The House of Horror
A CMC Fanfic
By the Drunken Colt
Edited/Pre-read by Dubs Rewatcher
Re-Edited by Drunken Colt

"What? Are you chicken?" Taunted Apple Bloom. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were standing outside a mansion in a state of serious disrepair. It creaked in the soft wind, howling through the skeletal trees of Everfree forest. Windows boarded and broken, but it seemed like pairs of eyes were peering through.

Scootaloo, trying to mask her obvious fear gave a quick retort. "No, I'm not! I don't fear anything!" She thought about what Rainbow Dash, her idol, the Element of Loyalty, the mare who would never leave her friends behind would do. The filly promptly charged into the mansion, leaving the other two ponies behind. From the floorboards came a terrible shriek as the old wood started to splinter. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle burst in after her, looking around with fright. Scootaloo had been trembling, but immediately stopped when her friends came in. "See? I'm Not a chicken!"

At that exact moment, the trio heard a large crash from the next floor up. Scootaloo’s wings flared out, and she felt as if her stomach was trying to make an impromptu escape through her throat. Sweetie Belle cowered behind Apple Bloom. If the red-maned filly had heard the crash at all, she wasn’t showing it.

Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo teasing look. "Sure yur’ not, and I bet unicorns can fly."

“Wow Twilight, you did it!” Spike checked a mark on a long list. “That’s the Levitation Spell alright! Now, next is Baking Magic! I’m sure you’ll be good at that, Twi‘!” There was silence. Spike looked up, only to see a shrinking purple dot.

“HOW DO I GET DOWN?!”

There was another crash, larger this time. "What the heck was that!?!" Sweetie Belle cried.

"Let’s check it out!" suggested Apple Boom.

"A-are you sure that’s a g-good idea?" whimpered Scootaloo.

"Oh, ah‘ can understand if the chicken doesn‘t wanna‘ come." taunted Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo, not the type to be called a coward, immediately charged upstairs. Once again, her friends were left stunned at Scootaloo’s gusto.

Somehow, upstairs was much worse. It was filled by row after row of terrifying paintings and sculptures of ponies and indescribable creatures. Sweetie Belle could have swore she saw the eyes of a painting move. Suddenly, a terrible wailing noise came from the end of the hall. For the first time since they had entered the house, Apple Bloom showed some level of fright as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle hid behind her shaking legs. However, Scootaloo, feeling this was her chance to reclaim her lost honor, charged out from behind her friend, headed toward the door at the end of the hall. It was a long and torturous gallop to the room. Strange noises resonated from the walls, sounds of music from ages past. The floorboards creaked all the way, each step bringing a high pitched whine with it. About halfway through, Scootaloo realized just what the splintering noises had meant before. Stepping on a wrong floorboard, the orange filly’s leg broke through, and she began to fall.

She clenched her eyes shut as her life began flashing before her eyes. Her first word, “Scooter.” The first time she had met Rainbow Dash. The party where her and Sweetie Belle had met Apple Bloom to form the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The talent show. All those songs…

After what seemed like an eternity, Scootaloo opened her eyes. However, instead of seeing a white, holy place, or even pitch black, she was looking up at the smiling face of Apple Bloom. “She’s okay!” the she filly said.

"I didn't need your help!" boasted Scootaloo, lifting herself up.

"Suuuure you didn't!" said Apple Bloom, rolling her eyes. They kept on going at a steady but careful pace, making sure not to step on anymore rotting floorboards. The hall seemed endless. Soon, the classical music started to become louder and louder, until the fillies began to feel the vibrations in the floor boards.

Finally they made it to the room, the music almost deafening at this point. The trio stood there a moment, partly wanting to figure out who-or what was playing the music, partly terrified for their lives. Apple Bloom, shaking, pushed open the door slowly. The music abruptly stopped.

What they saw surprised them. It was none other then Octavia, Lyra, and Vinyl Scratch! "Well hello there.” Octavia stated, confusion heavy in her voice.

Vinyl scratched her head, before turning to Lyra. “Yo, Ly, I thought you said the house was abandoned!”

"We thought you guys were ghosts!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle.

Even Lyra‘s giggles were musical. "Well that’s silly, ghosts don't exist! We were just practicing our music here, trying not to disturb our neighbours back at home." replied Lyra. “Silly fillies...“ At that moment, the ponies heard a door creak open. An ethereal white pony walked past. Stopping in the middle, it turned its head to look through the door. As if on cue, Scootaloo ran out of the house screaming, followed by everypony else.