Nights Stained Red

Chapter 6- Dark Wings
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were pushing through the crowd of partying ponies in the tent. The two fillies were searching for Scootaloo. They hadn’t seen her since she had stormed out two nights ago. Sweetie Belle very briefly wondered what had bothered the young unicorn so much. But that was the same night of her elder sister’s death.
Sweetie didn’t want to be here in public, pelt soaked and feeling miserable. All she wanted was to be back at home with her parents, curled up in her bed, warm and free to grieve for Rarity. She was only here for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. It would be worth it to be with them; seeing them smiling and partying might even lift her own spirits. She hoped it would.
“I’m not sure she’s here,” Apple Bloom said.
“I don’t know. Maybe we could ask around?” As soon as Sweetie Belle spoke the words, a drunken stallion dressed as a vampire crashed into a table. Ponies around him laughed at the unconscious partyer.
“I’m guessing they weren’t really paying attention to who all was here,” Apple Bloom stated. With a sigh the two young fillies began to fight the crowd again. Before long they reached the stage where Vinyl Scratch was tearing up the turntables. Partiers danced wildly, a few times nearly hitting the small two friends.
“Maybe we should check somewhere else,” Sweetie Belle suggested, dodging a flailing limb.
“Yeah,” agreed Apple Bloom. “And split up. We’ll meet at the entrance in half an hour or so.”
“Okay.”
The unicorn weaved through the crowding ponies and into a more open part of the tent near the rear exit. Sweetie Belle stepped out and took a breath of the rain-scented air. Nopony was out and about; Sweetie Belle didn’t blame them, being drenched by the falling rain.
Being alone helped her to calm down. All emotions worries began to melt from her mind like sun melting the cold winter’s snow. She began to walk down the street, her hooves splashing in puddles of muddy rainwater.
“AAAAAHHHHHHH!” The shriek echoed in the empty street over the sound of pouring rain. Sweetie Belle froze. It sounded as if it was coming from Sugarcube Corner two buildings down. She walked cautiously towards the building. The door was hanging ajar and light was streaming out into the dark street.
Sweetie Belle stepped into the bakery apprehensively. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the place besides the door hanging open. Sweetie Belle shut the door behind her and scanned the room for the residents of the sweetshop.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang directly overhead. Sweetie Belle looked straight up. “Something’s wrong,” she whispered to herself. The young unicorn located the stairs and walked up, trembling with the uneasiness.
At the top of the staircase, she could hear muffled voices, but nothing comprehensible. Sweetie Belle shuddered and continued through the hallway, determined to find out what was going on. She passed a door and stopped at the second one. Lights sputtered from beneath the door. Whatever was wrong lied on the other side.
Sweetie Belle tried the handle, surprised to find it unlocked. The door creaked open to reveal Hell.
“SHUT UP!” her friend shouted right before kicking the jaw off the pink pony. Pinkie Pie sat dazed for a moment, blood spurting from where her lower mandible used to be. Then the corpse fell into a growing pool of her own blood.

With Pinkie Pie dead, Pathos surrendered control to Scootaloo. The orange pegasus instantly broke into sobs, the tears cleansing some of the blood from her face as they flowed down her cheeks. All she could do was mourn for the deceased mare.
Scootaloo caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up to see Sweetie Belle, staring at her with fear-stricken green eyes. Sweetie’s eyes darted to the mangled corpse that was once Pinkie, then looked back up at Scootaloo.
“It was you?” the tremulous unicorn said in a barely audible whisper.
“Sweetie Belle, it’s not what it looks like. I swear!” Scootaloo tried to convince her, panic spreading like a wildfire throughout her body.
Sweetie Belle’s eyes hardened at the blood-spattered pegasus. “Then what the fuck is it!” she yelled, taking a threatening step forwards. Scootaloo winced. Sweetie obviously didn’t understand, and it would be next to impossible to get her to comprehend the situation.
“Listen, remember the story about Pathos Rainbow told us about?” Sweetie Belle shrank back towards the exit. “Wait! When we were in the Everfree Forest, I ran into his grave and he… got into me.”
“Liar!” Sweetie shouted and bolted out the door. Scootaloo pursued her out and intercepted her at the top of the stairs.
“You’ve got to believe me! We’re friends. I would never lie to you!” Scoots urged.
“We are not friends!” Sweetie Belle argued and barged past the pegasus filly. Scootaloo chased her downstairs and saw Sweetie Belle opening the front door. Scoots rushed forward and slammed the door shut, holding it closed with both forehooves. Sweetie tugged desperately at the handle.
“No!” said Scootaloo. “You can’t leave! You can’t tell anypony!”
“Let me out!”
“I can’t!”
“Let me go! I hate you!”
What happened next was an act of pure desperation. Concentrated fear at the idea of getting caught surged through her, causing her to resort to the type of violence that came whenever Pathos took over. The fear was so powerful it even overpowered concern for her friend’s well-being.
Scootaloo reached up and dashed Sweetie Belle’s head solidly against the door. The unicorn collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Blood welled from the gash on the white filly’s head. Scootaloo backed away from her, remorse swelling in her heart. How could she have done it?
…You are becoming…
“What? What am I becoming?”
…I, you and you, me…
“No! I can’t take it! You’ve taken control far too long!”
…It’s almost over, though… Soon…
“I don’t want to! Leave me alone!”
…Not yet. Peace is not upon us yet...
Scootaloo shook her head. It was hopeless to argue with the dark spirit. She picked up Sweetie Belle’s sleeping form and swung the unicorn onto her back. Sweetie Belle needed to be somewhere safer.
A sudden realization struck her. Pathos could’ve easily had her kill Sweetie Belle. She was a descendent Diamond Star as much as Rarity, wasn’t she? It was the same for Apple Bloom, too. Pathos had spared Scootaloo’s best friends, but why? It was with this question on her mind that Scootaloo entered the rainy night, Sweetie Belle draped across her shoulders.

“Pinkie Pie is dead, Twilight,” Roan muttered to the unicorn sitting at a table eating breakfast. Roan slid the newspaper to Twilight across the table.
“Great surprise there,” Twilight mumbled sarcastically. “They’ve been dropping like flies, one a day. The question is not so much who died, now, as who will die. I kind of hope I go next. Who’d want to live in a world like this anyways?” Twilight went back to eating her oats without so much as a glance at the paper.
Roan felt sorry for her. It had to be extremely difficult to deal with the death of so many of her friends. She had noticed that, last night as Roan was reviewing evidence from the crime scenes, Twilight was tossing and turning. Not even sleep could be a refuge after all the trauma.
It had been nice to take a break and go to the Nightmare Night party last night, but their problems were waiting for them as soon as the two unicorns returned. Roan had resumed her inspections as Twilight had gone to bed, dragging Spike with her. Thus far, it was clear that the homicides were connected, yet the murderer was still impossible to determine… except for the suspicion that Pinkie Pie had.
Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in Equestria and the first to tell you so, was headstrong and bold. It wouldn’t be impossible to see her as one who would hold a grudge against somepony. Yet, didn’t she represent the Element of Loyalty? It didn’t add up that she could’ve killed her best friends in cold blood. But there were no other suspects, and Roan could take any chances. The brown unicorn sighed. Twilight needed to know that Rainbow was the suspect.
“Twilight, I need to tell you something,” said Roan.
“What? It better be good news. I’m sick of bad news,” Twilight muttered.
Roan hesitated. There was no way she could tell Twilight that the last of her best friends was the prime suspect in her case. Not only that, hadn’t she promised Pinkie Pie that she wouldn’t tell anypony about Rainbow unless she was absolutely sure of her guilt? “I… I think I’m getting close to a suspect,” she found herself saying. It wasn’t a complete lie.
“I wish you luck,” Twilight said, “for both our sakes.” The lavender unicorn stood and walked away from the table. “I’m going to get more sleep, I didn’t get enough last night.”
Roan watched her ascend to her bedroom. It wouldn’t be long before the culprit was caught. As soon as she investigated Pinkie Pie’s death scene, she would find out if Rainbow Dash was innocent… or if the blue pegasus wasn’t as loyal as she acted.

Apple Bloom wandered aimlessly through the deserted streets of Ponyville. The overcast sky blocked the sun and its warmth, giving the place a dreadfully gloomy and unhappy place. Ponyville had transformed from a happy and exciting place to a dull and somber one. Where was the harmony that usually sustained the calm land?
Apple Bloom gazed up into the mountains north of the depressed town. The brilliant spires of Canterlot were hidden among the clouds. Wasn’t Celestia watching? Couldn’t she do anything to stop the darkness that was swathing the town in utter depression?
And what was going on with Cloudsdale? Couldn’t they get rid of the dark clouds and shine one bright day across Ponyville again? The ponies desperately needed one to lighten their spirits. However, there was too much to be upset over. A sunny day wouldn’t make much difference.
Sweetie Belle had never met her at the entrance the night before. Neither had she found Scootaloo. Apple Bloom had waited for hours for either of her friends to show up. However, when the party ended, she gave up and went home. It would surprise her if the killer had gotten to her friends as well. She sighed and continued her drifting.
Cloudsdale was known as the City in the Sky. Canterlot was the City of Light. However, Ponyville was going to be known as the City of Tears…

“The dreams; they’re real aren’t they.” Scootaloo was currently in one of those dreams. Pathos sat before her, a blank expression splayed across his distorted face.
He regarded her nonchalantly as he replied, “Yes, they are.”
“Is that why things get… weird in the dreams?”
“I suppose so.”
“Like when I was asleep at the base of the treehouse and Apple Bloom never noticed me. I wasn’t really there was I? I was dreaming into your world and, therefore, not in Equestria at all.”
Pathos looked up at the orange filly. She reminded him a lot of the filly that had snapped him from his mindless rampage two hundred years prior. The thought brought back memories of fear and hatred and utter disgust, all aimed at himself. The result was his suicide. The poor filly never needed to die. No filly does, no matter how wrong they are. So, Pathos made it a point to never kill the young.
However, there was that incident with Cyan. Pathos had managed to take refuge in the pegasus about fifteen years ago. The pegasus was easy enough to break, his will submitting to Pathos’ with minimal effort. Yet, Pathos’ violent influence drove Cyan insane. Cyan took the murderous compulsion to a level Pathos couldn’t maintain. He began to create designs of torture for pure sport, completely shrugging off the will of Pathos to get revenge. Then came the day when that young unicorn filly crossed paths with the deranged pegasus. Pathos fought for little Roan’s life, but Cyan was too far gone to control; even his own power had its limits. If it wasn’t for that red pegasus colt, Cyan would’ve killed the filly, making Pathos’ sorrow that much greater.
“Aren’t you listening?” Scootaloo complained. “I want answers.”
“I thought you wanted me out of your body,” Pathos retorted.
“Well, yeah. But you can see how well that turns out for me. I really hate you. But what I hate more is that you take that you’re evil in a relatable sort of way. But you’re killing my friends!”
Pathos shrugged. “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t have to. I can’t just ignore this.”
“You know what?” Scootaloo stood up so that her lavender eyes were parallel with his black ones. “You have to get over the fact that not everypony liked you! I am bullied a lot too, but you don’t see me going around, killing anyone who picked on me. Get over your damn anger issues and go back to Hell where you belong!”
Pathos shot forward and bowled Scootaloo over, pinning her to the black dreamscape by her wings. “Nopony has ever killed someone you loved just to hurt you! I kill for my own spiritual rest. It isn’t right, I know, but sometimes the only answer is to make everypony around you suffer! That’s the only way I can get my spirit out of Equestria, by filling a debt two hundred years overdue!” Blood from Pathos’ mangled visage was spattered all over the frightened pegasus’ face as she nodded in submission.
Pathos got off of her and walked off into the shadows. “Now get yourself up. We must prepare for another night stained red.”

Roan stood before the floating residence of Rainbow Dash, which levitated far above her head in the midday sky. She had just come from Pinkie Pie’s apartment, which yielded hardly in the way of evidence anything except nightmares. The image of the defiled body filled her mind even as she stood here at this seemingly peaceful place.
A stiff breeze blew across the ground towards Roan, whipping her ponytailed mane behind her head. The brown unicorn shivered in the cold wind. The breeze carried with it a peculiar scent.
Roan froze. It was the very scent that heralded the bloody massacres she had seen countless times this week. It was the scent of death.
She followed the scent trail, engulfed in shadow as she followed it underneath the levitating manor. The acrid aroma led her to a patch of upturned earth. A gobbet of festering meat protruded from the ground, swarming with flies and ants. The sight and stench threatened to make Roan regurgitate her light meal earlier that morning. But this could be vital evidence.
Steeling herself, Roan began to shovel through the dirt with her front hooves. She worked through the muddy ground until she struck something hard. Bone, the word flicked across her mind like a ghost. The unicorn scraped the earth off of a deteriorating, green pegasus’ body. The sight caused her to puke right then and there, not having any willpower remaining after all of her work with corpses lately. However, she wasn’t completely sure if that was what caused her to throw up. It may have been the fact that she had found proof of Rainbow’s guilt.
“No,” Roan told herself. “I can’t be too sure yet. Who’s to say somepony else didn’t bury this body here.”
With reluctance, Roan continued to uncover the carcass. She was drenched with sweat by the time the entire body was unearthed. The unicorn looked the body up and down, searching for any possible evidence of a killer. The body wasn’t ruthlessly mangled like the other four, the only wound being the knife still embedded in his skull. There were signs of minute deterioration, yet the pegasus had obviously died recently.
“What are you doing here?!”
Roan jumped at the unexpected voice. She whipped around to see Rainbow Dash who was shivering, eyes wide and wings erect. The pegasus looked as if she’d seen a ghost, which couldn’t be far off since she was staring at the uncovered body. The reaction was the unwanted piece of evidence Roan had needed.
“Rainbow,” said Roan, taking a step forward. “You didn’t… kill him, did you?”
Rainbow took a tremulous step back. “Y-you don’t understand. I had to. He-he tried to r-rape me! I had no choice!” Dash babbled, her voice cracking with fear. She receded from the brown unicorn, shuddering more violently.
“Rainbow… why?”
“I can’t! I just can’t!” Dash abruptly shot into the cloudy skies, the rainbow she left in her wake seeming washed out.
“I had hoped I was wrong,” Roan said, bowing her head. Then the rain plummeted once more from the depressed skies overhead.

Sweetie Belle awoke with a start, sitting straight up as soon as her eyes were open. She was in the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse. Her head pounded as memories of the night before came back to her. The image of Pinkie Pie’s mutilated body filled her mind.
“Oh, you’re awake,” said Scootaloo, walking in from outside.
The white unicorn’s eyes dilated with fear. “No! Stay away!” Sweetie shrieked, scrambling backwards to get away from the orange pegasus. She fell off the bed. The impact caused the wound on her head to blaze with new pain, causing her sense of danger to heighten further.
“Shh. It’s alright Sweetie Belle. I’ve brought you something to eat,” Scootaloo said as she set the bag of food on the table. “I’m sorry I scared you. Are you feeling okay? How’s your head?”
“I’m… okay,” Sweetie Belle said. Scoots took a few steps forward, but Sweetie still backed away in fear. “No! I saw you! You killed Pinkie! You hurt me!”
“I know it looks bad, but you have to trust me when I tell you isn’t me doing these terrible things,” Scootaloo said, her calm tone calming Sweetie a bit. “Pathos is real. He takes control of my body to kill and get revenge. I try my best to stop him, but his spirit is strong. I hate killing. I cry myself to sleep almost every night.”
“Are you… are you telling the truth?” Sweetie asked.
Scootaloo nodded solemnly. “I wish it were different. I’ve tried desperately to stop it, even attempting suicide, but nothing works.”
Sweetie wasn’t quite convinced, but she was willing to trust her… for now. “Why don’t you tell somepony?” she asked, standing back up.
“Are you kidding? I don’t even think you believe me,” she muttered. “Plus, getting caught would ruin me. Nopony would trust me even if I was allowed to live. I would go down in history as a heartless slaughterer.”
“So, you’re just going to let Pathos control you until everypony is dead?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Scoots shook her head. “He only wants certain ponies; the descendants of those who had hurt him most. Four of the six blood debts are repaid. But I have a bad feeling that the other two are Twilight and Rainbow.”
A trickle of dread seeped back into Sweetie Belle’s heart at the news. “When will it happen next?” she questioned, fearing the answer.
“Tonight…”

Twilight was busy putting away stacks of books. She hadn’t gone on extensive research as is usually the case when using so many books. No, these books were scrapbooks, loaded with memories of everything that had happened since she arrived in Ponyville. She wiped tears from her face as she placed the final book on the shelf.
“You okay, Twi?” Spike asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Twilight reassured the young dragon.
The sound of the front door slamming resounded upstairs. It was probably Roan, back from her investigation. The lavender unicorn trotted down the stairs and found the brown mare in disarray. Her black mane was not in its usual ponytail, she had mud all over her coat, and the smell rolling off her was awful.
“Roan, what’s going on?” Twilight asked, concerned for her.
“I ran over… as fast as I could,” Roan panted.
“That’s great. Maybe you should take a bath,” Spike muttered bluntly.
“Shut up!” Twilight reprimanded, cuffing him over the head.
“Listen, Twilight. If Rainbow Dash comes over, don’t let her in! I think she’s the murderer! I know it must be hard, but you have to trust me on this!” Roan panted heavily after her warning.
“Rainbow?” Twilight asked.
Roan nodded, a sad expression on her face. “I’m sorry. It was actually Pinkie Pie who warned me of her odd behavior. She made me promise not to tell anyone unless I had proof of her guilt. And… well.” Raon placed her suitcase on the table and removed her photo album, which she levitated over to Twilight.
“I’ll let you look over that while I go clean myself up,” Roan trotted off towards the bathroom and the sound of water splashing into the tub filled the air.
The pictures were haunting. A few of them, she had already seen before, but the others were new traumas to behold. Twilight’s head spun at the images of Rarity’s distorted face, and Pinkie’s flayed body. There were a few pictures of a ragged green pegasus. It took her a second to place the name.
“Aero Wing. So, that explains why the weather has been so dark. He hasn’t been there to manage the weather.” She continued to flip through the photos and landed on the one depicted Pinkie Pie’s scored chest. It reminded her of something.
“Spike?” she summoned her assistant. “What does this remind you of?” She handed the picture to Spike.
“I don’t know. It really just makes me sad.”
“No, I meant the cuts on the body. Doesn’t it look like anything?”
“Fluttershy?”
“Exactly. It’s hard to tell, but I think the cuts spell something,” Twilight stated.
“Oh… I see,” said Spike. “Here, take it. I can’t look at it anymore,” he said, giving the photograph back to Twilight. She seized the picture with her magic and scrutinized the image closely.
She began to make out the letters scrawled on the body. Twilight sounded out the words as she deciphered them. “Of… peace… and… rest.” She looked over it again to make sure that was right. “Of peace and rest? What does that…” The other images on the table caught her vision, specifically the photos containing messages. She took the four photos and placed them in order of death on the table.
“Revenge of the fallen soul… will lead me back… to the realm… of peace and rest! That’s it! The killer wants revenge! But why? And if it really was Rainbow Dash, what could compel her to murder her best friends? Could the Element of Loyalty have made a mistake in choosing her?”
“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” said Spike who had gone to stand by the window. “She’s coming.”

“Twilight? You home?” Rainbow Dash called as she knocked on the door to the Golden Oak Library.
The cyan pegasus needed to talk to Twilight about Aero Wing, and she wanted to do so before Roan got to her; at least if she hadn’t already. After running into Roan earlier that day, she couldn’t stop thinking about how the unicorn had reacted after finding the body. Rainbow figured that if she could talk to one of her most trustworthy friends, they could figure out what to do about it. Twilight was her only hope in finding a way out of the mess she was forced to get herself into.
“Twilight!” she called again. Still, there was no reply. “Damn it, Twilight. Of all the times you could’ve been out, why did you choose now?”
“Rainbow Dash!” somepony beckoned her from behind. “Rainbow! Help!”
Dash turned to see Sweetie Belle running towards her as quickly as possible. The little unicorn was panting heavily as she ran, her face one of intense worry.
“What’s wrong, Sweetie? Is everything alright? What happened to your head?” Dash asked.
“I can’t find Scootaloo! She’s gone! It’s almost dark, so it can’t be long before she attacks again!”
“Wait. Are you telling me that Scootaloo is the murderer? And, not just that, I haven’t seen her in almost a week. How did you find her?”
“She’s being used. Ugh! There will be time to explain later! We need to find her ASAP! Maybe you can look for her from the sky. Now, I need to go find Apple Bloom and get her to help.” With that, Sweetie Belle took off down the street.
Rainbow Dash watched the filly for a minute before launching herself into the cold air. As she soared skywards, she was embraced by the freezing wind. It matched the feeling of her heart when she found Scootaloo’s feather. She had to find her; she just had to. “I know you’re not a killer. When I find you, I will help you and I will protect you. It’ll be alright, little sister.”

Dreams again. Damn these dreams. The realm of Pathos was a bleak darkness that Scootaloo entered every night. Pathos wasn’t here with Scootaloo this time; she was all alone in the pitch black dreamscape. She rather preferred the solitude, at least compared to Pathos’ presence. The bloodstained stallion was crazy, and she absolutely loathed him for using her like he did.
The dream began to fade; she was waking up. Horror struck her as she realized that she was no longer in the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse. Scootaloo was even more dismayed to find that she could no longer feel the pressure of the ropes coiled around her. She was in somepony’s bedroom. It looked vaguely familiar, but the pegasus filly had a hard time placing it.
“Is she gone?”
Scoots heard voices drift up from downstairs.
“Yes. She’s gone.”
“Alright.”
“Hey. It’ll all be fine. At least we know who it is now.”
“You don’t know that it is her, Spike.”
“But Roan said—“
“I know what she said. But sometimes ponies make mistakes. I just don’t think Rainbow would do that.”
Scootaloo groaned mournfully. Twilight was Pathos’ next target. How would he have her mutilate the unicorn this time? She didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to think, period. Pathos once more seized control over her, the familiar red hazed vision and aching heart returning for the fifth time. Tonight’s slaughter was about to begin… and Scootaloo wasn’t sure if she could hold back this time.

“I know it isn’t like her at all, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry,” Spike said to Twilight.
“I know,” Twilight conceded, “I just don’t want to lose the last of my closest friends.”
“I’m sorry. If it doesn’t work out, maybe we could move back to Canterlot. Then we could leave this all behind us. It’d be nothing but a bad dream.”
Twilight looked up at Spike with affection. He was always there to help her out when she was in need of a friend. “Maybe. But we’ll have to wait until we are one hundred percent sure Dash is the culprit. Until then, I don’t want to think badly of her. She is the only friend I have left; the only one left I have to turn to. I bet she’s gone through as much heartache as I have.”
“But if she is the killer then she wouldn’t—“
“Spike!” Twilight interrupted the young dragon, anger beginning to surface inside her. “I just told you I don’t want to talk about her like that. Dash never killed anypony!”
“As far as you know…” Spike muttered under his breath.
“You know what?” Twilight spat, turning on him. “Go away. Go make yourself useful and clean the bedroom or something. I just want to be left alone right now!” Twilight abruptly turned away from him and busied herself by looking through the bloody pictures. She would prove it; Rainbow would never kill anypony. It just didn’t make sense. Next time she saw the polychromatic pegasus, she would find out the truth.
Suddenly there was a crash from upstairs and Spike let out a scream of pain.
“Spike?” Twilight called. There was another thunderous bang. Twilight immediately cast aside the photos and dashed to the base of the staircase. “Spike!” she called up. There was no answer. She ascended the stairs. Nothing could prepare her for what she saw at the top.

Rainbow Dash was in Twilight’s room Scootaloo pinned underneath her. Spike was unconscious against the wall. Scootaloo writhed under her grasp, but she held the young pegasus firmly beneath her.
Dash had been passing Twilight’s house looking for Scoots when she heard Spike’s scream. Flying through the window, she found that Scootaloo had attacked the young dragon. Rainbow tackled the young filly and managed to get Scoots under her.
“Rainbow?!” came a frightened voice from the doorway. Rainbow looked up to see Twilight staring at her in shock. There was no doubt that the fear in the unicorn’s gaze was directed towards her.
“No, Twilight. It’s not what you think.”
A bolt of magic was fired at her. Dash rolled to avoid getting shot, inadvertently freeing Scootaloo. Twilight continued her assault, raining magic upon the cyan pegasus. “Twilight, listen to me! Stop!”
“No! Get out!” The barrage forced Rainbow towards the window. Seeing no other option, she launched herself out the window. As she flew, one of the magic bolts struck her wing and she plummeted to the ground, landing with a painful crash on her back. The feathers were singed and the wing bent an awkward angle.
“Damn it! She broke it!” Rainbow swore. She needed to get back in there before anything bad happened to Twilight. Who knew what gruesome death awaited her. But she would need help convincing Twilight if she got in before Scootaloo did anything.
“Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. They would help. I better find them fast.” Rainbow shook the dirt from her coat and began to search the town… on foot.

Apple Bloom was thoroughly confused. She had been in the west field of Sweet Apple Acres reminiscing and watching the sunset, when Sweetie Belle came up to her with news, or maybe an offensive joke.
“So let me get this straight. Scootaloo, our best friend, is the one who killed both our sisters, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. But she’s not the real murderer. Some spirit from a story we were told possesses her and forces her to kill against her will. Did I miss anything?”
Sweetie Belle stepped closer and put a hoof on Apple Bloom’s shoulder. “Come on. I didn’t believe it at first, but it’s true. I need your help. We need your help. Scoots escaped and she could strike another pony dead at any second. We need to find her and stop her before it’s too late. You do believe me, don’t you?”
“Believe you?” Apple Bloom pulled away from Sweetie Belle’s grasp. “Have you gone insane? Sweetie, this story is nothin’ but a bunch of lies. It makes sense that Scootaloo is the murderer; she hasn’t been home in more than a week, so I’d stay away from her. She probably made that excuse up in five seconds. She may have killed your sister, and you still believe her? You’re dumber than I thought! I didn’t trust anypony besides you and my family once they started dyin’. But I can’t risk relyin’ on somepony who believes in a killer. Guess I’ll have to find new friends.” Apple Bloom turned her back to the white unicorn; she didn’t want Sweetie to see the tears in her eyes.
“What? How are you so sure it was Scoots anyways?” Sweetie demanded.
Apple Bloom dried her eyes and steadied her voice before answering; putting on what she hoped was a hard expression. “Remember a few days ago, when we were all at the clubhouse after Applejack died? Remember how weird Scootaloo had been acting. That night, not long after she ran off, Rarity was killed. I kind of just put two and two together. And your news just validates it. But there ain’t no way that Scootaloo is being controlled by some make-believe ghost.”
“You weren’t there,” said Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom heard her friend’s voice crack and turned around to see her crying. “You didn’t see when she killed Pinkie,” she continued. “After Pinkie died, Scootaloo cried. You could see the sorrow in her eyes. I was scared by her, yes, but there was sincere agony in her gaze. Today, I spent the whole day with her. She told me everything. What murderer confesses all their crimes to a friend whose sister she killed? I don’t know about you, but I believe her. Now more than ever. And if you can’t do the same, then who needs a friend like you? I’m always going to be there for Scoots, even if it means losing you. I’m sorry, but I have a friend who needs me right now.” Sweetie Belle turned and cantered away from Apple Bloom.
She didn’t know why she did it or what caused her change in heart, but Apple Bloom chased Sweetie Belle and caught up with her. “I’m coming with you. You’re right. We need to help Scoots right now. Together we can get her back.”
Sweetie Belle smiled and embraced her. Apple Bloom hugged her back, but noticed somepony racing towards them, yelling. It was Rainbow Dash.

“Are you okay Scootaloo?” Twilight asked.
Scootaloo wanted to tell Twilight to run; to say anything that would save her life. But Pathos kept her mouth shut. It was the struggle she lost most against him. When he was about to kill, his will was indomitable. It was rare for her to break his curse during this time, but Celestia knew she would try until her soul gave out.
“I’ll be okay,” Pathos spoke using her voice, forcing her to stand.
“Good,” said Twilight. She went over to Spike and hoisted the unconscious dragon onto his bed.
“Twilight?” Pathos asked.
“Yes, Scoots?”
“Can you come with me? I have to tell you something.”
“Why can’t you tell me here?”
“Just trust me.” No! Don’t! It’s not me talking!
“Alright,” said Twilight.
To Scoots’ dismay, Twilight began to follow her down the stairs. This was going to be the end of Twilight Sparkle and she knew it. Pathos led them into the basement of the Golden Oak library. Feigning politeness, Pathos let Twilight go in first, but closed and locked the door behind them.
“So what is this about?” Twilight asked.
“It’s about Rainbow Dash.”
“What about her?”
“She’s not the murderer,” said Scootaloo. The look of realization was dawning of Twilight’s face. The orange pegasus filly walked over to a shelf. “It’s me.” Scoots caught a glimpse of terror in the unicorn’s eyes as she knocked the shelf over, directly on top of Twilight.

Twilight had not reacted in time. She had tried to throw up a shielding spell, but the bookcase was now on top of her, the vials of chemicals and heavy books piled on top of her. One of the vials had shattered and was dripping acid onto her lower back. She let out a moan of agony as it slowly ate away at her skin.
Twilight tried using her magic to throw off the shelf, but the pain in her back was diverting her concentration away from the spell. “HELP!” she yowled, even though she knew Scootaloo wouldn’t. Hopefully, Roan had heard. Surely, she was out of the shower by now.
The weight of the bookshelf was lifted from her back. Scootaloo had helped after all. Well, maybe help was too strong a word. She had a dark look in her eyes as if the young pegasus wanted to inflict as much pain to the mare as possible.
As soon as the shelf was off of her, Twilight darted away and bolted for the stairs. Scootaloo instantly intercepted her, hitting her in the face with a hoof. Twilight sprawled backwards, back into the clutter and the puddle of acid. She jumped back to her feet just as the liquid started biting her neck. Twilight backed against the wall, careful not to let her raw back touch it. “Why are you doing this? Why you?”
Scootaloo gave her a disinterested look. “You know, I really tire of explaining this to everypony. What was the point of leaving behind the messages if nobody ever figures them out?”
Twilight was confused. How did the messages explain anything behind Scoots’ actions? “It said: ‘Revenge of the fallen soul will lead me back to the realm of peace and rest.’. But that makes no sense. What has anypony done to you?”
Scootaloo stalked closer until their muzzles almost touched. This close, Twilight could see dirt caked to her face and a bit of old blood dried in her mane. Her breath was carried an acrid scent. Reminders of her exploits of the past week.
“Why don’t we evaluate the past week and a half shall we?” said Scoots. “Four of your friends have been killed by me. Each in the way I thought would be most effective in causing them the most pain. Why do you think that is?”
“Revenge?” Twilight murmured.
“Right. Yet, they themselves have done nothing wrong. Or, at least, nothing wrong enough to deserve the cruel and unusual punishment I have given them.”
“Then why’d you do it?!” Twilight howled in anger.
Scootaloo gazed at her with malice in her eyes. “Because a debt had to be paid. A two hundred year old debt. And my spirit, as well as Scootaloo’s, will never be free until the debt has been repaid. I can’t leave this world until vengeance is taken.”
Now Twilight was completely lost. So, this young pegasus before her wasn’t really Scootaloo? Or was she just trying to play mind tricks? “I don’t understand.”
Scootaloo’s anger overflowed. She reared up and slammed Twilight against the wall, pinioning her painfully with her hooves using strength not possible for a pony of any size. “Do I have to spell it out for you? Why do I even bother with the hints? I am Pathos! I have taken over Scootaloo’s body so I can get revenge on those six who harmed me most! You are a descendent of one of those six! I just want to go home among the dead! So let me kill you so that I can get out of this wretched world!”
Twilight understood now. Whether it was ruse or not, she couldn’t tell, but there was a certain sincerity and desperation in the filly’s voice that compelled her to believe the story. Maybe the pony before her was harboring a spirit that desired revenge so that he could have peace. But all that did was put the blame on a different head. No matter the intention, her friends were still brutally murdered. And now was the chance to get even.
Blocking out her pain as much as she could, Twilight concentrated on a spell. It was one that she had never had an opportunity to use before now. This was a spell to lock a spirit. It would make the spirit unable to do anything, essentially creating a mindless body… unless the body had two spirits inside it. Just as she was about to reach the power required to perform the spell, Scoots threw her to into another bookcase. More hazardous chemicals plummeted and shattered on the floor, spraying droplets of acid and toxins across the floor.
Scootaloo splashed right through the puddles unfazed and pulled Twilight up with one hoof and a shattered test tube in the other. It was covered in a chemical Twilight knew to be extremely toxic. Its mere touch could leave you poisoned for days. If it entered the bloodstream, it would almost certainly mean a slow, painful death. And Twilight knew that’s exactly what Pathos wanted.
Scootaloo made to jab down into Twilight’s neck, but suddenly, she froze. A strange, strained look crossed Scoots’ features, as if she were fighting something. It was Scootaloo fighting Pathos! It had to be.
“NO!” Scootaloo abruptly yelled, releasing Twilight. “No more deaths! I can’t take it! I won’t let you kill anymore! I refuse to let you—“ She never finished her sentence. Instead Scoots’ had turned and jabbed the toxin covered glass right into Twilight’s shoulder.