//------------------------------// // Odd occurences begin // Story: Skrrriiitchhhh! // by Mister E //------------------------------// Apple Bloom suddenly heaved in a huge breath, as she sat bolt upright in her new bed. Her wide eyes frantically scanned the room, her heart thudding in her small chest. The light of the moon, streaming through the window, was more than enough to make out the face of the little wind up clock by her bed stand. It read 1:00am and fifteen seconds. She sat there motionless, her rapid breathing gradually beginning to slow. “What woke me up?” She wondered in the quiet of her mind. A silence mirrored by the waking world, broken only by the steady tick of her bedside clock. “Did I hear something? Was I having a nightmare?” She asked herself, looking about the room once more. As she did an eerie feeling began to creep over her. She had shared her old room with Applejack for as long as she could remember. But now for the first time, she was sleeping by herself. This room, now hers, cast unfamiliar shadows as she looked around. She suddenly had conflicting desires arise inside her. The first was ‘look under the bed’, the second was ‘don’t under ANY circumstances, look under the bed’! She looked out the window instead. There she saw a clear moonlit sky. A light breeze was stirring the branches of the pin oak tree her late mother had planted outside next to her window. Apple Bloom watched the shadows of those branches pass over the surface of her bed sheet. To her increasing dismay they seemed to resemble wicked looking claws that threatened to pull the covers off of her at any moment. “I need to calm down,” she told herself, taking a deep breath. “I probably just had a bad dream an it woke me up. After all, didn’t I just have the best day ever?” She asked herself, as she eased back down onto her pillow. Reminded of this thought, her muzzle relaxed into a smile. She fluffed her pillow briefly allowing the events of the past day to wash away her anxiety. She was just hovering at the point of reentering the embrace of Morpheus… “SKRRRRRIIIITTCCH!” “Huugh,” Applebloom gasped, as she bolted upright once more. Her heart was beating like a hammer in her chest, as she frantically whipped her head back and forth. There was nothing there. The room, once again, was completely silent, save for the subdued ticking of her little clock. She glanced once more at the clawed shadow on her bed, and followed it back to the window. There she could still see the branches swaying slightly in the night breeze. “It was the wind,” she told herself, “the wind blew a branch across the side of the house, that’s what it was,” she told herself, lying back down once more. Still, she wasn’t able to find sleep again for some time, as she stared out of the window at the darkened swaying branches. Dawn came, in her opinion, far too early, as she drug herself out of her new bed, and down to breakfast the following morning. She made her way past the pitcher of juice (apple), the fritters (apple), and the bowl of fresh fruit (also, of course, apple), to the large pot of coffee on the stove, (thankfully NOT somehow apple), and poured herself a large mug with plenty of cream and sugar. “Well, looks like somepony had a late night,” Granny commented as she spread a generous portion of zap apple jam onto her toast. “Whatsamatter youngin? Too excited bout your new room ta sleep?” “Naw that wasn’t it Granny,” Apple Bloom said with a yawn. There was a branch off that pin oak tree kept scraping against the side of the house, kept me up all night.” “Hmm, that’s odd.” Granny said, rubbing her muzzle. “Mac just trimmed that tree back less than a month ago. I’ll have a talk with him about going over it again after lunch. Don’t you worry sweetie, you won’t have any more trouble out of it tonight.” Granny said with a wink. “Thanks Granny,” Apple Bloom said as she stacked up some hotcakes. “I’m sure after the crusaders get done telling all the kids at school what happened yesterday, that today is going to be a real long one. I’ll be lookin forward to a good night’s sleep when I get home. “Aw shucks,” Granny said, preparing to go into story mode, “why when I was your age, I was up till almost midnight doing chores, then back up at sunrise to go wake up the chickens and get them fed, and then after that-” “Sorry Granny, gotta run, don’t want to be late for school!” Apple Bloom said, stuffing hotcakes in her mouth and dashing for the door. “Land sakes,” Granny said, shaking her head, “Kids today are always in such a hurry.” Apple Bloom slowed her pace down to a canter, once she cleared the front gate of her families farm. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had come out to meet her so they could all walk to school together, and discuss their plans for the day. They quickly agreed on a course of action for operation ‘spill the beans’. Sweetie Belle would trot past Miss Cheerilee, and accidentally drop one of the pictures they took yesterday with Mustang Bieber. Everypony in class knew that Miss Cheerilee was a huge Mustang Bieber fan, and would of course ask Sweetie Belle about the picture. Then Sweetie would bring out all the rest, passing them to their teacher first, as they all explained what happened the day before. It was going to be awesome! Every kid in school would be talking about it, then when they got home they’d tell their folks, and they would tell other ponies, and by the end of the week, the CMC would be the most popular kids in Ponyville. The CMC’s little plan went off without a hitch. Miss Cheerilee almost fainted when she saw all the pictures the friends had taken. She cast a particularly baleful glare at the ones where Applejack had been getting far too cozy with Mustang. And she made Apple Bloom promise that the next time Mustang was in town, to see if she could get an autographed picture with him as well. All in all the school day was the best Apple Bloom could remember. All of her classmates were talking about her, and for once, it was in a good way. After school, the CMC went back to their clubhouse, but for once none of them felt like working on their plans to assist other ponies with their cutie marks. Instead the three spent the afternoon, talking about their classmates, and yesterday, and Mustang Bieber. Finally Sweetie Belle remembered to ask. “So, how was your first night in your new room?” “Yeah,” Scootaloo added, “I almost completely forgot about that.” “Ugh, not good.” Apple Bloom said tiredly. “There was a branch or something that kept scraping across the outside of my room. It kept going ‘SKRRRRRIIIITTCCH, SKRRRRRIIIITTCCH’, I thought I’d never get to sleep. “Aww, sorry Apple Bloom,” Sweetie said. “No worries,” Apple Bloom replied, “Granny said she was gonna have Big Mac, trim the limbs back today before I get home, I should be able to sleep fine tonight, no problem.” “Heh, well maybe it wasn’t a limb at all,” Scootaloo says, slyly. “What do you mean?” Apple Bloom asks. “Well, what if it was something else? What if… you’re new room is haunted?” Scootaloo says, trying to sound scary. “Haunted?” Apple Bloom says, her eyes widening slightly. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!” Sweetie Belle says. “Is it?” Scootaloo retorts. “Think about it. That room hasn’t been used for a lot of years now. Must be a pretty good reason no pony was allowed to.” “Now that’s just wrong,” Apple Bloom interjects. “The reason nopony used that room was ‘cause it used to be my mom’s. And Applejack, well, she just didn’t want nopony messing with mom’s stuff.” “Oh. I’m sorry Apple Bloom, I didn’t know.” Scootaloo says apologetically. “I was just messing around, I didn’t mean nothin by it.” “It’s okay,” Apple Bloom replies. “I never really knew mom like Big Mac and Applejack did. It doesn’t bother me the way it did her. And anyway, she was the one that let me move in there, so it’s all okay now anyway.” The three shared a quick hug, and all thoughts of haunted rooms were quickly forgotten as the trio went back to gossiping once more. Later after they said their goodbyes, Apple Bloom made her way home for dinner. “Hi Granny, Mac, where’s Applejack?” Apple Bloom asked as she settled in at the dinner table. “She’s out back seeing to Winona. Seems the poor thing has come down sick last night. She’s been huddled inside her dog house and hasn’t come out all day.” Granny said. “Aww, I hope it isn’t serious. Applejack really loves her.” Apple Bloom replies. “Eeyup,” Big Mac confirms. Hearing a word from Mac reminds Apple Bloom about Granny’s promise. “Hey big brother, did you take care of that scritchty limb outside my window?” “Eenope.” Big Mac says shaking his head. “Nope?” Apple Bloom echo’s. “Why not?” “He didn’t take care of it, cause there was nothing to take care of,” Granny supplies. “We both went out there, and there wasn’t a single limb anywhere close to the house. I don’t know what made that sound you heard, but it wasn’t coming from that tree. Maybe we got some varmints in the attic or the walls. I’ll see if Fluttershy can come around and check. If there are any in there, I’m sure she can get them to come out.” “Well dang,” Apple Bloom says, “I was sure it had to be a tree limb, it was so loud, must be a big ole varmint ta make that kind of noise.” “Well, you never know what kind of critter might wander out of the Everfree. I’ve lived here most all my life, an every year that forest gives up something new.” Granny says, ladling out dinner. “Ya best keep ‘Cindy’ with you tonight, just ta be on the safe side.” Now Cindy fell under the category of one of the ‘Apple Family Secrets’. Applejack and Apple Bloom had been on their way back from a delivery through the Everfree Forest one day, and came across the remains of a timberwolf. The entire area around it hand been scorched black. Applejack had surmised that it had either gotten in a fight with some fire breathing critter, or it had been unlucky enough to be hit by lightning. Either way the poor thing had been charred almost beyond recognition, except for on long stout piece of wood that had remained untouched. Without fear, Apple Bloom had reached in and pulled it free. It felt warm to the touch, as if it were alive. And somehow it seemed to give off a feeling of gratitude, as if it were thankful that Apple Bloom rescued it from the wreckage. Now no one really understood timberwolf anatomy. They seem to be living constructs of wood, but they still thought for themselves. Applejack examined the piece that Apple Bloom had found, and felt the same sense of gratitude from it. Try as she might, she couldn’t come up with a reason for Apple Bloom not to keep it, after all, this was probably the least magical thing that had happened to them in the last week alone. A ‘happy’ stick didn’t cause any of the family to even bat an eye. In fact, the next day Big Mac had sanded and planed all the rough edges off of it and gave it a nice coat of protective lacquer. When returned to Apple Bloom that day when she got home from school, she announced that Big Mac had made ‘Cindy’ very happy. Mac asked why she named it Cindy. Apple Bloom responded by saying it was because she found it in the cinders of a fire. After that the name stuck. The family quickly decided however to keep the origins of Cindy a secret, just in case Twilight or somepony else might want to take it away to ‘study’ it. Granny told them that most times that ponies take something out of the Everfree to ‘study’, it usually never finds its way back. So Apple Bloom went upstairs into what was now Applejack’s room. She crawled up on her old bed, and carefully took down Cindy from the hooks that were hanging it above her headboard. As always Cindy felt warm to the touch. Apple Bloom carefully laid her on the bed and began unscrewing the hooks that had held her in place. Then she took all three to her new room, and began screwing them into place above her new bed. As she picked Cindy up to put her into her new home however, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but notice that something seemed wrong. Cindy was giving off a feeling that Apple Bloom couldn’t describe. If she were forced to put a name to it, the closest thing she could come up with was ‘anxiousness’. “It’s okay Cindy,” Apple Bloom said, not at all self conscious to be talking to a piece of wood. “It’s probably just cause this is a new room and all. I’m sure you’ll get used to it in no time.” She said, petting the surface of the wood, before placing it in its hooks. Apple Bloom made her way quickly downstairs, and seeing that Applejack still hadn’t returned, she went outside to see how Winona was doing. By the time she made it to her dog house, the matter with Cindy had been forgotten. Later at dinner, the issue of Winona was brought up once more. “I just don’t understand it Granny,” Applejack said around a mouthful of greens. “Winona seemed fine yesterday. Heck she was bouncing around like a puppy. But today she’s all huddled up in the back of her little house and won’t come out fer nothin. I tried once to reach in and get her, but she darn near bit my hoof off. Somethin must be REALLY wrong.” “Well, I was already going to ask you to see if you could bring Fluttershy by the house ta see what was going on with Apple Bloom’s room.” Granny said, “I think there might be some kind of critter in the attic or walls. Might as well ask her if she’ll look in on Winona as well.” “That’s a good idea Granny,” Applejack says, perking up. “If any pony can figure out what’s wrong with Winona, Fluttershy can.” “I have no idea what’s wrong with her,” Fluttershy said the following day, after finally managing to coax Winona out of her house. It had taken several hours, and had ultimately resulted in Fluttershy having to use her ‘Stare’. She hated doing that to animals in distress, but she knew that if she wasn’t able to examine her, and she was sick, then things could end up being much worse. “Isn’t there anything you can tell me?” Applejack said desperately. “Well, I do know that whatever it is, it isn’t caused by a germ or a virus.” Fluttershy says, scratching Winona behind her ear. “To be honest, Winona’s behavior suggests that she’s completely terrified of something. “Terrified? Winona’s scared of something? Are you sure?” Applejack asks, looking sadly at her dog. “Trust me Applejack, of there’s one thing I understand really well, it’s being afraid. And I would say your poor little dog is about as scared as a doggy can be. Has there been anything strange going on lately? Anything to cause her a fright?” Fluttershy asks. “No, nothing that I can think of.” Applejack says. “Maybe she heard the same thing I did last night.” A weary looking Apple Bloom said, as she rounded the corner coming home from school. “You still hearing that noise sugarcube?” Applejack asked, alarmed at how haggard her little sister was looking. “Yeah. Same as before. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, SKKKKRRRRRIIIITTTTCH!” It scared me so bad I must’ve hit the headboard ‘cause next thing I knew Cindy had done fell off the wall and landed right in my lap.” “Cindy?” Fluttershy asked. “Oh, just a piece of wood Apple Bloom found after a fire.” Applejack said off hoofedly. “Oh I understand completely,” Fluttershy says knowingly, “mine has 4 eight bit nails sticking out of it, I named him ‘William T, Clubb”,or ‘Billy’ for short. He keeps me company on long trips.” “Billy Clubb, I like the sound of that,” Applejack says approvingly. “Yeah well, Cindy might’ve been of use, if I could’ve found what kept making that awful sound. I looked all over the place and never could tell where it was coming from.” Apple Bloom said unhappily. “Well, I brought a couple of my little mouse friends along. I’ll let the crawl around inside your walls and see if they see anything. Applejack, you hold onto Winona until I get back, okay?” “Sure thing Fluttershy,” She said, trying to calm Winona down. Fluttershy followed Apple Bloom upstairs, and into her new room. There she told her mouse friends what she wanted them to do. She warned them that if they did see anything dangerous, to scamper back as fast as they could. They seemed hesitant at first, holding their noses up and sniffing the air nervously. But finally after some gentle prodding they ran off to their task. As the mice were making their way between the walls, Fluttershy to a moment to look around Apple Bloom’s new room. After gazing for a minute out the window, her eyes fell upon the poster of Mustang Bieber that was hung on the door of Apple Bloom’s closet. “Oh, so you are a Mustang Bieber fan too?” Fluttershy asked eagerly. “Well, yeah,” Apple Bloom says, and then adds, “but it’s a little more than that. See what happened was-” and then Apple Bloom explains everything that went on the day she acquired her new poster. “Oh my gosh!” She said, before lowering her voice, “don’t tell Discord, but I am SO jealous!” she said before gazing at the poster once more. Oh, um… Apple Bloom?” “Yeah?” “You said Mustang gave you this poster himself?” Fluttershy asks, awkwardly. “Sure did, and autographed it as well, right before we said goodbye. He promised to send me an advanced copy of his new album in the mail as well.” Apple Bloom says proudly. “Oh, um… that’s really nice of him. But um, Apple Bloom does anything strike you as odd about this poster?” Fluttershy says hesitatingly. “Odd, well I don’t know, it was just like all the others I helped pack up that-” suddenly Apple Bloom stops speaking, as she sees what Fluttershy is talking about. Well, I see what you mean. That does look… a little… disturbing.” she says, giving the poster her full attention. “I suppose it must have been a printing error,” Fluttershy offers. “Y-yeah, that makes sense,” Apple Bloom agrees. “Me and Mustang boxed up a whole bunch of these and I never really looked at mine closely. He probably didn’t notice it when he signed it. Heck, I didn’t notice it until you pointed it out.” She says running her hoof across the place in question. “Well, I’m sure he will give you another, the next time you talk to him,” Fluttershy says, turning away from the poster, and suppressing a shudder. “Yeah, for sure he will,” Apple Bloom says, as she too turns away. In her mind though she keeps asking herself, “did I just not notice it? I was SURE it didn’t look like that when I hung it up. But it must’ve looked that way, posters just don’t up and change. But, how would I have NOT noticed that?” she thinks, glancing back at her poster. A poster that has, instead of the smiling happy face of her new friend, one that appears to be casting a disdainful leer in the direction of anypony viewing it. Such a sinister visage of her new friend, was something Apple Bloom was having trouble coming to terms with. Later, after what seemed like hours, although only fifteen minutes or so had passed, the pair of mice returned, no worse for wear. They squeaked a bit at Fluttershy, before scampering up her hoof to settle once more into her mane. “Oh my.’' Fluttershy said when they were finished. “Well, it seems that they did see quite a bit of scratch marks on the other side of the wall planks. But they said that the scratches were really old, nothing recent at all. They said there was an odd smell, but they couldn’t detect any animal scents. I know that doesn’t help much, but at least you know there isn’t anything living in the walls.” “Well, thanks anyway Fluttershy,” Apple Bloom said in disappointment, trying to forget the face on her poster. “I appreciate you and your friends having a look around.” “Of course Apple Bloom, what are friends for?” Fluttershy said with a timid smile. “Now I think I need to go talk to Applejack about Winona. I’m going to see if she will let her stay with me for a few nights. Just until she’s calmed down from what ever has frightened her so.” Apple Bloom lingered in her new room after Fluttershy had gone. She spared a quick glance at the poster before putting her other thoughts in order. She hadn’t quite told Fluttershy and her sister the whole truth about last night. For one thing, she knew for a fact that she didn’t knock Cindy into her lap. Cindy had landed there on her own, right after the first scritching noise. But it was the other thing that happened that had worried her the most. It was the fact that while Cindy was lying there across her lap, she was trembling. Trembling as if she were afraid...