//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: Night Two // Story: A Canterlot Ghost Tale // by volrathxp //------------------------------// A Canterlot Ghost Tale Chapter Three: Night Two “Murdered?” Bon Bon said incredulously.  She moved to get up from her seat.  “You're joking.  Why would the realtor not tell us that?” “I don't know, Bon Bon, but I'm not joking around here,” Archibald said, motioning for the mare to sit back down.  Bon Bon grimaced, but sat anyways.  “The house you are living in has a very long history, my dear mare.  In these parts it's well known as Murder Manor.” “Murder Manor?  Sounds like something out of one of Lyra's cheesy horror flicks she likes to watch,” Bon Bon said. “This... Lyra.  The unicorn that was with you that evening?” Archibald said.  Bon Bon nodded.  “I see.  Many of the house's prior occupants have been unicorns, this being Old Canterlot.” “And what happened to those occupants?” Bon Bon said. “Some were murdered, some committed suicide.  Others went crazy and murdered others,” Archibald replied.  “Some simply vanished into thin air, never to be heard from ever again.” “How... how many?” Bon Bon asked weakly.  Archibald grimaced. “That is of no matter, Bon Bon.  What matters is you must take your loved one and get out of that house.  If it hasn't started already, it will,” the elder unicorn said.  Bon Bon frowned, causing Archibald to pause.  “What?  Something happened, didn't it?” “I... I don't know.  I was in the kitchen last night... unboxing things, when I heard a noise from the hall.  Two of my pictures fell, shattering the glass on one of them,” she said.  “And then later that evening, we heard noises downstairs.  Every box that we hadn't unpacked yet in the living room had practically fallen over, like they hadn't been stacked correctly.”  She looked up at Archibald.  “What is it, Professor?” “I don't... I don't know, Bon Bon.  I moved here to study that house, and I've never been able to so much as make contact with any spirit there, but I've felt the oppression in the air.  For your sake, and for your wife's sake, you must leave there immediately,” he said.  Bon Bon sighed loudly. “Look, I appreciate the concern... but to be honest, Professor... I don't really believe in this stuff.  The boxes falling over was just Lyra stacking them wrong, and the pictures... we've got a lean in the house, that's all,” she said.  “Now, if you'll excuse me... I was going to have a relaxing day shopping in Inner Canterlot.”  She stood, trotting off, leaving Archibald sitting there.  The stallion sighed. “Bon Bon!” He shouted, causing the mare to stop in her tracks.  “If you need anything... please let me know.  If I can't convince you to leave... if it gets worse, come to me.  I'll help.”  Bon Bon nodded curtly and continued trotting forward, leaving the elder unicorn standing in the center of the square by himself.  Archibald glanced down at his watch and grimaced. “Late, I'm going to be late,” he muttered to himself as he made his way towards the university. *********************** “Lyra, I'm home!” Bon Bon called out as she pushed open the door to the house.  There was no response.  Bon Bon set her shopping bags by the door and carefully trotted down the dark hallway to the kitchen.  “Lyra?  You here?” Her eyes caught a note attached to the refrigerator.  The cream-colored mare pulled it off, sighing. Bon Bon, Practice is late tonight.  All the boxes have been put away and I will be home pretty late.  Don't wait up for me. Love ya! Lyra Bon Bon rolled her eyes at the little x's and o's scribbled on the note.  “Well, that's just dandy.”  Her stomach growled loudly.  “Ugh.  I should eat something.  I haven't eaten since lunch.” Bon Bon glanced around the kitchen, noting that Lyra indeed had been pretty busy and had put away the kitchen things exactly where she had left her sticky notes.  Pulling a pot out of the cupboard, Bon Bon went to work.  Within a few minutes, she was boiling a lovely smelling hay stew.  She placed a cover on the pot, bringing the heat down to allow it to cook. A clatter from the hallway caught her attention, her ears perking up. “Lyra?” She called out, cautiously edging towards the door to the hall.  She peered out, seeing no indication of her wife's entrance.  The front door was closed shut, her shopping bags sitting neatly against the wall next to it.  Bon Bon frowned.  She turned back to the stove and lifted the cover, giving the stew a quick stir before putting it back on. A crinkling sound, like a bag being moved came from the hallway.  Bon Bon trotted back into the hall, her expression furious. “Alright, Lyra, this isn't funny.  Come out or --” She said, her voice catching in her throat.  Her bags at the end of the hall were all strewn across the floor.  Bon Bon made her way over to them, carefully picking up each item and placing them back in its respective bag.  She counted quickly, her eyes widening when she realized one of the bags was missing. “What in the...?” She said, thinking about what Archibald had told her.  Could... could he be right?  Is this place really – She started to think.  A loud clattering noise came from the kitchen, interrupting her train of thought.  She turned tail and ran back into the room, nearly slipping on the wet linoleum.  Her hay stew was spilled all over the floor, the pot laying overturned in front of the stove.  Bon Bon narrowed her gaze at the ruined meal. “Really?  You'd better hope this is one of your pranks, Lyra, or I'm going to kill you,” she said, carefully stepping over to grab a dustpan and mop.  Dilligently, she cleaned the mess up, clicking off the stove as she finished.  By the time she was done, she felt tired and worn out, and had nearly forgotten about the missing bag.  Her stomach rumbled again. “Well... I guess I need to eat something,” she said, grabbing a bag of potato chips off the shelf.  They weren't her favorite things to eat in the world.  Lyra loved them far more than she did.  But the foal growing inside her wanted food, and it was going to get it.  Munching on them, Bon Bon made her way to the living room to inspect Lyra's handiwork. Bon Bon was... surprised, to say the least.  The boxes had indeed been cleared out, and Lyra had taken the opportunity to lay out all the furniture the way that the cream-colored mare had wanted it.  Pictures of the two mares hung on the wall along the side of the room, and Lyra's bookshelf was neatly crammed into the corner.  Bon Bon smiled as she ran her hoof along the spines of Lyra's book collection.  Her wife had even organized them, something that Bon Bon had been trying to get her to do for ages. Sections of the books were devoted to music theory and sheet music for the lyre, while the vast majority of it was devoted to Lyra's hobby: fantasy novels.  Lyra greatly enjoyed the worlds that her books delved into, including everything from Daring Do to the Game of Ponies series, the latter of which Bon Bon had felt was far too violent for her own tastes.  Still, Bon Bon thought.  It's something she loves, much like I love my cooking and baking. Content with the job her wife had done, Bon Bon moved from the bookshelf to the fireplace.  A metal screen separated the logs sitting inside it from the living room.  Above it, a grand marble mantle sat against the old wall.  Lyra had placed various pictures and trinkets along it in a bit of a haphazard fashion.  Bon Bon smiled softly, making her way from the fireplace over to her chair.  Lyra had made sure that everything in their previous house was accessible to the pregnant mare as possible.  Bon Bon carefully climbed up onto the chair, resting comfortably against it as she popped another potato chip into her mouth.  She sighed loudly. “There is absolutely nothing to do,” she said, glancing up at the clock.  It was already nine thirty.  Deciding that bed time was probably for the best, Bon Bon popped out of the chair and started to make her way to the hallway.  As she reached the doorway, a *fwoosh* sound came from inside the room.  Bon Bon craned her neck back, seeing that the wood in the fireplace had suddenly caught fire. “Huh...?  How did...?” The cream-colored mare said.  She turned back and headed to the fireplace, grabbing the poker next to it with her teeth.  With a careful flick, she prodded the wood on top of it, shifting it so the fire wouldn't have any air to breathe.  Smoke wafted from the inside of the fireplace as the fire slowly died, causing Bon Bon to cough and drop the poker.  It clattered loudly against the marble as Bon Bon pulled back from it. A loud thumping noise interrupted Bon Bon's coughing fit.  She stopped mid-cough, looking up at the ceiling.  Another thump.  The ceiling shook slightly.  Bon Bon's eyes widened.  The thumping stopped as the furnace in the house kicked in, causing the cream-colored mare to breathe easy. “It's just an old house, Bon Bon.  Nothing to be afraid of,” she muttered to herself.  “I swear, I need sleep.  I'm starting to hear things.”  She trotted back into the hallway and realizing she'd forgotten them, grabbed her remaining bags.  Bon Bon was sure that one of them was missing, but wasn't quite sure which one.  She carefully made her way up the staircase, using the bannister to steady herself until she was at the top of the stairs.  Down the hallway she went, depositing her bags into a closet to be sorted later. Yawning, Bon Bon pushed open the door to the master bedroom.  After her shock of talking with Archibald that morning, and the full day of shopping she'd done, she was beat.  Sliding the covers back, she climbed into bed and rested her head on the pillow. *CREAK* Bon Bon's ears perked up instantly at the sound.  It had come from the stairs down the hallway.  Chalking it up to the house settling, Bon Bon returned to trying to sleep.  She lay there for what felt like hours, unable to acquire the sleep she desperately desired.  Groaning, Bon Bon sat up in bed.  A quick glance at their alarm clock revealed it was almost eleven-o-clock.  Where in the heck is Lyra? She thought.  It's not like her to be this late. *CREAK* Another creaking sound came from the stairs.  This time it was further up the stairs.  Bon Bon looked over at the door to the hallway.  It was cracked open.  The cream-colored mare slid out of bed, walking over to it.  Peeking out from the entrance, she saw nothing down the dark hall. “You're letting it get to you, Bon Bon,” she said to herself.  “It's just an old house.”  She went to turn back to her bed when she heard it again.  Her gaze returned to the hallway. *CREAK* Out of the corner of her eye, Bon Bon saw something moving down the hall.  A loud crashing noise echoed from the far end of it, and the cream-colored mare's eyes widened.  She stepped back, closing the door and locking it.  The noise stopped.  Bon Bon was about to open the door again when she noticed that the handle was jiggling.  She took a few more steps back. “I don't know who you are, but this isn't funny,” she called out.  Something started slamming on the door, making loud thuds and shaking the handle.  Bon Bon's eyes filled with fear as she nearly tripped over herself.  The thuds continued, the floor outside the bedroom creaking like there was something jumping up and down on it repeatedly. The lock started to turn.  Bon Bon scrambled to her hooves as the door began to open.  She charged straight for the closet, pulling it shut.  As she did, she swore that she saw shadows moving into the bedroom behind her.  The cream-colored mare was crying, startled by the sound of steps in the room beyond.  She sat there in the dark, her forelegs wrapped around herself as the steps stopped in front of the closet door. The door began to shake, like something was pushing on it from the other side.  Bon Bon pressed herself against the door, holding it closed.  The shaking grew forceful, jostling the pregnant mare about. And then... it stopped.  Bon Bon sat there for several long moments, waiting for something else to happen.  What was that? She thought to herself as she cried softly.  She curled up against the door, panting and weeping.  Her weeping grew louder as she waited inside the closet for Lyra to come home. **************************************** “Bonnie?  You home yet?” Lyra called softly as she entered their home.  The main hallway was a little dark, illuminated only by the table lamp next to the front door.  Lyra grimaced as she levitated her lyre behind her.  Setting the instrument in the drawing room, she trotted back out into the hall. “I guess she went ahead and went to bed,” she said, glancing up at the wall clock.  It was almost midnight.  Lyra made her way to the stairs, her ears perking up at a sound coming from the next floor.  It sounded like... crying?  Lyra trotted up the stairs to the landing.  The sound got louder.  It definitely sounded like a mare crying. “Bonnie?  Where are you?” Lyra said as she entered the bedroom.  The bed was empty and the room dark.  The covers lay in a crumple on the floor next to the bed.  The crying was louder, appearing to be coming from the closet.  Lyra walked up to the closet door calmly and tried to open it.  It wouldn't budge.  A thump could be heard on the other side, and for a moment the crying stopped. “Bonnie?” Lyra said.  “It's me.  It's Lyra.  What are you doing in there?”  Silence.  Lyra pushed on the door again.  It swung inwards easily, revealing Bon Bon.  The cream-colored mare was curled up across from the door, hyperventilating.  Tears streamed from her face.  Lyra's eyes widened.  “Bonnie!  Oh Celestia, are you alright?” Lyra's horn flickered to life, clicking on the bedroom lights.  Bon Bon's mane looked ragged, and when she met Lyra's gaze, she saw fear there. “Bonnie, what happened?  Did somepony try to break into the house?” She asked as calm as she could.  So help me if anything is wrong with the foal I'll... She thought to herself as Bon Bon tried to speak. “I-I-I-I I don't...” she tried to say. “Shh...” Lyra said, pulling the mare close in a hug.  “It's okay... It's alright... take your time.”  The two mares sat there for several long minutes while Bon Bon tried to speak. “There was a... a noise and something... something tried to get me, Lyra...” Bon Bon finally managed to say.  Lyra sighed, helping her wife to her hooves.  She moved Bon Bon to the bed, the cream-colored pony lying on her side.  Lyra stood, trotting around the room and back into the hallway.  She walked back into the bedroom, sighing. “I don't see anything,” she said.  “If there was somepony here, they're gone now.  Are you alright, sweetie?” “I... I'm a little better,” Bon Bon said.  “What time is it?” “It's a little after midnight,” Lyra said.  “How long were you in there?”  She motioned at the closet. “I don't... I don't know,” she said.  “I don't even know what time it all started...”  Lyra nodded, sitting on the bed next to her. “What happened, Bonnie?” She asked.  Bon Bon sighed, and explained everything that had happened over the course of the night.  She ended her tale and Lyra looked at her hooves. “And that's when you showed up,” Bon Bon said softly.  She laid her head against Lyra's shoulder.  “I was so scared...” “Shh... it's alright, it's over now,” she said softly, rubbing her wife's back.  “I'm sure it was nothing, Bonnie.”  Bon Bon's eyes widened. “It wasn't nothing!  Something tried to attack me!” She exclaimed.  Lyra frowned. “Bonnie, there's no evidence of anypony being in the house,” she said.  “It's an old house, it was probably the furnace or something.  I'll get somepony to come out and check it tomorrow.”  Bon Bon glared at Lyra. “I know what I heard and what I saw, Lyra,” she spat.  “It's just like Archibald said.  This place... it's... it's haunted.” “Archibald?  You don't mean that unicorn down the street do you?” Lyra replied.  Bon Bon nodded. “I ran into him this morning on my way into town,” she said.  Lyra sighed. “Bonnie, that pony is a quack.  Some of the other lyrists in the orchestra are students at the University,” she said.  “When it came up that we lived on this street, they instantly knew who lived near us.  He's completely discredited by the other professors, and comes up with all these nutjob theories about haunted houses.” “But... but he seemed so sure...” Bon Bon said.  “And after what happened tonight, I'm inclined to believe him.  There was something in this house, Lyra.  I don't know what it was, but it was here and it tried to get me.”  Lyra sighed loudly. “Look sweetie, I know you're under a lot of stress with the foal and this move and all,” she said, continuing to rub her wife's side.  “Let's not fight about this, alright?  Let's go to bed and try to get some sleep.” “Fine, alright.  I'm sorry I snapped at you,” Bon Bon said softly, turning over on her side.  “Maybe you're right.  Maybe it was just stress.  Can you get the light?” “Sure thing, sweetie,” Lyra said, her horn flickering to life.  The light switch clicked down, bathing the two mares in darkness.  Pulling the sheets over herself and Lyra, the seagreen mare looked up at the ceiling and sighed.  As she tried to get to sleep, one nagging thought seeped into her mind and would not let go. What really happened tonight?