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// Whenever Candlelights Flicker... 
// Story: A Night in the Mansion 
// by The Maelstrom 
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Twilight continued walking down the corridor from the Library; the windows on the left flashing with each lightning strike, which illuminated the row of paintings on the left that Twilight couldn't keep her eyes off of . Perhaps it was because they were following her movements

"Stop it Twilight," She told herself, "Ghosts don't exist! This is probably all just a silly prank set up by a Unicorn." She said as she continued walking down the hall, "Yes, a Unicorn with...an invisible aura...." 

Twilight continued to debate with herself until she noticed she entered a Conservatory of sorts, plants of all kinds and sizes were lined up in front of the curved window, all covered in cobwebs of course. There was a piano off to the side playing a slow, melancholy tune that the wind almost seemed to match. Twilight would have cast the piano off as a player, but then she noticed with each bolt of lightning illuminating the room, a shadow of a pony with a high-collar coat and top hat could be seen on the piano. In the center of the windowed conservatory sat a coffin, with withering flowers surrounding the lonely vessel

Twilight continued to walk slowly toward the ornately detailed coffin, 'Maybe if was for a relative to that Gracey pony? No name anywhere' She thought as she looked over the coffin, it was ordinary, until you look closer and found Griffin-like Talons for the legs of the table that the coffin rested on, and the squared skulls that decorated the sides of it. She was about to look in, when then entire coffin started to bulge and trash about, with muffled yells of "Lemme outta here!" and grunts as whoever was inside continued to push against the nails that held the coffin shut.

"All our ghosts have been dying to meet you! This one can hardly contain himself!" The Voice said as the coffin continued to try and pry itself open, suddenly Twilight felt a cold wind flow past her as she started to exit the Conservatory. After looking around, she found that one of the window panes had a gaping hole in it, letting rain and wind enter. She knew Rarity would have a fit if she saw this.

"How do you stand it here? All this freezing cold, and the moaning that comes from every end of the house?" Twilight asked out loud as she exited the Conservatory into another corridor this one lined with doors

"We find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat. Every room has wall-to-wall creeps, and hot and cold running chills."  The Voice said as Twilight passed another hallway, one she couldn't help but to look down and see it go one forever

"An endless hallway? how does one manage tha-?"
"Shhh, listen!" The Voice interrupted as Twilight continued down the corridor of doors, now hearing sounds of all kinds coming behind the doors, from screams of help, to shrieks, moans, and snarls to maniacal laughter.

"Unfortunately, they all seem to have trouble getting through."

Twilight continued down the hall, jumping in shock like Fluttershy at times from the sudden sounds emanating from the doors, finally passing a chiming Grandfather clock as the Voice added "Perhaps Madame Leota can establish contact. She has a remarkable head for materializing the disembodied."

The room Twilight entered was a small rotunda where the walls were covered in drapes and cloth, a small table was in the center with a crystal ball on it, a tall chair blocked Twilight's view of most of the ball, but she wasn't looking at the ball anyway as she rounded the room, she was busy staring at the seemingly floating tables chairs and instruments all around.

A small ringing bell and angry caw of a raven alerted Twilight's attention to the table, and was rather shocked to see a Unicorns head floating inside the crystal ball.

"Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat; call in the spirits, wherever they're at."

The Mystic chanted, with the moaning sound being heard after

"Rap on a table; it's time to respond. Send us a message from somewhere beyond."

A rhythmic knocking came from the floating table behind Twilight,

"Goblins and ghoulies from last Nightmare's Eve. Awaken the spirits with your tambourine."

One of the floating instruments started shaking violently in response,

"Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond; let there be music, from regions beyond!"

Before all of the assembled noise-makers started playing a macabre tune,

"Wizards and witches, wherever you dwell, give us a hint, by ringing a bell!"

The mysterious bell rang again as Twilight exited the rotunda with the Mystic continuing her chant. 

The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They're assembling for a swinging wake, and they'll be expecting me. I'll see you all a little later. The Voice bid farewell as Twilight entered the new room, a wonderful ballroom with macabre organ music coming from the other end. Twilight, now in complete shock and awe could see the entire ballroom from her vantage point on the balcony, as well as all of the ghosts.

There were faint dancers twirling through chairs and furniture in front of the organ played by a ghostly pianist where ghouls rose from the organs pipes. A spectral mare was forever trying to blow out candles on a moldy birthday cake, thought Twilight thought for a second if it was a deathday cake, with party goers from all of Equestria's history, she even saw Caesar Salad's (Emperor of Roam) ghost. There were a pair of duelists in appleloosan clothing shooting each other in front of their portraits, and there was even a ghostly Grandmare rocking back and forth in front of the fireplace.

Twilight carefully backed away from the balcony, that was it, she's completely lost it. 

She tried to calm herself by taking out the Daisy sandwich she had packed and sitting on the balcony to try and enjoy it.

While she ate, Twilight's thoughts couldn't help but race, "You're not in a haunted house, they don't exist. You are not surrounded by ghosts, they are illogical. Those ponies down there are just...Crystal Ponies, yes! Crystal Ponies who are able to float with no wings or magic, Crystal Ponies...capable of..phasing through walls...Crystal...Ponies that can...chill the air in a room..." Twilight stopped to think about this before bluntly stating:

"And Science loses 50 points to the Supernatural thanks to the New Oatlean Specters, Good Game Everypony" She said before taking another bite of her sandwich