[Nightmare Night] Day 3 - The Gates of Tartarus Haunted House

[MyLittlePonyTales]

This ghoulish haunted house is slick in a nearly audible atmosphere of malice, every edge of it designed to scare you away from venturing inside. If you can get past the macabre outside, you'll wish you hadn't- ponies dressed as monsters leap out at you, rooms designed as 'traps', and the sound of timberwolves closing in all around you. They say that Cerberus guards the Gates of Tartarus alone, but the moment you step into Iron Will's haunted house, you'll swear you've seen Tartarus in the flesh!

[Lerian]

Two pieces of candy! One of which he still had to give to Nightmare Moon somehow. Waiting around the monument to the fearsome childhood villain was obviously going to be too emotional for him, regardless of how nice Princess Luna had been. A real princess being nice to him! He still couldn't believe it! It must be unreal, somepony dressing up for the occasion like Nightmare Moon the night before.

Now was not the time for worrying about such things as he was here, at Iron Wills house of Tartarus! He found a place to hide amongst the undergrowth and hellish looking architecture of the grounds and had a little rest while checking the costume over. This thing was heavy, even with the weight of it spread across his saddlebags. It was a good job the voicebox wasn't charged or ponies would hear his breathing a mile away!

Nightmare Moons head glowed blue briefly as he used his magic to remove it and pulled some apple juice and treats out from under the wing struts. Not the special candies! Where would be the best place around here to give a scare? Ponies approaching this place looked as if they were already steeling themselves for the frights that this 'Iron Will' was going to throw at them, so no point doing it on the approach. How did he get those flames to look so real? Was 'Iron Will' a reference to strong unicorn magic perhaps? A thought occurred to him; around the back! Just when everypony thinks they have finished and are safe!

Curiosity put his rubbish in the saddlebags for home and levitated the dark Alicorn head back onto his own. A quick check to ensure he could see and he began creeping around the building, looking for where the exit could be. He heard the location before seeing it, as a mixed group of older and young ponies were laughing amongst themselves about how scared 'all the others' had been going through the house.

A furtive glance around gave Curiosity his spot, a hole in the fence surrounded by Tartarusian blue and green flames. He stopped a moment as he became distracted, muttering

[colour=#0000cd]'Tartaran? Tartarusan? Tartarian? Sweet Luna don't confuse yourself...'[/colour]

He moved toward the hole surrounded by the blue-green flames of Tartarus, putting a charge on the voicebox and giving the wings a quick test-flex to ensure they were still free and arrived just as the group were approaching, still distracted by taunting each other.

'Nightmare Moon' leapt from the darkness, her rearing, wing spread form silhouetted by the eldritch flames of Tatrtarus!

'THOU THINKEST THEE HAVE ESCAPED LITTLE FOALS? TAKEST THINE CANDIES TO MINE STATUE NOWEST!'

[MyLittlePonyTales]

[colour=#ff6600]Ha ha! Yet another scary place for Teddy to look for babes to save! He had survived the Changeling Lair and the Everfree Moon Palace. A simple haunted house should be no sweat. For him, anyway. Prissy girls always got scared on nights like tonight, and his warm bod was the perfect thing for them to squeeze as they faced the fake monsters.

Of course, when a Nightmare Moon clad pony leaped out at him, he certainly knew that THAT wasn't a fake. “AAHHHHH!” He yelled, turning tail and running right into a prop. It was a motion activated manikin, and it gave an eerie and evil sounding laugh. So he turned around again, and came face to face with Nightmare Moon! Oh, why did he have to be the first pony to see her when she returned to Equestria?

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe she'd already stopped off somewhere else and filled herself with foals already. Maybe—maybe she looked a little too short to be Nightmare Moon. Teddy peeked out from under his hooves, surveying the scary looking pony. He should have expected a prank like this. It was Nightmare Night after all.

“You're not Nightmare Moon!” he pointed an accusing but shaking hoof at the prankster. Of course, it could always be a trap set by the night mare, Teddy realized a little too late after he'd made his accusation.[/colour]

[lordbrony]

Costume: None, wearing her brown/gray traveling cloak with hood and focusing her magic to make her eyes glow an eerie fire red

Still feeling a wee bit guilty about scaring foals and with the pain of that hoof to her cheek fresh in her mind, Telki strolled up to the gates of the house; hoping that perhaps that instead of scary and dark like the House of Mirrors, the place would be more brightly lit in order to give it an intimidating vibe, and she was not disappointed.

Strolling up to the gates, she walked into a strange sight, apparently there was this blue stallion being scared by what looked like a visage of Nightmare Moon.

"[colour=#FF8C00]Probably someone playing a prank..hmm[/colour]" devious thoughts passing through her mind. Seemingly deciding on her course of action, she threw on her hood, made her eyes glow and then stepped out of the darkness purposefully, trying to put on the most crone-ey voice she could muster she screeched:

"[colour=#FF8C00]Oh Dark Mistress! (facing "Nightmare Moon"), this barely has any candy (points at Teddy), not enough to satiate your appetite oh great dark one! You should punish him for his insolence oh mistress...but perhaps instead you can spare him to poor um Tela! I have served you faithfully and all I ask is a small morsel to ease my eternal hunger for pony flesh so I may serve you for another eternity...[/colour]:

She then turned to stare expectantly at Teddy, eyes boring into his very soul (or so she hoped)

[RarityDash]

Fate's encounter with the powerfully built minotaur had left her a little shocked. He had appeared from nowhere, lambasted her for her fear and weakness, taken the candy awarded to her by her beloved princess and then left as quickly as he came. It had taken a moment for her to recover, but sure enough, she soon found the strength within her. She wasn't going to let it beat her. The minotaur was right, even if Celestia had inspired in her the strength to press forward, she had not yet conquered her fears. She was just running along blindly. A knight needed courage, true courage. He had called her a baby; well, she couldn't be a baby any longer. She had to put her weakness aside and press ahead. She wasn't leaving the Haunted house until she did just that!

First came regaining her lost candy. Celestia had given her a piece, so she wasn't going to rest easily until she had that much and more! Confidence building, the filly sheathed her wobbling sword and took a deep breath. At once calm and ready, she trotted down the dark corridor. A mare in a frightful costume ran at her, but she just stood her ground and trudged along, barely wincing. Her breaths deepened. She could do this. She could keep it together. She had persevered in Iron Pony. This would be no different.

She just hoped it would all pay off.

​

[MyLittlePonyTales]

[colour=#ff6600]Teddy was taken aback when the orange mare suddenly turned to him, her eyes aglow. He cringed for a moment, before looking skeptically at the pair. Was this supposed to be part of the haunted house? Some kind of skit that was meant to scare passersby? He was still... well, fairly certain the first pony wasn't Nightmare Moon, but the seconded sounded genuine, but then again it was Nightmare Night, which was the perfect time for pranks.

Then it dawned on Teddy. “Say... why would you want the candy taken to your monument, instead of just taking it now? And I thought you preferred foals?” Teddy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If he was wrong, then he was back talking to Nightmare Moon and an apprentice. If he was right, the jig would likely very shortly be up.[/colour]

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Discord is here because he wishes to be, and nothing is more freedom loving than the essence of chaos. This trite trick or treating stuff is such an unbelievable bore, and those with the great luck in finding Discord will be rewarded with his own form of entertainment: Their bags of candy switched with somepony else's!

Curiosity Sparks has Ardent Fate

Teddy has Curiosity Sparks

Telki has Teddy

Ardent Fate has Telki

Current candy standings (no negatives in this competition):

Curiosity Sparks - 0

Teddy - 2

Telki - 1

Ardent Fate - 2

[Lerian]

Curiosity was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the orange unicorn and hoped she was genuinely nothing to do with the real Nightmare Moon.

'WE THANKEST THOU FAITHFUL SERVANT AND....'

He was interrupted by the young colt,

[colour=#ff8c00]“Say... why would you want the candy taken to your monument, instead of just taking it now? And I thought you preferred foals?”[/colour]

''UH, WE WISHEST FOR OUR SERVANT TO, UM, SILENCE YOU LITTLE FOAL! DO YOU QUESTION...'

He was interrupted again as a small ball of sparkling green light gently floated out of a nearby hedge hovering briefly between them. Was he about to meet Iron Will? He could ask the unicorn about the wonderful decorations and illusions! His anticipation built as beams of light erupted from the now expanding ball and suddenly,

DISCORD!

He knew that hideous amalgam of creatures from the stained glass windows in Canterlot! He cowered in fear as every story and history his father had shown him came unbidden to his mind. Was he going to be sent to another land? Under the sea? Would he have his newfound magic taken away with his horn or be dangled forever over a pit of fire?

He blinked a couple of times as his special candies were swapped with those of a young purple maned filly before the strange creature disappeared with a

pirouette and a pop of in-rushing air. This wasn't so bad! It was bad that he had lost the candies from Princess Luna but if that was the lengths Discord was going to tonight maybe Luna was looking out for him!

Then a thought dawned. He still owed a candy to Nightmare moon! The enemies of Equestria were working together! He was going to be worrying about this all night!

'OH, THIS IS [colour=#0000cd]terrible![/colour]'

With a crackle and squeak the magic powering his voicebox gave out.

[lordbrony]

''UH, WE WISHEST FOR OUR SERVANT TO, UM, SILENCE YOU LITTLE FOAL! DO YOU QUESTION...'

"[colour=#FF8C00]As you wish mistress![/colour]" Telki said, gleefully still in character. Rearing on her hind legs and waving her front legs like she was casting an elaborate spell, she sent out a beam of magic, clamping shut Teddy's mouth while trying not to be too rough about it.

She then turned back to Nightmare Moon, but instead came face to face with Discord, who had after surveying the area, snapped his fingers and did some flim flam before disappearing.

[colour=#FF8C00]"Shall I devour his soul for his insolence mistress? May I?[/colour]" Telki resumed the charade, seconds before Nightmare Moon seemed to fizzle out like a bad spell or a broken toy.

"[colour=#FF8C00]Oh hay, show's over[/colour]" she thought, releasing Teddy, before realizing that her candy pouch was lighter and missing one candy.

"[colour=#FF8C00]Arrrrg[/colour]" she said in frustration to nopony in particular

[MyLittlePonyTales]

[colour=#ff6600]He still continued to watch 'Nightmare Moon' and her 'accomplice' (both of which he doubted), when the orange pony shot a beam of magic at him. He flinched, and tried to cry out as well, but found his mouth tied shut. He tugged at the magical muzzle, struggling with it.

Suddenly, a familiar creature appeared. It was Discord again! Luckily, Teddy had already run into him at The Changeling Lair, and knew the drill. He checked his candy bag, realizing that the Draconequus had worked in his favour this time. There was an extra piece of candy there, so he was back where he started after meeting Princess Luna. He hoped to meet the dark mare again, and double his good fortune.

But then she seemed to change her mind, realizing that the charade wasn't working. Teddy was released, and decided to make a hasty exist before any more weird stuff happened.[/colour]