//------------------------------// // Ch 4: The Dead Seek Vengence // Story: Clubhouse of Horror II // by Grenazers //------------------------------// Fillydelphia, a large pony city located east of Equestria and Foal Mountain and Hollow Shades. The city was suffering from some heavy downpour. The soaking streets were completely void of anyponies, those few outside quickly galloped to their destination wishing to escape the rain. One specific orange stallion was galloping through the rain, trying to reach his destination. However, his destination was not anywhere in this city, rather outside. Behind him a group of pegasus in gold armor is chasing him. The Equestrian royal guards are here to apprehend Bittersweet, aka the Variety Killer. Bittersweet is a dark blue earth stallion, with short white messy hair, and a bag of money as a cutie mark. During the day, Bittersweet works as a cashier in a store. But, by night he is the notorious Variety Killer. In his six mouths of becoming a serial killer, Bittersweet has claimed the lives of ten ponies. The Variety Killer earned his name from the fact that, unlike most killers who used the same method of killing, Bittersweet on the other hoof kill his targets in different ways. One pony was hanged, another was lit on fire and another pony got his head cut off. The dark blue stallion managed to commit these murders while evading the authorities at the same time. But now the guards know his identity and are hunting him down. Galloping at full speed, Bittersweet quickly made his way across streets in mere seconds, despite the heavy rain. The royal guards are having trouble chasing the pony in the downpour. The rain made it impossible for them to fly in and the rain was blocking their view of their target. Hours of galloping and hiding later, Bittersweet finally got out of the city. With the guards far behind him, the stallion decided to stay low for a while. With no other place to go, Bittersweet thought about the old abandoned house near the cliff, his childhood home. As he trotted to his old home, he was not aware that he is being watched. Bittersweet trotted nonstop for three days to reach his destination, eating up most of his provision getting there. When he finally got to his old home, he was surprised how the large house was still standing for all these years. Most of the windows around the house are broken, the white paint has turned into a light shade of yellow, and some plants started to grow around the house. The stallion cracked opened the rusted front door and entered. Inside was the living-room, not much has changed since he left this place. The Furniture were still in the same spot, although they are all rotted up now. Aside from a couple of dusts and cobwebs, the place is still the same since he was young. As he trotted around, the dark blue pony was reminiscing of a time he spends in this house. He remembered going to the kitchen when his mother made him his favorite food, and his father returning from work to spend some time with him. Truly this was his perfect life. When he trotted pass the fireplace he noticed a picture frame standing over it. Picking it up Bittersweet saw a photo of young him and his two parents. However, there was a fourth pony in the picture, standing between his parents at the front. Upon seeing the him, the dark blue pony scowled and smashed the frame onto the wooden floor, shattering it. He remembered who that pony was, Emerald Bay, the pony who ruined his life. Long ago when there was only three, his mother adopted Emerald after his aunt died. The green colt was welcomed into the family and the two parents loved him like a son. Even Bittersweet was happy to have a brother to play with. At first everything was good, that is until something in the young Bittersweet changed. The little dark blue colt was growing envious of the green pony. Before his parents used to praise him, but now they are giving him all the praises. He wasn't sure why, but whenever he heard his parents praising Emerald Bay, he just gets angry. He soon started not playing with his adopted brother and outright avoiding him. Then came the day of that terrible incident, Emerald Bay falling off the cliff side and on to a bunch of jagged rocks at the bottom. Both Bittersweet's parents were devastated by his tragic loss, even the colt himself was saddened by his sudden loss. A funeral was held with an empty coffin since Emerald's body was washed away by the wave. After that day Bittersweet's family was never the same. His mother stopped taking better care of herself and died from her illness. His father became detached from life and soon followed his late wife leaving Bittersweet to fend for himself. Waking up from his daydreaming, Bittersweet cursed Emerald bay. If it weren't for him he would have lived a normal happy life instead of what he is now, a killer on the run. Gathering all the essentials from the bottom, the pony went upstairs and entered his old bedroom. Entering his old room brought back some childish memories: playing with toys, drawing in his coloring books, and reading his comic books. In his room was his bed, on the walls there are some old posters of movies he liked such as Daring Do and the Crystal Skulls, Top Pegasus, and Batstallion Begins. Looking out the window Bittersweet saw how late it was getting. Deciding to call it a night, the stallion ate some his leftover food, read some of his old childhood books, and finally lying on top of his filthy bed. He stayed like that for a while until his eyes started to slowly close themselves, and then he slept. Later that night several black figures converged on the old house, each one not bothering to be quiet as they made loud noises trying to get in. The noises alerted the sleeping pony upstairs to their presence. Getting up Bittersweet slowly trotted down the stairs, just in time to see the black figures breaking through the front door. The dark blue stallion was horrified at what he just saw, standing in front of the broken door is green-coated stallion with blue mane. His appearance is what disturbed him the most, the green pony flesh was all rotted up, with few gashes of exposed flesh. His blue mane just laying hung around his face. When the creature turned his lifeless white eyes at the pony on the stairs, he opened his jaws revealing his rotted yellow teeth and made a loud growl sound. The creature then charged at him and in response Bittersweet took out his knife and thrust it into the charging ghoul's eye socket. As his knife pierced through the creature's eye, the green pony collapse down the stairs with the knife stuck in his eye. Losing his only weapon and hearing the sound of more the creatures breaking in, Bittersweet ran upstairs to get himself another weapon. Returning to his room Bittersweet grabbed himself another knife. When he got the sharp weapon the door behind him, burst open, entering in was a ghoulish red mare with long white mane. She then immediately charged at the stallion, he again responded by stabbing the blade into her eye. However, unlike the last ghoul this one didn't die when his knife pierced her white eye. Pinning him down the red ghoul snapped her mouth over her prey, but is being held back by a pair of hooves. Bittersweet bucked the ghoul off of her and quickly stood up. The red mare charged again, but the stallion was ready for her. When she got close Bittersweet stepped aside and pushed her out the window. The action was swift as her momentum lead to her crashing through the glass window. Hearing the sound of more hoofsteps Bittersweet hid in his closet. In the dark closet space, the stallion can hear numerous ghouls entering his room. They trotted around for a bit until they all left, one by one. With them gone Bittersweet calmed down and analyze the situation. First there are a number of ghouls out there looking for and he has no idea how many there are. Second, the first one he met was killed by stabbing him in the eye, but the second didn't die when he shoved the knife into her eye. To make sure the red mare was dead, he left the closet and looked out the broken window. Down on the dirt ground is the red mare from before, she was not moving indicating that she was dead. When his eyes met hers flank he instantly recognized the cutie mark, it's two rose flower crashing against each other. This mark belongs to Rose Buds, one of his victims. Rose Buds is the mare he used to date long ago, but then it turned out she was only going out with him is because she lost a bet to her friends. Angered by this, he pushed her out the window, killing her. To see her here sent a chill down his spine, he then thought about the green stallion he killed earlier. He was the pony that mugged a long time ago, he remembered tracking the guy down and use his own knife to stab him in the eye. Realizing that the two ponies he killed were his previous victims from during his time living in Fillydelphia. He wonders if all the other creatures outside are also his victims. Sneaking around Bittersweet spotted nine undead ponies lurking around inside and outside the house. Eight of them he was able to identify, but the last a green stallion he didn't recognize. He will have to deal with that pony later right now he has to take care of the other eight ghouls. Climbing outside the window he went into the nearby tool shed, and grabbed himself an ax. As he got out he came across another ghoul, Mr. Rubber, bashed his skull open. Using the bottom of handle the dark blue stallion bash the ghoul's head, the ghoul fell down and Bittersweet continued to bash his head until he cracks the skull. While he was doing this another ghoul came out and galloped towards him. Hearing his attacker coming towards him, he swung his ax back and hacked off one the ghouls legs. Standing up, he recognized the down ghoul and returned to the shed. Couple of seconds later he came with ropes tie in a noose. Putting the noose rope around the ghouls neck he quickly dragged him to a nearby tree. Tossing the rope over a branch he pulled on the rope, raising the ghoul up by the neck and strangling him. With that taken care of Bittersweet his attention to the last seven ghouls roaming around. The next hour involved the dark blue stallion uniquely killing each of the ghouls one by one. He doused one ghoul with oil and set the creature on fire, used his ax to hack the ghoul's head off, and impaled on with a long pointy rod. With six of the creatures dealt with all that was left is the last mysterious green one. Bittersweet tried to remember who this pony is, but all he was coming up with is blank. He tried looking at his cutie mark, but it was blank. Meanwhile the mystery green stallion was tracking him down. He then spotted Bittersweet resting right outside the wall of the house. Bursting through the old wall the green pony sinks his disgusting teeth onto his prey's foreleg. Shaking his attack off Bittersweet made a run for the cliff sides, he was hoping to push the ghoul of the edge and be washed away by the currents. He tried to get away, but the sudden attack wounded him, making him slow enough for the green ghoul to catch up him. The creature leaped at the pony resulting in them rolling near the cliff edge. Bittersweet held the ghoul's head away so that it won't bite him. When he had his hooves holding his head, the pony got a clear view of the monster's face, then came a horrifying shock, it was Emerald Bay, his adoptive brother. Distracted by this surprised the undead Emerald Bay sunk his teeth into Bittersweet's shoulder. The pain pulled him from his thoughts and bucked his brother off of him. He crawled nearer to the edge while quickly thinking about why his brother is trying to kill him. As the more he thought repressed memories started to flash back into his mind. They were disorient and hard to process. But, eventually piece by piece they connected creating on clear scene. It was him. All him, all along. His brother never accidentally fell of the cliff edge. He pushed him off. He remembered now. When he was young his jealousy of his brother leads him to be resentful of him, then they came when he spotted his brother hanging from the cliff. Trotting up him, Bittersweet pushed him off and watched him fall. His expression was shocked of what he had just done. But his brother was equally shocked as the last thing he saw his brother grinning at him. This whole time, he did it. He ruined his own life, not his brother. If he had never done it, he would've lived a normal happy life. While the wounded brother was reflecting about his past life, the other brother charged at the distracted pony. This resulted in both brothers falling off the edge and facing their demise from the jagged rocks below. "And that concludes the tale of the dead seeking vengeance," Scootaloo said, in a eerie voice. Her two friends sat there in shock by such a gruesome tale, then a second later both fillies clap their hooves together, praising their orange friend. "Wow Scootaloo, that is a mighty fine tale," Applebloom remarked. "Yeah, it was such a thrill ride of shock and horror," Sweetie added in. As the two continued to praise the secretly blushing Scootaloo, down below the three older ponies were once again shocked by what they heard. Especially Rainbow who never knew her little number one fan had some imagination. Rarity was the first to recover and address the two of the current time. Seeing how late it was the three decided it was time to bring the three fillies home. Going up the steps Applejack knocked on the door. "Girls it's getting late, time to head home." "Alright sis just give us a sec," Applebloom answered. Moments later the three crusaders all got out and followed their respective sister/ role model. Applejack led group farms main entrance. They all said their goodbyes and goodnight and went to their homes. Applejack led her little sister back to their house, along the way she thought about having that talk with her. She can't imagine how Applebloom can create such spooky tale like that. Rarity on the other hoof was still aghast that her sweet little sister can imagine such dreadful tales. Meanwhile Rainbow was flying Scootaloo home, in her mind she didn't know what to make of this. She doesn't know whether she should be proud or scared of what goes around in her head. One thing is sure though, each of them will never look at these little fillies the same way ever again.