The Case of the Stolen Foods
Now before you begin reading you must know three things:1. There will be links to music so this won't sound boring at times.
2.Whenever you see ***, that means stop the music playing.
3.I decided to turn the prompt from serious and mysterious to funny and mysterious (which was Mysterious creatures are attacking Ponyville).
I hope you enjoy!
"Are you sure this is gonna work Apple Bloom ?" questioned Scootaloo
"Of course it is!" assured Apple Bloom.
"I don't think we're cut out for this." said Sweetie Belle, still shaking about what Apple Bloom just said.
"Yeah," agreed Scootaloo "Let's just throw in the towel today and head home."
"No! I'm sure this will get us our cutie marks!" exclaimed Apple Bloom
"Fine. Let's at least try."
"That's the spirit! Now say it with me." Apple Bloom took in a very long, and deep breath before shouting the most diabolical thing known to colts and fillies.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS BOOK SORTING!" she yelled, with two mumbles from Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle right after.
"Okay girls, I'm going to go do some errands, can I trust you three alone in the library?" Twilight asked, hoping they were up to the giant, monstrous, and oh so very tedious task.
"Yes Twilight!" she said cheerfully, although Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sounded like they said it with venom, poisonous enough to kill the biggest, baddest, and meanest Hydra around.
"Okay I'll be back in a few minutes." With that goodbye, Twilight trotted out the door.
"You guys ready?" Apple Bloom asked her friends.
"Ma'am, yes, Ma'am!" the other two Crusaders responded, saluting to their friend.
"Okay Crusaders, let's get sorting!" and with that they began their epic struggle to sort books and get their cutie marks.
The book sorting was as boring as it sounded to Scootaloo. They looked at boring books such as "Obscure Unicorn History" and "The Art of the To-Do list" both of which just made her groan louder. Most of the books were out of their reach, so they had to use a step ladder, but whenever any of them tried to get on it they fell right of!
After a few minutes they had a whopping total of one book shelved, still having a million more to go. When they put their second book away, it being "Laws of Physics and You" by a Professor Pink, they heard a scream. This scream was loud enough to cut through a crowd of ponies complaining during cider season.
"Did you hear that?" Scootaloo asked her friends.
"Yea," answered Sweetie Belle "It sounds like it's coming from the direction of Sugarcube Corner!"
"Wait a minute, how did you know it's coming in that direction?" asked Apple Bloom.
"I have keen hearing so I'm able to pin-point the location of a noise."
"That sounds like you made it up on the spot, but okay!"
They then opened the door to the library to find who and why a pony would be screaming.
***
When they arrived at Sugarcube Corner it was crowded with ponies who heard the scream as well. They kept on pushing through ponies until they reached the center of the crowd, spotting the ever-so hyper Pinkie Pie on the ground sobbing. They walked up to her and asked in unison "What happened Pinkie Pie?"
Pinkie simply responded with "We were robbed!" and began to sob harder.
Apple Bloom saw Twilight and asked "What did the robbers take."
"No money fortunately, but they stole doughnuts, danishes, and cupcakes, four of each. Pinkie is devastated by this theft, more so then she'll ever be if money was taken."
Apple Bloom waved to her friends to get into a circle as Sweetie Belle talked "Can you imagine that somebody stole food, but no money?"
"Yea, seems unreal." Scootaloo responded
"Girls, if we find this perpetrator we could get cutie marks in crime solving."
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CRIME SOLVING!" they screamed in unison, but Apple Bloom quickly changed the subject when she turned to Twilight asking her "Did you see it happen?"
"No. I got here whenever Pinkie first found the missing pastries."
"Did the crook leave anything behind?"
"When the police force searched they found this green, slime like stuff on the ground."
"Can you take us to it?"
"Of course!" the purple unicorn guided the three friends to a clearing in Sugarcube Corner with yellow police tape surrounding it. She poked one of the officers on duty and asked "Excuse me, can you please move?"
"Anything for a beautiful mare such as yourself." The officer responded stepping out of her way showing the scene for all to see.
"Why would an officer of the law just step out of the way without saying 'No can do miss.'?" Apple Bloom asked.
"What can you say, stallions in uniforms love eggheads!" Scootaloo declared, getting a "If looks could kill" glare from the unicorn.
"Sorry." Scootaloo apologized before moving closer to the crime scene.
It looked like as Twilight described it. It was green and looked like it belonged in a sewer. When Sweetie Belle moved up to touch it, her stomach nearly revolted feeling the slime. Apple Bloom tried to pick it up, but it went straight through her hoof onto the ground. "What is this stuff anyway?" she asked, but got no answer.
"Anyway," Twilight started "Did you finish the book sorting yet?"
"About that....." stated Scootaloo as she began to tell Twilight that they could only get a few books up, and that is was just boring.
"Okay then, glad you told me!" Twilight said.
"Sorry we couldn't finish sorting the books." said Apple Bloom.
"Don't worry about it, all that matters is that you tried." Twilight said as she began to walk out of Sugarcube Corner, telling Pinkie to follow her so they can try to figure out the who the thieving pastry pony is.
"Well now what?" pondered Sweetie Belle.
"We need to look around for leads!" Scootaloo said.
"Right, but first we should go to Berry Punch's Punch Emporium to get a drink so we could focus and see what we have." Answered Apple Bloom
"YEA!" the other two Crusaders responded as they trotted out to the Punch Emporium for a sweet, tangy, and all around delicious drink.
STOP THE MUSIC (If you haven't already.)!
It took them quite a while to find the Emporium, it being nestled between two rather large buildings, but when they arrived their tongues were as dry as old jokes told in the neighties. When they opened the door to flavor paradise, the room in the store was filled with smooth jazz. The type of jazz that makes you want to go out and sing to the birds.
When the three companions approached the counter, it being made of a very fancy wood. They tapped the bell located a few centimeters left of the end, but not too far, just close enough for anypony to reach it. When the bell made it's soft chime, a mare with a splendid plume coat, a dark mulberry mane, and to top it all off with two majestic, fuchsia eyes. She spoke in a almost child-like tone "Welcome to Berry Punch's Berry Emporium! How may I help you?"
"We'll like three soft fruit punch specials please! Make them extra fruity if you could." Sweetie Belle stated.
"Can't handle your liquor, huh?"
"No, it's just that we're fillies, so we're not old enough to drink."
"Oh. Never really could tell the difference between fillies and mares when I was little. One time, when we went to the plaza for a field trip in school, I saw a mare that looked like a foal so I asked her 'Shouldn't you be in school like me, or at least with your parents?' Let's just say that detention was only the beginning of my punishment when I got back to school, even worse when I got home."
"That's....nice, but could you please hurry up? We're dieing of thirst!" commented Scootaloo.
"Okay girls, I'll be back in a minute." Berry Punch began to walk away into the kitchen as Apple Bloom blew a breath of relief.
"Thank Celestia that she left! I was getting uncomfortable with her stories!"
"So was I, but at least we're finally getting punch!" agreed Scootaloo.
They talked for quite a few moments, about their lives and telling funny stories until a shrill scram cut through their conversation, a scream of pure terror. "That sounded like Berry Punch!" Sweetie Belle said getting ready to run off into the kitchen.
"Yea! Let's go!" Apple Bloom yelled as they went into the kitchen, seeing Berry Punch curled up into a ball.
Apple Bloom saw this as a perfect time to ask Berry questions about what happened. "What happened here Miss Punch?"
"F-f-f-four bottles of my finest extra-fruity fruit punch have been stolen!" Berry Punch stammered.
Four bottles huh? Kinda like the pastries in Sugarcube Corner.... Apple Bloom thought. Time to see if my hunch is correct.
"Was there any green slime left where the bottles were?"
"No, only pale, bleached dust."
"Dust? Do you mind showing us?"
"Sure, don't know why you want to see it though." Berry Punch guided the Crusaders to a spot in the kitchen to where she kept the bottles and by the looks of it, four of them were indeed taken. Next to the four empty spaces, a pile of white. pale, and very rough dust remained.
After looking at the dust, the three fillies got into a circle and began to chat.
"Do you think it was the same thing that robbed Sugarcube Corner?" Scootaloo pondered.
"No way! That thing left slime, but this thing left dust!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Okay I got an idea. We can have a slumber party in our clubhouse while we try to solve this mystery. Agreed?" Apple Bloom proposed.
"Agreed!" the other two responded.
"Miss Punch, we kinda changed our minds on the punch, so we're going to go ahead a leave, okay?" Apple Bloom asked.
No response. Just hard sobbing.
"Okay, let's get out of here before it gets creepy." With that the Crusaders made their way out of the Emporium while bumping into some officers of the law, making it out of the streets of Ponyville, and onto the soft soil of Sweet Apple Acres.
When they arrived they heard a loud scream sounding like it was near the barn, a scream loud enough to send a Manticore packing.
"That sounded like Applejack!" Apple Bloom stated.
Apple Bloom's friends looked at each other quizzically "Is it just me, or is it wherever we go, we here a loud yell?" Sweetie Belle questioned.
"Do you think that we could be the cause of this?" Scootaloo asked.
"Of course not! That's a stupid plot twist, so stupid that even a stallion following a prompt won't even use!" Apple Bloom reasoned, "Now come on! We need to see what happened to my sister!" after that, they began to gallop over to the barn of Sweet Apple Acres, spotting Applejack looking around feverishly, as if she lost something....
"Applejack!" Apple Bloom yelled, getting ever so closer to the barn.
"Thank Celestia, y'all are here!" Applejack yelled back.
"What happened, Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Well.." Applejack began.
"When I was working in the fields, I saw a black line zip into the apple cellar!
"But when I got to the cellar, it zipped out and four of everything went with it and went in the direction of the Everfree Forest!"
"Did it leave anything? Green slime or white dust?" Apple Bloom questioned.
"It did leave something! Not slime or dust, that's for sure!" Applejack answered.
"What did it leave?" Scootaloo asked.
"It left black feathers!"
"Black feathers?"
"Yea, come on, I'll show you!" Applejack trotted with them back to the apple cellar and opened it, allowing the three companions inside.
The thing, did indeed leave black feathers, whenever they touched one it felt rough and odd. "Kinda feels like pegasus feathers!" Scootaloo commented.
"But pegasi can't have black feathers, can they?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I've never seen one with black feathers before, so I don't think so." Replied Applejack.
"Well, Crusaders, we have another suspect on this case!" Apple Bloom announced.
"We never had any suspects from the other two." Sweetie Belle pointed out.
"Well, I think I know who could've done it. I'll tell you after dinner and when we get back to the clubhouse." Apple Bloom replied.
"Just make sure you three go to bed early." Applejack responded, she had gotten used to the three going to each others houses and spending the nights there, even if Apple Bloom had school.
"Don't worry we will!" the three friends answered, before rushing out of the cellar to get ready to eat.
***
After having a very hefty and a very apple based dinner, the Crusaders decided to talk about their findings on the three mysterious burglaries.
"Okay, let's see what we have!" Apple Bloom said as the other two fillies got ready to reveal evidence.
"At Sugarcube Corner, four doughnuts, danishes, and cupcakes were stolen by a mysterious force, the said force leaving behind green slime." Sweetie Belle responded.
"And at Berry Punch's Punch Emporium, four of her finest extra-fruity fruit punch were taken as well, the force leaving pale dust this time." Scootaloo reported.
"And earlier today, at my family's farm Sweet Apple Acres, a black line zipped through the apple cellar, stealing four of everything and leaving black feathers, all the while going back into the Everfree Forest." Apple Bloom said finally.
"So who could've stolen all these foods?" pondered Scootaloo.
"I think I have a few guesses." Answered Apple Bloom.
"Do tell!"
"My first suspect is.........
Music! (By the way this song is going to appear a lot during these suspect guesses)
"Nightmare Moon!"
"Nightmare Moon is gone, Apple Bloom." Sweetie Belle replied.
***
"Well then it's.........
"The Flim-Flam Brothers!"
"They left and I don't think they'll ever be coming back." Scootaloo responded.
***
"Okay, I'm officially out of suspects."
"Well, Applejack said that she saw the black line make it's way towards the Everfree Forest! Maybe we can look for it so we can stop these attacks on all of these shops!" Sweetie Belle proposed, getting to nods from her friends.
"That sounds great! We can go there as soon as possible!" Apple Bloom agreed.
"We can probably go right now, that's if we get back here before it's late or before your family figures out that we're missing!"
"Perfect! Even if we get in trouble we'll be thanked for solving this mystery and we'll get our cutie marks!" Scootaloo chimed in. When they were done talking, they got all the essentials they needed: Water, food, and just in case they got lost, a compass. They totted out of the clubhouse as quiet as possible moving into the abundant greenery known as the Everfree Forest.
Music Time! (Completely different this time!)
The forest hung with dread and tension, the smell of moss, and the hooting of owls made this feeling even worse. Apple Bloom was scared out of her mind, looking in every direction hoping she wouldn't encounter the mysterious thief that ransacked Ponyville's finest food shops. "Well were to we go now? We don't even know what the pony looks like." Apple Bloom asked.
"Yea, maybe we should go back and just give up." Sweetie Belle reasoned.
"No way! We just keep looking until we find him/her/it!" Scootaloo encouraged.
"But-" the other two started, but were cut off by Scootaloo saying "No excuses! Do you want crime solving cutie marks?"
The two sighed, knowing this was a up hill battle and just decided to roll with it, hoping that they wouldn't encounter the pony. It wasn't until they reached a clearing in the maze of the forest that they saw campfire light in the distance, no more than a couple of yards away, with sound of glasses hitting against one another that they heard a Timberwolf in the distance, making it's bone-chilling howl loud and clear.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom tried to make a run for it, but were tripped by Scootaloo. She shock her head saying "Is this what Cutie Mark Crusaders do? Just run away and hope to get a run away from danger cutie mark?"
"Really? You could get one for that?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Let's go test that out and see if that's possible!" yelled Apple Bloom, but her and Sweetie Belle were pinned down by Scootaloo.
"Of course there isn't! That will make use even more of a blank flank then we are now!" Scootaloo said.
"Now," Scootaloo started "are you two blank flanks or Cutie Mark Crusaders?"
"Cutie Mark Crusaders....." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Cutie Mark Crusaders...."
"I can't hear you!"
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!" the two yelled.
"Good now what are we going to do?" questioned Scootaloo.
"Storm that campfire and find that pony!" answered Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
After that pep talk, the three made their way into the camp, hoping to find the food bandit.
***
The camp was deserted and fear hung around the place like a cloak. The Crusaders looked around for any evidence saying that the thief was here. They were searching high and low, until Apple Bloom shouted "Look what I found!"
Her friends were there in seconds gasping at what they saw. There were four doughnuts, danishes, and cupcakes, all uneaten. Four bottles of Berry Punch's finest extra-fruity fruit punch, all open and four glasses scattered around the campfire and a box filled to the brim with apple foods and drinks, four of everything, just as Applejack said.
"We did it! We found the missing foods! Now we just need to wait for the bandit to appear!" the three friends shouted in unison.
A green flash enveloped the campsite, as a greenish pony emerged, floating as if by strings as he spoke in a light german accent "Who're you calling a bandit! We payed for this!"
"Wait a minute...... Who said that?" Scootaloo questioned.
"I did!" replied the floating, green entity behind her, but when she turned she went from confusion to horror in seconds.
"A GHOST!" Scootaloo screamed, causing her friends to join her in her scream of terror.
"Hold on a minute! I'm not going to hurt you, I promise! You can trust a floating green thing right?" the green pony asked, hoping that they'll agree and calm down so he could talk to them.
It surprisingly worked as the three stopped screaming and calmed down. Apple Bloom spoke first asking the floating, green thing "Are you sure we can trust you? You look like a ghost!"
"Well, the correct term is ghoul, and yes I promise not to hurt you. I just want to know why you're here." The pony replied.
"My names Apple Bloom, and over there is Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle." Apple Bloom answered pointing a hoof at her friends so the ghoul could see them.
"And we're...." They started, but paused for a split second, before yelling, "THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!"
"You see Mr......" Apple Bloom started, but paused hoping to hear a name.
"Ghoulash." The green spirit responded.
"Mr. Ghoulash, we're here to find a thief who stole a lot of food and drinks from Ponyville and we're trying to track him down."
"Wait did you say Ponyville?" Ghoulash asked.
"Yes sir! Food and drinks were stolen from Sugarcube Corner, Berry Punch's Punch Emporium, and finally from Sweet Apple Acres!"
"Oh, my bad."
"You mean you're the mysterious force that stole from all of those places?" Sweetie Belle questioned, getting a nod from Ghoulash.
"Yes, although I thought I paid for those pastries." Ghoulash replied.
"We didn't see any money there, just green slime."
"That's cause that is the money."
"Huh?" now the three were confused as Ghoulash continued.
"That was a ghoul bit."
"That doesn't explain the dust left at the Emporium, or the feathers at Sweet Apple Acres." Scootaloo reasoned. getting nods from her companions.
"Well, that's because I didn't go there, two of my associates went to those places." Ghoulash answered.
"Do you mind sowing us your pals, so we could talk to them about this?"
"Sure, why not?" with that, Ghoulash made a whistle, causing three shadowy figures to appear, and when he began to speak once more his German accent was gone, replaced with a booming game show host voice.
"Now let me introduce my pals, companions, associates, and any other word for friend." Ghoulash pointed at one of the shadowy figures before continuing.
"Now the pony who attacked the Emporium is no other skeleton than Bonehead!" the figure stepped out of the shadows, showing pure white bones. He offered a smile as he walk toward the four offering a dry "Hello."
"Was the dust money too?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Why of course! It's called a bone bit!" Bonehead answered.
"Well, in our town, that isn't money." Sweetie Belle stated.
"My apologies." The skeleton said.
"Yes, so am I, but let us continue!" Ghoulash said pointing at the second figure.
"Now this pony ransacked Sweet Apple Acres and is the only recorded Pegasus to have black feathers! He's fast! He's furious! He's also in almost every single horror story created!"
The Crusaders braced for what the mysterious pony's name was.
"His name is....
"The Count!" as if on cue, the pony known as The Count emerged from the bleak shadows. It was as Ghoulash had said. He had a onyx black coat with feathers of the same color. He also had a grey man and tail, as if showing age in the Pegasus.
He spoke in a light Transylvanian accent as he said "How do you do?"
Scootaloo spoke up, completely ignoring what he said as she asked "Let me guess, the feathers were currency too?"
"Don't be ridiculous! That was bartering!" he answered, looking quite proud.
"Sorry to bust your bubble, but we don't barter anymore." Apple Bloom stated.
"Terribly sorry, I didn't know of this change in economy." The Count replied before taking a seat next to Bonehead, which during the entrance of Count had decided to settle down.
"Now time for the last one of us, now this pony didn't do anything you three have deemed wrong. He's a pony every colt wanted to be," Ghoulash started.
"He's brave and courageous! His name is The Black Night!"
"Um," Apple Bloom interrupted "Do you mean Black Knight?"
"No, I mean Black Night and you'll see why!" Ghoulash answered before motioning the last shadow to come into the soft campfire light.
He was adorned with dark blue armor and a helmet that his any features of his head, but the armor only meant one thing...
"You were one of Princess Luna's guards!?!" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Indeed I was." The Black Night answered.
"You see girls, we're outcasts, so that's why we tried using our own form of currency. Mainly because we didn't know how much of this beautiful country has changed." Ghoulash explained.
"Well you guys don't look like you're outcasts!" Apple Bloom reasoned.
"Oh we are! Would you like us to tell you why?" Bonehead asked, getting nods from nods from the fillies.
"You could probably tell why Bonehead and I are outcasts, being undead and all, but you're about to see why The Count and The Black Night are considered outcasts." Ghoulash said.
"We'll," The Count started "It began many years ago! Back even before Nightmare Moon.
"You see, there was this fruit that is now non-existent due to how horrible it was. It was called the addiction fruit. Clever name, I know.
"Whoever ate it got an addiction to what ever they ate or drank next, like if it was a candy they'll be addicted to any form of candy, regardless of what type they ate. They will also be granted eternal life until the curse of the fruit is broken.
"You see, I was tricked by somepony to eat the fruit, and the next thing I ate was a piece of fruit, so I got an addiction to any form of fruit and was forced to flee into this very forest to try to find a cure for my addiction.
"Sadly that never came true, so now I'm a fruit vampire, forced to eat and drink only fruit based stuff."
There was silence for a few moments until Apple Bloom broke the silence saying "Wow that was sad!"
"You think mine is sad? Wait until you hear Black Night's!" The Count replied, taking a seat and motioning The Black Night to begin his story.
The Black Night coughed before beginning "My story is very much like The Count's taking place many years ago, but during Nightmare Moon!
"When Luna became Nightmare Moon, she turned some of her guards into cold hear-ted killers. I was one of them.
"My first mission was to assassinate Princess Celestia, bur I failed and she spotted me!
"I lied saying I was under a spell and I would never betray her. She bought it, but Nightmare Moon didn't.
"For failing, she court marshaled me and gave me the worst curse known to ponykind: Eternal Life.
"Through the years I have suffered, seeing friends, family and loved ones fall prey to death's trap, but I lived on until I had no more tears to shed. I went into this forest hoping to live my eternal life in peace, until I meat The Count, Ghoulash and Bonehead, and you know the rest."
The three friends cried as Ghoulash spoke "Now you why we're outcasts."
"But that's not fair! You four deserve to be with everypony else!" Apple Bloom replied.
"Yea!" responded Scootaloo "We should go visit the Mayor so you four can apologize, and then maybe she'll forgive you and maybe even let you have a house!"
"Why the heck not? It's worth a shot!" agreed Bonehead.
They all agreed to meet near the Mayor's office tomorrow, so the Crusaders bid farewell to their new friends so they can go get some sleep and explain to Applejack, Pinkie, Berry Punch and the Mayor about the robberies tomorrow.
"So, can you tell me why we're going to the Mayor's office?" asked Applejack, who was carrying a cart with Apple Bloom and her friends in it, heading toward City Hall. When the three friends woke up, they sent a letter to the Mayor requesting to see her with the victims of the robberies so they can tell them who did it.
"We found out who attacked Sweet Apple Acres, so we're going to tell the Mayor, Berry Punch, and Pinkie Pie about this!" explained Apple Bloom.
"Did it attack those places too?"
"In a way." When they pulled up, the Mayor was already waiting outside, along with Berry Punch and Pinkie Pie. The Mayor offered a warm smile as she exclaimed. "Thank goodness you four are finally here. Now, we can get to the bottom of these attacks."
"Well, let's go in and discuss this!" agreed Berry Punch. The Mayor opened the door to City Hall as they trotted in.
"We'll be in there in a little while. The three of us need to do something real quick." Said Apple Bloom
"Okay then, just make sure to come inside." Replied the Mayor as the other four trotted in, ready to discuss.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo trotted to the back of City Hall and said in unison "Okay, you four can come out now!" with that, four shadowy figures stepped into the light, revealing Ghoulash and his associates.
"So, did you tell them yet?" asked Ghoulash.
"Not yet, but we are in a little while, and when we do you guys come in and introduce yourself's to the Mayor." Sweetie Belle explained to them.
"Okay then! We hope you can convince them we meant no harm with those so called 'Robberies'."
"Girls, are you done yet?" called Applejack.
"Yes, we'll be there in a second!" the three exclaimed before waving goodbye to their friends to go in City Hall and tell the four mares that await them about the attacks.
The Crusaders sat down on seats, awaiting the Mayor to start the conversation. "Now, let's here Ms. Pinkie
Pie about the theft in Sugarcube Corner." The Mayor said pointing a hoof at Pinkie.
"Well,' Pinkie explained "I was baking sweets and I when I finished I went to the rack to put them up, a bunch of pastries were gone, having been replaced by green slime!" she then started to sob lightly.
"Now, Ms. Berry Punch, what happened to you?" the Mayor asked as Berry coughed, stood up, and started to speak.
"When these three asked for punch I went to go get them some, but when I went into the punch pantry four of the best punch's were gone, been replaced by white dust!" she then started to sob harder after the explanation.
"Yes, we do feel your pain, but Applejack can you be a dear and explain what happened on your farm?" the Mayor asked moving closer to Berry Punch comforting her.
"Yes ma'am!" Applejack replied standing up and explaining "I was doing what I normally do, bucking apple trees and taking said apple to the apple cellar. When I was finished and was walking out, I saw a black line zip into the cellar and zip out, taking four of everything with it and leaving black feathers behind!"
"Thank you for telling me this," the Mayor said, turning to face the Crusaders "Now, do you three mind telling us who this monstrous thing is?"
"Of course!" the friends replied in unison.
"Now before we show you them you must promise not to scream or run. Do you promise?" asked Scootaloo, getting nods from the four older ponies in the room.
"Okay, now Pinkie Pie this is the pony that took the pastries! His name is Ghoulash!" Sweetie Belle announced as the door opened, revealing a floating green pony as he flew in.
"So, your the meanie pants that stole from Sugarcube Corner!" exclaimed the pink earth pony, pointing a hoof at Ghoulash.
"Yes I am and I am terribly sorry, I had no idea that you wouldn't accept ghoul bits. In order to make up for this I have brought back the pastries, hoping to buy them honestly in the future." Ghoulash replied taking out the pastries he stole and put on the ground next to Pinkie Pie.
"Thank you for bringing these back! I do accept your apology and I'll make sure to put these on hold for you until you have enough bits to purchase these." Pinkie Pie responded, trying to give Ghoulash a hug, but ended up falling straight trough him. They both giggled as Scootaloo continued with the presentations for the other two.
"Now the next one committed theft from Berry Punch's Punch Emporium! He's calm, he's collective, and he knows how to fall apart! Please help me welcome Bonehead!" with that announcement, the door opened leading a skeleton in as he smiled going toward Berry Punch.
"Excuse me, but are you Berry Punch?" Bonehead asked the plume mare in front of him, getting a very shaky nod from her.
"Perfect! Now Ms. Punch will you accept my apology? Just like Ghoulash, I thought you excepted bone bits, but I was wrong and I am sorry. I was able to re-bottle two of the punch's, but I am willing to work to pay off the other two."
"I do except your apology. And I will be thrilled if you could help me out! It gets difficult at times." Berry Punch responded, shaking Boneheads hoof, causing him to fall into a pile of bones. When he reformed, the two had a good chuckle.
Apple Bloom coughed before she spoke "Now, sis this is the one that attack Sweet Apple Acres' apple cellar blind! He's fast, he's a fruit vampire, and the only recorded Pegasus to have black feathers! His name is The Count!" exclaimed Apple Bloom, as the door swung opened followed by a black line making it's way into the center. When it did, it stopped dead in it's tracks showing a Pegasus with indeed black feathers and around his waist was a crate filled to the brim with food.
He trotted over to Applejack and extended a hoof as he spoke in his trademark Transilvanian accent "Ms. Applejack I presume?" she nodded shaking his hoof.
"Excellent! Now, much like my comrades I ask for forgiveness, mainly because I didn't know bartering was out-dated. I brought back every single food and beverage item I took from your cellar." He extended a hoof showing the crate with apple assorted goodies.
"Of course I forgive you! It's not very nice of me not to and you also brought back the stuff you stole! If that isn't worth a 'thank you' and a 'apology accepted', I don't know what is!" exclaimed Applejack, giving The Count a hi-five, followed by a laugh.
"Time for the last pony!" the trio of fillies exclaimed.
"Yes there is one pony left, but he didn't do anything, but he is still part of this group!" Sweetie Belle continued.
"He was here during Nightmare Moon's rebellion and even worked with her, but was quickly court-marshaled after failing a assignment and met the three ponies you see now!" Scootaloo said.
"Now, he's honorable, dressed in dark blue armor!" Apple Bloom continued
"He's the Black Night!" the three exclaimed, causing the door to open one final time, as the pony stepped into view, being adorned in the darkest blue possible. He trotted up to the Mayor and offered his hoof.
"Are you Mayor Mare?" he asked in a very baritone voice.
"Yes I am, but please everypony calls me Mayor, just call me Ivory Scroll." The Mayor said, blushing deeply.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Ivory Scroll. Might I ask for forgiveness from my friends part? We'll be honored to do anything to help the town, if it gets us out of any debt we have, and possibly a place to rest our heads." Explained Black Night.
"Well, there is a house that somepony moved out of a while ago. We can probably let you stay there," the Mayor started, blushing even more before continuing "Well, as for helping the town, Nightmare Night's coming up, so...."
Two ponies trotted up to the Ponyville mansion, once filled with happy ponies, but now only filled with dread. One of the ponies, a colt with a coat of pinto and no real cutie mark to call his own gulped as he said, shivering of fright, "Um, Princess, do we really have to go in there?"
The other pony, being Princess Luna of the night replied "Of course pip, it's a customary Nightmare Night tradition to be scared silly. So why not go to a mansion that could be filled with ghosts that can scare the living daylights out of you?"
Pipsqueak gulped as Luna replied "Oh, right. Have no fear pip, cause I think nothing is here that can scare us!"
After saying that, the double doors for the mansion slammed open. The pair began to walk in very shakily, until two buckets dropped in front of them. The first one jingled, meaning it was for donations of some kind. Luna obliged and put in a bit, while pip went in the other bucket pulling out a piece of candy.
The buckets made their way back up into the ceiling and the door they were staring at opened as a Transylvanian voice rang out "Enter if you dare!"
The two both gulped, knowing they were going to be in for one heck of a ride!
Luna and Pipsqueak made their way into the room, the door shutting loudly behind them. The room became a green spectacle as a pony appeared from the floor. He was green, and floating as if by levitation. Luna spoke saying "Are you a ghost?"
"Of course not! I happen to be ghoul!" Ghoulash answered with his German accent.
"Oh, that makes sense." After that reply from the Luna, the two ponies screamed in terror, trying to find a way out. They then heard rumbling, as a pile of bones sitting in the corner emmerged into a full pony as it spoke dryly "Hello, there."
They screamed even louder as the spirits came closer, but a door opened giving them enough time to escape into another room.
"Do you think we lost them?" Pipsqueak asked, gasping for breath.
Luna opened her mouth to speak, but a baritone yell cut through it "Dream on kid!"
The pony in question that yelled it appeared out of the shadows wearing dark blue armor. He gave Luna a glance saying "Hello, Princess."
Luna immediately recognized the voice and yelled "Black Night, you're alive!"
"Sorry, Princess, but I was hired to scare you, but maybe we can talk to each other during lunch!" Black Night yelled back pulling a sword made of the darkest of metals out it making a screeching noise as it came down to the floor.
"I am the dark abyss!" the Black Night began, moving ever so closer to them.
"I am the melted steel.
"I am the Un-just Sword.
"With blade in hand shall I release the sins of this world, and cleanse them in the fires of chaos!
"I am the Black Night, your end has come!" he raised his sword and swung, giving the pair enough time to doge the blow and run screaming back into the previous room and into the main room.
When they reached the main hall, running for the door when a black feathered Pegasus appeared saying "Don't you want to stay? There's hundreds of more rooms!"
"NO THANKS, GOOD BYE!" Luna yelled holding Pip with telekinesis and galloping through the open door and back onto the streets of Ponyville.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo entered the mansion, spotting the four creepy ponies exclaiming, "Wow you guys! That was the third visit today and they didn't make it past stage one of this mansion!"
The Count shrugged saying "It's no big deal, especially if you have friends who can scare ponies in seconds."
"And," Bonehead stated "We have enough money to pay back Berry Punch, to buy those pastries Pinkie is holding for us and to keep this mansion!"
The seven ponies cheered, as the moon was raised over Ponyville, along with a line forming around the mansion.
THE END (Cliched I know)
Music Time!! (In case you want credit music)
Special Thanks:
knighty- For creating this awesome competition!
And you- For reading this story.