What You Don't Know

by Flaming Pulsar

Chapter 24--Nightmare Night

Author's Note:

Google Docs:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jkRfAGMiad3GNzYOml9ySal6Y2p1uXyASLu4JWZ362E/edit?usp=sharing
In hind site, I probably should have finished this chapter before Halloween but meh. Also, I will be attempting to write more often than I have been recently so there's a chance that new chapters may be coming at a quicker pace. However, as you may know, I have TFS to work on as well so a lot of my time may go towards that since I am trying to keep WYDK on par with the real world season. That said, I will write Ch. 25 and 26 by the end of the month but Ch. 27 won't be until a little ways into December. But it'll be worth the wait. Keep on keeping on!

Chapter 24--Nightmare Night

“Síor, aren’t you going to get a costume?” Twilight asked as we were preparing for the Nightmare Night festival--that one I was telling Luna about that’s a lot like Halloween.

“Yeah but I need one more thing. What is the most horrifying creature that has ever existed?” I asked.

“Well, according to the spell that brought you here, it’s human. Why?”

“Ok, besides human. Maybe something with horns.”

“Well, there is the demon centaur, a creature that absorbs the magic of other races and uses it for his own evil purpose. But the only demon centaur alive is Tirek and he’s imprisoned in Tartarus. But you still haven’t told me why.”

“That’s fine, I need a dead one anyways. Just the skull actually. You think you could magic one in here?”

“I suppose, but why?” She magicked in a freaky skull that looked like a baboon crossed with a horse with some gazelle-like horns. It was just bigger than my head.

“That’s perfect. Could you speed-bleach it?”

“Sure. But I still don’t know why I’m doing this.” She bleached it clean.

“It’s the last part of my costume. After all, what’s a costume without a good mask?” I slid the skull over my head and it fit perfectly. “Now, there’s just one problem--I need to hide my eyes. Could you cover them with some sort of magical red glowing orbs that won’t affect my vision in any way?”

“I guess, but what are you supposed to be?”

I saw her horn glow and assumed the eyes were set. I then pulled on the cloak-robe that Rarity had made into a full closed robe with a hood. Next, I grabbed the long scythe that Applejack loaned me. “I am death!”

“How can you be a concept?”

“Humans have personified death to portray it as a being that governs the dead. There’s just one more thing that needs fixing--the voice needs to be deeper and more intimidating.”

“The greatest intimidation in a voice is one that is fluent in Old Equestrian. If I change your voice, you’ll be using ‘thee’s’ and ‘thou’s’ all night.”

“That’ll make me a bit of a hypocrite to Luna but I’ve done worse. Fire away.” She hit me with her best shot and I could feel my knowledge of language changing.

“Well, try it out.”

“What doth thou think?” I said in a deep voice that was not my own.

“Sounds like it worked. Now you haven’t asked what my costume is.”

“Very well, what dost thy guise depict?”

“Take a guess.”

“From the journal of Clover the Clever, I acquired a description of Starswirl the Bearded. If my recollection is correct, thou art he.”

“Yep. Now, where’s Spike?”

“I recall that he hath gone forth to his quarters to put on his disguise.”

“Oh yeah, I gave him the money to buy his own supplies this year, I wonder what he decided to make?”

“I’m a dragon!” Spike said as he came down the stairs wearing a dragon costume that made him look slightly bigger than he actually was.

“Indeed thou art,” I said.

“”Who are you? And why are you talking like that?”

“I am Death and thy time has come, mortal. Surrender thy soul unto me or I shall reap it from thy body!”

“Síor, knock it off, you’re scaring him,” Twilight said as she went over to comfort the young dragon who was visibly shaking in fear.

“That’s you, Síor? Why does your voice sound so deep and old?” Spike asked.

“Twilight hast changed my voice to better match my guise.”

“Huh. Ok.”

“Well?” Twilight asked expectantly. “Aren’t you going to guess what my costume is, Spike?”

“Uh, are you that one kooky grandpa from Ponyville Retirement Village?”

“I Starswirl the Bearded! Father of the amniomorphic spell? Did you even read that book I gave you about unicorn history?”

“Didst thou?” I asked Twilight. “Starswirl was the Father of the omniomorphic spell--a spell which allows the caster to change his or her form--not the amniomorphic spell--a spell which would allow the reader to transform anything into an amnion or sheep.”

“Oh, uh, my bad.” The doorbell that I didn’t know we had rang and Spike went to answer it.

A bunch of kids escorted by Granny Smith was at the door in their costumes and Twilight brought the bowl of candy while they chanted “Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something sweet to bite!”

“Great costumes everypony!” Twilight said to them as she gave out the candy. “Happy Nightmare Night Granny Smith.”

“I should have been asleep five hours ago!” the old mare complained.

“Pipsqueak the Pirate, at your service,” a young white colt with brown spots said as he worked his way to the front of the group of kids. “It’s my very first Nightmare Night!”

“Since you moved here from Trottingham?” Twilight asked.

“No, my very first Nightmare Night ever!”

Then a chicken squawk was heard as Pinkie, dressed as a chicken, made her way to the front. “Enough chitchat! Time is candy!”she said.

“Pinkie Pie, aren’t you a little old for this?” Twilight inquired.

“Too old for free candy?!” she squawked again. “Never!”
Twilight gave her some candy and then started jingling the bells of her costume at Pinkie trying to get her to guess about her costume. “Do you like it?”

“Yeah. Great costume! You make a fantastic weirdo clown!”

“A clown? Look at the borders on this robe, these are hoof-stitched!”

“It’s a great costume. Grandpa!” Spike said.

“Part way, mortals,” I said as the kids moved on to the next house. “Time ist wearing thin and I must seek thy Princess Luna.”

“Wow! Who’s that, Twilight?” Pinkie asked.

“Foolish mortal!” I said. “Dost thou not know the true image of death? Thou shouldst mind thyself elsewise thou might find thyself on my reaping list.”

“Ooh! Scary! Is that you Síor? That’s a really scary costume.”

“Costume? I know not of what thou speakst. However, thou shouldst know that the one known as Síor hast seen his end. I reaped his soul mere moments prior and now thy time has come as well.”

“You’re really good at that Síor. How’d you get your voice like that?” Evidently, nothing gets past Pinkie.

“Thou art wise, pink one. Thou hast seen through my disguise. In response to thy inquiry, my voice hath been altered by Twilight. She also procured the red illuminations upon my eyes.”

“Cool! You should really make a haunted house with that costume. I bet you’d scare everypony that went in.”

“A decent proposal, that is. I thank thee for the idea. However, as ‘twere, I need to find Luna prior to continuing this evening.” Shortly after I said that, i saw her bad-ass chariot descending to the library’s front lawn. “Speak of the devil and he doth appear.”

“Good evening, Síor. Twilight Sparkle. And who is this young dragon?” Luna said as she exited her chariot.

“I hadst forgotten that thou hast not met Spike as of yet. He ist Twilight’s noble assistant.”

“We see. And Síor, is that Old Equestrian thou art speaking?”

“Indeed ‘tis.”

“But we recollect that thou hath told us that Old Equestrian ist an archaic tongue.”

“Aye, however, ‘twas necessary for me to request of Twilight to alter my voice for it doth complete my ensemble.”

“Doth this mean that we may also speak in the ancient tongue?”

“If thou wishest. However, I must request that thou attemptst to refer to thyself as a singular being rather than with the royal ‘we.’”

“We--I shall attempt to adhere to this request.”

“Splendid! Now, tell me, Twilight, dost thou knowst of any haunted houses that we may attend?”

“Well, Cheerilee is hosting one at the schoolhouse but it’s mainly for fillies and colts,” she said. “I think Rainbow was wanting to do one for bigger ponies but she couldn’t get enough ponies to help.”

“What doth thou think, Luna? Shouldst we assist Rainbow Dash with her haunted house?” I asked.

“We--I know not of the concept of a ‘haunted house’ but we--I believe ‘tis in our--my best interest to assist anyone who should require assistance.”

“Marvelous! Where might we find Rainbow Dash. Twilight?”

“Last I saw she was flying around on a thundercloud scaring ponies. Look to the skies and you’ll probably find her.”

“Thank thee, Twilight. We shall see thee when the night hath ended.” We started walking into town to find Rainbow. “Luna, dost thou mind flying into the sky to perform an aerial search?”

“Not at all.” She flew up to get a better view and came back down after a couple minutes. “I hath sighted the rainbow one. She ist near the town hall.” We started walking that way but Luna seemed uneasy. “Why do all the ponies cower in fear? Doth they not know that we art a threat no more?”

“I hath learnt that the ponies art not ones to forget the reputation of others quickly. Additionally, they tend to shy away from me due to my abnormally bipedal nature.”

“Yes, I hath noticed quite a lack of racial diversity since my return. Upon enquiring this of my sister, I was told that it was to protect the ponies. I dislike the notion.”

“I concur. Racial ignorance leads only to bad things.” At this point we had reached the center of town and we saw Rainbow Dash scaring a group of children.

“WE REQUEST THE PRESENCE OF THE ONE NAMED RAINBOW DASH!!” Luna yelled in her Royal Canterlot Voice.

The pegasus in question was at our feet before I could blink. “We hear thou art wanting to host a haunted house,” I said.

“Yeah, what about it?” she asked.

“We would like to offer our services.”

“Really? That would be totally awesome! By myself, it would be pretty cool but with the help of the most dangerous creature to ever live and Nightmare Moon herself, this is gonna be the best haunted house ever!”

“We--I am Nightmare Moon no longer. I am no more than Princess Luna.”

“I hath no altercations to my label though it could be better. Shall we begin plans for our frightful merriment?”

“Um, Síor, why are you talking like that?” Dash asked.

“It ist part of my guise. Sans the voice, I am merely a man in a robe with a skull on his head. With the voice, I am Death!”

“Yeah, whatever. So, for the haunted house, I was thinking of having one room with a killer dentist, and another with a lumberjack, or maybe a crazy pony with a knife. Whaddya think?”

“Thy ideas, though good, require improvement. A worthy haunted house should drive fear directly to the hearts of the attendants and I know precisely how to do that.”

After about three hours and permission from the mayor to use the Town Hall, our haunted house was ready and open for visits. After putting the sign up with the name “Fear Facer” on it, it didn’t take long for our first guests to come. Naturally, I was at the front door to greet them. “Welcome, mortals. Dost thou dare to face thy fears?”

The first pony, a fairly built earth stallion dressed as a zombie, said “Bring it on!”

His companion, a sporty-looking pegasus mare dressed as a witch, added “Let’s do this!”

“Very well. Step into my lair and we shall see if thou hast what it takes to be fearless. Be warned, once thou enter, there is no turning back.”

They looked at each other, nodded, and stepped into the darkness before them. I followed directly behind.

“The rules art simple, thou will each face thy five worst fears. Survive all five, and thou shalt be allowed to go on. Thou may each choose a safeword to utter if thou canst not endure thy fears. At the utterance of thy safeword, thou shalt no longer endure thy own fear but instead thou shalt face my fears. But be warned, thy safeword cannot save thee from my fears.”

“Who are you anyways?” the mare asked.

“I am Death. And I am here to guide thee through thy fears.”

“And, uh, what does Death have to fear?” the stallion asked.

“Thou shouldst hope thou never finds out. If thou art ready, then choose thy safeword and we shall begin.”

“But wait, how do you know what our five worst fears are?” the mare asked.

“I am Death. I know all.” Also, Luna started hacking their minds the second they walked through the door.

“Alright, then my safeword is cumquat,” she said.

“And mine will be picklebarrel,” the stallion added.

“Thy safewords hath been chosen. I am now receiving information about thy fears.” I waited for a few seconds while Luna sent me their thoughts. “Hmm. Female, come with me. Male, with Cerberus.”

“Cerberus?” the stallion asked.

Qene, dressed as the most deathly version of Cerberus I could think of, stepped out of the shadows to take the stallion. I had Luna send the info for him to Qene and the walked away to a room on the right while I took the mare to a room on the left.

Once there, Luna used her magic to transform the room to suit her fear. The first one was easy enough: fear of public speaking. There was a pony figure created with the room that quickly went up to the mare and said, “You’re on, the topic is ‘autotrophs.’”

She barely had time to ask what an autotroph was before she was shoved onto a stage in front of a large imaginary audience with about ten different spotlights on her. I just watched as she started to freeze and sweat as she tried to force herself to speak on a subject she knew nothin about. “Um, autotrophs are um…” She started shaking and I thought I could see a wet spot forming at the crotch of her costume. Then because Luna’s too nice, an illusionary pony appeared in the back of the room holding cue cards. Of course they only had the information that Luna knew so it didn’t help much. The mare continued, “Autotrophs are a type of troph that is automatically generated.” The crowd started to chuckle at that.” They also generate themselves and other non-autotrophs.” This generated a few hearty laughs. “It is unknown how autotrophs came to be but some theories suggest they were created by the untapped magic that existed at their time of creation.” By now, the entire illusion of a crowd was full-on laughing at her. “Um, autotroph also, um...cumquats!”

With her safeword uttered, the illusion ended and she was dropped through a trapdoor that lead to the basement where she would witness my fears. First up: the fear of being operated on by an unskilled physician. The way this worked out was we had her sitting in a hospital waiting room for a few minutes before a doctor came out of the operating room covered in blood and said, “Your turn.” In the creepiest voice Luna could think to give him. Of course she tried to run but the nurses grabbed her and strapped her to a gurney and wheeled her into the operating room. I followed. She was moved to the operating table and strapped down as tightly as possible. “What operation needs to be performed?” the doctor asked.

“Open heart and brain surgery,” a nurse said.

“Very well. Scalpel!” The nurse handed--or hooved?--him a scalpel which he proceeded to use to slice the mare open. For any of you fuckers that are reading my journals and are worried for her safety, don’t. No sentient beings were harmed in the making of this haunted house. We simply made the illusion that she was being sliced open and operated on. Complete with illusionary pain. Of course she was screaming her head off and yelling “cumquat” every other word despite my telling her that her safeword wouldn’t save her from my fears. Luna was very good at this illusion stuff because this particular one lasted until the mare had lost most of her blood and died.

Only to be transported to the next fear: the fear of clowns. I did not join her for this one for obvious reasons but as Luna informed me post facto, she was essentially transported into a room full of clowns with extra creepy smiles all holding various forms of stabbing or slicing items. That literally scared her shitless before moving on to the next fear: fear of being tied up.

Though this fear was touched upon during the inexperienced doctor one, this was the time for the pure form of this fear. Consisting of nothing but ropes, this was the room where I got to take part. With the help of Luna’s immobilizing spell, I used the rope to tie the mare up as tightly as I could. It was essentially a hog-tie but even tighter as her head was between her legs by the time I was done.

Next was the fear of being buried alive. She was placed in a clear container, dropped into a hole and left there for about half an hour. She at least had a light in the container and there was a supply of air so she wouldn’t die but other than that it was kept as real as possible. Meanwhile, I ate a snack that Twilight was kind enough to pack for me. I swear she thinks she’s my mother or something.

And finally, it was time for the ultimate test of her sanity: the fear of being left alone in the dark in an unfamiliar room. This was the best fear to play with because it really was just her own imagination that she had to be afraid of. And the eerie sounds that we would create at random intervals. We left her in there until the stallion was done with his tour. He had actually made it through all of his own fears and was brought to the winner’s room where he was given a big bag of candy and escorted out. The mare was finally let out and taken to the loser’s room where she was given the consolation prize of a free session with a local psychologist because God knows she would need it.

And so the night continued until Luna got too tired to keep the illusions up at which point we took the rest of the candy back to the library so I could gorge on it later. That done, we decided to tour the festivities. We bobbed for apples, played a few games, and even participated in a costume contest--which I won of course and got a lifetime pass on the P.R.A.S. (Princess’s Royal Air Ship) Temporus. I wasn’t sure where the name of the ship came from but I assumed that I would find out in time.

When we were both tuckered out, we headed back to the library. Luna said good night and that was the end of that. All in all, not a bad night, even if I never really taught Luna how to be normal. She had fun and that’s all that matters. I then went to my room and ate candy until I fell asleep.