//------------------------------// // A New Challenger Arrives! // Story: Fear Me, for My Name is Twaith! // by Michael Hudson //------------------------------// Sunset kept the binoculars to her muzzle as she hummed to herself. “Do you see the one with the really large and funny hat?” “I think he’s called a Sous Chef.” “But his name isn’t Sue.” “No, Sunset, it’s a term for the head chef in a kitchen, derived from the French to mean–“ Sunset rubbed her forehead and cut Twilight off with a sigh. “I know what it means. I was just trying to joke around. Now, do you see him?” Twilight nodded as she lazily spun in a circle in the air. “I still don’t see why you’re so excited for this. It seems kind of mean.” “They’re called pranks. Besides, you’re a form of ghost, so isn’t haunting kind of a part of your job description?” “I never signed a contract to work as a ghost.” Sunset hit her head against the table she sat at before pointing a hoof through the window she was spying through. “Just… just go and do your magic.” “So freeze everything?” Sunset looked up and glared at Twilight, but the smile Twilight bore simply caused her to grimace and groan. Twilight let out a small giggle and slipped through the glass, made her way across the open space between Sunset’s room and the kitchens, and then went behind a set of hanging pots and pans. She tapped one gently and watched it swing in front of the Sous chef. A frown came across her face and she tapped it harder, but still no response. Well, I guess I have to try a little harder than. The clamor of the pans was silenced almost immediately by the chef’s horn glowing and him glaring at the pastry in front of him. A bead of sweat ran down his face and he waited, keeping his grip on the pans tight. The crash of the drop sent spams through his body, and Twilight gently tipped his hat. She smiled as he didn’t notice, but decided that she had had enough of trying out Sunset’s new activity. As she left though, the chef let out a deep sigh of relief. Pssht. His eyes tweaked as the soufflé slowly fell to its untimely demise. The stallion opened and closed his mouth for a few moments before screaming, “No!” Twilight appeared next to Sunset as she giggled, delighted to have foiled the poor stallion’s attempts once again. Twilight on the other hand, was not so pleased. “I don’t think I like haunting.” “What? Oh come on, that is classic slapstick.” “It’s mean. Look how sad he is.” Sunset rolled his eyes. “He’ll just try to make another one soon. In fact, I rarely get such a perfect opportunity to ruin it.” She sighed as Twilight continued to frown at her. Playing with the servants and guards had been one of her few ways to entertain herself in the past, and she wanted Twilight to be able to enjoy it too. Wait, guards! That’s it! “Twilight, please, give me one more chance, okay?” Twilight narrowed her eyes, but soon remembered that she honestly didn’t have anything better to do. Besides, Sunset rarely gets to have a day to herself, so it is really nice that she wanted so badly to spend it with me and just me. She smiled at Sunset and put a hoof on the yellow mare’s nose. “Okay I guess.” Sunset spun around almost instantly to hide her blush from Twilight. She then led the way as they went towards the front of the castle and the barracks. Once more, they took a strategic position outside of the guard’s main barracks where most of them would be hanging out currently. Twilight snuggled into the bush next to Sunset, causing the other mare to shiver. “So, what are we doing here?” “You’re going to do something simple. The absolute worst thing it can do is slightly scare some ponies. Sound good?” “That doesn't answer what I’m going to do.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Fine. You’ll grab one of their sheets, put it on while invisible, and make spooky noises. Though… give me a spooky voice.” Twilight cleared her throat and waved her forehooves in front of her slightly. “Wooo.” Sunset blinked a few times before smacking herself, causing Twilight to frown. At this point she had started to be able to understand at least what this gesture was and didn’t like it when Sunset did it. It made her feel bad, like she had failed to do something right. Well, maybe a different dialect would help. The three layered voices that spoke Eldritch words shook Sunset to her core and she lowered her hoof as she shivered harder. Twilight bit into her lower lip. “So, will that do?” Sunset slowly nodded, and Twilight clapped her hooves together before flying into the room. For the first few minutes it worked like a charm. The guards were startled by the sheet, but it definitely was the voice and cold that emanated from her that sent a few of the closer ones into a panic. She paused for a few moments, unable to stop giggling as the owner of the sheet fell onto his back. Maybe Sunset is right? This can be kind of fun. The sheet around her was then yanked off by a pink aura. “What are all of you doing? If I didn’t think higher of our dear princess then to do such an elementary prank on us, I would say she at best was testing our courage, and from what I see, you all failed!” The white stallion put his hoof down onto the ground as he shook his head, his beautiful blue mane swaying with it. “It’s just a sheet.” Twilight’s eyes were wide as she stared the new player in her game. His toned muscles, tall frame, long and slightly messy hair, dampened by a shower he just took, simply took her breath away for a moment. One of the guards yelled something about ghosts and that same stallion turned to face directly at her. “Fine, if you guys insist, I’ll check for them.” Twilight thought about the prospect of the handsome pony spotting her, and panicked. ======+++++====== “So, can you two please tell me why my captain of the guard was frozen today?” Sunset and Twilight both swallowed hard as they laid down in front of Celestia. Sunset opened her mouth, but Twilight beat her to the punch. “I panicked. I’ve never tried talking to a handsome stallion before. I’m sorry! Please don’t punish me!” Both of the mare’s eyes widened as the words settled on them and both shouted, “Handsome what?” Celestia now was faster then Sunset as she calmly stated, “I would suggest removing such thoughts about him. You and Shining Armor are related.” Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Wouldn’t he be something akin to a thirtieth generation nephew of mine, at best?” Celestia simply opened her mouth before shutting it. Sunset finally took this as a chance to speak her own reason for why she should dislike him. “He doesn’t like books.” “He what?” The ground around Twaith froze as she fumed, and Sunset let out a sigh of relief, thankful that no further questions were to be asked about the threat, even though she still wasn’t absolutely certain why she considered him such a tremendous threat. Unfortunately for Sunset though, that night, Twilight floated into the barracks and waved at Shining Armor from the other side of the room. She then threw her hooves into the air, happy she could even do that.