(FR) A Darker Home - Part 2

Prose: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/307552/a-darker-home

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A Darker Home - Part 2

>The two shocked mares slowly back away.
>The way they look at you, it's unclear what the reason for the fear in their eyes is.
>Is it due to the transpiring events?
>Or is it how the house treating you like the deflated teddy bear in the middle of of the rug.
>It's hard to blame them.
>Determining what will be real from this point forward will be surely be difficult.
>You rub your hand where you felt yourself hemorrhage.
>The pain was so vivid and real that you felt your body being drained of energy and you felt cold.
>Flexing your fingers, you move out to the hallway with Twilight and Fluttershy, who's gazes haven't left you.
>"Anon, are you sure you are okay?"
>Were you okay?
>How long were you going to be able to keep silent all of the things that you were hearing and seeing?
>The giggling that persistently followed you thoughout the house.
>The young filly that was sitting in the middle of the room.
>You still swore you closed that box of dolls.
>It was important to keep these mares calm and collected in this situation, but Twilight knew you well.
>She knew you were hiding something.
>Taking a deep breath of the cool, dry air you try to chose your words carefully.
>Turning your back to the girls, you face the room you were just in.
>In the center of the room, you see an outline etched in the small amount of faded light that enters the room.
>>Recommended Listening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPf4xjabi_0
>She lies on the floor where the teddy bear used to lay.
>The silence has a new friend. The sound of slow, uneven breathing.
>"Anon?"
"Shh."
>You put a finger up to Twilight.
"Do you see her?" You ask her in a hushed tone.
>"See what Anon?" She returns in whisper.
"In the middle of that room, right now, there is... what looks like a little filly."
>Her outline doesn't move nor change shape, but rather lies just beyond your recognition.
>Twilight takes two steps forward.
>Her outline disappears into the violet light.
>The sound of breathing fades into silence.
>"I don't see anything Anon..."
>You sigh deeply.
"I've been seeing these young ponies scattered throughout the house ever since we arrived."
>Fluttershy slowly nods at you.
"I've been hearing them giggle at me whenever something weird has happened."
>Twilight stares at you worried, yet unsurprised.
>You remember your trip into the storage room.
>The ball that brushed up against you out of nowhere.
"I think... one of them even tried... to play with me."
>Twilight nods.
>"Fluttershy, what happened to you earlier?"
>Fluttershy looks at the worn floor.
>"I-it was... h-horrible." she manages to stutter out.
>You kneel down and stroke her mane.
>She looks up at you with a faint smile, and looks to Twilight, standing up straighter.
>"There was this old mare." She pauses for a moment, to recollect all the details.
>"She was wearing a cooking apron and had... blood... all over it."
>Her voice begins to waiver, trying to recollect the traumatic event.
>"She... pointed a knife at me... and told me... with a smile."
>A whimper escapes her mouth as her willpower begins to fade.
>"I'm first."
>She looks into your eyes, her face filled with worry.
"We won't let that happen Fluttershy." You say with the most convincing smile you can give.
>"Anon's right. We will be fine if we stick together. Now lets check the next room."
>Straightening up, you turn to face the final door at the end of the hallway.
>You reach for the doorknob when the door opens itself slowly.
>>Recommended Listening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq5BZiseqdI
>Slowly the new room begins to reveal itself to you, and it's full of bright beautiful sunshine flowing through the windows.
>Six desks sat in a grid on beautiful stained oak floors.
>Nopony was inside this room, but you hear voices in here.
>Footsteps are labored as you make this way into this warm, comfortable room.
>Fresh flowers sat on a large desk in the middle of the room.
>A pitch-black chalkboard behind the desk explained how multiple digit multiplication worked.
>From the front of the room, you hear a soothing feminine voice speak.
>"Now first class, you need to multiply the two right digits. So what is two times three."
>Filled with excited energy, you hear several young fillies add to chorus of beauty that surrounds you.
>"Six!" The fillies announce to their teacher.
>"Very good!"
>You continue moving forward into the beautiful surroundings.
>"Anon?"
>The voice is bringing you one step closer to the source of peace and tranquility.
>"What are you doing, Anon?"
>Just a few more steps.
>The petals of the fresh flowers waltz gracefully to the floor.
>"Anon!"
>"The sun's rays begin to shift from a bright white to a dark violet.
>"STOP!"
>You freeze in your tracks, and blink.
>>Recommended Listening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yzwpn0VfQg
>You stand at the edge of a massive gaping hole in the ground.
>All that lies at the bottom of this hole, is unfathomable darkness.
>Just looking into it rises bile into your throat and your hair stands on end.
>Taking a few steps back, you appear to be in the center of the room that used to be a classroom.
>Broken rusted desks were tossed about or shoved against walls, and the teacher's desk was nowhere to be seen.
>The once fine wood below was now curved, rough and splintered from age.
>Lying on the ground in scattered pieces all over the floor was the blackboard, and it's original spot on the wall stood barren.
>The room was graced by the golden sunset that made it's way through the open windows.
>The breeze from outside passed through this room with ease and blew the curtains from inside to outside.
"Sorry Twilight."
>"Was it another... vision?"
"Yeah. This one was incredibly vivid."
>After your initial shock, the contents of the room register in your brain.
>The open windows are in here, and the freedom that comes with them.
>The floor makes threatening cracks and pops as you walk across the fragile surface to the open windows.
>They seem to have just enough space to allow the three of you to climb out.
>With luck, you would be able to come back with someone more experienced in these matters.
>Or even better, never come back.
>"Uhm. Honey?"
>You take a deep breath of fresh air to compose yourself.
>If it's keeping her calm, then might as well let her talk that way.
"I'm trying to get us out of here through these windows. What do you need?"
>"Um... T-that's what she wants you to do."
>You look at the yellow pegasus, who's pupils are needle sized, and focused on something behind you.
>Turning your head slowly, you try to see what Fluttershy sees.
>You turn to see...
>Nothing.
>Twilight turns her head between you too, confused why she is the only one who cannot see this phenomenon.
>Standing one foot from you is your only shot to reach Ponyville before darkness settles in.
>You had to take this chance.
>Slowly stepping forward to the window, it's siren song calls to you.
>You slowly place your right hand on the bottom base of the window.
>Stopping, there is no reaction in the air around you and the window doesn't move.
>"A-anon, please stop..."
>Slowly you move to place your other hand on the base of the window.
>Your senses are on edge, trying to sense anything around you.
>Then you feel it.
>A cold breath on your left hand.
>Recoiling your hands, you narrowly miss the window slam shut, spraying fine pieces of glass across the room.
>The rest of the windows slam shut in an orchestrated fashion and shoot their glass into the room.
>The golden light refracts onto the glass and projects into rainbow patters across the room.
>You give Twilight a hard stare.
"It won't let us out."
>Fluttershy begins to whimper.
>Twilight stands in place, thinking as hard as she could muster.
>"There has got to be a a way out of here."
"If the spirit's know we find a way, they will probably just block it off."
>You and Twilight reach the same conclusion at the same time.
"We have to release them from the house to get out. Don't we?"
>"It seems so."
>Great.
"So how to we even begin to do that?"
>"Well... all the books I've ever read on hauntings in Equestria were considered fiction."
"Great!"
>You run your hands through your hair in exasperation.
"So we are stuck in here for forever."
>"Well... there is one thing we could try. I just don't know if it will work."
"We don't really have a choice. Let's hear it bookworm."
>She smiles at the dose of humor.
>"We need to figure out why the spirit is here, and cut the tie that binds her here."
>"Once the ties are gone, then the spirit will be able to pass on to Tartarus."
"Okay. Then how do we figure out what is tying the spirits down?"
>"That... I'm not sure about. I suppose we have to explore the house and make an educated guess."
>You pace the room, looking down at the fine bits of glass as the sun begins to sink further into the sky.
"Well, we better look upstairs then."
>The three of you exit the room, and move towards the stairs.
>"So let's review. We established that this was an orphanage. We have seen a mean old mare, and at least one filly."
>Twilight begins to ascend the fragile, narrow stairs, while thinking aloud to herself.
>Fluttershy follows her, while you bring up the rear.
>You can't help but look over your shoulders, feeling a set of eyes on your back.
>"Then maybe the spirit of the old mare is holding the children back from passing on."
"Or the reverse."
>A group of giggles can be heard upstairs.
>Reaching the top of the stairs, there are four doors on the side of the hallway without the stairs and two on the side with the stairs.
>The stair-door is in the middle of the hallway with an even number of doors on both sides.
>Moving into the right side of the hallway, you move to the source of the giggling.
>Looking to the girls, you nod at them, and open the door slowly.
>Slowly peeking in, you see six young fillies quickly float to six little beds and disappear.
>You open the door fully, and slowly enter the room.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
>The room doesn't move, but you feel several sets of eyes on you.
>You look at the girls who are nervous, but egging you on.
"We just want to play." You say doubting yourself.
>The room replies with silence, but the air shifts uneasily.
>"You want to play?" says a voice from a corner of the room?
>The sound makes you jump, and Fluttershy stifles a small yelp.
>"We like to play games..." says another voice airily.
>"What game would you like to play?" says another excited voice.
"How about the 'everyone is able to see each other' game."
>"You mean hide and seek? I love that game!"
>"Jenny, you are doing a terrible job of being scary."
>"Why do we have to be scary all the time? I just wanna have fun!"
>"Because being scary is fun!"
>Six young filly spirits, all with pale blue skin and no cutie marks, begin to appear in the center of the room, all arguing with each other.
"Uh... girls?"
>Their argument intensifies, as you slowly move towards them.
"Girls?"
>One of the fillies begin jumping up and down while another begins to scream.
"GIRLS!"
>All six stare at you with intensity in their eyes.
>"WHAT!" They all yell with a might that shakes the whole house.
>You lose your balance, and try to keep your calm.
>Treat them just like you would the crusaders.
"My name is Anon. This is Fluttershy and Twilight."
>They continue to stare at you, with deep dark eyes.
>The paleness of their skin gives you chills.
"We are trying to find a way to get out of here... but another spirit keeps trying to keep us in here. Some older lady spirit."
>"Oh, that must be Gertrude. She is really mean to everyone."
>"Maybe she wants to kill you too!"
>You look to the girls for guidance.
>Twilight moves into the room.
>"We want to help you girls get out of here too, but we need to know how help you girls get out of here too. We think that if you girls aren't here anymore, she won't stay either."
>The girls look around.
>"We are too scared to go... Gertrude would always beat us if we tried to leave."
>Fluttershy's fear turns to compassion as she enters the room.
>"You poor little things..."
>"Don't worry lady! It doesn't hurt anymore!"
>Her hoof comes to her mouth, unsure of what to say.
"She can't make you girls stay here anymore. So why don't you girls pass on?"
>"We don't waaannna."
>You run your hands through your hair. Even fillies were hard to deal with even when they weren't living.
"How about this... we play a game of hide and seek... and if we find you, you pass on."
>The fillies all look at each other and discuss among themselves.
>One of the six pulls away from the group and addresses you directly.
>"On one condition."
"Okay. What is it."
>"If you lose, you stay here with us, and play with us."
"That doesn't sound so ba-"
>"Forever."
>You knew it wouldn't be easy.
"Okay. That sounds fine, but you have to be visible and you can only hide on this floor, or the ground floor."
>The fillies talk amoung themselves again.
>"That's fine. We are too scared to go into the basement anyway."
"Then let's begin."
>"All of you close your eyes and count to twenty!"
>The ghost fillies all disappear into thin air.
>You turn to the Twilight and Fluttershy.
"Here goes nothing."