//------------------------------// // Noises in the Night // Story: A Small Collection of Small Stories about Small Ponies // by Snowfeather //------------------------------// Link to the cover art. The earth pony frantically tried the door again, in denial. It was locked. Lemon Scratch sighed, sliding down the door to the ground. Why did she have to leave the key at home? She looked up again at a nearby streetlamp. It was dark outside, she was alone, and she was a foal. It would probably be best to hide in the shadows. The party DJ P0N-3 played at had only finished a few minutes ago, and Vinyl was still there, talking. There would most likely be at least one of the partiers walking this way. The earth pony filly knew this house like the back of her hoof. It was her big sister Vinyl’s, so she stayed here in the summers. In the winters, she lived at her parents' house in Canterlot. She squeezed between a bush and the house until a thorn raking down her side caused her to stop. Maybe earth pony magic could be concentrated. A bush was part of nature, so maybe… The foal closed her eyes and tried to focus on the thorn moving, but to no avail. It didn’t move. Lemon sighed. She couldn’t turn around and move it because she would end up scraping her light yellow fur even more. The filly pushed forward. Lemon wished she could have moved the thorn with her magic. Well, to be more accurate, the foal wished she was a unicorn. Badly. Why was it that out of three children, one just had to be born an earth pony? The filly freed herself from the bush and sat down in a tiny clearing between the house and an even larger shrub that rose well above her head. It was just big enough for a filly to sit comfortably. A mare couldn’t even get back here, and that was why Lemon liked it. Her parents were unicorns, and Long Play, her older brother, and Vinyl Scratch, her older sister, were unicorns too. Dad had tried to explain it to her one time. He said that her grandfather— Lemon Scratch froze. She had heard hoof steps. The filly stood up and slowly crept out of the bush, stopping near the exit. Her plan was to peek around and see what was going on, but fear paralyzed her as something scraped the ground. It sounded big and heavy and… Is it a giant ax to hack off my head?! Lemon Scratch froze as the idea entered her brain. She tried to calm herself down. It’s not a ax, silly, it’s just…um…the pony who delivers newspapers! The sound is him dragging all the newspapers! At midnight…yeah. The more reasonable part of her mind caught up and discredited that explanation. The filly froze again as she heard the hoof steps getting closer. And closer. Out of her peripheral vision she spotted a pony standing right next to the hedge through the twigs and leaves. Lemon Scratch began to panic, breathing faster and faster. Suddenly, the bush was pulled back from behind her. Lemon began to scream at the top of her lungs, certain today was her last. A hoof was placed on her shoulder, and firmly held her. The murder pony turned her around. Lemon Scratch, still screaming, covered her face with her hooves instinctively and cringed. However, when the anticipated blow didn’t come, the filly let her scream fade off and peeked over her hooves. Holding her by the shoulder was a very, very annoyed Octavia. Lemon Scratch lowered her forelegs and grinned sheepishly. “Oh, uh…hi.” Octavia sighed. "Just like Vinyl."