Ponyville A Haunted Housewarming

[WillowWisp]

Everypony knew of the house at the edge of town, the one nopony dared to enter. Rumors had surrounded it for years. It was haunted. Of course the stories were all different. The land was cursed, there was a horrible magic accident there, spirits from Everfree Forest possessed it... whatever the case the outcomes were always unpleasant.

Needless to say nopony lived there. It had been empty for many many years, even the 'for sale' sign was from a house seller that didn't even exist anymore. Or it use to be. One morning, just before dawn, the sign was gone.

A couple moving trucks had pulled up, dropped off all their goods and quickly moved off again. Even with the promise of pay, they didn't want to stick around long. So much of the furniture had been left out on the overgrown front lawn. Though slowly, item by item, box by box, things vanished. Somepony apparently moved them, but hadn't been seen doing so. Then again it was so early, nopony was probably up yet.

By the time the sun rose for the morning, the once empty home now had a dweller. The currents that had been closed tightly behind the cracked windows had been tied back to let some light in. It gave a small glimpse inside, but all there was to see was moving boxes. And some furnature that must have been left there from the last own, all covered with seats, and years upon years old.

Who would move into such a place? Didn't they know it was haunted? Surely the mayor or whoever actually sold the home would have said. Yet all the same somepony was there.

A shadow of a Unicorn passed by one of the front windows then faded into the darkness again. The old windows were so dusty making out anything other than a silhouette was impossible. So it was rather ghostly to just see the image move by then vanish.

Perhaps nopony had really bought it after all... maybe the house actually had a ghostly resident that finally was making itself seen. Either way, the once activity free house, suddenly wasn't anymore.

[RCTwilightSparkle]

Bolt hated that creepy house and always flew past it as fast as she could. Today she zipped by it as usual, while trying to disguise her fear for showing off how fast she is. Unfortunately today there was a problem, the problem was that the house looked different and she thought she saw something move. She was already past the house by the time she realized that she saw something so she stopped and turned around. Landing on the grass about 20 feet from the house she slowly walked up and started looking around. As she did so she looked to see if anypony was outside the house, watching her look silly. Once she was satisfied that she wasn't making a fool of herself she said "Hellooooooo, anybody in there?"

[WillowWisp]

There wasn't a response to the call. The house just sat there, as it always did. For a brief moment one of the front window curtains moved, but that was it. Then suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of music. It was rather off key, giving it an eerie vibe; an old unnamed tune plunked out on a piano. If anything it was a soundtrack fitting for such a creepy place. But almost as soon as it started, it just stopped and the house fell silent again.

No shadows crossed the windows either. Maybe whatever had taken to the home hid when somepony showed up. Or it was just waiting, waiting to make it's move. Or maybe nopony was there. Perhaps the 'for sale' sign had fallen off. But the curtains were open and the music, that was all new.

There was a loud creaking noise, clearly from ungreased hinges, as the front door cracked open just a tiny bit. Nopony stepped out though. It was as if the door had just opened on it's own, tempting whoever stood outside to peek in, or if brave enough, go all the way inside.

[BURTRUM]

Burtrum was flying over, gazing lazily down at the ground counting trees are they passed. He was carrying his bags, which were weighted down with oranges and limes that he was delivering to his brother. His wings ached a bit which made him slower than normal, at this point he wasn't a very happy pony at all.

Looking down, counting trees to ease his mind from the incoming pain, he saw the creepy old house with a filly in the yard. She looked if she were younger, so he eased down from the skies and looked to her, "Silly Filly, what are you up to?" He called slightly laughing, she did after all look startled. He could only squeeze out a laugh, but much in the back of his mind he was worrying what the pony could be up to.

His ears twitched when he heard the music, he frowned hard as he looked down.

[Captain Fidley]

The crew of the Venture had hit the town hard, cleaning out most of the town's libation and leaving a scattering of greatly enriched innkeepers and barkeeps in their wake. With the night winding down and the town's establishments closing up, the crew headed back to their bunks on the ship. Some, too drunk or too tired to fly, curled up under the trees in the square.

Stormalong and Tiny came a-stumblin up the street, the younger Griffin clearly "deep in the scupper with the stagger and jags" as the sailors called it. It was long standing tradition in the merchant air-fleet for the crew to treat their newest member at his first port-of-call, and the lucky one was obliged to partake. He had done so with gusto, and now the bosun was obliged to see him home, another burdensome tradition.

The bosun had "scratched the itch" as well, though long experience left him in a much better place than Tiny. It was a good thing, too. Despite his nickname Tiny was almost a big as the old sailor, and almost as strong.

"Come on, son." Stormalong muttered. "We're homeward bound to a nice warm bunk. Jes' put one claw in front of 't other, like that."

"Cor, Stormy!" Tiny exclaimed, dragging to a halt and leaning up against an iron fence. "Gimme a breath to catch me bearings! The whole worlds a' pitchin' an swayin'!" He overbalanced and fell.

"Cor." he exclaimed in a low voice as he got up. "That's a right trim house and no mistake. I wanna closer look."

"Blow me down, boy, get back here!" Stormalong yelled, his patience running thin. But the drunk young griff ignored him, slowly opening the creaky door and taking a look inside.

"Hallooo! Anyone aboard?" Tiny called, looking around.

[RCTwilightSparkle]

The music played and Bolt jumped back but quickly tried not to look like she was scared. She wasn't doing a very good job of it and she pulled her wings close because her feathers were shaking. The door swung open slowly and she looked at it trying to see inside but she didn't see anything. "Hey! I saw you before, and I heard that!" Bolt said in an angry tone. She was considering leaving to get somepony else when she heard the gray pegasus laugh at her. Looking up at the dark gray pegasus Bolt was irritated with herself, she thought nobody was around to see her looking silly. "Something is going on down here!" She yelled, up to the other pony. Before she could do anything else, a few drunk griffins walked right past her up to the house and Bolt gave them a very odd look. These griffins looked pretty big and scary and so Bolt figured they could take whatever was in that house so she followed them in, which she knew was probably a terrible idea.

[BURTRUM]

Burtrum gave a 'face' to see the drunk griffins, and with his face was unchanging he looked to the young pink filly. He frowned harder as he watched the griffins enter the house, "I hope they know that's squatting, right?" he thought with a snort as he lowered his body. He noticed then that the door was open before the bird monsters strolled right into the gloom screamed house, he closed his eyes and shook his head waving his dim rainbow colored mane about, "Maybe those griffins live here" he sighed giving them some sort of a doubt. He opened his eyes slowly, "I think you need to be getting home-" he cut his sentence short as he saw the filly following the birds. "Whoa, are you mad?" he snorted has he ran in front of her, he looked at her with concern, "Isn't this place haunted?" it was rhetorical at best, but he new if this pony going in; he's gonna follow. She was cu- He wouldn't be able to ever forgive him self he allowed his own kind in dangers way.

[WillowWisp]

The house seemed to welcome the strange collection of visitors inside. It was dark, the old chandler that hung in the entry area had cracks in the crystal, just like the dirty windows. And right dead center was a staircase leading up into the darkness. There were rooms on either side of the entry, but what was in them was pretty much hidden by the lack of light. However it was noticeable that a few boxes were around.

There was a chill, and the door shut. To the unknowing it would seem like the house had tried to trap them there, as if it was thinking on it's own. Which just left silence after the creak of the hinges sounded before the 'click' of the doorknob locking into place.

For a few minutes there was nothing, then softly from down the hall behind the stairway, the sound of hooves. It was quiet at first, as if the pony they belonged to was in a back room; if it was a pony at all. As they sound got louder a faint blue-ish glow could be made out; becoming brighter and brighter as the source grew closer to the group. And then a pair of glowing red eyes, hovering in the darkness as well. Somepony; or something was making it's way toward the self invited group.

[RCTwilightSparkle]

"Whoa, are you mad?" The other pegasus looked worried

Bolt smiled to hide her fear and giggled at the pony and said "Maybe, but there haven't been any fun mysteries around here lately, don't you think?". As the group walked into the house Bolt looked all around trying to find the pony that was causing all of this "Hey everybody saw you!" She yelled, not in any particular direction. Right after she said that the door closed and Bolt ran right next to the other pegasus. A few seconds later she realized what she did and blushed, backing away from him just a little.

"Did that just lock?" she said quietly, kind of hoping nobody heard her. When the foot steps started she looked around more, trying to be brave again. She puffed up her wings, stood tall and looked angry. She saw a glow coming from the direction of the footprints but she wasn't scared now, just annoyed. "Unicorns can make their horns glow so it must just be some unicorn trying to scare us.". This would have been true except she'd never seen anything with glowing red eyes before. All of her braveness was once again gone and she found herself right next to the pegasus, if she squeezed herself any closer to him she would probably knock him down.

[BURTRUM]

Burtrum bucked and kicked the door, never wise to move behind a pony, the door didn't break way and he stared at it over his shoulder in horror. "I don't think this fun anymore" he whispered to himself, looked to older filly who was next to him and he saw her blush and move away. That sadly didn't phase him, he was to busy wondering how dark it would get in the house; Burtrum was afraid of the dark.

"I think it did" he answered as he gulped and he looked ahead, he eyed the glowing object and his ear flew up at the footsteps, he stomped his hooves and scraped them on the flooring as he snorted. Nothing was gonna lock him in a dark house. He hesitated once he felt his little 'friend' at his side and he looked to her before going back to his little tough front. In all truth he was thinking how he could throw himself through the door so it'd break and run to his sister's; Passion Fire would stomp whatever it was to death. hopefully.

[Captain Fidley]

Tiny had disappeared by the time Stormalong made it through the door. The fool was probably already wandering through the house. So there the bosun was in the foyer of a strange house, along with two young ponies who had followed him in for some reason. Then the door clicked shut on its own, and his blood ran cold.

Sailors are generally a superstitious lot, and Stormalong was no exception to that rule. He believed in any number of spirits and supernatural guardians of sea, land and air. To put it shortly, he was no skeptic. Everything about this house screamed supernatural, and he made a sign of warding that his grandmother had taught him long ago.

The crashing sound of the young pegasus futiley kicking at the door caught Stormalong's attention, and he rushed over while making a shushing sound. "Calm down lad, calm down. We're all shipmates in this and I'll get you two out of here. I swear it on my nest-mother's talons." he whispered, before turning and seeing the... apparition floating through a far door.

"We mean you no trespass, spirit." Stormalong said, his voice flat and level, as he placed himself in front of the ponies. "I came in only after a shipmate of mine who is young and out of his senses. Let me find him and we'll be on our way." He made another sign of warding with his talons, his mind racing through the old stories and myths he knew. He had a steel deck knife and a silver coin in his pouch, but would either of those have any effect if it came to the rough and tumble?

[WillowWisp]

With the uninvited guests clearly scared, the so called ghost finally got close enough to be seen. A black Unicorn mare just blinked at them. Her eyes were red, and the blue glow was coming from her legs, almost making her look like she was floating a little. It all tied in with her short blue mane and tail.

With a yawn and a wiggle of her nose, she repositioned the gold framed glasses that she wore before speaking. 'Is this some sort of surprise welcome party?'

Her eyes trailed to the door and with a sigh she trotted over. 'Hmmm guess the hinge is still loose. Slightest breeze or movement makes the darned thing shut and stick.' She more or less was just mumbling to herself as her horn began to glow for a moment and then with a 'click' the lock was freed.

That done she glanced up to the chandler and again, horn a glow, the candles flickered on giving more light to the room. Once it wasn't dark her ghostly glow, and glowing eyes just vanished, leaving a normal Unicorn standing there.

'Sorry I didn't plan on guests. Did you all want something?' she looked back to the group and cocked her head to the side.

[Captain Fidley]

"Well blow me down." the bosun muttered. His false-alarm adrenaline melted away, and he smoothed down the feathers on his head that had fluffed up when he was sure he was looking at a fight. "Yer a blasted spooky lass, an' no mistake. I need to go find my shipmate, though by now he's prob'ly curled up in a corner in a pool of his dinner."

[BURTRUM]

Burtrum watched the griffin carefully, he couldn't comprehend the strange things the large creature signing with his claws and such for he just stood next to the little mare staring hard. Refusing to shake with fear.

Burtrum became shocked as he learned that the demon ghost 'thing' was another pony and he heaved a heavy sigh and looked to his companion next to him before again eyeing the newer somepony.

When he heard the lock click again he snorted and kicked it, the door swung up and he looked to griffin and unicorn "Sorry" he said as he lowered his head and blushed. The lights came on and his raised his head and smiled with relief and again looking to the new residence, "Sorry, I always thought this house was empty." He smiled slightly, "I'm Burtrum Gloom" he introduced as he took a step forward.

Hearing what the big griffin said about his companion, Brutrum gagged and gave a disgusted face "Dandy" he choked...

[RCTwilightSparkle]

"But... how were you glowing like that? Is it part of your magic?" Bolt said, a little angry. She felt like this pony was just trying to scare them all and then pretend she wasn't once they all saw her. Looking around a little she felt better now that the lights were on. Bolt also realized how close she was to Burtrum and took a few steps away from him. "This house has been abandoned for years and it's suppose to be haunted, that's why we investigated when something was moving inside. I thought nobody was suppose to be in here" "My name is Bolt, by the way" She said looking around to everybody, trying to ignore what the Griffin had just said.

[WillowWisp]

'It was abandon, I just moved in.' She blinked and looked between them all again. 'As for the glowing I've always done that... well when it's dark. Ever since I was just foal. I guess it's just part of who I am.'

Yawning again she shook her head. 'Sorry I didn't hear you come in. I was in the back, moving some stuff around. And trying to fix an old player piano that was left behind whenever the last pony that lived here was...well... here. It'll start up but then it just suddenly stops. And it's really out of tune.'

That explained the creepy music from before. Slowly all the current mysteries were unraveling. She hadn't been hiding from them, or trying to scare them, the Unicorn just hadn't heard them at first. And the scary appearance she made was something that was just natural to her, not an attempt to upset them.

'Haunted... the only ghost I've seen is the one on my flank,' that said she turned to show off her Cutie Mark. 'I'm Willow Wisp. I moved in early this morning.'

Her eyes shifted from the two ponies to the griffin. 'And I hope your friend isn't making a mess for me to clean,' Wisp couldn't help making a face at that. 'I rather not find that while unpacking.'

[BURTRUM]

"Not to seem um-" Burtrum hesitated as he listened to her, "Mind me to ask-" he snorted and laid his ears back before stomping a hoof. He had a hard talking with new people, sometimes, his siblings always being over critical he thought his questions where outrageously rude. After a short hum he lowered his head slightly "If you ever need help, I live in town with my brother" he said shyly, he was curious to her name, but after realizing he didn't really know anyone. Adrenaline tends to make him forget simple things like that.

He walked closer to her and sat down and offered a hoof to shake "Nice to know there's a new face around" he smiled, he didn't really know much of anyone, he was sorta new himself, but now was about as good of a time to make friends as it ever was he thought.

[Captain Fidley]

"I hope not either, since I told him that if he was gonna lose it to do it in the bushes." Stormalong said, frowning. "I don't take to ordinary sailors not followin' my orders. Tell you what, I'm going to track him down."

He found Tiny in the backyard, drunkenly draped over the huge root of a tree and completely insensible, though thankfully clean.

"Hellfire." Stormalong spat. He'd have to carry him home now.

"Scuse me, ma'am." he said to Willow Wisp back inside the house. "By any chance have you got any line layin' about? The boy's not going to make it home under his own power so I'm obliged to rig a tow."

[WillowWisp]

Wisp nodded to Burtrum and smiled lightly, 'I'm glad ponies actually stopped by, even if it wasn't really planned. Maybe others will as well... if they get over the rumors.'

She was about to say something to Bolt, since she had fallen a bit quiet. Willow Wisp thought perhaps she was upset because she'd been scared. And even though the Unicorn was talented in that aspect, it wasn't always her intention. So she wanted to apologize. However when the griffin came back in her attention was drawn to him.

'Line?' she blinked. Sailor speech wasn't her forte, that was for sure. Taking a wild guess she shook her head, 'If you mean rope... I don't think so... but...'

Pausing mid sentence, Wisp trotted into the room at the left of the entry way where they had been standing it. It was the living room, and there were a few pieces of furniture left from whoever lived there before. Needless to say they were all old. Pulling one of the sheets from a covered chair she returned to her company.

'You can maybe use this? Twist it up so it's more...um.. line like?'

[RCTwilightSparkle]

Willow was right, Bolt was quiet because she didn't like being scared. She tucked her wings close and picked her head up. It was starting to become obvious that Willow hadn't really tried to scare them, she was being nice now. With a ghost cutie mark, maybe it's harder for her not to be spooky. Bolt got an idea "If you want to meet other ponies, we just need to find Pinkie and she'd throw a big party!"Bolt paused, "But we'd have to go into town for that, have you been to town yet?"

[WillowWisp]

With her sheet offered to the Griffin's, Wisp attention when back to Bolt. A party? Would ponies even want to show up for a party in her house? She could see that being a bit of a disaster. And what exactly qualified as a 'big' party anyway? Did that mean the old home would be jam packed? There wasn't even really anything for guests to sit on other than old covered furniture.

'I haven't been into town yet, no,' Willow Wisp shook her head. 'I met the pony with the papers I needed to sign here, and then started moving in. I'm pretty sure other than you all that came to see what was going on, nopony in town even knows I'm here yet.'

Reaching back with her right front hoof she rubbed the back of her neck. 'I suppose a house party would be a good way to meet others... if they'd even come with all the rumors about this place. You should have seen how fast that pony ran once I signed my name on the dotted line.'