Act 1
The duo of ghost hunters entered the foyer, Apple Bloom looking around, and more importantly, behind her, to try to spot any ghost that may appear, pointing the opening of her Poltergust left and right.
Smart Spirit chuckled. "You don't need to be so tense. Just keep your eyes and ears wide open, and if you feel your fur suddenly stand on end, turn around and push the button without asking questions. It stopped a ghost from attacking me more than once in my long life."
"Okay..."
"It seems like there are no ghosts this time, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few watching us biding their time, or simply to see what will happen. Be sure to remain on guard all the time. A hostile ghost may appear any second."
Apple Bloom looked at the place where she and her friends were surrounded by the ghosts, in front of the double door between the stairs, and spotted the flashlight dropped by Scootaloo. Slowly, she approached it and took it.
"Eh. What a dunderhead. I forgot to bring a light," Smart Spirit said with a laugh. "But it will be impossible for you to use your flashlight, Poltergust, and walk at the same time. Let me help, I will attach it on your head."
"Like a miner cask?"
"Exactly! Ohohohoh!"
Using Apple Bloom's bow, Smart Spirit attached the flashlight like he told, so anywhere Apple Bloom looked, there was always a light.
"Thank ya."
"Ok, let's go. We shouldn't remain in a room too long."
So the two ponies approached the double door, only to discover that it was now locked.
"Drat. A ghost locked the door."
"What do we do?"
"These doors are old, a good buck should be enough to open them."
But before they could use this solution, they heard something metallic fall behind them, followed by the familiar laugh of the ghost of the newborn filly. They quickly turned around, only to see nothing. Apple Bloom then looked down and spotted at the center of the room a key now on the floor.
"Prof, there's a key."
"I don't like it. Remain close to me."
Carefully, they approached the key and picked it up. However, as they examined it, they started hearing something above them. Looking up, they saw the chandelier twirling.
"Move!" Smart Spirit shouted in panic.
They quickly ran away just in time as the chandelier dropped where they were one second ago, the filly's laugh making itself hear again as the chandelier returned to the ceiling.
"Ok. Note to self, don't go under the chandelier in the foyer anymore," Smart Spirit said, sweating.
"Noted..." Apple Bloom said with a gulp. "Ya think this key opens the double door?"
"We will see soon enough."
Avoiding going under the chandelier, they returned to the double door, only to discover that the key didn't work.
"Drat. It's not the good key. Let's get to the loft. It probably opens a door up there."
So they climbed the stairs, reaching the loft where they found out that there was another double door just above the one between the stairs, as well as a simple door at the end of the left path. They tested the key on the double door, and it worked. So, opening the double door, they entered the next room: the parlor.
Apple Bloom quickly looked around to see if there were any ghosts, but the room was empty. All there was were furniture like two tables or a cabinet, a chandelier (not sure if this one will fall on them like the one in the foyer), two candlelights, and five portraits, the one of a yellow furred stallion with a white beard being between the two candlelights. They slowly advanced, finding that the chandelier didn't fall, until they stopped when they heard a laugh, different from the one of the filly.
"Uhuhuhuh! Well, look what we have here."
"My, my! What are an old stallion and a young filly doing here?"
"Wait! Wait! I recognize them! They were in the foyer earlier! The old one was even able to capture two of us with this weird machine on his back!"
"Ah yes. So you are back to save the two others?"
The two ponies looked around to try to spot the origin of the voices, until Apple Bloom's eyes settled on one of the paintings, the one of a pink mare with a blond mane.
"Unless it’s to save the six mares who came yesterday?" a voice coming from the portrait said, the image of the mare moving, staring at them, her lips opening and closing as she talked.
That was also the case of the other portraits, all of them looking at the living ponies.
Despite her fear, Apple Bloom talked. "Ya... Ya know what happened to Applejack and the others?"
"Of course!" the portrait of a gray stallion said. "They were captured too! They didn't stand a chance!"
"Oh! The purple one was so funny! She was repeating to herself that ghosts didn't exist despite the proof being just in front of her muzzle!" the portrait of a green furred, red maned mare said.
"Acquaintances of yours?" The yellow stallion with a brown mustache asked.
"They're mah sister and her friends..."
"Oh! The poor dear!" said the pink mare.
"Ohohoh! So you want to save your sister and her friends?" asked the bearded stallion. "You don't know what you are getting yourself into, young one. This machine on your back may help you survive longer, but you will eventually fall against the powerful curse of this manor! In the eternal darkness of these rooms, they are everywhere. You will risk your life at each step. And if you die... Ohohoh! It will be a pleasure to have you with us for eternity. So, you really think you can do it? Well, we will see soon enough! Because... THEY ARE HERE! AHAHAHAHAH!!!"
As the laugh of the portraits resonated, a yellow ghost, similar to the ones who captured Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, appeared, ready to attack.
"To your right, Apple Bloom!"
Apple Bloom jumped to her left just in time to avoid being punched. Quickly, Smart Spirit activated his Poltergust and sucked up the ghost, only for another to appear behind him. Seeing the ghost, Apple Bloom pointed her Poltergust at it and pressed the button, catching the ghost in the vortex. The ghost started moving to escape the vortex, and Apple Bloom did all she could to not fall on her belly and resisted being dragged until the ghost finally disappeared inside the pipe of the machine.
She looked at the end of her Poltergust in awe. "Ah... Ah caught mah first ghost!"
"Good job, Apple Bloom! But don't lose focus! Another one is coming!" shouted Smart Spirit as he pointed to what looked like the purple ghost of a griffon, its sharp claws ready to attack. Before it could approach any closer, Smart Spirit activated his Poltergust, and while the griffon resisted a little more than the pony ghosts, it eventually was sucked up too.
Breathing heavily, he looked around to spot any new ghosts, Apple Bloom doing the same.
Only to hear something metallic falling on the floor beside them, and looking down, they spotted a key.
"Impressive," said the portrait of the bearded stallion.
"This may be actually interesting to watch," said the portrait of the mustachioed stallion.
"Let's see how long you will survive in the rooms," said the green mare.
"Who knows? You may actually succeed in saving your sister and your friends," said the pink mare.
"Do not say such stupidity!" shouted the gray stallion. "Do you really think they will succeed to capture Bogmire? And what about Little Ghost? They will fail, that's a fact! But yes, let's see how far they will go."
And at this, the portraits became silent.
"Bogmire?" asked Apple Bloom.
"I will talk to you about it later. You still need first to get used to hunting ghosts. For a first time, you weren't bad, by the way. Good catch."
The filly was beaming at his praise as she spoke "Thank ya! Ah'll get better!"
"I don't doubt! Ohohohohohoh! However, I wonder what that little game with the keys means."
"Uhuhuh. It's just one of Little Ghost's games," The green mare suddenly said. "She probably locked all the doors of the manor, and you will have to clean the rooms one by one to find the keys and pass to the next. In the last room will be what you seek. She loves playing games. But I wouldn't be surprised if there was something in her mind to do this game beside having fun."
"This one certainly opens the door to the anteroom. It's the one just at my left," the bearded stallion said.
"Thank you for your help, my non-living friends," Smart Spirit said. "Let's go, Apple Bloom."
Apple Bloom nodded, and they both went to the door indicated by the portrait. Like it said, the key opened it, and they entered the anteroom, which was just a big empty room with three vases on three small tables with drawers and two chandeliers.
Barely they entered, and two ghosts attacked them, a green earth pony, and a yellow pegasus, the pegasus trying to do a lariat with its wing at Smart Spirit. The old stallion lowered himself to avoid the wing, and once the pegasus passed, he activated his poltergust on the earth pony ghost while Apple Bloom started to suck up the pegasus. The pegasus used its wings to try to escape and forcefully drag the filly behind it, but the ghost did the error to pass beside one of the table, and Apple Bloom grabbed one of the feet to stop sliding until she finally caught the ghost, Smart Spirit having captured his ghost since a few seconds.
But two more ghosts appeared then, a red griffon, and an orange pegasus. Again, the pegasus targeted Smart Spirit with a wing lariat, but the old stallion didn't let it approach this time, letting Apple Bloom deal with the griffon. But just as Smart Spirit caught the pegasus, a pink unicorn ghost appeared and fired a magical beam at him from behind, propelling him a few feet. Apple Bloom quickly finished the griffon, then turned her Poltergust to the unicorn. Thankfully, the unicorn gave fewer problems while capturing it, and as soon as it entered the vacuum, a key fell in front of her.
"Prof! Ya're alright?" she asked in worry.
Smart Spirit shook his head, recovering. "Yeah, I'm alright. It's the risk of the job. Oh, my back..."
She sighed in relief and took the key.
"I don't think I will be able to continue for long. Generally, when I hunt ghosts, there's only one ghost, three at worst. But in two rooms, we got eight ghosts, ten if I count the two I caught in the foyer, and there are many, many more in this manor. Why did this manor have to appear now? At least, you seem promising. Four ghosts! Ohohohoh! You are a natural! You know what? Let's see if you can clean the next room by yourself."
Apple Bloom gulped. "A-alright!"
"Don't worry. I will still be here to watch."
She nodded, and opened the door at the other end of the anteroom, entering a smaller room with three wardrobes and some racks, as well as a mirror. Smart Spirit remained near the door while Apple Bloom advanced until three ghosts, one earth pony, one pegasus, and one unicorn, appeared at the same time, surrounding her.
Smart Spirit had to resist helping her. He must trust her!
Apple Bloom quickly started sucking up the pegasus, and let herself being dragged by its powerful wings, getting out of the ambush of the ghosts before finishing it. She ran to avoid a magical beam from the unicorn, and targeted it next, only for a new ghost, a fat earth pony, to appear, eat a banana, and throw the peel on the floor right on Apple Bloom's path as she was dragged by the unicorn, causing the filly to slip on it and let the unicorn escape. As she fell on her butt, all the ghosts in the room mocked her.
"Seriously? The banana peel gag?" shouted Apple Bloom in annoyance.
Smart Spirit had a hard time resisting laughing. "Even ghosts love classics. But you should hurry and get up! These ghosts will not laugh for long!"
Feeling the approach of a ghost from behind, Apple Bloom rapidly got up and ran, avoiding a jab from the earth pony ghost. She saw the unicorn preparing another magical beam and immediately started sucking it up again. Like before, the fat ghost ate a banana and threw a peel on her path, but this time, Apple Bloom jumped above it and finished the unicorn before targeting the fat pony. Because of its weight, this one had no problem using it to drag the filly behind while eating its banana to throw the peels behind it, and Apple Bloom had to move left and right while sliding to avoid them until she finally got the ghost. Another fat pony appeared to take its place, but Apple Bloom decided to capture the earth pony first before finishing with it.
But the key didn't appear...
"What?"
"There's probably one or two ghosts hidden in the wardrobes. Open them, to see. But watch out."
"Okay."
One by one, Apple Bloom opened the wardrobes, starting with the one closest to the entrance of the room. The ghost was hidden in the last one. She wasn't ready for the jab she took from the earth pony ghost. She was sent hooves over head on the floor.
"Owww! Ah'm okay! Ah'm okay!"
"If you are okay, then quickly get up! It's attacking again!" shouted Smart Spirit as he took the handle of his Poltergust, ready to jump to help her.
"Eep!"
Seeing the ghost about to bring its hoof down on her, she quickly pointed the end of her Poltergust at it and pressed the button, stopping it from attacking. Before long, the earth pony joined the others in her vacuum and the key finally appeared.
"Ah did it!" shouted Apple Bloom happily. "Ah did it Ah did it Ah did it"
"Told you! A natural! You are already as good as me! Well, it isn't hard. Ohohohoh! You know what? Once this is over, I will make you my apprentice! You will be the next generation of ghost hunter!"
Apple Bloom gasped. "Ya really think Ah can be a ghost hunter?" She looked at her flank, only to see that it's still blank. "But... Ah didn't get a Cutie Mark in ghost hunting..."
Smart Spirit laughed. "You don't need to have a Cutie Mark in ghost hunting to be a ghost hunter. This just means it will not be your main talent."
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh- Wait..." She spotted something shiny in the last wardrobe and looked closer. "Hey! There're some coins in there! They don't look like the bits Ah know."
"Mmh? Let me see." Smart Spirit said before he approached the wardrobe and spotted the coins. Taking one, he inspected it. "Oh oh! It's an old equestrian bit from one thousand years ago! Just one of those coins is worth at least one hundred bits."
"What?! But there're..." She counted. "Fifteen of those coins in this wardrobe! This is enough bits to repair and renovate the whole farm!"
"And again, this is just the tip of the fortune that is hidden in this manor! I could use this money to pay myself a real lab, and it would barely put a dent in all that wealth! Of course, finding that fortune is just a secondary goal. Our main goals remain to save the ponies that were captured, and capture the target."
"Target? Ya're talking about this Bogmire that portrait talked about?"
"Yes, Bogmire. I will talk to you about it once we return to the lab. Now, let me take these coins, and we can continue."
Smart Spirit opened his Poltergust, revealing some blue crystal inside, and put the coins in the surrounding space. "I will have to find something to carry all that money."
"What's that crystal?"
"Oh. It's where the ghosts go when we catch them. Yes, there's one in your Poltergust." He closed the vacuum. "Alright, let's go. And if you find more coins, remember that you can put them inside your Poltergust. There isn't much space, but you should be able to place two dozens in it. Now let's see what there's behind this door."
Apple Bloom nodded and tried to use the key to open the door next to the last wardrobe, only for the key to not enter it correctly. "Uh?"
"Let me see."
Finally, it turned out the door wasn't locked, and the reason was quickly clear. The door led to a small balcony.
"Ooh! What a view."
Apple Bloom looked down through the bars of the fence at the edge of the balcony. "That's a graveyard?"
"Yup. A family graveyard. Mmh... And it's protected by a ghost dog. I fear that you may have to come down there at a moment or another."
Apple Bloom gulped. "W-what if there are zombies?"
"Urh... I never had to fight a zombie... But I wouldn't be surprised if some of the ghosts decide to take possession of the corpses down there... You know what? I will give you a bat to defend yourself against anything that isn't ghostly."
"It'd be... great! Very great!"
With nothing else to do, the two ghost hunters returned to the foyer, having to fight their way through a few more ghosts in the three rooms. Once back in the foyer, Smart Spirit pointed at the door at the end of the path.
"The key probably opens this door, but I think it's time to see if you can continue alone. But first, let's exit the manor, so I can give you that bat."
"Ya're sure Ah'm ready?"
"You did amazingly well in those three rooms. I'm sure you are."
"Okay..."
As he told, they exited the manor, and Smart Spirit quickly returned in his lab to give Apple Bloom a bat as well as a purse for her to place any coins she may find.
"Good luck, Apple Bloom. Remember, we remain in contact thanks to the communicators, so don't hesitate to talk and ask me anything."
"Thank ya, prof. Ya... can count on me."
"I know."
So Apple Bloom returned to the manor, alone this time, and once in the foyer, after a quick encounter with a pegasus ghost, went to the locked door on the loft. As Prof. Spirit expected, the key opened this door, and Apple Bloom entered a hallway with four doors, two at the left, and two at the right. She told all this to the prof through the communicator.
«Alright, so here's what we will do: you clean those four rooms, and you will return to the lab to determine if you can continue or not.»
"Alright, prof! Eep!"
She found herself assaulted by some mouse ghosts, as well as the ghost of a donkey which was a little less strong than an earth pony ghost, but she did quick work of all of them, the mice finishing in her Poltergust almost as soon as she pressed the button. With the hallway clean of all rodents, she looked at all four doors, determining which one was the one not locked. In the end, she tried the one closest to her, the first one at her right.
Bingo!
Apple Bloom opened it and entered a room full of bookshelves filled with books. There was also a desk, a rocking chair, and a fireplace.
And there was blood everywhere... Particularly on and around the rocking chair and the books.
And on the rocking chair was the ghost of a yellow furred, brown maned stallion, with a brown mustache, and bloody bite marks everywhere on his body. Apple Bloom immediately recognized him as one of the ponies portrayed in the parlor. At this moment, he was peacefully reading a book, also bloody.
Slowly, she stepped back and closed the door.
Taking a big breath to calm herself, she said, "Uh... Prof?"
«Yes? What's going on Apple Bloom? You sound... perturbed.»
"Ah just entered a room full of blood, and there was the ghost of one of the ponies on those talking portraits..."
«Really? Which one?»
"The yellow one with the mustache..."
«Diamond Cup! You found Diamond Cup! So he's dead? What do I say? Of course, he would be dead! There was no doubt! But there was still the chance that time for them was stopped while trapped in the spiritual dimension. Wait. Did you say 'blood'?»
She gulped. "Yes. Everywhere. And... the ghost had bite marks everywhere on him."
«Ewwww... So he was devoured alive... I don't know what devoured him, but I hope for you it's not in the manor anymore.»
"What do Ah do prof?"
«Well, the ghost in the portrait said that you have to clean the rooms to get the key to the next, so you probably have to capture Diamond Cup. But be careful! The ghosts we fought until now were just... shadows of unknown origin! This one is a real ghost from a real pony! Like the filly! You don't know how he will react once he spots you! Best-case scenario, he will just ignore you. Worst-case scenario, he will attack you. But... If he retained his personality from when he was alive, then he should be friendly. If that's the case, then just ask him gently if you can catch him, promising him that you will release him later, and I'm sure he will accept to help you save the others. But you should keep the Poltergust ready, in yellow, just in case.»
"O... Ok, prof..."
«Good luck...»
"Thank ya..."
Gulping, Apple Bloom opened the door.
"Uh... Howdy? Mr. Diamond Cup?"
As soon as he heard her, Diamond Cup rose his head from his book and stared at her.
She gulped again, shaking. "Howdy?"
Then, the ghost of the stallion rose from his rocking chair, and many books started floating around him, their pages bloody as they opened and closed like fanged jaws. They all faced Apple Bloom, who was paralyzed in fear. With one thrust of his hoof, Diamond Cup then sent the books to devour the filly.
Screaming in fear, she closed the door just in time for the books to violently slam against it.
«What's going on Apple Bloom?!»
"He sent books to devour me!"
«What?!»
"The books! They're the ones that devoured him! And now, he sent them against me! What do ah do now?!"
«Ok! Ok! Don't panic! Wait for me! I'm coming!»
Apple Bloom looked at the Poltergust, more precisely, at the three colored gauge. "Wait. Ah think Ah know what to do."
«Whatever you're thinking, don't do it! It's too risky! You listen to me, ok?! Don't do it!»
She smirked at that. "Ah'm a Cutie Mark Crusader. Ah never listen... Almost."
She turned the button to red, opened the door, and activated the Poltergust!
A powerful vortex came from the end of the pipe and started sucking up all the books as well as some of the objects on the desk, and even the ghost of Diamond Cup. Of course, the Poltergust wasn't made to suck up books, but then she walked closer to the fireplace, and the Poltergust started to suck up the embers which then caught the books on fire. That quickly spread to all the books, creating a great vortex of fire that burned all the books and other objects. When the last book was burned, she turned the Poltergust off to stop the fire vortex, then turned it back on yellow to suck up the ghost. Diamond Cup didn't resist long before he disappeared inside the pipe, like all the other ghosts before him.
"Ah got him!"
«What did you do?!»
"Ah..." She then saw the consequence of her action. "Ah put the room on fire! Waaah! Dratdratdratdrat" Quickly, she started to tap the fire to try to extinguish it, until some cold air current came from nowhere suddenly to put it out. "What?"
"Hey, little one! Don't put the manor on fire! We like it, we would like to still have it by the end of the night!"
"Sorry!"
«You almost put the manor on fire?! How did you manage it?!»
Apple Bloom laughed sheepishly as she spotted the key beside her. Taking it and exiting the room, she started explaining what she did, quickly looking at the overheating gauge to see that it was one quarter full and slowly emptying.
«By Celestia's great flanks! That was genius! But also so dangerous and reckless! I don't know if I should congratulate you, or scream at you!»
She tested the key on the door of the room just in front of the room she just exited. Nope, not this one.
"Ya'd a better idea to fight those books without being devoured alive?"
«Touché. Well then, congratulation! Your first real ghost! Oh you, you will make a great ghost hunter! But please, be careful! Or my heart will not resist!»
"Ah will." She giggled.
The next closest door was the second door at this side of the hallway, but the key didn't work too. So this left the second room at the right, the one just beside the one she left. At this moment, a griffon decided to try its luck by attacking from behind, but was quickly captured after Apple Bloom felt it coming and turned around like Smart Spirit told her to do.
She entered the last room, discovering that it was a bedroom with a queen-size bed. There was also a vanity, in front of which was sitting a pink furred, blond maned earth pony mare that Apple Bloom also recognized as one of the ponies on the portraits. At her hooves, she recognized the corpse of the mare, her own hairs wrapped around her neck, and she had to fight her nausea again.
She was killed by her own mane? What the heck? Aww... Horseapple... She was pregnant. So, is she the mother of that filly?
"Prof, I found another ghost. A pink mare with a blond mane," she whispered to her communicator.
«Golden Hair, Diamond Cup's wife...»
"She was strangled by her own mane..."
«Pony eating books... Self-strangling mane... This is worse than I thought...»
"And she's pregnant."
«Ooh... Oooooh! I remember, yes! There was a text talking about Golden Hair being pregnant the moment the manor disappeared. Ugly... Very ugly... Ok, try to capture her, but be careful. If it's like with Diamond Cup...»
"Yeah..."
She tiphoofed toward the ghost mare, Poltergust ready.
She forgot that Golden Hair was just in front of a mirror. The mare spotted her approaching with it, and suddenly turned her head, roaring at Apple Bloom as her manes separated into several locks of hair slithering toward the filly with a clear purpose. Before she knew it, one of the locks wrapped itself around Apple Bloom's neck and lifted her from the ground as it started to strangle her. But despite this, Apple Bloom was eventually able to press the button of the Poltergust and started sucking up the mare, causing the lock of hair around her neck to unwrap itself and to drop her. She landed on her hooves and continued to suck up the mare, moving left and right to avoid the other locks trying to stop her. As she was dragged, she had to jump on the bed to avoid slamming against its foot, and that was on it that Golden Hair finally joined her husband in the crystal inside the Poltergust.
Apple Bloom coughed a little before talking with a rough voice, "Ah think Ah'll need a glass of water once Ah return to the lab, prof..."
«I will make sure to prepare one. Are you alright?»
"Yeah... Just a little hurt at the throat. Ah don't know if she was trying ta strangle me, or ta break mah neck."
«But now, there's something I don't understand. This filly ghost, Little Ghost I think, she's the daughter of Golder Hair, you came to the same conclusion as me, right?»
"Yeah..."
«Then why would she start a 'game' where you have to capture her own parents to continue? And if it continues, then you will probably end up having to catch the rest of her family. Really, I don't follow. What does she have in mind, forcing you to capture her own family? Oh well, I suppose we will find out sooner or later. Do you want to return to the lab now? This ghost hunt is revealing to be much more dangerous than we first thought.»
"Nope, Ah think Ah can deal with the remaining two rooms. Ah got the father and the mother, so who comes next? Their children?"
«It would be the most logical. But don't underestimate them. That's not because they're foals that they're weak. As ghosts, physical age doesn't matter. So... You should end up fighting two colts, Ruby and Sapphire, twins, five years old at the time of the disappearance of the manor.»
Apple Bloom almost got tears in her eyes at this. They were even younger than her! Two little innocent colts! So cruel!
It turned out that the key she got from capturing Golden Hair opened the first room to the left from the entrance of the hallway, the one just in front of the room where she captured Diamond Cup.
She entered a bedroom, with two beds, one red and one blue, with many toys. And as soon as she entered, the ghosts of two colts, one red and one blue, poked their head out of two different boxes and looked at her. Apple Bloom had her Poltergust ready.
"A new friend!" said the red colt excitedly.
"Yes! A new friend! Will you play with us?"
"Yes! Play with us, please! We will hide, and you will seek!"
"Yes! We will play hide-and-seek! Now get out and count to ten!"
"Yes! Count to ten and try to find us!"
"Uh... Uh... Okay..." She got out of the room, and started counting. Those colts didn't attack her, so why couldn't she play with them a little before she was forced to capture them? Things were already cruel enough for them, no need to add... "Eight... Nine... Ten! Ready or not, Ah'm coming!"
She returned inside the room, and saw the two colts nowhere. Eeyup, they were hidden. But it was a small room, and there weren't many places to hide, it shouldn't be hard to find them.
She started at the boxes, only to step back in fright when she opened the first one. In it was the corpse of Sapphire! Gulping, she opened the other and found the corpse of Ruby.
"W-w-well... At least... Ah found yer bodies..."
After checking the boxes, she looked in the closet, then under the red bed.
"Aww... You found me..." Sapphire said from under the bed, disappointed.
Having a hunch, Apple Bloom looked under the other bed.
"Oh! You found me! Now it's your turn to hide!"
"Yes! It's your turn! We will count to ten!"
"Yes! We will count to ten, and we will search you!"
Apple Bloom giggled, and when the ghosts disappeared, only for her to hear them starting to count, she quickly hid in the closet, making sure to slowly close the door to not make a sound.
"Ten!" she heard.
And then she waited and waited... And waited........... And waited.....
Weird, they should have found her by now.
She waited a little more before deciding that she waited enough, then laughed. "Seems like Ah won!" she said only to find out that the door of the closet wasn't opening anymore! "What?" She pushed it, then started using more strength, but the door refused to move. "Hey! Ah'm in there! Open the door!"
"We will open it!" she heard.
"Yes! We will open it! But we will wait first!"
"Yes! We will wait first!"
"Wait? Wait what?"
"Silly! We will wait for you to be like us!"
"Yes! You will be like us! And we will be able to play forever!"
"Yes! Forever!"
Nope! No thanks! Enough playing!
Despite the lack of place in the closet, Apple Bloom was able to turn around, then started bucking the door. One buck, and the door shook. Two bucks, and she heard something split.
"No! Stop!"
"Yes! Stop!"
"No! Ah'll not stop!"
Another buck, and more wood split. Another buck, and a small hole opened in the door. One last buck, and the door was sent flying! Immediately, she stepped out of the closed, turned around, activated the Pultergust in green mode, and closed her eyes. She heard the two colts pleading with her to stop; she felt them trying to escape... And then she felt something enter her Poltergust, followed by something else.
And silence followed.
She opened her eyes to find the bedroom now empty of ghosts.
«You did the right thing. They were clearly not in their right mind like Diamond Cup and Golden Hair, even if they seemed saner than their parents. Don't worry, once this is over, if everything happens like I hope, we will be able to release them, and all the other ghosts.»
"Ya're sure?"
«Yes.»
Apple Bloom smiled and took the key before walking toward the door. Before that, she made sure to close the boxes with the bodies of the colts.
One room remaining. Walking to it, she had to deal with a few bat ghosts and an earth pony ghost before reaching it and entering the room.
In it, there was a crib, with a bear plushy inside it... Two jester dolls were also on two different chairs, and a ball was beside a dresser at the left of the door.
«What room is it, this time?»
"A nursery... It's... Ah think it's Little Ghost's room."
«They had a room ready for her...»
"Hello!" suddenly shouted a familiar yellow furred newborn filly who appeared in front of Apple Bloom.
"Eep!"
"So you reached my room! Well, hello! My name is Little Ghost! Nice meeting you! Your name is Apple Bloom, right? I like it! I heard about apples, but I was never able to taste them! How do they taste? Also, good job catching mommy, daddy, Ruby and Sapphire! For a moment, I thought mommy and daddy would kill you, but you got them! Now I'm sure you want the key to continue! Don't worry, you will not have to catch me to get it! I don't want to be caught! But it would be boring if I just gave it to you! So I prepared something for you! This will be fun!"
Finishing her babbling, Little Ghost tapped her forehooves together, and the whole room was engulfed in light, forcing Apple Bloom to close her eyes.
"Wait! What about mah friends?! And Applejack and her friends?! Where are they?"
She heard Little Ghost giggle before talking. "I will tell you next time we see each other! But first, you have to win against Mr. Bear!"
"Mr. Bear?"
Apple Bloom was finally able to open her eyes and she looked around, finding that she was somehow shrunk, and on Little Ghost's crib, and that she wasn't in the room anymore but... somewhere. A different space? The spiritual dimension?
"Prof?" she tried to call, only to be answered by silence. "Ya hear me? Prof. Spirit?"
But then, the now giant doll suddenly looked up toward her, and got up before approaching her with a childish giggle. "Come play with me." The bear doll rose its arms toward her, walking on its back legs, ready to give a literal, bone-crushing bear hug. "Hug!"
"Nope!"
Apple Bloom activated the Poltergust on the doll, only for the machine to have no effects on it. She turned it to red at max power, but it didn't work too. Before it overheated too much, she put it back to yellow, then started running away from Mr. Bear.
"What do Ah do, now?"
"Let's play ball!"
The ball, now giant too, appeared out of nowhere and flew to Mr. Bear's forelegs, the plushy catching it. It then put the ball before its back legs and kicked it toward Apple Bloom. The filly avoided the giant ball with one jump followed by a roll, and the ball bounced on the barrier of the crib.
"Your turn!"
Apple Bloom looked at the ball, then at the doll, and understood what she had to do. Thankfully, the ball wasn't that big compared to her, about the size of Applejack, so it wasn't too heavy. So Apple Bloom went behind the ball and bucked it with all her strength. The ball was propelled right at Mr. Bear's face, and the doll fell on its back, stunned. Before it could go back up, Apple Bloom ran to the doll, climbed it, took her bat, and started hitting it on the face again and again, damaging it, causing some holes to open and a button used as an eye to almost fall.
Mr. Bear was eventually able to get back up, and Apple Bloom ran away as the bear started pounding the floor with its back leg in anger.
"You meanie!"
To Apple Bloom's horror, the bear suddenly jumped toward her, and she was again forced to run away to avoid being crushed under its body. As it fell on the crib, it created a big shockwave that spread for a small distance before disappearing just before it reached Apple Bloom. The plushy then started punching the floor again and again, creating more shockwaves as it slowly advanced toward the filly. Making sure to not get trapped in a corner, Apple Bloom ran around the bear to avoid them. Eventually, it jumped again, and this time, the shockwave hit Apple Bloom as she tried to escape it, sending her flying a few feet right beside the ball. The bear then restarted punching the floor.
Rapidly, the filly recovered from the hit and bucked the ball, again hitting the bear on the face and making it fall on its back. Like before, she ran to it, climbed it, and hit it on the face with the bat to the point that it lost one of its eyes, and the other was almost falling too. Holes now covered its face, and one of its ears was almost ripped.
When the bear got back up again, it was even more enraged, to the point of actually roaring to the sky! It then started randomly jumping on the crib again and again, creating shockwaves everywhere, and Apple Bloom was forced to jump above one more than once. The two jester dolls then appeared in front of the crib, floating above the void, and started juggling with various toys before throwing them at Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom eventually reached the ball again and waited to have a nice shot to Mr. Bear's face before bucking it. Again, the hit caused the bear to fall on its back, but it also somehow caused the jesters to disappear in the void. With the bear down, Apple Bloom ran to it to finish it. A few more hit with the bat, and the head finally opened, and Mr. Bear stopped moving, its stuffing spreading on the crib.
The next instant, everything was plunged into light again, and when Apple Bloom was able to open her eyes again, she was back in the nursery, a key at her hooves.
Then, the door opened suddenly with a bang, and Smart Spirit ran in the room in full panic!
"Apple Bloom! Apple Bloom, where are- you are here! Oh, thank Celestia! And you're safe! What happened?! I couldn't reach you anymore!"
Apple Bloom looked around her, lost, not able to answer. Her eyes eventually fell on the crib, and the now headless bear plushy on it. The jester dolls were also spread on the floor. She then looked at Prof. Spirit.
"Ah... Ah'm not sure prof... Ah think Ah was transported to another dimension, but Ah'm not sure..."
"Let's return to the lab. You will tell me everything once we're there. I think you need some rest, and I remember that you also need a glass of water."
Apple Bloom simply nodded.
"That's incredible! To encounter a ghost other than Bogmire powerful enough to send somepony to a pocket illusional dimension parallel to ours...! That Little Ghost... She's dangerous! And Apple Bloom, you were also incredible. You fought this animated giant plushie alone and won. That's... I'm proud. I'm proud of you, Apple Bloom. Not many ghost hunters could boast to come out of such a fight alive, even less somepony who started ghost hunting just one hour ago, and even less a filly."
"Thank ya, prof!"
"But... After such an experience, I would understand if you decide to stop here."
"No, Ah can't. Little Ghost still has everypony... And... You won't be able to fight her."
Smart Spirit looked down with a sigh. "True..."
"Ah must continue. Ah'm the only one who can save them."
"Well, then... Let's continue. Follow me."
Apple Bloom looked at the prof as he went to some weird machine, the blue crystal of her Poltergust floating in his magic beside him. Around the machine were three other crystals: a green, a yellow, and a red. Smart Spirit then put the blue crystal on a socle and took the green crystal before placing it on a different socle.
"As you know, when you catch a ghost, it's trapped in that blue crystal. These three crystals are then where I place them in depending of... things. Let me explain. You see, Diamond Cup, Golden Hair, Ruby, and Sapphire weren't in their right minds when you encountered them. I know for sure that when they were alive, they were good ponies. Sadly, they got trapped in a curse that turned them into those... monsters. But since I know they are good ponies..." He pushed a button, and images of all the ghosts captured in the crystal appeared on a screen above it. Strangely enough, all the other ghosts she captured had disappeared, so only Diamond Cup and the others were shown. Pushing some more buttons, he selected all the ghosts, and sent them in a different screen above the green crystal. Little blue lights, four in total, then came out of the blue crystal, passed through some pipe, and entered the green crystal. "Then I send them in the green crystal. Once the curse is lifted, all the ghosts in the green crystal will be released, free to rest in peace. The red crystal is for the ones I know are evil. This one is reserved, between others, to Bogmire. When these events will be over, I will send this crystal to Tartarus. The yellow one is for the ghosts I'm not sure of whether they're good or bad, so they will need some researches."
"That's incredible! Ya're really smart in that techno stuff! Twilight'd go crazy with you!"
"Ohohohohohohoh! Then I'm curious to meet her! But now, let's pass to the next thing: some explanation."
They approached a wall where there were many portraits of various ponies under a big drawing of the manor. Apple Bloom looked at all of them in wonder and horror.
"These are the targets that you may encounter in your exploration of the manor. The Gem Family. I couldn't find any portraits of the servants, but expect to also encounter them. The only servant possessing a portrait is the butler, Clean Order. As you see, the foals don't have portraits too, but I know there's at least another filly named Platinum Shoes somewhere. And there's a high possibility that you will encounter other powerful ghosts that decided to invite themselves in the manor. But all of them aren't priorities. The one ghost that you must catch to end this nightmare and, hopefully, save your friends is this one!" Smart Spirit pointed at the drawing of... some purple ghost that absolutely didn't look like a pony. "Bogmire."
"What... is this?"
"I don't know. Nopony who studied it could find out its origins, or anything. We don't even know if it was even alive at one point! All I know is this: it's a very powerful ghost, and it's the responsible for what happened to the manor and everypony in it. The Gem family, who was secretly a family of ghost hunters, was able to capture it and seal it in a room in the basement. But somehow, it escaped, probably with the help of somepony -I'm thinking of a traitor-, and plunged the whole manor in a horrible curse, transporting it to the spiritual world. The pony-eating books, the self-strangling mane, the twins who died trapped in their boxes as they played hide-and-seek... Their ghosts losing their mind! All of this is its fault! Capture Bogmire, and this curse ends! So, despite all this, do you still want to continue?"
"If ah say no, mah friends and Applejack are as good as dead. Ah must save them!"
Smart Spirit smiled. "Very well. Rest here as long as you want, and when you are ready, you can return in the manor. Meanwhile, take a look at the portraits, to remember who you will encounter."
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I'd do the same thing. That ghost looked pretty casual... too casual.
When I read this part, I expected Golden Hair to pull a Medusa on Apple Bloom and turn her to stone or something.
So, that's why children are especially creepy in horror movies; they're deviously playful. Also, you misspelled strength.
Chapter Name: Act 1
Just keep your eyes and ears wide open, and if you feel your fur suddenly stand on end, turn around and push the button without asking questions.
Other than that, I didn't find any other errors.
So I take it Bogmire isn't the Area 2 boss? Okay, but here's an interesting plot twist I came up with.... Actually I probably shouldn't say it, because then it wouldn't be a plot twist if you decided to use it.
I like this story so far and I can't wait to see more of it.
Hey, this story will continue after the manor right?
9869945
And don't forget about all the blood.
I also had it in mind when I wrote this.
But now, thankfully, she didn't gain the power to turn ponies into stone when dying.
Yeah. You can't trust children in horror movies. They act all innocent, and before you know it... ☠ Thankfully, those ones simply tried to sufocate Apple Bloom by trapping her in the closet. And they really had good intentions in mind, even if it was twisted by the curse.
Also, corrected. Thank you.
9870060
Corrected, thanks.
For Bogmire, I won't confirm or deny anything. As for your plot twist idea, you can always put it in spoilers, and like with Bogmire, I won't confirm or deny if it will be that or not.
Also, thank you. I'm glad you like it.
9870386
Well, at first, I thought to only do the first game, but deep down, I also wanted to adapt Dark Moon, but I'm not sure yet how. But yes, I want to continue writing Apple Bloom's adventures as a ghost hunter after this manor.
9870459
Sequel?
I am so excited I think my head might... (BOOM!!) Man thats the tenth head I blown up... this week, oh well there not hard for me to grow back anyway great story so far and I see you decided to leave out the boos and king boo.
9870477
Probably. But I don't know if it will be an original story, or an adaptation of Dark Moon with a different plot like this one.
9870524
), and the final boss will be more epic.
Thank you! Yeah, no Boos, King Boo, and Boolossus. No, the third boss will be worse (I don't mean more annoying like it was to capture that last bucking Boo, but I mean more dangerous. After all, we are in the MLP, what kind of ghost could do a perfect boss?
9870547
Will there be dark magic Wraiths?
9870548
Maybe in the last few rooms, one or two will decide to haunt the manor.
9870553
Blood magic, Chaos magic, Etc...
9870554
I don't think so.
9870556
To much?
9870562
Yeah. And I don't think there are much ghosts using chaos magic. For the blood magic, it wouldn't be useful because as a manor full of ghosts, there aren't much blood, and the blood left from the bodies of the Gem Family isn't fresh at all.
9870547
Well there are many kinds of ghosts like animators and possessors or even poltergeists you know what I mean.
9870574
Yep. But I was talking about ghosts of species of the MLP world. We already got earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, griffons, donkeys, mice, bats, and you can guess that there will be some zebras.
9870568
Necrotic or eldritch? Or is the big bad this?
9870580
Nope and nope.
9870577
Well how about dragons or changelings.
9870610
Well, remember that most of the ghosts in the original Luigi's Mansion are painted by Van Gore. And in this story, you understood that Pyrite was playing his role. However, one thousand years ago, changelings weren't known, so no painted ghost changelings. After, yes, there may be some real ghost changeling poping here and there. As for dragons... Well... You will see... *smirks evilly*
9870584
Elemental Specters?
9870620
Hippogriff, Siren, or alicorn Ghosts?
9870644
Yes.
9870646
Probably, maybe, and... you will see.
9870655
Fire, Ice, Water, Earth, Air, Lightning, Plant, Acid, FrostFire, Etc...
Also Pheonix Ghosts?
9870685
The most basics, so already the three we see in Luigi's Mansion, as well as lightning. Maybe more later.
As for phoenix ghosts, I didn't think of them, but I don't think they would be hostile ghosts. But Pyrite may paint a few ones toward the end.
9870459
Okay if you insist. Here it is:
After Apple Bloom captures Bogmire at the end of Area-2, the curse isn't lifted. And it won't be lifted until she finds and defeats the traitor who wished for all this in the first place.
Well for Dark Moon, King Boo was the one who broke the Dark Moon but he doesn't exist in this universe so... maybe Pyrite can take his place? As for the boos in that game, I have no idea. Maybe you could have him find an unknown, undiscovered ghostly species in Equestria and they could take the Boos place for Dark Moon.
As for how you'd set yourself up for it, I have an idea. Like I said earlier, Pyrite can take King Boo's place. I'm not sure what you have planned for this story, but I think the traitor's best saved for the final boss. In my eyes, it's the perfect climax. Apple Bloom captures Bogmire but it isn't enough to break the curse so Smart Spirit determines they have to find and defeat the one who freed Bogmire and made the wish. And at the end when Luigi/Apple Bloom confronts King Boo/Pyrite, Apple Bloom learns just how depraved and selfish a pony can get. And after the adventure is over and her friends and sister are safe, though they try to set Pyrite's spirit free, It doesn't work. He's to corrupt to even want to move on. And that is what I think would be able to pave the way for your Dark Moon Sequel plan.
I hope all this helps you and I am looking forward to area 2.
9870620
And this makes another idea I just had very valid and doable.
So you said Pyrite is taking Van Gore's place as the one making the ghosts in the mansion. Well what if he manages to get away and goes to the Secret Alter, he'd still drop the key to the room.
Sorry if I'm inputting to many Ideas here. My brain is just teeming with ideas for how this story could go.
9870689
I have never played Luigi’s mansion.
9870689
Fake timberwolves, bone Hydras?
9870727
And they are interresting theories! But there's already one thing that I can confirm to you: Pyrite will not be the final boss. Like in the game, he will be the penultimate boss. But I have something special prepared for him. As for who will be the real final boss, they are the one who talk at the end of the preview.
9870731
None of them are planned.
9870732
Well that's fine, it's your story, but what I've suggested still helps give you ideas for an adaptation of Dark Moon, right?
Also, are you excited for Luigi's Mansion 3? Because I am, and I don't even have a Switch.
9870759
Yep, it gave me ideas. So, thank you!
And yes, I'm exited for Luigi's Mansion 3. I can't wait to play it. Especially with the return of "human ghosts" that were really missing in Dark Moon.
9870763
Well, I know why this isn’t a sequel to a sweetie dreamland.
9867157
Maybe you could toss Scootaloo into the Paper Mario or Mario Galaxy series?
Just a thought
Is this in any way based off of Sweetie's Mansion?
9874973
Not at all. I haven't actually read it yet.
One thing I thought about was WHY DIDN"T THEY THINK TO WAKE UP DERPY AND HAVE HER DELIVER A LETTER TO THE PRINCESSES ABOUT ALL OF THIS!?
11669765
Apple Bloom didn't think to do this, and it would have taken too long in her opinion.