//------------------------------// // The House of Myth // Story: Rhapsody in Orange and Black // by dramatic_spoon //------------------------------// Rhapsody knocked on the door. It slid open, and Bonbon came out, carrying several small bags of candy. “Nightmare Night!” all the ponies held up their bags, beaming. “Hello everypony,” Bonbon chuckled as she dropped the treats into their bags, “You look very pretty Gem.” “Thanks.” The pegasus muttered back in response. Bonbon looked up at Apple Bloom and Rumble, “I know you’re both a bit old for Nightmare Night candy, but do yo…” she trailed off as she stared at Rumble. “He lost a bet.” Apple Bloom quickly replied. “Please don’t say that the cut looks bad, or that it doesn’t accent my mane or fur, or that I need garters, or that I need to stuff the bust area, or that I would look better with thigh highs or that-” “I was just going to say that I think Serenity was wearing the same outfit.” Bonbon paused, “He lost a bet with Bulk and Noteworthy.” “…Why is everypony makin’ bets that involve maid uniforms?” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Anyway, like I was saying, here.” Bonbon tossed two bags of candy to Rumble, “I know you haven’t gone around for candy for a while, but everyone likes the home made stuff.” “Kids, what do you say to Mrs. Bonbon?” “Thank you!” the group beamed. Bonbon waved goodbye as the group turned and left. “So kids, you wanna go to the Cake’s next, or to the Library?” “The haunted house!” All of them cheered excitedly. “Welp, they’ve spoken, let’s go.” Apple Bloom shrugged. “Isn’t Scoots and Alula working at the haunted house too?” Rumble asked. “Yeah.” “And didn’t they say they were going to wear themed costumes?” “Eeyup.” “Did they say what they were going as?” “I have no idea.” Apple Bloom shrugged, “I jus’ hope they aren’t both wearin’ maid uniforms.” “It’s a really popular costume this year,” Rumble noted. “Yeah, I shoulda had you dress in a Sexy Wonderbolt costume,” Apple Bloom mused. “Isn’t that just a thong, mask and goggles?” “Eeyup.” Apple Bloom smiled. “What’s a thong?” Tomahawk asked as he pushed his mask up. “It’s…” Rumble trailed off as Apple Bloom shook her head. “I know what it is!” Slide Rule raised a hoof. “Well?” Tomahawk turned back to the filly. “It’s this thing that m-MRPH!” Slide Rule’s response was cut off as Apple Bloom placed a hoof on her mouth. “None of you need to know that yet,” Apple Bloom paused, “Or ever.” “…Can I eat some of my candy?” Rhapsody levitated a fun-sized candy bar out of her bag. “Just one for now. Y’know the Cakes always have good treats for the kids,” Apple Bloom took her hoof off of Slide Rule’s mouth, “Don’t tell them and I’ll give you whatever candy I get.” She whispered. Slide Rule’s eyes widened and the filly nodded in agreement. Rhapsody tore off the wrapper, stuffing the entire bar into her mouth. Popper slide off his helmet and tossed a piece of hard candy in his mouth. Flash Bulb pulled the cellophane off a lollipop and began to suck on it. Slide Rule pulled out a package labeled “Fun-sized! Craisins” and ripped off the top. Tomahawk and Lightning Gem looked down at their bags and then back up at the other. “The bet’s still on.” Tomahawk smirked. “I know.” “And here we are!” The group stopped at the bakery: the typical array of fake paper bats, ghost, and pumpkins adorned the windows and walls, while jack-o-lanterns sat at the door. A small line of other fillies and foals were lined up at the door and were watched by a pair of ponies, dressed in ridiculous outfits resembling a ketchup bottle and a mustard bottle. “Tch, look at that,” Tomahawk smirked, “stupid looking goofy costumes.” “Says the one wearing a cheap plastic mask,” Gem snarked back. “It’s not cheap plastic, its hard plastic and metal!” Tomahawk shot back. “Whatever.” “Kids, no fightin’,” Apple Bloom scolded the two, “Although…” Apple Bloom paused, looking closer at the two in the costumes, “It ain’t the Cakes.” “No, they’re doing their Raggedy Ann and Andy thing again,” Rumble shook his head, “Pumpkin said she was going to be Princess Luna and I don’t know what. Something to do with the haunted house, I think.” “Yeah well…” Apple Bloom paused as the two condiments turned towards them. The mustard bottle beamed at the group, her yellow fur blending into the bottle. The ketchup bottle sighed and waved a weary hoof. “Hiya A.B.” Scootaloo sighed. “….Scoots, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen ya wear.” “It was Alula’s idea.” Scootaloo paused as she looked at Rumble, “and Rumble’s costume isn’t much better.” “I lost a bet, I didn’t have a choice.” “I lost one too; you think I wanted to be in this?” Scootaloo motioned towards the suit, “I suggested Dirty Pair.” Rumble paused, “…What did you bet on?” “What Pound was going to dress as.” “Hi kids!” Alula beamed at the group, “Ready for the haunted house?” the six responded in a flurry of nods. “Ok, but before you can go in, you need to leave all props out here. That means the blasters and popguns.” “…Really?” Tomahawk pouted. “Well last year you nearly burnt the library down, after you-” “Ok, I get it.” he grumbled, levitating both of his blasters into Alula’s outstretched hoof. Rhapsody followed suit, dropping both popguns into her hoof. “They don’t fire nothin’.” She grumbled. “We still don’t want them on the tour,” Alula beamed, “Have fun!” Lightning Gem pushed open the door and the group entered, huddling near each other. Popper took off his helmet and gasped. “I can’t see anything.” “…Your mom didn’t tell you what they were going to do? Tomahawk stared at him. “Nope,” Popper shook his head, “She didn’t want me to ruin the surprise.” The group slowly began to walk into the abandoned bakery. Fake walls were put up forcing the group to walk through a maze. “It’s not very sc-” Popper paused, realizing his foot was in something, “I stepped on something and it went squish.” “What?” Tomahawk flipped his mask down, and flicked a switch: the eyes of his mask lit up, casting a weak red light over the floor. The scattered remains of green goop sunk into the floor and on Popper’s hoof. “What is it?” Slide Rule asked as Popper lifted his hoof and placed it in his mouth, “Don’t do that, that’s gross.” “It tastes like Lime gelatin.” “Don’t eat it off the ground, that’s gross.” Gem pushed past Popper, continuing down the maze. As she passed on of the walls, something fell from the top of the maze, pelting Gem in small objects. She stifled a short, sharp scream as the others rushed over. “What is it?” Flash picked up one of the objects. Tomahawk looked over, his eye lights illuminating what Flash held: a small fuzzy plastic spider. “…Fake spiders?” Tomahawk snickered and pushed up his mask, “You screamed over fake spiders? What a-” His sentence was cut off by a large thump, causing all five to scream and try and bunch behind each other. Their struggles stopped at the sound of chains dragging on the floor, the scrap of metal on metal and the soft sounds of weeping. “This is probably why they took our blasters away,” Rhapsody pushed Flash in front of her, “’Cause otherwise we’d be shooting at everything.” “They didn’t take our helmets away,” Popper pushed his at Lighting Gem, “You use it.” “Me? What am I going to do with a hel-” Gem was cut off as something leapt out of the shadows and landed in front of them. The group screamed in terror. --- “…So you’re sayin’ they ain’t goin’ out?” Apple Bloom shook her head, “Figures.” “I don’t know why everyone thinks Dinky and Pipsqueak like each other,” Scootaloo shook her head, “I mean, he’s got that annoying voice and…” She trailed off as the lights inside Sugarcube corner flickered back on. The door slammed open and the group ran back outside, plucking their blasters and popguns from Alula. “What, was it that bad?” Rumble asked. Another pony exited the bakery. Pumpkin Cake’s mane and fur had been dyed darker colors, and a pair of fake cardboard wings remained strapped to her back. She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Sorry folks, we’re going to take a short break. I need to get my idiot brother to the hospital.” She ignored the chorus of groans and whines as her horn lit up. The unconscious form of Pound Cake, dressed in a black coverall with a skeleton pattern and black and white face paint levitated out of the bakery door. She began her way down the road, pausing at the group. “What happened?” Rumble asked. “He scared them a little too much,” Pumpkin rolled her eyes, “When he jumped out to scare them some more, Gem threw Popper’s helmet at him and hit him in the face.” “That doesn’t seem so bad.” “And then Tomahawk head butted him. That mask is metal and hard plastic, I’m surprised it didn’t break hitting his head.”