A Hearth's Warming Carol

by TheBronywiththeBowTie

A Paranormal Warning

Filthy kept himself composed and trudged through the door to his mansion. He stood in the middle of the foyer, and pondered for a moment. 'Voices in my head? Faces on doorknobs? I must be going crazy!' He thought to himself. He shook these thoughts from his head...he was tired...the train ride home was long, and he needed to rest....He trotted up the stairs and to his quarters. However, as he rounded the corner into the corridor, he heard that strange, unsettling voice again. "Blueblood...." It whispered.

"Hello?!" The Prince called, out, starting to get a little bit anxious. No response. He sighed, trying to calm himself....he was just hearing things....He turned from the corridor into his private chamber, where he almost immediately ran to the large portrait of himself on the wall. He moved the painting out of the way, to reveal a safe. He turned the dial with his unicorn magic, inputting the combination. As soon as the door swung open, he smiled at the sighed. A large quantity of bits was inside. He began levitating the golden coins with his unicorn magic, counting the money to calm himself. If there was one thing Blueblood cherished in his ice cold heart, it was his vast fortune. He deserved it...he was one of the greatest ponies in Equestria, in his own mind. His gaze fixed over to the clock. It was almost midnight....it was time for him to go to sleep. He quickly slipped on a night shirt and cap, walking toward his bed.

"Blueblood..." he heard the voice again, only this time, it sounded much closer.

"Show yourself!" The Unicorn shouted, growing tired of hearing this voice. His anger turned to nervousness, when he heard what sounded like chains dragging down the hall outside his chamber. Blueblood dove for his bed and buried himself under the covers. Despite his appearance, and his cold unfeeling demeanor, he was an enormous coward. He was practically shivering underneath the covers of his bed, as the chains grew louder, and louder...until suddenly....it stopped. Out of curiosity, Blueblood peeked his head out of the covers, to see just what was out there. Floating next to his bed, was an Earthpony stallion, wrapped in chains, attached to a heavy-looking chest. Blueblood recognized this stallion. "Filthy Rich?" He asked.

The ghost nodded. "Hello, Blueblood."

Blueblood seemed very confused at this. "B-But....you're not dead.....how are you here?"

Filthy shook his head. "All in good time, what I have to tell you is much more important." The ghost flew to the other side of the bed, Blueblood not taking his eyes off of them. "Let's be honest here, Blueblood, you're a despicable pony."

Blueblood was slightly insulted at this. "Despicable?" He asked

"Look at yourself!" The spirit seemed slightly angry. "You don't give to the poor, you spend fifteen hours in front of the mirror every day, and you won't even help that sick little filly!"

"That's not my problem!" Blueblood snapped, crossing hos hooves and turning away from the ghost of Filthy Rich.

"That's your problem." Filthy said. "You only think of yourself. Look at these chains." He rattled the chains over in front of Blueblood's face.

"They look uncomfortable..." The Unicorn commented.

"They are." Filthy said. "Each link represents a wrong-doing I've done in my life. And this is the result." He pointed a hoof at him. "And this'll happen to you if you don't change your ways!"

"How insulting!" Blueblood spat at his ghostly visitor. "Why would I need to change?! I'm perfect!"

Filthy groaned. "Trust me, if you were perfect, I wouldn't be here." He floated back over to the other side of the bed. "I won't be the only one here tonight. When the clock strikes midnight, you'll be visited by three other spirits. Each more horrifying than the last. And trust me, if they aren't able to show you the error of your ways, nopony will be. Then, you'll end up like me." Just then, something tugged a bit on his chains. Blueblood looked to see what it was...but nothing was pulling against them....

"What's that?!" Blueblood asked a bit frightened.

"I'm being called back." Filthy said, being tugged again. "Change your ways, Blueblood! or end up like me! YOU NEED TO CHANGE!!!!!" The chains gave one final tug, until he was pulled through the floor, leaving no trace. Blueblood looked absolutely horrified. Then, his look faded to disbelief. Then finally irritation. Ghosts?! HA! I don't believe in ghosts....I obviously must've been seeing things......Filthy Rich isn't dead.... The Prince thought to himself. He obviously must've been seeing things....he must've had too much Cider on the way home....that was it. He just needed a glass of water to clear his head. He got up from his bed to walk down into the kitchen, his hoofsteps echoing a bit as he stepped down the hall. Once he had made it inside the kitchen, he started up the faucet, filling a cup with water. As he did so though, he thought he was hearing hoofsteps in the hallway. He turned to the door, and the hoofsteps stopped. He turned back to his glass of water, and heard the hoofsteps again. He turned to the door, and the sound stopped once again. "Hearing things...." He muttered to himself. Once his glass was full, he turned off the faucet, holding the glass in his magic, walking back to his room. He heard those darned hoofsteps again as he was stepping back to his chamber. This time, he was getting a little worried. He picked up the pace, hoping to get back to his chamber before whatever was following him caught up. After a few seconds he was practically galloping back to his chamber, the spectral hoofsteps following close behind. He had finally reached the door to his chamber, and he slammed it shut. As he did, he heard the grandfather clock he had in his chamber chime. Midnight.....he layed down on his bed, taking a long sip of the water. He looked over to his bedside table to place the glass on it, then he looked back to the other side, noticing there was a mare with a pink mane, and a yellow coat laying next to him, dressed in a night gown and sleeping cap.

"Um...hello..." She said.

"AAGH!!!"

"EEEK!" Blueblood and the mare both screamed together, scrambling off of the bed.

Author's Note:

Alright! here's chapter 2! Chapter 3 is on the way! I'm sorry I most likely won't be able to finish this story before Christmas is over...but hey, it'll be prepared for Next Christmas! So be happy about that! :) Keep the critiques coming! I love them! Thank you all so much!

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Four years later...