//------------------------------//
// Chapter 36 
// Story: A Nightmare Before The Night [CYOA] 
// by Selbi 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 36


“Well, if magic doesn’t work… I can always use my hooves.” Twilight pawed the ground under her right foreleg. “And trust me, these hooves can do a lot more than just carry my body.”

Twilight turned around, wound up her hindlegs, and bucked the tree, the way she’d observed Applejack do it. It’s definitely not something she could do for many hours a day, but one or two trees were no problem. Having helped the farmer a couple of times, she’d realized it was less about the muscle strength and more about the endurance.

Leaves and old branches came loose as the tree soaked up the blow. As Twilight made to turn around to see if her impersonation of Applejack had any effect, she was suddenly surprised to see the squirrel, with the key in its mouth, rocket out of the hole, using Twilight’s head as a springboard, before running.

Before she could react, she felt something hit her head with a soft thunk, and she directed her glare at the offending object: her bit. “By Celestia’s made-in-Chineigh tiara, that’s it!”

She charged, the dirt kicking up around her hooves, while she grinded her teeth. The critter was significantly slowed by the heavy key, so Twilight was actually moved up rather fast.

“Give me that, right now!” she demanded as she got closed upon critter.

And squirrel obliged. It stopped running, stood still for a second, then dropped the key. It turned around, and looked Twilight straight into her eyes.

“Huh? You’ll actually cooperate with me?” Twilight asked, half her face hanging to the side like it couldn’t handle the weight of all the confusion.

The squirrel took advantage of the momentary gap in her defense, half Twilight’s face hanging to the side like it couldn’t handle the weight of all the confusion, bowed, took a fighting position. Then, it grabbed Twilight’s forehoof, and flung her around on the ground, playing the Helicopterman with her on the way there. Twilight just screamed during the entirety of it.

Dazzled, weak, but mostly downright humiliated, she heard a cackling coming from her left. She turned her eyes towards the source, and saw the squirrel laughing at her.

Then it grabbed the key, and ran off.

Twilight just lay there. “Next time I see Fluttershy I will ask her if all woodland creatures know karate…”









And ask her if she has any band-aid for humiliation, Twilight.


What next?


→ Follow the squirrel, hoping it isn’t out of reach yet? Go to Chapter 35!


→ Try breaking the safe open? Go to Chapter 16!