A quiet library isn't anything too unusual. They are supposed to be, right? Reading a good book could be very distracting if you found yourself in the middle of a Pinkie Pie party after all. Anyways, I suppose I should get down to the point of why you are here. You came here for the same reason everyone else has correct? . . . Ah, I thought so.
This particular story is quite a juicy one. If I were you, I would keep looking over your shoulder as I tell you this spooky tale. This is the story of Rainbow Dash's very own doppelganger.
Deadly Twin
Rainbow Dash sped through the bright blue sky, eager for the approaching night. This wasn't any ordinary day after all. This was the day of the famous Nightmare Night. As soon as Luna's moon is raised into the starry sky, foals and colts of all ages would be gathering candy, almost hoarding them as a dragon would. The cyan coated pegasus didn't go for the candy though. Everypony knew why she went.
Pranks.
They weren't meant to be rude, but it was all in good fun. As long as the other pony would laugh in the end, Dash was more than happy to oblige.
Then the brash pegasus quickly slowed to a halt in front of a most fluffy white cloud, hovering a good bit above the famous Sugar Cube Corner. Looking down below her, Rainbow noticed the streets were more active than what they normally were. It wasn't anything unusual though.
As a chilly breeze blew, Rainbow Dash lowered herself onto the cloud, inhaling the sweet smell in the air. Maybe she could take a quick nap to pass the time.
“Hey Rainbow Dash!”
Dash's ear twitched. Did someone just call her? It was hard to tell with all the pony's going on about their business below.
“Rainbow Dash, wait!”
Picking her head up and brushing her rainbow colored mane out of the way, the cyan pegasus peeked over the edge of the cloud. She was certain somepony was calling out to her.
“Rainbow Dash!”
There she was. It wasn't surprising to see that orange pipsqueak out and about on that scooter of hers, but what was surprising was that she was looking down the alleyway beside Sugar Cube Corner. Dash raised an eyebrow as she flapped her wings to get airborne, wondering what she was doing.
“Scootaloo?” Rainbow Dash called as she landed behind the purple maned pegasus filly.
The orange coated crusader nearly jumped to her presence, making Rainbow Dash grin. Already, she was making ponies jump in fright and the sun was still blazing in the sky.
“Wow Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “I knew you were fast, but that was amazing!”
It was flattering, but she really had no idea what the filly was going on about. “What are you talking about?” If the rainbow maned mare done something that awesome she wanted to know about it.
“Like you don't know,” Scootaloo replied, laughing right after as she pulled her safety helmet off her head. “You just walked down the alley, then you zoomed all the way behind me to scare me! Good one Rainbow Dash!”
Now this was weird. How could have the cyan pegasus lay atop a cloud, and walk down an alley at the same time? That wasn't speed, that was impossible.
“Squirt,” Rainbow Dash began in a sincere tone. “Are you sure that was me?”
Dash could just see the excitement in the filly's eyes vanish almost instantly. “W-What are you talking about? Who else has an awesome mane like yours?”
That question made the rainbow maned pegasus grin a little on the inside. But this was still a problem. Scootaloo was right. She was the only in Ponyville with a rainbow mane and tail. No way Scootaloo could have mixed her up with somepony else.
That could only mean one thing.
“We need to go,” Rainbow Dash suggested in an official tone. Immediately, she turned the other way and began making her way into the busy street.
Scootaloo was quick to follow her, mostly worried on her hero's reaction. “Is something wrong?”
Looking back at Scootaloo, Dash just wore the best poker face she could muster. “No, I just forgot that I need to see Twilight. You should come with me.”
Scootaloo's face lit up as she strapped her safety helmet back onto her head. It wasn't that often she got to spend time with Rainbow Dash after all.
Making their way through the crowd of ponies, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo quickly made their way toward the only place that lavender coated unicorn could be. It wasn't that she disliked the library Twilight occupied, she just wished that unicorn would come out to see the sun more often.
The further the duo got, the lesser the crowd became. At least Scootaloo was excited. She kept on about how awesome Nightmare Night was going to be. Rainbow pretended to be excited for her, but this other pony Scootaloo claimed she saw was getting through her head. She looked so serious whenever she told her story. Scootaloo wouldn't lie to her either. She never has, and as far as Rainbow Dash could see it, she never would.
Eventually, the two pony's found themselves away from the town's upbeat noise and began to hear the chirping of birds and the cool breeze blowing through their manes. A large hollow tree was spotted straight ahead, which was also the location of the library they were heading. Rainbow Dash didn't see how a tree with books inside didn't scream fire hazard, but no accidents have never happened there before.
It hardly took long at all to arrive at the tree's front door. Not even bothering to knock, Rainbow Dash let herself in as Scootaloo set her helmet as scooter outside of the door. It wasn't surprising to see the purple unicorn with her face in a book in the middle of the main room of the library.
“Hey Rainbow Dash,” Twilight jubilantly greeted. She only looked up long enough from her magically levitated book to see who it was. “Finally, someone who knows that they don't have to knock. This is a public library and it was really—”
“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash interrupted before she could continue. “I think we have a serious problem on our hooves.”
“Problem?” Twilight repeated, looking up from her book to see Scootaloo take her place beside the cyan pegasus.
Rainbow quickly nodded. “I think there's a changeling in Ponyville. I would have went after it but I wasn't able to see it myself.”
“A changeling?” Twilight began, sounding a bit in disbelief. She magically closed her book and was set it off to the side. “Rainbow, I don't think the changelings are coming back for a long time.”
Now Rainbow was getting agitated. She flapped her wings to get into the air, only to hover a few feet above the ground. “Twilight, Scootaloo said she saw another me near Sugar Cube Corner!”
Raising an eyebrow, Twilight looked down toward Scootaloo to see her nodding in approval. “It's true Twilight. There were two of her.”
Now Twilight looked worried. It wasn't often that Dash would see her like that, but it was unwise to ignore it. “Oh my. This is bad.”
“What?” Rainbow began, noticing the change of tone in the unicorn's voice.
“I never thought this would happen here again,” Twilight began. “Dash, what Scootaloo saw may have been your doppelganger.”
“Doppelhuh?” Scootaloo said, raising a hoof to her chin.
Ignoring Scootaloo for the moment, Rainbow asked, “Who is this doppelganger?”
Twilight grimaced, but continued nonetheless. “It's your double Rainbow Dash. A doppelganger is a ghostly figure which only appears during Nightmare Night. I thought it was just old pony tales and folklore.”
“But what does it mean?” Scootaloo asked for both of them.
“Dash,” Twilight began, sounding worried for her. “This doppelganger, tell me you didn't touch her!”
“Chillax Twilight, I didn't even see this doppelganger,” Rainbow Dash quickly answered. “But why is it so important?”
“Because if she touches you—” Twilight began. She looked down at Scootaloo, then back up at Dash, then mouthed the rest toward the cyan pegasus. The unicorn didn't want Scootaloo to know, but she hoped that Rainbow knew what she was saying.
“What?!” Rainbow Dash wailed. “But . . . how do I stop her!”
Twilight shut her eyes in thought for a moment before continuing. “There's a house in the Everfree Forest that only appears one night every year. Somewhere inside is an enchanted band that, when equipped properly, can be used as a protective barrier. As soon as you begin wearing the band, your doppelganger will leave you alone for the rest of the night.”
“Alright then,” Rainbow Dash begun confidently. “I'll just go to this house, buck the door down, snag this band, and I'm home free.”
“I'm afraid it won't be as simple as that,” Twilight added, receiving a befuddled look in the process. “This house will be haunted by your own doppelganger Rainbow Dash. It will only appear once the moon is raised. The longer you take to find that band, the more aggressive this doppelganger will be.”
Turning around, the purple coated unicorn magically snagged a saddlebag and took no time to sling it around her back.
“What's the bag for?” Dash asked, setting her hooves back down to the ground.
Twilight looked over toward a nearby table as she grabbed a somewhat thin but hard-cover book with her magic. “I'm going with you.”
Sliding the book into her saddle, Twilight turned to Scootaloo with an earnest expression. “I wish I didn't, but Scootaloo . . . you're going to have to come as well.”
“What?!” Rainbow Dash began. Immediately she began to reject that command. “It's going to be dangerous! I don't want to throw her in harm's way!”
Scootaloo was deathly quiet. Even Twilight had no idea what she was thinking.
“I'll explain it on the way, for now we have to get going.”
Before anypony could object, Twilight was already on her way out the door. Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow Dash, unsure of what to do in this dire situation she somehow got caught up in.
“I really don't think this is a good idea Scoots,” Rainbow quietly said.
Neither said anything else. They only followed in Twilight's hoofsteps, only able to hope that everything would turn out okay in the end.
Quickly catching up to Twilight as she turned toward the Everfree Forest, Rainbow realized something.
“What about Spike?” Dash asked.
Twilight shook her head. “He went out to find a new costume for Nightmare Night. He'll be fine.”
“What about Scootaloo?” the cyan coated pegasus continued worriedly. “Why is she coming along?”
The cool breeze blew once more as the sun continued to descend on the darkening horizon. Twilight sighed, then looked over toward Scootaloo. It was still impossible to tell what she was feeling about this situation.
“Your doppelganger appeared to her for a reason. From what I've read in the book I brought, doppelgangers will always use another pony to show her presence, with the exception of the pony she is imitating.”
“That doesn't answer why Scootaloo has to come with us,” Rainbow Dash interrupted.
“Rainbow, the reason she is coming is because she can protect you from the doppelganger.”
“Me?” Scootaloo finally said. She nearly sounded a bit surprised for the moment. “I can protect Rainbow Dash?”
Twilight nodded. “Rainbow Dash's doppelganger can only harm Rainbow Dash. Not you. It's impossible.”
“But aren't you helping me out too?” the cyan pegasus questioned.
Twilight was quiet for a brief moment before she answered. “I don't think I can be of much use except take you to the house. Only ponies who have seen her are allowed inside. Unless I see her for myself, I don't think I will be able to enter with you two.” A few seconds passed until she continued. “I really don't want to put you in harm's way Scootaloo, but I assure you that the doppelganger won't do you any harm. You just have to keep her away from Rainbow Dash until she finds the enchanted band.”
The moon was almost fully visible in the darkened sky. The Everfree Forest itself seemed like it wanted to partake in Nightmare night as well. Wolves howled, owls hooted, and Rainbow Dash couldn't begin to count how many times she thought she was being watched.
“This should be the place,” Twilight informed, magically holding the book she brought along in front of her.
The trio stood in front of a large opening in the forest that was desolate of trees, plants, and even grass. It was very unusual for this particular spot in the forest seem so dead.
“Are you sure this is the place?” Rainbow Dash asked, making sure to keep Scootaloo close by.
Twilight nodded confidently. “Yes. I can almost feel a strange aura here. I have no doubt that this is it. All we do is wait for the full moon to do its work.”
Rainbow Dash took a deep breathe as she looked around herself from her spot. Scootaloo still sat right beside her, either out of fear or she felt obligated to protect her from Dash's deadly twin.
As if on cue, Rainbow Dash felt a strange energy rising in the empty space in front of her. It wasn't easy to explain, but somehow, the house Twilight mentioned began to materialize right there in front of her. But it was definitely not what Rainbow Dash was expecting.
“Uh, Twilight?”
“Yes . . . I'm seeing it too Dash.”
Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes just to make sure what she was seeing was real.
“That house is no bigger than my room.”
The house itself looked almost new. Laughably small, but new. Rainbow was expecting missing shingles, cracks in the wall, broken windows, and an old squeaky porch. Instead, in its place, was a wooden box with a door on it. No windows. No porches. No shingles.
Then Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. Scootaloo looked at over toward her questionably as Twilight just ignored her.
“Well,” Rainbow began, beginning to calm down. “I think I might be doomed. Might as well give this a go anyways, right?”
Twilight merely rolled her eyes. “I still wouldn't dilly-dally. You and Scootaloo better go get that band. Oh, and you should take this with you.”
Without even looking, Twilight retrieved a small gold colored necklace from her saddlebag. As she quickly lent it over to Rainbow Dash, the circular jewel inside its pendant began to glow a bright yellow.
“What's this?” Rainbow Dash asked as the necklace was magically wrapped around her neck.
“It's a light pendant. Ponies without magic would wear them in the dark to avoid the trouble of carrying a lantern. Don't worry, I have two of them.” Retrieving another pendant, she promptly hung it around the young filly's neck. “They should last throughout the night.”
Rainbow Dash nearly scoffed toward Twilight as she looked the small house over again. “Alright then. C'mon Scootaloo, this will be a walk in the park.”
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Scootaloo quietly put on the best brave face she could muster. She had to do this. For Rainbow Dash.
Before she knew it, Rainbow found herself opening the lone door into the shed-sized house. As she pushed it opened, the door dreadfully creaked, which wasn't what the cyan pegasus was expecting.
“I'm afraid I can't go any farther,” Twilight informed. She looked a bit fatigued somehow, but Dash didn't think much of it. “I can feel a magical barrier surrounding the house. It steals my energy when I get to close. All I can say is good luck you two, and I'm sorry for throwing you into this Scootaloo.”
Showing a small grin, Scootaloo confidently replied, “Don't worry Twilight. I'll keep Rainbow Dash safe.”
“I'll wait right outside for you two,” Twilight said worriedly.
Scootaloo slightly nodded her head in understanding. “Are you ready?” she asked toward Rainbow Dash.
“Of course,” Rainbow Dash jubilantly answered.
As she began taking her first few steps into the house, the effects of her pendant began to light up the room. Scootaloo was right behind her. Almost immediately, the duo noticed something very strange about this house.
“Wait . . . what?” Scootaloo began. “This room is a lot bigger than the whole house!”
“Something isn't right,” Dash began. “Twilight!” she called out as she turned back around. But she only grew immediately surprised at what she was looking at.
“Crud.”
Somehow, the entrance of the house didn't even exist anymore. In it's place was an old torn painting, which was impossible to tell what was on it. Behind the painting was a plain brick wall.
“That's impossible!” Scootaloo cried out.
Then the two pegasi began to hear creaks in the floor as if somepony was walking around them. Rainbow took notice of Scootaloo frantically looking around herself, but was only able to see a few feet away before their necklace's light faded.
“What do we do now Rainbow Dash?” the orange coated filly nervously asked.
The cyan pegasus looked around herself, wearing the bravest face she could muster. She couldn't be afraid. Not in front of Scootaloo.
“We find that band,” Rainbow Dash finally answered, keeping her voice low.
Finally, whatever was causing the creaking had stopped. Rainbow Dash heard Scootaloo sigh in relief as she began to lead the orange filly straight across the empty room. Seeing a doorway, Rainbow looked beside her to make sure Scootaloo was right with her before heading on through.
This room wasn't much different, but it did contain a small counter in the middle of it. The room almost looked like it used to be a kitchen.
But before Rainbow could take another step, she heard a small moan from behind her.
Quickly turning her head, Rainbow bravely peered into the room the duo just exited. She found nothing of interest however. The room was just as empty as it was before.
“Just the wind,” Rainbow told herself as she turned back toward the kitchen.
The wooden flooring beneath her creaked with every step as she began to inspect the room. Nothing much, just some trash on the ground and an old wooden table in the corner. It looked like it was willing give out free splinters if you were to touch it though.
As the rainbow maned pegasus went to take a look at it, she heard a strange cracking noise beneath her. Curious, she stopped, only for the floor to collapse, sending her down into the depths of the haunted house. She didn't even have a chance to slow her fall before she felt her body collide against the cold but solid ground.
“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo shouted worriedly as she peered down into the new hole in the floor. “Rainbow Dash! Please tell me you're okay!”
The cyan pegasus moaned in pain. Somehow, she landed her left wing when she hit the ground, which seemed to be made of stone. She attempted to flap it, but it only resulted with a jolt of pain coursing through it.
“Not again,” Rainbow groaned.
Forcing herself to her hooves, Rainbow Dash began to hear an all too familiar noise up above her. Looking upwards, she noticed Scootaloo rapidly flapping her little wings, doing her best to hover down into the depths of the house.
“Are you okay Rainbow Dash?!” Scootaloo cried out, able to see the mare on her hooves.
That little filly. It was amazing how far she would go to help a friend in need. It reminded Rainbow too much of herself.
“I'm fine squirt,” Rainbow assured, standing up on her forelegs to help the tiring filly down to solid ground. “Thanks.”
Scootaloo took a short moment to look around from her spot, but noticed Rainbow's wing was a little limp.
“Did you hurt your wing?” Scootaloo asked, troubled to think she was flightless again.
The look on her face told the filly everything before Rainbow Dash even had a chance to say it. “I think I sprained it.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
Rainbow showed a grin of appreciation. “I can make do. Let's just get out of here.”
From the looks of things, the only way to go was forward. Back was just a stone wall and this new room almost looked like a wide hallway or odd shaped basement. Again, it was as empty as the other two rooms they had already been through.
With each hoofstep, its sound echoed down the hallway. The only light source the duo had was from the enchanted necklace's they wore. Rainbow Dash silently thanked Twilight, for if it wasn't for her, she would literally be walking blind right now.
Then Rainbow Dash heard a hoofstep from behind them. She quickly twirled around, but saw nothing from her point-of-view. Her light source helped a ton, but was still limited in range. There was no telling what could be lurking just beyond that wall of darkness. Still, she had to act strong. If she showed fear, so would Scootaloo, and she couldn't have that right now.
“R-rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo began, acting a bit nervous.
“Don't worry about it Scoots,” Rainbow assured, assuming the hoofsteps from behind them was beginning to get to her. “You're with me so you're fine.”
“It's not that,” Scootaloo replied in a lower tone. She shakily pointed her hoof towards the right wall, as well as the left, showing Rainbow what she meant. “It's those.”
Now it was Rainbow's turn to become slightly freaked out. There were portraits lined up on the left wall, as well as the right. They were all the same size and same distance apart. They even looked new. But what freaked her out the most was who those portraits were of.
Running over to the first portrait she saw, her eyes grown wide.
This was a portrait of her.
In the picture, she was sitting down in the grass underneath the light of the sun. The background contained a good view of Canterlot as well as a few clouds in the bright blue sky.
This picture was in every portrait that she saw. It was really bugging Rainbow on how these ended up down here.
“Is this some kind of joke?”
But before she could do anything else, Rainbow felt Scootaloo nudge her on her good wing. Silently turning, she noticed Scootaloo was staring straight behind her, with a look that she did not want to see. Slowly turning even further, Rainbow Dash's heart rate immediately began to speed up when she saw it.
It was almost like she was looking in a mirror. If only she were.
Rainbow Dash was staring straight into death's eyes. The eyes of her very own doppelganger.
The Rainbow Dash look-alike began to take a few steps toward the real cyan pegasus. The expression on the doppelganger was completely dead, almost like it were a mindless zombie. But Rainbow Dash didn't stick around to gaze at her deadly twin as Scootaloo urged her to run.
It was the only option she could do. Twilight specifically said that touching her doppelganger would result in death.
“Come on Scoots!” Rainbow Dash called out as she turned the other way.
Scootaloo was already at her hero's side as they both began to gallop down the empty hall, leaving the doppelganger behind in the dust. Looking behind her just for a moment, Scootaloo saw that the doppelganger was giving them chase, which only urged her to run faster.
The portraits of Rainbow Dash still continued as they ran, but Scootaloo wished she would have never paid attention to them.
With each passing portrait, the images in them grew progressively worse. Canterlot slowly began to deteriorate as the sky itself began to change to an apocalyptic crimson. The clouds disappeared as the grass around Rainbow Dash began to disappear as well, only to reveal the cyan pegasus was sitting on the bones of other ponies the entire time.
Then Rainbow Dash herself began to change.
Scootaloo wished she could take her eyes off them as Rainbow Dash's mane began to melt off the top of her head. Her ears began to droop backwards as her eyes began to sink down into her face. Scootaloo heard the doppelganger scream behind them as she watched the portraits. Before she knew it, Rainbow's eyes disappeared, along with any other facial features she still had left.
“There!” Rainbow Dash shouted, frantically spotting the exit to this evil filled hallway.
It was a door, which Rainbow Dash wasted no time to open. Shoving Scootaloo inside, she took one last look behind them, only to see her doppelgangers eyes were beginning to melt right off her face.
Slipping inside, Rainbow slammed the door shut. As soon as she did, the doppelganger's screams finally ceased.
Finally able to take a breather, Rainbow slumped down onto the new wooden flooring beneath her.
“Are you . . . alright Scoots?” Rainbow Dash panted.
Scootaloo made a simple nod, but truthfully, she was more than afraid at the moment. She never seen portraits like that before.
“That was a close one,” Rainbow Dash continued, beginning to regain her composure. She attempted to stretch her sprained wing, only to quickly retract it in response of the pain it brought.
Then the two pegasi heard a faint noise in the darkness that surrounded them. Scootaloo cringed and hugged Rainbow Dash as the noises began to develop into low murmurs.
With a gulp, Rainbow began her brave walk forward, keeping her eyes all around her and Scootaloo. It was difficult to tell how large the room was or where exactly the next creaky door sat, but Rainbow Dash didn't plan on sticking around any longer than she had to. She could tell Scootaloo thought the same.
Murmurs continued to grow louder as Scootaloo urged Rainbow to pick up the pace, especially when the hoofsteps began to creak on the floor throughout the room the duo occupied.
“R-rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo began, obviously scared of the continuous noise around them.
“Just stay close Scoots,” Rainbow whispered.
The murmurs began to grow more clear the further Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo went. The cyan pegasus began to hear the voices whisper out her name. They weren't in a friendly tone either. It sounded more like threats from a madpony who was hunting down his next victim.
Now Scootaloo was beginning to whimper. It was difficult not to. The orange filly did her best to keep it in, but this was getting too unbearable.
Suddenly, there was a blood-curdling scream from behind the two pegasi, forcing them to jump as they twisted their heads around. There was a pony, but not Rainbow's doppelganger. Whoever this pony was, wasn't alive. She couldn't be.
The magenta coated pony was horrible disfigured, mangled to the point where it was impossible to see her true face. Her eyes looked like they were sewn shut, but it's mouth was free to scream into the cold air. One of it's legs looked broken as the pony dragged herself along the wooden flooring straight toward the two frightened pegasi.
“Run!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, forcing Scootaloo to move forward.
The pony behind the duo screamed as she heard Rainbow and Scootaloo making a run for it. Scootaloo winced as the scream pounded her eardrums, but focused on staying beside Rainbow Dash. It hardly took them any time to find the next door they were so desperately hoping to come across.
But as Rainbow Dash reached for the handle to turn it, she found out it was stuck.
“Locked?!”
Turning back, she saw the mangled pony quickly crawling her way towards them. It was then that Rainbow noticed something reflecting the light off her necklace from the dead pony's black mane.
It was a key. Somehow, it was tangled in the pony's ruffled mane.
Before Rainbow Dash could react, the mangled pony somehow leaped toward her, knocking her down to the ground. She grimaced as her sprained wing surged a billow of pain as the magenta coated pony screamed into her unwelcoming ears.
Curse herself for having a damaged wing. Rainbow could have easily avoided that if her wing wasn't sprained. Now she had a bigger problem.
Regardless of the ringing in her ears, Rainbow Dash worked her back hooves underneath her new admirer and didn't think twice to send her launching back across the room. The mangled pony screamed once more as she flew through the air, giving Rainbow the space she needed to work with.
An orange hoof caught Rainbow's eye before she could get to her hooves. Looking over, she spotted Scootaloo offering her a helping hoof. The rainbow maned pegasus quickly obliged as she reached up with her own hoof, just for Scootaloo to help her up.
If Scootaloo wanted to impress Rainbow Dash, she certainly was doing a good job. The orange filly also had the key to the door in her teeth. Before she could be praised for her good work, the angered pony from before screamed at the top of its lungs toward the duo. Its shriek made Scootaloo jump, but she knew better than to just stand around and wait for that thing to come back.
Quickly making her way to the door, she inserted the key into the keyhole and fumbled to turn it with her hooves. Regardless, she still managed to turn it until she heard a distinct click, signaling that the door was now unlocked. The orange filly wasted no time to turn the handle, finally opening the door into the next room of horrors.
Just as the mangled pony crawled itself back into Rainbow's light, she backed herself into the next room right behind Scootaloo. Slamming the door shut, she made sure to lock it back, just in case that other pony knew how to open doors.
“I'm sorry Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo strangely apologized.
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “For what? You got us out of there Scoots!”
“But I left the key out there.”
Just as she said it, the door behind them was slammed, followed by a shivering scream on the other side.
“That doesn't matter,” Rainbow Dash replied, sincerity in her words. “We got out of there in one piece. That's all that matters.”
Hearing that seemed to make Scootaloo feel a bit better. But it still didn't drown out the frightening sounds on the other side of the door behind them.
“Now come on,” Rainbow Dash encouraged. “We need to get going.”
Scootaloo nodded, “Okay Rainbow Dash. Lead the way.”
Rainbow Dash forced an encouraging smile as she looked down the room, only to find out they were in a thin hallway. Lately, hallways have been nothing but bad news, so she told herself to keep her eyes open for anything suspicious. Which was hard to do if everything in this dreaded house was suspicious.
Another bang on the door behind them just encouraged the two pegasi to get moving faster. Rainbow Dash quickly paced her way down the empty hall with Scootaloo right beside her.
The further they walked, the more nervous Rainbow Dash became. She never showed it, but it was tearing her apart on the inside. If Scootaloo knew how frightened she was right now, that little filly would become terrified.
Just as they left the noise behind them, the hallway opened up into a large open room. Strange glowing yellow tinted orbs decorated the duo's surroundings as they begun to look around, only to find something that nearly made Scootaloo jump.
“Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo began, a bit on edge. “What happened to the floor?”
Rainbow had no idea how to answer that question. Somehow, the two pegasi found themselves standing on thin air, almost like the ground was invisible. The black void engulfed the area all around them as Rainbow carefully begun to take a few steps forward. Each step was strangely silent as well.
Several strange noises echoed throughout this new area as the duo carefully made their way forward. There wasn't anywhere else to go after all. The noises sounded like somepony was calling out to them from a long distance. A small breeze was also heard, but neither pony could feel it.
“Where are we supposed to go?” Scootaloo quietly asked. Even in her low tone, her voice echoed throughout the eerie atmosphere.
Rainbow Dash had no idea how to answer. She was too focused on her surroundings, keeping an eye out for her dangerous doppelganger.
Then Rainbow heard a small gasp come from Scootaloo. The cyan pegasus quickly set her eyes forward to see what the little filly was looking at. Then she saw it.
Standing in the distance was a beige coated stallion that seemed to be standing in one spot. Which was strange. How could she see him so far away when this room was pitch black? From what Rainbow could tell he had no cutie mark, but his black mane and tail seem to be frizzled and messy.
“Be ready for anything Scoots,” Rainbow warned as she began making her way toward him.
Scootaloo made sure to stick to Rainbow Dash like glue as they slowly made their way toward the frozen still stallion up ahead. Neither pony knew whether it was a good idea to call out to him or not, so they only approached him quieter than a mouse. The numb wind still blew and the distant voices were still reverberating in their heads, but that didn't stop Rainbow from spotting a peculiar accessory on the stallions left hoof.
A bright yellow bracelet, which seemed to glow in the darkness.
“Isn't that the bracelet you're looking for?” Scootaloo whispered nervously.
The orange filly was right. That had to have been it. It's glow was the familiar effects of an enchantment, which Rainbow had seen Twilight do only once.
But before neither of them could get any closer, the stallion craned its neck toward the two pegasi, revealing itself to be the exact opposite of what Dash was hoping for. His eyes were sewn shut, just like that other pony they encountered earlier, but this one seemed to be able to walk just fine.
The stallion screamed at the two pegasi's presence. Rainbow didn't know how he knew they were there if he couldn't see, but didn't have time to think about it as he begun to flee in the other direction.
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash shouted angrily. “Get back here!”
Rainbow Dash began to give chase, but became stunned when she saw a massive black hoof chasing the stallion. The stallion screamed out once more, but could do nothing as the hoof grabbed him, pulling him up into the black void. Rainbow could still hear the stallion screaming, regardless of what was happening to him.
Too stunned to even move, a small section of a brick wall flew out from behind Rainbow Dash, nearly hitting her on the head.
“What the—.”
The brick wall set itself up in front of the two pegasi, blocking their view of the fleeing stallion in the black distance. Just as Rainbow turned to run around it, another section of wall boxed her in.
“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo called out, just as a third section of wall, boxed in the left side.
Before anypony could do anything, one last section of wall blocked their only escape route. Looking up in a frantic manner, Rainbow Dash saw a section of wall slide over the ceiling, trapping the two pegasi in a small, claustrophobic box.
“What do we do!” Scootaloo panicked, desperately banging her hooves against the wall.
Then the last thing that Dash wanted began to happen. The box they were entrapped in began to close in on them.
With her heart beating faster than ever, Rainbow desperately began to search for a way out before it was too late. But before she could come up with anything, it began to grow darker. Regardless of their pendants still shining, the darkness ignored them as it consumed any light source, leaving the two terrified pegasi in pitch black darkness.
Even though she was blind, Rainbow Dash could feel Scootaloo hug her body tightly as she buried her face in her mane. Rainbow couldn't help but silently wrapping her hooves around the filly, unable to do a thing for her.
Screams of torment began to grow in the background as Scootaloo felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She promised Rainbow she would protect her, but how? Twilight was wrong. She couldn't protect Rainbow Dash from this.
Or could she.
“You can't harm Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo whispered underneath the cries of anguish in the black air. “Because if you did, you would harm me too.”
That made sense, right? Scootaloo seemed to think so.
“You can't hurt her!” Scootaloo called out to whatever force was listening. She hugged the cyan coated pegasus even more than before. “I won't let you!”
Then the screams began to fade. Scootaloo was confident that she was the only one who could stop this current state of madness.
Scootaloo continued her outbursts, regardless of how frightened she was. “If you hurt Rainbow Dash, you hurt me, and that's against your rules!”
Then the screams finally ceased, which in turn, made Scootaloo smile.
Suddenly, the two pegasi found the light of their necklace's returning unto them. As it did, they found out that they were somehow transported into another room of the madhouse they were in.
It was a small, red tinted room, which contained two broken work tables off to the side, as well as an old bookshelf on the other. But what caught Rainbow's eyes, was the figure who stood in front of the only door out of here. Her doppelganger.
“Give us a break!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
The doppelganger only ignored the request as she began to walk toward the duo with an outstretched hoof.
“Don't let her touch you Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo warned.
“But where do we go?” Rainbow Dash questioned, beginning to panic as the doppelganger began to close in on her.
“Leave that to me!”
Just as the doppelganger was within range, Scootaloo pounced on top of her, knocking Rainbow's deadly twin to the ground. Scootaloo winced as the doppelganger screamed at her in retaliation for getting in the way.
“Get going Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo commanded bravely.
The cyan pegasus didn't think twice about it. Leaping over her double, Rainbow Dash sprinted for the door, quickly opening it to reveal another hallway with windows on the sides. Turning back around, she took notice that the doppelganger shoved Scootaloo off herself to get to her own hooves. The orange filly rapidly made her way to Rainbow Dash's side before they both exited the room, leaving behind an angry ghost, which beckoned to give them chase.
Not having the time to shut the door, both ponies galloped down the thin hallway, passing by each window, which the moonlight easily shone through.
Just as they passed the windows, the glass suddenly shattered, releasing a flock of crows to fill the hallway. Rainbow Dash glanced backwards, only to see the crows were also chasing them. It looked like they were possessed. Their glowing red eyes stared straight at them as they cawed to the duo's forbidden presence.
Seeing another door, Rainbow sprinted ahead to open it. When she got close, she speedily opened the door, letting Scootaloo inside first. As soon as she was in, Rainbow Dash slammed the door shut, hoping that was enough to hold them.
Luckily, they got the break they needed. Nothing even tried to get the door open. But then again, this doppelganger was a type of ghost. When did it need to use doors?
Catching her breathe, Rainbow scanned this new but small room they were in. It almost looked like an old bathroom. The flooring was tiled but very dirty. A large cracked mirror hung on the wall beside them and a short and small counter was set on the other side of the room. She could also see the next doorway out, but decided to let Scootaloo rest a minute before moving on.
“Are you alright Scoots?” Rainbow Dash couldn't even count how many times she had asked that today.
Scootaloo nodded. “I'll live.”
Then Rainbow showed a grin. “Well . . . about earlier . . . thanks for helping me out of two jams.” A moment passed until she continued in a lower tone. “Did you really mean all that you said?”
Now it was Scootaloo's turn to grin. “Of course Rainbow Dash! You mean a lot to me. I couldn't let anything bad happen to you.”
Rainbow Dash would be telling a lie if she said she was surprised, but she never expected to hear Scootaloo say that to her herself.
“Well . . . how about when all this is over, you and me go grab a few sweets from Sugar Cube Corner?”
Rainbow Dash could almost see Scootaloo beaming with excitement already. “Really?”
“Of course!” Rainbow Dash happily replied as she begun to look around the room. Strangely enough, everything seemed as normal as it was going to get.
That is until she heard a low giggle. Rainbow Dash looked over at Scootaloo, only to see her smile was stolen from her and replaced with a worried expression. Looking around, Rainbow couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary in the room they occupied.
Until her eyes ran across the cracked mirror.
Walking a bit closer, Rainbow noticed something terrible about her reflection.
Her face was completely gone.
Rainbow immediately brought her hoof to her face to feel her facial features, finding out they were still there. But then she noticed another odd thing about this mirror. When she raised her hoof, her reflection did not.
“What the hay?”
Another child-like giggle emerged from the room, echoing around the two pegasi. Scootaloo curled up in fear as Rainbow Dash continued to watch her own reflection as it began to have a mind of its own.
Rainbow's reflection didn't speak. It only began to turn it's head to the right. It was then that Rainbow begun to hear a sickening crack coming from her own neck, sounding like it was being twisted all the way around her head. Rainbow's eyes grew wide as she saw her reflection's head was twisted at an impossible one-hundred and eighty degree angle, but it was still standing in its place.
Then the child-like giggles began to grow louder as Rainbow began to back away from the mirror she desperately wanted to look away from.
Feeling a tug on her good wing, Rainbow looked over to see a frightened Scootaloo, who's reflection was also the same in the mirror. The little filly's face explained that she was scared, which was more than enough to let Rainbow know it was time to move on.
Before Rainbow Dash could make a move, a sudden scream began in the next room. As frightening as it was, it sounded all too familiar. But Rainbow had no time to think before the door behind them abruptly exploded, sending shards of wood flying around the room. The two pegasi snapped their heads towards the ruckus, only to find Rainbow's twin waiting on the other side.
That was all the encouragement Rainbow and Scootaloo needed. Both turned towards the next door and bolted for it, leaving behind a screeching doppelganger in the dust. The cyan coated mare opened the door, letting Scootaloo inside. Before the doppelganger could catch up, Rainbow hurled the door shut.
By the time the door shut, the same scream from before cried out in front of the duo. However, this was one scream that Rainbow was happy to hear.
It was that same beige coated stallion from earlier. The enchanted band was still wrapped around his hoof. That was it. As soon as Rainbow got her hooves on that band, all of this would just be a bad memory.
But there was one thing. The two pegasi found themselves in that same black open room from before. Wooden stairs were set in front of Rainbow and Scootaloo as a line of torches were hung in the air on the left and right side of it, which led straight up to an old creaky platform where the stallion was at.
“Come on Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash encouraged.
She didn't need to be told twice. Both pegasi took off up the stairs, just as the doppelganger broke through the last remaining door behind them. Rainbow Dash nor Scootaloo looked back. They only kept their eyes forward as they climbed the rickety stairs as the doppelganger was already giving chase.
It didn't seem how fast they running, Rainbow's evil twin didn't seem to care. The doppelganger gradually gained on them as the duo climbed, slowly becoming more fatigued as they did so.
Rainbow Dash looked back long enough to see her twin snarling and growling toward her as she attempted to bite down on her tail. Rainbow flicked her tail to the side, making the doppelganger miss. The twin screeched in response to Rainbow's evasion forcing the cyan coated mare to cringe as her ears began to ache.
Just a little more. Rainbow ran faster than ever, hoping to get to the stallion before her doppelganger had her way with her. Making herself glance back, Rainbow watched as Scootaloo turned her direction straight into the doppelganger's side, causing it to slow down.
“Leave her alone!” Scootaloo threatened.
The doppelganger shrieked toward the young filly, failing to notice Rainbow Dash was already at the top of the stairs.
The beige coated stallion turned toward the general direction of the noise, just as Rainbow Dash leaped for him. Just as she did, the black room itself began to light itself up, showing its true form.
The walls were far away, but no doubt they were made of bones. Rainbow ignored this feeble attempt to spook her as she looked down at the snarling stallions hoof and saw the prize she craved. Screams of agony returned unto Rainbow's ears as she reached down for the band, ignoring what the stallion had to say about it. Regardless of his kicking and screaming, Rainbow had no choice but to hope she could slip that band off his hoof.
“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo called out, fatigued but panic-stricken. “Get the band!”
The doppelganger finally reached the top of the stairs, then noticed Rainbow slipping off the enchanted band from the crazed stallion. With a scream of a thousand deaths, the doppelganger charged forward, refusing to stop for anything.
At last, Rainbow Dash slipped off the band, just as the doppelganger leaped for her. Scootaloo couldn't believe her eyes. There was no way she could have put that band on in time.
But everypony had their surprises.
Rainbow Dash's very own doppelganger, fell straight through Rainbow Dash, almost as if she wasn't even there. Tumbling along the wooden platform, Dash's evil twin scrambled to her hooves, absolutely angered by the fact that her prey had beaten her. On Rainbow's hoof was the same enchanted band the doppelganger had so desperately hoped to keep away from her.
“Aw yeah,” Rainbow began victoriously, just as Scootaloo took her place by her side. “You, of all ponies, should know that I'm the fastest pegasus in Equestria.”
The doppelganger growled as the bone walls of the room began to fade away. Soon, Rainbow Dash found herself beginning to grow a bit disoriented as her vision began to grow black. Before everything had disappeared from view, she caught one last glimpse of her doppelganger beginning to melt away from existence, shrieking as it did so.
Then the noises stopped and all was quiet. Rainbow Dash had no idea what was going on, but she knew she was well-protected by the band she wore, as well as her faithful companion, Scootaloo.
A cold breeze made itself known as Rainbow Dash felt it rush through her mane. Ever so slowly, her vision began to restore itself. The first thing she saw was a dead meadow in the middle of a familiar forest. Looking up, she noticed an opening in the trees and saw the full moon high in the starlit sky.
“Rainbow Dash?”
Turning, Rainbow noticed Scootaloo with an accomplished expression on her face.
“We did it Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo happily exclaimed.
Rainbow smiled. “We sure did squirt.”
The house itself was gone. Vanished from existence. Rainbow Dash couldn't be happier to be in the Everfree Forest again. But there was one thing that was missing from the picture.
“Wait a second,” Rainbow began, scanning the treeline surrounding them. “Didn't Twilight say she would be here?”
“I think so,” Scootaloo lowly replied, also taking notice that the purple coated unicorn was missing. “Maybe she went to check on Spike?”
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Maybe. For now, let's get out of this forest.”
Scootaloo couldn't agree more. Both pegasi turned around to find the same path they took to get to the house then began to follow it. The owls still hooted in the midnight, but Scootaloo's shining pendant seemed to make the path a lot more safe than what it have usually been. Though at the moment, Scootaloo felt fearless.
It didn't take them too long to find their way out of the Everfree Forest and into Ponyville itself. From the sounds of laughter in the air, Rainbow Dash knew Nightmare Night wasn't even over yet.
Passing by Twilight's residence, the duo took a peek through the nearest window to find it was completely dark. Scootaloo took this chance to retrieve her scooter and helmet she left behind and wasted no time in putting on the accessory.
“Twilight must not be home,” Rainbow Dash remarked, seeing an empty library. “We should find her. She's probably going crazy with worry about us.”
With no objection to the plan, Scootaloo jumped on her scooter and quietly followed Rainbow Dash down the path into the center of Ponyville where all the Nightmare Night festivities were happening. Passing by a few ponies on the way there, Scootaloo could tell by the looks on their faces that they were wondering what she and Rainbow were wearing around their necks. A few ponies even had the courtesy to give out a compliment about how nice they looked.
Eventually the duo found themselves in the grand center of Ponyville. Many of the ponies wore different costumes, all as unique as the last.
“Rainbow!”
Both pegasi turned to see a Star-Swirled the Bearded costumed pony galloping toward them. Why was Twilight dressed up in the same costume as last year? Better yet, why was she dressed up at all?
“Twilight?” Rainbow Dash questioned as the unicorn stopped in a few hooves away from her.
“Where have you been?” Twilight scolded. “Nightmare Night is almost over!”
“Whoa, what are you talking about Twilight? I've been bustin' my chops over in that haunted house you sent me and Scootaloo to!”
Twilight raised an eyebrow in response. “What are you talking about? I've been waiting by Sugar Cube Corner for the last hour for you.” Then Twilight looked at Rainbow's limp wing. “Did you hurt yourself again?”
Rainbow Dash cringed as she looked down at Scootaloo. The orange filly had no idea what was going on at the moment. But in truth, neither did Rainbow Dash.
“Neat necklace's though,” Twilight complimented. “Where did you two get them?”
“I-,” Rainbow began, but found herself at a loss for words. “You know what, forget this.”
And with that, Rainbow turned around and began walking the opposite direction with absolutely no idea of what just happened.
