She has been dead all along

by Cybers Link

Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Based on a fever dream I had

"... The old mare explained to the taxist that she was her daughter. It turns out that she has been dead all along," The four young ponies stayed quiet watching Apple Bloom telling the end of her story as she makes Whooo-ooo sounds trying to be as scary as possible. A thing that lost all purpose when the three started laughing uncontrollably. Apple Bloom throws a frown at them.

"Seriously? She was dead all along? That is the most used twist in a scary story ever." Sweetie Belle said between chuckles followed up with more laughter what makes everypony else, even Apple Bloom, to start laughing even more.

This was supposed to be a scary experience, a scary night of telling each other ghost stories with only an oil lamp as a source of light in the middle of the Apple's barn for atmospheric purpose but all that was happening that night was a constant chuckling for all the cheesy and absurd stories.

"Ha... Ha. Ok, I-I think those were enough, don't you? Why don't we go outside for some candy? What do all say?" Scootaloo said in between nervous chuckles clearly scared and uncomfortable.

"No, wait. Humm... The night is long. Why don't we stay here for a little while longer?" Apple Bloom said, almost begging to her orange friend.

"But if we don't go already all the good candy will be gone. We haven't even put our costumes yet. Well, almost none of us." Sweetie answered eyeing at the one in costume sitting next to her and Sweety Belle.

"Oh, c'mon girls. Just one more. Pleeeeasee?" Everypony shared an unsure look as they watch Apple Bloom's pleading eyes.

"Ough, fine. One more." Sweetie along with the other two noded, some more displeased than others.

"Ok, you win. Who has another story?" Scootaloo asked staring at the other three eager to put an end to this.

"I guess I have one. Do you guys know the story of The monster under the bed?" The white unicorn asked not expecting a positive answer. She levitates the oil lamp near her face for dramatic effect as her story begins. "The story goes like this," everypony looks around at the sudden sound of the wind passing through the house as they keep it quiet, eager to hear the next story.

"One obscure night a young colt was laying down on his bed completely cover under his bed sheets. He has been reading his comic books all night with the help of a lamp even though he was strictly provided to do so by his parents." All the ponies were quietly listening to the story leaving only the sounds of Sweetie's voice as well as the scratching and creaking of the old place.

"But then he heard the sounds of hoofsteps approaching his room. He immediately hides his comics under his pillow, turns the flashlight off and closed his eyes pretending to be asleep. He expected one of his parents to pass through the door and check on him on his sleep as they usually do. With eyes shut closed, he heard the crackling sound of his door slowly opening. creeeeek" Sweetie tries to imitate the sound of the door slowly opening as she mimics the motion of opening a door with her hooves. This gains a soft chuckle from the others.

"He waits for a goodnight kiss on his forehead or for somepony to tuck him on his sheets but... Nothing... Nothing like that happened." Sweetie, by now, was looking around their friends in the eyes to see if they were scared when suddenly the wind started to blow faster making ghostly sounds throughout all the barn what put shivers through the young ponies' spines.

"He waited and waited for something to happen. For either the sound of hoofsteps approaching his bed or the sound of his door closing. He waited for what seemed an eternity on his head until he finally hears the sounds of two pairs of hoofs walking away from the door. It wasn't until the steps were very far that he dares to open his eyes. Whoever opened his door had left it open allowing him to see the hallway that leads to his parent's bedroom. It was night and all the lights were turned off but still, he was able to recognize some sort of liquid slowly slipping through the wooden floor." Now the young ponies were intrigued by the story. Without even noticing, the three get closer to Sweetie's to hear her better.

"The young colt wasn't giving the opportunity to fully analyzed what he was seeing as he listens the familiar click of somepony turning the light switch on allowing him to see the puddle on the floor more clearly. What he initially thought was water turns out to be a crimson... Red... Liquid." Just as Sweetie Belle finished her sentence, a strong slam was heard hitting a window. All the ponies heads turn nervously to see where it has come from. It seems that a branch of a nearby tree was forcefully pushed against a window by the force of the wind.

"The colt's heart started to pump faster and faster, he was unable to move a single hoof out from his bed," Sweetie continues. " He focuses his sight on the red hoofmarks next to the small pool of red substance that seems to come from the direction of his parent's room and continues through the other side," The fillies, this time a lot scared than they ever where all night, look around finally noticing the strange and spooky shadow patterns made up by the stacks of hay and farming equipment all around.

"He immediately closed his eyes again pretending to be still asleep. His body was shaking, cold sweat rolling over his face as he could hear the drums of his heart at the sound of hoofsteps slowly closing in. He herds them stopping just at the entrance of his room. This time he was able to hear the soft and wheezing sound of breathing from sompony or something watching him. Without daring to open his eyes, he hears the breathing getting louder and louder as the sound of his steps were getting closer and closer stopping at just inches from his bed. He waited for what it looked hours for whoever was standing next to his bed to do something but all he could hear was that unsettling wheezing." Sweetie stopped to do the breathing herself. The sound of loud gulps echoes throughout the empty barn as the wind continue to sing its uncanny sound.

"The poor colt's heart stops when after enduring the breathing sound on his neck for a long time was replaced by the sound of something sharp scratching his ceiling. Was all this a dream? A nightmare? If he opens his eyes would he find himself alone in his room? This and many other questions pass through his head."

"As much as he wished for this to be a dream, he couldn't even grasp the idea as he even heard the faint sound of the dust from the ceiling hitting the floor. With nothing else he could do, he shut his eyes waiting for the worst but instead of that the sound of hoofsteps running away while the door closed behind echoes through the room and then nothing. Not a single sound was heard."

"After a long while and after gathering enough courage, he slowly and carefully opens his eyes to see that in fact, whoever was there was no longer in his room. But..." Sweetie stops, She wanted to stretch this tension as far as she could.

"But what?"

...

"C'mon Sweetie Bell, tell us already?" The fillies said eagerly, all but Scootaloo that was trying to hide on a small blanket she had brought with her.

"But... When he saw the window. His heart gets full of hope and relief as he saw that Celestia had already risen the sun. That eases the heart of the little colt allowing him to turn to see at the direction of his door. So all this was just a dream He thought while starring at the paddle-less wooden floor on his room. This time having enough courage to step down from his bed and walked by the door to confirm that there wasn't a trail of any kind of liquid. He sighs in relive knowing this whole experience was nothing more than a nightmare." All felt relief and a little disappointment believing that it was all to the story but they were wrong as Sweetie was still with the lamp just beneath her face.

"But then, he felt something tickling his ear!!" She continues almost shouting, startling her friends. "He shakes his head trying to expulse whatever was In there. Seeing that that was of any help, he scratches it with his hoof. His eyes get wide at seeing what it was in there. A speck of fine white dust. Dust similar to the color of his ceiling." All fillies eyes get as wide as the sound of wind sounded through the empty barn.

"He knows where that dust had come from, and he knows he has to turn up to make sure all that he dream was, in fact, a dream. He slowly and hesitantly turns his head up to see that the worst thing had happened. Words have been carved into the ceiling with stains of blood over them. Words that chill the colts heart.

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And as if Nightmare moon herself wanted Sweetie Bell's story to be more frightening in this night of Nightmare Night, a loud thunder boom just as she finished the story right next to the barn.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" The three fillies hug each other as Sweetie look at them with a grim. After a series of thunders and lightings, all the fillies in the room looked at each other in the eyes. All, Sweetie being the first, started laughing.

"Hahahahaha... Sweetie Bell that was amazing?" Apple Bloom replayed. "If you had such a good story, Why haven't you told it before?"

"We have to keep the best for last. Aren't we?" Sweetie answered.

"He-he. Yea, t-the last."

"O-oo- ok. W-wwe should go now, right?" Scootaloo said, hoofs still shaking.

"Yea, we should hurry or Nightmare Night will be over. I still need Rarity to help me with my costume."

"Yea me too. Rainbow helped me finding a Wanderbolts uniform for me and she is going to help me put it on. Apple Bloom, you should go and dress up too." All three fillies stand up from there circle around the oil lamp with Scoots almost by the door.

"Wait!!!!" Apple Bloom screams stopping the young pegasus from touching the door. "You shouldn' go outside!"

"Hum? What do you mean? Why not?" Sweetie asked as both she and Scoots were eyeing the earth pony still seated next to the oil lamp.

"Well, because Applejack is about to put the Nightmare Night decorations outside the farm, and... And ah want y'all to see them. It was kind of a surprise, actually," she replayed. With the mares still eyeing the filly not very convinced, especially Scootaloo who was just at mare centimeters to touch the door only wanting to leave already. "And that's not all, She also said she was going to bring us fresh caramel apples just for us."

"Uuuh freshly made caramel apples from Sweet Apple Acres. Now that is worth waiting for." The unicorn replays happily as she went back to her seat.

"What?... B-but I... I"

"Come on Scoots. Isn't Caramel Apples your favorite?" Sweetie said trying to convince her to seat with the others.

"Ough... But one more and I am out, ok?" She said stepping away from the door and getting back to where she was seated next to the other three. "And is not just because I am scared of going back alone or anything but because I really really want an apple caramel." Apple Bloom and Sweetie role there eyes as they saw Scootaloo walking on a fast paste towards the light.

"OK. Who is next?" AB asked but no one answered. "Anypony?" She said looking at Sweetie.

"Don't look at me. I said I was saving the best for the last and I mean it. I don't know any other ghost story."

"I don't know any other stories either" Scootaloo replay just before Apple Bloom stared at her. "What about you?"

Apple Bloom didn't answer. She has already told every story she knows and even some she had made up out of thin air herself.

"Well, if there is any story left. Why don't we all..."

"I may know one" A sweet young voice of a filly interrupt Scootaloo. The other three stare at the fourth member of their circle.

"That's the spirit hum... A.. Y-you..." Apple Bloom was about to say her name but stop at mid-sentence as she didn't remember who this fourth filly was. She looks at Sweetie and Scoots only to see them that they were also staring at the filly in confusion. Was she with them this whole time? Speaking of, how long do these stories have been going on? She couldn't recall.

"This story doesn't have a name but..." The voice of the fourth filly interrupts her thoughts. This time AB glare at her more closely. From all four, she was the only one with her Nightmare Night costume on, if you could call it that. Her face and body were completely cover by a black robe only showing part of her white-furred shin. She seems like a unicorn since there was a little bulge under her robe where a horn should be but as far as she remembers she didn't know any other white unicorn on Ponyville beside Sweetie and her family.

"Let us just call this The Story of the Irresponsible Filly, don't we? The story goes like this" Everypony gets quiet attempting to look at the filly in the eyes as she goes on. "It was the night of NIghtmare Night just like this one. All ponies around town were getting ready to celebrate the festivities. You know, the usual. Preparing the candies, fake tombstones in the backyards, plastic bats and spiders hanging from trees, The small decorative Jack-o-lanterns candles hanging from a string around the houses."

"And for this filly's family was no different. From all the habitats from that small town, her's was the one more adorned from them all. Her family was always very excited about any kind of festivities and they wanted to share that spirit with the rest of the town. All the house and the rest of their property was decorated with spooky decorations. Specialty in the barn who was where the family prepare the most famous Nightmare Night treats. The Caramel Apples."

"Apple Bloom gulp at hearing this. She didn't know where the story was going to but she already didn't like it. Wanting to distract herself from hearing the rest of the story she look around the barn. She stared in confusion as it seems that the place has changed a little bit. Like if the things that once was there like the piles of hay and farming equipment were no longer but the night makes this thought unclear. The night didn't allow her to say that with confidence.

"Hey! Girls you... You 'all don't notice somethin' strange around?... Girls?" She asked her friends on each side but they didn't seem to listen. Instead, they were putting their whole attention on her story. Even Scootaloo seems to have put more attention to the mysterious filly's story more than the other ones.

"...For you see, she wasn't allowed to do that." Apple Bloom continued listening to the story. "For the cauldron in the middle of the barn was full of hot, boiling caramel and she was too young to handle it and make sweet Caramel Apples with it on her own. With a last warning from her big sister, she left the barn closing the door behind her with the little filly inside along her two best friends." Apple Bloom not only had noticed that the barn has changed but that the apparent bad climate that was outside had banished as well, not even a small breeze could be heard now.

"But seeing how stubbornness runs through the family, she didn't listen to her sister warnings and went to prepare a sweet treat alone. Despite the fact that her two friends weren't ok with it, she graved a stick and introduced it inside the core of an apple and started walking towards the boiling caramel ready to cover it on the sweet and delicious substance."

"But she hadn't accounted for a small detail, the cauldron was too big for her and couldn't reach the substance inside without touching the hot metal so she grabs a small box to stand on and put it next to the flame under the cauldron making sure to not burn it. Her friends beg for her to be careful, to not do it at all. That what she was doing was stupid but more than the craving for a sweet treat, she wanted to make a point. That she could do everything an adult can do, that she could do more to help, that she was already a big pony. Oh, but how wrong was she."

Apple Bloom stares at the filly in a black robe with fear. The more she continued with her story, the more she hated it, she hated her "You know girls. I think that was enough of ghost stories and all. Why don't we talk about something else?" She asks but her two friends didn't even move. Her eyes were locked on the mysterious filly, watching her motionless.

"Then, little by little she gets close to the boiling caramel..."

"I know, Sweetie Belle, why don't you tell us about your trip with Rarity to Manehatan and tell us about the musical you saw there." Apple Bloom desperately asked but no one answered.

"With the stick in hoof she carefully..."

"S-Scoots, why don't you tell us something about Rainbow Dash? You love to talk about her, don't you?" She begs her friend but again no even a small sign of acknowledgment from either of them.

"... Carefully lower the apple until something happens. Something she wasn't expecting. Boop!!!!! an air bubble trapped on the bottom of the cauldron pop out throwing some of the boiling substance on the filly's fur." As she was saying this, she jumps while extending her forehoofs in emphasis knocking the oil lamp in the process.

"Ha! Hey?" Apple Bloom screams for the sudden outburst of the filly scaring only, and only her. The other two keep their motionless glare. Apple Bloom watches in horror how the oil of the lamp licks making a puddle on the floor.

"Oh. Oh no. Girls! GIRLS!! What are you doing? Can' you all see this!!" She screams but the fillies do nothing. The wanted to keep hearing the filly story.

"Of course," The mysterious filly continues. "Like anypony else would do, she quickly back off in pain tripping and falling on her back pushing her friends on her way down. One of which ended up falling on a tall pile of staked hay. The single pile of hay falls making chain reactions of other piles of hay falling down like dominos."

"Girls? What are you doing? Help me with this or we... Or we..." Apple Bloom tries to say but she was unable to finish. She stares how the trail of fire slice down along the oil until it reaches the wooden walls.

"Her other friend, on the other hoof, landed on the rope that was holding the decoratives candles making them fall into the stacks of hay. The fire spread quickly along with the fallen hay blocking the only entrance." Apple Bloom couldn't do anything. She was trying to move but it was useless. The fire that reached the wall was now all around and no one even acknowledges it.

"The little ponies try desperately to find a way out..." Apple Bloom turns her head as she hears the coated filly continuing the story noticing that her voice started to become more distorted along with getting bigger and bigger inside the black coat with each word she said. Two bulges started rising from her back too.

"...but the young ones couldn't find one. No one knows why the fire spread that quickly. It may be because it was a rare dry night or because of the Nightmare Night decorations all around were more flammable than what they look. Whatever was the reason, the fire grows big very quickly. Everypony was trying to put the fire off, especially her family and friends but the pegasi couldn't find a big enough rain cloud they could use. The unicorns and earth ponies couldn't do anything either. Many try to help, especially her sister's friends, but none of them that entered that barn didn't come back. It didn't take long for the stubborn, careless and stupid filly's mistake to put all Poniville in danger."

Apple Bloom turns to see that the little filly was no more. Her size growing twice as big. Her horn grew as big as that of an alicorn and sharp as a dagger. The voice of the creature also started to change, the sweet little voice of a filly deformed to a hellish sound coming directly from Tartarus. Apple Bloom stud there pearlized finally recognizing the entity in front of her.

"Why?... Why are you here? Why is always you? Why you have to torment me like this? I-I..." The weeping filly started to cry. Her tears rolled down her face reflecting the fiery red of the flames all around her.

"This is something you have to ask yourself, Apple Bloom. Why are you still here?" The tall figure said standing in front of Apple Bloom as her robe around fall down revealing the figure Apple Bloom have tried to hard to forget about. What she thought at first to be her white fur turned out to be but its white, furless and fleshless bones. Its whole body was just a skeleton without any sign of leaving tissue whatsoever besides the two enormous, black feathery wings raised from the skeletal pony's back. Apple Bloom wanted to run from it but her fear and the fire all around make that impossible. "Or even better. Why don't you ask your friends?" The skeleton asked moving aside as it gestures with its wings to look behind.

"Why Apple Bloom?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Come and join us"

"Join us "

Apple Bloom quickly turns her head at hearing the poor excuse of the voices of her two friends behind her. The gargling voices they make was like if they were drowning in their own blood. Parts of their flesh were eaten by fire showing their bones consumed by the flames. Ribs, bone legs, jaws, all exposed bones were darkened like charcoal that disintegrated and falls to the ground with each step they took towards her.

Apple Bloom couldn't do anything. With the fire all around the barn and with the grotesque figures of her friends that were approaching her on one side and the skeletal alicorn on the other the only thing she could do was to curl in a ball on a corner as she sobs intensely.

"Apple Bloom, Give up. Give up and Come with me. Come, COME, COME!!!!!"

"NO!!!!!!!"

"Apple Bloom? Apple Bloom? Apple Bloom!, Here you are, sugar cube."

"Applejack?" She questions herself at hearing the sound of the door open and her big sister calling for her. She looks around to only find herself on an abandoned, decrepit and old barn without any sign of fire or any other creature beside her sister and herself.

"Oh, Sugar cube. Why you always have to come back here?"

"Applejack... Applejack I am sorry. I am so sorry" Apple Bloom let herself vulnerable to her sister's embrace. She sob and cries at her heart content on Applejack's shoulder.

"There there. Everything is a'right."

"But Applejack is all ma fault. The-the farm..."

"No pony blames you for that, Sugar cube. Big Mac and Granny are ok and safe and ah'm pretty sure no one hates you for that. It was just an accident."

"What about Poniville? What about your friends? What about Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell?... What about you? I-I just. I just..."

"Don't worry your little head about any of that stuff."

"But I caint, big sis. I just caint"

Applejack tightened her hug and kiss Apple Bloom's forehead trying to calm her down. "Don't worry sugar Cube. You can take all the time you want. Ah'ill be here with you even if it takes you a hundred, NO, a thousand years. Ah'll be ready when you are." Applejack reassured her little sister getting her even closer. She hopes that will make her feel better but this only managed to stop the loud crying and replacing with soft sobbing.

The two were lying in the middle of the abandoned barn until they turn there heads at the sound of something entering the barn.

"Applejack? Applejack!!! Is that you? Are you in here? Apple Bloom? Anypony?" Twilight had enter shouting and looking around frantically at the broken-down barn. Water puddles and old burn-out wood from the floor were scattered all over the place but the only other leaving creature beside her where the crickets chirping in the night.

"Twilight, here again? You need to stop doing this. Is not healthy." A little purple dragon said almost yawning and scratching his eyes trying his hardest to not fall asleep right there. It seems he had pursuing Twilight all the way from the library to the old Apple barn once he hears her running outside.

"But I-I herd her, herd them. I am sure of it." She said hesitantly looking around.

"Come on, How many times we have done this? They can't be here. They are already gone and you can communicate with them. Come back to the library and sleep. Would you?" Spike only watch her standing in the middle of the room giving him her back in silence. No single movement from either of them for what it seems a very long and awkward amount of time. "Hum? Twilight?" He asked finally while turning away to look at the vague direction of his home.

"Ha... Spike. You are not the one to talk."

"Hum?" Spike quickly turn his head back but he once he did, she was anywhere. No matter how hard he wished otherwise. He stares at his surroundings but not a single soul was around. "Oh, right. I... I always forget, Ha" Spike stare again at the empty and abandoned half burned barn and at the poor ground beneath him without any kind of vegetation that used to be Sweet Apple Acres.

The little dragon cleans his tears from his face and laughs to himself. "I need to stop sleepwalking like this, Why I had to come back here? It has been more than five years now." Spike exhale as the cold wind of the night blow. With nothing else that he could do, he turns back at his empty room on his library.

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Comments

[Knight of Mind]

Wait. So what happened? I can tell Applejack and Apple Bloom are dead, but what was that part with Twilight?

[The Crazed Werewolf]

That was confusing

[Gadgetphile]

What ^ said. I get that Apple Bloom is dead but besides that...

[Cybers Link]

9071292
9071204
9071074

yes, I know it is confusing and to be honest, that was the whole point. this is a fever dream after all :p

[Kradron]

So based on what the story intales im gonna take a crack at deciphering it so based on all the events it seems that 5 years ago on nightmare night applebloom wanted to make carmel apples with the cauldron but messed up set fire to the barn killing her and her two friends after which it spread into sweet apple acres killing all of the apple family and finally spreading and most likely killing all of if not most of ponyville and the ending with twilight would be spike simply dreaming since she's already been dead and gone for so long and the reason spike survived is do to the fact that he is a dragon and it seems appleblooms ghost is haunted by that one mistake since she knows that it was her fault and obviously the filly in the story was her and she killed everyone with one simple accident

[Cybers Link]

9090609
Great, I am glad to hear that at least one get what I was going for

threadbombing.com/data/media/58/good_job.jpg

[Kradron]

Thank you ive always been somehow good at deciphering hidden meanings and reading between the lines which is why i was considering becoming a forensic investigator one day