//------------------------------// // Six // Story: Candy Corn Kitten // by pokefreak13 //------------------------------// The three fillies walked into Sugar Cube Corner and gasped in awe and horror. For they were face to face with a dummy hanging by a rope. "I never knew Pinkie Pie was such a great painter." Apple Bloom replied. Suddenly, Pinkie jumped from behind the counter and beamed. "Isn't this place amazing! And we're not even done yet!" she exclaimed. "Th..there's more?" Scootalo gulped. Pinkie Pie nodded her head. "I'll show you to the kitchen. Discord and Dashi turned it into the perfect torturing room for were I'm going to turn Dashi into cupcakes." So the three fillies hesitantly followed the chirpy mare into the kitchen. There was a silver table with ropes embedded into it to strap Rainbow Down, a set of realistic looking knives, and a jug of fake blood of in the corner. "Wow." Apple Bloom breathed. Scootalo let out a yelp as Rainbow Dash picked her up into the air. "Awesome isn't it." The light blue pegasus exclaimed. Discord popped in with a bag of popcorn. "It is going to be quite fun watching fillies scream in terror as psychotic Pinkie Pie kills Rainbow Dash." he said. Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow, "Psychotic?" Pinkie Pie held out a white apron with fake blood splattered on it. "Rarity made it out of a really soft fabric." Sweetie Bell felt the apron and smiled. "It is really soft." Suddenly, Apple Jack galloped into the room. Her face red with anger. "Ah told ya not ta take that long!" the country mare shouted. Apple Bloom cowered. "Sorry sis." she muttered. "It's not our fault!" Sweetie Bell shouted. "Yeah! We found a kitten in the candy corn and took it to Fluttershy's. Then we decided to see how the haunted house was coming along." Scootalo explained. Apple Jack's face started to turn back into it's natural orange. However, the mare still glared at the three fillies. "Besides, it's only been what? One..Two hours." Scootalo replied. "Ya still need to give out the invitations." Apple Jack pointed out. The fillies gulped. "Th..the invitations?" Sweetie Bell said. The country mare hoofed a basket full of orange envelopes to Apple Bloom. "Ya better git going." AJ replied. The CMC nodded their heads and galloped out of the bakery. Apple Bloom held onto the basket tightly as gusts of wind threatened to capture the invitations. "How come we have to had out the invitations? We're not even invited to Diamond Tiara's party!" Sweetie Bell complained. "Maybe we can keep one of the invitations and forge three of our own." Scootalo suggested. "Mmmhm." Apple Bloom replied. Suddenly a huge gust of wind blew against the three fillies. Making them shiver. "I hate days like this. Do you think it'll take long to pass out the envelopes?" Scootalo asked. "I hope not." Sweetie Bell replied, taking out one of the orange envelopes and smoothing out the wrinkles. "I don't want to be in this weather for long either." Soon the fillies came to the post office and went inside. Mr. Firefox, owner of the store, was nowhere to be seen. Apple Bloom dropped the basket. "Hello! Is anypony here!" the filly hollered. Mrs. Firefox appeared at the back of the shop. She was uncharacteristically solemn. "You'll find Richard outside. However, he's not in the best of moods today." "Why is he in a bad mood?" Sweetie Bell asked. Mrs. Firefox pursed her orange lips. "Vandals. They paid us a visit last night. Spray painted all kinds of rubbish on the walls. Now my poor husband is having to clean it up while I run the store." the earth pony explained. Apple Bloom thought back one month ago when she had a conversation with Mrs. Button and Dr. Hooves. Mrs. Button's said that two of her windows got broken with bricks. Then Dr. Hooves explained that his house got spray painted a horrible purple. Apple Bloom had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, imagining how she'd feel if somepony did this at Sweet Apple Acres. The post office door chimed and Mr. Firefox came in, looking tired and annoyed. He was holding a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush. His bright red wings were wet and dirty. "Please put the kettle on dear." he said wearily to his wife. "I need a strong cup of tea." He then noticed the three fillies. "What do you three want?" Mr. Firefox sighed. "We're very sorry about the graffiti Mr. Firefox." the fillies said. The red pegasus grunted. "So am I. I don't suppose you three know anything about it?" Apple Bloom shook her head, hoping that her expression wasn't giving anything away. Was it really possibly that Silver Spoon had something to do with this? After she got Biscuit, a golden retriever puppy, Silver became really nice. She even threw away her spray cans right in front of Apple Bloom. "Anyway, what do ya rascals want?" Mr. Firefox asked. Scootalo held out the orange envelope. "Your son, Firefly Jr., is invited to Diamond Tiara's Nightmare Night party." the pegasus explained. "Also, if ya want, you can adopt a kitten named Pumpkin! He's really nice and sweet and energetic!" Apple Bloom cut in. Mr. Firefox sighed. "I'll think about it. However promise me this, if you see any brutes hanging around, give them a piece of my mind." "Poor Mr. and Mrs. Firefox." Sweetie Bell said as the three fillies walked towards Seeds and Hay to give Button Mash his invitation. "Yeah. And the only suspect is Silver Spoon." Scootalo muttered. Soon the fillies came to the restaurant and saw Button Mash pacing outside. When he saw the CMC, he galloped towards them. "Finally yall came here. Dad made posters of the cat and placed two around the restaurant. There's a lot more so I thought that we could place them around town." Button Mash explained. "That's great! The sun's almost about to set so let's get going!" Scootalo explained. After the fillies delivered the last of the invitations, except for one, they started to hand out posters. Suddenly, Apple Bloom stopped walking. In the park, she could see a group of four fillies hanging around the pond. "Uh-oh." Button Mash whispered, stopping besides her. Scootalo stepped forward to get a better look at the fillies while her three friends cowered behind her. It was hard to tell in the dull evening, but one of them looked like he was wearing a necklace of pearls. "I think one of them is Silver Spoon." Scootalo whispered, her heart sinking. Button Mash tucked his chin into the collar of his coat. "She was doing so well." he sighed. "Come on, let's go another way." replied Sweetie Bell. There was a splash, followed by a shout. One of the fillies had thrown an empty soda can into the water. The geese in the middle of the pond squawked in alarm. Flapping their wings and taking cover on the far side. "That's it." Apple Bloom breathed. She was about to yell at the fillies. However, Sweetie Bell tugged on the country filly's red mane. "Don't! I have to see Silver Spoon next week, and I don't want any trouble." the unicorn whispered. "They aren't worth bothering with Apple Bloom." Scootalo said. The country filly reluctantly followed her friends, looking over her shoulder to see Silver talking and laughing with the other fillies. Kicking another can into the pond. The fillies walked on until they reached the Everfree Forest at the edge of town. "One more invitation to go. Who's it addressed to?" Button Mash asked. Sweetie Bell levitated the envelope and looked at the address written on it. "Fluttershy." she said. "Great! We can take the shortcut through the forest." Apple Bloom chirped. Button Mash looked slightly pale. "Do we have to?" "What are you worried about? It's migration season for the monsters and the Uras are hibernating." Apple Bloom explained. "I...I'm n..not worried." Buttons replied. Button Mash kept close to Sweetie Bell as the group of fillies picked their way along the narrow path under the twisted trees. Dark branches loomed over their heads. Cutting off what light the moon offered, while shadows danced around them. "Zecora lives in these woods somewhere." Scootalo gulped. Button Mash stopped dead. "I wish you hadn't reminded me of that." he said nervously. Sweetie Bell's eyes gleamed in the pockets of light. "Where's her house?" Apple Bloom shrugged. "Ah don't know." "She could be watching us know. Dusk is the perfect time for witches." Scootalo whispered. "Don't talk like that." Sweetie Bell ordered. Button Mash gulped and pressed himself closer to the unicorn. "It's better to be prepared. Zecora could be flying around on her broom stick so she can follow her victims through the woods!" Scootalo exclaimed. "Don't be silly." Apple Bloomed stiffed a laugh. Even she was starting to feel scared. "Fluttershy's house is only five minutes away." They continued walking in silence. The darkness pressed down on them like a thick blanket. Twigs snapped loudly under their hooves. Apple Bloom was beginning to wish that Scootalo start talking again. Suddenly an owl hooted somewhere above them. WHO-HOO Button Mash yelped in terror and bolted off the path. Making Sweetie Bell fall over onto the wet carpet of leaves that littered the forest floor. Apple Bloom galloped to where the white filly was lying. "You ok?" she asked urgently. Sweetie Bell blinked behind the tears. "My..ankle." she replied. Button Mash came slinking back. His head low and his ears drooped. "Sorry." he apologized. "It's okay." the unicorn replied. Then Sweetie Bell heaved herself onto her elbows and tried to get up. But she fell back again with another grunt of pain. "Can ya walk?" Apple Bloom asked, concerned. Sweetie shook her head. "Nope." Scootalo looked around. The Everfree was now looking really creepy, and she began to feel frightened. Sweetie Bell can't teleport and the unicorn was too heavy to carry. Swish. Swish. Swish. Button Mash turned around. "What was that?" "Just leaves." Apple Bloom replied. An icy feeling creeping up her neck. "You mean, somepony walking through leaves." Scootalo whispered. Her eye round and fearful. Swish. Swish. The sound was getting louder. Somepony was coming. Apple Bloom felt a moment of terror as she stared into the trees. It was all she could do not to scream out loud when a tall, striped figure stepped onto the path. "Dear, dear. Whatever happened here?"