Stories for a Sleepover

by Star Plasma

The Terrifying Tale of the Twisted Tree

Chapter Three: The Terrifying Tale of the Twisted Tree

"It is said that one night, a long long time ago, a horrific experiment was conducted. It was a dark and stormy night. Rain pounded the streets, lightning streaked the skies, and thunder rumbled ominously. Little did Equestria know, a strange doctor by the name of Flawed Flask was conducting a freak science experiment with some of his lab partners."

* * *

Twilight had all of the ponies' undivided attention as they were immediately sucked into her story. Twilight smiled. She knew all of those books on narrative hooks wouldn't fail her!

* * *

"Are you sure this is safe?" asked one of Flawed Flasks lab partners.

Flawed Flask glanced at the idiot standing next to him. "Of course it's safe you moron!" he yelled.

The other ponies glanced at him as they thought about Flawed Flask's past experiments. Most of them had involved an involuntary death of some sort. Luckily, most of the deaths that had occurred were only on small animals, including some bunnies, birds, and some squirrels. Only one had involved the death of a pony. They had managed to cover up the ponies' death as a freak accident... which it was. They then vowed to never talk about it again.

Flawed Flask stared down at the seed in front of him. Several syringes containing strange substances surrounded the table around the seed.

"Substance number four!" Flawed Flask commanded.

His lab partner Franch En Styn held out the syringe marked number four in his hoof. Flawed Flask snatched away the syringe, and inserted it into the seed's soft spot. He then pushed down the plunger. His eyes gleamed eerily. "Substance five!" he demanded.

Flawed Flask could barely contain his excitement. After this last substance, he would have the cure for all of the weak fillies, with small, brittle bones, and brittle teeth. This new species of tree he was creating would produce fruit so immensely powerful, that any who ate it would immediately become more powerful then before. Of course, it would probably have some little side effects, but it was for the greater good, right?

"Syringe number five sir!" said Franch En Styn, handing (or hoofing?) the syringe to him.

With a maniacal grin, Flawed Flask brought the syringe up to the seed. However, he couldn't insert it before the inevitable happened.

The door to his house busted open, and a dozen royal guards galloped in. "Freeze right there! The royal guard has been ordered to put you under arrest!" the group leader said.

Flawed Flask didn't know how to react. Luckily, his lab partners did. Acting quickly, his groups' unicorns managed to hold off the guards for a while. Frank En Stein shoved the seed, and the final syringe into Flawed Flask's hooves.

"Go!" Frank En Stein yelled, then whirled around to face the guards.

Flawed Flask quickly made his escape through the back door. Unfortunately for him, he had not managed to get away unnoticed.

"After him!" the group leader commanded, still in combat with the science junkies.

One of the pegasus guards quickly galloped out of the front door and took to the skies, in pursuit of the crazed scientist.

Flawed Flask's hooves pounded the earth as he tried to make it to the Whitetail Woods. As soon as he got there, he would inject the last substance, and plant the seed. Flawed Flask shuddered as thunder shook the ground. Flawed Flask glanced over his shoulder. Just as he did, lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating everything in sight. Oh, dear Celestia...
thought Flawed Flask, as he caught sight of a pegasus guard tailing him.

Flawed Flask tried to pick up his pace, but running for so long was beginning to take it's toll. He was so close...

Just then, the pegasus guard had spotted sight of the Whitetail Woods looming in front of them. He knew that if Flawed Flask made it into the woods too far ahead of him, it would all be over. Diving with a speed that would've impressed even Rainbow Dash, the pegasus made his mark on the mad scientist. Flapping his wings rapidly, the pegasus was about to tackle the scientist, when, oh dear...

Flawed Flask's horn began to glow, and he knew he had the pegasus. The pegasus guard didn't have time to stop before Flawed Flask teleported.

The pegasus tried to comprehend what was going on, but didn't think about much before he crashed into the tree. Luckily for him, he hadn't crashed headfirst, but his wings were severely injured, and his hind left leg was broken. He then caught sight of Flawed Flask approaching him. Okay, maybe he wasn't so lucky to have not died on impact.

Flawed Flask looked down on the poor, helpless creature in front of him. The pegasus struggled to get away, but his leg and wings were not permitting him to go anywhere. Flawed Flask smirked.

"You were so close..." Flawed Flask whispered into the pegasus' ear.

The pegasus still had some fight left in him. Twisting his body over, he delivered a sharp kick across Flawed Flask's face. Flawed Flask gasped in pain, as his head whipped to the side from the force of the kick. Flawed Flask glared at the fallen pegasus.

"A pity. Perhaps I would have allowed you to live if you hadn't been so foalish. But you just couldn't resist a direct order from Celestia..." Flawed Flask drawled out Celestia's name, loathing how her name sounded on his tongue.

Flawed Flask looked back down upon the struggling pegasus. "You will pay dearly for your mistake." he told the pegasus.

Flawed Flask began to hum an eerie tune, as he released the seed and syringe from his magic's grasp. He made sure the pegasus was watching as he carefully inserted the needle into the seed. He pressed down on the plunger ever so slowly. Eventually, the seed was full of all the combined substances.

This is when Flawed Flask realized his mistake."

* * *

"Tia! They're getting to the good part!" Luna exclaimed.

Celestia giggled as she thought of all the ways to toy with the ponies inside. "Hmm..." she thought. "First of all, let's turn off those pesky lights!"

Luna giggled as her horn lit up. Poor Fluttershy! What shall be her reaction? Luna thought, as she reached through the window with her magic. She looked inside, and guided her magic to the candles. She then concentrated, and let her magic burst into a blast of wind.

As soon as her magic made contact with the candles, Fluttershy shrieked in horror. Luna and Celestia once again rolled on the floor with laughter as they thought of how genius their ideas were.

* * *

"EEEK!" Fluttershy screamed, flailing around.

"Fluttershy..." Twilight began, her words wasted as the yellow pegasus continued to dash about madly.

"FLUTTERSHY!!!" Rainbow Dash yelled, causing Fluttershy to shut her mouth, and stop in her tracks.

"Thank you Rainbow Dash!" Twilight thanked the rainbow-maned pegasus.

"I-I'm sorry." Fluttershy apologized, shaking, and glancing around the room as if a monster was about to attack her.

"It's okay Fluttershy. Ah' reckon Twilight can use one of her fancy light spells." Applejack commented.

Twilight grinned. "Actually, I think it would be better if we just listened to the story in the dark."

Fluttershy squeaked.

"Alright! Awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

All of the ponies looked down at Spike, who had assumed the fetal position.

"You okay Spike?" Pinkie Pie asked the purple dragon. Spike just nodded his head shakily, getting back up.

"Yeah. Of course I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" Spike asked.

"Everypony be quiet!" Twilight yelled, eager to finish her story. "Let's just get on with it."

Fluttershy squeaked again, her hooves making a soft, repetitive clopping sound as she trembled.

Twilight sighed. "This is gonna be a long night..."

So Twilight continued her story, with the only source of light coming from the flashlight focused on the bottom of her chin.

* * *

"Flawed Flask leaned down to speak into the pegasus' ear.

"Before you die, I'm going to let you witness the most wonderful sight to have been bestowed upon you." Flawed Flask growled, then dug a hole with his hoof.

Flawed Flask hadn't thought about it earlier, but he hadn't calculated the time it would take for the seed to become a tree. There was no point in bringing it up in front of the pegasus. Flawed Flask didn't want to seem like a fool. So, nevertheless, Flawed Flask put the seed into the ground.

The pegasus guard just stared for a while. Eventually, the guard built up the courage to laugh.

"HAHAHAHA! Yes! What a majestic sight! Sweet Celestia! It's even more beautiful than the sun!" He then began to splutter and cough, as he was reminded of his injuries.

Flawed Flask glared at the pegasus with unmasked fury. "Just you wait! In a couple of-" CRAACK!

Flawed Flask was cut off as a huge lightning bolt struck the ground where the seed was planted. Both of the stallions were blasted back from the impact. Dazed, Flawed Flask got to his hooves.

"Oh my..." he gasped. Flawed Flask was gazing at the tree, which now protruded from the ground about seven feet.

The tree had gnarled, twisted roots swelling from the ground, and they branched out in all directions.

"It's... beautiful..." Flawed Flask gasped.

Then he stopped as he realized one major detail that was missing. Flawed Flask stared at the tree. As he looked up the trunk, he saw that the branches were all twisted and stony looking. This was all very well; The detail that bothered him was, there was no fruit.

The pegasus guard had just regained consciousness, and was staring in horror at the sight in front of him. He once again struggled to get away, but his feeble attempts got him nowhere.

"This... This is all... THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Flawed Flask yelled at the grounded pegasus, walking over to end his pathetic, useless life. He was just about to smash the pegasus' skull in, when he heard a loud thunk! behind him.

Flawed Flask turned around to see a lone, silver fruit on the ground. Forgetting all about the pegasus, Flawed Flask approached the fruit. Well, since nopony else was going to eat it, Flawed Flask figured he might as well.

Taking a large chunk out of the fruit, he began to chew. It was absolutely disgusting. Flawed Flask began to retch. But try as he might, the fruit didn't come out of his mouth. It seemed to... attach itself to his tongue. Flawed Flask was left with no choice but to swallow. Strangely enough, after eating that bite, he was eager to devour the rest of it.

The pegasus continued to stare in horror, as the mad scientist ate the strange fruit. When he turned back around, the changes were obvious. His face had become wrinkly, and his eyes were red, and sunk back into his head. He also sported two massive fangs, that hung all the way down to his chin.

"Thisss isss when you pay..." the creature hissed ominously.

The pegasus guard blinked. When he opened his eyes, the creature was gone. He sighed with relief, and turned his head. Bad move. He stared straight into the soulless eyes of the horrifying creature as it bared it's massive fangs above him.

"Goodbye..." the creature hissed.

The pegasus' screams were cut off by the sound of blood gurgling as the creature plunged it's fangs into the guards' neck. The guard managed to take one last, blood filled breath as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he succumbed to death's grasp...

The next day, the guards that had been ordered to arrest Flawed Flask were ordered to find their missing companion. They had returned to the castle with high hopes of their comrade returning with Flawed Flask in custody. They were wrong. The group leader had suggested heading into the Whitetail Woods, because that was the closest, most obvious choice for a convict to escape to. As the guards entered the woods, they noticed a sick, gut-wrenching stench.

"Ugh! What in the name of Celestia is that?" one of the guards asked. The group continued to head into the Whitetail woods. As they got further along, they noticed a grey, twisted tree, that emanated danger.

"I got a bad feeling about this..." one of the guards said, scouting the area for any potential threat.

"Uh, guys! Come l-look at t-this." one of the guards called timidly from a crater by the tree.

"Sweet Celestia!" the group leader cried, taking in the scene in front of him.

An empty pony pelt lay in front of them. The skin appeared to be drained of all blood, and organs. The eyeballs were missing, and the skull was smashed, obviously for access to the brain matter. The only reason why this was recognizable at all, was because the cutie mark was all too familiar.

"Dear Luna! What kind of creature would do such a thing?!" the group leader asked.

An eerie laughing seemed to echo through the entire woods.

"The hay with this! I'm outta here!" one of the guards decided. The other ones followed close behind, leaving the skin where it was, in all haste to escape the creepy echo of the forest.

To this day, nopony knows what became of Flawed Flask. Many towns and cities have reported strange disappearances, and have encountered many empty skins, much like the one of the poor pegasus guard.

It is told that if you are in an orchard, alone at night, eventually, you will come across a strange tree adorned with beautiful silver fruit. If you see the tree, do not approach it. It will be the last thing you do."

* * *

Twilight took the flashlight away from her face, and shone it in the faces of her friends. Rarity looked shocked with horror, Rainbow Dash looked like she was trying really hard to suppress a scream, Pinkie Pie just stared into space with a blank stare, Fluttershy had promptly fainted, and Spike looked like he had tried really hard to not pee himself. Applejack looked to be the most unsettled of all. The part about being alone in an orchard must've really gotten to her Twilight thought.

Twilight began to smile as one word formed in her head. Success!

Everypony snapped back into reality as Spike spoke. "I have to go to the bathroom."

Everypony stared at him expectantly. "Umm... are you gonna go?" Twilight asked.

Spike made a face. As much as it hurt him to say this, he knew he wouldn't be able to go otherwise. Spike sighed.

"I'm scared," Spike said simply.

"And?" Rarity asked.

Spike sighed again. "Can somepony go stand outside the door?" he asked.

This caused everypony to laugh. Spike looked down in shame.

"No problem Spike!" Pinkie Pie said cheerily, walking over to the bathroom with Spike.

"When he's finished." Rainbow Dash said "It's my turn."

Comments

[spikethed]

Dude you have to make a story for Spike one so scare the princesses leave and hold each other in the same room as all the gurads remain awake and sends the main6 to cuddle with the lights on as Spike sleeps like a baby and the girls just look at him like "Is spike evil?" "I don't pinkie I just don't know"

[q97randomguy]

Reader beware. Prepare for a scare.
Wait is that taken?

[Star Plasma]

Indeed it is...

DAMN YOU GOOSEBUMPS! WHY YOU NO LET ME USE CATCH PHRASE?!1016896

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Pinkie Pie seemed the least unsettled by the story but only time will tell if she can last through ALL of the stories.

[Star Plasma]

1023872 It's Pinkie... she has a major poker face.

[SuperPinkBrony12]

1024299 Well I guess no one will be able to last but then we haven't seen Twilight LISTEN to one yet!

[Star Plasma]

1025303 Only time will tell who can keep their sanity the longest...

[SuperPinkBrony12]

1025400 At this point I think we can rule out Fluttershy.