Three days later...

Scootaloo took a deep breath as she tried her best to relax. Unfortunately, even with Sweetie Belle's rather capable hands carefully kneading the muscles of her neck and shoulders, sleep just seemed too far away for her. To top things off, there was still one question she couldn't edge out of her mind, even now. "Hey, Sweetie?"

Sweetie didn't stop as she responded. She smiled softly and spoke in a very gentle tone. "Yes, dear? Is this helping any?"

"Well, it's relaxing, that's for sure. Why didn't you ever tell me you were so good a--" Scootaloo stopped. She shook her head slightly and refocused on the question she felt she needed to ask. "Never mind that. I need to ask something that's been really bugging me for a while. That's okay, right?"

"Of course, Scoots. Want me to stop for a minute?"

Scootaloo thought for a moment before she responded. "It might be a good idea, you know, so we can look at each other and everything."

Sweetie Belle smiled and eased up before stopping her massage and letting her fillyfriend sit up. "Okay, so what's on your mind?"

"It's, it's the whole, you know, not sleeping thing, and the deal with, well, with what you walked in to see..." She let her voice trail off as she felt that she could maybe avoid the memory easier if she didn't admit to it, maybe it would just go away if she never said it. She knew in the back of her mind that she was just fooling herself, but it wasn't exactly hard right now.

Sweetie Belle picked up on what she meant rather quickly, and her smile quickly sank. "You mean, what happened a few days ago, don't you?" Sweetie tried her best to choose her words well, even lately, Scootaloo was often fairly outspoken, and if she didn't say something, she typically had her reasons.

Scootaloo gave a nod. "Why, why did you do what you did? You told me it was because you wanted to help me. Because you wanted to fix things, but... I thought you didn't help rude ponies. I thought you hated them."

Sweetie Belle quickly pulled the pegasus into a tight hug, holding her fillyfriend close. "Scoots, you are not a rude pony. You tried to stay strong for everypony else when you took it all the worst of us all."

Scootaloo hugged Sweetie Belle tightly, but stayed quiet for a time. When she spoke again there was something off about her tone. "You know, if there was one thing I wish I could do, I wish I could go back and tell her how much I loved and cared about her. How thankful I was for everything she did for me. I think if I could do that, I might could finally sleep. Not just for one night after... that... but actually sleep, just lay down and close my eyes when I got tired, and just sleep."

Sweetie couldn't tell what was so different about her fillyfriend's voice, but she knew without a doubt what those words meant. She didn't say a word, simply holding the orange mare against her for a while. The two were comforted in the embrace, and both lost track of time entirely, the only thing pulling them back into the real world being a knock at the door. Instantly, Scootaloo shot up, throwing her fillyfriend more than a bit off balance, though thankfully not enough to make her fall.

Scootaloo rushed to the door, yanking it open upon reaching it, only to find nopony, and nothing, waiting for her on the other side. She was confused, until she remembered what had happened before. With more than slight apprehension, she closed the door and turned around to see Sweetie Belle, and moments later, what she'd figured she would see, the door to the cellar, once more barely open. She looked to Sweetie Belle, who'd seemed to have already noticed it, and looked to the pegasus very nervously.

"I, uh, I guess I should at least get down there, huh?"

Sweetie Belle didn't speak, merely settling for a reluctant nod.

"Are you sure you should have put the note like that? We don't want to mess this up. If she sees that nickname, she might-"

"Look, I know her, okay? The nickname is supposed to throw her off, make her question things. Otherwise she'd get too okay in the head for the next one. If she isn't haunted by something, she might decide she can turn back."

"I see where you're going with this, but do you really think it's a good idea? What if it drives her off the deep end?"

"Look, I figured of anypony around here, you would have at least found something on it before we even started this. Come on, you're smart enough to get psychology."

"... Well, I have found something. Unfortunately, the studies were somewhat inconclusive in many cases."

"Yeah, cause they had to do their stuff under rules and restrictions. We don't. Now just take a deep breath. I've got this under control, remember?"

"I guess you're right. I'll try to calm down."

"Here, I know this is stressful, so how about a good back rub? Maybe we can get Spike to fix us some tea?"

"Yeah, yeah that sounds pretty good right now."

"Perfect, besides, you love where the back rubs lead. Don't worry though, I'll actually let you finish your tea this time."

A giggle. "Oh, you."

"Hey, Spike, c'mere."

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle made their way down into the cellar only to find the usual things, at least for Scootaloo: A sheet covering what she knew was a pony strapped down and awaiting their untimely death, and the table, again uncovered. There was only one difference this time. There was a pony by the table, seemingly standing at attention. The two mares froze at seeing the pony. As they looked on, they noticed it was most likely a stallion, as well as that he wore a mask that seemed to be something between the crude nature of a ski mask, and the much more professional, not to mention slightly disturbing design of a gimp mask. He stood stone still as he looked to the mares, and decided to speak up when it appeared they would not.

"Miss Scootaloo, Miss Sweetie Belle. I was designated your assistant for this one. Don't worry, I'm here on highly strict orders, and I've been trained in execution, clean-up, and stealth as to ensure I am of use to you, and to ensure I am not caught by eyes that needn't see me."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo remained speechless as they simply stared at what they'd now confirmed to be a stallion. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but I'm not allowed to get to work until the note is read, and I'm not allowed to read it for you, Miss Scootaloo. So, if you would be so kind as to politely allow me to get on with my task, that would be much welcome."

Scootaloo's eyes widened and she rushed over to the table before any protest could be put up from her or her fillyfriend. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm polite. I am, really." She reached for the note, but looked to the stallion. "Should, should I read it aloud, so you know when I'm done?" Throughout this rather short response, Sweetie Belle's jaw had dropped in astonishment. As she processed it, one thing began to race through her mind, the exact word where she saw her fillyfriend begin to react.

"You needn't read it aloud, I wasn't allowed to read it because it is meant for your eyes alone, Miss. Simply let me know when you've read it."

Scootaloo gave a nod as she looked down to the note:

Scootaloo, I think we can be a bit more casual now, don't you? Of course you do, I mean you've only handled killing two ponies for me, and I've helped you not get caught the first time you killed. You didn't think it was just a coincidence that a previously clear sky suddenly started pouring down rain, did you? Look, the stallion beside you is a friend, but a shoddy one. He's good enough at getting into places, but he's horrible at his exits. Now you just tell him he's got the go, and let him work. He knows how to handle the kill and the clean up. There are three tools under the table meant for you. Use one of them to end him before he can leave. We can't have sloppy friends in this business, can we? Anyways, I trust you to get this done and done right, so just do whichever one feels more natural, Squirt.

~A Friend

The pegasus stood, shaking, as her mind raced. After a moment, something clicked, and something snapped. She stood straight, a new demeanor taking her over as she set the note down. She looked to the stallion with an expression that seemed to demand authority, one that made the stallion's eyes glint a bit of fear. Sweetie Belle had decided to take a seat on the stairs as Scootaloo had started the note, and with the sudden change in the pegasus, she was more than a little glad she had.

Scootaloo spoke with a tone Sweetie hadn't heard in years, a tone that overflowed with the confidence of a younger, happier Scootaloo. One who still had her big sister.

"I don't know your name, so don't use mine. Got it? Now, I've read it, and you may begin. I have something to handle in the meantime. You can handle the kill and clean-up?"

The stallion nodded and cleared his throat. "Yes ma'am. I'll get to it." With only enough to show he'd heard his signal, he went to his orders, picking up a knife and walking to the covered figure. Upon removing the sheet, a magenta unicorn was revealed, with a strange ring of ancient characters on the base of her horn. The stallion seemed to recoil slightly, but quickly made his way back to the table and retrieved a bone saw. He walked back to the unicorn and began to carefully saw through her horn, meeting only a little resistance with the saw being made and enchanted to handle just such a job.

As he began his work, Scootaloo went to hers. She knelt quietly and looked under the table to find a box. She opened it to find within it three items, a pouch with a skull and crossbones embroidered on the side, a very specially crafted dagger that seemed to have been made to be as elegant and beautiful as it was meant to be deadly, and a butcher's knife. It took the orange mare only a moment to pick the dagger. She grabbed it and removed it from the box before closing it silently. She looked over to find the stallion well into his work, and nearing completion. While she had the time, she looked to the knife and hefted it a little, finding it to be perfectly balanced, though a bit on the heavy side. She didn't mind. It might be better a little heavier. As she heard him finishing up, she stowed the knife in a small towel on the table.

The horn clinked as it landed on the floor. Sweetie Belle had long turned and walked away from the scene, now sitting near the top of the stairs, unable to see what happened below, and rather glad for it. The sound of the horn clinking to the floor made her shudder. "Why am I doing this? Why don't I just stop it?"

"You know why, Sweetie. You screwed her up like this. It's your fault. You love her and you owe her whatever help you can lend, even if you can't stomach watching what she does."

"But--"

"No but's, you care about her, right?"

"Yes."

"And you want to help her, right?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Then you can sit through it. You can put your discomfort aside for her. It's the least you can do."

Sweetie Belle sighed and nodded to herself. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she had to stay strong now. Scootaloo needed somepony to lean on, and right now, that was her.

As the stallion finished cleaning up all the blood, he deposited the horn into a special container before unstrapping the body and hefting it up. As he turned towards the bin, Scootaloo picked up the knife. As he set off towards the bin, she silently followed and closed the distanced just before reaching the bin. The stallion leaned over and dropped the corpse inside. Scootaloo took her chance. The pegasus quickly plunged the knife into the masked stallion's throat, holding him over the bin as she pulled the blade out, all of the blood from his wound either finding its way into the bin or onto Scootaloo's hand and dagger. After the bleeding ceased, Scootaloo gave the small heave necessary to force the stallion's corpse into the bin over his own victim.

Scootaloo panted softly as her mind slowly eased back to her norm. As it did, her eyes widened. She finally realized just what she'd done. She shook her head almost violently before looking into the bin once more. She rushed to the stairs. As she ascended, she only barely noticed Sweetie Belle moving out of the way in her peripheral vision. She rushed into her room and dropped the knife onto her dresser before picking up the shard she'd become so familiar with. She quickly pressed it to her shoulder and slid it across, groaning aloud as her blood slowly spilled down her arm. She dropped again to her knees as she caught her breath.

Upon finally recovering, she stood. She held her wound as she walked by Sweetie Belle and down into the cellar. Upon not seeing the stallion standing anywhere, she rushed as fast as her hooves and wings would take her to the bin. She looked in and froze. She hadn't dreamed it. She'd really just killed a stallion after giving him the order to kill somepony else, somepony that could have been innocent, as innocent as--

No! Nopony is as innocent as her. Nopony is as sweet, as kind as Sweetie.

She took a few breaths and looked at the first victim. She finally noticed it was a stallion, and one she'd actually remembered seeing in the alleys a few times. As the memories resurfaced, she grimaced and growled. "Served you right you fucking creep." Her tone dripped with venom as she spoke, though the only one to hear it was the white unicorn who'd walked over during Scootaloo's thoughts.

"Scootaloo? Why'd you cut yourself again?"

The pegasus turned quickly to Sweetie, her expression softening from one of contempt for the stallion, to one of apology. "I, I just wanted it to be a dream. I didn't want to know that I'd just killed him. I didn't want it to have really happened. I'm sorry."

Sweetie's horn lit up and Scootaloo felt a slight sting on her arm before she noticed that it was no longer bleeding. She looked at it and blinked. She then looked to Sweetie Belle just before the unicorn pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't apologize. You had to do it, right? Let's just get you cleaned up, love. Come on."

After a moment more in embrace, and a few spent in a kiss, the mares got to their hooves and walked out of the cellar, closing the door behind them. They then made their way to the bathroom to clean up. If there was one thing they knew from the event, it was that at least the two could finally settle to sleep together again. They cleaned up entirely unaware of the figures taking the corpses from the cellar.

Author's Note

I know it's a bit short, and I apologize, but I couldn't see myself combining this chapter with another. It feels like it's a decent standing chapter, so I hope that it doesn't disappoint too badly. Again, please let me know where I've goofed. I don't mind hearing where I did well, too, but that's not too important to me right now. Hope you enjoy.