Pony Horror Thread #8: Vampire Edition

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>>30461468
Is Waxworks back?

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>>30462069
Should be. He usually OP's these threads. I been missing this in my tracker.
>>30461468
I like the pastebin archive, verry pretty!

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Keep it bumped for Wax

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1LE4qMlU10

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>>30465805
>that pic
This would make a nice dark synth album cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8DekFFCE5c

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>>30466495
Love oblivionheart13
http://oblivionheart13.deviantart.com/gallery/

Nice tune

>>30462069
>>30461468
I'm not back, but I will be back on Sunday. Tomorrow I go visit the Mr. Rogers memorial, then it's heading back home.
I was waiting until I got back home to recreate the thread, but since someone did it ahead of time I can post some of what I've been writing while on vacation.

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>>30467345 Continuing Blood of the Mountain
I spent the night walking and exploring, and after a couple more hours of walking among the myriad halls I was exhausted enough to retire to the room I had picked for myself. I looked over the sketches and notes I had made, happy with the progress of the first night, and lay down in the large bed. It was plush, and I sank into it with ease. It wasn’t long at all before I fell asleep, my eyes heavy from exhaustion and the excitement of the day.

The dreams I had were strange and terrible. Flashing images of pegasi flitted in and out of my head, presenting me with disturbing imagery. Ponies with wings like those one might find on a bat, screeching as they flew through the halls of the castle. I dreamed of a nightmarish landscape of blood, where the Duchess Lepidoptera ruled with fear and the promise of worse punishments to come. I dreamed of the colour red suffusing the bed I slept in, seeping deep into the sheets and the mattress, becoming sticky with the fresh colour.

I awoke, and I did not know the time, nor how long I had slept, though I felt exhausted. I attempted to go back to sleep with no success. My head was pounding and I felt weak, but I forced myself up and out of the bed, as laying there with no further rest did not feel productive, nor like it would lead me to any further information about the castle. I did not wish to waste my week of freedom in the castle, and I intended to document as much as possible, sick or no. I resolved to go find myself a fresh glass of water, and maybe get a light breakfast, hoping that it would help clear my head and give me a better start.

>>30467367
Pulling myself out of bed, I had trouble finding my hooves and stumbled as they hit the floor. I heard the door open and looked to see one of the pegasi looking at me with a much calmer look than I had experienced yesterday.
“Are you well, Historian?” she asked.
“I am… light-headed, but I am well, yes. I merely wish to find a small breakfast if I may. Will breakfast be in the same room as the meal last night?” I said.
“Yes, that is correct,” she said.
“Ah, then I’ll find my way there shortly. Let me just wash my face and I’ll be out presently,” I said.
She nodded and left the room. It was nice to know that they were concerned for my well-being, even if I was an unwelcome intrusion in their home. They likely didn’t want the unwelcome attention my death might bring. Though, on that note, would anyone know I had passed?
The question hung in my mind as I packed my saddlebags once more and walked over to the dining room I had entered last night. Much to my delight, it was once again covered with all manner of foods, and all other thoughts were driven from my head to wonder how and where they got their supplies.
I began eating a hearty breakfast of oats and fruit, when I was interrupted, or perhaps joined, by the Duchess herself. She pushed open the door with little pomp or circumstance, and walked calmly to the seat directly next to me. She said nothing, but sat down and stared at me as I ate. The silence became too uncomfortable to bear, so I tried to start some conversation.
“Would… you care to join me for breakfast? Perhaps have a glass of cider?” I asked.

>>30467375
“I do not drink cider,” she said.
She said nothing else, and the uncomfortable silence fell once again. I stole the occasional glance at her, admiring her mane and her piercing eyes, which looked at me with the sort of disdain one uses to watch an insect crawl across the kitchen floor. It felt like I was being spied upon, though she made no secret of how she was studying me.
“What have you to say about my castle?” She asked.
I chewed for a moment, then swallowed before responding. “It’s quite something. I actually wanted to ask you—“
“My castle has been the product of centuries of development. It has been home to a tyrant, a despot, a saint, and a beast, and it bears the scars these tenants left in it upon their disappearance,” she said. “What think you of this now?”
“I… can see how that might have been the case. It is ancient, I can tell that much, and the artwork reflects these changes. Do you know why nopony talks about it? Why it was missing from public record?” I asked.
She stood, and made her way to the door. “Not all questions will be answered at once. Enjoy your first day here, Historian. I hope you sleep deeply.”
I watched her go, standing to give a bow as she left the room, and her eyes almost looked mirthful. When she was gone I finished my breakfast, feeling recharged and with a much clearer head now that I had properly eaten.
I collected my saddlebags and made my way out of the room and back upstairs to where I had left off my mapping. I intended to continue where I had stopped until I had sketched out the entire map, but when I arrived where I had wanted to be, I noticed that the artwork had changed.

>>30467381
Where before, the art I had seen depicted crude sketches of ponies engaged in bloody but glorious battles, now the victors in the battle appeared to be enjoying themselves, reveling in the blood spilling everywhere with gleeful, almost excited expressions. The red colours adorning the paintings were more vibrant than they had been the night before, with a much richer luster than had previously been seen. The reds almost seemed to have leapt off the wall and now covered several statues that had been blank stone before.
Curious, I moved closer to the wall to investigate this change in the art. Was I mistaken? Was I seeing things? Had the Duchess’ conversation this morning during breakfast changed how I felt about her castle and the artwork within it? I hadn’t really assumed the castle had a spotless history, but maybe her words had stirred some form of resentment.
A sudden squealing sound, as of metal scraping against metal came from down the hall, and I turned toward the sound. It stopped, but as I kept my ears pricked it came again, louder and longer. I moved away from the artwork on the walls and traveled down the hall, following the sound as it came again, screeching throughout the castle. I followed it down to a set of spiral stairs, and I stepped down them, curiosity leading me down, down, and still further down into the bowels of the castle.
I was not outside of myself during this trek, and I still recorded the path that I took as I sought the source of the noise, mapping it out on my rough sketch of the castle I had drawn out the night before. It did not reach anything unknown to me until it came to a room that was in one of the far corners of the castle halls, right on the cusp of areas I had explored. I stopped at the door from which the sound seemed to be coming from.

>>30467392
I hesitated in front of it. The door was a large iron beast, with no windows, bars, or other holes, and the latch was large and imposing, just like the door itself. It looked like it had been locked, as the latch, while old, had been scraped and scratched around the keyhole, showing fresh and shiny marks on it. Images of all sorts of different contents filled my mind, but I realized none of them were likely to be what the room contained, so I pushed it open.
It squealed in a loud and terrible manner, which told me the source of the noise I had heard earlier, but didn’t explain the continued sounds. The contents of the room answered my questions regarding that upon the door swinging open. The room could only be described as a torture hall. Myriad devices meant to inflict pain were in every corner, and among them stood the Duchess, moving from one to the next, testing their straps, moving their parts, and scrutinizing their function.
“Welcome, Historian. Our talk earlier this morning led me to remember this room, and the nefarious purposes to which its contents had been put,” she said. “Tell me, is your home’s history calm and free of strife? Or was your history filled with wars punctuating shifts in power?”
“Well, Equestria—“ I began.
“Not Equestria. I have been in Equestria. I mean your home city, wherever that may be,” the Duchess said.
“Oh, well I’m from Vanhoover. It’s actually not very far from here, but there haven’t been any wars or anything. We just have a mayor we elect every few years,” I said. “How long have you been the duchess for Bluestone?”
The Duchess turned away from some device I could only guess at the purpose of, and looked me in the eyes. “Tell me about your home.”

>>30467401
I had many questions I wanted to ask her, and find out more about her home in the mountains, but I found myself answering her question. “It’s a beautiful city. Very clean, and quite green, set on sloped hills overlooking the north Luna ocean. It’s quite peaceful, as well.”
Duchess Lepidoptera looked at me for a long moment after I finished, and I found myself fishing for more to say, not wanting to displease her.
“There’s… beautiful boats sailing on the ocean on a constant basis, and ponies engage in trade. There are markets selling imports from all over Equestria, and some griffon and minotaur things as well,” I said. “There are even fishing boats, pulling up pearls. Ponies from all walks of life live there, and the university where I conduct my research is one of the best.”
The Duchess blinked, and I relaxed, confident that I had answered her well. “Your home sounds very nice. I might like to move there. Living here in the mountains has not made me happy, nor has separating myself and my home from the rest of Equestria. It has been… quite some time.”
“Quite some time since what?” I asked.
“Since I actually met other ponies beyond the citizens of Bluestone,” she said. “Bluestone serves me well, and I provide for them, but there is not much about it you need to know besides that. It is a dull and uninteresting tale. Ask me one question about my castle. I will answer it. I am feeling generous.”
“Oh, well thank you Duchess, I appreciate it,” I said. “Um… back to my earlier question then; Have you been Duchess here all your life?”
The Duchess smiled an enigmatic smile, and looked away from me to scan the items strewn about the torture room. “Yes. My entire life have I ruled here. Upon my violent birth, I became the Duchess Lepidoptera, for good or ill, and here have I remained,” she said. “Thanks to you, however, that may change, soon.”

>>30467408
Conversations with the Duchess herself.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ


There you go. There's more, but I'll save it for later. I haven't been able to write as consistently as usual, but the story is almost done. I should have it complete by my arrival back home.

Thank you, to whomever started the thread up again, by the way. How have all of you been while I've been gone?

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Does this work?

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>>30467345
Mr. Rogers is my hero. I'd like to see that memorial someday, it's on my bucket list.
>>30467430
I've been missing this thread. I look forward to more. We'll try and keep it alive. Have a safe trip!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cIiRphl6MA

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some pinkie doodles I did

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>>30473558

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>>30473575
I can take some doodle requests too

>>30473583
/r/ing flower trio vampires chasing a lone stallion down an alley to dead end

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>>30473832
Here you go anon

>>30474021
Can a doodle a spoopy hooded pony with a skull lantern on a pole?

Hey guys. I'm a friend of Waxworks'. He won't get back from his trip for a couple more days, but he told me to tell you that regular posting resumes tomorrow.

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>>30474179
She said she would help light the way for you, anon

>>30474021
Poor guy...
Nicely done!

>>30467779
>>30467430
I am finally back. It has been a difficult two weeks, but regular updates resume today. I'll be getting settled in, then you'll get some more of the story. Regular postings begin again.

>>30474713
>>30474021
>>30473583
>>30473575
>>30473558
These are cute. I like these. How about a Butterfly pony with giant "eyes" on the wings.

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>>30476029
>several eyes are better than two
and thank you waxwork and others, glad you guys like my work

>>30476475
Nice. I like it! Especially the fluffy mane and tail.

How about a skeleton-pony version of Charon ferrying the dead across the river Styx?

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>>30473558
>>30473575
>>30473583
>>30474021
>>30474713
>>30476475
Very nice. Keep it up Anon.

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>>30476529

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>>30476604
Well damn you're quick. And you've been here for hours. I like you.

Can I ask for a drawing of my OC Waxworks? As seen here somebody else drew. Cutie mark is just a burning candle in a holder.

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>>30467430
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Nothing, for now. Enjoy the rest of your examination of the castle. I look forward to seeing your sketches later tonight, when I am fully awake,” the Duchess said.
“Oh, may I ask another question before I leave?” I asked.
The Duchess ignored me, focused instead upon the devices sitting about the room in various states of disrepair. She fiddled with a lever attached to one of the machines and tried to twist it back and forth, but it was rusted tight. She didn’t even spare me a glance, so I bowed and stepped out of the room.
Once outside, I experienced a brief moment of confusion. The exchange had gone rather favorably, with me explaining things about my home, and she in turn telling me about herself. There seemed to be much about it all that I had not fully understood, though. I had given up far more information than she had.
In fact, thinking back on it, the only thing she had told me about herself was that she had lived her entire life as the Duchess Lepidoptera. The citizens of Bluestone serving her made sense, and that wasn’t something I had needed confirmed, but her history was surely more in-depth than just being the duchess her entire life.
Nevertheless, I wrote down the exchange, including what I had told her about myself and how she had answered, then moved to investigate more of the castle. I stopped for some lunch when I got hungry, though with the lack of outside light in the castle I really had no idea what time of day it was. It might have even been the middle of the night, but I could not tell without going out the front doors, and I did not know if that violated our agreement. I would have to ask.

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>>30476622
Already working on it

>>30476637
damn phone screwing up the orientation

>>30476625
By the time I was hungry again, I had explored nearly all of the castle that I believed there was to be seen, except that section behind the Duchess’ throne. I still felt like that was an area that I should leave alone, despite the Duchess having given me free reign of all the castle. I promised myself I would explore it, but first I should take photographs of the rooms and the artwork that I had already found.
I decided that was what I would do after having rested, and determined to have supper. I found food waiting for me in the dining hall once again, ate my fill, then retired to my bed.

My sleep was once again plagued by terrible visions. In my feverish slumber I dreamed that a nightmarish creature entered my room. It possessed eyes of blazing fire and a mane that seemed to breath with an unholy life of its own. This horrible mane, almost a creature by itself, floated in the darkness, long and silky as it reached out toward me in my bed. The darkness prevented me from seeing everything, but the creature’s eyes glowed providing muted light, and every so often, beyond the dark tendrils of hair that filled my vision, I swore I could see wings.
Large and insect-like, as of those possessed by a moth or butterfly they spread wide, imposing and terrifying. The mock-eyes on them stared down at me as the creature leaned over my bed and opened its mouth.
Then I awoke.
There was nothing and nopony at all in my room. The door was shut tight, and the darkness was almost absolute. I lit the lamp next to my bed, bringing light to the oppressive blackness. My head was pounding, and as I moved the world around me seemed to swim. I lifted a hoof in front of me and noticed a distinct shiver to my limb. My dreams had become my enemy in the two days here, and I began to wonder if it was the sheer isolation I was forced to endure for much of my time.

>>30476662
I could not dwell on it, and decided against thinking on it any further before I had breakfast.
I collected my saddlebags from their place on the floor, only to have their contents spill out of them. I looked down at my notes and sketches strewn out on the floor and wondered how this had happened. I was always very careful about putting them back into the bag whenever I was done with them, and as I began putting them back inside, I noticed that my pencils were in the wrong pocket, and several of them had marks on them like those you might expect from a foal chewing on their pencil in school.
My first thought was that the mares that had been glaring at me on my first day here had snuck into my room and rifled through my belongings while I slept. Maybe a maid or somepony like that. I sincerely hoped that was not the case, and made a mental note to myself to try to broach the subject with the Duchess when next I saw her.
I spent some time going through my things to see if any items were missing. I was pleased to note that nothing had been taken by whomever it was that had come in, but everything had been thrown back in a haphazard manner. The sketchbook had several creased and folded pages, and one of the notebook’s pages was torn halfway out. It was annoying, but no pencils were gone, the books were all present, and none of the pictures or pages had been defaced. I was pleased to note that despite my privacy being violated, I had not been robbed. I would bring it up with the Duchess as a side note only. I didn’t want to appear to be condemning her court in any way. I had diplomacy to maintain.

>>30476670
I speak with the Duchess, have a poor rest yet again, and find that somepony has been searching my things.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ

>>30476637
Hey, Thanks E2! I look forward to seeing it complete! Every artist's interpretation of something is great to see.

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>>30476622
Here you go wax!

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>>30476707
Bruh.

>>30476707
Sweets! I love it! Thanks, dude!

How's about a drawing of Dullahan Applejack wearing a suit of armor and cradling her head in one hoof looking super serious.

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>>30476754
Done! Now I'm going to rest for a little bit and come back in a hour or so with more doodles

>>30476813
Thanks, man. We all really appreciate it. You do good work.

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>>30476622
Expressions!

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>>30476842

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I come back with a few more

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>>30480288

>>30480302
>>30480288
Good stuff! Thanks for more pictures!

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>>30480621
No prob I have fun doing these

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>>30476692
I put my things back in their proper order and readied myself to head out into the castle. I went to breakfast and spent it alone, and was surprised to see that the food presented for me was once again fresh, with no hint of spoilage.
The habits and behavior of Duchess Lepidoptera’s court were strange and somewhat alien to me. None of my readings or experiences with any sort of high-ranking ponies had prepared me for the idiosyncracies of ponies such as these. Least of which was being left so alone. As I wandered the halls by myself, I wondered what I could get away with having been given so much freedom.
It was a court, and it possessed a ruler who the ponies making up her subjects believed held enough power to control them, either through charisma or through force. Having seen only a few pegasi mares who worked directly with the Duchess or stayed at her court, I had a difficult time believing that a show of force by her would be enough to keep the ponies of Bluestone in check, so it must be charisma in some form or another, either they had been convinced she could keep them in check, or they had no desire not to work with her.
As I took a photo of one of the statues lining the halls, I wondered if I could deface any of them and have it be noticed. Would the Duchess even care?
While looking at the statues, I looked over my sketches and notes, and noticed that there was even more fresh red colour on everything than there had been yesterday. I reached out and touched it to find that it was still damp, and some of it smeared off on my hoof. Alarmed, I brought it close to my face to look closer.

>>30481066
“Do you like it?” a voice behind me said.
I jumped and turned around to find the Duchess standing at my flank, looming over me. She was looking quite lively today, with a flush colouring her cheeks, and she seemed far less gaunt than when I had first arrived.
“Oh! Duchess, I hadn’t heard you approach. I was busy admiring the artwork. Has it… changed since I arrived?” I asked.
“I’m so glad you noticed. I’ve had my servants give it a few touch-ups in honor of the new blood you’ve brought to the castle. Everypony is feeling so full of life since you’ve been here.” The Duchess leaned closer to me and I could hear her inhale with her muzzle close to my mane.
“Well I’m pleased you think so. I don’t feel like I’ve done much other than stare at the artwork and wander the halls.” I shifted away from the Duchess, her breaths making me uncomfortable.
“Tell me about the building you live in,” the Duchess said. “Is it deep within the city? What kind of light does it get during the day? Is there a basement?”
“Well, it is deep within the city, yes,” I said. “There is a basement, but I live on the university grounds as part of my job, and I do have access to it, but it is used to house documents, artifacts, and other items of interest to the school.”
“And this basement, it is locked and gets no light to protect the artifacts?” The duchess looked directly at me as she spoke.
“Oh… yes, it is locked. I do have a key, and there is no light that enters this area of the school,” I said.
“This sounds perfect. Enjoy your walk, Historian. We will speak again once I am rested,” the Duchess said.

>>30481075
The Duchess walked away, her long mane and tail look far more lustrous than when we had first met, their inky-black colour much more pronounced and shiny than it had once been. She left me next to the artwork alone with my thoughts, which were quite muddled and unsure.
I looked at my hoof with the paint on it, and wiped it on my fur without a second thought. I realized I would now need a bath, which I had not had since arriving in the castle. I remembered finding a bath room, which was separate from the room I relieved myself in. The bath room consisted of nothing more than a large bath, fed from a tap I assumed was magical. I hadn’t ever turned it on in my eagerness to map out the castle, but now seemed a good time.
I made my way there, slipped off my saddlebags and set them outside the door so the humidity would not harm my parchment, and turned on the taps. Water flowed, steaming hot, and I slipped into the water with a delighted sigh. I relaxed into the water and dunked my head, soaking my mane as I let the work of the past two days seep out of me.
I wasn’t sure what happened, but I must have been more tired than I thought, because I closed my eyes once, then found myself standing outside the tub, washed, dried, and my mane was fully styled. The tub was empty, with naught but a thin film of soap scum on the bottom right around the drain. I felt more tired than I had before, and slightly woozy. I caught myself as I teetered to one side, feeling weak. The heat must have drained me, and left me a little light-headed. Surely that was all.

>>30481083
I find changes to the castle, and experience a brief blackout?

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ

Tired as all fuck. My sleep schedule is out of whack, but enjoy what I have here. More tomorrow, of course.>>30480968
I hope you keep drawing, dude. If you want fun stuff to draw while I sleep, Draw a pony with horrific eyes walking out of a wall of fog, staring at the "audience".

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>>30481100

>>30481918
Good morning, and nice.

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>>30481100
The rest of the day passed in a blur, as I found myself missing time out of my day, remembering only snippets of my time awake here and there. I traveled around the castle, apparently, taking photographs of… something. I just know that my camera appeared in my magic grip at some point, and by the end of the day, the roll of film that I had started with was full and had been removed from the camera. The confusion persisted until I rolled into bed, giving up on understanding what had happened, and feeling sick to my stomach.
I had forced myself to eat, but I was feeling weak, and a little nauseous. I ultimately decided not to fight it, but I couldn’t bring anything up, no matter how much time I spent in the bathroom. I tried, and I felt my bile rise, but nothing happened, almost as if my body was forcing me to keep it down. That was when I decided it was not worth it to fight it, and I must have caught some bug unfamiliar to my body up here in the castle, and just tried to sleep it off.

My sleep, though I was filled with sickness and an ill feeling deep in the pit of my stomach, was once again a nightmare-scape I could not run from. The insectoid creature had returned, and was caressing my mane whispering words I couldn’t understand into my ear. I twisted and turned in bed, but as with most nightmares, it was in vain, and escape eluded me. The thing’s words were sweet and persistent, and I could not help but listen, though I know not now what was said. Despite myself and my better judgment, I could not help but agree, and when the thing left me alone, I knew I would obey. I must obey. She will not be denied.

>>30484076
I next came to my senses in the throne room, standing in front of the throne itself on the red carpet. I was still feeling weak, and what little light there was burned into my eyes. I had to squint in the dim torchlight, the pounding in my skull an incessant drumbeat in my ears. I felt a pull in my aching skull driving me toward the rear of the throne room, and the final room in the castle I had yet to explore.
I checked my back for my saddlebags and was surprised and pleased to see that I had possessed the instinctual foresight to pack my saddlebags and bring them with me on my unconscious excursion. I pulled out my sketchbook to take notes and draw out the room I was about to enter.
I was dismayed to see that the page the sketchbook was open to was covered in scribbled dark lettering and scratched images of a pair of eyes. I recognized the eyes as the ones from my dreams, and I felt… comforted, instead of alarmed.
The words that I saw written on the pages were a little less comforting. Among them I saw ‘Mistress’, ‘Vanhoover’, ‘home’, ‘nest’, and ‘serve’. Any other words were illegible or covered by the pictures of the eyes which I admired so much.
I flipped to the next page, and almost dropped the sketchbook in surprise. On the next page was a large and detailed drawing of a butterfly, with wings that covered the entire page. On those wings were the eyes from the previous page, emblazoned as large as life, one eye for each wing.
I spent some time looking at the image, which seemed beyond my skill to draw, and I wondered again if somepony had been in my bag while I slept. I had no proof other than the drawing, and I remembered that I had several questions to ask the Duchess, and added that to the list. Maybe I would find the Duchess down below in the doorway and I could…serve?

>>30484090
The thought came unbidden to my mind, and I wondered why I had thought of serving instead of helping, assisting, questioning, or any number of other words. Why ‘serve’?
I felt the nagging in my mind pulling me in the direction of the doorway behind the thrown once again, and my hooves began to move. I held the sketchbook in my magic and flipped to the next page as I walked. I found another image of the butterfly on the next page. I flipped to the next, and they were there as well. I began to flip faster and faster, until the pages were a blur, and I saw the eyes on the wings slowly close, then open back up, staring at me the entire time.
When I reached the final page, a chill went through me. The wings were there once again, but the eyes on either side of the page were coloured a deep red. The same colour I saw appearing on the walls of the castle during my stay. I heard a sound, like that of rustling wings, and I looked up from my sketchbook. There, at the far end of the room where my hooves had taken me, I saw the creature from my dreams.
The Duchess, or I suppose I should say my mistress, the Duchess Lepidoptera, lay in gentle repose. Her wings were unfurled from her sides, released from under her carapace where they usually lay hidden. The eyes on them bored into my mind, their hypnotic pattern—filled with the deep red I had grown used to—pierced into my psyche, and her words from the nights she had visited me resonated in my thoughts.
I did as I had to do, and began to bathe her during her sleep. A bucket and a soft cloth lay nearby, and I picked them up without a second though, gently patting her down all over.

>>30484093
I'm... not in my right mind, but I cannot fight back.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ

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>>30484100

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>>30485978

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Say something nice about her new makeover, anon

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>>30484100
During my work, my mind raced with thoughts, the foremost of which being why in Equestria I was doing this in the first place. The pony in front of me was alien to me, unlike any creature I had seen before. Inside my head I was simultaneously screaming in fright, and praising her beauty. Was this why she remained hidden up here in the mountains? Had her ancestors been the same? How had they come to be this way?
The questions mounted in my mind as I worked, and the terror I felt subsided. It was replaced with awe and curiosity, and I stopped questioning why I was doing what I was doing. The subliminal messages that floated to the forefront of my subconscious bade me bathe her, brush her mane and tail, and massage her back. So I did.
While I worked I received quiet murmurs of approval from the Duchess, and I found myself happy that I could please her. The questions I had faded until they no longer mattered. I knew the Duchess was here, and I knew she needed something from me, and so she would get it.
Once I completed my work, I picked up my saddlebags, put away the items I had used on her, and walked toward the exit. As I made my way there, I thought I should check on her once more, so I turned around to look.
Standing there behind me, watching me leave, the Duchess herself had sat up and was watching me go. Her wings were spread wide, and the eyes on them stared into me, just as her own eyes stared. Both sets of eyes were a deep red, and they seemed to glow with an inner light that pierced through me. I hastened my steps and returned to my room. Once there, I felt exhaustion overtake me almost immediately, despite having just woken up. I struggled to the bed and fell into it, passing out as soon as my head hit the pillows.

>>30489144
I had no dreams that night, but waking from my sleep I was presented with further confusion. I found myself lying on a mess of some sort of fiber. Silk, judging by the feel, but just a mess of string covering the floor upon which I had decided to make my bed. I looked around the room to see where I had found myself, and found a note written in a very neat and flowing script next to me in the silk.
It read:
“Well, Historian, you have convinced me to relocate to one of your larger cities that now exist in Equestria, and I find the descriptions of your home lovely. Since I have your address, and you are such a willing host, I will take you up on your offer of a visit. That will give me a chance to survey the city itself and pick a likely location in which I might live. Please return to Bluestone and see about finding your way home. I will ship some of my things and follow soon after. You will know me when I arrive. Wait for me on the evening of the next week.” Signed: Duchess Lepidoptera.
I read it through again and thought about its contents. It was clear that she was dismissing me from her castle, but I did not remember inviting her to visit my home. I also did not remember telling her where I lived, or much conversation about it at all.
Mind you, I didn’t remember a lot about the last couple of days. I had a problem, and I didn’t know exactly what kind of problem. I felt like I was being led around by the nose, but the worst part was that I didn’t seem to care. I thought about my options and realized that I was going to end up doing exactly what she had requested. It wasn’t even an order. My options were limited, and leaving the castle was one of the few ways I could imagine controlling my blackouts.

>>30489151
I looked around in befuddlement for a moment longer, holding the strange letter in my magic. My eyes fell on my saddlebags, sitting on the floor, and I picked them up and put them on, then slipped the letter into them. I looked at the room I was in and pulled out a map, then found my location and the way back to my room. The first time I had been to this room it had not been filled with silk. That’s something I would have noted on the pages and it was not on there. That meant that the silk was a new addition, and I had only a hunch as to where it came from.
I returned to my room and began packing the meager pile of things I had brought with me. Every item I remembered was accounted for, so despite my things having been rifled through, nothing had been stolen from me. The ponies here were just curious, including the Duchess herself. Within a very short time, I was prepared to leave, and I made my way to the front doors. Upon arrival, I found the pegasi ponies standing in lines on either side of the carpet leading out.
The ponies watched as I approached, and I felt my pace slow, unwilling to move any faster under their intense scrutiny. Their glares were heavy, but I pushed forward. The Duchess would not want me to give in. She was counting on me to be there when she arrived, and I didn’t want to let her down.
Once I made it through the gauntlet of stares, I was at the smaller door leading out. I turned around to look at them, and take one last look at the castle, then I pushed the door open to step through into fresh air.

>>30489158
It was time to leave.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ

>>30487992
Your new eyeshadows are lovely Pinkie. Very red.

Thanks for the continued artwork man.

How's about somepony down at the end of a long hallway giving a creepy smile?

>>30487992
You look great! Just put the knife down for the love of god!!

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>>30489171

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>>30489171
The sun was rising just above the neighboring mountains and it pierced my eyelids so I had to squint to see. Once my eyes adjusted and I could see clearly again, I looked around for a guide or somepony to help me back down the mountainside. Not seeing anypony, I sighed and made my way to the cliff’s edge.
Although my vision spun upon first reaching the edge, I began scaling down the mountain. I had a minor amount of trouble, but it wasn’t long before I was back in Bluestone. My reception was different than I had expected. Everypony was surprised to see me. So much so that I had difficulty finding the things I had left at the inn. Despite my request to have them brought up to the castle, the Duchess had not sent for them and the innkeeper had begun giving the items away. He apologized profusely, but it wasn’t the loss of my things that really had me worried, it was his reaction. He seemed to think I wouldn’t be coming back. That was worrying.
Was the Duchess not as good of a matron to these people as I had assumed? Was she ruling with an iron fist that I simply couldn’t see?
Admittedly, she had run circles around my questions and had instead gleaned a significant amount of information about me instead, and now here I was doing… something?
…what was I going to do for her?
I couldn’t remember.
It was important, I remembered that much, and I had forgotten it.
I took some time at the inn to pull open my saddlebags and search through my books for some indication of what the Duchess had expected me to do. Although my pictures and sketches were intact, I could not find any notes or the like of what was expected of me. I was getting a little frantic, because I knew it was important, and she wouldn’t like me to be so forgetful.
I needed to get home.

>>30491614
Once I had some rest outside of this area, I could clear my thoughts and remember exactly what it was she wanted me to do. These ponies here in Bluestone with all their questions and demands and curiosity were just getting in the way. I needed to be alone at home, where I could really think things over. Somewhere familiar, dark, and safe. Yes. Dark and safe.
I brushed aside the myriad questions from the ponies of Bluestone, gathered what things I could get back from them immediately, and left on the next carriage out of the village. As I traveled, I went back through my sketches and notes and read and re-read them, looking for some hint as to my purpose. I found nothing, but went back to the drawings of the wings time and time again, staring at them as the carriage rocked on the bumpy road.
When we reached the cobbles of Vanhoovers roads, I packed my things away and disembarked at the first opportunity inside the city. I walked through the streets toward my home, even though it was still several kilometers away. I was looking to see what the houses around my hometown looked like, and what kinds of windows and other such things they had. Backdoors, roofs, and openings. I hadn’t ever really noticed them before. It was interesting to look at them and see the differences. A lot of them were no protection, with the windows being flimsy enough to easily break, or having no latches on their upstairs windows. Pegasi and the like could get inside them without much effort. I believed the reason for most of that was that pegasi were a rare sight in Vanhoover. Most of the residents were earth ponies and unicorns, with Pegasi living down south in Los Pegasus.

>>30491618
When I arrived home, I had taken a look at a good chunk of my neighborhood and planned out a path that would take a pony through alleys, backroads, and other non-trafficked paths. Or at least, rarely-traveled paths. It would be the best way to remain unseen if a pony would otherwise stand out as they traveled.
Satisfied with my time, and finally having arrived at home, I unpacked my things and took the time to develop my film. I had several days before I was expecting any of the Duchess’ items to arrive, followed by herself.
Being in the darkroom reminded me that I did need to clear out space in the basement for the Duchess to stay in. She had made it clear that she would prefer a darker room to a lighter one. My bedroom, which I would have been happy to give to her for her use, would not suffice, as it was on the upstairs floor and had a window directly across from it. I could probably move it downstairs, but I didn’t know if the Duchess would be shipping her own bed or not. She was enigmatic about everything except that she would be arriving some days after I arrived. I would clean, and then I would wait.
I developed my film and perused the fruits of my labour, admiring the pictures that I had taken. The changes from one day to the next in the Duchess’ castle were clearly outlined in the photographs. But every change that I could see included the addition of that red paint. That rich and vibrant colour that had been splashed on everything while I was staying there. To my eyes it appeared rather tacky, but I wasn’t privy to the habits of royalty, and especially not the Duchess, who had remained hidden from public records for decades.

>>30491623
I arrive at my home in Vanhoover, and prepared for the Duchess' arrival.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ

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>>30491634

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>>30489196

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>>30489196
>>30490398
Would you let her?

>>30494526
Nice! Hallways creep me out, so this is a good pic for me.

>>30494583
I think I would. She seems able tom make them pretty stylish without injuring the eyeball.

>>30494677
This I also like. Dolls are great, and ones with visible stitches like that are even better. Even if she's just sewn back together and isn't a doll at all, it's still a fantastic aesthetic. Do you have a style for each one of the mane six like this? Sado-masochist Pinkie, stitched Rarity, Pumpkin King or Scarecrow Applejack? Thunderstorm Rainbow, Carrion-bird Fluttershy, and Eldritch Twilight!

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>>30494737
I skimmed through the photos until I got back to the start of the ones I had taken, then put them away in a marked manila envelope. I titled and catalogued my sketchbooks and notebooks that contained information from my trip about the castle and filed them away, then began writing a report of what I had discovered high in the mountains.
It was tedious work, and it filled the rest of day. Then the day after that as well. I did take breaks, spending a little bit of time to go onto the campus and speak with a few of my colleagues. Some were interested to hear about what I had found, but others didn’t believe me, even claiming that the photos I had taken were doctored somehow. I was offended, but I didn’t need to prove anything to them at the moment. The report and the eyewitness account directly from the Duchess herself would clear all of that up quickly enough. Any amount of doubt would be washed away in the wake of her appearance.
I returned home and slept early, my mind filled with dreams about the Duchess and her current discomfort during her transportation. I saw her stuck inside a dark and confining container of some sort, swaying back and forth with the motion of whatever she was being carried in or by. She had little room to move, and there was no light seeping in anywhere at all. She was currently at the mercy of whomever it was that was moving her from place to place. I did not envy her her plight, but she would have more than enough accommodation when she arrived. I would see to that. All I needed to do was clear up enough space downstairs for her to safely live, then she could come and go as she pleased.

>>30495890
>>30491634
I awoke feeling energized. The moon was bright and spilling in my open window. I could smell the night air and hear the revelry of a few ponies who were living it up late in the evening. I took a deep breath and made my way down to my basement. I looked around at the clutter that was currently filling it and resolved myself to clean it all up. The Duchess needed a place befitting royalty, not the basement of some two-bit teacher. She was greater than that, and even though it was the basement of a two-bit teacher, she would have something great.
I removed the boxes, putting them upstairs in my room where she would not have to see them, then cleaned everything. The walls, floors, ceiling, and the doors. I repaired some minor holes in the floor and walls, then made sure there was enough lighting in the room for her if she needed any, though I knew from her castle the Duchess did not need nor care about lights. In fact, she seemed to shun it entirely. I brought down my dresser for her clothes, emptying my own out onto the bed. I brought her a washbasin and other furniture, removing it from other parts of the house for her use down in the basement.
When I was done, my own room was filled with junk and missing much of the previous furniture that I had used, but the basement was a brightly lit space that was not enough, but would do. I hoped she would be happy with it.
I went back upstairs and began writing down notes about the surrounding neighborhood, including the observations I had made earlier about the windows and doors on upper and lower floors of houses surrounding me. I did not know why she needed the information, but I was not going to ask. That was her business.

>>30495896
When I was done with that, I sat down, and I waited at the door for the arrival of her and her things.
I don’t quite know how long I waited, and I knew I was shirking other duties for it, but the Duchess was uncomfortable, and I would wait until I knew she had arrived and was made to feel at home with whatever I had available.
I could feel her getting closer. There was a weight upon my mind that I could sense as her presence drew nearer to me. There was a knock at the door and I opened it within a few seconds of the sound. I startled the pony who was there, and he asked for my name. I gave it, signed the paper, and accepted the pile of items into my home. I arranged them downstairs for the Duchess and went back to wait at the door for the Duchess herself.
When night fell, there came a second knock at the door. I opened it to see four of the pegasi from Bluestone Castle. They pushed past me, carrying a long cylindrical thing between them. I shut the door behind them and directed them downstairs. They carried the cylinder down and placed it down with reverence upon my bed which I had brought down for the Duchess to sleep on.
I would make do with a simple bedroll.
Once it was in position and safe, the four pegasi said nothing, but flew back up and out of the room. I knew not where they were headed, and I cared not. My Duchess had arrived, and I needed to see that she was comfortable.
I went back down to the cylinder, and waited next to it. I could see it for what it was, and I realized that it was a cocoon, not unlike those used by many insects. It was made up of silken strands that I recognized from the castle. Had she traveled all this way trapped inside this cocoon? She would be starving.

>>30495907
I prepare for the Duchess' arrival, make her feel at home, and finally see her when she arrives! Is she okay?

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ

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>>30495913

>>30494583
Only if I get cupcakes after.

>>30495913
I am loving how you are dropping hints of the Historian getting turned left and right but never directly stating it. Pretty different from what I have in mind as vampires.

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>Cupcakes still gets new fanarts

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>>30495913
I waited again, but this time I didn’t have to wait long. The cocoon split down the front and began to open. I had left just enough light to see by, and I waited in eager anticipation for my Duchess to appear. I leaned closer, waiting for the moment when I could glimpse her glorious face.
With a ragged gasp the Duchess lurched out of the tear in the cocoon and gripped me by the shoulders. Her grip was powerful, and I resisted at first, but she held on to me as she crawled from the ruined husk of her temporary prison. Her face was gaunt, and her skin pale. Her eyes were filled with an angry red glow, and I heard the crackling hiss of her carapace opening to reveal her diaphanous wings. The eyes on each wing glared at me, the red glow from all four eyes burrowing into my skull, and removed any thought of resistance. A thin film of dust began to pour from her wings and I felt my muscles relax, my strength leaving me.
“Thank you for preparing for my arrival, Historian.” She opened her mouth, and a long, thin, coiled appendage unfurled out of it. It uncoiled until it reached my neck, and I felt a prick as it pierced my flesh. It stopped hurting in an instant, and instead I felt a strange leaking feeling as what I assumed was my blood was sucked out of me.
I felt a strange detachment from the whole scenario, instead focusing on the Duchess’ face as she fed upon my lifeblood. Her own pallor became flush and healthy. Her skin took on a lively glow, and her eyes lost their feral desire as my own limbs started to shake and dizziness hit me.

>>30498309
I realized in the back of my mind that I may perish from this, but her proboscis pulled away from my jugular vein before darkness took me, and she laid me down on the bed next to the cocoon. She furled her wings back up and stepped away from the bed, and I tried to lift myself to follow, but the room spun and I ended up falling out of the bed instead.
The Duchess picked me up and put me back in bed with an admonishment to stay put. “Wait here, Historian. You are weak, and I merely wish to see your hometown. I will return.”
I did as I was bade since I didn’t have a choice. The room spun around me and my limbs didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure if it was some spell she cast on me or if it was the blood loss, but I waited.
She returned much later, still looking as upbeat and healthy as after she had fed on me, and I gave her a weak grin. I had recovered enough to where I could sit up, but walking still provided a challenge. She looked at me sitting on the bed and approached, staring down at me with those terrible eyes of hers.
“Historian, your city is much larger than I anticipated, and this will be a very difficult task for me alone,” she began. “I will need more servants than just you. Servants like those I had in Bluestone. I desire a Pegasus and an earth pony. One of each, to serve as liaison to the rest of their race. Find them and bring them to me.”
I felt a little hurt that she couldn’t just use me, but I wasn’t going to disagree with my Duchess. I nodded. “Yes, of course. I know just the earth pony. The Pegasus will be harder to find.”

>>30498320
“There is no hurry. I have all the time in the world,” she said.
I recovered my strength, making sure to eat enough to replenish myself in case the Duchess needed me again. When morning came, the Duchess remained downstairs, avoiding the upper portions of the house. I didn’t know why, but I assumed it was to preserve her fair complexion. It was a little alien, along with her size, but I had to admit she was beautiful in a very exotic way. It was probably more than enough to attract the attention of any stallion.
I was trusting that it would when I went to fetch the earth pony I had mentioned that would be a good addition to the Duchess’ entourage. He was a colleague of mine who worked in the anthropology department of the university. He was part of the “who’s who” of the university, working to connect the different sections together in order to make communication and resource trading among the departments easier. He and I talked about history a lot, and I considered us good acquaintances, if not friends. He would be perfect for the Duchess’ purposes.
I invited him over for dinner to talk about the castle I had found, and he jumped at the chance. Despite most of his work keeping him at the university, a new castle, complete with a ruling Duchess in this day and age was more than enough to entice him over to talk about it. He tried to get me to divulge more information about it while we were at work, but I insisted we talk about it over dinner. I did provide him with a few of my photographs to look at. Copies, of course. This was still my discovery, and I wanted the credit.

>>30498324
I help the Duchess get back on her feet after a long trip, then help her gather ponies.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ

>>30461468
Are new writefags welcome? I only ask as I do not want to intrude.

>>30499621
Oh heavens yes! I've just been the only one writing, that doesn't mean I'm trying to monopolize anything. Please do write if you're interested. I love seeing what horror other people come up with.

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>>30499621
Of course Anon.

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>>30499621
Absolutely, grab an axe and come on in...

So, I had a thought, and I wanted to know who all might be interested. But a lot of other generals have discord channels where they can discuss things that may not belong on the thread itself, but are still tied to the topic. Maybe things like grammar, source material, unfinished things for feedback before posting and the like. Mind you, I understand they also seem to have very divided opinions on whether they're any good to have, because they pull chat away from the thread itself. What does everyone else think?

>>30500425
I think your stories are most captivating when they just come out, anew without spoilers or previews. It keeps things fresh. It does mean you don't get real time feedback, but we can always just provide it here and see it better done in the next posts.

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>>30500425
It depends on the discord. I'm in several pone related ones and they have their flaws and good stuff. For instance, the /moon/day discord is trash. Way to many people and autistic shitposting, but sometimes there's good convo's, and the nsfw channel is cool.
On the other hand, The Great and Powerfull discord is small and mostly dead. But we get to see new art that dosent go to the thread, and have way more meaningful conversations there.
I guess it's all about the size of the group, i tend to not participate in the large servers, but I love the smaller ones. They're great for makeing new friends and discussing off topic stuff.
If you decide to make a horror server, I would join and participate, untill it gets to big to get a word in edgewise anyway.

>>30500563
In response to this; I understand what you mean. A lot of horror relies on keeping things secret, and I personally would also like to keep it that way. Too many plotlines rely on it, and I don't have much trouble (as far as I am aware) keeping things well-hidden from the reader. That wouldn't change for me, but some other people might not know how, and if there are any other potential writers, I would like to be able to offer helpful advice. I respond when they're posted in the thread, but sometimes a full thread is a very public place, and that turns some people off from commenting, even on an anonymous image board.
>>30500609
The thread itself doesn't have much in the way of posters, so I imagine if I did make one, it would be quite small.

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>>30500675
You might be surprised at the number of lurkers. I don't post in a lot of the threads I track. I just like to read and watch. I'll usually give feedback if someone isn't getting any at all. I know how it feels to work hard on a story and it seems like no one is reading it, so i try to help out.
As far as spoilers in the discord, that can be avoided. It is a great place for questions and discussion. I learnd a lot from other writers in the /foe/ discord before reddit took it over and it became a roll play server. Most of that was just from lurking conversations between other writers. If you have some active people willing to answer questions then it's really nice.

>>30501201
Okay. I'll go ahead and create one then, and we'll see how many people want to join. What should it be called? Just something boring like "MLP Horror" or something? I think we can do better than that.

Nightmares of MLP?
Ponyville after Dark? (This sounds like porn.)
Welcome to Ponyvale?
What do you all think? Give me some ideas.

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>>30501449
I vote 'welcome to Ponyvale' or just Ponyvale, and we need some Nightvale like stories. That would rule! I love that podcast

>>30501614
Well hey, I haven't kept up with Welcome to Night Vale, but that's a good choice. I'll make one tomorrow after I give everyone else time to give their input.

But on that note, why not create an entire pony parody of the whole Night Vale schtick? Have a town where any horrible thing can happen.
Ponyville, Canterlot, and the like, all have history in the show, and one can only mess with it so far before it begins to ruin the verisimilitude. Buuuut if we just create our own "Ponyvale", then we can get a whole set of horror-lore going. Show characters can come and go as we please, being called out by the Cutie Map and such, but we can have a "ground zero" of sorts for horrific happenings and monstrous manifestations. I think it might be fun. It might help some readers attach the "horror" label to My Little Pony a bit easier.

>>30498331
Alright. No update tonight, but will have one tomorrow. My sleep schedule is still off-kilter from vacation. Let me know what you all think about my other ideas. See you all in eight hours.

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Morning thread

>>30503388
Nawwww scary derpy.

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Relevant.
https://youtu.be/ENo7_l4fnHU?t=1m

>>30503662
The animation and art style are what is so terrifying about this

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>>30498331
By the time dinner rolled around, I was not at all surprised to see him arrive a bit early, before the sun had set. He brought a bottle of wine as a gift, which I accepted gratefully. I invited him in, and he entered, all full of excitement.
“I still can’t believe you found an undiscovered castle. And still filled with ponies! In the Smokey Mountains no less! This has to be the find of the century, my friend,” he said.
“Well I can only hope everypony else thinks so as well, because while I, personally, have never heard of this castle before or found mention of it in any texts, somepony else might have. I would welcome the information, but it would still cast some shade on my discovery,” I said.
“Oh I wouldn’t worry too much, the fact that the owner still lives there will be huge. How did that meeting go, by the way?” He asked.
“It went well. The Duchess Lepidoptera has agreed to come visit, at which time I hope to have enough sway with the university to have my presentation while she’s here to make an appearance,” I said.
“Well it sounds like you have the whole thing planned out well. Tell me about her? How disconnected from modern Equestria is she? Does she keep up with current events?” he asked.
I tell him about the Duchess and her castle. I go into some detail about the artwork filling the place, but when I begin to talk about the Duchess herself, I must have gone into a bit too much detail, as he starts giving me strange looks.
“You… think quite highly of this Duchess, then?” He fidgeted in his seat, moving as if to stand up.
“I do, yes.” I was just trying to stall him until the sun had set enough for the Duchess to come upstairs. We hadn’t even begun eating the food I had prepared, he couldn’t leave yet.

>>30505425
“Well I’m glad you do, she sounds nice,” he said. “Listen, I forgot I have to meet somepony.” He stood up from his chair, leaving his food untouched.
“Stay, Anthropologist,” a commanding voice said. The Duchess walked up the stairs, her gait powerful and assured, and my friend jumped in surprise, turning to look at the source of the voice.
From the stairs to the basement, the top of the Duchess’ head came first. Her long, flowing hair draped down her body, and as her head cleared the landing, I could see the tips of her wings come up after her. I turned away, knowing that this time the wings were not for me, and I would only be a nuisance if I stared with my friend.
I could hear her hooves tap slowly along the floor toward where my friend had been sitting, and I heard the hiss of her breath as she opened her mouth. The faint scent of the dust from her wings tickled my nose, and made my muscles ache. There was the brief sound of a struggle, and I heard a chair being overturned, then nothing. I assumed the Duchess must have him in her grip, as there was a wet sound like the slow dripping of water.
I risked a glance and saw that the Duchess had furled her wings up, and was holding fast to my friend while her proboscis was firmly stabbed into his neck. I approached to observe the spectacle, and waited for my Duchess to finish. I felt a small pang of worry for my friend, but I knew she wouldn’t kill him. She needed him.
She finished, and retracted the proboscis into wherever it hid on the roof of her mouth, and she turned to look at me. She held my friend out to me, his body limp and pale, but still breathing. I took him in my magic and laid him across my back.

>>30505436
“Bring him, it is time to show you how I will complete my servants.” She turned back to the stairs leading down into the basement, and I followed, holding my friend.
She led me to the bed, where her cocoon lay split open, but very much intact. It had been fastened to the bed with more silk, a web of silken threads criss-crossing the covers and latching onto the wooden posts. Inside the cocoon, a thin film of fluid coated the walls, and the whole thing seemed to pulse with what must have been life, or strange magicks.
“Place him inside,” the Duchess commanded.
Curious, I did as I was told. Once he had been put into the cocoon, it closed up around him. The panic in his eyes as he disappeared from view almost made me regret my actions, but the Duchess’ presence swept that feeling away in an instant.
“When he emerges, he will be like me, but under my thrall. Complete obedience is what I can then demand of him, and he will help me in taking more of the city,” she explained.
I looked at the cocoon in wonder. “Did… did you do that to me?”
She smiled at me in a way that made me wonder if she was patronizing me or acting cruel. “No, my dear Historian. You get to be my messenger. The delightful part of treating you the way I did was that you become devoted in a way that makes you assist me of your own free will.” She came toward me and stroked my cheek with her hoof. It was almost tender, but her eyes were hard and cruel. “You help because you want to, but that kind of brainwashing takes a lot of time, and a lot of effort.”
Even after hearing her say that she was using me, my anger flared and disappeared almost instantly. “So… what now?” I asked.
“Now, we feast on your home.” She smiled, and her teeth were stained red. The same red that had coated the walls of her castle, and I understood. I would serve. I wanted to.

The End.

>>30505456
I finally know her plans, for the city, and for me. I almost worry, but I no longer mind. My friends will join me soon enough.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/TtiDc7tZ

Yet another instance where I could keep it going for a really long time, but I really must stop. I have other things I want to write. I hope the ending isn't too abrupt.

Also, if anyone is interested, here is the Discord. If there is not enough interest, I will delete it, but we'll give it a few days. https://discord.gg/XNg9ENc

Again, the purpose of creating it is to help people with questions they may have about horror, and make a more private setting for them who are afraid to ask publicly. I would love to see more people write or create, but I understand it's daunting to put your questions out there in large public places. We can also discuss smaller things, get help, trade tips, or just shoot the shit about horror. I don't see it changing much about the thread. I will still be a constant presence here.

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>>30505499
Thinking back to this, actually
>>30502405
I spent some time pondering creating something like that. Both ponies and otherwise. I mean, it's easy when they're all OC's, you can just change them back and forth. The only difference is magic in a few places, but anyway.

So you need a narrator for the horror. Someone the reader can identify with and a sort of "safe space" among all the weird shit going down. Now, what I was thinking, is instead of a town, with the time period ponies live in, how about, a riverboat?

Pic related. Look at that map. There is a river that criss-crosses the entirety of Equestria. What better place for a narrator to live and collect horror stories, than a riverboat?
The only place that river doesn't go is up to Vanhoover, but that's not a big loss.
To fit with pony tech, it can be a big ol' paddleboat, and evoke the sort of "Mississippi" feel of the early days of America. Gamblers, traders, travelers. Everything you could want would pass through on this boat.
Whaddy'all think?

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>>30505568

>>30505568
Old southern style dude with his paddle boat traveling Equestria collecting various tales and myths of terror. Sounds like a good concept.

>>30506776
Yes exactly! The narrator needs to be good, to set the stage for everything else. I'm trying to come up with a bunch of different concepts at the moment. I'll share when I have them.

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>>30506786
>>30506776
You know, thinking about it, it would work with a train, too. So here are some ideas I had for a setup for a sort of narration of horrific and unnatural occurrences:

Steamboat up and down the rivers that cross Equestria. Narrator would be the owner of the boat.

A train that travels along the rails. Not the Friendship express, but it could use the rails themselves. Narrator would be the conductor.
The benefit of the train would be that it ends up in the middle of town rather than on a coast, which would put it in a central location.

A coach. The narrator would be the driver.
It's a lot smaller, but it is also much more flexible.

This last one is purely my OC Waxworks, but it's part of what led to her creation in the first place: A lamplighter that just wanders the dark streets of a large city like Canterlot, talking to the audience about scary goings-on, sharing stories and other weird things she's seen and heard as she lights lamps in the empty roads.
The smallest in scope, includes nothing but walking around a single city, but that, like Night Vale, may be beneficial.

What do you think? Thoughts? Feelings?

>>30507405
I like the idea of Waxworks walking around lighting lamps. The twilight time between day and night is a better setting for the strange vibe i get from Night Vale. That may be because I always listen to the show in the early morning at dawn, which is just twilight in reverse.
Daytime is peaceful and safe. Night time is when the horrors come. Dawn and dusk are the limbo in between. I've always thought of Night Vale as stuck in eternal twilight...even though it's not really. Just the feel i get...might not make sense.
Anyway, I like that idea, yeah.

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>>30507456

>>30507456
I thought it was good as well, but I wanted opinions on other ideas. I may try to start writing some of a bit of such a thing. I will give it an effort, and wait for more responses.

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>>30508486
Still fussing with some writing. Likely nothing tonight.

>>30507405
I imagine these would go somewhere along the lines of the old TV show "Tales of the Crypt Keeper" if anyone knows what that is. The show would start with the intro and then for like the first minute or so the Crypt Keeper would set up the short story and in between each one the Crypt Keeper would make wise cracks or I think like tell a riddle or whatever. Was a good show actually.

>>30509596
Aye. I'm probably dating myself, but I got the idea from Cryptkeeper, Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Elvira.
Welcome to Night Vale is almost the same thing, but the narrator pulls a strange little story throughout all these separate events going on in town instead of telling something unrelated.
But the "Horror Host" is what I was going for indeed.

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>>30509725

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New song by Radiarc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqYUYqao9GM

>>30511178
This just makes me feel comfy, nice and fuzzt warm inside...

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The streets were dark, and almost empty. Evening had come and light spilled out of homes on either side of the cobbles, but the most light came from the lamps that loomed above the sidewalk. The candles within them were large, intended to burn through the dark hours until the sun rose once again. Throughout the city, most of the streets were lit, but there was a lot of ground to cover, and the most popular roads were lit first. This road was not one of those, and it traveled into a dead end, where the darkness yet ruled. Plodding down this street, a lone pony walked, a small pool of light from her lantern the only illumination in the otherwise black road.
There was only one lamp in it at the far end of a cul-de-sac, and she walked through the darkness to it with her lantern swinging from the side of her saddlebags. When she reached it, she slipped a long pole out of a hook on her saddlebag and lit a wick at one end in her open lantern. She reached up to the lamp, pushed it open and lit the candle inside. She closed it again, and extinguished the wick on her pole before putting it back in its slot on her saddlebag.
She adjusted her shawl and took a deep breath, then turned around and looked at you. Her mane covered much of the left side of her face, but the one eye that you could see was wide open, with a dark circle underneath it. It stared back at you unblinking as you stared at her. She didn’t seem surprised to see you there, but the look she was giving you was cautious and on guard. She sat at the edge of the lamp’s light, her own lantern meager compared to the brighter post above her.

>>30511779
“Hello there. You must have heard, then? About Waxworks and her stories?” She brushed at her shawl with a hoof, not looking away from you. “It’s true. I am she, and I know a lot of them, and some are probably about ponies you know. I won’t tell you how I know them, nor why I keep them, but I can tell you one, and only one, before I get back to work.” She pulled her lantern off its hook and set it on the ground in front of her. The flickering light cast long shadows onto the buildings nearby.
“I’m a busy pony, with only so much time in the day,” she said. “I hear there is a way to get more time, but eventually time catches up to us all…”

Pinkie Pie rushed about the bakery, zipping to and fro, from countertop to cupboard, oven to refrigerator. To any onlooker, she would appear to be pink blur. To Pinkie herself, she was simply finishing her work at a leisurely pace, wandering here and there at a calm and controlled speed. From her side of things, there was no need to rush. No need to speed up to get from here to there. The cakes would bake, the icing would set, and the dough would rise, all in good time. She had so much of it after all.
Pinkie looked at the customers in the front of Sugar Cube Corner and counted. There were still only four of them, and they all had what they needed. While she watched, a stallion reached out a hoof and ever-so-slowly lifted his milkshake up to his mouth and tilted it up to get the last dregs of sweet, melted ice cream. She waited until he started lowering it to the table before walking at a calm pace out to the front. By the time his mug hit the table, she was there next to him.

>>30511782
“Would you care for another?” She picked up the empty mug and waited for his response.
To him, she had blurted out the sentence in a way that made it sound like she had run every word together after the other. “Wouldyoucareforanother?” he had heard. Still, most ponies had grown used to it, and he understood what she was asking.
“No thank you, Pinkie. I’ll just settle my tab and be on my way,” he said.
Pinkie nodded. To her he had taken an excruciating amount of time to finish his sentence. She could be patient, though. She had to be. Not everypony was as quick as she, and she was the one that had to be patient. She was the odd one out, after all. When he finished speaking, he drew out his wallet ever-so-slowly and placed the bits on the table. She scooped them up with a hoof, gave him a wide smile and a nod, and waved goodbye. “Okay see you later!”
She was already back in the kitchen and had placed the mug in the sink to be washed before he was even out of his chair. By the time he had reached the door to leave, every single open oven was filled with baking goods, with more prepped to go on the counter. Pinkie double-checked the fridge to make sure any of the desserts that needed chilled were done yet. They weren’t, but she had nothing better to do than wait.
Once she was certain everything was in its place, she left the bakery with a note for the Cakes when they got back, and bounded out into Ponyville, smiles on her face as she moved about town at a pace that left most other ponies in the dust. She was going to go visit Twilight today, and maybe check out a book or two.

>>30511789
>Waxworks gives you an appraising look.
"What makes Pinkie so fast, do you think? Nopony should be able to see the world moving so slowly around them."
>She waves her hoof around the lantern, the shadows cast by her limb creating giant blotches of black on the ground around it.
"I could be done my work within a single hour if I had that sort of speed. But what would I do afterward?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/z9uJ6ZMB

Okay, trying to fit the 'horror host' thing in the story, along with some running greentext commentary to maybe spice things up. Let me know what you think.

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>>30511819

>>30511819
I like this format. Having your oc narrate gives it more depth. You have so many stories to tell, you've kind of built the character already. A lamp-lighter pony that wanders the streets of Equestria, gathering strange and horrifying tales that's willing to share them to anyone who listens. If you compile these into a book, I'll buy it.

I'm glad we get a Ponka story too. So far it's got the feel of the Derpy and Roseluck stories. A kind of alternate reality that only she can see, dealing with things only she can attempt to understand. Pinkie fits this kind of story perfectly. I'm really looking forward to this one.

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>>30511819
Alright, this new addition to it is giving me pause, though not in a bad way. I need to think more about how I want to present this, so I'll be updating tomorrow instead of tonight.
>>30513522
I'm glad you like it. It's a bit weird, but I think I can get it satisfactory to myself. More tomorrow.

In the meantime, does anyone have any thoughts themselves about what kind of weird horror or Twilight Zone-esque goings-on that may occur in a city?
Things in sewers?
People in sewers?
Clowns in sewers?
Salesmen dealing in souls or useless knick-knacks in exchange for emotions?
Clock Towers with 11 hours?
Houses that change height every day: Growing big one morning and short the next?

Gimme your small and big ideas for horror. Let's try to make a town like Night Vale and see what we come up with.

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Sorry I haven't been visiting much been working on things for other threads.
But i'm back again

>>30517390
It's cool. We are glad to have you back.

>>30517868
Rarity, the colour is fine, but I'm not sure severed intestines are in this season.

>>30511819
Pinkie Pie hopped down the street at a—to her—leisurely pace. When she arrived at the castle she pounded on the door in what was, to her eyes, a calm and controlled manner, then waited for Twilight or Spike to open the door for her. When Spike finally opened the door, Pinkie had gotten bored and begun bounding about in small circles. To Spike, she was moving at a fast pace that seemed excited. To Pinkie, it was a way to occupy herself while she waited for somepony who couldn’t help being so slow.
“HeySpikeI’mheretoseeTwilightandborrowsomebooks,” Pinkie said. To Spike it was a blur, and ‘Pinkie as usual’. For Pinkie, it was a hurried and impatient statement as she brushed past him to the castle’s interior. She moved toward the castle library, with Spike’s little legs pumping to keep up.
“What’s going on, Pinkie? You seem more rushed than usual,” Spike said.
“Oh,it’sprobablynothing.Ijustneedtoborrowabook,” Pinkie Pie said.
“Oh, well okay.” Spike tried to keep up, but Pinkie was just too fast, and she had already made it to the library while he was only halfway down the hall.
Pinkie burst into the tranquil repository and began rushing about, searching through the books one at a time, pulling them off the shelf then putting them back soon after reading the title or first few pages. After a few minutes of terrorizing the library, Twilight wandered in, moving at the same crawling pace as everypony else.
“Oh, Pinkie, what are you looking for?” Twilight asked.
“HiTwilight,stilllookingformorebooksonclocks.Didyougetanysincelasttime?” Pinkie asked.
It took Twilight a second to register everything Pinkie said, but she shook her head slowly, and Pinkie left before she had finished the second shake. “Nothing new yet, but I hear they’re on their—“
“OkaythanksTwilightI’llbebackwhenyouhavethem.” Pinkie was out the door and bounding down the hall.

>>30518554
Although Pinkie had nothing but a smile on her face, her eyes told a different story for anyone willing to look. She was worried, and that worry took her back home to Sugarcube Corner immediately after her library visit. Once she had checked on all of the baking, she went upstairs to her room, where the object of her research sat.
It was a clock, and like all clocks it told the time. This one, though, did not keep time with other clocks in Ponyville. Since the day it had been given to her, it had given her an extra two years worth of time. She had gotten so much more done, thrown so many more parties, and celebrated so much more than other ponies had. But she found out she couldn’t stop it. She had grown tired of waiting for everypony else to catch up to her. She read so much more, did so much more. She managed to fit twice as much into her days as another pony, but what good was it when the ponies you were doing it for only managed to appreciate it at half the speed you were?
She wanted to slow down, take time to appreciate things. Not to mention she had no idea if she was aging at twice the speed. If she were, she would be dead twice as fast. She wanted to fix it.
Pinkie picked up the clocked, looked at the back at the screws holding it shut, then lifted a screwdriver. She had several of the books Twilight had on clocks, and she had researched how they work, but she was still wary of this one. Clocks were delicate, and the slightest misstep could damage it, but the alternative was to live and possibly die twice as fast as her friends, and she couldn’t abide that. Watchmakers she’d taken it to hadn’t wanted to chance damaging such a rare and expensive clock as this, so it was up to her.

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>>30518559
Pinkie stuck the screwdriver in and twisted, pulling out the first one, then the next. She took in a deep breath, and pulled the panel off the back revealing the intricate springs, cogs, and wheels of the clock’s innards. To her dismay, the inside was not anything like the pictures in the books. She suspected it might have been magical, since she’d never had to wind it, but this made things much more complicated.
She recognized the mainspring, at least. That one was obvious. It glowed with what she assumed was the magic that kept the clock wound at all times, but she was looking for the part that regulated the speed at which it ticked. She searched and searched, and eventually, she thought she had found it.
“Okay, just need a delicate hoof,” Pinkie said to herself.
She reached in with the tiny screwdriver she had purchased, and made a small adjustment, then she waited.
Nothing seemed to happen, so she thought she must have accomplished what she set out to do. She put the back panel on again, and went downstairs to see if everypony was still moving slowly.
To her delight, everypony was moving at a much faster speed! They were talking, walking, running, eating, all at a speed that wasn’t half as fast as she was anymore! She laughed and stepped forward out into sugarcube corner, then felt a stabbing pain in her gut.
She felt hungry. Hungrier than she’d ever felt in her life, and it was only getting worse. She grabbed a muffin off the counter and took a bite, but her mouth was dry, and she felt a headache come as she began to feel thirsty. She felt exhaustion hit her like a wave, her eyelids drooping as she felt like she hadn’t slept for weeks. She fell to the floor, her eyes closed, and blackness took her.
Upstairs, her clock ticked. Unconcerned, and keeping perfect time. Time nopony can escape.

>>30518568
Waxworks picked up her lantern and attached it to her saddlebag once more. She stood and began walking past you, heading out of the cul-de-sac. She seems to sense your confusion and turns back to look at you.
“Pinkie Pie isn’t dead, you’re thinking. She lives at Sugarcube Corner and is one of the elements of harmony, along with the other five,” Waxworks said. “And you would be right. She survived. Severe starvation and dehydration, but she lived.” Waxworks turned her body to face you. “She’s still as hyper as always, though, and she recovered miraculously fast. Who knows how much ‘time’ she has left, hmmm?”
Waxworks walked away from you, out of the cul-de-sac, and the small pool of light from her lantern disappeared around the corner, leaving you in the dark. Once the sound of her hoofsteps disappeared, all that’s left is a ticking sound, like that of a clock, keeping impeccable time.

The End.


Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/z9uJ6ZMB

This is an interesting way of writing the narration. I'm going to try to keep things interrelated for Waxworks' narration, and just have her telling stories if everyone likes it. It was short, but what did you all think?

>>30517868
So if you don't mind my asking, what other threads do you frequent? Likely not ones I do, because I think I would recognize your art if I saw it.

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>>30519131

>>30518582
I like it

>>30519131
I only post on one another thread on a different board, I'm from /co/. I post my work on a weekend general.

>>30521433
Oooo, /co/ is one of my other homes. /co/ and /tg/, really. I'll see if I can find it then.

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The bridge is arched, with a wall along both sides to prevent anypony from accidentally falling off. That didn’t stop some enterprising ponies to leap off it anyway into the chasm below. The mountains the city was built on provided some breathtaking sights, and this bridge in particular overlooked a huge chasm between two of the peaks. Some of the jumpers were prepared and looking for thrills. Some were pegasi who wanted a fun place to begin flight. Some were not.
On the wall tonight sat Waxworks, one of the latter types of pony. Her lantern sat on the railing beside her, and she looked up at your approach. “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in jumping. That would solve nothing and possibly create even further problems. I just like the view.”
The view in question is a set of moonlit crags stretching out below, with the shadows between each peak making them look taller and sharper than they actually were.
“You found me while I was taking a break, so I suppose I can favor you with another little something,” she said. “Since our last meeting I thought more about time, and I remembered a little poem somepony wrote about their childhood. Their grandfather, who has long since passed by now, had a larger home in the upscale part of town. The house itself was very large. The kind you would expect to hold secrets,” Waxworks grinned at you. “In this case, you would be correct. I present, as he titled it: Witching Which Time.”

>>30522158
The clock’s in a hall at my grandfather’s home;
My grandfather’s grandfather clock.
It’s big and it’s tall and it’s next to the wall,
but it gives me a bit of a shock.

Its face shows a pearlescent glow in the dark,
Its hands are of iron and steel.
The big hand goes ‘round like it’s overseas bound,
The short’s on a casual wheel.

It has an appearance that’s basic and bland,
“A clock, just a clock” it would say.
I know that there’s more to its tick-tocking chore,
Than it shows in its time-keeping way.

It chimes like a clock with the deepest of peals,
A good ringing-singing clock should.
But most clocks would chime on the hour’s own time,
While this one avoids it for good.

It rings when the minute hand’s passing the ten
Then once more when it hits the two.
I can’t say for sure why the time isn’t pure
but I think it’s a what or a who.

I stayed up one evening as young people do,
Invincible, wild, and free.
The moon she shone down on our part of the town,
In places the dark shouldn’t be.

The hour was close to the three on the clock,
The minute hand near to the ten.
The chime came along and I heard the clock’s song
Away from my spot in the den.

I laughed at the strange and so curious thing;
“That clock still can not get it right”
But then all my hair felt a charge in the air
And shadows all deepened the night.

I looked at the clock and it told me the time;
Just five simple minutes to three.
The hour of witches and long-stolen riches,
things mocking the powers that be.

Steps heavy and powerful lurked in the home,
I wasn’t alone anymore.
Something was thumping and horribly bumping
Above me on my second floor.

>>30522164
I ducked down behind of the chair I was in,
I had no desire to fight.
Whatever was here was already too near,
and had given me quite a big fright.

It pounded and stomped its way down from upstairs,
I froze while it moved down the hall.
It lumbered its walk all the way to the clock
Where it stopped and gave off a cold pall.

The clock for its part had avoided a fight,
It made not a sound but a tick.
We waited in quiet so we wouldn’t buy it
Praying the thing would be quick.

It finally went on its loud stomping way,
Leaving me there in the dark.
I stayed still and hidden until I was bidden
To rise by a ringing so stark.

The grandfather clock I had thought was so odd,
Was chiming the time was ten past.
I understood now both the why and the how
Of the curious timing it cast.

Whatever had lived in my grandfather’s home,
Left something behind in the shade.
And although it’s a place filled with honor and grace,
I can’t say the horror will fade.

Whatever it was that had scared me so much,
Scared more than just me, you can tell.
That clock is still sour to ring on the hour
No ringing or singing or knell.

I never stay up when it’s midnight or past,
And certainly not till it’s three.
Whatever that thing is, that scared the clock’s ring is
A thing I don’t want to catch me.

The End.

>>30522173
Waxworks picks up her lantern and hops off the bridge railing. She hooks it back onto her saddlebags and looks at you. “He’s a successful businesspony now, but true to his word, he never stays up late. Even if he has to leave while some event is going on, he refuses to be out at 3:00am,” she said. “It could have been a burglar for all I know. He says he never saw it, so it might not be supernatural in any way. But that clock still avoids chiming on the hour.”
Waxworks looks out over the chasm one last time, then turns to cross the arch of the bridge, leaving you in the pool of light from the lamppost above you. She turns back around one last time and winks at you with a wicked grin.
“The real question is; there’s 24 hours in a day, but he only encountered one that appeared at three in the morning. Why does it avoid all the other hours of the day, hmmm?” With a short, barking laugh, she turns away and leaves you alone once more.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/wRB0AfBf

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>>30523333
I was, Luna, thanks. You don't need to keep asking, no matter how many digits you get.

>>30523802
Amazing comeback

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>>30523802
I never look at my post numbers, the only time i notice is when someone points it out. This is the 6th time this year i got quads and the secound time they were all 3's. Maybe i should watch for this number?

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The shop is a minor footnote at the end of a poorly cobbled street. The part of the city it occupied was one of the poorer sections, with ponies sitting on benches or on the street itself, bundled up in whatever cloth they could find. It didn’t feel like the best place to live, but with magical lighting, a candle shop wouldn’t be much use in the richer sections.
The name above the door was painted in white, and simply said; Candles. It made no assumptions of what it was selling, and didn’t try to elaborate. There wasn’t even a name attached to it. The door swung in without much effort, and the smell of wax hits your nose. The shelves inside are filled with boxes of candles covering a wide variety of sizes. Further back, past a makeshift countertop, you see Waxworks, with her mane pulled back, bending over a cauldron of what you assume must be melted wax.
She turns to look at you and you can see her left eye, which was covered by her mane before, has a large burn scar covering it and most of the left side of her face.
She notices your look and smiles a soft smile. “Melted wax is very hot, and flammable. Accidents happen, but we learn from them.” She lets her mane down and takes a seat at the shoddy countertop, looking at you. “But that’s not a story you’ll hear today, and I assure you it’s quite boring.”
Waxworks reaches down to the side and pulls up a long flat case. She opens it to reveal a series of wax faces, all with excellent detail, and all of the same mare with different expressions. “Instead, let me tell you about a different accident. One where the pony who caused it knew full well what she was doing, but refused to stop.”

>>30524884
The blue streak zipped to and fro across the sky, kicking clouds here and there, and pushing others to different locations. She moved so fast the eye saw a rainbow pattern behind her as she went, her multicolored mane smearing from her speed. When she finished what she appeared to be doing, she grabbed one final cloud she had left behind and pulled it along with her. She carried it to a spot overlooking the bustling heart of Ponyville’s market, and lay herself down on top, peering down at the busy ponies below.
“Work done with a good three hours to spare. Not bad, if I do say so myself. Now to find Applejack,” Rainbow Dash said.
Applejack had promised to show her something amazing she had found in the Apple family’s attic. Something old that Applejack thought Rainbow might get a kick out of. She hadn’t provided any details beyond that, but the anticipation was killing Rainbow.
Rainbow hovered above town, peering at the various shops and stalls, floating along at a casual pace until she spotted the telltale orange of the apple pony’s flank sticking out from under a green awning. She kicked her cloud apart and zipped down to land next to Applejack.
“Hey AJ! I’m all done my chores, whaddya got to show me? I’ve been waiting all night to see it!” Rainbow said.
Applejack was facing away from Rainbow, and she bent down to a bag on the ground when Rainbow landed. “Well Rainbow, I can show you what ah got, but do you think ye’re ready for it? It’s pretty awesome.”
Rainbow clopped her hooves together in excitement. “Of course I’m ready! I’m the most ready pony ever! Is it a weapon? Is it an old photo of the Wonderbolts? Is it a Wonderbolt uniform from when they were just starting? Come on, AJ, don’t leave me hanging!”

>>30524888
Applejack fussed with something in the bag, stood still for a moment, then whipped around and shook a hoof at Rainbow Dash and yelled; “BLUH!”
Applejack had on a mask.
Rainbow jumped in surprise at the noise, then yelled in fright at the awful face that Applejack was wearing. It had a blunt nose with wide nostrils, a mouth filled with uneven teeth, and was given the appearance of suffering from harsh boils and sores that covered it. The mane was grey, yet smooth and shiny, in a way that gave the impression it had been covered in grease or oil. The most striking thing about it, however, was the presence of a third eye that was bleeding from the forehead. The eye wasn’t the same colour as the other two, and stared upward, while the other two stared forward.
Applejack laughed and pulled the mask off after Rainbow’s exclamation. “Haw! You sure gave a leap at that one, Rainbow!”
Rainbow tried to brush it off. “Just surprised me with your yelling is all. But sweet Celestia, AJ, that thing is awful. Why was it in your attic?”
“I think it came from great-uncle Rotten Apple. He was big into carnivals and circuses. His signature thing was juggling apples, and eating them while he did.” Applejack looked at the mask for a moment, then laid it down on her apple cart. “The mask was in a box with some of his other circus-themed effects that Goldie Delicious sent us a while ago. Said she didn’t want ‘em and to give ‘em away quick as we could,” Applejack said. “She seemed real eager to get rid of ‘em, too. Not sure why.
Rainbow looked down at the mask, then back at Applejack. “You’re giving them away? Can I have the mask, then? That thing is awful! It’d be great for pranks!”

>>30524897
"Everypony wears masks, you know. We're wearing ones right now, you and I," Waxworks said. "Metaphorical, of course, but the effect is the same. It hides who we truly are from ponies around us, and we can swap them out as we wish."
>She motions to the wax faces sitting on the counter in front of her.
"Expressions differ, and our reactions follow suit, depending on which mask we're currently wearing. What happens, then, if you put masks on top of each other?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/eyGSjZBm

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>>30522164
>>30522173
Verry Poe, nice.

>>30525203
Thanks. I hadn't written a poem before, and with this new "narration" format I have I felt a little more free to do something short and fun.

>>30524924
So, I got another question for the thread as a whole. Pastebin is cool and all, but I've been debating finding a more public place to put the pony stories online. I don't write exclusively in greentext format, so Fimfiction is an option. Is it a good place to put them, do you think? Are there any other options?

>>30525994
I think FiMfic would be great for your stuff. The only issue might be the 1000 word minimum for uploads. You might have to expand on a few of your stories. I don't have any experience with other sites. I've read some stuff on fanfic.net but never looked in to posting there.
I think FiMfic stuff gets submitted to Equestria daily somehow. I'm pretty sure thats a wider audience than you get here.

>>30526452
I have submitted the three most popular horror stories to Fimfic.

Phantom of Octavia
Nightmare on Stirrup Street
Celestial Hulk.

We will see how things go.

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>>30524924
“Well, once Pinkie Pie gets here to have a look, you two can decide who gets it. Ah figured the two a you would enjoy it the most, but I wanted ya both to have a chance at it. You were just the first one here,” Applejack said.
“You offered it to Pinkie Pie too?” Rainbow said. “She doesn’t scare ponies, she just gives them presents.”
“Nah, she knows how to do a good scare when she puts her mind to it. But either way, you’ll just have to wait until she has a chance to see it, alright?” Applejack said.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Fine. Can I at least try it on until she gets here? I’d like to see how it fits.”
“Be mah guest. Just don’t you go too far, y’hear?” Applejack said.
“Yeah, yeah.” Rainbow had already picked the mask up off the counter. She looked at the ugly front, with its misshapen features. It was the nastiest thing she’d seen in a long while, and she absolutely adored it.
Images of what she could use it for were flashing through her head. She could drop down behind ponies and scare them. She could make creepy voices and peer around corners. She could even just leave the mask somewhere, hanging by a rope or a thread, waiting for some unfortunate pony to come along and see it, then shriek in surprise. The possibilities were endless.
Rainbow turned it around and looked at the inside. The straps that went over the head were obvious, and were threefold in order to hold it tight against the muzzle, and keep it from slipping down. The inside had holes in the nostrils for breathing, and thin slits below the mask’s eyes for her to see through. It smelled faintly of apples, which she attributed to Applejack, but also a little bit light ozone. She smelled herself quickly to see if she was exuding that herself, but no, it was the mask. How odd.

>>30528908
Rainbow slipped the mask on over her face and looked around. The eye slits were about as thing as she had expected, and her vision was limited, but it was good enough to navigate. Breathing was moist, and that would probably become a problem pretty quick, but she only needed to have it on while scaring ponies, and not before or after. It would do its job just fine.
“Lookin’ mighty awful there, Rainbow,” Applejack said from the side of her limited vision.
“It wears a bit tight, but it’s passable. I can probably modify it some if it’s too much of a problem,” Rainbow said.
“Glad ya like it. Walk around some if’n ya like. I’ll find ya when Pinkie gets here,” Applejack said.
Rainbow obliged, and wandered around a bit with the mask on. Ponies gave her weird looks, and some were even disgusted or worried. The latter types of look had her excited. If she could get looks like that just by walking around, imagine if she could sneak up on them! This was going to be so good.
Rainbow wandered off the main thoroughfare and into a side street to get out of the way. She wanted to have a closer look at the straps of the mask. It sat just a little too loose for her slim skull.
She fiddled with it a bit until she was satisfied, then pulled it back on, wiggling it a bit to get it into position. Once it was back in place, she looked around, then grinned and turned back to the main thoroughfare. She looked at the ponies walking past, and that was when a voice sounded in her head.
“Hidden from view, from the lots and the few. What would you like for this poor slave to do?” A voice said.

>>30528917
“What?” Rainbow said.
“Hidden from view, from the lots and the few. What would you like for this poor slave to do?” The voice repeated.
“Uh, who’s there?” Rainbow said.
“The mask that you wear, o’er your face and your hair. All of the rules for you I can share,” the voice said.
Rainbow was confused for a moment, but she caught on. The mask was magical! It wasn’t just a plain old spooky mask. It could do stuff as well! This was the best find ever! Should she tell Applejack? No. Then Applejack might want to sell it. She was already giving it away to her, and Rainbow could have a scary magical mask if she played her cards right. This could be the best and spookiest prize she got yet!
“What can you do?” Rainbow asked.
“I can dance!” A chipper voice piped up. “I can sing, too! I mean, I can even do both if you want me to get fancy!” A pink face appeared in Rainbow’s vision, and Pinkie Pie peered into the eye holes from the outside. “That mask is the ugliest thing I have ever seen! Even uglier than my very first pineapple upside-down cake, and let me tell you! I barely knew what baking soda was at that point!”
“Hi there, Pinkie,” Rainbow said. “I see AJ told you about the mask too, huh?”
“She did! She told me: ‘Pinkie, I have something you should come take a look at. I’ll bring it to market tomorrow and you can see if you want it. It’s pretty ugly, but you might think it’s fun.’ She was right, that mask looks super-duper fun! Can I try it on?”
Rainbow was reluctant to let her try it on. She didn’t want Pinkie blabbing to Applejack that the mask was magical. She’d ruin Rainbow’s Chances of getting it for free if she told her.

>>30528925
"She's excited at the prospect of getting something fun and exciting for free," Waxworks said. "She knows she's got something good, so why shouldn't she try to keep it for herself?"
>Waxworks picks up the wax face that shows a large frown. She holds it in front of her face.
"But anyone will tell you that not knowing the instructions can be problematic. Things can get really dangerous really quickly if you don't know what you're doing."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/eyGSjZBm

>>30526452
They don't get automatically sent to EqD, only when readers/writers submit it.

>>30530064
I knew it was something

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>>30528958

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>>30528958
“C’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon! I wanna be the ugly one!” Pinkie shouted.
Rainbow pulled the mask off. She took her time, silently hoping Pinkie might get distracted by something else, but with no luck. Once it was off, Pinkie grabbed it out of her hooves and jammed it on her own head. Rainbow winced at the rough treatment of what she considered her new toy, but kept her eye on Pinkie as the pink pony pranced about making snarling noises.
“This mask is pretty neat. It’s a little hard to breath, though,” Pinkie said.
“Yeah, I’d probably modify it a little for times I’d be wearing it for long periods like Nightmare Night. It fits really well, though, and it’s super ugly,” Rainbow said.
“Yeah, it really is.” Pinkie pulled the mask off and looked at it. “Maybe a little too ugly. It gives me an ugly feeling when I look at it, and I don’t want to frighten ponies too much. That’s when it stops being fun and starts being scary,” Pinkie said.
Rainbow couldn’t believe her luck. “So, you don’t want it then?”
“No, it’s too scary,” Pinkie said. “It gives me a nasty feeling.”
“Awesome! I can’t wait to try this thing out!” Rainbow said.
Pinkie hoofed the mask back to Rainbow with a small smile. “Don’t go too overboard Dashie. Some ponies don’t like being scared. You have to let them know it’s a prank sometime.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Rainbow had already put the mask back on and was looking around, trying to figure out how to get the voice talking again. “By the way Pinkie, what do you think of the rhyming it does?”
“Rhyming? What do you mean, Dashie?” Pinkie was walking out of the alley.
Rainbow realized it might not have spoken to Pinkie, nor to Applejack. That would explain why Applejack had been so willing to just give it away. “Uh, nothing. Nevermind. Let AJ know I’m keeping the mask, okay?”
“Will do!” Pinkie bounded away, leaving Rainbow Dash alone.

>>30532837
Once Pinkie was gone, Rainbow again heard the mask speaking in her ear. “Unseen by all, by friend or by foe, then is the time that my secrets you’ll know.”
Rainbow Dash looked around herself. The alley was empty save her, and the ponies walking by in the market weren’t looking down the alley at all. She was unseen, and the mask was speaking. That made sense.
“Okay,” she whispered. “So, what’s your deal?”
The mask’s sonorous voice chanted in her ear with its odd poems. “Keep thyself secret, unseen by your prey, that’s when my powers all come into play. Their fear, it be yours, no matter its source. Make use of it as a matter of course. All of your dreams, be they good or they bad, set those upon them, your nightmares be had. Imagine their terror when you show my face, their fear and their terror will make their hearts race. Remember this secret: stay hidden, stay low. That’s the one time when my powers will show.”
“So… if I have the element of surprise, they’ll be even more scared?” Rainbow said. “That doesn’t sound like much of a secret. That’s pretty normal for scaring ponies.”
The mask didn’t respond, but Rainbow just shrugged. Even if all the mask did was talk in creepy rhymes about how to give ponies a good scare, that was still pretty cool. Maybe that was why Applejack hadn’t decided to charge anything for it. It was a pretty bland enchantment.
Rainbow pulled the mask up so it sat on top of her head, and jumped into the air. She knew just the ponies to give a nice little scare to start off her little rampage around town. She was going to milk this as much as she could before ponies started getting used to it.

>>30532847
She flew off toward Applejack’s farm, where the Cutie Mark Crusaders were in their clubhouse having a meeting with somepony. Scootaloo had wanted to come with Rainbow to see what Applejack had, but she had her responsibilities first, so what better way to share the surprise than with, well, a surprise?
Rainbow slowed down as she got closer to the clubhouse. She flew a quick circle around it to try and spy the girls before she approached. She couldn’t let them see her before she had a chance to spring up and scare at least one of them.
Not seeing any of the three outside the clubhouse, she fluttered down to the ground and lay prone in some bushes nearby. She pricked her ears up and listened to see if she could hear them in their meeting.
“…Ah’m just sayin’ Caramel, that if you’re so tired of ponies tellin’ you to try your hoof at baking, you can always change your name. Mrs. Cake did it. If you want it to better reflect your special talent, that’s perfectly fine. Just somethin’ to consider.” Applebloom’s voice carried out of the clubhouse to Rainbow’s ears.
That was one of the three. The other two must also be inside. Scootaloo said she would be at the meeting, so that was a safe bet, but Sweetie Bell could be anywhere. It was safe to assume she was in there as well. Rainbow would just have to take that chance.
She crept out of her bush, wishing she were invisible or camouflaged to make her approach safer. She fluttered her wings as quietly as she could, and floated up to a window to get a better look. She reached the window, slowed down her flapping and gripped the edge, then peeked up over the lip of the window.

>>30532862
"Messages from the mask," Waxworks said. "Are they merely tips on how to scare? Or is there more to it?"
>Waxworks puts the mask back down and gives you a wry look.
"I think we both know the answer to that question. How far will Rainbow push things, though?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/eyGSjZBm

The three stories got approved on Fimfiction. It's exciting! For me at least. I do not know what the response will be like.

Bump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xnhJoYdo40

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>>30532883
Nice. I hope they won't go unnoticed.
>>30533378
I forgot how much I loved flipnote animations. This takes me back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFB3h9oFgXo

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>>30533848
Got a bunch of people putting them in their folders, but we all know how that goes. Some comments. Most are good. Not bad.

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would you?

>>30534753
I'll try anything once so long as it doesn't kill me.

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>>30522158
>The bridge is arched, with a wall along both sides to prevent anypony from accidentally falling off. That didn’t stop some enterprising ponies to leap off it anyway into the chasm below. The mountains the city was built on provided some breathtaking sights, and this bridge in particular overlooked a huge chasm between two of the peaks. Some of the jumpers were prepared and looking for thrills. Some were pegasi who wanted a fun place to begin flight. Some were not.
>On the wall tonight sat Waxworks, one of the latter types of pony. Her lantern sat on the railing beside her, and she looked up at your approach. “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in jumping. That would solve nothing and possibly create even further problems. I just like the view.”
>The view in question is a set of moonlit crags stretching out below, with the shadows between each peak making them look taller and sharper than they actually were.
It's story time.

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>>30532883
“Caramel, ah just think you need some time to think things over, okay? Take a vacation, think about if you want to change your name, or get a different hobby. You’re not any sort of cook, and you don’t gotta be, okay?” Applebloom said.
“Okay, I understand. Thank you, girls,” Caramel said.
Rainbow watched the four ponies talking it out, but kept her head down as far as she could and still see. She watched as they chatted about possible places for Caramel to go visit, and she waited. They kept talking, and Rainbow kept her head up just enough to peer over the windowsill. The window she was at was to the side, and they were off in a far corner talking and looking at a map on a table, so she wasn’t too worried they’d see her. Caramel, however, with an exasperated sigh, looked away from the table, and straight at the window Rainbow was hiding at! She ducked down, praying he hadn’t seen her. She didn’t hold her breath, her mane was one-of-a-kind in Ponyville. Still, no alert, came. He didn’t say anything. He probably didn’t think her presence was any of his business.
Once it sounded like they were wrapping up, Rainbow poked her head up again to look. She ducked back down when she saw they were walking right past the window, but not one of them said anything, or even stopped to look at her. She lifted her head up again to look, and watched all four ponies just march on past to the door of the clubhouse and bid farewell to Caramel. When they turned around and came back, they walked right past the window and still didn’t look in Rainbow’s direction. She was curious how they hadn’t noticed her, when she was being so obvious, but she wasn’t going to press her luck. As soon as they passed her, she jammed the mask down on her face, and leaped into the clubhouse with a roar!

>>30536114
“Ahhhhh!” The Cutie Mark Crusaders jumped in panic and tripped over each other as they all tried to go in different directions at once. When their eyes fell on the mask, they screamed even louder and bolted for the door.
Rainbow Dash chased them down the front ramp, with Scootaloo flapping her wings as hard as she could in an extra effort to get away. Once they cleared the end of it, Rainbow finally broke down laughing and pulled the mask up off her face.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders ran for a short distance further, screaming all the while, when they finally noticed that their pursuer had stopped to laugh in dirt path. They stopped, one after the other, and turned to look, their faces going from abject horror to confusion, then finally anger.
“Rainbow Dash, you jerk! You scared the apples outta us!” Applebloom said.
“I almost soiled myself I was so scared!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“I… wasn’t as scared as they were. They ran, so I did.” Scootaloo folded her forehooves and tried her best to look tough.
“Awwwww, man, you girls just made my day. This thing is the best thing I’ve had since my Wonderbolts uniform,” Rainbow said.
“Is that the mask Applejack wanted to give you?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yep! Ugly as the bottom of a mule’s outhouse,” Rainbow said.
“That’s so cool,” Scootaloo said. “Can I look at it?” Scootaloo held out her hooves.
“Sure, just be careful with it. I don’t want to ruin this thing before I’ve gotten some mileage out of it.” Rainbow pulled the mask off her head and hoofed it to Scootaloo, who grabbed it with an excited look on her face.
“So the first thing you do with Applejack’s gift is come and scare the bajeezus out of us? Thanks, Rainbow,” Applebloom said.
“Hey, Scoots had work, and she wanted to come with me, I just wanted her to see it. Scaring you was a bonus. You were super into your work, too. You didn’t even notice me at the window,” Rainbow said.

>>30536120
“Which window?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“You know, the one off to the left side of the door when you go in? You were in the opposite corner, and I was watching all of you for like, ten minutes,” Rainbow said. “When Caramel left, you all walked right by and didn’t see me even though you looked right at me. I thought you were just pretending at first.”
“But I did look out that window. We thought you flew in the door behind us. There was nopony in that window. How did you hide yourself so well?” Sweetie Belle said.
“I… didn’t? I was just hanging off the edge of it. Caramel looked me in the eyes once. I just thought he was in on it with me,” Rainbow said. “You all seriously didn’t see me?”
They all shook their heads in unison. Scootaloo tried on the mask, but it was too big for her head. She would have had to tighten the straps, but she wasn’t willing to mess with it until Rainbow told her it was okay. She hoofed it back and Rainbow put it back on her head, resting on top of her mane.
“Huh. Well, it worked out pretty well for me. Your reaction was amazing! I got chills it was so good. I need to go scare some more ponies as the night comes in! You fillies have a good one!” Rainbow jumped into the air, waving goodbye to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Scootaloo waved enthusiastically as she disappeared back toward Ponyville proper.
She had some good plans to scare random ponies in town, maybe put a little fear into ‘em. That scare had felt damn good that she got from the three fillies. She wanted to hear more screaming just like that, and with twilight approaching, now was the best time for just such a thing.

>>30536128
>>30536128
"So Rainbow Dash has gotten her first successful scare from the mask. It was quite the thrill, or so she says."
>Waxworks looks down at the wax faces she has out on the counter and points at one that looks supremely smug.
"She's confident in her ability to scare with her new mask. Very confident. So confident she's off to do it again, closer to the heart of town."
>Waxworks sighs and leans back on her stool, looking at the ceiling.
"It's ponies like her that just don't know when to quit, even when you're ahead. Who knows what mischief she'll get up to, especially when she's so ignorant to the mask's magic."

Updated my journal:https://pastebin.com/eyGSjZBm

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPtthIDf-Rg

>>30537847
I don't know why thats in my horror folder...
Too cute

>>30534753
Awww in the kitchen!? C'mon!

>>30537850
>>30537847
Because Luna, angered by the disregard of her moon, tries to be evil and wicked, but despite many efforts to become a horrible monster, only manages to come off as awkward and adorable.

>Go to the kitchen for a midnight snack.
>Open fridge.
>Luna's head is on a plate next to the cake you wanted.
>"Eating sweets at night will makest thou faaaaat!" She yells.
"No Luna, that's only if you eat them in excess."
>"Then... then the sugar will givest thou cavities!" Her head begins to vomit blood.
"Go back to guarding dreams, Luna."
>"YOU go back to guarding dreams." She sulks, and pouts in your fridge.

>>30538036
This is hilarious.

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>>30536142
Rainbow Dash sped to town and found herself a nice alleyway between two buildings not far from Sugarcube corner. This was where the buildings were thickest, and offered her the most places to spring from the shadows. Rainbow landed, pulled the mask down on her face, and crept through the shadows. She was hoping for the same inability for ponies to notice her as with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and she wanted to find a single target. That would be ideal. Rainbow located a spot among some haybales and created a nice hole she could fit in and stick her head out to watch passersby. She got as comfortable as she could and waited, watching.
It being the evening, many ponies had already gone back to their homes, but there remained several who were still out and about. Many of them were in groups, to avoid problems such as Rainbow was looking to inflict upon them, but eventually one came by that was the perfect target for Rainbow’s misguided little games.
It was Golden Harvest, probably coming home from market. She had her saddlebags on, likely filled with various foodstuffs, but most importantly; all by herself.
Rainbow didn’t want to surprise a unicorn to start with. She needed to get in the groove. Unicorns had bad habits of lashing out with magic when threatened. She knew from experience. Golden Harvest was an earth pony, couldn’t fly away, and couldn’t use magic. Rainbow had the upper hand in every possible way.
First, Rainbow needed to get her attention somehow. She found a bucket sitting on one of the haybales, and gave it a little push out of the alleyway, sending it rolling ahead, right in Golden Harvest’s path. As she had hoped, the pony stopped walking to look at the conspicuous wooden bucket rolling out of the alley. She seemed wary, which was perfect, that was the start of a good scare.

>>30538709
“Hello? Is anypony there?” Golden Harvest said.
Rainbow Dash shook the bales of hay she was hiding behind, rustling and shaking the straw. If only she had some fog, this would be even better.
“Are you okay? Do you need help? I suppose I should ask if you’re a pony at all.” Golden Harvest said.
Rainbow shook the haybales even harder, and was ecstatic to see that a fog was indeed rolling in. She hadn’t even known if it was scheduled for today, but they didn’t ask her to handle as much of the weather around Ponyville anymore. She didn’t care, though, this was getting better by the second!
“I… I can help, but you need to let me know you’re a pony. I can’t risk getting attacked by any wild animals,” Golden Harvest said.
Drat. She wasn’t coming closer. Rainbow needed to do something else. Maybe she might have to speak, but her voice was pretty well known. She was Rainbow Dash after all. If only her voice sounded different! But there was nothing for it, she’d have to make some noise.
Rainbow swallowed, then opened her mouth. “Uuuugh, h-help. I was attacked. Please.” To Rainbow’s surprise, her voice sounded like an entirely different pony! She sounded like a stallion!
She hadn’t expected to sound like a stallion, she was just trying to disguise her voice a little bit to get Golden Harvest to come closer. There was no way she’d done that herself. Did the mask have magic that changed your voice? She’d been speaking with it on earlier and it hadn’t done so, so maybe that enchantment reacted to the user’s wishes?
Rainbow couldn’t think too much more about it, because Golden Harvest was approaching. Her hoofsteps getting ever closer. Rainbow prepared herself, tensing her legs for the big reveal!

>>30538717
When Golden Harvest was right next to the haybales, Rainbow leapt out of the pile with a roar. *AAAAARGH!* She yelled and reared up, stamping her hooves at her prey.
Golden Harvest shrieked and leaped backward, then ran screaming down the street. One of her saddlebags opened as she stumbled in her haste to get away and dropped a few carrots out onto the ground. Rainbow ran after her a short distance, but stopped after several meters, letting the poor mare take off into the now foggy night.
Rainbow couldn’t believe her luck. That was two perfect scares out of two since getting this new mask. It was going so much better than she could have ever hoped, and now she had to wonder what the mask could do since she knew she hadn’t been the one to change her voice to a stallion’s voice. This magical mask did have some powers after all, and she intended to test it to its limits.
She hadn’t told it to do anything, it had just done it, listening to her unconscious wishes. Or so it seemed. The fog, her voice… It was all very convenient that they happened just when she needed them to. Not to mention, she wished she had been invisible while sneaking up on the Cutie Mark Crusaders. That might have been the mask’s magic as well.
All sorts of ideas on how to use this new magic swam through her head. Ways to set up traps and lure ponies into them. Curiosity on how she might change her appearance to be even more frightening, or even just make herself more sneaky or unassuming. Her rainbow mane and tail were a dead giveaway, but if nopony knew it was her, then she could get away with so much more!

>>30538720
"Rainbow Dash finally came to realize exactly what it was she possessed, and the possibilities ahead of her have taken root, and are growing into terrible spectres of fear and shock."
>Waxworks leaned forward, placing her hooves on the desk and looking you in the eye.
"But what are the limits of such power? What would you do if you had it, hmm? Testing it is just the natural next step, isn't it? Like flexing a muscle, or riding a new carriage. See how much it can lift or how far it can take you."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/eyGSjZBm

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>>30538036
Now I kinda want a 'scary movie' type parody, with ponies.

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>>30540860
I can try to write some of that in between stories.
Unless someone else wants to. I encourage it.

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I WILL sleep tonight bump

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>>30538745
Excited at her prospects, Rainbow just knew her next scare was going to be big. She was going to see if she was right about the mask, and if she was right, then she was going to be testing just how far things could go, and just how powerful her new mask really was.
With Golden Harvest alerting ponies nearby to her presence, Rainbow jumped into the air and flapped away from the scene of the crime.
Was it a crime to scare ponies?
No way. That’d be dumb.
Nevertheless, she figured it safest to move elsewhere and find a new place to test her mask. She flew off to the opposite end of the Ponyville market and alighted on a rooftop. From her vantage point, she scanned the area for any pools of light that might betray the presence of a lone pony out at night.
She spotted one; a stallion. He was all by himself walking along the road with a lantern swinging next to him, held in the glow of his magical grip. He was a unicorn, and that would make him a difficult target, but with her new knowledge, Rainbow figured she could take him. She glided along the roofs, keeping pace with the stallion, and when she figured she was close enough, she started planning just how she was going to scare him.This time, she figured she should build up to the big reveal instead of making the reveal the only part of the scare.
She thought about what she would need to make it a good scare, and tried willing the lantern light he was holding to go out. Nothing happened, so she tried concentrating again. Had she been seen? The mask said it wouldn’t work when she was being watched. She had to be hidden. She glanced about but saw nopony, so why wasn’t it working?

>>30542511
“I see your target, the choice that you’ve made, but I can do little until he’s afraid. Put out his lamp, extinguish the light. Until there is fear that’s outside of my might.” The mask’s sing-song voice spoke to her in her ear.
Fear? He had to be afraid for certain things to work? That was a weird restriction, but it made sense. Rainbow tried testing the limits, seeing what it was capable of doing with him just being unaware of her presence. She willed herself invisible, and that worked. That one must be simple. It didn’t add anything to the scare-factor until she performed some spooky action, so that made sense. Changing her looks wasn’t possible until he was scared, and she couldn’t make any more fog just yet.
Once Rainbow figured she had a grasp on the limits of some effects, she willed herself invisible again, and followed behind the stallion. His cutie mark was a safety pin, and Rainbow thought she’d seen him at some parties, but she didn’t know much about him. She didn’t need to to scare him. She got behind him and started walking loudly, making sure her hoofsteps were just off-sync with his, and loud enough to be heard.
He stopped walking and looked around, trying to find the source of the hoofsteps. Rainbow stopped with him, waiting until he started up again to once again walk with him. He stopped again, turning behind him to look, then waited several seconds before he started walking once more. Again Rainbow walked with him, stamping louder this time. He stopped and whipped around, waving his lantern, and Rainbow felt the wind from it whizzing past her face, but she kept silent, and stayed still, waiting for his momentary panic to fade enough to move again.

>>30542515
“Hello?” He moved the lantern back and forth, casting its light around to illuminate the marketplace.
Rainbow almost snickered. She had him spooked at the very least. And if he was spooked, that probably meant the mask could do more. She tried to will some more fog, and she was delighted when this time it worked. Fog rolled in from nowhere, and she grinned.
The stallion looked confused and worried, which was perfect for Rainbow’s purposes. She flew off to the side into an alley, and willed herself to change shape. She wanted to give him a real big scare, so she went for a timberwolf. A timberwolf in the middle of town would give anypony a good shake-up. She looked down at her limbs when the transformation was complete and felt a little weird. This magic almost made it feel like she was an actual timberwolf.
Could the mask do that? That would be awesome! Maybe she should try something bigger next time. Like a griffon! She’d always wanted to be a griffon. But that would have to wait. She had a pony to scare!
Rainbow imagined his lantern going out, and this time, she was rewarded when the light of his lantern went out, plunging him into darkness. Rainbow crept closer, her vision being augmented by her timberwolf eyes, their sinister glow the only thing giving off light in the foggy night. The stallion saw her, and gave a jump and a cry. His horn flickered as he tried to make it light up, his panic making it difficult for him to concentrate. When it finally came on, Rainbow was right up next to him, growling in his face. He screamed and dropped his lantern entirely, dashing into the darkness, the light from his horn going out as he ran for his life.

>>30542520
"Rainbow's getting the hang of her new toy, but she doesn't care about the well-being of her targets. Golden Harvest lost some of her food, and now this stallion has lost his lantern and has run off into the darkness."
>Waxworks picks up three of the wax faces and props them up on the counter, all three staring in your direction.
"She's gained possible anonymity from her actions, and power to do whatever she can imagine. That's very dangerous for anypony to have."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/eyGSjZBm

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>>30542530

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The cutest scary pone

>>30545347
D'awwww. She's so tired her yawn ripped her head in half.

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>>30545365

>>30542530
Gonna just go ahead and finish the current story later tonight. I'm on a roll so I'll post the whole big thing all at once.

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>>30546052

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>>30549053

>>30461468
What she's eating?

>>30549877
Looks like those chocolates with red stuff in them. In her case, it might actually be blood. She's ripping one in half there.

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>>30542530
Rainbow Dash laughed, a strange, dry, barking sound in her current form, and began to give chase. The running pony was far too tempting to give up on so quickly, and she loped after him.
“Leave me alone!” he yelled as he ran.
Rainbow casually followed behind, and wished for better vision in the dark. She was pleased when the nighttime, which she had been able to pierce before, now became clear as day, if black and white. While the stallion stumbled through the darkened street, Rainbow dodged and hopped every little box, cart, wall, and post that came into her path with ease.
She let him keep a small lead, but she willed obstacles into his path as he went, blocking off certain routes so he wouldn’t get into the town proper. A haybale here. A crate or barrel there. Ephemeral and temporary objects, but enough to make him choose a path that was steadily leading him out of town, toward the Everfree forest.
Rainbow could have caught him by now, but that wouldn’t be any fun. She wanted the chase! She wanted him to be afraid for as long as possible before she ended it. It would end when she chose, and not before. She had everything she needed to keep him running all night.
She will some power into her legs for the next fork in the road, and leaped ahead of him, landing to one side in order to scare him to the other. She changed form into a hawk and swooped at his head, scratching him on the ears and skull. She changed into a minotaur and swatted him off to the side. There was nothing she couldn’t do! He was afraid! Afraid of her! It was amazing!

>>30550579
They were approaching the Everfree, and the stallion was looking frantically for some escape. He had to know she was herding him there by now, though he didn’t know for what reason. He tried to escape to the left, but she teleported there to scare him back on the path. He tried to go backwards then, but she teleported back and changed into a cragadile, snapping at him to get him to move toward the Everfree.
He balked and tried to skirt around her, but she kept putting herself between him and his escape. She teleported back and forth around him, but she wasn’t making any headway. He was refusing to move toward the forest. He was more afraid of it than he was of her! This was unacceptable to Rainbow. She wanted to be the thing he feared the most! She was scarier than some dumb forest! She had to be!
Rainbow wracked her brain for some way she could be scarier. What did ponies get scared of the most on Nightmare Night? Changelings? Spiders? Vampires? Those were all too tame. She needed something horrifying!
Rainbow grinned as she settled on something she could do that would make even the most stalwart of Celestia’s guard weep in fear.
The stallion almost looked relieved as Rainbow melted into the grass beneath their hooves. He lurched forward to try to run, but stopped as the ground rumbled beneath him. The grass bulged, and the earth split, and out of the dirt came seven coffins, surrounding him but leaving a hole for him to run toward the Everfree. Each one splintered as seven versions of Rainbow Dash’s skeleton kicked and ripped its way out. They each had a different colour of the rainbow burning in their hollow eye sockets, and they advanced on him, jaws chattering.

>>30550585
The stallion screamed with fresh vigor, and bolted away, diving into the foliage of the Everfree forest, lungs bellowing a terrified scream. Rainbow and her cadre of boney pursuers chased him, keeping up on his sides and forcing him into the unsafe depths of the woods. Rainbow knew she would be fine, as long as the stallion was here, she had nothing to fear at all.
Through hollowed logs and along wild paths, between trees and past bushes, Rainbow harried her prey. It went on for some time, but Rainbow eventually started growing bored. He was running, but that was all, and it was getting bland. The newness and excitement had worn off, and they were deep in the Everfree.
Rainbow surrounded the stallion with her skeleton crew, pushing in on all sides without giving him a means of escape. Her boney jaws opened, and she moved in for the kill.
A sweet-smelling powder blew into the area, glittering and shining in the sparse starlight. It had no effect on Rainbow Dash, all seven of her, but the stallion passed out, unconscious within seconds.
As soon as he passed out, Rainbow felt a *SNAP* like a rubber band, and she was suddenly just one pony, wearing an ugly mask.
“What? What happened?” Rainbow said.
A strange chanting began in the woods around her, and Rainbow looked about in confusion. “Who’s there?”
The chanting didn’t stop, but grew louder still, and a coloured smoke began to fill the small clearing Rainbow and the stallion were in. Rainbow jumped into the air to try to fly away, but her wings began to sting something fierce, as though somepony were jabbing needles into them. She ran for an edge of the clearing, but a glowing pair of yellow eyes met her gaze, and she ran to another edge, where again and again she found her path blocked by terrible eyes staring straight into her.
“What do you want?” Rainbow cried.

>>30550592
The chanting continued and the smoke filled the clearing, giving the entire area a greenish haze. Rainbow began to feel woozy and she willed her mask desperately to do something, anything, to protect her from it. To her surprise, her breathing evened out and she no longer smelled the smoke that was filling the area. It appeared that it could still do small things for her. That meant that somepony nearby was still afraid of her, even though the pony was looking straight at her. The fear had already taken root, so she still had some sort of advantage.
“You’re still here, but there’s only so much you can do. Why not show yourself? We can have ourselves a normal fight,” Rainbow said.
The chanting continued, but it got quieter, and Rainbow could pinpoint a specific direction it was coming from. There was rustling in the bushes, and a rhythmic thumping began. Somepony in the bushes was stomping, and the stomping was coming closer. Rainbow backed away from the sound, preparing herself for whatever was coming.
A face appeared. It had glowing yellow eyes like those she had seen in the bushes, and the face it was attached to was wide and flat. It took Rainbow a moment, but she realized it was a mask, like her own. There were feathers attached to it on top to make a makeshift mane, and it had a squarish nose, and a mouth cut into it. The rest of the features were painted on in bright and vibrant colours to match the feathers. The mask tilted to the side, moving in small increments in time with the stomping the pony behind it was doing. It tilted to a 90-degree angle, then began tilting in the other direction. The chanting and stomping didn’t stop.
Rainbow felt a strange chill race down her spine at the sight. It wasn’t frightening by itself, but the motions were unnatural, and the exaggerated features accentuated them just that much more, giving the whole thing an appearance of something that shouldn’t truly be.

>>30550598
Rainbow took another step back, her fear apparent on her face, and as soon as she did, the pony behind the mask took a step closer to the clearing. The pony kept stamping the ground and chanting in that nonsensical language, if it even was a language, and moving its head in that strange and curious way.
Rainbow took a further step back, and the pony took two steps into the clearing. When the pony’s leg cleared the bush it was in, Rainbow gasped as she saw that it wasn’t a normal pony leg at all. It was made of wood and straw, and it stamped up and down in time with the chanting and motions.
Rainbow pulled back even further and the pony completely cleared the bushes. Its whole body was made of wood, and it stamped and chanted, its dancing becoming frenzied and wild as it moved closer to her. First it danced to the left, stamping toward her, making Rainbow flinch and pull away, then it danced to her other side, stamping almost on Rainbow’s hooves. She jumped and tried to fly away again, but the thing pulled out a small blue doll and jabbed pins into its wings, making Rainbow come crashing back down. She tried to kick the thing, but it deftly dodged out of her reach.
Finally, Rainbow could take no more, she pulled the mask off her face and yelled at the thing. “Leave me alone! What do you want!” she sobbed.
As soon as the mask left Rainbow’s face, the thing pulled its own mask off, and for a split-second Rainbow recognized Zecora behind the mess of sticks and muddy makeup. Zecora held out a hoof filled with more of that dust, and blew it into Rainbow’s face. She blacked out immediately.

>>30550623
Once she was sure Rainbow was unconscious, lying next to the stallion she had chased, Zecora picked up the ugly mask Rainbow had pulled off. She went to the bushes she had emerged from and pulled out a sack covered in markings of all sorts. She shoved the mask deep inside it, and pulled the drawstring closed, then tied it off with a long leather strip covered with more of the markings.
“Rainbow Dash, although you’re strong, this mask, to you, does not belong. It preys on will, it preys on fright, and takes a hold that’s very tight. I know that you just wanted fun, but trust me, this is not the one,” Zecora said.
From the sack she was carrying, an angry hiss issued, but she paid it no mind. She attached it, and her own mask, to her saddlebags, and lifted up the two comatose ponies onto her back with some effort. Her hoofsteps were heavy as she plodded back to her home in the Everfree.

>>30550634
Waxworks looks at you for a moment before she sighs and puts the wax faces back below the counter.
“Masks are fun, but the metaphorical ones are those we have to be careful about wearing. Rainbow Dash had covered most of hers up, and allowed the single mask she was wearing to decide how she was going to act,” Waxworks said. “Would she really have done physical damage to that stallion? She’d already gone so far as so smack him about. How much further would she go if Zecora hadn’t stopped her?
Waxworks stands back up, checks that her mane is still properly pulled back, and moves back to her cauldron, checking the heat of the wax. She attaches a hook to it and lifts it up above the fire, moving it over to some molds.
“If you need any candles, be sure to stop by. I also do figurines, and even, as you noticed. Masks.” She laughs and turns to her work.
You leave the shop, walking into the night, her laugh echoing in your ears.

The End.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/eyGSjZBm

This one started out pretty good, but there's a lot in the middle I'm not super happy with. I think it could be done so much better, so sometime in the future I may revisit this. The idea is good, but my execution was lacking.

'cept the bit with Zecora, I'm real happy with that. Zecora is what I wanted Rainbow Dash to actually be like. Maybe it's the character I chose? What do you all think?

>>30550645
I love how you put time into coming up with rhymes for Zecora and the mask

>>30551917
Thanks. They do need to rhyme. Zecora at least. The mask I just thought it would be fun.

Currently brainstorming the next thing. If anyone has suggestions or requests, toss them up and I'll have a look-see.

>>30553524
Continuing the series of canon ponies, I don't think we have had a story starring Applejack yet.

>>30553554
Applejack made a pretty big appearance in Nightmare on Stirrup Street, but yeah. Nothing with her as the focus. I'll see what I can do.

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>>30554775

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>>30555617

>>30549877
>>30549953
lol I thought they were anal beads.

>>30556516
Still brainstorming. Don't think I'll have something tonight. Coming up with a good twist on the old "Haunted House" cliche.

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>>30557346

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>"Wasn't it funny to see Rarity fall into that pit of acid? Ha, what a silly prank!"

Enjoy.

https://pastebin.com/Xxxvp1if

>>30559059
warning: vore
Wrll done though, nicely written.

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>>30559203
This one's really good.

>>30559203
>>30559249
I would agree. That one's very nice.
>>30559048
House on Haunted Hill, if I remember my Vincent Price. That ridiculous skeleton pushing the woman into the pool of acid. Not scary when I saw it, but standards had changed, since then.

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>>30559249
>>30560000
Thanks, and I don't really find them scary either but I see them more as classics

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You push open the door, the hinges utterly silent in the gloom, the room only lit by the fire underneath the cauldron you remember from the last time. You move up to the counter and wait, looking around the for proprietor herself. You take the moment to look around the room in greater detail.
As expected, there are candles of different shapes, sizes, and scents, lining the walls. Boxes of them and open containers showing off interesting decorative shapes that swirl, and amusing colours. Scents that are meant to increase energy, induce relaxation, and even improve libido. You had no idea if any worked, but assumed most were for show in order to sell better.
Among the candles, there were some wax figures. Things like the masks she had shown you last time, but there were also fully-formed ponies, if in smaller scale, and different wax figurines of other creatures known throughout equestrian. They didn’t appear to be in any order, but were squeezes into small spaces throughout the shop. You found a timberwolf hidden between the cash box on her counter, and a cup filled with pencils. You bend down to look for a moment, admiring the minutiae of its wooden body, then stand back up to see Waxworks at the counter.
You jump back, startled. You hadn’t even heard her hoofsteps.
“Your order.” She pushed a box of candlesticks across the counter to you.
Her mane is down in front of her left eye again, and her mouth is drawn to a thin line. Her green eye just stares at you, and you glance back, fidgeting. You look around the room to avoid her gaze, and she finally sighs.
“I understand. You didn’t come for the candles, did you?” She said. “Not everyone can choose their guests at all times of every day. I don’t hold it against you, but very well. Sit down, and I’ll tell you about some other uninvited guests.”

>>30560411
The house was big, but not massive. Solid, but not extravagant, and decorative, without being opulent. It was a nice place, and Applejack was sorry to have to sell it, but the location was terrible.
She’d received word from some lawyer around Baltimare that a family member had passed away. It wasn’t anypony she really knew, and the letter had changed hooves several times before coming to her. Goldie Delicious hadn’t wanted to take charge, and aunt and uncle Orange didn’t have the time in their busy schedule to deal with real estate, so Braeburn, who also couldn’t go take care of it due to building a new town, had sent it to her.
It wasn’t Apple Bucking season, and Big Macintosh could take care of the farm without her, so Applejack had decided to take a little vacation and take a look at the property at the same time. When she had arrived, she had met with the executor of the will, who had given her more information about the pony who had passed.
He had been a stallion by the name of Corkscrew, and Goldie Delicious had confirmed he was a member of the family, though by marriage, not by blood. Still, that connection to the family aside, it was left to them, and Applejack saw an opportunity to maybe get some more real estate for the family, or at least make some bits by selling it.
The first idea was gone the moment she’d arrived, however. The soil around the building was swampy, and unsuited to growing apple trees. The vermin would be plentiful and she would have to determine a way to naturally prevent pests, or she’d have to spend bits on magical prevention or pesticides, whose costs would need to be offset by the income from the fruit itself. Then there was the question of preparing the soil in the first place, and with such moist ground she didn’t see that happening easily.

>>30560417
All in all, it was a bit of a wash. She would probably end up selling the whole kit and caboodle and making off with the bits. Still, there was the matter of the house and the items inside. She would need to make a tally of everything there and the value of it all before making the sale. Any family items would have to stay with the family, but the rest could be passed on to other hooves.
After getting the paperwork from the executor as well as the key, Applejack made her way up to the double-doors of the building and unlocked it. She stepped inside to the impressively ornate entryway and whistled softly. Although the house itself was nothing particularly impressive on the outside, Corkscrew must have had expensive tastes, because the inside was where it truly shone.
Paintings of all types covered the walls, leaving barely an inch of the wall itself bare. Ornate pottery stood against the lower sections. Urns, vases, and things Applejack didn’t know the name of were everywhere. On tables, stands, shelves, and everything else. She really didn’t know what to make of it, and it did nothing for her own down-home sensibilities and tastes, but she was at least sure it was probably worth something.
She walked through the rest of the house, and all of it, save a single bedroom upstairs, were the same. Even the kitchen had decoration on the areas you wouldn’t expect a pony to cook. No paintings, of course, given the humidity of such a part of the house, but strange figurines and pottery. She was amused at the bathroom, which had one of those bathtubs with hooves in it. She could almost see herself having one like it herself. She rather enjoyed the aesthetic.

>>30560423
"Inheritance is always a tricky business, isn't it?"
>Waxworks sighed and leaned on a hoof against the counter.
>She pulled out that figurine of the Timberwolf you were looking at and danced it about on the countertop.
"You get things seemingly for free just because somepony died," she said "But there's always some price, isn't there?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/Xi8WUpQY

>>30560360
Oh, aye. The Tingler, House on Haunted Hill. Dracula. All those old things deserve a watch, if just for the way they set the bar for those who followed to beat them. Even Hammer Horror deserves a mention, despite the huge amount of camp involved in so many of those films, even at the time.

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>>30560445
They do deserve recognition I agree with that

>>30561516
>>30561361
>>30560360
>>30559203
>>30559048
These are great, man. I love it.

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>>30561644
>>30561516
You also caught me on Twilight Rains. Had to look up the Invisible man. Claude Rains. Neat stuff.

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>"Where are the greens?"

>>30562978
I'm sorry. I do not write in greentext that often. Sometimes, but not often.

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>>30562999

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>>30560445
Applejack had a good laugh at the tub, and took a picture of it to show everypony when she got back home. She went through the house taking stock of what each room contained, took photos to showcase the quality of the inside, and began making several long and tiresome lists of the items in the house.
By the time night fell, Applejack realized she was probably going to have to make multiple trips to take care of all this. The items in the house were going to cost a mint if they were worth what she thought they might be. She couldn’t very well include them with the house, because what if the pony who wanted the property didn’t like the furniture? She couldn’t charge them extra for getting a bunch of junk they didn’t want.
No, she was going to have to sell things separately, and that meant itemizing and pricing out absolutely every single one of these. She determined she could get a good start on it while she was here right now, and maybe have a look at the property and figure out if the place was properly waterproofed and insulated. That would be a good selling point for something that was a little bit out of the way. The house would have to be the main selling point, because the property wasn’t good for much beyond looks, and it was lacking in that department. At least, to her.
Applejack decided that would be that for the day, and thought she might as well enjoy herself while she was here and sleep in that opulent-looking four-poster bed with the sheets dangling from it. The mattress, when she had touched it earlier, had seemed extremely soft, and there were so many pillows! It looked and felt expensive.

>>30564564
Applejack took the opportunity to bathe in the hooved tub, and laughed almost the whole while. She kept poking her head over the side to look at the hooves holding her up, and giggled every single time she did it. When she got out and drained it. She looked underneath at the piping going down into the floorboards, hidden behind some of the hooves, and laughed again. She loved that thing.
When she bedded down in the plush cushion of a mattress, Applejack thought it felt incredibly comfortable at first, but she swiftly realized that the squashy mattress provided no support for her body whatsoever, and her limbs kept ending up in strange positions, and her neck was getting twisted above her spine in an awkward manner. It had looked nice, but the execution left a lot to be desired for her. In the end, she pulled out her own bedroll and slept on the floor next to the bed. It wasn’t ideal, but it was far more comfortable for her than that pile of marshmallow fluff Corkscrew had called a bed. Maybe rich folk got used to it? She didn’t think she could.
In the morning, Applejack went outside to investigate the roofing and walls of the house. Being exposed to the elements as they were, she expected them to be weathered and covered in mildew.
She was partially right. Instead of mildew, there was a strange breed of moss climbing up under some of the wall’s boards and beginning to damage the insulation. Not a problem yet, but could develop into one if left unchecked. She made a note of it and moved on.
The roof shingles were made of wood, and she could see the beginnings of moss on those as well, which would need regular maintenance. There were no holes that were immediately apparent, and the wood was a good and solid hardwood, so they had some life left in them yet.