//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Musical Interlude // Story: Apple Bloom's Mansion 4: The Castle of Death // by Lucar //------------------------------// The key from the secret room led the ponies to a double door just a little North and West of the door leading to the turning room. From behind the double door, they could hear an orchestra playing. "Guess it's time for another musical battle," said Apple Bloom. "And this time, we won't need to smash statues. We are prepared," said Sweetie Belle. "We will rock this battle," giggled Little Ghost. «Ba dum tss!» "Thanks, Pinkie." «Where did she get those drums and cymbals from?» asked E. Gadd. «Don't ask,» answered many others. At this moment, the ponies opened the double door, and immediately, the music stopped. Slowly, carefully, the ponies advanced, being in a path between tiers of seats. The stage was in front, elevated, with a staircase behind what seemed to be the conductor's stand. On the stage were all the instruments that you could think of for an orchestra, but no ghosts. When the ponies reached the end of the path not far of the stairs to the stage, they could see more of the room, and it was far from the auditorium from Eternal Rest's hotel. It was much bigger, and darker, as dark as the rest of the castle. There were chandeliers on the ceiling, gargoyles against the walls, and a huge round window, like a stained glass, in the left wall. From what the map was saying, the room reached all the way to the third floor, and a balcony was present on the right side. Again, following the map, this balcony certainly led to Thanatos' throne room (so the throne room was in the third floor between the Great Hall and the auditorium). Behind, the seats reached the second floor, and the ponies could see two double doors at the top, behind the two sets of seats. Skeletons were present on some of the seats, silent, eternal spectators of whatever was played in this room. Still no trace of any ghost. No Shadows. No Sneakers, Creepers, or Assassins. Nothing, which made the ponies paranoid. One by one, they climbed on the stage, having nothing else to do. And suddenly, elements of decor were placed around them by an invisible force. At their left, and at their right came cardboard water in the form of raging waves as if they were splashing against a cliff. Above them, cardboard dark clouds covered the ceiling. Finally, a cardboard background came against the back wall with painted on it a single path hit in both sides by the waves. The path was leading toward the sun, rising or setting, partially hidden behind the clouds. And then, all around the ghost hunters, the instruments began to float and to play before they entered the background cardboard as it took life. As in, suddenly, without even a flash, the cardboard elements became real. The stage was now a cliff against an infinite ocean, huge waves hitting it from the sides while it was illuminated by the sun in the distance. Then, the ghost of an orange unicorn mare with a white mane curled in the sides and possessing a black dress appeared behind the instruments above the now existing path as she used a baton and hoof gestures to conduct the orchestra. «It's Symphonia!» shouted Piano Virtuoso in shock in the background. "THE Symphonia?!" asked Sweetie Belle in awe. Symphonia suddenly gestured toward the ghost hunters, and instruments appeared from nowhere around them and began to attack them while her orchestra started to bombard the cliff with projectiles looking like musical notes in the rythm of the song. "Ah knew it was too calm," said Apple Bloom as she destroyed a trumpet. "At least, the song is epic!" said Scootaloo as she broke a violin. "Let's go after Symphonia, girls!" shouted Sweetie Belle. So they went after the ghost, running on the path (or floating in Little Ghost's case) while fighting the instruments that appeared on their way and avoiding the musical notes. They also had to be careful to not fall beyond the edge of the path and it wasn't easy because of some instruments like trombones blowing air at them, and some of the waves were so big that they simply threatened to sweep the ponies if they didn't watch out. Little Ghost would have caught Symphonia if it wasn't for the constant barrage of projectiles and enemies she was victim of. After some time, they reached a part of the path that was actually a column of rock forming a small arena. The path was then blocked by a wall of giant instruments coming out of the ground and the ghost hunters had to fight a small wave of instruments as well as a Puffer that tried to blow them beyond the edge. Once the wave of enemies was destroyed, the wall of instruments disappeared back into the ground, leaving the ponies to continue. This repeated two more times, each time having to fight bigger waves, before they finally reached the end of the path, a huge arena in the middle of the ocean, high in the sky. Once they all reached it, the path crumbled behind them, leaving no way to escape. A new wave of enemies then appeared, mainly instruments but also ghosts, including ghosts of ponies possessing instruments to make them more brutal. It still wasn't that hard to get them. Things really became hectic with the second wave. A possessed piano appeared as well as ghost of ponies not possessing instruments but using them as weapons, for example attempting to smash a guitar on the ghost hunters' head. Some even used the instruments in the same way than Symphonia, by firing music notes at the ponies. Applejack bucked the piano, sending it flying beyond the edge of the arena. However, the piano, damaged, floated back on ground and restarted attacking only for a Puffer controlled by Sweetie Belle to smash it with his big arms. Little Ghost then finished it with an explosive energy ball. However, after the last ghosts were captured, a third wave came, this one with two pianos and even singers. The opera singers used their soprano voice to send sonic waves while the choir singers worked together to boost the other ghosts. There were even new instruments like electric guitars that sent fireballs when played or drums that caused lightning bolts to strike from the sky. Apple Bloom decided to turn into a ghost to destroy the two pianos, leaving the others to deal with the rest. Actually, she got the idea of entering one of the piano, forcing the ghost possessing it out and taking control of it. She already trained to take possession of objects, but it still took her a few seconds to become used to be a piano. Once she was ready, she then levitated the keys and sent them to destroy some of the instruments around while she rammed the other piano, badly damaging it. She then jumped and dropped back on the other piano, smashing it and even creating a shockwave that the others had to avoid. "Watch what you do, Apple Bloom!" shouted Applejack. "Sorry!" said Apple Bloom as she left the piano and sent it toward the ocean with the remains of the other. Turning back to normal, she then joined the others in capturing the ghosts. When the third wave was entirely destroyed, Symphonia became desperate. She sent her own orchestra to attack the ponies only for it to be easily destroyed, instrument by instrument. Not admitting defeat, the mare then charged toward Apple Bloom, attempting to stab her with the baton. Apple Bloom simply stepped aside to avoid the baton, then activated her Poltergust, catching the ghost. After a few slams and a Power Surge, the ghost disappeared. And everything returned to normal. They were back on stage with the ocean, the waves, the clouds, the path, and the sun becoming cardboard again, and a key was now present in the middle. "I think I will never look at an opera the same way than before," said Sweetie Belle. "Well, me, it made me want to go to one," said Scootaloo. "Ya know that in real operas, the decor doesn't become real, right?" asked Apple Bloom. "I know, but the music was epic, and I'm curious to see what else there's. And hey, maybe we could recruit Symphonia to do what she did if she reveals to be okay." "Great idea! It will be a huge attraction for your future town, Apple Bloom," said Sweetie Belle. "The only theater where the decor comes to life in the whole planet. Ponies and other creatures will come from everywhere!" said Little Ghost. "You know, if this continues, your town will actually be a real city," said Applejack. «Oh! Maybe it will even become the capital of a whole country that will be named Ghostopia and Apple Bloom will be the Queen of the ghosts!» said Pinkie Pie. "Me? Queen? No thanks. Ah ain't seeing mahself ruling a country," said Apple Bloom. "Anyway. Let's get this key," said Scootaloo. Nodding, Apple Bloom took the key and saw that it opened the two double doors at the top of the seats, in the second floor. Little Ghost then pointed at the Northeast corner of the stage. "Wait, what about this passage over there?" The others turned to look and saw, hidden from the seats by a curtain, a passage indeed. "It's probably where the decor elements are stocked," guessed Applejack. "Let's go see." At this, the ponies went to the passage and entered another room, smaller but filled of stuff. As Applejack guessed, there were many cardboard cutouts to form various elements like pieces of a tower, pieces of a dragon, trees, bushes, and so on. There were also ladders, some tools, and paint buckets. There were even machines like one to shoot fire, another for smoke, or even one for bubbles. Three Bulkys were present as well as a few rather muscled pony ghosts and some minotaurs. There were also ghosts of various species wearing disguises and costumes, a couple of instrument players (a bass and a flute), a janitor, and a few randoms including a filly. Some of the ghosts got the good idea of using the machine that can shoot fire. Little Ghost went after those ghosts first while Apple Bloom and Applejack took care of the muscled ones, leaving the rest to Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and the clones of goo for now. Sweetie took control of the janitor, letting him use his broom to hurt the other ghosts, while Scootaloo used a hit and run tactic with air blasts to weaken them. An Assassin then revealed himself and tried to stab Apple Bloom from behind with his claw, but Applejack saw him and slammed a ghost on him, saving her sister. Once Little Ghost was done with the ghosts using the fire machine, she went to help Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, finishing the ghosts that the pegasus weakened. With the three of them, they rapidly managed to capture all the ghosts, leaving only a minotaur and a Bulky as well as a second Assassin who was accidentally revealed by slamming a ghost on him. The minotaur tried to save himself by smashing the ground, creating a shockwave, but the ponies all jumped above it, leaving him no chance. One by one, the three remaining ghosts were captured, and the key appeared. The key opened a door just beside the passage, back on the stage in the East wall. This led to a room that was clearly a dressing room for the artists. It was full of clothes and accessories like swords. There were obviously some mirrors, including some makeup dressers against the East wall. And as a result, there were many artist ghosts present in the room; some actors, some instrument players, and some singers. One of the actors even gathered most of the clothes present in the room to create a clothe golem. The ponies sent the clones of goo to deal with the golem while they captured the other ghosts. The golem was quickly destroyed, and the ghost who created it was captured, and almost immediately, a Bogmire-like ghost appeared and manipulated the objects in the room to throw them at the ponies, especially at Apple Bloom. The filly countered by turning into a ghost, using her speed in this form to dodge most of the objects while approaching the Bogmire-like ghost to capture it. Apple Bloom thought that it was time to name those ghosts, so she named them Boggy. After the capture of the Boggy, a key appeared. "Uh, now, we've two keys," said Scootaloo. «The first one you got is to open the doors at the top of the seats, right? I think it's a shortcut to the hallway back in the second floor,» said E. Gadd. "Let's verify," said Apple Bloom. It turned out that E. Gadd was right. The first key led to the hallway in the second floor, the same one that was leading to the Great Hall and the entrance hall. As for the second key obtained in the dressing room, it led them North in the first floor, to the intersection before the hallway leading to the North wing. There, the key led them West, to the first door in the right wall. They felt that they were approaching the first guardian.