Death Comes to Those Who Wait

"And the police never found the murderer." Rainbow Dash finished her story, looking at the others. Fluttershy hid behind her hair, shaking and whimpering, envisioning what the poor mare had gone through before her final hours, minutes, and seconds. Flutters tensed up as she thought about how much happier she'd be if she hadn't come to the sleepover.

"Okay, okay, I got one!" Twilight Sparkle smiled.

"There was a pony once, she was-" Twilight started her story, but was interrupted.

"There are lots a ponies, sugar cube." Applejack corrected her friend for once.

"Let me finish!" Twilight adjusted her voice. "Ahem, she was a young unicorn, very unskilled in her magic. She was at a party with the entire town of Hoofington. She danced and had fun, and went outside for fresh air. A mysterious pony came up behind her and knocked her out, then took her away. Three weeks after being reported missing, her body was found underneath the floorboards of a cabin. They never found the murderer, but the experts say they know how she died. She was raped, by a stallion and then was choked repetitively, then stabbed and left for dead. If the police had come an hour earlier, she would've lived. The killer left a bunch of riddles and things, but got off Scott free. The murder weapon was also never located, and was thought to be a horn."

"When was this exactly?" Rarity questioned.

"Around forty years ago. Why?" Twilight asked.

"So, he could still be out there?" Rarity asked again.

"I suppose so, yes." Twilight shot back.

"Among us even?" Rarity begged another question.

"Well, sure, I mean the average age of ponies is 200, and the oldest was 219, so he is most likely alive and at large, but probably an older, smarter gentlecolt." Twilight reasoned.

"I think we should stop, look at Fluttershy." Pinkie pointed to Flutters with a hoof and the mare shook with fear.

The six went to sleep after a reassuring talk, and left the candle on.

Fluttershy awoke to the screams of her friends. The candle had fallen over, and started a fire. Twilight rolled on the floor, while Rainbow flew around. Rarity and Applejack rubbed against furniture with Pinkie screamed and hollered in pain. She tried in vain to get to her friends, to help them end the suffering, but couldn't move. Her buttery body lay still as a log while her friends burned alive.

"Flutters! Help!"

"Help!"

"Don't just stand there!"

"Wake up!"

"Fluttershy! Get up!"

Fluttershy opened her eyes and saw all her friends alive and fine. She gave them all a big hug and wiped off the sweat. Applejack started to leave, but looked at the newspaper.

"Oh my God."

"What?"

"Look."

"Equestria Daily, Murder! Doctor Hooves was found murdered last night in his home. He had been home alone that night, his wife Derpy Hooves and daughter Dinky Hooves were in Canterlot for Derpy's laser eye surgery. He was strangled and stabbed, and left for dead. Experts say if the cops had come an hour earlier he would have lived. Many conspirator's claim this to be the same killer from forty years ago tomorrow. The killer is still at large. The murder weapon was never found at the scene, but is thought by weaponologists to be a unicorn's horn."

"Oh dear." Rarity's body got stiff, then went limp. Applejack dropped the paper and caught her mid faint.

After a session of calming exercises, Applejack left the tree library and went home to make sure her family was okay. Rarity did the same to check on Sweetie Belle. Rainbow Dash got worried about Scootaloo, and flew home quickly to check on her adoptive sister. Pinkie Pie's tailed twitched and she ran home to the Cake's to check on the twins. Fluttershy was the last to leave to check on her animals. Twilight waved and put a tracking spell on everypony before they left. Twilight watched as she left, then went to get into a nice, cool summer bath.

Flutters walked home, then galloped, and checked on the pets of hers. She accounted for every pet and critter, then sat on her terrace. She fell asleep, but woke up when rumbling started. She looked around and saw she was in a lavish carriage. She looked to the driver's seat, and saw a stallion unicorn. He was grey with a white mane and no cutie mark. She looked around and they were in Pexus. A rural part of Hoofstin. The stallion pulled her out of the carriage when they reached an old home, and dragged her into the cabin they parked next to.

"Please let me go! Sir! Please!" She fought and kicked, jerked and twisted, contorted and wiggled her butter yellow body, but to no avail. He threw her inside and locked the door. There were no windows and no light.

He opened a door with stairs and pushed the Pegasus down the stairs. She went head over hoof down the wooden stairs, catching splinters all over as she fell, and it seemed she was falling forever until she hit the hard steel. Her left wing cracked and broke, leaving her howling in pain. She looked around after being kicked into a room made of steel. She turned to the door, but it was bolted shut. He pushed carrots through a slot, but only three. She cried in silence, but stopped.

"Twilight can get me out of this..."

"No one will stop me."A raspy voice laughed.

"No! She is the smartest and bravest pony on Equestria! She'll get me and so will the rest of  my friends!" Fluttershy yelled to the older stallion.

"Believe what you may, but you are wrong either way."

Fluttershy cried and fell asleep balled up in a fetal position in a corner of steel.

"Help me, Twilight Sparkle," She cried.

Twilight called her friends to her after she found Flutters cottage empty. They panicked, and found a letter.

Twilight started to read the letter made out of newspaper clippings and magazines. "I have taken your Pegasus. If you want her back unharmed, you must figure out my riddles. Here is your first:

She is hidden in a place with wind,

Only a special unicorn can mend

The damage to this plain,

You ponies will never be the same.

Just try and stop me, I guarantee I will get away Scott free."

"He has Fluttershy!"