Attempted automated wordcount. Please use LibreOffice/MSOffice for an accurate count: 28861 thanks, author! If you wish to have this removed from this list, email ra.llan.pcl+complaints @ gmail.com, making sure to provide proof that you are the author. Cover-Art Photoshopped By Pen Stroke - Full Size Haunting Nightmare By Pen Stroke Preread, Edited, and Reviewed By Batty Gloom, Applejinx, Cold in Gardez, Isphone, Metajoker, Nightsong ===================================================================== Chapter 1 Signs ================= ------------ Chapter 2>> While cities such as Manehatten and Canterlot were known for their night life and constant buzz, the small town of Ponyville tended to shut down after sunset. The hardworking ponies of the rural community retreated into their homes as the hour grew late, fleeing the chill of the autumn night to relax near warm fires before slipping off to bed. Yet, on this night, the quiet streets of Ponyville were not empty. A lone figure strode down one road in particular, coming from the direction of the Everfree Forest. It was a figure who had, in the past, sent all of Ponyville running to hide. A pony who was spoken of only in whispers, avoided like a plague, and who possessed haunting eyes that glowed beneath the shadow of her hood. Continuing along the streets, the figure approached her destination: the Ponyville Library. The library shone like a lighthouse. Its windows glowed, their light interrupted only by the occasional shadow of a pony moving within. Muffled music seeped through the walls to dance on the wind, drawing in the cloaked figure who, upon reaching the door, knocked three times. The warm light and cheerful music inside the library spilled out across her when the door opened. A single balloon snuck out the door, floating lazily towards the star-speckled sky only to get caught in the library’s branches. “Zecora!” Twilight Sparkle greeted with a warm smile, “I’m glad you were able to come.” The cloaked figure lowered her hood, the zebra returning the smile. “I am glad as well Twilight, to be joining you this night. It is quite nice to step out of my home, though I do not know why this party was thrown.” Twilight stepped to one side so Zecora could come in. “Oh, it’s just Pinkie Pie. She’s throwing the party to kick off the season of Nightmare Night.” Zecora nodded, looking through the door at the party’s ghoulish decorations: pumpkins, paper bats, fake spiders, fabric cobwebs, and everything else a spooky party needed. “A party to start the season of night, to get us all in the mood for a fright.” “Yep. Now please, come in and let me give you the quick tour,” Twilight said, motioning for Zecora to follow her before pointing around the room. “We’ve got some music and dancing over there, the buffet table is over there by the fireplace, and Pinkie Pie set up a bunch of fun games down in the basement. In fact, she was looking for somepony to play a game with her not too long ago.” Zecora smiled and turned towards the basement staircase. “If a challenge is Pinkie’s desire, then I shall gladly be her supplier.” “All right, have fun,” Twilight said before going back to the library door to greet another set of guests. As Zecora made her way across the room, she received warm greetings from a number of ponies. Zecora gladly returned each greeting with a warm smile and the occasional laugh. Still, the zebra did not allow herself to become swayed from her path, keeping her course focused until she passed through the basement door and began descending the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, Zecora saw the full extent of the games that had been setup. There was Pin the Tail on the Pony, but in proper Nightmare Night spirit there were other games too. She saw a barrel filled with green water and apples, perfect for bobbing, as well as a game of Spider Toss. “Hey there, Zecora, I’m so glad you could make it,” a familiar, energetic voice chirped. Zecora turned at the sound of the voice to see Pinkie Pie bouncing in her direction. “You don’t come to nearly enough of my parties, but that’s okay because when you do come it’s so much fun!” “I do not come by as often as I’d like, but then again the trip here is quite the hike.” Pinkie Pie came to a stop beside the zebra. “Well, yeah, that’s because you live all the way out in the Everfree Forest. Why do you live out there anyway?” “The forest provides rare herbs, roots, and moss, without which I would be at quite a loss.” “Oh, okay, that sounds like a good reason to me,” Pinkie Pie said with a bounce. The pink party pony then got very serious. She furrowed her eyebrows and put a hoof on Zecora’s chest. “Oh, and I just remembered, you and I have a score to settle.” A confident smile formed Zecora’s lips as she met Pinkie Pie’s serious stare with her own. “Is this truly a path you wish to pursue? Because I will show no mercy in round two.” Pinkie Pie nodded, zipping away and returning with a box held in her teeth. “Pick your color,” she mumbled out around the box in her mouth. “The color I choose is white,” Zecora announced before she reached into the box and bit down on something. When she drew her head back, the zebra gently held a pin in her mouth, attached to which was a white colored paper pony tail, “for I shall not lose this night.” Pinkie Pie huffed, taking Zecora’s challenge seriously as she went around the room to find more ponies for the game. Soon, a half dozen guests were gathered in front of one wall in the library’s basement, on which hung a poster of a pony that was missing its tail and had a small ‘X’ on its flank. It was a game of Pin the Tail on the Pony, and Pinkie Pie was out to reclaim her title as Ponyville champion from Zecora. The rest of the ponies took their turns before Zecora and Pinkie Pie. Some managed to pin their paper tails close to the ‘X’. Others weren’t as successful. Their tails ended up on the nose, hooves, and eyes of the pony on the poster. By the time Pinkie Pie’s turn finally came around, a small crowd had gathered. “You aren't going to beat me this time, Zecora,” Pinkie Pie said as she was blindfolded. “I’ve been practicing.” Zecora allowed herself a single chuckle. “First you should pin your tail upon the wall; then we’ll see who shall be the one to fall.” With a huff, Pinkie Pie gave a nod, signaling that she was ready to be spun. Yet, despite the disorienting spin, Pinkie Pie was able to make a beeline for the poster. She placed her pink, paper pony tail and pushed the pin in as deep as it would go before she stepped back and removed her blindfold. Once Pinkie Pie registered how well she had done, a broad smile exploded onto her lips. She somersaulted back over to Zecora and pointed a proud hoof at the poster. “HA! Bulls-eye!” Pinkie Pie boasted while the other ponies playing cheered. Zecora, however, seem unfazed and maintained her confident smile. She was blindfolded and spun while Pinkie Pie’s tail was removed from the poster so that she would have an equal chance to hit the bulls-eye. Still, after Zecora was spun, she did not walk forward towards the poster. She instead shifted her stance ever so slightly and brought her head back to one side. She then swung her head forward and threw her pin, with the attached paper tail, into the air. All eyes in the crowd watched as the tail arched through the air, and gasped when the pin stuck to the posters directly on the ‘X’. It was a perfect bulls-eye. “How... how did you?” Pinkie Pie asked as Zecora removed her blindfold with a proud smile. “You’ve practiced, Pinkie Pie... Well, in truth, so have I.” “Phhhh, that’s not that impressive,” Rainbow Dash said as she came out of the crowd. “I mean, how hard can it be to pin something to a poster?” “It’s hard enough for you, as I recall. Last time we played you missed the wall,” Zecora said with a small laugh. Rainbow Dash huffed, not about to back down from a challenge, even when she was the one that had made the challenge in the first place. “Yeah, well, I was just tired last time. I’d been bucking clouds all day, but this time I’m going to beat you both.” With that Rainbow Dash grabbed one of the paper pony tails and secured her own blindfold. “You sure about this, Rainbow Dash? I mean... you’re not really good at this game,” Pinkie Pie noted, remembering a time when Dash pinned the tail on somepony’s flank. “Hey, don’t worry, I got this. I’ll even spin myself.” With that Dash hopped into the air, and used her wings to spin herself into a chromatic twister. Then, after spinning herself around at least a dozen times, Dash stopped and wavered in the air before smiling. “All right, watch as I pin this tail right on that poster.” “But Rainbow Dash-” Pinkie Pie tried to warn. Still, her words came too late. Rainbow Dash soared forward in the completely wrong direction. With a loud crash, Rainbow Dash collided with the basement’s chandelier and then dove straight into the Bobbing for Apples barrel. The impact caused a huge splash, which sent green tinted water and apples flying everywhere. The floor, ceiling, walls, books, and party guests were all doused in the liquid. A party guest lifted his hoof out of a puddle with a grimace. “What is with this water? Why is it sticky? “Oh, that’s because it’s green apple punch,” Pinkie Pie answered happily as she lifted some of her drenched mane away from her face. “I mean, what’s more fun than bobbing for apples in green apple punch?” “Whoa, what happened down here?” Twilight asked, she and Rarity standing at the top of the basement staircase, overlooking the disastrous mess. Zecora tossed her head in an attempt to shake off some of the green apple punch. “A disaster, both sticky and wet, and to think the night isn’t over yet.” “Oh... it will take forever to clean all of this,” Twilight groaned before turning her head to the basement door. “Spike, bring the-” “Oh, Twilight, don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” Rarity offered politely. “You will?” Rarity gave a nod. “I might remind you that you aren’t the only unicorn around. I just happen to know a little spell that can take care of all this. It’s a little something I learned after Sweetie Belle accidentally spilled several gallons of grape juice in my boutique.” Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Several gallons? How did she-” “Don’t ask,” Rarity interrupted. “Okay... but are you sure you can clean all this up?” “Oh, of course,” Rarity chuckled confidently. “All it takes is a flick of my horn and...” With that she tossed her head as a wave of light burst out from her horn. The spell washed over the entire room, doing nothing at first. Yet, once it began to recede, the spell drew up the punch and condensed the spilled liquid into a single floating sphere near Rarity’s head. Twilight looked about the once again dry room, impressed at the spell’s results. “Wow, Rarity, you have to teach me that!” “I’d be happy to, Twilight, especially since you’ll probably be able to get more use out of it than I can. This spell just takes a little too much out of me to use it regularly,” Rarity answered wearily as she inspected the sphere of collected green apple punch and took note of the dust and black soot that her spell had also gathered. “Now, where is the nearest sink so I can dispose of-” It was at this moment the lights all around the library went out, causing a few panicked screams as well as a resounding splash. The darkness didn’t last for long. The candles and oil lamps regained their flames quickly, and the library was once again filled with light. The sudden and short lived darkness left almost every party guest mumbling in concern and confusion. It also left Rarity shaking, though not in fear. In the moment of sudden darkness, she lost her concentration on her spell, dropped the sphere of liquid, and drenched herself with the sticky punch. Breathing tensely through her nose, Rarity struggled not to scream as the green apple punch dripped off her coat, mane, and tail. “Twilight... bathtub... now!” Rarity’s words snapped Twilight out of her own daze. She looked to the lights, wondering why they had gone out, but then shook her head and focused on Rarity. “Of... of course, Rarity, just follow me upstairs.” Soon, most of the party goers went back to their games, food, and dancing, but one did not. Zecora made her way to the library’s front door, and poked her head outside while keeping her hooves just inside the door frame. She glanced up and down the street, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Zecora shrugged, muttered something under her breath in her native tongue, and turned to rejoin the party, though for the rest of the evening she remained slightly on edge. ~~~ A few days later, Twilight Sparkle stifled a yawn as she made her way down the library steps. Morning light streamed through the windows, and the sweet aromas of breakfast drew Twilight from the covers of her bed. It was unusual for Spike to be up so early, but Twilight wasn’t about to complain once she stepped into the kitchen and saw Spike making oatmeal. “Morning,” Twilight chimed as she took a seat at the table. It had been set with silverware, bowls, two tall glasses of orange juice, and even a vase with a freshly picked flower. It was a wonderfully laid out table, and at the sight of it Twilight let out a knowing chuckle. “All right, what happened?” “Nothing happened,” Spike answered too quickly as he came over from the stove and served Twilight a big helping of oatmeal. “I just decided the most magically talented unicorn in Ponyville deserved a nice warm breakfast.” “Uh-huh,” Twilight said with a disbelieving tone. “No, really,” Spike stressed. “You study so hard, and you’ve got to eat a big breakfast to fuel that big, smart brain of yours.” Twilight rolled her eyes, levitated a spoon, and sunk it into her oatmeal. “Spike, there’s no point in trying to butter me up. Now, what happened?” “Okay, you got me,” Spike admitted in defeat. He set the pot of oatmeal on a nearby counter and nervously grabbed his tail. “Now, don’t get mad or anything, but... I think I forgot to lock the library door last night.” “What makes you think that?” Twilight asked before she placed a spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth. “Well, I was coming out of the bathroom and going back to bed when I though I heard something moving around down here,” Spike explained. “You were already asleep, so I thought it might have been Owlowicious. Still, when I got down here I didn’t see anything, except that the door was cracked open. I must have forgotten to lock it and somepony was in here and...” Spike fell silent at this. He rubbed the back of his neck and anxiously waited for his punishment. Twilight honestly wasn’t that mad at Spike. He was always very good about locking up the library at night, and it was obviously an accident. In truth, Twilight didn’t think locking the door was that important. It wasn’t like there were any burglars in Ponyville. She, however, understood why Spike was so worried about it. Rainbow Dash had scared him with stories about Everfree creatures sneaking into homes around Ponyville. Ever since, despite her feelings that it wasn’t necessary, Spike had dutifully locked the library door every night. “Don’t worry about it,” Twilight finally answered with a smile. “I know it was just an accident. Still, if you really want to make up for it, you could run upstairs and make my bed for me.” Spike nodded eagerly, more than willing to accept such a light punishment, “You got it, Twi. I’ll back in a jiffy.” With that he ran out of the room, leaving Twilight to chuckle to herself as she continued to enjoy the oatmeal. She listened to the sound of Spike’s claws on the library’s second floor until they fell silent, a sign that he had reached and was making her bed. In that silence Twilight let the smile on her face widen. It was the kind of quiet she enjoyed: a moment where she could be alone with her thoughts. She spooned another bite of oatmeal into her mouth, and was about to take another when something felt wrong. Twilight turned her head away from her bowl to look at the rest of the kitchen. Her ears swiveled forward and she strained her hearing. The library almost felt too quiet for a moment, like she should have been able to hear something. Letting her eyes slowly scan the room, Twilight tried to find the the source of the strange disturbance. None of the cupboards were open. The sink wasn’t dripping. The only thing not put away was the pot of oatmeal Spike had set down on the counter. Nothing was out of place, yet something was wrong. Twilight shook her head, trying to banish the strange, sudden paranoia, and returned to eating her oatmeal. She sunk the spoon down into the mush, lifted it up, and after licking her lips placed the spoonful in her mouth. “Yeeeeeooowwww!” “Twilight!” Spike shouted as he sprinted down the stairs and into the kitchen. “Are you okay?” “Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!” Twilight repeated over and over as she danced on the tip of three hooves while using her right foreleg to fan her open mouth. She grabbed both glasses of orange juice from the table, guzzling down one and then the other as quickly as she could. “What? What happened?” Spike asked once Twilight finished drinking the orange juice. “I burned mythelf,” Twilight mumbled as she kept her tongue out of her mouth, letting it cool in the open air. “On what?” She pointed an accusing hoof at the bowl on the table. “On the oatmeal! You made it too hot!” Spike cocked a confused eyebrow. “But... it wasn’t too hot when I left to make the bed.” Twilight took in a breath to argue, but the words died in her mouth. Spike was right. She was eating the oatmeal before he left without any trouble. That and, upon reexamining the oatmeal, Twilight found it was no longer burning hot. It had returned to its original, pleasantly warm temperature. ~~~ “Oh, Spike, I’m sure you’re just letting your imagination get the better of you,” Rarity commented as she magically plucked a pin from the dragon’s back and used it to secure a piece of fabric. She was working on her Nightmare Night costume, and was sure it would wow and impress everypony... if she could get it done in time. Spike stood with his back arched next to the mannequin, several pins sticking out of his thick scales. “I don’t know, Rarity. There’s been a lot of weird things happening around the library lately. I mean, first there was the morning Twilight somehow burned her mouth on oatmeal that was barely warm. Then there was the morning we found a bunch of books had fallen off the shelves. Then, last night, Twilight woke up screaming because of some nightmare.” Rarity removed a pin from Spike’s back and used it to secure a future seam on her costume. “What was the nightmare about?” “That’s the weirdest thing: she can’t really remember,” Spike answered while Rarity removed another pin from his back. “All she remembers is that it was really colorful and it felt like she was being ripped apart.” Rarity adjusted a piece of fabric she was pinning into place. “Ripped apart... My, how gruesome, but I still wouldn’t worry too much about it, Spike.” “Worry too much about what?” a third voice asked. When Spike and Rarity turned to see who had spoken up, they saw Rainbow Dash entering the boutique. “Oh, Spike’s just fretting about Twilight,” Rarity answered. “Still, I’ve assured him it’s nothing to worry about. Now, what brings you to my boutique, Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash came to a stop beside Spike. “I was wondering if could get some fabric. I’ve got something sweet planned for my Nightmare Night costume, but I need some fabric if I’m going to make it.” “Oh, and what are you going as?” “I’d rather keep it a secret. You know, so it will be a surprise,” Rainbow answered. “So, do you have some fabric I could use?” Rarity glance away from her mannequin and in Rainbow Dash’s direction. “That depends; what kind of fabric do you need and what colors do you need it in?” “Don’t really know about the kind of fabric,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “I guess I just need something strong, but I do know I need it in black, purple, yellow, and some white.” Rarity pushed her lips together and levitated off her work glasses. “My, I can’t imagine what you’d be making with that particular color combination. But yes, I do believe I have some spools I can part with. Just give me a moment to go check in the back.” With that, Rarity turned and trotted into the back of the store, leaving Spike and Rainbow Dash waiting in the front. “Whoa, Spike, you going to be a pin cushion for Nightmare Night?” Rainbow Dash teased as she playfully poked at one of the pins in Spike’s back. “Nah, I just came by to talk to Rarity and decided to lend her a claw,” Spike answered. “Trust me, my costume is a lot better than being a pin cushion. I’m going to go as a dragon.” “But... you are a dragon,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “I mean an adult dragon. You know, a dragon with horns and really sharp teeth.” Rainbow Dash thought about the costume idea for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. “Okay... I guess that could be cool. Still, what were you and Rarity talking about when I came in?” Spike adjusted a few of the pins on his back so he could stand up straight. “Just some of the stuff that’s been going on at the library lately. Twilight had a really bad dream last night about colors and being torn apart. There was the one morning Twilight’s oatmeal got burning hot, and another morning when a lot of books had fallen off the shelves. I say something’s going on, but Rarity and Twilight keep saying it’s just my imagination.” “That... or the library’s haaaauuunnnnttttteeed,” Rainbow Dash teased while wearing a mischievous grin and waving her hooves menacingly. Spike swallowed nervously. “Ha-ha-haunted!?” Rainbow jumped into the air and began to hover slowly around Spike. “Yeah, I bet there’s some creepy ghost hanging around. Something lurking by the shelves, hiding in the basement, floating across the floor... waiting in the shadows for the perfect time... to strike!” Dash shouted the last part at the top her lungs, causing Spike to leap straight up into the air. He jumped high enough to reach and hang from one of the ceiling’s rafters, trembling like a leaf, while Rainbow Dash broke down into a fit of laughter. “What is going on out here?” Rarity asked as she stuck her head out of the back room. A few spools of fabric were levitating near her head, none of which were the colors Dash had asked for. “Rainbow Dash says the library is haunted!” Spike tattled while pointing a claw at Rainbow, who was still laughing her head off. “Now Rainbow Dash, there is no need to scare Spike like that,” Rarity scolded while she helped him down from the rafters. “Now, I don’t want to hear another word about it or you can forget about getting this fabric.” Dash wiped a tear from her eye and worked to gain control of her laughter. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop.” Rarity didn’t seem entirely convinced by Rainbow’s words, but she returned to her search for the fabric all the same. That left Spike and Rainbow Dash alone again, and for a time the pair kept to themselves. Dash snickered under her breath while Spike nervously held his tail. “S-so... do you really think the library is haunted?” Spike asked quietly, unable to get the thought out of his head. “I mean, if it is, shouldn’t we do something about it?” Rainbow Dash smiled, seeing an opportunity to have a little more fun at Spike’s expense. “Sure, we should have a seance.” “What’s a seance?” Spike asked, not liking the sound of that word. “It’s when we try to talk with the ghost and ask why it’s haunting the library,” Dash answered with a hushed voice. “That way we know why it’s there and how we can get rid of it.” “C-c-can we really talk to spirits?” Dash gave an assuring nod. “Oh yeah, I got just what we need back at my house. You just make sure Twilight goes to sleep early tonight and I’ll take care of the rest.” ~~~ “I don’t know, Dashie, it sure sounds like Spike’s really freaked out about this,” Pinkie Pie commented as she bounced alongside Dash, the pair making their way towards the library. It was a few hours after sunset. The Ponyville streetlamps were lit, and the two mares were some of the few ponies still outside. “Yeah, that’s what’s going to make this so awesome! He’s ripe for a good scare,” Rainbow Dash answered with a mischievous grin. “Besides, it’s just a week until Nightmare Night. This is the best time to pull some really good pranks.” “I guess,” Pinkie Pie anxiously agreed, “but we need to be careful not to go too far. I don’t want to freak Spike out and make him miss Nightmare Night.” “Don’t worry, we won’t go too far,” Dash promised as she and Pinkie Pie reached their rendezvous point. “And who knows, this might just help Spike get over what’s been happening. We’ll scare him, and then tell him it was a prank. After that, he’ll either laugh with us or be mad at us, but I’d bet my wings he won’t be scared anymore.” Pinkie Pie smiled. “Yeah, you’re right! So, when do we start the prank?” “Just as soon as Spike lets us in,” Rainbow assured her. The rendezvous point was across the street from the library, and after standing there for a few minutes they saw the library’s front door open. Spike stood in the doorway and, after glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, waved the pair of mares inside. “Are you sure this is going to work?” Spike asked once Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were in the library and he had shut the door. Dash nodded and took off her saddlebags before setting them down on the floor. “Yeah, I promise. Now, is Twilight asleep?” “Yes,” Spike answered while watching Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie unpack something from the saddlebags. “I made sure she was asleep before I snuck out of my basket. Now, what is that?” “This is how we’re going to talk to the ghost,” Rainbow Dash answered as she waved a hoof over the item. It was like a large board game, but instead of having colorful squares it was a plain brown color with a bunch of black letters on it. There was also a wooden pointer with a thin glass lens sitting on top of the board. “It’s called a phantom speller,” Dash explained while she turned down the room’s lights and placed a few candles near the letter covered board. Once lit, the candles created a small pocket of light around the board while casting harsh shadows across the library walls. It was a creepy effect that Rainbow Dash had crafted, and she couldn’t help but smile at her work before taking a seat beside the phantom speller. “H-how does it work?” asked Spike. “We each put a hoof, or claw, on the pointer, then we ask the ghost a question and it’ll use the pointer to spell out an answer.” Spike approached the supposedly mystical board in awe. “Wow... and it really works?” Rainbow Dash covered her mouth with a hoof to keep herself from laughing and ruining the prank. “Yeah, it sure does. Now come on, let’s talk with a ghost.” Pinkie Pie and Spike nodded, taking their places beside the board. The two mares and dragon then reached out and touched the board’s pointer, and after a few tense moments Dash asked the first question. “Are there any spirits here with us?” For a time nothing seemed to happen, but Spike gasped and glanced at Pinkie Pie when the pointer began to move. “Are you doing that?” “No Spike, we’re not moving it,” Pinkie Pie answered. “Yeah,” Dash said, once again struggling with her laughter, “we’re not moving it.” “But that means...” Spike began before trailing off and looking nervously at the board. He, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash all watched as the pointer continued to creep across the board until it finally came to a stop. Through the magnifying glass embedded inside the pointer, the trio could clearly see one of the few words printed on the board. … Yes… Spike took his claw off the pointer. “Okay... you know what, I don’t think this is a good idea.” He tried to get up from his seat, but Rainbow Dash used a hoof to push him back down. “Ah, come on, Spike, you want the ghost to leave, don’t ya?” “Of course I do!” Spike answered. “What sane dragon wants a ghost in his home?” “Then you have to stay here and help us. We can’t figure out how to make it go away unless we talk to it,” Rainbow Dash explained while motioning for Spike to put his claw back on the board. It was obvious Spike didn’t like the idea of talking with the ghost, but the prospect of being able to make it go away was tempting. In the end, Spike put his claw back on the pointer. “Okay, next question: are you a spirit?” Rainbow Dash asked, calling out with a spooky waver in her voice. This time, the board didn’t take as long to reply, the pointer crossing over to the board’s adjacent corner. … No… “No?” Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash read together, glancing up at one another. “But I thought we agreed-” “Come on,” Spike said, interrupting the two mares. “Just ask it what it wants.” “Okay, okay,” Dash said, trying to calm Spike down, though the smile on her face had disappeared. “What do you want?” In response to the question, the pointer moved down from the corners of the board. It slid about the letters laid out in the center, pausing above specific characters as it spelled out a response. … W... H... A... T... I... S... M... I... N... E... “Whatismine?” Pinkie Pie echoed, tilting her head in confusion. “I think it wanted to say ‘What is mine,’” Rainbow Dash said. She looked at Pinkie Pie with freaked-out confusion and mouthed silently, “What are you doing?” “Nothing,” Pinkie Pie mouthed back. Spike, oblivious to the exchange going on between the two mares, kept his eyes fixed on the phantom speller. “What is mine?” he echoed while his brain turned over the phrase. “Was something taken from you?” It only took a moment for the pointer to start moving again, sliding back across board. … Yes... “Whoa, okay, I need a quick break,” Rainbow Dash said as she took her hoof off the pointer. “Hey, Spike, you mind if Pinkie Pie and I raid the kitchen?” “No, go ahead,” the baby dragon answered. “I think I could use a break too. I need to, uh... go to the bathroom. Yeah, that’s it.” The group split in two. Spike crept up stairs to go to the bathroom while Rainbow Dash dragged Pinkie Pie into the kitchen. Once there, Rainbow Dash shut the door and turned to glare at Pinkie. “What are you doing? This isn’t what we rehearsed,” Rainbow Dash snapped, trying to keep her voice down so they wouldn’t run the risk of waking Twilight. “Me!? What are you doing? You’re the one moving the pointer!” Pinkie Pie accused. “I am not!” “Yes you are!” “Pinkie Pie, I swear, it’s not me,” Rainbow Dash assured her. “But, if you’re not the one doing it and I’m not the one doing it... and if Spike’s not the one doing it...” Pinkie Pie rattled off before falling silent, her eyes growing as wide as dinner plates. “Then... oh my gosh, do you think there’s a real ghost?! Oh, that is so exciting! I’ve never talked to a real ghost before!” “But Pinkie Pie, this is only supposed to be a prank,” Rainbow Dash said before glancing over her shoulder. “I mean, the library wasn’t actually supposed to be haunted.” Pinkie Pie hooked her foreleg around Rainbow’s shoulders and put on a confident smile. “Relax, Rainbow Dash, nothing’s changed. We’re just doing this for real now instead of pretend. We’ll ask the spirit what it wants, and then help Spike and Twilight get rid of it. It will be just like the time we got rid of that dragon in the mountains, or the time Twilight rocked that Ursa Minor to sleep.” “But... ” Rainbow Dash tried to protest. “Come on, I thought you liked being scared.” Rainbow puffed out her chest. “I do, if something can actually scare me. But ghosts... no, I’m not scared of ghosts.” “Great! Let’s get back out there before it leaves,” Pinkie Pie said excitedly before bouncing out of the kitchen and returning to her place beside the phantom speller. Rainbow Dash wasn’t as eager. She lingered in the kitchen a moment to take a deep breath. She then flared her wings, put on an air of courage, and strode out into the main room before sitting back down beside the phantom speller. Spike came back from the bathroom a few minutes after the two mares had returned to the board. His face was dripping with water, but he acted as if nothing was amiss. He simply sat down. Even as water dripped to the floor, neither Pinkie Pie nor Rainbow Dash pushed for answers. Instead, the trio turned their attention back to the Phantom Spell and replaced their hooves and claw on the pointer. “Okay,” Rainbow Dash breathed, trying to calm the quiver in her voice, “can you tell us what was taken from you?” For a few moments the pointer remained still, like the spirit had left, but then the pointer twitched once. That twitch was followed by movement as the pointer crossed to the upper right corner of the board. … No… “You can’t tell us what was taken?” Pinkie Pie asked, echoing the spirit’s answer. “Then... can you tell us who stole from you?” … Yes… “Oh, who was it?” Pinkie Pie chirped all too eagerly. The pointer began its reply as soon the question had left her lips. It spelled out the spirit’s answer while she, Rainbow Dash, and Spike leaned in to watch with anticipation. Each worked mentally to keep track of the motion. Rainbow Dash even mouthed the letters to herself. … S... H... E... T... O... O... K... H... E... R... “No no no,” Pinkie Pie said while shaking her head at the same rhythm. “I asked who was it? Who is she?” … S... H... E... T... O... O... K... H... E... R... “No, I asked who is she,” Pinkie Pie corrected again. “I mean, it’s not that hard of question. All I’m asking for is a name.” … S... H... E... T... O... O... K... H... E... R... “Uh, Pinkie Pie, maybe we should-” Dash tried to interrupted, but Pinkie was too intently focused on the board to hear her. “Oh come on, won’t you please tell me who she is? Pretty please with sugar on top?” Pinkie Pie sang, as if asking nicely would entice the spirit to give up the truth. … S... H... E... T... O... O... K... H... E... R... Dash abruptly took her hoof off the pointer and stood up from the board. “Whoa... okay, would you look at the time? I got someplace to be. So... ya, see you two later.” With that Rainbow Dash quickly made her way to the library door, only for Pinkie Pie to speed ahead and block the exit. “Come on, Rainbow Dash, don’t go yet. I mean, this is so fun! We’re actually talking to a spirit!” “Sorry, I’d... uh, really like to stay but, you know, I’ve got some clouds to clear.” “In the middle of the night?” Pinkie Pie questioned. “Uh... yeah, in the... middle of the night,” Rainbow Dash assured Pinkie with a weak smile. “Aw, Rainbow Dash, you don’t have to be scared. Just remember you have to ~giggle at the ghostly, guffaw at the~” Rainbow Dash stuck a hoof in Pinkie Pie’s mouth, ending the song before it could continue. “I am not scared,” she said firmly, “and don’t sing. Do you want to wake Twilight up and get us caught?” “Uh, girls?” Spike tried to interrupt to no avail. “No,” Pinkie Pie replied once Rainbow Dash had lowered her hoof, “but I’m just saying it’s okay to be scared. I mean, that’s what this part of the year is all about; it’s fun to be scared.” “I told you, I’m not scared!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “But then whey do you want to leave so bad? “It’s because-” “Girls!” Spike shouted. He had gotten up from the board and walked over to where the two mares were arguing, ensuring he was heard. “What is it?” Dash asked, obviously wanting to get back to her argument with Pinkie Pie. Spike pointed back at the board. “It’s still going!” The two mares turned their heads, and saw that Spike was telling the truth. The pointer was still moving, sliding between letters even though there was no pony or dragon touching it. For almost a minute none of them approached the phantom speller. They remained rooted to the floor, watching the pointer slide from a distance. The first one to shore up enough courage to move closer was Pinkie Pie, though the expression on her face made it clear that she wasn’t enjoying the ghostly encounter any more. Pinkie’s courage let Rainbow Dash and Spike approach the board as well. The pair followed behind Pinkie until all three of them were close enough to read what the pointer was spelling out. … S... H... E... T... O... O... K... H... E... R... … I … W... A... N... T... H... E... R... B... A... C... K... … S... H... E... T... O... O... K... H... E... R... … I … W... A... N... T... H... E... R... B... A... C... K... … S... H... E... T... O... O... K... H... E... R... … I … W... A... N... T... H... E... R... B... A... C... K... … S... H... E... W... I... L... L... H... E... L... P... M... E... G... E... T... H... E... R... … S... H... E... W... I... L... L... B... E... M... I... N... E... The pointer came to an abrupt stop, leaving the last letter magnified in its lens as the room fell into an uneasy silence. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Spike all stood, eyes locked on the phantom speller. None of them dared to move or even breath as the watched and waited to see if the spirit would continue to speak. “Is... is it gone?” Spike asked quietly several tense moments later. “What are you three doing?!” Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike all jumped and screamed at the top of their lungs. Spike bolted to hide under the library’s reading table while Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash hugged each other for dear life. It was then the lights around the room came on, magically lit by a very angry and tired Twilight who glared at her friends from the base of the staircase. Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her chest as she tried to calm her pounding heart. “Oh...geeze, Twilight! Don’t do that!” “What, come downstairs to find out what all the shouting was about?!” Twilight snapped at her two friends. “And what are you two even doing here?” “Twilight!” Spike wailed as he ran over and clung to Twilight’s leg. “Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie said they were going to help get rid of the ghost and-” “Spike, I told you, there are no such thing as ghosts,” Twilight lectured. “But Rainbow Dash said-” “So it was Rainbow Dash,” Twilight grumbled as she turned her glare on Rainbow, who put up a hoof defensively. “Okay, I know what this looks like, and I’ll admit Pinkie Pie and I were going to prank Spike, but-” “Ha! See, Spike? These two were just playing a trick!” Twilight said while pointing an accusing hoof. “We were going to play a trick,” Pinkie Pie corrected, “but then something actually started to happen. We actually got to talk to a real ghost. It was so scary, but so fun!” “Oh yes, I’m sure it was,” Twilight sassed in disbelief before returning to her serious, scolding tone. “I can’t believe you two. I know you two like to pull pranks, but scaring Spike like this is going too far.” “But-” Pinkie Pie tried to protest only for Twilight to cut her off. “No, Pinkie Pie, I don’t want to hear any more.” “But Twilight, there really is something-” Rainbow Dash tried to stress, but Twilight didn’t give her a chance to finish. With her horn glowing, she opened the library door and pointed at it with a hoof. “No, you’ve had your fun. Now I think it’s time you two went home.” “But Twilight,” Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash said in unison, only to fall silent at the stern, unforgiving glare in Twilight’s eyes. Unable to face their friend’s gaze, Rainbow and Pinkie made a quick retreat, running out of the library and to the street outside. “Good night!” were the final words Twilight yelled to her friends before she slammed the library door shut and set the locks. She then released a tense breath before shelving her anger and looking down at Spike. He clung tightly to her leg, looking around the room with wide, terrified eyes. “Look, Spike, I promise nothing is here,” Twilight said as she tried to comfort the baby dragon. “Those two were just playing a trick on you.” Spike nodded, stepping away from Twilight and looking around the room. “O-o-okay, but what about Rainbow Dash’s...” Twilight followed Spike’s gaze, trying to find what he was looking at. “Rainbow Dash’s what?” “Rainbow’s phantom speller, where did it go?” “I’m sure she took it with her when she left,” Twilight answered while she moved towards the stairs. “Now, come on, you’re up way past your bedtime.” Spike nodded, but remained standing where he was for a moment, staring at the place where the phantom speller had been. He tried to remember if he had seen Rainbow Dash grab the board when she left, but he couldn’t recall seeing it in her hooves. Still, something like that couldn’t just up and vanish... could it? ~~~ “Thanks again for helping out, Applejack,” Twilight said with a weary smile. She stood on the porch of the Apple family farmhouse, unloading several items from her saddlebags and setting them just in the door. The sun was setting in the distance, just minutes from disappearing completely. “I’m always happy to help out a friend in need, Twilight, but you mind tellin’ me why you want Spike to spend a few nights here?” Applejack asked as she watched Twilight continue to unload blankets, pillows, and the occasional gemstone. “That letter you sent earlier didn’t say that much.” “I’m sorry, I meant to explain everything but I was in a hurry this morning,” Twilight apologized. “The reason I want Spike to spend a few nights here is because he hasn’t been able to sleep at the library. Ever since he, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were playing with that stupid phantom speller, he’s been having really bad nightmares.” “Did you try tellin’ him there’s no such thing as ghosts?” asked Applejack. “Of course,” Twilight answered defensively. “I’ve probably told him a hundred times, but it doesn’t help. He hasn’t been able to sleep for two days, and when he’s awake he’s constantly on edge; he’s just so scared.” “He isn’t the only one, Sugarcube. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie came by here and told me what happened, and they were pretty spooked too.” “Good. Maybe that will teach them it isn’t a good idea to scare your friends so badly,” Twilight seethed coldly. Applejack reached out a hoof and touched Twilight’s shoulder, offering a sympathetic expression. “Now, Twilight, I know you’re mad at Rainbow and Pinkie for scarin’ Spike, but don’t be too hard on them. From the way it sounds, they didn’t mean for things to get so out of hoof.” “I know,” Twilight admitted with a sigh as she turned to look at Applejack, “but I’m just worried about Spike. He’s just a baby dragon; he needs his sleep.” “Well, don’t you worry none about that, Twilight,” Applejack said with a reassuring smile. “We’ll make sure he gets a good night’s sleep tonight.” “Thank you, Applejack. I’m hoping that a change of scenery will help, and having so many other ponies around should make him feel safer as well. Still, I’d keep him away from Apple Bloom. I wouldn’t want him to tell her about what happened and give her nightmares too.” “We’ll keep that in mind. Shoot, maybe you’d like to spend the night too. You’re lookin’ awful tired, Twilight, and we’ve got more than enough spare bedrooms.” Twilight finished unloading the last of Spike’s things. “Thank you, but no thank you. I’ll admit, because of Spike’s nightmares, I haven’t been able to get as much sleep as I normally would, but I refuse to be driven out of the library by something that doesn’t even exist. Besides, I’ve got some reading I want to get done.” “Well, all right then, if you’re sure.” Twilight gave a nod and turned to leave. “I am, and thank you again. I really do appreciate this. I’ll come back tomorrow to check on Spike.” “All right, see you tomorrow then, Sugarcube,” Applejack said, waving goodbye to Twilight. She remained on the farmhouse’s front porch, watching Twilight until she had reached the farm’s front gate. Once Twilight had turned and started heading in the direction of Ponyville, Applejack slipped inside the farmhouse to help Spike get settled in. ~~~ There was a deep frown on Twilight’s face as she tapped on her bedroom window for what was the third time that evening. Since her return from Sweet Apple Acres a few hours before, Twilight had been trying to read her book on illusions spells. She blazed through the first chapter without any trouble at all. Yet, upon trying to start the second chapter, Twilight found herself unable to concentrate. She began feeling a draft: a cold chill on one side of her body. Now, feeling a draft in the library was no strange occurrence, and Twilight had a properly prepared checklist for taking care of a draft whenever she felt one. And she went down that checklist almost an hour and a half ago. First, she made sure all the windows were closed. Then, she placed a quick charm on the windows so they were better insulated. Then, as a final touch, she started a small fire in the fireplace. She hit every point on her checklist, and as expected she couldn’t feel the draft anymore and was able to return to her reading. At least until the draft decided to return. Just as Twilight reached the bottom of the page she was on, the right side of her body was cold again, and it baffled her. She had gone down her checklist. She hit every point. There was no possible way she could still be feeling a draft. Yet the cold sensation on Twilight’s right side was evidence to the contrary. So Twilight went down the checklist again. She checked and enchanted the windows before throwing a fresh log into the fireplace. She stayed close to the fireplace, soaking in the heat from the flames until the cold sensation was gone. For a second time, Twilight was sure the draft was defeated, but the moment she tried to go back to her reading the chill returned. Mind flaring with determination, Twilight embarked on a crusade to defeat the strange draft that kept her from reading. She triple checked the windows, checked to make sure the draft wasn’t coming from the front door, and, as a final touch, took her book off her reading desk and brought it over beside the fireplace. She laid down with her right side facing the flames, smiling smugly at the room as if daring it to try and make her feel cold again. It was a dare the library accepted. The moment Twilight returned to her reading a chill crawled up her spine. Her right side was cold again. “Oh for Celestia’s sake!” Twilight bellowed out in aggravation as she jumped to her hooves and stomped upstairs. She didn’t know what was going on or where that draft was coming from, but she wasn’t going to let it keep her from her studies any longer. With a violent tug, Twilight took the blanket off her bed and draped it across her back. She then stomped back downstairs, laid back down by the fire, and wrapped the blanket around her body as tightly as she could. “There; now there’s no way I can be cold,” Twilight stated firmly, every part of her body, except her horn and eyes, cocooned in her blanket. Still, instead of going straight back to her reading, Twilight decided to sit and wait for a minute and see if the draft returned. When it didn’t, Twilight let herself smile and revel in her triumph over the draft as she levitated up her book, intent on picking up where she had left off. but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of- Twilight blinked, closing the book and checking the cover. It was not her book on illusion magic. Instead, Twilight found herself holding a book about Equestria’s history: the same book where she had first read about Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony. Twilight cocked an eyebrow in confusion and tossed back the part of the blanket wrapped around her head. “Where did this come from?” she asked herself as she cracked open the book again. She quickly flipped back to the passage where she had been, her eyes focusing on the two illustrations that were visible to her. The one on the left was a depiction of Luna and Celestia standing on a pair of clouds, Luna’s head turned away from Celestia. The image on the right side page was of Nightmare Moon, rearing back in a frightful pose. “Mine...” Twilight turned her head abruptly and glanced around while her ears swiveled forward. She then shut her book and stood up, keeping the blanket wrapped tightly around her body as she took a few steps away from the fireplace. “Hello, is somepony there?” Twilight called out to the empty library. She strained her ears listening for the slightest whisper of a reply. The silence, however, persisted. The only thing that Twilight heard was the sound of her own breathing mixed with the crackling of the fireplace. After listening intently for a few minutes, Twilight huffed and shook her head before turning back in the direction of the fireplace. “Come on, Twilight, pull yourself together. The front door and windows are locked, Spike is at Applejack’s, and there is nopony else here. Just go back to reading your-” Twilight stopped, her voice falling silent and her eyes focusing on the section of the floor where she left the book. It had disappeared, and in its place was a letter covered board with a pointer: a phantom speller. A shiver ran down Twilight’s spine and she grappled with the fear that was growing in her chest. She didn’t own a phantom speller; it was just a silly board game with no foundation in real magic. Yet, as Twilight approached the board, she couldn’t deny that it was there. She even reached out a hoof and touched it, proving to herself that it was physical and real. Inching closer, Twilight craned her neck over the board and focused on the pointer. It was positioned over the upper left hoof corner of the board, the small embedded glass lens directly above the word “Yes”. The sight of that word magnified in the pointer’s lens made Twilight feel uneasy, and she retreated from the board. She then took in a deep breath and shook her head. “No, there’s no such thing as ghosts. I’m just... I’m just tired,” Twilight told herself, her mind latching onto the admittedly weak explanation. “Yes, I’m sure I just dozed while I was reading and slept walk. Also, this phantom speller, I bet it’s Rainbow Dash’s. She probably left it here after I made her leave the other night.” Upon saying her explanation out loud, Twilight realized how far-fetched it sounded. She, however, forced herself to ignore the weaknesses in the argument. She walked back up to the phantom speller, and without giving the board or its pointer a second look, put it in a drawer. Twilight closed the drawer with a firm push of her hoof. “There, out of sight, out of mind. Now, where did my book go?” It took some time, but Twilight was able to find her book on illusion spells and return to her place by the fireplace. Yet, as Twilight tried to focus on her reading, she found the silence of the library had become uncomfortable. It was just too quiet, and the strange happenings of the evening were still lingering on the edges of her thoughts. Despite her every desire to keep reading, Twilight could tell her efforts that evening would be fruitless. She heaved a sigh of defeat, and after tossing the book onto her reading desk, retreated upstairs to the bedroom. She shut off the lights, laid down in her bed, and grumbled under her breath as she closed her eyes for the night. “There are no such things as ghosts.” ------------ Chapter 2>> ===================================================================== Questions, Comments, Concerns? pen.stroke.pony@gmail.com My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro I do not own the intellectual properties this fan-fiction is based on. ===================================================================== * * * Haunting Nightmare By Pen Stroke Preread, Edited, and Reviewed By Batty Gloom, Applejinx, Cold in Gardez, Isphone, Metajoker, Nightsong ===================================================================== Chapter 2 Aggression ================= <> Twilight stumbled into her bathroom the next morning, heavy bags under her eyes. Her body was on autopilot, going through the motions of her morning routine with very little guidance. Into the bathroom, turn on the light, start the shower, wait for shower to warm up, adjust temperature, and finally climb in. The water helped to drive away the clinging haze that consumed Twilight’s mind, but could not clear it away completely. She had only been able to scrape together two hours of decent sleep during the night, and blamed her imagination. As she laid in bed, trying to sleep, she kept opening her eyes and looking out into the darkness of the bedroom. She couldn’t shake the feeling she was being watched. She even tried sleeping with a light on, something she hadn’t done since she was a filly, but it didn’t help. Lifting a hoof to her mouth, Twilight covered a yawn before going about the process of scrubbing her coat, mane, and tail clean. It was a routine she usually did with a rote efficiency, since she had other things she wanted to get done in the morning. This morning, however, she allowed herself the small luxury of just enjoying the warm shower. It also gave her more time to wake up and scrape together what little energy she had gained from her few hours of sleep. Twilight stayed in the shower until the hot water was about to run out, only shutting the faucets off when she felt the water beginning to cool. She then remained in the tub for a while, letting herself air dry before she climbed out to finish the process with a towel. Her long time in the shower left the room choked with warm steam, which Twilight didn’t bother trying to vent as she cast a spell on her mirror. She warmed up the glass, evaporating the fog that had condensed on its surface as she wrapped her towel around her head in a bun. Then, once the mirror was clear, Twilight levitated her toothbrush and applied a carefully measured portion of toothpaste to the bristles before beginning to brush her teeth. It was another part of her routine Twilight had down to a stone cold checklist: brushing the sides of her teeth in well practiced order as her mind wandered to other subjects. She began thinking about what was on her schedule for the day. She had to go and pick up some candy for Nightmare Night from Bon-Bon’s sweet shop. Then she needed to go check on Spike and see if staying at Sweet Apple Acres helped him get some sleep. Then she- Something moved in the mirror behind her. Twilight tensed and held the toothbrush still in her foamed mouth. She leaned in to the reflective surface, inspecting the image as she tried to discern the source of the movement. It was the steam in the room. The mist behind her was still twisting, though it had lost much of its momentum. Twilight turned and stared at the steam directly for a time before a small smile formed on her lips. She gave her tail a small flick, and set the mist swirling again. Satisfied she had solved the mystery of the swirling steam, Twilight resumed brushing her teeth. She scrubbed each tooth with due diligence, and then set her toothbrush down. She sipped some water from the faucet, gargled, and rinsed before looking at her reflection to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. The glance turned into panic. Twilight stumbled away from the mirror and ended up falling back into the empty bathtub with a loud thud. The fall left her head spinning. She laid belly up in the tub, and once her head had cleared, she righted herself as fast as her hooves would allow and stared at the mirror. Twilight took several deep breaths, trying to calm her now racing heart. She had seen something, though she wasn’t sure what it was. A shadow, a silhouette... whatever it was, the simple sight of it had scared her witless. As she regained her composure, Twilight cursed herself and climbed out of the tub. It was that same unfounded fear that had kept her up all night and she was tired of dealing with it. There was nothing in the mirror and there hadn’t been anything there. She was just imagining things. Turning on the sink, Twilight rinsed her mouth of the lingering toothpaste foam and then stomped out of the bathroom, sweeping a good portion of the shower steam into the bedroom with her. Without pausing a moment, she grabbed up her to do list and saddlebags before heading down the library stairs, fully intent on distracting herself from her foalish fears by diving right into her day’s tasks. “There are no such things as ghosts!” Twilight lectured herself as she slammed the bedroom door shut and stomped down the stairs. She left the bedroom utterly empty except for the steam, which continued to drift out of the bathroom: steam that swirled, as if nudged by something. ~~~ Spike groaned, turned over, and forced his eyes shut. He laid on the porch swing of the Sweet Apple Acres’ farmhouse, resting his head on a pillow as he made a fresh attempt at getting some sleep. The swing gently rocked back and forth, driven by Granny Smith, who was sitting nearby, looking out across the farm with a pleasant, relaxed smile on her face. It was late afternoon, about the time Ponyville started shutting down and ponies began leaving work to return to their homes and families. “You know, you should stop tossin’ and turnin’ and just get some rest,” Granny Smith lectured without taking her eyes off the distant horizon. “Easy for you to say,” Spike grumbled and rolled over onto his back. “You didn’t have to deal with a ghost.” “Ghost... ha, that’s a lot of poppycock,” Granny Smith sneered, her wrinkled face contorting. “No such thing as invisible ponies and spirits. Besides, I didn’t have the luxury of thinkin’ about things like that when I was growin’ up, we had too much apple buckin’ to do. Yep, from dawn to dusk we were workin’ the fields, makin’ this place the best it could be.” Spike groaned, covering his head with a pillow as braced himself for what he sensed was going to be a long, rambling speech about how things used to be. “Nope, I had to work for my supper, not like some of the other ponies in town. Like Applejack’s friend, Rainbow Dash. She’s supposed to be our town’s weathermare, but she spends half her time napping or practicing her tricks. I say, if she has that much free time, she should find a way to be more productive. Celestia knows we could use the help on the farm. “And it’s not just her. There’s been a lot of lazy do-nothings here in Ponyville. Why, when I was in school, there was this filly named Tarot. You know what her special talent ended up being?” “No,” Spike moaned from beneath his pillow. “Fortune telling. What kind of talent is that? She just sits around all day reading ponies’ hooves and playing with tarot cards. I swear, she hasn’t done an honest day’s work her entire life. About the only thing she did right was that family of hers. Those two colts of hers grew up right, but it’s mostly thanks to their father. Now he was good, hard working stallion.” Spike poked his nose out from beneath the pillow, defeat heavy in his voice. There was no hope of escaping Granny Smith’s ramblings. “Uh-huh.” “Speaking of loafers, there was another one I knew that was even worse than Tarot,” Granny Smith announced, as if it was some great epiphany. “He was the town’s librarian back when I first got married, but he wasn’t like Applejack’s friend, Twilight Sparkle. No, she does it right; she’s the librarian and she’s Celestia’s student. She keeps herself busy, but Third Eye... bah, he had too much time on his hooves. He was a right creepy unicorn too, always jumpin’ at shadows. He even ran into the barn and started burnin’ somethin’ that stank like rotten eggs and garlic while ranting about how he was ‘banishin’ the spirits.’” Spike bolted upright. He took the pillow off his head and spun around in his seat to look at Granny Smith intently. “Wait, banishing what?” Granny Smith blinked a few times, surprised somepony was listening to her ramblings. “Uh... spirits. It was just a little while after my husband and I got married. Third Eye came by the farm to pick up an order of some special apples. While we were gettin’ them apples out of the barn he just started shoutin’ for no reason. We didn’t know what to make of it.” “What happened after that?” Spike asked “Well, Third Eye started burning those weird sticks and waving them all around, spreadin’ that nasty smellin’ smoke all over the place. Now, we Apples are known for our hospitality, but we didn’t need that strange smoke around our harvest, makin’ them smell bad. When we couldn’t get Third Eye to stop, my husband went and bucked him right off the farm. He hasn’t been welcom ‘round here since.” “Where is Third Eye? Does he still live in Ponyville?” Spike asked as he stood and stepped towards the elderly mare. “I don’t know what happened to Third Eye. I can’t even remember the last time I saw him,” Granny Smith admitted as she leaned away from Spike, reestablishing the personal space he had invaded. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear he’d kicked the bucket, most of the ponies my age have. Still, I suppose you could go ask at the mayor’s office. They would know if he’s still around.” Spike jumped down from the porch swing, an excited smile on his face. “Oh, this is perfect! I’ll go find Third Eye, and he’ll be able to get rid of the ghost. Thanks, Granny Smith!” “Now just hold your horses,” Granny Smith called out before Spike could run off. “Where do you think you’re goin’?” “I’m going to go to the mayor’s office and ask them where Third Eye lives,” Spike answered. “Then you’d best be turnin’ around, because the mayor’s office is gonna be closed by the time you get to town.” “But Twilight-” Spike tried to protest. “Now don’t get your spines in a twist,” Granny Smith lectured as she eased herself off the swing. “You can go to the mayor’s office tomorrow. Besides, it’s supper time and I could use a young pair of claws like yours in the kitchen. Applejack and Big Macintosh have been workin’ the orchards all day and they’re going to be needin’ a nice big supper.” “But what about Twilight? She’s been all alone in the library with the ghost! What if it’s done something to her?” Spike asked, only for Granny Smith to nudge him in the side and direct him towards the farmhouse door. “Now that’s enough of that ghost talk. Go wash those claws, we’ve got a supper to make.” ~~~ Twilight wore a smile on her face as she yawned and slipped into bed. It had been a good day. She had gotten everything done on her checklist and only thought about ghosts once, and that was when she was helping Pinkie Pie hang some fake ghosts outside of Sugarcube Corner for Nightmare Night. Yes, a totally normal day that helped clear away all of the crazy paranoia she had been experiencing the night before. It had been a good day, but a long one as well and Twilight was dog tired. She couldn’t help but yawn again as she turned over in her bed and looked out the window at the moon. Her eyes began to slide shut, and soon she drifted off into a blissful and well-earned rest. ~~~ Sqweeee... sqweeee Sqweeee... sqweeee Twilight slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to bring the world into focus. It was dark, the only light coming from the moon and stars outside the window. She didn’t quite understand why she was awake; it was past midnight and sunrise wouldn’t be for about six hours. Still, she just shrugged it off and snuggled back into her pillow, fully intent on getting back to sleep. Sqweeee... sqweeee Sqweeee... sqweeee Twilight sat up in bed, ears swiveling forward as she listened for the sound. It was a familiar sound, but she couldn’t place it and was about to lay back down when the noise repeated for a fifth and sixth time. It was enough for her to get a bearing on where the sound was coming from; it was originating from the library’s main floor. After getting out of bed, Twilight made her way downstairs. She didn’t bother trying to light any of the library’s lamps or candles, instead using her horn to light the way. She reached the ground floor without any difficulties, and began sweeping the beam of light from her horn across the room as she searched for the source of the noise. Sqweeee... sqweeee The sound repeated itself again, and with its help Twilight was able to zero in on the source. Her light fell on the door to the library’s basement, just beyond which she saw her Smartypants doll sitting on the floor. She had gotten the doll back from Big Macintosh a few days after the commotion she caused, following an awkward and overly personal conversation she would have rather avoided. Still, that wasn’t really important at the moment. What puzzled Twilight was how Smartypants had gotten out. She usually kept her tucked away in the bedroom, and she couldn’t recall taking Smartypants out since the incident with the “Want it, Need it” spell. “What are you doing there?” Twilight asked the doll as she trotted towards it. The doll, of course, offered no reply, just lying on the floor as Twilight moved past the basement door and stood over it. She reached out a hoof and gently put it down on the doll, causing it to let out the squeaking noise she had been hearing from upstairs. “Well, I don’t know how you got here,” Twilight said as she picked Smartypants up, “but we’re putting you right back up-” SLAM Twilight jumped and spun around, dropping Smartypants as she moved to the now shut basement door. She tried to push it open, both with her body and magic, but it remained tightly shut. There was no lock on the door; there was no way it could stay closed unless somepony was holding it shut from the other side, and yet she could not get the door to budge. Sqweeee... sqweeee Twilight froze up as a shiver crawled up her spine. She turned slowly, refocusing the light from her horn on the patch of floor where she had dropped Smartypants. The toy was gone, and another squeak filled the air. She could tell it was coming from the pitch black basement below. Unable to get out the door, Twilight swallowed nervously and made her way across the landing to the stairs. She went down a single step at a time as she strained her eyes and focused her magic, trying to pierce the darkness. The shadows around the room proved uncommonly persistent, but she pushed forward to reach the bottom steps before walking to the center of the basement. She found Smartypants again. The toy was sitting upright in the center of the floor. She approached it, and was calling on her magic to pick it up when she felt a draft on the back of her neck, as if something with an icy breath had exhaled on her. “Mine...” Twilight spun and looked around frantically, flashing the light from her horn around the room. She couldn’t see anything, but that didn’t stop the growing panic in her chest. Her mind was flashing back to the events of that morning and the night before, and as those memories bubbled to the surface Twilight did the only thing she could. She began to chant to herself, a panicked chant to try and drive away her fear. “There’s no such thing as ghosts. There’s no such thing as ghosts. There’s no such thing as-” Twilight’s chant came to an abrupt end as she felt the cold draft on her neck again. The air felt wrong in so many ways. “She was mine.” With a panicked yelp Twilight bolted for the stairs, galloping up them at full force while her horn began to glow. She was on a collision course with the still blocked door, but just as she was about to crash she called on her magic. In a single bright flash, she teleported up to the bedroom. The moment Twilight was sure her spell had worked, she proceeded to turn on every light in the bedroom and barricade the door before diving beneath the covers of her bed. There, she curled up into a small, shivering ball and resumed her panicked chanting. “There’s no such thing as ghosts. There’s no such thing as ghosts. There’s no such thing as ghosts. There’s no such thing-” Sqweeee... sqweeee Terror gripped at Twilight’s chest. The squeak had come from Smartypants. Twilight could clearly remember leaving the doll in the basement, yet it sounded as if the squeaking was coming from right on the other side of the bedroom door. Sqweeee... sqweeee Sqweeee... sqweeee Sqweeee... sqweeee Over and over, something made Smartypants squeak. Twilight, however, didn’t dare leave her bedroom a second time. She stayed right there, under the covers with the door barricaded and lights on. She would remain there for the entire night. Sleep, however, was something Twilight couldn’t risk. She was too scared and it was too dangerous to go to sleep. Even if it was safe to rest, the squeaking from Smartypants wouldn’t have allowed her. Over and over the toy squeaked, persisting at a constant pace with the reliability of a finely tuned clock and tormenting Twilight for hours. It only stopped once the sun had begun to rise. ~~~ “Now let me just be sure I understand you correctly,” Rarity began. “You want me to perform surgery on this doll to remove its squeaker just so you can look at it?” Twilight nodded her head firmly, holding out Smartypants. As soon as she had been able to round up enough courage to leave her bedroom that morning, Twilight had grabbed Smartypants and bolted out the door. She then ran at a full sprint across Ponyville to Carousal Boutique, arriving just as Rarity was opening her shop for the day. “I also want you to check for anything else that somepony might have stuck in there,” Twilight instructed. “Spell stones, enchanted sticks, an advanced alchemical skeletal system... stuffing.” “But Twilight, dear, it’s supposed to be filled with stuffing.” “Take it out anyway; I have to make sure somepony didn’t put a spell on it.” Rarity grimaced, but nodded her head and gingerly took Smartypants from Twilight, carrying the doll into her shop as Twilight followed. “All right, if you really want me to, I’ll open up its seams and see what I can find. Still, Twilight, perhaps you would like to freshen up while you wait. You’re looking a bit ragged.” Twilight glanced at her reflection in one of the many mirrors located in the boutique’s front room, agreeing with Rarity that she didn’t look her best. She had left the library without taking a shower or brushing herself, so her mane, tail, and coat were a mess. The bags under her eyes also made it apparent that she hadn’t been able to get as much sleep as she would have liked the night before. Despite this, Twilight shook her head and continued to follow Rarity into the boutique’s back room. “Thank you but no, I need to be there when you open up Smartypants. I’ve got some magic detection spells that should let me figure out why she was squeaking by herself last night.” Rarity set Smartypants down on one of her work tables before turning to look at Twilight. “Squeaking... by itself?” “I know what it sounds like, Rarity, but that’s why I need you to open Smartypants up so I can check her squeaker.” Rarity picked up a tool from her workbench: a seam opening tool. “All right, let’s have a look then.” With fine dexterity earned over her years of dress making, Rarity began the impromptu doll surgery. She began by removing the doll’s blue, polka dotted shorts and turning the doll over several times. The seamstress was examining every part of the doll, looking at every visible seam before finding the one she was searching for. Since dolls need to be stuffed before they are finished, there was always one seam someplace that was more exposed than the others. Rarity eventually found that seam on the doll’s right side. With delicate precision, she cut the seam open and exposed the doll’s aged stuffing, which had been stained and discolored by years of love and affection from its owner. With the seam open, Rarity began to remove sections of the stuffing, setting them off to one side until she found the toy’s squeaker. She then lifted the small device out, holding it up in the air with a small triumphant smile. “Ah, here it is.” “Give it!” Twilight snapped as she snatched the squeaker out of Rarity’s magic and threw it on the floor. She then proceeded to cast a number of spells on the squeaker, her horn flashing brightly several times while Rarity looked on, both insulted Twilight had snatched the squeaker away so rudely and yet curious whether or not Twilight would find anything wrong with the noise making device. “No... that, that’s impossible!” Twilight exclaimed as she shied back from the squeaker after casting her twenty third magic detection spell. “What’s impossible, Twilight?” “There’s no spells on the squeaker; the only spell that’s ever been cast on it was my ‘Want it, Need it’ spell,” Twilight answered as she continued to back up, putting Rarity between her and the squeaker. “That means something else was making Smartypants squeak, a-a-and that means the library is...” “Now Twilight, don’t tell me you’re actually starting to believe what Rainbow Dash and Spike are saying,” Rarity lectured as she strode over to the squeaker and picked it up with her magic. “I’m sure you were just... Twilight?” Rarity blinked a few times as she looked around the now empty room. Twilight had left without saying a word. ~~~ “Tell me why I’m flying you to Graintan again?” Rainbow Dash asked as she looked over her shoulder. She soared over rolling hills outside of Ponyville, following a dirt road as it wound its way west. “Because that’s where Third Eye lives,” Spike answered from his seat on Rainbow Dash’s back. “That, and I think you owe me a favor after that whole thing with the phantom speller.” “I already said I was sorry,” Rainbow Dash protested, “and why do you need to find this stallion anyway?” “From what Granny Smith told me, it sounds like he knows about ghosts and how to banish them.” “Oh, I get ya,” Rainbow Dash said with an understanding nod, “you want him to get rid of whatever is haunting the library.” “Yep!” Spike confirmed. “I know Twilight says nothing is there, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. Now come on, Rainbow Dash, can’t you go any faster?” A devilish grin formed on Rainbow Dash’s face. “Oh, you want me to go faster?” “Uh... no, wait, I changed my mind. I changed my miiiiiiinnnn-” Spike’s protests fell on deaf ears as Rainbow Dash circled once and then spirited forward, zipping through the air with her renowned speed. She bolted across the sky in the direction of Graintan, with Spike holding on for dear life. ~~~ “You sure this is the place?” Rainbow Dash asked as she and Spike stood next to one another on a dirt road. They were just outside the town limits of Graintan, surrounded on all sides by waving fields of grain. Directly in front of them stood a farmhouse, smaller than Applejack’s home and also in a worse state of repair. There were shingles missing from the roof, and the grass out front had been allowed to grow wild. It was nothing a good weekend of work couldn’t fix, but it gave the home an ominous appearance. “Yep, this is the right address,” Spike confirmed as he looked at the note he had scrawled in the palm of his claw. “Sure is creepy enough to be a house for a pony that deals with ghosts,” Rainbow Dash commented as she and Spike made their way to the front door, her eyes drifting around the unkempt property while Spike remained focused on the door ahead. “Good, because that’s what we need.” After climbing onto the house’s small front porch, Spike knocked on the door. His knocks were answered within moments. The door jerked open a crack, and through the small opening a dull green, panicked eye peered out at them. “You’re not dead,” an aged voice from behind the door accused. “Uh... no, we’re not,” Rainbow Dash said as she recovered from how abruptly the door had opened. “We’re here looking for somepony named Third Eye. Is that you?” “I’m Third Eye, but who are you?” the stallion behind the door asked, the tone of paranoia rising in his voice. “Did my brother send you? Are you with the nightmares?” “No, we need to talk to you about a ghost that’s haunting the Ponyville Library,” Spike explained. He took a step towards the cracked open door only to have it slammed in his face. “No! No no no! Impossible, Ponyville Library can’t be haunted!” the stallion shouted from behind the closed door. “It’s impossible. I made it impossible. Now go away!” Spike knocked on the door again. “But we need your help. There’s really something in the Ponyville Library. You see, Rainbow Dash brought a phantom speller in and-” The front door of the home snapped back open and Third Eye peered through the crack again. “phantom speller, what phantom speller!? You took a phantom speller into the library!?” Rainbow Dash stepped back anxiously. “Well... kind of, yeah.” Again, the front door of the house slammed shut. That loud slam was followed by the sound of a pony undoing chains and locks from the far side. The door then flashed as a spell was lifted off its wood before swinging open to reveal a dull, tombstone gray unicorn stallion. His cutie mark was purple lines in the shape of an eye inscribed within a triangle. The stallion anxiously leaned forward and looked intently at Spike and Rainbow Dash, revealing his thinning mane. His tail, which was the same stringy silver color of his remaining mane, twitched anxiously, and the frown of his lips only worsened his wrinkles, which made it clear he was as old as Granny Smith. “You aren’t possessed,” Third Eye said. “No... your auras have traces, but only from contact. No, not possession, just contact. Contact with... with...” “With wha-” Rainbow Dash tried to ask, only to be cut off as Third Eye jumped back into his house with a panicked look on his face. His horn glowed, and before Spike and Rainbow Dash could react they were dragged into the house. Rainbow Dash struggled against Third Eye’s magic. “Hey! Let us go!” “No, not yet. We can’t talk yet. House must be secure before we can talk,” Third Eye muttered to himself. He returned to the door, shutting it with a slam and putting a dozen locks and chains in place. He then touched his horn to the door, causing the wood to flash with a pale white tone. Only once the door was secure did Third Eye calm down. “Okay, we’re safe now. We’re safe from the glowing eyes. We’re safe from it.” “Safe from what?” Rainbow Dash asked once she and Spike were released from the levitation magic. “The nightmare... the nightmare that’s touched you, that’s been near you. The nightmare that’s after me. But no... that’s impossible. The library is safe. I made sure it was safe. If... if it’s not safe, then there is a chance-” Third Eye fell silent and his pupil’s narrowed. He bolted into the old home’s living room, and began shoving furniture against the walls. Spike and Rainbow Dash stood back and watched as Third Eye moved one final piece of furniture. He then levitated the large rug in the center of the floor off to one side and started pacing in a circle around the now exposed boards. “What... is he doing?” Spike asked. Rainbow Dash leaned in close to Spike so she could whisper in his ear. “I don’t know, but I think this stallion’s crazy. We should go.” “No!” Spike whispered back. “We have to at least ask him if he knows how to get rid of the ghost.” “It isn’t a ghost!” Third Eye barked, having overheard the pair. “No, your auras are tinged by what it really is, a nightmare.” “Wait, are you saying a bad dream is what’s haunting the library?” Third Eye shook his head and dropped down onto the floor to closely inspect the wooden boards that had been covered by the rug. “No, other kind of nightmare; something that lives beyond the dreams. Not a ghost, not a spirit... your auras were touched by a nightmare. The nightmare. But no, it’s impossible. The library is safe, just like this place is safe. Nothing can get in... can it?” Third Eye touched his horn to the floor, its pale glow spreading to the boards. Soon, a large, complex symbol took shape on the floor, the sight of which seemed to calm Third Eye’s breathing. “Yes. The ward is good. The ward still works.” “What... what is that?” Rainbow Dash asked as she and Spike approached the glowing drawing. “It’s a spirit ward. It keeps them all away. They cannot enter this house without permission as long as it’s here, but the library has a ward. Library should be protected, but you’ve been haunted. There is something there, but the ward should keep them away, should keep it away.” Rainbow Dash reached out to touch the diagram. “How does this-” Before her hoof could come in contact with the glowing lines, Third Eye tackled Rainbow Dash. The pair rolled across the floor and crashed into the far wall with a resounding thud. “Do not touch it!” Third Eye ordered. He wrestled vigorously with the pegasus for a brief moment, but his age caught up and he soon fell off her with a wheeze. Rainbow Dash pulled herself away from the stallion with angry huff. She reared back, put up her front hooves, and began to box at the air while jumping on her back hooves. . “Hey, you want to go, let’s go!” “No, Rainbow Dash, we need his help,” Spike said as he put himself between the two ponies. “But he tackled me!” “Because you were going to touch the ward!” Third Eye accused through his wheezing. “The ward must not be touched. The ward is delicate; it is written in ash. You could have ruined it, and then they’d come for me. It would come for me.” Spike turned to face Third Eye, holding up his claws and speaking as gently as possible. “Okay... it’s okay. Rainbow Dash isn’t going to touch the thing on the floor. Just calm down. We’re safe here.” Third Eye’s breathing slowed and his tension began to dissipate. “Yes... The ward is safe, so we’re safe; everypony is safe.” “That’s it,” Spike encouraged. “Now, please, we need your help.” “Yes, help,” Third Eye said, nodding his head. He levitated the rug back onto the floor to cover the glowing symbol. “You need help. You’ve been touched by a nightmare; your auras are marked. No denying it, but how? Nightmare can’t get in without permission. The ward prevents that... unless it’s damaged. Yes, ward in the basement must have been damaged.” “What ward in the basement?” Spike asked. Third Eye used a hoof to make sure the rug was lying perfectly flat. “I lived at the library. I was the librarian. I did a good job. I kept all the books in order, cleaned the shelves, helped ponies.” Third Eye turned away from the rug and motioned to his flank. “But my talent, my special talent, is seeing things other ponies can’t. I can see the spirits, see the nightmares. I can see them all, and I thought I’d help. I was going to make all the spirits go away, make Ponyville safe.” “But then I fought with a nightmare, a strong Nightmare,” Third Eye whispered as a shiver of fear gripped his body. “I tried to bind it in bones, tried to stop it, but it didn’t work. Only made it worse, I only made it worse. I couldn’t beat it, could only run, but it chased. I had to protect myself, protect the library. That’s when I put a ward on the basement floor. The ward kept the nightmare out, but it went after me whenever I left. Started putting wards all around town, hiding them where they wouldn’t get broken.” Third Eye focused his gaze on Rainbow Dash and Spike, stepping towards them. “I was only trying to protect the ponies. I didn’t want to scare them, just protect. I told them about the nightmare. I told them about its hunger and cursed eyes. I told them to watch out, but then the mayor got angry. The mayor said I was spreading rumors, scaring everypony. They... made me leave.” Third Eye shivered and he looked out a window as if expecting something to be out there, watching him. “Came here, but the nightmare followed. The nightmare was angry. It wanted to get me, so I put a ward on this house, put a ward on the yard, and protected myself. Nightmare finally left, but I know it will come back. It will always come back. Nightmares are patient, they get what they want... but it can’t get me here. The ward protects me.” “And one of these wards is in the basement of the Ponyville library?” “Yes,” Third eye confirmed. “But the ward may have been damaged, it doesn’t take much. A pony walking on ward directly can damage it. Liquid can damage it too, wash it away. I must never spill, never spill.” “Wait, Spike, you remember Pinkie Pie’s ‘Welcome to the Season Party’?” Rainbow Dash asked, her anger at Third Eye replaced by concern. “Yeah, what about it?” Spike asked. “You remember what happened when I tried to play ‘Pin the Tail on the Pony’? I ended up missing the poster and crashing into the bobbing for apples barrel.” “Of course I remember ,” Spike said. “You spilled punch everywhere, and then lights went out and my poor, sweet Rarity-” “Wait...” Third Eye interrupted. “Spilled punch in the basement? The lights went out? How long were they out? Did you have to relight them?” “The lights were only out for a few seconds, and then they came back on all on their own,” Spike answered. “The spilled punch... the punch, it was the punch!” Third Eye yelled. “The punch broke the ward; the punch washed it away, and the spirit got in. The wards are still safe. The wards still work, but now library isn’t safe.” “So do you believe us now, that there’s a ghost in the library?” Rainbow Dash questioned, struggling to follow Third Eye’s ramblings. Third Eye nodded his head furiously and began to pace. “Yes, the library is haunted, but not by ghost. Ghosts aren’t always bad, but nightmares are. Nightmares are the worst. They always want something. That’s the way they are, they always want. They can be patient, but they always want. But what does it want now?” “Hey, we may know that!” Rainbow Dash perked up. “It told us what it wanted when we were using the phantom speller.” Third Eye tensed at the mention of the phantom speller. “No... those are bad. They give the nightmares power; they make it easier. Still, the damage is done. We can’t undo the damage. Can only make best of it. Yes, we’ll make the best of it. Use the information against the nightmare, banish it, make it go away... make it go away.” The old stallion’s eyes flashed with fresh life as his manic speech slowed. “Yes... make it go away. The tinge on your auras, it looks like the nightmare’s aura. Yes, it’s the same nightmare. If we beat it, then it will be gone. Then I wouldn’t need the wards. There would be no more wards, and no more wards means no more hiding. I could go outside, go to town... I haven’t been town in a long time. I want to go town. It would be nice to go to town.” For a moment Third Eye’s erratic speech cleared and he locked his gaze on Spike. “Tell me everything!” ~~~ Spike ended the explanation several minutes later. The group had moved to Third Eye’s kitchen. The stallion had become calmer and less nervous, though he still sporadically twitched and looked about, as if fearful something was about to jump out at him. Still, he was focusing, speaking more slowly as he thought about what he had just been told. “And Twilight,” Spike said as a final addition, “she refuses to believe there’s a gh- I mean, nightmare in the library. She doesn’t believe in things like that, period. She’d also be mad that we came all the way out here to find you, but... I just know something is there.” Third Eye rocked his head from one side to the other. “She took her. I want her back. She will help me get her. She will be mine.” “What do you think it means?” Spike asked anxiously, getting chills as he remembered seeing the those words being spelled out on the phantom speller. “She... she and her, her and she,” Third Eye mused, as if he was rolling around the thoughts in his mouth. “The nightmare is speaking of two females, likely two ponies. Yes, two ponies, and the nightmare had one, but it was taken. That means nightmare had one pony possessed.” “But she... who is she?” Third Eye asked nopony in particular. “The events began before the phantom speller was in the library. That means she was already there. It also means the nightmare is powerful, but I knew that. The nightmare I tried to beat was powerful. It would be able to haunt before the phantom speller gave it strength. It’s only stronger now, but we can beat it. I want to beat it. I want to be able to go town. I can go to town when the nightmare is beaten.” Third Eye heaved a weary breath, looking up at the ceiling while continuing to think out loud. “Yes... go to town, but not now. Need to focus. There were only two in library. She is not baby dragon, baby dragon a boy. Yes... the unicorn is the she. So ‘she took her’ means the unicorn took the her away from the nightmare.” “So, wait a minute. Is Twilight the her or the she?” Rainbow Dash asked, drawing Third Eye out of his thoughts. “Your friend is the she. Your friend is the one that took her away from the Nightmare. She is the one that will help the nightmare take her back. She is also the one that the nightmare wants, but who is her? Who is the one your friend took?” “We don’t know,” Rainbow Dash answered, though she wasn’t entirely sure whether or not Third Eye wanted his question answered. “The spirit wouldn’t tell us.” “Not a spirit, it is a nightmare,” Third Eye corrected. “It also doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what was taken. We know the nightmare’s motive. It’s angry; it had something taken away. It wants to take that thing, that pony, back... but it can’t get it. It can’t take the pony back; it needs help. Nightmare is going to use the unicorn to get her back. That is why it haunts, it wants the unicorn. It wants the unicorn to get her back.” Spike jumped up from his seat. “So that thing is after Twilight! We need to get back to Ponyville and warn her!” “No! You don’t leave now. You can’t leave now!” Third Eye said firmly as he pointed to one of the windows. “It too late in the afternoon, far too late. We won’t get to Ponyville before it’s dark. We can’t go out in the dark, can’t arrive there in the dark. Nightmare has power in the dark. Celestia’s sun holds the nightmares back, but during the night they can stand. Even with Luna back, nightmares have strength at night.” “But what about Twilight!?” asked Spike. “Twilight will be fine; she will be fine. The nightmare wants to possess her, but it can’t. Nightmares can’t possess those who don’t believe. Doesn’t help me; I do believe. How can I not believe when I can see them? But she can’t see them. It can haunt, but it can’t possess. It can only possess those who believe.” “Why would that make a difference?” Rainbow Dash asked, only for Third Eye to shrug in reply. “Don’t know. That’s just the rule. Don’t know why it’s a rule, but it’s a rule. That’s always been the rule. I think it’s Celestia; I think she protects Equestria, but not me. She won’t, she can’t, help me. It’s because I can see them, because of my cutie mark. I can see them, thus I believe in them, thus they can haunt me. Wish I couldn’t, but I can’t change my cutie mark. That’s the rule; I just can’t change my cutie mark.” Rainbow Dash sighed, exhausted from trying to keep up with Third Eye. “So, what do you think we should do?” “Wait till morning. I’ll be ready, and then we can go. We can go replace the ward, and make the spirit go away. Just in time too, Nightmare Night is two days away. Nightmares are strongest on Nightmare Night, because for one night everypony pretends to believe. Belief gives them strength, allows them to possess. Even pretending is enough, but we’ll replace the ward before Nightmare Night. We’ll do it before, and the library will be safe again.” “And just where are we supposed to stay until morning?” Rainbow Dash asked. “You can stay here, sleep here. My couch folds out; it makes a nice bed. You can sleep here where it’s safe, and in the morning, we’ll go get it. Yes, we’ll defeat the nightmare, and I’ll be free.” Third Eye stood up from the table, continuing his ramblings as he went into the living room to unfold the couch’s sleeper bed. “I’m sure it’s the same nightmare. It’s the same nightmare, and when we beat it I’ll be able to go to town. Yes, go to town and... maybe have ice cream.” “Okay, after this, we’re officially even. Dealing with this guy more than makes up for the phantom speller prank I was going to pull,” Rainbow Dash stated firmly, not liking the idea of staying the night in the creepy house with the unpredictable Third Eye. “Just look at him! He’s not just a few apples short of a bushel, he’s missing about half the bushel! Are you sure he can even help?” “You saw that thing he has on his living room floor,” Spike pointed, remembering the glowing symbol. “And everything he’s said kind of makes sense.” Rainbow Dash huffed as she stood up from the table. “Great, I just love having sleep overs with crazy ponies.” Dash turned to go into the living room, but glanced back at Spike to see him staring anxiously out the dining room window. “Listen, Spike, if you actually believe what Third Eye says, then you don’t have to worry. Twilight will be fine. I mean, she’s the last pony I’d expect to believe in ghosts.” Spike perked up a bit as he turned away from the window with a chuckle. “Yeah... Twilight would believe in the tooth fairy before she believed in ghosts.” ~~~ Twilight flinched as she looked up from her book, breathing anxiously as she surveyed the bedroom. She wasn’t sure if she had just heard something or not, but after seeing that the room was empty, she forced herself to go back to her reading. Glancing out the window, Twilight saw that night had fallen. She yawned, exhausted by a long day and her lack of sleep the night before. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but she had to remain awake. Her bed was piled with books, and she was reading as fast as her eyes would allow. After leaving the Carousal Boutique, Twilight had gone straight back to the library and pulled every book she could find on spirits, ghosts, and the paranormal. It was actually surprising how many books the library had on the subject, and most of them were tucked away on a specific shelf in the basement. She had been reading since then, reading every page she could lay her eyes on... and through all her reading Twilight had come to a startling conclusion. Ghosts were real, and her library was haunted. Still, with that admission came resolve. While she had yet to find specific instructions, scrawled notes in the margins of the book seemed to indicate that there were ways to fight back against ghosts and other paranormal things. There was a way to fight back, she just had to find it. Another sound made Twilight look up from her feverish reading, but this time it wasn’t a thump or some other sound she hadn’t been able to pinpoint. This time it was the library’s clock announcing the hour. It was midnight, and sunrise wasn’t for several more hours. She felt her heart sink at the prospect of having to remain awake all night, but she wouldn’t stop. This was her library, and she wasn’t going to let a ghost chase her out. She was close to an answer, and once she had it she would use her magic to make the ghost leave. All she had to do was keep studying and find the solution. Yet, through the haze of her worry and exhaustion, Twilight found herself focusing on the clock. She counted off each chime, finding her mind calmed by the reliable, rhythmic tones. one... two... three... four... five... six... seven... eight... nine... ten... eleven... Twilight perked her ears up, straining to hear the final chime. The library had fallen into an uncomfortable silence, one that sent a shiver down her spine. She knew she hadn’t missed a chime; she had counted each one. Twilight sat up in her bed and levitated the nearby candle into the air, holding it high as she looked around. It was coming; she knew it was coming, but how would it come? It had burned her mouth with oatmeal, sent a chill down her spine, and taunted her with Smartypants. It had never done the same thing twice, so what was the ghost going to do? Waving the candle around, Twilight began to jump at shadows. Everything in the room became suspect; the ghost could use anything. The books could start falling off the shelves on their own. The window could open. The paranormal books she had managed to read had made it clear that ghosts could affect anything physically. Still, as Twilight looked about nothing seemed out of place. Everything was normal, and for a moment she tried to calm herself down. Maybe... maybe she had just miscounted, missed one of the clock’s chimes. It was entirely possible; between being scared witless and her lack of sleep, Twilight knew she wasn’t at the top of her game. Twilight set the candle down on her bedside table and shut her eyes as she focused on calming her breathing. “It’s all right,” she said to herself. “Nothing’s there... nothing’s there. It’s all right.” THUMP Twilight froze, not daring to open her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she had actually heard something or if it was her imagination playing tricks on her, but for a moment she just listened. Only when she was sure she didn’t hear anything else did she dare open her eyes and look to see what had caused the noise. It was a book, a single book laying open on the floor. Twilight couldn’t clearly see the words from where she was, but she could make out the pictures on the book’s exposed pages. Forcing down a swallow, Twilight gathered up the faint traces of courage she had remaining and climbed down from her bed. She picked up the candle from her bedside table, and very cautiously approached the book. Inch by inch she got closer, and as she did she began to recognize the pictures on the page. One was of Celestia and Luna, standing together on clouds with Luna turned away. The other was of Nightmare Moon, rearing back in a frightful pose. But there was something else about the pages: they had been torn. Something had shredded the text beneath the pictures, and for a moment Twilight’s concern over her books overpowered her fear. She closed the distance between her and the book in a few steps, picking it up as she began to inspect the damage to the pages. It was like the book had been shredded by claws. The words and most of the illustrations were destroyed. The only pictures that had survived were the ones of Luna and Nightmare Moon. Twilight closed the book and looked on the cover. It was also shredded, and jagged letters had been clawed into the book’s cover. She was MINE! An unworldly scream erupted in the air. It shattered the silence of the library, and sounded like it was coming from all around. It painfully grated on the ears, and smashed every thought in Twilight’s mind. The scream was followed by a stomping on the library’s staircase. Something was coming upstairs, and it was coming quickly. Twilight did the only thing she could think of: run! She bolted for the bathroom, leaping inside with her candle and slamming the door shut. Normally, the bathroom door didn’t have a lock, but in a rush of adrenaline and fear, Twilight called on her magic and transformed the door handle into a heavy bolt lock. Just as something threw itself against the door, she clicked the latch shut. Again and again something large and heavy slammed against the door. The ghost was trying to break in, and Twilight was in a panic. She climbed into the bathtub and drew the shower curtains shut, curling around the small flickering flame of her candle as she shut her eyes. Tears streamed down her face, but Twilight kept a hoof over her mouth to muffle her crying. She was trapped; trapped in her own home. Her only hope of escape was her teleportation spell, but each time she attempted it, her concentration was ruined by whatever was slamming against the door. Tears began to stream down Twilight’s face. Already, her mind was filling with horrible thoughts of just what would happen if the ghost got in. Would it devour her, attack her, or do something worse? She couldn’t even imagine anything else as the dreadful pounding of the door continued. Each slam shattered her thoughts like fragile glass. She couldn’t get away. She could only hide until morning and hope that the ghost couldn’t break through the door. Then the pounding stopped, and for several minutes the only sound Twilight could hear was her own muffled whimpering. She didn’t dare believe that the ghost was gone. She knew it was still out there, someplace in the library, but now that it wasn’t pounding on the door she was able to calm herself down a little and catch her breath. Looking in the candle’s flame, Twilight tried to focus in on its gentle flickering light. It brought some peace to her mind, but only enough to make Twilight realize she couldn’t stay in the library. She had to escape. The ghost had never haunted her outside the library. If she could get outside, then she could get someplace safe and get help. She could go to Applejack or Rarity for help, or maybe even go straight to Canterlot. If anypony could protect her from a ghost, surely Princess Celestia could. But she had to get outside the library first. Maybe... maybe she could manage to teleport herself that far. The shorter the distance, the less magic and concentration her spell took. Yes, she could just teleport to the street outside the library. Then, she could gallop away and get help. Struggling to her hooves, Twilight forcibly calmed her breathing as she set the candle down in the bathtub. Her knees were shaking and she felt nauseous from her fear, but Twilight made herself focus. She called on her magic, and after sucking in a deep breath Twilight unleashed the spell. It was over in a second, and Twilight knew immediately it had worked. She could feel the dirt of the road beneath her hooves and the cool night air on her coat. She opened her eyes and looked up at the nighttime sky. The glittering stars never looked as beautiful to Twilight as they did at that moment. She then looked back, letting a wisp of a triumphant smile form on her lips as she looked over the darkened library. She had teleported to the exact place she wanted to be; she had escaped. “HA!” Twilight called out in a mixture of panic and triumphant joy. “You can’t get me out here!” The nightmare proved Twilight wrong. The library door swung open violently, slamming against the bookcases inside. Then, before she could take a single step, something grabbed one of her hind hooves and pulled her to the ground. “NO!” Twilight screamed as she was dragged backwards. She scrambled, kicking her hind legs as her forelegs struggled to get a grip on the loose dirt. When that didn’t help, she looked to see the library’s dark entryway yawning wider, like some mouth about to swallow her. “NO! Let me go! Let me go! Help! Somepony HELP!” Twilight cried out desperately, but there was nopony around to hear her. She continued to scream and claw at the ground as she was dragged inch by inch towards the library door. Then, once she was actually inside, the door slammed shut. “NO! Leave me alone! Leave! Me! Alone!” Twilight’s final screams echoed through the streets. The library’s dark windows revealed nothing. Only one light remained, a single candle that continued to flicker from its place in the bathtub. Then, even that light was extinguished, leaving the entire library consumed in darkness. <> ===================================================================== Questions, Comments, Concerns? pen.stroke.pony@gmail.com My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro I do not own the intellectual properties this fan-fiction is based on. ===================================================================== * * * Haunting Nightmare By Pen Stroke Preread, Edited, and Reviewed By Batty Gloom, Applejinx, Cold in Gardez, Isphone, Metajoker, Nightsong ===================================================================== Chapter 3 Nightmares ================= <