Apparition Amphitheater Presents: Discoevil

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.