Night 1 Celestia's House of Mirrors

[Manestream]

Celestia's House of Mirrors

You suspect the only reason Celestia volunteered to run the House of Mirrors was so that she could admire her own wings—but you'd never say it aloud. Still, it's a rather fun attraction, even if—oof—you find it difficult not to run into somepony. Or, was that just your reflection you bumped into? At any rate, it's fun for awhile, but you seem to be lost...

[Lilia]

A pink filly stood outside the House of Mirrors, her black mage costume hiding everything except her tail. She'd had her three lily cutie mark sewn into the costume, a smile playing at her features before she began to trot forward. She sighed. A house of mirrors would be fun, even if it mean a few...bumped...muzzles. She grumbled to herself as she walked rather quickly into three of the four mirrors on the path, cursing her luck.

[Ancre]

"Hihihi !" Whirlwind, dressed as a pirate, with a tricorne hat, a patch on her eye, a sword and a gun, and a peg leg oddly fitting on her stumped back leg, was making funny faces to her reflections in the mirrors around her. "Bleeeh !" She stuck out her tongue and streched one of her cheeks, tilting her head. "Derp derp derp derp !" She rolled and crossed her eyes. "Boooo !" She put on her most evil stare. It was quite a lot of fun to act silly like this, and she accompanied each of her faces with fitting noises.

She loved this place ! There were mirrors everywhere, and in fact she was trapped in a maze of mirrors. But the little filly didn't mind. It looked as if she was alone in this part of the labyrinth, and she was having fun trying to see as many reflections of her at once. Some of them even showed distorted images of her - here and there Whirlwind could spot a Whirlwind with very tall legs, or a Whirlwind inflated like a balloon, or a stretched across the place Whirlwind !

And sometimes she walked into the mirrors too. Bunk ! Hey, that was supposed to be a corridor ! But bumps and crashes were part of the fun too ! Slowly the little pink filly walked deeper into the mirror maze.

[Davroth]

It seemed to Seeker that he had trotted through the mirrored corridors for hours now. It really hadn't looked so big from the outside, and the ponies in front of it said it would be fun. They didn't even object to bringing his dog with inside. From what he could tell, this was part of some grand autumn celebration, and the week leading up to it had been very weird to him.

Everywhere, stalls that sold clothing sprung from the ground, like fungi. Most of them carried to Seekers taste weird and impractical pieces, so he was not really interested in that, but he saw something on display that had caught his attention. He was wearing it right now. From what he had gathered, it was genuine adventurer gear, but some if it just bugged him. The shopkeeper had been very particular that it was supposed to worn as a set, but really, he wasn't quite sure what he needed a shirt and a jacket for. He wasn't completely sure what the deal was with the whip and the hat, but he decided to try it out. At the very least the satchel that came with the outfit would be useful.

When he woke up today, everything had been decorated with pumpkins and spiders. And even more puzzling, everyone was dressed up as something. He had seen lots of animals, different robes, and several he didn't even understood. He didn't really want to ask about it, though.

He walked and walked further through the glass corridors, occasionally bumping into mirrors that seem to come out of nowhere. Blacky was still by his side, smelling the air as if searching for something. "Stay close." he began "We can't be that far from the exit."

Somewhere in front of him, Seeker thought he had seen a pony trotting around the corner, out of his vision. Seeker sped up a bit, towards the supposed corner.

[Haserman]

Orange looked through the long twisting hallway, concentrating, looking for a way out. He hadn't meant to have lost himself in the maze of dead ends and mirrors but he is now, "Curse my luck, by celesti ooff" he mumbled just before he walked into another mirror ... again. "Confound these mirrors the drive me to pain, at this rate I'll never get out", Orange continued to walk through the maze slowly, as time went on so did the well developing bruise on his muzzle. 'I can't believe I was forced to go to this foalish holiday' he pondered as he turned another corner 'when I get out I'm going to go home and just work on my farm'.

Time drew on as Orange turned corner after corner each hallway looking more similar than the last he stumbled across a banana 'strange, somepony must have left it here' as he looked glanced upon a strange figure in the mirror but as quickly as it appeared it was gone, 'all these mirrors must be getting to me'. Orange had heard strange stories from his childhood in Stalliongrad about ponies going crazy about bananas, becoming obsessed to the point of complete insanity, thoughts began to buzz around in his head 'there might be one of those banana nuts in here, no there is there somewhere in here they'll find me and turn me into a banana or two bananas or maybe even worse. Oh Celestia help me'. Ignoring the banana Orange continued on, looking for his salvation with renewed vigor. Several minutes later he heard ponies talking behind him, not wanting to be turned into a banana he sped around the corner with as much speed his hoofs could carry him. Orange could hear another pony galloping behind him following him, he started to panic 'I don't want to be a banana it would be boring and how would I fly, what will people think of a banana running my shop ... my life would be ruined'. As he turned the fifth maybe sixth corner a mirror slid in front of him, before he knew it Orange was on the floor still surrounded with mirrors and now with a splitting headache. Behind him the hoof steps started to slow coming ever closer. Orange content with his fate just waited thinking of how he would lead his new life as a banana.

He saw a pony round the corner holding a banana, Orange's mind went blank and darkness surrounded his vision. Orange awoke to a crowd murmuring over him, a cold breeze alerted him of the lack of mirrors around him. As Orange remembered the moments before he feinted he started to panic "No . NO. NO. NO" he shouted, ponies how form across the road started to look at him curiously, "I can't be a banana, I don't want to be a banana, please turn me back into a pony I hate being a banana". As Orange finished his rant with his eyes starting to water he noticed some ponies trying to contain laughter while others on the floor with laughter 'why do they think this is funny, I'm a banana, my life is ruined thanks to that banana nut'. As Orange readied himself for another rant he noticed his lack of banana appendages, then it dawned on him 'horse apples'. Orange picked himself up and flew as fast as he could to his home, 'hopefully nobody I knew was in that crowd' he thought as he started to make a list of excuses as how that wasn't him but his brother from the other side of Equestria.

[BaconofChaos]

Diamond Tiara had spent... how long now, looking at herself in the mirror? Her hair was perfect, her tiara sparkled with beauty. Her costume was an elaborate witch outfit, bought from one of the most expensive costume shops in town. She wrapped the silky black cloak with the midnight blue embroidered pentagram around herself and adjusted her pointy witch's hat (with tiara on top, naturally) and yet something didn't seem right.

Maybe it was that her head appeared to be nearly twice the size it should. Yeah, that must have been it.

"This place is, like, weirding me out." she said, to no one in particular. She hadn't seen Silver Spoon or any of her other friends all day, and having to come on her own was just, like, such a drag, y'know? Still, she had her bag all ready for some delicious candy. It wouldn't be the high quality foreign chocolates she was used to, but there was nothing wrong with good old Ponyville candy, especially when it was given free!

The little pink foal wandered further into the maze of mirrors. Occasionally she'd jump at a strange sight, only for it to be her own reflection, or that of a passing stranger. Each time she looked around furtively to make sure no one saw her totally embarassing behaviour. She stopped at one mirror that made her look tall and gangly, and laughed a little as she looked in it. This wasn't so bad.

"But, like, where's the way out? I'm missing out on prime Trick or Treating here!" she whined to anypony who would listen. A sudden thought occured to her. "Wasn't the Princess supposed to be here? I bet she has some totally sweet candy to give out." she said, deciding that maybe diving further into the maze couldn't hurt after all...

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

Maybe it was just the pervasive fear surrounding the night in general that made this attraction seem so sinister, but to Ginger Mint, something about these mirrored halls felt deeper than that. It wasn't even dark inside, in fact, true to Celestia's namesake it was surprisingly well lit. However, like the deceptive emptiness of the mirrors themselves, Ginger Mint felt like there was a great deal more at work.

Unless the rumors are true, and Celestia's gaze truly can cut through all the layers and read a pony's heart like an open book, the one pony that would know you is yourself. Faced with an image of yourself who is not yourself...

Ginger Mint felt a chill run up her spine at the thought, and she knew she was starting to scare herself in more ways than one. There wasn't anything overtly menacing about it, no, it was all very subtle. It was a stroke of genius too, turning her own senses against themselves, making her mistrust her very own eyes. It was the one thing she figured she should always be able to trust. She stood still for a minute, just herself and an endless expanse of different worlds, as if one false step could send her tumbling into an infinite maze of realities from which there would be no return. When she started imagining one of her own images moving independently from her own movements, she took a deep breath, puffing herself up as if inflating her lungs might fill her with courage.

"S-steady n-now." She spoke out loud, hoping the sound of her own voice might bring her back to reality, "You're j-just letting your imagination get c-caried away now. Celestia m-may be unimaginably clever, b-but she's not wicked."

The words didn't comfort her like she had hoped. Instead, she found herself pondering the nature of Celestia's vast intellect. After over a thousand years of experience, maybe she really could zap a pony across time and space. Is there any pony who would really know except for Celestia herself? Ginger Mint tried to focus on navigating the maze instead of scaring herself silly. She stepped forward very slowly, right up until she could feel her own breath bouncing off of a mirror and hitting her in the face.

Normally I can at least see dust or smudges or some kind of imperfection on the mirrors from up close, but these must have been enchanted with a cleaning spell. They really look like empty space.

Ginger Mint tried closing her eyes and listening for a bit. She could faintly hear some of the voices from other ponies in the maze, so she knew at the very least that she wasn't alone. Though some of the voices sounded quite panicked themselves and that wasn't doing anything to help her own nerves. Somepony was yelling something about bananas in a pitch that bordered on hysteria, and she wanted to assume that it was just a harmless carnival prank somepony was playing. She tried moving again, this time keeping her eyes closed and relying on her hearing and the touch of air against her nose. It worked, but it was slow.

Maybe one of the other ponies can help me out, if only their voices weren't so faint, maybe I could work my way towards one of them.

Her voice wavered a little and her play accent was long forgotten when she forced her voice into action, in spite of its sincere protests. With as much feeling as she could muster, she called out that one bit of a lyric that anypony should be able to recognize, hoping somepony might call back.

"N-nightmare night, w-what a fright..."

((Ginger Mint's Costume))

[Pennwick]

One of the Spa sisters wandered the mirrored halls. She was quite pleased with how the night was going so far. Of the three 'T's of Nightmare Night, Tricks Treats Terror, she managed the second one. Various houses were giving away candy like it was... well candy. Her pockets that weren't filled with 'humor paraphernalia' were mostly stuffed with sweets. She would have to make a stop by the forest at some point. If she didn't give some of it away her sweet tooth would probably get the best of her and she'd end up with a stomachache.

She was most pleased with her costume however. Jesters of old. A silly cap with a trio of bells dangling atop three points that drooped to the sides of her head. White makeup, accented with red, covered up the natural rose color of her coat. Rarity had really outdone herself with the clothing however. A clever and whimsical white suit hid much of her coat and tail making it difficult to ascertain that it was really Aloe under the makeup. To top it all off was a sweeping red cape that almost touched the ground. On her left side a blue diamond was stitched into the side and on the right a heart. It was nice to have clients who were talented seamstresses. Especially when that clients services could be bought by offering them a Ultra-Deluxe voucher for the spa.

The various fun-house mirrors were amusing. There were the standard tall, wide, and squiggly types but a few more interesting ones that had to have been magic. One instead of reflecting her simply rotated her image 90 degrees. One gave her a horn and wings, she stared at that one for quite a while admiring her 'reflection'. And bizarrely one instead of reflecting a pony showed a frowning teapot. While they were all interesting mirrors wasn't the reason she was here, Tricks and Terror were here objectives. She found herself drawn to a single door labeled 'MAZE'.

However it turned out to be a little more than she could handle. After wandering what felt like an hour she was completely lost. She had thought keeping her left hoof on the wall would help, and it probably would have if it had just been a standard Earth Pony maze. However Aloe suspected there might a little magic making things more difficult for her. Either the walls were moving or space was being twisted around itself. While the former was more likely with the Princess having designed the maze either option was a possibility. Every now and then when she looked back it seemed like the paths changed. Of course it was hard to tell with the mirrors but it all seemed too complex. The building looked fairly small on the outside? How could you build such a large maze in such a small area?

She heard another voice echoing out the children's tune. It had been YEARS since she had said it herself. Of course she and her sister had their own way when they would alternate every other beat. Adults had found it very cute usually got them the best candy. It was a little odd that someone be saying it inside here though, was it some sort of Marco Polo idea? She called back. "Give us something sweet to... Is somepony out there?"

[Davroth]

"N-nightmare night, w-what a fright..."

Seeker raised his head. He wasn't sure what it meant, but the voice sounded really close, and kind of distressed.

"Blacky." he began, and seeing his dog standing to attention, "Search!"

Blacky, trusting his sense of smell more then his eyes, had no problem manoeuvring the corridors, and moments later, he darted around a corner. I front of him appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, a light green mare.

"Miss? Is everything alright?" he said, while Blacky waggled his tail panting. "Did you just call out, Miss?"

[Pennwick]

Aloe's ears twitched inside her hat. It sounded like there were two ponies there and something with paws, maybe, she wasn't sure. They sounded very close but there was a row of mirrors separating her from the other two. She pushed on the glass hoping it would give way and spin in a comical fashion. It did not. "Is anypony over there?"

[Haserman]

Orange returned after downing half a bottle of 'confidence juice (vodka)' to seek vengeance against the mirrors that only a couple of hours ago made him look like such a foal. Orange stormed/stumbled through the doors to the mirror maze, ready to regain his honor that he had just recently lost, his normally quite demeanor gone as he started to walk through the corridors with no goal in mind. His face flushed and his vision slightly blurred, Orange looked upon the mirrors trying to stare them into submission, "think your so tough huh? Copying my every movement" Orange then immediately started to try to catch the mirror out by flailing his arms erratically looking for any differences, "Oh, I see you've done this before what about if I do this" he began to make faces that wouldn't have been out of place in a foalschool. Orange then pushed his muzzle against the mirror and began pushing the mirror flipped over and Orange fell head first into the ground.

Orange awoke with a larger bruise on his muzzle and a sense of deja vu, "Oh horse apples on a stick" Orange swore as he tried to remember what he had done while he was full of 'confidence', hoping he didn't do anything he would regret or anything anypony would remember, he started walking aimlessly as he was lost for the second time in one night. Orange heard some barking and hoof steps nearby but did not take much notice, Orange continued on his way still lost wondering how he would get out of this confounded maze 'what mad-pony would ever conceive of such annoyi-' Orange's thoughts were cut short by a pony shouting

"Is anypony over there?"

Orange frustrated with the maze called back "No", Orange continued on his way hoping that he would get out by sunrise so he would be able to water his plants. As Orange rounded another corner he was confronted by a pink earth pony wearing a white jesters costume that he didn't recognise, slowly Orange came to the realisation that this pony was who called out, and also the pony Orange had just only moments ago been so rude to. 'Put on your cool face, smile ... not too much, maybe she doesn't know it was me ... yeah ... oh god what happens if she is one of those crazy banana ponies', Orange started to panic looking for a way out but couldn't see anyway out. Orange started to feel dizzy as darkness started to cloud his vision, 'not again' were Orange's last thoughts before he fell.

[Manestream]

Princess Luna appears! Pip would be so excited!

It's Princess Luna! She seems lonely, but you show her how to have fun! In return, she gives you TWO pieces of candy!

[Pennwick]

There was a crack of what sounded like lightning from somewhere. Aloe couldn't quite make out the direction. She could also hear another, much louder voice. Even though Aloe hadn't made it to Princess Luna's arrival last time she could still hear it from miles away. However with all the mirrors and echoing it was impossible to make out what was being said. Aloe began running blindly through the maze hitting a mirror or two. She glimpsed a orange pony passed out further down the path. She tried to get across to him but instead ran into a sheet of clear glass. Or something, it seemed to bend and repel rather than smash her face. Some unicorn was probably having a laugh at her expense.

She turned trying to find another path around but instead caught a glimpse of a starry tail. She tried to follow it as it disappeared but it seemed to be going into an even more complex area of the maze. She was about to try and turn back when she spotted a silver wrapped candy on the ground. The carefully picked it up and examined it a little more closely. A wonderfully creamy aroma filled her nostrils. Were these Canterlot Creamed Chocolate Truffles? If she remembered correctly they were made by a eccentric baker who only made a batch once a week, they were supposedly one of the best sweets available on the market. You don't just find these. She began hunting around carefully to see if there were any others around. She spotted another silver wrapper by a mirror that was half turned out revealing a secret path. Maybe whoever was leaving these was showing a way out? She didn't really have any more options so she followed the secret pathway.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

Wolf! Ginger Mints ears flattened against the back of her head and she felt her hairs stand on end. It had appeared out of nowhere, its mouth open, its nose sniffing. For a moment, she was certain she was about the be gobbled up by this horrifying beast in front of her.

A questioning voice from beside her snapped her back to reality. "Did you just call out, Miss?"

It wasn't a wolf. It didn't have giant slavering fangs or narrow hungry eyes, it was wagging its tail like it was excited to meet her. The slate colored pony standing next to it didn't seem so mean either.

"Oh! Yes, um... I guess I'm rather lost in here you see and I..."

Another voice from somewhere nearby caught Ginger Mint's attention. There had been ponies barely even a tail's length away the whole time and yet in this twisted old maze they might have been in another building, at least until she had reached out with her voice.

"Yes! Yes miss, we're right over here. I seem to be a bit lost and I was wondering if you knew..."

A peal of thunder interrupted Ginger Mint, and for the second time in less than a minute she'd lost her train of thought. The sound had come from somewhere inside the maze and for some reason she couldn't explain, it felt familiar. It was kind of spooky, yes, but it didn't carry with it the feeling of terror that she had been feeling earlier, and with a kindly looking pony along with her, she was certain she could find her way.

"Come on! I think that came from just around the corner!

Even as she was still speaking, she was moving in the direction of the noise, that oddly reassuring feeling. She bumped into a few mirrors here and there, but she didn't mind the idea of making a mistake this time. In less than a minute, the exit rounded the corner into plain sight, but the feeling disappeared and Ginger Mint stopped short.

"Hey! Is there somepony th..."

She felt something brush up against her, it was as light and ephemeral as a feather on the wind. She turned to see what it was, but saw only her reflection in a mirror. For only the slightest of moments, she felt that presence behind her once more before it disappeared again. At least she was at the exit now, and her tote bag felt a little bit heavier for some reason too.

[Davroth]

Following the mare to this point, Seeker thought he had felt another presence in the corridor. Not only that, but Blacky had growled for a second and turned back, but when he looked down to the dog, he stood there completely still emitting complete puzzlement.

Absent minded, Seeker reached into his bag, just to find that it was not empty any more. Instead there were 2 colourful pieces of candy in it, quite like the ones the colts and fillies had been carrying around. He didn't remember picking them up.

"Well now." Seeker began after a moment of silence. "I suppose I owe you a thank you for leading me to the exit, Miss."

"Maybe we will meet again." he said, lowering his head, as it was custom among the desert folk, and trotted away into the night, Blacky at his side.