Ghosted Bugs One-shot


                                            >The pitter-patter of raindrops quickly progressed into the roar of a full-blown downpour.

                                            >Five changelings huddled together, trying to walk faster on an increasingly slippery cobblestone road.

                                            >Flash of lightning elicited a jolt out of the group, causing one unfortunate bug to slip and land belly-first into the cold water, her glasses only hairbreadth away from dropping in the streams below.

                                            >"We're never going to make it to the Hive District at this rate!"

                                            >Arista was not overly sugarcoating her analysis of the situation, as per usual.

                                            >"Yeah, I don't fancy swimming all the way home..."

                                            >Cercus, still dripping from the unfortunate slip-n-splash could not boast any optimism either.

                                            >Now, were they colts, no self-respecting household would deny them shelter even in a slightest of drizzles, let alone this unrelenting weather.

                                            >But for five bug-fillies, specifically known for being rambunctious little devils and pranksters extraordinaire?

                                            >Not a chance.

                                            >They just had to suck it up.

                                            >Paranota bit her lip and looked around gingerly.

                                            >"Come on, I know a place to hunker down until this blows over."

                                            >She ushered the group into an alleyway, then into another one, across the boulevard and into the relative calm of a porch of a non-distinct house.

                                            >Looking to the sides and making sure the rain hides all of them from possible onlookers, she starts fiddling with a lock.

                                            >Cercus and Arista give Paranota a look full of skepticism.

                                            >Paranota was fast to dissuade the worry, though.

                                            >"Relax! I've been here several times, the owner is nowhere to be found and the place is cozy."

                                            >Indeed, the porch itself has a bunch of wicker furniture, including a sofa that would be particularly-inviting if not for the rapidly dropping temperature.

                                            >The lock clicks in defeat and the entrance door is swung open, with Paranota ushering everyling inside.


                                            >You are Cercus, last one in and currently letting last of the water to soak into the doormat.

                                            >With the door safely closed and locked behind you, you finally start feeling a bit of warmth creeping back into your extremities.

                                            "Wow, the weather team really has dropped the ball today."

                                            >Arista nods and brings hoof to her forehead in a mock facehoof.

                                            >"What are they thinking? Are they planning to flood the town?"

                                            >Entire room lights up in a blinding chiaroscuro for a split second, thunder following soon after.

                                            >Damn lightning gave you a start, but you smoothly continue the motion, pretending to check the door again.

                                            >Satisfied with your mock-check, you shake your head, perhaps a bit too dramatically.

                                            "And not a moment too soon!"

                                            Tegmina pops out of the dark corridor, giving four of you another start.

                                            >"Cheer up, gang! Looks like nobody's home!"

                                            >She smiles smugly at the fact that she snuck up on you successfully, and whips her scarf around triumphantly.

                                            >"And I found a comfy living room!"

                                            Paranota looked at her in suspicion.

                                            >"How did you manage to scout the place so fast? This house is huge!"

                                            Tegmina sticks out her tongue at Paranota

                                            >"Traaaade seeeeecret!"

                                            Paranota sighs and addresses you all.

                                            >"Alright, all of you make sure you don't track mud or break anything. Don't want the owner worrying, do we?"

                                            "Hold up, you said that the place was abandoned!"

                                            >"No, I said that the owners are nowhere to be found, but I do know for a fact that this place is being kept tidy."

                                            "OwnerS? As in, plural?"

                                            >"Listen, I don't really know who owns this house, but I suggest you keep the noise to a minimum and keep things as you found them."

                                            Stylet suddenly gives you a hip-check, leaning into Paranota's face.

                                            >"This is a nice spot to lay low after pranks! You've been holding out on us, Paranota!"

                                            >The outburst has her stepping back.

                                            >"Well- I, uh- I just didn't know for sure if we can go here on the regular! I've only been here a hoofful of times!"

                                            >Arista pushes between them before this could grow into anything serious.

                                            >"Chill, both of you. Like grubs, I swear..."

                                            >That has the duo reeling,

                                            >"You're only, like, a month older than us, Arista!"


                                            >Not long after you find yourself on a spacious sofa in an unlit living room, huddling with your friends for warmth.

                                            >No homo.

                                            >The lights are off, since Paranota both insisted to keep a low profile and revealed that the house has no power anyway.

                                            >Still, some light filters through the windows and your low-light vision is much better than pony's one, so it's not a big deal.

                                            >It actually reminds you of comfy dark lounges from the Hive District.

                                            >Wails of wind and torrential rain drumming against the glass can be surprisingly cozy when you're inside.

                                            >It lulls you into a mood where you just kick back, relax and take in your surroundings.

                                            >The furnishing is simple, but tasteful. There are some paintings hanging here and there, mostly with pastoral landscapes.

                                            >Judging by her beaming yet smug smile, Stylet seems to have came up with a new prank to pull on the locals, and since Arista is spinning her bracelet in thought as she listens, the prank is ought to be good!

                                            >You look in another direction and Paranota and Tegmina are locked in another one of their arguments over which accessories are better.

                                            >Paranota has a nice medallion that adds a flair of mystery, but Tegmina's scarf is a bit more practical, in your opinion.

                                            >Ah, the accessories. The only thing that makes you stand out to, well, not-changelings who inexplicably all have trouble distinguishing changelings.

                                            >Since transforming outside of your work duties, emergencies and, ummmm... 'nighttime activities' is both illegal and rude.

                                            >You push up your glasses and sigh.

                                            >On one hoof, having bad eyesight automatically provided you with a rock solid excuse to avoid participating in fights over who-gets-dibs-on-what, which turned into hoof-fights more often than not.

                                            >On the other hoof, maybe you wanted something else for yourself...

                                            >Your ears perk up and swivel in place.

                                            >Despite the raging weather, you pick up some creaking coming from a corridor right behind your sofa.

                                            >Both of the conversations have stopped and everyling else have ears scanning that general direction.

                                            >Tegmina squeezes out a forced laugh.

                                            >"I'm sure it's just the old house making weird sounds."

                                            >Without missing a beat, Arista asserts,

                                            >"Maybe. But we should check regardless."


                                            >Stylet's holey hoof pushes door open soundlessly, and all of you filter into the dark corridor.

                                            >It's so dark that not even your low-light vision can pick out every detail, especially towards the opposite end, which is shrouded in darkness completely.

                                            "Doesn't look like there's anypo-"

                                            >You almost jump out of your chitin as a particularly long floorboard gives a creak under your hoof.

                                            >Normally your gal-pals would be laughing their tails off but they look more concerned than anything at the moment.

                                            >You give the floorboard a few pushes. This squeaking is familiar...

                                            >But wait, doesn't that mean that...


                                            >Suddenly Arista whips her head back and forth before making a remark that sends a chill down your carapace.

                                            >"Hold on, we're a mare short!"

                                            >You hear Paranota's panicked voice from behind and burst into the room you're just been in.

                                            >But nothing's there.

                                            >In fact, you can't even hear Paranota anymore.

                                            >Four of you split up and inspect room up and down, but for no avail.

                                            >Finally your impromptu search party meets in front of accursed, quadruple-checked sofa.

                                            >Arista breaks the silence,

                                            >"She couldn't be far. We stay together and search for her. Tegmina, you've scouted the place, lead the way."

                                            >Stylet snorts angrily,

                                            >"I swear to Queen, if that's another one of her stupid pranks..."


                                            "Mare, I don't like the look of that."

                                            >The rest of 'lings say nothing, but the sentiment is shared.

                                            >Stairs to upper floor stretch into the darkness. Sharp shadows from unrelenting lightning storm only further likened the dark void of upstairs to toothy gaping maw, ready to swallow you whole.

                                            >Your search of the ground floor yielded precisely buck all, so you had no choice but to brave the ascent and start anew.

                                            >Tegmina exhales exhaustedly and motions to follow her up the stairs.

                                            >"This floor is a tad mazelike, so don't get lost."

                                            >You gulp. That's not something you want to hear when searching for a friend.


                                            >Be Stylet, and the pit in your stomach is only growing.

                                            >You shouldn't have come here.

                                            >Flash of lightning lights up the hallway across from all of you, and your hemolymph freezes.

                                            >It was a split second but the bright image seared itself into your retinas.

                                            >A figure.

                                            >It's tall. Fiendishly so. A stretched, gangly abomination, paler than sun-bleached bone.

                                            >The lightning struck again, but this time it caught the figure much closer to you, having halved the distance in seconds without as much as a sound!

                                            >You let off a piercing scream and spring into a sprint, hoofing it down the side corridor, the rest of your friends following the suit.

                                            >Counting only two sets of hooves clopping against hardwood, you can't help but whip your head back and look.

                                            >Dammit, Cercus panicked and tried to fly up, meeting the ceiling supports with a dull thud and dropping like a sack of rocks.

                                            >The shadow passes over her struggling silhouette.

                                            >"No! No, no, no, nooo!.."

                                            >The twinkling glint of her glasses is the last thing you see of her before she's dragged away like a feather!

                                            >You barely avoid crashing into the wall and realize that you haven't been breathing all this time.


                                            >Drawing a lungful of cold air you look to Arista and Tegmina, who stare back, wide-eyed.

                                            >They're as scared and confused as you.

                                            "Did you see that?!"

                                            >They nod in agreement.

                                            "We have to split up"

                                            >Tegmina shakes a hoof at you.

                                            >"Are you an idiot? Whatever that thing is, it seeks to isolate us for easy picking!"

                                            >Rolling thunder has you all scrambling for dark corners.

                                            >Arista breaks,

                                            >"This place is bucking haunted!"

                                            >>"So what? Stop being such a colt!"

                                            >Despite the show of bravado, Tegmina can't stop shivering herself.

                                            >She slams door to the corridor, seemingly sealing the fate of Cercus.

                                            >"What are you doing? We need to help her!"

                                            "Shush!"

                                            >And then you all hear it.

                                            >The creaking reverberates down the corridor. It's no longer subtle.

                                            >Moans and groaning of the wood grow louder and... closer.

                                            >As if the house was starting to contort itself to catch all of you.

                                            >Wooden stress has reached its crescendo right behind the door Tegmina slammed shut no so long ago.

                                            >It becomes very quiet for a second. One could hear a pin drop.

                                            >Then the door starts to open up.

                                            >It does so slowly, almost entrancing with its foreboding motion.

                                            >Cold light from flashes floods the doorway intermittently, making you blink to adjust.

                                            >More than enough light to see that...

                                            >There's nothing there. The corridor is empty.

                                            >This seems to push Tegmina over the edge.

                                            >"Buck this, buck this, buck this, buck thiiiiii-"

                                            >Another flash reveals the spindly apparition right in the doorway.

                                            >Her voice picks a whole octave up as all of you bolt for closest doors.

                                            >Arista nearly tramples you trying to fit in the same door.

                                            >"Oh no!"

                                            >Without thinking you whip your head back to Tegmina.

                                            >The door she opened lead into a closet no deeper than a hoof, full of cleaning supplies.

                                            >Arista pulls you along forward and away,

                                            >"Don't stop, you idiot!"

                                            >You and Arista lose sight of Tegmina as you hoof it.

                                            >There is a whimper, and then it's quiet again.

                                            >Well, as quiet as stormy night can be.


                                            >Be Arista, out of breath and terrified.

                                            >You didn't sign up for this manure!

                                            >You've been circling around this floor for Queen-knows how much. If only Tegmina was here, she'd lead you to stairs in a jiffy!

                                            >Stylet is similarly shaking like a leaf in the wind.

                                            "Listen, forget about them; We need to get out of here, we need to get he-"

                                            >You notice too late that Stylet is backing away, practically sliding away on her haunches, looking behind and above you with abject terror.


                                            >Be Stylet.

                                            >You...

                                            >You couldn't do anything.

                                            >You tried screaming to warn Arista but no sound would leave your muzzle.

                                            >Deathly-white appendages wrapped around her midsection and both of them disappeared into the darkness.

                                            >It felt like the tightly-wound spring inside you has finally snapped.

                                            >You found yourself running, flying and running again every which way while shrieking at top of your lungs.

                                            >Sprinting away blindly you stumble down the stairs headfirst.

                                            >Normally you'd be upset but now you could kiss these steps. You were a spitting distance away from the exit out of here!

                                            >You gallop with the full speed of adrenaline crashing through your body.

                                            >Left.

                                            >Left.

                                            >Right!

                                            >The freedom beckons from behind one last door!

                                            >You put your everything into the last sprint.

                                            >Whatever that ghostly figure is, it's likely hot on your tail.

                                            >You come to a screeching halt in front of entrance door.

                                            >You shake and rattle it, fumbling to get the lock mechanism open.

                                            "Come on, come ON, COME ON!"

                                            >Quick turn to gauge how much time you got has you frozen.

                                            >IT'S

                                            >RIGHT

                                            >BEHIND YOU

                                            >With its wiry appendages shooting towards you, you faint.


                                            >You scrunch and turn your head.

                                            >You open your eyes, and give the early morning sun a wicked scowl.

                                            >Hold on.

                                            >You look around.

                                            >It appears that you're lying in that strange outdoor-type couch on the porch of the...

                                            >Oh, no, the bucking haunted house.

                                            >You shudder at the memories, despite the throw blanket keeping you warm in the cold morning air.

                                            >This triggers the chain reaction of your friends stirring, yawning and waking up too.

                                            >Wait, did that horribly disfigured ghost put you all in here?

                                            >Did it have mercy on your souls?

                                            >Why do you feel like you've spent the night snuggling with a colt?

                                            >Was it a colt ghost?

                                            >So many questions, so few answers...


                                            >Be Anon, looking at confused bugmares scampering away from your estate.

                                            >With a steady hand, you cross 'Spooky Ghostly Snuggling' off your bucket list.

                                            >You had a suspicion that adventurous fillies broke in, well, more like, let themselves into your mostly-empty house in the city while you were away busy chilling and getting the most out of your countryside cottage.

                                            >That much is confirmed.

                                            >You, however, did not expect them to be bug ponies.

                                            >Speaking of, you scan down the parchment until you find another bullet point to cross out.

                                            >'Pet a changeling into submission'

                                            >You love getting two-for-one kind of deals!