ZOHMYWHAT2by cloudedguardianChaptersInstallDarknessThunderSlow ProgressWaterJumpInstallOne dark and stormy night- No wait, wrong genre… Still accurate though… Hmmm. “Girls! Wait up!” Oh this works. “C’mon Fluttershy! Hurry up,” Pinkie Pie called frantically, her hooves beating out a frantic skipping step as she scurried backwards towards Twilight’s library… A sight that was of endless amusement to the pale blue pegasus mare that was lounging in the window watching her friends progress across the street. “We’re going to be late!” “Pinkie’s right, Fluttershy. If you keep this up you’re gonna have to figure out how to dodge raindrops. And although I think Pinkie could probably manage that particular feat, you’ll probably end up looking like a drowned rat!” “Rainbow!” Rarity’s accosting only earned her an uncaring eye roll from Rainbow Dash, who returned to watching the sky darken. Twilight smiled at her friends playful joshing from her seat at the computer. On the desk was the case from Rainbow’s new game along with a cooling pot of tea. She had made it unusually strong by accident, but as Spike had been quick to point out, it had turned out for the better, as he could easily make iced tea with it- Which would be far safer to drink while playing a game that tends to make one jump. A crack of lightning split the blackening sky, a silver bolt that lit the world around the quiet tree in a haunting hue. The rumbling peal of thunder that followed was promptly echoed by the front door slamming open as Fluttershy shot in as a yellow blur. Pinkie followed her in a minute later, giggling a little at the storm. Everything seemed to strike that girl funny. Twilight carefully swung around in her chair to look at the pile of cushions which Fluttershy was currently hiding under. “You know Fluttershy, if the storm is going to bother you, we can reschedule.” Rainbow Dash’s head snapped around to look at Twilight in a mixture of pleading disappointment and affronted horror. Before she could utter an audible protest to the suggestion, Rarity gently whopped the cyan pegasus in the ribs in a silent disapproving scold. While the two glared at each other, Fluttershy emerged from her hiding spot. “O-oh, n-no, it’s quite alright… I still want us to have our usual game night… I just don’t like storms much.” “Are you sure, Fluttershy? I mean, I don’t think there’s any reason why we couldn’t postpone it until tomorrow night… The storm will be long over by then.” Fluttershy shook her head at Twilight’s gentle offer. “Oh no, it’s fine really. In fact, I’d feel much better here playing with everypony than I would sitting at home.” “YES!” Fluttershy giggled slightly as Rainbow did a victorious loop-de-loop in the air before landing with a flop beside her. “You’re the best Fluttershy!” RD hugged her fellow pegasus tightly before rocketing back to her place at the window. “Now we just need AJ.” “I do believe that Applejack had some errands to tend to before coming,” Rarity called lightly as she made her way to the kitchen. “Do you mind if I make some popcorn, Twilight?” “Go right ahead, Rarity. I think Spike’s in the kitchen, but as long as you mind his tail, he won’t care.” Pinkie skipped her way over to sit beside Twilight to look up at the computer screen with a hint of amused confusion. ‘Is it working Twilight? I know you couldn’t get that last one to work… You know, that Jackie one.” “Justine, Pinkie. And I think this one should work, everything seems fine so far… But we won’t know until I actually get it running.” “It better work,” Rainbow groused from her position at the window. “I’m really looking forward to this one.” “Well, cross your feathers then!” Pinkie giggled, before almost visibly lighting up as something occurred to her. “OH! We should totally have some Jack-O-lanterns!” “Jack-O-lanterns?” Rainbow deadpanned. “Yeah! It’s almost Nightmare Night after all!” Pinkie’s face split into an angelic grin, and Rainbow resisted the urge to facehoof. “Pinkie. Where in Equestria are you going to get Jack-O-lanterns at this time of night? And we’re going to start playing as soon as Applejack gets here and Twilight’s done setting it up! So you don’t really have time to make them…” “Oh ye of little faith.” Pinkie sighed dramatically before turning to grin at the purple unicorn beside her. “Twilight, you have some jars and orange tissue paper right?” “Huh? Uh, sure, there’s a bunch of old jars in the cupboard over there, and I think there’s some tissue paper downstairs.” “Thanks!” A pink blur shot by, and at a speed which surely only Pinkie Pie can reach, the coffee table was soon covered in old glass jars, tissue paper, black construction paper, and glue. “Hey, Fluttershy, come help me with this!” “Um, alright…” Rainbow just gaped at them with uttermost bemusement, as Pinkie showed Fluttershy what to do. “You see, you rip up the paper like this, and then you put a bit of glue on the jar, and then you just stick on the paper like this! Then when it’s all~ covered, you just cut out a little face with the black paper, and stick that on too! Then you have your very own Jack-o-lantern jar!” Twilight grinned to herself as Rainbow walked over to join the two in investigation, which quickly turned in to her helping them make the small decorations. The rain began to come down in a gentle muttering as she finished installing the game in relative peace. (Relative due to the conversation that occasionally drifted up… “Fluttershy! You’re not supposed to make them cute!” ) “What are those three doin’?” Twilight turned around in her seat with a hint of surprise. She had been so enraptured in setting the game up for them, that she hadn’t heard the door open to let in a slightly drenched Applejack. “Not getting in my hair,” Twilight replied lightly, magicking over a towel for her friend to dry off with. “Nice to see you could make it Applejack.” The earth pony chuckled slightly as she dried herself off. “Ah’m glad Ah could make it too.” “Hey AJ!” Rainbow hastily put down the finished jar she was messing with to gently punch her friend in the shoulder. “Ready to get your hat scared off?” “We’ll see about that Rainbow, now won’t we?” Rarity rolled her eyes as she strode into the room with a bowl of popcorn perfectly balanced on her back, and the freshly poured tea in her grasp. “Now don’t you two start your little challenges already.” “Oh alright. Hey, Twi, is the game ready yet?” Twilight sighed with a hint of exasperation before turning to smile at her friends. “Yes Rainbow, the game is ready. You just need to tell me which difficulty to set it to.” “Put it on Hard! I ain’t afraid of no challenge!” “Perhaps Rainbow Dash, but some of us are beginners at this. I think putting it on Easy would be a much better idea, personally.” “Awh, come on Rarity-” “You know what? I’m just going to put it on Medium. That way everypony’s happy.” The mouse click was audible across the room, and brought a palpable excitement to the air. As the screen darkened to load the game, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash shot in opposite directions to turn out the lights and set up the newly created lanterns. Blue and magenta magic lit to quickly pull cushions about to make seats, the bowl of popcorn and drink pitcher were positioned in easy reach. With a last spark of magic, the lantern’s candles were lit, leaving the room bathed in a soft gold light that was both cozy and slightly ominous as thunder rolled in the background. “So. Who’s playing first?” DarknessThe screen went brilliant white with a ringing hum that echoed throughout the room. It blinked to the game screen for a second before going a pitch black that left the room in darkness. Then, from the speakers came a soft sad voice that spoke aloud the words of the introduction. I’ve always felt alone my whole life, for as long as I can remember. I don’t know if I like it… Or if I’m just used to it, but I do know this; Being lonely does things to you, and feeling shit and bitter and angry all the time just… Eats away at you… “Well somepony needs a hug.” “Rainbow, shhhh!” The words faded from the screen to play the intro cut-scene. Fluttershy carefully wiggled forward to sit beside Rarity, who blinked at her for a second before looking back at the screen. “Kitty!” “Yes Pinkie, we see the kitty.” “What were you saying about being quiet, Twilight?” “That was Rarity!” “You two sound alike when you’re whispering, did you know that?” “Will the two of you pipe down already? Ah’m trying to hear!” “Sorry.” The storm outside rumbled gently, and the speakers echoed it with far greater venom as the words “Cry of Fear” lit the screen in sharp white letters, and between the two Fluttershy was beginning to duck behind Rarity’s mane. “C’mon Fluttershy, don’t chicken out already,” Rainbow teased lightly, “the game hasn’t even started yet.” “I am not chickening out,” Fluttershy corrected sternly, “I just have a bad feeling…” Another peal of thunder echoed out, this time from outside, and Fluttershy ducked behind her wings slightly. “And I don’t like thunder…” “That’s quite alright Fluttershy dear, I’m a bit creeped out as well.” Rarity smiled gently, before turning to glare at Rainbow Dash. “Lay off.” “Relax Rarity, it’s all part of the fun… Or have you two forgotten your hysterical laughing fit that you had at my expense after that stupid grunt scared me the other night?” Pinkie Pie obviously hadn’t, as she quickly burst into laughter. “Ooh ooh! I remember that! You were all like “I ain’t scared!” and then you opened the door and Mr. Face was all like “GRRRR!” and then you were all like “GAH!” and you flew all the way up to Twilight’s room to hide under the bed and-“ Pinkie’s tirade was cut short by the appearance of RD’s hoof in her mouth. “Yes Pinkie. I’m sure we all remember it quite clearly.” As Rarity and Fluttershy’s growing giggles increased Rainbow’s embarrassment, Applejack’s ear twitched in visible irritation. “Ah hate to interrupt your little party sugarcubes, but the game’s starting.” Silence fell as attention returned to the computer screen, the game’s cutscene quickly changing from scenic to increasingly disturbing as it turned from a lovely train ride in the moonlight to murder both attempted and witnessed. A bloody “Wake up” sprawled across a wall was all the warning they got before a flash of something gruesome flickered in and out of sight. “What was that?!” Fluttershy squeaked. Another bloodied message was all they were given before being rather suddenly tossed into game play. The character stood in a simple bedroom, the only door opening up to a black abyss before them, a single white “X” hovering a few feet away in the inky gloom ahead. Twilight looked at the empty computer chair, and then back at her friends. “So…” “I-I’ll go first…” Rarity said weakly, as she got to her hooves. Dead silence, only broken by the wind and rain outside, hung in the air as Rarity slowly walked over to the computer chair and sat down. Their character stirred, and then stepped forward to look about the room. It was a small room, simply decorated. The only sign of the room having been lived in was papers spilled and scattered across the floor, and video game posters upon the wall and door. “I guess the only way to go is forward…” Rarity offered meekly, and their character obediently turned towards the darkness again. As she stepped towards the white ‘X’ she accidentally bumped the camera button, causing the ‘X’ to disappear in place of a door in the flash of the camera. “So now we know what the camera’s for…” Twilight said softly as she scooted forward to see the screen better. Rarity nodded gently, and carefully moved through the door to see three more ‘X’s before her. Picking one at random, the camera flashed, for the words “I hate you” to appear in blood. An audible gulp ran around the room, and Rarity swallowed dryly twice before trying again. The second ‘X’ she picked revealed a new door. The next one was farther away this time. A flash revealed another door behind it, and she stepped through obediently. This time there were four new crosses, and she wasn’t looking forward to whatever unpleasant surprise awaited under a wrong choice. Two flashes at the ones on the walls only brought further darkness to the abyss, and her final choice a trap-door. Part of her wanted to know what lay beneath the final ‘X’, the rest of her happily hopped through the door to leave it behind. Click, a new door. Click, greater darkness. Rarity had to search to find the other two ‘X’s in the room. “L-left or right?” “Huh?” Rainbow Dash looked up at Rarity with a hint of confusion, who was eyeing the screen with a hint of terror. “I’ve got a bad feeling, so just pick, left or right?” “Um… Right.” Rarity turned and faced the ‘X’ on her right. With a slight gulp, she pressed the button, and the white cross vanished in the flash of the camera… To reveal a mutilated corpse hanging a foot away. The white unicorn let out a slightly strangled noise as the body vanished into the gloom around her. “Oops… I guess Left…” Rainbow said awkwardly. The chill that had shot down her spine had yet to leave fully, and the fur along her back was still ruffled and on end. Another flash continued the path through a shattering window, from which a door was only a foot away. She continued forward, and found a mirror. Her reflection shattered it angrily, and glass fell around her character as it descended to the next path. The fur around her neck was beginning to stand on end, and she was already looking forward to the moment when she could hand the controls to one of her other friends and hide behind one of the plump floor pillows that were scattered around. Her first guess at the next path was thankfully accurate, and the door swung open obediently to allow her to move forward unharassed. Aside from an extremely warped scream that echoed from the speakers anyway… Through the next door, however, was only darkness, and for the first time Rarity was feeling rather lost. “Uh, where am I supposed to go?” “There’s a reeaallly tiny white dot over there…” Pinkie offered. “Maybe that?” “Alright, that seems logical enough…” Steps echoed out from the speaker as the character made her way forward to the small glowing dot ahead. As she got closer, she could see that it was in fact a ‘X’ and therefore where she needed to go. Her relief was cut short as the speakers were filled with a horrid and terrifying noise, an accompanying gruesome face covering the screen with its gaping maw and bulging eyes. The girls all squealed, Rarity’s terrified scream beating all, and the computer chair hit the floor with an echoing bang that only increased the racket as she scrambled out of it in sheer panic. Spike stuck his head into the living room with more than a little worry. “Rarity? Twilight? Are you guys all okay? You sound like you’re getting tortured.” With Spike’s eyes wide with obvious concern, glowing softly in the darkness as dragon eyes do, along with the now silence from the computer as it peacefully loaded the next area, the girls suddenly realized all at once how silly everything was, and joined in in the best part of playing scary games; laughing hysterically over what scared you. “Did you see that thing?! It was so gross,” Rainbow snorted, “It looked like its eyes were going to pop right out of its head!” “And it was all like “GARGHFLARBABLARG!!!” and we are all like, “EEK!” and it’s just so-“ Pinkie cut herself off with a renewed giggle fit, and she practically fell onto Rarity’s lap as she clutched her sides with laughter. Rarity, cheeks slightly red at her earlier panic, could only shake her head at her friend. “I have to admit that thing just scared me half-to-death! My heart is still pounding! I’m sorry girls, but I don’t think I’ll be playing anymore tonight… I’ll just be… Right here.” “That’s alright Rarity… And yes Spike, we’re all just fine.” Twilight assured quickly, suppressing her own giggles with a hoof as she paused the game before it could play the next cutscene without them. “Yeah, this is pretty much what happens every night… This is just the first time you’re here,you know, during.” Rainbow said, her devilish grin quick to return. Spike chuckled. “OK. I’ll just be in the kitchen then, reading my comics. Call me if you need me.” The girls waited until everypony had their composure back, at which point the big question was asked. “So… Who’s next?” Thunder“So…” Rainbow began, her eyes darting mischievously between her friends as Twilight returned the computer chair to its correct position, “Who’s next?” “Ooh ooh! Me me me! I wanna go next! Me!” “Alright, alright, Pinkie, you can go next,” Rainbow laughed, “it’s not like there’s a line or anything.” Pinkie beamed as she hopped to her hooves. With a single well-aimed bounce she was in the computer chair searching for the button to unpause that game and start the next cutscene. Twilight pressed it for her, and the screen flickered black for a second before starting up the introduction to the new level. “I like this opening better.” Fluttershy said with a small laugh. “Why? Nothing’s happening. The guy gets a text, and decides to go home after waking up in an alley… Whoop-de-doo!” Rainbow deadpanned. “It’s because nothing’s happening, Dashie! After that big scary thing yelled at all of us, I think they like the peace and- Ooh, I’ve got a knife!” As their character looked slowly around the alley he was in, a silver knife clenched tightly in his right hand, the screen lit up softly in white letters again. “Chapter 1- Lost in the City.” “I’m not lost,” Pinkie said innocently as their character turned to start walking out of the alley. ‘I know exactly where I’m going. Forward!” “It’s probably just called that to be spooky.” RD shrugged. “Ah don’t really think it needs any help bein’ that.” “I’ve got an inventory?” Pinkie questioned, as a hint box appeared at the top of the screen. “Huh? Oh yeah, you do… Just keep in mind that it runs in real-time.” “Runs in real time?” Fluttershy asked quietly, looking up at the blue pegasus beside her. “What does that mean?” “It means the game doesn’t pause when you open it,” Twilight explained simply, “So you have to be more careful.” “Well, there’s no baddies around right now!” Pinkie chirped happily, giving the tab button a tap. “What is with horror games and making positively everything bloody? I just don’t see the point,” Rarity sighed in disgust as she eyed the “décor” of the inventory screen. “It’s completely untasteful.” “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one that cares, Rarity.” Rainbow grumbled, rolling her eyes at her fashionista friend. “Actually girls, I think it might be rust, not blood.” Twilight offered, squinting at the screen to try and tell the difference. After fiddling with the various buttons in the inventory screen, Pinkie managed to figure out how to ‘Dual Wield’ her knife and phone. “I can text and fight at the same time! Huzzah! Have at you!” While goofing around fighting imaginary enemies, Pinkie bumped a button unintentionally, and discovered an important detail. “Oh! My cell’s my flashlight!” “Well that’s…” Rainbow began, initially sounding somewhat disgusted, but then changing her tone as she actually thought it over. “Actually, that’s pretty original…” Pinkie giggled lightly, before continuing her way forward out of the darkened alley and into an area where the moonlight still shone. Naturally, she stopped to look around the area, and during the time she spent doing the latter, something caught Rarity’s eye that made her jump. So of course everyone looked at her with eyebrows raised. “Was I the only one that seen that? There was some weird shadow thing on top of the bridge there!” Pinkie obligingly swung her flashlight/cellphone up to look at the bridge, but there was nothing but leaves drifting down to be seen. “I think you’re seeing things Rarity.” Rainbow said bluntly. “I most certainly am not!” She snapped back, causing Twilight to quickly wiggle her way between the two. “It doesn’t matter! It’s a horror game- There’s no doubt that there’s all sorts of weird crap in here!” Twilight said quickly, breaking the two up again. “So just drop it?” “There’s no point us doing this if we start to fight Dashie.” The fact that Pinkie almost sounded sad was enough to damper what was left of Rainbow’s desire to fight. “Yeah you’re right Pinkie Pie. I’m sorry.” “I as well… I admit I over-reacted. This game has me on edge.” “That’s alright, Rarity,” Rainbow said lightly, giving the white unicorn a half hug, “and I’ll keep it in mind too.” Twilight smiled happily, pleased that the sudden high tensions had dissolved as easily as the fright from the last scare had. “That’s better. Okay Pinkie, we’re all clear back here.” “Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie beamed, cheerily swinging back to face the game screen. “Full speed ahead!” Well ‘Full speed ahead’ led them right into the nearby abandoned subway tunnels. As if it wasn’t enough that it was dimly lit and eerily quiet, the second that Pinkie rounded the second corner, a shadow of some person (or more likely some thing) could be seen passing just around the corner up ahead. “Oh! Hey! Wait up,” Pinkie called, quickly urging their character into a sprint, “I wanna talk to you!” “Pinkie, darling, are you sure this is a good idea?” Rarity asked a little frantically. “Of course it is! It’s just a game after all.” Their character skidded to a stop as they turned the corner to reach an empty hallway, their mark now long out of sight. Pinkie made her way slowly down the hallway and to the first door. There was a moments silence among the girls as they all eyed the graffitied door and the words “Help Me” clearly written in blood beside it. With apprehensive care, Pinkie slowly reached out and tried the door. The rattle that came from it announced that it was locked, producing a relieved sigh from everypony in the room. Find a code to the padlock. “So, there’s two doors left, through one of them I guess?” Rainbow asked, standing up on her hind legs to lean against the computer chair and get a better look at the screen. “I guess so.” Pinkie wheeled her character around to try the smaller of the two, to find it open. The screen blinked black as it loaded the next area. Everypony leaned forward a little bit in expectation- To see another darkened, empty, graffitied alley as the next area. “Well that’s disappointing.” Rainbow muttered. Pinkie didn’t mind too much though, and quickly began looking around surrounding crooks and crannies to see if her new ‘friend’ was playing hide-and-seek. There was little to be found but crude words spray-painted across locked back doors and walls, overflowing dumpsters and litter scattered across the ground. Around the corner was a set of stairs that led under a railroad bridge atop of which a train had oddly stopped as if it was taking a catnap. I guess there’s nothing to be found around here. Pinkie decided with a small shrug, before moving their character forward once more. The second their foot landed on the first step, a crack of lightning lit the sky illuminating for a split second a twisted figure ahead, accompanied with a deafening crash of thunder that echoed from the speakers and through the room. Rainbow Dash’s wings flared open as she jerked back in shock and nearly fell onto the pillow which Fluttershy was now hiding underneath. If Pinkie had not ducked down instead of scrambling back as well, the whole chair would have likely hit the floor instead of rocking back an inch before slamming back into place of its own accord. A moments silence hung in the air as the storm outside rumbled in eerie echo, and the girls all stared in tense worry at the now peaceful computer screen. It was broken rather pleasantly by an irritated voice from the kitchen. “Can you guys please turn the volume down? We’ve got enough stupid thunder from outside already, if you don’t mind.” Slow Progress“If it’s ‘unforgettable’ then why did they write it down?” Twilight gave a slightly desolate and exasperated sigh at Pinkie’s otherwise cheery question. “So that we could find it,” She replied simply looking up at the pink pony with the slight hope that she would just accept the fact that video games did not dictate to logic and would simply move on. “Otherwise we would still be wandering in circles and be unable to move on.” “But you’re not supposed to write down your usernames and passwords and stuff where other ponies can find it, every site always tells you that! And then they always say “never give your password out” and all other sorts of really obvious rules that must mean that ponies keep doing really obviously dumb things, which really doesn’t make sense when you think about it, because making mistakes like that and getting your stuff all messed up be a Meanie Mcmean-pants is really no fun at all and-“ “PINKIE!” “Yes, Dashie?” “It’s a video game. Just take the clue, and go back to the computer you found, so you can log in, and we can move on already!” “Okie Dokie Lokie!” For the last twenty minutes, the horror game had decided to take a walk. Literally. After the jump scare under the bridge, the game had suddenly decided to forget that it was a horror game, and therefore was supposed to be spooky, and instead had sent their character on a very long and dull walk around downtown. There was no monsters, no bloody writing, not even a grumble of thunder, and it had gotten so boring that they had passed the “False sense of security” and right into the “Do you want to play cards until we get to the next area?” The most interesting thing that had occurred was Pinkie’s discovery of a single Jack-o-lantern that looked identical to the one on her porch at home. No, really, that was the most interesting thing that happened. It did not help that it took a very long time for the girls to realize that said Jack-O-Lantern marked the only door that could actually be entered, and this was discovered only when Pinkie had finally resorted to trying every door she seen. All that was left to do was explore the coffee shop, which despite being empty and dusty wasn’t the least bit creepy due to the bountiful amount of light that was somehow streaming in through dirtied windows, and discover the locked computer. This in turn had queued the search to track down the two pieces of paper that they had earlier spotted, and would most likely provide them with the Username and Password to get into the computer. Up until this point, they had thought the paper simply litter, much like the bountiful amount of newspaper before it, and had not even tried picking it up. Video game logic had not yet kicked in, it seemed. Twilight’s guess was that doing so would provide them with the PIN they needed to get through the bloodied door, and hopefully into interesting times once more. “Here’s the computer again! Which one do you think is the username, girls?” “Excalibor,” Came the reply in a tone that was bored five times over. “Wow, unanimous decision huh?” Pinkie chuckled, before obligingly typing it in. “That is such a stupid and completely typical username,” Rainbow Dash grumbled, from where she lounged on the couch, casting her upside-down gaze on a bored Applejack. “Excalibor~!” She exclaimed, her voice cast in sarcastic excitement as she waved her hooves around in the air. “Woo.” She deadpanned, earning a small snort from the cowgirl. “It does sound awful silly. Kinda like a colt tryin’ too hard to impress a schoolfilly he likes.” “I think you just summed up the whole internet AJ.” “That’s…” Applejack frowned as she mulled the thought over. “Pretty sad actually.” “Eeyup.” “You were right Twi, it did have the PIN! It’s 7216… And I think someone just came in the café.” “Well thank Celestia for that. Even I was getting bored.” Rainbow gave Rarity a rather sour look as Fluttershy laid down her cards from the spot where Rarity and her had been playing Go-Fish for the past ten minutes. “No, really?” Dash muttered dryly in reply as she rolled over and off the couch to land on her hooves to trot over to the computer screen again. “Well, go on. Go see if there’s a monster,” Rainbow said, poking Pinkie gently in the arm with the tip of her hoof. “There should be after all this.” Fluttershy slowly crept her way up towards the computer chair as Pinkie slowly snuck over to the doorframe to peek around it. Fluttershy held her breath as Pinkie edged around to peek around the moldy wood to see… The door open all the way to reveal the still very empty street outside. “Oh,” Fluttershy breathed, admittedly somewhat relieved.. “So- Um… Now we have to walk all the way back to the subway door, right?” “I think that, now that we know where we are going, it shouldn’t take long for us to actually get there,” Twilight offered. “Which at this point even I am grateful for.” “You and me both,” Rainbow grumbled, resting her head on the computer desk. “This game suddenly went from ‘Cry of Fear’ to ‘Cry of Boredom.’” When they finally reached the locked door from whence they’d came, it was not with intimidation that they looked upon the bloodied “Help me” but with hope of an adventure. Yes, I’m getting overly poetic. I’m bored too. Shoot me. “Okay!” Pinkie exclaimed cheerily, clicking the door to bring up the rusty padlock. “Let’s see, seeeveeeen, twwwooooo, one, siiiix,” She said slowly, as she tapped each arrow to bring about its respective number. *Click* “Open Sesame!” She chuckled proudly as she pushed the door open to reveal the darkened passage ahead. “This,” Rainbow began slowly, sitting up to get a better look at the screen, “This looks promising.” As Pinkie stepped into the darkness, the game’s hints popped up along the top of the screen again. You can put up to 3 items in your quick slots. Another three steps forward caused the small box to scroll and reveal a new message. This is much faster than equipping through the inventory and can save your life. “And that’s very promising.” Rainbow grinned, a somewhat feral look finding its way upon her face. Pinkie’s eyes went wide, and she tested the first door she came across with a hint of worried caution. It was locked, forcing her to step out of the darkened passage and out into the cold open, a hissing wind blowing a few dead leaves into drifting by her character’s nose as she stepped into the back area. As she turned to look at the two doors ahead, a metallic thunk echoed out, causing Fluttershy to duck behind Applejack again. Everypony else on the other hoof, was leaning forward with a hint of excited trepidation, and despite the ominous atmosphere that had descended, Pinkie made her way towards the two graffitied doors ahead. Approaching the first, however, pulled the controls away from her as a cutscene took over. Breath was baited as the black bars thinned the screen, and the character muttered a cut-off curse as his phone beeped. The cell was pulled from it’s pocket to see a new text, four words long. Look to the right. If any of the girls had control of what the character did next, it would be to NOT look to the right. Perhaps to never look to the right ever again, if possible. However, it was the game that was in control, and their character did in fact turn to the right, and the door nearby creaked open to allow him passage. Although in some ways she really didn’t want to, Pinkie still stepped through the door into the darkness beyond. “What is with this game and dank dark corridors?” Rarity muttered with some disgust. “They could at least try for some variation.” “I’m sure they’ll do something new for the next area. This game is way too popular for them to just reuse the same textures over and over again.” Rainbow said quickly, as Pinkie investigated the tape recorder laying on the ground at the next corner. “Ooh! Save point!” “That’s never good.” Twilight deadpanned, earning her a confused glance from Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie all at the same time. “How is it not good, Twilight darling? It means that you won’t have to start over if something happens.” “Yes, and the very fact that they decided to put one there usually means that something is about to happen.” “It couldn’t just be because we’ve played for almost forty minutes now?” “It could. I just don’t think so.” Although Rainbow agreed with Twilight, she was more eager to see what that “Something” was, as well as what the relative reactions to it would be, to comment on the presence of the save point herself. None-the-less, the second that the save was completed, Pinkie turned and made her way down the path once more, bringing back the hint box within the first minute of making the turn. Press MOUSE2 to make a melee attack with your weapon. This will cause a small amount of damage to monsters in your immediate vicinity. Use it to push attack enemies when surrounded, or out of ammo. “Is that proof enough of there bein’ “somethin’” for ya Rarity?” “Ah, yes. Quite enough.” “Hey Twilight, what does “Immediate vicinity” mean?” Pinkie asked, turning around in her chair enough to look at the purple unicorn seated behind her. “To be in one’s immediate vicinity means to be very close, within hoof’s reach, so to speak.” “Ooohhhh, okay.” The next step forward that Pinkie took turned off all the lights. The girls froze as a rattling breath echoed out through the darkness, only Rainbow Dash looking hopeful. Pushing the forward key once more brought forth a shambling noise as the camera slowly panned forward to the single slit of light that could be seen. As it was reached, a malformed hand reached forward to push the door open, turning the slit of light into a small view of the hallway outside- Past which their own character walked with the loud snapping of shoes on cement. “If that’s me, then who’s at the door..?” Pinkie asked slowly. The camera snapped to hang above their character, to show the large splattering of blood that he had found before him. Is that… Blood… on the floor? “Eeyup,” Applejack gulped, leaning slightly into the trembling yellow pegasus beside her. Their character continued to mutter to himself, even as the camera shifted again to reveal the malformed hand scooping up an abandoned hammer nearby. The speakers slammed out a painful bang as the door behind him slammed open as a deformed human tackled their character to their floor, prompting a scream from several of the girls. The second that their character kicked the monster off, Pinkie found the cutscene over and- “No no no, I don’t want the controls back! Keep them! Oh no oh no oh no~” She muttered anxiously, grabbing the mouse and keys again to yank her character bank in time to dodge a hammer swing. “It’s disgusting!” Rarity squeaked, “Absolutely horrid, completely awful and gross and-!” “Twitchy.” Applejack deadpanned, her eyes wide but otherwise steady after her spectacular jump a second earlier. “Get’em Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash cheered, and their character rushed forward to swipe at the thing with their knife. A sickening crack echoed out as a hammer blow landed, but with a swipe more, coupled with a quick turn and thrust, the monster fell to the ground, prompting another cutscene to begin. What the hell- Who was he?! “I did it!” Pinkie squeed, somehow stretching her reach far enough to glomp Rainbow Dash from her spot at the end of the desk. *Zsst* “You sure did Pinks.” I’ve… *bzzt* I’ve got to call the Police! *Kzzt* As they celebrated however, Fluttershy gave a rather strangled and frightened squeak, for each time their characters frightened words was cut off by static, each blitz brought up a gruesome image- Gone before you could truly see it, but there long enough to unsettle one and bring the feeling of haunted despair with it. Pinkie quickly turned back to view the screen, to see nothing other than their character struggling with his phone. Dammit… No signal. His tone was oddly calm, despite the linger of fright that was in it. The cutscene ended, and as Pinkie turned to look down at the defeated monster, it vanished into thin air, prompting a collective chill around the room. She gave an audible gulp, before heading through the door that the monster had burst from just a moment earlier. “Glowing item. Pick it up.” Rainbow said quickly, pointing at the screen where a bright red and white glowing cylinder sat. Pinkie obliged, and the game promptly told her it was a syringe. Before she had done so much as a raise an eyebrow, Rainbow declared that it was for health, and was pretty typical a health item at that. She shrugged and moved to look down the hatch that led to the next level, just to stop completely where she stood. “I am not going down there.” “What? Why not?” Rainbow asked, her tone incredulous as she stared at her earth pony friend in disbelief. “Err, I’ll have to agree with Rainbow on this one Pinkie, you kinda have to go down there to move on.” “No, we have to go down there to move on. I am not going to.” “But why not?!” Rainbow Dash spluttered, her disbelief growing audible. “There’s water down there.” There was a moment’s silence as RD processed what Pinkie had said. When the realization hit, her hoof hit her forehead in an audible clap. “Pinkie. This is not Amnesia. Nor is it an Amnesia mod. This is a Half-life mod. There are no invisible monsters in the water.” “I don’t care. If it doesn’t have pretty pink bubbles and sparkles in it, I am NOT going in it.” She deadpanned stubbornly, crossing her forelegs with a hint of finality. It was not very often that Pinkie actually frowned, but this was one of those few times, and for a good minute, Rainbow Dash just stared at her with a look of complete exasperation and incredulous disbelief. After that minute had passed however, Rainbow Dash gave an irritated sigh and stepped towards her. “Okay fine,” RD snapped, a determined look quickly settling on her face. “You don’t have to go into the water. Just get outta the chair so I can do it myself.” Pinkie’s frown immediately flipped into a huge grin, and she bounced out of the chair with a flourish to land beside Twilight. “Okie Dokie Lokie!” WaterRainbow Dash fiddled with the chair for a few seconds before settling into it and placing her hooves back on their positions at the keyboard and mouse. A slightly wicked smile spread across her face as their character turned and began climbing down the ladder under her direction. An audible, and in Pinkie’s opinion, ominous splash announced their arrival in the sewer. Having apparently thrown subtly to the wind now, the game provided another enemy just around the first corner, just as disfigured as the first had been. Rarity suppressed a shudder as its head rolled in all the wrong ways in its attempt to look at their character and Rainbow Dash promptly charged forward to take it down. She got hit once before getting the hang of it, and the enemy fell into the water with a thunk. “Okay, weird.” “I know!” Pinkie exclaimed, earning a raised eyebrow from RD. ‘There should have been a splash, not a- *thunk*” “Okay, one, I was talking about the controls, two, how the heck did you make that noise?” Pinkie looked up at her friend with her big blue eyes- And shrugged. Well, if Pinkie Pie herself didn’t know, there was no point in questioning it, so Rainbow simply turned back to face the screen. “Uggh, its eyes are still glowing!” Rarity whined, shuffling her front hooves in a clear display of disgust. Twilight smirked a little, tilting her head to eye the screen. “Now only if we knew whether or not that was deliberate… It could be a visual glitch.” “Uh, girls? Hate to be Captain Obvious here, but- It don’t matter.” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes slightly. “There’s a monster around every corner!” Pinkie announced in a dramatic theatre-like voice, before giving in to a fit of giggles. “Hey Rainbow, Twitchy Mctwitchy Twitcherson would like to say hi!” “Hi,” Rainbow deadpanned as she slammed the back arrow key to jump out of the way as the monster suddenly took on a burst of speed and tried to brain their character. “Nice to meet’cha, but I gotta go,” she added, as the monster hit the water in defeat. “Asta la vista!” “I appreciate your attempt at humor Rainbow Dash, but could you please refrain from movie references I can’t follow?” Rarity asked delicately, while raising an eyebrow at Applejack’s attempts to hold her composure. ‘Why should I? Even the egghead got it!” Dash chuckled, earning her a swat from Twilight’s magazine on queue from the purple unicorn herself. “Just because I’ll read pretty much anything I get my hooves on, including mass amounts of pop culture and movie reviews, doesn’t mean we all do Rainbow.” Twilight said lightly, dropping her magazine back in it’s place on the table. “Yeah, most of us just go watch the movie.” Rainbow replied, turning in her chair to grin at her. “Less talky more walky!” Pinkie said quickly, before poking Rainbow in the arm. “Or are you scaaared?” “I’m goin’, I’m goin’,” Rainbow muttered, turning back around to bid their character forward again and up a nearby ladder. “And see Pinkie? No invisible water monsters.” “This time.” “Suuure. Oh, look like we got another save point! That’s not ominous, eh Twily?” Rainbow snorted, clicking on the tape-recorder. ‘Don’t call me Twily,” Twilight huffed. “Only my BBBFF gets to do that. And the save point is probably because of the monsters behind us, not ahead.” “I vote ahead, personally, but whatever you say.” Going through the door ahead prompted a short tutorial on the ‘How-to’s of dodging, the use of which RD mastered very quickly on the monster just around the next corner. ‘You know Pinkie, you were right about one thing.” “I was?” “Yep. These guys love putting monsters around corners.” Sure enough, at the crossroads a few steps away, a turn to the left would reveal yet another monster more than willing to knock them a new one… Not that it got to, as it was unable to land even one blow with Rainbow’s well timed dodges and attacks. “Yer makin’ that look too easy RD.” “I guess I’m just that awesome.” Rainbow waded out into the water with a bit of a swager- Making her spectacular jump a second later as a monster charged out in front of her from around the corner all the more epic. “Fff-ahhhahaa!” She gasped, yanking reflexively away from the screen as her character leaped back to land on the concrete steps behind them. The monster seemed to be an inch away in seconds. “Holy buck you’re fast.” “Rainbow!” “What?!” “Get’em Dashie! Give ‘em the ol’ one-two!” “I’m working on it!” “Is it just me, or is its eyes glowin’?” “They’re glowing.” “Oh… my…” With a comforting thud the six’s conversation was brought to an end by the surprisingly speedy sudden attack of the monster’s finishing with its death. Rainbow Dash seemed to almost wilt with relief as her heart resumed it’s normal pace and she stepped over the corpse, and waded through the water ahead to find a dead-end… And a lever. “Oh I get it, I bet he was guarding this.” Twilight said cheerfully, earning a raised eyebrow from Rainbow. “Yeah, that- Or they just like sticking monsters around corners for built in jump scares.” “Well, that too…?” Rainbow rolled her eyes again before giving the lever a quick pull. The screech of metal quickly followed the action, announcing that a new passageway was open. “If monsters guard stuff, then does that mean that twitchy twitch back at the crossroads was guarding something too?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head quizzically. “I may as well check. I have no idea where the new passageway is right now anyway.” It turns out that Pinkie was correct. The monster had been guarding what used to be a shut chain link fence- Which was now open wide to allow them to progress. “Good one, Pinks!” Pinkie beamed. Through the gate, out the door, and into the beautiful fresh air of a clear and star-lit night. And then the phone had to ring. “Help me!! Please help, they’re coming! I’m inside the apartments, hurry-Please!” “Well, crap.” A/N I have the stomach flu. My back hurts. I feel like crap. SO WHY DO I WANT TO WRITE SO BAD? >.> One way to get my mind off things I suppose. Yay for inspiration at weird times? XD But, yeah, tiny chapter. You'll get some more when I start feeling a bit better. Jump“You know what I hate, more than anything else?” Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash with a hint of curiosity at her unusual question. “Platforming. And what do they have me doing?” Rainbow continued, glaring daggers at the screen all the while. “Platforming. In a horror game!” Pinkie suppressed a giggle at the disgust in Dash’s voice. Rainbow rocked in her seat as she copied her characters movements slightly as she bid him up the scaffolding that the game had decided to send them up. “It’s ridiculous. Absolutely retarded.” She grumbled further, backing their character up for a running jump over the balcony railing. She had already messed up this transition three times, and was getting noticeably frustrated with it. There was a minute of silence as she made her way up the rest of the boards, before finally, victoriously, landing on the topmost balcony and entered the apartments. A cut scene welcomed them in, the camera slowly rolling back to show the hallway before them, illuminated by broken lights that flickered ominously, before focusing on their character from the place where he stood. This place doesn’t feel right. “Well of course it doesn’t.” Rainbow muttered, the controls returning to her once again. She stepped forward into the hallway, with a hint of trepidation. The lights continued to flicker, casting strange shadows around her as she slowed to a stop. There was a strange and loud hum echoing out from the speakers, and although it did little to help her, her ears instinctually swiveled about as she puzzled over its source. Then, the phone buzzed. Fourth Floor!! “Why didn’t you just say that the first time you called me?” Rainbow muttered, as she glared at the phone. “And who is this person that she has my cell number anyway?” “What did you say to Pinkie earlier about this just being a game, Rainbow Darling?” Rarity teased, earning a grumbled “yeah yeah” in return. “A random interesting fact I picked up the other day,” Twilight began, her face a perfect picture of hopeful excitement, “In oriental cultures, the number four is considered synonymous with death. As a result, oriental hospitals never have a fourth floor!” “Never?” Pinkie asked quizzically. “Well, even on the rare occasions that they do, they are never labelled as such. They just skip right into five and up!” “You know, Twilight, as interesting as that all is, you’re not helping.” Rainbow muttered darkly, slowly walking forward to peek around the next corner to check for death-inducing monsters. When the hallway proved empty, she turned back to the glowing piece of paper on the floor before her. She had scooped it up without a second thought, figuring it a clue for the surrounding area… So when its words truly began to log, their effect was doubled, causing the fur along her back to bristle as a chill shot down her spine. My secret note #1 3 little kiddies playing in the park Said the first kiddie, let’s go home before it gets dark, The first two went on their merry way home, The third stayed playing, all alone. Come here little child, come to me! The bushes whispered softly… They say curiosity killed the cat. The note was archived with a crinkling noise that only seemed to magnify the clinging silence that had taken over the room. Nopony spoke as worried and spooked looks were traded, everypony quite creeped out. This went on for a good two minutes before finally being broken by Applejack clearing her throat in a somewhat awkward cough. “Can we, uh, just move on and… Um, not think ‘bout that last one to-too much?” She asked a little shakily, doing her best to clear the unwanted thoughts from her head. “I vote yes on that.” Twilight said quickly, shooting a quick glance at Rainbow Dash who was sitting rather stiffly in the computer chair. “S-sure AJ. C-course we can. It is, after all, j-just a game.” The laugh that followed sounded more nervous than genuine, much as how the final statement had sounded more like the latter line of a mantra rather than a simple statement. A door only a few feet ahead was unlocked, and so a slight detour was taken in exploring the apartment behind it. A save-point was found inside the rather dirty kitchen, which was quickly made use of. Even Rainbow Dash found herself hoping just a little bit that it had been placed there so that one could avoid redoing the irritating platforming behind them, and not a respawn point that would be needed due to a monster that would happily kill them in the next room. Guess which one it was. “GAH!” The computer chair rocked back a good six inches as Rainbow’s wings flared open in startled reflex. Twilight hastily caught the chair in her magic, stopping it from rocking back any further and falling over on top of somepony. Their character had shot back in a similar movement, leaving him up against the front door as the girls stared at the monster ahead of them in shock. A child’s strangely warped head was perched upon what looked like a garbage bag tied up with tape and bloodied twine. Doll limbs, similarly bound, served as its hands and feet. Two long and rusty knives hung from its grasp, each of it’s breaths coming out as a metallic rattle that sounded like a twisted mixture of a snake’s hiss and the sound a pot makes when you drop it. For a long minute, the two stared off, neither moving. Then, the monster decided it had waited quite long enough, and promptly charged them. Rainbow moved swiftly out of the way and swiped at it on the way by. Blood sprayed up in declaration of a successful hit, and the monster’s call grew even more disturbing in an angry hiss. Rainbow Dash gulped slightly as she eyed it from where she stood. She knew she had to take it down, but there was something about this particular monster that made her feel like running away instead… Or maybe even just turning the game off altogether. The thought was cast aside as the monster turned around to charge her again, and she responded by darting forward in a series of dodges that allowed her to land the last two blows that finally felled it. Silence followed its defeat. The chair rocking forward to land with all four legs on the floor once more was the only sound aside from the gentle pattering of rain on the windows. The silence lasted for so long this time, in fact, that when it was finally broken, half the girls jumped. “Screw it, I’m just going straight to the next area.” Rainbow Dash said loudly, wheeling their character around to leave. So of course the front door was locked. “Okay fine. To the balcony then.” She snapped, and their character span around once more to march out to the balcony and down the shoddily built bridge to the neighbour’s below. She roughly pushed the black glass door open, and stormed up to the many strais to reach the fourth floor. Dash meant to yank the next door open and proceed with much contempt, but the door wouldn’t budge. Neither would the third floor door below it. She actually had to go down a level from her original position to progress at all. All the doors in this level were locked, jammed, busted, or blocked… Except one. Now, everypony knew, the minute this door opened, that it would be nothing but trouble. One does not railroad one’s players to this extent unless they were keen on forcing them straight into something horrid. They just didn’t know what that was yet. Which, really, made it even worse. This apartment was much cleaner than the last, and if it weren’t for the extremely ominous air, or the chokingly strong sense of foreboding, Fluttershy might have even called it cozy. “Their choice in wall colour is simply abysmal,” Rarity muttered, glaring at the mixture of discoloured yellow wallpaper and disgusting pink paint that covered the rooms. “Almost makes you wonder what they were trying to hide with it…” Rainbow Dash slammed to a stop as a glowing piece of paper underfoot caught her eye. ‘My Secret Note #2’ it read. “Is it safe to say that we have a unanimous agreement just to completely ignore that this even exists?” “Yes.” “Just checking.” The door beside it was not as easily avoided however, and it was pulled open with more than a little caution. The room inside was covered in photographs, most of them of gruesome murder scenes. One in particular had far more detailed than anypony would have liked, with the words “Slowest death yet” scrawled across the top. “C-can we move on..?” Fluttershy squeaked, “P-please?” “Y-yeah, sure Flutters.” Rainbow said shakily, somehow finding it hard to tear her eyes away from the photo. “Just let me grab this key he-” With a loud fizzle and the shattering of glass, all light in the room went out in a shower of sparks. Fluttershy and Rarity did a spectacular scream in response, Fluttershy diving to cower behind Applejack, and Rarity to hide under the azure blanket behind Twilight. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, was just desperately repeating the word “Run” in increasingly loud and panicked tempo. Rainbow Dash was all too willing to comply, except the door out now appeared to be locked… And by the sounds of it, its owner was coming back to get them. Rainbow swore loudly as she desperately ruffled through her inventory, trying to grab the key and use it on the door to flee like a timberwolf from a forest fire, but her panic and pounding heart was making her hooves shake so bad that the simple series of keystrokes was becoming nigh impossible. The door finally swung open, allowing her to dart out of the horrid room- And right into a den of monsters. About ten or twelve of the dolls that she hated so surrounded her, staring at her with empty white eyes from where they stood on the tables, couch, window sills and floor. A somewhat strangled noise escaped her as her mind wheeled at what lay before her… And then the room flashed white with a crash of thunder- Leaving the scene before her bare of monsters and silent once more. “I-it was just an illusion?” Rainbow gasped, for some reason now very out of breath. Relief wanted to flood in, but was held back by the knowledge that she was not quite yet safe. I can rest once I’m outta this Celestia blasted apartme- OH FAUST WHAT THE HADES IS THAT?!?! “GAH! NO! NO NO NO!” Rainbow yelped, Twilight’s magic quickly flaring up to catch the chair again as it rocked perilously back underneath the force of Dash’s spectacular jump. A… Thing stood in between them and the door out. It had the naked and mutilated body of a child, bent over and wizened, its spine and joints clearly visible. The head was all wrong however, it was far too large for the body, and was warped as if it had been stretched, or perhaps grossly inflated. It charged towards her before she had so much of the chance as to regain her composure again. She swiped at it in little more than a panicked gesture, but what happened next was completely unexpected. Its head popped. Rainbow froze completely as it fell, their character taking damage as it hit the floor. Very slowly, their character looked down at the corpse. Deep cuts and old scars crossed the shoulders and back of it, but that wasn’t what caught one’s attention. A large two foot spike, black as night, protruded from the neck of the creature. This, clearly, was what had caused the damage to their character… But that wasn’t what was on Rainbow Dash’s mind. In fact, there was very little on Rainbow Dash’s mind at this particular moment. The singular thing left on it was that she had to get to the bathroom. Fast. Twilight and Rarity exchanged a worried look as Rainbow shot off the computer chair, causing it to rock even in the clutch of her magic, and into the bathroom- The door slamming behind her a second later. A glint of magenta magic lit the keyboard for a second as Twilight paused the game, leaning forward slightly to look down the hall after her pegasus friend. Fluttershy slunk out from behind Applejack to check on Dash. Alarm could be seen on her face a second before the toilet could be heard getting flushed. The door swung open with a bang, and Rainbow stormed out, a look of determination clear on her face. “Rainbow, are you alright? I-it sounded like you threw up.” “I’m fine.” “You know Rainbow, we can just call it quits,” Twilight began, but was cut off by Rainbow’s hoof shooting up. “Nuh uh. No way,” She snapped, glaring first at Twilight before gesturing roughly at the computer screen. “I am not losing to a stupid video game. No it’s just personal now.” A rather devilish smile darted across her face. “Or as Rarity would say; “It. Is. ON.”
InstallOne dark and stormy night- No wait, wrong genre… Still accurate though… Hmmm. “Girls! Wait up!” Oh this works. “C’mon Fluttershy! Hurry up,” Pinkie Pie called frantically, her hooves beating out a frantic skipping step as she scurried backwards towards Twilight’s library… A sight that was of endless amusement to the pale blue pegasus mare that was lounging in the window watching her friends progress across the street. “We’re going to be late!” “Pinkie’s right, Fluttershy. If you keep this up you’re gonna have to figure out how to dodge raindrops. And although I think Pinkie could probably manage that particular feat, you’ll probably end up looking like a drowned rat!” “Rainbow!” Rarity’s accosting only earned her an uncaring eye roll from Rainbow Dash, who returned to watching the sky darken. Twilight smiled at her friends playful joshing from her seat at the computer. On the desk was the case from Rainbow’s new game along with a cooling pot of tea. She had made it unusually strong by accident, but as Spike had been quick to point out, it had turned out for the better, as he could easily make iced tea with it- Which would be far safer to drink while playing a game that tends to make one jump. A crack of lightning split the blackening sky, a silver bolt that lit the world around the quiet tree in a haunting hue. The rumbling peal of thunder that followed was promptly echoed by the front door slamming open as Fluttershy shot in as a yellow blur. Pinkie followed her in a minute later, giggling a little at the storm. Everything seemed to strike that girl funny. Twilight carefully swung around in her chair to look at the pile of cushions which Fluttershy was currently hiding under. “You know Fluttershy, if the storm is going to bother you, we can reschedule.” Rainbow Dash’s head snapped around to look at Twilight in a mixture of pleading disappointment and affronted horror. Before she could utter an audible protest to the suggestion, Rarity gently whopped the cyan pegasus in the ribs in a silent disapproving scold. While the two glared at each other, Fluttershy emerged from her hiding spot. “O-oh, n-no, it’s quite alright… I still want us to have our usual game night… I just don’t like storms much.” “Are you sure, Fluttershy? I mean, I don’t think there’s any reason why we couldn’t postpone it until tomorrow night… The storm will be long over by then.” Fluttershy shook her head at Twilight’s gentle offer. “Oh no, it’s fine really. In fact, I’d feel much better here playing with everypony than I would sitting at home.” “YES!” Fluttershy giggled slightly as Rainbow did a victorious loop-de-loop in the air before landing with a flop beside her. “You’re the best Fluttershy!” RD hugged her fellow pegasus tightly before rocketing back to her place at the window. “Now we just need AJ.” “I do believe that Applejack had some errands to tend to before coming,” Rarity called lightly as she made her way to the kitchen. “Do you mind if I make some popcorn, Twilight?” “Go right ahead, Rarity. I think Spike’s in the kitchen, but as long as you mind his tail, he won’t care.” Pinkie skipped her way over to sit beside Twilight to look up at the computer screen with a hint of amused confusion. ‘Is it working Twilight? I know you couldn’t get that last one to work… You know, that Jackie one.” “Justine, Pinkie. And I think this one should work, everything seems fine so far… But we won’t know until I actually get it running.” “It better work,” Rainbow groused from her position at the window. “I’m really looking forward to this one.” “Well, cross your feathers then!” Pinkie giggled, before almost visibly lighting up as something occurred to her. “OH! We should totally have some Jack-O-lanterns!” “Jack-O-lanterns?” Rainbow deadpanned. “Yeah! It’s almost Nightmare Night after all!” Pinkie’s face split into an angelic grin, and Rainbow resisted the urge to facehoof. “Pinkie. Where in Equestria are you going to get Jack-O-lanterns at this time of night? And we’re going to start playing as soon as Applejack gets here and Twilight’s done setting it up! So you don’t really have time to make them…” “Oh ye of little faith.” Pinkie sighed dramatically before turning to grin at the purple unicorn beside her. “Twilight, you have some jars and orange tissue paper right?” “Huh? Uh, sure, there’s a bunch of old jars in the cupboard over there, and I think there’s some tissue paper downstairs.” “Thanks!” A pink blur shot by, and at a speed which surely only Pinkie Pie can reach, the coffee table was soon covered in old glass jars, tissue paper, black construction paper, and glue. “Hey, Fluttershy, come help me with this!” “Um, alright…” Rainbow just gaped at them with uttermost bemusement, as Pinkie showed Fluttershy what to do. “You see, you rip up the paper like this, and then you put a bit of glue on the jar, and then you just stick on the paper like this! Then when it’s all~ covered, you just cut out a little face with the black paper, and stick that on too! Then you have your very own Jack-o-lantern jar!” Twilight grinned to herself as Rainbow walked over to join the two in investigation, which quickly turned in to her helping them make the small decorations. The rain began to come down in a gentle muttering as she finished installing the game in relative peace. (Relative due to the conversation that occasionally drifted up… “Fluttershy! You’re not supposed to make them cute!” ) “What are those three doin’?” Twilight turned around in her seat with a hint of surprise. She had been so enraptured in setting the game up for them, that she hadn’t heard the door open to let in a slightly drenched Applejack. “Not getting in my hair,” Twilight replied lightly, magicking over a towel for her friend to dry off with. “Nice to see you could make it Applejack.” The earth pony chuckled slightly as she dried herself off. “Ah’m glad Ah could make it too.” “Hey AJ!” Rainbow hastily put down the finished jar she was messing with to gently punch her friend in the shoulder. “Ready to get your hat scared off?” “We’ll see about that Rainbow, now won’t we?” Rarity rolled her eyes as she strode into the room with a bowl of popcorn perfectly balanced on her back, and the freshly poured tea in her grasp. “Now don’t you two start your little challenges already.” “Oh alright. Hey, Twi, is the game ready yet?” Twilight sighed with a hint of exasperation before turning to smile at her friends. “Yes Rainbow, the game is ready. You just need to tell me which difficulty to set it to.” “Put it on Hard! I ain’t afraid of no challenge!” “Perhaps Rainbow Dash, but some of us are beginners at this. I think putting it on Easy would be a much better idea, personally.” “Awh, come on Rarity-” “You know what? I’m just going to put it on Medium. That way everypony’s happy.” The mouse click was audible across the room, and brought a palpable excitement to the air. As the screen darkened to load the game, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash shot in opposite directions to turn out the lights and set up the newly created lanterns. Blue and magenta magic lit to quickly pull cushions about to make seats, the bowl of popcorn and drink pitcher were positioned in easy reach. With a last spark of magic, the lantern’s candles were lit, leaving the room bathed in a soft gold light that was both cozy and slightly ominous as thunder rolled in the background. “So. Who’s playing first?”
DarknessThe screen went brilliant white with a ringing hum that echoed throughout the room. It blinked to the game screen for a second before going a pitch black that left the room in darkness. Then, from the speakers came a soft sad voice that spoke aloud the words of the introduction. I’ve always felt alone my whole life, for as long as I can remember. I don’t know if I like it… Or if I’m just used to it, but I do know this; Being lonely does things to you, and feeling shit and bitter and angry all the time just… Eats away at you… “Well somepony needs a hug.” “Rainbow, shhhh!” The words faded from the screen to play the intro cut-scene. Fluttershy carefully wiggled forward to sit beside Rarity, who blinked at her for a second before looking back at the screen. “Kitty!” “Yes Pinkie, we see the kitty.” “What were you saying about being quiet, Twilight?” “That was Rarity!” “You two sound alike when you’re whispering, did you know that?” “Will the two of you pipe down already? Ah’m trying to hear!” “Sorry.” The storm outside rumbled gently, and the speakers echoed it with far greater venom as the words “Cry of Fear” lit the screen in sharp white letters, and between the two Fluttershy was beginning to duck behind Rarity’s mane. “C’mon Fluttershy, don’t chicken out already,” Rainbow teased lightly, “the game hasn’t even started yet.” “I am not chickening out,” Fluttershy corrected sternly, “I just have a bad feeling…” Another peal of thunder echoed out, this time from outside, and Fluttershy ducked behind her wings slightly. “And I don’t like thunder…” “That’s quite alright Fluttershy dear, I’m a bit creeped out as well.” Rarity smiled gently, before turning to glare at Rainbow Dash. “Lay off.” “Relax Rarity, it’s all part of the fun… Or have you two forgotten your hysterical laughing fit that you had at my expense after that stupid grunt scared me the other night?” Pinkie Pie obviously hadn’t, as she quickly burst into laughter. “Ooh ooh! I remember that! You were all like “I ain’t scared!” and then you opened the door and Mr. Face was all like “GRRRR!” and then you were all like “GAH!” and you flew all the way up to Twilight’s room to hide under the bed and-“ Pinkie’s tirade was cut short by the appearance of RD’s hoof in her mouth. “Yes Pinkie. I’m sure we all remember it quite clearly.” As Rarity and Fluttershy’s growing giggles increased Rainbow’s embarrassment, Applejack’s ear twitched in visible irritation. “Ah hate to interrupt your little party sugarcubes, but the game’s starting.” Silence fell as attention returned to the computer screen, the game’s cutscene quickly changing from scenic to increasingly disturbing as it turned from a lovely train ride in the moonlight to murder both attempted and witnessed. A bloody “Wake up” sprawled across a wall was all the warning they got before a flash of something gruesome flickered in and out of sight. “What was that?!” Fluttershy squeaked. Another bloodied message was all they were given before being rather suddenly tossed into game play. The character stood in a simple bedroom, the only door opening up to a black abyss before them, a single white “X” hovering a few feet away in the inky gloom ahead. Twilight looked at the empty computer chair, and then back at her friends. “So…” “I-I’ll go first…” Rarity said weakly, as she got to her hooves. Dead silence, only broken by the wind and rain outside, hung in the air as Rarity slowly walked over to the computer chair and sat down. Their character stirred, and then stepped forward to look about the room. It was a small room, simply decorated. The only sign of the room having been lived in was papers spilled and scattered across the floor, and video game posters upon the wall and door. “I guess the only way to go is forward…” Rarity offered meekly, and their character obediently turned towards the darkness again. As she stepped towards the white ‘X’ she accidentally bumped the camera button, causing the ‘X’ to disappear in place of a door in the flash of the camera. “So now we know what the camera’s for…” Twilight said softly as she scooted forward to see the screen better. Rarity nodded gently, and carefully moved through the door to see three more ‘X’s before her. Picking one at random, the camera flashed, for the words “I hate you” to appear in blood. An audible gulp ran around the room, and Rarity swallowed dryly twice before trying again. The second ‘X’ she picked revealed a new door. The next one was farther away this time. A flash revealed another door behind it, and she stepped through obediently. This time there were four new crosses, and she wasn’t looking forward to whatever unpleasant surprise awaited under a wrong choice. Two flashes at the ones on the walls only brought further darkness to the abyss, and her final choice a trap-door. Part of her wanted to know what lay beneath the final ‘X’, the rest of her happily hopped through the door to leave it behind. Click, a new door. Click, greater darkness. Rarity had to search to find the other two ‘X’s in the room. “L-left or right?” “Huh?” Rainbow Dash looked up at Rarity with a hint of confusion, who was eyeing the screen with a hint of terror. “I’ve got a bad feeling, so just pick, left or right?” “Um… Right.” Rarity turned and faced the ‘X’ on her right. With a slight gulp, she pressed the button, and the white cross vanished in the flash of the camera… To reveal a mutilated corpse hanging a foot away. The white unicorn let out a slightly strangled noise as the body vanished into the gloom around her. “Oops… I guess Left…” Rainbow said awkwardly. The chill that had shot down her spine had yet to leave fully, and the fur along her back was still ruffled and on end. Another flash continued the path through a shattering window, from which a door was only a foot away. She continued forward, and found a mirror. Her reflection shattered it angrily, and glass fell around her character as it descended to the next path. The fur around her neck was beginning to stand on end, and she was already looking forward to the moment when she could hand the controls to one of her other friends and hide behind one of the plump floor pillows that were scattered around. Her first guess at the next path was thankfully accurate, and the door swung open obediently to allow her to move forward unharassed. Aside from an extremely warped scream that echoed from the speakers anyway… Through the next door, however, was only darkness, and for the first time Rarity was feeling rather lost. “Uh, where am I supposed to go?” “There’s a reeaallly tiny white dot over there…” Pinkie offered. “Maybe that?” “Alright, that seems logical enough…” Steps echoed out from the speaker as the character made her way forward to the small glowing dot ahead. As she got closer, she could see that it was in fact a ‘X’ and therefore where she needed to go. Her relief was cut short as the speakers were filled with a horrid and terrifying noise, an accompanying gruesome face covering the screen with its gaping maw and bulging eyes. The girls all squealed, Rarity’s terrified scream beating all, and the computer chair hit the floor with an echoing bang that only increased the racket as she scrambled out of it in sheer panic. Spike stuck his head into the living room with more than a little worry. “Rarity? Twilight? Are you guys all okay? You sound like you’re getting tortured.” With Spike’s eyes wide with obvious concern, glowing softly in the darkness as dragon eyes do, along with the now silence from the computer as it peacefully loaded the next area, the girls suddenly realized all at once how silly everything was, and joined in in the best part of playing scary games; laughing hysterically over what scared you. “Did you see that thing?! It was so gross,” Rainbow snorted, “It looked like its eyes were going to pop right out of its head!” “And it was all like “GARGHFLARBABLARG!!!” and we are all like, “EEK!” and it’s just so-“ Pinkie cut herself off with a renewed giggle fit, and she practically fell onto Rarity’s lap as she clutched her sides with laughter. Rarity, cheeks slightly red at her earlier panic, could only shake her head at her friend. “I have to admit that thing just scared me half-to-death! My heart is still pounding! I’m sorry girls, but I don’t think I’ll be playing anymore tonight… I’ll just be… Right here.” “That’s alright Rarity… And yes Spike, we’re all just fine.” Twilight assured quickly, suppressing her own giggles with a hoof as she paused the game before it could play the next cutscene without them. “Yeah, this is pretty much what happens every night… This is just the first time you’re here,you know, during.” Rainbow said, her devilish grin quick to return. Spike chuckled. “OK. I’ll just be in the kitchen then, reading my comics. Call me if you need me.” The girls waited until everypony had their composure back, at which point the big question was asked. “So… Who’s next?”
Thunder“So…” Rainbow began, her eyes darting mischievously between her friends as Twilight returned the computer chair to its correct position, “Who’s next?” “Ooh ooh! Me me me! I wanna go next! Me!” “Alright, alright, Pinkie, you can go next,” Rainbow laughed, “it’s not like there’s a line or anything.” Pinkie beamed as she hopped to her hooves. With a single well-aimed bounce she was in the computer chair searching for the button to unpause that game and start the next cutscene. Twilight pressed it for her, and the screen flickered black for a second before starting up the introduction to the new level. “I like this opening better.” Fluttershy said with a small laugh. “Why? Nothing’s happening. The guy gets a text, and decides to go home after waking up in an alley… Whoop-de-doo!” Rainbow deadpanned. “It’s because nothing’s happening, Dashie! After that big scary thing yelled at all of us, I think they like the peace and- Ooh, I’ve got a knife!” As their character looked slowly around the alley he was in, a silver knife clenched tightly in his right hand, the screen lit up softly in white letters again. “Chapter 1- Lost in the City.” “I’m not lost,” Pinkie said innocently as their character turned to start walking out of the alley. ‘I know exactly where I’m going. Forward!” “It’s probably just called that to be spooky.” RD shrugged. “Ah don’t really think it needs any help bein’ that.” “I’ve got an inventory?” Pinkie questioned, as a hint box appeared at the top of the screen. “Huh? Oh yeah, you do… Just keep in mind that it runs in real-time.” “Runs in real time?” Fluttershy asked quietly, looking up at the blue pegasus beside her. “What does that mean?” “It means the game doesn’t pause when you open it,” Twilight explained simply, “So you have to be more careful.” “Well, there’s no baddies around right now!” Pinkie chirped happily, giving the tab button a tap. “What is with horror games and making positively everything bloody? I just don’t see the point,” Rarity sighed in disgust as she eyed the “décor” of the inventory screen. “It’s completely untasteful.” “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one that cares, Rarity.” Rainbow grumbled, rolling her eyes at her fashionista friend. “Actually girls, I think it might be rust, not blood.” Twilight offered, squinting at the screen to try and tell the difference. After fiddling with the various buttons in the inventory screen, Pinkie managed to figure out how to ‘Dual Wield’ her knife and phone. “I can text and fight at the same time! Huzzah! Have at you!” While goofing around fighting imaginary enemies, Pinkie bumped a button unintentionally, and discovered an important detail. “Oh! My cell’s my flashlight!” “Well that’s…” Rainbow began, initially sounding somewhat disgusted, but then changing her tone as she actually thought it over. “Actually, that’s pretty original…” Pinkie giggled lightly, before continuing her way forward out of the darkened alley and into an area where the moonlight still shone. Naturally, she stopped to look around the area, and during the time she spent doing the latter, something caught Rarity’s eye that made her jump. So of course everyone looked at her with eyebrows raised. “Was I the only one that seen that? There was some weird shadow thing on top of the bridge there!” Pinkie obligingly swung her flashlight/cellphone up to look at the bridge, but there was nothing but leaves drifting down to be seen. “I think you’re seeing things Rarity.” Rainbow said bluntly. “I most certainly am not!” She snapped back, causing Twilight to quickly wiggle her way between the two. “It doesn’t matter! It’s a horror game- There’s no doubt that there’s all sorts of weird crap in here!” Twilight said quickly, breaking the two up again. “So just drop it?” “There’s no point us doing this if we start to fight Dashie.” The fact that Pinkie almost sounded sad was enough to damper what was left of Rainbow’s desire to fight. “Yeah you’re right Pinkie Pie. I’m sorry.” “I as well… I admit I over-reacted. This game has me on edge.” “That’s alright, Rarity,” Rainbow said lightly, giving the white unicorn a half hug, “and I’ll keep it in mind too.” Twilight smiled happily, pleased that the sudden high tensions had dissolved as easily as the fright from the last scare had. “That’s better. Okay Pinkie, we’re all clear back here.” “Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie beamed, cheerily swinging back to face the game screen. “Full speed ahead!” Well ‘Full speed ahead’ led them right into the nearby abandoned subway tunnels. As if it wasn’t enough that it was dimly lit and eerily quiet, the second that Pinkie rounded the second corner, a shadow of some person (or more likely some thing) could be seen passing just around the corner up ahead. “Oh! Hey! Wait up,” Pinkie called, quickly urging their character into a sprint, “I wanna talk to you!” “Pinkie, darling, are you sure this is a good idea?” Rarity asked a little frantically. “Of course it is! It’s just a game after all.” Their character skidded to a stop as they turned the corner to reach an empty hallway, their mark now long out of sight. Pinkie made her way slowly down the hallway and to the first door. There was a moments silence among the girls as they all eyed the graffitied door and the words “Help Me” clearly written in blood beside it. With apprehensive care, Pinkie slowly reached out and tried the door. The rattle that came from it announced that it was locked, producing a relieved sigh from everypony in the room. Find a code to the padlock. “So, there’s two doors left, through one of them I guess?” Rainbow asked, standing up on her hind legs to lean against the computer chair and get a better look at the screen. “I guess so.” Pinkie wheeled her character around to try the smaller of the two, to find it open. The screen blinked black as it loaded the next area. Everypony leaned forward a little bit in expectation- To see another darkened, empty, graffitied alley as the next area. “Well that’s disappointing.” Rainbow muttered. Pinkie didn’t mind too much though, and quickly began looking around surrounding crooks and crannies to see if her new ‘friend’ was playing hide-and-seek. There was little to be found but crude words spray-painted across locked back doors and walls, overflowing dumpsters and litter scattered across the ground. Around the corner was a set of stairs that led under a railroad bridge atop of which a train had oddly stopped as if it was taking a catnap. I guess there’s nothing to be found around here. Pinkie decided with a small shrug, before moving their character forward once more. The second their foot landed on the first step, a crack of lightning lit the sky illuminating for a split second a twisted figure ahead, accompanied with a deafening crash of thunder that echoed from the speakers and through the room. Rainbow Dash’s wings flared open as she jerked back in shock and nearly fell onto the pillow which Fluttershy was now hiding underneath. If Pinkie had not ducked down instead of scrambling back as well, the whole chair would have likely hit the floor instead of rocking back an inch before slamming back into place of its own accord. A moments silence hung in the air as the storm outside rumbled in eerie echo, and the girls all stared in tense worry at the now peaceful computer screen. It was broken rather pleasantly by an irritated voice from the kitchen. “Can you guys please turn the volume down? We’ve got enough stupid thunder from outside already, if you don’t mind.”
Slow Progress“If it’s ‘unforgettable’ then why did they write it down?” Twilight gave a slightly desolate and exasperated sigh at Pinkie’s otherwise cheery question. “So that we could find it,” She replied simply looking up at the pink pony with the slight hope that she would just accept the fact that video games did not dictate to logic and would simply move on. “Otherwise we would still be wandering in circles and be unable to move on.” “But you’re not supposed to write down your usernames and passwords and stuff where other ponies can find it, every site always tells you that! And then they always say “never give your password out” and all other sorts of really obvious rules that must mean that ponies keep doing really obviously dumb things, which really doesn’t make sense when you think about it, because making mistakes like that and getting your stuff all messed up be a Meanie Mcmean-pants is really no fun at all and-“ “PINKIE!” “Yes, Dashie?” “It’s a video game. Just take the clue, and go back to the computer you found, so you can log in, and we can move on already!” “Okie Dokie Lokie!” For the last twenty minutes, the horror game had decided to take a walk. Literally. After the jump scare under the bridge, the game had suddenly decided to forget that it was a horror game, and therefore was supposed to be spooky, and instead had sent their character on a very long and dull walk around downtown. There was no monsters, no bloody writing, not even a grumble of thunder, and it had gotten so boring that they had passed the “False sense of security” and right into the “Do you want to play cards until we get to the next area?” The most interesting thing that had occurred was Pinkie’s discovery of a single Jack-o-lantern that looked identical to the one on her porch at home. No, really, that was the most interesting thing that happened. It did not help that it took a very long time for the girls to realize that said Jack-O-Lantern marked the only door that could actually be entered, and this was discovered only when Pinkie had finally resorted to trying every door she seen. All that was left to do was explore the coffee shop, which despite being empty and dusty wasn’t the least bit creepy due to the bountiful amount of light that was somehow streaming in through dirtied windows, and discover the locked computer. This in turn had queued the search to track down the two pieces of paper that they had earlier spotted, and would most likely provide them with the Username and Password to get into the computer. Up until this point, they had thought the paper simply litter, much like the bountiful amount of newspaper before it, and had not even tried picking it up. Video game logic had not yet kicked in, it seemed. Twilight’s guess was that doing so would provide them with the PIN they needed to get through the bloodied door, and hopefully into interesting times once more. “Here’s the computer again! Which one do you think is the username, girls?” “Excalibor,” Came the reply in a tone that was bored five times over. “Wow, unanimous decision huh?” Pinkie chuckled, before obligingly typing it in. “That is such a stupid and completely typical username,” Rainbow Dash grumbled, from where she lounged on the couch, casting her upside-down gaze on a bored Applejack. “Excalibor~!” She exclaimed, her voice cast in sarcastic excitement as she waved her hooves around in the air. “Woo.” She deadpanned, earning a small snort from the cowgirl. “It does sound awful silly. Kinda like a colt tryin’ too hard to impress a schoolfilly he likes.” “I think you just summed up the whole internet AJ.” “That’s…” Applejack frowned as she mulled the thought over. “Pretty sad actually.” “Eeyup.” “You were right Twi, it did have the PIN! It’s 7216… And I think someone just came in the café.” “Well thank Celestia for that. Even I was getting bored.” Rainbow gave Rarity a rather sour look as Fluttershy laid down her cards from the spot where Rarity and her had been playing Go-Fish for the past ten minutes. “No, really?” Dash muttered dryly in reply as she rolled over and off the couch to land on her hooves to trot over to the computer screen again. “Well, go on. Go see if there’s a monster,” Rainbow said, poking Pinkie gently in the arm with the tip of her hoof. “There should be after all this.” Fluttershy slowly crept her way up towards the computer chair as Pinkie slowly snuck over to the doorframe to peek around it. Fluttershy held her breath as Pinkie edged around to peek around the moldy wood to see… The door open all the way to reveal the still very empty street outside. “Oh,” Fluttershy breathed, admittedly somewhat relieved.. “So- Um… Now we have to walk all the way back to the subway door, right?” “I think that, now that we know where we are going, it shouldn’t take long for us to actually get there,” Twilight offered. “Which at this point even I am grateful for.” “You and me both,” Rainbow grumbled, resting her head on the computer desk. “This game suddenly went from ‘Cry of Fear’ to ‘Cry of Boredom.’” When they finally reached the locked door from whence they’d came, it was not with intimidation that they looked upon the bloodied “Help me” but with hope of an adventure. Yes, I’m getting overly poetic. I’m bored too. Shoot me. “Okay!” Pinkie exclaimed cheerily, clicking the door to bring up the rusty padlock. “Let’s see, seeeveeeen, twwwooooo, one, siiiix,” She said slowly, as she tapped each arrow to bring about its respective number. *Click* “Open Sesame!” She chuckled proudly as she pushed the door open to reveal the darkened passage ahead. “This,” Rainbow began slowly, sitting up to get a better look at the screen, “This looks promising.” As Pinkie stepped into the darkness, the game’s hints popped up along the top of the screen again. You can put up to 3 items in your quick slots. Another three steps forward caused the small box to scroll and reveal a new message. This is much faster than equipping through the inventory and can save your life. “And that’s very promising.” Rainbow grinned, a somewhat feral look finding its way upon her face. Pinkie’s eyes went wide, and she tested the first door she came across with a hint of worried caution. It was locked, forcing her to step out of the darkened passage and out into the cold open, a hissing wind blowing a few dead leaves into drifting by her character’s nose as she stepped into the back area. As she turned to look at the two doors ahead, a metallic thunk echoed out, causing Fluttershy to duck behind Applejack again. Everypony else on the other hoof, was leaning forward with a hint of excited trepidation, and despite the ominous atmosphere that had descended, Pinkie made her way towards the two graffitied doors ahead. Approaching the first, however, pulled the controls away from her as a cutscene took over. Breath was baited as the black bars thinned the screen, and the character muttered a cut-off curse as his phone beeped. The cell was pulled from it’s pocket to see a new text, four words long. Look to the right. If any of the girls had control of what the character did next, it would be to NOT look to the right. Perhaps to never look to the right ever again, if possible. However, it was the game that was in control, and their character did in fact turn to the right, and the door nearby creaked open to allow him passage. Although in some ways she really didn’t want to, Pinkie still stepped through the door into the darkness beyond. “What is with this game and dank dark corridors?” Rarity muttered with some disgust. “They could at least try for some variation.” “I’m sure they’ll do something new for the next area. This game is way too popular for them to just reuse the same textures over and over again.” Rainbow said quickly, as Pinkie investigated the tape recorder laying on the ground at the next corner. “Ooh! Save point!” “That’s never good.” Twilight deadpanned, earning her a confused glance from Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie all at the same time. “How is it not good, Twilight darling? It means that you won’t have to start over if something happens.” “Yes, and the very fact that they decided to put one there usually means that something is about to happen.” “It couldn’t just be because we’ve played for almost forty minutes now?” “It could. I just don’t think so.” Although Rainbow agreed with Twilight, she was more eager to see what that “Something” was, as well as what the relative reactions to it would be, to comment on the presence of the save point herself. None-the-less, the second that the save was completed, Pinkie turned and made her way down the path once more, bringing back the hint box within the first minute of making the turn. Press MOUSE2 to make a melee attack with your weapon. This will cause a small amount of damage to monsters in your immediate vicinity. Use it to push attack enemies when surrounded, or out of ammo. “Is that proof enough of there bein’ “somethin’” for ya Rarity?” “Ah, yes. Quite enough.” “Hey Twilight, what does “Immediate vicinity” mean?” Pinkie asked, turning around in her chair enough to look at the purple unicorn seated behind her. “To be in one’s immediate vicinity means to be very close, within hoof’s reach, so to speak.” “Ooohhhh, okay.” The next step forward that Pinkie took turned off all the lights. The girls froze as a rattling breath echoed out through the darkness, only Rainbow Dash looking hopeful. Pushing the forward key once more brought forth a shambling noise as the camera slowly panned forward to the single slit of light that could be seen. As it was reached, a malformed hand reached forward to push the door open, turning the slit of light into a small view of the hallway outside- Past which their own character walked with the loud snapping of shoes on cement. “If that’s me, then who’s at the door..?” Pinkie asked slowly. The camera snapped to hang above their character, to show the large splattering of blood that he had found before him. Is that… Blood… on the floor? “Eeyup,” Applejack gulped, leaning slightly into the trembling yellow pegasus beside her. Their character continued to mutter to himself, even as the camera shifted again to reveal the malformed hand scooping up an abandoned hammer nearby. The speakers slammed out a painful bang as the door behind him slammed open as a deformed human tackled their character to their floor, prompting a scream from several of the girls. The second that their character kicked the monster off, Pinkie found the cutscene over and- “No no no, I don’t want the controls back! Keep them! Oh no oh no oh no~” She muttered anxiously, grabbing the mouse and keys again to yank her character bank in time to dodge a hammer swing. “It’s disgusting!” Rarity squeaked, “Absolutely horrid, completely awful and gross and-!” “Twitchy.” Applejack deadpanned, her eyes wide but otherwise steady after her spectacular jump a second earlier. “Get’em Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash cheered, and their character rushed forward to swipe at the thing with their knife. A sickening crack echoed out as a hammer blow landed, but with a swipe more, coupled with a quick turn and thrust, the monster fell to the ground, prompting another cutscene to begin. What the hell- Who was he?! “I did it!” Pinkie squeed, somehow stretching her reach far enough to glomp Rainbow Dash from her spot at the end of the desk. *Zsst* “You sure did Pinks.” I’ve… *bzzt* I’ve got to call the Police! *Kzzt* As they celebrated however, Fluttershy gave a rather strangled and frightened squeak, for each time their characters frightened words was cut off by static, each blitz brought up a gruesome image- Gone before you could truly see it, but there long enough to unsettle one and bring the feeling of haunted despair with it. Pinkie quickly turned back to view the screen, to see nothing other than their character struggling with his phone. Dammit… No signal. His tone was oddly calm, despite the linger of fright that was in it. The cutscene ended, and as Pinkie turned to look down at the defeated monster, it vanished into thin air, prompting a collective chill around the room. She gave an audible gulp, before heading through the door that the monster had burst from just a moment earlier. “Glowing item. Pick it up.” Rainbow said quickly, pointing at the screen where a bright red and white glowing cylinder sat. Pinkie obliged, and the game promptly told her it was a syringe. Before she had done so much as a raise an eyebrow, Rainbow declared that it was for health, and was pretty typical a health item at that. She shrugged and moved to look down the hatch that led to the next level, just to stop completely where she stood. “I am not going down there.” “What? Why not?” Rainbow asked, her tone incredulous as she stared at her earth pony friend in disbelief. “Err, I’ll have to agree with Rainbow on this one Pinkie, you kinda have to go down there to move on.” “No, we have to go down there to move on. I am not going to.” “But why not?!” Rainbow Dash spluttered, her disbelief growing audible. “There’s water down there.” There was a moment’s silence as RD processed what Pinkie had said. When the realization hit, her hoof hit her forehead in an audible clap. “Pinkie. This is not Amnesia. Nor is it an Amnesia mod. This is a Half-life mod. There are no invisible monsters in the water.” “I don’t care. If it doesn’t have pretty pink bubbles and sparkles in it, I am NOT going in it.” She deadpanned stubbornly, crossing her forelegs with a hint of finality. It was not very often that Pinkie actually frowned, but this was one of those few times, and for a good minute, Rainbow Dash just stared at her with a look of complete exasperation and incredulous disbelief. After that minute had passed however, Rainbow Dash gave an irritated sigh and stepped towards her. “Okay fine,” RD snapped, a determined look quickly settling on her face. “You don’t have to go into the water. Just get outta the chair so I can do it myself.” Pinkie’s frown immediately flipped into a huge grin, and she bounced out of the chair with a flourish to land beside Twilight. “Okie Dokie Lokie!”
WaterRainbow Dash fiddled with the chair for a few seconds before settling into it and placing her hooves back on their positions at the keyboard and mouse. A slightly wicked smile spread across her face as their character turned and began climbing down the ladder under her direction. An audible, and in Pinkie’s opinion, ominous splash announced their arrival in the sewer. Having apparently thrown subtly to the wind now, the game provided another enemy just around the first corner, just as disfigured as the first had been. Rarity suppressed a shudder as its head rolled in all the wrong ways in its attempt to look at their character and Rainbow Dash promptly charged forward to take it down. She got hit once before getting the hang of it, and the enemy fell into the water with a thunk. “Okay, weird.” “I know!” Pinkie exclaimed, earning a raised eyebrow from RD. ‘There should have been a splash, not a- *thunk*” “Okay, one, I was talking about the controls, two, how the heck did you make that noise?” Pinkie looked up at her friend with her big blue eyes- And shrugged. Well, if Pinkie Pie herself didn’t know, there was no point in questioning it, so Rainbow simply turned back to face the screen. “Uggh, its eyes are still glowing!” Rarity whined, shuffling her front hooves in a clear display of disgust. Twilight smirked a little, tilting her head to eye the screen. “Now only if we knew whether or not that was deliberate… It could be a visual glitch.” “Uh, girls? Hate to be Captain Obvious here, but- It don’t matter.” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes slightly. “There’s a monster around every corner!” Pinkie announced in a dramatic theatre-like voice, before giving in to a fit of giggles. “Hey Rainbow, Twitchy Mctwitchy Twitcherson would like to say hi!” “Hi,” Rainbow deadpanned as she slammed the back arrow key to jump out of the way as the monster suddenly took on a burst of speed and tried to brain their character. “Nice to meet’cha, but I gotta go,” she added, as the monster hit the water in defeat. “Asta la vista!” “I appreciate your attempt at humor Rainbow Dash, but could you please refrain from movie references I can’t follow?” Rarity asked delicately, while raising an eyebrow at Applejack’s attempts to hold her composure. ‘Why should I? Even the egghead got it!” Dash chuckled, earning her a swat from Twilight’s magazine on queue from the purple unicorn herself. “Just because I’ll read pretty much anything I get my hooves on, including mass amounts of pop culture and movie reviews, doesn’t mean we all do Rainbow.” Twilight said lightly, dropping her magazine back in it’s place on the table. “Yeah, most of us just go watch the movie.” Rainbow replied, turning in her chair to grin at her. “Less talky more walky!” Pinkie said quickly, before poking Rainbow in the arm. “Or are you scaaared?” “I’m goin’, I’m goin’,” Rainbow muttered, turning back around to bid their character forward again and up a nearby ladder. “And see Pinkie? No invisible water monsters.” “This time.” “Suuure. Oh, look like we got another save point! That’s not ominous, eh Twily?” Rainbow snorted, clicking on the tape-recorder. ‘Don’t call me Twily,” Twilight huffed. “Only my BBBFF gets to do that. And the save point is probably because of the monsters behind us, not ahead.” “I vote ahead, personally, but whatever you say.” Going through the door ahead prompted a short tutorial on the ‘How-to’s of dodging, the use of which RD mastered very quickly on the monster just around the next corner. ‘You know Pinkie, you were right about one thing.” “I was?” “Yep. These guys love putting monsters around corners.” Sure enough, at the crossroads a few steps away, a turn to the left would reveal yet another monster more than willing to knock them a new one… Not that it got to, as it was unable to land even one blow with Rainbow’s well timed dodges and attacks. “Yer makin’ that look too easy RD.” “I guess I’m just that awesome.” Rainbow waded out into the water with a bit of a swager- Making her spectacular jump a second later as a monster charged out in front of her from around the corner all the more epic. “Fff-ahhhahaa!” She gasped, yanking reflexively away from the screen as her character leaped back to land on the concrete steps behind them. The monster seemed to be an inch away in seconds. “Holy buck you’re fast.” “Rainbow!” “What?!” “Get’em Dashie! Give ‘em the ol’ one-two!” “I’m working on it!” “Is it just me, or is its eyes glowin’?” “They’re glowing.” “Oh… my…” With a comforting thud the six’s conversation was brought to an end by the surprisingly speedy sudden attack of the monster’s finishing with its death. Rainbow Dash seemed to almost wilt with relief as her heart resumed it’s normal pace and she stepped over the corpse, and waded through the water ahead to find a dead-end… And a lever. “Oh I get it, I bet he was guarding this.” Twilight said cheerfully, earning a raised eyebrow from Rainbow. “Yeah, that- Or they just like sticking monsters around corners for built in jump scares.” “Well, that too…?” Rainbow rolled her eyes again before giving the lever a quick pull. The screech of metal quickly followed the action, announcing that a new passageway was open. “If monsters guard stuff, then does that mean that twitchy twitch back at the crossroads was guarding something too?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head quizzically. “I may as well check. I have no idea where the new passageway is right now anyway.” It turns out that Pinkie was correct. The monster had been guarding what used to be a shut chain link fence- Which was now open wide to allow them to progress. “Good one, Pinks!” Pinkie beamed. Through the gate, out the door, and into the beautiful fresh air of a clear and star-lit night. And then the phone had to ring. “Help me!! Please help, they’re coming! I’m inside the apartments, hurry-Please!” “Well, crap.” A/N I have the stomach flu. My back hurts. I feel like crap. SO WHY DO I WANT TO WRITE SO BAD? >.> One way to get my mind off things I suppose. Yay for inspiration at weird times? XD But, yeah, tiny chapter. You'll get some more when I start feeling a bit better.
Jump“You know what I hate, more than anything else?” Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash with a hint of curiosity at her unusual question. “Platforming. And what do they have me doing?” Rainbow continued, glaring daggers at the screen all the while. “Platforming. In a horror game!” Pinkie suppressed a giggle at the disgust in Dash’s voice. Rainbow rocked in her seat as she copied her characters movements slightly as she bid him up the scaffolding that the game had decided to send them up. “It’s ridiculous. Absolutely retarded.” She grumbled further, backing their character up for a running jump over the balcony railing. She had already messed up this transition three times, and was getting noticeably frustrated with it. There was a minute of silence as she made her way up the rest of the boards, before finally, victoriously, landing on the topmost balcony and entered the apartments. A cut scene welcomed them in, the camera slowly rolling back to show the hallway before them, illuminated by broken lights that flickered ominously, before focusing on their character from the place where he stood. This place doesn’t feel right. “Well of course it doesn’t.” Rainbow muttered, the controls returning to her once again. She stepped forward into the hallway, with a hint of trepidation. The lights continued to flicker, casting strange shadows around her as she slowed to a stop. There was a strange and loud hum echoing out from the speakers, and although it did little to help her, her ears instinctually swiveled about as she puzzled over its source. Then, the phone buzzed. Fourth Floor!! “Why didn’t you just say that the first time you called me?” Rainbow muttered, as she glared at the phone. “And who is this person that she has my cell number anyway?” “What did you say to Pinkie earlier about this just being a game, Rainbow Darling?” Rarity teased, earning a grumbled “yeah yeah” in return. “A random interesting fact I picked up the other day,” Twilight began, her face a perfect picture of hopeful excitement, “In oriental cultures, the number four is considered synonymous with death. As a result, oriental hospitals never have a fourth floor!” “Never?” Pinkie asked quizzically. “Well, even on the rare occasions that they do, they are never labelled as such. They just skip right into five and up!” “You know, Twilight, as interesting as that all is, you’re not helping.” Rainbow muttered darkly, slowly walking forward to peek around the next corner to check for death-inducing monsters. When the hallway proved empty, she turned back to the glowing piece of paper on the floor before her. She had scooped it up without a second thought, figuring it a clue for the surrounding area… So when its words truly began to log, their effect was doubled, causing the fur along her back to bristle as a chill shot down her spine. My secret note #1 3 little kiddies playing in the park Said the first kiddie, let’s go home before it gets dark, The first two went on their merry way home, The third stayed playing, all alone. Come here little child, come to me! The bushes whispered softly… They say curiosity killed the cat. The note was archived with a crinkling noise that only seemed to magnify the clinging silence that had taken over the room. Nopony spoke as worried and spooked looks were traded, everypony quite creeped out. This went on for a good two minutes before finally being broken by Applejack clearing her throat in a somewhat awkward cough. “Can we, uh, just move on and… Um, not think ‘bout that last one to-too much?” She asked a little shakily, doing her best to clear the unwanted thoughts from her head. “I vote yes on that.” Twilight said quickly, shooting a quick glance at Rainbow Dash who was sitting rather stiffly in the computer chair. “S-sure AJ. C-course we can. It is, after all, j-just a game.” The laugh that followed sounded more nervous than genuine, much as how the final statement had sounded more like the latter line of a mantra rather than a simple statement. A door only a few feet ahead was unlocked, and so a slight detour was taken in exploring the apartment behind it. A save-point was found inside the rather dirty kitchen, which was quickly made use of. Even Rainbow Dash found herself hoping just a little bit that it had been placed there so that one could avoid redoing the irritating platforming behind them, and not a respawn point that would be needed due to a monster that would happily kill them in the next room. Guess which one it was. “GAH!” The computer chair rocked back a good six inches as Rainbow’s wings flared open in startled reflex. Twilight hastily caught the chair in her magic, stopping it from rocking back any further and falling over on top of somepony. Their character had shot back in a similar movement, leaving him up against the front door as the girls stared at the monster ahead of them in shock. A child’s strangely warped head was perched upon what looked like a garbage bag tied up with tape and bloodied twine. Doll limbs, similarly bound, served as its hands and feet. Two long and rusty knives hung from its grasp, each of it’s breaths coming out as a metallic rattle that sounded like a twisted mixture of a snake’s hiss and the sound a pot makes when you drop it. For a long minute, the two stared off, neither moving. Then, the monster decided it had waited quite long enough, and promptly charged them. Rainbow moved swiftly out of the way and swiped at it on the way by. Blood sprayed up in declaration of a successful hit, and the monster’s call grew even more disturbing in an angry hiss. Rainbow Dash gulped slightly as she eyed it from where she stood. She knew she had to take it down, but there was something about this particular monster that made her feel like running away instead… Or maybe even just turning the game off altogether. The thought was cast aside as the monster turned around to charge her again, and she responded by darting forward in a series of dodges that allowed her to land the last two blows that finally felled it. Silence followed its defeat. The chair rocking forward to land with all four legs on the floor once more was the only sound aside from the gentle pattering of rain on the windows. The silence lasted for so long this time, in fact, that when it was finally broken, half the girls jumped. “Screw it, I’m just going straight to the next area.” Rainbow Dash said loudly, wheeling their character around to leave. So of course the front door was locked. “Okay fine. To the balcony then.” She snapped, and their character span around once more to march out to the balcony and down the shoddily built bridge to the neighbour’s below. She roughly pushed the black glass door open, and stormed up to the many strais to reach the fourth floor. Dash meant to yank the next door open and proceed with much contempt, but the door wouldn’t budge. Neither would the third floor door below it. She actually had to go down a level from her original position to progress at all. All the doors in this level were locked, jammed, busted, or blocked… Except one. Now, everypony knew, the minute this door opened, that it would be nothing but trouble. One does not railroad one’s players to this extent unless they were keen on forcing them straight into something horrid. They just didn’t know what that was yet. Which, really, made it even worse. This apartment was much cleaner than the last, and if it weren’t for the extremely ominous air, or the chokingly strong sense of foreboding, Fluttershy might have even called it cozy. “Their choice in wall colour is simply abysmal,” Rarity muttered, glaring at the mixture of discoloured yellow wallpaper and disgusting pink paint that covered the rooms. “Almost makes you wonder what they were trying to hide with it…” Rainbow Dash slammed to a stop as a glowing piece of paper underfoot caught her eye. ‘My Secret Note #2’ it read. “Is it safe to say that we have a unanimous agreement just to completely ignore that this even exists?” “Yes.” “Just checking.” The door beside it was not as easily avoided however, and it was pulled open with more than a little caution. The room inside was covered in photographs, most of them of gruesome murder scenes. One in particular had far more detailed than anypony would have liked, with the words “Slowest death yet” scrawled across the top. “C-can we move on..?” Fluttershy squeaked, “P-please?” “Y-yeah, sure Flutters.” Rainbow said shakily, somehow finding it hard to tear her eyes away from the photo. “Just let me grab this key he-” With a loud fizzle and the shattering of glass, all light in the room went out in a shower of sparks. Fluttershy and Rarity did a spectacular scream in response, Fluttershy diving to cower behind Applejack, and Rarity to hide under the azure blanket behind Twilight. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, was just desperately repeating the word “Run” in increasingly loud and panicked tempo. Rainbow Dash was all too willing to comply, except the door out now appeared to be locked… And by the sounds of it, its owner was coming back to get them. Rainbow swore loudly as she desperately ruffled through her inventory, trying to grab the key and use it on the door to flee like a timberwolf from a forest fire, but her panic and pounding heart was making her hooves shake so bad that the simple series of keystrokes was becoming nigh impossible. The door finally swung open, allowing her to dart out of the horrid room- And right into a den of monsters. About ten or twelve of the dolls that she hated so surrounded her, staring at her with empty white eyes from where they stood on the tables, couch, window sills and floor. A somewhat strangled noise escaped her as her mind wheeled at what lay before her… And then the room flashed white with a crash of thunder- Leaving the scene before her bare of monsters and silent once more. “I-it was just an illusion?” Rainbow gasped, for some reason now very out of breath. Relief wanted to flood in, but was held back by the knowledge that she was not quite yet safe. I can rest once I’m outta this Celestia blasted apartme- OH FAUST WHAT THE HADES IS THAT?!?! “GAH! NO! NO NO NO!” Rainbow yelped, Twilight’s magic quickly flaring up to catch the chair again as it rocked perilously back underneath the force of Dash’s spectacular jump. A… Thing stood in between them and the door out. It had the naked and mutilated body of a child, bent over and wizened, its spine and joints clearly visible. The head was all wrong however, it was far too large for the body, and was warped as if it had been stretched, or perhaps grossly inflated. It charged towards her before she had so much of the chance as to regain her composure again. She swiped at it in little more than a panicked gesture, but what happened next was completely unexpected. Its head popped. Rainbow froze completely as it fell, their character taking damage as it hit the floor. Very slowly, their character looked down at the corpse. Deep cuts and old scars crossed the shoulders and back of it, but that wasn’t what caught one’s attention. A large two foot spike, black as night, protruded from the neck of the creature. This, clearly, was what had caused the damage to their character… But that wasn’t what was on Rainbow Dash’s mind. In fact, there was very little on Rainbow Dash’s mind at this particular moment. The singular thing left on it was that she had to get to the bathroom. Fast. Twilight and Rarity exchanged a worried look as Rainbow shot off the computer chair, causing it to rock even in the clutch of her magic, and into the bathroom- The door slamming behind her a second later. A glint of magenta magic lit the keyboard for a second as Twilight paused the game, leaning forward slightly to look down the hall after her pegasus friend. Fluttershy slunk out from behind Applejack to check on Dash. Alarm could be seen on her face a second before the toilet could be heard getting flushed. The door swung open with a bang, and Rainbow stormed out, a look of determination clear on her face. “Rainbow, are you alright? I-it sounded like you threw up.” “I’m fine.” “You know Rainbow, we can just call it quits,” Twilight began, but was cut off by Rainbow’s hoof shooting up. “Nuh uh. No way,” She snapped, glaring first at Twilight before gesturing roughly at the computer screen. “I am not losing to a stupid video game. No it’s just personal now.” A rather devilish smile darted across her face. “Or as Rarity would say; “It. Is. ON.”
