> Let's Play a Game
>  by Zelda Spectrum
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> An Unfamiliar Setting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Let’s Play a Game


(A/N) Hello, and welcome to 'Let's Play a Game'.  Soon, you will be waking up in a strange, unfamiliar place.  However, the memory of how you got there and who you are will fade.  There will not be a music system for this story; instead, there is a soundtrack provided for you in the comments below.  This soundtrack is completely optional, but it could add to the atmosphere if you prefer music. To fully enjoy the story, be sure to read it in the dark, and put on some headphones if you choose to listen to the soundtrack below.  Now, I must go.  It's time for you to wake up.  


Chapter 1


'Ugh, my head.  What happened?'  I wake up on the floor of some kind of bedroom.  My head is pounding and I feel weak.  I force my eyes open to see the pink fabric from the cover lying across the bed.  I bring a hoof up to my forehead to rub the pain away but instead, I come across a bump on my head.  'Ow!'  The pain is enough to convince me not to do that again.  Trying to put the pain aside, I look up to see I am in an unfamiliar place.  Something is wrong with me; I try to remember what happened and how I got here, but no matter how hard I try, I cannot remember!  Come to think of it, I do not remember who I am.  

I force myself up on all fours, but almost instantly I begin to lose my balance and run into the bed.  I decide to try something else.  Using my forelegs, I place them on top of the bed and pull myself up until I can stand on my hind legs.  Slowly, my strength returns to me and I can stand on all fours again.  Now I am able to get a better look at the room.  

The bed is a single pushed into the back left corner of the room.  The room itself is not very big, but it does have quite a bit of space.  It is dimly lit with only a few lit candles as a source of light.  Beside the bed is a small round table with a lit candle that has melted halfway.  Over in the back right corner facing the bed is a small dresser with three drawers and two small candles on top dripping with wax.  A few feet away from that is a bookcase that reaches to the ceiling and has shelves filled with different books.  In the far left is a door and it most likely leads out of this place.  Right next to it is a wooden desk with three small drawers, a small cabinet, and a wooden chair in front of it.  

On top of the desk is a pair of saddlebags and a single candle that is still lit.  I walk towards the mirror that hangs on the wall in front of me to get a good look at myself.  I am a midnight blue earth pony, nearly full-grown with teal eyes.  I have a long, dark-grey mane that is very messy considering I just came to.  Surprisingly, my flank is blank; I had hoped my cutie mark would be able to give me a clue, but it appears I don’t have one.  

Being in this dimly lit room gives me the nagging feeling that I am being watched.  I shake off the thought and proceed over to the desk to look at the saddlebags.  I suddenly take notice of a note that is sitting right next to the saddlebags under the light of the candle.  



Good morning my new best friend,

I’m guessing you’re wondering where you are.  Well you will find out soon enough.  Until then, I suggest you look around.  Who knows, maybe you will find something useful. As you see, I have placed a pair of saddlebags in your room.  There is a lantern inside.  In your room you will also find some oil, laudanum, and a few tinderboxes.  Use them well…You don’t want to end up losing yourself in the darkness.  Now, as to where you are, you are in my mommy’s house and we are all about to play “The Game.”  

“The Game” isn’t complicated, just think of it as hide and seek.  You hide and we seek.  You’ll see what I mean soon enough.  Here are the rules, and they’re not hard to follow.  Just stay alive.  The front door, the door that leads to your freedom, is locked.  The key, on the other hand, is hidden somewhere within the house.  If you can find the key and make it out of the house, you win!  But if one of us finds you first, we win!  Many others have not made it very far…So let’s see how you will do in “The Game”.  

Since our last friend didn’t even make it to the main hall, we are going to give you a sporting chance.  We will give you a fifteen minute head start, but do not waste our time.  If we happen to find you, we will show no mercy.  So, let’s begin.  Here is your first clue: That painting in the hallway has always been so mysterious to me…It always felt like I could see right through it.  

With a loving heart, 



I try to read more, but it seems as if the ink had been smudged, making it impossible to read any further.  

The feeling of being watched starts to return to me, but this time, I don’t bother to ignore it.  'So I’m pretty much trapped in this place with some crazy…things?!?'  I think to myself.  I open the saddlebags to find a lantern the note mentioned inside.  After checking it and finding it is full of oil, I put the lantern back in the saddlebags and throw on my back.  'If they are really giving me fifteen minutes, I might as well use them to get out of this Celestia-forsaken place.'  I search the desk drawers, cabinet, and the dresser to find five tinderboxes, two oil jars, and a bottle labeled “Laudanum Pain Reliever”.  

I drink the bottle immediately as my head is still pounding.  The elixir immediately begins to take effect as my headache diminishes until it is completely gone.  'Wow, fast acting stuff!'  I discard the empty bottle and head out the door.  

The door leads out into a long hallway that is not any brighter than the room I just came out of; lit by a few selected candles hanging from the wall.  I take out the lantern and immediately turn it on.  I cringe at the taste of that handle, resisting the urge to spit it out.  'Yuck!  This thing tastes terrible!  And what is that smell?!'  I can’t explain it, but there is a foul stench in the air.  I force myself to at least TRY to put up with the stench so I can move on.  

Looking at the hallway, now easier to see, I take notice of the few armored statues and many paintings lined up on both sides to make it look symmetrical.  The walls are a light tan and the floor seems to squeak under pressure.  Right next to me is a wooden door.  I try to open it, but the door appears to be locked.  

I take another look at the clue from the bottom of the note.  “That painting in the hallway has always been so mysterious to me…” I read quietly to myself, “It always felt like I could see right through it.”  I look back up to see there are at least ten paintings on each side, none of which are the same.  'Great, what the hay is that supposed to mean?'  I start to slowly trot down the hallway looking at various paintings looking for something to give me a hint as to what the clue was telling me.  

I take note of the paintings on the walls as I pass them.  The third painting on my left has a dark yellow mare in a red dress and blue robe holding a small, tan foal.  'Well, I can’t see through Madonna and Child'.  The fourth painting on my right has two rectangles on each side.  The one on the right is green, while the other one on the left is sky blue.  'There’s nothing special about Mother E.'  Looking back to my left, I see a painting that looks hastily painted making it hard to tell what exactly the artwork is displaying.  'Nothing suspicious on Abstract Painting either; why is this one even here anyway?'  

Wait a minute…how do I know these paintings, and why do they feel so familiar?  Before I can attempt to answer, a vision comes swirling into my head.  

-------------

I was looking at a piece of paper with words on it with a picture below them with a pencil in my mouth.  It has been the fifth week my senior year of high school and the teacher paired us up in groups of two to work on the study guide for an upcoming test.  Since I did not really talk to anyone in class, let alone know them, the teacher picked out a partner for me.  

“So what is this ‘painting’ supposed to be again?”  I looked up to see a green pegasus colt with a dark green mane staring quizzically at a piece of paper that looks similar to mine.  We were sitting at a picnic table in a park looking over the sheet of paper.  I laid the pencil down and read off the words on my sheet as a response.  

“The title is called Abstract Painting, the name of the artist is Gerard Richter, and its medium is oil on canvas.”  

The pegasus in front of me let out a defeated sigh.  “I’m never going to get this memorized in time for the test,” the pegasus mumbles, still audible to me, “we only have three more days until the test and I haven’t memorized a single term or painting!  I’m doomed!”  

I could not help but feel sympathetic for the colt as he slammed his forehead into the table.  “Would you like my advice?” I asked.  The colt looked up with sad eyes and nodded in response.  “What I usually do is look over the terms and paintings a few times, and then test myself.  What you can do is cover up the answers and try to guess them; afterwards, reveal yourself the answer and see if you got it right.  For the paintings, see if you can find a way to clue yourself on what the painting is and try to remember a part of the artist’s name that you are most familiar with.  Just keep practicing and you’ll get it in no time.”  

A smile starts to form on the colt’s face.  “Thank you, I think I’ll try that.”  I offered him a smile as a way to say ‘You’re welcome’.  “You seem to be really good at this art stuff; I mean, we just got the study guide four days ago and you've practically memorized the whole thing.  Are you some kind of artist?”  

“I am actually,” I replied, “but I don’t know what kind of artist I want to be.  I guess that’s why I’m still a ‘blank flank’.”  I looked down at my midnight blue coat to see there was no cutie mark on my flank.  “It’s kind of embarrassing.”  

“Hey, don’t worry about it;” the pegasus said with encouragement, “I didn’t get my cutie mark until last year.”  He got up and turned a bit to the side to reveal his cutie mark.  It was a white cloud with a yellow lightning bolt.  “So, I feel your pain.”  There was a moment of awkward silence.  “Would you like me to help you try and find your cutie mark after the test?” he offered.  

“Sure,” I answer, “I’d like that.”  

“You know, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” said the green pegasus, “I’m Cloud Runner; what’s your name?”  

He offered out a hoof.  I gave him a hoof shake as I reply.  

“My name is---”

-------------

I snap back to reality as I suddenly trip over something.  I must have been subconsciously walking while that vision danced in my head.  Was it a memory perhaps?  I seem to recognize the name ‘Cloud Runner’, but I still can’t remember much.  I get back on my hooves and turn around to see what I have tripped over.  

I immediately wish I had not done so, as the sight is so horrifying to me that my legs start to feel weak again and I nearly drop my lantern.  It is the corpse of a white earth pony with a blonde mane.  Most of its torso is caked in blood and it is lying in a big, dry, crimson pool.  

'THAT’S what was causing this horrid stench?!  Dear Celestia, what is this place?!'  I try to get a hold of myself as I take notice of a piece of paper sticking out of the saddlebags hanging on the dead corpse.  Reluctantly and carefully, I reach over the corpse and grab the paper.  I step away from the corpse and open the piece of paper to find it is a note similar to mine, but it does not offer the same chance of grace my note gave me.  This poor soul must have been the ‘friend’ that did not make it to the main hall in my note.  

I turn it over to see markings on the back.  There are two columns of ten circles.  I then notice that some of the circles are crossed out at the bottom.  The bottom two have been crossed out on the left column, and five have been crossed out on the right column.  I look up to see I have reached the end of the hallway.  I look down at the diagram again.  

O						O
O						O
O						O
O						O
O						O
O						O
O						O
O						O
O						O
O						O

'I guess these circles are the paintings in this room.' I think to myself, 'and the circles that are crossed out are the ones that have already been checked.'  I decide to start scanning the painting from the end of the hall back down.  Unfortunately, none of the paintings I look at resemble the clue and I start to get a little nervous.  

Suddenly, on the painting to my right (fifth circle on the left column of the diagram), I come across a painting of a bronze stallion with a silver, curly mane, a mustache, and a white cap.  I am able to identify this one as the Self Portrait of Rembrandt van Rijn, but something about this painting seems different.  Upon closer inspection, I see it is not a painting on canvas at all, but a picture on some kind of net material strung up on a frame.  Getting close enough to it, I am able to see gap behind the “painting” and a key resting in it along with two tinderboxes and a note.  

I take the “painting” of the wall and discard it to my right.  I do not care if it is damaged or not since it was not real to begin with.  I put the two tinderboxes in my saddlebag and proceed to read the note when suddenly, my lantern goes out.  The nervous rush comes back to me; I didn't realize I had left my lantern on for so long.  How long have I even been down here?!  Without hesitation, I pull a tinderbox out of my saddlebag and open it to reveal a flint and steel.  

My eyes have started to adjust to the darkness, but that doesn’t mean I can read in the dark.  I take the steel in one hoof and put the flint on top of the steel with the other.  I bring them both close to the candle mounted next to gap and quickly swipe the flint across the steel a few times until the friction creates a spark.  The candle immediately lights when the spark comes into contact; it is not very much light, but it will have to do.  

I then remember the two jars of oil I picked up and proceed to refill the lantern.  The jars do not completely fill the lantern, but they do fill it halfway.  Afterwards, I take the note from the gap and hold it to the candle.  The note reads: 



Very clever, you are a smart one aren’t you?  This key unlocks the door to upstairs and it will allow you to progress further into the house.  I will give you this one chance to quit “The Game” if you are not up for it.  If you do not want to play, just wait in your room until one of us comes to get you; we promise to make your death quick and painless.  However, if you proceed through that door, you will officially be playing, and I will not guarantee a death so painless.  If you still wish to play, go upstairs to receive your next clue.  



These words send a chill down my spine.  'Wait for “them” to kill me, or run into one of them and get killed…'The chances of survival seem very slim for me, but after a few seconds of pondering, I pick up the key and proceed to the locked door.  'No matter how small the chance of survival may be, I’ll take it if it means getting out of here.'  

I use the key to turn the lock and the door opens with a click.  I open the door to see a dimly lit staircase that pauses to cut a sharp right.  I ascend the staircase to meet a red metal door with a fancy diamond pattern in bronze and two candles mounted to its left and right.  I pull the door open and proceed into the next area of the house.  


End of Chapter 1


> Storage, Main Hall, and Machine Room
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

That pegasus was stupendous when he showed off his tricks.  Though he was very headstrong, we always stuck together and we promised to never betray one another.  I could tell this was the start of a beautiful friendship.  


Chapter 2


My Items:
0 oil jars
6 tinderboxes
0 laudanum bottles
My Lantern

When I go through the door, I am relieved to find myself in a hallway that is has more light and color than the previous.  The wall is a pink color with a trim of polished wood close to the floor.  The carpet is a crimson color with a bronze diamond pattern on its interior.  There is a small chandler hanging from the ceiling giving light to the hallway.  There are four wooden doors in the room; two in the middle of the hallway, and two at the end.  Also at the end on the hall is a small round table with a candlestick, a note, and a key on top of it.  I walk over to the table and read the note as I pick up the key.  



Here is another key for you.  This one opens the door to one of our storage rooms.  The way into the Main Hall rests inside the chest that is stored in that room; but I’m afraid I lost the key some time ago and I can’t remember what I did with it.  Unless you are completely hollow, I’m sure you will find a way to open the chest.  



I take notice of how the word ‘hollow’ is underlined on the note.  'I bet it’s some kind of hint.  I’ll have to remember that for later.'  I put the note in my saddlebag and try out the key on both doors on my left and right.  I first attempt to unlock the one on my left, but the key does not fit.  Next, I try the door on the right side of the table; the key fits, but the lock refuses to turn.  I backtrack down the hall and try the door on my right.  The key fits and the lock opens with a click.  

Opening the door, immediately take notice of, not the shelves of useless junk, but of the sunrise taking place outside the window.  'Jeez, how long was I out?'  I close the door behind me and walk over to the window.  I see the area is covered with lots of trees indicating that this house is located somewhere in a forest.  Up in the sky, the sun is slowly rising into an orange horizon.  It is as if Celestia herself got up early just to paint this beautiful picture in the sky.  As I stare at the environmental beauty, another memory seems to worm its way into my head.  

-----

I walked away from a school building with Cloud Runner as we both seem to have been smiling with victory.  “So what did you make on the art test?” I asked him.  He turned his head to me, still as joyous as can be.  

“I got an 87 on the test!” he said with pride.  

“See?  I knew you could do it!”  I told him with an encouraging tone.  

“Yeah, I’m awesome like that.” He boasted.  I gave him a smirk as we continue towards a town.  “So what did you get on the test?”

“95.”

“Heh, somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”  His smile did not disappear; instead he gave me an understanding look.  “So, ya wanna come by my house and hang out?”  

“I’d love to, but I can’t.” I replied as my smile started to disappear, “It’s Thursday, and I have family commitment.”  

“Well somepony doesn’t seem too happy about it.” Cloud Runner said raising an eyebrow “Is it really THAT bad?”  

“You have no idea.” I groaned, “The whole family spends the majority of the afternoon doing some quote-on-quote, ‘family bonding’, but in reality, it’s just us playing a bunch of games that I have not found the least bit fun since I was twelve.”  

“Jeez, that’s rough.”  

“No kidding.  Charades has gotten so monotonously predictable, Go Fish has never been fun since I never win a single game, and if I have to play another round of that board game, ‘Knights of Everfree City’, I’m going to lose it!”  

“Oh, speaking of Everfree,” Cloud Runner said, quickly changing the subject, “I heard some ponies talking about something in the Everfree Forest at lunch today.  They say there is an old, seemingly abandoned house somewhere in the forest next to Ponyville; it’s supposed to be haunted.”  

“Honestly Cloud Runner, you don’t actually believe those rumors do you?” I asked with a bemused look on my face.  

“Nah, I just think they sound cool.”  

“So, what exactly is supposed to be in this house?” I pretended to sound interested.  

“No pony knows,” Cloud Runner said with a creepy voice, “ya know why?”  

“Here we go.”  

“’Cause every pony that has gone in; has never…come…OUT!”  He jumped into the air and hovered over me with forelegs over his head and wearing a menacing grin.  

“I figured as much.” I said showing no sign of fear.  Cloud Runner landed the ground and the smile ran away from his face.  

“Man, you’re no fun to scare.”  

“A lot of ponies tell me that.”  We stopped in front of a two-story house not too far from the Golden Oaks Library.  I let out an exaggerated sigh.  

“Well, duty calls.  I’ll see ya tomorrow Cloud Runner.”  

“Later Moon Seed.” The pegasus replied before taking off into the air.  I turned around and trotted into the house, not looking forward to the event to come.  

-----

The memory fades as both the sunrise, and the forest come back into view.  'Moon Seed, is that my name?  And why does this ‘Everfree Forest’ place sound so familiar?'  I suddenly pull myself back into reality as I realize I have been staring out the window for a few minutes.  'Not again,' I say in my head, 'if this keeps up, I’ll run out of time before I can get to the main hall.'  

I turn around and pull out the note again, reading the clue.  I look between the shelves and immediately see a chest on my right.  I walk over to it and find that, just like the clue says, it is locked.  Looking back at the clue, I am drawn back to the sentence that reads: Unless you are completely hollow, I’m sure you will find a way to open the chest.  I look around at the shelves; there are three on each side of the room, spaced evenly, and each shelf is filled with discarded junk.  

'Hmm, maybe I have to find something hollow in order to open the chest.'  With that thought, I begin to scan the shelves searching for anything hollow I can use to pick the lock.  I manage to find two oil jars, five tinderboxes, and three laudanum bottles, but nothing comes close to resemble anything hollow.  

After double checking the shelves of useless items, I am still unable to find anything.  Facing the window, I feel myself starting to shake as confusion and anger well up inside me.  I release my anger by driving my hoof into the side of the second shelf to the left.  As soon as I do, a hollow needle rolls off the bottom shelf and onto the floor.  I stare at the needle with my mouth agape.  'How did I miss that?!'  

Letting out a grunt, I pick up the needle and hurry over to the chest.  I begin to fiddle around with the lock until I hear a click.  I quickly open the chest to find another oil jar, two tinderboxes, a key, and a note.  After putting it all in my saddlebags are read the note at the bottom of the chest.  



Well done, you’re smarter than we thought!  This key unlocks the door to the Main Hall, but don’t celebrate just yet.  The front door is still locked, and we are just getting started.  Outside, there are multiple doors on the first and second floors that lead to different areas of the house.  Each one has a clue waiting for you, but you may need to go to other areas first in order to answer the clues.  Oh, and just so you know, my family is very good at hide and seek, so you better be on your guard.  

Love, 



Once again, the ink seems to be smudged at the bottom.  I give up trying to read it again.  I stuff the note in my saddlebag and head back out into the hall.  First, I try the door in front of me, but the key does not fit.  I head back to the round table and try the door on the left; it does not fit here either.  Finally I turn around and use the key to the right of the table.  I turn the lock and it clicks open.  

I walk out the door to see I am in a giant room with the same decorations and a big staircase in the middle.  In front of the staircase, are two double doors surprisingly made of metal.  I immediately assume this is the main entrance as I gallop over to them.  Trying to open the doors, I find they are indeed locked.  Turning around, I see four crimson doors with metal tags on them.  

I take a quick trot to the right wall and look at the doors.  The far right door, the door close to the entrance, reads ‘Laboratory’.  The one in the middle reads ‘Kitchen’.  As I pass the wooden door on the far left, the door leading to the hall I just came out of, I notice it reads ‘Storage and Guest Room C’.  'THAT was a Guest Room?' I think,  It didn’t seem very welcoming.'  

I trot over to the left wall and start reading the tags, beginning to the door farthest from the entrance; this one reads ‘Master Chambers’.  'Hmm, I’ll bet they have the key hidden in here somewhere, but maybe I should check the rest of this area before deciding where to go.'  With that thought, I walk over past the door on the left wall that is closer to the entrance that reads ‘Wine Cellar’.  

I trot up the stairs to see there is not much up here.  The familiar odor of a dead corpse hits my nostrils again as I start to believe coming up here was not a good idea.  There is an elevator shaft straight ahead of me with the elevator sitting idly, waiting patiently to be used.  It has two brass gates in front of it that act as doors for the elevator.  Right next to it, on the wall to my left, is a metal door that reads ‘Machine Room’.  Directly to my left is a polished wooden door that reads ‘Guest Room A’.  Directly to my right, is a room left wide open with the door broken off its hinges.  

My curiosity gets the better of me as I walk into the room on top of the door that reads ‘Guest Room B’.  There is a wooden desk in front of me that is the same as the one from my guest room.  There is a wooden closet to up against the right wall, not far from the desk.  There is a dresser on my left next to the doorway that is also similar to the one from my guest room.  
I catch a trail of crimson on the floor out of the corner of my eye.  My eyes follow the trail to the bed in the middle of the room where I find…Oh Celestia!  Another one!  There is another body of a pony resting on top of the bed.  This one is a royal blue pegasus mare with a jet-black mane.  Fear begins to creep up on me again as a look at the withering corpse.  Shaking my head and trying to ignore it, I walk over to the desk to see if I can find anything.  There, I find a note with very few words written.  



Your fifteen minutes are up, new friend.  Ready or not, here we come.  Do try to make this fun for us.  



As soon as I read these last few words, I hear the sound of a giggling filly approach the room.  Fear overtakes me as I frantically look around the room looking for a place to hide.  I hurry over to the closet, throw open the doors, and hide inside with the doors closed.  Luckily it is empty, so I have plenty of breathing room.  As the giggling approaches I can also hear the sound of a heavy metal object scraping across the ground.  I manage to keep my breathing under control despite my heart rapidly pounding like a drum.  

I hear the sounds get louder as that…THING, enters the room.  As she enters the room, she stops giggling for a while and she starts singing what sounds like a lullaby that sends a horrible chill down my spine.  

"‘Round we go,

The world is spinning.  

When it stops,

It’s just beginning.  

Sun comes up,

We laugh and we cry.  

Sun goes down,

And then we all die." 

'Is that a filly?!' I suppress my urge to scream, 'Dear Luna, what kind of freaks live in this house?!'  I hear it dragging the metal object all around the room, but I dare not peek out of my hiding place as it might see me if I do.  After a while, I hear it leave the room and I listen to the sound of the metal object banging down the stairs.  I then hear the faint sound of a metal door opening and closing downstairs.  

I take a peak to make sure it is really gone.  After hearing nothing for a couple of minutes, I move out of my hiding place.  'Dear Luna!  What WAS that thing?!'  I catch my breath as I investigate the room.  The room does not contain much, all I find are a couple more tinderboxes to add to my fast-growing collection.  

I walk out of the room and proceed to check the room across from me.  The room is identical to ‘Guest Room B’, except the layout is mirrored and there is no corpse on the bed.  I search the room for anything useful and hope I do not find any more tinderboxes.  Sure enough, I find an oil jar, a bottle of laudanum, and more tinderboxes, three to be exact.  I place my saddlebags on the desk of the room and double-check my items.  

3 oil jars
16 tinderboxes
4 laudanum bottles
My Lantern

I see a notebook and a pencil both sitting idly on the desk next to my saddlebags.  I open the notebook to see what is inside to find the pages are empty.  I decide to put the notebook to good use and throw it in my saddlebags, along with the pencil, as I put them on my back.  Exiting the room, I walk over to the elevator to investigate the machine.  However, I stop in my tracks as I find the brass gate of the elevator is locked.  I decide to trek into the ‘Machine Room’ and see if I can find a way to open the gates to the elevator.  

As I enter the ‘Machine Room’, I notice the climate is a bit on the cool side.  I do not hear any machines running at all, telling me the ‘Machine Room’ is not being used.  I am in a very small wooden corridor that is lit by candles mounted on the wall.  There is a wooden door on the right a few steps ahead of me, and another on the left at the end of the corridor.  

I walk through the door on my right to find a small room with gears and pipes hanging on the left wall leading up to a machine terminal in the middle of the wall in straight ahead.  There is a bookcase on the right, and a chest right next to it.  My attention is first drawn, not to the terminal, but to the bookcase instead.  'Hmm, something about this bookcase seems a bit odd.  Is this even real wood?'  I give the wooden bookcase a few knock and I hear the sound echo.  'Funny, that sounded hollow.'  I attempt to move the bookcase, but it does not budge.  I look at the books, but I cannot make heads or tails with them.  

I try to move the books off the case only to find they are stuck in place.  While trying to move different books, my left fore-hoof accidently pulls down a book from the case, causing it to slowly move open.  I step back as soon as I see it start to move.  The bookcase reveals a very small, hidden room with only a box with a candle on it.  There is a button on the wall next to the entrance of the hidden room.  I assume that button closes this thing back up.  I walk back in front of the bookshelf and attempt to remember which one I pulled.  I feel around with my fore-hoof until I pull down a green book.  

The bookcase slowly begins to close when I pull the book.  Immediately after it closes, I pull out the notebook and pencil and make a quick note.  

Secret room behind bookcase in Machine Room.  To open, pull down the third book (green) on the fourth shelf from the floor. 

Afterwards, I put both the pencil and notebook back in my saddlebag and open the chest to find a large oil jar.  I look at the terminal to see it has three circular slots.  Above the slots are three shapes all with different colors on their borders.  On the left is a pink triangle, a yellow square sits in the middle, and a blue circle marks the right.  I do not know what these are for, so I decide to check out the next room.  I travel out the door and to my right to the end of the small hallway.  

Inside is a long table, a machine in the right corner, and a large pile of coal in front of it along with a shovel.  I walk over to the table and see a note as well as a key marked with the tag ‘Elevator Key’.  I throw the key into my saddlebags and begin to read the note.  



The elevator only has a few requirements to operate:

1.)	Check the coal burner constantly.  The elevator can only operate if there is coal present in the burner.  

2.)	Check the Elevator Rod System Terminal.  Each rod has a specific slot to access to certain levels of the mansion.  The elevator cannot operate without these rods, even if coal is present in the coal burner.  



I jot down a note in my notebook to help me remember what I need to look for, should I forget again.  

Rods needed for elevator terminal to function.  

After putting the notebook back in my saddlebags, I open the hatch to the coal burner, take the shovel in my fore-hooves, and start to shovel coal into the burner.  I keep shoveling until the coal is beginning to overflow from the burner.  I then close the hatch and pull the lever to start up the machine.  The room comes to life as I hear the gears in the previous room turning and the burner starting to ignite and burn the coal.  

I decide to head back out into the Main Hall and start searching for the missing rods.  As I come back into the main hall, I tread down the stairs very carefully out of fear I might run into that “thing” again.  After seeing the coast is clear, I start to look around at the doors deciding where to go.  'If those strange beings took out the rods to the elevator, they would have to hide them in a secure place.'  I walk over to the door that reads ‘Main Chambers’ and, after a deep breath, push the door open and begin my search for the missing rods and the key to my freedom.  


End of Chapter 2


> Main Chambers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every day, I watched that pegasus race through the sky.  He was born for this kind of stuff.  He wanted to join the Wonderbolts so badly, but he would have to wait another few years.  


Chapter 3


Items:
Elevator Key
1 large oil potion
3 oil jars
16 tinderboxes
4 laudanum bottles
My lantern
Notebook

As I enter the ‘Main Chambers’, I notice there are no lights on, so I light my lantern so I can see in the dark.  The room is quite a decent size; it has the same color and pattern as the Main Hall.  There are two doors on the left and right of the wall in front of me.  I first check the door on the right to find that it is unlocked.  

I walk in to see the room opens up after walking in; it is a magenta color and there is a window on the wall in front of me where orange light is beginning to shine through.  I turn off my lantern to save oil and continue to look at the room.  There is a single bed in the top left corner with bright pink sheets.  Below the window was a small wooden dresser with three drawers.  Sitting against the right wall is a small bookshelf with two shelves filled with books.  ‘Jeez, whoever has this room sure likes pink.’  

I check the dresser to find nothing of interest, so I head out of the room eager to get away so much pink.  I check the next room, but I discover that it is locked.  I light my lantern and proceed past the door to where the big room starts to form a hallway.  After a few steps in that direction, I come upon a wooden door in front of me.  

I proceed through the door to find myself in a much wider room.  To my right is a sofa with a beige fabric in front on a fireplace that seems to have recently been lit.  Above the fireplace, on the mantle, is a acrylic painting of a large metropolis I do not recognize.  There are also two windows on both sides of the painting, letting in the light of the sunrise from outside.  I turn off my lantern to save oil and use the sunlight to aid me instead.  

To my right are four closets; there are two on each wall to give off a sense of symmetry.  In the middle, hanging on the wall, is an oil-based portrait of a white unicorn mare with a black mane.  She looks like she was of royalty, but I do not recall ever seeing her in history books, and I am supposedly an artist who can recognize ancient works of art.  

In front of me is another door, most likely leading to another bedroom.  I begin to walk towards the door when I suddenly stop dead in my tracks to the sound of a motherly voice behind it.  

“Honey, is that you?  You are back earlier than I thought you would be.  Did you enjoy having fun with our ‘guest’?” 

‘I…uh…’ I do not know how to answer.  I do not know who or what the voice is referring to, nor do I want to sound like a fool trying to impersonate this certain some pony.  The voice suddenly returns after I fail to give an answer; this time, though, it is filled with venom instead of compassion.  

“INTRUDERS!”

*BAM!*

Whoever is behind the door starts banging on it, causing the wood to splinter.  I immediately run back to the closets and pick a random one to hide in.  I hide in the second closet from the painting on its left side and close the doors.  It is filled with various types of dresses, but I do not care.  As long as that voice does not find me, I will take what I can get.  I hear the wood of the door splintering some more until finally, I hear the whole door burst open.  

I hear the bearer of the motherly voice step over the remains of the door as she starts searching the wide room.  

“Come out wherever you are, mommy wants to have some fun!”  

It speaks in a seductive yet venomous voice.  I pray to Celestia that she will not find me here as I hear her starting to walk around the four closets.  Strangely, I only hear two hooves against the ground instead of four, and the smell of perfume reaches my nostrils as she comes closer to the closet.  

“Mommy will not hurt you; mommy just wants to give you some deadly love.”  

I dare not move a muscle as I hide amongst the dresses in the closet.  If I do, I fear I may cause some noise when the hangers make contact and create an audible click.  I hear the Mother walk off down the hallway towards the room with the two bed chambers.  I begin to slowly open the door to peek out and see if the coast is clear when I suddenly hear the Mother banging on a door in the distance.  I quickly, but carefully, close the closet door making sure not to hit the hangers holding the dresses.  

I wait a few minutes after the banging sound has stopped to see if it is safe to continue my search.  Slowly and cautiously, I come out of my hiding place looking in the direction of the recent sound of wood being forced apart.  Sure enough, the Mother is nowhere in sight, but I can see light leaking from the room she burst open.  I walk into the room she came from to find myself in a rose red room with fancy décor only a noble could afford.  

There is a large double bed in the upper left corner with dark green sheets spread across and a small round table sitting next to it with an unlit candle sitting on top.  There is a large dresser next to where the door used to be not too long ago.  It has a large, oval mirror mounted on it, and has about twelve drawers all together.  In front of me, up against the wall is a fancy wardrobe that looks like it is brand new.  

I walk over to the wardrobe and open it hoping to find a rod or a key, or at least something useful.  Instead, I find something more disturbing inside.  Inside the wardrobe are multiple skins of dead ponies hung up like costumes.  The eye sockets are missing and there are big holes in the back big enough for a pony to slip into one and wear it as a costume.  The sight of this forces me to my knees, but I resist the urge to vomit.  I quickly close the wardrobe as fast as my weakened legs will let me and decide to continue searching the room.  

I search the dresser to find four laudanum bottles, two oil jars, and three tinderboxes.  I then head over to the small table to find a note underneath the base of the candlestick.  



If you are looking for a rod to the elevator, you will find it in Anna Belle’s room.  However, little Silver Belle locked the door to her room and hid it in her room to play a joke on her sister.  Little Silver Belle loves to read, one of her favorites is “The Knights of Harmony”.  She always wants me to read the ‘Battle between Harmony and Discord’ chapter to her every night before bed.  



‘The Knights of Harmony, what does that have to do with anything?’  I read over the clue again, scratching my head in confusion.  I then remember the small bookcase in the magenta room near the entrance of the ‘Main Chambers’ and assume the key is hidden in one of the books.  Cautiously, I sneak back to the magenta bedroom to make sure the Mother is not still lurking about.  I do not see her, but she did a fine job of turning the door into a pile of discarded scrap.  I cautiously move into the room and look at the bookcase.  

I am now faced with a new problem…all the books are written in Old Equestrian, a language I cannot read!  ‘Oh great, it’s going to take me forever to get through all these books!  There’s got to be a way to narrow it down!’  I grab the first book and look at the title: Legato quoque Trifolium Peritioribus Arguuntur.  ‘Maybe the titles can give me clues.’  Looking at the first book, I do not find anything that sticks out.  I move it to the side and look at the title of the second book: In Cobalorum et Mannulus.  ‘Yeah right, I doubt Mannulus means Harmony in Old Equestrian.’  I move the book off to the side.  

The next few books did very little to help me.  Magni Hiemalia, Demensum Sir Argentum Laminas, Socijs Harmonia, Fur et Princi- ‘Wait a minute!’ I pick up the book Socijs Harmonia and quickly start flipping through the pages.  Finally, in one section towards the back of the book, there are a number of pages that have squares cut into them.  Inside these squares...is a key!  I take the key and put all the books back on the shelf.  

Exiting the room, I trot over to the only door I have not opened yet and use the key to hear the lock open.  I walk in to see the room mirrors the previous, only with grey wall instead of magenta.  However, when I turn my head to the left, I see something that causes me to fall to my knees and empty my stomach on the floor.  Heads of different ponies are mounted on the wall like trophies.  The pegasi wings of their former bearers are mounted on both sides of the head while the unicorns still had their horns intact with their skulls.  

One mounted head sticks out more to me than the others.  It is a yellow pegasus colt with a brown mane and hazel eyes.  As I look at the head on display, another memory comes into view.  

-----

Cloud Runner and I were walking towards the school building while talking about our previous attempts to try and help me find my cutie mark.  

“Well, as much as I hate to say it, I’m starting to run out of ideas.” Cloud Runner said with a tone of defeat.  

“Me too,” I said with distraught, “Oil-based paint is too sticky and feels like painting with glue, watercolor is too stressful, clay is impossible to do without magic, and I have no idea where to find material for tempera.”  I turned back to my friend and asked, “Hey Cloud, how did you get YOUR cutie mark?”  

“Oh that’s easy,” he answered with pride, “Last year, I challenged an old friend to a race to see who was faster in the sky.  I had never flown so fast in my life, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before; the adrenaline, the speed, the wind in my mane, at that moment, the sky felt like it was my very special some pony.  At that moment, I knew what I wanted to be, and BAM!” he showed off the cloud and lightning bolt on his flank, “This baby appeared quicker than you can say ‘Celestia Speed’!”  

I stared at his cutie mark quizzically, “I swear, it feels like I’ve seen that mark before…Are you, by any chance related to Rainbow Dash?”

“Heh, I wish.” he said with a smile, “It would be pretty awesome to be related to the greatest Wonderbolt who ever lived, but no, I’m not related to her.  However, she was the idol of my Grandmother Scootaloo.”  

I immediately came to a stop and my jaw nearly hit the floor.  “THE Scootaloo?!” I asked in complete bafflement, “As in the the professional biker and ten time winner of the Equestrian Grand Prix?!”  

“Yep, that’s my grandma.”  

“Dude that is awesome!  I was such a big fan of her when I was a foal; heck I’m still a fan of her now!”  

“What’s up, Crash Maker?  Come to flunk another test?”  Cloud Runner was about respond to me, but our conversation was interrupted by a yellow pegasus with a brown mane and a boxing glove for his cutie mark flying towards us.  

“Oh great, there he is again.” Cloud mumbled.  

“Is that…?” I began to ask.  

“Yep, good old Tough Nut is back to make his usual jokes.  Someday, he’ll go too far and I can’t be held responsible for what I’ll do to him.”  

“So, did ya flunk any new tests lately or is the principle finally gonna expel you?”  Tough Nut chuckled to himself.  

“I’ll have you know I passed that art test with flying colors!” Cloud shot back in irritation.  

“Likely story,” the yellow pegasus retorted.  “Face it; this school has too many rules and not enough nap times for you.  You’ll never be one of the cool ponies.”  

“Really?” I interjected, “I find that very hard to believe, considering he’s the grandson of the famous Scootaloo the Swift.”  Tough Nut started laughing catching both Cloud Runner and I off guard.  

“Well that explains it!  Nopony could be lamer than the grandson of a flightless retard!”  At this comment, Cloud Runner snapped.  He sprang into the air and started flying towards Tough Nut.  

“YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU SON OF A BI--!”  Before he could finish, I grabbed him by the tail and held him back as he was just inches away from the yellow bully.  

“Cloud!  Don’t!  It’s not worth it!”  I said to him with his tail in my teeth.  Not too much later, he touched back down on earth, calmer than he was before.  

“Yeah Crash Maker, listen to your friend.  You don’t wanna get hurt fighting me.”  The two pegasi butted heads.  

“Is that a challenge?!”

“What is going on out here?!”  Our attention turned to Mrs. Sunny Days, an elder mare with a vanilla coat and a cross expression.  Tough Nut began to back away.  

“Ya know what?  You’re not worth it.  I’ve got better things to do with my time than to kick you flank.”  With that he flew off leaving Cloud Runner to watch him leave with an expression of hatred on his face.  

“Come on Cloud,” I said, putting my hoof on his shoulder, “let's head on to class.”  We walked into the school building in silence, though I could see he was still trying to cool down.  

-----

The memory fades as I feel sorrow and sympathy come over me.  ‘Gee, I always wanted him to get lost, but I never wanted him dead.’  He had always been a jerk to my friend, but at that moment, I couldn’t help but mourn over his remains displayed on the wall.  Turning my gaze down, I notice a desk below the mounted heads and suddenly remember what I was in here to do.  I force myself back onto my hooves and search the desk.  

I find the rod I was looking for in the second drawer of the desk; it is pink and marked ‘Balcony’.  I feel a sense of relief come over me as I put the rod in my saddlebags.  My attention is then turned to what looks like a page from a diary.  My curiosity gets the better of me as I turn to read the entry.  



17th of April, 1083 A.H.

The party was so much fun; Silver Belle and I had a blast!  There were so many ponies ripe for the slaughter.  I loved how they all just scattered around like a flock of terrified chickens when the first one fell by my machete!  The main joy of it was taking out multiple ponies at once as they all tried to escape and now the room has a new coat of crimson and some fresh corpses for decor.  Some of them got away from us, but that’s okay, the entrance is locked so they can’t get out.  Now Silver Belle and I get to enjoy hunting them down, but I told her to let me kill the cute stallions.  She’s only a filly so she doesn’t know how to chop them up properly.  Besides I want their heads by my bedsides so I can admire their—



I push the page away as I cannot bear to read anymore.  The feeling of relief is replaced by a nauseating feeling in my stomach.  ‘That page was not written by some pony with a sane mind!  The residents of this house are demons!  I’ve got to find that key!’  Not wanting to stay in this room any longer, I dash out of the room and exit the Main Chambers.  


End of Chapter 3


> Kitchen and Laboratory
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Why do I have to be at the bottom of the ‘food chain’; why can’t I be one of the cool ponies?” the green colt mumbled, “I should be the one they are respecting; they should be bowing to me, not that big head, Tough Nut.  I'm better than they are, what will it take for them to get that through their thick skulls?”


Chapter 4


My Items:
‘Balcony’ Rod
Elevator Key
1 large oil potion
5 oil jars
19 tinderboxes
8 laudanum bottles
My lantern
Notebook

As I enter the main hall, I start to pass the staircase when I suddenly hear a small piece of glass from upstairs shatter.  I immediately hurry to the other side and hide behind the railing.  I cautiously peek out and turn my gaze upstairs as I hear the voice of a stallion.  

“Quiet butter hooves!”  The voice says in a hushed tone, “We have to be quiet or else those psychos will find us.”  I then hear a familiar giggling as I see something gray slowly move towards Guest Room A.  “Oh crap hide, hide!”  I do not get a good look at the Thing because I am too busy hiding behind the rails.  

“Hello friends.” the Thing says in a sweet and innocent voice.  

I then hear the sound of two stallions screaming followed by a series of metal slicing flesh, a few sickening cracks, and the Thing giggling.  I start backing up quickly but carefully and slowly open the door to the ‘Kitchen’ so the Thing will not hear me.  Slowly closing the door I turn around to take a good look at the Kitchen.  

It is a wide area with two large tables that fit twenty chairs each.  The floor is carpet again, this time it is a rose red with a golden vine pattern.  The walls are made of a fine polished wood and are mounted with fancy candles.  To the far right is a very small stage with only a small piano sitting on top of it.  On the right wall, just a few paces ahead of me, is a doorway leading into another room where I can hear I fire crackling.  I walk in that direction to investigate the room only to suddenly change my mind at the last minute.  

I stop as I hear the sound of meat being sliced as well as a song by another feminine voice.  The voice is older than the Thing’s but not as old as the voice of the Mother; it sounds more like a teenage filly around my age as she sings a familiar tune while only pausing to take a slice of whatever meat she cutting.  

“The jaw bone is connected to the, skull bone,
The skull bone is connected to the, neck bone,
The neck bone is connected to the, back bone,
The back bone is connected to the, shoulder bone,
The shoulder bone is connected to the, foreleg bone,"

Before she says the name of the next bone of her song, she takes a slice and what her song is describing; a deceased pony.  I assume that this is the same ‘Psycho’ from the diary I read earlier; this pony’s song is just as sick as the entry.  The urge to vomit enters my stomach again, but keep myself from doing so as it will give me away.  I turn back towards the exit to see there is another room in the kitchen that sticks out before the door to the Main Hall.  I sneak away from the room with the Psycho and into the newly discovered room.  

Since this one does not have a door either, I walk in and see two cases of three shelves against the wall of the doorway and boxes on the far side of the room.  The shelves contain mostly items such as silverware, plates, bowls, and other kitchen appliances.  However, on the middle of the second shelf is a gas mask laying out in the open.  I reach up to grab the gas mask, but as soon as I start to pull it off the shelf, three metal butter knives fall to the ground and hit each other upon contact with the ground.  I instantly freeze until I hear the voice of the Psycho again.  

“Somepony is here!”

She sounds like a pony that has fallen into insanity past the point of no return.  I release the gas mask from my grip, gather up the butter knives, and move one of the boxes so I can hide behind them.  I then put the box back in its original position, carefully lay the knives down, and cover my mouth so she cannot hear me if I start to breathe heavily.  I then hear her enter the room.  

“Come out and play, you’ll like what I have planned.”

The sounds of hooves on carpet move very slowly as if the Psycho is checking every square inch of the room searching for me.  

“I won’t hurt you; I just want to taste you.”

A shiver rolls down my spine as the words roll off her tongue.  Her hoofsteps stop right next to the boxes I am hiding behind and does she not move for the next thirty seconds or so.  I try my best to keep my breathing under control and remain silent despite my heart running a mile a minute and constantly pounding in my head.  ‘Go away, please!  I don’t want to die!’  

“You won’t escape so easily, when I find you, I will be the first to taste your blood.”

I then hear her turn around and slowly start walking out of the room.  About two minutes later, I hear the door to the Main Hall open, and then close.  I peek out from behind the boxes and see no pony is around.  I move the boxes and take the gas mask off the shelf and into my saddle bags.  By now, my head is pounding and my hooves are shaking, but I decide to press on.  

I wonder into the room the Psycho was recently in to see a large cooking area there are tables on the left and right.  On the right table, there is a hammer and a hoof tool with a chipper attached.  I throw them both in my saddlebag and continue to look around the room.  There are deceased pigs hanging on hooks in the back the right corner of the cooking area.  ‘Oh Celestia, they eat meat?!  That’s disgusting!’  There is a shelf in the left corner filled with fresh vegetables those creatures are not currently supervising.  I take multiple vegetables and stuff them in my saddlebags.  

A new smell hits my nostrils as I turn to exit the room.  There, on the recently lit stove, are severed limbs of a corpse, freshly sliced with blood still dripping from the wounds.  I look away from the stove to avoid losing my appetite; if I do not eat soon, I will lose my strength.  I sit at one of the tables and put some food down in front of me.  As I consume the fresh vegetables, another memory comes into my vision.  

-----

I sat in the cafeteria with Cloud Runner as we both enjoy our lunch.  The green pegasus paused in the consumption of meal to start talking to me.  “Hey Moon Seed, I have some great news.”  

“What is it?” I asked pausing in the middle of my daisy sandwich.  

“Emerald Broach and Tough Nut invited us to a party this Friday night!  Isn’t that great?”  

I raised an eyebrow at my friend.  “Emerald Broach and Tough Nut, are hosting the party?”

“Yeah, so ya want to go?”

“That depends, where are they hosting it?” I asked as I took another bite out of my sandwich.  

“That’s the best part,” he replied with enthusiasm, “they are hosting it at the abandoned house in the Everfree Forest.”  

I nearly choked on the bite upon hearing that name.  “The house in the Everfree Forest?!” I whisperd loudly, “Are you out of your mind?!”  

“Hold on, you don’t actually believe that myth about the house being haunted do you?”  

“No, but, it’s Tough Nut!  He is most likely inviting us to pull some kind of prank and make us look bad!  Plus, it's the Everfree Forest; one of the most dangerous places in Equestria!!”    

“But they said any pony who is any pony will be there and that if we attend, and I quote, ‘we won’t be so lame anymore’.  Tough Nut even said he would take back all those mean things he said about us.  Think about it, I can finally be some pony; they will finally recognize my talents and accept me!”  

“If this is all about you, then why am I invited?”  

“Because I told them I would only attend if you came too.  It won’t be any fun if my best friend can’t attend.”  

I paused, “I don’t know Cloud…”

“Come on, pleeeeeaaaasse?” Cloud Runner made sad puppy dog eyes and made a pouting face.  

“Oh Celestia, not the face.”  I tried to ignore it, but to no avail.  Eventually, I was forced to give in.  “Okay fine, I’ll go.”  

“Yes!”  He celebrated by a miniature hoof pump.  “Trust me Moon Seed, you won’t regret it.”  

“I hope your right.”  

-----

As the memory fades, I see I have finished all the food in front of me.  ‘So I’m here because Tough Nut hosted the party held in this house?  What was I thinking whe- oh right, ‘the face’ convinced me.  So then, where is Cloud Runner?  Oh Luna, I hope he’s alright.’  

I excuse myself from the table and head out the door back into the Main Hall.  After checking to see if the coast is clear, I walk over to the Wine Cellar door and proceed through it.  I descend down a flight of stairs only to see a large rock pile at the end of the small corridor.  I pull out my notebook and quickly write down a reminder. 

 A rock slide is blocking the path to the Wine Cellar.  I must find a way to clear it or get around it.  

I put the notebook back in my saddlebags and exit back into the Main Hall to explore the one area I have not yet checked on this floor.  

I stop in front of the door to the Laboratory to put on the gas mask.  If I’m dealing with chemicals, then it is better to be safe than sorry.  With the gas mask secured on my head, I enter the Laboratory to be greeted by a big room with a green cloud covering the area.  ‘It’s a good thing I put this on.’  The green cloud is making it hard to see, so I light my lantern, take it under my fore-hoof, and proceed forward.  

My head starts to pound again and my legs start shaking as I see multiple corpses on the floor in front of me along with short note.  



Oops, did I forget to mention that there are poisonous chemicals loose in the Laboratory?  Oh well, if you’re wearing a gas mask, you have nothing to worry about.  If you're not, you’ll be taking a long nap in a few seconds.  




I discard the note and continue forward until I come upon a flight of wooden stairs that descend to a lower level of the Laboratory.  I find it very hard to climb down the stairs with a lantern in my hoof and my nerves causing my legs to shake.  Eventually, I make it to the bottom of the stares and I am greeted by a stone wall.  I decide to turn left and see what I can find.  The bottom floor is mainly made of stone bricks and is the only part of the house I have seen that does not have a “noble” feel to it.  I finally come across an iron door with two torches mounted on either side of it.  The torch on the right is lit, but the one on the left is not.  

The torch offers a bit of light, but not much.  I turn off my lantern, set it down and pull out a tinderbox to light the unlit torch.  ‘Finally, a use for these blasted things.’  I then take a look at the iron door to see it is locked with a padlock that is in excellent condition.  ‘Hmm, I could use the hammer and chipper on the padlock, but it would have to be weakened first.  These things usually weaken over time, but I don’t have time to wait for that!’  I decide to continue exploring to see if I can find anything to help with the padlock.  

I look behind the wooden staircase to find a workstation with multiple flasks of chemicals and six of unlit candles around them.  I decide to light the candles with my collection of tinderboxes.  As soon as I light the first candle, my lantern goes out.  I carefully set my saddlebags on the side of the workstation, keeping them away from the candles and chemicals, and use four of my oil jars to completely refill my lantern.  After that is done, I proceed to light the rest of the candles around the work station.  With all the candles lit, I head back to where I laid my saddlebags and lantern to find a note sitting around the flasks.  



If you are looking for one of the rods for the engine room, you can find it in the Laboratory Storage.  There is only one problem, the padlock on the door is brand new, and the key was lost a long time ago.  If you want to get in, you will need to create an acid to weaken the padlock and then destroy it with some kind of tool.  If you can open it, I’m sure you will H+ave NO3 trouble operating the terminal.  

Oh, and one more thing…You’ve probably noticed there has been a rock slide in the Wine Cellar.  I’m afraid we don’t have any bombs or dynamite in the house; we have something much better.  It is a mixture that is powerful enough to blast those boulders out of existence.  This will require you to mix together Nitrogen and Mandragora Saliva and heat them to room temperature.  Once that is finished you’re ready to clear the rubble.  Just make sure you handle it with care, you wouldn’t want to blow up something else besides the rocks.  



I let out an exasperated sigh as I look at the various flasks and chemicals.  ‘Chemistry has always been my Achilles’ heel.’ I start by grabbing two random chemicals and pouring them into an empty beaker.  The mixture starts to boil a bit before exploding into thin air.  I then take two different chemicals and mix them together.  This time, the mixture quickly bubbles until the entire mixture has completely evaporated.  

After hours of continuous experimentation, I begin to get very frustrated.  Every combination I try explodes, evaporates, or precipitates.  “What is the stupid combination?!” I yell from under the gas mask, “What am I overlooking?!”  After taking a few minutes to let off some steam, I take another look at the clue.  If you can open it, I’m sure you will H+ave NO3 trouble with operating the terminal.  Wait a minute, I recognize a chemical hidden in the clue; HNO3, Nitric Acid.  I immediately facehoof myself for not realizing this sooner and wish I could have done so to save much needed time.  ‘Ugh, I HATE Chemistry!’  

Putting my hatred aside, I find the flasks of “Sodium Chloride”, “Copper”, “Hydrochloric Acid”, and “Deionized Water”.  The memories of an old chemistry class come back to me through the experiment.  I remember despising the class and the boring lectures given with the visuals for the demonstration of creating Nitric Acid.  Using the knowledge from the agonizing experience, I pour 50 mL. of water into the Sodium Chloride.  After the mixture settles I pour the Hydrochloric Acid into the mixture and set the flask into a medium-sized beaker that I have already filled with 50 mL. of water.  I then pour the copper into the mixture and notice the reaction is starting to fume and I immediately take a nearby beaker and cover the fuming flask.  Realizing the reaction is in no rush to finish; I take an oil jar out of my saddlebag and use it as a weight to keep the medium beaker covering the fuming flask from moving so much.  

Another hour passes before the reaction finally settles.  Very carefully, I put the oil jar back into my saddlebag and, very carefully, pour the newly created Nitric Acid into a clean beaker.  I then take beaker in my hoof and, carefully balancing of my three remaining hooves, I trot over to the Laboratory Storage.  Once I reach the iron door, I pour the Nitric Acid onto the padlock and it starts to dissolve.  

I walk back over to the workstation and search for two ingredients to make the Explosive Mixture.  The flask of Nitrogen is still next to the stand for the flask, but the Mandragora Saliva is somewhere amongst the chemicals.  After a while of searching, I find a flask labeled “Mandragora Sailva”.  All I need now is a clean container to mix them in.  Realizing there are no clean containers left, I trot back towards the iron door to see the padlock is in a much weakened state.  I set my saddlebags down and pull out the hammer and chipper.  

I carefully place the chipper in the keyhole of the padlock and take the hammer in my hooves.  After a few precise swings, the padlock finally breaks.  I put both the hammer and chipper back in my saddlebags and proceed through the iron door to find a very small room with only a metal cabinet inside.  I open the door to find three oil jars, a chemistry pot, and a yellow rod marked ‘Archives’.  I feel the sense of relief wash over me again as I gather everything into my saddlebags and put them on my back again.  

I walk back over to the workstation, locate a burner on the leftmost side, and place the empty chemistry pot on top of it.  Around the burner is a thermometer and a special cloth used for carrying hot substances.  I pour both the Nitrogen and Mandragora Saliva into the chemistry pot and turn the burner on.  Placing a nearby thermometer in the mixture, I wait patiently for the mixture to heat up.  Once the thermometer reaches 35 C, I turn the burner off and remove the thermometer from the mixture.  I then put the cloth on my back and place the Explosive Mixture on top of it.  

With my lantern in my saddlebags, I carefully proceed to the wooden staircase.  While walking up the staircase, I have to be very careful not to spill or shake the mixture, which I find very challenging.  After I finally manage to get to the top of the staircase, I cautiously step over the remains of the unfortunate ponies and exit the Laboratory.  


End of Chapter 4

> Balcony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the days counted down to the day of the party, the green pegasus became more and more eager for the day to arrive.  He longed to be accepted by everypony and end the days of being mocked or insulted.  


Chapter 5


My Items:
‘Archives’ Rod
‘Balcony’ Rod
Elevator Key
1 large oil potion
4 oil jars
12 tinderboxes
8 laudanum bottles
My lantern
Notebook
Hammer and chipper
Explosive Mixture

As I exit the Laboratory, I carefully look at my surroundings to make sure none of those “monstrosities” are around.  After I see the coast is clear, I carefully make my way across to the Wine Cellar.  I carefully work my way down the stairs and down the small corridor to the rock slide.  I set the explosive mixture down near the rocks, remove the gas mask, and give it a gentle kick.  I then dash up the stairs and cover my ears as I hear the fizzing sound from the mixture start to get louder.  

There is a loud explosion from the corridor below.  I go down the stairs again to see both the rubble and the mixture are gone, revealing another door at the end of the corridor.  However, when I try to open it, I discover it is locked from the other side ‘Oh, COME ON!!  Are you kidding me?!  I gotta get out of here; one of those creatures is most likely to have heard that explosion!’  I immediately exit the Wine Cellar and cautiously head for the only place left to go; the Machine Room.  

I enter the machine room and head for the door on the right.  I walk over to the terminal and insert the ‘Balcony’ rod into the slot with the pink triangle and the ‘Archives’ rod into the slot with the yellow square.  ‘I should be able to reach these areas in the house now.’  I turn around to leave the machine room when suddenly I hear the giggling of a filly followed by:

“Helloooo, any pony in here?”

The Thing is back!  Without hesitation, I rush to the bookcase and pull down the green book down.  The bookcase opens and I dash inside to mash the button inside.  The bookcase closes just as I hear the door to the room being smashed apart.  

“Where are you my friend?  I want to play with you.”  

My head starts to pound again and my hooves start shaking as I find the candle in this room has been out for quite some time and I am in complete darkness.  The Thing’s voice does not help as its words send chills down my spine and the metal item she is dragging gives me the urge to scream.  

“Where are you?  I want you to meet Mr. Choppy.”

‘Mr. Choppy?!’  As I try to keep myself from panicking, I accidently hit the button with my shoulder and the bookcase swings open.  My heart nearly stops and my mind runs through hundreds of solutions at once as I try to think of what to do.  Finally, I grab the box with the unlit candle on it and wait near the opening.  I stay perfectly still until I see a silhouette of a gray filly in a shining gray dress with a machete.  

“Hello my frie- OMPH!”  

I throw the box at the Thing and jump over her and sprint for the exit.  It does not take it long to recover as I hear her quickly pick up her machete and give chase.  

“You bully!  You’ll PAY for that!”  

I make a sharp left turn as burst out the door to the Main Hall and slam it behind me.  I quickly rush over to the brass gate of the elevator and pull out the key.   I miss the keyhole several times thanks to my nerves, but I finally manage to unlock the gate.  Opening the gate, I see the elevator is a very old model.  There are four buttons on the left that are marked from top to bottom.  
O Balcony
O Archives
O Main Hall
O Playroom

On the right is a lever that operates the elevator.  Suddenly, I hear the door to the Machine Room start to open.  I quickly close the gates to the elevator, hit the “Archives” button, and pull the lever down.  The elevator comes to life and I ascend to the next floor just in time to see a small metal hoof come out of the Machine Room.  

The elevator comes to a stop as it approaches an iron gate.  I try to push the gate open, but there is a massive wooden chest, with multiple boxes stacked on top of it, blocking the gate.  After my efforts prove to be in vain, I press the “Balcony” button and pull the lever to ascend to the highest level in the house.  As the elevator approaches the highest floor, I see the doorway is blocked by some thin wooden planks.  

‘Hmm, a few whacks with a hammer ought to take these things down.’  I take out my hammer and give each plank a series of whacks.  Sure enough, the planks break loose, allowing me to continue on.  I turn on my lantern so I can see as I walk through the wooden corridor.  The corridor then makes a sharp left as it leads to the balcony outside.  It is now dusk outside as the sun is lowering from the sky to make way for Luna’s beautiful moon.  

I step out on to the balcony to notice a large part of railing is missing and it looks like it had been torn off by a big storm.  I look over the missing railing to see I am about three stories high.  ‘Oh Celestia, I never knew I was so high up!’  My thoughts are interrupted as I hear heavy breathing behind me.  I turn around to see a pink unicorn about six inches away from my face.  I heart gets caught in my throat as I examine the face that is right in front of me.  

She has red irises and the white of her eyes, or what should have been white, were completely black.  Her mane was straight, jet black, and only came down to the top of her neck.  Her horn was curved skyward and sharpened to a point.  She had dry blood on her chin that ran down to her chest.  She was wearing a wide grin that only an insane pony would wear.  

“I win, you lose!!”

With that, the Psycho pushes me off of the Balcony.  I finally let out a scream as I fall through the air and plummet towards the ground, praying to the goddesses that this is just a dream and I that I will not meet this terrible fate.  


End of Chapter 5


> Archives
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am still reluctant to go to this party Cloud Runner is so desperate to attend.  Attending a party at an abandoned house, in the Everfree Forest, at night; in all honesty, I think it sounds creepy instead of fun.  


Chapter 6


My Items:
1 large oil potion
4 oil jars
12 tinderboxes
8 laudanum bottles
Notebook
Hammer and chipper

As I fall, I place my hooves against the wall and tried to grab anything that might be sticking out of the wall.  However, my efforts prove to be in vain as this does little more than to slow my descent.  Suddenly, I crash onto what feels like a table and pain shoots through my torso.  The table brakes upon impact and I am left laying in the fetal position on the floor of…another balcony?  I reach into my saddlebags my saddlebags and pull out some laudanum and proceed to drink the bottles to stop the pain, despite every muscle in my body screaming at me.  

I drink four laudanum bottles before the pain finally recedes.  Getting up, I take a look at my surroundings to see where I have landed.  I appear to be on another wooden balcony with the remains of a round table under me.  The balcony is about two stories from the ground, so it was not a very long fall, despite the pain it caused.  Behind me are two large windows leading into a room with, what looks like a library, on the lower level of a staircase.  I feel around my chest and back with my fore-hoof.  It does not feel like I have any broken bones; the slow descent and the table breaking my fall must have helped with that.  

I notice one of the windows has several areas where the glass has been shattered; so instead of shattering the whole window, I carefully reach my hoof into one of the shattered sides and unlock the window.  Entering the room, I notice the walls and carpet are the same layout as the Kitchen area.  The upper level of the room forms a block letter “C” with a staircase in the middle leading to the lower level.  The lower level, on the other hoof, has three rows of bookcases that form a gap in the middle as if to carve a path for the staircase.  

Seeing that the room is dimly lit with candles, I reach into my saddlebags to grab my lantern.  ‘Wait, where’s my lantern?!  Dang it, I must have lost it when I was pushed off the Balcony!’  Since my lantern is long gone, I walk down the stairs and walk over to a round table to the left.  I pack up a candle and start scanning the bookcases to see if there is anything useful hidden in the bookshelves.  Seeing nothing of interest, I proceed through the door at the end of the path through the bookshelf.  

I am now in a small room that joins with a hallway.  There are two doors to my left and right; there is a trail of blood leading to the door on the left, so I decide to check out the door on the right instead.  When I enter, I see that I am in a common office room.  There are two wooden closets in the back corners of the room and a wooden desk in the middle.  To my delight, my eyes land on a spare lantern on top of the desk and I do not hesitate to pick it up and put it in my saddlebags, discarding the candle.  ‘It looks like my luck is starting to change for the better!’  

Feeling a wave of exhaustion come over me, I open the closet in the right corner to see it is completely empty.  ‘Good, maybe I can rest here until morning to save my strength.  This ‘Game’ has taken a lot out of me.’  I step into the closet and close the doors behind me.  I decide to take it easy for a bit and pace myself for the rest of this ‘Game’, just as long as I do not get caught.  The Psycho has probably told the other two about what she has done and they most likely assume that I have met my fate with the ground.  As long as those creatures think I’m dead, they will not be looking for me.  This, of course, gives me the upper hoof.  

The next morning, I awake from my slumber in the closet and start to rub the sleep out of my eyes.  I carefully opened the closet to see if the coast was clear.  Seeing no pony there, I begin to stretch my legs.  It was not very comfortable sleeping in the closet, but I could not risk getting caught.  ‘Oi, I am never doing that again.’  

Exiting the office, I proceed into the hallway.  On both my left and right, the hallway makes a sharp turn in the same direction.  I decide to go right as I feel it does not matter since they will lead me to the same place.  As I turn a sharp left I take quick notice of a trail of blood leading into a room on the left wall.  ‘What the hay; why is there blood everywhere?’  I turn into the room to see blood, corpses, furniture, and cider strewn all over the room.  It looks as though a tornado and a massacre happened all at the same time.  

‘W-What the…What the hay happened here?!’  The answer comes to me through another memory, only this one feels like I have been hit in the head with a brick.  

-----

I was walking with Cloud Runner approaching the house in which the party is being held.  “I don’t know about this Cloud, you know I hate going into the Everfree Forest, especially when it’s dark!”  

“Don’t be such a scaredy-pony,” Cloud Runner teases, “I’m sure there will be lights inside the house.”  

“I sure hope your right.”  

“Oh, and don’t worry, I’ll protect you from all the ghosties of Everfree.”  He put his front hooves in the air and waves them around his head as if he is a ghost trying to scare me in a fake ghost voice.  I gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.  

“Screw you, Cloud.”  

Soon, we approached the front door of the house and entered to see all the lights on, revealing the fancy décor and comforting aura.  “See, what did I tell ya?  This isn’t so bad.”  

“Yeah, you’re right,” I admitted, “It actually feels rather welcoming.”  We walked up the stairs and came upon the brass gate of the elevator.  

“I think Tough Nut said he was hosting it in the Archives.”  We opened the brass gates and stepped inside the elevator.  Cloud Runner hit the “Archives” button and I pulled the lever to start our ascent to the next floor.  When we stepped out of the elevator, we turned to the left to meet Emerald Broach.  She was a golden unicorn with a green mane and had an emerald for her cutie mark.  

“Hey, glad you guys could make it!”  She greeted us with a smile, “The rest of us are in this room.  We already have everything set up.  Tough Nut and the others are just jamming out to some music.”  

As I turned the sharp right of the hallway to follow Cloud into the inner room of the archives, I stopped when a rustling sound hit my eardrums.  “Did you hear something?” I ask whipping my head back in the direction of the elevator.  

“The only sound I hear,” the green pegasus replied, “is the sound of us not partying!”  He quickly trotted into the room to join the other ponies.  I shook off my curiosity to join them in the party.  

An hour later, I sat out in the hallway alone while the others continued to party the night away inside.  During the first hour, I kept getting the feeling that some pony, or something, was watching me.  It kept bugging me to the point where I just was not having fun anymore.  

“Hey, Moon Seed, Cherry Mane is starting Pin-the-tail-on-the-pony.” Cloud Runner came out of the room to tell me, “You wanna play?”  

“Um, no thanks Cloud.” I reluctantly declined.  Instead of heading back in to continue the party, he stayed while his smile quickly turned into a concerned look.  

“Hey man, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine;” I told him, “I guess I’m just not in the partying mood.  I think I’m just going to head on home.”  

“Oh, no problem man, I’ll just go tell Emerald that we’re heading out a bit early.”  He turned to go back in, but I stopped him.  

“No, you don’t have to, Cloud.  I don’t want to you to miss out on the party because of me.  Besides, I know my way back to Ponyville.”  

“I dunno Moon Seed, are you sure?”  

“Yeah, I’m sure.  Go on ahead and party; I’ll be fine.”  

“Um, okay, if you insist.”  He turned to walk back in the room.  “So I’ll see you tomorrow?”  

“Of course; I will see you then.”  As he reluctantly walked back into the room, I got up and walked to the elevator.  As I proceeded to open the iron gate, I heard a tiny giggle behind me.  I turned around to try and find the source only to have something heavy strike me on the head.  My world went black.  

In my half conscious state, I could hear the sound of three ponies talking; a filly, a teenager, and a mother.  

“Look mommy, I found a new friend!” the filly shouted gleefully to her mother.  

“Oh, this one’s a cute one.” I heard the teenage say invading my personal space, “I’m going to put the head of this one by my bedside.”

“Hey!  I found it first, I wanna play with it!” the filly shouted defensively.  

“Why wait to hunt down your victims when we could just slice them up now?” the teen argued.  

“That enough both of you.” The eldest pony interjected.  She then spoke in a reasoning voice.  “Since Silver Belle found it first, she can play with it.”  

“Yay!”  I could feel the vibrations from the floor and hear metal slamming the floor as the filly seemed to be jumping with glee.  The teen let out a very bemused groan.  

“Great, what am I supposed to do until this pony wakes up?”

“Well, it seems some unexpected guests are throwing a party in the study room.” The mother mentioned to her, “While I take this pony to one of the guest rooms, you two can go have some fun with those ponies.”  The second oldest mare seemed to be pleased by this as she chuckled insanely to herself.  

“Mmm, I can’t wait to see them all squirm around fighting for their lives and trying to avoid their inevitable deaths.” She said as she trotted towards the ‘Study’ where the party was being held, “Maybe we can even save some of the cute ones for the Playroom.”

I started to feel myself starting to come to as my body struggled to bring me completely back to reality.  My head was aching like never before and my muscles refused to work.  I let out a groan of pain as I tried in vain to ignore the throbbing in my head.  

“Uh oh, looks like my new friend is trying to wake up.  Back to sleep new friend.”  

*TONG!*

That was it; I was out like a light.  

-----

As I come back to reality, I realize I now know who I am.  My name is Moon Seed; I am an eighteen-year-old earth pony who lives in Ponyville and is still a ‘blank flank’.  My best friend is the green pegasus named Cloud Runner; he is the only one I have.  We had been cautioned to never enter the Everfree Forest, as it was said to be infested with formidable monsters and untold dangers.  We all entered the Everfree Forest despite this warning, and we have ended up in this mess.  

Looking up at the massacre in the Study, it occurs to me I may be the only pony left who survived.  That stallion I heard some time ago on the upper level of the Main Hall must have been a survivor and his friend, but the Thing managed to find them and I know from their screams they did not survive.  ‘Whatever became of Cloud Runner?’  I begin to fear the worst as the thought enters my mind.  The only ponies I recognize are the remains of Emerald Broach, Cherry Mane, and a few other ponies I knew, but never talked to.  

With a heavy heart, I walk into the room to see what I can find.  The only thing that has not been turned over or covered in blood is a desk in the back left corner.  Searching for anything of importance becomes more of a challenge with my newly formed tears impairing my vision.  I know adults are not supposed to cry, but after everything that has happened, how can I keep myself from shedding a tear?  After a little while of slow searching, I come upon a blue rod labeled “Dungeon and Playroom”.  

I take the rod and put it in my saddlebags as I walk out the door into the hall.  I walk in the direction of the elevator, still in tears, and see the large trunk blocking the elevator and the boxes stacked on top of it.  ‘This is my fault.’ I think to myself as I start to remove the boxes, ‘If I had just said ‘No’ to this party, we wouldn't be in this mess.’  I push the trunk out of the way of the iron gate.  ‘I could have turned back at any time and Cloud Runner would have followed along because he’s my friend.  Instead, I come to this party ignoring all the warning signs and getting us in this jam.’  I step into the elevator, press the button reading “Main Hall”, and pull the lever to operate the machine.  

‘He is most likely dead, because of me.’  


End of Chapter 6


> Dungeon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This party seems to be fun, but I have a nagging sense that I am being watched.  I seem to be the only one who has this feeling as everypony else seems to be enjoying the party.  I should probably join them, I’m sure the feeling will fade eventually.  


Chapter 7


My Items:
Dungeon/Playroom rod
1 large oil potion
4 oil jars
12 tinderboxes
4 laudanum bottles
Notebook
My Lantern
Hammer and chipper

As the elevator comes to a stop at the Main Hall, I dry my tears and open the brass gate.  My heart may be broken but my will to live and escape is still strong.   ‘If I escape, maybe I can warn the town about this house; maybe even Princess Celestia.  Just so long as nopony has to suffer in this place again, I’ll be content.’  I walk through the door to the Machine Room and enter the room with the elevator terminal.  I insert the rod into the slot with the blue square and head back for the elevator.  

I peek outside the door to make sure the residents of the house are nowhere in sight.  When I see the coast is clear, I trot back to the elevator.  Once inside, I press the “Playroom” button and pull the lever to start my descent.  The word “Playroom” puts me on edge for what to expect on the lowest level of the house.  There is a Dungeon down there as well, according to the label of the rod, and that does not help calm my nerves at all.  

The elevator finally stops at the bottom level and I am surprised to see the area looks older than the actual house itself.  The basement is made up entirely of stone blocks, something I would expect to see more in the ruins of a castle than an old basement.  There were torches lined up on the walls, emitting little light of the room.  I could barely see an iron gate on the other side of the room thanks to the torches small area of light.  

After taking a deep breath, I light my lantern and proceed forward.  The gate is unlocked, allowing access to any pony who dared to enter this dark and eerie labyrinth.  I proceed through the gate and turn right through the dark corridor.  At the end of the corridor, I appear in a small room.  There is a stone counter in the middle of the room with boxes and barrels stacked on top of it.  There is another corridor straight ahead continuing deeper into the basement.  There are barrels in the back and front left corners.  

In the middle, however, is yet another disturbing part of this haunting tour; the corpse of a red earth pony mare lies in a dry crimson pool next to some writing on the wall.  Walking closer to the wall, I see a message written in blood.  

Beware the eye, it sees all.  

Before I can question it, I hear a growling followed by hoof steps coming from the corridor I have yet to explore.  I do not know what the source of this menacing growl is, but it sounds anything but friendly.  I turn out the lantern and hide behind the barrels in the front left corner just in time for the source to enter the room.  Whatever it is, it has the hoof steps of a pony, but the growl of a ferocious monster searching for its next meal.  

My head starts to pound again and my chest starts burning as I hear the clops of hooves on stone circle around the counter.  The sound stops as it comes towards the barrels I am hiding behind, causing me to lay on the brink of panic.  I suddenly cover my mouth and freeze as I realize I have been breathing quite heavily.  I then hear the sound of a heavy crystal material hit the stone floor and grind against the stone as it gets louder.  Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something rolling behind the barrels and to my left.  I turn my head to see a yellow, glowing, crystal dragon eye staring straight at me.  

Suddenly the clops of hooves get quicker and louder as I hear the creature growl:

“One escaped!”  

I immediately dash out of my hiding place and take a sharp right down the unexplored corridor right as the creature bursts through the barrels.  It seems to pause for a moment to pick up the crystal eye, but immediately returns to chasing me.  I my eyes quickly adjust to the darkness as I flee down the new corridor.  The creature starts to gain distance as its sounds gradually become louder.  

“Kill!  Kill!  Kill!  Kill!”  

I can hear the monster growl these words as she gets closer.  Suddenly, I spot a wooden door on my right; I burst through the door and slam it behind me.  I take a quick look around to try and find a place to hide.  On my left, I find two rows of stacked boxes.  I know the door will not hold forever, but maybe I can make use of these boxes to make a hiding place.  I quickly run over to the stacks and start rearranging the boxes to make a hiding place.  A few seconds later, the door absorbs impact from the creature’s blows and the wood begins to splinter.  

I put the last few remaining boxes over my head to make sure the eye cannot find me in my hiding place.  Finally, the door breaks down, unable to take any more force from the creature.  The creature begins its search for me as the clopping returns.  This time, I cover my mouth to make sure I do not breathe too heavily again.  After half a minute, the creature finally leaves as the sound of its hooves start to fade.  

“The prisoner must not escape!”  

I wait a few minutes after the sound disappears before coming out of my hiding place.  I look around the room I am in to find myself in a small office.  There is a desk to my left with two lit candles and a two diary pages of some sort.  



August 17, 4 A.H,

It has been four years since the royal sisters defeated Discord and took their place to rule over us.  However, Celestia is a tyrant; and her younger sister saw this.  Celestia only wished for everypony to praise the sun and shun the moon.  When the younger sister saw this, she rebelled against her elder sister and became our beloved queen, Nightmare Moon.  She took refuge here in Everfree City where she could rest and organize her plans to defeat that tyrant!  At first I was a little reluctant to follow her, but after she gave Everfree City her blessing, my eyes were open to the truth.  

She turned the city into a forest to mask our whereabouts and strike down any of Celestia’s forces.  Queen Nightmare Moon even gave me the honor of holding the basement of my house as a prison and torture chamber for Celestia’s soldiers.  My friend Ember Mane had lost her sight when our Queen bestowed her blessing, but her highness gave her a crystal eye to see and gave her the honorable role of patrolling the prison and hunting down any prisoners that try to escape.  

My daughters and I are happier than we have ever been now that we serve Queen Nightmare Moon.  We now see through the lies of Celestia and we will do our part to end her reign and bring about nighttime eternal.  I just wish my husband and son were here to enjoy this.  






November 1, 7 A.H,

A terrible catastrophe has occurred this day; we have lost the war!  Celestia proved to be more powerful and persistent.  I guess I should expect no less from an evil ruler who will conquer anything in her way.  Our beloved ruler has been banished to the moon and her followers have been destroyed.  Luckily, she is not aware of our house and the prison below, so we will continue to serve Queen Nightmare Moon’s purpose.  Unfortunately, we are running short on prisoners and soon, the fun I have been having with my daughters will come to an end.  

If we are to continue our role, we will have to keep a low profile and keep our work under the radar.  We cannot just waltz out of Everfree and take away Celestia’s blind subjects, as our Queen’s blessing has made some rather obvious changes to our physical bodies that will cause us to stand out.  I have seen a few strangers wander aimlessly through the forest, and we are currently dealing with them as I write.  It seems we will have to settle for these unfortunate and mindless souls, for we shall serve Nightmare Moon until the end of time.  




I lay the diary pages down and process what I have just read.  ‘Nightmare Moon ‘blessed’ this house?  No wonder the residents of this house are out to kill me.’  I quickly search the drawers to find two laudanum bottles and a mysterious blue drink.  I put them in my saddlebags and start towards the doorway.  I light my lantern and look both ways to make sure the ‘Hunter’ is gone.  After I see it is nowhere in sight, I turn to my right and continue down the corridor.  

After half a minute of walking, I come to a three-way section.  The left and right contain jail cells and the foul aurora of dead ponies.  Since there is nowhere else to go, I decided to start by heading to the left.  The torches mounted on the wall give off limited light, but not enough to see inside the jail cells in case there is anything important hidden inside one of them.  After sixteen cells, eight on both the left and right walls of the corridor, I see a flight of stairs leading up to a higher level.  

Climbing up the stairs, I see even more cells down the long corridor.  ‘Good night, this really was a war prison.’  I walk down looking at sixteen more cells to find nothing but empty cells or cells with dead ponies.  In the middle of the corridor to my left, is metal door marked “Playroom”.  I shudder at the thought of what could possibly take place in there.  I walk past the door for now to continue searching the cells.  After searching six, my lantern goes out once again.  I stop to refill the lantern with the four oil jars I have left, minus the large oil potion.  When I light my lantern again, I notice a piece of paper lying on the ground next to one of the cells.  



Anna Belle,

We have got trouble.  One of the prisoners escaped!  He is the “leaf boy” you thought was so cute; the pegasus with the ‘big head’ from the party.  When I came downstairs to check on him and get the Brass Bull ready for him, his cell was empty.  Ember Mane says she has not caught any pony trying to break out, so we are in a pickle.  If you see him, do not hesitate to strike him down.  If he gets out of the house, he could tell any pony about our secret.  Do not mention this to mommy; you know how angry she gets when a prisoner tries to escape.  



‘Leaf boy?’ I ponder, ‘A pegasus one of the residents calls leaf boy…leaves are green, and the only pegasus at the party who was green was…’ an idea strikes me, ‘Did Cloud Runner escape?!’  My thoughts are interrupted as a familiar growling sound returns from the staircase in front of me.  I turn off my lantern and hide in the back corner of one of the empty cells so the Hunter will not see me hiding.  My heart beats like a drum as the growling and hoof steps come closer.  I cover my mouth to avoid any audible heavy breaths to give me away.  I hear it pass me as it continues to patrol the prison.  

Eventually, the growling begins to fade until it was no longer audible.  I wait a while to make sure it is gone.  Opening the cell, I decide it is unwise to venture back downstairs.  With that thought in mind, I trot back over to the metal door and, reluctantly, enter the Playroom.  


End of Chapter 7


> Playroom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Being a stubborn opportunitist, he took every opportunity he could get to fly in the sky.  No matter how impossible it seemed, or how insane it was, if it gave a chance to spread his wings and soar through the blue sky, he would take it.  


Chapter 8


My Items:
1 large oil potion
12 tinderboxes
6 laudanum bottles
Notebook
My Lantern
Hammer and chipper
Mysterious Blue Drink

As I step into the “Playroom”, I start to get unexplainable chills.  I descend down the stairs in front of me to enter into a large room dimly lit with torches.  It is built with stone bricks just as the Prison was built.  There are three doors in the room; one straight ahead and the other two are on the sides.  To my left in the corner, is a chair and table with another note on it.  



Welcome to our Playroom, friend.  I must congratulate you on making it here, no pony else playing ‘The Game’ has made it this far…alive.  

Here is your next challenge: One of the pipes to that leads to the Medical Room is leaking, blocking the way forward.  Jumping through the leak would just be suicide as if you do, you will...well, let’s say you’ll be dead before you can stand.  There is, however, a series of levers that will turn off the gas main if pulled in the right order.  To turn off the gas main and pass through safely, you will have to inspect some of our “toys” and find two numbers that indicate which way you should pull a lever.  All you have to do is figure out the correct order of numbers for the code to the gas main.  I hope you have fun touring our Playroom.  



‘T-T-Toys?’  Another chill runs down my spine as I read this dreaded word.  Pushing it to the back of my mind, I decide to start hunting for the numbers to the code mentioned in the note.  I start by entering through the left iron door.  There is a long dark corridor that leads to another iron door at the end.  With my lantern still lit, I trek down the corridor to the reach the door.  The door leads into a medium-sized room with an Iron Maiden in the middle.  I begin to approach the Iron Maiden when its doors suddenly burst open, causing me to spring backwards like a rabbit.  

Catching my breath from the unexpected scare, I find a diary page next to my right fore-hoof.  



September 28, 784 A.H,

I am glad to see this pegasus managed to survive this long; I thought his wings would have caused him to die sooner.  I put him in the Iron Maiden telling him “If you can survive fifteen minutes in here, I will let you go.”  In reality, I had no intention of setting him free; I was really just going to leave him in there and let him embrace the needles inside.  Seven minutes passed and I was starting to get bored.  Just as I was about to fetch my knife and kill him myself, I heard him groan in pain from the inside.  He must have accidently twitched as those groans turned into screams followed by silence.  I must congratulate him though; no other pegasus has managed to last this long.  



My head begins to pound and my legs begin to shake.  I imagine this particular diary was written by the Psycho since it is the one who seems to enjoy death and murder the most.  I walk over to the Iron Maiden and the smell of blood burns my nostrils.  On the bottom of the interior, I see two letters, V and I.  I look around the Iron Maiden, but I do not see any numbers.  

‘Perfect.  No numbers, just useless letters.’

Not wanting to stay any longer, I turn and walk back out into the large room.  This time I enter the door across from the one I finished exploring to be greeted by another long dark corridor with a door at the end.  This time I find a Brass Bull facing the left wall in the middle of the room with a pipe leading from its mouth into the wall.  Next to the right foreleg of the bull is a diary page, no doubt from the Psycho again.  



February 2, 381 A.H,

Today’s victim was absolutely hilarious!  His confused expression told me he didn't know what to think when we put him inside the Brass Bull.  Even when we lit the fire below to heat up the bull, it took him a while to realize this contraption would be his tomb.  He finally seemed to get the clue when the bull got hot enough; his own screams echoed throughout the Playroom.  I have not had this much fun since the war against Celestia.  This is one of those days I am glad our Queen’s blessing prevents us from aging.  



Once again, I get a nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I walk over to the Brass Bull to start inspecting it for numbers.  Suddenly a green pegasus pony with several burns on its coat bursts out of the bull and screams before it falls to the ground.  

"Why Moon Seed?  Why did you let this happen?!  If you had said ‘No’, I wouldn't be dead!  Why were you spared?  Why am I dead and you’re not?!"


I land on my rump out of panic and cover my eyes with my fore-hooves.  I sit there in fear for a few seconds expecting the pony to attack me.  The blow does not come.  When I take a peek, I see the Brass Bull is closed and the pony is nowhere to be found.  

‘Did…Did I just imagine that?!  I-I must be going insane!’  I decide to hurry up and find the numbers so I can leave this horrid place.  I search around the exterior of the bull to find nothing but its brass coat.  Finally, I check inside the bull to see the letters I and IX.  ‘Oh, I get it now,’ I realize, ‘these are not letters, they are Roman Numerals.’  I pull out my notebook and quickly write down the roman numerals I have found.   

Iron Maiden holds numbers 5 and 1

Brass Bull holds numbers 1 and 9

I put the notebook back in my saddlebags and walk back into the large room.  I walk through the last door that has yet to be explored.  I start walking down the corridor when I hear muffled screaming.  I turn off my lantern as I notice a door on the left with light coming from it.  I take a peek through the tiny metal bars to see a lavender pony with a sack on its head and lines painted on its torso tied to a marble table.  

I then hear another sound as I shift my gaze to the left of the room.  The Psycho is spinning a stone wheel to sharpen some kind of sharp weapon.  She has her back to me, so I do not have to worry about being caught unless I bang on the door or yell.  The words she speaks send chills down my spine as she playfully sings them like a nursery rhyme.  

“Paint the mare, cut the lines.  Paint the mare, cut the lines”

She finally gets up from her stone wheel and walks over to the pony on the table,  I see her lift a knife above her head and I pray that something, anything, would stop her from what she is about to do.  As the Psycho drives the knife down onto the pony, I hear the knife strike flesh and my mind finally snaps.  My legs give out from under me and cause me to fall to the ground.  My ears start ringing and I begin breathing very heavily.  My throat gets dry as my breathing gets hoarse and I begin to feel dizzy.  

I hastily pull out the Blue Drink from my saddlebags and start drinking it to hydrate myself.  I still do not know what the Blue Drink does, if anything at all, but I am currently too traumatized to consider its special effects.  However, after I finish the drink, my nerves begin to calm and my strength returns to my legs.  Unfortunately, my panic attack does not go unnoticed.  

“What was that sound?” I freeze.  “Pony feathers, I hate being interrupted!”

I get up and run back to the door I entered.  Looking around, I see the large room is a wide open area, minus the table and chair in the corner, with no clever hiding places.  Without thinking, I run to the other side of the room, jump over the table, and I hide behind the chair.  I silently curse myself for not thinking this through, but my self-inflicted verbal abuse is cut short as I hear the metal door open.  

“Helloooo, Any pony here?   You want to join in our little game?”  

I cover both my mouth and eyes as I turn my head towards the ground, praying to the royal sisters that the Psycho will not see me.  She is obviously trying to mask her anger with her cheery yet insane voice.  After a few seconds, I hear her let out a frustrated grunt before returning through the door.  I dare not to move from my hiding place, for I fear if I do, the Psycho will surely kill me.  

A few minutes pass and still before the Psycho returns into the room dragging something with her.  At the same time, the door to the Prison opens and the familiar sound of heavy metal dragging across the ground; the Thing is back.  The Psycho lays down whatever she is carrying before talking to the Thing.  

“Hey Silver Belle, you missed the fun.” The Psycho says with enthusiasm.  

“I don’t really care at the moment.” The Thing responds with a distraught tone.  

“Oh come on Silver, you’re not sore about me killing your friend are you?  I told you, if I found him, I would kill him.”

“No Anna, it’s not that, I just came to ask you if you have seen the escapee.”

“You mean ‘Leaf Boy’?  No I haven’t, but don’t worry, he can’t go far with the front door locked.”  

“I hope you’re right Anna Belle.”

“Well, I’m going to see if mom will turn this one into another costume for me; you want to come with?”

“Sure, I have nothing better to do right now.”

The Psycho picks up whatever she is carrying and exits into the Prison with the Thing.  I come out of my hiding place relieved to still be alive.  ‘I can’t believe that actually worked!’  My relief is replaced by chills as I see a small trail of blood leading into the door where I need to go.  Avoiding the blood, I open the door and go back down the corridor.  I suppress the urge to vomit as the scent of blood once again burns my nostrils.  I enter the Psycho’s room to see a baffling surprise.  

The room and the table are cleaned up, like a janitor just finished his work.  Putting the amazement aside I look at the marble table to see III and VII on its head.  I quickly write down the numbers in my notebook.  

The Marble Table holds the numbers 3 and 7.  

I put the notebook back in my bag, exit the room and continue down the corridor.  As I travel down the corridor, I start to hear the faint sound of air trying to escape through a small exit.  Not too much later, I come upon a pipe on the left wall that has a small vertical cut through it where a white gas is spewing forth blocking my path.  Right next to the pipe is a panel consisting of six levers and roman numeral above and below them.  

V	 	I		VI	III	II	IX
O	 O		O	O		O	O
IV	V	III	VII	I	VIII

I pull out my note book and flip through the pages until I come across my recent notes.  

Iron Maiden holds numbers 5 and 1

Brass Bull holds numbers 1 and 9

The Marble Table holds the numbers 3 and 7.  

I look back and forth from the roman numerals to the notes.  After a while of pondering, I push the levers to make the following code: 513719.  As soon as I push the final lever into place, the gas main shuts off and the white gas disperses.  A wave of relief passes over me once again as I walk past the broken pipe.  I continue down the corridor to shortly come upon another iron door with a pedestal sitting to its right.  The pedestal contains yet another note held in place by a curved dagger.  



Now it’s time to play doctor.  The pony in the next room is your patient and he has a problem.  His problem is that he has a key somewhere inside his body and he wants it out.  You job is to search his body for the key and solve the patients problem.  Once you have the key, you will be able to move on.  



I break out in sweat and nausea enters my stomach a second time as I read the note.  ‘T-they actually want me to…?’ my lantern immediately runs out of oil.  As I refill the lantern with the large oil potion, I realize there is no other way around it.  I turn the lantern back on and put the dagger in my saddlebags.  I take a deep breath as I attempt to open the door when I see a note tucked under the door.  I release my grip on the door handle, take the note under the door, and start reading the note.  



To anypony reading this,

I have just made your escape easier by doing your dirty work for you.  I have taken the key and hidden it under my mattress in my cell.  It is the third cell on the right of the metal door to this torture chamber (if you are facing the door).  I overheard those savages talking, and they said this key opens a secret door to the Wine Cellar.  I have seen this door myself; there is a pressure switch on the far left wall that opens a hidden passage right next to it.  I’m making a break for the exit and I’m leaving the key for you.  You’re Welcome

C.R.

P.S: Don’t thank me just yet; you still need to make it out of this Celestia-forsaken place.  




‘Cloud…h-he…he made it out!’  I feel both relief and joy embrace me as I finish reading.  I quickly turn around and dash out of the corridor and back into the prison.  

As I enter the Prison, I turn out my lantern to make sure I don’t alert the Hunter if it is anywhere nearby.  After looking both ways, I turn to my left (the right of the door) and stop at the third cell.  I open the cell and check under the mattress lying in the middle of the cell.  Sure enough, the key is lying there in wait for some pony to take it.  

I exit the cell and trot across the hall of cells to the leftmost wall.  I begin spreading my hooves around the wall when one of my hooves seems to hit the pressure plate.  The wall opens up the reveal the door on the other side of a gate.  

“So, you’re still alive after all!”

I turn around to see the Mother just a few feet away from me.  The dim light only provides an outline for me to see her.  She is a unicorn with a black curly mane and a white coat with cuts scattered on its border.  She somehow has razor sharp claws embedded in her fore-hooves and can balance on her back legs.  She is running at me with turquoise snake eyes staring at me.  

I attempt to dodge her as she takes a swipe at me, but her claw makes contact with right flank.  The wound starts burning as I run towards the gate.  I take my lantern and throw it behind me; it hits the Mother and slows her down enough for me to open the gate and buck it right in her face.  I run over to the door and use the key to open it.  I make it through the door just as the Mother breaks down the gate.  

On the other side, I catch my breath as I consume a bottle of laudanum.  As I rest, I barely hear the Mother say:

“Humph, no matter; he’s as good as dead in there anyway.”  


End of Chapter 8


> Wine Cellar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“A good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.” – Twilight Sparkle


Chapter 9


My Items:
12 tinderboxes
5 laudanum bottles
Notebook
Hammer and chipper
Curved Dagger

As I consume another laudanum bottle, the pain from the wound on my flank begins to numb.  I take out one of the old notes from my saddlebags and I apply it to the cuts.  I apply pressure to make sure I stop the bleeding.  The note gets soaked with blood as I reach into my saddlebags and apply another note to the wound and add pressure to it.  The note does not get completely soaked this time as the wound finally stops bleeding.  I discard both notes as I get a look at my surroundings.  

I look around to see a small room made of stone bricks with a few boxes here and there with a door on the far right.  The room is not very bright, but it has enough light for me to see.  I start to wish I had not thrown away my lantern, but I know I would most likely have died if I had not done so.  

I walk over to the door and proceed to open it.  However, when I open the door, I am met with a rush of water that sends me back to the wall and fills the entire room.  The water is lukewarm and only knee deep.  The next room has more boxes scattered and floating in the water.  I start walking through the room when I see multiple splashes coming in my direction followed by a roar.  I quickly jump up onto the nearest box as the series of splashes comes to a stop near the box I am standing on.  

‘W-What the hay was that?!’  I cannot see anything, but where the splash has ended, there is a soft growl echoing from the exact spot.  I look around at the boxes in the room to see how I am going to get past this thing.  I see two boxes close to me on the right wall.  I jump onto the boxes, but the invisible water monster seems to hear me land on them and splashes over to me.  The next boxes act like stepping stones over to a door in on the far right.  

I jump across them and open the door to the next room; of course, the water monster follows and stops on my left.  I peek into the next room and see three boxes against the left wall.  After planning my move out in my head, I jump into the water and dash to the boxes.  The monster gives chase and splashes behind me.  Before it can catch me though, I jump up out of the water and onto the boxes.  The next set of boxes is right in front of me a bit farther away than the boxes in the last room.  

I make a running jump and almost fall too short of my target.  Next, I leap on various boxes that lead to the door straight ahead and open it.  The next room is much bigger than the previous two.  There is a large trunk with two boxes on it right next to the doorway in the next room.  Once again, I dash into the water and jump up on the trunk with the water monster following in pursuit.  

Once I am on the trunk, I give myself the chance to view my surroundings.  The room is, of course, mostly covered in water.  There are two other large trunks in the room; one in the far back left corner, and one in the middle of the wall parallel to the door I just entered.  There is a gate on the leftmost side of the wall that leads to the next part of the Cellar.  

Right beside my leg is not only a couple of boxes, but also some cooked meat.  It looks like two legs of cooked mutton, the kind of food griffons would eat.  I decide to try and use this meat to distract the monster and keep it away from me for a while.  I pick up the meat with my teeth and hurl it towards the back left trunk, spitting to the side to get the taste out of my mouth.  Sure enough, the monster splashes over to the meat and growls as it starts devouring the leg of mutton.  

I take this opportunity to put the boxes in the water, making sure they do not float away.  I use these two boxes as stepping stones to get to the trunk next to the gate while being cautious and trying to keep my balance.  I manage to work my way over to the trunk as the monster finishes the mutton and splashes over to my location.  Right beside the gate, there is a metal wheel that most likely opens the gate.  Luckily there is another leg of mutton on the trunk next to the gate.  I hop onto the large trunk and hurl the meat towards the other side of the room.  

Once again, the monster splashes off to devour its cooked meal.  As it enjoys its mutton, I hop in the water and place my hooves on the wheel and start turning it to the right.  The gate slowly rises with each turn of the wheel.  When the gate is halfway open, I hear splashes and roars behind me indicating the monster has finished its appetizer and is seeking the main course.  I dart through the gate and run strait to the door in the next room.  I disregard everything in this tiny room as I run through the door and close it behind me before the monster can get close to me.  

I pause to catch my breath as I look ahead to see the corridor ahead.  This corridor is also made of stone bricks and is filled with ankle-deep water, not very surprising at this point, as well as makes a sharp right at the end.  I start walking down the corridor when, suddenly, the door behind me bursts apart followed by splashes and roars quickly gaining on me.  

I immediately break out into a sprint as the monster gives chase.  I bolt the sharp left at the end as the next corridor immediately opens up to another sharp right turn.  As I make the turn, I see a line of boxes and barrels in the middle of the corridor.  I leap over the boxes and barrels and continue running to the wooden door.  As I push the door open, I hear some of the boxes behind me being destroyed.  I close the door with my back leg to buy myself some time to escape and continue running, making an immediate left turn down the next corridor.  

As I run down the corridor, I make a sharp right and leap over another line of boxes and barrels to find a fork in the corridor.  Randomly choosing from left or right at the last second, I dash to the right jump over another line.  I turn to the left to throw open a door in my path, close it, and continue running.  I make another left and jump over another line as I see the left path meeting up with the path I took.  My chest starts to burn as I run to the right and jump over yet another line.  I make a left and run down the next corridor panting and sweating.  

As I turn a final right, I stop in my tracks as I run into a stone wall.  “W-what, a dead end?!  No, no it can’t be a dead end!!”  I begin to panic as I hear the splashes and roars of the water monster get louder and closer.  My adrenaline starts pumping as I hastily start brushing my hooves against the wall trying to find a pressure pad hoping it will open the wall.  When I look to my right, I notice there is one stone on the right wall that looks like it is about to fall out of place.  I quickly run over to the wall and slam the stone with my right hoof; the wall immediately raises to reveal another room.  

Ignoring the pain in my hoof, I dart into the next room as I see the splashes approaching me and hop onto a box floating in the room.  The room is somewhat brighter as there a multiple torches mounted on every wall of the room.  The room is also filled with knee-deep water with boxes scattered throughout the room.  There are large barrels and racks in the water against the walls containing both wine and possibly even cider.  

There is a wooden balcony on the higher level of the room that expands from the wall in front of me to the far right corner.  It has a wooden staircase that leads down to the floor in the middle of the wall to my right.  Right in front of me, in the middle of the room, is a large stone table with two boxes, a barrel, a few lit candles, and a small chest resting on top of it.  I jump off of my box and onto the table, knocking the boxes into the in the process.  The water monster splashes around the table to investigate.  When it arrives, it must realize that it is not any kind of meat as it just sits in the water growling, is if waiting for its prey to enter the water.  

I work my way over to the chest and try to open it only to find it is locked and I do not have the key.  ‘Oh great, just great; now what am I going to do.’  As I sit down on the table, I hear metal clanging in my saddlebags.  I check the saddlebags to see I still have the curved dagger with me from the Torture Chamber.  I take the dagger in my mouth and use it try to pick the lock.  I fiddle around with the lock and dagger for a few minutes until I finally hear a click from the small chest.  I open the lid to see what the chest holds inside.  The chest contains a key and a small note.  



Congratulations, you have found the key to the front door.  You are either very intelligent or very lucky to have found this key.  With this, you can open the front door and win ‘The Game’.  However, you should not start celebrating just yet; now that you have the key, you need to make it to the front door with that key, and it will be anything but easy.  The wooden balcony leads back into the Main Hall, but unless you remembered to clear out the rocks blocking the door, which I doubt you did, you will not be able to exit that way and you will have to travel the way you came.  

As you can see, you are pretty much stuck since you are most likely worn out from your encounter with our little pet.  We will also be extra sure to be on the lookout for you if you should somehow escape our pet again.  I have never lost ‘The Game’, and I do not plan on losing today.  We will make sure all your efforts will have been for naught.  Prepare to lose!



‘I…I did it!  I found the key to the front door!!’  As I put the key in my saddlebags, happiness and joy hit me like a crashing wave.  At long last, I now have the key to the Front Door in the Main Hall.  I have found my Purgatory that will lead me out of Hell.  


End of Chapter 9


> Run!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 10


My Items:
12 tinderboxes
4 laudanum bottles
Notebook
Hammer and chipper
Key to Freedom

I put the note back in the chest and close the lid.  Now that I have the key to the front door, I need to figure out how to get past the water monster and up onto the wooden balcony.  Looking down at the boxes I knocked into the water a while ago, an idea forms in my head.  I move over to the barrel that is still on the table, turn around, and buck it over to the left side of the room where it lands in the water.  When the monster splashes over to investigate, I jump into the water an make my way to the wooden staircase.  

Realizing that it has been fooled, the monster roars and splashes back in my direction to try and make a meal out of me, but it is too late.  I climb up the staircase and onto the wooden balcony where I see a metal door at the end.  As I get closer to the door, I notice it is locked with a weakened padlock.  I reach into my saddlebags and pull out the hammer and chipper.  I pull out the hoof tool as well and place it on my left hoof.  Inserting the chipper into the hoof tool, I take the hammer in my mouth and place the chipper inside the padlock.  

After a few swings from my hammer, the padlock breaks and I can now exit through the door.  I place the tools back in my saddlebags and enter back into the room where I cleared the rock slide.  I race down the corridor and up the flight of stairs to the door to the Main Hall.  Once there, I take the key out of my saddlebags and trot over to the front door.  However, when I insert the key into the lock, I hear a voice I was hoping never to hear again.  

“I won’t let you get away, you cur!”

I turn around to see the Psycho charging at me with a giant kitchen knife.  My heart starts pounding like a drum as I turn around and turn the lock; it opens with a click.  As I quickly push the door open, I take the key out of the lock just in time to slam the door in the Psycho’s face.  I immediately walk back to the door and use the key to lock it back.  Now that they are stuck in the house, I turn around and run into the Everfree Forest back in the direction of Ponyville.  As I run, I hurl the key somewhere into the forest and I hear it land with a plop.  

I do not know where the key landed, but I do not care.  I feel a weight slip from my shoulders as I run and feel the warmth of the sun on my coat through the trees.  I do not know if Cloud Runner made it out or not, but I have hope.  We may not be the same when I return to Ponyville, but we will feel much better knowing the town is safe from those monsters and we can put this whole ordeal behind us.  


20 years later…


A white unicorn stallion with a blonde mane is wondering around in the Everfree Forest.  Luna’s moon is shrouded behind dark clouds, heavy rain, and strong wind.  As he tries to make his way through the muddy terrain, he kicks something metal with his front hoof.  He looks down to where he has stepped to find a key covered in mud.  

Using is magic, he picks up the key and inspects it as the rain washes off the mud.  It has become very rusty from years of weathering here in the forest.  Lightning suddenly flashes, snapping the unicorn back to his surroundings.  As the lightning flashes, he sees an old abandoned house in the middle of the forest.  

“At last; refuge!” the unicorn shouts in delight.  Without hesitation, he sprints up to the front door of the house only to find it locked.  His happiness starts to diminish as he continues to get drenched in rain.  He then remembers the key he just found and tries it on the door.  To his surprise, the door opens with a click and the key shows no sign of breaking.  He hurries through the doors of the house eager to get out of the rain.  

“Hello?” he calls out, “Is any pony here?”  His question is met by the voice of a teenage filly with a mentally disturbed tone.  

“Well, well, well, look what we have here.” The voice said, “It seems we have an unexpected guest; or maybe I should say…FRESH MEAT!”  


The End…?