Graveyard at the Graveyard
“Thanks, Rarity,” Sunset Shimmer said as she accepted the drink from her friend, “but you didn’t have to buy this for me.”
“It’s my pleasure, darling,” the fair skinned girl replied with a flick of her hair. “Besides, I know you’ve recently fallen upon tough times. This is the least I can do as your friend to help.”
Sunset, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were sitting at their usual table inside of the Sweet Shoppe. It was the late afternoon and the place was filled mostly with students from Canterlot High.
“Thanks,” Sunset replied, then sighed as she swirled the iced vanilla soy latte with her straw. “It’s true that I’m getting really close to running out of money. I’m not sure how I’m going to manage rent on my room after this month, much less things like food. I really need to find a job.”
“The offer still stands if ya wanna help out ‘round the farm,” Applejack said. “Though we can’t afford to pay ya much.”
“And you could always help out at the shelter,” Fluttershy chimed in. “It’s only volunteer work, but sometimes we get donations and even tips.”
“Thanks girls, really,” Sunset replied. “But I think this is something I have to do on my own.”
She took a drink from her latte and set it down, reaching for a newspaper on the table. Turning to the classified ads section, she started skimming. After reading for a bit, she sighed again.
“There aren’t very many places hiring right now, and the ones that are either require years of experience or are only available during school hours. How is anybody supposed to get started in this world?”
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be living alone at our age,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.
“Well, I don’t have much of a choice,” Sunset said as she continued to skim. A moment later she stopped.
“Wait a sec,” she said, looking closely.
“What is it, Sunset?” Fluttershy asked, leaning in.
“A part time overnight security position at the local cemetery,” Sunset said enthusiastically. “It says they’re hiring immediately.”
There was a pause as the other girls exchanged glances.
“It’s not the cemetery on Craig street is it?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.
“What’s the problem with that?”
“Haven’t you heard?” Applejack said, tilting the chair she was sitting reverse in forward. “Rumor has it that place is haunted. Lots of strange things happening lately… probably why they need somebody right away. I doubt anyone in their right mind would want to work there.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash also leaned in, grinning. “I hear the last security guard ran out of there mid shift!”
“Oh come on,” Sunset said, “it’s not like I believe in ghosts. Probably just some kids pulling pranks.”
“That’s pretty funny coming from you,” Applejack pointed out. “How many times have we witnessed magical creatures that came from Equestria now?”
“That’s different,” Sunset said with a dismissive wave. “Those weren’t anything like ghosts or evil spirits. In Equestria, magic is commonplace… and it’s something I’ve seen an awful lot of. I doubt anything in this world can surprise me at this point. That’s just silly.”
“Then why do you seem so excited?” Rainbow asked.
Sunset looked up at her with a quizzical expression.
“What do you mean?”
“For someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts you sure seem excited to check out a haunted cemetery.”
Sunset contemplated a moment.
“Well, it is a mystery,” she replied. “I guess I’m a little curious.”
After another moment of thought Sunset clapped her hands together resolutely.
“I’m gonna apply,” she said. “Especially since it’s a job that nobody else wants. That just means I’m sure to get it. I’ll be missing out on some sleep, but at least I’ll have a place to sleep.”
The other girls exchanged concerned looks with one another. All except for Rainbow Dash, who suddenly looked to be deep in thought.
# # #
“Can I help you?” the dry, deep voice of a man asked.
Sunset was standing on the other side of a wooden counter in a small office. The space was tastefully decorated, with many plants and flowers to brighten the mood, and nice chairs for grieving planners to sit. The man that had appeared in front of Sunset was tall and thin, with sunken eyes, light grey skin, and an expression completely devoid of emotion. As a stark contrast to his pale look was a head covered with very dark, slightly wavy short hair. He wore a dark suit with a pristine white cravat.
“Um, yes,” Sunset replied. “I’m here to apply for the night shift security guard position.”
“You are?” the man asked. “Forgive me, but I am a little surprised that a young girl such as yourself would be applying for such a position. Have you not heard the rumors?”
“I have, but to be honest, stuff like that never really bothered me. It’s probably just some pranksters having fun anyway. Has it really been that strange around here?”
“There have been many reports of strange, perhaps even paranormal happenings from my staff,” the man replied. “And I’ve seen a fair bit of it myself. Are you sure you are up to it?”
“I’ve seen my share of strange things too, and I’ve always found it best just to face them head on,” Sunset said. “No sense in being afraid of something just because it’s an unknown.”
“I see. That is most admirable,” the man said. “Truthfully, I haven’t been able to keep the position filled for weeks. I’ve had to man it myself, and it’s cutting deeply into my sleep.”
“Well, if you don’t mind having me, I’d love to give the job a try,” Sunset said, then stuck her hand out. “I’m Sunset Shimmer.”
The man took her hand in a firm shake.
“My name is Stone Grey, current owner and curator of this property. I have no qualms with hiring you. To be honest, I just need someone here for a few hours while I get some much needed rest. When can you start?”
“Right away,” Sunset said enthusiastically.
# # #
“So far it’s been really quiet,” Sunset said into her phone as she walked through the narrow lanes between the graves. It was a dark night, and the cold graveyard was covered in a thick layer of fog. Sunset, dressed in a blue security guard uniform with a long black tie and police-style cap, shined her chrome flashlight around, searching for any signs of movement. The old-style light cast an amber shaft that failed to cut completely through the fog billowing close to the ground, and only illuminated the world about a dozen feet ahead of her.
“Four nights and not a single ghost or spirit or anything?” the soft voice of Fluttershy, who was on the other end of the conversation, asked.
“Nope, nothing,” Sunset replied. She stopped to looked up at the barely visible full moon hanging low in the sky. “It’s actually been really peaceful. It gives me a lot of time to think, even if it is cutting into my sleep.”
“And you have to walk all over the cemetery?” Fluttershy asked, worry clearly evident in her voice. “All alone? In the middle of the night?”
“Yeah,” Sunset responded. “I don’t get what the big deal is, though. It’s just a bunch of graves and a crypt. Even the boss said that with everything that’s been happening, he’s afraid to go down into the crypt after dark. He says there’s an ‘evil presence’ there, whatever that means, and said that I don’t have to go down there if I don’t want to.”
“Have you?” Fluttershy asked uneasily.
“Every night,” Sunset said with a shrug. “It’s basically just an old basement. Sure, it’s a little gross to think that there are bodies decaying in the walls, and the piles of bones and skulls watching my every movement are a little creepy, but they’re all dead. They can’t hurt me or anybody else. I certainly didn’t feel any kind of ‘evil presence’ either.”
“If you’re sure,” Fluttershy replied, her voice still quivering. “I’m a little sorry I asked though. Especially so close to bedtime.”
Sunset smiled at this.
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy. Everything’s going to be fine. Like I said before, I’m sure it was just some kids playing pranks. There is no such thing as ghosts.”
Turning down another path, Sunset swept her flashlight across a collection of headstones. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a faint movement.
“What was that?” Sunset asked nobody in particular.
“What was what?” Fluttershy asked with dread.
“Nothing, just thought I saw something move. I’m gonna go check it out. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Please be careful,” Fluttershy said.
“I promise,” Sunset replied warmly and then ended the call. Pocketing her phone, she continued forward, checking for any signs of movement. There was a rustling sound coming from behind a headstone, and she quickened her pace.
“Gotcha!” she said as she stepped around the headstone, shining her light down at the intruder.
“Reeowww!” came the reply. It was only a cat. Stark black, with its back arched into a tight ‘n’ shape and its fur standing on end. Sunset sighed audibly as the cat made a break for it.
“Just a cat,” she said. Turning around, she came face to face with what could only be described as a ghost.
“OoooOOooOOOOO~”
The creepy moans filled the air as three, four, and then five ghosts danced up and down in front of her.
“What the!” Sunset said, briefly startled. However, it only took her a moment to recover. She reached forward and grasped the nearest ‘ghost’ in one hand, tugging on it. There was a snap as a piece of thread was broken, and the small glowing item fell limp in her hand. A few leaves tumbled down from the tree branch above the path that the ghost had been hanging from.
She examined her captive spirit and discovered nothing but a polystyrene ball with a long piece of cheesecloth draped over it. It had black filled in circles drawn in with marker, and a green glow stick inserted into it. Sunset dropped the ‘ghost’ and went about pulling the rest of them down without any hesitation. She followed the sound of the moans to a speaker that had been hidden behind a nearby headstone, with a music player attached playing a file on a loop. She clicked it off.
As soon as silence once again fell over the graveyard, she could hear another much fainter sound - someone trying to suppress laughter.
It didn’t take long to find the culprit.
“Rainbow Dash!” Sunset said accusingly as she shined her light down on the crouching girl. Rainbow was hiding behind a large headstone and doing everything in her power to keep from busting out laughing. However, now that she had been discovered, she dropped all attempts at subterfuge.
“Baahahaha~!” the rainbow haired teen laughed, pointing at Sunset and holding her sides. “I totally gotcha!”
“Yeah, not so much,” Sunset replied dryly. “I can’t believe you. Do you know how much trouble these pranks have caused Mister Grey? He’s had a really tough time filling this position and has been going without sleep thanks to you!”
“Lighten up, Barney Fife, it’s just a prank. And besides, I’m just pranking you. This is the first time I’ve ever even been to this cemetery.”
Sunset gave Rainbow a long side glance.
“Why don’t I believe you?” Sunset asked.
“I don’t know, because you’re uptight?” Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes. “I swear this is the first time I’ve pulled this kind of prank. Here, anyway.”
“Alright, fine, I believe you” Sunset relented. “Are we done now? I have things to do.”
“Yeah, yeah, geez,” Rainbow said. She started picking up the fallen ‘ghosts’. “You have to admit, though, these are pretty sweet.”
“They are quite creative,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes. Though, she couldn’t help but smile. She moved over and started helping Rainbow pick up the remains of the prank. “I didn’t know you were into arts and crafts.”
“Puh-lease,” Rainbow replied. “I just saved some of Rarity’s Halloween decorations from last year. The glow sticks were my idea, though.”
“Nice touch,” Sunset replied.
“Yeah, they really sell the whole ghost thing, you know?” Rainbow said as she pocketed her music player and picked up the external speaker.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I have to get back to my rounds.”
“Alright, alright,” Rainbow said. She struggled to hold all the ‘ghosts’ and the speaker in her arms. “Ugh, this stuff is a lot bulkier put together. Is there some place we can go where I can pack all of this up?”
Sunset sighed and slumped forward.
“Okay, sure, we can go to the office. But after that I really have to get back to work. This is my first job and I’d really like to do it well.”
“Okay, I get it,” Rainbow said. “Lead the way.”
The duo of teens followed a straight path between headstones, Sunset leading the way with her flashlight and Rainbow following behind, the latter having trouble with the pile of crafts.
“So what possessed you to do this?” Sunset asked as she held up the two ghosts she was carrying by their threads. “You must have something better to do with your Friday night slash Saturday morning.”
“Are you kidding? I love pranks. There’s no better way to spend a creepy night like this one.”
“If you say so,” Sunset said with a shrug. Turning forward, she caught sight of something moving. It darted out from between two large headstones and suddenly stopped directly in their path. It looked a little like one of Rainbow’s ‘ghosts’, but was semitransparent and the glow was more consistent. It turned toward the two girls, and then turned back and darted across the pathway and out of sight.
Watching the strange apparition leave, Sunset smiled.
“Hah, nice try, Rainbow,” she said, turning around to face her friend. “I should have known you wouldn’t give up so easily.”
Expecting to see Rainbow Dash laughing at her expense, Sunset was surprised to instead see a much paler, much wider-eyed version of her friend than she had ever seen before.
“What’s wrong?” Sunset asked.
“Th...th...that wasn’t mine,” Rainbow stuttered. “I think that one was real.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow at this.
“Real? As in, a real ghost?”
“Or something!” Rainbow replied shakily. “That was way more convincing than anything I’ve ever seen, and I’m an expert at pranking!”
“Oh, come on,” Sunset replied, turning back toward where the ‘ghost’ had disappeared. She peeked around the corners of various headstones with her flashlight. “It’s probably just some other prankster having a good time,” she said as she waved her free hand around searching for strings. “What other explanation could there be?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe an actual ghost.”
“Ghosts aren’t real, Rainbow,” Sunset insisted.
“Well, what about magical creatures from your freaky homeworld Equestria? We’ve seen all kinds of crazy things ever since the night of the Fall Formal.”
“That isn’t the same,” Sunset said with a huff. “Magic may seem mystical here in this world, but even magic has an explanation, a means, a method. There’s nothing supernatural about it.”
Rainbow just blinked in response. Sunset continued.
“It’s far more likely we’re being pranked than it is that we’re being visited by beings from beyond the grave. This cemetery has been the target of pranks for weeks now, and this security guard won’t stand for it.”
She turned around and started walking with purpose back toward where they had come.
“I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
“Wh... wait a sec,” Rainbow said, dropping everything she was carrying to the stone path and scrambling to catch up. “Where are you going?”
“To the crypt,” Sunset said. “From what Mr. Grey told me, that seems to be the source of the strange things that are happening, so it’s logical to assume that’s where we’ll find our prankster’s base of operations. It makes sense since nobody seems willing to go down there.”
“You’re going down into a crypt?” Rainbow asked incredulously. “In the middle of the night?”
“It’s my job,” Sunset replied, puffing up. “Besides, what do you think we’ll find down there?”
“Whoa, what do you mean ‘we’?” Rainbow asked.
“Well, you’re following pretty closely behind me.”
“That’s because… I’m just worried about you. All alone at this hour. I just don’t want you getting into trouble.”
“You can come with me if you’re so worried,” Sunset offered.
“I don’t wanna go down into some old crypt,” Rainbow said, her eyes wild. “It… sounds, uh. Really gross.”
“Well, you don’t have to,” Sunset replied with a shrug. “If you want to head back to the office to pack up your things that’s fine with me. Here, I’ll give you the key.”
She reached into her pocket and produced a small key ring full of keys and started flipping through them.
“You want me to go back to the office,” Rainbow paused to swallow, “alone?”
Sunset shrugged.
“Yeah, I trust you not to steal anything,” she said, then narrowed her eyes and smiled. “I know where you live, after all.”
Rainbow reached for the keys, her hand shaking.
“Uh, on second thought,” Rainbow pulled her hand back. “I’d better stick with you after all. Who knows what kind of, err, prankster you’ll find down there.”
“Suit yourself,” Sunset replied with another shrug and pocketed the keys. “It makes no difference to me.”
Sunset started walking again, with Rainbow following closely behind her. As they continued down the narrow path, Sunset took notice of something.
“I should talk to the groundskeeper,” she said. “These vines are getting a little out of control.”
“What do you mean?” Rainbow’s voice came from directly behind Sunset’s ear, which was enough to startle her.
“Whoa,” Sunset said, realizing that Rainbow was directly behind her. “Why are you following me so close?”
“Uh, no reason,” Rainbow said, falling back a couple steps. “Just wasn’t paying attention.”
“Oh,” Sunset blinked. “Anyway, these headstones were clean last time I walked this route. But now it’s like the plants are taking over.”
“Don’t you think that’s weird?” Rainbow asked.
“Yeah, a bit,” Sunset responded. “I wonder what would make them grow so fast. Maybe somebody’s given them some fertilizer that’s super rich in nutrients or something.”
“Or maybe it’s the evil presence,” Rainbow muttered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” Rainbow grumbled.
They continued down the path and rounded a corner. As soon as they turned, they were presented with two more ghostlike visages, rotating around at a high speed directly in their path.
“OoooOoooOooo~” the ghosts moaned. Sunset stopped and raised an eyebrow.
Rainbow clamped both hands over her own mouth to muffle the shriek.
“Mmmm!” was all that escaped.
“Huh,” Sunset said flatly. “Those do look pretty real.”
She continued forward and batted at the floating ghosts with her free hand. They vanished into thin air.
“That’s strange, no strings or anything,” Sunset observed. “I wonder what kind of technology the prankster is using. Holography? Seems a bit much for some juvenile trick.”
While Sunset was contemplating this, Rainbow was backing away in terror. However, before she got very far, something snapped at her heels.
“Gyah!” Rainbow yelped as she leaped forward. The overgrown vines had morphed into claws and were grabbing at her feet. She danced forward and grasped Sunset from behind.
“Oof!” Sunset uttered at the sudden impact. “Ow, Dash, what gives?”
“Do you see that!” Rainbow said hysterically. “They’re trying to get me!”
“The vines?” Sunset said, shining her flashlight down at the long winding plants whose ends were now shaped like jagged hands, reaching for the two girls and growing longer by the second. “I haven’t seen a species like that in this world before. Reminds me of something out of the Everfree.”
She continued walking forward as Rainbow clung to her like a backpack. Several of the vines wrapped themselves around Sunset’s ankles, but as she walked she tore them effortlessly.
“Um, Rainbow?” Sunset asked.
“Yeah?” Rainbow squeaked.
“You might letting me go. You’re making it difficult to walk. And breath.”
“Oh, uh, sorry,” Rainbow said, letting go of Sunset and resuming walking on her own.
“For someone who’s an expert on pranking, you seem awfully jumpy,” Sunset pointed out. “I would think you’d expect all this.”
“That’s because this isn’t just some prank,” Rainbow said. “I think this is the real deal. This place is really...” she gulped, “haunted.”
“Oh, come on, Dash,” Sunset said with a smile and a roll of her eyes. “You can’t actually believe that.”
“What other explanation is there?” Rainbow asked, wildly pointing around with her left hand. “All of this is just way too weird to be some prank.”
“It is a bit more than I expected,” Sunset agreed, rubbing her chin. “But, it’s not like it’s anything I haven’t seen before. When I was in Equestria, I saw all sorts of things that would be considered amazing or even supernatural to the people of this world. I mean, used to be a unicorn.”
“So, do you think maybe this is the result of Equestrian magic?” Rainbow asked. “Maybe another creature or entity that has come through the portal or was banished by some wizard?”
“Maybe,” Sunset considered. After a moment of contemplation, she added, “but why would a creature from Equestria waste time and magic pranking the staff of an old cemetery?”
“Gaaahh!” Rainbow groaned in frustration.
They reached the end of the path, and an elaborate stone structure that was built into the side of a grassy hill with one, ominously large doorway. Without any hesitation whatsoever, Sunset entered the crypt.
The sounds of their footfalls on the cold stone echoed in the silence as Rainbow and Sunset proceeded down the steps. Sunset kept her flashlight shining in front of her, and absently batted away vines that were trying to grab onto her. Behind her, Rainbow was having a much tougher time keeping the vines at bay, and had to use all her strength to keep them from pulling her away.
“What do you expect to find down here?” Rainbow worriedly asked, her voice echoing slightly in the stone catacomb.
“The source of all this weirdness,” Sunset replied. “Mr. Grey said that no one wanted to come down here, not even he himself. I’ve actually been down here a bunch of times already, but so far I haven’t found anything.”
“Then why are we here?” Rainbow whined.
“Because, the last few nights I patrolled the crypt, and there were no pranks. That must be because the prankster is using this place as a base, or keeping their supplies hidden somewhere down here. Since I was so thorough in my duties, he or she must have not been able to use it and had to give up for those nights.”
“But what about tonight?”
“Tonight somebody kept me from making my rounds,” Sunset said accusingly.
“Wait, are you saying this is all my fault?” Rainbow asked.
“I don’t know,” Sunset said as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Once they were both inside the cavelike room Sunset turned to Rainbow with a wry grin. “But, if the shoe fits,” she said, motioning toward Rainbow’s feet.
Looking down, Rainbow caught sight of what Sunset was motioning toward. A skull was sitting on the floor right next to where she was standing.
“Wahh!” Rainbow suddenly yelped, literally leaping up into Sunset’s arms. After taking a minute to calm down, she turned to look at Sunset’s face, which looked less than pleased.
“Really?”
“Uh, sorry,” Rainbow said, blushing. Sunset lowered Rainbow back to the floor.
“It’s just an old skull,” Sunset said. “But what’s it doing on the floor?”
“Uhm, that’s not the strangest thing…” Rainbow trailed off. Sunset looked up and followed Rainbow’s wide-eyed gaze. Suspended in the air in front of them were several skulls, dancing and bobbing about, and all faintly glowing with a green aura.
“You should leave this place~,” a strange, disembodied voice that sounded like it could belong to a little girl said.
“Leave this place~”
“Leeeave this place~”
The other skulls continued to echo.
“We shouldn’t be here,” Rainbow said, her teeth chattering.
“Look, a prank is one thing, but now this person is desecrating the resting place of the dead,” Sunset said, then turned toward the ghastly display. “I’m not leaving until I find out who’s behind this! You hear me?”
At that, the skulls slowly levitated downward and came to a rest on the floor, and the glow faded.
“That’s more like it,” Sunset said as she lowered her flashlight. She could see that a glow was coming from down an adjacent hall. She narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. “Getting warmer.”
Sunset walked forward and down the stone hallway. As she was about to enter the main chamber, Rainbow grabbed her from behind. Sunset turned toward her friend.
“I really don’t think we should be here, Sunset,” Rainbow said, concern clearly evident in her voice. Sunset shined her light on Rainbow’s face, and noticed the glossy look of her eyes.
“Are you... crying?” Sunset asked in disbelief.
“Wh...what?” Rainbow stammered, stepping back. She turned away and rubbed at her face, “no way! Of course not!”
Sunset suddenly looked concerned.
“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. I got so caught up in this that I didn’t even think about how you were feeling. I guess I wasn’t being a very good friend.”
“D...don’t be ridiculous,” Rainbow said, feigning confidence. “It’s just some prankster, right? And these vines… heh, they’re…” she paused to pull one away from her shoulder, which took some effort, “...nothing compared to the crazy mutant plants that I rescued you from during the Friendship Games. It’s not like I would be scared by something like this.”
“Are you sure? Because your voice sounds kind of shaky and uneven right now,” Sunset said.
“Puh-lease,” retorted Rainbow. “This guy may be good, but it’s gonna take more than that to scare me.”
“Well, okay then,” Sunset said. “We’re almost at the center of the crypt, so let’s see who’s behind all this.”
“Right,” Rainbow said, taking a confident step forward. She suddenly stopped in her tracks and slowly turned back toward Sunset, “uh, maybe you should go first. Since you have the flashlight and all.”
Stepping into the main room, both girls were greeted by swirling lights and figures that were darting back and forth. The room was abuzz with activity, and several skulls that lined the walls seemed to be watching them with glowing eyes. In the corner a full skeleton danced to some unheard song. Something passed closely behind them, causing Rainbow to jump and collide with Sunset.
“Gah!”
“Hey!” Sunset said as she stumbled forward and lost her grip on the light. She tried to catch it, but missed. It fell down onto the stone floor where the lense shattered and bulb popped.
“Wahh!” Rainbow involuntarily shouted as she flailed around and grabbed onto Sunset in the darkness.
The room was now only lit by the dim glow of the apparitions, but even though there seemed to be many of them, it was still difficult to see. Suddenly, the room was illuminated by an orange flicker as Sunset struck a match. She reached over and pulled an old flat wick lantern from a hook on the wall and used the match to light it.
“Good thing I carry these around for lighting candles and stuff,” Sunset said as she waved the match in the air to extinguish it. Adjusting the knob on the antiquated lantern, Sunset increased the illumination as she stepped forward, Rainbow sticking close behind.
“So, this is the source of everything?” Sunset asked. In the center of the room was a stone plinth, and on it was a old, heavy looking book opened to someplace in the middle. Sunset held the lantern closer and examined it, but couldn’t make sense of the writing.
“Somehow I expected more. A computer, some machines. Something,” she said, then noticed something legible chiseled into the plinth. Even though she recognized the letters, it was a language she didn’t understand.
“Per intrepidus pax,” she sounded out aloud. As she scrutinized the book, the vines all around the room began to grow toward her and Rainbow Dash. “I wonder what this means,” Sunset said as she effortlessly brushed the vines away from her face. However, Rainbow Dash wasn’t having such an easy time.
The vines shot out and wrapped around her.
“Hey…” Rainbow started to say but was cut off when the hand-like vines suddenly wrapped around her mouth. She struggled and tried to scream, but only muffled sounds escaped as she was pulled toward the walls by the multitude of vines.
Sunset set the lantern down on the plinth and examined the book more closely. The symbols, whatever they meant, were glowing faintly. She carefully ran her fingers over them, which prompted a shudder.
“Feels cold,” Sunset said as she rubbed her fingers and thumb together. “Huh. I wonder what this has to do with the pranks. Rainbow, do you know what language this is?”
When no response came, Sunset turned to look over her shoulder, and for the first time noticed that her friend was in peril.
“Dash!” Sunset said with a start as she spun around. As she did so, she accidentally hit the lantern with her elbow.
Rushing to Rainbow Dash, Sunset began pulling at the vines that were wrapping around her friends body and pulling her against the stone wall. At first it took no effort to pull them apart, but it felt as though they were somehow growing stronger, harder to tear.
“Hold on, I’ll get you out of there!” Sunset told Rainbow. Even though Rainbow couldn’t respond, Sunset could see the terror in her eyes. That only made her more determined. As she tore the vines away one by one, she noticed the room suddenly grow much brighter. Glancing over, Sunset saw that the lantern she had bumped had been knocked over, spilling its kerosene contents all over the book. The flame had ignited it and it had suddenly flared up, setting the old book ablaze. Though she didn’t linger on it, Sunset did notice what looked like wispy figures escaping the book and swirling into the air, and it was impossible to miss what sounded like dozens of disembodied moans and howls as the book’s pages curled up and turned to ash.
All at once, the vines lost their strength. They tore under Rainbow’s weight, and she fell forward into Sunset, who caught her in her arms.
“Are you okay?” Sunset asked as she got up and helped Rainbow to her feet.
“I’m okay,” Rainbow said, though she was breathing heavily, nearly hyperventilating. Sunset scrutinized Rainbow’s features in the dying light of the flame. Instinctively, Rainbow looked away and brushed her arm against her face, failing to suppress a sob. “And I am not crying.”
“Whatever you say,” Sunset said with a gentle smile. She turned and watched the flame as it burned out, having turned the old book into nothing more than a crisp.
# # #
“Here you go,” Sunset said as she handed Rainbow a steaming mug of tea.
“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash replied as she took the mug. She was wrapped in a blanket and sitting in the tiny security office across from a small desk. She was calm now, but her hair had been messed up and was sticking out here and there. Sunset walked around to the other side of the desk and sat down, picking up a pen. She began writing in a logbook, continuing where she had left off.
“Failed to apprehend prankster. Will continue watching for suspicious activity,” Sunset said aloud as she completed her report.
“Seriously, after all that you still think it was just some prank?” Rainbow asked.
“What else could it be?” Sunset asked. “Even if it involved some advanced form of holography, or even Equestrian magic, it was still just some otherwise harmless nonsense that got a little out of hand.”
“You’re so stubborn,” Rainbow replied, her normally boisterous voice subdued.
“Well, in any case, my shift is over,” Sunset said as she closed the logbook and set the pen down. She stood up. “Shall we go?”
# # #
Sunset locked the door to the office and turned to Rainbow, who was still wrapped in the blanket.
“Guess I should walk you home,” Sunset offered.
“If you don’t mind,” Rainbow said sheepishly, then suddenly tensed up. They heard approaching footsteps and turned to see a man approaching.
“Oh, hello Mr. Grey,” Sunset said. The tall, lanky man approached the two girls.
“Good morning, Ms. Shimmer,” he said in his typical dreary voice. “And who might this be?”
“Oh, this is my friend Rainbow Dash. She, uh, came to walk me home,” Sunset said while scratching the back of her head, then turned to Rainbow. “This is my boss, Stone Grey.”
“Oh, I see,” Stone replied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Dash.”
“Likewise,” Rainbow said awkwardly, furtively moving behind Sunset.
“We had a visit from the pranksters tonight, Mr. Grey,” Sunset said. “They were running some kind of elaborate hoax out of the crypt. I investigated, and accidentally knocked over a lantern onto some old book. I hope it wasn’t something important.”
“An old book, you say?”
“Yeah, on a stone plinth in the crypt. It was glowing and making weird noises… I think it belonged to whoever was causing the problems. Once it burned, everything stopped.”
“I see,” Mr. Grey said, suddenly sounding uncharacteristically enthusiastic. “And the book was burned, you say?”
“That’s right,” Sunset replied. “To a crisp.”
“Most excellent,” he said quietly. Though it was hard to tell, it seemed like his features were approaching something resembling a smile. “Most excellent indeed.”
“Excuse me?” Sunset said, giving him a strange look.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Stone Grey said.
“Well, it’s all in my report if you’re interested,” Sunset said. “But, for now, I’d, we’d, better be getting home.”
“Of course,” Stone said. “Thank you again for your service, Ms. Shimmer.”
“Thanks for giving me a chance,” Sunset said.
“Indeed. I do hope you’ll continue your employment come next week,” Stone Grey said, “you’ve been quite the asset to us here.”
Sunset smiled broadly and stood up straight.
“I’d be happy to!”
“Then, enjoy your weekend. I shall see you Monday evening.”
“Thank you, sir! See you then.”
And with that Sunset and Rainbow left.
The two girls walked side by side in the early morning darkness.
“So, you’re really gonna keep doing this, huh?” Rainbow asked. “I’m never setting foot in this place again.”
“Well, it’s a job. It doesn’t pay much, and the hours are a little rough, but it’s actually been pretty relaxing.”
“Relaxing?” Rainbow asked. “What about all that weirdness we just saw?”
“It’s not so bad,” Sunset shrugged. “It actually kind of makes me nostalgic for home.”
Rainbow just shook her head as the two of them left the cemetery.