belle followed, gathering to the other two, finishing the trio.

"Almost didn't. Had to sneak out," Apple Bloom admitted.

"I'm not entirely surprised," Scootaloo mentioned, "Your sister is a bit stubborn... just like you." She then grabbed Apple Bloom and ruffled her mane a bit, annoying the farm pony playfully.

"Hey, quit it! Ah just washed it today," she giggled.

"Alright, so, we're on Crest Street," Sweetie Belle started, "Now, where's this Phantom Disco?"

"Ah guess we should go lookin' fer a place that has neon lights, er somethin'."

"Ya mean like that?" Scootaloo stated, pointing towards a building that had neon lights leaking from the cracks of the front door and spotlights pointed directly at the walls on either side of the door frame.

"Ah... didn't see that while comin' here," Apple Bloom stated, a little spooked.

"Well, it IS called the Phantom Disco," Scootaloo reiterated, already heading towards the building, "Come on, girls! Who knows if we'll ever get a chance to do something like this again!"

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom gazed at each other for a moment, before giving a nod of affirmation and followed their cohort. They mused about the irony of the chicken being the braver one of the three, eliciting giggles between them, as the three approached the front.

There before them was a modestly sized building, no bigger than most of the shops around town, with no signs on the front to identify it, save for a red placard with a slot in the middle that read:

Welcome to the Disco. Insert Tickets Here.

"Straight forward, but I wonder why we have to do it like this?" Scootaloo asked.

"Maybe it's to keep non-ticket ponies from getting in. There might be somepony on the other side to take the tickets and allow us in," Sweetie Belle answered.

"That makes the most sense."

The three of them were about to do as the placard said, when the sound of hooves were heard behind them, following familiar voices.

"Oh hey! You got yourselves tickets too?"

Turning to meet the recent arrivals, the trio were soon joined by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

"Hey, you made it just in time. Yeah, ran into an old friend that gave us one each." Scootaloo mentioned, holding out her ticket to them.

"I guess that means we'll all be heading in, then," Silver Spoon stated.

"Not a bad idea," Sweetie uttered, "Maybe we can find other former classmates and all catch up."

"And party like no tomorrow!" Scootaloo added.

Diamond Tiara chuckled. "Sounds like a plan," she agreed, "So, how are we doing this?"

"We do what the sign says," Sweetie Belle stated, "Insert our tickets there."

With agreements all around, one by one, each of them slid each of their ADMIT ONE into the slot, with Apple Bloom doing so last, with some slight hesitation. The nerves she had over this still somewhat bizarre situation where there, but were now decently suppressed with the enthusiasm of her friends.

Upon Apple Bloom's ticket disappearing beyond the door, said door slowly creaked open, revealing a warm, orange light. The group then cantered inside with anticipation as the door slowly shut behind them. What they witnessed was actually somewhat of a marvel.

Inside what appeared to be at first an incredibly standard looking building was a massive dance hall, easily four or five times the size of what they initially believed. The whole interior glowed a warm golden glow, with neon pink, blue, purple, and green dots of patterned light moving and shifting about the surfaces. Booths and chairs could be seen set up off to the side for rest and relaxation, while the tiled, chessboard pattern center was smooth and clean, perfect for pulling whatever dance moves one could ever hope to try in absolute confidence. They could even see a buffet table in the back. Disco, jazz, and dance music could be heard coming from an unknown location, somewhere out of sight, but loud enough to be firmly present even at the entrance. There was only one, very prominent thing that was off about all of this. Aside from the five young mares standing at the entrance, no one was there.

Not a single guest. Not a single member of staff. Further, again, even a DJ, which would likely be the one providing the music, remained entirely unseen, as the music continued to play. The girls expression over the place went from abject wonder and awe to slight nervousness.

"Where is everypony?" Scootaloo asked, breaking the silence among them.

"Well, maybe we're just a bit too early," Diamond Tiara reasoned.

Everyone agreed with that answer, as it seemed the most logical, and were all preparing to step forth away from the entrance, when they heard something. It was shrill, desperate, fearful, and a bit too haunting. Out from the far end, coming from a hallway unseen, was another pony, roughly their age, limping as fast as possible away from... something. It was then that the new individual saw the girls and began to pick up the pace, in between pants and sobs, right shoulder bleeding rather heavily from a major gash they only started to notice. The girls began to get nervous and feel something was terribly wrong as the unknown pony came closer, crossing the dance floor. Said pony's damaged foreleg outstretched towards them in a panicked desire for safety and relief.

"Help m-" was all the pony could say before the floor on either side suddenly grew spikes, and slammed inward like a high speed Venus fly-trap with a hard crunch mixed with a wet splat, severing the outstretched foreleg from what was once the owner. The force of the impact sent the leg tumbling through the air, splashing blood all around it before it thumped against the floor and rolled to a stop at Apple Bloom's hooves, bumping against them.

All five girls stood frozen in absolute shock, trying hard to process what had just happened, before fear finally sunk in, and one of them started to scream.

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED!!!?" Diamond Tiara shouted fearfully as Silver Spoon continued to scream.

"N-no way th-that's r-r-real," Scootaloo stuttered, right before she heaved off to the side and vomited from the sight.

Sweetie Belle then suddenly fainted, causing the girls to look away from the grizzly scene out of concern for their friend, trying to make sure she was alright. Apple Bloom gave her a light tap on the cheek, only to mark it with a splotch of blood that was on her hooves. Diamond Tiara, with manic terror, began shaking and pounding at the door behind them, trying to get it open, to no avail. It was then that Apple Bloom realized there was no one to greet them at the entrance. No one was actually there to take their tickets or open the door. And now, the door was locked, keeping them inside. She then turned towards the dance floor, and noticed something even more shocking. The dance floor, which had acted as a giant, make-shift fly trap a moment ago was now back the way it was, save for the big red blood stain that was present. The expected gore from such a thing was absent, with the only other evidence of it happening was the severed forehoof in front of them.

"Wh-what's going on?" Apple Bloom asked quietly in heightened nerves, as the Disco music continued to play and the neon lights continued to move in patterns around the interior.

"We're trapped!" exclaimed Diamond Tiara, now clutching Silver Spoon for comfort.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!" her close friend screamed between sobs of fear.

As the music and fearful crying continued, the other girls remained frozen, gazing about the interior, trying to find some hint of a way out, or at least try to see some sign of danger to avoid. Their heightened vigilance towards the main area of the disco hall proved to be a bad move, however, as without much of a warning, a panel off to the side of them slid open. From the opening, a wire slithered out of the darkness and made its way towards the girls quietly. Apple Bloom's ear flicked in irritation upon feeling a tickle in her back hoof, only to see the wire slide towards Diamond Tiara.

Recognizing the danger, the farmpony stomped hard on the moving wire, trying to stop it from getting any closer, all while shouting toward her friend to get away. However, it proved to be a bad idea, as the wire whipped backward and wound around her own hind-leg fetlock and began to pull and tighten. The young mare yelped and faltered slightly, but held strong and pulled back, trying to get free. The other girls, save for the hysterical Silver Spoon and the unconscious Sweetie Belle, quickly took note of the situation and clutched at her body and leg, trying to help her pull away from it. The three mares pulled with all of their might, not wanting to become part of some other unknown, gruesome fate like the victim they had just just witnessed. In what felt like an eternity of a tug of war, suddenly the wire managed to slip off and disappear back into the darkness, where the panel from whence it came from slid back into place.

The girls fell backward from the sudden release of force, with Apple Bloom landing the hardest, both injured from the fall and from the scrapes and lacerations on her leg. Small patches of her coat were ripped out and lightly bleeding skin was exposed to the air. She seethed and endured the small pain for a moment, before she slowly and shakily rose back onto her hooves.

"W-we aren't safe here," Scootaloo muttered, terrified with the new revelation.

"Y-yeah, no horseapples!" Diamond Tiara responded in anger, before she shook and let out a small sob of her own for a moment, only to gain control once more. She turned her attention to Apple Bloom, and with honest, tear filled eyes then said, "Thank you..."

This was a total nightmare. It was supposed to be a fun evening of eating, drinking, and dancing the night away. It was supposed to be the night to taste the sweet sensation of freedom and independence, even if it's for one frivolous night partying it up on their own terms. It was supposed to be fun and rejuvenating. It was supposed to be safe.

"We shoulda known somethin' was fishy about that rumor," Apple Bloom bitterly thought, shaking on her hooves as her eyes cautiously gaze about.

Then, Diamond Tiara's voice picked up, addressing the young Apple. "I-I'm sorry," she said with a barely controlled hiccup, "I-I should have known t-too. I thought it was just, ya know, kind of a cool story, like w-we'd all be going on s-some sort of adventure... Like you guys used to back then. We should have j-just junked those tickets Rumble g-gave us."

Apple Bloom then had a thought. "W-wait a second. Rumble!"

"What about him?" Scootaloo asked, starting to calm down.

"You can only be invited here," Apple Bloom started, "Does that mean Rumble and Twist were invited here before? Do they know somethin'?"

"Twist too?!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed.

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah. She was the old friend we told you about."

"Why would they do this to us?"

"More importantly, did this happen to them, and how did they get out?" Apple Bloom pondered out loud. She then shook her head. "Anyway, Scoots is right. It ain't safe here. If we wanna find an exit, we gotta get movin', before something else tries to grab us." She then turned to Scootaloo, "Ya think you can carry Sweetie Belle?"

"I'll certainly try," the young pegaus declared, hoisting Sweetie Belle over her back with some effort, but gave a small salute to her friend to show she was fine.

After which, Apple Bloom faced Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, addressing the latter. "Can ya stand?"

With a gentle sniffle and a nod, now starting to calm down, she shakily rose back to her hooves, but clung to Diamond Tiara ultimately, as if she was now afraid she might get attacked or nabbed next.

"Ok, here's the plan, everypony," Apple Bloom announced, "We're gonna have ta leave this main area if we wanna find the exit. We'll make our way where that... other pony came from. As we move, though, we gotta stick together. We just showed we can at least stop somepony from bein' dragged away if we work together. Diamond Tiara, can ah trust you'll keep Silver Spoon safe?"

The upper crust young mare gave a nod of determined affirmation. With renewed resoluteness, the group made their way around the outer edge of the dance floor, keeping an eye in every direction to make sure they don't get surprised once again. Strangely, everything remained relatively normal for a disco as they reached the hallway.

"So far so good," Scootaloo uttered with slight strain, feeling Sweetie Belle shift ever so slightly across her back as she kept pace.

Apple Bloom nodded, but uttered in caution, "Keep movin' girls. No matter what, stay together. We'll be safer that way."

It was then that they came to a crossroads in the hallway, with a corridor leading forward, left, and right from where they were, all lined with doors to what seemed to be staff or office rooms. The strange thing, while the neon disco lights were no longer reaching them this far into the halls, the music and the warm golden glow of the place was ever present.

"Ok, so," Diamond Tiara started, "Which way should we go?"

"I heard when walking through a maze, a pony should always hug the left wall. That way, they'll always find the exit in the end," Scootaloo suggested.

"Ah bet Sweetie told you that," Apple Bloom said, chuckling inwardly, "That's a good idea as any. What about you, DT?"

"I'm not really good at mazes, so let's just go with Scootaloo's idea."

"'Kay, then. Left it-" Was all Apple Bloom managed to say before glass walls suddenly shot out from either side of her, cutting her off from Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle on the right side, and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon on the left. Behind them, they were blocked off by a normal wall that wasn't there before. The force of the sudden walls knocked the mares over briefly, not giving them much time to realize what had happened until they were sealed off. Apple Bloom rose quickly and tried smacking at the glass, but it didn't budge, no matter how much force she put behind a buck or a punch. "Are you girls ok?!" she shouted, hoping her voice could at least be heard.

"Yeah, I think we're fine," Diamond Tiara said, though heavily muffled.

"Wh-... what's going on? What happened?" Sweetie Belle said, dizzy and also muffled from the glass.

Scootaloo laughed in relief. "Thank goodness you're awake. I was starting to get a little tired carrying you!"

"This isn't good," Apple Bloom stated in worry, "We don't have a choice now. We HAVE to split up."

"Y-yeah... so much for staying together for safety," Diamond Tiara lamented. Silver Spoon then began to cry once again, unable to handle the stress of losing the one safety they had going for them in this nightmare.

"Everypony," Apple Bloom started, a lump forming in her throat over what she had to say, "Go where you can. Stay safe."

"Yeah, you too," Scootaloo replied, her tone feeling a little more hopeless than before.

With that, the two pairs went down their forced directions, while Apple Bloom trekked forward, for the first time feeling truly, hauntingly alone and entirely exposed and vulnerable. She just hoped there weren't any more nasty surprises in store for them in their search. However, she knew hopes here were slim.

Under the Neon Lights

Despite being separated from her friends in this aggressively hostile building, Apple Bloom moved with steadfast determination. Cantering down the hall at a brisk pace, she decided to check each door she came across. Some of them were locked, as she expected. Others opened up to completely impossible paths, such as stairs leading up or down for no rhyme or reason. Still, some rooms were surprisingly normal, being either filled with spare equipment that would logically be used at a disco, were entirely empty, or were some out of the way room for staff. Not a soul could be found, no matter which room she checked up to now. It was kinda strange really, and she didn't really know how to feel about that. On the one hoof, it made her heart sink that she was entirely alone right now, and so were her friends in different parts of this impossible location. On the other hoof, it meant that she, her friends, and the mystery pony they all saw violently perish were the only victims of this circumstance. As terrible as it was, she was just glad there weren't any others.

That was, until she opened yet another door, and witnessed a pony shackled at all four hooves, being pulled tightly at each of them, while being twisted like bloody a rag at both ends. The screaming was indescribable as Apple Bloom was frozen in utter terror from the horribly gruesome sight in front of her. What was worse was that the young bound mare seemed familiar, with a lavender coat and turquoise mane. Before she could register the sound of something ripping, Apple Bloom slammed the door shut and began running.

In her panic, she moved without direction, letting her fear and hooves carry her as fast and as far away as possible. It was cowardly, and deep below the fear she wanted to help, but what could she have done? Her mind raced as fast as her legs did, only to slow down when exhaustion finally set in, upon which she found another dance floor. This one was arranged differently, but was no less similar to the one they all departed from.

She then spotted an entrance door, much like the one they came through. She hesitated for a moment, only to ultimately, but cautiously, move along the side of the large room, staying as vigilant as possible, as she got closer and closer to the entrance. Upon reaching it, she gave it a push, then a pull, yielding no results. Honestly, she figured as much, since it would have been FAR too easy, but she no less hoped she might have been wrong.

Something in the back of her mind then told her to get away from the door as soon as possible. The moment she jumped back, the door swung open quickly, revealing the other side was set with a variety of spikes on a wall, and the spot she was just on quickly tilted up and towards the trap, as if to launch the unexpected inside. The door then slammed shut, with the platform returning to how it was before, as if nothing happened. Apple Bloom's heart raced as she realized she almost fell into such a trap, and decided it would be best to leave the hall as quickly as possible.

Circling around the edge just as she did last time, she re-entered the corridors she fled from prior. Redoubling her efforts, she began to check the doors again, staying cautious over the idea that the doors themselves could end up becoming iron maiden traps, or worse. However, she still couldn't find very much. It was only when she saw something shimmer before her eyes and her instincts forced her to duck, that she narrowly avoided a horrible end, as the nearly invisible wire set there cut a piece of her bow off. Upon realizing that, she began to slow down, understanding that running full tilt like that could have been catastrophic for her, and there could always be another one somewhere down the line.

She decided it would be better to just continue to check door after door, no matter the path, at a somewhat increased pace that was just slow enough to not be considered reckless. When she came across stairs going up, however, she decided to give them a chance. It was as good an option as any to find an exit, after all.

Upon reaching the top, she was greeted by yet another dance room, once again with a different arrangement. However, what was more prominent and FAR more disturbing was what sat at the center, dripping blood all over the floor. There, impaled in a variety of places around the body, mostly through the back, suspended above the ground, her barrel towards the sky and head tilted back with a spike going through the back of the skull and out the mouth, was Twist.

Apple Bloom's heart plummeted. Sure, it was true that Twist was the one that sent the trio here, but to find her in such a state, stuck like a pin cushion with the worlds largest needles? The stress finally caught up to her as she collapsed to her knees, just staring at the cadaver of her old friend. However, her mental shut down didn't last for long, as Twist's eye, which was fixed with a look of pain, suddenly moved, and stared right at her. A horrible, electrifying chill raced up her spine as her breath hitched, suddenly aware of something far more sinister floating about the air, despite the cheerful colors and pleasant dance music. She instinctively shuffled backwards, as the eye of Twist's corpse continued to follow until Apple Bloom was totally out of sight.

She swiftly rounded the corner of a hallway leading out of the dance floor while shuffling backward and pressed herself against the wall, hyperventilating at an increased and uncontrolled rate. Her mind raced with white noise thoughts, almost clouding her vision as she was losing the ability to focus. The sounds of the music became more distant as she sat there, diving deeper into this hysteria. Why? she managed to barely think clearly, Why is she here? What's going on? Did she know? Was that actually her? How did she get here? How many more are here? Why was any of this happening?

Her heart raced as she desperately struggled to regain some control over her body, making very little progress and started to become delirious. She swore she could see somepony in front of her, trying to get her attention, calling her name, gripping her hoof in comfort. Strangely, it was starting to actually work, as her vision and hearing slowly returned while her breathing and heart-rate began to slow.

"--eas-... --ppl- Bl---..."

"H-huh?" Was all Apple Bloom managed to mumble as she became more and more aware, finally able to see who was there. "S-Silver Spoon?"

"Oh thank Celestia!" She cried out as she hugged the farmpony tightly, letting out sobs and hiccups, nuzzling deeply as if to try to banish the nightmare around them.

"Wh-... Where's Diamond?" Apple Bloom asked, still a little out of it, just able to recall they were supposed to be together.

Silver Spoon only held her friend tighter, her sobbing stifled but remained just as harrowed. "She... She *hic*..."

Finally realizing, Apple Bloom returned the hug to comfort the terrified and mournful mare. She couldn't lie, however. It was gesture to calm herself just as much as it was to calm Silver Spoon. Though, it probably was the same for the hysterically crying friend.

"We-" she started, faltering slightly from the immense stress her body was still going through, able to just barely recompose herself. "We need to get out." It was a statement that really didn't need to be said, but it was something she felt she had to let it be known out loud as reassurance.

"Y-yeah," Silver Spoon agreed with a sniffle, finally letting go of Apple Bloom and the comfort the embrace gave, suddenly feeling hollow in this horror show.

Apple Bloom slowly and shakily rose back to her hooves, trying to gather as much strength and will as possible. Once she was finally back upright, the two huddled together and made their way through the halls once again. As monotonous as it was, it was far better than just staying put and waiting for some other contraption to just show up and do them harm.

They kept checking doors, looking out for any path they could take that may lead to some sort of clue to get out. Soon enough, they found a door leading to more stairs. However, upon reaching the apex, they were met with another corridor. The disappointment understated yet understood, but the disheartening nature of the results were ever growing and ever more harrowing. What is up with this place? Apple Bloom wondered, trying to make some sense of this growing apparent labyrinth. True, it was already messed up that there seemed to be invisible traps seemingly in random places, just waiting for them to lose focus enough to strike. The fact that it was compounded with endless liminal spaces, rooms, and similar dance halls with different arrangements just made it feel all the more deranged. It was always a constant remix of location, making her wonder if they were just going around in circles and not noticing.

She then paused for a moment, causing Silver Spoon to almost trip over herself and look back at Apple Bloom. "What's wrong?" the grey earth pony asked, nervous.

"How did ya manage to find me, anyway?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I... I honestly don't know," Silver Spoon answered with a dour look, "After w-what happened to... Diamond Tiara, I just ran. I didn't even really try to think about where I was going. I just..." she trailed off, her gaze cast of to the side.

Before Apple Bloom could even consider the hows or whys of Silver Spoon's return, barbed wires shot out from around a corner they were close to and suddenly wound around the back legs of the diminutive pony, eliciting a scream of pain. With a yank, she fell to her face and started to be dragged away.

Apple Bloom wasted no time and dove at her friend's frantically flailing hooves, only to be dragged along the floor with the screaming and crying Silver Spoon. The desperate farm pony tried in vain to dig her hind legs down and pull back with all her might, but the only thing it accomplished was drag out more screams.

"IT HURTS!!!" she shrieked, feeling the barbs puncturing and yanking her flesh, tightening harder as both sides pulled at her. Hot tears streamed down her face as the painful metal torment drove her well beyond her breaking point. Apple Bloom, gritting teeth and summoning as much strength as she could muster, did everything she could to keep her friend from harm beyond the current circumstances, terrified of what fate would befall Silver Spoon if she failed. The wires, however, refused to let go, and tightened harder around the young mare's legs, tearing at flesh further as the barbs bore deeper and deeper.

"J-just... hold... on!" Apple Bloom managed to utter, trying to encourage the terrified pony. However, with a sudden slip of her hooves upon Silver Spoon's own, which made her lose footing not a moment after, her grip shattered and caused her to fall back. She tumbled for a moment, only to watch as the newest victim was violently dragged away around a corner.

Apple Bloom scrambled back to her hooves and chased after Silver Spoon, only to watch her be pulled into the darkness of an open panel.

"PLEASE, HEL-" was the last thing Apple Bloom heard before she disappeared behind the suddenly shut hatch. Still able bodied, Apple Bloom found herself racing to where the opening used to be and began kicking and pulling at it, trying to force it open once more, before she heard shrill, despaired screams get fainter and fainter.

Apple Bloom slumped to the floor, hooves sliding away from the wall uselessly as her heart shattered from the dawning realization of what had just happened. She let out angry, anguished cries as she beat her hooves against the wall almost out of outrage and protest that her friend was taken from her. But the wall did not budge.

Slowly, she rose back to her hooves, still sniffling from the outburst of emotion from losing another friend to this... thing. It was then that she noticed the large amounts of blood streaks along her forelegs and barrel. It was no doubt Silver Spoon's, which made the whole situation feel more and more horribly real.

Desperation suddenly took over, as she began racing down the corridors once again, no longer paying any attention to her surroundings. Left. Right. Upstairs. Downstairs. Finding the same rooms over and over.

It was then something hot and painful hit her hind leg, causing her to fall over with a scream of her own. She held it closely, seething as her hoof touched the singed flesh at the back of her leg. Tears of fear and pain threatened to cascade from her eyes, but she held on as strongly as she could, gingerly rising back to her hooves. Hobbling forward at a much more reduced speed, she kept moving, vision starting to blur from the burning injury.

It was then she found another dance hall, but this one felt more significant than the others. It didn't take her long to figure out "why", however. She noticed that this room had a particularly recognizable set up and a red stain plastered across the disco floor. She also noticed the piece of leg that sat beside the entrance door. Her breath hitched upon the sudden revelation that she was back. Her three good legs shook as she tried not to lose her mind from the realization, just barely able to keep her upright. She backed away, hiccuping to keep back a sob with as much willpower as possible in determination, before she hobbled as fast as she could back down the corridor, only to take the direction her friends took back when they were first split, assuming she was, indeed, back. If Silver Spoon were able to find her somewhere along the way, perhaps there was still a chance if she followed Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's initial path.

Upon checking the next variety of doors, she soon found another staircase, this time leading down. Holding her breath in anticipation, she decided to descend, hoping this choice would prove to be fruitful in the long run. However, seeing a patch of blood at the bottom suddenly gave her a bad omen. She had already lost Silver Spoon. If she were to lose Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo too...

Shaking her head, she decided not to pursue that thought, and instead trekked down to the bottom and enter the new location. Right away, it was yet another dance floor with a different arrangement, but something caught her eye. In the corner, near the booths, lying in a heap, she noticed the telltale coat colors light grey and light brilliant gamboge. She saw no blood, so she dared to hope they were alright.

"Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle!" She called out automatically, tears of hope in her eyes, as she hobbled towards her dearest friends as fast as her three good legs could. She should have payed attention, however, as she soon found herself being violently hoisted up from the ground by her hind leg by a wire snare, punctuated by a scream of surprise. The pain of the metal rubbing the scorch on said leg made her seethe harshly. Adjusting to the new forced perspective, she shook her head, though gently as the blood started rushing down to it. It was then she noticed another form, suspended in the air out of her initial line of sight as she blindly ran into the room. Carried by barbed hooks, and splayed open like some ripped open shipping box, with organs and viscera dripping from the massive gaping wound, she saw Diamond Tiara. Strangely, the corpse of the young upper crust mare was staring directly at Apple Bloom, with a sick and morose smile plastered upon her face. There was something so profoundly wrong about that look Diamond Tiara was giving, made worse with the feeling that the smiling stare didn't feel entirely dead either.

Apple Bloom gasped in shock, chills of abject terror racing up and down her back, but she had no time to let the fear sink in, as the ceiling opened up to reveal two halves of some sort of spiked container contraption, slowly lining up with her body. The ever present disco music began to swell and seemingly get louder as the apprehension of the situation drew ever thinner, and the threatening metal drew closer. She could almost feel the spikes now, pricking and pushing at her coat and skin, ready to transform her into yet another blood soaked victim in this messed up dance. Shutting her eyes, she braced for the worse.

Then, she heard a loud, piercing ringing noise, forcing her to clasp her hooves down on her ears. It sounded like a fire-alarm of a sort. However, as the sound carried on, the drowsier she started to become, and soon, no longer had the strength to hold her ears closed. The last thoughts she had were the hopes of her friends' well being and safety, before everything went dark.

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

Apple Bloom woke up with a start, kicking up off of the playground equipment and unceremoniously falling to the ground with a thud. Groaning in discomfort, she rubbed her cheek, checking for any major injuries. As she did, a sudden thought dragged her attention to her back hoof, but upon checking it, there were no abrasions, scratches, or scorch marks. In fact, there weren't even any blood stains upon her coat, now that she had a good look. The only injury she had was a sore barrel and face upon falling.

She gave a gasp, remembering what she last saw as she looked about, and noticed both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo lying on the grass, sound asleep. Tears and a deep sigh of relief was all she could muster as she slowly cantered toward her two best friends and sat beside them. Her presence stirred them into the waking world as they moaned in their own discomfort from being interrupted from their slumber.

"Uuuuugh. Wha' happen?" Scootaloo slurred in drowsiness.

Apple Bloom just smiled, watching her friends rise back up, no worse for wear. It was then she felt peculiar presences from behind, a fair distance away. Turning around, she could see Twist, Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara, along with a bunch of other young ponies, all starting to get up, all in relative grogginess but seemingly safe and sound. Was this whole thing just some dream? It felt so real. Thinking that, she reached for the back of her hind leg unconsciously, as if trying to convince herself she was hurt there, despite knowing she wasn't.

She scratched at her head absentmindedly, only for her to feel a couple somethings tucked between her mane and bow. Pulling them out, she realized they were two crimson ticket. One was just like one she was given, though this time with a new location and time.

The other however, was a ticket with the new place and time, but addressed directly to her, with a further note stating hope for her to come back again.

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

The master of the theater closed the book, having finished yet another harrowing tale, though remarked over how gruesome this one was in particular. Never the less, it was another job well done and another story shared for another holiday.

It seems our dear little mare learned a harsh and vicious lesson about life. How difficult it is to remain composed when faced with extreme circumstances. How blindly jumping into something and ignoring your better judgement can be hazardous to your health. How much responsibility there is in independence, and what consequences may be held if failing it. True, their circumstances were far more sinister and quite dangerous, and the realm they were trapped in were quite labyrinthine, but is life simply not a massive, dangerous labyrinth?

At least she made it out. Maybe they'll come back again, if their ultimate safe return is any indication? Never the less, so ends another story on this auspicious night of horrors and spirits. May you, my dear audience, have a pleasant eve, and please remember to stay safe.

The master of the amphitheater gave a slight bow before he snapped his claws dramatically. The jazzy disco music started back up again as he poorly danced off of the stage, back behind the curtain, and disappeared from view. Soon too did the music fade away, and the theater once again became quiet. The lights of the structure began to dim following the returned relative silence as the wind outside started to swell, signalling in yet another hallowed night.