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Thunder

“So…” Rainbow began, her eyes darting mischievously between her friends as Twilight returned the computer chair to its correct position, “Who’s next?”

“Ooh ooh! Me me me! I wanna go next! Me!”

“Alright, alright, Pinkie, you can go next,” Rainbow laughed, “it’s not like there’s a line or anything.”

Pinkie beamed as she hopped to her hooves. With a single well-aimed bounce she was in the computer chair searching for the button to unpause that game and start the next cutscene. Twilight pressed it for her, and the screen flickered black for a second before starting up the introduction to the new level.

“I like this opening better.” Fluttershy said with a small laugh.

“Why? Nothing’s happening. The guy gets a text, and decides to go home after waking up in an alley… Whoop-de-doo!” Rainbow deadpanned.

“It’s because nothing’s happening, Dashie! After that big scary thing yelled at all of us, I think they like the peace and- Ooh, I’ve got a knife!”

As their character looked slowly around the alley he was in, a silver knife clenched tightly in his right hand, the screen lit up softly in white letters again. “Chapter 1- Lost in the City.”

“I’m not lost,” Pinkie said innocently as their character turned to start walking out of the alley. ‘I know exactly where I’m going. Forward!”

“It’s probably just called that to be spooky.” RD shrugged.

“Ah don’t really think it needs any help bein’ that.”

“I’ve got an inventory?” Pinkie questioned, as a hint box appeared at the top of the screen.

“Huh? Oh yeah, you do… Just keep in mind that it runs in real-time.”

“Runs in real time?” Fluttershy asked quietly, looking up at the blue pegasus beside her. “What does that mean?”

“It means the game doesn’t pause when you open it,” Twilight explained simply, “So you have to be more careful.”

“Well, there’s no baddies around right now!” Pinkie chirped happily, giving the tab button a tap.

“What is with horror games and making positively everything bloody? I just don’t see the point,” Rarity sighed in disgust as she eyed the “décor” of the inventory screen. “It’s completely untasteful.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re the only one that cares, Rarity.” Rainbow grumbled, rolling her eyes at her fashionista friend.

“Actually girls, I think it might be rust, not blood.” Twilight offered, squinting at the screen to try and tell the difference.

After fiddling with the various buttons in the inventory screen, Pinkie managed to figure out how to ‘Dual Wield’ her knife and phone.

“I can text and fight at the same time! Huzzah! Have at you!”

While goofing around fighting imaginary enemies, Pinkie bumped a button unintentionally, and discovered an important detail.

“Oh! My cell’s my flashlight!”

“Well that’s…” Rainbow began, initially sounding somewhat disgusted, but then changing her tone as she actually thought it over.

“Actually, that’s pretty original…”

Pinkie giggled lightly, before continuing her way forward out of the darkened alley and into an area where the moonlight still shone. Naturally, she stopped to look around the area, and during the time she spent doing the latter, something caught Rarity’s eye that made her jump.

So of course everyone looked at her with eyebrows raised.

“Was I the only one that seen that? There was some weird shadow thing on top of the bridge there!”

Pinkie obligingly swung her flashlight/cellphone up to look at the bridge, but there was nothing but leaves drifting down to be seen.

“I think you’re seeing things Rarity.” Rainbow said bluntly.

“I most certainly am not!” She snapped back, causing Twilight to quickly wiggle her way between the two.

“It doesn’t matter! It’s a horror game- There’s no doubt that there’s all sorts of weird crap in here!” Twilight said quickly, breaking the two up again. “So just drop it?”

“There’s no point us doing this if we start to fight Dashie.”

The fact that Pinkie almost sounded sad was enough to damper what was left of Rainbow’s desire to fight.

“Yeah you’re right Pinkie Pie. I’m sorry.”

“I as well… I admit I over-reacted. This game has me on edge.”

“That’s alright, Rarity,” Rainbow said lightly, giving the white unicorn a half hug, “and I’ll keep it in mind too.”

Twilight smiled happily, pleased that the sudden high tensions had dissolved as easily as the fright from the last scare had.

“That’s better. Okay Pinkie, we’re all clear back here.”

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie beamed, cheerily swinging back to face the game screen. “Full speed ahead!”

Well ‘Full speed ahead’ led them right into the nearby abandoned subway tunnels. As if it wasn’t enough that it was dimly lit and eerily quiet, the second that Pinkie rounded the second corner, a shadow of some person (or more likely some thing) could be seen passing just around the corner up ahead.

“Oh! Hey! Wait up,” Pinkie called, quickly urging their character into a sprint, “I wanna talk to you!”

“Pinkie, darling, are you sure this is a good idea?” Rarity asked a little frantically.

“Of course it is! It’s just a game after all.”

Their character skidded to a stop as they turned the corner to reach an empty hallway, their mark now long out of sight. Pinkie made her way slowly down the hallway and to the first door. There was a moments silence among the girls as they all eyed the graffitied door and the words “Help Me” clearly written in blood beside it. With apprehensive care, Pinkie slowly reached out and tried the door. The rattle that came from it announced that it was locked, producing a relieved sigh from everypony in the room.

Find a code to the padlock.

“So, there’s two doors left, through one of them I guess?” Rainbow asked, standing up on her hind legs to lean against the computer chair and get a better look at the screen.

“I guess so.” Pinkie wheeled her character around to try the smaller of the two, to find it open.

The screen blinked black as it loaded the next area. Everypony leaned forward a little bit in expectation- To see another darkened, empty, graffitied alley as the next area.

“Well that’s disappointing.” Rainbow muttered.

Pinkie didn’t mind too much though, and quickly began looking around surrounding crooks and crannies to see if her new ‘friend’ was playing hide-and-seek. There was little to be found but crude words spray-painted across locked back doors and walls, overflowing dumpsters and litter scattered across the ground. Around the corner was a set of stairs that led under a railroad bridge atop of which a train had oddly stopped as if it was taking a catnap.

I guess there’s nothing to be found around here. Pinkie decided with a small shrug, before moving their character forward once more.

The second their foot landed on the first step, a crack of lightning lit the sky illuminating for a split second a twisted figure ahead, accompanied with a deafening crash of thunder that echoed from the speakers and through the room.

Rainbow Dash’s wings flared open as she jerked back in shock and nearly fell onto the pillow which Fluttershy was now hiding underneath. If Pinkie had not ducked down instead of scrambling back as well, the whole chair would have likely hit the floor instead of rocking back an inch before slamming back into place of its own accord.

A moments silence hung in the air as the storm outside rumbled in eerie echo, and the girls all stared in tense worry at the now peaceful computer screen. It was broken rather pleasantly by an irritated voice from the kitchen.

“Can you guys please turn the volume down? We’ve got enough stupid thunder from outside already, if you don’t mind.”

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ChainReaction

ChainReaction #1 · Nov 2nd, 2012 · · ·

“I can text and fight at the same time! Huzzah! Have at you!” Ooooohh Myyy Goooosh. I am laughing so hard right now. XD Another chapter executed with precision, CG!