//------------------------------//
// You Have Nothing to Fear... 
// Story: Rainbow Dash's Awesome Nightmare Night Haunted House Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Adventure 
// by TheDriderPony 
//------------------------------//

But what even can you do in this situation? You can't fight, his ghostly hooves hold you in place like steel manacles and your kicks phase right through. You can't try any of the magical items from your Inventory since you need your hooves to access them.

All you can do is hang there in his control, like a sad puppet on its strings flailing around as the puppeteer wishes.

You dance for what feels like hours. Rather, you are danced, as you have little say in the manner. Waltzes, tangos, dances you don't know the names of. One after another in an endless cascade of movement.

The sheer loss of control leaves you jittery and high-strung as your body tries to enter panic mode but finds itself unable to either fight or flee. All it succeeds in doing is ramping up all your senses to eleven. Every minute facet of your situation you experience in exacting detail. 

The roughness of his insubstantial hooves as they shift their grip. The coppery blood in your mouth when you bite your tongue after an unexpected dip. The hot moistness of his heavy breathing on your neck, punctuated by his deep sniffs of your mane.

But worst of all is the powerlessness. How you know you can struggle and scream all you want but it won't make a difference to him nor the ghosts around you. For a mare who values her freedom and independence so much, it feels like weighted shackles.

Eventually, after what could have been hours or even days dancing, you are allowed to slump to the floor. The horde of ghosts stare at you, before one-by-one winking out of existence. Leaving only him.

He hovers over you, bending down just enough his goatee tickles your ear. "That was almost satisfactory. You may go, but I expect a better performance next time." As he rises he takes your mask with him, frowning at you for a moment before clicking his tongue. "Tch. I should have known. What a disappointment."

His evaluation given, he too vanishes in a swirl of light.

You slowly pull yourself off the floor, hooves aching from being dragged around, and quietly make your way to the nearest door.

[Your soul and sense of self-determination have taken a heavy blow. Add one (+1) to your Fear Meter]





On the other side of her remote viewing spell, Trixie frowns at the sight of her test subject stumbling away. Dipping her quill in ink, she jots down a note for Starlight.

"Double-check spellwork in 'Social Anxiety' room. Antagonist projection went off script due to unforeseen player behavior, leading to 'Awkward Dance' sequence looping and becoming locked until admin intervention. Fix before next players!"