//------------------------------// // Square One // Story: Life in Technicolor // by ThePwnzorMuffin //------------------------------// “Alright!” The glow from Twilight’s horn fizzled as the book found its rightful place amongst the shelves. She swept her eagle-eye around the library, and it rewarded her by radiating, sparkling; everything was in its right place, from the “CLOSED” sign hanging outside to the books that she had just organized. She turned, about to take the first step up the stairs to a well-deserved sleep - *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* Twilight’s eye twitched. Of course there would be some rogue, some deviant, beyond the door, who purposefully visited the library after closing time, hell-bent on taking a book from the library’s collection and throwing the orderliness into disorganized chaos. Still, the unicorn mused as she took her time approaching the door, it would be worth it if it meant teaching the magic of reading to another pony… The door opened, revealing a rather confused looking pegasus. “Rainbow Dash? What brings you here?” Twilight noted the saddlebag that rested at her friend’s side. “You usually don’t drop by after closing time.” Rainbow responded with silence, opening her mouth but closing it after no words came out. Her confused look persisted. Twilight started to inquire again, but Rainbow had her nose in the saddlebag in a moment. She emerged, holding in her mouth the saddlebag’s lone item. Twilight peered at it, but she didn’t need to, since she already recognized what it was. On the cover of the book that Rainbow held her mouth, the outline of a multi-story house stood among a dark haze of mist and clouds. A single window was illuminated on the topmost floor, the only source of light in the picture. It was all very mysterious and vague… ...except for the words THE MYSTERY OF CLOUDSDALE MANOR (BASED ON A TRUE STORY) blaring, in ragged, scariest-effect-possible print, across a good half of the front cover. “Twilight, what is this?” The unicorn in question returned her attention to Rainbow Dash, who had asked the question around the book in her mouth. “Is this your answer to what we talked about today or something?” She continued. Twilight was confused by Rainbow’s apparent confusion. “Of course.” Her horn glowed as she magically removed the reason for all the confusion from her friend’s mouth. “You said you wanted something different in your life, right?” She waited for Rainbow to nod. “I’m sure you realize that that statement can encompass a wide variety of, as you put it, ‘things.’” She flipped the book over so that the back cover was visible to both ponies. It lauded itself over how it was “based on a true story” at least twice. “So, I decided to start with this.” The book floated in front of Rainbow’s face. It stayed there for a moment, before Twilight decided that it could find a spot balanced on her friend’s head. Unfortunately, her assessment was wrong, and Rainbow ducked when Twilight released her magical grasp on the book. It fell to the ground with a quiet thud. “Maybe you need some adventure in your life!” Twilight figured that any possible damage to the book would be negligible, so she simply picked it up again, placing it in Rainbow’s saddlebag. She hoped her reassuring grin would be, well, reassuring enough. It didn’t seem to be. Twilight’s smile fell as Dash remained silent, choosing to stare at the book in her saddlebag. “I just thought that since it’s based on a true story, it might be more exciting than the ridiculous premises that fantasy stories come up with sometimes.” The unicorn added. Dash raised an eyebrow. “You trying to accuse Daring Do of something?” she accused. Twilight shook her head rapidly, taking a step back. “Of course not! It’s just that this might be more… relatable? It is about your hometown, you know.” She stepped closer again. “Who knows,” she nudged the skeptical pegasus with a hoof, “you might like it so much you could investigate it yourself! That sounds exciting, right?” She nodded, answering her own question. “I dunno, Twi…” Dash scuffed at the ground. “It just seems kinda corny. Like, those stupid horror movies that come out every year.” She scratched her head, trying to think of specific examples. “They’re totally ridiculous and gory and stupid, but they try to get you by saying that they’re ‘based on a true story.’” Twilight frowned. “But that one really is based on a true story!” “How do you know that? Because it says so?” Rainbow deadpanned. “…Maybe.” Dash chuckled, the first time Twilight had seen change her expression since she got there. “Trust me, Twi.” She puffed out her chest, putting a hoof to it. “I’ve seen enough horror movies to know about all the tricks they throw at ya. But,” she quickly added after seeing the unicorn deflate slightly, “I’ll still give this a shot. ‘Cause it’s from you.” Twilight perked up immediately.“Tell me if it changes anything, okay? I’m always glad to help!” She took another step forward, her confident smile wide. “Uh… sure…” Rainbow took a step back. Twilight wasn’t sure why. “I’d start reading here, but since it’s already late…” “Yeah, I was actually about to turn in for the night.” As if on cue, she was hit with an overpowering yawn. She shook it off, continuing. “Just tell me if you make any progress on it, okay?” Rainbow had already flared her wings, ready to make the instantaneous trip to her home, but looked back at Twilight to give a nod. “Got it.” And just like that, she was gone again. Twilight, however, remained where she stood, looking up at the sky that her friend had just disappeared into. That is, until the wind bit at her coat and she slammed the door shut. A frown creased her face, at both the conversation she just had and what she was about to do. Her horn lit up again, seemingly random books being pulled from their rightful places. Before long, she had a neat little pile in front of her. She started to comb through the books, trying to settle on the best choices. Organization could wait. Sleep could wait, too. ---------------------------- Rainbow peeked into her bedroom, fearful of waking her house’s only other occupant. Through the dim light that snuck its way in from her hallway, she could just make out the dim, stationary outline of her pet tortoise. Of course, he was stationary most of the time anyway, so she still couldn’t tell if he was awake or not. She decided to take the risk, and she flopped onto her bed in one powerful jump, relishing the soft, cool feeling it rewarded her with. She peered at her alarm clock, but after a couple seconds of intense squinting, she gave up and switched on the bedside lamp. It only took her a few seconds to decide that she could afford to stay up in the name of progress, and she wormed out of her saddlebag, grabbing the object of much debate between her and Twilight. It didn’t look any more appealing to her than it had about an hour ago. After taking a deep breath, she opened the front cover and flipped to the first page. “Alright, here we go…” ----------------------- “Wait, wait, are we really going to do this?” Scare Dee fidgeted nervously. “Of course, you scaredy cat!” Stu Pid nudged his friend, wearing a cocky smirk the whole time. “Exploring the mansion seems fun. What could possibly go wrong?” “Oh, I don’t know, a lot of things?” ----------------------- Scare Dee was the last to walk across the threshold. He gave the outside world one last glance. “I have a really bad feeling about this…” “Of course you do.” ----------------------- “I think I heard something! Over there, down that impossibly dark hallway!” Bone Head pointed, intent on investigating. “I don’t think you should…” Scare Dee’s words were lost to the hallway, as Bone Head disappeared down it. “Well, you’re not gonna see him ever again.” ------------------------ It was hopeless. Scare Dee couldn’t move. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t will his body into action. It gave the phrase “paralyzed by fear” a whole new meaning. He heard the screams of his friends in the distance; it was only a matter of time before she joined them. He would have laughed at the irony of the situation, if he wasn’t paralyzed. They had ventured into the manor on a dare, hoping for a night of “frightful fun.” They had hoped for screams of excitement and daring, not screams of bloody murder. All of this ran through Scare Dee’s mind as he heard hoofsteps approaching. Closer… Closer… Closer… “...” Rainbow Dash shut the book, scanning the back cover. BASED ON A TRUE STO- She tossed it off the edge of the bed with a sigh. After checking to see it wasn’t hurt in any way, she flopped back onto the bed, glancing at the clock. It taunted her by reading thirty minutes past 3, but a double take made her realize it was telling the truth. “I have no idea what Twilight was thinking, suggesting that.” Rainbow addressed the question to her ceiling, but Tank turned his head at his owner’s utterance. Dash returned the stare, but the tortoise only responded by blinking. The pegasus watched as his eyes inched closed, then inched open again. She sighed. “Like, that would never happen! It’s so unrealistic!” She waited for Tank’s reply: another blink. She continued. “Really, though. Nopony would be that stupid, right? Go into an abandoned mansion with a super creepy legend surrounding it, just because somepony dared you to? And then, it just so happened to be true, and of course some ghost is after your blood?” Dash turned back to the ceiling, closing her eyes. “You’re right, Tank. That’s why it’d never happen.” ----------------------- *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* “mmph…” Twilight was brought back to reality by the pounding of hooves on her door. She tossed around for a moment, throwing her pillow over her head. *KNOCK KNOCK* “MMph…” The knocking sounded a lot closer than it usually did this time. Come to think of it, it didn’t sound like the offending party was knocking on a door at all… Twilight peeked one eye out from under her protective pillow, and yelped at the sight of Rainbow Dash, who had a hoof raised and ready to inflict more pain on her bedroom window. “Dash!” Twilight’s horn flared and flung the window open, breathing a mental sigh of relief when Rainbow’s next swing met only air. “My window isn’t that stable, you know!” The pegasus shrugged, nonchalant. “It seemed to be holding up just fine.” She didn’t elaborate, and Twilight just shook her head in response, the window closing behind Rainbow. Twilight regarded her friend curiously for a second, while Dash took to flitting about her room, waiting to be questioned. “What brings you here this early? Are you finally ready to try my famous pancake recipe?” Twilight smiled brightly at the thought. She didn’t know why none of her other friends wanted to try it whenever she brought it up, even though she had labored tirelessly in her quest for perfection. The countless bottles of empty pancake batter and burn marks on various parts of the kitchen were proof of that- “Sorry Twi’, I think I’ll pass on that.” Dash cut into her thoughts before reaching into the saddlebag that she carried. “Besides,” she brandished Twilight’s recommendation in front of her, “why else would I be here?” “Oh, did you have something else to ask about it? Or did you have more criticisms of the idea?” Twilight climbed off the bed. Her pillow and bedsheets were enveloped in a glow as they were arranged into proper “pre-sleep” position. “Really, Dash, you should give the book a try before you bash it.” The pegasus huffed. “I did give it a try, thank you very much.” She ignored Twilight’s surprised “Wait, really?” “In fact, I gave the whole darn thing a try!” To prove her point, she opened the book and flipped through the pages rapidly. “Everypony dies and that’s the end.” She breezed through the last pages, shutting the book with emphasis. “So… I take it you didn’t like it?” Twilight tilted her head. Rainbow’s nose scrunched up. “You could say that again.” She offered the book to Twilight, who took it in her hooves. “It was too predictable. I saw all of the twists coming.” “All of them?” Twilight raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Even when-” Dash waved her hooves, cutting the unicorn off. “Yes, even when you found out that Fry Tenned was a descendant of the demon pony. All of these stories have at least one character who’s got that ‘crazy occult connection,’ then the rest of the characters can get killed and it’ll be wrapped up all nice and convenient.” She shook her head as she spoke, her sarcasm obvious to Twilight. “But what about-” “Yes, Twilight, even when you find out that the dead body in the lobby is alive and it’s the thing that’s been killing all the ponies. It’s like, there’s this one ghost and it’s splitting the group up by making them hear different things, but that still doesn’t explain what eventually happens to them? Well duh,” she smacked herself in the forehead with a hoof. Twilight cringed, but Rainbow didn’t even wince. “it’s obviously because the sounds that the ghost makes leads them back to the lobby. They reach the lobby, they’re all confused about what’s been making the noise, and when they get close to the body, BAM!” She smacked her hooves together, and Twilight jumped slightly. “Never knew what hit ‘em.” She sighed. “It’s kinda disappointing to see really generic stuff like that, but hey, it’s what sells.” “It didn’t help you then, did it?” Twilight frowned, absently turning the book over. When the pegasus shook her head, the book disappeared in a magical poof, to its rightful place on the fifth shelf from the left, in the third row. A checklist and quill appeared in its place, and Twilight turned her attention to it. “Hm… okay, so that didn’t work…” The quill scratched against parchment as Twilight marked her first checkbox. “I probably shouldn’t recommend this one, then, since it’s too unrealistic…” She spoke more to herself than to her unexpected visitor. “Is that the only thing you thought of?” Dash crossed her hooves over her chest, fixing Twilight with expectant eyes. “Quite the contrary, my dear Dashie.” Twilight winked, catching Dash off guard with the sudden use of her nickname. She smirked, seeing her friend failing to hide her growing blush. “I actually have-” “Twilight!” The voice came from downstairs, most likely the kitchen. It cut the mare in question off, and she turned. “Same as usual for breakfast, right?” Twilight didn’t respond right away. Instead, she looked back at the waiting pegasus, regarding her for a moment. “Actually, Spike, I think I’ll make breakfast today!” She called back down. There was a moment of silence, and then, “Are you sure? You remember the last time you tried-” Spike’s voice stopped abruptly. “-don’t tell me you want to cook pancakes again...?” The uncertainty in his voice rose gradually as the thought progressed, until it bordered on fear. Twilight frowned, but her gaze didn’t leave Dash, who was starting to fidget. “Hey, I’ve practiced at least once a week for the past month! I just need to make a few… minor adjustments from the last incident, and we’ll have edible pancakes today!” She glanced towards the door. Then when nothing came from beyond it, back to Rainbow. Then back to the door, before it finally gave a reply. “...I’ll leave the fire extinguisher on the counter, okay?” Twilight rolled her eyes, but her smile returned. “I told you, Spike, I’ll get it right this time!” She didn’t get a response, so she had to chuckle. “It was the pan’s fault, I swear… oh, right!” She turned again to Rainbow, who had been clearing her throat expectantly. “It’s okay that you didn’t like that book. It was just a starting point, of sorts.” “So that means…?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Yep! There’s more where that came from!” She could barely contain her excitement. “Great…” was the drawn-out reply from her friend. Twilight was about to accuse Dash of being unenthusiastic, but then the pegasus gave a dry chuckle to accompany her comment. So Twilight opted for a more open-ended, less blatant accusation. “What?” She narrowed her eyes; the icing on the cake. To her credit, Rainbow didn’t even flinch. “It’s just funny, is all.” She held her hooves up, a gesture of peace. Twilight didn’t respond, allowing her to continue. “Your answer to my problem is books, Twilight. I could probably ask you for advice on anything from dating to depression, and you’d probably give me a book. Like,” the pegasus smirked, “since I didn’t like that book, I’m about to be loaded down with more books, right?” Blood rushed to Twilight’s face. “Wh-what’s wrong with that?” Her defensive tone was compensation for the embarrassment that threatened to make her back down, admit her wrongdoing, or at least try a method of assistance other than books. Dash rolled her eyes. A quick flap of her wings, and she hovered above the unicorn, patting her on the head. It didn’t help in diminishing the strength of Twilight’s blush. “Never said it was bad. It’s just, so… you.” She flashed a devilish grin at Twilight, whose poor face couldn’t handle the amount of redness she was currently subjecting it to. Indeed, so violent was her blush that steam started to emanate from the top of her head. Dash’s hoof retracted quickly. “Uh…” She waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s face. “Equestria to Twilight?” More steam. She poked Twilight’s nose. Still more steam. She gave Twilight, in all her embarrassment, a once-over, and she started to laugh. “Y’know, pancakes actually sound pretty good right now…” Rainbow inched towards the door, but Twilight didn’t budge. “So, you’re cooking breakfast for me too, right?” She was almost at the door. “Great!” And out she went, leaving the door swinging in her wake. Twilight finally came to, feeling her cheek with a hoof. After a moment, “feeling” became “rubbing” which became “viciously scrubbing” when she realized the full force of her persistent blush. “I hope I don’t burn the pancakes this time.”