Don’t Acknowledge It
The familar smell of burning pine and paper wafted into the slightly damp air of the cave, the fire that AppleJack had made crackling softly as it’s warmth surrounded the 6 ponies.
“.... and then BAM, the door broke as the 4 fillies all got eaten!”
Rainbow Dash howled with laughter as Sweetie Belle, AppleBloom and Scootaloo all screamed in unison at the ending.
AppleJack just rolled her eyes while comforting AppleBloom. However, she noticed Rarity’s lack of attention to anything. Her crystal blue eyes distant, seemingly staring off into the fire in front of her.
“Uh... Rarity? Y’ okay?”
Rainbow and the fillies seemingly calmed themselves as they turned to the fashionista, who only now seemed to feel the 5 pairs of eyes on her.
“Oh! Yes I’m quite alright. Just... thinking is all.”
AppleJack didn’t want to brush off that type of explanation but Rainbow seemed to think nothing of it. The blue pegasus going back to her mood of telling a scary story.
“So, Rarity, how’d you like my story? Pretty spooky right?”
“Hmm? Oh yes terrifying, I was shaking terribly.”
The reponse didn’t seemed sarcastic but more... of an excuse? Like a filly or cole would respond when asked if they were listening when in reality, they weren’t.
“Oh yeah? Well you tell a scary one then!”
Rainbow huffed, crossing her front hooves in slight offence. Rarity thought for a moment and nodded, the purple curls in her mane swaying at the gesture.
“Fine. But you must all promise me, AppleJack, AppleBloom, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, and even you Sweetie Belle, that what I tell you will NOT leave the 6 of us. Understood?”
AppleJack seemed taken aback, Rarity was dead serious about that promise. Even Rainbow was surprised at the seeiousness that Rarity had.
“We promise Rarity.”
AppleJack spoke for all of them, Rainbow and the CMC agreed as well. Rarity took a deep breath, almost as of what she were going to say would trouble her immensely.
“It happened a while back, Twilight needing me to stay and look after her library due to Spike falling ill. She was heading to EverFree forest to get a remedy from Zacora and told me she’ll be back as soon as possible.”
The CMC, Rainbow and AppleJack watched Rarity tell her story, seemingly on edge as she spoke. Rarity’s voice was... hauntingly calm yet hid that undertone of fear.
“While she was gone, I tidied up the place, checking on Spike every few minutes or so to see if he needed anything. While I was cleaning the Fourier, I looked out the window and saw something standing outside... just facing the library.
That caught everyone’s attention, the fact that Rarity said something instead of somepony, made them uneasy.
“W...w-what did you see Rarity...?”
“It was tall... unimaginably tall. It stood on two legs and had limbs longer than it’s own torso. I could not see it’s face due to it facing the ground. At first, I did not know what to think of it, only locking the windows and front door, thinking it would just go away on it’s own.”
AppleJack held AppleBloom close as the description of the monster scared AppleBloom, Scootaloo hiding under one of Rainbow’s wings. AppleJack listened intently, the serious and dark tone of the fashionista’s voice proved she wasn’t lying.
“I continued cleaning the fourier but I could feel that... thing out there still. That’s when I heard knocking on the door.”
“Wh-Who was ‘t?”
AppleBloom asked slowly.
“I thought it was the creature, immitating a pony... So I called out, asking who it was. That was when I heard Twilight’s voice.”
“Rarity? Why is the door locked? Come on, let me in!”
Rarity immitated Twilight’s voice to the best of her ability.
“In the moment of relief I ran to the door to open it when I stopped. Something told me to stop, every fibre of my being said Stop.”
Rainbow blinked and looked at her, the rest of the fillies also lookong confused besides AppleJack, already catching on to what happened.
“What? Why? If Twilight was out there and so was the monster, you needed to open the door!”
Rainbow said, ovbiously baffled at Rarity not opening the door for her friend. That was when AppleJack spoke up, her green eyes slightly smaller at the revelation.
“Think about it, Rainbow. Why would Twi need someone to let her in? She could just use her magic to open the door. So why would she need Rarity to do it for her?”
Rainbow finally caught on, her ears slowly flattening against her head, the CMC still confused but Rairty continued on with the story.
“I made the brave decision to look out the peep-hole... and what greeted me was... unspeakable. I saw... eyes... yellow, bright eyes. It’s mouth was like a slit, saliva falling from it in drips with tiny teeth lining it’s insides. But what scared me most was... when it talked. It had Twilight’s voice...”
“Raaaarity... let me iiiiiiinnnn.”
AppleBloom and Sweetie Belle whimpered at the voice immitation. Rarity’s eyes seem to become even more distant as she talked.
“I fell back, knocking over a stack of books that Twilight had been studying. Whatever was outside heard this... and began banging on the door. It kept saying to let it in... I ran to Twilight’s room and saw Spike still fast asleep. I began panicking , wondering if a simple door was able to keep that thing outside.”
AppleJack shivered, knowing what Rarity was feeling. Even Rainbow looked as if she understood the feeling.
“What seemed like hours passed before I heard the front door open. My heart sank and fear gripped my throat like a vice. What could I do? I did not know any spells to defend myself like twilight does. So I picked up multiple things around the room Via my magic, anything heavy including Twilight’s bed and various bookshelves.”
Sweetie Belle was still frightened but eyes shone with admiration, her older sister, who hates even getting dirty, was scared out of her wits, was willing to fight to protect spike.
“I heard hoovesteps ascending the stairs slowly before the bedroom door handle began jiggling. I steeled myself, ready to face whatever was on the otherside of the door.”
“Rarity? Why is the library a mess? I’m back from Zacora’s and have Spike’s remedy.”
“At first, I did not know if it was truely Twilight or not... but the fear went away once I saw Twilight’s familiar form open the door, her purple magic holding onto various ingredients and the doornob.”
A wave of relief seemed to wash over everypony at the revelation.
“I ran over to Twilight, crying my eyes out and ruining my eyeliner and mascara. I couldn’t speak and just continued babbling incoherently.”
“So what happened next? Now that Twilight was back and the monster’s gone?”
Scootaloo spoke up, looking at Rarity.
“Twilight just gave Spike the medicine and then we continued cleaning up the mess I had created. But... when Twilight was organizing the books into the proper placing in the shelves, she asked me something.”
“You saw it too... didn’t you?”
AppleJack and Rainbow looked at each other before asking what was both on their mind.
“She knew about it?”
Rarity nodded, looking over at everyone.
“When I said I did, she walked over and looked at my with a mix of sympathy and seriousness.”
“Don’t ever acknowledge it Rarity. Ever.”
Rarity finished talking and looked at the others. Everyone got up and huggied the white unicorn.
“Did you ever see it again?”
Sweetie Belle asked, looking at her okder sister. Rarity shook her head, looking at the campfire.
“No... I never looked out my window when I was alone. But... I do hear it speak sometimes when I’m with Twilight, the both of us shutting it out...when it kept begging us to ‘Let it In’”